001Good evening. As the chairperson of the Hartford Board of Education, I hereby call to order I hereby call to order the January 20th, 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 Hartford 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
002of individuals. Management is the responsibility of the superintendent. The monthly meetings of the board are open to the public. They are a 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 to the time designated for the public to address the board. Decorum 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 and even this time this evening to join us. We are
003very proud of this school system and thank you for your interest in the Hartford Public Schools. Now, this will be read in Spanish. So, now we're going to move in to our oath of office of the nine board members here. Um there was an election um in November. Um five of us are of us are appointed by the mayor and four are elected. So, for those elected members who um went through the election process, we're now going to take our oath of office. Attorney Misorek. Tonight, we will be recognizing All-State athletes. Um Superintendent Townsel? Thank you. I'm so proud of the Hartford Public Schools athletic program and the excellent opportunities that our athletic department, athletic directors, and coaches provide for our middle and high school students. We are very happy to share with you the
004recognition of four of our fall 2025 student-athletes for earning CIAC All-State honors. This evening, we are so happy to welcome these honorees, their school representatives, and their families. As I call your name, you will make your way to the stage, you will stand in front, pose for a picture, and then we'll get a group picture with the Board of Education. First, we'd like to celebrate Analia Rivero, who plays girls volleyball for our Sport and Medical Sciences Academy Tigers, Class S. She is an outstanding hitter and her season stats included 243 kills, 87 serve aces, and 137 digs. Next, we have David Indy Mubandi, who plays boys soccer for our Bulkeley High School Bulldogs, Class M. He is a born leader on and off the field and this season, he scored 20 goals. Next, we have
005David Angel Marin, who plays boys soccer for Hartford Public High School Owls, Class M. This season alone, he scored 25 goals and made 14 assists. And last, Jayden Booth, who plays defense for our amazing Hartford Co-op football team. The Hartford Co-op football team includes athletes from the Weaver Beavers, the HPHS Owls, and Classical Magnet Gladiators in the CIAC Class LL/L. This season, his stats included 20 total touchdowns, 886 receiving yards, 300 rushing yards, 70 total tackles, and three fumble recoveries. >> [applause] >> Congratulations and great work to all of our student-athletes. We are so proud of the way you're raising the bar for Hartford Public Schools, and we look forward to the future success. >> [applause] >> Thank you. Um And we will now move to public comment. Mr. Mills. We as a board in
006collaboration with the superintendent and district leadership are committed to cultivating a culture of excellence at all levels of HPS. We thank you for taking the time to attend tonight's board meeting. We appreciate you coming out to learn 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 concern 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 3 minutes to speak. At the 2-minute mark, the bell will ring letting you know that you have 1 minute left. At the second bell, please wrap up your comments. Now, this will
007be read in Spanish. Thank you. as the Hartford. us Before we call the first name, um one of our honorees um has arrived and we definitely want to give him his deserved attention. And just a reminder, this is David Indy Mubandi who plays soccer for uh Buckley High School Bulldogs, born leader and scored 20 goals on the season. And our first speaker is Joshua Joseph Jr. Good evening. I'm here to address a parent Can you hear me? Is it on? That's better? All right. Sorry. Good evening. I'm here to address a paradox that defined our district concerning transparency and the promise gap. We are celebrating the 100K Hartford promise, yet we are simultaneously staring at a 30 million and counting deficit, which is forcing cuts to essential student services. For the last 10 years, Hartford
008public school has been tied for the lowest test scores in the state. Our superintendent intends to turn us around, but how can we expect academic improvement when we can't even provide basic transparency and safety to our families? I want to draw to your attention a specific deeply disturbing incident at MD Fox. Recently, a teacher windows was struck with projectiles. Parents were never officially made aware of this incident. When I inquired about the school security and why the MD Fox that why the families at MD Fox were kept in the dark, I was advised to submit an FOI request for the results, which are pending. By hiding behind FOI request, you are sending a message that transparency is something parents have to fight for rather than something they're owed. This is This should make the public
009wonder what else is being hidden from us. We currently have 9,000 residents who have fled this district, nearly 35% of our city's children's. At the same time, about 4,500 suburban students who have come into our buildings to help meet regional integration goals, yet we deny them the Hartford promise scholarship simply because of their zip code. We cannot build a greater Hartford or promise on the foundation of hidden incidents and administrative barriers. We need a one region approach where safety is transparent and every student who gives 4 years to this district regardless of where they sleep is treated with the same respect and given the same opportunity to have a better future. Hartford students have a unique triple threat advantage. The automatic admission program ensures they are automatically accepted to 10 colleges in Connecticut. The PACT
010program makes all 12 community colleges free and the Hartford promise can provide up to 100K for 4-year degree. However, while the state programs are stable, our local promise face a major sustainability challenge. The Hartford promise is privately funded. It relies on a mixture of private donations. Future classes of Hartford students could see this award shrink or disappear. Students can combine these programs starting for free at a community college for 2 years, then transferring automatically to a 4-year university to finish their bachelor's degree. In conclusion, these programs are not just about financial aid, they're about equity. They remove the gatekeeping barriers of high fees and complex paperwork. Our next step should be advocating for more permanent public and private funding structures along with a district-wide awareness campaign to ensure every high school student regardless of their
011zip code knows that a seat in a Connecticut college is already waiting for them. Thank you. Shelly Davis Good evening, superintendent and board members. I am here tonight to simply just say thank you. Thank you for truly listening. Thank you for standing firm regardless of a pause. Thank you for making our students health and safety a priority. Thank you for fixing the heat, cleaning the vents, and just overdue maintenance at Moylan. I also applaud Principal Cobb's leadership and I truly want to thank the board members for showing up. Thank you for speaking up. And thank you for letting everyone know that our students and school school community matter. Let us continue in partnership because we must get this right for our students. Once again, thank you for your focus through all the noise. Thank you.
012>> [applause] >> Naisha McCauley Good evening, superintendent and board members. Um I came here to share some thoughts. Um it's been a while since I spoke uh publicly at a um uh public comment portion of a board meeting. Um so it it it's kind of like um the old warriors come out to to fight when they uh see something going on in the city. Um I'm going to say a couple of qualifying statements um for what I have to say, um, later. But, I'm a graduate of Hartford High, and despite my youthful appearance, I also have a son who graduated from Hartford High, and, um, raising two young daughters who are in the correct system, um, but passionate about Hartford, as some of you up there know. I commit my time to civic engagement and
013community engagement, and like many of you sitting up there, we have fought alongside each other in this educational system. We've seen superintendents, we've seen mayors, uh, we've been through school consolidation, we've been through, uh, privatization of the school system together. We did all these things together, and from that, we have many lessons that we have taken with us. And so, I I I said all that to qualify my statement in that the current situation between the mayor and the school board is very disheartening. And, uh, like Miss Shelley, uh, is thanking you, I also I I do want to thank you, because there is a way to do this, and we know that. Like, like the warriors that I spoke to, we know what needs to be done, and there's studies. Like, we've been through
014cycles of this. If If any board member, or anyone in the viewing audience doesn't have them, I have the receipts. We have stacks of papers from consultants. We have tears left on the sidewalk from parents. We have vacant school buildings littered throughout the city of Hartford. We have mistakes that we have all made together as well, and so we've learned from the situation. So, I just I thank you for your advocacy. Uh, there is a way to do this. There are folks here in the community who know actually how this needs to be done. A survey is not going to cut it. But, diplomacy, advocacy, a little community organizing will. Like, but this is a moment for leadership. This is a moment for all of us, because while we may be disagreeing on how to
015do it, it actually won't work if we all are not doing it together. It won't work, and we know, like, this if we all want to set this bar, and we all want to be a rising star, it is only going to happen if we do it together. And so, I'm I'm I'm fearful of of what's what we are doing right now, and I'm just asking for diplomacy, negotiation skills, like, lean into everything that you have in your storehouse, and that is also available to you in the community. We got to get this right, and we got to do it together. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Tiffany Moyer Washington. Um, she told me to say that I asked for an extra minute, so I I'm going to talk fast, though. Um, so I'm Tiffany Moyer
016Washington. Also, I haven't been at a board meeting in a very long time, but I've been teaching in Hartford for 22 years. I started at Fox Middle School, which was disbanded a long time ago. Um, and even though I work in a magnet school, I consider myself a neighborhood teacher, because I work a mile from the school that I work at. So, my neighbors are my students, and my students are my neighbors. So, I am a Hartford Public School teacher, and I wanted to talk kind of about the same thing, about the discord that's happening. I know that we received an email last week discouraging us from taking the survey, um, distributed by the mayor, and we were encouraged to speak at the Board of Education. And I just wanted to talk about the history
017as to why a lot of teachers don't speak at the Board of Education. Um, and so that you all can kind of understand why that hasn't happened. So, there's kind of three main reasons why teachers don't come out and speak at the Board of Education. One of them is minimal follow-up, one of them is retaliation, and one of them is burnout. So, for minimal follow-up, in the past, there have been Board of Education members who didn't show up till after public comment, or wouldn't even look up from their computers. So, a lot of people were like, well, why bother to go? Another one was fear of retaliation. There was administration that would retaliate against teachers who spoke up. And so, people were fearful, especially non-tenured teachers, feeling like they couldn't say anything. And the last
018one I think is burnout. There's been a lot of teachers who will come, they will write their speeches, they will advocate for their students, and then the board will go and vote in the exact opposite direction of what teachers have advocated for. So, a lot of times, teachers are like, well, why even bother? And so, I wanted to come up if we can come up with a better way for teachers to communicate with the Board of Education. How is there a way that teachers can communicate, that we can work together? Um, how are you available to us? So, is it is it through school visits, through phone calls, through emails, office hours? Could you do your own survey? Are there committees? What are ways in which we could communicate with us so that you could
019we could hear back, and our voices could be heard? On January 8th, I emailed everyone from the Board of Education, and I only heard back from one and and the superintendent. Um, so that's pretty discouraging to me that I sent an email to everyone and didn't receive anything back. Um, so what I sent the email about, which is I will publicly invite you to, is tomorrow students at HMTCA, uh, students will be presenting their capstone presentations between 12:00 and 1:30. Um, students had incredible experience in this capstone class, and I know that the state requirements are looking to get rid of capstone, um, but our students at HMTCA wrote, um, at least five-page research papers, and then they had to do a community-based project, and so tomorrow they'll be presenting those. And so, I just
020wanted to kind of highlight some of the things that my students did that I'm really impressed with. Um, I have one student, if you asked his junior teachers, they probably would be surprised he's even graduating on time. Um, but this kid was really passionate about protecting kids from the from things on the internet. So, he went down to the Hartford Public Library, and he ran a workshop for parents, and taught them how to put safeguards on kids on their kids' phones, so that they wouldn't get onto things they shouldn't be on, um, and so that they could protect their kids, they would not take using Tik Tok during school hours. Um, I had another student who's really passionate about social-emotional learning, and she invited therapy dogs that now come once a month. Um, I have
021another student who, um, is really passionate, wants to be a nurse, and she went and shadowed a nurse, and did a podcast about the nursing shortage. And so, these are some things that our kids are doing in the classroom that are really incredible. And so, my concern is that, um, these are things that you don't get to see, right? And things that you don't get to hear about. So, I wanted to bring that to you, but then also just advocate in ways that we can have better communication between the board and between teachers. Um, because in the past it has been, um, pretty contentious, and it has been kind of us versus you. And I know right now that's like the mayor versus the board versus this and whatever, and I agree with what was
022said before, that if all of us can come together on behalf of our students, that's the best. And I think the best way that we can do that is through proper communication. So, if you can let us know the best way to communicate with us, I know that teachers want to have their voices heard, and they want to speak out, but are uncomfortable speaking at the board meeting. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Richard De Mayo. Good evening. My name is Richard De Mayo, um, a veteran teacher of 35 years, and celebrating my 20th year here in the Hartford Public Schools. I'm talking about behavior and discipline this evening. We are currently living in a tale of two districts. On paper, Hartford Public Schools appears to be a leader in progressive reform, but for those inside
023the classrooms, the reality is a consequence vacuum. This is a dangerous space where aggressive actions go unchecked, compromising the safety and educational progress of every student. The district presents a misleading picture of success through public portals like EdSight. By pressuring schools to stop sus- um, suspensions, the numbers look better, but the disruptive behaviors have not disappeared. They have, in fact, simply disappeared from the official record. While the public sees improvement, the district's internal software, Case IQ, formerly known as Insight, tracks a daily reality of chaos, used pri- primarily to protect the institution from liability, rather than to solve educational and behavioral problems. The shift toward restorative justice was noble, but the execution has been a catastrophic failure of management. The district removed the tool of suspension without properly training teachers on what to do instead.
024We have swung from one extreme to another, leaving students to act out with very little to no consequences, while the district is paralyzed by ideological debates. The cost of consequence of this consequence vacuum is devastating. We see internal truancy, where students roam the halls with impunity, making teaching impossible. Teachers have reported being sworn at, thrown at, and spat at. The ultimate indictment of this system is the case of the young lady who graduated from Hartford Public High Schools having been stalked and harassed, yet never learning how to read or write. Now, so what is the path forward? To reclaim our schools, we must trust the professional judgment of educators. Number one, declare a truce in the micro wars. Stop wasting energy on trivial policies like flip-flops and hoodies. Focus 100% of enforcement on systemic disruptions
025and physical aggressions towards educators. Number two, establish non-negotiable consequences. We need a district-wide zero-tolerance policy for severe aggressions such as spitting or throwing objects at educators. Safety is the prerequisite for learning. And finally, a call to action. I don't know, sorry. Number three, empower teachers teacher-led behavior task forces. Let veteran teachers at each school develop practical enforceable standards that fit their unique challenges. And finally, a call to action. Trust your teachers. Reclaim our schools. Your current strategy has failed producing unsafe schools and unforgivable learning loss. Stop prioritizing statistical optics over the safety of your staff and students. Trust the experts in the classrooms. We are the one the only ones who can lead us out of this crisis. And a crisis it truly is. Thank you. Carol Gale. >> [clears throat] >> Good evening, members
026of the Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools. My name is Carol Gale. I'm a Hartford resident and the president of the Hartford Federation of Teachers. Last month I shared about 20 ideas that could bring some improvement to staff retention at HPS. I followed up my public comments with an email to this board and outlined those same ideas for your reference. Some of those ideas I realized require financing, but many of them did not. I welcome your feedback and hope that I receive a response from any of you. Uh kind of like Tiffany, I haven't heard a response. So, please respond. Uh for a positive update, Hartford Federation of Teachers has filed less than half the amount of grievances by this point in the year as compared to the past 2 years. That's great. And
027of those grievances filed, most have been handled and resolved with only five grievances outstanding. This speaks to improved labor management relations and a commitment from both parties to seek resolution at the lowest level. HFT appreciates all the district leaders who have worked with us to resolve several grievances so far this year at the lowest level. And for another positive, I do love the change you've made to BoardDocs. It's way more user-friendly. So, good job on that one, too. Um today actually marks exactly 1 year since a new administration was ushered in um and brought in significant changes to our educational system. That anniversary was marked today by rallies across the country expressing much of the people's pushback on federal actions, in particular the recent events in Minnesota where an ICE agent killed an observer named
028Renee Good. Concern for people's safety and the continued presence of federal agents led Minnesota to approve remote learning for Minneapolis and St. Paul's students. Tonight's agenda for your meeting includes a report from the Committee of the Whole in which Dr. Sackey has been tasked with exploring the capability to offer distance learning in Hartford. I presume as a safety measure for our students as well. HFT appreciates such proactive exploration. Additionally, we must have a seat at the table. Distance learning would be a change in working conditions which is a mandatory subject of bargaining. Unfortunately, HFT's past experience has been to not be included in changes of working conditions despite repeated requests. We have had to bring this concern to the labor board which recently ordered the Hartford Board of Education to {quote} cease and desist from
029unilaterally changing teachers' conditions of employment. {unquote} HFT is hopeful that under Dr. Townsley's leadership any such changes in working conditions which are mandatory subjects of bargaining will include negotiations with any union affected by such changes. In addition to the exploration of distance learning, HFT encourages the Board of Education to work with our City Council and State Legislature to strengthen our laws to protect our schools as safe havens. And back to the point of distant learning, HFT looks forward to hearing from Dr. Sackey. Thank you. Michael Downs. Good evening uh board members and superintendent. My name is Michael Downs. I um want to say thank you for your advocacy uh remember that was brought up last month by Edwin Vargas and myself. And um it's a necessary thing. Uh some might say the Board of Education
030is a starting point for political action. And uh sometimes it can lead to further uh uh political achievement. Um but you'll have to advocate. Thank you. Um I just recently uh Sunday read New York Times concerning uh a plan to uh create uh students that can uh uh take jobs um such as uh home health care, child care nursing teachers uh auto mechanics, plumbers, carpenters, electricians, heating and air conditioning experts, uh police officers, and general labor. And uh we don't seem to be I think the question we have to ask ourselves is um are we doing this? And I don't I it's not just Hartford, but Hartford is not because Hartford of course had uh 15 or so years ago um eliminated vocational technical education. But uh they need the we need to prepare These
031are These are jobs that are are wanting. In other words, they need they need people to fill these positions. And uh the reason that uh automobiles are are so high is because of the lack of mechanics. And uh they need uh that's one of the reasons if they had more mechanics, they would be able to uh handle that. Uh the education and has to be started in the high schools. Have to make some changes in the high schools. Have to make some changes in college to prepare students for these jobs. And I also like to say that many of these jobs right after the pandemic many of these jobs were uh taken up by um immigrants. The people that we uh uh are fighting against now or some people are fighting against. And uh they
032handled the jobs uh mainly general labor, but they also you know, they uh loaded and unloaded trucks. They loaded and unloaded ships. They drove trucks. They uh uh uh they butchered our meats. They picked our fruits. They picked our vegetables. And um some of them even did teaching and nursing. And other other uh other other jobs around, plumbing, carpentry, and things like that. And uh the thanks we get is to deport them and and uh to declare war on them. That's that's not fair. And uh also here in Hartford I I want to thank you for uh fighting the the um mayor's uh intent to pause uh the uh uh renovation and and repair of schools which is necessary. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Annette Armstrong. Good evening. Good evening, everyone. Um I stand here
033on behalf of uh half of the parents from Hartford Public High School. Not just Hartford Public High School, but I can speak on from the majority probably the majority of the students parents from the Hartford Public School system. I have a issue and the issue is is that with with that you guys are closing these schools. You you're you're trying to consolidate schools, but at the same token, we have third graders and fourth graders that's not even up to reading level. So, you think that consolidating these schools, closing these buildings, and having these kids go from one side of town to another side of town is going to make it better. It's not going to make it better. Only way to me the issue is going to get better is if you guys at the
034board involve the parents. And in order for that to work for this to work, it has to be an open and it has to be open because I can speak like I said, I can speak on my behalf. I have two grandchildren at Hartford Public High School. I have issues with teachers up there. What's the issue being done? It's taken and it's swept up under the rug. I'm not I'm not one of those parents or those grandparents that just like to take stuff and just let it sit there. No, I like to see action done and I'm an action person. And like I said, you said the superintendent, you want to raise the bar and everything, let's raise it together. And in order for it to raise together, let's work together. I want to see
035action. What are you guys going to do? So, my question to you guys is is that when you guys have the next meeting, is there going to be any changes in the in the school systems? Can somebody answer that for me, please? Will there be change What changes is going to be made? When are the When we know the test scores for the kids for the reading levels? That's what I want to know. I want to know when is this this supposed to be appropriate for us to see? And then as far as these like surveys goes out, half of the parents didn't even get them. I'm one. I never got no survey and I refuse to answer a survey on what I do not know and I do not approve of. So, I'm just
036letting y'all know from here, I'm not I'm one of those parents that don't sit. I I like to take action and in order for things to work again, we got to have action and it got to be a team. It can't be just one person one team doing it. It got to be more than multiple people. >> [applause] >> Milly Arciniega Good evening, everyone. Um Superintendent, honorable board members, um I want to go back and speak on what Naisha McCallie spoke about. We have come full circle. Full circle. Some of you up there were with us doing it all on the bottom with each other. It was a It was a a a an era where parent engagement was looked at as we are going to put a seat for you to come to our
037table. And we need that to come back. And I just don't understand how we can go from that to where are we? Right? And I think parents are frustrated. They're frustrated. They want to see more. They want to be a part of the conversation. They don't know where to go. So, we appreciate that the board put out, you know, this um about the survey and and and being transparent about it cuz parents really respected that. But, you know, like Annette was saying, you know, like half of them didn't receive it anyway. Right? And half of them were like they they needed to be told how what it was about and why it was important. So, you know, I say that because it's time. Time is Time is ticking. There's families that are wanting to choose
038schools. They don't know what schools are going to be closed. And so, all you get is an application. So, it's going to be an application and the parents sitting in front of that application choosing schools. Choosing schools that they don't know yet if they're going to be closed or not. Or what does that process look like? Right? So, are those schools going to be off when the application comes up? We don't We don't know that either. So, like we're trying to be at the table and we want to have more conversations with all of you um and Superintendent. With you, too. Right? So, like, you know, we're we're wanting to be with you uh doing all this work great work together because at the end of the day, yeah, we're going to have behavioral problems
039with with kids. We're going to have all of these other things. Kids are not learning at the at the rate that they need to be learning. Right? And we can't blame it all on behavior. Okay? Because the last time I looked, there's social workers. There's behavioral techs, okay, in the school system that can help with behaviors. And then the other thing is classroom management. So, if teachers are having difficult times with students, then maybe they need the professional development on classroom management. So, I mean, we can't keep blaming it on kids' behavior. That's unfair. That's very unfair. We go to the capital so that [clears throat] we can fight for more money so that we can then have more resources for our children. But to come up here and talk about children's behavior is so
040unacceptable when we know we have all of those resources in these schools. And we're about to get some more because that's what we do down here. We go back and we get get some more money so that we can have the resources. So, I thank you. >> [applause] >> Sarah Kovac Hello, Hartford Board of Education and Superintendent Dr. Townsley. My name is Sarah Kovac. I am a senior organizer at Educators for Excellence, a local nonprofit organization that ensures that teachers have a leading voice in the policies that impact their students and profession. I am here tonight to read a statement on behalf of Hartford educator Daniel Drazen. The following is her statement. Dear Hartford Board of Education and Superintendent Dr. Townsley. My name is Daniel Drazen and I am a special education teacher at Hartford
041Magnet Trinity College Academy where I have taught for many years. Spending every day in a special education classroom, I can tell you from experience that we are in crisis. Special education teacher shortages have limited our capacity, contributed to burnout, and kept students from getting the attention that they deserve. I personally have 23 students on my caseload, each one with their own service hours, IEPs, and legal requirements that I'm responsible for. Many of our students are currently in debt of receiving the hours they are due in their plan. One student I have is currently owed 312 hours, which is nearly 40 school days, which is compensatory time that hasn't been fulfilled because of the staffing shortage. I think you can agree with me that this is unacceptable. My students' needs are complex and intersectional in nature
042and even with paraeducators present, we don't have the right support for them. Many one-to-one paras are stretched to cover multiple students due to the high need while other students go unidentified or unsupported because only the most severe cases are being addressed first. Because of this, students with IEPs are failing classes because they can't get the support guaranteed in their plans. Additionally, the way we use our time has to be heavily divided between working with students and accomplishing administrative goals. One day I had to collect seven signatures of different teachers for each of my 23 students. This was 161 signatures over the course of the day. Time I could have been using to support students if there was administrative support provided to special education teachers. Each day from crisis to crisis, we have to be reactionary
043instead of preventative in nature. We cannot act like the circumstance isn't severe. I've been in classrooms where we couldn't even provide our students with basic supplies like pencils. The general feeling of constant emergency contributes to burnout and people not being able to take care of their own mental health, thus leaving the profession. I'm asking that you commit to pursuing evidence-based solutions to the special education crisis, specifically focusing on financial incentives to attract and retain special education teachers, administrative support that will reduce teacher vacancies, and ensuring that students will receive the services that they need to thrive. This call for action is a continuation of a letter that she has signed or Daniel has signed on to calling for solutions to the special education crisis in June, which was later shared with Dr. or Superintendent Dr.
044Townsley and given voice to at the December 16th Board of Education meeting. Sincerely, Daniel Drazen. Thank you, guys. >> [applause] >> Maria Pineda And Maria will be followed by Claude Watt. Good evening. Thank you for being here. Thank you for allowing us to be here. Thank you for allowing us to listen and allow a space for us as parents to be present in this meeting. >> Okay, Madre tengo unas niñas en escuelas públicas y nos preocupa la situación represento un grupo pequeño de padres que nos reunimos semanalmente. So as a parent I have two young girls in the school system and right now we are concerned. I'm also representing a small group of parents that meet weekly. Y comentamos necesidades que tenemos en las escuelas con nuestros niños preocupaciones. And we talk about concerns that
045we have in the schools with our children concerns that we have. Una de ellas que es la más común ahorita actualmente es la remodelaciones que están paralizadas en nuestras escuelas de Hartford. And one of them which is the most common one and is very concerning is the hold of remodeling and constructions in the heart in some of the schools in Hartford. Y soy madre y voluntaria en una escuela que estuvo en proceso de remodelación. I am a mother and volunteer at a school that was going through a remodeling process. Y era testigo palpable de cómo la necesidad de espacios que nuestros niños necesitan y que no lo dicen a sus padres no llega esas noticias a los hogares. And I was an eyewitness to see the environment and the space that the children need and
046they don't go and tell their their parents about their need. Donde esos espacios tenían polvo todos las semanas se cambiaban direcciones en cuanto un aula cerrada un pasillo cerrado. Where there was a lot of dust in that space and every week they will change instructions regarding a hallway that was closed or in a classroom that was closed. Y que veía a los niños esperar mucho tiempo por ir al baño porque solamente había habilitado ciertos baños. Esas necesidades no nos las comunicaban a nosotros como padres. And also seeing children waiting for a long time to go to the bathroom because bathrooms were not available at that time and the children needed to hold and children didn't come home and tell us about that concern and need that they had to use the bathrooms. Y como madre
047me preocupaba pero hacía las preguntas algún personal que estaba conmigo allí y de le le hace esa pregunta los papás saben la situación que nuestros niños tienen aquí en esta escuela. And as a parent I was concerned and I will ask the staff and I will say do parents know the situation what their kids are going through in the schools. Donde tenían que comer en el en el espacio del gym y después recoger todo para poder practicar su deporte creo que no es justo. Where the students had to eat in the gym space and then pick everything up put it away and then use that space for gym class and I don't think that's fair. Entonces nuestra preocupación es no podemos permitir que las escuelas que están en remodelación se paralice este trabajo sino que
048más bien se agilice. So my concern is I don't think we should allow that those schools that are being remodeled for that to be on hold to be paused right now. I think it needs to be faster and they need to continue working on it and complete that job as soon as possible. Ustedes tienen autoridad y tienen recursos como poner en práctica y poner a ejercer su poder nosotros tenemos la voz como padres así que queremos que esa voz tenga poder y tenga fuerza con ustedes. You have the authority and you can say so and you can speak up for us and us as parents we have the power and we would like for you all to represent us and we want to work with you together. Este es el testimonio de una sola escuela
049imagínense tantas escuelas que hay que tenemos en la lista que están en este proceso y que también ese ese movimiento de de remodelación se paralice también estarán este tipo de de de movimiento o este tipo de de eventos se están haciendo saber en esas escuelas. And I'm just giving you the testimony as to one school. So imagine all the things that are going other schools are going through right now and the things that those children those students are going through currently because of that hold or pause on the construction. Gracias. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Claude Watt. Good evening. Terrific Tuesday, happy New Years. It's great to see you all once again. To everybody in the audience I I agree with a lot of things that you guys say. My name is Claude Watt. I'm
050the district electrician. I'm also a e-board member of local 566 and I represent 87% of 87% of my union are Hartford residents. I want to read something to you today if you could bear with me for a second. It's called perception. There are no words you can speak that can reach to someone who is committed to misunderstanding you. Some people don't listen to understand they listen to confirm the story they've been I mean I'm sorry they were listening to confirm the story they've already decided. You can explain yourself clearly calmly honestly emotionally. But they still will twist your intentions into something that fits their narrative. So trying to win over someone who is invested in misunderstanding misreading you is emotional quicksand. It's like banging your head against the wall. The harder you try the deeper
051you're going to sink and in the end you will lose trust your self-respect and your whole sense of reality. All in an effort to satisfy someone who's never really wanted to meet you halfway. That was by Mark Manson. But the reason I say that is is I'm emergency services. The only reason you see me is if there's a problem. So when I stand up here it's a problem. You know and my the people that I represent they chose me and I had to step up to the plate and so it's just You all drove in here nicely today. Didn't slip on any sidewalks driveways. That's cuz it was all cleared by the people that we represent. When you sit there and you're going to these schools you don't hear any shutdowns or anything like that
052cuz we're here day in day out 365. People ask me what's what's a day off? I've only had 3 days off since Christmas but that's because we sit there and we want these kids to come to school. We want these kids to have education. We want these buildings to be safe and we want them to sit there and be a safe environment for everybody here cuz that's what we're here for. Thank you for your time and I hope we can work together and have a great New Year. Thank you. >> [applause] >> And our last speaker is John Walton. Good evening superintendent and good evening distinguished board members. First I'd like to thank the students who got those individual accomplishments. They were well deserved. I thank this board for bringing back the student board members.
053You did keep your promise as you should with our students being involved in this process. So I I thank you for that. There's a lot of positive with this board and with the superintendent. So we have to acknowledge that. And local 566 has had a history of calling balls and strikes. So we talk direct. We get right to the point. We say what's good and we say what we have problems with. I thank the board members at totally for your interest in our contract negotiations. Your attendance and interest was was felt because contract negotiations looked a little brighter when you showed interest versus when it first started. Now on the heels of Dr. Martin Luther King's day he was a little controversial at the end because what many people don't know is that Dr. Martin
054Luther King although he promoted a non-violent protest about the injustices of what was happening in our society he did that purposely to show the world how cruel the United States was being towards foundational black Americans in the United States. So that was purposeful. But he was very unapologetic about his fight for the equal rights of all people. And therefore local 566 is unapologetic about our fight as well. Many people think that we should come through the door because we're non-certified and our people work in the cafeteria they work the trades they're not the certified position that we should come begging for what's fair. But why should we do that? This is our neighborhood. 87% of my membership live here. We shouldn't have to beg for anything. So, we're very unapologetic about our advocacy and what
055we deserve. And to be treated like partners. We don't come in acting like subordinates cuz we're not. Uh as you know, there was storms over the weekend. Who handled that so that the kids could come to school in a safe environment, staff could come? Well, 566 came. They showed up. Essentially, to make sure that that happened. So, we're not going to beg for what's fair. We're going to demand what is due to us. So, there was some trust broken. And like I said, we have to acknowledge what you're doing right and there are things you're doing right. And you inherited a mess. But there was some trust broken. I'll bring you back to a story about one of our food service workers that was televised on television at Rawson. Intruder came in and it was
056all over the news. And our our move at that particular time. And let me preface the statement by saying this. I have some good relationships with the directors on OTM and legal labor. You under the leadership of the new COO, we've been able to foster some excellent relationships and excellent progress forward. But at that time, you know, it was decided that we should get rid of the food service cook manager based on a door that was non-operational and signed off by the leadership of facilities at that particular time. That wasn't operational and failed its fire marshal inspection three years in a row. And the and the answer to a fixing an intruder coming through our school was to get rid of the lowest person on the totem pole to also hide the fact that there
057were relationships between the food service direction and the facilities director. So, we didn't hold the people responsible accountable. We held the lowest person who was a grandmother of this community responsible. Good thing we got her job back. And she's now working. But let me show you what she does. She was a cook manager, but because eagles are so present in what we do, we allowed her to come back. But because the eagle had to be entertained, she is now getting paid to be a cook manager, but is not actually doing the function because they wanted to have some kind of window saying, "We'll give her the money, but we won't give her back her title." That isn't that sad? So, food service direction is going in the wrong direction. Now, you have some people there
058that are actually willing and good enough to put it in the right direction, but it's in the wrong direction right now. And the wrong direction it's in the direction it's going in right now hides the fact that And I don't let's be very honest and deliberate about it. Hides the fact that there were no layoffs to the food service department because that's a separate federal budget. So, public, pay attention. There were no layoffs in the in the food service department. Instead, they actually gave promotions to supervisors. 21 supervisors, by the way. Now, some of them deserve to be supervisors, but some of them don't. And it was so bad that even in our contract, we had a position that was filled by a person that was not qualified, but was labeled and budgeted for a
059licensed trade. Now, if I'm not mistaken, that's wrong. Because you're not supposed to have somebody in the position that doesn't that you require and budget as a license, but they don't have any of that. And the reason that happened is because of nepotism. They before you came, Dr. Towns and this board is and before you guys came is well aware that who you know gets you farther than what you know. And that's very unfort- fortunate. But we need to change that food service direction cuz they still haven't identified that you still feeding high school kids who are athletes the same portions you feed elementary kids. But you give yourself a raise. And then you give a 30 to 20,000 dollar raise to another person that is granted it by nepotism. The auditors that are on
060the ground that are talking to the departments, please stop talking to supervisors. You need to talk to ground zero. Local 566 is willing to talk to anybody. So, please interview us so we can tell you exactly what's happening and there's not a mask put over your face. Uh Local 566, I'll be real quick, has not taken a position on school closure and consolidation. We are still trying to gather all of the information we need to take a position and an informed position so that we get it right. We're not interested in fighting Dr. Towns and board members. We're interested in being at the table to listen and to hear and to take a position on the best path forward for our students, our community, and this board. So, I do appreciate your hard work. I
061understand this is a tough job. And if I didn't say this, I hope that your holidays were good because for some reason sometimes we forget that you guys are human beings, you have families, and this what we have to be about the business of Hartford Public Schools. So, I thank you for your time and I thank you for your efforts. >> [applause] >> And that concludes public comment. Thank you. So, at this time, um I would like to entertain a motion to take our agenda out of order. Um moving our business agenda um to right now. So moved. Second. All those who are in favor of um moving our business agenda um as our next item, please signify by saying I. I. Any nays? Abstentions? The eyes have it. So, at this time, under our
062business agenda, item 5.1, um resolution to temporary temporarily suspend suspension of policy. So, the motion is that the Board of Education um we are we would like to um move policy um 9314. We want to suspend to suspension of policy bylaws regulations temporarily suspend policy 9310. Um development, distribution, and maintenance of manual of policies, regulations, bylaws for the purpose of voting on an agenda item 5.2. Do I have a motion? So moved. Is there a second? Second. Thank you. Any questions and discussion on the motion? With no questions, we're going to move forward. Um All those in favor um signify by saying I. I. Nays? Abstentions? The eyes have it. Now, we move to 5.2. Adoption um policy 6146, graduation requirements. The motion that the Hartford Board of Education adopt policy 6146, graduation requirements. Do
063I have a motion? So moved. Second. The policy has been amended to add language to award deceased students an honorary diploma if the family desires. Any questions? Discussion? The motion on the floor is that the Hartford Board of Education adopt policy 6146, graduation requirements. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. Any nays? Any abstentions? The eyes have it. The motion moves. So, item 5.3, um resolution, honorary diploma for Anitrice Terry. The motion is that the Hartford Board of Education grant Anitrice Terry and somebody's going to have to um help me out how to pronounce that. Posthumous honorary diploma from the Hartford Public Schools. Do I have a motion? So moved. Second. Anitrice Terry was a senior honor student at Weaver High School in 1972 when her life was tragically cut short. While leaving
064campus, she was struck by a wind-blown plank from an active construction site at the school just months away from her graduation. Her family has requested that the Hartford Public Schools grant her an honorary diploma to recognize the milestone she was so close to achieving. Any questions? Or any discussion? With no questions and no discussion, um the motion on the floor is that the Hartford Board of Education um, grant Anitra Terry this honorary diploma from Hartford Public Schools. All those in favor by signify by saying I. I. I. Um, any nays? Any abstentions? The eyes have it. The motion moves. Um, and I am not embarrassed to say I don't know her mother's name. I just know her as Mama. So, I I was not no reason why I would ever have to know her first
065name, but her 95-year-old mother is here to receive the diploma and we are honored and we are so grateful that she is here to experience this. >> [applause] >> So, we're going to come to you, Mama, and we're going to take a picture with you and um, issue and her her daughter um, is also here. Um, >> [laughter] >> So, we we are we are proud and this is some of my family here. I'm not embarrassed to say it in a full transparency. Um, we are very proud as a board that we're able to do this honor because I know you guys have waited a very long time. So, while we um, gather to come down, I believe um, Anitra's is um, sister Lavern Terry has a few words. And after we're going to take
066a picture um, >> [applause] >> And she also has a best friend, um, Cecilia Johnson, um, who um, was with her my understanding that day. So, this is um, a very very um, emotional, but um, much needed um, occasion. Thanks to God for granting me the strength and grace to stand here today on such a deeply meaningful occasion. I am especially grateful to share this moment alongside my mother who is 95 years young along with LaShell, Anitra's daughter, and the rest of our family. Over the years, we made many attempts to receive Anitra's diploma. And through every delay and every challenge, God continued to remind us to never give up. Today is a testament to faith, perseverance, and love. Our hearts are filled with overwhelming joy and gratitude. We are finally able to accept this
067long-awaited milestone. funny, and beautiful inside and out. She had a way of lightening up a room and making everyone feel seen and valued. Her memory continues to bring smiles to our faces and adds an extra heartbeat to our hearts. Though she is no longer with us physically, her spirit lives on through her daughter, her family, and everyone whose whose lives she's touched. Today is not only about a diploma, but about honoring a life, a legacy, and a promise fulfilled. It is a reminder that love endures, faith sustains us, and God's timing is always perfect. On behalf of the Terry family, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the Board of Education and a very special thank you to Shante Brody for your dedication, compassion, for making this moment possible. We are forever grateful. I'm kind of
068nervous. But when I seen her picture, it just brought back memories cuz I was with her when it happened. And I just want to say a few words. My name is Cecilia Johnson. And I stand here today as the best friend of Anitra's Terry. I wrote this down because I was afraid that I would forget something. 54 years ago, I were seniors at Weaver High School. We were young, excited about graduation, and doing what teenagers do. Running through the halls, laughing, chasing boys. There was good There was construction in the building. Something came loose and in a moment that changed everything. taken from us. It was right there. It could have been me. I was right there. That day did not just take my best friend. It took a future. It took a daughter from
069her mother, a mother from her child, LaShell, a sister from her family, and for many of us who loved her, life was never the same again. a good student. She worked hard. She was proud of being close to graduation. She earned the right to walk across that stage. And I would be lying if I said it doesn't hurt that it took 54 years for this moment to come. It is disappointing, but I also understand that times were different then. Processes were different. Voices, especially voices like ours, were not always heard the way they are today. And while this moment did not come when it should have, I am grateful that it has come now. Today matters. Today says says remembered. Today says her life mattered. Today says her story was not forgotten. Anitra's name lives
070on in my family. I named my first daughter She named her first child LaShell and I named my daughter because love does not end even when life is cut short. On behalf of Anitra's family, I want to thank the city of Hartford, the school system, and everyone who made today possible. Thank you for honoring her. Thank you for completing what was left unfinished. And thank you for allowing us this moment of peace. have been here, but today in this way, she is. Thank you. >> [applause] >> And so, we're going to come down and take a picture, but her name will be read at the graduation ceremony for Weaver High School. The graduation that's happening um, this year. >> [applause] >> Just watch the wire. >> [applause] >> So, any of this is good. >>
071[laughter] >> Shante, let me know when you're ready. >> [snorts] >> Okay. Shout out to Weaver for that wedding. That might have been out of order, but >> [laughter] >> So, we're going to continue. So, we're going to go into reports. Um the report of the chair. Um I wanted to um say happy New Year to everyone. Um Um I wanted to start with um the reopening of Bulkeley High School. Um really happy about that. I know myself um board member Fortune and board member Walker was able to make it that early morning um to join the central office staff in welcoming the Bulkeley um High School students on the um reopening of that school. Um we as a board have been working um um with community um entities on a legislative advocacy planning group.
072Um that has been going well under the leadership of our board member um Estrada-Perez. She's leading us in that great work. Um I've had the pleasure of um attending a few of our um high school um basketball games. Um that that has been exciting. Um I think we should all try We We have no excuse now um not to get to a a game, but very exciting to um cheer on um um our students. Um so, I wanted to um make sure I include a quote um from our State Department of Education because I think that matters. Um so, under and this is quote from the State Department of Education. Under the leadership of Superintendent Superintendent um Dr. Andre Townsel and our Chief Financial Officer Caitlyn Richard, Hartford Public Schools has engaged in consistent, transparent
073collaboration with the Accountability and Support Team to strengthen systems, improve instruction, and ensure the operational excellence. To date, progress has been significant and measurable across fiscal management, grant management, special education, general education, and literacy instruction. The district is making structural, sustainable improvements, not temporary fixes, positioning Hartford Public Schools for long-term stability, higher student outcomes, and stronger operation performance. So, I wanted to ground that um in our work um and that is from our State Department of Education. And I want to be clear that um um in my statement that I released, it did not say do didn't do not take the survey. What it said was it was not our survey and it was not covered under our privacy um policies. And I think that was the responsib- responsible thing to do because even some
074of our staff members was thinking that it was um our policy. Um I do also want to be clear um and re- clearly reaffirm that um under Connecticut state law, the Hartford Board of Education is the sole governing body vested with the authority to make decisions for the Hartford Public School system. This authority is well established and protected and it exists to ensure um consistent, lawful, and student-centered governance um of our district. Um the board remains unwavering in its commitment to the success of students we serve. Um every action we take is guided by our responsibility to advance educational outcomes, safety, and equity for all students in Hartford. We are also firmly committed to supporting our staff. Our educators and school personnel are essential partners in this work, and we will continue to advocate for
075the conditions, resources, and respect they deserve in order to serve students effectively. Um that commitment includes continued advocacy for our physical school buildings, the school renovation plans approved by the city of Hartford, the city council, State Department of Education represent agreed upon standards standards for what our students and staff deserve, safe, functional, and appropriate learning environments. Um this board will continue to press for adherence to those commitments for um and for accountability in their implementation. At the same time, we recognize that strong schools require strong partnerships. The Hartford Board of Education remains committed to ongoing engagement with parents, families, and the broader community as we always have. We value community input, we listen to concerns, and we will continue to create meaningful opportunities for collaboration while ensuring the final decision-making remains where the law places
076it, with this board. And I just want to um state that um it is true. It is true that we've been through many time consolidations, threats of school closures. Um I I did um as one of the speakers did say, we have receipts. It's filmed, recorded. Um I found myself in some of those films. I forgot some of that stuff even existed. Um it was a good reminder, but it was done um with um community. I was a parent at the time just trying to be active in the community, and parents did have a voice. Um we intend to do nothing different. We do not have a consolidation plan. What we have is a plan to know where we are, know what we have, and how we and develop how we're going to move forward,
077but we will not do it alone. We will do it with um with our community. And that is my report. Um Mr. Superintendent, your report. Thank you, Chairwoman Brody. Uh first, I'd like to share um I'm so excited working here in Hartford Public Schools. I'm telling you, ladies and gentlemen, we are a unified front working collaboratively with our Board of Education, our staff, listening to our community. We are committed to excellence. Is the job hard and difficult? Absolutely. But the good news is we come every single day with our sleeves rolled up and our heart hats on. So, I thank the Board of Education for their leadership, their direction, and it's important to know that the superintendent serves at the pleasure of the board. It is the job of the superintendent to execute the will,
078the goals, and the direction of our Board of Education, and I'm so privileged to work with a staff that allows me to do that and work collaboratively with our board as we develop the future of Hartford Public Schools. In addition to that, I also am a team player, continue to work collaboratively with all of our stakeholders. Everyone's input is very important, but the goal is to come together as a team. What I shared with our leadership at our Leadership Institute is when you have new members of a team that come together, there's a process that happen. And the first process is called the storm. You're storming together, getting your ideas, trying to see where the chemistry lies. Once you storm, then you start to form. And as you form that team and you form that
079mastermind alliance, the next thing that comes is the norm. Now you have norms of how you handle business. And once you handle business and do what you're supposed to do, the next thing is the best thing, and now you can perform. So, you storm, form, norm, then perform. And that's what we're doing. So, trust the process. Don't rush the process. It's not a speedboat. We're turning a royal cruise ship. So, you have to do it effectively and efficiently. And I do believe the State Department of Education say we're going in the right way. Our union leadership say this is the lowest we've ever had with grievances. So, we're starting at the ground level, fixing the system. So, just trust the process. It's a grind. Good news, we don't wish it was easier, we just wish
080it were better. We don't wish that it took less work, we wish we had more work ethic. And we're going to get the job done. So, our future is bright. Don't hang your head, don't worry, don't be concerned. Just get with the program. Roll your sleeves up and join the team, and we'll get that together. Who clapped for that? Uh the next thing I'll share real quick, and I just need everyone to hear this. It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Coach Ira D. Long, who passed away unexpectedly on January 3rd. Coach Long has been an integral part of the Classical Magnet Schools boys basketball program since 2005, serving as their JV boys head coach and varsity assistant coach for nearly two decades. He was also a teacher and began his
081career in 1997 at Jumoke Academy in Hartford. He later spent several years with the West Hartford School District, ultimately finishing his career at CREC Academy of Computer Science and Engineering, where he worked from 2002 until his passing. But he is a member of our team and a part of our family. So, I'd like to ask for a very brief moment of silence. Thank you. Uh the next thing I'd like to share, yes, Buckley came back to school. They have a home, that bulldog pride is back. It's unbelievable when I hear they was almost out of a building for nearly 6 years. Uh but they've come back, they're very excited about that process. And um I'll mention the climate and culture tour that we have at all of our secondary schools to talk about our not
082only behaviors, but expectations. We want to have high expectations and high accountability. So, we kicked that tour off at Buckley High School. The staff was phenomenal, the young people were phenomenal, they were locked in. So, our brighter days are absolutely in front of us. It's just going to take a little bit of time and a whole lot of hard work. So, shout out to Buckley and that bulldog pride. The next thing I'd like to share, with Buckley again, they were recognized by the RISE Network for learning deep leaning deeply into their data this year. Um as of December 1, 89% of their students are college-bound seniors and have submitted applications. And right now it's 89%. This time last year, ladies and gentlemen, it was 8%. So, we're working and grinding. So, shout out to that
083Buckley team. I want to share this, and and this is the second-to-last thing. Update on our fiscal 2027 budget. We have been engaging in our budget process across the community, including with school leaders, union leadership, staff, community partners, school governance councils, and the broader community. It's no secret we are facing approximately a $35 million structural deficit for the upcoming year, and that's driven by the rising rates of special education tuition, transport and transportation for our our students who attend choice schools and are outplaced into private facilities. This year, we are proposing what we need, and the goal is to try our best not to cut to support our school community. Across the last 3 years, it's very important to know that we have cut $70 million from our budget and 377 positions. There is nothing
084left to cut. We will be engaging in legislative advocacy to propose specific levers that the state and city can pull to increase resources for Hartford Public Schools. We need all of your support and engagement during the legislative process, and we will be in touch in specific ways to get involved. So, I'm asking you to roll your sleeve up and lean in and advocate, advocate, advocate for Hartford Public Schools. And the very last thing, I'll say this. Our 12th annual Education Expo is coming up on this Saturday, January 24th at our newly renovated, state-of-the-art Buckley High School campus, which is located at 330 Wethersfield Avenue, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Representatives from all of our schools will be there, and we're being very intentional about talking to our young people coming out of our middle
085schools, coming out of that eighth grade that live in the city of Hartford, because there's a promise on the other side of graduation. And we've said it, if you live in the city, go to a Hartford Public School, have a 3.0 grade point average, and a 93% attendance rate, you're guaranteed up to a $100,000 scholarship to a school of your choice. So, come and look at all of our schools, see everything that we have available from traditional schools to magnet schools. You can find success in Hartford Public Schools. Young people are successful every day and every year. We just need to tell the story. There's millions of stories out there. We're going to share that story. So, please come to our uh Hartford Public School Exposition this Saturday, January 24th from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00
086p.m. I will be there, our team will be there. We look forward to seeing you there. Thank you. That concludes my comments. Thank you. Mr. Superintendent, uh Dr. Townsley, um board member Der Stole Ledger asked for a point of privilege to update us on um a CABE meeting that was today. Thank you so much. Can you hear me? Okay. Thank you so much, Madam Chair. So, I wanted to share with the community that the CABE executive board meeting met today for our annual retreat where we discussed priorities and goals for the next 3 years. Beginning next month, CABE will launch a regular newsletter to keep members of CABE and the HPS community, which includes parents, families, everyone, on legislative updates, upcoming workshops and trainings, and key initiatives. We look forward to staying connected and moving
087forward together. Thank you. So, we're going to go into our Oh, that um our superintendent has one more thing to share. Thank you, Chairwoman Brody. Um I forgot to share that um uh we had Dream Week that came up. That was last week. I want to share um the Dream Week Week program engaged our students with Dr. King's Connecticut history, and I wanted to give a very special thank you to our Board of Education Vice Chairperson Francoise D'arestel Ledger for connecting Hartford Public School with the Dream Week program. Uh the program was aimed at understanding our civil rights history, fostering a critical dialogue, and inspiring our students to lead during action of Dr. Martin Luther King holiday each year. The program included a documentary watch party with guided discussions and followed up activities aligned to
088our district's academic standards. The Delta Sigma Theta Hartford Alumni Chapter Sorority invited the Hartford Public Schools to participate in their Dream Week program in which all of our schools hosted watch parties of the 16-minute documentary Summers of Freedom. Thank you so much not only to the ladies of Delta Sigma Theta, but also our Vice Chair uh Francoise D'arestel Ledger. Ladies and gentlemen, if you have the opportunity, I ask that you look up Summers of Freedom, that Dr. Martin Luther King documentary and his history right here in Connecticut. Thank you. Thank you. So, moving along to our consent agenda, um items on the consent agenda are 6.2, second reading and adoption of policy 4112.51, employment reference checks. This is a policy recommended in the CABE audit and already aligned with current HR practices requiring employment verification
089checks for all new hires. 6.3, second reading and adoption of policy 4111.3, increasing educator diversity. This is a This is from public act 23-27 and requires compliance with the CABE model policy. The plan itself was completed in 2024 and in place the policy is serving as a statement of compliance. 5.7, approval of minutes. Approval 5.8, approval of amended minutes from the September 16th, 2025 board meeting. Any comments or questions on the consent agenda? Do you mean item 6.4 and 6.5? What are you referring to? The numbers >> agenda. 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5. Those were in the board packet. >> Yes, but also in the consent agenda is 5.7, approval of the minutes, and 5.8, approval of amended minutes from the September 16th. So, all of those are under consent. I I believe those are just
090misnumbered. Yeah, they may be. >> That was my fault. Just in her report, I forgot to But as I read them, they were correct. Okay. Yes. So, it's 6.4, approval of minutes for December 16th, 2025, and then 6.5, approval of amended minutes September 16th, 2025. Is that accurate? Any other questions on that consent agenda? No? Do I have a motion to vote on the consent agenda? So moved. Second. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. Any nays? Abstentions? The eyes have it. Um we are going into executive session. Um the board will now um be entering executive session to discuss collective bargaining agreements. We will be taking with us Superintendent Townsley, Attorney Ed Wilson, and Attorney Melinda Kauffman. Um do I have a motion to enter into executive session? So moved. So moved.
091Second. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. Nays? Abstentions? The eyes have it. The motion moves, and this concludes the business portion of the meeting. Thank you for joining us and have a good night.