HBOE - Regular Meeting - 5/20/2025-ORG

001Good evening. As vice chairperson of Board of Education, I hereby call to order the May 20th 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 problems of individuals. Management is the responsibility of the

002superintendent. 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 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 the time this evening to join us. We are very proud of this school system and thank you for your interest

003in Hartford Public Schools. Now, this will be read in Spanish. [Music] Hartford. [Music] Hartford, administr [Music] administr [Music] Elephos. communic. [Music] Jack.ch. Stay Hartford. Thank you. Now we will move on to public comment. Mr. Mills, we as a board in collaboration with the superintendent and district leadership are committed to cultivating a culture of excellence at all levels of HPS. One moment, please. My apologies. There is an announcement that the superintendent would like to make. I actually want to take a moment um you know, we celebrate um at the beginning of our board meetings uh the greatness that exists um in our schools. And so tonight we have several student recognitions. Um, one is that we are celebrating our accomplished uh our very accomplished multilingual learners, especially our outstanding triilingual students. So, the seal of biiteracy

004is for students who demonstrate proficiency in two or more languages, especially um at this time when they're graduating high school. And so to earn this seal, students must complete all English language arts requirements for graduation and take a standardized test to prove their proficiency in another language. The award helps ensure uh that our students when they uh move over to post-secary uh enrollment that they're placed in appropriate language courses at the college level and also it helps our students earn college credit. It also serves as evidence of increasingly important language and cultural skills obviously for future employers and it allows us here an opportunity to celebrate the diversity that exists in Hartford public schools. And so we uh have more than 80 languages that are spoken across all of our schools. And while right some

005districts might see this as a challenge in Harford public schools we see this as an opportunity. We encourage all of our students to expand their world language skills, learn about various cultures, and understand why it is important to embrace these very different world ways of life. And so over 200 of our seal of biitery students um biliteracy students are going to be honored tomorrow night at Weaver. However, um we wanted to take this opportunity tonight to give a special acknowledgement to the triilingual learners. They have demonstrated an exceptional aptitude for mastering languages that will serve them well in the classroom and the workforce and in life. And so I don't know that I don't think that they're here tonight. Um however I will I will name who they are. Uh so uh Reison Barbosa languages

006Portuguese and Spanish from Buckley High School. Valeria Busigoli Spanish and Italian University High. Jean Cadet Haitian Creole French at Weaver. Samuel Vinicus Xavier Gomez uh from Portuguese Spanish at Harford Public High School. Alexandra Dos Santos Lucas Portuguese Spanish University High. Noanu Mariv Jova Usuzek and Russian at Sports Medical Sciences Academy. Samira Pinero Ferra Costa Portuguese and Spanish at Harford Public High School. And Filipe Sariva Alves Portuguese Spanish Buckley High School. Um, please join me in celebrating our students. None of this happens in isolation and so gratitude uh to our staff members who supported our talented students, our assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, Dr. Dr. Torres Hill, our director of services for multilingual learners, um Joanna Robas, world language curriculum specialist, Miss Snder, and all of our world language teachers and counselors who play an

007important role um for our students to be at their best. And board member Ledger, I do have another uh award recognition. We are also very proud to recognize this year's recipient of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education Student Leadership Award. These students are nominated to receive this award by their school principal. Students nominated exhibit the following leadership skills. Willingness to take on challenges, capability to make difficult decisions, concern for and the ability to work with others, willingness to commit to a project, diplomacy, ability to understand issues clearly, and the ability to honor a commitment. So, we have several of our outstanding school leaders here today. Uh, principal Bethany Sullivan, classical magnet, has nominated has nominated Vas Vasilv and Freddy Picardo. [Applause] Principal Ken O'Brien from Canella Magnet has nominated Kim Ya Johnson and Avery

008[Applause] Charlamanga and principal uh Ed Edward Guffs um Gus Jacobson at Noah Webster has nominated Jalissa Gay and Elizabeth Becker. Congratulations. We are so very proud of all of you. And again, none of this happens in isolation. Thank you to our outstanding uh administrators, educators, and to our families for um also being partners in the work. [Applause] [Music] and now for public comment. Mr. Mills, we're we're good. Superintendent. Excellent. Okay, let's try this again. Uh we as a board in collaboration 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 more about Hartford Public Schools and for sharing your thoughts and concerns. We have established a protocol

009to 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. We will follow this no contact method of followup for the time being, adhering to safety protocols. 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 by Christina. particip. [Music] Hartford. [Music] commentarios. Our first speaker tonight is Hernand [Applause] [Music] Lafante. My apologies. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Hernand La Fontaine and I uh I have

010a lot to say. I know I I'm going to respect the time limit, so I'll condense and I'll read, but I have to tell you before anything else, I am thrilled to be here tonight for no other reason that I have tons of memories about being where you are and doing the things that you're doing. And I just have to let you know that in spite of my emotional status at this very moment, I can't overlook the fact that you all deserve incredible gratitude from the public at large, from the community, from the parents, the students for the work you do. Because those young children that receive awards today did that because you created a system that allowed them to progress, to learn, and to become future citizens, productive citizens of our community. So again,

011I'm going to give you my thanks, my appreciation for the work you do every day. I just want to make sure that we understand that some of those awards were more valuable than everybody realizes. May I please just quickly try to get through whatever I jotted here. And again the key point here is that you all of you remind me of my first year in Hartford in 1979 when I came as a superintendent. And those were so vital days because we had just gone through a decade of really serious social upheaval in the United States of America. and we were just beginning to calm, but there was a lot of things that had to be straightened out in all of our society and particularly in our schools and the board had to get to that

012and I had to do the best to give them that kind of support. So, I mean, I still remember Maria Sanchez, Kurt Clemens, Sue Ginsburg, Wayne Casey. I could go on with the names like that because they were so much a part of my everyday life and have been. Not to mention the other 150 members of board of education in my education career both in New York City and over here. So I just want to say quickly that um in those early days I'm going to read this uh I had the privilege of becoming member of the National Urban Superintendent Network and uh it was newly established by Secretary Bell of United States Department of Education and it actually was a moment when he wanted urban educators to identify issues that were important for the

013United States Department of Education to focus on for improvement in study and research. And so, um, we went and we listened to one of our early lectures was Mortimer Adler, a very famous educational philosopher, internationally recognized and so on, who gave us a a talk, a seminar on guess what? The PyA proposal. And the PIDEA proposal was the basic underlying philosophical and actually educational, pedagogical basis for the classical magnet program. It was exciting. I can't go into all of the details because of the limit of time, but I want to tell you I came back completely invigorated and motivated to say we've got to do something now, not sometime in the future, and we've got to really focus on how we can take care of all of our students. That by by the way was

014another major focus in the nation as we talked more and more about equal educational opportunity and various kinds of other ways of serving the entire community of art. So we got involved and I started talking to our staff all of my cabinet people and I can give you the names as well too. I just want to just move on. But one of the key persons at the end was that I spoke to the principal of Quirk Middle School, Amato Cruz, and I told him that, you know, this is what I was thinking. And he along with everybody else said, "Mush, that's a tall order." And by the way, we also already had an honors program. And so one of the first challenges was to try to distinguish and add to that. We wanted something that

015was not simply the honors program of course is incredibly valuable, but we wanted something that applied to the entire school population and that this kind of approach, the Padilla program which envisioned a curriculum that had some rigorous subject matter but also with the concept, the key concept inside that every student can learn. Not just those elite who had the high academic but every single student can learn something because they are going to be citizens of the world and for them to do that job properly they need to know their numbers and the letters etc. how to calculate and so on and how to use those things in the process of solving problems which is a key factor there and then not only solve problems but contribute to the community they live in and to the

016world and the society that we live in and so it's a way way bigger agenda and it applies to all of the students and I came back so excited and that we pushed and we pushed and we were able to get things started it at court. We moved it on to Harford Public High School. We moved it again. As things went on, more people got involved and parents and students and administrators, teachers, you name it. All pitched in. I can't give you all the names, but there were dozens and dozens of people who said, "This is something that is worth our total and undivided effort, and we're going to do that." And today, because of that effort, because of that commitment by all of these people, we have a classical magnet school just a few

017blocks away on uh right on on on on asylum and and Woodland. And I I'm proud to be a neighbor, but I'm even prouder to remember that I planted a seed in the minds of our staff and the minds of our community that we could actually do an incredible job for all of our children. And that seed was nourished and taken care of by dozens of people, community, parents, professional, non-professionals, all of whom were committed to doing one thing and that's to support our youth in their development for the sake of the not only their own individual sake, but for the sake of their community and their society. So I say to myself, I done what I can and I appreciate what all of the these other folks did and I really would consider it

018a tremendous tremendous honor for me to have my name associated with the classical magnet school. So, I leave it in your hands and uh if there's of course any questions anybody want, by all means, please let me know right now or at any time. And I wouldn't mind having a private conversation with any and all of you about the experiences that I had, some of which were very funny and some were not so funny. And uh sometimes I once in a rare m I get a chance to share things with superintendent Torres Rodriguez and and she sometimes doesn't believe the things I tell her. But the fact is that has been a marvelous experience and one way or the other I have never moved away from Hartford because I came for a job and I

019loved it. And this is now my 46th year in Harford and I'm not going anywhere. So, thank you very much. Ivy [Music] Doyle 79 myself. Thank you, Superintendent Board. My name is Ivy Doyle. Last September, I wrote a letter to you in support of the naming of a school for Hunan Lafantine. Important to say I am not a teacher. I'm not an administrator. I am certainly not a politician. I'm a Hartford resident and I'm a neighbor of Hernand and his wife Evelyn La Fontaine. When my husband and I moved back to the Hartford area some 15 years ago, I was quick to befriend Hernan, we started telling each other our stories. The first one was dear to our hearts about New York and I call it New York where somebody comes from somewhere. In my

020case, my parents, my family was from Poland. For Hernan, it was Puerto Rico. We shared our stories. Perhaps the one that is most lasting, the one we talked about the most was education. Fortunate was I to have it in my DNA, as I believe Hernand does, and that at our dinner table, my mother was a special education's teacher, my father a coach, an instructor at uh Central Connecticut, now University. When it came time to talk about Hernand's accomplishments, I need to go to my letter that I wrote to you and read a brief excerpt. The more I understood Hernand's accomplishments, the more there was to assimilate. I came to appreciate his were far-reaching, innovative firsts, having the impact to change and shape lives. His catalog of irrefutable achievements was developed over decades, driven by focus

021and by passion. But that was then, and here we now have Hernand, whom I know much better. Being long retired from his Hartford commitments hasn't meant disengaging. Hernand's devotion to our neighborhood, to our community, means there's always something for him to speak about or for him to discuss. He is, as you saw, not shy, and he's committed. With his fervor for improvement, there's always more for him to master. And with his empathy, there's always something to teach. I really hope that this story, this part of this story which is of service will continue and that you'll give consideration to the possibility of adding his name to the classical magnet. It would be a great honor and I think one day I would like to believe that a student would look up at the wall or

022a teacher would give an assignment and say Hernand Lafantine. who is that? And they would look, they would read the VA, they would read his accomplishments. And that I do believe they would be wowed. Thank you for your time. You do hard work. You do good work. I appreciate it. [Applause] Evelyn Laantine, followed by Sharon Skull. You getting used to seeing my [Music] face? Good evening, members of the board of education and superintendent uh Torres Rodriguez. My name is Evelyn Colom La Fontaine. I want to thank you for considering our proposal to add a non La Fontaine's name, the classical magnet school. You've already received extensive biographical information about him. So this evening I will only highlight some of his achievements. By the way, uh just to uh for the interest of full disclosure and

023for people that don't know me, I am uh and not is my husband. First, I would like to inform you that we had a very good meeting at the classical magnet school with the principal Bethany Sullivan and the school governance council chairperson Marissa Troche and other members. The meeting provided an excellent opportunity for discussion on a variety of questions and concerns. There were genuine interest and interliners to review these concerns with common sense and goodwill. We thank Miss Sullivan and Miss Troshi for their gracious hospitality in hosting the meeting. Now, let me speak a little bit about my husband and the former superintendent and Nala Fontaine, whose parents came from Puerto Rico in the 1920s, was born and raised in Spanish Harlem in Manhattan, popularly called Elbario. All his education was in the New York

024City public schools, including his studies at City College of New York, where he earned his BS and MA degrees. Anan began his career as a teacher of science at junior high school in the South Bronx. He continued as a high school biology teacher and later as principal of the author Shamberg Intermediate School in Harlem. A significant highlight of his career was his selection as principal to lead the establishment of the first bilingual school PS25 in New York City and in the entire northeast region region of the country. His success is widely recognized and he was led to become the assistant superintendent heading the new created office of bilingual education at the central office of uh education. He was in charge of the program that included 75,000 pupils in the ESL and uh bilingual program. His

025advocacy for equal educational opportunity and multilingual and multicultural programs motivated him to establish numerous groups such as the Puerto Rican Educators Association, the National and New York State Association for Bilingual Education. In 79 1979, Inan Laafontaine was named superintendent of the Harford public schools. He was the first school superintendent of Puerto Rican heritage in the city of Hartford, the state of Connecticut, and in the continental United States. During his 12-year tenure, Superintendent La Fontaine led major accomplishments in raising student achievement and improving educational programs in the district. You have received that information in the documentation we have given you. in the early 1980s and none attended a conference in Washington DC featuring the internationally recognized educator uh Mortimer Adler who presented a seminar on the PIA classical program. He has explained a little bit about

026that program. He came back to the district very motivated and wanted to implement that program. because of time. I just want to say that throughout his career, Enan has been a leader, an innovator, and trailblazer. And none represented a highly visible role model for young Hispanics and other minority students. Nevertheless, he often emphasizes that his professional and moral obligation was to improve the educational system for the benefit of all youngsters regardless of ethnicity, race, or economic background. In recognition of Inan Laas Fontaine's lifelong dedication and impactful leadership in education and civic engagement at the national, state, and city levels, particularly his profound contributions to the students in Hartford. We believe the honor of adding his name to the classical magnet school is richly deserved. The tribute would acknowledge his unwavering commitment and advocacy for the

027educational advance advancement and well-being of Hartford students and community. We urge you uh to consider our recommendation and um approve this request. Thank you so much and thank you so much for the work that you do. Sharon Skull followed by Constance Green. Good evening, Board of Education members and superintendent. I'm Sharon Skull. I am a retired Hartford Public School teacher. I taught in the system for 35 years as an elementary teacher and reading consultant. During those years, I worked for many superintendent. One after another left after a short time for one reason or another. It was a diff it was difficult constantly having new goals for the system only to have them interrupted when that person left. When Ernan Lafontaine became the Hartford school superintendent, I had hopes that he would remain in the system.

028Right away, I could see that he had a vision for the school system and was dedicated and passionate to see his vision through. How fortunate that he led the system for 12 years, a record for sure. I was a reading consultant during his tenure. Ernan Lafantine was approachable, listened, had goals and plans for the system. The teachers truly liked and respected him. He was a true leader. He implemented many excellent programs and was the founder of the classical magnet program at Quirk Middle School. It continues today as the classical magnet school and is known as an outstanding magnet school. Mr. Laaf Fontaine often visited schools and related extremely well to the students and staff. I attended many Hartford school board meetings and he listened attentively to all who spoke. I am most fortunate that my

029husband and I moved into the Goodwin estate community in the west end of Hartford at the same time 20 years ago as did the La Fontaine. It was a new condo community which was which was almost adjacent to the classical magnet school. Non-Laf Fontaine continued to be extremely active for the city of Hartford but also for our community. He had many ideas for projects, social issues, issues, and how we could all support one another. He has always displayed the energy of a young man. How fortunate to have someone like Ernan Laontaine working and living in the city of Hartford. He has given so much to the community. Naming the classical magnet school in his honor would be very appropriate considering his long and valuable service to the Hartford Public School System and the city of

030Hartford. It has been my privilege to have known Ernan La Fontaine both professionally and personally. Thank you. [Applause] Constance Green followed by Edwin Vargas. Good evening. My name is Constance Belton Green. I'm a former lawyer and educator in Connecticut and I'm a resident of Hartford. I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Lafantine during his tenure as superintendent of the schools for the Harford public schools while I was a consultant at the Connecticut Department of Education. This has led to a lifelong friendship that extends well after his tenure at the Harford schools until present day. I have known Hanan as an advocate for education throughout his career. It is therefore fitting to acknowledge and honor him as the first school superintendent of Puerto Rican heritage in the city of Hartford, the state of Connecticut and

031the United States with the school naming of the classical magnet school. He has been in Hartford presence for more than four decades. Four things I'd like to point out very quickly about Dr. Lfantine. Intellect. Hanan is a learned man who sets an amazing example for students and colleagues. In 2002, he was one of the participants in my doctoral research at teachers college Columbia University on Chef O'Neal. Hanan was always available with insights that assisted in making my dissertation memorable. So I have a personal point in this. I received my doctorate in 2003 from Colombia. His empathy, Hanan sincerely cares for his community and the people of this community. He has always been willing to lend a helping hand to a neighbor and to be a role model for community building. Commitment. Hanan served on the

032Harford City Council and was elected and was elected as city council president after serving as the Harford school superintendent. His continued commitment to improving education and the quality of life in Harford for Harford residents remains steadfast. It has been a lifetime of service as educator and community builder. And then lastly, family. Hanan is committed to his family, his wife Evelyn, his children, and his grandchildren. His love for family extends to numerous friendships among colleagues throughout the country. In conclusion, a naming, a school naming becomes a wonderful opportunity for the Hartford Board of Education and the city of Hartford to acknowledge one of their own, one of our own, a longtime resident, a longtime educator, a longtime model of integrity and good works. Thank you. Edwin Vargas, followed by Kalixto Torres. Good evening, board members. My

033name is uh Edwin Vargas. I reside in 141 Douglas Street, Hartford. I've been a city resident since 1972 when I started as a Hartford school teacher and uh worked 35 years. My wife was also Sylvia was also a school teacher. We both did 35 years in the Hartford schools. Retired in 2007 and uh very proud to be Hartford residents during the whole time our kids went through the Hartford public schools and uh we continue to be very active in the community. And I am here tonight to first of all thank you for your service as board members and for all the help you've given us in moving this process forward for what we hope will soon be the La Fontaine Magnets Classical Magnet School has a good ring to it. La Fontaine Classical Magnet School.

034We're hoping that that will happen soon. I've spoken to many people in the community who are looking forward to the actual night where the board votes on this issue so that they can express your support through their presence, their physical presence here. Um, I think it's a wonderful, you've heard all the speakers uh before me say why this gentleman is so deserving of this honor. And you know, I wanted to make sure I added my voice here tonight uh to make sure that you know, we are, you know, that the board knows that this is something that the community supports and that it's uh as Evelyn said, we met with the people at the community, at the school community, with the principal, the staff, the parents, and it was a wonderful meeting and uh we're

035all looking forward to this. And before I seed the microphone, I just wanted to on an unrelated uh subject say that I truly support my father Gil. I think it would be wonderful if he was able to march through the state after so many years and receive his high school diploma which is uh has been postponed for so long and but finally still with us and we have an opportunity to uh to write a wrong. So thank you for your time and attention. Good evening colleagues to Torres followed by Bill Katz. Good evening board members, superintendent. I come here today to uh speak in support of naming or adding the name of Anala Fontaine to the classical magnet school. Uh like Edwin, I was a teacher here in Harford. In fact, became the same year.

036Uh started out as the language specialist at the Ansree Bilingual School, the first bilingual school in the city of Harford. transitioned to become a team leader at Perk Middle School and uh after that I became the uh director of the North Harvard Adult Learning Center which was also known as Kamos. Um so I've known it on for almost half a century. Uh doesn't seem like it but uh it has been. uh I've had the pleasure of uh of of having you know worked under uh the administration that uh and non-led during the time that I was in the school system and then years later also had the pleasure of serving with him alongside him on the Harford city council uh as a council member and as a uh council president. Bernan has devoted many many

037years to the city of Harford, but especially his commitment to the students uh our kids attending u good school system and not as a national uh known educator uh an advocate for good quality education which I believe was what compelled him when he came into Harvard and decided that all of our children deserve the best possible education and that every child should have an opportunity if they so wished to be in a classical education program. And it was through these efforts that these programs actually became a reality in the city of Harford and subsequently now we have a great school classical magnet school uh which embodies uh those ideas and uh in those efforts. So today uh I'm here again to ask you to uh consider adding the name of Anon Laontaine to the classical

038magnet school. Uh Anan is much more than just a uh an administrator. He lives education. He has lived education all his life and he has made Harford his home and it was has committed so many years to making Harford a better place for everyone, but especially for our school children. And by the way, we served on the city council and he always advocated for a strong board of education budget. Thank you, Bill Catz followed by Ann Gashigian. [Music] Good evening. I'm here in support of Mike Fathergill's uh receiving his diploma after I guess 57 years being expelled from Harford High. uh what um and he was expelled for walking out with a group of students after the tragic assassination of Martin Luther King, one of the most tragic things that happened in the 20th century.

039And it's it's confounding and amazing that he would be deprived of uh that uh diploma. What struck me upon reading this story was that uh one year before this occurred in 1967, I too was expelled. I was uh a student at uh St. Joseph Cathedral School and two weeks before summer vacation, it was demanded of me to get a haircut and I refused to cut my hair and I was summarily expelled. And you can see that, you know, that did a lot of good. It didn't grow. Um, but I I really do hope that uh this wrong is writed and I would be proud to uh have my business frame his document when it's issued by the board of education. Thank you. and Gashigian followed by Walt Kenya. Good evening to superintendent the board. I

040see some familiar faces and I also see some new board members. uh some young blood and uh people that I'm hoping will have very open minds about what I'm going to say [Music] tonight. As I you can see I'm wearing my Hartford High 1968 t-shirt. I graduated that year, the same year as Mike Fathergill. 1968 was a tumultuous year. People in my generation, in that age group, we call ourselves the assassination generation. When we were in eth grade, John F. Kennedy was killed. When we were freshman in high school, Malcolm X was killed. And when we were seniors in high school, we had the death of Martin Luther King and then two months later, Robert Kennedy. So, it was troubling times. When Dr. King was killed on April 4th, 1968, the next day when we

041returned to school, we found people were grieving uh grieving very very much. We also knew and had heard that Weaver High School and Balkley High School, the only other two public high schools in the city, had dismissed their students early that day when they'd returned to school. At Hartford High, they had not dismissed by after lunchtime. So, Mike and several hundred others staged a peaceful walk out of the school. They walked down Forest Street to Farmington Avenue. They went into St. Joseph's Cathedral for a few minutes to pray. They then walked downtown with police escort so they would not be hurt walking in the middle of the street. And they went to city hall where then mayor Annello came out and she sat on the steps with these children, young people who were showing their

042grief, how they felt. The next day was a weekend. Uh, no, I'm sorry. The next day when Mike returned to school, he was told that he is immediately being expelled. Expelled two months and one and a half credits shy of graduating. He was not allowed to clean out his locker. He was told to leave the school immediately. He went home. It was the weekend then and he thought, "Well, we're probably going to get uh, you know, inschool suspension or something when we go back there." Instead, a letter came to his home telling Mike that he and he had to bring a parent with him and appear at the board of education. He went there with his mother and he was told, it was reiterated that he was expelled from school. No reason was given. No

043reason. No questions were asked. He is expelled. He cannot finish his coursework to graduate. He is not allowed to go to any other Hartford public school to finish his coursework. Nor could he attend night school to finish his coursework. He was expelled. And on his record card, for some reason, the board of education listed him as having voluntarily dropped out, which he did not do. Mike had a dream. He wanted to study sociology. He wanted to go to college. Back in 1968, without a high school diploma, you were going to have a very hard time trying to get into any sort of college. So Mike didn't just disappear and go away for 65 years. And I believe you have copies of his resume on the agenda. Mike has done amazing work in the city of

044Hartford, particularly with young people. He if you haven't seen that resume yet, please click on it and read it. It's eight pages long. Beginning in 1960, the work he was doing within the community when he was just a kid in um middle school. So, I saw that you have it on the agenda. I'm very happy that you are considering to give Mike an honorary diploma. But like many others, not just me, we believe that Mike Fathergill, should be allowed and honored to walk on the stage at this year's Hartford Public High School graduation 57 from 57 years ago when he should have been on that stage, but for some reason he was singled out as someone who could not do that. I know the honorary diploma is a good thing. I just hope you're not

045going to stick it in an envelope and mail it to him. I think it would mean something to the people of Hartford, to the Hartford public school system, to the students and their families who are at that graduation when this man is announced at the age of 77 finally being able to receive his diploma. I would very much like to see that happen. I know Mike would too and you are going to hear from him also. So please uh take it under consideration, see the work this man has done and hear what he has to say. Thank you so [Applause] much. Walt Kenya followed by Mike Fathergill. Evening everybody, those in attendance and to the millions watching at home. Uh come here tonight to give support uh to awarding my father Gil his honorary diploma.

046Uh but it only has half my support and I'll explain why. because this is only half justice and you're only meeting Mike Father Gil halfway. An honorary diploma is not recognizing that the work he did academically but is basically recognizing what he has done for the public which is awesome and great. Okay, but it's not a full diploma. Um, so when the district and board throw around the term restorative justice, they should tread easy with that because this is not restorative justice at all. And it's a no-brainer to vote against this. It'd be pathetic to vote against this. I find it curious that you're allowing people to discuss and debate awarding this honorary diploma to Mike Father Gil, which is a no-brainer. Yet on your consent agenda, you're awarding and spending district money without public

047debate or public discussion. But something that shouldn't be debated is being open for discussion. It doesn't make any sense. The bigger question about this diploma is will you allow him to march? At least one board member spoke last year and stated that she was against it, that she said it would steal the limelight from those graduating. Are there any graduating seniors in the public [Music] tonight? Damn. I think if you ask the graduating seniors, I think they would have no problem of Mr. Father Gil marching across the stage with him. If you not allow him to march, there's no sincerity in your awarding honorary honorary diploma and there's no sincerity to justice. Um the district and you're tonight you're also voting on graduation policy. If you open up to that policy, the district has multiple

048ways that students can earn credits. Special circumstances and allowable flexibilities for earning credits towards graduation and it lists several ways and such. It says such circumstances might include but are not limited to blah blah blah blah. All right. I think being expelled with one and a half credit left in your career should have been a special circumstance. Um flexibilities you list different flexibilities and circumstances that you will award credits under. And at the end of that section, section 6146 parenthesis E, it states that these flexibilities not named above may be considered in order to meet minimum graduation requirements and must be supported by the superintendent. the superintendent can o okay other flexibilities for a student to earn credits. Mr. Fatherill has been told that it's a state requirements that have been holding him back from

049getting his original diploma and based on this policy that is not true. Any superintendent in any board of education since 1968 could have awarded this man a diploma and they haven't done [Music] so. Um and as far as graduating in the superintendent, okay, and flexibilities, it has to be done. Has been done. Mr. Fatherill, can you read? Of course you can read. Mr. Fathergill, can you write? Of course you can write. At least one lawsuit states that Harford public schools has been graduating people without them being able to learn to read or write. The 119k commission did its state tour and that found that the higher percentage Harford had the highest percentage of any city or town in Connecticut of disengaged and um unconnected students. And that is because of the education they received was

050not up to snuff. According to the police chief who spoke at a community meeting last year when somebody asked him about recruiting local students, he said a lot of the Harford graduates are unable to get through the entrance process to become uh policemen in Harford. The graduation rates last year claimed to be the highest in 10 years. Last year's graduating class began their high school career at the start of COVID. We are told there was great COVID learning loss, slow recovery. Then all of a sudden they became seniors and more of them graduated than the other any other class in the last 10 years. How is that possible? Is the state did the state sign off on each one of those? What did they know? What kind of data do they have on each student?

051This uh that's all I have to say. This man deserves an actual diploma, an honorary diploma. is meeting him halfway, but he should march. If he's not allowed to march, that just denigrates the meaning of the honorary diploma itself. I also like to say that the board should uh come out into the sunlight like a light here. Thanks, Dan. Um, I think the any future superintendent candidates ought to be presented to the public and no contracts by consent agenda. Let the public discuss them and give their views on them. And according to your climate survey in this document, only 12% of families filled out the surveys. Families, you have to get involved. My apologies. I'm sorry, but you're over your time, sir. Thank you. Thank you for your time. [Music] [Applause] Mike Father go followed

052by Mike Susi. [Music] Good afternoon, good evening everyone. Uh this has been a long road, you know. Um, I'd like to start with uh the beginning. I grew up in a housing project here in Harford, one of the eight projects. And most of the kids coming from those projects didn't have much expectation as to going on and creating great things. You know, I looked at my community as I grew and I saw the missing pieces that had to do with the educational system not feeding back into our community which would allow it to grow. Attending Hoffford High was one of the greatest things because actually I wasn't sure I was going to make it myself, but I stuck with it. I made a promise to my mother that I would graduate and by no fault

053of my own I wasn't able to. I got to the point of my last year in high school and uh working my community for at least 12 years up to that point. Wanting to come out and to continue that process and promising my mother that I would graduate was the only thing that was on my mind. Nothing that I did stopped me from graduating. You heard the story of Martin Luther King assassination. The next day we showed up at school from all different directions. Nobody met. We were young was none of that. We were spread out community. We showed up uh in school with the anticipation that they would see where we were and how we felt as young people growing up and coming into this city and looking for the city to respect what

054was going on in our lives. And that was Martin Luther King straightening out a lot of things, opened up a lot of doors, allowed us to go to a lot of places. The day after he died, we showed up in school with hopes that they would, like they did when Kennedy died in ' 63, allowed us to go home and grieve. Noon time came, like it was mentioned. Nobody mentioned anything. Some of the students in the class were talking about leaving. If they didn't, one o'clock came, they left. I left out of the back door actually in one of my classes. still in the class. We left out the back door. I was not an orchestrator of a organized process which just was something that came about that day when the uh everything went down

055Monday came to school. There were the vice principal standing with papers in their hands and they isolated certain people and extracted us to the office. over 250 students left along with various ethnic groups at that time. We were isolated and told that we'd be receiving a letter from the board of education in two weeks and it happened. Me and my mother walked from Belleview Square to the board of education. We sat there. We got in that room 15 minutes with a panel there. They told us point blank, you're expelled from the Hypford public school system. You can't attend any hyper high school. any high schools in Harper and even not night school. They put me on a black list. First of all, if over 250 people walk out, how can you isolate a few kids

056and say that they're the blame for it when it wasn't a blameful kind of a situation. It should have been more heartfelt. It should have been more consideration of the mental status. Now you have counselors in school dealing with the mental ability of students when somebody dies or a relative or a teacher or something passed away to assist them. There was no passion and no compassion at all. They suspended just a group of us. Why were we isolated and what was we charged with? Uh after the whole melee was over, we were just left with nothing. no reprieve, no way of challenging it. The board of education stood alone. You are not to blame for the kind of things that happened from some of the people in the past. But we felt after it was

057over that some of this list had to do with the principles and vice principles allowing themselves this opportunity to eliminate some of the students that they had problems with. understand me. You're sitting here providing an education in a direction for a city of kids and protecting them. Why are you taking vengeance out on some of the ones you personally don't like? So, my position right now is twofold. I really appreciate you honoring me with this honorary diploma. Not so much that it is a a great thing to me, but it is more respectful that you see the passion and the dedication I've had to my people in my community to continue my work. Getting this diploma is something that I to me, you know, I felt so bad when me and my mother walked home.

058She never spoke to me. By the time we got home, she still said nothing. I know she was ashamed of me. I promised her that I was going to graduate. I did nothing to Nobody has given us answers from that time to this time. If there were charges, then I should have ended up in a court case. If there were violations of things that uh I did and the other students did, then why wasn't everybody charged? You know, just too many questions. I need you to help me come up with some of these answers. Not just for myself, but for the people between then and now that may have been wronged in ways and their lives changed. I'm pretty sure you have enough compassion and and feeling to understand what I'm saying that some of

059this should be looked at. I really would like to have you look into this issue and let's continue it. I really appreciate you honoring me with this the honorary diploma which tells me I have some value of what I've been doing in my life. I am the father of 20 kids. I have 41 grandkids and eight grand great grand. There's nothing I know that you're concerned about, but I've raised them in this city. I watched every one of my brothers and sisters walk across that stage and was there and I'm the only one that didn't. and I don't know why I was isolated and treated that way. If you can, I thank you for honorary diploma, but please help me look into this issue. Thank you, [Music] Mike Susi followed by Bella Prmanic. Well, I

060can't promise to follow up that. Um, I do want to recognize the gentleman before me and saying, you know, I remember hearing about your story last year. um I've seen people who uh spoke out on your behalf and I'm happy to hear that one you're getting your diploma and two that you know the work that you did not let that um that that it didn't really change the person that you were after um after school and that you've helped the community um despite that moment um I'm also happy to be here again and not in front of the city uh city council where they mispronounced my name. So it uh because I went to the budget hearing to echo the same concerns that I've echoed to you and they go, "Okay, Mike Sauy." And so

061now when I hear Mike Susy, I'm like, "Yes, Christina got it." Um so this being displaced has really hurt for a second year in a row. I've let you guys know that and I let um city council hear that to the point when I got back to my seat, I was wearing a red shirt and people had told me that I was as red. My face was as red as my shirt. And hopefully I'm wearing blue. I don't head back to my seat blue in the face. So there's only two things that I have seen good from this process from my personal example. One is seeing how much the students and when I when the students found out went to the parents how much they care that a teacher like me is in my building

062and the other thing only positive that I can see well that and staff and the other only positive thing I can see is the fact that I have a sense that I'm being listened to. I have had multiple people from the board of ed talk with me and say that, you know, it's important for people like me to be teachers within the district because I've openly said I want to be in the district, but the process for displaced teachers in the past two years has been inadequate and not showing respect. And teachers like me want to be in schools and districts where they're respected. And last year when we were using this term of speed dating wasn't that great. And the term that I've heard this year is that OTM is going to play matchmaker.

063So once again, it does not sit well with me. I want it to be known that we need to keep teachers like me. Now I know the focus has been on me, but I'm not the only person in the district that is a quality teacher. That's a young teacher. I'm not the only person being cut. Uh it also goes past teachers who are losing two SOS. These people that have a rapport with the students, they need to be in the schools because when you leave them, when you take them out of that system, you can't they're not going to be the same person in new school. And it's important because especially at these comprehensive high schools where the students really don't have a choice, it's important that they form these relationships because then they stay

064in school. They actually feel like they have somebody that they can go to talk to. They feel like they have somebody that understands them and that can get them to the finish line that can get them to graduate. And I know that I've had students where I have a connection where I get to see them graduate and that I had a positive impact in their life. for if I'm not there, I'm not I can't have that impact. And it just needs to be said that we need to start investing in the schools. We need to start um we need to start investing in the schools and keep quality teachers in there because we don't do that, we fail the kids. Bella Prmanic, followed by Melissa Becky or Betie. BC BC that was wrong. Good evening.

065My name is Bella Prramck and I am a student at Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy. In Hartford and cities like it across Connecticut, our schools are in crisis. And it's a crisis of will, not resources. Last year, my school lost 19 teachers and staff. This year, 11 more are on the chopping block. This isn't just a staffing issue. It's a crisis of equity and a failure to support, nurture, and engage vulnerable youth. How are our students supposed to succeed when critical staff are disappearing from their schools? What does it say about our priorities when we fire the only algebra 1 teacher in a school? When there is no one to teach chemistry, entire pathways in education are closed off before we even have the chance to pursue them. When we cancel the National Honor Society

066because no one left is left to run it. These are not hypotheticals. They are the daily reality for students in Hartford and other underserved communities across our state. And yet, the silence is deafening. Anyone who isn't standing up and fighting back against this downward spiral is complicit. We hear excuses from every level of government, but we don't see adequate solutions. Let's be clear, Connecticut and the federal government have the money we need. Billions in federal COVID relief were dis dispersed to the state and local governments, including specific funds intended to stabilize schools. The government forgave massive corporate loans during the pandemic. Isn't it time we showed the same urgency and generosity towards our most important investment, our children? What is happening now is an injustice, plain and simple. Cities like Hartford are being forced to

067make devastating cuts because state and federal systems fail to provide sust sustainable equitable funding. The over reliance on local property tax taxes continues to punish the poorest communities while wealthier districts remain untouched. But despite all this, Hartford students continue showing up with grit, determination, and pride. They reflect the best of what Connecticut has to offer. Diversity, resilience, and a drive to thrive in the face of adversity. What they don't deserve is to be dismissed, forgotten, or neglected due to political budgeting prioritiz priorities and fiscal guard rails. If we truly value public education, it is time to act like it. That means hiring, not firing teachers. It means fully funding mental health support, academic programs, extracurriculars, and safe facilities. It means treating our students not as liabilities, but as the future city leaders, state legislators, and

068federal representatives. The question is not whether we can afford to fix this. The question is whether you have the c the courage to do what's right. The students of Hartford are doing their part. It's time for our leaders to do theirs. Thank you. [Applause] Melissa Bissi followed by Andy Loen. Good evening, superintendent, vice chairperson, and members of the board of education. My name is Melissa Bey and I'm here tonight on behalf of the Annie Fischer Montasauri School Governance Council. I am proud to serve as parent co-chair of the AFM SGC. One of our tasks as a school governance council is to advocate for policies to improve our school and its programs. I wanted to talk tonight about our unique erk kinder middle school program and ways to help it work better. Monasuri schools place an

069emphasis on hands-on learning and developing real world skills. Our seventh and eighth grade students get this hands-on learning through our partnership with our farm in Bloomfield. We have our own classroom and kitchen facilities on the farm created through a 2015 Connecticut State Magnet School Incubation Bond Fund awarded to Hartford Public Schools. Students at the farm work with animals, tend plants, cook in the kitchen, and learn how to make and sell products. The partnership between Annie Fischer Monasuri and our farm has grown and strengthened over the years. Our farm staff sit on our school governance council as community representatives and work closely with school staff to plan and improve the farm program. The kinder program is a draw for prospective Hartford public schools families and helps retain and engage Annie Fischer Monastery students all the way

070through 8th grade. My own sixth grader is excited to start the program next year. However, we have an ongoing issue with how the farm visits are classified by the district. The visits to our farm, which make up more than a third of the school year and are a central part of the curriculum, have always been categorized as field trips. This designation changes the required adult to student ratio from the normal classroom ratio and has posed ongoing challenges for staffing and coordinating the regular trips to the farm. Our school and our SGC have explored multiple avenues and approaches with the district over the past few years to address this issue, but we have yet to resolve it. As program enrollment grows, this issue is becoming a significant challenge. Changing the farm designation, farm visit designation from

071field trip to an integrated part of the curriculum would be a small policy change with a big impact on program sustainability. This would be a budget neutral change. It would not add any costs and would actually decrease the demand on current staff. We wanted to bring this policy issue to the board's attention and request support and guidance for making this change. You will also hear this evening from Erid Kinder program staff and family members about the value of the ERKinder program and how this requested policy change will improve and sustain it. Thank you for the opportunity to speak this evening. Andy Lawren followed by Katie Eber. [Music] Good evening everybody. Uh my name is Andy Lohans and I'm a parent of two children that go to Annie Fisher Montasauri. My son is currently enrolled in

072the KKinder program and my daughter will enter the program in about 15 months time. My son is a typical teenage boy. When I ask him at the end of the day, how was school? I get a one one letter answer. Okay. What do you do at school? Stuff. Anything you want to talk about school? No. When he comes home from days from the Kinder, he rushes to tell me what he did that day. He has so much more enthusiasm for those days. Uh at our farm, he's also learning new skills. He's learning how to care for animals. He's learning how to plant, you know, crops. He's also learning how to cook. And he's excited to come home and share with me how he made cookies on that specific day. I feel that the the farm

073part of the education the kinder program is important for developing the whole child, which is a core Montasurator principle. While my son's time uh at Annie Fisher will soon come to an end, my daughter will go there. So, I'm hoping that this rec will go there in 15 months time. So, I'm hoping this reclassification will help my other child and also many future and current students at Annie Fisher with this reclassification. Thank you for your [Applause] time. Katie Eber. [Music] Good evening, folks. Um, I am one of the kinder guides at Annie Fischer Monastery and I have been here for three years and I can tell you just straight up this is an incredible program. I have seen students who come to school who are sometimes just disengaged, tired, not wanting to do anything and

074they head to farm and they come back energized, excited, ready and willing and happy to learn. The skills that they get at the farm as part of our curriculum are things like literacy, science, math, team building, teamwork, communication. It is an important part of building a young person and building a citizen of Hartford, our surrounding communities, the United States, and the world. When I see my students come back from the farm, they are so excited to tell me what they've done that day. They are opening books. They are learning. They are ready. This is an important part of our curriculum. We consider the farm an extension of our classrooms. This is not a field trip for our staff or for our students. And so what I really want to encourage the board and the superintendent

075to do is within the next year, please, please come to our farm and see our students in action. You will see students who are communicating well, who are working hard, and also you will have the best vegan Caesar salad you have ever eaten in your life. Thank you for your time. Michael DS. [Music] Good evening, uh, superintendent, board members. My name is Michael DS. I live at 74 Rosemont Street in Hartford. and uh I'm president of the Hartford Federation of Substitute Teachers. I'd like to speak on three things. One is the selection of the superintendent, another is uh Mike Fathergill, and the other third is Hernand Lafantine. Um the selection of the uh superintendent must be public. Um it it's important that the uh uh we know that the in the end the Harvard Board

076of Education will vote on on on the final selection of the superintendent, but we want to see the process as it go as it as it goes along. And um we're not interested in a nationwide search. Uh it's better to uh have uh a u a person that's local, Hartford, Greater Hartford, possibly even Connecticut, but not someone that is totally unfamiliar with the Harford public school system. So um it's I believe that u um that one thing we can't have is a nationwide search. We can't afford to have someone come in and spend three years trying to learn about the system before they could do anything. Um the second thing is Mike Fathergill. Uh I was a young college graduate when uh just released from the United States Army for the first time and um

077I remember this Martin Luther King was killed and assassinated and um there was all sorts of demonstrations and um I was involved with them myself and um this uh is a an unfair uh uh his his um expulsion from the Harvard public schools is was totally unfair. A miscarriage of justice. Uh the original people that made the decision are long no longer here. They had a different culture. Um it's a culture that we wouldn't accept today. Uh none of us members of the board, myself, anybody in the city. And um uh uh I remember a lot of the places uh especially in the suburbs and uh even in the city uh there were people that uh actually didn't like Martha Martin Luther King and uh and there were people that were in the the school

078system that didn't like Martin Luther King and didn't like people that um well demonstrated on his behalf. Uh that was a miscarriage of justice at that time. We have to write the wrong. He said, "I don't be given an honorary degree. You should be given an actual high school diploma." Um, and Hernand Fontaine came to the school system in 1979, the same year I started as a substitute teacher. I was just uh finishing up my uh degree in law school and um also a social work program at St. Joseph College. And uh I remember him uh he was very active in the school system. He visited every school and uh at the time I was a lot younger so I was moved around from school to school dayto day. So I sometimes see him three

079or four times or more a year and we got I got to know him I really got to know him when he was on the city council and and chairman of the city council and um he's a a very accomplished person very active and uh certainly uh deserves to have a school named after him. So a classical magnet. He was actually brought here uh to um establish a uh bilingual program that he had set up in New York City and um and he was brought here by Edith Gaines and uh he uh because he was he he worked for her in New York and then she came to Hartford as superintendent and then when she uh retired uh he um uh she he she recommended that he come to Hartford to establish this bilingual program

080which he did and he also at the same time later uh establishes a classical magnet program and he deserves to have that high school named after him. Thank you [Music] Le Ping Wong followed by Carol Gail. Hi, my name is Lee Wong and I'm with Annie Fischer STEM. I'm here to speak about the need for training for Harvard Park Schools Administration on how to run open public meetings for SGC, PTO, and PTA elections in our schools. Families need to be able to participate in their language in which they can understand, publicized and announced in a timely manner and not at the last minute when parents are mostly not available. PTO's PTAs and SGCs are vital in every school with full parent involvement and everyone should be allowed proper training just like when we had Harford

081Parent Organization Council HP and HGC training for all by Mr. Gillette's team. We now have CBOS to help with this but are held at bay from being able to do this. Why is that? Parents are supposed to participate in title one funds under the Every Child Succeeds Act, the student success plan for grades six to 12 school accountability plan and school compact and summary of performance and transitioning um for kids that are graduating. Um my son's in the middle of transitioning. He's in eighth grade and his uh student success plan is completely blank. U wonder why. Uh when parents step down from any position or leave, elections are supposed to be held by the parents to elect um new parents in positions that are vacant to have proper PTO staff and properly seated SGC's in

082the interim when anyone stepping into these positions are only acting positions until elected. AFPTO is a parentled 501c3 organization and we have specific bylaws um that we must follow. Um both in October 2021 and this past October 2024, um the Harvard public schools district and administration took over our PTO elections and tried to run us as a PTA, which we are not. And the elections are supposed to be parentled and not Harford Public Schoolled. And in retaliation to parents and teachers of our school, our PTO cannot follow our 501c3 um violations uh bylaws, they said, because they said they were too old. We needed to change them. Well, you can't change them by yourself. you need the whole entire community to change them and have say. U we're now allowed to do a used uniform

083sale for our needy families. It's been running since 2012. And now I have three families who can't get their merchandise um as a result of being disbanded, which is unfair to them. Teachers were also told they could not talk to the PTO or any former PTO members, and we've been abandoned from the building and there's no community or sharing in the building, which is quite sad. Um parents do notice that. Now we have school has two major checks where nowhere to be found because administration doesn't know where they are um since the bank accounts were closed and that all the financial records from 2012 to December 2024 no one knows where they are since the Harford public schools administration sided with two executive board members who refused to provide the treasurers with all the receipts

084parents monies that they use spent in 2023 2024 um school here, bounce checks, reissued bounce checks, and not paying bills on time. Um, now, you know, we've been disbanded. So um we're um um one of the checks belongs to the STEM side and the minus side for the library and the one one belongs to the regular for the teachers and everything that's already budgeted and allocated which we were not allowed to disperse um from and there's also checks still coming in for busabs United Way and other donations from various companies and free money that our school can use but now is hung somewhere we don't know where they are um our schools also refused to allow a town hall meeting and let families ask questions about these issues. This needs to be resolved and continued

085for the successful um running of the next PTO. So, um if anyone wants to get a hold of me to talk about any of these things, um they can reach me at Annie Fisher St. Thank you for letting me speak. Carol Gail. Good evening, members of the board and superintendent of schools. My name is Carol Gail. I'm the president of the Harford Federation of Teachers. Tonight's agenda includes several motions that I'd like to comment on. First is the motion toward an honorary diploma to Mr. Fathergill. Not only is this the right thing to do, it recognizes perseverance, resilience, lifelong learning, all qualities promoted by Harford Public Schools. So, HFT urges the board to support this motion and award the diploma during graduation. Number two, there's also a motion to approve a contract with Teach for

086America. Teach for America offers a non-traditional avenue for entering the teaching profession, thereby assisting in teacher recruitment. HFT also supports this motion and urges you to as well. Number three, the consent agenda includes a contract amendment for a board certified behavioral analyst through a brand new day. Has the district reached out to its own staff member that is getting this certification or may have recently achieved it because HFT certainly stresses the importance of hiring from within before utilizing outside contracts. Number four, the consent agenda also includes a first reading of the board restorative practices response policy. Restorative practices are regarded positively among educators. The biggest criticism of such practices is that they are not implemented with fidelity. Quoting the Cape model, quote, "The implementation of restorative practices in student discipline requires a level of time

087and resource commitment." It goes on further to say, quote, "Restorative practice does not mean that students who commit serious or criminal acts will receive a pass or some lesser punishment for their actions." unquote. To implement restorative practices correctly requires administrators to be well-versed in the method and to invest the time and resources necessary for proper implementation. As an educator who implemented restorative practices well before they were so named, I can attest to the long-term benefits if properly invested. Given that restorative measure represents a philosophy also in the cape model, HFT argues that the best way to implement restorative practices properly is by modeling their use from the top down. Having staff disciplined through the zero tolerance approach and then expecting them to utilize restorative measures with students creates mixed messages as to the philosophical bent

088of this board and district. Not on the agenda but needing to be addressed is the superintendent search process. I will reiterate here what I shared at the town hall. The process is outlined by the board of ed at that meeting does not include any opportunity for the community to offer any input on finalists. Community input is a concern raised by HFT since January. Such opportunity shows transparency, values members of the broad school community, and generates buyin on the final selection. To cut out the community creates distrust, questions the legitimacy of the process, and sets up a new superintendent to take over a challenging job without buyin. As I've shared before this board previously, democracy isn't always easy. In fact, it can be quite messy. But it is the guiding principle of this country and all

089the systems created within. Beginning with the first three words of our constitution, we the people. Give the people a voice. Thank you. And our last speaker, John Walton. Good evening, superintendent and distinguished board members. My thoughts are not going to be as organized as the previous speakers, but um I will say this, I am a graduate and an alumnest of the classical magnet program. So to uh former superintendent Fontaine, I think he has earned the privilege of uh being named on our building. and uh classical magnet taught me some of the philos philosophical views that I have and I share with this board. Um but we are judged as a community by how we treat our elders and how we treat our children. That's how a community is judged. And to elder uh father Gil,

090he has earned that right. You are not the orchestrators or the initiators of the problem but you are a part of the solution. So what a a great seat to be in to to give solution to a very deserving elder who will represent to our students what it is to be a success in the community. He is a community staple. Now earlier sadly this month I had to lay to rest my dear sister Dr. Jerry McCann which uh the superintendent attended and some of the board members because you you knew her and Dr. McKinn was a proud alumnest of the Harford community and we shared her with Graanby where she graduated and we shared her with many districts. She was the assistant superintendent at Middletown and I don't want that to be lost and I

091don't want her memory to be lost. I refer to her as sis. You many refer to her as Dr. McCann because of her accomplishments. But when she was at Bizzy, she would often times call me and she would say, "Uh, John, what should I do here? What should I do there?" Because she saw the value in having that round table approach that I've spoken to this board about, right? She she wasn't so engulfed with titles and accolades. She was engulfed with common sense and and who could give the best or wisest advice to a situation. So, she would call me and say, "John, what should I do in a situation such as this?" and I would give her advice. And that doesn't mean she always took it, but she valued my opinion. And and why

092do I say that? Well, we have to begin to start taking ourselves away from who has all the accolades and the titles and and and and all these grand backgrounds and begin to really sit down and have a conversation with ourselves and who's making the most sense and and who's really here for the right reasons and and and doing this together. Now, in the opening statements of of these meetings, it said that the the board does not get involved in the management of the day-to-day operations of the school. But I think we need to reverse that because a superintendent needs help, especially with a school district like this that has so many moving pieces. We shouldn't leave it up to just one person. I actually think it's a disadvantage to us. And like uh Dr.

093McCann, who I refer to as cis and her memory will live on with me, our superintendent, is homegrown. And to the best of her ability, I can say just on my experience with her, even though I'm a tough critic, she's given me every platform to be able to speak and represent and advocate. Now, we probably don't agree on everything because I give her some tough shots, especially considering her cabinet, but out of respect, this is democracy because she realized, at least with me, and I can only speak for me, that right or wrong, her position is accountable to people pay taxes here. And I've often said to her, be more authentic. be you too. We're too busy worrying about trying to fit a leader's perfectionist model. Do they check all the box boxes of education?

094Do they look the part? Are they a perfect person? Well, guess what? We're an imperfect community. We actually need to start doing this together. We actually need to just stop with all of the pointing fingers, sit down at a table, have conversations, and start getting this right. and any superintendent we bring in here, we're going to need to help. I appreciate what you've done, right or wrong, and we have had our disagreements of what you've done, Dr. Torres, but you deserve to be thankful what you have done. Um, and we need to begin to start doing things together. Now, you have heard what I said about the search for the new superintendent. should be open to the public, at least the finalist, and we should create the agenda topics to which that superintendent is presented

095in a seat like this or the candidates in a seat like this to see how are they going to give us a plan on what they're going to do moving forward because this community, this body is who is going to be the grade for what that superintendent does or doesn't do. But they needed to be done with the community. We need a superintendent, a search for a superintendent and to get a final superintendent that is a unifier. But in that unification, we have to address the fact that our system is broken because that is the key. We have a spending problem in Harford public schools. Now, I will thank the mayor for his early announcement of the additional 3 million. But mayor, we need more. Now comes the task of us as a body, as

096a group to put away our egos, put away our disagreements, and begin to advocate for the state for more of the money. Now, we move our application to Governor Lamont cuz he can't afford to have a capital city that doesn't have a thriving public school system because then everyone fails, right? And a community that fails, a capital city that fails increases in crime and increases in the opportunity for our students to fall in the negative future. I'm actually I'm being preachy today. I went over my time. I promise not to go too much over my time, but I want us to start working together. I want us to be of one mind. Yes, we have dis disagreements. I I'm I'm sure that sometimes I piss people off and and and and sometimes people actually agree

097with what I say. But I'm not here for popularity. I'm here for us to work together. I'm here for my child. I'm here for the children of this community. I'm here for the parents of this community. I know you are as well. But we've got to begin to change this system. And superintendent, whatever position you move forward into, I want you to be your authentic self. Don't be afraid of being who you are to fit a model that we don't need. And I hope that you guys understand that my criticisms sometime come from a place of good intent, but I have to be critical when I see things that are wrong. I appreciate the time and I appreciate the opportunity. [Music] That concludes public comment. Thank you. And good evening everyone. My apologies for being

098late. I was at an event at another school. So, um, thank you to everyone who came out tonight for public comment. And I promise I will go back and rewatch the ones that I missed tonight because I genuinely do appreciate everything that everyone says and comes out to say to join us in the evening. So, thank you very much. Right. We will now move on to the report of the chair. I will start with the board members in the community. Our board members have been very active this month. Uh when I was putting tonight's agenda or when I was putting tonight's comments together, I was blown away by how much activity has gone on in the last month. So, from the bottom of my heart, board members, thank you for all of your time this

099month and all the things that you've gone out to do. Um, this past month you will have found us advocating for funding for HPS by attending city budget hearings, testifying at the Capitol and speaking at various press events, walking through Buck Buckley High School to see the progress made to date, attending the Pathways Academy themed portfolio project day and Annie Fischer STEM Magnet School along with this Connecticut Science Center to celebrate many students successes. attending the Hartford Assistant Principal Leadership Academy Graduation and Capstone presentations, attending the HPS Impact Awards that were actually MCED by our incredible student board members. Was a fantastic evening. They did a great job of participating as a judge at the 2025 HPF STEM Fair. celebrating new scholarship or the revised scholarship program with the Hartford Promise and the class of

1002025 scholars and meeting with various community leaders, teachers, principals, students, and others who deeply care about the Harford public school community. And next, an update on the legislative and advocacy task force. So, the task force continues to meet to learn about upcoming bills and testimony opportunities. Uh we just met last week. uh the um you can watch on YouTube all the things that we talked about. We are looking forward to attending Hartford Day at the Legislative Office Building on Thursday, May 29th, starting at 3:30. We look forward to seeing you all there advocating for the needs of Hartford Public Schools. We are grateful for the support from the task force and the community and I encourage anyone interested in getting in sorry anyone interested in advocating for more funding for HBS to please get involved.

101If you wish to learn more, please contact Miss Christina Santiago at cantiago hartfordschools.org. I also wanted to thank the mayor and city council for their announcement today um as they continue to find additional funding for Hartford public schools. it does help fill some of the gap in funding and we will continue to work together to secure more and we will uh share more information as it becomes available but that um press release did go out today. And then last an update on the superintendent search process. So the search firm moderated a town hall meeting in April and the board led two town hall meetings last week to continue to gather community input on the ongoing superintendent search process. We are so grateful for those who have provided their input so far in any form you

102have chosen to take take part. The board is taking this process very seriously and is taking all we have heard with us into the work as we work towards making the decision on the next leader for our district. As of this morning, we've received 23 applications for the open position uh many of which came from Connecticut. The board will plan to interview the candidates in the month of June. We have engaged the community through surveys, in-person, and virtual interviews, focus groups, and town hall meetings in order to establish a robust leadership profile that will guide the process. Because of this, and because we have hired the search firm that specializes in superintendent searches, which will be doing significant background searches and work review, we will not be holding community interviews with the candidates. This process

103allows us to ensure we are able to meet as many qualified and interested applicants as possible. We value all input received to date and look forward to moving forward with this incredibly important process knowing we have heard from so many of you. All relevant information and the application timeline can be found on the district's website. The application period closes on May 23rd after which the board will meet with the firm to discuss the candidates. We want to be clear that the board has not yet reviewed any applicants and will not do so until that discussion. We understand that rumors can circulate during these times such as the board having already selected a candidate. We assure you this is not the case. Another rumor I'd like to address as it continues to be misreported in the

104papers is that the board did not review the sorry renew the superintendent's contract. In fact, this board voted to extend the superintendent's contract through June of 2026 at the September 17, 2024 board meeting. We hope this clarifies any misunderstandings. We are committed to governing with transparency and trust. As a reminder, you can find the superintendent report, full committee reports, student reports, and all attachments and videos in this meeting's agenda on Board Docs. All committee and workshop meetings are livereamed as well as viewable after the meeting. The YouTube links are saved in each of the meetings board agenda on board docs. I highly encourage the community to view the meetings and read the reports when possible. If you have any questions or feedback, please contact Christina Santiago, our board liaison at cantiago at hartfordschools.org. We will

105now uh move on to the report of the superintendent. Thank you and good evening. Um, and I will uh expand a little bit on what Chairperson Hockenhal referenced relative to the mayor's announcement um that the city will be providing uh an additional $3 million on top of the 3 million that they had already uh promised and we are grateful for the additional funding and the opportunity at some point um to reverse some of the high-risisk reductions included in the budget for next year. As we understand it at at the moment, the added funding is made up of 1.5 million in city funds and 1.5 million in corporate and foundation funding commitments. We are um going to seek additional information and details from the city as to whether there are any specific funding commitments to then

106um engage collaboratively with you all as a board to determine what specific reductions would need to, you know, be reversed. Um, as um you recall, we had a 6.7 million in high-risisk reductions built into the budget for next year. The uh added support from the city means that um we will only have to implement about 3.7 of those reductions. Um we continue to advocate like everyone else um many others are advocating for additional funding at the state level specifically relative to supporting students with uh disabilities. um we should know more in early June as to any additional state commitment to um to be added to what the city is is already committing. And just a reminder um that the budget for next year already includes a placeholder for $5 million um in addition to an

107additional support from the state. And so this was based on, if you recall, additional support provided the previous year um to support us this current year and then also um uh the active discussions and advocacy for more funding to support students with disabilities. So when you think about all of these pieces, because that $5 million is already built into the budget, only additional state funding in excess of 5 million will be able to be used to further reverse the cuts. So as an example, right, we would need $8.7 million in additional state funding to reverse the remaining high-risisk reductions. So, I just want to be clear that it is still while this is a great update today, it is still a moving target and um we still have yet to um understand where the legislature

108is going to end relative to um specific funding and ultimately right the state budget that gets passed. Um, and if you don't, um, uh, if you allow me, I just want to say that in Spanish, given that, um, we've gotten some inquiries as to what the meaning behind the, um, additional dollars mean. [Music] Municipal. Pacific. [Music] for Foreign Expect uh thank you for that. Um allowing me to say that also um in Spanish. I now will give just a brief update on the strategic planning. Um, as some of you recall, we have partnered with attuned education partners funded uh through the support that we received from the bar foundation to continue the uh strategic planning work which includes uh diverse voices from both central office departments and school-based teams. This team is uh not only

109reviewing but internalizing the existing 2528 uh strategic plan, clarifying objectives and identifying key options and some next steps. This is actually a five uh session planning process that will conclude um later on uh mid June. And so the first two sessions uh helped the team ground themselves in the major work of the plan which you initially uh had approved um relative to priorities and and objectives and began uh identifying what's most critical. Over the next three sessions, they'll prioritize objectives, define key options, and finalize department level implementation plan. I will be working with Miss Santiago to identify a board workshop date um in June to review the plan especially within the backdrop of the budget um and the recommendations from public works, right? the in one of the inquiries from the state and the recent

110um report that was given relative to the special education inquiry um which specifically uh summarized I believe it was the first week of May uh a summary a report was given to the state department of education um relative to the findings and the recommendations regarding special special education. Some of the key findings included uh the staffing shortages that we know are severe in the area specifically in the area of special education, over reliance on special education um due to uh added and needed special educa uh ed general education supports, excessive outofd placements, especially in open choice schools with limited oversight and unsustainable staffing models, specifically the pay gaps. um commendations uh highlighted the dedicated and in uh staff and intended reforms already in place in Harford public schools, reduction in in district placements over the

111years and the recently improved teacher contracts. Uh recommendation include updating recruiting strategies, redesigning special education roles, strengthening general education supports, partnering or contracting with external providers, creating an open choice oversight team, and hiring project managers. As you hear me going through that list, most of those um actually all of those have resource implications. And so, uh, the state department will continue to monitor and support Hartford public schools. We acknowledge the challenges and we'll continue to address to address them. And, um, it is also an opportunity for, um, take the strategic plan, the budget, um, the budget, the additional resources that, um, are being identified to to fully mitigate um, and then think about prioritization um, yet again. So um that is the work to come. That include that concludes my report for tonight. Thank you,

112Superintendent. Uh I believe that there is no report tonight from our student governance as they are not here this evening. I'm sure they're busy getting ready for graduation. Oh, hi Mandre. Good to see you, but there's no report, but we're glad you're here. Sorry about that. I can't see with the lights. There you are. Um, all right. We will now move on to our business agenda. Uh, item 4.1, approval, honorary diploma. Motion that the Hartford Board of Education grant Mr. Gerald Mike Fathergill an honorary diploma from the Hartford Public Schools. Do I have a motion? So move. All right. Uh, we will be voting on a matter of significant community recognition, the honorary high school diploma for Mr. Gerald W. Mike Fathergill. This vote marks an important application of our revised honorary diploma policy, which

113now allows us to acknowledge individuals who have made substantial contributions to our community, extending beyond military service. This policy is a vital way for the board to formally recognize the dedication and impact of longtime residents within our district. Mr. Fathergill's application brings a unique history before us. As you read the application and numerous letters of support, Mr. Fathergill was denied his high school diploma following a student walk out after the assass assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at which time he was the only student expelled and subsequently denied access to adult education programs. Since then, Mr. Fathergill has demonstrated extensive dedication to the Hartford community and we have received several letters of support in recognition of his work. With that, do we have any questions or discussion? Madam Chair, uh yes, Mr. Don't worry,

114I'm not arguing against this. Um, just for the record. Uh, so real quickly, I just wanted to state um during the public comment, uh, someone mentioned that this should be done under the consent agenda. I think it's really important that we recognize that we are not doing this in the consent agenda because the magnitude and the importance of this vote. Um, I wanted to make sure that everyone understood that this is such an important thing that we didn't want just sort of stuffed under there in the consent agenda. I don't foresee any actual debate on this. Um, at least I hope there isn't. Um, but like you absolutely deserve this vote uh on behalf of this board of education. Um, and something else I wanted to say was that a great disservice and injustice was

115done on behalf of Mr. Father. Uh, the board cannot undo the past, but this is just one small attempt um to make amends. Um, I heard in the public comment from Mr. Father himself that he felt a lack of value in not receiving this diploma. And I just want to say this that you had value then, you've had value for the last 60 years and you continue to have value. Uh this diploma is yours and you've earned it 10fold. So congratulations on your long overdue honor. Miss, I wanted to also add a little bit of historical context um after the public comments. Um, as I understand it, initially when this application was brought to a prior board, um, it was for a standard diploma, which was not an honorary diploma, which we do not have

116the ability to do. Um, however, in conversation with Mr. Father Father and the prior board, um, there was an agreement that an honorary diploma um would would be welcome, um, which we have now discussed during the policy committee and brought to the full board. Um, and I also want to echo um, board member Mills um, sentiments that I, you know, I unfortunately cannot undo the past, but I do apologize for the injustice that occurred um, against you. And I do hope that doing this um, tonight it which we expect to be voting in favor of granting this honorary diploma and in communication with uh, Hartford Public High, they are willing to have you participate in a graduation ceremony. I hope this goes towards uh toward undoing some of that injustice and making you feel like

117a welcome part of the community which you have been and have earned over well over seven decades. Um and I also am quite touched with a lot of the public comments today and just the history that we've seen tonight. Um in addition to Mr. Father Gill, we had um Dr. Hernen Lafentaine, who was the first, as his wife, um, Mrs. Evelyn Lafentaine mentioned, was the first person of Puerto Rican descent to serve as a superintendent, not only here in Hartford or in Connecticut, but throughout the entire continental USA. Um, and one of the people who testified in support of his position as well, um, Dr. or attorney Constance Belton Green was the first African-American woman to graduate from Yukon Law. Um, so we've had some really wonderful history here in Hartford. Um, and it's great

118to see more history being made tonight with granting with the granting of this honorary diploma. Mr. Walker. Yeah. Um, thank you, Chair. Um, so um to to Mrs. Father Gil, I I would re reiterate re reiterate that uh this honorary high school diploma is the least that can be done to to correct an injustice. Um I I would say here for the record that I'm I've been bothered by the underlying problem um that um you cannot obtain an actual high school diploma. And so I'm going to pledge to the board member to to look in that to that again. Somehow I'm I'm I'm struggling that somehow um a person be can be expelled from school and that somehow there's no way to actually correct that that issue. Um and so what I'm saying that if

119a rule doesn't exist then let's create a rule based on your situation if nothing else moving forward. There ought to be a way if an injustice has been done to actually correct an injustice. And so I think your comments today was really a petition to ask us to do that. And so if we can't do it for you, we can at least look for a way to work to make some appropriation to make that a a method moving forward. Thank you. Any other comments, questions? All right. Seeing none, all uh sorry, the motion on the floor is that the Harford Board of Education grant Mr. Gerald Mike Fathergill an honorary diploma from the Harford public schools. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. Nays better not be abstensions. All right, the eyes have

120it. The motion moves. [Applause] speechless. One time in my life, oh, you know, um I was standing back there thinking about my mother at 43. She went back to school and got her high school diploma and became a teacher in the Harper public school system at 43. And she inspired me, you know, to keep learning and to keep helping. And this right now I believe really will cover the pain that I've suffered her by not being completing my education. But with your help in establishing this, showing the worth and the value of the people that come from the public school system is important to us as a community. We get no accolades from the the greatness that we do that comes from you providing the system that allows us to do that. So, thank you.

121I thank you. Thank you. Please. [Music] Congratulations. Amen. Thank you all. [Applause] [Music] All right, on to contracts. Item number 4.2, contract continuation approval, Connecticut State Manchester Great Path Academy. Motion that the Hartford Board of Education authorized the superintendent to execute the management agreement as negotiated by the superintendent and CT State Manchester for the term outlined in the contract ending June 30th, 2030 in an amount not to exceed $2.9 million. Do I have a motion? So move. Second. Second. All right. Uh Dr. Torres Rodriguez. And I'll just give a brief update. I know that uh Dr. Fitzgerald is here. Um Harford Public Schools was a was authorized to engage in a partnership with back then named Manchester Community College Great Path Academy. This was in July of of 2012. The signed contract commenced on um

122in July through June 2017. Years 2018 through 2020 were signed amendments extending the termination date and fiscal year 21 was the commencement date for a new 5-year contract through June 2025. And so here we are. The new proposed contract will commence 20 July 20 July 1st 2025 through uh June 30th 2030. So another five years. Uh the school enrollment for Grapath Academy uh in 2425 uh was 336. The proposed school enrollment plan um for the proposed school enrollment um HPS will be paying an estimated $2.9 million, so 12% of the total revenue to CT State Manchester, right? That's their new name. And an estimated one um.25 25 million to Harvard public schools, 4.8% of the total revenue. So, the board, the request is for you to authorize um us to sign the 5-year contract extending

123the agreement between Harford Public Schools and CT State Manchester for Great Path Academy, which is one of our magnet schools. Our our um our team is here in case you have any additional questions. Any questions or discussion? Mr. Tatum, thank you. Um, thank you for being here as well, Miss Fitzgerald. At the teaching and learning committee, you mentioned some of the um increased opportunities for enrolling in college courses that students at Great Path will have through this new contract. And I just like to give you an opportunity if you could to to highlight some of those um benefits to students that are um part of this new contract. Sure. Uh thank you. Uh, good evening everybody and thank you for having us tonight. I'm Dr. Jessica Fitzgerald, the proud principal at Great Path Academy at

124CT State Manchester. Thank you very much for your question. Um, when I came to Great Path just about four years ago, uh, students were able to take anywhere between 24 and 36 credits. We've had our students graduate, our validictorian graduated last year with almost 36 credits. We're very excited about the new contract because it will allow us for our students to take up to 48 tuitionfree college credits. It will allow them to take classes all year long where we would have just been limitated right now to the fall and spring semesters. They'll be able to take classes in the winter and the summer. They'll be able to register at the same time as the rest of the college students where right now we've been limited to about a month delay. And the most important piece

125is that the number of credits and having that defined in the new contract. So they'll have access to the full 48. As you know, associates degree is 60 credits. So, we're closer to bridging them to an a full associates and and generally the goal is to have many students be able to graduate simultaneously with the high school diploma and associates by the time that they're ready to be done with high school. Um, so we'll be looking in the future to be able to fund an additional 12 credits for them to be able to finish from a 48 to a 60 credits depending on the pathway that they're interested in. CT State Manchester also provides us numerous other opportunities. We have a great connection with their manufacturing department where we've started this year 3D modeling classes,

126robotics classes that bridge right to CTate Manchester's precision manufacturing program. The students have an ability to earn certificates in areas such as uh vette, phabbotomy, radiology tech, real estate. Uh and those are additional programs that they can take outside of school hours. And then of course um CT State Manchester is really supportive of a lot of our programming. They're allowing us for next year to do an esports room. Uh in terms of the facilities, they're allowing us to put in a rock climbing wall uh in the gym, which again will be kind of a shared use room. So the partnership that we've had with them over these past 13 years or so has been very productive um meaningful for the students and I think those are some of the next steps that we're looking forward

127to continuing that I just outlined and I think there's certainly much more to come from there. Any other questions discussion? Yeah, Miss Bury. And I thank you. You you do a good job advocating for our students all the time. So I want to thank that. I I did also um I believe um Paul Foster, this is your last meeting with us. Um I'm I can admit publicly when I'm wrong on a vote. I did not vote for you um to be appointed, but so I I will publicly say that I admit my faults and I will do them publicly. But you've served us well. um we've been through a lot over the last through co I mean you served us well and I wanted to acknowledge you um publicly and I wish you luck in

128your future endeavors. [Applause] Thank you, Miss Brody. I echo that. Deputy Foster, it's been an absolute pleasure working with you. Thank you for educating me on the budget and all other things. It's been an absolute pleasure. So, thank you so much. Glad you came up here with me. Yeah, I am glad you came up here. Dr. Fitzgerald, you also did a great job. Thank you so much. So, back to the discussion. Um, any further questions or discussion on the contract? Nope. All right. Seeing none, the motion on the floor is that the Hartford Board of Education authorize the superintendent to execute the management agreement as negotiated by the superintendent in CT State Manchester for the term delineated in the contract ending June 30th, 2030 at an amount not to exceed $2,900,000. All those in favor

129signify by saying I. I. Nays abstensions. All right, the eyes have it. Thank you so much. Thank you. [Music] Uh, the motion moves. Uh, item 4.3, contract approval, Teach for America. Motion that the Hartford Board of Education authorized the superintendent to execute a contract with Teach for America for the terms outlined in the contract ending June 30th, 2027 in an amount not to exceed $150,000. Do I have a motion? So moved. Second. All right. Uh, Dr. Torres Rodriguez. Yes. So we are have partnered actually with TFA since 20 2007208. Um they strive to serve as a strategic partner um seeking to place their core members in partner schools where they are wanted, needed and can make a great the greatest impact. The uh candidates presented to Harford public schools for consideration come from a broad

130range of academic majors, career fields and diverse backgrounds. And prior to entering the classroom, TFA provides pre-ervice training to ensure that their members meet theable applicable federal and state and even local standards or requirements set forth by um the um every student succeeds act and then other applicable state certification regulations. Um again they'll provide the additional professional development services and activities and facilitate the enrollment of individual core members in certification and lensure programs that then enable them to obtain the appropriate credentials to be classroom teachers of record. I will pause there and we have um not only our team member here um Miss Williams um Miss Williams and also um Dr. Garcia Blocker from T representing TFA. Thank you, Superintendent. Uh, any questions or discussion? Mr. Walkers? Yeah, thank you, chair. Um, one, I I

131think it's appropriate to say welcome back. Uh, I think in the discussion, uh, you may have been a part of this for a while. So, I'm I am uh welcoming you back and would encourage you in in this journey with us to consider um advocating for young Whoopy teachers in some of our hardto-ill areas because um we will we would certainly welcome the opportunity to transition your um participants to be full-time staff with us. So that would be my comment. Miss Birdie, I have a couple questions. Um the first one is the $15,000. Is that on top of their salary? Yes, it is. Okay. So, there's a two-year commitment. I know um our history with um Teach for America goes back, it definitely predates me on this board. Um and we've always had low retention

132after the because right now we they only require it to stay for two years. So, I'm trying to justify supporting um like a temp teacher. [Music] Um so, what as far as retent because they don't have to stay two years, they could be um on their way. So, are do we know who the like the cohort participants? Do we know if they're local? Um, help me out. So, the partnership started in 2007. Um, and over the years we have hired 301 TFA core members to be teachers in our district. And our average tenure for a TFA teacher in Hartford has been 3.1 years. Um, and that's something that we have cultivated with TFA over the years in seeking not only candidates for the heartto-fill areas, but other also teachers who are of color and also

133from the area and region because we did find that people are inclined to stay if they are in an area they call home. And so that's some of the work that we did with TFA over the years and and Lola can speak to more of the incoming core members and where they're from and it's actually even higher. Uh so thank you for the question. It's an important question. Um when I was chief of staff in New Haven public schools negotiating TFA's contract, I too was concerned about the retention and concerned about recruiting from outside of New Haven for teachers to come to New Haven. And so I was committed coming into this role to shift or add to our current recruitment model and recruit locally. In other words, I knew that there was talent in

134Hartford, in New Haven, in Bridgeport and Waterberry public schools. And that was not in the past the model for recruitment. So when I stepped into this role, I realized that TFA's recruitment model nationally is to recruit at the flagship schools in the state. For Connecticut, that's Yale and Yukon. We get lots of core members from Yale and Yukon. The issue is they're not from here and they don't necessarily want to be in Connecticut. They preference and go to other regions. And so I decided that if we're going to be recruiting from New Haven, Hartford, Bridgeport, Waterberry public school graduates, we really need to be in the state schools because that's where many of our folks are and in the other schools. And so that was my goal coming into this role. And so partnering with

135Hartford Promise, New Haven Promise, Hartford Youth Scholars, all of these organizations that have they know where their graduates are and to bring those folks back. And so I do want to give you some stats about uh retention. And so what really happens, what people see is core members doing the two-year commitment and then leaving. What they're really doing is the majority of them stay in teaching, but they go home to their own communities. They want to make a difference in their own communities. And so my thinking is recruit locally. People are home. They want to make a difference in their own community. So some stats on uh the folks that we have recruited. So right now there are 40 TFA alums currently working in Hartford public schools. 92% the last core that we had right

136before we brought a core in 92% of the 2021 Connecticut core stayed for a third year of teaching in Connecticut. So, our current core, we started early hiring because many of these core members committed way back in in the fall and we wanted to make sure that they had at least job some job offer in their hand because these are very talented people who we wanted to make sure we're going to stay committed. So Hartford has conditionally brought in five core members, three elementary, one sped, one bio teacher. These are folks from Hartford public schools. We have an incoming core member currently now as a substitute teacher and she will be teaching special education. She wants to teach at Harford and is eager for the hiring process to start. She is currently working at a

137at a school right now in Hartford where the principal is a 2011 core member. She did her placement at Burr and is an assistant principal right now in Hartford public schools. We have two other core members also currently working. These aren't people that are hired yet, but this is in addition to. We have two a young man who is a substitute teacher at MLK. another young lady who is a comprehensive intervention specialist. They only want Hartford. They don't they're not interested in any of the other schools. And so the focus is local local recruitment. Bring Hartford public schools graduates and others back to the community. They're already here. They are very desperate to deliver impact in their own communities. So that is a focus of mine to make sure that we are recruiting folks from

138the community who want to come back to the community and be retained here. Mered ledger. Thank you so much. Um actually I have two comments and a question. The first comment is um in kind of like in response to um board member Walker's um comment about young teachers coming in, young folks coming in. Seasoned individuals um are I would believe would be welcome as well because of the information because of the life experiences that they bring to education. That's one. The second comment is I remember as a past Hartford public school teacher um years and years ago when Teach for America was here. I remember teaching alongside Teach for some Teach for America teachers and they weren't from here. They were not from Connecticut. And once their time was up, even before their time was

139up, they were great people, great teachers, but they wanted to go back to what you're saying to your point, they wanted to go back to their communities and make a difference at home. I love that you are, it's homegrown. I love that you're taking individuals who are here where this is home for them and they have a connection. Um, and you're and they're going to be making a difference. They're already making a difference. Um my question is and I did ask this question and just kind of like plant the seed and start the conversation um in our teaching and learning committee meeting about Montasauri. So we have two public Montasauri programs, two public Montasuri schools and if you were here you heard some of the talk about the Earthkinder um and the great work that

140they're doing. Um there is already an establishment with a a connection a relationship with University of Hartford where they have a bachelor's program I believe a master's program that is um connected to Montasauri and how my question is how could we start some type of connection or or relationship with Teach for America and perhaps getting individuals Montasauri trained because we also have a Montasauri training center right here. So, thank you for the question and uh to your first point, um when I was a principal, some of the best teachers I ever hired were second career folks for the obvious reasons that that you just raised. A good portion of our core members are professionals. So, we recruit in two different places. one is the undergrad community and then anyone who already has their bachelor's degree

141and beyond is considered a professional. So those are folks in graduate schools, those are folks that are already working. So do know that some of these folks, particularly the ones that I just mentioned that are already working in pair or substitute roles in Hartford public schools are coming in as professionals. They are a little more mature than the the undergrad students. So I did some looking uh into the Montasauri piece. And so as I understand the certification for to be a Montasauri teacher is those people have to already have an existing certification either you know an elementary certification or a secondary content area certification before they go on to pursue the uh the Montasauri certification. So, the people that are being recruited and coming in, they do not have their teaching certification yet. They will

142get that over the course of their two-year commitment. And so, it's after that that we can begin to think about the possibilities, open up the doors for them to uh consider uh an additional certification uh for Montasauri. Followup question. So, or for clarification purposes. So you're saying that these individuals correct you're saying that they have to have a certification already or no credentials? No to pursue Montasauri. Right. It's my understanding that they have to already have an existing teaching license either an under an elementary license or a secondary content area license. It's after that then they would be considered for uh a Montasauri certification. That's not true. Okay. So that I'm just I'm a Montasauri teacher. Right. Right. Right. So then Yeah. But I mean I have I have the the the credentials already for

143you know K through six. But um that is not the case for um for public Montasauri. So once someone does the training um to become a public monastery teacher or or to become a monatory teacher they do have to take additional courses right so that they get the certification but they don't have to have an existing certification because it's a unique endorsement right but go ahead it's a se yes so it's a separate endorsement um in our public schools an elementary teacher with the the K to6 certification can be hired in one of our Montasaurries. And then this the the training is usually if they don't already have it, they would have to u pursue that while they're in uh teaching here in the district in the in one of our programs. Not to say

144that Montasauri would not we couldn't have conversation about Montasauri placements but our uh goal is to get our folks into uh probably the highest need the highest need schools uh in the district where the most vacancies are. Uh and I do know that uh a big commitment of uh the people coming into the district, they really want to be in neighborhood schools. Thank you, [Music] Miss Broy. I'm trying to um because I just keep on thinking about the teacher that's still here, the Harford High teacher, right, that's losing um his position. And I see him everywhere. I see him at track meets everywhere I go that got to do with our kids. I see this teacher um showing up for our kids. I'm trying to justify a teacher salary 15,000 on top of that and

145you don't have a teacher certification. I am trying to digest that. Um you're going to be teaching alongside of our teachers and it could be our hired teacher. we hired you and you're going to have a individual who's hired to that did not graduate with a teaching degree making more money than you. And I just don't understand it. I can't I can't wrap my head around. Um and and you're only obligated to be here for two years. And if we statistically look at the data, it I promise you it will show that the the retention rate is not you you you listed some very good examples and we're grateful for those people that are still in our district, but if we look at the history because I have followed it, they do not stay. and

146I've worked in buildings um with Teach for America teachers and I hope that um if this passes I won't be voting for it but if it passes that there's something that's happening in the buildings that's that's um because the the other teachers know they know the circumstances behind it and a lot of times the feel is especially like on that last year. So in your training maybe um working with these individuals that last year you hear things like um she checked out she's not going to be here past June. Um I covered for a teacher for almost a full year that it didn't work out cuz they were a second generation not second generation this was their second career and it didn't work out by October. I covered that class from October to June. So,

147I've had these experiences that just has not been positive. And we're paying these folks more than we're paying our incoming teachers because they're getting the salary and they I just I don't understand a 15,000 on top of it and there's a two-year commitment and if they walk away, it's fine. Like, I just don't get get that part. And I'm not going to belabor the point, but I cannot support um this um vote tonight. Do you want to wait for the chair? Okay. Yeah. Um so we do actually pay for some of our non-certified staff to become certified teachers in the district through relay. Um and that's something that we provide a scholarship for and we require a two-year commitment. So they don't necessarily have their certification while they're working towards it. they teach under a

148durational shortage area permit. So this would be similar to that that we already do. A followup, Madam Chair, but so relay is the program that we were targeting like our pair professionals. Not only pair professionals but full-time certified non-certified staff. Yes. And we also have f some people who are um non-certified staff who chose TFA. Um I think Ashanti was one of them um because they have TFA has been a partner of ours and not only um in coaching the teachers through the TFA uh core member model but also in community engagement and also part of that work is partnering with us and our other educator prep partners to provide information sessions to our non-certified staff so that way they can create their own roadmap to becoming a certified teacher here in the district. Um,

149so some of our folks who are teachers in the classroom, they chose TFA as that model. I think we have one person who actually went through Central's program, but is still choosing to go through TFA because you get the extra coaching, in-person observations. Um, and also you're creating a cohort when we have these folks in our schools. Um, and we're having folks who already graduated from TFA in a sense who are there to also act as mentors. Um, and we have some princ we have a couple principles who are TFA core members as well. And so they understand um coming in what these folks are going to be going through and anticipating the needs and creating those relationships with the teacher with the coach from TFA and then also our office of professional learning and

150the mentor that is assigned to them through the district along with our coaching as well. Yes. So, one one thing and I I don't know if it has been changed. Um, someone who was very excited about trying to pursue um to be a teacher through TFA reached out to me. I didn't know, she didn't reach out to me personally. She reached out I'm assuming she reached out to a few board members at the time. So, if if they are second career folks, some of them, right? her GPA undergrad was not it didn't meet the um TFA um requirement and that was a um a barrier um for her like if these folks are well in their career and if we're still asking for some GPA from how many years ago when they've had a successful

151career that they're working and now they're thinking about teaching and this was a person from Harford. Um so those sort of things if they were not barriers I would be more convinced that yes and we we do have I and and I and I I stand correct that we have one shining star TFARE um um teacher um her nickname Sai I don't even know um Sai's real name but she yeah she she came through TFA besides that I've not experienced anything working in the building or from some of the um policies on how a person gets um through because if you know for a fact that these people are Harford area people and they are committed to this community and this is where they want to be versus an enticing, you know, amount of money

152to say, "Okay, We really want you to stick around, but the stats show they are not sticking around for compared to the investment. While we've had this long relationship with TFA, we did move away from this money part of TFA. Like it it was heavy. It was contracts that hundreds of thousands of dollars. I've been following this before I was a board member and I never were a was able to really understand why Harford Public School predates um um Dr. towards Rodriguez. Um because I was like, "Wow." I sat in meetings. I spoke out against it. Christina probably could be my um witness. 700 over $700,000. Like it was crazy money. And we kind of moved away from that. And I hope that we're not moving back to those big numbers. um unless we're totally

153saying we are looking for these Harford folks that we don't have to convince that Harford is where you should be. Um that is I think the direction that we we need to cuz people come and go. We see them we see them on all levels of our employees. They come here, they get an experience, and they get a great experience because we are diverse um school system. We offer many different programs, many different specialties, monastery, STEM. So, they come here and they build um a great resume and then they're on their way. But we pay them a salary, but this we're paying them a salary and a bonus. and the bonus on top of it is where um I'm stuck at but I thank you for your presentation. May I respond to some things that

154Okay, so I hear you on the grade point average because there are people that I have wanted to recruit who are working in schools and we could they could not even apply because of the 2.7 GPA in the undergrad. That's not a TFA requirement. That's a state requirement. That's a requirement to enter into a uh a certification program. And so we could not admit someone into TFA knowing that they're not going to be able to get into a certification program because that's the 2.7 gradepoint average. So that's who dictates the grade point average unfortunately because I agree we do have people I've seen people who are effectively pareducators in classrooms they're doing the work they've been doing the work but we go back to the undergraduate GPA that's that is set by um the the

155the state department of education for alternative routes to certification the 15k so that is not money that's going into the core members pocket. So, it's a two-year contract to support the core members over their 2-year uh commitment to TFA. And so that money covers everything starting from recruitment, the whole process from recruitment to selection, the the onboarding process, the training, the support, I'm sorry, the support over the summer, the support across the two years. That is what that covers. So the core members are not getting anything that a brand new teacher in terms of salary would be getting. Uh, so they're not being paid any more than the new teacher next to them. Mr. Walker. Um, yeah. Thank you, Chair. Um, board member Brody, I appreciate you brought up a couple comments that sparked my

156mind, too, like Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I've had that that question. So, um, clarification. So, one that $15,000 per participant is covering the two years, right? It's not $15,000 per year, per two year window, $200 per year. And um I will register that that um my same wonderment about the 2.7 and I'm going to say it here and I I hope you will partner with me on this uh because I'm willing to part with partner with you to go to CDSC. um state department say excuse me state department state about this issue because because here's it whenever whenever I've ever had a GPA because I've also talked to people who are fantabulous in schools um someone uh was trying to enter the relay program they got styied in the same way um the GPA is

157always used by a program as an indicator of some future your success and in situations where a person is already in space and demonstrating some level of success doing that thing now I'm like what is the role of this arbitrary number if in some ways the success has already been indicated right and so um I'm just registering um that if it if it's a bother to you then and I too um I'm asking is is this 2.7 strictly at the state department of education. Yes. Um so um and okay so in some ways is also limiting the office of talent management for Harvard public schools as well. We've been working with some of our universities that have a little bit more leverage um like Central and USJ to see if we could um have folks

158enrolled uh on a on a trial basis so that way they can take a couple of courses and get their core their GPA up. So then way that way they can then enroll in a educator prep program at those schools. So that's kind of the work that we've been doing is okay, so if we can't go this route with relay or with the TFA, what else can we do to remove some of these barriers? And so those are the conversations that we're having um and utilizing some of our alliance and title two funds to hopefully support that work so that way we can also support those folks um as they pursue their their certification um especially for our non-certified folks who are interested in doing that. And we're also looking at folks who don't yet

159even have their bachelors because that is an untapped um pool for us of of high quality talent people who are working towards their associates or bachelors and with the hope of becoming a certified teacher in the district. So looking at that long term as well, not just for folks who are in the bachelor's um have the bachelors. So I I think as a as a followup, I'd want to advocate seeking some type of waiver from the state. I think the circumstances I'm hearing about, people who have bachelor's degrees, unfortunately, they may not be from here. Maybe they're from Jamaica, maybe from there some some other place. There are people who are teaching our school district who already have degrees. There are people who have degrees that come here from many places. They have from Albania,

160they have from Jamaica, all over the place. And they they have degrees. And so they're not, what I'm saying is in point of fact, there's no upside for that person to go take a class to try to prove that they can get an A or B because they've got their bachelors from somewhere in the planet and they just haven't been certified here in the state. And so that and so all that I'm saying is I'd also want us to try to advocate to the state to understand these realities and to give us the ability to have a waiver for people who have demonstrated they have all the skill, all the passion to be a um to be a teacher. I like your idea of some kind of conditional situation where they have to go and

161prove something in class. I would love that conditional to be in the coursework they're taking towards getting actual teaching and not taking classes just to enter the program. That's all I'm saying. I I think that we just need to be more flexible. If we're saying that we're scarring the planet to find all the talent we can if they have talent, all that I'm advocating is that we shouldn't have a 2.7 be a block for someone who actually demonstrated talent. they have academic credentials and that would just be my comment that I would like to draw arm arm in- arm with anyone who want to advocate to the state to have a waiver in addition to uh the conditional grade for students. Thank you Miss Porch. Um so I'm thinking of TFA sort of a parallel

162track to the relay program that we have. Um, and I recall us voting on a contract for the relay program. Um, so I'm curious to know how does that compare in cost? I don't have the numbers for relay, but I do remember that we have a cap as to the number of staff that could participate in relay because there is a cost um factor. So relay is an educator prep program whereas TFA does not provide the the preparation but they partner with um Central Relay and University of Bridgeport. for the for the certification. Yeah. Okay. So, I I I guess to ask it in a different way, given board member Brody's concerns about the additional cost of $7,500 per year per TFA participant or core member that we bring on. How does that compare to

163the cost for relay uh participants? I don't have that information in front of me, but I can get that to you. Okay, thank you. Any other questions, comments? All right, seeing none, the motion on the floors of the Hartford Board of Education authorizes the superintendent to execute a contract with Teach for America for the terms outlined in the contract ending June 30th, 2027 in an amount not to exceed $150,000. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. I I naz nay abstensions the eyes have it the motion passes item 4.4 4 contract continuation approval community schools motion that the Hartford Board of Education authorize the superintendent to execute a contract with the community-based organizations listed below for the terms outlined in the contract ending June 30th, 2026 not to exceed the amounts listed Catholic

164Charities and the Village for Family and Children. Do I have a motion? So move. Second. Uh thank you. Um, Dr. Torres Rodriguez. Yes, thank you. Uh, community schools provide a strategy for organizing the resources of school and community around student success. The model employs the expertise of designated community-based organizations to serve both as providers of programs and services and brokers of partnerships by leveraging resources. And the goal is to meet the identified needs of that specific school, its students, its families, and the community ultimately toward the goal of strengthening and improving student success. And so if you recall our model, um we consider every school to be a community school depending on the level. And so for schools with higher level of need, either level three or level four primarily, they then have a lead

165agency that provides the services and serves as that broker of services and partnerships for that school. Examples of services provided include clinical supports and referrals, um basic needs, social emotional learning programs, health and wellness, um a variety of programs either before school, during school, after school. And so we have here a one of our community partners um and representative uh Mr. um Lebron and uh Janelle is here from our team Janelle Hooker from our team in case you have any questions. Thank you superintendent. Uh questions Miss Brody. So, um I think it's a very public thing what's going on um um with Blue Hill Civic Association because I don't see Weaver. Um I I I maybe you can just I can start with helping me understand the schools and understanding [Music] um we have two

166um communitybased organizations listed here um but the funds are not anywhere near close to each other. So, first the weaver question. Um, as far as if if we have a um a community partner um that pulled out, we know for a fact that um the need is absolutely great um at Weaver High School. So, is there an opportunity to maybe do we're working on another partner or what are we doing there? But also the comparison and how we're funding the two organizations listed here are very different. Um, correct. Um, good evening everyone. My name is Janelle Hooker and I are the dire executive director of the strategic partnership and fund development for the district. for this particular contract continuation based on our financial constraints the funding that we're using are specific to the North Hart

167Fredisonen pipeline federal grant and the Fullervice Community Schools federal grant. Um, in order to answer your first question concerning our Weaver High School, which is one of the five schools that falls within our North Hartford Ascend um, designation for that particular grant, we're working directly with our funer and really getting green light from the US Department of Education based on the situation that the community-based organization that used to provide the service at that school is going through. Um, our first messaging from them is that we would potentially be doing an RFP for that particular school to be able to get a variety of community based organizations that can offer potential services for us to review and do a competitive uh process to identify um an organization that can offer the services there. As of today,

168uh, May 20th that I'm here sitting with you, I am still working on the process to get that green light to be able to put the RFP out to get community based organizations to apply. So, more information to come on that. For the question around the amounts that are there listed um for our services today, it goes back to the um array of services that are being offered. It goes back to the number of students that are receiving the services based on the funding um that really help us um understand how much money the organizations are receiving. Catholic Charities who we have Mr. Lebron here is providing services to one school within that five schools that are under North Hartford pipeline. So you are seeing the amount that is specific to that school and the

169number of students. The village has a footprint in um the three additional schools out of the five which would have additional funding because of the number of schools and students that they have a footprint at. And then that would leave us with the last school which would be Weaver which we still need to decide for um in terms of the RFP process under the full service community schools grant um which is where you would see the additional schools that the village has a footprint on on the south end of our city. that particular funding did not have um an original designation for us to have a contract for community- based organizations to provide the service. This was more an evaluation grant based on our financial constraint and in reaching out to our federal liaison because

170I'm the one that worked directly with the federal liaison for that grant. I was able to share the situation that we're facing as a district and the community-based organization that was written in the original grant to provide services constraint an um limitation of funding. And there was a decision made by our federal liaison to utilize some of the carryover funds that we did not expend uh due to not hiring staff at the beginning of the contract year for us to reallocate that for the contract. um or to divide the funds to the community- based organization to be able to provide services to the schools under the full service community schools. So that addition also would show a higher increase in the amount for the village because that is the organization that has the footprint on

171the schools that we wrote on that federal grant. I have a followup if no one has question. I just want to make a point. Um question and then point the are what you're working on in regards to Weaver High School. That's so it could be in place for um August of 2025. Is that correct? Correct. The point I want to make um is I hope when we are I hope through our RFP process because through this budget cut and we're asking the city to fund us appropriately um we saw the response of our commu of our CBOS right so that helped me understand the CBOS that have folks that live in our community and that will show up and fight with our community. So, I hope it was a it was a large message to

172me for who showed up and who did not show up. And I think when we go through these RFP processes, we have to really look at who is who is really with us and is going to fight with us and who goes silent and disappear. I just wanted to make that point. I have a quick question. Oh, sorry. Mr. Wilson, could you help me understand why um why Rosson doesn't fall into this from like the village standpoint or north is is Rosson not a part of the North End ascent pipeline? Um Rosson is not one of the schools out of the designation. I appreciate it. Thank you. Any other questions, comments? Mr. Walker? Yes. uh while not here um you the organizations serving um Weaver if you're putting on an RFP will um Blue Hill

173Civic Association or in in its derivatives be able to apply to this or are they barred in some way based on the situation that occurred with them and legal counsel from North Hartford Ascend Pipeline. There will not be someone at this time that will be able to access USDOA funding for the services at uh Weaver High School. Not to say in the future once they are able to clear their situation, should our district have additional funding to put out for organizations to reapply that they would not be eligible. But for the particular funding that we're looking at right now, which is the um USDOA dollars under the North Hartford Ascent pipeline, we will not be able to have them be a part of the process at this time. Um and I a follow-up question. Um

174this question is about kind of capacity of organizations because here previously we had heard a model of you know three organizations covering the city um Blue Hill Civ um the village Catholic Charities Boys and Girls Club and then um Blue Hill Civic Association for the specialy area that they they provide if they're not available. Um I've recently become aware that like a Harford communities that cares has provided some services um for um programs that that we have. Is there an some focus of helping like an organization like that kind of increase its capacity so that maybe it could apply to to provide services in that part of the city like for Weaver or something of that nature. So, one of the things that I know as part of the office we're looking to do um

175should we get the green light for put this out as an RFP, which that's what I'm waiting to just get that confirmation. Um, we have previously in our RFP process have biders conference or meeting with potential organizations that are interested in applying for RFP to be able to go over the requirements, what is needed, provide some technical support and assistance as we do realize that a lot of our grassroot organizations need some additional support when it comes to an RFP process, writing a competitive grant and going through the process. we have uh provided that service and we do look forward to having that as part of our process moving forward. Um but we do need to ensure that it is a competitive process that organizations have an opportunity to apply have a committee that's the

176one that review the application take myself out of that process so that it's an objective process and that it actually meets the needs of the schools and the students. So should we get to that point, yes, that would be a part of our process and hopefully I'm here at this table again sharing with you the different organizations that apply, the process that we went through and who actually would be the ones that we're bringing to your attention for funding allocation. Okay, one more followup if I could. Chair, um that's excellent um information. And so if you have a biders conference, so I I get that. Now you mentioned a committee. So there's a committee that does this selection of the competitive bids. Um I guess committee composition are community members or parents or students who

177who's on this selection committee. That's a great question. So what we've done in the past, we have a representation of parents. We have a representation of u members in a community that are not a part of who applied to the process. We've had a representative from our data on an evaluation team because we do our tracking data as part of the work that we do. Now, since I'm overseeing this work, we also have a representation of someone from our MTSS or multi-ter systems of support because the community schools also are looking through those services. So, we want to make sure that we have a lens of the different areas based on what we're going to be assessing that the application meets that um and that the evaluation process is an objective one based on the

178needs that we're looking to implement in our schools. Yeah, thank you. Um so in looking at the numbers it seems that not every student at each of these schools is participating in the programs being offered by the village or um Catholic Charities. So how are students selected to participate with within the school that they attend? Based on the pro on the model that we have in place, our community-based organizations meet with our principles or school administrators to review individuals that have a need that would be able to benefit from the service that are being offered. We also want to entertain our multi-ter systems of support processes or plans that have a list of students that could benefit from services like that. Um, and one thing that we have incorporated is out of the slats, we

179want to ensure that at least half of the slats are students that have a need and we will be able to see that growth on the data that we're tracking. Um, and then still open some slabs for families that have been a part of the services that they know that this is something that they can access. But we want to work directly with our school administrators to identify the students that would benefit from a service like this. Follow-up question. So how do you come up with the total number of students for a given school? Is it based on say for Burr um it says 34 students is it because historically we've done 34 students or that's what the data shows the need is so we continue to service 34 students should it be lower should

180it be higher just curious how we come to those numbers. So the numbers that you see on the um document that you guys have is based on the funding. So based on the cost per student that our community- based organizations have offered in the budget that they offer or they provide, it allow us to really look what's the cost per student for the service that's being offered based on the amount that's allocated. At this time we're talking about burr. I think we're looking at 61,200 and something um that we need to divide on the cost per student which bring us to a total of 30ome students to be offered there. So it's based on the budget. If you look at the village and another school, it would be a little higher. Or if you look

181at Catholic Charities at Milner, they have a different number of students as well. And is that difference in the cost per student because of the type of services being offered? I imagine for instance, the village has the ability to offer a lot more um services than say Catholic Charities could by virtue of them. I think they have close affiliations with medical professionals, behavioral health people. So is does that reflect the difference in the cost per student? Correct. And I have a representative here with me tonight that I would like to bring to the table as well so that he can give some context from his organization perspective. So thank you uh for the question and thank you guys for your continued commitment to the students of Harford. What I will say is um uh in

182comparison from Catholic Charities to the village is that we do have CCBH and so we do have medical and clinical referral services as well. I think the differentiation is the the the approach that we use. I can't speak for the village but for Catholic Charities we provide a wraparound support through a core four programming that focuses on clinical behavioral case management basic needs. We run food pantries and we have the after traditional afterchool program. So throughout that we try to provide all of those comprehensive services. So I don't know what the you know other community based organizations rates are but the our rates are reflective of that comprehensive model that we deliver. Thank you. I think um one thing that I would add that the data has shown at least in the two years that

183I've been tracking information from our CBOS and the services that we're offering is that while we're sharing with you a number of students that they're going to serve at the end of the school year, they do end up serving more students than what the original proposal has where they are able to maximize resources or funds that they have outside of what we pay them so that they can offer the services to more students. So this is a threshold based on the funding that we allocate for them. They also add their own uh resources and it always comes back to a little more students than the ones that are on the original proposal at least in the two years that I've um reviewed data. Thank you. That's that's really helpful to know. Sorry to Mr. Walker

184and then Mr. Mills. Sorry. Okay. Um I promise super quick too, but since then she you brought up Gant's funding um and and Mr. Lebron is there. Uh can you confirm these um organizations like yours, do you match the funding or can you confirm that you guys usually bring a a pot of money in addition to what we offer? Correct. Yes. So, not only do we um one of the things um when the model first started and when the uh superintendent uh introduced the model was that as CBOS's we bring internal um resources right within our own organizations but the other thing is is our capacity to try to seek out for other funding. And so with the community schools at least at Catholic Charities we focus on a braided approach and braided funding approach.

185So we look at every avenue of funding and we apply from philanthropic organizations to the state to federal dollars at times and so that's how we try to make it work um in terms of funding. So um did that answer your question board member? Yeah, I guess I was just asking I mean percentage- wise what is that? I guess I'm just asking typically does that mean you guys bring an extra 25%? I mean it varies year to year. I've been in this role eight years and it hasn't been the same any year. Um so we've had um you know also remember we were also under COVID as well. So there were different fundings for that. Um and so the percentages is very difficult to give on any given year. But what we do promise in

186terms of a percentage is 110% commitment to try to find funding for the school. So that is a percentage that I can give you. Um one thing that I would add as well is that as part of a lead organization, it is uh part of their role to be able to broker additional providers to come in and provide services. So they're there as lead but as they meet with principles and understand the needs and and there is the need for additional providers to come in they're also utilize their relationship with other organizations to be able to provide service within that school as well. So while we see Catholic Charities here with me today Catholic Charities at Milner does have at least seven or eight additional organizations that they bring in to provide additional services within

187that building. Mr. else. Thank you, Chair. Um, Mr. Lebron, it's good to see you here again. Uh, always happy to see you. Um, so two questions. One, you have been here recently and the funding sources that was in the previous amount. Does the amount does the funding source mean that the services you provide varies? Like do you you know how you have different grants that have different requirements? [Music] Yes. So, you know, in years past, we had a uh Sigma grant that was focused on nutrition. We've had um you know, food share grants that is focused on the food pantry. We've had um you know, gardening programs, smaller grants. We've had grants that micro grants for $500 for um supplies for our, you know, some of our um youth development specialists. So, Oh, yeah. The

188Love Your Block Grant. So there are various types of grants uh that we provide and then based upon the funers's expectations we try to tailor the program but I will say that we try to you know kind of bend but don't break right like not extend oursel to uh a degree where we're not providing uh our core for service. So, and that's excellent because my followup question would was then does the material does your support change materially from school to school? Yeah. Um, actually I think that that's a great and an important point. I think that what fundamentally with all three of our schools, Catholic Charities has a footprint in three schools. We we meet regularly with the principal and we try to tailor things to the needs of that community. And so, um, I

189think it's very it's a very important partnership and our ability to be nimble and flexible to the community and principles needs is of, I think, the utmost importance um, in order to fully operationalize an effective program. Thank you very much. I'm sure we'll see you back here soon. Thank you. Any other questions, comments? All right. Seeing none, the motion on the floor is that the Hartford Board of Education authorizes the superintendent to execute a contract with the community-based organizations as stated for the terms outlined in the contract ending June 30th, 2026 not to exceed the amount listed. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. Nays. Abstensions. The eyes have it. The motion moves. Uh, item 4.5, contract approval, relay GSE. Motion that the Hartford Board of Education authorizes the superintendent to execute a

190contract with the relay GSE for the term outlined in the contract ending June 30th, 2026 at an amount not to exceed $159,80. Do I have a motion? Second. Uh, Dr. Torres Rodriguez. Yes. for background. Um, Relay's framework is designed to build internal capacity of both leaders and teacher leaders and they provide staff with the skills, resources and systems needed to sustain the work independently and ultimately reducing the need that we have on external partners. So through the lens of the connection here is through the lens of supporting our uh cradleto career efforts embedded in our community schools model. That's the cradleto career model that we're trying to to strengthen. Um, we are aiming to increase student academic achievement by building the instructional leadership capacity among our teachers, leaders, and central office staff in those specific

191schools that are supported by the community schools and North Hartford Ascend grants. And so I have a team here um to speak. I know Dr. Ratley is here with a variety of team members. Janelle is also here again because um the funding is again a braided approach. North Harford Ascend um and also the community school work that we're um we're attempting to do. And so this is um the the parallel support structure if you will to um providing that holistic support we want to provide yes the wraparound supports for students but there's the other infrastructure around instructional leadership support. I'll pause there in case you have questions for our team and the relay representative that is also here today. Thank you, Superintendent. And just to clarify, this relay GSSE is not the same as the

192relay program that we were talking about a moment ago under I think we were all thinking it. Um we but it's not right. It's it's a different contract because we've already approved that one. It is a different contract and it's also not TFA. It's completely different. All right. Thank you so much. Um all right, with that, uh do we have any other questions? Mr. Tatum, could you expand on that for a second? Just just in the briefest terms like help us keep those separate in our minds, the two relays or the contracts. Yes. So, re relay in this case um is a separate contract. Um and so the team you could speak to the instructional leadership support track that we're hoping to provide with this one. Yes. So this arm of relay is definitely around

193professional learning for those already in the seat. What was discussed earlier was a teacher certification track. This is not for teachers. Yes. To get people in superintendent. Exactly. So this work will be with principles, principal supervisors and then select teachers to create that that uh community around instructional practices that support students once they get in the building. So I make a motion that we give them different names just for less confusion in the future. I think that the difference here is this is the first time that we take this approach to that integrated model. Um ideally when we think about uh cradle to career it's kind of supporting the student all throughout but then we have to think about the infrastructure that supports the adults in the schools to support the students. So um perhaps

194team we can think about it in a different way. Uh but this is why it's a first time that we introduce the the approach Mr. Tatum there there are many like approaches to professional development and many models. I wonder if you could speak to how this model reflected in this contract contrasts with more um contracts that have been approved by this board in the past with consultants that will come in and offer coaching or offer you know work oftentimes with the same population of people thinking about principles, thinking about district leaders. um this feels like it's something different and I I would just like to hear more about the differences in the two approaches. Sure. I'll start out and then I will tag one of the team members who's actually had a little some experience

195with it to give more insight that's more specific. But as the superintendent mentioned, this is more building the instructional infrastructure in the school. So it's not just training teachers on a concept or training teachers on a style or approach to instruction. It is actually building the infrastructure so that when feedback is given to a teacher, we actually come back and look for that practice not just in teacher practice but then also um comparing it to student outcomes. So there's a whole cyclical approach to it that is not the same as just a simple training or one-time thing and just in one isolated way of practice. It's actually building a model within the school that's led by the principal that's also tie into what the principal supervisor is doing when they come into the building to

196also make sure that we maintain that focus on instruction. And then secondly, and finally or thirdly, it's also about making sure that we allow the space for true learning to happen. So it doesn't come with all of the knowledge. It actually opens up practice so that as teachers are contributing to this whole body of knowledge, we're able to use that to apply it to other areas. So you'll see in the whole outline where we have the eight schools that are identified, but we also worked with our partner to ensure that we could get a shadow school that's not part of one of those grants, but allowed to actually come in because they also have a strong foundation to be able to do this work and be a part of that learning model so that we

197could expand it. Um if Mr. Thompson would come forward, he could give a little more insight into the specific experience in terms of relay. So Dwight Thompson um thank you so much for allowing me to be here. I have gone through this multiple times as a former principal. It is very practical. It is very um a unique approach as principles and teachers. They think about okay I've got curriculum. So if you think about for the elementary level um implementing wit and wisdom and it's so many components um that the principal has to monitor but it's very very practical. So, um, the piece that's really, um, neat is that during the summer, you're able to practice and the principal really has the opportunity to think about how do I monitor this and what are the questions

198that I ask? Um, what are the things that I need to expect from my teachers and they actually get to roleplay um, and do this opportunity with the teachers and the teachers will also have the opportunity to help the principal to lift this work um, as well. But it's not um completely um separate and in more but it's really the work that they're doing. A lot of the principles um that we're working with particularly I have five schools that's in the um North Hartford extend pipeline um they just need an extra push and an extra um set of tools to really do the work and to really push outcomes and I think this opportunity will allow them to do just that. but it's very very practical um where you'll see principles and teachers side by

199side at a table and being able to develop a plan for their schools. Um but they'll come out with really key next steps um that will launch them ready to go for August. Mr. Walker. Um yeah, thank you chair. Um, I guess my question was in that same line and and I'm just going to open by saying that maybe beyond this meeting I will have to maybe come out and see to appreciate and so let me set the table this way. I think what I'm thinking in terms of what we've seen already funded there's um there's already funding for teachers to get more education. And there's some funding for for coursework. And then there seems to be um fellows program for for APS and for principles to kind of also kind of build their professional

200chops. And then I've heard teachers talk about what they want from evaluation process, right, is less evaluation, more coaching. And so what they communicate is they want to kind of have almost a lead teacher that they can kind of bond with and and they work things out and that way where it's more trust built. So now is this something else in the basket and and how does this differ for that? Like what's the the thing that's different that's happening here that's not happening in those other lanes? Because this is a way of work that's being instituted. It actually ties those knots together. So when we talk about evaluation, we're not just getting to the point that we're scoring or measuring what how a teacher has done. We're actually building their capacity along the way so

201that by the time you get to evaluation, there aren't any questions because both have learned and grown together throughout the process. And so when we think about the work we've done, say with PDK this this year, this folds right into that process and helps them to all pull those together. When you talk about teacher leaders, it's the reason why we want a teacher at the table to be able to participate in this learning because we know the value of the teacher leaders in what you just mentioned. So, this is a way of work that helps to pull all of those pieces together and not another thing on top of in order to distract people from exactly what we need to be doing, which is making sure that we end up having students move the dial

202on their on their performance. Okay. Uh yeah, followup question. Yes, I'll I'll I will believe you. I'm in your hands on this one. I I get what you're saying that somehow this is some overarching process that kind of pulls the other pieces together and and coordinates and and makes it all make more sense. Um you mentioned tools though a lot. So does this mean there's also kind of some kind of monitoring direction tools so people's growth can be captured and like are there tools that that are part of this beyond just the the roleplay and the training? Yes. And when we think about it, it's not just being able to access resources that I might need at one point in time, but it's really building the capacity of the educator to self-lead so that it's

203lining up exactly what we're looking for together in terms of student outcomes. What are the practices that go in place for that? but then also positioning them to really self-lead and be able to determine what they may need to do when they identify that a student is not learning in the way that we intend for them to. Um, you brought up a good point about seeing it in action and I just wanted to ask Mr. Clump is to come forward our our um who's with relay just to talk about there are some schools in the area which is part of the reason why when we were looking for organizations we lean this way that have al are also implementing witten wisdom which we know is year one of that and using relay as well and

204so if you could just share about how that's worked in the school that's right in New York that yes of course hello everybody uh my name is Dr. Ben Columbus. I am a vice president of partnerships at Relay. I've been with Relay for 10 years. I'm a former district teacher. Uh I've been a school leader and was a founder of our national principal supervisors academy um uh many uh about 10 10 years ago. Uh over those 10 years um uh Relay has has grown to um to grown its model uh to uh to reach more than 100 uh uh charter management organizations and districts. We're split about 5050 uh across more than 30 states uh across the country. Uh we have deep partnerships in a number of um a number of uh of communities uh

205and district partners um including uh a very large partnership in New York City. We're working right down the road uh in Holio have helped to lead uh uh district of Holio out of receiverhip and um to your point in New York City uh the work that we're doing there I think is really innovative and really exciting to see leaders and teachers in the same room together. um learning to do some of the most important work which is implement high quality instructional materials with a high degree of fidelity so that every kid every day um has access to highquality standardsbased instruction. And so that's the work that um that we do. And we think that the the approach that you're taking and that we've co-constructed is is very smart. Um working both bottom up and top

206down to really build alignment up and down the system so that it feels coherent to educators. It feels um like we are raising the bar for students and it's um leaving uh educators at across across the system feeling more successful. Quick followup. Um, sounds exciting. The curriculum that you're focus focusing on, um, would Whitten Wisdom be that curriculum or is it something else? Yes, we are not steering away from Witten Wisdom. So, these are the Witten wisdom will remain as the curriculum. These are the practices that go into place when teachers and leaders are monitoring the progress of students. So this is this will be done in tandem with it's not on top of it's a way of work that actually um opens itself to whatever curriculum is going to be used and we're going

207to stick with I got it but you're using it there. Here's my comment is that next year what I'd love to see then is um the impact of this like what I experienced this year was uh principal who was like slightly stressed because she was feeling all the pressure her teachers just not having everything they need to do it and she's trying to be supportive and it you could you could feel the struggle. I think based on what you're saying, next year we're going to hear stories of how everyone's capacity, principles and teachers feel like they're partners. And so next time when we have this, those success stories hopefully will be at the table and we can really celebrate that. Uh yeah, sorry, Mr. Celader. Thank you so much. I just have a clarifying question

208um for board member Walker. Was this a like I just I don't I need I have a clarifying question. Um can you just say a little bit more about this experience or this? Sure. that when we wrote up Whitten Wisdom, there was a model in which we we we were having coaches that were going to descend into schools and these coaches were going to help um um teachers build their capacity. So teachers could effectively deliver Whitten wisdom and and and work with students and and be effective at um in in the practice of of delivering Whiten wisdom uh to students and because of decisions we made last year, we essentially um removed a bulk of the coaches and so a lot of the capacity the district had to deliver this um support for teachers just

209wasn't there. And so teachers rolled out into the year, they delivered with wisdom, but they deliver they delivered without the support that we had we had in our plan. And so, you know, people did what they did, but I I got that there was slightly more um stress in it because some of the supports that were supposed to be there by plan just wasn't. No, no one's fault. It's just you know, decisions were made and so I'm hoping what you're saying now is a new way where maybe we'll get a different kind of outcome. Just want to add a little context as to um right if you all recall the strategy um we were leveraging COVID relief funding to have uh a robust uh core uh of coaches to support and given the state's uh

210legislation around the right to read that require districts essentially to pause and be in alignment with their specific requirements the curricula that were on the Um right, our process which included extensive engagement with per per the policy engagement with community including inclusive of our teachers had to had to be put on pause and so we had to then submit the waiver. It extended beyond the last year that we had of co funding and so our strategy was compromised. So I just wanted to to to remind of that we did have a solid strategy and so here is yet another opportunity for us. Of course, it's not to the extent that we have initially planned with all of the coaches, but it is it is a way of adding additional support. She said it better than

211me, but that that's essentially. Thank you. That makes sense. All right. Seeing no other questions. All right. The motion on the floor is that the Hartford Board of Education authorizes the superintendent to execute a contract with Relay GSE for the term outlined in the contract ending June 30th, 2026 in an amount not to exceed $159,80. All those in favor signify by saying I I nazensions. All right, the eyes have it. Thank you for your presentations tonight and thank you to all the presenters tonight whom I forgot to thank as you walked away. So, thank you everyone for coming out tonight and presenting in front of us today. All right. Item 4.6, second reading and adoption, school closing consolidation and relocation policy. Motion that the Hartford Board of Education adopt a school closing consolidation and relocation

212policy. Do I have a motion? So move. Second. Second. Uh, board member Fortune. Sorry. Uh, do you have a presentation or a discussion on this? Um, I I'm happy to to go over it. So, this um this is a revision to our school closing um policy. Uh, I should preface it by saying we haven't started or we're not currently having any conversations around actually consolidating schools. is simply a policy. Should we consider consolidating schools down the line, we have a new revised, revamped policy ready to go. Um, this essentially shortens the prior policy that we have and then it will be supplemented by additional administrative rules and it addresses the process that we would go through should we choose to consolidate schools and what the board's role would be and what that process entails. Thank

213you. Uh any questions or discussion? Board member Tatum. Um just one sort of point and then one um question that I have about what I think is a typo that might require some revision. Um first just like to point out in the policy um it talks about establishing a committee that would um be making a lot of recommendations related to uh consolidation or closure. and just like to note that that committee by this policy has an awful lot of power over the process and and the um ways that uh different factors would be considered. So just like noting noting the the importance of that committee's work um as this policy outlines it. Uh and then the question that I have is about language on on our page. It's the very top of the second page.

214Uh it reads, "Any final decisions concerning the closure, consolidation, or relocation of schools, school buildings, facilities, and or grade levels shall be made by a vote of the board." Such vote. And then it says shall and may be informed by at least two public hearings as set by the board. It feels like it should either say shall or may. Uh and I'm wondering if there was an intent there. Um, so we actually did address this during the committee meetings and it it it it is supposed to say shall be informed, not shall may. Um, actually attorney Wilson um brought that up and we clarified that it it be that the vote shall be informed. Perfect. Thank you, Board Member Brody. I um just wanted um to bring attention to um the number one um on

215AC academic criteria that may include but is not limited to school academic performance. That right there um puts a target um dead set on some of our our schools that um many times I know I've expressed we have due chef versus O'Neal we have a two-tiered system. One that we break up concentrated poverty and we and it looks magical over there. Then we have our neighborhood schools which we cannot break up concentrated poverty because we can't cut off enrollment after October. We can't do a lot of things because we are restrained by a lawsuit. So, I'm hoping I don't if this passes tonight, maybe it could be um a revision that suggest it, but this definitely um puts the targets on our neighborhood schools that are not as well um supported um when it's time

216if we're when we're when we if we ever have to visit um school closure. So this is is is not um equitable in that way. I just wanted to bring that Tatum. Yeah, just responding to that point um is related to the point that I made about the power of that committee. The way I read the policy, the academic uh criteria such as, you know, school academic performance would be included as a criteria in the committee's recommendations, but it it doesn't say how that committee would be interpreting that data. In theory, the committee could see low academic performance and consider that a reason not to close the school and invest more resources. um just that that's not you know that's not dictated by the policy and and so that would be a conversation that that

217committee would have about how to interpret that data but I I share the concern absolutely that that uh board member for the the impact that it would have um disproportionately on different schools in the system I think deputy Foster may have a few comments on this as I know we've discussed this policy quite a bit and the administration will come with some administrative rules to supplement what this policy states. Yeah, I think the most important thing to know is that the policy is really the power to make a decision about closing our consolidation of schools remains with the board and really the purpose of the ad hoc committee is to do the information gathering and factf finding to inform that decision. And so our attempt with those numbered pieces like the point is really well

218taken about the academics and not all our schools are the same right and and they don't alla face the same circumstances. So I think the reason for the numbered um was really to give guidance to that ad hoc committee to be to take a holistic view and not miss stuff right to not look at only one thing or another thing but to take a holistic view in forming recommendations but then ultimately that committee is gathering data doing the work of looking across all of those criteria and then coming back to the board and making a recommendation but ultimately you would be weighing that right and and ultimately it' be up to the board to decide how much you want to weigh academic performance versus all of the other things that are talked about there. [Music]

219Yeah, Dr. towards just to offer a little historical context as many of the elements here were um identified the last time that there was a set of uh school we you know consolidated and and redesigned the district and um to to raise an example here. There were conversations initially and I believe prior to um the the the board vote. The previous leadership and the recommendations actually had decisions and and schools identified and academic performance was a criteria. Um then the next when I when we engaged in the process um and doing our data dive, one of the um elements that was identified was that um while on on paper and and on the screen, there were schools that were low performing schools, historically low performing schools, um as considered by state accountability standards. Um we

220internally identified that there were significant in inequities in funding. And so that was one of the things that the then board had conversations around not making a decision or recommendation solely based on that given that internally decisions had been made previously to fund schools the way they were significantly inequitably compared to magnets. So, I just wanted to raise that as an example that um it was something that was addressed in the past. Um and I'm not sure that all the the comments or discussions that took place as you all were considering um whether or not to leave that there. Um but it was heavily discussed and it became then a more holistic approach to determining the schools that would um be on the list primarily driven by the condition of the school the school facility.

221Mr. Walker. Um thank you chair. I um I wanted to to to lift up I think what uh Deputy Foster brought up which is the policy is set up the framework and um I share your concern with acting performance but I want to lift this out of this policy and as a board to really address that with performance and evaluation address it in in its appropriate um venue. Um, and because what we're bringing up is in essence saying that we shouldn't look at some top level score or test score and and but that's a topic to me for how do we evaluate how do we look at performance outside of this um particular policy but from a policy standpoint we have to list every possible thing that you could think about and that's all I

222want to say to that the framework I think is is um is doing what it's supposed to do as a policy through you to board member Brody. Would any of your concerns be sort of you know just like would any of this fit be fixed if they weren't numbered and or in a different order? Like is is your concern based at the fact that academic is the first thing on this list? Would any of your concerns be laid if it was bulleted as opposed to numbers because I think that implies rank and slightly reordered? Would that help at all? Through you, Madam Chair. We know the schools that um struggle with academic performance and we know there are neighborhood schools. suggest that that is listed. [Music] Um because to the superintendent's point, um we know

223if we if we don't adequately fund the school, you can't address um the issues and remove the barriers and provide the supports because you just don't have the funding. So, it's like you're being it's like to me a penalty um to a school who just don't have what they need and they're bogged down um with the things that come with concentrated poverty. So, um it's not really the order is how I felt when I read it. I'm sorry, Miss Per. Um I I think I I hear you but board member Brody. Um and as the superintendent like to say and I think we also do have to consider academic performance if we're considering consolidating schools. It's just right the the the inherent business of the school is to educate. So I don't know how we

224could possibly undertake such a decision or consider that without looking at academic performance. Um, and I think the structure of how our schools are funded is very complex. Um, I know Chef is now on its fifth fifth reiteration. I would venture to guess and I will go back and and study the prior versions. I think at some point there must have been a version that actually really encouraged opening additional magnet schools, which is why we have so many magnet schools. But also the additional magnet school funding that we get is for suburban students who attend our magnet school. So if we're thinking about consolidating schools, which is primarily for cost-saving mechanism, it becomes that much harder to look at schools that potentially bring in extra revenue versus schools that do not bring in extra revenue.

225So I I say all of that to say I think if we do have to consider this down the line, there's just so many factors that will play into this because ultimately it will be a decision driven by academic performance and also the finances. Um but I I think we don't you know we should be very engaged and involved with the administrative rules that we will have to supplement this policy because that will further guide how we undergo um that process. Mr. Walker. Yeah. So just to take this on and and and the point me throw lifted up. I I believe in too what I see in this is I've always feel it's equitable to look at level of student progress because and it even though it's a broad rubric of performance and that's change

226has to change the words but I want to say out here that underperforming school shouldn't feel disadvantage in the area of academic performance because every set of teachers teachers get a set of students every year and to To me success is based on that teaching those students and how much progress they make in the in a year. My belief is that many community schools could show levels of student progress that would match maybe exceed other schools in the area even magnet schools. Now, but I agree with the structural problem that Miss Brody uh board member Brody brings up that some schools are structurally always behind other schools in terms of the numbers game and that type of thing. But academic performance isn't a scary word. I believe for me it's how we're going to measure

227it. And and so what I'm bringing up is we can't decide that here in the policy. I would advocate looking at levels of student performance because if a student makes progress in a year from where they started to where it ended then that school did a great job and regardless to how they compare to other schools progress is progress. But that's a discussion that we have to make about how we want to look at academic performance in an equitable way in our district. So I just want to put that on the record. Uh Mr. Thank you. Thank you. Um in looking at the academic criteria that may include but is not limited limited to school academic performance and the other things that it's saying. Um, I think and thinking about and listening to what board

228member Brody was talking about with regards to concentrated poverty and listening to what board member Walker was talking about, you know, school performance, looking at school performance as an educator, children cannot learn if basic needs are not met. So if children are hungry, they cannot learn. If adults are hungry, they cannot perform to their their optimal, you know, best performance ability. Um, what I'm thinking about here is, you know, I like the fact that it says but is not limited to. So there it's not just one thing and I believe that we as board members will look at the whole picture the whole child the what resources are are not being received by the educators um also looking at other programs at other models and once again I'm always going to talk about Montasauri I'm

229always going to bring that up um looking at being innovative, looking at different ways to meet that child where they need to be met. Like this Erdkinder for example, thinking about the concept of students who may not want to be in school or may not, you know, want to be in a specific location or specific inside of a building. They go to a farm and they have an opportunity to use their hands. They have an opportunity to connect with nature. they have an opportunity to really, you know, get those frustrations out and become productive. You can, we can look at other opportunities with regards to trades, learning a trade, learning a skill. Um, but I really believe that we need to be very intentional and I believe that we will be intentional when we if

230and perhaps when we come to a point where we may have to consolidate um or close. But it also talks about um it also says or relocation of schools, school buildings, facilities and or grade levels. But the thing is, I think that a lot of folks are are concerned about this particular um policy because it's they the first thing they hear is school closure. It's going away. But that's not what it may always mean. So, I think it's something that we need to keep in mind. Other comments, questions? Um, the one thing that I will say on this policy is it does give us an opportunity to at least give us a roadmap as we as we move forward. And one thing I would caution us is that I don't believe that um any consolidations

231or closings will bring us a great deal of cost savings. it really is more about making sure that our buildings are utilized and our students are in buildings that have enough of the resources that they need in one place. So, um that I think as we talk about budget and cost savings and school consolidations kind of at the same time, I think sometimes it gets a little mudded, but um definitely uh want to make sure that we're really making sure that our students are getting the best education that they can get in the way that we can get there. So, all right. Um, with that said, the motion on the floor is that the Harford Board of Education adopt the school closing consolidation and relocation policy. All those in favor signify by saying I I

232Naz. Abstensions. All right. The eyes have it. The motion moves. Thank you, Dep Thank you, Deputy Foster. All right, moving on to the consent agenda. Contracts on the consent agenda were all discussed at various committees. The first reading will be discussed again at the policy committee providing another opportunity for feedback before coming back next month for adoption. The items are 5.2 contract approval dynamic construction to repair and refurbish the HPHS gym floor. 5.3 contract continuation approval Yukon athletic trainers for three athletic trainers to support practices and games districtwide. 5.4 4 contract amendment approvals, special education services, the current contracts that need to be amended due to changes in I students IEP and now meet the board's threshold for approval. I want to note that this item on the agenda was revised to include an additional

233contract after committee for the same reasons as the others as there is an internal communication mixup in addition to a brand new day proare and aviana healthcare creative interventions was added again sorry all of these contract amendments are due to changes in students IEPs Uh 5.2 second reading and adoption students experiencing homelessness. 5.6 second reading and adoption graduation policy 6146. 5.7 second reading and adoption sexual abuse and prevention and education program policy. 5.8 second reading and adoption district safe school climate and bullying plan policy. 5.9 repeal bullying prevention and intervention policy. 5.10 first reading challenging behavior prevention restorative practices response policy. And 5.11 approval of the minutes from April 15, 2025. Any comments or questions on the consent agenda? Nope. All right. Seeing none, do I have a motion to vote on the consent agenda?

234So move second. All right. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. I. I. Nazs abstensions. One abstension. Thank you. Um the eyes have it. The May 20th board of education meeting is adjourned. Thank you for joining us.