001All right. Um, being that it's 6:01 and I have a quorum, I would like to call the Graten Board of Education regular meeting or business meeting to um, order. Today is September 27th and once again it is 601. Um, and welcome to everyone. Um, our first um, uh, order of business is our pledge of allegiance. And I was wondering, Seth, since you are right in the middle of my screen, if you would be willing to lead us um in the pledge. >> I think you're gonna have to Okay. >> Yes, I got it. I got it. I got it. There we go. I pledge allegiance >> to the flag of the United States of America >> and to the republic for which it stands. >> One nation under God, >> indivisible, with liberty and justice
002for all. Thank you Seth. Thank you Mark for the visual. Um the next is um recognition and participation of visitors and de uh delegation. Susan I wasn't aware of anyone. >> I'm just going to look um we said to raise their hand so I know Mark is going to look to see if we have any hands raised. I am too. And I'm just gonna look in the chat box to see if anybody has >> I was just looking for um any visitors or um de delegates like there's not there's no special stuff going. >> Is that correct? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Awesome. So with that in mind um I'm going to read us uh lead us into our next agenda item and that's comments from citizens. Um this is the portion of the agenda
003where the board welcomes comments from citizens. Each presentation should be limited to five minutes or less and citizens should if possible submit written comments. Presentation should be related to matters pertinent to Grten. Board members will only ask questions in order to clarify the speaker's presentation and cannot respond during the comments of citizen portion of the board meeting. Citizens Whoops, excuse me. citizens should be made um should make their presentation h not from the podium because we are not at the podium at the present moment. Um but um please make sure that you state your name and address as well. Um, and just for people to know, I've asked Miss Joan just to kind of keep um tabs on either hand raised or um chat something in the chat. And I've also asked um uh Jay
004uh White to um to give us a do the five minute um with a one minute warning. So if you see his hand raise or finger raised up that is not that he's testing the wind in his house but that he is letting me know that there's a one minute warning left to the p for the person. So at this time we would welcome any comments from citizens and um I I don't see >> Carolyn uh Kendricks would like to address the board. >> All right. Thank you. Kellen, are you still here? >> Yeah. Hi, this is Angel Kendrick. Um, I couldn't figure out how to change it from my son's name to my own name. So, I am Angel Kendrick. >> Hi, Angel. >> Hi. So, um, I just wanted to touch base. Um,
005we go to Northeast Academy. Ryan Cheney had sent out an email um, basically saying that they were still trying to decide if the open house was going to be virtual or in person. Um, so I guess when I guess how is that determined? When will that be determined? Uh, will parents have a say? Um, I guess my husband and I are feeling like we would like to see that event happen in person. Um, so so Angel, so thank you very much for um, and so we're just being dutiful in not responding to you because that's what um, the charge was. So, but I'm hoping that maybe um Susan when it is our when it is our turn to respond to questions that she will respond to that. So, if you could hold on for a
006couple minutes that would be that would be great. And thank thanks once again. >> Okay. Thank you, >> Mary Frank. >> Thank you. Mary, are you available? >> Yes, I am. >> Hi, Mary. How are you? Can you please um could you just please give your um address for the for the record? >> Sure. 119 Haley Road. >> Thank you. >> So, please just state your question. >> Um my question is how registration information is relayed to the school the child is attending. From the board of education, I had registered my child in early August and her information is not at Graten Middle School yet. There was an incident today that I addressed to um in an email probably about uh 30 minutes ago, but I was curious the process since her information isn't there.
007>> Great question. We'll see that we'll if it doesn't get answered tonight that someone from the um district reaches out to you tomorrow. Is that okay? >> Okay. >> Yep. >> Thank you. Thank you very much, Mary. >> Thank you. I see that Allison Scheler has joined us. I'm looking through the chat to see if there's anyone else. >> Yeah, I am too. Thank you, Susan. >> Once again, for those of us who are joining us, this is our portion of the meeting where we do um love to hear from comments from citizens. This is the part of the agenda that I will not be reopening our agenda for public um after after this point. So that if you have something that you would um feel like would be necessary for the board to know
008um I would um I would really appreciate that. Now All right, I am hearing no further comments. Um, so, um, excuse me, u, Miss Superintendent Austin, do you have any information about the open house? I know that the um elementary principles are working together and because conferences are in October. They're hoping to host those live conferences um giving parents a chance if they would prefer remote to have that. But they really think getting them into the school, meeting the teacher, and having the opportunity to kind of tour the building, um, visiting, for instance, the PE teacher in the new gyms or in the gyms and, you know, see all of the other teachers as well will be a really nice more personalized way rather than getting too many people in a small space. So, they're
009looking at that and kind of combining that, but I know that you'll be hearing more from your principal very soon. So, is it safe? >> The other question I was on the email um from Mrs. Frank and I will look into that first thing tomorrow morning to find out what the problem was and I apologize. I think because we have both an online component and then a district component um and we've had some power school issues. I will just check on that right away for you. Okay. >> Thank you. Thank you. Since both of those two comments have been addressed, I'm going to move us on in the agenda and we're um at the student representative report. Um Isaiah and Allison, it is so good to see you and this is such a um funky
010way of getting to know the board is through the um through the Zoom screen. And I'm hoping that soon we'll be we'll be able to do this in um person. Um but um and I will be more than happy to have Susan and um and I meet with you personally just to kind of go over the board of education sort of what what happens and what doesn't happen if that would help you out. But normally or typically the piece that we um we look forward to at this meeting um is just to kind of have you guys update us about what's sort of happening in the school district. I know that both of you are at Fitch. Um, but if you even had elementary news, that would be great. But, um, I don't know who
011would like to go first. Um, but we would welcome to hear you. >> Kim, there seems to be a back face somewhere. >> Okay. >> I guess if all of us who aren't speaking could mute. Kim, could you just ask them to in >> So Allison, I think you are trying to speak, but we are not hearing you and there's quite a delay. Um, and so to us um point um when you do start talking, if you could just introduce yourselves a little bit to the board and to the to the group, that would be great. Um and um I I I think Isaiah, can I ask for you to go? And then Allison um and Allison is saying that her internet is not working. So um but Allison, I'm hoping that you're still on,
012but Isaiah, if you could um if you could chime in, that would be great. >> Hi everyone. I'm Isaiah Anderson. I'm a junior at Fitch High School. And I don't really have too much to report on right now. um kind of just here say to watch the proceedings and understand how these meetings go. I don't know if Allison wants to add anything. I think Allison, it seems like you're still having difficulty. Um, and so if that gets worked out, I will invite you back in just to say hi. Isaiah, have you been have you been a Grten kiddo from the beginning? >> Yes. >> Okay. So are um so what are what are some of the things that you are involved in at um at in the district? >> Uh right now I am a
013member of the National Honor Society. I play baseball at Fitch High School. I was on varsity last year and I'm the class president for the junior class. >> Oh, just a couple small little almost forgot. >> And very h >> Thank you. >> And very humble, too, >> Ted. I I noticed that you um chimed on. Would Is there something that you would like to add about the two students? >> No, I just uh I I asked Isaiah to to uh come and try this out and and uh I think he'd be a great addition to the board. He's a fantastic young man and I think uh can tell us a lot about the student body. Um he was a couple years ago one of the uh the kids who decided they want to tape
014me to the wall. Um so he's um you know a a great kid and and uh I think would be be awesome. Uh I I've been trying to text him text him here to ask him if he could talk a little bit about the spirit week that's going on at Fitch High School right now. I think that's one of the things uh we just had our first day of spirit week and uh we got uh Isaiah, what is it? We got uh tomorrow is uh >> uh Tuesday. Yeah. Yeah. Twin Tuesday tomorrow, I think it is, right? Is that it? >> Yeah. And then um uh Metal Wednesday and then um I can't I can't even remember it off the top of my head now, but the uh uh but obviously Fitch Friday and then
015and uh looking forward to the homecoming dance uh at at Fitch uh on Saturday night. So, uh we're looking forward to that. It's outdoor event this this year obviously, but uh um but we we hope to have a nice homecoming event uh for the students. Um we are uh just uh for the sake of of COVID safety uh we are not doing a pep rally at the end of spirit week uh we are looking at doing an event before the Thanksgiving Day game. Uh and we're going to be meeting with some students to help us plan with that uh for that as well and then um uh uh looking at maybe doing a a more traditional pep rally later in the year if safety would would allow us to do that. So, >> thank you,
016Ted and Isaiah. Welcome. And um uh and once again, um Susan and Susan and I will try to get both with you and Allison. Um just so that we can kind of talk about the the function of the board of ed and also sort of what your participation or what what we're hoping your participation would look like. Um so um stay tuned to be hearing um from Susan and I if that's if that's going to be okay. >> Yeah, it sounds perfect. >> Wonderful. Thank you very much. And once again, welcome to the two of you um so very much um for your um for your coming tonight and um I look forward to your um future involvement. I just want to say to our student reps that our board really does listen to you
017and does, you know, um acknowledge we love hearing from our students and your voices really heard on this board. So, um I applaud you for coming out tonight to thank you. >> I'm sorry, I introduced real quick, but I I just also want to introduce Allison. I know that last year she actually was the board rep last year, but uh with everything going on, it was difficult to attend meetings and so on, but uh Allison again is a senior and uh awesome addition for here to the board and and I I hope that they get to know you all much better in the next couple of weeks uh and and uh uh can get involved with the with the with the board. So, um I I just wanted to say welcome them both because I
018think they're both great additions. >> Thank you, Ted. Rita, >> yeah, I had a question for Ted. Do you still have the bonfire for the like outside before Thanksgiving Day game? >> Uh we have not had that since uh my time there uh here at Fitch. Um so uh again, we we're getting a group of students together to to try to plan out these events. We did the homecoming uh game and and week earlier this year just so we could have an outdoor dance uh thinking that it would get much too cold uh as November comes in uh to do that. Um but uh we wanted to see if we can get a group of of of students together so we could really plan some nice events um you know around uh u the different
019activities that we have going on uh uh as we go later in the year. But um again, I'm going to let the students really bring up some ideas of what they would like to do. Um and if they're interested in in something like a bonfire, we'll certainly listen to what they have and try to do events uh some enjoyable events but as safely as possible. >> Thank you. >> All right, I'm going to move us on to um uh the superintendence report. um the school opening. Um and Susan, I'm assuming that this report is going to talk about our transportation. Um >> Pete, >> thank you. So, I would say it certainly has been challenging opening up in the last three weeks and mostly due to some transportation um concerns, but I would say that
020it also kind of came to our attention that on September 7th was the culmination of the Graten 2020. And in that, we had planned to have our Graten Middle School on the top of Fort Hill, which launched and opened last year in the midst of COVID. And this year at the two prior middle school sites at the Cutler site we have Mystic River Magnet and at the Westside site we have Fames River Magnet. So that work was really done. It took us a few years. Dr. Grineer and I worked on that to make sure that kids had neighborhood schools, although now that we've gone from 10 elementary schools, you know, at the beginning of the decade to down to five. Um it certainly those neighborhoods had to grow to encompass all the students. And then
021we also as part of this plan for excellence, equity, and efficiencies, we were looking to have five elementary magnets. All elementary's magnet so parents would have not only a neighborhood school but also a choice. And so we ran our first lottery. We had online registration. we had a lot happening all at once. Um, and then, you know, there were COVID protocols that we're still dealing with, but one of the biggest challenges I think this year was with transportation. We had new routes because of the two-tiered system and because we were looking to make sure that um we were able to get our elementary magnet schools to and from school in a timely fashion and also being able to utilize our international balarat campus at the top of Fort Hill to its full potential and so
022that has work has begun and I have to say um a shout out to Sam Kilpatrick who's on the line because he is has overseen this transport portation as has lawn Tom Londale who's helped us with the Transfinder um company in the routing and also working with STA very closely and their leadership to ensure that they were doing everything they could do to secure more bus drivers and we were doing everything we could do looking at the routes. So, um we really did have a shortage of about 10 bus drivers daily in the past three weeks. five in the initial and then three to five on a daily basis. Um they have um signed off on a contract and I think we have several bus drivers back. I could feel the difference today just in
023um you know getting the kids to school on time better and then getting them picked up on time and getting home. So I'm always the last one to get the call when the last child is dropped off and I don't leave the office until I know. So Sam's very good about giving me that information because that's really safety and security is a concern. Our goal is really to have two students per seat in a bus, especially for our secondary kids. And you know, with some of the younger children, we can fit three to a seat without going all the way up to full capacity. So just know that we're really on it almost on a day on a daily basis at least. And we certainly have gotten good feedback from parents and I try to
024respond as soon as I get their emails. I've had parents come in to see me and you know we've really worked on several specific issues that have um really interrupted the flow. But today I have to say was a better day. And I have to be honest with you these three weeks have really been challenging. They've been challenging on our families, our students, our staff, our teachers. Um, everybody has gone beyond the call of duty, um, trying to make this work. And I would say we have a lot of families that are still driving their children and may into the unforeseeable future for health reasons and all other kind of reasons. So, um we're just trying to work with the police department as well to make sure that um lights are working and that we
025have our crossing guards everywhere and that it is really much smoother into the future. I don't know if Sam wants to add to that, but he certainly has been um noticed. He is visible. He's there. Bill and I try to get out too to to monitor it and to see firsthand what's happening. But Sam, do you have anything else to mention about transportation? >> Yeah. Um, first of all, uh, we've been looking very Tom and I, uh, along with Dr. Piaz have been looking very closely at, uh, especially the middle school because that seems to be the choke point for departures in the afternoon. and and the middle school has really made special efforts to really uh uh move that up and and get uh the kids on buses much quicker and some of those
026longer runs out earlier which has really helped dramatically. I think I texted Susan today at about 5:15 today to say that the last student finally got home at about 5:15 today which is a a big improvement over the last couple of weeks. Um, we also uh this morning when I stopped by STA this morning, uh I found out that we had three three drivers return to STA today and we expect another one tomorrow. So, uh we're we're starting to get people back. There are a couple people out with medical issues, too, that'll be coming back soon, too. So, as we pick up these drivers, it'll make it much easier on uh on the drivers that have been coming to work on a daily basis. Uh uh one one of the things that uh we've had
027to do that STA has uh uh instituted is um if if a bus isn't running that day because of a lack of a driver um they've actually sent out other buses to pick up kids at at different sites. If uh bus 12, for instance, is in the area where bus 16 normally would be, they might actually ask that bus driver to go by and pick those kids up to try and get them into school on time. So there's been quite a bit that of of that going on. And uh as as of today uh that was a lot less than it has been in the past couple of weeks. So um Tom is >> and also better communication with us. SDA is notifying us as soon as they know there's a missing driver and Joyce
028is, you know, at her home up at 8 six o'clock in the morning making sure that we're getting school messengers out to families so that they know what's happening for the morning and afternoon because of any bus driver shortage. >> Yeah, those those calls to the parents are really helpful to to get their day started on the right foot for sure. and and of course Tom Londale and Jenny Aino have been really working hard. Uh we we get changes to bus routes on a daily basis and uh which makes again makes it difficult for bus drivers too because they have to check their run every day. Uh anytime we add a kid to a bus whether they've moved into the area or somebody's left or um may need to change to a different bus for
029one reason or another it changes that entire bus route and it changes times for everybody down the line on that bus route. So, uh, while it's a little bit confusing, uh, the the time is not a great change in time, but it's enough to to, uh, make, uh, parents get concerned at times. So, we've taken a lot of phone calls, a lot of parents concerned. Um, one of the things I always, uh, try and remember is that, uh, um, uh, but there was a funeral service for my my uh, first bus driver in Grten. Uh um my first bus driver actually drove drove a a carry all van uh um and uh she there was a funeral for her this weekend and um so uh I I like to remind the drivers that uh they're
030a very important person in in a child's life and um so you want to be that person that you're remembered some 60some years later. I can assure you that and most of our bus drivers are that way. I think that's about it for now. Thank you. >> Thank you very much, Sam. >> I'm gonna recognize Liz and then Rita. >> Uh Sam, I have a couple of questions for you. Can you hear me? >> Yes. >> Okay. Sam, did you say that the last middle school student didn't get home until 5:15 this evening? >> No, that was the last elementary kid that got home at 5:15 tonight. Um, and they're leaving at what time? >> Uh, they get out at the buses are usually rolling out of the elementary schools right around 4:00. >> I
031thought, >> yeah, if they could get there more closer to 3:30, that would really help. >> But I thought that what you what we had first heard was that no child was going to be on a bus, even from the length, you know, the long the uh the farthest way was going to be no more than 45 minutes. our our goal our our goal has always been to keep them under an hour and we're still working on some of those there. There are still changes that we're making uh moving uh kids from uh one bus to another to uh to balance them out numbers wise and also to get some of these longer magnet runs. Uh if a kid lives up in uh North Pleasant Valley uh road for instance and goes to Mystic River,
032uh that that bus takes a long time to get all the way across town, making a few stops along the way, too. So, um those are those are generally the most outlying students uh on a on a magnet run that that run that late, but we're still trying to get those under an hour and certainly 45 minutes would be preferable. >> Okay. because that's what I was I thought that was what we were expecting and I was just concerned to hear that we have small children on a bus for over an hour and I think that's just not acceptable and I know that you don't think that's acceptable either Sam. I'm not sitting there going being critical. I just it's a concern that I have and I know it's a concern of yours. >> We're
033all working on that together. >> I and I totally appreciate that. Um do you expect this to straighten out pretty soon? I mean, are you expecting this to um you know, to finally get some permanent bus routes with before the end of the first quarter or you know, like within the next week or two? What do what do you go is it too? >> It's been improving. It's been improving on a daily basis and I think uh we get another week uh into this. I think we're going to be running a lot a lot smoother as we as we move along here. There are always going to be there are always going to be some problems with buses. uh you know uh bus drivers are are in there very early in the morning. So if
034you don't get the call, some of them roll out of there at 5:30, 6 o'clock in the morning. So if you don't get the call until 5:30 or 6 o'clock, it's difficult to get substitute drivers and stuff. So there may still be some issues that we run into, but they will be much less than we've been uh having in the last few weeks for sure. I know that STA has reported to us, their management, that they are really looking for bus drivers and they've secured a nice package for their bus drivers. So, anyone who's listening in who might think this is a good idea, um I was talking to Bob Ross, who's the executive director of military affairs, and he actually was a bus driver during his college days and said it was like a
035super job. So, I suggested that they go out to some of our colleges and, you know, send out the flyers because we're really in very big need and they will provide excellent training for these people. >> Yeah, I don't think it would be appropriate for me to tell you how much they're going to be paying their drivers, but it's a very nice number and uh people that are looking for a part-time job, it's uh they would be well compensated for a part-time job like that. a difficult job but uh well paid I think uh for that job. >> Thank thank you Sam Liz I'm ass your questions for the transportation got answered. >> Yeah I just wanted to say that um the lady whose uh funeral was this weekend was also a a past faculty
036member at Fitch High School and she was my teacher at one point and she was my colleague too. So um is it appropriate to say who it is? Sure. >> Um, dot as they don't make them like dot as anymore. She's wonderful. >> And she was awesome. So, >> thank you. Thank you, Liz. Rita, >> my question is Susan had in her board notes that first student can no longer cover our athletic runs. So Mark Pmano has sent the schedule to STA who said there are drivers who are requesting to pick up these extra runs. The tricky part will be for away games played at 3M when we need buses for elementary runs. I didn't realize we contracted with two different bus companies. So I was wondering Sam if you could give me some clarification
037and how is this going to work for athletics after school? >> Yeah. No, we have a contract with STA, but uh in in our contract if we if they're not able to fulfill uh transportation for uh outside work like athletics, some things like that, we have the right to it's right in the contract to go out to another server and see if we can get somebody else to do that. So Ken reached out to First Student and they were agreeable to servicing us uh for some of those runs. uh and and then uh they determined that they couldn't do it here at uh the last couple of days and STA has now um with more drivers coming back are able to fulfill those uh those runs now and those are overtime runs that that's overtime
038money for those drivers too. So it's uh it's really important that we get uh our neighbors and our friends uh that opportunity uh versus bringing in another group when whenever we can. I have to say Mark Romano was very resourceful because there was one group of students, the girls swim team that wasn't getting a ride back and forth to the pool and he reached out to parks and wreck and they happen to have a van that can fit 25 students. So, our girls have a ride. So, I have to thank him too publicly. >> But I I still don't I still need clarification about that sentence about first student can no longer cover our athletic runs. Did we have first student cover them and now we're going back to STA? >> Well, first student could
039no longer cover them >> around the state. They were >> Why were we contracting with First Student when STA is our contracted bus >> because they could not fulfill that part of the contract at that point? >> Just this spring. Just this fall. >> Yep. >> Oh, so just this fall you short period of time they were unable to fulfill that. >> Okay. Well, it's not clear in the message that we got. It was sort of ambiguous and I was just curious about our contracts with the bus companies and Okay. So, now it's going to get straightened out and STA will be doing the athletic runs. >> That's right. >> Thank you. >> It's helpful if I unmute. Susan, if you would continue on with your opening, please. >> Okay. So that's really it for
040the opening, but I would like to be able to move on to the state data report presentation. So I'm going to have Tom get us on to the presentation. And some of this information you've been receiving from me in the board notes. Um we were able to to gather some more information to share with the board. And um I'm going to go through the data that we have and outline some of the things that have been mentioned in the board notes and some of and the data chart that I've shared with you. I shared with you this whole presentation when we kind of wrapped it up. Um so you do have it now and we can always go back to it. I usually like to share the data several months in a row and then
041the principles can speak to what their data teams are doing with the data. So this isn't a oneshot deal. This is usually unfolds for us and I can share with you um parts at a time. So this is the ESPback summitative assessment which we test our third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth graders in both ELA, English language arts and mathematics. And this was really coming straight from the Connecticut State Department of Education and their recommendations were to have special consideration and analysis because of the pandemic. I actually was able to serve with a group of six other superintendents and the performance office directors around how this data gets shared, how we utilize the the data the best way and understanding the many variables that go into this. And so, you know, when we when
042we look at this, we know there are both similarities and differences in the way that um we've tested the kids. Back in 2018 and 19 was the last ESPback um summitative assessment. And then this year, spring of 2021, and there are some similarities. We have the same test blueprint. We have the same bank of test items. um we have the same in-person testing protocols um but unfortunately there's many more differences than similarities. So we not only um tested people in person with those protocols but we set up new protocols for the remote kids who couldn't come in and to test them remotely. Um, I was really pleased with the way that our administration really um, worked with families to get more students in. Even if they had learned remotely on those Wednesday afternoons, they often
043would be able to come in to do some of the practice assessments and the ESPback assessments. So, as you remember, we were fully remote from mid March to mid June um, in 2020. And we also um had remote in a variety of ways and degrees you know in our own district and across the state and it was really beyond our control in most ways because of the pandemic. Um in addition some students tested remotely um and then there was the new construct for testing um in person or in person we tested and then remotely we tested in-person school varied didn't look the same from school to school or district to district. Um there were new instructional approaches that emerged. We had to flip over to hybrid learning and remote learning right away. A lot of
044professional development went into that. And then um there were also you know admittedly there was a sense of um stress, anxiety both in students, families and staff. So we just kind of have to recognize those variabilities. So this slide really is a slide that showcases the state of Connecticut overall matched cohort. matched cohorting is really hard to do at the district level, but the state was able to provide us. And I don't know if you can make that slide any bigger, Tom. It's a little fuzzy because it's really cut right out of the state document. Um, >> but it looks at >> it looks at um the ELA results on the left hand side and the math results on the right hand side. And the color coding goes along with um blue being from the
04518/19 testing and red being um those who are proficient at 2021. So the first box that you see on your left hand upper corner um side are students with high needs. And if you notice that um for those who are fully in person, they exceeded um you know the or they had less loss than the hybrid or the remote students. So um you can see that we've taken a dip in ELA with students with high needs and we've done it with without high needs. So there is going to be gaps that we have to fill and we know that and that student data student by student will be looked at individually by teachers of those students and by schools to determine what gaps are needing to be filled. On the right hand side um math
046did even less well. So math um with students with high needs, you can see um you know the 2021 state data um versus the 1819 state data is um definitely um lost ground. So our idea is to really accelerate learning and move it forward, but at the same time provide the tutoring and the extra support for our kids to be able to fill the gaps. And then of course on the right hand bottom it's math students without high needs. And um as you can see in all four quadrants, the students who were fully mostly in person lost less ground than the other kids. Um, next came the hybrid students and then last of all were the fully remote. However, I have to say you'll notice in Graten's data that wasn't always true. We do have
047some kids who were fully remote. That means they were zooming in with their teacher and you know be instructed by our teachers in Grten and they actually fared pretty well. So it wasn't even though they we've made these generalizations in the state, it doesn't hold true for every single case. So there were some children who actually made growth in you know all these categories. So I think we can switch now. So I asked Tom to look at the actual numbers because you know the larger a talent pool you have in data the more accurate the data results are going to be. So when you look at fully mostly in person, there were only 36 students um who were tested that were fully mostly in person, which was like close to 2% of the population. With
048the hybrid, you're looking at closer to 79% of our population. So that's the group that we were looking at, you know, mostly. And then fully remote was closer to 20% of our student population. And these were all the results of students who tested in person. We don't have the results of students who tested remotely. The state is really doing more verification. They felt like there was some um inaccuracies to that and so they're still looking into that. And we wanted to know the range. So when we we looked at all of the grade levels to see, you know, the third through 8th graders in ELA and in math, we wanted to see what the range of scores would. So we could look at the shape of the data. And I think it really identifies the
049variabilities in this past year. If you go all the way to the right hand side, we had some of the lowest scores or the lowest numbers of proficiencies to the highest numbers of proficiencies. And then if you look back 15 um 16 161 17 18 you can kind of see that the ranges grew um kind of like stair steps. Um and then of course this year there were just a wide range of you know levels of proficiency being three and four. So we're going to take a look at English language arts first. Um I like the way Tom designed this graph. The green line is what was happening in 2018 and 2019. So it gives you kind of um the average I guess of ELA students without high needs. Connecticut is the blue, Bratton is
050the red. Um and you can see that we are under just under the Connecticut um average um for students without high needs in ELA. um fully remote. Our actually our remote students who were fully remote getting taught by our teachers did a little better than the state average and almost as well as they had done back in 1819. And then the students with high needs, the students with high needs in the hybrid model did actually better, performed better than the Connecticut average. and the ones who were fully remote did even better than that. So that was good to see whether it was the support that we were giving um you know from teachers and tutors and interventionists and special educators. Um you know when we talk about students with high needs I should have said
051this right up front. Those are our students that are receiving special ed services. They might be s receiving EL services, English language learners. um and they might be students who have lower socioeconomics and they put those kids all in one group and they don't disagregate that all the way. So those are those students when they call with high needs and then there's the math and this is students without high needs and Connecticut fared better than Rotten in the hybrid model. You can see where we were in the green line and that's where we want to get to and better. So even though this year showed some, you know, lower growth results, we want to push ahead and make sure that we get back to better than normal and make some growth here. And then of
052course on the right hand side you see the fully mostly remote. And our remote students did a little better than the state average without high needs. Here again, these are students with high needs. And our students with high needs outperform the state students without high needs with high needs in both the hybrid model and the fully remote model. And then the NGSS, I was really pleased because while we we felt there was a a big focus on English language arts and mathematics, we didn't forget about science or social studies in some of the other areas. And you can see that um the students who take the science assessment, the next generation science standards assessment are fifth graders, eighth graders, and 11th graders. So when we averaged that group, the Connecticut um hybrid students without high
053needs was at 66.2% where the graten students without high needs were at 68.2% very close to where they were in 1819. And the fully remote students superseded their growth or where they were a couple years ago. So that was good news for science. And then when we looked at the students with high needs, um you can see the green line where they had been. You can see that the hybrid students in Grten um students with high needs did better perform better than the average Connecticut students and then also remotely they did better than their counterparts in the state. So um you know that kind of tells a story, shows a picture, but um as we move forward and that's going to be this next slide, the next steps are really important. So students results will
054be sent home to families next week with a letter explaining this in as clear a language as we can. Um school data teams will analyze individual student data. They've already started that. Um and they've started to form their SRBI groups for the kids who need beyond the core instruction, differentiated instruction in the core, extra tutoring, using our interventionist to do additional teaching for our kids. Um so the schools will utilize the student data to determine SRBI needs and by filling gaps through teaching and tutoring. We'll even have after school beyond the school day um you know opportunities for kids and then the district data team meets October 18th and we'll be analyzing we've already begun but we'll be analyzing as an admin and teacher team to look at the data from a district point of
055view and disagregate it in different ways to understand it better. And then the district will also utilize the Connecticut State Department interim assessment block um test. And we've already have a pacing guide that teachers are looking at to determine how we're going to use these best. The bigger blocks, these interim assessments usually cover multiple standards and usually three topics in math or several areas standards in literacy. So, we're thinking about three or four of those per year to really help teachers form um good decisions with their instruction and give us more information about our students. Then they have what they call focus in interim assessment blocks which are short and sweet like 10 12 questions and those really coincide with our units of study in both ELA and math. So, they could be used as
056an endunit assessment and that will give us more information as well and help us to gauge how we're doing. So, those are some next steps. I know that um we'll we'll definitely have our principles come and and talk to you a little bit like we've done in the past, but as I've said, the variability of the data makes it really difficult and challenging to do any real kinds of comparisons. This was about the best I could do in seeking some kind of a comparison and then comparing it to performance in the past. And the more I dig into it and work with my data team and Tom and Phil and the whole group, um, you know, whatever we are able to gather, we will certainly share with the board. And anything that we've been able
057to do and do successfully throughout the year, we certainly will share with you, too. So, the next I'm excited that we finally got data. So, thank you very much. It it was it's been it's been a long time since the board has been able to to look at that and um um we're looking forward to that continuing. Um the assistant superintendent report I don't see him on. Is he >> he's actually at an MYP conference, but I've got Peter here and I've got Dr. Acriman here and Peter came to talk a little bit about the revision of the electives from the middle school and he's already met with the um the curriculum board of ed curriculum committee. >> All right. Um I am going to recognize Jay and then Rita. >> Yes. Hi Susan. I
058just wanted to know um are we actively utilizing uh some of the ESSER funds for uh tutoring starting now? In other words, >> oh we've Yes, absolutely. We've been doing it over the summer. We we didn't miss a beat with it and we're continuing and planning after school opportunities as well, but their SRBI structure really took place from the beginning of the school year to really identify kids who needed support. >> Okay. So, so students are individually being met where they need to be met by >> use this data for that reason. That's right. >> Okay. All right. Yeah. >> Thank you, >> Rita. >> Um, yes. When you report out the data to us um coming up in the future, could you please um provide information how we comp compare to our DRG to
059our DUI and also our area towns and not just proficient, but I'd like to know those that are performing. How many are performing beyond proficient? Because proficient is just proficient. Well, proficient is three and four. So, those are your your students that are at the highest level, >> right? But then there's above that. >> No, that's it. It's just three and four proficient now. They're not doing the category that is above >> there. There is no category above the three and the four >> and then and then how many are below and what are the steps you'll be doing? >> So, it's a little more difficult to compare. I've I've talked about that in my board notes quite a bit and I introduced that here. There are just so many variabilities that you can't really
060compare a graten to another school um that hasn't had hybrid. So if you have school districts that have been full inerson there you can't compare because they're two different I would believe though that you know just do it to the ones that were hybrid. But I'm not so much interested in I mean I'm even looking at the 2018 2019 scores and so forth. I mean, we are still below the state average. No matter how you look at this this year and last year, we're below the state average. So, we you know, that's what I think is so important, you know. >> Well, I don't think you're I don't know if you're reading that correctly. Not in every area there. >> No, that's not the state average, Rita. That is where Grten was in 2018 and
06119. That's what we >> That was rotten score years ago. >> That's what we want to get back to the green line and beyond >> and beyond. But like to see where the state >> Well, so the state is the blue with and without needs and the red is broughten. So they're side by side. Tom and I worked really hard to try to make this make sense because it's not the most sensible kind of data we've looked at. No. So I agree. >> We don't have the state from before. We only have Grten and the green line is Groten. We still don't have what the state scores were before. >> Well, that could be another colored line. And we've all we've been pretty much above the state >> throughout my time here. >> If I
062at least the past couple years. >> Oh, sorry, Susan, if you don't mind. I can kind of add to that. I'm happy to share that information at the board. Um I I don't want to go on record, but I believe in almost every category graten was above uh the state average. So So it didn't make sense for me to add that line, but we certainly can add that in. Um and just to go back to kind of your original question about comparing us Dur into surrounding towns, it is very difficult um just because of the amount of variability. So, just so everyone understands, you know, the determination for hybrid is anywhere from between 25 and 75% of days uh in person. Um, which is a huge range. So, we have some districts or some towns
063where, you know, the students were in 74% of the time, but they're considered hybrid and others where they're in 26% of the time. Um, and also, you know, Graten happened to have almost 80% of its students hybrid. Other towns were were very different in that break in that breakdown. Um, so it is difficult kind of to compare apples to apples. Um, we certainly can do an apples to orange comparison if you guys want to see that. Happy to do that. Um, but you know, I I'll be honest, like Susan and I really did look at this data and try to find a good comparison to be able to show you guys, one that we felt was was truly accurate and something we could really compare ourselves to. And we we didn't find that. Um, we
064we looked at every, you know, town in our dur and tried to find something we felt was going to be accurate. Um, but we certainly can have that discussion and and compare some apples and oranges if you guys want. >> Well, and I think what we need to do is meet with the district data team too to see what questions derive from there to see if we can't, you know, dig a little deeper. >> Right. And I'd really be interested to hear from the principles. >> Yeah, >> they always have the best insight. >> They do. They really do. >> Thank you. All right. Um, so I want to make sure that I have not Thank you, Jay and Rita for your patience with me. Um, I don't see anyone else asking for questions. So,
065if we can move on to the assistant superintendence report presented by the superintendent. >> Well, actually, I'm going to ask Peter Bass to to do a little talking. I think he's come to us and he um you know has been intimately involved in really looking at our the middle school schedule and working on it and making it you know tighter and a little easier to navigate for our students and our teachers. And through that we had some adjustments to make with the magnet dosage um curriculums with our unified arts between them kind of finally coming due to to start this work um the art the music the PE the health um so he's going to share with with us. Um are you there? >> I'm here. My my question to uh to you Susan to
066the board chair is this the most appropriate time for me to speak because I see that on the agenda uh this comes up in some form of fashion two more times uh once under committee reports uh subsection B and then once under action action items section 8 number five >> I think if you could just do the general overview now and then Dr. Acriman may have some information to add further in the meeting and then it'll be time for the board to vote. >> Yeah. My um my plan for this future was I know how thorough you are. So my plan for my report report on the committee section is uh I already heard that. >> Okay. Fair enough Dr. A. That's great. Well, good evening everyone. Um so as as Susan mentioned um there
067were some things that we needed to tighten up. You know as we uh prepared for Graten Middle School we did not envision um we did not predict that we had a pandemic. So we had the building of a new school bringing two faculties together um and and then the pandemic. So the when we went out in March, um our our uh our ability to get together and and work through some of these um curricular issues as we um developed a new schedule uh really went out the window. So um as as we entered the school year just over a year ago, uh there were some things that were unforeseen to us with regard to the schedule and actually how some of the rooms worked. And um as I'm sure that the the Mr. Gordono and
068and Mr. Wheeler can attest, it's really not quite the same until you actually step into the building and see what you have. Uh so there were some some things that um we had to put in place in the short term last year with regard to some electives and and some were based upon things that we did both at Westside and at Cutler as magnet electives which really fell within that SEAB block or that wildcap block and built upon those. Um, others had to do with with um expanding upon units that were in PE, for example, uh, but then really we we need to expand them out to a more of an elective course that was not going was going to stand alone uh from the PE classes. So, uh, we realized that, um, in an
069ideal situation, this is not how we want to do business. So, we had a little bit of catching up to do over the summer. We had many teachers get together and work on uh physical education. We we had three electives that we worked upon. Uh they were strength and balance for the seventh grade. Uh fitness in the eighth grade and we need to update our dance elective which we had at Cutler but we need to update it from a quarter to a semester. We also we also had in um implemented some study study skills classes uh which have to do with our my um and they were the ATL skills class for grade six call the chaos in grade seven strive for success in grade 8. Um similarly in music we had electives which expanded
070from things that we were doing within music classes or with uh magnet electives and they were world drumming grades seven and eight, guitar grade seven and eight and music technology also grades seven and eight. Then we had uh the STEM and uh computer science. we needed to um expand upon our curriculum that we had for multimedia one and since we had multimedia one uh offered once it created a lot of interest amongst our students we wanted to continue that area so we developed multimedia 2 and wrote that curriculum as well. Finally uh we updated the art curriculum um to to be to to show that it's based upon national standards. So we we brought that up up to snuff. So a lot of work went into that. And I want to thank the teachers uh
071and Dr. Piaza, Kathy Wilson in particular for um for their collaboration and leadership in this area. >> Any questions from the board? >> How exciting. Like what cool electives that we're offering our middle school students. That's really cool. >> Thank you. >> If there's Oh, Jay, I'm sorry. >> Um, since we didn't uh get any details on this in the packet. Um I I I just want to uh understand this is mainly changing the length of the courses you had mentioned like from uh from a quarter to a semester. Um are are any of these brand new electives? Yes, we actually have um we have what when I say brand new we we did start ATL skills last year that was brand new um really helping students learn the skills they need to effectively learn.
072Uh calm the chaos was something that we had as uh an elective at Cutler previously uh but we'd expanded it now to be a semester course. Um similarly, strive for success was a new one last year as well. Uh another my course for grade 8. The others um for example the in physical education J we had strength and balance the these and fitness those two were based upon units that had been previously approved within the PE curricula. However, we now have gone beyond just units within uh the length of the PE curriculum and have have made them true electives, standalone electives. Dance we updated from a quarter to a semester. Um drumming was something that was taught within music and is now a true PE elective, sorry, music elective. Uh the same is true for
073guitar and for music technology. So those were also uh units of study within the music curriculum but now we've we've made them standalones. uh multimedia 1 and two uh multimedia one um actually started uh previous to graten middle but needed to be updated and and we needed to to come up with the next step for multimedia one which is multimedia 2 art that was completely just a an update and revision from what we had previously. >> Okay. So the for the new courses the curriculum committee has already reviewed all this. >> Yes. the curriculum committee. Uh we met in July with the curriculum committee to to plan to share our our proposal which was approved by the curriculum committee and we came back uh early this month uh to share what we had and and
074get their feedback and make some adjustments. >> Okay. Thank you very much. >> You're welcome. >> That's all outlined in the curriculum minutes and the curriculum agendas. But if we come to a situation like this again, I'll just add those minutes to our board pack. That might be helpful. How about that? >> Yes. Thank you. >> Okay, >> Jay. Thank you for asking that question because it just led to a process um and cleaning up a process. So, thank you. >> Um if I'm not if I'm hearing Peter, thanks very much for your leadership and sharing the information with us. Andrea, um I'll just let you if you have any comments, you can make it during your curriculum. Um but as Peter um announced, we are going to be having a um a motion on
075that later on in our agenda. Um if we can move to Ken Knight, that would be Dandy. >> Hi everybody. Um you will see uh on attachment number one uh we are currently trending to be actually 17,144 uh over over our budget of 77,438090. There's three main uh components uh uh of that uh number. Uh we are currently trending over in uh in salaries. Uh and this is due to a combination of we increased a uh a speech pathologist position from a point6 to uh to a full uh and and you'll see why when I get down to purchase services. Uh and uh we also had to add a teacher to cover uh another teacher that's uh that's on leave for the year. Uh so that uh increased salaries. We do have an offset to
076that. Um uh there were retirements in both the maintenance and the technicians uh which will be replaced at a at a lower rate. Uh so overall uh we're currently trending with salaries being 17,000 over over our budget. Uh in benefits uh we are also we're all over budget there. Uh that's due to some um retirement uh severances that got paid out this year. There was one that was supposed to get paid out last year uh that uh that we didn't get all the paperwork for, so we paid it out this year. And then a a couple of par that um par ones that retired in the year. Uh that's offset by uh a projected um uh decrease in our unemployment uh expense that's uh decreased expected to go down uh especially from last year uh
077in all the activities that happened but we don't anticipate uh needing the uh the entire amount for this year. So overall for benefits uh we anticipate being over 27,961. uh in purchase services. Uh we actually uh feel we're going to be under budget uh because uh the aforementioned speech pathologists that uh we increased to a 1.0 is going to alleviate our need for a consultant uh that that came in and gave us those services at Mary Morrison. Uh now at the bigger schools uh the schedules align better so that we can uh bring that uh that that in house and not have a third party um uh helping us with that process. So, we anticipate being under budget by 28,000. Uh, the other lines um are are near or at budget. Um, and so overall
078um we're you know, like I said, we're currently trending to about 17,000 over budget. >> Any questions for Ken? hearing none. Oh, >> Liz, sorry, Liz. >> That's all right. Ken, do you see this to be a trend that's going to be continued or do you think with this will eventually shake out? >> Yeah, I I'm I'm hoping it it's early in the year. Uh there a lot of uh a lot of things to come that uh we don't know. um our our magnet and um special education placements. Uh those are big numbers and we haven't gotten anything in yet, so we don't know where we're going to land there. Um um we are also our health insurance uh reserve, which we'll talk about in a second. We're actually um still under where we thought
079we were going to be. So, uh there is some good news there. Uh so it it I I think from a salary perspective uh I think that's where we're going to end up somewhere in that range. Very close to what we budgeted. Uh and um uh it'll depend on some of these other things to see see where it might end up but it's it's going to be a close year. >> Okay. Thank you, Ken. >> So Ken, if you want to talk about the insurance. >> Yeah. So, uh, we got the health insurance, um, claims report for July, uh, and it's still showing where we're trending to just where we were at the end of, uh, last year. I don't know if you recall, but we're around 85 to 87% under, uh, under budget and
080for July, this is attachment number two. Um, we're we're still trending in that same uh way. We we had anticipated that um uh that some of the uh postponed um procedures and visits uh that they they may start to come in, but um that hasn't materialized yet. Um I still anticipate that uh August and September uh might be uh higher than what we, you know, budgeted, but uh we have that in the health insurance reserve. We're prepared for it. Uh, and so if this continues, that that's good news, of course, but uh um um it's it it isn't trending quite the way we anticipated. It's a little bit better, which which is which is good. >> Any questions about the insurance report? Jay, >> I I was looking at at the same period last year
081and obviously that was at about 45% of budget. So we did save a significant amount. Um and so I guess August is going to be really indicative of how much of that uh we lose ground on. But also uh a few years ago we we did a package for early retirement. I'm just wondering if you could remind me um whether or not everyone that was covered under that is now out of out of the plan. >> Yeah, we did that. Um I believe they're still in the plan. I think they they're going to be there through the end of this year. This this was uh due to the um uh the middle school consolid not due to it, but the middle school consolidation. We we offered um um a plan so that um encourage retirements,
082which which we did get. Um, and so I believe they're with us through the end of this year. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Any other questions? >> I had a quick one for Ken. Um, Ken, we also had um did the early retirements when Pleasant Valley closed. Those those teachers are no longer >> That's right. Yeah, that I believe that was that was a two-year um agreement that we made with those teachers and Yeah. that we closed that in 2017. So yeah, they're they're they're out now. >> They're done. >> Yeah. So they'll be on on to TRB. >> And about how many teachers um took the early retirement when the when the middle schools were combined? >> You're testing my memory a little. I I think it I think it was somewhere in the
083in the 20 range. Uh maybe 18, somewhere in that range. >> Okay. >> I I I don't know exact. I'm sorry. Right. >> That's okay. Thank you. There's no other questions. I'm going to move us on to Sam. I think you're still muted, guy. There you go. A delayed unmuting. So, um, our new elementary schools are, uh, we're working on punch lists over there. So, the contractors are working on punch list items at those schools. Uh, there are still some items at some of the older schools that are still being moved over to classrooms, uh, things like that. and we are uh waiting for the final okay on items that may either be purchased through the project if there's money left in the project or we would bring uh some of those other items over
084from the older schools. So, uh that those things are still to come. Our our crew is now working on we just started working on Mary Morrison School to get that prepared for I see uh Austin Russell on here. Uh the robotics uh guys are here uh and they they can't wait to get into Mary Morrison. So our crew is finally getting started over there to start working on that building to get it ready for robotics to move into and for us to uh store uh the furnishings from that building in other areas that they're not going to be using. uh so that uh in the event that we needed the building again, we'd have that equipment and uh supplies and furniture uh within the building. Uh and uh we the last item that uh we're
085working on right now is the uh we we had a trailer for a school-based health center that was over at Mary Morrison previously. Uh we moved it to Charles Barnum, but uh it was a little short of expectations. So, um, we, uh, we ordered a larger trailer, uh, so that they can conduct business appropriately in that trailer. That got delivered. Uh, we had it installed, uh, last week. Our our guys are working on electrical and getting the fire alarm system all updated in that now, presently, uh, electricity and so on. And so, uh, hopefully by the end of the week, we'll have that ready for ECAT to move into that building. Wow. that I think uh we're just doing our normal thing. >> Yeah, like Sam, thank you. >> A few of the many things
086he does. >> Yeah. Thank you for your leadership around that. Liz, >> Sam, I'm sorry, but uh you do food service, right? >> Yes. >> Okay. There's a rumor going around at the beach that the concession stand is going to open on like on a Friday night or a Saturday or something. And I keep telling people, "No, that's not I've not heard anything. So, can you validate this for me, please?" >> I I can look into it, but it's a rumor as far as I know. >> Okay, good. Because I was like, "No, I haven't heard this." No, I would have heard this. And it's like, yeah, they're going to open it up like especially when school like the month of September, you know, like just on Friday night. I think people really really still
087want it open like for ice cream and coffee and stuff like that. >> Yeah. Well, I'm I'm a great believer that uh uh summer now is not over until uh Columbus Day. So, uh I think I wore a summer jacket today. So, uh, I would be in favor of that because I'd be down there on Friday nights and I'd probably see the chairman of the board, uh, there for a hot dog as well. But, um, >> I'd be there for ice cream. >> I I think it's more, but I I I'll verify that for you. >> Thank you very much. >> If there's no other questions for Sam, and once again, Sam, we just the board really appreciates your leadership specifically around the transportation and the difficulty. And I've heard from multiple sources how important
088was to have your um have have you be so involved with the STA and how comforting that was um for the bus drivers and for the company and for the district. So thank you so much for your leadership and then also just trying to do all those things um that you do. Um you must be exhausted. So thank you very much for your efforts. >> Thank you. We got we have a lot of good people that we work with. So makes it easy. >> Good. Thank you. Um, our next part is um our committee reports. Um, and so policy lead >> uh we we we met in um I'm sorry my cat is walking up and down. Um we met um a little late because of the school opening up. Um we have two second
089readings that we will have under old business and we will meet again in early October. >> Lee, thank you very much. curriculum. Andrea, we had a review of the middle school electives that were in place because of a concern that arose that there were courses that were being implemented, but we hadn't seen those at all. But Peter has given us, Mr. Bass has given us a really thorough explanation of them. And one of the the the concerns that my concern was allayed was that many of these new courses were really units of study that were already in place and they just were expanded into a pardon me into I'm losing my voice a full elective and everything else you've um you've heard and the next meeting that um Mr. or Dr. Fiaza and I have
090I have planned is going to be looking at processes that are in place. We're just going to look at how things are happening in terms of curriculum writing and and putting it in place. And also we wanted to uh to look at the Latino black uh studies elective that the state has mandated because it is in place but as I understand it it's in flux whatever that means. So, we want to take just take a look at what's what. And that's that for curricular. >> Thank you, Andrea. >> You're welcome, >> Jay. >> Yes. Uh, finance and facilities met on September 7th. Um, Ken presented the budget timeline for all the activities that his office and the schools uh will be following uh to bring a budget to the superintendent and then ultimately to the
091board in in February. Um, uh, Sam discussed, uh, details of HVAC upgrades at Charles Barnum, uh, which is now our oldest school at 56 years, and, uh, also, um, some upgrades at Fitch High School that, uh, he's planning on working with some CIPs. Um he uh gave us an update on the new schools, including the the feverish work they did just the weekend before it opened uh to get the before they opened. Um Susan announced um that at the last minute we are going to be getting some alliance district funding. I believe she did mention that too in in her notes. Uh of 200,000. Um and Clint Kennedy, our new director of IT, is working on uh a plan for uh technology upgrades and software. Um he also gave us a report about other district
092technology needs um including uh the sustainability of the one-toone uh program uh which obviously was very helpful in our district because we were able to pivot to uh the remote and in hybrid learning by having that in place. Uh but obviously those only last for so long. So he's looking into the uh the sustainability of that. And then uh lastly um as we do at every meeting we discussed uh the situation um with staffing and rooting for uh the buses and STA. >> Thank you Jay. Any questions for finance and facilities? >> Hearing none. I'm going to move on. Um the next one on our list is negotiations and at present the negotiating team is working with um the Gotten uh teachers association and we're in the midst of that negotiation period and um at
093the end of our meeting we will be voting on the good works um of the contract of the custodians and the and the um secretarial um and so that will be at the end. So, good work negotiation team. Uh, Rita, I'm going to have you go on >> to learn. Yes. Um, at the board meeting the other couple weeks ago, um, Dr. Ryan Donlin, who's the associate executive director, reported on their opening of their schools. Um, they they did mention more, you know, parents are driving their children to schools, so they're having localized traffic issues, especially in New London. um at the multicultural magnet school. Um learn is um he also reported about the new evaluations for teachers that are being rolled out with the state and the new guidelines for educator evaluations. The 2017
094flexibilities for the 2021 2022 year school year which I believe learn will assist districts in. Learn also received um a contract for the state of Connecticut for their tech schools to have training for on effective instruction for English language learners and um the the executive order from the governor um we're all we have to collect all vaccination cards and they are developing an app that they would share with districts in order to process that and have that all in one place rather than having these cards and turning them back in. So, um that would be very good to check out. And I believe the other thing that I thought was very interesting um was that they're they're going to be developing like a new design for learn. They're going to have like they want a
095new logo. So, they're asking input. um they just feel that the open book with the birds flying is not appropriate anymore and they're trying to um do it so it's more regionally connected. I I think the schools are are doing great and um things are moving forward with the addition the second floor renovations to Ocean Avenue Learning Center um for our students um of special needs. So for the 18 to 21 year olds. So that is being expanded. >> That I think that's about it. But I Oh, I did hear and at at our meeting that Graten um may be asking for assistance from learn with powers school. Is that true Susan? >> Yes. >> Just right now um one of our staff members has taken another job. So in the interim we are looking
096to our partners at learn to help us fill the gap. And I know that the the woman who is there, she has reported on she is so excited. She is such an expert. >> Yes, she is. >> Yeah. So, I think that would be very beneficial. >> Right. I was really pleased that she was able to do this and learn was able to put this together for us in the meantime. >> And it's not just Grten. I think it's a couple of other districts also, especially the smaller ones that don't have the staff. >> So, learn is is really um very valuable in our area. >> They certainly are. Yeah, especially with professional learning for all of us. >> Yes. Thank you. >> Um, town council RTM board of ed Lee is on. >> I
097think that's me. >> Is it not? >> Yes. >> Okay. Well, I think it was Phil and me and Kathy and that was it. >> Okay. There's a lot of meetings that are on that first Wednesday of the month and maybe the leazison needs to kind of take a look at that. Um and I will approach um the RTM um and town council about that. Um the AGSA, GA and Bored is on. We have not met yet. I think that that's due in October would be my guess. >> I don't have the date in front of me, but I know that it's coming up. Okay. >> I'll find out. Grten scholarship Lee >> Grten will um as I said last week last time we needed they will not be meeting again um probably until November
098or December or maybe January. So >> thank you Lee. Athletic fields >> uh yes athletic fields me met last Thursday. I believe it was the first time since April. And the major uh discussion that night was about the possible configuration of fields at the uh former Claude Chester Elementary. Um they uh presented several proposals. It was interesting to note that they have not begun the process of pricing out uh the overall fields um plan uh because they they don't know how Gladchester will fit into it. Um so I had a a discussion with Susan. I think we really need to look at, you know, what we're going to do with our immediate needs at the high school and and um because it looks like this is going to be a multi-year process and and we
099have needs we have identified for many years in the past. >> That's about all we got from >> that's the fieldhouse. Is that correct? >> And the public restrooms. >> The public restroom. I I I guess I meant um those sort of as a package deal. I know they're not, but um and my understanding is that they've moved forward as a CIP. Is that correct? >> I know that we had discussions with John Bert around CIPs and the need to look at that fieldhouse and those sites. They also the town has ESSER funds um you know or American Rescue Plan funds. So really looking at this in kind of partnership with them and I think that um they have a process um I need him to kind of clearly identify what that process is on
100you know taking in CIPs and requests that could possibly um be in alignment with their American Rescue Plan. >> Kim Liz >> um is this Susan? What about the um the plan? Is there a plan in place to replace the the football field? I mean, I remember hearing about that a couple of months back, but I don't uh can you just refresh my memory, either you or Jay, about the using get the football field upgraded as well as the track. >> There anything on the >> Jake? Do you do you know about what they're thinking the field committee about the football field? Well, again, um I really don't know how much that the athletic director or the high school administration have weighed in on this, but they were considering at one point flipping the football
101field in a different direction. Um and um >> so I know they have a lot of they have a lot of big plans, but I think we've been asking for about 10 years to recrown that field. So again, I wouldn't put a lot of >> uh weight in in anything being done quickly with this fields committee um uh because of the fact that we're now in the second year and we don't even have it priced out um unless something happens really really fast. So um I think you know that's something we need to look at as well. Um question also come up about the the lights at the middle school field. Um, and where that's at, uh, it seems as though the town council has consensus, but I don't think it's taken a vote to,
102uh, actually, uh, assign those funds, and we want to make sure that's done before the projects are closed out. >> Thank you. >> Um, state council for educational opportunities for military children. Andrea. >> Yeah, it was an active month for us. There was training on the um se September 14th and it was really just reviewing exactly what the con the military compact does and uh just rules and regulations, but it was a really good refresher. And there's going to be a an annual meeting that for the first time is going to be virtual. So we can we can all attend that virtually and be on November 4th. They're still looking for families to make videos about how the compact has has helped and but that's kind of in obeyance because of the the conditions of
103you know the the the virus. So that that's ongoing. It's it's still in flux. Uh but there there were two things that were interesting to me I thought were really uh pertinent to us. And one of one of them is that they're they're looking at uh ways that the the compact could or or where it does not involve National Guard. So that's still being looked at. But the big one is that there's this um it's an excerpt from public act 21-86 regarding enrollment in of a military child in school. And this is what people in Washington think is going to work all across the country in all all districts. So, let's say that we're either a military family, um, well, it would have to be a military family coming into the area and they register
104their child in Grten, but then they say, "Oh, I really like that house in PDO." So, I think we'll buy the house in Po, but this law says that we still have to honor the registration and graten no cost to the f to the family. So they're relooking at that. I mean, do you have any idea how local governments or school boards work? It's just in the ether and that's that >> for us that's something for us to kind of keep in in mind as you know if that is true. Um >> it is. >> Okay. All right. My goodness. >> Good luck to you. >> Thanks. Um, so I'm going to be moving us on to the um next part of our agenda, which is action items. And I'm just going to orient um
105us uh to uh several things. Um and then also ask for um uh a motion to move a couple of things in the agenda. But the first is I just want us to pay attention to the action items and that there's going to be amendment because our last meeting um we stated that the sec the first reading did not um did not move through and it actually did by votes and so this is actually going to be the second meeting for our conduct. So I just wanted to um to have you guys u to to know about that. Um and then when we move on to um new business, I'm asking that number three, four, and five um be our first um first three instead of our mid um because I know that we have
106many people here um who have come to speak to it and um just in deference of their time um to kind of move those um pieces up first instead of keeping them in the midpack. Um, and that's the part that I need to actually have twothirds um, approval on. Um, once again, it's just moving um, three agenda items first. Lee, I take it that you are approving of that. Um, are most people approving of that? Do I have anyone objecting to that? >> Shouldn't we? It's Is this in the form of a motion? >> I don't think we have to have an a motion. Dean, >> should we arrange the agenda? Typically, we do, but >> Sure. So, okay. That that'd be great. >> I mean, I'm not a parliamentarian, but um done either way,
107but we've been caught sometimes. >> You know what, Dean? I much rather be cautious than sorry. So, um I would like to entertain a motion that we move agenda items in the new business three, four, and five to the first place. One, two, and three. Um can I have a second? I've got Lee's hands. >> Second. >> Any dis Thank you. I've got that seconded from Lee. I did the first motion. Thank you, Rosemary. I appreciate that. Um, any discussion about this. All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Opposed? >> Abstain. This motion has carried. And Dean, thank you very much for keeping us honest. Um, the second, um, going back to the action items, um, which is the consent agenda. And so, Dean, maybe you can walk me through this. Um,
108so should I just break this down, folks? Um, instead of just doing two, I'm going to do Okay. So, um, the first is an amendment. Can I start off with an amendment or do I need to do for a motion? >> Well, the first thing you'll need to do is you'll need to have a motion to approve the minutes followed by the proposed amendment. >> Okay. Thank you, Dean. >> So, so, so motion, second, and then somebody will move that it be amended. That'll be seconded. We vote on the amendment, then we vote on the on the all the approval. >> Okay, Dean. Thank you. walk me through this. Um, so I um I I would like to have um I'm going to do a motion to approve the August 23rd, 2021 meeting minutes. Can
109I have a second? I've got Liz. Do I have a discussion? Oh, I move that we amend the August 23rd, 2021 minutes uh as reflected in the uh uh in in the agenda specifically with respect to the that the motion that we we've that we the motion to approve the first reading of policy P5145.52 uh was in fact approved. >> All right. So now I >> He said, >> "So do I do I ask for a second on that?" >> Yeah, you need a second. >> I have a second. Rita, is there any discussion? What's gonna This was just something that occurred um the day after we realized that there was actually enough votes to pass the first reading to a second reading. It's all that. >> And now we're voting on the amendment only.
110So now we're going to vote on the amendment only. For all those in favor of the amendment that's on the floor, which is to amend the m meeting minutes to reflect the actual passing of the policy, please say I. >> I. >> Oppose. Abstain. That motion has carried. >> I think I have to abstain because I was not at that meeting. >> Okay. So we have one abstension. That's Rosemary. But the motion has passed. So, are we done? >> No, we're not done yet. Now, what we have is the amended motion on the table. >> Now, there could be discussion on the amended motion. >> Okay. So, I'm I'm going to propose a motion for the um the amended motion that's on the table. Can I have a second, please? >> Oh, we've already had
111we already have a second. >> Okay. >> So, yeah, what we've done is we we've got the >> So, now we backtrack >> the motion to approve. That's been amended. So, what we have on the table now is the amended motion to approve our minutes from August 23rd. >> What he said. >> Can I have a second to that, please? >> You don't need a second. >> Take it anyway. >> All right. >> Yeah. >> Great. So, now we just Now we just vote. >> We could discuss or vote. Yeah. >> Any discussion? All those in favor of the of the amended motion that's on the table, please say I. >> I. >> Oppose. Abstain motion. >> Abain again. >> Thank you, Rosemary. And one abstension from Rosemary. Um, the board of ed would also
112just like to say thank you to Chelsea Graten Foundation that made a $100 donation on behalf of >> Tia >> Taya Patel to Graten Middle uh Middle School to be used for student supplies. All right. Old business. Um, Liz, can you please read the motion for old >> number one number one to approve policy P4118.24 conduct as a second reading? >> Can I have a second to that, please? >> Lee, >> any discussion? Susan, can you talk us through this? >> Well, we did go back to the board. There was some language in there. Um, and so we went back to the policy committee and I think there were a few edits that we revised and made. There was a particular word, Andrea, do you remember your word that you weren't real keen on? So,
113we we were able to tweak that to make it better. Do you remember? >> It was the word cherish. >> Cherish. >> That was Lee. >> Cherish is the word. >> Yeah. Not me. That was not me. That was Lee. Okay. All right. And so we did revise that and um but everything else was um kind of status quo quo in the first reading and this particular policy um really is about the conduct related to staff while the 5000 is related to um students. And that word appeared in both of the um readings and was changed. >> Taken out. >> Yeah. Um I'm going to I'm probably going to abstain. I will tell you why. Uh >> don't you usually tell us why when it comes to that when when >> Well, all right. I
114mean, I can I can tell you why. I'm going to vote against it or I'm going to vote for it. I mean, it's it's one of the three options. >> Uh, so these are always very well-intentioned. I I expect these will pass and I think we'll see how they play out. But I will I will give you a heads up as to what my what my concerns are. It's not always possible to nail down offenses you want to identify specifically. This happens all over the place. We want to encourage some conduct, discourage other conduct, and we we we wrestle with defining terms. Um, so I don't fault people for, you know, for attempting, and sometimes you can never really get to a a precise uh universally workable term. But the the question I have is
115um that the harass the term harassment is defined but then when it comes time to investigate or to make a determination uh harassment is defined by or seen through what lens? The person who says they've been harassed by the superintendent by the investigator. What's the standard? That that's one of my concerns. Uh, also I'll be honest, a lot of things are brought up these days and are thrown into one big one big salad bowl and uh, it's hard to tell sometimes how people arrive at the definition of something has offended me. Lots of things people find offensive that aren't truly offensive, but hey, that's just me. So, is it going to be in the eye of the beholder? Is it going to be an objective standard? Uh, etc. Uh the other thing that I have
116to say is again I don't think this is intentional but under the under both cases I'll I'll shut up on the second one so you know where I'm going with both of these. when it comes time for the uh for the procedure for the R. Um it says if the offensive behavior is repeated following a request to the harasser that it ceased, the employee shall or student shall have the option of pursuing either an informal complaint procedure that designed to educate the harasser and to eliminate the problem. Otherwise, we go to a formal complaint. Maybe I'm being hyper technical, but that to me presumes that in fact harassment's taken place to educate the harasser. So, I'm not really happy with that terminology. I'm not I'm completely in favor of two people hashing it out. Hey,
117you know, you said something and it bothers me. It offends me. Let me tell you why. But the language of educated to to ed designed to educate the harasser says just presumes it's been there's actually been harassment instead of somebody's idea that there has been harassment. Um the next paragraph talks about you know should the informal investigation uh fail uh then we move to uh uh then we move again to to a formal again presumes harassment and then on the on the last page. If the complainant is dissatisfied with the result of the investigation, if the complainant is, so it presumes that there's an investigation that said, you know what, uh, something offensive might have happened if it doesn't rise the level of harassment under this policy. So, if the complainant is dissatisfied, there there's
118an appeal to the superintendent. Well, what if the investigation finds in fact that there has been harassment and the person who was the alleged harasser says, "No, wait a minute. I'm standing my ground. This is definitely not harassment. I'd like to appeal that isn't addressed anywhere in here. So, uh, but like I said, we'll see how this plays out. I'm talking about potentially hypotheticals that never come into being. Um, so we'll see. I'd like to think that everybody involved in the district is reasonable and, you know, it's like like uh Potter Stewart about pornography. You know, how do you define it? I'll know it when I see it. Uh, so sorry to use that example, but it's from the Supreme Court. Uh so those those are my that's why I'm I'm a little uncomfortable. They
119seem to be over broad uh both of both of the policies but you know we shall see. So right now I'm I'm staining. I will also say this on the student side then I'll shut up. Uh this publication and posting shall inform students that unlawful harassment will not be tolerated in the district. I gave it to my daughter. This this is the the 5,000 one. I gave it to my daughter. >> So can we to the 4,000 please? and then you can talk about it. >> Oh, I'm I'm I'm trying to do you all a favor so that I I won't talk about that one, but I'll save it for the 5,000 if you like. >> So, that's my bit. >> I don't know if this is appropriate, but can I ask Dean if uh
120if the word alleged was in there behind harasser? Would that satisfy your your >> Well, uh in what in what location? I mean, I'm satisfied that the document refers to the harasser as the alleged harasser. All I'm saying is the way that it's you're talking about where I where I said it's it seems like it's presumed. >> Yes. So, if you if the word alleged were in there, would that satisfy your your >> uh concern? >> Yeah. No, it doesn't. Designed to educate the alleged harasser. In other words, >> oh, it does say alleged. >> No, it doesn't. It doesn't say that. Now, >> this is designed to educate the harasser. If you put the alleged in there, there's still a presumption in that entire phrase that harassment actually happened. >> Okay? >> You know,
121again, I I think it could be rephrased. I don't have ready language. It could be rephrased to to encourage that the two parties actually try to work it out themselves. But when you say designed to educate the harasser, it basically presumes that there has been harassment and the harasser needs to be educated as to what they did wrong. But in fact, it might be the other way around, >> right? >> Might maybe nothing went wrong and the person misunderstood. So con, you know, conversation, yes, uh, educating the harasser, even educating the the alleged harasser still has sort of a one-way thing going for it. >> Thank you, Dean. >> Sure, >> Lee. And then Rita, >> I just would I just would like to say that not only does much of this come from CABE,
122which has a lot of really good people who are lawyers and this is what they deal with. In addition, if necessary, we too have a couple of very good lawyers and they've seen this cave came up with most of it. So if they think it's okay, maybe it's okay. That's all. Thank you, Lee. Rita, >> um my question is that often times um when if the person is dissatisfied with whatever the superintendent has decided, it then comes up to the board of education. And I don't see that in this policy at all. Is this something different? >> The person can sue. That's what the parent or the kid or whatever can always sue. >> No, this is all >> That's not what I'm That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about there have been
123times when for disciplinary reasons or whatever the superintendent, you know, it comes, they wanted to come in front of the board and then the board has heard the case and then they decide. That's why the board can never get involved in in disciplinary cases um and hear anything about it until you know it's presented in front of them. So I was just curious this is all about the superintendent deciding but nothing about going beyond that. I I was just curious why Cave left out the board and can they appeal? Can Can this harasser, whoever, this per alleged harasser, can they appeal to the board of education? >> Not really. I I don't I don't have the answer to that. Um >> maybe that's a question for Floyd. >> It could be. That's why we have
124a lawyer. >> Yeah. >> If is this a question that we need to have I mean answered. So that we should table this one and the second one >> for next month and see if we can get information. I know Lee you can shake your hand but I much >> sorry I'm sorry we >> well you know though there have been many times where the board over the years has sat and people they you know both parties have come and and we've had to make a decision and in this case we're not involved in it in this at all and I was just curious why not I mean, it it's fine, but I I just don't want them to leave anything out that if a person is accused of something and if it's all put
125on the superintendent to make this decision and if they're not happy with the investigation, that's when it often used to come to the board. >> That's actually when it comes to their own lawyer. >> Well, they have lawyers at the board. They they have their lawyers come though I I am going to um address sort of what Beth has said. I wonder if there's a difference between harassment and grievance um and whether harassment stays with um the superintendent and the grievance kind of goes up through the board. That kind of makes sense to me. >> That's a good question. >> That makes sense to me too. But Andrea, >> I asked that very question at at one of the board or one of the policy meetings and uh Lori when I asked it, Lori Le
126Pine said then it goes to the board. So I I agree with Rita that perhaps that should be in here. It's it's Kim. >> Why don't I make a recommendation or that we table these two items? I second that. >> Sure you do. >> Do we have a um is there any need for discussion on that for just tableing it until we get to um until we get those questions answered? >> We actually see Floyd this week. >> Yes, we do. So, um so all those in favor >> um tableabling uh agenda item one and two, which is the second meeting for policy of harassment. We might as well get it right, guys. Um, all those in favor, please say uh >> I oppose. >> Abstain. That motion has carried. Right. Thank you guys. I
127much rather have us get it right. Um and so the first um the new first agenda item um is the motion number three and Rita I'm wondering if you would be willing to read the motion for me. >> Yes. This is well this is my favorite part of the meeting just to read this to approve the afterchool hiking programs field trip request to the White Mountains New Hampshire scheduled for May 25th 2022 through May 28th 2022. >> Can I can I please have a second? >> I I see Lee and then can we have a discussion? And Susan, I did see that Beth was there. Beth was here. He's been here I think the whole meeting. >> I know because he just >> and this is really a wonderful program as you know that he
128he works with kids every week after school to do mini hikes and team building and this is kind of the culmination trip. Seth, did you want to say something? >> Uh I can if you'd like. I don't know if anybody has any questions. I'm not really changing a whole lot for this year other than I just have to wait out and see how CO plays, but I wanted to get it um approved to start um and then modify as needed from there. So, we did a little bit last year at the very end of the year. We did a couple of local things um in the late spring and we canled everything the year before. So, it's been a while since we've done something. >> Seth, what age group? >> This is fourth and fifth
129grade. >> Okay. So 8 to 8 to 10 or about that range. I haven't started yet this year because I was waiting to go through this process first. Usually I start um earlier and then wait for this approval, but I was just waiting this year. >> He brings additional teachers on to do the hike and also some of his past hikers who are high school seniors. >> We haven't we actually haven't done that in a while. >> Oh, you haven't? No, those those those kids are all in college. So, >> never mind. >> No, >> maybe some middle school. >> Yes, there's probably some there and there's some at the high school as well. >> Yeah, it's a wonderful program and I hope it goes through this year. >> So, what what are prep looks
130like look look like? Wow, it's easy for me to say. Not really. And then I also want to recognize Dean as well. So, um I I haven't changed too many things. We'll do a couple of things to start. I've got um Bluff Point on the schedule in late October. Um that's on a half day and we finish just before it gets dark. Uh I usually check something in on one of the Blue Blaze trails in December when it's either got pretty cold or pretty snowy and then we don't do anything again until um until um the the later in the spring when the snow clears. I do typically camp in November, but I was meeting with Susan about that. Um, I just want to make sure that even though it's cold, we're outside and it's
131spending the night and I want to make sure we do that appropriately this year. We do it appropriately every year anyway, but this year with COVID is just a different situation. So, I want to make sure that um we follow all the rules and everything that we're supposed to do. Of course, anybody that's going on this field trip, it's extra above and beyond the school day so parents would know what they're what they're sending their children to. Anyway, um and that's where we go. And then we do a bunch of team building because I don't like to take kids away until they're pretty familiar with how we operate and how um how I operate. And what Susan said, I have a kindergarten teacher um that is going with us this year and I have a
132paraprofessional that's going as well. >> Dean, >> yeah, I just wanted to comment along with Rita. I I believe this is a a wonderful opportunity especially for people who may not have uh otherwise been able to kids have not have been able to go up there on their own. Uh it's been some years since I've been up there. My brother goes far more often now. I'm the one that gave him the bug uh about going into the White Mountains. Um and hopefully some of the kids will see it as well. There's really no no substitute for going up there and hiking. Uh where do you have any plans specifically where you want to go? >> So we picked Lonesome Lake. Um it's um it's probably one of the closer trips that we've taken before. It's
133about a two-mile walk up to the cabin. Um and then we have multiple options from there to either summit a couple of different mountains, hike down to a waterfall, um walk along a stream. We've got plenty of things that we can do. So there's multiple options. And um to plant the bug in people's eye, I typically get pictures of kids that are well beyond the program that I'll get either a text or an email with pictures of them somewhere on some mountain just sending the picture saying, "Look, we look where we've been." So it carries on after a while. >> Maybe they'll learn some French. A lot of people from Quebec there. >> There are mostly. >> Any other discussion? >> No. I just wanted to say when Seth started this at Fitch Middle School
134when you were a math teacher >> many years ago, um, >> not that many. >> Yeah. I believe your father and your sister were the first people that went with you. >> Uh, we had a we had staff members that went as well. I've had everything from AIDS. I've had both of my sisters have attended. My father did go at one point. Um, but he got old and decided that children weren't his thing anymore. So, um, that moved on. I've had I can't tell you how many people, um, have helped out. Many at the middle school, um, and many Yeah, Mark Russell. There you go. He's gone before. I see his his note there. So, it it's rotated through a lot of different people. >> Yeah, it's wonderful. Thank you so much for doing it
135year after year. I I'm I'm assuming that if we gave you the approval and we figured out that CO is not doing what it needs to do, which is to back down, that you would come back to the board to talk about that. >> Yeah, we'll I I'll be in touch with Susan so she knows what we're doing all along the way. So, if we need to revisit, we would. >> Thank you very much. >> Any other questions? For those who are listening, it sounds like we're going by this really quickly. Seth has um this is something that I mean I think we were sad because we haven't had it um the past year, but that um I'm just going to echo sort of what Rita and Dean has said that this is something that
136is just so exciting that we offer our our students um for a life with a potential of a life um lifelong passion um for hiking. So Seth, thank you very much for your journey on that. >> Thank you. If there is no um other discussion, I would like the um to approve um the motion is to approve the afterchool hiking program field trip request to the White Mountains um New Hampshire scheduled for May 25th, 2022 through May 28th, 2022. Can I have a second? Um all those in favor? >> I. >> That's better. I >> oppose abstain. Motion has carried. Thank you, Seth. >> Thank you. >> Excellent. >> Jay, can I have you read um number four motion, please? >> Certainly. I move to approve the robotics team's field trip request to Bellerine College
137Preparatory in San Jose, California, scheduled from October 29th, 2021 to November 1st, 2021. >> Can I have a second? >> A second. Can I >> Thank you, Rosemary. And can we have a discussion? >> Susan, I don't know if you want to start this off. Well, um it came to my attention just recently, so I know it's we usually try to prepare the board and give them a little more time and I think the robotics um coordinators are here. I had asked Ted and he said that they would be able to share and give us more information. >> Yeah, >> I'm just looking to see. >> Yeah, and I I certainly will will let uh the robotics team uh coordinators uh speak to this. Uh, I think Austin and Robert and I think I see
138Martin is here as well. Um, but uh I think that uh first off um when COVID kind of started, one of the first things that was actually cancelled at at Fitch High School was a robotic strip and and uh you know the the uh the option for these students. I mean I know everybody knows what a great program this is and and how hard these kids work. um you know the uh the students really live for these competitions and and I think that um this was a kind of short notice because the robotics team had short notice. So I want to make sure they that everybody understands they they do understand that this is kind of uh short notice for the board um and that that we're looking at a a you know a flight
139and so on and so forth. So you know the board has to decide if that's that's going to be uh reasonable to them. Uh I looked over the co restrictions or co uh mitigation strategies for the um uh for this competition. They're more stringent than our school uh uh uh needs. Uh they have vaccination requirements and so on. Um and uh this will give the opportunity for our students to compete uh again um and and give the students the opportunity. I think that the team has paid the registration fee with the understanding that they can lose it and they they understand that that can happen uh if the board is not in favor of this. But um I think that again looking over all the information that they've given uh which I think we shared
140with the board uh in regard to the mitigation strategies the requirements that everyone needs to follow for this particular uh and the fact that it is a smaller trip um would give our students the opportunity to to compete again uh and and display what is absolutely an awesome machine that these these uh students and their and their coordinators have put together um and an awesome program that they they have. Um, so, uh, I I certainly will allow the board to ask questions. I am not going to answer them because I I want the robotics team to be able to answer them. Um, but, uh, they can give you kind of an idea of what's involved as well. So, >> could we hear from the coaches, please? >> Sure. Yeah. Uh, so like Ted said, this
141we know it's it's very short notice. Um, >> yeah, >> unfortunately the event was announced not that long ago due to CO they weren't sure if they were going to be able to hold it, so they announced it a little bit last minute. Um, and then we wanted to check with the parents of the students who would potentially be going first, make sure that they would be comfortable with their students attending. So, we were just able to get all that done and those parents are on board. um are happy with the COVID precautions being taken by our team and the event that we're attending. Um we'd be looking to take a pretty small crew of students out there just to, you know, keep things easy to manage and all that. Be looking at five to
142seven students. Uh five is really the bare minimum that we can compete with. So we'd be taking definitely five, possibly one or two more um to support. We'd be traveling with uh let me double check here around six parents and mentors. Um so we'd have plenty of plenty of eyes on the kids while we're out there. Um it's a very prestigious event. It's the probably the most competitive event uh within our program. U it is the best of the best you have to be invited to attend. They had around 115 teams apply. Um, and we were one of the 40 or so that were invited to attend. So, a pretty big deal for us to have been invited out there. >> I think the kids have built a a very very impressive robot this year.
143Um, and are very excited to hopefully be able to compete with it at some point in the future here. There are not a lot of other competitions around. Um there was one over the summer in Massachusetts that we attended. It was a one-day event. Um and much much smaller than a typical event is. Um and there is one event scheduled in Old Lime later this year. Those are the only other events that we have on the radar right now. Uh so attending this event is really one of the last chances that uh some of our kids might have not knowing what CO's going to be like in come the spring when our normal competition season is. This may be the last chance for our seniors to to compete. We would be taking the five students
144that we have spoken to already about it are all seniors um have all been on the team for three or four years are quite frankly very very deserving of the opportunity to go out there. They really are bunch of great kids. So, [Music] >> um I I went on the website for the school and I've been looking and you know I I can't find that on their schedule this competition you know they have for October. Um but I was reading about their team. They they sound like they're worldrenown. >> They have uh this the the team that's hosting it has won multiple world championships um >> the world. So competing with them along with a few others from that area. Um >> right. They're going I mean they've been to China. I mean >> Oh
145yeah, they do a lot. >> It's um so I I mean it's against our board policy. So I think it's like our policy says something about we have to know six months in advance or something like that. I don't know. So we'd have to amend that to approve to approve this event. But um I I totally understand and and I'm sure it'd be a wonderful event and wonderful experience for the seniors. >> Can I ask a couple of questions? >> Yep. So, um, can you can you once again tell me why this is such a last minute um because it just it >> the event was announced at the end of August. >> It is announced at the end of August. So, we we spent the last couple of weeks sitting down with the parents
146to see if they would be comfortable with their students going, like I said, and then trying to figure out what the logistics would look like for us. Um, and then I think it was a week or so ago that we were able to submit the paperwork to to Ted. Uh yeah, Am I muted? >> No, you're fine, Martin. I can hear you. Um yeah, uh definitely we the we found out the event was being scheduled end of August like like uh Robert said, um our our main goal was to make sure that before we addressed it um to the to the BOE and to to TED is that uh we weren't going to be asking for something that we didn't have permission from the parents uh first to do. Um, and we broke it down
147into, you know, what are the essence, what are the essentials we need, and we spoke to the parents in two different sessions. So, that kind of kind of ate up some of our time. Um, I guess in hindsight, we could say that we we probably should have submitted it right off the get-go, but we didn't know what we going to have, if we were going to even be able to field a team or anything like that. Um, so, uh, I do recall I think I think the the field crest field trip request says two months. So, we're coming in at at a month out from the event. Uh, and as as Robert said, they they didn't announce it. Uh, California was still trying to figure out what they were going to be able to do
148um with their policies out there. So, that's kind of the urgency that we got from it. Um, as Robert and Austin pointed out, this is probably well, this is first of all the most prestigious event that that exists. Um, to be selected to be able to to attend is is is quite an honor to begin with and had we known sooner, we we probably would have we would have submitted sooner. Uh, this is typically a summer event. Uh, so it happens in the off season. Um, I have one more question. >> Question. >> Yeah, Rita, can I go to Liz um for first? Thank you. >> Um, Kim, you know, Rita pointed out that we're supposed to have a certain um time according to our policy. what do we have to do in order to
149you know to um adjust that in this like for this type of case what do we what what's the process so I'm going to ask my though he doesn't think he's an apitarian but he really is my apollitarian dean and antipas but I think what I would s I would think is that by us putting it to motion we are we are stating the fact that we are that we have um moved that we've moved the requirements um given the the time the time frame. Um so I mean like I that's that's my assumption is that that's what we would do is that if we we move forward on this motion which was to approve the trip by essence we are we are implying that we are um negating the policy of the of the
150one month. So, should we put in the if we make >> I can't hear you. Um, Liz is Liz is speaking, but Dean, you're muted. Liz, continue. >> I'm sorry. I just lost it. Sorry. Senior moment. Never mind. >> Dean, >> my first question is where where's the policy? So, I can look at it. The second question is I have no experience on the board with attempting to suspend policy. >> Is there a policy with respect to suspending policy? >> You know, so if we vote to suspend policy or to alter policy, uh are we committing an illegal or avoidable act? Um but I'd first like to find out what the policy is before I I I wind myself around that. >> Okay. >> I'm actually don't know if if it's a policy. I think
151it has to go to the superintendent first. And when did And Susan, when did it go to you? >> Um, I would say this past week because we just added it to the agenda. I know that Joyce reached out to you. >> Yep. >> Um, >> I remember, Kim, >> Liz, >> I remember. Could we then make a have the motion say that for like just say as in just this instance like that we could adjust policy instead of you know adjusting the policy overall but saying you know due to the circumstances we want to adapt or change the policy so that we're not having to go and rewrite our policy. Do you understand what I'm saying? I I don't even know what the policy is to be quite honestly. I don't >> and I
152don't even know if it was policy or in the regulations that we specified all that detail with you know out of country. >> It is in a policy >> there is a policy. >> Yes. >> Okay. Thanks Lee. aware. >> Um I couldn't I I was looking before I couldn't find it. But I remember when it was put in place and it actually had to do um with the business department at at Fitch coming to us the last minute and wanting to go to a competition and that's when we decided we needed a policy. So >> yeah, but I there's always an exception to every rule. Dean, >> if there's no board adopted policy, if this is something we're calling a policy, but it's not actually in our policy, this is just something that we,
153you know, we preferred happen in the future, but we never formally adopted as a policy and it's not in the law otherwise. >> We do have a policy and a regulation that specifies coming to the board. I'm looking for >> core field trips and it has parameters around it, you know, when it has to come. A lot of a lot of the field trips if they're local, they just come to the principal and then the superintendent, but the ones that are out of state, out of country, um have time parameters around them. >> Great. Jim, I just saw a note in in the chat that uh it's policy 6153 >> regulation 6153. >> Thank you, Andrea. >> Ills approval process. >> I I I'm going to weigh in. Um just for I I'm really struggling
154with the optics um given the fact that we're in the middle of a pandemic. Um and um are we setting I mean we just approved a a field trip with a with a knowledge knowing that in May um if if the COVID procedures or the COVID um continues to sort of be to to be up um like it's going to be suspended. Um, and I understand that this is not in your control and I'm really having a hard time with I I get it for our seniors who have worked so hard not to have these competitions and to be invited to this is amazing. Um, for me I struggle with the optics about what that looks like. >> I'm saying do it. I mean there are regulations. Sounds reckless. I know. Are we really going
155to say no because of this when we're the robotic school? >> I had uh So, Dean, I'm not at all stating. Um >> Okay. No, no, no. I know you're not. I'm just saying. >> Right. >> That that's where I'm I'm I'm I'm headed. >> Okay. Andrea, >> in terms of optics, it seems to me that this is really in the the area of parental um parental permission. You know, if if parents don't want their children to go, then they just say no. But if this is something that they're really encouraging their their children to do, I think we ought to move in that direction. Where are the funds for the trip coming from? I mean, the problem is is that we haven't even seen it like any of that like um stuff >> that
156uh will come out of our operating budget. We are an established 501c3 nonprofit. We run mostly off of donations from corporations and local businesses. Uh there will be some out of cost uh out of pocket costs for each student who attends, but most of the all of the costs to get our robot out there and back. Um and all of that will be covered and the registration fee are covered by our operating budget. and you strict science with math and all that stuff. >> Rosemary, I think half of what you said came through. Can you repeat yourself, please? >> And you guys will follow strict science um in regards to masks and vaccinations and things like that. We can we hold you to that? >> Of course. uh they are required um not only by
157us in a team policy that we have um but also by you know the state of California and required by the event that we're going to. >> Yeah. Everybody there will be vaccinated to to get in the doors. You have to be vaccinated >> and masks are required at all times. >> All the students and mentors we're taking will be vaccinated. Yes. Masks at all times. There's no food or drink indoors at the event. And even water. Can't drink water if you're inside. You have to go outside. Um, >> okay. >> All that, >> can I just read from the policy? Um, it does state that all, um, proposed trips that involve travel outside the state or include an overnight stay require the approval of the superintendent, but then in parentheses, it says two months
158advanced notice. But it doesn't seem like we were provided two months notice from the competition. So it did go through that process except for the time frame. >> Okay, Jay. So, I'll defer to Dean on the legality of this, but it seems as though the deadline is follows on the uh the reasoning in the previous paragraph that requests should be submitted early enough before the planned trip to allow for thorough review of the itinerary and supporting accommodations. So, that's sort of the legislative history of of setting that deadline. So, if the superintendent can do her due diligence in less time, I wonder if that two months is just more of a suggestion um for the administrative burden. >> Well, and I think it goes back to Rita's initial thought was that in the past we
159were brought these things without enough time. So, um, especially to the board in relation to out of country trips >> and and this trip did not even exist two months ago. So, it was impossible to have met that deadline. >> Well, there's an even stiffer uh under D, all proposed trips that result in students missing two or more days of school. Is if that's going to be the case, then we need eight months of notice. the board does, >> right? >> Yeah. >> There's no way of twisting that one, >> right? >> Yeah. But that's not they're they're leaving on the October 29th and that's the that's a weekend. That's Friday. So, they're they're not going to miss two days. >> Yeah. What does the calendar look like? >> They they will list that they'll
160miss uh Friday and then the uh Monday they'll be back in school on Tuesday. >> Okay. So, you don't need our approval. You just need the supers approval. two months maybe we can you know >> yeah again I I I do want to also reiterate two things I mean number one obviously we we say that the the trip simply we did not have the the information about the trip and um I've been meeting regularly with the robotics team and they are keeping me up to date and um as soon as they gave this to us we got to the superintendent but we all understood the fact that uh it was a quick turnaround and uh and we knew that would be part of the discussion we get that um the other piece is is that
161um we've have reviewed um the COVID protocols for the robotics team. They've reviewed those with me uh regularly. Um they've gone through and made sure they've asked questions about what's going on in the schools. And in regard to this trip, um they I I hope that you have the supporting documentation where they talk about the CO protocols. Kim, where you're talking about the optics, I completely get it. Um, I think that, uh, you know, again, we want to make sure that we are keeping our students as safe as possible. Um, when I looked at the CO protocols, they are well above and beyond anything that we have in our schools. Um and uh in regard to masking, in regard to the people that are actually allowed in the event, um in regard to the the
162actual itinerary that the kids are going to be going from where their hotel is to this event essentially in a bubble the entire time that they are there, uh is the way it was described to me. I think that the event and the actual uh competitive space is is like a mile or so from each other or something like that if I remember correctly. Um, so it's, you know, they they are being very very careful with everything they said in terms of what the the um the the competitors are allowed to do and who they're allowed to be interacting with. Um, obviously we know that that that that you know, anything could happen when when students are, you know, either here or there. Um, but uh I think that the proper safety precautions were involved.
163I wouldn't even have brought to the board if I didn't have confidence in that. Um, in addition, I I do want to say that I have the utmost confidence in the robotics team and the mitigation strategies that they've done uh in their uh um in their own work. Um, so they they have done check-ins, checkouts. Uh, you know, they have they know exactly who's in the building at all times um for any kind of contact tracing. They've been super careful with their masks. Susan and I were able to visit them uh last year and we were very impressed with the work that they were doing with regard to that and handwashing and and use of equipment and things of that nature. So, uh I have utmost confidence in that. I know that the discussion of
164the board, you know, is I I understand the policy completely and and uh and I I completely get that piece of it. Um, but uh, you know, I think it was just important to bring this forward because it was an opportunity for the kids and um, you know, if it's something that they really have lost out on, this was an opportunity for for them to get a little of that back. Um, so that's that's all I got to say. >> Thank you, Andrea. Kim, you know what a beast I am about setting precedent and I don't want it to look like I only want I'm only worried about that when it's something that I don't like. But I I don't want that to happen here. So my question is can we I don't know maybe
165this is redeem. Can we make a motion or can we move that um that this this field trip can take place under the provision that we reexamine policy? >> I don't think so. I was trying to see what what our power is to make and unmake policy once we've made policy. Um so as you were as you were speaking I was just reading it to see uh shall form adoption operation from schools policies adopted amended revised only after reading consideration no fewer than two meetings of the board of education. So we can't we can't change policy uh on a whim. I see what you're saying. >> I I'm saying that just under the provision that we examine it, not that we do it. And I know we've we've adjusted policy. >> Yeah. No, I don't
166I think I think that's being in terms of the policy formal procedure. I think that's being cute. Uh I like Jay's interpretation. >> Yeah. I like I like Jane Jay's interpretation better. He's following the spirit >> of the uh of the regulation, the spirit of the policy, which is, you know, why do we have the vetting period? We have the vetting period to vet. if we're satisfied, I I would argue with him, if we're satisfied that we've vetted this um and we're comfortable with it, and ultimately, yeah, the parents are the ones who say yay or nay with respect to their kid going to California. Um >> so, so the question is, Susan, has this been vetted enough for you? >> Yes, I I feel pretty confident the fact that they're all they're mostly seniors.
167There's five, the parents and the um robotics, you know, team mentors are going um and it really is just the two days out of state and that they're going to be really um diligent about the masking and making sure kids are safe. Um even the age of the kids could determine that, you know, many of these folks are already fully vaccinated. So >> I'm going to recognize Jay and then Rita. >> So along the lines of vetting, part of our policy also is insurance and that's to make sure that the proper trip insurance is in place and liability. I I don't want to put Ken on the spot, but you know, uh do we have the proper insurance in place or or do they need to pick up some additional trip insurance? You're gonna need
168to unmute, Ken. >> Yep. Sorry. Um, yeah, we'd have to look into that. Um, >> I I don't know the answer off. Sorry, Jay. No, I knew I was putting you on the spot, but it it part of the um part of the policy is parents are responsible for trip cancellation, but uh school sponsor trips may involve significant risk uh and the district may require purchase of additional insurance. I can I can look into that. Do you have anything follow up on that, Jay? No, >> I'm just trying to think. I mean, I guess we could make it uh subject two, >> Rita. Um, is this the robot that was built last January that you know you get the kits in the winter? So, was this the robot that was built previously? >> Correct. >>
169Yes. >> Well, sort of sort of correct. It was built over this following year. It was not >> Yeah. Was it was it 2020 robot? We built the robot specifically this year for the virtual competitions that were were happening. Uh we came a whole new game design or a robot design and uh yes new robot to this to the 2020 >> 2021 season. >> Yes, January 2021. And the other thing is when when we've had um requests like this before, they usually will give the breakdown the hotel where the the children st are staying, the flights, you know, like a little bit of information and also the funding where it's coming from. We there's a form that needs to be filled out by the robotics team that shows all that and then it's also submitted
170to the superintendent to the board. >> We filled out the field trip form and submitted that to >> Yeah, we just we just didn't get that. >> Gotcha. We also did include an additional document that goes very in depth into >> Yeah. And usually that would have been helpful for us to have had >> then we wouldn't have had so many questions. That's usually is the protocol is that we receive that document. It's in our packet and it's reviewed ahead of time, but um I'm willing to make an exception and approve this. So, I'd like to move on and take a vote. >> So, we have um we we have um direction. >> Oh, Andrea has a question. I mean, if there are no further questions. Oh, I thought I was seconding it. >> Oh.
171Oh, okay. >> It's already on the table, though. >> Yeah, it's already on the table. Um and um I'm hearing the the the potential of an amendment in terms of subject to making sure that the correct trip insurance has been activated. Um Jay, am I hearing you correctly? >> Yes. Um maybe we could say um uh to amend the motion to satisfy the insurance requirements of our policy. are can I just add something because Peter had written a comment because he's done the international field trips in the past and he's thinking that speaking to parents um who are purchasing additional insurance in case for instance COVID hits and you can't travel internationally or you know to other states. So, um, I just wanted to put that on the table that is this advising that or
172that we have additional insurance just in case the trip doesn't go forward. >> I'm going to recognize Dean and then I am sorry. I don't know if it's Martin who is your last name or Martin is your first name. So, I apologize. Um, first >> I'm sorry, what? >> It's my first name. I just didn't know if your full name is Martin Robotics Coach. Um, so I just was trying to get that all set. Dean, >> yeah, the insurance that's required, I'm trying to find I saw it here in the uh, you know, in the in the procedure part of it. The insurance that our policy requires is not related to the trip. It's required to cover exposure uh potential exposure of the adults that are going along, teachers and other staff that may be
173going along. So if something happens and there's a suit that the district is covered, our employees are are covered. That's the insurance that we we require >> uh under the policy. I'm trying to trying to think of where where it was. It it's mentioned in the policy itself. It says uh since school sponsored trips may involve significant risk of financial loss to the district and students district may require purchase of additional insurance but the the type of insurance is specified saw uh it's specified in the uh in the procedure um in the R6153 where the heck is it? If uh if that's the case, um um I will say that um uh our employees would be covered uh under our general liability even on a trip as well as under workers comp. So I I
174think we're covered for our employees and then the students would be covered under our student accident um policy. So if we >> Yeah, we may have it in place already. I think we >> and I would just wonder about um the you know mentors Oh, non-emp employees. >> Martin, I'm gonna invite you to the process. >> Okay. Uh, yeah, that was my quick question is on the on the insurance is um with the travel, that's typically what what we get. Um, so we're covering our travel expenses uh with our insurance when we buy that tickets and whatnot. Um, as for um, uh, town employees or school employees, uh, I I would be the only, uh, I'm the co as as the the coach. I'd be the only school employee, I guess, going. And, um, I
175don't know if it makes a difference, but, I don't really interact with any students other than at the robotic shop. So, it's not like a teacher, but I I still understand, uh, that that aspect of it. And um thirdly, as as it covers the the mentors, um this would not be I don't see how this would be any different than any other event in respects to the mentors. Mentors volunteer their time and they are typically assuming all their own risks uh in their own insurance. I don't know for a fact whether or not the the school covers uh the mentors when they're volunteering at any event or even in the shop for that matter. Um but from the from the insurance perspective, those are the three things that I was hearing. Uh trip insurance, which
176we typically would get that um and I'm sure we can provide that proof if need be. Um for staff members, only one uh BOE staff member would be attending. that would be myself and mentors are are as I said usually assuming the risks uh on their own. Uh the only other person I I should say we have two uh parents looking to go um to support the chaperoning uh one being a a female so that we always have a a female adult there whenever we have a female student and our anticipation is to have a female student and um the other one is is is a parent of of of one of the students attending. >> Thank you Dean. Yeah. Uh I did find it finally. Uh it it is in our in the R
1776153. It only seems to appear under international trip. It says the board, this is number 12. Uh um the board of education shall secure liability insurance pursuing to Connecticut General Statute section 10236 for the protection of teachers and other employees who act as chaperones on board of education approved field trips. We have it in as a requirement for international trips. >> That's what Peter was referring to. >> Yeah. The statute it seems weird that we would not have that as requirement for say a trip across the country. You know, um 103 10236 says uh the board of education uh may ensure against the liability imposed upon it by sections 10 to20 and 10 to35 and any insurance company organized in the state blah blah blah. Um, now I now I got to look go look
178up 220 and 235. But you know what? It may be that we already have this insurance in place. You know, it's just sort of there >> according to according to can we do. >> Okay. I mean, I I imagine it's the kind of insurance that we have in place when we go go down to New York City, take the kids to Lincoln Center or something like that. >> So, I I I want to be careful that we're not getting into the weeds. I mean this is um I I think in future I think it's going to be helpful that the board needs to be seeing this that is we have as much as the documents as possible so that some of these questions could have been answered. So um but I I feel like we've
179had some we have had most of the questions answered. What we have is is that this has moved um ahead ahead of what our policy is but the superintendent has sort of in a sense given her blessing for this trip. And so that is part of the part of the document. So I don't know, Dean, what I'm hearing you saying is that because there's a policy and there's just a certain time frame that we're not in, do we need to acknowledge the fact that we're moving against that policy? Um, or can we just go for the motion on on board, which is to approve the trip? >> I think we I think we I think I'm saying we we should I'm in favor of approving the trip not withstanding the you know, the time frame
180for vetting that we have in the policy. That's I think ultimately in in line with the spirit of the uh of the regulation uh the policy that we have. That said, >> if it does require something if we do have a concrete insurance requirement, >> we would we we would not dispose of that. We should be a we should have that insurance in place. And I'm thinking we probably already do. again. Ken, what happens when a when a we have a field trip to Boston or wherever >> and down the road, you know, >> and we have that and we have that. >> Yeah. So, I guess just make sure that that kind of a policy actually would cover a trip to California, for example. >> Okay. >> It doesn't have an exclusion. >> Other
181than that, I'm okay. So, I guess I guess uh yeah, I I would move that we uh that we amend the motion to condition the approval u on making sure we have whatever insurance is adequate for the trip. That way, our tails are covered. >> Taking that one now. >> Um I just have a quick question. I'm on like the web page for their um for their team at the at um Bellamir preparatory school and and it because keep saying due to COVID 19 for the foreseeable future team 254 will not be hosting any outreach events. So where what what website could you direct me to that talks about this competition in particular? one of the coaches, maybe you could tell me where to go because I'm on their site and I can't find it.
182So, I was just curious so I could read about it. >> Yeah, we're trying to get the exact link here. Um, yes, I it is chzychamps.com. Chz, >> right? That's Yeah, that's I know. Chzy Champs and it moved from another school to theirs and it was sponsored by NASA. I mean it's a wonderful it's it I just hope bringing five students when they have like this team of a hundred people I mean it might be overwhelming. So it's called Chzy Champs. >> Yeah they >> they put the it was put in the chat as well. >> Yeah. >> Okay. I'll try to find it >> and I I can >> it's in in the CAD Jesse CAD. Is that it? >> No. Um in the chat um in the in the Zoom someone put the
183link >> chat zoom VA you can get the website. >> Yeah I'm on the website. >> No it's in the chat >> there the website main one >> I'm reading it. It's just not open to the public. >> Right. That's what I'm saying. >> 40 teams have been invited but it will not be open to the public. >> Correct. >> I see. That's why it's not in here. >> Oh correct. Correct. >> And in regards to to outreach and and those things are different. Usually outreach event is something that is dealing directly with the public or with with a uh larger group that's not part of necessarily a school or >> for example we do outreaches where where we go to the um Graten Senior Center and uh help out with stuff there. We go
184to the public library. Those are things where the general public's open and that's why they're saying >> we're not really doing a lot of things like that ourselves and they're just not hosting them and that's what their site's saying is that they're not hosting any outreach events. >> Thank you for that clarification. >> All right. >> So Dean made a amendment and I seconded it. >> Okay. I found I found >> so we vote on that first. >> Okay. So, um all the so we don't have to have a discussion on the amendment since it's already been >> correct. >> Yeah, we kind of have. Yeah. >> Okay. So, all those in favor of the amendment that's on the floor and can someone please just state what the amendment is so we know what it
185is? >> Yeah. I'm I'm I'm asking that the that the motion to approve the the trip be it be be amended uh to include a qualification u that our approval be qualified or conditioned on there being the whatever legal requirement uh legally required insurance be in place that I don't mean it that I don't mean that verbatim but you're getting the flavor whatever insurance we need let's have it >> okay >> there's the amendment. >> Um, and so all those in favor of the amendment that's on the floor, please say I. >> I. >> Oppose. Abstain. The motion has carried. All those in favor of the motion that has been amended, which is to approve this robotic trip with making sure that all necessary insurance has been taken care of. All those in favor of
186that motion, please say I. >> I. I. >> Oppose. Abstain. That motion has carried. Wow. All right. And I've learned some pulmonary things as well. You guys, you know, on behalf >> before they leave, I'd like to say something to the team. It says on their website that this is going to be to battle determine the best in the west. So, we will obviously be the best in the east no matter what. Right. >> Thank you, >> good luck. and on behalf of um the board of education um good luck guys and I would love to have you guys come back and tell us about about the event. That would be really cool. Thank you. >> Yeah, we'll definitely get some kids back to >> most certainly. >> I appreciate that. >> With pictures with
187pictures. >> All right. And I'm I'm gonna move us on um to number five. Um and the motion is to approve the revised electives at Grten Middle School. Can I have a second on that? >> Second. >> All right. Is there any more discussion that we've had or any more questions that got had in the past 45 minutes? Hearing none. All those in favor of to approve the revives elected at brought middle school, please say I. >> I. Oppose. Abstain. That motion has carried. Um, it is 8:42. There's there's actually been a couple of things that are not correct on number one, which is the board of education meeting schedule. I know that we need to have it, but we only have policy down. It's meeting the first of the month, and we don't have
188the other committees. And I am just wondering if I if we could get this motion um tabled even if we have to have a special vote on it so that we can get it to the town um just so that we can have a little bit more conversation. Specifically also since we have a um referral item to talk about how many meetings we were going to have, it makes sense that we kind of combined the two. So I'm going to ask for it to be tabled. And all those in favor of the motion to table um agenda item number one, please say I. I >> I >> oppose abstain. That motion is carried and that has been tabled. >> Um Liz, I'm going to you today. Sorry about that. If you two, please >> to
189recognize October 2nd, 2021 as National Custodian Day and direct the superintendent of schools to send a letter of appreciation to the custodial staff. >> Can I have a second? That's me. >> All right, Andrea, is there any discussion on this? >> Just want to say absolutely extra thank you for to our custodial staff. They are hands involved about everything and we just really want to let them know how much we appreciate all their effort. >> Li Liz here here. Thank you. I >> I don't think anybody realize realizes how much part of the education the custodial staff is. >> Yes. Well, wait a minute. Some of us do as a nurse. Um, they are the utmost of importance to me and I thank you so much for everything you do. >> Thank you, Rosemary. If
190I have no more dis um discussion, all those in favor to um for the motion to recognize October se 2nd, 2021 as National Custodian Day and to direct the superintendent of schools to send a letter of appreciation to the custodial staff, please say I. >> I. >> Oppose, abstain. That motion has carried. We're now down to number six. Um we um had this discussion in September se um in September um but um through the good works of leadership um from Jay just to make sure that we have this on the books that this is what we um had come up with um this is the reason why we had this motion and this was also approved by our attorney. So, the motion that's on the floor is to approve a salary increase for the superintendent
191of schools for the contract term July 1st, 2021 to June 30th, 2022 as aligned with the central office staff salary increase. Can I have a second to that? >> I've got Andrea. Do we have discussion? >> We've already had this discussion. >> Thank you. >> I just wanted to make sure that puts out with anybody who's listening. We have had this discussion the discussion quite in depth. So um yes if anybody's interested. >> Yes we have. All right. Hearing no further discussion. Um all those in favor to approve a salary increase for the superintendent of schools for the contract term July 1st 2021 to June 30th 2022 is aligned with central office staff salary increase please say I. >> I. >> Oppose. Abstain. That motion has carried. Our number seven is going to have us
192um uh go into executive session so that we can hear from the negotiations. Um and so what I am offering to the to the to the team is if we can just close out the rest of the meeting um so that people can hear the rest of the stuff that we have to say and that we would close out um our our session with um coming out of executive session on number seven. That's fine. >> Well, are you talking about adjourning beforehand or adjourning after we come out of executive session? >> We have to adjourn after we come out of um the executive session. Okay. >> But to go through the rest of the rest of the stuff and so that people are not waiting for us to go in and out of executive session.
193>> That's cool. >> Okay. All right. So, letters of communication, Andrea. >> Okay. Um I have two things. The first one is that um Jason and Peter Farard's series uh Chapel Wee is is being aired on Epics now. Jason and Peter both graduated from Fitch High School and I had Peter I'm sorry I had Jason in in 8th grade. And the other thing is pitch pitches Martin Luther King scholar is Elvani Quiras and we're going to be having our virtual celebration of all scholars on Thursday October 21st and that will be streamed or I don't even I guess you go to our site and there's a link to it. So I'm hoping that people will participate in that. It's at six o'clock. >> Liz, >> um nothing. >> Not heard anything. >> Rita, >> um
194we had quite a few um communications from the public, which I really appreciate. And I believe um you answered um them, Kim, which is our protocol. And um I wanted to say I had the pleasure of going to the first day of school at the Mystic River Magnet School. And it was great to see the DJ who is the art teacher and the music playing balloons, the happy faces behind those little masses, smiling eyes, and the teachers. It was just wonderful. And I had a quick little tour of the school. It's beautiful. and I can't wait for the official tour that we'll have. So, and I'm sure themes River was exactly the same. They're beautiful schools. >> Thank you, Rita. >> I believe I received the same communications as everyone else with regard to uh
195busing. Um, and I did receive uh concern from a parent about the cancellation of the pep rally at the high school. Um but I understand that since then uh principal Keller has shared his reasoning behind that cancellation. Um also I received a uh a direct thank you from one of the bus drivers for Ernie Kosh meters uh and his teams um sending uh cookies over to the STA drivers last week. Um so that's one hardworking team to another. Uh and we appreciate them both. Thank you, Jay. Dean, >> uh, same communications and I've heard quite a lot from my daughter. So, um, Rosemary, >> uh, I've also had these similar communications and, um, I attended a gas meeting, um, as well as a sound community services, um, uh, board meeting. So, um, as well, you
196Rita, >> well, we received a a late email from um the superintendent um about how congratulations to the Graten School District on your FY2021 DODA MSAP grant award. So, I just wanted to mention it again. And Susan, could you just tell us about how much that is again? >> So, that is um under one million. I think it's about $750,000 for five years. That was the one that Shannon was describing to you all last meeting. >> Yes. >> And we're really super excited. We know we knew it was in the final states, but we got the official word and I forwarded to you and I got it like right before the meeting. So >> Oh, wonderful. >> Not everybody um hears the CO meetings, but they'll tune into this one. So, I wanted to thank
197you. It >> was wonderful. Congratulations. Well, congratulations. >> Yeah, >> I I wondered if I I I didn't hear anything about the blue ribbon school in this >> Oh, that's right, too. We didn't do that. >> I know. I didn't mention the blue ribbon. >> Yeah, >> that's another positive that came forth. >> So, our Mary Morrison was um notified last year that they were nominated to receive the blue ribbon. So, they had to go through an application process. So, Principal Miner and Adah Allen and the staff at Mary Morrison really it was like a professional development going through to identify you know how they were able to get excellence with regard to closing the achievement gap. So in that work and application, it came you know it was really from the um secretary of
198education who is our own Miguel Cardona and you know we we were notified through the performance office and because most of our students went to Thames River and many of our teachers and staff that we were able to keep the same coding of the school and then they river will be able to um be honored with the blue ribbon, but I might have to tie a blue ribbon on both schools, you know. Um, but very proud. This is the second school in our district in the past five years to receive a blue ribbon >> and they both really have high military populations which are very transient. >> So to be able to close the gap with people who are like my own life, eight schools in 12 years, you know, um is really really exceptional.
199So, um, very proud. >> Susan, could you just tell the public how difficult it is and how few schools each year become a blue ribbon school? I mean, it's >> there were only four in the state of Connecticut. >> Yeah. >> And um and this is kind of typical. Connecticut is a smaller state. >> Yeah. But you know um and and we got a listing of all the different schools and we'll be invited to Washington to meet the secretary um of education and you know I think there's all kinds of events that they host. So I'm looking forward and of course we'll be inviting um principal Miner to come with me. Ada Allen is now the assistant principal at Thains and so um she may be joining so we can invite a couple staff members
200>> and I would and I will be >> that would be that would be nice to have on our website so that um >> yes I can do that. I now have the official permission to put up the blue ribbon. >> Thank you very much for that. >> Liz, did you have anything more? I'm sorry, but you know, everybody's saying they're getting communications and I just I'm gonna ask Susan. I don't know if um or maybe I should send Clint a note. I'm not getting anything. And it's not that, you know, I mean that I get nothing. It's I just haven't gotten anything and I'm wondering, you know, why? >> Well, I usually send it to the board of ed. So, I'll double check with Clint to make sure you're on there. I know as
201Dr. I get the board of ed stuff. I got your stuff, but I mean any other parent communications or things? I'm not getting anything. And so, you know, I I I want people to know I'm here. >> Okay. >> So, maybe that >> So, maybe we need to have that um be checked out by the technology. Jay, >> yes, >> Liz. Um I did notice in some of the communications I received that not all board members received it. So, >> that's true. the public can pick and choose who they want to to write to. >> Okay. >> Um in fact, I received one today that was directly to me. Um because I did make a statement at the last meeting that that people that have concerns, you know, feel free. Um and so they did.
202Um so yeah, not everybody knows the shortcut to to to get uh >> the entire board um okay in one email address. So sometimes they pick and choose. So, um, and Liz, what you might get it after I respond because I tend to always respond to the whole board. Like I just That's >> right. All right. I just wanted to I just feel like I'm out of the loop. >> No, you're not out of the loop. Um, all right. So, I'm going to be moving. Rosemary, we heard from you. I think that that's all that's left for board members. Um, I I received the same. I was going to talk about blue ribbon. Um, and congratulations on the um, DODIA. Um, so um, I'm going to have us move on to future meeting dates before
203we go into um, our last um, agenda items. >> I don't see anything here for curriculum. >> There isn't anything on the list for curriculum. That is correct. >> Okay. >> Yeah, I missed that. Are we on the referral list? We are on We are on future meeting dates. The last page >> attachment number six. >> Thank you. >> Um Pet Dr. Piaz and I are going to meet on the 4th to um set set an agenda and select a date. >> Okay. So stay tuned. Y >> thank you. I'm sorry I stole your thunder with blue ribbon. I'm sorry. >> So, um the suggested um agenda items >> I have one for policy. I'd like to take a look at that policy that we laboring over tonight and see if we could um you
204know amend the language to obiate what we went through tonight. Yeah, I think also we would have been alleviated if we had all that information ahead of time. Um but um I will put I will put it on the agenda for policy um for them to review the field trip. >> Jay's hand is >> Jay. So, uh, not so much maybe an agenda item, but but Susan, could could you speak with Clint about putting the um the board of ed uh distribution email list on our page so that people can just write to everybody all at once. Just click and and everybody will get it. >> Sounds like a great idea. >> Then they can have the option how how they want to do it. >> It's even difficult to get to the board of
205eds page, I find. But maybe that's just me. You have to kind of go through a lot. We're under teachers and staff or something. >> It's very It's not so user friendly at times. Maybe that really needs to be >> Well, maybe he can take a look at that. >> Yeah. >> So, it's not like, you know, having a difficult time navigating it. >> It is. It is. >> All right. >> Yeah. I mean, he's already been here a month. Why hasn't he completely revamped the website? >> He's been very busy. >> All right. So, I am I'm going to move us forward. Um, and I'm going to entertain us going into executive session. Um, I would like >> motion. >> I'm making I'm making a motion for us to go into executive >> second.
206>> A point of order. >> Yeah. Can I just finish my motion? >> Yes. >> The law requires requires the the movement to specify the reason the basis for going into executive session. Can you can you let me finish my motion and I would be more than happy to do that. >> Oh, I'm sorry. I heard it seconded. So >> I and I didn't accept a second. >> Okay. >> Um so it the motion is um to go into executive session to um to uh ratification of the Graten School Custodian Maintenance Association contract period from July 1st, 2021 to June 30th, 2025. Um, and I would like to invite the superintendent, um, Susan Austin. And did Mr. Knight leave? >> He's here. >> I'm here. >> And I would like to invite, uh, Mr. Knight.
207Um, and so I am now the co-host. Is that correct, Mark? >> Yes, you are. >> Okay. And so you're going to put us into executive session. Is that correct? >> Yes. >> All right. And then it allows me to have us I can then get us out of this or we can just leave that meeting and >> each of you can just return. >> Okay. All right. And then you're going to be there waiting for us or Yes. >> Um no I think you have to let me know to come back. >> All right. All right. So, if you can move us into Have we Have we had a second to that emotion? >> Second. >> All those in favor that we're going to go into executive session for purposes of ratification, please say
208I. >> I. >> Oppose. All right. Abstain. Motion has passed. Mark, if you could do your magic, that would be great. >> Okay. >> Mark, can you record? >> I'm recording now. >> Okay. >> Go ahead. >> So, go ahead, Rita. Oh, there um in in negotiations with the Graten Schools, custodians and maintenance, we um part of that group are also the computer technicians and the secretaries have joined that association also. So their contract it's all together and it runs four years like you said June July 1st 2021 to June 30th 2025. Any other discussion? All right. All those in favor um to approve the ratification of the Graten Schools Custodian Maintenance Association contract for the period of July 1st, 2020 to June 30th, 2025. All those in favor, please say I. I. I. >>
209Oppose. Abstain. The motion has carried. I'll take a motion for adjournment. >> Motion to adjurnn. >> Second. >> Those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Opposed. Abstain. This motion has carried. >> Say good night, Gracie. >> Good night. >> I'll see you tomorrow. Y