001good evening everyone I'm going to get a started and call to order this special board meeting on Monday May 20th 2019 at 6:30 7:00 p.m. in room two ninety three E and s the clerk to call the roll mr. Cosby here mr. eisely yep miss Harris and dr. Moore here okay and we will now take time for public comments and I will ask you to please limit your comments and/or questions to the letters within the jurisdiction of the board of education and please limit them to three minutes hi I'm 28 North LA part in tonight's discussion regarding the yearbook if the conversation of or option of recruiting the yearbook comes up would you be able to share with those of us here tonight any cost savings that you've identified that will offset the cost of
002reprinting any reprinting so that the net impact of the incident or pictures however it's described is zero dollars to the taxpayer thank you with Clifford Osbourne hello my name is Iying silver I love to our block with Wesley wait you represent wrists up there it is yes I didn't start in here I apologize look when I was born 10:23 Gunderson Avenue will park obviously I'm not appreciated enough to know how you're going to lead this dialogue or where it's going to go but there are a couple of things I would say number one this is not a passive voice incident mistakes were made somebody made a mistake it's not that easy somebody did make a mistake if you determine that and it's identifiable if there is such a person as a faculty adviser perhaps they
003ought to be called on to come if there is no faculty advisor perhaps the superintendent needs to be called to McConnell in any case it is not the fault of the citizens of Oak Park that reprinting costs should be passed on through whatever budget message you determine general expenditures whatever it ain't our problem it's your problem in the earth walk enough to deal with it and I don't believe that the taxpayers of what Park should be penalized for the problem however it's defined thank you very much and there's my name is Anderson Kennedy and I'm a junior here at OPRS as well as a photographer for tabula for his most refer to it the yearbook I recently read an article this morning in the New York Times that opened my eyes a little bit whiter
004this article was titled I was recently talked about television was my it's written by a black reporter Doug Glanville and Glenn's bill depicts a similar situation to the current issue that we have sparked debate here in our school that's resulting our presence in this briefly on previously unscheduled coordinating that issue as Glenn Savill clip so eloquently is the ambiguity of the okay sign the circle game the gotcha hand or what has attempted to be claimed as a symbol of white power thus Lasky on this last claim gained momentum in February of 2017 on 4chan which is a messaging board similar to that of Reddit this began as a prank to provoke around a mean culture which is on widely not understood by other than extracted audience which is a younger generation full of self-deprecation and
005hilarity found to be obscene what began as a horrid attempt to humor was seen picked up and none other than actual waste premises who went ahead and took the symbols current trending and decided to make an attempt at headlines by claiming it for themselves this tactic works dependency as it was and still is a point of conversation of the news though the circle game or gotcha hand dates back as early at the 1980s the ambiguity the symbol lays in the interpretation of its fever while some cheese find defendants in it others view it as what it had previously been known as a game this tug Lanesville has view the ambivalence as a hand symbol racism finding its way to thrive when it's been able to hide itself between a veil of double meanings so though
006they certainly could be intent of malice and the gestures negative opening up the topic to the people rather than dressing individuals privately has allowed a Pandora's box effect of letting strangers decide the meaning of others actions the repaint a hefty fine landing about eighty thousand dollars in my opinion it isn't worth that at the outrage that was being attempted to stifle that has still yet come out regardless of the attempt to keep it from happening nevertheless the origin of these gestures and their inclusion in the yearbook is member of tabula was marker an outraged by the fact that I had no forewarning to the administration's decision of not distributing according to schedule not once did we the staff receive email or loud warning from our teachers we received the same email as everyone else detailing
007at the book that we had spent so many hours working on would not be handed out as hadn't previously decided I spent more hours than I can count on fingers and toes four times over editing checking and dropping images that would then be put into this talk yet I was told the same time as everyone else four days ago that my work that I've done on this wouldn't see the light of day until a public decision had been reached through the council as well as the administration there's been enough grief in this community recently and the delay in the release of the yearbook has had done is just so nothing to eat this doing with the choices that 14 students made during the time while I have been warning and attempting to prepare for my
008finals to end this year stronger than my current greats adapt has added more stress onto my plate and I ever been to handle and I can hope that the board reaches to a timely and friendly cohesive decision appeals to all parties involved thank you thank you lar hi my name is Lanie I'm a part of tabular photography staff this year I'm also a junior first off I'd like to be clear we worked extremely hard to edit out photographs I did not meet the Hopi era guidelines and this gesture was not one of those guidelines I present having to feel like we need to defend our actions we spent all year making these books they're 80,000 dollars total that we're and time spent into these specific books are being overlooked as a whole school fair mat
009that art book wasn't coming out the way it was so did we we think that spending all the money all over again for the book that we have physically we have physically in this school is outrageous there are many other ways of resolving the issues without having to pay that ridiculous amount of money for over 14 photos that's right from African American into special education if we decide to pay for those books do not do that on our teachers who may not have been tenured or who may be the blame for this issue they have nothing to do with this I think it's best if we give out the book as it is because it will help ridiculous reduce the waste of a year books that have already been made it will also make many
010people happy that they got their yearbook on time and that people can sign them in this we would be saving a lot of money that man also instead of recreating their yearbook so those who don't want the okay sign in this yearbook we can have them give them a refund which would cost less than remaking the whole book everyone who knows that this American sign language okay sign it's just a game called the circle game no student is taking this as serious because it shouldn't be taking serious it has also been in past year books and in fact I believe there were a similar number of okay sighs last year's yearbook the sir your burger this circle game isn't going to be stopping anytime soon especially since this game was created or these students were
011even born my name is AP hippo my daughter was part of the tabular photo staff this year my wife and I prepared this statement I'd like to leave with our thanks from an admiration from professionals who supported this yearbook staff and particularly miss white has been an inspiration to my daughter in our family we should all strive to be the epitome of kindness and grace as she displays in addition I think the yearbook staff deserves our praise if we are properly striving to be inclusive and not marginalized members of our community we should also sympathize with those who work tirelessly to cover the events of the school they have worked to represent the many individuals and groups that make our para high school a an inclusive and diverse community the administration should recognize and praise
012their efforts the tagless students and faculty and staff have become a support system to each other over the years long hours weekends and hard deadlines the administration should be sensitive to the fact that a lot more than two weeks ago this group spent an entire idyllic day together celebrating the completion of their extraordinary efforts a day later a pillar of support to this group and the designer of the cover passed away in a sudden tragedy we extend our profound condolences to his family this community rallied around his family and as of this afternoon made 248 gifts to a GoFundMe page 80 cents gifts to a meal trained page the tabular staff is sold over 131 sweatshirts design mahan to raise over 25-hundred dollars for his family in short our community is trying to rally rally
013around this renewed family and this year became a powerful memory too now the communication from OPR F regarding this matter does not address any of these factors the singing standard of desiring inclusiveness was not applied to this email as was applied to the underlying pictures in question it mean entire community got marginalized and excluded the administration and board has the ability to decide the matter can and that is their prerogative however it could be communicated in a way to acknowledge the hard work of the staff the memory of their colleague and the real deep importance of this particular year work by either intentionally or unintentionally choosing not to fail to respect a part of this community leadership that attempts to be inclusive does not get the opportunity to select certain situations to lead it needs
014to lead in all instances the pursuit of inclusiveness requires extreme care and its application is not in and of itself an excuse for failing to be inclusive thank you hi you sober Turner block to Wesley sorry for jumping the line there don't like saving first I wanted to thank all the people that actually been on the staff that came up here and talked to you know it's a very difficult form but I just want to say that I have the utmost respect for the tabula teachers mr. Gant and all the people that participated in that and that some that needs to be taken in consideration again yeah myself be have four kids and I know that circle game has been going on for like twenty years I've been punched in my shoulder by my children
015themselves when they were doing it so we need to take a little bit of a step back and perspective on it but again you have a tough decision I think though you guys can look at it and try not to get excited about it I know you guys are working very hard about it to try to step back from all the voices that are in the papers and everywhere else and just come up with a simple solution that doesn't cost a lot of money and let's move forward from this thank you that's all that signed up is there anyone that did not sign up for public comment yes that would like to make it okay hi my name is common human I live at 350 kale Avenue and member for it so you know my
016two children that grow here when is the senior and there's a lot going on at this school I don't lot so I commend you and thank you for your work I commend the tabula thank you for your work I think when I look at this situation and I mean I sent an email and I made some calls into the school today and I said you know what what are we we're having a public hearing but what I don't know what we're looking at is a parent I don't I don't know what to tell my kids they they know what the certain game is they know the whole thing because everyone has explained we don't need to go into that but I said to my kids I don't know I don't know what is happening I
017don't know I get the emails but I don't know I don't see the pictures I don't have any details I don't know how we got here who reported it who saw this who then gathered to say this is what this is and it all of a sudden is now this front or story that sometimes with an article that has labeled these high schoolers something that may not have actually occurred it is in the papers so when I said this my response I got was we respect the privacy of the students it's over they don't have privacy now so I told my kids I want to go to the meeting tonight I want to see who is there and what and I don't know that we're going to get the answers but what was the procedure
018what got us here who determines what who brought this to someone's attention why wasn't there policies in place before you printed almost 2,000 bucks why does the senior class now become a part of this because of what is assumed with very little facts or if the facts are there I don't have them my kids don't have them but we're waiting but what are we waiting for whose decision those kids are not guilty they are not innocent then found guilty they are guilty the strike tidings for me that that is a travesty for whatever reason and I'm not going on one side or the other because I don't have the facts I don't have them but as far as I'm concerned and what my kids have seen is we don't have fast but yeah we've got
019bill Pisa and that's a shame and the longer you keep the book from going out the longer it makes it look a little bit different so with the facts the facts do not come out I cannot believe what the school has done to those kids and really can't thank you ever the outcome thank you we don't have anyone else signed up for public comment but if there's those that would like to make it please come forward hi my name is Stacy Saunders and I have a graduating senior and I actually didn't read the email that you sent I heard from him or busy working parents so some of the stuff comes as a surprise so part of being late not setting up sooner but it's important enough that we carve out times for important moments
020in our kids lives but also this community so I'm here to say if you saw the movie mr. mom from the 80s when he drives the wrong way in the circle and the kids think of dads are doing it wrong I'm here to say I think ol PRF is doing it wrong and what I'm talking about is the yearbook but not the yearbook really it's about race relations it's about leadership it's about communication it's about strategy and vision we're not doing it right we're behaving tactically as a school in a community we're not behaving strategically and so this is one example of several this year at least and I'm sure there were some last year we can also reach back in time to when the the filming of the documentary was welcomed into the school
021and how people handle that and in any case think of it this way we're concerned about the fact that ninety types have appropriated the okay symbol right and kids unknowingly to that we're doing the circle game and it was cool it was hip and they don't think it's cool and hip and it's completely innocent and so it's wrapped up and perhaps some pictures in the yearbook and suddenly there's concerns there are some incident the Cubs game come please go suddenly it's people's minds but are we reactionary or we just sheep being led to slaughter or do we leave I think it'll pair off we're leaders I think we're not only leaders for our community on behalf of our children and the nation we are actually well positioned you all right now don't realize if you're
022in a moment in time where you could be leaders to actually take back the conversation nationally in a really positive way and here's what I mean by that imagine if instead of saying oh my gosh we're fearful we suspect you know there could be these hate symbols which are not widely known and widely accepted symbols of hate okay it's ubiquitous you could say we're putting out a statement saying you know what we recognize there's been concern about you know some folks trying to procreate this symbol but we're going to take it back because we're out there and we realize diversity is not about the things you have to stop saying and the things you have to stop doing diversity about all the things you can start saying and start doing and start learning and start
023opening your minds to we're different we're better and we're gonna lead the nation in that conversation and we might welcome our youth groups especially our minority groups to take back that symbol get selfies what am i Facebook get them all out there take it back because next thing you know what those Nazi types they're gonna procreate the smiley face emoji they're going to appropriate the Sunrise symbol why don't you we let them do that we're still early on in this kind of thing you know teenagers fans common though right they had innocent fun and according to my son and his friends and cousins from other towns it out to be cool to do this okay simple and by the way okay I'm sorry I wanted to stop you it won't be your last coming so
024please oh well what I wanted to say was that the word okay has potentially many origins but there's a lot of people who believe that it's from the West African language meaning it's alright indeed thank you let's take it back thank you so I'll give you guys it just first of all I think I want to say it's my first time in a while at a public charity opra or any of the local things but I do talk about my name is Todd Hansen and first I want to say to all of you thank you for your volunteer work one of my frustrations with the OPR community is in the often forget these are volunteers who we have chosen to represent make tough decisions this is clearly a tough decision and there is no way
025that everyone was going to be satisfied here but over the last two years I've watched a number of white nationalists stand on the podium in the press room of the White House and flash the symbols in a joking manner I've seen it done on television appearances and I have to say the symbol has already been appropriated this is a historical document it will not in my opinion look well regardless of the intent of the kids and I you I think it's completely understandable to believe that the intent was not malicious in any way and there's an alternate explanation but these are not the time to be timid about this this is a serious social threat and as a parent of three children and okay rf2 which are in school now I want to thank you
026for making this tough decision I think it will said that it will reflect very well for a long time and I think that at the end our children will be very happy twenty years thirty years now and they look at this yearbook and they understand they were taken out as they understand why so I want to come here today to offer my two guys in this tough time the kids that get through it the signature books are a great idea there will be a yearbook and it is a great learning lesson for us all thank you maybe it's Donna Seidman this is my fourth child coming through here the first time I have to go through I'm wondering if people are aware that the numbers 88 and 14 are well known not see all right
027signifiers and wonder if there are plans to eliminate any of our math books and history books that have those numbers in there because they might be misunderstood to be a signifier we are making a mistake I think if we give the out right and the hate groups the power to have us modify our language that was how liberal became a dirty word it's how social justice it's being used by those who make fun of social justice fortas to make those who actually are wanting to fight for social justice have that the amount of awarded we shouldn't be giving them the power to say that people using words and symbols in different contexts can't use their words they should not have the power to do that my name is Terry Kelleher I wasn't planning to speak
028tonight but I feel compelled to hearing some of the testimony I think it's important not to make assumptions about whether this was innocent or whether it was deliberately a white supremacy symbol it might have been we don't know but I do think it's important that the board did Plus and did try to wait two different facts so that you did plus because I think that regardless of intent and regardless of assumptions there are impacts here that need to be considered and in this climate that we are in not just in this school that in this broader society at this moment there is a lot of all kinds of so and overt racism that's going on and unfortunately our kids pick that up they may not intend to it might be a good fun it might
029be a cool thing to do I don't know but but I hope that you will continue your thoughtful deliberation I know this is I personally would not least your book as is because I think it is helpful so I I do think that your action is in order to Plaza to think of a a solution or some kind of action that can consider those who have thank you thank you hey is there anyone else would like to make public comment no the man no thank you feel free to email it to the board or into the port article we are going to continue with the business of the board if there are no others that one may public coming okay so we will move to our for reviewing the yearbook the cost of the reprint
030is originally 85,000 which includes premium shipping however since dachshund is a partner with the school they want to invest in a solution by sharing in the cost the cost to the school would be fifty three thousand seven hundred and ninety four dollars this is an all-in price that would include a full reprint picking up the books and we shipping back to the school in a bulk shipment with the target date of June 18 we realized the closer the yearbooks was not a budgeted item students and their families pay for the books with in advance with approximately one hundred being paid for out of the school district's budget in seeking a resolution to cover the fifty three thousand seven hundred and seven hundred and ninety four dollars and costs we offered the following after analyzing the
031budget we are very balance budget for the year when building the budget we included the active learning space furniture because we were not sure the imagine project would be approved by the board what's the first phase of imagine was approved we stopped purchasing active learning spaces because the furniture might not fit in the new classrooms instead we use those funds to replace or fix broken furniture since we still have funds left in the furniture budget we can move those funds into the general budget to cover the cost a one-time cost for this year's yearbook the reframing your book is at one time it's been his administration's recommendation at the Board of Education approved an agreement with justice to reprint to 2018-2019 yearbook and the cost of fifty three thousand I move to approve the cost
032of printing the yearbooks agreement with Johnson's for fifty three thousand seven hundred and nine dollars and ask for a second second open it up for questions and comments thank you and thank everyone for coming tonight and sharing your views this is a difficult decision and over the past four days I've gone back and forth repeatedly over whether I would support or oppose a contract for a new yearbook in my mind although the administration's already indicated that it has decided the original yearbook version will not be distributed the flip side of that coin is this question do I support or oppose releasing the existing yearbook as is someone argue that because the spotlight is burning so forth and some of the photos containing this yearbook were box into a corner then we now have no choice
033but it is to discard this edition of the 2019 tabular and order a new one that removes these particular photos but let's consider the fact that a school has treated this so seriously we have delved deeply into this emerging Authority question that let's know we could go I do not contemplate we would face and we have turned the spotlight right and this issue already making this an extremely teachable moment for our school and the broader community about these particular hand gestures now we know them back in the fall when these photos were taken I don't believe these students did only and recently exists there been a general awareness of the ways in which this gesture has been co-opted by white supremacy and other despicable groups this morning because I'm charged along with my colleagues on
034the board to reach a decision and then with dr. crude Adams interviewed the photos in question what I saw provided me with the context that so many of us have lacked as this conversation is escalated on social media and in other spaces based on my review of the photos as well as the context of the many facets of this issue that bring us here tonight here are my observations before viewing the photos I fully expected that a certain type of student specifically white boys would be overwhelmingly represented among those making the hand gesture the actual situation encompasses a cross-section of about 50 students from throughout the entire student body cutting across gender race grade as well as activity or club type for me the diversity those making the hand gestures is a huge distinction the
035vast majority if not all the gestures that I saw probably above the waist and or traditional upright bulky version rather below the waist and or upside down hokey version which I understand is see more as something appropriate that white supremacists again context is crucial now one of critical leaders in this building for being vigilant and for anticipating the harmful potential that could come from these photos at the same time I have to be transparent state that those concerns from me our far outweighed by the many other concerns that we've heard from people throughout the community over the past few days as well as here tonight one of my biggest concerns is that if we toss out these seventeen hundred and fifty tabulous whether they come from the thoughtful conclusion that they should still be distributed
036who are playing right into the hands of all the haters whose evil is at the root of this corrosive and devices that we are experiencing in reviewing the photos today and reflecting on them throughout the day I find it compelling that there is no discernible pattern of one type of individual or group of people oppressing we're targeting another type of individual repeat I will vote against the coolness contract with Jostens and at the same time would urge a reconsideration of a decision not to distribute the tabula as is discussed I'm not but can we talk about why a sticker wouldn't be appropriate or just can't be can you can sort of explain my administration's thought process around that we did it we looked at several options the first option was to put the stickers on
037and we when we contacted the printer what Johnston's we asked would it be flushed with the page we were told no and that it could be filled up and destroy the page in the picture we asked about could they take off the section where there was one section was too sex exactly I learned some new language called signature and that's the group of binding and we were told it would have to impact two signatures and still there would be some outline photos in order to protect the integrity of the binding of the book they could only remove one signature and put it back in and then you would still have the stickers and so because we wanted to protect the integrity of the book particularly shifts the cover was designed by a recently deceased student
038we thought it would be in the best interest to just have the book if there any option of like cutting the pages out in a way that's obviously going to be permanently if you click the page out there's no way to put it back in and if you cut it out because it's a signature and you click that whole section out then that - compromises the integrity of the binding the sponsor actually tried to but we did try it back himself and lost the integrity of the body is there a way to expedite printing if we for example it's my understanding the South cover version would take away from the integrity of the cover of the book and my integrity you mean like the structural it's it's a Technic leather-bound book and it would take
039away from then HIV we actually asked could we have something similar for the autograph book but a facsimile of the color until we got the book reprinted and they said it would take away from the beauty of the actual color so they could not do that and then this is news to me but it's my understanding now after it's an explanation that the signature pages are in fact distributed every year to students and they're distributed to students who have not purchased a here both seniors who at the senior barbecue who haven't purchased a yearbook but they want to get autographs so we have some in stock and then the publisher has agreed to send us more as well as the trapeze has agreed to put four extra pages in until we can get the books
040back the trapeze it's a home to put four extra pages in the trapeze but Jostens is going to send us 2,200 autographed books so their students can have something on the senior last day and then it is our hope that if we get the books back by the tentative date of June 18th bhudev especially did here for the seniors to come and get their fish on your books and get them signed do we anticipate possibly creating a policy for next year for your photos that's a little bit more expansive I understand in the new blue team the new books and actually follow the protocol there's things that in this country as we said change so rapidly we do believe that we will have to go in and review in fact today I looked at our
041publication policy and so we will have to engage a process to update what that looks like I would like to say I don't want anyone to think that we are choosing our students of anything it for us it was the impact of what the publication could have the impact on student body yes you both both your comment and your comment met actually thank you sir for those questions the idea of impact right so what keeps coming up for me is that what we're doing equity work and when we're having conversations about systemic methods and ways in the rich some people are either disenfranchised or harmed the harm comes without sometimes and intent right so if we're looking at mmm-hmm and thank you for the explanation of how the funding would happen I appreciate getting that
042information as well so if we're looking at how much harm could be caused that was that unintentional yeah and weighing that against what kind of decisions are we making to make it look so that it looks a certain way my biggest concern is that students ten years from now five years from now one year from now two years from now picking up that yearbook and whether there was intent behind the wouldn't behind it or not it's still creating harm so on some level there is this there would be a systemic piece that we would be contributing to of creating harm even if there was no and I think that that's something that we really need to think about and look at because when we're when we're operating in the systems that we've been operating in
043for a very long time it's very easy for us to miss that and those systems have been that way for a very very long time beyond us and it's not just our community having this conversation so I just think one of the biggest pieces of conversation the work that I've seen the work that I've done in the communities that have been and that's really then this intent versus impact impact versus intent the impact has has the potential and I'm not saying that anyone intended to do that that there was you know harm was intended but it can still happen as a consequence of what we see so I have some notes that I need to put my glasses on and I still can't read this is a complex issue and I appreciate that in insight
044and input from those who have spoken before me I also appreciate the feedback from those in the community and those at Abbey I especially appreciate hearing from the tabula referencing that policy and procedure that were outlined for those students were followed with that said you know and I also have this the actual issue of the hand gesture I've had to do a lot of reading because I was big Nurit this is news to me so I've been reading and appreciate the articles that have been shared as well by others here I think the Cubs example was was something that was helpful for me because as I look at what they did as I read it is was not a decision about an individual it was a statement of we will no longer tolerate you know
045racial bias we will no longer tolerate that person probably will go to more Cubs games than I will but the message was set and I applaud them I think is a board we made a message a month ago by the beginning or by establishing a racial policy and as this discussion continues I think we all knew and I realize we still have a lot more work to do to fill out that policy with the procedures and elements that will assure or mitigate the harm that you talked about so well Gina the difference I see between that situation and what we're talking about here and my view is an issue of timing the timing is we're talking about an issues that as I see it were done and the fall the books were printed in the
046fall to my knowledge for what I believe I heard parts of them the pictures were the final photos were sent anymore for them so but we're dealing with something that was from a different time and now we're kind of holding what we're looking at it based on two days of newer events and changes or tape takeovers of symbolism that are appalled but there is a timing difference and as I reflect on that it's you know the question is so do we rewind the clock which is what this is do we go we allowed to rewind and do a redo rewind the clock or do we move forward and that's where my that's the way I tended to look at this if we rewrite the clock frankly the yearbook before this has pictures that probably have
047the same standards I think it was mentioned do we go back you know what do we do to go back in time to say oh we're gonna correct what has happened in a different time and I I find that a bit challenging I've seen the photos briefly and I see a bunch of kids you know taking goofy photos in most cases you know I don't know what the harm is from those I don't know what it will be but there's a lot of I think articulated there's a lot of diversity and it's someone's saying okay make a goofy photo or whatever it is him and there's a variety of gesture so I don't know but again the question is do we re line the clock and my focus is what do it this is what
048we need to move forward and moving forward to me means we we have a lot of learning here that to me needs to supplement the policy with procedure the question was asked what do we do what how do we what what guides can we provide to assure that we're not harming when we give the tabular of their their direction and I think we need to move in that direction but I I'm not in support of rewinding the clock just ask what that means in terms of the position one looks I would issue the books I mean I'm not in support of reprinting and redoing the books and I would support having the books made available to our students of Craig I'm sorry would you like to please weigh in gray I'm sorry Jackie I think
049if I wanted it we need a few things I don't repeat a lot of what is what is instead many of the issues that I have struggled Elisabet while articulated by other members of the board to knit very well I guess a couple points that I wanted to re-emphasize what was they didn't want to acknowledge the hard work of the tabula staffing and all the commitments that they've made to the booking you know that and I don't really feel that anything that has occurred it's really anybody's fault here and I certainly but he wanted to come out that way we live in a really sensitive time in these are actually very and these are really difficult issues whether we deal with rewinding the clock or whether we don't I appreciate hubs perspective as well I
050think one thing that strikes me as we think about going forward is that in the end they I worry significantly about the harm that we might be causing if we were to publish it but I also reflective in fact that didn't how we handled this and everything we've done I mean harm has already been caused and we did we just need to find some better ways preventing or screening or understanding as we go so detective if you're looking for indication of which way I'm leaning I don't I don't know yet in terms of how I'm thinking about this going forward I'm trying to weigh these issues and sort out what is the what is the best opportunity I would like to build a little bit on what Sarah has brought up and I understand the
051questions about how we have doing you know in protect the integrity of the book but I'm wondering if you know if there isn't a compromise there that we may deal with hurting the integrity of the book in some way but between the different options that might be a better option anyone right I do want to go back and say if we play the questions miss by VX regarding the stickers we would still not have the books because we still have to send them back to the printer to put the stickers in and so that will take three to four weeks but it would take at least two it I just want to my daughter was on tabula and was one of the lead photographers last year and so I have to say thank you to
052tabula because I'm a mom who witnessed the deadlines and all of the pieces I was into putting that book together firsthand like it was brutal at my house when that was happening so I do get that and so there the piece about no blame you know this this is this is a very important piece because there's for me our conversation is really focused on what do we do about the book and less about what do we do about the potential of white supremacy actions in our schools and I would like us to first of all I feel like it'll be important as we move forward as a board to continue to have conversations about what does that actually look like how does it show up and how are we systemically supporting our administration in making
053the changes that need to be made so that we are all a lot more aware but the idea of placing blame on advisor and educator a student for not you know noticing it not recognizing it for what it is this is not a individualized issue for me this is more of a systemic issue this is more of a larger conversation that I really hope that we are able to engage in and the fact that it has come up this year amidst this year of all the other things that have come up at some point we do have to have any of the ideologies of white supremacy and white supremacy culture and how it shows up in is impacting our students that's uncomfortable and difficult as that might be that is still part of the conversation
054and so we do need to have that conversation so I I just want to be very clear as a mom who was on tabula that I totally support to have you and I would love to see the book come out with integrity and at the same time as a racial social justice advocate for students in my life I would be remiss if I said I feel like this should come out as is because as is it's going to cause harm and I would like so just some modification would need to be made in order for for me to feel clear that we are making that we're taking our racial equity policy seriously and that we are intending to not create more harm so I'm wondering if it would be possible to do stickers to do
055them in-house here so that it's you know do it in-house maybe shave off some at that time so that we could actually have these distributed on time I don't care if it destroys a picture I think that's the point of the sticker so if it does destroy the book when we picture than the sticker gets pulled off I think so much the better frankly nothing we don't love our students but you know if the attendance to get rid of the symbol but I'm also wondering at that 53,000 knowledge to be dedicated towards something else that would help further our racial equity policy in a way that is still not downgrading the impact that this has on students but in a way that's more proactively addressing institutional racism or systemic racism that we see every day
056so we did ask them out in house we tried to cover the gamut we have the paper we have to sit it to the printer to print one of the paper then you'd have to have a camera in the name of the cutter a special cutter to cut it and you have to try to align it up perfectly because the way the pictures are on the page some of them have like those things that so it's not a flat picture and so that's why it was suggested it would be much faster if it was done by the printer and I think I believe the calculation we were given it would take 20 or 30 or 40 people working 24 hours a day for a full week non-stop to do the 1750 books in time for
057distribution next week we did in honesty it would probably not be a good job because you have to have someone success straight then you have to have 20 to 40 people willing to give up 24 hours a day for a week and then I just want to know we tracked a week trying to get a quick thank you doctor for attendance I do appreciate all the options that you will looked at and one of the questions that just came up with Sarah for me when Sarah was speaking was what the editors and the of the tabular themselves of students did they feel that the sticker would actually work or was there any conversation with them about the sticker or if we had the conversation with the sponsors about the stickers but initially we were trying
058to see what we could work now prior to going to the tabular staff we actually in hindsight accepted suitably sure to talk to them before I put the letter out that did not happen we own that but we were meeting with the when it was brought to our attention we realized we had a very short window because we were really trying to make it by the targeted distributed day and so we actually pulled in the sponsor for that and what was it was the sponsors opinions cities that we can put this difference or what what I guess articulated can't go to the sponsor if we put the stickers on one thinks that we have the paper but we would have to send them to the printer to print and on there because you have 1,750
059books and so you have to have seventeen hundred and fifty of the total of the xix pictures now to be replaced and that you'd have to have someone I can't give you the name of Sutter the staff probably knows what that cutter is but you have to use the special cutter to cut it you can put it in the book but you would take a very skilled hand to do it because you know on some pages to works kind of go like this they're different computer racing so it's not just what they told us a square photo if you put the square photo there include but you might move some names or some burgers they realized you haven't had a chance to speak it I know sunny cheek there the the comment at the end
060that I made about improving this as is in urging the reconsideration and decision not to distribute I wonder if I could throw that hypothetical at you doctor perhaps if we decided not to approve this contract for us tonight would that be something that you could envision being on the table so if are you saying not approving and give the books out and they are as the our orbit the Sun the level of you know maybe a sheet in the front with some notation indicating concerns or acknowledgement of potential triggering or whatever the right courage would be some acknowledgement so that we're not seen as you know ignoring what we see as a potential heart at the end of the day our Board of Education whenever the boy directs me to do I will do however
061based upon the work that we've done and our commitment to racial equity was what caused us to make the decision that we made because we've heard multiple students over the course of this year in the three years I've been here talked about microaggressions the unintended impact first upon some intent some intentional in some other intent and and so I'm also heard from some students regarding this yes I've heard from parents and students who have said put stickers on I've heard from parents and students who have said if the book God as it is but I've also heard for parents and students who say thank you for Leslie so I bought forward what I felt and my administrator chinked out what's the best decision and it was as I said it was never entertained and I
062understand there are people in the room who feel as though I'm cooling it there's also an impact and under 10 unlinked in the impact point we went into this knowing it was going to be difficult but at the end of the day whatever is the boys final decision is what I would go with and you know the the thing that really turned the tide for me as I mentioned earlier is having seen those photos I had such an expectation in a vision of what I would see based on how a lot of people in this community and I've read many of the threads on Facebook in the different parent groups and so on that you know created this notion of who was doing this and a lot of it was extrapolated from that cooks Wrigley
063Field incident and so and my experience today and I can only speak from my experience looking at it I know people here today were you know I know you know miss Phelan that was expressing the frustration of not knowing what is the context there's missing pieces to the puzzle that the community doesn't have it so their reasons speaking in a vacuum and in the dark and so you know I just think just in one voice but that's where I come from as having seen it then again I realize that I'm a white guy and I know that do I come in with that awareness and that's why many times over this past weekend back-and-forth and Isaac thinking through I always leaning towards approving this because of what I imagined versus what I saw I just
064want to say one more time we don't we have never said that we felt it was any of the students intent and we did so that's one of the reasons we have not shown any pictures outside that's one of the reasons when you know when parents events can we see the books and we've not because we don't want any of our students to be targeted that's you in that picture and you did this that that's not what we're about and so but looking at the whole totality is what caused us to make the recommendation we made it was not to pinpoint or identify any one child and that was also one of my concerns with the stickers that if someone was able to really lift it even though the printer said it would tear up
065the page I don't know but if someone were to lift it off and then see one of the students in there and say so you're the reason so please take all that into consideration one more thing I'll say at this point you the totality is key if this were one group one page only one section of the tabula that's one thing what I saw was a true diversity across the board of this school and so that's so I appreciate that I've been trying and maybe I inadvertently indirectly been referencing intent my quantus impact I feel the impact quite seamless your book now I know Gina feels it the bit that will be carved and you know I don't know that's that's a viewpoint and it's probably true it's 1750 there's bound to be people who
066feel harm in some way it's it's a balancing act so I just put the pic totality of that overall this is due to what you saw when you saw the photos I too have seen those photos and I don't I don't know that it matters if it's a cross-section community because I think even one student to make something that is offensive to another student is enough so I'm not sure why you seem to think of totality it's somehow relevant or why the fact that it's a cross-section of students has made you feel this way but in fact your comments have decided this for me and I actually will be voting with the administration recommendation I have a question myself about just for clarity you mentioned putting some type of insert yeah maybe but just have
067one possibility some kind of a so exhibit so it would be like a disclaimer like on a pack of cigarettes like morning that's good cause you serious damage I mean I'm sorry I'm just I'm just gonna be really frank it just feels like that's something that would be really challenging to do it well my first recommendation of prefer to be beep ezard's right I trust that between a white conversation and the dialogue that's happened in the school I'm confident that anyone receiving this tabular will have the sense that okay this has been something that there's an issue I'm going to weigh in at this point the when I first heard that we there was concern about the yearbook with the okay symbol being used circle game it has been called all kinds of things depending
068on who you speak with the first concern I had was for our students all of our students and I thought that it didn't matter the ignorance in this any of that what that send them to me or the lack of awareness what it is is that it is a symbol that has been co-opted by a white nationalist group it represents hatred towards people of color and it has been used one of the comments talked about it's been seen in the white house we're living in a time where hatred racism fear xenophobia have all been used to marginalize people so I heard the words tonight marginalized inclusivity diversity intent my intent here today as a school board member is to do what is best for our students that has been my goal all along I respect
069greatly the hard work and dedication of our fabulous staff I feel that they were done a disservice when they were not asked to be a part sit at the table about these conversations to be able to not feel blame or guilt or ashamed for their work that should have never happened that was a misstep on the part of our district our students voice this is their publication they should have been allowed to be at the table now that's not to say that that means that we overlook harm I am struggling so much tonight with the fact that I'm sitting in a role and the harm that could be done is to our black and brown students and as a board that is majority of white we're deciding this based on cost as well as what
070we have determined not being able to rewrite history that it's not as bad as it looks there wasn't any intent and in the same way that we did our have our gender equity policies we have a racial equity policy and we as a district have talked about looking through our work through a racial equity lens what that requires is that there will be discomfort when we talk about systemic racism institutional racism individual racism at this point I am struck by how much learning there is left to do amongst this board this administration our school our district our community our country but what I will not do is sit and say that I have I to have seemed to the pictures and my first thought when seeing them before I saw them was that some of
071those are some of the pictures are going to look and not to us to me and some are not and that's the feeling I had when I looked at them tonight so for this book goes out the waiters now with the understanding that just because this community wasn't aware until a few weeks ago because of a Cubs game that this was a white national symbol the world doesn't operate the way all park does and that's not always a good thing we have to do better this is a learning opportunity and I refused as a board member as a parent in this community as a mother who had four children rode through this high school at sunup tragedy so I know what those late nights are like and I know what that hard work is like
072but the comments that I've heard from white community members about we are destroying our students senior year were you were messing up their memories these are emails that I received me that the book you know they were so hard this book has to come out we never said the book wasn't coming out we've heard options tonight about having a special time for our seniors to come back and sign it yearbooks I've heard Tom hunt be invoked as a reason that the book should go out as is now my thought when I first heard about these issues with the book and then of course the press getting ahold of it thanks to our meat and our instant access to social media as well as media there has been a lot of speculation but at the end
073of the day integrity matters and for me I would never want a symbol of this high school to represent for anybody column and that is what the potential is for happiness will come out as is I mean I can't even talk about a having a disclaimer because a trigger warning suggests that something is a myth within a publication that would do harm so we care about all of our students we have to stand behind that I care about all of our students I know everyone here does but the discussion void of speaking up about race and racism is very troubling to me I we have work to do board because it's not enough to say that you can't rewrite history I don't think we're trying to write history I think that what we're trying to
074do is ensure that we don't harm any of our students now to the cost factor I was very I won't just say dismayed disappointed to hear that the way to absorb the costs or defer the cost is through furniture and purchases that would benefit our students and our staff there's gotta be a different way it has to be something that strikes at something that does not directly impact our our students and speak to the furniture any furniture that needs to be replaced we're replacing any printed French it needs to be fixed we were fixing we has historically put money in the furniture budget or if someone says I want a flashmob full of new data memory went to the flexible furniture the reason we have money left in the furniture budget this year imagine we
075wanted to make sure that once the imagined projects is done we would have furniture that would fit in those spaces versus buying a furniture now so anything that needs to be replaced we are replacing it but before we would we would bind rooms of mine to just to replace furniture because we were replacing it that's very troubling we try to get a handle on the budget well we've got work to do a lot fronts so I will just say that if I have to wait a fiscal cost versus a moral cost I'm siding on the world awesome we'll figure out ways to to cut costs weathers with salaries or raises or however it comes out but I am not willing to have any of our students feel other because of racism and I am NOT
076describing any attempt intent to any student I am dismayed that it took us this long given the work that we purport to do around issues of racial equity over the last few years that this wasn't something that was caught sooner I am tired as a board member of being reactionary and being asked to put out fires we can't do better we must plan I agree we have to be more strategic I'm not going to do that on the backs of our students that would be harmed by this and I am not willing to have our student that was killed two weeks ago be invoked as a reason that this needs to be moved forward in its current position because I can tell you as a mother who had a son died in a car accident
077if you don't think that Tom's mom or any mom there's lost a child in school wouldn't rather have sitting in that tabular Lee or in that Treves room or in any room being able to bake this rather than being memorialized I tell you got another thing coming so be careful how we use the names of those that have been lost when the intent is not always there I'm not willing to do that I want integrity for Tom I want integrity for all of our students I want us to understand that the narrative that this book is not coming out was always false false I don't know where that came from other than talk I'm so frustrated right now that I hear the words everyone and all when all voices have not been heard by people
078sitting in this room yet there have been statements made that everyone had a chance to look and it mattered even to your point it crosses all demographics be careful with that because unless we are willing to to go chapter and verse I don't want to give the impression just like you didn't want to give the impression that it was all white males that is this rainbow coalition of students going okay sighs I didn't see that morality book and I did see some instances that gave me pause mixed with some that I would have looked over myself ambiguous signals and symbols are used by racists and I am not willing to to say that as is as the way though that's my own personal opinion that's my own vote I'm dismayed that we're not reaching a
079different conclusion so unless anyone else has something to say we should probably call oat mr. eisely yes it can be reread the motion that was made the most his votes who approve rent reprinting a cost of the yearbook not to exceed fifty three thousand seven hundred ninety four dollars yeah miss Harris yes mr. coffee no miss Spivey yes mr. Baron Miller and dr. Moore yes thank you that is our last item so I move to adjourn all in favor