Board Work Session - Strategic Planning

001concerns about that other we'll dive in. So the first thing is we just want to confirm why we're all here. Hopefully that's pretty clear as a point but I want to make very clear so we understand that. Um second of all just understand how this particular conversation fits into the multiple other processes that have been going along specifically the thing that Vince from OAG has been facilitating us through. Um thank you. Um >> um third just do a check in to make sure that our overall district vision of graduating every student is still our guiding light, our north star, whatever. Um I know there's some been some discussion about tweaking it here and there, but as long as the general concept is is on target, that should be a driving force for these objectives. So

002that's number uh three. Uh four is then just to look through some uh or just make sure everyone had access to some key documents that should be input. Namely the thing that Vince has created for us which we can talk about obviously all these report cards our port our profile of graduate has been some good work lately. Um those should all be inputs um into um then the the final set of stuff which is okay what do we want to move the needle on? What big things we want to accomplish um over this next year and mind that we're already well into December, but that's fine. We can look at these for the next year and a half or whenever time we want. We want some shorter term objectives, not just fiveyear plans, but some

003near-term stuff. So, brainstorm on what those are and then get to a point where we can start narrowing those down hopefully through consensus or voting or however we want to get to it if if it's not obvious that we've got coalesed to a set. Um and then finally outline next steps um and where to take it here I will tell you. So yeah questions on that. >> Oh the whole thing went blank. >> Okay I sent you the link. >> Okay. Where did that go blank though? The screen just went back to connect to your device. Oh did you did your thing go to sleep maybe? >> Yeah yeah. >> Okay. Thank you. Great. So I will I will get in. Um, so >> should he hook up to this to >> if I'm in

004Zoom? It should be fine. If you're Oh, then it would be >> You could the people could see it and you could see it, but we couldn't see it. >> Oh, because I'm >> Well, aren't you presenting what's on Zoom there? >> No, this is from >> Okay. >> my laptop. >> Okay, then. Yeah. No, I guess I need to be >> Do you want this? >> Yeah. >> Do I need to trade in place, Brian, or >> I think it Oh, yeah. The cord is huge. Okay. Well, if I'm doing that, then I probably don't need to share via Zoom. Great. >> Okay. >> Yeah, that works then. Okay. So, any concerns on the our flow for the evening? >> Okay. So, let's just make sure number one is that we're all on the

005same page. What again we're we're trying to get to is that you know at most five objectives, three to five objectives, goals for this next 12 to 18 months that we would assign to Susan that then she would cascade down to her staff that we would start looking at reporting progress against. You know, maybe if there's five objectives every meeting we look at two of those and we just cycle through and get updates on how things are going. Maybe we do a work session and talk about that. But you know the goal of today is to come up with uh those objectives. One big caveat I I have something I won't get to about how to write a good objective because the vast majority of organizations are pideous at that even with all kinds of

006you know guidelines. >> I wrote this because this is ridiculous. >> Don't don't get me started. >> Yes. That's why I printed this out. >> Susan and I already had that. We're going to talk about that. Yeah. Let's see. Well, I'm going to go there because you you opened it up. The first one of empower academic growth and achievement for every learner. Anyone can tell me what the hell that means. >> I read a couple times that I should just use as a fire store. There's a bunch of [ __ ] Yeah. So, uh anyway, so I we we had some we had >> we have some um uh I I have some guidelines that help draft a good objective, but one of the things is don't try to do it by committee. So if we all

007agree on basically the objective you know uh the you know the core intent then I will take that assignment go and draft what I think is a robust objective and then bring it back and hopefully we can avoid too much word smithing but then we look at those and adopt them. So I don't want to do the final wording and word smithing because a that goes terribly bad when you do that as a group and also it takes way more time than we would want to do. So the goal is really just to get to kind of what are the you know the the core intents of these three to five objectives and then we'll hopefully in the January meeting review uh manageable language in the bill. >> Okay. >> So going through this is

008it best to go through the portrait of the graduate are we going through that to then try to pull out object? >> So let let me just uh uh let me just keep walking through this and I think we're going to actually answer that question. All right. So my number two here. So, understand the connection between what's already been going on with OSBA and what we're doing here, right? Because I don't want to just ignore what, you know, Vince walked us all through. Um, but I do think there are two I think there are actually three different things. Um, um, when I read through what so I think the intent of of the the whole OSBA effort was really a long range plan, you know, of three to five years, right? And that is a

009fundamental thing we should all be doing. Um but again this is I attended the when I was at the conference the USBA conference um Bethl school district they've gotten very robust about their um planning and they talked multiple times about how you know someone said oh well we haven't done a 5-year plan in a while and someone said oh yeah they go and find it on the shelf from four years ago or 5 years ago oh we better do that again and of course what's the point if it just literally gets done and it sits on a shelf right so uh that's one thing I want to make do a long range plan that we then use that to inform our short-term plans, right? Um I think what as I said there's three elements at

010play here. One is a long-term set of goals and plans. Um there is some of that in the document Vince provided with some of that. The other element I think that is more in this is really around a value set, you know, um about creating uh safety and uh you know, academic success and and different things of that nature. and don't want to cover here, but I think for us to um and I know the district has a set of values. I assume it's published somewhere. It's been a long time since I've seen it, but we can go back and look at that, see how that ties into what um the process got through us. Um but I think uh you know reestablishing our value set, which drives should drive everything would be a robust

011exercise, but again don't want to take that on here. But I think those two elements, a long-term plan and a value set is what Vincewood was has captured in this plan. Um, but I would argue that some of the long-term plans are not as crisp and robust to Ryan's point moments ago. And I had the same observation. Susan and I talked the same observation. So I think there's still a lot of work to be done in a five-year uh plan. >> Can I jump in? So I was one of the big pushes trying to get the strategic plan going. Yeah. The five-year plan to me had nothing to do with testing a school. It was it was about facilities, class sizes, and basically like looking at the five-year plan of is the middle school going

012to make it 10 more years. Do we need So, so when I >> pushed this idea for the five-year plan had nothing to do with the percentage of kids graduating. It was >> really a facilities >> long range facility plan. >> Okay, that is not what this obviously became, >> right? >> But that was my objective is okay, we have all the new houses coming in. We need to plan for the five years. >> So to me, our the our our five-year plan, one of the objectives of our five-year plan should be a facilities, a fiveyear facility. >> And that was what I was pushing. >> And we don't we that we clearly didn't get that out of >> correct. That's what they saw. >> Yeah, we Oh, sorry. Go ahead. Oh, I was just

013going to say the the initial ask of Vince in this work was not to develop a plan necessarily, but to help us come up with a district vision and district priorities. And then in one of the early sessions, it was made very clear that once those priorities have been set, >> then the school administrators and and teams with them would be developing a set of goals, tactics, and measurables to support. >> And I and I think and I think so that's very good. I think that is more in line of what he what each build came really close. >> Yeah. Yes. >> I'll tease him next time. It seems how dare. >> And and so put another way and this is actually how Bethl or Bethl School District organizes it. Um the priorities are like

014categories, right? Um a very obvious one being facilities. It's a very clear category. Yes. Um academic success and growth, uh staff development, right? Um those would all be categories. uh you know, school community safety, uh community collaboration. These are um >> the priorities are sorry, I just wanted to test. >> That's good. That's right. >> There's nothing more scary than hearing my way. >> So, it didn't do the that we've had before where it's like one single noise gets echoed and then like >> it grows and grows. Kind of cool. But >> so, so that would be what I would suggest. uh we evolved um Vince's document here into what Bethl did very effectively is and I'll have to go back and look at their four they had four different categories uh you know priority

015areas and one of them was not facilities I thought was interesting but um so uh and I think so doing that I think re revisiting and clarifying our value set um and then creating that long-term set of plans we all need to tackle that and I will start figure out and bring to you guys a proposal for you know what chunks we do that over the next few months. Um, but I don't want another month to go by without us as the elected officials of this district to not give Susan some direction of what should be the priority most immediately. >> Um, because we could to to we more broadly we should do the five-year plan should do our value set and the five-year plan and then the one-year plan, but I don't want to

016wait till May to get another set of objectives, right? And so, and because I, you know, I don't think Susan has gotten a clear set of those in the last couple years. And so, we um uh that's why we're kind of putting the long-term stuff aside. Um and again, I think a lot of what Vince does got us to a point, but now we want to focus on the short term and then we'll go back and hopefully the short term fits into our ultimate long-term plan. Pretty sure it will, but if not, we'll make adjustments. >> Yeah. We did some whiteboard stuff and we talked about things like um the renewal of the local option levy. That's going to be something that we consider at a particular time. Um the fiveyear or five-year facilities plan

017and if we can bond in 2030, which we can. I looked back at the old the last time we bonded to be able to say at what point did um the facilities committee start really working in earnest to do. So I I backed up that timeline um so that we would be able to have that. And so you know those things are all in the thought process and pattern um that we addressed about where are they long-term short-term but but they need to fit somewhere. And so those were things that we had out there. >> Okay. So this was bullet number two here which is just make sure that the stuff that has been done is by no means been ignored or cast aside. Quite the contrary, it will fle feather into all this, but

018we are going to take a pause from that and get some short-term objectives. Okay, question on that. We'll move to number three, which is we have this vision was set eight or nine years ago. Um, it has been the guiding vision. Um, I still think it holds uh pretty compelling water at this point. Um, I know there's Susan shared there have been some discussions about some post changes if it's administrative level. taking care of the board. Um, we can have that conversation. Again, I would do that in a separate session. Um, and what I really just want to do here is just confirm that this basically still is, uh, you know, the spirit of what we're trying to achieve. That one, we get every kid across the finish line and we launch them into whatever

019is next, right? Um, and we don't just wash, you know, hey, we don't just say, hey, all we're worried about is today and don't even worry about graduation even when they're in third grade or 12th grade. Um, so obviously that's not our intent. It is to get them graduation, but then it's also not to wash our hands of them at that point, but really help them to that next step. So are there any concerns that that should be at this point, you know, continue to be one of our overarching guiding lights as we create our short-term objectives? >> No. And just by quick notice, because I'm one that doesn't like the statement, it just it it lists it it kind of it lists you options like this. You're doing these. It's not open-ended. And so

020as I vision transition the wife because I read this as saying you can do one of these things. And that's what I didn't like about it was it doesn't it doesn't say launch into the world and do something. It says you do this this this or this before you fail at this. >> So and I'm that I'm really up for that conversation. The only thing I don't I what I don't like and you'll see that when I when we talk about what makes a good objective statement. It cannot be so open-ended that it means nothing to everybody. Right. It's got to it's got to especially the people the staff who are trying to get the kids there right and so you know prepare them for success in life that's sorry that's motherhood and apple pie

021that's you know that doesn't I don't know how to organize an effort around that right so um that's the part I would just want to make sure that whatever language we come up with it people can understand the people who have to go make this happen for these kids or help them make it happen for themselves I'll put it that way um knows what it is we're trying to get to and you know because I mean you know I know the military is a great option for some and we don't specifically call that although I would call that a job right so I know there's some things that are missing we can talk through that but I I think you agree the general intent is is on target >> I just want to let you

022know what why is >> and Susan shared that and I it's good for me >> a citizenship >> planet or something like that and I think we could fuse that into their >> I I've I've started because I hear that and I started playing with language in my own head I we want to keep it short so this doesn't become a run but that we could be powerful statement >> well and the values you know, >> but that adds into it, too. So, and I'm interested to hear Maggie and Laney from the two of you. You've not been involved really with >> any of our process going through this. So, I'm hopeful that you will pipe in also um to be able to to speak to >> important >> and it could be this is

023our mission >> and the vision is talking about the components like being a good citizen and all those other things. So, go back to the good old NV, mission, vision, and values. >> Yeah, exactly. >> Anybody else like corporate America? >> Um, >> then we have to come up with an acronym for our values that every employee will absolutely hate, >> right? It's right over there on the wall. >> Um, okay. So the next one is this is where we just start the discussion of uh you know uh source documents of uh you know what could be should be some of our top priorities again for this let's just let's talk about 18 months you know really the rest of this school year into next year right um and so I think as I write

024here the so the the the long range priorities that Vince put together I think this you know again there's nothing real specific in here that is uh was precisely my a lot of corporate speak and whatnot and I think it is it provides good general priorities but not specific objectives and but it is it is a good source document because it did come from community surveys and from community engagement and from board conversations and staff conversations. So there's good content in here. It's just not phrased like specific objectives. But anyway, that's one source document. Uh these are all the report cards uh that we've we've been through. There's a lot of good stuff in there that should help focus us. Um the portrait of a graduate is also an excellent document of what we would

025like to see in our graduate. Those are ones I've come up with. And then as I put in number four there, you know, anything else you guys are familiar with that um you know, you documents you've come across or conversations with uh um you know, constituents, things we campaigned on, you know, all of those would be um fuel for um then we'll go on the next one, which is start identifying what some of these objectives that we would want to bring forward might be. >> Sounds good. >> So I did my homework. I stayed on objectives. So if I can jump in and start >> reason I brought this. So when I think about that I guess it's a stigma I still think people look down on trade schools versus college. It's a concept you

026oh you're just going to trade school you go to college and in my limited research trade school people get a jobs quicker and make more money and have less student debt than so I would like to when I went to college and I still think it's that way that people feel like oh you just went to trade school that's it and I I would like to get rid of that and then so I brought this because here's my 13-year-old that did this and he says that the kids love to go to wood Well, so if there was like kids that weren't my kids that don't have all the experience that my kids do, if you're seventh grade and you have options in more vocational programs, you might learn what you where you're going to go.

027So I would like to put an emp that was the whole reason I went for school board was to get an emphasis back on trades. We're in a rural community. I come from a family of very educated. My sister, my family is very very educated and there's not a lot of job openings and yet you can't get enough people to go be a plumber to make 150,000 a year and you can go to college and spend have 100,000 wrapped up in student debt and apply for jobs for seven years where you get hired. So I would like my as one of my mission statements and I look at this port to graduate. We have strong work ethic, critical thinking. You learn some of that stuff. >> Jump in. >> Honestly, like I I really agree

028with that. I went to like the trade fair that was hosted at CV this week and I think there was maybe like 10 of us and some of them were just kind of like why I'm just here for the credit. like I'm not actually here to like like this isn't what I'm actually going to go do and it's like I like that's really looked down upon I feel like and it's such a good outlet and I feel like like I think college is great like I'm going to I'm going to go to college but I also have I'm doing like smaller stuff anyway. Um, but like there was I feel like there's so many of like these college college things to go to and then there's like maybe one or two things a year for

029like a trade school which is so weird to me because we have such a strong CTE program that it's like >> like hey what do you mean or like our you science thing like we do this thing called you science and it like it >> mostly gives you careers like >> right it's like it's like psychologist go to this school it gives you a bunch of like colleges and it's like Okay. And I got one. It was like be an electrician, which I'm going into electrical engineering. And I was like, "Okay, cool. What what what trade school?" And they were like, "No way." It's like, so >> that's interesting. >> Yeah. >> Because the reason we picked you science was it measures interest, but it also measures aptitude. >> And and the nice part about

030that is um you might not know you're good at something, >> right? um that that can then steer you. But if all it's doing is pointing at colleges, >> it that's I did not know that. >> I think it's e sometimes, >> right? There definitely is. I have seen trade schools out there, but it's not as heavily pushed as a colleges because it's like I was very much more interested in like the electrical and audio side of things and it gave me like jobs for like to be a doctor and it was like you can do this and I was like okay but that's like not creative and that's what I want to do and then it was like okay well you can be a kids doctor >> yeah um I think actually I think

031especially getting a like a college counselor specifically for like after graduation has been really good. But I think like there's a lot of pressure for people to go to a college instead of right >> especially like in high school like everyone's like what do you want to do like what college do you want to do for sure? >> Yeah. It's not like it's like an expectation isn't it? Yeah. >> Yeah. So the um I just I'm going to take us back to the vision and I was the principal in writing this original vision and I mean it's you know the first one is a job for those who aren't going to go off to school right help them get to a job training was supposed to very much imply a training school or an electrician

032program or whatever right and then former college whether that's a two-year or four year degree right so I'm 100% behind I I you know this country has a huge issue with not enough kids going into the trades and it is a very rewarding ing and frankly a highly lucrative career. Uh and so I'm 100% behind uh making sure that uh kids know that's an option all the ranges of that option. Um so yeah, >> to go along with these two said part of it was getting that stigma out. So making sure kids and the counselors the teachers don't talk I know they don't but you get the persona that they talk down from going to trade schools like they they commented on that oh what college you going to so promoting that those are good

033viable options >> right it's creating the culture >> within the district and throughout the district >> and uh uh uh Lesley Adams >> she has done um a fair amount of um pointing kids in directions of things that they can talk about that may lead to trade school and some things like that. And she's provided some opportunities for some students >> that um um it's just it's been amazing that she'll say, "If you have an interest in this, would you like to talk to so and so?" >> And um that's been a gift in terms of um helping people out. But yeah, I I I do I think there's a a mystique that says college is the answer, >> right? >> And heaven forbid that I take a gap year because it's gonna be the

034end of the world >> or like a certificate student and not have to claim your parents income on your stuff. >> Um this is a very specific tactical level thing, but I just got my invitation email to speak at the middle school career fair and um so it's timely. Um, I wonder if we might reach out to, and I cannot remember the name of the person who's organizing it this year because it's a different person, to ask if they can specifically invite people from trades to come speak. >> I should say Dr. Steve. It's a very open-ended invitation. >> You help me remember my other comment on this. So, sorry, jumping around. The other thing about this is again kids that aren't my kids that have these opportunities, the sense of accomplishment and pride they

035get from knowing they could do something that a younger age because if you were a high schooler and you haven't done you go, oh, I got to go to school. I'm not good at anything. Why would I go to school? Just if you don't play sports and you're not in the program, so you don't get recognition. You don't know you can do anything. So, I'm a big pusher of you have to push beyond your limits or you never know what you can do. I always on the edge of what is safe, what you should do because if you don't push your limits, how do you know what your potential is? >> Yeah. >> But giving kids opportunity to do something that and I and I do realize my kids have way more opportunities because of

036how we live than most people will do, but coming to school and giving them a reason. I kind of think that you'd have some kids, and this is probably a wrong perception, but some of the kids go to the academy just because they don't want to go to school and and they can do it kind of their schedule, but they got excited about, oh, I have this class I want to go to and you have to stay in school and you can't bounce back and forth. I'm not sure. My mind says that would help keep kids on track because they're excited about something. Like I know at CHS we had the welding shop and the auto club and things and so you went to school so that you could go do those things >> and

037I just think and I honestly don't know what the school has to offer because I haven't looked at the vocational programs. >> I just know that starting them sooner and getting to do stuff gives you a sense of pride accomplishment knowing what you can do and then pushing forward. >> Right. >> So that that was the end of my spiel. That was what I was thinking about. >> Does one and again we're not words smithing but does that my first bullet there capture basically your >> Yeah. Right. And I added the point about >> Yeah. And I guess I just my last com is just as a way to keep him excited about going to school like if you keep it >> because if you play football, you know, you come to school, keep your

038grades, you play football. >> It's it's finding a source of of self-esteem or like self-empowerment. >> Well, and a sense of accomplishment just knowing you can do something >> because if you don't have the opportunity, how do you know? >> Yeah. And I feel like the lack of knowledge of like what you could be doing in like the trades cuz like I feel like if people knew what some of the trades were, maybe they go into trades instead of just take a job right out of high school. >> Like I had no clue that real estate would be and I went to a trade fair and I saw real estate. >> That's true. It is like a special certification. >> Yeah. And I just I feel like it's so shown so like limitedly. It's like,

039okay, you can be an electrician, you can be a plumber, or you can be a welder. But it's like, I after I compete, after I complete college, I'm going to go take some courses at a trade school so that I can go do performance rigging and performance like electrician. Um, so I can go like build stages and I can go build facilities like that. And it's like I would like I didn't know that existed like maybe a couple months, like six months ago. And that's like that's exactly what I want to do. >> There you go. Just picture you crawling under like >> that's what I do over there. >> Funny. I picture like some roast. >> I mean, that's what I spent my third period doing. >> The number of hours I've spent on

040the scaffold stage. Oh my god. Double wing >> while simultaneously having an incredible fear of heights. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, the first bullet is my attempt to capture again the general sense of where Ryan is. The one I put up there was if we do believe that part of our mission, our vision is to transition every kid to something other than sitting in their parent basement playing video games. >> Um, which unfortunately I know happens to a handful of kids. Um, we have to find a way to track that, right? Because other than college uh admittance rates, which you do get data on that, hence why you have the 61% here, but how many go to a trade school? How many have a job? even if it's just down the street in McDonald's, but

041we don't have mechanism to do that. >> Pulsa used to do that. The the school administrators association used to assist with that um uh by doing surveys in a first year out and fourth year out. >> Um and then they said, "Well, now we're going to charge you for it." And people couldn't afford it. >> And so, um the ability to track it gets more and more difficult. >> But yeah, >> at this stage, I'm less concerned about four years out and more about one week out. I mean, I would like to know, you know, what I love about uh our high school and the graduation is we read those three or four sentences by every kid. And you know, there's always that handful of kids who literally I'm going to sit in my parents

042basement and play video games and tell, you know, blah blah blah. And most time they're just going for the laugh. But the reality is there's some, you know, that is serious. And there is no reason why we as a school, as a community that cares about these kids to basically have had a conversation with everyone saying, "What is your plan on, you know, graduation plus one, you know, graduation day plus one?" And um and so I I to me being able to track it is definitely one thing I think we have to put in place. And that literally can just be every counselor within the last three weeks of school is talking to every single student and saying, "What is your plan?" And if they don't have a plan, then we find a way to

043pull them aside and say, "Okay, maybe you should start looking at applications for McDonald's or trade schools or or LB, whatever it is. If you've got no plan, what can we do to get >> Do you currently do that?" I remember a counselor going through CSF and asking us all what our plans. >> Yeah. But but as far as the ones that say, "I'm going to sit in my parents' basement tour. I don't know what I'm going to do." Because there's I mean there's a couple like that. But if if we're I >> more intentional >> I but well and I appreciate the comment of of we're not necessarily talking about waiting until somebody gets to January of the next year. We're talking about before they ever leave, right? >> We just want to know

044what their intentions are at that point. >> Um then I think we can be more intentional about that. >> I was going to say think of the metaphor of graduation, right? you you walking across stage, you're walking away from the high school because you have your diploma and you're walking towards something on the other side of the stage. I would like us to be giving every kid both of those hats. We're going to get them to the stage and get them across it and then we're going to help them get to that the first step out. >> Well, and that was my question is when when the and I don't know if this is a counselor, when somebody talks to the kid, what is your plan? Is there somebody don't ask the kid the plan

045is there somebody helping? Like if somebody says I want to do this, is there is that the end of the conversation? >> No. >> Or is there some if somebody says hey I really want to whatever they want to do is there do they help them figure out how to do that? >> I think so. I mean I'm not advis >> I don't know. I think Leslie Adams has been good at that. >> Yeah, she has better a better addition in terms of having the bandwidth and that's really her role is to be able to do those things. So, I would say yes, but I I don't live in it. >> Yeah, she called like me into the office a few weeks ago just to check in and see how I was doing and see

046make sure >> Yeah, because she I know she's tracking Leslie's tracking um um that she's tracking what um what students are interested in in the colleges that they might go to or who's going to go to a trade school or who has an interest. And so she's she's done a lot, I think, to really be able to pull some of those pieces together and be able to be of support. I she's great. >> A lot of this is falling a kid, but let's say a kid walks in or they call me in say, I want to be a marine biologist. Okay, how do we get from today to there? >> Yeah. >> That somebody let's help them. Okay, here's not do it for them, but here's you should check into fish and wildlife or you

047should >> talk to somebody at the aquarium. They also help them with their class schedule so that they write science class. >> So, one thing we brought up earlier that I just don't want to uh don't want to forget which is probably a separate page in your slide deck that you're building would be um the long range facilities planning and making sure we capture that that is >> at least kicking off the process thereof. Um >> um well that's shortterm. Yeah. Okay. Um >> I just didn't want it to >> Yep. screwed it off. Um, which makes me think of the 2030 bond. So, none of us will automatically still be on the board when it's time for that to happen, but some of those will be on the board when it's time to start

048working on making that happen. So, that is something we should have obviously November 12 to 18 month. No, she talked about that percolating >> both those and the local option renewal don't have to be in the this this 12 month >> local auction levy >> that might be in the that might be >> it's 2728 >> so Tom thinks a lot more about your second post up there so >> so there's no code on that it it does fund we are funded through 28 27 28 okay so we wouldn't have to start till 2728 that's outside our >> I think it was I said we could do a vote in the fall of 27 7 or the spring of 28. >> Um, so that that as of July 1, 2028 is where we would begin

049to look. >> Well, that just doesn't seem like it's nearly long enough since we did it the last time. I was on board when we did it last time, but >> five years goes fast. >> Tom, they establish the mechanism of track postgraduation. So, measure the success of the student, the superintendent, everything truly is after graduation. So getting a kid to because to your point that you said there, you care what they do when they leave the stage of the diploma where they're headed. >> Yeah. >> That's really the measure of how successful they were in school, >> right? And currently the only data is the 61% after college. >> But the real measure of the self-evaluation for school self-evaluation for a school board superintendent is a year later, two years later. >> Yeah. >>

050How that actually did. So now that you I didn't think about that, but now you put that up there. Now I'm thinking about that, that really is a measure that would be important is >> Yes. So what? >> Yeah. So they graduated high school. >> Yeah. I mean that's why Facebook exists because it used to be so people could brag about where they were after. >> But as we're thinking about uh measurable traits for students and the school board that is an important thing to track because that is the success rate of the whole program here is where they went after. I like I like to think and I um so I' I've augmented there, right? What graduation day plus one day and graduation day plus one year. So and I those are two very

051very different things. I think in a matter of a few weeks we could put in something in place to say to to be able to basically document. >> I I don't I don't trust the little quirks they make at graduation because most of the time they're just trying to be funny or cute. And so literally we would sit down and have a conversation. They can say whatever they want in those. They're not obscene. We all know the rules there. But, you know, I don't care what they say there. It's what is your actual plan? What are you really going to do? Um, and so that to me is is what we could probably deploy very quickly, right? Those and and again, there's there's obviously a huge swath of kids that seem that the counselor just

052needs to confirm you're you're applying to college, right? Or, hey, you've been talking about going to trade school for three years. You're you're you're set, right? But it's those that we don't have those conversations with, and it's not real obvious that's where the staff would have to spend their time. So it's not they have to do it with every single student. There's plenty of students who their path is very clear. We just got to document it. >> It's almost like we need to interview. >> That's literally what I was describing. That's literally what I'll just use that language. I think that's great. And they complain about what we still career fairs, right? >> Yeah. Great. >> So when those career fairs come, there's a lot of college recruitments. Is that right? Or is it >>

053I haven't been to one yet because I'm a junior. Oh. Um, there's college internship. I think >> I'm just curious what the broad I don't think they have. I don't we have job career fairly. >> Uh, the career fair that happens in Corvalis is mock interviews for people for like job applications, college applications, things like that. And then OSU puts on career fairs. >> I was just students are invited to those as well. You don't have to be a college student to go to those. Mag's com or both your girls comments. I never thought about real estate as a trade. Electrical engineering, they're trying to steer it towards doctoring and stuff that those career affairs aren't put on locally, but is there a I wonder if they'd be broader range. So, because again, I never

054would have thought about real estate as a career as a vocational >> career. So I'm wondering if there needs to be a better understanding of hey these are >> these are all central >> I think it falls under adjacent to this eradicate any negative connotations. The flip side of that is elevate the positive ones right like let people know all the cool opportunities that are out there. create that excitement >> not only for staying in school but also for what you could do. >> Well, I'm thinking a path like so if you're a lot of people graduate don't know what they they go to college they switch majors what they're doing. I'm wondering earlier on if there could be a trajectory like okay you're shooting for real estate here's the sort of avenues you're shooting

055for a nursing program here's avenue you're shooting to be a doctor I just >> I'm wondering if there could be a better trajectory so that you can start planning because I when I graduated I heard a lot of people going I went to college because we required my family to go to college I graduated LB and quit because I thought it was a waste of time because I knew what I was doing. But a lot of people went there and said, "I have no idea what I'm going to school for." They take random classes >> until they find something, >> right? But >> but there's nothing wrong with that. >> There's nothing wrong with that. But if you education, >> but if you knew more opportunities as a 12, 13, 14y old, >> there's a

056lot of it doesn't mean you can't be joining earlier for sure. But but junior college is a perfect time to be doing. >> A labor actually has exactly what you're talking about. You can go up and put in a job title and it it actually lists out like here's the education you would need to be able to do that. Here are career paths that you can do it. You can click on them and then they expand out and you can kind of >> go down the rabbit hole for four or five days if you wanted to of different options for different career paths >> and assembly freshman year or something that just kind of gave I'm just wondering if it's be I I see it as a motivator if you have a goal you're searching

057for it's going to help you as you go through high school going oh yeah this is necessary for the path I'm trying to go and I'm assuming people have a path >> well on some I was trying to That's what I was going to say because there's a lot of kids that don't know what they're going to do. >> If there was an assembly that had, you know, just a >> broad range of every kind of everything you could throw up there that then somebody can say, "Hey, I saw that today." Now, what's >> that's the middle school career fair is one of the things they also do in high school. >> So, high school and you two can speak to this. When does that conversation start? We talked about how at the end of

058senior year, we're asking where everybody's going. When does that conversation start? And you talked about how Lesie was pulling you out and talking to you individually, but is there ever that in freshman year or sophomore year? >> I feel like there is. It's not as >> you have to actively seek it out. >> We kind of freshman year you kind of have to actively seek it out. Like it's definitely there, but it's not as like you can't go to the career or the trade fairs or like anything like that. Like you can't leave for a field trip until you're a junior or senior. Like that's why I said I didn't know about >> within school like you know a counselor or whatever and they are helping you with classes trying to figure out where you're

059going with their discussion is that like a standard procedure. I'm just I'm wondering if when any given child comes into high school if there is like a standard here's what you're doing in high school here's our objective days or it seems like a very like fundamental level of >> my my sense is it's it's we do it well on the college side because you have to take all these requirements you know in high school or you got to go through the junior college before you get through a four-year program right so I think we do a very good job of that I think what we have not >> put the staffing and you know the mechanism in place to talk about the other options because frankly you know we really haven't we haven't embraced the

060um objective the goal that we have of transition every kid to that next thing whether it's just a job you know even even just a job at McDonald's you have to show up for work every you have to learn how to work with people you have to learn how a process works you know that for some kids that's a great first step right >> and and but I don't think we help even those kids do that >> well to your point that we're doing that at the college like at the more so way more so than than the trade >> school that we're not we're not we're not helping the child to determine >> which path they want to go we're only at having them self- select >> and so how do we support them

061at that younger level to your point I mean I have a child who does not >> fit into the boxes and they excelled at woodshaw and they loved doing sand tech and they love forestry they love having those hands- on things >> and they're discovering which parts they like. So, >> I guess I know that we we're trying to get ourselves to objectives and I think we're like rabbiting down the hole of like how do we solve these objectives which is like a further discussion for a different department sessions are working. Um but that objective is >> very dynamic. But I also Oh, sorry. I also feel like in in doing this and it goes to eradicate any negative connotations and create excitement for students going into the trades. I also feel like we need

062to be careful about how we measure success because if you don't go to high or if you don't go to college that doesn't mean you're not successful. Absolutely. >> Right. And if you find a job to what you were saying Tom, if you find a job, it's not just a job. There's nothing wrong with just a job. It's going reporting, being, you know, having ethics, having responsibility, all that. So I part of doing that I think also has to be we have to be careful about what we're defining success. >> And how do we define the success for every student? It's not we can't we can't we each student can find that success for themselves and that's where that conversation starts at a young age really getting them to to hook into that concept. >>

063You're so good. Um, just kind of circling back to that first thing, I feel like, you can totally correct me, but this is just what I feel is I feel like freshman and sophomore year it's like, okay, great. How can we get you to any sort of like I'm going to say higher education, but that can apply to like colleges, anything, certifications, whatever. And then it's like, okay, great. What do I do with that? You know, it's like I'm not I don't feel like we're really told freshman, sophomore year. We're just kind of put up into like wanting to do something after high school and then it's like, okay, great. where what am I going to do after that? And it's not really until like junior or senior year that it's like, oh, hey, blah

064blah blah fair blah blah that you can go to see what you can actually use that with. And I feel like that would almost be help more helpful earlier >> because I feel like it's a lot harder to comprehend when you're like less mature and you're like freshly 14 and it's like, okay, great. They're wanting me to go to this college, but like >> what am I going to do with this? You know? >> Yeah. And then it hits you like right when you have start like applying and figure out what you want to do and you're like wait I haven't thought about >> I we didn't I didn't get Leslie until last year so I didn't have like someone like that myself my freshman sophomore year I just had St. Clair >> and she

065I mean she's like really busy right so >> I met like if you could get in to see her it was more of like the schedule changes and stuff and I didn't really get into This is my point. We've never staffed this type of right and >> where it's appropriate for us talking about where we put our budget where we set our our goals and also um one of the things that I had written down somewhere in here was um a priority area that I think is really important is staff support in regard to resources, trainings, um keeping them energized and safe and school. Um, and I think that that's a tangent of this is like if you have school counselors who have how many do we have at the high school right now? 400ish.

066>> So if they're each responsible for 200 students. >> Yeah. >> How can you expect to do all that when their work is dealing with mental state? They're not just >> they haven't failed to do you can't fail to do something they've never been asked have to do. They're they're counselor counselors and they help with academics, you know. So that's a lot. >> What grade are you in in 15 and 16? Is that sophomore? >> Sophomore and junior. >> So this is goes back to the forest. Caroline asked me what my favorite part about being a 4 was and it's easy. My favorite part about it is the I the 15 to 16 year old kids mainly girls that we hired is awesome because that they >> they go from they can't do something that

067holy crap we can do that >> and that is awesome. So going to our point >> like we hired these girls with they asked before but my favorite part about being a leader was but I think back about the girls they hire they come out they're scared to death and then a week later they've done it and then they go on to do >> Megan is my favorite I love that girl we put her in a semi. We put her in track. She's like I can't do anything. I'm like yeah you couldn't do it yesterday. You're going to do it today. And they do it. But the point that these two girls said is starting earlier. do it at 15, 16, 14, 15, 16. Because by the time you hit that semi but >> by

068the time you hit 18, you're kind of you blossoming. >> If you do it freshman and sophomore year, >> that gets you the momentum and excitement to go. >> I think if you're getting to be a senior and you haven't, >> you don't already know, >> it's kind of late to start planning, right? It feels like it's >> you're kind of like, oh, I'm going to finish high school now. What am I going to do? I can't do anything. I don't want to do anything. But if you promote that earlier on, I see that as a trajectory that helps >> and I would challenge that the job fairs happen way before senior year. >> Well, this I I mean that's fine. Um period, but I you know again the notion is we're talking about kids

069who graduate certainly the summer job fairs, right? But the the kid who you know looking for a career job or at least a initial early career job that's senior train. >> Yeah. >> So I think another completely separate focus area that I just want to get on here is talking about financial sustainability as a district and one of the things I've brought up and talked to several different people about is you know Corvalis has one. Is there space in Paloma to start a Paloma school district foundation? that will help with some of the things. I know we've talked about it before as well. Um and and is that appropriate for the board to assist with be involved in at least get the word out? Um is that an area that you know makes sense? But

070um >> I met with the the foundation um >> the community foundation a couple of weeks ago and so their board is also having conversations about what that means for them. So, we've started to engage in the conversations about that. >> I mean, it would make perfect sense to how is it within their organization they're already set up to do that work. Um, but when I look at things like college is incredibly expensive, trade school is incredibly expensive. Um, current landscape of our student loan system is, I'm sorry both of you, terrifying. I've been paying my loans for a very long time. It's not less abysmal um than it was when I took them out 12, 14 years, however many years ago it was um having a foundation that could have scholarships, that could have

071uh funding for some of these cool things like having a career fair, if the foundation had a fund that would help, you know, bring speakers or, you know, different things like that. Um >> I'll just point out there actually is a sub one that exists. I've been a founding member back in 2017 and still >> yeah the performing arts and >> they get my dollars every year >> you're still this probably has already been sitting on your desk now went out last week. Um, yes, >> Laura was literally the cover child of the pamphlet for a few years. >> Yeah, that's right. >> So, this is the full month performing arts benefit fund we're talking about raised an endowment. We the end of last year we were up to almost $300,000. Let's see how the

072market did this year. But, um, yeah. So, we're giving back to the schools. Last year it was $11,000. This year we're having, you know, 12 to$13,000. So, there is a foundation. It's just specific to the performing arts, but there's no reason in this community when this one >> when Susan and I initially talked about gosh last year when I first talked about I don't know um we me you know >> I highlighted that is a stellar example of like such it is a narrow focus and look at how much money has been raised for it because it's an important focus of our district. Um well the other piece of it that we were looking at >> just real quick I'll point out the Fouthouth community foundation manages our endowment so we raised all the money

073but they manage the market investment so because they that's what they do right they have all these endowment funds >> that's the other thing that we we want to watch for is because of the expense of everything I mean they just raised a bunch of money for the middle school gym floor. There was a bunch of money raised when they put in the uh the play shed at Clemens. um there the well there's a bunch of money to look at for um the interest in turf and uh the the the playground at the elementary school. And so what we've got going is a lot of different entities asking for money. And the thing that I don't want us to run into as we lead into the future is we already gave you money. We're not

074going to vote for a local option levy because we give you money all the time. And so how do we set up a process and a protocol that would allow somebody to give a big gift or a small gift to a specific project? >> Yeah. >> Um and and we just continue to work with the with the foundation on an ongoing basis about what that plan is. >> Well, the narrative surrounding this kind of endowment of a of you know next steps. >> Yep. does allow for that kind of separation and that at least compartmentalizing of >> the tax base versus this like furthering of our community which is a that would be important >> right that's how we we started to engage in the conversation so I met with a couple of the board

075members um and they took it back to the Benton Community Foundation board and had a conversation about what would it mean for the school district and you know where do we fit and you know how would it work and and you know I said if if the Answer is no. The answer is no. But let's let's at least talk about it if there's a community or >> no. >> Yeah. So where does Clemens Foundation fall in all this? I mean we wouldn't want to >> go headtohead with Clemens because they've been so supportive. I mean I know it's Wayne. I know that privately. >> I wrote >> Understood. I wrote I've written to them on a couple of occasions and and heard nothing >> um in response. And I've heard also that >> um I

076mean and don't get me wrong, they've given so much to this district and this community and its people. They are stellar. >> Um I'm just disappointed. But I also know that um it's hard to be able to continue to dole out >> um you know over multiple years and um yeah you know what are what are they >> I I I just don't know but I mean we I keep trying to reach out. >> Yeah. Well that's good because I think that we can't like push them under the rug and forget they exist. Absolutely not. >> That was set up in good faith so long ago that I think it needs to be recognized. >> It'd be nice to be able to >> do some sort of partnership, but that's probably what >> as we

077talk about trade school, that is the only career path that they will still give money toward trade school. >> And I know we need to get involved with other things, but one last thing I have on trades is um a lot of it doesn't cost the district anything. Like I was at West Schwan the other day and a guy, one of the guys like, "Hey, you're at the school board." We would love to come in and just show people like what a safe tire is, how to change a tire, how to jump start your car. Like, we'll come and do it. We just need to know like if there's a space you that like, but we'll just come, you know, once a month or whatever. >> They like, we just want to help people be

078safe. So, we'll show you how to change your tire, how to jump start your car, how to put a tire chain on. I can think of a frame of a car that I used to have that would have benefited from teach me. >> So, a lot of these tra >> I never learned any of that. I still don't know how to >> a lot of these things are free to the district and people that are hiring for trades aren't going to charge to come. They're recruiting for you. >> I mean, they do this at LBCC with their diesel program. Path A sponsors you kind of in a sneaky way, but they'll pay for your school, but you signed a fiveyear do not compete clause. And until they turn you loose, you can't get a job.

079They paid you to go a school and gave you money every term for tools, >> but so it's not costing to most of the trades that I'm aware of will come for free. So it's not a cost. >> It's cost time. >> Correct. >> And so that's and that's the fine finesse. I like the idea and I think there are things that we can do um to be able to promote um uh things like that. >> That would be part of a job fair, wouldn't it? Maybe. I mean it could be. It could be >> that could be >> because you get like 45 minutes to an hour or more with each set of kids. That that could be a really cool opportunity for them to come. >> They would be younger kids, but who

080cares? Like >> a 13-year-old should know five. >> Oh, well, you were talking about middle school. Yeah, we're talking about adding that to the high school level, but >> I actually think you brought this up. I think it all has board meeting. Another way to look at it. So I went to college and had two degrees in engineering and engineering three is well referred to as the leader class. It's the one that you know it's really really challenging that first class and it scares out half of the kid. The old joke is you know teacher says on the very first day look to the kid on the right look to the kid on the left one of you won't be there you know and at the end of the term. Yeah. >> Um yeah. Um

081but what engineering 3 was was we did a lab of every single range of uh you know stresses and motions and solar power. We did all of this. So it was really an introduction of what all all the different engineering >> tracks uh or fields you can go into. >> There may be a CT class that is just that. It's literally you're going to get one week of mom coming in and teaching stuff. Another week of a woodworker doing >> that kind of what I've been >> Yes. That would be wonderful because then you get the experience, >> the exposure >> like a it's like a team, what's that PE class? Team games or >> team sports team. I mean, I would love to go do that with a graphic design class and just be

082like, here's how you design a restaurant. Here's how you design a billboard. Here's how you think local. You think you were Miller Timber. Okay. You know, Miller Timber does they works in across the world from firefighting to logging to road. I mean >> it's >> tree planting all sorts of stuff. >> You think of Miller Timber is just they have what two log trips down there. They're Miller Timber is not a timber. They're a full company. >> But I had a kid work for me and said I'm taking the summer to Miller Timber because I'm going to go fires in Honduras or something. >> So they travel the world >> that which you could a kid from Florida can go right. >> It's not fun in every country. >> But a kid from right here

083can go travel, >> right? a kid they otherwise could afford to go be anywhere else, get a job right there and go sign up to go to Hawaii, you know, you can go wherever they're working and uh yeah, so there's a lot of opportunities that you don't think about that if you did that one week of Miller Timber comes in for a week or no I mean yeah a week of >> this thing. >> Yeah. So what can we do as a board to help give the resources to the staff and administration etc to have the mental space to think about stuff like that because I think that's where we can make a difference. >> I think is the objective I see I see two objectives Tom start on one of them is looking at

084more job opportunities whether it's college just opportunities let's leave it as that whether it's I mean I'm pushing vocational but opportunities is one the other one was uh Yeah. Yeah. >> And then the other thing was I thought >> oh the following graduation postgraduation. >> So I see Tom's already got two clear objectives there that are measurable. One of them is okay we're more opportunity provided there's a CTE class or whatever that's measurable and a followup. Now, you can't make a kid follow up a year later or six months later, a month later, but it would be >> You take what you get and you can and it's something to measure off of. >> Are these things we as a board can do or are these things that we have to figure out how we

085can support to make them happen because somebody else will have to do it? Well, ultimately we not there's a couple things we could do like a foundation we could personally take on, but most of this is going to be we trying to get clear a set of three to five clear objectives for Susan to have a target to work. So as as I understand what we're doing yeah I should have because there is uh um they are really board objectives the vast majority of which we would just you know delegate down to Susan, right? There could be one or two that literally our is our responsibilities like we decide we want to a school foundation. Yeah, we could probably help enroll Susan but really that's probably more of a board level. Um when we go

086to pass the bond measure or the levy option the school district can actually not be involved that she can help file the paperwork but then they can't advocate. So then that really does become a board objective. So the majority of these will go just go right over to Susan. We will help support through budgeting process and all that but really they are hurt. But there will be a couple that could be at our level just yeah to clarify. But to clarify, I thought one of your big objectives today was to get >> three to five clear. It is what I wanted. Yeah. >> Yeah. No, you're that's your down there. >> So, we're on a coupleish, I think. >> So, and I want to if just because I think we've spent time on this and

087we're down to less than an hour now. So, um I would want to go to the to the uh scorecards and I'll just point out the things that concern me in these, right? And I'm no doubt Susan already has this same perspective. So first of all the you know um it just burns me the regular attendance stuff right and it's and we're not we're not terribly off from the state averages and I think in most cases we're a little bit above but it's just such an endemic problem. Um, that one really I'll just gonna kind of wrap up what bothers me and we can talk about what we think but and I know that I went I'm the leazison to the elementary school and I went to their opening assembly with all the kids and

088um last year they've done a whole big thing around um getting kids to school and if you show up you you know get to participate in these special events and that kind of stuff and they really touted that this year. So there's no question some of that is already happening. Do we need to help put that on steroids because we all know that I mean the data is incontrovertible that the more kids show up to school the more likely they're going to be to graduate right and be successful etc. So you know is there something around just districtwide getting kids to show up um as one possible objective or question. Um and then you know again if you I think the high school graduation rate is great. We're not at every like our our goal

089says. So, we could be looking at that, but at 98% you're pretty you're getting awful close to that. But when you factor in the academy, we're not there, right? And then and Kings Valley, Susan and I discussed this. You know, they have their own board. They don't usually take too kindly to taking direction from us. So, I'm not sure that, you know, I'm too inclined to set objectives that we would try to cascade down through them. Um, we can talk about that, but that would be my job. This valley is not part of phoma except that's where the money goes through. >> We are still responsible for that. >> Okay. >> We're not It's a weird thing. We're a little bit responsible to them and we're a lot responsible for them. >> So their graduation

090rate in essence is full. >> Did you look at the district levels? King Valley's in there. >> Okay. I thought they were just a charter that just funneled through us. Oh, they are a charter within the Paloma School District. So therefore they roll up to her numbers. >> One of the things that the state did here because they what they're trying to do is to set um like districts to be able to establish targets, growth targets of the things that we're going to need to measure. And um originally they were going to have charter schools in the measures with districts. And the hue and cry was no, no, we we we don't want that because we've got brickandmortar charter schools and we've got online charter schools and they're very different. And so for now, unless

091a district and a charter agree and opt together, let's get some data on the charters independent and have them be a be a group or groups among themselves rather than being included in district counts. uh just automatic. >> Well, and even more specifically, right, we as long as the charter school is living up to the charter and not basically failing or floundering, then they really don't have to take direction from us and and they really don't because they have their own charter. They have their own, you know, they have to meet state requirements as well. And you correct me if I'm wrong. I mean, it is. >> No, they do. Um and and so you know ultimately if they are way off track because ultimately to Erin's point we are accountable for them. We step

092and say hey you know if they graduation plummeted to 10% saying hey you're failing and we're going to step back in and direct but until that point happens we really can't interject ourselves. >> Is that 98% including Kings Valley? No, because that's our high school. If you look at the district page, the district reflects for graduation high school, Kings Valley, and Fouth Academy are Valley. >> So, but in the 98% is Fouth High School, not accounted for the academy, right? >> But this this one here, this one here would have all three, the high school, the academy, >> and the charter school. But when you're looking at stuff for FHO, so separate Kings Valley because they're their own thing at the moment. Why is the academy not lumped in with Fom if they're saying that

093if we're saying they're the exact same standards? >> They are. >> They're in this one, >> but they have their own. >> But we don't have we don't have is a PHSPA only. That's what I was asking. You have all three. You have Kings Valley. See, that's where we do some of the slicing and dicing outside that on our own because we want to know what it is with Kings Valley in and what it is. >> And I'm saying for our purposes and I guess for your evaluation purposes or what we're talking about, why are we separating the two form of schools if they're one in the same? It's it's it's the state's measure. They go by each individual school. >> Yeah. I mean, budget budget, for example, it's not elementary and loget separate. They're

094together. Excuse me. They we have reports of each of those because they're a different building >> and really would be lumped in there too. >> Yeah. >> Um >> I always like to point out that we should never forget our five-year completion rate because that's very important. It >> it includes our GE students and um which fifth year completers >> on the phil academy one that that is a pretty stark I can't remember what it was like 67 and like 89 or something. It is a follow through that we should be very >> and see that's what we take a look at internally as we're able to say yeah you're at 67 but you gave out >> 14 or 12 or whatever 89% that's a big >> that's a big and that's to the point

095of like you know it's not necessarily it accounts for a lot of those kids that don't fall into the like you're going to make this happen in four years you're going to do all of these this way um some of D and D compleers do it in three years. That's just a little column fit here. >> It landed exactly how it needed to land to not. >> So Tom, help me thinking. You brought this up because we're talking about objective >> and then this >> and I'm not >> I guess I need keep explaining how I understand where you're going. I'm trying to come up with a, you know, one line. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> So you need to keep going so I can I haven't got in my head yet. Well, I know

096where you're head. So, I want to start with just general focus area. So, one is just attendance, right? Do we want to have an objective around just getting kids to show up? And I know that's already been going on, but if we put it at the board level, it just gives it that much more focus and attention. And he could give Susan the excuse to, hey, we're going to we're going to fund to send every kid who's, you know, who's in that 90% gets to go to, you know, spend a day at Enchantment Forest, >> right? I mean, it's that important to us that we're literally going to do something really big like that, right? Um I I'm just throwing that out there as a as a if they really created an you would move

097the needle for some kids like they >> I personally more interested in why the attendance lower than what we could do as a board to improve attendance because as was already mentioned the schools are kind of working on that. I also always worry if there's like an attendance reward, does it have to be perfect attendance to get it? Because if somebody's sick, I don't want them coming to school for three weeks. >> The definition of a regular attendant is they're they're there 90% of the time. >> And if we can hit that and that's the goal to win. >> Yeah. Oh, no. That's what it is. That's what it is. It's not >> We've got a state or Yeah. state group that we're looking at at participating in uh that is looking across multiple districts

098to be able to look at student attendance and and how we encourage and promote and things like that. There are a couple of pieces that also extend culturally. We have families who who are choosing to say the time is now. we're going to take a vacation that we may not have taken in the past or if there's something that's going on um I'll keep my child home more so than I think that that's happened. The other thing that we see is we also have staff who are using more leave than they have ever used before. Now the thing that I I can't argue with is they aren't it's it's deserved. And so if somebody says, "I'm going to use all my personal leave," where 10 years ago I would have said, "I'm gonna hold on.

099I'm not going to use it all." >> Um, we've just got a different >> Yeah. >> Um, uh, and I when I say social dynamic, it's not just for, it's kind of everywhere. >> That Yeah. And and so um, uh, it is important for students to be in school and we're looking for those ways. Uh but we also I think have to think to have to consider too that there is truly a social >> um >> change. >> Yeah. Do we have families who are afraid to send their kids to school? >> We do. We have some that are afraid. >> Yeah. >> But and I think that this kind of goes to get full circle which is great. So we're taught independence and I brought up the CT stuff like Tyler was sick one

100day. He's like but I need to go work on my project. I have to go to school. So having more having reasons they want to come to school. Nobody wants to come to school to sit there and take a test. But having other opportunities >> sounds be over here taking online for fun. But back to my point, if we have objectives and if we write if there's an objective that says add CTE programs and one that says we want better attendance, Susan or with our help or whatever can say, hey, this program here, whe it could be performing arts, it could be leadership, something that's gives the kids, here's a project we want to get there for. >> Why supports even though I don't understand that? No, I'm and I'm I'm just throwing it out

101there is we just know it's such a I mean if you look at and I think with the exception to academy it's comparing to general high schools but every in every case we're above the state but >> well like at le 67 versus us is 73. Uh the middle school 67 versus 69. So that's pretty close. Um the elementary school 67 versus 76. So that's pretty good. It's almost 10 points higher. So, we're not doing badly relative to the rest of the state. I would say we're doing terribly relative to what kids really should be doing. Um, and we just know that that really moves the needle in terms of student engagement and overall performance, graduation rates, all those things. >> What if you change the word for attendance to desire >> if the kids

102So, >> well, I just attend a measurable. >> Yeah. But I guess what I'm getting at is if as an objective >> instead of saying that a minimum attention requirement somehow attendance is a is the measurable thing but attend school. >> My objective would be you know >> the way I would phrase the objective is put in programs that uh you know um uh support attendance. >> Yeah that exactly that encourage better attendance across the state. >> State's going to ask us to measure attendance too. I mean that's just it's one of the pieces that they are coming out with >> and and let's be clear right like we we I've talked about this in previous meetings right there's I mean obviously keeping students continuing to show up is students day students day Susan's day

103job excuse me quite tongue tied on that for some reason um you know and so if we don't ever do anything she's still going to get measured still got to do it but if we really want to move the needle then that's when you put it as an objective no we don't want to just maintain the status quo or go up a few points we want to jump it by 10 percentage points then we would put it as an objective and I'm I'm not going to get strongly behind this one because we aren't bad and there may be other things we think are higher priority, but it because it is such a huge predictor of everything else. That's why putting it on the table >> as an objective and looking at the other objectives that

104we have up there. All of those feed into this objective making it a pretty low hanging fruit as far as like if we are really serious about getting behind these objectives. It's in theory. >> Yeah. >> Improving all of this should move that forward and get attendance higher to your point. I mean, if kids want to be here, if there's a positive, >> I mean, other than the foundation, they support that money also. >> There's the foundation. >> Um, but like having uh schools that look good, like they've proven, having, you know, clean, brightly lit in a good environment. >> Oh my gosh. But I could hear because maybe I'm a little neurode divergent. Um >> yeah, >> there was one down on >> my math class. I think I think that's why I had

105a hard time in algebra, too. I'm not even joking because I could hear every single light and that I couldn't hear what the teacher was saying. I could only hear the lights. something that that we've talked about as a group of administrators that we know is going to be at least the next, you know, there you go, three to five year kind of a thing is >> we're not leaving until that's all dark. >> Okay. >> Sorry, Susan. My favorite poem. >> The world is changing in a way that um is in generics the purpose of school >> about teaching. Thank you. Um >> okay. U memorable in knowledge or is it making a shift that we have knowledge available to us? So what are the skills that encompass that knowledge? Which is a different

106way for the teachers and administrators to think. But those are some of the conversations that we're starting to have about is is the rope memorization of certain things the beall and endall that's going to help. I mean it's it's important to be able to move forward but it's really it really is are we becoming more about how do you utilize the information that is available to you how you discern misinformation and discern is saying that >> yes and so that's um that is a bigger part of the conversation too >> that's a that's a medium one for sure >> verify that's another one that comes up in our household all the time that's >> I don't know why this popped my head as you're But another objective would be um uniting the staff better like

107a um I don't know what how to phrase that but a >> yeah I don't know what the word is a I don't know if it's still the way three years ago two years ago there was there was probably some tension a lot have to do with the person that's now gone but there was a lot of the staff had a divide, >> right? >> That problem has has gone. But just I don't know what the word is that we put as objective but uniting uniting the staff just as a um I know the the effects would be you know the better work environment things but I can't think what the word would be that we put as an objective but well besides unity we we did have probably a path we still have is

108there still healing going on is there >> yeah And if that's something we can address or is that just a matter of time? >> I think some of it is time but I also think there are things changing also. Um in terms I'm hesitating because I I haven't really taken the time to formulate the the full thought. Um uh we've we've got a lot in a lot of businesses and not just in educational worlds of I've got too much to do >> and not enough time to do it and it's your fault. Um I mean and and some of that has measure and some of it doesn't I don't think but um again there's a cultural shift um in some of those things that I I think we can't ignore. >> I think the cultural

109shift is accountability. Nobody's accountable for their action if they take the actions. It just goes down the line. So accountability is a cultural shift. >> Absolutely. I also have a theory that has to do with resilience. I think that the pandemic um eroded a lot of people's natural resilience because resiliency isn't getting through something. It's how you recover after you've gotten through something. And I think fundamentally people's baseline of how much they can do. How much they can take on and how they recover from that is a lot lower than it was five or six years ago. I know it's not universal. I happen to work in healthc care spaces so it's a little different for me even though I'm not a healthare provider. Um, but I see a lot of that and I've seen

110it in my kids. I've seen it in my friends. I've seen it in my friends's kids. Some of those stumbles become harder and harder to recover from even when they're really small things because your baseline, your well is a little emptier than it used to. You don't know how to refill it or it can't maybe can't be until recovery, which burnout recovery three to five years, >> which does goes back to my point of 14, 15 helping these kids, >> right? >> And the staff though. Yeah, but >> they never got a chance to like fall apart after co cuz they had to keep going for our kids. They had to learn how to teach from home. They had to learn how to do this. They had to learn how to do this. They had

111to pivot so many times. Like I'm just picturing like metaphoric torn meniscus, you know, like we've got pickle ball injuries, but they're from teachers having to just like figure out how to do things so many different ways. And then they had students come back in and many of them had experienced some pretty deep trauma during the pandemic. And now they're having to learn how to deal with social emotional trauma based responses um being trauma informed teachers on top of just being teachers. >> And we're not old enough. Sorry people. But I think that the >> that we're part of the um everybody got a trophy. So the older people are no more resilient because >> they're the ones who made us the participation trophies. It's not our fault. >> So I I think that's >>

112we were not making participation trophies for ourselves. Our parents were doing that and I never got one either. I'm gen. >> So really young. >> I never made a participation either. I guess my point is though that it it goes without accountability and and you feel bouncing back because for the the last couple decades it's always somebody else's problem. You blame it on somebody else and nobody just takes accountability and moves forward. It's always you just blame it on somebody else and you just move on. So >> but yeah, so I don't know. Yeah, just I'm thinking in terms of staff a work a measurable thing for Susan in terms of as a trade we have we have a thing about graduation we have something about opportunities but without the staff we can't achieve that.

113>> So you're talking about basically team building but the >> Yeah I'm thinking of a word I like words like as a >> team building. No word it doesn't in my mind it's not the right word. >> Okay. >> I don't know what the right word is. I'm just thinking as I'm looking at a word, as I look at what we have here, I look at opportunity is one word. >> Are you talking about the staff of the community or the staff individually? >> The staff is a community. >> Part of the other thing is strategic planning I talked to Susan about was if we don't have a goal for the staff out there as you're hiring people, we need to have the the hiring people need to have here's our school's, you know, objective.

114Here's what we're planning. Here's what we want to do when they're hired. when you're interviewing the person has a clear picture of what they're coming into, >> what their piece of the puzzle is. >> Yeah. >> And so, yeah. So, >> I I think I understand what you're after, but I also appreciate your struggle because I mean, best lang come out with is, you know, improve unity across the staff. Well, that's the equivalent of saying, you know, be good or do good or achieve greatness, you know. I mean, I don't know. >> What's that? >> Yeah. Yeah. and that so I I struggle with how do you objectify >> right but I'm looking at as I look at this I see opportunity opportunity with the CTE program and job fairs then I see postgraduation as

115something as a measurable thing so now I'm saying I'm just one or two words and I don't know what that is of >> I'll let you on that one >> I was still thinking unity >> collaborative opportunities >> team building. >> I'm going to leave that one out there. >> So, what what we I don't I mean, other than I think the uh you know, the CT stuff could help us graduation rates, you get more kids excited about that kind of stuff. But, um so I I'm not hearing a big push on uh um attendance, but if I'm wrong, speak up, but um >> I think it's going to be a Yeah. So, so we have that one up there. We can figure out I I forgot how I typed that. We have that up

116there. We can talk about that makes it to the final cut. The other one though that um so I looked at the the um the school district level one I think. So, English language arts, this is third grade achieving grade level. Um you know, again, we're better than the state. And then but eighth grade mathematics again we're better than the state. But you know this is a big red flag to me right that only 45% of our students at third grade are meeting third grade targets or 32% in eighth grade math. Those are when I went through all these these are the things I circled that for me to move the graduation rate. I mean, obviously getting kids to show up, having them have engaging programs like the CT stuff, those are all going to

117point us in this direction of better graduation rate, but some focused effort around and you know, to me the objective is simply ensure every third grader can read, right? >> Well, the the third grade third graders reading at grade level is one of the lynch pin. Um there's so much data out there that says if the the students that cannot read at grade level >> um at third grade are exponentially more um likely to drop out of school or to struggle in school. >> Is the definition of English language art is that reading? Um they they've got right now what they're doing is the state language arts test which is a combination of reading, writing. >> Um >> no speaking and um well no they don't have speaking in there because they don't do that

118but it's reading writing and um >> comprehend there's there's a piece of that anyway. Um, and so, uh, what they're looking for is is really reading and writing, um, as being the big ones, but reading is the is the real lynch pin of, um, >> does that number represent is that mostly reading then? Is that >> it represents the state test, which is language arts and so it encompasses more than just reading, >> but it certainly doesn't read. >> Yeah. And I'll say that this eighth grade cohort that's represented here, I love seeing the number go up, but I will also say they were the co fourth graders because the my kid was part of this cohort of the eighth graders. Um, and they are the ones that Susan mentioned had the opportunity for that

119integrated math class. So, some pretty swift action has already been taken because it was developed during the first trimester. like they were like they identified it was a need they're already offering it this trimester and that's a huge >> number can be really helpful and then they can also be really >> welling following that >> and that's why I also want to pair this with I always want to pair it with what's happening with the the assessments we're giving KA kids in in uh reading and math three times a year >> that doesn't take into account those students that are opting out because they can't opt out of this and we can see growth across time more so than we can see this. So you might have a student for instance in the ongoing testing

120as we look at that that I may start out so low that I'm never going to hit that neat percentage but if I gain a year's reading level >> in a school year even if I'm still not there that's pretty powerful information. >> And so how do we how do we draw that in also? But but that reading piece is is the math too, but the reading especially at third grade is critical. >> And these are the spring tests, correct? >> Yeah, these are the spring state. >> Oh, my mind's catching up here. Back to your uh attendance. >> Y think about a word in I wonder about community engagement. If so, the community >> being parents and community, we're asking the community just like the money we just got from the pool and other

121funds, we need the community engaged and the community engaged will theoretically engage some of the parents and help promote attendance. So, is attendance something under community engagement? >> Community one. Yeah. one facet of >> attendance in the same way that >> parental engagement for sure. >> I was just thinking of another you know >> well a strategy to move that forward would be >> enhancing parental >> yeah because part I think part of Susa's job or our job is keeping our broad community supportive of the school. If we don't have the community involved back in the school, the community is ultimately the one that funds part of the school. So somehow making sure we've engaged and the community engagement would also be st I mean I don't know how to play just >> yeah I'll

122just put it down there just involve community how do we how do we yeah I I don't have a picture what that would look like but yeah I have a rough idea what you you know what you're thinking >> well an enhanced community involvement is going to benefit all of our >> yeah having well I mean some of that CTO that number that >> yeah all >> I was still working on the my teachers thing when engagement came still working >> I think engagement is actually a really good word for the uh teacher component as well engaged and >> team built teachers >> so more what I'm honing in here now on earth what I'm trying to bring to the table is the graduation rate itself because we've talked a few other key things here,

123but I don't think we've specifically talked about that one. I'm pointing to the, as you pointed out, as you concur, the grade three, um, English, reading, whatever, and then the math. But let me just, you know, you're the educ you're the lead educator in the room here. What would move the needle the most if we said this is what we wanted to prioritize in terms of improving our graduation rate? Um, and let me go back to what we talked about probably an hour ago. you know, Phomath Academy is there just program around how do we, you know, get them more resources to make sure that their 43% of kids who, you know, for whatever reason shifted from the high school over and then didn't make it across the line, you know, is that >> don't

124forget that graduate or graduation >> completion year. That's great. It's but it's still not, you know, at the high school level it's 96% versus No, that's the district level. The high school it's like 99%. >> What 989? Yeah. So the point is is the economy certainly five years is better but they're still not at the district level or that the high school level 99%. So, if you, you know, if there was one we put here to help move the needle, I mean, you know, I'm going to be on the board for four years and I want to reflect back. I do this often, right? I reflect back, what did I do in the eight years I was on it before and I we're sitting in a building and I was a huge principal make it

125happen, right? There's a few things I like to be able to say, yeah, I help make that happen. >> Improving our graduation, driving toward that vision we've had all this time on both fronts, more graduations and better transitions to whatever's next. That would be a you know a huge legacy I would like to leave behind. So this year what would be the one thing that you would bring forward that you would want us to help you get resources for and you know give attention to to move the needle on graduation. >> Only one. >> Yeah. I mean we you can have multiple but I'm you know what's your two or three if you got a few hot ones and then we can figure out where they are. Mhm. >> And I'll give you five seconds

126and then go. >> Yeah. >> Um the graduation rate. >> I mean, you're, you know, the high school level, it's pretty impressive. So, what's going on at the academy that we're not getting there? Well, I think that there there there is a piece of it that um with fewer students, you kind of get that percentage thing shifting around. >> Well, but but it doesn't um but where that shows up it I mean I it's still not I'm not so worried about percentage. It's that because right when we go you go from 98% at the high school level, the district level, you're at 92%. Right. So that 6% that is between Kings Valley and and the academy that's bringing you down. It's so it doesn't matter the percentage. You've got kids who aren't making it, >>

127right? And and I would say um what is that continuous support of being able to look at um you know what is my next step and and how do I help you get there to whatever that next step is. And so, you know, it becomes at at what point do we really look at personalizing schedule um uh to the degree that we can? Um, so if we if we looked at, you know, just incremental resources to, for lack of a better term, handhold more of the phoma academy kids to help in those last couple years, right? It's not their third trimester of their senior year, but you know, hey, you you know, um, someone else just I brought up with you multiple times, too. So, I'm going to shift gears here. I was talking about

128that. Let me shift back. Many of you, if not all of you know Don Cruz was, you know, a fifth grade teacher, fourth grade teacher at the elementary school forever and ever and ever. And then he was on the board for, I think, two terms, three years, maybe. And um he would point out, he says, you know, in fourth grade, the teachers in fourth grade would tell you the 10 kids that weren't going to graduate high school. >> Wow. >> They knew, right? And and you know, whether they were 100% accurate, probably not, but they were probably 80 to 90% accurate. And so of course we use we use testing and we use grades and we use the state you know state level assessments and all that to determine some of this but you know

129is there is there opportunity for that fourth and fifth grade teachers to just say yeah these are we move these kids out to middle school these are the 10 kids or the 20 kids and I know there's we've got RTI and there's different things but um is there something about that where we now then say these are the kids we know are the ones who are at most at risk. We're going to make sure they're not lost year to year. We're going to put something in place that helps them track all the way through until we get to a point where you say, "Hey, this no one thinks this kid's at risk anymore. He's part of the program." >> And and we've tried to do more and more of the um transition conversations each spring,

130especially across schools, but also across grade level. Yeah, he's true. >> One of the things that hap has happened just in this year is the middle school and the high school have become much more connected in looking at information. So for instance, this integrated math class that's happening this year, if you go back and take a look at it, a number of those students fail eighth grade math, right? >> And so what they've looked at this year is how many people are how many eighth grade students are currently failing math. And so, you know, we can take a look at what are we putting into place for their success and then expecting them to come to the high school and jump right into algebra when there wasn't a level of success. And so, what do

131we need to do to shore those things up um instead of making a broad assumption? So, yeah, we also have like warrior 101 at the school which is like to help kids that are maybe a little bit more high risk and I'm the like the peer tutor for that. on like the teacher aid for that class and like that is such a good class. Like I'm I feel like more people need to be put in that like even if they're just on like a lower risk. like that is genuinely such a helpful class. And I've seen a lot of them like start at the beginning of the year being like, "Oh, well, like I'm I'm not going to I'm going to drop out and like by the end of this year." And then now they're

132all like, "Oh, actually I want to go to LBCC for blah blah blah blah and I want to go pursue this and that's a full 70 minute, right? It's not like >> it's good." >> No, and I think I was aware of that. I'm glad you brought it up though. And I think that goes right to why your your graduation rate has been so good is because of things like that. >> They also in correct me if I'm wrong because I think it starts in fourth grade is the like walk to learning or whatever it's called at the elementary school. >> They're doing that start second grade. >> Are they doing it? Not really now where they get to um and that is how it was phrased in our household. I get to go to

133this other class for this subject. And I think it helps kind of maybe level kids and they don't realize it's happening. >> Yeah. So, which is really important at that pivotal stage of everything making you self-conscious. >> With kids failing eighth grade math, is there an opportunity for say a sophomore, junior AP math student to go to the middle school to help those kids before the transition? You can't the staff has their hands full, but if you have people that are that know when the kids maybe you learn from kids, can we utilize some kids as a a credit for them to help the other kids? >> Yeah. And we do that on occasion. The biggest struggle is you got 70-minute class periods here and 45minute class periods at the middle school. And so it

134it doesn't it doesn't align well. >> Um but that doesn't mean that it can't happen. I could almost see it >> two subjects >> in collaboration with the preschool with the like early childhood development >> but instead of early >> just like to to level the class period which is not my problem to solve but >> no there are there are some possibilities like that being able to to do those >> I do know that often the AP students are taking as many AP courses as they can because they're trying to get real competitive for those schools that they want to get in. We don't want to interfere with that with their >> and that's why I say sophomores not the so I'm thinking they're closer in age. So if you have a if you

135have a age wise 8th grade is what 14 >> 13 14 and if a 15 16 or 16 17 something like that was helping them don't know >> any of those things are possibilities. We've got steals that move all over the place to support things like that. >> The grounds are remarkable when they work. >> And I guess that hasn't really answered Tom's question, but is that >> it sounds like those kids I mean it sounds like those kids left middle school not ready for high school in math not ready. So in some level they the middle school failed them and then they didn't the high school is trying to get them to graduate but if they didn't leave middle school is that the transition are those a point to help boost that graduation rate

136>> and those are things that we're talking about is is you know which is why the high school and the middle school uh having the conversations now about where are we and what's happening the U RTI program at the middle school is really coming starting to come into its own where we're starting to see the potential for a little bit more in the math avenue um uh to be able to be supportive there. So, the hope is that will also be able to help solve some or um allay some of the concerns. >> So, to Tom's point of trying to boost that graduation rate, you're not boosting it with the kid that's in you're not it's not a two-year problem. >> No, it isn't. >> It is not. I get to yeah Thomas question is

137where do you need the most help and I don't know it's not junior senior year. >> So I'm just yeah just thinking as he was asking you where that point is and I'm I'm wondering if it's middle school not high school. So I'm just thinking about where else school >> so >> yeah just >> and again these were the kids that got sent home at the end of their third grade year missed fourth grade like in person and had to go back to math and fifth grade. There is also something to be said for the differentiation of education for individualized children in every grade and to that like walk to I can't remember what you said walk to learning or something to reading walking >> but that being like creating a culture where that is

138the norm within our district is that we're meeting the child where they are instead of expecting them to peg into the the square that we're sticking them in. Um, and that starts in elementary. And it I I do think I do agree with you that I think that middle school is where that the trend like that the crux is. Like that's where the the tipping point is and that if you are not set up well to get into that freshman year >> with things like the eighth grade math boy, it's it's a struggle. >> Yeah. It's it's the transition period like you know the fifth to sixth and 8th to 9th are are some pretty critical >> junctures. Yes. I love hearing there's some I love the math idea. I I had a eighth grade

139math struggler who struggled last year as a freshman. So, we're working our way through it. >> Well, because the original conversation is we we can't offer a credit for anything less than algebra 1 because the state won't give a credit. >> And it's kind of like but if that's what our students need, >> right? >> Then we need to be able to offer something >> equivalent of math 95, right? >> You know, to instead of having to take algebra 1 A and failing it and having to repeat it. And that's how we graduate kids is we meet them where they are, give them the education that they are ready for and need, and we help them move forward. We don't say, "Oh, you didn't get it?" >> Yeah. >> Tough tough um Yeah. And and

140it was a big enough cohort that they had enough students to fill an entire box, too. So, it's not like a tiny >> Well, it's I mean 10 to 15 students. The state requirement is two or three years ago. Two years, three years back. >> What do you girls think? When do you hear people losing like do you >> What do you guys think? >> Um I feel like I hear people lose it in math, right? As you hit algebra, too. That's when it like get that's when it gets hard. Like I'm a math tutor and that's when >> it's algebra and then geometry and then >> it's like they love geometry becomes flashbacks. >> Yeah. algebra 2, right? It's like shapes and then they hit algebra 2 and they're like I don't need this

141because I'm not going into a math related field. I'm never going to use this. Which I think is kind of aligned in a lot of the things and it's like I don't know like I've seen that as a part as like a student and also as a math tutor who's tutored algebra, geometry and algebra 2. Like I very much see a falloff right after geometry using s cosine tangent after I got out of school. So >> yeah, they just don't physics. >> Yeah, I'm not in physics. I bet you already used it to pick up a cow. >> I bet you've used it. You didn't write it on paper, but I bet you used it. >> Mel team building, what do you think about workplace atmosphere? >> There we go. Culture, atmosphere, >> what's the

142objective? That's a that's a concept around >> the objective is unity, >> opportunities for healing, >> bringing hope. >> Yeah. >> Like we do the barbecue, right? the barbecue barbecue. Maybe the board can initiate some >> a couple times a year to have something like the barbecue. I don't know. That's a big >> I will tell you for three years I did I did a flower workshop at the middle school and there is nothing that team builds like getting people out there and putting them outside of their comfort zone. >> I did an art workshop with the middle school teachers a few years ago too. So this is actually the first slide in my um >> uh I should have probably started with this but we know Michelle >> this will be helpful to write

143goal statements for the rest of your life >> especially you future e >> so I've uh I've actually I I have this great like two-hour presentation that I've done professionally many many times on what makes a good vision statement or a good objective statement And unfortunately the hard drive that I did is dying and I'm trying to get it repaired but so I had to recreate this. You've heard the term smart gold which is an acronym for specific measurable etc. But I actually think those aren't the that isn't the best set. This is the best set I've put together over the years. So >> couple of yeah it's not meant to spell anything but um so >> stomach. >> It spells stomach. Um, stop reaching for it. >> Anyway, um, so, uh, you know, this

144these are the an objective statement should have these kind of elements to it and you know there's a little description and then these are some examples of the ones on the right, the bad examples are the ones you see all the time. I would argue a couple of the ones we saw in Vince's document, you know, empower student success through great achievement, blah, blah, blah. That means nothing to anybody. Um, so, you know, I just what prompted me to to this out at this moment, Ryan, is around staff unity. How do you write an objective around that, right? Um, and I would I mean, it could be simply improve staff unity, but then what does that mean? It's got to be measurable. So, how do you if you can't measure it, then there's So, I

145I don't mean to discount it. We just got to figure out how do we actually make that intuitive meaningful objective >> which I think would be just a tip stab at it. I I feel your passion on that would be something like you know enable four events per year that are more collaborative in nature. They're less like learning focused and they're more community building. >> My thought was we just we're putting a lot of stuff onto this like student success. Yeah. But the student success is because of the teachers, >> right? >> So, I'm just trying to figure out how to put as one of Susan's goals or our goals or Susan's goals or objective is >> staff retention or that's not the right thing either, but just you got to have >> staff retention.

146>> Yeah. Yeah. It also helps our money that we get from the state if our teachers stay around for a long time. >> Yeah. No, I'm just I just as we were talking about how to graduate every student. Well, the teachers are who gets there. And I don't know how that fits into a goal, but >> I mean, staff retention is a good one because that the culture around how you keep staff has to do with all of the things that you're saying. It has to do with uh community building. It has to do with feeling heard and safe. And >> is that a goal? Is that an objective or goal? We have good staff retention. I that was in one of these metrics right here. >> Yeah, I think each of the digital schools

147that they're working >> and and I would say also I I kind of said it as an aside earlier, but they've proven it takes one adult who believes in a kid >> to measurably improve their outcomes as students. And if our staff are so worn out or um can't see the forest for the trees, >> they might miss that one kid who really needs them to have that 30 seconds to just like tell the dumb joke or look at a piece of art that they've drawn or whatever it might be to really reinvigorate them. I'll say there have been moments in one of my kids' lives where having a teacher who was willing to like pause their grading to look at a at a cartoon or something that my kid had drawn made a huge

148difference and like was talked about for days afterward. Like so and so said they really liked my drawing and I showed it to this person too and then you know they're engaged in other stuff. So >> this is the one I meant to I meant to put on. Yeah, this is I >> Yeah, I should have I was I was trying not to bring my preset in, but this is what I had. >> It's on this as one of the examples. >> Exactly. When I brought this back out, I Yeah. Well, it's actually what you saying, but yeah, I put it in there >> because that's that's extremely measurable, right? We can and and again, there's probably 20 30% of students don't need it, right? They've got a great home life and they've got good

149friends, a popular kids, whatever. It's still I think it's important for them to have this person but I think it there is at least half the kids if not more who you know and it can be you know the smartest teacher in the building or the principal or it can be the janitor or the cafeteria person just someone who has an emotional connection with these kids. How are you doing today? Hey look down today. What's going on? You know >> whatever is that kid for almost every single elementary school kid go the nurse. She kept her bowl of candy there and and students would just go in there. She she wasn't a teacher. She wasn't a counselor. You just went in there. She asked how you learn. She had a candy bowl. So you stopped

150in the way you walk. You walk down the hall though >> and she would see somebody that you know was like you know slouched and she'd call them in and just she was more a counselor. She was a school nurse that everybody went to see go take candy. You go see her say hi to her piece of candy. And it was less awkward I think for kids because it wasn't the guidance said to you like basically tell them what you're doing wrong you didn't do. She's just here how you doing today. >> Yeah. >> Everybody connected. >> Yeah. So it sounds like we're going to coales around that one being one because I think that's very very um uh operational if you look at my little cheat sheet here. I mean that's but it has

151a very big uh profound on student safety, right? kids less likely to go shoot up a school if he's got a friend in the building, an adult friend. They're more likely to show up because they've got a friend here. They're more likely to do their work. They're more likely to graduate. This is one that I think we should just institutionalize. So, it's not like we're all >> I can't think of the lyrics of this song, Point of Light, but it's basically that that when you when you see what's wrong, you try to do what's right, you become a point of light or something, but it gets to a point of light. >> Yeah. And I would argue that there's a way to play with that to have it make sense for the staff as well.

152Make sure that staff members have another staff member that they can connect with >> once a week or you know small group whatever it might be. And I know that they have like special projects that they work on and things like that but like what if it's just like not the work necessarily. >> I don't know that that is an easy implementation but >> pool day pool day. >> Yeah. Hey Steph, you have to wear a swimsuit in front of all your [ __ ] yeah right. Enjoy. >> So Susan, you never really unless you're taller. Have you been thinking about your one? >> So I was going to give you an out here unless you think you already have an answer. >> We are not going to hear what you have to say. >> I was

153going to give her an answer. We have time to come up with an answer. Well, but you know, I looked at, you know, the good example that we we need to really make sure that we're ensuring every student >> can read by the end of the third grade. >> You know, that's and and then do that. >> That's your problem. >> Honestly, you come back to us and say, "Hey, I need this, this, and this." We work to you figure work to figure how to make that happen. >> But I think that's >> the characters aren't the how, they're the what. >> Yeah. And that to me is is is it >> Yeah. is there. So >> years ago, our neighbor when was a farmer and also came here, his wife was a librarian here.

154Bob Henderson used to come here and just sit with it was a volunteer and read with kids. >> They still do that. So >> yeah, Brianna did it up until she left. >> But would that would a couple more volunteers would that help? And they'll and the >> they got more volunteers than they need with that smart reading program right now. >> So how would so how do you boost the reading? >> You know, our our our RTI work is making an incredible difference in what's happening for reading for kids. Um the other thing that we're working on with staff is um you know the the the the mantra that comes along is we teach kids how to read until they're through third grade and then from fourth grade on they are reading to learn

155>> but not everybody can read. >> Not everybody has learned to read by third grade. So it's how do we have our staff have the breath >> to be able to continue to help students learn to read. >> And so I realized some of this starts a whole lot of parent. We still read with our kids and but I I realize it starts earlier, but how do you you have the programs, but are they coming to do some kids come to school with some ability to read or >> some do? Yeah. >> But most does Next Steps like I know Next Steps was out of funding. Is that a program that helps boost them? Is it >> any preschool program? >> Yeah, it can. >> Third grade and that's where you're saying, "Well, they can't

156read third grade." Is it really a problem three years prior? >> Yeah. And they they start I mean, I had a kid who had title one starting in kindergarten. They recognized a little trouble reading. Turned out it was ADHD. Um and and did that. And then by first grade she was caught up to reading level >> cuz I started that really >> elementary school based on experience is a great time. I had no idea when I couldn't talk until fifth grade that that speech I mean I you don't notice when you get to middle school you're picked on. In elementary school I it was just a thing. I just went to the person that put the mint in my mouth to help you talk but I didn't think anything of it. It was just a

157thing, but it would be a big thing by the time you got to middle school, >> but elementary school is a great time to intervention because kids are >> kids are just so and and our staff at least at Clemens is they are they do an amazing job of identifying the need for intervention and then really like act making actionable item plans like planning to get that done. I mean it's it's just a matter of continuation I think and like more support but >> that's something was just getting out of a distracting kindergarten classroom so that she could focus until >> distracting she >> until she was able to learn and then she she was fine in a distracting classroom after that. So turns out we also have distracting household. >> Yeah. >> Something about

158lots of kids. I don't know. Um, I threw this one up um >> because it's this back to my Don Cruz comment. Um, oh, and that's I have to understand better. This RTI stuff kind of came started to take off as I was getting on the board. So, um, so here's what I proposed. We're at 8:30 8:34 even sorry. Um, uh, I think this is phenomenal. This is exactly where I wanted to get to was uh this list just like this of things that we think are priorities in these and these are all you know we got to tighten the wording down a bit but they're all very much fit into this you know parameters of a good objective right we don't have things like make kids great or empower collaboration through the use of

159strategic synergies or anything like that which I trust me I have been involved in people writing those objective statements in my corporate life so this is great. These are all very, very measurable. I can email this to you right this moment, Susan. Um, what I would propose then is let Susan and I work on this a little bit. Tighten it down. I won't I'll keep this so you you know where we started and then we'll come and say because this is a lot. And so, can we boil this down? We don't want nine, you know. I think we want the the three to five somewhere in that six probably at the absolute most. Um, especially if a couple of those are like one of them might be a level one. So, it's not a suitable

160plate. Um and then we in January meeting um we can maybe carve out a half an hour an hour just to finalize on this um in addition to our regular board meeting. >> January this month like January is our next meeting. Yeah. >> So this talk you're going to come back to us. You're going to break this down to no more than five. >> Yeah. >> And then are you g So you're going to have a word or whatever it is. >> Bring a proposal. Yeah, just propose. >> So you're are you going to have the whole thing proposed or we have another work session? So you're going to take a word or >> want to take a stab at boiling this down and proposing something and then you No, you guys will have full

161uh involvement in the final >> No, what is that together or are you going to do? >> No, I'm just for experience sake. I'm going to come with a recommendation on what our objective said is based on this. That's what I want to make sure >> and then you guys can pick it apart as much as you want, but hopefully it's robust enough and I'll do it with Susan as well. I'm just trying to avoid a whole another meeting where we're crafting. >> That was my question that you're going to come together with a proposal. We can tweak it. It will correct. But we'll have an outline. >> Yeah, absolutely. >> That's what I want to make sure. >> It's just this iterate to the next level. That's all I'm >> That's what I want

162to make sure >> and this is how I've done this because otherwise if we sit here and nitpick, you will get statements like collaborating on synergies and all that stuff because that's just how people it's becomes the group thing. So, um, >> this send this, we send this back and and that's and you already obviously read that I brought this up and just tell you I my mind can't go more than a caption per picture. So, when I read these things, I like, you know, show like measurable how we're going to do it. >> Not almost all these are darn good. >> Yeah. No, as we talked about like >> these these really are general priorities or or focus areas is what I would say Vince has organized her for. They are not objectives. Yeah,

163you cannot. Most of these Susan would not know how to take I I would not falter for for not knowing how to take action on these because they're not >> I printed it out cuz I read online. I'm like I got a ruler and try to just I'm lost. I start reading. >> Well, it it was not a good start. I'm going to read it again because it's not, you know, empower academic growth and achievement for every learner. There's nothing Susan doesn't do every day that is that >> do good. The other thing that was it made it feel like to some degree that all we've been doing is sitting on our hands and not doing anything, >> right? So that there's nothing specific about it. And again, it's it's a good focus area, >>

164but it's not an objective. >> Well, and you can always just grab a random thing. Improve consistency and behavioral expectations and responses across classroom building supported by consistent behavior. You lost me. >> Comes and attend a meeting with me sometime and then you'll see why sometimes I'm really tired of it over. You lost me on the second word there, Brian. >> Yeah, that's right. I just I read these and I I can't do it. >> [ __ ] super. So, Google >> I will I'll email this right right now and then we will and we may get into it in 20 minutes in January today. We need a work session to take the fine but we'll start in the regular work out. Are there any agenda the January? >> Oh, that's right. We were agenda >> this.

165>> Yes. And then our regularly scheduled special January stuff that we do >> to help move things along. Tom emails us something prior to the meeting. >> Before it's even packet meeting, you can send us your outline. >> Yeah. >> Then people can email back. So that way when we get to the meeting, we have >> Yeah, sure. I can comment. >> Well, if you just if you just talk with me, then that's great. >> Serial unfortunately. >> No, if it's oneon-one. If it's one-on-one with five board members of serial communication, >> I got clarity on that one. >> Yeah. Like if nothing else, we can see we are for the record. >> We already absolute ridiculousness, but it's because boards have gotten >> I it's very easy for boards across the law. So I

166hope we get that. So that's fine. That's why we'll start in the regular and if we feel we need to come back to a working session. So my proposal everybody comes with it printed out with any change that they want so that we can move forward. >> Right? >> That's exactly >> we were bishop at the time that we have it. >> And I will just point out that this is exactly what a board should be doing, right? I mean we all go to we all go to the regular meetings but you know hearing from the the associations hearing the reports looking at state report cards. I mean you know approving policies yeah it's all stuff we need to do but it is not the most important. This is literally the most important thing you

167can be doing. And we did a great job tonight. >> And I appreciate you two girls voicing up. Yeah, for sure. >> You guys are the ones at the school that need to We've been out of school. I don't know who's older than me or Aaron, but we've all been out of school for a while now. >> I'm older than you. >> Okay. >> We have been in high school together. >> I've been out of school still 25 years. So >> we don't need to compete with these people who all 2000 because we both know who's going to win 2000. >> Exactly. >> So we would have been >> I was at at CHS or CHS. I was in the smokefree class in 2000 was that they dare put a children. >> Yep. And so

168the whole class didn't smoke. >> Yeah, I've seen it. Like there's every once in a while. >> Do they still are we smoking is so much less of a sorry that was Thank