January 21, 2026 Special Board Meeting

001at >> 606. Please rise for the pledge of allegiance. >> Mr. Secretary, please call the role. >> Sure. >> Mr. Mr. Sunnyburgger >> here. >> Mr. Powers >> here. Miss Burkemeer >> here. >> Mr. Venitelli >> here. >> Richards is here. Miss Knox >> here. >> Okay. We're going to start with our first candidate this evening. But before I get there, we are not live streaming. We are recording, but we are not live streaming. So the candidates in waiting do not have an advantage of knowing what the questions are since they will all be asked the same questions. Also, it is not anticipated that there will be a vote for trustee tonight. It will likely take place January 28th. >> Miss Knox, just for formality sake, I'd like to make a motion to approve the

002agenda for tonight. >> Thank you. >> I'll second that. >> Okay, you have that. Ah, I forgot that part. Motion by Mr. Powers and supported by Mr. Venitelli. You want to do a roll call on that? >> Thank you. >> Uh Mr. Powers, >> yes. >> Mr. Venitilli, >> yes. >> Mr. Sunonnyburgger, >> yes. >> Miss Burkemeer. >> Mr. Richards is yes. Miss Knox, >> yes. >> There you go. >> All right. Uh, welcome Mr. Bean. All right. Uh, we'll >> press the button. >> Yep. >> Can you guys hear me? >> Yes, that's better. You can pull it a little bit closer, probably. >> All right. >> Okay. So, we're going to get started. I'm going to ask you questions. After each question, the board will have an opportunity to ask you follow-up questions

003and um then at the end, if the board has any additional questions, they will go ahead and ask. Okay. >> Sounds good. >> All right. Uh, do you live in the Ankerbay School District? >> Yes. Are you a registered voter? >> Yes. >> Why are you interested in serving on the school board? >> So, I uh I've always loved this community. Grew up here, went to Anchor Bay schools. Um I'm now a current business owner in the area. Um I also uh serve on the New Baltimore Business Alliance. So, I'm very involved. I like being involved. I like where the the community is uh came from and where it is now. and I know that I'm going to continue to raise my family here and live here for as long as I am privileged to

004do so. So, um I would like to just continue to be an impact on the community. >> Thank you. Board, do you have any follow-up questions? >> Okay, moving on. Describe in your own words the role of a school board member. Um I think it's uh the role of a school board member is to be responsible with the taxpayers's money, right? Um see that the schools are being fiscally responsible, that resources are being allocated properly and uh you know having a vote and that's very important. >> Thank you. Any follow-up questions board? >> Hearing none. After review and discussion on significant issues, the board operates by a majority vote. When the majority vote is different from your position, how would you manage the situation and potential criticism of your position? >> I've definitely always been

005open to criticism. I can handle it very well. Um, it's helped me get to where I am today in life. You know, you can't always be right. Um, you know, if the majority votes in a different direction, there's usually a reason for that. and maybe they're maybe it's because they're more educated in the position, maybe they have more experience with that position. Um, it could be a a number of things, but um, you know, not to say that I would just not voice my opposition. I would I would certainly do so and and let everybody know what my position is. But um with that said, I think there's still a lot of room for criticism and to kind of sometimes sit back and allow those who may have experienced specific issue, let them kind of

006take head on that. >> Thank you. Any follow-up questions? Hearing none. At times you will be caught between legitimately opposing points of view and there may be a difference between your personal point of view and the policy or law that you are required to uphold as a board member. How will you handle this? >> I've seen it before. Uh like I said, I sit on the New Baltimore Business Alliance and while to say that they don't really vote on uh legal issues, uh they certainly do sometimes test what your personal beliefs are versus your what you know the the professional standard should be, right? So, um, I've definitely been in that position in the past where, uh, you kind of just have to, you know, sometimes do your own research as well. And, um, and

007just kind of understand that. And, um, yeah, I, uh, I would say that, you know, it's it's the responsibility of somebody in this position to again do right by the taxpayers. >> Thank you. Any follow-up questions? Hearing none, what do you perceive as the district's strengths and or weaknesses? H um I think, you know, as being a more recent graduate of the the school, um the strengths definitely are that, you know, once I got to the high school level, I was certainly inspired in many different ways as to what I wanted to do. Um, so I think there was a lot of teachers, a lot of staff, a lot of programs, uh, at the high school level that helped me make a really good decision what I wanted to do with my career. And I

008certainly don't regret that to this day. Um, you know, since when I graduated, a lot of the uh, uh, you know, programs and equipment, you could kind of see it getting to a little bit of an outdated point. But I think since I've graduated, I've seen on social media. I have younger siblings. I have children that go to this school now. I've definitely seen improvements and uh and seen a lot has been taken seriously, especially and and by the way, one of my my more uh passionate points of the district is the CTE programs. And I've seen a lot of improvement in that. And I'm very passionate about those programs because they they did a lot for me to get where I am today. As far as weaknesses go, um, you know, that would have

009been what I would have said is that when I had left that I was a little worried about the school becoming to a point where it's outdated, but I've definitely seen in recent years since I've left uh, a lot more improvements in facilities, equipment, and programs and have heard a lot of great things. >> Thank you. Any follow-up questions? >> I do have a question, Mr. Knox. Um, so Sean, thank you for coming today. Um, I see on your resume a number of uh different entrepreneurial things. You're 25 years old, correct? >> Correct. Y that's uh to me very interesting. I'm curious to know a little bit about because it's not just one sort of business. It it sounds like it's sort of like a multiple thing. You're kind of getting into the entrepreneurial space.

010Can you tell me a little bit about, you know, you mentioned in the last question CT programs got you interested in this as well as any other factors that might have played into that for you? >> Yes. So, when I began high school, I was very certain I wanted to be in law enforcement. Um, I actually even uh was kind of mentored by uh Randy Blackburn, who was the uh resource officer at Middle School North at the time. I was dead set on it. I was in the explore pro program for the MCOME Sheriff's Department um doing research into joining the FBI, what I needed to do to prep for that. and I began taking business classes at Ankor Bay and became extremely interested in that. And I did a lot of other CTE programs

011too. So I explored like construction trades. Um, but a lot of a lot of what I did was in the business management category and I just fell in love with it and I had the best teachers, the best mentors that kind of pushed me in that direction and helped me even get my first career in business at Total Life Changes, which is right around the corner from here at 16, which was, you know, you know, arguably a more professional role for somebody my age. And so I had that position while I was still in high school. And I had teachers and mentors that continued to push me in that direction, inspire me, and they helped me make my college choice. And they helped me pick my degree path. And and and I totally give the

012credit to those programs to why I chose that path. >> Thank you. >> Yep. >> Any others? Okay. And the final question, identify a recent board decision that you felt strongly about and describe how you would balance community concerns, student needs, parental rights, state and federal law, staff considerations, and your personal value and beliefs to determine how to vote on the issue. That was lengthy, so I'll read it again. >> Yeah. Okay. Identify a recent board decision that you felt strongly about and describe how you would balance community concerns, student needs, parental rights, state and federal law, staff considerations, and your personal value and beliefs to determine how to vote on the issue. Um, one of the decisions that, and I don't know if you'll consider this recent or not, but, um, one of the

013decisions I definitely felt strongly about was the, uh, armed security in the schools. Um, I think that there's a lot of different avenues. Uh, many of them being emotional as far as the decision to to bring armed security into the schools. Um, some some people don't feel comfortable with firearms around their children. Um, others are terrified of never seeing their children again after sending them to school, especially in a community like this where people say it can never happen. But when we saw it happen very closely in Oxford and I think that got really too close to our comfort for people. Um, but I think the ultimate decision factor in that decision is definitely student safety, right? Um, yeah, absolutely. It's it's a it's a financial decision too. Um, and I I I don't know

014off hand what what that financial decision looked like in in numbers, but I you can't put a price on safety, especially the safety of our students, the minors in our community. And I I believe that most people when you pose it to them in that in that uh regard would have to agree, right? And so um not too familiar with the legality um from the state and federal level. Um, from what I know, everybody that is currently serving as armed security is former military police. I believe that's the only way you can carry in a school at this point. Um, again, not too familiar, but um, I think that kind of just speaks for itself. >> Okay. And we spend just over a million dollars a year. >> All right. Are there any additional questions?

015>> It's all right. I'd like to jump out and answer ask another question, too. Yeah, go for Um, so you mentioned you're not familiar with state and federal laws. Uh, there are courses and books you can read as a school board member to get yourself familiarized with those. Um, Miss Knox and I have gotten some kind of certificate. I forgot that whatever something >> it's something, but it's several hours uh, at least tens of hours worth of of information. The book that uh, Mr. Shankowski has in office, I think it's about 200 pages. uh would you have time to commit to read through and and get that exper that that sort of knowledge from those resources? >> Absolutely. And when I was when I said that I was speaking specifically as far as who can

016area in a school, but yes, absolutely. >> Okay. Thank you. >> I do have a >> I have one question, Miss Burke. >> I have one question. So, I don't know if this is working well. Um did has anyone from um Ankor Bay or MISD leadership encouraged or asked you to apply for the board? >> No. >> Okay. Thank you. >> I do have a question also. Thank you for coming tonight. Um can you tell me any involvement or events that you've attended within the last year here at Ankor Bay? >> Uh within the school district, I'm sorry. Yes, within the school district. >> Um you know, a couple of high school football games. Uh and uh I did recently uh attend the most recent high school graduation. Um some of the vocal arts programs

017I I I was part of the vocal arts program. That was another thing I was very passionate about. So every now and then if I can go and visit there. >> Sure. >> But great. Thank you. >> Okay. I think we are done. But what I wanted to make clear, you were probably in the other room is we're live streaming or we are not live streaming but it is being recorded. So the candidates that are waiting don't have an advantage of knowing what the questions are. And it is not anticipated that there will be a vote tonight >> and we expect to do that January 28th. >> Okay. Thank you so much for your time. >> Thank you guys. >> Do you have the questions in front of you as well so you can read

018along? Um, I do want to let you know we are not live streaming, but we are recording that. So, the other candidates don't have an unfair advantage and it is not anticipated that there will be a vote tonight. >> Not out of the question, but not anticipated. >> Sure. >> And we would expect to vote January 28th. >> Okay. >> So, welcome. Thank you for joining us. >> First question. Do you live in the Ankor Bay School District? >> I do. Yes. >> Are you a registered voter? >> Yes, I am. >> Okay. Why are you interested in serving on the school board? >> I am interested in bringing the community together um a little bit more. I believe that it's super important that a parent in the community who is involved in the community

019um has uh a voice for other community members as well. And the most important is the children. I lost my son in July of 2025 and I have noticed a tremendous need to have a few more resources available to the children when they're experiencing things like this. And with the connections I have through my loss and everything that I've been through, I believe it would benefit the school systems with resources and um being able to bring those things to the schools to help the children um to help the community. Um I've noticed with let's say high school concessions, I was the only one that signed up today. The and I don't even have a kid in high school. and bringing community together even for just those purposes to to bring community together for these kids

020is the number one most important and I think with the the things that I have learned bringing something different a different voice um a different perspective maybe um with some of these children would be a huge benefit. >> Thank you. So, are there any follow-up questions? Okay. Describe in your own words the role of a school board member. Um, a school board member is there for budgets. Um, for what do I say? um budgets, curriculum, um community, schools, um safety, um I'm that horrible test taker. Um safety is, you know, safety obviously. Um and meetings like this. >> Any follow-up questions? Okay. After review and discussion on significant issues, the board operates by a majority vote. >> When the majority vote is different from your position, how would you manage the situation and potential criticism

021of your position? >> Calm and collective. Um I am I work for my dad. I don't know if any of you have ever worked for a parent. It's not easy. Uh yes, we are in sales um for defense, aerospace, automotive companies. Um so we deal with a lot of criticism. A level head is very important. Um finding a resolution in a common what's a I'm looking for a specific word. Finding a resolution um calmly, respectfully, peacefully. Um I don't believe in yelling. I don't believe in fighting. Um everyone will that's the beauty of America. Everyone has different opinions. Um and finding a solution collectively and maturely respectfully is I think the most important. >> Any follow-up questions? At times you will be caught between legitimately opposing points of view and there may be a difference

022between your personal point of view and the policy or law that you are required to uphold as a board member. How will you handle this? I'll repeat it while you're thinking. >> No, no, you're fine. Good. Okay. I there are policies and laws for a reason. As much as sometimes I may not agree with them, it's the policy and law is there for a reason and I have to respect that. Um as a school board member um if I were to get the position um there are difficult decisions every day in life. Some things I agree with, some things I don't. Um, but I do believe that there are policies, procedures, and laws for a reason and respecting that is important. Thank you. Any followup? >> Okay. What do you perceive as the district's strengths

023and weaknesses? >> Weakness, I would say communication um with parents, with um students. I think communication is key to a lot of things. Um I think that that is one weakness. Strength I would say community. >> Sorry. >> I I'm sorry. >> What was the strength? >> Community. Bringing community together. Um take making sure the kids are taken care of, are safe. Um, and knowing that you belong in a district where everyone is I feel like Ankor Bay is very close-knit and I believe that it is a big portion to you guys. There's a you know I I believe that a lot of that is because of you guys truly. You're the voice. >> Thank you. Any followup? Okay, hearing none, we have our final question. >> Sure. >> Identify a recent board decision that

024you felt strongly about and describe how you would balance community concerns, student needs, parental rights, state and federal law, staff considerations, and your personal value and values and beliefs to determine how to vote on the issues. >> So, I actually came and spoke in front of the board recently um for a student that had brought THC gummies to the bus stop and two girls had eaten them and she had no history of disciplinary action, had had good attendance, good grades. Um she had remorse for her situation. Um, and they they wanted to expel her and I came and spoke because I believe that children and I said this at the board meeting and I'm going to try not to cry when I say it. It's very close to me. Children, sorry. Children don't always express

025things in the way that we think they should. The emotional instability at those ages. And while I disagreed with what she did, I looked at every aspect of the situation. And I feel like while looking and having maybe a different opinion than others, it's still you have to look at every part of a situation um and gather all the information before an informed decision or a vote is made. And I um parental rights as well. Um that brings up that her mom was there um as well. um law law had to be taken into consideration with that because of the THC gummies. I mean there were every factor from this question in that whole entire situation. But I think taking that situation as a whole as well um everything relating to it, her history and

026and things like that allowed every one of you to make an informed decision on whether she was allowed back into Anchor Bay or not. and and I think that that's important every of it into consideration. >> Okay. Thank you. Uh follow-up questions, additional questions, >> Miss Burke. >> Um has anyone from Ankor Bay or MISD leadership encouraged or asked you to apply? >> I'm sorry. >> Has any did anybody from Anker Bay or MISD leadership encourage or ask you to apply for this position? No, it was me. >> I do have uh one question and I know you mentioned that you're already coming from concession. So, thank you for >> Yeah, absolutely. >> Um but can you also tell me of any involvement or any events that you've attended within the last year within the

027Anchor Bay School District? >> Um actually they just u all the wrestling meets, most of them they just did a dedication ceremony to my son at a wrestling meet on the 7th. Um, I did the cheer competition we went to. Um, I still am a even though my son is not in the high school now. Um, I am still very much involved in all of these kids' lives. Um, they come over to my house for dinners. Um, I make sure that I volunteer at concessions to to continue to stay a part of the Anchor Bay community in a positive way. I do have a daughter at Lahi who's in first grade. Um, but I don't have any kids older than that. My son obviously was going into the high school, but I very much try

028to stay I've volunteered six, eight times I think for concessions, whatever it be. Um but yes, I try to make every wrestling meet a dedicated wrestling um tournament. I try to support wherever I can. >> Thank you. >> And stay involved. >> Are there any other questions? >> Okay. >> I sorry just not not a question, just a comment. I remember you well from that meeting and and your advocacy for that student and and >> now you're here tonight to >> to, you know, try to advocate further for students and the community by by wanting to be on the school board and, you know, volunteering to work concessions. And it's just it's obvious that you're doing everything you possibly can to turn your tragic loss into something that not only benefits you, but the community.

029And I just just want to tell you that I think that's quite remarkable. I thank you. >> Appreciate that. Um, we are starting a nonprofit which is working closely with the Chesterfield Library and I hope even the resources that I can gather from that nonprofit that we're starting in my son's honor will also help Anchorbay schools. If >> you don't mind, can you just keep us in the loop of that so those of us that would want to be involved can be? >> Absolutely. 1 million%. >> Yep. Yeah, you can talk to Breck, the deputy director at the library, sent a recommendation letter in and her and I have been working very closely as well. And I'd like to get into the new new Baltimore library if anyone knows over anyone over there. >> Okay.

030Thank you, Miss Bell. >> Thank you so much. I appreciate it. >> We appreciate your time. >> Absolutely. >> Thank you. Is it ready? >> We good? >> Okay, Miss Bergland, welcome. Uh, we are not live streaming tonight, but we are recording and that's so the other candidates don't have an unfair advantage. And it is not anticipated that there will be a vote tonight. There could be a vote, but it's not anticipated that there will be. Um, and if not, it'll be done on January 28th. So, first question. Do you live in the Anchor Bay School District? >> Yes, I do. >> Are you a registered voter? >> Yes, I am. >> Why are you interested in serving on the school board? >> Well, um until I came tonight and there's like 8 million people

031in there wanting to take the seat and help out. I thought I I said I'll go over there and I'll help because I would like to get my foot back in there for uh Anchor Bay. As you know, I've um oh I don't know if you know, but I worked in Anchor Bay for four for 50 years. I was a teacher for 30 and I was a teach um principal for the about 20. So I just um all my family, the family that I have is in California and I see them a couple times a year and they I go out there a couple times and I thought I know what I can do with all this extra time I have. And I thought I I have uh a great deal of experience and I

032I know Anchor Bay even I'm in there. Two of the people in there are my former students for heaven's sakes. I just I I just would like to help and I would love to see what it's like. And my husband also was on the school board when our daughter went to Anchor Bay schools. He was uh on for two terms. And I sort of know the um sort of the routine of what you do and how many times you meet and the things uh you have the close uh sessions and I s and I know about school I especially being a principal cuz when I was a teacher I used to think I don't need a principal you know what do they do anyhow they're always in the office or whatever because I didn't need

033anyone to help me with discipline or anything but when I became a principal I there's like a million things you don't even think about. So, I just feel that I've got a great deal of experience. I would love to be still connected to Anchor Bay. And um I guess that's it. Thank you. Are there any follow-up questions? Okay. Next question. Describe in your own words the role of a school board member. Well, I think I think the role of a school board member is to make sure that when you go through the selections of uh you know a superintendent or the assistant superintendent like I was on the committee that interviewed uh Mr. Todd and um but I also know that it shouldn't be that you are uh sort of you know going above the

034superintendent or whatever. It should you are selecting the superintendent and the assistant that you have belief in them that they can run and I don't think you should be sort of you know going through without them involved uh you know going through um personal things going to buildings and I mean you're supposed to go to buildings and uh visit and see what's going on but I think you you need to help with the you know the decisions that you make for the district and um go through the superintendent that you've selected someone that you think is knowledgeable and even I've listened to some of the board meetings and I've been going to board meetings for years especially being a principal and that and uh there are so many people involved like when you have the

035finance person they are so knowledgeable like I wouldn't be able to do half I majored in math and I can't even think about the things that they do. And like the the the people that do maintenance, you you selecting people that can handle those jobs. So, I don't think you should micromanage. I think you should discuss things certainly if things aren't going right and and like like all the board meetings I I listen to some that u were anchor bays and I've been to a lot of them and um it's it's just that you depend on those people that you hire and uh and when there is a problem that's when you get together and try to fix it. >> Thank you. So, is there any follow-up? Okay, next question. After review and discussion on

036significant issues, the board operates by a majority vote. When the majority vote is different from your position, how would you manage the situation and potential criticism of your position? Well, if I have a belief of something like even watching the schoolboard uh meetings there, it's not always a unanimous uh vote and those people have a right for their opinion. They were voted in uh into those positions because of their ideas and their beliefs and they certainly have that right. And if they didn't agree with me and I'm like the only one that didn't agree with it and it's just that's how it goes. The majority votes. Thank you. Any followup? At times you will be caught between legitimately opposing points of view and there may be a difference between your personal point of view and

037the policy or law that you are required to uphold as a board member. How will you handle this? >> It's a I'm I'm not quite sure. It was >> the questions are also in front of you. It's number six. Sometimes it's easier to read it than but I'll read it again. At times you will be caught between legitimately opposing points of view and there may be a difference between your personal point of view and the policy or law that you are required to uphold as a board member. How will you handle this? Well, if there's a law about it, uh, and your personal, uh, view is different than that. It's it has to go with the law. And I you would have to do what you're supposed to do. That's what you were elected for.

038And my personal view may be a little different than anybody else's, but you still have to follow What do you perceive as the district's strengths and weaknesses? Well, you're probably talking to the wrong person. I love Ankor Bay. In fact, when I met the superintendent for the first time and I had already retired, I told him that I own Anchor Bay because I've been here so long. But um I think I don't know if it's a weakness but I I think one of the certainly the strengths that we have is that we have been almost the entire time. I don't know about right this second but we have always uh been a school district that ran on uh very little compared to even in Mcome County the money that they give per student and we

039do an excellent job. I think when I when I had my school Lahi, I have such wonderful uh teachers and staff that uh it's it's all about making sure that we do a good job no matter what we have whether we have a lot of different uh you know equipment like other school districts or we don't. I just think we do we've always worked on a dime and it's it's and it's dedication. And it's people we have wonderful uh people even even your you know your custodians and that I have a custodian that keeps writing me the one that I had at Lahi and uh you know he'll come even to my house and help me out and do things and just wonderful people and I'm not just saying that because I worked here so

040long or even Tim over there on your technology I will write him a little note could you my my computer at home isn't quite working well he will come. That's definitely our strength here. Uh dedication, people are very knowledgeable and and even when I've listened to Todd on some of the uh board meetings, he's so knowledgeable and such confidence. So, uh and our weakness, I don't know if we have any other than, you know, we um I can't even think of a weakness. and my uh we moved here, my husband and I moved here so our daughter could go to Ankor Bay School. She started in first grade and graduated. She was the student representative on the board of education her senior year. So, uh I can't even think of a a weakness. Thank you.

041Any follow up to that? Okay. Identify a recent board decision that you felt strongly about and describe how you would balance community concerns, student needs, parental rights, state and federal law, staff considerations, and your personal values and beliefs to determine how to vote on the issue. Well, one of the things that the only thing I can think of at the real quickly here is when they went for the bond, um some of the things I wasn't real crazy about. But I had already retired though and it was about making the mega um elementary schools making them huge and I just felt that that wasn't the right thing to do and um but but I wasn't in the school district anymore and I just felt that u maybe there's good reasons for it but I always

042felt like Latty Schmidt was like a wonderful size like we'd have like 350 to 400 kids. Sometimes we had a little more because at one time we had um all day kindergarten at just a couple of the buildings and mine happened to be one. But um it it was like a perfect fit and it to me when the buildings get too large and you only have the one principal in that building I think uh those type of things uh you know not that they get out of hand or anything like that but they you don't have that personal contact with all those kids. Like sometimes you can practically know all the kids in a building that have 350 kids. you have like a thousand kids, it's going to be hard, you know, and you don't

043have that connection with them. Like my daughter right now is in a building that's got like 800 kids, but they're it's uh their elementary goes all the way now up to 8th grade. I think that's too many too many kids in one building. So, that is something that I felt strongly about when I heard that they were doing it. But you know and I even uh uh when they talk about um sometimes they have discussed about um not recently but all all year round school. I think kids need to be kids too and they need to you know get out there and have that summer because if you remember when you were a kid the summer would come and it felt like you were there the summer lasted forever. So, but anyways, the only one

044really is uh about the bond and making those megas and I don't think you're doing that now anyway because I think that's backed and I was happy to hear that that there uh those little plans um you know and I know that once you make a bond you have to follow. So, I I even got the information from the bond because I wanted to see what it said on there, you know, and I was glad that it wasn't so specific that it had to be that because I'd rather have the the smaller schools, not a mega elementary. I know. I want I go on and on. >> No, no, you're fine. You're fine. Um, do we have any additional questions, Miss Burkemeer? Um, has has anyone from Anchor Bay or the MISD leadership encouraged or

045asked you to apply for the board? >> I'm sorry. >> Mic is not great. >> It's not great. >> Is any that better? Yeah. Um, has anyone from Ankor Bay or the MISD leadership encouraged or asked you to apply for the board? No one encouraged me to do this, but in the past people because I always used to say when I retire, I'm going to run for school board because I wanted to still be connected. But uh they have uh encouraged me to to, you know, run for school board or something when I retire. And and at first I when I first retired, my husband was in assisted living. So I I became his advocate and I had he passed away two years after I retired. So it was uh that was my main interest

046then. But I always thought about it and I thought I would like to be still part of that. But uh as far as like coming for this tonight, I I when I heard that there was an opening, I thought, well, this would be my chance to see what it's like to actually be on it. I didn't like I said at the beginning I didn't think there would be all these people. >> We didn't either ask Mr. Powers >> and like and the one couple of them I said are my students. They would do a wonderful job. I didn't know that. >> Uh Mr. Richards, >> can you tell me about any involvement or events that you've attended within the last year within the Anchor Bay School District? >> What? Excuse me? Can you tell me

047any events that you've attended or any involvement that you've attended within the Anchor Bay School District within the last year? >> Well, I've I I know I just donated to the um the ban because ban is like one of my things and uh I've uh was you know I wasn't able to go to the dinner but I gave the money and stuff for that. And then there's a couple I don't know if they were um I don't remember if they were soccer or something and they were selling those things cuz I have friends that still have grandchildren in the district and and uh I you know take care do those type of things with them. >> Thank you. >> All right, Miss Berglin, thank you for your time today. >> Um again, it's not anticipated

048that we will vote tonight. Um, but we will vote on the 28th. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. We appreciate it. >> Okay, we have Mr. French here. >> Yes. >> Welcome. >> Thank you. >> Um, you have the questions in front of you as well. Um, but I'm going to read them out loud just in case >> you want to take a look. Thank you for coming. Um, we are not live streamed tonight. We are recording but we are not live streaming so that candidates in waiting do not have an unfair advantage. And it is anticipated that there will be no vote tonight. Um, that but rather we will vote on January 28th. >> Doesn't mean we won't vote tonight, but we're not anticipating it. >> So, we will get started

049with our questions. Question one, do you live in the Anchor Bay School District? >> I do. Yes. Are you a registered voter? >> I am. Yes. >> Why are you interested in serving on the school board? >> Because it's the right thing to do. I think um I've spent a long time trying to figure out what I wanted to do in life. And it was only a few years ago that I decided on government as my uh passion essentially. And while I don't um I'm not a big fan of elections and uh electioneering, I do have a soft spot for actual governance. And when somebody sent me that y'all needed somebody, I I asked them, you know, do you think I'm qualified? And they told me that I was beyond qualified. I said, well, thank

050you. I hope they think so, too. Um, I want to serve because from what I can see in front of me, y'all, you all don't have anyone like me uh on your board. And I think it's essential to have a well-rounded board. I think that it's essential to have all disciplines, all viewpoints. And I think regardless if you have wheels or not, I think that um to look at the other candidates that I saw, you will see a lot of people that are like you. You'll see a lot of people who are twice my age. I saw one person who was younger than me. Um, you'll see a lot of people with our skin tone. Um, I think that I'm the unique choice and I'm the right choice because um, well, I don't want to

051hype myself up. I'm sorry. I'm trying to I'm >> You're fine. This process is a little difficult, so take your time. >> It's the idea is that I want to be the person who fights for the little guy. I don't want to be the person that you're all going to love because to be honest, I have a tendency to butt heads with uh the big guys, so to speak. I want to be the person that you begrudgingly respect and I want to make this place better. >> Thank you. Are there any follow-up questions to that? >> Tyler, would it bother you if I moved your microphone up onto your tray so we can hear you a little better? Okay. >> I appreciate it. >> Yeah. >> Want to do something that would cause trouble? Then

052good. >> Go ahead. >> Is that okay there? Uh yeah, you can even point it down if you need. >> Point it down a little bit. >> Yeah, >> that perfect. >> All right, thank you. >> All right, I'll try to speak up. >> Am I on four or five? >> Okay. Describe in your own words the role of a school board member. I think that it would probably be to keep people honest, to hold people accountable. Um, I'll be honest. I purposefully didn't research the intricacies of school government because I don't think that's um, you know, anybody can Google it. But I think for me it's a moral position and I think it's a tactical position. We're the bridge between the uh citizen and the school and we have to be the one that

053people can trust. Even if I'm appointed and not elected, I would behave like I'm elected and behave like I'm beholden to the people who would have elected me, not that I'm beholden to you all for choosing me. >> Thank you. Next question. After review, I'm sorry, did anyone have any followup? Okay. After review and discussion on significant issues, the board operates by a majority vote. When the majority vote is different from your position, how would you manage the situation and potential criticism of your position? I think that if the vote came through, even if it was six to one, I probably wouldn't say that I was wrong. What I would do is probably say that I'm going to fight to ensure that I do what we all voted on. I would, even if I didn't

054believe in what we voted on, I would ensure that I put all of my charisma, all of my training that I'm sure I'll find somewhere into um accomplishing the board's desires. And as for criticism itself, um, I like to think I'm humble and I really don't feel like I would take it too poorly. I think I would say, "Oh, well, I lost." And if I do my job right, the thing that we're voting on will be something that we can all support in general. You know, the time to whine isn't after you've lost. The time is when you're in committee and you need to uh convince one another that this thing we're doing is right or wrong or over budget or under budget or what have you. you know, the votes are if I'm unhappy

055with the vote, it means that I haven't properly um ensured the policy was written properly. You know, I I need to worry about it beforehand. My position is almost muked. It's whether or not I took the time to edit whatever we needed to edit to make sure I was satisfied and we were all at least begrudgingly satisfied with what we put through. >> Thank you. >> Any followup? >> Okay. At times you will be caught between legitimately opposing points of view and there may be a difference between your personal point of view and the policy or law that you were required to uphold as a board member. How will you handle this? Um okay. Um, when I I don't know if um you looked at my resume or my letter at all, but I spent

056time in student government when I lived in Pennsylvania. And while our time was cut short because of CO, um, I spent all of my time there on a bylaws revision. Um, I I spent lots of midnight oil bickering with my uh vice president. I wasn't the president, but with the vice president who wanted desperately to get this done. And I said, "I'll do it." And she said, "Great." And then he decided to critique me every uh bit of the way. But at the end of the day, um, he and I became great friends. He was one of my groomsman at my wedding, despite the fact that professionally we did not agree. He was very um not politically conservative, but he was very unwilling to push for things. And I was seen as the fire brand,

057I guess. and she and I managed to always find something that was uh good for both of us. And when it comes to it says um you know my my personal point of view like I said it's basically moot when I I don't have that ego. I don't have that how dare you not agree with me. I have you need to do what you're elected to do. That's uphold the laws. That's write the laws. And that's ensure that even if you're wrong, you make sure your ch the children in your district are safe, are fed, have good uh faculty. No, it's it's not about you though. >> Okay. Thank you. Any followup? >> All right. What do you perceive as the district's strengths and weaknesses? This is probably my biggest weakness because I haven't been

058a student here for a while now and I'm not a um faculty member. But I can say that um when I I I suppose I'll pivot to what I said earlier in that there's nobody here that looks like me. And so the district's biggest weakness is probably the board's biggest weakness, which is that at some point you're going to be caught in a headline. And that headline is probably going to be embarrassing and it's going to say something like ex student didn't get what they deserve because the board didn't think of it. And I want to be again that person who can save us all from the embarrassment and whatever else comes out of well there not being enough wheels on the board so to speak. >> Any followup to that? Okay. Thank you. Next

059and final question and then we'll go to the board for their questions. Identify a recent board decision that you felt strongly about and describe how you would balance community concerns, student needs, parental rights, state and federal law, staff considerations, and your personal values and beliefs to determine how to vote on the issue. I don't have all of the details because I couldn't find a whole lot of documentation on it, but I saw I think there was a vote on um it was on something that required you to release some legal protections. And if you had taken the state or the federal money that you would lose some uh autonomy. I think that's what it was. And uh I am a firm believer in local government. I'm a firm believer in us all having our say

060and not having people above us tell us what's best for us. Um even if that means that we need to do more with less. Even if that means that we make powerful enemies. Our job isn't to make the state look good. Our job isn't to make the federal government happy that they were able to check a box. Our responsibility is for our students. And when it comes to my personal beliefs, my personal value, I have a feeling that it is not very difficult to reconcile doing the right thing. You can always do more with less. You can always find a workaround. You can always do something else other than give up your rights. And I'm sure that there will be times where we have to look parents in the eye and say that, you know,

061we we did the right thing even if you can't see the full picture. And that might be hard for a parent to hear, but I would rather vote my conscience than vote to make somebody smile that we've had a couple extra bucks for whatever we need a couple extra bucks for. >> Okay, thank you. We're going to go to some board uh questions now. Miss Burkemeer. >> Um, has anyone from Ankor Bay or the MISD leadership encouraged or asked for you to apply for the board? >> Does anybody from Anchor Bay or the MISD >> in leadership? >> No, I um I had it recommended to me by my old uh parro. >> Mr. Richards, >> can you tell me about any involvement or events that you've attended within the last year within the Anker

062Bay School District? >> No, I tend to keep pretty low profile lately. Um, only because um in July I had a massive surgery that I was preparing for for a long time. Um, I had to get my kidney reconstructed, so I I didn't have a whole lot of time. And then June, my Anyway, um, no, I haven't attended much. I've been busy. I hope to be busy here. Thank you. >> Any other questions? >> Okay, hearing none. Thank you, Mr. Fred, for your time today. We appreciate you coming in. Um, once again, this has not been live streamed, but it has been recorded and we do not anticipate there being a vote tonight, but definitely on January 28th. >> Grab the door. >> Oh, yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Am I saying that correctly? >>

063Press it to talk or can you guys hear me? >> No, it's on. Okay. You want to move it closer? >> Yeah. Move it closer to you. And it's very much directional. >> It's off. >> Now it's off. >> Green is go. Okay. >> Thank you for having me. >> Uh, and your name is pronounced Kansky, correct? >> Yes. >> Okay. All right. We're going to get started. Um, Tim, are we ready? Okay. Uh, this is not being live streamed so that candidates in waiting do not have an unfair advantage, but it is being recorded. Um it's not anticipated that there will be a vote tonight. Um but definitely January 28th. So our first question is, do you live in the Ankor Bay School District? >> Yes, I live across from Great Oaks. >> Okay.

064Are you a registered voter? >> I am. Yes. I'm 18 of eight. >> Why are you interested in serving on the school board? >> Because I love Anchor Bay a lot. I've been going here my whole life and I think I'd be a good candidate. I'd be good because I see the dayto-day. Yeah, only some of my term would be during the school year, but that's still a third of the time and I think I could provide insight as a student who understands how kids think and who sees them every day. >> Do we have any followup? >> Just to clarify, you're a senior now. >> Yes. Okay. Thank you. >> Describe in your own words the role of a school board member. And I'm sorry. Um to your right there is the list of

065qu n on your desk. Yeah, that's the questions I'm asking you if you wanted to read them for yourself. But describe in your own words the role of a school board member. >> I think the school board's goal is really to represent the interest of the big three students, parents, and teachers and try to bridge all of them and try to bridge different communities, different people together because anchorbased specifically it's lots of different communities being pulled together. So we need to unite everyone and uh give the best interest for everyone. Make sure students feel represented, teachers feel represented, and parents as well because they're nervous when their kids are at school all day. >> Thank you. Any followup? All right, next question. After review and discussion on significant issues, the board operates by a majority

066vote. When the majority vote is different from your position, how would you manage the situation and potential criticism of your position? I would try to debate as respectfully as possible. Obviously, I can't convince everyone, but I just try to give my own thoughts and then not everything goes my way. So, if it didn't go my way, I just move on. Any followup? All right. At times you will be caught between legitimately opposing points of view and there may be a difference between your personal point of view and the policy or law that you are required to uphold as a board member. How will you handle this? >> I will try to think if I'm a student, well I am a student but what would I what would I think about this policy? If I'm a

067parent, what would I think about this policy? And if I'm a teacher, what would I think about this policy? And then see how best to go from there. Does that make sense? Yes. Any follow-up. Okay. What do you perceive as the district's strengths and weaknesses? >> Strengths, like I said, we pull from a lot of different people. High school spirit. People love Anchor Bay. We're well funded. Weaknesses, I think, uh, sometimes there can be a lack of communication from the leadership. I think sometimes there's a bit of a disconnect between students, parents, and teachers. I think that can sometimes be a problem and that we should work to bridge that. >> Okay. Are there any followup? >> Wait, can I add something to that? >> Yes. >> I think especially in the modern day, obviously

068kids are always disconnected from their parents, but in the modern day it's more approaching than ever, and I think we're starting to see a bit of a gap between students. >> Any followup? Okay, final question and then we'll go on to some um board member questions. Identify a recent board decision that you felt strongly about and describe how you would balance community concerns, student needs, parental rights, state and federal law, staff considerations, and your personal values and beliefs to determine how to vote on the issue. >> Let's do the big one. Phone ban. Community concerns. Obviously, phones were a huge problem in school. Parents don't want their kids just be distracted all day long, but they also want to have access to them. Students, at the end of the day, they want free time on

069their phone, but they also don't want other kids to be on their phone while they're trying to learn. Student obviously teachers had a different phone policy for each class. So, it's hard to control all that. This there wasn't really like a firm phone policy like there is now. Student needs already talked about states and federal law. They just I saw this a few days ago. They actually did a phone ban. So now we're in consideration with that. Talk about staff personal value beliefs. Obviously I'm a student so I like going on my phone but I can see that yeah they were out of control. There needs to be more regulated policy. >> Okay. Thank you very much. Um we're going to have a question from Miss Burke. >> Um has anyone from Ankor Bay or

070MISD leadership encouraged or asked you to apply for the board? >> This was entirely my own decision. And Mr. Richards, >> with you being a student, this should be an interesting answer. >> Everyone gets asked the same question. This is going to be an easy one for you. >> Can you tell me about any involvement or events that you've attended in the last year within the Anchor Bay School District? You don't have to do 100. Four or five is fine. >> Okay. Football games, basketball games, DECA link crew. Uh, I started a mental health club. I think those are the main ones in the last year. >> Thank you. >> Just may do a quick note here. >> You probably spend more time here than anybody. Um, and that is all the question. >> I

071just have one quick question. Oh, I'm sorry. Yeah, no problem. I just can you just clarify. Do you have any plans um in the fall in terms of uh the next journey in your academic career that would create any logistical issues with you with you being on the board? Say, "Oh, I'm going to be off at Harvard, so how am I going to come back to board meetings?" Something like that. >> Oh, yeah. I actually wanted to ask about that. So, I plan on going to Michigan State. Would it be okay to call in? Obvious um I'd be a freshman. Freshman aren't allowed cars. I wouldn't like come all the way back here for our board meeting on Tuesday. You know, I wouldn't want to interrupt my studies as a freshman to come. No offense,

072but None taken. >> None taken. All right, Mr. Kansky, we Oh, did you have a question? I did have a question. >> Oh, I'm sorry. They're all having questions now. >> That's all right. I'll I'll raise my hand next time. I apologize. Uh Blake, love the enthusiasm. Uh I'd say of of all the candidates, you're you're probably the most energetic. Uh it's just what I've seen so far. You come with a lot of energy. So, you're you're a senior in high school, right? What made you want to try out for the board? I mean, there's plenty of ways to get your voice heard. Why why would you want to be a board member? I know we already asked this question, but I think that was more of like the metaphorical like what's your purpose for

073this? Like I'm talking about you personally. Like why why would you want to get involved in this way and not some other way? >> I understand what you're saying. So I've been going in career my whole life. Recently I've seen some things that I want to change and influence and I think I'd be a good candidate to see just help you understand how students think, how they act and really see just to influence something before I go. What other methods would you consider if not this? I'm curious. Um, well, there there's a number of ways. Uh, student congress, for example. I mean, you're going up to college, there's plenty of organizations you could get involved with, like student government type organizations up at Michigan State. Um, there's there's really a whole slew of things. This

074is local office, but there are plenty other local offices that you could apply to as well. I'm just kind of curious to see where where your thought process was. >> Well, because I care about Ankor Bay a lot, and the position said only temporary, so it wasn't like I'd be throwing my whole life away. I could just influence Anker Bay for a bit, give some good input in, and then in the fall I could I could join student government at in at Michigan State, but I thought this would be a good starting point. >> Thank you. >> Six years is a lifetime. That's how long a term is. Um, okay. Well, if there are Mr. Sunonny, do you have any questions? Okay. Hearing nothing else, we thank you for your time today, Mr. Kensky. And

075like I said, we will probably not vote tonight, but definitely on January 28th. We appreciate you coming out. >> All right. Thank you so much. Yeah. Thank you. >> Wonderful. Uh, welcome. Wanted to let you know we are not live streaming, but we are recording. We're not live streaming, so the other candidates don't have an unfair advantage. And it is not anticipated that there will be a vote tonight. However, there will be a vote on January 28th. We could vote tonight. Probably not. >> Okay. >> All right. Do you uh you have the questions in front of you as well. Um do you live in the Anker Bay School District? >> I do. >> Okay. Are you a registered voter? >> I am. >> All right. Why are you interested in serving on the school

076board? >> Um well, I I do have uh an interest in public education. I work for the MCOME Intermediate School District. Currently, I've been there for about 17 years. Um, my daughter is a graduate of Hinker Bay High School and she is also an educator. I I just believe passionately in public education. Um, and I've recently finished uh the second of my graduate degrees. And so I find myself having more time than I have had. And I s I have a serious interest in uh being active in the community and helping to serve the students and their families in some way that leads to positive change. >> Okay. Thank you. Do we have any follow-up questions? All right. describe in your own words the role of a school board member. >> So um as I

077understand it, a school board member a school board's primary function is to set school policy and to um select superintendent. Uh I however have a background in dispute resolution as well as public administration. And so I'm all about the uh intersection of those two interests, you know, like collaborative uh dialogue and supportive uh systems. So that's my interest is in um you know in helping and in serving in that way. And I I think that public services is just very critical. Any followup? Okay. After review and discuss review and discussion on significant issues, the board operates by a majority vote. When the majority vote is different from your position, how would you manage the situation and potential criticism of your position? So I think you know that goes to the heart of who I am

078you know um again it's collaborative work and I believe that you know we all can learn from each other we all can um benefit from you new perspectives uh so I would definitely be able to understand someone's criticism of my position or disagreement Um I think that having um a forum where you can have give and take and you can discuss things maybe I would grow or learn or or move in a different direction or maybe not. So um I think that it's all about the cooperation. >> Thank you. Any followup? At times you will be caught between legitimately opposing points of view and there may be a difference between your personal point of view and the policy or law that you are required to uphold as a board member. How will you handle this?

079>> So I can speak to that uh by looking at um I have I'm a certified civil court mediator and I've done volunteer mediation. Um, so I I've I've always thought about the position of neutrality, the the feasibility of it, that is, and I think that I know what my beliefs are and and what guides me. Um, however, I do understand that that might be um not in keeping with this this district or this system that I'm in. And so I am able to put that aside and to be you know neutral as to um my positions but um you know to think about outcomes and so that's what I would tend to focus on. Any followup? Okay. What do you perceive as the district's strengths and weaknesses? Um, you know, I I in preparation

080for this, I've gone back and and looked at a couple of um of the schoolboard meetings uh to familiarize myself with the issues that that you're dealing with. I also, you know, I'm a booster of the district obviously. My daughter started here in in at uh at elementary and I uh involved myself with the PTO groups and um I actually uh when she was in middle school sat on a parent advisory committee with uh the then principal. Um so I guess I I believe that you know a strength is the you know the mission statement is to is to graduate you know fully developed and articulated students. Um I I would say you know I'm not familiar enough to um to address a a possible weakness. Um, I just think that in in, you know,

081in any organization, communication is always key. And so I would be interested in knowing um that the district is a place where people feel like they can be heard and um, you know, working to help realize that objective. >> Thank you. Any followup, >> Bonnie Burgerer? Out of all of the issues that you came across when you were taking a look at us, which issu issue intrigued you the most from a policy perspective, not necessarily personal opinion, but wow, that was an interesting issue. you know, um I I have an interest in um right now what I do for the the MISD is I um I work with uh educators and I um I I track special education credentials for every for all special ed personnel in in in Mcome County. And so I have

082a chance to talk with a lot of educators and one thing that um that stands out for me is that um you know educators feel uh quite pressured. I'm also concerned about educators leaving the field and so um my interests lie in um again providing support. I didn't I of the of the school board's meetings that I did watch. I not I I felt that you worked together pretty cohesively as a group and I noticed that in last month's uh meeting there was a discussion about the 33 AAA funding and um I I kind of felt some sympathy um for the people who were who were talking about that because it's a very complicated issue. do you give up your autonomy to get this funding? And then I I think that there was a feeling

083that kind of someone went ahead and and and opted in. I understood the reason why that happened, but I just thought that the way that it was handled was very professional. And so it seems to me uh to bode well for the whole group. And I think that you know that the feelings uh everyone here seems to be for the students which is important to me. >> Mr. Powers, did you have a question? >> No. Okay. All right. Final question, which you actually kind of already answered probably. Identify a recent board decision that you felt strongly about and describe how you would balance community concerns, student needs, parental rights, state and federal law, staff considerations, and your personal values and beliefs to determine how to vote on the issue. So, I I also listened to

084um the discussion from the superintendent about the um changes that are happening with the bond proposal, which I was very happy to vote for. Um, and so I noticed that you have uh you you're piloting a program for for three-year-olds and um you also are moving students. It's interesting to me that the um fifth and sixth graders are over at middle school south where my daughter went and the is it the sixth and seventh grader or seventh and eighth graders, excuse me, are over at South. And so I like that because one of the things that I um realized was that we were we were kind of at middle school south was there was a great big discrepancy between um the kids that went to South and the kids that went to North and it

085came right down to unfortunately socioeconomic factors. And so, um, I like the notion that there's a mix now of students, you know, being exposed to different people or different you there's a nice mix. Um, and so I think that having my it's been my own experience uh throughout the whole my daughter's education that I was welcome um to come in to meet with educators to meet with administrators. So I think that that is very indicative of a respect for parents and having a good relationship between parents. Um you know I know as a person who works in a special education district that parental rights um can be um a thorny issue. Um you know um the we deal with that quite a lot. you know, balancing civil rights, balancing parental and student rights. So, I'm

086familiar with the sensitivity that's required there. Um, and I just think again that I I am grounded by my values of, you know, I want to see every child get an equitable and and free and appropriate pep public education. That's what motivates me and that's what makes me really want to have this opportunity and to to contribute in whatever way that I can. >> Follow-up question for Mr. Ventatelli. >> Uh, Miran, thank you for coming today. I think I believe I heard you saying that uh civil rights uh versus parental rights. Did I hear is that the phrase that you use? Did I hear that correctly? >> Um, no. Um, I just I can I know that I've I guess what I was trying to get at is that having been in that environment, I

087worked in a I worked in a school uh as a school administrative assistant for 13 years and so I've watched those situations play out and I've seen I think one of my best attributes is that I I I set out to learn from every experience that I find myself in. So, you know, having special needs students and and having a problem where a parent felt like their students rights were been would had been violated. I had the opportunity to learn from the perspective of the parent as well as the educator as well as the the district administration. And I believe that being a fair person and someone who is interested in equity that being able to take those situations in and to learn from everyone's perspective is is valuable. And I do know that it's

088not it's not oftenimes possible to make everyone happy and that these these experiences can sometimes get very thorny and latigious. So, I I've had some experience seeing those kinds of things. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Any additional followup on that? >> Okay, we're going to go to a couple of questions from our board members. Miss Burkemeer. >> Um, has anyone from Ankor Bay or MISD leadership encouraged or asked you to apply for the board? >> No. Um actually I had I had been looking because I noticed that the um there would be elections this year. So I had planned to uh file to run and then I I saw that um there was this opening and I I thought it was kind of really an indication that I should go ahead and try

089it. Okay. Thank you, >> Mr. Richards. Can you tell me any events or any other um involvements that you or any events you've attended within the last year within the Anchor Bay School District? >> Oh, I'm sorry. I have to say that I have not. >> Thank you. Do we have any questions from the center of the table? Okay, Miss Marone, thank you so much for your time. And again, we um probably will not have a vote tonight. >> Okay, >> thank you so much. >> Best wishes. >> We have Brian Romano. >> Yes. >> Okay. Am I saying that correctly? >> Yes. >> Okay. Wonderful. Welcome. Uh wanted to let you know we are not live streaming so that the other candidates do not have a uh an advantage and but we are recording

090and it's not anticipated that we will vote tonight but probably January 28th. >> Okay. >> It's possible we'll vote tonight but probably not. >> So we're going to get started. The questions are also in front of you if you'd like to read along. Do you live in the Ankor Bay School District? Yes, I've lived here since uh September of 2019. I have two children within the district as well. >> Wonderful. Are you a registered voter? >> Yes, I am. >> Why are you interested in serving on the school board? >> Yeah, the I'll answer that uh truthfully. I'm I'm a bit of a nerd. This is the type of stuff I enjoy. Um I've done everything from sitting on uh the citizens advisory committee for the city of New Baltimore. I've actually been on a

091school board for uh a Prevail Academy and uh Mount Clemens, part of one of the NHA schools. Um I sat on that school board. It was about November. My wife actually talked me into stepping down from that from the time commitment and having no children in that district. So when I saw this come up, I actually asked my wife permission to actually come here to make sure that she was okay with me serving the time. And yeah. Yeah. That's why I am. >> Well, if you're looking for nerds, you've come to the right place. Um, describe in your own words the role of a school board member. >> Oh, that is a good question. Um, I think the role of the school board. I think it's uh ultimately guidance and to help not only the

092school um but the students um to ensure that we are following holding up to the school's values and that we're making progress not only the children the students making progress in their education but we are making the right decisions for the school and the community as a whole. Oh, I wrote that on the wrong line. Okay. After review and discussion on significant issues, the board operates by a majority vote. When the majority vote is different from your position, how would you manage the situation and potential criticism of your position? You're saying after the vote is ca after the votes our voter is already cast and >> uh not well we we make a motion then we discuss and maybe you have an opposing so if there's six people that are like yes we want purple

093walls and you're like no and they're like well you want green walls and they say green walls are dumb nobody says that but you know that kind of thing. How do you how do you how do you manage when the major you are not the majority? >> Well, I think um there's a two-part answer to I have to that. So, my background is uh um human resources um mainly in union environments. I've negotiated contracts in multiple different countries um um Mexico um Brazil as well as the United States obviously majority in the United States. I've actually kind of stepped away from the negotiation, the union side now, um that I'm with Haptive, uh my current employer. However, um in negotiations, um there's a lot of different tactics you can take in various different ways. If

094there isn't a vote, you know, when you're getting to the vote, you're obviously expressing your opinion. It's never why the other um why the other side is wrong. Um but the best strategy is always to explain why your answer is right. Um you know, ultimately, you're not going to get everybody on your side. Um it's good to express your opinion. Make sure people fully understand you know um why you believe that is the correct way. Um you know uh outside of that there's nothing you can do. Obviously once a vote is cast I respect the board and the decision and the majority and all of you and your decisions but you know I will make sure my voice and my opinion and the reason why I believe that is correct. Um >> okay thank you.

095Any follow-up questions to that? Okay. At times you'll be caught between legitimately opposing points of view and there may be a difference between your personal point of view and the policy or law that you are required to uphold as a board member. How will you handle this? >> Of course, you will hold the law or policy in place. >> Okay. What do you perceive I'm sorry. Go ahead. I will say if it's a policy, I might bring that up in the next board meeting to see if it's possible we could change it, but in the course of law and things of that nature, >> what do you perceive I'm sorry, did anyone have a follow-up to that? Okay. What do you perceive as the district's strengths and weaknesses being HR? That's a generic interview question

096that I should have been prepared for. But in regards to you want to ask me mine? No, I'm kidding. Um, in regards to the district, uh, I, uh, I don't know how to answer the question on the weakness. And you know, that's a silly question because of course there's going to be a weakness, but when it comes to strength, um you know, I've come I grew up in uh Warrenwood School District. Actually, McKenzie, I knew him when he was just a teacher. Uh Young Blood over at Warren Woods Tower High School. That's when I was where I went to graduated. Um I still see him every morning at the gym to this day. But but you know I think the biggest strength here and it sounds almost cliche to say it but it's really the

097people um the staff the faculty um I have one child um who's who has autism um so he's gone up through anchor uh through South Middle School and now you know he's actually senior this year at the high school. I've seen how you guys have handled everything for for special needs and the programs that you run there. I have a daughter now who is the first fifth grader at uh in middle school. Um so you know understanding and going through that and obviously there's a lot of uh opinionated voices on that topic for instance. But the way it was handled here, the way it's working in the schools, everything I've seen, um, you know, I just have a lot of respect for everybody that what they've done. And, you know, I it's ultimately, you know,

098while there's minimal fireworks, I would say, in regards to the decision for the middle school um, combining, you know, that is a major task and a major tackle, and to pull that off flawlessly just goes to show what the district's capable of. So, um, you know, just in essence, you know, I've been here almost nearly, you know, roughly five years, five and a half. Um, and I've have nothing but good things to say about the district. >> We like to hear it. Okay, final question and then we'll go on to some board questions. >> Oh, I'm sorry, Jamie. >> What do you think was your proudest accomplishment at Prevail? really I think it was the way we uh put the esser funds to use. Um a lot of the things that we were able to

099do with those esser funds um I think that gave me biggest sense of accomplishment there because of where way we were able to work and to actually use those funds for the betterment of schools. majority of people at Prevail Academy um are not from within Mount Clemens. They are from other school districts. Um additionally, through a lot of the programs and things we developed um we actually were had better test scores um than the Mount Clemen School District itself, the school uh you know that we were surrounding. Um, additionally, the reason I was actually asked to join and what brought me into NHA um was from one of the executives uh actually at my current employer um who had we had had a long discussions about special needs and various different things for autism and

100cognitive impairment. Um, so I think that was probably for me personally, that's where I had my most involvement was helping them really upgrade um, everything that they were their classrooms and their resource rooms and everything they had for that. And we use a lot of ask for funds and things of that nature for that. >> Any other questions? >> Okay, our final question then we'll go on to some board questions. Identify a recent board decision that you felt strongly about and describe how you would balance community concerns, student needs, parental rights, state and federal law, staff considerations, and your personal values and beliefs to determine how to vote on the issue. >> A a recent decision that something that was recently decided. >> Yeah. I think I'll go back to the to the middle school,

101you know, the combining of the schools. I think uh I'll be blatantly honest with you guys. I mean, I heard that and my immediate gut reaction having a daughter at that age was this is a terrible idea. Immediately gut reaction. That was how I felt. Um and talking to people in the community, watching the school board discussions hearing out both sides and it goes back to what I said you know as we were talking about how I would respond if I felt differently as much as I talked about make sure people understand why I felt that way you know I couldn't articulate fully why I did why I felt that way um if I'm being honest right um I needed to hear the other side articulate why they believed it was a good idea I

102mean um ultimately I think that decision um was the right one. Um I think it is working out very well. Um you know I questions about the sports. I'll be honest with you >> and things of that nature. I'm also a basketball coach at Allstar. I have it >> community call me coach. So >> um um but you know going back to you know I going through exactly how this is written you know you've met the needs of the students. I think it's just the things my daughter is doing and the way, you know, with everything from the locker prepared her from it. Um, you know, the state and federal law staff considerations, the way that the staff, I mean, um, I can't think of her name right now, of course, because I'm I feel

103like I'm on the hot seat. But uh a lot of the staff that was brought over to middle school north from the south um within special needs and then you know how they've developed that program you take because that was majority at south why my son even though I live near north my son went to south for that reason. um you know to have that at North and the way the program's been developing I it's definitely the right decision you know but going back because I'm stumbling over my words here um how how I would have voted on that issue like I said is I eventually would have turned to yes but I needed to have all the details first and I think that's the problem in the community um as I mentioned before I

104was on the citizens advisory committee for a long time um I stepped down because in 2023 three, I was traveling way too much. Um, at least once a month, I was in Mexico uh for work. Uh, so I did step down from that. You know, I couldn't make it work. Tom's still trying to Tom San's still trying to convince me to run for city council. Um, which I won't be. I promise you that. Um, I asked my wife that question, too. She said, "No." Um but in regards to um uh you know I like that that the idea of the citizens advisory committee is to talk to those in the community to get an understanding to bring that to the head the leads of city council and to the mayor outside of that and give

105our opinion and help guide and that I think that's also a piece of the school board is not only to understand you know just to get a packet and open it for the first time and talk about through go through the financial audits there's also a big piece of how it's going to affect the community and the needs. I know the people in the community. I talk to people in the community on a regular basis. I know the students and you know ultimately I don't think I think you'd be really hard to find a parent now who doesn't isn't happy with the new middle school arrangement. Um you know I think it's just a matter of understanding and having those conversations. >> Okay. Thank you. Do any of you have a follow-up question? Okay. We're

106going to go to some board questions. Miss Burkemeer. >> Um, has anyone from Ankor Bay or the MISD leadership encouraged or asked you to apply for this board position? >> No, they did not. >> Okay. Um, Mr. Richards, >> have you been involved or attended any events within the Anchor Bay School District within the last year? >> Any events? Yes. >> Can you give me an example? um you know uh local football games, local basketball games um within the district. Um I coached at last last year's um the first uh put they put together the basketball camp or little team for the kids. I don't I wasn't a camp. It was the fifth through 8th grade uh basketball league. I coached there. Um I coach at All-Star. I've actually gone to some of the school

107dances to help chaperon some of the the kids with special needs. Thank you. >> This end of the table have any questions. >> All right, Mr. Romano, thank you so much for your time. Um, once again, we are not anticipating making a vote tonight, but we will on January 28th. >> I thank you all for your consideration and I appreciate the time. >> Thanks for coming out. >> That's what I said. Are we live yet? Yes. Okay, we are good. All right, welcome Dr. Side. We are not live streaming this evening. Um, so candidates that are waiting don't have an advantage, but we are recording. It is not anticipated that there will be a vote tonight. More likely on January 28th. So, we have some questions here. Um, you have the questions in front of

108you as well. Do you live in the Ankor Bay School District? >> I do. >> Okay. Are you a registered voter? >> Yes. Why are you interested in serving on the school board? >> I've served on state association boards and I wanted to start advocating in the local level and getting more involved in the community and I live in and that my kids go to school in. >> Wonderful. Describe in your own words the role of a school board member. uh advocacy um policies. Uh I didn't really anticipate this question. I apologize. Uh more or less just being the voices to help the district, you know, not just keep up with what our students need and our children need, but to engage in more advocacy work to what makes or what helps us grow. Do

109>> we have any follow-up questions to that? Okay. >> And I'm sure many other things too. >> I'm sorry. >> I'm sure many other things too. >> Okay. After review and discussion on significant issues, the board operates by a majority vote. When the majority vote is different from your position, how would you manage the situation and potential criticism of your position? >> I feel in a collaborative discussion, there's reasons why the the vote becomes a majority. I tend to try to see what positive can come out of a vote decision that would be different from mine. I try to see different facets of why other people would vote differently and I like to be educated and to learn. So I would bring my strengths to what I could bring to any followup. Okay. At times

110you will be caught between legitimately opposing points of view and there may be a difference between your personal point of view and the policy or law that you are required to uphold as a board member. How will you handle this? >> I go by ethics. Um as a licensed counselor in the state of Michigan, you know, there are a lot of viewpoints as a counselor that sometimes I don't agree with and ethically that is what I follow. I also try to learn why certain things are better. I try to see significant issues in a different light. Um I think it really boils down to I just like to learn why it's different, why other people are different and then how can I support and strengthen that viewpoint and it's a learning environment for me as

111well. >> Any followup? What do you perceive as the district's strengths and or weaknesses? >> We moved back to Anker Bay after leaving for a year. We've been in Inker Bay for a while and then we wanted to go try a different school district and move away. We made it the school year and my children and I both wanted to come back. I like how our district is. I like the community collaboration. I like how the parents and the teachers talk. um the strengths far outside or far outweigh the weaknesses in my mind. Uh the one weakness I could see is I feel like at the high school level there's so many changes that our students need some more support. Um maybe a little bit more oversight with some things. There's some subjects that I

112feel need a little bit more attention, but overall I see more strikes. Any followup, Mr. Benitelli? >> Yes. Uh, Dr. Side, I believe I heard you say in the last question that there are certain laws that pertain to your practice as a counselor that you disagree with, uh, that you, but that you respect them and you follow them. Uh, would you be willing or able to describe an example of a law that you disagree with, but that you have to follow with regards to counseling? >> It's not necessarily a law. It's an ethical standard, and some ethics are subjective. One of them would be um the use of personal disclosure, for example. Whereas some counselors will not personally disclose anything because, you know, you want to make sure that you're keeping that boundary with a

113client versus what a therapist's viewpoint is or experience is. And sometimes the part that I disagree with is sometimes you have to share a little bit to help build that rapport to help them understand that, you know, the empathy is coming from a place of knowledge. Um, but overall, you know, it's got to be at the benefit of the client, not the benefit of you or the therapist. >> Okay. So, I'm sorry, I'm I'm kind not in the field that you're in. So, you can describe to me what what kind of um personal I guess ideas would you want to share with one of your patients that morally or I'm sorry, ethically you're not allowed to. >> Uh, well, it's not necessarily sharing what I'm not ethically allowed to share. It's just I like I

114have lived experience with being a homeless 17-year-old. So, when I have a client come in who is experiencing hardships or experienced trauma or experienced homelessness, you know, sharing that little piece where I've gone from being homeless at 17 to just graduated with my doctor a few months ago. sharing that can be helpful for some clients, but you have to navigate which clients are okay hearing that because sometimes it could do more damage. >> Okay. Yeah, I think that's a valid reason. Thank you. >> Okay, a final question and then we are going to go on to some uh board questions. Identify a recent board decision that you felt strongly about and describe how you would balance community concerns, student needs, parental rights, state and federal law, staff considerations, and your personal values and beliefs to

115determine how to vote on the issue. Um, I would say with the changes to the middle school structure, uh, among my social network, among a lot of parents that I talked to, it was a very split good versus bad choice. And at first I was not sure how it would work because of the the logistics of everything. And then after just reading more of what was given to us, the information and being educated on it and how everything was changed, it changed my viewpoint and I used that to help others understand whether it helps you or helps change someone's mind or not. Education is power and knowing more about it can help you make an informed choice. Any follow-up questions to that? Okay, we're going to go on to Miss B um Dr. Burkemeer. >>

116Uh, has anyone from Ankor Bay or MISD leadership encouraged or asked you to apply for the board? >> No. >> Mr. Richards, >> have you been involved or attended any events within the Anchor Bay School District within the last year? And if so, can you give me an example of which ones? I don't think I have that I can remember, but I was working on my dissertation this last year, so there's a lot I don't remember. >> Sayable. Thank you. >> Getting a little busy. >> Do we have any questions from this end of the table? Okay, hearing none. Thank you for your time today, Dr. Side. And um once again, probably not going to vote tonight. We might, but definitely January 28th. So again, we appreciate you coming out. Thank you so much. >>

117Thank you for the opportunity. >> Hello, Mr. Wentworth. >> Um, we are not live streaming, but we are recording so that the other candidates do not have an advantage. >> Um, it's not anticipated that there will be a vote tonight, more likely January 28th at our next regularly scheduled meeting. Have eight questions. They're in front of you. Um, so feel free to read along. Do you live in the Ankor Bay School District? >> Yes, I do. Are you a registered voter? >> Yes, I am. >> Can you move the microphone a little bit closer, please? >> Yeah. >> Thank you. Uh, why are you interested in serving on the school board? >> For me, when I found there was found out there was an open position. I just want to be a help. I think

118for a long time, I've done my very best as a community member to come alongside the school district and help in areas where I feel like I can assist. And if this is an area where I could help, I I'd love to be able to just help wherever I could. >> Okay. And a follow-up question, >> describe in your own words the role of a schoolboard member. >> Uh to me, uh schoolboard member is is a little bit meant to be a bridge to the community, right? That uh you're representing the community as well. And so, uh, to to bring that, uh, transparency at times, to be able to be, uh, accessible to people in the community when they have questions, I think that's important, but also to provide leadership, uh, to the district and

119to the superintendent as well to make sure that, you know, policies are being followed and teachers and staff and kids are uh, the priority. >> Any follow-up questions? Okay. After review and discussion on significant issues, the board operates by a majority vote. When the majority vote is different from your position, how would you manage the situation and potential criticism of your position? >> I mean, I think at the end of the day in my role, there are certainly situations we walk away from as a staff where we might not all agree um on decisions that are made, but uh to me, the the standard is uh when we leave this room, we agree. We're on the same page. And so I think for me I would uh if if a decision was made that I

120didn't 100% agree with uh at the end of the day I go with the majority vote and and can can live with that. >> Any followup? >> At times you will be caught between legitimately opposing points of view and there may be a difference between your personal point of view and the policy or law that you are required to uphold as a board member. How will you handle this? >> I think policy and law holds the standard and for me uh my opinions or personal points of view uh definitely come in second place and so to me if it's policy in the district, if it's a law, then I I don't have a a choice in that and I think would defer to those uh policies and laws. >> Thank you. Any followup? What do

121you perceive as the district's strengths and weaknesses? >> For me, um, strengths, uh, I go by some of the relationships I have at Middle School South, uh, with Mac Elementary and then for my kids, uh, as they came through the district or are going through the district. Um, I I think the staff uh, go above and beyond. I think I've watched teachers, especially at Mccons Elementary, do more than what I would probably expect a teacher to do. And so I've seen them uh go beyond what uh maybe is expected and uh just really meet the needs of students as well as, you know, uh do everything they can to communicate with parents and things like that. So I think the staff does a great job. Uh that's definitely one of the strengths. I I love

122the security of our district. like I think the security that's been put in place. I know there's been criticism of some of those things, but I've never once felt um that my kid is not safe walking into our schools. And so I think that is a a plus for us. And I don't know what it's like at other school districts, but I know I feel uh confident that uh that's that's being taken care of. Uh weaknesses. Uh I don't have a lot of criticisms of our district, and that's part of probably my personality. I'm not a very uh I I don't know. I I just don't have any criticisms. There's never been points along the way that I've been upset about stuff or think things should change. >> Okay. Thank you. Any followup? >> All

123right. Identify a recent board decision that you felt strongly about and describe how you would balance community concerns, student needs, parental rights, state and federal law, staff considerations, and your personal values and beliefs to determine how to vote on the issue. >> I mean, I look at I guess I look at some of the security decisions that have been made with the hiring of Foris and then, you know, some of the other measures that had been taken. You know, I know there was some push back against parents about some of the different things. At at the end of the day, I know that um the board as well as the district did everything they could to make the best decision to make sure kids are safe and that's a priority. Um and so, you know,

124the the the criticisms against that at the end of the day, I I trust the people in charge and the people that have done the research to make sure our kids are safe. And so, in those situations, I lean that direction. So, Do we have any followup, Mr. Bentatelli? >> Yes, I do. Uh, Mr. Wentworth, thank you for coming today. Yeah, I say that right. Wentworth. >> Yep. >> Thank you. Okay. Um, so you mentioned uh the reason why you want to serve on the board is part of your community service. You do a lot of community service. Can you uh give us a couple examples of what you've uh done for the community and with regards to community service? >> Yeah. Um, I I started the Feed the Bay backpack program. Um, and it

125started 13 years ago at Mccon Elementary with 35 kids. And uh, now it's certainly gone beyond me, but that started with an initiative with me um, finding out there was a need at Mccons Elementary that there were kids going home hungry on the weekends and they were getting free lunch, free breakfast during the school week and then coming back Monday just not ready to learn. And so we saw the need, stepped up, met it, and it's been amazing to see what's happened through that. You know, about 225 bags go home every week during the school district. And uh we just calculated the day probably about a 100,000 bags have gone through uh home in the last 13 years. And that's a whole heck of a lot of bags of food to make sure the kids

126in our community don't go hungry. So I'm a mentor uh at Mcc Elementary. I've been that for six or seven years. Um I have had a few different students. So I go every other week and um meet with a student during lunch and recess just hang out um with some kids that just need somebody in their corner, some support, some encouragement. Uh my student last year, he's now middle school north. And so that's I I've kind of followed him along and hopefully I can do that for the next few years. Uh so do that. um help launch uh Christmas Franker Bay that provides Christmas for uh kids right here in our community for uh those families in need. And um we do a back to school bash at Mcc. Um there's there's a lot of

127stuff I you know I I've got a track record uh for serving our community and and I love it. That's that's what uh it's one of my favorite things I get to do as part of my job. >> No, thank you. I I appreciate that. Sounds uh comprehensive. I I appreciate your service and thank you for your answer. Yep. Okay, we have no many no more follow-up questions on that. We will go to the board. Dr. Burkemeer, >> uh, has anyone from Anchor Bay or MISD leadership encouraged or asked you to apply for this position? >> No. >> Mr. Richards, >> I'm going to kind of stole my question a little bit, but that's okay. Um, have you been involved or attended any events within the Anchor Bay School District within the last year? And

128if so, can you give me some examples? >> Maybe >> outside of the 13 years of feed the uh outside of the 13 years of feed the >> um >> we have to ask everyone the same question though. That's why >> you're good. >> Uh I guess I mean the last one was Christmas Franker Bay. Uh we did the back school bash at the beginning of this school year at Mac. Um, uh, we did, this was one of my favorite things we did all year, uh, at the end of the school year at Mccons, we did like a movie day and so we did the Wild Robot and, uh, the kids watched the movie while teachers had just kind of a free day to kind of wrap things up and we did give away prizes

129and stuff like that. So, uh, that was another one. And we do an after school rep program at, uh, middle in Mac as well. And so I show up once a month and hang out with kids. Thank you. >> Any additional questions? Um I do have a question slashc comment. Um I admire your philanthropic work definitely. Um and it seems like you're aware that the the school board is mostly about policy keeping track of superintendent. Um so it's great to be involved, but just to know that this is kind of a a different thing. Um, that's something that I myself didn't fully realize until I was here that it's more policy and guidelines and things like that. And so that's in addition to the all the other stuff you do. Um, if that is all,

130uh, once again, we probably won't vote tonight, but we appreciate you coming out, Mr. Wentworth. And, um, have a great evening. Thank you. Evening. We good, Tim? All right. Um, Charles Penszian, >> yes, >> I said that correctly. >> Correct. >> Uh, welcome. We are not live streaming tonight, but we are recording and that's so the other candidates don't have an unfair advantage. Um, it is not anticipated that there will be a vote tonight. More likely January 28th. >> Okay. >> All right. Get started with our questions. Um, you have them in front of you as well. >> All right. >> Do you live in the Ankor Bay School District? >> Sure do. All right. Are you a registered voter? >> Yes. >> Why are you interested in serving on the school board? >> Well,

131for a couple of reasons. Namely, my uh son and daughter. >> Sorry, is that me causing that? >> I didn't hear anything. >> I'm hearing feedback, but uh uh I have a son who is a junior at the high school and a daughter who is a uh uh sixth grader. Um who are the probably the two most important reasons that I like to do it. But I also uh have always been interested in the school board and interested in the school system. Um I'm also a sponsor for the athletic department. My son plays football. Uh so we've been very involved in his path as he's gone through. My daughter is just starting band. So I assume that that's going to continue as she progresses. So >> Okay. Any followup? Describe in your own words the

132role of a school board member. Well, I think um as you've I don't know if you've had chance to read my resume. I've been involved with a number of boards and it's true with most of um boards. They give direction to the administration whether those are corporate boards or uh municipal boards um or nonprofit boards. Uh essentially they provide oversight and they provide direction to those who are uh tasked with uh enforcing those rules. Any followup? Okay, thank you for that response. After review and discussion on significant issues, the board operates by a majority vote when the majority vote is different from your position. How would you manage the situation and potential criticism of your position? >> Well, you have I mean obviously you have to you u handle it like an adult. If you

133are on the losing side of any vote, you simply move on. I mean, that's just the that's the the role of our system. Uh democracy in our country, that's what that's what we do. You you express your opinion. If you uh can't convince your other members uh that uh your opinion is the right way to go, then you follow their opinion if they if they outvote you. It's really that simple. >> Followup. Okay. At times you will be caught between legitimately opposing points of view and there may be a difference between your personal point of view and the policy or law that you are required to uphold as a board member. How will you handle this? >> You follow the policy and the law as a 30 almost 30-year attorney. Um I've uh certainly been

134um taught to follow the law and that's what we would do if uh if that was the case. It's a pretty simple answer there. >> All right. Thank you. Any followup to that? >> All right. What do you perceive as the district's strengths and weaknesses? >> Well, I I uh I'm a lifelong member of uh resident of New Baltimore. Uh so I've been involved with the schools for a long time. Obviously, as a graduate of Anker Bay, um as a uh now a parent of two children in Anchor Bay, I've gotten a and and also I have a wife who works at Ankor Bay. So, we've got a lot of uh uh insight in terms of what what goes on. Um for the most part, I I think there are a lot more strengths than

135weaknesses. Um, I think uh um some of the growth that we're experiencing right now in terms of the transition of the buildings is probably the biggest weakness that I would see, but I think that's going to work itself out as uh that process moves along. It's just now we're in that sort of uh middle area where things are are a little bit uh problematic, but um that'll work its way out as the build buildings get finished and things like that. But as far as the strengths, I think the school does a fantastic job educating the children. Um I I you know, we live here because we wanted to go to Anchor Bay schools. Uh that's really the only place we even thought about going. Uh both my wife and I are graduates and and uh

136uh we enjoyed our experiences and I think our children are enjoying theirs. So I think it's a great great school district. >> Wonderful. Um any followup? Okay. Identify a recent board decision that you felt strongly about and describe how you would balance community concerns, student needs, parental rights, state and federal law, staff considerations, and your personal values and beliefs to determine how to vote on the issue. Well, I've uh in the last year or two, I've had the opportunity to be here in front of the board a few times, in case some of you are uh recognizing me. Um probably the one of the issues that that uh brought concern to me was the handling of the the football coach, Coach Dioni. Um I had uh I have great respect for for Coach Dioni. My

137son has played uh in the football program. Um, like I said, he's a junior this year. We'll be a senior next year. I thought um he was uh treated um poorly from an employee perspective. I think uh um and I understand there was an investigation in a whole process. And I'm not trying to to say that, you know, there wasn't uh grounds for an investigation. And I think there should have been uh some urgency in completing that and some urgency in terms of completing or making a decision as to what was going to happen with coach Dioni. And the primary reason I say that is because the new coach was hired way late in this in the hiring season. That should have been done um at the end of the football season instead of April

138or whenever it was um this last year. Um, not to say there's anything wrong with the new coach because I don't I don't think that's the case, but I just think the way Coach Genon was treated was um was was a poor uh reflection on the school and it could have been handled much better. >> Any followup? >> I have one quick question, >> Mr. Benelli. >> Mr. Penzene. Um, sometimes as part of the board, you're required to handle and maintain confidential information without leaking out to the public regardless of any amount of outcry or, you know, words of uh of accusation. Um, how would you handle that sort of situation if you had a piece of confidential confidential information that a crowd of people were trying to accuse you of being, let's say, dishonest

139towards, uh, but you couldn't clear your name because of the rule for confidentiality. you have to maintain if if there's a confidential piece of information that's that's inviolent. It cannot be uh you cannot leak it. Um as an attorney, I deal with confidential information all the time. My client's secrets are are they'll go to the grave with me. Um people tell me things uh that I have to maintain absolute confidentiality about and I would fight to to my end to keep anybody from making me reveal that. So there's no question in my mind that that that's the absolute answer to that. It just just won't be revealed. >> Yeah. Um to Mr. Bentatelli's point, sometimes it is hard when you have 5,000 people that think you made the wrong decision and we we sit here

140and we can't say why. That can be tough. Um we have a question from Miss We have a question from Dr. Bergmeer. Uh, has anyone from Anchor Bay or MISD leadership encouraged or asked you to apply for this board seat? >> No. No, absolutely not. >> And a question from Mr. Richards. >> Have you been involved or attended any events within the Anchor Bay School District within the last year? If so, can you give me some examples? >> Uh, events within the last year. Uh, there's going to be a lot of them. Um, basketball's games, uh, football. I think I attended every single football game. I I will I will say I've never missed a football game that my son's played in. Um or basketball game that he's played in because he did play freshman

141basketball. Um and I've luckily can say the same thing about my daughter's band concert. She's only been in one, >> but I've been to every single band concert. So, u that's a that's a real uh important uh thing. And I've also been to a bunch of you know, if you look at my resume, you'll see that uh I coached uh youth football. So, I'm lucky to have known the couple years before my son went through and a couple of years after. So, I've even gone to games where he's not playing because I know the kids and have have a relationship with a bunch of their parents. So, um lots of sporting events and lots of uh um lots of other things, you know, throughout this school year. Thank you. >> Do we have Mr. Powers?

142just kind of looking through your fairly extensive legal background, how do you think that that could benefit um us as a board having having that background um with us? >> Well, you know, any board that I've ever served on, of course, I have to uh uh one of my ethical obligations is to serve. Whenever I'm on a board, I'm acting as an attorney. All right? You have to conduct yourself under our rules of of professional conduct as an attorney. So, obviously when I analyze situations and analyze things, I'm doing it as an attorney. Um, so I've had a lot of experience on boards. I've uh been on the zoning board of appeal, for example, in New Baltimore for 20 years. Um, although I'm not on there now. Um, I've also been on a lot of

143charitable boards, things of that nature. So, when you do that, I mean, you learn things about the Open Meetings Act and all the rules about uh things of that nature. Well, obviously those are issues that the school board's going to hear about. Although I haven't served on a school board, but you know, a lot of there's a lot of similarity in terms of how things are conducted. So, I think that would be helpful. And, you know, in general legal background in terms of business disputes and legal issues, they're they come up every day, I'm sure, with the board. >> Any further questions? >> Okay, Mr. Pensian, thank you so much for coming out today. Thank you for your time and once again we do not anticipate voting tonight but definitely January 28th >> and I

144assume somebody will let me know. Thank you. >> Somebody will let you know. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> And we have Kimberly Kosh. >> Is that how you pronounce it? >> It is. >> All right. We've been having discussion about that up here. >> All right. Well, welcome. Thank you for coming out. Um we are not live streaming so the other candidates don't have an advantage but we are recording. It is not anticipated that there will be a vote tonight, but definitely January 28th. Um, you have the questions in front of you, so you are free to read along. Do you live in the Anchor Bay School District? Yes, I do. Are you a registered voter? Yes. >> All right. Why are you interested in serving on the school board? Um

145I recently I was teacher um in district and I left teaching last year and I think I loved that job because I was really interested in giving as much as I could to the district and to education. Um, I just think coming from the place of being a teacher, I understand like just the importance of the foundation of education and like many of the candidates, this is where I went to high school. It's where my kids went to school. This is my town in my neighborhood. And it's been forever. And when I was a teacher, I was a student council rep and NHS and chess club and the trading card club and just anything I could give to make education better, I wanted to do. And I miss being in the school. And so I

146just saw this as an opportunity to, you know, get involved again and making the kids of the community where, you know, one of my neighbors who goes to the high school shovel my snow today. Um, just to make that education continue to be better and still have a place in. Okay. >> And making that important. >> Okay. Do we have any follow-up questions? Okay. Describe in your own words the role of a school board member. Well, I think that you get handed a lot of um different um challenges all of the time and I think maybe coming from teaching um I understand what those challenges are and am equipped to kind of um bounce with that. But I think a school board member puts students first and education first, but they're also in charge of

147all of the stakeholders of the community. So, um they need to keep in mind um you know, parents and students and administrators and the whole role um that goes into improving the education. Any followup? All right. After review and discussion on significant issues, the board operates by a majority vote. When the majority vote is different from your position, how would you manage the situation and potential criticism of your position? >> I think that that's a strong suit of mine of really wanting people's voice to be heard. Um, and I really value discussion and I value the opinions of others. And I also am good at like pivoting to support something if that is in the interest of what other people, you know, if if the majority votes in a certain way, then I would be

148like excited to then just help and support that. No followup. At times you will be caught between legitimately opposing points of view and there may be a difference between your personal point of view and the policy or law that you are required to uphold as a board member. How will you handle this? I think that, you know, just playing off of the um the question before um legitimately opposing viewpoints. I'm just trying to um I'm trying to think of a time when my personal point of view is different than law. I was even thinking like they were talking about getting speeding tickets um in the room and like by nature I'm a rule follower. So um I think it it's hard for me to think of a time when my point of view is different

149than what is um legal or you know is the law. Um, so, um, I guess because I like rules and laws, I'd probably be pretty, um, happy to go along and to, um, support that. Any followup? What do you perceive as the district's strengths and weaknesses? Coming from being a staff member, I think that the district has some wonderful motivated staff. I think having children that have recently gone through that, it's a strong curriculum um and a wellorganized curriculum. um systemically education has a lot of pitfalls right now that's going through a lot of changes and I don't know if schools in general are doing everything to meet and those changes um and so I would say Ankor Bay is one of those where teachers and students are requiring different kinds of support um and

150I think that There are some ways that we could support both the teachers and the students better. Thank you. Are there any followup here? Right. Identify a recent board decision that you felt strongly about and describe how you would balance community concerns, student needs, parental rights, state and federal law, staff considerations, and your personal values and beliefs to determine how to vote on the issue. Um, probably the board decision that I can think of that recently meant the most to me was the banning of cell phones. Um, and I would say just in that decision, um, I I saw some of the concerns and the parents in the community voicing their concerns over student safety and communication and um, of course the students who were very unhappy um, about the policy. Unfortunately, I left teaching

151before I got to see it instilled, but um some of my friends um that are still there think it's a lovely um policy, but I have a background in psychology and I know for one in that particular ruling I would have helped to ease the concerns of community and and parents by being very data driven. There's a lot of research on the strengths of taking um that constant communication out of their hands um and the brain research that goes along with how it's shortening attention spans. And I think that there's a lot of data and I think when you can provide facts and and data, then you can help to ease a lot of the concerns even for the students needs. um teachers have phones and there are phones in classrooms and so you could

152provide that sort of insight to just ease um people's minds. I think really getting out in front of and being able to see the problems that might arise from a policy and starting to head those off. Um very much like the fact that that was a very well publicized by the district policy started at the end of the school year. letting people know was a really great way to start to like ease people's minds and get them used to that idea and the kids to know um that that was going to happen. And you know when it talks in this about you know state and federal law I did see recently that I think the state is going to move or is considering moving toward a ban on phones. So you can see how that

153kind of plays um along with that. >> Thank you. Do we have any followup? Mr. Sonnyberger, >> if I gave you a magic wand and you could change one thing, what would you change that would have kept you behind a teacher's desk and not checking out 12volt batteries? >> You read my resume. Um, I would have needed to feel more supported as a um as a teacher in my classroom to have more um agency um over especially student um behavior in the classroom. And that would be, you know, something that I would hope to work for because I think that that is again not an anchor bay problem. That's a systemic um problem. Um, but I think that there are little things that could be tweaked that could help people teachers in the buildings to

154feel more supported and um have some ideas. >> Thank you. Any other followup there, Mr. Vendetti? >> Yeah, Miss Kosh, what is your opinion on CBE? I think that CBE has a place in education. Um I think it has a good place especially in CTE um courses. It fits well in an elementary um model. I spent I say I'm a data person. I spent a lot of time looking for data that supports um that um theory of education and you can find it in higher education. Um I have some experience with a PhD program out of University of Florida that was in historic preservation and and the students came to that PhD program with a lot of varied construction knowledge. And so a CBE type program there allowed adults to serve their own um purpose

155and make their own learning goals and to work toward those because they came with different levels of experience. um in secondary because I'm a I come from secondary education. Um it is a hard model to meet the standards and to do that with the way that a classroom is set up right now. I think like when Middle School South was built, they had divider walls that came out of the buildings and there was idea of like teachers community teaching. I think if you had two teachers in a classroom um with 40 students or even 50 students that CBE model might work um if there was a team teaching model but it is a very difficult model for many um for many classrooms I was mostly an AP teacher so it's a difficult model to meet

156all the standards of a AP course and to do the CBE model. >> So, as a followup, um, if the standards align with the goals that are set in the CBE curriculum, like for example, if you need to know how to long divide, I mean, I know that's an elementary school, and you said that that factors in, but let's take it for example, in a high school biology class. Let's say you need to know about mitosis and cell division, and that's a standard for that class. I'm not sure what the standards are for that class. Let's say that it is. Mhm. >> And you make that one of the um the the levels of proficiency you have to re with regard reach with regards to the CV course of itself that should directly align with

157you know the the state curriculum. So how would that come in conflict? You said it would be difficult to implement that in high school. Is that correct? >> Yeah. I the way that I would see it is yes, in a maybe in a freshman biology class that might be a standard. Um my guess is that's a a standard for maybe a middle school um course, but um a and again I'm coming from a an AP curriculum. Um, the amount of standards that I would have to cover in a week were too numerous to make a lesson around a standard. So, it had to be multiple standards um mixed um into a lesson in order to make that work. So, that's where it became um difficult. But again, if you change the model, if the CB

158curriculum is something that you want to support, then I think it needs different supports for the staff, such as the ability to to team teach. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> I I just I do have some followup on this this discussion just based on some of the answers and the comments made. Did did our decision to adopt a CBE model play any part in your decision to leave the field of education after 23 years and and go into the corporate world? >> It did not for me. It did not. >> No, it did not for me. No, I was um excited to support um that initiative. Um it was not a factor in my leaving. Okay. Well, Dr. Burkemire, >> has anyone from Anker Bay or MISD leadership encouraged or asked you to

159apply for the board? >> Um, staff um member was the first one who pointed out that um the board was open. Um and then I had um neighbors um that also encouraged me, but not the ISD. No. Okay, thank you. >> Mr. Richards, >> have you been involved or attended any events within the Anchor Bay School District within the last year? If so, can you give me some examples? um prom um last year um dances, graduation, um ceremonies, I was in a play um and that was my that was again this is my community and I love it. Um so for 20 whatever years more than that I've done and been and excited about just about anything that somebody asked me to do to help. >> Great. Thank you. >> Uhhuh. Do we have any

160additional questions? >> Okay, hearing none. Thank you for coming out, Miss Kosh. Um, again, we are probably not going to vote tonight, but definitely January 28th. We appreciate your time. >> Thank you. All right. Um, we have Darien Forier or Four Tier. >> Four tier. All right. That was my second choice. Um, welcome. Uh, we are not live streaming tonight, so the other candidates that are waiting don't have an advantage, but we are recording. >> Okay. >> It is not anticipated that there will be a vote tonight, but definitely on January 28th. >> Okay. >> All right. You have the questions in front of you if you'd like to read along. First question, do you live in the Anchor Bay School District? >> I do. >> Are you a registered voter? >> I am. >>

161Why are you interested in serving on the school board? >> Okay. A number of reasons. So, um the first being I have a four-year-old who is currently a student in this building. um we just moved into this area in the summer and we chose this area specifically for the school district. So that would be number one. Um his education I'd like to be involved um not only for him but for the community. The second being I am a Mcome County prosecutor. I specialize in child abuse and sexual assault cases. So the children of the community in general are very important to me. Um to be clear, this area is not part of my jurisdiction that I am assigned to. Um so just to get ahead of any conflict or anything. There should not be any.

162It was something I very much looked into before I even turned my application in. Um, so those are the two biggest things I think my own son specifically, but the children of the community in general. >> Any followup? >> I do have a follow-up, >> Mr. Vendotelli. >> Yes. Um, Miss Fordier. >> Yes. Um, if you on the if you were on part of the board and you had to make a decision that was, let's say, good for the district as a whole, but might hinder uh in some way your kids's education, uh, would you support the district as a whole or support your kids' education? I could be a hypothetical that helps. >> Okay. >> Um, let's say, for example, there was a question as whether to put in a certain uh service like

163put a new playground for your kids school versus a new swimming pool that the district as a whole could enjoy. uh which which option would be I guess something that you would support uh given all the considerations? >> I mean if those are my let's use your hypothetical as an example. Those are my only two options. I would go with the thing that uh benefits the district as a whole as that still I it doesn't hinder my son. It would still benefit him as well. Um and these decisions are also future things. So, let's say he's still in elementary school, he would eventually, I guess, enjoy the benefits of some of the things for the middle schools or for the high school. Um, and it would be an overall decision which would include his future

164as well. So, in your hypothetical, I suppose the swimming pool would be the option that I would choose. >> Thank you. >> Any additional followup? >> Okay. Um, please describe in your own words the role of a school board member. I would describe it as I guess an oversight uh committee um the more day-to-day functions being something that the superintendent um would manage. um a a number of things. Oversight for the superintendent, uh oversight for policy, things like that. Um oversight for finance decisions, oversight just to keep everybody in line with um I guess like this the education laws and things like that. So really the number one I guess common denominator there is would be the oversight of things. Any additional followup? Okay. After review and discussion on significant issues, the board operates by

165a majority vote. When the majority vote is different from your position, how would you manage the situation and potential criticism of your position? Like if everyone voted for the pool and you were like no playground and everyone said playground's dumb, how would you handle that? >> So this is actually a really good question for me because this is something that I talk about at my work a lot um when we are in trial and we are trying to pick a jury. This is a question that comes up um in regards to you're not going to just give in. You're not going to do what the majority says. You're going to stand by your own position. Um, one of what I would describe uh as a a pro for me or something that would be a

166benefit that I would bring to the table is I have a certain certain tenacity. Um, and I I suppose the criticism wouldn't necessarily change my position. I would be steadfast in what I believe in. I think that's the purpose of having a board as a general, you know, generally that's why there's a majority vote. Um, and I throughout my life and numerous times there have been things where I have faced criticism over something and people are receiving criticism for lots of different things. So, I don't think I would let it bother me. Okay. Any >> any followup? All right. At times you will be caught between legitimately opposing points of view and there may be a difference between your personal point of view and the policy or law that you are required to uphold as

167a board member. How will you handle this? Another easy one for me. Um the policy or law would be something that you know dictates the decision here. There's not really a question about that. I would put my own personal view aside um and do what the policy or law dictates. It's something I once again do at least once a week if not more than that. So yeah, we've we've had a couple attorneys tonight, so you guys all keep saying the same thing. Um which is good. Sounds like you guys are doing your job. Um any other questions for that or follow up with that? All right. What do you perceive as the district's strengths andor weaknesses? I think I'd like to start with weaknesses because this is something that I kind of I'm just myself

168personally and the fact that my son is only four. I'm having a hard time right now because no one can tell me what elementary school they think he's going to be in next year because there is a bit of a everyone keeps telling me potentially a change up in regards to where the ECC is to where the elementary schools are, what's going to be an elementary school and what's not. Right now I am closest I think to Lighthouse which is the one that everyone keeps telling me is potentially going to switch. Um, there were also issues in regards to his before and after care. And so some of the things I'm recognizing, and this might not be the case once my child is a little bit older, but some of the things I'm noticing right

169now, is there is a almost a lack of clarity, at least with the littleer kids, on some of the things that are happening. Um, even like looking up the before and after care and the preschool program in general, no one uh called me until the middle of August to let me know that the tuition preschool wasn't a thing any longer and that everyone would be doing GSRP. And so we were really scrambling because we chose the tuition preschool specifically for the fact that it was 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. which were the hours that I needed. So right now at least my own personal observation and again I'm only dealing with the very little kids at this point um is like a lack of organization and communication with parents. Um in regards to strengths I

170did a lot of research on school districts because we did just recently move and that was something that we really took into consideration and I do see a lot of like community outreach in this school. I think even just now the people I was talking to the room, everyone seems very connected. Um, in regards to academics, this school district seems to score pretty well. Um, the sports programs also seem to be getting better. So, I think there is a or at least appears to me a want to be better, which I think is definitely a strength. Any followup? Mr. Sonnyberger, >> can we zoom out just for a second and can you give me one thing that we are doing right in overall education? Maybe one thing we're not quite hitting the mark on. I

171think and again I'm still very new to this district and I am focus very focused on the little kids at this point. Um there does seem to be a very good at least in this program um hands-on learning is fun versus just academically straight. This is the program a lot of um what is the word I'm looking for? practical like while learning while doing something else which I think is very good for kids. So I think that is something overall that seems to be a really positive thing here. Um to be quite frank with you I can't really give you a weakness because I have not really experienced at least overall one that I've seen myself. Any additional followup? Okay. Um, identify a recent board decision that you felt strongly about and describe how you

172would balance community concerns, student needs, parental rights, state and federal law, staff considerations, and your personal values and beliefs to determine how to vote on the issue. There, again, new to this district, not a recent board decision that I have felt strongly about. I did go back and watch very briefly a handful of meetings just to kind of catch myself up before I did turn in my application. Um, >> ripping riveting stuff to watch. >> Yeah. So, just, you know, doing a little research, not something that I again have really gotten into. Um, so if you don't mind, I guess can I describe kind of how I would balance these things in general? >> Sure. >> Okay. Um, community concerns and student needs. I think are probably the things that I would give the most

173weight to. Now, obviously, parental rights and federal law are things that you can't ignore, especially law. You have to be within that. However, um my personal value and beliefs, while also important, and I think everyone's experiences kind of shape how they vote and how they see things, probably at the bottom of the list. Number one being student needs. like we talked about before um in regards to potential criticisms of my of the position and stuff like that. Um I care less about community concerns. Um this is again something I think I really focus on at work especially um doing child abuse and sexual assault or there are a lot of times where I tell parents I understand how you're feeling but I don't care not that I don't care about you but I care about

174your child. that is the person that I am the most focused on and I think that is probably something in my background that would >> push me to probably value student needs as the highest thing and then of course everything overall but if it was a pie chart I don't think all of the pieces would be equal >> okay do we have any follow-up questions Mr. Ventily. >> Yes. Thank you, Miss Knox. Um, so can you elaborate a little bit? Uh, might be a confidentiality thing. If that is, uh, feel free to let me know. Um, you said there's certain circumstances where students needs supersede parents needs. Uh, that might be with regards to your need to protect students and ultimately find, I guess, in this case, justice for them. Uh, can you I guess

175can you elaborate a little bit on what that would look like or I >> I can elaborate as long as you don't want me to give you any specific details if that's okay. >> Correct. Yes. Um, in my specific position, there are a lot of times where we might have a young child victim who doesn't want to testify. We have victim advocates that have made it very clear to me that we could get them to testify, but it could potentially set them back into a really bad downward spiral that I'm not trying to put a seven-year-old or an 8-year-old or a 15-year-old. I'm not trying to put any of them into. And a parent is very much in a situation where they say, "I would like to go to trial. Um, I don't really care.

176I want him to get the most amount of time as possible." And in that situation, there are a lot of negotiations where I have to be like, I understand what you're saying to me. And in a perfect world, everybody who did some sort of crime like this would get the maximum absolute maximum amount of time or penalty that they possibly could. However, there are rules which I guess would then fit into state and federal law and things like that that I have to follow and because of that I would have to put your child on the stand and that is not something that I think we should be doing. I see the need for justice but the most important person in this situation is the victim or in the schoolboard case the child. And unfortunately,

177while you do have a right as their parent to tell me what you want to see happen with this case, I am less concerned about that and more concerned about the child's well-being. Does that answer your question? >> It does. Thank you. >> Did you have a question? >> General >> um follow up on the last question. Okay. Um Dr. Burkemeer. >> Um, has anyone from Ankor Bay or MISD leadership encouraged or asked you to apply for the board? >> Not from Ankor Bay leadership? No. >> Or MISD? >> No. >> Mr. Richards, >> have you been involved or attended any events within the Anchor Bay School District within the last year? If so, can you give me some examples? >> I have been to a number of field trips and things like that for

178my own son. Yes. And um again to be clear, we did move here in the summer. That was his Okay. >> Yeah. So nothing outside uh you said in the last year I have also attended a football game. >> There you go. >> Thank you, >> Mr. Powers. >> So I want to be transparent. I'm going to ask you a question that I did not ask any other candidates, but the reason is because you're the only candidate that's a prosecutor. Does that sound fair? >> Absolutely. >> Okay. So, we had a situation in our district last year where um an individual broke into one of our elementary buildings in the middle of the night with a laptop, a gun, and a bottle of booze. >> Okay. >> Wre havoc on our on our community for

179an entire day. >> Yes. um in there was a lot of frustration um at the board level and I believe at the administration level at kind of the the the lack of seriousness and the charges. Uh we felt that even even the charges that were brought forth um they were kind of brought along kicking and screaming type of a thing made its way to the court. Um the the judge kind of was incredibly dismissive uh going so far as to refer to him to refer to the whole incident as um Mickey Mouse. Those are his words, Mickey Mouse stuff. And I can I can assure you that um the parents of the students in that building thought it was the the the exact opposite of Mickey Mouse stuff. And I'm not attempting to tie you

180to that at all. I want to be clear. Not doing that. Okay. My question is um in your experience as a prosecutor, do you feel we in general our our criminal justice system, our legal system properly supports school safety and our ability to operate a large school district in a manner that keeps our our staff and our students uh as safe as they need to be? >> I am willing to answer your question, but just know I am going to think I'm gonna speak slowly. >> Sure, I get it. No, I threw a lot at you and and I'm >> and I just I'm gonna speak slowly. >> Yeah. >> Because at the end of the day, >> I still am affiliated with >> I get it. I don't put you in any any weird

181situations. So, you know, >> so I will answer very broadly to begin, which is I will say to you that the people that are involved in the criminal justice system are typically the first people to tell you that our system is broken and that is why most of us work in the system. That is why um for two years at the prosecutor's office that I'm at now, I actively begged to be in the child abuse and sexual assault unit. Um which I can tell you there are not a lot of people in our office that actively beg to be there. There are not the five of us that are in the unit are probably the only five people that want to be in the unit. Just so you know. So, with that being said, I

182think our criminal justice system as a whole in regards to school safety and things like that has a lot of work that could be done. Um, I think I think to be transparent with you, I don't want to touch base on your specific example that you gave me. um other than to say I understand your frustration um as a parent to a child that is in the school district. Um as a parent to a child that at four years old has already told me about bad guy drills and things like that. So, I understand your frustration on all fronts and I know that probably was not as deep of of an answer as you maybe wanted from me, but as I suppose the most political way I can tell you that I empathize with what

183you're asking me, >> Mr. Vendiselli. >> Yeah. Uh, one more question for me. Um, what is your take on the current situation surrounding Roblox? Are you familiar with what's going on? >> I'm not familiar with what's going on. >> Okay. Um, you mind if I elaborate? >> No. Go ahead. >> It's basically a online uh video game portal. >> Oh, robot. I Yes. Okay. So, I know what Roblox is. I'm not 100%. Is there a specific situation that's happening in Anchor Bay or in >> in general? >> Early childhood. Okay. There are a lot of kids that are, you know, nationwide, but also personally in my circle, that's how I was alerted of this. I'll give you an example. Someone who I'm aware of, and I'm not going to obviously name any names, >> of

184course, >> uh, she's a nine-year-old girl, okay? She has a 25-year-old boyfriend from Roblox, and that's common on that platform. And in fact, there are a number of whistleblowers who have tried to make a point to um change the platform and to eliminate that sort of behavior. uh and they've been shut down um I guess lied about and otherwise their efforts have been completely avoided uh to a very large extent. A lot of our parents might not be aware of the dangers that go that have gone on. We've spoken about it a little bit during board comment periods but our reach is somewhat limited. I'm just curious to know you know if you are aware or what what your take would be on something like that. So I am aware in general I guess maybe

185not specifically Roblox but that this is an overarching issue. In fact, one of the last trainings that I attended was on what's called sex exploitation, which is almost exactly what you're talking about, except then taking it a step further where these people were will maybe build these relationships. then we'll get the minor to maybe exchange pictures and then once that happens there is an exploitation for money um basically as blackmail of I'm not going to spread these pictures all over the internet if you pay me which is really an actively growing problem in our society. I will tell you that as somebody in the legal profession, there are sometimes some frustrations when people outside of the legal profession get involved in some things like that. in regards to I don't want to use the word

186helping because of course we'll take all the help we can get but there are very specific delicacies I guess that come from outside sources kind of bringing this information to law enforcement and potentially some additional issues that arise from that and getting information from outside sources if that makes sense. Are you referring to uh fruits of the poisonous tree? >> It's a >> not that not that specific legal >> Yeah. >> Uh but >> for for everyone's reference if you get uh evidence illegally during certain means then all the information that you find could be thrown out in court. >> Yes. So, in regards to that specifically, that is typically law enforcement specific, them using uh unethical or illegal tactics to get information. Um, so not that specifically, not the police specifically. Um, but sometimes

187a an entrapment like feel, I guess, would be kind of what I'm referring to. Um, so yes, I do understand the frustration. Yes, I am concerned about that. In regards to my own child, we are very active when we monitor any sort of tablet use. I have there's parental locks on pretty much everything. Um, and I'm very sensitive to that sometimes. I think I'm probably more sensitive than a lot of people just because I see so many horrible things. Um, which I can't wait till my son asked me to go to his first sleepover. I would absolutely be saying no. Um, so I am aware of the issues. I understand your concerns in regards to I guess my approach and what to do about it is see something, say something. And the more attention we

188can bring to it, so the more parents that are aware of these problems and aware of monitoring um, and aware of the potential horrible consequences from some of these things, the better. So I think I guess joking aside, education is even for the parents still something that we should really be focused on. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. >> If we have no further questions, um, Miss Forier, thank you for coming in tonight. >> Thank you. >> And, uh, again, we probably will not be voting tonight, but by January 28th. >> Thank you so much. Thank you so much for your time. >> All right. Um Sean Elliot. >> Yep. >> All right. Well, welcome. We are not live streaming tonight, so the other candidates, you know, did not have an unfair advantage. It is not

189anticipated that there will be a vote tonight. More likely January 28th. >> So with that, we will get on with the interview. Do you live in the Ankor Bay School District? >> Uh, yes I do. >> Are you a registered voter? >> Yes. >> Why are you interested in serving on the school board? >> Um, why am I interested in serving on the school board? Um, I uh I love Anchor Bay and have a passion for it. Uh, I volunteer quite a bit and I was a former employee of five years and um, you know, we live in the district. my sons go to the district. Uh we've enjoyed the district and so I think that I have a lot to bring to the table. >> Thank you. Any follow-up question to that? >> All

190right. Describe in your own words the role of a school board member. >> Um in my own words the role of the schoolboard member. Well, the role of the schoolboard member um is is many really. It's the schoolboard member wears a lot of hats. Um they help set the vision and goals. They help create policy. Um they help overlook the uh superintendent's office. They have a lot of fiscal oversight. They do have a a lot of uh requirements for compliance with state, federal, and local laws. Um they ensure accountability. That's another big one uh too. So, um, they also do a lot of community, you know, they're really one with the community. So, >> I'm sorry, I just took medicine. >> Um, any followup to that? >> Okay. After review and discussion on significant issues,

191the board operates by a majority majority vote. When the majority vote is different from your position, how would you manage the situation and potential criticism of your position? Um, well, sometimes you have to take a step back and to see what the majority uh hopefully they've expressed their position on that and you'd have to take a step back on that situation and maybe recalculate something you missed. Um, not everything everybody's going to agree on. And that not necessarily is a bad thing, but maybe there was a question or a point uh that I would have missed if I was the board member obviously in this particular situation that I needed to take a look back and reflect and and see what other people had said and have maybe better expertise in that particular area than

192I do. So um often people I think you know as far as board members concerned and people are very genuine in what they want to do for the board and they're genuine in their answers and decisions. Um and they look to do the best any particular person that's elected looks to do their best for what the knowledge they have on hand. Sometimes a majority vote may go over and it might be a mistake, but then you just step back and you look at what you did miss and then you take you hopefully reassess the situation, whatever it was. >> Thank you. Any followup on that? >> Okay. At times you will be caught between legitimately opposing points of view and there may be a difference between your personal point of view and the policy or

193law that you are required to uphold as a board member. How will you handle this? Well, my personal point of view um and the policy or law that are required to uphold as a board member, it needs to be set aside. You know, if the law is the law, I mean, I work within the realm of the laws. It is as an educator and underneath the Michigan Compiled Laws. So, you you have to follow them first and foremost. My opinion may not matter in those particular cases. You know, it's a structured system. Um we have to stay within those structured systems um and policies. So that's kind of, you know, I don't think my personal point of view would really necessarily be of valid value because it's pretty, you know, we got to stay within

194the lanes. So >> any followup >> hearing none, what do you perceive as the district's strengths and weaknesses? Um, well, I perceive a lot in the strengths area because, you know, I I I worked in the school district. My wife works in the school district. My kids go to the district. I volunteer for the district. Uh, I've been here since, you know, give or take 99 um in some shape, form, fashion. I've coached in the district. Um, I've worked on special needs in the district. So, I think there's a lot of strengths in the district are people that like us and many people standing here on the board wouldn't volunteer if we didn't have a love and passion for the area and the community and the kids involved. Um, uh, weaknesses. I don't know necessarily

195that I have the vision of what a board member would have for all the different weaknesses. You know, I do understand schools after having 26 years of being in schools, all schools have some weaknesses of sorts and it could be a growth. years ago we had a lot of growth and sometimes when you grow really fast you have weaknesses and sometimes that otherwise comes too. Um often there's fiscal responsibility and you have to pay certain bills at a certain time and that may may not cover other areas as well. So weaknesses really kind of they they edge and they flow is really what happens with weaknesses and the board's job in that particular case is to have the knowledge of it and the direction and to look at those weaknesses and do the best that

196they can with the available resources that they have on hand. >> Thank you. Any followup? >> Okay. Identify a recent board decision that you felt strongly about and describe how you would balance community concerns, student needs, parental rights, state and federal law, staff considerations, and your personal values and beliefs to determine how to vote on the issue. >> Um, well, I think there was I was at the board meeting a couple of board meetings ago, and I think Mr. Powers had pointed out with the um I want to say it was the 451 403b money. I don't have my digits right on that >> that >> 33 >> 31A. Thank you so much. 31A my apologies. 31A money and that there was a little bit of debate on that particular decision and and really I

197thought the debate was very healthy, but I think the board had outlined specifically what they wanted to do and how they wanted to see because there was some clauses if I remember correctly there was four clauses within that particular language. Um, and the district had set policy, your board here had set policy on what you wanted to happen with that particular monies and as it unfolded because it was still kind of in the unfolding phase if I remember right at the state. So, um, I thought that it was a good look at the students needs, the parents needs, the states, and then how to stay in our lane, you know, like where was this going to go? And because no one kind of knew at the time when it hit the table. So, I thought

198my my personal beliefs uh were that the board was spot on as you checked your boxes as you move through that particular process. >> Okay. Thank you. Any followup to that? >> All right. Um Dr. Burkmeer, >> uh has anyone from Ankor Bay or MISD leadership encouraged or asked you to apply for the board position? No. >> Mr. Richards, >> have you been involved or attended any events within the Anchor Bay School District within the last year? If so, can you give me some examples? >> I know. Don't do not I've got a laundry list of uh Yeah, I have. I've given um so Davey's at the high school, so I go to his dances and participate in some events there, football games, uh which I I love. Uh I was part of the um

199opening class of uh employees that opened the high school. So uh I really enjoy the football field. We opened it back in the day. Um and it's tremendous and I go like to take David to the games. Um and of course uh as may some of you may know I do run the Anchor Bay Fishing Club and we usually have about a bimonthly meeting of about anywhere from 35 to 50 kids uh at one of the buildings or an outing of sorts. So I do all those types of things. Um I think we did some Boy Scouts. Uh we did AYSO at uh one of the events um uh where we I'm on the AYSO board as well and um we had some of our um people that had showed up for uh the Great

200Oaks Fall Festival which is one of the ones I enjoy as well. So I try to be actively involved in many of the Anchor Bay uh activities, you know, when we can move fit them in and uh take my boys to them. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you. Um, any questions over here? >> All right, hearing none. Thank you for your time, Mr. Elliot. Um, again, we'll probably not be voting tonight, but January 28th. And we appreciate you coming out. >> Thank you very much. And I appreciate your time, and I thank you, everyone on the board, for um essentially volunteering to do the jobs that you do for the school district. So, I do appreciate that. >> Thank you. Okay, I think we are. Hello, Mr. Braun. Thanks for coming tonight. Um, oh,

201did he take the questions? Okay, that's fine. Um, we are not live streaming tonight, so the other candidates do not have an unfair advantage. Um, it is not anticipated that there will be a vote tonight, but you never know. Definitely January 28th. Um, we'll get started with the questions. You also have them in front of you if you'd like to read along. Do you live in the Anchor Bay School District? >> I do. >> All right. Are you a registered voter? >> I am. >> All right. Why are you interested in serving on the school board? >> Well, um, so grew up in Anchor Bay School District, graduated from Anker Bay. My kids, two of my three kids graduated from Ankor Bay, and I still have one in the district. Um, it's just kind of

202a part of me to be involved in community. Community is a big part of who I am. Um, I spent the last like nine years as the band booster president in Anker Bay, retired from that. So, um, but the biggest thing is really, you know, I I always say, you know, I want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem, right? So, um I think that uh with my business experience and and just life experience, I've got a lot of time working with the district, people in the district. Um I know a lot of parents, and I I think I have a good feel for what the community expects from the district. So, just want to be a part of it. >> Okay. Thank you. Any followup? >> I do. Um, if

203you retired from boosters, where do they have their fires at now? >> Great question. Um, >> not your house anymore. >> Not my house. Yes. >> Okay. >> Um, I always heard about those for years and years and years. Okay. >> Great question. >> Describe in your own words the role of a school board member. >> Yeah. So, I think it's much like being on the the band booster board, right? So I think a school board member represents the community members in in Anchor Bay. Um big thing is advocating for the students, making sure that you know we're holding our admin accountable for things that you know the decisions that they make. Um but also just being being that like all right so the community they have wants needs expectations from the school district right

204so how do we get those wants needs expectations to turn into something real in real life and I think that's what the school board kind of kind of does so uh I think that's the biggest role of school board >> okay uh any followup all right after reviewing in discussion on significant issues. The board operates by a majority vote. When the majority vote is different from your position, how would you manage the situation and potential criticism of your position? >> Um, so how would I I mean, look, you're on the school board. you're now a a public figure, right? So, you know, that's a tricky question because you have to be able to you have to be able to support the board's decision, right? Even though it may not be be your opinion. Um, I

205mean, I guess I would do do the same things I've done all the years as as booster president, right? like you have to you have to be able to go back to the community members or and explain why the board got to that position, right? So even though it may not be my opinion, I still have to be able to support I mean like the board's the board, right? So you got to support that decision, whatever it is, and just be able to go back and explain why the decision was made. I think that's >> okay. I believe Mr. Vendetti has a follow-up question. No. Okay, then I will say your follow-up question. Um, in in many cases, decisions that we make here um are shrouded in confidentiality. And there's things where we may have

2065,000 people upset or not understanding, not necessarily upset, but not understanding. And we cannot tell them >> why a decision was made. So that's where that criticism piece comes in is because sometimes you sit here >> um and you you can't answer why. Yeah. >> Uh so that's that's kind of where that comes from. You had asked that earlier, so I thought you would ask it again. >> No, I I I think uh with that question, it's a question of like if you're put in that circumstance, would you be able to maintain confidentiality? >> Yes. >> Oh, I got you. Yeah, absolutely. Certainly. Yeah. Yeah. For sure. Yeah. That's not that's not a problem. Yes. >> And I'd like to kind of cater that too. There might be circumstances where people are objectly lying about

207your intentions about the actions that you're taking about your integrity and you could clear the record if you just broach the confidentiality and you cannot do this. Are you comfortable with that circumstance? >> Oh yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, I Yeah, >> you do have like seven people you can confide in and that's about it. >> Right. Right. >> So, okay. Um, after review Oh, I'm sorry. At times you will be caught between legitimately opposing points of view and there may be a difference between your personal point of view and the policy or law that you are required to uphold as a board member. How will you handle this? I mean, that that literally just comes down to integrity. So, you you got a job to do. And I mean, yeah, you have to do

208what's right. You have to do what what the law says, what the policy says. Um, and again, this goes back to what I kind of said earlier, but if if the policy I mean, you're you're now a part of making policy, right? So, um, yeah, policy is policy. Yep. >> All right. >> Follow the rules. Thank you. Any followup? What do you perceive as the district's strengths and weaknesses? >> Um, so obviously moved my family back to Anchor Bay District for when my kids became school age. So I think there's a lot of strengths in the district. Um, some of my favorite things that I like, you know, is the opportunities that the district provides for kids. Um, you know, on the sports side of things, on the art side of things, on the academic

209side, I mean, there's a lot of different things that I think this district does a lot better than others. and and you know um so so that's the biggest strength I think is the is the opportunities that the kids get at Ankor Bay. I think some of the weaknesses honestly is you know is really communication to the public um on different issues. I mean you hear it all the time. why did they do this or what you know even even on the in the in the at the school levels right like kids maybe getting in trouble at school and they're not the parents aren't being informed for a couple days before that kind of a thing happens so I think that most of what most people in the district would consider weaknesses at Ankor Bay

210are probably communication based and could be solved with just and I think it's getting better. I think over the years it's gotten tremendously better actually, but um I still think there's some room to grow there. >> Okay, thank you. Any followup? Identify a recent board decision that you felt strongly about and describe how you would balance community concerns, student needs, parental rights, state and federal law, staff considerations, and your personal values and beliefs to determine how to vote on the issue. um a recent poor decision that I felt strongly about. Uh well, I'll tell you the cell phone policy thing, right? That that's one thing that you guys made a decision on pretty recent. Um and I think that that is just such a touchy subject um right now. Um, but I've had so many

211conversations with people in our community about that and you know it's it's kind of fun because you get to hear everybody's opinion on it, right? And at the end of the day, you know, I support the decision of the boot of the the the board. Um, but I just, you know, I had concerns with that too, like, you know, how are you going to police this new rule? Um, but yeah, I mean, you know, I've talked to a lot of people about that one. Um, but yeah, I mean, at the end of the day, we're, you know, halfway through the school year now, and I think it was the right decision. If I had to vote on it, probably when you guys did, I may have voted a different way. But again, like I said,

212the board, you know, you make a decision as a board and then it's your responsibility to be be able to support that decision to the public, right? And that's that's kind of what even because I was at that board meeting, right? And a lot of people, a lot of parents, band parents mostly because I know a ton of band parents, right? They talked about it and they were, you know, concerned. How am I going to tell Johnny to get on the bus? I'm not picking them up or whatever. And, you know, there's, you know, so we just kind of talked through that kind of stuff. >> Okay. Thank you. Any followup to that? All right. Dr. Burkbear. >> Uh, did anyone from Anker Bay or MISD leadership encourage or ask you to apply for the

213board? >> No. >> Mr. Richards, >> have you been involved or attended any events within the Anchor Bay School District within the last year? If so, can you give me some examples? >> Any events? >> Oh, man. >> Yeah. Any >> Yeah. >> Yes. Any events? Uh, >> yes. Um, Yeah, >> I think it's really good. >> Yeah. You heard about our band yet? >> Most of them. Um, no, I've been to lots of events. Uh, many football games, many band concerts, band festivals. Um, I was just there last week for the tastefest event that was going on. Um, basketball games, and I mean, yeah, ton. Yeah, I I come to a lot of stuff at Ankor Bay. Yep. >> Okay. >> Very involved. I try to be >> Do we have any additional follow-up

214questions hearing? None. Mr. Brun, thank you for your time this evening. Um, again, we're not anticipating a vote. Maybe definitely January 28th. >> Okay. Appreciate you coming out. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Hi, >> Covert. >> Yes, Covert. Yep. Covert operations. >> Okay. Thank you. Um, you are our last of 15 interviews. I'm going to try and keep it upbeat. Okay. Absolutely. >> All right. So, we are not live streaming. Doesn't matter now, but the other candidates would have had an advantage. Um, it's not We are recording though. It is not anticipated that there will be a vote tonight. Definitely January 28th, possibly tonight. Who knows? Um, we're going to start with the questions. You also have them in front of you if you'd like to read along. Do you live in the Anchor

215Bay School District? I do. Yeah. Um live in on H Highu Street in New Baltimore and I've lived in the district my whole life. >> All right. Are you a registered voter? >> I am. Yes. >> Okay. Why are you interested in serving on the school board? >> Yeah. Um so I I got a couple calls in the last few weeks um you know saying, "Hey, there's going to be this uh vacancy on the school board." And weren't really sure what kind of response they were going to get. Um I recently just left the new Baltimore City Council, so I've been there for the last eight years. Um, I know how tough it is to sometimes get folks to step up for this. Um, so I do have a record of community service, of serving

216in the community. Um, and I think I have the skill set that could be an asset to the board if that's uh something that they're looking for. I I provided my uh resume and letter of interest outlining some of those experiences. Um, you know, I think serving for the last eight years on the city council, I always tried to be someone that um could be a consensus builder that could that could work together in a setting like this. Um, and it was only, you know, till November. So, I figured throw my hat in the ring, try and do some good, put my skills to use, and um, put myself, you know, at your uh, at your consideration, I guess. >> Okay. Thank you. Any followup? >> Okay. uh describe in your own words the role

217of a school board member. >> Um I mean I think the primary responsibility is not unlike u what you would find in a lot of other you know governmental settings just like city council. Um I think that you're there to provide oversight over the administration. Um I think you're there to remove stumbling blocks um to provide resources to educators to students. um you're there to to be uh you know a representative for the community um and to try and make decisions on their on their behalf because ultimately um you guys are are responsible for educating their kids, right? So um obviously you you manage the budget which is critical. Um I know you guys have a a big bond issue that just came out and that's a complex um topic. Um, and so that's something

218that you got to figure out how you're going to how you're going to spend, how you're going to manage it. Um, so I think those are some of the functions of the board. >> Follow-up question for Mr. Powers. >> Yeah, Mr. Colbert, you mentioned um administrative oversight. >> Um, that's something that's very important. Do you in your role as a city council member? Was that something that you were comfortable doing? Challenging administration, holding them accountable, um, even if it was uncomfortable, making sure that that you were doing everything that you felt needed to be done to to properly administer oversight and and hold administration accountable. >> Yeah. Um, no. Well, you're right. It is definitely uncomfortable. It's not something that comes naturally to most people. Most people don't like that kind of confrontation, but there's

219certainly a way to do it. Um, I think when I was on council, I always tried to, um, be respectful in the way that I did that. Um, but be thoughtful and, um, and as you said, um, not be afraid of of being uncomfortable or being unpopular when you have to do it. You're ultimately there, um, that's your responsibility and I, I certainly took that seriously on council and I I would on school board as well. Any additional After review and discussion on significant issues, the board operates by a majority vote. When the majority vote is different from your position, how would you manage the situation and potential criticism of your position? >> Well, I think even on council, I always tried to be a team player, right? Um it's it's no secret that when

220you are in a public office like this, you are rarely going to get your way, right? you better be prepared to be disappointed a lot. Um so if you come into these positions expecting that your will is going to be it, you're going to be, you know, sorely uh sorely mistaken. So um I've stood by um consensus decisions in the past um that we made in the city um that I didn't always love. It wasn't exactly what I wanted, but it was what we could get the votes to do. And I think that you do need people in these positions who um not only are comfortable with that, but appreciate that about the process that it is about the collective. Not to say that you don't have your own ideas, you don't have your own

221policies, um positions that you put forward. Um and and you try and do that and you succeed where you can and you accept that you're not always going to uh succeed. So I'm very comfortable with that. Very familiar with disappointment. >> Uh do we have any follow-up to that? None. At times you will be caught between legitimately opposing views uh points of view and there may be a difference between your personal point of view and the policy or law that you are required to uphold as a board member. How will you handle this? >> Well, I think that that piggybacks well off the the previous question. Um, obviously when you're on a board like this, um, you're going to have access to, um, legal counsel, which is a very important opinion to take into consideration.

222Um, you know, you're not there to pick fights. Um, if they tell you that something's going to be a problem, you should take that seriously, and I certainly understand that. Um, same same, you know, at the administrative level. Um, you know, you put them in that position to do that job. Um, you should take their their advice seriously. Um, so again, you can come in with your own position, but it's about what you can get people behind. Um, what are what is your team telling you? Um, so those are all things that you have to to consider, and that's kind of how I always approach the role on on city council as well. >> Any followup? >> Okay. What do you perceive as the district's strengths and weaknesses? >> District strengths and weaknesses. Um well

223I think weaknesses often in the case of government is uh probably in communication, participation, engagement obviously um we had similar issues at the the city level. So that's always going to be a problem. Um I I tried to be proactive um not just when I would go out and and run and try and explain issues to people and engage with them one-on-one um but as well as online. Um I'm sure that that's something that you all do as well. Um, I did put forward a few proposals to improve communication in New Baltimore. Again, uh, wasn't successful. Um, um, but again, doesn't stop you from trying. Um, so in this position, I would look for ways in which that could be improved and to try and do my part to to support that. >> Okay. >>

224I have a follow. >> U, Mr. Banditelli, >> uh, when you mentioned that you've put forward a couple of proposals in Baltimore to improve communication, you're referring to your time as a city council member. >> Yes. Yes. Yes. And would you mind elaborating what were those proposals? >> Yeah. Um so the biggest thing I wanted to do um was to basically have a city smartphone app um something that would help engage with people um how they engage currently. Nobody goes and sits down at a desktop anymore and types you know city of new Baltimore.org. Um so one of the proposals that I put forward was through a system called Cclick Fix um which would basically um enable that direct interface with the city. Um people could submit problems and issues um and they could track

225in real time progress um to resolution, what kind of response they were getting, what you were doing um and how it was being done. It would create a public ticket so that everybody knew how the city was responding to to problems. Um that I proposed that I think right before we were going into CO and it was one of those things that it was like you know uh that's a great idea, we'll we'll put it off to the side. We'll get to it later and never never got to it later. I was never able to get the support for it. Um so again in a position like this you you look for the tools that are out there. Um you try and get support for it and you try and implement it obviously within reason

226right if if costs are a legitimate concern if you don't have the resource to do it then you find another way. Um but that was that was something that I was passionate about because it was something that I consistently heard from people. um you know, everyone's telling that the city's telling you how great everything is going and we're on top of things, but there's no public accountability or or tracking. Um we also needed it to improve those systems like a to be able to communicate with residents directly in the event of an emergency or something like that I thought was a a blind spot for us. >> Okay. Any additional followup? All right. Identify a recent board decision that you felt strongly about and describe how you would balance community concerns, student needs, parental rights,

227state and federal law, staff considerations, and your personal values and beliefs to determine how to vote on the issue. >> Well, I think that the biggest thing I alluded to earlier was obviously the bond issue. I'm sure you guys heard a lot about that. There was a lot of buzz in the community about it. Um, I, as I said, being in this in a similar position on on city council prior, um, I understand that that's a difficult and complex decision. So, I'm not one of those people that, um, I mean, it's a big deal, right? But wasn't angry about it or anything like that. I I try not to be uh, so um, worked up about stuff like that. Um, but I I respect the decision and the fact that you you kind of laid

228all of this out. community concerns, student needs, parental rights. Those are all things that you guys all took into consideration when you made that decision. Um, and I know that that's just one decision of many that you're asked to make. Um, so that's something that I'm very comfortable a setting I'm very comfortable working within. >> Any follow-up questions to that? All right, Dr. Burkare >> maybe >> did has anybody from Anchor Bay or MISD leadership encouraged or uh asked you to run for this seat? >> Um they community members um that I got calls for people that I know from Baltimore. >> Mr. Richards, >> have you been involved or attended any events within the Anchor Bay School District within the last year? If so, can you give me some examples? >> Um, I've been

229involved with um probably not, but um trying to think of any events I attended in the last year, maybe a game or something like that. Um but I haven't like volunteered at anything or anything. >> Thank you. >> Do we have any additional questions, Mr. Powers? >> Just a quick resume question. um between your your two terms on the city council and your your current work with the SIU, would it be uh correct in assuming that you have some extensive experience uh negotiating bargaining unit contracts, labor contracts? >> Yeah. Yeah. Um part of my core function I'm sorry, did I cut you off? I'm sorry. >> No, I just jumped right at it. Um yeah, part part of my responsibility um is obviously grievance handling. Um I have been on the bargaining committee for uh

230at least one of our contracts. Um and will be for more when they when they come up. Um so yes, very familiar with uh how that process works. Um obviously on on city council also had to ratify um similar agreements for our our unionized staff. >> All right, we have no further questions. Uh Mr. Covert, thank you for coming out tonight and um again, we probably won't vote tonight, but definitely January 28th. We appreciate your time. >> Thank you guys. Thank you. >> Excuse me. Make a motion to amend the agenda agenda. I get more dyslexic than more tired I get. I would like to make a motion to amend the agenda to vote for a preferred candidate to serve as board of education trustee to fill the current vacant position at this time. So

231I believe how this works is we vote majority or four out of seven. In this case I think it's still four out of seven because the agenda was repeal. >> Okay. So we vote two/3s to approve the motion to amend the agenda. And if that is approved then I can make a motion of what I just described. So first we're voting to amend the agenda. >> Okay. >> Well, first you need a second before >> Right. Right. Right. That that's of course. Thank you. >> Okay. So, we have a motion to amend the agenda to add um a vote for trustee. Do we have a second? We do not have support for that motion. >> Okay. >> All right. Thank you, Mr. Bendotelli. Um I guess we'll move on to board comments. Miss Dr. Burky.

232Burkamire. I don't know what that is. We can keep having discussion. >> Oh, we can. >> We That's a board for discussion. >> Okay. >> Yeah. I have nothing in front of me here. >> The next steps >> candidates. >> Okay. We will open it up for discussion of the candidates. >> Anyone? I mean, I I me personally, um, we went through a lot tonight. I'm still kind of reading my notes. Um, I would like to maybe just, you know, um, I'm not sure if we're able to at least narrow down the the search. Um >> um I guess if you're asking regarding like how to move forward, my my own thoughts would be if you wanted to narrow down the search, you probably need a motion. Well, first, you know, like before, you'd have

233to amend the agenda to to do that and need a twothirds vote and then um and then you can make a motion to like potentially narrow it down like with a certain number of candidates if that's what you're looking to do. Um Is that something the board would like to do? Narrow down candidates this evening because we do have to vote by January 28th because we have to have a trustee in place by February 2nd or else the state will appoint one. >> Yes. Yeah. I think narrowing it down, we could probably limit it to three to maybe five candidates of who we all can concur would be good and then um decide what we're going to do from there. Okay. Well, I mean, this is just an idea off the top of my head,

234but if you we could all potentially start um I know limiting to one is pretty limiting, but if everybody has like one candidate that they wanted, you know, to like remain in and then if someone felt really strongly um or you could potentially go down the list of names, um you know, and people could more or less verbally give of approval if that you know they would like to see that move on um and kind of in a discussion form um you know like you can kind of speak up when the name is read. >> Sure. >> Um that's just an idea this without it being >> Yep. No, I get what you're saying. I guess my only I guess my only opposition to you know naming one favorite is that's essentially taking your vote,

235right? And I know that I'm prepared to go from from 17 to one on the spot. So, you know, I've I've got four candidates that I would like to to give >> consideration to. Um, but that's that's about right. We can >> as as much as I can funnel this thing down in in one night for 17 to four. >> So, I think we can go through the list >> tabulate who who has the most, you know, points for consideration. support, you know, you can just speak up if you have support, you know, if you want to support this candidate moving on or >> and rather than read off all the candidates and >> Yeah. I think wouldn't it just be easier just to go around and and have us all give you our top

236three or four? >> Sure, we can do that. >> Yeah. >> I mean, I'm you know, I'm respectful of people who who put themselves out there and and apply. You know, there's there's we are incredibly blessed that that 17 people >> I mean, I remember you and I talking at the start of this, we were like, are we going to get two and even have a choice to, right? Um, so I I want to be respectful of the fact that it takes a lot to put yourself out there and even apply for this. And I don't want to read off names and then have people hear silence after their name. Like, I just don't think that's fair. And not that I'm I'm accusing anybody of wanting to do that, but I think it'd be more

237appropriate just to we're we're tasked with making these difficult decisions. We should have no problem putting putting names to who we can to support. >> Okay. Um we need to amend the agenda. So, I would I would make a motion to amend the agenda to uh trim the candidate pool from 17 to four candidates with um the expectation that when we meet next week for our regularly scheduled board meeting, we will um make make a decision to uh to appoint Mr. Green's replacement. >> I'll second. >> Okay. Can you read the uh role? discussion technically if anybody has questions or issues but they can. >> Okay. Good. >> All right. So, we have a motion by Mr. Powers >> and supported by Mr. Vendatelli. >> Okay. To narrow it down from 17 to four. All

238right. Mr. Powers. >> Does anybody have discussion before we >> I'm sorry. I just want to make sure every >> No, I think we were fine with that. >> We make motions. We second it. We have discussion. We have a vote. So, I just want to make sure we didn't skip over the discussion that anybody wants to have. I didn't I didn't hear that opportunity. So, >> so I guess um the only question I have is at the next meeting, which is the 28th, >> right? >> Um we will vote on the four candidates that we've narrowed this list down to. >> That would be my expectation. Again, technically we have a little bit beyond. you know, if if we get to the 28th, then we're gridlocked and, you know, we do have an opportunity

239to call one more special meeting to >> yeah, >> conduct this business ourselves before it gets outsourced to the MISD, which I I don't think we should want any part of. Nothing against the MISD, but I think it's a it's a decision we should want to make. So, that that's that's the motion. >> Okay. Any other discussion? >> All right. Go ahead. >> Mr. Powers. >> Yes. >> Mr. Vanatilli? >> Yes. >> Mr. Sunnyburgger? >> Yes. >> Miss Burkemeer? >> Yes. >> Richards? Yes. Miss Knox? >> Yes. >> All right. Motion passes. >> Okay. We will call um everyone have time to go through their Okay. I I just need >> Okay, we're just going to take a a pause here. Do you have yours ready? >> Mr. Sunonny Bberger, do you have yours ready?

240>> Uh >> okay, Mr. Bendelli. >> Okay. Well, while Mr. Richards is getting his in order, we will start with you, Mr. Powers. So, my my four candidates to uh I guess move through to the final round for lack of a better word uh would be Ryan Covert, Laren Wentworth, Charles Penzing, Tom Braun, >> Mr. Ventelli. Uh my four candidates in alphabetical order would be Shawn Bagen, Anne Bergland, Darien Ortier, and Laren Wentworth, Miss uh Dr. Burke. Uh my four would be um Mr. Baggin, Mr. Romano, Mr. Pensian, and Mr. Braun, Mr. Richards, are you ready? Okay, Mr. Sunonny Ber. >> Okay. All right, I'm ready. >> All right, go for it. >> Uh, my four are not an athletic holder. Uh, Tom Braun, Brian Colulbert, Darien Forier, and Brian Romano. Mr. Sunnyberg, are you

241participating in this portion? >> Not to put it. Thank you. >> Okay. And my four are in no particular order because I just pulled them out. Marone, Romano, Wentworth, and Covert. Let me tabulate these. If someone else wants to double check, I can tell you what I >> Perfect. >> tabulated. >> Okay. I'm gonna I'm gonna go through and tabulate mine and then we'll compare it with uh Dr. Burk Myers. I make sure that we have the exact same thing. Give me one moment. Just for discussion purposes too, I guess. Um, for Mr. Sunnyburgger purposes is he allowed to give his for to Miss Knox >> when >> that's that's my question. >> We are a body that operates in open session. So if you're asking does he get to if you're asking does he

242get the opportunity to do his in secret? Uh that answer is absolutely not. >> No. >> Right. So I just want to make sure Mr. Sunnyberg understands that too. So >> you'd have to ask him what he understands. Yeah, >> this is Yeah, this is his only opportunity to put forth any names to be considered. >> I'm fully aware of the situation. Thank you very much for asking. >> Okay, >> Miss Burkemeer, I have four candidates each with three. Yes. Yep. Okay. So, our the the rest either had two or less. So, our four candidates that will be voted on on January 28th in no particular order, Romano, Covert, Wentworth, and Brawn. And they were all equally weighted, which is nice. Okay. Does that Are we done? That's it. >> Okay. All right. Now we

243can um move on to board comments. Yes. All right. Dr. Burke. Um so, first and foremost, I mean, we had 17 applicants. Um 15 interviewed this evening. Um so, thank you to all of those people. Um I think we are a fortunate community to be in this situation. Uh while it's obviously tedious to go through uh this process and as for the candidates as well, uh I appreciate everybody's time and dedication and wanting to be a part. Um truly um you know I I I really um I don't want to make this sound like it was taken lightly. And while we did kind of narrow down candidates, um you know, for me it is difficult to come to it would be difficult to come to one decision this evening because um everybody is bringing you

244know some different yet great things to the table whether it be you know lifelong involvement, lifelong residency um including activities with you know themselves, their children, activities that they put on for the district, for the community. Um, so there's just a lot and then personal experiences as well that can just bring another um another voice to the table. So, I don't want to dismiss anybody um that came tonight as, you know, less than um you know, whether whether they're the four being considered still or not because um like I said, I think we're truly fortunate to to have this list of candidates. And I think that um everybody everybody that came tonight seemed extremely genuine um and wanting the best for for the Anchor Bay School District and our community as a whole. So I

245just want to say thank you to everybody and to the board for that. Um and and thank you to Jill because I'll be honest, I truly did not think that we could manage this by this hour. So, two guys. All right. All right. Mr. Richards, uh, I'd like to echo, uh, Miss Burke Meer's comments. Um, it's great to see, you know, the passion for the Anchor Bay School District. We have a lot of a lot of different projects going on and it's great to see the community come out. You know, um, you know, Mr. P ment mentioned it, you know, that we were surprised to get, you know, over two or three. So, it's great to see the number of, uh, candidates we had tonight. Um, you know, it's got to be some of the

246hardest decisions that I've made, you know, on the board is tonight. Um, you know, one of the things that I didn't think I'd have to do, um, you know, when I ran for school board was, uh, trying to track down another another school board nominee. Um, I just hope that, you know, if another board position does open up that we do have, you know, some of these candidates either, you know, run during the election time or, you know, reapply as well. Um, you know, once again, hard decision. I want to thank everyone that, you know, did show up tonight and, uh, you know, I think it's great to add that young gentleman that that is, uh, you know, Anchor Bay senior. >> Sorry, >> Hansky. Thank you. Um, you know, it's great to see that

247type of involvement at a young age. I think the last thing I would want to do um be a senior in high school is come in front of the school board. That's just me. How you know um but you know I think it's great to see you know that type of uh you know student here to uh you know that wants to participate and make our you know district successful. So thank you >> Mr. Sonnyberger. >> I do thank everybody that's shown up in front of us today. The only thing I do want to say is we did absolutely have the right to go into close session to discuss these candidates and I'm I might have wanted to explore that a little more. Thank you >> to respond to that. We're simply not allowed. We

248are not permitted to go into close session to discuss them. Everything has to be done publicly. I was a second. So, you can with a two-thirds majority go into a closed session to discuss the application of a candidate or resume of a candidate to discuss their resume. You cannot deliberate. You cannot discuss. You cannot do what exactly what we just did in open form. In closed form, you could discuss the four corners of the document, in this case, their resume. If you wanted to go into close session to do that with a twothirds vote. >> Um, so question follow-up question with that. So if we're discussing their resume but we're not allowed to deliberate I guess what exactly would we be able to explore about their resume if not as how it would apply as

249a board member for this for this uh for this board >> according to this should be reviewing the application materials >> so just to check the box I guess to see if they had a resume what their grammar and spelling was like. Okay. >> But as far as deliberation, no. Mr. Powers, >> you can go into close session for many things. You are not required to. Um, I can't speak for other people, but the people who voted uh to put me in this seat expect extra transparency from their school district and their school board. So for me, there's no other option other than to do it in open forum so the public has access to what we do, what we say, how we do it, and why we did it. Um, I would like to

250to just thank everybody who put uh put their name forward for consideration. Um, like we talked before, we never thought in a million years we'd get 17 people, and it's uh very refreshing to see uh that there's that many people willing to step up. It's not an easy thing just just to put your name forward and and come before uh a board for an interview is not an easy thing to do. And um you know the unfortunate reality is there's there's one seat open which means you know we're telling 16 people no but um I think Mr. Richards mentioned it. I there there were certainly um people that I'm hoping to see on on ballots in the future whether they um they get this appointment or not. there's uh there's a lot of talent that

251wants to uh to step up and help out our school district and that's a good thing. Um and then finally, I would just like to um for the four of you who who kind of had the courage to put your name to the candidates that that you thought um were were worthy of of moving through to the next step of the process. Thank you for doing that. Um everything we do up here isn't isn't fun, isn't um doesn't come come without uh you know the potential criticism or blowback. Uh but that doesn't change the important job we have to do. And so uh the fact that that the four of you didn't take the easy way out um I just want to publicly thank you for that because um it it it means a lot

252to the process and and it means a lot to me. Uh good night, >> Mr. Benditelli. Thank you, Miss Knox. Uh, no, I'd like to echo a lot of what the other board members have said. Um, thank you to all those who came up and put yourself out there for public questioning. I know it's very difficult to do so. Um, I myself, I recall when I first came up and spoke to the board, my wife told me that um, she thought the YouTube video had went double speed because I was so nervous I talked over myself. And it takes time. I guess I'm still kind of learning how to calm myself down in public forum, but whatever. Who cares? You know, you just kind of do your best and get yourself out there. And if

253you let the chips fall where they may, but regardless, for those who put yourself out there who want to volunteer for the community, we definitely appreciate that. Thank you to all the board members. I think every single one on this board uh asked a number of very thoughtful questions. I think we all each contributed a significant portion to try to screen the candidates because at the end of the day, we're really just trying to look for someone who's qualified who is dedicated to supporting the district uh for students, uh teachers, parents, and trying to help this institution uh thrive in this current environment. Uh I'd also like to thank uh Mr. Green who um we saw him for a period of time here, actually showed up to watch the interviews. um he he was uh

254very involved to say the least with this school board and he gave a tremendous amount of his time and effort uh to the district for the uh with the best of his ability and so I think we'll talk more about this uh in the next meeting but I think you know we we all do all owe Mr. Green a debt of gratitude for his service. >> Okay. Um my comments um I appreciate Mr. Green's service to our district and um the community at large. He's involved in so many different ways and it was unfortunate that he uh was needed to step down for personal reasons. Um I do want to make it clear that next week or I'm sorry the 28th we have our organizational meeting and we will also be voting on our new

255trustee. I will be out of town for that meeting. Uh I am comfortable with the board choosing from one of these four candidates. I will support and cheer on whoever you guys choose. I think they were we had a a lot of remarkable candidates. Um and like the rest of the board has said, I really hope we get out there and we have some, you know, good election and and have some strong races because we have a lot of strong candidates. Um, as I said in the organizational meeting, um, we'll be voting on positions. And while I cannot nominate a slate because I will not be at that meeting, I do want to make my fellow board members aware of a slate for consideration that I would like to throw out there. So, you guys

256can think about it since I won't be here. Just don't let me come back and be president, please. Um I have a feeling that they might do that and like oh sorry. So um my my slate that I would like you guys to consider would be Mr. Richards for president keep me as vice president Mr. Powers as secretary uh Mr. Vendatali to continue as treasurer and then trustees would be Sonny Ber Burke Meyer and the new guy. So if you guys can think about that that would be great. I just don't while I don't mind doing this part of the job of president, I don't know that I can commit to the behind thescenes stuff. There's a lot of meetings with the superintendent and things like that. Um, so if that was a lesser time

257commitment, what do you got, Mr. Richards? >> I vote no, though. I I just want to say thank you for that. Um, and Miss Burkmire and I are just having a little sidebar conversation. That would be a great gift. I think if you did come back and we did elect you as president as well, but we'll see where the voting >> I wouldn't be completely opposed, but I really don't think I have the time to commit. Um I'm not sure Mr. Richards has the time either, but see this is what happens when you start doing a bunch of your hobbies, volunteering for stuff. You end up doing too much. So, but that that is my slate for consideration. Um and yeah, that's about it. Do we have any other issues to discuss? >> Just Todd,

258can you please see to it that everybody's notified timely uh all the candidates with regards to what played out here tonight and what what what's happening from here? >> It would be desirable to have those four obviously here or around on the 28th >> but not the intention like that they're going to be interviewed or anything. No, I'm thinking you guys just go home, let it marinate. Yeah. Yeah. That there there'll be a decision on the 28th, but no subsequent interview or followup and um then they can be sworn in if they're here and come and have a seat. >> Yes, we'll make all the candidates aware. >> Okay, perfect. I have a mo Oh, what do you got? >> One last thing. So, with regards to the next meeting, um I would like to

259see, maybe I'm wrong on this. I'd like to hear what the board has to say. But if we make the agenda the first agenda item uh that we can to uh approve the next trustee and allow them to join us on the board, um we can either do that or have it at the last item. I'm not sure what the pleasure of the board is, but I'd like to just put that out there and and I guess, you know, see what everyone thinks. >> I'm not opposed to the person who gets voted on joining. I don't know if they legally can because they have to file a piece of paper. Right. >> Right. >> Forget about that. Yeah. >> Right. >> They remember that. >> Just can't vote. >> Yeah. Yeah. They can sit up

260here. They just can't participate. >> Right. Um Yeah. And that's to consider. Anything else? That was it. >> All right. Do I have a motion to close this? >> Come on, guys. I can't make motions anymore. You got to speak up. >> I'll make the motion. >> All right. Thank you. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. All in favor? I I >> All right. Enjoy.