001I'm here today. I'm here today. I'm here today. I'm here today. I'm here today. Are you? Are you? Are you? At DPS, attendance is important. That's why we're challenging all schools to increase and improve their daily attendance. So I ask again, we're here today. Are you? Are you? For Black History Month, we're talking to DPS principals to talk about how their school represents the people they're named after. This episode, we have Charity Adams. Welcome. Hi, hello. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? Hi, my name is Carla Goins, and as you know, I'm the principal at Charity Adams Early Academy for Girls. I have been in the district for 30 years and the principal at Charity for seven. This is my seventh year at Charity Adams. Who was Charity Adams and why was
002she important? Charity Adams was the first African-American female to lead her battalion in World War II. That was very rare at that time, so she was a phenomenal leader. What do students learn about Charity Adams in your building? So my students learn that Charity, one, as I stated, was a leader. She fought for equal rights and she was just a trailblazer. So students learn how to lead, how to empower themselves, how to speak up for what is wrong. And we are strong believers in sisterhoods at Charity. As a principal, how do you try to carry on Charity's legacy? So we try to carry on Charity's legacy, one, by empowering our young ladies, cultivating their unique potential, making sure that they know they have a voice and to speak up when they see that things are
003not right and to be activists. How do you celebrate Charity Adams during Black History Month after your building? So this year with the movie Tylee Pereira Created coming out, we're celebrating her by doing a tribute, a special tribute to Charity Adams. So it's going to be really awesome. So the young ladies will do a skit from the movie. So we're really excited. It'll be next Friday, February 28th. Watch the students attend Charity Adams Early Girls Academy. Students should attend Charity Adams Early Academy for Girls because it's a phenomenal school. It's an all-girls school, and again, as I stated, we're about sisterhood, empowerment, and just creating that environment where our young ladies are thinking about careers that haven't existed yet, so we're pushing them to be leaders. So it's just an exciting and very powerful experience
004just being at an all-girls school. What makes your school special? My school is special, one, because it's a single gender, all-girls school, and it's the only one in the area, in the state, as a primary, middle school, all-girls school. And then also, when you enter our school, it's just a very warm, welcoming environment. It's a community, and it's just a great place to be and work. Here are your commitments to learning. And we're here to extend the challenge. That's why we're asking every student, family, and staff member to be present and be engaged. When we show up, we build a foundation here. And when we show up, we build a future. I'm here today. I'm here today. I'm here today. I'm here today. We believe in the power of showing up. So we're here today.
005Are you? Are you? The sign here is right next to them. DB right here next to them. Hey everybody understand that? Let's go! Get the word, get the word. Hey, hey, hey, get the word. Hey, hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, What's your name? Miriam. What's your name? Dalton. Dalton?
006Yes. So, what's your favorite animal, Ashad? Lion. What's your favorite animal, Miriam? I like elephants. What's your favorite animal? A lion. What's your favorite cartoon, Ashad? Cartoon? Yes. Alright, let's move on. What's your favorite costume? Spider-Man! Super Kitties. Super Kitties. That's rude! What's your favorite? Spider-Man! Alright. Book. What's your favorite comic book? Okay. Comic book? I think that one. What's your favorite comic book? I don't have one. What's your favorite comic book? I have... And that's perfectly fine, Miriam. I have... I have a dinosaur one. Dinosaurs? They're not a comic book. Who likes dinosaurs? Raise your hand. I'll have one. What's your favorite book if you don't have a comic book? A comic book? No, it's a book like those. Not a comic book. Okay. I started with one. What's your favorite book? Are you
007scared? No, you're scared. Is that the one that's right there? No, that's that one right there with the bunny and the bear. Oh, that's my favorite. That's my favorite, too. Okay, I'm going to go outside, everybody. So let's move on. Move on. What's your favorite book? Uh, dinosaurs. Why does it all have to be dinosaurs? Because I like dinosaurs. What's your favorite food? No! No, you didn't think she was too fast. I know you ain't messed this up back for me, lady. Oh, man, if you don't stop calling me old lady. Did you just call me old man? Yeah. So, okay, let's move on. What's your favorite movie? Um, Spider-Man. What's your favorite movie? Why We're All Dinosaur. What's your favorite movie? Wait, there's nothing. That's a cartoon. Because I like dinosaurs. This is not
008a movie. That's it. No, it isn't. There's memories downstairs. Thanks for watching. As you can see, we got in it. And now to call to order this emergency board meeting. Madam Treasurer, may we have a roll call? President Goodwin? Here. Dr. Bailey? Here. Mr. Lacey? Here. Mr. Smith? Present. Ms. Reiner? Present. Mr. Walker? Here. Ms. Wick? She is not in attendance. Six. Present. Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Our mission is to inspire, educate, and empower. Our vision is to inspire, educate, and empower scholars for a lasting impact, and our purpose is to cultivate a supportive and engaging educational experience. We are here today to actually take action on a resolution based on some things that are happening in around public education as a whole. Before we get started, I'm going to go ahead
009and read the resolution to you all and then I will see if we have a motion on the floor. Resolution regarding U.S. Department of Education. Title VI certification, whereas the Dayton Board of Education remains fully committed to the principles of equity, inclusivity, and legal compliance in the education of all students across our district. And whereas... The district receives federal funding and recognizes its responsibility to operate in full compliance with all applicable state and federal civil rights laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendment Act of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and all related non-discriminatory statutes. And whereas the U.S. Department of Education has issued a new certification document related to Title VI compliance, and local education agencies across the country have raised
010significant concerns regarding the interpretation, implementation, and potential for unintended consequences in implementation. And whereas ODW is required to collect certification responses from local education agencies, and such as D.P. Dayton Public Schools Board of Education and ODEW has requested all LEEs to submit signed certifications by 11 59 p.m on Friday April 18, 2025 and whereas Superintendent Dr. David Lawrence as the Chief Executive Officer of Dayton Public Schools has executed prudent judgment in declining to sign the Title VI certification document. as currently presented in order to preserve the district's ability to serve all students while ensuring adherence to both laws and sound governing principles. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Dayton Board of Education fully support Superintendent Dr. David Lawrence in his decision not to sign the certification at this time, recognizing his duty to protect
011the district's integrity, legal compliance, and longstanding commitment to educational equity. Be it farther resolved that the Dayton Public Schools continues to comply with Title VI and all related laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origins, disability, age, or religion, and that the district remains dedicated to fostering a learning environment where every student is respected, supported, and empowered to succeed. Be it farther resolved that the Board of Education reaffirms its mission to serve every student regardless of background, identity, or circumstances and will continue to evaluate federal requirements thoughtfully and responsibly, ensuring that the district's actions remain rooted in both the law and the values of public education. I recommend the approval of the following resolution. I second. Move by Board Member Reiner, second by Board Member Lacey. Before we go on, Dr.
012Lawrence, do you have any comments you would like to make? Thank you, President Goodbine. First of all, I'd like to thank the board. It's a great feeling when you come together to galvanize around a single entity or a single issue. I've spent almost 30 years in this career of education. Fighting for equity for all students. I have an academic team, an operations team, and a treasury team, and a school board that's dedicated to the saying that all means all. So we do not need to have directives to be directed to treat each other with equity and fairness and inclusivity. That is who we are. We have documents that say that, and then we execute things around those documents that focus on equity. In addition, I spent about three and a half or four years of
013long days, long nights, and early mornings in my doctoral studies focusing on equity. So it's a part of who I am philosophically, it's a part of who I am academically, and it's what drives our actions each day as we work to support all students in this community and all means all. For people who are watching and who regularly watch the board meetings, you can at times say to yourself, it can be acrimonious, and sometimes you'll see disagreement. And that's part of democracy. And we believe in democratic principles and democratic ideas. And in this case, we are supporting the idea that we want democratic norms for all of our students in Dayton Public Schools, all 13,000. And I would say to my comrades around the nation who are giving thought to signing or not signing, that
014they sit down with their boards and have the discussion that we have. It was very easy. It was universal and unanimous, and it was quick. the way they came to the decision they are dedicated to the community in spaces and places that honor equity thank you let the record reflect that 1106 miss wick joined the meeting are there any other comments on the motion mr smith you look like you're clicking on i thought mr walker was first i looked at you go ahead okay um i did want to say since we are in this space and we're talking about What has come out if Dr Lawrence if you can share with us what are the proposed or possible ramifications for us taking this action because just want us to know where we're at and kind
015of why we're taking these kind of actions and understanding what we're standing on. Thank you, Board Member Smith. I think, yeah, this is not a decision that's taken lightly, and there are consequences. Title I, federal aid for us, Title I, II, III, IV, VI, and I may be missing one. I think it's close to $50 million, and the treasurer can confirm that for me. So it's a significant amount of money that we would not have money and assets and resources. we could be levied consequences and or fines by taking a political stand and philosophical stand. I appreciate that. Mr. Walker, could you? Okay. Any other comments? I mean, I was on the board when we first refined our policy, our non-discrimination policies to include equity, and that was under the presidency of Adil Bagheera. and
016I'm sure he'd be proud to see us affirming that that's all this week thank you dr. Lawrence I'm proud of the work I'm proud of your stance and I'm proud to serve with this board thank you miss Ryan Thank You president good wine I want to extend my thanks as well dr. Lawrence for knowing what the right thing to do is. And I want to thank my colleagues on the board for being united. I was taught a song when I was little, and it said, do what is right, let the consequence follow. We're doing the right thing. And I'm really grateful to be a part of this group that understands that. Thank you. You got something now, Mr. Walker? No, everybody on there. Dr. Babe? I'm going to concur with everyone else. I'm glad that
017we were united on this. I want to piggyback Will, though, with the question, if you signed this, could you let those out there know exactly what this means, if you was to sign this, and how this would hurt us? Thank you, Dr. Bailey. If we sign this, we open ourselves up to open investigation and open scrutiny to question all the moves that we make internally, academically, as it relates to kids and as it relates to subgroups. And what that means is there's an idea out there that, in fact, we should not identify subgroups who are struggling and provide additional resources. So if we have students who are minority students, who are lagging behind academically in order to close that gap, we put pieces in place to help close that gap. We would be questioning about
018those types of practices. I think it's important to note here too that when for us, all means all. So when we have gaps with students who are white, we direct resources in that space to support those students. When we have gaps with students with disabilities. We spend an enormous amount of capital supporting students with disabilities. And that office is run by Ms. Shelly Densmore. And when we say all means all, we mean students with disabilities as well. She sits on every important committee, all core academic activities. So every student for us, from pre-K to 12, disabled or not, whatever color and gender they are, and even students who are part of the LGBTQ community. We provide supports for all students. That's what we mean when we say all. And we're going to continue to provide
019that support with or without scrutiny. Mr. Walker. Sure. Thank you, Dr. Lawrence, for that. Just for me, I'll say I put on my fraternity hoodie today because the great late Congressman John Lewis said that it's best to get in good and necessary trouble. So I'm glad to see today in public schools is taking the right approach with this because our district is meant for every single one of our students who we serve. I think it's an opportunity for us to take a stance in Ohio. I'm glad that we are the first board to do this today publicly. So look forward, Dr. Lawrence, to you and your colleagues pushing that needle even further. Thank you. Thank you. Madam Treasurer, since you're sitting up here, would you like to say anything? I would like to say thank
020you for the all of us united to announce this certification. Thank you. I just want to echo my colleagues in the support that it is never easy to be one of the first to do anything. It is never comfortable to stand in the principles that you find rooted in yourself. Every person that's sitting in this room values public education. We value children. We value adults who value public education. We value education as a whole. And it has always been the window to whatever life that you choose to live for yourself when you decide to go through that path. I support us continuing to keep, as Dr. Lawrence says now, but a former superintendent used to say, the main thing, the main thing. And what's at stake here when we start this slippery slope of legislating.
021education in a sense of who should have access to certain things and who shouldn't. We are entering a realm where education is no longer that window that can change someone's life. So I do support this decision and I do support it knowing there are a lot of risks coming ahead of us. If you watch the news today, you've seen universities with far bigger names than us that have already been sanctioned. We are small on the totem pole, but we are so large in this community that it matters that we stand up for people who don't know that we need them, that they need us to stand up for them. I appreciate everyone who has spoken on this. I appreciate everyone in this room because this is a piece of a longer journey that we are
022all entering together. And I am hopeful that as we move through it. Our children will learn from it. They will learn that you have to stand up for your beliefs. And you have to stand up for other people who can't stand up for themselves. And you have to be united. Because divided we fall, united we stand. Any other comments? Go ahead, Mr. Smith. I appreciate that, and I appreciate everyone. And I appreciate Dr. Lawrence for you laying out exactly where we stand and where we are. And I want to, with that, extend to our Dayton Public Schools family. the understanding that we understand where we are, but we also understand the staff that we have. We know that our staff cares fully for our children, and we know that this fight has not always been
023a fair fight. When we talk about equal rights, ever since we had those discussions, it's about either giving people an equal peace or trying to make our students equal. And in that is where the fight is. It's understanding that all of our students don't come from an equal background. They don't come from the same playing field. But how do we make sure that the love we give them equates across the board? And I think that is what we rely on with each other. And understanding that if we're taking these risks and saying we will be principled enough to stand on something, because if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. And I think that is where we are, and I don't want to take lightly that piece. This isn't us just saying we
024stand against something. It's us saying we understand what we're up against by making the decisions that we make. And if we're saying that, we are also saying we trust and believe in each and every person that works for Dayton Public Schools to do the job in the way that they know how to do it to make sure our students each and every day feel a little bit better about their lives because of what we pour into them. Even us on this day as we do not come from the same backgrounds, we do not come from the same households, we don't come from the same home beliefs in every space. We disagree on things all the time. But one thing we cannot disagree on is that every student in Dayton Public Schools deserves the best out
025of us each and every day. And the best out of us today is standing up against what would require us to not care equally for our children. And so I want us to understand that piece, and I want us as a board to understand that when we make decisions, we're not making decisions for the seven of us because we don't work here. We don't work here. Our staff works here. Our children need us. The families of this district need us. And so I want us to really understand when we make these kind of decisions what we're saying, and then on the flip side, we have to make an assurance to give you all what you need. to listen to our teachers, to listen to our staff, to listen to our administrators, because you guys are
026on the front lines each and every day. And so I want that to be known, that when we make these decisions, we're making them with the understanding of what comes in the future is going to be beautiful because we know we're walking in this together. And we have to do that because there are children around this district today that have no clue about who the presidents are, the senators are, state representatives. They just want a great, safe place to be where they're treated like they matter. And so that is what we have to give them. And I'm pleased to be up here with a board that stands for our children and stands for the community of Dayton, Ohio. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you. Madam Treasurer, may we have a vote? President Goodwin? Yes. Dr.
027Bailey? Yes. Mr. Lacey? Yes. Mr. Smith? Yes. Ms. Reiner? Yes. Mr. Walker? Yes. Ms. Wake? Yes. Seven yeses. Motion to adjourn. Madam Chair, may we have a vote? President Goodwin? Yes. Dr. Bailey? Yes. Mr. Lacey? Yes. Mr. Smith? In the spirit of equality, my microphone doesn't have a microphone cover, but yes. Ms. Reiner? Yes. Mr. Walker? Yes. Ms. Wick? Yes. Seven yeses.