001Ron Boykin, Ronnie Duncan, Hernandez, Nicole Pereda, Yuvika Singh, Anna Wyatt, Chatham High School, Jason Reese, Angela Andrapont, and our Derek Beard administrators, Mia Davis, Aliyah White, Danasia Wooding, of this tremendous accomplishment. Thank you, Chairman Burke. All right, this will be your one and only chance to put your mask on or leave while the law enforcement will start coming down there and removing you. Officer, would you come down and remove the ones you see with no mask on? Either that or we have to stop the meeting. That's your choice. Not at this time. I'll be glad to talk to you after our business meeting. This is a business meeting. This is a health directive from the state health department. It's only about ordering schools. You can go online and look it up. We're not having this
002conversation. He's going to remove you or we'll have you arrested. Yes, you should, and it's embarrassing to some of these students. The rest of you want to leave, that's fine with me. Or you can remain civil and stay in here. You see anybody else in that jam? I'm sorry. Very back row in the center. Okay. Academy Award. Dr. Jones. Yes, sir. Mr. Burton, school board members, it is an honor and guest this evening and administrators, it is an honor for me to recognize our board members this evening. They work countless hours in staff development. with staff members, visiting schools, with constituents, all in the effort to make Pennsylvania County Schools a great place to learn and work. And I greatly appreciate their hard work and their efforts in what we do, because we truly believe
003that our students are better for their service with Pennsylvania County. At this time, I would like to recognize them through the VSBA. The VSBA recognizes school board members. At this time, I would like to recognize each with a certificate. So I'm going to have to be here, sit down, then I'll move to the individual who receives a certificate, then I'll come back here so I can speak into the mic. I'd like to recognize Mr. George Henderson with a bronze pin and an award of achievement. I'd like to recognize Reverend Raymond Ramsey with an Award of Achievement and a bronze pin. Mrs. Cassandra Crump with an Award of Achievement. Mr. Don Moon with Award of Achievement. And Mr. J. Samuel Burton, Award of Achievement. All right, Dr. Jones, don't sit down. Dr. Jones, I want to
004give you an Award of Recognition from the School Board Association and the Ben's School Board Academy for your service this year. Do you hear me? Now. That's better. All right. Mrs. Riley Fletcher, would you come here? Yes. I want everybody to see you. Riley represents Dan Rubin High School. Can y'all hear me? A little closer. Get closer. That's it. Like this? Okay. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, members of the board, and citizens of Pennsylvania County. I was asked to introduce our character word for the month of October. This month, the character word is honesty. Honesty is described as being free of deceit and untruthfulness. In an academic setting, this is incredibly important. It is needed in order to maintain a good relationship with your fellow students and teachers. Honesty is also important in keeping an
005accurate grade in classes. When I was in elementary school, I would cheat on my spelling tests. I was horrible at spelling, and I still am. And even when I did study, it was never good enough. Every Friday, we would have these spelling tests, and almost every time, I would look off of my friend's paper. After a while, he quickly realized what I was doing and got extremely upset with me. He refused to speak with me and no longer wanted to be my friend. This hurt me a lot and I quickly realized that our friendship was at risk because of my lack of honesty. I grew up the courage to apologize and promise to never cheat on another spelling test ever again. And to this day, I have never ever cheated on a spelling test. My
006lack of honesty was not only damaging to both me and my education, but to my friendship with him. Honesty is a big part in being a good person both in and out of school. This is why each and every one of us should strive to be more honest people. Thank you. Thank you. All right, public presentations. We have several people that have signed up to address the board. Just remember you have three minutes. Come to the front, remove your mask so everybody can hear you. Ms. Hancock, you want to call the names? Sharon Johnson. When you get close to the end of time, like 30 seconds, I'll try to raise my hand, okay? Please, everybody, stick to the time so we will treat everybody the same. Good evening, everyone. Sharon Johnson. I am a mother
007of a 17-year-old enrolled in Pennsylvania County Schools. My concerns here, as most are, is COVID and what's happening and how do we help our students on how to get acclimated and understanding. This is a public safety health issue for all of us. Before we... force mandates or even talk about mandates in the school and people have the thought process that they have to vaccinate their children. I want us to help educate our kids. by being the educators that we are and give them the pros and cons within the school system. How do we do this? I'm asking every school not to have a forum or open auditorium where you bring everyone in where there's no spacing, but to have four or five people within the administrative group. that is educated not only by one person
008saying that this is what is being told to us, but give them the pros and the cons and the tools to educate the kids in all the schools at every level. What they need to know is the pros and cons. They need to know that your body may not accept a vaccine. You've got to know your health and everything about you. So if we educate four or five people within the school system and give them the pros and cons, let these children go home and help educate the adults and the guardians that they live with and who raise them. That's the only way we're going to be able to get to this point so we don't make people feel that nasty word mandating or pushing them into a position where you should do it. But
009this is, everyone, a public safety issue. So we have 8,723 students enrolled in Pennsylvania County. You've done a great job on a lot of things that you've offered last year and this year. My question is I could not find on the internet or anywhere in Pennsylvania County. How effective is the vaccine vehicles that you are providing? How is that helping the percentage? Is it opening and is making awareness? Are people engaging and bringing themselves out? Are they getting into and understanding? Is anyone asking questions? I was frustrated. I was supposed to be here in September, the second Tuesday, but I was in Mexico. I was highly frustrated. I spoke to a principal, and the reaction that I got is the U.S. Assembly says this is what we have to do. Who cleans the schools? Well,
010the teachers do. You have how many students? 835. How can one teacher with only five minutes in between class clean and sanitize a room? It's not possible. But I need these kids in school. I have to have them in school for my livelihood, for the community, because we are suffering not only. from that level but every level this is real this is right in front of us covet is real it's not a joke it's something that we need to take very seriously as a community and for people's lives educate the children please help us educate within the schools the pros and the cons and give them the will and the power to take it and educate their families and guardians as well Because that's where we need to get to. We have to get through
011to people. I don't want to do it by mandating or having people feel like they're forced to be vaccinated. My choice was to be vaccinated. I gave my child, who was 17, 16 at the time, the option. But we weighed them because we do international traveling. We have a lot of people. My fear of... When I researched and had the means and the resources to look up and understand all parts of COVID and how it does impact people and how it is spread, I had that. I don't know, and I know with the broadband systems that y'all are bringing in, that it is that a lot of people don't have the means and the resources to do so. Thank you. Ma'am, do you have a mask? Do you have a mask? You need to leave.
012Good evening. My name is Barbara Hancock, and I want to remind you all of the ridiculous show that you put on during last month's meeting. Not only was the chairman not wearing a mask or a shield while others spoke, but during he walked around and spoke closely to several of you without his face covered at all. You who represent us, who were here in attendance, are all complicit. You had three people, including myself, removed by law enforcement, which you've done again, for not having a mask on properly. And then the following week, most of you, including the chairman, were in this exact same room, for those of you who don't know that, at a supervisor meeting, gathered closely with the many other leaders in this county, or representatives, let's say. without mask on. In last
013month's meeting, you also misidentified a young man named Michael Hall and collaborated together in an attack against him, thinking it was that he was the one that is running for office to serve in your position. You are hypocrites. Do you even realize how important your positions are? Do you? Some of you have been on this board a long time. You have children and teachers spaced out in the classrooms all day long with their faces covered, restricting fresh air and causing brain fog, which will lead to other health issues, not to mention how it depersonalizes them. What happened to evidence-based practices? You obviously do not care that the curriculum that you have in our county schools has... and school libraries include sexual material, pornography, and encourages sexually deviant behavior. You do not care that materials and
014curriculum in the schools for years have caused many children to question and hate the color of their skin and make them feel like less of a person than God created them to be. Now you are considering forcing children to be injected with toxins for a sickness that has well over a 99% recovery rate. It doesn't even make sense. My question for you all is do you even care about children? If I were you I would be scared to death of the judgment that will come down on you for being complicit in these decisions that have been made for the children over the years. I want to remind each of you what Jesus said in Luke 17. Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It
015would be better for them to be thrown into the depths of the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to sin. I'm going to pass out. the law that I printed at 512 today, so it's up to date. And I'll encourage you parents to vote for Jacob Hancock in the calendar. Wait a minute. You've really gone over the bound on him. This body has never been a political body, and you're trying to make it one tonight. And you're so misinformed on several things you've said, it's embarrassing that you would be up here and you haven't bothered to check. What you're talking about the checking verify the things you're saying usually I won't make a comment But when you made it political item, it's too much next
016Mitch Hancock Let's consider some points of perspective please as we tackle the issues surrounding Transgender Mr. Fish slow down a little bit you talk a little fast and you get your head turned away from the mic start over My time starts over. I hope Let's consider some points of perspective as we tackle the issues surrounding transgenderist beliefs and transgenderism or genderism in general and so-called best practices. When we're through with the controversial aspects of this debate, we will necessarily reach accommodation based on reason and the equal protection of law. there will be no promotion or favoritism for genderist beliefs. And this will be on a national scale. In other words, this shall not stand. There will be no specially protected, specially promoted so-called victim group or classification. No one will be coerced into compelled speech,
017either by word or deed, regarding anyone's proclaimed belief in their own or anyone else's personal aspect as to imaginary genders or any orthodoxy as to human sexual orientation. Indeed, for in free society, no one is ever, under any circumstance anywhere, obligated to play along with the delusional charades of sexually disoriented persons. Virginia's State Education Department's documented policy on these matters that are mandated by recent state law run afoul of pre-existing state statutory protections. and are proffered illegally and violate inalienable individual liberties of speech, sanctity of beliefs, and of association that are constitutionally protected by Virginia and the United States. A constitutional law attorney and Liberty University law professor with the Helm School of Government is available in November or at our earliest convenience to explain our counties and schools' position to produce to pursue standing
018and every due protection available because of the abject contradictions of law that plague our education system and because of these unlawful and unconstitutional policies and the enabling legislation mandating such policies. I thank you, Sam, for reaching out to me, and I do hope we will be able to schedule a specific hearing on this matter so we can... all hear and understand our rights for legal action. This would be done for us pro bono, at no cost to the school system or the county. Correcting the state and eventually the nation and every state on this issue will not take away any single person's rights. This is to restore the rights and equal standing we all share. each and every one of us, to the religiously zealous advocates for genderism orthodoxy, believing passionately in transgenderism and that
019it is real, to all who are such champions for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenderists, queers, please understand, get this straight. We do not believe what you believe. We're here. We're not queer. Get used to it. Thank you, Mr. Fisher. Jacob Hancock. Hello. Thank you all for allowing me to speak to you this evening. My name is Jacob Hancock. I want to remind you all of the responsibilities to the people of this county, of your responsibilities. Not to Richmond or D.C. or, for that matter, the CDC. The families, teachers, and people of this county come first, and you all have a duty to listen to what the people ask and say to you. first and foremost. The school board is probably one of the most important local offices because you all are in positions to advocate for
020children and to be a voice for them and their families to the higher offices in Richmond and in D.C. The decisions you make, the positions you take, where you stand on certain issues will ultimately drive where the schools go, and where the schools ultimately go, our country will go there as well. Some of you on this board have denied that there is a political bias being pushed in the American school system or said there shouldn't be politics in schools. But you apparently cannot see that there is already a bias in America's education system. So many of us, parents, teachers, concerned citizens, already recognize it. I urge you all to understand this and to listen to the families, teachers, and the parents of this county. This is so important. Parental rights are steadily being stripped away.
021The rights of the children are being stripped away and the rights of employees are being stripped away. We have a major issue here where children, parents, and teachers are being discriminated against in the name of a pandemic and an experiment. I am kindly asking you all not to make a teacher's employment or a student's enrollment contingent on whether or not they have had the COVID-19 vaccine. You must respect people's right to informed consent. and make allowing a choice a priority. Regardless of what the state or federal government is pushing on everyone, we the people run this place, not the other way around. And you, as elected leaders, should know that. Do not let down the good people of this county who elected you. If you don't stand to protect parental rights and the individual rights
022and liberties, we will work hard to find someone who will. Thank you. Thank you, Jake. Ruth Barrett. She is the one that you have removed. May I say what she was going to say in her place? No, ma'am. Okay. Just know we are the people and we have the power. We are the government, okay? You should be looking up to us. We are tired of being the last ones that y'all consider the first ones you taxed and the first ones to get the blame, okay? Now, if Ms. Barrett wanted to speak, she could have followed the rules. Everybody else has stayed in here. Next. Dennis Shady. I'm here to talk about mask safety. Into the mic thing. I'm here to talk about mask safety. Thank you. Okay. In 1975, I joined the Navy. When I
023joined the Navy, they sent me to boot camp. In boot camp, we went to fire control school to learn how to fight shipboard fires. They taught us very much about masks and the type of masks you would use because if you choose the wrong mask at the wrong time during a shipboard fire, you die. Okay, well, after I graduated from boot camp, I took and went on to a school to become an aviation metalsmith, which, once again, they taught us about masks and the proper use of them. This right here is a R95 mask, which is basically a N95 on steroids. It takes and filters out all kinds of stuff, including chemicals. But it's only good down to two microns. Okay, as we all know, COVID is 0.01 micron in size. One of the tests
024they give us in a school to check your mask is you put your mask on, you take a drag off a cigarette, you put your mask back on, and you breathe out. Wherever the smoke comes out, that's where germs are coming out or germs are coming in. So basically, if you was to do that in the mask y'all are wearing, you'd have smoke coming everywhere. The masks that y'all are wearing are absolutely useless for COVID. They do not stop the spread. They never have. It's an Anthony Fauci make-believe. And, you know, I don't believe children have any reason to wear a mask in school. It's already been proven that the MRC test is a 94% wrong positive, false positive, and that's why the CDC is recalling them. So if that's the case, this 98 point
025or 99.8% survival rate of COVID is actually way higher than that. Because they put a whole lot of deaths in there that had nothing to do with COVID. There's a difference between dying of COVID or dying with COVID. Okay? And it's been proven that when you make a child wear a mask, that they take and breathe in the germs that their body is supposed to be expelling. And they recycle them. Okay? COVID grows in a low-oxygen environment much better than it does in a high-oxygen environment. So by putting a mask on a child, you're restricting their oxygen. If you take a meter they use in the mine to check for carbon dioxide and you slide it underneath one of your masks and breathe out, it goes nuts. In a coal mine, OSHA would shut that
026coal mine down and chase you out of it, tell you to get out. And the crazy thing about it is we're all afraid of this COVID, and it's really pretty much a doggone hoax. India's already gotten rid of it. I say India three weeks ago took and started issuing ivermectin to all their people. And they reported last week that they are totally COVID-free. Imagine that. Ivermectin, the drug that everybody said you couldn't even dispense. Now, three months ago, I got hit with COVID. I called down to the Danville VA. I asked for Ivermectin. I asked for hydroxychloroquine. They told me they wouldn't give me either one of them. self quarantine myself 14 days and if I had difficulties breathing to take and call Salem VA and Report over there. Well instead of doing that I
027went to tractor supply got some ivermectin in six hours. I was feeling 100% better Within 24 hours. I was cured 48 hours. I was back to work You know, why are we so terrified of this stupid disease? The problem is it's been politicized. The media has run amok with it. The government's pushing it. And as they're starting to find out, these vaccines have horrible side effects. You have a much better chance of dying from the vaccine than you do dying from COVID itself. I mean, it's a proven fact. I'm not up for making things up. So why are we so desperate to take and put masks on our kid? Is it a financial thing? Do you all get more from the state if you take and comply? Is that what it is? Are our children's
028health for sale? Is that what you're trying to tell me? I don't understand. My children are the most important things in my life. You could offer me a million dollars to take and compromise their health, and I wouldn't do it. But yet it seems to me like the school board is compromising all these children's health for financial gain for the schools. This is not right. This is not what the people want. I'm 64 years old. I've been around a long time. I've seen a lot of stuff. And I do know that this mask has a whole lot more capability of fighting disease and stuff than those do. And this won't even protect you. This right here is only good to two microns. And they try to show you that a mask, you take a breath
029out and it catches the particles. Your time has passed. And your time is up. Let me say this. Go ahead. You haven't said anything that I disagree with. You what? You haven't said a thing that I disagree with. Then why are you forcing masks on the kids? Because we're not doing it. And this is a point that nobody in this room is here wants to study and understand. The state health department put a health order out that you must in schools. As long as this is a school board meeting, you're required to. Supervisors can come in here, and they don't have to. I'm not listening. Look, I'm not getting this conversation. I've tried to explain something to you. Your time's up. Cut his mic off. This is an issue we have. You want to talk,
030but nobody wants to listen. We've tried to explain this in the past. Whether you believe us or not, you can go research and find it. You found the health order. Again, I'm not getting into a conversation. You know the health order is out there. We'll have to afford that. As long as it's out there, we have to follow that. Next. Lori, Nick, Kef, I'm going to talk fast. Pull the mic down a little bit. And I'll give you a copy of it. Good evening, elected officials of the board. I'm a concerned taxpaying citizen with a few facts to present. First, I will start out by saying there is still not one study done to date that backs up wearing masks to stop the spread of COVID. You already know the survival rate of COVID in
031children. I'm concerned about the next fake mandate they're going to try to force on our innocent children, and that is the shot. I cannot say vaccine because it's not a vaccine. Every vaccine except this shot has gone... through the normal testing protocol. The fact that no COVID vaccine has undergone the usual timeframes of phase one through phase four and independent testing protocols as a result has broken the Newberg Code of 1947. In 2019, Merriam-Webster definition of the vaccine was the preparation of killed microorganisms living attend to organisms or living fully. virulent organisms that is administered to produce artificially increased immunity in a particular disease just after the pandemic hit In early 2021, they changed the definition to a preparation that is administered by injection to stimulate the body's immune response against specific infectious diseases. If
032vaccination is a public health measure meant to protect and benefit the collective, then it must render immunity to the inoculated individual and inhibit transmission of the disease from the vaccinated person. But the mRNA vaccines do not do this. However, the opposite is true. The only one benefiting from the vaccine is the person alone. Since all they are designed to do is lessen the clinical symptoms associated with one spike protein. New variants have new spike proteins to accept the risk for the greater good of the community is nonsense. Marketing mRNA therapy as a vaccine violates federal law 15 U.S. Code section 41 of Federal Trade Commission Act 10, the law that governs advertising of medical practice. I'll be handing you a copy, I already handed you the copy of the Newberg Code and the World Medical
033Association Declaration of Helsinki. The Declaration of Helsinki has been adopted by American Medical Association and protects the rights of all people from being experimented on against their will. Since the shot is not, and I repeat, not. been approved by the FDA, and the one they say has been approved still has not gone through the proper test protocols to deem it safe for humans, then we as free citizens have the right to say no to being test subjects against our will and the wills of our children. Since it's not a vaccine, and since it does not prevent a person from getting and or spreading COVID, it is then useless and a political ploy to assert control of people against their will. We the people and our children. will not be a test subject against our will
034to make the elite globalists rich to the demise of our rights and the health of our children. Think about this hard and realize all the money that you receive from the government to force their sick agenda on innocent children here will be used here to fight lawsuits coming to a courthouse near you. Thank you, Ms. Midcalf. Dr. Jones. Good evening, Chairman Burton. Can you hear me, sir? Yes. All right. He says no, so get a little closer to the mic. Let me do it this way. Can you all hear me now? That's better. So good evening again, sir, Superintendent Jones, school board members, central office staff, and all those in attendance in person as well as virtually. At the September meeting, I thank you all for making the health and safety your chief priority for
035us as employees and staff. And again, providing clear and consistent guidelines. Like that? Can you all see me and hear me? Can you see and hear me? This thing's got a dead spot on one side. It's got a dead spot. Like this? Well, maybe I should just tell you what it says. Okay. So I wanted to say thank you again for having the ongoing communication that is supposed to be transparent and timely and beneficial for all parties involved so that all parties involved can make timely decisions. And everyone can understand and remain in understanding what is do's and don'ts and how to do so appropriately. I will further go down into the point of when I read a local newspaper in September. regarding the September school board meeting, everything that I read was pretty much
036spot on point. And I want to say thank you for reporting the information in the media and capturing the presentation and understanding that all of us are dealing with a lot of devastation and loss. And that was one of the things that hit on last month. And that continues on in the school as well as in the community. And it's important to understand that not just in trying times but also in non-trying times, that it's really about how you make people feel that will last in your memories. So I've lost friends and colleagues really back to back, two within 48 hours of each other and one about a week later and another one a week later. I mean, literally, the month of September ended to October was just death. of perfectly good people who wanted
037to give to the community and did so. And you reflect on that. You reflect on what people did over their lifespan and how they made you feel, how they saw you as a human being. And those reflections often do guide people to think about the decisions over their past, but also the decisions of their future. So over the past several weeks, many of the employees in the school division have been reflecting and pondering on things and questioning things about how people have made them feel. You know, things that have been said to them and done to them. Now, I will start by saying this. Pennsylvania County Schools Transportation Department has made me feel honored and proud to work for your school division. And the gentleman standing at the back of the room has no idea
038that I'm saying this, but it needs to be said. Mr. Kenyon Scott and his leadership is bar none. The people that work in that department are absolutely the best of the best, hands down. And they have handled requests and needs on a daily basis with fidelity, but they need our help. Now, we've said as a community, we're all in this together. And we also know that student transportation is paramount in order to keep transportation going, but school going, in-person instruction going. You've got to have the bus with the wheels going round and round to make sure students can get to school. With that being said, this is a shameless plug to the public. And please listen to me very carefully. If you are looking for a job, or you know of someone looking for a
039job, and you enjoy seeing different parts of the county, you enjoy working with students, and interacting with a reliable, respectable, and driven team, please contact our Department of Transportation for this county. They are in need of substitute bus drivers as well as substitute bus attendants, and there's no need for experience. Training can and will be provided. So feel free to reach out at 434-799-0522. 434-432-8821 or 434-656-1339. And I do want to say thank you to Mr. Scott and his team for making the Transportation Department a great place to work. And I sincerely, we all do, hope that you get the individuals that you need to keep our school division moving forward. Now further, anytime you take on a job, for any working conditions, we all know there are policies that you got to follow. Two,
040we all know that policies are associated with rules, regulations, and laws. But practices are a little different. Practices are associated with behaviors, patterns, and emotions. Now, when policies and practices are not congruent, that's when you start to get things like discord, frustration, and anxiety, even when things don't run parallel. I bring this to you because your school board policy, BG, indicates that the board encourages but does not limit the flow of communications as suggested in, quote, the Pennsylvania County Schools Organizational Chart. The school board, superintendent, assistant superintendents, and the principals do perform a key role in receiving and transmitting educational information that is pertinent to and from teachers and other employees. And it's y'all's intent as a governing body that those lines of communication between yourself as the board, the staff, and all personnel shall
041be available for two-way communication concerned to all parties involved. Well, I have teachers and staff indicating. No, sir, you may not. You can talk to me after the business meeting, but not now. You can talk to me after the meeting or not now. reporting issues that directly impact the instructional environment which is also our working environment to their supervisor be at a building level administration or the equivalent they have gone days if not weeks or longer without any resolve or much less a response those matters include were not limited to student academic progress colleague interactions and COVID-19 protocols Colleagues across the county often have wondered why do the rules exist for some and not for others. One of the major questions I've received is why are we told to report at a certain time when
042some people kind of come in and leave whenever they want. And if I was to do that, I would get fussed out or a letter in my box. And that's repeatedly been said. Now, I'm not going to twix over personal matters. That's not my role. But from Sandpoint, the policy does exist, but the practice is incongruent. We know what we need to do, but sometimes we need to take the extra step and make sure it gets done. I actually had one colleague that said, I guess somebody else's happiness means more than my job satisfaction, because if they don't care, why should I? Now, this incongruence goes directly against your policy on communication flow. In addition to a few other things, one most recently is the issue with faculty and staff not being able to use
043restrooms in a timely and professional fashion. TikTok challenges led some students to be inspired to cause property damage to Pennsylvania County Public Schools across the county. In a display of a lack of judgment, some students compromised the use of bathroom facilities that sent a ripple effect from the student population to the faculty and staff population. And colleagues could not, and some even as today cannot, access restrooms because they are locked. And we all know when you've got to go, you've got to go, particularly if you're in a supervisory role over students and a certain amount of time in which to accomplish the task. It has gotten bad enough in some instances, some colleagues have stopped taking blood pressure medicine because the diuretics are a little too efficient and they can't efficiently go to the restroom.
044And nobody would think that it's appropriate to jeopardize or sacrifice the physical health because you can't manage the practice of how to utilize a facility between students as well as faculty and staff. In addition to physical health, we also know there's a mental health aspect. We've all heard about the impact COVID has had on the mental aspect of students. It also impacts us as educators. and not too familiar, we do have educators who are going multiple days without planning periods. They're giving up their instructional planning time to cover somebody else's classes because we don't have enough substitutes. So again, I give another public shameless plea that you please seek our school board website for classified and certified positions and apply because we need help. And teaching is a profession that you're called to do. And
045many people maybe are right now not answering that call, but it needs to be done. And all out, we want to make sure that our teachers are getting the time that they need, and we're not violating the Code of Virginia in order to do that. So with that being said, some solutions could be like Roanoke County Schools at this time. They're adding early dismissals for teachers and staff to be able to catch up on their work. work with their students and parents. They're also adding additional substitute pay to try to increase the number of days that substitutes will either come to the schools or even maybe be there for a long-term time. So I encourage you to take some things into consideration, to ponder on some things and realize that how people are made to
046feel by the practices are having an impact. Thank you. Thank you. Staff committee reports. Mr. Henderson. Do you have anything for the school board building committee? We'll take out new bid We do that new business. We'll do that in new business on the agenda Anybody have any questions on the desk reports need a motion to approve them? I'll make motion to approve the desk reports No discretion roll call Yes, sir, Mr. Burton, school board members, I have a few items I'd like to share with you this evening. First, I'd like to share information regarding an update from the committee that came before you all last month. They have been out to many schools. There's a memo in your packet that provides information regarding the contacts that they've made with community groups, PTOs, with civic groups.
047at ball games, at the fair, so that's there for you this evening. Also, I would like to let you all know that a week or so ago, we met with the student leaders in our high schools, and those are leaders from 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade, and then our school board representatives, and we talked about school issues. You know that this is an annual event that's taken place for... Since Dr. Jerry Webb was here back in the late 90s, so it's something that's become a tradition. It's something that we utilize and we use the information that we glean from students. on our code of conduct committees that meet, on other calendar committees we use this information. We use it with our maintenance staff as well to talk about things that we may want to
048look at to improve. So it is a great resource for us. The topics that we discussed are in your packet. The notes that were taken from the meeting, I appreciate Mrs. Elizabeth Craig, she's in the back. She organizes that for us. she was there and she takes the notes and appreciate the good work of our student leaders here our representatives on the school board some things that we talked about we talked about the renovation needs of the county county schools we talked about covet 19 mandates And they came up with some ideas and I have at their places this evening a form that they thought would be important if a student has to quarantine. Some things that students may not know that they need to do prior to leaving the school. So I've asked them,
049they're going to take a look at that and mark it up for me this evening. We'll present it to our principals at our principals meeting on Thursday and see if we can have a form in place so that we'll be sure our students, if and when they have to quarantine, can have all the resources they need. We talked about shortened lunch periods. Our schools have shortened lunch periods to allow fewer students to be in the cafeterias. But what that has done is that's given students about a 20-minute lunch time. And so we talked about some things that we may be able to do to help there. So we'll meet with our principals on Thursday and we'll discuss those items with them. We talked about tardies with the students. We talked about dress code. We talked
050about diversified lunch menus and I spoke with Mrs. Scott regarding that and we have a supply chain, students who have a supply chain issue there that the materials that they're ordering just don't come in in a timely manner. So we'll share that information. If you could share that information with the students in your schools, it would be good. We talked about cell phone policy. We talked about adding additional water dispensers, and I spoke with Mr. Hudson, and he's going to put additional water dispensers up in our high schools, so that's coming as well. We talked about at-home devices for students, and Mrs. Reynolds is in the back, and she's doing some good work there. We hope we'll have some information later this year regarding that. We talked about AP classes and the push for the
051division to increase the number of dual enrollment and AP classes. And our goal is to have more and more students graduating with an associate's degree. And Mrs. Craig has kind of spearheaded that with our high school principals. And over the last five years, that number has increased. We'd like to see more of that. We talked about the grading scale and information that Mrs. Petty is working on with the grading reporting committee, and we should have some information from that committee. In the next few months there, they're working on that. It's not something that you do overnight. It's a process involved there. And other things, and at this time, I would like Mr. Burton, if I can, to open it up to the school board representatives, kind of put them on the spot this evening if
052they have anything they'd like to share. They don't have to. I didn't prepare them, but if that's okay with you. I'm sure they're prepared. no don't you have to push just talk into it should be on hello okay um so i am the daniel river high school school board representative um and we had this meeting last week um i think the meeting went really really well we talked about a lot of different issues most um it was mostly student-led i know i've made many many comments on the meeting but the form that we have that Mr. Dr. Mark Jones mentioned is about quarantine and I think this is going to be a really good forum for students because a lot of students are being pulled out of their classes being told that they need to
053quarantine and a lot of times because of health violations and laws they're not able to disclose who the child is that they are getting who tested positive and so now they have to quarantine because of. But this sheet should be able to determine what classes the student has. And so when they are pulled out of these classes, these teachers are able to pull their work together in a more effective manner. And it also allows the student to know when they can come back in an effective manner. And as well as if it's in need of a Chromebook or a hotspot, which are two main concerns that students have when... leaving. So I think that hopefully this will be a really good way for students to not feel so left behind when they get into quarantine
054because I know I've been in quarantine twice because of exposure and while many of my classes are online, I also have a couple classes that are not online and it is extremely difficult to catch up when you are not in school. So I'm really hoping that this will be a more effective way for students to get the education they need. Anyone else? Is there anyone else? Okay. The other items that I have, just to remind you all of the upcoming VSBA annual conference on November the 17th through the 19th in Williamsburg. That has changed a little bit there, and I think discussions about how we'll travel or how we'll attend that is still a little bit up in the air at this time. That's all I have, Mr. Burton. Thank you. A new business request
055to name. The school board property. Mr. Henderson. The building committee did meet on the request to rename or name a certain wing at Tunstall High School, and the building committee could not vote that in. We failed to vote on it. And so what we're going to do is we're going to get some people to form a staff. staff people to go out and see if they can come up with something other than naming a room after a particular person. I need a motion to reject the... Chairman, I think Ms. Hancock has a motion. Motion is to deny the request for the naming of the technology lab at Tunstall High School in memory of the individual indicated and recommend that staff develop guidelines for recognition and placement of a plaque. Second. Do we have a second?
056I'll second. Wait a minute. We need someone to make that motion. I'm sorry. All right. I'll make the motion then. You get a second? I need a second, folks. Done then. Okay. Motion made and second. Any discussion? Roll call. Mr. Burton. Aye. Ms. Croft. Aye. Mr. Dahl. Aye. Mr. Henderson. Aye. Mr. Moon. Aye. Reverend Ramsey. Aye. Mr. Mills is absent. And the next item is permanent signage at Dan River Middle School. You have in your packet a letter from Chris Nick, a principal. He's at Dan River Middle School. The PTO is requesting that... Remove these two ladies here, sir. Let me start over on this if I might. The PTO of Dan River Middle School has requested that they insert a digital display. They've taken up money to replace the current sign outside of the
057Kentuck Dan River Middle School, and they're going to be taking donations. And what they would like to do is once they complete this fundraiser, they want to put the name of... donors of five thousand dollars or more on that sign the building committee did approve that to send it on you make that informal motion motion is to approve the request for placement of permanent digital signage at dan river middle school using the following stipulations Donors should exemplify the character befitting of the recognition to be placed on the signage and names would be removed if the company or individual fails to exemplify such character as deemed appropriate by the school board. And donors providing a $5,000 donation or more will be recognized on the signage. We need a motion to effect. I'll make that motion again.
058I was on that committee. I'll second it. Motion is made and seconded. And Mr. Nick is here if anybody's got any questions. roll call mr burton aye mr crump aye mr dowse aye mr henderson aye mr moon aye reverend ramsey aye mr mills let me just throw out one thing for you folks how many have seen the digital sign in front of chatham high school very pretty very nice very eloquent uh that's going to be the same type of sign that goes up in front of dan river middle school procurement bids you have a motion to accept the recommendation i'll make the motion we accept i second Any discussion on those roll call Mr. Burton, Mr. Croft, Mr. Dahls, Mr. Henderson, Mr. Moon, Reverend Ramsey, Mr. Mills Revision school board policy cell phones electronic devices
059second reading I'll make a motion that we pass it tonight. I second. Any discussion? In conversation with Mr. Mills today, he had some concerns. He didn't have a cell phone, but he did understand why they would go into it after reading it. So I'm just saying that since he's not here. Roll call. Mr. Burton. Aye. Mr. Crump. Aye. Mr. Doss. Aye. Mr. Henderson. Aye. Mr. Moon. Aye. Reverend Ramsey. Aye. Mr. Mills is out. DCU tobacco student parent survey have a motion to allow that I'll make it motion in discussion roll call student recognition protocol I'm sorry authorization for grant application federal communications ECF Any discussion? Roll call. Mr. Burton. Aye. Ms. Crump. Aye. Mr. Doss. Aye. Mr. Henderson. Aye. Mr. Moon. Aye. Reverend Ramsey. Aye. Mr. Mills. The next item is student recognition protocol. Mr.
060Chairman, I'll make that motion since someone brought this up a couple months ago to do it. I second. Any discussion on that one? Roll call. Mr. Burton. Aye. Ms. Crump. Aye. Mr. Doss. Aye. Mr. Henderson. Aye. Mr. Moon. Aye. Reverend Ramsey. Aye. Mr. Mills. Regional position for Adult Education Center. Make a motion we move forward with this position. Ms. Crump, make a motion. Second. I'll second. Mr. Dawes, any discussion? All in favor say aye. I'm sorry. Aye. Ms. Crump. Aye. Mr. Dawes. Aye. Mr. Henderson. Aye. Mr. Moon. Aye. Reverend Ramsey. Aye. Mr. Mills is out. Request for temporary use for Gretna Middle School for the 21st Century Learning Committee Program through October. I'll make that motion. I'll make it so that it goes on through until they can get the assessment done, Mr. Burton, and
061we get that information back. All right, with the person that seconded that motion? Yeah, I seconded it. Okay. Any discussion? Roll call. Mr. Burton? Aye. Ms. Crump? Aye. Mr. Doss? Aye. Mr. Henderson? Aye. Mr. Moon? Aye. Reverend Ramsey? Aye. Mr. Mills is absent. Election day, November 2nd, board is requested to grant approval for instructional staff in all 21 buildings to work from home. Mr. Chairman, I'll make that motion, but I want to make some comments before we vote. I'll second it. All right. Discussion? Yes. Along with the election day from working from home, if you've been watching the news, there's been a lot of school divisions around us that have started recognizing, I think Dr. Jessica Jones talked about what the teachers are undercover for other classes and doing and the stress that they are
062enduring. I would like to ask that the staff, Dr. Jones and his staff, also look at... what we can do to try to relieve some of that stress like some of these other divisions have done. Whether it be some built-in time, leaving early some days maybe. I know we're getting ready to come into holidays coming up. But I think it's important to know that we are struggling to get substitutes and teachers are covering other classes. Bus drivers are running two routes. I just think I would really like for Dr. Jones and his staff to look very closely at how we could help relieve some of that stress. I think he's already started some of it. A couple of things he's done recently. I know he's looking at it. Anybody else? Roll call. Mr. Burton. Aye.
063Mr. Crump. Aye. Mr. Doss. Aye. Mr. Henderson. Aye. Mr. Moon. Aye. Reverend Ramsey. Aye. Mr. Mills is out. Nothing else coming before the board until we get a motion to adjourn. So moved. Second. Roll call. Mr. Burton. Aye. Mr. Crump. Aye. Mr. Doss. Aye. Mr. Henderson. Aye. Mr. Moon. Aye. Reverend Ramsey. Aye. Mr. Mills is out. Thank you.