001Hi everybody. Thanks for joining us. Today is Wednesday, almost said the wrong day, June 10th, 2026, and this is the regular meeting for the Litfield Elementary School District governing board. I hereby call this meeting to order. The first item on the agenda will be the pledge of allegiance. If you could please stand and join us. Thank you. Next, we will take a moment of silent reflection. Okay. Next, we will move on since we have no requests to speak, we will move on to the adoption of the agenda and consideration of consent agenda. I'll go through and see if anybody has any items that they wish to pull. Uh, Miss Moran, >> none for me. Thank you. Mr. Mike, >> none, please. >> Mr. Owens, >> none for me. >> Miss Wallace, did you have anything?
002>> No, thank you. >> I have none either. If someone would like to make a motion. >> I move to approve the consent agenda as presented. >> A second. >> Having a motion from Mr. Owens and a second for Mr. Mike. I'll call for the vite of the vote. Miss Maran. >> Yay. >> Mr. Mike, >> yay. >> Mr. Owens, >> yay. Miss Wallace. >> Yay. >> I'm also yay. Motion passes. Okay. Next, we will [clears throat] move on to our action items, which will be administrative recommendation for the position of assistant superintendent of programs and instruction. This will be by Dr. Davidson and executive director Satderfield. Madame President, members of the governing board, Dr. Davidson, esteemed colleagues and others joining us for this evening's meeting. I am pleased to share that we had 18
003candidates that were considered for the position of assistant superintendent of programs and instruction. After review, 10 of these individuals were invited to share a video introducing themselves as well as to complete the inbasket activities. As a result, five of these individuals were invited to participate in the initial interview. One withdrew and we moved forward interviewing four candidates. Of those four, two rose to the top and participated in the second round of interviews. Tonight, I am pleased to bring forward for your consideration, Miss Bridget Stockwell, um, who will be joining us upon your approval as the assistant superintendent of programs and instruction. >> And Madame President, just to add a few words, Miss Twell tonight is here um with her son Logan and her husband Brad, as well as some additional Lichville community um friends out
004there. And so we're just excited to um certainly bring her resume and the nomination as an opportunity for her to join our team. Um she is prepared to answer any questions you might have uh at the podium if you wish. So thank you again for your consideration tonight. >> Miss Moran, did you have any questions or comments? >> I do not have any questions, but I just want to say that I've heard very good things from the interview process. Of course, I've also reviewed your resume and I believe this will go favorably. So, I'm going to go ahead and say welcome aboard, >> Mr. Mike. >> Uh, no questions. Just excited to see the all the experience that you'll bring to the district and I think you'll be a great fit for for the big
005Lichfield family we have here. So, thank you, >> Mr. Owens. >> No questions. Just you have big shoes to fill, but luckily those shoes are hanging out with us still. So, um, appreciate >> Miss Wallace. No questions. just uh look forward to working with you as this executive cabinet is who we get to hear from the most. Um I get I look forward to hearing from you and getting new eyes on on different aspects of our district and we just thank you for being willing to take this position and excited to work with you. >> I have no questions either. Um I'm going to preemptively agree with the welcome to our district. um and say that it is great that you're going to be able to continue working with Dr. Benjamin. And I love that
006we will after we vote not have to learn a new name. So, that will be awesome. Anyways, with that, uh if someone would like to make a motion, >> I'll move to approve Dig Bridget Stockwell as the assistant superintendent of programs and instruction. >> I will second. >> Having a motion from Mr. Mike's and a second from Miss Moran, I'll call for the vote. Miss Moran, >> yay. Miss Wallace, >> yay. >> Sorry, I mixed it up. Mr. Mikes, >> yay. [laughter] >> Mr. Owens, >> yay. >> I'm also a yay. Motion passes. Welcome to the Lichfield family. >> Madame President, um, may we take a group photo like we've done the last few meetings? >> Yes, please. >> Thank you. It looks a little different. >> So, welcome to the Lichfield family officially now.
007We are very excited to have you here. Thank you so much for coming and joining us. I hope that this will be a nice pleasant experience for you. Uh with that we are going to move on now to the discussion items which will be the career exploration uh which will be by uh director Holmes and Dr. Benjamin. >> Madame President, I took over Dr. Benjamin's spot real quick. >> Okay. >> Just wanted to welcome Laura to the podium there. This is a has been a work in progress for probably the last two years. really trying to think about how we can work through career exploration uh across our elementary campuses knowing that that is kind of the talk of the town in education right now that idea of career readiness and uh we're starting to
008to play and I'm excited to see Laura with all the work that you and the committee have put together and um board you know this is a conversation we've had together as well too so please ask those hard questions and let's think about where we want to go on behalf of our our students so thank you Laura >> [snorts] >> I asked if I was on. All right. Uh, Madame President and governing board members, it is my pleasure to talk to you tonight about the work that we're doing around career exploration. And, uh, like Dr. Davidson said, "We really did start this work about two years ago and it's really um we dipped our toe in this year and we are going to be swimming next year and so I'm excited to show you uh
009the work that we've been doing. So the director of tech cannot make the work I'm pushing it. Okay. So the purpose of this presentation is to uh inform our governing board of the work that we've been doing around K5 career development and also um our middle school career exploration course that we are developing. It aligns with our Lichfield learner profile by providing students with meaningful career oriented experiences and fostering awareness, exploration, and future readiness. Uh you can see there which traits it lines up with. It really does fit beautifully in our Lichfield learner profile. Um as everything that we will be doing in this realm really helps our students prepare uh for what they're doing here but also when they leave us as well. Oh, where am I pointing? There we go. All right. So,
010we really thought of it in three realms. Inspiration, connection, and readiness. And so, everything that we've been doing, we really have thought about it in these three terms. and then also connecting those to our Lichfield learner profile as well. Um so that is the work that we've been doing around those three pillars. So this fall I had the opportunity to go to the West Valley um summit, Spark Summit, which was um a group of West Valley leaders who are starting to really do work around that middle school career exploration. And they brought in some students from the high school area to give us that student voice. And you can see here some of the things that they said and this is the why of why we need to do this. This is not going to
011be a nice to do. It's a need to do uh for our students. So you can see the four students from different middle and high schools all stated that they didn't have any exposure to career exploration in middle school. Um they said I did not have any um high school. I didn't have any in high school and it seemed too far away when I was in middle school even though it's really only a couple of years away. And they start making those decisions January of their 8th grade year about what kind of pathway they would like in high school. I was I was like what am I going to do? What am I going to do for college? So, those were some of the statements that they said. Uh, when I went to high school,
012I didn't have any motivation or goal. And that one just really truly broke my heart. They came into high school and they really didn't know why they were going and what they were going to do there. Um, it would have been helpful for me to create my schedule better in high school if I had had those. And the one student even mentioned because of what he's doing at Westmech, he would have taken completely different math courses when he first got into high school, but he didn't know that he had a passion for it was actually water systems. And um to move through that path, he's going to need higher level math and he didn't pick those courses at the beginning. So now he's a junior and he's already behind because he didn't know that he
013had that passion and he didn't pick the right math courses. And another said it would have been it would have helped me see what we are learning in the classroom into practice. So what I'm learning why am I learning it and then seeing it in practice. Uh so some advice that they gave to us was provide more options and we have heard that in our our community surveys. Provide students with more options. Present the lesson and then give a hands-on connection to see it in action. Show kids the career tree. if I'm interested in this, what kind of careers does that interest maybe go into as a career and a pathway? So, that Westmech has a really incredible career tree and they they their advice to us was show kids what they love to do
014and how that might translate into what they want to do outside of high school. And the rec recurring theme was handson learning. those authentic learning experiences. So, all of their statements have helped us kind of drive the work that we're doing. So you can see how the pillars um that we've created are also really connected to that foundation which is our Lichville learner continuous learner content expert communication teamwork and problem solving. We know that middle school is really that critical window for intervention. It's when they start forming their own identities and that's really when they start developing those interests and passions. And so we know that that is where we need to intervene to help them to develop some of those um interests for themselves and to identify what those interests are and and help
015cultivate those passions. So with that, we wanted to build a really cohesive um immersive ecosystem. So along with the career exploration course for middle school, we also wanted to tie it into creating an alignment with any field trip. So we started that this year where groups that were taking field trips had to connect it with a career exploration part as well. So if they went to the zoo, they needed to connect it to a zoologologist and have that zoologologist kind of talk to them about how they got into the profession. So really tying in the field trips to that. Uh we started doing um schoolwide events and so we had several touch points of schoolwide career exploration events. Um and then we did some virtual extensions where we had guest speakers coming in. And so
016that was all what we kind of laid the foundation with this year along with introducing some career exploration in K5 as well. So then our big task for this year was going to be creating a middle school course. And um I went out and I was able to put together this amazing team where we partnered with certified and classified as well as admin from within Lichfield, but we also reached out to our community and business partners and our high school partners as well. So you can see all of the different organizations that we had represented represented on the committee and the work that we um were doing together. So we really started with what is our vision? What's our purpose for this middle school course? So we started with that and then that led us
017into everything else. And we kept saying, "Okay, if we're saying this is our vision, then the next pieces all have to meet that." So we started with a vision. Then we really looked at what was the structure in middle school going to look like. Was it going to be one course, two courses, three courses, a year long? How how were we going to make that work? And that's actually where a lot of our time got spent because that's the logistical piece. But we got it figured out. Then we need to select curriculum and course content. Um we gathered some feedback and making final recommendations. So this is the vision that our team came up with and I think it's just such a beautiful statement. All LED79 middle school students will receive highquality developmentally appropriate career
018explorations that spark curiosity, allow them to explore their passions, broadens possibilities, and empower students to discover unique future pathways to success. And I think it was so empowering that they said all middle school kids. All of them. Not just a select group. Not just a this school or that school. We want all. So then we moved into the operational reality piece. And after getting feedback from some of our administrators and um counselors uh or um advisors on how classes would be structured, we really came down to um a minimum versus a recommend recommended course. So we are recommending a minimum of nine weeks in sixth grade and a minimum of nine weeks in seventh grade. And then we would love it to be a threeyear course, but we also know by eighth grade they're already
019kind of making some of those decisions. So we wanted to make sure that they got those two courses before they had to make those decisions for high school. We also looked at some staffing and we we recommended that um because we knew we weren't going to be able to get additional staffing for it. Um each of our middle schools has a designated media specialist. Um and we felt that that role would be perfect to incorporate these classes. It's already a specials um in the middle school, so it kind of falls perfect, but we are also leaving it open to our campuses to decide how they want to staff that and to run that. But the minimum is that it's going to be a 9-week course for sixth and for seventh grade. So for year 1
020uh which was last year we really started uh I'm sorry last year we started with our K5 and through our media aid classes they were introduced to um one to two lessons for the year in each grade level starting in kindergarten and we used uh the possible futures curriculum which is from the center for the future future of Arizona. So, we use that with them. So, for next year, we are looking at expanding that for K5 into our GED classrooms. Um, especially through our science curriculum because the science curriculum, every lesson has a STEM and college career readiness connection with it. So, they're introduced to a scientist or a field um through science as well. And we'll continue having our students be provided those lessons with our media aids and kind of expanding those as
021well. So, in sixth grade, uh well, next year, sixth grade will get sixth, seventh, and eighth grade will all get course one. The following year, year two, incoming sixth grade will get course one. Seventh and eighth grade will get course two. And then the following year after that, year three, sixth grade will get course one. Seventh grade will get course two. And then we'll use that eighth grade year to kind of catch up students who might not have gotten course one or two. So, that's what the next three years looks like with middle school. >> Um, can I just ask for some clarification? So, the slide says year one is the current school year we just wrapped up, but you're saying that's actually not accurate. This has not started yet. That's >> it's incorrect. I
022should have included that. Um, that was this. It's upcoming year. So, >> okay. So, year one is actually 2627. Okay. Thank you. And these are the um partners that we have looked at for curriculum. And there is so many resources out there and they're they're basically free. All of them are free to us to use. They even provide us with professional development. So, we will be able to create a PD plan for all of our middle school um teachers that are doing our our course throughout the year. So, the curriculums that we'll be pulling from, and it it's going to be a little bit from all of them, is JA Inspire, My Future A, which is uh Pipeline A is the the group. um some from the center for the future of Arizona. they actually
023partner with my future abeck which is actually undergoing some changes right now and then uh resources from AD as well because uh one of the things that I think is really wonderful about this is there are actually K8 career literacy standards from the state. So all of this will be connected to our state standards as well. Let me go back to that one slide. The other thing is in in that first course um one of the non-negotiables is that they will be participating in the ECAP which is the career and education plan that is by law required for all high school students to do. But what's nice is we will do kind of a a an ECAP light version that they will get to um start developing in middle school so that when they are
024ready to do their ECAP in 9th grade so much of that will transfer over so they'll be ahead on that plan as well. The other part of that is the first part of course one will be kind of an overall general introduction to the clusters of career exploration. So there are 16 of those. So they'll be kind of introduced to all of those and then we're going to really hone in on two of the big clusters in course one and then in course two the plan is that they will get three additional big clusters and those clusters are like um trades. So that would include electrical, plumbing uh and architect uh agriculture is in that. So all of those trades and then health sciences, engineering and manufacturing, had to think about that. Technology, which includes
025digital arts as well, media arts. So all of those are big clusters. And then so they will get exposed to all of those different things. I should say also, you know, when we talk about career exploration, it is not about having kids pick, well, I want to be a doctor, so that's what I'm going to do, and I'm in third grade. That's what I'm planning to do. That is absolutely not what it's about. It's about exposing kids to all kinds of different things and going, you know what? I love I love painting. I want to be an artist artist, but I really want to do it in a magazine setting, right? So now I have a career path based on something that I love to do. So, it's really helping them develop their interests and
026their passions and then showing them how that might translate into a career and also what you're going to need to do if you really want to follow that path and helping them create that action plan. Um, another really exciting thing is because of the work that we've been doing, we've actually been recognized statewide for some of the work that we're doing. Um, I've spoke at a couple of different things about the work that we're doing and we've been invited to be part of the future me pilot school and we'll be doing that with our middle schools. Um, it will it will provide us with a collaborative environment with other districts who are also working on this and it's really going to help strengthen the pathway for other schools and districts across the state because this
027is a big state push and they anticipate in the next one or two years that there will be more legisl legislation tied to bringing career exploration into the early grades. So, we'll be way ahead of the plan. So our next steps is next week I'm actually working with a summer team and we'll be developing that first course uh along with a PD plan how we're going to implement the EECAP or the the baby I call it the baby ECAP the light ECAP um and how we will implement that throughout the year and then as part of future me these are some of the things that we will be required to do as part of being in that pilot. One of the things I really like about that is that they will measure the su the
028success of our program through metrics that are going to be used with many different schools. So that'll give us an opportunity to really have a good reflective tool to help us to see how effective our our program is. And with that, I would take any questions that you have. Miss Moran, [clears throat] did you have any questions or comments? I do. Okay. So, I want to go back to some of the things that were done this year. So, can you tell me more about the school event touch points as well as the guest speakers um in the community integration part of What has any of this been done already or this is what you're wanting to do for next year? I'm just confused on the timeline of some stuff in this presentation. >> So this
029year we asked each school to hold at least one type of career exploration event and we didn't put any parameters on it. It could be a grade level that did it. Um it could be a whole school event. It could be just maybe uh your fourth and fifth graders. So, we didn't put any parameters on it, but it was a way to get them thinking about how they could bring the community into their school and provide students with those authentic experiences. So, a a perfect example is Troy Gilbert partnered with CORE and also another tech uh called Advanced Technologies. they partnered with them and they came in twice and did full events with the kids during the school day. So, the kids rotated through each of their stations throughout the day. So, that's a an
030example of one of the events. Um, most of our fifth graders go to JA Bistown. That is another event that each of our uh most of our K5s do and that is a perfect segue into career explorations. They're asked to take on the role of a professional. >> Say it again. Oh, so uh Blen Sodoto had a truck that came in and it was a a wafer kit. You tell me. You tell. >> [laughter] >> Yeah, check it out. >> We had lots of examples, but another one that was really creative was Belenoto did a touch a truck event for their K2 where they had a bus come in, they had um a firet truck come in, they had police cars, just lots of different opportunities for kids to have that. Um, Western Sky had
031um many many different industries come in and work with students. That was all based around the students who were having some chronic absenteeism and that we saw an increase in that. So, um, as director Combmes was sharing, we really just asked schools to get creative and think about things, the people in their areas that they could invite in. It might just be parents sharing what they do, but uh, the schools did get super creative with how they could look at career exploration in a different way. And a lot of the events they were already doing, we just asked them to think creatively about how you could bring the community in more and and expose kids to those experential type um experiences. Um another example is Barbara Roby uh had an afterchool club where the kids
032were actually entrepreneurs. That was their club and they their final project was they designed and um implemented a lemon lemonade stand. And so if you went to the evening event for the science fair, they were actually there selling their lemonade. And so all of that was put together by the students. They had to have a business plan and execute it all around the project that they selected. Excellent. And then are we ensuring that our schools are sharing what they're doing with other schools who maybe don't have as many community partners? Obviously with Troy Gilbert, slam dunk to have core do something um with them, but not all all of our schools have the same resources. So, are we supporting our principles and our staff to make sure that they are having enough or at least
033comparable type events campus to campus? >> Yes. So, at the beginning of the year, they were also provided with quite a few different examples of ways that they could um incorporate that, including some contacts of people that were wanted to come out, like begging to come out. So, they had those resources, but then um as the year went, I asked them to add those events onto a shared uh document that anybody could see what other schools were doing and they could reach out to that principal, get additional information about how they were doing that. >> Great. Um, so I also have a question about the the class itself. So, and again, I'm just I guess I don't know if it's it's user error on my part or what, but I'm having a difficult time getting
034some clarity from the presentation. So, is this a required class? The 9-week special area class, is that required of all students in sixth and seventh grade? Yes. So, let let me caveat that though. because of the way scheduling works, some kids may not be able to get it if they're taking um band, which is a fullear course. So, there are going to be some kids that might not get it, but yes. So, it'll be offered in both the fall and then also in the spring as well. So, it's a full year that we'll offer it, but two different times because most of our campuses are doing a semester course, but it's really nine weeks because they have an AB day. So, it's still nine weeks, but it takes a semester. Okay. So, that's how we're
035planning to work it into the schedule because I was curious about students who had a year-long special um which a lot of the schools do offer that. So, it's not a requirement. We're saying most of our kids, but not all of our kids, will take this class. It will depend on what their special schedule is. >> It's a requirement for those that can have it in their schedule. >> Those are two very different things. So, I don't want us to misspeak or mis report to AD on what we are or are not requiring. So, I just want us to make sure that we're really clear on that. My personal thought as well um from having a student who now is in the pathways program in the Avo Fria district which is where a lot of
036our students go up through is that as a parent I think it would actually be more useful to have students take these classes in seventh and eighth grade and not in sixth grade. um not that we shouldn't introduce that to them, but I think eighth grade it would be more fresh in their minds um going into ninth grade where Fria has a particular freshman class that they have to take and then actually selecting their pathways and things like that. So um that's just my personal feedback as a parent um based on on what that is >> and we had a lot of conversation around that and we settled on sixth and seventh because by 8th grade they have to make those decisions January. So, not all eighth grade would even get that second course. And
037that gives us the ability to also catch some kids up in that eighth grade that might not have gotten those first two courses. So, that's kind of why we settled on sixth and seventh. Um, it was also the recommendation from a lot of our community partners to do it in sixth and seventh. >> Okay. I'm always interested in making decisions that are in the best interest of students. And so what I will say again as a parent is it was really challenging for my child to select even in ninth grade. So the more pressure we're putting on kids to select something, I like what you said about that we're we really and I hope that this is what ends up happening that we actually are opening it up for ideas and exploration and not trying
038to pigeon hole students. Absolutely. and um making sure that they know that they always have the right to change their mind um and that just cuz they're passionate about something today might not mean that they're passionate about it tomorrow. So I hope that that is is built into this as well. Um my last question basically is about what are we doing to try to make sure that we are cohesive with the Albuquera district because as I mentioned they for the last two years have been implementing their newmies and pathways and it can be confusing for parents who then are going you know into that realm. Um it can mean school variances and all this depending on what pathway that you choose. So, is our curriculum going to line up with what they're offering for their
039career exploration? Are we working with them at all? Tell me more about I saw someone was on the committee um but tell me more about what we're doing to make sure that we are um not providing inconsistent information um or potential pathways um between us and and our feeder district. >> So, to answer that, absolutely. were partnering partnering with Agra Fria. In fact, um their academyy's director was on our committee. So, she helped design some of this with us and we are partnering um as part of the course that that we're developing. We're partnering with them to make sure that what we're offering um doesn't repeat what they're already doing, but also enhances what they're doing. I actually think some repetition could be good. Um, you know, I think that giving kids more than one
040opportunity to explore um could be actually useful in this case. Maybe you get more in depth obviously at the high school level than you would at the middle school level. Can I also add to that um exactly what director Combmes was sharing that we really did lean on AUARIA to work through what theiries look like, but we also wanted to make sure that this isn't replicating anything that AUA is doing. We're we're not trying to do an academy. We're really just trying to give experiences to kids that they might not know even exist. For example, in the construction world, there are so many different options besides just building a building. And so we want them to see all of the different options uh that could be present for that. And our goal is really around
041the Lichville learner. How are we building communicators and problem solvers and teamwork that's built into this so that students can um look at all different types of careers because like you said, we don't want to pigeon hole them. We don't want them to have to choose right now. We want them to see all the different opportunities that are in front of them. >> Yeah. Yeah, I mean I think there's a good opportunity to give more options like you're saying, but I also think we should be consistent because um because yeah, again, it is a challenge. It's a challenge and and a Fria is forcing students to choose a pathway and so um it's it's just really challenging. >> Well, and we also know that Agua continues to expand their um academy. So, uh, us continuing
042to expand career exploration will just continue to enhance what they're already doing. We don't know what's going to come out next year. They continue to add new programs each year. >> Yes. Correct. Correct. >> And we we also feel like um our program is going to be able to help them as well because um right now they don't have any data of what kids are really interested in. So they don't know which clusters they need to really bolster. Um sports medicine at theirmies is huge right now. Not to say that it's always going to be. So they need they need us to help them [snorts] um with theirmies as well. And because we're going off of what the state department is already saying is these are the standards for K8 and these are the 16
043clusters. We're that's exactly what they have to follow as well. Okay. Um my last I have one more question and then a comment. So my last question is when do we anticipate this curriculum will be finalized? It seems to me maybe that it should have already been finalized. So tell me more about that. >> So I'm meeting with a team next week and that is what we will be doing is designing course one. Uh we also have the director from AD's CTE program coming in to also support us as well. >> Okay. So we have no reservations that this will be ready to go August 5th or whatever the date is or the first day of school. Oh, July. Sorry, I'm on the high school schedule. Um, July, >> that is the plan and it
044may be part of it's done. You know, we'll just have to see how much we can get done during our time together, but I do have them for almost a week next week. >> Okay. I think what's also super helpful is we are not starting from scratch. We're going to use all of those different companies that already have lessons built. We're going to be pulling lessons and saying this is what's going to be used for this and then we're going to be building our scope and sequence. So, we're not creating lesson plans from um and then we will be bringing it back to you. So, just like we always do for any curriculum or supplemental that does come through um all of you for approval. >> We be very cautious too because the the people
045that are going to be um the teachers of this are possibly classified staff. So, we want to make it very user friendly for them as well. >> So, let me just ask then from a procedure standpoint. So, we're creating this curriculum, but this curriculum won't be subject to like the public review and that sort of thing that we normally would do. >> The public review is for core curriculum. This would be considered supplemental. So, the supplemental is just approved on consent agenda. Um, which is still available to any family and to all of that, but it would be a supplemental. >> Okay. Um, thank you for the clarification on that. >> You're welcome. >> Um, my last is really just a comment. So, I do think that this is really important work and I'm glad
046that we're doing more with this and hopefully doing more consistently because I know that it's easy for our students to see um maybe what it looks like to be a teacher, maybe what it looks like to be whatever their parents are or their grandparents are, aunts and uncles, but there are so many other career opportunities that they might not even realize exist. So I think exposing early and exposing often will be a wonderful thing for our students going forward. So I appreciate this work. >> Mr. Mike. >> Um yeah. So the first the first thing I just want to make sure I understand. So if I'm a uh sixth grade student, I'm walking into Western Sky and I'm not in band. Okay. So, and so tell me your the elective schedule is going to look
047like what? And let's say or so they have this and art and then the next semester they'll have another nineweek um uh a nineweek exploration along with another elective. >> Yes. So, the course that we're designing will only be a semester long. So, uh they get four choices. Well, they don't really get choices, but they have four opportunities for electives. Typically, ours will take up one of those, >> right? Okay. So, all year long, they're they're getting this the career career exploration exposure >> only a semester. So, it might be first semester, it might be second. >> Sorry. Within the elective. Okay. Gotcha. All right. And then same with obviously year two when you go into in course two and then course three, eighth grade, the eighth grade piece. we're just it's going to be
048left to the simple fact that they're going to go back to having full electives and this is not going to be a part of >> Yeah. And if they missed one of the courses then they would take that in eighth grade. >> Gotcha. All right. >> I think that can also continue to see how this rolls out and how our students are responding to it and are they asking can we have more? We really love this class. And then we could look at building uh year three. at that time um it was just a big chunk so we were trying to figure out what this looks like now but we're always for continuous improvement. >> Yeah. And I and I get it and I know at some point you just have to step in and
049start doing things. And so I appreciate that cuz I I appreciate the vision of where we want this to be and where that exploration can come from for our kids to get especially in in middle school. And I do and I do think when we get there I agree with Miss Moran that that drop off at eighth grade doesn't make s just doesn't make sense to me you know just from being in the field as well that's where it could have the biggest impact as they're moving forward whether it's linked directly to the exact pathways or not to Awafria you know because that's obviously being built and changed as as they move forward as well. I'm not overly concerned with that. It is nice to have those alignments and those conversations, but th this if
050the curriculum is built out to hit all those three clusters and getting re getting that repetition and exposure within those those three clusters that you had mentioned earlier all throughout middle school. I think that's I think that's uh great and and will have a massive impact with it. And then um the other thing like you said, so this this could be either a certified teacher or a classified teacher depending on the current situation and staffing with it. Okay. And then um and then that was just and honestly the the other piece too, I mean there was a lot of great questions from board member Moran with it that helped with some clarification, but that was the other thing too. I was just wondering about the kind of the tight window from uh creation to getting
051ready that I cuz I know the PD plan is in there as well and I know you have to just kind of get ready for launch um and and having those people ready and whatever that stress level is and not that we're trying to throw people in into some extra uh stress for the beginning of the year but making sure uh we can have as soft of a landing as possible is great. And also as this is all developed, you can imagine what does um the presentation look like for the parents to to hear it as as clear and concise of you know, oh does this count as an elective? Who are the teach you know all of that stuff that you can imagine of parents coming in because it's changing a little bit. So,
052um I'm sure that will get developed through the summer to to make sure uh incoming and current parents are uh going to kind of be clear with the pathway for it. So, >> yeah. And, um just a my own kind of personal vision of that eighth grade year is maybe having students at that point being able to do some kind of capstone project or um a larger community project. So, they've taken what they've learned those two years and explored and really applying it in a real authentic kind of uh project-based learning outcome. That that's what I envision as that last year. But, you know, we have to to see how it it comes together. Um, and then to your other point, we it does seem like we're behind since the curriculum is not developed at
053this point, but we really wanted to take our time to make sure that we got it right, that we got best practices, that we that we really built the why of we need why we need this and how we're going to um give it to our our schools in a meaningful and impactful way. So, we really wanted to be intentional Okay. Thank you, Madame President. If I could add um kind of to some uh additional clarification to Miss Moran and Mr. Mike's comments around the the academy model at Albuquera. We've had some pretty heavy conversation around where they are, where we are um and potentially what we can could continue to do to support students leaving us that go into themies. Um a conversation that Mr. Allen and I had uh together with our team
054was you know maybe there are which we know there are we just haven't explored it yet there are elementary schools that run a model of sorts similar to themies they they build their kids up in preparation for the high schoolmies and those don't exist currently in Arizona but they are part of that network that Awa Fria is in um to um and so Philip and I talked about well maybe that's something we need to explore or one day uh depending upon their success and of course depending upon how our kids respond as um Miss Com said to to our ideas. But um just know that conversation is out there. >> And our main goal for this right now was just to make sure kids knew what was available to them because they're leaving right now
055and they don't know what's available to them in themies. So we were doing a disservice to them by not even exposing them to what was a possibility for them. And so that has to be one of our top priorities is making sure our kids know what's available to them and have explored some of those interests and passions so that they can start moving in that pathway to to um go into one of thosemies. Mr. Owens, >> thank you. Um, I appreciate the other questions asked by the board members um, previously that helped with a lot of clarification. I am still kind of stuck a little bit on the required yet not everyone's going to do it, I guess, um, aspect of it. Particularly like ban for example. U, I think that just seems weird to
056me. I know that um I don't want to uh if this is important and we think this is important and it's needed like you don't you think it was a want a need then we don't want to miss any child but also in the same aspect you know kids in sixth seventh they know their passion it could be the band and we don't want to sacrifice that so I think that that's where the p you know like oh this is their passion let them don't don't make them sacrifice this to take this to learn about other stuff but we're telling everybody else they need to learn this stuff. So that's where I'm kind of hung up a little bit to find a way to make it that everybody gets what we think they need but
057also what they want. >> And some of it truly comes down to the way that we have to staff things. And you know, you can only put so so many kids in a class and you only have so many periods and you only have so many staff members that are teaching that course. So, it's really building that horse to maximize the amount of kids that we can expose to it within our our limits that we have, our our current reality. >> This is something that we can go back and look at. It isn't possible for every student, for example, at Western Sky to be able to get this. That's just uh not feasible within that structure. So, we can go back and look to see is this uh one course that in um they have
058to take some time during their um middle school career and then is there more of an ECAP or an opportunity to extend it maybe to the year two for some students and maybe not all. Maybe everybody has to take course one and then we look at course two as an optional course that they could choose. We can go back and look at that to see what that could look like and how we can clearly identify who is taking it and how often because I do agree that every child should have it, but it's not feasible to do every child in sixth and in seventh grade, especially at a campus like Western Sky. The way we have it structured right now, I'm I'm fairly certain that all students will be able to get course one within
059those three years. Thank you, >> Miss Wallace. >> Um, first of all, I think that any career exploration is better than no career exploration, which is potentially where we're starting from. So, I appreciate there being some thought behind that. And I agree with Jen Ben's statement about giving them exposure to all of the things they don't know exist. Um, just this year my husband and I did a presentation at Palm Valley for the JA BizTown about the whole financial sector of of jobs and just exposing kids to how many jobs are in that sector. It's not just working at a bank or the very small things that they see in their day in in their lives. And so I do agree like for them to be able to understand what's out there, we need to
060start somewhere. So I appreciate starting somewhere. I think that Miss Moran and others have shared some good things to think about as far as how can we make sure that this is available to all students and potentially with equal exposure um on the different campuses. While some campuses obviously that's going to be harder than others, but again I definitely feel that starting somewhere is better than not starting. So I appreciate the work going into it and being able to expose our students to just what's out there when most of the time they really don't know most of the jobs um that could be available to them in their future. Okay. Um, where to start? One, I agree. I like that we're having this uh exposure for our students and I think we should do it
061at all grade levels. Um, I also agree. I don't want our students to feel like they are being pushed into any specific pathway. Um, it is not as important to me that we are perfectly aligning with Agafria because I do feel like those students are getting pushed towards one path at an early age in their education. when they should be figuring out what are they into and and exposed to lots of things. So, I'm glad we can kind of give our students that beforehand. Um, I too am having a hard time wrapping my head around the it's required not. So, it's not to me what you're telling me is we have decided to add an extra elective for our students or specials or whatever for them and that that's basically what this is going to
062be. But I am concerned our students who like to do band and PE will now never get to do this if they want to have a full year of PE and a full year of band that will just never be an option for them and it should be. So, I do think we have to go back to what's important to us as a district, like what is our priorities and what is it that we want our students to have when they leave us. And if this is it, which our community has told us it's important to them, then we have to figure out how to adjust our schedules for our students, which I think will be challenging because we've already taken some time away from the middle schools by adjusting our calendars last year. So,
063it would be difficult to figure out how to do that. Plus, staffing would be also difficult as we're going through cuts with budgets and things like that, figuring out how to add another person. Um, but we have to figure it out if this is what's going to be important to us or what we're going to take away, right? Um, I I do think we need to get some more information on the curriculum for us to look at just for us to know what that looks like going forward. And um I do like the fact that we're going to be ahead of the game if this is going to be coming from our legislature eventually anyways that we're we're being proactive. That's a big thing for me. I love that we're being proactive in that regard.
064So um I think there's going to be a lot of questions. I'm going to I'm cautiously optimistic to see how this will work out next year. Uh because I do think it's a good thing. I am curious as to how we're going to handle the elementary schools. We talked a lot about middle schools, but we're saying this is going to go K through 8. Um, this year we didn't put any rules for our schools and how they were going to have their events or whatever. Is our plan to have them be required to do events next year and give them some more specific guidance on what they need to do or is this going to be another whatever you want to do, however you want to do it kind of situation. I think our current
065uh plan is again those touch points, but the K8 the K5 are being exposed in their media aid class with um designated lessons as well that that really touch on um interest uh knowing themselves and problem solving and communication. So, it's those those skills that they're being introduced to um in K5. But I do think the plan is we're still leaving it as a touch point without the parameters of exactly what that looks like, but that each campus does do it. >> Okay. And then for our media teachers, um, have we kind of talked to them throughout this year about what that's going to look like for them next year to be doing that or >> they did it last year as well. So they already have a year of implementation. >> Okay. and they've
066also received professional development on it and um our district media specialist is supporting them in that endeavor as well. >> Okay. So, this isn't like we're adding a new thing for them >> and K5 that they've been doing it for the >> K5 K that's what I was talking about. Okay. No, I K5 >> middle school is aware it's coming. Uh we invited every single middle school media aid to be a part of this committee as well. Um and we did have some take us up on that and then some are coming in for some of the summer work as well. >> Okay. I'm sure that I will have more questions as we move along in this, but I'm good for now and I think my other board members asked some good questions. So, uh,
067thank you for working on this. This is a lot to undertake and trying to make it work well and be something that's going to be engaging for K through8 kids and that it's something that's meaningful to them and not taking away from some valuable learning time because we know that there's just not enough time in a day to do everything we need and want to do. So, I appreciate all the work that your guys is doing. >> Absolutely. Thank you. >> Thank you. Okay, we are going to move on now to our information reports. We'll start with Dr. Davidson. >> Thank you, Madame President and Governing Board. First, I'd like to start off by saying happy birthday to Director of Communications, Miss Jardly Zamano. She didn't make it here tonight, but we did celebrate her
068today. Also, again, another warm welcome to Miss Bridget Stockwell to uh for joining our Lichfield team. Uh, as we finish strong this year, we're also getting ready for next. Um, just wanted to highlight a few things and some of those highlights tonight come with the letter P just because they do. The first one is professional development. Um, we celebrated and worked hard with our guiding coalition members across all campuses in our district here in late May with Mr. David Larose. Um, we kind of started working on our scorecards with the idea and I think Governor Boyd you remember we were at a P got to use their facility but with that idea of finishing in the the race, finishing strong and then preparing again for next year. Um, some of us had a chance to
069attend the ASA conference in Tucson this past weekend. Um, that was around the power of positive leadership. So, you'll hear a little bit more about that and see how that weaves into our work this next year. And I know uh Dr. Stone and many of his team members will be attending the Asbo training in Tucson in July. Um the um title of that conference is the greatest show in education. What I also learned around that greatest show is it is the 73rd annual Asbo training. So they've been working hard on the operations arena for a long time. So we'll be glad to have our team there. And if you want to save the date for July 9th as it relates to um planning, another P word, July 9th will be when we welcome all of
070our administrators back and have kind of our um welcome back uh session. It will also continue to be housed at CCV Verado that morning. I believe we're going to have an 8:30 start. So um the next P word is preparation. um operations team in particular is preparing our schools and our buildings to open um with just a lot of work going on. Uh if you probably see that in Dr. Stone's Friday updates, but certainly if you have time this summer and want to visit um from security systems to fire alarms to um cameras to uh bathrooms, you name it. But the biggest piece is July 17th and that is when we anticipate getting our keys to Troy Gilbert Elementary School. So, we're excited about that. Um and lastly, um the the word that I will
071use is punctuated and uh the every summer we are punctuated with the passing of the state budget. So excited to see the work that our legislators have done and a comment that I have in front of me from one of the lobbyists that is well known in the state. It simply reads K12 continues to be intact. So there's a lot probably that we would have wanted. There's things that I know other people would not want to have, but the fact that we can set our budget and move through that process in preparation for next year, we're excited about. So thank you for your time tonight. >> Thank you. Uh we will move on to reports from our board members. Miss Maran. >> Yeah, I'm going to start with a shout out to Dr. Davidson for
072his alliteration tonight on his report. Loving it. I also have a P topic to discuss and that is promotions. Eighth grade promotions is the primary thing that I did this month which is such a wonderful time of celebration for our students, families, and teachers. The new venue this year at Millennium High School has a few schedule and logistical wrinkles that we need to iron out, but I truly enjoyed that full grades with unlimited friends and family in support of them in attendance will now be the norm for all of our promotion ceremonies. So, that's a huge improvement. Another example of LED79 and our ongoing quest for continuous improvement. So, I'm going to close with lyrics that mimic the feeling of so many of our promoting eighth graders from Panic at the Disco. Everything's coming up
073aces. If it's a dream, don't wake me. Hey, look, ma. I made it. >> Mr. Mike's. >> Uh, yes. I too um enjoyed the promotion ceremonies. I love the fact that um it was in one spot. Um, also I love the fact from being a former administrator as well to not have to divvy out tickets. Um, you know, and have it free for everybody to come and enjoy a s special moment with the family and the kids of course. Um uh and then I appreciate all the all the schools that um you know I know everybody has their ways and their traditions of what they do at their their sites. Uh but to kind of adapt and and come try something new and um see how how great everything turned out. I thought I thought
074it was excellent on on all on all parts with it. Of course, I know we um being the Lichfield district that we are, we always continue to see how we can improve and make it a better experience for everybody involved. But anyways, uh that was it. That was the biggest that was the biggest piece obviously as it should be. And um yeah, that's that's it. I I really enjoyed I really enjoyed the promotions this year, >> Mr. Owens. >> Yep. Also, eighth grade promotions, those were really cool. Millennium High School. I that's my first time in the gym. Very impressive. I think each school is going to find a way to kind of make it their own and unique and and and put their kind of own flare on each promotion so that it's special
075to them. Carry on their traditions from their schools. Um other than that, uh kudos and shout out to the um summer camp program. My kids loving it. I I think it's so amazing that she gets to go on two field trips a week. like literally every Friday she gets to go to the movies and um they've been to Elevate and I think they're going to go roller skating and so the staff's doing a great job. Um all the kids are exhausted when they get home which is great. Um I guess I'll end with uh Assistant Superintendent Stockwell don't get used to these shorts meetings. This is pretty quick. And uh Logan, luckily you hopefully you won't get drugged to any more of these. All right, >> Miss Wallace. Well, not to sound like a broken
076record, but the eighth grade promotions were great. It was great to see how excited all of the families were and to have it at one location. I think that's super convenient for everyone involved. So, great job coming up. Whoever, you know, worked that out to be able to be there, that was really great and a great thing that we can continue going forward. Um, I am personally taking part in all of the summer activities with running my kids around to camps and things. So, we're all enjoying um some different time. It's very different when it's unstructured and we're structuring it, but it's lots of fun making memories. So, I hope everyone's enjoying their summer. >> I went to promotion, but I'll save that for last. Um, I also, uh, for the month of May was
077able to attend the leadership night that was at Barbara Robby, which was mentioned by director Combmes earlier. And it was really cute to see the entrepreneur club and all their stuff that they had out. Um, the student leaders were very impressive. That whole thing was run pretty much by their students. They gave amazing speeches to all of the people attending and it was just a fun night to see that going on. Uh, I also was able to attend the retirement celebration for all of our employees that are retiring this year. And some of them are just retiring and coming back to us, which is my favorite employees actually. So, um, it was also very weird to see people retiring that were started when like my oldest son started kindergarten and now they're retiring. And that
078seems weird to me because my oldest son shouldn't be that old that these people should be able to retire, but he is. But it still blows my mind. Um, I was able to attend the Burlington ribbon cutting ceremony that took place. The Rancho Santa Fe spirit captains were asked to come and participate in that. And uh, thank you, shout out to our director, Tassen for driving a bus full of 50 kids that got to come out and be part of that and just knock their socks off. There were several people there from all different places that love to go to these opening events for school uh, for different stores and stuff. And one of the gentlemen there said that it was the most impressive one he'd ever been to. But our board members that have
079been able to attend the Rancho uh school showcases know that their students know how to bring the spirit and the energy and they definitely did that. So that was fun to be able to attend that. Um and then I also attended 8th grade promotion both uh as a board member which was really exciting to be at all of them in one place one day. That made my life a lot easier. But the very last one was really special because that was my own eighth grader promoting. So, uh, shout out to the girl from Western Sky and from Wewong Creek that both did solos of the national anthem and did amazing. Uh, I am very impressed whenever I see our students that are able to perform like that. And with these being the entire 8th grade
080class for those schools, usually it's half and half. This time with all of it, that's so many more people that were there in attendance. and both of those were our biggest schools and had the most people attending. So, shout out to both of those girls that did amazing. I'm very impressed. Um, and then we had our special meeting for the department surveys. And I'm only bringing that up because I'm hoping that people who haven't seen the department surveys and the results in the presentations that we're given go and look at that because one of the things we talk about is the importance of people seeing that we really use that information we get from that in order to do better, be better next year and help set goals for us as a district. Dr. Davidson
081is looking at some of those things for goals for himself. So I encourage people to go and look at that material to see what is being said and how we are using that information to make changes going forward. Um with that uh thank you to all our people that sent in reports and um that is all we have for this meeting guys. >> I move to adjourn the meeting. >> I will second. >> Uh having a motion from Mr. Owens, a second for Miss Moran. I'll call for the vote. Miss Moran. >> Yay. >> Mr. Mike. >> Yes. >> Mr. Owens. >> Yay. Miss Wallace, >> yay. >> I'm also a yay. Motion passes. The meeting is adjourned.