Voluntown Board of Education Meeting 1/15/26

001Welcome to our January 15th board of education meeting. First meeting of the new year. So, happy new year everyone and thank you all for coming. Uh we have a full full group here and a full agenda. So, we will um kick things off and call the meeting to order at 63. That's with that um we will raise to say the second I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> We have Kate Bo Palant is here. Megan Wixs, >> Erica Kawara, >> Kathy Grant, >> Valerie Musciano, >> Suzanne Miller, >> Rachel Ricard, >> Scott Federer, >> Amy Safalto, Lloyd Johnson is here, myself, and also as guests, we have Jason Hartling and Amanda

002Fagan and Nick Caruso. >> Welcome. Excited to get to that portion, those portions of the meeting. Um, first I'll just uh briefly uh recite our mission statement which I do every start of every meeting. So the Volunt Board of Education's mission is to provide our students the skills essential to reach their highest potential in life and a safe environment for learning as they aspire to become responsible, respectful, and civic-minded members of society. We commit to help educate, challenge, and inspire each child to excel as lifelong learners who can adapt constructively in an everanging multicultural and technological world. Great. And we don't have any um public comments present that I see unless there's anyone here >> to mention any. Um but so with that we will um kick off our guest presentations and we are thrilled

003um tonight to um invite Jason Hartling Jay a superintendent of Ledger Public Schools and Amanda Fagan from the principal as well. So, um, we're super excited to, uh, learn more about your program. Just a brief update, obviously, introduce you to our board and our staff here and just, um, let you know how excited we are to add you to one of our designated high schools and, um, the vocational, you know, element of it. So, we're super excited. >> Great. >> So, I just I'll do a quick introduce Jay Hartley. I've been Ledger Public Schools for the last 10 years. Um and it's really a pleasure to welcome you to uh your students to our wonderful community. It is really really a special place. Um and tonight u Miss Fagan who is a proud alum of

004Ledger High School. Uh you couldn't have a better representative or person to share um the amazing things that are happening there. So, she'll give you an overview and certainly we can answer any questions you have and and we're really happy to be here and and look forward to having some of your eagles over in [laughter] >> All right, I'm going to turn it over to Miss >> All right, great. Do you want me to stand? >> Whatever you want to do. Um, as Jay said, thank you so much for having us. He said he's been in the district for 10 years. I've been in the district since kindergarten. So [laughter] with a tiny caveat that we did move away maybe for a little bit of time in between, but I did graduate from Ledger High

005School um and came back to work as an English teacher. Um this is my 26th year educating at Ledger in my 14th year as principal. So, um, obviously I have tremendous pride in our school and, uh, I I actually don't think I'm biased when I say it's a really terrific place to be and I'm really happy to be able to kind of walk you through, um, our school and, uh, you know, the details about it. So, is it going to show up here? >> I will put it up. >> So exciting. >> Hopefully this works. >> I um, I'm getting over a really crazy cold, so I'm going to hope that >> Give me a sec. I don't cough a lot. >> I'll jump in. >> Jump in. Got the cough drops. Got the water.

006Okay. So, um, so here is our little school. Uh, nice aerial view. Actually, our board chair took with his drone. Um, so we are like school, the home of the Colonels. Previously, our unofficial slogan was 12 towns, four grades, one identity. We have to bump that up to 13 towns, four grades, one identity. Uh we're about 719 students this year. I'm sure like your school, our attendance, our our enrollment fluctuates all the time as folks move in and out. We do have um quite a few um active duty military families who attend Leeds. So sometimes they are a little bit more in and out. 79 certified staff members um across our departments. Um and our students are all governed by a vision of a graduate um which centers on four academic tenants and two sort

007of civic and social tenants. So obviously these are not going to be terribly different than what you might see at any public school in America. We're hoping to create uh young adults and contributors to society who can collaborate, communicate, problem solve, think critically, and demonstrate perseverance and creativity of course. And when we think about our kiddos and how they're doing this, I kind of think about our kids as um celebrating in the four A's, so are excelling in the 4 A. So, academics, aggra science, athletics, and the arts. These are four areas where I think our kiddos really stand out. And uh Jay and I were speaking to another group recently and we were talking about how lovely it is at our school that it has sort of um a big school opportunity feel but

008a small school community feel. And so many of our kiddos excel across these four categories. It isn't like our agricultural kiddos are one silo of kids and our really go-getter high achievers are another group. They all work together. And you'll see if you're astute viewers that there's photos of kiddos who show up. Here he is as a drum major and here he is on the tennis team and here he is with a goat. You know there's you know a lot of crosspollination if you will across the department. So I wanted to start off by just talking a little bit about academics at Ledger High School. So again we are not an enormous school but we really pride ourselves on the number and diversity of opportunities that we can provide for kiddos. And um one of

009the things is a focus on STEM education. So we have uh you see sort of the four quadrants here of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. So um in our science courses, we have worked hard to add advanced placement opportunities over um the course of my principal ship. Um we're up to five AP science courses as well as an ECE science course and we continue um a rich partnership with project oceanology. So, our ECE marine science kiddos go out on six trips a year, but so do our typical biology kids. So, every freshman at Legend High School goes on at least two project O trips, and they do everything from, you know, counting seals to um garbage cleanups to um conducting actual lab experiments right off of the boat. Um so, science obviously is a value

010for us and you see aggra science represented there as well. Talk more about that in just a moment. For technology, we embrace both the old and the traditional. So, we've held on to and experience capacity enrollment in sort of old school teched classes like woods one and two, metals one and two, and power mechanics. And then we also have things like our whole a mechanics pathway um and our project lead the way engineering program, which is both technology and the engineering piece. That's a partnership that we have with the University of New Haven. And for mathematics, we have two AP math courses in statistics and calculus. And we also have just a variety of pathways to algebra 2. For us, our goal is for every student to reach algebra 2, that's generally accepted as the

011gateway course for college admission. So, if you're a student who excels in math or a student who really struggles in math, we have a variety of pathways to get you to that algebra 2 by senior year. Project Lead the Way was that uh pre-engineering program that I mentioned and this is a partnership with the University of New Haven. So I highlighted because it's one opportunity for dual enrollment where students are earning high school credits towards graduation requirements and also collegiate credits. They earn an actual University of New Haven transcript. These are transferable credits assuming they earn a 70 in the course and earn at least a five out of nine on the University of New Haven's exam. And we run five courses in that pathway. Intro to engineering design, principles of engineering, civil engineering and

012architecture, computer science, which we also run an AP version of computer science principles, and digital electronics. Again, these are capacityfilled classes for the most part. Um, and we have an entire teacher who's dedicated to teaching this pathway. Um, and then another opportunity for dual enrollment is through the University of Connecticut's early college experience program. I mentioned the ECE early college experience marine science program. We also have four courses within our aggra science program that are partnerships with Yukon's aggrocience program. So that's um in our fields of animal science and horiculture or plant science. We run four different courses there where again the kiddos are earning college credits. not listed here, but a um a new addition is we also um have a new veter veterinary tech certification program partnership with Middle Sex Community College. And

013actually, we had three kids take their certification test today and all three of them passed. So, um they get that professional certification and college credits coming out of that course as well. >> And finally, of course, um advanced placement opportunities. Again, for being a relatively small school, we have robust offerings um in the AP world across both STEM and humanities. So, I mentioned the five science courses, physics 1 and two, biology, chemistry, and environmental science, um calculus and statistics, but then also on the humanities side, we have AP um Spanish and French. We also have both junior and senior English, the language and the literature courses, US history, psychology, and the computer science um principles that I mentioned. Um we continue to try to create um opportunities for kiddos across ability levels, maybe kids who

014didn't even picture themselves as an AP kid to access these courses, especially the French, Spanish, English lit, and English lang. um we've built those two English courses in as the required junior and senior English courses. So you don't have to take the AP course, but whereas maybe 15 years ago we were running one section of AP senior English, we're now running four sections across the two grades in their max 52 kids in both the junior and senior year taking it. So um it's becoming uh a thing where we try to get our kids to envision themselves as scholars. So can I take this course? Can I try to access something else? So, you don't have to necessarily take the exam, but many of them choose to and earn that three or higher. Um, the other

015piece in the PowerPoint version of this is there's so many pictures, it's too big to email to you, so you're missing all my really great animations. Some of these pictures wiggle. Um, this was just meant to note that um in addition to those dual enrollment opportunities, so again, you know, we're pushing kiddos to be scholars, but as I said in the beginning, we also need kiddos to be contributors to society. They need to run households. They need to raise families. And so we have a number of traditional electives that are very highly um enrolled. And again, because we feel like we're teaching kids practical life skills. So that first column represents power mechanics, woods, and metals. Um we're raising poultry and plants for through the aggra science program, but also again thinking in terms of

016like as a homeowner, as an adult, might you have your backyard chicken flock? Might you maintain a garden? might you at least have an herb garden or a container garden? Teaching them those basics. We also teach a farm-to-table course within our aggra science program where the kiddos actually um raise and create many of the ingredients that we use in that farm-totable program. And then we have a traditional culinary 1 and two course. Um we have sewing which some folks think is very old-fashioned but again highly practical and very very popular. Uh personal finance which is now a state requirement. That's been a course that we've offered for a long time, just trying to teach kiddos the basics of managing their own household. Public speaking, another really important skill that [clears throat] we think kiddos should

017expose themselves to, even though it's hard and they get sweaty and a little nervous, but they can do it. And then finally, just an introduction to music. I'm going to talk a little bit about our arts program, but we do offer introductory guitar and keyboarding classes for those kiddos who have a maybe an interest in music. they've never had that opportunity to pursue that at home, but they're not interested in playing a band instrument or being in a choir. We can still expose them to that language of music, which is very good for the brain. [clears throat] And then finally, just about academics, we do offer French and Spanish from entry level all the way to AP. We also offer a one-year just a Latin one course to help students who are not as inclined

018to want to speak a language but who need to meet that state requirement for one credit of um world language. Um we have annual opportunities for international travel. We rotate our international trips so a students have lots of time to fundra and b they don't have to choose between our large trips and we also do seal of b literacy testing. We had 15 kiddos in last year's graduating class who had the seal of bi literacy on their diploma. Um, mostly in French or Spanish, but we do also allow native speakers of other languages to take that Apple test at the end of junior or senior year. So, there's a few of those as well. So, moving from academics into Agra Science, our next bucket here. Um, I tried to really fill this presentation with photos.

019Um, aggra science is not only the most beautiful part of our building, but it's also just such an interesting part of who we are and it's really central to our identity. I mean, Ledger uh is, you know, a rural community like Volunt. We used in my day we were referred to as the cow town and um at the end of games if we were losing the other teams would chant start the tractor which nice. Um but really the program is really so central to who we are. We have um 206 students enrolled in the aggra science program this year. So when you put that as your numerator over 719 kids. It's a huge portion of the school that's involved in aggra science. And I had to include this picture cuz it's just so gross and

020we hate it. Um but we embrace [laughter] creatures of all kinds in the program. Um again these would have sort of flashed in for you. I wanted to show you we do have um five pathways within the program. So top left you see three pictures that are about our animal science program. And this little guy in the red uh orange vest, that's Turbo. He was just born on Sunday. He's really really cute. >> Like he practically poses for the picture. Um totally. [laughter] >> So we have a livestock pathway and then a small animal pathway. So the livestock pathway we have a sort of functioning farm on campus. We have a large barn and then outdoor enclosures. We have sheep, goats, alpacas, a mini horse named Domingo. We have [clears throat] pigs. Um, sometimes our

021pigs come in and out through a partnership with a local farm. We raise laying hens. Sometimes we raise turkeys for um Thanksgiving. [laughter] And that's a sad tale. We [laughter] also um we also raise two beef calves a year in partnership with the Ledger Rotary Club. Those are also for meeting. They are cute but practical. Uh, and then on the small animal side, it's everything you can imagine from snakes and bearded dragons to chinchillaas, ferrets, rabbits. Um, the kiddos learn all of the care associated with all of those from calves all the way down to chinchillaas. Everything, how to draw blood, how to um take fecal samples, how to give IVs, how to care for them, how to groom them, what to look for. And we have terrific partnerships with the industry across all of

022our pathways. We have a number of local vets who come in and do clinics and workshops with us. Um, we're in a breeding partnership obviously, hence the sheep. So, we borrow, we don't own any rams. We borrow rams and we borrow billy goats to come in and visit with our gals. Um, and then our kids get to learn that entire process as well. Our kids were on site at 4:30 a.m. Sunday morning helping Turbo come into the world. So, um, and they've been part of >> births that have gone really well, births that have not. They've been there when um our TUS visiting vets have to come down and perform emergency surgeries. The kids are in it um and really learning all of that. Um top right you see our plant science/horticulture pathway. So we

023have um four operating green houses and then a standalone greenhouse that partners with our um aquaculture program for hydroponics and aquaponics. Um, in the greenhouse we do everything from classic plant production like um, chrosanthemums in the fall and poinsettas in the winter to seedlings of vegetables, spices, herbs, flowers for a spring sale. And then our kids also do arrangements. So floral design. They also do landscape design. So you'll see um these little cuties with their corages there. That's actually they um prepped 78 corages and bineers for a night to shine which is um a prom event for students with um learning disabilities. So uh they they do weddings, they do holiday festive uh centerpieces and floral arrangements that folks within the district can purchase. So that's a cool program as well. bottom right you can

024see our um it's hard to really get a good picture of fish but uh our our uh aquaculture program again a variety of things are happening there so we have aquaponics and hydroponics as I mentioned so you can see my friend Aiden down there working with the robust greens that they grow uh in our aquaponics lab and then we also raise Nile tilapia catfish ornamental koi they maintain about 36 small, you know, like classic 10gon tanks all around the building and then they have huge production tanks in the fish lab. Um Cameron, who's our FFA vice president, is holding a turtle. We become the dumping ground for every family that ever got a turtle for Christmas and doesn't want it anymore. Um we have a lot of turtles who have a terrific tank. They all

025hang out together and bask in the heat. But um so that's a just a neat opportunity too for them. They partner with um local hatcheries and river organizations. We repopulate trout, um, restock trout before fishing season starts. There's a lot of really neat opportunities that get through that pathway as well. And then finally, our a mechanics, which encompasses everything from safe tractor operations to welding to um, electrical work, plumbing, finishing work. Um, they in addition to learning to drive the tractor, they also learn to maintain the tractor. So things like changing oil, checking tire pressure, checking, you know, fluids. So, uh, lots of things just again, maybe they're not going to work on a farm, but they probably will own a vehicle at some point. So, trying to find those applicable skills for all of

026these kiddos outside of a and again 206 out of 719 kiddos in that program doing pretty neat things. So, it's hands-on instruction and as I mentioned, lots of industry partnerships. So, they see um the reality of how agriculture could exist for them in a job setting after high school or college. athletics. Um the uh sometimes um principles sneak their own kid in there [clears throat] school. Uh so our athletic program we offer 26 varsity intercolastic sports. Um kind of the norms that you would expect. That first column you see that's the fall and then top right is all of our winter offerings and bottom right are the spring offerings. And what I like about our sports program is twofold. one, uh, our athletic director works really hard to create opportunities for kiddos. So, we had

027not had a gymnastics program since 1992, and last year we had a couple very talented gymnasts, including an all-American, come in as freshmen, and they said, "Mr. Bunicore, how can we make this happen? Can we have a co-op team?" Um, and he worked on it. And sure enough, we were able to co-op with St. Bernard's and Waterford last year, win a state title. Um, but same thing with hockey. So, both girls ice hockey and boys ice hockey. There's no school in the ECC really that's holding their own on a hockey team. There just aren't the numbers. But our boys co-op on basically it's like the whole ECC, excuse me, co-ops on the Eastern Connecticut Eagles and our girls co-op with Woodstock Academy. So, it's a long commute, but creating opportunities for kiddos where those opportunities

028exist. The other thing that I like about it is that there's so much opportunity here for kids to participate. You don't have to be a specialist. You might not be able to walk on to the basketball team. It's a small roster. You're competing against kiddos that play travel year round, but you could absolutely run indoor track. You might not be able to start on the baseball team, but you could certainly try tennis. So, there are opportunities for kiddos who are sort of career athletes and kids who are newcomers, kids who want to be part of a team, kids who'd rather compete kind of individually in something that floats their boat. And then we also have opportunities for competition outside of traditional athletics through academic competition. We do have a first robotics team. Our aggra science

029teams compete against the other 20 aggra science centers in the state in a variety of categories. Things like um cattle judging and um horiculture design. Um and then we have a competitive math team and a marine science ocean bowl team. So, um, lots of opportunities outside of sort of traditional soccer, basketball, track, um, for kiddos to be part of something, to be part of a team. Um, and then our last little bucket is the arts. And I say little is not the right word, it's enormous. So, our, um, arts program is huge, a real source of pride in the community. Um, and again, just trying to show you lots of pictures of kids doing lots of different things in the world of the arts. So in the world of performing arts, we have five school

030day choirs in addition to our carolers and five ac capella after school groups. In the instrumental world, we have a symphonic band and a jazz band which are school day groups and then also our marching band and various small ensembles. Our marching band and color guard were the state champions this fall and so was our boys cross country team. And then we run two theatrical productions a year. In the fall it is a drama and then in the spring a large scale musical and usually our musical also includes cast members from the elementary and high school. So um we did the Wizard of Oz last year as an example and we had you know Munchkins who were elementary kiddos which is really fun. Um so the little guys sometimes are in the show. I was

031in the show in third grade and then I was on the show in seventh grade and now I have the lead as in 11th grader you know. So they're it's kind of this whole community tradition. Um and then additionally, oh this was another slide that was much more compelling in its other form. This would have scrolled you through just a whole series of student work from our two art studios. So um our two art teachers teach a variety of media to kiddos. So we have everything from drawing one and two to art one and two to ceramics 1 2 and three sculpture fiber arts which is new to us this year. We have an acrylic painting course and a studio art and design course. So, uh many many kids will take many many courses within

032that sequence. Um and again, that's an area where I feel like everyone has a place. You have everyone from, you know, your big athletes to your quiet quiet little, you know, uh, church mice to our high need students to kids who just absolutely, you know, live and breathe art and are constantly blowing us away with the things that they create. So, um, between those various media, there's lots of opportunities for kids to demonstrate their creativity and to potentially explore careers in the future. And so what unites us is um our little hashtag slogan of kernel pride. We take a lot of pride in who we are. Um they I call them the mighty kernels and they start to call themselves the mighty kernels. Um it feels like a silly thing but you know we we

033introduce a lot like we address them as the colonels all the time to try to create this community like you all have this identity. We are all colonels. Whether you are an athlete, an aggra scientist, a musician, uh a kid who hasn't yet quite found your place, you are all colonels. You all belong. You are exactly who we are looking for and exactly who we want here in our school. And so, um there's always tons of opportunities for kiddos to get involved, to find a place, be part of dressup days, pep rallies, spirit weeks, award ceremonies, and we feel like there's a place for everyone at LHS. We're looking forward >> That's great. >> to there being a place for the Eagles in the future. [laughter] >> So maybe not as short of a presentation

034as you all had hoped for. Are there any questions or any things that I can answer for you about the school or your kiddo's future place there? >> Please. >> In your um tech program, do you have a relationship with uh EV? >> We do. Yes, we are. Um we're connected to them for their Yep. for their manufacturing pipeline. And we do um six sessions. What's it called? See if the boat something something at the boat. [laughter] But we send a group of kiddos. They do six threehour sessions. Three of them are um at their pipeline training station at Grasso Tech. And three are actually over the border in Rhode Island. Um, and Eevee brings their artisans and craftsmen out and they work with the kids on, you know, welding, finishing work, uh, pipe fitting

035and so and then that often becomes a pathway straight into the interview cycle for them. >> Yes. >> Are you able to take special students in the A program? >> Absolutely. Yep. We sure are. [clears throat] >> Sorry. Sorry. [laughter] >> Can you just tell us a little bit about like the exploratory like how do how does a student come in from eighth grade and figure out what they want to do? which pathway they want to go. >> Oh, such a good question. I [clears throat] feel like I personally check that to you. So, that's a great question. So, the kiddos when they come in, they spend all of freshman year and first semester of sophomore year in rotations. So, all of our a so one meets every other day. Once they get to a

0362, three, and four, they meet every day. So, it's one it's one of their eight blocks as a ninth grader. It's two of their eight blocks moving forward. So for freshman year, every 4 and 1/2 weeks they change rotations. So they will have an introduction to aquaculture, an introduction to large animal, introduction to small animal, they'll have safe tractor operation for 4 and 1/2 weeks, they'll have um FFA leadership for 4 and 1/2 weeks. So they spend three semesters dipping their toe into everything and getting to try everything. and then second semester of sophomore year they begin to sort of choose a major to specialize. Um some kids aren't able to yet and that's fine. They kind of okay well let's what's float in your boat right now and we go from there and then

037there is definitely some flexibility back and forth through junior year. Once they get to senior year it's a little bit like you kind of need to be in your pathway. Um but they get to taste everything before they have to decide. And are they able to are there like capacity issues or if that's what your pathway is that you want, you're able to go into that or do do you have to be like accepted? What what does that look like? >> For the most part, if that's what you want, we modify our teaching assignments to match the the need. So the most popular is animal science and we actually have two animal science teachers. So um there's one aquaculture, one horiculture, one a mechanics teacher and generally that's sufficient. What sometimes will happen is we

038have 30 kids [clears throat] who want to do small animal and 10 kids who want to do livestock. That that doesn't work. So in those situations, we might we would sit that cohort down and say, "Okay, here's what we're looking at. We can run two small animals and everyone does small animal or we need five of you to choose to do livestock." And the kids work it out themselves with the teachers. But animal science is definitely where the where the press would be for sure. >> I think the other aspect of it, if I can just jump in, is the level of student leadership. >> So, um, and and and man, they could talk to this, but you know, my sense is by junior year, the students are really guiding their cohorts um and taking

039up leadership roles even through the pathway. So, it's it's it's really impressive. So when when she says they were there at 4:30 in the morning, um that's not actually that's just the expectation that develops as they take on these leadership roles. Um I my puppy goes to the small animal care so the kids can train. Um and one of the students will email me any concerns and you know runs that whole little piece as an aggra business which is a really neat experience that will take they'll take with them to the rest of life. >> Yes. And actually another neat thing is the the early mornings we have what we call morning crew because most of our sending districts they arrive very early are the buses in order to get back to their towns to

040do the traditional bus runs they drop their kids to us really early like 6:30 early um and the kids just go to a they get off the bus at the a circle and they go to a and they just they work they are watering in the green houses they're deadheading in the aquaponics they're mucking saws they're feeding animals you know they they go they come straight in and all of those each domain has a has a manager. So, you know, there's the barn manager, there's the fish lab manager and so and you know been a deputy manager, etc. But the kids are really I mean the adults are there obviously supervising but the kids are very much running the show bringing in the freshman teaching them how to do things. It really is definitely a

041a very familial feel in the Ivy Science program. Do you have a max number of rock students you could pay? >> A max number of specific to volunte ratio of students to teachers. 35 time 5 is fewer than what we currently have. So we tend that's that's their recommendation. We we tend to exceed that a little bit. Generally speaking, we're looking to bring in 60 kids in a freshman class because we're approximately graduating 60 kids with our seniors. So, between all of the ending towns, the ballpark is about 60. >> We're not concerned with having too many potential. >> No, we are not. That was my question. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Wait, just um how many kids from the school? >> 719. >> Then where do the other kids come from? If you're only accepting

04260 freshmen >> into the Ash into the program. Yes. Yes. Yes. >> Sorry. >> And some of those are going to be residents of Ledger Gilsbury Mashantucket. That's inclusive. But yes, generally >> I didn't realize the question was simply for a versus Yes. >> How many kids? So my question would then be >> is there a cap or is there an expectation of number of students from a school like? >> Uh there is not. Um we have lots of other small towns who sometimes we get six, sometimes we get zero. It just kind of >> it just it goes how it goes. >> Any other questions I can answer for you? >> All right. Well, thank you so much for having us >> listening and looking at our pictures. You got a great overview of

043all of your >> I feel like I would have a hard time selecting a program. >> True. >> Well, I'd like to do that and I'd like to do that. How do we select a pathway? So, it's great to have too many so many opportunities. >> A lot. It's not unusual for a kid to come in with a particular mindset that they were going to do a pathway and then fall in love with another one. And it's just really amazing to watch them kind of grow and evolve over their time. >> I feel like about 70% of our applicants say, "I'm going to be a veterinarian." And then in four years, they're like, "I am amazing at engines." [laughter] >> They find their way. My comments are a little bit aged, but when I was

044director of a line and the law was different, any student with an IEP lived in East Line, but went to your school, I cheered, I was very impressed with how well those kids with learning disabilities did in [clears throat] >> may not have been principal then, but then >> and uh it's just I was impressed. It a really healthy environment for kids. I think it's it's an environment that's particularly conducive in many ways to kid those who have trouble sort of sitting still and being in a traditional environment. But to be hands-on, to be learning by doing is absolutely the FFA model. >> It's the nature of the community. >> Yeah. >> Too. I mean um we have a unified ad course. Um but our students are um they're doing amazing things. I mean we

045have a unified choir and it will bring TRCI if you >> Yeah. So, it's a special place and I mean we talk about where kids are and that that connection in that community. It is um every child has an opportunity to connect regardless of the disability or any other factor. And it's it's kind of cool to watch. I remember my first year [clears throat] I was shocked >> because I remember seeing the kid on the football team running >> to go get and perform at the concert [laughter] >> and that you just don't see that in a lot of places in Letter High School. Let's just come on in. >> It's just >> We took a lot of your time. Thank you. >> Thank you all. >> We'll let you do your >> hand. [laughter]

046Oh, you have to train her back on. So you want to jump right in the countryside. That's it. >> You're saying the whole Verizon shut down was extreme situation yesterday and it was like talking about get yourself home navigation wise. Never mind. >> I got your love numberbody. Yeah, they had applied but they go through that interview process. She didn't really talk about that but it's the actual interview. >> Yeah. Not like you just apply. >> So the kids have to go there a panel of >> about how many? >> Um I think we had three apply but I don't think that they've made like selection process >> like the school hasn't yet. >> Oh it doesn't sound like it's simply trying to chop you out program. then you can go there and have a

047program right now. >> I believe that's the way that works. >> As far as we're concerned, unless that's a different >> and then we'll have that, God forbid, they get there 3 minutes before 7 on the bus in the morning. We had terrible problems with transport with some families being very upset if they got there at all early. Well, they have jobs. So, they do some if they get there 10 minutes early, they can >> supported and something to do. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Well, our second guest, I thinko from Cave is here. Um, we get to invite you here with our new board. As of November, we have two new members. Sue Miller and Rachel Carr are new to the board just as of this cycle. >> And your Nick has been How many

048visits have you done? 10. >> Yes, this is my 10th visit tomorrow. >> Excellent. Yes, >> I did mention last night my >> Who's coming, >> right? So, what I'm going to do is I'm going to pass this around because there is that new state law that says you have to receive training within your first year of service. >> This will qualify for that. So, if if you find your name on there, I think we have this is who we have in our database. Check your name off >> and make sure I get that back because I always leave behind. Um, and if you're new, just add your name, sign it with your email address, and we'll make sure you get in our database so that you start getting correspondence from K. So, >> you

049want me to start the >> Yes, if you could. Now, is this on presentation mode or is it like just rotating the slides because I have a lot of hidden slides? >> Oh, I don't know. It's just on the the PDF I downloaded. >> Oh, I may have hidden it. Oh, so it's the Rolls Workshop first one. Yep. >> Okay. >> We'll find out pretty quickly. >> Oh, hold on. Now it should work. >> Okay. >> All right. So, we'll we'll give it a try. If we have a problem, we'll have a problem. It's okay. >> Um, so, hi. Um, >> glad to be back. >> There was one of those 10 times when I got here and there was nobody here. >> Luckily, I had a convertible. It was late June and beautiful. >>

050So, and I waited like an hour and nobody showed up. So, I called the next day said, "What happened?" They said, "I'm sure somebody called to tell you, but that's okay." Now I'm >> I wasn't here then. >> No. And I always called to confirm that now. I'm not [laughter] gonna do that again. >> Right. >> I wasn't either. >> It was my fault. [laughter] >> That was before me. >> Maybe for the benefit of the new folks too, but if we could kind of go around and um who you know who you are, how long you've been on the board, and I know some of you have been on the board quite a while. >> Um why you wanted to serve on the board of education, what made you want to serve? And then

051finally, what [clears throat] do you hope to learn tonight? What is it that I can talk about that will be helpful to you? I guess we'll start with you. >> Well, I worked in the school system for 31 years and I love the school. I love the kids and I want to do what I can to make it better. >> Excellent. And anything in particular you want to um learn about tonight or >> um not in particular. >> Okay. Whatever I say. >> Whatever you say. >> [laughter] >> I'm I've been here for 5 years now. Um I joined because I'm an educator. Uh I teach during the day and so uh coming here and kind of looking at the um the framework of what we do and try to see how we can make

052it better or different or just uh showcase the great things that we do. >> Excellent. Thank you. >> Hi, I'm Mara. Um Kate, you do it. [laughter] But >> I second that. >> But no, um I'm an educator school psychologist for 23 years. And uh when Kate said, "Why don't why don't you pay it forward to the community?" And I said, "Of course." And it's actually being on this board has taught me a lot. It's been taught me a lot from this end from a small town and also working in education. It's been very helpful to be like, "Well, we're a small town and I'm on the board of that. So, can we maybe look at this differently? So, um it's been great. Good experience getting back to volunteer. I went here, lived here, went

053to school here. >> Uh happy grant. Um I've been on I think 22 years. I had a two-year break in here that somebody didn't nominate that. I got nominated a second time without even knowing that was coming back on recently. Oh my god. This a school like this is central to giving your community uh making it a community because otherwise you just drive through if you don't have your own identity as a school and everything. >> I was working with the North Kanan board of ed. They had 67 students and um they were actually having a discussion about whether they were going to close or not >> and they asked me to facilitate the discussion and we spent a good evening talking about the school and what's the number and luckily the first selectman was

054there and sometimes that might be a bad thing but in this case he was there like this school is the center of our community. We have nothing else and we will commit everything we have to to make the school stay open. Now, they were projecting for pupil expenditures approaching $50,000 per student. So, that's a huge commitment part of the selectment, but u it goes to show you that if you do the work and people are willing to help you with that, it's pretty neat. [clears throat] >> Well, Parlan, good to see you, Nick. I um I was saying I know Sue we had good turnout at the Cape uh conference this year. So um it was just I got to say hello to you but I don't think I got to introduce you to all

055of our new members. But Scott it was new for Scott as well. So, it was a great um great day to really showcase kind of the the kind of the the village that we are in terms of meeting with all the schools and principles and and support from PE and and the uh superintendent group and it's just great to go to that environment. Um but that's that's an aside. I've been on now like eight years I think I've been on the board. Um, and yeah, I just excited to have you. It's always a pleasure and we learn a ton of every time you come. So, it's even though it's really meant for, you know, whoever wants to just absorb it. I know I learn something every single and so do I. [laughter] >> Uh, sure,

056Scott. Uh, been here um six months. [laughter] >> Um, and it's been great. Uh, why am I here? Um, >> you [laughter] He called me up in New Jersey said get out. Um no I retired from New Jersey and so uh when this opportunity actually this opportunity open force the retirement actually. So when this opportunity came completely available that was the ultimate decision to then make it all happen and be here and be part of this great community. >> I'm Rachel Ricard. Um I've been on the board for three months >> so I'm new but still smiling. [laughter] >> Like Sue, I used to work in the district, so I have some background knowledge. >> My name is Mix Ara and I started together I think like almost seven years ago now or just shy

057of seven I think. Um co was when we started so it felt like multiple years. >> Yeah, it was it just feels like that. Um, and aside from these amazing snacks, um, I'm on this board because [laughter] I want my children to feel like I'm invested in their education and that they see how important education is for them. So, >> um, I'm building a teacher retirement statement says I've worked 19 years [laughter] longer. My email, um, I've been in Bentontown all this time. I started as a teacher and then um I worked with student Rachel. I've known these ladies for such a long time. Um and I became principal here. >> I'm Lloyd Johnson, director of student services. Uh my first year teaching was 6768. I've had the opportunity to work on almost every type

058of school district and it's been a wonderful experience and this is my 10th year here and this has been a great experience. >> 768 that was my freshman year of high school. [laughter] think my parents >> it's a very [laughter] in comparison to other places I've worked this is a very uh healthy place for kids to go to school and it's uh my job is to keep it as healthy as possible for the kids who need it the most >> show the club >> dee hi board clerk I've been here nine years and enjoy my and the people that I work with. So, >> great. >> Thank you. >> So, um I always ask this question lots of times people forget what the answer is. So, I'm going to ask it again. How many school

059board members does it take to screw in a light bulb? >> None, right? Pardon me. [snorts] >> It It is. It is none. It's up to the board to say what they like. >> [laughter] >> It's a superintendent and you do that, by the way, through policy, through your goals. It's a variety of ways that you express your vision. But it's like, let there be light. It's a superintendent's job to decide, is it going to be incandescent fluorescent candle? Um, and it's really important in a district this size that the superintendent has to have the appropriate person to screw in the light bulb. A lot of times in a small district, the superintendent go, I better just do it myself so it gets done. Um, why? because this was about 15 years ago. I was

060in Brooklyn and um we were doing this presentation and I had done this a while later in the in the meeting and I noticed the superintendent was writing feverishly on a legal pad just filling page after page with writing and finally [clears throat] got curious. What are you doing? and she goes, "I'm taking the minutes now for yes, you have to have minutes for the business part of this meeting, but my part can really just say Nicarusa talked about roles and responsibilities and well, >> can you repeat that? >> You don't need verbatim minutes. You're >> right. >> You have permission." So, um, but one of the board members literally stood up, pointed to her, and said, "You're screwing a light bulb." And that was a great moment for me because she was screwing a

061light bulb. you your chief executive officer is the most important person, the most important employee. It's the only employee the board has. And when you take minutes, I I'm one of those that when someone's going around looking for someone dumb enough to take the minutes, not you're that's your job. It's different. Um I always hide in the corner because I because you can't be engaged when you're taking minutes. You're focusing on what you're hearing, what you're writing, >> but the rest of the brain doesn't get to participate. And I want my CEO participating 100% fully. >> You know, this work gets done by the superintendent hearing all of us and interpreting what we need and making it happen. And so we turned it into a teachable moment. And there's a lot of educators in here,

062so teachable moments, you know, so what what should we be doing? And they well, you know, we did this to save $50 a meeting. That was why they had the superintendent take minutes. And they started to realize maybe that's not such a really smart idea. So they worked it out, figured out how they were going to pay for it. And again, 15 years ago, $50 a meeting was a lot more. Um, but they they figured it out, but it it helped me understand that, you know, your job as a board is to provide the resources. It's not enough to say let there be light. What do you need from us to make sure that we have the appropriate light and that everything gets done the way it's supposed to. So that's an important part of

063the role of the board. And it's also the board's job to evaluate the quality of lighting. So as you're going about your business, if you initiated, let's say, a reading program a year or two down the road, it's important to know is it working or not? And that's an important question for the board to be looking at. So um I even say when you're passing that reading program, so when will we have an idea of of how successful it's going to be? How will we know how we're succeeding? and let's set up a schedule to have reports maybe 6 months or a year or wait a year and do it later because a lot of times you initiate a new program it takes time for it to get legs you know we have to you

064know provide the PD for the teachers so that they have the skill set to teach that program more effectively so it might take time for it to sort of nurture itself so you know but we should really be asking those questions so your board meetings ought to [clears throat] be about student data student and it doesn't have to be test scores it could um how many kids are being successful at the high schools etc etc what are they what are they engaged in what are they doing but it's not enough to you know talking about the killer bees buses budgets books buildings um snowblowers I'll just [laughter] throw that one out um well that was important because one of my first >> one of my first years on the board event during budget we started

065talking about what size snowblower we should buy we did we spent 45 minutes arguing about buying stupid snowblower. We had no business doing that. The superintendent should have said, "This is how much we need for snow removal." And I and talking about Ledger, I think they had that million-doll bill when you for snow removal on their roof, if I remember correctly. Um because it was just like 3 ft of snow on it and it was going to collapse. >> That was horrific. >> Scary. The original part of the building's a little [laughter] >> I think it was a barn originally. Right. >> So, um this is a new thing. So, some of you will learn something new tonight. Um you schoolboard facts oldest political institution in America, school committee started in Massachusetts in 1647. So,

066you are part of a long legacy of leadership of public schools. Um, you're the largest group of elected officials in the country. There's 95,000 schoolboard members. There's 13,000 school districts across the country. So again, it's a you're part of something really huge. School boards control more than $600 billion in expenses running schools. And I think this it's for take a moment and talk about that because we see public education under fire all the time. And unfortunately there are like there's corporate people that would love to get a handle on that. They'd let if I could siphon off 10% or 20% or $600 billion would be doing pretty good. And so some of the attempts to undermine public schools are because people see a they smell a profit and they want to make these institutions go

067away and let's make let's make it for profit because we do it so much better, don't we? Um, but it's so as advocates for your school and for the public schools, it's important that you explain to folks and have them understand and you do that anyway because your budget has to pass here and you have to convince people that it's money well spent. So, you're doing that anyway. And then finally, um, some a lot of people don't realize that outside of Connecticut, most schoolboard elections are not partisan. You don't run as Republicans or Democrats. Uh there's only one town in Connecticut that has a bipartisan setup and that's um Berlin. And they all petition to get on the ballot individually and some you know people parties will align behind people but you're not running as

068an R or a D. You're just running for the school board. >> Now I will say that in the towns because I've worked with all but six boards in the state and my goal is to get to the other six before I retire. Going to do it. Um >> clock's ticking though. Um, >> where was I going? The clock is really ticking. >> Nonpartisan. >> Pardon me? >> Nonpartisan. >> Yeah. So, um, in most cases, boards, you don't really know who's in, you know, who's in control. There are some where maybe it's about choosing the chair for the majority party. A lot of places they don't even do that. There's some where they automatically alternate. So, this time it'll be an R, this time it'll be a D. So there's a lot of different things,

069but there aren't too many districts where the politics get in the way and that becomes real pro problematic. I can say with great certainty that I've never seen a board that acts very political serve children well and it's but there's not much you can do about it when you get one of those boards cuz that's just the way it is. >> But we keep trying. Um small pictures unfortunately. Um just three interesting school board members. Jimmy Carter was a school board member from 1955 to 1962 around the time my dad was a school board member. He was the board chair for a number of those years as well as his first feray into um public public um work. Um the center one is Calvin Kulage. Now my colleagues in Massachusetts tell me he was president

070in the north or the uh on the school board at the um Northampton school committee. My research says that he lost that local election and it's the only time he ever lost an election apparently. So it's still up in the air whether he was actually a board member or not. And the wicked witch of the west, Margaret Hamilton was a school board member in Beverly Hills back in the 60s I believe it was. >> Oh 48 to 51. So >> um >> yes question just it's totally random but you you mentioned committee versus board. What what is the why do some states heck by school committee versus school boards? Is it just >> Well, Massachusetts has to be different. So, they they're just school committees. >> Okay. >> Um it's there's no dist there's no

071rule. There was really no no is there shall be school boards or school committees. Um >> but they they wanted to stay unique. I think >> is committee as well right because the state is board of education. So the schools are school committees and then you have the board of ed at the >> so that's the only board is the board. New Jersey has a board. [clears throat] >> They do. >> Yeah. >> My friends in Mass and in Rhode Island, they're just like, "You're on the committee, right?" I'm like, "What are you talking about?" I was like, "No, that's like >> Washington State has an even more unique and it's blanking in my mind what they call them, but I mean there are boards of education, but you know, whether they're called commissioners or

072something else. I mean there's different and in Waterberry they call each other commissioners too. So there's a few other little idiosyncrasies but in Connecticut and I actually use a distinction between the idea of school board and board of education because the board of education it's about the education is the important part and school board um I see that as you know the old days when you had to make sure that the lights got paid or light bills got paid um the building got painted somebody had to clean the outhouse. I mean that school boards in the 1640s you basically kept the school running. They didn't have professional staff until like the 40s or 50s or maybe 30s. I mean even things like administrators as we started to professionalize the industry um schools started to change

073very dramatically. >> Some important numbers. I'll I'll just I'll throw them up with the answers because it's too much trouble. 58,42 is the number of students in Connecticut, public school students. 1544 schools and programs that have school boards over them. 53,371, [clears throat] the number of certified teachers, certified staff in Connecticut. 51, that's the student population of the Union Public Schools. They're the smallest school in the state. >> Um 2039, the year your kindergarteners are going to graduate high school. That's kind of a interesting one. And 20,022 uh Bridgeport Public Schools. That's the largest school district in Connecticut. By the way, in Union, there's more school board members than teachers. They have five board members. They have four teachers. >> Wow. >> That's funny. >> So, um for those of you who aren't aware, the

074state of Connecticut has one of the best websites for for data of any kind for public schools. Um Edsite, um edsite.ct. ct.gov. Um, it is rich and it's constantly being updated. A lot of it's live data. As the numbers are plugged into the computers, the numbers change on on the screen. So, um, really valuable. You can just get lost in it because there's all kinds of comparisons. Um, demographically, financially, you name it, it's there. They publish a document. They used to call it the strategic school profile. They call it some district profile and and performance report. Now, it's about seven pages of data specific to your district or your school and um again, student data, demographic data, success type of things. Um all kinds of and yours is that I can pass it around. What

075>> we get, Nick? What's our >> What's that? >> What's our What's our grade? >> Well, there's no there actually have a report card. you want to just take a look pass them around and you can download these for every district and in fact for every school all in your case it's same >> um >> but it's it's really interesting my my favorite I mean they talk about high school accept or college acceptances as one of the measurements that people look at for high school but they have persistence how many students who finish the first year make it to the second year and so that to me is a very interesting statistic because you can work to get almost anybody in. But if they stay, that mean you gave them skills, >> right? >> 236

076smile faces on the screen. That's the number of children that their future depends on you. At least according to the last performance index that that's one of the statistics they do is your ADM, your average daily membership. I like to point this out, you know, and in Bridgeport, I can't use the smiley faces because there's just too many. Um, then it's just regular dots. And I actually have that somewhere in here because I'm going back there again. Um we're doing a lot of work with them right now because of the state intervention. >> But um it's it's really just important to under this is why we're all here. It's not about the building. It's not about as much as it is about the community and stuff. They're the ones who are expecting something from you

077because we know that success in school equates to a better chance of success in life. And the converse of that is true as well. if we have a bad school experience, we have we have to work twice as hard if we're lucky to be successful because we're losing something that we really need. So, um, don't lose sight of that as you go about your work. It's also important when we're looking at numbers. Now, one I'm not sure what they are because I didn't read them as as in as I tried to, but let's say you've got 70% 80% at grade level. That's great. I mean, when we look at state averages, that's pretty significant. But what's 30% of this? The kids that we're going to what do we do with them? We have to make

078them successful. And I think you've got a greater opportunity because this school's small enough you can know every child. You can know their needs. Um you just you have to be able to do better. And from what I'm hearing about the dedication you have to the school, you must be interesting book to read. Schoolboard leadership in America was written in 1958. Ed Tuttle was the first executive director of the National School Boards Association. I found this on Amazon for about six bucks used a couple years ago and I decided I'd read it because I just what happened in 1958 that was different. And what was surprising to me was very little is different and the way things affect school. There's the social conditions that you are wrestling with. They were wrestling with in [clears throat]

0791958. The economy of scale is much greater. bodies more restrictive, let's say. Um, you know, all the different things that you're wrestling with maybe are more intense now, but they were dealing with the same problems that they were deal that you deal with today, which really opened my eyes a little bit. And I also loved it because of the quotes in the book. This one is by Lafayette. I read, I study, I examine, I listen, I reflect, and out of all this, I try to form an idea into which I put as much common sense as I can. decision-m isn't all about data, but it should be about data and it, you know, but there's that point where I've learned enough. I get it. It feels right to do this. I was one of the

080touchy feely guys on my board. Ah, that sounds that's perfect. I love it. And the guy sitting next to me was a nuclear physicist. He go, that's not enough data to make a decision. There was never enough data for him, but he he was a brilliant guy. One last quote. Great leaders don't sit out to be a leader. They sit out to make a difference. And that's one of the reasons I like doing this work because people who run on school boards sometimes, but rarely are in it for anything but to make a difference. And I just love doing this work because of that. I love working for people like you. >> This is really small. So, I'm going to have to go. The one thing I like about social media, I'm getting really disillusioned

081with it, especially with now the AI stuff that everything's fake and nothing's you can't believe anything, but I love memes. >> Oh, look at that. >> Trying. >> So, um, I started to put one together for school boards, you know, um, what people think, you know, how our how our community sees us. The Salem witch trials, how our friends see us. Washington crossing the Delaware, you're, you know, really out there. How our parents see us. Jonavar getting um, burned at the st [laughter] True story. When I was especially when I was board chair, but when I was on the board in Bloomfield, we had the Bloomfield Journal. It was a little weekly newspaper and um the reporter actually tried to do a good job of [snorts] reporting stuff, but what always got my attention was

082the letters to the editor. And my dad who lived in town every Friday afternoon, it would come out Friday morning. He'd call me Friday afternoon. Did you see the journal this week? Yep. Boy, Claire really didn't like you. Yes, Dad. That's true. But the day she doesn't like something I do, I'm going to quit because there's there's no way I'm ever going to make her happy. But, you know, they always thought I was a victim. I mean, I just And you have to kind of have a thick skin to be a schoolboard member. I mean, it helps when you're in a district where the challenges are maybe different, but during co, you know, people are what about masks? What about vaccinations? What about being open, being closed? No matter what you wanted to do, somebody

083was unhappy. >> That's why it was like dog ears or or worse. Mhm. >> But um >> it's important how we see us. You know, Mel Gibson charging across the field in the Patriot. We're out there fighting for your kids. How our staff sees us, drunken sailors. How our legislators see us, trick-or-treaters. [laughter] How our kids see us, who? Yes. >> But and it started again tonight. Every meeting I go to, the meeting starts with the pledge of allegiance. Board members stand up and they stand up and make a commitment. I think to the kids in their district and I just I it's grassroots democracy at its absolute best and >> it's why I've been doing this 32 years and I'm really not ready to stop. >> Okay. >> So, a couple of more fun

084ones. Um, what kind of board are you? Are you more like the wrestling match or you more like the canoe race? Um, >> if if this was a board, which one's going to be more successful? I work with a couple of these. >> Circle. [laughter] >> Fair enough. >> They're on both sides. >> Well, we we my kids were Indian princesses. I don't even know if they exist anymore because Indian Princess sounds wrong for some reason. Um but we did canoe races every year and when we went up to camp and it what it means is somebody has to really have a loud voice and stroke stroke stroke. But um we used to have so much fun doing that. But if you aren't you it mean chaos if [snorts] everybody's paddling in a different direction.

085The boat just sits there. >> See now I got to shrink it down. >> This is a full-time job doing this, isn't it? >> I'm telling you. [laughter] >> And the last comparison um is your tea more like ravioli and meatballs or lasagna? >> Same ingredients. Pasta, cheese, meat sauce. They're exactly the same in terms of what they're comprised of. But when you assign heat and pressure and you give everything the opportunity to sort of meld together, you get a better product. That I I sort of see that as school boards where you all bring something to the table, but it's the way you work together and come up with a solution that makes everybody happy or at least most of you happy um tends to be a better product. So um be the lasagna.

086>> Um yeah, we're going to do this one now. >> Okay. There was a couple ways I could have gone. I think the last time I talked about state laws, but tonight we're going to have some fun with same a lot of stuff will be covered the same, but it's um it's going to be about mistakes that board members make. Anybody want to think of something that they see boards doing or maybe you didn't do it here of course all, you know, just hypothetically, but anything that you could think of that boards or board members do that's a mistake? talk about an individual, >> bring their personal agenda to it. >> Personal agenda. Yeah. >> Social media. >> You know, I I have to do something more with that here because that is a huge

087thing now. >> It should be 20 slides. >> Yeah. We can talk about that though. Yeah. >> So, um this is >> Is it working? >> Oh. Oh, well, the first one is a slide missing. That's probably my fault. >> [clears throat] >> Okay. >> I wish I was using my but that's okay. Sorry. >> No, that's all right. So, the first one is impatience. So, um you get on a board, you want to know everything. You want to learn everything right away. You want to be able to jump right in and help make decisions. >> My first board meeting, I made four motions. You know, they were all campaign issues. You know, if we get elected, we're going to do this. And so, I made four motions. How many passed? >> Zero. How many

088seconds did I get to those motions? >> Zero. took me a lot. One of them took 10 years to get it accomplished and a couple of the others never made it and I forget what the fourth one was. But um it's it's not uncommon to get on a board and you know especially if you're the smartest person in the room and you want to let everybody know that and you wonder why everybody starts to resent you at the board table like why are they not listening to me? You know, I'm obviously the smartest one in the room. It takes time to sort of get a sense of of who we are, how we relate to the other people on the board. It's it's kind of like um well, I was a business owner, so I

089was, you know, he takes charge. He needs a piece of equipment, he buys it. He you know, I could take a job or not take a job depending how I felt about it. I was independent. But nobody said, you know, here's a leader. Here's somebody that, you know, makes a living out of making decisions on his own. Then they put you on a board with seven people and build consensus. like that was very rare for me. It took a while to sort of get a sense of that. And for whatever reason, people come to the board with pretty sometimes an unclear idea of what boards really do. And so you have to kind of learn the process and get used to it. It takes a good year to really get a sense of what's going

090on. So the couple of months or so, it takes some time. You know, you can talk about here's how we build budgets, here's how we go through the process of getting it adopted, but once you've lived through it, you'll really get have a better understanding. So, just I was at a just thinking about this the other day. I was at a board meeting, newly elected board. We were doing a training like this. And one of the board members who was a vice president of finance for some major corporation, really smart guy. He goes, "Well, I've never been to a budget hearing before or budget meeting before, but here's how you're doing it wrong. And I've never been to this and here's how you're doing it wrong." And he was telling he had never been or

091been involved with it. And the rest of the board's like, "Oh, this is not going to work." >> So, I'm tripping over it. and also just to get used to working with people who think differently. You know, this is kind of back to LZ pressure cooker sometimes. >> So, let's talk about behavior for a bit. Oh, it's doing the same thing. >> We're making have Oh, man. That's not good. >> Cuz that's the best slide in the whole bunch. >> Dei, is there a reason we I mean, I guess you're recording. >> Mhm. But if I had it on a flash drive, could we open it up and because I do have it on >> is you're recording it digitally, correct? So this isn't being recorded with a video. It's being recorded what's on the

092screen. >> Mhm. >> As soon as she reduces the share, it's not going to record >> right >> what's being presented. >> Do you want to pull your laptop up there or are there things that you wanted them to see? Well, >> when the size the size is challenging. >> Mhm. I mean, I can do this. >> Do it on his computer. >> Well, I mean, I can set that up here and just at least read read off of it. I doing that, but um yeah, it'll only take a second. >> I just got it back today. They had to replace the screen. So, I'm so happy. [laughter] How about this? If you share if he if you if you're on the same Zoom if he's on that Zoom >> I could send you a

093Zoom link for you to join >> running it >> you make me a presenter but is that set up to well if you recorded right >> right >> if you want to do I would suggest right right now we take a two minute recess >> if I can get a motion recess let this get set up okay >> this is there's a lot a lot less going >> let's get it right >> you have to make Second. All in >> favor. >> Shut it down for a second. >> Let's see if we can figure out. >> Okay. So, the other thing that I found, and give you an example of how this could work, and I know so many of you are in education, you might appreciate this one. Um, we had a a board

094member appointed to fill a vacancy. She was actually a principal or vice principal in a neighboring [clears throat] community. Everybody, you know, it's a small relationship. Everybody knows everybody in education anyway, especially between Bloomfield and Hartford. And um this woman was appointed to the board and she was invited to participate in a uh reception that the uh teachers union was putting on. Actually all the board was invited but she was there and somebody you know Susan it's so great to have an educator on the board of education. This is really terrific. And she goes excuse me but when I'm here in my official capacity as a member of the boomfield board of education you shall address me as Miss Jones. Now, the reason I knew that was because that was all they talked about in

095the teachers lounge the next day and everybody excuse me and they couldn't wait to to and now this woman lost all her credibility with that with all the teachers because of that stunt. You don't automatically and [clears throat] there there are some that you know they walk into a building and they just assume that you know everybody the the water is going to park when I walk through and you're just a member of the public unless you're in this room in session voting. That's how you exert your authority as a board member. You don't have any any authority at all outside of a board meeting. And um I've seen superintendents uh get very frustrated when board members are sort of putting aside that going into schools now and your parents you have kids in school.

096So it's a real challenge sometimes and you'll say to your kids teacher look I'm not here as a board member I'm here as a parent. [clears throat] They're still going to see the hat that says school board member. They just they just do. So you have to be really mindful to you know be careful how you talk. We had a um parents night one [clears throat] night and I was chairman of the board at that point. So that's even worse. But uh my daughter was in AP chemistry and the teacher started out with sort of every kid starts with an A but the we define what their grade is by how bad they do. And she goes, "But I have to warn you right now, threearters of the kids in this class are going to

097fail this year." Now, as a school board member, I'm thinking, "Whoa, wait a minute. you know, we're paying you to teach children AB chemistry and you're telling us that you're failing, not our kids. And but I had to be careful, so I didn't. But um you have to really be thinking about like how am I going to be remembered as a board member? I was a plumbing contractor when I was a school board member. I >> I I just want to take that a step further. >> Uhu. So, at the moment, yes, you're a parent, but later you're a board member and you're going to inform the superintendent [clears throat] or the principal. Technically, the superintendent if you're a board member, like you can't throw that away, my opinion. Yeah, I'd love to hear if

098I'm wrong, but you still heard that. You still now as a board member have a job of oversight. >> Yep. And while you're not going to interrupt that and act like a board member at that moment the next day, informing the superintendent that this just happened I think is the the right move >> and I did. >> Okay. >> But that No, that's very >> for their for their >> Absolutely. That's actually a really good observation. Yeah, we still when we learn something just cuz I learned it when I was acting as a parent doesn't mean it's not important. Just like your kid might come home from school one day and you can't believe what they did today. Well, it may still impact your policy level decision-m in terms of, you know, you don't second

099guess necessarily a decision by an administrator, but you want to guarantee that the process is in place that if someone has an issue that they can resolve it properly. And so, and and what I did in my case was I had my my wife try to handle as much of the school stuff with the kids as possible. There were a couple times when I felt it was important I was involved in it too. And I talked to the superintendent first. I said, "I just want you to understand my dilemma and what I'm wrestling with." And we worked it out. And uh but but my daughter who was the subject of one of these issues um is a was is raised her son is a single mom. She doesn't have that other person to deal with

100it. So she had to deal with it. Um but yeah, that's a really important observation that you don't lose your responsibility as a board member. But you the conversation isn't with the teacher in that case. You would talk to the superintendent. That's really important. >> It was hard as a as a superintendent of my own kids school. It's >> the same boat. You hear something that's like well didn't really say that, did they? >> So got to walk out of the room as a parent, not as a superintendent. So false. >> Yeah. I I know several super many superintendents because you a lot of times you have to live in the district where you're the superintendent. Your kids are going to go there. So yeah, now we can talk about behavior. So I'm going to

101put these things up here and then we're going to work from the bot bottom up. Starting with don't fall asleep in public comment. Now, I'm assuming that you don't have hundreds of people come to your board meetings and if you maybe you have to go to the the auditorium if you have one of those meetings and you can fill it up. But in most cases, you know, you see the list of 10 things people are afraid of. Number one is public speaking. Number seven is death. People are more afraid to speak [clears throat] in public than anything. And so if they're coming and even if it's just you, even if it's not being recorded, it's public speaking. And the reason they're here is because it's important to them. They're it's their kids. It's their resources.

102If they're a taxpayer, you're paying this is my tax dollars. Whatever. It's important. And so it makes sense that you have to validate that they're, you know, I'm listening to you. I hear you. It doesn't mean you're obliging yourself to do what they ask. It may be very inappropriate to do what they ask. Um, it may be that what they're asking has nothing to do with what you're talking about, but gives them the due course to just pay attention. And that happened to me once. The guy sitting next to me fell asleep and he's like nodding off and I poked him, which was probably the wrong thing to do cuz he jumped. >> Oh jeez. >> But, um, it's it's just >> and the whole thing of public comment in general is that, you know,

103it's an important part of your meeting, but the meeting is it's a meeting held in public. It's not a public meeting. The public has the right to observe you doing decision- making with very few exceptions. You have executive sessions for things like personnel matters or uh property. If you're if you're going to buy a new school site, you don't want to do that in public because the people are going to buy land and jack the price up. Um and that's happening in a community nearby. So um you have to be cautious about this stuff. But outside of that, the public has a right to observe. They do not have a right to participate. That is a privilege that boards give. Um, and I I've only known one community where they tried to get rid of

104public comment and it did not go well for them. Even the ACLU got involved in it. And it wasn't the school board. It was the town uh the board of selectmen. But what happened then was all the all the people who had things to complain about, I'm being very careful not to um assign any names to them. um codgers um would come to the schoolboard meetings because they had a meeting and so I'll complain about the board of selectmen at the schoolboard meeting and they were doing that until the board said wait a minute we're not getting our work done. Um you do have a right to put legitimate restrictions on that. For example, public comment may be only to items on the agenda. For example, you might two minutes, three minutes. Uh some very

105bravely say five minutes. You could also say public comment will be for the first 15 minutes of the meeting. It doesn't have to go until everybody's spoken. You can make the rules depending on what's appropriate. Meeting under the influence. Probably don't have to say much about that, but um there are places where board meetings have become really rowdy because people were meeting under the influence. So there's one board actually where there's a a bar across the street from where the board meets and they used to all meet and have a drink together before the board meets. It's a very one drink each. They probably they were very joial. They kind of got a good time. >> Well, that's a rule. >> Bad behavior rule. >> Yeah, sometimes things are not appropriate even if they're not

106illegal. >> Um missing in action board members who just never come. Um you know, we had one board member who did not come to a meeting for a year. A year. Now, her daughter was sick. She was caring for her. We all had incredible sympathy for her, but we had seven board members and we were down one right from the start. And I know the board chair tried to talk to her, said, "Listen, we we're not trying to get rid of you. If you're going to stay, you're going to stay, but you're not helping us as a board because we need the we need the person." Um, and she but she did not want to leave. She didn't want to give up. And I we appreciated it, but it was a real frustration. But if

107you're in a place where you things change, I had to resign from my board because I changed some life situations and I just couldn't devote the time to it and that was it for me. But [clears throat] um it's not always like that. Sometimes we have to kind of be reminded. But if you find yourself at a point where I can't work, maybe it's time to think about is this the best way I'm serving my community by taking that seat from someone who maybe could do a better job or at least be there. insulting um either board member, superintendent, staff, the public. Um the worst thing a board member can say at a board meeting is I don't believe anything I hear from the superintendent. If you start saying things like that, somebody's got to

108do some work because you're set you this happened in a district in the southern part of the state. I was there along with someone from the state department. We were evaluating their meetings because um the state was thinking about intervening in that community. And so we went to several board meetings and every meeting somebody on the board said well on microphones recorded the whole bit. I don't believe anything I hear from the superintendent. And every time that happened you could just see the superintendent shrink a little bit more. It was the death of a thousand cuts. and the president of the teachers union was in the audience cracking jokes about the superintendent because as far as she was concerned open season because even the board's not supporting them why why do I have to show

109any respect it was a disaster it was a real disaster >> if you're having a and and a lot of times it's not even intentional that's very intentional but just the way you ask a question to a staff member when they're doing a presentation it could be done in a demeaning way like you know I'm playing gotcha almost. But um you know, you just you almost throw the question at them like, "How can you explain this?" I was in a meeting where we were talking about this and one of the board members goes, "Well, I've never done that." And the superintendent said, "You did it last night? What are you talking about? I've never did that." He said, "Last night we had our two tech people in talking about our technology plan and you you

110were lamb basting them with all these really rough questions." He goes, "I didn't mean it." It's not, it's not usually touchable, but you have to be mindful when someone's up here at the app. Just want to again, I'm going to focus a little on social media for a moment. >> Mhm. >> On this one specifically. While board members do not lose the right to speak about topics, you can't shed the fact that you're a board member. Doesn't work that way. You just don't get the privilege of saying, "I'm not a board member right now." But say that. No. cares. So insulting the public staff, insulting or criticizing and and other elected officials, each other on each other, even other elected officials in a town, especially this town, small town, especially small town, >> you know,

111that could have a negative impact on the district, >> you know, and people have to be very careful of what they say on social media >> because when you start to insult other people or other situations, that come back to eventually her kids because in this case you have elected officials and it's the select or the town officials in any way. We need to work as a team >> and social media is a dangerous platform because it's it's it's a little bit um uh less burdensome. You just kind of like lose your inhibitions almost. >> Oh yeah. There's no accountability. >> While you not you said something before which caught my attention. It's not it's not illegal. You're not violating freedom of speech. You're not going to be arrested. You could be causing harm unintentionally.

112And it's just something to remember. Um especially with social media and so once it's there, it's never going away. The idea that criticizing anything else that involves other officials, it could really come back and bite the board. And it bites the board, it bites the kids. >> That's right. And while unintentional really I've always this is like I asked boards to do this for 16 years of this well maybe not 16 with social media but feels like forever that this continuously comes up that board members will go on and rightfully so in the sense that they're allowed to do it but um the the term I've used over the years is freedom of speech does not equate to freedom from consequence >> correct >> and that's just important I always want to always inform boards

113just to just understand. Doesn't mean you can't do it, >> but [clears throat] the term insult is something to to really try and stay away from at all costs, even if it's not school business. >> And and there are consequences. I mean, and not in any way trying to show um any reaction to but the the shooting of Charlie Kirk as an example. People were posting on both sides of the issue and then being forced to resign from the school board because it got so polarizing no matter what you said. Um people emotions are too raw. People are making comments and all of a sudden it's exploding. Um, I remember one superintendent who um, and there's almost always a Facebook page says, "I hate the blank public schools." And there was a I hate the

114blank public schools in this district. And the superintendent would go on there trying to gauge what was being said, just I want to know what they're saying about us. But then she started responding >> and and then she was having a flame war with, you know, um, somebody, you know, with a 98 after the name or something. Didn't know who it was. So they're going back and forth, back and forth. It turns out it was high school student. >> How do you recover from something like that? You you just can't. It >> the one other thing I would say about social media is the people who tend to congregate together are of like minds. You're not convincing anybody in that group anyway. >> Um I wish I was had the skill to be able to

115convince people who think something very strongly that I could just change their mind by a post on Facebook. It's never going to happen. So, it's best to just avoid places like that. If something's really egregiously improper, um, in terms of facts or whatever, if somebody's like lying, maybe it's a, you know, some arrangement where the chair reacts or the superintendent or something. Somehow we craft a message or response if we even want to or do we let just let it go because it shows up on the feed for about two seconds and it's gone anyway. So >> do do you do a piece I don't if you don't I'll keep quiet on how to actually do that if you are a board member and it's a school related matter. Do you talk about I'm I'm

116assuming Connecticut is not very different than New Jersey when it comes to the rights and responsibilities of a board member ethically to make sure they distinctively say I am not speaking as a board member. >> Is that a thing here? >> Um that specifically. So it's I mean it would come up >> I'll give an example. So, let's just say that um we're doing budget season and a a board Kate is the board Kate and Kate Kate decided to go on the board go on Facebook or write a letter or whatever and just spoke by saying, you know, I reject this this I I I do I think this is a horrible budget. People should not vote for this budget. But doesn't distinctively talk about that she's saying that is Kate, which he has every

117right to say. I would be represented but [snorts] it would be a violation unless in New Jersey it would be a violation of their ethics if they did if they said that and did not write a disclaimer that I am speaking on behalf of myself only. I am not speaking as a member of the board of education. Is that thing >> it's not it's not as cut and dried as something in language. Let me put it that in fact I brought copies of our um cave code of ethics pass around um which gives you some ideas on some of the things I will or I won't I shall or I I shall um but that was not spec specified but um it's it's good practice but even then you know I remember writing a letter

118to the editor one time I'm speaking as member of the public not as a member of the board of education >> right >> but then at the bottom under where this well Actually, it was such a controversial issue my letter to the editor became the oped piece on the bottom of page of the Hartford current signed as board. >> No, Nicholas Caruso, >> but then they put in italics member of the Bloomfield Board of Education. >> Oh, that goes back to freedom of speech does not equate to freedom >> consequences. >> But in my case, >> you're still allowed to do it. you are, but you but you and to your point, you can cause harm to the district when you do it. There was a case where the board chair was standing out in

119front of the referendum site on referendum day with a vote no sign and they lost their budget and he said we showed them he was a taxpayer group. We're going to take over the board and they did and they saved down money for bigger kids and the board members who were there to help kids got very frustrated with that. But um do you have the right to? Yes. Are you causing great harm? Absolutely. >> And again, I apologize everybody at this day if that same board member wanted to make the claim that they do not support this and give reasons why that would not be >> right. >> That is the responsibility of you as an elected official. >> Absolutely. >> It's just going outside of the day and act as an individual. people are

120if you don't if you don't if you're not disclaiming it, everyone's gonna think you are speaking for the board and that that was the part that a little problematic and people have been filed ethics charges in New Jersey because of that all the time. >> Yeah, we don't it doesn't go that far in Connecticut unfortunately. I I kind of like that idea of doing that but um just like violating FOI confidentiality aren't necessarily breaking any law because our laws are written very poorly. Um, you can walk out of an executive session and start talking about exactly what happened. Now, you could get sued if you disclose information that's harmful to someone. >> You can do that. >> There's no penalty for violating freedom of information. >> No, not unless it caused harm, then the board

121could file or someone could file a complaint with the local ethics board, but there's nothing in writing that says that that is behavior that is automatically triggering. Yeah. This is and I think it's a very different state for stuff like that. You also >> you need a round table of Nick for about >> um there there's several of these things that really can make you crazy. Um you can not be removed from the board a board of education if you advocate on that. So, we had um one teacher um one board member who um actually was arrested in Florida for what he thought was a visit with a 14-year-old child um in a hotel and it ended up being an undercover police officer instead. And the made the front page of the Harford current. It

122was a big it was a horrible thing. And the board every meeting would start with a vote to ask him to resign because you can't remove him. And what eventually got him off the board was when he went to prison in Florida, he was no longer a resident of that community. So he was unable to get off the board. But that's how bad it had be. [clears throat] And I'm sure his lawyer was saying, "Don't do that. It's a sign that, you know, it's an admission of guilt or whatever." But it was mentioned was taking that's what the newspapers was doing great things about student achievement. They were making really important decisions, but that was never in the newspaper. It was all about >> that guy. Awful. very >> threatening is a little different than

123I mean and there are twice that I'm I'm aware probably more than that where superintendent refused to meet with the board chair without a third party in the room because they were afraid of being bullied and they were harmed physically or whatever message are you sending to your community >> is scary [laughter] here I can't do anymore >> just keep your jets where they are >> I I am I was bullied the other day. [laughter] Hi Kate. I was sent a meme digit. >> Okay. [laughter] >> I filed the charge. >> You deserve it. >> I deserve whatever you got. >> Like, well, yeah, we'll skip over. >> I had to agree. We had we had a executive session and I'll agreed and it was for I should send this >> she was nominated >>

124I got riceed on that executive session. [laughter] >> You know it's so much more fun doing this when you know it's not happening somewhere because if I was if I knew this was going on I'm like okay how am I going to approach this where I'm not well I talked to superintendent he said you're doing this this this and this and like that's not going to go very well. So um it's it's good to be able to talk about these in the um theoretical >> um unethical behavior you know just in terms again it doesn't mean there's a law against it or a penalty even when it's not like good form [clears throat and cough] it's it disrupts what's going on and if you're on the board to make something happen the last thing you

125want to do is get the rest of the board angry with you because then you're not going to it's no matter how brilliant you are and no matter what you're bringing to the board how important it is to do they're going to be looking at who's presenting it and if you're the type of person that's either bad mouthing people through social media or you know and it happens then you come to the board table say I'd like to pass this everybody's like good luck even if it's the right thing to do that just you're you're undermining your own credibility when you do that don't throw things don't swear at each other don't throw temper tantrums I mean these are all things that happen and what happens in your community when those things happen they're not

126talking about how this school is a a model school that it's doing all this really great stuff. They're talking about this stuff and then you lose all your credibility and your staff sees that too, by the way. And your staff is sitting there go, why should I follow the policies? Why should I go at the direction of them when they're like crazy? I was working with a a difficult board one time and this sign was standing sitting on the wall behind them. And I finally took a picture of it and I said, "Let's go through this list. Be on time. Be prepared to work. Be respectful and courteous. Keep sand, feet, and objects theelves. Follow the dress code. No candy or gum. No fighting or instigating trouble." Um, >> all these rules that we'd expect,

127this was a middle school, so what is that up to 8th grade? We expect that from our students. Mhm. >> Did I unplug you? >> No, you're good. >> Um, we should be having those same similar rules for ourselves. Just makes sense. >> I will say in terms of behavior, I was a bad board member for the first three years, probably definitely the first two years. I was my superintendent's nightmare board member. [laughter] Now, in fairness, I was right and he was not the right person for the job. He got [laughter] >> but I went in like and I didn't start with that. He had actually been vice principal of my school when I was there. I had nothing but the respect for the man. His son was I think a year ahead of me

128in high school. I knew him. Um I did not go in with the intention of causing trouble but started by just talking to the superintendent. Could I just come, you know, brand new board member, could I just come in and talk and you have a better sense of what I do for a living as a board member, understand how things work better? Then why do you want to do that? That was the first warning sign. I just want to be a better board member. >> But I found out pretty quickly that he and again very political board. I was the two on a 5 to2 split and they the chair wouldn't even recognize me when I had my hand up. Keep going around me. I never got to speak. Hence the letter to the editor

129in Harper Current because you wouldn't let me explain my vote while I voted. So I'm going to explain to everybody else. I don't know that I would do that today. But this took two years of frustrations because I found that they didn't even let me speak if I had the opportunity to address my concerns and then if it the vote went against me, that's fine. I explained myself. I got to, you know, share my thoughts on an issue. they took some or not, but so be it. And it's the will of the board. But I wasn't even empowered enough to have a voice. I behaved very badly. And again, I don't think I would do that today. I'd have different strategies for that. But the idea that um often bad behavior is not because it's

130a bad person. They're just either frustrated or maybe they still don't understand their role as a board. And that's why we do this type of work, so that you'll have a better sense of this is my job, not that. and um honor the code of ethics. And again, you've got a copy. I don't know if you have one in your policy manual. It's not a bad idea to review it once in a while. I know one board every year, the first school board meeting of the new school year, they actually read it and everybody signs it. >> I have copies if anybody would like to see it. >> I do. Sorry. >> Or we can revise it to what you just provided. Is this the CAB's current version? Yeah, it was it was voted by

131our board of directors a number of years ago and that's all that is up there. >> Yeah. >> Um, strong people don't put others down, they lift them up. >> Darth Vader Volanted. [laughter] >> This is going to be rough because we're only three. So, I'm going to have to try to move us along because I know you have other work to do. Um, I think it's a big mistake to think that the reason for school is to deliver content. We don't deliver content. We teach somebody. Somebody has to learn it. We had two reports one night, and this goes back to my troublemaker days. I didn't have to admit that. Um, first report said that over half our freshman class at the high school had failed at least one major subject in the first

132marking period. So, it's what it's October or whatever when the first marking period's over. Half our freshman class failed at least one major subject. There was, how could that be? And the superintendent said, "It's all right. We figured out what's wrong. We fixed it." And that was the end of it. Nobody knew what that was, what the fix was, but don't worry, I took care of it. I was new. I was a little unsure of myself, so I didn't challenge that. But then the second report was the one that triggered me because the second one was the annual report of our um teacher evaluation results. And they just raw generalities. What percentage of our high school teachers do you think were excellent? >> Zero 100. >> 90% were excellent. And that's when I raised my

133hand and go, "Oh no, here he goes again. Why is it that half our kids are failing, but 90% of our teachers are excellent?" First response, we just got them. It's the first marking period. It's the middle school's fault. >> 87% of the teachers at the middle school were excellent, so I'm not buying that. [clears throat] >> So, but I pushed back a little bit. I said, "But I don't get it because um we're not teaching children." and he and the superintendent with a straight face and this was in the early 80s. So I think it was more likely to be true than it was now. He says but the teachers are delivering the content because in the old days you teachers were often evaluated by how quiet their class was, how classroom management it

134was about how you presented information, but it didn't necessarily correspond to whether students were learning or not. that has changed dramatically over time and I think we far more look at performance as part of the of what we're evaluating but if we're focusing on only [clears throat] one aspect of it and the other thing there's a couple ways of looking at it um the old way some kids are going to learn it some won't and if they don't it's their fault that's what we used to think about children well you know we gave it to them it's not they didn't work hard enough or they didn't try hard enough whereas nowadays I think there's a a assumption all students can learn it and will learn it and if they don't it's our fault we failed

135them if children didn't learn and I truly believe that the adults have to make the move to help children learn the other way to look at it another and this was CAPS the superintendent association did a white paper on the future of education I don't remember the exact title but the old way they said was basically time was the constant learning was the variable so the school year is the school year everybody has the same 180 days, some kids are going to learn a whole lot more than others will. >> And now there's a different paradigm where it's really time is the variable and learning is the constant. So our assumption is every kid's going to learn it, but some are going to do it quicker than others. And we and again a school like

136this is much more likely to be able to do that because you can help each child at their pace. You can have much greater likelihood of doing that than you can when there's 20,000 kids in a school district. So again, the focus has to be on learning and u if we're not talking about learning, here's the killer bees. >> Budget boilers. I forgot boilers before. Books, buildings, >> buses, and snowblowers. >> Publicly challenging the vote after it's been passed. And again, um, either you're criticizing the board, you know, reporter might call you, not we don't have reporters like we used to, but if a reporter would call and said, "Why'd you vote no on that last night?" There's two ways you're going to respond to that. The first one is, "I I know. Can you

137believe those idiots pass that stupid thing?" That's one reaction, and it will get press, not good press. The other is, well, you know, we carefully thought this through, and frankly, while I had a couple concerns over it, the board saw fit to make it happen, and it's our job to make sure it's successful. There's two ways of answering that question. And I think as long as you've had a chance to influence the vote, you're much more likely to answer that second way than you would if you didn't have that chance. A lot of pressure on you, Kate. [clears throat] >> And the other thing I not contributing to the consensus when you disagree after I stopped beating my head against the wall trying to get myself for it, I just pout pouted for about six

138months. I didn't say a word. I just looked miserable. And the only one that was miserable was me. Nobody else really noticed. So, you just have to continue to try to contribute and participate as best you can. I'm thinking about how I'm going to change this because this is kind of outdated. Now, there's three branches of government, right? We all know checks and balances. And there's the uh legislative branch, executive branch, and judicial branch. One of the challenges as a school board is you are all three branches. You're the executive br legislative branch. You pass policy. That's the law of the district. So, you are policy makers. You are the um legislative branch. You're the executive branch. You work through a chief executive officer, but the board sees that the budget is implemented, that the

139decisions are made, that the work is ongoing. So, in essence, you're executing the legislation. And then finally, you do serve as a judicial branch on occasion. Uh you're not going to do expulsions, I'm sure, um maybe once every 20 years at the elementary level, but um teacher termination is a possibility at any time. And the expectation is that you'll go into a formal hearing process. You're going to hear evidence presented by the administration. The people who are under review for whatever are going to have an opportunity to address that um and and testify or whatever. And then you make a legal decision whether you're terminating their employment or disciplining them in some other way. Expulsion you'd be removing a child from their legal right to free public education. So you have to make sure that

140everything's done appropriately. the process becomes really really important. Now, here's where it's important. Back to saying things that we really shouldn't be saying. We had a hearing one night. The um teacher, and this was a grievance, which is a different level than termination, but it was still important, very formal process. The teacher was grieving her evaluation. I got evaluated fair, and I'm excellent, and I should have been rated excellent. Now, that wasn't even grievable at our contract. So, that should have been a 10-minute meeting. You know, here's my complaint. Sorry, that's not subject to grievance in in our your contract. So, we're going to adjourn the meeting. That's what should have happened. In fact, we didn't even hire the high price shipment of Goodman attorney to come in for that night because proforming, you know,

141we're going to sit down. We'll say not appropriate. End the meeting. We had the assistant town attorney who didn't really know. He was somebody's brother-in-law, you know, back to nepotism. So, um, the meeting starts, the attorney gets up representing the teacher and points to one of the board members and goes, "Um, Miss Miller, isn't it true that you were in the supermarket talking to Mrs. So and so on April 3rd and you said this is the worst teacher your child ever had? How did you hear that? This is verbatim. How did you hear that? Doesn't matter how I heard it. Is it true?" Well, yeah, but how did you hear that? Now we are in a quandry now because we have a board member who has now verbally been out misrepresenting or you know having

142an opinion in an informal hearing or a formal hearing. recessed the meeting, called our highpriced attorney, more than willing to drive 45 minutes in. Now, I know that >> we had the same result because the contract was not violated, but we had to make sure every eye was dotted, every tea was crossed. We had to make sure that his her rights, the teachers rights were not abridged in any way. It caused all kinds of chaos because a board member was flippant in the supermarket. And that can happen at any time. These things, this is the other curse of these things. They record, they'll record video, they record audio, [clears throat] and they're always on. And if you get caught in something, you can't back out of it. And I would say that if you're ever

143in a situation where there's a hearing and you walk in, it's like, uhoh, I know this person or you know, if it was an expulsion, it's the kid that set my garbage can on fire last summer. I've got to recuse myself. And it's that's the expectation. If I can't be a part of this in in inform or um impartially, I'm going to recuse myself. If you're never sure, if you're not sure, call the chair, call the superintendent if you have to. I'm not sure. I'm conflicted. I know this person. I grew up in Bloomfield. I was on the board in Bloomfield. A lot of these people were my teachers when it came to staff. At first I recused myself from everything and finally the the chair and the superintendent came up and said this is

144when we got a good chair and a good superintendent. Um you know you don't need to do that. If it's something where there's a direct connection maybe you know we could talk about it but you don't have to recuse yourself for everything but if it smells wrong or if it feels wrong by all means feel free to recuse yourself. But the opposite is if you don't reduce yourself, it could have harm to the decision later. Oh, I have to change this too because fight hard for what you believe in has different implications than it might have a few years ago. You know, definitely you're here to make things better and you have opinions, you have thoughts, share them with your colleagues, help influence the decisions of the board. Um, but then once it's done, accept

145the will and move on to the next thing. And if you're in the majority on something, be sensitive to the fact that somebody might feel like they lost something. And you know, it doesn't hurt to say, we took into consider, I remember one time, this was our town council, but one town councilman voted no on something. Don't remember what it was. And the mayor actually stopped the meeting, said, "Would you mind explaining why you voted no? I'm just curious." And he explained it. Oh, well, you know, if we had known that, we could have, and they actually went back to it and revisited it a little bit. Um, that's really great governance when you see something like that. If you read anything about the Bloomfield Town Council right now, that's not how they're doing it,

146but that's how they did it. >> Um, act like the Lone Ranger. I'm going to go into schools. I'm going to tell them what they need to do. I'm Especially those of you who are educators. I know, and again, I' I've seen this in other districts. You're going to tell the teacher how to teach the class. You're going to let the class know the teacher is not teaching the class properly, etc., etc. You're not the lone ranger. You're only if you authority is vested in you when you're at this table in session and by voting. That's the only authority you have. >> Oh, I'm going backwards. >> Mhm. >> Now it's working, but it's going backwards. Here we go. >> Oh, and we I've added the social media, so I'm starting to build it in

147because I think you're right. It's a much more flagrant thing than it used to be. Um, investigating school activities. Two board members were walking around the school with a camcorder interviewing students about how bad the schools were. >> Oh boy. >> There's so many laws being broken there because there's privacy rights. You can't You ever notice in when TV cameras even come in, news cameras come into school, they show the kids walking away. They don't want to be able unless they sign a waiver. You can't identify them in any way. >> Um if you're walking into a school and it's chaos, you're in the wrong place. And and that's there's some schools where the teacher closest to the front door knows if this board member comes in, let the principal know immediately. And if the

148principal knows the board member is coming in, let the superintendent know immediately. And if it's possible, the superintendent is there in five minutes walking next to the board member because they're going to cause trouble. Don't be that board member. [laughter] Micro um micromanaging is the biggest complaint I hear from superintendent. You're at the 30,000 foot level. You're at the macro level. You're not at the micro level. your superintendent's responsible for making decisions about how things happen and um not board members. Your your level is the policy. You set the expectation and policy and goals, etc. And then it's the superintendent's job to do it. Um dropping the bomb. I'm going to try to rush through these because it's already eight. I know you have more stuff to do. >> Um you have to ask questions.

149A friend of mine recently at a conference I was at said um governance is asking questions. Good governance is asking good questions and part of your role is to ask questions to hold people accountable. So if you're getting a report and something doesn't you know like I'm trying to understand it help me understand etc. That's your job. It's good to ask questions. Sometimes a question's a difficult one. You know I'm trying to think of an example but something that's bound to blow up. We're making a decision based on all the data and everything, but we know people in town are going to be really upset by it. Call the superintendent and say, "Look, this is out there in the community, and I know it's out. I'm going to ask you the question on Tuesday night.

150It's not help me understand the answer because then I will be okay with it." We need to ask the question in public because the public needs to know that it was asked and answered. But you've got all week to figure it out. you know, come up with a good answer, good response, or come up with more data to help us better understand it. It's not wait till the night of the meeting and and drop the bomb. Oops. That's not usually to find out information. That's to deliberately embarrass somebody. I'm I'm surprising you because I want you to feel surprised, not because I'm looking for an answer. Really important. Keep politics out of it. This is the easiest one to do. If you're doing it, stop. If you're not doing it, don't start. It really, there's

151not much else to say about it. Boards that are political think it's the way it's supposed to be and it hurts kids. So, leave that alone. People will come to you and want you to do stuff for them. They want you to carry the ball across the finish line instead of them because you can get tackled instead of me. We had Bob. Bob was a guy in my community. His wife worked for the junior high, which was a hot bed of union activity in our school district at the time. We actually had a high school, a junior high and a middle school. I can't explain it. There was no good reason for it. We were the only one in the state that had that. But the junior high was where all the union activists was

152were and it was always like problems. Um, and Bob would call me all the time and same conversation pretty much verbatim. Nick, this is Bob. Hi Bob, how you doing? Good. I have information. He always said, "I have information like it meant something." So, what is it? Well, it was told to me in confidence and I really shouldn't tell you after the second or third time. You know, I'm hyper ready to throw the phone. Um, so Bob, maybe I should hang up then if you can't tell me. Well, it's something you should know. And then I'm going to hang up if you don't tell me or I'm going to hang up anyway. And then he would tell me something that was meant to get me inflamed, get me upset, run to the superintendent, run out,

153check out the principal. I had to investigate because it was something really horrible happening. It was all made up. Don't let people trigger you like that. If if there's a chain of command for a reason and if somebody's got a problem, especially if it's a teacher, because teachers are a very protected class of employees. They have a contract that protects their rights. If they're being mistreated, they can go through a grievance process and ultimately get resolution to it. If they're really in the right, they will probably succeed. And if they're in the wrong, they won't. If they're coming to you instead of going through the processes because they truly believe they're going to lose, and they want you to make it go away. And that happens kind of regularly. So, don't let them do it

154make you do an end run around the superintendent because that's really what they're trying to do. And your CEO is only effective if he's got your ear and that you trust him. And if you're going around the superintendent, you're causing problems. any other [clears throat] >> if you have hidden agendas. But I think that's the next one here is um >> is your space bar not working? >> Thought you lost. >> Join in again or just Did I unzoo? Did I unzoom? >> I guess it >> lost the zoom. >> Looks like it's reconnecting. >> Okay. [clears throat] [laughter] >> I'll tell you what. Let me just go through the rest of them real quick. >> Is that better? [snorts] >> So, I'll just I'll just walk through your last couple because this is I

155I'm sensitive to your time as well. Um, sometimes board members have their own hidden agendas. Some actually rarely very hidden. People usually know exactly what you're trying to do. Um, the problem with the single issue board member is that either you're going to get what you want and then what do you do for the next year or two or you don't get what you want and then you really don't know what to do with yourself for the next couple years. Um, it doesn't help. um come in and I would say if you have concerns as as a new board member particularly it doesn't hurt to sit down and talk to the chair or the superintendent you know this is something I'm kind of thinking about um help me understand what we do here or could

156you hear my concerns if we have conversations we can often you know make things happen much more effectively than especially if we're trying to do it by sort of going around the edges I'm going to get information and um I've got in mind what I'm looking for nobody else does because [clears throat] secretive about it. That's not going to get you where you need to go. So, you want to think about um how we can get conversations around these issues in a way that actually has some meaning. And I'd say starting with a conversation with the chair to say, I'm really serious about this and I'd really like to see what we can do about it. It might be that the information you've been basing your opinion on isn't necessarily accurate and you can at

157least learn that. Um confidentiality is another big deal. it gets back to FOI. Um, you could spend a whole night on FOI. Um, that's a very comp the chairman of the FOI commission once called it the Attorney Employment Act. So, um, and and it can get ugly. The the two things I want to just really quickly talk about, one, confidentiality is critical. >> Um, I'm working with a board right now. They're getting ready to do a superintendent search again because they lost their last one after a year. And um one of the reasons is because board members were violating confidentiality and the superintendent didn't trust anybody. So it broke down the trust right from the start. >> Recently Bloomfield just hired a new superintendent about a year ago um who used to be in Windham.

158And um the board had decided this is going to be our finalist. They had not yet offered her the job. It was on social media the next day. This is the person the board's going to hire. and she had not even told her board because she hadn't been told she was a finalist yet. >> So, she called the search consultant says, "I'm seriously thinking about dropping out." She was fantastic >> and she is fantastic because they did decide they worked it out, but she said, "If I can't even trust my board to be confidential about this, >> what can I trust them with?" And it's a very valid point. >> Confidentiality is only as good as you make it. And once you lose it, you're shot. >> So I'll share a quick story. Remember Sandy?

159>> She's still working. [laughter] >> We were working. >> If you remember during Sandy, in the middle of Sandy, there was a giant snowstorm. Did you guys get the snowstorm up here? It was just me. >> We had a giant snowstorm during Sandy. So Sandy ended and then a giant snowstorm >> that made the horse. We were like out out for like two weeks that and uh there was a time where we were deciding whether or not to go back in and it would have been a shift of days off which was a little tricky and we're sitting in executive session having this discussion with the board and I start my my my phone starts blowing up. We're off tomorrow. We're not coming in tomorrow. one of the board members was on Facebook >> during

160the during the >> meeting [laughter] that that were discussed. Yeah. That the decision that we had been discussing was already made >> and >> yeah and it was just one of one of my principles called was called in but they figured I was out of the meeting at this point >> and generally it only that message was only ever said by me. It would control messaging for obvious reasons. You don't have misinformation. >> So that was confidentiality. The board actually sanctioned or censured that which didn't really mean anything. There's no like real >> noations to cens. >> But it did change. It did change everyone's like what do you say in executive session like like you start to be concerned about what do you say? What is okay to say? What's not okay? Is this

161going to get out tomorrow? >> And you talk about personnel matters. It's kind of interesting. I mean, nothing ever really came of it. It was just like, >> well, when you're sitting executive session, your phone's blowing up on a decision that has not been announced yet. That's >> the worst one I ever saw was the super and the superintendent, I think, gave the board too much information. And there was an executive session at the end of the board meeting and he mentioned that I I'm going to say it was the high school principal had been accused of doing something really heinous with a student and um [clears throat] very concerned he was starting an investigation. He just wanted the board to be aware of it in case anything happened to at least not be shocked

162or surprised. >> He I believe identified the person unfortunately and the very next night board member was at the PTO meeting in that school and said you got to watch out for Mr. so and so cuz he's being investigated >> that screwed up this investigation because a lot of times you get the best information before they know they're being investigated but secondly >> um he was being accused of something without you know by a board member the board member got sued now they sealed the the uh results of that I know he had to pay something he did get and he lost um but you have so back to sometimes you have the right to say something or not but there can very much be consequences But if it's an executive session, it's only as

163good as you respect it. And it's really, really important. The only other thing I would talk about in terms of FOI, you cannot speak about somebody unless they've been officially noticed in writing that they're going to be talked about. So, if um Scott comes to the board and says, "We're um you know, we're going to talk about Mr. So ando tonight, and Mr. so and so didn't get noticed, then any decision the board made in that executive session would be thrown out, you know, and it could cause great harm. Plus, not to mention, you could get sued because you're violating my rights. >> It does not mean that if the person is noticed in writing that the board's going to talk about them in executive session, it doesn't mean that that person has the right

164to sit in on that hearing. There may be a place for them. Most formal hearings have a place where they can listen and rebut it or um testify in their defense, but at some point it's very very likely you're going to clear the room and say, "Okay, we're going to deliberate now, so everybody has to go out." And they can't say, "Well, wait a minute. It's about me. I get to stay." The only thing they can do is insist the me the meeting be held in public. So, and as a chair, at that point in the meeting where we're about to go into executive session, I want to remind you that you have the right to, you know, um, request this be held in public, which means the reporters can be here. There can be

165a camera on, you can be on, you'll be zoomed. Um, if you insist on it, we will do it. But that's your decision. Um, but once they've made that decision, they also can't go back and say, "Oh, wait, wait, stop. I want this to go into executive session again. Too late. um considering staff the enemy. Um these uh too bad these are kind of dramatic these quotes. We'd have a lot more money to help kids learn if we didn't have so many teachers on the payroll. >> Now I have pre heard people say things like that. But when a school board member says that we're in big trouble because that's where the money hits the road that um rubber hits the road. I would prefer in the perfect world that 100% of our budget beyond

166teacher salaries because that means we're putting the money where the the actual magic takes place. Well, actually I've changed that. It's probably 50/50. 50% teacher salaries, 50% professional development because we want to give them all the resources they need to be effective. Um, but if board members are starting to think that way, we have a problem. Um, they're not the public, just staff. You know, sometimes boards sort of lose sight. a lot of teachers in the room tonight. They're obviously very concerned about what we're talking about. They're not they're not the public. They're staff. We have way too many administrators. Not here, I'm sure. But that is a common thread. In fact, um in Bridgeport when they're faced with that $23 million deficit, one of the board members said, "We're not going to get rid

167of a single teacher, but we'll get rid of all the administrators if we have to." But long term, that's the worst thing you can do because without educational leadership in a building, without those administrators helping guide the instruction, you're not going to be successful. Um, I've done work with administrative teams and I am amazed at the work they do. So, again, if you ever have if you're ever as a board member thinking those kinds of things, ask, you know, could you just help me understand what our staff does? you know, let me talk talk to a principal or something just to get a sense of the work they do because it's really remarkable how much they get done. And um last one is ignoring policy. Your policy manual is the book of law for the

168school district and your expectation is that everybody in the district must obey policy without exception. In other words, Scott can't look at a policy. I don't think this is the right response for this type of thing, so I'm just not going to do it. He can't do that. Now, what he can do is come to the board and say, I have an issue. Here's what the policy says I have to do. I think it's the wrong response. This is what I'd prefer to do. The board can vote to set aside that policy for that particular issue and give him permission to do what he thinks is right. >> We had um a carnival in town one day and I very foolishly, again, I was young and I hadn't learned a lot of things yet. I

169pushed through a zero tolerance policy on weapons. In fairness, it was around the time of Coline. Everybody was scared to death about what was happening. Um, and you show up in school with a weapon, immediate minimum 30-day expulsion. You know, you still have to go through the hearing process and all that. You can't just automatically throw a kid out of school. There's a hearing, formal hearing, but it would be a minimum 30 days up to 180 days if it was a weapon. About a month into that this new policy, the superintendent came to the board in the meeting and says, "I have a real dilemma. There was a carnival in town. One of the prizes for throwing the balls at things was a little pocket knife. They're not sharp. You can't even cut butter with

170you can't even cut soft butter with them. They're not real weapons. And these kids are just, look what I want. Look, they're not they're not in any way threatening each other, harming each other. They're just being stupid, you know, fifth graders." And he said, "But according to your policy, I have to throw them all out of school for a minimum 30 days. what do you want me to do? And of course, we didn't want him to throw them out of school. So, we waved the policy for that particular situation, gave him authority to make the decision he thought was appropriate, but then we also scheduled the policy committee meeting and said, "We're going to fix the policy because that was obviously a very stupid thing to do." We had it was more about intent, causing

171harm, threats, and all. It was behavior rather than the actual weapon. Um, so that was I'm trying [clears throat] to rush through the last part of this because I I know you have stuff to do. Um, any questions? Yeah, >> I guess it was back to, you know, student success and and and what we really, you know, should be working towards and the focus of the goals. Um, you know, that the work we do on setting, you know, performance goals and, you know, our board goals and everything. it um they're very high level, you know, and you typically it's pretty high level and it's hard to like dial down with the data and say, you know, show me how how we're improving education for our kids and and in such a small community and just

172this is probably anecdotal for what you see across the board. We have we have a harder time because, you know, it's you could look at each and every kid in the class if you wanted to, but then you'd have confidential information. you're not going to do that, you know, and that's not fair. >> Um, so you get a small segment and it's skewed because of X Y and Z factors and such a small data size and it kind of just gets minimalized. >> So it's it's more of like what do schools do in that case to like ensure that they're doing the right thing without being feeling like defeist about the way the the numbers go. I think it starts with the original proposal whenever you're initiating something new as I think it's a fair

173question to ask the superintendent when that proposal coming through how are we going to be assessing the success of this program what are you going to be using to see if the students are succeeding and how can we find a way to share that with us in a meaningful way >> so if especially when it's micro things that you're working with there's always going to I mean otherwise why are we implementing this if If we want if we're not doing it to show success, but we don't really know what the su success is going to look like, either we're always going to be right or we're always going to be wrong. So, I think it's a fair question to say if we implement this, how will we know if we're succeeding? Um and if we're

174not what do we what's because the other thing I'm afraid of a lot of school districts um we try a new program to fix something and if we don't provide all the resources you know any new for instance the new science standards a number of years ago must be about eight years ago now um nextgen science standards they came up with they weren't changing a lot of content but they were definitely changing the way it was taught more hands-on more experimental and so teachers didn't automatically Well, we got a new book, so now I'll just rete teach the new book. It was about a change in instruction. And so the measurements weren't necessarily just student data, but how effectively are the teachers implementing these new strategies. So we might not get a rubric that says,

175you know, the scores went up 10%, 20%, 5%, but that observations show that we're doing this and we're doing that. So I think it's more important at the beginning of that process to sort of hone in on what how will we know if we're going to be successful. Um and frankly I think there's always could you help us understand where we are with this? I think it's always a fair question. >> Consider aggregating multitude of data because you can't you can't talk about data like you said if there's a class size of 10 personally data is it's not big enough to use in any way. >> Right. However, you can use if it's second grade, let's say, you can use [clears throat] second grade data over three years and say that after after three years,

176we expect to see an aggregate result of X and that way you could at least because it is challenging with the numbers. You know we have class size of 10 >> and um you know in your world you take >> 10 is data >> but longitudinal data over years >> which is frustrating because you know people want an instant an instant result >> but instant results in our world you know say we move more like a steam ship than a race car to turn just takes forever >> but I like that because it's it's an applied approach that that sets our expectations and parents expectations of how you know what this new program is expect you know I mean >> the people implementing in year one are still learning it in year one so year

177one there's a lot of learning going on on the staff side >> that takes a while for that to get refined to a point where it will be impactful >> and one of the one of the frustrations is we don't give it enough time to do that so all of a sudden after two or three years oh that's not working what are we going to do now >> please stop talking about the Jets quarterback situation >> [laughter] >> If I do this just right, it'll get right back. >> You still deserve it. [laughter] >> And I think with programs too, it takes a couple of years for teachers to really feel confident in the program, right? So, you've changed their way of thinking. You've changed their way of teaching, their way, their mode of instruction,

178and and you know, they're not going to be great at it the first year. >> They're going to, you know, kind of wade through murky waters the first year. >> And also, you don't want as a teacher, >> right, >> to then be hit, >> correct? because the kids didn't get a 10% increase in the first year >> when you're because that's going to defeat >> right >> you and then once you're defeated getting to the next layer >> you you so we have to do a lot of internal data not outward reporting data in the first year or even two years depending on the on the scenario where you know your data but I'm not as a superintendent coming at you because of the data we [clears throat] have to accept the fact that

179we need time to digest the new learning or the new thing or whatever it is. And there there are good ways to do that and without causing the the immediate defeat when it doesn't go as well as you had planned. >> But I think it gives a great opportunity for reflection on the program as long as you're not getting, >> you know, right? So, you know, you do year one, you're waiting through the waters and at the end of year one, you're like, we got through this. what do we need to do differently next year? These are the outcomes from this year. What do we need to do next year? And instead of having an evaluation of the teacher per se, it's more of a discussion on a reflection of the teacher. You know, there

180the teacher has sat and reflected and these are some things that were great and these are some things that weren't. How can we support those pieces? Because it's going to take a good three years before that teacher says, I know the material. I've got it. I I can, you know, seamlessly get through what I need to get through and have those outcomes. So, I think it's the um the community and the the way that we um work with those new programs as a reflective process rather than as an evaluative >> process of the teachers. And I I I kind of moved away over the years from that we're going to have a 2% incremental change or a 3% incremental change and our basic skills numbers or our kids that didn't pass the test are going

181to go up by 3% of that year. Those don't work. If you want to change the result, change the practice, >> get the practice refined and the result should come if it's the right practice >> and therefore assessing assessing those elements without using the data of we I could do this all day so I should but >> I know it's kind of a loaded question. It's just more of more and I just like the approach is it's sounds like we're we're in agreement but it helps shape us as we start our work. I mean there's always we continue our work but thinking of today forward and a starting point of how we want to think about our goals for the the year and we formulate our goals and so forth and there's always you always

182want to get it back to the kid and but you you know always knowing that it's in our specific district it's more you know and it's it's harder to to we don't want to micromanage anything you know that's not our job to micromanage anything but it's good to be involved in the process of finding out and getting touch points on how things are going. >> Well, and it's important as a board to know that the people who are supposed to be doing that in fact are I mean I want my administration to be looking at data. I want teachers to inform their instruction by looking at results from the last one so that what do I have to change to be better? Um or those individual children that maybe learn from a different style, how

183do I change my instruction to make sure that they benefit from it? um that's at the building level, at the teachers, at the principal level, at the stu, you know, but not the board level. But you do want to know that somebody's doing that. >> I was going to say, and having been here the years, every once in a while, we get a class with some that is extremely smart. They all do well being a small school and then the numbers go boom boom boom and they all and then we followed by some not necessarily mediocre but middle range students and so why did our numbers drop so much? >> Well, the numbers are so small. It just takes a small group to keep changing. You can't look at grade over grade look at you

184have to look at kids in gross scenario year >> long term you can look where as they go along which grade what that really great grade is doing but then you have some others that are just medium >> middle of the road and those are the ones you really want to be looking at seeing are we making any difference in them cuz they're really smart with like eight or 10 that are all in the 90% range or something doesn't really show us what we're doing. It just shows what they're doing. >> Well, I think that's why it's important that your teacher, your principal is looking at student, individual student data because you're still measuring growth. >> Yeah. >> You know, the child if they're starting here, you know, we did our lighthouse work with Windom,

185uh, and part of that was looking at their data. Now, Windham has the largest achievement gap in Connecticut and a very struggling district. We gave them raw data. We didn't analyze it for them. We just put it in a chart so they could see um annual growth by cohort. So we could see the third graders when they were in fourth grade and fifth to sixth. We could track basically how much growth those same children had, but we didn't analyze it in any way for them. We just gave it to them said spend spend some time looking at it and tell us what you think. And what was fascinating was that while the end results the numbers were pretty bad, they were having phenomenal growth from year to year to year because they were starting at

186like 5% success. So even if you go to 10% higher in a year, it's still only 15. So it took time, but they were showing some significant teaching going on. But what it also and what we're trying to get the board to look at is okay, looking at this, what's the next question you want to ask? Well, why is it between fourth and fifth grade there was a tremendous drop off? And one board member goes, "Well, that's because all the kids go to a different middle school." Well, then why the next year did they all jump right back up? Obviously, something's happening between fourth and fifth grade, but it might not be that. What's another good question you'd want to ask? And so, we're trying to get them to sort of inquisitive attitude. You know,

187every time we get a data point, now what? What does that mean? And what we saw was they were doing some incredible things in that district, but they had to really start to focus on we have to really get down to the lower grades and help these kids learn to read quicker, do math quicker, so that that will influence all the rest of it. But they needed to see that data. And but one board member actually said, "I've been on this board 20 years. How come I didn't know any of this?" >> Because in that district, that wasn't the type of data that they felt was going to help the board make decisions. >> You wound me up. I'm sorry. I I can just keep going, but I'll >> I'll just I'll I'll let maybe

188the the new Is there any burning questions before he goes or is it It's just soaking it all in. But you guys get the floor up. Your last question. >> You're welcome. >> I'm soaking it all in. >> It was very informative. Thank you. >> You're welcome. I'm always available. Give a call to CA if you need anything. Um email and [email protected]. Always willing to help. Always willing to come out. So, see you in a couple years. >> This summer. >> Thank you. Thank [laughter] you so much. Very, very helpful. >> I was scheduled to go to um Salem on the 29th and then the chair says, "Well, we have this thing on the February 9th, too. That maybe would be better to go to that instead." That's I'll go to both. So, I'm more

189than happy to come out as often as you can. >> Thank you very much for your time. >> You're very welcome. Thank you. >> Happy New Year. >> Oh, same to you. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> I knew I was going to forget this. >> Okay. Those are the extras. >> Does anybody need >> That's ours. Yeah. >> Thank you. >> But feel free to um we have the consent agenda as our next point of business. Um, do we have a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented? >> Motion. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I opposed. Um, we have our reports or report. All right. So, um, when we get to new business, I'll talk about calendar. Um we did receive a um request to market from our non assert unit

190as you know that's this year >> so we'll be um engaging in that uh Kate now who who is our team our negotiations team >> heel >> so um we should meet >> and um and talk about uh the process and all that and get some I need some dates from the three of you so I can share that with Anna Bush from the union to work on that out and get that moving. Okay. >> Um my big update right now is going to be budget and then we'll do a little calendar later. >> Um but today um Darlene and I met with Chuck and Rachel, not just Rachel and Rachel from Learn as you know we hired them um to work with us. Great opening meeting. um very very productive. Um they are going

191to work on some of the key things that we feel we need some support with. Number one is as I share with you opening the 2% nonlocking account. We want to make sure we do that right. We want to make sure that's on the up and up and so they're going to support us with that. Uh we'll probably be reaching out to town as well on that. The other one is working on as I shared with you about e-ate is going to be about 30% discount on all most of our technology expenses going forward. That's pretty huge. Playing a game here could be quite a bit of money. We're going to use it as a discount almost as a coupon rather than a rebate. You can choose how you want to do that. That's the

192easiest way for us to do that. Um the one of the big ones which is a very interesting one is creating SOPs. If you're not familiar with the language standing operation procedure manuals, Rachel part of learn is going to work with um our structure in the business office. So helps build redundancy and outlines process in in all the various business um things that have to happen. So that's a huge one because there's not a lot of written down. Um there's a lot of um institutional knowledge which is great but things do change and you never want to be stuck without redundancy and paradigms. So that was pretty huge uh along with a bunch of other things which we'll talk about as we go as we go through the budget. Uh but right now we are

193in the middle of the budget work and identifying specific lines that will be addressed and um the way that works and you guys all receive those documents um that talk about the budget where we are um I do the same thing and I am doing a lot of questioning right now a lot of tormented with those two over there >> which was pre meeting today was torment Lloyd and Amy that was the initial Um, but really it just comes down to I I'm not I I don't fudge numbers. So, if we're going to have the number issue, you're going to know there's a number issue. Um, I'm also very conservative with um spending. But the big approach that I take, and I'm sure this is what you're used to, is managing a budget that keeps

194the concentric purpose why we exist here intact. You keep learning intact. You avoid everything that has to do with learning if at all possible and you take everything else into consideration. And that is the approach that um I'll be taking with the budget unless that's not what you would think. I think that's probably what the board would expect. Um that's not so easy necessarily, especially when we're not going to see the percentage that, you know, every district would want every year. um to roll over a budget. If you just think about how much it would cost to do everything today, tomorrow in any district pretty much it runs about 4 to 6%. And I don't know of any district getting 4 to 6% in any given year pretty much. So how you manage that year

195over year um has to do with how you work around the edges and um look for savings. So things like V rate, if V rate saves us $8,000, that's $8,000. And if you can do that enough time, do various things, you're able to continuously bump it forward without hitting the things that. So my hope is when I produce a budget for you and then opening the town, it would be something where we are spending uh fiscally responsibly, but kids wouldn't feel a thing. anything they get improved circumstance, not reduced circumstance. So >> that's the work. It's it's it's fun work. I enjoy that work. Um learning Connecticut is tricky as you can see some of these Connecticut crazy things. Um of course you went to New Jersey. We do crazy things. I'm sure. Um but

196I'll give you some of the challenges. Okay, most of them are Lloyd. Lloyd is my biggest challenge. Okay, let's be honest. Lloyd is my biggest challenge. trying to work with a man be big challenge. All he wants to do is spend, spend, spend. [clears throat and laughter] All he wants to do. So, um, we have a >> He's the biggest tricker out. [laughter] >> Got to walk this way. Um, so special education is not driven by anything but what kids need and what's in their IEPs. >> So, I tease Lloyd because nothing Lloyd can do about it, right? he he can't say, "Well, we're not going to deliver this program." He can't do that. Um, and I remember interviewing for a superintendent position years and years and years ago, and during the during this this

197u one of the interviews, uh, the board said, "I remember we went to the we went to the director of special services. We told that person to cut his budget by 10%." Well, that isn't the way it could work. >> You could tell me to cut 10%, but I can't tell Lloyd to cut 10%. Mhm. >> because that could be a violation of IEPs to do that and therefore you'll be sued and then you'll be spending more money with attorneys. >> So you can't do that. >> Uh we can be smart about our spending in special education. We can do all kinds of good things with it but it doesn't come with a you got to stay in this budget. Sometimes we try. It doesn't really work that way. Um so when kids move on

198to high school it becomes even more challenging in a set and receive relationship which is what we have here. We send kids. Eight high schools receive kids. So, um, while I like this much better in Connecticut than New Jersey because we still own the IEPs in high school, in New Jersey, you lose the IEPs >> even though you foot the bill. >> Bad design in a K8 system like this. >> So, Lloyd is involved in all that and works with the the receiving districts to manage all this. It's a lot of work. Um, but you still can't control it the same way. So, we have kids, let's say right now, we have a might be in a special education class receiving a program moves up to nth grade the exact same program and now that's

199going to cost $30,000. That's the reality of seven youth relationship. So that's that's a serious amount of money. This is significant. Um we are actually adding more special needs um tuitions next year than we are losing. And that's nothing not bad for our kids. This is just the reality of finances, not nothing to do with kids or anything like that. So that's a challenge. Health insurance premiums as no matter where you are in the world, you know that that's a consistent challenge. We're looking at about a 12% increase premiums. So that's that's real money. Um and then general expenses, things are not going down, they're still going up. We just paid a $25,000 gas bill. Um things like that. And there's always uncertainty with grants. So that's always a bit of a concern like, you

200know, are you going to get the full grant or not? So we budget the way we budget, but you always always a challenge with that. Yeah, some positives um are -ate, right? Fresh off easy one. Um and I I'll be honest with you, the the work involved with -ate for us was I signed three papers today. >> I'm sorry, but what does rate mean? >> Is a grant program >> that gives districts money to support their technology infrastructure. >> Oh, okay. and the the coupon or the discount you receive on your purchases is related to your free and reduced lunch population. So if you have about a 30% free lunch population, that's the percentage you'll receive off of the purchases and that's done through a grant. Either the grant can be done in two ways.

201It could be a discount off the purchase or it could be a rebate. We just took discount easier for us to manage. >> Um that's a positive. Um, uh, the grant for facilities called DRIP, >> it looks like it's going to happen, although we have no application. >> It's a it's a wacky thing, but that's going to be about $40,000 that allows us to keep money in operations and not move it to maintenance because we do have a project in AC that's going to need to happen. Um, the creation of the 2% non-lapsing account is going to be great for us. Um, and then we're working for I'm not going to get into it all specifically right now, but I won't be shortly. Um, there's there's positives, too. This is not a big negative thing.

202I'm not looking at a uh I'm not trying to scare people to a giant crisis. The reality is you can't ever have enough money to roll over a budget in today's ideas. It just doesn't work that way. Um, so it's a question of having to do all of these things on the operations side of the system so we can avoid the education side of the system and still maintain our funding for our kids. So, we'll be getting more into it as we go. Um, but it's it's um I'm feeling really good. I think I sent you guys an email about the 2% lapsing and the meeting we had um without Brian guy and um Crystal who moved from um our accounts pay our accounts payable over to the finance. I mean really fantastic meeting and

203um again that's the importance of the relationship with the town you know and and I just you know make sure all our board and all of our staff members know we have to preserve that and everything that we do and say because that's that is extremely valuable because it's about them as much as it is us and the kids. This is a this is a town. We're part of that and that's that's really valuable. So I I'm I'm looking forward to keep digging in. Um, Dolina has been uh my right hand, my left hand. I think both my feet >> and um >> you have heels and heels. [laughter] >> Pink heels. >> Sparkles. >> Sorry. >> I joke one day she said, "I'm out of pink and purple pens. My god [laughter] for Amazon."

204Um, but really, um, I'm not saying I'm not confident we're going to be in great shape, but I'm not also thinking we're going to be in crisis mode. I'm seeing enough uh that I think we're going to get through this and begin educating um the town's people on the driving factors and we'll work through this together. So, I'm very happy to have our new team aboard. Um, Chuck and Rachel. Um, Chuck is a former VA and Rachel is I think like account. Yeah. And both very smart and very knowledgeable about all things that we need and I think we'll be a lot stronger as a result for the future as a result of of their support. >> How is society in general? I know we we first contacted technology wise that's going well smoothly. >>

205Yeah. And he's still in the beginning. It's in the beginning. Um but um you know kinks transition [clears throat] kinks and >> we had so many per you know permanent person not yeah we had a permanent person and now we have >> I mean I'm saying as in we hired somebody so Mr. was our technology coordinator. So, it's it's I know it's going to be a >> Yeah, it's a transition. And they have two levels. They have a um an admin and a tech. >> So, the tech is here when things are going well three days a week and the admin is one day a week and um still working through all that and we want to make sure that we're providing what we need for our staff so they can provide it to the

206kids. >> Just a personal comment, they've been extremely helpful. >> Good. They're really good people, very responsive. Um, I've had some issues uh with technology in my office and um they're just very confident, very responsive. I'm very pleased. >> Great to hear. >> Great. >> I have a question. You said that we spent 25,000 on gas. [clears throat] >> Um I know that we have a diesel tank in the back. Have we thought about putting a gas tank in the back? maybe >> to install our homes >> minimize that or is that is it going to be the same price anyway? >> Yeah. G I mean the gas you purchase is the gas you purchase. So I'm not sure it would be a savings but it's something we could definitely look into. >> I'm just

207curious. I mean I don't know where where it's being filled up. I'm assuming it's some of the gas stations out here which compared to Rhode Island prices are a bit on the high side right now. Yeah, I didn't know >> what the viability of that would even be. I'm just, you know, thinking out loud. >> I off the top of my head, I would think we're not big enough, >> okay, >> to handle it. But maybe I'm wrong. So, we're looking at >> I just knew we had diesel, so I was like, well, if we have diesel, why can't we, you know, do the same thing back there? Buying both, >> right? >> Would it be cheaper? >> Yeah. Not sure that one. >> Yep. Anything else for me on budget or any other topic?

208Focus on budget right now for the next few months. >> Yeah, you get about 10 minutes less on your budget section just because we talked about it already. >> It's a budget section. >> All business. I did all business. >> All business is checked. >> Really? >> Oh gosh. >> I was like then we got the report now. Oh, now we got to like fix your back. >> I was legitely like, wait, I know there's going to be another hour involved here, so I'm taking 10 minutes. >> No, I can. If you like, I can go. >> No, it's okay. Thank you. Thank you. All right. >> Would you like to screen share? [laughter] >> You have like a budget calendar so we know like >> Yeah. Then we we have the budget calendar. Do

209you want to >> Yeah, >> the budget calendar. No, not this. We didn't really develop one >> cuz you >> do it your way. It was different than >> I have a bunch of calendar. >> Yeah, >> but they haven't they haven't seen that. >> Let's send it out tomorrow. >> Okay, >> we'll work on that and I'll get that to you tomorrow. >> Great. >> There's an added component here because you work with the town in New Jersey. You don't. >> That's a whole another letter, >> right? you have to stay on your >> on it because of the notice periods and so forth. >> Yep. >> Okay. Well, thank you for that. Um principal report. >> Um I'll just say that everybody is sick. [laughter] If your kids come home sick, everyone's sick.

210There's flu as a law. There's a lot of flu going around right now. um >> rise by another 20% in the next two or three days. >> It's been pretty bad. You've heard people have had flu shots um you know things like that. So just everybody out there yes going around um >> Huh? >> A lot of hand foot milk. I heard hand foot milk was going around schools also. Yes, we did earlier in like earlier like November, November. Um, and even older kids because we have siblings, >> right? So, we're like one big one big family here. So, everybody's, you know, plays at everybody else's house and things like that. And my mouth open. >> How about the stomach? Let's just go for the trifect. So, that's like normal, right? You get that little

211>> Yeah. Let's go. Whatever. It's just like flashback to like pandemic, right? Like remember that march and we look like you think of that like we went and >> you come in and you're like there were only six kids in the second grade and you're like oh my god. Um just one of the things for now is so January is benchmark season for us. So to his um to Nick's point like we do that we collect that data and um we meet and then in early February we meet as teams and we talk about you know kids and we actually look more at the individual growth. evening when I get ESPback scores um we look at like do they go from this level to this level because what you know greater wise it's hard when

212there's only a few but um we do do that a lot and okay what happened between that this year and I we have those discussions um we do have PD tomorrow afternoon for teachers so that's one of the things that when we had gotten that grant for TNTP which was when we started working on um reading and our HMH program providing people with professional development. We were given this grant. So they'll those younger teachers will be working on like um it's called unit internalization. So we'll be working on units. Um so those are just like steps forward and really like working through programs. Um HMH is still new to us. It's four years maybe. So like it's a very complex program. You know we had to buy when we had money co money and um

213state requirements. So those are things that you know we work on and then other people do other things. So that'll be happening tomorrow. Um they have some par professional development tomorrow um also for CPR and first aid. So that'll be coming through. So everybody's got their pockets of things but to Nick's point like those things happen you know at different times and different times of the year. So we try to take advantage of those early dismissals to do the stuff you can't do in 45 minutes in a planning time. still using those um longer time periods to do. So, basketball season's almost over. >> So, that'll be ending in a few weeks. We'll get our gym back. Moving on to volleyball. So, that's like the happiest season volleyball. >> This is like the longest six

214weeks I've ever long when you have a cheerleader. It's a long season because you're here at 7:30. So, that's a long time. But um that I don't think we're hosting any semis or or playoffs or anything like that which makes it a lot easier for us to be able to manage. But um so that'll be ending soon and we'll go right into um volleyball. >> Yes. >> Question on PD I guess and budgets too. Do you do you is there a lot of um grants that we get that you spoke about a certain grant you know so it's like our budget for PD is not big. So >> no and and PD is expensive. So, um, the woman who did this grant with us, we actually contacted her, this was back in October, to come

215like outside of the grant work because she was very good and like worked with us and that's separate and that's expensive, right? So, you know, you're talking $1,000, $1,500 for somebody to come for a couple hours. Um, so those big things don't, you know, always happen. A lot now is online. And within the teachers contract, the board provides $300 a year for teachers to access, but it's really not in person as much. You know, it's really a lot is online. You're buying like seats to like a writing workshop and things like that. Um, and that's part of that that budget. Also, >> make sure you're getting enough. >> Yeah. >> Really get everything [snorts] you need for PD. >> When when are you expecting the tech schools to make decisions? I don't have a date.

216>> Their applications haven't even closed yet. >> Okay. >> So, I think they close at the end of January. January. >> I think they know February. [cough] >> Hopefully, you know, February. >> Some kids will have um we have a large increase for NFA this year. So, like last year, like I said, last time last year was Griswald, this year. So, sometimes [laughter] it fluctuates back and forth. So, >> how many clients did it tech? >> You know, about I would say probably about seven or eight. I mean, you know, you get some right, but >> still Ellis or is it mostly Norwich? >> A lot of Norwich. Couple Ellis. >> A couple. And then you said like pre-legered. >> Yeah, I believe there were three ledger. So great. I'm making those are here. Maybe

217they'll get in, >> you know, and that's such a decreased situation, you know. It's just >> with both the lottery what that is going to be >> and what that will >> what that will look like for us >> if kids don't get in. I did encourage them and you know I saw the larger program I talk about this all the time like they have those if they want machines they want woodworking they have that it's not just about animals >> you know and unless you see it you know so that is another option for them if they don't if they really want to do that and they don't get in >> they did they tore my church they did >> they did yeah >> yeah so they see they saw it >> they saw

218it >> you know but they're seeing it as 12y olds 13 year olds me I'm like oh this is amazing but you know they're seeing it as kids like oh you whatever. Um, and they don't think that far ahead >> until you have to clean the stables >> until you're right. Chores giving birth to you work on a tractor motor. You could probably work on a car, >> right? >> That's it for me. >> Great. Thank you very much. >> Um, keep it short. We have started receiving the seed grant money and it's going to be very helpful this year because we had some a few unexpected opportunities and obligations come that can be covered by the grant. It's fairly good size piece of equipment we need for a student that we got to be

219able to take care of with one of our teachers is receiving some special training to work with kids uh um in the area of display and things like that. And the training resulted in opportunities to buy materials which um are going to be covered by that grant coming out of the budget. And then um one of our new uh assessment tools uh um the REIT u achievement testing um there's some uh equipment that will help the teacher correct >> the the scoring more efficiently and again that Grant's going to help us with that. And um um as I said in my sentence in my report and we talked about it today with uh Scott as we become more and more aware of where the eighth graders want to go to school those that those that

220have IEPs um it's helping us to for our public budget education together and and we do have a larger than usual number eight period Thank you for >> Okay, so moving to old business. Sounds like item A, your budget has been covered. Um then we're just moving through a couple of policies. Um this is our second reading in old business. The first one is school climate policy. Um 511. Um but I I know we kind of looked at spoke about it last time. Um I didn't if there was anything that needed review by law or Amy, but I think this is our point to kind of check back on that. Did you see anything on that? Did you? Yeah, I read that last night and out switch. >> I'll make it. Yeah, >> we got

221a motion and second to approve it as we call that revised or as >> presented. As presented, right? Okay. >> Um because we did make a couple revisions, but um as presented as this pack. So, um all in favor I any opposed? Heard motion passes to approve as presented. Item number two is students with special healthcare needs policy and regulation update 5141525. Any discussion on this policy? I love I love that me doing them ahead of time. Saves you all a ton of time. >> Google did it twice. Like so many times. >> I read I'm like, "Wait, did I Oh, I [laughter] like >> Oh, and with the way Google, >> you know, the way that >> Gmail works, you know, it's just it's just truncates everything." So, you don't even see the comments.

222Yeah. No, that was from >> I was going to say I'm pretty sure I requested access to the sexual harassment policy that DD sent me like 6 months ago, but it's like it for some reason was at the top of when I clicked in the email and I'm like, "No, >> it's okay. It's all a motion to accept as >> favor." Any opposed? and her motion. And final old business policy is the resignation removal board officer and censure. So kind of a propos kind of discussing that a little bit, but um hopefully you all put on notice. [laughter] We are bunch >> you might get a really nasty form of sample letters but doesn't really matter [laughter] >> as long as you define what center actually meant in that discussion we all know [clears throat]

223but it's good I think that these type of things ares up. We're obviously, you know, we're not in in a season where we're sniffing out policies, but just know that there are these things there in our bylaws and areas that >> protections in place. >> Um, do we have a motion to approve as presented? >> Motion second. >> All in favor? >> Any opposed? Heard motion passes. Approved. that by. Okay, moving to new business. Again, more policy. Um, the first policy is 1312, public complaints. Um, and again, that's first reading. So, these second, these have to move to second. So, um, if you had any questions, I know we we had a few questions that were going through. Did you hear back from people? >> I did. Yeah. They said like this this just explains

224like the proper channel. That's the reason for this of if you had a complaint, you know, to start with the teacher to the principal to the super I think for the form is the weird one. >> The form you you know, you felt it. relates to stuff that happens in the classroom. It's it's kind of related to materials taught whether it's a video, a book or whatever. >> I know you guys had questioned, you know, we already have a policy, we just did all the library ones, but that's stuff relating to stuff in the library. >> This is related to what's taught by staff. And if we do, if there was a behavioral Megan, that was your point. like what do you know that actually was covered in the school climate policy. There's a behavioral

225form >> on that two separate issues. >> Yeah. It's just >> but this this policy they said you know it's more so just go to explain the proper protocol of what to follow >> climate. No. No. Cuz like we take out the hierarchy. Like I think it's important >> and I can we can talk about this. I can go back on that email too cuz they were like on there and I know we're going to go to a second reading so I don't spend too much time on it. >> But like >> if like somebody came to Amy, right, and Amy was like, "Okay, well did you talk to the teacher?" And they were like, "No." I think it's nice to have it actually so she can say like, "No, this is the step you

226follow." I mean, I know we >> assume that people know that, but they bullies. So >> to take that out, I think that's So maybe I'll take another look at it now that we I just wanted to clarify question because >> I I wasn't sure if this was a cape recommendation or >> it is. It was in their policy update. >> Yeah. So I think a lot of this we just won't want to cross out. We not necessarily add stuff just so I'll make some notes and send them over the chain of command is a really big one. Yeah, >> we could post that on the website >> with a policy link, but right on right in the front >> chain of command is a good one. >> You can do it for you can

227flowchart it. >> Y >> and help people know who to go to. So if it's a a transportation issue, what do I do? If it's a classroom issue, what do I do? If it's a >> definitely issue, what do I do? I have a budget question, what would I do? >> Yeah. even students that have even parents that are having questions on a you know with a general education teacher with a student with an IEP question >> right and it's like okay do I go to the special education teacher do I go to the regular registry I go to pulse or go like >> so why don't we do this after second read >> we flushed out the policy >> right >> maybe we'll create a flowchart >> well I'll work on it a >>

228something for the for the website it would be a flowchart of links because it's a website Yeah. >> So, um you would say click here, click here, then click here, click here, and that would have the name and the email, possibly phone number of the right person. >> Depending on the situation, almost always it will just be Amy. [laughter] >> There'll be one I'll just keep going. [laughter] >> I was going to make a comment that on your school calendar under the hierarchy of phone numbers, you are below the school facts. >> [laughter] >> I tried to get off the call together, but she kept putting me back on. [laughter] >> On this thing, you just said that. I don't even know why on this. >> We're going to get to the whole the Yeah,

229I'll give you one though. >> Look, if you can uh have Darina move that to the bottom, please [laughter] >> and change the change the font to white. >> Enable the back page. phone numbers are on the second page, >> right? >> With white font >> and put cell number on there. >> Okay. Oh, that's a good [laughter] idea. >> Oh, it's a lot. >> Do we still have a fact? [laughter] >> Like, it's a sandwich. Like what? [laughter] >> This is good. This is what happens after. >> Yeah, >> that's why I sugar them all. So, I'm glad that >> the other one's a nonlapsing account, >> right? [laughter] >> We're good. So, you're all fine. >> Yes. So photographer piece and please highlight. >> All right. Highlight [laughter] >> highlight. All right. So

230uh August first day is August 24th which is nothing new. There's a big change big >> because we are going to try to match I'm recommending this change to the board to match with um the high schools. Now I not all high schools but NFA Ledger and um Wheeler so two of our three public high schools do this and this I think will be very well received and you will be heroes I believe um Wednesday November 25th >> instead of an early release day would be a closed day >> that's good >> it's We think that will be day before Thanksgiving. >> I can talk to your boss. >> Could you do that? >> I will. I'll invite him for dinner. Talk to your boss. >> Val made a request. [laughter] Um, >> so there's

231one mistake on this version. I can tell you we've had iterate. We had about maybe six iterations of this thing today and something I love for shuffle November 3rd. >> Yeah, I was. Yeah, just it's just a it's just a misprint. >> November 3rd >> is not November 3rd should be closed and it should be for conferences. >> Yes. >> So over it's just a miss. >> What happened was when when when I had when when I wanted to move it to >> we added kind of on the 11th for Veterans Day like you do here, which is fantastic. >> We accidentally removed the third which was blue all the time. So that's going to be fixed. So you're you can adopt this with the amendment >> that the 11th is a half a day.

232>> 11th is correct. The only error November 3rd. >> Well, this one doesn't show 11. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. >> You guys change they have blue on the 3 but not the change to the 11th. >> Oh, so you have blue on the third. >> Correct. >> Okay. Yours is correct. But now add >> early release day on the 11th. will be on it. >> No, no, it's early. >> The third is a closed day. >> The only question that I have to that is we had initially the reason we never had that election day as closed until the town used to use the school for elections and now the town no longer uses school for elections at least last year. >> Last year, right? >> So, do we still I mean I know

233then you guys put your conferences there. >> Explain this. I'm just wondering if that's still valuable. >> Here's the issue. You have one more day for teachers to be in school. That's the school's not in session. Whether you do it that day or a different day, it doesn't change the end day of the calendar for the year. Doesn't matter. So on election day, if you did a closed day, you can still do all of your conferences in one day instead of having them two early release days at some other time of the year. >> Okay? So it still allows for some consistency >> and um it does allow us to start a little later so staff can vote >> beforehand or after because 11 to 6 would be the time frame of that like it

234was this year. >> So it's it when we looked at it we're we're looking at it and saying okay I always look at the end date of a calendar and never will end the calendar on a Monday. [clears throat] >> The last day of school will never be on a Monday. So if it's between a Wednesday or a Thursday, let's say, I try to make the calendar the best calendar it could be. And you have a few opt ending on a Wednesday or Thursday doesn't change anybody's any worlds, right? >> But having to come back on a Monday, that's it. >> Mhm. >> Right. And your absentees are going to be for kids up to Wazoo and your staff are going to be as frustrated. >> So this only ch if we don't do that,

235we're going to pull it. We're still going to end on June 10th because I still need to add another day off somewhere. So, this counts as our third professional day for staff. So, they have the 24th of August, 25th of August, and November 3rd. >> And so, that's why we do it. Megan, it's not there's no right wrong. I mean, these all just decisions. Y >> the good news is it was it was the Wednesday of the 25th which changed the last day of school. So if we if we don't take the 25th, we do it the traditional way I've always done it actually, which is a early release day, you would just end on Wednesday and the June 9th. So if you think about the value the value of being that Wednesday versus the

2369th or the 10th, I think the Wednesday far outweighs >> but if it would have been a Monday comfortable with it. But what if you still did a half day on the 25th, the day before Thanksgiving, and you gave the full day off the day before the 24th for Christmas. So you gave a longer Christmas break. >> Well, they only half. >> They still have Monday, Tuesday, but then they've got the the day before Christmas Eve to be off, >> right, >> entirely. But then [snorts] they're here for the half day working that day. The 23rd. >> I'm curious. >> Yeah. No, listen. This is >> this [clears throat] is calendar puzzle. >> You know, more people prefer to be off the whole day before Thanksgiving to travel or the whole day before Christmas Eve

237to travel. >> I think the day before >> I think before Thanksgiving >> I want to >> Well, especially for the purpose of giving kids and teachers breaks. I think it instead of giving an extra day to an already very long break, it would be more valuable I would think for Thanksgiving from a brief perspective. >> Yeah. You bought that for two days of chaos and then you know that half a day >> popcorn and it's also matching your high school. Well, we still have to we still have the high schools that aren't qualif. >> So, what is the last day of school that you have on the updated calendar? >> June 10th. >> The 10th. That's the same as what they have. Okay. >> See, Lloyd will update it and give you a new

238one >> to everybody because it's >> So, this is correct. You're just going to add in a half a day on the 11th 11 years have and change the last day of school on the orange right side to June 10th. >> That's what they have is on the top. >> We just don't have the 11th. >> Oh, over here. >> We have the 18th. >> If you want to think again, this is >> I know some schools are the week after our next meeting is February, >> too. Are you tell amend? >> You can't amend it after you tell people. That's the new holiday for Juneth. That's why that's >> for those issues. I wouldn't really suggest amendment. >> Yeah. >> No, but like if you need an extra like half day for like >>

239That's fine. You can amend the half day somewhere. But if you tell me that I'm off on the 25th of of November, I might buy tickets tonight. >> Not me, but a parent might do that right now, >> right? For the 24th. So, >> we've got some snow days built into this if we have three. >> So, we have four technically snow days >> built into your to your your >> We're used to that. >> Yeah. >> So, that's >> But they're not actually snow days. >> No. >> So, they're actually just days. You don't have snow days here built in. You just have the ability if you so choose >> to utilize them. >> You don't have snow days built into your calendar. [snorts] >> You be you'd be you'd be giving days off.

240>> Yeah. or not. >> Yeah, >> it's about to be days off. >> As long as we can make it like the 21st, 22nd, 23rd, and December. [laughter] >> I think I shared with you >> two weeks. >> Yeah. So, I think I might have shared with you. So, what I had to do in my last district because we had 750 graduates and we couldn't graduate on site. We had to rent a facility graduate in. >> What we did is we built in snow days. We had the last day of school had to be the last day of school. The graduation date could not change. you couldn't rebook, you know, Harford Center. >> You you were booked. So, we built in snow days around Memorial Day >> and we built in um two or three

241years. So, if you didn't use any snow days in those years, your your Memorial Day weekend would be, you know, >> three days. [laughter] >> Random, you know, you know, long five day. >> Yeah. So, here you don't really have to do that because we can graduate our kids >> right here >> anywhere. There's a lot of deliberation on that date though. Let me just tell you that. >> What day? >> Graduation. He doesn't like Monday. >> Monday. >> Who pic? >> Yeah. >> I'm just used to bling. [laughter] >> It's okay. I'm just saying we'll talk about that later date, but just know that >> always good. We're just going to take 184us 4 day that is >> okay. >> All right. Well, I'm comfortable making a motion if we'd like to make a

242motion to approve the calendar with the amendment. >> Sorry for number 11 and the change of the last day school on the right side. >> I second. >> All right. All in favor? I Any opposed? >> Okay. So, our final piece here on our agenda for new business is personnel. We did receive it. The board I hope got the the letter, the lovely letter, um but veryful letter about our the announcement from Karen Brit, one of our beloved teachers, is um announcing her retirement after the end of this year. um she she's given her her life and passion life work to education and she spent 25 plus years I think here with job now um across she was middle school then she's lower school and backup and the drama program so many things for for

243our students and our community um obviously >> and she's still going to lead that that Memorial Day parade that get that up those kids down the street the street with safety in Austin comment because we had a common I had some materials that I thought she might take advantage of that has to do with Native American it doesn't matter what the reason was but to listen to her talk about how much she's enjoying this year >> last year her experience because of this new responsibility and um she had a outstanding opportunity to have some special training at the museum museum. Uh it's it's a pleasure to see someone finished the last year really enjoying the experience and not I got to get to this year because then I'm going to enjoy the rest of my

244life. I just wanted to share that because it was just a pleasure to see that. Mhm. >> Totally totally agree with that and and you were excited for her to have that opportunity and just and you know a personal note I had a child in that in an environment where she could b she can benefit from that forever and that's the greatness of what Karen has been able to do. She she builds such a wonderful um framework for learning regardless if you're teaching it and she's going to put together I know she's worked very hard on putting together that that whole segment on on what she learned in that um that PD opportunity >> posted about it so much on our history field trips >> happened here I think you know she's That's me. >>

245I know. So, yeah, Ed's got to do the field trip. [laughter] >> Ed's got it. All right. >> So, I don't know. >> Megan with I don't know who's going to pick up the race again. Karen, you had to come back just for that field trip. >> She do the field trip. She has >> so much to the history of the town and um anyway, >> we'll accept the retirement with stipulations. >> Yes. [laughter] I >> I did want to put in someone's last um evaluation that they have to come back and do training for the staff. Yeah. >> So I mean, >> you know, we want to be as flexible as possible. We always are, but just know that a huge loss to our, you know, be the best substitute teacher in any capacity.

246>> Do we have a motion to approve um not approve but to accept the letter of resolution? >> I know regrets. >> With regrets, of course. >> Got a second. >> Okay. Well, all I can say is paper. This is so hard. But um we all say I >> and um [clears throat] to enjoy an amazing next chapter in retirement. >> Thank you for everything here. >> Hey, I have a question. >> Yes. >> Under consent agenda, did we do B and C? >> Did I miss that? point Kayla and >> it's everything's in the consent agenda that it all rolls >> but it wasn't pointed out. Thank you. >> Right. So if you if you want to take something out of the consent agenda like to to discuss it for discussion as a separate

247item that's what we can do as a board. If there's anything in the consent agenda, you're like, "Oh, like I just make a point to take out this item of the consent agenda to open discussion and we'll add it to new business and that's where we can have a post and discussion." >> Okay. I just want to make sure we didn't >> Yeah. No, thank you. Good question. That's a >> good point. And at any point if I anybody wants to bring up something maybe on the, you know, I don't know, geography object report or something like just just, >> you know, we can just take that out and take a moment to review it. So, >> yeah. And then or we could even just um we'll motion to um approve the consent agenda with

248the caveat that we're adding X, Y, and Z to the regular agenda. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Yeah, how that works. >> Okay. >> So, um >> is the FE we're having our next meeting. >> I was going to go over this. >> So, I believe the next meeting is February 5th. >> Okay. Chang it, right? >> That we change it. No, we >> was the 19th. >> We bumped it. We changed it cuz I'm going to be at the workshop. >> Yeah, >> that's right. That's what it >> Yeah, I'm sorry guys, but yeah, [clears throat] >> you're welcome to join. >> Is it the 19th? >> That's what I had. But >> yeah, >> let me look at January. >> I'll look at the January. >> Hold on. be in the January map.

249>> Yeah. 19. >> Okay. >> Yeah. That's what the motion was in January. >> In December, December. >> Yes. And uh at that meeting I will be doing the first um kind of proposal presentation of the budget an actual presentation not just information we'll give you the full timeline we'll send that tomorrow and then I know last meeting we were working on um board goals and um superintendent eal discussion so we're going to add that just too long >> for February We'll just add that back to our agenda for February. >> Did you say motivate goals or you mean the eval not goals? Sorry. >> and superintendent or Okay. >> Just form and function eval forms only >> forms. Yeah. Like we'll just right. >> Yeah. So if you if you look at that from

250last meeting's version and want to give me any feedback, go ahead. um as we Yeah. So, and then we'll just bring it back to the agenda for just reviewing form format. >> Okay. >> And our goals on timeline and all that kind of stuff, what we want to how we want to approach that going forward. >> Do you think I know I had sent you some feedback on that for itself? >> Yeah. >> Do you think it would be worth it to circulate that to the group to see what their thoughts on are on it before having them review the one that we sent previously. >> It's I mean it's up to you. Did >> you see mine? >> I did. I did. That's what made Yes, that's what made me think of it was

251like >> um it's it's I just thought if if that's something that we want to like put in front of people then let them look at like right thought. >> Yes. So you'll see things from me just as just in preparation of that of our you know public discussion of the form but it's just more like the most latest version as open for >> you know it's blue skying it really at this point. So >> sounds good. >> Yeah. I'm only recommending it just >> for the sake of timing right timing. That way it's not like hey this was an idea. >> Yep. Okay. Good. Okay. Any more questions or concerns? >> Motion to [laughter] say that we're going to be 2 hours and 20 minutes. Jim, we'll fix that. Next meeting might be long,

252too. Sorry about >> It was the presentations. will never be the same.