001beginning of the school year in in August at the latest January 1st or they're out of the classroom. >> Understood. Right now, I think it's all year they have the option. I think at this moment though from what we witnessed earlier today, it was disheartening for me to see us put any student in that position to where we're compromising the um not having sufficient training and having staff around these children. It's compromising the student. So, I don't I think that that's up to us and I think that we're failing on that part. I think that we definitely should change our policy. I do agree with Mr. Johnson that they should not be in the room and have direct contact with students until they've had the sufficient training to where that they know what they can
002and can't do and what's expected of them because it's on us and the staff and the administration and everybody to make sure that everybody has had it done. As we saw earlier, they didn't even know about it, so they say, and no one's checking. It's just I don't think the [clears throat] checks and balances I feel that we're falling short on that and I think we could do better. >> Why wait? Why wait the whole six months? Why not make them do it the first week of school? >> That's how I feel. I feel >> I think we should have it the first week of school >> with the students and they're going to be in direct contact. They should have to have sufficient training to where we would never be put in that position
003again. >> Preschool today. >> Um that should never have to happen. >> I don't disagree that they should be trained, but I just want to make clear today that the issue that we talked about today earlier that that employee had the required training. I I I would like that annual I I >> It wasn't this year, but they had had it before. >> But Miss Hawkins, I I honestly agree with you that it should be done the first week of school before the kids come in that that week before. I agree wholeheartedly. I was just giving it leeway because I've been told it's offered three or four times a year. So, if we make it mandatory that every August, the first week of every school year, they have to take that training, that would that
004would be beautiful in my mind. that that is the ideal solution. >> But as evidence presented itself today, apparently even though they've had training a year ago, they needed to have a refresher course because out of sight, out of mind. And I think that that's imperative and it's important that they going back into being around this delicate situation with these students that they should definitely have to have that on the forefront of their mind so that they're able to deal with these kids accordingly. Miss Bons, I would agree. Um, but what I will say is unfortunately I don't think any amount of training would have helped the situation we've seen today. First off, second off, I think that she's used to dealing with much larger children. So, that probably had a plan, what happened. Um,
005with that being said, I do believe that our ESC subs, our ESC paras, our ESC teachers, I believe all our staff should have um training on how to deal with special needs kids at some point. They all have to deal with them. And some meltdowns don't just happen at certain places. Things don't just happen in a classroom. They're happening in the lunchroom. They're happening walking to specials. They're happening when we change because change for kids like that is a lot. So there are things that um at some point our seasoned ESSE teachers don't need the training because they know they've lived it for many years and they know how to deescalate situations and do things. So sometimes we're wasting our time on retraining them and retraining them and making them retrain because guess what? They
006deal with it all the time and they know we're not having them sit at our our board for that appeal. So, um, with that being said, do I agree with training? Absolutely, 100%. But I think our all our staff need training. >> I think the refreshers are good, though, Michelle, even with with a seasoned teacher who who knows instinctively what to do. There may be a change in the law. There may be a change in in in how the I'm going to say the mental health experts decide things should be handled. They may change from time to time. So I think an ongoing training is is important and I agree with you with the rest of the staff. Maybe what I was thinking is the rest of the staff would have until January 1st to
007do it and you have ESC and your Paris in the classroom. They need to have it by the first week of school as as Miss Hawkins was saying. That's probably a good compromise and gives it time for the rest of the staff to get to it with with their other duties. That might be a solution. So, um, Mrs. Cropley, are they is can you get with Anna and see if they're able to offer that? It's probably not preschool week because preschool week paras are not there. They're not there during preschool. So, it would have to be probably by the first half day, which when is the first half day usually? Isn't it in September? So, either beforehand or by the first half day I think is a I mean reasonable amount of time. If if
008they're returning if they're a new employee then yes they should have the training before they start some training >> and I think there should be a separation of the new people to the veteran teachers. I also don't want to add more um trainings upon trainings if somebody if you learn to ride the bike you don't need to put the training wheels back on. They're off. they don't need to go back on every year. So, I think we need to be careful and be mindful of that. I understand, Mr. Johnson, what you're saying that policies can change. Different um rules are set by lawmakers and they have to abide, but I think bulletins can go out for things like that. But, I don't know that we need to not not there's not one size doesn't fit
009all. So, we have to be careful of that, too, because I don't want to be cumbersome and add more trainings on and open [clears throat] that door either. I just want to be I just want to be careful that when we have new people paras especially whoever that has not been seasoned and they've not been in the industry they have not been dealing with this type of thing that they know everything that that is required of them and what they're supposed to do. And I think that um we could do better. I I think that every district could you know it's not lack of that we're not trying per se. I just think that sometimes we're missing the mark. I think that we need to make sure that they know what they're supposed to be
010doing and what they can and can't do before they're in the room and we put them in there for all these months up until now. For instance, you know, the teacher that we saw earlier, it's been how long have we had school this year and still so far to no avail the training has not happened. >> Well, my point is some of some of that training can be done you know uh online especially for the seasoned teachers. So that that shouldn't be too burdensome or long. >> Okay. Go ahead. Miss properly. >> Um, we do have the PAR training as you apparently saw the list. I do know I think the calendar committee did reduce the number of half days by one this year. So, those are diminishing. Um, and we try to offer the
011trainings for the paras on the half days and we have a pretty good turnout of that. um par our paras work the days that students are in school. So it doesn't give a lot of um time for them outside of the school day with students in order to participate in additional trainings. We offer it they can do it voluntarily um outside of the required annual trainings uh through HR there isn't any additional requirements although we can and have worked on plans to offer them because and on their evaluation there's a section for you know continuing your professional learning that type of thing. So we've we've targeted that group and tried to offer them some things that they >> so maybe we make it mandatory they take a half day training if if the kids leave
012and they're in school for half the day pay them for the for the extra couple hours give them the training they're done at the end end of the first half day done deal. Well, we already pay them for the half days, right? They're employed those days. >> They are. And a lot of the schools on those half days have schoolwide trainings, safety, things like that that they're required to attend. So, we're kind of competing with a few different things. But I agree with you, the more we can give them, the better is more important than school safety. And they're both important, but our charge is to take care of the students first. So, if we're not doing that, we're doing something wrong, and it needs to change. Lisa, how many um ESC classrooms do we
013have? Do you know off top of your head? >> Not off the top of my head. >> Not off the top of your head. >> But I do know I I want to say we have about 150 parents. Okay. >> Working on something on that right now. So, >> okay. Um would it be something that maybe we can look at going in to the classrooms and train? You know what I'm saying? I I don't know. And I don't want to add more. like hands on >> hands on where we have district staff go in and actually train you know say we hit Deltona >> say we hit each school >> dink dink dink at the first part of start would that be something that's feasible with you guys >> we can look into it as
014long as we have our all of our instructional specialists in place for sure right >> um because those are the the people um we have three instructional specialist positions um two of them are build right now. One of them also does the assessment. So, um they're the ones that really support the paras and the the teachers right now in the self-container resource rooms, but we're kind of down to one of those. So, um they are the ones that do the training for the paras. And I would suggest maybe even trying to look at our um resource that's at our school levels, right, to go in and train. >> But definitely work on something during even during the school day when they're there uh treating it like a teacher and their professional learning during the day
015that they they have to do. So we can definitely work something we can >> we're apparently doing something wrong if we're with more than one situation reaching us. So if we're doing something wrong we need to correct it. >> Mr. Pender. So I just want to reiterate that the what came to us today that person had the training was trained and I just I just want to make that >> but they were not but they did not have their training for this year for this year. >> It's the same training. >> Yeah. It doesn't matter. >> I know. But what I'm saying is they're not a veteran and they've not been doing this for a long time. >> I'm not saying that they shouldn't have training. That's not what I'm saying. I just want to
016make >> clear that they had training >> and and again that's why I'm saying to bring somebody in districtwide or or somebody again you could I could put a 100 people in front of a computer and have them look at a training and it doesn't mean they're going to be able to handle a situation with disabled children. So, um, those that sit in my district office that deal with it that know, those are the ones I'm saying, can we get some kind of hand more hands-on training per classroom? Because every child, just like you stated, Miss Robberies, every incident, every child, every classroom is different. So, it's really looking at that one classroom and saying, "What's going on?" and and and focusing on it. So I'll get with Lisa and PD Paula ESC find out
017what trainings we offer >> and I'll get I'll let you guys know with a list of trainings and if you want to bring you know once you I send that email and what our proposal is then if you want to talk about that at the next informal then we can talk about it there or we can put it on a workshop whatever you want to do >> and sometimes these trainings may not be effective depending on >> exactly how we're doing it because >> like we saw earlier today and you know the made that she's had the training a year ago. She's a so at the end of the day this is not her world. This isn't what she's been doing for years and years and years. She's not a veteran. This hasn't come second
018nature. So once again we're sitting here in go in January and this teacher has not this year to date since school started in August to January this teacher has not had a refresher course on any of the subject matters. Um, she also explained that, you know, she's not on different platforms and this and that to figure it out, to know this, to know that. I almost feel like, you know, everything's not in one category. We have to understand that the teachers that do it all the time. Once again, I don't think that they have to go through that redundant training of your basics of all your stuff. I think that's not fair to them. But I do think we have to get a hold of the paras. And when you've had it a year ago
019or more than a year, say a year and a half at this point, then a lot of times out of sight, out of mind, and this isn't second nature to them. So they're not real sure what they're doing all the time and what they can and can't do. So I just think we need to sharpen up our skills. Um because if the training was effective and working, I don't think we would see half the problems that we see. So we do have to try to figure that out. But once again, this isn't our lane per se. It's up to you guys, but we just want to put it out there to you and convey what's happening in the emails that we get and the situations that arise and then tell you so that we can
020all work together and then you guys can decide what would be the best interest for the training and how and when and what would be more efficient and what would the outcome would be for the student. I just want basically the children to be able to be in a room with people who have some sort of training and education so that they know what they're doing opposed to someone in there that has no clue. But if you remember listening to the one lady, it it was a question of of was that touching necessary for the safety of the child in the classroom or not. That was that that's basic that she should >> common sense. It was common sense and she didn't have any >> the training somehow failed. >> Okay. Any more discussion on
021the training? >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Any other board members have topics to discuss? >> No. Okay, I do. >> I just have one. Um, >> I'm so happy. >> Well, it's kind of exciting. So, all of us received an email for the mobile safe zone and then I had Kelly send the email about it and a link. I don't know if anyone looked at it, but the mobile safe zone, it's to deal with cell phones. So, within the school, did you read? Did you look at that? It looks amazing. So, it's almost in my mind, it almost is like um those invisible fence, you know, for like an animal, but it's for cell phones. So, kind of. So in the school they can set it up where in the perimeter of you know
022certain areas of the school the children aren't allowed to use their cell phone. They can use the cell phone to call 911 like emergency phone calls. And it also said for certain apps and platforms that we could give them access to use. So I know that we hear the cry all the time from teachers from from families about the cell phone issue at school. they're still using their phones constantly and it's a distraction. So therefore, the mobile safe zone, um, I would love for Mr. Pender to reach out, find out more information, the cost, the exact details, and is it worth doing a workshop on because I think it sounds amazing and would solve a lot of issues. We wouldn't have to collect cell phones. We wouldn't have the headache of the children constantly on
023their phone and teachers wondering if they're really, you know, doing the assignment that they >> ask them to do. >> I um, >> it's like geopens, correct? So, I won't be liked for this, but I disagree on >> That's okay. >> Yes, I disagree on any of this. I think that um you know, at this point in time, we're moving into AI and all of the above and we're not going backwards. So, we're only moving forward with this world and what we're doing with devices and technology and phones and what have you. I think that regardless, children have to be accountable and they have to um cause and effect in what they choose to do. that's against uh our rules, against the teachers rules, against um whoever, you know, is the administration and whatever policy
024they put forth. I think then they have that consequence. And to basically say that we jam all their phones and they can't use it. If there's a crisis, if there's something serious, as a mom of four girls and in the school system, I want, God forbid, and I hate to even utter it off my mouth, but if something were to happen that's detrimental, that's serious, I want my child to be able to reach out to me, regardless if you could come back with, well, you're going to have parent square, you're going to have this. I also know that sometimes that doesn't happen simultaneously immediately. It takes quite a while before I would ever even know. And as a mom, I definitely am advocating for the community and for all the other parents and for all
025the other students that I don't I think they should have to be accountable for their actions, be in trouble if they disobey a thousand% I agree. But basically to take away that safe net for a parent, that's a big deal. And and to me it's hard. And then when are you going to lift it? I guess you know you I'm sure there's things that will fix this what I'm about to say, but come sports and school and the end of school and all the above, but at the end of the day, no, me as a parent, I like it makes me feel safer. It makes me feel um more calm to know that my child has the phone. If they ever had to reach me, that they could. I don't like to take all that
026away um across the board um and jam their their phone to where they have no phones. And I also think that it's not teaching responsibility. I think