001good evening I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the school board meeting which is on a Thursday instead of a Tuesday January the 10th 2019 happy new year if you wish to speak during the hearing of citizens please pick up a card in the back of the room fill it out legibly please and turn it in to Kathy Tompkins to my left and at the appropriate time I'll call you up to speak for three minutes this is what the card looks like for those of you that might not know just before we get started with the meeting I just want to make just a quick comment many of you know may know that the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Commission on safety and security has been meeting for I guess a total of about
00218 times over the course of the last six months and have provided us with 2 and 439 page report we are going to review that of course that will be reviewed by the legislature and legislation will be considered relative to those points this year in session we will have a public session with our safety and security department and also a private session in the near future to discuss the details that we can give to the public as well as to those that we cannot relative to how we will pursued with our Police Department so I just wanted to make those comments we are aware of that we will be working on that in the near future so now if you please join me by standing and saluting the flag which will be done tonight by
003the direct under the direction of Sarasota high schools Junior ROTC color guard and sergeant first class Pappas one time harsh color guard oh thanks I pledge allegiance 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 hello card oh right Hey Oh Oh [Applause] tonight we do not have a student representative I guess it's the first week back and people are busy with other things but we do have a couple of special presentations I'd like to call dr. Don Clayton to the podium please for a special presentation good evening tonight we begin our school board workshop or presentation meeting with the moving celebration of diversity within our school district tonight we will experience the first special presentation
004of the new year presentation is designed to recognize the life of an American hero as you all know on January 21st 21st 2019 Sarasota County in fact our nation will celebrate and honor the life of civil rights leader Dr Martin Luther King jr. one of the most influential and defining moments of dr. King's life was at the historic march on Washington where he delivered his I have a dream speech that visualized peaceful coexistence for the world although dr. King delivered his speech nearly 56 years ago children all across our County remember his words as we pause to celebrate dr. King's life this month dr. Rachel Shelly the very amazing and proud principal of Booker high school is here tonight to support one of her amazing students Tamara's folks Tamara's is a junior at Booker high
005school he is a visual performing arts student and if you have a moment to talk to him you will be just amazed intellect and his drive and very soon you will see his talent as he performs and honors dr. Martin Luther King Junior's legacy but the very special rendition of my dream of dr. Martin Luther King jr. man he talked about the promise of the people in a strong black hand he got to hear the bells of freedom now the people shout him sing about the dreams of Martin Luther King sing about the dreams of my new Oh sing about the dream the dream sing about the dream of Martin Luther Wow what a performance thank you so much dr. Shelley you have such talented students I was able to go and see the Marvin
006Gaye show at West Coast black theatre troupe last Friday night it's still on for a couple more nights for any of you who can get a ticket and I understand the lead in that was a Booker grad as well and I mean it was just amazing of course Marvin Gaye was my generation and I remember being a young person and really watching him when he was with Motown and so it was just was really inspiring and wonderful and I saw the play last year about Martin Luther King and and in Memphis and and you know they've just done some wonderful things but thank you thank you big talent big talent and next we have presentation by our dr. Laura Kingsley our assistant superintendent for and chief academic officer regarding embracing our differences good evening board
007members dr. Boden and mr. Hardy we are so excited tonight to recognize embracing our differences and the work of some very dedicated teachers so embracing our differences I consider a lighthouse for anyone who's interested in actually changing the world when you travel the waters of our world you realize how critical lighthouses are to create smooth passages that keeps folks out of harm's way even when my husband and I were in Antarctica over the holidays we were shocked to see lighthouses in those in those calm waters so when there were no lighthouses there was chaos and injury and raising our differences they provide the beacons of light just like the lighthouses do so if you want to change the world you have to think like embracing our differences how do you change minds how do you
008cause people to think about taking someone else's perspective how do you open minds how do you create a community where everyone feels accepted and welcomed embracing our differences has the magic that creates that kind of community they involved our children adults they provide training for our teachers so that the children understand and think in concise and creative ways and this being Sarasota they involve the arts so they gave our children this audience we're always searching for authentic audiences for our children they gave them a creative outlet for their genius this was art with such powerful messages they also use what I call the power of the word word they asked people to sift through their verbose thoughts about how they feel how they want to feel how they want others to feel about them and
009how they want others to feel about each other to sift through those thoughts and elicit a few words which is incredibly hard to do I'm sure you wish I had that talent right now it's hard to do when you get to a compelling message that captures the essence of all of your thoughts that is that's challenging and our teachers are able to help our children to get the essence and then you just go big you know you take over the world or at least you take over Island Park but really embracing our differences has taken over our entire community they also hire brilliant leaders you have the indomitable executive director Sarah were timer Wertheimer you have director incredible trained teacher Brenda Wilhelm and I know that forever Bernadette Peters Peters you probably would like to
010be Bernadette Peters Bernadette sometimes we're not Bernadette Bennett has been our teacher liaison with them for many many years and we're grateful for that and then you know you have to say this was the brainstorm of two incredible philanthropists in our community Krusty and Dennis McGillicuddy remain the board chair and the vice chair and remain committed and spend their time and I'm sure their resources with this amazing initiative so please join me in welcoming to the podium Sarah and Brennan I'm Dennis and Grassi - please stand up here Sarah's gonna say a few words Brenna is going to introduce some very special teachers and Dennis and Gracie will close after a photo-op if you don't mind coming down after Bren announces the names come down for a photo op with the teachers and then Dennis
011and grossie will close so we're very appreciative thank you so much for being here and Sarah thank you very much dr. Kingsley and thank you for everything that you do to lift up our teachers and students every day we're truly grateful as many of you know embracing our differences has grown exponentially over the past 15 years and a lot of that is thanks to our incredible partnership with the Sarasota County School District this past year alone we had 39,000 students participate in our education initiatives and thousands of those students with the help of our teachers and administrators worked on art and quotation submissions for our annual exhibit this past year we actually received 11,000 791 submissions from 111 countries 44 states and 239 schools the exciting part about that is that 7244 of the submissions
012came from our local students which is what it's really all about and that's why we work so closely and with our teachers and that's why we developed our education Ambassador Program here with us today these dedicated teachers have been working very closely together since September meeting monthly and creating projects to do in their schools to promote the values of kindness respect and inclusion so thank you all for recognizing our education ambassadors and helping them continue to bring this life-changing program to their students every day thank you please hold your applause until the end Melina Adkins from Tuttle elementary school PD Brown from Philippi Shores Elementary School Linda Campbell Venice middle school Katrina comics Cloninger my lawyer Taylor ranch elementary school Kathleen to granny air South Side elementary school Joanna Fox Booker middle school 10a Frances
013Alta Vista Elementary School Don Herndon Easter Seals Southwest Florida Paul Hutchinson McIntosh middle school Jonathan Jenkins woodland middle school Andrea Justin neon Oh Riverview high school Cortney Knowles Wilkinson elementary school marina lamella Atwater elementary school Holly mag McCain Northport high school Kimberly Olsen Venice middle school Chris Pauline Pine View school Rachel Schafer Lamarck elementary school Alisha Stein Bay Haven elementary school Brooks Tracy Sarasota middle school and Michele Wallace Taylor ranch elementary school [Applause] [Music] [Applause] I'm so I just want to say one thing about these teachers before they actually exist I just want to say to our board members too I know you recognize how hard our teachers work and these teachers are spending evenings and weekends and they're doing it because they care about our kids and they want to create the kind of
014school culture that we want to see in every school and that permeates our entire community so we're really really proud of their efforts and the time they spend when they could be doing a whole bunch of other things they've chosen to participate in an initiative that I think is one that has changed our world so thank you speaking of changing worlds here we have thank you thank you thank you I I really want to be in keeping with what you said Laura because when we started 16 years ago we had a hundred and twenty-nine submissions for 39 billboards and now we have almost 12,000 submissions and so many of them come right here from our Sarasota County so we couldn't do what we're doing if it wasn't for all the incredible effort and time that
015you put in and how you inspire our kids and you are our heroes thank you I'd like to add to that one of the most favorite parts every year of our participation in embracing our differences is to be down at the Bayfront as the students get bused in and the teachers bring them and our docents from our high schools in the coexistence Club talked to them and grazie and I we just I tell you we burst with joy to experience our teachers who bring the kids they're prepared not just a walk in the park to say that but actually prepared and to hear the discussions to hear the openness of the teachers and then watch the kids respond it truly is we talk about art being transformative and that experience down at the Bayfront when
016the kids come it is transformative you can see it you can feel it it's palpable so when I think about I want to say to you all both Todd and Laura and to the board what deep gratitude we have for the partnership that you've allowed to develop it's one of the best collaborations in our community if we didn't have this the the ingredient would be missing to change our community and offer these children a perspective on how to look at life and how to relate to one another so on behalf of grazie and I the board of embracing our differences we thank you from the bottom of our heart for your support and your participation in this I think we'd like to make some comments mrs. sucker I just like to thank the both of
017you it's been a fantastic endeavor and I do remember when you first started and you barely had anyone to fight 129 was not enough for you everything you wanted the world to participate which is what's happening now but thank you so much for this partnership it's it brings joy to our students and it also challenges them my grandson Owen was involved with embracing our differences either either a saying or a picture I can't even remember anymore but it's so important thank you to the teachers because it's extra time on your part to help these students to be successful so thank you very much mrs. Brown I too would like to thank you for what you've done and been watching you these 15 years and been a proud supporter and a contributor both myself with a
018coat and I think my daughter's class with with a picture in it and she still has her copy of it hanging in her classroom and explains it all to her kids every year but it really does I think it's morphed into something more than what you even thought it would be in the beginning and the reception that you have where we can see all of them and I'm glad this year that you were able to move it up I think a for more people to be able to see it but to make it easier for us with our testing schedules so we can get more students there but you know not only do you do this wonderful art project but you know I know I participate in other board members did too with the day
019of kindness the bucket filling my bread I think three different classes with that and then the dr. Seuss day who doesn't love a dr. Seuss book and and it's just so great that you you know you not only get us in there reading it but you give the books to the classrooms and that's just wonderful and and I know the kids that I work with really enjoyed it and we're grateful for what they had and thank you for allowing us to do that mr. Robinson I wanna go and pick you back on what miss Brown was talking about this is you guys don't just embody embracing the differences you guys embody making a difference and you guys make a difference from Dennis I we're talking about the most vulnerable children in our society - you
020know kids - 12 - everybody who goes to the Bayfront Park they're their retirees while walking during the day and in seeing the emotion not only have seen the kids come off the buses and interacting but just having just sit there at the bay and reflect on the imagery and what it all means so I really do thank you for everything you do not just for the school but for entire society will you appreciate it and the teachers back there I mean it's it's the difference of you guys not looking at two o'clock see I'm gonna get my car normally if it's the fact that you guys are staying behind and you guys are trying to make a difference - and it's felt it's felt was each of your kids and each of the community
021so thank you to dr. Boden I think when we think of embracing our differences we think of the annual display down at the bay front but I want to make sure that we shine a light on the staff development that you make available to our teachers I've had an opportunity to attend those staff development and I can tell you I've attended staff developments at the University of Virginia at Harvard and some of the finest institutions in this country and the training that our teachers received from embracing our differences is second to none and I want to thank you for what you do for our teachers and that has such an impact the way they carry that back into their classrooms and so we talk a lot about what happens down at the bay front but
022it's a it's a 365 day a year program and I want to thank you for what you do we started a tradition which we've recognized some of our community leaders with a superintendents coin and if you will indulge me for a second I would like to present both Denis and grassy with one of our superintendent's coin to recognize your leadership in this community and you're really impacting not only the community of Sarasota but Sarasota County Schools so I'll join you down on the floor and make the coin presentation if I might [Applause] mrs. Ziegler there's not enough time for me to share how how how grateful I am for the work that the two of you have done and truly I think we always talk about academics but I believe that a many of us
023the Board believes this and this community believes it comes down to the culture and that is where you can really change lives and then next comes academics and I know dr. Kingsley said something is that you have truly changed this community with this and it's such an initiative to get behind I mean how can kindness respect and inclusion at a time that we need it more than ever and I applaud the teachers for your extra effort but I know it's such a something to believe in because you know that that's exactly what's gonna change the environment and allow our children to thrive in an environment for years to come so thank you for everything you guys do we are very very very grateful for your generosity your spirit and your vision and again thank you
024very much mrs. Brown you know I'm just sorry that everyone watching can't see you know what we can I'm already looking at the book but if you go to embracing our differences org you can see this submissions and not only that you can you can hear what the submitter had to say about it you know like a person is a book in the great library of the world and like every book they wait to be judged by their insight and not their cover it came from a woman in Romania and then this number from the students it's amazing but I really encourage anyone to go to embracing our differences org and see not only the submission this year but but past years too and how you can get involved well I'll kind of wrap this
025up if that's possible Sarah I know that your leadership is going to be phenomenal and embracing our differences and of course I've been a fan of Sarah's for a long time she's an old soul and I Dennis and Grassi I mean you've made such an impact in many things in this country but you certainly made a great impact in Sarasota County and when we looked this year at more diversity with our LGBTQ guidelines which the students got almost instantly and the impact that that's had on some of our students and and their ability to live and and and feel safe in our schools is only impacted more by some of the things that that embracing our differences has done for those students in the past and I think it's it's a destination now to go
026down to the park and and to see the billboards and you know have lunch there and and it really is a destination and we are so far ahead of many many communities that have embracing our differences as as a model in certain certain areas of their community I just think well I always think Sarasota is the best anyway I mean we all do that but a lot of that is done based on your leadership and based on the leadership of your organization and we're just looking forward to it I know Brooks says shared with me many of the things that he has done with his students over the years and we have such wonderful art teachers all of you are doing such great work in in various art forms and we thank you and we
027thank this organization because yes working together with them we have exemplified excellence and and best practices and all that that is going on and thank you very much and and have a great year [Applause] and now we'll move on to superintendents report there is no superintendents report this evening okay that's that's nice and good and short we'll move on to a hearing of citizens and each speaker will have three minutes to speak they will move to this area here there will be a light that's green for two and a half minutes and then it will go to to caution and and we respect and hope that they will only speak for three minutes please note that respect for diversion of views points and civility should be exemplified listen politely no clapping and I will call
028up the first person now Brent Gibbs hello can you hear me have you my name is Brent Gibbs and I I'm here tonight I want to begin tonight a journey with you of setting a new vantage point on an issue in the school system and it is one that I am presenting of hope and of healing so I want to begin by saying once gay.com this is a movement called the changed movement that was birthed out of California to share the stories of people from all walks of life in all ages that have come out of the lgbtq+ lifestyle and I want to repeat let me be clear I'm speaking of those who have left this lifestyle these people tell their stories about how and why they entered into this lifestyle and how and why
029they came out of it many share about how it was experiences such as sexual abuse identity issues insecurities confusions and tendencies that led them into this lifestyle but once these those deeper issues were dealt with they no longer chose their alternative lifestyle almost always these things happen to them at a young age but it was until later in life that they were healed and helped from it this shouldn't be for our children I share this movement with you all today due to the policies and procedures that have been instituted by this board and the superintendent concerning gender identity I believe you care for all the children that you have the privilege of overseeing but I believe that there is misrepresentation and fault ease and a faulty system established as to how to deal with these
030youth who identify them as LGBTQ plus as well as those who don't identify themselves this way I believe these policies and procedures are actually hindering our children and are sabotaging them from the opportunity of dealing with the deeper issues in their hearts that's causing confusion hurt and pain these policies and procedures could set young people back for years and keep them from their true identities just like the stories from once gay.com that I have shared with you about today these stories from once gay.com are similar to many people in this community as well who have gone through the same process I know my opinion is shared with many in our community and throughout the next several board meetings I hope my hope is that I as well as others can set shed some greater light
031and a in a different vantage point on this topic thank you thank you next I believe this is John Citro how're you guys doing tonight like to thank you for being here as we talk about race we talk about color some of the things that are important to us we'd like to bring recognition to first our police officers and Brookside and Wilkinson we're looking to acknowledge meant for them to come into our schools to keep our children safe as we go through these tough times with things we have being dealt with us nowadays in school we're trying to figure a way to present these to the gentleman with the Chief of Police as I'd like an award ceremony or something like that to make them aware of their importance that's one of our subjects another
032subject is a project that my children thought about was to bring a Holocaust car from Boca Grande a museum to Brookside middle school my son set it up for this year but it didn't go through this year so we're gonna try and set up for eighth grade and Brookside next year where we dealt with the museum they approved it we just have to have the approval from the principal that's another thing that's dear to our heart another thing that I like to speak about is we talk about barriers races and stuff like that one of the most important things I hold dearest from my heart is literacy it's one of the issues that I have with reading and writing I'm at less than the first grade and as I try to be a leader for
033my children to do these things for school I'm also trying to deal with the schools and school board and I would like to be acknowledged as far as to get some kind of help with the schools and school board for the 88 accommodations for me to deal with my children to be able to work with the schools to break down the barriers that I'm having with the schools and school board if we could work on getting some help there as far as with me in my school with the children with Wilkinson and Brookside my son over there Shane we're asking for help to me or any suggestion that we could get to help me with literacy with my children at school thank you I appreciate it thank you John I would say you might leave
034your name and number with Kathy Thompkins please and we'll we'll certainly get someone who can talk to you about this thank you I appreciate because I've been working with the schools and I've been working with landings in the back here and I like to have things done before like every year with trying to get a family advocate seems like we've run out of time at the end of the school year and [Music] if we can have our needs met I can assure you that not just our education our grades would go out but our attendance and everything I like to keep school fun I want my children to go to school I stand behind you guys 100% I stand behind the school teachers and everything I tried to bring home everything that you guys teach
035in school I try and bring it home and says we talked about these barriers and a lot of barriers that we don't understand as literacy and as I stand before you that's in a first grade reading level I did join the Wilson reading program approximately two and a half years ago and like I said at that first grade so I'm doing everything I can as a power single power with the disabilities I have and I'm looking to working with you guys to bring it together so that my children to be successful leaders thank you thank you so much and next we have mr. John Mack Mack award good evening I come before you tonight because I have a concern regarding a situation that happened to a friend of mine who is a faculty member at
036Brookside middle school almost a year ago now there was an incident and after school track meet that caused it was in fact it was a day after parkland shootings I believe and come down saying that the students no student was allowed to be on campus with a hoodie there was a student who had already been expelled from Brookside who this teacher did not know he was the athletic director John Russo and he was on the field getting ready for an afternoon track meet and he and he pursued him left his seven-year-old on the field as he walked walk behind him trying to get him to stop and identify himself from what I understand has been video from people who witnessed the events the situation wound up with the student in question school despite the fact
037that he had been expelled from this school and he resulting confrontation he he punched the principal twice in the face and the only the only person who was charged with anything was John Russo and for the last 11 months this I think he was he's been a teacher of the Teacher of the Year at his school he's the athletic director he's been over 20 years with the school system he been sitting in a room at the landings without any assignment and even after he was he refused to bring his case to trial he is still not been heard Friday he have still not heard from the from the school board regarding his status the two people who are going to be reviewing this case and I promised a decision by the end of this week
038one is the principal of the school who I am my opinion throw them under the bus and the other is secondary education Stephen can tease it hardly seems to be an objective panel to evaluate John's future with the school board with the school system but even more importantly as a result of this this this situation the Union has advised all teachers not to is that one minute time is that okay well they've advised that teaches not to intervene in any situation where they have to place hands on a child even if it means keeping a bigger child from harming a smaller child what the call security and the building so I I hope you'll take a keen interest in this and thank you for you - thank you and that's the last card for our
039hearing of citizens do we have any additions or Corrections to the consent agenda doctor yes ma'am there is an addendum to item 7 the approval of the instructional classified personnel report may I have a motion on the amended consent agenda approval of the amended consent agenda second any comments please vote what's going on just click on it yeah don't know what we're voting for all those in favor please say aye against please say nay the eyes carry majority 5 oh there are no pulled comments and no new business so we're now two announcements do I have any announcements I want to mention that we have a wonderful program that will be held at the Venice Venice Performing Arts Center next Friday night the 18th called arts rageous which is specifically for students and it's a
040multimedia arts presentation I want to encourage you all to attend we will have a board retreat next Thursday January 17th aren't we all excited at at 9 o'clock at the Community Foundation we have a convocation of all governments in Sarasota County on Friday January 18th at 9 a.m. at the Sun Coast Technical College on boniva we have the next board work session on Tuesday January the 22nd at 10:00 a.m. and a regular board meeting on Tuesday January 22nd at 3:00 p.m. any other comments you