May 19, 2026, Board of Education Retreat

001All right, we'll now call this retreat to order at 12:31 p.m. I am the chair, Dr. Carmen Sultan, and I'm present. When I call your name, please indicate if you are present. Vice Chair Uts >> present. >> Board member Anderson not present. Board member Harden also not present. Board member >> present. Board retreats offer opportunities for the board to engage in more in-depth analysis and data, engage discussion and access to relevant information. Retreats offer port are occur quarterly and are open to the public. Dr. Whitaker, please introduce the first item. Roger Salter, before introducing the first item, we would like to remove the executive assessment item from the agenda. It was a personnel matter that is not required to be discussed. >> Perfect. Do I have a motion to remove the executive session for the

002purpose of discussing a heart no matter? >> I'm not making that motion. >> So move area makes the motion. Is there a second? >> No. >> Yeah, let's keep it then. I want to know. >> You can make the motion, Dr. Okay, I'll I'll second. Um, the pending question is the adoption of the motion to remove executive session. Is there any discussion? Hearing none, since this requires a recorded vote, um, Dr. Whitaker will call the role. Board members, when your name is called, please respond with I. If you are in favor, no if you are opposed, I'm staying if you wish to remain neutral. Uh, Dr. Whitaker, please proceed me. Chair Sultan. >> Hi. >> Vice Chair Huts. [clears throat] >> No. >> Um, board member Anderson >> not present. >> Board member H. Hearn

003>> not present. >> Board member area >> present. >> Sorry. Vote for >> the motion on the table which is to amend the agenda to remove executive. >> I want to know. So no, >> I know I'm giving conflicting. >> Okay. And discussion time pass. You have to vote. >> Change my vote. No. >> Okay. So >> the chair chair stands one I to no zero abstensions. >> Okay. Um and the nose have it. And just just for the record, you were the one who brought up I think the the quality of executive session for retreats, which is why we >> I was just asking for the topic. >> Okay. So the first item on the agenda is governance. I would like to call on Dr. Robert Aosa. Dr. OSA is from Kingsville leadership matters

004and has facilitated board training numerous times with us previously. >> You may remember he's a facilitator who dubbed me as a north same as Hans. Uh Carmen was west. Uh Tasha and Jana were both south and James was east. And then you followed back up with Tracy and I believe she is sitting in what's kind of where >> I'll explain what that means in a minute. >> Yeah, Lorraine's like, "Wait, what does that >> No, I'll talk with you about it." >> All right. Awesome. Well, thank you very much. I appreciate the opportunity to um spend a few minutes with you. Um as was mentioned um actually I'll go to this slide real quick. My name is Robert Aosa. I know I have not met you yet. Um board member. Did I get it right?

005>> Um I'm a longtime educator and recovering school superintendent. Um I spent 25 years in public ed mostly in South Florida. >> Okay. Um, I also worked in Charlotte Meckllinchburgg schools as the deputy superintendent in North Carolina while I was getting my doctorate degree and then became superintendent in Fulton County, Georgia. Uh, and then went back to Florida and was superintendent in Palm Beach. um where I then stepped down and now support school boards in schoolboard training across the country as far away as Anchorage, Alaska, as large as Dallas and Charlotte and as small as Battop Virginia. And so we'll talk a little bit about governance today and the complexity of governing in general but particularly today in 2026 some of the headwinds that we face uh with politics and budgets and uh things uh

006enrollment etc. So I just wanted to personally introduce myself. My family moved to the US as a little kid. I was a little kid, my dad was not. if we're children. And I like to share that notion of like the importance of public education in the world we live and how our democracy can really move forward whether you're born in in downtown Atlanta or come from somewhere else, right? It's like the equalizer. It's the place we can all reach agreement that um it's only one way to move forward, which is in a positive way. So, let's go back. [clears throat] Now, this is an interesting picture. It's amazing what AI can do for you. Um, board members, if I had met you in high school, how would you have introduced yourself? What were you like?

007Hans, >> I'd be that kid with the Nana shirt, the black eyeliner, makeup, and uh, very, very, very uh, >> aggressively antisocial. >> Okay. So, you're part of the antisocial social club like my son, >> right? >> You ever seen that shirt the kids wearing? literally that I thought was funny. >> I had a shirt that had the happy smiley face with a bullet hole in its head. >> Nice. [laughter] >> You would have had on some list. >> Where did you grow up? >> Uh, South Georgia, which probably explains the antisocial. >> Looking for a place to fit in. Found his way. >> Yep. >> All right. Uh, Lorie, how about you? >> Um, I was a nerdy dork, so maybe like this physics kid. and um quiet. I was, you know, in sports,

008not the super athlete, but I always think sports are really important regardless. Um so that really helped me be part of a team and >> all of that. >> And where did you grow up? >> I grew up in South Florida. I'm from West Palm Beach. >> Oh, no. I was superintendent in Palm Beach. I know. >> Which high school did you go to? >> Okay. So then we moved I moved near Tampa, but I went to um elementary school, Windbrook Elementary. >> Yeah. I know. >> Yeah. That was in your district. Yep. And then you moved to Tampa. >> Um, moved to Tampa and then I came here to go to college at Emory. So, and then I met >> and you never left. So, I also worked in Tampa at Sly Junior High

009School and then uh King High School, both in very urban environment. >> Okay. Then I went to private school. Was very blessed. My dad's also an immigrant. Um, and so I went to Tampa Prep. >> Okay. >> Yeah. You probably know that one. >> Yeah. Awesome. Yeah. It's amazing. You know, we we like to think that the kids today are so different. Um, but the truth is, if I asked all of you that same question, we'd find a way to to get to the kids today. Uh, how about you, Carmen? How would you have introduced yourself to us in high school? >> Um, I'm none of these people. Typical [clears throat] AI. There's no um near validictorian black child of color. So, I don't think I any of these kids. >> Okay. >> Maybe the

010cheerleader. Um, >> were you >> No, I was not I was not a cheerleader, but I'm think maybe she's >> um a little black girl, but I don't think any of these kids that look like me. Um, but I went to high achieving high school. I graduated with almost all a town. >> I went to Shambler High School. >> Okay. Um, but I I don't see any of these. >> Yeah. But the intention wasn't to find one that looks like us, but just in general, how would [clears throat] you have described yourself? Sounds like very studious. Did you know what you wanted to do? >> Yeah, I always wanted to go into medicine. I started I knew that when I was but I also come from a family. So I think it was a little

011bit but I was also an athlete. I was swimmer and high school. So, I spent well I always came to school at like in a park with my hair in a bun. Was always up at 5 a.m. I was still up at 5 a.m. >> Swimmers and gymnastics. Those early morning practices. I had a daughter who did both. >> Yeah, I still am. >> Exactly. Well, you're just in time. Um, we are introducing ourselves had we met in high school. You don't need to pick a person that looks like you or fits you, but just in general. >> No big hair. >> Um I I married my high school sweetheart and I always joke with her. She used to like a lot of the girls, they would have like bangs, but they would puff them

012out like really high >> and just >> I don't know what it was called, but it was cute. Um so [clears throat] having met you in high school, how would you describe yourself? probably very similar to now. Although my mom likes to say that I think I've become nicer. So, um I like to learn. I like to ask questions. Like, >> did you know you wanted to be a teacher? >> Oh, absolutely not. I um didn't know what I wanted to do. And I had studied English at UG because I like reading and writing and then Ireland. So, I went overseas and worked in London and met people teaching and then went to Greece and taught and then decided I liked it. >> Nice. Cool. Well, and I guess maybe one last thing, kindergarten, I

013was lining students up, so students were crying >> and uh I wasn't. I don't >> I was hoping my daughter or son would be a teacher. Neither have chosen that profession. Um but you know we're we are uh generally people who uh care deeply about schools otherwise we wouldn't be here. Agreed. >> Yeah. >> Um and so when we govern it gets real messy real quickly. That's what democracy is whether we like it or not. Um but we do have to find places where we can coalesce around ideas, thoughts. Um sometimes we'll agree uh and sometimes we won't agree, right? And unfortunately it feels like sometimes well am I on the winning side or am I on a losing side? And what I want to talk with you a little bit about today is moving

014away from this concept of winning and losing but really beginning to think about governing as a team. Um and so we've got quite a bit of work we're going to do today. Um, you get hours and I'm now certified in Georgia, so I can give you hours for being here because we're going to be doing some training today. We're going to talk a little bit about what governance is, uh, and what it's not, some ins and outs of what that looks like. We're going to talk through what board management oversight is, and we're going to actually walk through your plan. U many of the best school districts and highest achieving school districts in the country use this model of board governance oversight which allows the board to create well to check off their obligation to

015making sure that we're doing what we say we're going to do. We're going to talk a little bit about what strategic planning is and the fact that a plan had been created. We're going to give an update on it and then also each plan has an arc. It's created, it's implemented. Hopefully, we get results. And then as we come down the other side of the mountain, we begin thinking about what's the next hill we want to climb. And so, we'll talk a little bit about that. The SLOs referendum, which is always fun. Having been here in Atlanta metro, it's an unbelievable opportunity for us to be able to invest in our schools. uh the difference between how Florida funds their schools, what I left here and what I found there was night and day. The

016east class is really just a wonderful tool to invest in our building [clears throat] and then semester credit and grading staff. We'll talk a little bit about that. So to further support board development will connect the GFBA standards that the BO uh that you all rated yourselves as needs improvement. Right? Like any organization, periodically need to look at ourselves. Um, you know, staff does the same thing. They do a self-evaluation and then they're evaluated. Here you all look at yourselves and we're going to go through some of those and then talk about how do we build this plan moving forward. Any questions about those topics? Okay. All right. So, what is governance? What does that mean? Is that a rhetorical question? >> No. No. Just in general, like we're here, right? You guys are elected

017school board members. What is governance mean? >> Following the laws, rules of things. >> Yeah. Some of it's following laws and rules. What else? [clears throat] >> It's enacting one of the three functions that they have, right? Managing the superintendent, managing the budget, and setting policy. The last one setting policy. So managing you're right fed making sure we're following federal law, state law, but you're also a body that can create policy, right? Superintendent gets your policies and she develops regulations or practices. Each district may use different um vernacular, but essentially that's what that's exactly right. Right. And so last time earlier Lorraine was wondering what the heck this meant but u you remember uh Tracy uh where you fell you were here in the west and basically people who were se who selected themselves in

018the west were those who really like detail they ask who what when where and why so before they make a decision at work or in this case sitting around the dis before they make a decision right some people were very actionoriented. These were people who said, "Hey, let's jump right in. Let's create a list and let's get stuff done." Right? None of these are right or wrong. It's just a different approach. And by [clears throat] the way, I forced them to pick one. They couldn't say, "I'm northeast." Um, just for the sake of of discussion. The east is these are people who like to go to the 30,000 foot view and they'd like to consider many different options before they make a selection. Okay, so these spend a lot more time in the detail. These

019may pick two big like strategies and then think through those different options before they move forward. And then if you live in the south, these are two these were people who said that they care deeply about listening to everybody, making sure that everybody has an opportunity to be heard. They tend to worry a lot because before they make a big decision, they might think, "Oh gosh, is this going to hurt someone's feel?" Does that make sense? All right. So, Miss Lorraine, not to put you on the spot. Sorry. >> God bless. Not to put you on the spot, but if you had to pick one while you're on the board, do you tend to be more actionoriented, more detail oriented, more sensitive and caring deeply about? Now, doesn't mean you can't be a little bit

020of each, but I'm just saying for the sake of the discussion or east, would you like to be speculative like to come up here and think about big option? >> I think [clears throat] I like to look at it first from the bigger view. Yeah. And then I'll probably narrow it. The details make sense of it. >> Yeah. Do you remember where you were? Do you still feel solid about being in the west? >> I mean, I think I have all of them, but yes, I like details. >> Yeah, [clears throat] I have questions. >> Yep. Hans, have you changed or you still feeling like >> Oh, no. I'm I'm looking. >> Yeah. He's like, "Come on, man. Let's go. I got I got I got all right." Miss Carmen, Dr. Carmen, what do you

021still feel like you are living in the west which is very detail oriented, very precise. I want to know the who, what, when, where, why before I make a decision >> all day, every day. >> I feel like I could answer that. >> Like that perfect professional. >> Yeah. >> All right. >> So, I like to create visuals. Um, I always tell people, you know, we all create we have a creation in our mind of what we think something is. If I were to ask you, right, I want you to think of a tree, right? So you're in your mind, you're thinking of a tree. It could be a beautiful green tree. It could be the fall or the spring where the leaves are are gone. And so we have to create meaning together. And

022so I think visuals sometimes help us see how all those things fit together. So in governance, [clears throat] whether you're in Georgia, Texas, Florida, Alaska, anywhere, you think about governance, you've got this bright line. And oh, by the way, this also could be for Coca-Cola, uh, Home Depot, right? There's a there's a governing board, and then there's a management, which is the CEO. Okay? So I want you to think of that green line as the line between governance um and uh operational. So who lives above the line, right? It's you guys, the school board, the elected officials have in this case, well one report, but you could have multiple depending on where you are in the country. In Palm Beach, we had a separate almost like overarching uh what's [clears throat] the right term? I

023forgot what it was. So, they had the board attorney, they had the superintendent, and they had almost an independent auditor because the district was a $4.5 billion dollar organization. So, the board actually had three employees. Uh in this case, you've got your superintendent, your board attorney, and then you've got the kind of work you can do. You create a vision, mission, sometimes a set of core beliefs and values. Um, we create policies. We talk about goals and targets and we determine whether or not the goals are met. Make sense? Last time, Miss Bernath was here with me. She asked you the question, how many board members does it take to install um a light bulb? I don't know if you guys remember that announcement. And so some of you said,"Well, it would have to be

024the majority of us." And the answer was, "It's really none." What you do is say, "Let there be light." And then the superintendent decides, is it going to be fluorescent? Is it going to be incandescent? Is it going to be a candle? Is it going to be an LED light? And then you decide, did the light she picked meet the needs that we established? Make sense? >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, what about the superintendent? She lives below this line. Actually, there's only one person in this organization that can go above and below the line. It's it's Dr. Whitaker. She's allowed to come above the line with you. Sits at the dis. She doesn't vote, but [clears throat] she can say, "Look, I'm an education expert. I've got my doctorate degree. I've got a history of

025increasing results um both in our district and in other districts. I can come up here and work with you above the line on policies that I've read about or that I've researched or I went and visited, I don't know, Miami Dade Public Schools and they were doing something really cool around a policy. I'd love for you to consider that policy, right? [clears throat] Even though she can't vote again, everybody still following? Okay. She's got many direct reports. She takes big goals that we say are important. She creates a strategic plan and then she operationalizes which is all right we've got a big bucket of student achievement here are the three initiatives that we're going to put in place here's the budget that I need that you mentioned earlier Hans about you know we get to

026support that budget or not she then operationalizes the vision the mission and the policies through regulation okay so this is the most important The board is responsible for the what. This is the easiest way to remember this. You guys are responsible for the what and she and her team are responsible for the how. Okay. Now, some arguments will be like, well, wait a minute. We've got a strategic plan and I just came onto the school board and how do I weigh in on the strategic plan? [clears throat] Well, districts apply these in different ways. So when I got my first superintendent, well I was a deputy soup in Charlotte, we had created for the first year um sort of managing what had already been there and as it came to approve Dr. Borman at the

027time created a three or four year strategic plan with some priorities. That doesn't mean that while we're working on the strategic plan, there couldn't be some things that come up. Right? So five years ago, even before you started, I think maybe four years ago, the previous superintendent had put together a strategic plan. Did you build that plan? >> No. Um, was anyone on the board? >> You were on the board at the time >> when we adopted the process where it was built. I think started right in front of >> Yep. And so back then were you thinking about AI like in a big way like you are now? >> I mean >> not not in a not in affect schools way. >> Correct. We may have been hearing about it. We may have been

028hey what's this all going to mean but we didn't really know what it was right now. So now today here we are 2026 AI is a huge conversation that's being had across the country in schools. we have very little federal policy that we aren't hearing much about anything on the federal side about how we're going to manage AI and yet here we are in the public domain trying to figure out how we use this very powerful right so the superintendent and her staff are responsible for the how and you get to decide are we moving towards that in a meaningful way or not okay again I like to keep things simple the way I look at it is in order for us to operate as a team we need to understand the rules of the

029game, how you keep score, and how much time is on the clock. I love soccer. If you don't know anything about soccer, right away, I would give you the rules on how it works. Like, my wife has been married to me for 30 years. I've explained off sides to her [clears throat] husband. >> I know it is. >> Wait a minute. It look like number one. >> But but do you see my point? But you got to know the rules of the game, right? In order for us to play this game in a fair way, we have to be able to do that. So there's a referee who helps you manage this. Otherwise, it it could be a scrimmage and you see the kids on the field fighting and arguing about it, right? How do

030you keep score? Well, in soccer, one goal is one point. In football, when I moved to this country, it took me forever to figure out, wait a minute, how come that's worth six points? This is worth one, this is three. Eventually, I understood how to keep score. Time on the clock, right? Do we play for a half an hour, 45 minutes? In this case, the superintendent's contract is the time on the clock. The school year is the time on the clock. You have 180 days, at least we did last time I checked, of kids in school. That could be considered the time on the clock. How do we keep score in Georgia? How might we in using this analogy? How do we keep score? [clears throat] >> CCRPI. What else? >> Graduation rates. What else

031is important? >> Achievement gap closures, SAT scores, AP scores. The superintendent evaluation should be tied to those things. Again, it's a cascading way of performance. If who are all the people that report to the superintendent? Raise your hand. Okay. So, her evaluation essentially is a collection of each of your bodies of work. Does that make sense? And so, as the orchestra director, she is managing working with all of your work streams to make sure that we roll up and we get a good score, right? First on what the students need and then whether or not it's tied to evaluation. Okay. All right. You're the most new on the board. Why did you run? Why on earth did you run for school board? Um, I've been education attorney and I, you know, like you believe education

032was everything new in my life >> and my dad's in a my mom barely graduated high school and so I know that that's what has opened up so many doors for me and so yeah, I just think that it's everything and I want to make sure. >> Yeah. >> So you want to participate in that? How about >> why did I run for them? >> Yeah. What was what's behind that? >> Yeah. I mean, I had four kids in the system and did not agree with the direction of the previous system and we wanted to engage stop talking about it on Facebook and actually engage to try to address it and >> yeah. So, [clears throat] that's a very typical both of those are very typical. Sometimes um we'll have somebody who has kids in

033the school district that's super happy. um and wants to keep that. Sometimes it's I'm not so happy. Right. Sometimes I'd like to see that we're focused on all students as opposed to some. Right. There's a variety of different reasons each of you run. Uh Tracy, you want to share with us why you ran? >> Um I have a daughter in the district. I invested my entire adult life in public education. I [clears throat] moved to Decator for the school district. And I think in probably the last 20 years, so maybe 15, it seemed like the classroom experience itself [clears throat] more elusive, um, harder to see and describe at the decision. >> Yeah. Um, and and none of those are completely right or completely wrong. They're just your own personal ethics. >> Um, I think

034two broad-based reasons. The first one is I dedicated my life both professionally and in public service to children because I my life's passion this was a different completely different way to serve children often on day last night first day was a for me personally it was a different way to be um I think um as a person as a a mom with three little black girls indicator of the not only educational experience but social experience very different color educator and I felt like that perspective of value here um none of the work I do is my own children Yeah, >> two of them are five. They're already gone. I think it's other children that don't have the speak at public comment or have the time constantly >> some advocacy, some additional support, right? the kinds

035of things that some folks just may not have and so providing that's important to you. Um, which I think is is great. So, all of you have come to this idea with some individual thoughts about what it means to be a board member. Um, and every month that you're in the seat, there's clarity that comes with it. Sometimes you feel like there's not as much clarity as others. You're like, how does this work? like what are the rules of the game seems like I'm not so sure right that's why having time like this not just in three or four hours but some deeper meaningful time together to really try to better understand how we move from being an individual but understanding that we also have to move as a team and sometimes it's easy to

036coales around a big idea other times it becomes more complex so you do not here's the part that gets real fuzzy you don't really have a lot of authority as an indiv individual um not on the board. Collectively there are votes that need to be taken, right? And so we may have people in the community who come to you Tracy and say you need to fix this. You ran for board, right? And yet if you look at the rules of the game, you cannot direct the board, the superintendent as an individual to take on a particular task or priority. Can I ask a question about that though because I took a note there because the way our norms are set up. It is one individual that can appeal to another and get an agenda item

037or it is one individual that can appeal to two others. >> You have to make a case, right? >> So I mean I I kind of take issue like I accept what you're saying but then when you look at it in practice at times I think individuals can have more power. >> They can. They don't have the individual authority. >> Yeah, that's right. Well, you're an English teacher. I'm not going to hardly command taken with you because you >> interesting norm practice, but I don't know if this is all boards or just unique to our >> No, no, no, no. It's it's all boards because you you're right, but as an individual, you you can't, but you could in a dialogue where we're at a cabinet, I mean a a retreat or whatever workshop, and

038you say, "Look, I want you to understand my perspective." you try to pull individuals towards you and say I'd like to have a deeper conversation about that. I don't think really we're where we need to be there and that's where the messy part comes in. Um but individually in terms of authority for direction that's not the case. So then the success of the board member is inextricably sorry tied to the success of the board. So you as an individual member are really hi. Oh, I should have waited. So you basically can't be a great board without the superintendence uh wanting you to be a great board. I've seen superintendents really get this wrong where they're like, "Look, I'm just going to count to three or I'm going to count to four and I'm done." Right?

039That's not good at all. Uh, the other is the superintendent cannot be successful without a great board. I've seen superintendents who I would argue are some of the best in the country and they're working for a very dysfunctional board who argues about these little itty bitty things and we're going to sit here and tear that sentence apart 50 times. And I'm watching these board meetings and I'm thinking I haven't heard any of you talking about the things you said were important. closing gaps, improving outcomes, making sure that our top performers feel that they have what it takes to get done while simultaneously focus on the bottom core tile or whatever it is that we say. And so we've got to be able to understand you're operating in a very complex system, right? And I guarantee

040you, you know more about this even though you've only been on the board a little bit, who've been on the board the longest. >> James, >> so James and you. And so There are people in the community that come to you and have no idea about how this works. They'll see you and say, "My kid just got a job and he needs a parking decal. Can you get can you get him a parking decal?" >> No. You know that. But the but the people in the community have no idea how this operates. It's a very complex system, right? That's not the rule. I don't, you know, get angry at Bank of America and go into the branch manager and demand uh to see the CEO and, you know, get I know that's a terrible example,

041but I'm trying to, you know, share one that looks like that. So, what winds up happening when I see the best boards, they don't always agree, but they unite across a couple of key things. And this is why sometimes it's dangerous when you have a board member who only runs on one topic. Let's say I have a child with autism and my kid's experience was awful. Therefore, I ran and I'm advocating for those families who don't have a chance to advocate and all I ever do is talk about autism. Is that united in service for all children? No. I'm only worried about [clears throat] this one kid, right? You can have Look, people have agendas. You're never going to get away with not having agendas. Can you pretend not to be a teacher? >> No.

042It's in your DNA. Can you pretend not to be a doctor? No, you can't. You said you're an attorney. You can't. It's hard to put that in like a box somewhere, right? But here's the thing. [clears throat] We don't need you to bring your teaching experience and medical. This is a This is going to be a little bit like locking horns a little bit, right? We don't need you to bring your teacher experience. We've got how many teachers in the district? >> 400. >> I'm afraid to use this example with you because you're going to yell at me because you're a doctor. But I'm saying like when COVID happened, could you contribute some interesting conversation? >> Oh, but yes. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Were you ever frustrated? >> Uh, a lot. Right. So what has

043have there ever been legal issues? How long have you been on the board? >> Four or five months. Have there been any legal issues that have come across your mind? Is it hard to separate who you are from the work? Hans, I forgot what you do. >> An inventor. [clears throat] >> Okay. Now I don't have no caught me flatfooted, man. You caught me in anything. >> Yeah. Yep. So, I don't know what to say about that other than, you know, you must be very creative, right? Yes. And you like to approach your chef. >> Maybe that's he cooks. >> Nobody pays me for that. [clears throat] >> That's the whole he has a passion on that. And there's some new food and nutrition program that we're discussing. He may be inclined to do that.

044If he's an inventor, he's creative and he may want us to do things slightly different. But we may say that's really not what we need to do. What we need from you all is to figure out what's the most important thing for us. What is our vision, mission, and set of core beliefs and values? You hire the staff to operationalize that. Now, that doesn't mean that when you're in one-on-one with the superintendent or you read something or you've experienced something that you can't speak on behalf of teachers, but you're not a teacher in this district, okay? You're a teacher somewhere else. You're not a doctor in this district. You're a doctor somewhere else. You're not a lawyer. not an inventor in this district, right? May live here, but we need to make sure we're always

045meeting and focusing on what's best for our kids and sometimes we get adult issues woven into this. So, you all have an interdependent relationship. Now, I would say this and I have whether Gimma is sitting here or not. She's one of the best academics that I've met in my 30-year experience. and I can say that with in truthful honesty and she's made a big impact in all the districts she's ever worked in. Now, she can only continue to move the ball down the field appropriately if we can continue to operate well as a governance team. When we don't, staff are running around in circles solving problems that have nothing to do with teaching and learning. And that's a real problem. I see it right now. I've been working with the Gwynet County School Board for

046the last 18 to 24 months. Um, there's some challenges, right? Boards have challenges, right? Leadership changes, new board members, new ideas, new concepts. But if we don't have stability, this group that's here can't get the work done. Okay? So, what we ask our board members to do is tell us what does success look like? Remember earlier when I showed you how do we keep score? What does success look like? Sometimes we come down here and we we're looking too close and we need to move up here. Last time Mrs. Bernath was here, she talked to you about if you're at a dance, um your experience at a dance would be very different than if you went up to the balcony and watched the people at the dance, right? Who was dancing? Who wasn't? Where were

047they standing? Where are they not? But if you're down on the dance floor, you don't have the same perspective. And so you have to try to spend as much time as you can at the 30,000 foot level. Are the relationships based on trust, loyalty, and respect? >> They should be. >> Yeah, they should be. You know, and one of the things I'm going to recommend here in about 15 20 minutes when we get to a slide is can we spend a little time going through that? You know, I tell boards all the time, every time you add a board, a new board member, the entire dynamic changes. It'd be like, I get divorced, I have a kid at home, I get remarried, and a new person moves into my home. Will that change the dynamics

048in my home? >> Absolutely. It changes the dynamics. So, we need to be thinking about can we find some time to think about our vision or mission or set of core beliefs and values and how we perform. Okay. All right. This is one that I've seen you personally grappling with which I love. How can you deepen your linkage to the community? Okay. When I got to Fulton County 2010, 2011, you all know the story. You live here. North Fulton, South Falton. Everywhere I went, it was this huge divide between the halves and the have nots. How am I going to link this school district to my community to better understand? I think I did a pretty decent job given every superintendent before me got fired between 12 and 18 months. Uh, and a few after

049me. Dr. Looney has done a nice job stabilizing the community. Um but um in general I think most of our success came from understanding and linking chart not just the board members and not just the superintendent together. Okay, I'm doing the same thing right now in Gwynette. trying to get them to connect with their communities to better understand it because what winds up happening whether we like it or not is I'll hear from the same two or three people and then I come and say my community is angry about this and the truth is is it really angry about this or is it the two or three people that are in your influence are maybe they are Maybe maybe they're not. But the way to do that is to get out into the community and

050work together. Gimma, talk to me a little bit about how you and your staff get into the community and how and then board members, I'd like to hear you guys talking about how do you keep your ear on the ground when it comes to community. >> So the advisories are my number one. So um I hold advisory meetings every six weeks pretty much. has to fall six weeks because of calendar but um I established a PTL advisory that was one that was not here. I also establish the interfaith council one that was not here. I also have listening sessions that occur three times a year. um not only uh at in the evening but also during the day virtual in the community uh in all of the community. I heard very much early on that

051there is a section of [clears throat] our community or sector of our community that feels isolated and marginalized. So I'm present [clears throat] there. Um those are off the you know off the cuff those are really broad. Okay. Right. And did you guys know that? >> Did you know about those? Did you know about those? So those are very powerful tools. This morning you were running out and I said, "Where are you going?" >> Yes. So >> I went to the I think you said you were going to go to the high school. >> I ran over to the high school. Yeah. >> So I I stay on the go a lot. Um, yep. >> You know, >> and and so what winds up happening is the stronger our links to the community are, the

052better we understand and the more confident we are about taking a step forward even into some things that might be a little uncomfortable. How about board members? How are you thinking about our current state when it comes to board community connection and maybe some things we can either do better or do more of or less? I mean, I run around and I talk to people the same thing I did when I campaigned. So, I understand that I might know people. I might have acquaintances. I might live in a neighborhood. I might run in a circle because of the virtue of my child activities. Um, but I seek people out. I don't mind talking. You're at an intersection with a stroller and I'm asking you, do you, you know, use early childhood of the year? Um

053before we had our community meetings, I took those business cards that I got and I wrote the community meeting times and I just ran around and walked around every area like not so much park but more like our downtown Decater. Um I find talking to people one-on-one to be far more helpful. But then what I see is we have a lot of opportunities for people to share an [clears throat] email, put it in a form, speak in a microphone. I don't see how there's a link. It feels to me like you have two entities. You're the community and we are the school district and our [clears throat] >> uh I I mean so I agree with Tracy in person is a thousand times better than almost any other format. I have more coffee than my

054body is probably meant to have. Uh just meeting with anybody that might be interested whether they agree or not. Uh I avoid social media like the plague. I think that is a view. Um, and >> more courage. >> Well, it it just exaggerates the the angriest and I don't think that's a representative sample of the community. Certainly not my experience in in actually speaking folks. >> Um, I think I I also I think inerson meets or even a phone call sometimes it's difficult to to get people's schedule together to meet in person. So, I'm going to offer to people call me. Um, but I usually give people if they email me directly, if they call me by name, um, I'll give them two email responses and then >> yeah, >> because going back and forth

055by email I feel like contributes to misinformation. also a breakdown in kind of nonverbal cues very matter of factually sentence and they'll think that you're being really that's not at all um I also maximize on people knowing somebody somehow so meet somebody run across somebody and really they'll feed my guts for something I said or some way I voted and I'm like yeah I know that you know this person this way and that diffuses. >> It could. Yeah, it could. >> Um I met somebody the other day who actually priest at church but I don't go to church. So um I find that that help everybody knows somebody. >> I mean you know the world's I hate to talk about but the world's essentially changed for so many of us. Um, and we're still living

056in this like hyperpolitical um, confusing and often like unpredictable world. >> And when that happens, they look to our leaders, you all, to see how you're responding. Are we are we working together like with a sense of courage but also optimism and you know uh a steady hand as opposed to being explosive like you had mentioned online right it gets really complicated. How about you Lorraine? Would you like to add anything to that? >> I mean I I really appreciate I think um Dr. Whitaker started us doing community meetings um and giving us that opportunity where we can really interact and answer questions directly >> with the community and like this is four square miles. It is a very small community and all of us have kids in the school district so we have connections

057and know a lot of people it's like a friend of a friend or everything um like that. So yeah and I but I agree meeting people and talking face to face is always the best when especially when there are differences of opinion but you know I think putting information out um for people to understand is also important for them to understand the facts. Can I piggy back on something though because I think the part of the theme I keep hearing though is it's effectively because someone reached out and so you know could kind of start with I think Kon what you mentioned I actively seek out people I don't know that's the whole point because otherwise you how many people are we talking about we have 5,000 and change students in the school district assuming

058you know at least one parent or adult per child that's like >> a lot of people and so no matter how many people we know you >> I'm always as interested in all the other people. >> Yeah. >> Because largely whether it's 650 people or 35 or 85 there's still more that aren't reaching out they're not able to pay attention and I am just as interested in knowing >> and one of the benefits of that is who's speaking on our behalf when we're not in the room. >> Something [clears throat] really cool happened to me recently. I was in line. I'm not the superintendent anymore, but when people talk about schools, I always like turned my ear and I heard these people online at Publix and the lady said, "Hey, I just moved in. I

059I see your kid has a Jupiter High School shirt on. What do you think about that school? We were thinking about going to Benjamin, which is a private school." And she's like, "Don't [clears throat] waste your money going to Benjamin. This is a great school." And I love that because it's this moment where you realize that it's, you know, she didn't have to say that, but she said that because her kid had a good experience and she felt connected and assured enough to say that. So who's speaking on our behalf? We're not looking if or we're not there. It's this linkage. But back to your point, Tracy, which is what where's the linkage part come in? They want to they knowing is good but a lot of these people want to do like I want

060to contribute and so as you think about your next strategic plan how do you engage the community in a meaningful way where it's not just when we get organized and ask eastb blast that's the best we I've never seen school districts operate with good communication plans like when we're going to ask for money um we tend to be our best there okay so as we move along I want to remind you again of our space where we live as board members above the line thinking about what results we want what what we want for our students and at what cost of Hans's point about the budget uh and then where the superintendent lives how you operationalize this body of work a really good way to do that is what you have already I love it

061I use this example just the other day um I shared yours with chair Cherokee County Schools with Mary Elizabeth Davis and her team about let's memorialize some of the agreements that we have. Now, when you memorialize these, they're not always they're not always perfect, right? So, I told you I've been married a long time. The rules that my wife and I set for each other when we first got married are very different as the relationship evolves. Right? If you want to stay married, you learn how to compromise. um otherwise, you know, it doesn't work very well, right? Um and so going back to these rules periodically is perfectly normal. In fact, I encourage people to do that. Um whether it's in a little environment like this or we take our time in a in a

062in a more like offsite kind of retreat. So, y'all had talked about three um that had come up here recently. Um Dr. Whitaker, you want to chat a little bit about these three? >> Yes. So, uh, boys, as you know, during our pre-work session last week, >> yes, literally last week, we tackled three. Uh, the document you have in front of you does not it's not updated as of yet. We're going to codify everything from today and then from uh last time all at once. So what we discussed last time we also said let's go ahead and bring to today G I and P. So if we look you have your marks in front of you. >> You want to start with G and read that one out. >> Yes. So G is information request

063initiated by an individual board member as referenced in the information [clears throat] request of board member section will be provided to the board by the superintendent for full board consideration and majority. So that's how it right. >> Is that um is that working right now [clears throat] >> or ask that we kind of talk through? >> I think you have to go back to um the section about information requests by board members to understand it better. Um because you referenced >> page three D. Uh and I guess that that's you know for me as a person asking for things just so I understand what's going on. Sometimes I felt like it's been a bit bumpy when I've asked for some some information and whether or not that's something that requires additional resources or not. um

064and whether it requires, you know, board chair to be involved and ask for a majority or not. Um sometimes I I felt like it wasn't a big request and being kind of um not provided it and having to ask several times made me even more concerned. um if I'm asking for you know a four or five page contract that I didn't think was something out of the ordinary >> I think the question is in that case is not so much how much time does it involve to get it as it is is this an appropriate level of governance that we are beginning to engage in and so I think that's where that difficulty was and I think that's a good question for the entire board right like what are we is it appropriate uh on

065oneoff cases that we delve into clauses and contractual obligations in contracts that are uh either already approved or that fall clearly within the superintendent's control that that had to do with clauses or details. It's just you know the board was concerned about and so I think that that's a reasonable thing for us >> I'm not raising this as a as an argument. I'm really raising this as a thing for us as a as a governing body to discuss, right? Like you you want to discuss governance. That's exactly what we're discussing. >> That's not in here. It doesn't say is that within our scope or not. I mean, I feel >> that's why we're having this conversation about >> I mean I feel as you know we all have a fiduciary duty here as elected members

066to make sure that things are running well. And granted that was a request I I think I made initially in February. Brand new. I'm just trying to get my footing and understand how things operate and work. And you know, I also try to ask with grace and say, "Yeah, I know I may be asking for some weird things, but I just kind of want to get the lay of the land and understand how things work." And so me asking for something maybe out of the ordinary for most of it >> [clears throat] >> um and being ignored and not allowed to have it makes me actually more concerned and worried like what's the big deal? >> Well, there I mean there are and our attorney can weigh in. There are things that are below the

067line. So, for example, you know, an employee, there's a personnel matter. It's still under investigation. It could be a student issue with FURPA or HIPPA. Um, and again, I I don't know all of the ins and outs of what the request was and wasn't, but there are some where someone will say, "Hey, I you know, I I'd like that information." Um, and from a management standpoint, you know, we don't think it's an appropriate um space to go. So I think that the concern over this particular situation was and this was discussed at the last board retreat that for board members in general to request to see certain contracts with specific vendors if it's below the line below the threshold superintendent >> that it could give the appearance that board members are looking more carefully at

068certain vendor contracts or not others and it could give the appearance of bias or or against a [clears throat] certain vendor. Um, and so it was not an issue of not trying to allow a board member to have to be able to review a contract. I mean, contract is public document. >> Yeah. Once it's approved, it's a public doc, right? >> That's how I felt and understood it. I was even told at one point that I needed to go through open records. >> Okay. So, this is a point where we need we'll we'll have to define some clarity to Hans's point about how do we do that? One last comment and then I'll turn it over, which is um this notion of you've got a policy that allows the superintendent um and you've got to

069make sure that it allows them um the authority to purchase items, etc. that are that are in some cases need to be done quickly. Um and in other cases you have to go through an RFP process which you have a policy for. Those are the protections the guard rails that should allow us to to manage that. >> No, thank you. I think if we step back couple thousand feet without getting too much into the reason I feel we have that conversation five to 10 over what I see here deliberately speaking is that if board members want asking a question of superintendent or staff regardless of what it is um it sounds and if it's time consuming and we talked about what that there's some subjectivity to that I I appreciate that then it Sounds like

070the board as a as a majority has to decide that that's something that the board wants to pursue and then what we're saying here is that then I go pursue it on your behalf. Um so that if you direct it to the chair, the chair then goes to the superintendent to get those requests. That's I think what's maybe not happening from the perspective of the superintendent the cabinet. They get a lot of requests for information. they get a lot of questions and coming from individual board members close to extreme level of communication and then on that's what G is saying is that information requests by individual board members go to the chair and then the chair if it's approved by a majority approval go to the superintendent. So maybe that's whether it's a contract whether

071it's a >> another body. >> Exactly. Then the if it requires time, if it requires anything, then the board decides that that's what the board wants and then I take I say okay and then I take it to the superintendent on your behalf and that's kind of what's not happening. That's what I think Trace is going to >> but I think the issue is the way I read it two things information request can be global information that I think I need which is different from information for board meeting preparation and so if it's just written that way G is specific to board meeting preparation which is why I have parked on are working until Friday to produce the documents for a meeting because I don't know what I don't know. So only when I see

072documents on a Friday do I learn I have further questions. Now coming over to D though as Lorine was citing for example she gets on the board and I know I have the same experience. >> D is just information in general. It's still >> that Lorine brought up because they both have to do with information. First and foremost, I want to make sure I'm clear here. These sounds like I want information. I feel like I need information to do my job, get a lay of the land, get prepared for whatever is coming down the pipe. Whereas G is specific to the board meeting preparation. >> Am I correct there? So three D. So to help us with >> the letter page >> page [clears throat] three letter D >> is I read this global information.

073I think it needs more clarity because right now I think it is a faithful objective for us to fully um or objectively implement and I think it can create unnecessary confusion and perhaps even mistrust because of how it's written. Yes, >> I would agree. Um, and so a suggestion would be all information requests go to the chair and then come to me. >> So moving forward then I'm just I'm not saying that is >> I think this is the kind of conversation that needs to occur with with a little more depth [clears throat] >> uh when we can sort of park some of those ideas. Now, you all bringing these up, I think staff, we can have a conversation later about what we might be able to bring as a straw man to get after

074some of these because I think there's some legitimate issues of clarity that have been brought up. >> It may also just to help I'm I'm fine with it either way. I just want to put on say clearly if it was the case that you know board members were like, "Hey, I have a question. You know, what do other board members think?" I'm happy to advocate on your behalf. you know, I have to take it to I think it might be also helpful for board members to hear kind of what their concerns are. Maybe the perception is that they ask a question and then >> staff or yourself don't want to give the information, but maybe what I hear because I'm kind of in the middle of some of this is that this is taking a

075lot of time or you're asking for a quick turnaround or what is the expectation here? So maybe it might be helpful for for them to hear that maybe there's a little malignment and perception with some test >> right because I just now I can speak um when you look at you know D that requires additional resources to construct or develop I'm just thinking okay I'm not going to ask her for you know to go and create something for me so I'm reading that strictly as it is like okay this is just a four page four or five page contract like what's the big deal? And I've been told by you even go ask for it. Like will you ask her? So it it is hard. I think we need to define that and understand it

076because then Hans brings up another issue of like well you're asking for something that's too in the weeds essentially. >> Um >> or it could go to what the attorney said which is why did you ask about Robert's contract but not about Samantha's. Well, where where I definitely agree with that, sorry, is that that that there does need to be a closing of loop on the conversation. If the request is going to be honored or if there are concerns about honoring it, >> we should just >> talk about that, right? because I do I do think not responding to a a request or being responsive to some board members but not others on requests does lead to a feeling that that there is a mismatch. So, >> one pro tip here is that let's say

077a request did come to you, share it with the superintendent, staff says, "Look, this is a 10 or 15 minute request. Not a problem. Let's share it back out." That whether you asked for it or someone else did, everybody gets both the question and the answer. >> And that may also to that does that make sense? >> But to that point, it may be that >> then they don't know not that it should make a difference who the question came from. All the questions would always come from me. You know what I mean? Not that it shouldn't make any difference in your speed, you know, then like the board has a question is the question is ABC D. Can you get it back within 24 hours and she >> we just have to be cautious

078of and this is where self police self-p policing has to happen. Okay, I'm new. I get it. You're going to have a bunch of questions. You're overwhelmed. You're trying to figure stuff out. At some point though, you know, you begin to understand. And those of you who have been on the board a year, two years, three years, as you begin understanding the rhythm of the school district, you have an advantage because you've been a teacher or principal, whatever. My point is over time, we just have to be careful to self police. It's very difficult for the board to say to someone, "Look, man, you've like submitted 33 requests and you know, my team is supposed to be out doing X, Y, and Z, and they're fulfilling these itty bitties that really in the the grand

079scheme of what our priorities are are not aligned." Right? So, I love this discussion. This is where again the sausage gets made. Nobody wants to do it. Everybody wants to eat it. But um we have to figure out a way to spend a little more time getting after this nuance so that we can agree on how we're going to do it. Make sense? All right, let's move to the next letter if it's okay. Can we go to I >> uh yes, it says board member may request an item be placed on the agenda by submitting the request to the board chair prior to the deadline submitting agenda items. A board member interested in submitting an agenda item must have the support. >> We we amended this in the meeting, didn't we? >> Yeah, >> we

080did. We did. It would be helpful to engage on this with the updated language because we did just have a public conversation about this >> we could find the deadline was about it being Tuesday we did the information at the meeting the materials are Friday as well as the deadline for so we did do all of that I don't I don't know that there's a lot for us what were you hoping ask that it was brought up. >> Yeah. Well, I think one thing um I want to point out is that um your policy is different in some regard from the board norm. >> The policy states that in order for a board member to add items to the agenda at the meeting, it requires a majority. The norms only require two people. So, you

081know, >> prior >> it prior to the meeting, >> but it so that is somewhat inconsistent with each other that you can um do it one way at a meeting, but beforehand you only have two. But isn't that because something may come up between the publishing of the agenda and the actual live meeting? Like I'm just thinking the last two years it's been infrequent and it's just anecdotal memory. So to that one I understand but I thought that was solely because something came up between the published agenda and the meeting date because I mean no one would want to prevent in the event that there's something exigent, right? Like you can't just know because we published the agenda a week ago so therefore we just can't talk about it live at the meeting. Oh no,

082no. I I mean I think >> Am I misunderstanding that? No, >> you can still you can publish you mean post Friday publish. >> Well, it's not about meeting it's not about it's not saying you can bring it up at the meeting and meet you authority. The question is, you know, why is it that the norms say only two members can bring it up, which means prior >> which prior to the meeting, which means it's not even a majority decision to bring it up, but at the meeting you would require a majority. So, I'm just saying >> I think yeah, at the meeting you'reing the agenda, whereas prior to the meeting, you're not amending an agenda. You haven't created the >> along those lines. I think there a lot of the language in the norms

083falls for majority. So this I don't know if there's any other if you can correct me if there's any other line item here that says one person plus one other I think the rest of the language. >> Yeah. I've had difficulty with this in the past. should be a majority too. >> My I there are times where it is valuable to to protect minority interests as well. And so I I I I would rather us have harder conversations with things being added to the agenda that the that a majority might want to do. Um, and and and I don't feel like this has really been abused. And so legally, I mean, I I don't think I'm hearing that there's a legal problem with it. If you want to amend the agenda after it's published, you

084have to have a majority. >> If you are asking for an item to be added to the agenda and you have the support of at least one other board member >> before the deadline, right? Before the deadline, I think that is a reasonable thing to preserve. Yeah, especially because our board is five. The minority year is 40% versus like a board of nine or a board of seven. >> Yeah. But I think it's important to, you know, because I I read rules and laws and I see what it says and I try to follow it. And so, you know, it it is frustrating when I see just the way it's written and it's not happening that way. >> I don't understand what you're meaning. Well, you know, with my governance item, which I know we're

085working through and it's going to be on the agenda, it was confusing to get mixed messages that, oh, Lorraine, it is on the agenda. It's in pre-work, but then it really wasn't addressing everything that I had requested and then saying, no, we can't do that. you know, I had to ask once and then that's when we elaborated and realized, okay, we need to have a separate time for everyone to see the agenda because that's set by the chair and the vice chair because then one I don't know what I want to put on the agenda sometimes until I see it. Then that's when we realize that we needed to have a time when you know it's submitted earlier, which is good. But I'm glad that we did that. Um, so that all of us get

086to see the agenda before it's publicly published. So then we have I think now it's like Wednesday or Thursday or >> Tuesday and that we can add it before the Friday when it goes public. >> Well, I think I think the first thing Lorine is that I've addressed this agenda item at least three times and it may not be what you want here, but with this particular topic, we just have to get a little bit of legal advice. And I think it's it's sometimes it's not it's not fair to say that your request is denied when it doesn't come out exactly the way that that you want it. Um that with this particular thing there's some very sensitive legal issues and >> it's not your choice to meet that. That is our council advising and

087follow our counsel. >> So I I simply had to get take a little bit of time. Now we could have brushed through it and done it wrong but that was that was not the way to go. So I think the other thing too is you know with this here we can add an agenda item uh but we also have to be cognizant of the time and the work that it takes the staff to get it in there. Um so it's like I said it's it's it's not always >> and also if it's for discussion versus action. Right. >> Right. I feel like it's not always fair to say that your request was denied just because maybe it didn't come out in the exact exactly the time that you wanted. Um, yeah, we are working with

088this particular thing. >> We're working on it. I followed all the steps that I said I would every both verbally and in writing. And and that >> it was just confusing because you were saying, "Oh, it is on the pre-work." But I didn't see it on the pre-work. >> You asked for two things. One went on pre-work like I said, which was you asked for communication topics. That went on pre-work like we said. This particular legal matter that you asked for, I said at least three or four times. I had to go back to GSBA to get some legal guidance. Now, I'm I'm sorry that that's not what you wanted to hear, but that is what we were going to do. And then I told you just this morning, the legal team is helping me

089make sure that we do it properly because some of these are sensitive and confidential matters. And then once we get that straightened out, we'll proceed. It is not >> once and then it just seems one thing and then other I've said the same thing consistently. So I think I think that the I think that the norm could include some languages around languages should include language around expectations of when because it is unreasonable >> uh particularly and I'm not saying that you did this but if like something comes in last minute that's an enormous amount of work it's just not going to make the next agenda. it's g it's just not going to make the next agenda >> and even if you've given sufficient time there may be a significant amount of work that has to

090be clarified and so I don't I don't have an answer off the spot right now but I do think we should put some parameters of time around that so that there is a reasonable expectation m maybe it's within the next three board meetings or something like there I can't think of anything that would take more than three month there needs to be some discussion or something added about the number, not necessarily putting a limit on the number of items, but keeping in mind that there's a reason why there's a with designated topics. There is a reason why the superintendent and the chair meet to decide what goes on the agenda because there is a limited number of time at >> amount of time at a meeting. And here's the the reason that I say that

091the two board members versus a majority could be problematic is that you have all of these items to be added to an agenda, but there is not enough time at every meeting to have the discussion. So what process do y'all want to use for how do we prioritize these things and decide where which agenda they go on to your point? Is it this agenda? Is it three months from now? But there's a realistic component to what can be handled. >> I agree. And what worries me when there's pressure to move things through in a system um that we make a mistake and uh don't think about all the potential unintended consequences of either a discussion or a decision. So there's a reason that there are processes in place to slow us down to ensure that

092from a legal standpoint, we're thinking about the right things and that it's also aligned to all the other political line landmines that we often need to think through before we make a decision. Discussion is one thing. I think the uh action is certainly another. But again, this is why I'm going to go back to this. We need some time to discuss these types of items. They're very difficult to just square up in a meeting when we've got lots of other agenda items and BEOP is a very powerful way to allow you to do exactly what you should be doing which is oversight. Well, and then I think a lot that's what I was I think going to say which was instead of months, it has to be linked to policies and actions which means maybe

093we need a more detailed policy calendar that aligns because some of the you on the other hand what I am not comfortable with totally respect the fact that you want to rush through this and create that but what if there's an information gap and so it needs to work both ways and I think it's driven less by time and more specific specific the goals um policies budget decisions whatever it may be. >> Yeah, >> some items are just naturally more complex than others. Let I don't know what P is. Um I didn't >> say slide deck. I was just reading that draft preview of accompanying slide decks will be provided to board members the Friday. >> I This is something that um I keep bringing up for a variety of reasons, mostly because we want

094that engaged public, right? community um and the agenda, the published agenda with all the documents is a link right now between you know who I am as community member and what's happening here at the school district. And so when we're publishing it at 4 something on a Friday and no one is working over the weekend, um it just seems to have a weird Tuesday, which is fine, but then we're told about time. >> And so, you know, I go back to that information for a budget meeting to make sure that everyone, not just the staff, not just the board members and the community all have the same respected amount of time to prepare. I think with this one we were trying to make sure that it aligned with how we had amended um one of

095the couple things. So P is I would say standard operating process and timeline for school boards that meet on Tuesday in Georgia. So one day meetings not two different meetings over the course of the month. I mean APS has one meeting on Monday. Everything is published on Friday. Folton has two meetings, but that meeting that is on Tuesday is published on the Friday before. Same thing would be for Maretta. That is a standard process in school in school systems. And that's perfectly fine. It's just that again we seem to really struggle with an understanding and we I use myself in this in terms of information and time and so I have brought it up repeatedly because people have looked at the agenda and then contacted me and so and then when I have reached out

096sometimes it's like staff isn't working over the weekend which I understand. So, you know, I don't think it's a frequent thing, but I think we know the known knowns when there are items on the agenda that are either pretty meaty, cumbersome, or at times going to be, for lack of a better word, controversial. And I think there needs to be >> I think there's some best practice that I am happy to share with the superintendent on socializing the larger discussion items in some sort of workshop environment. Okay, let me share that with Dr. with or her separately if you guys are okay with that. >> Okay. >> All right. So, let's move forward. Um, again, as good teams, remember how do we keep score? How much time is on the clock? You all took a

097look at yourself in the mirror first before we looked outside and you did a self assessment. You asked yourself, how are we doing? Right? Um, you know, I don't know if you gave yourself all A+es or some of you didn't. I don't know. But the reality is you've identified a couple of things that um are places you'd like to get better. Okay, we talked a little bit about that right now. We're talking about that today. Government, right? The defensive governance. Um how do we make something positive here in this democratic process that we have? Uh what roles and responsibilities the superintendent has? We spent some time identifi uh talking through some of that. In just a moment, um Amanda and I will talk to you a little bit about strategic planning. What is strategic planning?

098Why is it important? And then how do we get you all to weigh in simultaneously as we begin closing out the current one and thinking about the next one? And then this piece right here, which is board and community relations. This is a very important dynamic and it's one of which particularly in a district like this where you have a lot of engaged parents, highly educated, you know, people want to be involved, they want responses and so how are we doing with these um and I am going to recommend um that we spend some much needed time on those three. I don't think this is the environment to do that. But the governance leadership team develops a culture where input is sought, heard, and valued. But then also, we've got to have the ability to

099say, "Okay, that decisions made. It didn't go the way I wanted to. I'm not going to just drag that along for the next six months reminding everybody it didn't go my way, but I'm going to move forward and focus on the next big item." Right? It's just how democracy works. B, the board develops policies to ensure effective communication. and then C governance leadership teams ensure processes that develop, communicate, maintain procedures of communication. Essentially, this is also like your constituent services piece. How do we respond to the community? So, what I'd like for you guys to do, um, again, I I go back to this over and over again. How can we create a space where we understand how we're going to operate together both formally and then also informally with our agreement with the superintendent

100or communication. Um, and I would argue it would be for us to spend or you all to spend some time together. And I'd like for you to consider, can you invest a couple of days where you're able to roll up your sleeves and really concentrate on the four or five most prominent uh areas that I think if we get them right, we could continue moving forward with this. So, I don't know if you could take a look at that. >> I'll look at my I can't do it right now because I've got a lot at um >> No, it's August 30th. >> August 30. >> No, I don't. [clears throat] Yeah, they're all starts. Oh, no. I'm about to write a letter B. Hi. I'm sorry. >> I was like, you have me down like

101looking good. >> These are Friday. >> These are all >> Friday. Friday. >> September. I I completely >> Oh, we have to do the doodle. >> Why am I >> You're not from here. Even though I'm not here to be >> When is Labor Day or When is not Labor Day? I'm sorry. Yeah, they were not >> not like fall. >> Fall break. That's right. >> Oh, that fall break is the week of the 21st. >> Okay. So, yeah. [clears throat] >> Yeah. Is it it's a two-day retreat or >> Yes, it's like [clears throat] you all know that Dr. >> All right. So, um >> Okay. All right. So, um BMOP, what is BOP? Um and let me explain something. Um this is this process has been developed. Uh there was an organization with

102AASA called the large county consortium that was really a group of the highest performing districts across the country. At the time it was Fairfax, Montgomery County, Charlotte, Meckllinburgg, um uh then there were a few others um that really studied deeply how is it that we can manage um an opportunity for the school board in a very productive way um to take a look at what's underneath the hood. And the way to do that is to identify which parts of the system tend to give us the most complexity. Right? So if we do something on transportation, we don't need to do that every year. I think once we identify transportation, we could talk about it once, give some highlights on it, unless there's issues and then we say during the summer as we build the retreat,

103hey, we may need to talk about transportation again because it's reared its ugly head, right? And so when you map out the whole year, it does a couple of things. One, it ensures that we're following all the policies and procedures that are out there, that we're giving you all the information you need at the right time. that when you do get some sort of concern about special ed and you've got a few questions, they don't need to be answered right now. You know, it's coming in September, for example, you make yourself a note and say, "I'd like to bring these items up in September." So, that board management oversight basically allows you to know when things are coming to you. And then, truthfully, a great practice would be each summer, um, we sit down as

104a team at a retreat and say, "What are some of the other things that are keeping up keeping us all up at night?" and we map those and cross cross them through the whole process. Okay. All right. So, Amanda, you want to walk through a little bit about where we are with that? >> Yeah, absolutely. So, in your folders, and you of course have seen this before, but um or have seen before. This is the updated version for the draft. Um saw it last week as well, but for next year, so it's modeled after this current year um and with some changes for next year. You guys have presented this to the community before, so you're familiar with it. I always refer to it as our scope and sequence. Um it gives us those big

105bucket items that we're going to be talking about aligned to both the strategic accelerators of the strategic plan to make sure that we're hitting each of the objectives are somewhere within one of those presentations to make sure that you're getting that look under the hood of the objectives of the strategic plan. um as well as we've pulled out that student data focus the budget calendar and some policy calendar information for you as well talking about the function of the board that we talked about a little bit earlier. Um one of the things that came up in your self evaluation one of the needs improvement standards that that will continue to create that actual board throughout the year is acting as that policymaking body separate um from that kind of operation standpoint. So, um, your consensus

106statement was that you need to work on staying in the lane of governance. And so, the BMOP helps provide kind of the map of of when we're looking at that. So, um, I want to draw your attention to a couple of additions or changes that were made from the 2526 or our current year BOP to this draft that you have in your hand now, highlighting a couple of things that kind of came into place um, to ensure that we're getting each of those objectives covered. So, a couple of things that you're going to see um in August and November, this came out of a lot of the school utilization conversations and things. We've um put it in I think we've actually moved it over to the to the budget side instead of the student data

107side, but student enrollment are getting that those FTE updates to help us understand where our enrollment is from that FTE perspective. So, that's added explicitly on in August and November. um you will see the five-year facilities plan added three times next year because we are coming up for um to be working with the DOE on our next five years facilities plan. So that kind of is taking it through like the workshop process into the uh you know the whole whole thing which is why you see it appear three times. Artificial intelligence we all know is a thing. Um so that's not something that that was called out explicitly on the current year's BOP. So that's in there. you'll see that in November. Um staff engagement surveys are now May and contracts remain March. Um so

108just making explicitly clear some of those human resources updates and things as well. Uh information on professional learning uh the report is in June. Blue and Gold Institute we know is kind of a new thing. So we want to make sure that you get the update on that. That's occurring in February. Um student data adjustments to anticipated release. So you'll see some of the milestones might have moved around because we know that we're going to get our ELA results back much later this year because it's a noon test. So because of that, you'll see some of the student data adjustments. And just um so you're aware the student data adjustment drives a lot of the mapping of the of the when we get data and when we anticipate data is kind of starts them like

109okay so where is it appropriate then to give the information updates say from teaching and learning or to give that discipline information. So it kind of depends on the the cycle of when we get the information or anticipate the information. Um, also in response, we have included legal services RFP in August. Um, so that's there and then annual contract renewals in both May and June. Um, and then this year, because we've been working on the two-year policy review that we really kind of worked out at the beginning of last year, you'll see those remaining policies mapped out in a policy map right now. Um and then also included in there is the fact that um we're going to have to do some more mapping based on this most recent legislative session and what kind of

110requires um policy changes. Uh we did the same thing last year and where that will fall into place. So just high level for you what's in your hand again looks similar to what we've been doing but here are some of the things that we've heard and have changed or or initiatives that are coming um that that either need to be more explicit or we wanted to call out and say you'll see these on the Bmont for this year. So I thought we were also giving suggestions. You know, someone asked me if this is the management oversight of the board, how do I read this other than these are topics? So like I think because I think that was brought up even in terms of information requests. So if we are calling this management owner site,

111is this document simply saying that we're making sure that in August there's an opening of schools? So like I'm personally I think we need more details in here and it sounds like the objectives that we talked about because I believe sometimes without those objectives is why we have information requests. Um, additionally, when I looked at the strategic accelerators, organizational effectiveness is pretty much every month. But when I look at building and sustaining and engaging an incul inclusive culture, I see nothing for August, September, October, or November. >> So remember what this is for. That doesn't mean the work's not happening. It means when we talk about it, when we lift up the hood and show you what's happening, in some instances, there are things that have significantly more indicators than others, right? Were we going

112to talk about it just to talk about it, or are we going to talk about it because there's a result associated with something? Because part of your responsibility is to say, all right, let's say discipline was a major issue in the district. Well, we're not going to look at discipline every month. We might look at every nine weeks because it's a major problem. We might look at it only once a semester or once a year because it's not a problem. So really what the what the staff is doing is laying out a map of when particular indicators might make most sense to share with folks otherwise you're just going to meet for the sake of meeting here and objective part that >> if the staff is bringing it forward great but if the board is

113saying the objective like so for example Um I personally I don't know how the rest of the board feels but when we get I don't think we should be getting an HR report only at the end. So I think we learned in March that the survey of the staff was from November. It seems reasonable to do a temperature check right for building and sustaining or retaining >> y'all. This is your Bach. >> Yeah. No, no, no. I mean, >> that's why I was kind of concerned about this presentation because I thought we were starting with what we were. >> Okay. So, so if if we start with the blank piece of paper, we're going to be here six six months, right? >> The general feedback though, and I I want to I want to emphasize

114Trac's point because I agree with it. General feedback is I think that this board feels I'm I'm speaking for everybody but please jump in that this board feels there are important topics around is sustaining engaging inclusive culture and retrain cultivating retraining quality professionals that warrants more conversation than twice a year or in one of the cases just once a year and and if that means we trade it off by having a couple less of conversation around organizational effectiveness. I think there's a willingness to do that, right? There is that the what we focus on in the meetings is what we value. >> Yeah. >> And and this BOP would read to me as we don't have an issue with retaining or cultivating quality professionals and we don't have any issue with building and sustaining an

115inclusive culture, but we have massive issues around organizational effectiveness and excellence. And I don't know that that's accurate. I I think that that needs that's not accurate. I I I think that there is a balance there. >> So, are you saying then that there is a problem like the one you want to talk about more? >> No, I don't I I think it's wrong to say that there's a problem. I think we I think there are legitimate questions around teacher retention, teacher pay, >> uh morale >> talking about that every month does what? >> No, not every month. Not every don't exaggerate. you asked me when I got on the board. And so if all we're I'm not saying that's the case, >> but if what we're hearing is this, what we're seeing is this

116presentation in May or March. And like I said, I learned during that presentation that that survey was from November. Why wouldn't the school district want to >> why wouldn't the board why wouldn't the administration want to say this is where we are? >> You you all have to decide that. My question is this. You have to remember this is your meeting. >> Yep. >> In public. This is not a public meeting. You talking about it, it may signal something to people that it's important, >> but I I guess my point was, and Hans, I'm not saying it has to be every month, but my point is that >> there are naturally some times during the school year that there is something for us to bring to you to do oversight, right? I mean, I guess

117we could do an HR report. Doesn't have to be a BMOP. There were plenty of reports I gave my board that were every month on attrition or >> you know cash flow or whatever. >> Let me say it this way. Let me say it this way. Right? There is >> generally what we get in a state of HR report is a a results presentation. This is where we are with the data fed. This is what's happened over the I think that there is an appetite for us to have maybe just one. It doesn't have to be 20 meetings over the course of the year, but one that says we clearly recognize these three topics are a thing that we need to be focused on >> and here are the things we're going to do over

118the next six months or next 12 months to address each of those things. And at the end of the year, we're going to read out to you what the results of those three things are. I think there's some some value to that. >> I think I think there is, too. And and maybe that's here, but to Tracy's point, it's not like me reading it. I can't see that pop off the page. >> I think maybe what I'm hearing though is like Lonita reports does a financial report every single month. Every single but that's what you know, but she does report out every single month. Maybe maybe what I'm hearing is that the state of HR is like the big like big like woohoo. But maybe if if what we're saying is to the point here

119that you know going into this next school year you know teacher pay retention morale all those things are have now risen up high on the right or you feel like we need to be reporting to more than once a year then it doesn't necessarily have to be here. You could just say totally you could just say we want a report. >> You can have a report once a quarter on these are the number of teachers we've hired. These are the number of teachers because you should get a personnel report anyway. Maybe we can add that's >> let me let me say it this way. I think what we have done in the last year and a half with two years has been excellent in terms of shifting the narrative around how the students and we've

120seen the results. We've absolutely seen the results. The cost of making those changes is that it has complicated how teachers feel about teaching in the district because we are wholesale shifting the culture of instruction indicator for good reason because the way that we were doing it before, this is not a teacher fault thing. This is this is us. But the way that we were doing it before was clearly underserving school kids. So now we've made the changes to serve the kids. It's tough on teachers. So, what are we now doing to lessen that burden on teachers without losing ground on the benefits and the improvements we've made for kids? And however we reflect that, I don't think it's a readout on data. I I think that there is a conversation that is an acknowledgment of

121those challenges and a plan on how to address them. >> Yeah. So building >> well I I feel strongly that it needs to be written in here because we can't have it both ways. We tell people the community meaning we want your input [clears throat] and it is called management oversight. And so to your point about looking under the hood, what else do we even publish for? So you get to come to a board meeting, you get to provide public comment, you get to email us suggestions. So I absolutely think it needs to be in here and you know I'm not sure I agree with everything you said there Hans. However to the point that our largest employee base and we tell people it's our largest budget item is salaries and we do know I

122think factually that you probably end up spending more money when you are having to replace people and I don't know why we want to publicly share the good stuff as well. This isn't just all like data. I absolutely think it needs to be more than once a month. I don't know why we wouldn't highlight that. You could make it look just like like I said like the budget. See how it says budget calendar? You could make it say like HR report HR report like you could have. So what I what I would suggest you have you can put uh when are we doing a beat? >> Okay. So one of the things that you see here on the beat it is when the results are available. So when the student results are available that is

123when we we provide the information. So if you have state of HR in August after the upbeat is administered you can read out what it says. Now it's a formative but you you you can and depending upon the window closes it would be either in November probably November if it's administered in add it in December add you know add that information and then when it closes again you have the information again and in the interim or during that time you say in the state of HR these are the things we're going to focus on these this year that's part of the state of HR and then you're feeding you're providing the data that says Is is that working or is it not working? But also it's a victory lap what Tracy was saying which is

124let's brag about if there are things you're doing differently let's brag about it and then also admit that hey there's some spaces we don't need to get >> I think the other things though like we have a lot of advisor in councils we have LTS and so whether that goes into the cultivating and retaining quality professionals or the engaging inclusive culture which is supposed to be student outcomes driven and the SLTs are looking at school improvement. I think we need those readouts, too. So, I I certainly am not going below and saying how it needs to be done, but I think a human quality to the presentation that would allow for us to find out like, so I know there's an SLT and I know there's a teacher advisory council. I know there's a PTO

125advisory council and I know there's an SET, but right now as a board member, unless I go and I look at the minutes, I have I think really I mean I hate >> but to the inclusive culture and then to our self assessment about the community then >> management to your school building >> but how do we know I I think back to to like we identify community relations there our strategic accelerator is building an engaging inclusive culture. So how is that then measured? How is that measured? It is one of the four accelerators. student success in all areas. You can see an improvement by X percentage for all students in addition to closing the achievement gap. You can see star literacy scores. But then what is the building and standing in? >> So maybe

126what I hear Dr. saying is that this is not supposed to turn into an agenda calendar. If we get like too germanine into you know this particular action item, it won't be a a fan oversight plan. It'll be linked in agenda calendar >> but then okay so then I guess the question is what does the board come up with because to what you were saying about under the hood if culture is the one thing people see and it based on what they feel and we're not presenting anything else I >> there's got to be a linkage to use your term there which is why I immediately thought of things like this >> well I I think this is a topic worth investing um time and during a a retreat where we can roll up our

127sleeves and say, "Let's look at the whole year in totality." You know, when you start talking about minutes at like a school governance team meeting, I as a former superintendent board coach say, "Look, I think you're getting way too far in the weeds. You're on the dance floor right now and I need you to come up to the balcony so you can get a sense of what's happening." If you want to go down that rabbit hole as an individual and you want to look at those things and read them, I think that's important. That's really a staff issue. That's just >> So it's the then with the SLTs and the ST not a board responsibility. That's mean the board has nothing to do with the charter. We hand that over and that's not part of

128our oversight. >> Sitting in the sitting at a 40,000 foot level. I look at this and we have nine meetings before we have a topic about building and sustaining. >> So at the 40,000 foot level, I hear you. That's a giant chunk of time that we're not talking about one of the core pillars. >> That doesn't mean it's not happening, but we're not talking about it, which is signaling is it a priority or not. >> Well, it and while it may be happening, yeah, we have no oversight of it. And this is an oversight plan. >> We should have oversight of it, right? >> I don't disagree. >> So, so I I I [clears throat] >> Tracy and I are are like 50% overlined on this. I think she's going into a little more detail

129than I would, but I think where we both are >> looking at what existed. >> Yeah. Where we're where both overlap is that nine full meetings of this body in the year before we talk about one of our four pillars is too long. We should have a conversation. So what I would suggest is your student focus student data focus school climate survey data it's under student data focus but you do realize that it's building and sustaining engagement inclusive data >> that's also my question these things overlap they have cross so this I mean what we can do so I'm going to go back to great on their behalf says you start with the student data and plot that first or when it's available. So if it's available here, this is when we're going to discuss

130it. That's why it's listed there. But it's truly building a sustaining, engaging, inclusive culture. And your KPI is that >> well then I mean if it >> if we're going to have a conversation about student center that is rolled up into another presentation, maybe that should be its own conversation, right? Yeah. >> Or I mean because I also think building and sustaining and engaging inclusive culture is more than just student perspective. I do think that it has to do with utilizing our our SLTs, STLs. I think it is about some of that. And so I guess what I'm saying is what we put on this paper is this in and of itself is a communication device. >> And so we should think of it as s. And if we aren't communicating that that is a

131priority, then that is a problem. >> And this is going to be forward to the public, right? So I well I meant what I meant was his draft and ultimately it will be published. So um I I think maybe to's point it will be kind of eye-catching to the public that it's so like shift to the left. So whatever I think adjustments if there is some overlap or some of these things kind of crosspollinate you can make that adjustment. Also it probably would be helpful for the public for it to be like a live link so they can click on five years facility plan and then see a descriptor. Um otherwise they may not know >> state of R is not a reactive it's proactive like that would be >> yeah we know what it

132means but just a little too too lime >> well I think that's the other so we have the 2425 and 2526 currently published >> so and I look at this one it looks similar >> but I think as someone said to me how the heck do I know what opening a school is like so just in terms terms of public facing again is and maybe this partly your point about the lake I just don't think it tells everyone enough and I think of last August when we had that public comment survey and that the general theme I remember from the comments was less about what time public comment starts but how I know what's going on right so we direct people here >> because this is really where you could see them We told people

133the community be like, "Hey, you know, we have these things scheduled for certain months, but to be honest to most people, how would they decipher if it's meant to be public facing?" >> I do like the idea of a hyper. I hear that >> and it gives a short description what it will be. It's basically just showing how how it went, right? But I hear you. Um, do do you give the board periodically any like update on any initiatives or like a strap planning? Uh, so another way to think about this document if we're really looking at it the way Hans is talking about, it's it's it's not only showing people what we do as a board, but also shows like how we're spending our time and therefore there there's a value associated with our

134time. Could we layer in any other like quarterly strategic plan updates on X Y and Z so that the people see the whole picture begins to emerge of BOP because BOP and strap plan oversight or any of those pieces really are the same thing >> which is your the executive summary. Yeah, >> that's what >> for the sake of time, might you guys be okay with uh with y'all uh giving me an opportunity to meet with staff a little bit about another way to position this, taking into account everyone's discussion about um the the visual of presenting what our priorities are and looking at these pieces around culture more frequently. Uh and then maybe bringing that back when we're together in um yeah >> whatever date. >> Yeah. The workshop. >> Yeah. One other thing

135to add to your original likeition there under AI and I know very usage to that into It's I know some literature about how are you >> it is it's a national piece like there's several districts who've taken like divide this out of like A5 they're thinking about how that's all I mean, that's what I'm saying. I don't know if maybe a better way to encompass both of those things together might be some other like >> I I appreciate the sentiment. I just worry that they're sufficiently different and AI especially is so the weeds of AI are just so much that they probably should be separate. I I do think that those are separate in that veil. Clearly taking screens out of the classroom is going to inhibit some extent the use of AI, but we

136want to I think those are separate conversations. >> I'll I'll plug the idea too. So it's not only the tech side, but it's also the side of the table instruction. And so I think we we [clears throat] have met I think with some of the same constituents you have >> and with uh and there are several groups >> but where Miss Burton and I have left things with many of those parent groups we have heard many of the requests we shared with the board last month many of the things that on both sides of the aisle we're working on implementing and I think we reached a point where we had asked we got the grace to say let us now implement some of these adjustments for going into the next school year. >> Okay. with

137the notion that at mid year which is when the technology team is already scheduled to do a state of so maybe that that might be a time to make sure we follow up at that point >> not not to like I I do want to just put this out there while I appreciate the technical understanding of AI and Chromebooks rests with with it and it's a technical view the import the the true important element [clears throat] of it is the impact on instructors and the impact of the classroom. So I I actually think the conversation about Chromebooks >> in the classroom or not and the conversation of AI in the classroom or not should come from Dr. B not from >> I think the vote I agree I think look at a policy because otherwise

138>> it's just a lot of different people chiming in. Isn't the policy what drives? >> I I I agree. I agree with with that. I think that the mechanism is whatever policy we decide is driven from the perspective of how it impacts children in the classroom which then impacts the technical side but it should not go the other way. I also don't think just and this is my my understanding from and you're you're the teacher that also the the medical literature I don't get to feel the driver here is to eliminate screens I think it ain't going to happen I think some of it is just um the responsible use thereof and then how are affecting developing etc etc so I think it is a little bit of both but I do agree with Tracy

139maybe some of The first step is to look at how how what our role is. We're not here to believe how teachers how teachers screens per se, but policy. I was just bringing it up. I know that it's out there. I think it would be foolish of us to not have it. I think that would be >> AI is there. I'm sorry. But >> yeah, but whatever whenever done whatever time period Estston and Jennifer feel like it's the best place I would be open to I just think it should I mean shouldn't we though I mean it sounds like a larger conversation because I just think in terms of school years so like if we're talking about a policy we'd have to be looking at it ASAP in order to even get it to an

140arena in which it wouldn't be interfering mid school I don't even know if that's too late. When you look at first read, second read >> in September. In September, you're starting with policies and >> is it November when we're getting all of the recommendations from from uh I'm sorry. Yes, I was about to say Mia. No, but from Zoe, we're be we're getting it those recommendations in November, I would want those recommendations to influence policy, >> but I think to your earlier question, and I don't know if this is above or below the line like and then I think what you were saying about the Chromebook, I'm assuming there's a budgetary item that someone could chime in because books versus Chromebooks and paper versus Chromebooks. And so I think there are associated impacts that I'm

141not in that decision making realm but have there's a lot that has to be considered but I would argue sooner rather than later personally. All right, rich discussion. [laughter] Rich discussion. Um, in the interest of time, the the community feedback was shared with each of you. Um, there were five community members or parents who provided feedback with some suggestions. We did have a little activity planned. I'm going to skip it. Um, basically a lot of the feedback that came through, um, there was some about like, uh, you know, revisit teacher salaries was one. There was one on I want to understand the status of the ECLC project. There was one about prek and elementary schools. There's one odds spend time explaining financial strengths and part of it is we were going to do an activity

142is that governance or operations and then where's it refle is it already in the and much of it like all of it is somewhere in the BOP right so it it already existed in many ways and it might be getting to the point that you said what's the description so we understand what that really means without having to look back historically for what it was but there was a lot a lot in there and I think we kind of got to this too and we kind of said okay continue on um was inviting some warm and cool feedback where do we need where do we have some specific suggestions of what needs to be changed um and where where we you know kind of satisfied with with the way things were as well so what

143happens since you know we started with the self assessment and I think there were three areas one of which is community so for the five people assuming it was five different individuals who did provide this feedback >> do they get a thank you for sharing um that was provided anonymously and it is we are we are honoring it by you guys have looked at it it's been shared with you know with a little more time we would have discussed it a little bit more in depth but I think the overall theme is thank you for your feedback right and we we spend time looking and reading and listening and considering it right just because you provided feedback doesn't necessarily mean like yes we're going to do that but it does mean that we've heard it

144and we'll consider more considerate. So, I don't know if this is the time to ask this, but again, I'm keeping there specific to what we've talked about regarding community. And I would like to see something that is less of a blank here's your paragraph to write what you want, right? Because sometimes people don't know enough to write it detailed. So, I know I brought this up for budget feedback, but I imagine something similar could exist in other arenas. So that you know you're going to get like off-topic comments sometimes because it's like this is the only place I can provide it so I'm going to say something. You're going to get stuff that's probably not going to be as specifically actionably helpful simply because there isn't enough action item information for people at times to

145inform. So I don't know if it's specific to the FEMA to the budget but I think we could do a better job with what we're giving people to give us input so that that input might be if not better used better categorized like so for the budget I was saying like I was looking at decaps this time and it's kind of like hey this is one of our one of the initiatives check off which you approve of right so there's the freedom to provide input but >> I think you know like all things this is you can classes on surv I have you know so there's there's a lot of things to be considered I think with this one you know one of the asks of the board was you know ask people how do

146they give input to be the mo it was designed in such way do you want to add something do you want to revise something what's your general topic so I think it it varies a little bit uh but noted >> sure all right I would ask that um bird we'll we'll see where we can take this for now because I don't want to in case our vote was September, I don't want to go into the new school year without a map here, right? And this is this is what that is, right? This is our map and our and our and our plan. So, um we're going to continue to kind of massage it a little bit um and communicate out to you guys so that at least we have, you know, I I we can't

147go in blind, right? So the structure that we have now is going to at least have to guide us as we can continue to kind of refine there. >> Yeah. All right. So just to sort of give a 30,000 foot view of a strategic plan, why it's important for governmental agencies, large corporations, and others to think about a long-term strategy. Um a lot of what we wind up doing and seeing is in the short term. It's what's happening in the classroom today, how a teacher feels today. We need to move up to the governance structure and say these systems don't move very fast, right? Because it's dependent on people. And so when there's people, there's variation. And we have to create some narrowing of that variation by creating a few priority. And that's what will

148happen as distracting begins to wind down. The level of engagement needs to rise. And I think we have good timing with this communication discussion that we hope to have where we begin thinking about not only looking at data points which is important that's the quantitative but also qualitative which is why it's important you all have these community meetings the superintendent goes out continues to listen and learn while classrooms etc. themes begin to emerge. After the themes emerge, um that's sort of what is the priority. Um how you get there will be the staff's responsibility. Those are the initiatives that they create and then you get to decide are we going to fund them or not. That's how the budget works. Okay. So that's that's that. Now we're kind of coming to when is the >>

14928. So we're we called ourselves at the top of the mountain right now. This year was the the peak of the five years. >> Yep. And then we continued to operate. It doesn't mean we're coming down on academic outcomes. It just means that the new initiatives have all rolled out and now really it's a matter of sustaining, supporting, and to your point, keeping the people happy, engaged because they're doing hard work and they're getting good results, but they need to we need to understand that we appreciate that. >> Yeah. So, we're going to take a little bit of time to talk about the strategic plan now that we're almost at the last day of school, you know, a little bit longer till the end of the current fiscal year. Um, but one of the areas

150of improvement that we talked about was providing input to an adopting the system strategic plan, but knowing that it's a five-year plan and it was adopted and moving in those directions. So, um, one of the things that we do at retreats, we were here last year for those of you who were on the board and we got our strategic plan update um, at that point as well. So, um, I just want to talk a little bit about where we are in this journey and then talk to you about what we have done this year specifically. So, we know that we have the all- indicator strategic plan. That is our five-year plan. It is guiding our work. It is those big things that we're set and that is the initiative that we're leading and working through.

151We just talked about BEMOP, right, as a transparency and accountability tool. It makes sure that we're giving you presentations on each of those objectives embedded somehow aligned to the strategic plan so that you get that look under the hood. Right? So that's the plan that ties to the strategic plan. So you know we're doing the objectives that we talked about do. We've also talked before about our balance scorecard. Those are our key performance indicators, our KPIs. Um in November I stood before you over at uh the conference center and we dug a little bit into our KPIs because we know that they're lagging indicators. So it takes a little bit of time for those to catch up with us. but also on simply visible lets us know how we're doing and then we have the

152executive summaries. So um these are the highlevel plans for each objective of what it is that we're trying to do and we sped date last year. Um board member area, you weren't here, but we um looked at all of the 16 strategic plan objectives and we um got as cabinet members each of us time with board members to give feedback into some of the major milestones into what it looks like um for and to kind of give updates and have a two-way dialogue around that. So today you'll notice um we're in a different setup than normal and that's so that cabinet can be part of the conversation as well um around some of the advances that we've made on the strategic plan this year specifically. Um so yeah, so these are some of the things

153and as I said before, the strategic plan is a five-year strategic plan. We're in it right now, right? So what we don't want to do is completely turn around and do a 360 on something. We want to continue and stay the course and and as I said and board member Anderson, thank you for your smile earlier when I said we're at the top of the mountain, right? I think we're halfway through it. It doesn't mean, you know, we're we're going low on it. Just means we're now made a lot of progress on these, but we've got until the 28th to really see through this strategic plan and we're currently. All right. So, in your packets, just so you know, are copies of the um executive summaries, and I'm going to give you some highlighted information.

154So, we know our four strategic accelerators. We know our first strategic accelerator, student success in all areas. And here on the screen, you'll see across each of the four objectives that live inside that particular strategic accelerator. Right? So delivering high quality standardsbased instruction, the meaningful assessments, college and career readiness and closing achievement gaps, right? So in BACK, we saw some of these as student data pieces, right? And when we hear state of teaching and learning, we know we're going to get information on how they're delivering high quality based assessments or I mean instruction and maybe some on that assessments. though both of those kind of go together nice. So they might live in one presentation which is why you might see some presentations and some columns have more or less because part of it has

155to do with how these different objectives can even be addressed through different presentations. All right. In November I took you in simply into the KPIs and told you how we were doing on each of our KPIs. There were two at that point that we didn't have data back on yet. We've got one now. We're still another still super lagging. I'll get there in a minute. But this gives you a sense and it's all tagged in assembly, but we went over this particularly in November for the KPIs for each of these objectives. So in one high quality standardsbased instruction, this one is our big one. It's got like 16 objectives because it breaks it down into the percent of students in ELA and the percent of students in math and the percent of students in third

156grade, fourth grade, fifth grade, so on and so forth. So that's why there are so many there. Um, but overall health was good, right? like we were making progress um meeting or exceeding them in most places. And notice that um for KPIs, red could also mean no change. So it could actually which is a little I should probably change that, right? But it means no change um is the like language that was built into the system as well. All right. So in 2526 when we sped date last speed sped date speed dated speed dating something um we had laid out some major milestones for the 2526 school year. This is high level the major ones that were on there um that would be focused on this year. So in this first objective which is public

1571A on your sheets it was ensure the curriculum consists of a clear scope and sequence aligned to district state and national expectations. create district and school level assessment calendars. Da da da da. So the green here tells me that the owner of that objective check check completed. We did some of those major milestones. Now there's a lot of little pieces weeds not below the line that goes into the objectives but these are the major objectives that were identified that needed to be done as we work towards 2028 or or you know wherever we are in the design implementation monitoring and evaluating things >> is it meant to be able to link this to that. So you're saying six of eight there but I'm seeing seven on this. >> Okay. So this is major milestone. So

158it's that net. So that's the column. This is the KPIs. So if you'll see different information we went over KPIs in November, that's this look. >> Oh, that's >> that tells me. >> Okay. >> In 2526, which of our KPIs did we meet? >> Okay. >> All right. >> Can I ask you something? >> Yeah. >> Are we intended to be giving feedback on this? >> So last year we did the speed dating. Right now, I'm going to give you an update on each of these, but if there's a piece of an objective or something that we need to like know or think about to to meet the objective, then we can have that conversation. >> So, largely the superintendent that's these KPIs for the individual. So the KPIs were established. >> I mean each

159when you pulled out each individual like but like I think I'm going back to what our meeting started with which was effectively the board's objectives. Right. Because we don't get to tell the [clears throat] superintendent what to do. Right. Right. >> We simply are expected to set objectives so that the superintendent can meet those. Is that correct? >> So strategic plan. Right. objectives. >> Yeah. So, the reason I'm bringing this up is the objective number oneb overview provide meaningful and relevant assessments plural as one KPI which is the star test. And so, I'm just do do we get to give feedback on this or we simply the recipients of the information? >> It says here that there's six APIs. >> Yeah, there may be. I'm definitely looking right. I'm agreeing that like I'm taking only

160one here and six there. I just find a bit confusing. >> It's because some of them as like an assessment you're trying to look at it from different grade levels or different subjects. So it may be said it's one assessment, one but there are lots of different um >> like in this one star is the KPI but there are six different ways we look at star. >> It's a grade level one. But number four specifically talks about other assessments. >> So I understand that KPI mentioned STAR but then number four mentions other assessments like the interim. >> Yes. So walk with me. These are our KPIs >> and there's multiple because we broke it up by grade level on the KPIs for star. All right. Now the objective is meaningful and relevant assessments. Remember KPIs

161are our lagging overall indicators that we look at. But like [clears throat] any teacher, we've got our formatives all the way on and staff is using formatives as we go along too to measure how we're doing so that at the end our overall KPIs report out. They're they're giving us indicators on how we're going to do to meet that summitative. Right. So why, and I'm just curious, why wouldn't we get that readout? So for example, you know, by the end of the year or somewhere mid year, it's like, hey, look, those third graders that got this star test result in August now are up here. >> You do you you get that readout. >> Oh, we get the formative readout. >> No, you get the star readout. >> That's what I'm saying though. So we

162just get the star readout. Y'all don't want the check-ins like, hey, before we get to star over here. So if you're doing star in December, what happened in October and November? >> So >> that was the >> go ahead. >> So with the assessment plan, this is the first year. So what was shared was that we would design >> and implement, but we're not going live on results of interims. Now, if we want to add results on on those types of assessments later, that's when it goes back to the previous conversation uh on BEMOP and that becomes more student data we're presenting. >> So, what we're saying is we didn't have the ability to track the performance on those interims that has now been put in place. I probably agree with board member Anderson that

163that needs to get eventually into a metric that we track as well. I don't know the right way to do that but I think that that's a reasonable expectation now that it's in place. >> Yeah. So the details of like the milestones those are set and tracked by >> I mean milestone state starts with but the district no I don't mean I don't mean that I mean here where it says major milestones so that >> yeah that can be confusing but is that not Jordan? So that's that's project milestone >> because when you're saying that it's completed, is that something that like the each individual chief put in place and >> each individual chief? Yes. So each individual chief >> identified major milestones that they need >> towards their objective and you'll see some of

164them go out to 2028 right on there. >> This is what we did our speed dating on last year and we gave some and some got added and changed and refined. They're major things that we need to advance the work. So now that we're at the end of this year and as we go along, we're looking and we're saying, "Hey, this was something major." Jennifer Burton, Karen Newton Scott, you said that you needed to do to advance the work. Ding, ding. They're telling me now that they did it. This is my report out. This is our report out to you >> on where we are on our strategic plan and what we said we were going to do to hit each of these things. Now, is there extra data points in here? Yeah. In the

165sometimes they come out through her star presentation and here's where we are. But the overall data point is our KPI which is our lagging at the end like kind of our our our how we're doing at the end looking. But there's indicators along the way and this ties directly into BEOP when we stand before you and give you updates. Hey, here's how we're doing towards this objective and some of the initiatives we're pursuing. But when somebody checks off and says that it's completed, the it the data that shows that it is, it's the superintendent that says yes, Aaron Newton's got it's completed. >> Yes. >> Okay. And so as our as our systems get more sophisticated and as our processes get more sophisticated, so should our KPIs, right? And so that I think now that

166we have interim coursework checkpoints, we should develop KPIs out of that. As we get integrated data systems together and and we can actually integrate finance and HR, those KPIs should get more sophisticated. And so that I think we're going to look to y'all to tell us when you're ready to do that because the stuff has to be in place. But ultimately, yes, I I the ideal would be to get away from STAR, which is so lagging, and get to something that is more kind of like in the moment, like this is how we're doing this month. >> That's the interim that I thought the district created. >> We are the interims are used at a teacher level. So interims really inform their classroom instruction. >> Um and so you know depending on interims can change

167um from year to year. >> They're also not a predictor of milestones. So, I just want to, you know, kind of level set on the interims really are the work at the school level. Um, where teacher teams are digging in and then adjusting their instruction. Um, and so we don't report out on an interim as like a percentage. I wouldn't send home a report that said this student got a an 80% on an interim. It really is course um and unit. It's very very specific and drives individual teacher instruction. >> Okay, understood. >> And your and your star assessments are the the actual assessments that are aligned to more closely aligned to what would be the predictor of of success on milestone one. And two, it's literally what is called out in the law [clears

168throat] >> for specifically for literacy. Not yet for math, but I bet it's coming because now you have math matter. So it's coming. >> So I think things and perhaps Hans you and I are just using different words, but >> some [clears throat] of the KPIs have like specific metrics like by 3%. And then other ones I think just have like topical words. So you know for example in sorry even career college life preparedness it's KPI CCPI readiness high school graduation rate but then there's a percent star moving and exceeding and then there's one for the first one deliver high quality. So you maybe a little more um specificity goal setting there because sometimes it looks more like just the existence of something versus the metric. >> Sometimes that is what it is though, right?

169Sometimes it is literally just do this thing and check the box when that thing is done. >> The graduation rate I thought was something that I mean we have a high graduation rate anyway. So I realized it might be different from a school district with a much lower one. But I thought the whole point was to try to when possible increase or preserve. So why wouldn't that be written there? Or the CCPI score. >> Well, I think graduation rate is specifically a measured, right? Like we would be looking at graduation rate as a percentage and probably even sub. >> But that's why I'm saying that if you look at the first page, it says by 3%. For deliver high quality standards, the KPI annually increase CCRPI content mastery by 3%. Well, that just as a

170point of clarification, Amanda, is there is the goal of this conversation for us to give you feedback? Are there for us to that's our path like what part the superintendent signs off on versus what's our rule or you just >> Yeah, this this is designed to be right as as Robert indicated, right? A look at where's our health of the strategic plan. So, those quarterly strategic plan updates that he mentioned and so that you kind of know where we are, right? So, um, thank you. Um, and I'll I'll kind of continue then if that's okay. All right. So, just kind of orienting ourselves then to this setup right there. This is what you're looking at. [clears throat] And the key that I was trying to focus in today on too was was these major milestones.

171This is when we met with you last year, what we expected to accomplish this year, what we had laid out to do, and kind of where we are on them. So, you can get a sense here of kind of where we're doing. So this work for example design and implement professional learning on datadriven instruction for leaders and teachers we have started that work and we have done a lot but we don't feel we're quite there yet. So you will see that that one is in progress. All right which is why it's yellow. I want to make clear that's not necessarily a bad thing. It means that as we did it we realized there was more work to be done to for it to really truly be meaningful. We're not going to turn it green for

172the sake of turning green. So, there's still some work, but that is in progress. For example, complete transparency. A lot of them had a June 30th date and some of her are going to be done by June 30th as well. We're just not quite there yet. All right. So, you can get a sense of same kind of thing, supporting principles and teachers and analyzing results, feeding those action plans. We've gotten in and done a lot of work and there's still some more to be done for us to say that we're done with that major milestone and feel good. and we still believe in that major milestone that it's helping us advance to get to this objective. All right. So here you can just kind of see the sense of where we are again with each

173hitting milestones. All right. Want to pull out here data monitoring systems again kind of tied in similar because all of this these are very kind of interconnected objectives in many ways too. All right. the questions about like what we're looking at here at least from like the report perspective and the information I'm giving you. Yeah, I just want to clarify. I don't know maybe I should have asked. So we started a conversation earlier governance operations and now I'm confused. Is the BOP governance and operations or is it governance? Because this sounds like this is truly operational. Therefore, we're not giving feedback. We're simply getting a readout. >> It doesn't have to do with feedback per se. >> Yeah. This is the purpose of this is not to iterate on what the activities would be or

174to iterate on the KPIs or even to iterate on the objectives. We are literally pulling together 16 different initiatives that we have mapped out over five years to tell you where we are on activity completion on all six team. So >> yeah, does that make sense? It sounds like it's what I said then is is the Bmont then governance operations or governance and operations because this sounds solely operational. Just ju the history on this though is all of the steps taken down at the bottom of this are very much operations, >> right? >> But we very much provided feedback into what those objectives were and what the KPIs were. When he said, for example, let there be light like whatever that was, >> but we we we gave that kind of at the beginning of

175the plan. My guess is this is a readout on where we are now. And we will be amending adjusting or evolving these into the next plan >> when 28 I guess. >> Well, so so as the board here's the strategic plan, right? This is the direction and we we have that plan and so this is a little bit of update under the hood, right? Looking so you know, so you don't you're not just sitting back saying, "Oh, you're going to hit everything by 28." I'm telling you this is the progress that we've made towards this. This is some of the house. So, this is descriptively um operational, but it's so that you can do the pulse check and understand where we are on on the objectives. >> And when we choose to readopt the plan,

176what are we doing? I guess that would be are we are we making suggestions for tweaks here or are we just kind of like boilerplate every year saying, "Yep, we agree this is good." What if we don't agree? Like what are we doing annually to read the plan as we've suggested? And I'm not smart, Alec. >> I That's a great question because the board said they wanted to readt the plan. >> And so that that was the consensus statement out of the board self assessment was to read the plan. >> But wasn't that the GSBA like self assessment? We didn't come up with it. I thought it was one of the standards we were supposed to meet. >> So may let's maybe we should talk language for a second. I think it makes a ton

177of sense annually for us to give exactly this kind of detail and exactly this level of weeds and I would say, you know, probably even more time than we get in in this particular session and on an annual basis have this kind of heat check on on where we are and begin to identify areas that we need to begin shifting our f or not shifting our focus but areas where we think need to be emphasized in the next devolution of the plan so that when we go into the in three years we don't or two years I guess we don't walk into it stone cold we walk into it with a sense of what the continuation and next set of improvements are >> so typically typically you get this in November and you get this

178here so we we do it twice a year so this year in November we did it at >> conference Decator Conference Center. Yeah, we did this at the Decatur Conference Center. >> So, you get it twice a year. >> I got the sense that GSBA was talking about some kind of I mean, I did get the thing that there was >> readopt like it. I don't think it was >> we should get we should get real clarity on what they mean by readopt because if it's just we see the information and say yes, we saw it that doesn't feel like what they saw. I think what I what I see and you can redirect me feel differently is we belong probably in the language of the project scope part. I think when you start to

179get down into that's why I was asking about the milestones that's kind of all operational like exactly how how the superintendent gets to the the completion project scope is is beyond us but maybe the adoption is us looking at each of these kind of scopes. Do we still do we still like it? Do we want to tweak the wording? Do we want to add something, etc., etc.? Maybe that's the maybe that's the what we need to look at annually. Um, and I think maybe what Amanda's trying to show us is that some things are going to be on track to complete completion at the end of 2028. Like they won't roll over to the next plan. Some are going to make it like by the skin of their teeth and then some, you know, that's

180what she's also saying is don't be don't be hold your fire. They're going to get there. And then some we may have to look at. Are they going to be the ones that roll over? I think that's me the contest. But maybe with the adoption part we belong up in that project scope. So and and let me read what it says. So I'm going to read the domain and the standard and the elements. So domain the governance leadership team is collab in collaboration with the community adopts and enacts a planning process that results in an adopted strategic plan designed to improve student achievement organizational effectiveness. That's the domain. The standard is annually and as needed utilizing the adopted strategic planning process. The governance leadership team monitors and reports progress on performance measures. >> I said

181that that's >> that that's the standard. >> All right. >> Now you can go into the elements. The board implements a strategic plan and reporting performance objectives, measures, targets, effectiveness. the leadership team participates in professional development focus on the development implementation like and then it goes further into it but those are elements that's not the standard level >> so we're not annually >> quote unquote readopting or voting >> yeah and I my recollection we the February meeting is we both landed on we have not been doing this we've been talking about the strap plan But what what Dr. Whitaker just said is is really really helpful. If that that's verbatim from GSBA, then it doesn't you >> then I then I think we don't we're not here's the the core of my concern and even

182even with what you were describing Armen, we could tweak a couple words in a scope and really blow that scope up and and that just scares me. >> Set their work back, >> right? Like I I think we annually review the strategic plan and if there is a problem that we have to engage on then that changes the dynamic. But if things are moving the way that they should >> and or like what she's saying if it looks like they're they're not going to make it like you know they're having some struggles then maybe we need to reward it so that they're successful. Oh, I don't know. >> I appreciate that. I don't know. >> They focus on that and the adopted version of this. That's why I like a threeear strap plan. The world

183is changing too fast. So, it's we begin thinking about 2028 new roll out of some idea. >> I think looking at at a three-year process makes more sense because remember it was built with the community. This wasn't built >> this year. Yeah. So, is this is this sufficient or do we have to >> No, this is sufficient because all you're doing is looking at the progress a couple of times a year. I recommend quarterly strap plan updates. Some do twice a year, some do one a year. Really? Yeah. >> Yeah. >> On the complexity of the work. >> So, we we do twice a year and that it's twice a year at the overall. These are the four strategic accelerators here. Exactly. are where we are now. Every month you get an update on something.

184>> Correct. Because >> each of these again are moved into a state of or >> can I just pick a point? Hold on. But before I want you to understand something you you have a system the staff maybe it was the superintendent before you made an agreement. This group has been working on a series of accelerators and initiatives. If you start changing these every year, if you think your teachers are tired now, they're going to lose their mind. Okay? So, the idea of having the board read a set of priorities and strategic plan goals every year is really just over the top. >> Well, and I so I think yeah, Tracy and I >> Well, no, have interpreted something that we heard, right? Like this wasn't arbitrary. >> No, it's written right here. It says

185if annually and as needed, the governance leadership team reviews assesses the system strategic plan and the board reads. >> Yeah, that I remember that. >> Yeah, I mean that's what you and I noted wasn't so >> great. That's what GSBA did. >> I don't know where you found that. >> The board. Yeah, this was what we discussed in February because I think the thing that I'm hung up on and I asked when you were out in the room is this exec summit summary governance or operations. It sounds like it's an operational treatment then the be governance or operations because what I see is a lot of neat stuff like we did this we created Navian great we move on we don't need to hear that in the meantime and maybe this is not my lane

186but then I need to understand where it lives what if Naviance is a complete failure so we created it yeah >> but do we have any metric in place to determine and I'm just throwing that one out of thin air >> where does that go because a lot This is just >> I mean that's well that's what you well I mean completed done but you've given the superintendent the um authority to make a decision on the use of some technology. She bought Navian. It's working. >> Um my guess is that the metrics that it was intended to impact are either going to go up or down. That's why you bought Nath, right? To improve maybe college going or I I don't really know. Yeah. It's for Navvian for example is a couple things and there's

187like a whole email very thoroughly presented by Francis in your inbox saying yes we purchased Navvian but Naviance is not only for to enter recommendations [clears throat] for children to go to high school. It's a part of a larger K12 implementation to embed career and college and life preparedness. So when you receive the update on it likely, and I say likely because you got it likely in her second semester uh presentation last month, but is also on VMOP for more of an expansive communication [clears throat] along with one goal because Naviance itself does not live in isolation. You have to pair it with a one goal type of programming so that you can see well not only just count who went across the stage with a one little stash but really sash but really to

188see where that impact is. But you will that's an example of yes we launched it but remember I we've always talked about dy we design we implement we monitor we evaluate we are in the implementation and this is an example of monitor as we're looking at the results of What we monitor, we then determine how we need to keep the same. That could be the evaluate. It could be that we are going to do a slight tweak and keep going. Or it could be this is an epic fail and we need to pivot. But you can't jump to evaluation and [clears throat] making of changes when you've that's going to the mountains. And I I regret I had to walk out, but when Dwayne calls, I answer. So, [laughter] and that's the high school principal.

189So, when I have a the mountain on the first couple of years was a lot of design and implementation. Now, we're at the top of the mountain. We are heavily into implementation and monitoring. But you know what? We're picking up a little bit of design right now too because of AI. So this is some brand new design almost at the end of this strategic plan. But you are constantly dying so that you are constantly continually improving. And that dime process is happening across 16 objectives on this strategic plan. And this is the readout to share with you where we are in the design, the implementation, the monitoring or the evaluation. And the evaluation is often given in your board meeting, board work session, and all the different BOPs. What I'm what I'm hearing though is

190that we can in in our quest to meet this improvement part for the board is that we can every year we can go through and you can give us you can give us updates and we can [clears throat] say that we understand what the project scope was all what these objectives are but we can't go shifting the goal posts >> reaffirming all >> we can yeah we can say we can say that we understand it but we can't go and is it goes back to what Dr. Abdos has said the rules of the game the score how much time >> how much time [clears throat] the strategic plan is a prime example of >> so I guess the question is after we get through this yeah >> is this is that have we we met

191our have we met the standards for reaffirming our strategic plan or we have to go we have to take it back to an actual I do not think so. We will check with GSDA on that. I think no. >> Okay. >> Um however, >> I will check. >> Okay. >> All right. I'm going to keep rolling then. Um on strategic accelerator 2, same kind of thing. We're used to what orientation and what we're receiving now. Um but you can see kind of what those major milestones again under the hood. Yes, this is operations, but this is the what and you the how we're doing the things. And you can see some of them the way they're worded helps you also know where we are in the dying phase as well because some of them actually

192talk about design or initial implementation. So for the our future readiness skills we were initial implementation of 612 and foundational training. Right? So we're getting ready to to prepare for implementation there. So you can kind of see where we are in the process as well based on how those are ready. But overall you can see good pretty good help here across. Um we do have one red item here not started. It was online platforms for students to join interestbased clubs. Um I think as we talked a little bit about that. It almost felt like it's one more thing and we have better ways to manage it right now. Um and if I'm putting words in your mouth feel free to jump in Karen I see your head. >> Yeah. um we did a survey or

193um an audit of the entrance based clubs we're offering and we had over two and so we began to wonder if we even need like this online way of joining based clubs like really is that the answer? Um, and with all of the controversy around screen time, like do we want to go down that road anymore? Um, I I think it's one that kind of has got lost in the shuffle and we need to revisit it to see what our direction is on because this this is what we anticipated, but as we gathered input, it was like, oh wow, we learned something new. So we might need to kind of redesign right here what the next step is to make sure that we students feel like they have trouble finding clubs that they might be

194interested in. I guess that would be a core question that I would have and that might be not be answerable right now. The students all think that they can find what they want and they like what they can find and it's all there >> if they don't. Yeah, it's not broken. Don't fix it. Yeah, it's the remember this is how do you ensure that your traditionally marginalized children can feel this is about engaging inclusivity. So that's why we had it and so once you do the focus groups I mean you you've heard how our canvas visits include not only the instruction but also the culture piece as we're learning and you know, we we bring them in. >> When I read this too, I'm just wondering expand and diversify student offerings to address academic articles

195and effective needs. When I read the bullet point, it just has to do with clubs, but I'm also wondering does that expand into my student offerings include courses? >> It does. Yes, we met. So, so in 2074, update math and ELA courses including AP courses at the high school with credit and middle school. We did that. So, this is just for like for this particular year >> like we actually mentioned this in this in one of our evaluations. predator which one you talked about where we said actually we've been so successful at adding a bunch of courses >> that that maybe what we need to focus on now is structuring it so that it's it parents don't get lost in the chaos of what's out there like it's almost like we we push that rock

196up the hill really far >> let's yeah >> it's page 15 you'll see some of the already complete ones the last year was yeah absolutely All right. In strategic accelerator 3, that high quality professionals piece, um obviously you guys know the work that you've been doing around um compensation. Um there's some information here around some of the others. What I want to draw your attention to was we had um planned to partner with the center for black educator development this year. Um that actually got cancelled as we did some exploration again, kind of the design phases, the financing pieces, all of that stuff. there were reasons to kind of say we need to make a little bit of a pivot there. So the reason why you'll see a gray here as you look under the

197hood if we had to change our strategy just a little bit. So again overall health is still in a good place um to meeting these um and again same thing here you'll see a lot of in progress. Again work is being done. Some of these are annual things that are done every year as well and you'll see that noted um on the executive summaries as well um because this is something that's done annually. So again, it will be in process as we continue to kind of work those things. Um, but heard on making sure we continue to focus on making explicit some of the milestones and things that we're doing around uh retention strategies as well. And our last strategic accelerator, organizational effectiveness and excellence. Again, read out here. Um, you'll see the one that

198has some reds here have to do with build an environmentally friendly early childhood learning center. Um, we did hit some things, but there are some things as well. We haven't started the training for teachers. Um, we haven't done all of these pieces right here. Um, we know there's been some some barriers and road bumps there along the way. >> Can you tell us a little bit about the training of staff because that would feel like it's not linked necessarily to >> Yeah, I'm gonna let Burton chime in on that one. So, we really, this was training for Frasier Center staff. Um, and the plan once we kind of got through um is really to do that would be next year's second semester. Um, and the idea was that then, you know, then they would move

199into the building in the fall of 27. But I think we recognize that there are complications associated with the building and in any scenario it's going to be delayed, right? And so is there a way to decouple that training from the facility? >> The training will happen for Frasier Center. It's just um honestly when we planned this these milestones several years ago um the date honestly was just off um in planning and getting ready. It really is a >> uh January, you know, first semester of 2027 or so. [clears throat] >> Um and again in progress. We've made progress on ADA accessibility, but it's it's not done, right? So, we're still continuing to make progress there as well. So, again, kind of readouts here of where we are. You do have copies of all of

200the executive summaries as well as they are hosted live on assembly as of where we are today, too. So, that's so as we look ahead, um, we talked a little bit about KPIs. I I told you that I gave you the report from last year, this year, um, in November. We expect most of them to be available again in November. So you'll hear as of now per the VMOP an update on that. Um as we look >> one piece I do want to say >> um ELA may or may not be available because they're new standards and so from a psycho psychometrics uh at the state level they may not. So right now you see the tilda there. So that's what I don't want you to hold me. >> Don't hold us. We will report

201them as we get them and we know we're at the whim of the state on that. As we look to next year, obviously we're on coming down that map, but we're in uh continued implementation of the strategic plan and we'll start talking about our processes for creating the next strategic plan. So, as we look into next year, we'll start researching that so that in 2728, it'll be our final year of implementation of the all-indicator strategic plan that we have now. and we will really be launching and running the process to adopt the new strategic plan throughout the 2728 school year so that it'll be ready to go with the beginning of the 2829 my god school year. So um just so that you can kind of see where we are in the strategic plan cycle.

202All right, great break time. I'm sorry. Oh, this one. No, >> I felt that that appropriately captured my 16y oldity. 16. It has to be >> I mean they don't know any >> right but What time was >> she went to social media back? Let me show you. >> I had no idea. So, I don't know when, where, or how >> I lost it, >> but it could have been like, "Oh, >> but it could have been here. It's I don't need to tell it's not like it's not >> 500. Sorry. Right. I could >> turn it into a little Yeah, [clears throat] >> not a little moderately. >> But it was cool. I learned how to use all >> ready. >> All right. Good afternoon, board chair Dr. and vice chairs, esteemed board members

203and superintendent Dr. Whitaker. I'm Jarvis Adams, your chief operations officer. Today I will give you a brief overview of SLO 7 and outline the upcoming action that the board needs to take um for the city schools of the cater to participate in the November referendum. Um, as you know, this work aligns right with our strategic accelerator number four, organizational effectiveness and excellence. East, like Dr. Bolton said earlier, is a critical tool that allows us to maintain, and improve our facilities and support teaching uh in support of teaching and learning. Uh today I briefly give you an overview of what each box is, what our projected funding looks like, uh what board actions you all must take in June to make sure we're on the next referendum and what the next steps after June meeting will

204be. East is a onecent sales tax. Um it includes facility improvements, maintenance and repairs, new construction, technology, transportation and infrastructure. It is important to note that these funds cannot be used for salaries or general operations. Simply put, this is how we maintain and improve our learning environments across city schools of cable. I'm sorry if I shout there. Um what eastblo is not it to be clear east is not a property tax and is not a general operating revenue. It can be used for sta it cannot be used for staffing or programs and all funds are restricted to board approved capital projects. Additionally requires voter approval through a referendum ensuring transparency and accountability. Um earlier I stepped out um to get on a call with the other school district, our partners um for our slots when

205we talked about this funding overview. And so there's one change that will be taking place that I'll talk about. Right now the total decap county program is looking at $950 million. We're advised that that number is going to fluctuate a little bit. So it won't be as even as 950 million, but it's going to be right there in that ballpark. um allocation is based on FTE. So city schools are the cater county and Atlanta public schools are together. Then Atlanta public schools are together with Fton County because just the way the region is split up. Um our FTE should get us anywhere between five 6% that's October FTE next year. Um and so if that is the case we're estimated to receive around 57 million. Now that's $57 million over five years. Right here you

206see I have up to an annual funding of 11 11 to 12 million. That can vary based on what collections come in. So we cannot see what's going to happen in 2032, but there's a lot of lot of tools and a lot of specialized people that we talked to over the past couple days and that we continue to talk to that gave us a pretty safe forecast of this number. What is next? Uh right now this is your board retreat overview and discussion. I can answer any questions that you may have. In the June 2nd board meeting, I'm going to bring you the joint resolution that's being worked on between the schools indicator county schools and Atlanta public schools. I'm going to bring that to you in June. There's a portion of it that's just

207city schools [clears throat] of the cater. It'll be three sections. All of us have our section. Um and then we would need you all to vote to approve for us to go um into the the joint resolution in August. We have to prepare that to for referendum. And what that means is we have to get those documents over to the to the board of elections. They have to prep those 90 days prior to the next election which is in November. So those documents need to be completed by August 4th. Uh so our next steps we continue coordination with our regional partners again that's the C county schools Atlanta public schools and our legal council. So our legal counselors are really making sure everything is aligned. Right now the cab county is holding the the master

208copy and we're changing everything on that. So when I come back to you in June you see May 29th is our deadline for the three school districts to have everything finalized. So that's what I'll be bringing to you in June. Uh we'll finalize project priorities funding allocations and then we'll prevent present proposed resolution to you all in June in preparation for the November. That was a quick overview and I'm here to answer any questions. >> Okay. the one I can't remember for this kind of does each school district need to detail the specific projects or just a global kind of school improvement or facility. So it's it's kind of if there's a specific thing you're going to do. I think [clears throat] something about doing something. >> Yeah. >> But that's going to be more

209specific. But then when you think about just general maintenance of a building that's going to be paid because over five years, >> you would think all HVAC would last. >> And then how does it work in terms and I don't know if you know the answer does it just dawn on me. So we've got decap AP part of APS indicator but ultimately does each voting block right so let's just say hypothetically the CAB voters reject it but CSD voters prove it >> so we are >> it's got to be all or none >> but in reality if all of rejected it, but the majority of CA voted for it or >> still going to pass. >> Yes. CD would still get it even if CSP voters know. Yeah. >> It's a regional all or nothing.

210>> Yeah. So in doing this and preparing for this this east flat they did not get these spots they their for some reason go to the cancers and it really hurts it I don't think that will happen again but that really hurt like Dr. said I I talk with people from Florida. [clears throat] I talk to people um that's in my same role. I funding mechanism in Georgia coupled with capital outlay is far better than most other states. We have a really good funding >> capital >> and for capital >> fun >> for like Brian County it down they put it back on the ballot >> put it back on the ballot >> yeah because Brian County is one of these counties that's one of the fastest growing counties in the southeast of the United

211States so they're their population is growing and not having that money it put a damp in a major way. >> Okay. Now, I'm I'm sorry. So, I told I understand county that's I understand Decator, but when it comes to APS that it's just this like carved out block. >> So, and I may be wrong. You think that Kirkwood area think that school over there. >> So, you have some of Atlanta that falls into county >> and that's why they're included. So, >> ours is 57 million. They're going to be around 39 million. So, it's not the But they get some more on the for a lot more. >> Yeah, I guess in theory they could get double decay side and disappear. >> But when you're preparing the yeast loss, do how much input do we

212have really to the language? >> It's prescribed. >> Yeah. Well, the language is prescribed, but I think we're back to like is it an across the board? Do all three entities need to agree that it's a more generalized description of facilities improvements versus, you know, one district is saying, "We're going to purchase six buses and we're going to um build a I don't know, gym, whereas another district is simply like it doesn't matter how specific one district is and how um generalized another is, >> right? And so there's going to be three portions to what you will see. You're going to see the Atlanta version, APS version. Of course, you're not voting on that. You're going to see the C County schools and then you'll see city schools. Um, and so what's in city schools

213and the cers is our is our >> but I think what he's saying is that I don't know if it's advantageous to be super specific because what you use for very different project if it's too >> it's a delicate balance of being specific in general because >> like Mr. Adams was saying you don't know in five years from now what every single school necessarily might need or what needs so you want it general enough to capture that but if you know there are specific projects you can >> and we get a me just get the language that was approved last time by voters like what did CST submit to be in this last one I mean no I know but I haven't read it I think it was general Okay. >> So that's the decision

214that's before us when we develop these >> decision is do we >> are we are we able to join >> this joint resolution to go towards >> I'm sorry for this Why? So, I'm going to infer that we could instead do our own and just limit it to CSD just like the CAP could do its own limited >> the county. >> Well, I knew that with Decator and Decap, but I didn't know if the APS. >> Well, because APS is >> Yeah. No, I get it now. Any other questions? No questions. I'm glad you said no. What a sweet. Maybe not. Maybe not. Okay. Um, I'll be sharing with you all this afternoon. An overview of where we've been with grading, where we are, and where we're going. So um grading is always a hot

215topic in business school system right here is a lot of controversy opinions about what should be graded, what should be graded, why we started on this journey of changing how we grade back in 20 or 2009 and we started the standardsbased rating journey and I remember the report card for elementary was three babies long because we attempted to grade every single standard that kids were presented with and it was in standard, right? Um, but we did that for some time. Along came IB and middle and high school kind of migrated to using the IB grading scale of 1 to 7 for their grading to kind of mirror what we were doing at the K5 level with the 1 to4 grading. It was written in our charter in 2013 that middle and high would no longer

216focus on standards based grading, but they would do IV criterion grading. Um, which brought us to 2021 when we were looking at all of this because parents really didn't know what these phrases meant. And if I had to be honest, some of us who were working in schools could not articulate that well. And so we had inequities in how grades were being assigned. Some grades were being assigned based on mastery. Some were the kid really worked hard. So let's push him over the the threshold of passing. And some we still don't know to this day where they came from. That's the reality of where we where we were. So, in 2022, a grading task force was formed and they did a book study on equitable grading and they looked at all of the best practices

217around grading and how to make it equitable for all students, put forth some recommendations. Some of those were taken, some of those fell by the wayside, and we were in this gray area around what was changing and what was not changing. So, now into 2023, this is this was Dr. Whitaker's interest as superintendent and we started the school year and parents were like, "Whoa, something's changing and nobody told us." And that's on us because we did change some things and it wasn't clear about what was changing and why. So, we took a step back. We looked at all of the things. I think um and Carmen were there when we did that first community meeting around Brady and u it was a hot fire. >> So we landed >> on some things, right? We landed

218on we're going to keep this the way it is. We'll change this and we're going to write a policy because a policy did not exist around. So that policy um was written the next school year through um surveying and conversations we got input from tons of people and the policy was written. So once the policy was written then we went into regulation. How are we going to implement this policy to make sure that we're upholding um the things that we were charged to do. So in our policy these things were established. Um our purpose for grading um how we were going to honor AP and I credits final grades for EOCC's students growth and mastery expectations retakes multiple assessment opportunities to establish that in policy. And so then we set out to implement that policy.

219And so here are some of the things that we have done. Um we made sure that we established grading calculations. Um GPA calculations were calibrated, normalized. Um define what reteing table assessment procedures could look like um and so on and so forth. Um this is just an overview. Um, I I went through this a little bit when I started, but kind of shows you where we were before. [clears throat] We didn't have any guidance on what should or should not go in the grade book. We only use summitative assessment. So, the end of the unit assessment, that was the only thing that was populated into the final grade. We had effort as a part of how we graded and there was some disagreement around that. Um and we continued to have just a lack of

220clarity around what we were doing and why. We had some interim moves in between where we are now. Uh we tried mode at the middle school level that didn't work. Um so we transitioned to averaging across the board 612 and here we are now. K5 remains on the 14 scale. 612 is on the 0 to 100 scale. Really a 50 to 100 scale because you cannot do grade 50. Kids can't really recover from those zeros. We do a 8020 split with 80% of the grade being the assessments, 20% being standards based tasks, which are any other things that you want to grade that are aligned to standards. So it's not just some fun activity, color the page and we're trying to grade it. but it has to be aligned to campus. Um, and we use

221that weighted average across the board. The feedback I've gotten from parents and students and teachers is that they have better clarity around what these grades mean. It's streamlined. So, when you leave middle school, you go to high school, [clears throat] the grading is the same. Just I believe it was last week, we received an email from a parent who said u at first I wasn't sure, but when my child's grade in her class correlated to the outcome on her EOC, then I feel like we're on the right track because if her grade in class is saying the same thing on the standardized test, I have more confidence that teachers are grading um appropriately. um we have more clarity for transcripts and transference to college and universities because we were having to take that one to

222seven recalculated was 0 to 100 scale and then at the end surprise it's a B and people really didn't know how we got there so we have more clarity around that um and support for building stronger assessment through our teaching and learning department uh There were some questions around why the 8020. So, we took a look at what we've done, what it's done across metro districts, and this is something that we did along the way as well, but we revisited this. And we also looked at what districts actually put their weight calculations in policy, and only one did, and that's Fulton. So they wrote in policy that and it's actually different. So these percentages pretty much represent high school because there is so much variation. I just stuck with high school. But the high school

223level 55% of what they call major assessments um are graded in comparison to 35 minors and 10% practice. All of the other districts, they were either in regulations or in practice not well documented across the board and the percentages would change based upon ele elementary, middle or high. Um, and then you have city schools of the cater at is at regulation level, not a policy. >> Just regular Can I ask you about the runs on top because I saw that like Midtown High School, not Atlanta public schools, varies the percentage weight depending on AP or nonAP. So with Marietta and Buford, do we know what's determining whether it's 70% or 80%. >> And many of these districts, they let schools decide. >> Yeah. >> And so there isn't a standard of support. Even when you

224see um so like the cap 3070 that's not consistent across across the cap county schools. Um >> yeah I think we have like three categories like >> tests and quizzes is one guided classwork is another and then assessment like we we do more well anyway to saying that >> this 70% represents all of that whatever isn't considered the summitive assessment this could be homework class whatever people classify other than >> why are we kind of focused heavily on sumatives versus others like what's our philosophy for that? >> I was going to ask that too like what is best practice in the literature. >> Yeah. >> So in the research [clears throat] mainly what came out of the equitable task force is that you want to ensure that you are showing students that the grades are

225reflecting students mastery of the standards. A lot of this is the process of learning and a lot of this is the output of learning. Right? And so we wanted to make sure that we were reflecting um with enough time what students had mastered and not penalize them so much for their process. >> As as a father of an extreme ADHD child, I can tell you [clears throat] that the thumbn I I I don't love that we're an outlier. >> Well, I think the question I have is more of not me as a parent or me as a teacher, just the process. So, if part of learning is the process, not just the test because you already have SAT, you have ACT, you have milestone, you have AP, you have IB. Then what is the logical

226rationale to add another test as opposed to those other things like the home learning how to do homework in high school is going to I think um maybe the research bears out differently help a student better prepare in college when you don't have all of the checks along the way. So, if you never learned how to do homework, now you go to college and my students and I were just looking at Georgia State syllabi, you have three assignments. >> Yeah. >> Um, and in fact, even at the college level syllabi, like the first essay is 15%, the second is 25, third is 35. So, I'm more concerned about where the process part of learning falls into here. If we are relying so heavily on just a summit, we cannot assume that every student in a

227high school is taking AP, IB, or collegebound. >> No. Of course not. That's why I mentioned milestones. So we have I think we have a test I mean I don't know someone else could correct me. I I think most students whether it's the star test which is for reading but we could look and see at the grade band levels how I think within reasons every student is taking some standardized test either because of end of course test or EOG and then the others. I don't know what CTA requires. >> So you have a couple of things. Some of the stuff you're talking about are work habits. And so [clears throat] developing those work habits. Um, and we don't want to grade your work habits. You don't want to grade homework because you could be grading

228how much support you have at home versus what you can independently show that you know and can do. In some cases, um, parents are doing this homework and they aren't developing those skills. We do have a separate area around work habits. It's called something different at different levels depending on their um programming. Yale calls it one thing, ID calls it something else. But we do have a space where teachers can monitor and comment on that versus >> can you do fine with the homework, but what about in class? So like the 20% is a spit whether it's a benchmark or a reading quiz or a math quiz. So then what about in the classroom work habits? because I guess I [clears throat] don't know. It just seems philosophically we would want to ensure that the

229the the indication of learning >> isn't just the test or the quiz. And right now I guess I'm curious as to where that indication of learning besides a test and a quiz >> is here. These aren't necessarily quizzes. >> So I I do very much agree with board member Anderson that I think the process of it matters. I think you can put controls in place to to try to manage parents that overengage because I agree that we want to be able to show student mastery. But but even apppropo of none of this discussion, we are an outlier in the data and I just why why are we ben like there are great school systems up here that we aren't benchmarks to. And so I'm just curious why we would choose to be an outlier. >>

230Benchmark would work. >> Oh no, no. You pretty consistently see that roughly 7030 is the benchmark. It's roughly 7030. There are a couple outliers there. 7525 I would argue falls 7030. But one, two, three, four school systems kind of sit in the 7030. >> That's an average among high schools. >> Nobody except at sometimes Beerford is where we're at. everybody else's. >> No, I want to caution you because this is as best as I could get from all of the variation that people do. >> I I get that that's highly variable to the extent that the best that you can get is normalized and we are looking at the normal curve of the distribution of it. We are in the outlier side of that. One of the things that we know to be true around

231grading and specifically at the secondary level in the city schools of the year, there has been great level of intentionality to do this regulation [clears throat] with the actual state. So earlier today we were talking about how focus groups from students help to inform whether or not we're going to create a new survey around do you have health club. Um the same intentionality was taken and has been [clears throat] through the entire grading journey from the from day one when I learned we have no grading policy. >> I mean this is better than nothing, right? >> So but right now you're at the regulation level. So we worked year one plus at the policy level and then worked of year two and three to get us to where we are at the regulation level. But

232it was in concert with the teachers who have to implement. And so there was a if you remember a lot of push back around even the the policy for grading. So that's why >> when you when we talk about giving having teacher agency >> which is going back to the conversations around retention and such specifically at the secondary level. >> This is why to tell you the truth that's why we're sitting there at a 8020. So we have we like does CSD have teacher surveys where there these are the data points in the majority of the high school teachers because I believe we're looking at high school and right now right in the middle school >> we're we're high school and middle school but these benchmarks are all high school >> secondary >> that's what

233I thought so specific to high school now that it's two years in what are the >> just to make sure I understand too with some of that's just a test or includes quiz projects. >> Those are the major but they're also project the student >> um mastery level is there but I also kind of agree with Tracy and Hans in terms of >> you know it's also the process and the steps of getting there. I want us to be cautious to so let me take it to a policy level right let me just talk it at a policy level I very much agree with the policy concept that we do not want to disadvantage some kid right that that going from the sort of arbitrary process where we were before we all know which kids

234got disadvantaged under that right but it is without question because I watch this in my own household and I know the data backs this up. ADHD and attention deficit challenge kids struggle on tests and it is not always a a perfectly accurate uh assessment of their knowledge, right? And so at a policy level, I want to make sure we are accounting for the best and the brightest research around attention deficit children and that our weights are not inappropriately also disadvantaging those kids. That's the policy. And I and I I would strongly argue that if we have selected limits that don't line up with other benchmarks, why? And let's maybe rethink that. And I and I hear that. But more so than any of these numbers is how teachers are assessing in the classroom to accommodate

235and to meet the needs of kids knowing who they are as learners. It could be any of this and it could disadvantage a student if that isn't properly >> that I that I understand. Yeah. >> Yeah. So let's just take a look here. >> Can I ask a question about because I think the numbers are flipped. >> Yeah. >> I think it's supposed to be four sumatives. That's the minimum and six bits because basically if you take the 80% which is kind of shocking to me because then each I think our grading I looked it up yesterday because someone came to me when they looked at this agenda and so that grading like quickfax specifically says there'll be a minimum of four summitives >> by the end of the semester. So it's 80% that's like

236a a college final weight. pass that a student had. But so those numbers are flipped though. So typically students are going to have four summitives and six >> I think if that matters to the readout. >> Yeah, it it it >> because then then it does exactly what Hans and I are talking about. It's you're those sumitives anyway. So that's >> so this first assessment data thing if it is flipped the way that Tracy is saying and six come in at 79 and four come in at 90 or are you saying >> I don't know it's just that typically according to the grading thing and just my own parental experience because I look at Infinite Campus a lot more than I wished I did. That's a whole other topic but there are minimum of four

237per semester and so that is factually what I'm seeing and the spits are the little assignments. They're like the quizzes. >> So that that number would flip if >> it what you will see when we get to the next one. It it because we're using examples where the higher score is either at the four assessments or the six. You're going to see the same calculation even though you're right it is for sumatives and six standards base task but we flip it on the next um slide so you'll see you can see the difference. I don't I would just say I don't disagree with what you're saying. Some of these some of this do carry a lot of weight especially as you get towards like the eighth grade and upwards. I just I worry that if

238we have the conversation about or or push to have the like the the intermittent quizzes or the formatives count more. This is like a point in their journey where they're still learning. So they're going to make mistakes. um and how we we've been putting pressure on them to perform kind of midstream, you know what I mean? And and I and you know, it's still it's still where the summons count more. I appreciate that. Um but you know, they're they're and I'm sure there's some creative ways to dear the feline, but you know, I think there's I they they are going to make some mistakes because they're just still learning the material. I can see both sides of the argument here. if you go up on the the push or the weight of that um they

239they at some points they're getting these formatives or these quizzes or these kind of little assignments like a week into a unit and they just budge all the >> but I think the bigger issue is and maybe that's okay um if you get like two C's on a summitive >> that's your grade like you are no longer >> so I think devil's advocate on so on one And earlier we're talking about the importance of supporting our teachers, right? They've come up with this. We didn't tell them to do this 8020. >> Well, they wait. Are we certain about that? >> It was the teachers that I just want to make sure we're clear about that. It was the teachers that created a lot of work >> going back and forth about these percentages [clears throat]

240>> for an entire school year feedback. Now remember say teacher that doesn't mean 100% of them were involved. >> No I think% were >> no I understand that I just want to make sure because that's not kind what I thought. So okay >> I mean you guys have to make a decision. So on one hand we say we want to empower our teachers given the >> you know it's I'm just pushing back. I do though agree with you that 8020 seems out of alignment with the others. I don't disagree with that. I think 30 is too low. I I don't remember which district that was. >> That seems really low. Right? Because that's not the reality of the world you come to. When you go take a test, the SAT, it's high stakes. >> Well,

241I think that's the other issue, though. I mean, what I see is the grades have a financial consequence. It's like hope. They're an emotional thing, which is something I think that needs to be recognized. And then there's the objective part of it. And so what I am hearing is that we don't really have an objective way to explain right now why CSD landed on 8020. So that's one thing that I see needs to be >> I wouldn't say we don't have an objective way that we landed okay on here. Um we did a process and and as I said we did a lot of work with that equitable grading task force and we went back to a lot of that prior to this. It was 100% summitative assessment. >> There's no question that this is

242better than where we are. This is better than where we were. >> I forgot my thought. But you know what? But what I wanted >> I guess my point is is I don't want us to leave thinking we didn't have a process for where we landed that included teacher feedback at the core of it because we did. Now if we want to over after time go back and revisit um this then we we can certainly take it back to the teachers and we have changed quite a bit over time and parents you know I don't know how much more they can digest or if there are thing other things that we can stabilize um in order to kind of look at this but I don't want us to say that we didn't have a process

243for how we made it. How long has the 8020 been in effect? >> Two years. Because like, you know, I totally understand and respect if this is coming from the teachers, but also understanding, okay, now that it's been in play for a couple years and teachers have seen how it kind of, you know, works, maybe it's time to tweak it or think about the big picture, like we said, seeing how it's a big outlier compared to others, right? And if we want to be cognizant of equity of course and not disadvantaged kids who may not have all the supports and tutors at home, right, versus kids um you know who don't have that or have it in the classroom. There's still work they do, right? >> Yeah. >> There's the process too in the classroom.

244>> Yeah. >> That seems maybe not being weighted as much as it could or should be. This is our first full year with this weighted. >> Yeah. Because the calculation changed a little bit. So >> twoyear journey, but one full year. >> Yeah. >> Really? Yeah. >> I think it's safe to say that and and if this wasn't said clearly at the beginning, I'll state it right now. We're in a much better place than where we were. Right. So, so saying that like we can we're at 8020 however we decide to break it out is vastly superior than arbitrary which is kind of how it felt before but so now we have a year worth of data behind us. We've looked at it in this period of time. >> My reaction is as the as

245the father of an ADHD child, I question how much this conforms to equity for children that struggle with that. And two, just based on the benchmarks that you guys have shown us, not that that we pulled out, but that you guys have shown us, it looks like we're a little bit of an outlier. So, I'm wondering if it isn't time to maybe take it back and start having a conversation about about in terms of continuous improvement. Not to say that getting here was bad, but we can continually tweak and improve. >> I'm wondering what teachers are paying after one year, right? >> Yeah, we did a >> I do want to hear what >> we did at the end of teacher class. who did not part of this school year. Um, but that's something we

246go back and see. >> So, I I think another thing is NPR had a story about this sometime in the last few months, um, maybe the last year, even revisiting the equitable grading practice because school districts all over the country are doing different things. Some have a no late work policy. Ask teachers how they like that. They don't. um as students how they like the idea that you you know start with a 50 and then I can't remember there's one other one that's kind of their three standard. Uh this is just me personally. The 50 is unintelligible. You know, as a parent looking at grades, as a teacher trying to figure out you then you look at a paper and you're like, "Oh, so that was an F, right? You earned 25 points." Then some

247quizzes are calculated with out of a hundred, some have five. So like I would like to say first and foremost that I think we need to revisit how the equitable grading practice that got us here is actually working. So like we started with the anecdote of the mom who said hey this is great my test score my students test scores match the grades. Well where are we now? >> And then you know I don't know if this fits into it but the retake because that's a whole other like wild west. It's a nice opportunity but then you're going to have students that work it. I'd love to know what teachers say about that, too. And then finally, as a side note, and I, you know, and I appreciate that you were recognizing because when I

248was looking, I couldn't find, which is kind of ironic because I guess school districts don't like to publish this, but you know, our students at a particular level are kind of possibly for the ones that are doing AP and stuff at a disadvantage because I appreciate that the district did the half point for the honors, English, and math, but and we're rolling in AP, But you're looking at your 10th and 11th graders who had an 8020 when other districts didn't and didn't have access to AP or IB classes nth grade. So I I think we personally my personally I feel like we could do a much better job looking at each discrete grade level. >> It sounds like the the younger high school students are going to be phased in nicely. I could [clears throat]

249be wrong, but certainly the seniors I know, you know, oh, it's a different thing each year. And then that's a whole other thing. I guess transcript is regulation, but I think to piggyback off that, I would I think maybe some part of this conversation aside from that 8020, 7030, whatever, I'll need to you're the content expert on this. This is not what I do professionally. There has to be some way to make sure that at the core of it, the grade means something that they walk away understanding. that they get the standard. It has to be [clears throat] benchmarked against not even decap county schools but some other method of making sure that at the end of the course they've grasped the knowledge. So that I feel like that's a better way of making sure

250that the grading method works. Like I tell my kids all the time, I don't care what your grade is really, do you understand? Otherwise, we're just stressing out over some letters on a piece of paper. It's just feedback. But at the end of it, if you got an A and you still don't get it, then somewhere something has broken down. So >> the the exact inverse is what I'm talking about too, just to piggyback on that where a child absolutely gets it, understands it, soup them nuts and can explain it, cannot reflect it on a test. I did not, this has not happened to me. I did not believe it until I see it with two of my kids. It is exactly the situation that happens. full knowledge of the material cannot regurgitate it for

251a test and and that just the nature of the reality of >> and I'm still saying that >> well also so I just wanted to >> I didn't want to curb the conversation because I feel like the feedback is important >> but I want a caution of >> not getting so far into the weeds >> because I will say that I know that there are a lot of things that happen in the classroom that are individualized to students. Not just an IEP or a 504 plan, but it's some teachers decide and it's within their discretion to say, "I'm going to drop your lowest grade or I'm only going to take the top two grades of the four assessments." Some teachers say, "I'm allowing unlimited retakes." something, you know. So, those are the things that teachers

252can do with discretion that may not be reflected in those numbers. So, I just caution you all about getting too far in the weeds of of telling >> the administration the how. >> Fair enough. >> Yeah. Any system is only as good as you work it. Um, and thank you for that segue because teachers do have discretion in how they design their summitives, how they administered, um, as well as other opportunities for standardsbased tasks. These things are minimal. >> Wait, I I I do have to get that clarified though because we're pretty clear that I mean in our multi which I appreciate that grading policy and then we have the handbook which is a few pages long. I think it's pretty clear the whole reason we did some of this is for standardization. So I'm

253afraid anyone listening now is going to get the wrong idea that if you looked out and got that teacher, your two lowest summitives were dropped, but if you got that teacher, good luck. So can we [clears throat] fill that in somehow? Because I I can't imagine if we're doing standards based and consistency that we have that level of discrepancy. >> It's it's not about discrepancy. We have the minimums so that >> um we don't have two grades in the grade book that's determining a student's grade. So that that that sets the bar for just at a minimum you must have this number in order to >> okay have some validity. >> Understood. Let me just close the loop there. they will minimally have four summitives, but a teacher might give six summitives and choose to

254drop two of the sumatives. >> So, what we ask at the grade level is that if you're on a teaching team, that you make those decisions together. So, if you're looking at the assessment results and the teachers say, you know what, most of our kids really didn't do well on that assessment. We need to go back and that wasn't a fair assessment. Then together, they make those agreements. So, you're not over here doing something that Tracy got. Okay. All right. >> So, that's the purpose of the PLC and some of the work that goes on there. Will we still have some differences? Yeah, we're not perfect people and team there's sometimes close doors and do whatever, but we shouldn't see huge differences um from that, but it's a work in progress. >> I was suggesting

255that it's like the wild west out there. >> No, it's good. We got folks listening there's discretion to account for >> and they emphasize that they should be those decisions should be made collaborative. >> Yes at the school level. Okay. Where we're headed next um we are transitioning to semester credits next school year at the high school which is you know another another change. Um, we're going to continue to monitor and implement across schools for consistency with the policy and regulations. We still have pockets of work to improve upon, continue with our professional learning. Um, also putting an eye on counselors and administration and transcript practices. We want to do a third party uh audit so that we can get feedback on what we're doing well, what we're not doing well, so we can errors

256because we do have um some errors that are consistently kind of trying to figure out how we got there. Um and continuous improvement for grading and reporting. Um just since these are public documents and they're out there for everybody, can we make sure that we go back and edit the slides that have the four versus the six and make sure the calculations match what is actually happening. I know that this is important information to convey and I just want to make sure that it's right with our public. It is I could put a caveat here that um this represents because it's at the higher level the same thing as for six but I can also um it doesn't change that you know no matter what variation you have these um percentages the grades are coming

257out somewhere in the same range like range and so on and so forth but I clear. >> We're looking at that though. >> So, I don't care whether it's summit or spit. So, >> it's a 50 is for doing nothing. They get a 55. >> Those are just >> Yeah. right? >> A fundamental like just thing that makes no sense to me >> that that came up I remember back when this first started the concept of zeros in the grade book because I think there were a lot of a lot of parents who felt like teachers would if you know they would have I I get to maybe some of the discussion point a teacher would have a quiz that had three questions you got all three of them wrong got a zero and your

258your grade would just never recover from that um or you turn an assignment in a day late, you know, which you know, like I said, late policy, that's not the topic of conversation, but being the teacher had no late policy, etc. You got a zero, never recovered. It was also back I remember before we started this grading policy there was a lot of there was controversy about using like notebook checks or having conduct as a portion of your grade and and those sorts of things would add portions where you could potentially have a zero in the grade book and it just understand that part. It's just the mathematical explanation of how nothing is a 50 and then >> doing stuff is a 60 just doesn't well for averaging because averaging can't always um won't always

259represent you know what the kid has learned. you have someone who has like 20s and 30s, not even zero, something below 50. And then towards the end of the semester, they're rocking it out. It won't reflect that. Oh, the light bulb went off. And by the end, the student really was showing mastery not just at the standard level, but maybe even beyond because those prior grades. But isn't that that's the product of our choosing or the district choosing the mathematical calculations. It's another way to do that is to just percentage later grades kind of like that college sylli, right? >> Yeah. And we looked at that that decaying average kind of thing. We looked at all of those options. Um, but the teachers really >> have like 20s 20s 20s zeros because maybe for whatever

260reason you were struggling the first half the semester and then it turns on and you get hundreds like you still would have failed the class by average. >> But I think that's I think the point is that I'm making and maybe an assessment will show this is we may have done a good job in ensuring that a student doesn't fail. I'm not sure we looked at the mathematical consequences of that when you get into the letter grade band. So fine, certainly a student's going to show up all year and no one wants some student to fail because they miss certain things. At the same time, how does that translate to these letter grades with mathematical numbers that you some could argue have more consequence? Whether it's Hope Scholarship that has a cap amount or All

261right. >> Like the first glad we're gonna do that. >> Thank you very much. [laughter] [laughter] Thank you. Scott, do you want to have a motion to move into executive session for the purpose of discussing personal matters? >> So moved. >> Russ makes a motion. Is there a second? >> Second. Member seconds the motion. The pending questions the adoption for motion to move into executive session. Is there any discussion? Hearing none require a vote Dr. R. All please say I if you in favor I >> vice chair >> hi >> board member Anderson >> hi board member board member >> I the eyes chair chair stand I zion is motion Do that