IPS Board September Work Session - September 16, 2025

001I hereby call to order the work session of the board of school commissioners for Tuesday, September 16th, 2025. Would you please stand and join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance? I >> pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Before we get started, I would note that translation services will also be made available at the agenda review and action session next meeting. We are here this evening for our September work session. To begin, Miss James, would you please call the role? >> Commissioner Kerry, >> present. >> Commissioner, >> present. >> Mr. Imp. >> Mr. Thomas, >> present. >> Secretary Thompson. Vice President Star >> pres with that we move on to section

002two of the agenda. Do any commissioners have any opening comments that they would like to share this evening. Moving on then to item 2.02. I would like to mention that we continue to accept written public comments through our online portal. The written public comment portal is available under the school board tab at myips.org and will remain open until 400 p.m. on September 25th. At this time, we have not received any written public comments. Is my understanding that we have not had anyone sign up to provide public comment. Is there anyone present who believes that they are registered and signed up to speak? If so, please state your name in the record and provide your comment. hearing none. Um, sorry. We'll turn the agenda over at this time to Superintendent Johnson to introduce the work session

003items. >> Thank you. [Music] >> Thank you, Vice President Star. Good evening, commissioners. Uh, the first item on the agenda this evening is item 3.01, which is a presentation from our post-secary readiness team. Last year, you all know we had our um teaching and learning team come and each month bring an update around the work we were doing in early literacy over the course of the year. This year we want to sort of shift into our post-secary readiness with a focus on the work that we are doing in our high school space particularly in response to uh the newly adopted um redesigned high school diploma that was just put into place at the state level. So we're excited to bring members of the postsecary readiness team to you on a regular basis to bring you

004um updates and information and sort of do deeper dives on what's happening um in this area which we are really excited about because there's lots of great work happening. So very excited to welcome Melanie Corel and Dr. Austin. Close again. There we go. Good evening, school commissioners and Dr. Johnson. We're happy to be here to uh present about postsecary readiness. Tonight we'll be kicking it off talking about what the PSR team does and also the Indiana graduation seals. And then as we move through um the months of board meetings, we will dig into each one of the seals and what we're doing with enrollment, employment, enlistment, and in our middle school space to support postsecary readiness for our students. So tonight we'll be talking first about the PSR team, what we do, um highlight a

005little bit of data from the last year around our postsecondary readiness space, and then we'll dig into those new Indiana SEALs and our plan for the graduation seals um in IBS district managed schools. So our team consists of career and technical education, junior ROC, strategic partnerships for PSR, postsecondary planning, high schoolmies and pathways, and middle schoolmies and pathways. And our why is uh best captured by this IPS portrait of a graduate. As you can see, we aim for all of our students to have a an IPS student experience that helps them grow in the areas of being reflective, caring communicators who are balanced and who are thinkers. And we do this through the IPS experience. And our goal for our students is a fulfilling life that they choose for themselves. I won't read all of

006this to you but essentially this focuses this is our why as a team focuses on um the idea again that students should be able to pursue and achieve their own goals towards a career that they choose that is fulfilling for them. Also uh we know that college and career should be braided together and they're not mutually exclusive. Um, we know that our students will benefit if they have access to um, college credits to credentials of value as they work through high school. Briefly, our team includes an allchoice high school model for the district managed high schools. We provide high school supports through the future centers in each of those spaces. We provide school counseling services through our office and then we provide support and alignment for our programmatic middle schools. I'll hand it over to

007Austin to talk a bit about some data highlights. Thanks. As Dr. process that a lot has been happening in our postsecondary readiness department the last couple of years and specifically while we were gearing up for rebuilding stronger we were uh subsequently also working really hard in our high school space to be ready to deliver on a lot of what we will speak with you tonight about high school redesign so we've called just four quick highlights to share with you all um we had an increase in college credits earned and our students earn college credits through AP exams IB exams and dual credit courses on our high school campus in the 2122 school year we had 2,845 college credits earned through those means. Last year we had 7,500 college credits. That's saving our students hundreds of

008thousands of dollars as they transition from Indianapolis public schools into their post-secary endeavors. We also uh exceeded the board graduation goal one year early by having an 87.45 graduation rate for the class of 2024. And we're expecting big gains again for the class of 2025 here coming in a couple of months. We had 3,400 middle school students that visited a college campus last year as part of our uh rebuilding stronger commitment to our middle school space. And then 31% of our middle school students earned 1,117 high school credits, algebra 1, biology, world language while they were in middle school so that they were better prepared to come to high school. Next, we're going to transition to discuss specifically about the new graduation seals. I'm going to pass it over to Mel to talk a little

009bit about the timeline of how we got here as a state and then we'll speak more specifically about what we've done as a district and then about those seals. >> Thanks, Austin. So, um I'm sure you've heard about the new graduation requirements, but wanted to kind of orient us in space and time around those. So um in 2023 January and February we held or the state held a legislative session around the new the idea of the new seals and they then proposed a high school redesign um approach. We provided feedback on that approach and then a second version was proposed by the state. We provided feedback on that second version and then in October, November of 2024, we got to see the final proposal from the state of what those seals would look like. Those

010seals apply, they were approved in December of 2024 and they applied beginning with the current freshman class in high school. So the students who are currently freshman, all of them will be subject to the requirements under the new seals. And I'll hand it back to Austin to talk more about the seals. Thanks. So, as soon as we began receiving communication from the Department of Education, we found it really critical to begin a communication plan with our students, with our families, with our staff, our school leaders, everyone who had a stakeholder, right? And then what a student's experience might be and making sure that they were informed along the way. So, we just highlighted a couple of those communication patterns on the screen here with families. We did three separate family videos that were sent out

011through mass communications, family newsletters, district social media, um, both in English and Spanish, informing them about what was currently being proposed and how they could have a voice in what changes and recommendations they might have during those feedback windows. We also worked with administrators through learning community meetings, uh, Dr. high school learning community meetings as well, the professional development and then also schoolbased meetings with those administrators to make sure that their feedback was captured to the department of education as well and in our planning as a district. And then of course ensuring that our counselors who are having those advising conversations with our students and families have received professional development through districtwide professional development days, school-based meetings, departmental newsletters, and as we continue to receive more resources from the state board of education, we are

012continuing to provide training and updates. Uh a lot of resources released this week for implementation. So we're excited to get those in the hands of our schools as well. So when we talk about the skills, um this is something very new for everyone as we transition away from what has been the academic honors and the technical honors diplomas. Those will still be in effect as Mel said through the class of 2028, but beginning the class of 2029, the core 40 academic honors and technical honors diplomas will sunset and all students will have to transition to these new seals and based diploma. The way to wrap your head around these and as I will have subsequent meetings where we will share specific details about each seal but broadly there are six seals in total. There are

013two seals for each e employment enrollment and enlistment. So each e has an honors seal and an honors plus se. So on your screen right now, you see the honor seal for enrollment, which mirrors a lot of similarities with our current academic honors diploma. The employment seal mirrors a lot of similarities to our current technical honors diploma. And we're very excited. The enlistment seal is spotlighting some of the JR JOTC pathways that we have had in IPS and have been flourishing, but haven't always shown up in the graduation requirements. So we see a real opportunity here um for our JOTC program and our students and families. On your screen is the is the honors seal which has a set of requirements of course and as I said we will dive deeper into those in subsequent

014meetings. But on the next slide is the honors plus and what's important to know is that for a student to receive the honors plus they must meet everything in the honors diploma or in the honors seal and the honors plus seal. So they're really building upon one another. So if a student gets one, then they will get the honors plus if they get both. Right? So we're really targeting for students to have that experience that's enriching um and has many opportunities. And our vision is that each campus would have access and opportunities and programming to offer to our students and families on all six seals. With that, I will pass it over to them. So um something that there's been confusion about at the state level when we talk about the seals is sometimes people

015assume that you have to earn a seal to earn a diploma and this is not the case. There is a base diploma and there are six seals on top of the base diploma. And so um you heard Austin say that the that two of the three honors seals are really the same very similar to the academic current academic honors diploma and technical honors diploma. And so I I want to make sure that that's clear as I share with you this goal, which for us is a um both a reasonable goal and a stretch goal. Um which is for 35% of the class of 2030 to earn one of the new honors or honors plus seals. So that's stacked on top of what we'd see as our current graduation goal, um which is that 90% of

016students would graduate with a diploma. So you've got 90% with a base diploma and then 35% of the total number of students who you would want to earn one of these seals. And how will we do that? I know these slides have a lot of words on them, but as um as Austin has said, uh we will be digging into these strategies over the coming weeks, but we did want to provide one slide that contains the full strategy for how we will lift this up within our district manage high schools. So, you can see here um this is divided up by enrollment, employment, and enlistment. We imagine a future where every student in every school has access to any one of the six or two of the six if they're going for honors plus seals

017that they want to earn. Um and so for students who pursue those enrollment seals, that will mean they must have access to advanced coursework. Uh if they want the honors plus in enrollment, they will actually need 75 hours of work-based learning. That's something that's new. Um, we also know that they they will do this in many cases through full advanced academic programs like Indiana College 4 or the international baloria diploma and all four of our district managed high schools. Each and every one of them offers one of these opportunities. So we have international baloria at Shortridge. We have early college Indiana College Corps at George Washington and at Christmas Addex and we have I'm sorry at Arsenal Tech and Chris Addex and we have early college associates degree at George Washington. So this is already

018in place in terms of the advanced academics but that 75 hours of work learning is something that we will need to ensure our students can access. For students who pursue the employment seals, our CTE pathways, which are already at our four high schools, those are an excellent way for students to complete one of the employment seals. For the um honors seal, it's 150 hours of work-based learning. For honors plus, it's 650 hours per student of work-based learning. We already have students who are completing that 650 hour requirement through their apprenticeships with modern youth apprenticeship. And as I said earlier, we don't believe that stu we would be st setting students up for success if we said just get into this track and go towards career and forget about college or forget about advanced academics. We

019know that students will want to braid together those college and career experiences and we know that our students who do the employment skills will in many cases want to pursue one of those advanced academic programs that I talked about earlier. And then finally, we want to ensure that the enlistment seals um students who choose those seals have an embedded experience within their JOTC pathway that allows them to access those seals. This is uh a simplified version of the slide that I just uh provided an overview for. So you can see enrollment. We're looking at increased college credit. Um you can see that we're already well on our way with that with the over 7,000 credits earned this year. We expect that number to increase based on our projections in the coming years. the workbased learning

020piece, updating course sequences. With employment, we're looking at work-based learning, CTE pathways, and industry certifications. And then with enlistment, we're looking at military mentorship, ROC programs, and ASAP preparation. And we're happy to answer any questions about sales or or work. >> Question of what Okay. Um, you mentioned 650 hours of internship, right? Or apprenticeship. I forgot what terminology is used. >> Yeah, that would be we usually call that an intern or an apprenticeship if it's that intensive. If you're doing that many hours, it would be an apprenticeship. >> That was um that was legislated recently. Correct. Uh it there is the modern youth apprenticeship. It's been a part of many pieces of legislation recently and and there is more state level support for those programs than maybe there ever has been. >> Okay. >> I'm

021not clear as to whether that's only a part of the CTE pathway requirement or that was for every student. And if so, how how is that? because I I appreciate we have all these pathways, but also I appreciate that it seems like students can uh kind of have different experiences and not rigidly stay in one pathway. But I'd like to know how that apprenticeship fits into the the jigsaw up here. Yeah, it's a great question and one many people have had because at first people thought that that a student had to get a seal or that they had to get an honors plus seal and so that raised some questions there. But um the the hour requirement of 650 is only for the employment honors plus seal. >> Okay, >> it's 150 for employment honors

022and it's 75 for enrollment honors plus. So, it's not that every student needs to complete work-based learning to meet the requirements. Um, but I would say, you know, if we're looking at 35% of students earning seals, we have the projections back at the office, but I would say, you know, we're looking at potentially 20% of our students needing to complete 75 to 650 hours of workbased learning. >> Thank you. I I didn't get that far down on the slides in terms of the reading. So, is this not a part of the honors on the previous slide? This is only honors plus. Is that correct? >> So, this is honors plus and uh we wish that it were more concise and clear too. These are the state slides. I'll just say that. But, um so the

023only on honors the only workbased learning requirements in that center column complete 150 hours of work-based learning. And you can see it's it could be multiple experiences, paid, unpaid, on-site or simulated. And then when we look at honors plus, you can see under enrollment that complete at least 75 hours. And then under employment honors plus is where we see that 650 hours in one or more experiences that could include a pre-apprenticeship or a modern youth apprenticeship. Can you speak to uh partners that we may be sending our students out to to work and gain experience at? >> Yeah. And um and and we will dig even more deeply into this in our employment session which I think is the month after next. Um so as you can imagine we don't have capacity to work individually

024with hundreds of employers. Um so we work very closely with employee indie which is the workforce development board of Marian County and they do a lot of our employer facing um leazing and so we rely on relationships with them and entities like Junior Achievement of Indiana um to support this along with many other partners that they convene for us. But we have had several students who've done a modern youth apprenticeship. We've had students who worked in construction firms, some of which actually um are working in IPS buildings through the rebuilding stronger and capital projects. Um we have students who work actually in apprenticeships at IPS. Those have been some of our most successful ones because you can as you can imagine you know our IT team, our finance team, they really want students to have

025a great experience and they really understand how education and workforce combine. Um, we've had some apprenticeships in the finance industry as well. And so, Jenny Barry, our CTE director, she will come with me to our employment session. And she had she has an encyclopedic knowledge of all of the different workbased learning opportunities that students are engaged with. But those are the 650 hour ones. And as you can imagine, there are dozens of entities we work with already in the 150 hour space. So you have students who are working at the YMCA, students who are um working in simulated environments and we also have um uh school-based enterprises. So at George Washington, we have students who uh manufacture from George Washington and sell the goods that they manufacture. >> I promise two more little side ones.

026Um, do the students get to interact with employee and kind of direct like self-direct the experiences? My first question, second question is how do you what how do you get them there? What's the transportation one? >> Yeah, two excellent questions. So, um, students do get to interact with employee India and also career coaches that come through our new skills ready network partnership. Um, sometimes those career coaches have been employed by IvyTech for example. So, our vision for them is that students would have that one-on-one support, especially if they're doing the 650 hour. They do get to choose um with 650 hour, that's really aligned with the students pathway. So, if they've chosen advanced manufacturing, then their 650 hour experience would need to be in advanced manufacturing. And then, can you repeat your second question for

027me? I'm sorry. >> How do we get them to where they need to go? >> Transportation. I blocked it out because it's so stressful. Um, no. So, um, I'm going to try not to say I'm not going to try not to go into the weeds, which is my tendency, but we get them there many ways. If it we we essentially have a list of if it's this kind of work-based learning, these are the options. And those options can be anything from um they're riding a yellow bus because they're going to clinicals in a group during the school day or they're riding a white bus because it's occurring after school and it's a small group of students or they're using um a vendor like uh Uber for teens or safe safe rides and their parent has

028signed off saying that that is an acceptable way for them to get there. We also um do fundraising. We have grants that will sometimes pay for transportation costs for students. So, it takes a broad range. And there are some issues with federal law and state law kind of conflicting with each other that are being sorted out. So, it's been a space that we've had to really live in in the last year and a half or so. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> I'll just add on this point on transportation. and I say probably between all of us what we live to the state around it's like the less the least glamorous thing and all of this sounds great and it's wonderful but then like how do you get a child from A to B becomes a

029massive massive question. So we're thinking about that and the way Andy thinks about it states thinking about it um because it is one of those significant barriers to all kids getting that experience. >> I just have a couple questions also. Thank you so much for the presentation. Um I saw there you said something about course directions. >> Yeah. Can you tell first >> about that right? >> Yeah. >> I'm hand over to Austin because he lives in this space daily. >> Yeah. So, of course, the seals are one set of graduation requirements, but as well as reference, there's this base diploma, which is what we are probably most commonly familiar with, right? Your English requirements, your math requirements, etc. And so, we didn't see significant overhaul in that space, but there were some minor changes.

030I'll give you an example. Uh, students used to have eight have to have eight English credits to graduate high school. That's still true, but now one of them has to be a communications focus. And so specific courses from the state of Indiana now fulfill that communications requirement. And so it's important that we evaluate to make sure that all of our campuses now back re-mbbed that and embed that in a place that makes developmental sense for the student um to meet these requirements. So right now actually we're in the heart of it because we have all the resources now from the DOE. Um, we are working with the executive director of schools for high schools and the new learning community coaching coordinators to evaluate and bring together recommendations to take to the principal that here's how

031we can best fulfill these requirements um to get a sequence that we can hand to families and students and say hey here's a path to graduation that's already laid out for you and you can customize and choose from. >> Awesome. So, uh, have you gotten any thought on or given any thought on, um, like middle school working with the middle school team to see if some of those take you? >> Yeah. Yeah. So, um, I have a counterpart, Aaron Monson, who's the middle school director, director of middle schoolmies and pathways, and we've been doing some intentional aligning about which high school courses are offered in our middle school. And then on the flip side, are our high schools ready to receive them? And how can we drive up that programming? because we know that we're

032going to have a significant number of students who are going to have outdoor lawn and biology credit coming into high school, especially with the new law of autoenrollment that was just passed. And what we want to make sure that we fulfill on is that we also have equally rigorous high school courses for them to get to and that we don't tap out sophomore year. And so by embedding that IB diploma and early college on our campuses, we now can commit and access to that. And so we that will be part of that that sequence that we can hand to families and say, "Hey, even if you took some courses in middle school, here's where you can get to even an I guess, right? Here's here's where we you don't even have to max out. We

033can get you an IE campus. We can get you into an IV enrollment course or dual credit enrollment course." Yes, that is run by us. >> I'll add one thing to that, which is um uh I went back to this slide with 31% of middle school students earned a total of 1,117 high school credits while in middle school. And that is a direct result of this board's passing of Rebuilding Stronger. Um it was a promise that we made in Rebuilding Stronger that 100% of students in all of our middle schools would have access to high school courses during middle school. And um this is our, you know, our first year. This is how many credits were earned. We learned a lot our first year. We expect a higher number coming into our second year. We

034expect um even more students will engage with that especially with the auto enrollment um mandate that came from the state for math >> commissioners. Okay, just a really quick question and I think you said it might not have heard it all but you mentioned something about um grading together opportunities for that. You're talking about the plus and with regular work together or talking about different lanes. >> I'm talking about college and career mostly when I use that rating language. Um, and we think of this in terms of work workplace credentials that are high quality college credits and then those strong work-based learning experiences. So, we think the best experience for a student involves a combination of those things. And I think the traditional high school model or I know the traditional high school model has

035been, you know, you're a career student, you're a college student. Well, we all know that that's not how the world works, right? We know that we bring these things together, that we each have a unique path, that there are, you know, directions that can help us on those paths. But it's very rarely going to be, you know, you're only doing career or you're only doing college, for example. >> Yeah. >> I was just going to add to clarification. Um, a great question is, can you earn more than one seal? And the answer is a student can earn more than one seal. As we dive more deeply into each detail, we realize that it's really going to teach take some intentional planning on both the student, the counselor, and the family's part, but it is possible

036and encourage for students to explore and partake in as many seals as they want. Um, and the second thing that I would add as a new requirement for graduation is that in order to graduate early, whether it's at semester or as a junior, students have to earn a lot of the seals to demonstrate readiness to go out into the workforce or college after high school. So, that is something that's also new um across the state of Indiana. >> Thank you. I want to thank you for the presentation as well. And then just reiterate something around transportation that I heard our superintendent mention too. But as I listen to that, I'm like I like the biking necessariness of it all. But then I also as a commissioner get a little worried about the consistency and liability

037etc. Um when I hear lift I'm like oh so white hustle and yellow hustle this time of day and that time of day. I'm like whoa. Um these are kids. So I know that because there are different approaches to going to get the education, the training to be able to work with employers, etc. I want all of that to happen. I just am a little bit concerned and obliged to hear you say that there's state level conversation going on. But hopefully um we because we record this have a note out here that commissioners also have a concern about the efficacy about how we approach that. there's a a report that came out within the last year um at the state level that highlights all of those different concerns. And so a lot of what um

038we've been doing is paying attention to that state and federal level conversation because as I noted there is this disagreement between federal law and state law in this space. And so um on that first uh PSR overview slide you might have seen that partnership coordinator that we have. That's a position that we added. And part of that is to ensure that we are being really intentional about how we are um connecting students with those opportunities and ensuring that they're safe and that we know you know when they will be where because as you may imagine um if a student works at McDonald's under these new seals they could count that as their workbased learning. So, is the district liable for their transportation to their job at McDonald's if credit is awarded? So, um I share

039this just to say yes. Like that's that's where we're living, right? And that's why I said I'm going to try to stay out of the weeds because we have lived in that space for the last year or so trying to just track what's happening and determine what is our strategy for our students. Thank you team. So you all are going to be on a journey around postsecary readiness for this year. I'm really excited because there is so much happening in this space that the team will have to share and hopefully this gives you a sense of just how complex all of it is and so I'm excited for us to do deeper dives each month into each of these areas um for commissioners learning. So thank you team. Yeah, we're on to item 3.02, which

040is the board school commissioner vision, values, and priorities. So, I'll turn it to you, vice president. So, as we move on to item 3.02, our um we discussed our August at our August board retreat, we identified our core values that reflect who we are and who we want to be as a board. The goal of this dedicated time is to review each action statement and further shape each statement together as a group this evening. I will read the first action statement and then we will discuss. Uh but I'd like to also make sure that I'm not the only face on the microphone tonight around especially something around our values. So I would just ask that you choose to popcorn yourselves or however you choose to do the next statement. Um, so jump in here with

041those so we can all be heard tonight. Thank you so much. Um, so I'm going to go ahead and read the first statement. You are a member of the Indianapolis public school. I see it. Thank you. Student success and experience. We center our decisions on what is best for our students, prioritizing their academic achievement, personal growth, and overall well-being. We are dedicated to creating a positive and enriching experience for every student in our district. One team, one vision. We operate as a cohesive team, fostering collaboration, trust, and mutual respect among board members, district staff, and stakeholders. Our collective actions are driven by our shared goals in a unified vision for the future of our schools. Fiscal prudence, and long-term sustainability. We manage district resources with integrity, responsibility, and transparency. Our financial decisions are made with

042an eye toward long-term sustainability, ensuring the stability and prosperity of our schools for generations to come. Okay, it's on community voice. We actively seek and value the diverse perspectives of our community, including students, families, educators, and local partners. We are committed to creating accessible and inclusive channels for feedback when ensuring the community's voice informs our policies and decisions. Accountability and transparency. We are accountable for our actions and committed to open communication. We will operate with clarity, sharing our progress toward goals and the rationale behind our decisions to build trust and ensure we are always working in the best interest of our schools. Care and compassion. We lead with empathy, ensuring the care and safety of all students and staff is our highest priority. We strive to be proactive in our support and respond with compassion

043to the needs of our school communities. >> Thank you. I think that's >> Thank you, commissioners. Um these values define how we lead, collaborate, and make decisions, especially when the stakes are high. Thank you. I will do that. I'm going to go back and read our core val our value statement before the values themselves. I apologize. >> And then remember this was to if you guys need to shape it, change it around. So this is the time to read it, take some time and address you want, >> subtract, enhance it. That's what >> I'm going to read this and then we're going to open the discussion. >> The value statement is that the Indianapolis public school board is committed to a unified and student centered approach dedicated to fostering an environment where every student and

044staff member feels safe, cared for, and supported. We believe in being a responsive, proactive, and compassionate team guided by the community's voice and our own shared vision through long-term fiscal responsibility and commitment to transparency. We will hold ourselves accountable to ensure that our actions directly lead to the success and well-being of our students. We all have the statement before us. I've read the value statements and you all have helped me to read the core values. So, at this point, I'd like for us to be able to have some discussion about it. Again, these values are used to check ourselves and check what we say matters to us and how we move. So I want to give us all an opportunity to weigh in on the statement itself and have any discussion that commissioners fit there.

045No discussion. Um I I would like to lift up the word unified. So you can talk about the intent behind that word and what the word unify signifies in the value statement. This came from our retreat, >> right? >> We asked for that, right? To bring us back to something like >> I'm sorry. >> I guess what I'm saying is I I didn't understand the question. Commissioner Commission, is it to me or is it to the floor for all of us to ask? >> I just wanted to lift it up for any any discussion. Okay. Just as a starting point. >> Okay. Um because um the reason I looked it up I mean my my thought is because um we have um we have a portfolio of schools and even you know whether they're traditional

046or innovation or whatever we have many different uh curricular focuses we have you know a lot of autonomy throughout the district. I feel like the word unified. I don't know if that is an adjective that I would go for, but I wanted to hear other people's thoughts on that too. I think it's a good thought. I will say what my thoughts are quickly um in response just um as we were doing the postsecary readiness. Um there might be these seals and young people might be going to different jobs and maybe requiring different transportation, but the overarching idea is the same. And so I don't know I I think I get that point and I I get that nuance that this can we be unified under the portfolio that we have but are there overarching values

047that should be unified for all students from us. I think we could get there if there's some unification that has to do with what is right for all somehow. Um my thoughts are you know I was fine with the word unify but it is going to depend upon who defines what in which way. Um would collaborative be a better word in that space. So it it help us be you know have a productive conversation here and figure out what should we be doing. I believe um collaboration to me does not mean that we are all together in every single thing, but we are intentionally understanding that for all of our students to win within our district, we have to know um how are we showing up and adding value in each space and how they

048add value for us. So, um would collaborative be a better word for it? >> I I like the connotation of collaborative better than unified. I do because I think Um, we want to allow space for, you know, autonomy. Well, I'm open. I just I don't see um I see where they pulled the word unified comes from, uh, core value number two toward the end, a unified vision. Um, and so maybe we think think it through in that sentence as well. But, um, again, just starting the discussion on >> what I would like to add there is I don't necessarily have a problem with the word unified but I do think it's important how we define it and how we're thinking about it um a lot of the work that um I do professionally focuses on

049fragmentation of our systems and if we're not intentionally working together so for example we don't have one way to measure success if we don't have a way to hold other schools accountable We can't be unified. And I don't think unification means I think that word has been co-opted in certain in certain senses to to signify something that it doesn't. That in like true unification could mean something great if it means that we are prioritizing students across across our district. I don't think it has to mean what it means. Can I ask a question about that? Um, if to be unified, if you could live with that word defined, do we have to be to to in order to have core values, does it have to be connected in every way to accountability? >> Does that

050make sense? I think maybe tell me if I'm not understanding your question right, but if you can't hold yourself accountable to your values, then what's the point of having values? Then it just becomes like this pretty poster board on the on the wall. Well, I don't mean our values. I think I heard you say we can't hold everyone in that system accountable. And my my wonder is like even if I can't hold you accountable per se in the way that I might be able to do in some other school, do I still have these values certain values >> I would because I'm thinking with particular lens I'm trying to think zoom out a little bit but for example the word partner right I think sometimes we use the word partner not in the sense of

051what the word means actually it's it is so if we're talking about unification if we're really going to be unified and that's going to be a core value of ours I do think that accountability ility has to be a question in that. And then if that's not the question, if we're not the ones, if we're not the body to be held holding, if we can't even hold ourselves accountable because we don't have the access to uphold the values, then maybe that's not the right. We're we are committing to um a great student experience for every student in our district, but we have no way to hold someone accountable for that student experience. How do we live up to that value? to your point. Um, I think that's my what I'm feeling about the word unified

052is when we talk about our schools, we have a structure where we we have a board, we have a governance board, but we have schools in our family that also have a board. And so speak to accountability to your point, we only can look at a contract for those particular schools. And so like there is some accountability there, but um we I don't feel as if our values extend beyond the reach of another board because they have their own value statement, right? And their own metrics and accountability for their particular school. So I like collaborative. I but the word that is coming to my mind is I don't know cohesive like make it make sense like it's more so than unified because we can't extend our values into every single school that's um part of

053our family. >> Yeah. And I think as I'm looking at this I'm looking back to see what unified is referring to and it's referring to our board. So to ground us back in the space of um this is not saying that we have a unified system. It is saying our board that we are committed to a unified and student centered approach that we take. Um and then also when I look at the other unified vision, our collective actions are driven by our shared goals and a unified vision that has all of everything under our umbrella. But I wanted to just ground us back in the fact that it is just talking about us and how we move together cohesively, collaboratively as our board. So um when we think about those words and if we take

054the system that we govern over I guess out of it how we move collaboratively or collectively or cohesively or in unity whatever that looks like um that word is referring to us every time in this statement so far since I look I haven't found it anywhere else but it might be but just wanted to lift I know we have another meeting so I do not want to be the one the way I stand but this is important. So I just wanted because I hear like the three of us here in the space. Um I think that's kind of what I was referring to is that there's a overarching us unification but there are to you know when you alliterate some more and look at the values there is conversation here about sustainability and accountability. So

055but those val that is I think down another layer and this value statement is about us. So, what are we thinking if we frame it that way? Are we where are we with unified collaborative at this point? >> Um, Commissioner Thomas, thank you for the reframing. Um, we can uh we can table it. I'm okay either way. There's probably more important things to do. No words. One word. Um, okay. Move on. Yeah, let's move on. Um well I do think I we will move on. You all are ready to move on. >> We have other and I'll send this to you guys as well as you take additional time to really dig deeper on your own too. So it's not like a you have to get them all on getting it done. >> I don't

056need a mic because I'll just talk louder so I don't get a mic. get out of order. Um, okay. Well, last thing, y'all. Do you feel like we've had enough discussion for tonight? Even though I mean, we do have some time. I just want to make sure people feel heard and have the opportunity to speak about values. Okay. >> Talking about all the values. >> Yes. >> Oh, no. >> You are I mean, are we wanting to go ahead and go through the statements tonight? >> Well, I think um I want >> view it outside of this and bring those back. I'm giving the option. We can we can go through the six and have our discussion now or we have this and we can take it for review further. Bring back notes if you

057like. When do you when will we like to have it completed? >> You got to do it now. I think we should do some of it now at least because I think it'll ground us in our conversation around recommendations to the A. >> I agree. That's you while we're ready to move on >> just from the just from the word. Okay. All right. Great. Okay. Like we have a lot to talk about is impacted by the statement. Okay. Thank you everybody. Thank you for letting me know we're ready to dive. Okay. So we're we're ready. We've moved on from the word unified but we still are in the paragraph. Can we move on from the paragraph into the values or is are there is there more discussion around that paragraph >> did not change but

058we had a a conversation about unified collaboration. Yes, it's the discussion right now. And then we also just had to reframe and re said that the value statement is more about us as a board. values. So where it says um we will hold ourselves accountable to ensure our actions directly lead to the success um directly lead to I I don't know I feel like we could say guide or shape or something like that because we are governing we're pretty far removed from hands-on you know work with students I just feel like there's a way we can bring elevate that verbally a little bit to educate that we're that we're um kind of visioning not hands off. Does that make sense? >> Does that sound governance? Can we just say governance? >> Our governance to the

059success. >> I think we will hold our governance account. Oh, you want to take Lee out? But >> to ensure our actions guide the success and wellbeing of our students, frame the success um [Music] we don't take any direct action action govern For me, that's why I like the word center because when we're making decisions about anything, if we're centering the students success and wellbeing, where would you use the word center instead of directly to ensure our actions center the success and wellbe as an option others? I'm afraid that if you feel it is a little bit too [Music] good with that and and are you okay? So would agree we will hold ourselves accountable to ensure our actions center the success and wellbeing of students of our students. That's what >> that's when it's

060a late evening and we want to go home cuz we're tired. We have to center while being One thing I do want to lift up that I do think that we will all agree upon is the sentence. It says we believe in being a responsive, proactive, and compassionate team guided by the community voice and our own shared vision. That's something I believe throughout this entire year we've always been on. So I do like that. Anything else in that paragraph that people particularly like besides that sentence the uh phrase about long-term fiscal responsibility is going to be not to get too much into the weeds but that's going to be something that we're going to have to constantly evolve with because of policies. Um, so I I do think it's important that we continue to center

061around being sustainably for long term. So I think that's something that I do we should keep in there no matter how much that's going to change our district over time. Now that you brought that up, I I feel like we maybe maybe I'm the only one that feels this way, but that sentence in and of itself feels a bit lengthy and like it's on two topics to me. Um like we could talk about long-term fiscal responsibility and commitment. And then, you know, we go into holding ourselves accountable and centering the success of students. And I don't know that all of that is fiscal. Would we split those or It just feels bit >> we commit to long-term fiscal responsibility and transparency period. Um yes that makes it two. So we hold ourselves accountable to ensure

062a whole new sentence. We hold ourselves accountable to ensure our actions center the success and wellbeing of our students. >> Yes. >> It was like the two together was making both of them less powerful. >> This paragraph is really the summary of all of the individual core values, right? >> Yeah. Right. If there's no more, we can always come back to that if you um if folks have other thoughts. But I'd like for us to go ahead and move on to the core values. So, First one I'll reread. Um, student success and experience. We center our decisions on what is best for our students, prioritizing their academic achievement, personal growth, and overall well-being. We are dedicated to creating a positive and enriching experience for every student in our district. Thoughts? I don't have any immediate

063won't be like this because if this is just a general thought of my how I think about value statements. Um, and if you all agree, then we have to read them all and so I won't be deliberate, but I think that for them to be alive and active and to matter, they need to have they need to be very actionoriented and these sound just a bit vague kind of um idealistic. Google center our decision on what's best for our students. Well, what's best for our students is usually subjective based on our on our lived experience. Um, and so how I I rewrote that one is like every action we take should be measured against whether it improves learning opportunities and outcomes for students. Um, it doesn't necessarily have to be that, but that just feels

064more actionoriented to me and something I can say, okay, wait, does this action that we're about to take, does it improve the learning opportunities for students? Will it improve outcomes for students? Um, and so when I when I do that, it helps me. Not that we have to do that today or go ahead. Well, my question to that, so I do agree with that, but I look at that as a priority. So I I I've always um sectioned things between values, missions, you know, value statement, mission statement, and then a priority. So I do I do agree that we do need to have actionable steps but then my first just thought would be then should we under the values have priorities and or wouldin those be goals aren't we going to also set separate goals

065>> but that's not a goal >> to prioritize students is not a goal I think that should be a value >> right but then so I'm just trying to differentiate values and then priorities and then I've always the areas in which we live those goals right so if it's a priority to have a better high school experience or it's a priority for us to center to improve test scores or those are specific areas this I mean this is still very general I just it action it makes the sentence actionoriented so that we can sit in the boardroom and say does this pass the lit test of our values >> to the point um being made by commissioner. I think for me I I think we all like action. We're here for action but I think

066these values if we were to go through each with that frame we need to redo them all. And they are um I don't want to say that they're I mean we we want these to be real. We don't want this to be a lofty set of cute phrases that we write. I think that's what I'm hearing like, hey, there should be some action behind this. But each one of these to me as you read them do call for a how will you do that? Now that to me becomes a goal. It does become something else. Now each one of these we operate as a coh I mean if we say we manage district district resources with integrity and responsibility and transparency and number three you eventually come to the question well how do you do

067that well that is the next step beyond our values to me so we can either turn this into something much more actionoriented but I do I think they're different as much >> I just I would want to just see so hearing both Well, hearing and receiving what you're saying, hearing and receiving what you're saying. I want to want to make sure that we don't cross the line between, you know, boards roles versus district because I think I I'm always about um but I don't want to I don't want our values to be so actionable that they muddy the waters between board roles and responsibilities and district responsibilities. Um, but values are also extremely important to me personally and to all of us. So, I I do want to make sure that, you know, we walk

068away with being able to eat, sleep, and breathe our district values, but also just being being clear on how far we take a value to be actionable and to not those. >> Yeah. Um I would say for me values feel like the grounding like what grounds us when we're sitting and we're reviewing a policy or something new um something is happening and we're looking for a reaction they should keep us grounded. So they won't always um they are actions ultimately because even when I read these it's like yeah we can revisit these and say we're making this decision right now. Are we prioritizing the academic achievement and personal growth of our students? Like to me, that's grounding um for values. I think um if we go into more of um the goals and the priorities

069um and pieces like that, then we'll start talking about more of the things outside of that that we'll need to stay grounded in our values to be able to make those decisions. But that's how I see values. It's like the grounding for it. And they are actionable sets even though it doesn't say go to the state house and say this you know it's not specific but it is something that we can go back to and say we should be able to revisit these no matter which policy no matter what we're discussing and saying are we moving in the values that we have set for us to move in collectively that's how I see um this value statement and the core values. So then my only question would be is the statement itself. Can you say

070are we moving in this way? Is the statement phrased in a way that you can say are we moving in that? I don't want to set priorities or or goals. I'm just saying is it phrased in a way that we're actually be able to use it and it's not so esoteric that we won't be able to recall it or it won't matter how we move. I I would really like this to shape how we move. I think um I think we we use you, we lean on you when we we make goals that are actionoriented and measurable, but I think that the the values need to stay. I know. I'm just saying I think there's an additional step that comes later that is aligned with the way that you're thinking about it. I just want

071to lift up that of this statement. I want us to keep academic achievement, personal growth and overall well-being as a more holistic view to center and not not only focus on academic achievement. Um because we we need to think about food pantries and clinics and like all the things, right, that um prepare our students to be able to learn and we can't lose sight of that as a part of what we keep in mind when we think and enrichment. So the positive and enriching experience I mean opportunities for students to engage in extracurriculars enrichment right so I just like the feeling that we're holistically approaching mental health right all the things that prepare students and it's not just not just academics >> yeah so you say like the statement as is right now no I

072I didn't want to lose that sight of those um as they're watching that convers ation on that statement then is that I'm sorry would are you interested in enhancing the conversation around experience well-being enrichment if we could slip we could slip the word holistic in somewhere if you want to I just but you know um we we center our decisions um what is best for our students um Well, we are dedicated to creating a holistically positive and enriching experience for every student in our district. It doesn't matter. I just uh yeah, I just wanted to make sure that we stay with that up my desire or not, but I'm sure we're all >> Yeah, I agree with what um you just said about that statement. Um, as far as the prioritizing their academic achievement, personal

073growth and overall well-being, we were just in a couple of school tours earlier today and everything around food, trans extra hot, skip, jump, whatever the name of the alternative transportation was. Um, you know, home visits were school supplies, all kinds of things came up for a couple both of the schools that really collaborate on a different level. And so, um, that's the reason why I mentioned what I just mentioned because I don't know if I would have went on those tours if I would have been grounded in that mindset to really say like, no, this statement should be something where what it looks like and what students need in five more years may look different. Um, but we should be able to ground in these and say, well, what do they need for personal growth?

074What do they need right now for overall well-being? And so, um, I do like that and I'm open to if we can fit in holistic It sounds like I mean it just sounds like it's important to all of us. Um it's here but I think what we're saying is that we want to make sure there's an emphasis on the whole experience for our students, our children. Is that what we're saying? So we we do want to I mean it's good. You can just add whatever additional words but it's good for me. I just wanted to acknowledge that I like that part of his statement since we're taking >> you can live the statement the way it is. >> Yeah. And if we add additional words to um help guide us on like how we decide

075that then I find that >> I think it's something that even if we don't solve that this second if if we come up with a more enhanced version of the same statement and share it. I think it's I think what we're saying is that we're open to that we like this. This is okay. >> How about instead of overall we just say holistic well-being instead of overall wellbeing. Can we do that substitution? >> I know if people like the word holistic better than overall well-being, then we could >> I agree to naming what we're doing. Um, I don't know if that's what Commissioner Kerry was trying to say, but kind of naming like for me students, you know, we do serve preschool students, but we never name that um in our vision or our board

076mission or things like that. So, are we including them in this? >> When I see students, I would say everybody we serve, but that would be me, but I don't think we would be leaving out anyone that's certainly not a value. Um, I like the word holistic if folks feel comfortable with striking overall well-being and adding that um and so if we're if we gone through that statement enough we can move on to two and um again I just want I think I heard around the table uh district values a couple and I think it was a slip of the tongue somewhere, but we have to remember these are our values, board values. So to help keep our, you know, how we're thinking about these board values. So one team, one vision is number two.

077We operate as a cohesive team fostering collaboration. Collaboration, trust, and mutual respect among board members, district staff, and stakeholders. Our collective actions are driven by our shared goals and a unified vision for the future of our schools. for your comments. Ask a question and I think you um Does this need to align with our Bibles or is I mean I'm just saying like sorry that's left field question but we have a lot of bylaws already that govern this stuff with ourselves right that's the whole intent of having bylaws but we need to do you think we may need to like carp into anything like anchor into the bylaws in any type of lawyer. This is a totally separate thing. is separate but she can contradict your violence >> right okay you should be able to

078say well by law >> so I wouldn't say you need to like by law of this this is actually why are we feeling about statement number live because I don't hear any comments. >> I feel like that about all of these. >> Did you rewrite this one? >> Same point from number one. >> We treat each other with respect, trust, and transparency. Modeling the partnership we expect from our collaborators or I right here. So in my again this aren't just centering in in the values. What does it look like to hold ourselves accountable to a value? So the value is one team one vision. So how do you define that? We operate as a cohesive team fostering collaboration, trust, mutual respect among board members, district staff and stakeholders. Our collective actions are driven by our

079shared goals and a unified vision for for the future of our schools. We have differing opinions a lot of the times. Do we always have a unified vision for the future of our schools? Do we always have shared goals? Do we or do we treat each other with respect? I mean, I'm trying to make it real for the work of the board as we are trying to create a shared vision together which will have to be adapted and we have to move. But I'm going to about every single one. I'm fine being quiet and sending >> Please reread your statement. Think about it a little. Um, we treat each other with and these are just things I I I wrote down quickly. We treat each other with respect, trust, and transparency modeling the partnership we

080want to see. >> Yeah, I like the like I keep saying it, but I like the naming it and that's kind of, you know, the values what they do as well. really make it really clear on what it is we're it looks like because you know the students have to model it and you know staff of course too but it is what she's saying is true values are usually modeled so it has to kind of show what you're defining shows what it looks like it's not another mission statement it's action so people clearly. Oh, that's what that teamwork looks like. So, like if right here where it says we are driven by our shared goals and unified vision and I'm making a decision. I'm going to I'm going to am I being like I don't

081know what question to ask myself to see if I'm following this this value because it is just a little it's too broad. If I say am I being sneaky? Am I showing transparency? Am I operating in trust and am I operating with respect to my fellow board members? That's just something easier for me to say, "Oh, okay. No, this isn't respectful. Let me let me shift." >> So, and it doesn't have to be those words. >> For me, it was just like the last sentence. So, there's two sentences here currently. If we You did adjust to the language that you shared, Commissioner K. It seems like the beginning part, you know, treating each other a certain way. Then the second sentence, our collective actions are driven by where does that piece need to do we

082need to talk about what drives us in this number two or would it even fit with that new frame? Sense. So for examp if we strike the first sentence and speak about trust the way that you've shared even though it sounds like a draft of thoughts right but it's take we're going somewhere with it if we go somewhere with that what happens to the second parts on number two the second sentence because I think the draft thoughts from commissioner Kerry are repres represent a portion of what is described here but not the total and if you don't think that the second part needs to be there there's another conversation >> utilize the um Robert rules what are the Robert rules of order to discuss like that's the model I don't know if that's the right

083word but that one way we're show what we're doing to show collaborations respectiveness whatever the first part Last thing to Commissioner K's point earlier, number two says one team, one vision. And the way this is written, you're correct. We don't we're different people. We don't always agree. We've had some conversations about how do we though publicly come to some consensus that would make our our voices more powerful together, right? When we can, but we don't always agree. And so, how do we do that? But the statement is framed as one team, one vision which is very much rooted in a voice that is a collective one. >> I'm struggling with this. >> So yeah, >> I feel like here's some swirling thought. I'm not as quick on my feet as Commissioner Carrie. I'm not writing

084anything, but I think we could look I mean there's a place for decorum. Robert's rules. Part of what it talks about is, you know, how we do conduct ourselves. And I think respect is um inherent in that. But I believe strongly in um diversity of thought and the value that that brings to a conversation. Um and I think that there's a space for us to respect diversity of thought amongst each other. So that's one thought. Another thought is um I I have a healthy right like respect for the right to descent. Like I I feel like that I mean Um should we try to present a unified form when we can? Yes. But here's my my issue with the word unified too is because um we all don't think the same. Uh and and there's

085value in that and there's there's respect built into that I think because we can agree to disagree at the end of the day. Um, and I don't know if that needs to be incorporated, but to me that those feelings, those thoughts don't always lend themselves to the one team, one vision headline of this section. >> I think uh we just lost my train. But I think what we we can disagree but then like for instance when I said I think we should take out the word actions but everybody else like we're keeping it you know then you know when the majority I think that's the us the thought behind this one vision one team when the majority agrees then we all kind of fall that's not a great word to use But when the majority

086of kind of walk the same line that's was that the thought process because I don't remember saying but I would imagine that's kind of >> I think that there were some I think it there was conversation at the retreat that lent itself to this these this is what we get back and there were some conversations at retreats and maybe folks slept and don't feel as you know remember you I got my own voice today and we know that we know that about everyone here however on the leave of the retreat you know this just kind of didn't come out from the sky where there were some conversations about unity and so how you want to do that today or see that be as a part of this value statement now that you see it in

087black and white you know might be a little bit different Just just a few thoughts to add on to what everyone has said. I mean, we we are a governance board, you know, like we we we don't have we have individual votes, but again, all those individual votes have to go towards a cohesive board not coming to me. But um so one of the things that I was thinking about when I you know heard commissioner posit cohesive team I mean you can still I believe diverse thought is that and still operate as a cohesive team. I mean not to go into the into the weeds but I mean when you think about basketball teams, football teams I guess maybe more so football team there's they are two separate teams the defense and the offense right

088that work together as one team. They're completely two different teams and two different coaches and two different plays and everything. And often times they may not know I'm they may not know each other's plays but they're still one team. >> So what what I'm trying to get to the point I was saying if we operate as a cohesive team deepness offense all of that fostering collaboration trust and mutual respect among board members district staff and stakeholders. I think that's just I think that second sentence is confusing complicated. We should just stick with first sentence and it' be funny to kind of words some things. I I'm fine with that cohesive collaborative but I just think that first sentence is something that we can't all agree. Is there some consensus around that the second sentence was

089up for discussion because there were some adjustments to the first one? >> Is there consensus around dropping the second sentence? Yeah, I'm fine with dropping the second, too. And I actually don't mind if we shift this um first sentence. I think it's just more about to me it's a mechanism and they're both saying similar things what you said in this statement. Um, and for me the mechanism doesn't always matter if it gets to the end goal. But for our collective statement, if the words in the sentence that you wrote would be better to replace this sentence, then to me it still gave the same feels as the person. So that's what I've been saying for all of these is I want the same like there's no phrase here that I disagree with or like we

090shouldn't do this thing. I'm just saying the way that we phrase this thing matters to me. just because when it's not you can't conceptualize what it means in a moment these it's very hard to make these live and for me I can't conceptualize these in the moment so I think it's like everybody's thinking and looking at it different you gave an example earlier and I was like oh I get that from collaboration so like I would think you know but I think it's all about a preference and so if the statement should shift in language then we can do that. So, I'd be supportive of that. I just feel different about this statement as he is. Um, I think we're just on different pages and so that elevated >> me because I don't go around

091fostering that, but you are a foster collaboration. >> I'm a organizer by trade. I do foster collaboration. >> I admire that about you >> naturally like can't help it. So commissioners, are we okay with one team, one vision? >> We can have descent and be one team, one vision. Okay. And then we can keep the first sentence for now unless there's some unless Commissioner Kerry gets a big fire under her sent us the most amazing sentence to replace it. >> But we're okay right now. We're dropping sentence. Second sentence. >> Can I make a suggestion? um just for the sake of of our sanity in time and again reject this idea if you would like but could we just agree to agree on the spirit of the value if there's any part of it we

092don't want instead of smitting all of it because I would like to go back and offer my thoughts and these are not my my own thoughts I'd be happy with that but I again was words are part of this and every time somebody comes to life they have a thought about even just a simple word like holistic um I don't know if it's full word smithing but if people are going to give their input about how they feel about these values I'd like to move it along as well but we listen to quite a bit of >> think that might come back tomorrow changes >> I'm sorry >> that's what you were encouraging Wasn't it right for us to continue to work on these? >> Yeah. And I just sent it to you guys via

093Google Doc to look at it more. And I would suggest you also go back and look at your roles and responsibilities of board superintendent to also the value statements. You go back the governance versus the direction. So it also helps you those. Well, we can move through these quicker if you guys would like to uh commissioners and just kind of see how we feel about three and if folks want to again take this away, review and add their words to that. I'm fine with that. Okay. So, we we we're done to fiscal prudence and long-term sustainability. I will not read it. I will allow you all to read it and share if you have any comments. My go commissioner >> oh you know I got something for every one of them. I'm sure many people

094are upset right now. The one word in here that I feel is extremely important that we are not highlighting is um stability. It's in here but it's not I think that is extremely important for our community when we talk about um fiscal prudence and long-term sustainability. If we talk about the history of our district and how disruptive everything around us has been, I think that stability should be core in our values. So, I just wanted to uplift that. I don't have necessarily a specific way to shift the sentence, but >> yeah, I'm not trying to words anything. I just think we should um omit the first sentence. It's just it's it's re working with district resources with integrity should be understood. that should be happening all all the time and I know it's important to

095name it but I do agree strike the first sentence and just get right to it. our financial decisions are made with an eye towards long-term sustainability um and prosperity of our schools for generations to come and that's that's I agree with you there we could consider I am works and I can't not work I'm going to suggest we title it fiscal prudence and long-term stability because sustainability is in that second sentence so strike the first one we have captured both but uh that's my thought I do however I will miss the word transparency from that first sentence that's all I got to say >> I was coming for transparency because you know we can shrink most of it but I do think that when we talk about managing district resources and integrity responsibility and then

096the transparency part for me is um being transparent with all stakeholders with where we are at and to me it just has to exist somewhere. I started looking at the accountability and transparency and was just trying to see if what I was saying exists there and I don't think it does. So, I think we should probably just try to make sure like if we're going to strike that sentence, then how do we rewrite it to make sure that we're transparent about where we are at, you know, as a district, especially in this time and in the future. >> And I agree, our financial decisions are made with transparency and an eye towards long-term sustainability. And I think we can add transparency. Our financial decisions are made transparently with an eye toward long-term sustainability. >> As

097you can see, folks need to work and I'm going to maybe not take as many suggestions while I try to help us kind of us through this tonight so that I don't appear not have this under control. So, um because everybody does want to worsen it and I think it does really feed the idea of transparency that we work through this here and now. So, thank you all. Um so, folks, um transparency is very very important. We're okay with number three and its title. >> What are you saying? You want to put that in front? I thought instead of sustainability term stability >> stability >> madam chair point of clarification are we word smithing or not we are okay we are going to finish this one I'm sorry >> if again I I think what

098this is a transparent public conversation about our values if we do go to the document we all have heard what these comments are and we can still do more there if we need to but I think if we can get aligned about this tonight it would be great okay so how the title is fine so it is fiscal prudence and long-term stab stability now correct where are we on striking this first sentence and how are we adding the word transparency into this statement >> the entire first sentence and and say our financial decisions are transparently with deny toward and then leave the rest. Got it. >> Are we all ready to move on to number four? >> Yes. Thank you. Community voice, please take a look at that sentence or those sentences and provide feedback

099when you are ready. I think we should we should lead with um we uh I think we should lead lead with we are committed to what am I trying to say ensuring the um community's voice informs our policies and decisions. I feel like we should start with that our I'm not going to work anything with my health commissioners, but what I'm trying to say is that our community voice should inform our policies and our decisions. We might not be able to um garner every single voice and every single policy and every single decision that our community provides to us, but we should be leaning into our community's voice to inform our policies and our decision. We should start with that by actively seeking the value, diverse perspectives of our community, students, etc. >> So, we

100want to prioritize our community voice. Do we need to um do we need to be even worried about the part versus creating accessible and inclusive? Do we have to talk about creation or do we need to say that we prioritize community voice? So, I always I'm going to lean on to the um >> naming what we're actually going to do. So, we seek or we um yeah seek the diverse perspectives of our community. I'm not as quick as other commissioners, but like yeah or we you know Yeah. We seek the diverse perspectives of our community. Um, but how do we do that? >> Say it again. I didn't hear. >> I think, you know, you from what I heard you say is we seek and value the diverse perspectives of our community. How do we

101do that? We do that by allowing our community as voice to inform our policies and >> so let's just say that I would my suggestion is just to say that >> so we actively seek and value the diverse perspectives of our community to ensure the community voice informs our policies and decisions. So we seek perspectives of our communities to ensure community voice frames our decision making or something like that. >> What you got commissioner? >> You want to know what? >> Yeah. We seek to we seek and honor to integrate the voice of the community of those most affected by of those most affected by our decisions. So that and then this is clearly a run on sentence but seek and honor did you say? >> So I just here it says we seek in

102value and I I like I like the word honor. We honor people's inputs, but I just put those who are most affected by our decisions have meaningful input in shaping them. And then that way it's I don't know if you remember one of our first trainings, we had someone come and tell us that we don't need to actively seek out the community because that's why we were elected. That was their voice. They got to elect us and it just felt like the most incorrect thing that I have ever heard in this position. And so for me, it is not just putting not just seeking input, but like seeking it out, honoring it, and letting it meaningfully shape what we do has been really it's a value of mine. And so that is that's how I

103work it. >> Go ahead and work with that in a solid sense >> right now. >> Yes. Yes. If you um Yes. >> I like ideas if you can if we can. >> We actively seek and to honor the We actively seek and to honor the diverse perspectives of our community. To ensure ensuring that those that are most affected by our decisions have a meaningful input in shaping them. >> So those would not be so that would be not naming community including students, families, educators and local partners who would say those >> I don't think we have most affected >> those most affected I don't think the first time I That's I mean that's I think the point of that I think if you name specific populations who you leave out >> well you said

104a word not like you said integrity and to me if you use that word you can capture everyone's everybody's voice can I agree what I have please we actively seek and honor the diverse perspectives of our community to ensure the integrated community voice informs our policies and decisions. >> Integrated. Tell me what your >> integrated captures families, educators, students, and local partners as a body of people that contribute to the voice rather than naming them all out. Read it one more time. >> We actively seek and honor the diverse perspectives of our community common to ensure the integrated community voice informs our policies and decisions. If if I I know that these are for us as a board, right? These are our values. I'd like to say though if I'm a community member reading that

105I would feel and not to offense of y'all people say that they offend but I really am not but it sounds um a bit educator like it sounds like language that if I'm a lay person out here you're not talking about me but integrated community voice sounds like education ease rather than just saying me as a family me as an educator, me as a partner, me as a student. That's who we start. Those are the people in our community that matter in the education space. Um there are a lot of other partners and collaborators obviously, but I just it feels a bit distant to me and impersonal. >> Maybe we should just say community roots. I mean our is just saying our community too broad or is our community >> or should we use integrated?

106Okay. To ensure the community voice is integrated into our policies and decisions. Is that what you intended? Like a word integrates. >> Integrate. I didn't use it. >> Okay. into the policies and their decisions. >> We actively seek and honor the diverse perspectives our community of our community to ensure the community voice is integrated into our policies and decisions with what a CF community We close. We're closer. >> Um, we close it. >> Yeah. >> If we move on to number five, when will we close for it feels a little less pulled together than the other ones to me? But >> yeah, can you just ensure the community voice is integrated into our policies and decisions? >> It can be reflected in our policies. We just play with it. >> Okay. And if this is

107being recorded, perhaps we can just get something else back into with all these thoughts that'll be a little bit more. Is that possible? Yeah, >> maybe we can get there. I just feel like we have less consensus about that one. Moving on to number five, accountability and transparency. Please hit read. And this definitely first come first serve your comments. This references goals. So these have goals just saying which is another set of statements. Well the sentence starts you know number five says accountability and when you say accountability you have to count. So it does put us there. But how do we I I feel we might need to do some words, but I do feel good about the overall theme of number five um specifically around um open communication, clarity, sharing our progress towards our

108goals. That's something we very much appreciate that that our educators and our teachers do in regards to our students. They are continuously showing their progress towards the goals within their own school, their own classrooms. I think it's incredibly important to be able to explain the rationale behind each and every decision that we make. Um, and building building trust I think is also very important. >> I I would second that. I really like second sentence. um operating with clarity but sharing progress toward goals and rational behind our decisions is I like probably um this is probably another like strike out the first sentence for me and then just take certain words from it cuz I don't think we need it all. So like we will operate with um accountability um with open communication by sharing our

109progress towards goals and ration the rest of things but I think you can add it in some way shape or form in the second sentence. I don't think we need >> I agree. I would just suggest we operate with account we operate with accountability by sharing our progress or goals. Thank you. >> We'll move on to six then. Care and compassion. We lead with empathy. Ensuring the care and safety of all students and staff is our highest priority. We strive to be proactive in our support and respond with compassion to the needs of our school community. Nice. I think I want something added here that can indicate an holistic approach. I don't know if we want to we don't want to get out in the weeds, but we have a lot of initiatives already. We

110have the mental health task force. Um maybe something like um where it says we strive to be proactive in our support. I'm thinking more of like safety net or web of resources or something some kind of phrase that indicates that we acknowledge the needs of our students in the community. So this is how we're doing that. I'm just telling you how I feel about care and compassion and how we could maybe just throw a phrase in that would indicate a holistic look at what we deem to be holistic. >> Okay. But listen, I think it could be stronger if we did to your point, Commissioner Cosby, we strike these first few. This is me. Um we just to a point of the care and safety of all students and staff is our highest priority. >>

111I like that >> and then just yeah because that and then we at least that now the rest the next sentence but for sure just the care and safety of all students and staff is our highest priority. Um, okay. I'm gonna think about it. >> You want to put holistic in the second sentence? I I want you to strive [Music] we think >> broadly like broadly proactive um in um you know task force okay so because you said task force now to your point in this conversation maybe we just don't strive we say we are proactive improve that. >> Yeah, I like that better. We are proactive. >> Um, those are I think much stronger. The care and safety of all students and staff is our highest priority. We are proactive in our support and

112respond with compassion to the needs of our school community. >> Say it one more time. >> Okay. We strike that first part and we start off with the care and safety of all students and staff is our highest priority and then we move into the next sentence by striking and saying we are proactive in our support and go on with the rest. >> How is everybody right now? So we have completed. >> Oh yes, we can use [Music] any final thoughts about these value statements before we close and move on to the next thing on our item on our agenda. We ready? Okay. Moving on to item 3.03. Thank you all for that. Moving on to item 3.03 3 is the review of the board's conflict of interest policy. This policy helps to ensure that

113our decisions are made transparently and free from undue influence. The goal for this discussion is to confirm that our policy is still a fit for its purpose and to identify any areas where it might need to be updated. As we review the policy, which around I would like the board to consider the following questions while you review. Does the policy clearly define what counts as a conflict of interest, including actual potential or perceived conflicts? Second, do we need to have a more detailed procedure for documentation in transparency? After you all take a moment to review, I'd like to open the floor for discussion about those two particular questions as it relates to this policy >> and I'll read reread them and I'll have to read them again. >> What's the purpose of the highlight? >>

114So the purpose of the highlight is to show the difference between statute requires and policy requires. So it's the additional piece >> what's highlighted is not in statute. >> Correct. >> So say that again. Sorry. >> So what's highlighted >> is on statute >> is not in statute what the board policy has been. So it's the additional level of protection for conf >> you know I'm just showing you the difference. So I was hoping you guys would read it and then we get to that point where I say policy is conflict interest. There's legal conflict and dress, there's perceived and there's appearance. The highlighted piece talks about the perception and the potential conflict. So just additional level of another level of layer like should the board consider um having conversation about different situations. So it's

115just additional piece that is not covering the statute. It's just another protection. So that's what >> this entire document is the language of this is the court board's policy. start discussion in a second. I see people looking over to the back. [Music] Thank you, commissioners. So, in here is the spirit of the discussion. Again, the two questions that we're being asked to to use to uh as we reflect on these this policy, one, does the policy clearly define what counts as a conflict of interest, including actual potential or perceived conflicts? Let's have discussion there first. Do you think there are portions of this policy that could be improved or clarified around that theme? >> Just to start off the discussion, I mean, I do think it's I do think it's clear. I mean, it may

116not as I read this, it may not amount to a legal recognized conflict of interest, but if it is the appearance of it seems like it is based upon um a board member is employed by an entity or a corporation. That's that seems clear to me. So it may not be the legal statute but it it has the appearance and that part does seem does seem clear financial interest. Um so that's that's clear as well. I'm reading this just to answer the first question that the policy clearly fine. It's it's understandable. >> I agree. I think it's understandable. Um, and just to give a little historical context, um, you know, when I was on the board in my previous time, 2012 to 2016, somewhere in there, we looked at all of these and it it

117looks to me like since this is still dated 1978, I mean, it was one that we, you know, uh, 15 years, 10 years ago decided, hey, this is this is, you is so reflective of the statute that it's based upon and I agree with Commissioner M that these additional layers that we add on to the statute um to me are clear and um and necessary as well. So I don't see anything glaring that I would advocate to change. >> And as I understand it, it's the second says it's not to prevent the school corporation from contracting or partnering with the business. It's just so the board member um the the policy is to make it understood that the board member will just you know will just not will just recoup itself in regards to debating

118or voting and that part's clear too. the partnerships, the contracts can still occur. Just that board member has to make that pres. [Music] So they can't So then I would just so just then I would just raise the question of just making that clear then this right here I mean it just and I do agree let's just be out of so I just want to start by saying I agree with that but it just leads the board member shall declare their interest and then refrain from debating or voting on the question about not participating in a meeting about being so we should make that clear are no party to what's they are no party to immediat code. So it it says they have to abstain from participation in both the discussion of the matter and

119the vote there on. So uh if our yellow highlight is not clearly aligned with that, it needs to align with statute. >> And just to clarify real quick, the yellow The first part is the legal conflict. Yellow is the uh perceived appearance of the conflict. So you this part of conversation is for you to say hey we want this to be consistent throughout. So that's the conversation for >> I think we should be crystal clear. What does participation mean to us? Does that mean that we're in the room and we're just being quiet and notating or noticing we are not present? We are not saying >> I think my my opinion is that probably easiest if that board member is just not in the room. a fly on the wall and and then commit yourself

120to not saying anything later. I think just to to avoid any implications or any impropriy, the board members should not be there. That's the way that I've always interpreted and understood this policy. >> That would mean during a board meeting if we're going to argue point or discuss a point and that board member couldn't be at that one point. >> No, that's correct. Well, I think especially as it pertains to executive session and then in the public meeting they just stay on any voting. >> This speaks this doesn't speak specifically about executive session or not in a meeting or participation. >> We should define that because I think there I mean there are extenduated services for everything in small cities. big city, lots of people working. just add >> I mean you can be in

121the room >> but the only thing is I think if we're saying a policy is clear and there is a way for a person to declare their interest if the issue is present it doesn't specifically state that and we need to define that for the comfort of the Lord and for our protection then it's not here to your point he doesn't say that explicitly that I need to that a person should leave this space right if that's the case it would be a change >> yeah I think we should um definitely define participation so I agree with what everybody is saying I think um the public meetings, anything that is public is for anyone's public consumption. So, I don't think it really applies when we're talking about discussion. Um, we should really be very clear

122because a public meeting is for all of the public. So, that means that every board member can be in that space. But anything that is not public, we got to consider defining like how specific do we need to get when it comes to participation in this particular piece. Like is it private meetings? Is it um anything that is not public, right? I mean, I don't know. That's how I'm thinking of it from a anything non-public perspective. Um that that's a way for us to use that language to make it palatable in my opinion. So when this has arisen previously, the board member in question would recuse themselves. So if it's an executive session, they would step out into the hallway until that part of the discussion is over, and then the board secretary would go

123out and retrieve them and bring them back in for any other items of of discussion. Um, in a public meeting, it's just silence. It's abstain and it's subst it's an abstension from voting in the public meeting. Um and in a in a work session um probably similarly to the executive session that person could step out rec I will recuse myself from this portion of the meeting and they will go sit over in in the back room or you know somewhere outside. Um that's what I've experienced. That doesn't mean it has to still be that way but just to lend some context for what I've seen happen in the past. Um, and so I I think um, you know, if we want to put that in as the the action to that, you know, make it

124an actionable thing, um, then we would um clarify because what we have here is refrain from debating or voting um on in the yellow. Um but that if that's the role of the board, we could reword that to say um attend the portion of the meeting in question. Something as simple as changing the phrasing. Recuse that board member. That board member shall recuse themselves from the portion of meeting um pertaining to the the discussion of that topic. Whatever you know, we just change it a little bit. And then would that be just section? The section just discusses participation. That's where everything is in your physical participation. Participation meetings saying it's just under of the force participation and are we saying to accuse ourselves for an appearance of a conflict of interest or an actual interest?

125>> I think it's I think it's both. >> So can I just Leslie at the beginning of the year she has to put down anything that could potentially possibly be a conflict of interest in I think There are no >> I don't know if there's a a consent agenda that I would be able to sit on where it's like well I don't know if you are employed by [Music] >> then we're talking about this in the event a board member is employed by but is not the owner of any interested. So that's very specific. That's only >> also if there's ever anything we question, >> right? And the one thing that I I hope I like talked to you guys about this. Whenever you have a concern, just come talk to me first. So we

126can talk out that process because we would have them like come talk to me. Let's see what the issue is. It may not be actual, but sometimes not interest. It could be a teacher conference and if you know that person, you may want to make that decision. So, it's not even just the financial piece, it's other decisions as well. I think thank you um Liz Leanne for that clarification, but as we you all acknowledge tonight that we do have forms, we also should you enter into any new relationships, you can always reach out to Leslie and get a new one, add to it. I think we're talking about perception right now because that that those are solves. That's the solution. Um but I think and Commissioner Kerry, you didn't go all the way here, but

127this is what it brought up to me. Um I'm all if if this war said, "Hey, we need to add something that clarifies what a recusement looks like." Okay. I do know though that sometimes the more teeth you put on something, you locking your own self up and now you got you can't be anywhere. It's like super super I I don't want us to find ourselves in a position or my daddy would have said a trick bag that you created that was unnecessary. So if we need to identify what it looks like, if we know that there is an identified conflict on forms that we submit, oh, and this conversation is coming up, I need to leave the room. If we need to define that, let's define it. But just remember the more you do

128this city being what it is and all of us working and doing and knowing and being you could be at a you could be at a gay and >> chair I mean to your point there's policy and there's practice right and everything I've experienced has been done based off this policy so that I mean the practice just was that set out and used this language was this language the same so Um, you were just talking about practice. >> I know. And as long as I've been on this board, and I don't have the benefit of the experience of the years that you were here, but for my period of time, there have been many times when we're in space, somebody did not vote, but they were in space. So, if that has been the practice,

129we've lost somewhere that general knowledge that that is the way it is to be lived. So if we need to state it so that we can feel then we need to make that decision. >> I mean yeah I think that's what we're talking about now is really just the clarity that we need because I can see how this could be up for interpretation whoever interprets it in any way. Like in my opinion, I really do feel like I'm going to go back to what I said like around public meetings because one, our meetings are recorded. All of them are recorded now. If somebody wants to see what we say, even if they step out, they can still see it. Are we checking a box just to check a box? Are we really doing some actionable

130stuff that's going to really prevent something? I don't think it's really helpful to have anybody stepping out of a public meeting, but abstaining from a vote, have private meetings, executive sessions. I just want to just make sure that we're not just checking a box just to check it cuz I mean all of our meetings are literally recorded. So, and not saying that anybody would want to go backwards. I'm just saying if you were watching the meeting back, you're going to see what you stepped out for, too. So, I'll let him go. Yeah, it's in my opinion. >> How about this? I'll have Patrick take a stab at it and we'll come back with the proposal to you all based off the feedback we got so far. So what I'm hearing is you want more definition

131what participation means and maybe a protocol so you have something for refer to >> on what to do >> and do it that way and maybe identify the perceive versus legal and just >> do a deeper dive on it but not too strict and make a little more >> thank you >> more more me on it. >> Yes. >> Could we um could we check with ISBA to see what is common practice with other boards perhaps? So I checked with ICE. I I checked ICE. I checked even their comp their model policies. >> Okay. >> Your guys are still stronger than their model. >> It's pretty strong comparison. I can also have Patrick check other districts too as well, but I they chose IPA and the force policy is much more stricter than >> Okay.

132I was just curious and then maybe I can find out how they interpret the policy in terms of recusal and the actions that are taken in in order to be in compliance with the policy. >> Yeah. And like in their policies they don't even model they don't even go in that. >> Okay. But I could I definitely still reach out. >> Thank you. You think you could we could get something to review >> about these procedures, possible procedures that you said you guys might take seven. >> When do you think we might be able to >> I will get back to you. >> Thank you. >> We have three means. We have three means this week, members. >> I'm just trying to put a bow on this section and move on. So, thank you. But

133we're going to basically we are we provided the input that we might We've been given the input that our policy is probably more strict than some of the organizations that we might use as models or to get support information from, but we do have a desire to see what it will look like to have procedures inside of this policy. Thank you. So, we'll move on to item 3.04, which is our final agenda item of the evening is about the board's interest in providing recommendations to the IOA. Before we do that, we should make sure that we're aligned on a few key things. We want to talk about where our uh where we believe our input can be the most useful and what kind of recommendations we want to offer, policy, programmatic or governance. Um this

134is a chance for us to use our collective perspective to strengthen the broader education ecosystem here in Indianapolis. And um you have something for us on okay to start off the conversation. What specific issues, opportunities or decisions is the currently facing that we would like to speak to? That's our first question to start off. What specific issues, opportunities, or decisions is the IODA currently facing that we as a board want to speak to? >> It may be helpful if Dr. Johnson is willing to speak to that ever so briefly. And I know that like for example, this month the focus is transportation, right? And maybe can you recap where we were last month it was buildings, right? So we can frame it that way if you wouldn't mind. >> Sure, no problem. Um, so the

135ILA meetings began, oh gosh, I'm already blinking. Uh, we did sort of an introduction meeting I believe in July and August. We dug into finances and so just how does school funding work in the state of Indiana. Um, we've really just been doing a lot of information and kind of context setting August September now. So last month we focused in on um facilities. our team presented on our facilities in the district, the different ways that we partner with facilities. And then um on the sort of charter school side, there's a new entity that's been created. Andy Cyber presented on the work that they are doing um to support operations with within that entity. This month we will be hitting transportation. it'll be similar that we'll talk about sort of the variety of transportation methods we

136have. Um and then you'll have different leaders from the charter sector also sharing out just as a reminder the ILA is tasked with bringing recommendations forward in December. So that's the deadline to bring those recommendations forward and any recommendation that moves forward must be approved by the majority of the members of the ILA. Um there are nine of us who sit on that body. May I ask if you're at liberty to share um what um data collection I remember speaking about this previously. Are there is there outside data collection as well in addition to the presentations that I hear from us and and other school corporations. Thus far, any data that's been brought forward has been either compiled and put together by OEI and IPS separately or in some cases collectively put forward data. So,

137for example, when we talked about um school funding, we shared um like the revenue and such that each of the schools receives. We are we were able to um guide to our SBA um budget allocations that we have on our website. uh as it relates to facilities, there was data shared about um facilities, particularly on the OEI side that they shared around schools. Um I don't know that we've put together yet a transportation package. I think we're really just going to be talking about that that experience. We're actually going to take some ILEA members on Thursday on kind of the yellow bus experience as some of you all did this summer. So, we're kind of doing that repeat experience uh for ILA members coming up this week to a more real life in-depth um feel

138of how transportation works. Um we don't have a Michael Okconor is working as the consultant to the ILA and sort of project manager. So he's doing a lot of that behind the scenes work with members of our team, members of OEI, predominantly those two entities to collect information, um help think about the agenda, um peace management and communication to IA members around logistics and upcoming topics and such. in charge. Is this a moment where we'll be able to do our um Thank you for helping us out with your nice handwriting. Is it possible to bring it a little closer? >> Okay, great. We have quite a bit we've been tasked with to question ourselves about as it relates to this. Thank you so much superintendent for giving us eight work and you all are fraing

139that for us so that we can get all of our ideas here tonight. So again the first question that we want to address is um is are there things or opportunities or issues that are currently happening with aa that we want to speak to topics issues opportunities any decisions that any of you can think of it doesn't you know have to be perfect pretty but gathering all of our thoughts Okay. T. Um, so I think there are multiple things that we should potentially talk consider as a part of a recommendation or as a part of what we should bring up. But if the ILA is focused on transportation, facilities, and governance, I think something that we've said consistently is that you can't solve for any of those things in a vacuum. And so bringing our

140values to that, like what does it look like for the district to be um or for us to to hold accountability for other schools in in IPS? What does it look like for us to bring stability in these decisions? Because I think the conversation has just been access other schools within our boundary. How do we hold them accountable? Is that question? >> I think in general, right? So the principle of accountability. So for example, if all schools have access and aren't getting funding for transportation, are they going to be held accountable to providing transportation? Um like what are some of those things look like? Um, there's just more to the conversation than just transportation and facilities for us to be able to to solve for the problem. [Music] >> Oh, there it go. Um, yeah,

141I think I I agree with accountability. Some of those things like facilities and transportation might solve itself a little bit, I think, if we had an accountability framework to work from. But I don't know if that's going to be us or I guess I'm still figuring out questions to answer like who would hold that responsibility accountability. Maybe the question a way to reframe that for me this is where I find it helpful is to take the idea of accountability and stability and then kind of backwards map and say what does accountability and stability look like in transportation? What does accountability and stability look like in buildings and what does it look like in governance? I think we began the work of addressing um the governance aspects earlier in the values that we we so um

142so really uh I think u talking about transportation and facilities and those um ideas might be a better a more might be more clear there maybe more clarity in thinking about it in that way. Um and then in terms of governance, I think we also I think we're all aware of some directions or possibilities that we've heard through the great line. I I don't know if we want to address that. I really don't think that that is our approach. Our approach is um putting forth our ideas rather than addressing any anything else that has been presented or heard. >> So what what does accountability and stability look like when we think about transportation and are there are there more values than accountability and stability before we go farther? I think that some of the questions

143that we have here that help to guide our discussion tonight might pull out some of the things that we're kind of buring up here to the top. We continue. Um I think this question specifically is and and maybe I I don't want to be cutting anyone off so tell me if there's more here but um the specific question was starting the conversation. Are there specific issues, opportunities or decisions that the ILA is currently facing that we want to speak to specifically and if we have something here we can move on and feel free to come back to this question if that's okay. I sorry commissioner vice president I just think it's very difficult to talk about the issues that they're discussing right now transportation facilities without talking about accountability that I think that's something I

144I would I mean that's our value that's not being said in the conversation um I just think that'll be difficult conversation in my opinion to answer Commissioner Cosby, transportation, it's all students, all schools. >> And I do think that while these are our values, I do think they these are issues that we need to address that could potentially become recommendations. So, for example, we're talking about long-term or fiscal responsibility and stability of the district. What are some of the recommendations we would make that we know to be true? What's it look like to rightsize the district? That's something that's been said multiple times. What it when we're talking about facilities, that's a part of the conversation, but it's a bigger conversation than just what happens to buildings who have control over buildings. It's more about

145what is the context that got us here? What does our district need? what the students need and what then needs to be true in order for us to be able to have honor commitment stability to our community and be the least disruptive possible then we forge recommendation on that. >> I I like the statement. I think it fits really nicely with this next question if you and it is what do we know from our work that others might not see and so to that point what are the things that we know to be true inside here that folks don't know that we should be bringing and if for example like that one >> madam chair I would put forth that whatever uh we posit to the also needs to be um centered in the understanding

146of our budget constraints and moving forward, right? Because this is a forward- facing recommendation. Um so stability uh to Commissioner K's point in in a financial sense um needs to I think apply to anything we would lift up to them. Um So one of the things they might not know to your commissioner Cosby is the budget constraints. Is that something you're suggesting that even though they know the position we're in, they may not know as intimately as we could know what this budget mean, what this means to us. >> Yeah. I mean the challenge is of providing a statement around transportation and facilities when our reality should be. You know, >> that's a story we have to tell. I was just going to say I think they might know that part because they actually did

147have an expert from um brought in what was it like the first or second meeting that talked about the um implications of SB1 and they talked about so I would just say like um we can probably talk about how we see it from a school level or you know board how our reflection is but just keep in mind they probably already have probably a lot more detail tell them we've digested it ourselves. Um, even if we've seen it. So, um, that I do remember sitting in one of the meetings and they had an expert and I thought he was really good and I wish he could have came in one of our meetings. He's our he's our expert actually. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He's pretty good. He's pretty good. Let me ask Can I ask

148a question when we're talking about so thinking specifically about transportation one of the your questions even around how do we get kids to their work apprenticeship um that was news to me I think I hadn't really thought through using Uber or how we were using those resources and I didn't ask that I assume that the district pays for that and so I'm wondering and Then my thoughts have gone to so when we're making recommendations are we trying to make a recommendation as a board around the things that we don't fully understand with regards to transportation because you know we look to Bill and say hey Bill what's possible here right that's not necessarily our I think my question is how deep do you want to get into specific recommendations from this board as I think

149we have you We have representation from the that understands the district constraints. A legitimate question because we can get into it. I just was wondering where you all wanted to go. >> You want to know how specific we should get >> like are we as a board going to make transportation recommendations to the ILA? Do we want to talk about do we want to wrestle with some of the larger constraints and say like well I think schools should be accountable to this this this and this and I think in order for stability to happen I think everybody needs access. Are we going to talk about that? If I can make a suggestion I would suggest what would probably be most helpful is sort of like the guiding principles versus I mean Bill and his team

150with first to do things like route efficiency and you know how do we think about safety for walk zones as opposed to cost of post efficiency. They're wrestling with those things guided by some of the again rules policy that the board has over time put into place to guide those decisions. But, you know, I would not expect this board to say we think you shouldn't use Uber or you should use Uber. That's that's probably too meaty. But the principle of we believe students should have access to whatever it is and it should be district provided is helpful but then there's there is a real fiscal constraint that we are navigating and so as you all know there are tradeoffs to any and everything at this level of conversation. That's what I mean as well. >>

151We're not the ones that are going to be wrestling with that question in this moment. And so should we make a recommendation? I think all students need to have access to transportation to whatever school they want to go to. This is our recommendation as a board. Like I think you can recommend that, but what I would say is from from our seat is okay. Now here's the tradeoff for that, right? I mean those of you who did the yellow bus thing, no. You can say everybody's going to get transportation to whatever school they want to go to. in the reality of the level of service we provide right now would mean a very very different experience for for families. So it might be wise to say here's what we think we want to say and

152what do you all think this would mean in real life right before we would actually say this is the thing would it be fair to say sorry the o the the overarching the the board governance perspective need needs to like speak to the fact that we are now property tax sharing like the legislation said this is our new reality we're sharing the property taxes for the schools in in our family. Can we not enumerate how that looks? Like um not to get at all, but um are we reimbursed for transportation services? Like there's I think things that we as a board need to take a position on maybe so that the IMDA can think think around that. Does that make sense or is that even more than you're recommending? >> Uh I think what I

153heard you say is should we as a board say this new reality of how funding is going to shift should we say our recommendation would be um if we're providing transportation service the team should I should be fully reimbured for the provision of that service at cost for example. That's probably a little bit deeper, but I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I mean, we said that we said that actually like as a part of the legislative session, that was one of the things we advocated for was to be able to get full reimbursement for the cost of the services being provided. So, I think it's going to keep saying that um because that was already the position of the board in session. Is there already um a sample size of sharing resources outside

154of the um portfolio? >> Do we do that for any school that's not an innovation school >> or CTE or Yeah. >> or afterare? >> I think this year we piloted Bill can talk more about this uh with um school providing their transportation. That's the one that immediately comes to mind, but Bill there might be others that you think of. >> Uh we are exploring the possibility of doing um activity shuttles for the hosts. Um that's very preliminary. Um and probably isn't something that's ready for public consumption. [Music] >> And uh we are talking to a a um afterare provider that does not do before and after care. Um but it's just a site that a large number of families use to see if we would use them as a just evening bus stop. Um

155that comes with added costs that they're not able to shoulder and so we need to find a way to make them affordable. >> That's on the transportation side. On the facility side, as you all know, there's tons of examples of where we post leverage facilities. We have 119 examples of shared facilities ranging from um single like short-term uh agreements that might last a couple days of the month or be recurrent. Every like three days a month they have an event at the school to uh true collocations like we have with charter schools but also with um a dentist a dental clinic uh the daycare provider um the other clinic. So, we have a lot of examples. >> Oh, yeah. I was just bringing that up as I'm just bringing that up as just a way

156of um saying maybe we speak on here here's some examples of how we're already doing this work. We're already doing the pilot. >> And in the last month, we talked facilities, the team did that. So, we talked through a number of ways in which obviously our innovation charter partnerships um with the collocation of things like day early learning. We have a new play works is now in one of our facilities. Um the play like so we also talk through those examples of ways that >> I would also share this transportation things because that um you know that that that is a lot I mean just considering afterare academy activity shuttles those are things like you're leading this effort so you don't have to duplicate it if you're already doing it. We just need the resources.

157>> Yeah. >> To do it, right? >> Yeah. >> Um my thought is um everything that we present to them should be includes a vision for how we see it. We it doesn't have to be in the detail. it should be from the headsp space where our expertise comes which is governance. Um that's where we're at right now. And I think um one of the things I think about is who's going to receive this report when they are done and their recommendations and what do we want those folks to see. So one I think about making sure that there's a recommendation around um any vision that they have around all schools, all students with transportation, it should be adequately funded. And I don't think if we don't come with the message for them to actually

158gut check how things are broken down financially right now to do all of these things and we're not coming and saying hey we want to make sure that the values around transportation whatever that looks like um includes safety of our students and you know walkable and safe you know whatever whatever it looks like across the board when it comes to our nontransported students. that we're not putting any students in an unsafe position. Um, and that we're being intentional, but we're also advocating for their recommendation to include that this should be funded properly in order to make it happen. Um, this will only happen in their vision if it is funded adequately. And so even though the IEA cannot make that decision, they have the power to put that in a recommendation because all of their

159analysis if they're looking and if we're if we're as a board telling a story around the increased amount of post-secary readiness needs and how our students will in order for them to meet these seals, this is what transportation is going to look like. Now that's just us. If we look at every other high school and or middle school and what that looks like, they have to gut check the future. They can't just assess what we are doing right now or are we going to have school districts and school networks not meeting the Indiana required skills? That's a real story. But I think we've got to really paint a picture for them about what our vision is and what it'll look like for our community and not just ours ultimately anybody else who this trickles down

160to eventually. Um, I believe that we should we can really tell a story. And so they're they may not be thinking about all of that, like who's really done an assessment of what um the requirements of 150 hours looks like compared to what we're doing now for our high school graduation requirements. We were already struggling. I mean, I was around and did a lot of advocacy around CTE. So CTE increasing all of the high school shifts to be able to make things happen. it costs a lot of money to get students back and forth to internships, apprenticeships, etc. Now, our state is saying increase that. And I think it's important for us to say for our vision as a board and where we see our students going in their future, what does it what will

161it take? And if we're going to talk about doing whatever it takes and excellence, um then those are things that they have to consider. And I don't think that they're looking at the shifts, all of the shifts. I think we're going to be in a position where um they're doing really great work, but ultimately it could be just like SB1, how I've been, you know, explaining to everybody that there were so many different buckets of SB1 that if you advocated for one, you really didn't know the something else negated the other one. If something else was like, oh man, it's detrimental. I really shouldn't be, you know, fighting for this or this is really great. you just didn't know because it was like a smorgish board of a bunch of stuff. And I think if

162we get this really laser, we can tell a story that our board sees from all of our reports and the things that we hear in, you know, presentations like today. And so that's just my thought. I think um we got enough to tell a story and we should continue to build this in order to um really have a vision and say hey and with all of that being said for all students and all schools within the IPS boundaries this is going to take some financial investment >> because this is what they want. >> I really like that. I think that that should be a solid recommendation. just whatever happens um adequate funding has to be attached and that's something that we've said consistently. I really think that that should be a highlight of what we

163say said. One of the other things that you said that I liked was we haven't done the proper assessment to even understand the ramifications of this new law. And so my question for you Dr. Johnson as well around buildings and building usage. What data do we actually have around that shows what buildings are needed for the amount of students that we have in this district taking into account birth rates and projections for years to come. Um uh so we have a demographic study um it's a few years old now. We use that to sort of inform some of our RBS. I think one of the things we've talked about internally as a team that we talked about with the A is when we say something like how many buildings do you need? Well, we don't

164actually have a common or shared definition of capacity. >> So I might have a building that can hold,00 but I only need 500 to do my program at the level of excellence I want to do it. So even the question and how we define answering that there actually isn't a common definition. But I wonder if to the point of making sure that we have adequate funding. Some of the biggest issues with buildings is you you can have a program with 100 students, but can you afford to maintain this building with 100 students that is, you know, so many millions of dollars of deferred maintenance? And so I wonder if one of our recommendations could be to have a process of so many years or so many months or whatever it would take to have a

165solid understanding of what and let the community also have voice and what we want to do with those buildings with with this the I the understanding and this is Nicole Kerry this may not be the full board with that we need to have a pause on new schools. in order to be able to rightsize our district. We can we continue to say we need to rightsize. We have too many buildings, the ramifications of UNIGO, all of those things. So, what does it look like for us to rightsize our schools? I think that we need to have a a a recommendation from the ILA that says that that deserves further consideration. So even if there is like this is what we recommend this is this ex solution that it has to be thoughtfully done and that

166the the mechanism of the A is just not enough time to fully understand and plan that when we don't have a full understanding of our our financial the financial ramifications of the changes that have just been made. I hope you have something else. >> I think that was really good discussion around what what we know that others may not see. >> No, it really was. I think it really was good discussion. Um I felt really strongly about a common definition for building usage. For example, um to your point, superintendent, I may have a building that can hold,00 but if I only have 500 in it to me, whether you can afford the maintenance or not, is that a good stewardship to only be half full when we have need for other kids to be educated

167share. So all those I think a common definition would be important. Um, and I like the storytelling, the conversation is if we know things, people can know all day. We can have the expert, but if the expert says, you know, they got less money because of this, you know, legislation, but you don't know what it feels like to be work operating that way. You can have the data, but not know what it the experience is like, but we can illuminate that. So, um, I think that was it. Moving on though, I want to make sure this is probably most important work we have to do right now is how this board recommends do this ILA. So, I don't want to jump too fast on anything, but we have lots of things I want to add.

168>> Um, so this came up today and I know a few schools that are doing this and then we talked about the usage of um the sale of the school 102 building too. Um, I don't want us to just talk about um just generically school collaborations and collocations. I want us to create um community schools inside of the school clinic. What's needed? What are the resources or certain folks like renting certain spaces? Um if we've got a building that can fit 1100 students um and it's halfway field but it's utilized by community organizations that are serving those students to make a one-stop shop. I believe that is community schools. So just want to make sure I added that point. >> Like grocery stores >> could be >> that be I mean just we got to

169really think outside the box. I mean that is a real thing. So even if it's um not per se um you know grocery store, it's just still like a way for us to take care of the resources that come up that prevent students from showing up to school. We know our legislature, we've been talking about it earlier today, have been really prioritizing um absenteeism and what that looks like. Like could we make a case and could we support the ILA to make a case about if you have the resources that our students need in a building, we've watched schools and looking at some of our school numbers. I mean, we were in two today that could talk about the attendance rates and how they increase simply from them serving the needs of those students, which

170a lot of our schools are experiencing that. They have things and resources that um those families are like, I can take advantage of this. If my child has dirty, uniform clothes and they're embarrassed to come to school, we've got a washer and dryer. We're providing that. I'm not saying that the schools have to be everything, but what if there were community organizations that could fill in those spaces? And I think when I think about facilities, I don't look at facilities as just for academics. What serves to improve the academic outcomes also are the things that are needed and serving that family in my opinion. >> And that that is an excellent point. I think um you know in telling the story um we could illuminate the fact that um several of our schools were full

171service community schools at one point and were were structured in that way. So there were a lot of spaces in those buildings that were utilized by partners that provided services to students and families. Food pantries take up room clinics, you know, mental health services, all of those wraparound supports. um are still present in many of our buildings. And so, you know, um in thinking about the number of student bodies that can be, >> you know, figured into the formula for capacity that we we have to um highlight that and we tell the story of how necessary those services are to our students and our families. Um I if I may I feel like this is really loose and not I mean I know we're getting late. I do I recognize that but we haven't we

172hardly talked about governance. Um and I I think you know of particular importance to us is is governance. So if we even stay out of the weeds of a lot of detail of transportation and facilities, we should at least be very detailed in our comment in our approach to governance. Thank you, Commissioner Cosby. And I I think we can get to some more topics if governance is super important. If you allow me to get us back into our little framework, that would be helpful because I think much of what you want to say will have space for it to be. So let's we move on now. So for example, a next question to frame our discussion is where do we feel a strong conviction or sense of urgency? Certainly governance is important to me too.

173So I think I'm feeling very urgent about that. Um and how that is you know the idea that there are people who would consider there being no elected board obvious that's very important. So if that is an urgent conversation that you'd like to go ahead and start now, >> please do so. >> Um so I can offer my my individual perspective uh is that um you know election an elected board is is crucial for democracy and representation. We my orientation towards serving for Indianapolis public schools is that I represent uh stewardship over the assets of this corporation which over the decades have been paid for by taxpayer dollars. And so when we talk about community voice, you know, that list to me that we looked at earlier was incomplete because I consider any taxpayer, you

174know, in the community in the IPS district to be constituent in that regard because we're using their money whether they have children or not, right? Um and and when we talk about fiduciary responsibility, we have that responsibility to all of the taxpayers who who bought these buildings, who these these gas bills for our buses and things of that nature. And so this is why to me um maintaining a elected body is so hugely important because we represent the will of the taxpayers who ultimately pay for public education. Um, I'm really dismayed whenever I hear uh conversations centered around the removal of that democratic process. Um and so I think the the stronger we can speak, the more passionately we can speak to that and really um highlight the importance of maintaining elected representation, the better

175in my opinion. If we had check marks to put next to governance and you know the little you would put one for me as well as strong conviction and sense of urgency. I was going to say with governance as well, um I wanted to just highlight we've talked about Chicago before and how there's been so much change and shift in Chicago and how in their in their governance models going from um elected to appointed, mayoral appointed, and now going back to elected. That also is the case in New York, New Jersey, and there's not that many examples of fully mayoral appointed boards in the United States, I think. Um, New York City is is an example, but New York is also going back and it's both because the community felt disenfranchised both in both cases

176because the community felt like that they had no voice in in in in their schools. And there is a reason that our democracy has chosen public schools to have its own elected board. There are lots of other institutes that don't have that have appointed boards and have always been that way. But public schools have had elected boards because it is cornerstone to our our society and our democracy. So I just I definitely support as a community as we uphold community voice and that's a core value. I think that has to be centered in how centered in how we approach this conversation. Real quick, I think accountability accountable to the people that elect us. And so accountability is is woven into the fabric of governance as well. >> And additionally, there's a phrase that I even

177heard from a lot of my constituents. You know, we we've spoken about autonomy, you know, and the the importance of that within our school district, and I believe that we are able to continue to have autonomy through democracy. So I just think that that is something that we should continue to have in the forefront when we are speaking about. Are there any other strong urgent topics that we would like to add besides governance that anybody thinking of before we move on? >> Can you talk about right side in the district? I would like to talk about quality school quality. Yeah, quality and accountability framework to your point of about the other states that are changing back. Even I just learned from the schoolboard association um conference that even in our state we had school boards

178that were once appointed in different cities and they are now uh all elected. So we got precedents things going backwards so nothing squeezed out of you all you can ask. So, I'd like to move on if we can. Here ye here. I just added that if we had to write three headlines right now, what would our top recommendations be? I said it that way because the question is headlines. If we really had to go out and shout and put it in big bold letters in the paper, what would the three headlines be? Now, our top recommendation I think the discussion that we've had prior, the things that you all brought up, storytelling, governance, a publicly elected board, right? We've been through quite a few topics. Um, they seem to be in some of the same

179buckets, but I think hopefully the discussion you had prior is the answer to these three headlines. IPS board um calls for um elected representation to continue or something like that. I think we can all agree on that, right? That's the headline. I don't know. I guess >> it's there's a place to start, right? Then we can always word, right? A second one. Anybody? Anyone? Sorry. >> Fund education appropriately. [Music] That's what I was Oh, thank you. Commissioners called for accountability and stability of all schools, all students. The word for all for for all for all. >> Stability. >> Yeah. And stability for all schools. All students. >> Now that we have these three, are these recommendations clear, actionable, and bold enough to make an impact? Um I will say that um fund education appropriately. There

180was a question asked um of the ILA and I asked that a few months ago around what does it really take to adequately um educate a child like what's the range max minimum within our district? That is a question that we should be able to answer in order to tell this story to say um ultimately if we're talking about funding education appropriately if we don't know what it really takes not saying how education is being funded but like what does it really take if what they desire excellence in outcomes this is what it takes to educate a child um maximum amount of services to the minimum amount of services needed within our district and I I think we discount ourselves by not being able to tell that story to then say so tell me now

181that you can see the max and the minimum. Tell me what don't we do if we are not receiving the funds that we need in order to adequately fund education. You tell me what we take away from these two students. One at the maximum amount of money and one at the minimum. And I've been saying this since the legislative session because I'm a strategist. So, I do like to come from a strategic standpoint when I think about advocacy and organizing and the fact that we have not yet put those numbers together to be able to tell that story, but yet there was an IEA member who asked that same question. I think we should be able to answer that and I would like for our board to really be able to answer that so that

182we're not just making a generic statement and then someone's like, "Well, what does it take?" No, I want us to be able to answer and then charge them with saying, "Hey, so now tell us what don't we do for these students in order for us to accept all the budget cuts?" Um, what don't we provide in transportation in order for these students to make it back and forth to school and absenteeism is at the height of the policies that just passed in the last legislative session. Now you tell us [Music] >> is that a part of the storytelling suggested earlier because there are >> part you want to tell us >> well it's a part of number two it is actionable if you have the right information. Yep. Exactly. Exactly. It's like because we've been

183saying we've been saying that over and over again. Fund education adequately. Um I think you know I could say a whole lot of stuff about like diversifying our funds to how schools are funded. But that's something else. >> But I would say from our perspective as commissioners, you know, we have a story to tell. And if that story is not out there, then we allow other people to tell our story. And I am so sick and tired of other folks telling our story about what it takes to educate our children. There is no public school that's being adequately funded at this point. Us telling the story also will tell another story as we build up for the next few years of legislative sessions in my opinion. Um, and I think that we get to um

184share that with the ILA um because they're curious about what that looks like too and maybe it might drum up some additional um conversation um within the recommendations as well. So, so I have a suggestion. I love that West is here um um to actually suggestion about a maximum and a minimum uh number. Can we make that a real number? Uh factoring like we have projections like we're talking about the need to put everything in the context of the budget constraint. Can we come up with real numbers? And I like it cuz and then attach to it a menu and be like, well, hm, we could cut this that would we could I mean literally that let's play with these variables and let them see exactly how it affects the quality of instruction, quality of

185the experience. Like what are we going to what are we going to take? >> Yeah. You know, we're going to put a textbook here. I'm using class here. Like, >> yeah. >> Special education services. We can't that that's federally mandated, right? So, there's some optional stuff, but not all of it's options. >> I don't think most things are. >> Well, it's like here's um this work thing you have to do. Like on the one hand, like one piece of legislation says get these kids to these job experiences and then a different piece of legislation says uh but your your transportation budget is bling so go figure it out. Well, that I mean no, let's put the onus of responsibility back on the people that are driving the decision making. like we're just trying to comply

186with what you told us to do, but this in this hand we have this directive and in this hand we're falling short on the money to comply with your direct. >> Just want to be mindful like a lot of times we hear that we will say that and they'll say well you need efficiencies you need you need to figure out your efficiencies and so if we are going to tell that story I want to make sure that we are very well informed on and being able to paint a picture for for the so that they can which is one of the reasons why which is one of the reasons why we need um the information that we need from the district because again if we look at this laundry list of things right um of

187the needs being met etc then I'm saying we are in a really tough space and I'm not saying this to like hold them up or anything, but it's like things that even the district has to consider. So ultimately, if they want us to get more efficient, then tell us where. Um and if not, then this should push us in the direction of saying that these budget restrictions and cuts and things like are they feasible? because yeah, even though we're not walking into another budget year, there are adjustments that they make every non-budget year when they've got a right or wrong. That happens a lot. So, um, what story are we ready to tell? Um, but if we don't, right now, we're not telling our story in the way in the details that I believe we

188could that is most strategic. Um, and I think that is going to be a a downfall if we don't do it. So, I mean, ultimately, we've never seen a number of a maximum and a minimum yet as a board. And so, um, how do we know what we're working with? Like, it could cost more to have a student who, um, is just getting postsecary, all of their needs on a high school level, just simply getting them back and forth to locations, um, a student with an IEP, all of the things, right? So, um, if we don't know that and we can't paint that picture, then yeah, they can throw things back to us when we're in the unknown. Right now, we don't know. So, the moment they ask a question about like, well, you guys

189should be better stewards of the dollars and more efficient. Okay, great. But if we have something to work with to say, okay, tell me where we can be more efficient. You show me what do we take away from this student. >> That's the real question. Yeah. And I think what I'm hearing this conversation, what it makes me think about is how we frame the story because my push would be every single school's budget is on our website. So you can go on there and see how much it is costing to operate any of our schools right now and you can see uh you know staffing and those kinds of things. So I actually think we could say here's Jason Wickham Riley. What would you like us to not do? Now the answer to that question

190is going to be we're not going to tell you that you are the local body and you need to make that decision based on the policies that we have set forward and then we say you know well we need additional resources or there's other you know ways to do that. So I think it might be the frame of the storytelling because you are correct we've not drilled it down to say this is how much it costs to educate this particular perhaps profile of a student. Um, we know for students who are special education, we know for students who are EL that it costs more. Now, we can get super weedy in this, right? Plus, they could do all the cost accounting of you talking about the superintendent's time that she's spending advocating in the state

191house to try to get those resources plus the teachers plus the administrators plus the plus the plus the plus the or we just talking about direct service provision because actually those numbers are a little bit different if you take into account all of the things it takes to actually educate children who are in our district. So that's where it starts to get a little bit wonky. I think we can find a directional way to tell that story. We can say right now for example I think the number is 19 million in special education. Am I right? >> N >> right. We can say right now it cost us that much more to educate our students through special education. You could say well you could you could offer perhaps still beat the IEP at a less

192quality service. if we could decide that without the legislature telling us anything. Now, knowing this board, I'm pretty sure you would say it is our moral imperative to do the best that we can, but quite frankly, that's a massive, massive impact on our education funds. And we could choose to do it differently. We choose not to because we believe legally and morally is our obligation to do it well. And because lots of people know that we do it well, then we get more children who need who have needs and then we serve them, right? So, So this is what we are wrestling with for our English language learners. I think it's 9 million. I might be wrong but somewhere close in terms of how much more it costs to educate them versus what we receive.

193So we have those numbers. We've shared those with legislators many times. We know special education is not fully funded federally or at the state level. They've done better at the state level on on ELLL, but certainly could do much much better. Uh, and we know they haven't funded complexity. So, our students who are coming from low income backgrounds, we haven't seen that number shift in the last three or four budget sessions. So, I don't know that they need to know the maxim like I actually I don't know that that's a compelling story. I can be pressed on that and pushed on that and I think we should still be able to we should still tell it, right? >> Yeah. Um I think the question will be well this is this is this is the reality

194and so you all as the governing body and the local people yeah you do have to figure it out and it might mean doing something less and that is hard because that's been the IPS story for for decades particularly since UNF based thank you uh superintendent um based on those comments and the conversation around storytelling. Um, I'd like to move on to this next conversation which is because we've said several times what we'd like to do and what we what we think we need to be sharing. What is our timeline then around framing our thoughts? How how do we see a timeline or finalizing our thoughts to make these recommendations? We have um ana meeting a week from tomorrow >> and then the next opportunity will be the meeting in October. >> Okay. Um the

195longer so what are folks thoughts I mean a meeting next week is soon but also the longer we wait the longer it is before people understand where this board stands before they start moving their steamroller right further and further. So how do we coales our thoughts as a group so that we have something that we can give as our recommendations. This was good discussion and a good start and obviously we'll get the notes back from this >> but we do need a timeline >> there any more presentations we know ahead of time like the topics for the month we've only really done that through this month because we'll have transportation we actually um have it named October, November, December. If I had to guess, I would guess we would start the sort of what are

196the recommendational sort of phase in November because they got to get voted on in December. [Music] We have a draft to look at around the person. Is that a draft? Maybe a final. Are you seeing a final writing by making a statement actionable yet? But you think we're Tonight we had a few pages where we decided to put some check marks next to some places where we were a lot governmen >> well I mean to get this so that we can I I I do think times are running out of time. We're not out of time. We We need to say something. >> Could I circulate the draft and edit it or make their recommendations? I think we could figure it out and then perhaps on Tuesday, right? >> Yeah. When should we be looking

197at I think looking at the draft and then having this time frame for when to respond So it doesn't just fall. >> But recommendations >> 24 hours >> September or October. >> Are there any final thoughts that we have decided that we're going to draft that when we get that draft? If we could work on typing this up and sharing we actually we actually Patrick um we can work on typing up >> all typing this up. >> Type it up and then you work that time for no reason. >> So thankfully we have a timeline. >> Final thoughts. No final thoughts. I'm not clear on are we we all seem to agree on with addressing governance but we I don't know any particular points with transportation buildings [Music] >> I will just highlight Commissioner Thomas's

198point around how you connect these things to the other things I think is very resonant and is actually a unique perspective that this board has that others I'm sitting on the or just more broad community don't have. So I I would say I would encourage that kind of connection point to be made. >> I I don't think there's anyone on this board that's like no we want to withhold transportation from this particular group of students. We feel strongly all we are community rooted board. I think highlighting what we have to give up and what the realities of funding are and what accountability looks like and all those things should be how we frame it. a second for you all just head the headlines there is information on the other sheets that would fit into filling

199in the headlines like for example Um I'm sorry I'm not on the what's the second one number two the transation actually number two and tied to yes I think the first page I think those other pages have pieces that go under two. >> I think we have enough here to to draft something around facilities, around transportation and around accountability, stability. Um, all in I think probably three major recommendations and then welcome and just and take this to me for me as sitting back a little bit trying to keep us in a frame and listening There was no argument really about the recommendations made by the different commissioners at this table sto you know all of the pieces that were brought here. I heard a lot of them. So I'm hoping that we get that and

200then put that into a draft. We'll have something that we can really push forward. I didn't hear anyone here go that I mean my concern is budget and so I I feel like the budget constraint piece is going to bleed into all of these out of necessity. So when I see all students all school and I weigh that out against we're losing money. That's a hard one for me to balance I don't know how that's going to look. So like >> the reality it it sounds good but the reality is we're >> we got to cut and we can't you know what I'm saying? So >> that story >> I think that's the connection. That is the connection because ultimately the way that we vision are we're trying to connect something here. Yeah, I I

201do think it's the connection of it all. So, like if we are um if we're trying to, you know, create the vision for excellence in education for our students that we're required, you know, by federal and state laws to govern the district by then ultimately um what's it going to take in order to get there? And I think for us painting the picture of like this is what we envision. Yeah. which is everything that they decide should be the best things that our kids are worthy of. However, they also get to fund us in a way fund schools in a way where that is possible. So, I think we've got to tell the whole story. We've got to tell the whole story in our message like we cannot leave out the budgets constraints. We cannot

202um we cannot leave out the fact that like in order to fund um and I I keep saying the individual students okay you know we don't have we can agree to disagree but I believe that when you can paint a picture about a student then it gets you closer to putting a name to a student who are you impacting because they see numbers they see statistics all the time and we share numbers big numbers and all the time but I want to get like really micro to the student >> and um and even if we put a fake name to it, >> you know what I'm saying? This is the profile. Does Timmy deserve >> you? I'm saying I'm I'm really I really want us to really tell the story because I think that um

203we can we can get some service out of that and I think all of that should be paying. It should be >> and to that all students all schools comment the for transportation and you I would say we've tried it we're trying it and it's this is what it costs we're trying to provide transportation for CT for after care for all the things but this is what it costs to do we want to do it we got to be funed for All everybody's all commissioners have been able to speak. Thank you. Our next scheduled meeting as we end this discussion on our input to the IEA with our very unique perspective um is but our next scheduled meeting is our agenda review session on Tuesday September 22nd at 6 p.m. in the boardroom of the

204ED center. Having completed all items on the agenda the meeting will now adjourn to executive session.