001is six o'clock. We are going to get started. So, I'm going to call the Conquer Carell Regional School Committee to order and we are all in person. So, we don't need to roll call. Um, okay. So, we are going and just for the minutes, Carrie Rankin is not going to be with us tonight. And we will start with our recognitions. And tonight we have joining us the Jewish Student Union. And I'll let Dr. Hunter kind of talk a little bit about who's coming. while they're coming up to the table with us. >> So, we're excited to have um the adviser to the Jewish Student Union from the high school and a member or two. I'm not sure how many were actually going to make it. Um we thought it would be a good opportunity for
002you to hear some of what's happened since the group launched as the school year started. So, we welcome Kelly Christie and we'll let you introduce who's with you and we're really thrilled you're able to be here. >> Okay. Um, so I'm thrilled to be here. Um, the Jewish Student Union, um, I'd say we have, what do you think, Addie? About 20 25 members. Yeah. They don't And not everybody comes every week, but we've been meeting every Tuesday morning at 7:20. So, people are very motivated. Um, and the kids are full of energy, very excited. Um, and uh, Eddie, what would you say has been like the most positive thing about the group? Like you've been at every meeting, you've been like right out there. >> Definitely just having community with other Jewish students. >> Yeah,
003exactly. And um, do people say anything more about what the community means to them or do you have thoughts yourself on that? Do you want to say row? Okay. >> Okay. Good evening everyone. Thank you to the school committee for giving Jay's representatives a chance to talk here tonight. I'm Adeline Weintock, a junior at Conquered Carla High School and a member of the Jewish Student Union. Even in the early stages of the JSC, the group has proven to be a place where we have been able to connect to explore both Jewish religion and culture. We have found it impactful and necessary to meet other Jewish students and faculty as most of us didn't realize the company we had. Being a member of the GSU has also allowed us to take an active role in the
004community as it has given me the opportunity to take a leadership role and speak about my background such as a state panel hosted at Creme Shalom. We hope to meet with school administrator administrators to discuss our ideas to address anti-semitism within our school. In the club, we have been able to connect over shared experiences unique to Jewish culture. before we felt isolated as it was frustrating to not meet others who could understand what it meant to be a minority within the community or to share connections to Israel. Tuesday mornings allow us to act as a time for us to bond over shared experiences and allow me to feel connected not only within my school but also within my religion. Beyond the club meetings, we have shared Jewish culture with our classmates and allies holding a
005bake sale for Roshashana. Most recently, we have been planning to host Shabbat dinner soon, and we look forward to the future of JSU. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> So, I I don't know what else there is to say. I think Addie really said it all. Um we um we also are planning some meetings at later dates so that more kids can come. And I've been it's been wonderful to also see that we do have allies like we have kids that are not Jewish that come to support us. Um we have kids of all religions, backgrounds. Um we're a very welcoming space and it's been incredibly positive and um although I you know as a Jew it's very disheartening for me to see the level of anti-semitism and anti-Israel sentiment in the world when I
006walk through Conquer Carell High School and I mean I I would say Addie's been behind a lot of things at JSU. She helped me put up the posters. They're all over the school. No one's taken down any JSU posters. Nobody's written anything bad on them. Everybody's just That's cool. Um, sometimes I bring my leftover Shabbat kala to the meeting and I have leftovers and I bring them to my room in 3:23 and kids of, you know, Muslim kids, Christian kids, kids of male religion, my Hindu kid, they're all like, "What's that, Miss K?" and you know we're just com so um it's super super positive. >> Thank you. >> Can I just ask one question before you go? I do have freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. So you do you feel like your group is
007fairly representative of all grades at the high school? >> Yeah, definitely. We've had a lot new freshmen seniors, the juniors. We're also developing kind of a distributed leadership model where we're like we have many opportunities for leadership and like making sure that seniors have some leadership but also underassmen have leadership opportunities and are kind of helping each other. >> Yeah. So really everyone has a role. >> Exactly. perhaps uh three points. Uh one, you'd mentioned Daddy that uh the experience feel free to respond. The experience you had speaking before the MS CCA uh at KM Sh perhaps about a month ago. Could you expand on that? What it meant for you, what it meant for the JSU? >> I think it meant really like a space for Jewish students to talk and share their experiences.
008And it was helpful to hear from my classmates because before the GSU I felt really isolated in that I didn't know if other people agreed with me or even if there were other G students. >> Question other point about collaboration with other JSUs in the region or other collaboration across other school groups black student union. If I look back to when when I was younger, certainly not in in my elementary or or middle school or high school years, the black and the Jewish community shared a lot of things that seems to have changed over time sadly, but uh certainly working with the the BSU here in school or in our surrounding communities, is that something that's been thought of? We we have talked about that and I actually had a conversation with Jason Weise who
009teaches the black history class about making sure that we are teaching the connection between the black community and the Jewish community. Jewish leaders during the civil rights movement were incredibly seinal in standing up as allies and I don't think a lot of kids really know that and I that would to me be really important to make sure that we are really putting into the community and and looking at other groups um you know sometimes Jews feel like we stand up for other groups but other groups don't stand up for us and so we would really like to see um opportunities for us to kind of work together with other groups and see that mutuality really evolving. Um, but I have like I have students that are in the South As the South Asian group that
010are putting on the Diwali ceremony and I'm I'm really I'm planning to go to that and I'm hoping that they're going to come to some of our stuff like we've invited Christians. >> Exactly. Exactly. And and Add's been involved with um other groups in the school where there's been some cross fertilization of ideas. I don't know if you want to mention that. >> Yeah. Right. Um, it's not easy to get anything started. So, thank you for being brave and get this getting started. >> Just one question. What's your Instagram handle? >> We have one. When does it do you know what it is? >> No, I don't. >> Oh. [laughter] Uh oh. >> I have it. I will send it to >> GSC and you'll probably get it. >> Yeah. I I have to work
011on my Instagram. [laughter] >> I'm a follower, so I'll pass it along. >> Okay. >> Yeah. I just want the community to know. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> Thank you. Thank you so much for joining us and coming for your leadership. >> Thank you. And thank you, Kelly. >> All right. And next up, we have our student reps. I see Mark's with us. Are you the only one with us today? >> I am the only one today. >> Yes, because there's a field talkie game, right? This playoff game, right? >> Maddy's gone. >> Zoom. >> Is she on Zoom? Okay, let's go. We'll see. >> Does Maddie play field? >> She does. So, there's a playoff game at the high school. >> She ended at six. So, right before >> six. Okay. >> Not sure
012she can make >> I don't see her. The coach likes to talk to the back of it. [laughter] >> 40 minutes. >> All right, Mark. I think it's just you. >> Yeah, thank you. Evelyn, >> thanks for following us all around to these venues and coming in person. It's awesome. >> I had no idea until like five minutes ago. I was like, "Mom, I have to come back to [laughter] I'm already in bed, but okay. >> Well, I was glad I got to meet your mom last week, too. This is great. Um, so I'm going to start off with quarter one finished last Friday. I know they're still putting in grades and we're doing some last minute things. I had my AP um, cumulative stats test last after school today because it was 120 and
013I was able to do it and it took me like an hour, but got it done and then I had my math test after. So, quarter one, we're finishing up and it's looking pretty good. I think they're letting us do I feel like a lot more um, extra credit things or just going over older things that we might have not understood. we understand now. So, just to get our grades up and you know, um, oh, the hilarious costumes that the CCHS faculty did. Um, I know the math department did one that was like 67. >> And then we have the the other ones. >> Um, I don't know. Evelyn might I just we just spoke. >> Evelyn might be able to say um which the other ones are. I know math was 67 because we
014all so the thing is like we don't know the theme and then you have to like guess >> guess what >> the six one was pretty obvious like Miss Dusso my math teacher had like six seven earrings I don't know where she got them and then Mr. transm he had like it was like the point on the graph was like 67. >> Yeah. So it's pretty funny. Do you know what the other ones were? The other departments. >> I did follow the Instagram. English was banned books. I love it was banned books. So they had like police tape on and all the >> books that have been banned in other districts. >> Can you hear us? >> Uh Evelyn. Evelyn, can you hear us? >> Yes, I'm good. Sorry, I was I know there was
015some technical difficulties there, but I'm good. >> All right. Um, hold on. Let me pull this up. I Is the screen Should I share my screen or is this >> You can. Yeah, we could see your slides then if you did that. >> Yeah, why don't I do that and then hold on, give me one second. I think it's hard to share my screen. >> I [laughter and clears throat] can jump to that one. Um, I happen to hear. So, cheerleading, football, boys soccer, and volleyball field hockey week, and cross country all had their senior nights um this week, this past week, and I wasn't able to make it to any because I was trying to do stuff after school. But I know field hockey went pretty well and they either won or they tied.
016Or that might be tonight. Is it tonight? The Thursday night? They had a big game two days ago, but it might >> like I think last Thursday it was. >> Oh, okay. Yeah, I think they won and it was pretty good. >> Yeah. Um I know cheerleading did they win DCL? >> Yes. So we have two cheerle teams. So there's a game day team and a performance team. They both won their competition, their division for DCL's. >> So they're moving on. So performance is moving on to regionals and game day moves on to states. >> That's nice. >> Yeah. So I know I have a lot going on. Do you want to know the next one? >> Boys soccer won yesterday. >> Yeah, we were at the game yesterday. >> Girls is tomorrow. >> That's
017cool. Yeah, I know. >> I seem to not be able to share my screen unless I read within the application, so you're gonna have to bear with us. Um, the next thing we're going to talk about is unfortunately I was about to buy tickets, but I didn't be I wasn't able to go. I was studying and doing the college applications unfortunately, but my friends were all in um our show, which are our play, which is the Picasso at the Panagil, which was great. There was three performances. I think they were Thursday night, Friday night, and then Saturday night. Um, and it takes place at this bar in Paris where a young Albert Einstein and a young Pablo Pascal Pablo Picasso meet. And it's it's really great because um I think these I mean I think
018it was a really small cast and really tight-knit and I was just hearing about how exciting it was and everyone really like the reviews were just amazing. Like I came back to school on after the weekend and everyone had seen it and it just sounded amazing. So, okay. Um, we can jump to we'll talk about Emmy. So, we wanted to highlight that our CCHS junior um Emmy O'Donnado was selected to join the US um under 19 team, the national team for the US. Um, we just wanted to highlight that she's been doing an amazing job this year. Like last two years, just been leveling up in all I know my friend Jasmine, she used to play with her team [clears throat] and she has just been like leveling up over and over and over. She
019used to get stars. Now she's just like skyrocketing. Then she's going to Duke, too. She committed this year and her birthday was I mean like >> she's in a big [laughter] week. >> I know. Yeah. >> You can see her play tomorrow at Memorial at 5:00. >> You want to talk about um what else do we have here? Payton. Payton. >> Oh yeah. So, one of our uh pathways students, I think Payton Gon was she was selected as a captain of the Harvard University women's soccer team as a part of the team's impact uh inclusion commitment which was so lovely. And if we had our slides, um I've attached a picture that we were able to find of that moment which is just really special. We have I feel like we have a lot of
020sports related things this month to talk about. Um but also in other recent news is that three CCHS seniors um I believe flew up to Chicago or somewhere in the Midwest which is really exciting to receive awards at the John um Nuri High School radio awards and that was for uh WIQH and there were two shows and so three seniors who won that and that's Claire Razer and Gab and Gabrielle Whitten for third place for their show Scrambled Signals under the category for the best talk show and then Gerald Tenbomb also won third place for his show People's Tomorrow where I believe he interviewed a like I think it was a former senator I think it might have been it was a New England senator former [snorts] New England senator or no governor that's what
021it was and um that was for the category the best public affairs program so those were some major successes and we're very proud of I mean our radio at CC is amazing but um those students really great for them to have been able to celebrate that and to also travel as a part of that and see some like more national recognition. So, >> do you want to talk about um the sister school, the Japanese students come in that are here? >> So, I think it I don't know how frequently it might be an annual thing that we have our Japanese um exchange students come in from um I think it's Nanai. I don't remember how to pronounce it. My sister >> Nai um I think has she's in eighth grade. my sister's in eighth grade,
022so not CC, but um I think a few of them go to CMS and my sister I think has a few of them in our classes or they stop by or something like that. And my sister's learning Japanese and so I was hearing all these stories um where I think they were they were speaking a little bit um and that was just really great. And Madame Pinto, one of our CCHS uh language teachers, hosted a sushi lunch party last Wednesday um for both lunches. And so I think there were 20 students at least maybe 30 students. Um and then all the Japanese students who were there and that was really great for everyone to just get together and I saw it actually happening. I was right in the breakout space next to it and it
023seemed like a ton of fun. >> We can do might want to talk about the senior aerial photos. I know every all the seniors were like leaving class to do them and that was the same time as our PSAT so it worked out well. But talk a little about how that >> Yeah, we had a really busy day. We had the PSAT for [laughter] some day. >> Yeah, something else. And then the aerial photo. Yeah. >> Alice training I think was the same. >> Everything. >> Um, do you have anything else you want to talk about? >> Um, I mean, quickly some more things we could just touch on. I know we're normally we're a little bit more in sync, but I think the Zoom is messing us up a little bit. But, um, other
024things to talk about that I was just thinking of mentioning is that the green team is launching sustainability initiatives during lunches. They I believe were like kind of like piloting them last spring and they just went really well and we're just increasing um compost and things like that just to make sure we're reducing as much waste as we can at CC. Um and so those have been really great. I know that's just been starting up the past few weeks. Um I think we already mentioned the Twice Told Tales field trip I believe and there which was so exciting. I know they do that every year. We also had a social touch rugby event which I was I just think that's so cool and I think it was also for newbies who just want to learn
025and um learn touch rugby. So that sounds amazing. And the last thing we're have on this list is that the Red Cross hosted the Red Cross club hosted a card making event for Children's Hospital. So very eventful month at CC. Everyone's very excited. It's getting really dark out but I think [laughter] spirits are high and we're very excited. So, >> wow, you guys were busy this month. >> Been doing a lot of things. We were in the CCHS was it was it conquered Carla News blog I saw and then the conquered bridge like two weeks ago. >> So, a lot of things coming out of Black again. >> Yeah. >> And a lot of follows on Instagram, I saw. Thank you guys. >> Yes, you get a lot of follows on Instagram. So, we'll keep
026on >> good >> trying to get word out all the stuff you do. >> I know. Well, thank you for your updates. Your updates are great. And if you have any of those pictures that you want to share, you can send them to Dr. Hunter and she'll get them to us. Like the picture >> or send me the slides and I'll push them out to them. >> Yeah, >> that'd be great. >> Any questions? >> No, keep doing what you're doing. >> Great. Thank you. [clears throat] >> Thanks, guys. >> Thank you. Bye, Evelyn. [clears throat] >> All right. Hopefully feels hockey for Maddie. All right. Um, next up we have our superintendents and chairs update, but we are going to invite we're going to invite up conquered Carlo against anti-semitism to come and join
027us. We have two members of their leadership with us. We have Ryan Farmer and Tal Rottman and they are here with an update. >> Thanks for having us. Thank you. >> Thanks everyone. My name is Tal Rottman. Good evening. Um, I'm a Carell resident and a father of two students at CCHS. Uh, joining me this evening is Brian Barber. We're both members of the steering committee for conquer Carell against anti-semitism or CCAA. For those who may not know us, CCAA formed in response to anti-semitic incidents in our schools and communities. We're a volunteer community-led initiative working to confront anti-semitism through accountability, education, visibility, and allyship. We're residents of conquered Carlile and neighboring towns, Jewish and non-Jewish, united in our commitment to build a more inclusive, informed, and compassionate community. As parents, students, neighbors, and allies,
028we stand together to ensure that conquered and carile are places where Jewish families feel safe and supported. You can learn more about us at cc against anti-semitis anti-semitism.org and join our Facebook page, Instagram uh handle to follow. [clears throat] Tonight, we're here with news about resources coming to support work that's already happening in our schools and community. But first, I want to speak directly to the JSU students here tonight. My daughter and son are members of the JSU. My daughter senior, my son a freshman, so we do have coverage across the spectrum. [clears throat] So, I've watched up close what you as a team have been doing and it matters. We're proud of you. You've created a place where Jewish students can be visible and importantly proud of who they are. But you're not stopping
029there. You're building bridges. You're creating opportunities for understanding across differences. You're modeling the kind of leadership that doesn't just talk about inclusion, but actually does the work of making it real. And that extends to all students who celebrate publicly their culture, ethnicities, and gender, whoever they are. That takes courage and we see it. This past summer, CCAA applied for a grant through Combined Jewish Philanthropies Center, Combating Anti-semitism. CJP, founded in 1895, is Greater Boston's Jewish Federation. Their Center for Combating Anti-semitism was established in 2024 as historic levels of anti-semitism were being recorded across Massachusetts and nationally. Last month, CJP awarded CCAA a $20,000 grant to support our love thy neighbor initiative. This grant is designed to increase Jewish visibility, build allyship, and address anti-semitism in conquered and car. Brian is going to share more about
030how we plan to use these funds. Thank you very much for having us. We really appreciate it. We've been seeing a lot of many of you out and about in the community. Um, and we recognize how busy you are and uh especially Dr. Hunter. We appreciate your leadership and support um for the grant. Uh you were the straight A student who got us the support letter the day after we requested it. It was great and uh then I had to hound everyone else. So I appreciate that. Um so what are you going to see from from our grant? Um for us as a Jewish community here in the school and and through the [clears throat] two communities, uh we're going to be building presence and awareness across both towns through visibility campaigns, uh events, and
031community engagement. We're going to build stronger culture and understanding um and recognize that that's a two-way street that what happens in the schools all of them across the two towns and in our homes flows both ways. What they learn here they can bring home what they've learned in the community and in their homes can come back here. So we want to be able to uh address those things and and help support that. Um, we want to host and we will host cultural events in conquered and carile that celebrate Jewish life and invite the broader community to participate in that. And we're going to be investing in uh speaker series um in and co-sponsoring them as well in conversation and dialogue supporting and partnering with existing programs and bringing in new voices whether in the schools
032or outside of them creating opportunities for students and families uh to learn and engage. working across the religious landscape with faith leaders to bridge gaps and create understanding and definitely with students involved in that work. Dr. Hunter, you've said and I've raised this in many of our conversations that and this has stuck with me as you know um that student created and student led initiatives are the most lasting and effective and and we agree with that and we heard you on that over the summer. So the programming we're developing will feature opportunities for students to lead, participate and shape what happens. We'll work with the JSU's teacher sponsor and students like Addie to provide structure, guidance, and resources, but the ideas and decisions about what their school community needs. We have to trust uh trust
033them to make some of them as much as we possibly can. And we have uh work to do. Um right now we we have yet to receive the funding but once we do um we'll be sitting down as an organization, the steering committee and others to finalize our strategy uh determine the budgets and allocations and identify specific opportunities. But we have always said that this is going to be done in the spirit um and of collaboration and um there's a lot of opportunity here and we hope to just take those and and run with them with the community. So thanks for having us. We appreciate it. If there are any questions, happy to answer them. >> Dr. [clears throat] Thank you. Thank for the work you're doing. >> Thank you for support. >> Thank you
034for setting up a model in conjunction with Dr. Hunter and the DEI commission. I understand needing to have a a fiscal agent commission. Dr. Hunter worked with the tourism bureau through Beth Williams to help. >> She's been terrific. >> Bring this together to to exemplify a town gown collaboration that brings this to fruition. So again, thank you. >> Thank you. It's uh it wasn't hard, frankly. It was uh it almost felt too easy to bring everyone together. People were eager uh for those Beth Williams sent me the u grant link, the opportunity, and said, I think it was on a Thursday, she said, "We may have missed this. Can we do anything with it?" and um sent it around to the group, sent it around to others and everyone was like, "Let's do it." And
035it didn't take much to write it. It didn't take much to get the letters of support. Um we got letters of support from from you, of course. Uh we got them from Kum Shalom. We have them from the town. Uh of course, um Representative Simon Cataldo, who's always been a great advocate for all the communities and uh and they're our fiscal sponsor, the town. So that's uh that's where we're at and it's working. >> Got the grant. The work will be ahead. I'm sure you'll be up to it. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Is there any further support or anything else that um members of the school committee um can do for CCA? >> Well, do you want to answer that or >> Okay. Um well, when we get the funding, it's going to
036be great to actually have, you know, that support collaboration to listen to each other um and to keep the positive dialogue that we've been engaged in um since the news of the the federal complaint and um the Swastica issue. And we know we're not going to be able to end anti-semitism or hate against really anyone. It's about how we address it. And I think we've learned that the hard way over the summer. But I I will address, you know, some of the positive things that will obviously expect to continue, but we'll also be held accountable to the things we promise to do. But so far, I what we've seen is the creation of the Jewish student union. It was something we discussed at the table. You said that had come up in the past and
037we spoke about it over the summer and you said it a lot and here it is and look at the result. Um, that's that's great and doesn't seem it takes a lot of handholding. they seem the students seem you know excited about it and u getting the support from other students. Um, I appreciate we talked a lot about reporting >> and you had said over the summer that you are a data driven person and we've learned that that um, this student surveys didn't necessarily collect the information on Jewish students that it was more focused in the past and rightfully perhaps on the LGBT community, students of color and others. Um, so I appreciate that. I think there's a panorama study of a survey now has that question for self-identification of a religion. So we'll see
038how that, >> you know, brings in a number, but hopefully we'll be able to see how they feel. Um, those who selfidentify. We know the big confusion is interfaith families are a lot in this town, but also we have students and we've been hearing some publicly uh that may not be comfortable in reporting their concern about that. >> That's the concern. But but hey, you know, the first step is is asking and I think that's important an important statement. Um we've had a number of conversations here sitting in this room uh once over the summer and and once recently and those were productive and we're hearing some good things and we're sharing our thoughts and you're listening. Um you mentioned you're having those coalition meetings um at some point. Those um that you're building now.
039>> Yep. As soon as the date is in, we're working on it. The scheduling is the hardest part >> and we know you've been asking. Um and uh we appreciated that one of the first if not the first uh playbook initiative that Mr. Cameron ran >> was on a real world scenario. Um the only concern and I shared this with a few of you was my son who's in seventh grade now uh said that it was too short. >> Yes. >> Um that they could have used more time. The conversation was good. you know, our our hope is um that this spreads and we're here to help other groups who may not be seen, may not be as heard or feel they're not not as seen as heard and may not have the same, you
040know, um representation in the town just by mere fact that they don't live here. Um so, we're here to help others. We're here to show how we apply for grants, found grants, or or just support others. We want this not to just be um for the Jewish community. That's not how we're going to help ourselves >> and that's not how we're going to help the school or or the the towns. I don't know if Jodie Sperber showed up. She >> Oh, there I just wanted to recognize her for all her work. She's also on the steering committee. Um we have a lot of good people who are strong minded, strong willed and >> and look to do good. >> Just add maybe um we al there's also some uh upstandard bystander training that's already happened
041in the middle school and I think coming up soon at uh CCHS which is brilliant. I actually did one that was uh sponsored um previously at Kum Shalom. My first experience doing that and I you know I thought it was brilliant and I think the students uh having that experience regardless of it coming from a a anti-semitism perspective or you know more general perspective I think is would be great for them actually and I think they I think it'll be very valuable. >> Yeah. And that's a shout out to the human rights council who sponsored that. >> Absolutely. Absolutely. >> Lots of great work. >> Yeah. Um and then also maybe Brian just to mention you know the the work that we're doing here in this group also is you know filtering over to the
042Carl as a Carile resident is also filtering to the Carile community. We had uh Jim Superintendent Jim O'Shea uh join a recent session as well to you know take lessons and see what some of the best practices are that you guys are uh use you've implemented here and try to take it back to Carlile as well for our middle school as well. Um, so yeah, I think there's a great momentum and we just have to keep our eye on the ball and continue. >> And a not so shameless plug, uh, Jody has been working on a great event at term shalom on November 16th, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. It is named uh, more joy less oi. Um, [laughter] I said that out loud. Um, but it's going to be a great event, an evening of
043fun and and storytelling and sharing the experience of >> Jew, the Jewish community, others in in a fun, light way. And um, it'll be good for mingling, getting to know the community inside >> 3 to 5:00 p.m. >> And that's been on the Instagram. I've seen that. I I think you reposted it. The Jewish student union reposted that on the Instagram, I think. So, somewhere >> Sure. >> I don't know. Get it reposted everywhere. So, it's good. So, thank you. Thank you for your support. Thank everybody. [snorts] Appreciate it. >> Thank you so much. Thanks for joining us. >> Give it um to Dr. Hunter and then we'll just give a brief update, too. >> Okay. Thank you. So, I will take all the great things you've heard and just add a few more. Um
044in terms of we'll stick with anti-semitism for a minute. The world language department last night hosted a foreign film in French um on the Holocaust and we had a good number of French students come a lot of important pre-work happened and thoughtful discussions but I think that the lens is coming from all director that was completely teacher generated we had nothing to do with that other than they saw an opportunity and um were able to actualize it um we also have been asked to consult with another district which I [clears throat] didn't think I was going to be able to say who, but um it went public this morning. So um we met with Weston today and um they were really happy to see our plan and talk with us on our work and um
045try to bring that over to their community in the best way possible for them. Uh we had brought in our first um LGBTQ training for the staff. So they started at Willard on Monday. they will go to every staff meeting sometime over the next number of months and we uh feel good to have launched that while we're still doing other things. Um a real the NAI group I just have to echo what was already said by Evelyn. Um the NAI visit this year just was fantastic. Um they were at the high school, the row and the middle school and wow just really embedded themselves in the in the school and really engaged really great for the adults to communicate and be with each other. Just really positive. It always is positive. Something something about this
046year just felt a little more magical somehow. I don't know. And um you know we're getting ready to send the band in April. So it was a great >> of this year. Yes. So, it was a great kickoff to that. Um, we had a really great night last night at the middle school celebrating Ellen Garrison. Um, really great partnership with the Robins House. I think a really solid turnout, mix of the community, which I think that's the goal we're trying to have is like it's kids, families, and community at large. Um, a good number of people were able to get tours of the school that hadn't seen it yet. It was really, really great. and it's the beginning of our honoring of Ellen in that building and just glad people were able to come out.
047And my last is a plug. Um we're working on community reading opportunities at the elementary schools and I've pushed this out to some community leaders just to give them first chance at the slots on November 17th, 20 and 21st at 9:30. Um there's a sign up in the link that I've emailed so far. It'll get bigger and bigger as I need to fill the slots, but if you got the link and you want to sign up, please do. We're looking for one community member and we're purposely not targeting parents yet. Um they have more opportunities. So we're going to really try to solicit folks who aren't in the schools all the time. Um one person per classroom across all three schools that morning and have just um a building >> going out to the community.
048>> Well, so for now I've offered it to some of the public leaders because I wanted to be sure they had opportunities to sign up before it went bigger. >> Okay. >> So we're kind of phasing it out. So, I have the chair's breakfast next week. So, if you want me to pass that along to that group, I will do that. >> And I sent it to a number of other community leaders, hoping they'll push it out to their groups and we'll go from there. And if next week we have to just post it, we certainly will. >> And this is the first we're planning another one in. So, we're going to try to make these regular opportunities. >> And this is the first time we've done this, right? >> It's in my goals. You'll
049hear right away. >> Oh, great. All right. Um, I just have a couple updates. uh chair's breakfast is next week, so I'll push that out. I'll send that to along to Mark. >> Great. >> Um I've been working with the land use working group committee. We meet a lot. Um we tour all the buildings in town. Um so more to come on that. And [clears throat] then the only thing I just wanted to talk about was vision of a graduate. I know that Sandep and I joined that um last week and [clears throat] it was really awesome. I have to say it was a group of, you know, parents, community members, teachers, administrators, students, and there were great snacks set up by some of our wonderful students. Um, and it was just really a great
050night that people were brainstorming like what do you see your vision graduate? What are your goals? And, um, Brian Miller sent out, he just sent out the feedback from that. So, we'll probably pass that along to the committee just to get a look so you can see the types of things that we talked about. And I do think this opportunity if you didn't get to join us maybe you could join us for another session. So it was definitely worth it. Would you say so? >> Absolutely. The we're all on different tables uh some of which we had overlap with the community members some we didn't but the the the discussions on the table and what people proud of and the the schools was really awesome. >> Yeah it really was and the facilitator has so
051much energy. Um, I had done a focus group as a parent and she just I mean she really sticks to her time and it was excellent. So, more to come on that, but we'll probably forward along some of that information so you can kind of see what we were doing and I think that's it. Do you have anything? >> Uh, budget. >> Budget. >> Yeah. Go ahead. Go right ahead. I'm like budget. Go ahead. >> Yep. So, uh, finance committee had their preliminary budget hearing. Was it time flies? end of last week, I guess. >> Thursday. Last Thursday. Yeah. >> Um, so Bob, thank you as always. You they asked you for a lot of data this year on a short timeline. You got it in. But I'd say they had a a long thoughtful
052discussion. Um, I think they listened to everything we asked for in the budget. We went in at three and a half% for the um district and negative.9% for the region. um they came out with a preliminary guideline at 2 and a half% for um district and they met our negative.9% for uh for the region. The negative is because Carile is unfortunately taking a bigger share this year um which sees us back and forth. So definitely have some work to do. Um we need to sharpen our pencil on the you know on the between the two and a half and the three and a half. um they are willing to work with us which is good like again very thoughtful discussion. Um some lowhanging fruit not low hanging fruit but some stuff you know how we
053look at bus leases for example came up and so we have some work to do not low hanging fruit but work to do in order to uh get to a final guideline but um it was a good good discussion >> and we have heard from Carile um Carile is in a budget situation I would have to say do you want to give a little update on Carlile? Um I mean it's all sort of fresh and I'm still digesting it but um yeah the Carlile select board met on Monday evening um to and you know started to issue guidelines to departments um and also encouraging departments uh to look at uh where a 1% operating budget cut um could be achieved. So, I just learned about it today because unfortunately I could not join Monday's meeting
054and um I think in the process of finding time to meet um with the town coming weeks. >> Yeah. And continue collaboration with Ryan Mlan from Carile and Dr. Hunter and the Carile and Conquered Finom. So, more to come on that. >> Anything else? >> Uh that's it. >> Okay. All right. We will move on to public comment. So, our public comment period will be a period of 20 minutes. As a reminder, this is a meeting in the public and not with the public. The school committee will not be responding to any comments. If you're in the room and you'd like to speak, you can submit a blue form to me and I have most of them here and you'll be called to speak. If you're on Zoom, you can use the raise hand feature.
055And when you're called to speak, you state your name and address. We're going to have you sit at the table today. We don't have microphones. The microphones up there are working. Um, so you can join us at the table and we will start with comments in the room and then go on Zoom and you will have a limit of 3 minutes. I was asked today if we were strict about that and I said yes, we are strict about our three minute limit. >> We have a timekeeper and if you have noticed we do have some times on our agenda so we're really trying to keep um better time of our meetings. >> So first up we have Leslie Fischer. So, as you've heard, I'm Leslie Fisher. I live at 15. As an older person with
056no children currently in the school system, I nevertheless feel I have skin in the game. In spite of the disrespect voice in last week's letters in the bridge and the recent missive from the unsigned conquered community for great schools newsletters. I pay taxes that compensate town employees. I vote for school committee members and I care about the education and mental health of children who will become future business people, public servants, servants and politicians. I'm happy that the vast majority of students and parents are very satisfied with the schools. I'm appalled by the hateful effiges that have appeared around town and dismayed that this has tarnished goodwill efforts to discuss ongoing concerns. Disagreement and persistence are not hate speech or harassment. My understanding is the school committee works in collaboration with school administration but also should
057be independently representing the citizens and their concerns and this means not always acting in concert with the administration in any arena. I'm frustrated that the concerns of a minority of disaffected students and parents are sometimes not addressed to the satisfaction of those impacted. Yes, administration has put policies and programs in place to condemn or combat bias and hate speech, and we've heard about those tonight. This is good. But I don't think the school committee should abdicate their independent voice or their responsibility to citizens to assess the scope or effectiveness of these programs, policies, or public statements. If citizens want to hear directly from the school committee, this should happen in spite of logistical considerations voiced at the October 8th meeting. I'm disappointed that more committee members didn't support Dr. Williams's position on this request. Please
058make statements condemning hate speech in any direction when it happens. And while you're at it, how about addressing the vilification of conquered older citizens? Thank you. Thank you online. I don't see any hands online. We will go to uh Serena Christina. Hi. Um well, I'm gonna keep this quick, so I'm gonna stay under the three minutes. I promise. Um my name is Serena Christina. to just introduce me. I have two children in the district, one at Alcott and one who just started CMS this fall. And I want to apologize to the committee and to Dr. Hunter on behalf of the vast majority of us parents here in the district. Um because by and large we do not come to these meetings, but um we do not come to these meetings not because we don't support
059you, but because we do. Um we are very happy with your leadership. We are very happy with your direction and with your um dedication and we do trust you with our children's education and their development. So I apologize because we need to show you this support um which is the same support that you show our students every day. So thank you and we should have more often. Thank you. I'm looking online. I don't see any. Um, Katherine Tottenby. >> Hello. Um, my name is Katherine Johnson Riby. I live at 67 Finnegan Way and I'm speaking before the committee this evening as a parent with four kids at three different schools in the district and as a kicks for cancer committee member. Um the Cocker Carile Regional School District community including the administration at all of
060our schools. Dr. Hunter, the PTGS and PA and the students works with kicks for cancer to provide a positive experience for students by fostering a spirit of unity and shared purpose through the widespread participation in events, honoring loved ones, fundraising and volunteering. This collective effort creates a supportive and empowering environment for our students. How the kicks community and the district community work together. The entire community, including elementary, middle, and high school students, wear pink to show support during kicks week, creating a visible and inclusive atmosphere of solidarity. The shared visual display reinforces the one community, one goal model by honoring loved ones. A central and powerful element of kicks involves students from 32 high school teams wearing jerseys with the name of a loved one affected by cancer on the back. The community supports the
061personal tribute, which helps students honor their connections and share their experience in a supportive setting by volunteering. The event is run entirely by volunteers from event organizers to parents and local businesses. The community provides essential support by lending equipment, running snack stands, assisting with parking, and helping with general event operations, making the large scale event possible. By fundraising and awareness, local businesses paint the town pink and teal, and various school sports teams, football, golf, volleyball, cross country, host their own associated for cancer events that week uh the week of kicks, such as tackles for cancer or links for cancer. This integrated approach expands student involvement beyond a single sport and raises significant funds for cancer research, giving students a tangible way to make a difference through guest speakers and research updates. Researchers and doctors whose
062work is funded by the event have joined in to cheer on the teams and share updates on their progress. This directly connects the students of this district's efforts to real world impact, reinforcing their value of their contributions. And by creating a lasting tradition by becoming an annual town tradition, Kicks for Cancer provides a continuous, reliable framework for students to engage in philanthropy and community service throughout their high school years, instilling a sense of pride and shared accomplishment. None of this would be possible without the support of the district, without support of Dr. Hunter, without support of the PTGs, the PAS, the community volunteers. And because of this, [cough and clears throat] our our students transform a single weekend into a powerful communitywide movement that provides students with a sense of purpose, connection, and hope in
063the fight against cancer. So, thank you guys. >> Thank you. And next, we Let me just look online. Anyone online? >> Okay, now we have Paige Ton Rigby. >> Um, I'm Paige Rigby. Um, I came out here tonight with my mom just to talk about my experience in the Conquer public schools. Um, for I think 10 years I've been in the Conquer public schools. I went to Thorough Elementary School, Conquer Middle School, and then now I'm a freshman at CCHS. Um, all the years I've been in the the schools, I've loved all my teachers. I felt very supported. Um, and I've also I've had great classmates. Everyone in the schools are just so supportive. Um, I'm also part of the women's soccer program at the high school. Um, I was pulled up halfway through the
064season, so I didn't really start out on the team, but when I did join, all the girls on the team were so supportive and it's just it's it's not the team's not only full of talent, all the girls on there are very like so nice and very welcoming. Um, in middle school as part of the playbook leadership program, I think that's a great I that was a great experience. I really think that was I think it had a good exposure and it also created like really good like scenarios for us to think about. Um, yeah, I'm also involved in some of the clubs at at the high school, which I think are great for the community. >> Thank you. >> All right, look online. [clears throat] >> Did not see a hand online. Um, Jenny
065Gar. >> Hello, Jenny Goff, 51 Poolage Road. Um, I'm really here just to say a tremendous thank you to Dr. Hunter and to our school committee for your tireless efforts on behalf of our schools and our students. Um, I'm delighted to be able to express these sentiments because they should be said loudly and more often, but I'm sorry, as um was said earlier, that it's in response to some of the less savory behavior in conquered as of late. Uh, my husband and I moved to conquer just over 17 years ago with the hope of finding our forever home. And we chose this town because we perceived a real sense of community with shared values, a reverence for its rich and meaningful history, and a commitment to making the world a better place. but first and
066foremost because of its schools. Frankly, none of those other attributes would have even come into play if there was not a strong school system already in place. And I'm pleased to report with one about to graduate from the high school and another in his sophomore year there that the system has met everything we hoped for. Academic excellence, rigor, the opportunity for growth, leadership, and debate, uh learned accountability, empathy, community, and fun. We've witnessed so much good happening inside the four walls of all three buildings. things our family has been through. And I wanted to highlight that most recently we had the privilege of attending the last um unified basketball game of the season where our daughter has been a student mentor for the last two years and it was held during um last Wednesday's flex
067block. And it's truly hard to articulate the magic that we observed, the number of students in attendance, the number of teachers, the cheering, the celebrating, the energy and the joy in that um gymnasium was palpable. It was truly a walking, breathing example of celebrating inclusivity. And I mean it when I say that's one of many examples of wonderful that we witness through our kids week in and week out. I'm not here to suggest the experience has been absolutely perfect. That would be an unreasonable thing to say. But I can say with firm resolve 17 years later that the school system is something to be really proud of and that the leadership in this building and in all of the concrete school buildings care deeply and work very hard on behalf of its students. What I
068can no longer trust with the same resolve unfortunately is that early sense for shared values in this community because I have been disappointed um with some of kind of my fellow Concordians for the past several months. The barrage of letters and calls for change in leadership from residents who have had zero firsthand experience with the schools and administration has been really upsetting to say the least. And the recent scarecrow incidents are nothing short of shameful and deplorable. So, you know, this misinformation and the personal agenda and the bullying tactics we're seeing are far too familiar. We see them every night on the news. I'd like to see Conquer do better and be better. And I just want to say that I am one of many who thank you and see you and stand with you.
069Thank you. All right. Anyone online? No. Okay. Ellen Quackbush. I'm Ellen Quackbush, 206 Prairie Street. I was pleased that CPS chairman Andrew Herek broke the school committee norm of conversations in the public and not with the public by sending me a personal email in response to my email to the committee about the October 6th meeting. Thank you, Andrew. I sincerely hope that your break with president messages increase to a dialogue with the public. That would be just amazing. I won't repeat all the points I made in my letter to Andrew, but I wanted to highlight two points. One, school culture matters. The voice of the graduate, Tracy, you talked about this was a it was just amazing. A great way to engage the broad public. I especially like the word cloud that was published that
070emphasized two words from the students. One, empathy and two, teamwork. These two words are essential components in my view of culture. that is an empathetic culture in which students individual talents are celebrated and leveraged for the good of the whole team. We all recognize this truth. Um after our kids graduate, they rarely operate as sole actors. Rather, they operate within a team to drive change. The CCS committee, the CCHS committee admin administration and superintendent should work as a team to instill respect for all and reinforce empathy and teamwork to assure student success in life. And two, and Lesie said this, honestly, gray-haired retirees do have skin in the game. I am frankly tired of letters to the editor and comments in newsletters that dismiss people who look like me as irrelevant because we have gray
071hair and don't have kids currently in the concrete school system. On the contrary, my and our children are poster children for how CCHS can propel students success in life. Let me tell you the secret sauce. It is not academics. Rather, it's the extracurricular activities. the teams, the groups, the, you know, Jewish student union um that give students a sense of belonging and self-worth that really matters. For my son, it was Chuck Brown's leadership in uh chorus and drama. My son was often the tener lead in CCHS musicals. For my daughter, it was the inaugural girls ice hockey team. She was a great and strong skater, but learned pretty fast that passing and playing as a team won games. Bottom line, please engage proactively with all members of the conquered community. We are all pulling for
072the same student success team and we team and we all care deeply about the the wonderful education our kids got and the education of the current students. We're all on the same team. Thank you. >> Thank you. Okay. Anyone else online? >> No. >> Okay. Going to close up public comment. We're moving on to our consent agenda. Does anyone anything they'd like to pull off of consent agenda? >> Uh procedural question. >> Yes. >> So item F, it's the conference school committee, >> the minutes from October 22nd. >> We get to vote on that since this is original. >> So we do we can vote on it, but you're going to the Carlile members will not vote. So when we vote on the consent agenda, if you are a member of both committees, you just
073say I for both. And if you are a member of Carlile, just say I don't vote on when you're not going to vote on that. Just say I for region. That's fine. >> We didn't call the conquer committee to order. >> Oh, we did not. You are correct. We didn't call. >> Are you looking at me? >> Yeah, I'm looking at you. I'm looking at [laughter] you. So you know what? Let's just pull this off for the >> just one. Just >> you are posted as joint. So, I just want to be >> We're posted as joint, but we call the order. [clears throat and cough] >> That would be a question. We'll just call the conquer meeting to order. >> Yes. I'd like to call the conquered public school committee to order. >> Okay.
074>> So, we're all set now. We can vote on everything. So, just if you are a conquered member for both and if you're a car member. >> Okay. So, anything else consent agenda? >> Do we have a second? >> Second. >> And all in favor? >> I I both. It's very confusing. Sorry. >> It will always be awkward. >> It's always awkward. Um, okay. Our correspondence. We had a few pieces of correspondence this week. I think everybody has those couple questions, couple media requests. Um, but we have all read those. Haven't been as great as responding to everything timely. Some things [clears throat] people don't ask for responses, so I don't respond to those. Um, and that's about it. Um in our discussion, I would actually entertain a motion to move uh item C, which
075is the data presentation first because we have our professionals on Zoom joining us. So I would entertain a motion to move that as our first discussion item. >> I move to move data presentation up to the first discussion item. >> Second. >> Okay. All in favor? >> I. All right. So, with that, I will turn it over to Shelley who has we only have a um a copy of the data presentation and Shelley's going to take us through that. I believe we have principles Stall and Miller online and Angel Charles is also with us online, but Shelly, I will turn it to you. Thank you. Um I'm going to share just a couple of highlights. So, I know I sent you a very lengthy document and so for the public, I'm just going to really
076provide highlights um so that it's more of a conversation, but just really to emphasize uh the work that we're doing and celebrate the success of CCHS. And as you see online, we have our colleagues here who really own a lot of the success and the work of the entire team of CCHS uh who keep kids at the center of all this. So let me share or Lori I don't know you [snorts] want me to. >> Yeah. And we will be linking this um the the slides that we received ahead of time. We will be linking this after the meeting for the public. And then the other thing I'll just say is a lot of this information you can find on the DESIE website on their accountability reports. So um if I showed Sandep today where
077they were. So if anyone's having difficulty finding that I can show you where that is and I'll probably just send the link out to that in case you want to you know just go through all the desi information for all the towns in the state. >> Question. >> Yes. start. >> When I looked at the uh 2025 data compared to our fall 2024 data, the format was different. Any particular reason for that? Comparing one to the other makes a little bit a little bit more burdens. >> Yeah, I think we wanted to share be more um transparent about all of the data that we could. It was also breaking out now. This year we are breaking out as the two separate districts. Last year's was K through 12 information. So, um this year I wanted
078to highlight a lot of us at of course just solely the high school and then really hone in on what the efforts are with the course academic course selection and really that is an effort for equity but I can share more about that. I think it was just making sure that we had deeply covered as much as we could. Um, and we've been also using a data tool. I've talked about it in the past, Open Architects. So, we're we continue to refine that resource um to to look at data and we are in a better place with that because it's a newer platform just so folks know that um continually needs to be updated and we need to tweak to make it accessible and useful for the information we need. And so I think we've
079been really trying to work on that and the high school really has owned that so that all educators are really using data to inform their practice. >> I had asked a similar question too. You can see the old data on the DESI website but sometimes there's a bunch of blanks >> and so what we if it's not statistically significant or the end number is less than 20 or something or whatever 10 they won't report it. So there's a bunch of blanks that we we can try to fill in. So >> yeah, >> that was helpful. >> Okay, so one we always want to start like I said I really want to celebrate what um I've started a little over a year ago and just really acknowledge what the high school has been been doing. This
080is a partnership between every stakeholder within the community as we said right to lift up our students and to support them academically, socially and emotionally. Um while we're focusing on academic success, we know that the real success and how students thrive is on in all these different efforts that we're hearing about and that we know um shapes belonging and inclusion and feeling like this is a place for them where they can thrive. Uh so but to highlight our academic successes it really is to say that of course as always and it's been been continuing for many years conquered Carell is one of the highest ranked districts in the state and um to share that DESIE provides a percentile of that ranking um in terms of comparisons to other like schools or Well, essentially by grade
081level, so n grades 9 through 12. So comparing us across all other 9th through 12th grade schools across the district, we are in the 98th percentile. Um you can only go up to 99. So we celebrate that. And um as also 10th grade ELA, math and science MCCAST achievement scores um are significantly high. and we are at the 81 percentile for math, 80 percentile in um 80 percentile in science and 84% in ELA and just share those rankings with you in terms of comparisons to other districts. Um to continue on that in terms of academic achievement, we often look at AP and SAT scores as well and and that performance. So um DESIE does comparisons of us to other states. So I only have published the SAT and the AP scores from previous years. So
082that's where we you see us as number one um and number four in math and number five in AP performance. Um but I can tell you for the AP exams there were 733 exams taken in 2025. So this is May of 2025 and this is our internal data that 85% scored a four or five. And for those of you who just want to know what four or five, it's a rank, it's a score scale of one to five. Four and five are your scores that um either colleges are going to give you credit for academic credit for and um is seen as really exceeding at college level course um course work. Um, and then SAT scores, you can see those. And nationally, that's in the 85th percentile. Average SAT scores tend to be about a
083thousand total for a little bit higher for ELA and a little bit lower for math. Um, so there were some dips in that, but um, this is known nationally and at the state level too for some of this work. So, just wanted to share that in context. So, I don't know if um Brian or Katie or anyone else here wants to share anything about your successes. I've named some, but there's so many. >> Sure. Um, hey everybody. Thanks. Um, sorry it's a little awkward. I'm like talking into a screen that is still a shared screen, so I'm not sure who exactly I'm talking to, but I hope all There we go. Um, so I mean one of the things that Shel alluded to that that we've been doing um that we've really been focusing on
084is getting our historically marginalized subgroups in to higher level classes. And this takes a little bit of time of course, right? We can't just all of a sudden decide that we want um marginalized students to be in honors classes. It doesn't set them up up for success. But what can we do setting the foundation in grades nine and 10? Um, and we've continued to do that and we've we're continuing to do that so that we are having more students of color, more students who use IEPs, more low-income students in honors and AP courses. Of course, the numbers are still not where we want them to be. Uh, one of our our SC our math chair says she we really want we want to make sure that all of our classrooms are mirrors of our hallways,
085meaning that we want all of our classrooms to look just the same as our as our hallways. And we're not there yet, but we know we're not there yet, but we're actively working on that. Um >> I would also just add that um with that comes along you know the wraparound supports and making sure that the students who we are encouraging um to be in higher level classes and to take those risks are simultaneously being supported by the teacher and we're [snorts] setting up you know structures for them to feel um to to feel like they can take the risks and be successful. I mean, and we're really actively working to s so provide professional development to our teachers. Um, I think you've heard Lori speak of the Levvenia group last year and we are
086continuing to partner um with them this year to ensure that our instructional methods are researchbased and that they are accessible to all students and that we are able to support all students as Katie mentioned. >> Yeah. So that really lends itself well to um we know the areas of focus and this is not new news honestly. Um, this is work that has been a part of the high school and across the district's strategic plan, advanced coursework, AP and honors, um, moving those students, but again, high engagement, high support, and really ensuring that students feel like they belong in those courses and have the skills and the capacity to do so. Um and so therefore achievement gaps we do continue to need to close those for all subgroups. Again that is a statewide and national challenge
087and we are working closely to really think about that deeply here and think about what that looks like for this community and what this high school has to offer um around that curriculum and instruction. Brian already spoke to it, but again, it's really about we've talked a lot about universal design for learning and making sure that those instructional methods are around scaffolds and supports, but that again that scaffold meaning something to support them as they access the material doesn't mean that it continues to stay there. The idea is that those scaffolds are removed as students to continue to internalize and gain more success in skills. Um so that is continued work. It's ongoing um curriculum and just updating curriculum and making sure that it's engaging that it builds curiosity and it's really future forward thinking.
088thinking about in terms of for example vision of a graduate. What does teaching and learning look like in 2025 and what do our young people need for the future? And it does not honestly it does not mean the same that it honestly looked like in 2020. The five-year trajectory of what we I think experience in public education and what young people are experiencing since say they were in middle school through high school has drastically changed. And adults sometimes have to adapt a little bit more than our young people. So we know that and we know that it's so important for us to think about what matters most for young people in terms of engaging their curiosity and thinking about their future selves as well. Um so with that as others have shared the idea is
089that we're solely focused on academics and skills and standards. of course we are rigor and excellence is a part as really a cornerstone of what we do uh but I think it's also the high school thinking about TEIB and just balance and well-being right so those are um programs and all the enrichment and activities that support identity and belonging but I know the high school has done so much around just focus groups and lunch activities and just really getting to know the community. Um, I was really impressed last year with what they did in terms of just having every high school student a photo of them and thinking about who was a connected adult to them, who was there to support them, how do we know them, what are their likes, dislikes, what are their
090strengths, what are their challenges, who do they go to? Um, and really, as you know, the support that that was felt in this community, especially in the spring when all these students are taking all of these exams and thinking about the end of the school year, their future next year. Um, that all just came to life, I think. And so, we continue to do that and think about how do students thrive um be independent learners. And something that that's new this year is that Route Nine. It's been talked about here just about how do students build as a ninth grader their skills? How do you navigate a new school community? How do you transition from 8th to 9th grade? What does it mean to be academically prepared? How do you build those executive functioning skills?
091Um how do you become more of an independent learner? And how do you just positively contribute to the community of CCHS? Not again just about yourself, right? about juros soul academics but really about how are you contributing to others within this community and how do you speak up for yourself and speak up for others. So I think um equity is really again at the forefront of what we're doing but equity and care and well-being are really really a significant component of this. Um, and just also just in terms of contextualizing all the data, it's just important to know that so as we know MCCAST is no longer a requirement to graduate high school. And so what I was sharing with some of the slides around desi slides and just state averages and trends um oftent
092times students if they don't see it as a something that is mandated that has a high stakes to it which I think is important um that not all kids need that um it could be a barrier that for example open response questions the things that they just may not want to take a risk or take the effort start to um they noticed that pattern. Um so that's where you're going to see across the board dips have been made since 2020 and and preandemic. So this five-year trajectory has just kind of dropped and there's a little bit of up and down. Um and I think that is sometimes just trends in cohorts and such, but on average over the last five, six years, we've seen that drop. And that's just really to share that these achievement
093gaps have also not closed and in some cases they unfortunately have widened and we know the urgency of that and we know but that that also this is really really challenging work right this is people this is a work around young people and shaping their minds and supporting them so what Katie is sharing about wraparound supports and all that intervention it does take time it's going going to take a while for things to stick. Um, and we are not pivoting to say new initiatives. I think we're really just around staying the course and being really laser focused on this work um and intentional with it because we can get distracted with so much other happen other things happening. But again, keeping kids at the center is what we're trying to do. Um also just to
094say that this is all highlevel data and I and I think we all take the approach that these levels of data we use kind of the guide of street data so that when we're looking at MCCAST and AP and SAT we're calling this a lot of the street and sat or I should say the map and satellite data. It gives us a direction and we can find trends and patterns. It ne doesn't necessarily tell the whole story and it doesn't tell the story of our students and their experiences and what we may have to do to individually support one person. No one size fits everyone. We know that and so we are trying to be as intentional with each and every student that we have in front of us and what works best for them.
095Um, and it does sometimes mean taking risks around enrollment, say encouraging a student um, to take a higher level course, but knowing that sometimes that stress and what's going on in someone's life may not make it cap. They may feel that if you're not earning an A, you should not be in that AP course or that honors level course. And that stress can be burdensome and they say I don't know if I want to carry that weight too. So there's a lot of complexity to this. So we just we of course make benchmarks and goals and want to increase every year. It is also going to have some eb and flow to it and we but again we're going to be persistent and continue this work. Um and I really think that is the majority
096of what I wanted to share and just because um where you may see some gaps in data as Andrew had shared um when you have low end sizes like the student sizes and some of our subgroups are fairly small numbers. So there will be some blank data points but that's not to say we're not doing that at the school and the classroom level. Uh the leadership team at the high school is really laser focused on individual kids. So you may not see it here in this presentation, but you're going to see if you're in the buildings, that's what we're doing. We're talking about kids. We're talking about what they need. We're talking about how to build coherence and collaboration and that collective work that we need to do to support each and every student. So,
097I think that's kind of the big the big takeaways and love to answer any questions. >> Before you go to questions, the one thing I'll name and this is >> we've gone back and forth over the years over whether we do K12 or just the high school. I have to note that in a high school conversation, what K8 sends them is really important. And we are here's the headline for two weeks from now for the conquered committee. Um the middle school's been recognized for closing back to pre- pandemic rates and been invited to a desi forum to share practices. So that's exciting news and I think that's going to mean the high school receive kids receives kids that um are are further than the ones they've had as we you know work work harder at
098the lower grades. Of course we talk with Carlile and what they're sending us as well. So, just want to note that it's an important piece of a high school discussion is it's not always their um control to to do all this work. It really depends what they receive. >> So, so Glory to that point um what kind of longitudinal analysis can we do to see just the growth in the kids versus where we stand? >> Yeah. So, we look at you know I know you've looked at SGP with MCCAST which is an ELA and math so we can see that individually. Um, open architects is where our real data powerhouse is now because it it's the whole entire student history at a glance and at a fingertip. So the, you know, real work of getting
099that robust over the last couple of years means now that a child's entire academic profile and growth is now at every educator's fingertips. Do we still have a room to go on everyone being adept at it and accessing it fluidly? Yes, it's still a work in progress, but the tool is there now. >> Yeah, you can look at um in open architect. So, the high school really wants to see that, right? like in terms of you can see that trajectory from kindergarten. If a student started here in kindergarten um that cohort like it will it will map students by that cohort year or graduation day or year so that you can follow them and look at that historical trend. Some of the challenges here with MCCAST is you're thinking about different cohorts. Um so we
100would have to look at it diagonally in terms of like pulling the data from there and that's what open architects helps us do. Um, it also is requiring us to tighten up some of that data because it's uh reported from multiple resources and AP and so that's it's open we've had to work with open architects to be able to make sure that that data is tight and um following the student and then of course but when a student comes in later in the you know if they come in from Carl making sure that we're working with Carl to get that data in too. So we have to really think about that integration of that and again as Dr. Hunter shared just making sure that educators really feel confident and comfortable. Um so right now we're
101really focusing on the ad administrators and teacher leadership in that. So um the high school can talk more about that in terms of anything around looking at data and cohorts and historical >> but why do why do we give any credence to MCCAST anymore? I'm just thinking of what you're saying. Like I'm thinking myself in high school, I would have circled a on every scantron sheet and doodled and then just, you know, try to get to New London as quickly. Like that's what I would have done. And so now I'm thinking like, does this even does this data even matter? >> I mean, I think it still matters to a degree of the state standards. So it is tracking state level standards and trying to assess in those three content areas how students are performing.
102it does um compare us and give us some trend data, right? So, it allows us to look at where those gaps are, compare us over time to other districts to make sure particularly say if there's another higher performing district doing something we can, you know, we can learn best practice. But but I'm saying like is that data even does it matter like are kids taking it ser like I >> I think kids I mean I think Brian and Katie would talk more about do kids take it as seriously? >> Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think I would say to your point, Andrew, right, like we're talking about high school kids and they know, right? Like they know that it's no longer, you know, part of their graduation requirement. And so, um, I think that's a
103factor. And I also think like our kids do take things seriously. >> Um, but is it a 100% of kids taking it as seriously as we want them to be? No, I'm sure it's not. Um, but I will say for the most part, I mean, we had really good attendance um, for MCCAST and I do think that our kids for the most part um are, you know, are keeping keeping it at the forefront and in in terms of trying, but I do think that the fact that it's no longer required is definitely um it's a factor. >> Yeah. And attendance is different than effort. And I'm just like I don't know how long the um high school MCCAST is. I'm assum is it a couple days? But I mean you could repurpose those days and
104do something else, you know. >> I guess I have a question about the um percentages. So yeah, went through this and we've got a number of slides in here. black students, medical students, uh students with disabilities, and they all have percentages percentages associated with them, but they don't have the total like, you know, percent of what? There's no total amount of those demographics anywhere in the presentation. So, we have 72% of black students enrollment in math in enriched courses. But what does that translate to? >> Right. You mean in total some total sum numbers? >> Yeah. Like what what's the whole you know like what you know a percentage you know >> you know one of two people is 50%. >> But um what's the number of students that we're measuring? >> Something was on
105the chart. >> We wanted to um >> I didn't see it. We didn't some of the end sizes are small um and we didn't want in a public sharing of a document just like the way that Desi won't share under 20 um for student privacy. So we didn't want anyone to be able to name or know oh I know who those students are who are in or not. Um, it's also because internally we have so desi in the way that they use their their how they label or assign your racial demographics. If you are multi-racial, but I it's it's a considered a separate category, but you can be you identify as multi-racial in a racial group. So we internally are looking at students on how they racially identify and so if you are mixed race,
106black, white, whatever it might be. So the numbers can be misleading in terms of if you were to compare it to our total number as DESIE reports X number of students. Um, so we wanted to show that we are making gains in representation of those students. And Brian and Katie, I don't know if you have more about that in terms of why the numbers might be a little bit wonky. >> Yeah, I mean, so a lot of the slides that um, Shelley used are also slides that we used at our opening faculty meeting. I mean, as Shelley said, we our number one focus every day when we get to school is about equity and creating an equitable experience where all students show up to CC and that regardless of the color of your skin, your
107income status or your if you use an IEP that you can achieve at high levels at CC. So, these slides are they are high level. It's a fair point. I take that feedback. Um, and we want to we're continuing to do the work. We know that we have work to do and we have a lot of things to celebrate as well. >> The progress is evident. You know, I can see over time that there has been progress made in all these different areas. But when it comes down to um trying to digest the information, it's it's hard to understand like what are we talking about here? And um and it would just be helpful to have an idea of the number associated. And I did go to Desi to see and I knew that the
108subgroups are too small to be reported on Desi, but I was just curious >> because we have the information on what that possibly was. >> We do and we discussed that in >> we did and the hesitation was the public piece which is why Jesse doesn't. >> So we're happy to talk with school committee because the numbers are so small. We just wouldn't want to put it out in the community, >> right? And we know which grades kids are taking him. Yeah. You know, it just it feels hard to do the setting. [cough and clears throat] So >> questions. Yeah. Si, go ahead. >> So Bob, Shelley really did give you a run for your money with with all the >> on the numbers. [laughter] >> I I I had what about 20 or so
109questions. Um we we don't have to go into all the details, but there a couple I I I do want to bring up. Um we benchmark against certain districts, right? Can you share >> why we chose those districts? Sure. So I pulled uh a significant I think it's on slides >> 12. Yeah. So I pulled districts that were have been performing well um that we often compare ourselves to that are known to do well. Um they are also a good number of medical districts. Um, and there are also just districts that have again done well historically and have been named whether they're in Boston magazine or US News and World Report. [snorts] So, and I pulled some neighboring districts. So, that's where you get that entire list of communities. It's hard uh but you can
110see that range and where we are and where we fall into that. So, that was the comparison. um districts that are right near us, but then also districts across the state that also do well. >> I can't really share more about that. >> Looking at these numbers, one thing I noticed for English and math in a lot of districts is the drop from 21 to 202, which I just think is interesting because in 22 you have whole another year of normal >> pandemic. >> Yeah. >> But a little bit more back to normal. Um, is there anything else besides the pandemic that that we that Desessie is attributing, you know, this decline to >> that decline or that dip? I do know that because 2020 was not a testing year because of the pandemic. 2021
111was a a brief MCCAST, so it wasn't a full MCCAST test. >> Um, And didn't the state give us like three years to wasn't there a guideline from the state? I'm trying to >> There's a formula that we're still held accountable for that we have to be on a certain trajectory back >> to preandemic and that's what the accountability formulas >> are doing. So we're still held accountable for being on that path. >> Yeah. >> But yeah, I think it's probably she's right. The MCCAST was >> it was a different format. That's good to know. I think it was >> abbreviated in 21 fully in 22. >> So really to compare 22 to 23 and kind of see if the growth >> yeah you almost have a reset there 22 and on because everything before
112that is 2019 and pre- pandemic and >> the whole world shifted. So yeah >> right >> that's just I think we're post pandemic. I mean I don't even want to talk about the pandemic anymore honestly. the kids do. [laughter] >> And I do think that just the context of public education right now, what our young people are experiencing. I think just the context is very different about how students learn today than it was even five years ago. So we have to really think about that as our our young people and what they're growing up with. And there's a lot of rigor that is expected of them and there's a lot of stress and you know the high school is really trying to address that as well. Well-being is also at um >> the forefront and
113MCCAST is a as much as it's a criterion reference test the proficiency levels are formulas behind the scenes as to where those cut offs are going to be. So, you know, there's just a lot of variables that can play in that are hard to track. So, >> um >> that down so they can see >> fine. Uh on short 11, actually the the science the SGP was missing was the reason why that was. >> Yeah. So, they only do SGP for grades four through eight and then grade 10. um they do not do it in science because it's only tested in grades five, eight, and 10. Um so they don't have enough data because you're talking about the yearover-year growth with that student group. So I think because of the data that they have at
114the state and um even within one district, they don't they don't think it's valid to be able to have a growth percentile. And sticking on the topic of science, uh we haven't I haven't gone to Desi and looked at it, so I'll admit um it would be great to understand how our girls are doing in science compared to our boys. >> Um >> yeah, that's definitely on the data um on Desi's data. So we can pull that >> and I'll send everybody a link to and I should have done this before to the Desi accountability report. So just so you can go in there and you can look year by year and you can sort of the >> it was in one of the slides. Okay. Yeah. Okay. >> I love >> Don't quote me
115on it, but I do think um females do pretty well and may actually um outperform males. For some reason I have seen that data here. >> So again >> if if not we should you know. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. >> Timekeeper, how much more time do we have on the subject? >> More time. >> Yeah. >> You're watching the time. >> Yeah. [laughter] Loosely. >> So, if you don't mind, one more question. >> Yeah, of course. >> On the AP scores, right? From chart 32, I think it was the the increasing trend on the percentages is great. It would be great to have that baseline against the number of tests >> to see if the number of tests are going to or are we, you know, preventing kids from taking So they get higher
116scores kind of thing. >> What's going to be exciting is as we bring E English online as an AP, it's because right right now when kids take the English one, it's then trying to take their coursework with us and apply it to the test or they're doing things outside of school. And I think that's going to be a really great data point to watch as we have more accessibility to the English. >> Yes. Sometimes kids will actually take the AP English. we don't offer a we are now going to offer AP English, but I might have had a student in my house that was like, yeah, I don't feel like taking the test. And I was like, but you're signed up. She's like, well, I don't feel like taking it right now. And that can
117happen in these high school kids in the spring if they're, you know, depending on where they're at and what they're stressed about. They make choices about they might have been signed up and then choose not to take it >> and and that shows up as a low score or >> No, they just don't take it. >> Drops our participation rate. Yeah, >> I think that happened a lot more in English because it was one of those things. It's like, well, I didn't take the course, so I don't know how I'm going to do and I don't feel like taking. >> Just a personal anecdote. >> Any other questions? L Michael, >> good. Andrew, >> we're five minutes behind our schedule, but we're having a good discussion. >> I know. I love the discussion question. Um
118so looking at slides 9 through 11 where the different groups um you know looking at how the different groups performed against the state and obviously everything is seems to be above the state average but if we were to look over the course of I'll say the last since 2022 >> are we see like >> do we have any concerns with any of the groups like are we overall seeing progress are we seeing any dips anywhere? >> Can we throw that to Angel Charles who's online and hasn't spoken and has the challenge of talking about special education in MCAT? >> Of course. [laughter] >> Yeah. Hi. Um, so I have a couple of things that I wanted to mention. First and foremost, I want to applaud Brian and Katie for engaging their faculty and staff members
119in really difficult conversations about access and equity gaps. I know that work has been a labor of love for both of them and I think that they should be highlighted and applauded for doing that because those are really difficult conversations. Um I also want to talk a little bit about um we do have some students who actually don't take the regular MCCAST, they take MCCAST alt um which regardless of how they perform on MCCAST alt counts in a negative light as an as um technically someone who's not achieving the guideline. So we have many students who um engage in the very rigorous uh process of compiling MCCAST alt binders um to show that they're making you know the progress that they're making towards standards but they may not necessarily be on track to you know
120um potentially receive what used to be a regular high school diploma with regard because that was an MCCAST um requirement. So, that is another factor that I want to bring to everyone's attention because I'm not sure that folks understand that MCCAST ALT um does not necessarily get factored in at a rate that is um commensurate with the effort and work that students put into it. Um, Angel, I just want to say I was on your meeting a couple weeks ago with parents um, talking about the IEP process and the special ed process in the district and I was very impressed with the way that all of the staff in conquered were explaining to the parents how things go. Um, I have a high schooler, um, that takes MCCAST with substantial adaptation in another district. And
121so, uh, just having the MCCAST not be a requirement for graduation, like it changed my life because now he can get a diploma and it's, um, it's great. So, I was paying special attention to the kids on IEPs, the kids with, um, you know, uh, high needs when I was reviewing all this data. Um, do you feel like the district is moving in the right direction as far as that's I know it's it's like hard to measure because there's so many factors involved with that, but how do you feel about that? >> I mean, I feel that essentially with when any student sits down to take and and ideally obviously the accommodations that students get when they sit down for MCCAST are the same accommodations that they're given when they are sitting down to access
122any course assessment that they're taking. So that's really my focus and that the students who are on IEPs that their IEPs accurately reflect the level of accommodations and modifications that they need so that when they are sitting down to do a quiz, the MCCAST, any sort of assessment, the SATs, that they are provided with the accommodations that the team has recommended so that they can access whatever assessment they're sitting in front of to the greatest extent that they're able to. I mean, I think as to really just answer your question, Brian, I think we just aren't always staying attuned to those levels of need and where those achievement gaps have persisted. I don't think from 2019 and I think Brian Katie would be able to share more about that if there's any kind of dramatic
123dips because I think we're pretty much close to that preandemic if we want to use that as our baseline. I think we're trying to do more than that in terms of just really closing those gaps and again access to rigorous high level content [clears throat] and really letting students explore their pathways and that's why we're providing more advanced coursework right adding more AP and honors um and just thinking about ways that kids can really demonstrate what they know and really help build their passion for what they want to think about after high school. My only last comment, we're spending a lot of time talking about the overlap of right because students in these categories may be in multiple categories. >> Yeah. >> So, we're really spending time diving into where those overlaps are between special
124education and certain, you know, the the black students for example, and where those performance place, you know, how is that lining up? Um, so there's all these variables to consider that we're trying to dive into because you can't just say it's special education because >> right >> kids may be multiple things and then is that becoming co- co-actors versus single factors and that means we have to look at the approach from all those lenses and not just one. I'm sorry I'm fixated on this, but do we even have to take them? Like that that [laughter] >> is still Okay, sorry, Andrew. It's still the law that we have to offer the test and sit the children in front of it. >> We cannot make them take it. [laughter] >> You get these accountability results. >>
125Um, and the participation rates still matter. So that if you have any student group that is not participating, you could be assigned >> intervention as a as a district or school. >> I wasn't trying to be funny. And then when I took the MCAST intervention, >> you could get scholarships to like >> Yeah, you still Okay. >> Well, and I think maybe this is highlighting some parent education that needs to happen around MCCAST and how they like even though it's not a graduation requirement, parents need to know it still is important. We're still held very accountable out of 95% of participation aggregate or in any subgroup you're going on a corrective action plan >> and I think that's the thing we got to keep you know opt outs they come and go in trends and
126I think our worry [snorts] is people are going to start opting kids out and then we're going to be in some corrective action you know so we just all have to take it seriously >> and question I do think that you know now we also offer the PSAT and the SAT at the high school >> and I think it just feels like another testing environment when they're taking MCCAST and our kids are really good at >> they I mean they thrive in that environment but again this is only one measure of assessment you you know there's assessment that happens within classrooms all the time whether it's you know teacher based or >> you know what it is so this is just one measure >> I mean our level of concern for the three grades that
127are going to have four tests >> eighth grade already does and five and 10 will um I mean that just is just decimating what's happening in the spring in classrooms to be testing that much. >> There's no answer. We have to do it, but it's really really hard. So, we're going to just keep looking. I think we should keep talking about this part of it, too. >> Yeah. Because you do lose instructional time, right? >> I was going to say maybe a question is more like is MCCAST the right metric three years from now or four years from now when >> Yeah. And you know, the state is actively in the discussion of graduation requirements and it looks like there's some proposals for a different test. I think there's an attempt to work around the
128am I supposed to say this? Work around the vote um and put an assessment back in. >> Yeah. So, >> have to keep an eye. >> Yeah. >> Interesting. But it is true about the um just parent education and student education that MCCAST is an accountability measure. Um and that when last when the vote happened, however long ago that was, I can't recall >> it was a lot of families I think and voters were not they thought it was just eliminating it alto together and they didn't realize that it's just it's not eliminating it. It's just making sure that it doesn't become a barrier to getting a high school diploma. >> It's a federal law. We have to have an accountability >> and it is an access and opportunity issue because some students just do
129not test well. It is not the full measure [clears throat] of what a student knows. And so it was harming more students of color and these historically marginalized groups, students with disabilities, because if you cannot pass it, um you will not be given the the state's recognition of a high school diploma. >> The certificate. >> Yes, the local high school can give you the local diploma, but it's not recognized by the state. Um, if you want to talk more about MCCAST, next Wednesday, Carile will be doing >> a dive. Um, and just one thing I thought to share. Um, Jim gave me a bit of a preview. Carile's last year's eighth grade, was number one in the state for ELA, math, and science. >> Wow. Good news for CCH. [laughter] >> This year's freshman. >>
130Oh, congratulations. That's a big job. >> Great. Okay. So next year there'll be a 10th grade that class that scored. >> Yeah. [laughter] >> All right. Anything else before we close up this discussion? >> Um, thank you to Brian, Katie, and Angel for joining us for this. I think that was super helpful. Thank you to Shelley for putting all this data together. It was actually really super helpful. >> And that'll get linked to the agenda. Yep. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Good night. >> Thanks. >> Um, and that brings us, actually, it's actually better that we did this way to our first reading of the competency determination policy. So, if we can share that. Let me see if I can pull it up. This is a first read to our
131policy. Laura, do you have a chance? I'll see it. I'll get it. I can. >> That's okay. >> I'm ready to do. Do you have it up? Can you screen share, Shel? >> Yes, >> Shel's gonna talk you through this. >> That would be great. >> While she's queuing it up, and I know you started to say this, but I'll finish it. Um, >> right off the conversation we just had, like we said, um, competency determination now is dictated by policy. So without the MCCAST, and we got very good at this in COVID, without the MCCAST, we have to have a prescribed set of coursework that students must pass to reach graduation that sits next to the graduation policy, which is credits and things like that. So you now need to have both. So this
132is the template the state has provided us. We filled in our local information, which Shel will go through. We owe the state an approved policy by December 31st. So this would be your first reading with the second one at your only meeting in December. Just so we keep saying that at your only meeting in December on the 17th. >> Right. So this in in lie of MCCAST as a graduation requirement to show in those content areas of ELA, math and science. And then also coming up in 2027 is that students need to demonstrate mastery in US history. So that explains that around instead of MCCAST, what how are we going to determine that a student is eligible to graduate? And so of course we have all our coursework, we have our graduation requirements, but we
133also have to explain to the state what our requirements are. And for example, if a student who comes in middle of the school year or junior year or a newcomer student from a different country or whatever it might be in order to demonstrate their mastery and competency in these content areas. So it it is a formula. It's essentially us filling in within English, math, science, US history, what the specific courses that will will um satisfy those requirements. Um and it just articulates the courses, how many whether it's a semester course or a full year course and if a student needs to take that the two semesters, the full year. Um and then how we do potential competency determination reviews and appeals process if we feel that someone has not satisfactorily passed that course for full
134credit. So, it explains for students with disabilities, English learners, and like I said, late enrolling students. And then it explains the appeals process with a panel review and transcript review in case um something that was reviewed in terms of courses they've taken that they might think are equivalent say from another state or somewhere else that um they have this process and this due process um to in what they get the certificate of attainment um which [clears throat] is like what MCCAST would provide high school students. So that's really it. It articulates the courses. Um we will obviously update this every year with if the programs of studies change and any course work, you know, can be added in terms of additional AP or other courses that might be able to um meet that competency determination
135for that subject area. And Shelley, can you just talk about um the process for developing this? Like who was involved in this process for developing this? >> Yep. The whole high school leadership team. >> Um so Brian and Katie of course and then all the department chairs um and the assistant principles um guidance of course the guidance team. So, it was everybody who reviewed this, looked this over, and then we just uh tightened it up a little bit. >> Okay, great. So, this is So, everyone's had this. This is our first read. >> As Lori said, our second read would be on December 17th when we would vote on it. Does anyone have any questions, comments on this? >> I just had one question. It's a very thorough policy. But my question, I'm also mindful
136that you always say I cannot sort of reflect back at my own high school experience [laughter] in the 90s. But looking at this and I think this is a question the community might have. So I want to ask the coursework feels light. >> And what I mean by that is like for me to graduate I had to do four years of English. I had to do this last year. >> This is just the replacement of class. You also have to meet everything on our graduation policy, which is what you're thinking. >> I'm glad I think that's going to be confusing. >> Yes. >> So, we're going to have to keep messaging. >> It's like our >> course load here, your fouryear course load is a lot more rigorous than what the competency determination >> the
137state is expecting. >> And it >> to replace just the MCCAST, >> right? no longer be a graduation requirement. >> So that's like a minimal competency determination >> and then the district has the ability >> the district has our entire ability. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Our graduation requirements are much much >> more broad and robust. >> So you spoke about ECAS again. Uh I see I saw that one of the the ways you determine later dwelling students was one of those but if it's not one of the options >> can be a >> it can still be if they've taken it in another um if for example they've come from another district or another state and they wanted to take the MCCAST um there could be an opportunity for them depending on their transcript. It's
138like it's really an independent transcript review of students in in special circumstances. >> So somebody moves in junior year >> then you'd have to either look at their transcript with all their coursework. You could give them the option to do the MC guess. Is that what you're saying? >> But you wouldn't get the results for another >> few months. Right. >> Right. You'd get it their senior year. So if they were a junior that would be >> it's not registration to enroll. It's a registration. >> Yeah. Right. Right. It's really for the states. We have our own graduation crime. It's the state's expectations for their endorsement >> essentially >> of a high school graduate. >> And when you think about like the different abilities do you think about a child with an IEP with, you
139know, high needs or special needs, you're going to want it to be something that they can complete so they graduate as well. That's kind of like where I brought my mind. And then the the school itself has its own >> Yeah. Exactly. >> Right. This is not the policy per se, but can can you share why the US history was added >> because there's an MCAT there there's a testing coming for the 10th grade MCCAST in history. So, we have to put a placeholder in there for when that is live. >> It's active now in eighth grade. We'll have scores for you in a couple of weeks. >> The Civics is now up and running. It was a pilot year, the previous year. Now, when we do the CPS, >> share that data in a
140couple weeks, you'll see the first results of civics. Um, and then we'll see how that applies to accountability. I'm not sure. >> I'm grateful they asked us to think about it now so we don't have to bring you the policy back in a year and say, "Oh dear, now we need history." Right? So at least it's >> so yeah, you think about like say what the um that ballot measure was, but where the state was going was still continuing with assuming MCCAST um testing was going to continue to happen and that they should expand it beyond just those three core subjects of English, math, and science and add more of the social studies, the history, and civics. But it's somewhat not in line with how we're thinking about MCCAST now as not a a strongest,
141you know, >> I expect >> relevant >> measure. >> I expect we're going to see some fluidity here as all these the governor's committee keeps talking and the legislators get in it and I think there's going to be an ongoing what's required to graduate conversation. >> Right. >> One last question. >> I I know not voting today. So it's maybe too early. Um what's the process once this is put in place to is it [cough and clears throat] specific time frame where you will see if this is working or is it set in stone for good >> policies can always come back. So I think we'd execute it this spring where we map kids out against it and give you feedback on whether we're whether it's working or not. Right. >> Anyone else? >> No
142vote, right? So, no vote. >> No vote. So, no. Nope. So, you'll see this again on December 17th and then we'll take a vote. So, we're compliant state. Um, okay. On to Bob, our f our FY26 first quarter transfers. I think there's a not a memo, but there's an item in your packet. >> Somebody's sharing right now. I can't share. Should be good. I just closed it so it should work. >> Oh, okay. Oh, now I Thank you. >> Okay. So, um I'm presenting the first quarter. It's a little bit past the first quarter. We typically do this um because September 30th is so early in the school year um about now. Um so, we have a update a little bit past the first quarter through the end of October on where we stand for
143Conquer Carile Regional School District uh versus the budget. Um and uh this is the traditional format we've been using the last three years. We have it by the the DESI classifications of expenses. Um when I'm done presenting, I'll be requesting approval for um the transfers listed in the second column which net to zero which are transfers between the different main categories of accounts. Um and so um again just at a high level um if you look at the um the total the far right. Um you can see that we have um you know not factoring in um my my math at the bottom there. $8 million left on our budget. Um I then know that we're going to spend all the fixed charges. Those are for things like insurance, including health insurance. Um and then
144our debt service. Uh those payments come due at various times throughout the year. I know we're going to have to pay them through fixed amounts. So really what we have available is about 2.5 million over $40 million budget. Um so uh it's about um you know it's a it's a small percentage. We encumber all of our salaries at the beginning of the year. Um so while the 40 million seems like a very large number pretty quick in the year we've kind of identified where we're going to spend most of it. Uh the transfers that we have so far are driven by some changes from our budget assumptions. The first one is in the district leadership and administration category. Um, we had a a a staff member uh notify us for retirement. Um, while we were
145building the budget, we made an assumption that we the person's a instructional technologist. We made a budget assumption that we're going to find a young technology wiz. Um, and we found an experienced technology wiz. So, I think the cost was 42,000 more. Um, the role is a little bit more instructional support now than it was in the past, but that's the um the explanation for the 42,000. Um, the instructional leadership. Um, we have some people notified us of retirements after um we started building the budget and some of them uh pretty late in the year. So that uh instructional leadership savings of 106 is is mostly on um salary savings. Um other school services is primarily special ed transportation costs and homeless uh transportation costs. We have a couple students who have moved to another
146shelter and have opted to school in conquered and we're paying for that transportation. Um the um >> and we will get reimbursement. >> We'll get reimbursement next year. Um so it'll some variance we carry next year. It'll be favorable revenue that we get next year. So we end up whole in the long run but in the operating budget it really doesn't help us. >> Yeah. Um the um [clears throat] maintenance operations is fairly small. Um this is happens. Um I don't have have any detail on that. It was fairly I didn't think notable. It wasn't significant enough that I thought it merited any comment but I just drew attention to it by talking about it. [laughter] Um so uh the fixed charges and debt and retirement service. Um there's just a a little switch we
147made. Um we have most of our debt services bonds. Um we have one that's a bond anticipation note. Um because the amount small and it doesn't make sense to bond something for that amount because the the uh the debt issuance costs um will exceed any savings we get on on doing a bond versus a ban. Uh it's a lot of detail. So the the the long and the short of this is that ban interest should be classified as fixed charges and not in debt service and the rest of the debt retirement debt service and retirement should be debt principal and um and interest um on on long-term debt and only principal repayments on bands. So that's really just a reclassification to align with requirements. Um and again this is earlier in the year. These numbers
148will will change as [clears throat] we go. Um, but at this point in the year, there's not a lot of significant changes to how we budget in this district. >> Any questions on that? >> Very much part of just our formal process. So, I would entertain a motion to approve the budget transfers for quarter one. >> So, moved. >> Second. >> Uh, any further discussion? All in favor? I >> I >> one, two, three, four, five. We have five. Just said to count stepped out for a second. We have three members. All right. Uh and then on to the capital budget. >> So this is the first time we've uh developed. Last year we provided a memo on this. Um just um in terms of the historical context, the building is not that old. It's
14911 years old. Um and I've talked to consultants about um kind of you know when to anticipate you know significant capital needs and they said you're you're probably in a safe space. So um we went through an internal exercise this year to to identify what we knew and were aware of. Um there are some things um that have shorter lifespans than other things. Um but this is kind of the first kind of way we're presenting in this format. We we'd welcome any feedback. Um we'll certainly share u what we have here, why it's here. Um and um so I'm going to go through that now and I'll talk about the top section here are the items that we're presenting that we know that we need um over the next few years. Um the classrooms across
150the school um don't think some we've had like a couple that have been painted here and there upon request. Um, as we replace um the uh the touchscreen boards in the rooms which are original to the building, um we're going to need to be doing some painting to to repair those. And we're thinking that over time we're replacing the panels over two to three years. Let's at the same time use that as the time we paint um do the painting. Um so also working in the the hallways and the bathrooms. So this is an estimate of the cost over the next three years. Um, we also need to update paint numbers in the parking lot so that the numbers are visible. Um, especially the upper turf area. Um, we think this funding is adequate for
151for all all the numbering we need to do. If it's not, we'll focus on the upper turf area first. Um, we have lighting control systems that are obsolete. Um, one of them I think we're going to have to do um now or this year. Um there's a I won't get into the um ways of what the type of models are, but there's an obsolete model that um if it if it stops working, we can't do repairs to it. We need to upgrade and replace it in a newer version. Um we anticipate that this is going to happen with multiple of of these over time and eventually we're going to want them to be all all the newer version. So we're we're estimating that we're going to need to replace we're going to end up doing
152one this year out of our operating budget. uh one um in 27 and then two from FY28 through 31 um is what we're anticipating. um HVAC rooftop units. Um knock on wood, we we we've had one um I think it was FY24 where um the compressors there's multiple compressors in the rooftop units. Um and to they're also I don't know if you seen the units, they're they're very large and the compressors are too heavy to carry up um in through the building and you actually have to get rent a crane to get up and replace them. So, the cost of the compressor itself and the labor in renting a crane is about $40,000. Um, we've only had to replace one so far. Uh, the use useful life estimates vary. Like that one is probably a
153little bit early, but we thinking, you know, when we get out to FY29, we're about 15 years out. We should we should plan that we're going to probably need to replace some of these. Um, we can't easily absorb a $40,000 unexpected expense. So, um, we've I think there's um I think there's 10 to 12 units on the group. So, this would just replace the first four and through FY31. >> Do you think that you guys should accomplish some escalation in that time frame? >> Possibly. That's a good point. Um um you know, maybe it is a little bit more. Um I think we had to replace multiple compressors in the first unit. We might have to replace all the compressors in another unit. Um, so we can certainly I'll certainly talk to the facilities director
154about that. Thank you. Um, so the next one, um, but everybody's seen, uh, I think or if you haven't, um, but the Doug White new turf is fantastic. Um, it include the cost to install that. It's about twice the size of Memorial Field. Memorial Fields turf is original um to the at 10 years old. It's typically the life of artificial turf is close to 10 years. We're getting at a point where they do something called GMAX testing. I don't know what it stands for, but I know it basically tests um the amount of uh how safe the turf is for athletes. Um and as they do that, um they, you know, notice that there's levels of some deterioration, not as bad as Doug White was, but we feel it's prudent to pay to factor in
155a design in FY27 and to plan for the installation in 28. That would be the summer of 2027. FY28, July 2027 would be 20 um would be FY28. So that would mean um [clears throat] for the fall 20 um 27 sports season, you know, potentially would be targeting to have this in place. Um we'll see what the results are of the testing, too. If it tells us it could be longer, then great. But um >> and we looked at that for the Doug White and once it fails, then it it's unusable if it does fail. And they can kind of they can kind of do the trajectory of when it's going to fail, right? >> Yeah. Yeah. And I don't know what the law is. Um but I certainly know like if we have students
156on there and it's not safe like feel like we're doing what we should be doing. >> The anecdotes I've heard is >> when they get on Doug White they're like it's so squishy. >> It's really squishy. >> That's that would be the safety part we were >> I'm just wondering if you're looking this in July if you put a down payment in which would be the prior fiscal year. So if you want to put some of it into >> Well, I'll talk about how we pay for it later. He's got some creative >> that's that's a whole separate this is what I'm identifying in the top section is what the needs are >> and I'll um talk about how to fund it because I um >> I will make a comment about the cost too
157which is >> we we were hearing the pressures from both towns and we also saw what happened when we brought the amenities building. Yeah. >> So you know I know there was people who didn't support it but this is something that I don't think we can risk not having support for it. um we will have students with won't be able to play their games on a safe >> field or they'll have to have their games away. So >> we we hosted a few districts right this season. >> Actually hosted Bedford this year because their turf wasn't finished in time. So we hosted a football game >> because it can happen. >> So they they had an extra away game. >> They had an extra away game. >> I I walked down because my son was
158at soccer practice to go look at other CC football and I was like where's CC? >> [laughter] >> Bedford. >> I texted Tracy. She's like, "Nope, >> it's Bedford." >> Uh, okay. So, um, so that's what we estimate for the cost. This, uh, existing conditions building assessment is something that we did at CPS. Um, I've talked to a consultant that's, um, kind of an expert in this field and, um, what they said was as the building approaches 15 years, it probably be a good time to do it. I know it's something that's come up to the town that we should have CCRCD capital plan. I hope this um my my my view is that we'd probably be throwing some money away by doing it that early if we try to do it on 26 or
15927 that if we wait until um FY29, we'll get more value from it. There'll be more things that need to be addressed and that we need to pay attention to in the near term. Now, if we did it now, we'd be looking at things that need three, four, five years out. by the time we get there, it's a little bit of stale information. Um it's a little bit more theoretical. So, um I'm recommending that in FY29. Um these there's some specific uh >> self-explanatory. >> Yeah, there's some specific smaller things. Um the um the and I I just want to point out that the vehicles we have are replacing a 2008 model year and a 2005 model year. So, the special education van, that's just used by CCRSD. Um, and that maintenance vehicle, we rotate.
160We buy some from CPS. We buy uh some from CCRSD. The last one we bought was from CC uh CPS. It's the region's turn to to pay for a maintenance vehicle. So, those are the the total costs we've identified over five years. Um, and what I've um kind of listed here is I've just assumed that um the uh the lighting control updates will will pay out of the operating budget. Um I think we have the capacity to absorb that and it's not certain that we're going to need to replace all of them over those times. We'll wait till they fail. Um and then I um was looking at like we're going to have to fund the rest from capital uh our capital stabilization. that would mean we'd have to contribute 206,000. Um I'm assuming I've
161assumed we use some excess and deficiency to fill gaps. The challenge is how do we come up with this 206,000 in capital funding in FY27 and 764 and FY uh 28. And so what I'm proposing as a sample funding strategy um is that we repurpose our OPED contributions. And this shows you what our capital stabilization fund is at the bottom. Currently, we have we have 425,000 in our capital stabilization fund. I'm not counting 225 because that's set aside for sewer connection fees for the amenities building. um if we repurpose our OPED, which we've gotten feedback from Carlile that we're probably contributing more than they think we need to, um we use the 26,000 that we've identified in our plan, we'll be left with 389, we then can contribute 375 the following year. Um and that
162will enable us to cover the cost of the turf field. That'll enable us to cover the cost of the turf field without having to ask Conquered or Carile for another buddy re another dollar. We're repurposing the OPET fund. Um the feedback we've gotten from Cariles that it's a very challenging uh budget environment. Um I also think that um it helps us be a little bit more self- sustaining if we figure out and regularly factor in some type of capital stabilization contribution. So these one-off projects aren't hitting the town in a clunky way where it's a large number one year nothing the next year, a large number two years later. Um but to try to have a more measured um funding model. So that's how I um recommend funding it. I know it's a lot of
163uh data and a lot to react to. There's no vote tonight. Um but I'd certainly welcome any feedback on it. >> Question. >> Yeah. Had we either repurposed or failed to put funding into OPED in the past? >> Last year for the first time and that was mostly because the out of district tuitions were well well over. >> We're uh we're sick we were 60% funded as of the last valuation of the OPED trust. I think we were like the second largest regional district in the state. Um so there's like a generational equity question. and how much do you want to fund for future so taxes don't have to pay for it versus >> where where would this put us do >> um we're still I mean I think we still have healthy investment earnings
164I mean there's 11 million in it >> so um I don't I don't remember off top of my head what we've done from July through October but I think we had some healthy earnings the last fiscal year um to me I feel like we're in a position not many not hardly any regional districts are in >> and it's you know we're balancing needs and um that's a future need. Um what when that's funded what it does it will mean we don't have to >> we don't have to budget as much for retirey healthcare. We can use the trust um to fund it. Um, I I I think I think in terms of the short-term needs we have here, it would probably help the towns more if we redirected it to capital stabilization so they didn't
165have the the hit. >> Well, do any of these projects qualify for MSBA funds? >> Um, none. Uh, none of these. There's an MSBA accelerated repair project that we've been thinking about with the roof when we need to replace that. But >> buildings aren't old enough. Um if we have to wait until I think they're 30 years old. >> Average age of our 42 buildings is 70 years old. >> Yeah. If you take care of your buildings, you're not want to get to get you're not going to get those. Um if 70 years, you whatever that is. Yeah. >> Just pray for me. >> Uh [laughter] [clears throat] the high school won't be eligible for you 20 years. >> Yeah. Um, and they won't cover a turf project. >> Speaking of the turf, why do
166you think we need a study before we >> I I didn't Did I call it a study? >> Yes, you called the study. It's a design. It's a design. It's a design. >> Where does it say study? >> I don't know. I think you just said study. >> I think you said it. >> Yeah, it's not a study. >> It's a design. >> We're not going to study it. >> Okay. >> I don't know why. >> I was like, why are we studying? >> Okay. It was study someplace, right? >> I think you said it in here. It says design class. Yeah. I I I think um there's a study done on the different options. We have the benefit of that same study that was already done for Doug White. You can look at that.
167We can certainly talk about it, but we don't need to pay for another study. >> Yeah. >> Just um just to mention, we meet with Finn >> the 20th, >> so November. >> We'll have to Yeah. of this month, which is why you're going to see capital plans for both districts and the meetings we have with you. It's a high level conversation, so I don't think you have to have all this resolved. They're going to be curious to see what we've put proposed. I think they'll be very intrigued to hear we're trying to play pay for it ourselves. So, we'll probably leave it at that. Um, >> but then the meeting of the three boards and it's not December 8th. >> Yeah. Okay. >> I don't It is not joint car. >> It's all capital.
168>> All capital. Yeah, >> a couple smaller ones here we might have to do this year and take it off this year's take it off. It's planned for next year. We'll we'll see like the irrigation control and the um RTU controller. We don't I mean the music room would be very warm if we didn't fix that in May and June. Um so >> do they have local thermostats or only the controls? >> Say that again. >> Do they have local thermostats or only the controls? >> Just the controls. that teachers don't get say other than a degree or two >> at most. >> Yeah. >> And this controller is the one that communicates with the rooftop unit. So it's not it's not telling it to heat the room. >> These two, >> I think. >>
169So it's So I listed them because I know we have them and we haven't made a plan to do it yet this year, but these might get pulled and brought forward earlier. >> All right. Any other questions on capital plan? Okay, great. All right, our last discussion item. It's kind of a joint discussion item with the superintendent and the school goals. So, why don't we start with yours, Lori, and then we'll go to our goals after that? >> Does Does anybody want like a two-minute break? We're We're in like 25 minutes behind. Sorry, I tried. Can we just take a quick two minutes? >> Okay. Can you mute us? Hit the other one for two minutes. All right, and we're back. So, Dr. Hunter, I will turn to you on your goals. >> Okay. So,
170this is the [clears throat] first of our new plan to look at my goals quarterly uh with some consult with the chairs for a strategy of how to do that. we deferred to the um tool that the committee used last year for your goals and I actually really liked it because it was a great way to scan down the list and say where am I on each piece and thanks to chat GBT I converted it from Word to a spreadsheet and about a half a minute and um here you are. Uh, I'll just highlight a couple I think and and we probably want to talk on color coding because I at some point some of them are going to be done and I'm gonna want to put a done on there, but the green means
171they're where we would want them to be right now. The yellow means not yet and I can explain each of those. Mostly it's just the timing of the year and where we are. Um, but overall I think things are going well. There's some academics there you see with EL and AP vision of the graduate. Um, we have had to delay Darnisa Amante Jackson. She's been on maternity leave with twins. So, she is due here in January. We thought that was ambitious that she was trying to give us a workaround plan and we just deferred. So, >> is there someone else that we can >> She is totally ready to go for January. So, we just reworked the schedule pretty much. Um, we're talking with the teacher, both unions about the teacher evaluation rubrics and updating
172those. Um I they're they're going to be spring projects, winter spring projects, but we're actively moving that. I just haven't done it yet. >> And will those be MOAs? >> They'll be MOAs. You never want to do the rubric the year you're bargaining. So it's always an MOA that you would roll into the contract when you do bargain. So and they only update the rubrics every so many years. So it's been >> probably six years since we did it last. Um the other one that's yellow is the next two yellows are really budget related. So you'll be talking with me on those efforts to start um looking at interventions across the three elementaryaries. That's obviously CPS. And then I left that placeholder yellow with identifying the strategic plan initiatives as they as we look at
173the budgets. Um the rest is all moving along quite nicely. Um some of its monitor and support which I often will use to a point. Um we managed as you heard the panorama surveys are out with religion in them. We're really interested to see those come back and who opts in and how we can start to hopefully do some disagregation there. Um and it is students, families, um both. So adults can put it in too. So if the kids are hesitant, maybe parents will do it. Um, but we'll we'll see. Um, we've identified open circle lessons that working on and I'll try to stay high school. Sorry, it's all a blend in here. Uh, I have my first high school lunch department meeting tomorrow. So, we're doing that culture work um at the high school
174and getting that moving. Um, the Ellen the Ellen Garrison piece was last night. Grant opportunities. We are just rolling and doing a great job of seeing Desi's putting out so many more grant options for district like ours. It used to all be based on need and we never qualified and the competitive ones now we are and um been really you know you can only write grants when you're succeeding some of the time at least because you start feeling like it's a waste. So that's been exciting. We have a couple more in the works there. Um, obviously we're in budget season and looking at CPC, I'll just name it. I've been working with CPC on the amenities building and trying to see where what they need and Bob and I have provided information and keeping that
175discussion alive at least in that venue. >> Um, story of a school I think we're done. We got >> I [laughter] think it's so story of school is just I think it's done. Carrie is not joining us. Um but we did receive um it in its final version and this is not for lack of us following up and trying to get it. So we were just waiting for it from the graphic designer. >> Um so that will be going out. >> Yep. And then the last piece I'll mention is just the work with the communication firm. Um I've also been working I met with the bridge editor and really we've talked on how to maximize our work with them in a different way. So I'm encouraged even in the last week. Trace has been coming
176up with all great ideas that we've been trying to support him on. So, I think the combination of the two is probably the long-term plan. I think, you know, we're we've built the website that are the stories that we're generating. And I think that's the perfect balance because we can pick what we're going to generate and they pick what they're interested in. It kind of becomes a perfect compliment. >> Um, and so I think probably just getting that word out about that website and getting some more traffic there. I have, if you've seen my newsletters, they're now I feel more robust because they're coming with some real um plethora of content. Yeah. >> Um so we're I think the structure is there. Now it's the how do we actualize and you can hear the kids
177are spotting themselves. Um the Globes picked up a couple articles off of the um communication firm picking things out. So I think it's a decent place to be in November with more of a vision to continue. >> Great. And I think what's been helpful this year is in your weekly updates >> when you put the standards in and you give us an update. So, okay, we'll see. Yeah. You know, like typically what Lori does is at the end of the year, you'll get all of the evidence um listed together with Oh, wow. That was that was exciting [laughter] >> with our goals. Um and it's actually a lot to absorb at one time. So, I feel like seeing it weekly, it gives us we can see your evidence. you know, we see it through a
178narrative, but then Lori's good at like doing the um she'll give you links to all the evidence so that you know, maybe even in your next update if you have any links to anything you want to provide just so we're not getting it all at the same time. >> I think that could be helpful. >> It depends what time on Sunday. >> It just depends. [laughter] But I think I'll start early. >> Yeah, because at the end when we were doing it just at the end of the year, it was a lot of information to go through when you really, you know, it just it was very timeconuming. So this is helpful. Yeah, I do agree. Those new Sunday format on Sunday is just very >> Yeah. >> helpful to just at a glance. So,
179>> great. >> Thank you. >> I actually do have a question if just looking at particularly at the last four bullets on um communication. >> You've done well in filling getting everything almost everything to green as as as should be expected. I guess do we have measures or will we be seeing measures that show how those bullets on communications relate to moving things toward a goal or what measure do we have to seeing how we succeed? >> Yeah. I mean, Andrew looked at me and said, "How many clicks do we have on that website that you've generated out all this news on?" I think there's going to be multiple ways to measure. Um the goals themselves have different variance degrees of that and I think some of it's looking at you know some of them
180are going to refer to other data points and looking at where we saw growth and things like that. So usually that level of discussion would happen closer to the actual evaluation itself. >> Right. >> Which would be next spring >> which is not this spring but in the spring. Right. Right. And maybe that would be something you could shoot for like in February if there was anything that you could add on that, you know, just >> inform us on that. >> So that we'll have something that we can look at to say, "Oh yeah, we're making progress." >> Progress. Yeah. Yeah. Like some evidence somewhere. >> Okay. Let me think on that. Propose some ideas. >> I think you mentioned a lot of this. >> Yeah. >> And it's just trying to >> figure out
181where we put it and how we see it. >> Another question for you. >> Yeah. Where do you think you need support? >> Interesting week to ask me that. >> Yeah, >> you're doing it. I think I really do. Um, you know, the work that the team is doing is very well supported. We feel, you know, I think actually tonight was a great example like we knew how much you were going to want to hear in data. that's holding us accountable for that and we tried to give you a stack of data that was going to try to answer most of those but also be able to take your questions. I mean I think that's you doing your job and >> asking all and probing and what's this and what's that and um so I
182think that's one is to keep doing that um in a way that feels collaborative would be the hope and that's certainly where we are. Um, I think two is just the budgets. Carla is especially already putting out flags of really big concern and I'm gonna say what you already know and I think this is going to be a groupwide you know the the reductions they're asking for get multiplied at the high school budget which is where we usually get really challenged because the exponential factor becomes very impactful versus a a 1% isn't a 1%. So I think we have a lot of work to do there. Um, so I think you're about to really become part of that hard discussion. Yeah. >> All right. Well, thank you. Anything else on board goals? Okay. On to
183our goals. And I'm going to share. I did not use chat because I was not good at it. So, I just made an old school chart. >> It's so fun though when it works. I know it wasn't working. It was taking too much time. It's like I'll be right with you. I'm like, okay, they're not right with me. So, I went old school. [laughter] Um, so one thing that we're working on actually with the graphic designer that's doing our goals. And when you see story of the school there, our goals are right at the bottom of the last page. So, what I have asked for is you can we have some things hanging around the room now just to keep us focused on the strategic plan is here. We've got our bias reporting um paper
184right there. That's going to be a poster just because I think it's important to keep us focused on what we're doing, why we're here. We have it up. So, it's up. So, I asked Lori, I said, "I want a poster in here and I also want our goals to be posted up here." So, we're always focused on them, not just the three times a year that we're going to actually look at them. Uh, last year we did a green and a red model. Brian reminded me of that where green was on track, red was needs some attention. So I think as a committee I did not fill in any any colors next to my chart here. Um but I think as a committee we should decide do we want green, yellow, red, do you want
185green, red? How do we want to track it? And then I do have a notes column because I think it's important to just note like if we have something to work on in November, I want to track it here. So we're we'll go back to it. So I just want to go through as a committee just one by one. Uh the first goal is a budget goal to ensure transparent, collaborative, and fiscally responsible budgeting that aligns with district priorities and public support. So I just want to go down this list of the objectives that are under here. And we have to first decide on the color coding if anyone has thoughts on that. Green, yellow, red or green, red. I feel >> I feel the green red works well because it's it's either >> on
186track or off track and I don't want to debate is it partially off track is it fully off like >> like where yeah >> so maybe the notes is an area that >> can elaborate on that but I do think it's just cleaner if it's on or off >> okay Andrew you have any thoughts on that >> I agree >> green >> Michael >> simpler the better >> okay >> I like stuff like char salt would be Good. But >> okay. Oh. Oh, so good with all three. All right. So, it sounds like we're doing two and then maybe in the notes that section we can do it. Okay. So, we will just Let's see if I can actually do this all live. >> Access and all. >> Oh, yeah. Ryan, that great [laughter] that'd
187be great. Can I figure out how to do it? Do you have access? No. Viewer. Okay. All right. friend. >> He's ready. >> Yeah, you have the power. >> Have the power. All right. Host. And this is again, I think with Lori, I think we have to do like when we're check we're done. So maybe it's a green with a check mark in it or something. Brian, get creative. Um, host onboarding budget workshops for new committee members by September 2025 or a full committee workshop by October 2025. I feel like that's done. >> Maybe green in a check. something to make sure we don't have to track it from >> Yeah. >> next year. >> Okay. Um, collaborate with conquer carol finance committees to reach a mutually agreed upon FY27 budget guideline by October of
1882025. [cough and clears throat] Andrew, we'll look to you on that one because you just went to the fincom. I mean, we haven't really collaborated with them yet. >> Well, their final guideline is not till November. So, I would rewrite this. I would write this differently. So, are we comfortable with changing the dates in November because this is what we wrote in August? >> I'd say it's off track because >> we're at least a percentage point apart. >> So, >> I guess what I struggle with a little bit is we're so early in the game, our collaboration, I think, is on track for where we are. I >> know what you mean. Um, like we obviously have the work >> ahead of us >> to do, but we I think for where we are in
189the year, we've been on track for the collaboration. >> Okay, that's fair. >> So, can we just say like I'm just going to type some notes in here. On track, but working towards November. >> Sure. >> Okay. Next one. present clear community accessible budgets for CPS and CCRSD at the 2026 town meetings. >> I think again where we are investing in November and if anybody has any notes or comments feel free to just all right goal two I won't read this to everyone because I think you can all read. Um, we'll just start with the first objective, right? This is the community engagement goal. So, amplify and promote district-wide communications, district bulletin, school newsletters, local news outlets with measurable engagement by midyear check-in January of 2026. >> So, we don't have to track that way.
190>> So, it's by January 2026. But, do we feel as though we are promoting the districtwide bulletin? That's how I read that. How what do we have to measure that? How do we measure that? >> I think that's where we're stuck here. I don't think that we actually put that into our goals is how we're going to measure that. Is it clicks? Is it um social media trends on your social media? We don't have social media. You can see the viewer. >> Yeah, that one's always >> I I know it's this one's a little trickier. Well, I think we produced a lot of the content and we have the relationships and we have the infrastructure and now it's maybe tracking clicks and maybe doing a ser like a pulse survey. >> I don't know. >>
191Well, and I do think that that added um the added part on our website. I think that's been super helpful um for districtwide communication so we can send people there. But I think we have to be we did this before and we did QR codes in the buildings. I don't know if it really got us anything. Like every time we had something we would have a QR code so people would go right to our website and they could see it but we can't really track it. Um we did it with a subscriber list. I think it was three year two or three years ago. We were trying to build our subscriber list and so we're pushing people to um a QR code so we could see it but we didn't have huge results because some
192people just don't want to subscribe to anything else. >> So we are definitely amplifying our communication. and we're promoting it and then we just need a way a better way to track it. >> Tracking how successful we are. >> The the the way I read that it's it's we have to have way to measure by generally. >> Mhm. >> That'd be better. >> Okay. >> All right. So on track and let's talk about our next meeting. We'll just put it on the agenda >> for like how we're tracking it. >> I'm not certain we can say we're on track. We don't have measure. >> Yeah, that's right. >> Which which by the do >> the orange would be great. [snorts] That's why the yellow went the yellow [laughter] orange. >> We don't know. Brian, I'll
193let you decide what goes in there. I see question marks. >> I think the way again I look at it is if our goal is to have measurable engagement by January and we are thinking about it and working on it, that's we're still on track. If we don't have measurable engagement by the time we look at this in February then >> okay [clears throat] >> we can't I don't think we can say that we're on track if we don't have measure we need to have a measure before we can say we're on track. >> What is the purpose of making it red is just to apply more focus to it basically >> which is what we need to do. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> All right. Make it red. >> I was going to make
194the whole box red like Lor's so you can see it. I know you can do. >> It's a lot of pressure. A lot of pressure in live option for right now >> and the limitations. All right. >> All right. Moving on to the next one. >> Deep relationships with the select board and finance committees to better align goals and ensure communitywide transparency and fiscal coordination. Um, I do believe we're on track with this. I have had a lot of conversations with Clark Howell since the summer. I think FinCom, I think we've had some one-off conversations with members of Fincom. We did have the meeting um in your office with Pinkcom leadership. We also had a meeting at Lois's house. Uh, so I do feel like we are in better shape with our relationships there. And
195just to add from the >> car perspective, I do agree that we're on track. I mean, just the fact that they've had me twice present on the happenings in both districts um at the select board meeting. >> Um >> I don't think that's happened before. >> No. >> Maybe one action would be to ask the finance committee and Mark and Mark for the select board if they're happy with our engagement. >> Okay. Yep. package it up. And will you do that, Carla? >> And Carla, excuse me. >> All right. Pilot new two-way communication channels, podcast, town hall style listening sessions to engage more diverse voices by early 2026. We've not done anything with podcasts, >> so I would say off track. >> I also don't know that we've done style. >> No. Listen, we were
196starting to look at it in Carlile and then decided we needed to delay for a little bit. >> Yeah. And I think that um I'll just say as a we haven't given recent events, we're not really uh opening things up publicly right now. I'll just say that >> might be more of a reason to open things up. >> Well, I think from a safety perspective, I think that that's what we were thinking about. understood, but might be more of a reason to open up a two-way dialogue publicly. >> How do we get back on track on this? >> Well, so did the like when we had coffee with >> like the oneoff coffees like part of that or would that new because I know several of us have met with several people oneon-one and conversations
197about thing. I mean, >> we have not done a podcast. So I can obviously we did not do that but we have done when someone has said meet me for this we have done >> we have had a lot of meetings I actually agree with that >> I mean the the larger format we've been not doing it and Brian and I have talking about it Carl we have some venue challenges among other things uh but yeah I think I mean we've been open to it when asked to do it. >> Yeah. No I agree with that. That's a good point. >> I'm happy to keep responding to uh written comment. >> That's a form of 2A. >> Yep. >> I just got to be careful about open meeting. >> Yeah. >> And I guess you
198know, are we thinking about podcasts this year as a committee? We thinking about doing a podcast. >> I am not. >> I would say if there's the opportunity to join a podcast. So like join a podcast puts together a podcast for Carile. >> We could participate. >> Yeah. >> But I don't see us having our own radio station. >> The radio station. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Going on it, but we can't go in IQ. Yeah. >> Yeah. If you went there, you'd have tech support because Ned could set you up to just do. >> So maybe maybe it's outreach with other committees. I mean, the town of Conquer is I think Carla is doing more than conquered is doing, but Megan Zamudo is doing podcast. So if we had an opportunity to maybe partner with
199the select board and the fincom to do something >> we've been saying this but I'm happy to explore >> more what to do. >> Oh yes your peg access right has a job >> what was that action >> we need a sub like a subcommittee on this or is that >> subcommittee would not be a bad idea? Yeah, it seems like >> we do have the communications. >> We are the communications. >> Good story. School wrapping up. >> Yeah, we could do that. [cough] >> Something a new charge. >> Yeah. Okay. >> All right. Goal number three, policy oversight innovation goal. >> You scroll down. >> Oh, sorry. Sorry. Yep. So I think what we do need to do is we don't have a policy subcommittee but we're going to do it because we did
200a fullscale policy review last year. We're going to do it at meetings. Um so what I would suggest is starting in January to put to do the MASC updates that were from our policies and take a look at those first. Um >> my plan was to get you the state required policies done first which is why you've done two now. >> Yep. >> And then I think that makes sense that so we are we are doing that in our policy work. So but I think that would be the plan for moving forward but that would be like a January plan. >> So I do think we're on track because we are looking at summer policies. >> Well you did the required >> we did the required ones. would do two requirements. >> Not everybody can
201say that, right? >> Right. Give yourself a >> All right. >> A yellow or a >> a green >> green. Okay. So, the cell phone policy all now this is all by quarter 2 2026 and I think I had left this meeting. I'm not sure what you guys meant by this. I think I left that meeting. Like did we mean that by December? >> We'll see summer like January, summer spring, summer quarter two, summer quarter one. >> I may have said that and in my mind it's it's April through June second. >> So calendar quarter. >> I might Can we just change that to say June 2026? >> Yeah. Can you Yeah. >> Is everybody okay with that? Just so fiscal quarter versus calendar quarter. >> Yep. Please change it. It's great >> because that
202makes a big difference. >> Okay. So, in this one in specifically the example was cell phone policy at the high school and I think we are looking to see what the state is doing on that and we will have to talk about that as a committee. >> I'd say that's kind of off track if we haven't done anything yet. >> We don't does that say the AI didn't we talk about the AI policy? >> We did. You did. So maybe this track partially on track >> partially maybe yellow [laughter] >> it is. >> I think it needs attention. >> I think the cell phone is a number is probably the top three pieces of feedback I get. >> We got them. >> We were at the event last Tuesday >> the um that the middle
203school is sponsoring Adrian Adrien Prince. Yes. and and there were a lot of business there were >> I had to leave early and so they were a little bummed >> but we did get correspondence about it also >> we did either >> yep okay off track >> but just as a note I don't know that we need to wait I don't know that we want to wait for the state >> so I think we dig the need >> and I do think that we'll need your help with getting some feedback from the staff and the students we talked about that last year getting student and staff feedback back. That might be something great to talk with our reps about too >> maybe >> or student senate or some channel like that. >> What are these
204three? So this is November. >> November, February and I look back at our calendar. November, February, and June. That's when we have them charted out on that schedule >> that I attached. >> Sorry. >> So what's our immediate action to get this back on track? I say we don't think we have to do cell phones in January. >> What does that mean? Do cell phones in January. >> I I think we need to start talking about cell phone. >> I think we at our I think at our next meeting we should outline what a process looks like. >> Okay. >> Or we have time to do that so that we start in January. >> One meeting in December meeting. >> I think we should um >> All right. That's okay. No, we'll put it on
205the agent. We can >> process. We should invite community correspondents on that subject. >> Well, I think we should get a process, >> right? >> I think we should get a process in December and then our first meeting in June, we could have people come. >> Yeah. >> No, but even if people come out, I think we'll have time for everyone to speak. So, send in correspondents, >> right? We'll have a hearing maybe, too. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Um, are we good with that? We're off track. launch a transparent publicly accessible policy update tracker on the district website by the end of 2025. >> Who would like to comment on that? >> Anyone? >> I would say we are off track any head space. >> I'm not really sure um the definition of this objective.
206>> Does anyone want to expand on that? Were you gonna make me go back and watch the meeting? [laughter] >> Shelby, y'all go back and watch the meeting. >> We sure are. >> Okay, I'm gonna stay off track on that. And everybody's homework is go back and watch the discussion of the September joint meeting. I think it was September 10th. >> And the first person to do it can maybe text the group on >> what [laughter] time you can. We cannot >> you cannot text but you can inform you can send me an email and I will push it out to first person watches it. Just the time I want timestamp. >> So whoever watches it first is going to send me an email and I will push it out to the committee >> which
207is going to be you Tracy. >> It's not going to be me. I'm going to put my money on my Michael. Will it be you or me? [laughter] >> That's right. >> Okay. >> Erin can get you the time stamp. We could ask >> better. >> That's even better. September 10th meeting during the goal discussion. Okay. Erin's gonna push that. >> Actually might it might be helpful just to watch that discussion again. >> Yeah. >> Yes. >> I think I already watched it once, but this is not ringing a bell with me. Okay. Um on to four superintendent evaluation and student outcome goals. So that first objective, evaluate and approve specific, measurable, actionable, resultsoriented, and timetrack goals for this academic year in September 2025. >> Okay. Great. Conduct quarterly reviews of approved superintendent goals with
208aligned evidence and documented feedback at regular intervals, minimum three times a year. So we're >> we're doing that. contract. >> And last one, monitor student achievement and equity related. >> Sorry, I need to go back to this one. It's a documented feedback. We haven't documented any feedback. >> We we heard Lori present. >> Yep. She's and she's given us evidence. We haven't given her any feedback is your point. >> Yes. >> What is feedback? The discussion we just had or >> it says documented feedback. Is that conversation sufficient or >> I think we defined that. Yeah, we defined [laughter] that. >> Yeah, because we were the question we had was what are we going to use a measure? >> The conversation we just had. I thought >> how about if how about if everyone sends
209their feedback to me um about how we can document and find measurable goals? like if you send me feedback and I'll >> why don't I work on the measurable part before February because it'll help this conversation I think. >> Or if you have any feedback on anything you've seen in our goals, send it in writing and then we'll compile it and we'll review it. >> Yeah. >> Um and that could be, you know, her Sunday weekly updates to us. It could be the tracker that we saw tonight and just send it to me. >> But I do think documented feedback would be oral and written. orally written. Yeah. >> Yeah. So >> the conversation tonight is also part of that. >> Yeah. >> All right. Last monitor student achievement and equity related data as it
210becomes available including subgroup performance climate surveys and attendance trends. So I think that we are on track with that. We just had an MCAST presentation tonight and we will be seeing um climate surveys. I would have to disagree because the information that was in the presentation >> was not substantial. We weren't able to identify how many people we were talking about. We were dealing with percentages without any reference number. So I would have to say that I wouldn't find that acceptable. >> Fair. >> The numbers we didn't give you though are because of the small end sizes. >> I understand. But >> so we're happy to give them to you offline at the public meeting. It's just that that's that's the concern is the student. >> It's it's a you know on multiple different slides.
211So if we're having that small number of groups, we should find a different way to show that information because the percentages are not referenced to anything. So it's it's >> I hear your point. I think we we got to figure out how to manage the small group size, >> right? Because I think that we gave the direction of the it's it is the desi reported information because that's what's publicly available, >> right? I went to Desi and I saw that there was no information on there and we have the information, but we shouldn't be doing a presentation with information that doesn't have any reference point. You know, it doesn't mean anything. It just >> So, we spent a lot of time with the chairs on this trying to protect students information [clears throat] versus the
212part. You're you're you're right. Right. And we're trying to not disclose that of the eight kids that are in a certain group in the 10th grade, half are doing this and half are doing that. We just that's where we >> when you look at like slide about um how many students got a four or five, you know, in their AP exams, you know, black students, it's at 100%. They're just one kid, >> you know. It's very little. Yes. >> Yeah. So, I mean like it's really hard to digest the data and I wonder if we could find a different way. >> I think that's the challenge that that I think is worth trying to figure out. >> Even like, you know, one tick mark represents 10 people or, you know, like just some other way
213to reference the data so that we could get a better idea of what we're talking about as far as numbers, >> right? And I think that that part of the challenge and I'm going to make up numbers here because I'm gonna make it up. Say it's two. You don't want somebody say, "Well, is it Susie Smith or is it, you know, Johnny Smith?" Like, who do we think it is that's taking that class? That's problematic that the groups are so small. >> That's a problem. Also, if it's two out of 15 or two out of 80, they're questions that they're two different questions that need to be answered. >> And and with respect [clears throat] to what to be able to make that determination there, we should look at a way to do that. to
214when we look at those tables, when we look at those bar graphs that we can tell that oh >> or even like you know shaded without numbers. This is how big the population is and this is the percentage you know like some type of reference even if it isn't numeric based to give people an idea of like what the subgroup is representing within the larger group of that group. I do think it's going to be easier with K through eight, right? Because it appears >> it's not consistent K8. Okay. There's some spots it hits the threshold and others it doesn't. >> And I think you know you districtwide you could, but it if you're looking at individual schools, you may not because of the end size at that grade level in that school because you're
215looking at grades three, four, five, six, seven, you know. So >> yeah, it it just look even a few of them don't hit it. >> Even the 10th grade in particular is a very small class. So whereas like the 12th grade might have 320 kids, the 10th grade has like 260 kids. There was a dip in 2008 birth rates. So I think you know you might be experiencing some of that too. >> Sure. Well, so it's not for lack of trying and maybe there's maybe you can get a sh a shell or a lawyer >> that should come through me. I think >> but I also think I mean we've talked a lot about it and we're still here talking about it. So I >> don't know that we're going to solve it offline the
216whole committee either. >> Yeah. Maybe we can put on a future agenda and we can revisit it later. >> Sure. >> Okay. >> So So ask another question. This is all data architecture, >> right? Yes, most of it. But it's a mix of other sources too. Des Shelly Desie open Architect where you pulled the data from >> well some of it's our own school really really internal data that we're trying to give you access to. Yeah. >> Like I said I think it would also be somewhat confusing from that internal [clears throat] staff presentation that was shared around enrollments. Um because we are not you you might be confused then with the numbers because they don't necessarily match Desi's way of >> identifying demographics racial data. >> So as we've shared the high school wants
217to identify the students how they [clears throat] selfidentify and if they are mixed race and we do have a good number. Um so it can skew those numbers a little bit. Um that's one thing but we can clean that up. And there was a slide at least in the um just to show the enrollment trends for a particular subgroup. So yes like >> our enrollment is down about a hundred students I think from last year. >> And so um we're at about 1149 or 1147. Last year it was >> over,200. Um [clears throat] so when you think about student subgroups those when that those percentages have dipped a little bit too >> sorry going back to the question uh open architect who has access to it >> it's internal all of us at the district
218and school level as well. >> Yep. And teachers also have a dash have their platform dashboard through open architects as well. It's just they're only seeing their students. >> Yeah. But that's not something that we have access to. >> That's >> So it would be good to have a data conversation where we're not trying to convey the data itself, but the process. >> Yeah, >> that would be help. >> Sounds like that would be helpful >> so that when we do bring the data, we talk through how to do it. >> Okay. Thank you, Brian. Anything else on this? I I do think we're still going to want to know, you know, let me look at a at a bar graph and see a 100, look at bar graph and see 67, what that number
219means with respect to the student population being served. Uh so understanding how it's how we got there is important and necessary but understanding what that bar means with respect to our distinct population is what's going to inform us whether we're doing well or not and that's that's we understand how that's what's going to tell us whether how much we need to push to do better because we always want to do better but how much we need to push that and we don't know that as clearly now I don't think >> the one thing we can say is that we see the trends moving in the right direction, right? >> You know, I do see that happening. So, I just want to have a full understanding. >> All right, that's helpful. All right. Anything else on
220our goals and our new tracking document that we're going to use? No, >> good. We all have homework to do. We know what it is. All right. And with that, um, would anyone like to get us into executive session? I move that the conquered school committee and conquered Carlo school committee will enter into executive session under purpose 4 to discuss the deployment of security personnel or devices or strategies with respect there to not session >> and we need to roll call to think at 9:00 alphabetical order. >> Um so what are we saying I >> for both though or >> uh yes for both? for check. I for both >> I forgent. Okay. >> I for both regent. Oh, no.