001I want to call Open Session to order so we start out tonight with the Pledge of Allegiance leading Us in the pledge is uh counselor from North Point middle Chris Helen or hilgenbrink I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all all right moving moving on I need a motion to approve the Open Session agenda for the December 14 2023 board meeting as presented so moved second that was Julie and who's second Renee all those in favor say hi just just one moment director Olson I have a motion to amend okay um I moot to amend to remove item 13 reports and presentations is that not okay I just guys she's director Olsson
002has asked for item 13 reports and presentations on there I think it's a clerical error um but that's what that's her ask there are no reports and presentations tonight is there anything else director Olson yes I would like to make a motion to add a immediately after the approval of our Open Session agenda a moment of silence for the passing of Anita Carter a member of the wsd family who served on the North Point North Point High School custodial team second okay we have a motion in a second any discussion all those in favor say I I those opposed say nay the eyes have it due to the amendment of The Open Session agenda we are now going to have a moment assign silence for staff member Anita Carter who worked at North Point thank
003you it's always very difficult when we lose one of our own especially during this time of the year thank you for that President stly yes just real quick I think we need to go back and vote on the agenda that was an amendment we voted for I think there's an original motion yes you're correct we need a mo thank you we need a mo or we I need a motion please to vote on the original the that motion's there I think it's just a vote here okay we need with the amended thank you so again we're voting on The Open Session agenda all those in favor say I I I all those opposed say nay the eyes have it now we may go on to our mission statement learning todaying tomorrow up next is our
004recognitions for our teachers of the year for our school district Dr T tonight is a very special evening when we get to recognize so many amazing Educators throughout the district and I'm gonna turn it over to Bren who is going to pull up a quick presentation for us yeah so before we get started I'd like to ask all of our um honores to come to the bottom right hand of the stage so that when your name gets called on the video you can just come on up so if you could kind of move in that ction now that would be wonderful and then um I would like to ask that we hold our Applause until all of our building teachers of the year have been recognized farfields teacher of the year is Early Childhood special
005education department chair Brooke Keel Brooke has a deep heart for children with special education needs she is instrumental in helping students learn essential skills and behaviors she challenges herself to learn more every day she is always reflecting on how she responds and understands humans not just the students in front of her Boon Trails teacher of the year is fourth grade teacher Jim buan Mr B knows that kids are constantly changing and in order to reach them he must be constantly evaluating his teaching practices and growing as an educator he is always searching for innovative ways to bring the world into his classroom he collaborates with scientists and field experts to bring Real World Learning experiences to his student Crossroads teacher of the year is reading interventionist Susan green Susan wants nothing but the best for
006our students she pushes them to reach their full potential Susan has also gone above and beyond for our school Community this year making Crossroads a more fun place to be Susan is truly an exceptional leader and a wonderful person that I am beyond blessed to work with Discovery ridges teacher of the year is second grade teacher Abby Lewis her ability to be in tune with her students is second to none she is the type of teacher you remember for the rest of your life she supports her students and helps them grow academically socially and emotionally aby's kind and nurturing nature creates a safe place where kids aren't afraid to try new things and where they feel supported and really grow as individuals and in their confidence for life and learning Low's teacher of the year
007is special education teacher Rachel Harvey Rachel is a model educator inside and outside of the classroom she spreads her kindness and positivity wherever she goes her case load includes students from many different grade levels with many different teachers this takes organization flexibility and adaptability Rachel sure has it GRE tre's teacher of the year is special education essential skills teacher Aaron edelburg Aon teaches students with a wide range of abilities often all simultaneously she tracks individuals and goals carefully as she teaches one of Erin's greatest skill sets is her ability to Champion her colleagues and students she is always willing to jump in as needed she sees far beyond her students special needs to the heart of who they are Heritage primar teacher of the year is first grade teacher Lindsay ja Lindsay is a true
008datadriven teacher she was one of the first teachers at Heritage to use Student Success criteria with her student Lindsay's classroom has high standards for Behavior as well as academics many students who have struggled in kindergarten or at other schools have excelled in her environment Heritage intermediates teacher of the year is fourth grade teacher Natalie grass she exudes genuine care and compassion for others she takes time to get to know those she is in direct contact with Natalie not only uses the data to help support her own students but shares that knowledge with her team and leads by example her positive attitude and genuine care for others radiates from her wherever she goes Journey's teacher of the year is fourth grade teacher Lauren iin lab Lauren gets to know her students academic and social needs before
009they even step foot in her classroom she helps them set goals in I ready and my path and creates a classroom culture where students take pride in achieving at the highest levels possible Lauren often spends her evenings and weekends attending students games birthday parties Etc she goes above and beyond for short L F's teacher of the year is speech language pathologist kit R kit has dedicated the last 14 years to servicing the communication needs of students at leage she sees students for who they are meets them where they're at and works tirelessly to see that they make progress kid treats everyone with dignity and respect and always assumes positive intent from others her peers really look up to her tiny rid's teacher of the year is fourth grade teacher Jenna Parish Jenna is a skilled
010professional who possesses in-depth knowledge of her subject area combined with effective teaching methods she excels in conveying complex Concepts in a clear and engaging manner she adapts to evolving educational Trends and collaborates with fear to Foster Progressive and forward-thinking school environment prayer reviews teacher of the year is first grade teacher of Sarah Mayberry Sarah goes above and beyond for every student in her classroom all students enter her classroom every day feeling safe and cared for she has a keen ability to build genuine relationships with each one of her students and understands that education is a close relationship between a knowledgeable hearing adult and a secure willing student Stone Creek's teacher of the year and the wsd teacher of the year is art teacher Hester maner eser never settles with her craft she is always finding
011new ways to make her lessons engaging and exciting for all students she is the truest example of a lifelong learning one area she has launched recently in her career is her work with the wsd ratchet rocker robotics she works tirelessly to support this group and wsd students lash's teacher of the year is kindergarten teacher Kelsey Dixon Kelsey is always open to sharing her ideas with her teammates she enjoys collaborating with her team members and other Professionals in the building and people throughout the building enjoy collaborating with her one example of this is her role as a co-chair of the lighthouse leadership team congratulations Kelsey Frontier Middle's teacher of the year is English teacher Danielle alage Danielle knows her students and understands their needs when she works with them she is tracking progress and providing supports
012to meet them where they are and extend them she encourages students and continually reinforces their hard work with Grace she is patient kind and works to help her students being successful North Middle's teacher of the year is special education teacher Martha Lush Martha truly takes the time to get to know her students and connect with them on a personal level she does a great job of keeping them on track and seeks out four teachers to see how she can help support the students in all classes she goes above and beyond for all students she is focused on what is best for every child and is a true advocate for them South Middle's teacher of the year is special education teacher Colleen wooding she works hard to make sure students are successful in both regular education
013settings and special education settings pouring all of her energy into the students her calm presence and genuine care for everyone makes them feel important she's a quiet leader who stands up for what she believes in through her actions and commitment to taking care of others winville midd teacher of the year is seventh grade science teacher Laura wiov Laura tailor lessons to relevant topics for kids and provides ke andon experiments and projects in her class she is very interactive with her students and gets to know them on a personal level Laura takes time to invest in our school and is a large part of our success in building a positive School culture P's teacher of the year is communication arts teacher Sarah fum Sarah is about as dedicated to real teaching and to real student growth
014as any teacher we have encountered her modest but firm approach with students forces them to engage with content to truly learn material for their own betterment Sarah models reflective learning in her classrooms and utilizes real world context to help students connect their communication skills to their life Endeavors Li's teacher of the year is high school Milestones program teacher Stephanie thre Stephanie differentiates each assignment for each student and meets them where they are Stephanie celebrates students growth and successes by acknowledging individual progress she demonstrates leadership in the classroom by creating a positive and supportive learning environment where all students feel Val valued and respected North Point High School's teacher of the year is math teacher Leslie Brown Leslie Works tirelessly to make sure our students have all of the opportunities to succeed in math we all
015know that math can be difficult for some students but she is able to draw her students in with her engaging lessons and many exciting strategies to get her students to participate she never gives up on a student and motivates them to be the best they can be Timberland's teacher of the year is special education teacher Natalie D young Natalie has had a tremendous impact on students and staff over the years the students that Natalie has in class consistently perform on a high level which is a testament to great teaching students describe her as a teacher who wants the best and brightest future for her students the Timberland staff described Natalie as someone that goes above and beyond for any staff member or student at temp here's Hall teacher of the year is greeting specialist Jenna
016Barger she works with some of the most atrisk students in the district and is able to help them progress as readers and Learners through her work she has been able to help students learn valuable skills needed to be successful when they graduate she creates relationships with a genuine care for students she deeply wants to help each student progress prach adaptive Learning Centers teacher of the year is special education teacher Ali Ry Ali is kind patient and deeply cares for each student her ability to encourage and support her students lends to their overall success she is a strong advocate for her students and comes up with Creative Learning opportunities for them she increases student Motivation by providing students with successful learning engagements and solid trusting relationships let's give them all a round of applause okay all
017right um I I forgot to mention that director Lewis is joining joining us um virtually so I wanted to go ahead and make a mention of that um moving on we are now at our public comment our public forum um I make a motion to allow all speakers for two minutes a piece second director Olsson could you repeat your note or motion please the motion was to allow all speakers for two minutes a [Music] piece director Lewis uh there's already a motion that director Olson has made her motion is to give all speakers two minutes each so we have a motion and a second any discussion yeah director Lewis can you clarify what your motion was going to be like to hear your opinion on the matter discussion director Lewis I would just ask how
018many would you like it what number would you like that to be I actually support what director Lewis is proposing I think you know we've had three meetings now with this kind of a list and getting back to our policy um and trying to stay with 10 speakers at three minutes I would support any other discussion from the board director Scott I would also support reverting back to our policy of t speakers three minutes each director Olson yep I got some comments it's within the board's authority to limit the or extend speaker time that includes the first 10 people that signed up if we are to allow all speakers they should have the same amount of time regardless of when they signed up if we want to change policy 0412 to limit it to three
019speakers for and against each topic like the County Council does or go back to paper signups then we can talk about that and officially revise the policy at our next meeting we have an auditorium full of concerned and engaged citizens that would appreciate the same or similar respect for their voices as what's been allowed and provided for the last two regular meetings we can make a motion at the end of this meeting to add a revision to the appropriate policies for future meetings any other discussion from the board so at this time the motion is to allow all speakers that are signed up for two minutes for two minutes so at this time I'm going to call for a vote all those in favor say I I all those opposed say nay so I think
020what I'm gonna have to do is do a roll call vote how much of a delay is there for the owl do we know2 minutes oh for the owl president stoy are you ready ready yes I am ready director Goodson n secretary hanky I president stoy nay director Olsen I vice president ISAC nay director Lewis no director Scott nay I make a motion to to follow policy 412 and allow 10 speakers for 3 minutes each I have an amendment to that motion I amend it by allowing all speakers for a minute second this would be about 40 minutes if that so the current motion is to follow the public forum policy and the amendment to that was to allow or to allow all speakers a minute 30 think we need to do another roll call
021vote please do we have a do we have a second on the first motion yes who was the second I believe it was secretary hanky no on my motion on your motion sorry you said the amendment I cut I do not have a second on director Goodson's motion to allow uh to follow policy a second on my Amendment though I understand that can we just have a second on that so it's clear okay so vice president liac is a second so wouldn't that make mine the primary motion then since there was no second on his but I got a second could you repeat yourself please wouldn't my motion become the primary motion then since his did not receive a second and mine did yes so we would vote on the amendment so we need a
022roll and to be clear it would be 35 minutes which is five minutes more than if you only allow 10 speakers can we clarify the motion please sorry the motion is to allow all speakers for a minute and 30 second second was Renee director hanky secretary hanky before we can continue well I recognizing there's a 10-second delay with director L Lewis here all right are we're ready for a roll call director Goodson n secretary hanky I president stoy nay director Olsen I vice president liac nay director Lewis say it again I can't can you hear us director Lewis he's on mute that's fine he said nay director Scott nay so that motion fails do you want me to make my motion again or can it stand just restate it please yeah my motion my motion
023was to follow policy 412 and allow the 10 speakers with three minute each second discussion basically this board has rejected the idea of allowing all speakers for a minute and 30 which would go over by a mere five minutes and I think that's despicable is there any other discussion has director Lewis raised his hand that he does he want to make a comment I'm just checking okay so the motion is to allow only 10 speakers for three minutes may I have a roll call vote please director Goodson I secretary hanky nay president stoy I director Olsen nay vice president liac I director Lewis hi hi hi good director Scott I 52 okay so motion carries we are now at the portion of public form which is we're asking the speakers to follow policy 412 and
024please model civil behavior and civil and respectful Behavior we there will be three minutes on the clock I wanted to let you know that when your time reaches that you only have one minute left you will hear a warning so I didn't want to have anybody be surprised by that um but that would be a time that would be a good time for you to collect and wrap up your thoughts and I will then tell you when your three minutes are up that the time has expired and I will call the next speaker to the podium first speaker is Lindy willford well I'm glad we spent precious speaker time arguing over that anyway um good evening I'm here to speak about yes we will fix your time Miss willerford can you give us a moment
025to just fix the speakers testing Miss L just just I want her to reset the clock for you okay thank you sir do you want me to like stand this way I know okay okay uh good evening I'm here to speak about the facilities usage policy I am in support report of policy a I'd like to share some alarming statistics with you did you know that Missouri ranks as the worst state in the entire country for rape and attempted rape in public school this is according to the Department of education's latest available data and I sent that report to all of you earlier today we beat out all other states Missouri has the most student rape and attempted rape in public school in the entire country please just let that sink in for a minute
026a recent study by the sage Journal shows that nearly 12% of children will experience some type of sexual abuse in public school in their K through 12 career 12% does this bother any of you while this data doesn't break down where these incidents of sexual abuse and misconduct occur on school grounds I'm going to speak of my personal and professional experience on the issue I've spoken before about my career and work with the Missouri United school Insurance Council also known as music to most of you it is essentially the school district's insurance company in addition to the bus safety situations I've mentioned in public comment before I handled sexual misconduct cases for school districts all across the state of Missouri I've handled many cases of sexual assault rape and attempted rape that have happened ins
027side bathrooms and locker rooms my question to this board is why on Earth would you want to put our children at a greater risk of these types of sexual abuses by allowing the opposite sex inside their facilities as someone who managed risk for public schools for a living let me tell you I handled a lot more cases for sexual assaults than any alleged civil rights violations I know what your attorneys are telling you I've had a seat at the table with school district attorneys and law firms like mikas oul and Ed Council and tooth Keeny they make a ton of money defending school districts and sexual assault cases just ask them if you as a sitting board member have the chance to minimize the risk of sexual assaults abuse and rape for the children of
028the wentzille school district and you choose not to do it please remove yourself from this board at this point it would be Beyond negligent it would be Reckless given the statistics for our state as a public servant sometimes you're going to have to make the hard decisions because it is the right decision and it is a good decision for your community it is a good decision it is a good thing to protect children and I'll leave you with the scripture passage that I love from James 4:17 so whoever knows the right things to do and fails to do it for him that is sin thank you our next speaker tonight is Haley Gino okay I here to speak with you tonight in regards to your responsibility to the district's children as it relates to additional
029counseling curriculum and our right to opt out what is according to the collaborative for academic social and emotional learning its intent is to help students acquire and apply the knowledge skills and attitudes to develop healthy identities manage emotions and Achieve Personal Collective goals feel and show empathy towards others establish and maintain supportive relationships and make responsible and caring decisions now to me that seems like a tornado of buzzwords mixed with catch phrases that only a Content leader would love it seems like many would be well- intended but why are we implementing experimental programs that have no direct data correlating students academic growth with these programs is it because now that is that is a trendy thing to do are we scared to just say no that we don't want this for our children in fear
030that other districts May judge us or is it you're scared of another lawsuit don't worry I'm sure the superintendent neighbor has us covered if we need it when you start digging into many programs being panhandled to districts across the country there's only one conclusion anyone can draw and that's a public school district has no place for these programs as they're subjective and have no actual academic value in my opinion we need this TR trendy instruction out of our school one major personal issue I have withal programs being pushed is they claim to help students develop identity but what exactly are you helping them identify our superintendent was said to have recently handed out inappropriate books to elementary school counselors related to gender identity sexual orientation and Etc discouraging these staff members from reaching out to
031parents of children approaching them on these topics and Coach them to use these materials to help students that's not only unethical it should be illegal as of November 10th 2023 a court has found in favor of a parents rights to opt out ofal and counsel counseling instruction programs the district was then ordered to pay the legal fees for the students family that brought the suit and ordered to offer an opt out option Dr tomor and of Education I am now putting you on notice I've personally reached out to and made contact with the firm that won this suit and as it turns out us as parents in the district have a very strong case to opt out I'm currently working with a firm to align them with all the families I know that Tred to
032opt out of leader and me so I'll leave you with a quote from wd's very own social studies content creator and I quote if wsd does not align with your personal beliefs and values you are always allowed to pull your child from the public school and either homeschool your student student or send them to a private school that does align with your values because wsd is here for all students end quote well miss Nolan it seems like maybe you should be more inclusive to all students in the wsd not just those that align with your personal beliefs and values or perhaps you should resign your position immediately because the court has now enrolled favor of in favor of the parents right to opt out board of education we demand an immediate right to opt out
033of these programs thank you our next speaker is Nicole Nolan um my name is Nicole Nolan and I'm a resident and taxpayer in the Wentzville School District a parent within the district and a proud 25 plus year employee of the Windville School District I had the opportunity to share some of my thoughts with you at the October board meeting I shared several stories of students who needed me for more than just academics who needed support for their mental health and well-being but unfortunately a group of people has chosen to focus its ey on just one of my statements and to make it worse my statement is being misconstrued I have been referred to on social media as a hypocrite and I have received threatening emails my words specifically were if a school district does not
034align with your personal beliefs and values you are always allowed to pull your child from the public school and either homeschool your student or send them to a private school that aligns with your values because the Wentzville School District is responsible for educating all students my statement focuses on two points one parents Guardians have a choice two wsd is responsible for all students Point number one to make it clear I was not referring to students and parents who align with my own values and beliefs in my undergraduate and graduate level education studies I did not take one class that included ideas or lessons about how to indoctrinate students I myself am a product of a K12 private school education my parents chose to send me to a Catholic school because it closely aligned with their
035personal beliefs and values and a side note my parents never balked at having to pay property taxes that supported the public schools wsd has an enrollment of 177,000 students and based on 2020 numbers the number of residents that live within our boundaries is approximately 97,000 our community encompasses Myriad beliefs values religions political affiliations ethnicities and experiences there is no way one of those groups would or should be considered dominant or more important furthermore 21% of that 97,000 are schoolage children which comes to just over 20,000 therefore there are about 3,000 children in wsd boundaries whose parents got Guardians have made the choice to either homeschool or send their students to private schools Point number two it is the duty and responsibility of a public school to educate all students and not to impose one set
036of values and beliefs on those students rather a public school should prepare all students for local National and Global Civic life to be prepared for civic discourse in a positive and productive manner I'm proud of the work we are doing and I am honored to work with amazing Educators thank thank you next is Miss Claudia Jenkins okay we do not see Miss Jen Jenkins up next is Julia Lucen house good evening president stoy members of the Board of Education Dr tormala members of cabinet I wanted to begin this evening by dispelling a myth that has been flying around social media concerning whether or not staff members have been coerced by our Administration to begin speaking at these meetings that myth could not be farther from the truth I am public educ proud Union member those
037years through my union work I've learned that not only is it my right but it is my responsibility to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves our students you see I have the responsibility of teaching every student who comes through my doors not just those whose parents are involved and tuned in but for those whose parents are also so distracted by their own struggles that they may not have thought about school in years I stand for the students whose parents don't have time to check their homework to talk to their students about what they did in school that day or sorry or to teach family values because they're more worried about their day at sorry to teach the family values because they're more worried about putting a roof over their head and
038food on their table it is my job in fact all of our job to ensure that we put policies procedures and curriculum in place that protect and represent all of our children not just those whose parents think like us act like us or have values like us our policies procedures and curriculum should be inclusive of every child so that they all feel safe included and welcome in our schools and classrooms and that's why I in fact we need your help those policies procedures and curriculum are approved by you what should be a functioning board whose sole purpose is to ensure that our children get the very best education possible but when I attend board meetings or read about our board in the newspaper and articles this week especially this week it seems if it's some
039of you just have your own personal agenda and not the betterment of our district as a whole John Paul Sartre once said only the guy who isn't rowing has time to rock the boat it's time to step off the path of trying to destroy our District's accreditation alienate certain student populations and micromanaging District Operations and get back to your real job hiring and evaluating a superintendent and delegating all their administrative responsibilities approving the School District budget establishing goals and evaluating outcomes adopting and evaluating policies notice I didn't mention writing them connecting with the community and assuring our school district performance those things alone are Herculean task stop wasting time on things that divide your focus finally in accordance according to Chris Hatfield ultimately leadership is not about glorious crowning acts it's about keeping your team
040focused on a goal and mo motivating them to do their best to achieve it especially when the stakes are high and the consequences really matter it is about laying the groundwork for other success and then standing back and letting them shine not yourself our next speaker tonight is Tammy braw good evening and thank you as a high school counselor I'm on the curriculum committee writing the counseling curriculum I'd like to talk about the timeline and the reason to still adopt this tonight back in June the Board of Education there was a presentation we announced to the board that the counseling curriculum would be brought forward for approval in September the academic Services Department provided a presentation to the board of education and stated that the counseling curriculum will be brought in December of 2023 in
041October of 2023 per board policy the tech and learning committee reviewed the curriculum where director hany was in attendance and found the curriculum to be clear concise and align to State Standards October 13th in staying on board it included a reminder that the counseling curriculum will be brought in December and it included a review of the tech and learning committee December 1 in staying on board we gave the board the entire curriculum one week before we are required to and in the presentation giving the opportunity for questions early on December board packet curriculum documents were provided for the board and to the public to review the curriculum is aligned to our state standards put together by K through2 wsd counselors and rep represents three years of countless hours of work it represents what is already
042happening to support the needs of all of our students and all of our schools at a tier one level the wsd board adopted Poli 201810 guidance and counseling services policy 2810 establishes the guidance and counseling program and further establishes that the district is fully committed to implementing a fully comprehensive counseling program in a manner consistent with Missouri standards also Desi through the M program establishes standards and indicators by which all school districts reviewed annually Desi assesses whether School counsel to academic and social emotional development of all students tl10 also States the school system ensures a systemwide School counseling program consistent with the Missouri comprehensive School counseling program framework and is fully implemented in every B every building School counseling curriculum goes hand inhand with mtss as a tier one intervention school counselors are an integral
043component in early screening and identification of struggling students not moving forward with approving this curriculum tonight does not send a message in support of the tireless work that counselors do every day to support the education and well-being of our students I ask that the board consider keeping the counseling curriculum on tonight's agenda with unanimous vote to approve the work already being provided in concordance with policy 201810 thank you president Sulley I would just like to say that my thoughts on the curriculum uh my C the counseling curriculum have been misrepresented all right the next speaker is Rebecca messic um I am a parent and an educator and the leader of the Union here in the onville school district and I have a few things tonight that I wanted to clear up for everyone for the
044last couple of board meetings I have been encouraging our staff to attend and speak about the concerns that they have I have done that as the w&a president not this Administration with nearly 800 members in this District the w&a represents over half of the teachers Librarians counselors and nurses that work here we should not be dismissed as a small group but rather recognized as the majority that we are there have been rumors circulating among our community that the District administration has been bribing us to attend these meetings by giving us days off I assure you that if this were true there would be a lot more teachers in attendance tonight there have been comment ments made that the Administration has been pitting teachers against parents but let me tell you how we actually got to
045this place for years teachers have been at home watching board meetings online listening to the public comments and the board comments made about them there have been comments about our programs and our curricula and our thirdparty presentations and false accusations about our motives and our classroom instruction we take every single one of those comments personally teachers are showing up here because we are listening to what is being said to us and about us it is discouraging to say the least to work so very hard ever every day serving the students in this community and then be slammed at this microphone recently there has been a very public parent group in the community that has even begun making smear videos of teachers and staff that get up here to speak cyber bullying staff that speak up
046here is a pretty Surefire way to pit teachers against you we are the experts of our profession and yet we continue to see a gross overreach by this board to insert themselves as the experts instead in last month's board meeting upon being asked to approve the purchase of books for example director hinky said if we're going to do our due diligence to ensure that we are putting appropriate content in our schools this many books is unacceptable director hanky it is not the board's job to individually read every book that is coming into our schools that is our job you may certainly ask questions about the process of how these books get here or adopt policy regarding that process but after being told repeatedly about the safeguards in place to ensure that the books are compliant
047with the law and appropriate for our students you have should have been satisfied knowing that we are doing our due diligence when it comes to the books another example of this overreach is the board decision to pull the counseling curriculum from the agenda for tonight's meeting this curriculum was written by a team of counselors in our district that have degrees in licensing and counseling they spent months working on it and you have sent a clear message that you do not trust or value the Educators in your District by postponing their recommendation this is the same message that you sent in September when you ignored our Ela curriculum recommendations and tried to make your own plans of action instead there will be dozens of curricula coming updates coming to this board over the course of this
048year as teams of teachers are wrapping up the work that they have been tirelessly doing for the years to get to this place I ask that you consider trusting the teams of Educators that are chosen to write these and then accept the professional recommendations as they come to this board I also ask that you reconsider your decision and vote on the counseling curriculum at tonight's meeting this board must start letting teachers and counselors and Librarians do their jobs our next speaker is Shannon Covington okay hello I'm Shannon and I'm a resident and mother of three students in the Wentzville School District I am here tonight to advocate for two transformative initiatives the approval of District counseling curriculum and unequivocal support for our non-binary and transgender students these aren't separate Endeavors but two sides of the
049same coin forging a path towards a successful and inclusive School Community First let's address the urgent need for a robust counseling program it's not a luxury it's a Lifeline equipping all students with essential skills that extend far beyond the narrow scope of academics door talking communication Stress Management and navigating the complexities of relationships both personal and academic studies show a clear link between mental health and academic success by destigmatizing help-seeking and offering crucial resources we Empower all students regardless of identity to reach their full potential second we must dismantle harmful stereotypes and embrace the beautiful diversity of our students labeling non-binary and transgender students as brainwashed individuals or sexual predators which has been done on public record by both Board of Education members and members of the community is unacceptable instead we must create a
050safe haven in a school or everyone feels seen respected and celebrated for who they are this means implementing inclusive policies ensuring access to affirming resources and fostering a culture of understanding and acceptance investing in these ideals isn't just a numbers game it's an investment in humanity every student regardless of gender identity deserves the chance to thrive by equipping them with the tools to navigate life's complexities and fostering a supportive environment where they feel safe and valued we build not just academic success but well-rounded individuals prepared for the world we build a more compassionate resilient Society where everyone can flourish so please let us choose understanding over Prejudice Support over stigma let us build a school Community where every student from the brightest Minds to the quiet Souls feel empowered to become the best versions of
051themsel this is not just an investment in our students future it's an investment in the future where everyone thrives and I think I can say and I think a lot of people may agree with me that what is is truly despicable is the hate speech around our transgender Community because there is a difference between freedom of speech and hate speech and the transgender Community is not subhuman and they deserve the same rights that you and I do thank you Beth Overton I'm a little taller good evening my name is Beth Overton I'm a graduate of Holt High School my husband and I are a very proud parents to three successful on full graduates as well as a Timberland High School sophomore I'm a school counselor at Frontier Middle School and I also spent several years
052as a school counselor at Lake View Elementary so it's fair to say that our family is very invested and committed to the school district I want to start by saying thank you to each of you for the time that you put into these meetings and for the hearing and for hearing the community when we speak I know there are some challenging topics on your agenda this evening so I would like to point out that there are some excellent counselors here this evening if anyone needs help with emotional regulation when you're done I could talk to you for hours about my incredible students how deeply I care about all of them or how counseling interventions such as C classroom lessons have taught them skills like how to be a good friend how to balance all their
053classwork or what to do when someone to care about tells them that they want to hurt themselves however tonight I will just keep it to the importance of School counseling curriculum in meeting our state requirements and District goals desie provides school counselors with what are called grade level expectations or gles across the three three content areas of social emotional development academic development and career development these expectations are from the state for School counseling curriculum and they apply to every student in the public school system in Missouri our counseling curriculum team has spent years creating revising and finalizing the school counseling curriculum for this district and it has been provided to all of you for approval but why well as my colleague mention mentioned um several of the teaching and learning standards in the MP 6
054address it learning standard one indicates that students have to develop the IAP plan no later than 8th grade mfic 6 also indicates in standard for that our system ensures that social emotional skills align with Missouri early learning standards Missouri learning standards and the Missouri comprehensive School counseling program our own District cive goals include action steps involving meeting attendance in College and Career Readiness indicators for inip developing curriculum that engages students and provides opportunities for growth and ensuring that the curriculum aligns to development of the key areas of the whole child framework our C of action goals also include providing training and resources for staff and students to recognize warning signs of stress and mental health illness suicide and substance use in students the GLE is that Dusty requires and that our curriculum team used to
055create all the school counseling curriculum addresses every single one of those things so if we're going to meet our standards as well as our CIB goals we must have a fully implemented Missouri comprehensive School counseling program and according to the dusty website the first component of that is the school counseling curriculum so we are asking that you please review it and approve it thank you Michael H is it Hy H hul iiz I'm gonna ask a question of all of you I'm not going to single Out director Olsson this time and everyone else out here too what would you do if your child came out of the transgender closet would you drag them Church to try to pray the gay away would you beat it out of them would you pretend it didn't happen and
056hope none of your friends find out or would you open your minds to it and accept it and start getting ready to a new way of thinking of course I know what you're thinking right now not my kid let me tell you something about transgenders every single one of them had parents and the vast majority of those parents said not my kid and you're probably right your kid probably won't come out of closet to you for one thing the percentages don't suggest it according depending upon the study only 1 to 5% of Americans are openly transgender but that's not the only reason judging by a lot of your online rhetoric and public comments your car kid would probably be too scared to come out to you now we all love our kids every single one
057of us but kids don't always feel to love how many times have you heard a kid say my parents hate me but kids are perceptive and your online activities do not happen in the vacuum when you and your friends and your political Idols accuse transgenders of trying to groom or convert children or that they're going to hell or falsely accuse them of being rapists because and when you make fun of the LGBT community your kids will think you're talking about them and they be right when transgenders come to grip with who they are they often have this compulsive desire to come out to someone they love and trust and that desire turns into a dire need so who can they turn to their Pastor or priest they figure they know how that's going to turn
058out a favorite teacher increasingly laws are making that an impossibility they're friends what he or she won't like me anymore and that leaves parents are you the kind of parent your kid can come out to I would like to hope so and I will leave you with this trans kids have an unsettling High rate of suicide largely because of the things I mentioned before I sincerely hope that if or when you find your out your kid is transgender or Falls anywhere else in the lgbtq umbrella it's because they are comfortable enough to come out to you rather than because they mentioned it in their suicide note thank you you president stoy yes director wion I ask that due to miss jenkins's absence that we allow Katie hubber to speak she was number 11 on the
059speaker list second I support that board okay Katie hubard am yes okay NE grass T Tyson once said you remember them because they lit the flame within you they got you excited about a subject you previously didn't care about because they were excited about themselves put that in every classroom and it will change the world for every great author inventor scientist and astrophysicist there was a teacher has inspired there was a teacher that inspired them teachers must practice responsive teaching to integrate seal and Dei they should teach them teach that they should teach self-awareness self-management social awareness relationship skills and responsible decision making adapting teaching to diverse backgrounds culture M mental health and will help students become the best Virgin of themselves outside the walls of this school we do not need to force teachers
060to be like the robots from the judson's only teaching Reading Writing arithmetic without teachers who Empower T children to think outside the box our world to be a completely different place we cannot move forward in society if we do not know all the parts of our history The Good the Bad the Ugly so that we do not repeat the mistakes of our pasts unfortunately red flags have been popping up one review of 2,532 ban books 80% of them were uh the Black authors in lgbtq content 22 bills of Missouri is attacking the lgbtq youth and women's rights rights to being stripped H history curriculums are being Rewritten because they're too roke and indoctrinating politicians that claim in slavery wasn't beneficial to them neighboring districts removing resolutions create in response to racism the same district not
061this District same district is also threatening to intimidate students with investigations because they emailed them about topics now our district to name a few as revision is uh trying to remove uh the library policy to reflect our students ideals beliefs of religious social political history and ethical groups and their contribution to American and World cultures so our students will not be represented the verbiage the verbiage and language behind uh the edit of the facility uses policy parents in this District call and children alphabet kids attempts to limit or remove access are all together to counseling mental health support programs for a students it's really simple if you don't like it don't use it but do not remove remove the access from others Dr Mar Luther King did not fight for civil rights and equality in
0621963 for will still be fighting for the same rights 60 years later in 2023 we cannot regress in society let them teach let them learn let them read all the books support our teachers and staff board at this time I would like to make a motion for a 10-minute recess I just want to make sure that well I want to make sure that director Lewis that we have a we try to make a better plan for him it's going to really be hard to include him in discussion with a 10 second delay so board any I need a second please second any discussion all those in favor say I I I those opposed say nay the eyes have it Shannon who was the second on that convene Open Session if you all could take your
063seats please we are going to reconvene Open Session next up on the agenda is resident agenda items this is per board policy 412 I would like to remind everyone that the board is prohibited from moving or taking action on any items in this meeting any consideration of an item must transpire at the subsequent meeting if the board chooses to do so the speaker will have five minutes the speaker has an option of reserving some of that time for Q&A with the board so as you approach the podium if you please could tell me how you would like to uh a lot your time and Miss Kramer could you start the clock after they tell the board what they would like to do please thank you okay first up learning loss this was added by at
064the request of Lee pich president stoy just just real quick I I got a note that the web or the U online feed is not working can we have the team checking that that's true aware no I just got a note from okay a constituent so we apologize oh you're fine do you want me to start or you want me to wait that's no please wa please wait all right thank you for your patience it's online now