GCS Board of Education Meeting 07/13/2021

001CAPTIONING TEST. >> WELCOME TO OUR REGULAR MEETING. THIS IS JULY 13. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. WE APOLOGIZE FOR STARTING A FEW MINUTES LATE. WE WERE IN CLOSED SESSION WITH STUDENTS MATTERS. I WOULD LIKE TO TURN TO BOARD MEMBER PAT TILLMAN TO OPEN I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE US UP. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. >> THANK YOU WE ARE NOW AT PUBLIC COMMENTS WE ARE GLAD THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE OUR PUBLIC JOIN US IN THIS WAY. WOULD LIKE TO REMIND THE

002BOARD WHAT WE DECIDED ABOUT HOW WE WERE GOING TO DO THIS, HOW THE NAMES WERE CHOSEN AND WE WILL HAVE 30 MINUTES OF PUBLIC COMMENT. AND AS OUR FOLKS ARE COMING IN AND AS PEOPLE COME TO THE PODIUM I THINK I WILL HAVE TO REMIND EACH ONE, BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE HERE IN A LINE-UP SO I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT THAT. SO OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS STEVEN C OVACK, THE SECOND IS CYNTHIA H AND THE THIRD IS DEON CLARK. MAYBE SHE SHOULD HAVE THE SHEET MAYBE TO KIND OF LET FOLKS KNOW SO WE CAN SEE WHO IS HERE. BOARD MEMBERS 32 MINUTES WILL BE ABOUT 6:45. SO IS IT OKAY TO END PUBLIC COMMENT BY 6:45. I THINK BY THE TIME THEY GET IN AND WE REMIND THEM OF THE PROCESS, IT WILL

003BE AROUND 6:15. I WAS JUST WONDERING IF NORA HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIND OUR FIRST SPEAKER. OKAY. THAT'S OKAY TAMARA. DR. CONTRERAS WAS SAYING THE PROCESS OF GETTING IN AND GOING THROUGH THE SCREENING AND TEMPERATURE CHECK. THANK YOU. SO WE'LL HAVE TO EXTEND OUR 30 MINUTES. >> THANK YOU, PATRICK DEON CLARK. STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. THIS WILL NOT COUNT AGAINST YOUR TIME. WHEN YOU HAVE 15 MINUTES LEFT YOU WILL SEE AN AMBER LIGHT. WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP YOU WILL SEE A RED RED LIGHT AND PLEASE REFRAIN FROM IDENTIFYING ANY STAFF OR STUDENT AS IT IS CONFIDENTIAL. >> YOU TOLD ME I HAVE 15 MINUTES. >> YOU HAVE 3 MINUTES. I'M SORRY. [LAUGHING]. >> DON'T TELL THE PREACHER -- NO I'M JOKING. I'M PASTOR DEON CLARK. MCCLAINS VILLE, NORTH CAROLINA. I'M HERE TONIGHT, THANK

004YOU FOR HAVING ME DR. CONTRERAS AND DEENA, BOARD. I'M HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE SIMPLY I AM FRUSTRATED, I'M APPALLED, I THINK IT IS RIDICULOUS THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY AS A TOWN EVEN AS A BOARD ARE NOT STANDING BEHIND OUR SUPERINTENDENT. WE UNDERSTAND WHAT CRITICAL RACE THEORY HAS BROUGHT TO THE NATION, NOT YUFT TO OUR COUNTY. BUT WE CAN'T CONTROL THE NATION BUT WE CAN CONTROL WHAT HAPPENS RIGHT IN OUR FRONT YARD. THIS IS OUR FRONT YARD, THIS REPRESENTS OUR FAMILIES, OUR STUDENTS AND THIS REPRESENTS OUR SUPERINTENDENT. AND THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS JUST BECAUSE OUR SUPERINTENDENT HASN'T SPOKE DOESN'T MEAN SHE DOESN'T HAVE STRENGTH. SILENCE IS A SOURCE OF GREAT STRENGTH. AFRICAN AMERICAN FEMALES ARE DISRESPECTED, DISRESPECTED IN LEADERSHIP, DISRESPECTED ON PLATFORMS AND THEY DON'T HAVE THE RESPECT AND I AM HERE TONIGHT TO

005DEMAND RESPECT FROM THE COMMUNITY, FROM THE BOARD MEMBERS, FROM THOSE WHO ARE IN THIS ROOM FROM THOSE OUTSIDE THAT SHE DESERVES RESPECT. SHE SHOULD NOT BE TREATED UNFAIRLY, SHE SHOULD NOT BE CRITICIZED AS FAR AS RACE BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT RACE IS NOT HER AMMO. SHE DOES NOT OPERATE IN RACE, SHE OPERATES IN REAL. AND WE ALSO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE SHOULD EXALT AND BUILD HER UP. WE DON'T HAVE TO AGREE WITH EVERYTHING BUT WE CAN SHOW RESPECT SO WHAT I'M ASKING THOSE OF YOU, BOARD MEMBERS RESPECT. COMMUNITY, RESPECT. SHE'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE. SHE'S HERE AND PART OF THE COMMUNITY. SHE HAS SUPPORT OF THE CLERGY, I TALKED TO THEM. WE ARE SUPPORTING HER AND WE ARE HERE, WE'RE STANDING HERE SO I'M ASKING THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE TO STAND WITH US,

006SUPPORT HER BECAUSE THIS CANNOT BE TOLERATED. THREATS ON A SUPERINTENDENT'S LIFE IN THIS YEAR IN THIS TIME SHOULD NOT BE ACCEPTABLE AND NO ONE SHOULD AGREE WITH THAT. SO I'M HERE TONIGHT JUST TO LET Y' ALL KNOW THAT JUST BECAUSE SHE'S SILENT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE GOING TO REMAIN SILENT. SILENT ISN'T EMPTY IT'S FULL OF ANSWERS AND WE WILL KEEP GOING TILL WE GET THE ANSWERS AND RESPECT AND YOU HAVE OUR SUPPORT AND WE'RE STANDING WITH YOU AND YOU'VE GOT A LONG WAY AND WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO AND WE'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE AND WE WILL KEEP FIGHTING UNTIL WE WIN. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. MISTY REAGAN. >> THANK YOU MS. REAGAN AS YOU'RE APPROACHING THE PODIUM STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS BEFORE BEGINNING TO SPEAK. THREE YOU HAVE MINUTES. WHEN OF 15 MINUTES LEFT

007YOU WILL SEE AN AMBER LIGHT AND TIME UP YOU WILL SEE A RED LIGHT AND PLEASE REFRAIN SPHRA NAMING STUDENTS AND STAFF. >> SURE. I'M MISTY REAGAN FROM SOUTHERN GUILFORD COMMUNITY OFF BRUNETTE, DRIVE. YES I CAN. >> THANK YOU. >> GOOD EVENING. IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU ALL FACE-TO-FACE FINALLY AND DISCUSS SOME OF THE CURRENT CHALLENGES OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM IS FACING. HONESTLY AFTER GOING THROUGH THE DETAILED SECURITY PROCESS JUST TO ENTER THE BOARD ROOM I SEE THERE ARE MORE CONCERNING ISSUES AT HND. DON'T GET ME WRONG THE SAFETY OF EVERYONE IN THIS BOARD ROOM IS DEFINITELY IMPORTANT. BUT WHAT ABOUT OUR CHILDREN? BETWEEN 2018 AND 2021 GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS HAS BEEN GRANTED $10.8 MILLION NOT INCLUDING ANNUAL FUNDING PROVIDED BY DPI, SPECIFICALLY FOR PURPOSES OF SCHOOL SAFETY. WHERE HAS THE MONEY BEEN SPENT? WHY IS

008THE PURCHASE ONE CARD SYSTEM NOT BEING MANDATED IN ALL OUR SCHOOLS? DO ALL GCS SCHOOLS HAVE FULLY FUNCTIONING CAMERAS? IS THE DISTRICT COMPLIANT WITH SAFETY LAWS? WHERE IS THE CURRENT SCHOOL SAFETY DIRECTOR? I'VE BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT THEM WITH NO RESPONSE. WE HAVE 41 DAYS UNTIL THE STUDENTS RETURN TO GCS SCHOOL FACILITIES. WILL THEY ALL BE REQUIRED TO SHOW A PHOTO ID LIKE I WAS TONIGHT. WILL THERE BE OFFICE SUPPORT LIKE THERE IS TONIGHT? HAVE METAL DETECTORS BEEN INSTALLED LIKE THERE HAS BEEN TONIGHT OR IS IT GOING TO TAKE DEAD KIDS TO GET YOUR ATTENTION? FIX IT. AND IF YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHAT WE CAN EXPECT COMING IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM YOU MAY WANT TO CHECK OUT WHY MEADOW DIED. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. >> THANK

009YOU. TRUDY DELLING MS. DELLING DID YOU HEAR WHAT I SAID -- >> I WAS FIRST. I GUESS THE LINE GOT MESSED UP. YES I DID HEAR WHAT YOU SAID. >> OKAY, THANK YOU. >> I'M CINDY HAMMER. >> I'M SORRY, I'M IN THE PAGE DISTRICT IN GREENSBORO. >> OKAY. >> CAN WE GET YOUR NAME? YOUR ADDRESS? >> DO I NEED TO GIVE MY FULL ADDRESS? >> CINDY HAMMER 2404 PHILADELPHIA LAKE COURT. GREENSBORO. AS I WALKED INTO THIS MEETING THIS EVENING I COULD NOT HELP BY NOTICE ALL THE WONDERFUL SECURITY YOU HAVE IN PLACE. YOU HAVE A GUARD AT THE DOOR, METAL DETECTORS AND IDENTIFICATION CHECK AND POLICE OFFICERS OUT IN THE PARKING LOT HOW SAFE YOU ALL MUST FEEL. WHAT A PRIVILEGE IT IS TO HAVE SUCH A SECURE PLACE FOR YOU TO GATHER AND MEET.

010I WAS WONDERING WHY THE CHILDREN OF GUILFORD COUNTY DO NOT HAVE THE SAME PRIVILEGES. THERE HAVE BEEN GUNS FOUND IN OUR SCHOOLS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN STOPPED IF THEY HAD METAL DETECTORS. THERE COULD HAVE BEEN COUNTLESS INCIDENTS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENT ISED IF THERE WERE POLICE IN THE PARKING LOT LIKE YOU GET TO EXPERIENCE TONIGHT. I'M ASKING YOU WHY YOU GET THESE PRIVILEGES AND OUR CHILDREN DO NOT. IF YOUR ANSWER IS YOU DO NOT HAVE THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THIS MOST IMPORTANT CAUSE I HAVE A FEW MORE QUESTIONS REGARDING YOUR FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES. WHY WOULD YOUR PRIORITY BE TO SPEND $432,806 FIXING UP THE BOARD ROOM OVER THE SAFETY OF OUR ROOM. YOU HAVE SPENT $420,000 IN THE LAST 3 YEARS FOR THE SUSPENSION PROGRAM NAIROP. WHERE THOSE FUNDS GO TO

011ONE PARTICULAR CHURCH. P I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE IS THE LINE ITEM DETAILED REPORT AND THE DATA THAT SUPPORTS THESE EXPENSES VERSUS RESULTS AS WELL AS WHY IS THIS ONE CHART REPEATEDLY GIVEN THESE LARGE FUNDS, ARE OTHER CHURCHES ELIGIBLE TO HOST THIS PROGRAM AS WELL AND WHY DURING THE PANDEMIC WHEN THERE WERE VIRTUALLY NO SUSPENSIONS WAS THIS IN-PERSON PROGRAM EVEN FUNDED? WHY ARE YOU FOCUSING ON SPENDING $35 MILLION ON TRAINING FACILITIES BEFORE YOU SOLVE THE SAFETY AND SECURITY ISSUES THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN OUR EXISTING SCHOOLS? IN CLOSING I WOULD LIKE TO ASK DIRECTLY WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF OUR CHILDREN. WHEN DR. CONTRERAS WAS ASKED DIRECTLY BY THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER WHAT SHE WAS DOING TO MAKE SURE THE CHILDREN ARE SAFE IN OUR SCHOOLS HER RESPONSE AS FOLLOWS AND I

012QUOTE, SPEAKING IN THE THIRD PERSON AS HERSELF "YOU KNOW SHARON CONTRERAS ISN'T RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE SAFETY IN THIS COUNTY THAT'S FIRST. I WORK FOR A BOARD. I WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR." THERE IS A TREMENDOUS GAP IN THE SECURITY AND SAFETY IN OUR SCHOOLS. IF IT'S NOT FIXED IT'S GOING TO LEAK AND LETHAL CONSEQUENCES YET YOU SPEND YOUR TIME ENSURING THERE'S POLICY COMMITTEE WHICH DR. CONTRERAS LIAISONS WHICH ALLOWS HER TO SPEND FREELY IS THERE A COMMITTEE FOR SAFETY. IS DR. CONTRERAS ON THE SAFETY COMMITTEE? WHY IS SAFETY NOT YOUR PRIORITY? WHY HAVE YOU NOT FIXED THIS GAP BY NOW? FIX IT. >> THANK YOU. TRUDY DELLING. MS. DELLING PLEASE GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS BEFORE YOU BEGIN TO SPEAK. IT WILL NOT COUNT AGAINST YOUR TIME. YOU HAVE 3 MINUTES AND WHEN YOU HAVE

01315 MINUTES LEFT YOU WILL SEE AN AMBER LIGHT AND WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP YOU WILL SEE A 3 LIGHT. >> TRUDY DELLING. OAKRIDGE, NORTH CAROLINA. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT THE SYSTEMATIC BULLYING OF OUR STAFF AND STUDENTS. I BELIEVE OUR CHILDREN ARE BULLIED INTO THINKING OR BEING TAUGHT HATE AND DIVISION. THAT ACCORDING TO THEIR SKIN COLOR THEY ARE EITHER OPPRESSORS OR THE OPPRESSED AND THEREFORE BORN TO BE THE VICTIM BEING TAUGHT YOU ARE A VICTIM AS A CHILD IS THE WORST FORM OF EVIL AND ABUSE. AND IT IS JUST NOT SO. OUR OWN MARK P ROBINSON WAS BORN AND RAISED IN GREENSBORO WHO IS A BLACK MAN AND AS LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF OUR STATE AND WHO CARES ABOUT ALL OF US. GCS EMPLOYEES HAVE FOR YEARS BEEN FORCED TO GO TO DIVERSITY TRAINING

014BUT YOU CANNOT TEACH KINDNESS. I HAVE BEEN WORKING -- I HAVE WORKED AT THE FRONT OFFICE EMPLOYEE OF GCS AND SEEN MANY EXAMPLES OF PURE COMPASSION. IN ONE INSTANCE A CHILD WHO HAD A FEVER CAME TO THE OFFICE, A BLACK CHILD THE OFFICE WORKER WHITE WOMAN WHO COULD NOT REACH A PARENT TO PICK THE CHILD UP. SO THE OFFICE WORKER WORKED THE REST OF THE DAY AT HER DESK WITH A SICK CHILD FAST ASLEEP IN HER LAP. THIS WAS NOT SOMETHING SHE WAS PAID TO DO AND CERTAINLY WAS NOT TAUGHT THAT IN THE DIVERSITY TRAINING, CRT OR WHATEVER ELSE YOU WANT TO CALL IT NEXT YEAR. THE FOLLOWING YEAR THAT SAME CHILD TOLD THAT SAME OFFICE WORKER HE HATED WHITE PEOPLE. WHERE DID HE LEARN THAT. I ASK YOU STOP DIVIDING OUR CHILDREN AND TEACHES

015THEM TO HATE. STOP MAKING THEM QUESTION THEIR OWN VALUE AND EXCLUDING UP THE BASICS OUR CHILDREN LACK AND DESPERATELY NEED. INSTEAD TEACH THEM MATH SO THEY CAN COUNT CHANGE WITHOUT A REGISTER. KEEP OUR CHILDREN HOW TO I DIDN'T SCRIPTS SO THEY CAN READ A LETTER OR SIGN THEIR NAME TO A CONTRACT. SLAVERY WAS AN ACCEPTED PRACTICE MANY YEARS AGO ALL OVER THE YEAR AND STILL IS NOW BUT SINCE THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE WRITTEN BY THE PEOPLE WHOSE STATUTES WERE TORN DOWN BECAUSE LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF OWSH HICHT RIGHTS ERA, TEACH THEM YOUNG MEN DIED HORRIBLE DEATHS IN THE CIVIL WAR BOTH WHITE AND BLACK STANDING BESIDE EACH OTHER TO END SLAVERY. TEACH THEM 9-11 THE SAME PEOPLE THEY DISRESPECT RAN INTO THE TOWERS KNOWING THEY COULD DIE DOING SO. TEACH THEM ALL AMERICAN MEN AND

016WOMEN ARE FREE TO MAKE BETTER LIVES FOR THEMSELVES THAN THE GENERATION BEFORE THEM BECAUSE WE ARE A FREE NATION. TEACH OUR CHILDREN SO THEY ARE NOT MANIPULATED BY RACE BAITERS THAT WOULD LIKE NOTHING MORE THAN TO DIVIDE US. I AM NOT A RACIST AND MY FAMILY IS A RAINBOW OF MANY COLORS AND YOU CAN ASSURE YOU YOU DO NOT KNOW ME AND WHITE PRIVILEGE HAS NEVER BEEN GIVEN TO MY FAMILY. NEVER FORGET IF PEOPLE OF GUILFORD COUNTY ARE SILENT AND COMPLIANT WE ARE GIVING GCS CONSENT TO TEACH DIVISIVE HATE TO OUR MOST INNOCENT IMPRESSIONABLE AND VULNERABLE. EVERY ADULT IN THIS COUNTY MUST AND SHOULD BE EXPECTED TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN FROM THIS POISON AND I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION. ARE WE -- ARE YOU CONSIDERED RACIST BECAUSE YOU ASKED US TO ALL HAVE ID'S BEFORE

017WE WALKED IN TONIGHT? THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. NEXT IS RICHARD HERMAN. EXCUSE ME WHEN WE'RE IN SUPPORT WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO EXPRESS YOURSELF SO WE CAN ALLOW PEOPLE TO SPEAK. RICHARD HERMAN. >> I LIVE AT 901 JENNIFER LANE. IN HIGH POINT, NORTH CAROLINA I'M A TEACHER HERE AT GCS. SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER. GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TO YOU AND BRING UP AN INEQUITY IN OUR CURRENT LOCAL TEACHERS SUPPLEMENT PAY SCALE. THIS PAST MONTH GUILFORD COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PASSED A FULL BUDGET WHICH I THINK IS THE FIRST TIME THAT'S EVER HAPPENED, A RECOMMENDATION FOR DR. CONTRERAS AND THE SCHOOL BOARD AND ONE OF THE APPROVED FUNDING REQUESTS WAS TO GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS COULD BE MORE -- THERE WOULD BE MORE COMPETITIVE IN THE

018AREA OF LOCAL TEACHER SUPPLEMENTS. ALL GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS TEACHERS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED FOR THIS EFFORT. I'M SPEAKING HERE TONIGHT SO WHEN THE NEW LOCAL SUPPLEMENT PAY SCALE IS CREATED IT WILL NOT CONTAIN PUNITIVE PAY CUTS DURING THE TEACHER'S TIME OF SERVICE. I HAVE MADE COPIES OF THE CURRENT TEACHER PAY SCALE AND YOU'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THEM, I HANDED THEM TO THE RIGHT FOLKS. GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS DECIDED YEARS AGO WHEN A TEACHER GAINS EXPERIENCE AND RECEIVES A STEP PAY INCREASE FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER'S PAY SCALE, GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS LOWERS THE AMOUNT IT PAYS FOR OUR LOCAL SUPPLEMENT. THE THIS SIMPLY SHOULD NOT TAKE PLACE. A FIRST YEAR TEACHER WILL MAKE $35,000 FROM THE STATE, $5,000 FROM GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS. FOR THE NEXT 21 YEARS THOSE SAME TEACHERS WILL LOSE $9,675 OF THEIR LOCAL TEACHERS

019SUPPLEMENT BECAUSE IT'S REDUCED THOSE YEARS. I GUESS IT'S PUT IN PLACE BECAUSE YEAR 0-15 A TEACHER RECEIVES A 1,000 A YEAR INCREASE EACH YEAR AND TEACHERS DO NOT NOTICE THEIR LOCAL SUPPLEMENT WILL DECREASE. I COMPLETED MY 25TH YEAR OF TEACHING SERVICE. AS REWARD THE PAY SCALE IS GRANTING ME AND ALL TEACHERS THE SAME NUMBER OF SERVICE AND EXPERIENCE $2,000 A YEAR RATE INCREASE. GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS HOWEVER SEEMS TO BELIEVE I'M MORE VALUABLE AT 24 YEARS THAN 25 YEARS. TWENTY-FOUR YEARS MY LOCAL SUPPLEMENT IS $5,590 A YEAR. BUT AS I GET A RAISE FROM THE STATE GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS LOWERS MY SUPPLEMENT TO $4,950 A YEAR. THAT IS A $640 A YEAR CUT. SO MY ACTUAL PAY INCREASE IS $1,360 A YEAR. NOT $2,000. I WOULD HAVE TO WORK ANOTHER 10 YEARS AND GET THE 34

020YEARS OF EXPERIENCE TO RECEIVE A GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOL LOCAL SUPPLEMENT THAT IS EQUAL OR HIGHER THAN WHAT I CURRENTLY HAVE RIGHT NOW THAT YEAR I WOULD BE BACK AT A HIGHER SUPPLEMENT THAN I WAS AT YEAR 24. THIS DECISION COST ME $2,830. WHAT I'M ASKING YOU FINE FOLKS TO DO BECAUSE I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT SCALE IS WHEN YOU MAKE THE NEW PAY SCALE TRY NOT TO HAVE REDUCTIONS IN IT. OKAY? AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME THAT YOU GUYS HAVE GIVEN ME AND I JUST WANT TO SEE IF YOU GUYS CAN COME UP WITH A SYSTEM THAT REWARDS EXPERIENCE AND PRODUCTIVITY. >> THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR OUR KIDS. >> THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. >> THANK YOU. ANDREW CLARK. FOLLOWED BY SHERRY WEISH. >>

021HI. >> MY NAME IS SHERRY WEISH AND WHILE I AM A MEMBER OF THE GUILFORD EDUCATION ALLIANCE PROJECT LEADERSHIP TEAM I'M FIRST A MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY AND FUTURE GCS PARENT. SO I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE BOARD FOR THEIR TIME TONIGHT IN THE FEW MINUTES TO SPEAK. I WANT TO START OFF BY THANKING DR. CONTRERAS YOUR STEADFAST LEADERSHIP IS AMAZING. THE LEVEL OF HATE AND THE PERSONALIZATION OF ATTACKS EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS THAT YOU'VE RECEIVED MUST BE EXHAUSTING AND IT'S INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO ENDURE I'M SURE. YOUR STRENGTH IS ADMIRABLE AND AS A WOMAN OF COLOR YOUR REPRESENTATION MATTERS SO MUCH. I WANT TO HAVE THE BULK OF MY REMARKS TO A SHOUT OUT TO THE HARD WORKING TEACHERS AND DISTRICT EMPLOYEES AND OTHER SCHOOL MEMBERS THAT WORK IN THE DISTRICT. MAYBE YOU HAVEN'T HEARD

022THIS YET BUT JUST TODAY GCS WAS FEATURED IN THE REPORT FOR THEIR INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO TUTORING USING HIGH SCHOOL AND LOCAL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS TUTORS. THIS RESEARCH-BASED AND HIGH QUALITY LEVEL OF SUPPORT WILL NO DOUBT PAY DIVIDENDS FOR STUDENTS. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING HOW FAR THIS WILL GO. ANOTHER IMPRESSIVE FACT TO NOTE IS THAT IN THE MIDST OF A GLOBAL PANDEMIC THE CLASS OF 2021 AND GCS EARN A RECORD HIGH NUMBER GOAL $190 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIP AND HAD A GRADUATION RATE OF MORE THAN 89 PERCENT. ANOTHER FACT WITH 738 NATIONALLY BOARD CERTIFIED TEACHERS GCS RANKS THE TENTH IN THE NATION. OUR COMMUNITY IS PROUD TO SUPPORT GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS. IN FACT WE VOTED TO PASS $300 MILLION SCHOOL FACILITIES BOND WITH OVER 73 PERCENT OF VOTER APPROVAL EVEN

023IN A VERY DIVIDED POLITICAL CLIMATE. I WANT TO CLOSE BY SAYING THIS. THE MISSION OF GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS AND THIS BOARD CANNOT, I REPEAT, CANNOT BE PUT ASIDE BY A FEW LOUD VOICES WITH A DIVISIVE AGENDA. THE REAL AND CRITICAL BUSINESS OF GCS IS EDUCATING CHILDREN NO MATTER THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN, NO MATTER THEIR INCOME, THEIR ZIP CODE, THEIR RELIGION, THEIR SEXUALITY. THEIR MISSION IS TOO IMPORTANT TO BE DERAILED AND THERE ARE MANY, MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND FAMILIES AND ORGANIZATIONS BEHIND YOU IN SUPPORT OF YOU AND I CAME HERE TODAY TO LET YOU KNOW THIS. THANK YOU AGAIN TO THE BOARD FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO SPEAK AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND STAFF SAFE. >> THANK YOU MS. WEISH.

024NEXT IS MARY FOLLOWED BY SUSAN. AGAIN GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. IT WILL NOT COUNT AGAINST YOUR TIME. WELCOME. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. HI NAME IS MARY HERBENIC, 2403 WALKER AVENUE, GREENSBORO. I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE ALL OF YOU TONIGHT THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. I'M A PROUD PARENT OF A RECENT GRIMSLEY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE AND A UNION YER ALSO AT GRIMSLEY. BOTH OF MY DAUGHTERS HAVE ATTENDED GCS SINCE KINDERGARTEN AND WE REMAIN GRATEFUL AS A FAMILY FOR THE EXCELLENT AND HOLISTIC EDUCATION THEY'VE RECEIVED. MY CHILDREN ENTER THE NEXT PHASE OF THEIR LIVES WELL PREPARED AS A RESULT OF THEIR GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS EDUCATION I WITH THEIR FELLOW STUDENTS, THEIR TEACHERS, THEY ARE COACHES THEIR SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS. DURING THAT TIME I WATCH EDUCATORS AND STAFF POUR THEMSELVES INTO A FEW

025HUNDRED THOUSAND STUDENTS ACROSS THIS DISTRICT. SHOWING UP EACH AND EVERY DAY TO HELP OUR KIDS LEARN, GROW AND BECOME BETTER VERSIONS OF THEMSELVES. THERE'S SO MUCH FOR YOU AS THE LEADERS OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO BE PROUD OF. I ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK YOU AND GCS STAFF FOR YOUR TIRELESS WORK OVER THE PAST 16 MONTHS WHILE NAVIGATING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC AND ALL THAT WENT WITH IT. YOUR LEADERSHIP DR. CONTRERAS HAS BEEN EXEMPLARY. AS A PARENT I'VE BEEN A GCS VOLUNTEER AND ADVOCATE FOR MORNING A DECADE AND WITNESSED LOTS OF DIFFERENCES OF OPINIONS AND DISAGREEMENTS OVER THE YEARS ABOUT HOW TO BEST EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN. I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE CONCERNED AND QUITE FRANKLY APPALLED AT THE VIRTUAL THAT'S BEEN FEUDED OUR SUPERINTENDENT AND EDUCATORS BY A HANDFUL OF EXTREMISTS. THEY DON'T SPEAK FOR ME, THEY

026DON'T SPEAK FOR MY NEIGHBORS, THEY DON'T SPEAK FOR MY CHILDREN AND THEY DON'T SPEAK FOR THE VAST MAJORITIES OF FAMILIES IN THIS DISTRICT WHO SUPPORT PUBLIC SCHOOLS, OUR TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS AND STAFF. INSTEAD OF MANUFACTURING A CRISIS AND THREATENING OUR EDUCATORS MAY I SUGGEST THAT YOU FIND ANOTHER HOBBY. THERE ARE SO MANY POSITIVE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE AND NEED TO BE CONTRIBUTED IN THIS DISTRICT AND ELSEWHERE. SOMETHING THAT BRINGS YOU PEACE. THE EXTREMISTS MAY BE LOUD BUT WE CAN'T AND WON'T BE BE DISTRACTED BECAUSE THERE'S IMPORTANT WORK TO DO. OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF CONTINUE TO SERVE THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN RIGHT NOW THIS SUMMER TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE READY TO SOAR IN THE COMING SCHOOL YEAR. THERE ARE SCHOOL BUILDINGS TO BE CONSTRUCTED AND SKILLS TO BE MASTERED AND SCHOLARSHIPS TO BE WON. FUTURES

027ARE BEING BUILT. WE CANNOT NOT FOR ONE MINUTE TAKE OUR EYES OFF THE PRIZE OF GIVING OUR COMMUNITY'S CHILDREN THE BEST POSSIBLE START IN LIFE AND PREPARING THEM FOR A FUTURE THAT WE ADULTS CAN'T EVEN CONCEIVE OF AT THIS VERY MOMENT. IF WE WORK TOGETHER AND CENTER OUR CHILDREN ALL OF OUR CHILDREN, THIS VISION IS ACHIEVABLE. AND IF WE DON'T IT'S TO OUR DETERMINANT AND TO THEIRS. SO A HUGE THANKS TO YOU AND TO THE 10,000 GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS TEAM MEMBERS FOR CONTINUING TO BE A CONNECTION FOR STUDENTS, FAMILIES AND THE COMMUNITY AND FOR PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT REALLY MATTERS. LET'S FORGET THE REST OF IT. >> THANK YOU. SUSAN FOLLOWED BY KEVIN. >> GOOD EVENING. SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO PLEASE DO YOUR JOB. YOUR BYLAWS PER ARTICLE II, SECTION

02823 STATE THE JOB OF THE BOARD IS TO REPRESENT THE CITIZENS AND THE TAXPAYERS TO LEAD THE DISTRICT BY SETTING POLICY AND REQUIRING EXCELLENT ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE. YOUR JUNE 16 VOTE GIVING ONE PERSON OVER REACHING LATITUDE TO SPEND OUR TAX DOLLARS WITHOUT BOARD APPROVAL DOES NOT REPRESENT ME OR OTHER TAXPAYERS. WHERE THE DOLLARS ARE LOCAL, STATE OR FEDERAL, WHETHER THEY ARE TAXES, GRANTS OR OTHER. THEN WHEN ASKED TO APPROVE THE GCS BUDGET IN ORDER TO SEND IT TO THE STATE YOU LET IT SLIP THE STATE HAD ALREADY RECEIVED AND APPROVED IT WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL BY THE BOARD. TOTALLY UNPRECEDENTED. YOUR BYLAWS ALSO STATE THE BOARD WILL CONCENTRATE ITS EFFORTS ON DETERMINING AND USING PROACTIVE STRATEGIES TO ENSURE CONSTRUCTIVE TWO-WAY DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE BOARD AND THE STUDENTS, STAFF, PARENTS AND COMMUNITY ABOUT ISSUES, HOPES AND GOALS RELATED

029TO PUBLIC EDUCATION AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM I'M NOT FEELING THAT CONSTRUCTIVE TWO-WAY DIALOGUE. WHEN YOU PUT THIS POLICY OUT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT FOR 30 DAYS VERY FEW PEOPLE EVEN KNEW ABOUT THIS UNDEMOCRATIC POLICY. PERHAPS IT WAS MADE PUBLIC IN SITES THAT PEOPLE SELDOM VISIT. THEN WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO IGNORE THE CLOSE TO 70 COMMENTS YOU DID RECEIVE AS 90 PERCENT WERE AGAINST, 3 PERCENT WERE FOR. TRANSPARENCY? REPRESENTING THE CITIZENS? I THINK NOT. THE PUBLIC COMMENT MOVE WAS MERELY AN ACT. FOR ARTICLE 4.2 UNDER DIETS AND POWERS OF THE CHAIRMAN THE CHAIR IS TO ENSURE THAT BOARD MEETING DELIBERATIONS ARE FAIR, OPEN AND THOROUGH. THIS DUTY WAS CERTAINLY NOT EVIDENT ON MAY 10 WHEN BOARD MEMBERS WERE DENIED THE REQUEST TO DISCUSS A NEW POLICY THAT HAD BEEN PROPOSED. A COMMITTEE WHICH INCLUDES THE SUPERINTENDENT.

030A POLICY OF THIS MAGNITUDE SHOULD HAVE BEEN OPENED UP TO THE WHOLE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE SUPERINTENDENT IS NOT A MEMBER OF THE SCHOOL BOARD SO WHY IS SHE A MEMBER OF SUBCOMMITTEE? THEN WE KNOW HOW THAT ALL TURNED OUT. ON JUE 10 THE MAJORITY OF YOU VOTED YOUR CONSCIENCE OBJECTING THIS ABSURD POLICY. THEN I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT HAPPENED ON JUNE 17TH BUT WE THE CITIZENS OF GUILFORD COUNTY OBVIOUSLY DID NOT MATTER IF COMMON SENSE DOESN'T SOON TAKEOVER WHEN WE GET ON DOWN THE ROAD AND YOU REALIZE THAT YOU ARE NOT A REPRESENTATIVE BODY AND YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ANYTHING CONCERNING THE EDUCATION OF OUR VALUABLE CHILDREN JUST REMEMBER IT HAPPENED ON YOUR WATCH. EVERY DAY I WILL CONTINUE TO PRAY THAT GOD WILL FILL YOU WITH WISDOM, FIX IT. >> THANK YOU.

031NEXT UP IS KEVIN GRAY. FOLLOWED BY DAVID MILLER. >> THANK YOU. MY NAME IS KEVIN GRAY MY WIFE AND I RESIDE IN GREENSBORO AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY TONIGHT. HAVING HEARD WHAT EVERYBODY SAID THIS WILL BE ON THE LIGHTER SIDE. MAYBE. WE'RE THE PROUD PARENTS OF TWO RECENT GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOL GRADUATES. ONE FROM PAGE AND ONE FROM WEAVER ACADEMY. THE PAGE GRADUATE IMLEETED HER POST SECONDARY STUDIES AND GAINFULLY EMPLOYED SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. THE WEAVER GRADUATE FINISHES HER STUDIES SOON AND WILL JOIN US IN THE WORKFORCE. GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS, TEACHERS A COACHES, ADMINISTRATORS, ACES STAFF, SCHOOL SUPPORT STAFF ALL HAD A NAND PREPARING OUR DAUGHTERS FOR NOT ONLY HIGHER EDUCATION BUT BY INSTILLING LIFE SKILLS, INDEPENDENT THINKING AND A DETERMINED WORK ETHNIC I CAN SO AGAIN THANK

032YOU. GOT A THEME HERE. IN THE YEARS OF OUR EXPERIENCE WITH GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS I'VE HAD THE FORTUNE OF BEING ABLE TO VOLUNTEER AND IN MY PROFESSIONAL CAREER I HAD THE FORTUNE TO INTERACT, SERVE WITH MY EMPLOYEES INCLUDING SOME OF YOU. I'VE ALWAYS BEEN IMPRESSED BY THE DEDICATION AND PASSION OF TEACHERS AND OTHERS TO CHALLENGE STUDENTS TO BE INDEPENDENT THINKERS AND STRIEF TO DO THEIR BEST AND NOT TO FORCE THEIR BELIEFS ON ANY STUDENT. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AT NO TIME I'VE EVER WITNESSED STUDENTS TO BE FORCED TO THINK A CERTAIN WAY OR TAUGHT PARTICULAR IDEOLOGIES. THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN TAUGHT TO BE INDEPENDENT THINKERS, CRITICAL THINKERS AND FRANKLY AS AN ENGAGED PARENT LOOKING OUT FOR MY CHILD'S WELFARE I WOULD ASSUME IF THEY WERE BEING TAUGHT IN SUCH A WAY AS OUR NATION WRESTLES

033WITH ITS COMPLEX AND COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY AND SCHOOLS WRESTLE WITH THE IDEAS OF WHAT AND HOW TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN I DO HOPE THERE WILL BE MORE COMPREHENSIVE TEACHINGS OF HISTORY AND OTHER SUCH LESSONS AND AS THE INFORMATION IS TAUGHT ALSO TO CONTINUE TO TEACH CHILDREN HOW TO ANALYZE THAT INFORMATION, BECOME CRITICAL INDEPENDENT THINKERS ABOUT THE RECEIPT OF THAT INFORMATION AND HOW TO DRAW THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS. TEACHERS TEACH. NOT PREACH. I SIMPLY WANTED TO STAND HERE ON OUR FIRST NIGHT BACK AS A COMMUNITY AND SAY THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR WORKING HARD THE LAST 18 MONTHS IN THE MOST TRYING OF CIRCUMSTANCES AND THANK YOU FOR TACKLING THE UNKNOWNS AND THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO WORK HARD WHEN FACED WITH UNREALISTIC CRITICS AND FINALLY THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND PASSION MOVING FORWARD. >> THANK YOU.

034NEXT UP IS DAVID MILLER AND I THINK WE WILL PROBABLY BE AT OUR TIME AFTER THAT. DAVID MILLER'S NOT HERE? BLAKE ODEM. >> HELLO EVERYONE, BLAKE ODEM, 800 REVOLUTION MILL DRIVE, GREENSBORO. I DON'T HAVE NECESSARILY A SPEECH PREPARED TONIGHT LIKE I HAVE IN THE PAST BUT I AM HERE AS MY GRANDMOTHER TAUGHT ME AS A YOUNG BOY TO CRY LOUD AND SPARE NOT. I'M HERE TONIGHT AS I'VE BEEN KEEPING UP WITH THINGS, I THINK EVERYBODY ON THIS BOARD KNOWS THAT I LIKE YOU. BUT I LOVE OUR CHILDREN. WHEN I DECIDED TO RUN FOR BOARD OF EDUCATION BACK IN NOVEMBER I RAN WITH THE INTENT THAT WE NEEDED A VOICE ON THE INSIDE OF EDUCATION SERVING ON OUR SCHOOL BOARD. I'M HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE IT WAS REVEREND -- DR. MARTIN LUTHER MARTIN LUTHER KING WHO CALLED

035GREENSBORO THE EPICENTER OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. HE CALLED GREENSBORO THAT. AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE CAPACITY IN WHICH YOU SERVE ON THE BOARD OF EDUCATION THAT'S A HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY. WHEN YOU HAVE THE GREATEST CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER OF ALL TIMES TO CALL YOUR CITY, YOUR COUNTY THE GREATEST, THE EPICENTER OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, THAT'S A HEAVY TASK. P SO I WON'T GET INTO CRITICAL RACE THEORY BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS THERE'S A LOT OF MISS INFORMATION THAT IS BEING SPREAD AND DR. CONTRERAS IS RIGHT. SHE WORKS FOR THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. I HEARD THE LADY SAY EARLIER DR. CONTRERAS SAID IT'S NOT MY RESPONSIBILITY ALONE, I WORK FOR THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. THAT IS THE TRUTH. AND AS BOARD MEMBERS IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO RELAY THE TRUTH TO THOSE WHO WE REPRESENT

036I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT I NOTICED THAT ON THE AGENDA WE'RE HAVING ANOTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT EMERGENCY POWERS FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT WHEN EVERY SUPERINTENDENT IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA HAS THOSE EMERGENCY POWERS. WHY IS IT THAT WE CONTINUE TO FIND WAYS TO MAKE YOUR EMPLOYEE HER JOB MORE DIFFICULT? I WON'T EVEN GET INTO THE NEWS THAT CAME OUT THAT SHE HAD TO HAVE SECURITY BECAUSE MANY OF US GET ON THESE FACEBOOK FORUMS SPREADING MISINFORMATION AS ELECTED OFFICIALS SO MUCH SO TO THE POINT THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS TO HAVE SECURITY BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE THREATENING HER AND THE BOARD CHAIR. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE. THE LAST THING THAT I'M GOING TO SAY, MY GRANDMOTHER SAID WHEN YOU TELL ONLY HALF OF A STORY THAT STORY BECOMES A LIE. WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB AS A

037BOARD. AND YOU KNOW, I RAN ONE TIME I'M NOT AFRAID TO RUN AGAIN. I'M NOT AFRAID TO ORGANIZE PEOPLE TO RUN WHO ARE GOING TO SUPPORT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THIS COUNTY MOVING THIS COUNTY FORWARD. >> THANK YOU. P BOARD MEMBERS WE ONLY HAVE TWO SPEAKERS LEFT. I KNOW OUR 30 MINUTES IS UP BUT IT IS UP TO YOU IF YOU WANT TO -- SINCE THERE ARE ONLY TWO AND NOT 5 OR 10 -- EVERYBODY'S OKAY WITH THAT? ALL RIGHT. WHO ARE THE TWO SPEAKERS LEFT? >> ERIN SLOMER. >> PLEASE GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. >> 5831 GROOMETOWN ROAD, HIGH POINT. I WANTED TO THANK YOU TODAY FOR ACCELERATING OUR COUNTRY INTO A NEW AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT. DUE TO MARXIST POLICIES AND CURRICULUM PARENTS OF ALL AGES, ETHNICITIES, SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS, RACES, ET CETERA ARE COMING

038TOGETHER TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN HERE IN GUILFORD COUNTY AT AN ALARMING SPEED. CHURCHES ARE FILLING AND NEW FRIENDSHIPS ARE FORMING INSIGHT SPITE OF YOUR RACIST AND DIVISIVE TEACHINGS. BECAUSE OF FOLKS LIKE YOU GUILFORD COUNTY IS BECOMING A MECCA FOR CRINS AND THE, HOME SCHOOLING COMMUNITIES AND A RETURN TO FAMILY FIRST MENTALITY. THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT FOR OUR REBIRTH, REVIVAL OF AMERICAN PATRIOTISM. OUT OF AMERICA'S DARKEST TIMES CAME SOME OF OUR BRAVEST AND MOST CONSEQUENTIAL LEADERS, MLK CHANGED OUR ENTIRE COUNTRY, CLARENCE HENDERSON RIGHT HERE IN GUILFORD COUNTY, CHAINGDZ CHANGED AMERICA AND NOW WITH THE SITUATION AT HAND WE HAVE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR MARK ROBINSON. AMERICA WILL PREVAIL AND BE MORE STRONGER AND MORE UNITED BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE POLICIES YOU'RE MAKING SO I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU AGAIN. >> THANK YOU. OUR LAST SPEAKER HELLO, WELCOME.

039>> GOOD EVENING. CHERRY. PICKETT. SUMMERFIELD. I HAVE 7 GRANDCHILDREN IN THE GUILFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND I HAVE FIRST ONE IS TO REMOVE THE MASK FROM THEIR BEAUTIFUL FACES AND THE SECOND ONE IS SAFETY FOR THEM AND ALL THE CHILDREN IN THE SCHOOLS. I'M GOING TO TELL YOU A SHORT STORY. WE ADOPTED -- I CAN SEE THE NUMBERS HERE. WE ADOPTED A 3 YEAR OLD LITTLE BOY, PRECIOUS, FROM FOSTER CARE. HIS MOM WAS HOMELESS AND I THINK SHE WAS DOING DRUGS TOO. HIS DAD WAS INCARCERATED. SO NEVERTHELESS HE HAD SOME ISSUES HE WAS NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING. HE WOULD RUN OUT THE DOOR AND HE WOULD JUST GO, GO AND GO AND DIDN'T CARE. HE WASN'T AFRAID. HE DID NOT WANT TO BE TOLD WHAT TO DO. HE WOULDN'T LISTEN. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO

040DISCIPLINE HIM. SO AS HE -- EVEN AT 5 YEARS OLD HE DID NOT WANT TO HEAR THE WORD NO IF YOU TOLD HIM NO HE WOULD DO WHATEVER IT TOOK TO FIND OUT HOW TO GET WHAT HE WANTED. SO AT AGE 10 HE WAS DIAGNOSED ON WITH ADHD AND OPPOSITIONAL DEFINES. AND WHEN I SAY OPPOSITIONAL HE DID EVERYTHING -- HE WAS OPPOSED TO EVERYTHING. SO WE WENT THROUGH COUNSELORS, WE WENT TO DOCTORS, WE WENT TO THE ADHD CLINIC AT UNCG. WE WENT TO ALL KINDS OF CLASSES AND TRAINING, MEDICATIONS, WE FINALLY FOUND A MEDICATION TO GET HIM THROUGH SCHOOL. SO WHEN -- AS HE AGED AT 14 HE'S REFUSED TO TAKE HIS MEDICATION ANY MORE. HE SAID HE DID NOT NEED IT. HE SAID HE WAS FINE. WELL THEN THAT'S WHEN HE BEGAN TO GET

041INTO A LOT OF TROUBLE AT SCHOOL. WE WENT THROUGH 5 SCHOOLS TRYING TO FIND A FIT FOR HIM. AND I KNEW HE WAS INTELLIGENT AND THAT HE COULD DO IT BUT HE DID LEARN TO READ AND WRITE AND MATH AND ALL THOSE THINGS THAT HE NEEDED TO KNOW BUT HE WAS GETTING INTO A LOT OF TROUBLE. SO WHEN HE REACHED MIDDLE SCHOOL I WAS ALMOST CALLED DAILY INTO SCHOOL TO HAVE A SESSION WITH ALL HIS TEACHERS, THE COUNSELORS AND EVERYBODY. NOTHING WAS WORKING EXCEPT I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE ONLY PERSON THAT COULD GET HIM IN LINE WAS A POLICE OFFICER. POLICE OFFICERS HAVE THAT AUTHORITY. THEY ARE TRAINED THSH. THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TO DO IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS AND MY SON HAD BEEN IN JAIL AND HE KNEW HE DID NOT WANT TO GO

042BACK. SO HE WOULD LISTEN TO THE POLICE OFFICERS. SO MY -- MY REQUEST IS THAT SROS ARE VERY MUCH NEEDED IN THE SCHOOLS. IT HELPED MY SON. HE'S 22 AND HE'S DOING MUCH BETTER. BUT HE HAD TO BE IN JAIL A FEW TIMES TO GET THERE. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS I'M SORRY BUT WE HAD MORE THAN 2 SPEAKERS. THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT SIGNED UP THAT ARE IN THE ROOM AND THEY WERE NOT COUNTED. SO THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN ARE ALLOWED TO STAY IN THE BOARD MEETING BUT THEY WERE NOT COUNTED SO WHEN I SAID WE ONLY HAD 2 SPEAKERS LEFT WE ACTUALLY HAD PEOPLE THAT WERE ON THE LIST BUT THEY WERE IN THE ROOM AS AN ATTENDEE. I'M NOT SURE. >> [OFF MIC] >> THERE'S 6 PEOPLE THAT ARE

043ALREADY IN THE ROOM AS AN ATTENDEE THAT WERE NOT COUNTED BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T LINED UP. >> [OFF MIC] >> THAT'S UP TO THE BOARD TO DO THEM NOW OR LATER. IT COULD BE AS MANY AS 6. I CAN SEE HOW MANY THERE ARE. >> MOTION THAT WE DO THE -- I'M SORRY, THE SPEAKERS RIGHT NOW BEFORE WE GO INTO ANOTHER SESSION. WE CAN DO IT NOW. >> I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED A MOTION, DO WE JILL? >> [OFF MIC] >> SO WHAT'S THE CONSENSUS? I CAN JUST CALL AND SEE HOW MANY THERE ARE BUT THERE WILL BE AS MANY AS 6 AND COULD BE FEWER. ALL RIGHT. SO JOHN MOYLE, CHERYL BEESON, JULIE P, MELISSA B, MAY ALISA GRAVES. RAISE YOUR HAND. FIVE OF THEM ARE HERE. ALL RIGHT JOHN MOYLE FIRST ON THE

044LIST. PLEASE GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. YOU HAVE 3 MINUTES TO SPEAK. WHEN YOU SEE THE AMBER LIGHT YOU WILL HAVE 15 SECONDS LEFT. WHEN YOU SEE THE RED LIGHT YOUR TIME IS UP. PLEASE DO NOT MENTION ANY STAFF OR STUDENT BY NAME AS CONFIDENTIALITY LAWS APPLY CHAIRL BEESON IS NEXT, REVEREND JULIE PEEPLES. >> JOHN MOYLE, I LIVE AT 3901 BATTLEGROUND NUMBER 54 IN GREENSBORO. AND I THINK I WILL MAKE IT MUCH BRIEFER. I LISTENED TO WHAT OTHER PEOPLE P HAD TO SAY THIS EVENING AND WHAT I REALLY WANT TO SAY IS I'M HERE BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE OUR SUPERINTENDENT DR. CONTRERAS. I THINK SHE DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB FOR US. I'VE LISTENED TO A LOT OF THE OBJECTIONS THAT ARE MADE AND WHAT I'LL SAY ABOUT THAT IS

045I WORKED FOR ABOUT 40 YEARS IN THE HIGH-TECH START UP BUSINESSES, WHICH IS YOU WORK HARD AND YOU DON'T STOP AND I MANAGED PEOPLE IN THAT ENVIRONMENT AND ONE OF THE THINGS I LEARNED IS THAT THE ONLY WAY TO EFFECTIVELY MANAGE PEOPLE IN COMPLICATED SITUATIONS IS TO FIND GOOD PEOPLE AND LET THEM DO THEIR JOBS. AND WE SEEM TO DO PRETTY WELL WITH THAT. I REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND MANY OF THE OBJECTIONS BEING RAISED. I HEARD PEOPLE SAY THAT THEY DON'T THINK THE BOARD REPRESENTS THE PEOPLE. I THINK EVERY BOARD MEMBER WAS ELECTED IN A DEMOCRATIC ELECTION AND I ASSUME THAT THOSE PEOPLE ARE REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE THAT ELECTED THEM. I MAY BE MISSING SOMETHING, BUT IT'S -- DEMOCRACY IS A TRICKY THING. RIGHT? I WAS PRETTY YOUNG WHEN I REALIZED THAT NO MATTER WHAT I

046THOUGHT, NO MATTER WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RIGHT, THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T AGREE WITH ME AND SOME OF THEM ACTUALLY GOT ELECTED TO OFFICE. BUT WHAT I ALSO LEARNED IS IF YOU LIVE IN A DEMOCRACY YOU GO WITH THE RULES THAT'S HOW IT WORKS. YOU PARTICIPATE IN THE SYSTEM. AND I HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT THE PEOPLE AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING AND WE OUGHT TO JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT. THEY'LL BE MORE ELECTIONS AND IF PEOPLE ARE UNHAPPY THEY CAN MAKE CHANGES. BUT I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S APPROPRIATE -- THIS WHOLE BUSINESS ABOUT EXTENDING -- AND I'M NOT SURE OF THE SPENDING ALLOWANCES BUT EXTENDING DR. CONTRERAS [INDISCERNIBLE] TO ME IT WAS EXACTLY THE RIGHT THING. THEY SOUND LIKE LARGE AMOUNTS BUT COMPARED TO THE BUDGET THEY'RE REALLY

047NOT AND INVOLVE A LOT OF DETAILS AND WE OUGHT TO JUST LET HER DO THEY ARE -- DO HER JOB. AND IF SOMEHOW WE ALL END UP BANKRUPT WELL SO BE IT BUT I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. AND SO ALL I REALLY WANTED TO SAY THIS EVENING IS THAT THE CHAIR AND DR. CONTRERAS YOU HAVE MY FULL CONFIDENCE. >> THANK YOU. CHAIRL BEESON FOLLOWED BY REVEREND JULIE PEEPLES. >> GOOD EVENING. I'M CHERYL BEESON 3868 EAGLESTON COURT. AS GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS ALONG WITH MUCH OF THE NATION DEALS WITH THE CURRENT AMERICAN HISTORY CURRICULUM CONCERNS I DECIDED TO ASK SOME HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHAT THEIR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE CURRENT EFFORTS TO MAKE IT ILLEGAL FOR SCHOOLS TO TEACH ABOUT RACISM, PRIVILEGE, POWER, GENDER ISSUES AMONG OTHER SOCIAL JUSTICE RELATED TOPICS. IT IS AFTER ALL

048THEIR EDUCATION ALONG WITH THOUSANDS OF OTHERS ACROSS GUILFORD COUNTY. THAT WILL BE IMPACTED. THE FIRST WOULD LIKE US TO KNOW THAT BY NOT TEACHING US AS STUDENTS ABOUT ANY TOPIC DEALING WITH THESE SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES YOU'RE MAKING IT HARDER FOR EVERY ONE TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER. AS I HAVE HISPANIC AMERICAN STUDENTS HE TOTALLY DISAGREES WITH SANITIZING AMERICAN HISTORY BECAUSE HE SAYS THAT WOULD PREVENT ME FROM UNDERSTANDING OTHERS FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS. SOMETIMES I SEE HOW SOME PEOPLE LOOK DOWN ON ME AND PEOPLE OF MY HISPANIC FAMILY BUT WHAT CAN I DO TO CHANGE THAT? THAT IS WHY TEACHING ABOUT AMERICA'S RACIAL HISTORY AT SCHOOL WILL TAKE US ALL A STEP CLOSER TO HELPING MORE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND AND RESPECT EACH OTHER. THAT IS THE ONLY WAY I AM SURE CHANGE CAN HAPPEN. THE SECOND STUDENT I SPOKE

049WITH SENDS THIS MESSAGE. HE WOULD LIKE SCHOOLS TO "TEACH US AS CHILDREN SO THAT WE CAN COPE WITH WHAT IS ALREADY HAPPENING TO US. WE ARE EXPERIENCING IT NOW. WE CANNOT HIDE FROM IT. WE ARE GROWING UP AND FIGURING OUT HOW TO FIT INTO A SOCIETY. WE NEED ALL THE INFORMATION AND UNDERSTANDING WE CAN BECAUSE SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES ARE ENGULFING OUR WORLD. IN NINTH GRADE THIS STUDENT WAS ABLE TO TAKE AN AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY CLASS AT HIS HIGH SCHOOL AND HE REPORTS THAT THAT ONE COURSE IN THE NINTH GRADE CHANGED HIS WHOLE WORLD. HE SAYS I LEARNED SO MUCH THAT HELPED ME TO SEE MY PLACE IN THE WORLD AND I WANT ALL STUDENTS TO HAVE ACCESS TO THAT KIND OF KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING. OUR THIRD STUDENT A YOUNG WOMAN ENCOURAGES SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS WHO

050FACILITATE INSTRUCTION AND STUDENT DIALOGUE ABOUT ALL SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES BECAUSE OTHERWISE" YOU ARE CREATING A HORRIBLE ENVIRONMENT WHERE IT IS OKAY FOR THESE INJUSTICES TO OCCUR. IF WE DO NOT ADDRESS THESE ISSUES PEOPLE WILL BEGIN TO THINK THESE PROBLEMS ARE NO BIG DEAL RATHER THAN ACKNOWLEDGING THEM AS PROBLEMS THAT NEED TO BE FIXED. I HAVE ONLY A LITTLE BIT TO ADD TO THE WISDOM OF THESE 3 STUDENTS AND THAT IS AS A 40 YEAR VETERAN OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS, 30 OF THOSE IN GUILFORD COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, I ASSURE YOU THAT OUR STUDENTS IN 2021 CAN HANDLE THE TRUTH OF AMERICA'S GREATNESS AND ITS FAILURES. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. REVEREND JULIE FOLLOWED BY ALLISON BAUMGARDENER. >> THANK YOU I'M JULIE I LIVE AT 2201VILLA DRIVE HERE IN GREENSBORO AND I AM

051GLAD TO SPEAK AND TO INCLUDE THAT I AM REPRESENTING MEMBERS OF THE GREENSBORO FAITH LEADERS COUNCIL WHO REPRESENT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FAITH COMMUNITIES FOLKS IN THIS COMMUNITY. THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL I ATTENDED A VERY LONG TIME AGO HAD A UNIQUE GRADING SYSTEM. E SHES V, G, E AND F. FAILING, PASSING, GOOD, VERY GOOD AND E STOOD FOR EXCELLENCE THANK YOU DR. CONTRERAS, THANK YOU BOARD MEMBERS, STAFF AND TEACHERS FOR STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE EVERY DAY ON BEHALF OF ALL CHILDREN. ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE TAKES ALL OF US, PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS, GUARDIANS, TAXPAYERS, BUSINESS LEADERS, FAITH COMMUNITY LEAD E ELECTED OFFICIALS, ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE HAVE ADULTS ACT AS MATURE ROLE MODELS FOR OUR CHILDREN TARGETING STAFF WITH HATE FILLED E MAIMS AND PHONE MESSAGES BANGING ON WINDOWS AND SCREAMING AT EMPLOYEES TELLS CHILDREN THAT ADULTS ARE INCAPABLE OF DEALING WITH DISAGREEMENTS

052WITH ANY RESPECT. IT IS REPREHENSIBLE. ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE REQUIRES THE ACT OF DISMANTLING BIGOTRY IN ALL ITS FORMS. THIS CRUCIAL WORK CANNOT BE DONE BY HIDING OR DENYING THE PAST. IT CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED BY COURAGEOUSLY FACING THE PAST AND RECOGNIZING HOW THE LEGACY OF WHITE SUPREMACY LIVES ON. I HEARD THOSE WHO OPPOSE THE REMOVAL OF CONFEDERATE STATUTES WHAT THEY CALL ERASING OF HISTORY THEIR FEAR OF LOSING WHAT THEY CALL THEIR HERITAGE. IN FACT FOR GENERATIONS THOSE OF US WHO ARE WHITE HAVE BEEN ERASING THE ACTUAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE OF BLACK AMERICANS AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLE. IF OUR NATION IS INDEED WORTH OUR LOYALTY AND SERVICE IT IS SURELY STRONG ENOUGH TO WELCOME THE FULL TRUTH, THE WHOLE STORY. IT IS WORTH OUR SHARED EFFORTS TO MAKE IT ALL IT CAN BE. OUR SCHOOLS CAN PLAY A

053CRITICAL ROLE IN THIS BUT FONL WE DEMAND THAT HONEST AND FULL ACCOUNTING. THE SCHOOLS I ATTENDED SO LONG AGO DID NOT TEACH ME THE TRUE HISTORY OF THIS NATION. TO THIS DAY I AM STILL LEARNING. STILL FILLING IN THE HUGE GAPS OF WHAT WAS PURPOSELY OMITTED. I DO NOT WANT MY GRANDCHILDREN TO RECEIVE A PARTIAL EDUCATION. I WANT THEM TO RECEIVE AN EDUCATION MARKED BY EXCELLENCE, A FEARLESS HONEST ACCOUNT OF THIS COUNTRY'S HISTORY, A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CITIZEN OF THIS COUNTRY IN LIGHT OF THAT ACCOUNT AND A SOLID COMMITMENT TO CONTINUING TO MAKE THIS COUNTRY A HOME OF LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THAT INDEED WOULD BE EXCELLENCE. AGAIN I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. ALLISON FOLLOWED BY FINAL SPEAKER MELISSA GRAVES. >>

054HELLO EVERYONE. >> HELLO. >> ALLISON B 312 MURRAY STREET, GREENSBORO AND I DID NOT THINK I WAS GOING TO BE SPEAKING BUT I HAVE AN EMAIL THAT I SHARED WITH YOU ALL AND WILL ECHO SOME OF THOSE MESSAGES THAT I SHARED. AND FIRST JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOU ALL. THANK YOU TO DR. CONTRERAS AND CHAIRPERSON DEENA HAYES FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THAT WE NEED YOU, WE NEED ALL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS WHO CONTINUE TO BE CHAMPIONS FOR ALL OF OUR CHILDREN FOR TEACHING TRUE AND ACCURATE HISTORY IN OUR SCHOOLS. SIMILAR TO OTHER SPEAKERS, GROWING UP I DIDN'T EXPERIENCE AN EDUCATION THROUGH K-12 WHERE I LEARNED ABOUT TRUE AND ACCURATE HISTORY. IT WAS CENTERED ON A WHITE PERSON'S VIEW OF HISTORY AND NOW IN MY 30'S AND THROUGH COLLEGE AND THROUGH GRADUATE SCHOOL

055READING AND LEARNING AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS AND TAKING WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES IT'S BEEN PHENOMENAL AND I'VE BEEN LEARNING BUT WE CAN DO THAT, WE CAN DO BETTER AND IT CAN START WITH YOUNG CHILDREN, THEY'RE CAPABLE OF LEARNING ABOUT DIFFERENCE, ABOUT OUR HISTORY, ABOUT RACE, ABOUT RACISM AND WE SEE IT IN THE WORK THAT I DO. THEY'RE CAPABLE OF LEARNING ABOUT FAIRNESS, ABOUT CELEBRATING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AND IT'S A BENEFIT TO ALL OF US, IT'S A BENEFIT TO WHITE FAMILIES, IT'S A BENEFIT TO ALL OF OUR CHILDREN SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING THAT IN OUR SCHOOLS AND I HOPE TO SEE MORE OF IT BECAUSE IT'S AN EXPERIENCE THAT I WISH I HAD AND THAT I'VE BENEFITED FROM NOW AS AN ADULT. AND SOMETHING THAT FOR ME IN MY EXPERIENCE IS LEARNING

056ABOUT RACE AND RACISM AND TRUE HISTORY INCREASED MY EMPATHY, MY CURIOSITY. I BELIEVE THOSE CLASSES IN GRADUATE SCHOOL WHERE I LEARNED ABOUT ALL HISTORY, AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY, ABOUT IMMIGRATION AND THE VAST HISTORY THAT WE HAVE, THE FAILINGS OF OUR COUNTRY IN A LOT OF WAYS THE MISTAKES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IT MADE ME INTO A BETTER PERSON INCREASING MY CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS AND MY RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE SIMILAR TO ME AND MY BACKGROUND OR PEOPLE THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM ME AND THEIRS. SO I JUST APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND APPRECIATE YOU ALL TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR DAY WITH YOUR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES TO BE HERE AND TO PROVIDE A SERVICE FOR US ALL. SO -- AND I ALSO JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WITH ALL THIS GOOD, THE HATEFUL AND THREATENING MESSAGES TOWARD ANYONE

057IN OUR COMMUNITY INCLUDING OUR LEADERSHIP, IT'S NOT OKAY. I KNOW WE KNOW THAT BUT, YOU KNOW, HOSTILITY, THREATENING MESSAGES, IT'S VERY SAD TO SEE AND IT'S UNACCEPTABLE AND OUR CHILDREN DO SEE THAT AND IT HARMS THEM AND IT HARMS OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO I JUST HOPE THAT OUR COMMUNITY HERE CAN COME TOGETHER ON THAT POINT THAT WE NEED TO TREAT EACH OTHER BETTER SO WE DO NEED CALL TRAL RESPONSIBLE LANGUAGE AND IT CAN BRIDGE A DIVIDE, NOT CREATE ONE SO THANK YOU ALL AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED LEADERSHIP AND TIME AND PASSION FOR OUR CHILDREN AND THANKS FOR BEING A CHAMPION FOR ALL OF OUR KIDS. >> THANK YOU. OUR FINAL SPEAKER IS MELISSA GRAVES. >> NAME AND ADDRESS, RIGHT? MELISSA GRAVES 8 SPRINGHILL DRIVE. MR. TILLMAN YOU REPRESENT ME. GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA. GOOD

058EVENING. I'M TODAY SPEAKING ON AS A PARENT FIRST OF ALL BECAUSE I DO VOLUNTEER IN THE SCHOOL AND SPEND LOTS OF TIME IN THE SCHOOL BUT I'M SPEAKING AS A PARENT TODAY ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND MY FAMILY. I FIRST LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE DURING PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING TIMES OF ALL OF OUR LIFETIMES. YOU STAYED THE COURSE AND YOU DID THE BEST YOU COULD UNDER EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES AND UNDER MOUNDS AND MOUNDS OF PRESSURE, INCLUDING PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT FROM ME BECAUSE AS YOU MAY ALL REMEMBER THAT I'M A STAUNCH ADVOCATE FOR IN-PERSON SCHOOLS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS BUT NOT ONE TIME HAVE I BEEN RUDE, DISRESPECTFUL, OUT OF LINE, UNPROFESSIONAL, COMPLETELY CRAZY AND TO ANY OF YOU, EVEN WHEN I DISAGREED WITH YOUR POSITIONS I'VE NEVER BEEN

059THAT WAY AND I'M SORRY THAT UNFORTUNATELY A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY HAVE AND IT'S UNFAIR AND IT'S EMBARRASSING. THE STRAIGHT-UP PURPOSEFUL LIES, DISRESPECT AND THREATS OF VIOLENCE IS SCARY. I HAVE BEEN CONCERNED FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH OF THE CHILDREN, HOWEVER NOW I'M CONCERNED WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH OF SOME OF THESE ADULTS THAT'S DOING A LOT OF THIS CRAZINESS. AND I THINK THAT IS VERY SERIOUS AND I THINK THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN VERY SERIOUS, BECAUSE SOME OF THESE PEOPLE ARE CRAZY. AND IT'S MAKING ME TERRIFIED. AND I'M WORRIED ABOUT ALL OF YOU ALL BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY DR. CONTRERAS. IT'S EMBARRASSING AND WE SUPPORT YOU, WE RESPECT YOU AND I WISH I COULD BE YOUR SECURITY GUARD DETAIL BUT I WORK FULL-TIME AND I CAN'T BUT JUST KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE

060AND THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT HERE THAT ARE SUPPORTING YOU THAT YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT. SO I JUST NEED YOU TO KNOW THAT SO DON'T BE SCARED, DON'T COME OUT WITH YOUR -- COME UP WITH YOUR HEAD UP BECAUSE WE ARE PROUD. PROUDER THAN YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT. AND I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT A SINGLE SCHOOL DISTRICT CANNOT COMBAT A NATIONAL PROPAGANDA MACHINE THAT'S INTENT ON PUSHING A BIG LIE. A PARTICULAR NARRATIVE AND DRIVING WEDGES IN COMMUNITIES AND AND IT SADDENS ME THAT SOME PEOPLE WOULD BANISH THE TRUTH AND ELEVATE A LIE. THERE IS ALREADY A SHORTAGE OF EDUCATORS AND THESE CULT-ISH CONSPIRACY THEORY LADEN LIES ARE GOING TO CAUSE AN EVEN BIGGER EXEC DOES AMONG AN ALREADY SCARCE RECRUITING FIELD IN EDUCATION. I HOPE THIS DOES

061NOT HAPPEN WITH OUR LEADERS HERE IN GCS. IT'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FREE SPEECH AND EXPRESSION AND OUTRIGHT LIES, CONSPIRACY THEORIES AND THREATS. >> IS THAT 3 MINUTES ALREADY? >> YES MA'AM. >> OKAY. BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THIS COMMUNITY AND IT IS A SERVICE AND I APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU BOARD AND THE PUBLIC. WE WERE ABLE TO GET EVERYONE IN. WE ARE NOW AT OUR CONSENT AGENDA. THANK YOU. THAT'S RIGHT WE'RE AT APPROVAL OF THE WHOLE AGENDA. >> MOVE THE AGENDA. >> IS THERE A SECOND? >> SECOND. >> PLEASE VOTE. THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE ARE NOW AT THE CONSENT AGENDA. DR. CONTRERAS. >> THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. >> NO IT'S NOT ON. THANK YOU. >> GOOD EVENING MADAM CHAIR MEMBERS OF

062THE BOARD AND WELCOME TO THE COMMUNITY. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU HERE. THIS EVENING'S CONSENT AGENDA INCLUDES SEVERAL ITEMS. THOSE APPROVAL OF JUNE 2021 MEETING ITEMS ARE A APPROVAL OF JUNE 2021 MEETING MINUTES PERSONNEL REPORT B PERSONNEL REPORT 2020-2021 BUDGET C 2020-2021 AMENDMENTS/TRANSFERS REPORT BUDGET AMENDMENTS/TRANSFERS REPORT 2021-2022 SECURITY AND PRIVACY D 2021-2022 SECURITY AND LIABILITY INSURANCE PRIVACY LIABILITY INSURANCE THAT CONCLUDES THIS EVENING’S CONSENT AGENDA FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. >> SO MOVED >> MADAM CHAIR. >> YES. >> COULD WE PULL D, PLEASE? >> CAN WE PULL D? W DON'T HAVE A SECOND YET. >> I'M SORRY WE DON'T HAVE A SECOND YET. YOU WANT T PULL ITEM D. IS THERE A MOTION TO MOVE THE CONSENT AGENDA A-C? >> MOVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. >> A-D? >> I'M ACCEPTING THE WHOLE CONSENT AGENDA. I'M NOT CHANGING MY MOTION.

063>> OKAY. >> SHE'S ASKED TO PULL D SO WE CAN PULL D. SHE HAS A RIGHT TO HAVE D PULLED. >> I THOUGHT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO PULL ITEMS AHEAD OF TIME. >> WE ASK BOARD MEMBERS PULL THEM AHEAD OF TIME BUT THEY ARE ALLOWED AT THE MEETING AS WELL. SO A-C. ALL RIGHT. PLEASE USE YOUR ELECTRONIC DEVICES. >> CHAIRMAN HAYES IF WE SPLIT OUR VOTE HOW DO YOU WANT US TO DO THAT? >> OKAY. THERE YOU GO. SO WE'LL JUST GO THROUGH -- WELL IT'S CONSENT AGENDA SO YOU CAN VOTE UP OR DOWN. IF -- >> OFF WHO HAVE. >> IF YOU WNT TO PULL SOMETHING WE CAN PULL IT. >> I DON'T WANT TO PULL IT BUT I DON'T WANT TO VOTE AGAINST THE WHOLE THING. IN THE PAST WE HAVE BEEN ABLE

064TO VOTE AGAINST SPECIFIC ITEMS. CAN WE NO LONGER DO THAT? >> IF SOMEONE MOVES TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA THAT MEANS WHAT'S LEFT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. SO UNLESS YOU REMOVE SOMETHING YOU'RE VOTING FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA OR AGAINST THE CONSENT AGENDA. >> OKAY THEN I WANT TO REMOVE B AND C. THAT'S NOT HOW WE HAVE OPERATED IN THE PAST. >> IT IS. WE VOTED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA UNLESS SOMEONE HAS ASKED TO PULL SOMETHING FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. WE ASK YOU TO PULL SOMETHING WHEN YOU GET THE AGENDA THEN BOARD MEMBERS HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO PULL ITEMS ARE AT THE MEETING. SO WE ARE NOW AT APPROVAL OF A ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. IS THERE A MOTION? IS THAT YOUR MOTION DIANNE? >> [OFF MIC] >> YES. IS THERE A SECOND? >> SECOND. >>

065ALL IN FAVOR A VOTE FOR A. THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEM A. ALL RIGHT THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. ANITA. >> I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY I JUST WANTED IT PULLED SO I CAN VOTE NO. >> OKAY SO ITEMS B AND C ON THE CONSENT AGENDA IS THERE A MOTION TO ACCEPT. >> MOVE ITEMS B AND C. >> SECOND. >> ALL RIGHT PLEASE VOTE. SHE'S RESETTING THE PANEL. >> THANK YOU. >> ALL RIGHT. DO WE HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN FOR PAT TO VOTE? >> [OFF MIC] >> ALL RIGHT. PASSES BY A VOTE OF 7 TO 1. ALL RIGHT, DIANNE. ITEM D. >> I JUST LIKE FOR THERE TO BE SOME MORE CLARITY ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT AN OUR SECURITY AND PRIVACY LIABILITY INSURANCE COVERS, BECAUSE WHAT I READ DIDN'T QUITE HELP ME UNDERSTAND. IS THIS TO COVER

066CYBER SECURITY OR THIS TO COVER -- WHAT IS IT COVERING, PLEASE? >> IT IS, IT'S OUR CYBER SECURITY POLICY. WE DIDN'T HAVE THE FINALIZED PRICING WHEN WE BROUGHT THIS ITEM TO THE BOARD IN JUNE. SO THAT'S WHY THIS ONE WAS DELAYED BUT IT IS OUR CYBER SECURITY. >> OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I JUST NEEDED CLARITY ON WHAT IT MEANT SO MOVE ITEM D. >> IS THERE A SECOND? >> SECOND. >> ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ITEM D, PLEASE VOTE. ALL RIGHT. THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE ARE NOW AT BOARD DISCUSSION. BOARD MEMBER ANITA SHARPE ASKED FOR TWO ITEMS THE SUPERINTENDENT'S EMERGENCY POWERS FOR THERE TO BE BOARD DISCUSSION. MS. SHARPE. >> YES. ON MARCH THE 13TH, 2020 WE PASSED UNANIMOUSLY THE FOLLOWING MOTION. MOTION WAS MADE BY WINSTON MCGREGOR, SECONDED BY PAT TILLMAN THAT THE BOARD AUTHORIZE

067THE SUPERINTENDENT TO TEMPORARILY WAIVE BOARD POLICIES AS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT APPROPRIATE RESPONSE MEASURES REGARDING POTENTIAL RISK AND LEGAL ACTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH COVID-19 WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT WILL KEEP THE BOARD INFORMED ON ANY SUCH ACTIONS. AND IT WAS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY. SIXTEEN MONTHS AGO WE WERE IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. WE SUSPENDED ALL POLICIES. I THINK EVEN FROM THE SPEAKERS WHO SPOKE TONIGHT WHO TALK ABOUT WHAT A GOOD JOB THE SUPERINTENDENT DID DURING THIS 16 MONTHS OF EMERGENCY SITUATION I AGREED BUT I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE INTENSE EMERGENCY OF COVID-19 IS OVER. I THINK THE FACT THAT WE ARE IN THIS ROOM TOGETHER IS AN INDICATION THAT THE EMERGENCY ASPECT OF COVID-19 IS OVER AND I THINK IT IS TIME, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE HEARD A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT POLICY DC, THE FINANCIAL POLICY. I'M NOT

068SURE WHY WE DISCUSSED THAT WHEN THE BOARD ACTUALLY HAS NO POLICIES AT THIS POINT IN TIME. SO I THINK IT BEHOOVES THE BOARD TO REASSUME THEIR RESPONSIBILITY WHEN IT COMES TO BOARD POLICIES. AND SO THEREFORE I MOVE THAT WE RESCIND THE MOTION THAT PASSED UNANIMOUSLY MARCH 13, 2020. >> IS THERE A SECOND? >> SECOND. >> ANY DISCUSSION? DIANNE. >> IS YUR MIC ON DIANNE? THERE YOU GO. >> FIRST OF ALL I THINK TO SAY THAT THE BOARD ADVOCATED ITS RESPONSIBILITY IS A FALSE HOOD. WHAT WE DID WAS SIMPLY IN THAT PARTICULAR SITUATION -- END THAT PARTICULAR SITUATION BECAUSE DECISIONS WERE MADE AT THE STATE LEVEL AND FEDERAL LEVEL THAT WERE IMPACTING ON HOW WE DO BUSINESS. IF I RECALL ON MARCH 13 WHICH I BELIEVE WAS A FRIDAY, WE WERE STILL IN SCHOOL AS WE

069WERE SUPPOSED TO BE. ON MARCH 14TH IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY WHICH WAS A SATURDAY THE GOVERNOR SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN. AND WE HAD TO I THINK THE NEW WORD IS PIVOT TO DEAL WITH THAT. AND THE SUPERINTENDENT NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND APPROPRIATELY TO THAT, BECAUSE RALEIGH DID NOT CALL US AND SAY WOULD YOU LIKE FOR US TO CLOSE YOUR SCHOOLS. RALEIGH DID NOT SAY, OH, WELL LET ME GIVE YOU A PLAY BOOK ON HOW TO DO IT. NONE OF THAT WAS DONE. AND THIS NOTION THAT WE'RE OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, NO WE'RE NOT. COVID IS STILL HERE. I JUST LOST A FRIEND ON THE FIFTH FROM COVID. YES, SOME OF US HAVE BEEN VACCINATED BUT A GREAT NUMBER OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN CAN'T BE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT OLD ENOUGH TO BE. SO THE

070VIRUS IS STILL HERE AND IF YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING THE NUMBERS HAVE STARTED TO PICK BACK UP, AGAIN. AND THEY'RE PREDICTED TO POSSIBLY GET WORSE BEFORE THEY GET BETTER, AGAIN. WHICH MEANS THAT WE MAY WIND UP BEING IN NOVEMBER WHERE WE WERE IN JANUARY. SO I THINK IT'S FOOL HEARTED SINCE THERE'S NO REAL REASON -- THERE HASN'T BEEN A MISUSE OF POWER THAT I KNOW OF, THE SUPERINTENDENT -- ARE YOU GOING TO LET ME TALK OR YOU WANT -- I'LL GIVE YOU THE FLOOR BACK. >> I DON'T HAVE MY MIC ON. >> WELL BUT YOU'RE TALKING. SO EITHER YOU'RE GOING TO LET ME TALK -- OKAY. THERE'S BEEN NO MISUSE OF POWER THAT I KNOW OF. SUPERINTENDENT HAS MADE A YEOMAN'S EFFORT TO MAKE SURE IN FACT IN OUR PACKET IF YOU GOT IT WERE TBO

071OF TWO OF HER LAST BOARD ITEMS TO US, I THINK SOMETHING LIKE 22 PAGES OF STUFF. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON PICK UP THE DARN PHONE AND CALL HER AND ASK HER, WHAT ARE YOU DOING. AND ANYTIME I'VE TEXTED HER OR CALLED HER AND SAID WHAT ARE YOU DOING, SHE DIDN'T AVOID ME. SHE ANSWERED ME OR SHE WOULD HAVE STAFF IF I ASKED A QUESTION, GET BACK WITH ME. AND YOU'VE GOT TO REALIZE THAT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO RUN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN THE LIKES OF IT IN 100 YEARS SO THERE ARE NO BOOKS WRITTEN AND THE FACT THAT OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS ACTUALLY BEEN A LEADER NATIONALLY, STATEWIDE, AS FAR AS DEALING WITH THIS. I THINK IT'S DISRESPECTFUL TO

072SAY THAT WE ARE NEEDING TO TAKE AWAY SOMETHING THAT HAS NOT BEEN ABUSED, THAT IS LIKE HAVING CAR INSURANCE. MOST OF US UP HERE I ASSUME ARE FAIRLY GOOD DRIVERS SO WE DON'T HAVE TO USE OUR CAR INSURANCE VERY OFTEN BUT THERE'S GOING TO BE THAT TIME WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO TOTAL YOUR CAR AND YOU BETTER HAVE CAR INSURANCE OR YOU'RE GOING TO BE WALKING. SO WHY STOP SOMETHING THAT THERE'S BEEN NO REASON TO STOP IT BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN NO ABUSE OF USING IT, IF ANYTHING SHE'S DONE AND STAFF HAVE DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB OF LEADING THE SCHOOL SYSTEM THROUGH THIS UNPRECEDENTED TIME THAT WE'RE IN. P THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, PAT. >> [OFF MIC] -- >> THE RIGHT ONE. >> IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE BEEN UP HERE. I THINK P IT

073MIGHT BE HELPFUL I MEAN IF SOMEONE COULD SORT OF ENUMERATE, YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SPECIFICALLY. LIKE WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THAT DO FOR THE DISTRICT. IT'S HAVING THE SUPERINTENDENT WITH THESE EMERGENCY POWERS. YOU KNOW OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE NATION IN SOME WAYS IT'S VIEWED AS SELL BRA TORY THAT SUPERINTENDENTS ARE EITHER THROUGH THE BOARD ACTION OR THROUGH THEIR OWN EFFORTS SAYING THIS IS A SIGN THAT THE PANDEMIC IS FAR BEHIND US. AND IT IS FAR BEHIND US. I MEAN NO ONE IS SUGGESTSING WE'RE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS BUT I DON'T THINK ANYONE WOULD SUGGEST THAT. BUT I WAS JUST CURIOUS MAYBE IF WE COULD TALKING -- IF SOMEONE COULD SHARE A LITTLE ABOUT SPECIFICALLY WHAT THOSE POWERS DO VERSUS WHERE WE WERE PREPANDEMIC, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT MIGHT BE

074A GOOD REFRESHER BECAUSE GOSH, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU BUT A YEAR WITH THE PANDEMIC, YEAR AND A HALF FEELS LIKE 10 YEARS SO IT MIGHT BE GOOD JUST TO REFRESH MEMORIES AND REKINDLE WHAT THAT DOES. >> THANK YOU MR. TILLMAN. ONE THING THAT STICKS WITH ME THAT YOU ASKED AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING WAS WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH -- PROBLEM WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE ESPECIALLY SINCE NO OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICT IS RAISING THIS QUESTION OF THEIR SUPERINTENDENT IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC WHEN THERE'S INTO THE VARY VAIR YENT OUT AND THE NUMBERS ARE INCREASING SO I'M WONDERING WHY WE'RE HAVING THE DISCUSSION IN THE MIDST OF THIS. WHAT'S THE PROBLEM WE ARE TRYING TO SOLVE. BUT I WILL TURN TO DR. CARR TO ANSWER JUST SOME OF THE ISSUES ABOUT WHAT COULD HAPPEN.

075I ALSO WANT TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR FOR THE PUBLIC BECAUSE THE PUBLIC HAS BEEN MISINFORMED REPEATEDLY I HAVE NEVER ONCE USED THE EMERGENCY POWER. NOT ONE TIME. I BROUGHT EVERY ISSUE TO THIS BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THEY VOTED ON IT. I HAVE NOT SUPERSEDED THEIR ROLE IN POLICY, FINANCES, EVERY CONTRACT CAME FORWARD. BUT THERE COULD BE A TIME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO QUICKLY MAKE A DECISION. THAT'S WHY THE SUPERINTENDENT IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, NOT JUST DR. CONTRERAS HAVE THIS AUTHORITY RIGHT NOW. DR. CARR. >> STILL GETTING USED TO THE NEW MICROPHONES. I APOLOGIZE. SO WE ARE CURRENTLY UNLESS SOMETHING CHANGES WITH THE POTENTIAL ANNOUNCEMENT TONIGHT BUT AS OF THE START OF THE MEETING WE ARE STILL OPERATING UNDER EMERGENCY ORDERS ISSUED BY THE GOVERNOR. SO THAT'S ALSO WHAT PROVIDES SOME --

076PROVIDES THE POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR THIS, AS WELL AS -- ANYWAY THAT PROVIDES THE POLICY FRAMEWORK. SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT MOVING FORWARD WITH OPENING SCHOOLS AND THAT WE HAVE STAFF WORKING ON RIGHT NOW, WE ARE EAGERLY AWAITING REVISIONS TO THE STRONG SCHOOLS NORTH CAROLINA PUBLIC SCHOOL TOOLKIT WHICH IS ISSUED BY THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. THEY ACTUALLY PUT AN UPDATE OUT JULY 9 BUT OF COURSE THAT WAS THE SAME DAY THE CDC ISSUED NEW GUIDANCE REGARDING MASKING AND SO CLEARLY THEY HAD NOT ADDRESSED THE NEW GUIDANCE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THEY KNEW THAT THAT WAS COMING. SO ISSUES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT MOVING FORWARD, CERTAINLY WE ONLY ABOUT 26 PERCENT OF TEENAGERS RIGHT NOW IN GUILFORD COUNTY ACCORDING TO DATA PROVIDED TO US EARLIER TODAY FROM THE PUBLIC

077HEALTH DEPARTMENT FROM THEIR EPIDEMIOLOGIST ARE VACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19. DESPITE AS YOU KNOW YEOMAN'S EFFORTS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING TO TRY TO ENCOURAGE VACCINATIONS SO THAT'S CERTAINLY WITH SCHOOLS OPENING AROUND THE CORNER. WE ALSO KNOW THAT CHILDREN UNDER 12 DON'T EVEN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE VACCINATED YET. SO WHAT ARE SOME IMPLICATIONS FOR THAT? IF WE ENDED UP HAVING A SURGE, IF WE ENDED UP HAVING TO DO LAST-MINUTE PURCHASING THAT OCCURRED IN BETWEEN SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS,S IF WE HAD TO SWITCH GEARS OR, UM, YOU KNOW, WE COULD -- NEEDED TO CHANGE THE POLICY AND PROTOCOLS ACCORDING TO THE NEW GUIDANCE WHICH AS YOU KNOW THE PATTERN LAST YEAR EVERY TIME WE ISSUED WHAT WE THOUGHT WERE REALLY GOOD PROTOCOLS AND GUIDANCE SOMETHING CHANGED AT THE STATE OR FEDERAL LEVEL AND WE HAD TO ADJUST OUR GUIDANCE

078AGAIN. WE'RE ANTICIPATING SOME OF THAT WILL CONTINUE. SO THERE'S STILL AS MUCH AS WE WOULD ALL LIKE THIS TO BE OVER IT'S NOT OVER YET. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT ADULTS THAT THAT -- IN TERMS OF VACCINATION RATES THAT'S UNDER 50 PERCENT IN GUILFORD COUNTY AS WELL OF ELIGIBLE ADULTS, NOT COUNTING THE 65 AND OLDER POPULATION BUT MORE OF THE ADULTS THAT WOULD BE OUR FAMILIES THAT WOULD BE OUR TEACHERS AND OUR EMPLOYEES. SO BOTH OF THOSE ISSUES JUST POSE CONCERNS THAT COULD THEN YIELD ISSUES THAT COULD COME UP REGARDING THE NEED TO CHANGE GEARS QUICKLY OR ADDRESS A PURCHASING NEED VERY QUICKLY THEN HAVING TO REPORT IT BACK, YOU KNOW, TO THE BOARD WAS THE PROMISE WITH THE POLICY THAT CAME BEFORE. SO THAT'S WHY FROM A STAFF AND ADMINISTRATION PERSPECTIVE IT FEELS PREMATURE

079WHEN THE PANDEMIC ISN'T OFFER YET. >> AS A FOLLOW-UP SO IS THERE A SORT OF FINISH LINE OR IS THERE A POINT WHERE MAYBE, YEAH THAT WE FEEL LIKE OKAY, MADAM SUPERINTENDENT WE'RE AT THAT SAFE AHA MOMENT AND WE WILL GO BACK TO REPANDEMIC? IS THERE A GOAL? >> IN TRUTH, I HAVEN'T USED THE POWERS AND IF YOU VOTED TO TAKE THEM AWAY I CAN LIVE WITH THAT. AT THE SAME TIME I THINK THE KEY ISSUE FOR US IS THAT WE'RE STILL UNDER THE GOVERNOR'S EMERGENCY ORDER AND I THINK THAT PERHAPS IF YOU WANTED TO REVISE THE MOTION THE MOTION COULD BE AS LONG AS WE'RE UNDER GOVERNOR'S EMERGENCY ORDER THAT THESE POWERS EXIST. AND ONCE THAT ENDS THEN THE -- THEN WE REVERT BACK TO PREPANDEMIC PROCEDURES. >> ANITA WOULD THAT SUIT A FRIENDLY

080AMENDMENT? I WOULD MAKE THAT AMENDMENT -- >> [OFF MIC] >> I WOULD MAKE A FRIENDLY -úTO REFLECT AS MADAMHE LANGUAGE SUPERINTENDENT MENTIONED OR SAID THAT BASED ON WHEN NORTH CAROLINA WHEN THE GOVERNOR -- WHEN WE GO BACK TO PREPANDEMIC THEN THAT WOULD END THE SUPERINTENDENT'S EMERGENCY POWER. >> SO THERE'S SOME OTHER FOLKS, PAT. AND WE CAN REVISIT THAT AFTER THEY'VE SPOKEN. KIM, BETTYE, DEBORAH THEN DIANNE. >> MY CONCERN IS REALLY ABOUT THE ABILITY -- IT'S NOT ABOUT THE RESOURCES THAT COME THAT NEED TO GET TO CHILDREN FASTER. WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THE BOTTOM LINE IS BEING ABLE -- WHEN THE SUPERINTENDENT IS ABLE TO ACT QUICKLY THEN PRINCIPALS ARE ABLE TO RESPOND QUICKLY. EVERYONE TRICKLES DOWN TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN EDUCATION AROUND OUR CHILDREN. AND I THINK EVEN LAST YEAR

081BECAUSE WE RESPONDED QUICKLY I THINK WHAT WAS BEING AHEAD OF THE CURVE IN THOSE THINGS WE WERE PUT IN A GREAT PLACE WHEN IT WAS TIME TO RECEIVE THOSE DEVICES EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE DELAYED. SO I'M ALL ABOUT EMPOWERING OUR SUPERINTENDENT SO THAT PRINCIPALS CAN BE EMPOWERED SO THAT STUDENTS CAN GET WHAT THEY NEED AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT I THINK TO OUR ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY AS A BOARD AND AGAIN I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION. WHEN OTHER SUPERINTENDENTS AND WE FOLLOW LOTS OF TIMES THE COCHAIR OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN NORTH CAROLINA, OTHER BOARDS ARE NOT HAVING THIS CONVERSATION, OTHER BOARDS DON'T SEEM TO BE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR SUPERINTENDENT'S, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO MOVE QUICKLY IN THESE MATTERS AND NOT, YOU KNOW, BE HANDICAPPED IN SUCH A WAY FOR OUR STUDENTS. >>

082THANK YOU. BETTYE. >> I THINK ALMOST ALL MY QUESTION WAS ANSWERED ALREADY BUT I WILL ASK DR. CARR, I KNOW WE'RE STILL UNDER THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER BUT HOW MANY -- WE'RE ALWAYS COMPARING OURSELVES TO THE DISTRICTS AROUND US. HOW MANY SUPERINTENDENTS SO FAR THAT YOU KNOW THEIR POWER HAS BEEN RESCINDED? >> I'M JUST AWARE OF ONE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THAT WAS WAKE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. >> OKAY. AT THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REQUEST. >> OKAY BUT THE BOARD DID NOT ASK FOR IT TO BE RESCINDED? IT WAS HER REQUEST. >> IT WAS AT THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REQUEST. I BELIEVE THAT OCCURRED WHEN THEY REENTERED SCHOOL IN PLAN A WITH MORE OF THEIR CHILDREN. >> THANK YOU. >> DEBORAH, DIANNE THEN ANITA. >> FIRST OFF THANK YOU DR. CONTRERAS FOR CLARIFYING BECAUSE I DID WANT THAT MADE VERY OPEN. I

083DO REMEMBER THIS DISCUSSION HAVING HAPPENED WITH THE BOARD BEFORE BETTYE AND I WERE SWORN IN AND YOU MENTIONED THERE YOU HAD NOT USED YOUR EMERGENCY POWERS AND I KNOW BY FOLLOWING EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN GOING ON SINCE WE HAVE BEEN SWORN IN YOU HAVE NOT USED THESE EMERGENCY POWERS SO YOU HAVE BEEN -- FRUGAL SEEMS LIKE THE WRONG WORD BUT VERY FORTH COMING, THANK YOU, FORTH COMING WITH WHAT EXACTLY YOU'VE BEEN DOING. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT, FOR THE CLARITY. AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE WATCHING THESE MEETINGS AND YOU'RE WATCHING WHAT'S GOING ON YOU CAN SEE THIS BOARD IS FULLY FUNCTIONAL. WE GET EMAILS AWLG THE TIME, PUBLIC COMMENTS ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE AND THEIR ACTIONS, THE POLICY COMMITTEE AND THEIR ACTIONS, THESE ACTIONS ARE BROUGHT TO THE BOARD TO VOTE ON CONSISTENTLY.

084NOTHING HAS BEEN INSTITUTED THAT I'M AWARE OF WITHOUT A BOARD VOTE. SO THE BOARD IS FUNCTIONING FULLY AS IT SHOULD AND DR. CONTRERAS HAS NOT USED THESE EMERGENCY POWERS. SO I'M A LITTLE LOST AS TO WHY IT'S A MEASURE OF CONCERN. IF THERE AGAIN THERE'S NO ISSUE OF USE MUCH LESS ANY ISSUE OF ABUSE. AND FINALLY I DO HAVE TO POINT OUT THAT A LOT OF THE EMAILS AND PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT ARE BROUGHT TO US ARE THINGS COMPLETELY OUTSIDE OF OUR PURVIEW, BE IT DR. CONTRERAS OR BE IT THE BOARD. WE ARE NOT IN CONTROL OF THE MASK MANDATE. THAT COMES FROM THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA. WE WERE NOT IN CONTROL OF A LOT OF THE RETURN TO SCHOOL ASPECTS THAT CAME FROM THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT US

085AND SAY ALL THESE THINGS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE US TO DO AND POINT OUT ALL THESE THINGS WE'RE DOING WRONG PLEASE LET US COMMUNICATE TO YOU THE ORIGINS OF THE DECISIONS THAT ARE PUT TO US TO ENFORCE BEFORE YOU TELL US WE'RE NOT DOING OUR JOBS. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. DIANNE THEN ANITA. >> DR. CONTRERAS IF I COULD JUST JUST I KNOW YOU FOR A MINUTE. WHEN WE WERE STARTING INTO THE PANDEMIC YOU HAD THE AUTHORITY AND THE WISDOM TO SHIFT THE WORKFORCE IN ORDER TO KEEP ALMOST 90 PERCENT OF GUILFORD COUNTY'S EMPLOYEES EMPLOYED. IS THAT CORRECT ?T. >> WE DID NOT -- >> YOUR MIC IS NOT ON DR. CONTRERAS. >> WE DID NOT LAYOFF A SINGLE EMPLOYEE. >> OKAY. AND YOU MADE THAT DECISION ALONG WITH YOUR STAFF, RIGHT? >> THAT'S RIGHT.

086>> OKAY. AND YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO HAVE EMERGENCY POWERS BUT YOU USED THE POWER YOU HAD TO MAKE THAT DECISION. RIGHT? >> THAT'S RIGHT. >> OKAY. OKAY MY POINT IS THAT THIS WOMAN IS QUITE CAPABLE OF DOING WHAT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND SHE'S DEMONSTRATED THAT REPEATEDLY. AND THAT PARTICULAR POINT THAT I WANTED HER TO MAKE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. WE TALK ABOUT THE CHILDREN BUT UNDERSTAND THAT THE CHILDREN DO NOT COME INTO THESE SCHOOL BUILDINGS BY THEMSELVES. WE HAVE TO HAVE STAFF. AND THE FACT THAT YOU STARTED THE LUNCH PROGRAM TWO DAYS AFTER THE SHUT-DOWN. I MEAN WE DIDN'T MISS A BEAT. AND SO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE RECORD OF WHAT WE DID NOT MISS A BEAT AND WE WERE THE ONLY AGENCY IN GUILFORD COUNTY THAT

087WAS FEEDING THE VOLUME OF PEOPLE THAT GOT FED. IT WAS THE CHILDREN, BUT THOSE CHILDREN CAME AND TOOK THOSE LUNCHES AND BREAKFASTS HOME TO THEIR LITTLE BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THEIR BIG BROTHERS AND SISTERS. BUT IT WAS OUR STAFF THAT SHE GOT IT SO THAT BUS DRIVERS STAYED EMPLOYED CUSTODIANS, ACES STAFF, ALL THESE STAFF STAYED EMPLOYED AND MY LAST ONE HAS TO DO WITH THE POLITICAL PRESSURE POINT. EVEN IF THE GOVERNOR WERE TO RESCIND THE EMERGENCY POWERS, WE DO NOT NEED TO HAVE LOCAL AUTHORITY, MEANING THIS BOARD NOT BEING ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS. BECAUSE THE GOVERNOR'S GOING TO GET PRESSURE POINTED AT A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL THAN WHAT GUILFORD COUNTY NEEDS SO WE NEED TO STILL BE ABLE TO MAKE LOCAL DECISIONS AS BEST WE CAN,

088AS MS. NAPPER SAID. THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE BEING DICTATED TO US THAT WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER. YOU KNOW, WE WERE TOLD YOU WILL HAVE SUMMER SCHOOL. NOW IT WOUND UP BEING A FUNDED MANDATE WHICH USUALLY MANDATES THAT WE GET FROM THE STATE ARE UNFUNDED. SO AT LEAST THAT WAS A FUNDED MANDATE BUT IT GAVE OUR TEACHERS AND OUR STAFF NO RESPITE TIME. THEY HAD TO TURN AROUND AND START SUMMER SCHOOL 10 DAYS AFTER REGULAR SCHOOL STARTED. AND OUR FOLK CONSIDERING THE YEAR AND A HALF THEY HAVE HAD, THEY NEEDED A BREAK. AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO BE EXPECTED TO COME BACK TO SCHOOL, WHAT, 10 DAYS AFTER SUMMER SCHOOL ENDS? THAT'S A LOT. AND SO WE'RE GOING TO SEE THE REPERCUSSIONS OF THIS BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BREAK DOWN AND THEY'RE GOING

089TO SAY I CAN'T COME TO WORK AND SO OUR SUPERINTENDENT'S GOT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT HOW TO FILL THE VOID THAT HAS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE AND WORK THAT'S BEEN PUT ON OUR STAFF TO DO THEIR JOBS. SO JUST REALIZE THAT EVEN IF THE STATE POWER IS RESCINDED WE STILL NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE LOCAL CONTROL. >> ANITA. >> I THINK WE'RE MISSING THE WHOLE POINT. THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE SUPERINTENDENT. WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT ABOUT THE SUPERINTENDENT BUT IT ISN'T. IT'S ABOUT THE BOARD AND IT'S ABOUT THIS BOARD AND OUR LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY. BY LAW WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE POLICIES. NOBODY HAS SAID -- NOBODY HAS EVER SAID THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS EXCEEDED HER AUTHORITY. I'VE NEVER SAID THAT ABOUT THIS POLICY. THAT'S WHAT Y'

090ALL ARE TRYING TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE OR IT SEEMS TO BE. BUT IT'S ABOUT THIS BOARD AND OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS ELECTED OWE OFFICIALS. WHY CAN WE NOT GET THAT. THERE WAS AN EMERGENCY. WE SAID OKAY WE'LL GET OUT OF THE WAY, DO THIS. WE DID, SHE DID. BUT WE CANNOT CONTINUE AS A BOARD TO ADVOCATE OUR LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES. NOW I MEAN BE THAT AS IT MAY I'VE NEVER SAID THAT ANYTHING WAS DONE WRONG. ALL I'M SAYING IS WE'RE RESPONSIBLE. >> DEBORAH THEN PAT. >> AND YOU'RE CORRECT I'VE NEVER HEARD THAT FROM YOU BUT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANYONE ELSE BUT IT COMES ACROSS A LOT. A LOT. THAT WE ARE -- OR THAT THERE'S BEEN MISS USE, THERE HAS BEEN ABUSE AND ALL THESE PROBLEMS. BUT NO ONE IS EVER ABLE TO TELL ME

091EXACTLY WHERE OR HOW OR WHEN THOSE ABUSES HAVE HAPPENED. AND THERE AGAIN AS I JUST SAID, WE ARE A FULLY FUNCTIONING BOARD. CAN YOU ILLUSTRATE FOR ME WHERE WE HAVE LAPSE IN OUR RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE I GENUINELY -- YOU'VE BEEN AT I A LOT LONGER AND I GENUINELY WANT TO KNOW IF I'M MISSING SOMETHING. >> I'M NOT SAYING ANYBODY IS BUT POLICY IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY. WE HAVE ADVOCATED IN A TIME OF NEED, WE ADVOCATED OR RESPONSIBILITY AND RIGHTFULLY SO. >> I WOULD ASK THAT -- >> YOU CAN'T ABD GATE SOMETHING UNLESS SOMEONE ELSE TAKES THAT AUTHORITY. SO NO ONE HAS CREATED A POLICY OUTSIDE OF THE BOARD. IS THAT CORRECT? >> SO HERE'S WHAT I WOULD SAY ABOUT THE DEBATE. FIRST OF ALL THE ACTUAL MOTION ONLY ALTERED -- SORRY. [ PHONE RINGING ] >> ONLY

092GRANTED ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY TO THE SUPERINTENDENT AS IT RELATES TO COVID ISSUES. IT WASN'T BROADER THAN THAT. IT DIDN'T CHANGE THE POLICY ISSUES RELATED TO ANYTHING BUT COVID. THAT WAS THE TERMS OF THE MOTION THAT YOU HAD. AND SO -- I DON'T KNOW OF ANY POLICY THAT HAS BEEN SUSPENDED BECAUSE OF COVID. >> BOARD POLICIES AS NECESSARY. >> AS NECESSARY TO RESPOND TO COVID. I MEAN IT WAS VERY SPECIFIC IF I RECALL. AND SO IF YOU HAVEN'T ACTUALLY WAIVED THE POLICIES TO RESPOND TO COVID THEN -- I MEAN IT DIDN'T TAKE AWAY THE POLICY MAKING AUTHORITY OF THE BOARD. YOU CAN MAKE A NEW POLICY TOMORROW. >> WELL WE HAVE. >> RIGHT. IT DOESN'T CHANGE YOUR POLICY MAKING RESPONSIBILITIES, IT JUST ALLOWS THE SUPERINTENDENT IN THE EVENT THAT WAS NECESSARY TO RESPOND TO COVID TO WAIVE

093POLICY. SO AN EXAMPLE BO HAVE BEEN THE OPENING AND CLOSING OF SCHOOL. >> SHE HAD THAT AUTHORITY WITHOUT THS. >> RIGHT. BUT THAT'S THE KIND OF -- I MEAN AS IT RELATES TO COVID, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE POLICY -- YOU CAN WAIVE POLICY AS IT RELATES TO COVID AS NECESSARY TO RESPOND. THAT WAS WHAT THE MOTION WAS. >> THAT'S THE ONLY AUTHORITY YOU'VE CHANGED. >> OKAY SO I HAVE TO ASK NORA, WHAT POLICIES HAVE WE WAIVED AS IT RELATES TO COVID? >> NONE THAT I'M AWARE OF. >> THANK YOU. >> I FORGOT TO TURN IT ON. NONE THAT I'M AWARE OF. >> THANK YOU. PAT. >> I JUST WANT TO KIND OF GO DOWN THAT LEGAL RABBIT HOLE IF WE CAN BECAUSE I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF

094STRAW MAN ARGUMENTS THAT GET THROWN AROUND TO SORT OF I THINK CERTAINLY MAYBE IN THE PUBLIC THEY STATE STATEMENTS THEN ONE WEEK THEY'RE IN LOVE WITH YOU AND THE NEXT WEEK THEY HATE YOU SO NO ONE -- I MEAN I SECONDED THE MOTION THAT WE GIVE THIS VERY IMPORTANT ACTION OF THE BOARD TO DO SO. THE TWO ARE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. THE POLICY THEN OUR FEELINGS AND WHATEVER HOW WE PERFORM DURING COVID I THINK IT WAS MIRACULOUS WHAT WAS DONE FROM THE FEEDING TO ALL OF THAT, THE DEVICES, YOU NAME IT. I MEAN I'LL BE THE FIRST TO SAY THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT OR STAFF DID AN AMAZING JOB. LET ME ASK YOU THIS WAY, IT'S MORE OF A NUANCED LEGAL QUESTION. IF THE SUPERINTENDENT WERE TO TAKE ACTION WITH THIS EMERGENCY POWER AND A LEGAL REPERCUSSION

095HAPPENED BECAUSE I KNOW FROM THE BOARD TRAINING I RECEIVED THAT THE BOARD MEMBERS GET SED INDIVIDUALLY. SO I WANT EVERYBODY TO HEAR THAT. WE CAN GET SUED SITTING UP HERE. IT'S ALL FUN AND GAMES DURING CAMPAIGN SEASON BUT THAT'S -- SO I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT IS THE LEGAL -- AT THAT POINT IF THE SUPERINTENDENT TOOK AN ACTION AND IT WAS NOT BOARD APPROVED HOW DOES THAT DRK. >> YOU WOULD NOT HAVE ANY INDIVIDUAL LIABILITY FROM ANY ACTION THAT YOU DID NOT INTENTIONALLY DO KNOWING IT WAS ILLEGAL. SO YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY PUTTING YOURSELF IN ANY LEGAL PERIL BY ANY OF THE KINDS OF THINGS WE'RE DISCUSSING. YOU DON'T HAVE INDIVIDUAL LIABILITY, YOU ACT AS A BOARD, YOU ONLY ACT AS A BOARD. SO THE ONLY TIME YOU HAVE INDIVIDUAL LIABILITY, PERSONAL LIABILITY IS IF YOU ACT

096OUTSIDE OF THE AUTHORITY OF THE BOARD AND KNOWINGLY VIOLATE THE LAW OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. P I DON'T THINK THAT CONCEPT IS ANYTHING YOU SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT. >> ALSO TO MRS. WILSON IF YOU COULD ALSO JUST REITERATE YOUR POLICY SAYS ANYTHING THAT'S NOT IN POLICY THE SUPERINTENDENT MAKES THE DECISION ABOUT ANYWAY SO MOST THINGS IN THE DISTRICT I MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT OUTSIDE OF THE BOARD. SO THERE'S NO INDIVIDUAL LIABILITY. THAT'S WHY SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE SUPERINTENDENTS AND THIS ENTIRE CONVERSATION IS A CONTINUAL REMINDER OF WHY WE HAVE TO DO BETTER WITH UNDERSTANDING BOARD ROLE, SUPERINTENDENT ROLE. I HEARD SOMEONE STAND RIGHT AT THE MICROPHONE TONIGHT AND SAY WHY IS THE SUPERINTENDENT ON THE POLICY COMMITTEE. SHE'S NOT A MEMBER OF THE BOARD. I AM BY STATE STATUTE THE BOARD SECRETARY. IT JUST SHOWS WE DON'T

097UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ROLE OF A SUPERINTENDENT IS IN A SCHOOL DISTRICT AND WHAT AN BOARD MEMBERS DO. >> THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION BECAUSE, YEAH, I DIDN'T MEAN TO SAY THAT BUT I WAS CURIOUS BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET INTO THE NUANCED LEGAL THINGS IF AN ACTION WAS TAKEN AND IT FELL UNDER THE EMERGENCY POWERS ACT AND IT WENT VERY BADLY AND SO -- SO -- THEN YOU WOULD STEP UP AND DEFEND US AND IT WOULD BE ALL GOOD. >> I WOULD DEFEND YOU WITH HONOR AND I WOULD BE QUITE CONVINCED YOU WOULD BE FINE. >> THANK YOU. >> JILL HASN'T THE BOARD BEEN SUED BASED ON ACTIONS OF EMPLOYEES? >> THE BOARD IS A COLLECTIVE BODY. IT'S THE ENTITY TO SUE AND BE SUED IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA. IN OTHER WORDS THE BOARD

098OF EDUCATION IS THE ENTITY. THERE'S NO OTHER ENTITY. SO YES. IF THE ENTITY HARMED SOMEONE THE ENTITY GETS SUED. THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN SAYING PAT TILLMAN AND HIS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY GETS SUED. SO CERTAINLY -- I MEAN LET ME GIVE AWE EXAMPLE OF A WAY A POLICY OR LACK OF A POLICY COULD GET YOU SUED. IF HE HAD NO TITLE IX POLICY AND YOU DID NOT FOLLOW THE DICTATES OF TITLE IX WHICH IS A FEDERAL LAW REQUIRING YOU TO RESPOND TO SEXUAL HARASSMENT. IF YOU HAD NO PROCESSES AND POLICIES DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE LAW REQUIRES YOU TO AND YOU HAD NO POLICY IN PLACE, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION COULD BE SUED FOR FAILING TO HAVE A POLICY. THAT'S ONE OF THE TIMES I CAN THINK OF WHERE A POLICY HAVING ONE, NOT HAVING ONE, USING ONE,

099NOT USING ONE WOULD GET YOU SUED. BUT -- >> BUT WE'RE VULNERABLE TO THE ACTIONS OF OUR MANY EMPLOYEES SO THAT WOULDN'T PRECLUDE OR PREVENT THAT -- >> ABSOLUTELY. THE BOTTOM LINE IS YOUR POLICIES DON'T ORDINARILY RESULT IN -- WHETHER THEY ARE OR AREN'T THERE DOESN'T RESULT IN ANYTHING UNLESS YOU OMITTED TO HAVE A POLICY WHERE YOU WERE LEGALLY REQUIRED TO HAVE ONE. THAT HAS NO RELEVANCE TO THIS CONVERSATION. >> ANITA. >> ONE MORE QUESTION. SO THE ESSR FUNDING THAT WE VOTED ON WHAT, LAST MEETING OR MEETING BEFORE, I'VE LOST TRACK. UM, THAT WOULD HAVE FALLEN UNDER THIS. WOULD IT NOT HAVE? >> WELL THE ONLY MOTION TO SUSPEND THE APPLICATION OF POLICY, SO NO. I MEAN YOU APPROVE A BUDGET BUT THAT'S AN ASK YOU DO LSH BFER ESSR WAS APPROVED OUTSIDE THE NORMAL

100BUDGET. >> RIGHT BECAUSE IT'S AN EXTRAORDINARY BUDGET BUT I DON'T THINK THAT HAS APPLICATION TO THE SUSPENSION OF POLICY. >> THANK YOU. >> LINDA THEN WE'LL TAKE A VOTE. >> THE ESSR FUNDS ARE GRANT FUNDS AND I HAD ASKED -- SO I HAD ASKED ABOUT WHY WE DIDN'T APPROVE THE ESSR FUNDS PRIOR TO SUBMITTING THEM TO THE STATE. SINCE IT WAS A GRANT. AND WHEN I READ IT, IT DID NOT SPECIFY, YOU KNOW, ONLY LOCAL GRANTS OR STATE GRANTS. SO THIS WAS A FEDERAL GRANT. WE HAVE A POLICY THAT HA SAYS THE BOARD WILL APPROVE THE APPLICATION OF A GRANT PRIOR TO IT BEING SUBMITTED TO THE STATE. AND THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. SO MY QUESTION IS IS WHY DID THAT NOT HAPPEN. >> CUSTOMARILY I BELIEVE THAT IS IF YOU'RE GOING TO APPLY FOR A

101GRANT, AT LEAST MY UNDERSTANDING OF THAT IS THAT FOR EXAMPLE IF YOU DECIDED YOU WANTED TO CREATE A MAGNET PROGRAM AND YOU WERE GOING TO APPLY FOR A GRANT TO FUND YOUR MAGNET PROGRAM AND IT WOULD INVOLVE OBVIOUSLY A COMMITMENT BY THE BOARD TO SPEND EXTENSIVE FUNDS IN DIRECTION TO SUPPORT THAT GRANT. THAT'S THE REASON THAT YOU APPROVE GRANTS IN ADVANCE BEFORE THEY -- SOMETIMES YOU DO THEM FRANKLY THEY'VE BEEN SUBMITTED AND YOU RATIFY THEM. YOU DON'T HAVE TO NECESSARILY -- >> I'M GOING BY THE POLICY. >> ESSR DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY. THE DETERMINATION -- I DOUBT IF YOU WOULD HAVE TURNED DOWN ESSR FUNDS BUT WE DIDN'T SEE -- WE DIDN'T APPLY FOR ESSR FUNDS IN THE WAY YOU THINK ABOUT THAT POLICY. AT LEAST IT DESN'T STRIKE ME AS THE KIND OF POLICY

102THAT -- THE KIND OF FUNDING THAT THAT POLICY IS AIMED AT. >> THERE AGAIN I'M JUST STATING WHAT THE GRANT POLICY SAYS. >> RIGHT. ESSR -- >> I KNOW IT WAS SUBMITTED PRIOR TO BOARD APPROVAL SO I'M JUST ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION AS TO WHY THAT POLICY DID NOT HOLD. >> WELL I DON'T KNOW THE TIMING OF ANY OF WHO DID WHAT BUT I CAN TELL YOU I DON'T VIEW ESSR FUNDS AS APPLYING FOR A GRANT. THAT'S A DIFFERENT -- IT'S NOT -- IT'S NOT AN APPLICATION-BASED GRANT. IT'S JUST A HERE'S THE MONEY, HOW ARE YOU GONG TO SPEND IT AS OPPOSED TO WE WANT THE MONEY AND HERE ARE THE THINGS WE WILL DO TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAM. >> THERE AGAIN. >> IF PAT WILL REWORD HIS FRIENDLY AMENDMENT -- >> YES, I WOULD JUST

103REALLY USE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S WORDS. I THINK GETTING THIS RIGHT THAT ONCE THE GOVERNOR HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA RESCINDS THAT EMERGENCY POWERS ACT THAT WE JUST MOVE BACK INTO P PRECOVID. >> INSTEAD OF MAKING THAT A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT WH DON'T YOU MAKE THAT THE MOTION. >> YOU WILL HAVE TO WITHDRAWAL YOURSELF. >> I'LL MAKE THAT A SUBSTITUTE MOTION. >> OKAY. >> YOU WITHDREW OO YOURS YOU CAN -- >> HE CAN MAKE SUBSTITUTE. >> I DON'T KNOW -- [ SPEAKING AT THE SAME TIME ] >> WHAT IT IS IS WE'RE UNDER A STATE OF EMERGENCY SO WHAT YOU WOULD SAY IS THE POWERS WOULD REMAIN IN PLACE FOR SO LONG AS WE CONTINUE TO BE IN A STATE OF EMERGENCY AS DECLARED BY THE GOVERNOR. >> THANK YOU FOR CLEANING THAT UP. >> THAT'S SECONDED BY ANITA.

104ALL RIGHT. PLEASE VOTE. >> I BELIEVE I CAPTURED THE MOTION ON THE SCREEN HERE. >> OKAY. THANK YOU. >> ALL RIGHT THAT PASSES BY -- I MEAN FAILS BY A VOTE OF 5-3. THANK YOU. WE ARE NOW AT ITEM B UNDER BOARD DISCUSSION KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS REPORT. MS. SHARPE. >> THE ONLY REASON I ASKED FOR THAT TO BE PUT ON THE AGENDA IS I THINK WE NEED TO GET BACK TO THAT, WHICH IS WHAT IS THE IMPORTANT WORK OF THE BOARD AND I WOULD JUST LIKE SOME KIND OF PLAN AS TO WHEN WE'RE GOING TO START DISCUSSING KPIS AGAIN. >> I WOULD ASK DR. -- >> YOUR MIC'S NOT ON. >> DR. OAKLEY AND DR. STEVENS TO COME FORWARD. I THINK AS A QUICK REMINDER THE STRATEGIC PLAN ENDS IN YEAR SO WE HAVE TO

105GO BACK OUT AND COME UP WITH NEW GOALS AND TARGETS AS THE FIRST STEP AND I'LL ASK DR. OAKLEY TO GIVE SOME CONTEXT THEN ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE ABOUT KPIS. SERGE SOME OF THE TECHNICAL QUESTIONS, RESEARCH QUESTIONS DR. STEVENS CAN ANSWER AND WELCOME. YOUR FIRST TIME BEFORE THE BOARD DR. STEVENS. >> GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS. SO AS DR. CONTRERAS MENTIONED AS PART OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN REVISED KPIS WERE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD AT ITS RETREAT ON FEBRUARY 8 LESS THAN 5 WEEKS BEFORE SCHOOLS CLOSED. AND SO WE ARE IN THIS RESET PERIOD. JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE COUNTRY WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO REESTABLISH BASELINES AS THIS DATA COMES IN AND AS WE LEARN MORE. GIVEN THE FACT THAT MOST STATES INCLUDING OURS DID NOT ADMINISTER ASSESSMENTS IN 2020 THERE IS A DATA

106GAP THAT DOES EXIST FOR THAT INITIAL DISRUPTIVE YEAR. AND ALL DISTRICTS INCLUDING OURS HAD VERY LOW PARTICIPATION RATES THIS PAST TESTING SEASON. SO WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE BUT JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE COUNTRY IN TERMS OF THE DATA THAT WE HAVE AND ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO GATHER AND ANALYZE. ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY SCHOOLS IS IN THE PROCESS OF REESTABLISHING ITS KPIS WHICH WE'VE ALSO USED AS PART OF OUR LENS WHEN WE ENTER THAT KPI PROCESS. SO WE'RE NEARING THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS. WE WIL CONTINUE TO GATHER AND ANALYZE DATA. THE CURRENT STRATEGIC PLAN RUNS THROUGH DECEMBER OF 2021. WE TYPICALLY USE THOSE GOALS TO LOOK AT THE KPIS IN THE AREA WE NEED TO MEASURE. WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO DECIDE GIVEN

107THESE TWO DISRUPTIVE YEARS OF LEARNING WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO MEASURE OVER THE COURSE OF THIS NEXT PHASE OF STRATEGIC PLAN. BUT WE'RE IN THE PROCESS NOW OF GATHERING THAT PRELIMINARY DATA SO WE CAN BRING BASE BASELINE DATA. TYPICALLY WE HAVE A RETREAT ITEM WHERE THE BOARD WRESTLES WITH THE KPIS AND LOOKS AT WHAT THE PROPOSED GOALS ARE, ASKS QUESTIONS, PROVIDES FEEDBACK THEN WE PUT A REVISED VERSION IN FRONT OF YOU YOU. THE ONLY LAST THING I WILL REMIND US OF AND WE DEALT WITH THIS IN FEBRUARY 2020 QUITE A BIT. EVERY TIME THE STATE CHANGES THE ASSESSMENT IF IT'S CONNECTED TO OUR KPI WE THEN HAVE TO REVISE THE KPI. SO AS AN EXAMPLE, THE STATE IS SHIFTING YET AGAIN THE EARLY LITERACY ASSESSMENT FROM I-STATION FORMERLY M-CLASS WITH DIBBLES DYNAMIC INDICATORS OF BASIC LITERACY SKILLS

108AND TEXT READING AND COMPREHENSION. THEY DROPPED THAT TWO YEARS AGO AND WENT TO I-STATION AND THEY'RE GOING BACK TO DYNAMIC INDICATORS AND BASIC LITERACY SKILLS WITHOUT THE TEXT READING COMPREHENSION PIECE. SO THAT'S A PENDULUM SWING, IF WE HAVE A GOAL AROUND EARLY LITERACY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE. AND THIS IS A RENORMING YEAR. BUT THAT'S WHERE WE ARE WITH THE GATHERING THE INITIAL DATA AND THE PLAN FOR HOW WE PRESENT THE REVISED KPIS TO THE BOARD. >> ONE QUESTION. WILL WE GET -- I MEAN I DON'T KNOW WHAT VALUE THEY HAVE BUT WILL WE GET THE RESULTS OF THE TESTING THAT WE DID DO THIS YEAR AT SOME POINT? I KNOW IT'S -- >> THE SEPTEMBER ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT. IT WILL DEPEND ON WHEN THE STATE VERIFIES THAT DATA. THAT'S TYPICALLY HAPPENED AT OUR SECOND

109MEETING IN SEPTEMBER SO THAT WILL DEPEND ON THE STATE TIMELINE BECAUSE THEY EXTENDED WINDOWS LIKE GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS. SO IT'S DEPENDING ON WHEN THE STATE SETS THAT VERIFICATION DATE. THAT WOULD BE WHEN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT. >> AND IT WILL BE HELPFUL BUT IT WON'T BE COMPARABLE. >> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? >> DIANNE. >> BEFORE THE PANDEMIC HIT WERE WE ON TARGET IN MOST OF OUR KPIS AND GOALS? >> REREVISED THEM FEBRUARY 2020 SO YOU'LL REMEMBER THE PRIOR YEAR WHEN WE HAD TEST DATA WE INCREASED TEST SCORES ACROSS SUBJECT AREAS ACROSS GRADE LEVELS. SO TO THAT END YES BUT WE NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO MEASURE THE ONES THAT WERE REVISED IN FEBRUARY 2020. >> OKAY THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING BECAUSE WE WERE ON TARGET. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T JUMP OFF THE

110TRAIN. COVID KICKED US OFF THE TRAIN. BUT PRIOR TO THAT, THE TRAIN WAS RUNNING PRETTY GOOD DOWN THE TRACK. RIGHT? >> ANYTIME A DISTRICT INCREASES ACROSS EVERY SUBGROUP IN EVERY CONTENT AREA THAT'S A REALLY GOOD INDICATION THAT THINGS ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. >> AND EVERY GRADE LEVEL. >> SO WE WERE DOING A GOOD JOB? GO AHEAD AND GIVE YOURSELF THE PRAISE. YOU WERE DOING A GOOD JOB. RIGHT? >> THINGS WERE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. YES. FOR SURE. IT'S NEVER GOOD ENOUGH. YOU KNOW GAPS STILL EXISTED. WE HAVE OTHER WAYS TO GO BUT YES WE WERE MAKING PROGRESS. >> BUT MY POINT IS THAT BASED ON THE WORK OF THE GOALS THAT WE SET AND BASED ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF VARIOUS PROGRAMS THAT SUPERINTENDENT AND STAFF PUT IN PLACE WE WERE ON TRACK

111AND WE PROBABLY WOULD BE ALL THE WAY TO KANSAS BY NOW IF THE PANDEMIC HADN'T HAPPENED. RIGHT? RIGHT? >> WE WOULD BE IN A BETTER PLACE THAN WE ARE FOR SURE IF THE PANDEMIC HADN'T HAPPENED. YES. >> OKAY SO WHERE WE ARE NOW IS SIMPLY IS IN THIS RECOUPING MODE AND TRYING TO RECOVER WHAT THE PANDEMIC HAS DONE WITH KICKING US OFF THE TRACK. RIGHT? AND WE STILL ARE NOT BACK ON THE TRACK AND WE MIGHT NOT GET TOTALLY BACK ON THE TRACK FOR ANOTHER YEAR OR SO. RIGHT? >> IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LONG TIME TO RECOVER THE LEARNING THAT WAS LOST AS A RESULT. >> IT WILL TAKE MULTIPLE YEARS. THE DATA IS REALLY BAD. >> OKAY THE REASON I'M ASKING THAT IS BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THE EXPECTATIONS TO BE THAT BECAUSE

112WE'RE DOING THE TUTORING WE'RE DOING WHICH IS A GOOD THING, BECAUSE WE'RE DOING SUMMER SCHOOL, BECAUSE WE START SCHOOL BACK FULLY IN-PERSON IN SEPTEMBER THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN BY NEXT TESTING YEAR, WA-LA WE'RE GOING TO BE OKAY. BUT THAT YOU NEED TO SAY THAT SO CERTAIN PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPECTATIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO JUST TAKE THAT TRAIN AND PUT IT BACK ON THE TRACK, IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN LIKE THAT. BUT WE'RE WORKING AT IT. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT WE ARE NOW AT REPORTS, COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIR AND I HAVE GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME. A FEW. GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME. CONGRATULATIONS TO RACHEL CLARK, JUSTIN HARTY AND JACKSON HICKS FOR THEIR RECENT RECOGNITION FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION. RACHEL CLARK FROM SOUTHEAST

113HIGH WAS NAMED THE STATE COACH OF THE YEAR IN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL. CLARK’S TEAM FINISHED 30-1 AND WON THEIR SECOND STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IN A ROW WHEN THEY SHARED THE TITLE WITH E.E. SMITH AFTER THE CHAMPIONSHIPS WERE CANCELLED BY COVID-19. NORTHERN HIGH HEAD COACH JUSTIN HARTY IS THE 2019-2020 STATE AND SECTION 3 COACH OF THE YEAR IN WRESTLING. COACH HARTY LED THE NIGHTHAWKS TO THE 3A STATE DUAL TEAM TITLE IN 2019-2020, AND THE NIGHTHAWKS HAD THEIR FIRST INDIVIDUAL STATE CHAMPION IN SCHOOL HISTORY DURING THE 2020 INDIVIDUAL STATE TOURNAMENT. THE MALE RECIPIENT OF THE 2021 I THINK THIS IS THE NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION LACROSSE JACKSON HICKS FROM GRIMSLEY SCHOLARSHIP IS JACKSON HICKS FROM GRIMSLEY HIGH. HICKS WAS A MEMBER OF THE VARSITY LACROSSE TEAM FOR THREE YEARS AT GRIMSLEY WHERE HE SERVED AS TEAM CAPTAIN

114HIS JUNIOR AND SENIOR SEASONS. JACKSON WILL CONTINUE HIS LACROSSE CAREER AT BREVARD COLLEGE WHERE HE PLANS TO STUDY ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. WEAVER ACADEMY STUDENT JAMES EARLY WON GOLD IN THE SKILLSUSA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP COMPETITION, IN THE FIELD OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICE. DURING THE NATIONAL COMPETITION, JAMES AND OTHER STUDENTS WORKED AGAINST THE CLOCK AND EACH OTHER, PROVING THEIR EXPERTISE IN OCCUPATIONS SUCH AS ELECTRONICS, COMPUTER-AIDED DRAFTING, PRECISION MACHINING, AUTOMOTIVE, WELDING, MEDICAL ASSISTING, COSMETOLOGY AND CULINARY ARTS. WE ARE EXTREMELY PROUD OF JAMES AND HIS NATIONAL FIRST-PLACE FINISH. CONGRATULATIONS TO CHARLES A N D , CONGRATULATIONS TO CHARLES PARKER, CHORUS AND ORCHESTRA TEACHER AT HIGH POINT CENTRAL, WHO WAS NAMED THE ARTS TEACHER OF THE YEAR BY THE HIGH POINT ARTS COUNCIL. WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE MANY TALENTED MUSICIANS WHO CHOOSE TO SHARE THEIR GIFTS WITH OUR DISTRICT. THIS CONCLUDES

115MY REMARKS. D R. CONTRERAS WE'RE NOW AT SUPERINTENDENT REPORTS. THANK YOU AND GOOD EVENING NORA CARR AND THE DISTRICT AGAIN. CONGRATULATIONS TO NORA CARR AND THE DISTRICT RELATIONS TEAM, WHICH EARNED A REMARKABLE 32 AWARDS FROM THE NATIONAL SCHOOL PUBLIC RELATIONS ASSOCIATION. IN ADDITION TO RECEIVING ONE OF ONLY FIVE GOLD MEDALLION AWARDS IN THE COUNTRY, THE TEAM RECEIVED SEVEN GOLDEN ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS, THE MOST OF ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE COUNTRY. A N D W E ' R E SO PROUD. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND THIS WEEK IS THE FIRST WEEK OF THE TEAM. THIS WEEK IS THE FIRST WEEK OF RIGHT START TRAINING FOR NEW TEACHERS. WE ARE EXCITED TO WELCOME DOZENS OF NEW TEACHERS TO OUR DISTRICT AND START THEM ON THEIR JOURNEY TO TRANSFORMING LEARNING AND LIFE OUTCOMES FOR OUR STUDENTS. A SECOND TRAINING SESSION

116WILL BE HELD IN AUGUST AS WE CONTINUE TO HIRE TEACHERS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER. A N D I T H I N K DR. MORRISON AND HER TEAM ARE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO GET TEACHERS IN STUDENTS IN 7TH AND 12TH GRADES THE DISTRICT. STUDENTS IN 7TH AND 12TH GRADES WILL NEED TO RECEIVE THEIR TDAP AND MCV VACCINES BEFORE THE START OF THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER OR THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT NOW. ALSO, CONE HEALTH WILL HOST A COVID-19 VACCINE CLINIC AT DORIS HENDERSON NEWCOMERS SCHOOL ON THURSDAY, JULY 15, FROM 4-7 P.M. PLEASE VISIT WWW.GUILFORDVACCINATION.COM TO SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT. IF YOU WISH TO RIDE THE BUS NEXT YEAR AND DID NOT RIDE THE BUS LAST YEAR, PLEASE COMPLETE A TRANSPORTATION REQUEST FORM, WHICH IS ON OUR WEBSITE

117AT WWW.GCSNC.COM. COMPLETING THIS FORM EARLY WILL HELP OUR TRANSPORTATION STAFF WITH THE COMPLICATED TASK OF ASSIGNING BUS ROUTES AND WILL HELP PARENTS AND STUDENTS HAVE A SMOOTHER START TO THE SCHOOL YEAR. P L E A S E M A K E SURE YOU GO ONLINE AND FILL OUT THAT FORM IN A WE ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE TWO TIMELY WAY. WE ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE TWO MORE GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS WERE AWARDED INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP GRANTS THROUGH THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION. FAIRVIEW ELEMENTARY HAS BEEN AWARDED $1.5 MILLION OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS AND DORIS HENDERSON NEWCOMERS SCHOOL HAS BEEN AWARDED A TOTAL OF $1.12 MILLION OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS. WITH THESE FUNDS, FAIRVIEW WILL ENHANCE MATH AND SCIENCE LITERACY BY EXPANDING THEIR WORK WITH STEAM AND NEWCOMERS WILL USE THE FUNDS TO INCREASE ACCESS

118TO WRAP AROUND SERVICES FOR STUDENTS, SUCH AS PSYCHOLOGISTS, MEDICAL AND DENTAL PROFESSIONALS. DORIS HENDERSON NEWCOMERS SCHOOL ALSO HAS RECEIVED A $40,000 GRANT FROM THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION. THE GRANT MONEY WILL BE USED TO UPDATE AND EXPAND THE LIBRARY COLLECTION TO SUPPORT THE SCHOOL’S ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, PROVIDING ACCESS TO E-BOOKS AND PHYSICAL BOOKS. THE FUNDING WILL HELP CREATE A DYNAMIC LIBRARY OF BOOKS, REPRESENTING THE LANGUAGES, CULTURES, AND EXPERIENCES THAT RESONATE WITH NEWCOMERS STUDENTS. Y O U M A Y HAVE SEEN THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT ON JULY 3 WHERE A CAR HIT WEAVER ACADEMY BEHAVIOR IT WENT OFF THE ROAD. OUTER CIRCLE PRAYERS GO OUT TO ALL THE FAMILIES INVOLVED. IN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION WE IMMEDIATELY SECURED AND CLOSED THE BUILDING. INITIAL REPORT INDICATE THE BUILDING AND A WRITTEN REPORT ALSO STATE THERE WAS NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE

119DONE AND THE BUILDING IS SAFE TO OCCUPY. GIVEN THE AGE OF THE FACILITY BUILT IN 1980 REPAIRS TO THE OUTSIDE WALL WILL REQUIRE CUSTOM FABIOLA RACIAL HOWEVER. DUE TO THIS REQUIREMENT AND AVAILABILITY OF SUPPLIES THIS COULD REQUIRE WORK TO BE COMPLETED NEXT SUMMER, THE SUMMER OF 2022. HOWEVER, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO WALL OFF THE AREA SO STUDENTS AND STAFF ARE NOT AFFECTED. WE DO EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO REOPEN THE BUILDING PRIOR TO THE START OF SCHOOL IN AUGUST, GIVING SHIPPING DELAYS REGARDING MATERIALS AND THE LARGE SIZE OF THE WINDOWS WE ESTIMATE THAT WINDOW REPAIRS WILL TAKE 14-16 WEEKS OR MORE. ONCE WE HAVE A CLEAR PICTURE OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE WE WILL WORK WITH THE SCHOOL TO SET UP A VIRTUAL MEETING FOR PARENTS TO OUTLINE OUR PLANS AND ANSWER ANY

120QUESTIONS THEY MAY HAVE. BOARD MEMBERS PLEASE CALL MRS. HENRY IF YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AS WE APPROACH THE BEGINNING OF ABOUT THIS. AS WE APPROACH THE BEGINNING OF A NEW SCHOOL YEAR, WE WANT TO REMIND PARENTS THEIR STUDENTS W E HAVE GOOD ALL QUALITY IN OUR THE COURSE OF THE PANDEMIC, MORE BUILDINGS. OVER THE COURSE OF THE PANDEMIC, MOR THAN 10,000 AIR FILTERS WERE UPGRADED ACROSS THE DISTRICT. EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL AND ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING RECEIVED THESE UPGRADES AS PART OF OUR COVID-19 PREVENTION STRATEGIES. A N D W E 'LL CONTINUE THOSE EFFORTS AND CONTINUE TO KEEP YOU UPDATED ON THOSE EFFORTS AS WE SPEND THROUGH THE AND A REMINDER TO ALL STUDENTS ESSR FUNDS. AND A REMINDER TO ALL STUDENTS TO KEEP READING THIS SUMMER. THOSE WHO RECORD AT LEAST 900 MINUTES OF READING OVER THE

121SUMMER WILL RECEIVE A TICKET TO ONE OF TWO ATTRACTIONS AT KERSEY VALLEY, OUR GENEROUS COMMUNITY PARTNER FOR THIS EFFORT. READING WILL HELP OUR STUDENTS AVOID FURTHER LEARNING LOSS THIS SUMMER AND BETTER PREPARE THEM FOR THE CLASSROOM THIS FALL. A N D I W O U L D LOVE TO HEAR WHAT THIS CONCLUDES MY REMARKS. YOU'RE READING. THIS CONCLUDES MY REMARKS. I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE DR. HOSEY WITH AND I GI ENGAGEMENT HENRY TO PRESENT OUR REPORT ON THE DISTRICT CYBER SECURITY EFFORTS (ANGIE HENRY) AND BOARD MEMBERS IN ADVANCE THERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS WE CANNOT ANSWER PUBLICLY AND WE'LL JUST SAY THAT AND IF THERE'S MORE INFORMATION YOU NEED WE CAN DISCUSS IT IN CLOSED SESSION. THANK YOU. >> GOOD EVENING MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND DR. CONTRERAS. MY NAME IS CANDACE HOSEY THE

122EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR TECHNOLOGY SERVICES. TONIGHT I'M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU A POWERPOINT, A PRESENTATION ABOUT CYBER SECURITY AND THE STATE OF CYBER SECURITY IN THE UNITED STATES AS WELL AS IN NORTH CAROLINA AND WHAT WE'RE DOING AT A LOCAL LEVEL. THROUGH THE YEARS EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS HAVE BEEN TARGETS FOR CYBER CRIMINALS, ESPECIALLY K-12 ENVIRONMENTS. HOWEVER WITH THE ONSET OF COVID THERE'S BEEN A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN THESE ATTACKS. SINCE SCHOOLS HAVE BECOME MORE RELIANT UPON TECHNOLOGY TO BE USED FOR NOT ONLY INSTRUCTION BUT COMMUNICATION IN GENERAL. THE TRANSITION FROM IN-PERSON LEARNING TO ONLINE LEARNING HAS CREATED OPPORTUNITIES FOR CYBER CRIMINALS TO EXPOSE WEAKNESSES IN INFRASTRUCTURES AND CREATE DATA BREACHES OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF INSTANCES. THESE CYBER SATISFY TAX HAVE ATTACKS COMPELLED SCHOOL SYSTEMS TOSS STEP UP THEIR EFFORTS TO MITIGATE STRATEGIES FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY BUT

123IT'S ALSO INCREASED THE NECESSITY FOR CRITERIA TO QUALIFY FOR CYBER SECURITY INSURANCE. IF YOU LOOK HERE THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF BALTIMORE COUNTY SCHOOLS WHO WERE THE VICTIMS OF RAN RANSOM WARE ATTACKS AND IT'S BECOMING MORE AND MORE PREVALENT. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A STATE OF A GRAPHICAL PREPT REPRESENTATION OF THE UNITED STATES AND THESE ARE PUBLICLY DISCLOSED K-12 ENVIRONMENTS CYBER SECURITY ATTACKS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES AND IT'S 1180 TO DATE FROM 2016. BUT THESE KEEP IN MIND ARE PUBLICLY DISCLOSED. THERE ARE A LOT OF CYBER SECURITY ATTACKS THAT HAPPEN THAT ARE NEVER TALKED ABOUT OR MADE PUBLIC. THE FOLLOWING SLIDE GIVES YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THERE'S MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF CYBER SECURITY ATTACK. YOU HAVE PHISSING ATTACKS. THEY CAN BE AS SIMPLE AS AN EMAIL WTH A LINK IN IT. YOU HAVE

124DATA BREACHES. BUT THE MOTT COMMON ONE THAT WE HEAR ABOUT ARE RANSOM WARE ATTACKS AND YOU CAN THINK ABOUT THE COLONIAL PIPELINE THAT JUST RECENTLY HAPPENED. OTHER TYPES OF CYBER SECURITY INSTANCES INCLUDE ATTACKS WHERE TRAFFIC IS JUST BOMBARDED ON THE NETWORK AND IT BRINGS THE NETWORK DOWN, MALWARE VIRUSES, WEBSITE DEFACEMENT. BUT ONE OF THE ONES -- A TYPE OF CYBER ATTACK IS A CYBER INVASION ATTACK THAT YOU PROBABLY HEARD ABOUT CALLED ZOOM BOMBING. AND IT'S WHERE UNINVITED GUESTS CRASH A MEETING. A VIRTUAL MEETING OR CLASSROOM, THAT TYPE OF THING. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT SLIDE,S WHAT WAS REALLY FASCINATING OR INTERESTING TO ME IS AT THE END OF LAST YEAR IN DECEMBER TWO FORCES CAME TOGETHER, THE U.S. CYBER SECURITY INFRASTRUCTURE AND SECURITY AGENCY AND THE SEI CAME TOGETHER AND JOINED FORCES TO

125WARN K-12 INSTITUTIONS THAT WE REALLY NEED TO BE ON THE LOOK OUT AND BE COGNOSCENTE OF TARGETED ATTACKS FROM HACKERS. AND THESE ARE SOME EXAMPLES, SOME STATS. 27 PERCENT OF VICTIMS OF CYBER ATTACKS HAVE TO PAY MONEY TO GET THEIR NETWORKS BACK UP AND RUNNING. 57 PERCENT OF THESE INCIDENCES ARE IN THE FORM OF RANSOMWARE AND 13 PERCENT OF THE INCIDENTS ARE REPEATED ATTACKS ON I KNOW CONSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS THE FOLLOWING SLIDE SHOWS A GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION, A BAR CHART AND IF YOU JUST LOOK BETWEEN 2019 AND 2020 YOU'RE GOING TO SEE APPROXIMATELY A 22 PERCENT INCREASE IN UP TICKS OF THESE TYPE OF ATTACKS ON SCHOOL SYSTEMS. I WANTED TO ALSO INCORPORATE A SLIDE TO BRING IT BACK OHM TO NORTH CAROLINA. SO OVER THE 2021 SCHOOL YEAR YOU CAN LOOK, THESE ARE PUBLIC --

126THESE ARE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ATTACKED IN ONE YEAR IN NORTH CAROLINA. SO IT REALLY SHOWS THAT WE HAVE TO BE VERY DILIGENT IN SAFEGUARDING OUR SYSTEMS. AN EXAMPLE OF WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO SAVE GUARD OUR SYSTEMS IS THIS MOST RECENT ATTACK IN BROWARD COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM IN FLORIDA. THEY ARE THE SIXTH LARGEST DISTRICT IN THE UNITED STATES. THEY HAVE A BUDGET OF $4 BILLION AND APPROXIMATELY 271,000 STUDENTS. ILAND A GANG OF CRIMINAL HACKERS CAME IN, I KNOW FILL INFILTRATED THR INFRASTRUCTURE, TOOK THEIR DATA AND HELD IT FOR RANSOM. THEY NEGOTIATED $40 MILLION TO GET THEIR DATA BACK. AND THAT'S SIGNIFICANT. AND I SAY ALL OF THIS TO SAY THAT WE HAVE TO BE VERY AWARE OF HOW WE ENSURE BUSINESS CONTINUITY FOR OUR DISTRICT, FOR THE THE TEACHING AND LEARNING TO CONTINUE

127AND THE BUSINESS TO CONTINUE. AND I LIKE THIS QUOTE. IT ENCOMPASSES EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING CURRENTLY AND THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON IMPLEMENTING. SO I'LL COVER SOME OF THOSE. SO OUR FOCUS FOR BUSINESS CONTINUITY IS TO ENSURE AND ALLOW FOR A SAFE, SECURE, DEPENDABLE NETWORK TO BE SUPPORTING THE BUSINESS OF THE TEACHING AND LEARNING THAT HAS TOSS HAPPEN AND TAKE PLACE IN OUR DISTRICT. WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT IN A VARIETY OF WAYS AND WE ARE DOING THAT IN A VARIETY OF WAYS. ONE VERY SIGNIFICANT WAY IS THAT WE'RE INSTITUTING STRONG PASSWORD MANAGEMENT PROTOCOLS. WE'RE INCORPORATING MULTIFACTOR AUTHENTICATION, WE'RE FORCING PASSWORD RESETS. WE'RE GOING TO START THAT EVERY 90 DAYS WITH A CERTAIN CRITERIA. FOR INSTANCE IT CAN'T BE THE NAME OF YOUR PUPPY WHEN YOU WERE A LITTLE CHILD, FOR INSTANCE. WE'RE INSTITUTING AND HAVE

128BEEN REGULAR BACK-UP AND IMPLEMENTING A DISASTER RECOVERY ENVIRONMENT WE ARE FOCUSED ON SECURING OUR END POINTS. END POINTS ARE ANY DEVICE THAT CONNECTS TO OUR NETWORK. FOR INSTANCE IF YOUR CELL PHONE IN FRONT OF YOU IS CONNECTED TO THE GCS NETWORK THAT IS AN END POINT. AN END POINT IS AN ENTRYWAY INTO OUR NETWORK THAT CAN -- IF WE DON'T HAVE SECURITY SYSTEMS IN PLACE, PRESENT A THREAT. AND END POINT SECURITY COMES IN A VARIETY OF MEASURES. IT'S NOT JUST ONE SIZE FITS ALL. IT'S FIREWALL, IT'S CONTENT FILTERING, IT'S NETWORK ACCESS, THAT TYPE OF THING. ONE OF THE KEY, KEY AREAS THAT IS ESSENTIAL TO ENSURING BUSINESS CONTINUITY FOR OUR DISTRICT IS CREATING AN AWARENESS. SECURITY AWARENESS TRAINING AND ADDRESSING THIS THROUGH MULTIPLE AVENUES AND APPROACHES. THESE ARE SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WE STARTED.

129PASSWORD PROTECTION IS OF COURSE WHAT ONE OF THE BIGGEST THREATS THAT WE HAVE. AND THAT'S WHY WE ARE FOCUSED ON ENSURING -- LOOKING AT WAYS TO SECURE AUTHENTICATION, HOW A PERSON SIGNS ON, HOW A PERSON GETS ACCESS TO THEIR DATA, THEIR EMAIL, THEIR FILES. AND THAT'S -- THAT IS THROUGH MULTIFACTOR AUTHENTICATION, IF YOU HAVE AN ONLINE BANKING ACCOUNT IT'S VERY POPULAR. THIS IS NOT ANYTHING NEW, BUT ACCORDING TO SOME OF THE STATS THAT I'VE BEEN READING IT IS 90 PERCENT EFFECTIVE IN SAFEGUARDING DATA. MANY IT'S A TWO-PART PROCESS AND IT'S A MULTILAYERED SIGN-IN. IT MAKES IT A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT FOR HACKERS TO GAIN ACCESS TO SECURE INFORMATION. MULTIFACTOR AUTHENTICATION, WE'VE ALREADY IMPLEMENTED IT WITH MY TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT. SEVENTY-FIVE USERS, WE WERE ABLE TO WORKOUT THE KINKS AND WE HAVE ROLLED IT OUT WITH OUR

130SCHOOL LIBRARY -- LIBRARIANS AND MEDIA COORDINATORS AND THAT WENT WELL NEXT MONDAY WE'RE GOING TO START WITH THE FINANCIAL LEADS AND THE ADMINISTRATORS IN THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS THEN WHEN TEACHERS RETURN IN AUGUST WE'RE GOING WITH TO PHASE IN BY BUILDING LEARNING AREAS, BUILDING BY BUILDING. SO I WILL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. >> THANK YOU DIANNE, THEN KHEM. BEFORE.N'T THINK I MET YOU >> FLIES TO MEET YOU. >> THE FIRST QUESTION I HAVE, UM, ON PAGE 4, UM, YOU GAVE EXAMPLES OF THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF INCIDENTS. OKAY. THE WITH THE COLONIAL PIPELINE KNOW THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STEPPED IN AND BRAGGED THEY CHASED DOWN THE BAD GUYS AND FOUND THEM AND GOT THE MONEY BACK. WILL WE GET THAT KIND OF SUPPORT? >> WELL THAT'S WHY WE HAVE CYBER SECURITY INSURANCE. >> SO IS THAT

131A YES OR A NO? >> I'VE NOT -- I MEAN I THINK WE WOULD HAVE SUPPORT. I DON'T KNOW THEY WOULD GO TO THE EXTREME OF DOING THE NEGOTIATIONS AND TRYING TO GETS THE MONEY BACK. I THINK CERTAINLY THERE WOULD BE AN INVESTIGATION BUT I DON'T THINK THERE WOULD BE THE KIND OF SUPPORT THAT THE COLONIAL PIPELINE RECEIVED. >> AND IT WOULD ALSO DEPEND ON THE TYPE OF ATTACK. RANSOMWARE OR NOT. EVERY ATTACK IS DIFFERENT. I GUESS -- >> SO AT WHAT LEVEL WILL WE GET FBI OR WILL WE BE ON OUR OWN TO RELY ON GUILFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT OR CITY OF GREENSBORO IF WE NEEDED THAT KIND OF SUPPORT. WILL WE GET ANY OF THAT KIND OF SUPPORT OR IS THAT SOMETHING YOU CAN'T TALK ABOUT? >> SO I HOPE WE DON'T EVER

132HAVE TO FIND OUT IS WHAT I'LL SAY. SO I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT. BUT WE CAN FIND OUT WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THESE OTHER DISTRICTS WHERE THEY HAVE HAD INCIDENCES AND SEE IF WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION. >> DON'T YOU THINK IT WOULD BE WISE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT IF WE HAVEN'T. >> IT WOULD BEGIN WITH THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND FILING A CLAIM. AND WE WOULD START WITH LOCAL LAWS -- >> AS A PROACTIVE -- I'M NOT TRYING TO TELL YOU HOW TO DO YOUR JOB BUT AS A PROACTIVE THING SINCE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CAPACITY IS OF OUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT IS DO YOU? TO HANDLE -- >> WE DO HAVE SOME INFORMATION FROM THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY SCHOOLS. I CAN SHARE THAT WITH YOU. I'M

133NOT SURE -- AND IT'S APPROPRIATE TO DISCUSS OPENLY. BUT I CAN SHARE WHAT I KNOW ABOUT 3 OR 4 OF THE LARGEST DISTRICTS IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE BEEN THROUGH THIS AND HOW LAW ENFORCEMENT SUPPORTED THEM AND WHAT THE PROCEDURES WERE AND THE NEGOTIATIONS. >> AND I WOULDN'T WANT TO TALK HERE ABOUT WHAT OUR LAWS WERE -- >> OKAY I'M ASKING TO BE PROACTIVE. THAT'S ALL. AS FAR AS KNOWING WHAT TOOLS WE HAVE THAT SUPPORT US. THAT WAS WHERE I WAS COMING FROM. THEN ON PAGE 8, THAT'S JUST AS A POINT FOR ME TO ASK YOU ONE OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS THIS SUMMER HAD AT LEAST TWO INCIDENTS WHERE BECAUSE CHILDREN WERE GIVEN DEVICES THE KIDS THEN STARTED EMAILING OR TALKING TO SEXUAL PREDATORS. AND, YOU KNOW, PART OF WHAT DISTURBED ME WAS THAT IN

134THE NEWS REPORT IT KEPT SAYING WELL THE CHILD DID THIS THROUGH THEIR SCHOOL DEVICE. DO WE HAVE ANYWAY OF PROTECTING OR MITIGATING THAT HAPPENING SINCE WE HAVE GIVEN OUT ALL THESE DEVICES TO OUR KIDS? >> I MEAN I DON'T WANT TO GO INTO DETAILS ABOUT WHAT THOSE ARE BUT CERTAINLY WE'VE GOT STRATEGIES THAT ARE LOADED ON TO OUR DEVICES. CERTAINLY WHILE STUDENTS OWN OUR NETWORK THERE ARE LOTS OF PROTECTIONS ONCE THE STUDENT LEAVES OUR NETWORKS THERE ARE ADDITIONAL PROTECTIONS BUT UNFORTUNATELY THERE ARE WAYS AROUND THOSE AS WELL DEPENDING ON HOW THE STUDENT ACTS WITH THEIR DEVICE. >> WELL THEN LET ME ASK THIS QUESTION TO MS. WILSON. HOW DOES THAT AFFECT US IF A KID USES A SCHOOL ISSUED DEVICE AND, YOU KNOW, GETS AROUND US OR WHATEVER IT IS AND DOES GET HURT OR

135KIDNAPPED OR WHATEVER. ARE WE LIABLE IN ANY WAY FOR THAT ACT OR IS THAT ON THE KID? >> WE HAVE PUT IN PLACE REASONABLE MEASURES TO PROTECT STUDENT SAFETY AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO. SO WE WOULD NOT -- I MEAN PEOPLE CAN SUE YOU FOR ANYTHING. >> I UNDERSTAND THAT. >> BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT IF WE HAVE PUT IN PLACE REASONABLE SECURITY MEASURES, WHICH WE HAVE AND IF WE HAVE A POLICY THAT WE INFORM STUDENTS OF ABOUT HOW TO USE OUR DEVICES APPROPRIATELY, WHICH WE HAVE, THEN WE SHOULD HAVE NO ISSUES THERE. >> THANK YOU. KHEM THEN ANITA. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS REPORT. IT WAS VERY INTERESTING TO HAVE THIS PRESENTATION TONIGHT. IN REGARDS TO THE STAFF THAT YOU NEED, HOW MANY PEOPLE WORK IN YOUR

136DEPARTMENT TO SUPPORT GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS AROUND, YOU KNOW, ALL THINGS, YOU KNOW, CYBER? >> I HAVE APPROXIMATELY 75 EMPLOYEES. THEY'RE NOT ALL FOCUSED ON CYBER SECURITY. I HAVE APPROXIMATELY 3 PEOPLE WHO ARE FOCUSED ON CYBER SECURITY ISSUES. ACCOUNT PROVISIONING, USER ACCOUNTS, THAT TYPE OF THING. >> RIGHT. >> UM -- IS THERE OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE -- OF THE STAFF MEMBERS TO DEVELOP THE SKILLS TO BE -- TO MOVE UP INTO THOSE AREAS AND THINGS LIKE THAT? >> YES. ABSOLUTELY. I'M A PROPONENT OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR ALL OF MY STAFF MEMBERS AND CREATING A WAY OF MOVING WITHIN. >> I ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT AS PART OF THE CYBER INSURANCE WE HAVE AN ANNUAL REVIEW BY OUR INSURANCE VENDOR TOO TO REVIEW OUR PROCEDURES AND WHEN I SAY POLICIES I DON'T MEAN BOARD POLICIES BUT KIND

137OF OUR NETWORK POLICIES. >> LIKE AN AUDIT. >> OKAY. >> IN REGARD TO -- ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT ANY FORM OF FACIAL RECOGNITION IN REGARDS TO STUDENTS AND GETTING ONLINE? ARE WE THINKING ABOUT ANY LEVEL OF THAT TYPE OF SECURITY? BECAUSE WE DO IT ALL THE TIME. I DON'T KNOW LIKE ON OUR PHONES AND STUFF LIKE THAT. >> NO. NOT AT THIS POINT IN TIME. >> OKAY. >> THAT'S -- JUST SO YOU KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF CONTROVERSY. >> I KNOW THAT'S WHY -- >> SO THAT I THINK WOULD TAKE A LOT OF DISCUSSION. TO YOUR FIRST QUESTION I DO ENCOURAGE BOARD MEMBERS JOIN YOUR CONFERENCES WITH THE NATIONAL SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION, THE COUNCIL OF GREAT CITY SCHOOLS. WE TEND TO GO TO THE ACADEMIC SESSIONS. THERE ARE QUITE A FEW SECTIONS ON CYBER SECURITY

138AND A LOT OF THINKING ABOUT OUTSOURCING THAT PIECE AND TRYING TO GET MORE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE INTO DISTRICTS. THREE PEOPLE IN A DISTRICT WITH THIS MANY DEVICES AND THIS MANY EMPLOYEES JUST SIMPLY ISN'T ADEQUATE AND WE DON'T WANT TO LEARN THE HARD WAY SO THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW AND IT TAKES A LOT MORE INVESTIGATION, UNDERSTANDING AND I ENCOURAGE US ALL TO ATTEND SESSIONS WHEREVER POSSIBLE SO THAT WE'RE PREPARED TO MAKE THE VERY BEST DECISIONS WE CAN ON BEHALF OF THE DISTRICT. >> AND FINALLY I DO THINK THAT MAYBE FOR POLICY IN REGARD TO STUDENTS AND BULLYING AND THAT'S PART OF CYBER SECURITY AS WELL AND I'VE HAD NO INCIDENTS. KIDS ARE SAVVY AND THEY KNOW HOW TO HACK SO WHERE ARE WE IN THAT REGARD? HAVE WE HAD A

139LOT OF INSTANCES WHERE IS WE'VE HAD STUDENTS HACKING AND THINGS LIKE THAT? GUILFORD COUNTY? >> I DON'T WANT TO GO INTO A LOT OF DETAILS ABOUT THAT KIND OF SECURITY AND HOW WE ARE PREVENTING THAT. >> I DON'T WANT TO KNOW HOW WE'RE PREVENTING IT I WAS JUST WONDERING ARE STUDENTS THAT SAVVY. >> WE HAVE SAVVY STUDENTS. SOME I WOULD LIKE TO HIRE EVENTUALLY. >> THAT'S WHAT WE SAID. WE HAVE SOME VERY TALENTED STUDENTS THAT DID SOME NAUGHTY THINGS THAT WE REALLY SHOULD BE GETTING INTO OUR CYBER SECURITY PROGRAMS AND EVENTUALLY HIRING. >> THANK YOU. >> ANITA, BETTYE THEN PAT. >> WE HAVE A CYBER SECURITY INSURANCE POLICY. IF WE GET HACKED WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU DO? I INVESTIGATE THE HACK TO FIND OUT MY FIRST -- THE FIRST FORM OF COMMUNICATION WOULD BE

140TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT IS BEING CONSIDERED A HACK, BECAUSE NOT ALL HACKS ARE A TRUE HACK. >> OKAY. I WAS HOPING YOU WOULD SAY CALL THE INSURANCE COMPANY, BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE -- WE WERE TALKING ABOUT GETTING THE CITY INVOLVED AND THE COUNTY INVOLVED AND ALL THIS. THAT'S THE INSURANCE COMPANY'S RESPONSIBILITY, IS IT NOT? >> NOT ALL HACKS ARE HACKS. >> NO -- RANSOM. LET'S SAY WE GET RANSOMED. >> MY FIRST STEP WOULD BE TO LEARN ABOUT THE DATA BREACH OF WHATEVER FASHION OR FORM THAT COMES IN. SOMETIMES WHAT IS PERCEIVED TO BE A BREACH MAY NOT IN FACT BE A BREACH. SO I WOULD NOT WANT TO CALL IN ALL OF THE FORCES WHEN IT'S NOT SOMETHING -- IF IT IS SOMETHING THAT'S SERIOUS, ABSOLUTELY I FOLLOW PROTOCOL WHICH WOULD BE TO CALL ANGIE

141FIRST. [LAUGHING]. AND THEN TO CONTACT THE INSURANCE COMPANY, CONTACT OUR PEOPLE, GET ALL OF THE FORCES IN PLAY. BUT THE FIRST THING I WOULD DO IS TO FIND OUT IS IT IN FACT REAL. >> OKAY WHAT I'M TRYING TO DETERMINE IS WHAT IS THE INSURANCE COMPANY'S ROLE. >> THEY WOULD COME IN AND INVESTIGATE FROM THEIR END. THEY WOULD SEND IN INVESTIGATORS TO LOOK AT THE FORENSICS, THE CYBER FORENSICS AND INVESTIGATE THE SITUATION AND FOLLOW THEIR STANDARDS. >> OKAY. THANK YOU. >> BETTYE THEN PAT. >> LOOKING AT PAGE 7 THE CYBER INCIDENTS JUST TRYING TO FIND -- 2017-2018 THE DECLINE OR DECREASE, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT OR THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO DISCUSS LATER? >> THIS IS A MAP CREATED BY DOUGLAS LAVINE AND HE'S DEDICATED AND ADVOCATE OF CREATING AN AWARENESS FOR ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS

142TO UNDERSTAND AND LEARN AND BE AWARE OF INCIDENTS. THIS DPRAIM HIS WEBSITE AND I WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AND RESEARCH WHY THE DIP AND I DID NOTICE THAT WHEN I CREATED IT BUT I WOULD HAVE TO GET BACK WITH YOU ON THAT. >> THANK YOU. PAT. >> THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT PRESENTATION AND I MEAN IT WAS REALLY INFORMATIVE WHEN I WAS FLIPPING THROUGH THIS THE OTHER DAY JUST KNOWING YOU HEAR ABOUT IT NATIONWIDE BUT NOT THINKING IN TERMS OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT WE -- SOMETIMES I THINK WE FEEL PRETTY INSULATED AND MAYBE PROTECTED A FALSE SENSE PERHAPS IN ERMS IT OF OUR TECH PARTNERSHIPS, HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE I KNOW THE CHROME BOOKS ARE PRETTY ROBUST IN SOME OF THEIR BUILT-IN ANTI- MALWARE AND SOME OF THE VIRUS WARE BUT WHAT ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY

143DO THEY HAVE IN TERMS OF OUR ARRANGEMENT WITH THOSE FOLKS, OUR SOFTWARE AND TECH PROVIDERS? OR IS IT JUST ALL ON US ONCE WE SIGN THE CONTRACT AN PAY THEM? >> SO WHAT DID WE GET ON THE DEVICES TO HELP MANAGE THE SECURITY? >> WITH THE DEVICES WE PARTNER WITH -- WE PARTNER WITH -- WELL WE PARTNER WITH THE VENDORS THAT PROVIDE THE MOBILE DEVICE MANAGEMENT SOLUTION THAT WE USE, WHICH ALLOWS US TO MANAGE THOSE DEVICES REMOTELY, APPLY THE SOFTWARE, APPLY THE OPERATING SYSTEMS AND KEEP THE DEVICES UPGRADED ON WHICH EVER PLATFORM WE HAVE MULTIPLE PLATFORMS WITHIN OUR DISTRICT FROM DIFFERENT VENDORS. BUT IT'S THE MOBILE DEVICE MANAGEMENT SOLUTION THAT ALLOWS US TO REALLY HONE IN ON THOSE DEVICES AND MANAGE THEM IN AN EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT WAY. >> RIGHT. SO THE VENDORS -- IT

144SOUNDS LIKE THEY REALLY DON'T HAVE MUCH OF A DOG IN THE FIGHT ONCE WE PURCHASE THESE DEVICES WE'RE USING THE SOFTWARE, BECAUSE I KNOW JUST FROM MY OWN KIDS SOME IS CLOUD BASED SOME IS -- I'M SURE -- OBVIOUSLY THERE'S -- WE'RE SORT OF A GAIPING HOLE IN SOME WAYS. I JUST WAS CURIOUS ABOUT OUR VENDOR PARTNERSHIPS IF WHAT RESPONSIBILITY AND/OR PROTECTIONS THAT WERE THERE. >> WELL WE HAVE DEVICE-TYPE PROTECTIONS THAT ARE INHERENT WITH RECEIVING AND GETTING THE DEVICE, THE WARRANTIES. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT? >> I WAS JUST CURIOUS. I DIDN'T MEAN TO BE A TRICK QUESTION OR ANYTHING. BUT YEAH I WAS JUST CURIOUS, I KNOW WE HAVE THOSE ARRANGEMENTS AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF WHAT ROLE THEY HAD. JUST MY SECOND QUESTION OR OBSERVATION REALLY IS IN TERMS OF OUR

145TRAINING OF OUR STAFF IN THE BUILDINGS, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY I KNOW YOU TOUCHED ON SOME SLIDES, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? HOW CAN WE HELP? IS THERE ANYTHING SORT OF BOARD RELATED THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO YOU? >> WELL, I THINK THIS IS A -- ANY TYPE OF EXPOSURE THAT WE CAN GET TO CREATE AN AWARENESS OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SOCIETY, WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH GCS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN AND BECOME MORE AWARE. WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO SPREAD THE WORD IN MULTIPLE WAYS. AND CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHEN THEY OPEN AN EMAIL OR GO AND LOG INTO THEIR ACCOUNT THAT THEY'RE DOING IT IN A SAFE -- A SAFE FASHION AND BEST PRACTICES. SO THIS MULTIFACTOR AUTHENTICATION THAT WE'RE ROLLING OUT TO ALL THE SCHOOLS AND ALL THE STAFF MEMBERS IS

146ALSO GIVING US A RENEWED SENSE OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS, STAFF, PARENTS, TEACHERS, STUDENTS, TO CREATE THIS AWARENESS AND BRING -- SHED MORE LIGHT ON THE FACT THAT WE ALL HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WHEN WE'RE ONLINE. >> I'LL ALSO ADD PART OF OUR SAFE SCHOOL MODULES THAT WE HAVE THAT ALL OF OUR STAFF ARE REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN THEN PART OF IT IS OSHA KIND OF THING, PART IS OTHER KIND OF SAFE SCHOOLS THINGS. WE DO HAVE SOME CYBER SECURITY AWARENESS INCLUDED IN THAT. ALSO I'M SO USED TO SEEING IT I DON'T PAY ATTENTION ANY MORE BUT WE'VE PUT POSTERS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE SEEN THEM ABOUT ANTI- PH HINCHTS SHING -- JUST AWARENESS AND TO HELP OUR EMPLOYEES AND STAFF TRY TO RECOGNIZE SOMETHING IF THEY GET

147IT. SO WE'RE TRYING TO DO AWARENESS IN LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS. >> THANKS FOR KEEPING US SAFE. APPRECIATE IT. >> KHEM. >> IN REGARDS TO THE DRONE TECHNOLOGY, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S ALSO COVERED UNDER CYBER SECURITY AND OUR FINANCIAL SYSTEMS AS WELL? >> I DON'T KNOW THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT QUESTION. >> BECAUSE I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT ACCESS TO SYSTEMS NEW HAMPSHIRE REGARD -- LIKE IS THAT ALSO COVERED -- IS THAT PART OF THE CYBER WORLD LIKE WE WILL GET THE NEW SOFTWARE, YOU'RE GOING TO UP UPGRADE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. IS THAT ALSO ONLINE -- LIKE HOW -- INTERNALLY. RIGHT. INTERNALLY. >> ARE YOU ASKING ABOUT THE NEW CTE PROGRAM? THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL BE INVOLVED IN THOSE? >> RIGHT EITHER THOSE KIND OF PROGRAMMING -- LIKE ANYTHING INVOLVED. >> YEAH THE CYBER SECURITY WILL

148COVER -- INSURANCE WILL COVER THAT. >> IT'S ALL INCLUSIVE. >> YEAH. >> OKAY. >> THANK YOU. DIANNE. >> IS THE ONE CARD SYSTEM ANYWAY CONNECTED TO WHAT YOU DO OR IS THAT ANOTHER DEPARTMENT? YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? >> YEAH, IT'S A COLLABORATION WITH OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT AND TECHNOLOGY. >> SO IS THAT A YES? OKAY. BECAUSE WE'RE INVESTING IN THIS OTHER SYSTEM OVER HERE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO HELP US TRACK KIDS AND KNOW WHEN THEY'RE IN CLASS AND DO ALL THAT AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE UP TO FULL IMPLEMENTATION YET. ARE WE? DR. CONTRERAS. >> YES HEAR THE LAST PART. >> I WAS ASKING THE ONE CARD. YOU'RE NOT UP TO FULL IMPLEMENTATION ARE WE? >> WE WILL BE IN FACT THE PRINCIPALS HAVE A PRESENTATION ON THIS ON THE 27TH. WE'VE ORDERED ALL

149EQUIPMENT FOR THIS. SO THE DISTRICT WILL HAVE ALL EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING THE CAMERAS, THE SCANNING MACHINES, EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO BE FULLY OPERATIONAL FOR THE FALL. THE AND SCHOOLS WILL BE TRAINED AND THEY'LL BE PLANNING FOR HOW TO IMPLEMENT, ESPECIALLY IN SCHOOLS WITH MULTIPLE BUILDINGS LIKE A GRIMSLEY FOR EXAMPLE. >> SO I GUESS THEN MY OTHER QUESTION WAS ARE YOU CONNECTED TO THAT IN SOME WAY. >> YES. >> OKAY. SO IF POSSIBLE THAT OUR CYBER SYSTEM WILL THEN BE ABLE TO MONITOR STUDENTS, STAFF IN SOME WAY? NO? >> I THINK IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SAFETY AND SECURITY AND THE CYBER. I THINK YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK BUT IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. >> IF IT'S A SECRET THEN IT'S A SECRET BUT -- >> I THINK IT TAKES

150-- IT WILL TAKE A WHILE TO EXPLAIN THIS. YOUR ASKING MORE ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE SAFETY AND SECURITY AND SHE'S SPEAKING ABOUT THE CYBER SECURITY. WHICH IS A BIT DIFFERENT. BUT WE WOULD BE GLAD TO SIT DOWN AND EXPLAIN IT. >> I DON'T WANT -- I KNOW FOLKS WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE SO Y' ALL CAN TALK TO ME. >> WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE ARE ATTACKS ON YOUR NETWORK, ON YOUR OWN NETWORK, NOT INDIVIDUAL -- IT'S NOT THE INDIVIDUAL PIECES THAT YOU USE TO TRY TO KEEP STUDENTS AND STAFF SAFE. IT'S HOW YOU -- PROTECT YOUR NETWORK. >> THE TECHNOLOGY BALL IS BIGGER THAN AND THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING HOW DID THIS PIECE OF THAT BALL FIT WITH YOUR PIECE OF THE BALL DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M ASKING? >> THIS

151CYBER SECURITY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE WAY WE PROTECT OUR NETWORKS WILL PROTECT THOSE NETWORKS AS WELL, THAT DATA AND INFORMATION. >> I JUST WANT TO PUT A PLUG IN AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW WE HAVE A ROBUST CTE PROGRAM, SPECIFICALLY IN THE AREA OF TECHNOLOGY. AND SO I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU MIGHT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH DR. CHILLS AND THOSE FOLKS TO, YOU KNOW, RECRUIT, INVOLVE OUR OWN STUDENTS BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE FOR US TO TRAIN THESE KIDS AND I UNDERSTAND SOME ARE VERY GOOD, ALREADY, AND NOT USE THEM. I MEAN HERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO EMPLOY EVEN IF IT'S PART-TIME OR WHATEVER. AND I KNOW THERE MAY BE SOME RESTRICTIONS BECAUSE THEY'RE STUDENTS BUT JUST IN THE TRAINING OPPORTUNITY I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IF YOU'RE AWARE OF OUR CTE

152PROGRAM AND IF NOT WOULD YOU PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT IT. >> YES, I AM AWARE AND D R. CHILLIS AND I HAVE HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS. >> THANK YOU. >> LINDA, I'M SORRY. >> MINE'S QUICK SINCE WE'RE GETTING THE ONE CARD FOR THE SCHOOL, WHAT ABOUT IS THE SOFTWARE GOING TO BE ON THE BUSES AND GPS ON THE BUSES? ARE WE ALSO GETTING ALL OF THAT? >> IT'S ALREADY ON THE BUSES, THE GPS DEVICES ARE ALREADY ON THE BUSES. STUDENTS THIS YEAR HAVE BEEN USING THEIR ONE CARD ON THE BUSES TO SWIPE. AND SO -- AND THAT FEEDS INFORMATION INTO THE HERE COMES THE BUS APP SO PARENTS ARE ABLE TO SEE WHERE THE BUS IS LOCATED. >> THAT'S GONE PRETTY SUCCESSFUL? I MEAN WHEN DID WE IMPLEMENT THAT FULLY? >> THIS PAST YEAR IS

153WHEN WE STARTED USING IT FOR THE BUSES. WE HAD THE GPS ON THE BUSES FOR 2 YEARS BUT THIS PAST YEAR IS WHEN WE STARTED WITH THE CARD SWIPE WITH THE ONE CARD. >> BUT TO YOUR POINT NOT EVERYONE FULLY USED EVERYTHING AS THEY SHOULD. >> I THINK THAT'S VERY -- ESPECIALLY WITH THE CHALLENGES WE'RE HAVING WITH BUSES, YOU KNOW, PARENTS WON'T GET LIKE, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE ANTSY ABOUT WHERE'S MY KID. I CAN SEE MY KID IS OVER HERE AND I DON'T HAVE TO PANIC THAT THE BUS IS JUST LATE OR THEY CAN TELL THAT KIND OF THING FROM THAT. CORRECT? THAT IT'S -- >> YEAH, UH-HUH. >> ALL RIGHT BECAUSE THAT WAS A BIG ISSUE -- IS IT ABLE TO TELL PARENTS THAT THE BUS WILL BE THERE IN 5 MINUTES OR 10

154MINUTES? >> IT DEPENDS ON HOW THE PARENT SETS THE SETTINGS WHEN THEY DOWNLOAD THE APP BUT IT CERTAINLY HAS THAT CAPABILITY. >> IT'S GREAT IN THE WINTER TIME. I KNOW MY SON USED AN APP AT APPALACHIAN AND HE WOULD -- HE COULD TELL EXACTLY WHEN THAT BUS -- HOW LONG -- 2 MINUTES, 3 MINUTES. SO HE WOULDN'T GO OUT TO CATCH THE BUS UNTIL HE SAW IT WITHIN -- AND HAVING YOUNG CHILDREN OUT THERE IN THE COLD, WE'VE HAD SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THAT WHEN IT'S BEEN REALLY COLD SO IF THESE PARENTS CAN TELL THAT THAT BUS IS RUNNING LATE WE WON'T HAVE CHILDREN HOPEFULLY OUT THERE IN THE COLD TOO LONG. SO I THINK IT'S GREAT. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? OH, OKAY. ALL RIGHT THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I

155DID HAVE A QUESTION BUT I THINK IT'S FOR DR. CONTRERAS BECAUSE THIS IS PART OF THE OVERALL SECURITY OF OUR DISTRICT AND COMMENTS WERE MADE TONIGHT AND HAVE BEEN MADE WE HAD A MEETING WITH THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND IT SEEMS LIKE EVEN THE INFORMATION THAT WAS SHARED THERE IS STILL QUESTIONED. BUT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT THE $10 MILLION FOR SECURITY EXACTLY WHERE THAT WENT? AND WHAT IT COULD COVER. >> OKAY. WE RECEIVED $63,000. THE COUNTY THEN USED 5 MILLION OF THAT FOR REOPENING -- >> PANDEMIC RELATED REOPENING. SO IT IS TRUE THAT OF THE $10 MILLION, OF THE SAFETY MONEY, WE HAVE RECEIVED ABOUT $5,063,000. BUT THEY TOOK $5 MILLION OF THE SAFETY MONEY FOR PANDEMIC OPENING THA. LEAVES US WITH 4,900,000 FOR ACTUAL SAFETY. AND WE DID NOT -- I GAVE THE TIMELINE TO

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

157$600,000 OF WHICH WE SPENT $63,000. WE ARE VERY CLEAR ON THIS POINT AND THE DISTRICT CANNOT SPEND MONEY THAT IS NOT APPROPRIATED TO US. SO TO KEEP SAYING THE DISTRICT DIDN'T SPEND THE MONEY, WE CAN'T SPEND MONEY THAT IS NOT GIVEN TO US, THAT IS NOT APPROPRIATEED. THAT'S THE FACT OF THE MATTER AND IT'S IN OUR MINUTES. IT'S IN THEIR RECORDS AS WELL. IF YOU LOOK AT THEIR BUDGET BOOK YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH THEY PROVIDED TO THE DISTRICT FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY OUT OF THE 2/3 BONDS. IT IS IN BLACK AND WHITE. >> AND I THINK IF WE GOT 10 MILLION I WAS REALLY SURPRISED, I THINK IT WAS ONE OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WHO HAD EXPERTISE IN THIS AREA THAT -- THAT WOULD BARELY COVER A SCHOOL. >> I THINK IT WOULD NOT

158-- I THINK THERE'S SOME THOUGHT IT WOULD NOT COVER THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO ADDRESS THE RADIO FREQUENCY ISSUE IN SCHOOLS ACROSS THE DISTRICT. 10 MILLION WOULD NOT ADDRESS ALL THE SAFETY NEEDS IN ONE OF OUR OLDER SCHOOLS. >> LET ALONE 120. >> RIGHT. >> AND THE ISSUE IS ONCE THAT EMERGENCY IS IN PROGRESS, IT WON'T HELP US FROM KEEPING PEOPLE OUT OF THE BUILDING, THOSE SORT OF EMERGENCY ISSUES. IT'S ONCE THERE'S A SITUATION IN PROGRESS, THAT'S WHAT THE RADIO FREQUENCY WILL HELP US WITH. >> THANK YOU. DIANNE. >> DID THEY TELL US -- DID WE KNOW THAT THEY WERE TAKING THE 6 MILLION OF THE 10 MILLION AND GIVING IT TO US FOR PANDEMIC? WAS THAT COMMUNICATED TO US. >> THEY DID. >> YEAH THE 5 MILLION THEY TOLD US IT

159WAS 2/3 BONDS. >> BUT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS EAR MARKED FOR SECURITY? RIGHT? >> YES THEY WERE VERY HONEST ABOUT THAT BUT AT THE TIME OUR PRIORITY WASN'T TO REOPEN. SO WE WEREN'T GOING TO SAY NO, DON'T TAKE THAT MONEY. WE NEEDED TO REOPEN. >> OKAY BUT IT'S ALSO VERY CLEAR THAT WE WENT AHEAD AFTER WE THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE GOING TO APPROVE THIS MONEY AND START DOING THOSE REALLY WHAT I CALL BAND-AID TYPE EFFORTS AS FAR AS PUTTING DOOR LOCKS AND BUZZERS ON THE FRONT DOORS BECAUSE AT THE TIME WHEN THE INCIDENT HAPPENED AT SMITH IT WAS LIKE 50 OF OUR BUILDINGS PEOPLE COULD STILL WALK JUST STRAIGHT IN. THERE WAS NO -- NOT EVEN THE MINIMUM OF A BARRIER. SO WE WENT AHEAD AND TOOK CARE OF THAT BEFORE THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.

160IS THAT NOT CORRECT? >> WE WENT TO SMITH -- >> NO TO THE OTHER SCHOOLS THAT WE HAD THAT WE HAD ABOUT 50 SCHOOLS -- >> WE'VE BEEN ADDRESSING THIS FOR SOME TIME BUT REMEMBER WE COULDN'T GET TO ALL THE DOORS IN ALL THE SCHOOLS. WE DON'T HAVE -- WE WOULD NEVER ALOE -- WE WERE NEVER ALLOCATED APPROPRIATE MONEY. WE WERE ALSO ASKED ABOUT THE CAMERAS AND SOMEONE BROUGHT THAT UP TONIGHT AND FOR THOSE OF US WHO WERE AT THE MEETING OUR QUESTION WAS, WELL THERE'S NO WAY WE COULD HAVE UPGRADED THE CAMERAS AND BOUGHT THE CAMERAS. THE ONLY WAY WE CAN DO THAT IS IF YOU ALLOCATE THE FUNDS TO US. SO I WAS UCLEAR ON THE QUESTION, BECAUSE YOU CAN ONLY -- WE CAN ONLY PURCHASE THE SAFETY AND SECURITY MEASURES IF THE

161COUNTY ALLOCATES THE DOLLARS UNDER THE CAPITAL OUTLAY. THE. >> WILL WE GET WHAT'S LEFT? ARE WE GOING TO GET IT? IF SO, WHEN? >> I WAS TOLD IT COULD BE APPROPRIATE YAILTED ON THURSDAY EVENING (APPROPRIATE YAIMENTED ON THURSDAY EVENING. I HAVEN'T HAD A GUARANTEE OF THAT BUT I WAS TOLD IT MAY HAPPEN. >> PAT. >> YEAH AND I'M PARTICULARLY SENSITIVE TO THIS TOPIC BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I WAS TRYING TO TAKE THE HIGH ROAD THEN, YOU KNOW, THEN I WAS TRYING TO CALL IT OUT THEN I KIND OF PROBABLY MISSPOKE IN THE LAST NEWS ARTICLE. SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THAT. SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE THROWN DARTS AT IT. ANYWAY THE POINT IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE YOU CAN'T SAY SPEND THE MONEY QUICKLY THEN WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY. I MEAN YOU CAN'T

162HAVE IT BOTH WAYS AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT I TRIED TO ARTICULATE. MAYBE NOT SO ARTFULLY A FEW WEEKS AGO. BUT THE REASON IT'S IMPORTANT IS AND AS I'VE SAID ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS TO PEOPLE THAT WILL LISTEN OR ASK ME IS IT'S BASED ON THESE PROJECT ORDINANCES. THAT'S WHAT RELEASES THE MONEY. AND SO, YEAH, I THINK EVEN SOME COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FRANKLY WERE SURPRISED THAT SOMEWHERE SOMEONE WAS PLAYING HIDE THE BALL. I DON'T KNOW, THAT'S THE OLD SCHOOL YARD TERM AND I THINK IT REALLY SURPRISED A LOT OF PEOPLE. I THINK THAT'S WHY IT QUIETED BACK DOWN BUT THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR BECAUSE WE HAD A NICE CONVERSATION THE OTHER DAY. >> YOU WERE GREAT. I WAS JUST SAYING THAT'S OUT THERE IN THE GENERAL PUBLIC. MR. TILLMAN, WE HAVE THE MONEY AND WE GOT THE MONEY

163AND WHERE IS THE MONEY AND WHAT DID WE DO WITH THE MONEY AND SO, UM, JUST WANT TO SAY IT AGAIN. >> AND I JUST WANT TO SAY TOO WHEN WE WERE ASKED HOW WE WANTED TO SPEND THE 10 MILLION OR WHAT WE WOULD USE THE 10 MILLION FOR WE GAVE THE COUNTY A LIST AND INCLUDED IN THAT LIST WAS ACCESS CONTROL. THERE WERE OTHER THINGS TOO, CAMERAS AND OTHER THINGS WERE INCLUDED, THE RADIO FREQUENCY BEING ONE OF THE TOP PRIORITIES. BUT WHEN WE GOT THE 5 MILLETS JUST IMPORTANT TO NOTE WE'RE SPENDING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THAT ON ACCESS CONTROL. SO EVEN THOUGH IT WAS GIVEN TO US FOR REOPENING AND REOPENING -- I MEAN ACCESS CONTROL OR CONTROLLING ACCESS TO THE BUILDING CERTAINLY WAS PART OF KEEPING US SAFE DURING THE PANDEMIC. SO

164I MEAN IT WAS CERTAINLY AN APPROPRIATE USE OF THOSE DOLLARS BUT IT'S SERVING A DUAL PURPOSE SO I WANT TO -- I WANT PEOPLE TO HEAR THAT, THAT WE ARE USING A PORTION OF THOSE DOLLARS FOR HOW WE WOULD HAVE USED THEM ANYWAY. >> THANK YOU. >> JUST A QUICK QUESTION. WILL ALL OF THE SCHOOLS HAVE THE ONE CARD THIS YEAR, ALL THE BUSES, ALL THE SCHOOLS? >> ALL SCHOOLS. >> EXCEPT FOR THE EARLY AND MIDDLE COLLEGES BECAUSE THEY USE THE UNIVERSITY IDS. >> THEY'LL HAVE OUR ONE CARD AS WELL. THEY'LL HAVE BOTH. >> RIGHT BUT THEY DON'T NEED IT FOR SWIPEING INTO THE SCHOOL. >> THEY CAN USE IT ON THE BUSES THOUGH. THEY'LL USE THE ONE CARD ON THE BUSES AND ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS HAVE HAD THE ONE CARD THIS YEAR. IT'S

165JUST WITH THE TIMING OF WHEN KIDS CAME TO SCHOOL. HOW THEY WERE DISTRIBUTED. >> DID THEY ALSO HAVE THE READERS? >> NO. NO. >> ALL RIGHT WE ARE NOW AT -- WE DON'T HAVE ANOTHER CLOSED SESSION DO WE, JILL. >> JUST PERSONNEL. >> OKAY, ANITA. >> [OFF MIC] >> YOUR MIC'S NOT ON. >> I MOVE TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION TO PRESERVE THE ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE AND DISCUSS CONFIDENTIAL PERSONNEL MATTERS PROTECTED BY STATE LAW. >> SECOND. >> ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. >> AYE. >> ANY OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT WE WILL GO INTO CLOSED SESSION. ARE WE STAYING HERE? >> ALL RIGHT THANK YOU. WE ARE NOW BACK IN OPEN SESSION AND I WILL TURN TO BOARD MEMBER BELLAMY SMALL FOR A MOTION. >> MADAM CHAIR I MAKE A MOTION TO MAKE AN ADDENDUM TO

166THE PERSONNEL REPORT FOR ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS FOR PRINCIPAL, SCHOOL SUPPORT OFFICER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. >> IS THERE A SECOND. >> SECOND. >> ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. >> ANY OPPOSED? THAT PASSES "NAMENTSLY. DR. CONTRERAS. >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. I WOULD LIKE TO PLACE PRINCIPAL OLIVIA BRYCE, HUNTER ELEMENTARY, TRENT WALTON, THE PRINCIPAL OF LINDLEY ELEMENTARY, KEVIN SMITH, AS THE SCHOOL SUPPORT OFFICER, MICHELLE WOLFERTON. DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MIKE RICHY, AS THE SENIOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RASHAD, SLAYED CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE. >> THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS WE ARE NOW AT BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS AND I'LL START WITH -- >> OH, WOW. OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, YOU WRITE DOWN THINGS AND YOU THINK ABOUT THINGS, YOU THINK ABOUT PUBLIC COMMENTS. I'M GLAD THAT WE HAD THEM BACK. AND I HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC IS

167HAPPY ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES TO ONCE AGAIN TO COME IN TO ADDRESS THE BOARD, SHARE THEIR CONCERNS. I'M JUST GRATEFUL THAT SCHOOL IS GOING TO BE OPENING AND KIDS ARE GOING TO BE BACK IN SCHOOL. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING SOME OF THE GREAT IMPLEMENTATIONS AND THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO HAPPEN FOR STUDENTS. YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK THAT AS A BOARD MEMBER IT'S JUST SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO PUT OUT GOOD INFORMATION AND THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE CLEAR AND UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR ROLES ARE, WHAT OUR ROLES ARE NOT AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HEARD A LOT THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M A TAXPAYER AND I JUST WANT TO SAY WE ALL ARE TAXPAYERS. YOU KNOW. THERE'S NO ONE EXEMPT IN THIS SYSTEM FOR, YOU KNOW, NOT BEING A TAXPAYER. AND WE

168ARE ACCOUNTABLE. AND I DO BELIEVE IN GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS AND THAT'S ONE REASON WHY I ACTUALLY RAN FOR SCHOOL BOARD AND I BELIEVE IN THIS WORK AND IT'S IMPORTANT WORK AND IT IS WORK THAT REQUIRES A LOT OF INTEGRITY, UM, AND IT PUTS US IN THE SPOTLIGHT AND IT CHANGES -- I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANYONE ELSE BUT IT JUST CHANGES YOUR WHOLE LIFE AND HOW YOU ARE PERCEIVED AND HOW YOU PRESENT YOURSELF AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS AND IT ALSO ENROLLS, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOUR FAMILY AND EVERYONE, YOU KNOW, HAS ACCESS TO YOU. SO IT'S JUST VERY IMPORTANT TO ME THAT THE COMMUNITY THAT I SERVE, UM, THAT THEY KNOW THAT. YOU KNOW, THAT I DO REPRESENT YOU, UM, AND I DO WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU AND I HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU EVEN

169MORE AND TO BE AVAILABLE, UM, TO HEAR YOUR CONCERNS. UM, AND THAT WE HAVE A GOOD SUPERINTENDENT. YOU KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE A GREAT SUPERINTENDENT HERE IN GUILFORD COUNTY. WE HAVE A GREAT SUPERINTENDENT AND I BELIEVE THAT EVEN OUR BOARD, WE ARE A GOOD BOARD OF PEOPLE. WE COME FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES. WE BRING DIFFERENT THINGS TO THE TABLE AND MOST IMPORTANTLY I THINK AS ADULTS WE HAVE TO LEAD THE WAY. WE HAVE TO BE EXAMPLES. IT'S IMPORTANT TO THE STUDENTS IN GUILFORD COUNTY THAT THEY SEE US IN A VERY GOOD WAY. UM, WHEN I WAS IN THE ACES PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPOSE CHILDREN TO DIFFERENT IDEAS AND, YOU KNOW, BRING THEM INFORMATION AND BOOKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE, UM AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS A WELL

170ROUNDED CONVERSATION HAPPENING. AND OUR STUDENTS HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND THEY'RE VERY INQUISITIVE SO I HAVE TO SAY WE HAVE SUCH A GREAT OPPORTUNITY AS SERVING ON THIS BOARD AN WE HAVE TO BE HERE FOR THE RIGHT REASON AND WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, WE REPRESENT OUR DISTRICT. MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE REPRESENTING YOUR DISTRICT AND THE VOTE THAT YOU MAKE. YOU VOTE SOMETHING DOWN, YOU'RE VOTING IT DOWN, YOU KNOW FOR YOUR DISTRICT. YOU DON'T WANT NEW BUSES? GUESS WHAT YOU VOTE THAT DOWN, YOU VOTE THAT DOWN FOR YOUR DISTRICT AND THOSE THAT YOU REPRESENT AND THE STUDENTS AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SAYING. SO I TAKE THAT VERY SERIOUS ABOUT HOW I VOTE, UM, AND WHAT IT SAYS, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS MY REPRESENTATION. BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY TO EVERYONE

171THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH YOU AND TO SERVE WITH YOU AND TO THE STAFF AND EVERYONE, WE KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT THIS YEAR AND YOU GUYS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB AND WE'RE GOING TO GET BETTER AT THIS AS WE, YOU KNOW,S IRON WILL SHARPEN IRON. I BELIEVE THAT AND WE HAVE THE TALENT AND GIFTS WE NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND TO COME OUT ON TOP AND I'M JUST GRATEFUL FOR BEING A PART OF GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. LINDA. >> [OFF MIC] -- I WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TOSS ALL OUR COACHES, ESPECIALLY HAVE TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO RICH CLARK AT SOUTHEAST. OKAY. THEN I'M GOING TO MOVE ON TO A TOPIC THAT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE VERY FAVORABLE HERE BUT I'M

172GOING TO DO IT. UM, BECAUSE, UM, I THINK PARENTS NEED A VOICE. AND PARENTS DO NOT GIVE UP THEIR PARENTAL RIGHTS WHEN THEIR CHILD CROSSES THE THRESHOLD OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL. I THINK I HAVE SAID THAT TO NORA BEFORE WHEN I FIRST CAME ON THIS BOARD. IN THE CONTEXT OF FAMILY LAW, PARENTAL RIGHTS ARE THE PARENT'S RIGHT TO MAKE IMPORTANT DECISIONS AND TO TAKE ACTIONS ON BEHALF OF THEIR CHILD OR THEIR CHILDREN WHICH INCLUDES EDUCATION, RELIGION AND MEDICAL TREATMENT. A COURT WILL INTERPRET PARENTAL RIGHTS THROUGH THE LENS OF THE CHILD'S BEST INTEREST. PARENTS HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT THEIR CHILDREN ARE BEING TAUGHT. HOWEVER WE HAVE BOARDS OF EDUCATION, NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS HAS STATED THEY WILL BASICALLY STOMP ON PARENTAL RIGHTS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH CRITICAL PEDAGOGY. IN RELIGION SOCIAL

173ECONOMIC STATUS, SESSION YOU'LL PREFERENCE, HEALTH OF A STUDENT SHOULD NOT BE ADDRESSED IN ANY MANNER NOR SHOULD TOPICS OF DISCUSSION BE ADDRESSED IN A MANNER THAT A STUDENT MAY FEEL SINGLED OUT AND POSSIBLY ASSOCIATED WITH A CHARACTER PERCEIVED THROUGH THE LESSON TO BE A NEGATIVE CHARACTER. A MAIN COMPONENT OF CRITICAL RACE THEORY IS LABELING HUMAN AND SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS TO IDENTIFY VICTIMS AND OPPRESSORS CRT IS NOT A BASIC COMPONENT OF EDUCATION, IT IS A SOCIAL THEORY THAT IS TAUGHT IN COLLEGE AND STUDENTS WE HOPE HAVE -- HOPEFULLY HAVE A SOUND EDUCATION TO DEBATE IT. YOUNG CHILDREN ARE SPONGES. THEY DO NOT HAVE THE BASE OF KNOWLEDGE. THEREFORE WILL ACCEPT WHATEVER IS PRESENTED TO THEM WITHOUT QUESTION. PARENTS HAVE OF EVER DEMOGRAPHIC SHOULD BE CONCERNED WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S TRULY A POSITIVE OUTCOME FOR ALL CHILDREN WHETHER

174THEY ARE DEEMED VICTIMS OR OPPRESSORS. WE ARE WHAT ARE THE POSITIVE OUTCOMES OF THIS INITIATIVE. DO WE BELIEVE LABELING CHILDREN IS A GOOD THING? CURRENT NORTH CAROLINA LAW INDICATES THAT PARENTS HAVE A RIGHT TO SEE CURRICULUM BEING USED IN THE DISTRICT SCHOOLS. A PARENT'S FIRST OBLIGATION TO THEIR CHILD IS TO ADVOCATE FOR THEIR BEST INTEREST. IF THIS IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF ALL CHILDREN, WHERE IS THE SUPPORTING EVIDENCE THAT ALL CHILDREN WILL BE SEEN IN A POSITIVE LIGHT AND LIFTED UP TO AS SPIRE TO BE ANYTHING THEY CHOOSE TO BE? BECAUSE PARENTS AND IF THAT IS THERE, PARENTS WILL NEVER FIGHT AGAINST IT. AND I HAVE ONE MORE THING. NICOLE HANNAH JONES THE 1619 PROJECT QUOTED IT IS NOT HISTORY, IT IS JOURNALISM. QUOTED. SO... THAT'S MY TAKE AND I FEEL THAT PARENTS ARE

175BEING VILLAINIZED BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT BEEN PART OF THE CONVERSATION AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN, UM, WE HAVE NOT -- THEY'RE CONCERNED AND THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO ASK QUESTIONS AND THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR SCHOOL. I'M NOT SAYING IT'S HAPPENING HERE. BUT I AM SAYING FOR THESE ORGANIZATIONS TO SAY THEY DON'T BELIEVE -- AND EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN VIEWS ON WHAT SHOULD BE TAUGHT AND WHAT SHOULDN'T BE TAUGHT AND WHEN IT SHOULD BE TAUGHT. SO I THINK PARENTS -- WE SHOULD NOT BE VILLAINIZING PARENTS THAT HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. >> THANK YOU. PAT. >> THANK YOU AN MADAM CHAIR. I KNOW WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT SAFETY THIS EVENING. WE HEARD DIRECTLY FROM THE PUBLIC. YOU KNOW WE HAD A VERY HEALTHY DISCUSSION ABOUT CYBER SECURITY AND SO

176I'M GLAD THAT TOPIC IS TOP OF MIND. IN THAT SPIRIT OF LEARNING AND GROWING AND BECOMING MORE ON VIGILANT AND SAFE, THERE'S ACTUALLY A BACK TO SCHOOL SAFETY SUMMIT THAT'S HAPPENING HERE IN GREENSBORO. IT'S SPONSORED IN PART BY THE NORTH CAROLINA SAFER SCHOOLS AND SOME OTHER GROUPS BUT IT'S AUGUST 2 FROM 12:30 TO 4:30 P.M. AT THE UNCG AUDITORIUM. YOU DO NEED TO REGISTER JUST TO THEY CAN KIND OF HAVE A HEAD COUNT. I'M GOING TO -- NORA I'LL SEND YOU THE WEB LINK FOR THAT REGISTRATION. I'M GOING TO PUT IT OUT ON MY SOCIAL MEDIA PORTAL AS WELL. BUT -- SO I'VE GOT A LITTLE BASEBALL BECAUSE I'M ON THE BOARD BUT IT'S UNIQUE AND SOME OF WHAT THE PARTICIPANTS WILL HEAR IF YOU'RE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE ARE THE SCHOOL JUSTICE PARTNERSHIPS, UM, THINGS

177LIKE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER TRAINING, UM, SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, THE OVERLAP OF THIS STATE ACTION PLAN WITH THE TASK FORCE ON RACIAL EQUITY AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. UM, IT'S -- A LOT OF THE LEGISLATIVE ISSUES ARE GOING TO BE TALKED ABOUT BUT THAT'S FROM 12:30 TO 4:30 ON AUGUST 2. AND THAT'S AT UNCG AUDITORIUM AND AGAIN I'LL GET THAT WEB LINK PUT OUT SO WE CAN HOPEFULLY GET IT ON GCS AND THERE'S ANOTHER DAY THAT'S REALLY NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC BUT WHERE WE GET INTO THE REAL MECHANICS AND DETAILS OF THE PLAN. BUT I THINK FOR THE COMMUNITY IT REALLY WILL SHARE THAT MULTICOLLABORATIVE EFFORT BY THE STATE TO REALLY COMMIT THEMSELVES TO SAFETY AND SECURITY. THE SECOND THING I WANTED TO LIFT UP AND I WAS REALLY SURPRISED -- I DON'T KNOW

178IF WE HAVE SEEN THIS BUT THE FORDUM INSTITUTE DID AN IN DEPTH STUDY ON MANY OF THE STATE'S HISTORY ESSENTIALLY CURRICULUM. AND SADLY NORTH CAROLINA WAS U.S. HISTORY STANDARDS, UM, RANKED AN F AND CIVICS WAS D MINUS. AND SO YOU CAN LOOK THAT UP YOURSELF. IT'S THE FORDUM INSTITUTE THE THE STUDY THEY DID ON OUR U.S. HISTORY STANDARDS. AND I WAS REALLY SURPRISED -- I MEAN I HAVE DAUGHTERS TAKING APUSH AS THEY CALL IT AND FOLLOWING IT BUT IN ANY EVENT NORTH CAROLINA'S NEW CIVICS AND U.S. HISTORY STANDARDS ARE INADEQUATE. THEY CITE VERBIAGE AND SPECIFICS MAKE THEM FUNCTIONALLY CONTENTLESS IN MANY PLACES AND ORGANIZATION IS POOR THROUGHOUT: COMPLETE REVISION IS RECOMMENDED BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION. AND THE REPORT GIVES NUMEROUS EXAMPLES. FOR INSTANCE THE AUTHORS ARGUE THAT OBJECTIVES FOR SECOND GRADE ARE VAGUE YOU AND IN SOME

179CASES TOO SOPHISTICATED FOR THE AGE RANGE SO IT'S NOT AGE APPROPRIATE. SUCH AS SUGGESTING STUDENTS SUMMARIZE THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN PROTECTING FREEDOM AND EQUALITY. SO A SECOND GRADER THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE OVER THEIR HEAD. BUT ANYWAY I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE FOLLOW THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND DPI ON SOME OF THOSE STANDARDS BECAUSE WE DON'T CREATE THOSE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT -- THIS IS CERTAINLY NOT A GK THING, FAULT, IT'S JUST I WAS (GUILFORD COUNTY) MAYBE YOU'VE SEEN THE STUDY AND ALL STUDIES WE CAN SORT OF DEBATE HOW THEY GET THERE BUT IN ANY EVENT I HOPE WE'LL JUST BE PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TOE STATE LEVEL PARTICULARLY ON THIS BECAUSE WE HAD A VERY POOR SHOWING ACCORDING TO THIS RESEARCH. BUT AGAIN I WANT TO THANK ALL MY COLLEAGUES.

180IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN. IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE BEEN SITTING HERE. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT'S GONE INTO THE PRESENTATIONS WE SAW TONIGHT ON CYBER SECURITY AND THE KPIS THAT WE'LL BE SEEING SOON AND JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY AND TO ALL THE KIDS OUT THERE PLEASE KEEP READING. GET OFF THE SCREENS. OKAY. I'M TALKING TO MY OWN KIDS RIGHT NOW. I'M SURE THEY'RE WATCHING. YEAH, GET OUTSIDE AND DO YOUR READING. AND WHAT IS IT IF YOU READ 900 MINUTES THERE'S SOME SORT OF AWARD OR SOMETHING? YEAH. SO... THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL. >> THANK YOU. DIANNE. >> I WILL RISK TAKING MY MASK OFF TO SAY WHAT I HAVE TO SAY RIGHT NOW. SOME OF THE COMMENTS FROM THE SPEAKERS FROM THE FLOOR DISTURBED ME. I THINK PROBABLY ANITA,

181DEENA AND I HAVE SERVED IN PUBLIC OFFICE LONGER THAN ANYBODY ELSE AND I HAVE BEEN A VICTIM OF THREATS. I HAVE HAD UGLY EMAILS SENT TO ME. I'VE BEEN CALLED NAMES THAT I CAN'T SAY BECAUSE THEY GET BLEEPED OUT AND I'VE BEEN AFRAID TO EVEN GO GROCERY SHOPPING AND HAD TO AVOID PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THE HATRED AND THE MISINFORMATION. SO TO QUESTION WHY WE HAD ADDED SECURITY TONIGHT, IF YOU HAD BEEN PAYING ANY ATTENTION TO WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON IN THE UNITED STATES OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, THE SHOOTINGS WHERE PEOPLE ARE BEING GUNNED DOWN WHERE THEY HAVE JUST GONE AND FOUND BLACK PEOPLE, SHOT THEM. LATINO PEOPLE. SHOT THEM. JEWISH PEOPLE. SHOT THEM. NOW I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO SAY THAT CAN'T HAPPEN IN GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA. IT HAS HAPPENED HERE. IT MIGHT HAVE

182BEEN 40 YEARS AGO BUT IT HAS HAPPENED. JUST AS WE HAVE THE OBLIGATION TO PROTECT OUR STUDENTS, WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO PROTECT OUR STAFF AND YOUR BOARD. BECAUSE WHEN I WAS -- WHEN I FIRST SAT ON THE CITY COUNCIL THERE WAS A SHOOTING IN EAST LOUISVILLE WHERE CITY COUNCIL PERSON, CITY MANAGER, COUPLE POLICE OFFICERS WERE SHOT DURING A BOARD MEETING. NOW PEOPLE NEED TO -- IF THEY DON'T WANT US TO RESPOND TO TRYING TO PROTECT OURSELVES THEY SHOULDN'T PUT OUT THERE THE KIND OF STUFF THAT WAS PUT OUT THERE THAT RAISED THE LEVEL -- AND I THINK THAT DR. CARR AND DR. CONTRERAS ARE STUFF SKINNED ENOUGH THAT AN SOMEBODY JUST SAYING A LITTLE SOMETHING DIDN'T RAISE THEIR LEVEL OF CONCERN. AND IF YOU DON'T THINK THERE'S NO CRAZY PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY, WATCH

183THE NEWS TONIGHT. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE GONE TO EXTREME AND EVEN THOUGH WE'VE GOT THESE NICE MEN BACK HERE IN THESE SUITS THEY CAN'T STOP BUT ONE BULLET AT A TIME. IF SOMEBODY DECIDED TO DO THAT. SO I THINK THAT WE DIDN'T ACT OUT OF A SENSE OF TRYING TO SHOW THAT WE HAD MONEY TO WASTE, WE WOULD HAVE RATHER NOT HAVE HAD THE LEVEL OF SECURITY TONIGHT. YOU KNOW, IF THAT WAS POSSIBLE. BUT PEOPLE NEED TO RESPECT OTHER PEOPLE AND YES YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO YOUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT. YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO YOUR SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHT. YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO YOUR FIFTH AMENDMENT RIGHT. BUT NOT TO THE EXPENSE OF ME AND NOT TO THE EXPENSE OF THE PEOPLE SITTING IN THIS ROOM AND I PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE SAID ANYTHING

184BUT I'VE BEEN A VICTIM OF THIS AND I'VE ALMOST BECOME NUMB TO IT, BECAUSE I KNOW I EXPECT THAT SOMEBODY'S GOING TO SAY SOMETHING UGLY TO ME BECAUSE OF SOME DECISIONS THAT I'VE HAD TO MAKE. BUT I SIT HERE BECAUSE SOMEONE SENT ME. I'M NOT SITTING HERE BECAUSE I WANT TO BE HERE. DIANNE WANTS TO BE HERE. I SIT HERE BECAUSE I FEEL A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY TO BE AN ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE MEMBER OF MY COMMUNITY AND THAT INCLUDES OUR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND OUR CIVIC INVOLVEMENT. SOMEBODY HAS TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS AND YOU HOPEFULLY WANT SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE GOOD SENSE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS. SO I NEEDED TO SAY THAT BECAUSE I THINK SOMETIMES WHEN PEOPLE ARE BEING CRITICAL OF US THEY NEVER WALKED A DAY IN OUR SHOES. THEY'VE NEVER BEEN A TEACH

185TERM STIMULUS. THEY'VE NEVER HAD TO MAKE THE KINDS OF DECISIONS THAT WE SIT UP HERE AND HAVE TO MAKE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE HAD TO MAKE FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHER PEOPLE. NOW ALL OF US IN HERE HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT AT A GRADUATION AND SEE CHILDREN THAT NO ONE ELSE THOUGHT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WALK ACROSS THAT STAGE. BUT BECAUSE OF THE EFFORT THAT PUBLIC SCHOOL HAS PUT INTO ALL CHILDREN, WE SEE AMAZING THINGS HAPPEN. AND ALL I WANT PEOPLE TO DO IS RESPECT THE JOB THAT WE HAVE TO DO AND STOP BEING SO COLD AND CALLOUS AND JUDGING WHAT YOU THINK YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT WHY WE SIT UP HERE AND WHY DR. CONTRERAS AND AWLG OF HER STAFF ARE COMMITTED TO DOING WHAT THEY DO. I'M ALMOST 70 YEARS

186OLD AND THIS IS A CRITICAL TIME FOR ME TO SEE THE FACT THAT THIS COUNTRY -- I'VE LIVED THROUGH CIVIL RIGHTS. I'VE LIVED THROUGH BEING CALLED A COLORED GIRL, A NEGRO, AN AFRO AMERICAN, AFRICAN AMERICAN, A BLACK GIRL. I'VE LIVED THROUGH ALL OF THOSE THINGS. AND I'M SAD WITH WHERE WE ARE IN AMERICA. IF WE CAN'T FINALLY ADMIT AMERICA'S GOT SOME REAL DEEP SCARS. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, AMERICA IS ONE OF THE GREATEST NATIONS IN THE WORLD. SO THERE'S THIS KIND OF OXYMORON GOING ON HERE BUT WE HAVE TO FACE OUR PAST IF WE INTEND TO HAVE A DIFFERENT OUTCOME FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN AND AMERICA. I WANT TO THANK ALL THE STAFF FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE BEEN DOING BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE THANK YOU ENOUGH, WE CAN'T PAY YOU

187ENOUGH BUT THAT'S THE COUNTY. THAT AIN'T US. SO I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT AT LEAST I CAN SAY THANK YOU BUT I DO WANT TO SEE US DO MORE TO RECOGNIZE THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE SCENES. AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT, I MEAN THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE KITCHENS, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CLEANING OUR BUILDINGS, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING AND PAINTING, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THE PHYSICAL LABOR WHO ARE CRAWLING UP UNDER THE BUSES. I DON'T THINK WE DO ENOUGH TO RECOGNIZE THOSE FOLK AND I THINK WE CAN DO MORE TO RECOGNIZE THEM. THEN MY LAST POINT IS ABOUT THE VIRUS. THE VIRUS HAS NOT TBON ANYWHERE GUYS. THE VIRUS IS STILL HERE. WE'VE PUT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IN PLACE. WE'VE GOTTEN VACCINES, BUT THE VIRUS IS STILL HERE AND

188STILL KILLING PEOPLE AND WE NEED TO ACT LIKE THAT GOING INTO THIS SCHOOL YEAR. WE CANNOT BE CAVALIER, WE CANNOT FILL OUR STADIUMS WITH FANS AND FOLK WITHOUT TAKING THE PROPER PRECAUTIONS. WE CANNOT MAKE SURE THAT OUR STAFF HAVE THE APPROPRIATE PPES AND THAT WE CONTINUE TO BE VIGILANT BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY WE WILL DEFEAT THIS VIRUS IS BY THE VERY ACTIONS WE'VE TAKEN SO FAR TO GET US THIS FAR. SO WE CAN'T BECOME LAXED ABOUT THAT SO I ASK US -- I MEAN IF YOU HAVEN'T -- [OFF MIC] -- BUT AT LEAST WE DO KNOW FROM SCIENCE THAT THE VIRUS IT CAN'T DO ANY WORSE HARM THAN CHICKEN NUGGETS. THE NUGGETS MAKE YOU FAT: I REALIZE I'VE GONE OVER MY TIME MADAM CHAIR BUT IT WAS JUST IMPORTANT TO HAVE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT WE

189AIN'T PLAYING UP HERE. EACH ONE OF US TAKES WHAT WE'RE DOING VERY SERIOUSLY BECAUSE WE CAN BE DOING SOMETHING ELSE AND PROBABLY HAVE MORE FUN AT IT BUT WE COMMITTED TO DO IT. THANK YOU. >> ANITA. >> I WILL JUMP AROUND A LITTLE BIT BUT I'VE BEEN HERE LONGER THAN ANY OF YOU AND I TOO HAVE HAD THREATS, VARIOUS SUNDRY THREATS OVER THE YEAR -- YEARS. BUT I HV THAT WAS THE LAST THII WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT BUT I'LL LEAD IN WITH 17 OR 18 SPEAKERS WE HAD TONIGHT, I LOST COUNT BUT I THINK THERE WAS 7 THAT MADE REFERENCE TO THREATS AGAINST THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE BOARD CHAIR. I'M SORRY BUT I THOUGHT -- I WAS JUST SHOCKED, BECAUSE I THOUGHT THIS WAS CONFIDENTIAL CLOSED SESSION MATERIAL THAT WE TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME.

190APPARENTLY NOT. APPARENTLY IT IS WIDE SPREAD KNOWLEDGE. I WAS JUST -- I'M JUST SHOCKED AT THAT AND I HAD TO SAY THAT. UM, ALSO, DEENA VOTING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA HAS CHANGED. IN THE PAST I'VE BEEN ABLE TO VOTE YES ON A, B, D BUT NOT C. SO WHEN DID THE BOARD MAKE THAT CHANGE AND WHO FORGOT TO TELL ME? UM, THEN A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE BOTHERED ME. THE CENTRAL OFFICE AND BOARD ROOM WERE REDECORATED DURING COVID AND I'M SURE THAT WAS IN PIECES -- PAID FOR IN PIECES SMALL ENOUGH TO BE LEGAL BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AND IF ANYBODY UP HERE ON THIS PODIUM KNEW IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE HAD THEY SHARED IT WITH US I WAS ALSO DISAPPOINTED THAT

191THE ESSR SPENDING PLAN WAS SENT TO THE STATE PRIOR TO THE BOARD APPROVAL. THAT'S $300 MILLION. THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY. OTHER THAN THAT I'LL END ON A LIGHTER YOUR KIDS ARE WATCHING THIS MEETING I NEED TO TALK TO YOU. [LAUGHING]. >> THANK YOU. DEBORAH. >> WELL I'LL GO BACK TOCK MY SUBJECT OF THE EMAILS EARLIER WHERE EVERYBODY LIKE TO BLAST EVERYTHING BUT WE DO UP HERE ON THE BOARD AN D FOR A SPEECH. T. >> FIRST I WANT TO THANK THE PEOPLE WHO CAME OUT TO MAKE COMMENTS WHETHER IT WAS NEGATIVE OR WHETHER IT WAS POSITIVE. TO THE POSITIVE ONES OF COURSE WE THANK YOU FOR ENLIGHTENING US AND ALSO AN PRUFLG EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING AND NOT ONLY THAT TO UPLIFTING US TO THE ONES THAT SOMEONE CALL NEGATIVE I HOPE YOU LISTEN TO

192OUR COMMENTS, LISTEN WHAT'S GOING ON, ON THE BOARD AND THEREFORE I THINK IT WILL EDUCATE YOU EXACTLY TO WHAT OUR DUTIES ARE. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING THE NEW PRINCIPAL IN DISTRICT 7 TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM AND TO ALSO BE A SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR THEM. WE HAVE A FORMER GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOL STUDENT THAT PLAYED FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AND THIS IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC. IT'S ONLY FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS AND TOMORROW HE WILL BE GIVING OUT BACKPACKS AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES AT FAULKNER ONCE AGAIN IT IS CLOSED TO THE COMMUNITY, IT'S ONLY OPEN TO FAULKNER ELEMENTARY STUDENTS. >> [OFF MIC] [LAUGHING]. >> IT IS CLOSED. AS FAR AS OUR STUDENTS. WE LOVE ALL THE STUDENTS IN GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS. WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU TO MAKE SURE YOU RECEIVE A IO ALL

193THE GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOL EMPLOYEES WHETHER YOU'RE PARAPROFESSIONAL OR WHETHER YOU HAVE A DEGREE, WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU HAVE DONE AND ALL THE WORK YOU WILL DO IN THE FUTURE AND WITH THAT I THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU. KHEM. >> ARE YOU GIVING ME A SECOND DISMANS. >> I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY (SECOND CHANCE. >> DON'T USUALLY GO IN THAT DIRECTION. ANITA I HAVE A CORRECTION. YOU WERE RIGHT ABOUT THAT. I WAS CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT YOU WERE ASKED ABOUT SINCE ITEMS WERE NOT PULLED OFF THE AGENDA BUT WE HAVE ALLOWED THEM TO VOTE ON EACH ITEM SO I APOLOGIZE FOR MISUNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU WERE ASKING TONIGHT. I JUST WANT TO SAY THE MISINFORMATION ABOUT JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING, UM, WE HEARD A MIX OF IT TONIGHT, UM, AND, UM, I JUST WANT

194TO SAY AGAIN THAT CRITICAL RACE THEORY IS AN APPROACH. IT IS NOT A CURRICULUM. ANY EDUCATOR CAN DELIVER INSTRUCTION IN A WAY THAT IS INEFFECTIVE, THAT IS MISUNDERSTOOD AND CAN BE INAPPROPRIATE AND THAT'S JUST HAPPENED OVER TIME. ILAND IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT WE'RE NOT HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT A THING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BAN. THAT WE DON'T HAVE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT IT IS. BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE DECISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN THIS COUNTRY DIDN'T -- WEREN'T JUST DECISIONS MADE AT THAT TIME AND DIDN'T END THERE. I WANT TO READ A COUPLE OF THINGS. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SAID WHY INCREASE THE SONS OF AFRICA BY PLANTING THEM IN AMERICA WHERE WE HAVE SO FAIR AN OPPORTUNITY BY EXCLUDING ALL BLACKS AND TAWN ANIES OF INCREASING THE LOVELY WHITE AND LED RED. THIS CAME FROM AN ESSAY

195FROM HIM. THIS IS A QUOTE FROM 1751. THOMAS JEFFERSON SAID I ADVANCED IT THEREFORE AS A SUSPENSION ONLY THAT THE BLACKS WHETHER ORIGINALLY A DISTINCT RACE OR BY TIME OR CIRCUMSTANCES ARE INFERIOR TO THE WHITES AND ENDOWMENTS OF BOTH BODY AND MIND. ABRAHAM LINCOLN SAYS THERE'S A PHYSICAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WHITE AND THE BLACK RACES WHICH I BELIEVE WILL FOREVER FORBID THE TWO RACES LIVING TOGETHER. WHILE THEY DO REMAIN TWOGHT THERE MUST BE THE POSITION OF SUPERIOR AND INFERIOR AND I AS MUCH AS ANY MAN AM IN FAVOR OF HAVING THE SUPERIOR POSITION ASSIGNED TO THE WHITE RACE. NOW WHO LABELED WHO AND WHO HAD THE LEGAL GOVERNMENTAL POWER TO INSTITUTIONALIZE THAT FOR CENTURIES? IT IS RECKLESS AND RIDICULOUS TO SUGGEST THAT PEOPLE WANT TO HARM WHITE CHILDREN, TO TELL THEM THAT THEY'RE THE OPPRESSORS.

196BUT WHEN WE DO NOT GIVE CHILDREN THE PROPER ON CONTEXTUAL INFORMATION HOW DO THEY UNDERSTAND THAT NEIGHBORHOODS BE THAT WERE RED-LINED, I LIVED IN A NEIGHBOR IN 1936 A CORPORATION WHICH WAS A GOVERNMENT SPONSORED AGENCY, ISSUED RED LINING MAPS THAT SAID NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WERE PREDOMINANTLY BLACK WERE AT-RISK, THAT YOU DON'T MAKE INFRASTRUCTURE AND YOU DON'T BUILD HERE. THREE OUT OF 4 NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WERE RED LINED, 80 YEARS AGO SUCH AS MY NEIGHBORHOOD STRUGGLES ECONOMICALLY TODAY AND WHEN THEY STRUGGLE ECONOMICALLY THE SCHOOLS SUFFER, THE HEALTH SUFFERS, PUBLIC SAFETY SUFFERS, THE VALUE OF THE HOMES SUFFER, ACCESS TO FOOD AND TRANSPORTATION SUFFER. SO CHILDREN ABSORB THE IMAGES AND THE INFORMATION AROUND THEM AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU SAY TO THEM. SO IF WE DON'T INTERRUPT THE PHYSICAL BUILD ENVIRONMENT THAT WAS BUILT WITH RACE-BASED DECISIONS, IT

197WAS AND IT WAS EMBEDDED IN LAW FOR CENTURIES. CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS PASSED IN 1965. I WAS 3. FAIR HOUSING LAW SAYS YOU COULDN'T DO THAT IN 1968. I WAS 6. LARGEST RED LINEING SETTLEMENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY, 2015. I WAS IN MY 50'S. SO THIS DIDN'T END JUST BECAUSE DR. CONTRERAS IS HERE, JUST BECAUSE MARK ROBINSON IS THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNMENT OR BARACK OBAMA WAS PRESIDENT. THIS IS INSTITUTIONALIZED AND ENSHRINED IN LAW AND CRITICAL RACE THEORY INVITES PEOPLE TO EXAMINE THAT INTERSECTION AND WHEN WE DON'T DO THAT IT IS CHILDREN OF COLOR, BLACK CHILDREN, INDIGENOUS CHILDREN, MEXICAN CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN GIVEN TESTS AND ASKED WHICH DOLL IS PRETTY, WHICH DOLL IS PRETTY, WHICH DOLL IS SMART AND OVERWHELMINGLY FOR A CENTURY THEY HAVE PICKED THE WHITE DOLL BECAUSE THEY WERE INTERNALIZED THESE MESSAGES.

198AND LASTLY I THINK I BROUGHT FREDERICK KAVANAH KAUFFMAN. I WAS A STRONG PROPONENT OF RACIAL HIERARCHY AND WENT ON TO FOUND THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION AT THE TIME IT WAS THE NATIONAL TUBERCULOSIS ASSOCIATION AND CANCER SOCIETY AND PREE DENGS HIRED HIM TO JUSTIFY NOT INSURING OR OVER INSURING BLACK PEOPLE. SO THE FEDERAL HOUSING ADMINISTRATION DISCRIMINATED BASED ON RACE. THE MILITARY DISCRIMINATED BASED ON RACE. THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM DISCRIMINATED BASED ON RACE AND THEN TO TURN AROUND AND ACT LIKE WE'RE ALL EQUAL NOW THAT THOSE LAWS FIXED THE GLAITION DAMAGE THAT HAD BEEN DONE IS ABSURD AND MISLEADING AND MAKING OTHER CHILDREN AND WHITE CHILDREN FEEL BAD NOT KNOWING THE TRUTH. SO I AM IN FAVOR OF HAVING A CONVERSATION AND EXAMINING THIS AND FINDING THE MOST APPROPRIATE WAYS TO BE HONEST ABOUT OUR PAST SO THAT

199WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE AND THAT WE CAN CHARTER A PATH GOING FORWARD. SO THOSE ARE MY CLOSING COMMENTS. IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. >> MOTION TO ADJOURN. >> IS THERE A SECOND? >> SECOND. >> ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. >> AYE. >> ANY OPPOSED? >> OF COURSE NOT. >> GOOD NIGHT.