001SBSD Owl Camera: Yes. SBSD Owl Camera: Call the regular meeting of the soft phones at 6 and 2 PM. Agenda. Item, 2. Announcements and amendments to the announcements. SBSD Owl Camera: I have 2. I'd like to welcome and introduce Daisy Brayton, our new Hr. Director, and then I'd also like to add, a school tour discussion to item 4. So making it forward SBSD Owl Camera: perhaps. Right after public comment SBSD Owl Camera: we could make it and do 4. A had 2 items SBSD Owl Camera: and I are going to meet after this meeting around just catching up and contract stuff, Violet. I didn't know if you wanted to participate. It was, but if you did, I didn't know if we want to add it as an executive session to the agenda. SBSD Owl Camera:
002or, if we need to. SBSD Owl Camera: it's a negotiation team. I'm happy to meet with you, and it's just catch up right? So so do we need to add it as executive. If you're SBSD Owl Camera: Technically, I can participate in a prep session. SBSD Owl Camera: it it is not. It would be an executive session if we were to add members of the Board who are not on the negotiating team. SBSD Owl Camera: Okay? So at this point, I don't think we're gonna do that. So we can just go ahead. So I just want to make sure that the other item I wanted to add is in some place just in discussion. During donuts and discussion the other week there was a question that came up about whether or not board members are
003are considered employees and have an update on that. SBSD Owl Camera: Is that an update that we would want. So more community members would be aware we can. So we could put it on the next agenda. It's important topic, absolutely. Let's do that when we're setting the agenda. SBSD Owl Camera: So that I mean, that could also be like a community engagement update. Since then it's in discussions, community engagement. But if you wanted to have more visibility, so that anyone who might be having that question let's add it to the next agenda. I think that would be appropriate. Okay, great. SBSD Owl Camera: Any other announcements around the house. SBSD Owl Camera: We'll move on to comments from the public agenda. 3. This is the community's opportunity to share feedback and concerns with the board.
004We ask that you keep your comments concise, 2 to 3 min, and that you refrain from using any information that would identify a specific person. SBSD Owl Camera: Please raise your hand in the room or use the zoom raised hand feature. We will only use the online chat to manage any tech issues. We are not able to take action on any issues brought to us during public comment. However, any board member may suggest tonight that the issue or question be added to a future agenda for discussion. SBSD Owl Camera: They also delegate addressing issues to our superintendent, Violet Nicholas, and it is always helpful if you can email us a copy of your comments or follow up. SBSD Owl Camera: So with that in the room, please. So if we come out to the Mics here
005and state your name, and if you're a resident. Hi! Everybody! Can I just clarify? Do I have 2 or 3 min? SBSD Owl Camera: It's a a range of 2 to 3. So because I I did read it at home to make sure it was in them should be 3. So SBSD Owl Camera: thank you. SBSD Owl Camera: Okay, so I'm so grateful for both the budget passing. Sorry I'm gonna yes, my name is Helena Ganji. I'm a school counselor at the High School, and I've been there almost 20 years. And SBSD Owl Camera: I'm grateful for the budget passing, and I'm grateful for new members on the school Board. So welcome. Thank you, and thank you for those of you that are returning to continue to do this work. So I 1st started my career
006in the district in 2,005, and I'm also the parent of 3 teenagers in a district next door. So I carry both a personal and professional passion for the work that we all do. SBSD Owl Camera: I previously shared concerns about possible staff reductions. Now that the budget has passed and retirements are on the horizon, I feel compelled to once again reach out with hope that there may be a reallocation of funds and reconsideration of 2 specific positions. SBSD Owl Camera: the school counselor position at the High School, the loss of this full time Fte Counselor will leave the school counseling department with fewer counselors than when I started almost 20 years ago. It is clear that student needs have changed through the years, and it is important to understand that school counselors serve all students,
007not only those at risk or that need additional support. The School Counselor Association indicates that SBSD Owl Camera: that this role supports students, academic, social, emotional and career and post-secondary development. Since school counselors serve the entire student body, a subsequent increase in caseloads will impact our ability to provide quality service in each domain. SBSD Owl Camera: A school counselor at the high school level holds a specific skill set and expertise required of the role. I'm grateful that other student support personnel exist to supplement this work that said, these other supports do not replace the responsibilities or the competencies that a school counselor brings to a high school system. SBSD Owl Camera: In this vein I view the education quality standards as compromised with these proposed increased caseloads of over 200 students, which would be amongst
008the highest in the State. SBSD Owl Camera: the 9th grade Dean of Students. This position has been vital to my work as a school counselor through my entire career, and it is crucial for the transition of 9th grade students to the High school. This role fosters specific connections and interventions with our school choice students from Franklin and Grand Isle counties while monitoring the academic and social emotional well-being of the entire freshman class. SBSD Owl Camera: This is a support staff position with 100% student facing responsibilities at the high School, and it does not seem to make economic sense to let this particular position go SBSD Owl Camera: professionally. I view the loss of this position as detrimental to the high School's ability to function on a day-to-day basis. School counselors team daily with this position
009and can attest to the necessity of having a specific liaison for 9th graders within the building. SBSD Owl Camera: Personally, words cannot express my admiration and gratitude for teaming with Denise Weaver, the actual person in the role. This person has been a fierce advocate for students, and her expertise in supporting the most complex family systems is unmatched. SBSD Owl Camera: She has remarkable ability to connect with students and staff, and has maintained connections with generations of alumni within the greater South Arlington community. SBSD Owl Camera: I appreciate your time and again I've worked here for almost 20 years, and I'm very passionate and dedicated to the success of high school. SBSD Owl Camera: Thank you. SBSD Owl Camera: Any other public SBSD Owl Camera: welcome. Come on up. SBSD Owl Camera: We just have to
010say your name. My name is Dave. SBSD Owl Camera: I really have much to say, but SBSD Owl Camera: there are some days where I come to school, and I and I kind of feel down. Yeah. SBSD Owl Camera: there was this one concert that was always there for me to let me in the past, and SBSD Owl Camera: it made me feel welcome back to school, and you're doing great, awesome SBSD Owl Camera: we would. SBSD Owl Camera: This Controller isn't the only considering of caller. So if SBSD Owl Camera: I ever have any problems, use online portal first, st SBSD Owl Camera: you can. You can talk to me better than other counselors. SBSD Owl Camera: Find this. SBSD Owl Camera: He just shelves me with the living room, the school SBSD Owl
011Camera: you just help me, but well, when I 1st started school SBSD Owl Camera: he was the one that told me what to do and show me. SBSD Owl Camera: Yeah, that's all I have to say. SBSD Owl Camera: Thank you so much SBSD Owl Camera: we'll hop over brand. SBSD Owl Camera: Okay, let's look at us through school counselor. I honestly don't have too much to say. I kind of wanted to support the students who wanted to come up to speak SBSD Owl Camera: just to add on to, you know, some of our frustration. We just, you know, we hope that SBSD Owl Camera: the students or the individuals. I guess prioritize because you guys are in this work to serve the students of this community. And so last week I went into about,
012you know. Going into the building is to, you know, 1st handling. See what's going on for yourself. And seeing the demographic of the population would then help direct your work and see where there are, you know, points SBSD Owl Camera: in areas I needed more attention, and so I I guess, want to SBSD Owl Camera: scream out loud that even though the budget passed, you know, you guys as a group, as a as a consensus can come together to make the right decisions to prioritize what's really what's really important here? And I also want to speak. And you know SBSD Owl Camera: praise Denise weaver a lot of her work. And collaboration. That she she's been a huge support in my start of my career as a school counselor, and you know, I, I'm really
013just for for 5 months into this job. And so I I want to scream that when the the students are coming to talk to you guys. SBSD Owl Camera: they want to feel and be heard. SBSD Owl Camera: And you you guys are the individuals that can make certain things happen. So I guess I guess we'll want you guys to have a listening here. SBSD Owl Camera: I think that's really important. SBSD Owl Camera: And if you're not here to listen to individuals in this community, then what are you gonna do in this way? SBSD Owl Camera: And that's a really big question for you guys to, you know, to grapple with. If you're not here to listen to students and the parents and the staff who work under you in this community. Then what
014are you sitting in this chairs for? So thank you SBSD Owl Camera: and the other profile image. SBSD Owl Camera: Hi, my name is Smith, and I'm a student of Sbhs, and SBSD Owl Camera: see what like every like. When I 1st came to school to high school like Mister Lucy. He was like helping me SBSD Owl Camera: like feel comfortable because I was nervous at first, st and then SBSD Owl Camera: I feel at home and feel comfortable and like I feel like anytime like I'm having troubles. I can go and talk to him. SBSD Owl Camera: and I've SBSD Owl Camera: when I'm in class, or some something's bugging me. I can go straight there and maybe just makes it better. SBSD Owl Camera: Yeah, I'm moving from the middle school, but never
015really taught that much. SBSD Owl Camera: He's a nice person SBSD Owl Camera: any day like, I would say, but in the unlike SBSD Owl Camera: like, if I have work or anything like if I don't understand it, I know that he's like someone I can go to and ask him if he understand it. SBSD Owl Camera: And then, yeah, yeah, thank you. SBSD Owl Camera: My name is attending this. SBSD Owl Camera: keeping my emotional health, keeping my stay with me and stuff any problem I have. I go to him. I talk to him. SBSD Owl Camera: If I'm struggling with school work he's there for me talking to me, things being a problem about him. Speak to him. He's there for me everything. He's just there for relaxing, relaxing. You just please just
016yelling. SBSD Owl Camera: Update. SBSD Owl Camera: It hurts my heart right now that you might be be leaving, and I'm wondering if I'm gonna leave as well because he's the one SBSD Owl Camera: I'm actually praying right now that you can do your best, just helping him right here. Now, I, begging. SBSD Owl Camera: know that you can't know. SBSD Owl Camera: No, they can coordinate. So just begging, that's all I have to say. Just begging. So please SBSD Owl Camera: thank you for your time. SBSD Owl Camera: Let's see. SBSD Owl Camera: And the Sbh. At productions and the productions. SBSD Owl Camera: Can I just say one thing SBSD Owl Camera: if I can speak just for the folks that are here? It's not best practice for to engage in dialogue with.
017SBSD Owl Camera: We'll add it to the discussion. SBSD Owl Camera: Move on to agenda. Item, 4 SBSD Owl Camera: discussion items and up first, st we have a welcome of our new Hr. SBSD Owl Camera: I want to thank our students. You all are awesome and brave, and thank you for being here. Your words matter. So thank you. SBSD Owl Camera: And you're welcome to stay for the whole meeting, or head out totally up to you. I just wanted to give you that option, so, please, you're totally welcome to stay but I wanted to just make sure you know your your options. SBSD Owl Camera: Daisy? So folks, I now want to introduce Daisy Braden, Daisy, is replacing our wonderful Hr. Director, who's retiring, and Daisy comes with a wealth of experience, having held
018every position in Hr. Even most recently. Working with our partners at the city. So I'm really, you know, feeling SBSD Owl Camera: that's going to be a beneficial connection and just glad to have her expertise and positivity welcome to the team, and wanted to introduce you to the board and our community. SBSD Owl Camera: Great. Thank you very much, and I don't know which one is, I think the green one is that's a local mic on your left I speak loudly, but yes, my name is Daisy Brighton, and I am in day 3. It is definitely my honor and my privilege to serve as the new Hr. Director for the school district. SBSD Owl Camera: As as Superintendent, Nicknall, said I I come to you immediately from the the city of South Burlington. And I
019am a new Vermonter. I've been here about 3 years, and and prior to that SBSD Owl Camera: I spent about 30 years in Nebraska, and and but I grew up and went to high school and college in Los Angeles here in California. So SBSD Owl Camera: kind of made my way across the United States, although I should say I also I was born in American Samoa, Pango, Pango, American Samoa. So I have literally gone across the world. So you all now have my passwords so. But yes, I did want to say it is definitely my privilege and honor to come and join the school district with working with Karen these past SBSD Owl Camera: 3 days. I do have to say she. She has done an amazing amount of work in the time that she
020has been here, and the amount of detail that she's trying to pass on to me. It really is leaving me in a good place. And and she she is leaving, saying, Daisy, I set the foundation, and and now, hopefully, you can take it to the next level. So I am very much SBSD Owl Camera: I'm excited to join this team and this organization to do that. So yes, I'm very excited to work with you all and meet you and welcome to the new Board members, and I'm here for anything that I can help you with, and thank you very much for letting me join this team. SBSD Owl Camera: Thank you. Thank you. SBSD Owl Camera: All right. So that is next School Board member introductions. We waited to formally introduce ourselves until we were
021a full team. But anyway, start SBSD Owl Camera: ideally, maybe just sharing your name. SBSD Owl Camera: how long you've been on the board SBSD Owl Camera: passions or specific expertise that you have that might be useful to the team SBSD Owl Camera: or anything else that you want the community to know about yourself or your fellow board members. SBSD Owl Camera: Okay, I'll go first.st hi! My name is Emily Hoffman, and I have been on the board for. SBSD Owl Camera: and I'm really happy to be here. I have 4 children, 3 of which have graduated, and one is 3rd grade, and I also attended South Burlington High School as a student. SBSD Owl Camera: Lived in South Burlington for most of my life. SBSD Owl Camera: and I really feel a big connection
022to the city and to the school. And I SBSD Owl Camera: I'm really happy to be here on the board and representing students, the teachers and the community, because I've kind of been all of them. Oh, I worked at the high school, too, a long time ago. So I like every connection possible. And I'm just really happy to be here. I am a project manager, and I feel like that might help me a little bit in this role. And I also really try to SBSD Owl Camera: see things from all perspectives and really work collaboratively with people, even if we don't always agree, but we can speak respectfully and share ideas, and I'm really excited to do that on this table. SBSD Owl Camera: Let's see SBSD Owl Camera: I'm Laura Williams, and I've been
023on board for 2 and a half years, and I have 2 children in their 20, so they can make money through the high school here, and I'm a teacher Spanish teacher in a 6th high school. SBSD Owl Camera: I'm seamus absher. I have 2 kids in the school district, and I think that SBSD Owl Camera: South Burlington is a great middle class place to live, and I think that everything we can do to make it a good place to live for everybody in the community, will be will be good for everybody in the community. So you know SBSD Owl Camera: community supporting schools. And then you know what the schools give back to the community is also really important to me. So SBSD Owl Camera: What? I'm here. SBSD Owl Camera: Oh, go! I'm Tim
024Warren. I've been a resident of South Burlington for 25 years I've been on the board for a little over a year and a half. Now. I I'm going to just say I'm a native Vermonter, so I don't know how many of us are left, but I am one of the few, probably. Thank you. Yeah. My mom's from Belvedere Center. So we go way back. I got this. SBSD Owl Camera: so I'm happy to be on the board. I'm an instructional designer by trade, which means I'm very fussy about grammar and all of that good stuff you'll see that come out in different meetings and such. SBSD Owl Camera: I have 2 kids currently in the system. They're seniors in high school. They're about to graduate and twin girls. So I'm looking forward to seeing them
025walk across the stage hopefully this June. And just I've been really fortunate to be on the board with some wonderful people, and I'm really looking forward to this board, and I'm very excited about it. So thank you. SBSD Owl Camera: My name is Dan Boyer. I have been on board a week. SBSD Owl Camera: moved to Vermont 16 years ago, after I retired from the military. SBSD Owl Camera: started working for the sound. Burlington Police Department, shortly after I moved here, retired from that last July. SBSD Owl Camera: 2 kids, one graduated from South Burlington in 21. The other. My youngest graduated last year. SBSD Owl Camera: and just looking forward to working with everybody. SBSD Owl Camera: And Hi! My name is Jen Lawrence. I go by Jennifer Jenny Jen Jenna, and I have
026also been on the board for one week, and I'm very happy to be here, and to be serving. Feel very privileged to be serving with all of you. SBSD Owl Camera: I'm originally from Massachusetts, and feel it's kind of a funny thing with numbers for me. I love numbers, and I love that. I'm Number 7 in this seat, because I'm also the youngest of 7, originally from Massachusetts, have lived all over the country. I met my husband, Charlie, in California. We were studying. We're both geologists. SBSD Owl Camera: and we lived in California. We've lived in Virginia. We've lived in Texas, and we've been in South Burlington for the last 3 years, 3 and a half years. SBSD Owl Camera: and we came here when we were looking at colleges for our triplets, who were
027going into their junior year of High school, and had the opportunity to live anywhere, and decided to live in South Burlington because the schools were the best in the State. SBSD Owl Camera: and so our triplets have graduated from South Burlington High School. They did fantastic. There they are now at the University of Vermont, and we also have a 4th child who is a he's junior. I keep saying he's a sophomore. He's a junior at South Burlington, and again, just so happy to be here with all of you, and looking forward to what we can do together. SBSD Owl Camera: I think you all know me and Chelsea. I've been on the board for 3 years, and I'm really looking forward to the board team. And so I can already tell, it's a very communicative
028engaged group, which is, gonna be wonderful. SBSD Owl Camera: And I think, personally, I really value SBSD Owl Camera: respectful discourse. I actually really love having conversations with people I don't agree with, so long as the conversation stays civil, and I'm hoping, as the chair to promote that together. Conversation. SBSD Owl Camera: Thank you. Would you guys like to introduce yourself? Sure, my name is Gracie. I'm a senior at the high School, and I think my role is just to really represent the student voice. And I do that by talking to students of all backgrounds and bringing that to you guys. SBSD Owl Camera: that's what I'm up to go for. SBSD Owl Camera: and my name is Ali. I'm a junior at South Burlington High School, and I joined the school board, mainly because
029I wanted to get more involved in the community while also being able to bring that back to the students. So that's been my goal. SBSD Owl Camera: like. It was just yesterday that you were on boarded. Now you're going to be taking the senior position. I am so excited to be sitting here at a table of 7 tonight. I think the Board is the greatest system of support for a superintendent, a school district in a community. My greatest hope for this board is that SBSD Owl Camera: they, you know, they will dig into the work, and you know, ask questions, and learn, and be able to engage with constituents, and share and give and receive information. You know, having a board who's well informed is my goal. I can do anything to support that. Please
030let me know at any time. I think. SBSD Owl Camera: again, a board who is able to really understand the work and share that effectively with the community in a way that's engaging in discourse is the best support for the district, and so to have 2 more folks supporting that work is really exciting to me. So thank you all for being here and SBSD Owl Camera: engagement community engagement. SBSD Owl Camera: Oh, I was. Gonna say, spring is quickly upon us, and we should talk about who on our board will support you in finding your next, our student, our next student rep. SBSD Owl Camera: That's just something to add for future, the 19th or the second. SBSD Owl Camera: Historically, we would add the new board member in the fall. But that process takes
031a while SBSD Owl Camera: commonly aren't available in the summer. And then that new board member. That new student Rep would be added like just before budget season, and it was like kind of a harsh time for a student rep to be added to the board. And so last year board Member Society SBSD Owl Camera: led the charge of finding Ali in the spring, so that the newest board member could participate over the summer if they're available, but at least have the opportunity to start getting their feet under them before budget season. So that's not bad. SBSD Owl Camera: Perfect. Thank you, Jesse. The other thing that I forgot to I wanted to potentially add for discussion tonight was, a statement from the board about the budget we briefly discussed this last week. SBSD Owl
032Camera: I feel a little bit okay with adding it, since ultimately it's a statement that's being published to the board. If the board is amenable to adding their discussions, we have it mostly drafted, but we have. We don't have full concises, and so SBSD Owl Camera: are we all amenable to adding, so. SBSD Owl Camera: okay, I think that's certainly relevant to the topics and discussion section. SBSD Owl Camera: Are we ready to move on, dig into the training portions. SBSD Owl Camera: Alright. So my hope tonight is a sort of follow up from last week. With the opportunity, since we have more time to maybe read. SBSD Owl Camera: actually read some things together and have the ability to discuss and ask questions. So I've developed an outline for myself to facilitate. And my
033hope is that this is mostly a discussion based training through the Board. So interpreting, reading, interpreting, asking questions, answering questions, or SBSD Owl Camera: collecting questions to be answered. Sure! SBSD Owl Camera: So we would start with policy. b, 1 board members vote on on conflict of interest. SBSD Owl Camera: does everyone have a copy of this available? SBSD Owl Camera: It's like this, oops. SBSD Owl Camera: And I think newer numbers should have a new. SBSD Owl Camera: if not, it's also on the website. So if you go to the South Burlington School district website and click on and scroll down to school board and click on. SBSD Owl Camera: Actually, you can also find this one. If you go under our district, you can find policies and procedures and policies and procedures, and
034right at the top board membership fee one board members. SBSD Owl Camera: Is the board unable to SBSD Owl Camera: I or someone else just briefly reading through this. Now SBSD Owl Camera: the whole, the whole thing. Are we going to do that for all the policies? Not all of them. But I think the ones that are shorter. I'm I'm trying to find an effective way of. SBSD Owl Camera: I know. Stand and deliver. Lecture is not the way that I learned best. Usually discussion is how I learn best. But also I think there's still things to just read sometimes. So SBSD Owl Camera: does everyone have a copy? SBSD Owl Camera: All right, I will start. So policy. It is the ethical and legal duty of all School Board members to avoid conflicts of
035interest as well as the appearance of conflicts of interest, definitions, conflict of interest means a situation where members, private interests as distinguished from the board members, interest as a member of the general public would benefit from or be harmed by, a board decision SBSD Owl Camera: implementation. In order to comply with the obligations thus imposed, the Board and its members will adhere to the following standards. One, a board member, will not give the impression that he or she would represent special interests or partisan politics for personal gain. 2. A board member will not use his or her position on the Board to promote personal financial interests or the financial interests of family members, friends, or supporters. SBSD Owl Camera: 3. A board member will not solicit or accept anything of value in return for taking
036particular positions on matters before the Board. SBSD Owl Camera: or a board member will not give the impression that his or her position on any issue can be influenced by anything other than a fair presentation of all sides of the question. SBSD Owl Camera: 5 Board members will be familiar with and adhere to those provisions of Vermont education law which define school Board powers and govern board, member compensation, and public bidding processes. SBSD Owl Camera: 6 board members will not conduct business with the district except to the extent expressly permitted by law and appropriately disclosed. SBSD Owl Camera: 7 board members will not use their board position to obtain employment in an organization in the organization for themselves, family members or close associates. Should a board member apply for employment, he or she must 1st
037resign from the Board SBSD Owl Camera: avoiding conflicts. SBSD Owl Camera: board members will disclose their involvements with any entity or person having a matter or matters before the Board. When a board member becomes aware that he or she is in a position that creates a conflict of interest, or the appearance of a conflict of interest as defined in State law, or this policy, he or she will declare the nature and extent of the conflict or appearance of conflict or inclusion in the board minutes, and will abstain from voting or participating in the discussion of the issue, giving rise to the conflict. SBSD Owl Camera: complaints of conflict, of interest, when a conflict of interest claim against the Board against a board member is brought to the Board in writing, and is signed by another
038board member or a member of the public, and the board member against whom the claim is made does not concur, that the conflict, in fact, exists. The following board procedures will be followed SBSD Owl Camera: upon a majority vote the remaining Board members, or upon order of the chair. The Board will hold an informal hearing on the conflict of interest claim giving both the board member, and the person bringing the claim an opportunity to be heard SBSD Owl Camera: at the conclusion of the informal hearing, the remaining Board members will determine by majority vote whether to a issue a public finding that the conflict of interest charge is not supported by the evidence, and is therefore dismissed. SBSD Owl Camera: B. Issue of public. Finding that the conflict of interest charge is supported by the
039evidence, and that the member should disqualify him or herself from voting or otherwise participating in the board deliberations or decision related to that issue as required by Vermont, Statute and or C issue. A public finding that the conflict of interest charge is supported by the evidence, and the Board member should be formally censured or subjected to such other action as may be allowed by law. SBSD Owl Camera: And so this policy conflict of interest is also in our SBSD Owl Camera: I always call this our policy governance policies. It's our our 1 point oh, 2 point oh, 3 point oh, 4 point. Oh, SBSD Owl Camera: board policies in 4.5. Under our governance process we have board members code of conduct, and SBSD Owl Camera: it it pretty much says the exact same thing. SBSD
040Owl Camera: I think it goes into a little bit more detail. SBSD Owl Camera: I just wanted to read that e 1 policy first, st because I think it's the simpler, more version. SBSD Owl Camera: So 4.5 members code of conduct. And then, if you look at SBSD Owl Camera: 4.5 point 4 SBSD Owl Camera: members will support the legitimacy and authority of the final determination of the Board on any matter irrespective of the members. Personal position on the issue. SBSD Owl Camera: I I think that's like avoiding conflict of interest in a sense of personal matter. And 5. SBSD Owl Camera: It's A 4.4 SBSD Owl Camera: 5.5 is also information about conflict of interest. SBSD Owl Camera: and then it follows with implementation, and then it follows with a whole session on avoiding
041conflicts, and it has a lot of the same procedure, for if there was a conflict of interest going forward. So SBSD Owl Camera: I share this to give us a general framework of how to avoid conflicts of interest. And the Vsba has this essential book of Vermont School Boards book also has some helpful SBSD Owl Camera: information on page 55 newer members who should be getting this book mailed to you from the Vsba. If you don't reach out to the Vsba to make sure that you get that. SBSD Owl Camera: or for me, and I can also make sure that you get that. SBSD Owl Camera: So on page 55, they just have some helpful. SBSD Owl Camera: effective and ethical operations. They have a section about avoiding perceived for actual conflicts of interest. As
042well as like this. SBSD Owl Camera: Yeah, I just shared perceived conflict of interest is something that's been discussed. I think a lot of board meetings versus actual conflict of interest. Which is an interesting concept, I think you know, as I on boarded back board members, I've noticed that the perceived conflict is a really you know, it's nuanced, but it's critical for folks to understand. SBSD Owl Camera: I think. Sometimes, if in a in a world where you're innocent until proven guilty. Sometimes the information that would prove you innocent can't be shared. And so then how do you prove you're innocent? And so, avoiding perceptions of conflicts of interest, since you may not be able to provide the evidence to prove that you're innocent would be problematic. SBSD Owl Camera: I also want to. I'm
043wondering if I highlighted this later in the training but I want to draw the Board's attention to the fact that we do sometimes have a quasi traditional role in SBSD Owl Camera: district up like matters. So sometimes there's a chain of SBSD Owl Camera: process of how issues are resolved in the district, and sometimes the final decision by the superintendent is challenged. SBSD Owl Camera: And it's the School board's role to review that evidence and either upload the superintendent's decision or not. Typically, in my experience. When the Board has had to do this, we have SBSD Owl Camera: some training by a lawyer who is special specializes in the issue and helps the Board to really understand what their role is in that SBSD Owl Camera: judicial hearing. But it is also important to remember,
044as board members, that you have a responsibility as a board member to to be that cross-judicial body sometimes, and to be highly engaged in operations of the school district. Could compromise your integrity in having to make that decision. So I just I point that out. It does does happen. I don't think it's very often. But SBSD Owl Camera: Tim Loretta, you've all went to act in parole before SBSD Owl Camera: and as you know, none of us have deep experience on the board. SBSD Owl Camera: so I just thought it was worth putting that. SBSD Owl Camera: So what questions or discussion items do you have pertaining to this question? SBSD Owl Camera: Just. SBSD Owl Camera: we want to bring up Act 171. Just briefly. So I'm not sure who else is aware. And,
045Laura, this may be a question that I could ask you to check into regarding the Espa in January a new conflict of interest code of ethics. Law went into effect at the State level. For all municipalities. We are a municipality by law, and I think. SBSD Owl Camera: Violet. There's some stuff in here about what we may need to do as a municipality. As far as posting this on our website. I think this is going to be a question for Joe as to how much of this pertains to us, but it is. It sort of elevates SBSD Owl Camera: the conflict of interest discussion. And we may at the end, we, as we talk about our next agenda items, we may want to look at our policy around conflict of interest and update that based
046on. SBSD Owl Camera: There is also just to let you know if this ultimately does apply to us, I believe there will be training that we are required to complete as representatives of the municipality. Yeah, typically the Vsba, the Vermont Board Association will develop a model policy and conflict of interest is typically one that's boilerplate. So rather than us all paying our individual, you know Council SBSD Owl Camera: to do it. There will be, you know. Vsba will have something vetted with any model policy. We cross, check it with our own policies, and our own SBSD Owl Camera: internal SBSD Owl Camera: practices, such as does it conflict with the Cba? Or do we have different structures in place that would require our legal counsel to look at it for some reason, because of differentiation,
047that we have from my tracking of 1 71. So far this is not that. SBSD Owl Camera: and what is the I just gave my hard copies away. What is the date on that conflict. Interest policy. Yeah. So it makes sense to me that this is being updated. SBSD Owl Camera: Laura, will you keep us surprised if you hear that? There's a mock policy? Yeah, I'm just looking to see if there's they haven't sent anything that I'm gonna actually, I'll email soon SBSD Owl Camera: my favorite feature, and new board members will check this out. So as an administrator prior to being superintendent, and of course I use this now, I would look at the Sba model policies and then adapt them to our. You know, the district's needs. That's something I would encourage you
048all to do is to, you know, scope out the model policies is really fascinating. SBSD Owl Camera: and then you can see the nuances in ours and how they're SBSD Owl Camera: adapted to meet our district's needs. SBSD Owl Camera: It used to be searchable to the public to on Google. But they locked that feature down last year. SBSD Owl Camera: Something, I was thinking, is in a future training, or maybe retreat. As I read through the implementation, particularly in like 6 or SBSD Owl Camera: yeah, like 6 board members will not conduct business with the district, except to the extent expressly permitted by law, and appropriately disclose what would be some examples of that? What is expressly like SBSD Owl Camera: what business is expressly permitted by law. SBSD Owl Camera: I think I
049I personally tend to approach this with like I will do nothing even close to resembling anything on this list, but might be helpful to just SBSD Owl Camera: the further specific and more defined things are, the clearer it is and the clearer. Sometimes I read policy language, and it's unclear, so SBSD Owl Camera: so can I ask a question? Yeah. So number 7 board members will not use their board position to obtain employment in the organization for themselves. Family members or close associates. Should a board member apply for employment, he or she must 1st resign from the program. SBSD Owl Camera: I'm not intending to do that fine for position of employment. However, I have 2 children who are studying education at Uvm, and they very well may be student teachers in the schools in
050South Burlington. So after they graduate, if they were to go and want to procure employment within the area. SBSD Owl Camera: Do I recuse myself from the board at that time? Absolutely not great. That's an excellent question, and I appreciate that it's not a hypothetical. So we have a I have a field guide in place, which is a practice that we use for onboarding any student teachers SBSD Owl Camera: and they go through the Hr. Process. Board members wouldn't be involved in the operational development of that Field Guide board members don't develop our partnership with Uvm. Which we have, and you wouldn't have any control over SBSD Owl Camera: who we select for student teachers. SBSD Owl Camera: whatsoever. When your students graduate. I truly hope that South Burlington graduates want to come back and
051work in our schools. Right? That's the hope of SBSD Owl Camera: all of us parents, right. And so board members would not participate. In the hiring committee of teachers. And the the conflict of interest would be if you pulled me aside, and you said, because I'm your only employee. Right? So the board isn't. You're not talking to the hiring manager would be the building principal. SBSD Owl Camera: So I don't. I don't even hire SBSD Owl Camera: teachers. I hire directors and principals. So if you pulled me aside and you said, Hey, Violet? SBSD Owl Camera: you want that policy change. You know. Make sure my kids get teaching jobs at, you know, Marco and you know, I know you're not the hiring manager talk to, you know the principal about it, and, or, you
052know, hang something over me, or even if you weren't hanging something over me, just try to directly in any way influence that SBSD Owl Camera: this board member reach out to the school principal or school staff, anyway. But should you be friends and you have, you are community members. You have connections, you know. Should you see a member of the hiring committee or the principal out and about, you should not discuss the process. So saying, like you know, hey, my couple of good Lawrence applicants coming your way, you know, if you try to influence it SBSD Owl Camera: would be an ethical problem. But if your students earn a job SBSD Owl Camera: through their own rights, that is perfectly fair game. Okay? SBSD Owl Camera: I think you're right. I mean, you know, we
053can discuss further. Well, you know, just in that context, there, you know, for the Board member to apply. I just thought it would be helpful, you know to have that clarification. Yeah, it doesn't. It doesn't apply necessarily to the family members, because that is specifically stated in the sentence box. So good to know. Thank you. SBSD Owl Camera: Great question. I also think it's like, Be good to know and remember to that, like you're in this, not hypothetical. Your children are going through the proper channels and process. It's not like they skipped the line or skip to the community because you recommended them right? I think about, you know. Sometimes I think about. I'm very well aware of the requisitions or the requisitions that we have, and I think about like community members that I
054know who might be excellent candidates. SBSD Owl Camera: and what I do is I go to the people I know and say, Hey, they're hiring, and that's where I leave it like. I don't try to attempt to say I know someone who would be good for the job, you know, because it that might look like me using my position to get my job in the job. Likewise, our governance structure has parameters for my role, so I can't say, Oh, I'd really like to please Jen, let me interfere in this process because I'm restricted from doing that as well, which is a benefit of policy governance. SBSD Owl Camera: because it provides that you know, dual layers of at least, ensuring that processes are followed. SBSD Owl Camera: Yeah, thank you. Yeah. SBSD Owl Camera: is
055it? I think I know the answer. But what what would happen if you did not think you had a conflict of interest? And then, as the procedure continued, you realized you did have a conflict of interest, and you recuse yourself. I'm assuming you wouldn't be. SBSD Owl Camera: You could recuse yourself at any time that even at the very moment, if it's SBSD Owl Camera: playing out in real time that you feel you have a conflict, or if you perceive that there may be a conflict, and you're uncomfortable with that perception. And it doesn't have to be prepared, warned it could play out in open session, you know, at at based on this information. I'm going to recuse myself at this time. You don't actually know an explanation as to the rationale. SBSD Owl Camera:
056I I also want to say I think it's appropriate. If a board member feels that somebody else has a conflict of interest, that it's okay to bring that up and mention that and speak to the other board. So you know, because, following up on what you just asked, Emily may not realize it, but somebody else may perceive it as the conflict. So I think we, as board members have that duty and obligation to speak with each other in that instance, to ensure everybody's aware of what the perception is. SBSD Owl Camera: I have also shared with board members, when I perceive there to be a conflict of interest. So if something comes across my desk where I have a concern, I will mention it to you SBSD Owl Camera: still make your decision. SBSD Owl
057Camera: I also I following what Tim is saying. I think that just in supporting board members and not assuming the worst, I think, approaching them. If you have a perceived conflict of interest, one on one, and giving that board member the opportunity to consider it and come. SBSD Owl Camera: and either claim or not claim that there's conflict on their own. I don't think you were suggesting this, but I don't think it would necessarily be a great 1st step to in an open meeting. Say, like, Hey, Jen, I think you have conflict of interest with your daughters. That wouldn't be professional or kind or respectful. So SBSD Owl Camera: and if you try to speak with that board number one on one, and you don't think that your concern has been heard. You can come
058to me or Tim as long as it's not about me or Tim. If it's about me, go to Tim. If it's about Tim, come to me. SBSD Owl Camera: and you know we'll try to go from there and then at that point, if we really do think there's a substantiated SBSD Owl Camera: issue. Then we would start with our complaint and conflict of interest. SBSD Owl Camera: Any other questions. SBSD Owl Camera: I think questions and discussion is going to be the best way to actually train this information. I don't think me or someone else reading that is going to be the best way. SBSD Owl Camera: Also you had post a question about item 6, which was board business. And I can share a few examples of that. So the Board participates in negotiations
059are most. SBSD Owl Camera: you know, important business is hiring teachers. So the board, you know, on our consent, agendas, the Board will see a number of critical business items. It is I execute the contracts of the 3 lovely people in the back of the room. Right? However. If it's a unionized group. I do not execute those that would be the board. SBSD Owl Camera: Our budget. The board approves the budget. That is, critical work that you all do. Hiring. You hire your superintendent. That's critically important. Bids. You'll see on your consent. Agenda and that's important business that SBSD Owl Camera: you oversee as well as accounts payable orders. So our finances. So I think those are concrete examples of while you are not working operationally, those are business related items that the Board does
060have involved, and and, in fact. SBSD Owl Camera: is helpful, because I sort of consider that business to just be like responsibilities. But I see, like I see your point when I read that. I I kind of read it like I own a snow shoveling company. I can't. SBSD Owl Camera: you know, come to the district and say they need to shovel those the sidewalks. It might be our only bidder, because SBSD Owl Camera: you know our our bid for snow removal. We didn't receive any our our fee that we put out. We didn't receive any bids, and so we advertised it in the paper and received one. So you know, there is a lack of competition on a lot of fronts in South Burlington, and we will all, you know there will be lots
061of familial connections, as you know, we've already surfaced in our very introductions. Right? So SBSD Owl Camera: that actually reminds me in 5 board members will be familiar with and adhere to those provisions of Vermont law. SBSD Owl Camera: And public bidding process, and I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile with word for us to have, not tonight, but just like SBSD Owl Camera: a brief training on what public bidding process is, and how to enter into it. SBSD Owl Camera: I'll have our Ops director, who oversees, bids Jane Marie Clark SBSD Owl Camera: come and share the basics on that with you. Do you want to do that? April second? SBSD Owl Camera: Sure, I just the 19th is going up quickly. Yeah. SBSD Owl Camera: I just think, I know our Ops director
062is the one actually does all of that. But for the Board to oversee it with integrity and know it's a majority report. So I'm gonna I notice we're getting a lot of kind of one off items. And I want us to also look at monitoring to see where that falls. And a lot of those. We actually, I'm thinking about asset protection, which is a monitoring report, and we do cover bidding in there. SBSD Owl Camera: so I want to make sure that we're funneling, you know, to be thorough in a monitoring report is the design, and SBSD Owl Camera: to make sure that we're you know, we should be talking about bidding under asset protection. And I want to make sure that we're SBSD Owl Camera: looking at monitoring reports when we have questions like
063this and not just adding them as Singleton's to the agenda, so that the public can also have that record of the monitoring report as a holistic document. So I'm happy to do something on April second, regarding bidding. SBSD Owl Camera: I I think it should be thoroughly described in the monitoring report. I can tell you. Bidding is pretty cut and dry. We do an Rfp. For anything. Over $20,000, and $40,000 has changed from 20 and a request for proposal is the acronym and because of the lack of competition, we typically reach out to folks because we're not hearing back, which is a SBSD Owl Camera: common scenario we find ourselves in and so we'll specifically, you know, send it directly to folks or put it in the paper. Folks would then send their proposals back
064to us. And we make sure that we look at timelines. Cost, of course, is critically important. SBSD Owl Camera: and ability to do the work. Timeline is probably second to cost. We've got a lot of bids coming up this summer with work that we've been trying to do since we passed the bond in 23. SBSD Owl Camera: That's kind of the the high level process there. The board's role is not to select the vendor. That would be operations. Your role is to ensure that the process happened, that Rfp. Was submitted and that the bidder did respond. SBSD Owl Camera: So that's that's the forge rolling thing. SBSD Owl Camera: Yeah, I think just that that can help you. SBSD Owl Camera: I mean what we're, I think, back to my 1st time with the financial
065audit, and I came in as a board member, genuinely thinking that I was supposed to have deeply understood this audit that was prepared by an unbiased 3rd party, and I felt I remember I came to that meeting, and I was like, I feel, woefully unprepared to do this. But then it was just like a really thick, thick stack of paper that I did my best to understand as I'm not a financial SBSD Owl Camera: anyone with like any training and financial SBSD Owl Camera: topics. And then in my policy governance training, I became aware it's not my job to understand the nuts and bolts of the audit, but instead, to ensure that the audit was done with integrity. So I think asking board members to understand their role in the bidding process and having a
066training on that is worthwhile. SBSD Owl Camera: And there's just several things that we do at board business, where I think now is a really appropriate time for us to as this team, just review what we're responsible for and how how we know we're doing what we're supposed to be doing SBSD Owl Camera: alright. So sorry. I'm just about kind of the difference. When you're recusing yourself. For example, last meeting. I recused myself from an executive session because I had a conflict of interest, and so I was not involved. I didn't go up to the room and have a conversation. But if we were meeting like this, and we were looking at a bid to make sure it was SBSD Owl Camera: done properly, and it was like for my husband's company, I would say
067I recuse myself, but I can sit here while it's discussed. Is that right? There's not vote on it, or yeah, the consent. Sorry you want to respond. Okay, I actually think that you could vote on it because you didn't select the vendor. You're just your role as board members to ensure that the process was followed. Do you agree with that or so? It's consent, agenda. So board members? Don't actually vote on the consent, agenda. SBSD Owl Camera: So it's approved through consent. However, I always advise board members anytime. There's finances that could directly benefit your family. Do not vote on that absolutely abstain is my is my advice, because there will be perceived conflict of interest, that is likely, and I think on something like a bid. It could very well happen that your husband's
068SBSD Owl Camera: well, I know where your husband works, but you know it could very well happen there that it could be you know our our circles will touch, and I would. I would never advise a board member to put themselves in a situation where there could be a perceived conflict of interest, such as a bid, and with 7 people at the table, the pressure is relieved of it. So you know the Forum has changed the SBSD Owl Camera: the, you know there's a thin margin before but again, you you could specifically state this bid. You know I although we're not voting. I'd like to abstain from SBSD Owl Camera: conversation. SBSD Owl Camera: but I wouldn't have to leave the room as in no, it's a different kind of sit here silently. Anything in
069a public meeting. For instance, if we're developing a policy on something that you SBSD Owl Camera: but, for instance, you know, we're discussing a policy, and you SBSD Owl Camera: are recusing. For whatever reason you would just say, I'm recusing myself from the discussion because of SBSD Owl Camera: you could say are perceived or or real conflict of interest. And not participate in the discussion. But you wouldn't have to be SBSD Owl Camera: question. SBSD Owl Camera: Thank you any other questions. SBSD Owl Camera: Alright. So we'll move on to. And this is technically all one agenda item. So if you think of a question that related to conflict of interest as it relates to code of conduct which is going to move next SBSD Owl Camera: these costs. SBSD Owl Camera: Does anyone feel
070really strongly that they would like to read the policy SBSD Owl Camera: in the past? We've had story time with Sarah. SBSD Owl Camera: Then we can share Board members. Code of conduct. The Board commits itself to ethical, businesslike, and lawful conduct, including proper use of authority and appropriate decorum when acting as board members. Accordingly, one Board members will represent the interests of the citizens of the entire school district. This accountability to the whole district supersedes a any conflicting loyalty to a member. SBSD Owl Camera: Loyalty a member may have to other advocacy or interest groups be loyalty based upon membership, on other boards or staffs. SBSD Owl Camera: C. Conflicts based upon personal interest of any board member who's also a parent of a student of the District D conflicts based upon being an
071employee or a relative of an employee of the district or E. Loyalty to staff or school employees. SBSD Owl Camera: 2 members must avoid conflicts of interest in accordance with the policy on board. Member conflict of interest. Policy. b. 1, SBSD Owl Camera: 3 board members shall not attempt to exercise individual authority over the organization. SBSD Owl Camera: A a board member will not give the impression that he or she has the authority to make decisions or take action on behalf of the Board or the school administration. SBSD Owl Camera: The members interactions with the superintendent or with staff must recognize the lack of authority vested in individuals, except when explicitly board authorized SBSD Owl Camera: except as expressly authorized by other policy or board resolution. Members will not give personal direction to any part
072of the operational organization, or assume personal responsibility for resolving operational problems or complaints. SBSD Owl Camera: 4 members will protect the confidentiality appropriate to issues of a sensitive nature and other matters that may compromise the integrity or legal standing of the Board and district, including matters discussed in executive session SBSD Owl Camera: board members retain the right, like any citizens, to express their views as they wish. However, they acknowledge that the way in which they choose to exercise this right can affect the Board's ability to work together effectively, to build trust among members and an environment conducive to effective governance, interaction with the press, public and other board members. SBSD Owl Camera: The members of the Board aspire to a focus on issues rather than personalities. B support the legitimacy and authority of the final
073determination of the Board on any matter. SBSD Owl Camera: C. Exercise honesty in all written and interpersonal interaction, never intentionally misleading or misinforming each other. SBSD Owl Camera: D. Honor the right of individual members of the Board to communicate with the community. E. Make every reasonable effort to protect the integrity and promote the positive image of the district and one another, and F. Never embarrass each other or the district. SBSD Owl Camera: Any questions. SBSD Owl Camera: Sorry. SBSD Owl Camera: Just take a minute to kind of digest that information. SBSD Owl Camera: And would like to draw your attention to our policy governance, 4.5 board members contact. Much of what's in B 2 is also in 4.5. SBSD Owl Camera: I don't have a good explanation as to why we have 2. Which one
074is that really important to this is the no, it's the I didn't really know what it's officially called. It's our. It's our school board policies that policies undergo. Is that like officially, what we call this? Okay? SBSD Owl Camera: So SBSD Owl Camera: the 4.5 in this, I assume, was last updated in 2,009, because it doesn't have a revision date under the section, whereas this policy, B. 2 was approved in 2018. So my sense is that the Board at the time felt a more specific policy needed to be implemented to this effect. SBSD Owl Camera: I'm sorry. Where did it? Where does that one come from? Is it on the website? There's like 2 sections on the website. There's like the school district policies SBSD Owl Camera: which I think, are ones that like operational.
075And then there's a separate one policy under governance. And that's just a single Pdf, yeah, that's where I'm looking right now, okay. And I report out on the operational policies to you and monitoring and the policies under governance are the set of policies tied to the policy governance SBSD Owl Camera: kind of expand. But do you have a different interpretation of why, we have 4.5 board members under contact, and we 2 board members. SBSD Owl Camera: Kind of in that guise of. SBSD Owl Camera: We report out on the operational policies, and we have policies under governance that SBSD Owl Camera: explain our governance model. Yeah. Telephone you're talking about. So it's under the governance model SBSD Owl Camera: you're looking at code of conduct. That's if if this is my interpretation is that this
076is how you, as board members, are behaving with respect to your governance model. So your leadership and your oversight. SBSD Owl Camera: I perceive, B, 2 to be operational, and this is very much like boilerplate sort of employment. Hr paperwork. Which makes them to staff members. So it's interesting. Yeah. SBSD Owl Camera: So I perceive one to be operational and the other pertaining to your role in governance. And I think the reason it's clearly articulated, as far as governance is because it's critically important that board members act ethically. One, you know, in the last SBSD Owl Camera: almost 3 years. One thing that really comes up is SBSD Owl Camera: this, there's some subjectivity with some of the phrasing in B 2 in particular, the phrase about embarrassing the district. You know we've had scenarios
077where board members have felt that others actions have embarrassed the district, and others feel, you know. No, this is my responsibility to XY or Z. And I was talking with Delina about this? Who's been with us for 38 years and SBSD Owl Camera: you know, you know, what's the historical context here? How has this been interpreted and practiced? And essentially the you know, condensed, you know, essence of that is really SBSD Owl Camera: support the district publicly, and and don't speak of it in a bad way, has been, you know, your ambassadors of the district, and this isn't, you know, tear the district down, and then every scenario that I can think of in the last 3 years where we've had this kind of tearing down perception. By some it's been linked back to this.
078And so that's how I would describe that holistically to you. But of course there's going to be SBSD Owl Camera: 10 different definitions of embarrassment at this table. Right? SBSD Owl Camera: Sorry. I hate to ask this question again. So I see policies and procedures. I see these. You're saying there's 2. Where is that? Exactly? If you go to go to the school board site, and there's an option called Policy under governance, one of the buttons. And then, if you get to that page, it says school board policies under governance SBSD Owl Camera: policies under government. Yeah, you'll see it says, read the full policies here. Click that hyperlink policy under government. Oh, got it? Okay? I went to look for it one time now. It took me 10 min. SBSD Owl Camera: but I do
079think this is a document that Board members should have a paper. I think we do SBSD Owl Camera: I think the most. It's the second page in your binders. Right after that 1st letter, the the second page, 1st tab SBSD Owl Camera: thing, the thing about the code of conduct. SBSD Owl Camera: because I'm you know, most interested in. And SBSD Owl Camera: it's just my personal my personal opinion is supporting legitimacy, the support. SBSD Owl Camera: And I think that there's a lot that we can do on the Board of Support and Legitimacy comes from SBSD Owl Camera: democratic process and voters. SBSD Owl Camera: So I really, I think that it's written in our code of conduct, and that, I think, doesn't just suggest what we don't do. It also suggests what we
080do. SBSD Owl Camera: which I can stay on here for that SBSD Owl Camera: one thing I would like to highlight as a part of this as your chair and spokesperson in the board, I will handle all SBSD Owl Camera: interview requests, and if I think that any of you have a particular interest, and would like to speak to a reporter, I'll ask you if you'd like to SBSD Owl Camera: chat with a reporter anytime we have these requests, but I would just ask that you do not engage in an interview with a reporter. As a board member without checking with me, first, st because I might have more information, or SBSD Owl Camera: it's just not a good. We should have a clear SBSD Owl Camera: chain of how we'll do it. I'm not
081saying that. SBSD Owl Camera: and then ask some of you to step up and be the one who chats with the reporter if we feel informed on the issue and prepared to speak. But sometimes reporters will reach out to the whole board about a specific issue. But just ask that you SBSD Owl Camera: let me. I'm just pulling up the south Burlington School District communication plan for the 2425 school year, and the 1st item on here is boarding communications. I will share this with you. I don't know if you want to go into any of this right now. SBSD Owl Camera: I was just thinking of it. SBSD Owl Camera: When we were talking about SBSD Owl Camera: I guess board member will not get the impression that he or she has the authority to
082make decisions or take action on behalf of the board that includes the chair. I don't have the ability to do that either, but I am like the designated spokesperson who's responsible for building the consensus and sharing the consensus of the team. So all I'm trying to say is, if any one of you took it upon yourself to speak on behalf of the Board with the reporter. You may not have the consensus of the whole board, because the rest of the Board isn't expecting to SBSD Owl Camera: report their opinions to you. SBSD Owl Camera: Similar question. Noted that we receive emails as an entire board. And I'm I was curious about who responds. Are you allowed to respond with someone else respond before I responded to anyone, yeah. So typically when the whole board gets
083an email, if you have an opinion that you would like to share. You should email that to me and SBSD Owl Camera: it, you know, it depends on the email. Sometimes it's just facts that the person is asking for, and I can back check with the superintendent and share that information. Sometimes it it will require more of a board opinion, and so sometimes I'll just say thank you for your comment. The Board, you know, has heard you, and it would be a part of a bigger discussion, and that discussion might lead to a follow up. SBSD Owl Camera: so you will acknowledge SBSD Owl Camera: as the port that? Yeah. Well, there is an automatic. Right? Yeah, that when people email, the School Board. They get an automatic reply that says your email has been
084sent to the School Board. And then also, I think Chelsea responded to SBSD Owl Camera: a lot of people today, like once she had collected the yeah, and your indication that that she's replied would be you'd be black. So as your chair, I'm responsible for notifying you that you have been that I've spoken on your behalf, and you're SBSD Owl Camera: you. I have a responsibility to make sure that you're aware of what I said on your behalf. And to do that, I just blank copy. You mark SBSD Owl Camera: anything that I send. That is a board position. SBSD Owl Camera: what about someone emails me directly, just me as a board member, the protocol for that. SBSD Owl Camera: Personally, I think that you could respond. If you're being clear that you're responding
085as yourself, and not a board member, although that gets muddy when they email your board email. But if they email you directly and not the rest of the board. SBSD Owl Camera: yeah, that happens. You will get people emailing you. You may have spoken to them, or they may have spoken to you at some point they'll want to follow up. That definitely happens again. It's going to be a judgment call. If it's on an issue that's before the Board, you know, during budget season. There's a lot that comes up right. At that point you just say, Hey, thanks. I really appreciate your comment, and, you know, feel free to come and share more at the board meeting, or something like that. SBSD Owl Camera: It really depends upon what they're talking to you about. But
086it's okay to respond. That's a good thing to do. If they come to you with an issue separately that nobody's heard before they can create a letter, I will, you know, forward it to our board chair so that there's an awareness, that kind of thing. So that's pretty much. If it's operational. Your role is, those are delegated SBSD Owl Camera: to me through our governance model. So if it's operational, you can say, you know, this is an operational issue, you know. Please reach out to our superintendent. If it is something that they have. SBSD Owl Camera: I'd say at 1st reach out to me, I can help you. With these. It could be a public information request which would go through our office right? We wouldn't be able to provide that certain information. If it's
087related to one of our monitoring reports great question. We're monitoring X on X date. Love to have you at the meeting. Here's how you can join virtually or in person or SBSD Owl Camera: hey? SBSD Owl Camera: I want to provide feedback on the snow shoveling bid rate our superintendent like. Here's our superintendent's contact information. SBSD Owl Camera: Kind of a thing. As you're learning your roles. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me. I'd rather you run something by me than accidentally share something that could be detrimental to the district just without you intending to to do so. SBSD Owl Camera: Did learn the example of that. That's helpful. I had a parent email me directly after, very soon after I became a chair about a sensitive student matter, and SBSD Owl Camera: I
088needed to very quickly learn that I I cannot be engaging about student issues like that's that that even though the parent is the one who is sharing it with me as my role as board chair, it would be inappropriate for me to be SBSD Owl Camera: having any of that information. And at 1st I thought, Well, it's my responsibility to make sure that I'm holding the superintendent accountable for addressing this issue, which she was and so I just I remember I called you, and I was like, what do I do about this? I don't even know which issue I mean this SBSD Owl Camera: but I I realized that in my response to the parent initially, it was kind of like I'll look into this, and I do not need to look into student information.
089What I need to look into is attending to the the superintendent, in fact, has been handling this situation. And so that, combined with, you know, when we think about SBSD Owl Camera: transparency, I think about SBSD Owl Camera: sorry. SBSD Owl Camera: This making sure that we that our superintendent is attending to her responsibilities. SBSD Owl Camera: I feel like the word transparency would just make my mind out. SBSD Owl Camera: What was the premium for me? SBSD Owl Camera: Be just that sometimes, if if it is a student related issue, for instance, that I'm dealing with it, you might not be able to share what the outcome is, I was also going to say, at any time any student related issue, you wouldn't be able to share it. SBSD Owl Camera: But just that
090it was rest right. SBSD Owl Camera: That's not satisfying the reality. Is anyone at any time could email any one of us with any issue? When someone emails us, it requires that they sign their name to it in some way, because you can't have an email address without having a name attached to it. And I would just caution you as board members. SBSD Owl Camera: becoming the recipients of information that you cannot share where it came from. I would caution you against creating these opportunities where people can tell you things they want you to know, but not tie their name to it, because then you might be responsible for information. But you're in a compromised position, and especially when it comes to like student data. SBSD Owl Camera: That's I can't think of a more
091careful and legally binding and impactful information that really should not have unless you're in the quasi judicial SBSD Owl Camera: or memorable. So how do you respond to that? Do you respond to that individual and say, Thank you for your email? I need additional information or do you not say anything? And then do you copy? Do you? CC, anybody on? Would you? CC, if they if they just email, do you want? I mean, yeah. So if it's a if it's a student issue, I so I wouldn't suggest to copy SBSD Owl Camera: copying me on an email, because that person has a right to privacy. Say they don't want me to. You know that that to me is something that I feel is a violation of trust. They didn't email me. They emailed you your
092role as a board member. Everyone knows where to find me. Right? You know, you can put my email address in there. But give them the option whether they want to contact me or not. So a student issue SBSD Owl Camera: my role as a board member is not to, you know. Attend to this particular issue. However, it is the superintendent's responsibility. Here's her contact information, and you should absolutely give me a heads up if it's student related typically know about it. But yeah, and you could SBSD Owl Camera: well, but I think you shouldn't forward it in case the person in question doesn't want it if they want to phrase it differently itself. So if it is, if it is SBSD Owl Camera: so SBSD Owl Camera: we're mandated reporters, if it is something where
093there's an urgent safety issue. You need to make me aware of it. Right? So you can. That's a responsibility. If it is something that is not an urgent safety issue. If it's a SBSD Owl Camera: my student is upset because, their teacher didn't give them the pink marker, you know, in kindergarten today. SBSD Owl Camera: you know. Thank you so much. I'd encourage you to reach out to their teacher first, st right? And and then I don't. You don't need to forward that to me. If this is someone saying, my child is being systematically bullied. SBSD Owl Camera: that is something that I I love to support, although to be fair in policy, governance, the separation between operations and policy. Even the determination of like is a pink mark or something for a teacher or
094superintendent. Really, we should even say SBSD Owl Camera: right? It's an operational issue. Yes, and it's it's a good point. It's brought up the point where someone protecting privacy and someone might not have wanted you to know. SBSD Owl Camera: I haven't. I think I have a slightly different perspective on that. And it is that since our emails are not our public record, and they've been sensitive information could be rejected. But theoretically, I don't think that anyone should have any expectation of SBSD Owl Camera: confidentiality when it comes to our email. And I also would just advise you as board members when you're sending emails. A helpful trick is to ask yourself. SBSD Owl Camera: would I be fine with this being published in a newspaper on a social media site, and if the answer
095is yes, then it's probably good to send, and if not, you should probably drop the team to clients. SBSD Owl Camera: But I I tend to think if someone is contacting me directly about you SBSD Owl Camera: and that and that is what they want. They? They don't want you. They didn't want to contact you. They wanted privacy just in the same way. I would encourage board members to reach out to Tim. If they had an issue with me. SBSD Owl Camera: that is something I wouldn't just forward or CC. You on. But any other operational issue. If it's not about you, I would forward it to you, and and I would say in my response, sort of like. SBSD Owl Camera: I will forward this concern to the superintendent. She's operations, and she'll she'll
096follow up work and often you already have but but on that point again, okay, this would be a hypothetical if someone reached out, and there was an issue, and it's a intended to be handled as a confidential issue, and they're expressing concern to me or to to any one person. SBSD Owl Camera: What do you? I mean? You could respond to that person and say, Thank you so much for your information, provided they then also gave them whatnot right? SBSD Owl Camera: What do you do with that? SBSD Owl Camera: We take that? Do I forward that to you as the chair? And then that is something that is added to SBSD Owl Camera: agenda, I mean, what do we do with that information? Well, I think what I would say is, what sort of
097confidential information is the board responsible for I tend to think, like executive session of SBSD Owl Camera: contract negotiations for SBSD Owl Camera: personal matters, personal matters, few items that are considered executive items, and even personnel matters. It's that again, I would be concerned about starting to lean into biasing yourself to one side of that quasi-judicial part of the process. So I'm trying to imagine. SBSD Owl Camera: I mean, in general, I would love for the community to realize that they should not be emailing confidential information to board members. But I can't think of a lot of instances where it's appropriate for us to have it or be okay. I can't think of an example where it would be, it wouldn't be operational. I mean, you guys are going to get tons of SBSD Owl
098Camera: feedback on everything from facilities, safety, curriculum, on how every issue of everything is run, and those are in the Operations lane as board members. If you have knowledge of something you're required to have, you know, act on it as in share that information should it be, you know. Say it's a big deal, and you make a judgment call not to bring that to my attention. SBSD Owl Camera: You could be putting the district at risk again. I can't. I don't. I can't think of a situation where SBSD Owl Camera: I don't know of a single email. SBSD Owl Camera: a lot of these come to me also, too. I don't think I've ever been caught off guard on when they're like, Hey, know about Xyz? And I'm like, yes, here's the information. People, typically
099email the board SBSD Owl Camera: after going through the appropriate channels. SBSD Owl Camera: but I think it's best. If you have a question, run it by your board chair. You can call me anytime, but they are typically operational and and, Seamus, you're exactly right, like my example about the marker. You're right. I was wrong like that's an operational issue. And you are right to say. SBSD Owl Camera: contact the superintendent, because as board members, you can't obligate staff time right, so you wouldn't be like, take it to the teacher. I go to take it to the teacher. That is my role to say, we do have a complaint process established, and what it says is, go to the person directly first, st so I will get complaints from about all kinds of things, and
100I will say. SBSD Owl Camera: you know, oftentimes folks will jump right to me, and I'll say, All right. Hey? Did you work with the person directly, individually? Did you, you know, follow the process exactly, and want to empower my teams and managers and directors, and make sure that there is a system. SBSD Owl Camera: So that things are resolved appropriately. I don't have the inner working knowledge of every single conflict that occurs every single day. Right? So it's the most effective management tool for making sure that people's needs are met and SBSD Owl Camera: disagreements are resolved. SBSD Owl Camera: Chelsea, would you ask Joe, or you already know the answer? But just to give us kind of final determination. Is it okay to forward everything operational? Or there's some cases where we should
101not. Basically, I guess the question for the lawyer is SBSD Owl Camera: are the things we should not forward to the superintendent. SBSD Owl Camera: I'm happy to ask just to double check. Yeah, I can't. I can't think of anything. The only thing I can think of is SBSD Owl Camera: you know, some sort of SBSD Owl Camera: complaint or information about the superintendent, but SBSD Owl Camera: even then but that affects our policy because we employ the superintendent. So that is in our line. But even to that point operationally, you know, solve it at the lowest level. First, st we are her direct employer, and so, if there's an issue that comes up that we need to check into it is our responsibility to say, Hey, what's going on with this? Well, we might
102want to solve that more sensitively if it was something that might affect the relationship between that employee. SBSD Owl Camera: I see I see you're assuming I didn't. I was not assuming employee, but SBSD Owl Camera: we do have the responsibility. The district has to give due process to every employee. So that's a Vermont labor law. So every employee deserves due process, and in SBSD Owl Camera: every contract, you will see SBSD Owl Camera: there are ways that feedback can be shared and addressed. This applies to union and non-union employees. So all employees have feedback that has to be given in certain ways. So SBSD Owl Camera: well, maybe it would just be useful, though, if Joe just has some like, yeah, you know. Don't send. Don't send, and everything else. I can tell you.
103Everything is a public record that you get so. SBSD Owl Camera: And and you can't prevent someone from suffering. SBSD Owl Camera: should you? But I think it is helpful, for you know everyone to be aware that your email is very few exceptions, I mean negotiations, and like that, that would be but contract, but not because SBSD Owl Camera: just because it would affect the integrity of the process of negotiations for that information to be shared. So SBSD Owl Camera: I can't think of any protections outside of outside of those where board member emails SBSD Owl Camera: haven't been included in Freedom of Information Act, which is SBSD Owl Camera: really errs on the side of transparency, which is a good thing. SBSD Owl Camera: We're just. SBSD Owl Camera: I've got one idea which
104was someone who maybe knows me emails me, and I just want to share a thought and then says. SBSD Owl Camera: Please don't share this with violent, or SBSD Owl Camera: would it be okay if I didn't. It wasn't. It's not asking for any action. It was just wanting to share an opinion on something, or or just if it's explicitly asked not to SBSD Owl Camera: share it with anyone else. SBSD Owl Camera: Yeah, I think if they say that in the email you should reply and say you should be on my email list. And so if anyone, including Violet, did a public records request of your email, you wouldn't be able to prevent that from being shared SBSD Owl Camera: and I'm sorry I just. I'm wondering if if we could ask Joe. This,
105you know, we all have signatures, is in our signature line. There could be something to that effect, right? So that it always goes out in our email from the port. Our email address SBSD Owl Camera: that says, you know, all emails are matters of public record. You know something like that. I just out of curiosity, because that way it's Laura. Would you talk with the Sba on that to see what the SBSD Owl Camera: I've been in public school for SBSD Owl Camera: successful 15 years. Yeah, we know as teachers it is all public right. But then that lets the person. Yeah, I'll ask about that, because I I don't know one person that has a signature line that says that no administrator. So I've just never. But yeah. SBSD Owl Camera: there we are
106under our. SBSD Owl Camera: you know, all of our contact information. There was a blurb that said, Yeah, no, I think it's a yeah. That's interesting, though it's a good idea. I mean, now that I'm thinking about it, I I figured like, I just taken it for granted that. Yeah, yeah, that's that's that's yeah, I will ask the pressure off. It takes the pressure off. SBSD Owl Camera: I feel like, in different emails that I've seen depending on different roles that people have. I have seen twitters that are kind of like. Sometimes they're specific to that person's job. So if they're a crisis interventionist, they have crisis resources. At the end of all of their emails, or if I've received communications, I think SBSD Owl Camera: I think it would be teachers. But sometimes there's
107like a little thing at the bottom that says SBSD Owl Camera: this could contain information about student data. Right? So I think something along that line that's board appropriate is a great idea. SBSD Owl Camera: I think so I'm really thinking about your your scenario. If it's someone who you have a close relationship with, you could get yourself in a code of a conflict of interest situation very quickly with. SBSD Owl Camera: Here's info. Don't tell that that's a way that you can violate this policy pretty quickly. And again, anything operational I would have to. It is my role to work on that. And it is your role to make sure that I am attending the operational issues. So that would be sticky. SBSD Owl Camera: That would be you getting someone else putting you
108in a sticky position. So knowing how best to unstate yourself. Last week the recording and one of the things that struck me. I didn't know about the blind copy. So I did see your email. And then I heard Joe talk about that. Oh, yeah, tape over. Reply to all I heard, all that SBSD Owl Camera: which is good advice. I think one of the things to just regarding best practices is on the signature blocks like you have your contact information. I had included my personal cell phone, and when we spoke yesterday, we suggested, do not do that to have your personal cell phone on there. SBSD Owl Camera: because again, that could become a matter of public record. Potentially right, I think you want discretion. So. SBSD Owl Camera: this is your decision. I would
109say, if you want to meet with a constituent and you would like to give them your personal cell phone number. You can do that. However, I think discretion is important. SBSD Owl Camera: you know I have gone through great lengths to protect my personal information because it has been violated quite significantly. And SBSD Owl Camera: that's I I think that as members of the public, you know, we could deal with heated issues, and I think board members would be wise to exercise discretion and and be thoughtful about you know the availability of SBSD Owl Camera: you know yourself, and and you know what that means for your family. That's my advice to you. You can take it or leave it. It's also SBSD Owl Camera: in public records. Request your if you're using a personal
110device. That device could be from a matter of discovery. And so a judge or a team of lawyers could go through all of your personal, you know, emails or your personal text messages or your phone records? SBSD Owl Camera: just to find the information that is relevant and that in and of itself could be automatic for you. So SBSD Owl Camera: The district does, offers the board members a computer to use for board business. Then I recommend them to do that. Or if you use your own device, just know that that's a potential SBSD Owl Camera: eventuality. But which is why I stick to your work. Your your school email addresses rather than. SBSD Owl Camera: And I have for one other tip around email something I do at work all the time, which has
111saved me many times SBSD Owl Camera: when you're typing your email, go into the CC line and type in some gobbledygook. SBSD Owl Camera: And then what happens is if you inadvertently go to send that email. But weren't quite ready. Outlook will warn you, hey? I don't know who this is, and it gives you that you don't accidentally send an email that you're not ready to actually send, so SBSD Owl Camera: I don't know how many times that saved me at work, but I would. It's great if you're doing this kind of work as well, because you're responding. You're not quite sure. Did I say it right? It's a great, just sort of catch to make sure it doesn't go out before you're absolutely right. SBSD Owl Camera: Just a phone in, I write the
112email and SBSD Owl Camera: in my graph. The last thing I I put in something sensitive is the name. I forget who I was writing book into 2 line parameters around our. SBSD Owl Camera: We don't necessarily have guidelines. SBSD Owl Camera: you know. Now a report, an educator, report, a school Board member report a public servant. There's a website. That is a, it's. It's a Federal website where, if you have your pronoun on because you have asked the question, I'll provide this information. So should you decide to put your pronouns on that that could be reported by anyone who sees that SBSD Owl Camera: I'm not suggesting one way or another. But I just want you to know that. That's a new website that emerged last week that we've. SBSD Owl Camera: you know,
113we're just learning about this, as we. SBSD Owl Camera: you know, navigating changes and try to attend a lot. I I do think that we should get just maybe a note SBSD Owl Camera: clarifying the procedure on this from the lawyer, for example, in the in the Vermont State law, title one, chapter 5, sub. Chapter 3, section 42, SBSD Owl Camera: it says. SBSD Owl Camera: except as otherwise provided by law, information that can be used to identify complainant who alleges that a public agency public employer, official SBSD Owl Camera: blah blah has engaged in a violation of law, waste, fraud, or abuser, unless the complainant consents to his disclosure. So that's like SBSD Owl Camera: on a case where, if we were to SBSD Owl Camera: treat. If we were to decide how to
114send information from our email to the superintendent based on the fact that well, it's public, anyway, we might actually, it might not actually be public, because it's a complaint about public official. SBSD Owl Camera: So whether it's legitimate or not is not up to us. But so it'd be good. And also, I think we have a lot of other stuff. Talk about I think it would be good to just get like bullet points like, Yes, yes, no or no. SBSD Owl Camera: Can you just rename the okay. That would be great. And I yeah. SBSD Owl Camera: alright. So you'll follow up with Joanna. SBSD Owl Camera: I also will follow up with daisy and Karen from a internal perspective on, come on. SBSD Owl Camera: can address that, can I ask? SBSD Owl Camera:
115So sometimes I add chair after my name when I'm sending emails. If I feel like the person I'm sending it to SBSD Owl Camera: needs that information. If if I feel like it's relevant. But I don't always it's just a personal choice. If SBSD Owl Camera: I would like to ask this team if you would prefer that I add that for clarity's sake. Yes. SBSD Owl Camera: I wouldn't say tend to be the same. I think it's important for folks to know who the board leadership is. SBSD Owl Camera: I think, just personally like doing leadership. SBSD Owl Camera: Style is very teen, and it felt a little like. SBSD Owl Camera: But I also understand being clear is is helpful, I think, for board members. The same board member, or you know. SBSD Owl
116Camera: I think it's I think that role clarity is to have SBSD Owl Camera: all right any other questions or discussion, for now on policy B. 2 or numbers. SBSD Owl Camera: There is a model code of ethics for Vermont School Board members, and then page 56. In this book, when you get it, if you're interested, and you can kind of see what they recommend and how that our policies SBSD Owl Camera: measure that alright. So next, I was just gonna review board member roles and responsibilities. SBSD Owl Camera: so we did talk about this at length with Joe last week, and I wanted to start by just asking if board members have had a chance to think about what they learned last week, and if you have any questions or further discussion. SBSD Owl
117Camera: or if you'd like me to do a high level overview. SBSD Owl Camera: We also in our policy tech or governance packet, SBSD Owl Camera: lessons, 3.3 3.4 4.2 and 4.4, I think, relate to our roles and responsibilities. SBSD Owl Camera: so I'm happy to read that if you'd like. SBSD Owl Camera: they're not very long. So I'll just read 3.3 is under our board management delegation SBSD Owl Camera: section, and it is delegation to the superintendent. So I think, by being clear about what we've delegated to the superintendent. It helps board members individually to know what SBSD Owl Camera: responsibilities you are relieved of, because we have delegated them to the superintendent. SBSD Owl Camera: The Board will instruct the superintendent through written policies that prescribe the organizational ends to be achieved, and
118describe organizational situations and actions to be avoided. Allowing the superintendent to use any reasonable interpretation of these policies. Accordingly, one. The board will develop policies instructing the superintendent to achieve specified results for specified recipients at a specified cost. SBSD Owl Camera: These policies will be developed systematically from the broadest, most general level to more defined levels, and would be called endless policies. SBSD Owl Camera: All issues that are not ends. Issues are defined here are as defined. Here are Admins issues SBSD Owl Camera: 2. The board will develop policies that limit the latitude the superintendent may exercise in choosing the organizational needs. These policies will be developed systematically from the broadest, most general level to more defined levels, and they will be called executive limitations policies. The Board will never prescribe organizational means delegated to
119the superintendent. SBSD Owl Camera: 3. SBSD Owl Camera: As long as the superintendent uses any reasonable interpretation of the Board's end and executive limitations, policies, the superintendent authorized to establish all further proceed. SBSD Owl Camera: The superintendent is authorized to establish all further procedures, make all decisions, take all actions, establish all practices, and pursue all activities. Such decisions of the superintendent shall have full force and authority, as if decided by the board. SBSD Owl Camera: 4. The Board may the Board may change its ends, and executive limitations, policies, thereby shifting the boundary between board and superintendent domains. By doing so the Board changes the latitude of choice given to the superintendent, but as long as any particular delegation is in place, the board will respect and support the superintendent's choices. SBSD Owl Camera: Do we
120want to stop there? Because I am also happy to go into things like which is monitoring the superintendent performance, which is our goal. SBSD Owl Camera: But we can stop 1st and review them quickly if there's any questions or discussion. SBSD Owl Camera: So when was the last time? Executive limitations was modified? SBSD Owl Camera: So there are 11 different detail policies or I guess technically 10. But of the executive limitations. SBSD Owl Camera: all initially established in 2,009 2.1 treatment of staff was, and parents and guardians is last updated in 2,012 SBSD Owl Camera: 2.2. Treatment. Did I say? Staff treatment of students and parents and guardians was last updated in 2,012 2.2. Treatment of staff was last updated in 2011 2.4 financial conditions and activities last updated in 2,018 2.6. Emergency Superintendent succession
121was last updated in 2,011 SBSD Owl Camera: 2.7 asset protection was last updated in 2023 2.8 compensation benefits last, updated in 2,012 SBSD Owl Camera: 2,010 curriculum development, 2.10 curriculum development and review, last updated in 2,017 and 2.11. Equity was SBSD Owl Camera: believe added, and last updated in 2,022, I think that's my biggest SBSD Owl Camera: thing that I don't understand yet is I know about is SBSD Owl Camera: Why would we establish a why would we establish an equity policy as a limitation. SBSD Owl Camera: instead of setting out equity as yeah. SBSD Owl Camera: as a what? As an as an app. SBSD Owl Camera: I think that's what a lot of districts are doing. And folks have are removing equity policies. Vsba no longer has model policy. And there there was
122discussion about having when new ski just implemented a policy. Regarding SBSD Owl Camera: like SBSD Owl Camera: students, I know the name of their policy. We had a a teacher asking us about implementing a policy regarding SBSD Owl Camera: students who? The residency of students, not, as in their SBSD Owl Camera: help me with the phrasing of this? SBSD Owl Camera: Well, but to clarify the question, so did you just say that some SBSD Owl Camera: places are adding equity to their ends? Policies or some people are taking it out. I think your question is a philosophical one. It's not necessarily like, I think you're going to get opinions. SBSD Owl Camera: because I think you're asking like, why would this be an executive limitation or not? SBSD Owl Camera: And it's a great question.
123And I think there could be robust arguments made SBSD Owl Camera: both sides potentially as it is now. It's it's an executive limitation. SBSD Owl Camera: and sorry to interrupt. But were you saying that there's examples of districts making changes in this area SBSD Owl Camera: do you know about and which and what changes we're making SBSD Owl Camera: districts deciding not to have policies in place based on the changes happening at the Federal level, because we have to operationally respond to them, and they could be quickly outdated, based on how things are changed SBSD Owl Camera: and how we have policies have to be in compliance with law. And SBSD Owl Camera: a way that a district states their true values are, as you said, in the anti policy. The reason to have a
124policy on something is because you want it monitored. So you want it to be reported out by me. The disaggregation of student achievement, which is a piece of the policy. SBSD Owl Camera: so that's a requirement. If the Board is looking for information on, you know, equity, that's a way to get those. So now, since it's an executive limitations, we don't monitor it. SBSD Owl Camera: Who monitor the equity policy SBSD Owl Camera: and is that normal that everything that we monitor everything in executive limitations. SBSD Owl Camera: I think some of them are more robust monitoring movements, and some of them are more like reporting like SBSD Owl Camera: asset protection is an example of. SBSD Owl Camera: There's not really like a report to Monitor, but it's more like the audit SBSD Owl
125Camera: I think it would be like. And maybe, Laura, you can ask the Bsba, or you know, it'd be helpful to get SBSD Owl Camera: more guidance and philosophical guidance on SBSD Owl Camera: on on that question. And I also. And and so you were saying, because federal stuff is changing. SBSD Owl Camera: That means that SBSD Owl Camera: policies that have been put in place have actually fallen are now legal, and so districts are choosing to roll them back. SBSD Owl Camera: That's probably too specific. SBSD Owl Camera: well, so affirmations, of course, for protections of immigrant students is the policy that we knew ski just implemented, and that is something where? We, as superintendents, had really intentional conversation around, do we SBSD Owl Camera: implement this as a policy or not? And district
126can have practices and guidelines. So we have a framework around practices. But if it's a policy, should there be legal change, then the Board is then having. I'm going to have to bring it back to SBSD Owl Camera: for updating, and that would be pretty consistent. The other, I thought, here is that if it's a policy, it could be sort of challenged or under attack, right? Whereas if it's tied to ends, it's sort of SBSD Owl Camera: solidified as a given in the in through the vision. Right? So, Bsba. If you're saying, if it's in SBSD Owl Camera: policy, it's 1 thing, if it's an end, it's another thing. But I thought, ends are the policy. SBSD Owl Camera: The end is the overarching SBSD Owl Camera: they are. The end policies are the means.
127So sometimes it's not best to have the means. The details SBSD Owl Camera: in there. And I think that's what the Vsba was doing when they no longer had an equity policy. They weren't saying in my, in my interpretation they don't value equity. They were saying, as the Vermont School Board Association, given, that this is something that is in limbo right now and could really change, maybe we don't want to advise districts to have a policy detailing the means which could be reported. SBSD Owl Camera: critiqued. A lightning rod, for, you know, opening up something or a discussion, so they have the the decision to remove the model policy was prompted by this is Vermont School Board Association. Recent legal developments, including a January 9, th 2025. Federal Court, ruling in the Tennessee versus Cardona
128case that excluded gender identity protections SBSD Owl Camera: and the Us. Department of Education standards and withholding Federal funds from noncompliant institutions. So SBSD Owl Camera: the these developments potentially affect the implementation of the model policy. So the Vsba is calling on State level leaders, including the agency of education. The Board of the State Board of Education, the Governor's office, the Attorney General's office, Human Rights Commission legislatures, legislators, and the partners of education to collaboratively determine so that they? Yeah, they weren't saying they didn't agree with it. Right? SBSD Owl Camera: They were saying, Be careful. We don't advise this because it could have legal implications. SBSD Owl Camera: Click on that one. SBSD Owl Camera: Yeah, it would be SBSD Owl Camera: well, just it'd be great to like hear more from them, maybe
129where they're thinking, you know, maybe an update from them on this? Yeah, where? Where? I mean, not urgently. So. They are drafting a new policy as we speak with updated legal references and language, and our commitment to public education to providing a safe, welcoming, inclusive environment for all students, especially strong as ever. So they're trying. SBSD Owl Camera: This is really, it's gonna be hard for us. You've got us if you're trying to stay within the law SBSD Owl Camera: when you don't approve it. SBSD Owl Camera: So that that that's gonna be. SBSD Owl Camera: which is why some districts in our region are choosing not to implement policy around Protection Spring. SBSD Owl Camera: So some districts are viewing that as a protection in and of itself. SBSD Owl Camera: that's crazy. SBSD
130Owl Camera: That's goodbye. SBSD Owl Camera: That's what I was saying. I'd have to bring it to you for revision all the time as things change. SBSD Owl Camera: Yeah, it was interesting because SBSD Owl Camera: children of everybody's education. So I mean, this is, you know, I'm not entirely clear. This is all important. So I mean I won't. SBSD Owl Camera: So there's a i can safely say there's there are questions on the legality, left and right, which is why I haven't introduced the policy on protections for for immigrant children. And it is fluid. And like Dan said, I'm gonna SBSD Owl Camera: you know, we would be making changes to things left and right because your policies have to be consistent with law. SBSD Owl Camera: I have another SBSD Owl Camera: question.
131Do you want to take it, or can I just suggest that we look at our time here? We're at 15, 8, and we're scheduled to move on to our still have public comment, discussions, reward, retreat, planning. And I move that we move those to maybe next week's agenda, or I would like to cover those. SBSD Owl Camera: I don't wanna because we have to be later. I don't want to go past the data so can we? Can we go to public comment and put SBSD Owl Camera: and SBSD Owl Camera: onboarding and things next week? I guess actually, I mean the last thing I was. Gonna say we are about halfway through. What I have prepared is that since we have a majority new board. SBSD Owl Camera: Tim and I would like to offer
132to do onboarding trainings with you individually, and I was also thinking, perhaps maybe for some period of time they're standing meetings, so that, you know, when you have an opportunity to come with your collective questions or concerns or ideas, and that might be SBSD Owl Camera: scheduling wise. A more cohesive way of of working together. My schedule is. SBSD Owl Camera: it's sporadic. And so sometimes you may not get answers for me until 11 or midnight or 4 Am. Depending on how long my kids are sleeping so SBSD Owl Camera: I we just thought, if you're if you would like that, we're offering SBSD Owl Camera: I think it'll take 30 seconds. But the SBSD Owl Camera: similar question to why we would. I've heard that the cell phone policy is implemented operational instead of
133it's either an ends or an executive, is it? For a similar reason. Yes, but it's not a policy. We don't have a cell phone policy. I implemented cell phone restrictions. And I did that through procedures, not policy. SBSD Owl Camera: Also, as we were kind of walking down that road, learning about it, there is legislation going through this session that might supersede anything we would have created, anyway. So it sort of seems like a waste of time to when when our CEO could just implement restrictions and we could wait and see what this. SBSD Owl Camera: It is right. And and it's that nature of the nimble procedure is a really effective tool for our district, and I can modify it at any time SBSD Owl Camera: without 3 public meetings and board feedback. And
134it's it's something that I could literally make into compliance very quickly. And we knew the cell phone conversation was getting a lot of attention. And so, you know, our teams felt that it was something that could be effectively operationalized. And our students, our student board reps have reported out on, you know it periodically. So we've gotten, as was requested by the board when we were having conversations about implementing SBSD Owl Camera: in hindsight. I think it was the best approach, you know, being you know. We started this in late August and SBSD Owl Camera: Here we are now, and you know, I was at the high school today and I saw one phone and I was I had the privilege of being a history day. Judge and I saw one phone, and it was from
135a retired teacher got a text and pulled out the phone and looked at it. And the students were like. SBSD Owl Camera: which was really great. So I you know, I think, of course, there's always bumps in the road. But I think it's the right decision for for us at the time. SBSD Owl Camera: So, Chelsea, can we? Can we go to public comment just like just a couple of minutes? The last thing I wanted to say, just kind of I think it's important for new board members to know in policy monitoring. We monitor all of the 2 point O's in this policy of their governance. Things like in the 4.0 like agenda planning or chairs role or code of conduct. Those wouldn't have monitoring reports because they're just. SBSD Owl Camera: It's stipulated, but
136they're not monitored. And you will see them where it says policy law! You'll get sometimes statutes or policies on the agenda. So like, I drew your attention to having our students come in because I was pointing to how I was showing you this or you know, you see, on agenda planning, you see, 4.5 code of conduct here. So those are operationalized and not SBSD Owl Camera: boarded out anyway. Yeah, just to help. Right like I I think one of the best SBSD Owl Camera: things to help board members understand is like, Where are your teeth like? What? Where do you do the work that you need to do, and it's in monitoring. And we have a calendar that will approve as a team about when we want to monitor what policies, and we have some
137ideas about how to better engage our community and improve how we have been monitoring. I don't think we have time for that conversation, saying that it's on the stage now. But, SBSD Owl Camera: If you want to know SBSD Owl Camera: how to best support the district, really familiarize yourself with with closet or other types of classes. SBSD Owl Camera: I have read them several times, and I still read them, and I still go back to them, and it can be helpful. I felt like the training last week was effective because we had a real question, and the 1st thing you said is, where does that fit into monitoring? And that was like, yes, exactly. That is your role, this work. So SBSD Owl Camera: okay with that, then would you like to move on?
138SBSD Owl Camera: Oh, no, I'm fine. I just wanna make sure like, so are we saying School Board retreat SBSD Owl Camera: planning? We're going to move into next. Well, I I think that that one is not necessarily that it doesn't necessarily need to get like the details, but like whether a Yes, a yes or no. And I was also thinking kind of the same thing about public comment. I mean, really, it's for policy governance. SBSD Owl Camera: When people are making comments like we, we are not to engage with the public as it's a business featur. SBSD Owl Camera: But I realized that that's that's really weird. So I mean that. SBSD Owl Camera: So it's it's a. It's a public meeting, but not a meeting with the public. And and, Jen, I totally
139got your like wanting to respond, because it is just when children speak, really do feel it. SBSD Owl Camera: and I but one. So I what I would propose is. SBSD Owl Camera: and we it is maybe we need every other week. I would propose maybe a forum once a month, once every 6 weeks. Where that's what we do is we do engage because this is not. This is really it's confusing for the public. If we engage with some people, but not that makes you mad. And it's confusing. So we have like business we need to do. And then we have a meeting a forum where for 2 h. That is what we do is we speak to the, to the public. SBSD Owl Camera: and I think if if you say that out loud like,
140I. I watch a lot of board meetings. And you know, if you say like, this is a public meeting, we are going to be listening. SBSD Owl Camera: not responding. So if people understand that they might not think it's so weird, because that that is, it does go back. And so I think what you're saying is also that there's there's like business meetings. And that's what this is. Yes, yeah, there's business. I don't think it's entirely clear to the public, and I think it has made people mad. But really it's a business meeting. SBSD Owl Camera: It's a public business meeting, but not a meeting with the public, and so I would advocate for a meeting with the public, and I've tried my 1st year on here. I did listening sessions. Very few people do.
141I did listening sessions this fall. Nobody. SBSD Owl Camera: So I think what people would really like is for all of us to be together. I think that's what they want in the superintendent. SBSD Owl Camera: And we have that meeting, and I understand, like asking for a 3rd meeting is a lot. SBSD Owl Camera: And you know I don't have young children, so it's easier for me to to go out, and so maybe we wouldn't need everybody here. But I think it would be. SBSD Owl Camera: I think it would be really important for people to be able to engage with us. I think that's what they've been asking for. I would like to grant that, and I would also like to not be here until 11 o'clock, because I'm up at 5, 15,
142and I have to engage with children. So I need to have all pistons firing. SBSD Owl Camera: So yeah, that's what I that's that's my. I think. I think, Laura, you've done a nice job of articulating that this is a meeting of the public in front of the public. It is not a meeting with the public right where prepositions really matter. This is not a meeting with the public SBSD Owl Camera: public engagement is something I really want the Board to engage in, and if this is not the time to do it, you also have to attend to the details that there are members of the public who you are accountable to for the business details, and they want to hear those business details. That is one of your responsibilities and functions so providing appropriate
143engagement in different forums. SBSD Owl Camera: Best practice in public comment is that the time allotted on the agenda is used. It's divided by the number of folks in the room who want to provide public comment. If it's 10 min and 10 people, everyone gets 1 min SBSD Owl Camera: it needs to be consistent. It's been very confusing for our community as there's been inconsistencies. I think if there's a board, and SBSD Owl Camera: in South Burlington the community has been really clear that there needs to be specific parameters. Another technique that can be used is the board chair saying, Are you all here to talk about X topic? Great. You. We have 10 min. SBSD Owl Camera: Select 2 or 3 people, you know, 2 people to, you know, share information. These are it it could. And
144these are. That would be an extreme situation. Right? I have done that when I, when I know that we have a room full of people about one issue. SBSD Owl Camera: when we're about halfway or so through, I'll say, you know, this is what we've heard. If you have a different point or another thing that you need to express. Please come up, but I try to encourage the public not to be redundant. SBSD Owl Camera: I think one thing that my my impression and this is the kind of thing since I'm new. I see it freshly is that we need to SBSD Owl Camera: involving SBSD Owl Camera: like, tell people what we're gonna say, say it and then tell them what we just said, and in that sense like remind. Maybe it would be
145useful to remind people that at the beginning of the board meeting. It's like, Well, welcome to a business meeting. I'm not saying I'm not prescribing the words. I would presume to do that, but it's like welcome to a business meeting of the Board. SBSD Owl Camera: as you know, next week is the public face is a public forum of the board. During this business meeting we're taking public comment in a very, in a shortened format, so that the board can complete its business SBSD Owl Camera: next week. SBSD Owl Camera: We have a a much lighter agenda. Precisely so. And just because it's like it's the kind of thing people forget about. And even if they've heard it once, they'll forget it, and then they'll want to bring it up. They want to talk a
146lot of SBSD Owl Camera: a business meeting. So it's just like people forget. And there's constantly new people rotating in and out, I could not agree more. And the other thing one of the reasons is that we have, you do have to stick to the rules. So when you have 50 people here. SBSD Owl Camera: They don't say, Oh, well, hey, you're not. You're not, you know. You're not being transparent. Well, so you have to have. I mean. This is the teacher in me. You have to have a predictable way of doing things. I say the same thing every day, and it is March, and I SBSD Owl Camera: i 1 day I don't say it. SBSD Owl Camera: Everybody forgets, and that because it's it's kind of counterintuitive, right? It's not really. It's it's
147it's a little weird. But I think if we say we've got 10 min. SBSD Owl Camera: And you know, like these kids everywhere, they came up and they talked to the whole thing. And if there were 50 kids we'd have to say, Okay, we've got 10 min. We do want to hear from you. It's just that this this, if we do it every single time it doesn't, it won't be weird, and it helps the legitimacy of the persons we're saying. We have made time for you. It has to be on topics, not on the agenda, too. I think we've. SBSD Owl Camera: you know, when the Board fears it's very confusing, and people feel marginalized. The board is also, you know, opening the district up for potential litigation or discrimination. If there's inconsistencies on how you're treating
148people. So you know, from my perspective. I don't moderate public comment, but I can tell you that effective boards have business meetings, and they divide the time, and the community is clear on the parameters. SBSD Owl Camera: and it's on. There's there's no bearing we're not talking about, you know the guidelines, as stated, don't mention individual names, and you know, if this is. Oh, Nope, that's on the agenda, and just to be consistent, and SBSD Owl Camera: I understand that it is difficult to be perceived as like cutting someone off, we want voice, there's a variety of ways of doing it. The mechanism is not the public board meeting, where distance is not part of the structure. However, it is going to be this activity. And we'd love to hear from you guys. I had
149written something up that we can pass out. But anyway, so I just just put my opinion in here. I think this community likes to participate in the meetings. I think you know. SBSD Owl Camera: this is a very. We have some very involved people, my only concern here, and this is maybe where we can do this in the agenda. A little bit better is, we will, and I will say, having been on the board for a year and listen to public comment. As we're discussing particular topics, we do have community members who will ask very good questions, or make very opportune comments that I think add to our discussion very effectively. SBSD Owl Camera: Where I think we we run off the rails is if we let that take over that particular discussion time. Right?
150I think we're well aware of the times where we're going to get a lot of public input budget. Time is one of those right? There are other times in the year. So we can be. Let's schedule that extra meeting or block out more time. I would suggest that as we look at what is on our upcoming agenda. SBSD Owl Camera: to be clear to the public about whether we're going to take comment or not on a particular topic we're discussing. We should state that in the agenda SBSD Owl Camera: it there should be like our number 4 discussion items. If we don't want public comment. It should not be in there, however, if I put in there into the agenda public comment as part E. That's clear that at that point in time it would
151accept some public comment. But I I really hesitate to just SBSD Owl Camera: say, we're, you know, we're done taking comment, because again, I feel like a lot of times people who are listening in and take the time to be in the meeting and and be there, live and listen in have very, very good things to say, and I I would be reticent to cut them out entirely of the process. SBSD Owl Camera: I think, trying to get them to send an email later is not effective when we're thinking about it at the time, it's I would always encourage you to send the email. But there are times I would like to hear the public's perspective on a particular item we're discussing. I just think it should go into the agenda as SBSD Owl Camera:
152yep. We're talking about it. We're gonna take some public comments. So they're aware they can speak at that time. And they know exactly when that SBSD Owl Camera: I was just gonna ask if it would be appropriate for us to form a committee to say, make a recommendation to the Board about. SBSD Owl Camera: done it, so we can talk about it if I've written up. SBSD Owl Camera: Yeah. Well, just so that a committee of the existing Board members, so that they would be able to advocate. And according to the Vsba discussion items you should not be taking. You can on action items. So you have the board discussion first, st and then you take public. If something is warned for action. SBSD Owl Camera: We have our discussion, and then you I I
153don't recommend, but I actually think but SBSD Owl Camera: it's true. You can do that. But when it's just discussion items. SBSD Owl Camera: You don't have to say public code. SBSD Owl Camera: I I think that there's and that's that's right in the books. It seems like there's enough SBSD Owl Camera: to talk about that we SBSD Owl Camera: probably should. I mean, isn't this an appropriate use for a temporary committee that we come together? The people who are interested about it. We write up a recommendation to the board. SBSD Owl Camera: and then we dissolve the committee as opposed to makes that happen. SBSD Owl Camera: I don't know. I mean, that would be. Oh, you're saying like like a full like a I thought I I guess I thought you meant like
154not a forum of the board. Sure, 3 people say so. Not a forum. Yeah. SBSD Owl Camera: and actually feel like SBSD Owl Camera: there's lots of feedback here that we can build consensus and move forward. I I think I hear several ideas. SBSD Owl Camera: starting a committee is certainly. If we don't start a committee, then it isn't it up to you to kind of collect everything. I just don't want to put more burden on you. If there is a lot of discussion we have on that. I think that this group is more in line in their months than not. So I actually don't think it will be too challenging. I see several strategies forward. One thing I'd like to point out is the orientation of this table is very confusing. SBSD Owl Camera:
155Because doesn't this look as though we are inviting someone to come? Speak to us? If we were having a business meeting, wouldn't we be sitting SBSD Owl Camera: around the table looking at each other, that we've mentioned that so many times like we should be. Yeah. And so then, when we have like community forums, we would hold this orientation because that invites someone to come and speak. SBSD Owl Camera: What I'm hearing is, it's really important that we treat everyone the same, and that it is clear to the community how they will be treated. We need better guidelines or more clear guidelines or repetitive guidelines to help the community to clearly understand when it's their opportunity to share. And when we're conducting business. SBSD Owl Camera: But I've been reading this Robert's rules, and then
156and that can be very confusing. I mean, there's a couple of books going around that are just completely overwhelming. But in looking it up because I heard one of the things that you were saying in regards to SBSD Owl Camera: say, you've got 10 min divided by the number of people in the room without it. But from what I understand, with Robert's rules, order, and again very new to this, everyone has the right to participate in the discussion. If they wish, before anyone may speak a second. SBSD Owl Camera: So that is, I think, one of the concerns that I've heard from the community is, or have viewed when I've been in sessions where you don't have enough, you know there may not be an opportunity to speak so. I could be wrong about that, but
157that would be one of the things that I think we would want to better understand, so that you could say, these are the rules of engagement. SBSD Owl Camera: and if people know what to expect when they come in and hey, this is an opportunity to comment or not. SBSD Owl Camera: or this is a time where we can dialogue, and this is a time where we can't. I think, that would really help to set people's expectations and not have them being so frustrated. The worst case scenario is for to feel like they are trying to participate. SBSD Owl Camera: They're not because whatever they were trying to participate about was already a passion of that issue and to and to layer on like, that's worst case scenario, right? And then they tell their friends
158that they weren't heard. Yeah, SBSD Owl Camera: So in Robert's rules. That part that you just read was that SBSD Owl Camera: speaking about the members of the Board? Everyone has the right to speak before anyone may speak a second time, or is that SBSD Owl Camera: that was that was, everyone has the right. Under Robert's rules. Everyone has the right to be heard. Period, the public comment period is a time for citizens and residents to express the views and inform the Council. After discussion the Board President calls for both those in favor, and again signify their vote. SBSD Owl Camera: So again, there's more to learn. But I want to say that I saw something like that language specifically in here, too, and I'm tabbing everything. But I did not tab. SBSD Owl Camera:
159And I just wonder, isn't this sufficient? SBSD Owl Camera: I mean, we have 7 people on the board now. This is clearly there's questions like. Should we have special meetings? Should we have SBSD Owl Camera: things listed out in the agenda as being open, like? Tim was saying, open for discussion or not like? Should we have 10 min top to, you know, like, why would we not inform our committee to just make a recommendation? SBSD Owl Camera: I mean, we can. It's it's a lot of work. Not that I'm trying to work. I'm just saying, is this the issue that we want to put our energy on? Or is this something that we probably can develop consensus about. I think that this board has a tremendous amount of work ahead of us. And so I just.
160SBSD Owl Camera: I'm cautioning that I'm not saying it's not a great idea. Just cautioning. Is that the best place for us to put our foot SBSD Owl Camera: a mechanism that we use this budget cycle is, we held a meeting where we had organized public comment opportunities. And basically the way that it was designed to work is we tried to warn the community that we were going to be discussing specific budget questions that we heard and invited the community to email their questions if they're available, or come to that meeting to ask that question, and any of those questions that we can compile ahead of time, including board questions SBSD Owl Camera: we gave to our superintendent, so that she could make sure to have all of the information ready to go to answer
161those questions and invite any relevant administration or staff that she felt was needed to have here to help answer the questions. SBSD Owl Camera: and we put the topics of the most things that we heard as the board up on a screen, so the committee members could see what we were talking about and know when we were going to talk about what, and it was not a regular business meeting. It was meant to be more of a like community engagement. Public comment, questions and answers sort of SBSD Owl Camera: keep. Keep me at the high level and and help me understand like, why is it work to form a committee? SBSD Owl Camera: Sure, because we have to agree. Let's go to monitoring. I'll just SBSD Owl Camera: cause. I feel like there's a lot
162of things that you know. For example, I'm hearing Laura wants to say. Tim wants to say, you know, Jennifer wants to say SBSD Owl Camera: the thing is so. It's right in Robert's rules. Some bodies, especially public ones, may invite non-members to express their views, but this is done under the control presiding officer, subject to any relevant rules adopted by the body and subject to appeal by member, often by will of practice. Time limits are placed on speakers, and relevance is closely monitored. That is right from that block. So I'm not really sure where the SBSD Owl Camera: buy them. SBSD Owl Camera: And I thought, Tim, did you say that discussion was limited to action items? So just just so, I think we need to wrap this. Yeah, I I agree with everything, Laura
163said I. I really, I think public comment should be limited, because we do have a lot of business to go through, and we're experiencing the fact that right now that we run over time which is unfair to SBSD Owl Camera: people listening and respecting things at a certain time as well. SBSD Owl Camera: My point is that what I don't think we should do is simply say we have 5 min at the start for public comment or 10 min, and that's the only time I think we need to just be a little aware of the issues that we are bringing the agenda. If we feel that's a place where we would like public comment that should go into the agenda. So the community is very clear about when we will accept comment, because as a community member
164who sat here for a year. SBSD Owl Camera: wondering if I could speak or not. I wasn't even sure, after a year, whether I I, you know, could I come up and ask or ask a question. SBSD Owl Camera: Sitting here as a board member for the last year there have been many issues that have come up where somebody has spoken up, asked a question or been online, made a comment. And I've been like, Oh, wow, okay, that was great to have as part of the conversation. So I I just don't want that to get shut out, but I think it should be controlled and totally. SBSD Owl Camera: And I just I I understand what you're saying. And I, I feel like it's a combination. Because having what you're saying, that input while we're
165talking about it to have in our minds. But I also know, as everyone knows, it's very unsatisfying to just SBSD Owl Camera: say your piece, and then everyone say thanks, and you go back to the town, I mean. So I like the Forum idea, too, where there can be a back and forth as well. So something to, you know, I would offer a way forward is for the board. If you're going to consider committee work, I think the Board's most important work right now is community engagement. So how is there going to be a community engagement committee, and you all are going to make a recommendation to the Full Board. I think that is SBSD Owl Camera: what is critically needed. Again, you have a responsibility to perform the business, and there are constituents who
166want to see those at the times you've warned, which is tied to open meeting lot. So the consistency, I think, is an absolute. SBSD Owl Camera: necessary thing, and it must be enforced, because, as Laura said, it needs to be SBSD Owl Camera: on right, like, what are we doing? Why are we doing it? And here's the rationale. If that is done SBSD Owl Camera: in the absence of having organized community engagement, it's never going to work because folks are going to have that unmet need of needing to engage. So get the community engagement propped up and be consistent in business meetings. SBSD Owl Camera: or start the meeting at 5 30. Let's add to discussion for our next meeting. Public comment discussion, and at that time I would appreciate if board members would come
167forward with their recommendation, and if you can email it to me in advance. Great! But if you'd like to committee, have a committee charge ready to go if you'd like to see different guidelines have guidelines that you'd like to suggest. If you think we should do SBSD Owl Camera: scheduled Q&A forms or community engagement, whatever your vision is, prepare that, and if a week's not enough time, we can move this discussion to 2 weeks. But I think it would be most helpful if we could all form opinions about what we think the best path forward is, see how much they overlap or don't, and make a decision SBSD Owl Camera: helpful. Yep. SBSD Owl Camera: alright. So nuts! SBSD Owl Camera: Well, I just wanted a thought of we should or should or should not
168have a retreat, I think. For my part, it seems like we should have a retreat. SBSD Owl Camera: Yes. SBSD Owl Camera: and so it seems more like, who is how do we wanna like, for example, should we do what you just did with the public comment and say, like, Come to the meeting next week. Having formed them a thought about what we should do and and send that to you. SBSD Owl Camera: Is that right, or or does anybody not want to have a retreat? SBSD Owl Camera: This is recommended as best practice for boards? I would highly recommend it. I will work with Chelsea and Delina to provide a number of dates and times for folks. Well, and I do want to clarify that we, as a board, can also set the agenda
169SBSD Owl Camera: like that, would not be an operational thing SBSD Owl Camera: as a board, as board members. You can email me, or call me or text me, or tell me items you'd like to see on the agenda, and I have a responsibility to put on the agenda, and sometimes I might say, Hey, our next agenda looks really heavy. Is this to you, or SBSD Owl Camera: at the beginning of every meeting, and at the end, usually of every meeting. We also have a general planning. So in that public capacity, this is also an opportunity for you to say, I'd like to see XY. Or Z. SBSD Owl Camera: But in terms of the actual creation and warning and everything. Process me, that's okay. SBSD Owl Camera: So along that same line, somewhat separate
170school board retreat, planning grade training, which is separate from retrieval. Right? So I had provided a note the other day. I was. I'm interested in doing the Vsba training. And I think it's the weekend of May 3rd and May 4, th I think SBSD Owl Camera: sometime in May. I'm interested. And I thought that the woman who had sent the email out. I think Stephanie, from Bsba had asked for a response as of today, and I don't know if you saw my note, and if that was provided to her because I am definitely interested in doing this. SBSD Owl Camera: So that would be great, I mean, is anyone else interested really hard for all of us to do a train. I think that's great that you want to do that that's awesome. It sounds
171really great. I I because I think like doing the training together. SBSD Owl Camera: The district will pay the fee. SBSD Owl Camera: I just I think what I thought we were gonna talk about SBSD Owl Camera: related to training was, what trainings are we interested in? How much do they cost? Are they within our board training budget SBSD Owl Camera: and that sort of but SBSD Owl Camera: Oh, that! Could we talk next at the next. Could we put an agenda item SBSD Owl Camera: for the next time to talk about what? SBSD Owl Camera: Yeah, it's just that the this specific training that Jenna. SBSD Owl Camera: yeah. Jen, I think if you know. SBSD Owl Camera: okay, should we find? Yeah, I wasn't sure it's different than what I'm suggesting. This is
172a day long thing which also sounds really great, and then, Jen, you'll get like a half hour. SBSD Owl Camera: Hmm! SBSD Owl Camera: Too too much. SBSD Owl Camera: So what I'm hearing is, the Board wants to have a retreat, and each of you will kind of SBSD Owl Camera: provide input, on your vision for what that retreat could look like. SBSD Owl Camera: This is quite a bit of work to do between now and next week. SBSD Owl Camera: if we have a full agenda of other things for next week, do you want to put retreat planning in maybe 2 meetings from now. SBSD Owl Camera: I would suggest that we're not going to do the retreat for a while, so I think we have time to. Well, that somewhat open discussion. We
173standardly do it in July, when our board business is a little bit later, so that we can, but that also, if insofar as the retreat affects our ability to SBSD Owl Camera: act together and cohesively waiting until July might be it might make us less efficient for me. SBSD Owl Camera: I think we would. SBSD Owl Camera: Sure, I think that brings up an interesting point, which is what is everyone's idea of a retreat, because, historically, it's been I've I've facilitated one retreat since I've been on this board, and prior to that we did not have board retreats. We had some policy governance trainings which are different. SBSD Owl Camera: So the retreat that we did wound up being a self assessment as a board team, and then some planning and visioning here. SBSD Owl
174Camera: I think it sounds to me like your vision of a retreat would be more like team building activities, and someone else's vision of a retreat might be SBSD Owl Camera: But learning about policy, so I would just say perhaps we will discuss retreat, planning not next meeting, but the meeting after to give a little bit of space because you're also getting involved guidelines on top of the other, monitoring and reading that you need to do but maybe be very clear about SBSD Owl Camera: what a retreat means to you, or what you would hope to get out of retreat with this report and to clarify is that due next week or the week after that, the week after. But I'll put it in my board update email where I support deadlines and SBSD Owl
175Camera: okay. SBSD Owl Camera: So we also had everybody to move on to our next discussion. SBSD Owl Camera: So we added school tour discussion. Yes, so new board members. And thank you, Laura, for working this forward. We want to get you in schools. We want you to see what's happening. And I wanted to do this. SBSD Owl Camera: it, you know, takes a time sensitive issue. So I've arranged for school tours to happen on April first.st I will send you the schedule SBSD Owl Camera: they're going to be starting at Orchard School at 9 Am. And ending at the high School at 1245 pm. And it's it's in the SBSD Owl Camera: board update stock. If you want to take a look at it. SBSD Owl Camera: Would love to have you all participate
176for any of it that you can. The and I. I understand folks have obligations during the day, too. There's no magic of schools without students. So the point is to see teaching and learning. I'm happy to do facilities related Tours also. But this is to just really see the license requires teachers and students to be there. So I know, you know, that isn't gonna work for all of you. So. SBSD Owl Camera: when is that happening? And that was in your that was in your communication? Yep. Tuesday, April first.st SBSD Owl Camera: starting orchard school at 9 am. SBSD Owl Camera: Then, in ending the high School at 12.5, SBSD Owl Camera: and you have this in the branch SBSD Owl Camera: left SBSD Owl Camera: me. Delina and Chelsea know directly if you're interested.
177So if there's more issue, we can resolve it. SBSD Owl Camera: We will be talking about board related items. But it's all teaching learning facilities. So that's it. SBSD Owl Camera: One. SBSD Owl Camera: Are we ready to move on. Yes, so I am. The next topic is just a statement from the Board about the past budget. So SBSD Owl Camera: Jen, last week I prepared a statement on behalf of the Board acknowledging the Budget Pass, and I read it out for the Board members seeking feedback and basically general agreement for me to go ahead and post this on and send it to the other paper and post it on our website under our support page. And we didn't have total consensus. So I've worked to build some consensus over the past week. SBSD Owl
178Camera: and I have a new draft ready to share. And then SBSD Owl Camera: so it reads to our community as members of the Software and School board. We want to express our sincere gratitude to all community members who participated in the school budget. We recognize that this was a significant decision for our community, and we deeply appreciate the support that allowed it to pass. At the same time we acknowledge the concerns and perspectives shared throughout this process. SBSD Owl Camera: As we move forward together, we want to assure you that every email sent, every conversation held, every article written in every public comment shared over the past several months has been heard, and and will continue to inform our work within the year ahead. SBSD Owl Camera: this budget represents an investment in our
179schools, our students, and the future of our community. We know that challenges lie ahead and we do not take lightly the responsibility that comes with support, including our fiscal responsibility to the taxpayers. SBSD Owl Camera: The board is committed to strengthening community connections, fostering open and productive dialogue and working collaboratively to find thoughtful and sustainable solutions. Our goal remains clear to ensure that South Burlington schools remain strong, vibrant, and a position to serve our students and community for generations to come. Thank you for your engagement, your trust, and your commitment to the success of our schools sincerely. SBSD Owl Camera: So that is the most current draft that I would say we have prepared with the most consensus from board. SBSD Owl Camera: So I have a question SBSD Owl Camera: one of the things,
180and that's that's great. During the this, the review that Joe did last week like, let's just say hypothetically, you put that out on SBSD Owl Camera: a Google Docs, and you asked for any feedback on that. I heard that we're not allowed to provide feedback on that. But if we had feedback that we would like to provide like, take a look at your email, and maybe, you know, suggest some language. How would we do that? SBSD Owl Camera: So typically the way that I have done this is, I'll prepare it in an email, and I'll send the whole board all online copy. And then you can respond to that email. You can reply, go to me and it will have all of your feedback, and then what I seek to do is hear the feedback
181of the whole group, and put forth a new draft or a new version that incorporates all of that. SBSD Owl Camera: If you ever share a Google document, it would need to be so that there's no commentating, which is why and no real time editing. Because that's a meeting. Which is why I tend to do it via email, because I could just prepare it in a Google, Doc, and just view only. But I find that to be clumpier than. SBSD Owl Camera: and there would be no like. It'd be harder if, like somebody asked for. Well, what was the version that the Member saw at this time? You'd have to like? Go to all this extra effort to find a version SBSD Owl Camera: because I like that email. The one thing that I would
182like to see about potentially including in there is what is some of the feedback that we've been hearing? And how are we potentially going to be addressing that SBSD Owl Camera: going forward right? Like even the comment regarding you know, we're gonna have a public session, perhaps. And maybe it's premature to write about that, but I think people would benefit hearing from some of those things, because I hear it, and it's great, but it also is a little bit of kind of motherhood. And outside being honest, you know what I mean, like, okay, that's that's nice. But SBSD Owl Camera: where's the teeth in that like, what are we doing? A little bit differently now? Potentially right? You see what I mean. I have a couple of thoughts on on that, and just in general
183and SBSD Owl Camera: I think SBSD Owl Camera: you know my issues, you all know, is the legitimacy of the Board which directly affects our ability to raise money for the district, and I think that SBSD Owl Camera: One thing is that we should use quantitative ways to say, like. SBSD Owl Camera: What is the grade level of the language that we're using, so that we can be sure that it's appropriate for for public speech. And so, like, you know, like. SBSD Owl Camera: generally, maybe that's at the 8th or the grade 9th grade level, just to make sure that we can reach the broadest SBSD Owl Camera: audience, you know, like I showed a constituent a letter, and his wife took 15 seconds to read it, and he took over a minute, you know,
184and so like, I think it's a very important accessibility that we write them, and then use tools to to make them more legible. And then I also think that we should SBSD Owl Camera: be be aware that in this political moment, you know, we were just talking about equity stuff getting outlawed. That SBSD Owl Camera: people have, the particularly the people who don't support us. Our budget SBSD Owl Camera: are gonna be the ones who are triggered by SBSD Owl Camera: kinda and maybe this is what you were saying about like motherhood and apple pie, and I don't want to misinterpret you, but it's like like SBSD Owl Camera: words that we associate with respect they may associate with. SBSD Owl Camera: It's kind of being stonewalled. And so it's like if we can SBSD
185Owl Camera: try to adopt, adapt to the times, which are much more SBSD Owl Camera: so both of those things, and that might be hard to do SBSD Owl Camera: all in one statement, you know. Maybe it's too late to put out the statement, because it's already been a week. I don't know, but I think what I'm hearing is this new board would like the opportunity to address the community with our commitments as this team. SBSD Owl Camera: And so, perhaps what I might recommend is the intent of this letter was really just to acknowledge that the budget passed, and express gratitude for the support. And I think where we're hitting the sticking point is SBSD Owl Camera: acknowledging our commitments moving forward? And what like? What have we heard? What are we going to
186do? And so perhaps they need to do? 2 separate statements. One statement that acknowledges the budget passing, passing, and SBSD Owl Camera: has the gratitude that is due. And then perhaps this board would like to craft another statement that is sort of a Hi community. This is your new School board. This is the feedback we've heard. And this is our plan. Moving forward about how to SBSD Owl Camera: and address the feedback we've gotten SBSD Owl Camera: is is that a better one of the things I really like about that is, when you were talking about this last time I didn't feel like it was really my place to really contribute to what you were going to say about the budget, because I did not SBSD Owl Camera: at the budget, and I didn't do
187all the work that was creating it. So I really like having it be. You know, this was from the budget, the bar, the board that developed it. You really want to say thank you. She worked hard on it, and you and then we can say, and now we've got 4 new people. And what are we wanting to do? Moving forward and then use some of the language that feels more SBSD Owl Camera: with with what you're trying to express. SBSD Owl Camera: and I didn't want to like, didn't want to like take away from what the other Board had done, because it really wasn't my work, and I didn't feel like I should really have to say something to say about it. SBSD Owl Camera: I think. Great, that's great, that's really good. So with
188that in mind if I were to put out this statement as written with the understanding that it's meant to acknowledge the Budget pass, which is hopefully now SBSD Owl Camera: and then add that as Spokesperson, I'm going to draft a letter SBSD Owl Camera: that I think represents what all of you were trying to say and seek feedback from you about that letter whose intent is to introduce this new board. SBSD Owl Camera: Yeah, explain what foot forward we're putting. SBSD Owl Camera: I I think there's still the original concerns with the letter, but it's it's written to a SBSD Owl Camera: 12th grade level for 13th grade. SBSD Owl Camera: It uses words that are it, and phrases and phrases that I think SBSD Owl Camera: are going to run us into problems with
189SBSD Owl Camera: people who voted against the budget, who we will need for any future bonds, any future. SBSD Owl Camera: you know. And so like, for example, the section where we say, SBSD Owl Camera: rest assured that all your feedback and it kind of lists out the various forms of feedback. All of it has been heard. SBSD Owl Camera: I mean one constituent. When I feel like I'm just gonna say, my wife, I said, well, what if I told you that we had listened to everything you said, and she said, but that's impossible. SBSD Owl Camera: because it's so. It's like we have to, I think. And again I I apologize for saying, we have to. I'm saying, in my opinion, SBSD Owl Camera: we should be careful of making claims that SBSD Owl
190Camera: the public will regard as kind of either bureaucratic or insincere, you know it's kind of like what they used to say about Obama is as soon as Obama said. SBSD Owl Camera: now listen! Or he used to have this phrase that he would say, be like, Now, here's the here's the truth. Look! And then you immediately knew that he was going to say something that was kind of risky. And so it was. Actually he would take away from his own legitimacy SBSD Owl Camera: by trying to prove it. And so it's just, you know. I I think I still have the concerns with this with this, so I guess my only question would be, if you send it out and Pcc everyone, then can you maybe have an opportunity to provide some comments or
191some reports. SBSD Owl Camera: some recommendations, perhaps that might help. SBSD Owl Camera: That is what we did last year. And so at this point I'm trying to find the way forward, because eventually there's going to be no point. This is the order right now. This, the agenda item we're on is budget. SBSD Owl Camera: I just want to say, I think I think we're we're beating this up talking about stylistic and stuff. That's I agree with you. But I think we need to get this letter out if we need to entrust with our board chair that she's going to write an appropriate letter. She's heard our feedback. It's her job to craft the letter and send it out. I don't think we cannot collectively write this thing. SBSD Owl Camera: It just needs to
192go out. We need to thank our community. We can't just sit here and argue this to death. It's just. SBSD Owl Camera: It's just a letter going. I don't think we need a motion discussion. It's more than discussion, not action. SBSD Owl Camera: I just think we should just trust our board chair to write this letter. She's heard our feedback. She's taken everything down and sent a letter out. The idea of the 2 different boards and me speaking to this is one board, and this is the new board, and you know, just SBSD Owl Camera: trying to make it. Not like I I understand people, not. Everyone feels like their voice is being heard. So maybe SBSD Owl Camera: if I may. The look is. SBSD Owl Camera: I think some of your feedback is
193not representative of the board that worked hard on the budget, and so I think it's difficult to put out a message from the board SBSD Owl Camera: that wouldn't represent the Board, who worked not often. SBSD Owl Camera: What's what's the deadline for next week's not there. SBSD Owl Camera: So it's Monday. SBSD Owl Camera: You send out what? Just written to everybody. SBSD Owl Camera: Oh, shit! Let me check right SBSD Owl Camera: What would be? SBSD Owl Camera: What time would you need to get feedback so that you could make corrections, send it right back out SBSD Owl Camera: and like. Do you send it out tonight? SBSD Owl Camera: Would tomorrow, night or Friday morning be enough time to look at feedback from everybody. SBSD Owl Camera: incorporate their feedback and get
194it out SBSD Owl Camera: to the other people for the demo. I think the issue is, you're going to continue to have conflicting feedback. Yeah, I think that at this point. It's not that I need more clarity on how the group feels. It's that I am not building effective consensus within the group because, SBSD Owl Camera: I don't. I don't think that there has been any significant edits that would SBSD Owl Camera: respond to Seamus's concerns, and I think a lot of Seamus and Seamus's recommendations contradict SBSD Owl Camera: the feeling bothered with board members. SBSD Owl Camera: Okay, so don't think SBSD Owl Camera: I I actually really do think that the best path forward is for it to be 2 statements and address what you're saying. I think that would be the most
195inclusive path forward. SBSD Owl Camera: At the end of the day. I think a statement about the budget needs to go out, and it's already late. SBSD Owl Camera: and and I do hear the feedback that you want to address the community with a new program. And I think that is also something we can do in a second statement that's not related to the budget. SBSD Owl Camera: Love to have that second statement going. SBSD Owl Camera: I'm open to hearing what everyone thinks is a good timing for that. SBSD Owl Camera: I mean, I think the the budget is the thing that gets the most community engagement. And so we go on record saying SBSD Owl Camera: whatever we say, the second feedback or the second SBSD Owl Camera: engagement will be much less
196because we will kind of already spoken about. SBSD Owl Camera: You know our our view of that, and the and the opportunity. You know the opportunity to get in the other paper to say, Well, here is the boards SBSD Owl Camera: view. What happened in the selection SBSD Owl Camera: is something that's gonna get read. I don't know if we actually would send it to the other paper or wherever we sent. So I I don't. What I'm SBSD Owl Camera: not feeling is confidence that we are. That we have an effective process for writing SBSD Owl Camera: the statements to come out of the board, which, in my opinion, are the one of the most important things that we can do, because if we otherwise, if we propose things, but we haven't got built consent
197SBSD Owl Camera: we want, we won't. It won't be affected. SBSD Owl Camera: I think this is really illustrating how much badly we do a tree, so we can learn to gel and work together. That's that. That's how I'm experiencing this. So I SBSD Owl Camera: I don't know if we how we link SBSD Owl Camera: moving forward right now, but I can't, because SBSD Owl Camera: I agree. I think the this, the process I've used to draft statements for the Board this year has been relatively effective in terms of board consensus. SBSD Owl Camera: but I think that's probably representative of the Board that just generally agreed with each other more. And I'm not saying that disagreement is a bad thing. I actually think it's an excellent thing, because it better represents SBSD Owl
198Camera: Did. My, I think that the priority is that a statement about the budget needs to be made. SBSD Owl Camera: I think to not say anything to our community after passing this budget would not be acceptable. SBSD Owl Camera: That's my opinion. Not as chair as Chelsea board member, SBSD Owl Camera: and then a follow up statement to sign from the new board. SBSD Owl Camera: It's so, you know, it's tough. SBSD Owl Camera: Think we can belabor this. SBSD Owl Camera: I do wonder if maybe yeah. Sorry to interrupt. If, if, as you suggested, some possible revisions, or I have more ideas just to get it out on paper to Chelsea sent to her, and then let her draft it and trust that that's what's going to be SBSD Owl Camera: as you
199suggested, if you'd like. Would you like me to read what you suggested as an alternative statement? Because I appreciate Emily, that but I I'm to be honest as the spokesperson of this board. I don't think I need SBSD Owl Camera: more revisions or edits. I think that there's just blatant disagreement about what the statement should say. So, seamus! If you're amenable to it, I'll just read to the board what you suggested. SBSD Owl Camera: So Shamus recommended to the community. Thank you for voting. The F 1, 26 budget passed with 52% in favor and 48% against as your elected representatives. We've heard 2 messages. First, st voters support South Burlington's tradition of excellence in schools. Everybody wants the best learning experience with kids, teachers, and staff are beloved members of our community. SBSD Owl Camera:
200In the coming year we will prioritize student achievement and teacher morale. Second, voters demand fiscal responsibility. Everybody wants self to be an affordable place to live. People living on fixed incomes are disproportionately affected by tax increases in the coming year. We will prioritize controlling costs so that SBSD Owl Camera: the funding is sustainable in the long term. SBSD Owl Camera: Some costs and taxes are controlled by the State. We will tell you when that's the case, so you can take action. The best way to support our schools is to keep building bigger majorities and moving forward. So keep voting. Keep giving us your feedback, thank you. SBSD Owl Camera: And that was the one where I analyzed it and had the 7th grade or to 8th grade reading level. SBSD Owl Camera: So I I
201think that's a good message. Every comment on this message. The issue here, Seamus, is that SBSD Owl Camera: when I listen to that message, I hear SBSD Owl Camera: the ones who voted for it support everything, the 47% who voted against it are more concerned about fiscal responsibility. SBSD Owl Camera: Having worked on the budget and heard a lot of people, a lot of people voted against it, not because of the fiscal issues SBSD Owl Camera: because of the budget itself. SBSD Owl Camera: So there's, I think there's a message is coming through. And what you wrote that basically says to me SBSD Owl Camera: if I voted against it, it was because I think it was too long SBSD Owl Camera: right. And maybe that's not what you're hearing. But if we're talking perception.
202I'm seeing a very split down the middle dichotomy of you supported it. You support schools voted? No, you're more concerned with the business side, right? So this is where I think just a simple, we're simpler message of Thank you for voting. We heard messages. SBSD Owl Camera: a little kind of mother and apple pie kind of approach. Right? So I can. What you said something about. SBSD Owl Camera: I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just as I was listening to it. SBSD Owl Camera: you you let off with the 51% versus 47%. And then your primary points were, you know, we support the schools. And then there's the fiscal responsibility. So I equate that with the people who voted. Yes. SBSD Owl Camera: supported schools. The people who voted no wanted more fiscal responsibility. And that's
203having worked on the budget and heard a lot of people there was such a mix for votes against and for votes for, and stuff that I hate to split it down the middle like that I'm for Chelsea's statement that she wrote. No, no! What else do you think? SBSD Owl Camera: To people who already know? SBSD Owl Camera: If they weren't thinking of it from a fiscal point of view. But there were people who voted no, because they like didn't like the fact that we were cutting counselors that we were taking things out right. It wasn't so much, it was too high. It was that what what was up for cuts was was, they were the pre-k stuff, all of that I mean, we sat through a lot right? But they have to know that
204if you, if a budget's voted down. SBSD Owl Camera: it's not going up, it's going down, you would say you would think right, but but that's not. I don't want to interpret anybody's and how they feel about it. I'm just saying that we heard a lot of people say they were going to vote. No, because so the only reason I'm I'm just talking about the message here, and SBSD Owl Camera: that's great feedback. That is what I think. We need to be very careful that we can set a message out there. But there's going to be a second message that gets heard. And so we have to be somewhat generic in this thing, right? We don't want to intend unintentionally send a message SBSD Owl Camera: that when you read between the lines. Somebody interprets
205it one way or another. That's why I'm saying. I think Chelsea's message is pretty SBSD Owl Camera: straightforward. I don't think we're too much on the side of one or the other. We've already had feedback. SBSD Owl Camera: Gotta get it out. We need to get this message out. We cannot be late for this anymore. I think maybe if if we remove the part about SBSD Owl Camera: or rephrase the thing about where every single thing is taken into account. SBSD Owl Camera: I was thinking that you might just take that out entirely. SBSD Owl Camera: I'm happy to do that. If that I just when you said that, your wife said, Well, that's impossible. I'm curious about that, because certainly I'm not like SBSD Owl Camera: in everyone's homes at all times, listening to
206all of those conversations. But what I meant with that is, every email that was sent to the board was read. Every public comment that was stated in our board meetings was listened to, every conversation with board members was had, and feedback that was given to board members was shared with other board members in in our meetings. So what I meant was SBSD Owl Camera: all of the ways that our voters engaged in the Democratic process with us as the Board, like we engaged, too, and it was. It was valuable and necessary and encouraged, and I want that to continue and stronger. I definitely did not mean that I've heard everything everyone had to say about the budget. If they didn't direct it to me or another. I just. I totally believe that you SBSD Owl
207Camera: said that with the best of intention. What I'm saying is that we live in an era of lack of trust in public institutions, and when when public institutions insist on their own credibility, they actually take away from it. SBSD Owl Camera: I think you know I heard a lot about. So you know, I think that I would vote that this be stricken because it's it's there's not agreement among the board, and here's the thing we heard from every single position, folks saying, Bring it back right, staff advocating for their positions. We also have SBSD Owl Camera: and quality standards, student assessment data to respond to. And you know the metrics. I you know I linked in the board presentations. Here's all of the parameters that we have a district responsibility to attend to, and
208those are not always consistent with community feedback. SBSD Owl Camera: You know, we heard testimonial around pre-k which was not consistent with like staffing guidelines. Right? So I think there's a real difference between creating opportunities to hear feedback hearing. It is different than than if something is shared. It doesn't mean it's not heard if it's not, and I think that clarity needs to be provided community at another time. And I think the budget statement is the time to do it. SBSD Owl Camera: We receive a lot of times Linkedin feedback, too, right? Like. So it it I don't. I don't. SBSD Owl Camera: I think that that is something that we talk about in budget season with the community or a public engagement session. Not hearing your agreement on that discussion. SBSD Owl Camera: we
209do not. We're not, we cannot come. SBSD Owl Camera: I think we're very close to consensus, and we can't postpone this, because, in my view, if we're going to postpone this, we're just not going to send it at all. So I would like to suggest that we strike the section that says, as we move forward together, we want to assure you, every email, every conversation, strike that whole section, and still add in what would now be the second paragraph, SBSD Owl Camera: the board is committed to strengthening community connections, fostering open and productive dialogue and working collaboratively to find helpful and sustainable solutions. SBSD Owl Camera: Alright, SBSD Owl Camera: I want to add physical responsibility as I read it the 1st time. It's just not in this draft that I'm looking at, but SBSD
210Owl Camera: fit into strengthen community connections, fostering open and productive dialogue, working collaboratively to find platforms. SBSD Owl Camera: It's that one. Yeah, it's fine responsibilities. There SBSD Owl Camera: is everyone fine with that. So there's our consensus. We did it. SBSD Owl Camera: Okay, when I get tired. That's when things. SBSD Owl Camera: Okay. SBSD Owl Camera: So next we have SBSD Owl Camera: our next agenda. Item, we are now moving on to agenda planning set agenda for March 19th SBSD Owl Camera: gonna add 2.3 treatment of communities so that we don't have 2 monitoring reports on April second. SBSD Owl Camera: We're adding board members as employees under discussion items. SBSD Owl Camera: We are adding student rep process for recruiting a junior under discussion items. SBSD Owl Camera: We are moving the
211retreat to discussion items SBSD Owl Camera: and discussion is on the 18th SBSD Owl Camera: on 19th of March. It won't be on. It will be on April. SBSD Owl Camera: So thank you very much. SBSD Owl Camera: Treat here. We're gonna put that. SBSD Owl Camera: And we had board trainings for the 19, th which is things like the Sba Pg. Open meeting law. SBSD Owl Camera: What more and more training SBSD Owl Camera: discussion of training, such as, like Debbie Singheiser's email discussion of the trainings. We're interested in doing that. Actually. SBSD Owl Camera: Chelsea in the beginning. Did you mention something about SBSD Owl Camera: next week's agenda, or whether we're not productions. SBSD Owl Camera: Which is a 2 different topics. So you want to talk about. I don't think you
212should pigeonhole this. Call it Sbhs staff reductions, because you've got constituents who are also going to say, Well, add back my XY, or Z at my elementary middle school by the equity matrix for staff, less right like folks are telling me that. So I think you should just call it SBSD Owl Camera: staffing and budget, and I think the Board needs to address that SBSD Owl Camera: I don't want to add this agenda item as though the Board is going to discuss adding positions that I think it's an opportunity for the Board to respond. SBSD Owl Camera: I think it sounds like there is not clarity that positions won't be added back. So I think if it's discussed as overall staff and the budget. If the Board wants to say, this is budget we approved.
213This is what we're doing. I think it shouldn't be specific to one school. But is it like. It's our opportunity for us to say. SBSD Owl Camera: this is the guidance we want you to like in this situation. This is what we think you should in the highest level possible. SBSD Owl Camera: Right? It's our. It's our opportunity to give you guidance from us, so that the ultimate decision about the situation is more SBSD Owl Camera: from a policy and a board perspective. Then, you know all the superintendents exactly like if the Board is saying yes, we're going to open up the budget again and add positions back. The Board would say that if the Board is going to say the community approved this budget, we're sticking to it. The Board would say that. So
214I'm saying the Board should make make a stance on the whole budget. SBSD Owl Camera: because then you're going to get other constituents are like, hey? What about us? So I think there should just be clarity. The other topic was, SBSD Owl Camera: whether board members are employees. Do you want that on the 19th or the 4.th SBSD Owl Camera: That's like a 2 min thing. Yeah. SBSD Owl Camera: just with the packet I got, and some of the SBSD Owl Camera: then you and I should connect on that to make sure we get the same message. Did you want to have a bigger? Okay? It's kind of like the SBSD Owl Camera: boards. Stipend, fingerprinting background checks. Yeah, and the and and training like the training, the Bsba, the training, like the accelerator, like all
215those things people. And I think maybe putting together some thoughts about what SBSD Owl Camera: our vision is for that. And then you can collect us, and maybe that's for next week or the following week. Rather. But SBSD Owl Camera: think well, but I want to just clarify. SBSD Owl Camera: based on donuts of discussion. So the community is aware, is technically whether board members are considered employees of the district, because that was the question that came up in donuts of discussion. SBSD Owl Camera: and SBSD Owl Camera: what the response was that I got. I researched it, and Joe weighed in on, too, so I'm happy to share that. And then, if there's further discussion. SBSD Owl Camera: there was some things that came up with me with that packet might need to go
216in there. We can't SBSD Owl Camera: no agreement on our little discussion. Well, that would be. That's beyond me. I'm just gonna share what I don't want to. It's just a couple of things that came. Okay, would it be right to call like 4 SBSD Owl Camera: formal discussion of the board members relationship to the district relationship with it. SBSD Owl Camera: Formal discussion, discussion of the Boards members relationship with the district or something relationship Slasher SBSD Owl Camera: deployment. Whatever you want, I think it pretty much covers sounds to me like an immediate problem. SBSD Owl Camera: So, folks, we have a very large agenda, the 19th SBSD Owl Camera: we're I. I just the questions are good. You're a new board. I would encourage you to be thoughtful about. I think we could
217do a lot better. We need to stay on the schedule, though. SBSD Owl Camera: Well, who did mine was very important. SBSD Owl Camera: I'm just saying statements like that are we have to define together SBSD Owl Camera: right? Right? If if this, my intention for this topic, Seamus, was just, here's what I learned. So if we have to choose between monitoring and some other stuff, this is not a critical, that's all I'm saying. If there's if there's too much on the agenda for the 19.th I would recommend that we push this topic to the following meetings. It's it's SBSD Owl Camera: I know we're going late. Sorry. And yeah, but and then I don't mean to throw a wrench into things. But one thing that did come up, that I've from some of the
218emails that I've seen and and feedback and watching the video from last week. SBSD Owl Camera: One of the questions is in regards to rigor in schools SBSD Owl Camera: and American history honors American history and one of the questions there. So I know there's going to be a session next week on the 20.th I don't know. SBSD Owl Camera: Are people show this board available to go and and listen to that, and to hear some of the dialogue there and then. What would be the Board's opportunity or position to go back and to take a look at that? And is that our position to do that? Because driving some of them are during schools, and you know I have my own personal opinions on that as a parent and some of the feedback I've
219heard. Just curious, you know, where that gets benched, or SBSD Owl Camera: with all of this discussion, too. So generally selecting the curriculum is not a board, because we are not experts, however monitoring, and there's a curriculum in place is our role, and we have 2.10 curriculum development in review. And we typically monitor or historically, have monitored that SBSD Owl Camera: policy in October, but we could request of the superintendent. Technically, we can request to monitor any of this policies anytime. It's disruptive, I think, to SBSD Owl Camera: the process to just like SBSD Owl Camera: I I don't think it would be a good habit to just emergency monitor policies all the time. Yup however, at any time the Board may request a monitoring report SBSD Owl Camera: out the policy we standardly seek
220to review them, at least annually, and sometimes. SBSD Owl Camera: so that does that answer your question about? Yeah, it does. I mean, I guess the question is because there's been such public comment in regards to that in particular. And and emails that I've seen on that. I mean about this. This seems like it's a topic. Again. This would be, I would say, a hot button topic that the community wants to know more about like Hey, South Burlington School District High School. What are you doing about this? SBSD Owl Camera: I'm just wondering what role we have in all of that, or what we can do to help facilitate some discussion or help influence some of the change that may need to happen in regards to that I don't know. Those are. Those are kind
221of. SBSD Owl Camera: I think, whatever we do, we have to. SBSD Owl Camera: Didn't we have to provide? SBSD Owl Camera: Make sure, like like, the superintendent just said. SBSD Owl Camera: if we are saying the budget is a decided issue, we should give her that guidance. And if we're saying the budget is an open issue. We we have to give that guidance, and whatever it is, you know SBSD Owl Camera: she is executing what we say SBSD Owl Camera: as opposed to making decisions on her own, which might be politically very so. The Board can support academic rigor and instruction financially through the budget development process. Right mechanism for you to show that priority operationally, you hear constituent concerns. You bring it to me, and I have signed. SBSD Owl Camera: I've asked
222my staff to be available to meet with any constituent one on one for meetings which they've done. They've done an FAQ. To provide information. I've asked that it be put in newsletters, not into the website which has and I've asked for the community Forum to happen on the 20th SBSD Owl Camera: and so those are. Wait. Those are avenues for discourse and information sharing to occur. So I guess the follow up to that would be what could be a potential outcome from that? I mean, if you have a tremendous amount of public support that shows up to SBSD Owl Camera: continue with that class? SBSD Owl Camera: Is there a potential that that's going to influence the outcome as to what may and fashion you want to talk about this? I think this is where
223you say I want it on the agenda for next week. Yeah, and that may be. I mean? I don't. I want to wrap things up, I know. But these are just some of the questions I have, or maybe these are things I can reach out to you separately, or you separately, and just say, Hey, because I have a lot, I got a lot. SBSD Owl Camera: The quick answer is that Board members don't influence or determine what classes are taught about school. This wasn't brought to my attention because it is the principal's sole discretion. What the course of studies are. The course of studies is often done with a guidance counselor and the school administration. It doesn't even often to the superintendent level. So this is not a SBSD Owl Camera: an area where board
224has control, let alone a superintendent like I'm not, and I don't. I don't decide there, but it's definitely brewing like you. Hear me, Delina and Chelsea, because even if you're a parent, or if you say you're like, I'm here with my parent hat. But if there's 3 other people, you are important. 3 other board members excuse me. SBSD Owl Camera: board members than you are a quorum, and you couldn't just say I'm a parent today, isn't it? 4? If there were 3 other in addition. SBSD Owl Camera: Well, I'll probably be there SBSD Owl Camera: strong, strong chance. Yep, anytime you're gonna Rsv key to an event. I include the line on it, too, so she can, because we don't. Wanna SBSD Owl Camera: what you wanted to talk about is covered next week under
225the staff. The staffing budget thing right. SBSD Owl Camera: didn't you add it? Yes, the thing that I want to be clear about with agendas is it should be clear to our community what we're talking about. And so is it covered? Is. SBSD Owl Camera: if the community member looked at the agenda, would they know? That's what we're doing? SBSD Owl Camera: yeah. So, Jennifer, if you want to talk about that more than I think you should provide Chelsea feedback on how to phrase that. SBSD Owl Camera: I think that Jennifer's question is, what's the board role in this issue, and the answer is pretty that the Board does not select curriculum, so I don't think we need to have more discussion about it. I think that's support I can offer her as chair. If
226the support I provide to Jennifer is insufficient, she may say I'd like for this to be a board discussion, and then you evaluate me on it in 2.5, SBSD Owl Camera: based on the criteria the board has set SBSD Owl Camera: links. But it is we. Actually, this is from October 23. SBSD Owl Camera: Yeah, that updated, we just, we got a new website and not everything gets updated. SBSD Owl Camera: I think that this is this is meant to be an intention of how often and when these policies are monitored, and those are all the policies, there aren't any others that we are supposed to be. SBSD Owl Camera: I mean, I want to double check to make sure. But theoretically we also have a board work work plan that we will approve as
227a team. SBSD Owl Camera: centuries. SBSD Owl Camera: Yeah. SBSD Owl Camera: And so it details SBSD Owl Camera: in this part. This is the policies that we monitor. But then also, we're figuring out when we have budget meetings and it breaks it down into kind of our our buckets as board members, and then what month? So that we can say, you know which meetings we're gonna SBSD Owl Camera: talking about these topics and their curricular one is in the fall because we have the assessment. The assessment data is embargoed for various times. We put it in the fall as part of budget development. It's a data point. We have all the data same with the financial pieces. The Board should know where you are before you enter into the new fiscal year's discussion. So
228they're timed with the Board's work. SBSD Owl Camera: Is this all discussion and agenda. SBSD Owl Camera: Okay? So SBSD Owl Camera: I think that we've outlined everything from the 19th meeting. I will also in my board update email to you all detail everything that I'm adding to the machine, and if there's anything that I'm missing, or anything you'd like to add, please let me know. SBSD Owl Camera: It's not good. SBSD Owl Camera: One quick question I'd like to ask. The Board in regard to different boards have had different SBSD Owl Camera: preferences for how the Board Chair communicates with the community about the work that we're doing, and something that I've heard. SBSD Owl Camera: I think, from this team pretty collectively is increasing engagement, particularly around monitoring. And if we're going to
229be monitoring a report at our next meeting. Would you like me to include that in the Forum and encourage folks to send questions via email about the report that we'll be monitoring. I just feel like that's kind of a time sensitive question. Since. SBSD Owl Camera: I'll need to send that. They don't know enough about schema for understanding our question. Okay? So then, yeah, I'll explain my question in my board update email, and we'll follow up. Okay. SBSD Owl Camera: are you? SBSD Owl Camera: Are we done talking about agenda. SBSD Owl Camera: So that brings us to agenda item assistance, which I did SBSD Owl Camera: do. I have a motion to adjourn the regular session of the South Burlington School Board meeting. SBSD Owl Camera: I'm to adjourn on. Diversify the same. SBSD
230Owl Camera: She was adjourned. SBSD Owl Camera: Thanks. Everyone.