May 7, 2025 School Board Meeting

001Jennifer Lawrence: Yes, we are moving to just the gecko. That's what move public public comment. Jennifer Lawrence: community engagement. We're gonna discuss that. We, our committee needs to pull some additional information together for that. Owl Camera: Other 2 bullets. Owl Camera: For instance, in tonight's policy, monitoring specifically detailed policy 10. There are many bullet points intended to demonstrate compliance. Owl Camera: However, we encourage this Board to inquire with other groups to confirm those points and things such as, How are the parents of our special education students feeling about their special education? How is staff turnover affected co-teaching and pushing, and other special? Another model of instruction? And what evidence is there of the uses and effectiveness of educar and other noted tools. Owl Camera: Is it enough to report a list of activities? Or should

002there be multi different pieces of information from different stakeholder groups that build an accurate picture of what's happening on the ground in South Burlington. Owl Camera: As we've mentioned, we believe that the Board has the ability to do this under policy governance as it currently stands, and is enabled to do so. So we encourage the Board to use these abilities to meet, not just with us, but with all other stakeholder groups that they can to continue to verify the information they're getting. Owl Camera: Our folks came out tonight to support us and to support the district and look forward to teaching all the students in the morning. So we're going to stay for the rest of the public comment. And we really do respect the work that you're doing and the diligency with what you're

003doing. Thank you. Owl Camera: Anything else. Like to see how much Owl Camera: we're right at 6 20, and Owl Camera: had intended to extend all the comment by 15 min we're on. Owl Camera: We're honored. Owl Camera: We're on time with our agenda right now. Owl Camera: So all I'm saying is, we intended to extend my 15 min. If there's anything else that you'd like to share. Owl Camera: Are there any other members of the community who would like to make comment. I see one raised hand online. I'm curious if that raised hand is for the mute issue. Owl Camera: But if we could unmute Cranson Owl Camera: Benson, can you hear us Owl Camera: but noted you because you have your hand raised or you have it on it going? Owl Camera: Okay? Maybe that

004was the just trying to raise the issue right there. Owl Camera: Okay, seeing no further public comment. Let's move on. Owl Camera: Thank you so much. Owl Camera: Agenda item for student numbers on end of the report. Owl Camera: Goodness. Owl Camera: thank you. For the past few weeks Fhd. Students have been working in their tas to gather materials and put together. Welcome home kits. These kits will be donated to Champlain Place, which is an organization that provides housing and resources for families. Fht. Students are welcome to bring in supplies until this Friday evening Owl Camera: last Friday, the High School's green team, inspired by the Sbsd climate Action Plan, planted 7 new flowering trees on the High School campus. Owl Camera: Over the winter they wrote and received a grant, and then partnered with

005local experts like Burlington, urban Forester, Uvm extensions, gardener supply and landscapes landscaping to bring this project to life. We are super excited for these new trees to offer beauty and shade to students and staff, as well as support pollinators, and lower the school's carbon footprint. Owl Camera: This past Saturday the South Burlington High School track team hosted the twilight meet, which is the only under the lights track competition in the State. The meet is held annually, and this year 34 different schools came to compete, including one from out of State. Despite the large number of competitors, the meet ran extremely smoothly, and we would like to recognize the student athletes, coaches, and parents who contributed to such a positive. Owl Camera: Also, on Friday, 9th grade advisories and the peer leadership program engaged in slam

006community Service Day students made an impact at places such as the Wheeler House Common Roots farm Camp Abenaki and more 9th graders then got to participate in the annual slam Olympics on the turf, and school spirit and competition was high this year. Thank you to the community for welcoming the High School students to their places. Owl Camera: and finally the Fhtms drama program will be performing their spring play. Squirrel Girl. This weekend showtimes are Friday, May 9, th at 7 Pm. And Saturday, May 10th at one Pm. Both shows will be in the Sbhs. Auditorium and ticket prices are $5 for adults and free for students. Owl Camera: And that's it. Thank you. Owl Camera: Yeah. Owl Camera: Questions for our students. Owl Camera: Just that. I drove by on Saturday. And I was like,

007My God, there's so many cars in the parking lot, and I remember twilight because my son puts back up Owl Camera: athlete as well. So you guys are having a good night. Do you know how students are identified? Does it have to be a student like, what if you have like Uvm students are Uvm students free to go to the or is it? This is a great question. I'd assume. Just Sp, students are $5. But there was an email that I can give you. We've typically grace. And we've typically done Owl Camera: Sb students. Okay, the money goes to good cost. I know who it does. I know who it does. Owl Camera: Okay. With that we'll move to agenda. Item, 5 discussion items. And our first, st we have our student representative recruitment process

008update. Owl Camera: Yeah. So a couple of weeks ago, me and Gracie worked to spread some awareness around the application process to the sophomores. So we did announcements every morning and afternoon. We had a slideshow in the lobby and the library. We did some Instagram posts. And then we also had an email sent out from Craig. Owl Camera: And then, additionally, this year, we went into every sophomore English class, and talked a little bit about the role and what the application entailed. And because of that, we got a bunch of applications, and we were really able to interact face to face with students and answer their questions, which is really great. Yeah. So because of this outreach, we got 10 applications this year, which might be a new record, we believe. Owl Camera: So we're

009super excited about the engagement we got and the steps going forward. Yes, that's 4 more since just the other day, and then our next steps. Next week we have a meeting set with Emily and Jennifer, and we're going to be workshopping, interview questions and going over applications, and then we will have the whole interview process. Owl Camera: It's amazing. Owl Camera: Thank you. Owl Camera: I think that is a record to a number. Owl Camera: maybe 8, number 10. Did you tell them it was about all right. Owl Camera: But all yes, thank you. Great. Thank you. We will move to safely to school update, and I'd love to welcome back Kate Bailey, community member, former school board member and super active task force member. Owl Camera: Thanks, and Susan Grasso from local motion should

010be joining us remotely. I don't know if you can see she's she's joined us. Awesome Owl Camera: as Susan Grasso. No quotient. Owl Camera: I think. Susan has a presentation that we would like to share screen, and she has a lot of the expertise and has been facilitating us through the last Owl Camera: maybe Owl Camera: 2 ish years year and a half of the task force. So I wanted to introduce the task force for the newer School Board members and Owl Camera: talk through some of the work that's been happening, and request that one of the I think that it would work best as a task force to have a current School Board member. As one of the appointed seats of the task force. So I present that request to you. Owl Camera: Great.

011Yeah, Susan, are you there. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: I'm here. Can you all hear me? Owl Camera: Yes. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: You can hear me. Okay. Terrific. I'm trying to show a slideshow. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: to all of you. Can you see it. Owl Camera: Yeah, yeah. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: Right Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: great. Well, 1st of all, thank you very much for having me here tonight. I'm so in person I was kind of double booked tonight. So opted to do both meetings remotely. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: But I'm here tonight to talk about the safe routes to school task force and give you an Update on our work. So my name is Susan Grasso. I am a senior

012complete street specialist at locomotion. I work in their complete streets program, and I facilitate the safe routes to school task force for all of you. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: So for those of you who do not know about locomotion, locomotion is Vermont's only Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: statewide. Active transportation advocacy, organization, and our mission is to make it safe, accessible, and fun for everyone to bike, walk, and roll in Vermont. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: And that includes our kids. So we play an important role in safe routes to school programming in the State. And we do that because we deeply believe in it for a lot of reasons. Some of those I've shown here Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: encouraging kids to walk and bike to school in

013the morning obviously, is a really healthy habit. Also helps kids learn about how to do that safely in their communities. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: It builds independence and self-confidence in kids also helps them to create mental maps of their neighborhoods. You might be surprised at how difficult it is for kids who spend most of their time being shuttled around in cars to get to different places in their community. How difficult it is for them to really understand how their neighborhoods and communities are spatially mapped out. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: Also helps to build like a deep attachment to the places that they live in and the people who live there. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: There's growing evidence that there are learning benefits that accrue when kids have a chance

014to be active in the morning before school. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: And then a really nice thing is that it can really help reduce the transportation burden that many families feel trying to get their kids to different places. So for all of these reasons. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: it's something that we we really try to support in the State and the Graphic on the right illustrates a trend that we've been seeing over the last several decades that fewer kids are walking and biking to school. This graphic is the story of Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: a family, 4 generations of the family who Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: in this case we're living in Great Britain, Britain. So this is a region in which this family lived for generations,

015and it just illustrates how the Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: the area in which kids were allowed to roam has really declined over several generations. So at the lower end of this graphic, this great grandfather in this family, George, at the age of 8 in 1919, was allowed to walk 6 miles to go fishing. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: His son Jack, aged 8 in 1950, was allowed to walk a mile on his own to the woods. Jack's daughter, Vicky, aged 8 in 1979, was allowed to go to the swimming pool alone, about a half a mile away. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: and Vicky's son, Ed, who was 8 at the time that this article was published in 2,007, was only allowed to walk on his own to the end of

016a street which was about 300 yards. So I think this kind of Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: pattern is also applicable to many parts of the United States and and other places. And it's really something that we're trying to push back on. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: So I'm excited, really excited about the fact that South Burlington chose to put together this collaboration between the city and the School board to approach this issue of safe routes to school and trying to develop a culture of walking and biking to school. I believe that it's a model for other communities in the State, and I just really appreciate the opportunity to work with all of you on this Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: city council appointed 7 positions to the task force. So the

017positions are in parentheses here on this slide, with the individuals filling those positions shown in green. So we have Andrew Chelneck, who is your city council representative to the task force. Tom Dipietro, who is your Dpw. Director for the city ken Berkman represents the bike and pet committee. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: Kate, you. You all know, Kate. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: Jean Marie Clark is director of facilities Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: in the school district. Matt Dransfield is an environmental science teacher at South Burlington High School, and then we have a rotating school district building. Administrator will often get a couple of administrators attend our meetings, and we really very much appreciate the time, because they are very busy people. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: So we have

018been meeting since December of 2023, Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: and we have been charged with 3 tasks. The 1st task is to develop safe walking and biking routes for each of the 5 schools. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: The second task is to support the development of, say, fruits to school school based teams to help build that culture, so to plan and execute education and encouragement events for their school communities. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: And then the 3rd task is to, after getting through task one and 2 make a decision about whether or not a continuing collaboration between the school district and the city on this topic is something worth proceeding with. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: So I'm going to start with some of our work on Task

019one. I don't want to take up a ton of time, so I'm not going to go into this in a lot of detail, but please feel free to ask questions at the end. If you're curious about, have more questions about this work, but we have been involved with working with the city on developing improvements on Dorset Street and in front of the Middle and High school. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: So last summer, you probably all know there was a school zone that was established there. We worked with a consultant to make recommendations for pedestrian safety improvements that will take place this summer, when the the street is repaved in front of the school. Owl Camera: Yeah. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: So, looking forward to some some improvements there, we're also working

020with Jean Marie on the upcoming, repaving project of the main parking lot at the middle and high school. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: So here we're looking for opportunities to improve the kind of traffic flow, and and at the same time look for opportunities to make walking and biking more attractive and more appealing to more students. So we've got some interesting ideas there, and I know she is working to develop a meet to set up a meeting with Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: the principals at the schools, to review some of those ideas. We also have an intersection study happening at the intersection of market and detilio drive by Rick Marcotte Central School. So kind of looking at the issues kind of longstanding issues there to see if we can come up with

021some ideas for improving again the safety for everybody trying to access the school there. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: so again, happy to provide more details there, but didn't want to take too much time. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: Last fall. You may be aware that the task force led a demonstration project to test a neighborhood to school route Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: that went from the intersection of Williston Road and Elson Parkway, weaving through neighborhood low stress neighborhood streets to the back of Tuttle Middle School. So we ran that project for a couple of months. We used low cost materials to try to reduce traffic speeds, put in some way, finding signage. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: Here are some images from that demonstration. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local

022Motion: put in added a crosswalk, put in some bicycle and pedestrian pavement markings to raise awareness about the fact that that people and kids are using the streets for walking and biking. Some of these streets do not have sidewalks, so we tested. As I said this for about 2 months we paired it with a community survey. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: and about 77% of the responses that we received were supportive of continuing to work on this neighborhood to school route by looking at more permanent materials, more visually appealing materials. So this is a project that has been kind of folded into the city's work plan, so something to keep an eye on as designs for a more permanent installation. Proceed. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: The big project related to task one

023that we've been working on is a gis mapping of all the concerns that folks have, especially parents. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: about letting their kids walk and bike to their school their child's school. We focus on a 1 mile radius. And we're trying to understand. What are those barriers? What do parents need to see happen that would make them feel comfortable, letting their child get to school on their own. So this is an interactive map. It's just an amazing resource that Dpw. Has put together Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: for us. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: I've shown a screenshot here on the right, you can link to it. I urge you to play around with it. There's a lot of great data here. What the screenshot shows is each of

024the circles. The yellowish green circles represents one of the school campuses. The shaded areas actually represent the school shed if you will. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: So the blue area represents the residences whose kids attend orchard school, for example, it was striking to many of us to look at this visually and realize that the school sheds are quite long and narrow, so they're not especially set up Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: really well for really encouraging a lot of walking and biking to school. But be that as it may, we really we focused on this one mile radius, and the way we approached this was to have the task force take a 1st stab at identifying what those concerns were. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: what infrastructure felt unsafe, what other

025needs might exist crossing guard needs, for example, and we put that all together. If you click on any of the red diamonds here you'll see a pop up that will show what the concern is in that area. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: and they're all id. And then the next step in this process has been to take this initial mapping, take it to the school communities and hear from them. What are we missing how, you know ground truthing the projects and concerns that we identified. So really getting that school community feedback. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: we completed that process for Chamberlain School Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: in it last fall. So this slide shows all of the different ways in which we tried to connect with the school community. We

026also put out a community survey to the Chamberlain families. We received 70 responses, so we got a lot of great information, and all of that resulted in 30 different issues that were identified for Chamberlain School. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: All of these Projects now, as I said, are id'd, they are on the radar of Dpw. And our next step in this whole process will be to figure out how to prioritize, prioritize these projects Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: and then advocate for funding for these projects, so that will be one of the next steps that the task force will work through. But Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: to have them all documented and mapped is, I think, just a really great step forward. We're currently now this semester. We're working on

027doing that same kind of outreach at Orchard School and at Rick Marcotte Central School. So we've got surveys that are open for those communities right now and then in the fall we'll wrap up by focusing on the middle school and high school, and we will hopefully then have a really complete set of at least what the needs are. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: and then shifting to task 2, which is more, that culture building piece. I mentioned that our goal was to develop these school-based safe routes to school teams. We're finding that to be a little bit of a challenge just given, how busy the schools are already. So we're kind of, and schools are doing things. For example, Chamberlain had a walk, bike and roll to school day today Rick Marcott Central School

028is having one on May 21.st Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: My hope is that we could really identify teams that are thinking about Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: not just maybe holding one or 2 events a year. But thinking about Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: how many kids are walking and biking. Now, do we want to set goals for that? What kinds of other things can we be doing with our community that are tailored to our particular school and neighborhood to encourage that regular normalized, everyday walking and biking to school activity. As I said. That's feeling a little bit challenging at the moment. So we're focusing on 2 Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: lower hanging fruit opportunities. And the 1st one that's shown here is to take advantage of local motions

029bike smart program. So this is a program that is free to all schools. We offer a trailer filled with bikes. So 50 bikes in our bike smart trailer, we also offer several adaptive bikes. It's really important that we try to engage all kids in this Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: bicycle education and skills building program. So the process involves schools just signing up and they can receive this trailer for a week. Most typically these are integrated into PE classes. So a PE teacher will receive the curriculum and use the bikes to deliver this bike education and skills building training. We also supply all the helmets. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: and if PE teachers have any concerns, questions, we are there to help them out. So that's a great program. I've made the

030schools aware of it. I'm really hoping that they take advantage of it. For some reason South Burlington has not really availed themselves of this free opportunity. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: With the exception of Tuttle Middle School in the last 5 years. They've had it a couple of times, but other than that, it really hasn't been used. So if you click on this link, schools can sign up for updates. The program will open for registration Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: sometime this summer for a fall registration, and I will definitely let schools know when that opens up. It is a program that's oversubscribed, so the sooner schools can sign up for it the greater chance that they will have to receive it. So that's 1 opportunity, and then also related to our second

031goal of really culture building. The schools are partnering with the Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: city recreation and parks program Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: to offer a South Burlington Walk bike and roll passport program. So this involves giving to kids who are interested in participating this really nice passport. It's 4 4 pages Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: spread out here so that you can see all the different sides of it. But it basically involves just encouraging kids to get out and do 10 or more walking, biking, or rolling trips this summer. It can be any kind of a trip. It can be a walk around the neighborhood, a bike ride to get a creamy, it can be rolling to a recreation event, and kids are just asked to put the date

032and where they went. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: and bring a completed passport to any recreation event to City Hall. Whenever they've they've completed at least 10 trips, and they can receive this really cute drawstring bag that's shown on the right here. So the schools are helping by making these passports available to students at the schools. This program will launch on May 17, th and it will end. I believe it's on September 5, th Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: so it will run all summer long. So Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: lastly, I just want to leave you with this these thoughts about how you can help at the School Board level. Really. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: we are starting to think about this question of, is there value in

033extending this collaboration into the future. Some of us on the task force are already thinking that there could be a lot of value, especially as we start to really try to build those school-based teams. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: A permanent committee could kind of be the glue to sort of support those school-based efforts. We're talking about different ways that that could look, it doesn't have to be this task force continuing, it could look like something else. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: So this may come across your desk at some point in the future. Also, you know, if you have ideas on how we can support the schools in setting up those school-based teams would love to hear your thoughts on that Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: also, you know, encouraging schools,

034if you like, the idea of the bike smart program, maybe helping to encourage schools to sign up for that program, and then, just being mindful, once we get all of these infrastructure projects identified, the next step is going to be really being advocates at city council meetings to ask for dedicated safe routes to school funding for these projects, and you know, make sure that we start working our way through that list. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: So I'm going to leave you with this picture of kids trying to ride their bikes here on Dorset Street at the Kennedy intersection. We really want to give them safer spaces to ride than what's shown here, and just really appreciate all your support for this work. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: Thanks. Owl Camera: Questions or

035anything like that, I just want to add, I'll take 1 min to add a little bit of context of how the safe Food Systems Task Force got started in 2022, when I Owl Camera: was elected to the School Board. We had no school zones in the city of South Burlington, and it took a lot of work and partnership with the city to establish Owl Camera: those school zones around the majority, but not all of the campuses, and there were a lot of decisions made that impact. Our school city decisions are in city center in particular, like the intersection that was built that doesn't properly fit the turning radius of the school bus. Owl Camera: And so I felt as a School Board member that I didn't have the access to the data and the knowledge and

036expertise that I needed to successfully advocate for the districts and students benefits in the same way that the city has. Owl Camera: You know, all the expertise on their city infrastructure that impacts safer schools. So I just really want to encourage the Board to use the task force as a resource, and that we have data and knowledge. Local motion has been excellent at collecting data for us to use. Owl Camera: So that we can Owl Camera: have that knowledge and have a better understanding of what the needs are in the city for our students and our families getting to schools, and also the piece about advocacy. I would say we have a mixed bag success rate. On advocating for the projects that have been identified in the safe for Schools task force in success in

037getting the city to to fund and address the needs of our schools and our students. So that is one reason why I ask for Owl Camera: a School Board member representative to be more deeply involved with the task force and the work that you're doing in partnership with the city, I think, would benefit with close collaboration with this task force so that it doesn't take us a year to get a school zone, for example, or, you know, 8 months to get a stop sign Owl Camera: at the intersection and city center. Owl Camera: So thanks for your consideration and for getting up to speed with Susan and thank you, Susan. Owl Camera: and thank you, Jean Marie. The position was unfilled in 2022, which also, having Jean Marine, is such a huge asset to us,

038and I just want to give Big shout out to to Jean, Marie and the work that she does. Owl Camera: Thanks, Henry. I'll pass along. Susan, thank you so much. And, Kate, thank you so much. I will. Ping the Admin team the principals with a reminder about bike smart and pass that info along. So if there's anything you know in particular, that you want me to to share with them, feel free to shoot me a link or info on Google, but happy to to help from that end. As well. Owl Camera: I would like to just say real quick if I can. So when we 1st moved here in 2021. I remember that in October, actually in 2021, a young man was hit by his hit by a car right in front of the school.

039He was a 9th grader, and it was traumatic, really tragic. And he actually just passed away earlier this year. Joel Strout. Owl Camera: and I feel like I mean that whole situation was so tragic. I know his sister had passed away a few months before he passed. I mean, it was just absolutely awful. But Owl Camera: I bring this up because it just seems that I'm a huge advocate of biking and walking. I think it's it's great. I'd love to see kids out doing it. But I feel that we need to also be impressing upon children the importance of wearing helmets and and being safe on their bicycles, and I don't know how that's being added into it, because I even see where we live. You know, we'll see kids. We're right on the bike

040path Owl Camera: out a lot of times without their helmets. And so I feel like having that education is a really critical piece of it. And you know, even potentially sharing Joel's story as one to keep the kids memory alive, and then also to share like this is what can happen if you don't protect yourself when you're out and riding. So I would just like to add that Owl Camera: to. However, you know this is, it's all worked out, because, you know, we've we've seen it happen before with with kids. And actually, I just heard someone was telling me the other day that they saw their child on the back of an electric bicycle going down Dorset Street, going, you know, 40 miles an hour without a helmet, and the parent flipped out. And so

041you know how we could integrate that into the into this whole advocacy program. I think. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: And I think that's where the bike smart program can be a really like, I said, kind of low hanging fruit way to start getting bike education to South Burlington youths. So yeah, again, just really want to put a plug for that program for you all. Owl Camera: Would you? Kate, would you think it would be a good idea for board members who are potentially interested in joining to just join for one meeting and see Owl Camera: absolutely. Yes, I I can share notes with any board members, and the next meeting is next Thursday, at 3 30. I'm not looking at my calendar. So correct me if I'm wrong. Owl Camera: That is correct.

042Owl Camera: Yeah. At that city awesome. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: And we meet. We meet at City City Hall in Room 301 but there's always an option to participate remotely. So Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: trying to make it as accessible as possible for all. Owl Camera: Right. So this information is on the city's website, too. If folks are interested, they offer in person and virtual options. So if you want to attend virtually. That's an option, too. Owl Camera: You can find that info right on the city's website. Owl Camera: Chants. Owl Camera: I remember. I can't remember if it was you, Laura somebody bringing up that the Dorset Street School zone was maybe not sufficient. And and what is your opinion about about that? So this isn't exactly why, I wish

043we had had the task force Owl Camera: before establishing the school zone, because the city did a traffic study and then presented us their recommendations from the traffic study and Owl Camera: I don't have any expertise in reading traffic studies, especially compared to the Department of Public Works whose job it is is to read and conduct traffic studies. So number one bringing in an expert like Susan, whose job it is is to look at traffic studies from the lens of child development and student needs and school safety. And for Owl Camera: to see how that traffic study matches along with like what parents are saying, what students are actually experiencing in the school zone. So the school zone sort of we, just Owl Camera: from my recollection, went with what the city's recommendation was without

044having a more holistic data set that I think that we would have had if we had had the task force information at the time of establishing those school zones. Owl Camera: And is there a concrete example of you know what might be missing from what was done on Dorset Street? Owl Camera: Well, okay. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: Well, there will. There will be changes coming on Dorset Street this summer, beginning in June. So a couple of things, in addition to establishing the school zone. The city has 1st of all, they've changed all the signals on Dorset Street, so they're not. They're now. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: you know, intelligent, adaptive signals for one. So they're learning how to better manage the existing traffic flows there. The second thing that they've done

045is they put pedestrian exclusive phasing in the signals, which means that if you activate any of the pedestrian signals, all traffic on all approaches come to a stop. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: So there's no no traffic moving. As you're crossing the street, and then, with the changes coming this this summer, they are collapsing, the 2 crosswalks that exist in front of the school down into one Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: they are putting in a pedestrian refuge island in the middle Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: to shorten sort of the the distance that a pedestrian is exposed when crossing that road, also putting in an Rrfb. As well as enhanced lighting at the crosswalk to make it more visible. So these are some of the things that they've been able to

046wrap into the what was originally intended just to be a repaving project for that 4th segment on Dorset Street. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: It doesn't mean that there isn't more that can be done. But these are the things that Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: we were able to get done as part of that repaving project. Owl Camera: Right. So they the timing for the paving. We delayed it instead of last summer. It's happening this summer, so that all of these pieces of infrastructure that are contributing to the safety of pedestrian traffic in particular could be could be done at the same time as the paving Owl Camera: effectively, seeing cities not repaving, and then also adding, somebody here, yeah, Owl Camera: any further more discussion on this topic. Owl Camera: I just

047want to say, you know, 2 years ago when we were talking about school zones. And really, you know, advocating for the implementation of school zones being that we're such a you know, an urban area. And there's busy streets such as Dorset, for instance. Owl Camera: you know, I think it's a pretty big accomplishment that we sit here today with the zone. So I want to thank Kate and Susan, and you know folks of the city and all those board members at the time, Laura, Tim Chelsea, for you know, making that happen. It was a team effort that benefits our whole Owl Camera: pretty great to be here, and voila! Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: I just want to emphasize the point, though, that Kate was making. You know it's great that we're identifying all

048of these projects. And we've we've got them documented, and they're in the system. But you know, as with anything, the real need is showing up at City Council meetings and being there to ask for these things to be funded. They have a really tough job trying to, as you all do, trying to balance a lot of things, and with limited resources. And so to have you all there Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: expressing the importance of these things is really important. And that's something that I hope you know, we can continue to work together on. As as this work moves forward, so. Owl Camera: One last question. I'm just looking. I'm on the website looking at this. And Susan, I just sent you an email to be added to the distribution list. But it

049says, Task one develop safe walking and biking routes to each of the 5 school campuses. And I just recently learned about South Point. Owl Camera: So with that. Where is that? And is there a safe route for South Point as well? I think that's great. So South Point is at 1025 airport drive, which is very close to the airport. And I would, I would, you know. Owl Camera: really do think that should be added to the list. Yeah, that's great. Owl Camera: It's not currently on the list. But we should. Yeah, we should add it. Yeah. Owl Camera: And Jaberlyn's pretty far down the road, so that area, that neighborhood, it shouldn't be too too hard to Owl Camera: add them. Owl Camera: Right? Owl Camera: Thank you. Are you on schedule? Do you have

050time for comments? Owl Camera: Yeah. Could you come up and we'll see her. Owl Camera: So I'll introduce myself as Jerry Silverstein, cyclist for 50 years as opposed to Jerry Silverstein, troublemaker. Owl Camera: So a couple of thoughts. There's 2 things here. You're talking about kids walking to school and kids bicycling to school. Is that correct? Owl Camera: Okay, so if you're talking about walking to school. I think you have to be careful of age. If you're talking about young children, I would not recommend young children walking to school alone if it gets out that the South Burlington and Burlington young kids are walking to school alone. Owl Camera: It's a terrible idea. So a buddy system would be very helpful 2 or 3 kids. That's the way to go at a certain age, as

051far as cycling. I've been cycling in this area for 50 years, not in this area, but for a total of 50 years. Owl Camera: South Burlington is not a very bicycle, friendly community, all things considered, if you want to look at a progressive community. They will have dedicated bicycle lanes on the road itself. If you push bicyclists onto a multi-user pass path you're asking for trouble. You have dogs. You have baby carriages. You have people who walk slowly. You don't want cyclists on that road. It's dangerous for the cyclists, and it's sure as hell dangerous for the people on it. Owl Camera: and we don't really have enough dedicated bike lanes on roads to have that be a citywide process. That's something you'd have to seriously consider. If you really want to do it. If

052you're going to do cycling, then the students, whoever is going to do it is going to have to be educated, that on a multi-user path they have to be cognizant that they're sharing that bike pair with other people, and if you're not careful, you're going to have accidents. I've seen it happen all the time, so I would Owl Camera: really encourage you to move carefully on this and make sure if you implement something like that. You take into account the worst case scenario, because in this situation with a multi user pass, the worst situation is going to happen at some point, unless you really work hard to prevent it. Owl Camera: 12% Owl Camera: in a discussion on this topic. Owl Camera: Thank you so much, Susan, thanks. Susan Grasso (she/her) - Local Motion: Thank

053you. Owl Camera: Alright. That brings us to School board, retreat, update. Owl Camera: So the School Board did meet. Last Friday we had a retreat with some team building games that were buried, and we spent the bulk of our discussion time reviewing our policies and having discussion about them. Board members like to share anything with the community about our retreat. Owl Camera: This would also be an excellent time for you to tell me any action, steps, or next steps that you want on the list. As a result of that, I would say, if we could finalize, get out the racy that we were working on. I think that's 1 of the items that we need to progress. Owl Camera: Where that stands. And I'm a plug for that. So Owl Camera: what was that? I'm

054on the book for that? Okay, okay, yes. Owl Camera: I think the retreat represented an effort by this board to learn how to work together. I think we represent a pretty wide spectrum of opinions. Owl Camera: political backgrounds. And it's, you know, it's easy for kids to learn how to work together when they go to school. But when a bunch of adults get together, it can be harder to hear each other. And so this board is working on on being an effective body. Owl Camera: Have a housekeeping update. If Owl Camera: comment. I did so. One of the action items was to schedule another retreat. Owl Camera: dates were sent out, and based on the folks who provided feedback. So far, none of those dates work. So Owl Camera: I will work to get a

055doodle pool out with additional dates. I think what we're ultimately gonna run into is that pretty much any given week in the summer somebody speak, gonna be gone for a week, chunk at a time, so I'll try to send a fraud variety of Owl Camera: dates in different leaves Owl Camera: if anything else comes up Owl Camera: right? So, moving on to policy d. 9, electronic communications between employees and students. This would be our 1st reading. Owl Camera: So for the newer board members, you know, when we approve a policy or policy change, we go through 3 readings and by statute. We don't have to read it out in the Owl Camera: public forum on the 1st reading, and then we have to put it on 2 subsequent meeting agendas as our second and 3rd

056readings. But at those meetings we don't have to read the whole thing out into the public record again. It's just put on agendas so that the public has plenty of time to weigh in. Owl Camera: So tonight we do need to read through it. This is, can I add to that? This is technically the 3rd reading, because we did not read this 3 times. It's been read twice publicly, but because we didn't do them. Currently, we wanted to refresh people's memories and just start the process over. So it just wasn't put on for that 3rd agenda. So Owl Camera: here we are. Owl Camera: I would take volunteers to me through this, since I'm quiet one. Owl Camera: but I'm happy to read it. If no one else would like to story time with him.

057Owl Camera: Sure. Owl Camera: South Burlington School District policy de 9, electronic communications between employees and students. Statement of policy. Owl Camera: South Burlington School district recognizes electronic communications and the use of social media outlets, create new options for extending and enhancing the educational program of the school district. Electronic communications and use of social media can help students and employees communicate regarding questions during non-school hours regarding homework or other assignments. Scheduling issues for school, related co-curricular and interscholastic athletic activities Owl Camera: school work to be completed during a student's extended absence, distance, learning opportunities, and other professional communications that can enhance teaching and learning opportunities between employees and students. Owl Camera: However, the South Burlington School district recognizes employees and students can be vulnerable in electronic communications. In accordance with Act 5 of 2018, this

058model policy is adopted to provide guidance and direction to the South Burlington School district employees to prevent improper electronic communications between employees and students. Owl Camera: Definitions. For purposes of this policy, the following definitions apply electronic communication. Electronic communication is any computer mediated Owl Camera: communication in which individuals exchange messages with others, either individually or in groups. Examples of electronic communication include but are not limited to email text messages, instant messaging, voicemail image sharing and communications made by means of an Internet site, including social media and social networking websites. Owl Camera: social media, social media is any form of online publication or presence that allows interactive communication included, including but not limited to social networks, blogs, websites and Internet forums. Examples of social media include but are not limited to Facebook X, formerly known as

059Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and Google Owl Camera: Employee employee includes any person employed directly by or retained through a contract of employment of employment. The district, an agent of the school, a school board, member and school district Union employees. Owl Camera: student student means any person who attends school in any of the grades. Pre-kindergarten through 12 operated by the district. Owl Camera: All communication. Oh, did I miss something? Owl Camera: Okay. Policy on electronic communication between students and employees. All communication between employees and students shall be professional and appropriate. The use of electronic communication that is inappropriate in content is prohibited, inappropriate content of an electronic communication. Inappropriate content of an electronic communication between an employee and a student includes. Owl Camera: but is not limited to communications of a sexual nature, sexual oriented humor or

060language, sexual advances, or content with a sexual overtone. Owl Camera: communications involving the use, encouraging the use or promoting or advocating the use of alcohol or tobacco, the illegal use of prescription drugs or controlled dangerous substances, illegal gambling or other illegal activities, communications regarding employees or students, past or current romantic relationships. Owl Camera: communications which include the use of profanities, obscene language, lewd comments, or pornography. Owl Camera: communications that are harassing, intimidating, or demeaning Owl Camera: communications, requesting or trying to establish a personal relationship with a student beyond the employees, professional responsibilities. Owl Camera: communications related to personal or confidential information regarding employee or student that isn't academically focused Owl Camera: procedures. The superintendent shall develop procedures for both the receipt and handling of reports filed under this policy. See enforcement responsibilities for student and

061employee below Owl Camera: enforcement responsibilities. Student communications in violation of this policy. In the event, a student sends an electronic communication that is inappropriate as defined in this policy or that violates the procedures governing inappropriate forms of electronic communication to an employee, the employee shall submit a written report of the inappropriate communication Owl Camera: referred to as report to the principal or designee, by the end of the next school day following actual receipt by the employee of such communication, the principal or designee will take appropriate action to have the student discontinue such improper electronic communications. Owl Camera: while the school district will seek to use such improper electronic communications by a student as a teaching and learning opportunity. Student communications. Violation of this policy may subject a student to discipline. Any discipline imposed shall take

062into account the relevant surrounding facts and circumstances. Owl Camera: employee communications. Violation of this policy. Owl Camera: In the event, an employee sends an electronic communication that is inappropriate as defined in this policy or that violates the procedures governing inappropriate forms of electronic communication to a student. Owl Camera: The student may, or the student's parent or guardian, may submit a written report of the inappropriate communication referred to as report to the principal and or the person designated by the principal to receive complaints. Under this policy the report shall specify what type of inappropriate communication was sent by the employee with a copy of the communication, if possible. Owl Camera: inappropriate electronic communications by an employee may result in appropriate or disciplinary action Owl Camera: applicability. The provisions of this policy shall be applicable at all

063times. While the employee is employed by the district, and at all times the student is enrolled in school district, including holiday and summer breaks. An employee is not subject to these provisions to the extent the employee has a family relationship with a student that is, parent, child, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, etc. Owl Camera: Other district policies, improper electronic communications that may also constitute violations of other policies of the district that is unwelcome. Sexual conduct may also constitute a violation of the school's separate policy on the prevention of harassment, hazing, and bullying of students. Complaints regarding such behavior should be directed as set forth in the school's procedures on the prevention of harassment, hazing, and bullying of students Owl Camera: reporting to other agencies. Vermont Department of children and families, or Dcf. Owl Camera: When behaviors violative

064of this policy include allegations of child abuse. Any person responsible for reporting suspected child abuse under 33 Vsa. Section 4,911. Owl Camera: Ex sequential. I'm not sure what that is. But Kyle, just move on. Must report the allegations to the Commissioner of Dcf. Owl Camera: If the victim is over. The age of 18, and a report of abuse is warranted. The report shall be made to adult protective services in accordance with 33 Bsa. Section 69, 0, 1 Owl Camera: reports to Vermont agency of education or the Aoe. Accordingly, if behaviors violative of this policy in a public school involve conduct by a licensed educator that might be grounds under Vermont law for licensing action. The principal shall report the alleged conduct to the superintendent, and the superintendent shall report the alleged conduct to the Aoe

065Owl Camera: reporting incidents to the police. Nothing in this policy shall preclude persons from reporting to law enforcement any incidents and or contact or conduct. Sorry that may be a criminal act. Owl Camera: continuing obligation to investigate reports made to either Dcf. Or law enforcement shall not be considered to absolve the school administrators of their obligations under this or any other policy, such as the policy on the prevention of harassment, hazing, and bullying, to pursue and complete an investigation upon receipt of notice of conduct which pardon me, which may constitute. Owl Camera: excuse me a policy violation, and I won't read the legal references, and the rest is for signatures. Owl Camera: We will update the signatures to reflect the current board. Owl Camera: So show me questions about the policy. Owl Camera: Good question.

066So do I mean, I understand that there's policies, and we have the procedures, and I'm just going back and looking at Owl Camera: are like executive limitations does this in some way. I understand. Maybe it's an entirely separate, but I would think that there would be some way that you would map all of these back to Owl Camera: policy governance, I would imagine. And I'm wondering like, would this fit in with under 2.1 treatment of students and parents? I don't. I don't know where that would fit. Yeah. So all policies can be linked back to the ends. This came about. Owl Camera: This was a policy that Cbsd had as a model policy. And I believe a board member at the time had brought this up. The suggestion from a constituent of some kind. But

067I mean you. Could you could connect this to any number of the ends. It's certainly meant to Owl Camera: ensure that appropriate communication is occurring. So yes, you could connect it to treatment of students. For instance. Owl Camera: good question, yeah. Owl Camera: About the applicability section Owl Camera: where it states an employee is not subject to these provisions to the extent that the employee family relationship with a student. I thought it might be a good idea to clarify a little bit there, because there are Owl Camera: quite a few inappropriate content Owl Camera: listed there, that I I think, would be that the employee would still be. It would be applicable to them if they did. Owl Camera: 1, 2, 3, 4 separate those out. I believe if a niece were to tell us

068that their uncle was doing. Owl Camera: you know, anything beyond the Owl Camera: anything personal related to confident or confidential information that one might be okay. But I feel like Owl Camera: should probably put something in with that. Owl Camera: So, legally speaking, my understanding is. Owl Camera: but if that conduct was going on, it would be inappropriate pricing harassment and the thing but that this provision was added. Owl Camera: things that we do protect family relationships. So it's not so. You're protecting appropriate conduct. Owl Camera: Correct me if your interpretation or understanding is different. I remember when we read through this the 1st time I wanted to add in stricter language, and then I understood the Owl Camera: legal rationale for leaving the language more flexible. So Owl Camera: can you do verify interpretation,

069or or you can get the top of page 2, Owl Camera: yeah, yeah, okay, let me. Owl Camera: So this was based on a policy that has been vetted by council at Cbsd, all Federal laws, such as title Ix are still, the district is still found to a fault. Owl Camera: we. Owl Camera: I'm just gonna move this quickly. Owl Camera: I think the important part is an employee is not subject to these provisions to the extent the employee has a family relationship with the student. So it's Owl Camera: I think it's what it's saying is with your family, you can Owl Camera: communicate with the students differently than and with their nonfamilial students. Yeah. So if it's a Owl Camera: summer break a parent who happens to be an employee of a child who

070attends the district of which we have many, they could still email their child. Yeah, I definitely understand what you're saying. I guess my read through just Owl Camera: it. It made me feel a little bit. I think I thought back to that list that you read, and I was like, Yep, I don't know. Yeah, great question. So we're the district employees are all mandated reporters. And we are still bound by all Federal and State requirements regarding expectations of behavior and reporting. My understanding is that this piece refers specifically to. Owl Camera: you know, student enrolled in the district, including holidays and summer breaks. Right? So there's nothing in here that conflicts with the district's requirement to ensure student safety. Right? Yeah. So if that were to. If, for example and these were to come, someone

071and say my uncle was doing this, obviously it would be like, Well, he's your uncle. So if they would not, that conduct would not be protected by this. Okay, yeah, thank you. Yeah. Owl Camera: The one thing that I would think is, I like it. I mean, I think it's it's great that you have that I would like to see it linked back like we could tie it to our policy government specifically that it would be called out that this would be a policy within that. Owl Camera: But I also think there's an opportunity to expand it. Perhaps in looking at just overall, you know, this seems like it's between the students and the staff. And the one question that I would have is, Do we have any kind of policy regarding how we are

072emphasizing keeping youth members safe from harm, including online. You know, potential online abuse, whether it's from staff Owl Camera: or from others. So I I'm wondering, you know, if there's a way to encompass that, and I would imagine it could potentially fit in here like it could be a segment because it goes beyond just Owl Camera: the, you know. This seems more of like, Hey, we're keeping the kids safe. But it's also we're protecting the teachers. But I'm thinking, more like, how are we keeping kids safe? Because I think this is a legitimate issue, right? This, this policy is specific between employees and students. Right? I know. Owl Camera: Yeah. So what I'm saying is, I guess I'm just thinking, I think the question is, Superintendent Nichols, what other policies are in place, and what

073other procedures are in place, and other protections are in place to keep students safe. Right? So the district has policies that are typically aligned with Vsba model policies, right? And we have lots of procedures and frameworks and practices that aren't actually made into policies. And I think from you know what you're describing is Owl Camera: you know the Board can't have a policy for everything right? I mean, we literally wouldn't be able to keep up with the monitoring schedule, and what we have in place, our practices that support students so. Owl Camera: and to your point on, you know, mapping back to the ends, I think you know, depending on who is sitting in the chair that I happen to sit in. Now you're going to see a broad variety of interpretations, and it also

074depends on the people sitting in these chairs. If you look at some of the monitoring reports that I've submitted, they are. Owl Camera: I have far more robust data at the request of this current board than those reports years back. Right? So the monitoring State Superintendent. Interpretation, reasonability. So Owl Camera: you know, Jen, your ideas of Owl Camera: what could be mapped back to meeting the ends could be really are probably likely very different. We all have different views on what that could be, and and the evidence could be, you know, endlessly, we could tie things to monitoring. And I think it's just, you know what's a reasonable interpretation of that. Owl Camera: because otherwise I guess the follow up question to that would be at what frequency. So, as I'm looking through, like all

075the procedures, at what frequency do you otherwise go through and and look and evaluate these procedures if they're not tied to. Owl Camera: Yes, see what I mean. Yeah, we have Owl Camera: countless procedures and processes that are followed every day in our schools by educators, by administrators, by operations, staff and A lot of those are governed by other bodies like Osha 1st comes to mind. So we have, and, like, you see, those brought up in some of the monitoring reports when we talk about those pieces. So Owl Camera: when something is articulated in Osha, we wouldn't necessarily then also develop a internal board policy on that. For example. Owl Camera: it's getting at the root of your question there? Yeah, no, it does. I mean again, I just think, because there are so many

076procedures, it does go back to what is the frequency that like? Why did we? Why did we review this one, I guess. Why was this one reviewed? It's a part of the policy, but it's it's not a policy under governance. It's a policy that is operationalized by the superintendent and approved by the Board. Owl Camera: But it's not a policy. The Board will monitor, and it's also in place, so that when potentially inappropriate conduct happens, there is a policy by which our superintendent Owl Camera: will execute Owl Camera: violations like or execute, execute, there will be a policy by which you can say this conduct is inappropriate because I have this policy to say, What's Owl Camera: it's not a good way. Yeah, it is, but I I guess I would just go back to

077then. If it was a policy for the Board, then I would think it would be helpful to have that one. I understand there's Owl Camera: exorbitant number of policies that are out there. Maybe all of them aren't going to be captured, but I would think that perhaps this one would be. This is not a policy for the Board, because the Board is not to ask to enforce the best policy. Owl Camera: So because that's like we will not be going around. We we can directly inspect by asking our superintendent, have you had any violations of this policy? But you do monitor it via the policies that you do monitor of executive limitations. So, for instance, if we're finding that there are loads of violations of D 9, you can connect that back to treatment of

078students, right or treatment of staff. Owl Camera: Does that connection make sense of? Yeah, it does. But I I guess again, it's it's Owl Camera: have there been any violations of denied? Owl Camera: So it's not important. So there's Owl Camera: there's no mechanism for monitoring this right now, because it's not. We're we're going through the approval process right now. So we don't know what this is going to look like. But quite frankly. Owl Camera: most of this is covered in our Hr. Related expectations. And so Owl Camera: yes, I mean, if there are, say, employees or students who violate this, the other structures that we have in place right now would provide appropriate responses. So you know, if students are inappropriately communicating. Owl Camera: that would be addressed by their school principal. If Staff

079is communicating inappropriately, it would either be addressed by it would be addressed by their direct supervisor, whoever that is so it's not. I don't want you to think that without this policy in place, these practices are not occurring, or or that they're not being upheld. Owl Camera: So this isn't an update. This is. And I was wondering why 4% is coming up. Owl Camera: It's coming up. Because our board member, Tim Warren, was reviewing our policies and realized that we never did the 3rd reading last fall, and so we never implemented this by an assuming process. Owl Camera: This, what I'm reading here is, you know, encourage you. Act 5 of 2018. This model policies adopted? If we're going off of the bank from 2018, why is it taking 7 years for us to implement

080policy? Owl Camera: There's a lot of work that we do in the school district, all of it important, and as Owl Camera: being kind of outlined by this conversation. Much of this conduct is protected by larger policies and practices that are already in place. This is more just. Owl Camera: in my opinion, putting a finer point on expectations. Owl Camera: Here's a question, too, like, where are all of the board policies? Because, I mean, if you look under policy governance, obviously, this one's not there. If I'm looking under policies and procedures, I mean, I don't see this one, because obviously it's new, and there's going to be others. But where are the ones that specifically belong to the board that we would need to know about be responsible for Owl Camera: managing cause. I I

081don't see that called out here per se Owl Camera: policies that the Board is specifically responsible for our policies under government. I understand that this is this conversation was the the cell phone conversation where I was saying, is a board policy necessary. Why write policies, if Owl Camera: and I'm not trying to change the conversation. But I don't think that the conversation we're having right now is about this policy. We're having a conversation about well, I mean, but it's but the reason I'm bringing it up now is, I think it highlights this Owl Camera: issue of understanding like one. I like this policy. I think it's a very important policy. But this kind of underscores why, I feel like it needs to be tied in, because otherwise I don't see how you can manage and

082map where things are. You see what I'm saying. Owl Camera: and Owl Camera: future board members may interpret where that gets tied in differently than how you or I would interpret it. So Owl Camera: I think maybe guidance or learning to help board members understand the structure would be helpful, but trying to dictate where this fits into policy under governance. Owl Camera: and I think is kind of Owl Camera: I mean policy interpretations go on endlessly. That's why we have lawyers, I can tell you where to find it on the website go to the district homepage our district policies and procedures, and these are operational procedures. And Owl Camera: they and policies. And these are things that are tied back to policies and procedures, policies and procedures. That's correct. Yes. Owl Camera: and these are

083so. For instance. Owl Camera: if a school administrator needs to conduct things Owl Camera: like, if we need to have conduct drug and alcohol testing for transportation employees, this specifies how we do it. So it's kind of an Hr document, right? Everything that we do here. These are again. These are operational. So you might see in a monitoring report of treatment of staff. A superintendent may or may not elect to put. We have a alcohol drug and free workplace policy in place, right? So many of these are. Owl Camera: yeah. Owl Camera: they're pretty static because they're directly aligned to things like for personnel, like employment expectations by the law for student policies. These are outlined in student handbooks. And so it's important for us when we, when principals communicate about student policies for parents

084to be directed to. Here's why we do it. This is our policy. You can find it in the Handbook, and this is our procedure for it. Owl Camera: and this also provides direction to staff on, say. Owl Camera: the firearms and weapons policy. We recently updated that working with feedback from our principals on actually a student Owl Camera: who is in the Owl Camera: was in there was questions about whether the student was in violation. The student had read the policy. Owl Camera: and it was out to out of date, and it didn't mention it didn't cover sufficiently the item in question. And so the student brought this to the principal. And so we, as an Admin team, said, All right? We need to, you know, I brought it to the Admin team. Hey, let's

085get some feedback on this and we updated that. So now, when a principal has a potential weapons violation. The principal can look directly at this policy here and understand with clarity Owl Camera: and Owl Camera: what the expectations are. The same goes for the students. They can have clarity, and parents or guardians can also read that and have clarity. Instruction is very much tied with State expectations. You'll see these are broken up into categories. So like additional district procedures, these are sort of just. Owl Camera: yeah. So no, this is all good. I mean, I I know we need to move on, so I would just suggest, I don't know if it's moving a motion. I'm going over here looking at my here. But just the idea of, I think there's an opportunity for us

086to do some better mapping with the procedures, like, what are the things that the Board is specifically responsible for, because what I'm seeing on that page right there, I just don't see it. We can just move past this, because I know we got to keep going. But I would just like to add that. Owl Camera: So the website, page policies and procedures. Owl Camera: policy, maintenance board, membership board procedures, personnel business and non instructional students. Instruction school community relations have each of those been warned 3 times and voted on. Owl Camera: Okay? And when you were just bringing them, you can see the date that that happened and who which board members approved. Okay? And then, in the example, you just gave superintendent where you said in response to this situation. You went to the

087Admin team. You changed the policy or procedure. Owl Camera: That's not one of the that's not one of the things on here. She didn't change it. She suggested the change to the board and the board got it, and we read it 3 times. Community feedback was elicited, and Owl Camera: there there was. So it went through the process that you're watching unfold with. And is there a separate set of policies and procedures that is purely operational Owl Camera: like that is like your set that you get to change as much as you want. Owl Camera: So the only policies that I have put into place or changed would be things like relating to like act 29. Safety required. A number of policies that you see here. So, my, I am queued to introduce or modify

088policy based on legislative updates in the law. So you see me attending to when I talk about Owl Camera: engagement with the legislature and and tracking policy. Owl Camera: or law. It's because I update these based on that. So and then I'm just trying to clarify for myself, there's the policies under governance. There's the policies and procedures, both of those sets of documents you suggest changes to them, but we are the ones who want an improvement. Owl Camera: I have not suggested. I've only suggested changes to policies, procedures. Is there a 3? rd Is there a 3rd set of documents that the public can see that are your internal procedures? Or is this basically it? Yes, all the procedures and guidelines are here. Owl Camera: The board determines and sets the ends and the limitations.

089So those are board brain. Those are the rules that you have handed your superintendent. And you've said, implement these. And I'm saying, Here is how I'm implementing it. So to crosswalk back, you might get me saying. Owl Camera: yeah, we implemented on the curriculum monitoring report. We are in compliance with Act 29, with act Owl Camera: 39, 1, 31, 39. Owl Camera: Thank you. Jodi. Right. So that's an example of where you could cross. Log it back to monitoring. Owl Camera: But this is I. I don't. I have. I have never suggested, nor would I. Limitations, modifications. Owl Camera: You know the those are Owl Camera: the list of rules and the framework that the Board has given me to say govern by any means necessarily necessarily necessarily within these parameters. I'm sorry to belabor

090the point so, and I'm not trying to catch you out on something or anything like Owl Camera: an Hr. Procedure. Presumably that is not subject to board warning and review, and all that stuff right. Owl Camera: And there, are there any of those presumably have internal Hr procedures? Right? Owl Camera: Are any of those internal things that are not subject to board view? Are they public? Owl Camera: Yeah. So in our we just did a monitoring report. That's fine. There's no, there's no 3rd district website. It is a whole separate list of things like under your control. Okay, no, no, no, it's the end. And then, you know. Owl Camera: these are all public to the policies and procedures are open to anybody to view. Owl Camera: Thank you any further discussion or questions. Owl

091Camera: I don't want to extend this, either, but I will say a lot of these are based on Vsba model policies. So that brings with us. I don't want to implement things left and right to have red tape. Owl Camera: I want to ensure that we have the necessary and appropriate policies and procedures in place to support students and staff period. I follow policies really closely because we're Pg board and because they're vetted by legal. So you still have to tailor them to your district. But they're they typically have a shell that is Owl Camera: relevant with important information. The Vsba also follows legislative updates extremely carefully. Thank you, Sue. And so there. Owl Camera: pretty accurate. How? How do we know like how frequently those are reviewed? I guess that maybe that's 1 of

092the questions I'm getting at to be or should be, reviewed like, how often are those monitored and stewarded? Owl Camera: So when there is a legislative update that will queue me to change something, or when. So that's typically when I've introduced updates. Owl Camera: there, some of these haven't been updated since long before me, though. So like the weapons policy Owl Camera: hadn't been updated in an extremely long time. And so like, it actually just wasn't to date right? So there's but some of them like that one that we just reviewed d. 9. That was not tied to legislature, so that one. Owl Camera: you know I'm just wondering like, is there a schedule? Has a schedule ever been created for? Owl Camera: Sorry? I know we're no, I don't know if my schedule has

093ever been created for these D 9 was a school Board members initiative. Owl Camera: Well, there was an ad that referenced. Owl Camera: Yeah, I would have to go. I am gonna Owl Camera: Re, I'm gonna look to board members who were on the last time we read this there was. There was some factor that caused us to look into this. I remember reaching out to legal counsel Owl Camera: who shared this policy from their time in a different district. And then we looked at multiple districts. Versions of this. I can't remember why he did that I don't remember, and I Owl Camera: I do remember having lengthy discussion with our student reps at the time that Owl Camera: the first, st I think the 1st version of this policy included language that restricted a

094time limit on when employees can send communications to students. Owl Camera: and at 1st the Board was favorable to the idea that teachers could not email students after 7 or 8 Pm. And I think Laura and also our student reps at the time said, actually, it reduces anxiety for students. If if their teachers happen to be available to answer an email at 11 pm. When I'm doing my homework. I would really like it if employees were still able to do that. Owl Camera: provided the conduct was rational and appropriate. And also there's no expectation in the policy that teachers should be available to answer email at 11 pm. But if they are, and if they want to answer a student's question that would not be prohibited by this policy, and so I don't remember if

095it was something like that that sparked. But I remember that was a large part of the conversation. Was it the cell phone restrictions, conversation that was connected to this? Owl Camera: Think we should probably go back and do some research and maybe table this for it as Hmm. Owl Camera: This isn't. We're not taking action on this tonight. It's just the 1st reading 2 more meetings, and on the 3rd reading we will presumably take action unless we need to discuss this further. And one quick question, violet, again, if we have copy edit suggestions and areas changes this and that that goes to. Can I send that to you and then forward it to everyone? Yes, thank you. Owl Camera: Great. Owl Camera: That brings us to agenda. Item 6 reports by the board. We don't

096have any topics warned for reports by the board. Owl Camera: Is there any urgent report the Board needs to make about usually is like community engagement plus. Owl Camera: I don't know if Jen Laura Emily, if you'd like to tell us about your weekend doing policy governance training at all. Owl Camera: It was awesome, but it's really good. Owl Camera: I mean, that's part of the reason I'm asking some of these questions now, because I feel like it's the clarity of what Owl Camera: policy governance is, and how those monitoring reports work and understanding that relationship that the Board has with the superintendent and the superintendent has with the operation. I mean, I get. I understand it much more clearly now. Owl Camera: but I also see that we have a very big responsibility for

097stewardship of Owl Camera: you know, of of looking at what your monitoring reports are, and the information that's in there, and ensuring that we agree with that, and what the what the policy states that we are doing. Owl Camera: And you know, now that I'm back looking at the procedures, I don't think I realized before I just started clicking through them and looking at them. And yeah, they're all signed. All those procedures are signed by the board, but it feels like Owl Camera: my question would be, How frequently are we looking at these are these evergreen, or are these just some static thing that's out there? You know what I mean like, I want to be sure that these are living, breathing procedures that are there, that it's not just something that's sitting on a

098shelf buried under cyber dust. Just be clear. The procedures are not signed by the board, and they don't get warned on board meetings. It's the policies that right? Right? Okay, that's what I meant. Sorry. Yeah. The Owl Camera: policies. So my, Owl Camera: I want to make sure that we this was on Sunday about board board outreach to the community. Owl Camera: We're technically short period. Owl Camera: Yes. So I've I've I've tried to organize things here. Nothing really has worked. So one of the one of the things a lot of people who is they set up at like the transfer station. Owl Camera: you know, on a Saturday. Just kind of there. Because I know I've tried. Owl Camera: I think the library. I try things here. Nobody wants to really come, but you

099have to kind of go, which I knew this I guess I was important. But, you have. We have to go to where people are. So Owl Camera: that that is, I mean, that's something I would totally get into, so I may. I haven't. Owl Camera: I have to sit down. Look at my look at my schedule, but you know, like, on a Saturday afternoon, for a couple of hours, you know, I can stand there with my with a sign, and people have things to say. That's a waiting in line to get in there, because I think warning a meeting and having it here. It's just not for whatever reason. Well, their idea was a great one. I shared a note with like, Hey, these were some of the things that we had from that experience,

100and what we learned. Owl Camera: and one of the ones that I liked was engaging the community to come in and to help. You know. Maybe we need to revamp our vision Owl Camera: and how they engage the community is. They set up a table and they had a bunch of post-it notes, and it, you know. Some of the questions were, you know, when my 8th grader walks across the stage they will be, you know, for graduation, you know. Happy. So Essex Westford did this really? Well, about 12 years ago they came into the school. Owl Camera: and we we all got to participate in creed shoot. Owl Camera: So it. It was a real community community effort. So we think we can think about that. Owl Camera: And they did. They did a really

101nice job of including. I felt like what I really picked up from that was that basic. It's our duty. It should be definitely our duty talking right now about what you learned about ownership linkage at the policy governance this weekend. Yeah, I mean that that is our responsibility. I I also I would like to see maybe a forum once a month. That would be a 3rd meeting. But you know, when we we do Owl Camera: I think I can't remember where I said this, but the person doing the doing is doing the learning right. So if people want to understand how this works out to actually do it, so we could maybe have committees meet on Wednesdays, and we do our little breakout things and then come back. I I think I think, for people

102who really do want to know Owl Camera: that. Would that not only that would be engagement. It's more democracy which I think we can use more. And people will start to understand just exactly what's involved. Owl Camera: So I mean, I like it. Anyway, I just say, I can't recommend enough the dump idea or the transfers. Yeah, those are really busy places. And and I hear time and time again when superintendents and I talk about engagement that they always come up. So I think that's a great idea. It's where people go. You know, you have to be where people are. And I just think that's a i think that's a great idea. Owl Camera: Yeah. And the other thing is, and I also sent this, but I forwarded it to the board tonight. But the

103idea of a new agenda format, which is also something that came out of the training. This weekend is, I think, our agenda that we have every week needs some improvement, and how it how it maps back to policy governance, because I think it's really important that the community understand that linkage better. Owl Camera: So I forwarded that to to folks. They can look at that. The idea of the public comment sign in log. I forwarded that also that there's a template that we can talk about, and I put on there. An opt in if people wanted to opt into the website because they just, I know Violet, we just recently had. Owl Camera: The communications director add a link in there for that people could opt in. So if there's a website update, they can

104get an email. So if people are signing in for public comment you could opt in. Owl Camera: And then also I love the idea of the meeting evaluation, and that was something that I think, Barstow, is it Barstow Union School district does, where at the end of every board meeting, they they pull up this it takes like 2 or 3 min to go through like, did we do? Well? Did we stay in our lane? Did we not stay in our lane? Owl Camera: And it helps to strive towards continuous improvement? So then, when you kick off your next meeting you can just quickly pop it up and say, All right. Look! These were some of the things where we Owl Camera: we went out of line before. Maybe these are some things that we can, you

105know, improve upon this time. Owl Camera: I feel like there was one more thing I needed to mention. But those 3 I sent examples of all of those to people tonight on board, so you all can take a look at that. Owl Camera: Oh, the only other thing while we're on topic is just the status of the other paper article. Owl Camera: Nice Owl Camera: status of the other article I in relation to your point about communicating better with the community, about monitoring. Don't know why it took me 3 years to have this framework, but Owl Camera: I think, after the Board monitors any significant reports, and I think you can make the argument that they're all significant. I think some of them have more community Owl Camera: just interest, yeah, than others. But I

106think that the Board should standardly release a statement to the other paper and on the Forum that says, hey, we monitored this report. This is what we found last year. This is what we found this year, and this is what we're hoping to see next year. It could be pretty formulaic, but just an opportunity to be keeping the community Owl Camera: aware or informed about the work that we're doing, and it's a nice way to help them under to help make policy governance clearer on monitoring reports are important, and it also gives us a standard like we know what we're talking about in our other paper and coverage forum submissions in May, because we know what policies we're going to monitor right? So that's a recommendation I'd like to make to the board. Owl Camera:

107in regards to the other paper article that specifically, that was drafted. Owl Camera: I think my recommendation is we're going to have quite a lot to share with the community Owl Camera: very soon, and I'm wondering if if pausing and making a more holistic other paper. Owl Camera: That article makes sense. Owl Camera: Well, wouldn't you have to Owl Camera: this sort of thing? If it's a discussion of this, I think we have to think we can't, really. Owl Camera: because it's about community engagement. Owl Camera: So I don't think we could really talk about this without warning it. Owl Camera: because there's a lot. There's a lot here. Owl Camera: you know, like the why we would, you know, like the frequency of articles? Because, like Owl Camera: people want to see their politicians.

108That's the discussion. Item that I don't think we can have in this context, and I think that would influence whether we, like you were saying, wrapped a bunch of things into one article or broke it up into many, so I don't think we can necessarily talk about it right? I'd love to be wrong, but just a point of clarity. We have one other paper submission space per month. Owl Camera: and we have 2 postings from from George Forum for us Owl Camera: that we can use at. Since the board is reorganized, I have not been using from 1st form, the same as I was in the previous board, because I don't feel like we've Owl Camera: I've been on the same page about how to use those postings. Owl Camera: I guess, in reports by

109the board. Owl Camera: You're right like it's not really warned for us to discuss a an article. So Owl Camera: I was just thinking more for the one that's been out there that we need to kind of button up, and I would say that we need to move on that sooner than later, just to get something out. Owl Camera: and if we can do it like, Hey, one a month, then let's get it. I don't feel like there's been a letter to the other paper since the one that was published. Owl Camera: Actually, I don't even know if that one even went, because I know it's on the website, the letter to the community following the vote. But I feel like we're overdue for getting something out to the community, especially in light of some

110of the, you know comments and articles that we've seen. I think it would be. It would behoove us to put something out sooner than later. So I would still like to see that happen Owl Camera: if possible. Just for procedural clarity. When typically when the board issues column or hosting. Owl Camera: We direct one or less than a forum of board members to draft something and submit it to the chair, and then the chair will share it with the board for feedback. Owl Camera: just just to be clear on like how the open meeting law process goes. We cannot have a draft where board members are engaging in discussion about that draft via email, because that would constitute a meeting. Owl Camera: So if the Board would like to decide to Owl Camera: start an

111article with a specific topic. It's not working on the agenda. But I also think the community we're talk like Owl Camera: the community doesn't often weigh in on what topics we're going to put in the other paper. So I think it's more important that we agree and get something going than to wait 2 weeks to say, we're going to talk about what we're going to put. Owl Camera: So so maybe in that context, you know the the report to the community, the report of the board here is that the Board has put together a draft of a letter to the other paper, and we are still seeking consensus on its text. And Owl Camera: we probably should follow up on that. And I just want to be clear about the way that we need to

112be doing that to not violate. Owl Camera: And so I think you should take the sense of the room is that we? Owl Camera: Maybe we can yep in that sense of the room, but we should we're considering. Owl Camera: I'd say certain members of the Board are considering pushing for that article to be reconsidered and passed back out to the rest of the board for their feedback. And Owl Camera: so yeah, and I, just again, I want to reiterate, I think. Owl Camera: and and other paper articles, I mean from I was on the board last year, I mean, if we could get anybody to write another paper article, there are a lot of work and such. But again. I. Owl Camera: So when we write from the Board's perspective Owl Camera: I struggle

113sometimes with you're going to write an article. I assume the chair has kind of final say of what goes out as our representative to the to the community. Right? So I think anybody can write the article. But ultimately I believe it's the chair. Who's going to be the final editor of that purview, or of the information? Owl Camera: So what I'm hearing is a draft that was sent to me last week I should see consensus from the board via email Owl Camera: to be very clear. Please do not have discussions with each other about your interpretations via email with the whole board on copies. You're more than welcome to talk one on one about your opinion. Owl Camera: It cannot divulge into a full, literally, just 2 of you discussing and having the whole board

114watch your discussions problem. So Owl Camera: I guess. Ultimately, like you have to trust that I'm I'm building consensus as your chair, and if over time you're finding that I'm not building your consensus, and your perspective is not being shared, then you have to seek to reorganize for a chair, who will put your perspective. So that's I understand. I think, that. Owl Camera: the intention to want to share your perspective to me with the full board, because you want that accountability, and I do understand. But it starts to send us into an open meeting on isolation. And so, if you feel like the the feedback you're giving me is not being represented. Owl Camera: Bring it up in a meeting, so can I just ask for for how do we move forward. Now, do we?

115Does somebody need to send you that article to send it? Okay, you, you're also okay. So you will just respond, okay, so the action step of board members is, send Chelsea privately. Your feedback got it just her to not avoid to not violate opening up Owl Camera: any other reference made for it. Owl Camera: On that. I did send an email about this, because, having just gone through the policy governance training. Owl Camera: I hope I'm doing this right. This is my 1st one, my 1st motion, but my! It would be to rescind the treatment of community from the April 16th meeting, because I think that we need to take a look at that. I think people have a better understanding now. Owl Camera: perhaps, in talking through that and taking a look at that.

116And so that would be my! That would be my motion. Did I do that right motion to resent to for us to to evaluate. That? Owl Camera: Did I do that right, Joe. I'm glad you're here. I think that Owl Camera: I I guess we could rescind. But wouldn't it make more procedural sense to just re monitor the policy? Owl Camera: Excuse me, excuse me. Usually a motion to rescind is to rescind a specific action that was taken at a specific time. Owl Camera: and it needs to be identified with clarity, so that we. Owl Camera: as a board, know and can memorialize what exactly you're voting to resume. Owl Camera: Typically the way that works in the parliamentary sense was that 1st there is a motion to reconsider. Owl Camera: and the motion to

117reconsider is discussed and determine. Owl Camera: and then there is a motion after reconsideration occurs Owl Camera: to either affirm, modify, or rescind a particular action Owl Camera: out from a parliamentary sense. That's the way Owl Camera: Previous actions should be dope. Owl Camera: Should I put a follow up question on that jen has motioned in the section of reports by the Board to Owl Camera: rescind a monitoring report that the Board found to be in compliance. Owl Camera: I've not seen that situation, can you? Could you? Speak to that issue Owl Camera: so? Yes, in a in a parliamentary sense. I haven't read the document, so I don't I can't comment specifically on that, but Owl Camera: a motion to reconsider is generally appropriate under Robert's rules. Owl Camera: either at the at the

118meeting at which it occurs, or the next ensuing meeting Owl Camera: that that's that's the standard. And when, if a board has taken an action. Owl Camera: and it's timely to reconsider a motion to be a motion to reconsider would be in order. The motion has to be made by somebody who voted on the prevailing side Owl Camera: with the primary motion. So if you were against it and it passed anyway, you don't have a parliamentary right to reconsideration. Owl Camera: But if if it's a specific report, and you want to Owl Camera: reevaluate your position on it. Then the motion would be 1st to reconsider that report. So it comes back on the table. Owl Camera: Once that motion passed, then the most. Then it's up for reconsideration. Nothing has happened to it yet.

119It's just being reconsidered. Owl Camera: And then, after that discussion, there could be a subsequent motion to rescind, to modify or to reaffirm, should it be within the meeting after the event occurred. It should be not the case here, either. Right now. Once once a motion is properly made to reconsider. Owl Camera: The the matter could be tabled and discussed at a later date. It's properly before the body of it? Owl Camera: Another question. So when we monitor policy, we usually answer questions about compliance with each detail of the policy, and then we answer those same questions for the global policy. And so if the global policy answer, like, let's say, a board member has an issue with one detail of the overall policy what her motion would be to reconsider that detail or the

120whole? Owl Camera: No, the the member could be precise and could be limited to say, you know, section A, just use an example and move to reconsider section N. Owl Camera: Somebody else might then say. Owl Camera: you don't think it would be appropriate to reconsider Section A without also considering sections B and C, and then that discussion ensues. But Owl Camera: yeah, you could. You could limit your promotion. Owl Camera: Can I ask a question. Owl Camera: We're looking at. That schedule is when we do, monitor. Let's see. Owl Camera: You said that if something did come up there would be nothing that would prevent us from Owl Camera: redoing report of them. Owl Camera: That's that was my 1st question to Joe is like, instead of reconsidering, would we just revisit. Owl Camera:

121were to make a motion second, and voted on to Redo the report that I would have presented. Would that be the proper path to take? Owl Camera: Could be it it could be to 1st reconsider. So you you've you've taken an action right? And now you wanna reevaluate whether you of the right action. Owl Camera: So from a parliamentary standpoint. Again, motion to reconsider. Owl Camera: you debate or discuss whether reconsideration is appropriate. Owl Camera: If you determine that it is by a majority, then the measure is back on the table for for consideration, and then Owl Camera: you could deal with it in any number of ways you could split it up. You could reaffirm it, you could rescind it in in its entirety. It just is. The Roberts rules way of getting something

122back in front of the bottom Owl Camera: teams. Owl Camera: So. So if we had a monitoring report Owl Camera: that we approved in January, and then in October, we said, We want to monitor that again. Owl Camera: Is that legit, I mean, I guess I'm going back to Vermont. State law is the thing that requires us to use Robert's rules. Does Robert's rules say that that is permissible or impermissive. Roberts rules typically says that Owl Camera: once a board has taken an action. Owl Camera: and that action has not been rescinded, modified, etc. Owl Camera: Then something to in effect, take a different course of action has to begin again. Owl Camera: The a motion to reconsider the action previously taken is no longer time, but Owl Camera: you know. If, for example, there

123was an emergency, and Owl Camera: everyone had been previously told to go out that door now you want them to go out that door. I'm using a bad example. You could say, notwithstanding the prior determination, etc. Owl Camera: But it would be treated as a new bonus filter. Owl Camera: Right. My question was about the timing that I think Violet brought up about you said it would be the meeting during the meeting that it was the action happened, and then the meeting for the meeting right after it. That's right, I think. What I I think, what Jen and I maybe even Laura, we just we really felt like we learned so much more about how to properly monitor report. And I I think that's where Jen's coming from is that we don't feel like we

124did Owl Camera: do it. Justice didn't do justice, but that was because of our lack of education. So we've gained in for education since then, but I don't know if that whole, you know, makes any bearing on it doesn't impact Robert's rules. Robert's rules Owl Camera: have the the standard that I articulate. Thanks to that, I would say. Owl Camera: you now can unleash the whole course of your learning on all of the subsequent monitoring reports. Yes, we'll have one every single time we meet, and there is. So you've done 2 so far, and we have one tonight, and we'll have one at every point. Owl Camera: And so there will be no shortage of practice. Again, looking at those, I would advise you to look at past monitoring reports to see what has been

125approved, and you can look at, you know, years back as well are those? Where are those located just separately? Thank you. Jonah. Owl Camera: It! Owl Camera: Those are all with board meeting materials on the board webpage, so you can look back by year. And you can pick any date, and you can look at a Pdf of the materials. And you can also watch the recordings as well. Right? Yeah. Because 1 1 recommendation then, too, is that if we have a schedule Owl Camera: that you have something that it's very clearly visible for the community that you can look on a website and be able to see. These are all the monitoring reports, and they're right there. So you're not having to like dig into. Owl Camera: you know. Owl Camera: the year like, when

126was it reviewed? So it's like a table. And there were links. So we saw that people were pulling them up and showing us. And it it was really kind of handy, because you could get into them pretty quickly, so Owl Camera: opportunities abound. Owl Camera: Anything else stopping. Owl Camera: I would be happy to hear feedback from the board on anything that you'd like to see in that modern report again. If you want to share that with me at any time, or if I want to provide additional information to you or the community. I'm I'm also happy to do that. I found this. I've seen that Owl Camera: monitored once by a different superintendent. I've done it 3 times, and we've always been clients, and if you look back you see that the evidence has

127increased Owl Camera: through time. And I would be very, you know, open to and interested in hearing anything that you think is missing from that, and again provide any information that you request, and I can do that outside of this setting here. So again, if, as board members, you ever have questions for me. Owl Camera: you know, please reach out at any time, I'm happy to provide any information, or hear suggestions or feedback. I I want to acknowledge that monitoring is clunky, and you've only, you know you've just learned about the the difference between, you know, operational policies and procedures, and you know some of the other lanes that you all can Owl Camera: exploring more. And then, you know, monitor, too. So I want to just acknowledge, like Owl Camera: you are not expected

128to be experts on these. And I can certainly support your understanding and growth through that as well and available anytime. Owl Camera: I would also like to add, I think, that a problem with our community Owl Camera: watching us work is that in the past board members have reviewed the policy monitoring report ahead of the Board meeting, and they email their questions Owl Camera: to the superintendent and what I would like to see as a practice moving forward is, I felt like often I would get my questions answered, but those questions weren't answered in front of the community. And so moving forward. I think it's a great idea for you to email your questions to the superintendent. And also, if you have feedback or thoughts about what you should be, what you think should be

129included in the monitoring report. That's only going to help our employee do our job better. But then repeat your question to the superintendent in open session, so that our community members can hear it as well. Owl Camera: Okay, yeah. Because, Seamus, I know you had some comments for Owl Camera: that particular monitoring report. And then maybe it's not time to talk about it right now, because it hasn't been warned like we're speaking about that, and I know we've got to keep moving along. I'm sorry. Yeah, but but I know you had had some comments, and I don't know if those made their way back to Violet or not. I already made a copy of this year's Monitoring report, and I added all of those notes and pieces on it for next year, so it's Owl

130Camera: ready and waiting for next time it's monitored. And in the meantime, as things come up, please let me know. I'm yeah, certainly Owl Camera: able to track changes and by request. And again, if you need information or have suggestions or feedback, I can meet those in different ways than just monitoring right? Like, I want people to have access to information that they need. And I'm not restricted to supporting our community in a monitoring like. That's not the point right? The point is to engage the community and support the community. So if there's a real time change or something that can be done. I'm very interested in doing that. Owl Camera: So here's a context of you know. Report from the Board. Owl Camera: from what you brought up, which came from your experience this

131weekend, and being reminded of it. Owl Camera: I have asked the chair to find the source file for the policies under governance, so that if I had a suggestion. I could provide it without having to like Owl Camera: copy out by hand what the text was. And that was so. I have asked the chair to look for Owl Camera: the source file. Can I ask you, just for the sake of if that's your intention for the source file? Owl Camera: If I just provided you with a Google document of our policies under veterans. Because I I am trying to track down where the original list and I'm not sure how long that's going to take? Okay? In that case, yeah. And then my intention would be then to send it to you, and you can

132put it on the agenda, and then we could discuss it. Owl Camera: Oh, okay, we are now 51 min over anything else. Owl Camera: Alright with that we're gonna move to agenda. Item 7. Superintendent's report. Owl Camera: All right. Owl Camera: One of my favorite weeks of the year teacher, appreciation week. We love our teachers. If you're listening at home, or those of you at the table like, please thank a teacher, write a note. Any kind of small gesture is impactful and meaningful, and I had the chance today to be in all 6 of our campuses, because South Point is a campus. Owl Camera: The it was really nice to get to connect with some staff and I did a cheesy thing which was Owl Camera: over the years. I planted a lot of tulips in

133my small yard and over the last few days I have. I've brought tulips and shared them with saps, and I you know one of the things I thought is, I've often my mind Owl Camera: goes to our our staff when I'm doing things like, you know things that are Owl Camera: wrote like, you know, digging holes and putting bulbs in, or watering, or weeding, or even you know them looking at the flowers and Owl Camera: So over the last few days, as I'm just cutting hundreds of tulips, I'm like Owl Camera: thinking about our staff, and was able to, you know. Just say, Hey, I've often thought of you while tending to the tulips, and then brought them today. And I have to say for anyone who wants street cred on how to be identified

134as someone with a green thumb like plant tulips, because they really do not require much work at all. Very resilient. Yeah, yeah. So I can Owl Camera: cultivate them. So, okay, so that was fun. And then I did the usual cake deliveries, which I do annually. So that was nice to connect with folks. Owl Camera: and I just wanted to share that. So if you haven't already connected it, or, thank the teacher, please do so. I want to thank our Ptos, too, for doing, you know, wonderful things to support teachers, those in the community. Ptos Owl Camera: did a taco bar in our thought yesterday. Just fun! Things like this, that were really great, and, thanks to all of our administrators, who are also acknowledging staff. Owl Camera: So let's see. I want to. Talk

135also about some of the responses on the listening tour indicated. You know, a desire for improved communication and engagement as well as you know, Owl Camera: participation in the budget development process. So you know that feedback is really important to me, and as a result I've launched a comprehensive engagement plan with Staff. Owl Camera: The Central Office administrators and I are going to have been and will continue to be in buildings for just open sessions to just hear feedback. They're not evaluative, they are not. They're only strictly designed to be available to, you know, be really showing like we're wanting to be a part of this open. Owl Camera: patient. Owl Camera: it's you know. I'll acknowledge engagement has been very low. And so I just want to encourage folks. You know, we really wanna

136connect with you. Please come out. You know, engagement is requires reciprocal Owl Camera: are you? Are you speaking specifically about the Owl Camera: the budget survey? No. So I was talking about that the wanting to be more available in schools to engage and connect with staff, and so all of so all directors and non principal assistant principal administrators and I will be in schools for just open sessions, and we're all going at varied times of the day. You know, we've gotten feedback. Owl Camera: you know, in the middle of the day at lunchtime works, for some doesn't work for others. So the times have been scattered different days of the week, different times of day, different weeks of the year. And we'll continue that quarterly going forward. So, thanks to all those in the back

137who are also participating in that it's really important to have. In addition, our it director is is part of that, too. So it's really important that you know, we're we're available for feedback and you know, again. Owl Camera: The sessions began last week, and the turnout has been. I had one Tim Jarvis and I had 2 sessions, and we've had one person in 10 so far, so you know, really wanting to connect. I'm sorry I because I didn't see that, but I guess I was confused. How were those established like, how did that communication go out? If people wanted to be a part of those focus groups like, how did that? Yeah, I didn't see that. Owl Camera: So it's an open invitation. So the Union co-president shared feedback with me that they wanted to

138see more engagement. And so I thought, of course, just, you know, be in schools and be available. So I sent out a draft of kind of like Owl Camera: what those sessions would be which was like. Owl Camera: We need to support staff to hear concerns, answer questions, to just have general time on that structured and to be available and present. And I sent that to our Central office team with a template central office and district administrators were able to. We just did pairs, and folks worked together, and partners to see what times worked for their calendars, and tried to make sure that they were, you know, like Owl Camera: during the school day, or right after it or during lunch times, we use times that the Union also did their listening tour. So we

139we thought that those would be, you know, trying to get that middle of the day or on either end. So just trying to engage with staff and Owl Camera: we'll continue to do that and then I emailed our full staff Owl Camera: saying, Hey, like we'd love to connect like these are open sessions. Come anytime up to love to connect building principles have also shared those dates and times. So it's been, you know, communicate with stuff. Owl Camera: How can. How's it going so attendance has been low. Okay, yeah. And yeah, please, let's share. Owl Camera: I love this. So I'm Daisy Brayton and the new Hr. Director. I had my 1st listening session this morning, so I got to go to Chamberlain and meet with folks, and and, like Superintendent Nicholson was saying, I've

140had some great feedback. Initially. One of the emails went out to say, Hey, they were able to see where and when we scheduled our times. Some people couldn't make it during those times. And so Owl Camera: we reached out and said, Hey, let's talk at another time, and that has worked well, today we have 2 people. So Edward and I the it director, came, or we went to Owl Camera: Chamberlain. And yeah, and it was also a great opportunity for us to get out into the schools, which I think is important. So yeah. Owl Camera: have answered any other questions. But so far, yeah. So over the next 2 weeks Edward and I are going to be in each of the schools Owl Camera: different days, different times of the days. And like, I said.

141I've had 3 other people that couldn't make that time, and have said, Hey, thanks for doing this. Can we talk at another time? So will the feedback from that like, will that be distilled and communicated with us like, how's that? Gonna actually the feedback that I got mostly today? So so, for example, on one was about recruitment processes. Owl Camera: and a little bit of frustration with how long it takes to get something advertised and posted. So that certainly is something that is in my wheelhouse, and and we need to. I will completely agree that that process and we're working on making that process a little bit less, saying manual and walking a piece of paper around for 7 different signatures. Daisy and Team are digitizing. Yeah. Owl Camera: yeah, I was like, this is

142top of my list. How can you get us off? Yeah, she's like, I got you covered. I've done this before. So it's a huge, we're gonna do it. So progress those types of things definitely we want to hear. And we want to. Take to heart. But certainly, if there are things that Owl Camera: need to get. We'll definitely be sharing with and giving summaries to yeah. And stuff also wants to know that they can like Owl Camera: speak to us without something getting like identifiable. I mean, I wanna for staff listening like, please come and talk. I'm not going to share Owl Camera: my my only other. I was just wondering if this continues to not be as Owl Camera: attended as everybody would hope it would be. Do you think there might be other

143opportunities to engage that in different ways. Maybe they like advice about any ideas they have that shouldn't feel. Yeah and better. That is definitely I do know. And and honestly, I can only speak for myself, and I'm I'm fairly new. I've only been in the position for a couple of months now, and and my team is relatively new. Owl Camera: So we've had some pretty significant retirements of long term employees that have been here a very long time. So we have really tried to get out into the schools sending out. And I tell you one thing we did that, I think, was amazing. Was we just sent out an email to all the staff to say, Hey, here's your new Hr team. Owl Camera: Here's who we are and what we do. We may have

144shared that I have 4 cats, and someone else likes to read. And someone, yeah. So we shared a little bit of personal things. And I probably got 25 emails saying, Thank you for doing that, and thank you for pointing out who does what and who do we call I don't think they got the message that I don't do everything, and they're all sending things to me which I totally am joking about. But Owl Camera: but it feels good to know and so then now we're also going to all of the as a team. We're going to staff meetings at all the schools so that we can try and get to in front of the employees. We're meeting with Union folks, too, to learn, you know who's who and who the building reps and who are

145stewards and who are whatever. So yeah. Owl Camera: The the Union co-presidents did direct me that I should not be engaging with staff in schools, and they've also apparently Staff have reported to me that they've discouraged panorama participation. So these are just 2 of the ways that I'm trying to to get feedback to make changes. I want to be really clear. These sessions are meant to hear teacher feedback and to integrate it, to improve Owl Camera: working, you know, to to the lives of teachers. They're not evaluative. So I'm I just want to be really clear on reporting Owl Camera: I don't. I think so. If there's Owl Camera: relevant information for the board that would bubble up through monitoring reports. Yeah, this is this is again, I'm fearful that, like Staff is listening, thinking

146they're not going to come and connect. This is really about connecting relationship building being present for them to know we're in the schools and seeing what they're seeing. It's it's about Owl Camera: being together to say, Hey, we have a new Hr team, and and you know, how can we support you and and what's going on? And just. Owl Camera: But even that idea of being physically there is important for Staff to know. That's something new, says, you know, we want to see visible errors, and so that in and of itself is a goal that we're trying. You know, I said to my team like, let's be visible leaders in schools. Owl Camera: I just wanted to say so at the policy governance training. This weekend we met and I forwarded you all an email

147about this, but we met the superintendent for Rutland northeast. Owl Camera: who shared a platform that they have been using on their website, and it used to be called, Let's talk. And then they said it got too expensive. So now they're using this thing, and it's literally called reach out. And it would be it it essentially it's Owl Camera: little to no cost using Google forms and spreadsheets that they just use to compile feedback. But people could go on and anonymously provide feedback. And so just something, you know, potentially to consider, I shot that to our communications coordinator, we do have a. So I know that superintendent. We discussed this and we have a similar function. It's it's the suggestion box. But yeah, it's it's the same. So happy to use a Google form. Owl

148Camera: Could would it be okay to finish my report before I mean Laura? I'll I'll thank you, Dave. Go ahead, Laura. Oh, I just want to say, as a teacher Owl Camera: I don't have time to sit. I think it's great that you're going to the school, I think what will go a long way is if you gave me a bagel and some coffee and and a survey, because during the day. I'm jamming. I don't have a moment. We get 25 min for lunch. I might take 7 right on on. And so I think that's for a lot of people. And then Owl Camera: to get yourself into a space where you're calm, and we want to give feedback to your supervisor. That's really tough to do, and I think it's a kind of it's a

149i understand the sentiment, but I can also understand why that's not going to work. It's just too exhausting the day. And to like, add that in. Owl Camera: Yep, yep, very valid. We're doing the survey with panorama. And so so you all have that data as well. Open to. You know any suggestions from staff on how to connect as well. You know it is important for superintendents and staff to be visible in buildings and to be available. So just trying to really say, Hey, I heard this feedback, and and to Owl Camera: to honor that, and not just hear it, and then do nothing. So it's really Owl Camera: you know, that's the intent. And Owl Camera: So with that. So the the panorama, for sure is something that we also implemented last year. So,

150trying to get survey feedback in that way, we do have the suggestion box. I mean there's there's lots of tools for feedback. Folks can reach out to me anytime. Happy to talk with anyone about anything at any time. You know. Donuts. And discussion is another way to do that, too, veering from the report. So essentially, I wanted to say, I'm Owl Camera: we are trying to engage staff and be available and be present and hear feedback, and the physical presence is one part, and around the surveys is another Owl Camera: and then related to Owl Camera: engagement with the budget development process. We have some good news to share here. So we. We started our work with tossant partners using fiscal year 25 surplus funds. So, to be clear, this could not have been used

151to hire a staff member next year. Right? And it wasn't, you know it didn't rise to the amount where it was Owl Camera: a full salary and certainly isn't in the budget continually. This is a 1 time structure. Burlington used this effectively. The business managers and superintendents were introduced to this work in a best practices workshop on budget development engagement. Owl Camera: Given the feedback that I heard from. Our, you know, our staff during the process is that there there was Owl Camera: room for improvement on the process. So this is designed to again be highly engaging. So we put out a budget, and I didn't design this. The partners do this for a living, and they give me structures to. It's not even give me. They're they're facilitating this. In fact, I'm really not

152an involved person by design. We want to get robust engagement and information from the community that doesn't have Owl Camera: you know. My, I'm not on any of the teams, for instance. Owl Camera: So the survey closed on Sunday. I'm really happy to report that we had 180 responses. This is far greater as a big celebration than 38 that we had for the fiscal year 26, development. And then, the year before, I don't even know how many we had. It was. It was Owl Camera: not noteworthy. And then, and that was the 1st year we'd ever no one there hadn't been surveys prior to that. So the response is, you know, substantially greater than what we've seen, which I believe reinforces the importance of this work for our school community that people were like, yeah,

153we want to respond. Owl Camera: We also translated the survey into 5 languages to ensure that we heard from families who do not speak English to their 1st language. I think that again, is something that I feel is really critically important, and I feel very proud of that. I want to thank all those who made that happen. Owl Camera: And that one closes on the 9, th because those were translated later. So Owl Camera: please note that if you want to take a survey they're still open. I put my newsletter. They're all over the website, Google, them. So please do those. So lots of focus groups. Engagement is the goal. So Tasat has convened 3 focus groups and also will be conducting one on one informational interviews Owl Camera: in the coming weeks to hear

154from students, staff, and families, guardians in small group settings. These conversations are time for participants to literally just share what their experiences are and what they hope happens. Owl Camera: The 1st focus group was held with staff members yesterday, and it was a great conversation, as I understand again, I was intentionally not there by design, and they shared a desire to be more involved and receive additional information about how the budget is created, which is great feedback. And we're going to provide that. Owl Camera: The second focus group was scheduled for noon today and that included small. It included South Burlington community members, parents and guardians. Owl Camera: I really want to thank Gracie and Ali for helping identify participants as well for the student focus group. And that's going to be held soon. So.

155Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Owl Camera: The Budget Advisory group is a 5th pillars. We have the 3 focus groups, the informational interviews. And notice we're getting all of the, you know, constituents covered here, which is critically important. The Budget Advisory Group will have its 1st meeting tomorrow. Owl Camera: and it's going to be focused on developing a shared understanding of what community engagement should look like. And so that group is made up of school staff. Owl Camera: parents, guardians, community members, and all of these groups had participation that was selected between administrators, principals, nominated folks. All Pto presidents are involved. This isn't me doing a great job on this. This is to salt saying, Here's how we've done this, and it works. And here are the appropriate people. And how can we put

156this together? So I really appreciate the process piece here because Owl Camera: it is doing what I'm trying to achieve of this engagement. And and you know, feedback. So I'm excited about that Owl Camera: and you know we're going to keep this going. I want to thank all those who attended the Legislative Forum. There's a link in my newsletter on that again, legislative updates are important for us to track and provide feedback on. It's an important way that I advocate for our school community and then keep abreast of policies that need to be updated. Owl Camera: And finally, I want to say, Come out on May 14th to City Hall at 6 Pm. Elizabeth Fitzgerald and I are hosting the community listening session to hear open feedback regarding the search for the next police chief.

157All are welcome. It's a community listening session. Perhaps the Board can put this on the scheduling document to avoid Quora, if you all would like to attend. Owl Camera: so that should be a really great engagement opportunity and looking forward to that, I'll provide a hiring update. So this time of year hiring is critically important. Thank you to our community for passing the budget, and we are in a position now. Our administrators and directors are hiring staff back our number one goal is to hire back as many current Svsd staff as possible across the board. Owl Camera: We do have to follow fair labor practices, which means that there does need to be committees. A lot of staff. Received displacement letters after the rif process ensued. And so and then, you know, there's Staff who

158have. Owl Camera: we have also. Owl Camera: you know, retired. And so there's there's movement. And so what we're trying to do is ensure that as many current staff as possible come back. There are hiring guidelines in place. Owl Camera: This is not. These are not new hiring guidelines. They were put in place under a former superintendent. This is not something that's been really implemented. So I want to be really clear. The masters 3 for hiring guidelines is something that we use as a budgeting tool, as you heard me say during the budgeting process. These are not new or different guidelines. Again. Owl Camera: this is a standard practice, and as board members you'll see these in play, some of the board members will recall that you receive a hiring report where you have to

159monitor me to ensure that I'm not above budget, and that I'm not above fte. So those board members who Owl Camera: are used to getting hiring reports. You will recall that these hiring guidelines are not newly developed, and it's a consistent structure in place. At Masters 3 we also have. This is articulated in an Hr. Handbook. Again, I. This is not newly developed. These guidelines have been in place for Owl Camera: I don't know how long, but certainly before. So is that speaking to the comment that we received tonight during public comment, that does that is to pull here. Yes. Owl Camera: okay, I think I need to better understand exactly what that context was. Cause I didn't quite pick up Owl Camera: what is being covered best. Owl Camera: Yes, for the 3 focus

160groups that you mentioned. Yes, there are. If let's say that somebody in the community wakes up and realizes that they forgot to provide feedback on that form Owl Camera: is there like an email? They can email, yes, great question. So anyone at any time and folks have said to like, Hey, I'm out of town. I wanted to be in this group, but I'm I have a work conflict, or I'm on vacation. And so Julie at Tossant has been incredibly. She's like great. I'll do a personal interview with you. So folks can email her, Julie, which is JULI. [email protected]. That's TASS a NT Owl Camera: partners.com and if you don't have that address on hand, I'm happy to pass the message along. But again, we want this by design to be a process that's really directed

161by a 3rd party. So and again the robust engagement. Owl Camera: Huh? Owl Camera: And I'm sorry, Violet, you had said the design update. Okay, so is that in your newsletter, if people wanted to be a part of one of these forums like, where? How could they get involved with that? Yep. Owl Camera: so the focus groups are the the staff members yesterday. So I shared that with with staff and administrators. And so all that was open to all employees. And with the second focus group, was South Burlington community members, parents, guardians Owl Camera: and those were they they have. Tossant has a standard like a list of who those people are. So our staff Owl Camera: provided them so like. For example. We reached out to like Owl Camera: a broad variety of constituents,

162so like business owners, we counselors. Owl Camera: I don't even know there was Owl Camera: tons of community members. So some of them are like parents guardians. It's like I wasn't included like, I'm just curious. Yes, great question. So board members. So I specifically said, Hey, like our board members in this group. And they said, part of the design, and feel free to reach out to Julie if you want more information, but the response that she shared is that she's going to do Owl Camera: private interviews with the chair and vice chair, but that the Board shouldn't be just like me. We shouldn't have our our, you know, fingerprints on this, because Owl Camera: yep, so that I mean, that's the information that Julie shared. Again if 4 numbers want to participate absolutely, if you

163want to share feedback I'm not restricting that in any sense. Owl Camera: We're just using a process that that they've designed. So yeah, no, I was just curious, because, like like my husband wasn't invited, either. He's not a board member, but he's a parent. So I was just curious like, how that pool came to be. Yeah, like, who was included in it. Yeah. So that was some of our, you know, administrators and I shared suggestions, and Owl Camera: they were to thought was helpful and saying like, Hey, you might include, you know, these groups of people. Owl Camera: And then the final group is students, and our student board reps are helping with that one. So and again, like we wanted, we offered the survey to to do broad participation. If someone, you know missed

164the deadline, please feel free to email, I'm very happy to pass anything along to to son Owl Camera: And it's Julie JULI, [email protected]. Yes, thank you. Yep. Owl Camera: so I think those are all of my updates, and I realize we are now we significantly behind. But I'm happy to find, you know. Should there be more questions happy to answer them. Owl Camera: Okay, no further questions. We now have agenda entity. Please hold her for brief success. Owl Camera: I would like to recommend the report of the 5 min lists. Owl Camera: We will reconvene at 8, 45. Owl Camera: Jodi, if you want to get set up just with the tech and stuff? Are you running your slides, or is Nick? Owl Camera: Okay? So up next we have. Owl Camera: I've done the item,

1659 action items. And I'm first.st We have consideration of continuous improvement items. There you go. Owl Camera: Hi, so welcome back. Continuous improvement. Plans are something that is a process led by the district. There's a thick engagement. By all principals. It's a process that our executive director of learning leads. The Owl Camera: continuous improvement process is part of what we use. It's a requirement by the agency of education, and it does allow us to Owl Camera: receive grant funding, which begins July first, st and it funds a number of our positions. Part of the. We must submit the Board meeting minutes where the Board has taken action and approved the continuous improvement plan so that we can receive those funds for the staff that we would and the programs that we support using Owl Camera:

166titles 1, 2, 3, and 4 fonts. So this is critically important. It's a process that's prescribed by the State. And there are templates, and there are requirements for teams. So it's really Owl Camera: us making sure that we follow the process that we that has been outlined by the agency of education. Owl Camera: and with that I will welcome Jody Valancourt, executive Director of learning to provide the Board with information around our continuous planning. Welcome, Jodi, thank you. Thank you. Excellent. Owl Camera: alright. So 1st I want to talk to you a little bit about the process of continuous improvement plans. Owl Camera: And, as you can see with this definition and with the graphic, it is a cyclical and ongoing process. So Owl Camera: continuous. Improvement, planning and monitoring is never done. And every

167time you're getting toward the end of one plan you're writing the next. So this is something that you will see as board members every year. Owl Camera: and what is interesting is that every year the agency, as Violet said, provides templates, and they slightly modify requirements or expectations, year to year, probably engaging in their own continuous improvement Owl Camera: process of the plans. So this year I will actually be asking for approval for all of the plans which is different for those of you who were here last year. We were just approving one plan. But one of the changes this year is approving all of them. Owl Camera: So go ahead. That's vacillated through the years. No kidding. Yes, 13 years I've been the person facilitating the process. And it's never been the same 2

168years in a row. But that that's okay. I mean. Owl Camera: it actually has gotten better. It's improved. The templates they gave us this year are pretty. Owl Camera: I would say, the best ones I've seen in. So Owl Camera: yes, exactly so. The process starts with the comprehensive needs assessment. And in order to engage in a comprehensive needs assessment, you need to start with the data inventory and the data inventories are multiple data points. These are some examples of some of the data points that we looked at. Owl Camera: You. Look at the data whole group, and then you also disaggregate subgroups. And that is because the Consolidated Federal programs grants are title one, title 2, title 3, title 4, Owl Camera: and those are specifically aimed at improving student outcomes for students who

169are economically disadvantaged, or students who are multilingual learners creating safe and healthy school environments for all students, including students of the global majority. So you look at data whole group. And you also look at data disaggregated and as many multiple data points as you can to triangulate. Owl Camera: I think you've heard earlier about panorama. So panorama also is a survey of that students take. And so we also looked at the panorama survey data provided by students. Owl Camera: Go ahead, Nick. Owl Camera: once you've got your data inventory, then you can analyze the trends in the data, and the major trends that we saw at the district level are is that there's a significant gap in outcomes for students who are members of historically marginalized populations. Here are 3 examples of what that data

170look like. And these are kind of tied again to those Owl Camera: title programs. So students who are members of the global majority reported lower favorability on the belonging domain of the panorama survey students who are multilingual learners. Their scores were between 4 and 57% lower in math, science and literacy, and I gave the range because we are looking at every grade level for all of those contents. So, rather than providing you with. Owl Camera: you know, 72 slides. With all of that I tried to summarize and then students who are economically disadvantaged also had a large gap in outcomes. Owl Camera: So the district's continuous improvement plan has 3 goals, and the 1st one is related to the students reporting a favorable sense of belonging goals and continuous improvement. Plans are expected to be

171specific. Owl Camera: measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound. So you will see that format. But they are specific, they are time bound, and then you will also see what measures we would use to monitor progress along the way. So these goals, right are for next school year. We looked at our data from this year and set goals for next year. Owl Camera: I'm sorry to interrupt. Is that different from the past? Cips? Because in the past, you know, when I was looking back it was very generic. It was just, we want to improve, we want to improve, whereas the ones this year have like specific numbers and and dates that we look to reach those numbers by change. Owl Camera: The expectation always has been smart goals. Owl Camera: There hasn't necessarily been a mechanism

172for enforcing that at the state level. So Owl Camera: We made sure this year that we wrote them that way, that they are specific and measurable. Owl Camera: and find bound Owl Camera: in the past as well. Some of the continuous improvement plans. Some years were allowed to be multi year. Owl Camera: and that makes it a little bit more difficult to measure as tightly, and so those would tend to be broader goals. That was particularly during the Covid years. There were multi-year continuous improvement plans. And this year we're back to single year improvement plans. And so it's a little bit easier in this context to write goals that are. Owl Camera: or the smartphone just just as a point of order. I don't think Jodi could complete her presentation, and then we'll ask questions

173after for the sake of take side saving time. Owl Camera: Along with the goals you set improvement strategies and change ideas. Owl Camera: And then the other column that you saw in the draft continuous improvement plans was the investments that are needed to support those so personnel investments, time investments, materials, investments, and so on. Owl Camera: So this was our 1st goal. The second goal was specific to those increasing the outcomes for students who are members of this sort of marginalized subgroups. And again, the measures that we would use Owl Camera: to know whether we've met the outcome measure would be the Bt, cap. Owl Camera: Comparing this spring's data to next spring's data along the way, though, for progress monitoring because we do progress monitoring in the we come back to these goals again

174in the fall we progress monitor again in the winter, after we have our fall and winter data, and then at the end of the year. There's a a reflection piece that also is connected to creating the following years, the successor continuous improvement. Owl Camera: So vtcap would be this, goals measure to outcome measure. And then along the way we have our local common assessment plan that has other measures that we would use to get more specific information about what the specific gaps are for students, so that we can address them in the classroom Owl Camera: and monitor our progress toward meeting those outcome measures. Owl Camera: And then our final goal is related to early literacy. Owl Camera: And this is as I said, I felt like the templates that the agency provided this year.

175Owl Camera: they did a pretty good job with putting all of the goal requirements into one plan, like hooray. So for people who have been doing this for a while, we used to have to submit multiple plans. So along with F, 1, 39, the early literacy bill. It is important to, you know, it's an expectation that we have goals related to improving early literacy. So the 3rd goal is related to that. And again, it's Owl Camera: intended to increase student outcomes for literacy. And we're looking for growth on this one from the fall data to the spring data. Owl Camera: The screener that is referenced, the assessment that is referenced for this goal is Owl Camera: not btcap, because the students at that age don't take Btcap. They don't take it until 3rd grade. So

176we have this early literacy screener. This is one of the agency of education. Reviewed several screeners. They recommended 4. 2 of the 4 are this dynamic indicators of basic early literacy skills which everyone shorthands to dibbles. Owl Camera: There are 2 versions of it, one where teachers input scores directly into a platform that does the scoring and the other one does not. But it's the same assessment that's given the same way. So of the assessments that were recommended, this is one that was recommended. Owl Camera: and along with that are the measures and the change ideas. Owl Camera: So along with the district doing a data inventory, a comprehensive needs analysis, setting goals and coming up with change measures and action steps. Each school also completed that same process. Owl Camera: and they created their

177continuous improvement plans based on their data. So what is interesting is that all of the plans are aligned. So we have the 3 overarching district goals. You probably noticed, as you were looking at the school plans, that they also are aligned Owl Camera: in a similar way. Although obviously early literacy goals would not be applicable to middle school and high school, and some of the schools did consider or add an additional goal based on their own data inventory and their own Owl Camera: analysis. So they are aligned. And they are based on school specific data trends. Owl Camera: So all of the schools and the district next year will engage in a monitoring process happens 3 times during the year toward meeting the goals next school year. Owl Camera: And that's kind of how the

178process goes. Crash course on continuous improvement. Owl Camera: And now I'm done, and you can ask questions to them. Okay, so this Owl Camera: board. Approval of these things unlocks grant money. Is that my understanding? Yes. So the next. What happens next is, once I get approval from you all. And one thing to know about continuous improvement plans is that they are not cast in stone, and that is because Owl Camera: the timing doesn't quite line up. So the timeline for us to create our plans and get them to you for approval. So then we can get them to the agency of education for approval, so that that may unlock our grant application does not line up with our fall, winter, spring assessment plan. So Owl Camera: if we get the spring data, and, for

179example, we've already met one of the smart goals that we've set. We would need to Owl Camera: adjust those numbers based on the most recent data. Owl Camera: Yes, yeah, I guess I have a kind of a funding question. So when you set these goals, if you buy the chime in here as well, you know, as we look at the budget where the where you? Owl Camera: Because I see in here a lot of need for training cross education. So there's there's a lot in here, and you talk about like different things you'll need and stuff. So as you as the schools plan this where they're looking at like what's in our current budget, or, you know, do they need something that wasn't budgeted for? Because as we come into the fall, we start talking

180about Owl Camera: next year's budget, what is there. That's that we may need to focus on from a budget perspective to realize these goals. So what will happen once you approve the plans, and then they go to the agency and are approved, then our grant application is unlocked, and we write strategies consistent Owl Camera: with our continuous improvement plans to allocate that grant funding. So so the so the goals were based on the Grant money. There are things that are in the local budget that are supported. But yes, they would see things that were budgeted. Yeah, so the staffing will roll over to be consistent. One of the things we do, too, is that in addition to that initial submission we have the opportunity to amend the grant and then ultimately, there's Owl Camera: carry

181carry forward funding. So like, if other districts in the State do not spend all of their grant funding, it's redistributed. And so we have a 3rd opportunity to to use that funding. And then we can amend the Grant multiple times. So which we do Owl Camera: throughout the year to be responsive to student and staff needs and a lot of like So Owl Camera: there is some flexibility with that. But in order to unlock the Grant Owl Camera: Board, approval is a required step. Thank you. Owl Camera: Part of the assurances. I don't know, if you notice at the top of the template is some assurances, and one of the assurances is that the plan is or will be, approved by the School Board. Owl Camera: and then it goes to the agency also for

182approval. Owl Camera: Okay. Owl Camera: so I have. I have a couple of questions. So if I heard you correctly. There's this overarching district plan. Yes, and then each of the schools have their own plans also. Yes, because I guess when I was looking at them when I was looking at the school plans. Owl Camera: It seemed like, you know, sense of belonging was like Number one for the middle school, but that didn't show up in the high School, for example, like I happened to notice that. So I guess the question is because your overarching district plan did have that sense of belonging. And it did have, like your test scores and things. So I guess I was just wondering why. Owl Camera: Why would the schools need to have them. And are they going

183to be doing anything differently than Owl Camera: than the district? Do you see what I'm saying? Yes, because it's based on their data inventory for their specific students. So when we were looking at the data for the district plan, it was all students in the district, and then each school takes a look at the data specific to their own students? And does they identify problems of practice? And they also do root cause analysis Owl Camera: associated with that. And then they set their goals specific to that. Okay, but if you're seeing it in the district, then that would suggest that that same issue could be existing. The sense of belonging just type, example for the high school. So is there a reason they didn't include that in there? Do you see what I'm saying? I

184didn't. We didn't make an expectation that they had to be 100 the same. Okay. Owl Camera: okay. Alright. They made the determ determinations based on their data, their continuous improvement team Owl Camera: reviewed their data inventory. And then they, that team of high school staff made their goals based on their data. Owl Camera: But they're still going to have, I mean, but the district still has to improve their metric for sense of belonging across the district. So there are going to be some continuous improvement efforts even within the high school, though it's not specifically called out on their cip. Absolutely. Okay. That was my 1st question. Sorry. And then the other question real quick was. Owl Camera: How do you monitor and steward? That? And is that information then going to be like presented? Because

185this is all quantifiable? So is this going to be like rolled up. So we could say that we went from like a 73 to an 83%. If it was a 10% or Owl Camera: 65 to 80%, because some of them were, you know, we want to have an increase of 10 to 15%. Yes, how do we? How do we see that like? Oh, yes, yay, we're making progress. So if you scroll down to Section 4 in one of those continuous improvement plans. Okay, you'll notice that there's a Progress monitoring plan section. Owl Camera: Okay? Owl Camera: Yup, and that gets completed during the school year. Okay? And then, does that come back to us at the board. Will we see that? Owl Camera: Or is it put on like the website? It's on the website?

186Yes, all of these, once they're fully approved will be posted onto the website. So the school ones will go on the on the school sites. The district one will go on the district site and yes, no, I'm sorry, like so let's stick with the academic stuff. So when the Owl Camera: because you're gonna compare your 26 results, obviously 25 results. When Owl Camera: do you have all your 25 results? And where do those results go? Owl Camera: It's a great question. That has been variable. But I am optimistic Owl Camera: that we will have the summative. The Bt. Cap. State Summative assessments scores Owl Camera: earlier than we have in the past. I'm feeling pretty optimistic and confident. So, for example, last year students took those tests in March, April, May, and we got the

187results the end of July. Owl Camera: I'm hoping that they will come in a little more quickly this year, and then they go into a data workbook that comes out in the fall. Owl Camera: And that also, once that information is unembargoed by the State. That also goes on the website Owl Camera: like when there's Owl Camera: when do you anticipate that being on the website, you know, I'm not going to hold you to someone to do that this coming year. Owl Camera: Yes. Owl Camera: The data workbook that doesn't include the embargo data. So the Vermont agency of education tells us when we're allowed to to release the Btcap results publicly, we're allowed to use them internally as soon as we get them, but reporting them publicly. We have to wait until we are

188told by the agency of education that they are unembargoed. That has been late recently. It's been Owl Camera: December this year. It was a sign Owl Camera: we did when we did. The 1st data report is, we excluded embargo data. But we were able to Owl Camera: submit. And that was October. Yeah, yeah. And and then, once the data became unembargoed, we added, we added the hidden slides so we'd already prepped it. But we were waiting for the agency to say it's on embargoed release it for public consumption. So like the 1st was approximately Owl Camera: October, and then later, was the full data. Yeah, that's never the same. It seems to never be same time Owl Camera: test for the next year, when the full data is released to the public. That is what

189it felt like this year. Yes, and that's determined by the agency of education. We don't have local control over those timelines when it's been historically yeah. Owl Camera: cheeless. Owl Camera: So it's our responsibility to Owl Camera: approve these so that we unlock the grant funding. Is it also our responsibility to monitor these? Owl Camera: So Owl Camera: this isn't monitoring like monitoring report for policies. But we do have the responsibility to be our superintendent accountable to Owl Camera: this decent plans. So in order so for the grant, I mean, I understand that in the monitoring context for policy governance that I assume you know, math Bt. Cap stuff is going to show up in a monitoring report, maybe sometime. But Owl Camera: are we going to be expected to add this back on the

190agenda when those things come out and then review the results? Or is this? Or are we checking our box here? Yeah, yeah, absolutely have to. So you're going to see information about continuous improvement planning and the curriculum monitoring report, and you'll see that annually. Owl Camera: The Owl Camera: So that's where that shows up. And do you want to add more to like the kick the Owl Camera: Jodi in your 13 years of experience can you speak to Owl Camera: patterns of consistency about meeting metrics? And well, maybe I could step upon that question because I think I have a very limited question just that. Like, if should we feel the responsibility to follow up on this? Or is this? Okay? That's what I'm so. The responsibility here is to make sure that we have

191continuous improvement plans in place. Owl Camera: That is the Board's responsibility to ensure that we, as a district have continuous improvement plans in place. You do not. You are not on the hook for achieving them. And what I was gonna get out with Jodi is, in fact, achievement grades are Owl Camera: historically very low. And there's a lot of these are slow moving things like goals, the bands of like 3 year goals being the same is because Owl Camera: it is not the norm that districts achieve the growth within one year. Like, so Owl Camera: they're multi year goals. Yeah, no, that's it. That's it. Are there any repercussions for not doing this? No. Owl Camera: no, it's just meant to ensure that we are meeting the intent of those titles Owl Camera: and those

192title programs, so title one, title, 2, title 3, and title 4. Their intent is to improve student outcomes and for all students, but and also then for those for students who are economically disadvantaged or multilingual learners. Title 2 is to provide professional development for teachers in order to improve their practice. Owl Camera: to improve student outcomes. So it's it's really meant to be a way to ensure that schools, systems, districts aren't just taking this grant funding and saying, Oh, we're going to throw some here, and we're going to throw some there. It needs to be based on what does the data tell you? Owl Camera: Where are the places that you need to improve. And then how will you strategically and intentionally manage these Grant funds in pursuit of improving those outcomes for Owl Camera:

193for the student groups? Can I ask a follow up on that which is Owl Camera: It's my understanding. These plans are intended to hold districts across the State accountable for using the Grant funds the way they were to be used. Exactly. And as our national political spectrum changes will this Board get updates and reports on how that title funding Owl Camera: changes, and what advocacy we need to be doing with our legislators on behalf of our district, because that's something that you'll bring forward as these Owl Camera: happen. Yes, absolutely Owl Camera: that still seems very much in flux, and we haven't had the Cfp Annual Conference yet. That is happening within the next couple of weeks. That's where the agency brings together the folks in my role who are responsible for managing the grants

194and talks to us about what's happening next year. You know what the forecast is. They also have not released what the allocations look like yet which it's late. This is late. Owl Camera: To find those out, so Tbd absolutely will keep you posted. What's happening with that? And what kind of advocacy? If you're inducing advocacy, that would be benefits. Owl Camera: there are no repercussions for not meeting our goals. What does the district do when we don't meet our goals? I mean, it just seems kind of pointless to establish goals of if we did meet them. There are no repercussions Owl Camera: from the State. I think it's not money. I think it's unlock money. It's like the legislators. If they put something in place without any kind of this, then it would look not

195good. So no, I get that. But we're striving towards continuous improvement, so we should be able to be able to see. This is the improvement. The process is right, and if we're not, what are we doing about that? So we don't meet our goals Owl Camera: in Section 4, it talks about, what is your current data? What is the current growth towards this goal? What are the next steps? Owl Camera: So if you aren't meeting your goals. What you need to do in that section 4 is to say, what are we going to do about it? What changes are we going to make to get closer to our goal? And then so that and that happens multiple times during the school. That's what every school asks itself like, what are we going to do when

196children are? You know? What are we going to do if they don't know it? And so we're fighting a little societal battle here. And I do think this we I mean, we have the same plan at Essex, Westford. Owl Camera: You are constantly Owl Camera: all of us taking a look. Okay, we're not meeting it here. We're not meeting here. If we're going to do this, this is working. But then you got it's, you know. So it's it. It's a really slow and it's not a linear process necessarily. Okay? So then, who determines the next steps? Owl Camera: Yeah, the continuous improvement plan team. So at the school or at the district level, whoever you know. Owl Camera: Not necessarily the authors of the plan, because sometimes personnel changes. But whoever the cip team is,

197could you share a typical cip? Sorry. I just want to point out that this isn't. This improvement plan was not a directive from the Board. This improvement plan is is how the State ensures compliance with grant funding. So this isn't like the board decides how we're doing and Owl Camera: and takes action on this. It's we are a procedural step in the compliance. To that end the Vermont agency of education has to provide the assurance to the Feds. So the Vermont Aoe shouldn't be scapegoated here because they have very little actionable space. This is to the Feds, ensuring that the intent of the title is met, and it's a compliance. Owl Camera: mechanism to say, we're going to give you this money unless you have a plan. If it doesn't work, how are you going

198to address it. The real magic to this is the people who are on the school based teams who are made up of staff, who are really looking at the data trying to improve outcomes for for students. That's that's really the work here. Yeah. And we have 3 assessment windows each year. So after each assessment window fall. Owl Camera: winter, spring, that group would reconvene. Look at the most current data, see how they are progressing towards meeting their goals, go back to those root cause analysis and needs assessments that they did. Owl Camera: You know, reflect on whether or not they have carried out those change ideas and action steps and implemented them well, and what their next steps would be to get closer to the goal if they aren't on track to meet that goal.

199Owl Camera: One of the sorry last thing I have is, you were saying that before you'd only have one school that maybe was looked at. But now you're doing all the schools. Everybody has done them every year. What has changed is what needs approval from the board, the compliance piece of what specifically needs approval. So this year it's it's the all of them. The Aoe has through the years gone back. Some years, they've said. Owl Camera: Submit one for every school. Other years, they've said, Submit one for the district. Other years, they've said, do district and all schools. Other times. They've said you need to have the same goals for the district, and all the schools didn't necessarily align. So like the and it changes. I mean, that's, I'm literally just speaking to like the

200last like, 6 years. Yeah, yeah, like, it's it's there's Owl Camera: so moving target, yeah. And so we don't have control over that. We Owl Camera: follow what we are told to provide. So this is the plan for 2526. Yes. Owl Camera: Do we have, and have we? Maybe you've shared the the results from the 24 to 25 Owl Camera: continuous improvement like, how did we track? What did we say? No, no, I get it. I'm just that's a separate issue, right? And we don't have that data yet. Actually, because ours. All of our assessments aren't done yet. They're happening right now as we have them. We will do the reports got it, and Owl Camera: then there will be embargo data. So you might not have the full information until Owl Camera: January of

2012,026. Owl Camera: The data is on there like 23 to 24, that is on the website. Owl Camera: It is it's not in the continuous improvement plan, because the section 4 that I referred you to a couple of times was new this year, so it's great that they've included like I said, there used to be plans all over the place, and they've really made an attempt to streamline Owl Camera: and put it all in one place. So the templates from past years didn't always include that. But data is there. The data workbook is there in the curriculum assessment and instruction section of the website. There's a student achievement Owl Camera: button if you click on that and then click on. Last year there's lots of data. And I linked that in the May second superintendent

202Owl Camera: updates with board, you can see the link on the website to where all those reports are the date. The district didn't do data workbooks until I got here as curriculum director 4 years ago. So you'll see where I started those. And Owl Camera: that was, I mean, under David's leadership. Owl Camera: so that's there's 40. Well, 3. Because the most recent data, yeah, just know. Also, assessment is a moving target. So the State decides what the state assessment is. It was vcap then it was Sbac. Then it was vdcap. Owl Camera: It sometimes can be hard if you're not someone who's been in Vermont education for a decade to know what you're looking at. But I am always happy to help interpret that for you. Yeah. So we're constantly being trained on different

203tests. So because you just can't really 2 different tabs. Owl Camera: And again, that isn't anything we have control over. It's the agency that decision decides. What that assessment. Owl Camera: Chelsea, are you looking for? A motion? Is this an action item? And I'm just waiting for the questions to be resolved before we move forward. Owl Camera: no, I don't have any more questions for this. I'm good with the plan. I have questions about interpreting some of the data workbook. But that's a separate issue. Owl Camera: So this time I would entertain a motion. Anyone has one. Owl Camera: How are you? Owl Camera: Thank you, Jodi. Owl Camera: Thank you. Jodi Hi. The continuous improvement plans have been approved. Owl Camera: Would the Board like to consider moving our monitoring report for 2.7 to

204our next meeting. Owl Camera: just looking at time. 9, 22. Owl Camera: Yes, I would. I would entertain a motion to that. Owl Camera: I move to. I move to move 2.7 8 for a second, a second. Owl Camera: Emily seconds any discussion Owl Camera: just to say, sorry, yeah, that's okay. The I mean the report will remain unchanged. So Owl Camera: you know more than so we won't be updating. It's been posted. Yes, those questions. Yeah, absolutely reach out. If you've got any questions. Owl Camera: Sure. Thank you Owl Camera: on neighbors. Equal time by saying, Aye, motion carries. We're moving 2.7 to our May 21st meeting. Owl Camera: which brings us to agenda. Item 10 agenda planning set agenda for May 21st meeting we will be monitoring report 2.7 asset protections. We were

205set to Monitor 2.11, which is equity. Just before we want to consider pushing equity. Owl Camera: Or do you want to try to monitor 2 reports? And I will say, equity is typically a pretty big. Can I ask a quick question, yeah. Owl Camera: do we need to monitor all the reports by the end of June? Owl Camera: Okay. Owl Camera: yeah. And you've got the calendar where the monitoring schedule is. The board can typically sets that at the retreat. And Owl Camera: so you'll have the option to send that information great. We are behind on a couple of things, but now that I know there's no big Owl Camera: timeline on it, so I think maybe doing 2 in one day would I mean Owl Camera: So thank you. Stephanie's at home on. Thank

206you. So they, you know, support monitoring, of course. So stay for those. So that's and Owl Camera: the Owl Camera: It's a i mean, it is a tremendous amount of work on top of, you know our regular work to to do these. So you know the idea that you know. I think the Board should get into this the rhythm on monitoring before. What about doing the monitoring reports early so like that way everyone can go home like that. This is a long night, and and then I Owl Camera: I we're all kind of fresh, too. I want. I don't know. That's just an idea do them before, because we want it because everyone's prepared. They're here. And then they want, you know, when they go home. Owl Camera: I don't know. Just yeah. Yeah. Great

207idea. Just let's move before. Owl Camera: So what I'm hearing is move the action items up before discussion. So it would become the new agenda. Item 5 Owl Camera: to that. And I just want to say, you know, I've really important. Encourage the Board to get in the rhythm of monitoring before deciding to like, open up other monitoring reports just because we get bottlenecked really quickly. And, as you see from this, like, we had one on for tonight, and we pushed it, and so, like Owl Camera: if you wanted to like, add another one back on, then you're it would be easy. It is easy for boards to get backlogged on monitoring. I think our board has always done a really exceptional job of monitoring. There are some districts who haven't monitored some policies for

208years right? Because they do other business. So I just want to encourage you all to stay on track with monitoring. I think it's really important. Owl Camera: And they're also long reports, you know, and they take, you know, our staff of quite a long time to prepare these as well. So so let's so we do 2.7 next week and equity the following, then, because equity is big, yeah. Owl Camera: okay, so we'll do 2, 7, and then we'll do 2. Owl Camera: June 4th is our steering committee meetings. Yeah, we don't go to a regular board meeting that night. Owl Camera: Yep, so it would be 2, 7 on May 21, st and then it would be steering committee. And then it's 2.1 1 on June 18, th Owl Camera: board members. If we've not

209responded to the email requesting whether or not you have any dietary restrictions, allergies, or you're vegetarian. Please do a committee meeting. I took care of that. I did a quick poll of the room. Jellyna already reached out. Great to Andrea. So we're good on that. Thank you. We don't have 2.2 on the calendar, either should be Owl Camera: decide. That's gonna be like in July. Just, I think that's the last one that we don't have Owl Camera: unless you'd have a question about what 2.9 and 3.4 are if we monitor those like Owl Camera: monitoring reports, or if that's a different thing, since it seems policies Owl Camera: 2.9 communication and support to the board. Owl Camera: Yeah, so I would say, that's also involved in our evaluation, because that's communication from the superintendent to

210the board. They do that on an ongoing basis, too. So, like my 2.9, the superintendent's report is 2.9. My superintendent updates to you anytime, I respond to an email, and we have a meeting. My 2.9 is part of my goal is to provide ongoing support. So like. Owl Camera: when I attended your retreat, and I provided guidance on connecting and you know the governance, or tonight, when I appointed policies like those are, 2.9 is ongoing. Am I effectively providing the Board with the information support they need to understand their roles as board members. Owl Camera: Something else that we have is Owl Camera: we need to set our meeting schedule for the coming year because it ends on June 18, th and we don't have them planned past that. So when you asked about 2.2,

211I was like, oh, let's look at our July decided yet. So that will need to. That will need to be on our agenda soon. Owl Camera: It's on 2020. It is so typically what happens is Delina. And I look at the the that's something that Owl Camera: as a draft Owl Camera: 21st drafted in this. Can you read out? Can you list out the action items and discussion items for next? Owl Camera: Right? Now, the discussion items are student representative recruitment process update public comment, advisory committee update policy, and the action items would be monitoring movement 2.7. Owl Camera: And I think we should add, as an action item, although it should probably be discussion 1st and then action. Our School Board Meeting calendar, so that we decide on our meeting dates for the next

212year, and at that, and by the 21, st I could have my suggestion on 2 point on 2.3. Owl Camera: It's very small, so we could discuss it, not take any action on it. Owl Camera: 2.3 min community. Owl Camera: You have a suggestion, or it's a it's a change to the policy. Oh, it's a change to policy. It's like 3 3 letters or 3 words. Owl Camera: But we could also. Yeah, that would not be. You see, my brain just like blank out. Owl Camera: Okay, Owl Camera: They do Owl Camera: that. I follow up with the lawyer and send the Board an email information about the process to change our policies under governance, because that has not happened the entire time I've been on the board, and I just want to make sure that

213it goes, I think, to precipitate that I think we should have, so it doesn't have to be next meeting. But let's so. I'll leave for another meeting. Owl Camera: although I guess that goes against my point. Yes, please do send that email. Okay, I'm sending an email requesting the procedural guidance on discussion and Owl Camera: possible subsequent action on changing policy under government. I'm now going to fulfill my responsibility of 2.9 and advise and support. Yeah, I should, because it's helpful, right? It's good Owl Camera: that I would really encourage the board to Owl Camera: experience and use these tools before modifying them. Owl Camera: so that you have a robust understanding of what the connections are, what they look like. The implications. I, just again, I 2.9 is part of my responsibility to advise

214the board. Use the tools, understand your roles before changes. Owl Camera: Okay? Right? Added one item to discussion items. Just an update on the racy. And yeah, just so we can keep that up. We should come up with a better name. But I know we can change it. I think another acronym for it. Owl Camera: I know it's the same thing isolating. I think right, because if folks haven't been keeping up. Then they don't know what that's which can. Owl Camera: you know, dissuade people from wanting to engage if they feel like it's not accessible. And our relative priorities on everything, you know, like I care passionately about like the water. Cooler policy, but nobody else cares. So we should name it. Something along those lines like Owl Camera: defining roles, responsibilities and priorities of

215School board. Owl Camera: So could we label it initially, maybe board retreat, follow up. Owl Camera: because that's really what this is coming from, and that would be an indication of source. Then say, board, retreat, follow up goals and responsibilities. Discussion. Owl Camera: It is late in the day to be tracking news, I think between Chelsea and I, and then watching this on camera, I think we'll get it right Owl Camera: on solution. Owl Camera: Don't tell me I'm gonna I'm gonna get a survey. Owl Camera: So that brings us to agenda. Item 11. That agenda. Owl Camera: Are there any questions or comments Owl Camera: about anything on the consent agenda? Owl Camera: So the teacher who spoke tonight and mention the hiring guideline. Owl Camera: The the information that we're getting back is

216that that is Owl Camera: a district policy that's been in place for for many years. Owl Camera: It's not a policy. It is part of the hiring guidelines in an Hr. Document. Owl Camera: I can. I will share the document with the board. I believe it's on our website. I'll track it down. I didn't develop this. I don't know how long it's been in place, and it's part of a budgeting tool. And this is something that is. The board members also receive information. When you get hiring reports you have to monitor the dollars to make sure I don't see them. And the staff. Owl Camera: It's different from the Cba, yeah. And it's also very common for districts to have this. This is, it's not new, it's not an outlier. It is a standard practice

217for districts to set limits on hiring. They are not written in stone principals. Do ask for you know, if there's no candidates in a pool, you know, for a competitive pool, this is something that Owl Camera: be abided by. It's it's not in Cba. It's not written in stone, it is something where Owl Camera: if there's a hard to fill position, we will hire the candidate. If there's no competition for a position Owl Camera: promote the hiring of younger teachers? Or does it exist to promote the higher, less expensive teachers, or, like, what is the goal behind it Owl Camera: cost containment in bringing new staff on, and that's what districts use it for, and it also provides consistency in budgeting. You'll call during budget presentations. We budget that the metric for Master 3. Which

218is what this is set at. That's not something I implemented. This is a standard budgeting practice. Owl Camera: It did. Owl Camera: And again we go above it. So when you get a hiring report that shows I went outside of it. I approved 3 of these today at Marcott School, where that teacher was from when I worked with the principal, and it was because of Owl Camera: hiring rules and the position. And so you're gonna see hiring reports. We're gonna say, Violet, you were over on staffing, and I'll say, Okay, we're gonna try to Owl Camera: stick to it in this way. But Owl Camera: you'll monitor the activities, you know I'm not having someone or an activity. Owl Camera: Any other questions on the consent agenda items for the record that include includes approval

219of minutes. Several ap orders, tires. Resignations, leave of Absence. 2 bids and an accounts payable order. Check to Veron School, District Owl Camera: and University Medical Center. I just had a comment on the bids. And I think Owl Camera: my comment because I've I've seen before. I feel like we need to do a better job casting a wider net. Owl Camera: And you know I understand that we go out to 3 bids, but where sometimes we only get one, I mean the cost can be significantly different, as was evidenced by the roofing responses that we received. And I wonder if maybe there's an opportunity like, just from a best practice, to say we're gonna we're going to send it to more, because we're not getting the response. But I mean there was, you know, several

220$100,000 difference. As we were looking at some responses there. So Owl Camera: I feel like there's an opportunity for us to do better in that space. Owl Camera: I'm happy to respond, okay, yeah. So Owl Camera: Tim talked about this a couple meetings back that school districts are not the most Owl Camera: palatable for many contractors to work with. They're really small window of opportunity for work to be done. I come from the world of higher education, where my summer starts on May 15, th in the K. 12 world. It doesn't start till June 16th this year. So we have a Owl Camera: really great group of contractors that we've used over many years. We always send Rfps out to them, and then we send it out to others as well. And Owl Camera: this

221is just my 1st year with the district doing this work, and Owl Camera: more often than not we get a response that says, Thanks, but no, thanks. We're opting not to bid here. So Owl Camera: you know, there's and contractors are busy, and they know that it's difficult to get work done in that small timeframe that we have available. They know that we have small dollars that we're working with. And then we are gonna a lot of times. We will typically go with a lower bidder. So the hours are weird, too. But they can do the work. Yeah. So you brought this point up some meetings ago. Owl Camera: and the Facilities Director has been here for a long time. He and I have talked through this. Owl Camera: and and we've gone out. Owl

222Camera: and the other piece of the puzzle is sometimes when you go way out of your scope of normal business area, and you would select a contractor who you don't have a good working relationship with. We have done that here before. And it's ended really poor way we're getting work. Owl Camera: Yeah. So you've suddenly you've picked a contractor who threw it a bit, and they're from over the line in New York State or over in Massachusetts, and then you have a a quality problem later. And they're like, you know, sorry. Owl Camera: So I mean, it just struck me again seeing it tonight, but particularly when I went to the roofing beds. Owl Camera: I'm thinking. Gosh, you know, I mean, there were 2 which is great. Yeah, but Owl Camera: and I forget

223what the other one was, but there was only one. Specifically. We had contractors come back to us and say. Owl Camera: 1, 2. Owl Camera: So you'll see that we have some big stormwater projects that are going to happen this summer. Those are being handled by green print partners. So a separate organization that's managing that for us. And Owl Camera: they all struggle to. I mean, there's a 1 big project hasn't gone out yet hasn't been awarded yet, so Owl Camera: the the Owl Camera: the timeline is very tight of us even getting those Rfps out. These contractors are booked months and months and months in advance. So there's a lot of things that sort of push against us in getting Owl Camera: and you know, having worked in this world for some amount of

224time, like. Owl Camera: I prefer to go with a contractor who knows us, who we've worked with for a long time, who have good relationship with and who knows what our facility is and understands what our budget constraints are as well. So Owl Camera: so I yeah, not for lack of trying, Jeff. I I hope it doesn't appear that way, either. No, I know it's it's Owl Camera: it's just frustrating. I know there's so many things that I find frustrating, too. And like that that answer is unsatisfying. And like, I also would want to fix everything. Owl Camera: And so I came up to that. I appreciate your perspective. Owl Camera: Yeah, of course. Thank you. Yeah. Owl Camera: Any other questions or comments about any of the consent agendas? Owl Camera: How many literacy

225coordinators are there? Owl Camera: There's 1 district literacy coordinator. Owl Camera: And is that a Owl Camera: is that a concern that that person is leaving is that part of the budget? Is that something we knew about Owl Camera: no problem. Owl Camera: It's not a concern. It's not part of the budget, or it is part of the budget. The person resigning does not have to do with a budget reduction. It's not a Riff. Owl Camera: Okay? Owl Camera: Or so, you're not concerned about the overall literacy Owl Camera: program based on this change. The position still exists, so they'll hire a new position. Owl Camera: Any other questions. Owl Camera: Let's see none. The consent agenda items are approved by consent. Owl Camera: We have executive session warned. Owl Camera: Yeah, as our next

226agenda item, we did at the minutes it will reflect this, we did enter into executive session prior to our regular Owl Camera: We entered into executive session at about 5 10 Pm. This evening Owl Camera: I would entertain a motion from the Board not to reenter executive session this evening, and instead Owl Camera: to have an executive session at our next meeting. Owl Camera: Let's see. Owl Camera: And what would the work like to do? Owl Camera: Yeah, we have an option on the floor by Laura to move. Our next executive session to our next Board meeting. Is that a second Owl Camera: second 10 subjects and discussion will I be participating, and we'll let you know. Owl Camera: Certainly not from part of it. Owl Camera: I'm just a little concerned about timing. We

227don't Owl Camera: talk a little bit more today. I know it's late, and it's okay. I'm just voicing my thoughts that Owl Camera: we have a short timeline to get things done to be rushed Owl Camera: on the 21, st 27.th Owl Camera: We start at 5, though we have, like a an agenda for the I am. Owl Camera: I am not concerned that we will not meet our deadlines. Owl Camera: That helps because it's my 1st time. So yeah, thank you. Owl Camera: Is there a motion to adjourn the regular session? Owl Camera: Move to adjourn? I'm sorry. Give Laura a second. Owl Camera: Signify your say, aye, if you want to adjourn, the session passes unanimously. The regular South Burlington School Board Meeting is adjourned at 9, 45. Yeah, thank you. Owl Camera:

228It's everyone.