001Hey, we're going to call this uh July 15th meeting to order. Before we start, I'd like to just say something real quickly. I'd like to take a moment to apologize for missing last week's meeting. Uh but also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone, my fellow board members, uh our superintendent, senior staff, um our teachers and staff and members of the community for prayers and messages of support during our family's recent medical concerns. Also like to ask for continued prayer and support in the days and weeks to come. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. So thank you very much. Uki, would you please call the role? Pete Wilderborg >> present. >> David Perry >> present. >> Judy Justice >> present. >> Very good. Thank you all for being here today. Uh we
002will start with the pledge of allegiance and then Reverend Terry Henry from the Macedonia Baptist Church will be leading our invocation. And it said on the paper that I'm leading the pledge. So I'm leading the pledge. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Sovereign God, you are our Lord and the keeper of our universe. Your word reminds us we are your people and the sheep of your pastor. Today as the board begins their meeting for the betterment of our schools, we thank you for the leadership for every teacher, every faculty and staff member and particularly for our students. We pray for your continued protection over every campus and all of
003our students. We pray specifically that you will grant this board direction, wisdom, and clarity in their decision-m so that whatever decisions they make will be for the improvement and betterment of our schools. We thank you for your guidance and your loving kindness. May we forever give your name praise. Amen. >> Amen. All right, carrying on quickly. Uh we do have a short agenda today but uh a lot of things that are very important. Um I would entertain a a motion to approve the agenda. >> So move. >> I'll second that. Any discussion? Mr. Perry, >> I'd like to I checked last night. Is 2210 on the agenda? >> It is. >> Okay. In addition, because of some changes that I proposed in regard to 2210, I also want to uh in moving some stuff around,
004I also like to uh motion that we add policy 2120 and um 2230 to the agenda after 2210. >> Okay. And before asking for a second, my only concern in that, I'm going to be honest, is the fact that we've had a whole week since the last meeting and um you know to get folks up and running. I would have no problem putting those on for August, but I'm going to have to vote against putting them on for today just because we're you know, we you know, these folks aren't prepared for that. Uh I didn't and I I thank you very much for sending that uh text message last night, but it was almost 9:00 at night when I looked back and started trying to look at this stuff. So, uh, I'm I'm going to
005vote against it just for that reason, but I have no problem in adding that on for next month. But, uh, is there a second? >> Word for word. I mean, it was late when we got it. I mean, that was okay that we want to do this, but we, you know, time be able to reflect and look at things. >> Okay. >> A lot of it what was what was in the proposed uh, for instance, what part of what was in the proposed uh, change that we will be discussing on 2210 I most of it with some alterations. I was planning on moving to um the 22 2120 and 2230. That's it's because I think it's in the wrong place. >> Okay. >> And I have no problem with that. Like I say, I don't
006think and unless one of you feel differently, I don't think there's anything pressing saying that we've got to do this today. We've got to do all this moving around. I mean, I think that it is definitely a worthy discussion 100%. But I I just don't think that, you know, and we don't have a set like my goodness, it's got to be in by Friday, but I mean, on the other hand, we also don't have we probably need to have that, but kind of like the full board has maybe we should say the Friday prior so at least people would have enough time to make sure, but you still have the right to add to try to add that. But let me go ahead and we'll move forward and say, is there a second to add
007in those two for today? Hearing none, we will carry on. So, we have a motion and a second to approve the agenda as as uh stated. Uh all in favor, please signify by saying I. >> I. All opposed. >> Okay, that passes 300. Mr. Perry, would you know, and you and I could talk about it, but if you'd like to add 2120 and 2230 on for next for August, uh we can definitely do that. All right, moving forward, let's go on to the board attorney. I look back at the notes. Oh, excuse me. I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm so excited about being here again. Um, approval of the minutes. Do I hear I'll make a motion we approve the the minutes. Is there a second? >> Second. Thank you. Any discussion? Hearing none. All
008all uh all in agreement to approve the amen the minutes as provided, please signify by saying I. I. >> I. All oppose. Okay. Passes 30. See, I'm warming my feet back up here again. That's good. All right. Um, first uh policy is 2610 and we left that Mr. Perry had made the uh motion in the notes to uh ask the board attorney to come up with some uh clear wording on that. So, Mr. Crocky, >> thank you, Chair Wabore. Um, I spoke with Mr. Perry last night about this and what I suggested to him is that we have an open discussion with this meeting with this committee. >> Okay. >> And the attorney about what I do for you all so that everyone's very clear >> and what needs to go into this policy so
009that it's very clear for everyone. >> Absolutely. What tool is the attorney for the board? And what I want to make sure the board recognizes some goals for from me and and Mr. Blanchard. We recognize that we represent the school system as a whole, the entity as a whole, the board as a whole. We do not represent any individuals. We don't represent Dr. Barnes as an individual or Miss Justice as an individual that our allegiance, our duty and our diligence has to go to the whole entity at all times. With that said, we're doing a whole lot of different things. I I cover in court um the vehicle seizure hearings where drunk drivers have their cars taken away. Occasionally I'll go down for a motion to set aside a bond forfeiture and a bond is
010forfeited when a a criminal defendant doesn't appear for court. Bond goes to the school district. Their bonds then come back and try to get that back and I go down and I tackle those. Well, I I I sometimes have to shoot from the hip because I'm not seeking on every particular Honda 2013, you know, being seized from a person. I don't think it'd be worth my while to spend two hours trying to figure out what my marching orders are from the board. Um, we're dealing with hearings for the board. We're dealing with with policy for the board. We field a ton of calls and texts from various people on the board. And then also though with Dr. Barnes's team, we're we're trying to deal with certain matters that are arising. Some of them reach the
011board's level, but most of them are dealt with by Dr. Barnes's team and and I'll have people reach out. I guess my question to everyone, and I said this, I think a couple meetings ago, if I'm obligated to make a report on every single thing I do, man, that our bills would probably double or triple. And we don't want that. We don't want to we don't want to uh you know shear the sheep so bad that that that you you guys look at us and say wow look at these bills. So I recognize that there has to be a balancing act for all these things. And when I look at a lot of these proposed changes I worry my concern is that our bill would go off the charts if I'm having to report for
012a quick text exchange. They don't even put on my bill for you guys. And I think Dr. Barnes can elaborate. Mr. Blanchard is handling a lot of the phone calls and communications, but I try to put the nitty-gritty of what I'm doing on my every single entry that I put when I'm dealing with a school teacher or a principal who's been subpoenaed to a custody matter. I think so far 100% of our personnel don't want to get involved. They want to stay neutral. But all those little nuances throughout the day, I'm dealing with the court, dealing with the clerk of court, I'm dealing with the other attorneys. We're then having Miss Barnum's team put together a document production. We do we do satisfy that. Then we redact the document production before we send it to
013the other attorneys. And then I get on the horn with the other attorneys and I tell them, "Hey, listen. Our to our teacher wants to uh continue to be a neutral advocate. Doesn't want to have a dog in this custody battle. We we recognize that the children are important. We recognize some parents may think that the teacher has something better to say than the other, but at the end of the day, the teachers and the staff want to stay neutral to allow them to continue doing their job. And I don't send reports on any of that. I worry that by beating this policy to death, I'm going to feel an obligation to to send a report and and to uh put that on my bill. And I just I don't know. That's what that's the
014discussion I want to have in open session. I think it's important that we all say here's what we want the lawyer to do. That's what this policy is is meant to be. So, I think it's it's not I think it's time for us to talk about this out in the open so that I'm clear on what my reporting duties are and also so we can put it in here. I think right now when I look at this chair wer it's very broad. It's very broad and uh I think it could be refined to maybe half that and I think we'd hit the the important parts that my duty lies with the the entire system. It's a body, not any individual. Um and then we'll figure out what level of reporting you all want. and and
015without M. Mason being here, I don't know. The policy now states that we're supposed to funnel everything through her back out to everyone. And I don't know that that's even happening. I don't know if it happened under my t too. >> I I would say that I'm not reporting on the vehic stuff I'm doing in court. >> I'm not reporting on any of the custody stuff I'm dealing with for Miss Barnum's team, Miss Geller's team. not not reporting on when I speak to other attorneys who defending the uh the school district for workers comp matters and stuff like that. >> Miss um you can go first. >> Okay. Uh when you build uh I mean it's it's mainly your hours. Is there any kind of brief description on what it's going >> Oh yeah. Yeah.
016>> Okay. So that sounds like I mean you you got to be practical and realistic here. That sounds like how we've been handling it in the past that it's been affected by the billing process. Another thing that I'm concerned about, I saw this yesterday when I looked or last week when I looked at the first time. I don't understand this. Somebody put some brackets in here. Somebody added some little squiggly. Somebody highlighted something and none of this makes sense. Why is this the stuff that's been added? This is not the usual procedure when we go through these policies and refine them. So I'm a little confused about what this even means. >> I think what Miss Justice is referring to. There was a handout at some point I was handed. Is that >> Yeah, it's
017right here. Very >> And then I printed the full policy on Yeah. I have the same thing as you. >> Yeah. And this is all that I had and this is online. >> That was my questions as well. What exactly what do I look at? >> Yeah. I'm sorry. >> I'm happy to take a stab at rewriting this in its entirety after I hear from Dr. Barnes and from the rest of it. >> Cuz this does not make any sense. >> It's kind of all over the place. >> Yeah, >> Dr. Barnes. >> I want to make sure three things that I want to make sure I covered. All of the super all of the the past attorney bills are available in my office for a board member who'd like to see them. I've got
018them all printed out and coalated if we need it. Second, um I think it's important for the board to consider how much it's costing itself as well through this process. More of our public records requests are for board emails than anything else. I I just want you to be aware that when we budget amount of money for the superintendent, if everyone is accessing the super the sorry, that's me. If everyone's accessing the attorney individually to get information, that cost adds up. So, you want to be efficient as well in your dealings with things. >> And I think that may come down to sort of a trust issue as well. Like if I if Judy hears something from the attorney and she tells the rest of the board, does the rest of the board have to
019also hear it from the attorney? Do you know what I mean? Like that's a question of how much >> do you want to charge yourself for the business of doing the board? Because that's money that doesn't go back out to kids. So that's just around my point. >> Yes, sir. Fair. >> Yeah. I mean I think it's important for us one that every board member I mean if they if they're they're working on something and need some some legal opinion you know prepping for these policy committee meetings often for me it means asking legal questions so that I I know do I try to abuse that? No. If I was on the phone with Mr. Prompty and Mr. blanch it all the time. They would probably start complaining and you know and then stop billing
020us and then I'd probably hear about it. Um but uh I I try to use it sparingly but and it it could be abused. So I don't like the fact that policy says we have to go to the chair. I think if anybody if if as long as we're acting responsibly and not abusing it, I think we should all have access if we if we need to. Um and then we can deal with people who abuse it. one that privilege on a one-on-one basis. I also understand where Mr. Trump's coming. This this would give him a lot of extra busy work to do. So, um if they have to summarize every conversation they have with us versus what I think it's important that we know that information, but doesn't necessarily need to be the attorneys
021themselves who are doing it. So I mean my so some options could be um the the options I came up with and maybe none of these are really good. Could you could could you should we should if a board member had the conversation with the attorney should they just tell the chair and then or the vice chair let the chair the vice chair write up a summary and send it to everybody. That was one option I came up with. Another option would be that the board member who had the conversation has the responsibility to summarize the conversation and send it to everybody. Uh >> and then finally I I thought well maybe you know should there be like an audio recording every time we call them and we can store it somewhere and then people
022could look at it as leisure. Um, so I I I personally I think my second choice is just it's incumbent on the board member to to summarize, hey, I had a conversation just like we do sometimes with when we go to the press. We let everybody know, hey, I talked to the reporter at Port City Daily or whatever. Okay, >> we can just say I had a conversation uh with with the attorneys about this and here's this is what was their response and sent out an email to everybody and I think that should be good enough. >> Well, and I mean almost what we have and and this is the I guess somebody had made this recommendation. Every board member must be informed with a question and response within 24 hours or prior to a
023board. You know, maybe if we just get rid of and response within 24 hours, get rid of that part and just say by the by the the board member that made the conversation that had the conversation. I mean, that would take care of that whole thing. So, we >> would add anything to your time. >> Yeah. Then then we wouldn't it wouldn't be billable because we we do we get paid for this? >> Do we? Nickel an hour. >> Kitty kitty kitty nickel. >> Sorry. >> Yes, ma'am. Um, I heard what you said and I think that might be a good idea to involve the whole board with their expectations and then that let's get this done right, have good feedback from everybody and then you take it back and look at it and see
024what you think would be I mean you're the expert on the wall and working with the board. I mean does this make sense to let it be that way? I thought that was a great idea that he suggested said this is and everybody can see this too how strange that is. They just squiggle, you know, >> right? This seems a lot more what you're suggesting is a lot more practical and effective and that would be part of it too. You know, if you have a conversation, board member has a conversation with one of the attorneys to you know, do a summary and send it to everybody. That would could be part of it. You know, >> that's two further just two further thoughts. Ordinarily, it's generally if you're asking the the attorney question, it's either
025for the committee that you are in charge of >> or about a board-driven action. I would wonder if the attorney should be asking adi uh offering advice, giving details on things that aren't previously approved board actions, right? Like so because each individual board member does not have the collective will of the whole board necessarily. >> No, >> it's not necessarily like if I call you because I have a decided, you know, I've got an idea. I'm going to do something brand new and I'm going to charge up the two hours of your time to develop something that hasn't been board voted on yet. I'm wondering if that's putting the lawyer before the horse. You know what I mean? >> Yeah. And I I would say we haven't gotten those yet. What what when we're spending
026that substantive amount of time, it's everybody on that board knows what we're doing. I usually send an attorney client privileged heading email to everybody. I'm not sure if Mr. Blanchard is doing that. Um, anytime I'm spending a block of time for the school, besides the things I talked about already, the subpoena, the the various cases, we're dealing with talk chatting with the clerk and redacting stuff from in preparation for either public records records request document production or a subpoena document production that those things stay off your radar. anytime we're I go back to that what is that artificial surveillance deal with the Davidson was the other I I every time I did something there you all heard about what I was doing because I felt it was important and I I it goes back to
027I think a couple meetings ago I said there has to be a level of trust with the lawyers that when it's important things that affect the body that entity that's New Hor County schools I most certainly am reporting right way. Um, and everybody's staying on the front burner of being the recipient of information. I don't want someone to sit in the dark thinking, has he spoken with that Davidson attorney or not? And though I was, you know, at and and I think it was chair Mason had we were and we had asked us to open a dialogue with this other attorney. So I and when that happened, I was reporting that had been the last substantive thing. I think there have been some personnel or family matters that Mr. Blanchard dealt with maybe that I
028don't think I would have liked to see him send more of a report out to keep you guys in the loop, but we can work on that. I can get on him about that. >> Um, but I do think it would be nice for the the board as a whole to try to identify what Miss Justice just said, lay out our objectives for this attorney um, and then come to some sort of agreement on a reporting guideline. That makes sense to me. >> Okay. What what I think might be a good idea and if you guys and and I'm going to throw this out here. Um just looking at I just got a text message from uh a board member that shared with me that uh our billing to Crosley has gone from like 10,000
029uh in December to about 20,000 uh in May. So about doubled. So we just need to maybe get this all and I think this idea is great. Yes sir. >> I can comment on that too. Our billing went up for a couple months while we got back on track with the public records request. >> Okay. I note that our we just sent our bill for the month of >> June >> yesterday back down to I think 16 grand. >> 14. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Barnes. >> 12. Go ahead. >> Yeah. Right. >> But it it was the backlog of getting our public records request. >> I think Dr. Barnes hit it best. When there is, and I got to use my word wisely here, when there is discord amongst the board, our bills go
030up >> because we're trying to you look at a pool of water, all these little all these rocks are being thrown, it's turbulent. And it's our our job to try to stabilize that pool of water again. and and so for that I would say categorically if the board is getting along and there is less discord there's less need for us the entity operates on its own without need for the attorneys to say hey this is what you can and you can't do or you should or I guess the better better words are you should and you should or shouldn't do >> well and please understand I'm not complaining I'm just saying that that you know that's that's where we're at so >> we want to strive to keep our bills low. We do we don't
031want to flog the system each month. We want to we want to provide good legal services. >> We want to get paid fairly and we want to keep our bills reasonable under the circumstances. >> And I appreciate that you do. >> Yeah. Thank you very much. >> Um I'm going to make a motion that we move 2610 onto the full board only for discussion that we can come and have this discussion as we're saying. So, you know, please remind me cuz I'm old forgetful that when when we get to to the agenda review that we we need a little more time for this discussion, but we can discuss it and then we will bring it back. Mr. Perry, would you serve uh with uh Mr. Kunky to formulate this? Maybe three of us can can
032formulate this this policy. Would that be okay? >> Yeah. >> And Miss Justice, would you like to be part of it? I >> Well, first we need to hear from everybody. >> Well, oh, absolutely. Yeah. But I'm saying once we hear it >> Oh, okay. Now you're moving forward from from the hearing. Now you um >> would you like to be part of it, too? Because I I don't want to >> I'm not an I'm not any more of an expert than anybody else. I mean, that's whatever. >> I I I'd like to take a stab at trying to lay out the objectives. >> Yes, absolutely. >> Yeah, I can do that. And then that'll be the starting point for the rest of the board. >> We we'll do it. But then we'll have the
033three of us have a discussion about it next meeting. Okay. >> Let So that's the plan. So again, there's a motion. Do we have a second? Any further discussion about moving 2610 on to the full board for further discussion? But no changes at this point in >> just for information. >> Yes. >> And and I a second. Is that >> a third? Third. >> All right. We know what the vote will be then. All right. All in favor of moving 2610 onto the full board only for discussion, please signify by saying I. I. >> I. >> Okay. That passes uh 30. Good start. All right, close that out. Move over here. Next, we have school assignment 4150. >> I I have something I like to give to the >> All right. >> Handouts. Thank you,
034sir. [Applause] >> Oh, thank you. [Music] Okay. Um >> uh so as we uh we passed some changes uh a week ago at the 24150 that that uh unweighted the lottery for our year round schools and that that passed at our last meeting but as our last discussion when we were here Miss Justice was not here. We moved it on to the board and um we we moved it on without the other uh cooperative innovative high schools as being part of it, but we we decided we're going to take it back to discuss uh that further. So uh so the it seemed that we there's been concern that that the state law requires that we give preferential treatment based off of income and educational level or zip codes or such at risk factors. And I
035passed up the law which governs that. And I'm looking at, you know, just section A right off the bat. Those target any of the following groups and out of kids who are risk dropping out of school, kids whose parents do not continue education beyond high school or high school students who would benefit from accelerated academic instruction. Well, I think a lot of kids would benefit from accelerated uh academic instruction if they're up for it. Uh, who wouldn't? I mean, if you can get an associates degree, you know, while you're still in high school, that's going to be pretty awesome for your life chances. So, uh, I don't think there's anything in this law, and I I would ask our attorney to comment it, that requires us to give preferential treatment to people that we consider
036at risk. I don't necessarily think the word target means that we have to give that we have to have you know a weighted lottery system a preferential treatment. I think it just means that you know maybe we can go to these kids and these parents and say hey look you this kid you you know we we highly recommend that you you apply for this program. So, uh, I'm not tonedeaf to the fact that there's some kids who are at risk and they could use a push in the right direction, but I don't think we need to necessarily do it with a unfair lottery system. >> If I can make a point, uh, the cooperative high schools do not use a lottery system. They use a rubric system that is set up by a certain number
037of points based on these criteria. It's not strictly a lottery where we talked about where these things come ahead of these things. It's more of a rubric based that says you get points for these how many criteria of this you have that makes sense. >> That's something that we set up or did that come from the state? >> It was set up and approved by the board as a part of our uh enrollment process. >> Just a state law to precede anything we have >> and I wasn't here. I was literally in surgery when you guys discussed it. Then it went to the full board with five people there and they overvoted what happened as far as our lottery system goes. I never had a chance to say how appalled I am that this even
038came up. There is a definite purpose for that lottery system for the weighted lottery. You go to any school around here, socioeconomic reasoning and you can see it and it's a fact. Every major educational study has shown that kids coming from high poverty areas definitely have a big whammy of next week and our setting up with our yearround schools was just trying to even it out. In fact, that happened under Markley when he noticed a big discrepancy because we had an overload of affluent parents who had more information, more opportunities to drive their kids to school. They were overloading our year- round school. So, we put that in place to try to even it out. We had a parent that was unhappy that didn't I don't think fully understood the reasoning behind it. As I
039said, I wasn't here during the discussion last week. I tried to bring it up when we brought it to the board and they voted to get rid of our lottery system. I mean, I'm just one person, but ethically and educationally wise, what we're doing, it goes against what's best for our kids. I didn't have a chance to say it because I wasn't here. And Pete, you should know that. You've been in schools and you've seen the effects of poverty. And if you looked at the statistics before Markley, I think it was under him when we could go back and look at it before he initiated this and the difference in the population of those year- round schools then to make it more equitable and help those kids that needed that pulling. Um it made sense.
040So this just this came about a couple weeks ago that I was at surgery. It just got thrown out there. We've never had a clear discussion about why it's important to have the whole Broadway system the way we do this weighted. Uh maybe we can't change it now. And and to think that you know the state has a reason for this for their points. If you guys don't understand the inequities in our world and how we're here for all of our kids and to pull all of them up the best way possible and that was one of the ways to do it. The state decided this is one of the ways for these kids to do and our district did. Um I'm very sad that you can't appreciate the reality of the world because that's
041exactly what it is and it's best for our kids. This the socioeconomic studies have shown when the higher income students are exposed to the lower income students in a healthy environment in good proportion everybody lifts up. Not just the lower income kids but also the higher income kids. So this is helping everybody all the way around. None of this is done lightly and none of this is done I'm not sure why people are so against trying to help kids but some people think it's some kind of inequity in the opposite direction or prejudice are trying to make up for it's not a matter of making up for lost past the past is the past is trying to help our kids now so this is you know I guess I can't say a lot of votes
042already been taken but to bring this up about the point system that just makes no sense leave it to the state leave it to what we've already done there's Nothing wrong with it. That's my opinion. >> Thank you, suggestive. >> Oh, Mr. Con. >> Um, I think the initial reflection from Mr. Perry to me was uh in my mind as long as we haven't defined what is at risk. That is left to the superintendent. And you can have a person who makes a lot of money and still be at risk is my own opinion. We to my knowledge there's no definition for what you need to determine are at risk. Is that correct Dr. Barnes? >> No. We work individually. Counselors and principles work individually to help identify the kids who would best benefit regardless
043of the other factors. However, if two kids put in the both put in the application and one hits three of these criteria and one only hits one, the slots will go to the kids who hit more of the criteria. >> And that makes sense to me. there's without having a formal definition of at risk. It leaves it up to you and your team >> and a full explanation has been sent to the board inside of our weekly updates as well. If you guys want to look at I just want to respond to my colleague in front of me uh comments briefly. Um the we we we it's not like we don't care, but we've had this conversation and what we're talking about is diversity, equity, and inclusion. It's really just another name for the same
044thing. We've already voted for this. I know you've made your point. You keep making your point. >> But what we want, I think the majority of this board wants is equal opportunity for every single child. I don't think there's anything wrong for wanting that. I don't want I want I mean I don't know if they use zip codes in these innovative schools or how exactly this rubric is set up. I'd like to see some more information but the fact that one of the criteria previously >> previously for our lotteryies for Cington Eaton was that you live in zip code 2841. Well, I'm going to tell you, there's some poor kids living in a freaking over on this side of town in a in a trailer park who are just as bad off as the kids
045in 2841. So, I'm sorry to tell you. I mean, and then and just because somebody and then we're penalizing people for making money and working two jobs because uh by not letting their kid in even though they're just trying to make they're just trying to do the best they can for their child and but they make too much. We're penalizing parents for going the extra mile for their family instead of just sucking off welfare and then expecting to get that preferential treatment. >> Excuse me. That's very disrespectful to society. Please don't do that. >> That's not part of this. >> Dr. Barnes has a rubric so we can >> And this was one that you guys provided a copy of last Friday as well. [Applause] >> It's going to take me a minute to find
046this. >> Okay. Well, and and I'll and I'll say since we have a moment while he looks that up, he's got he's pulling up Grubric, but I mean, I think we all are here because we we want the best for all our students. Uh whether they're rich, whether they're poor, um you know, but I also don't think we should say to a child, you know, your parents are well off, so you can't get this or you can't get that. I don't think that's right either. I think we need to come up with a a system where we do we raise every, as you said before, it's just we raise everybody up. We don't sit there and say, "Well, you don't get a chance because I'm sorry. You know, you know, like I said, my wife
047and I were educators, are educators, and you, you know, educators unfortunately don't make a lot of money, but we did our very, very best for our family, and you know, but Dr. >> Sorry, it's going to take me a minute." But I will say that um you know when Julie and I discussed the data isn't necessarily available that shows that a year round school place the kid in a better position to graduate than a non-year round school traditional school. So both Julie and I understand the the removal of any kind of lottery ranking for those schools. But with the cooperative high schools with this being specifically for these criteria >> it's sort of a different story. So it just takes me a minute to find it. I'm sorry. >> Appreciate you having it, Miss Justice.
048>> Right. And I I I totally appreciate what you're saying, but what I do is look at education data and have for 20 30 years. And it's proven. It's proven. It's it's not DEI. It is. It is equality. What you said. What it does is it brings the schools into position that kids have the equal opportunity to experience a good environment. Uh, and this is not just new information. This has been around since the 1980s, 1990s. In fact, if you remember, right, I think it was about 20 17 or 18 when Dr. Markley, here we go, actually said that our neighborhood schools and that's the reason we have the disparities in our schools all has to do with socioeconomic and it's all factual. It's all based on research. So, I mean, you can deny it.
049You can care about individual people. I care about all the individual people. I'm looking at what's best overall for all of our kids because how many kids we got now? 25,000. >> That's a lot of kids. And you know, there's a lot of different needs in those 25,000 kids. But looking at it practically from studies, educational, what works. I mean, it was wonderful when they initiated in Wake County all across the board. The scores went up everybody's it was nationally known and it's still the model for doing by by integrating for social economic reasons. They were just doing that on a small scale on the year- round schools cuz it was literally getting so out of hand when they were looking at the demographies of what was going on with the kids that were in
050the school and year round school does give a certain advantage. We know that I love I work in a lot of schools. I wish we had another middle school that would be great. >> The problem with that is sports. We looked at that. I also working living in Durham. We had we were really looking seriously at it. Sports they can go back. Well, they, you know, if the child wants to, they'll come in even on their inter session. >> Yeah. >> Play play sports if they really want to. But >> yeah. >> So, I'll I'll have to look for it. I'm sorry. I don't have >> No problem. >> So, Mr. President, you one one final thing. I just, you know, my my college roommate uh Jose Rivera um of Puerto Rican descent lived in
051Boston in a city. We met in college. We're still buddies to this day. So, and just talked to him this morning actually. And when we got to college, we went to the same college. Obviously, we were roommates, you know, and my father was a teacher, my mom was a homemaker. We did. I mean, we weren't like starving, but we weren't rich either. My father was a school teacher. So, when it came to college, there was no money for me. I worked my way through school. I took out a bunch of loans I probably didn't have, you know. So, it he came from some poverty, too, but he came from the inner city poverty. And and because he was of Puerto Rican descent, he got special scholarships that I never got. It's not because he was
052smarter or anything. We we were equally smart. But he got it just for the fact that he was in the socioeconomic group. But somebody didn't recognize the fact that me as a white guy who who his father still was just a school teacher, didn't have money to get pay for his kids' college education, you know, should have been just as deserving. But so it it took today to to that day to this day that bugged me because I felt it was unequal and that's what I want to see is equality and not just equality as far as statistical analysis but actual equal opportunity for every single kid. That's what I want to see. >> Well, is there a motion that anybody's going to make? Don't don't see >> I was just it I don't know
053what was the root are we going to hear from the rubric? >> I'm working on finding it. >> I didn't realize that. >> Okay. Do I make a motion that we table it till next time? And >> I'll second I'll second that. Why don't we table the discussion till next time? Then we'll have the rubric and Mr. Justice. >> I do have a motion. Can we >> We actually just did a motion. >> Okay. Oh, okay. We still need to vote on that. >> Yeah, we're going to vote on his motion. So our motion is to table. We have first and second. Do you want to discussion or you want to go? >> No, that's fine. >> Okay, cool. Vote. All in favor of tableabling it till our next >> um it would have need
054to be due at some certain time. We had this come up in that last board meeting. >> Oh >> to our next meeting. >> Table to of some certain time. >> Right. It'll be tabled until the August uh policy meeting. >> Okay. >> I in favor say I. I. >> I. Okay. So that'll be tabled. So, uh, that'll be 4150 tabled until our August meeting, Miss Justice. >> All right. This motion's a little different in a sense. Um, I make a motion that in the future, like we do with our agenda review or any maybe other committees, that when we have uh policies we would like to take into consideration that they are in to the chair by the Friday previous of the meeting. >> I will second that because I think that's a great
055idea. >> Yes, I would have solved that. Okay. And and that still will not if somebody wants to add it and we have a second, we can do that. But as far as normal, I think that's a great thing. We don't have that written in stone now. We would >> Okay. >> So, as long as what time >> Friday 5 doesn't work. Perfect. 5:00. >> That's what we're supposed to do. >> Does that work for you? >> Well, how about we say four so at least I can get it around me. Get it to her by that. >> Four. Four. Four o'clock. Okay. >> Typically, we would we would let let Miss Kadeski know anyway and we CC her on anything we were going to add anyway like that. >> Well, if you send to
056me and Mr. Kadeski by 4:00 on Friday a little bit of time to be able to put it download it and stuff. >> Yeah, I'm fine with that. Okay. >> All in favor, please signify by any discussion. All in favor signify by saying I. All opposed. This is 30. Like it. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Justice. >> And I will let you know I did check on one thing. There are 18 students on the wait list for Isaac Bayer. there is zero on the list for CEK. So, it may be a question of it may or may not be as significant as issue as we think if there's not a long waiting list at any of those schools. >> I um I I I just have a question because I had a that person I
057mentioned that came and I said I'm not in the middle of the whole thing >> who was trying to get into CEK trying to do that. Remember I questioned the um uh brother sister sibling uh situation. >> See me about that whole thing. Right now they currently have zero in the weight or something else. >> Yeah, maybe they took the name off. Okay, cool. Very good. That'll be something else. All right, we're going to carry on cuz we're having a good time today. >> All right. Uh next one on my listing is 43297311. bullying and harassing behavior prohibited. >> Look down. >> I think at the last meeting we uh Miss Varnum said did she be willing to perhaps do draft a rewrite of this policy? Was she able to do that? The only thing
058I have on here is the red uh whether we use the word sex or biological sex. This was recall from our last meeting. I I didn't like the fact that um you know we I think it was kind of poorly written as far as you know what we I want our our bullying and harassment policy to unequivocally state in that you know any form of of bullying harassment for any reason is just will not be tolerated. And it seems like there's a lot of, you know, protected class talk and intent stuff and Title N stuff thrown in all together. And it's not very clear that I don't care if if you bully or harass somebody in a protected class or somebody who isn't in a protected class, we're not putting up with it. And so
059I want to make sure that that's clear. So, I thought while we were at our last meeting, Miss Barnum had had said that some of this she thought could be more clear and that we could maybe she would she would uh have it for our next meeting if I recall. >> And I am sorry, she is trapped in New York at the moment. But I do think what you're speaking of is on page 28 very clearly in the first two paragraphs it says that bullying and harassment of any child creates an atmosphere of intimidation and fear to track them in a safe environment necessary. >> Uh the board expects all students, employees, volunteers and visitors behave in a manner consistent with that goal. Prohib prohibits bullying and harassing behavior encouragement bullying or harassing behavior that
060takes place in school on a bus at a bus stop any school sponsored activity yada yada yada. The policy is not intended to prohibit expression of religious, philosophical or social or political views provide that expression does not substantially disrupt the educational environment. >> So I understand >> but then it goes on list protected classes and stuff. So I think it confuses the issue that could be more clear which is I thought even Miss Barnum thought it could be a little bit clearer. >> Yes, justice. >> Okay. I wanted to ask legal advice. >> I was ready for >> Okay. All right. Um the thing that the only thing that I see right here that's deleted and by the way I see no problem between the reading at the beginning of the policy and then here
061more different differentiation of personal characteristics. Um that's I mean that covers everybody and how can you be exact anyhow? I mean this is life. But what I'm looking at here is the change that they're asking for is um they deleted gender and then they have biological sex. Didn't you say that the word sex was good enough? Why are we putting biological sex in there? >> Um, Mr. Blanchard and I had a conversation with Kendra Hill of the uh NCSBA earlier this week. Maybe it was last week, Friday, I don't remember. >> And she was very clear that there has been no change in their policies to add the word biological. >> So, so sex is is good. >> I don't I think sex is fine. I don't think we need biological or biologically throughout wherever
062is red. I'm not sure we need that. I'm not even sure that's why that's in >> if we I think if we want to mirror what they they have up there at >> it is sex all it's just you leave it at sex. >> I do agree with with Mr. Paris points that our policy you can't bully anybody no matter what you are what you want to be >> how you feel we can't bully anyone and I I think we do a good job in this policy covering that >> I don't think we need the some of the different nuances >> but that could be argued >> well and those nuances are in there because they're drawn from federal and state law >> accurate yeah >> so it doesn't necessarily have to imply that you
063have to have it in your policy but it does imply that I'm going to have to follow But whether or not this policy says anything, I'm still beholden federal and state law as well. >> So it I mean I'm assuming it's in there because it's cleaner. >> If I have to be beholden to these things regardless if it's in our policy or not, it makes sense to have them align. >> So you're saying in your uh expert? my estimation, I don't know if I'd use expert opinion, but my estimation you >> these are tied into the legal references and the cross references at the at the very last page on 39. >> Okay, >> Mr. Justice. >> Yeah, I would like a motion. I I'd like to move that we move the word biological sex
064because that's trying to get rid of some of this wording and it makes no sense to have that in there. >> I mean, they even said that biological sex. >> Bi just move the word biological, not the word sex. X is supposed to cover everything. That's what the NCA Well, yeah, I do. >> So, you're you're you're making sure I I'm seeing a motion. You're you're you're saying we mo you're making a motion that we move 43297311 onto the full board removing the word biological. >> That's all. Yeah, >> I'll second that. Mr. Perry, >> I think we should wait and hear from Mr. And if you couldn't be here, I guess you say stuck in New York. But >> I mean, if you had something drawn up, we could read it first. >> Honestly,
065I did not draw something up because when I found out it was tied to state and federal law, I sort of said, "Okay, there we are." I mean, what I could do, and I think maybe this sort of bridges the gap a little bit, is maybe adding a paragraph towards the end or at the beginning that says no indication of any specific instance in this policy, like I could maybe make like a a coverage that says regardless of the of the um things described in there, any bullying, harassment of any reason, for any kind is not prohibited is prohibited. I could sort of rework that first sentence to say regardless of the individual things that are listed below any bullying at any time is against our policy. Do you know does that make sense? >>
066Yeah. I will amend the motive's motion to table this so that we can do that. >> Okay. When Miss Barnum comes back or he hits it next meeting, >> right? >> Okay. >> Yeah. And I'm sorry if I was confused by the last one I thought when I saw that because it says if you look on page 28 if you look at um bullying harassment prohibited blah blah blah. If you go down there protected by federal law for p federally protected characteristics such as that's what the federal law says. >> So we have it in there because that's what it says. Now, we can always say regardless of the of the characteristics listed below, our school system has a no tolerance for bullying, harassment, anything like that. Again, it it's a question of what you
067want. I think it's important to know that if the federal law and the state law are requiring these things, I think you almost wonder if we're not requiring it, what does that say as well? But what does that follow the law? >> Well, we're going to follow the law either way. >> Okay. So, uh, I will we have the motion table. Is there a second? >> I'll second. >> Okay. This will be tabled until the August. >> What is the date on that? >> August. >> Leadership retreat in way. I don't think they checked me on my dates. >> I'm I'm not This is could be news. I hit button accept things sometimes. >> August 13th. >> Not a Friday, >> which is a Wednesday. >> Good. >> Friday. >> Yeah. >> Uh oh. Getting
068a look over here now. >> It's rinsing. at the leadership retreat. >> Leadership retreat is done on the 14th. >> Over on the 14th. >> It's on the 14th. >> Oh, why would we? >> Okay, let's leave it on the 12th then. All right, so we we'll look at that command decision. Love it. Um, we will table policy 43 297311 until August 12th. All in favor, please signify by saying I. I. >> I. >> All right. We're just putting everything back on the table. We can have a full meeting on in August. >> All right. Let's see what our next thing. >> All right. Next, we have 9120. >> Uhhuh. >> Instruction. I would uh and you got copies I I believe you already did from the this is something that Mr. Blanch has sent
069to us uh uh during the month uh in regards to because there were some questions of whether we could have a local preference policy. I I would really I think most of us would like to give preference to our local companies because it's good for our community and you know what's good for our community is good for our tax base which is good for us. So, um, but anyway, so and I think that some of this, and I'm sure R. Crumpy can speak to it, but if you, if you did get a chance to read through it, that it does seem to be legal, uh, if maybe not as far as, uh, specifying who their employees can be, but that that we can make a preference, a local preference. Mr. >> Coffee and I spoke
070about this. I'm I'm good with the blue language that he's come up with. It recognizes that recognizes the goal of bidding of of of awarding and considering our local contractors and and people vendors and what have you, but at the same time, we'd have to recognize federal and state laws and what we do. So, make a motion. >> Yeah, I like to make a motion that we pass the amendments to 9120 as specified. Okay, >> I'll second that. Mr. Justice you have anything? >> Um, basically striking out the red. You like the you like the blue uh the the legal and >> that's from that's for Mr. Blanchard to discuss this and >> and mainly it says we try to get local bidding but the point is we still have to deal and follow state
071law. >> Right. >> Okay. Well, we'll play that. >> All in favor please signify by moving 9120 on to the full board in the August meeting. Please signify by saying I. >> I. And yes, sir. >> Sorry, Ashley. This does not or or Rob, this does not create additional work for you guys having to win between this one isn't the one that that is the concern. It's 9220, I think. Right. Does this create extra headache or work for the two of you? >> No, it just flexibility. >> Perfect. >> Rubric you could give points for local. >> Perfect. Okay. Thank you. That's what I thought. Thank you. Perfect. Thank you. All right. Carrying 9220 on to the full board. Thank you, Dr. Barnes. Uh and we are at 2210. Finish out our day. Officer duties
072of the officers. Uh this was brought to the full board and then brought back to us for further discussion. So we will have further discussion. Now, we've tabled or we we have made discussion of adding two policies and I had them written down here somewhere. Uh 2120 and 2230 onto the next meeting. >> Um we can discuss this now or we can discuss the three of them together. >> Um what will be more efficient? >> Well um >> um you want me to just explain? >> Why don't you go ahead and explain and then we'll we'll go from there. So if we look at duties of the chairperson under A1 and then there's some new there's a new set of ones the ones that seem to me um the uh if you go there's one
073therefore um C appoint all board committee members and chairpersons appoint board representatives to all board advisory committees and outside commissions and boards. Um, and I I want to keep that. Obviously, that's the power of the board, but I want to clarify it a little bit more. So, I wanted to reference um change C here to reference an addition where um where we we go back to our committee statute uh policy and and and add a section for the committee selection process. Uh that goes into a little bit more detail. Uh and then the other one was this other stuff after I um there's a whole list of stuff about additional responsibilities and I don't think that that is um appropriate here under the power of the um the code of it talks about code of
074ethics and board members and apologies and you know sensors. This should be under our board ethics the process for you know it uh policy not here and if I could speak to it I I you know I basically got this from several different places um I did the writing on this and I think it does need to be here because if we elect a board chair I think that's why electing a board chair is a very uh important job because we are putting a lot of a lot of power in that person's uh hands. Um, M. Justice, you can remember back when we had some situations before where we were like uh and I think it is a situation that if we do we need as Dr. Barnes said before uh you know I think
075it does take a lot of uh time a lot of effort but it also you know that person is someone hopefully out of the seven of us that we can trust and um feel like that they are doing the right thing you know and sometimes the answer you know it's like everything else and and things I'm going through right now and I think you went through recently miss justice is you know sometimes you're expecting that yes and you get a no and you know it is what it is uh but you know you still have to trust and have faith in that person. So I think you know that this is anybody on the board can bring forth a centure. Um as far as removal from board assignments that is something that um our current
076chair has done. We had a a chair that uh you know said it as a president a while back. >> Oh there that's been in 2018 during the sexual assault scandals when I demanded a investigation and I got taken off of all my committees in retaliation. >> Right. >> Yeah. So it can be done in all kinds of ways. Oh yeah. And and not in a positive way. So >> not in a positive way. >> You know, that's that's something we need to, you know, we should maybe look at and think about and maybe that's a power we don't want the chair to have. But if we don't want the chair to have that, then we need as a board to decide that. >> But I mean, this is what >> this is what we
077have current this is actually the current status status is what you know because >> Yeah. So I I think I make a motion that we we table this to the next meeting along with the other two so we can discuss it all. Okay. >> Okay. So, thank you for explaining what you just said because so you're the one that came up with in the red to change. Do you have some changes? >> And I didn't write the I didn't write this. I'm not going to take full credit. I looked at a lot of different policies throughout, you know, uh the states. Actually, I think the top red part is mostly from Kansas. >> Kansas. That's a little scary. >> Yeah, maybe it was Kentucky. One of those. I hope it's clear that you I got
078roots in the country. Anyway, um the reason I said that is because it was pretty clear-cut before and this is just adding more verbiage, but I did like the fact that fact that somebody added the agenda planning, which has always been part of the chair's job, even when now that we meet as a group, but they've always worked with the superintendent with that. So, that's good that that had been placed on here and verbalized. Um but as far as adding them to the ethical part, I am really concerned about some of the use of say the sensor process that has been abused since it was first used against me tried to keep me quiet about some of the previous superintendent's behavior. And so I mean it that was pretty straightforward why that process took place.
079I I don't think I think that that I wish it had never been introduced. A lot of the stuff that this is going on with this term censor is not appropriate. I think I think it's being used inappropriately and it does not help our district and it takes a lot of energy out of what's going on. So yeah, um we do look at it more closely. I would like to have some feedback from other board members to us before we do this. I know they're going to eventually vote overall, but I would like to make the statement that I think it's that the process of censor has been abused and it's not because because in the long run it didn't hurt me. Uh but I I I think that that's something that the super that
080superintendent sorry that the um yeah sensorized uh that the uh chair can use some views and and that's what's hard when you do elect a chair and I don't think you know in some cases it's even meant to be that way but it turns out that way. We really need to look at this closer. So, yeah. Yeah. >> Well, we have a motion in front of us to table this, you know, along with the other two. >> Right. Right. >> And we get feedback from the other members. >> You want a second? >> I'll second. >> Okay. There we go. Okay. I just All right. Um, all in favor of tableabling >> policy 2210 until the August meeting because we want to stay here 4 hours on that day. Um, All in favor, please signify
081by saying I. >> I. >> All right. That passes 30. At this point, I will entertain a motion to adjourn. >> Oo. I'll second. >> All right. All in favor of a German, please signify by saying I. >> I. All opposed. >> We are ajourned. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. >> Gee, we didn't have to do 30 of them.