Instruction & Support Services Committee Wed 5/27/2026

001Okay, I'm uh calling this meeting to order at 5:41 p.m. the instruction student support services meeting ISS. Um my name is Rob Traver. I'm the chair of the committee. With me is Albert Penhanges with Nadina. The other member of the committee is not present. Um and we also have uh Marissa Esther Mara Jimenez joining us online. Um we have an agenda tonight. Um first item on the agenda is the approval of the minutes dated March 25th, 2026, the last meeting we had. Uh I'll make motion to approve them. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I the minutes are approved. The next item on the agenda is the parent involvement allocation 202526 report dated May 12th 2026. Miss Carly Roeras is here to give us the presentation on that. >> And so I believe initially

002we had submitted a report that was dated May 12th. There's an updated one dated May 21st. >> Yeah. >> Um and so we'll we'll take a look at that one. Um, you know, in in my many years of doing this, I think that we ended in in a in a good place with our numbers. Um, the majority of the schools spent close to, if not 100%. Of course, we strive for perfection, right? We strive for all of our all of our schools to get to 100%. Um, but I think our overall percentage of used funds, uh, we ended in a pretty good place compared to comparing other previous years, um, when we've worked on this initiative. Um but you know we are in the business of continuous improvement. So we we looked at the schools

003that um struggled to spend you know under 75 75% or lower and to learn how we can support them moving forward and what barriers and challenges they faced so that we can continue to improve our our efforts to support. Um I did speak with um the principal of Dumbar, Dr. Henry and she and she did give me, you know, the information and and to share with all of you. You know, unfortunately, Dr. Henry did spend some time out of the building this school year and after that um her assistant principal has also spent some time out of the building as well. And so that really um played a huge part in their their ability to, you know, make sure that the pack funds are being spent. And I think that, you know, this is an

004exception um to to what we're what our our expectation is. And so we've already talked about the plans for next school year. Um she has a great she has great ideas for family involvement activities and I'm sure that that won't be something that will be replicated. Um I also have reached out to the other two administrators and we'll speak to them directly. I spoke to uh Miss Miss McFerson quickly on the way here um and she said she did have some challenges and I was literally pulling up here. So, I said I'll, you know, reach back out with her tomorrow. We'll see how we can better support her and make sure that those funds get higher percentage next year and I'll do the same for um for cross, which I think is yes. >> Uh

005Ron Jones is the interim principal in Cross. He came in about six weeks ago. So, he was new to the role and it was school FMLA for most of the year. So there was a lack of coordination with the the uh PTO, but I have full confidence in her going forward being on board in in August so that we can hit the ground. >> That means he was back. >> Sorry. >> Old hat there forever. >> Yes, >> that one surprised me. Yeah, I did say I I told her I'd reach back out tomorrow again um to have a deeper conversation. Um she said she still have some more activities planned for the rest of the school year, but you know, unfortunately the the deadline has passed to use more of the funds. So although

006she's continuing her parent engagement efforts and she has two more parent engagement activities, the funds were not spent in order to complement those activities that she has planned. So I'll learn more when I speak to her tomorrow and see where we can make something. >> She's I didn't know that actually. Yeah. No, I know I worked with black. she was teaching um that I know she's been there a while and I know they have strong teacher leadership and I actually know they typed for them through the uh convention so they they just they had that ability. So I'm sort of surprised some >> that was one yeah that one's one that caught a little bit. I don't think it was for lack of parent engagement activities but just somehow something got missed with spending our

007funds. >> Well, it is it is overall very high. >> Yes. 10 point. Um what was the message since I mean you know you know >> April 16th and 12 >> internally we we it was sorted out. thought it was denied and we asked for an extension for a week to April 16th for spending the funds and then so for instance when we looked at um aerospace was then at 58% of all day you know so there were there were miss uh how do you say um we had a journal that went to the wrong account and they need to go back so we had said listen I spent all that so went back in and fixed Because I know each school for me all the black and BTS president they have an extra >>

008that's the first thing you do when you're missing company what you're going to do in 10 months and you have to spend money that's the way you start sending so you don't have that issue that minute um you right Um and um do you know exactly um the elections school they inform you on you know when they're going to be elections you know back in May. So starting now you know when we come back >> they have to have a plan to be ready. >> Exactly. >> We'll start right at the beginning of the school year um identifying which ones are already established and which ones need to hold an election. Um, as we did this year, we put together, you know, election pamphlets pre-made for them. So, they just had to fill in the

009information to make it specific to their schools. And we'll make sure that we continue to update those lists and make sure members are current and that elections are happening. >> Most important, they have um correct address, you know, number I don't want to use my personal email. You can create one, you know, they can have the name on through or something different. you can receive you know I know some that happened to me the first time I am not personally evil I had to create one to make sure you know crazy um information um like I saw the last time you know when did that I mean trade we need to try to figure out how we can do it >> I'm saying what the district back >> district back we have years back and

010back um our educational move so when you have a package feel much better because you don't you don't um too much job because anything happen with the school pack so they go straight to the leader you know it's the same thing president vice president all these people but I already I say when you sign for a position like that there are no cl that you know to be sure you have the time you know responsibilities you know like you're going to fill with the people sometime they like to have a title of being part and then they don't have the I know family is always first in the job too and they have to understand where everyone gets impact president you need to deal with all the president of school you know all the things

011you have to report one time in a month the boardation was going on that was happening char it's a it's a team you know I tell you because I was the vice district I was the secretary I was a reporter and the bilingual I know that So and it's something I have to take the the Java as a president because something happened. So I know exactly how to run district back. It was good to have it because you be part of that that district packing inform you car and stuff like that and you don't have too much for you because you have to have somebody that person be visiting the school and talk and they have to have two meetings in a month with all the leaders you know to listen what's going on in

012each school. It's very important you know we can try to see you know um who would like to be responsible because it's very important don't say I am going to do it and then you don't have the time you know so people like to say yes and you know it's of course like I said they don't get paid but you have to understand you need to get the time for leaders parents they will come to you talking to you know it's it's it's a it's a big job you know and it's good to know if that you said those way going to be um elections, right? >> You know that update list very important, you know, numbers, email, stuff like that. >> And one of the best important thing like I always I said >>

013the money is for to spend this or educate the parent and you know do something with the parents. You know I see some school they have leaders that told me Mr. better how do you think it's current this and this I said no the school they don't have to even touch my you know it's my passion doing this for over 15 years I bought package so that's why I call you know what's going on because when I see that make me sad and angry I said no the money is for the parents losing I told the parent the first thing you have to do is the action plan another thing when you have the action plan I see so many action plans think you have five teachers you can say from the school that came

014do uh workshop for parents and the name of the teachers in there but they don't do the workshop for parent and I'm like you put no money there not sorry your name there fill out the form don't do that to fill out the form and you're not doing the the work it's very important I see that so many days the other thing I was rushing I know me talk about this is the vendors I don't know why it's the city but I believe so yeah thanks so long to pay for the wind when the money from the packet BTS is already there. I know if it's something different we ask the money for the city of B. Okay, I understand it will take time but when the money is there I don't know why it

015takes so long that's why sometime we got vendors they leave so Mr. the vendor it's not you it's not the parent is what it takes to know when and I agree with that I know we have a list almost 70 or 80,000 vendors but the ones sometime the school have they worked with them for so many years you know we s we lose that I know some of them they understand and say okay don't worry don't wait but I have one vendors they're still waiting to get paid from last year you know and maybe send information you know to the secretary what's going on but the vendor is not getting paid they got you he understand but I say wow last year and you're still waiting for that so I email to the principal to

016see you know what's going on because you know he have to get paid he didn't his job so I don't know why he thought things sometime going to include June 2nd which is next week we do a admin council which is our final meeting with all the administrators in the district and last year we started doing like a back to school checklist what were the non unnegotiable expectations that we want to see at the schools like things like instructional minutes and we're going to add the pack so they can start thinking about it now and planning for it as part of their back to school planning. thing I tell the leaders be sure you talk about the principal. Remember the principal isn't the one in charge of school. You got to let them know you

017know the day you know conflict you know maybe the principal has something but you got to let them know in advance. Don't tell the principal I'm having this tomorrow when the principal has something like that. Yes the principal they can tell you the night because you come at the last minute. You got to let them know in advance, you know. So the principal they can't have everything prepared because you have to do the AR 100, the AR 200, you know, the security, the custodian, you know, stuff like that. It's saying, you know, take time, you know. So I over that. The other thing that I'm very upset is the parent convention. I'm still not believ about that that I'm waiting for the report that the money disappeared. that I know exactly that I went to

018the um the former um pictures convention and we went to the place to do a parent convention in that because we have we was talking about do that convention and marel went with the intern superintendent and and what another parent and and for now magic disappear and nice they will have an email when the others from the money was there ever going to roll over. It's not going to be we're not going to lose it. We're not going to. So we all this time all this time we were thinking no money was there until you informed me you know you know was gone explaining the situation because everyone didn't have a meeting one to one and I thought I wanted to report where money goes how they disappeared when I have proof the money is

019supposed to be there we use it and we're not going to lose it. Yeah, this one the facts you don't you don't use it of course you're going to lose it and I know that for so many years but u convention I cannot believe like right this year lose it again you know I still remember when we start with $31,000 now with $9,000 $9,000 so every year you know to the years back because that was the last one like I said 2019 was the 2018 was the last one that was the last one so we will take all the time this $9,000 going to be there in magic and I'm still waiting for that baby give me the report where that money go who use it where you spend it because it's not fair I

020I totally I'm not set to that until I don't have information and why they touch that money but that money is supposed to be what parents sending you I know I trying to be get patient you know to see the information but I really don't want to go to go the grand office of the state let them know why they use this money when they supposed to you know very surprised. I'm very still in shock that I'm trying to give my patient into say relax. We're going to get information. We're going to get it. But I'm still that rocking my shoes why and how and who when. >> I can also talk to Nester and see if he can look to see the time was the CFO at the time. >> Sorry. >> Yeah, she

021was. to us from her, you know, they said, "No, the money is going to be there or you're not going to because that's how many state you're not going to spend a month." That's what I had for them. on my research. >> Uh, Miss Ernes, >> um, yeah, my question was Albert actually responded or addressed my question. My question was around if pack and pts mo money that's unused, can it roll over? And it sounded like that's not the case. Is that correct? >> Correct. Cannot roll over. No, they they don't use it, they lose it. >> Um, is there a correlation with It sounded like Mr. Benahan said that, you know, we used to get more money, now we're not not getting enough as much as we used to. Is there a correlation between

022that and maybe the fact that some of our schools don't use all their money? >> Uh, no. It it depends on what the title one allocation is to this to the district and we know that our alliance had been cut back a little bit this year and so that >> that comes out the the pack money comes out of the alliance grant. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Just don't we get less? >> No, that's that's an internal accounting thing. So they they'll allocate um it's part of the alliance pool. They'll allocate other expenses is my understanding, but we have to spend everything by June 30th or we have to send it back. Shouldn't send any um now let's go for just a minute. Why don't we do a district bank? That's I mean the last

023I remember was when we started one up I mean I think I think it's obviously just because of you know this has just been changed of leadership and the last time it was maybe three years ago that it was brought up and we held the meeting and did some elections and we have the bylaws um in draft form and I think that it just didn't carry over a year to year >> three years research three years ago We had to be about remember there was also there was a whole conflict of there was issues at the district pack level. I know that because and also um you know they they were supposed to have two meetings uh month and it was sometimes very difficult to recruit even volunteers to attend those meetings. It was the

024same schools that were represented, but it wasn't all schools that were represented. So, there was a lot of things we might have to like research a little more and see what actually happened. >> Well, listen, I've lived through our personally gave you some idea of his experience. Mine was more indirect. I was a observer as a union participant observing and saw some very entertaining meetings at the central cafeteria where the charter school people fought with the school district >> and Mayor Finch was there trying to help take over the district back. Um but um so I can see the the possible problems and difficulties, but I also can see the the advantages of having a district back with regard to what we anticipate being our campaign next year for funds at the state level. Um

025and having a strong district back. Um, so it's sort of, >> you know, that's the reason I'm asking has to do with, you know, having a strong citywide parent organization would strengthen our ability to get more parents involved in the struggle for um, funding, just equitable funding. That's the only I'm I'm only asking from that point of view. I do understand the um increased difficulties of the year raising um but I also know the increased difficulties that we had this spring getting packs. We had virtually no involvement uh of the Pakistan parents in what we did this spring and we're going to need to up that game one way or the other. And the question then becomes, is that a possible way of upping our game um or not? Is it better to do approach

026it some other way? So I, you know, that's a question that I'll leave hanging tonight. But >> we should think about we should all think about that as to whether or not, you know, that's an appropriate first appropriate way to do that and buying would be the second. Yeah, I know when we tried to bring the district back as Yeah, it was a little confused because some parents were very upset. It was it was not the same when I was there that was more passion was more welcome and it was almost time for the little coffee you know 19 people don't want to come people don't want to make clothes you know because it was salah it was and I understand it was salam but I remember with the former board members and the former

027friends they the one decide to remove the jersey back because then like I said try school try to get him and it was it was very bad but I'm trying to like you know I see on the day one trying to have the dri help a lot you know and it's going to be less job you guys because you have somebody being charged whatever happened or come or question the leers had to go back I don't remember also when Dr. Saki was here and Dr. father we were talking have a meeting about the commission money and we were talking and I bring you the book I bring you everything you know but talk that money was not disappear disappearing and that's why I'm trying to figure it out where exactly that money go you know

028it's it's very um for me I don't know I don't want to talk about it but I know we have the retreatment one day in the UV and we talk about um the same We talk about the parent somebody mentioning about the money. So this trying to put everything is impossible trying to put everything together. You know everything was there everything was not green. trying to work in very nice and then come and I need to you know figure it out how can I say how they went there you know because I know former superintendent that maybe I feel like I do something because she was against you know she told me personal time so I wouldn't know what's going on where I'm going to go and I'm like as always I'm always here to

029help you. You know, you have everything in your head in your bucket, but I'm here because I have experience and I got people there helping the bank. you know, we can figure out how to do a meeting. Like I said, somebody being responsible because you want to you have to understand first of all, you don't get paid for that, but you need to have time, you know, and I know we are busy, you know, so I mean, you know, they're like, can you help me please? You don't have to find me. Um, and it's predators is another thing that I like to know why the city takes so long. You know they get paid and because the money's there money they when they order another things all the vendors they get it why sometime when

030we got vendors lower they always work with us they take and another thing is when the packages because I saw it in my with my own eyes when they order stuff for the pack for you know any events don't order stuff parents already and don't order stuff u because the So I ask go the teacher ask go I need this for my room your money and that's what I'm always on top of that you need to order stuff of course you need to order food because you handle for your parents but don't tell me the whole 10 months you're going to spend the your money and food because I see my school they spending all the money food food you know that's part you know you have to you know get food but what kind

031of workshop you doing um who you pay to do workshop the title one book. Just remember title one book title one book is that right now if the state they decide to come and say where you spend the money give me the proof where you spend the money each supposed to have that I remember that have the years back the school have it but they said let me say the title one book what did you did each month signing workshop flyer you know what you did where you spend the money in that month and that's called the title book. So they have a you know record where the money go second the other thing and we talk about that so many times is the B10 you got two different B10 that's the one the B10

032the secretary do and they have the other B10 you have to have it um the back person do it because sometime you got people that title but you need to work you need to do the job meet the pizza and you order whatever you have to do any company right what do you used to give it to the secretary. This is where I'm going to spend. It's more easy for the secretary to pick because when the secretary say the number 4350. So the second to put the number in that record and pop out. What do you order? I see that and then that means and the principal and the president sign it without what without that signature they cannot be approved and that you have a record how much money you you have and the

033end of the the year you know okay I know how to spend the money or something happened they don't match let's say they don't match your the P10 money in your record they don't match with the for your office so you need to figure out that's that's what the president said okay no I got a P10 I know how much money I spend. It's very important. The people is very easy to do it. The president is easy to do it, you know. Okay. I want to attend um let's see 10 book 10 notebook cuz this I mean 10. So in the principal and the president sign it for the day the same day the same time as we audit this year with the the state department of uh education when they came in. One of

034the items on their list is our overall systems work and how we deal with the accounting and the forms that are using it. So I'm going to follow up with HR kind of working coordinating that with finance to see have they thought about pack for me how and my guess is it's going to be very similar to the school interest funds like the hat money, the t-shirt money, um selling ice cream, those things. My guess is so I want to make sure that they come up with plans specifically for this mobile next year. >> That's another thing you said you're very poor about when they sell stuff in the store. >> Yes. >> The money have to stay in the store. >> They can I use the pack of some money to buy stuff and

035make money. >> I have to write I know they're going to have to write a receipt for everything. Have to put it into a bank account here. I guess it's going to be controlled from downtown. >> Yeah. Oh no, I don't know about maybe they're changing but that money have to be stayed but they cannot buy stuff from the packet BTS money to do a fundraising. Yes, they cannot be they cannot be doing that and whatever money they use they have to stay you know the school for another account they're not putting they can use separate pack or be there some money they cannot be um used to that so it's very important you know I don't want miss and people getting nervous for that actually that was clearly stated we talked about them the

036other night have that discussion at the meeting that we're reviewing the policy And it's somewhere in the back of my mind is this thought that we also talked about why bills get held low. And I just Netor said something and I just can't remember what it was about why those get held up. Um, and I I I just it's been bothering me ever since you brought it up again tonight. Um, so it's worth following up with Lester. Um, you know, cuz it's sort of when he said it the other day. I remember thinking of heard pack PTSO complain about bills being held up and I wondered if that was if that was one of the reasons those bills got held up. um that they weren't talking, you know, um the paperwork wasn't. Um so, but

037I'm assuming that in all of this, you know, the the streamlining of our processes should make everything better. Um and so um we it's probably the best place for this discussion to happen with um him somebody from his office about how that works since there's nobody here handling the money. That's where we should have that discussion. Other thing is um you know this is part of the pack still the government cancelled SGC right >> that school they don't have it some they don't know about that and I know the back is in fall and I know >> it's not the same part of the scene >> uh Yeah, they they can be but it's it's it is it is a different law that's the state law state regulation. >> Um I know I understand that

038but part they're part too you know because I know parent they being a part of parents >> you you'll find you'll find that's normally the same parents. Yes. Mhm. >> Um the same parents that are involved with back PTSO are involved with this school governance council the school leadership team before that. Um but it is a different law that is defining in and requires a school to have a school governance. That's that's the rules governing our packso different rules and the laws that are governing our school governance and that's that's a different thing that's we need to make sure we're doing right too. >> Yeah. because that's uh Reliance High School that that's the commissioner's office >> and we did a check. >> Yes, we did. >> Last year, you know, we inventory all our

039schools to make sure they were having >> that was part of your checklist that you had. We had to >> also um need at least they need to have um two meetings with the parents. I can say one meeting with the cabinet, you know, officers to plan what they're going to do for you know each month each month in the in the Yeah. stuff like that. You know what what was I heard you mention amount the collection what how much was that missing for 9,000 from 20 19 now so what almost 50 $60,000 >> 54 yeah including 9,000 for this year so but >> I'm not sure with the 900 I don't know if that was >> H, but is that part of the pack money? >> No, it's No, it's a parent convention is

040separate. >> No, the fact that the pack DCO grant the alliance is pack is part of the alliance the title one. >> No, we no this parent convention we see another different is different money for the parent convention. Okay. >> They don't take it from the parents funding that's separate. Did the superintendent previously agree to pay that kind of a money or did it's coming from the state >> because yeah it's coming yeah that money is separate they're not coming from the bag of PTSO it's separate >> where they think it's coming from the um the grand money yeah it's not coming from the packs no it's separate it's separate but >> CTSO is That's the alliance. >> Yeah. That's Yes. Yeah. That's that money. Yes. Of course. For that $9,000 is coming separate from

041the state. It's only for parent convention for dual parent convention. I can tell you I remember I got you. So that's a clue as to where we got to look where it came from and where it disappeared to two. Um, how much would I and would you have a convention for $10,000 >> when Yeah. $9,000? >> I'm rounding on everybody with me. >> So, for $10,000, you could have a convention. >> Okay. So, now we should be we should find out about the the missing month. But the real question is, is it is it too late the year to have the convention this year? >> It's too late. >> It's not too late to have a convention next year. >> Regardless of what we find out about the money, we we should be able to

042find $10,000 for next year's convention. Regardless, we find out where the money came from and we get it this time or we find another source to give us $10,000 to have a parent convention. Right. We should be able to find the money one way or the other. >> Right. Yes. >> Okay. So, >> you can ask next. >> Okay. Next one. >> No. >> Yeah. grants. Yeah, we should find somebody in grants that can find us a source that will agree with us 10 to $20,000. >> Yeah. No, no, I'm not I'm not I'm not ruling Nester out, but that's not bothering Nester. >> Nester can try and help us figure out what where that money came from before if that's a viable source for the future. >> What happened to that money? That stuff.

043Absolutely. But I'm just saying $10,000 is an amount of money that we should be able to find somewhere in the community. Somebody who's willing to to, you know, be that money on our back PTSO to have a convention at the end of the year. They frankly should be $20,000 and have a nice convention, right? And we should be able to get some supporters in the community to do that. >> Yeah. >> You know, as I say, I was the last one did a convention. I use exactly $9,000 and after we had received I had to go back and bring it to you and say we that was the last get with the $9,000 we you know for this year but still did it supposed to be total of $63,000. >> Okay. >> So like I

044said you find out you separate it's not if you think it was part of the package it was it's a different grant like you say grand office different grant money we receive it for me. >> Okay. So the last question for me is are we doing anything with the parents at the end of the year? Any collective action >> at from the district level? No. I know schools have all of their individual end of the year. Um >> the district what the only thing the district is doing is we are through the summer we are hosting parent engagement activities from the district level in collaboration with the enrollment center. So every Wednesday night we're offering uh parent engagement activity supported by the district. >> That's for parents throughout the district. I'm what I'm asking about

045is our our PTSO leaders doing anything with them. >> They really don't they spend the money. So when they finish those >> I get it. I'm just looking at leadership development. >> Anything to help them develop them as leaders, building them as leaders, anything. or not. Okay. >> Anything else on packing here? >> No, I'm very clear on everything. So, I'm okay. Thank you, Miss Carrie, for everything. >> Yes. >> The chair. >> Yes, sir. >> Prime example. >> Thank you. I'm just going to make my way. >> To this day, Mary still, >> thank everyone for your patience. I'm in an award ceremony. So through the chair, I just wanted to um to express myself uh with everyone in the room. Um just wanted to share my opinion and was everything that I've heard,

046every question, every statement, every every word um that I've been listening to throughout. Um this is an opportunity for us. This is for me personally a foundational thing that we support our district in with our parents involving our parents, our campuses directly, our campus leaders directly and this is something that we need to get right now. Um I've heard every singlebody's words. So either we're going to step up and work together to get this right finally the way it used to be. I thought we were in the right path. Um, so I'm gonna put it out there in the table. I guess I'm gonna work with uh my brother uh Albert to make sure that we work together. And if you thought we were involved uh before as passionate old pack members of our family

047for our kids, you guys haven't seen nothing yet. We need to get this right. This is for me a foundational thing that we can actually uh help our own district elevate because that is a great collaboration with our parents and our schools directly as board members as community leaders and we need to get this right. um whatever meeting that we need to go to to sit down to collaborate to mine thing um might even with the suggestion and support of you guys maybe have an IH committee just for this just for pack we can finally get this right because this is foundational and this is a way that we can get support for what's coming what's here before us climbing this hill that we still got to climb with educational funding but also what's going

048to happen next year and the year following. This is our foundation. It starts with our foundation. For me, this is foundational. So, let's work together. I look forward to hearing from somebody from this group and anybody that's listening that want to partner up and really have those sit down conversations as as community leaders, as parents, as leaders from this district that we got roots. They might not see our roots, but our roots are deep when it comes to this. And Upper and I have been, in my opinion, a little bit quiet with this. So, I'm going to spark a little fire in him and I hope he will do the same thing with me. But this is our baby. This is our foundation. So, either you're with I always tell you the same thing that

049I've always told everybody. Either you're with us or you're against us. And I know that we can do a lot better than this. Um so please accept this as a extending of a uh a branch or um a you know a fire uh to make sure that we get this right because this is for me personally I'm mad at myself uh because we let this get to this point right now um with the lack of information with the lack of answers to our questions to the lack of sharing information that we asked for and I think I've about had it personally but then Now, it puts fire on my responsibility as an adult because these kids and our parents that voted for us in our district to do this job, and this is for me,

050my brother Albert, to do this job, expect better from us, and they should not be collateral damage for what's not happening within the parents and with the students. So, I thank you, uh, Mr. chair for this opportunity to speak and um and again I look forward to hopefully hearing from some of you that want to partner up and have these little sitdowns or whatever it needs to do whether it's IH committee thank you and God bless you all >> Mr. Medina, when did you uh come in on the discussion? >> I've been on the discussion for very from the very beginning, sir. You guys were maybe two, three minutes into the meeting when I came in. I don't know the exact time, but I've been involved. I've been listening. >> Okay. The reason I ask

051is that the latest report that we got is that um the pack money has been extraordinarily well spent this year. >> Okay. I wasn't talking to this. I didn't have a theme to the chair. I apologize. I didn't have a theme. I was not complaining about pack money not being spent. I didn't say anything about that. Um but I would love I would with all due respect with all due respect. I would love to have seen it. >> I would love to have seen it. I would love to have seen it because there was nothing in the back. >> I wasn't done. >> Well, >> so I wanted to first check and see if you had heard that part. So that's >> I I should have saw it. I should have saw it. With all

052due respect, I should have saw it. It should have been part part of our po our package. So with all due respect, I don't mean don't not mean any disrespect to anybody in the room, including you, especially you. We should have seen this. >> Mr. Medina, are you done? >> I speak. >> Well, right ahead. >> Thank you, sir. You asked a question so I was trying to answer it. Go ahead. No, >> you did answer it and I was trying to give the answer. Reason I asked and you wouldn't let me. So that was why I was asking is that we had started the meeting with the report that we were provided. I understand that you hadn't seen it and you weren't here at the start of the meeting and and Miss Eston Mary

053was here and the report was fax was add was sent to her. I agree with you. The report was not in our portals, but it was sent to Miss Estra Manis before we started the meeting. I had asked you if you were coming to the meeting. You said no. So, I didn't know you were going to be here. You weren't here when we started the meeting and I saw you come on later in the meeting and we didn't send you the packet. I You did? Okay. So, the packet was sent to you. Um, so you have the packet and that's why I wanted to make sure you had that data to you. Um so you have the data that was reported on began meeting and that was the essence of the item on the agenda

054was the pack PTSO spending. Uh Mr. Benahen Graales expanded the discussion to discuss the district pack which was not on the agenda. The agenda item was the expenditure of pack PTSO money for the year. Um so that's why I asked um when you started talking about what was neglected or ignored the we have done a better job. We are seeing an improvement over last year on the money spent at all the schools in the city except a couple three to be exact which were highlighted in Miss Roach Rees's report which if you got here when you got here that you say I didn't notice when you came online um were three schools that she spoke to. Um so that's why I asked that's the only reason I asked if you had heard that report and

055the schools that she mentioned but otherwise the report shows a market increase and improvement in the spend expenditure of act PTSO money by the schools in our district which is a dramatic improvement from last year. So that's what I was asking about and that's why I asked you that question. Um what we have then explored spent some time exploring which was not the reason this item was on the agenda this year uh was the district pack questions um that was a different issue. It was not on the agenda for tonight's discussion uh but I allowed that discussion to occur. So that's a different item. Um and we have again been told in your policy committee last year that PTSO is not our business. So that's uh something for you to raise with the chair and

056speak to the chair about with regard to your suggestion. Um having said that now uh we have spent um close to an hour on this item and the item that I'd like to move to is the special ed which is on the agenda for tonight's good. Yes. Absolutely. >> Thank you Mr. Just going to open up with a curricular Facebook request. >> Good evening. Thank you for this opportunity. Um, one of the really goals that we've had this year is to research based curriculum, supplemental curriculum for our special education students. Where we have landed is Everway Unique Learning System. Uls a comprehensive standards align curriculum specifically designed to meet the needs of students with moderate to significant disabilities. It provides differentiated accessible instructional materials that support academic, functional and life skills development across three levels.

057Uh it's built on evidence-based practices and it incorporates the principles of universal design for learning to ensure that all students can meaningfully uh engage with grade level content. We use a portion of this already with our speech language uh pathologists the symbol sticks. Um and just adding on to that, this is going to be more for our self-contained classrooms, our elite uh students which have functional impacts and our box springs. Um we did do a demo putting teachers and receive the the feedback was well received and um just like you know what what we what we're finding is that our teachers don't have a supplemental curriculum. So this is actually going to help them and support them in implementing the IEP goals and objectives and effectively instructing our students. The quote that we have for

058the year uh for our current classrooms with unlimited access for students is $64,957. >> This is a proposal for a new program. >> Yes. I thought we were I'm a little confused >> that what you're the overall review of special is coming. >> Okay. This is >> just that component of it would be interesting to get that to the board next board meeting. Okay. >> Um yeah, it's just out of context for me. um by starting leading with the this versus the program, you know, the changes and that should how that fits in. >> Sorry about that. >> Um my brain operates. Um so let me but there is a question that immediately I want to ask which is um the demo was provided to teachers on May 15th. Um is that what you mean

059about you tried to teachers? Yes. >> How many teachers are we talking about? >> Oh, there were there were about 10 teachers present >> in one school. >> No, it was uh across the district and it was a variety of leak teachers which is our functional classroom and support teachers as well which is for our students with emotional learning. use this previously in VSY just during that time period. God bless. So next we'll start with the data review which is this is like an overall view of special education. So we'll start with um our total special education student enrollment. Um we ended the 2425 school year with 451 students. Um as of today we have 4,156 students. You look at the total enrollment of the district. Uh last year it ended with 19,686 which left

060our percentage of special education population at 20.6 21%. And then for this school year, we um are seeing the total enrollment at 19,010 students with uh our special education population being 21.9. You can see although our total enrollment is now down, our special education uh enrollment is averaging uh about the same. And the self-contained students in the district um 24 2526 that should be 2425 814 26 I should >> the first column 824 >> 26 second one is 2627 is our projection. Okay. So, currently we have 814 students and we're projecting 828, but that number definitely will likely could likely increase as we continue to identify students. >> So, the second column is 26 27, right? teacher vacancies as of May 22nd 26 and we've kind of varied on this. Um we have four vacancies

061uh currently we've been as low as one uh compared to last year when we were at about 30 to one vacancies. So definitely an improvement >> and I understand why that's important. Be clear why why do we have vacancies now? >> Um there was retirement and resignations. We have not been able to >> they leave. We ask why are you leaving? Why are they leaving? We don't we don't have that information today. However, uh Dr. Avery and I have been a superintendent round table with specifically Sven teachers. We did the first one last week, Thursday I believe, where we I did an open invitation to all teachers to get them in the room to talk about changes because our concern asking them give us a chance to make the get these improvements in place such

062things as decreasing class size, more teacher support. um of the two big two big us that we wanted to make sure we communicated and reaction just said please give us a chance before you leave our district. We have another one scheduled on June. The next one it's at 3:30 at Harding High School >> I believe is the first blue commission in the BA retirement. Yeah, I think I don't think it's before that. >> But are we doing the exit reviews? Uh Chris is online. >> Dr. Hi everybody. >> Dr. Chan, are we doing exit interviews? >> We're currently setting up a system for exit interviews. Uh the supervisors and principles do them informally, but we don't have a district-wide tracking system for exit interviews at this point, but we're going to set those up for

063next year. >> Then these four leave. We don't know why. >> No, they they left before the end of the school year. um you know, a couple of them left for opportunities in other districts, one was a retirement. Um but we haven't been able to hire a full-time staff member at this time of year to fill those positions because it's the end of the school year. Um but we're tracking those um to hire as soon as possible for next year. We also have our interns and apprentices in special education to place for next year. So, um, you know, June 25th is when the vacancy number is going to roll over until the 26 27 school year. Okay. So, you do have some idea. I mean, I I can't imagine. I know in my building when

064somebody left, we knew what. Um so absent the formal um exit interview, which is always useful, um everybody in the building knew why somebody was leaving. So you know, you just said in your comments, one person retired. why they chose to retire at the middle of the year is always a question that most people had some idea or if they left for another district. Um, we do that. Um, so you clearly knew that at least a couple of them. So that's what I'm getting at is, you know, again, um, we have said this, you know, I'm I I feel like Mr. Benales about PAC PTSO, but we have said this at numerous meetings since before you got here about we used to have these forms at board of ed meetings that said when we hired

065people when they left and it generally said where they were going, what was why uh we knew this, everybody knew this and the more we know this better off we are as a district. Um, and I just so I it's a fact of life in Bridgeport that people leave us for greener pastures. It's just built into the system and we want to make this pasture as green as we can, but it's still a fact of life that you make 10 to 15,000 more to go to Stratford and 20 to 25,000 more to go into any other district around us. And that's not talking about working conditions. That's just talking about your salary. So, we just aren't tracking this as really what we're doing. And within the buildings, most people know what pasture they went to.

066Um, so I I just think that we need to, you know, get on top of that because the more we're on top of it, the better off we are. And to spend teachers, that's even more important. uh y'all are doing things now that that we didn't used to do when I started. So I think we want to get even better at that in terms of tools in your in your chest to use to retain teachers. >> Um >> it's correct that the those four that are listed resations >> were already what >> resignations were vacancies. >> You said one retirement, >> right? But it's I was looking at the wrong line. It's resignations. >> Okay. Well, >> at least one of those did go to >> we we are working on um getting you personnel

067data as part of a regular board report for each board meeting. So, >> I I get that. I I'm not trying to to to bring that up again as much as it just that's one of the components and in this report it's just we know right away okay we lost and we know why why Bridgeport has never had layoffs. So um but with this particular position and obviously this is much better than a year ago. We want to make sure that we hold on to uh special ed teachers. Um so when I you know we want to know why on each and every one so so I'm sorry I interrupt you. So um as part of the work that we do at the district level holding district attendance team meetings um we always place an

068extra emphasis and focus on special education chronic absenteeism for students identified as receiving specialized instruction. So this is just an up-to-date report of um school by school um of enrollment of special education students the number of chronic uh number of days and then their percentage of being chronically absent. chronic absenteeism is missing 10% or more available school days. Um, but what I really want to focus on is some of the positive data coming out of the special ed department when it comes to students being chronically absent. Over the last three months, we've seen a 1% decline monthtomonth um of chronic absenteeism. The last report to the um eds site, which is the state department of education, they were at 38.1%. Um so we are seeing the numbers trending in the right direction and specifically two

069locations um the transition academy and Bridgeport Learning Center year-to-year comparison the transition academy is down 15% and Bridgeport Learning P uh learning center is almost down 3%. And so those are some really great um evidence of work for special educ work that we're doing for this population of students to decrease chronic absent. >> Wait, what is the district overall at the same point in time at the end of May? >> Um at the end >> based on our calculations. >> Well, where we are to date right now is 38.3. >> That's sped. Oh, as a district, um, the last poll was 38%. Pretty much the same. Yes. >> I just wanted to clarify for my own sake. >> Chronic absenteeism is just not here. It's not there's no mix playing around with the absence. We

070we we play around with absence staff. We play around with, you know, if you're out three days with the same illness, it's one absence. >> Chronic absenteeism is just each day you're out >> is an absence. >> Exactly. And furthermore, it includes every absence. Even if you have a medical documentation and the absence is excused or you're suspended from school, any reason why you're out, it counts. >> So you're suspended two weeks, that's 10 days, >> right? >> Absolutely. Right. >> Yeah. I just the way I wanted to clar I knew the definition. I just wanted to make sure like you the way you said it I wanted to make sure that I understood it clearly. >> Absolutely. Um, so, um, so it's a stupid definition. Um, >> and if you reach 18. >> No,

071no. I I I don't I I just It's an impractical, let me be more diplomatic definition because it doesn't take into account, you know, the kids that we have that, you know, have that those circumstances, it counts against them. Um uh well we went to a wedding in Jamaica last year. The child missed three or four days so it counts as three or four days absent. Um so it's it happens. you know, we and I know we used to have students who go away for a couple weeks around Christmas back to another country and then come back. And you know, those things happen to our kids because they have families living abroad um and they combine them for economic reasons. You know, >> half days are another issue. >> Half days because for many families

072having the child picked up day is also a big issue. >> Absolutely. Half days are a problem. Once a student reaches 18 absences, they're probably absent for the new year because of the 180 days, >> right? >> So, they won't be able >> Despite my my effort to be diplomatic, it is an impractical definition in some ways, but it is the legal one we have to work with. >> I get it. Um, so, but we are, your point being that we are improving >> to the satisfaction of the um folks that monitor this stuff. we're making slight improvements. We're moving in the right direction. I think with the lead home visitor that's supporting the special education department um has also been really helpful. >> And then you're saying that that are were the sped students

073worse before? >> Yes. This look at our >> because you're saying now that they're basically the same as the regular students. They had been >> significantly higher. The other thing to notice too is that our elementary students are below the district average of 38 all our and our our high school students who are the big issue all >> is that is that true with regular att >> I think some interesting work that we're doing is looking at what the student's primary disability is so we can identify students that have this as their primary disability. They have the highest levels of chronic absenteeism. So we can just be a little bit more intentional about like interventions that were putting in place based on that data. >> Yes. >> So a lot of work happening with it.

074>> Makes sense. >> Are there any questions about the absenteeism part of this? Let me just stop there because this is a a huge cache of information. Willie or Marissa? >> Uh I you said you only had the topic of absentism. Correct. >> Well, or I guess it could be something else we've already discussed. Otherwise, I'm I'm just stopping here on this cache of information. >> Okay. Okay. I just want to make sure because I I know as I look at the uh agenda because it was shared through me through text because I didn't have an agenda. There was no agenda on the portal. I want to make sure you're talking about uh a as far as education a that we're on right now or is that where you want to stop? I just want

075to make sure I'm in the right area and I ask the right questions accordingly. >> Well, you have this packet, will he? >> I don't have this packet. There is no There is no packet >> sent to you. Okay, I look at portal. So I like to have my with all due respect I I look at the portal and I have no packet so that something was sent to me individually as an email. Uh that doesn't help me when I'm got to prepare for these meetings prior to having the meeting. So I'm sorry that I when you discussed that earlier it was you shared that that was sent to me which was the other information uh according uh about the pack and PTSO. Right now, I want to make sure that you ask a question.

076Anybody has a question with this theme and I want to make sure that we're talking about line A uh special education A or specifically or we're moving forward to B because before we move to B, I definitely do have questions. >> We are on B. >> You're on B. >> Yes. >> Okay. I didn't I didn't notice that we went on to B. do apologize because I have questions for A and I did not uh hear that we moved on to B. So, not a problem. I'll move on. I'll send my questions to to them directly. >> I'm trying to answer you. >> We I I asked us to hold A because to me I didn't want to do A first. A would fit in when we get done with reviewing the overall. I wanted

077to come back to A. I did say that. I said A didn't make sense to me. I'm still trying to answer. It didn't make sense to me to do a until we heard the overall report on the entire sped report and how A fit into the overall sped report. So we then went into the overall sped report. The this this packet which includes the pack PTSO was emailed to you which is what we said >> the first time >> you talked. Now, I understand and don't disagree with you that this was not put in our portals, but it was as sent to you about 10 minutes ago or 15 minutes ago when we were trying to exchange thoughts that at the beginning of the meeting, you were emailed the package and the package contains all

078of this stuff which we were all given at the beginning of the meeting. So you have this package that was given to us at the beginning of the meeting. It was emailed to you at the beginning of the meeting. We are now on the page about chronic absenteeism sped chronic absenteeism which Miss Roach is reported to us and we have been discussing. So I am asking if anybody there's so much data has any questions on this page. Well, like I said, I'll send my questions directly for those departments and those individuals for what I have questions for and um and respectfully so. Um I did not vote and I didn't know that there was a vote to move and table a for the time being. So that's also a surprise to me. So that's why

079I thought that's would be the proper protocol to table something or move on forward. And I didn't know that I voted for anything or that anybody voted. So, respectfully so, I thank you. But all my questions, I'll just send it directly and I'll share with the board my questions and what answers I got from them. Um, because I'm not in a mood right now to to uh to be going around circus with anyone at this moment because this is not the way this is supposed to be running. And I don't know when it was acceptable by anybody to not been given the information. We've been yelling for the last two years concerning our information being given and I just don't feel that this No, excuse me, sir. >> So, I don't feel excuse out of

080order. You're out of order. >> How am I How am I out of order? Please explain that to me. >> This is the third time you've given us a lecture about how to proceed. We don't need to hear this again. I have said you're right about this. I don't disagree with you about whether or not we should be getting stuff in our packets in advance. this is we don't need to hear it again that you got the packet the same time as the rest of us and so we are now proceeding to try and hold the meeting and go through what we were given. I made the decision as a chair to come back to this at what I think is the appropriate time. If you don't agree with my decision, you can argue with

081me later. We're going to come back to that. We're moving through the information we were given on sped. That's my decision as a chair. There's no vote. It's my decision as the chair to go through the information. So, I am now asking if you had a question on chronic absenteeism. If you don't, just say no, please. >> Well, I that was accent answered. So, respectfully so. That was accidents and answered. >> Thank you. >> The answer is no. Thank you. >> It was never no, sir. Respectfully so to the chair. You're out of order because I was not out of order because I had the floor. So if I have the floor and I want to speak about the topic that I want to speak about, I have a right to speak accordingly and I

082would move forward and just say thank you for your time and I'm not here to argue with you, but when I have the floor, I would ask everyone to respect my time having the floor like I respect everybody else's time when they have the floor to say whatever they would like to say as long as it's not being disrespectful. Oh, excuse me. >> Right to speak about whatever you want to speak about. I asked a question about whether you had a question on this. That's all. >> And and I did answer that ask and answered and my I'll repeat it again for you and for everybody and for the record. That's what I like to have the record that I said I will respectfully so step back and I said that I will send my

083questions to those departments and that was my answer. Not that I didn't have questions. So, just for the record, thank you. You're welcome, sir. >> Miss Marissa, uh, Ernesus, do you have any questions on the chronic absenteeism sheet? >> I don't, but I do, um, really appreciate you guys tracking all this information, seeing that um, the sped numbers in comparison to last year are actually lower and comparable to that of the rest of the population. So really happy to see that we're trending in the right direction. So thank you. >> Go to the next page, please. >> Next one is special education suspensions and expulsions. Thank you for Sure. Um, this summarizes by school and total district the number of special education students that had an um internal ISS and an outside suspension or an

084expulsion. That's your first four columns. We then compared that to the total ISS, OSS and expulsions for that school to come up with what percentage did our spent students make of that by school as as a total of suspensions with the with the idea of using this to a highlight schools that are are being successful in uh reducing their number of um suspensions and and expulsions. So for instance when you look at bio biotech at fair child now alia their numbers overall sped numbers are lower their numbers were limited to only 17%. So the items highlighted in green schools that were um that had a lower percentage sped students than the district average. Our district averaged 38% of our total uh our total district expulsions and the suspensions that students and I just wanted to

085highlight schools like multicultural intrad district Bryant Black Rockck and the biotech schools that are well below our district average. So the the next step with this is what are what are they doing right now and we we've given two schools we've really done a tremendous effort this year in working with our principles and looking at when it comes for instance expulsions when it comes to expulsions can we do stipulate an expulsion agreement for all students as opposed to expelling before bringing a special education student up for expulsion they need to have manifestation to all students actually just to see it's a manifestation of their disability. Um, and we're also working with our principles prior to my arrival and prior to current interim superintendent. It there was a one fight 10 day of school. 10 day

086of school was an automatic go-to for suspensions. And we've been working with our um administrators to do a more restorative practice to do, you know, can can a child learn the same lesson in five days? Do we have to go to 10 days or can we get them back into school? The idea being we need our kids to school. We need them to have a seat in the house unless it's a extremely egregious situation where there was intentional harm, weapons, drugs, etc. Okay, I get the the point that we have less suspensions, but what we don't know is how many less students we have. >> Well, we know our special ed students have increased from last year in a in a given school. >> Oh, school. No, we we don't have that level. So, we

087can't get that. had that >> right. >> So that was certainly an anticipated at um Bryant last year. >> Well, you got 82 students, right? So, at Bryant, there are 98 special ed students. >> How many now? >> 98. >> Oh, so they I'm sorry. >> Chronically absent. is oh 82 >> 82 is the special ed enrollment 31 electronically absent so why you say >> so I'm looking at the sped school enrollment as a 527 >> so I'm looking at the sped pool sped pool enrollment as a 526 >> crystal report that we received today it says Brian has signed and don't know if that will follow but that's following up with data management and this was a report that was >> created on so he may have pulled the data from different source whereas

088the crystal report it comes in it's like every other day so I'm not serve any fee. >> That's pretty serious discrimination among 16 students. But in any case, they're both numbers pushing 100 and Bryant school has no in school or out of school suspension. Yeah. >> So it's not >> this one I think most probably because this one has a prek. They don't calculate prek. So that's why prime has a prek there. That's what the 92 was. Yeah. >> Wait a special ed prek. >> Yeah. But it's not included. They don't have a special ed prek. >> Yes. Okay. >> Yes. I did see that. >> Yes. >> They have actually a special. >> Sorry. >> Yes. >> Had some dance. >> Yes. >> Uh okay. Well, that makes sense. So, but the reason I

089was looking was to get a sense of the context and that makes it, you know, very impressive if you have a school with 82 non-prek special ed students and they haven't had a single spec in school or out of school. Um, or >> your district discovery has three. >> All only had one. And they only have But they only have 30. Allen has 66. >> Allen had one suspension. >> No, but I'm saying 662 tubes. >> Yeah. >> And they only have one suspension. You didn't give them a green warning letter. You give green light. >> Uh I think I didn't throw it off. >> They should have had green line. Yeah, >> they should have like the separate >> and multicultural >> has 65 multicultural has Julia. It's really reflects science and approach to

090discipline. Yeah. and and Oh, I see him. Okay. Well, that's that's very interesting. And so, >> what do we do with something like this? >> Did you say I know you said something? I'm sorry. I was looking at the numbers. >> We want to discuss have more conversations with our principles that are running below district average and then seeing how we can um help support a principal score above district average. Y and there there are certain you know I know I've worked with the high schools through the expulsion side of of cause of fights because of some gang related issues or neighborhood I should say more neighborhood related issues it's not as they have to take a stand and very often having a stipulated um scholarship agreement isn't always >> well I was going to

091say that it would appear that the the big schools and high schools were mostly your problem but that's not entirely true but yeah okay I get it any questions on that Romero Himenez. >> Sorry, no questions from me. Thank you. >> I would like the specialist education division restructuring group. So after every historically prior to to my time and when I first got here as Dr. Avery special education and the academic divisions were in separate silos. Fact that just the location in the hallways down that side of the hall were down this side of the hall. They were there were some people in our prior administration who did not feel that they should have any should be any interaction to Dr. R. We believe very strongly that we should work together, right? Because if you

092think about our mindset at schools, if the average average teacher doesn't feel, you know, they they look at special education student, oh that's special education teachers issue, I look at my multilingual learners, oh that's a multilingual learner teacher issue as opposed to they're all nine kids, right? And and really trying to foster that mentality. So we said it starts internally. We have to foster that mentality. So by bringing within our division there's more opportunities. We'll go into more detail um of the opportunities for collaboration shelf curriculum work. We're doing extensive amount of work in uh with our tier one. Michelle's recruited 20 teachers that are going to be working with our content directors and our general ed teachers and adding differentiation with our stroke learners which is the first time in the same year that

093this happened in the past. I'm not sure but it's the first time in the last few years that we we've been able to do something like that. So we we know that the workload we have six supervisors, six special education supervisors and they work out in the field and currently they had a mix of out of district schools and in district schools in district being defined as our internal Bridgeport public schools. out of district cases of county district. >> Okay. The six or both? >> Six total. There's six supervisors. >> Yeah. And they were they >> total. >> Was there a distinction when there were six in district, two out of district or >> No, they had a mixture of both. >> They they had a mixture of both out of district and in district.

094And so we looked at lining up having two senior officers. One primary focus on compliance, the other with a focus on specialized instruction within the school. Currently looking at super allocating supervisors to to the compliance out of district side and specialized instruction side. get into more detail on what each of these roles how how they'll be different. The directors of related service, social work, uh speech, language, um school psych psychology, that would all fall with under the directors of related services as well as all compliance issues. On the specialized instruction side, we've got our specialized schools of SCA and BLC and then we have VCAS. So we when we look at aligning the roles to we work with the Connecticut um state department education by Abby worked very closely with Michelle they developed goals. So

095using those special ed goals that the state helped us define we align the roles of the supervisors to these goals. Okay. So along with that it was um both both categories are dealing with compliance right you can't separate the compliance from indistrict that's going to fall under both of those compensatory action would fall under the compliance category other other uh goals aligned with the in uh instructional officer is the supervisors and district placements working with the human capital, professional learning and curriculum within the district, parent outreach, and following up on excess cost. On the other side with our senior compliance officer, in addition to compliance and compensatory services, they're having them focus on out of district placements. U Michelle has drafted a blueprint manual that she will name overall which describes the programs. They will

096also do professional learning and curriculum parent outreach and excess cost. So the big differential between the two groups is an in district versus an out of district. >> Yes. Is there not compensator are there not compensatory issues on the industry? >> There are there are that would fall with compliance area and just monitoring it and then directing the indistrict. So there I mean there's going to be communication between the two sides right I just want to make sure I understood. >> Absolutely. Absolutely. Moving on to uh supervisory accountability. So in any district where our our goals would be by weekly school walkthroughs. This is where the supervisor would have a hands-on inclassroom coaching of teachers also supporting principles on an as as needed basis. In our schools our principles are the PPT facilitators. Okay. So,

097they would only be consulted as a PPT. >> Now, we're down to the we're no longer the senior level. We're now >> supervis the supervisor. >> All right. Okay. >> So, there's a PPT. they would serve as a PPT advisor on a special case where the principal wasn't sure uh how to proceed with that they would they would support the principal and then also providing professional learning and curriculum implementation with our in with work closely with the academic side in implementing professional learning as well as our curriculum curriculum on the out of district supervised ers. They're going to be doing bianual school visits including annual audits and cost monitoring of the out of district placements. They will serve as the PPT facilitators as they do now for out of district placement and they would do

098any kind of coordination that would that would result as a result. So for instance, if we're bringing someone back in from out of district, they would help coordinate it in districts. Yes, you see the PT I don't know Facebook here. I know some I went to the PBT and I went to the paper already with Delta Planner amazing people. They do amazing baby say hearing something before the meet before meeting what was the >> it's a parent guide you know it's their right sale yeah so >> question for you is because I go different do you think different school so principal doesn't read that they're supposed to do it right I'm just asking you know >> we are going to be unrolling okay as part of August back to school workshops with our leadership my

099done a fabulous job of coming up with checklists protocols and procedures so that everyone can use them. So when it doesn't matter what PBT we go to, they're all they're going to have the same guidelines and once that we're going to work with our principles to make sure that they're following that is that is the need that we identify. >> Do that and we say as the parent do you have a copy? You know they ready to give the copy that everything to good job. All right. Thank you. Um So, as a result of all this, what is our our hope is that this impact when we look at our our supporting our administrators and our teachers, they're going to get specific targeted support. And one of the struggles that we've had this year with

100having so many new 30 something new random people coming in as teachers is is providing having the time to provide support. Honestly, we need two more supervisors, but given our financial constraints, we are looking at grants outside grants to see if we can find them. But ideally, we would add one more supervisor from each side to really allow the supervisors to get into those classrooms to plan teachers to model to whatever capacity that that the new teacher needs to help support them. We're also looking at doing differentiated professional learning this summer so that rather than doing a one-sizefits-all, every teacher gets the same PD, going to be looking at who are those three TAP teachers that are going to need more support who, you know, and and really try, you know, a five-year teacher or

101a two-year teacher needs different professional development than a 10ear teacher. They don't need to go back through everything again. we need to hear it all over. And then um every every supervisor will have a very focused hopefully balanced workload so that the number of new teachers and the uh the DESP teachers will have the balance between supervisors so no one is over overstressed with more than they can handle. as well as and doing an analysis comparing for each school coming up with a balance between number of resource kids, number of self-contained kids um within within a school and then number of special education teachers in general and then the number of teachers that are going to be in that school so that we can try to balance out the workload. And then it would also

102help support our uh administrative support and adult district oversight. One of the guiding principles that has guided this work to date has been students first. putting our students first in any any of these decision making, collaboration, equity between schools, between buildings, between teachers, transparency and datadriven decision making. The final piece is where are we in the action plan? This work was started in March. I called it phase one. the seminar. I interview every single person in the special ed department from executive assistants to teachers to supervisors uh to Michelle and and Wayne. The next phase was then I started going in and I'm still in um I I'm still in the school visit phase going into I prioritize schools with self-contained classrooms for special education. Those are my priority schools going into doing walkthroughs with

103principles and then sitting down with the principal and saying okay what's working well what are the areas of growth and if we fix one thing okay what make your life easier what would that be okay what has come up even though I'm not complete I'm not done top of the list is class sizes class sizes especially in our all in our rise and our our autistic classrooms and in our behavior classrooms are too high increase in students overall that it's it's just it's way too high for teachers and and that's our fear that was looking at this and projecting it forward. That was our first concern was oh my goodness are we going to start losing teachers because if you have class size not being supported and in fairness to our principles not many of

104them are special education experts like our supervisors are. So what we're hoping is that by having more boots on the ground focus on other than being out of certain industry just focus on that in district have regular schedule so I know when March is coming to my building that's going to meet with my teacher being able to support my teacher and then being able to answer questions that principles because principles are still going to supervise teachers but then they can act serve as help serve as a support. Um the number one was class size. Number two was again that teacher support being component. Number three is improved communication. This is this is an issue that we as a district struggle with just across the board. It's not just specialized issue. It's all of us issues.

105Um and so we are really with all of our departments making a concerted effort on how can we improve our communications and and how can we increase the timeliness of our response. Our goal is within 24 hours. We don't often make it. However, I should say we don't make 100%. However, that's our goal. That's that's what we're we're striving for is to get back to those principles even to the point of I don't you know stranger I don't have an answer to your question give give me give me some time to do the research I'll get back to you because I think that that was that was one area that just in general our our principles and teachers really really requested. Um another thing that we are going to do and it sounds very simple

106sometimes the simplest strategies or is what we noticed is that if someone sends an email they'll include saying Michelle Marge Mr. Traver they'll include everybody in the two line well if you see three people in the two line well St. he is going to get it because Michelle is going to get the assignment. So, we're going to encourage principles when they do send us emails, send it to the person that you would expect an answer from, copy the other people that whatever it is that you want to copy. But if if I think by by itemizing then putting one singular person in that two line I think that's going to help it will help us because from from falling into that group mentality of oh they sent into the group somebody else is going to

107answer it >> now how does this fit in not yet >> um retention Remember I said retention. What are we doing to retain teachers? The one specific I mentioned to you was um uh um they have uh they have requirements to to um continue learning. And what can what are we doing? What can we do to help them with those requirements? Are teachers required to get advanced degrees? We have teachers, you know, if we have DSAP once they get their certification, they're still required to continue learning, right? To continue their education, to continue I I mean, I don't know what the current breaks are, but >> the requirement of CEO Not CUS. I know we got rid of those when I'm still teaching, but aren't they required to get a masters? >> They >> within

10810 years. Are we doing anything to help with that? Is that successful? >> Dr. Ciano, can you answer that? >> Um, we have several university partnerships for people to get their initial certification. Right now, we don't have any um incentive program to help existing teachers with certification to get their advanced degrees. It's something we can look at. We're also rolling out a stay interview program. We've been working with CES and Trumbull on training some of our HR staff to start rolling out stay interviews to target um you know teachers in the district that have been here for a long time and to learn um why they're staying in the district as a way to improve our our retention rates. >> Okay. So okay I I get the latter and on the former there's a specific

109reality which is if we get new teachers special or otherwise and they're required to get their masters within 10 years then that's going to cost them money and if they're underpaid in Bridgeport for then the reality is that at some point they're going to go to where they make more money so they can afford to get their masters, right? Yes. Um tuition reimbursement would need to be negotiated in collective bargaining. I'm not sure if the district has had tuition reimbursement in the past. >> We never did. No, I I I've negotiated that contract a few times. >> Yeah, >> we haven't. Um there is nothing in the collective bargaining agreement that prevents the district from creating a program um and adding it on to the collective bargaining agreement as a side agreement um as in

110an effort to keep employees um you know either as as an as an you knowou or anything else but if we've identified this as a problem and as you're having there stay discussions. Um part of it is going to be to identify how many people we have that I'm assuming uh that we can fairly easily identify how many teachers we have that are going to be required to get their masters. You know, one of the it wasn't hard for me, not I don't mean me personally, when I was teaching, I was a grandfather on that requirement. I had master's credits. I didn't have to get a master's degree. Um, but the requirement is there now. You can identify the teachers who are required to get that master's degree. You know, just we know how many

111there are. we have a way of of finding out how many there are and what the timeline is for them. Um so you know we we know what the need is. That's one identifiable need that we can identify and try and figure out the way and and sit down with the union to identify what we can do collectively. I mean, they just signed, so they're not going to be sitting down with us collectively bargaining for a number of years. Yet, we know that this is an factor that might influence whether they stay or go. Um, so, you know, we need to take a look at this as how significant a factor is. If there's only a few dozen employees, then it's not significant. If there's a few hundred employees, then it's significant. Chris, do you

112want to uh and if this is old news, please correct me, but do you want to u talk about the intern programs that we have in the residency programs? >> I want to know about that for informing you teachers. >> Yep. And I have a Well, before you do that, uh Miss Esther Marian. >> Yeah. Um thank you, Miss Traver. I just wanted to underscore what you mentioned about the tuition reimbursement. Um, and just wanted to mention that in like at work for example, if when I was offered tuition reimbursement for my master's degree, I had to stay with the company for a certain amount of years. So, that's something that can also help with our employ our teacher retention rates. We haven't had the money for that. >> Well, I I understand you and

113I I believe you and I have talked about this. I've talked about it with Dr. Avery. I speak to there is a woman in the east end of Bridgeport who is politically, you know, one of the uh forces to be reckoned with Debbie Sims. Um and uh her son Vaughn um who I've watched grow up um is now in the Yale special ed program and he will be getting his masters this fall I believe. Um and he will be required to teach for a few years in the New Haven public schools as a result of getting that masters in New Haven. Um and uh >> we have a >> first you want to explain the way our programs work, how many we have in them? >> Yes. So we have about 20 overall through our

114university partnerships with University of Bridgeport, Sacred Heart, Southern Connecticut, and other schools that have similar programs. So they come and work in Bridgeport while they earn their advanced degree and certification. we pay we give them a stipen for tuition and then they're required some of the schools are required to work three or four years um in Bridgeport after they complete their program. So we have about um you know five or six from Sacred Heart that owe us um you know three or four years in in special ed and then others that owe us I'm sorry four or five teachers in different subject areas. the majority of teachers are in special ed that'll be with us for three or four years um a at the conclusion of their program um this year. So they would start

11526 27 school year as their first of either three or four years that's been successful for you know getting them through their certification and their advanced degree. Um, however, you know, we we could look at a a some kind of tuition reimbursement program for existing employees um to get their advanced degree. We could we could certainly um gather some more information about that to present to you at a future date. >> How would that be different? Uh if these are interns, right? >> Correct. They're teachers that do not have their current certification. So by the time they finish their master's degree, they have their certification and their master's degree while they've been working in Bridgeport public schools for two years. >> This is like they stay at one school, correct? And they stay with like

116a specific teacher or a classroom. >> Correct. >> You and I I know remember about the intern program that you were talking about. We were housed in the building but we used to be the daily subs for lack of better >> lower than the self. >> So now they are assigned to as like kind of a student teacher but not so but they are in a classroom so they really learn the trade from an expert. >> Yeah. Sacred heart UB University of New Haven all had the program. not southern because I went to Southern for exactly that reason to avoid those indentured servitude is what it was. Um they paid for your tuition. >> That's correct. >> The district paid for your tuition. Uh you got a stipen for books and you worked five days

117a week in the district. Um and uh uh you got you came out with your certification at the end of the whatever time period it was a year or two um at that time. Um and those schools all did it and I remember going to some sessions and people saying I don't get how this works and I said well you're an index servant for two years. Uh, and I chose to go to Southern because I could work three days a week, any day time I wanted and take a day off anytime I wanted and it still and in the end I could I could balance out the cost at 3 days a week and work when I wanted to. Um, but that was the difference. >> Southern was cheaper. Um, but it it worked for

118a lot of people and a lot of people didn't. Um, I just saw that when I subbed, person that had to do whatever they were told was the intern beneath the sun. >> There was there >> beneath the sun. >> So, but yes, it's a good program for some people that wanted to do it. Um, and a lot of people didn't. Uh, but those are Okay. So, but then why can we not work out something like that for existing employees to get advanced degrees? >> We we could we could gather some information about that and um we could present >> because that's what I I guess that's what I'm I mean I understand they can't go Yeah. I guess I guess we have to be we have to be creative and see what we can

119do to subsidize or figure out how to subsidize current employees advanced education and see what we can do because that's the need is if we have somebody who is a current employee and needs to get their masters and they have at this point five or 10 years to do it somewhere in that range. We have to help them to get that we have to do and that that helps us retain them both in terms of loyalty and in terms of a commitment in exchange for that help that same concept and you know it certainly applies to SP but it would seem to me it applies to other areas too. Because the pattern that we've seen for as long as I can remember and you know goes back to when I started in 2000 is teachers

120come here cut their teeth in five years um and perfect their craft and then they're marketable um and uh we're a training we're a training ground um and if they're new kids coming out college, they've gotten married and they're starting to have kids and they want to make that extra money. Um, and they, you know, they've trained them rich and so we want to hold on to them. Um, so the more we can do to help them, encourage them to stay, the better. But in in this subject of last discussion, we're focusing specifically on spent teachers who are a uh you know identified high need. But I would think that we want to if we configured this out for Smith teachers, it would have applicability to other high need um designated uh teaching certifications and

121maybe the state would have some help. Well, they they offer the uh the uh No, I'm I'm thinking of the uh you just talked about the uh you know the uh what are we doing with the people that come in and they they can work before they get certified. Well, the >> Oh, they the EAP. >> Yeah, DESPs. >> And Tito has also done a a great job here as helping teachers get crosscertified because now the state has helped by saying you don't need all the math college hours if you already have your teaching s if you can pass practice you can teach math >> right so we can identify needs that way too. I think our district is still doing with the peace sol and the cost endorsement we work with that assignment. >>

122Yeah, that's what I mean by the state has has started because the problem has gone beyond it's become an issue for the wealthier communities too being able to find teachers. >> Okay. All right. Uh so now this how does this fit into again? So and as part of all this work Michelle if you want to just summarize. >> Yeah. So it actually ties right back to the guiding principles and the presentation um to use you know students first u we're really asking our teachers to significantly modify general ed curriculum. And when we did laws with Dr. that we found in a lot of our classrooms wasn't news to us that the teachers didn't have those resources um many of our teachers are using to you know our teachers are still using teachers teacher so that's

123one of the reasons why you know for our teachers as well as our students they specialize the curriculum um and we are collaborating now with general ed the curriculum learning but with this curriculum will also um do like spoken sequence and pacing guides so that you know there's if a student move from one elementary to another there's still kind of on that same pacing for that grade level and then the equity piece you know our students with disabilities they they deserve you know that specialized curriculum, something that's going to meet their needs to truly help close the gap. And uh datadriven decision making. It's based on data that helping our teachers again to be able to implement goals and and objectives. It's like a curriculum that's aligned to state standards also to modify to where

124teachers can scaffold or the other what Michelle said. So for each of ours are emot emotionally disturbed or emotionally need emotional support many of them capable of doing the tier one curriculum. So that's why we're pulling instead teachers now to help support that. our autistic children, some of them need something special. We already have STAR and links in place for them, but we're going to write curriculum for that work as well. And special ed teachers would do that. And then this would fill that component for our our our kids who needed much more structured support in our lead program. Some of our emotion emotional support is >> okay. So this is going to be applied or used with all the special ideas >> are self- detained in the functional the the elite which is that

125that program um predominantly our students with significant cognitive disabilities. Um and then we have the lead medically fragile which uh cognitive and physical and medical disabilities and it will also be used for some of our students with uh other health impairment ADHD um and the uh emotional challenges in the sore classroom who are not on grade level but they are two or more grade mobile up with having a behavior challenge and it does have it has an SEO component. It's I think I'm okay. Thanks. Okay. Um so very small group relatively small. >> Yeah. is our our students with autism are about probably about 400. So this say that the numbers are between a three and 400 range. >> How long is this contract for? >> This one. Yes. We are looking at expanding it.

126Um, this is valid through July 2021. >> It is a year. >> Yeah. 5317 and 27. Tell me where you see that contains birthday. Maximum of this on this is going to be >> and so the total that here is 64. >> Yes. >> The 57 plus the seven. >> Yes sir. And it's is all is this like all computer work? >> Yes, it is not. Um but it is printable. So like the teacher can print the lessons. And this year for our students, they're going to be using the material one source children order consumable scroll this year. So that's that's new question. Yeah, I have a question. I can't believe um the one that said by Rick school is there going to be any time any date? >> Yes, they're going to be in

127they're going to be in district schools and they'll have a a regular visit schedule that lining up with schools schools who know when they're when they're coming in. >> Okay. So, it's not spot >> it's going to be surprising the academic side. them taking what done to academics this year at what we're doing in with the school of sponsors. So they they have schools that they go into um each day between seven of us. We did about 8 796 school visits this year. um working going into classrooms, working with teachers, working with principles, they'll they'll follow. something very accountabilities also be an accountability system embedded in it as well in the basing principle. 12. Yeah, I see transparency but I just want to know my question to you is is what part I will be

128there for the parents you know when the transparency because I know sometime parent they really lost they don't know exactly what's going on so they every time they see any parents come you know sit down and you know exactly guide them >> ideally the teachers right the teachers will work with the parents and sharing students work during parent teacher conferences sending out many teachers will do a classroom update or classroom newsletter. This week we learned we're doing this in math. We're doing this in reading. Every teacher has their own style of alone open houses open houses and you also have the onset that that is still within department that involves parents as well. services. >> Oh yeah, it's my >> favorite. >> Yeah, I work with somebody. >> And I will say too that our

129lead has been very helpful. >> Yeah. Yeah. Mess Himenez. >> No questions for me. Thank you. If um I'll make a motion that we um we are going to recommend uh for the fullborn away proposal complete. recommend to the full board to pass it the full the proposal as it presented to us in we if we to say We move that we move uh to approve and uh recommend that we uh present it to the full board for approval at its next regular meeting the proposal for every way as presented to us. All in favor? I pass. And uh if there are no further questions on this spin, thank you for your time and presentation. Um and I'll take a close. Thank you very much. Thank you all for being here. Committee. I do want

130to apologize for the lateness in getting these reports filed and I I know I have to have it. >> The meeting is adjourned.