001Oay. Oy. We're calling this meeting to order at 5:36 of the ad hoc advocacy committee. My name is Rob Treyber. I'm the chair of this committee and we're going to do a quick swing around the table. Um just to be clear um for those of you who are new uh the ad ad hoc advocacy committee is structured so as you can see uh it's an open committee of anyone that wants to come who's interested in trying to advocate for more resources for the Bridgeport public schools. That would be um members of the board, um members of the Bridgeport Public School staff, uh members of the Bridgeport Public School families, um that would be uh parents and students, uh and members of the Bridgeport Public School community. That would be anyone living in the Bridgeport uh
002community. So, could we go around and just say our name and sort of how we fit in that puzzle? Uh and I'll start with myself. I'm Rob Traver. I am a member of the board. I am a Bridgeport Public School former parent to the person that's about to introduce herself to my left and a current Bridgeport Public School grandparent of one child and another one that's soon to be in school herself. Um, and I'm a retired Bridgeport Public School teacher who uh was active in the union. >> Hello, I'm Katie Traber. I'm his daughter. Um, parent of a a one child at uh, Park City in PreK4. Uh, will be going to kindergarten in the fall. So, >> hi everybody. My name is Hannah Whitley. I'm the deputy grants director for the district. I should
003also say I'm the, uh, wife of a science teacher in training, >> Wilson. sentence at Black. >> Good afternoon everyone. My name is Nicole Nelson and I am your new city council representative here in this district the 130th. >> Uh good evening everyone. My name is Jamim Davis. I was born and raised in Bridgeport. Also attended public schools many many many years ago. Uh but I'm currently the co-director of uh Bridgeport Generation Now community organization that advocates for uh more public school funding. >> Thank you. Uh good evening everyone. My name is Dr. Christine McFarland. I am with community services support independence. I run the life skills program for pregnant teen moms. >> Evening. My name is Chris Parkin. I have a daughter who's 11th grader at Fairchild Wheeler. a son who will probably be
004a ninth grader at Fair Trail Willow next year. I live in Reading where I'm also the chair of the region 9 board of education which covers the towns of Buddhist. >> I'm Becky Parkin uh also live in Reading. All the same information as him except the part about board of ed. Uh I'm also PTA president of the biotech school at Fairchild Wheeler. >> Good evening. I'm Jason Lefeny, the assistant principal at Fairchild Wheeler. Hi, I'm Anjinar Chri. I'm a student at Fairshaw Willer. I'm a senior. I'm Mark Anthony Galuchcci and I'm a parent of a Aqua student, a freshman Aqua student who's also a student at Melo and previously he was a student at Thomas. >> Good evening everyone. My name is Islot. I'm here because I just move to Bushport. I'm here to find
005out to help my kiddo because I got four kids and the second one is a special. I need to be on top to find more hope and to know better for my student. >> Good evening. My name is Armin Planas. Uh I am the director of mathematics and legislative chair for the BCAS. The BCAS is the administrators union. The uh the administrators here in Bridgeport. We have a union and the legislative chair is the person who's in charge of uh looking at anything that goes on in the legislature and uh any policies that happen. Hi, my name is Joe Degro. I am the secondary vice president for the Bridgeport Education ex uh education association and I'm also a uh the band director at Central High School. >> Hi everyone. I'm uh Jennifer Kellerman. I'm a
006sixth grade math teacher at Madison School. I'm also the vice president of the BEA, the Bridgeport Education Association, which is the union that represents the teachers of Bridgeport. Hey, good evening everyone. My name is Cardi Emilier. I'm a student at classical school study. I mean son at C study. >> Good evening. My name is Angel Resto. I'm the supervisor for the crossing guards. >> Um good evening. I'm Jessica Resto. I have two kids in Bridgeport public schools. They're at Park City Magnet and I'm also the Park City Magnet Pack President. Yeah. Um, Marissa Esther Himenez. I'm board secretary, but I'm also a parent to two, um, kids in the Bridgeport Public Schools. >> Good afternoon everybody. My name is Dr. [clears throat] Royce Abri. I'm the intram school superintendent for Bridgeport Public Schools and glad
007you guys are here. >> Good evening everyone. My name is Albert Benhangal, one of the board member for Bristol Public School, almost 20 years in the district and I'd like to take thank you all of you for take your valent time to be here. Thank you. We could just go back. Um, thanks. I just uh an Anthony Pto work for the city of Bridgeport in the mayor's office whose uh whose uh whose family I coached many years ago. He um did everybody get an agenda? Um, we've done items uh one and two for the formality. Um, I need to pass the minutes of the previous meeting and that requires board members. I have a uh uh a majority on the committee. Uh a quorum on the committee. So, can I have a motion to approve
008the minutes from the last meeting? >> So, move Mr. Ben. >> I'll second member of the Bridgeport Board of Education online. [laughter] >> Thanks. Sorry Joe. Sorry. >> I think I'm the only one. I think I just saw Willie walk in. He was online before as well. >> Well, I did. You did indeed see Willie walk in. That I happen to notice. Joe. Um, then go ahead and Joe. Introduce yourself, please. >> Joe Sakovic, board member, parent of a recent graduate, Bridgeport Public Schools, getting ready to go to college despite all the odds stacked against us. >> Um, and Mr. Medina. >> Thank you, Chair. Uh, Willie Medina, uh, Bridgeport Public Graduate of Central High School, Central High School, class of 1990. Three daughters, uh, went to Central, uh, Central and Fairchild Wheeler. And I'm
009a proud member and humble and member of the Bridgeport Board of Education. Okay, so we have a motion on the floor. All in favor? I I motion passes. minutes are approved. Item four on the agenda is a discussion of uh April 17th, the appropriations committee hearing and uh the two items I sort of questions I put on the table is uh what we you know sort of what we did well and what uh how can we improve? So uh for anyone that was there uh would you care to relate how it went, what we did well, how you think we did? I'll experience that day. The chair, I I'll start. >> Thank you, Mr. Super. >> I just I just really wanted to kind of, you know, emphasize when we got together uh to go
010to the appropriation committee hearing, uh I wasn't really expecting a whole lot to come from that from that from from that particular meeting, but I can tell you the students that we brought to Hartford were absolutely amazing. And we have one of them here with us this this afternoon. Their speeches were just, you know, um there was from the heart. They spoke about the topics that need to be spok spoken to and and and advocating for. Um and I just can't thank them enough because because what they did was set the bar for um students testifying after them. So, it wasn't very many of them afterwards, but uh we're going to give we're going to give our students a lot more opportunities over the next couple of weeks to be able to go back up
011to Hartford to have that conversation with their their state delegations, um the senators, um and hope hopefully get get the governor in front of them as well. So, uh we did some really amazing things that day. It was a fast and furious day, but it was just one day. Uh again, we we do have a couple other uh potential dates coming up for advocacy. Uh I think April 22nd is going to be a Bridgeport day with the city of Bridgeport. Uh so come April 22nd, I'm thinking, uh we're going to do some more things there. But there's some other additional things that's going to be happening over the next week or so that uh we're going to get into uh and one of the other agenda items, I'm thinking. So, uh, anybody else that was
012there? >> We're up there with the students push the button. >> Yeah. So, I was up there with with the students and, you know, I just I just can't say how hard that they worked. I had the privilege of, you know, coordinating the team and getting the team ready um with hours uh notice ahead of time and the team just came together and worked through their uh February breaks. um I got them to meet online and g gather together and and research the the the documents that the district put together. So, first and foremost, thank you to the de district for um putting all that all that information together. I think that that was first and foremost extremely help helpful and in helping people that want to advocate advocate. Um and then um you know
013I think that when when we present students with with a challenge and a task it's it's >> they they always step up. So when when we raised that that bar and we had the bar here they will always rise to that that that challenge. I don't care what anybody says they will rise to that challenge. And what they did in Hartford just demonstrated that to to me and to everybody there. So congratulations to to you and to everybody that went to Hartford. So >> thank you Mr. Sher. It's it's a little comment. I just want to say thank you whoever was the parent for the students we have in the back. I don't want to be the student we ignored. So I just wanted you know thank you. This is the reason we here but
014this is the reason. That's good. That's good. But just the reason we here you know I like to thank you appreciate it. Anybody else? Marissa. >> Um, so I wasn't there physically virtual testimony online and I have to say I made it my mission to read every single Bridgeport public school related testimony and I have to say there was over 60 of them and I couldn't have been prouder. the majority of I would say a high percentage of the testimonies were about Bridgeport and how we're trying to get additional resources to our kids. So, I just want to say thank you so much for for that. It really means a lot that everyone's coming together as a community to help help us get more resources. >> Mr. Scalovic. >> Yeah, thank you. Um it's not
015much to critique. It was an awesomely put together job by you, Dr. Avery, the communications teams, the staff, the students, everything. It was inspiring to a lot of people. It inspired my son to testify for the first time to his truth on um the the following hearing after that. Um only one improvement I could probably suggest is the one that's the only thing is more more. Always could use more. Thank you. Tito, >> I just wanted to echo the sentiment uh of everyone, but also uh I looked at it from the perspective of what has happened in the last 10 somewhat years. This is the first time that we've seen a movement such as this one in a very very long time. Uh I graduated from Bridgeport schools also and um I actually have a
016house in the north end of Bridgeport though I live in Stratford now. Um and uh not because I didn't want to move I want to move. My son is so big I needed a big house with tall roofs. Uh but but very importantly it's it's uh uh >> did all the math. >> Yeah. It's it's you know the people that waited until 11 12 o'clock to to speak you know very thankful to them and even if they said the same things over and over it's good that people heard it because it it affected it it it had the same effect uh and the way they told the information in their own language in their own words made a big difference and you could tell by the comments of of the legislators at different parts of
017the night. So it was it was great to see that. I I was a very proud uh person from Bridgeport uh just listening person after person uh speak. I would comment that um um I can think of there are a few Porsche Scott, our director of science uh spoke in the we hours. Uh Jeff Morrisy, the president of the BEA was probably one of our last representatives to speak. We had joked with him that he might have to wait till sun up the next morning before he spoke cuz he was up in the 300s. Uh but I believe he got in about 1:00 a.m. uh to speak. So uh the chair Anthony >> Willie I think Willie passed it to me. Yeah. I mean I just want to commend commend the staff and the students
018um that went up to Hartford. you know, not what you didn't see off camera was the students were able to talk to our Bridgeport legislators where they were also able to meet some other uh legislators from down um from like Norwalk and other places. So, I think it's just really well done. Um and kudos to all the students. I mean, they testified better than than I did and um and just really a great job to the students and it'll be good to have more of them come up and and great job referend >> there's not really much more that I wanted to add. I think you know people summed up you know the excitement of uh such a situation where it's fairly dire in terms of the the need for funds. Um but we also
019did that in a very short period of time and I think that's something we should be uh looking at and commending. It also I think shows that there's probably a lot more potential too. There are a lot more people who want to be involved and who can be involved. So uh I also read through the testimony lots of the testimony as well. It was it was it was quite a bit but um it was a good good outing. Good showing him. >> No, I think Mr. Line was next. >> Actually, he just said 99.9% of everything I wanted to say to Ding because it was just the same uh as Jose and some of the other people. The more we have over,900 kids um we have uh you know over 497 across the whole state.
020uh just more I I I wanted I wanted to hear more from our teachers from our delegates that are in the campuses. So I would like I know where we could improve and I would like to be part of that process to to motivate to walk people hand by hand and this collaboration has never been seen before. So I applaud everyone. I ran from another meeting to here because I saw all of you guys and it excited me and I just took off and came here. So that's why I'm here because this means so much that I can be shoulder-to-shoulder with all of you guys. So thank you for coming all of you. Every single one, especially our new mom and our new resident in Bridgeport. I did hear you. So thank you and God
021bless through the chair. >> Um let me just offer some final thoughts. I I I agree with what everybody said. Um there were a tremendous showing of people from There was a tremendous uh showing of people. I was glad Anthony spoke up because I was going to comment his testimony was very helpful too. There are a lot of people in this room that testified directly and uh online. Um and we really did have a larger much larger turnout and on top of that a lot of people that submitted written testimony that didn't testify in person or online. So there's sort of three groups of people that help testif help move everything forward. Um getting more is what everybody said is the correct um the more we can do. But we did this on the fly.
022We had a hearing and we had a 5-day February break. Uh and we had a lot of staff from downtown working the entire break. uh Junk Carlo, Tim, the superintendent's office was helping us put all this together while they were on vacation. Um so I just want to thank them for all their help because we did this over the holiday weekend. Tuesday was the hearing. So uh in they couldn't have been more helpful as we worked hard to get all this done. The students were clearly the stars up in Hartford. They clearly were like everybody was fawning over them. Everybody was adoring them because they spoke brilliantly. They comported themselves with um elegance and respect. Um and everybody wanted to talk to them and they really just just represented our city proudly. Um and um
023the more we do that the better. Um Bridgeport has put itself on the map. New Haven had done that last year. Bridgeport did it this year. And uh I understand we'll get to this more later, some of the other stuff coming up, but it really was a great start for Bridgeport uh and very proud moment for our city. Um I'm ready to move on. Can I? Yeah. Oh, sorry. Go ahead. I know that day was very important and it was very important for me and who everyone you know be there whoever was online and stuff like that and I know they receive the message very clear from everyone in different language. The most important for me is the question is are they going to help us because they can listen to us different language different
024time different day but they really know what we want what we need and what our students need in our staff. is not easy, but I know they understand that Bridgeport be the city, the more big one in Connecticut, almost 20,000 students. They know exactly what we want. If they don't do nothing from Bridgeport, it's not Bridgeport's fault. It's not board education's fault. It's not the city's fault. It's them. So, it's very clear the message, you know, and I was very proud, you know, and the funny part is that day, exactly the minute I get out from my doctor's appointment, I was very lucky. I said, "Let me see who one number they go and they say my name." I was very lucky for that second testify very fast. I was very proud to do that.
025But like I said, it's them. They know exactly what we want. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Okay. Um, uh, Mr. Joe, I put on here a quick report on what happened with Friday, and I know then there was some more, uh, testifying on Monday. So, if you could give us a very quick uh rundown of what happened there, um I would appreciate it. I didn't know when I made the agenda, there was no no knowledge of Monday, so the agenda has uh Fridays, but you might as well throw in a a quick update on Monday. Yeah, f Friday went pretty well. They were mostly talk. I'm trying to make sure I don't get convoluted in that. Okay. Friday was my poetry reading. Uh Friday there was a quite a few people from Bridgeport as well on
026the call. Um it it went pretty well, but there's a it was kind of heavily weighted toward the charter schools and they concerned me a bit because they were all out there advocating say saying how wonderful it is and how we need more of them and all that. So, we need to be cognizant that we need to have our voices there as well to counter that and to make sure the focus is on is on our schools and getting the foundation amount raised and but everybody everybody who spoke spoke to it. I think it was like probably 10 or 11 of us from Bridgeport at uh 80 something. There was less. And then on Monday, my son my son went up and testified with me as well. And that was quite enjoyable for me. And
027it was a couple of people from Bridgeport, New Britain, and every everybody even the charter school people, they were speaking towards raising the foundation because that helps them as well. So the message is getting across. But um yeah, so so it was it was pretty good. Okay. >> One thing I Oh, I'm sorry. And I would like to back up. One thing more I would like to see improved is to see more of our elected officials outside the board of education show up and give testimony. We had a few uh city counc City councilors come testify and a couple put in writing. I know Mr. Newton, Miss um I'm looking at it right now, Miss Nelson. And >> Miss Nelson, Miss Medina, >> Miss Medina, and then just shout shout out to them for showing
028up and speaking up. And special shout out to Mr. Newton who usually testifies when he's at when he's asked and when he's aware of it, he'll come out and speak up for Bridgeport. Everybody else needs to get on the ball and help us do the same because what the state don't give us, we're going to have to get from the city. >> Okay. Thank you. Um, so I I'm looking um Marissa, do you have the timeline that Kim sent you? >> Yes. >> Well, part of that was the timeline, too. and Sam, can you give her control over um I'm going to start by speaking a little bit about it. Um we have basically till with both of these timelines, we have until early May, the first week or two in May, the city and
029the state will be done. So since we're about the end of March, we have a basically two months left um to get the money we need. Um and what we've done here is try and m you know put this up. Now Dr. Avery just threw a loop in, which he hadn't mentioned to me before and that throws a kink in the works. Um because we were aiming at an October 25th date for the rally in in in March. Um but so we need to sort of work this through. But the idea is what do we need to do? What can we do to further the agenda? I do know because Dr. had told me about this one that the city of New Haven superintendent had contacted him about a uh student action next Wednesday. Um
030and it's not quite clear to me at this point that um that is uh involving multiple cities and exactly what the cities are I don't know. We're still trying to figure that out. Dr. Avery, you want to give us an idea what you know? so far on that? >> Yes. I'm I'm a member of the um Connecticut >> urban school urban urban school superintendent the largest the large large school superintendent in the state of Connecticut the urban school superintendent so it's myself New Haven Hartford uh Danbury there's quite a few of us actually some of them are not large urban centers but they're pretty close to it uh really trying to rally you know what we feel we need as urban school superintendents in urban districts. Uh we serve probably some of the largest groups
031of students um um across Connecticut in all of the schools. And so we're trying to kind of advocate for the things that we felt we need for our schools. And so, um, Wednesday is, uh, uh, March the 4th is a we're going to do a press conference at, uh, at the Capitol, uh, with students and the superintendents of of probably six different school districts around Connecticut, urban school districts. Uh, and we're working with the municipal league, I think is, and they're the ones who are actually going to take care of transportation and food for the kids. if uh I think we have about 15 kids younger that going with me on 15 to 20 kids will go up with me. Um and like like we did last year, each of these kids will have an
032opportunity to speak to a a body of of legislators uh in addition to doing a press conference with the superintendent uh to talk a little bit about the funding issues and the things that we feel is important. Uh so that's coming on Wednesday. Uh um and and that was just one of those quick, you know, little let's let's get something together uh kind of thing. We met again this morning to to find out to fine-tune the details of that. And uh so she she should be sending that out to uh John Carlo. Uh and then once we get it, we'll give you guys a little bit more information on um I think I think this press conference is going to be at 9:00 on 9:00 on Wednesday. And then the the education committee meets on
033Wednesday, I think, at 10 or 11 o'clock, I think. So, we're trying to do this press conf before the education committee. That's kind of how we we decided to do this. Um, yeah. So, uh, and work from there, whatever. So, that's kind of my update for that. >> Okay. So, what Dr. Reese's got laid out there is that next Wednesday there is uh um you want to introduce yourself young lady. >> Oh hi Kim McGlaclin. I'm just sneaking in here late. Sorry. >> You all snuck into >> Oh, you're supposed to sit at the table. Um, even younger woman >> because uh I can't hear. >> Kimlin is my wife. Um, >> I'm a little deaf so I just couldn't hear from back there. >> Can't even see you in the room. So, I'm glad
034you got up to the table. Becca tried to sneak in. [clears throat] >> Yes. Anytime you want. Please raise your hand. Yes. I know the mic. Sorry, please. >> Sorry. Just put it in front of you on the table. >> Okay. um because he reported that he um he's requested from superintendent to give specific information and numbers of any federal funding cuts that have been transpired so he can try to find reimbursements and we said we're not really don't really think that was the issue and that the superintendent necessarily needs to provide that for you. Um, and then he pivoted talking about a go the governor proposing a fund of $500 million from capital gains that he wants to use as rebates and that he's instead he wants to try to make a case to
035not give out as many rebates. And we're wondering if I'm just wondering are we trying to really keep their feet to the fire on this ECS? Um >> um >> we kept trying and we couldn't really answer. >> The answer to your question is uh that Steve Stafrom needs to feel a lot of pressure. He has a huge number of educators living in his district and um he will try and deflect as much as he can. Um that's the short term and we need to have a lot of educators trying to hold him to the ECS. Um, and that that answer sounds like a deflection to me to try and keep it off of the ECS. And that's going to happen over the next two months. And I guess let me go back and sort
036of look at the timeline. We're at the beginning of March. Um, by the end of March, the beginning of April, both the appropriations committee and the finance committee. You'll see up there, April 1st and April 2nd are starred. Both committees issue their final reports. That's the report on revenue finance and the report on spending appropriations. And then what happens between the beginning of April and the end of April is >> well in the end in the beginning of May when the session ends is a fight over what exactly the state's going to be spending money on the next year and what the bills are going to look like. Um, so what happens for those four weeks and that's really when the sausage is made. Um, now this isn't supposed to be a spending session. He's
037correct about that. This is a short session where they are tweaking last year's budget, but they tweaked in the fall 500 million because of federal action, but they only uh and the 500 million wasn't spent. They only spent >> 200 million. >> Yeah, there was about 330. And I think that's what he might be referring to, but I don't know for certain based on what you said. So I think there's a lot of latitude >> and a lot of pressure on ECS and we should not take our foot off the gas at this point in the session. We are a little a little less than a third of the way through the session. We're at a key point and the worst thing we could do is to let off >> the pressure at this point.
038We need to keep up the pressure and um he's a really adept politician. >> Yeah. >> And he has a lot of educators living in his district and a lot of a lot of educators that need to be talking to him about how that's not good enough. um because the ECS needs to be spent, needs to be increased. It hasn't been increased for 13 years and that's not going to do it. Um and so it's going to be a fight about this is not time to do it. They didn't do it last year. They wouldn't even talk about ACS last year when they were coming up with the two-year budget. Well, they can. What they've shown over the last year is that the east the the guard rails the the holy guard rails which is
039being heard Friday among the bills Friday which we'll spend some time talking about tonight is finance is having a big hearing on Friday. I sent out as much as I could and we will send it out more a link to the Connecticut for all uh uh testimony guide. Thank you. Um for the finance committee meeting on Friday and you have until 3:00 tomorrow to submit that you want to testify or to submit testimony. Um is the one of the bills is to take down the guardrails and those guardrails have been used to do two things. Prevent anybody from spending the surplus which is between four and five billion dollars. and two to prevent anybody from taxing the wealthy in our state who have made money hand over fist. So those two issues have prevented us
040from having the extra resources need needed to deal with problems like education, educational equity, um housing, uh health care, other issues that are afflicting the poorer communities in our state. So that is the way to me the surplus is the short-term source of revenue. The wealth taxes are the long-term revenue. Um but the guard rails are what have been used to prevent us from doing either. Yet last year they bent the guardrails for the special ed money. They bent the guard rails for I'm forgetting a couple well the $500 million fund in the fall. And there was one other issue that Ritter, Speaker Ritter, bent the guardrails for. So they bent them for a couple different things when they were issues they supported. So it's a question of political will, not impossibility to bend the
041guardrails even without this legislation that says take down the guardrails. Um so that's really what it's all about. Um and he's comfortable living within the guard rails and letting Speaker Ritter and the governor dictate when they should be bent and we want him to be uncomfortable with that on behalf of his constituents. Yes. >> A question uh regarding the ECS. I remember last session I had a conversation with um Antonio Felipe and he had said that there was an opportunity coming up to change the ECS formula. Does anyone know if there is a window of time in which um the ECS can be changed? like cuz I was under the impression that it had to be done uh this session like so there's no are there any restrictions >> so it can be changed any
042any time >> well oh let me let me if you're talking about changing the formula >> or updating it >> because you know the governor's blue ribbon panel is going to spend a few years exploring how it might be done differently. Um, if you're talking about simply raising the base rate, which is what we're fighting for, and perhaps adjusting because last year they adjusted the special ed part, but they didn't adjust the poverty factor or the the MLL or ELLL factor for teaching English language learners. Right. >> Right. >> Those were the two things they didn't deal with. Okay. So, we can put maximum pressure on them to update the ECS like that was the Okay. >> Well, and next year we can go back and visit the poverty factor and the MLL factor. Right
043now, we're simply trying to raise the base rate which hasn't been raised in 13 years. >> We're trying to keep it simple and plain. >> Yeah. Yeah. The other um question I had is so if this critical time where this decisions are made like April 1st and April 2nd um are we planning a massive action or something to put >> that'll be the next item on the agenda. >> Perfect. Thank you. >> But yes, >> answer short answer your question. I just have uh two comments. So I think there's there's like kind of two issues. One, there's the the structural issue with the ECS um formula hasn't been updated since 2013. Obvious obviously it's the short session this year because all the reps are up for election. Um and then there's the the Bridgeport issue
044that we have our own issue because of the underfunding that that we need some help. So I think both issues concurrently I think everyone's been doing a great job talking about both issues because it's the same issue. Um but we have our own problems in Bridgeport and what from what we've seen other districts um are having the same problem this year not as bad as Bridgeport. Um so I think both issues are going hand in hand. So I would say to continue to uh advocate for both issues because I think it's working. Um I was in a room full of um all different mayors from throughout the state with the speaker of an is of the house and he specifically called out Bridgeport and acknowledged that there are issues outside of ECS and that Bridgeport
045needs help. So I think everyone's doing a great job working together, advocating together. Um and I think we should just keep that up on on both issues to kind of answer Jam's point and and the lady that left. Um, but I think we're doing a great job kind of talking about both at the same time because they are both kind of the same issue, but we do need a little extra help outside of every other district. >> Yes, but I I think it's important we not get divided early. Um, the mayors were phenomenal last year. Um, I I was not a big fan of the Dalio plan, but the mayors chose to align themselves and I understand Connecticut Conference of Municipalities CC, they backed that plan. And so they were looking for a half a
046trillion dollars, $500 million on that plan. Five, $550 million, I believe. Um, and that would have meant a lot of money for a lot of uh our poor districts. Um, and so go for it. So I that that was useful to me. Um, but they got shunned. They got completely shunned and CCM let it go. I don't know I don't know who the decision makers were that let it go, but it got let go. And I don't want to let this go. We we are associated with Connecticut for all in the unions and on the union side we don't want to let it go. Um, so I want to just um Joe, >> yeah, thank you, Rob. Um, yeah, I just want to um raise the point to Miss Davis's point. Um, yeah, we could
047have actually advocate at any time to change it. They they could put any bill in they want in either session. It's just easier in a longer session. But now is the time that we must do it before we have to make 40 something million dollars in additional cuts in Bridgeport, millions of additional cuts in Waterberry, millions of additional in New Haven, millions of additional in Harford. This is an issue that's resonating throughout all the districts. Even some of the more affluent districts are going to feel cuts because of the lack of ECS updates. Nearly every district is struggling in this state because of this lack of the raising of the foundation and the frozenness of it. Let's let's get the foundation up this one. If they if anybody wants to throw a bill up to
048raise any of the weights, awesome. But right now, the foundation needs to raise up to at least match inflation and to give us enough money so we don't have to cut any more things from our children in any of the cities, in any of the towns, in any of the districts in the state of Connecticut. Thank you, Rob. Certainly. Yes, sir. >> You were magnificent the other day, too. >> Thank you. >> So, I think it's important not to lose sight of the critical need in Bridgeport by focusing on the ECS formula because I think Steve Stafm is probably right. There's not political will to change it in the short session. I think you need Matt Ritter running a bill. I don't think that's going to happen. And so, I think you've got to be
049focused on yes, the ECS formula has to change. That's a persistent message. It's going to take several years to get there. I think you also have to have talking points on the acute issue, which I need $40 million, and if I don't get $40 million, here's what's going to happen. And so, yes, they're both important, but I don't think we can put all of our eggs in an ECS basket and wait until April 1st to say, here's the dire consequence. We've got to have talking points on both. >> Thank you for that. I think that's very important. We we've had we've talked a little bit about that, but we hadn't had a public, you know, conversation outward yet. So, I think we'll kind of circle back with my team on specifically how we how we're
050going to do that. And, uh, so I think that's a great point. Um, and and I can tell you, uh, Steve Strom, I did have a conversation with him about this funding piece. Uh, they have money set aside for, you know, any federal cuts of school districts in Connecticut. So he wanted me to do an exercise with, you know, he thought we were going to we were like missing like five to10 million dollars of federal funds, but technically when I when I analyzed that is probably right at a million dollars is all we're losing from federal funding. So we got our fun our federal funding has has kept up with what we what was anticipated to us other than other than about that a million dollar mark. So, it's not a whole lot of money
051to to be able to to fight for for him to get back to the district. So, again, when I looked at that number like, well, I can still do some other things and and and that's why we did not pursue just that particular ask of me. >> And from a pure messaging perspective, my perspective living outside of the city is that a shortfall in Bridgeport is a chronic issue. And it's sort of people have turned it off outside of the city in the sense that like, well, it just happens and that's just what happens in in Bridgeport. And I think from a political perspective, the greater the work I've been doing to socialize locally is around the concept of Bridgeport matters to all of its peer towns and not just Bridgeport. It's not a Bridgeport
052problem. It's a Connecticut problem. And as suburban districts, we're senders to Bridgeport every single day. And it benefits all of our families to have those options. And so we should care just the same as the Brit. So the more the messaging can reach those legislators, the better. I was actually just talking to Clea about this. That $500 million fund is not actually education is not a factor that should be that that initially when it was passed could be used for. So just keep in mind um the other thing too is that he the legislature on the opening day gave away their power to move that money. It is solely in the governor's hands now. They have the power to veto, but he has all the power to move it to whatever he wants to move
053it to. It's healthcare wick, low-inccome healthcare, uh program, um housing, uh food, uh I think, uh school fund, school food programs, and there's two more I'm blanking on, but education was not part of it. Um so I he may have some wiggle room. I don't want to like right he may have some wiggle room because he has he's been up at the legislature for a while but also I think there's some misunderstanding around that fund >> and I spoke with him on opening day when we spoke so he it may have not had clarity at at the moment when he was conversating with me >> that that I think they did it the day after now that I'm thinking about it. It wasn't opening day per se because they don't do anything on the opening
054day because it's such a long day but I think it was the day after they went into session. >> Yeah. I you know for those that of you that know me I've been an organizer for about 45 years and [clears throat] the only way you win on issues for for I'm just going to say it for poor people and that's what Bridgeport is the only way you win is political pressure is numbers numbers numbers that's the only way you win and they will throw up a lot of arguments that sound like they make sense. Oh, right. Oh, well, we need to change the ECS formula first. We've we've screwed you out of 13 years. Uh 41% increase according to inflation for the past 13 years. Oh, we need to change it first and we need
055to study it. The governor says we got to study. Well, that you know, I mean, let's laugh about it. That's ridiculous. Right. Right. I wouldn't accept that if somebody said that to me about something else and now they're saying it about our children's education. That's an excuse. Should we just call it an excuse? Anybody Is anybody arguing with me that that's not an excuse? No. So, let's just call it an excuse. Then there was another excuse that the woman down here Steve Strom doesn't have many public education children in his district. Let's face it. I even read in the paper I think yesterday Sunday where [clears throat] there was an issue in Black Rockck and they called it Black Rockck something but not in Bridgeport. Uh so it's a section of our city that is
056very very well to do. The homes now that many people there who were not rich people bought 10 20 years ago for maybe 125 or 150,000 are now worth 500,000 or a threequarters of a million dollars. That's a very wealthy section of our city and Steve Stastramm represents those folks and those folks generally don't go to the schools in that neighborhood or they go to Black Rockck School which is a very interesting little experiment that the families there put together about 10 or 15 years ago and they get very special treatment. All right. So that's a very different school. So he is not going to rise to be a leader on this issue unless he gets a lot of political pressure. So when I heard her I just walked in, forgive me. She was talking.
057I thought March 3rd, March 3rd, March 3rd, there's an election in that district and that's next week. So those there will be a lot of people going in and out of the polling. There's only two polling places in that district. Um, and it's for a Democratic Town Committee election. I'm not suggesting we get involved in the election. >> No, we're not going to get involved. >> But I'm suggesting that it's a place where we could talk to people in Steve Sast's district to say there's this, you know, there's this really important issue. We could have a very small little I'll go out. You want me out there? I'll go out. I'll talk to folks. >> We're not going to get involved in that election. But I'm just saying we need the only way that we're
058going to win this issue is if we are talking about this issue in the district and we're calling as many people as we can call about it and and and we all have to do that or we're not going to win a cheap way. So notwithstanding the election in that district, the bottom line is we have a lot of educators and concerned people living in that district. The pe the parents from Clater School, the parents from Black Rock School, the parents from that district um who can speak to that state rep. And that's what we need to do is mobilize parents to speak to that state rep as we do in other districts where we also want to move the state reps. Um so that's what we want to be able to do over the
059next month is that's one of the issues. What you mean? >> Yeah. So um speaking of um pressure and and people like do we have do we have targets? Um I think that we want to start identifying where people stand on these issues as the bills emerge. Um and as a for instance um there are some bills emerging over the next week. Um and I'll I'll come back to that thought. Let me hold that thought one second because I want to go to your other thought as I do what I call my smooth segways to the next item on the agenda [laughter] you had raised. Um we have basically Dr. Dr. Avery student meeting next Wednesday. Dr. Avery just mentioned that there's an education meeting that day. Um the education committee hasn't released what they're
060having a hearing about. Um I do know that um uh uh the unions are meeting with leadership tomorrow over the fact that they're not being informed of why things are coming up. So, we hope to have a better idea of what that meeting is about next Wednesday. Um, we have heard that that meeting may involve some relevant uh proposed legislation that we want to know more about. So, we should know in the next day or two what that what what education committee is hearing next Wednesday. And it's good because there will be a huge number of uh superintendents with students up there that morning. uh and we should know by then whether or not those uh there is going to be a public hearing at the same time uh that they may be needed um
061to testify at or participate in. And if they do, then we may also need to have some other people go up there, people who are available, certainly myself and people like uh Joe and Willie and people who have been up there a lot. Um so we'll see. That's Wednesday. Um uh Dr. Avery mentioned uh a different date than I had in mind. On March 25th, which is up on my calendar or was up on the Oh, was this we have the dates now. March 25th, the Connecticut for All Movement was proposing to have a big lobby day up in Hartford. Uh we had been talking at our first meeting about a Bridgeport day, but at the time somebody had proposed a Bridgeport day at the end of April and a Bridgeport day at the end
062of April is a waste of time because by the end of April pretty much all the business has been conducted. Um and so we were talking about changing that to an earlier date and so we were looking at uh sometime earlier. Um, then I found out Connecticut for All is scheduling a big event on March 25th. And so to me, what I had been thinking of was an ECS day in Hartford with all our allies from across the state to have an ECS day. There's no reason we can't have an ECS day on the same day that Connecticut for All is having other groups come in on the other issues like affordable housing and other issues that are being raised throughout uh the state in on those issues. Now I I don't know where Dr.
063Avery came up with the date he came up with for Bridgeport Day because we didn't discuss it before this meeting. >> So come up with >> um >> city Bridgeport where you get that date. So, we did uh city did reach out to the um general assembly. We did try to get an earlier date. That's the date that our legislators were given for Bridgeport Day. Um we asked to go earlier, but that was the date they got from the general assembly. >> Well, answer me a question. Do we do Bridgeport days in the short session or is that normally long session only every session? No. Well, I like the idea of doing an ECS day with all the cities and towns that are going after it. That's the problem is instead of a Bridgeport Day,
064doing an ECS day because that allows us to coalesce with Hartford, New Haven, Waterbury, New London. >> Can I suggest that for ECS day, whoever shows up be wearing a blue ribbon? >> I'm [laughter] do something like that. I I'm >> well because the governor wants a blue ribbon commission to study ECS instead of doing [laughter] >> what does that mean? >> So if you if you make yourselves the blue ribbon commission, you'll deliver a report though. >> I [laughter] like that. >> I like it on two levels. I I tend to be a sarcastic person anyways. >> Yes. Can I just make the suggestion of letting parents, principals, teachers, letting them know a week in more than a week advance because that's honest that's the hardest thing I think for even like tonight this
065meeting is at 5:30. That's a hard time for most parents. Um >> Oh, I'm going to ask you to hold that thought, but go on with the rest. >> So that's what So I was just saying like I know for a fact like my husband has three jobs, so he wouldn't be able to come to this. Most parents probably also have second or night jobs where this isn't a great time, but also even my pack meetings, people say, you know, I can't come because it's at this time or we need a more advanced notice. So, I know for a fact that the last testimony I got notified maybe like a week before that it was supposed to happen. So personally it we could just be no like even our principles pumping it out old flyers
066to the kids in schools because parent square it gets drowned out. Um text messages would be great. Emails are great. Um but I I think that if you could just get the principles also involved maybe a little bit more. >> Um I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna stop you right there. No, no, because I want to talk about everything you just said on the next meeting question. Um, on the advanced notice of the whatever day, Bridgeport Day or ECS day. Absolutely. And that's what we're doing tonight is looking at the schedule ahead of time so that we know sort of what's coming up and on the when we get to the next meeting. Marissa and I have already had this discussion. Absolutely. So, >> yes. Um, obviously we're on the right track, right? We
067have more people getting involved, more people interested. We're coordinating more. We submitted more testimonials. We got the students involved. We're on the right track, which is great, right? So, that's good. We have to do more community grassroots organizing so that we get those numbers and we get more people involved. There's no question about that. But I think, you know, it's it's not just working parents. I think it our society changed quite a bit and people will devote their time to things that they value and also activities they think won't be the waste of their time where they actually feel like they can accomplish something. That's why a lot of people today if you ask them to do a very specific little thing well defined within a certain period of time they step up and do
068it. You ask them, okay, come to the advocacy meeting once a month or twice a month for the next several months. No, they're not going to give that kind of commitment. Very few people do that, right? But I think your point is well taken and I think it was mentioned by the lady who who left, the parent who left, we need to be very clear when we do reach out to people, what are we asking them to do? Okay, like we know this was a short session. I'm not going to change the formula. So the question was what are we asking them to do then? Okay, it's great to talk about it prepared them for next year but what do we want to ask for right now? What are we asking people to do? And
069I think we need to define that message and get it to people and then more people will say hey I think I can contribute to that. I can do that. >> Um my reaction is I agree with you completely. We have a paniply of things we're beginning to develop, whether it's writing a letter to your state rep or state senator, which the communications department has been working on uh at the moment that it makes sense to coming to a meeting or coming to Hartford or submitting testimony. We're working on all those things to try and ask people to do one of those things. And the more of that we do, the better. whether um uh as a Bridgeport or it's Bridgeport or where we have teachers who don't live in Bridgeport, they're writing to their
070state reps or state senators where they live. It's it's just got to be that full range and we have to be able to offer that up as part of an overall program. Let me just point out, I'm going to do a quick introduction. Uh the lady in pink sitting next to the gentleman with the tie on over there is Councilwoman Kayla Medina from my district uh the 138th. I'll just quickly introduce her as we keep discussing. Any other thoughts on what we need to do, what we want to do um because this gentleman is correct. We do want to offer activities so they can plug into what they're comfortable doing. I think the work the communications team has done to clip the testimony from students and push it to social media has been excellent. Whoever
071is responsible for that, >> that would be John Carlo. Raise your hand, please. John Carlo, [laughter] >> Raise your hand, John Carlo. >> Good job. >> We live in a short form video world and that's how you get people's attention. You're not going to get people's attention with 500word letters or letters to the editor or anything like that. put that in front of eyeballs with a a link that says click here to send form letter to whomever. That's how you're going to generate information. Get it on Instagram. Get it wherever the people who are either in information is. >> That's good. >> You mean? >> Oh, go ahead. No, I was just going to say um there could be a strategy around getting that stuff out to other community organizations that would be willing to
072share it >> uh to their uh groups. >> Yep. >> To generate some momentum. >> So, I'm sorry. I I forgot to ask you. >> She's willing to help with that. >> I got it. Okay. >> Realized I had to ask you to introduce yourself. >> Hi everyone. I'm Daniel. I'm a I have a kids in high horizons. >> Great. >> Yes. Through the chair. >> Go ahead. >> Okay. Through the chair. Um on Jimmy, on one of your questions you had about um conversation [clears throat] about is there a timeline when the formula can or be adjusted and stuff that and I want to make sure everybody understands that we're looking to get the foundational amount to be changed. There has been tweaks on other you know uh what do you call it weights
073here weights there those things have been done so there is no specific date that it needs to be done or not so there's not a timeline there's not a deadline the only thing that we do have because of the formula once it changes we are we that number gets it uh put into place by October so any changes that's going to be done to the foundation amount needs to be done before October because that's when we as a district get that amount. So, that's what I've been told by some of the leaders up in Harford. Another specific comment that we need to Thank you. Another thing that we need to uh speak about and put into our our conversation when we talk about the formula, one thing that hurts in the governor's ears and let's
074say in the in our in our governor's pocket the way he's acting that is his money but not our money is that we need to make sure that we mention that we need to hold those other district not harmless because right now we're holding them harmless. So we want to make sure those other district like Greenwich the governor's state that they're not going to get less than last year but they're not also they're not just because we changed the formula the foundation that they're not automatically going to get more. >> Sorry your mic. >> Oh it's on. >> Okay. Yeah. >> Sorry it's green. But they're not automatically going to get more. And when the governor looks at all these numbers he's going to be looking at that. So, we need to try to add
075in our advocacy in our voices is that we we are not going to hold those other towns uh you know harmless because they're still going to get it and we don't want them to get it because they really don't need it. We need to put it to the uh districts that need it the most and make sure that we don't hold them harmless. That way the governor is a little bit more ease uh on doing what he what we're asking him to do because that foundation is the foundation guys. You know, we can put a beautiful school, uh, put teach everything inside a school, but if that foundation we put we build that in the same as Seeside Park, guess what? The waves are going to come. They're going to hit it. They're going to
076knock it down. That foundation is important. Okay? Those other schools, and I'm not going to mention it, they're going after public education. And we need to defend public education before they try to take it over. And this formula by getting fixed, it will give us the funds for we can do the work that we need to do. We need coaches. We need instructors. Other towns have those in the schools so their kids are achieving more. The only way we're going to do it is by having everything in place inside every school, certified teachers in every classroom, parents in every classroom, coaches, librarians, nurses, you know, all those position. They're not absent in the other districts. there in our districts where we're dealing with 30 to 40% ELLL handicap I mean uh special ed excuse me
077and you know and our transportation causes off so again that foundation needs to be more money into it into it and not hold the other town's uh hardness any longer ma'am All right. So, I understand she had her hand up. >> Yes. So, Dr. Christine McFarland. So, I am the um founder of the reset program with um teen parents and I'm going to apologize in advance. I am trying to learn the legislation stuff or all of the politics. I'm not very political, but I do represent a a population maybe 33% of your students are getting pregnant and teen parents and you know there's so many barriers to that population that you know a lot of the stuff that I came to hear tonight is mostly like you know my hands are tied on a lot
078of the issues. Um, I have to say Bridgeport Board of Ed has been really supportive around that program cuz it is a hidden population. But it is a population that we need to take a look at because these girls, these girls and young guys are getting pregnant and they have no other way to do anything but to get educated, have a program like ours, life skill program or small community that we try to work with. I'm saying that to say uh transportation obviously I'm thinking is a part of this whole ESE. I promise I'm gonna do some >> whatever it is that's happening here. There's a lot going on here. But that stuff I'll look into. But the population is struggling because of some barriers that did come into place so far this year. Last
079year I ran the program wasn't as many barriers and um I do have some parents and the teen parents that could um do whatever it takes to also be a part of the movement that you guys are working on. I just need to know what we need to do and who we need to speak to and what we have to get that population to represent me because they are worried that every single September they may not have the program anymore and that they may not have the support that they get from my program and I constantly reassure them that I'm not sure but you know if we whatever we can do as as a program teen moms teen parents um and parents of the teen parents and grandparents of the teen parents please let you
080know, and we'll >> the education cost sharing. >> You just have >> Oh, alternative programs, please. I heard you name a whole lot of different programs that you guys are looking to save, but alternative program is um for Bridgeport is definitely necessary. >> The education cost sharing formula. John Carlo, you have your page your coffee with you >> pamphlet on the website, right? >> Before you leave, >> correct? So, if you go to the Bridgeport Public School website, you'll find there's an information packet about the finances and the every and it includes a couple of pages on education cost sharing. It's essentially how the state passes money to the poor districts. >> Okay, >> that's all it's it's a way of redistributing money in the state from the wealthier, you know, the state redistributes to
081the poorer districts. Okay, >> of which Bridgeport is one. And that's what it is. It's a way of saying, okay, the state takes in money and then it gives money to the poorer districts >> that's been in existence for decades. Uh they froze it 13 years ago >> and that's sort of hurt. >> Okay, >> it's it's worth if they had kept up with the cost of living, Bridgeport would get be getting $95 million more since we need 44 million just to balance our budget. Obviously, that's significant to us. That's what you need to know. With that 95 million, we could be doing programs that you're talking about and other things, whether buses. So, that's the short answer, but you can go read up a little more on it and some of the impacts on
082the website that John Carlo and his team >> sit down for a cup of coffee. >> Done. That that would be great. >> Yes, ma'am. Hello >> and I'm new to the to the district and I come in here as a parent to show my voice because like he say we I see the education in Bridgeport. He need more stand up like the public especially when your kids go to the public school they look at him different as in the kids going to the magnet school the kids going to the shorter school. We need we can do it as in parent as in teacher as in staff member we cannot make more support for those kids. I'm new here. I just come in here two years ago like I'm moving. I pay my tax here
083and uh I know they can support my kids more as in public school. The other state do it. The other city do it. Here I see education different. That's why I come in here to can somebody can hear me I can speak especially the kids have a special need they don't support us to pick up our kido they don't support us put the special need the special teacher for those kids that's why I'm here I need if I'm living here I'm not living just I rent the house I bought my house my kids education supposed to be here. Thank you, >> Den. Just a suggestion to piggyback off of some of the comments that some of the parents and and people have been making about the information and learning more about the ECS and everything
084that's going on. I don't know if it would be possible. we might have to get in line with other things that maybe are more important, but if there's a way that maybe for a certain period of time, especially since our timeline is so short with what we need to do, um I know you said that there's information on the website. Um the website, the newer website, a lot of us are still trying to learn how to navigate and use. It's not the most easy website to find information. I'm not techsavvy. Maybe people are better than me. But if there's maybe a period of time where um when you type in brushboarded.net that and you get that popup, which right now is your budget presentation, maybe for a week or a couple of days, we can
085change that to this information so that when people are going on the website, whether it's because they're just looking to see the school calendar or any kind of information that it just pops up in their faces and, you know, it's just that push, what do they call them? Push notifications, and that it's there and maybe people will click on it and and take a look at it. Just a suggestion. >> That's a good point. >> He'll do it on the fly, so he's It's good. >> Um I >> a great point. >> I I I I too am not the most techsavvy and discuss with them access and finding things. Um but this particular document is what appears when you open up the Bridgeport Public School website. It is what's what appears first. So that
086will that is there for you to leaf through. It's it's it's it's there. So I I've I've complained because what I want to see appear is notices of meetings. Um and this appears first. So >> learning curve and >> criticisms of it too is my thing. >> But you know again it's it's a good change. We're all getting used to it. I I know what I have to click to find what I need. But sometimes finding things that if we've been around for a long time that we're in a one sort of place that's not there now. And so if that's something >> I want to make another comment, >> but Joe, if you don't mind, um, I wrote an edit letter to the editor in the Bridgeport Post, if you're old enough to have
087lived in Bridgeport that long. It was the Bridgeport Post 32 years ago that every child at Bridgeport deserves a magnet school education. Um, so I don't I completely agree with what you just said, man. Um Joe and then Joe. >> Yeah, I just starting my 34th year in uh in Bridgeport here. It's we've always been playing defense. Sorry for those of you who are not sports fanatics. We've always been playing defense. We need to start playing offense. The the testimonies on the website, that's that's a good start, but we need to expand it. as I am for my uh teaching goal this year, expanding it out to my alumni so that they can tell me how important band was and how we need a schedule in the high school that supports band. We need that
088community reaction that we get when we go out to parades instead of having to turn them down because there's not enough students to even put a band together. Um I I can do the best that I can do with whatever you give me, but I really need I really think that we need to start playing offense. We need to really start getting out there putting things in our fa in in their face. We have the poetry slam. I've seen some very moving um spoken words that need to be on the website, that need to be in the legislator's ears, that need to be in the governor's ears. And we need to not only use our students, not our teachers, and our administrators, but our alumni who are doing very well for themselves. Very well for
089themselves. I can say I've had so many that are doing great things >> and everybody needs to know about that. The governor needs to know about that and we've got the next doctors, the next cancer um people who are going to cure cancer. We we've got them right here, but we're not doing them any service by this ECS formula, by the the uh common council not giving it's due to the Bridgeport public schools. So, I've seen it for 34 years and I came from Waterberry. I was born and raised in Waterberry and I got out of there as soon as I could and Bridgeport with open arms in 1992 said come teach here and I've been here ever since even though I've been offered some really great positions in Trumbol in Brookfield in Norwalk. Here
090is where we have the most potential and one is sitting right next to me. He was in that band room that I'm sitting in. >> Who was [laughter] >> I didn't see him in the band room. You and your >> but [laughter] but uh we we need to start putting this out front. We need to stop holding back. We need to put it out front because of the fact that it's our students. It's our students that are going to fall short. And I don't want that to happen. Yeah, piggyback on that. I was very disappointed to see some of the framing about Bridgeport's needs being if you don't give us money now, you're going to have to pay for to incarcerate our children later. um which came from not anyone within the school system but
091uh somebody else who I mean that was the statement that was made by the mayor in one of his pieces and um that really upsets me like as Joe was saying art the children of Bridgeport are beautiful wonderful intelligent courageous creative children and to frame it that the only reason the rest of the state should care is because they they're these kids are going to be a drain later is horrible and it's a horrible message for our children to hear. And so anything we can do that creates it as a celebration of our children and their resilience and their courage um and their intelligence is the way to go at this point because I also want the kids to learn from this that all the adults around them care about them. >> Joe, >> yeah.
092not really have anything to say, but I would like to actually piggyback off something you said. Um, the magnet schools, you you are correct. All our schools should be magnet schools and a well-funded school district that's properly funded would have no need for magnet schools to draw people because every school would be top-notch and well funded. Uh, students would get an all allaround wellunded education. um >> along with Becca's message, could I just leave her high road messages >> and no low road memes, etc. I don't think it helps us at all. So, got to be high road. Well, anybody else? Okay. So I we we have next Wednesday we have to narrow down the date on the 20 that last week. Well, I need to uh sit down. Uh Marissa. >> Oh, I thought
093you were going to raise your hand. So I was uh Can you go back to the calendar for a second there? H I just ask it. It doesn't matter to me whether it's Sam or Marissa. Willie, it's Marissa that controls it. >> I was speaking to the air. >> Whoever it is over there that's controlling it. It doesn't matter to me. I'm completely ignorant of who has control. Um the um uh is oh that then then we got a whole different situation at home. Um [laughter] uh whoever made whoever made that snide remark is that you Tito? >> No. >> Oh Joe, well I know your wife so watch out what you say to me. Um, I worked with her, remember? [laughter] Um, I What's the 23rd Bridgeport? That's your date? >> Okay. Um, what
094was the day you mentioned for Bridgeport Day? >> April 22nd. >> April. >> Oh, April. >> 23rd is the city council meeting with >> Oh, okay. Thank you, Kim. Um, >> it says BPT under >> I I just didn't know what the BPT was saying for. Um, you're talking April 22nd still. >> Yeah, that's still way too late. See, because here's the problem. You see, April 1st and 2nd, that's when the committees come out with really what gets fought over for a month. And I'm sorry, Katie had to go because she had to go get the kids. But that's that month of April is when all the backroom fighting goes on over the budget. >> So that earlier so what Connecticut for all was talking about was you see the March 25th doing it on
095March 25th which is the week before those two committees issue their reports. Um >> I don't know if that April so I don't know if that has any bearing on what you were saying but >> April 22nd was what the city was talking about for Bridgeport Day. >> That's parent teacher conferences that day. >> Those are half days then for the teachers >> but not necessarily if you have evening conferences or afternoon conferences. Yeah. still messes up everybody's schedule. >> Oh yeah. >> So different schools have different type of half days. >> Um so that becomes days you're saying and everybody's schedule is faka. >> So it's >> Robin the in the previous uh in in the previous uh schedule that was shown um March 25th says it was there was something about the ECS.
096Uh yeah that one there was something about the ECS there. So >> Connecticut for All this Connecticut for all schedule of bringing all the groups over all the issues that Connecticut for All is fighting for which includes ECS. And so that's doing one big lobby day over all the issues having to do with taking down the guardrails and spending the money on affordable housing, educational funding, um health care, um immigration rights, um just all kinds of things. Um, and so that would be us piggybacking with them to have a just an a huge turnout at there. It wouldn't be Bridgeport Day, it would be, you know, uh, on the money for all these program day and so we would be piggybacking with them on that. Um, but, uh, that's what So, go back to the
097calendar. >> That's what that would be. >> Yeah. Um and that would be picking that the week before these two committees report. um when finance and try to stay so you can see >> 1st and April >> April 1st is believe it or not April Fools is when the finance committee issues their revenue bill all the new all the recommendations they're making for new revenue laws uh that hearing Friday is the beginning of that you know is their public hearing on on revenue laws Um and then April 2nd is when appropriations will issue their proposals for uh spending and then there'll be the fight for four month four weeks between what the governor wants and what the legislature wants. Right. >> Yes. >> I think so too. I I I agree with you Kim. Yeah,
098gener just just in my experience generally what happens in April is when that appropriation budget comes out there are key people especially um Kathy Austin who's one of the co-chairs and is is really in I think she's on our side everybody she on our side her district needs money too so she's going to be she's like the team captain she's going to be saying hey guys you know we need Steve Stasher. I need his vote because he can bring four other votes or I need uh you know so and so. He's she's going to point out who are the key people she needs votes from that she doesn't have. So we're going to she's going to ask us to do things or she'll ask us do you have any teachers who are supportive who live
099in Brookfield? Right? So that's what's going to be happening and she's going to ask us to get to them and if we have a handful of them, let's have a meeting surround them and talk to them or if we have 10 and we can get calls in and trump them, right? Um so that's that's that's a lot of what happens in April and that's how you get that you get her and that and you get bills passed and it goes down to the wire. In March, we ought to be having individual meetings with our state state senators. Um, and I bet that um, especially, you know, listen, you get five to 10 people in a district, Antonio or with Chris or with the rest of them, but you could scare the pants off of them
100a little bit to get a little bit more active than they are. And it is certainly worth it. um because they know if they know people in their district in an election year watching them how they're going to vote and it's really not very hard to get five to 10 people right so I would also I'd suggest we do we put that on the calendar for March >> we we'll help coordinate it >> we we couple of thoughts in that area we've also talked about doing two meetings in the half city one in the Senate district on the west side of town one in the Senate district on the east side of with the state reps from those sides of town. So, we have to decide how we want to do that. Um, it is
101an election year, so we can get them out. Um, the other is um Oh, there's one of the stars of the student performance, too. Come on up here. This another one of the students up went up came up to Harford with us. There's plenty of seats up here for you. My buddy, he sat with me. Um um >> you want to introduce yourself? >> Yep. One of our student stars. Uh so we need to decide how we want to do that. Individual districts or regions of the city, areas of the city. Um any opinions on that? >> Okay. We'll decide. Um and we'll let you know with lots of time. Jess I just asked >> just as a practical question. How in doubt is the Bridgeport delegation to being on our side on this? >>
102Uh they're not there's not a lot of doubt to them being on our side. There's doubt as to their um commitment to staying the course. That's really the question in Bridgeport. Would that be a fair way of putting it? You mean >> Thank you. I'm just wondering about sort of daisy chenning out into people on appropriations or people on education that don't represent Bridgeport, the Jen Leapers of the world who have influence otherwise. >> That's why we want to instill in them a sense of commitment. Save the course. That's the purpose. That's the purpose of having those meetings. I do want to mention one other thing that Kim didn't mention, but she schooled me on this, so I she I thought she was going to say it. The key group after that committee report comes
103out is the education subcommittee of appropriations. It's not who's on appropriations. It's the group that's each com appropriations has subgroups. And we don't have anybody from Bridgeport on the education subcommittee. That's the scary thing. There's nobody from Bridgeport on the education subgroup. I looked it up. You can go to the appropriations. They set these subgroups last year during the bianial session, long session, and there's nobody from Bridgeport on that, but look it up. See who's on there. I didn't write it down. I wrote down just Propes and and education. I didn't look up the education subgroup of appropes. There's nobody from Bridgeport on that group. And those are the people who if they don't get a lot of calls when they sit down to decide what they're going to do on particular issues, education issues,
104what they're going to recommend go forward when you get into this month, they say, "I haven't got any calls about this issue. Let it go." So, we're going to have to generate a lot of calls and working with CEA who is very much helping us on this, the union, uh, the state union that BEA belongs to, and AFT, the other one, who are both part of Connecticut for all and working hard on this issue for us. Um, we should be able to generate calls to those elected officials. That's our saving grace. regional areas of the city or would be a better turnout other opinions. Anybody else? Jim wins? I'm I I happen to agree with you, so I'm not [laughter] I'm not going to put the spot on you. >> Who's the chair of the
105black and Yes, we do. >> Antonio Felipe, [laughter] >> that's a that's a very important caucus. That's why we need we do need a meeting. >> Yes, we do. >> Because that's a they have a lot of every round of black legislator and they're a big big. So, don't you think so? >> Yeah. >> Don't you think we need to intervene with him? get a meeting with >> Yes, we can have him, >> but we need a meeting with him ASAP. >> I think that we want to check and see how we handle that with Katie because we have people from other towns too would have members in the caucus that we're going to meet with the caucus. I'm not saying you don't go through him. I'm just saying if we're going to have that
106meeting with the caucus, we want to have members of our group from other cities and somebody from New Haven, somebody from Hartford, somebody from Waterbury, somebody from New Britain, somebody from Meridan, you know, those towns. Okay. All right. Um, uh, so this has been a good discussion. And I need to sort of pull it together so that the list of things to do is clear. The steps as this gentleman said just stepped out is clear. Um and things that people can do on the website uh the website itself, the data sheet, the ECS that we have that information more readily available to you. Um, and we'll set the dates so that Jess gets them well in advance. And time. The last discussion is time. Uh, Meritz and I had this discussion earlier. I realized I
107apologize for tonight, but tonight got sort of snowed one along one day after another. And the only reason we did tonight is because of this hearing on Friday and I wanted people to be aware of it. For anyone that wants to submit testimony for Friday, we do have a testimony guide um that you can use. Um and uh Tim has worked on one that he can make available to you. Um but it's a finance committee meeting. There are two issues involved in it. The board has not taken a position on new taxes, so I'm not advocating it personally. I support taxing the rich. That's my personal opinion, not the board's opinion. Um, I believe the t the the wealthy in this state as throughout the country have gotten wealthier and the poor have gotten poorer
108and that Connecticut is is indeed ripe for increasing taxes on the wealthy, but the board itself has not taken that position. It is a position of Connecticut for all. Um, so the uh one of the packages that I passed out to some people includes that. But the one bill the board is clear on is that the guardrails need to be removed. The guardrails were set up ostensively to prevent Connecticut from being frivolous with its money. Guard rails just like those things on the highway meant to limit Connecticut being excessive in spending its money. >> That's your list. The elementary and secondary education subcommittee list right there at the top. Okay. But I don't want to look at that right now. So, we'll share that with you. Let me take that down or just hold that.
109We'll put it back up in a second. So, um the bill on Friday is about removing the guardrails. That would allow the legislature to spend the money it wants to spend out of the surplus. The guardrails say right now you can't take the money out of the surplus. They have over4 billion up to5 billion in the surplus. You can't spend that money. It's we used to call it the rainy day fund. Those of us that say it's raining in Bridgeport, they don't listen. Um it is money that should be spent. It's a short-term relief. Then the question the guardrails say is you can't in initiate new taxes without so that if if you believe that we can tax the wealthier people in our state. You can't do that without a supermajority 60% of the vote.
110That's another guardrail to tax you and me. It only takes a simple majority, 50% of the vote. So the guardrails simply say get the guardrails out of the way and then let's look at what we want to do. So that's the issue on Friday. There's a bill that says take away the guardrails, let the legislature decide what it wants to do. And that's the hearing on Friday is the finance committee deciding their there are bills about taxing the wealthy, we're only talking about the guard rails. Uh and so if anybody wants to uh individually submit testimony or testify directly, u there is help available. There is sample testimony Tim has put on the website and that occurs Friday. In order to testify, you have to submit by tomorrow afternoon at 3:00. [snorts] Um, so that
111is on Friday. That's why we had the meeting tonight was because that critical hearing because those are the two big committees on April 1st and 2nd. finance, which dictates what new revenue the state will get and um appropriations, which we testified before when our students went up, about what new spending they're going to do. We're asking them to spend a lot more money on schools. We believe that the long-term solution to that spending is new source of revenue. Uh they can't spend away the savings. They need to at some point. It would take1 to2 billion dollars to take care of all the problems in the cities in the poor communities not just the schools all [snorts] of the problems. Um so if they spent a couple of billion out of the savings account and that
112would leave them about three billion in the savings account. Um, so they would still have plenty of money in savings and if they initiated new taxes, then that would be the long-term solution. Massachusetts by vote. They have the right in Massachusetts to vote. We don't have the right to vote on these issues. In Connecticut, they passed a wealth tax a couple years ago. They're making about $2 billion in new revenue every year off of those taxes. That would be the long-term solution if we did that. Um, so anyway, Friday's hearing is about those issues. Um, and we're simply asking people to testify about the guardrails, uh, that have been talked about a lot in the last couple of years. Bend the guard rails, remove the guardrails. We can't do it because of the guardrails. In
113the last year alone, the governor bent the guardrails. Um, they bent the guardrails to pass the sped money, the special ed money last year. They bent the guard rails to pass the $500 million last fall to make up for money that might have been lost because of the federal government cuts. As you heard earlier, they've only spent 200 mill 200 million. There's still 300 million floating around and they bent the guardrails for one other issue I can't remember right now that Speaker Ritter wanted. Um so the rules can be broken. It's the political will and that hearing is Friday. Um uh we set these meetings at 5:30 originally because that's when I held committee meetings and we held them because we were trying to be nice to the staff that had to stay after work.
114As Marissa Estster Jimenez said to me earlier um uh 5:30 is too early for parents. Um, and as an old organizer before I became a teacher, I know that sometimes having meetings at uh 6:00, 6:30, 7:00 are better cuz parents can get their kids, feed them, and then go to a meeting. It does mean that sometimes parents don't go back out again. So, I'm open to doing them. It doesn't matter to me in the least. I can do them at 5:30 for the convenience of the administrators. I can do them at 6:00 or 6:30. It It's whatever is most convenient for you all. So, I'm open to whatever people think. I know what some of the traveling staff would think, but yeah, >> you know, I think it's more important to meet, it's always best
115to meet in person, but if there's the ability for us to meet in some kind of a hybrid format where people can participate virtually as well, that might help. >> We're working on that, too. Um it absolutely can be done with regard to staff and students that have um team accounts. Uh and that'll be done for the next meeting. It wasn't posted to be a hybrid meeting tonight. So we couldn't accommodate because of the bad weather the team accounts but for community people we have to figure out how to do that. So we're working on that. But time whatever is best for you all is what I'm asking. What do you all think? And this gentleman read my mind because the next meeting should be in about two weeks. Y >> I know that >>
116they don't like >> I don't know if 5:30 is so bad. whatever it is. I mean, >> anybody else? Yep. >> So, um, Jess Resto and I had this conversation. She just left, so I want to make sure like her opinion was her, too. We were talking about six o'clock. Um because that'll kind of like for example today I rushed here at right after work had no dinner. Thank god we had pizza so that I can shove one down my face right before we started getting the meet before we got the meeting started. So we were chitchatting 6:00 is probably a good time to you know get the kids settled and then parents can come in. What about what about you, sir? What do you think? >> Yep. >> Well, I I don't like to
117get involved in this part of the discussion because I have an extremely busy schedule in lots of different boards and commissions I sit on. So, I've got meetings jumping all over the place. Like, for example, tonight I was planning to leave a little bit before 6:30 because I had to get to my Rotary meeting in West Haven. But then the Rotary meeting got cancelled. So, I stay here. So I don't want to tell you 530 look better for me. 6:30 >> because then the next two meetings I guarantee you when I have >> you'll walk out. [laughter] >> But I do have a request. >> Yes, sir. >> Um I know you're gonna be shocked by this because I pretty I'm pretty good at reading this but I'm dead and I I want to request
118that you put the captions up there. If you're doing a thing what are you doing? What are you doing? Okay, >> put the captions on there so I can read them because it's very exhausting, you know, going around the room and trying to twist. I can go over here to see what people are saying. Uh, I lost my hair when I was two. I grew up with sign language and everything, but I'm pretty good at lip reading, but now they can eat too. >> Pretty deaf, too. And I had the same problem. So, >> okay then. I appreciate everybody coming. Anybody have any final thoughts, comments? I'll take a motion. >> Motion to adjurnn. >> Uh, I'll take a motion to adjurnn. >> Second. All in favor? >> Oh. >> Um, >> no. Hold on
119one second, Joe. Uh, I'm looking at two weeks. Um, and um, I have everybody's phone numbers and address uh, emails, so I will send it out, but uh, I think that means, excuse me, probably uh, two weeks from it. It wouldn't be the 11th because Wednesdays are generally bad. It'll be the 10th, 11th, or 12th. It'll be one of those three days. Anybody have a preference? >> 11th is a half session. Okay, then it's definitely not going to be the 11th. So, the 10th or the 12th. And that means that Tito teaches one of those days. He teaches the 10th and somebody else, Nicole, teaches the 10th and the 12th, but 6:00 makes it better for them. So, because I think they both teach 5:30 to 6:30. Tuesday or Thursday? Anybody have a preference? Going
120once, going twice. Huh? >> Yes. Then the 12th. It is Thursday the 12th. We have agreements. Thursday the 12th at 6 o'clock. Thank you all for coming. Motion to adjurnn. All in favor? >> I meeting is adjourned at 7:20. Sam