In-Person Regular Meeting of the Bridgeport Board of Education Tuesday, May 27

001Good evening. This is a call to order the Bridgeport Board of Education uh regular board meeting. Today's May 27th uh 2025 and we have a quorum. It's 6:34. Um can we all rise for the pledge? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr. Ben, can you do roll? Good evening everyone. Thank you, Madam Chair. Christine Baptist Paris. Aisha Casemir here here. Mr. William Medina, Miss Jennifer Paris here. Mr. Justin, Mr. Robert Driver. Um, Mr. Andrew Watson, you have a problem, Madam Chair. Um, next, um, the agenda is student representative reports. You could just, uh, use the microphone, right? Hi, my name is Ashley Beckford. I attend Fairchild Wheeler. Thank you for

002the opportunity to present on behalf of my school. I'm excited and proud to announce that Arrow has officially been recognized by Project Lead the Way as a distinguished high school of the 2024 to 2025 school year. The PLTW distinguished school recognized honor stu honor schools committed to increasing student access, engagement, and achievements in their PLTW programs. We are excited to have another new banner to hang in our hallways as a source of our pride. A few new recent updates from Arrow include, "We had a great multicultural night on Thursday of last week. Student and par student parents and community members came out to celebrate the diverse cultures and share their cuisine, cultural traditions, music, and more. A special thanks to board member Mr. So Salib, sorry, for coming to support us. Our Disney trip was

003a huge success over the past weekend. Students were raving about their experiences seeing the behind the scenes in the Disney Imagination campus. The mech mechatronic lab where the robotic motions was on display was a huge hit as was the hands-on experience of designing their own theme park. We're wrapping up most of state and district testing required for the school year and are now focused on our final exams which will begin June 2nd for seniors and June 6th for everybody else. Thank you for your continued support of our school and campus and for the opportunity to represent Fairchild Wheeler Aerospace School. Okay. Hello everybody. My name is Christian Mika and I am an 11th grader at Central High School representing them. This week we held our honoral ceremony where medals were awarded to students who achieved

004high academic marks for three conse consecutive marking periods. It was a wonderful moment of recognition for their hard work and dedication. Last week, a group of students, including myself, had the opportunity to meet with representatives from the nutrition division of the Connecticut Department of Education. We shared feedback and discussed ways to improve Central's catering and lunch services, which were based on our experiences throughout the school year. Now, tomorrow we'll also be holding a natural national honor society inauguration ceremony where new members will be formally inducted in recognition of their academic excellence, leadership, service, and character. Also today, we welcomed recruiters from the United States Marine Corps who spoke to our career, college, and readiness students about the opportunities and pathways available in the armed forces. We've also been looking to a week full of excitement

005and celebration. Prom is scheduled for this Friday and on Thursday we'll be honoring the class of 2025 along with five outstanding juniors who were specially selected for recognition in academics. We are also very proud to share that two of our student athletes were recently recognized as scholar athletes, one in volleyball and the other in track for excelling both on the field and in the classroom. Last week, we also completed all advanced placement makeup exams, ensuring every student had a fair chance to complete their assessments. Graduation, as of now, remains on track and is scheduled for June 13th. Preparations are well underway, and we're all looking forward to celebrating our seniors' achievements. Our boys varsity volleyball team also continues to perform strongly and remains active in the state tournament pool. We as a school are all

006cheering cheering them on. In civic engagement, several of our students attended Bridgeport Day at the Harford Capitol last Monday and they represented central or pride and enthusiasm during their celebration. And in terms of planning, scheduling scheduling for the 2025 to 2026 school year has been mostly finalized. Our our counselors work closely with students and overall feedback about course selections have been very positive. Finally, our teachers are current are currently meeting in pathway groups working collaboratively to straighten support systems and increase postsecary success for all of our students. That was all for Central. I look forward to more news soon. Thank you. Thank you both. You know, we have one more board meeting coming up for the regular school year. So, we look forward to seeing you and we want to thank you both for coming

007out and continuing to join us at our meetings. Um, I'll let the record show Mr. Traber has joined and Mr. Woodson's online. Um, the next item on our agenda is public comment. We do not have anyone signed up. So, we'll move on to approval of the meeting minutes from the regular meeting on May 12th, 2025. Moved by Mr. Benahan. Is there a second? I'll second. Second by Mr. Sakalic. any um changes or anything to that? All in favor say I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? Mr. Sakalic abstains. That one carries. Um the next item on the agenda is the chairman's report. Um I'm going to give update on the status of the board of education's training. Um so far we've had um five trainings. Um the most recent training uh we uh worked on uh our

008goals and um established some performance goals that um I sent the final draft to all you today this evening right before the meeting. So um these are things that we went over in the meeting but it's on paper now or you'll have it in your email. But those goals include um establishing a vision for the district. Um and that's going to be uh sort of a long-term goal because we're um you know that that entails a strate strategic plan process. So um that'll be um one of our goals. We also want to focus on enhancing student achievement. We're going to be um working with the superintendent on um uh thought exchange surveys and um designating time at each board meeting to uh review student uh achievement throughout the district. Um another part is um ensuring

009fiscal responsibility. So uh we'll have a budget binder by September um 1 of this year. Um, and we'll keep reviewing our policies on um, our budget. We also will be working on improving the relationship uh, with the board and the superintendent's office. Um, we want to make sure that uh, you know, we're adopting bylaws for um, our decorum as a board as well as um, upholding any of our current bylaws and and adopting new ones as needed and collaborating with the superintendent's office. Um and then our last uh area is uh reviewing the subcommittee structure um to make sure that we're effectively using the time of the board and the staff um and uh ensuring that you know we have policies in place. Again, a lot of it has to do um making sure our

010policies are updated and in place. Um the next board meeting uh for the uh trainings is going to be next Monday, June 2nd. Bless you. Um, and that is going to be uh at 6:30 at Harding High School in the library. Um, and that'll be noticed uh tomorrow. And that's going to be focusing on community engagement. So, we'll have a consultant here to uh lead that training with uh with Cape. Um, I want to remind folks about the uh district talent show. I'm sure Dr. we doing that in his report too, but uh the district talent show is this week at the Klein. So, um uh anybody out there, please purchase tickets to attend. Um there's information on our website about that. I'll leave it at that. Any questions for me? Uh Mr. Chamber. Yeah,

011the next training is next Monday. Yes. Where? June 2nd at Harding's Library. And the outstanding teacher is at Harding on the second. Yes. So, what time is our training start? 6:30. Thank you. Any other questions, referrals? All right, we'll move on to committee reports. Um, the finance committee met last Wednesday. Sorry. Um and uh we moved to the uh full board uh an item today on the um continuation of a grant, the catalyst grant. And so that'll be um discussed later tonight in new business. Um and we also moved uh the K membership to the full board to um approve the upcoming year's membership. um in the next finance committee is scheduled to meet on the third week of um June. There may be a meeting sooner. So, I'm I don't have a date yet.

012Um and I'm I'll work with Dr. Ay's office to make sure we have a date soon um as soon as possible. Any referrals? I have yours, but go ahead. You can say it out loud. Oh, yeah. Okay. Mic. Go ahead. um this discussion of the order of magnitude of budget cut reversals in light of additional funding from the city. That's one. And the second one is discussion on possibly seeking legal action, legal opinion on the city of Bridgeforth attempt to skirt the MBR by including uh $875,000 in another department's budget. They did the same thing back in 2019. If we were getting that $1.2 $2 million in the MBR, we'd have an additional $7 million in the bank right now, which would probably be able. So, I think this time we really need to seek

013a legal opinion and to make sure the money goes into our budget directly. This education funds MBR's there for a reason. Any other referrals for finance committee? Um, the next committee instruction and support services. Our meeting is tomorrow night at 5:30 in room 305. Notice posted. Any referrals for Mr. Traver's committee? All right. Next committee policy and personnel committee. Thank you, Madam Chair. Um last meeting that you guys can see we did a lot of work so a lot of things will speak for itself with a lot of the state mandates. There's only a few that are going to be going up for second read. Uh our next meeting would probably be a special meeting but if everything goes June 11th but I know we have our last board meeting June 9th. So I probably

014won't have that meeting for June 11th. Try to have before that. That way we can bring things up to the board. But officially our next meeting should be June 11th, but I'm going to try to do something prior to that if there's any referrals. I will accept those now. Mrs. Bel. Yeah. I don't know if everybody got the email from CA about the call for resolutions. Uh resolutions that I would like to refer call for resolutions to submit to CA. It's got to be approved by the full board. I think policy is a great place to put it and we could come together and vote on it for a full board for referral for anybody who don't know what it is. Um, call for resolutions is something that Cape hasn't been advocating for that the

015board would like them to advocate for as a whole. I'll leave it. Any other referrals? The next committee's facilities committee. Um, we have not met since the last board meeting. Um, our next meeting is scheduled for next Wednesday. However, that is adult edge graduation. So, um, I'll I'll work with, uh, the facilities department and, uh, Dr. Ay's office to schedule a meeting. Um, are there referrals, Mr. Traver? Yes. Um, we've discussed it several times, a plan for public input on the East End, the new East End school, and um, I don't know if the superintendent is going to speak to that tonight or not. Um, but you know, if it's not if he's not, I'd like to see it on your agenda next Wednesday, your next a facilities agenda where we can discuss it. Um,

016because I think we need to get serious about discussing how we're going to do serious outreach to the community. Sure. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Any other referrals? All right. The cave update. Uh the tape report there's um you have anything? I know the legislative session wrapup that June 10th. On June 10th, the legislative session wrap up for cave is happening at the capital. Capital, right? Yes. Um, uh, I know Danielle has received emails from some board members who want to attend. So, for any other board members, please email her tonight so she can sign everybody up if you would like to attend. Um, so yeah, Mr. Chabber, did we determine if it was an additional cost to the board or not? It is. It's on the It is. Okay. It wasn't clear in the

017emails. I read the emails. Yeah, there's $60. I read this afternoon. It wasn't clear. So any other report? No. Okay. Moving on. Uh the superintendent's report. Dr. Avery. Good evening everybody. Uh again, as you walk through the uh doors this this evening, uh you were able to see student projects uh by the Alan Wallock uh STEM center. Uh and in attendance tonight, we have a few uh um members from the Alec Wall STEM Center. uh the executive director for Hall Hall Neighborhood House, Robert Zurenda. Uh and board member, donor of Hall Neighborhood House, John De Meta. All right. Uh STEM educator Lyn uh Owens, an academic technologist Terresa Walsh, uh and Robert. And so Robert's gonna come up and uh present uh highlights about the Alan Wik Center this evening. Absolutely John. Absolutely. Oh yeah.

018Can you just again? My name is John Deati. I'm a board member all neighborhood house. My best friend Alan Wallak worked for the board of education city of Bridgeport for 37 years. He was a teacher administrator and he was the athletic director. After he retired, he went back to work for the board as a full-time consultant. Spent another 17 years in the maintenance and facilities department. Allan was dedicated to the kids of the city of Bridgeport. On his passing, I was and no one over those 54 years will ever understand all he did for the kids within his job description and outside of his job description. The first night of Allen Shiva, I was having a conversation with one of the people that he helped tremendously, fellow named Steve Salem, who he coached and mentored

019his whole life. Steve grew up to be the executive vice president and managing director of the Cal Ripken Foundation. Steve and I made a commitment that we're going to do something to honor Allan. The next morning, I called Bob Zarend up, whole neighborhood house, put everyone together, and what we decided was we were going to try and introduce STEM learning centers to the city of Bridgeport. At that time, the Ripken Foundation had 200 of these across the country at a cost of $40,000 each. Two years later, they now have 600. It's a tremendously successful program. So, we went to work implementing the program. My wife and I made the cornerstone donation to get to make sure the ball would get rolling. And Bob and I went out and we talked almost exclusively to Allen's friends

020and friends of mine. We raised over a million dollars. Okay? And Bob will go into detail how far we've gotten with this thing so far. We're beyond our wildest expectations about the success. And I would ask you all to come out and see this in the schools. The kids light up. It's amazing. I'd just like to finish by adding two things. Our two goals. We started in the beginning. Our goal was to add an Allen Wallik STEM learning center in every school K through8 in the city of Bridgeport so that every child would have access to the same kind of technology and learning that the kids in Greenwich and Darian have exactly the same stuff. And our second goal, second goal was to do it with an absolute sustainability. So this is going to be

021a long-term program. We're not talking years, we're talking decades and we're we're very very comfortable that we're on the right path. So thank you for your time and we appreciate it. Very much. Thank you. Um, thank you board for giving me the time to uh speak this evening. As John said, I we'll try not to duplicate, but currently we're in 22 schools right now. We have six more uh to hit all the uh middle schools, and they will be up uh by the end of June. Uh John had mentioned it's $40,000 per school. That includes um our support to the teachers, to the school, to the students. So when we provide this technology, we're not relying on the teachers to figure it out. We will go in. We have two of our science educators right

022here. They they are a phone call away at Hall Neighborhood House. Um they will go to the schools, help them implement it um in the classroom. Uh last Friday we were at Howland School uh for the entire day and we did a a STEM day with every class. Um and John had mentioned uh we are fully funded right now uh for this year. We're working on getting the next three years fully funded. Again, no cost to the board of ed, no cost to the city of Bridgeport. Um we're hoping that this is a long-term uh we were talking to Mr. Trevor when he's coming in about the technology. We know the technology is going to change. It's our um uh intent to keep upgrading the technology. We know products will be broken and things will

023happen. Phone call away. We'll come in and replace these things. Um John had mentioned his biggest goal is that if we could spark an interest in a handful of kids um he will be happy with the success of the program. So we know throughout the year some programs will get stronger and weaker as they go on but we're here for the schools for the children uh to make sure this program works and we will continue to uh support it and and fund it fully through um our donors and through Hall Neighborhood House. So, um I invite you to please, um if you want to stop by Hall Neighborhood House, we have the hub system there that shows all the products and then each of the schools to um just please go out and visit them

024and see what we're doing in the schools. So, um we would love for you just to have your support and um just to to uh help us along the way to keep pushing it. So, really nothing else is expected from you except your support on this. So, thank you. Yeah. And and hold up, Robert and John, I I I want to take the opportunity to thank you as well because I've had a chance to engage both of you in your your work in trying to make sure that we have uh a STEM center in every single school. Uh I know this last six uh that's getting ready to be deployed is going to be done in a couple of weeks now. So very excited about making sure all the elementary schools are are are have

025a strong STEM center. I know uh Teresa I mean and David I didn't forget I didn't forget you over there. So thank you for uh engaging um Lynn they've always been very instrumental in training our teachers to support those labs. Uh I know Teresa has been very instrumental in making sure that that support is done districtwide in a way that where you know when teachers are you know afraid about getting in there they'll get in there help them get it done and it's so so exciting. Uh I had an opportunity to go to the juvenile uh detention center where these things were deployed there with those kids. I mean high school kids that and they were in it. It was just such a great opportunity to see them engaged in just the type of technology

026that that's at their fingertips. Uh and you know and and for them to know that we're not forgetting about them as well. we will take our our technology from our classrooms into that setting to make sure that they're connected to the things that we're doing that's 21st century. We'd be happy to to work with you on getting some in there also. And we are working with the Cal Ripken Foundation right now and coming up with a high school program. So we we intend to continue this on through high school. And um speaking for John, this is something it's a long-term relationship uh with us, with the the children, with the schools, and we hope that you feel the same way. And we would love for this to be a victory for all of us through

027you included, that you can push this along and promote it and and and put a feather in your cap that this is in all the schools. uh you know it's it's great that the parents and the students um have something positive to to to look forward to and so we hope that you can take uh this and and run with it also as as as your as as an owner of this program also. Thank you. It's just a follow. Yes. U Thank you for that. I will definitely be pushing this but not not for us. No further in our cap feather goes belongs to Mr. Alan Wallik. He he was a great guy. I met him when I first came on the board. I mean, he's the science thing kind of took me by surprise

028because I knew him as um the facilities uh facilities manager or whatever position he had at the time. And at the time, he helped my son get a playground at Park City Magnet. That's the first foray into advocacy my son ever had. And every time Allan saw him at a meeting or something, he would update him on the progress of the playground, on the progress of the grant funding. So, I would like to thank Alan Wallik for everything he's done in life and in death. Thank you very much. If you look across the uh playground here next to Longfellow School, there's a Cal Ripken baseball field that Allan was instrumental in putting up. He did all the fundraising or whatever and it was a beautiful plaque for him on the field. unfortunately was stolen but

029for he'd see the irony of that and consider humorous just replace and again always reach out I would love to make sure we stay connected make sure we're doing everything we need to do to kind of you know keep the STEM is very important and to in in the educational field and so we want to make sure our kids are engaged in that uh and so anything we can do please reach out and make sure that we continue that as well thank you very much thank That was true. Yeah. What what we were talking about out in the in the in the entrance before I came in was I remember a program about 10 years ago that the library was running as a sort of after school or maybe it was a summertime program that

030they were trying to interest kids, but they were coming into classrooms with really compared to what I saw on my way in really rudimentary robotics. Um, and it was the kids were just enthralled. Um, and mine are fourth or fifth grade kids at the time, but their their interest was just overwhelming. And um, uh, you know, the kids actually know a lot because they're, you know, they just know how to get around the internet and and look at stuff and and inquire about stuff. So the ability to use the the tools that you have to peique their interest and help them explore those interests is just staggering. Yeah, it's definitely it's it's it's um they look like toys, but they're the the students are actually learning coding. They're learning the logic of how to think

031problem solving and critical thinking to to accomplish a solution to a problem. So when you look at them, it kind of looks like little toys, but for them to move or to program and it starts at at kindergarten, those uh bees that you saw out there, that's very simple so that the young children could just get that thought process going. Um and then as they get more advanced, so it's it's engineering, it's um computer technology or computer programming. So they're learning it without even knowing they're learning it. All kinds of skills. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. Be almost 20 years in the district, I work very closely with Mr. Alan Wall. He always care about Bridgeport Public School to be sure our schools is very good as a me, Mr. Traver, Mr. Suck it,

032George Garcia, BJ and other we work very close to him. He was an amazing person and I really I'm happy for this and I really you know I broke you know be part of that but you know I know God have another things you know with him but I know from heaven he's blessing our province school because he got a good passion you know and I'm guaranteed that he'd be happy if he was here trust me he will be so very happy to thank you for bring this. Thank you. Thank you. As I as I continue my report, I want to give you a little recap of the Bridgeport, you know, day at the Capitol. Uh, and I think I have a video that got a little video for you. [Music] Bridgeport burn down. Bridgeport

033burn down. Bridgeport burn down. So we're here in full representation to make sure our students voices are heard and we're on the front lines. advocated. Y'all ready students? I'm here representing on behalf of the Bridgeport Board of Education. I'm an employee at Bridgeport Military Academy and I am here to fight for our students and our staff and we hope that everything works out for us. Thank you. Go Bridgeport. My name is Dr. Avery, the interim school superintendent of Bridgeport Public Schools and this is Bridgeport Day at the Capitol. So, we're here with uh a lot of community members, tons of kids uh really advocating for, you know, Brickport public schools and the funding that we need for Brick Public Schools. Good afternoon everyone. My name is Dr. Al Sagi. I'm assistant superintendent for Bridgeport Public

034Schools. Today, we are at Hartford uh for Bridgeport Day. We're here advocating for funds and advocating for the um recalculation of the ECS formula so that uh Bridgeport and bigger cities like Bridgeport can get the necessary funding that we need. So I just want to thank all the families, students, staff, everyone for being here um in support of Bridgeport. Thank [Music] you. Again, we had about 200 students, staff, and community partners there, uh, you know, local and state officials. Um, it was just a great opportunity for kids to have a a meaningful connection with the legislators and representatives from Bridgeport with pride. And so, very happy to say it was very successful. Uh, as we plan for future years, uh, advocacy, uh, we'll do some some things a little different, but, again, it was a

035great start and a great turnout for us as well. Um, I'm going to give you just an update over the next, you know, couple of weeks what's happening across the district. Uh, we have a math meet at Sacred Heart, uh, at the West Campus Auditorium on Thursday, May the 30th, starting at 9:30. Uh, we have, again, we talked about the Bridgeport uh, uh, district talent show, which is Thursday, May the 30th, as well at the client auditorium beginning at 5:00 PM. Uh, we have a teacher recognition award ceremony on Sunday, June the 2nd at Harding High School. Monday, Monday at Harding High School, June the 2nd, uh we have 77 teachers that will be celebrated and recognized for their services and contribution to the district. Uh on February, um on June 13th, that's a Friday,

036we have our high school graduations at the Ken State Kined Stadium in here in Bridgeport. Uh Bassic High School starts at 8:30. Uh, Bridgeport Military Academy starts at 11:00 am, Harding High School at 1 PM, Fairchild Wheeler campus at 3:30m, and then Central High School at 6 PM uh, on June 13th. Uh, we will also share details on preK, kindergarten, sixth grade, and middle school promotion ceremonies as well coming up. Again, thank you for your time and look forward to uh, closing out a great school year. I just want to make sure that uh as we uh enter into the summer month uh making sure that we we stay engaged academically with our kids to kind of make sure that we don't have that loss over the summer breaks. Uh and I know principals and

037teachers are ready for a disconnect. Well, I think central office staff is too. So, we have that coming up as well. Uh want to make sure that we we take some time to spend with our families. Uh enjoy the summer as well. So, uh be safe. Thank you. Any referrals? Miss Casmer? Yes. Um I just wanted to mention that I had a lot of fun at Bridgeport Day um talk speaking with the vendors um all the service providers, everybody from uh color uh positive thought to um HIV prevention to mental health services. So, it was a very nice day and I um I had a lot of fun learning. Um as I walked through the um Capitol walls, they had like a a little synopsis of uh each and every single city in Bridgeport and

038how it started. So, that was interesting reading that on my way out. Um so, Dr. Avery question that I have for you is Captain Gre. I understand that he is like a city uh is he a captain, right? I think he's a captain of the police department. Um, what I wanted to ask is Captain Gre's overtime, when he gets overtime, does the Bridgeport Board of Education pay for his overtime or does the city of uh, Bridgeport pay for his overtime? I'm interested to know that. I think that's settled through the city side is my So, the city pays for his overtime. That is correct. Okay. Um, and is there any plans at all to incorporate health classes into the curriculum for high school? Because I know we don't have any health classes. At least I

039don't think we do. If correct me if I'm wrong. You have curriculum writing planned for the summer. Yeah, we we do have curriculum writing uh planned for this summer and I think that's part of the the planning process that we're going to be going through is how we're going to write some additional curriculum areas that are needed. Yes. Um we are planning on writing curriculum for our health class at the high school. Um but we do have health classes at the high school currently. They they do exist. We are just going to be revamping the curriculum moving forward. Yeah. I think I think one of the one of the things that we that we're looking at because the there hadn't been any you know uh curriculum written recently. So we wanted to make sure that

040we we because some of the standards and things have changed over the years and so we're now going back and looking how we're going to be able to enhance those classes with new focal uh curriculum. Correct. Okay. Thank you. Um and I just wanted to remind parents read to your kids 20 minutes a day. I want to plead with um parents to ask board of education members important questions. When you see us out in the community, um you see us out at board meetings, ask important questions that you care about and that are important to you. Um voting season is coming up. We have five seats open that are coming up. Um and I think that it's important for you to engage with board members as much as you can. I know that parents are

041strapped for time and and you know, everybody has to work two and three jobs, some of these families. But please, I beg you, vote in your local elections. Local elections, the local people around your city have more control over Bridgeport than President Trump does. So, I just want to um reiterate that again. Um I I took a very important training called Internet Addiction. Uh, so I just wanted to let parents know and whenever you have a chance if you see these workshops coming up, please internet addiction and that was with um that was with the uh the mental health hospital in New Kanan Silver Hill. Very very good um workshop. It was online. Um and you know uh you know I I talked about reading to your kids 20 minutes a day, asking the open-ended

042question. These are things that teachers have probably already told you, but just to reiterate, the who, where, what, and why questions, those really jog, you know, make your kids think. It's more than a yes or no questions when you ask open-ended questions. Um, and um, you know, attend your local PTSO. So, this is what I wanted to ask you, Dr. Avery. Besides asking parents, you know, how do they get involved? You know, how how do they get involved? attending your local PTSO and pack meetings, emailing your children's teacher and asking them exactly what you can do to help, volunteering on field trips, attending board of education meetings, of course, voting for the right candidates to represent you and your children. Are there any other things besides that um that I haven't covered, Dr. Avery, that

043parents can do to uh be more involved in their children's education? I think you hit some of the major ones there. Uh there's there's a few other things that I know campus principles are engaging parents about, you know, how to engage in their individual campus buildings as well. Uh and so that's a constant thing that we have to try new things all the time. And so as as I know my district staff, you know, that's working with the parental groups as well, they they pass down, you know, different tricks of the trade to be able to help engage as well. So um Mr. Traver, you want to add to that? Miss Casm, are you all set? No. One more comment. Um, Dr. Avery, you and I had a meeting recently and you let me know

044which board members have paid to go to the upcoming district talent show. I understand that board members don't have to pay to come to the talent show. We can all just walk in and not pay. But but for those board members who are really um concerned about the uh financial state of the district, I would encourage board members to pay. It's only $252, I think it was, to pay for the K through8 talent show and then for the 9 to2 talent show. So, if we're really concerned about the financial health and status of this district, I encourage every single board member, whether you can't, you know, whether you have to pay or not, to please pay to go to the talent show. I'll be there and I'll definitely be paying attention and following up with

045uh Dr. Avery uh at our next meeting. That's all I had, Madam Chair. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Traver. Yes, I would add that we're still in the point where speaking to your state reps and state senators about the money that we can get from Hartford is still important whether you live in Bridgeport or you don't live in Bridgeport. Um the decisions over the next two weeks, two and three weeks um are going to be made. Um the jury is not out yet. Um the legislators are still fighting with the governor about how much money is going to be allocated for education in the state of Connecticut. And so it is worth speaking to your legislators about um repairing u fixing the education uh cost sharing formula which has not been fixed in

04613 years. The base rate hasn't been raised and the amount of money that's allocated for special ed, for multil- language learners, and for children living in poverty has not been adjusted in 13 years. In the original bill that was submitted in three and a half months ago, that would have meant $57 million for Bridgeport. Um the base rate alone is 20 million for Bridgeport. So we would not only not have to cut, we would be able to restore a para in every kindergarten class. We would be able to hire coaches in language arts and math. We would be able to add more uh social workers and counselors. We would be able to do all kinds of things that we would like to do in this school system if we had that kind of money. And

047the education cost sharing system is supposed to be providing money for equity between the poor districts and the wealthier districts in the state. And the every year for the last I don't know three or four or five years the city the state has realized a surplus in excess of what they expected more money than they expected so that the surplus will now exceed $6 billion this year. All right? So they can afford it. So please speak to your state reps and state senators because that jury is still waiting to decide. And so when you ask what you can be doing, Miss Casemir, that's who you need to be speaking to, your state reps and state senators, over the next few weeks, because that's what we're still waiting to hear about. Not just the Bridgeport delegation.

048They're working hard. We know that. But outside the Bridgeport delegation, too. We're going to There's a video that needs to be shown. Mr. Sakovic is going to ask one quick question. There's going to be a video and then any questions related to the superintendent report after that. Yes. Ju just a quick comment re the talent show I will be attending the talent show I will not be paying. Okay. I am on a fixed income to no to insinuate that people that aren't not paying that are going to the talent show somehow do not care about our children because we've got different financial circumstances is a horrible thing to say and a horrible thing to do. And this is what Cade tells us we should not be doing. So I am going to the talent show.

049I am not paying. I am glad you're paying Aisha. Hopefully you could give the school district a few more dollars. So help us out a little more. Thank you. We're not going to take any more questions about the the payments of a talent show that discuss your Nobody else can ask that question. I'm going to move on. We're going to watch a video on Hall Neighborhood House and then we're going to ask questions related to Superintendent Report. Yes. I want to make sure we uh give due diligence to this video uh and the kids and the work that's was put into this video because it's amazing. So uh enjoy. [Music] When kids come to our STEM lab, they get the opportunity to have handson experiences. Everything from basically lots of the sciences and engineering. We

050we have robotics. We have things like microscopes. We have different things to build with. We have prekers all the way up to high school students. We have such a varied opportunity of things for kids to do that there's it's almost unlimited what they can do when they come. So when um you're looking in the STEM center and you see a kid uh playing with what are called snap circuits, what you're really seeing is a kid learning electrical engineering. When you see a uh child playing with a Spirro, which is a spherical robot, what you didn't realize is behind that uh Spirro bolt uh was some coding. So, we're actually teaching a child to be a software engineer. For this specifically, I changed the direction it would go, how fast it would go, for how long

051it would go for. when it actually did the path that I wanted it to do, it felt so rewarding because it was just it finally did it. One of the things that happens with all of these products um that we use in our STEM center is they are the starting points and the building blocks uh for the careers of the future that help kids to see themselves in a space where they could be a STEM practitioner and even an engineer. So, one of the first uh components that we're going to solder is going to be our fuse. Okay. And when you think you've got enough solder, not too much, just enough. Oh, that's so much better. That's great. It was nerve-wracking at first, but once you do it a couple times, it becomes really simple.

052I feel really proud of myself. Some of the secondary skills that kids are learning are things like confidence, the grit, uh how to solve problems, how to attack a problem when you when you're encountered with it, and for me most importantly, how to fail. That it's okay to fail. That we say it's not a failure, it's a step towards success. And what to do when that happens. And when we do it in a STEM environment, it's a lot of fun. To be able to do STEM stuff is really important to me because like it's like it's new experiences. You get to do different things each time with like coming to places like these. And like I like working on like coding or like doing bio stuff. And this place gives us so many like different

053things to work with. So it's just really great. Here at Hall, we have the Allen Wall STEM lab. But we're fortunate enough to be able to also have it in a number of schools and we can go out and we're teaching the teachers and we teach lessons about STEM in those schools. Our hope is that we will continue to expand and be able to have Allen walk STEM centers in all the schools to give all the kids here in Bridgeport this these opportunities. they should have access to any of the cutting edge technology that's available in any other place around us. And I say that because we are a place that serves a community that has talents and that has gifts and that has imagination and um should be part of the future and their

054solutions can change uh the trajectory of our future. But that starts in a place where uh kids feel like uh they can solve the simple problems and the small problems that uh they're tested with and that prepares them to solve the problems of tomorrow. [Music] Thank you. For the sake of time, we'll take one more question from Andre Woodson and then we're going to move on. If there's any other further questions for the superintendent, you can email him. Mr. Woodson. I Yes. Um, just had a quick question about the about the talent show. Um, is it's $25 per per show or is it just $25 per home school coordinator per um it's for the whole the whole thing. So 12 1250 each two different shows. Okay, that's all. Yeah, there's a QR code you can

055register online. We're going to move on. Is there more question? Is there a question around that? I don't have a question about comments from Dr. about the superintendent report. Yes, I just said that anybody else would email them the referral. We have to move on. Nothing about the talent show. No, it's not talent show. It's about here report. I I didn't offer that to anybody else. So, we're going to move on because other people have questions, too. Just you can email from Deb Pearl. Um, new business approval of the continuation agreement for the SEO climate programming with catalyst at Barnum School, Bridgemore Military Academy, and Dubar School. Yeah. In the interest of time, since these are all three basically the same programs and the same contract, can we uh consider them all at the same

056time? Yes. So I make a mo should make a motion. I make a motion to approve the continuation of a agreement for seal climate program with catalyst CT with Barnum School, Bridgeport Military Academy and Dunbar School. Second. Motion made by Mr. Kalivic and seconded by Mr. Medina. Is there any uh further debate on this for or clarification questions for Mr. Clark? Seeing none, we'll take a vote. All in favor to approve say I. I. I. I. Any opposed? Any extensions? All right. Those are going through. Thank you. Um the next item is discussion of possible action of grievances 28.90 and 28.91. Um Mr. Cassello coming up after that. There's Yeah, there's going to be a vote for executive session for this. If you uh would like to if there's a motion for that, please let

057me know. Move to go into executive session. If we let me just clarify who go in. I was about to ask. We would go in with um Dr. Saki, Miss McKinley, um and Becca Saxon from the union and Dr. Avery with Dr. Saki, uh, Miss McKinley, Dr. Avery, and Eka Sax and Mr. Saki and Miss McKinley would only be as needed. We don't they don't unless we have a question with Dr. Saki and Miss McKinley as needed. Dr. Avery and Miss Saxon and Is there a second? Second. Second. Um, any debate on that going to executive session? All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? I'll oppose. Any abstensions? It's going to executive session. Uh online you have a link All right. All right. It's 8:29. We're back from executive session. Is there a motion?

058Yes. I I make a motion to reject grievances number 2890 and 28.91. Second. Motion was made by Mr. Scaldic. Seconded by Mr. Medina. Any further debate on that? All in favor say I. I. I. Any opposed? Passes. The next item agenda is approval of the fiscal year 2526k membership. Madam Chair, just a quick update on this. Um we we did ask if there was different tiers to membership and um we were initially told there's not but there is um an option for us for the cave express. So, in addition to the the yearly or the annual um dues, there's the Cave Express is about $400 or is $400 and that would cover um board members and five staff um to attend different workshops that we would usually have to pay for such as the legislative

059wrapup um and other workshops throughout the year that that are u include costs. So, um because of the amount of times we do attend these workshops, this would actually be beneficial for us if we paid in advance the Cape Express. Um uh and um so in in addition to the dues that are on the invoice, uh I I'm going to recommend that we also include the express $400 total on top of the So if three of us went to the No, three $75 for the legislative wrapup. 60. Oh, 60. Mhm. So if seven of us went that would pay for it right there but okay yeah and there's other there's a lot of work workshops that are cost like that cover day of the hill is has a fee so the the day on the

060hill has a fee that we we've attended in the past um and this will also provide the superintendent and five staff to attend as well I move that we uh approve uh the uh fiscal year 2526 6K membership with the express membership. It was moved by Mr. Traber and seconded by Mr. um Benahan. Is there any further debate on that? Um all in favor for that say I. I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? All right. So we will have um the K membership next year with an express membership that does Oh, I should have told you this beforehand, but that does not count. The convention does not is not included in that. Yes. So um the next item on the agenda is the approval to suspend bylaws 9310 for the purpose of immediate implementation of the

061following updated revised policies. Mr. Sakalovic. Madame Chair, I make a motion to suspend bylaw 9310 for the purpose of immediate implementation of the following updated revolings policies. Number one, number two, number three, number four, number five, number six, number eight, number nine, number 10, and number 11. Second motion and it's seconded. This, just to be clear, we're not including number seven in this motion. and move number seven and to also move number seven down to so let's do one motion like so this this motion excluding number seven um excluding number seven um all in favor of that say I any opposed any abstensions okay so Mr. Salvic, I would like to make a motion to approve the following updated revised policies. One, food service personnel standards. Two, charging food service policy. Three, evaluation employment of

062coaches. Four, drug and alcohol testing for bus drivers. Five, homeless students. Six, sexual harassment title nine. Eight, changing curriculum policy. Challenging curriculum policy. Nine, surveys of students student privacy policy. 10, title one, parental and family engagement policy. And 11, school climate policy. Second. Motion made by Mrs. Kalig and seconded by Mr. Medina. Is there any further debate on those? I would just like to have a little brief discussion about considering these in my in my as one motion approve them all for immediate implementation. as it says on uh on by law they've been thoroughly vetted in committee discussed and ready to ready for prime time. They're all statemandated. Most of the language is boilerplate. Any further debate? All in favor say I. I. I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? All right. Um th those pass. Mr.

063Sakalic. Yeah. I'd like Oops. I'd like to make make a motion to add number seven amendment policy 6401 to include update language provided by CA as proposed in internet safety policy filtering children's internet protection act to number one and first new business on first read. Second. He's moving amendment of policy 641 uh 6401, sorry, to include moving it to the first read to to make it a first read. That's been seconded by Mr. Medina. Is there any further discussion on that? All right. Um, all in favor to move it to the first read. I I I any opposed? Okay. Um so the next item agenda is the first read and discussion of the following updates. We'll start with amendment of policy 6401 to include updated language provided by cave as proposed in internet safety policy/filtering

064the children's internet protection act policy 6141 323. Dr. Saki I believe is going to come up. Well, good evening um and thank you for the opportunity um board members. And um so I have here the two policies, number one and number two. I'm going to have um Jeff come up and speak briefly um about um the first one, the one you just added. Um and I know that there were some um additions that he had made to the policy which I know that um some questions came up about that. So um we're going to be going back and looking um at that policy bringing it back to committee with um he had some recommended changes that um he had added which I know um raised um some additional questions. So, we actually went back and

065took out all of the new um recommendations that were made and then just used the current um K policy. Um so, that's what's currently uploaded. Um but what we can do is go ahead and look at the the additional policies that he he had recommended and then reshare um the K policy with the two additional policies. But that would be up to the uh committee. Is there anything else you want to add on that? Madam Chair, I am not afraid to say right now that I am completely lost in this sauce. Can you please let me know like on I'm looking at the agenda for tonight. Can you just let me know what item this is? D something E, whatever number. Yes. So, we um we passed uh D and E. All of the items

066except for number seven of E. Yes. We moved that to I mean, we moved that to um the first read and discussion of following updated revised policies. We want to do a first read on that item number seven. Okay. So, so we're on seven now. So, right now we're on it's Yeah, the previous number seven now it's number one. No, that's Yeah, that's all I needed. Great. Great. Thank you. I'm just confirming um with Are you looking it up? Say again. Are you looking up for me? Uh the second read has to go to committee or No. And I think I think it bears discussing discussing because there was only really one point of question and contention on this policy. that I think if we could just possibly strip it or not, vote it up

067or down, the policy can move forward as is. Um, so Mr. Sakovic, the the policy that's currently uploaded has has um all the two recommendations removed from it. It only has the CAB recommendations on it. That's what's currently in the portal. Right. But the the 6401 is not going to be included. Yes. that the the additional two or three recommendations that um Jeff had made are not included in what you're looking at because I I just po I popped it open is the 6401 is still in there and the main the main the main line of contention that was discussed at the or disagreement contention is a loaded word I guess um is number five it was sending material critical of school administration teachers staff or students or anyone associated with the school district is

068prohibited. I personally found that. Yeah, that's that's on this. Yeah, that language was incorporated the point you asked for. Well, we can't we can't remove it at committee. So, for the full board for discussion to see if we have and my my contention for my reasoning for removing it I'm one second. Do you want the finish? Yeah, because that language is um included in the it's in the it's in the packet. It's on the page on the first page. Um number five, page 16401. Standing material critical of school administration, teachers, staff, or anyone a student associated with the school district is prohibited. Now, this of course this applies to both students and staff. Over the last year or two, we've gotten some very not nice emails. you voted the wrong way or uh I think

069that my principal is not doing the right job. So these kids could be potentially or staff were speaking out about their jobs or about their schools or about their classrooms and criticizing me. I could we could have a student criticize us right now and an expulsion hearing comes up if it's their fifth or sixth thing and then we say hey this kid called me a name or this kid said I was like not a good board member and just vote them. I mean I I think it's very uh chilling effect of free speech for our students and it's my understanding that we changed the wording of that. Yeah. Um but that's what should have been uploaded to Yeah. I believe I'm I'm just double checking the one that's there. It should be sending material that

070is abusive of a school. I believe that was how it was supposed to be word. Abusive of school administration, teachers, student staff, or anyone associated with the school district is prohibitive because the word was abusive to be clear. Okay. Well, yeah. Well, since since it's not since that's not in the packet, we could rectify it by making a motion to amend it to include that right on the floor so we don't have to bring it back to committee. Yeah. Uh, I would like to make a motion to amend number five, sending mi sending abusive material critical of school administrations. Does that satisfy what we just said? Yeah, it's changing one word. Just adding just adding abusive between sending and material. Uh, it replaces the word critical with abusive. I believe that was what was asked.

071Sending abuse. Okay. All right. I I'll start over. Yeah. Phrase. Restate your I I will um make a motion to replace the word in five critical to abusive second been seconded by Mr. Thank you. Is there any further debate on that motion? So, yeah. No further debate. We'll take a a vote to amend the word critical to abusive and number five. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? So that motion to amend is there is is passed. Mr. Sakalic. Well, it goes back to the main motion. Back to the main motion. You want to make Sorry, we're back to the main motion as amended to move this for a second read. Any further debate on that? Did you have something? I'm sorry. Yeah, I just thought I just want to make sure

072if it wasn't read because I want to make sure that it's clear that we are amending the policy 6401 by adding the cave mandatory the state mandatory policy into that which we already had the 6401. Want to make sure it's worded correctly. Okay. It's my concern. Thank you. Favor. So this is the cave policy. So if I may Yep. with this policy 641 that we were just looking at is the cave policy with the word critical that we changed it. So what that represents I want to sh No, let me answer your question. No, I didn't. So we have Let me answer your question. I didn't finish. We have What did you answer? The policy with the word critical in it is the cave recommended policy. Correct. Okay. No point of no that was part

073of point of information. I believe that was just our policy and not a cape recommendation. The cape recommendation is the overall policy which this policy is being incorporated into. Correct. If I may speak to it. Yes. Just to for clar go ahead for clarification. Uh the board of education had a policy that spoke more vaguely about uh what um CAB has in their policy. And so what we did was we took policy 6401 and then we amended our existing policy with the language provided by CABE and then modernized uh the the nomenclature inside of the policy and then representing it now as the amended policy 641. Does that make sense? Okay. So his question was, was that word that we just amended part of 641 original or was it part of policy 6141323? It was

074uh policy. It was in 641 the original the original committee. It was ours or the board of education policy. Yep. Yeah. Because it's pretty outrageous. Okay. So I I I guess I'm looking at you whispering. Stop to me. No, I'm sorry. My phone. You can continue. Silence your phone and silence. Okay. There's a motion. Do you have something on the motion? We're We're debating the motion now. So you have it. So go ahead. Continue what you're saying. Oh, okay. Yeah. No, I was just saying that even abusive is worse than debate. Well, that's been amended. So, at this point, you can vote for this second read or not. Yeah. Yeah. I I'm just saying that I know it's been amended. I'm just saying even worrisome to me because it's subject to interpretation as to what

075somebody has said about somebody else. But what is the temperature for removing five altogether? That was my original proposal. Board of Education preference that that's there is not a legal requirement for that to be clear. This is a from our existing board of education policy. That would be an administration and board thing. in my opinion. I mean, I'll just say we should just be mindful about totally taking that out because you know these are our um devices as well. So that means we'll be saying that you know at any point in time anything can be said about anyone um utilizing our devices or even their own device. I just think we just we should just be careful about taking that out completely. um was the purpose was just gonna say that was the purpose of

076mending uh the the pri the prior one is that essentially uh felt that the language is too constricting by saying critical because critical is entirely subjective but abusive is specifically showing that there is intended harm and so that was why per Mr. psychology recommendation it was amended and at least at the committee level that appeared to uh fit the need. I would say that in my professional opinion it would not be recommended to have nothing because then you have no uh recourse of any kind in the policy. So that's for what it's worth but it's again it's administration to the superintendent. So I'm I'm I'm suggest I would suggest something like instead of prohibited discouraged or a word like that that prohibited is like absolute discouraged is more flexible. Um that's the problem is you

077get into you know you've done something I I feel abused by what you wrote. I feel criticized by what you wrote and and we get into touchyfey versus, you know, and discouraged may not be the right word. I'm I'm I there may be a better word than discouraged, but you know, you're trying to say don't do that. We're we're saying the rules say don't this this kind of behavior is we don't want to see this kind of behavior. I get that. But when you prohibit it and somebody engages in it, which is an American right, um you know, there is a line which somebody shouldn't cross. I get that. Well, where that line is is subject to um norms in our society. And what that norm is, it's judged in different ways, the collective bargaining

078agreements or the, you know, other things. But that's sort of like what we're trying not to create a rule here. Well, this is from our platform. They're using our devices though. That's correct. To be clear, yeah, if they want to send an email from their personal device and stuff like that, they have that right. But this is they're using our our our devices. The board of education is within its right dictate proper usage that is with it. Uh, Miss Castner. Miss Castner, I'm sorry. Um, is it okay to use both words? Like, would it be harmful to use both and say and one and the other or, you know, because, you know, abusive is is finite to me. Like there's an umbrella under abusive, but you know what abusive means. But the other word, tell

079me the other word again. Just tell me real quick. Critical, right? So critical. Critical is more, you know, it's much more broad. But this is going to be an argument or this going to, you know, like why can't we just use both? This way we're satisfying CE. We are sticking to the tradition that we had with ours. I, you know, if I'm wrong, please correct me. And that's what I'm here to learn. Well, let's be clear. This is not cave. Jeff Jeff is going to please it's not it's not cave. Okay. All right. Gonna respond to you. So, and I think a little context helps with this particular scenario. Remember that the original language that was put into this was done prior to there being uh social media. And so one of the things that's

080very important to understand is is that the the writers of this at that time um they wrote the word critical because writing you know a critical email back then you know kind of carried more weight and unfortunately the culture of the whole world in the internet has changed where now anybody can tweet anything they want. I think that, you know, the the logic to this is is I think there will be people that will be voicing their opinions. But I think that there is a line between being critical and being abusive of those people. And since it is within our control as an organization to say you may not use our technology in an abusive manner, I think that that's a fair thing. There's also other parts within the document that also kind of drill

081into that in a way that helps to refine it more. It's it's not quite like a, you know, cut and dry in that way. So I think that you know it I my humble opinion I wouldn't recommend cutting it. I would I would definitely say you know the inclusion of the word inclusive over critical is a lot more directed and it's it it speaks to that and again all policies are open to interpretation. So Miss Casmer, do you have any more questions? No, I'm just looking at the policy right now. Um no thank you. No more questions. Um are there any further questions on the motion? So all in favor of um the amend the policy as amend as amended moving the policy to second read as amended. You can say I any opposed any

082okay one abstension. Any other abstensions? Excuse me. All right. That one passes to a second read. Um and that will be brought before the second read brought board full board. Um the next item is the uh sexual abuse prevention and sexual education policy policy number 5145 uh 511. So yes, this policy was reviewed at the policy and personnel committee meeting on May 14th. Um it was re recommended for the first read. Um this is a mandated policy we do not currently have. The policy gives the definition of various terms including sexual violence, sexual abuse, sexual assault, etc. The policy also describes sexual abuse prevention and education programs and the professional development that must occur for all staff. It describes the age appropriate educational materials for students in grades K through 12. The policy states the

083reporting expectations for all school employees who are aware of such behaviors described above. Um, and there's also a a sample opt- out letter that parents can use if they do not want their child participating in the sexual abuse prevention education program. There was also the recommendation from the committee to add some of the information from the policy including the parent opt- out letter into the student handbook. Um and this is the first read um based on the committee um in conversation with our um athletic director, you know, um as part of I know that came up tonight um as part of the rewriting of our um health um curriculum um and looking at the state standards um in terms of the sexual abuse prevention education program, finding ways of embedding that into the health curriculum

084and A um through 12 um to ensure that we are meeting the um the mandates um from that state statute. Yeah. Um again, this is another one I asked to have a first read on because um I've never been a Did we find out the answer to my question about the opt out versus opt in? Because I've never been a fan of the opt out the negative the negative permission and I mean that would be up to um the board and the superintendent um in terms of which way to go. Most districts that um I have spoken to use an opt out um because we want everyone um everyone learning this content. Yeah. um parents who would rather teach the children themselves and you know they have the ability um to opt out. So I'll

085say most districts use an opt out um as opposed to an opt-in. It's just a just a concern I just wanted to bring up. Um and how and on I know the implementation is not us but you might make me rest a little easier. How hard are we going to push the knowledge to opt out that parents can't opt out because we get a stack of paperwork at the beginning of this beginning of the year and sign and return this before such and such date. It's possible people just sign it without actually reading it. I guess the same could be whole true for a permission slip as well, but it it's just a case. I never like the neg the negative affirmation permissions because and you know something that could be added to that that

086that I also know um districts do is when that unit is about to be taught. Sometimes messaging goes home from the teacher the health teacher explain to the parent that during the course of this week um these are some of the items that are going to be taught and these are going to be some of the topics. Um so so again I think this is something that we want all students to be able to to learn. Um but parents obviously do have the right to opt their child out, right? And I agree 100% that all students should definitely learn this. It's just it's just um just a question just I hate giving permission without knowing. As far as what? One moment. Yeah, go ahead. It's like um if they want to teach Can we just

087clarify? Microphone wasn't on it. He asked for clarification. So, go ahead clarify. Just want to make sure they have it on record over there. Right. Okay. um if a certain lesson comes up, we've already opted out say in the beginning of the year and this lesson is something that a parent, not myself, another parent that I'm putting myself in their shoes, has an objective to an objection to their child learning, they don't have that opportunity to opt out. It's like it's like sending we wouldn't send out uh opt out of a field trip. We need constructive permission to do a field trip and a lot of other things. Wait, and if you're gonna speak, you you have to make Well, you have to put I'm just saying put your microphone on so that you have

088it on record because there's people online who cannot hear you because at the beginning of the year, they didn't sign the sheet saying I don't want my child to be taught this. That's the way this process spells out. That's what you're That's what you're asking about. I don't want to make sure I understand your question, right? if they don't sign the paper in the beginning of the year and there's no notification that that lesson is being given and then opt out what I understand to have just said is we could send the opt out at the time of the lesson correct addition to the beginning of the year and that satisfies my okay but I think but you have to be clear though of what you're going to do in addition addition to the policy,

089you know. So, if you're going to do that, you're going to have to make sure that every staff member that's teaching a health class understands that before you teach that lesson, you're going to have to do another opt out. So, you're you got to be very clear about that. And so, if you're going to do it, it's it's going to need to be put in. But a lot of topics will be, you know, something that a parent may not want. So you're gonna be opting out all the time, guys. I mean, so that's why the recommendation is you opt out, you know, you know, and if you want to opt back in on something, you because you're you're the policy is addressing the masses. So it's easier to address it that way with the opt

090out. You know, I know that eighth grade curriculum is going to be this topic and sexual whatever. And so, you know, as a parent, you you have the ability to say, "I don't want my kid to do that, so I'm opting out. So, don't don't teach that to my child." That's what the policy is telling me, right? And so, that's the obligation of the policy. So, we need to be able to do it that way. and we can be sensitive to a parent that may be hearing of the topic for the last six weeks of school that they're going to be addressing that then we can do that as a practice but I don't want to put it in policy to do that either right so I mean I just want you to be clear

091I don't want us to make recommendations that's not going to be something that we're going to adhere to everybody in the district is going to adhere to because that policy right there everybody guys going to do it. Miss Casemir, thank you. Um the only comment that I have about this uh you know sexual harassment, sexual abuse um you know it's repeated um you know during the whole entire policy and um madam chair who has a advanced degree in in you know um social work and and Dr. Zachi, you know, with with your background, um, I feel that sexual abuse and sexual harassment are not broken down enough. Not broken down enough. And what I mean by that is being very specific with these kids. You see, because not you guys, but there are many people

092that underestimate these kids, these Bridgeport Public School kids. These kids are super smart. Okay. And so when you talk what what is sexual harassment? Rape. I don't see anything about rape in here. I don't see anything about touching people other people's private parts. Like what about the kids because and and and again we're low in test scores with reading and math, right? So, I think that it's absolutely critical to break down what does sexual harassment mean? Because these kids could be doing something that's sexual harassment or um you know, uh any kind of, you know, sexual uh offensive. and they might not and they not and they don't know because they haven't been giving the definition of sexual harassment on their level is what I'm saying. So that's all I wanted to say. I wanted

093to put into perspective like you know like breaking it down even more without being super graphic is what I'm saying. So in the policy the policy covers the the umbrella terms but I'm I'm going to let Dr. Dr. Saki answer this clarify if I'm saying this wrong but within the the curriculum that we have that would probably be addressed in that curriculum. I'll let Dr. Saki address that. Yes, I'll say that is correct. Um and and Miss Casmir if you look at the um the definitions section um I was just pages were numbered but um it does give um the definition but to your point it's not as explicit um when it comes to the term um sexual assault there were actually two um uh two choices um and I had recommended the first choice

094and the second choice I think it is a little bit more explicit. It does specify the exact um word rape and then some more words that I thought um I just felt that the first one was a bit clearer and um and more appropriate um than the second. I'm sorry. Um yeah, Dr. Saki, can you just back up for a second because I don't see the page that you're talking about with the definitions? Can you give me like is it P5, you know, 145.51B? Is it like which one? So if you look at policy number 514511, the very first page, the first page, the first page that I have says A, right? 511A. That's what I'm looking at. That's the one. Okay. And it says students and then it says exploitation, sexual harassment. Yes. Yes.

095And then if you see right underneath that, it says definition. Definitions. Yeah. Yep. And where and where does the word what I was talking about like the word rape for instance like which one is that under? Correct. So under sexual assault specifically assault when we looked at the cave document. So you I don't know if you have both the cave document and the revised document or do you only see the um the revised document? No no I'm just looking at the revised document but I'll look up the cage. Yeah. Okay. Yes. So, um during our committee meeting, um that was discussed um and I can read you what the other one says. It's a bit more graphic, but I I I can read that if you would like. Yeah, please let's let's get it over

096with. Please read it. Um it's not going back to committee. Second read. It's not Is it not appropriate? Go ahead to read it. It's good. Okay. Um, sexual assault can be defined as any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs by force or without consent of the recipient of the unwanted sexual activity. This includes sexual activities such as forced to sexual intercourse, forcible sodomy, child molestation, incest, bondling, and attempted rape. It includes sexual acts against people who are unable to consent either due to age or lack of capacity. So we had between choosing that and choosing the one that I had recommended that says sexualist. Okay. So that's what I'm missing. Dr. S and and madam chair is the uh cave one is that in within our documents or that's in the committee portal.

097Yes, that's in the committee portal. Gotcha. I'll go back to that. Okay. Thank you very very much. Now I understand. I I appreciate that. You're welcome, Mr. favor. Um I I want to agree with the superintendent about um the beginning of the year versus uh you know leaving it up to teachers to remember to send out the notice before they teach a certain part of the subject matter. Um I think that's a a more um reasonable way to approach it. Um and I I I do want to end this I I just I think that makes more sense. Um I'm remembering the days when we used to teach your body is changing to fourth and fifth graders and uh we never sent anything home. Um we just had the nurse come upstairs and um broke

098up the classes. So Mr. Calvic. Yes. I would like to make a motion to bring us to approve the sexual abuse prevention and education program policy 5145.33 as presented by Dr. Saki for the next board meeting policy 511 as presented by Dr. Saki for a second read at the next board. Moved by Mr. Sakalic for a second read and seconded by Mr. Traber. Any further debate on this? All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? So this will go um before the full board for the ne for the second read. Um the last item is the comparability of services um title one equivalence in instructional staff and materials policy 6161.3. So uh this is another mandated policy uh and this policy gives some background information as well as information on title one and

099family engagement. The poly policy breaks down family engagement at both the district and school levels. This includes the creation of a school and district level parent compact. The compact will include expectations for parental engagement, a process for continuously involving parents in their children's education. Um, Mrs. Kovic um had asked um if some of the wording in the policy could be changed. Um I am still waiting on further guidance on this. Um but since this is policy um and it's a mandated policy based on a state statute, it is not recommended to change some of the language in it. Um Mr. wanted to change the word comparable to equitable. Um, as well as change the word equivalency to equity. Um, but I I I would recommending um keeping the verbiage that Cab used. Um, I am

100still waiting to get um the final response from Cape. Yes. One moment. Couple of Okay. Uh, yeah. Since that meeting, I've had some time to do some research, including within CA's portal. There's alternate alternate policies Cape has that actually address my concerns. Um, for example, there's one that's um, if we could reach out to them. For the purposes of determining comparability and compliance with 2020 USC 6321, the district may exclude state and local funds expended for English language learners, instruction and education programs, excess costs associated with providing services to students with disabilities, unexpected changes in enrollment, staff salary differential for years improvement, other expenditures from supplemental state and local funds in consistent with the intent of title one. U and then there's somewhere also that says nothing in this policy will prohibit the administration from

101addressing identified problems at individual schools. The lang somebody somebody else besides me has thought of these things that language of comp comparability being too restrictive and having to make those exceptions. Someone thought that they included a whole Hey, this this is this is in Cab's um board documents. It's in there. What you call the um overall thing that we we're looking at now? The CA um policy board portal. No, it's it's what we want to buy and we start using board. Yes. Yeah. And I came across it in a board book. So if we could just I don't know put this one back in committee because I do feel a need because comparable equitable even even the state even a portion of the state statute address equity quite a few times rather than equality or

102comparability because to be comparable black would have to get the same amount of books as cross and cross got three times less students and vice versa. Equitable or taking a with the same thing. The same thing goes through with staff. This school got six EL teachers. This school got one EL teacher. That's not comparable, but it's equitable because one school got 10 times the population of English language learners than another school. So this night, this night I would suggest that we um table this and get the answers to the questions to see if it's possible to substitute the policy that Cab also got because what we got to understand is Cabe has 169 districts. They're not writing for Bridgeport particularly all these districts modify their policies. We can't be afraid of modifying and asking questions

103to see if it passes legal muster for something that fits our needs because this is something that's going to be a living document going forward with our track record 50 years before it's touched to get looked at again. Good chair. Yes. That I think you know again it's a recommendation for Mr. Sakovc, but also I think for for me I think adopting the K policy in the interim and then going back and research to see if there's something else and bring that back to uh the committee would be feasible because we're trying to you know complete the the mandated policy. K also provides that guidance and I think the guidance was there. I think being able to get back some clarity for to address uh Mr. Sakovich's concerned also is also important. Uh but I

104think we just need to have something on the books right now which is the guidance from CABE but I think I think we need to expedite trying to get uh you know um clarity from CABE. Uh if you need for me to get on a phone call and and talk to Jod, we can do that uh in order to expedite that. Uh but again I think in for the recommendation that we are we have is to go with the policy uh recommendation from Gabe with the ability to be able to go back and modify that policy if we get the clarity that we need to modify. Mr. Traver. Yeah. So if we pass first read tonight and we come to the next meeting and we've clarified that there is the ability to use equity in

105lie of comparable comp compare comp comparability. Um then we could simply move to change the language and it would be a a repeat second uh first read. Would that be correct? Yes. Okay. Then I would comfortable doing that. Yeah. My my concerns is this committee meeting was probably when was this committee meeting? Two weeks ago. Two weeks ago. And we reached out to K. We're under the gun from the state. Yes. But we're still well within our time frame that we put. We're moving along. We approved how many policies? I lost count of all the policies we approved that we haven't had in years. Why not do it right the first time? I think perfect. Mr. Mr. Medina could call another meeting. He's planning on calling another meeting before the last board meeting if it's

106thoroughly vetted and these answers are given to us by CA who's assisting us with the state and getting these policies out towards a timeline to simply ask can it be substituted. I mean we can't we can't we got to do this right the first time in the interim while we wait. There's going to be other things popping up. It's going to be other policies. We got to look through all all the series over and over. We're supposed to be looking at them every other year. If we simply go by this is what K put before us. Let's ask no questions. Let's make no revisions. We're just going to be like the 169 things. We are not Westbrook. We are not Westport. We are not Stanford. We are not even Waterberry. We need to tailor our

107policies to our needs because I for one once a policy is in place I expect it to be followed with fidelity. Not just pass it to pass it because the state's looking at us to get out from under the gun. No, we got to pass smart, logical, wellthoughtout policies that we can all that we can all live with. not only us but that the people that come after us live because we're living pol with policies right now from 1950s probably some of them. So that being said, I'd like to make a motion to table this and refer or no motion to refer back to the policy committee. There's a motion. It's a motion. Is there a second? No second to this motion. So is there any other motions? Move to uh um approve comparability of

108services title one equivalence and instructional staff and materials policy 6161.3. Is there a second? I'll second it. There's a second. um for uh well as a first reading discussion. Yeah. Um any further debate on that as a maker of the motion. Do you have anything? No. Anyone else? Mr. Kovic. Yeah. Just want to point out our next meeting is on what's the next meeting date? June 9th. June 9th. Please reach out to K ask him. I'll I'll send an email myself because that's kind of quicker. I am the cave late. I will get an answer tomorrow. Yeah, we'll actually be up there in that and and I'll actually direct them to the policy and ask them if this could be substituted as well. When's the legislative? That's we'll get there in a second. And um

109let's finish the motion. Any further debate? All in favor say I. I. I. Any opposed? No. Uh Mr. Savix opposes. Any abstensions? that passes. Um is the if you ask for the legislative update is going to be uh the wrap-up is on um you said the date earlier the 10th. Um Mr. Benahan, you have a point of personal privilege. Thank you, Madam Chair. Um my point priv um sorry privilege don't feel good. Um I have to say um last Thursday me and Mr. Medina we went to a multicultural school about spelling B citywide and I have to say how amazing our student did it. I was very proud right Mr. Medina they did a great job. It was good you know and when people say that our our students they are not um ready or

110they are not um we're not g education and all this um negative stuff they run and I'm going to keep saying they run because they did a good job they was there the teacher the staff the principles Dr. Blana was there, Miss Carbon was there, parents was very happy. I don't know what else I can tell you how proud I am with the students. You know, they did a good amazing job. And also I have to tell you, Mr. um Dr. um Ire that I'm very proud that Barner school uh went to because the parent called me to do a PBT meeting. They did amazing job. the staff, the principal and the staff, how they help the parent. They have parents that was very happy and I had to that for the record because I

111know they did a good job. Some people they say they don't do the job the way supposed to be and I'm against that and I'm talking this for the record because they did a good job. They follow the protocol and policy everything they do for for our students. But uh I can tell you that spelling be it was amazing. So I'm very proud. So I want to say that for the record. Thank you madam chair. Thank you. Is there a motion to adjurnn? second. Moved by Mr. Bennett, second by Mrs. Calvic. All in favor? Hi. We're joining at 9:20. Have a good night. Thank you guys. Thank you.