001good evening the time now is 7:05 p.m. this is a call to order for the Bridgeport Board of Education regular meeting we're going to start with um call order Pledge of Allegiance and for the Pledge of Allegiance may I have Miss Victoria Morris from Multicultural Magnet would you like um you could be on camera oh please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance I 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 thank next mam secretary can you perform roll [Applause] call here heree Baptist Albert benan Gales present Aisha cmir present Medina here Jennifer pres is here Joseph svic president and accountant for Robert tror here Andre Woodson the next item on the
002agenda is just introduction of new board members can all our recently elected board members please rise so the public can meet you was recently so right we have Miss tan hello Willie Ina and we have Andre Woodson Thank you new board members for [Applause] Rising the next item on the agenda is public comment do we have any members of the public sign up for public comment okay first member of the public is Leslie carbal Miss carbal is not here the next member of the public is Joe svic good evening ladies and gentlemen I'm joose svic my son's a child and fair child whe of public schools I'm speaking as a member of public today I'm looking at today's agenda and I'm quite disturbed because number four should be student representative reports um I saw the
003students leaving ask me for a chair and I went to put up a chair up front as as the superintendent and I learned that they W not even on the agenda not since John welen removed them from the agenda and they were put back by a unanimous vote of this board have students voices been our students came out here tonight at the direction of their principal to speak I believe we may have one or two online if I'm not mistaken or we did the students deserved their right to be heard I had a C them running out I had a run to catch them walking out because they were told by the super superintendent that they cannot be here because they need training do not speak on my behalf I'm speaking no admonishment about staff
004Personnel during public speaking they were told by the superintendent that they need training I am speaking I've got the I've got the mic we're not supposed to interrupt and are allowed not let you admonish not restricting the speech I'm not in Minish she the superintendent I'm saying what the students told me she said if you want to see that as an admonishment you can feel free but our students deserve to have their voice heard and I demand that we as a board bring them up there to speak and hold their as they came out here this is a school night they came out here expecting to speak expecting to be a part of it this is an agenda item this agenda the template they were removed from this template with intention it doesn't accidentally fall
005off so we need to put put them back up and I hope somebody makes a motion to bring our students back up there and give them their time to make reports because this is unacceptable thank you the next item we have on the agenda is approval of minutes from November 27 2023 approve there's been a motion to approve do I have a second I'll second it's been second are there any comments edits or any changes to the November 27th 2023 meeting hearing none all in favor for the approval of the November 27 20223 meeting say I I I any in opposition any abstentions abstain okay we have trayor M Mr Woodson and Mr Medina stain the motion carries oh and Mr sovic the motion carries the board minutes from November 27 2023 has been approved
006the next item on the agenda is the Chairman's report and what I like to do with my time is allocate to musical Mondays um Paul Riley and the Multicultural Horizons ban and uh thri Multicultural and high Horizons band so if you please come up and per thank [Applause] you evening and we have worked extremely hard to prepare a song for you which is variations of an American a traditional American [Music] really scream [Music] [Applause] [Music] and [Music] this [Music] [Applause] [Music] la [Music] [Applause] [Music] now yes yes for the public to see you guys you guys let the public Leave It Go horns hurry up let's rock you can do it I got to go let's go that's all right [Music] okay Desy if you could climb up the stairs and don't play please be
007quiet we are the musical Monday band group and we'll be playing a holiday song for you today thank you here we go one two one two three [Music] he [Music] [Applause] [Music] h [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] a [Music] it [Music] oh [Music] yeah [Music] okay here we [Music] go [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] thank you for inviting us am performance can I have another [Applause] round Horizon mag nice job [Applause] nice chair I'd like to make a motion to have the St represent back in agenda while we have yeah you you want to make a motion for student agend can you repeat your motion please i' like to make a motion to have the student represent what back in the agenda the way we have it before we need to back you know we
008need to have it back second can you clarify your motion Mr benam would you like the students to report I'm going to say it again Madame chair this meeting as this meeting like to have the student represent like tonight and we have another meeting next month other month like always we have it before we had need to have the S represent back in agenda starting tonight please second okay any questions comments concerns I would like to ask that all the board members vote Yes on this so we have a board of education and education should be Student Center student voice should be first and foremost at every single meeting and love to hear from them they came out here on a school night they got to get home and do home delayed I I don't
009know what it was but that's all I got I have a Miss cir I would like for the board to know why the students were left off because it's it wasn't malicious intent and I just would like like at least a brief explanation of why they were left off and and what we're going to be doing moving forward as far as um student Representatives I'm I just think that that's fair that's all I want thank you Miss cast mayor [Music] um thank you Miss C mayor um I'd like to address the issue with students on the agenda and I'd like to share that prior conversations were had with our previous chair and also several members of the board regarding the engagement of our students for the board report and the fact that having students come
010to the board meeting to read activity reports from their campus does not represent real student engagement so the goal is to conduct a training with all of our students so that they can gather feedback from their peers on and bring that feedback to the board and also engage in active conversations and participation with the board including having a brief meal with board members every single board meeting so I'd like for their participation to be reflective of true student engagement not tacet engagement where they're given a form or a chain of events to read from their campus if we're going to treat our students like leaders and actually teach them governance it's very important for them to receive the training to actively engage in these meetings so that they can do so appropriately and us as
011adults we should model what that appropriate engagement should look like at all times and I'd like for them to understand that despite the fact that sometimes that doesn't happen if we are going to be participating in a society where everything is online and it's there forever it is incumbent upon them to do so responsibly to do so civil to do so professionally and that is the training that Madame chair and I will be providing to the students um at the beginning of the school year in January followed by their re-engagement with the board under this new model any other questions or comments Miss PR um thank you um for the explanation Dr ly David thank you for the explanation Dr ly David um as far as for tonight um I would encourage us to maybe
012vote Yes for the two who are here since they did come out and going forward maybe we can um go with a new system Medina did you have your hand up yes I did I thought [Music] yeah um yep uh well I second what Jennifer said I I would like to have an opportunity I I thank superintendent comments and I think respectfully so I think this would have been easily done addressed with the whole board as a court of action instead of just taking it out without any knowledge or understanding but knowing her explanation on what she would like to view that moment for the students to come and speak to us and have engagement with us I can agree and say yes that will be very fruitful and I think both of them can
013stand they can speak and also things um so yes I would like to continue to say yes these students that are here that came because they knew that this will be they will have an opportunity for them to have the opportunity because we owe them to continue to act professional and do what we said we would do for them okay Mr trer com Miss ban got to go first um yes I agree that we should allow them to speak tonight and then moving forward we go with the new model put in [Music] place Mr Woodson I don't have any comments Mr benan thank you m thank you madam chair yes I have a comment thank you Dr Le for the information but one thing I'm going to say without students we are not here without
014student we don't have no board members no principal no staff no nothing so my always say my students always U very important they are priority so this is in shock that need remove it but it's very important we know before uh on on months back they always come very excited they talk about what's going on to school what they going to have they invite the board that have a lot of events and we were cited you know with us and now remove them that's not acceptable and then we we find out tonight is not accept all so I would like to have the student represent because without students is no board education there nothing in this brid for thank you so I have a comment the students are not being removed the goal is for
015more meaningful dialogue which was tried to which was attempted with the prior leadership of the board is that I don't want students to come here and read off the list I want the same First Amendment rights to voice concerns that their peers came and expressed when they discussed the no hoodie policy I mean it's nice to know the agenda but even just having a second to talk to the students there are real student concerns and I want them to be empowered to be the next Civic leaders given that they're high school students they'll soon be of age to vote and participate in the civic duty of voting and running for office I agree with my colleagues um they're here they should be given the chance to speak but I don't agree with them coming here
016with a list that's been pre-prepared that doesn't give them the true opportunity to voice their concerns on the campus level I've had the opportunity to meet wonderful campus leaders that did not read from the list and I want all our student representatives from all the high school to have the tenacity to have the zel to speak truly and freely for what they believe in and what's actually happens happening on the campus level so I don't agree uh disagree with my colleagues the students are here we can let them speak present what they have and then hopefully we'll all have the opportunity to have meaningful dialogue and Inspire the next generation of [Music] leaders thank you um just a point of information for clarity sake student representative reports were voted on couple of times to be
017brought back they want each and every agenda for the past year we've had our student representative points and if the goal is to train them fine if the goal is to improve on their first amendment rights fine but to remove them from the agenda that's already been voted on unanimously to have them on the agenda that is an action item that is not a unilateral decision for anybody to take and the students could come up here today if we vote in the affirmative and they have the right to be entitled to speak or not to speak because we've got plenty of board members in the past who sat here at the whole meeting and not even asked a question and not even read there Mr I'm speak board member I am the chair so respect
018Mr this is not your time to admonish anybody else opportunity we will now entertain an option to vote we do have have the floor the question has been called I'll I have the floor and I'm not going to the not you can't vote while somebody has the floor say I I I all to have the students speak tonight say I I the eyes have it student Representatives you can feel free to come to M roll call in opposition uh Madam chair student representative reports are done from up here with us and they they believe I believe they belong up here with us and they should be sitting right with us they should have had seats here in the beginning so I make a motion to add two chairs up here for the two students that
019joined us and they can sit here for the rest of the meeting sorry a motion's been approved the student a new Mo inad there's a new motion on the floor I think any would have been done so do we want to debate having the students sit up here with us and participate call the question I second the question's been called are we going to move to have a seat in front roll call Vote Yes oh sorry to have a seat with the board members on the the stage yes a roll call to call the question oh sorry you're absolutely right Mr trayor the question's been called no I'm right the question's been called and it's going to be done and roll call so go ahead Miss Perez to determine if we're going to have the
020students sit up here on the stage TOA ban what would you like the students to come sit on the stage with us you have the options to pass to determine I pass okay because it doesn't matter it doesn't make sense Christine Baptist pz do you guys want to come up on this stage um to keep the confusion out we'll go up yes I know why you ask so I'll vote Yes wait you want to come up on I want to come up voluntarily tonight okay well would like to come up voluntar Mike on the stage oh um no we want to come on the stage or you want to speak from there we want to speak from the mic I will respect the students and I vote no that they won't be up I withraw
021the motion let's continue with the roll call vote you don't get to determine how the vote's going to go so the students want to stay at the podium I vote no for them to come on stage Albert benan yes aesa Casmir no LLY Medina I vote no because I want them to stay where they wish Jennifer perz no Joseph cvic yes at their option Robert Traer ask Andre Woodson no Taha Bane no they like to stay at the podium let them stay at the podium with that Robert Traer I already voted he said pass he said pass um abstain okay okay the not have it the students may present at this at the podium thank you good evening members of the board of and thank you for acknowledging our time here for at tonight's meeting
022we as students don't feel comfortable presenting our notes for this meeting because I we can't hear you so we want to help them help and you can hold the mic oh can we hold the mic perfect I'll start from the beginning we as students don't feel comfortable presenting our notes for this prior to being misformed to to the lack of communication between the board of administration selected students as of right now we don't have accurate information to present to the board so we will be abstaining from speaking on behalf our of our respective schools today thank you I don't think you have this make sure you state your name in the school for the record say alaz reporting from aquaculture regional bridge education sensor Rebecca Alida reporting from Central Magnet High School um I also
023want to say we really value everyone's time and we really appreciate that we get to express our opinions and voice our opinions um but as of right now the instruction that we were given prior to being selected as student Representatives is that we were going to just list kind of what we were doing over the course of the month and that was kind of it and honestly I don't think that's very productive I think that now we have proper instruction we were told um kind of like moving forward what it was going to be like and that we were going to have proper training and it seems like it would be more appropriate because we were very misinformed and we were not sure of what we were doing and so I just don't feel comfortable
024speaking and so do I I agree on that thank you thank you good night got some bright children that's right all right so the next item on the agenda is committee reports we'll start off with education diversity uh educational diversity equity and inclusion Mr sakovic point of information there are no committee members and no committee chairs so there can't be any and now that I got meetings in the interim I would like to make a motion to adjourn at or to a future time or in advance of time already set or when the assembly will thereby be dissolved okay so we'll do a roll call vote just discuss just for notice for the public Joe stop being a sore loser and Let It Go of information Madam chair the meeting is not adjourned until the
025chair says so and it needs to be discussion this is a this is a debatable motion Robert Rules of Order page Joe ask to read aloud if you were here I would treat you with more respect well then deleted that you wish you could be but you're not oh come on Rules of Order States this is a debatable motion number three debate a motion to ajour correct that is non debatable yes it is p go to number three please page T6 or go to your cheat sheet must be seconded it was this is a different kind of a journ I want to say something can I if anybody else would like to look at it it's highlighted in green sit down please no as an anybody needs it guys I'm sorry atrocious I'll call a
026motion for recess so that way the board can make a determination in half time that's not live on air do I have a second for reset I second that okay all in favor speak in recess because that would be all in favor I motion passes we are in recess yeah we coming back okay we're back in session the time is 7:45 the time is 7:45 p.m. I'll entertain a motion to adjourn the meeting Madam chair I all in favor I in favor I the eyes have it the motion has point of order point of order we this is what is no we need to stop this is no he just wanted we don't need to I have already set a have everything planned no no listen I'm turned around meing was illegal unbelievable because I
027tried to get