001To the flag, United America nation under God andice. All in favor? I >> I >> second favor. >> All right. Board members, good evening. It is definitely worth an applause. >> Board members, we just wanted to take a moment uh to recognize one of our team members, a team member whom you all know very well, uh Ryan, who is here with us each board meeting. Ryan is the recipient of the Sher Tucker ESP award. This is a state recognition um from the education support professional community and this recognition speaks to those qualities of leadership and service um that we know and see in Ryan as he serves at Eastwood Middle School and his commitment to this school system. And we believe he is certainly um deserving of this recognition. And I thank you board for
002taking a moment to recognize our very own Ryan Alford. Ryan, congratulations. >> I want to tell yall >> Ryan, you just want to tell us a couple two minutes just what what it is and and um what it means. >> The well the ESP award slash the AEA is for support. I can't say all the way, but I know um this this award I didn't I didn't expecting to get it, but I know it's an honor. But I love what I do. I love my job and I just take care of the kids each and every day. And it's it mean a lot to me, but it mean a lot all the people. So that's what I do. I do. >> I'm always serving the Lord. But I come here and get to serve y'all.
003>> It's all about passion. That's what I do. >> A >> Thank you. >> Congratulations. >> Thank you, Ryan. >> Okay. Item six will now recognize Senior Parker Evans of CHS Central High School acceptance to the Tuskeience program. Good evening, sir. >> Good evening. How are we doing? Dr. Dar and members of the board. Uh, gives me great pleasure to recognize Parker. Park has earned his place in the prestigious fall 2026 class of the Tuskegee University aviation science program. In a highly competitive admission cycle, from a national pool of more than 400 applicants, only 25 students nationwide were selected to join this elite cohort of future Tuskkegee aviators. Parker earned his place in the second modern cohort of the Tuskkegee Aviation Science Program, a program now revitalized by a $12 million investment with worldclass training
004at the historic Mtown field. In partnership with Lyft Academy, Parker will train on a fleet of advanced diamond D840 and D842 aircraft featuring state-of-the-art German G1000 glass cockpit. Parker excellence has been recognized with the prestigious Tuskigga University Achievement Scholarship awarding him $50,000 towards tuition as well as the Tuskigga University Presidential Air Force ROTC scholarship valued at 26,000. Additionally, as a member of cohort 2, Tuskegee University will fund 100% of its advanced flight training and certification and investment value roughly at $120,000. As Parker returns to the historic field, the historic airfield where Tesman once trained, he aims to become a commercial airline pilot pilot, ensuring that the red tail legacy of courage and barrier breaking lives out forever in every flight. Parker is the son of Miss Rosen Evan, a dedicated educator with over 28 years
005of service in Tuscaloo City Schools. Again, we celebrate Mr. Parker Ev. >> All right. Good evening. >> Good evening. >> My name is Parker Evans and I stand on the shoulders of giants. My fourth cousin, Lieutenant Colonel Harami Man, soar as one of the first Tuskegee airmen, breaking racial barriers as one of the first American, well, African-American pilots in history. My grandfather, Reverend Paul E. Moore, also played a vital role in American history as a welder on at the Apollo program at the Redstone Arsenal. Inspired by those twin legacies, I'm poised to take flight, this time as a modern aviator carrying the Red Tail legacy into a new era. As a senior at Central High School, my dedication to precision, earning my welding certificate credentials alongside leadership as a wrestling captain for three years, it
006reflects hard and unshakable resolve. Further demonstrated strategic balance at the 2024 2025 FBA state leadership conference where 2024 I placed first, 2025 I placed second. um manage high sex decision making and complex logistics skills essential to a future a Tuske University the only historical black college or university in Alabama offering a bachelor's in aviation science continues to lead in training African-American pilots. As I return to the historic Molton Field where the Tuskegee Airman once trained, I aim to become a commercial airline pilot, ensuring that the red tail legacy of courage and barrier breaking lives on in every flight. I am the son of Rosen M. Evans, a dedicated Rosen Big Ros. the sun in your eyes. A dedicated educator at Central High School with 28 years of experience. And I would like to um thank
007all of y'all and my mom, my principal, for recognizing me today. I'm just going to take a shameless plug. I had to throw in this picture. When Parker was six years old, back when I was in another body, I used to run marathons. And so when I would run and we went to Pensacola, of course, him and his love of aviation, we had to stop at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola with the Blue Angels. So I just was going through and I said, "Isn't it destiny that here it was those five times we went to the Alabama uh Southern Flight Museum in Birmingham and every time we had to stop that this is what he was doing." And of course, is going to Tuskegee, which even though it is a different color red for
008my beloved Alabama&M, he mistake, we're we're glad that he is going where he wants to go. And this is the joy that I feel when I see my son and um his dreams. And as all parents, we want to um feed into all our children to make sure that they're brains. And the fact that he is a fourth generation um our fourth cousin, Lieutenant Colonel Hire Man was an original Tusky airman, it just makes the whole circle full. So for Tuscoos, I thank you for giving him opportunities not only for just wrestling. In his interview, he had three of them. In his interview, he said that they asked him, "What was the most difficult thing?" He said, "Being out on that mat, being a wrestler, knowing that I am my own competition and I have
009to make sure that what I'm doing is great." He said, "The same thing is about flying." So the good thing is this time next year, he'll have his private pilot license. He get in the spring. Okay? >> And when he does, he does they call it cross country. So, he gets to land at Tuscaloosa International Airport and uh I might have to take a half day, go get lunch. >> I'm just saying. I'm just saying. But but yeah, when he does cross country, he'll get to go eat lunch with me and then we'll fly back to Tuskegee. So, that's part of his thousand hours that he gets in the aviation program. So, hopefully he won't be the last um recipient of this program. >> Congratulations. Miss, can you tell us that one day? Oh, Miss
010Evans, how long have you been here? >> 28 years. >> Well, I just asked that because you've always been in my life in for some reason like before the I just I just can't even remember what we always >> all when I was in school. So, it's just been a blessing um to have you in our school system. Um I remember Parker was a li he wasn't even born, you know, and so just to see him stand before us with such an honor. It just it warms my heart. I'm so proud of you, Parker. I pray many blessings, God, protection through all of it. And I'm excited. I want to know about next year um for the uh the landing and so we can just be somewhere by close by to see this cuz it's
011it's amazing that that's something that you know when you have a passion for something and you feed it. This is this is example of it and I'm big on having a passion for something. So I I'm excited very excited and very proud. >> Let me let me share this real quickly. Um on behalf of my wife who we talk about Nick's name nickname Parker, I have to say it. I'm sorry. Um she calls you affectionately Parkster. And um ever since um uh you were uh five, six, seven years old on up, we remember that you were in the halls of Central High School way to Freedom for various programs. To see you come up through FBA and all the ranks along the way, it is truly amazing. >> Even though when I sometimes I had
012given up my my um barberhop time to let you slide in to get your haircut so you can get to school on time, I remember all those great things. But listen, you're not trying to do extraordinary things and we're really proud of you in a day and time where our history try to be become erased by some of the ones that are there um where we're removed from museums and things of that nature and and I don't want to make this a political pipe but I just want you to understand that you know our history more than any of us. uh you've been around long enough to know and realize how important and how prestigious this opportunity is and I know you're not going to um not do anything but take full service of it
013and be the best that you can be. Your mom has been there every single step of the way through the through the tears and through the through the heart aches and the things like that. You were grown for such a time and we even talked about it even way back when u what your where your passion lies. So, I'm extremely excited for you. I'm definitely proud of you. My wife loves you just as much as I do and continue to do great things. Man, >> congratulations. >> Hey, Parker. I would just like to add that anytime we see one of our students have such a specific vision at your age. And we can already wow we're very very proud of you proud of your vision you know like they were saying please come back and
014tell us how >> good luck And you make Central High School very proud. Central alone on this board. >> You make the city of Tuscaloosa. >> Oh, definitely. >> Proud of you knowing that you come here. This is awesome. Congratulations and never stop. Keep going. >> But it's Central. So, let's just give Central credit. We Central alone. >> You gave Central credit, right? >> I gave the city of Tuscaloosa. >> Me, and we central alone. So, they're special to us. All right. >> And I'm sure if we get the date that you coming, Miss A is going to make sure that we have enough media out there >> covering it. Okay. >> All right. Item number seven, public comments on non-aggenda items. No one signed up to speak, which brings us to item eight, reports.
015Tonight, we'll hear from Dr. Derry, our superintendent. Receive information on strategic investment design to attract develop and retain high skilled special education professionals in our highest need classrooms. >> Board members, this is a presentation. We're not asking for any approval of this this evening. Um th this is an item that has been a discussion at this board table through the course of several years. Um and it is certainly based on our um our filling of vacancies for our special education classrooms. Um, today I think we're at at just over 10 vacancies in our special needs classrooms. Unfortunately, this has been a trend that we've had historically in years prior. Um, so Dr. Prescott, Dr. Cameron, Dr. Pope, Miss Scott, and several others pulled together, did a lot of listening sessions with a sample of our
016special education teachers, our um, and others who are in our classrooms to hear what they needed in support. Um, so the plan that Dr. Prescott is preparing to come up and and present. It's twofold. It's a plan of support. The workload and the support needed for teachers and paraprofessionals in special education classrooms. But the second part of it, which is what we will ask for you to receive and approve in the next board meeting, is a compensation component um with a a supplement for special education teachers, another one for self-contained teachers, and then also a pair of professionals in our um special needs classrooms. So, Dr. Prescott's going to go over this and again tonight it's for you to receive it. Um, we have certainly a couple of weeks for questions um and and anything
017that we need to look at or modify, but we would like to in our next board meeting have you approve this so that we one can focus on retaining our incredible special needs teachers and paraprofessionals today and then two, while we're on the recruiting trail now, we're able to provide something additional so that we can be competitive in getting the best talent for our students. Dr. Prescott. >> Thank you for forgive me a moment of your time this afternoon. Uh the initiative that we have uh are presenting tonight is something that we created by working with our special education teachers. It's not just about recruiting is uh retaining our special education teachers and providing support around them uh and making sure that we're listening. So what we did, we did a scan with two groups
018of teachers. Uh and with that scan, we were able to look at what worked and what we needed to work on. Uh and it was very important to hear them. Uh we pulled together a task force and pulled together all the information from the two groups and we developed a the premier initiative for special education. Uh you have this in front of you. This is an overall projection of what the initiative uh has and and what we want to do is just briefly go through this. Uh if you have any questions, we'll be glad to answer them. Of course, our initiative target is recruitment. It's very strategic with recruitment. uh we have to go out not just locally, we have to go outside in in the state of Alabama as well as nationally to be
019able to recruit our special education personnel as as well as our pair professionals. Uh and one of the things that we are looking at is competitive compensation for them. Uh they work very hard in their classrooms with a lot of needs. Uh and and we listen to them. We wanted to hear from him uh to to make sure that we're looking at the competitive pay and incentives uh for them and building around uh this is providing support and professional development. We came up with six six areas with the information from the two groups. Uh when we asked them what was number one uh it was competitive compensation and that's that's one thing that we will be uh looking at uh later in the presentation. case load IP organization, a lot of case load. We have
020a lot of students. Uh we're approximately around 1,600 students in Tusco City Schools receiving special education services. Uh and we have grown uh since CO almost 400 students uh overall. And so you see the the amount of students that we have in our district and and providing that support for them in the GED classroom as well as in the special education classrooms. But they talked about the case load and of course we're going to look at that as one of the areas to address uh with our case managers paperwork and planning support. They felt that they did not have enough time to even do paperwork. So what we decided to do is listen to them and they wanted time. So, we're providing professional development opportunities for them to have a day, one to two days
021each month just to do paperwork and be able to uh do the things that they need prepare for IEP meetings. The mentoring and new teacher induction is critical for all of our new teachers coming in and and supporting them. And what we're doing with new teacher orientation, we're going to provide them during the summer, three days of orientation to bring them in and just sit down with them and make sure that everyone is aware of what the expectations are not only in our district but for our students. Uh professional learning uh we are doing we are planning lunch and learns for our pair professionals. They do not have often opportunities uh to have professional development. So, we're putting together a series of lunch and learns that they're able to go log on for 30 to
02245 minutes, have some different uh professional development that they need and uh and be able then to gain that knowledge to support them in that classroom. The monitoring and program evaluation is one of the areas of course we want to evaluate how everyone is doing and our task force that we have is meeting with them on a regular basis to hear their concerns or hear the glows and grows that we need in our district. We have a 30 60 90day timeline for you. Uh of course meeting here this afternoon is a step one and just uh providing this information for you to hear. Uh and of course we want to launch this effort. Uh we have already started with providing professional development days for our teachers and we will be uh beginning our professional development
023for pair professionals in April. Again program launch and with the monitoring and expansion. This is the key area. This is your budget breakdown. Uh we uh look one of the areas that we looked at when we were talking with our our teachers is with that compensation is being able to provide all special education personnel with compensation. And that is with your special education teachers, your psychometric team members, uh your gifted specialist, uh your speech language pathologist. and we wanted to look at that as uh an area that we wanted to address uh as a district to uh provide incentive for them. But one area is our special education pair professionals. We cannot do what we do in our classrooms without our pair professionals. So we wanted to also give them the incentives uh and the
024stipens as well as the special education teachers and personnel. the self contain. That's one of the areas that we uh we really need to address as a district. Uh that is where our numbers are growing and that's where our classrooms need the most additional help uh in the classrooms. And so we're looking at providing our self-contained teachers $1,000 for uh per year as a uh supplement as well as pair professionals. There's your benefits. We're gonna be fully staffed. I I believe that we will be fully staffed in August. That is our goal. >> Uh and and so that is the primary focus of this initiative is be fully staffed to provide services for our students. >> What questions do you have? >> And it's in there that Dr. Prescott mentioned that we are what we'll
025propose at the next board meeting is that this will be a three-year term. >> Yes. >> And we'll evaluate it annually and At the end of that third year, we determined the continuation of this because and what Dr. Prescott also did and you see it in the framework there kind of modeled this after what we see in the teams act for math, science, and computer science teachers. So there are some additional days in the summer. There's some additional components of professional development that are part of that supplement and we kind of pulled that from the teams act that already exist in Alabama. So this would this would basically be something cutting edge that um no other system is doing currently. >> You're correct. I've spoke with a lot of directors across the state of Alabama.
026Uh I I work very closely with Alocase which is our professional organization and hearing what they're doing to recruit and they they want to hear what we're doing because we are on the cutting edge. we are the the the school district that others are looking at and so they're anxious to hear what we decide uh and how we're going to support our special education personnel. >> Okay. I think it's great. >> What's the downside? >> So the down Thank you. Good question. The downside that we see is all of our teachers are amazing and all of our teachers do incredible work in our classrooms. This really is a strategic decision out of market demand. There are not enough special education teachers to fill our classrooms. The downside would be any of our other hardworking teachers
027who are not a teams teacher or a special education teacher that would not um have this supplement. However, what is also built into this is what Dr. Cameron and Miss Scott presented to you earlier. If we have a general education teacher who says, "I want to be part of this." We have a pathway where we'll help provide tuition for a gened teacher to go into special education, get certified in special education, and then be eligible for this supplement and this support. So, should that be a driving force for one of our general education team members, we have a pathway that he or she can follow. I would see that as the the biggest downside to presenting something like this. Is there a way to make that pathway for general ed no cost to them? >>
028We already have that in what you all approved with Dr. Cameron and Miss Scott. So there that pathway exists. That's that um with Reach University and then specifically for this University of West Alabama where they could go back and get an alternate certificate and then become certified. >> Great question. Thank you for it. Thank you, Dr. Verit. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Introduction of motions resolution for our first reading which there are none. We have consent agenda items item 10 A 10 B and 10 C. May have a motion to approve. >> So move second. >> We have a motion. We have a second. All in favor? >> I. Anybody opposed to approved? Item 11, regular agenda items for final adoption. 11A, approve superintendent recommendations regarding changes in personnel. >> Dr. Cameron. >> Yes, sir.
029U you get the superintendent recommendations regarding changes in personnel. You also have supplemental list. I'll go through both with you. Certain on page one you have three retirements, six resignations, one new classified personnel, two transfer of administrative personnel, three part-time I'm sorry, five part-time extended day tutors, one part-time extend duderates to correction, two 2526 fall semester academic incentives, and one 202526 central high school athletic supplement. to the supplemental list. You have one retirement, one resignation, two new certified personnel, three 2526 contracted coaches, three part-time extended a tutors, one 202526 Paul W Bryant High School athletic supplement removal, and one 202526 Stoa contracted employee. >> All right. Thank you, Dr. Cameron. Are there any sets for a separate vote? Last call for setides. All right. Hearing no set aside. May I have a motion to approve?
030>> So move. >> Second. >> We have a motion. We have a second. Do you have any questions about board members numbers? >> I don't have a question. But about number three, I just this is I'm just I'm sad for all of the future kids at Verer that don't get to experience his leadership. And um I mean Verer, we love all of our schools, but is me personally Um, you know, my husband went to Burner, both of my kids went to Verner, and I mean, this person has been a fixture there for I mean, I don't even know how many years, but anytime you were going into first grade, it was like, "Oh, I hope you get this person." And it's just I'm I just it's it's been a long time of um he's been
031doing a tremendous job at that school and just um thank you just doesn't begin to cover it but I hope he has felt the love and um we'll be sorry to see him go. >> Yeah. He's been with us since 1992. >> February of 1992. >> Wow. >> February what? February 1992. >> 35 plus years. >> Yeah, it's for a personal reason, but you'll see uh on the supplemental list number 12. >> Okay. >> Yeah. He's going to a different position. Um the uh school in Demopoulos. All right. Any other questions? I'll call for vote. All in favor? >> I. Anybody opposed? Those will be approved. Thank you, Dr. Cameron. 11. discuss approved summer PHIP insurance coverage. >> Yes sir. So you see the PHIP 3 in1 rule. Uh so this means that employees that
032are hired in late December or in mid-Marchch, they don't earn sufficient months uh to have their insurance covered in June and July. And even those hired after March through the school year, they don't earn that sufficient month to have this uh coverage for uh the months of of June and July as well. So, what we're proposing is that the city schools pay our part. Uh and what you'll see that our part is $94 um per employee. The employee will pay his or her part as they typically do. Uh right now we've got 10 employees. Uh I'm sorry, 18 employees that this is affecting. So it would cost the system a little over $16,000. If we hire some people a little bit after, let's say we hired 10 people, it would have cost us an extra
033uh $18,000, bringing that total to 34,352. But what it is, we think this is a great retention tool that um we don't want our employees if they've hired late to have to pay their own allocation for insurance. We pick up our part, the $94 per employee while they stay pick up that part and there's no lapse in insurance coverage. And I want to give a special shout out. Melissa Wilson is our benefits coordinator. She found this out and has been really the uh person that said, "Let's do this for employees." So, um, we're hopefully, uh, through this recommendation, we'll be able to do that. >> Thank you, Dr. Bo. Have a motion to approve. >> So, move second. Do we have any questions or discussion? I feel like we all do that. I think little
034things like this certain sets us apart. Thank you for doing that. >> Yes, sir. Thank you. >> All right. Call for a vote. All in favor? >> I. >> Anybody opposed? Be approved. Thank you, Dr. Cameron. 11 C. Discuss approved skill trade in West Alabama. Good evening, sir. >> Good evening, board. Tonight, I'm presenting the request from the skills trades of West Alabama to utilize two rooms. next to our transportation department. Uh these two rooms will be used for training for their projects. Uh the rooms are not currently utilized. Uh training will enhance rooms and the program will help support the skills of our um past student future students that we have. >> Thank you, Mr. Smith. Board may have a motion to approve. >> So move. >> Second. >> Questions or discussion? >> So
035Mr. and Mr. Lucas and Dr. renovation basically for that space. Great job. >> Thank you. >> Any other questions? Board may have a motion to approve. I'm sorry. >> I'll call for a vote. I'm sorry. All in favor? >> I. Anybody opposed? Be approved. >> Item 11 D. Discuss approve TCS preK partnering partnering with Alabama early childhood to participate in the state's early childhood education apprenticeship program. That's a mouthful. >> It is. Yes, sir. And I'll be Dr. Pope or I'll try to be this evening if that's okay. Um board members, this is a recommendation for us to uh partner with the agencies that you see there. This is essentially an apprenticeship model so that we can help grow our own from paraprofessionals to teachers. Um and this one is specific for early learning. So
036grade the early grades in this case prek. Today we only have one employee who would fall under this. And in in theory, what would happen is we get funding support from the state apprenticeship office to support this person going through tuition and experiences that will lead in certification so that the person can be a lead teacher in one of our pre-K classrooms. So, it's growing our own teachers with our current personnel base. So, this is for the early learning. We believe we're in conversation now with the um state apprenticeship office um that we will come back later with a similar for other grades and other subject matter um to do this very same thing with other employees who can become teachers in our classroom and then also with Miss Lowry's class where our teach our
037our high school students can participate in an apprenticeship and then continue through to become a teacher. So this is just the one now for our early learning with prek and the office of apprenticeship. >> Thank you Dr. Gary. We have a motion to approve. >> So move second. >> Any questions or discussion? You think they might come up with enough to get us one or two more prek classes? >> That'd be nice. I know, right? >> How large just I know this is different, but how big is the weight? Because I get >> for prek. >> I think this year we were operating, don't quote me on this, Mr. Lucas, I'm not looking at the but I think this this last year we were in between 30 and 40. I don't know what the weight
038list is now because they're working through the weight list now trying to fill in spots as people decline spots. This current year we're at about 30 to 40. >> A lot of phone calls. >> I understand. >> And if they anyone who could um pair a partner with Miss Lowry would um certainly be um enhanced by her instructions and her guidance. She's a outstanding outstanding prek teacher. >> Since she was our child prek, >> you're giving her up. >> In fact, that's where I met Would you like to speak? >> See, I didn't I did not say that, you know. >> All right. Call for vote. All in favor? >> I. Anybody opposed? >> That'll be approved. >> Item 11, discuss approval first contracts for South Elementary SP unit and targeted support improvement grant funding
039for co-eing units. board members, we receive funding from the state because of our special achievement a special student achievement gap at Southview Elementary School. Um, which is we we need to close that gap and that's what those funds are for. So, the recommendation is to provide additional uh special needs coaching at Southview with those funds and to provide the funding to continue the teacher unit for the vacancy at Southw Elementary School so that we don't have any lapse in services for our special education class there. So that's all wrapped up in that one recommendation using funds provided by the state. >> Thank you Dr. Motion to approve. >> Do we have any questions or discussion? >> I'll call for all in favor. >> I approve item 12 business to attend to. Does any have a
040general announcement? We have student hearing next Tuesday at central office 5:30. Okay. Any other announcements? >> Thank you. >> Can you drop me? >> Yeah. >> My sister got