02/10/2026 - Regular Meeting

001Karen Perez: WELCOME TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I'M NADIA COMBS, SCHOOL CHAIR. OUR TEAM IS MADE UP OF 24,000 PEOPLE WORKING AT CLOSE TO 250 SITES ACROSS THE COUNTY. I OUR BOARD MEETINGS ARE SELECT TUESDAYS AT 4:00 P.M. THE BEST WAY TO SERVE STUDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY IS TO INVOLVE YOU THE PUBLIC IN WHAT WE DO. YOU ARE WELCOME TO MEET OR EMAIL ANY OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS AND FOLLOW OUR DISTRICT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS ARE COVERED LIVE BY HILLSBOROUGH SCHOOLS. MEETINGS ARE STREAMED LIVE ON HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.org. WE WILL INCLUDE TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS. OUR AGENDA CAN BE VIEWED ONLINE IN ADVANCE. THEY ARE POSTED SEVEN DAYS BEFORE EACH MEETING ON OUR WEB SITE AT HILLSBOROUGHSCHOOLS.org. OUR VISION IS PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE, ALL STUDENTS EVERY DAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR

002COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION. WITH YOUR HELP, WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS THAT SHAPE OUR COMMUNITY'S FUTURE. THE BOARD MEETING OF FEBRUARY ORDER. MEMBER COMBS WILL LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. THANK YOU, CHAIR PEREZ. PLEASE JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE. [ MOMENT OF SILENCE ] THANK YOU. NOW, PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. [RECITING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] Chairperson: THANK YOU, MEMBER COAST GUARD. PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE OUR STUDENT ENTERTAINMENT. I'D LIKE TO THANK BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL DANCE EDUCATION ALONG WITH PRINCIPAL TOBY JOHNSON AND DIRECTORS KELLY RAIL AND ALBY NA ARNADOVA. THESE WONDERFUL STUDENTS ENTERTAIN US PRIOR TO THE START OF THE BOARD MEETING. AT THIS TIME WE WOULD LIKE TO INVITE THE STUDENTS UP TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES. YOU DID A WONDERFUL JOB, LADIES. PLEASE COME UP. HELLO, EVERYBODY. MY

003NAME I HAVE HAD THE PLEASU THE DIRECTOR OF THE BALLET PROGRAM AT BLAKE FOR 23 YEARS, SO PROUDLY PRESENTING OUR TALENTED STUDENTS. THANK YOU AGAIN. GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD. MY NAME IS KELLY RAIL, AND I AM THE DIRECTOR OF THE MODERN DANCE PROGRAM, AND I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE FOR US TO SHARE OUR PASSION AND LOVE OF THE ARTS. AND THERE'S A FAMOUS SAYING, THOSE THAT LIKE TO DANCE, AND THERE ARE THOSE THAT HAVE TO DANCE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANK YOU, ASHLEY, FOR SUPPORTING US. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS ISABELLE GESKE A SENIOR AT BLAKE. HELLO, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS ELIANA VASON AND I'M A JUNIOR AT BLAKE. JORDY CLARK AND I AM A JUNIOR AT BLAKE. DAHLIA AND I'M A SENIOR. HI, MY NAME IS REBECCA

004LEON AND I'M A SENIOR. HI, MY NAME IS VALERIE TORES AND I'M A JUNIOR. HI, MY NAME IS OLIVIA SKAGGS AND I'M A JUNIOR. HI, MY NAME IS NADIA ADAMS AND I'M A SENIOR. GOOD AFTERNOON. NAMES JERRY ANN LOU AND I'M A SENIOR. REDNER, AND I'M A SENIOR. MY NAME IS KENDALL TIRK, SENIOR. JADA HEAVENLY AND I'M A SENIOR. DARRELL WATSON AND I'M A SENIOR. ALISHA BROOKS AND I'M ALSO A SENIOR. WE HAVE ONE WITHDRAWAL ITEM, 201, MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS CORPORATION FOR IMPENDING FUTURE -- IMPLEMENTING FUTURE CAREER ACADEMY. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADOPT THE AGENDA. I HAVE A MOTION BY LIN GRAY AND SECOND BY JESSICA VAUGHN. ANY DISCUSSION? PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. LET THE RECORD REFLECT ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT.

005I HAVE ONE SET OF MINUTES TO BE APPROVED TODAY, JANUARY 27, 2026, SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY AND SECOND BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. BOARD MEMBERS, I WOULD LIKE TO GO OVER THE FORMAT OF TODAY'S MEETING. WE ARE A NON-PARTISAN BOARD WHO BELIEVE ALL CHILDREN CAN BE EMPOWERED TO LEARN TO SUCCEED AND OUR DECISIONS WILL BE MADE WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING. TO PAVE THE WAY FOR AGENDA SITUATIONS AND STATEMENTS, BOARD MEMBERS WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK, 30 SECONDS FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. AFTERWARDS, THE SUPERINTENDENT CAN RESPOND. IF YOU HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS, YOU ARE ASKED TO GET BACK IN THE QUEUE. MEMBER COMBS WILL NOW READ BOARD GUIDELINES. THANK YOU MB PEREZ. ALL CHILDREN CAN

006BE EMPOWERED TO SUCCEED AND OUR DECISIONS WILL BE MADE WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING. TO PAVE THE WAY FOR EFFICIENT AGENDA STATEMENTS AND SESSIONS BOARD MEMBERS HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK, 30 SECONDS FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. AFTERWARDS, SUPERINTENDENT CAN RESPOND. FOR FURTHER QUESTIONS, ASK TO GET BACK INTO THE QUEUE. Chairperson: ONE ITEM SCHEDULED FOR TIME CERTAIN, 6:00 STUDENT INPUT. THE BOARD MEMBERS WELCOME COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS AND VALUES YOUR INPUT TO THE BOARD. IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSE TO YOUR COMMENTS, OUR STAFF WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND WILL KEEP OUR BOARD INFORMED ABOUT THE RESPONSES. OUR SCHOOL BOARD RESPECTS THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING YOUR TIME TO BE HERE. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK ABOUT ANY ISSUE AND YOU WILL NOT BE INTERRUPTED. HOWEVER, ANY BEHAVIOR

007INTENDED TO INTERRUPT THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THIS MEETING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED. WE REQUEST YOU TRY TO FOCUS ON THE ISSUES. WHEN ADDRESSING THE BOARD, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND SPEAK CLEARLY INTO THE MICROPHONE. THIS AMP, EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES. REMINDER THAT YOUR THREE MINUTES START WHEN YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. WHEN THERE ARE 30 SECONDS LEFT, YOU WILL SEE A YELLOW LIGHT ON THE LECTERN AND HERE A CHIME. THE RED LIGHT AND THE CHIME WILL INDICATE WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP. I WILL NOW CALL UP THE FIRST FIVE SPEAKERS. MARK CLITHO LARGO. HERE'S A COLUMN FROM THE CHAIR, TALKS OF SCHOOLS OF HOPE AND STATE INFLUENCE. WELL, YOU KNOW, ABOUT AS MUCH AS I CAN SAY HERE, THE FUTURE IS DIM, VERY DIM. WITH THE STATE IN CHARGE, THE HEALTH OF THE STUDENTS, NOT

008GOOD. AND THEN HERE'S A COLUMN FROM LAST FRIDAY. IT'S VERY COLD, JUST WAIT FOR THE GRID TO FAIL. NOT AND IT STARTS, IT MIGHT NOT BE OBVIOUS, BUT IT HAS BEEN A BIT CHALLENGING TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON -- I LOVE THIS -- EVERYBODY USING THAT STATEMENT, "KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON," LIKE THAT'S THE BIG EFFORT, KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON. WELL, TODAY, EVERYBODY SHOULD BE USING L.E.D.s, AND THOSE USE VERY LITTLE ELECTRICITY. THAT'S NOT THE BIG DRAIN. WHEN YOU HAVE THE STUPID BUILDINGS LIKE YOU DO, WHERE'S THE BIG DRAW? IT'S YOUR HVACs. AND WHEN YOU MAKE THE STUPID BUILDINGS LIKE YOU DO, THAT ARE BELCHING CARBON LIKE THEY DO,, THEN THERE'S WHERE ALL THAT CARBON GETS BELCHED. AND, OF COURSE, THIS FOOL, LIKE SO MANY OTHERS, HAS ITS FIXATION ON THE GRID. AND GOES ON TO

009SAY, WE NEED MORE NUCLEAR, AND WE ALL KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH THAT. LOOK AT CRYSTAL RIVER. TOOK FUKASHIMA AND OTHERS. YOU MAKE THE BUILDINGS RIGHT. YOU JUST CAN'T GET THAT ONE. Chairperson: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD. MY NAME IS FRED HERNS, 1966 OF GEORGE MIDDLETON HIGH SCHOOL. MY CLASS WILL CELEBRATE OUR 60th CLASS REUNION LATER THIS YEAR. I'M HERE THIS EVENING TO WISH YOU HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH. 100 YEARS AGO AT THE WABASH YMCA IN CHICAGO, DR. CARTER G. WOODSON DECIDED IT WAS TIME FOR AMERICA TO SET ASIDE A WEAK EVERY YEAR TO CELEBRATE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF BLACK PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY. THEREFORE, NEGRO HISTORY WEEK WAS BORN IN 1926, 100 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK. 50 YEARS LATER, WHEN THE COUNTRY WAS CELEBRATING OUR BICENTENNIAL, PRESIDENT GERALD FORD PROCLAIMED NEGRO HISTORY WEEK

010WOULD, FROM THAT MOMENT FORWARD, BE RECOGNIZED AS BLACK HISTORY MONTH. AND THAT BRINGS US TO TODAY. EARLIER THIS EVENING, I PASSED OUT FLYERS -- I HOPE YOU ALL GOT ONE. THE TAMPA BAY HISTORY CENTER WILL BE CELEBRATING OUR FIFTH ANNUAL BLACK HISTORY MONTH RECEPTION ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27th, DOORS OPEN AT 5:00 P.M. WE'RE CELEBRATING THIS YEAR AT TAMPA'S BLACK HISTORY MUSEUM. AND THE ENCORE DEVELOPMENT OWNED BY TAMPA HOUSING AUTHORITY AND WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP TO MANAGE THIS FACILITY SOMETIME IN THE MIDDLE OF NEXT YEAR, IT WILL OPEN AT TAMPA'S FIRST BLACK HISTORY MUSEUM. MEANWHILE, WE HAVE BEEN PROGRAMMING OUT OF THAT FACILITY. YOU'RE ALL INVITED TO COME. WE'VE HAD SEVERAL OF YOU WHO HAVE COME IN THE PAST. I KNOW YOU'VE ENJOYED THE PROGRAM, AND WE HAVE SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL THIS YEAR. WE ARE RECOGNIZING

011THE FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN NEWSPAPER WITH THE SAN SO THE AWARD THEY'VE DONE FOR YEARS TO HELP PRESERVE BLACK HISTORY. ALSO, RIVERVIEW HIGH SCHOOL IS GOING TO RECEIVE THE THURGOOD MARSHALL HISTORY AWARD THIS YEAR. EACH YEAR, WE SELECT A POOLE SCHOOL TO RECEIVE THIS AWARD FOR KEEPING ALIVE THE LEGACY OF THURGOOD MARSHALL WHO, BY THE WAY, SPENT TIME HERE IN TAMPA AND HILLSBORO COUNTY FIGHTING FOR EQUAL PAY FOR BLACK TEACHERS AND DOING MANY OTHER THINGS TO HELP OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. FOR THAT, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO GO TO OUR WEB SITE. IT'S ON THE FLIER. ALL THE INFORMATION IS THERE. WE CANAL YOU. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27th, TAMPA'S BLACK HISTORY MUSEUM. AND AGAIN, HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS SUE AND I'M A PARENT

012OF TWO CHILDREN AT DOBY. MY DAUGHTER AND SON. SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR, DOBY HAS ENROLLED 90 NEW STUDENTS AND 40 OF THOSE ENROLLMENTS HAVE HAPPENED JUST SINCE JANUARY AT A TIME WHEN MANY SCHOOLS ARE STRUGGLING TO MAINTAIN ENROLLMENT, DOBY IS GROWING. THAT TELLS A POWERFUL STORY. FAMILIES ARE VOTING WITH THEIR FEET AND CHOOSING THIS SCHOOL. BECAUSE OF THAT GROWTH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT WE'RE REALLY ASKING FOR, A K-8 CONVERSION ISN'T ABOUT CONVENIENCE, IT'S ABOUT STABILITY. STABILITY AND AN ACADEMIC INTERVENTION. EVERY MAJOR SCHOOL TRANSITION IS A RISK POINT FOR STUDENTS AND THE K-8 MODEL REMOVES ONE OF THOSE TRANSITIONS DURING SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTAL YEARS. I REGULARLY TALK WITH FAMILIES WHO WANT TO ATTEND DOBY BUT CHOOSE MAGNET OR CHARTER K-8 OPTIONS INSTEAD BECAUSE THEY WANT CONTINUITY FOR

013THEIR CHILDREN, NOT BECAUSE THEY PREFER THE SCHOOLS. A K-8 DOBY KEEPS FAMILIES IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, POOLE AND STRENGTHENS PUBLIC SCHOOL AND STRENGTHENS CONFIDENCE IN THEIR DISTRICT. THIS IS MORE THAN A GRADE LEVEL CHANGE. I AM CHOOSING THE COMMUNITY I'M HOPING THEY CAN GROW UP IN, NOT JUST WHERE THEY GO THIS YEAR. I WANT MY CHILDREN TO BUILD LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS WITH TEACHERS, STAFF AND PEERS AND CONTINUE TO FEEL DOBY IS THEIR HOME. AT THE SAME TIME WE RECOGNIZE AND RESPECT ABOUT QUESTIONS RAISED BY MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAMMING INCLUDING ENRICHMENT STUDENTS AND MAKING SURE STUDENTS' ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL NEEDS ARE MET. AS A PARENT IMROP WE ARE COMMITTED TO WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DISTRICT TO HELP SHAPE A STRONG MIDDLE SCHOOL MOTTLE TO REFLECT WHAT FAMILIES VALUE AND THE DISTRICT CAN REALISTICALLY SUPPORT FROM A STAFFING AND

014PROGRAMMING PERSPECTIVE. WE CONTINUE TO RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT LONG-TERM PLANNING INCLUDE A PERMANENT MIDDLE SCHOOL WING AND GYMNASIUM SIMILAR TO THE COLLINS K-8 CONVERSION PLAN RATHER THAN RELYING SOLELY ON MOD LARS NOW AND TRYING TO SOLVE PERMANENT FACILITIES LATER. FAMILIES WANT A THOUGHTFUL, LASTING SOLUTION FROM THE START. WE UNDERSTAND FUNDING IS COMPLEX, AND WE BELIEVE POTENTIAL PATHWAYS INCLUDING A POTENTIAL HALF-CENT TAX IN NOVEMBER BALLOT ARE WORTH EXPLORING. WHILE ENROLLMENT IS DEPARTING IN MANY PARTS TO HAVE THE COUNTY AND STATE, OUR COMMUNITY APPEARS TO BE AN EXCEPTION AND DOBY'S GROWTH REFLECTS THAT. EXPANDING A SUCCESSFUL GROWING SCHOOL IS A SMART INVESTMENT AND A PROACTIVE SOLUTION. WE'RE ASKING YOU TO RECOGNIZE THE MOMENTUM AT DOBY AND TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP TOWARD MAKING IT A K-8 SCHOOL. THANK YOU. READY? HI. MY NAME IS GIANNI. I AM SIX

015YEARS OLD. I LIKE TO TALK ABOUT MY SCHOOL DOBY. I LOVE MY SCHOOL FRIENDS AND TEACHERS. I GO TO DOBY WITH MY BIG SISTER. THAT MAKES ME HAPPY. MY SISTER IS EIGHT YEARS OLD. I LOOK UP TO THE BIG KIDS AT SCHOOL LIKE MY SISTER. I THINK IT WOULD BE COOL TO HAVE BIGGER KIDS AT MY SCHOOL. WHEN I AM OLDER, I WANT TO RIDE MY BIKE TO SCHOOL. WHEN MY MOMMY AND DADDY SAY I CAN, I HOPE I CAN STAY AT DOBY. THANK YOU FOR LIST ANYTHING LIST THANK YOU. CAN SPEAKERS SIX THROUGH ELEVEN COME UP? NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD. I AM HERE ON BEHALF OF DOBY ELEMENTARY FAMILIES TO ADVOCATE FOR DOBY INTO A K-8 SCHOOL. FIRST I WANT TO SINCERELY THANK SEVERAL OF YOU

016ON THE BOARD FOR TAKING THE TIME TO MEET TO US, LISTEN TO OUR CONCERNS AND ENGAGE IN THOUGHTFUL DIALOGUE AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE PROCESS. THOSE CONVERSATIONS HAVE MATTERED AND HELPED ME ENFORCE THIS BOARD VALUES COMMUNITY INPUT AND COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING. I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK MS. VAUGHN IN ADVANCE FOR COMMITTING TO VISIT DOBY UPCOMING THURSDAY FEBRUARY 12. WE'RE TRULY APPRECIATIVE OF YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SEE OUR SCHOOL FIRSTHAND, MEET OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF AND BETTER UNDERSTAND BOTH THE STRENGTHS OF OUR CAMPUS AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT LAY AHEAD. AS PARENTS, WE ARE ADVOCATING FOR A K-8 EXPANSION BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IT IS A SOLUTION THAT SUPPORTS ACADEMIC CONTINUITY, EMOTIONAL STABILITY AND LONG-TERM STUDENT SUCCESS. OUR FAMILIES WANT TO KEEP CHILDREN CONNECTED TO THE TEACHERS, PEERS AND SCHOOL CULTURE THAT HAVE ALREADY INVESTED SO DEEPLY IN THEM.

017RESEARCH AND REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE CONSISTENTLY SHOW K-8 MODELS CAN REDUCE TRANSITION STRESS, IMPROVE BEHAVIOR OUTCOMES AND STRENGTHEN SCHOOL COMMUNITIES. DOBY HAS THE LEADERSHIP, THE STAFF, THE FAMILY ENGAGEMENT AND THE COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE NEEDED TO SUPPORT THIS EXPANSION. OUR REQUEST IS NOT JUST ABOUT CONVENIENCE, IT'S ABOUT THOUGHTFUL PLANNING, EFFICIENT USE OF EXISTING RESOURCES, AND PROVIDING A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT WHERE STUDENTS CAN THRIVE THROUGH SOME OF THEIR MOST FORMATIVE YEARS. TONIGHT, WE ASK THAT THE BOARD CONTINUE TO EXPLORE THIS OPPORTUNITY WITH AN OPEN MIND, CONSIDER DOBY AS A VIABLE PILOT OR PHASE K-8 EXPANSION AND KEEP THIS CONVERSATION MOVING FORWARD. WE STAND READY TO PARTNER WITH YOU, ANSWER QUESTIONS AND WORK COLLABORATIVELY TOWARD A SOLUTION THAT SERVES STUDENTS, FAMILIES AND THE DISTRICT AS A WHOLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR CONTINUED CONSIDERATION. HI. MY NAME

018IS BENJAMIN. I'M SIX YEARS OLD. I WANT DOBY TO BE A K-8 SCHOOL BECAUSE MY BROTHER WENT THERE AND HE ALWAYS TELLS ME GOOD THINGS ABOUT IT. WHEN I HEAR ABOUT HIS TEACHERS AND THE SCHOOL, IT MAKES ME WANT TO GO THERE, TOO. IF DOBY WAS A CAIGHT K-8, KIDS COULD START THERE AND STAY THERE WITH OUR BROTHERS OR SISTERS. I THINK THAT WOULD HELP KIDS FEEL HAPPY AND NOT NERVOUS ABOUT CHANGING SCHOOLS. I REALLY HOPE I GET TO GO TO THE SAME SCHOOL AS MY BROTHER SOME DAY. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME. Chairperson: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, JUAN HERNANDEZ, PART OF THE DOBY K-8 EXPANSION INITIATIVE. I WANT TO THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD FOR MEETING WITH US OVER THE PAST FEW MONTH REGARDING OUR DESIRE TO

019HAVE DOBY EXPANDED. P COMMENTS HAVE BEEN INSIGHTFUL. THERE IS A GROWING FOCUS ON ENSURING WE HAVE ACCESS TO DIVERSE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS FOR THE VARYING NEEDS OF OUR CHILDREN. THE GENESIS OF THIS GROUP CAME AS A DESIRE FOR PUBLIC OPTIONS IN THE COMMUNITY. THIS IS EVIDENT WHEN APOLLO BEACH EXPENDED TO K-8 AND I'M SURE WHATEVER NUMBERS ARE, THIS IS THE CURRENT WILL OF THE COMMUNITY. ONE OF THE MAIN POINTS WE'VE HEARD HAS BEEN ABOUT THE STRONG PROGRESS THAT IS BEING MADE AT EISENHOWER MIDDLE SCHOOL TO ONE BACK THE TRUST OF THE COMMUNITY. UNDERSTAND THAT THE CONFIDENCE THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS CONVEYED IN EISENHOWER'S PRINCIPLE KRISTEN FINCH AND HOW HE DID AN AMAZING JOB DRIVING THE SCHOOL'S TRANSFORMATION GAVE SOME CONFIDENCE THE SCHOOL WAS ON THE PATH TO MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE AREA. I WOULD LIKE

020TO CONVEY THE DISAPPOINTMENT PRINCIPAL FINCH WAS MOVED TO ANOTHER MIDDLE SCHOOL. DOBY IS ROOTED IN THE SOUTH SHORE REASON AND TAKING AWAY A PRINCIPAL DRIVING A CHANGE AT THE LOCALLY ZONED SCHOOL FEELS LIKE THE VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY IS NOT HEARD. WE BELIEVE EISENHOWER SHOULD BE GIVEN THE NECESSARY SUPPORT AND RESOURCES TO SUCCEED SO THAT THE COMMUNITY'S CONFIDENCE CAN BE EARNED BACK, TO LEARN SOMEONE LOOKED ATS WITH ATS WITH UP BEST PRINCIPALS IN THE COUNTY WAS BEING MOVED FROM A SCHOOL THAT OUR LEADERS HERE HAVE HEARD COMMUNITY CONCERNS ABOUT TAKES FOCUS AWAY FROM THE PROGRESS BEING MADE. REMOVING THE LEADER WHO WAS ACTIVELY ADDRESSING THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY ONLY CREATES MORE HESITANCY FOR PARENTS IN THE COMMUNITY. I HOPE WHOEVER IS CHOSEN AS A REPLACEMENT FOR PRINCIPAL FINCH IS ABLE TO CONTINUE THE PATH

021TO SUCCESS LAID OUT BY PRINCIPAL FINCH AND GIVEN FULL SUPPORT AND RESOURCES TO MAKE SURE THE SCHOOL IS A LOCATION FOR EDUCATION IN SOUTH COUNTY WHERE WE CAN CONTINUE TO SEE POPULATION GROWTH. CONTINUITY IS KEY FOR EISENHOWER'S SUCCESS. CREATING MORE PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICES LIKE DOBY K-8 EXPANSION AND GIVING EISENHOWER MORE SUPPORT TO SUPPORT WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THEIR CAMPUS, THE KEY IS TO MAKE SURE PARENTS ARE CONFIDENT IN OUR LOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND CREATING HAVENS FOR OUR STUDENTS TO THRIVE. EXPANDING DOBY K-8 IS A DECISION THAT HELPS SUPPORT THAT AREA THAT BUILDS CONFIDENCE FROM THE COMMUNITY AND OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT IS PREPARING OUR STUDENTS FOR LIFE. THE ONLY THING MORE POWERFUL THAN HATE IS LOVE. Chairperson: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKERS. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND DISTRICT LEADERSHIP. MY NAME IS SABRINA, I AM A

022PARENT IN THE APOLLO BEACH COMMUNITY AND MY CHILDREN ATTEND DOBY, KELSEY WRITES, MY FAMILY HAS BEEN A PART OF THE COMMUNITY SINCE 2013. WE HAVE WATCHED OUR DISTRICT GROW AND EVOLVE OVER THE YEARS AND REMAINED COMMITTED TO PUBLIC EDUCATION BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN ITS MISSION AND IMPACT. DOBY ELEMENTARY HAS BEEN A CENTRAL PART OF THAT EXPERIENCE FOR YOUR FAMILY, IT HAS PROVIDED A SAFE, STRUCTURED AND SUPPORTED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT WHERE OUR DAUGHTERS THRIVED ACADEMICALLY AND SOCIALLY. I AM THE MOTHER OF THREE CHILDREN, PAISLEY, HARPER AND HAYDEN. MY HUSBAND WORKS AWAY FROM HOME AND IS ONLY HOME EVERY OTHER WEEKEND SO I AM THE SOLE PROVIDER FOR DAILY CHILDCARE, TRANSPORTATION AND CHILDCARE. WE RELY ON HEAVILY STRONG ACCESSIBLE NEIGHBORHOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS. AS WE LOOK AHEAD TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL TRANSITION, WE ARE FACING A VERY DIFFICULT AND

023EMOTIONAL DECISION WITH ONGOING PRINCIPAL AND LEADERSHIP CHANGES, MANY FAMILIES FEEL UNCERTAIN ABOUT LONG-TERM STABILITY. THE MIDDLE SCHOOL WE ARE CURRENTLY ZONED FOR HAS BEEN A SOURCE OF CONCERN FOR MANY FAMILIES WHEN IT COMES TO OF ALL SCHOOL CLIMATE AND STUDENTS' SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES. WHILE I RECOGNIZE THE EFFORTS OF DEDICATED STAFF, IT DOES NOT CURRENTLY FEEL LIKE THE MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENT HAS BEEN MADE TO MANAGE STUDENT BEHAVIOR, REDUCE BULLYING AND ENSURE A CONSTANT LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. AS A PARENT, THIS PLACES US IN AN IMPOSSIBLE POSITION. WE WANT TO KEEP OUR CHILDREN WITHIN THE DISTRICT, ENGAGED IN PUBLIC EDUCATION AND SUPPORTED BY TRAINED EDUCATORS. HOWEVER, WE DO NOT FEEL CONFIDENT THE CURRENT ZONED OPTION WILL PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF SAFETY, STRUCTURE AND EMOTIONAL WELL BEING OUR CHILDREN NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL. WE HAVE EXPLORED SCHOOLS OF CHOICE BUT

024THE REALITY IS ACCESS IS EXTREMELY LIMITED. WITHOUT SIBLING PREFERENCE OR STAFF CONNECTIONS, ACCEPTANCE IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY. AS A RESULT, THE ONLY OPTION THAT CURRENTLY FEELS SAFE IS HOME SCHOOLING DURING THE MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS, NOT BECAUSE IT'S OUR PREFERENCE BUT BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE OUR ONLY VIABLE ALTERNATIVE. THIS IS WHY THE PROPOSED EXPANSION OF DOBY ELEMENTARY IS SO IMPORTANT. EXPANDING DOBY IS A PROACTIVE INVESTMENT IN STUDENT SUCCESS AND ENROLLMENT RETENTION. IT KEEPS FAMILIES IN THE DISTRICT WHO MIGHT OTHERWISE FEEL FORCED TO LEAVE TRADITIONAL POOLS PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND PROVIDES CONTINUITY, STABILITY AND CLEAR K-8 PATHWAY. WITHIN A SCHOOL COMMUNITY THAT ALREADY DEMONSTRATES A POSITIVE CULTURE AND STRONG FAMILY ENGAGEMENT. I RESPECTFULLY URGE THE BOARD TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS EXPANSION. FOR FAMILIES LIKE MINE, IT REPRESENTS THE DIFFERENCE OF STAYING CONNECTED TO THE DISTRICT OR PUSHED FORWARD

025TO OPTIONS WE NEVER WANTED TO CHOOSE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, YOUR SERVICE, FOR LISTENING TO OUR CONCERNS. Chairperson: THANK YOU. HI, MY NAME IS ELKLIN DONOVAN AND I AML IN SECOND GRADE AND I AM EIGHT YEARS OLD. I HAVE BEEN AT DOBY ELEMENTARY SINCE KINDERGARTEN, AND I REALLY LOVE MY SCHOOL. MY TEACHERS KNOW ME, AND I FEEL SAFE THERE EVERY DAY. RIGHT NOW, OUR SCHOOL ONLY GOES THROUGH FIFTH GRADE, BUT I HOPE I CAN GROW TO EIGHTH GRADE, SO I CAN STAY A LITTLE LONGER. TBLSMGHTS I HAVE TWO BROTHERS, AND IT WOULD HELP MY FAMILY A LOT IF WE COULD ALL GO TO THE SAME SCHOOL. THAT WAY, MY PARENTS DON'T HAVE TO DO DIFFERENT DROPOFFS AND PICKUPS AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF DAY. BIG BEND ROAD IS VERY BUSY, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S

026SAFE FOR KIDS TO CROSS. I REALLY HOPE WE CAN GROW AT DOBY, SO I CAN STAY AT MY SCHOOL WITH TEACHERS I ALREADY KNOW AND MY FRIENDS I ALREADY KNOW. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. Chairperson: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS BETTY JANE PARKS AND I AM A THEATER TEACHER AT BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL. IT'S A MAGNET SCHOOL RIGHT HERE IN DOWNTOWN TAMPA AT THE SAME SCHOOL AS THOSE REALLY TALENTED DANCERS THAT YOU SAW EARLIER TODAY. I AM HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ARTS IN OUR SCHOOLS BEING AVAILABLE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND HOW APPROPRIATE BECAUSE NEXT MONTH IS MARCH AND IT IS NATIONAL THEATER IN OUR SCHOOLS MONTH. ARTS EDUCATION HAS LONG BEEN PROVEN TO BUILD ENGAGEMENT, RAISE TEST SCORES AND INCREASE SKILLS LIKE CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING, TEN NASTY AND TEAMWORK

027IN STUDENTS OF ALL ALIENS. THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THEATER AND OTHER PERFORMANCE ARTS PROGRAMS IN OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS SHOULD BE A SHINING JEWEL IN OUR EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY. FOR INSTANCE, DID YOU KNOW THAT, THIS SPRING, PLANT HIGH SCHOOL IS PUTTING ON BYE-BYE BIRDIE? OR THAT ALONZO IS PRODUCING A CHORUS LINE. OF COURSE, I CAN'T HELP BUT MENTION BLAKE'S OWN PRODUCTION OF CHICAGO, NOT TO MENTION THE PLETHORA OF CHORUS, BAND, ORCHESTRA AND DANCE PERFORMANCE ALSO THAT -- PERFORMANCES THAT GO ON IN OUR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS. THE TEACHERS AND STUDENTS WORK HARD FOR THE PERFORMANCES. SHOULDN'T THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THEM? BUT HOW WOULD THE AVERAGE ART AFICIONADO FIND THE DATES, TIMES, LOCATION OF A PERFORMANCE IN THEIR AREA? I'M SURE YOU COULD SEARCH INSTAGRAM IF THE SCHOOL HAS A PRESENCE THERE

028OR SEE IF THE SCHOOL HAS A WEB SITE FOR THEIR PRODUCTIONS OR ASK THE STUDENTS THEMSELVES. HOWEVER, WOULDN'T IT BE EASIER IF THERE WAS A CENTRAL COUNTY LOCATION FOR THIS INFORMATION? I SUGGEST THAT THE COUNTY PERFORMING -- THAT A COUNTY PERFORMING ARTICLES CALENDAR BE ESTABLISHED ON A COUNTY WEB SITE THAT CAN BE KEPT UPDATED ON WHICH SCHOOLS ARE PERFORMING AND WHEN. THIS WOULD BE A CENTRAL LOCATION WITH BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE PRODUCTIONS TAKING PLACE AND WHERE TO GO. THIS COULD HELP THE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY TO SEE THE RESULTS OF HARD WORK OF WEEKS, SOMETIMES EVEN MONTHS OF HARD WORK BY OUR TALENTED STUDENTS. SOMETIMES WHEN STUDENTS GRADUATE AND GO TO COLLEGE, PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS, FAMILY MEMBERS AND NEIGHBORS, THEY MISS THE JOY OF SEEING A CONCERT, A HOLIDAY CONCERT OR LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL'S PRODUCTION OF

029"YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU." COMMUNITY IS WHERE THE HEART OF OUR EDUCATION LIES. WHY NOT HELP OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS SEE OUR HEART? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR CONSIDERATION. Chairperson: THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND SUPERINTENDENT AYERS. MY NAME IS PETER ORSMAN. I'D LIKE TO THANK MAGNIFIED VOICES AND STRONG FAMILY SCHOOLS FOR ALL THEY CAN DO TO PROTECT EDUCATION AND OUR STUDENTS. I WANT TO SAY WE ECHO ALL OF WHAT THEY HAVE STATED BEFORE YOU. WE ALSO WISH TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK TO HAVE THE STUDENT-LED ORGANIZATION C ALLIANCE WHICH STANDS FOR SOCIAL EQUITY THROUGH EDUCATION AND THE STUDENTS ACROSS THE STATE AND THROUGHOUT THE NATION PROTESTING DURING SCHOOL TIME. WE BELIEVE THIS IS A SIGNAL TO YOU THAT IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO ALSO BE MORE BRAVE IN STANDING UP

030FOR STUDENTS TO RECEIVE A BROAD EDUCATION THAT IS WOKE, THAT DOES INCLUDE DEI. WE EMPLOY YOU NOT TO BE AFRAID TO SAY NO TO POLICIES THAT ARE NOT LAWS AND THAT ARE NOT CONSTITUTIONAL. I KNOW THAT THIS HORRIFIC DAMAGE BEING CAUSED BY STATE AND NATIONAL GOVERNMENT IS NOT OF YOUR DOING, AND YOU ARE ON THE FIRING LINE BETWEEN THEM AND CONTINUING TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR OUR STUDENTS. WHAT OUR COMMUNITY WANTS YOU TO DO FOR OUR STUDENTS. WE ARE LOOKING TO YOU TO SET SOME EXAMPLES FOR OUR STUDENTS OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A LEADER THAT STANDS UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT, EVEN WHEN IT'S DIFFICULT AND THERE ARE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES. STANDING UP AGAINST BOOK BANNING THAT ERASES HISTORY AND VITAL INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS TO BE WORLDLY AND INFORMED ABOUT OUR PAST BOTH

031GOOD AND BAD SO THAT THEY CAN LEARN FROM IT. STANDING UP AGAINST THE ERASURE OF MINORITIES AND THE L.G.B.T.Q.+ COMMUNITY. YOUNG PEOPLE ARE NOR GENDER FLUID AND ACCEPTING OF CULTURAL CHANGE, PLEASE SUPPORT THEM. LAST OF ALL, DO SOMETHING TO KEEP I.C.E. OUT OF SCHOOLS. YOU KNOW FIRSTHAND HOW THIS GESTAPO-LIKE ACTIVITY IS KEEPING INNOCENT CHILDREN OUT OF SCHOOLS AND THE PUBLIC, DENYING THEM AN EDUCATION AND LIFE THAT IS TRULY GUARANTEED BY THEIR CONSTITUTION. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR LISTENING TO ME. Chairperson: THANK YOU. NOW WE MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. SUPERINTENDENT AYERS. ALL ITEMS HAVE BEEN REVIEWED BY BOARD MEMBERS WITH STAFF. ALL QUESTIONS RAISED AND ADDRESS AND REQUESTED CLARIFICATIONS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED. Chairperson: NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY AND SECOND BY MEMBER VAUGHN.

032PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THE CONSENT AGENDA AGENDA HAS BEEN APPROVED. NOW WE CALL ON SUPERINTENDENT AYERS TO HIGH LIGHT OUR ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBERS. ONE PRINCIPAL ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THIS EVENING. I INTRODUCE OUR NEW PRINCIPAL OF EISENHOWER MIDDLE SCHOOL, JENNIFER DEMIC, IF YOU CAN STAND UP. COME ON DOWN, WALK YOU WAY TOWARDS THE MIDDLE HERE. SO O JENNIFER IS OUR NEW PRINCIPAL AT IENDZ HOUR MIDDLE SCHOOL. JENNIFER BEGAN HER CAREER IN THE COLLEGE REALM AT ST. PETE IN 1989 AT HILLSBORO COUNTY. 2022, A RESOURCE TEACHER AT EISENHOWER MIDDLE SCHOOL. MS. DEMIK WAS APPOINTED IENDZ HOUR MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL IN 2023, UNTIL-TO-TODAY WHEN SHE WAS APPOINTED THE NEW PRINCIPAL OF EISENHOWER MIDDLE SCHOOL. CONGRATULATIONS. ANY FAMILY AND FRIENDS WITH JENNIFER, STAND AS WELL. LOTS OF

033FAMILY WITH HER. CONGRATULATIONS. MADAM CHAIR, THAT'S OUR ONE APPOINTMENT. Chairperson: THANK YOU. WE'LL GIVE ENOUGH TIME IF THEY WANT TO EXIT THE ROOM OR STAY. THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WILL BE HEARD, C104 AND C402. ITEM 104, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS H ADDENDUM TO MAGIC SCHOOLS INCORPORATED. SUPERINTENDENT AYERS. PILOTED BY ACPS SINCE JUNE PROVIDES TOOLS FOR TEACHERS TO ENHANCE INSTRUCTION, ALIGNED WITH CURRICULUM, INTEGRATES WITH CLASS LINK AND CAVES, SUPPORTS CREATION AND MEETS TOP PRIVACY STANDARD. THE PLATFORM ENALIENS TEACHERS TO MAXIMIZE INSTRUCTIONAL TIME AND OFFER TOOLS TO ENHANCE LEARNING. ALLIANCE WITH DISTRICT A.I. POLICY AND THE HONEDBOOK. DURING THE TERM OF THE AGREEMENT. MAGIC SCHOOL SHALL PROVIDE HCPS WITH UPDATES AND UPGRADS TO THE CORE PLATFORMS AT NO ADDITIONAL COST. RECOGNIZING SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE A.I. GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE SEATED IN THE AUDIENCE, INCLUDING TRACY BERG AND DEBBY, CHRIS

034HOLT AND PRINCIPAL FENCE AND SEVERAL CABINET MEMBERS, SOME OF THEM HERE TONIGHT ARE ALSO MEMBERS OF THE A.I. GOVERNANCE TEAM. SO THAT IS 104. IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, WE'RE HERE. Chairperson: MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C104. MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS AND SECOND BY MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER COMBS AND MEMBER GRAY PULL THIS ITEM. MEMBER GRAY. I'LL BREAK THE ICE HERE. A.I. IS THE FUTURE AND WE ALL KNOW IT AND WE ALL HAVE TO EMBRACE IT. WHAT'S REALLY INTERESTING, THE MAGIC SCHOOL DOES REALLY RELATE AND RELY ON CONTENT FOR OUR STUDENTS, BUT IF WE LOOK AT THE STATISTICS, AND I'M BEING A DEVIL'S ADVOCATE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATISTICS, IN 2020 TO 2022, 20% -- AND I'M SORRY TO USE 20%, BUT THESE ARE REAL DATA POINTS -- STUDENTS USED A.I. FOR CONTENT.

035FAST FORWARD, IN 2024, 2025, OVER 70% OF OUR STUDENTS, NOT JUST OURS, BUT NATIONWIDE USE IT FOR RELATIONSHIP BUILDING, THERAPY, AND BASICALLY BUILDING FRIENDSHIPS. SO, MY QUESTION IS -- AND, AGAIN, I'M KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF POSSIBILITIES -- WHAT HAVE WE DOPE -- AND MR. BRADY THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE -- WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ENSURE SAFEGUARDS THAT STUDENTS AND PERHAPS SOME TEACHERS WILL NOT DIVE INTO THE SOCIAL MEDIA TEMPTATION OF RELATIONSHIP BUILDING/THERAPY? WELL, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THIS IS AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL, SO THAT'S THE PURPOSE. TO YOUR POINT, THE NUMBER ONE USE OF A.I. JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WAS INFORMATION RETRIEVAL, CONTENT GENERATION. NOW IT'S THERAPY, RELATIONSHIPS, COUNSELING. THAT'S A GOOD POINT THERE. FOR US, IT'S AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL FIRST AND FOREMOST. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT, IF THIS

036IS APPROVED, THIS IS A TEACHER TOOL AT THIS POINT. IT HAS A STUDENT-FACING PLATFORM. WE HAVE NO INTENTION TO TURN MAGIC SCHOOL OR ANYTHING OVER AS AN APPROVED TOOL FOR STUDENTS. WE WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR. IF AND WHEN THAT DOES HAPPEN, MAGIC SCHOOL IS REALLY AN INDUSTRY LEADER IN DATA PRIVACY, STUDENT PRIVACY. WE COULD GO ON AND ON. SOME OF THEIR BEST FEATURES WOULD BE WHAT WE CALL THEIR MODERATIONS. SO, WHEN A STUDENT IS -- IF IT GETS TO THAT POINT WHERE A STUDENT IS TALKING BACK AND NORTH WITH A CHAT BOT, THERE ARE CERTAIN MODERATIONS. LIKE WITH GAGGLE KEY WORDS -- SELF-HARM, VIOLENCE, HATE SPEECH ARE IMMEDIATELY FLAGGED. THAT'S ONE LAYER IN THE MODERATION. WE HAVE GAGGLE, WHICH IS A PARTNER OF OURS ON TOP OF ALL OUR DEVICES. IT THRIMENTS NUMBER OF

037INTERACTIONS THAT AS AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL IT WILL ONLY GIVE EDUCATIONAL ANSWERS WHEREAS OPEN A.I. WILL GIVE YOU AN ANSWER PERIOD. THEIR GOAL, THEIR JOB IS TO GIVE AN ANSWER AND SOMETIMES THAT'S GREAT. LIKE I SAID OUT IN THE REAL WORLD, YOU WANT TO GET A QUICK ANSWER, BUT IN THE EDUCATIONAL WORLD, YOU WANT TO GET AN EDUCATIONAL ANSWER. IT LIMITS THE NUMBER OF INTERACTIONS. THAT CAN BE TEN, 15 INTERACTIONS. IMMEDIATELY, ONCE YOU LOG IN, IT SAYS YOU'RE SPEAKING WITH -- YOU'RE NOT SPEAKING WITH A HUMAN, YOU'RE SPEAKING WITH A CHATBOT, AND IT CUTS IT OFF AFTER A CERTAIN NUMBER OF INTERACTIONS. ALL THAT BEING SAID, THAT'S GETTING AHEAD OF OURSELVES BECAUSE THIS IS FOR TEACHERS RIGHT NOW, NOT STUDENTS, AND WE'LL LEAVE IT UP TO THE A.I. GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE AND EVERYONE ON OUR TEAM TO

038DECIDE WHEN THAT NEXT STEP IS BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST FOR TEACHERS. Chairperson: INTERESTING, I THINK THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE WAS A GREAT IDEA AND KIND OF COVERS A LOT OF THE DOTS THE Is AND CROSSEDS THE Ts, A LOT OF MINDS ARE WORKING ON THIS, AND I ALSO APPRECIATE THE POLICIES WHICH ACTUALLY DESCRIBE IT AS EMERGING TECHNOLOGY BECAUSE EMERGE IT SHALL. YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYERS, YOURSELF AND YOUR GOVERNANCE TEAM TO BE VERY FOCUSED ON KEEPING THOSE CONTENT AREAS FOR THE TEACHERS AND NOT THE STUDENTS BECAUSE SOMEHOW STUDENTS GET AHOLD OF MOST THINGS THAT WE HAVE, AS WE KNOW. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER COMBS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BRADY AND MR. HOLT AND THE ENTIRE TEAM. I KNOW THAT WITH THIS

039CONTRACT I'VE REALLY ASKED FOR A LOT OF QUESTIONS, AND I'VE REALLY INQUIRED A LOT. IT'S AN EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AND THINGS CAN CHANGE SO QUICKLY. SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE FEEDBACK AND LOOKING AT THE CONTRACTS. I'LL ALWAYS PULL A CONTRACT THAT'S TECHNOLOGY OR REQUIRES A LOT OF FUNDING BECAUSE IT'S CHANGING SO MUCH. SO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE IS A BI-ANNUAL UPDATE ON THE USAGE OF THE PROGRAMS IF TEACHERS ARE USING IT AND HOW MUCH THEY'RE USING IT AND TO WHAT EXTENT. SO I DON'T NEED TO HAVE IT ON THE SUSPENDED AGENDA. I DON'T NEED TO HAVE THAT. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A BI-ANNUAL TO MAKE SURE. ONE OF THE THINGS IS THAT WE HAVE SO MANY PRODUCTS AVAILABLE THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, AS THINGS CHANGE

040SO FAST, I MEAN, WE TALKED ABOUT CHATGPT HAVING A K-12 PROGRAM AND LOOKING AT THAT AND THAT'S WHY MAKING SURE THAT THIS DISTRACT THAT WE LOOK AT IT ON A REGULAR BASIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING SO MUCH AND THERE ARE SO MANY COMPANIES. I APPRECIATE THE TIME YOU TOOK TO VET IT AND COMPARE TO OTHER PRODUCTS THAT ARE SIMILAR BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY PRODUCTS, BUT I FEEL GOOD ABOUT SUPPORTING THIS. I THINK IT'S GREAT TO HAVE HILLSBORO COUNTY AT THE CUTTING EDGE AT THE A.I. TABLE AT THE STATE LEVEL LISTENING AND TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH A.I., HOW WE'RE EMERGING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STATE KNOWS WE'RE REALLY CUTTING EDGE. AS I SAID, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, AS THE PRODUCTS CHANGE, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW, WE'RE ONLY USING THE

041TEACHER FACING, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LIKE ABOUT MAGIC SCHOOL IS THAT THEY DO HAVE A STUDENT FACING, MATS WHAT THEY'RE REALLY WELL KNOWN FOR, AND HOW THAT CHANGES. THAT WAY, WHEN THE PRODUCT COMES BACK AND WE'RE ABLE TO USE THAT, TEACHERS ARE ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH IT. THE BIGGEST THING IS MAKING SURE THAT THE TEACHERS ARE USING IT AND WHAT MAGIC SCHOOL DOES TO ENCOURAGE TEACHERS TO USE IT AND BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY PRODUCTS. THE LAST THING AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND I TALKED TO TRACY BERGMAN AND I'VE SENT ARTICLES ABOUT THIS, IT'S AMAZING THAT WE'RE USING TOL, BUT I'M A 30-YEAR, LIFE-LONG EDUCATOR, AND WHAT CUTTING EDGE COUNTRIES DO I SEE LIKE FINLAND, SCANDINAVIA, THOSE COUNTRIES THAT ARE VERY CUTTING EDGE THAT ARE USING TECHNOLOGY A LOT ON THE ELEMENTARY

042SCHOOL LEVEL, THEY'RE FINDING ACTUALLY STUDENTS ARE NOT MAKING ACADEMIC GAINS AS STRONG AS THEY THOUGHT WITH TECHNOLOGY AND THEY WERE VERY MUCH AHEAD OF US AT THE U.S. AND VERY MUCH AHEAD OF ASIA USING THAT TECHNOLOGY. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE, ESPECIALLY IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEVEL, THAT WE ARE NOT HAVING KIDS IN FRONT OF THE COMPUTER SO MUCH. I KNOW WE HAVE AMIRA, EYE READY, SO MANY PRODUCTS BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE TEACHERS ARE FRONT AND CENTER AND THAT IS USED AS A SUPPORT AND NOT SO MUCH. SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT, AND I FEEL LIKE AS A LIFE-LONG EDUCATOR WE TRY TO STAY OPEN SOP TOP OF THAT. KIDS MAKE THE BIGGEST PROGRESS WHEN THEY HAVE 2 TEACHER IN FRONT OF THEM. FINALLY, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT

043HIGH SCHOOL. YOU'RE SEEING THROUGHOUT ASIA, CHINA, JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA WHERE THEY'RE TAKING THE PHONES COMPLETELY OUT OF THE SCHOOLS AND LOOKING FOR THE HIGH SCHOOLS FOR POCKETS TO MAKE SURE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. BECAUSE KIDS GET PLENTY OF TOL OUTSIDE SCHOOL, THEY'RE ON THEIR PHONES AND COMPUTERS CONSTANTLY, TO CREATE THE BALANCE BECAUSE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TEACHER IS AT THE CENTER AND THE PARA-PROFESSIONALS AND ALL THE ASSISTANTS HELPING US. SO THANK YOU FOR WORKING ON THIS VETTING. I PROBABLY TALKED TO YOU, GARY, PROBABLY 20 TIMES ABOUT THIS BUT THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S THE RIGHT FIT FOR STUDENTS, SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER VAUGHN. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I WANT

044TO CLARIFY, ONE, THIS IS GOING TO COME BEFORE US EVERY YEAR TO REAPPROVE, CORRECT? YES, THE USAGE WAS ALREADY WRITTEN INTO THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES, BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR FEEDBACK ON THAT. ONCE BEFORE JULY 1, 2027, AND THEN AGAIN ONCE BEFORE JULY 1, 2028. SO 16 MONTHS, AS WE DISCUSSED, AND THEN IT WILL BE 2027, 2028. SECONDLY, AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE POTEDGESLE OF STUDENT USE, I WANT TO UNDERSTAND, YOU SAY IF AND WHEN WE DECIDE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. NUMBER ONE, IS THAT SOMETHING COMING BACK FOR BOARD APPROVAL? WELL, WE CERTAINLY CAN SHARE AN UPDATE ON -- YOU KNOW -- WOULD THAT MEAN IT WOULD COST MORE MONEY IF YOU WERE OPENING ANOTHER PORTAL? NO, I DON'T WANT TO SIMPLIFY IT BY SAYING TURN IT ON, BUT LITERALLY NONE OF THOSE TOOLS WILL BE

045"TURNED ON" AT THIS POINT. I AS A BOARD MEMBER WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I AM CONCERNED ABOUT COMMUNITY FEEDBACK REGARDING SAFETY AROUND STUDENT PRIVACY AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND I'M ALSO WONDERING IF THERE'S SOME SORT OF PARENTAL CONSENT WE'RE GOING TO REQUIRE IF AND WHEN WE GO DOWN THAT AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE AS BOARD MEMBERS ARE NOT BLINDSIDED BY THAT PIECE OF IT IN CASE THERE ARE COMMUNITY CONCERNS. I WANT TO BE NOTIFIED AS A BOARD MEMBER IF AND WHEN THAT IS SOMETHING WE'RE EXPLORING. THEN TO MEMBER COMBS POINT, AT THIS POINT, WE HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT PROGRAMS BETWEEN MY FAVORITE I-READY OR THE PIECES WE HAVE FOR DIFFERENT PIECES. EVERY TIME I GET TOLD THEY DO SOMETHING SIMILAR AND THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH DOING

046THIS FOR OUR TEACHERS, OUR NEW TEACHERS TO DO LESSON PLANNING AND EVALUATIONS, WHY IS IT THAT WE CAN'T GET ONE PROGRAM TO DO MULTITUDES OF THIS INSTEAD OF HAVING 16 DIFFERENT PROGRAMS FOR SIMILAR PIECES? THANK YOU TO ALL THE SCHOOLMEMBERS, CHAIRMAN PEREZ, CHAIR PEREZ AND SUPERINTENDENT AYERS. THE KEY DIFFERENCE IS WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE SURE IT BUBBLES UP OUR RESOURCES. WHEN A TEACHER ASKS A QUESTION ABOUT I WANT TO DIFFERENTIATE FOR AN ELL STUDENT OR SCAFFOLD THE LESSON FOR THAT STUDENT, THEY'RE ABLE TO SEE OUR RESOURCES BUBBLE UP RIGHT TO THE TOP AND INCLUDE THAT RIGHT ALONG WITH THE CURRICULUM THEY'RE USING. IF WE THINK ABOUT THE OTHER PROGRAMS, I-READY AND OTHER ONES, THEY ARE FOCUSED ON A SPECIFIC TYPE OF SUBJECT AREA OR LEARNING STUDENTS ARE DOING, THIS IS DIVING INTO HELPING THE TEACHERS

047TO PLAN, BUILD DIFFERENTIATION AND ACCOMMODATION INTO THE LESSONS AND ENSURING OUR RESOURCES ARE COMING TO THE TOP WHEN DOING THAT. I WOULD SEE THAT AS THE KEY DIFFERENCE. IF THAT'S THE CASE, I-READY WOULD BE USED FOR EVALUATIONS AT THIS POINT, A VALUABLE TOOL FOR RUNNING RECORDS? BECAUSE I FEEL WE CAN FIND A LESS EXPENSIVE OPTION IF THIS IS GOING TO BE THE PRIMARY TOOL FOR HELPING TEACHERS WITH TOOLS AND RESOURCES. I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT ALL THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS WE'RE RUNNING AND MAKING SURE WE ARE CHOOSING THE ONES THAT ARE THE MOST ROBUST AND OFFER THE MOST OPTIONS AND NOT DUPLICATE THINGS AND SPEND EXTRA MONEY ON EXTRA PROGRAMS FOR ADEGREESLE CONTRACTS. AT SOME APPOINTMENT, I KNOW WE'LL SIT TOWN AND GO OAF IT. I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN WORK TOGETHER

048AND TALK ABOUT THIS HOLISTICALLY BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. MEMBER RENDON. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND THANK YOU, TOO, GARY BRADY AND YOUR ENTIRE STAFF AS WELL AS MR. GETTYS FOR LOOKING INTO NOT ONLY JUST THE PROGRAM, THE HIGH QUALITY AND HIGHLY EFFECTIVE LESSON PLANS THAT THIS IS PUTTING OUT, MAKING SURE THAT ALWAYS THE STATE STANDARDS ARE PUT UP IN FRONT OF EVERYTHING ELSE. I THINK THAT THE A KEY ELEMENT. I ALSO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THROUGH OUR I.T. DEPARTMENT, WE'VE DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH FROM A NATIONWIDE POINT OF VIEW ON THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF INFORMATION THAT'S PUT IN TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE HIGHEST LEVEL SECURITY THAN ANY OTHER PROGRAM OUT THERE REGARDING A.I. WITH OUR STAFF SO THAT WE MAKE

049SURE THAT DATA, NO MATTER HOW IT'S DONE, IS KEPT SECURE. I THINK THAT'S QUITE A BIT. IT'S HUGE AND VERY IMPORTANT. I ALSO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT MAGIC SCHOOL HAS BEEN A LEADER HERE IN THE STATE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH OUR LEGISLATORS AS WELL AS YOURSELF IN MAKING SOME A.I. TECHNOLOGIES FOR FUTURE CLASSROOMS AND REALLY BEING THE FOREFRONT OF WORKING WITH HIGHLY EFFECTIVE LESSON PLANS THAT ARE GOING TO BRING EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED TO DO TO THE FOREFRONT AS WELL AS THE SECURITY OF OUR STAFF, AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. AND, SO, IT'S NOT ONLY JUST FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA BUT NATIONWIDE WHERE IT'S BEEN RECOGNIZED AS HIGHLY EFFECTIVE AS WELL AS THE MOST SECURE PROGRAM. SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT TO US. WE WANT TO BE ON THE FOREFRONT AS YOU HAVE IN

050MEETING ON VARIOUS PANELS THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND BEING A LEADER THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF FLORIDA IN MAKING SURE WE'RE NOT JUST MOVING FORWARD WITH A.I. BUT DOING IT IN A SENSIBLE, SECURE MANNER SO OUR TEACHERS ARE THE MOST EDUCATED, OUR TEACHERS HAVE THE MOST TOUCH POINTS BEFORE WE EVER INTRODUCE IT TO STUDENTS, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING HILLSBORO SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED FOR, OTHER DISTRICTS ARE MOVING AHEAD. WE'RE THE ONLY DISTRICT WITH A POLICY FOR A.I. FOR IMPLEMENTATION, AND WE ARE WORKING WITH DIFFERENT PROGRAMS MAKING SURE WE ARE ON THE FOREFRONT, INNOVATIVE IN WHAT WE ARE DOING BUT STILL MAKING SURE WE ARE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE, HIGHLY SECURE FOR EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING THAT. THANK YOU MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER GRAY. YOU KNOW, I WAS THINKING OF SOMETHING WHILE WE WERE DISCUSSING THE

051AFFECTIVE PART OF THE RECEIVING END -- LET'S JUST PUT IT, THE STUDENTS ARE THE RECEIVING END. WHEN WE HAD THE STUDENT FORUM LAST WEEK, ONE OF THE MAJOR CONCERNS -- I'M BRIDGING THIS NOW TO RELATE TO THE A.I. LEARNING CURVE, AND MANY OF THE STUDENTS VOICE CONCERNS ABOUT THE CONTENT GETTING TOO EASY, STUDENTS TAKING SHORT CUTS AND GETTING THEIR ESSAYS PRE-DONE AND DONE REALLY NICELY, LOOKING REALLY NICE WITH THE A.I., YOU KNOW, SUCH SHORT CUTS. BUT HAVING THE STUDENT VOIRKS THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO GET, TO HAVING THE STUDENT VOICE, I THINK, IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE GETTING THE INFORMATION FROM THE TEACHER AND, YES, THE EFFICACY, THE FIDELITY OF THE TEACHER'S KNOWLEDGE WITH A.I., THE MAGIC SCHOOL, IS VERY IMPORTANT, BUT I ALSO WOULD LIKE -- AND JUST

052THINK ABOUT THIS, I WOULD LIKE ON THE PANARAMA SURVEY, I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP TRACK OF HOW THE STUDENTS FEEL ABOUT THIS DELIVERANCE OF INFORMATION BECAUSE WE HAVE TO KEEP THE PULSE ON OUR CUSTOMERS, WHICH ARE OUR STUDENTS. MR. HOLT -- AND THANK YOU, BY THE WAY, FOR, YOU KNOW, CHARGING FORTH WITH THIS MAGIC SCHOOL -- WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT I JUST SAID? -- THINK ABOUT WHAT I JUST SAID? I THINK MAKING SURE THEIR VOICE IS HEARD IN ANYTHING WE'RE DOING WHETHER IT'S IN THE CLASSROOM, BUILDING TRAINING, THINKING ABOUT THOSE THINGS IS KEY TO THAT. I THINK MR. BRADY WAS VERY ELOQUENT IF AND WHEN WE ROLL THIS OUT TO STUDENTS, WE'LL MAKE SURE THEIR VOICE CAN BE PART OF THAT AS WELL. Lynn Gray: WE CAN PUT IT IN THE PANORAMA. I

053THINK THAT WOULD BE ONE WAY TO, YOU KNOW, A SURVEY OF SORTS THAT'S NOT UNUSUAL. BUT YET IS USUAL AND THEY ARE -- THEY KNOW HOW TO DO -- THEY EXPECT THAT KIND OF SURVEY. SO, I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED. GARY, WHAT DO YOU THINK? MR. BRADY? I AGREE. I ALSO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF -- I'D BE REMISS, WE DO HAVE SOME TEACHER REPRESENTATIVES HERE TONIGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE THEY'RE DYING TO GET UP HERE AND TALK. I TOLD THEM THAT MAY NOT HAPPEN BUT THEY'RE BIG USERS ON THE FRONT LINE OF USING OUR TECHNOLOGY IN THIS CASE INCLUDING MAGICSCHOOL. I DID WANT TO SAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT FROM THE STUDENT END BUT FROM THE TEACHER END. ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER ONE PART OF OUR EMERGING TECHNOLOGY'S POLICY,

054THE NUMBER ONE THING IS HUMAN-CENTRAL APPROACH. EVERYTHING HAS TO BE FROM A HUMAN CENTRAL APPROACH. IF YOU USE MAGICSCHOOL TO GRADE ESSAYS, YOU HAVE TO VET THAT. IF YOU USE IT TO CREATE SOMETHING, YOU STILL HAVE TO VET THAT. BUT THREE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS WE ASKED TEACHERS TO DO ARE COLLABORATE WITH EACH OTHER, GIVE AND RECEIVE FEEDBACK AND ATTEND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING. AND THOSE THREE THINGS ARE INNATELY HUMAN THINGS. HOWEVER, MAGICSCHOOL CREATES THE TIME FOR THEM TO ALLOW THEM TO DO THOSE THINGS AND THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST I THINK FEATURES OF IT. AI IN GENERAL BUT IN THIS CASE MAGIC SCHOOL IS THE ABILITY FOR OUR TEACHERS TO GET BACK SOME OF THAT TIME THAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE TASKS. NOW IF THEY CHOOSE TO COLLABORATE, THAT'S GREAT. IF THEY CHOOSE

055TO ATTEND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, THAT'S GREAT. IF THEY CHOOSE TO GET THEIR OIL CHANGED OR NAILS DONE, THAT'S GREAT TOO BECAUSE THAT'S GREAT FOR RETENTION FOR TEACHER SATISFACTION. I THINK ON ALL ENDS, IT'S GREAT. OBVIOUSLY FOR STUDENTS, CERTAINLY WHEN WE DO OR IF WE DO, AS MEMBER VAUGHN SAID, AND AGAIN, THAT IS BABY STEPS WHEN IT COMES TO THE STUDENTS BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN FROM OTHER DISTRICTS ALREADY THAT HAVE PUT IT OUT AND PULLED IT BACK WITHIN ONE WEEK, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE'RE INTERESTED IN. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MR. BRADY AND MR. HOLT. THANK YOU FOR THOSE REMARKS. Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. AND I WANTED TO THANK THE TEAM AS WELL. YOU KNOW, BUT SOMETHING I WANTED TO ALSO TALK ABOUT IS WHEN I SPOKE WITH THE TEAM IS MY CONCERN WAS THE SAME AS

056MEMBER COMBS IS HAVING THE STUDENTS IN FRONT OF THE COMPUTERS AND THEN ALSO THE STUDENTS WHO DON'T HAVE -- BECAUSE I KEEP TALKING ABOUT THIS AD NAUSEAM IS THE STUDENTS WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY AT HOME. IF THERE ARE ANY WORK SHEETS OR ANYTHING THAT ARE PUT OUT FOR THE STUDENTS TO COMPLETE. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU DID KIND OF TAPER DOWN MY ANGST WITH IS THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT THE TEACHERS ARE ABLE TO CREATE WORKSHEETS AND PRINTOUTS. AND FOR ME, MY TAKEAWAY FROM THIS IS THAT YOU REDUCE THE TEACHERS' TIME TRYING TO CREATE WORK PLANS AND ASSIGNMENTS, AND THESE TEACHERS ARE MORE IN FRONT OF A STUDENT, PROVIDING THE STUDENTS HANDS-ON TIME INSTEAD OF HAVING TO CREATE LESSON PLANS. AND OUR TEACHERS GO HOME AND ARE ABLE TO RELAX A

057LITTLE BIT MORE, AND WHEN THEY ARE IN FRONT OF OUR STUDENTS, THAT -- OUR TEACHERS ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE RELAXED IN FRONT OF OUR STUDENTS. AND FOR ME, THAT IS A WIN-WIN FOR OUR STUDENTS AS WELL. YOU WANT TO GET BACK IN THE QUEUE, MA'AM? OKAY. BUT FOR ME, THAT IS -- THAT WAS A WIN-WIN FOR ME. BUT ALSO, THE FACT THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO CREATE THESE WORKSHEETS FOR OUR STUDENTS. CAN YOU TALK JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT FOR THOSE WHO ARE LIST LISTENING? IN RELATION TO WORKSHEETS, OF THE TOP 10 TOOLS, I'M LOOKING AT WORKSHEET GENERATOR IS NUMBER TWO, ALMOST 10,000 GENERATIONS UP TO THIS POINT. I REMEMBER THIS WITH THE PILOT WITH MAGICSCHOOL. ALMOST 10,000 WORKSHEETS GENERATED. AGAIN, IT'S ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR TOOLS FOR TEACHERS. AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING WHERE

058THE TEACHER HAS TO BE THE EXPERT. THE TEACHER HAS TO PUT THE INFORMATION OUT THERE. BUT THEN THE ACTUAL CREATION OF THE WORKSHEET IS TIME CONSUMING AND THAT'S WHERE SOME OF THAT GOES AWAY. Karen Perez: SO THE STUDENT IS NOT ALWAYS GOING TO BE IN FRONT OF THE COMPUTER BUT DOING A LOT OF HANDS ON WORK. ABSOLUTELY. IN FACT, RUN OF OUR TEACHERS HERE IS VERY MUCH A PAPER PENCIL TEACHER BUT THIS IS A TECHNOLOGY THAT SAVES HER TIME. IT DOESN'T MEAN MORE TIME IN FRONT OF THE COMPUTER. IN FACT HER CLASS TO A CERTAIN EXTENT IS TECHNOLOGY FREE IN THAT CASE. IT'S HER PREPARATION FOR THAT. I JUST WANT TO PUT A QUICK PLUG-IN FOR OUR CHAIR PEREZ. HILLSBOROUGH EDUCATION FOUNDATION STILL HAS THEIR TECH CONNECT PROGRAM, SO IF WE FIND THAT STUDENTS ARE

059AT HOME WITH NO TECHNOLOGY, NO LAPTOP OR ACCESS TO THE INTERNET, WE CAN HOOK THEM UP WITH THE HILLSBOROUGH EDUCATION FOUNDATION AND THEY ARE GIVING OUT DEVICES FOR STUDENTS TO HAVE AT HOME. SO PLEASE LET US KNOW BECAUSE THAT'S STILL GOING ON AND THAT'S A HUGE PARTNERSHIP FOR US SO THAT WE CAN GET TECHNOLOGY IN THE HANDS OF STUDENTS THAT MAY NOT HAVE IT AT HOME. Karen Perez: FABULOUS. THANK YOU. FABULOUS. MEMBER COMBS? Nadia Combs: JUST ONE LAST COMMENT. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE, LISTEN, I'VE BEEN ON SEVERAL PRODUCTS. I WENT ON MAGICSCHOOL. I'M A TEACHER. I CAN SEE THE USE OF IT. I MEAN, I CAN SEE HOW IT HELPS TEACHERS SO MUCH IMPLEMENT THEIR LESSONS, EVEN IF THEY HAVE A SUBSTITUTE, YOU KNOW, CREATING WORKSHOPS, QUESTIONS, TEST BANK, ALL OF THAT. I

060CAN COMPLETELY -- MY BIGGEST THING IS MAKING SURE THAT WE UTILIZE IT AND ENCOURAGE A LOT OF TEACHES TO USE IT. I THINK THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. AND I DON'T WANT TO STIR UP ANY EMOTIONS HERE BUT I THINK ABOUT OUR AUDIO EQUIPMENT THAT WE PURCHASE THAT SOME OF IT IS NOT BEING UTILIZED. THOSE SMART BOARDS WERE REALLY BEING UTILIZED. SOME OF THEM AREN'T. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER PLAN MAGICSCHOOL HAS, THAT THEY'RE REALLY PUSHING FOR OUR TEACHERS TO USE IT AND NOT JUST ONE TIME, TWICE, MAKE SURE THAT WE INCLUDE IT IN THE SUMMER TRAINING. MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SENDING THOSE E-MAILS BECAUSE TEACHERS HAVE SO MUCH TO DO, AND THIS IS DEFINITELY A TOOL THAT WILL SAVE THEM TIME AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT. THERE IS NO QUESTION. ONCE YOU USE

061IT AND YOU CAN UTILIZE IT WELL, BUT SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE APPREHENSIVE TO USE IT AND JUS DON'T HAVE THE TIME. SO TO MAKE SURE DURING A PRINCIPAL'S MEETING TO TALK ABOUT CREATING SOME TYPE OF TYPE WHERE PEOPLE CAN LOG ON AND GO ON AND SEE THE REAL USE OF IT. I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY BENEFICIAL BUT SOME PEOPLE JUST NEVER HAVE THAT TIME AND AREN'T DOING THAT. SO FINDING VERY CREATIVE WAYS. THAT'S WHY I WANT THE USAGE. NOT JUST WHO LOGGED ON. BUT HOW MUCH THEY USE IT BECAUSE WE CAN GET ANYONE TO LOG ON ONCE, BUT SOMEONE TO ACTUALLY USE THE LESSON AND I SEE OUR THREE TEACHERS AND SEE -- I'M GLAD TO SEE ALL DIFFERENT AGES, RIGHT? SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. I'M SEEING ONLY FEMALES, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE GUYS --

062YOU KNOW. REPRESENTATION HERE. BUT I JUST REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE BECAUSE I THINK IT'S -- THIS IS THE FUTURE AND I THINK IT CAN BE SO HELPFUL FOR TEACHERS. IT CAN BE A GAME CHANGER. BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE PUSH THEM TO USE IT. BUT THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MEMBER COMBS, THEY WILL BE -- MAGICSCHOOL WILL BE IN TOWN TOMORROW TO START OUR IMPLEMENTATION AND THEN WE'LL BE PRESENTING AT THE MARCH 4 PRINCIPAL'S MEETING AS WELL. Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES? Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I JUST DON'T WANT TO UNDERSELL GETTING TO THIS POINT HOW BIG A DAY THIS IS FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND I WANT THE BOARD TO REMEMBER THIS ALL STARTED WITH THIS BOARD COMING UP WITH OUR EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES POLICY THAT

063KIND OF SET THIS FORWARD TO DEVELOP OUR AI GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE. IT ALL STARTED WITH THIS SCHOOL BOARD. WHEN I WAS IN TALLAHASSEE, IT WAS VERY CLEAR THAT WE WERE ONE OF THE FIRST SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA TO HAVE OUR EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES POLICY. SO THAT POLICY THEN SET THE STAGE FOR US TO GET TO THIS POINT TODAY TO PUT TOOLS IN THE HANDS OF OUR TEACHERS THAT CAN HELP THEM DO THEIR JOB A LITTLE BIT EASIER, PROVIDE THEM THE TOOLS, SO THEY CAN WORK A LITTLE BIT QUICKER. SO JUST -- I WANTED TO SET THE STAGE WITH THAT, HOW BIG OF A DAY THIS IS FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT TO BE ONE OF THE FIRST TO HAVE THE TEACHERS AVAILABLE FOR TEACHERS. I WANT TO THANK MR. HOLT AND BRADY FOR THEIR WORK

064GETTING US TO THIS POINT AND A BIG DAY FOR HCPS AND THANK YOU FOR THE THREE TEACHERS BACK THERE. THEY SAW ME IN THE LOBBY AND WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE TOOL WAS AVAILABLE. IF NOT, THEY WERE GOING TO CRY A LITTLE BIT. SO WE'LL SEE WHERE THE VOTE COMES UP HERE. BUT I WANT TO THANK OUR THREE TEACHERS AND MANY TEACHERS THAT WERE PART OF THE PILOT THAT HELPED US GET TO THIS POINT TO THE VOTE TODAY. SO, THAT'S IT, MADAM CHAIR. Karen Perez: OKAY. SEEING NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLYLY. YES, CONGRATULATIONS. THE NEXT ITEM IS ITEM 4.02, AGREEMENT FOREIGN EXCHANGE TEACHER SERVICES. SUPERINTENDENT AYRES WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I KNOW, BOARD MEMBERS, YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THIS ITEM

065AS THIS HAS COME BEFORE YOU. YOU'VE SEEN THIS AS WE HAD THIS SINCE 2022. HUMAN RESOURCES FOLLOWED THE RFP PROCESS TO DETERMINE A PROVIDER FOR CULTURAL EXCHANGE TEACHERS. API WAS THE HIGHEST RANKED AND BOARD, AS YOU'RE AWARE, WE HAVE 1 ASKICT CULTURAL EXCHANGE -- WE HAVE CULTURAL EXCHANGE AND THAT'S 4.02 EPI. THANK YOU. Karen Perez: I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C4.02. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER COMBS AND A SECOND BY MEMBER VAUGHN. I HAVE -- MEMBER COMBS, MEMBER GRAY, MEMBER VAUGHN PULLED THIS ITEM. MEMBER COMBS? Nadia Combs: SURE. I'LL BEGIN. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, DR. PATTON. ALSO I WANT TO THANK, WHICH I THINK HE IS JUST A REALLY WONDERFUL PERSON, KEN HART AND JULIA WHO ARE ALSO NOW WORKING FOR EPI WHICH I THINK IS REALLY

066A VERY POSITIVE THING FOR OUR DISTRICT AND AS A MATTER OF FACT I TALKED TO KEN HART TODAY ABOUT, I HAPPEN TO HAVE THE SCHOOL WITH THE LARGEST EPI TEACHERS RIGHT NOW IN THE DISTRICT, SO I'M REALLY INTERESTED. I CALLED SOME OF MY PRINCIPALS AND SAW, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS -- THIS IS A COMPLICATED AGENDA ITEM. I AM GOING TO SUPPORT IT, BUT I'LL TELL YOU SOME OF MY CONCERNS. I KNOW THAT IT'S A J1 VISA THAT THESE TEACHERS GET, NOT AN H1 VISA. WHEN I'M HEARING FROM THE STATE, ESPECIALLY FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, THE POSSIBILITY OF LOSING H1 VISAS AND LOSING SCIENCE AND MATH TEACHERS THAT ARE SO CRITICAL IN OUR UPPER UNIVERSITIES. WHEN I SEE THE START OF THAT, I HAVE TO START BEING SCARED ABOUT WHAT'S NEXT COMING WITH -- IF

067THE POSSIBILITY OF THAT AND HOW IT COULD IMPACT OUR SCHOOLS. WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, HUNDREDS OF TEACHERS RIGHT NOW. I ALSO THINK IF THE STATE WOULD PAY AND THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WOULD PAY A LIVABLE WAGE TO OUR TEACHERS, WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO TO THE PHILIPPINES, TO JAMAICA. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT, BUT IT'S SAD THAT WE CAN'T REALLY PAY ENOUGH TEACHERS THAT WE HAVE TO EXPLORE FINDING TEACHERS FROM THE OUTSIDE. AND SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE FACED WHEN TEACHERS COME FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES. YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE EXPERIENCES AND WHEN THEY COME IN. I KNOW THEY DO A VERY GOOD JOB WORKING ON IT, BUT IT'S A CONCERN. THAT'S SOME OF THE CONCERNS I HAVE. ALSO, I SENT YOU, DR. PATTON, TODAY SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE OUTSIDE THE --

068SURROUNDING DISTRICTS WHERE WE DO HAVE A PARA TO PRO PROGRAM BUT THERE IS STRONGER PROGRAMS OUT THERE WHERE THERE IS A PARA AND A MENTOR. SO THAT WAY WE CAN KIND OF GUARANTEE THAT PARAPROFESSIONAL BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY AMAZING PARAPROFESSIONALS WHERE THEY'RE MENTORING WITH A TEACHER, WE'RE PAYING FOR THEM AND THEY CAN STAY LONG-TERM AND WE CONTINUE TO RECRUIT THE PARAPROFESSIONLES. I WANT TO, AS AN HR PROCESS, TO CONTINUE TO TRY TO GET AS MANY TEACHERS, YOU KNOW, FROM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY OR FROM OUTSIDE OUR DISTRICT. AS I SAID, I DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH GOING OVERSEAS. I JUST THINK IT'S A CHALLENGE IN MANY WAYS. AND WHEN I SEE THE SAVINGS, IT'S SUCH LITTLE SAVINGS AND I THINK OF THE CHALLENGES THAT PEOPLE FACE. IT'S A CONCERN TO ME. I DON'T HAVE A CHOICE

069BUT TO SUPPORT THIS ITEM. BUT I'M NOT HAPPY TO BECAUSE I'D REALLY LOVE TO SEE -- I'D LOVE TO SEE THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. I SEE THESE RAISES GOING OUT TO SO MANY DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS, BUT I SEE SUCH SMALL AMOUNTS OF MONEY GOING OUT TO NEW TEACHERS AND CONTINUING TEACHERS. IT'S SO FRUSTRATING WHEN I SEE SO MUCH ALLOCATION GOING OUT EVERYWHERE ELSE AND PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT CREATES THESE DOCTORS, LAWYERS, PLUMBERS, POLICE OFFICERS ARE THROUGH EDUCATION. SO IT'S FRUSTRATING WE'RE STILL NOT PAYING TEACHES AN ADEQUATE AMOUNT SO THAT WAY WE HAVE TO GO OVERSEAS. THAT'S JUST A CONCERN. I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO SUPPORT THIS ITEM WHEN I LOOK AT THE SCHOOLS I'M FACING. I KNOW THAT HAVING KEN HART UP THERE AND WORKING WITH THAT WILL BE MORE HELPFUL AND HELP

070THE TRANSITION. BUT I ALSO KNOW I'D PREFER TO NOT HAVE TO DO THAT. Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER VAUGHN? Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I KNOW I ASKED YOU FOR THE INFORMATION ABOUT MY DISTRICT. DID I GET THAT BEFORE THE MEETING OR IS THAT STILL COMING? I'LL BE PROVIDING THAT TO YOU AFTER THE MEETING FOR ALL OF THE BOARD MEMBERS SO YOU'LL HAVE THAT INFORMATION. Jessica Vaughn: OKAY. AND FROM MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHEN WE SPOKE ABOUT THIS EARLIER, THIS PROGRAM IS BEING PHASED OUT, THAT WE'RE JUST SUPPORTING THE TEACHERS THAT WERE ALREADY IN THE QUEUE THAT WE'RE NOT CONTINUING THIS AND ONCE THESE TEACHERS HIT THEIR FIVE YEARS, WE'RE NOT CONTINUING THAT FROM OUR CONVERSATION. IS THAT TRUE? Patti Rendon: I'M NOT SURE IF THE TERM PHASED OUT -- I'M NOT SURE IF THE

071TERM PHASED OUT IS APPROPRIATE. EACH ONE THAT COMES, THERE IS A PERIOD OF TIME THEY'RE HERE. THEY CAN BE HERE UP TO FIVE YEARS. WHEN THEY HIT THAT PERIOD OF TIME, THEY'RE NO LONGER HERE AT THE DISTRICT. HOWEVER, THIS IS GOING TO BE FOR THIS YEAR. IT'S GOING TO GO THROUGH THIS YEAR. EVERY YEAR WE ASSESS WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT THE NEEDS ARE BEFORE WE MAKE A DETERMINATION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THE PROGRAM. SO WE'RE NOT PHASING IT OUT. WE'RE FOCUSED ON THE PROGRAM FOR THIS CURRENT YEAR. Jessica Vaughn: OKAY. THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I UNDERSTOOD WHEN WE TALKED EARLIER. SO MY QUESTION IS, NEXT YEAR, ARE WE BRINGING NEW TEACHERS OVER NEXT YEAR? THAT IS NOT OUR PLAN TO BRING NEW TEACHERS OVER. Jessica Vaughn: THAT'S NOT OUR

072PLAN? WE HAVE THE 160, AND THE 160 IS THE GROUP THAT WE'LL BE WORKING WITH. WE'LL HAVE HERE, AGAIN, BECAUSE THEY'RE HERE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. IT WILL SHOW IT'S ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR YEAR AND THEY CAN EXTEND IT. WE WEREN'T PLANNING ON BRINGING NEW TEACHERS INTO THE PROGRAM. Jessica Vaughn: MEANING WHEN THE LAST TEACHER HITS THEIR FIFTH YEAR, WHICH IS THE MAX MAXIMUM, THIS PROGRAM WILL NOT CONTINUE. WE'LL DETERMINE THAT AT THAT TIME. Jessica Vaughn: DO WE KNOW WHEN THE LAST -- THE NEWEST TEACHER IS SLATED TO -- THE NEWEST TEACHER WE BROUGHT ON IS SLATED TO REACH THEIR MAXIMUM? I'LL HAVE MR. HORTSMAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION. WE HAVE NINE INDIVIDUALS, NINE TEACHERS, THIS SCHOOL YEAR THAT ARE BRAND NEW TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND TO THE PROGRAM. SO POTENTIALLY THEY'LL HAVE TWO MORE

073YEARS WITH US. THEY CAN EXTEND FOR YEARS FOUR AND FIVE, WHICH MEANS THEY COULD END UP FOUR MORE ADDITIONAL YEARS BEYOND THIS ONE. WE DON'T HAVE A MAX OF 160 NOW. WE'RE SHORT BY TWO OR THREE BECAUSE THEY LEFT ABOUT MIDWAY THROUGH THE SCHOOL YEAR. THERE ARE SOME INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE DECIDED THEY DID NOT WANT TO EXTEND FOR YEARS THREE AND FOUR. WE'LL BE REPLACING SOME OF THOSE TEACHERS SO WE CAN MAX OUT AT 160. Jessica Vaughn: OKAY. AND THEN I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THE LACK OF FRINGE BECAUSE THAT'S THE AMOUNT WE PAY EPI TO SECURE THE TEACHERS ALMOST THE SAME. IT'S POINTED OUT HERE IN THE AGENDA ITEM, THE DIFFERENCE I THINK IS $1600 PER TEACHER. BUT IN OUR CONVERSATION, I WAS MADE AWARE THAT EPI DOES PROVIDE SOME SORT OF MEDICAL INSURANCE

074OR SOMETHING TO THE EMPLOYEES. WERE WE ABLE TO GET INFORMATION ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE? YES. THEY DO PROVIDE IT. THE DETAILS OF IT, I'LL GET THAT FOR YOU. BUT IT'S ON PAGE 10 AS PART OF WHAT THEIR AGREEMENT IS, IS THEY'LL PROVIDE THAT. Jessica Vaughn: SO THESE EMPLOYEES HAVE MEDICAL INSURANCE IF THEY NEED IT. THAT'S CORRECT. AS WELL AS OFFERED TO THEIR DEPENDENTS IF NEEDED. Jessica Vaughn: OKAY. THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE FOR NOW. THANK YOU. Karen Perez: THANK YOU. MEMBER GRAY? Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I'M GOING TO COME AT THIS A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT ANGLE. WE HAVE -- AND THIS IS NOT THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT IT IS -- IT DOES MEAN A LOT WHEN WE LOOK AT 26,000 ELL STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT NECESSARILY IN CLASSROOMS BUT

075WE DEAL WITH THEM IN OTHER WAYS. SO HAVING SAID THAT, AND I THINK THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT CONTRACT. IT DOES MEET THE INSTRUCTIONAL NEEDS OF OUR DIVERSE POPULATION. I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT'S THE BEST, BUT I TRUST YOU ALL THAT YOU DID YOUR RESEARCH AND I KNOW WE HAD THIS FOR A FEW YEARS. AS MEMBER COMBS SAID, EPI, I HIGHLY VALUE THEIR SERVICE. MY QUESTION IS WHEN WE HAVE LOOKED AT THESE COUNTRIES AND I KNOW WE ENUMERATED THOSE, MR. HORSEMAN, AND SEE THAT WE HAVE COUNTRIES THAT ARE A LOT IN THE SPANISH SPEAKING AREAS. SO THEN I ASKED YOU IF THOSE COUNTRIES OR THOSE TEACHERS, EXCUSE ME, WHO WERE CERTIFIED WOULD GO INTO THOSE CLASSROOMS THAT HAVE THE MOST OR A PLETHORA -- OR SCHOOLS OF ELL STUDENTS. AND THEN YOUR VOICE WAS RETURNED

076TO ME SAYING, IT'S UP TO THE TEACHER. AND I RESPECT THAT. THAT'S THE PROCESS YOU SET FORTH. SO THAT'S ONE THING. I'M NOT GOING TO ARGUE WITH THAT. THAT'S A PROCEDURE THAT WAS SET. BUT I AM GOING TO ASK, WHEN YOU HAVE OTHER VENDORS AND I'M JUST -- AND I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, FOCUSED ON VENDORS. I HAVE OTHER THINGS TO DO IN MY LIFE BUT THIS REALLY STRUCK A NERVE THAT WE HAVEN'T LOOKED INTO IT. IF YOU HAVE 26,000 STUDENTS AND A HUGE VACANCY OF TEACHERS AND A HUGE AMOUNT OF DEFICITS WITH THIS HUGE POPULATION, WHY ARE WE NOT FOCUSING ON GETTING MORE MORE BILINGUAL TEACHERS, AND THIS ONE AGENCY, INTERNATIONAL TEACHERS FROM LATIN AMERICA. HONDURAS, PARAGUAY, COLUMBIA, BRAZIL, ARGENTINA. WHY ARE WE NOT LOOKING AT THIS TYPE OF PROGRAM TO ADDRESS THE INSTRUCTIONAL FUTURE

077AND VIABILITY OF THESE STUDENTS BECAUSE WE'RE MISSING SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAVE THE LANGUAGE BARRIERS. IT WOULD BE NICE IF THEY COULD ALL SPEAK ENGLISH, BUT THAT'S NOT THE WAY IT IS. I'D LOVE FOR YOUR COMMENT, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I'D LOVE FOR YOU TO GIVE -- I'LL JUST SAY FOR MYSELF AND THE BOARD MEMBERS WHAT AND WHY ARE YOU NOT LOOKING INTO THESE TYPES OF RECRUITMENT AGENCIES TO SECURE THE MOST BILINGUAL TEACHERS WE CAN GET. THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. I'LL ANSWER IT AS BEST AS I CAN. SO FOR EPI, TO YOUR POINT, WE DO GET INDIVIDUALS FROM CHILE, COLUMBIA, COSTA RICA, ECUADOR AND MEXICO TO NAME A FEW. IF YOUR QUESTION IS WHY AREN'T WE LOOKING AT OTHER COMPANIES THAT CAN PROVIDE THAT, WHEN WE PUT THE RPI OUT THERE, THE RESPONSE CAME FROM

078EPI. WE'RE CERTAINLY OPEN TO LOOKING AT OTHER WAYS IN ORDER FOR US TO FIND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN PROVIDE US WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS. WE WEREN'T CLOSE TO THAT. WE'RE OPEN TO THAT AND AGAIN, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING WHAT'S REQUIRED AND WHAT'S NEEDED FOR THOSE PARTICULAR STUDENTS. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CERTAINLY ARE INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT. IF YOU HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS, WE'RE OPEN TO HEARING THAT FROM THE BOARD MEMBERS, OF COURSE. Lynn Gray: DR. PATTON, WITH DUE RESPECT, WE'VE HAD THAT MANY STUDENTS, MAYBE MORE, AND MS. McRAE CAN COMMENT ON THAT, DURING THE WHOLE ENTIRE DURATION OF YOUR WORK HERE AT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I'M GLAD YOU'RE OPEN TO IT. BUT I WOULD LIKE MORE THAN THAT. I WOULD LIKE A -- AN ABSOLUTE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO GIVE

079US THOSE TYPES OF VENDORS THAT WILL GIVE BILINGUAL EDUCATION MORE FIDELITY. AND I THINK BEING OPEN IS ONE THING, BUT ACTUALLY DOING IT IS A TOTAL DIFFERENT SITUATION. I'LL COVER THAT WITH -- GO AHEAD. MAKE A REMARK. I'M SORRY. SO WE ARE WORKING WITH THE DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM TO SEE WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE OUT THERE. AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE SAYING WE'RE UNWILLING TO DO OR WE HAVE NOT THOUGHT OF IN OUR RECRUITMENT PLAN AND HOW WE RECRUIT. HOWEVER, EPI IS ONE OF THE OPTIONS THAT'S AVAILABLE NOW. AGAIN, THERE IS OTHER OPTIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE. WE'RE WORKING WITH THE DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM AND LOOKING INTO OTHER THINGS. BUT OUR PRIMARY FOCUS HAS NOT BEEN INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS, AND SO I DO WANT TO SAY THAT. THAT DOES NOT MEAN WE DON'T OFFER INCENTIVES

080AROUND BILITERATE AND BILINGUAL TEACHERS. ONE OF THE INCENTIVES IS THROUGH OUR TITLE TWO WHICH WE OFFER AN INCENTIVE TO THOSE THAT ARE HIRED TO SAY, THOSE INDIVIDUALS CAN RECEIVE $500 FOR COMING AND BEING ABLE TO SPEAK A MULTIPLE LAN LANGUAGE. WE HAVE THAT AS A PROGRAM WHICH I THINK IS OUTSIDE THE BOX FOR US TO SAY, IT'S A WAY FOR US TO RECRUIT IN THAT CAPACITY. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU. AND FURTHER TO EXPLORE THE STATISTICS THAT I'M JUST BELLOWING OUT HERE, MS. McRAE, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF THE ELL POPULATION AND ANY REMARKS YOU MAY HAVE REGARDING THAT? Shay McRae: 20% OF OUR STUDENT POPULATION WOULD BE ELL. Lynn Gray: OKAY. IS IT FAIR TO SAY AND TO REQUEST THAT WE DEFINITELY -- THERE IS A NEED FOR MORE BILINGUAL TEACHERS. Shay

081McRae: YES. AND I'LL WORK WITH DR. PATTON ON THAT. YES, MA'AM. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL MY REMARKS. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. Karen Perez: THANK YOU. MEMBER COMBS? Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. I GUESS THIS OPENENED UP AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO SAY SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR FIVE YEARS AND DR. PATTON, BEFORE YOU CAME AND I CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT IT, IS MAKING SURE WE HAVE A PLACE TO PROCESS, FINGERPRINT AND PROCESS PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF ISC. I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE PARENT COMMUNITY CENTER AND THE TOWN AND COUNTRY AREA. WE HAVE SO MANY AMAZING PEOPLE THAT WE HIRE FROM THAT AREA. WE HAVE SO MANY BILINGUAL PEOPLE IN TOWN AND COUNTRY. ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS IS SOMETIMES PEOPLE CAN'T GET ALL THE WAY TO THE

082ISC. IT'S A LONG WAY AND DIFFICULT. OVER AND OVER FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, I'VE BEEN ASKING TO SAY LET'S PROCESS AND FINGERPRINT PEOPLE IN MORE THAN JUST ISC. THERE SHOULD BE SOMEWHERE IN THE TOWN AND COUNTRY AREA. WE HAVE SO MANY AMAZING BILINGUAL INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HIGHLY EDUCATED COMING FROM OVERSEAS. WE ALSO HAVE THE SOUTH COUNTY AREA OVER AND OVER AND INSTEAD IT'S LIKE, THIS DISTRICT FOR ME TO GET FROM WHERE I LIVE TO PLANT CITY TAKES ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF, TWO HOURS. I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING AND WE TALK ABOUT THIS AND, YOU KNOW, LYNN, MEMBER GRAY OPENED UP THE DOOR. I THINK TO MYSELF, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS IS MAKING IT ACCESSIBLE FOR PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY APPLY AND FINGERPRINT AND PROCESS THEMSELVES IN AN AREA WHERE YOU HAVE A VERY, VERY

083HIGH BILINGUAL EDUCATION. BILINGUAL SPEAKERS. SO I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR THIS FOR MANY YEARS. AND I'M REALLY -- I'M IMPLORING AND ASKING YOU TO REALLY LOOK AT THIS. I WANT TO DISCUSS THIS MORE. I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YEARS AND TALKING ABOUT IT PATIENTLY. AND I FEEL LIKE I'VE WORKED VERY HARD TO BE IN THIS POSITION, AND I'M LOOKING FOR CHANGE. AND WE NEED MORE SUPPORT FOR ELL LEARNERS. THAT IS ONE OF THE LARGEST GROUP OF PEOPLE AND IT'S ONE OF THE SMALLEST DEPARTMENTS THAT WE HAVE. AND THOSE ELL STUDENTS ARE DOING HUGE GAINS. I MEAN, EVEN WHEN I LOOK AT THE CABINET, I SEE ONLY MR. MURILLO. I NEED TO SEE MORE DIVERSITY OVERALL. MORE REPRESENTATION IN OUR DISTRICT. BECAUSE THAT'S A LARGE ALMOST 50% OF OUR STUDENTS ARE FROM HISPANIC, AND I NEED TO SEE

084MORE OF A CHANGE, AND I'VE SAT HERE VERY PATIENTLY FOR MANY YEARS. BUT THE TIME IS TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY FUTURE LEADERS WHO ARE SITTING IN TOWN AND COUNTRY. YOU HAVE PEOPLE COMING FROM CUBA, VENEZUELA WHO ARE DOCTORS, LAWYERS, EXTREMELY BRIGHT, EXTREMELY INTELLIGENT WHO COULD COME IN AND MAKE A BIG SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN OUR DISTRICT. AND THIS IS THE TIME TO DO IT. THIS IS THE TIME TO DO IT. AND I'VE SAT HERE VERY PATIENTLY AND I NEED TO SEE SOME MOVEMENT AND AT THE MINIMUM, STARTING TO PROCESS PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF JUST THE ISC. THE TIME HAS COME. SO PLEASE, SUPERINTENDENT, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS. I'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEHIND THE SCENES FOR YEARS. AND THE TIME IS TO TALK ABOUT THIS IN PUBLIC. THANK YOU. Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS.

085SUPERINTENDENT AYRES, WE HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS. AS A MATTER OF FACT WE TALKED ABOUT IT EVEN ON THE RADIO ABOUT HIRING, YOU KNOW, BILINGUAL OR STAFF. ALSO, WE HAVE STAFF THAT HAVE HIGHER EDUCATION HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING? THEY'RE CUSTODIANS. THEY'RE OUR CUSTODIANS. HAVE WE GONE BACK TO LOOK AT OUR STAFF WHO ARE SPANISH SPEAKING TO LOOK AT WHAT THEY BRING TO THE TABLE? HAVE WE DONE THAT? Van Ayres: WE CAN GO BACK AND LOOK. WE CAN COME UP WITH A PLAN TO LOOK AT OUR CURRENT WORKFORCE, HISPANIC WORKFORCE TO SEE IF THERE IS QUALIFICATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MET THAT COULD BE UTILIZED FOR OTHER POSITIONS WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. WE CAN DO THAT. WITH 23,000 EMPLOYEES IN OUR DISTRICT, WE'LL GO THROUGH THAT. A LOT COMES BACK DOWN TO

086IN OUR SCHOOLS, I WANT THIS TO BE KNOWN THAT HAPPENS IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. SO WE HAVE PRINCIPALS, APs, THAT SEE PEOPLE WITHIN OUR DISTRICT THAT ARE IN CERTAIN POSITIONS THAT WE TAKE, MENTOR, AND THEN LOOK TO THEM TO TAKE OTHER POSITIONS WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. I THINK THAT PRACTICE HAPPENS AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL. HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR AND WE'LL MOVE FORWARD THERE. Karen Perez: BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF OUR CUSTODIANS THAT HAVE -- EVEN HERE AT ROSACK THAT HAVE HIGHER EDUCATION. THERE IS A COUPLE OF OUR STAFF THAT TOLD ME, THEY WERE DOCTORS, NURSES, ATTORNEYS, AND THEY'RE WORKING AS CUSTODIANS BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO GET THE CREDITS HERE IN THE UNITED STATES TO PRACTICE IN THEIR PROFESSIONS. AND I'M HONORED THEY'RE WORKING WITH US, BUT AT THE LEVEL THEY'RE WORKING,

087THEY COULD BE TEACHING. WE COULD GUIDE THEM INTO BEING ABLE TO TEACH OUR STUDENTS. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT DOING THAT. Van Ayres: MAYBE WE CAN PROVIDE SOME EXAMPLES, DR. PATTON, OF FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT HAVE ASCENDED THROUGHOUT AND TAKEN OTHER POSITIONS. MAYBE PROVIDE SOME REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES AND HOW TO AIM TO ENHANCE THAT SO IT HAPPENS MORE. I KNOW IT DOES HAPPEN IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND WE'LL PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF THAT AND COME UP WITH PLAN OF HOW WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN A LITTLE MORE. Karen Perez: CAN WE DO A JOB FAIR HERE? I KNOW WE DO AN OUTSIDE JOB FAIR. BUT DO WE DO A JOB FAIR SO THAT OUR EMPLOYEES IN THE DISTRICT CAN BRING, LIKE, EVEN THEIR DEGREES TO THE TABLE TO SHOW US WHAT THEY

088HAVE. DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. BUT THEY COULD BRING IT TO THE TABLE TO SHOW US WHAT THEY HAVE. AND MAYBE WE COULD BE ABLE TO LIFT THEM FROM THERE. WE'RE CERTAINLY OPEN TO THAT. ON A REGULAR BASIS THOUGH, TO YOUR POINT, WE DO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE EMPLOYEES ARE ABLE TO HAVE NOT ONLY INDIVIDUALS TALK WITH THEM ABOUT THEIR CAREER PLANS WHICH A LOT OF OUR PARTNERS DO THAT AS WELL AS THE PARTNERS HAVING CONVERSATIONS. WE DO HAVE THAT. TO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S POINT, WE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH THE NAMES OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO SEE WHERE THEY MIGRATED FROM. WHEN THEY MAY HAVE STARTED AT ONE POINT AND MOVED UP TO A HIGHER LEVEL SO YOU CAN SEE THAT. WE CERTAINLY CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH THAT. IF THAT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW ON A REGULAR

089BASIS, WE CAN CERTAINLY SHARE THAT AND RECOGNIZE THAT AS WELL BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE IT WHEN IT HAPPENS. IT JUST DOESN'T HAPPEN, TO SUPERINTENDENT'S POINT, PUBLICLY BUT IT IS HAPPENING. I CERTAINLY CAN PROVIDE THAT IN EACH AREA WHERE THAT'S OCCURRED SO THAT WAY YOU CAN SEE THAT INFORMATION. Karen Perez: I KNOW A COUPLE OF EMPLOYEES MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, I HAD THIS DEGREE BUT IT'S REALLY NOT WORTH ANYTHING HERE. IN THE UNITED STATES. BUT I MENTIONED TO THEM, PUT IT ON THE APPLICATION. SHOW IT ANYWAY. BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE IT MIGHT BE USEFUL. WE DO HOST A VARIETY OF HIRING EVENTS AND SPECIFICALLY A WEEK FROM TONIGHT AT THE ISC FROM 6:00 TO 7:30 WE'RE HAVING AN OPEN HOUSE. THAT'S BEEN ADVERTISED A LITTLE BIT AT THIS POINT BUT WE LEARNED THAT IF

090YOU ADVERTISE TOO FAR IN ADVANCE, PEOPLE PUT IT IN OF THE CALENDAR AND FORGET ABOUT IT. YOU'LL SEE MORE AND MORE ADVERTISEMENTS IN THE NEXT WEEK. Karen Perez: CAN YOU SEND US AS BOARD MEMBERS MAYBE A FLIER SO WE CAN ALSO ADVERTISE IT? YES, MA'AM. WILL DO. Karen Perez: THANK YOU. SEEING NO FURTHER COMMENTS OR QUES QUESTIONS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLYLY. NOW DO WE HAVE ANY EMPLOYEE COMMENT TONIGHT? SEEING NONE, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S COMMENTS. SUPERINTENDENT? Van Ayres: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MY UPDATES THIS EVENING, WE'VE GOT A FEW UPDATES AND THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING AND ALSO WE HAVE OUR LITERACY UPDATES FROM MR. BRADY SO OUR PM2, SO THREE OR FOUR SLIDES TO UPDATE THE BOARD ON THE PROGRESS MONITORING NUMBER TWO, WHERE SEE SIT AND

091ARE THERE. WE'LL PROVIDE THOSE AT THE END OF THE UPDATES. FIRST OFF, LOVE THE BUS MONTH. LED BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR PEOPLE OF TRANSPORTATION. IT'S RECOGNIZING THE CRITICAL ROLE OF SCHOOL BUSES PLAY IN SAFELY TRANSPORTING STUDENTS TO AND FROM SCHOOL. HERE AT HCPS OUR BUS DRIVERS TRANSPORT 78,000 STUDENTS TO AND FROM SCHOOL EACH DAY. OUR TRANSPORTATION TEAM, WHERE WANTED TO MAKE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, IS HOSTING SCHOOL BUS RODEO COMPETITION ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, AT THE TRANSPORTATION COMPOUND. THE RODEO IS A FUN FRIENDLY SKILLS COMPETITION THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE PROFESSIONALISM, PRECISION AND EXPERTISE OF THE SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS. DRIVERS NAVIGATE A TIMED COURSE SUCH AS TIGHT TURNS, PRECISE STOPS AND CAREFUL MANEUVERING SHOWCASED IN A HIGH LEVEL OF TRAINING AND CARE THAT GOES INTO SAFELY TRANSPORTING STUDENTS EACH DAY. SO SEVERAL HIGH SCHOOLS PARTICIPATED IN CELEBRATIONS THE

092PAST FEW YICKS. FOR ESE STUDENTS WHO -- SO WE'VE HAD TWO SO FAR. FRIDAY JANUARY 30 I JOINED SCHOOL DISTRICT MEMBERS AND DISTRICT LEADERS AT THE FIRST EVER SOUTH SHORE STAMPEDE AT MORGAN HIGH SCHOOL WHERE THEY WELCOMED 500 PARTICIPANTS FROM EIGHT SCHOOLS IN THAT AREA OF THE COUNTY. THIS EVENT WAS JOINTLY HOSTED BY CAREER CENTER. ON THE 6TH, THREE MIDDLES AND ONE OF OUR EXCEPTIONAL CENTERS PARTICIPATED. LATER THIS MONTH BLOOMING DALE NEWSOM AND GOTH GAITHER HIGH SCHOOLS WILL HOLD EVENTS TO HONOR ATHLETES. THEY EXPECT TO CHEER ON 350 ATHLETES FROM 14 SCHOOLS. JUST WANT TO THANK OUR VOLUNTEERS AND STUDENT ATHLETES FOR BEING A PART OF THE WONDERFUL EVENT EACH YEAR. AND CHEER TEAMS. CONGRATULATIONS. WE'VE GOT NATIONAL CHAMPIONS THERE. STRAWBERRY CREST, PLANT CITY AND BLAMING DALE. THREE EARNED AT THE CHEERLEADING CHAMPIONSHIPS. CONGRATULATIONS TO

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

094CREST. OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS THE BLACK HISTORY BRAIN BOWL PRELIMINARIES. LAST WEEK WE HELD PRELIMINARY ROUNDS FOR THE ANNUAL COMPETITION. IT'S A GREAT WAY TO SUPPORT AWARENESS AND PROMOTE UNDERSTANDING WITHIN AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE AND CONTRIBUTIONS. WE HELD COMPETITIONS IN ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS. AND ARE WE READY WHO MADE THE FINALS? HERE WE GO. PRELIMINARIES AND MAKING THE FINALS IS... THERE THEY ARE. CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE SCHOOLS AND I KNOW BOARD MEMBERS, ALL OF YOU ARE ALWAYS THERE ON THE FINALS. IT'S A BIG DAY FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. YOU SEE THE ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS IS MEMBER VAUGHN IS -- IS ZACH ON THE TEAM? ALL RIGHT. WE'LL SEE HIM THERE. CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE SCHOOLS MAKING IT TO THE FINAL ROUND. THAT'S FEBRUARY 21 AT DW WATERS THIS YEAR. NOT BLAKE. AND THANKS TO

095HAPSE AND ALL THE VOLUNTEERS WHO GIVE THIS EVENT EACH YEAR AND CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR STUDENTS. THERE THEY ARE. WE'LL ANNOUNCE THE WINNER AT THE FINAL FOR ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH ON FEBRUARY 21. SO MY LAST SLIDE HERE BEFORE I TURN THIS OVER TO MR. BRADY, BOARD MEMBERS, THIS WAS -- I WANT TO POINT AIT TENSION TO THIS HERE. THIS IS OUR AP PROGRAM HONOR ROLL. WE TALK ABOUT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND ADVANCED PLACEMENT, HOW MANY EXAMS WE GIVE, ET CETERA, PASS RATE. I'M PROUD TO ANNOUNCE 16 HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN -- EARNING THREE PLATINUM, FOUR GOLD, TWO SILVER, AND SEVEN BRONZE DISTINCTIONS. THE AP SCHOOL HONOR ROLL RECOGNIZES SCHOOLS WHOSE AP PROGRAMS THAT DELIVER RESULTS FOR STUDENTS WHILE BROADENING PARTICIPATION. SCHOOLS CAN EARN THEIR RECOGNITION ANNUALLY BASED ON CRITERIA THAT REFLECT A COMMITMENT TO

096INCREASING COLLEGE CULTURE TO EARN COLLEGE CREDIT AND MAXIMIZING COLLEGE READINESS. SO HERE WE GO. IN THE WHOLE NATION 5,000 SCHOOLS ARE RECOGNIZED. WE HAVE 17 IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. SO THAT'S ONLY 36% OF ELIGIBLE HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE NATION. SO 36% OF THE NATION OF THESE SCHOOLS ARE ON THIS HONOR ROLE. ONLY 8% RECEIVE PLATINUM AND ONLY 7% RECEIVE GOLD. BIG, BIG ACCOMPLISHMENT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ACCELERATED OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS. BIG HONOR FOR THE SCHOOLS LISTED THERE. SO CONGRATS TO THOSE. AND THIS COMES DOWN TO OUR DEDICATED ADMINISTRATORS, COMMITTED TEACHERS AND HARD WORKING STUDENTS. WE CREATED A CULTURE WHERE STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO AIM HIGHER AND I COULDN'T BE MORE PROUD OF WHAT THEY ACCOMPLISH. SHOUTOUT TO THE GREAT WORK AND ACCELERATED PROGRAMS AT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. NOW WE'LL TURN THIS OVER TO MR.

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

098RETURN IN JANUARY. OKAY. LET'S GET TO THE DATA. THE FOLLOWING DATA SLIDES REPRESENT THE PERFORMANCE OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY NON-CHARTER STUDENTS ONLY. PROGRESS MONITORING ASSESSMENTS MEASURE END OF THE YEAR ON GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS. SO THIS SLIDE ELSTRAIGHTS HOW OUR STUDENTS, NONCHARTER PERFORM THIS SCHOOL YEAR ON PM1, THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, AND PM2. TO CORRECTLY INTERPRET THIS DATA LOOK AT THE NUMBERS CIRCLED IN YELL OE. THAT NUMBER, 34%, INFORMS US DURING PM1, 34% OF OUR STUDENTS IN GRADES 3 THROUGH 10 COMBINED DEMONSTRATED ACHIEVEMENT WHICH MET THE EPIOF THE YEAR EXPECTATIONS. THEY WERE PROFICIENT AT PM1. THE NUMBER CIRCLED IN BLUE, 45% INFORMS US DURING THE PM2 WINDOW, 45% OF OUR STUDENTS IN GRADES 3 THROUGH 10 DEMONSTRATED END OF THE YEAR ON GRADE LEVEL PROFICIENCY. SO THERE WAS AN 11% INCREASE FROM PM1 TO PM2 THIS

099YEAR. AND I'LL GO DOWN THE LIST FOR GRADES 3 THROUGH 10. GRADE 3, 19%. GRADE 4, 14. YOU CAN SEE 13, 7, 9, 8, 8, AND 9. SO ALL OF OUR GRADE LEVELS, WHICH IS UNDERSTANDABLE. YOU'D EXPECT IMPROVEMENT FROM PM1 TO PM2. THIS NEXT SLIDE, HOWEVER, TALKED ABOUT THIS YEAR VERSUS LAST YEAR. THIS SLIDE ILLUSTRATES HOW STUDENTS PERFORMED ON PM2 LAST YEAR VERSE -- THIS YEAR VERSUS LAST YEAR. IT'S VERY ENCOURAGING AS WE'RE SEEING INCREASED PROFICIENCY IN GRADES 3 THROUGH 10. WHEN YOU SEE 24-25, THAT REFERS TO THE 24-25 SCHOOL YEAR. THIS IS THE 25-26. THE NUMBER IN YELLOW, 41% INDICATES DURING LAST YEAR'S PM2 WINDOW, 41% OF STUDENTS IN GRADES 3 THROUGH 10 COMBINED WERE PROFICIENT SCORING A LEVEL THREE OR HIGHER. THIS YEAR, IT'S AT 45%. 41% INCREASE ACROSS ALL GRADE LEVELS COMBINED.

100THIRD GRADE, 2%. 2%, 4, 4, 4, 4, 6, AND 5. SO EVERY GRADE LEVEL IS SHOWING AN INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR. LET'S GET TO THE SUBGROUPS. IF WE LOOK AT STUDENT PERFORMANCE BY SUBGROUPS THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS ACHIEVING -- IN ALL SUBGROUPS. BLACK STUDENTS INCREASED 10%. OUR WHITE STUDENTS, 13%. OUR HISPANIC STUDENTS, 10%. ELL, 9%. STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY, 6%. LET'S GO TO PROFICIENCY THIS YEAR VERSUS LAST YEAR IN OUR SUBGROUPS. SO WE LOOKED AT PERFORMANCE BY SUBGROUP. YOU CAN SEE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS ACHIEVING A LEVEL 3 OR HIGHER INCREASED FROM PM2 LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR. BLACK STUDENTS 5% FROM LAST YEAR. WHITE STUDENTS, 4%. HISPANIC STUDENTS, 4%. ELL STUDENTS, 3%. AND SWD STUDENTS, 3%. FINALLY, DURING OUR LITERACY UPDATES A COUPLE MONTHS AGO WE DISCUSSED OUR PLAN FOR THE YEAR. I WON'T GO THROUGH

101THAT AGAIN. IT INCLUDED KEY LITERARY ACTIONS INCLUDING STRONG INSTRUCTION, PLCs AND EMBEDDED SUPPORTS FOR LEARNERS. WE'RE CONTINUING THESE HIGH LEVERAGE ACTIONS WITH THE CSG AWARDED TO US BY THE STATE. SCHOOLS NOT MEETING SUBGROUP EXPECTATIONS FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS IN ELL AND SWD WERE GIVEN PRIORITY FOR THE SERVICES AND GRANT ACTIVITIES HAVE ALREADY BEGUN ACROSS ALL GRADE LEVEL BANDS. IN ADDITION, ALL SCHOOLS CREATED A STRATEGIC SUPPORT PLAN BASED ON MIDYEAR DATA TRENDS. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. IN AN EFFORT TO CONTINUE BUILDING ALIGNMENT AND CONSISTENCY ACROSS THE DISTRICT, THIS HAS BEEN PRESENTED WITH PRINCIPALS, ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, CABINET AND SCHOOL BOARD AND REGIONAL SUPERINTENDENTS. Van Ayres: THANK YOU. ONE MORE SLIDE. SO TWO MORE SLIDES FOR ME. JUST A REMINDER, THIS FRIDAY AND MONDAY, NO SCHOOL. SO WE HAVE A LONG WEEKEND AHEAD.

102SO FRIDAY OF COURSE IS OUR FAIR DAY. AND THEN MONDAY WILL BE NO SCHOOL ON THE 16th FOR PRESIDENTS' DAY. FINALLY, LAST SLIDE. THERE IT IS. THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN. OUR STEM FAIR. HERE WE ARE AGAIN. FEBRUARY 18, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY REGIONAL STEM FAIR WILL TAKE PLACE. 9:30 TO 2:30. I KNOW BOARD MEMBERS ARE ALWAYS THERE TO SEE THE PROJECTS AT THE TAMPA CONVENTION CENTER. SO THAT'S FEBRUARY 18. AND THIS EVENT FEATURES PROJECTS REPRESENTING OVER 150 SCHOOLS WHO WILL SHOWCASE NEARLY 1200 ELEMENTARY PROJECTS AND 150 JUNIOR AND SENIOR PROJECTS. THE AWARDS ARE VIRTUAL AND WILL BE AIRED ON MARCH 6. MADAM CHAIR, THOSE ARE MY UPDATES. Karen Perez: THANK YOU. NOW WE'LL MOVE INTO BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS. BOARD MEMBERS, JUST A REMINDER, YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK WITH 30 SECONDS FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. OKAY.

103MEMBER GRAY, UFIRST. Lynn Gray: OKAY. THE CLOCK IS ON. I'M JUST GOING TO REEMPHASIZE IN THE SPIRIT OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH, I KNOW MYSELF, SHAKE, THE AFRICAN AMERICAN TASK FORCE AND OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, MEMBER VAUGHN ACTUALLY HAS HER SON COMPETING IN THE ANNUAL -- THE FINAL COMPETITION. IS THAT RIGHT, MEMBER VAUGHN? OKAY. SO, IT WILL BE HELD ON FEBRUARY 21 AT DW WATERS MEDICAL CENTER AT 9:00 TO 1:00. ALSO, A SPECIAL THANKS TO THESE MEMBERS WHO PUT FORTH SO MUCH WORK, HAPSE HAS DONE A MARVELOUS JOB. PARHAM. OF COURSE OUR WONDERFUL DIRECTOR DR. ANDREA BEVERLY. OUR STAFF EARNEST WOOD. DR. HOLTEN, KELLY BRENNAN, BRANDON AUSTIN, LUNET JUDGE, THE THURGOOD MARSHALL CLUB DIRECTOR WHICH I KNOW FRED HERNS IS GOING TO GIVE A SPECIAL AWARD ON FEBRUARY 27 DURING THE BLACK HISTORY EVENT IN THE

104HISTORY CENTER. AND FRED HEARNS IS ALWAYS BEHIND EVERYTHING WE DO. AND AS ALSO YOU TOOK AWAY SOME OF THE THUNDER, SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES, BUT WE DID HAVE -- WE'RE NOW AT THE REGIONAL BLACK HISTORY CULTURAL REGIONAL, AND WE HAD -- LET'S SEE. ROBINSON WAS SECOND. RIVERVIEW WAS THIRD. AND THE WINNER WAS STRAWBERRY CREST. AND THOSE ARE SOME PHOTOS. GOOD GOING, PABLO. YOU NAILED IT. SO THESE INDIVIDUALS, THESE STUDENTS WERE WORKED SO HARD. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, MR. BRADY, THE PM2 DATA, YOU KNOW 10%, WE WENT UP, THE BLACK STUDENTS WENT UP, AND THAT'S VERY, VERY MUCH CORRELATED, I DO BELIEVE, WITH THEIR INTENSITY AND INTENTIONAL PAYING ATTENTION TO THEIR CULTURAL BLACK HISTORY AND THAT I THINK IS JUST SO EXCITING. ALSO, SKIPPING TO ANOTHER SUBJECT, I WENT TO MANN MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND, YOU KNOW, WE

105DIDN'T HAVE A BIG EXCITING EVENT. BUT THIS WAS THE MOST TENDER MOMENT I'VE HAD IN MANY YEARS WITH STUDENTS. WE WERE LOOKING AT THE STUDENTS THAT HAD VISUALLY IMPAIRED SITUATIONS AND $40,000 WAS INVESTED IN BOOKS AND BRAILLE BOOKS, AND I JUST MET THE SWEETEST STUDENTS. STUDENT NIA AND AVA. I TOOK A PICTURE AND FORGOT TO GIVE IT TO PABLO. ONE OF THE STUDENTS SAID THIS. SHE SAID "LITERACY IS A GIFT FOR ALL CHILDREN." AND I WANT TO SAY THAT SCHOOL -- AND I KNOW MS. McRAE, YOU KNOW THIS. THAT SCHOOL HAS LEVEL FIVE -- THAT'S THE HIGHEST LEVEL YOU CAN GET -- READERS AND THEY HAVE -- THEY'RE VISUALLY IMPAIRED. THINK ABOUT THAT. LEVEL FIVE AGAINST ALL THOSE CHALLENGES. IT WAS JUST MIND-BOGGLING. I ALSO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL -- SCHOOL BOARD

106MEMBER SAID WILL PROBABLY SAY SOMETHING TO, OUR STUDENT FORUMS, THE HIGH SCHOOL, MIDDLE AND ELEMENTARY. THEY'RE JUST WONDERFUL STUDENTS. THEY HAD SOME CONCERNS, AND I GUESS IF WE LEVEL IT OUT, AT LEAST IN MY GROUP, MORE STUDIES AND THEY WANTED MORE CLASSROOMS' COMPUTERS TO WORK BECAUSE AI IS COMING AND THEY'RE NOT FUNCTIONING ALL THE TIME. BUT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS THAT I KNOW WE PUT IT ON THE LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM IS THE NEED FOR MORE GUIDANCE COUNSELORS. EVERY ONE OF THOSE GRADE LEVELS, RIGHT, MEMBER PEREZ. THEY NEED TO BE HEARD. ONE GUIDANCE COUNSELOR PER 600 STUDENTS, AND WHEN I TALK TO A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, I ASKED THEM, HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU SEE YOUR GUIDANCE COUNSELOR. TWO TIMES A YEAR. THAT'S THE AVERAGE. TWO TIMES A YEAR. SO I KNOW IT'S NOT OUR

107FAULT. BUT WE HAVE GOT TO PUSH MORE FOR GUIDANCE COUNSELORS AND THERAPISTS, SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS, ET CETERA. RUNNING RIGHT ON DOWN. I THINK THAT'S ALL FOR RIGHT NOW. PERFECT TIMING. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. ALL DONE. Karen Perez: THANK YOU. MEMBER COMBS? Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ OR CHAIR PEREZ. LESS THAN A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, MYSELF AND I REMEMBER SOME OF YOU REMEMBER LENOR BONFONTE. FOR MANY YEARS WE HAD THIS ASPIRATION TO HAVE A FAMILY COMMUNITY CENTER IN THE TOWN AND COUNTRY AREA. THIS IS NO COST TO TAXPAYERS. PEOPLE THAT USED TO WORK AT ISC AND ROSACK ARE NOW AT THE FAMILY COMMUNITY CENTER MAKING SURE STUDENTS CAN MAKE ACADEMIC GAINS AS WELL AS SOCIAL. THE BILINGUAL HOTLINE IS THERE INSTEAD OF THERE. INSTEAD OF PEOPLE BEING IN THE CENTER BECAUSE IT'S SO SPREAD

108APART THEY'RE IN THE COMMUNITY MAKING SURE STUDENTS ARE SUCCESSFUL. WE'RE TRYING TO REPLICATE SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING HERE IN SOUTH COUNTY WITH ENTERPRISING LATINAS. SOME OF THE KEY POSITIVE FACTORS IS THAT 133 SCHOOLS WERE PROVIDED SERVICES THROUGH THE FAMILY COMMUNITY CENTER. THERE'S BEEN LITERACY. COMPUTER LITERACY AND TUTORING GOING ON. SINCE THE CENTER OPENED IN OCTOBER 2024, OVER 3500 SERVICES TO PARENTS AND STUDENTS DISTRICT WIDE HAS BEEN PROVIDED. THIS IS SHOWING HUGE ACADEMIC GAINS. PABLO, SLIDE ONE. AND THROUGH THAT, WE INVITED CONGRESSWOMAN KATHY CASTOR TO COME TO OUR AREA TO THE FAMILY COMMUNITY CENTER. SHE GAME THERE AND UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF MARCOS MUR ILO AND CHRISTINA FERNANDEZ, TOGETHER THEY WROTE A GRANT. FERNANDEZ WHO IS AMAZING AND WORKED SO HARD ON THIS FAMILY COMMUNITY CENTER. AND I CAN'T THANK HER ENOUGH. THROUGH THAT,

109THERE WAS AN APPROPRIATIONS THAT KATHY CASTOR TOOK TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. I'VE NEVER BEEN WATCHING THE PRESIDENT SIGN, YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET SO CLOSELY BUT $2 MILLION CAME INTO THAT CENTER. WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ON HOW THAT CAN POSITIVELY IMPACT OUR STUDENTS. I CAN'T THANK CONGRESSWOMAN KATHY CASTOR ENOUGH TO MAKE SURE SHE SAW THE NEED. SHE SEES THE MOVEMENT TO REALLY HELP STUDENTS ACADEMIC GAINS AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING. I CAN'T TELL YOU THE THINGS HAPPENING OUT THERE AND CAN'T THANK CHRISTINA FERNANDEZ AND MARCOS MURILLA, THAT ENTIRE TIME FOR WORKING ON THAT. SLIDE TWO, PABLO. I HAVE AN EARLY LEARNING TASK FORCE WE HAD FOR A COUPLE YEARS. NOT I. WE HAVE SO MANY AMAZING PEOPLE ON THERE. THE CHILDREN'S BOARD, CO CORNERSTONE MINISTRIES. BUT THIS IS REALLY GOING OUT TO THE URBAN CORE AND LOOKING AT

110THE EARLY LEARNING DAY CARES THAT NEED ASSISTANCE. I CAN'T THANK -- I'M LOOKING AT TRACYE BROWN AND THE EARLY LEARNING DEPARTMENT ALONG WITH THE EARLY LEARNING COALITION WITH -- WE'RE HOSTING THE EVENT AND TRYING TO FIND 50 PROVIDERS TO GO OUT AND THEY'LL GET OVER $300 WORTH OF FREE MATERIALS FOR THEIR DAY CARE. IT REALLY IS TO HELP THEM LEARN AND PROVIDE SUPPORT AND HOW TO MAKE THOSE ACADEMIC GAINS AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE EARLY LEARNING COMMUNITIES, SCHOOLS, HOMES, THAT KIDS ARE GETTING DAY CARE TO REALLY HELP THEM FOCUS ON THE ACADEMICS SO THAT WAY WHEN STUDENTS COME, THEY'RE READY TO LEARN. OUR STUDENTS WHO PROVIDE EXPERIENCE THROUGH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, 88% OF THOSE STUDENTS ARE KINDERGARTEN READY. AND UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S NOT HAPPENING ACROSS THE DISTRICT. SO REALLY THIS IS THE FIRST OF MANY,

111AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN DO THINGS LIKE THIS THROUGH THE PARENT COMMUNITY CENTER. IT'S REALLY CONNECTING THE PROVIDERS AND PROVIDING THEM THE SUPPORT. SLIDE THREE. THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ, FOR COMING. I KNOW MEMBER RENDON CAME FOR THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS. AND A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO SALINA PEREZ WHO ORGANIZED THE ENTIRE THING. IT WAS JUST AMAZING BEING AT THE DRAGONS FURY AND REALLY ALMOST YOUR WHOLE CABINET WAS THERE, SUPERINTENDENT. THANK YOU FOR COMING. AND MEMBER GRAY TALKED ABOUT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL FORUM. THAT WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE EVENTS OF THE YEAR. AND THEN YOU CAN TURN THAT OFF. I HAD A QUESTION, AND I THINK I WOULD ASK YOU, MR. BRADY. WITH THE HOUSE BILL 549, THE GULF OF AMERICAS, WHAT I'M SEEING AND I KNOW THAT I WAS TALKING TO SOME PUBLISHERS AND

112PEOPLE ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, SO WORRIED ABOUT THIS JULY DEADLINE THAT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE THE GULF OF AMERICAS. WHO WOULD INCUR THAT COST? I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. WHO INCURS THAT COST WHEN WE HAVE TO CHANGE EVERYTHING BY JULY TO THE GULF OF AMERICAS. SO THE PUBLISHER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING LABELS FOR INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS. INCLUDING -- AND INCLUDING ELECTRONIC INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS SO THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR PUTTING IT ELECTRONICALLY. WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR LIBRARY MEDIA MATERIALS, NONFICTION ONLY. SO WE'D PRINT THOSE LABELS AND PUT THEM ON THE BOOKS. THE PUBLISHERS WOULD DO INSTRUCTIONAL. WE PROVIDE OUR OWN LABELS FOR LIBRARY MEDIA. IN A THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF MANPOWER TO IDENTIFY THE BOOKS AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE TO FIND EVERY LIBRARY BOOK THAT SAYS GULF OF MEXICO AND CHANGE IT TO GULF OF AMERICAS? FOR LIBRARY

113-- FIRST OF ALL, IT'S AFTER JULY 1. PURCHASED OR ADOPTED AFTER JULY 2025. YES, IT WOULD BE -- BE -- THIRST -- FIRST WE DID A SUBJECT AND TITLE SEARCH. THEN OF COURSE YEAH, TO YOUR POINT, SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING LIKE YOU HAVE A BOOK ON STINGRAYS OR DOLPHINS OR LOUISIANA, IT'S LIKELY THAT GULF OF MEXICO WOULD APPEAR. IF SO, YOU'D AFFIX A LABEL TO THE FRONT COVER THAT SAYS THE GULF OF MEXICO SHOULD NOW READ AS THE GULF OF AMERICA. Nadia Combs: SO WE'RE PAYING FOR THE MANPOWER FOR THE LIBRARY BOOKS FOR EVERYTHING. YEAH. OUR EMPLOYERS ARE DOING, YOU KNOW, OUR LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALISTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN COLLECTIONS. WE'RE PROVIDING THE LABELS. SO WE'D HAVE TO PRINT THOSE LABELS AND PROVIDE THEM TO THE LIBRARY MEDIA. THE PUBLISHERS ARE RESPONSIBLE

114FOR INSTRUCTION MATERIALS. RIGHT NOW THE LAST ADOPTION WE HAVE WAS SCIENCE AND DUAL LANGUAGE SO IT DID AFFECT ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOL MORE THAN MIDDLE. BUT YEAH, WE HAVE QUITE A FEW BOOKS. Nadia Combs: AND THE CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT FALLS UNDER AS WELL. YES. IT REQUIRES HOUSE BILL 549 REQUIRES INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ASK LIBRARY MEDIA COLLECTIONS ACQUIRED ON OUR AFTER JULY 1 BY A SCHOOL BOARD TO REFLECT THE NEW FEDERAL DESIGNATION OF GULF OF AMERICA. Nadia Combs: I KNOW THERE IS HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS GOING TO VOUCHERS AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS. WOULD THEY ADHERE -- SO IT'S JUST PRIVATE CHARTER SCHOOLS EVEN THOUGH TAXPAYER MONEY IS GOING TO THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS AS WELL. IT SAYS CHARTER AND PUBLIC. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. Karen Perez: MEMBER VAUGHN? Jessica Vaughn: SO I WANTED TO START OFF TALKING ABOUT

115THE STUDENT FORUMS WHICH ARE ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS. I SAY THAT AD NAUSEAM. I WANT TO THANK JENNIFER SPURILO, KAREN FRENCH, CHRISTINE RABURN FOR HELPING US BRING THAT TOGETHER. IT'S FUNNY YOU TALKED ABOUT YOUR FAMILY COMMUNITY CENTER. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I POSED TO THE STUDENTS IS HOW IMPORTANT IS PARENTAL AND FAMILY SUPPORT. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE STUDENTS JUST AGREED HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS AND SO TO HAVE A COMMUNITY CENTER THAT REALLY ENFORCES SUPPORTING PARENTS SO THEY CAN SUPPORT THE STUDENTS I THINK IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT THING. SO THANK YOU FOR ADVOCATING FOR THAT AND MAKING THAT HAPPEN IN YOUR DISTRICT. I FEEL LIKE OUR KIDS ARE GETTING SMARTER. WE'RE CONSTANTLY TALKING ABOUT THE SCREENS AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT IS DOING AND THE ACCESS TO THEIR SOCIAL SKILLS. THESE KIDS CAME IN

116TALKING ABOUT CLASS SIZES, AMENDMENTS, SCHOOL FUNDING, THEY BLEW MY MIND ON HOW AWARE THEY ARE OF THINGS THAT ARE WORKING IN OUR SCHOOLS. ONE THING I THINK WE ALL HEARD IS HOW MUCH THEY'RE REQUESTING DRAMA AND DEBATE IN THEIR SCHOOLS. FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL TO THE HIGH SCHOOLS. FROM EACH INDIVIDUAL TABLE. IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE THE THINGS EACH YEAR THE STUDENTS TALK ABOUT AND THE THINGS THAT ARE NEW. I THINK IT'S TIMELY WE HAD A TEACHER SPEAK ABOUT IT AND I THINK WE SHOULD AMPLIFY THE PERFORMING ARTS AND FOCUS ON THE RESPONSE IN OUR SCHOOL. THAT'S WHAT THE STUDENTS ARE SAYING THEY WANT AND FAMILIES ARE SAYING THEY WANT. I THINK WE NEED TO GEAR UP TOWARDS THAT. SPEAKING ABOUT THAT, TODAY I WAS INVITED TO CLARK ELEMENTARY FOR THEIR 4H PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION BY

117THEIR ROCK STAR FIFTH GRADE TEACHER MS. GUPTS WHO DOES IT EVERY YEAR. IT WAS AMAZING TO SEE THE KIDS' SPEECHERS. THE FOURTH GRADE WINNER WAS TJ AND HIS SPEECH WAS ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF FACTORY FARMING AND FARTS. HE WAS REALLY AMAZING. THERE WAS A FIFTH GRADE WINNER, LAPADI AND HAVE YOU EVER SEEN AN ACORN WAS HIS SPEECH. I WAS TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE PRINCIPAL AND EVERYONE FOR HOSTING. IT'S SUCH A GREAT THING. AND SPEAKING ABOUT ALL THE GREAT THINGS HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOL, THANK YOU ABOUT THE BLACK HISTORY BRAIN BOWL. WHAT WAS INTERESTING IS I WENT TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL BRAIN BOWL AND I WAS TALKING, WHAT WAS SOMETHING YOU LEARNED AND SOMETHING REALLY IMPACTFUL. A LOT WERE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE FACT THEY LEARNED ABOUT ATHENA JOINER. I WAS LIKE, SHE IS

118LOCAL AND COULD COME TO YOUR SCHOOLS. GOOD, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY. WELL, JUST THE AMENT OF RICH TAMPA BLACK HISTORY THAT'S IN THAT, I'D LOVE TO SEE US INCORPORATE SOME OF THE PEOPLE WE'RE TEACHING THAT ARE STILL WITH US, THANK GOODNESS, TO COME TO THAT EVENT. WHEN I MENTIONED THAT I KNEW HER AND SHE WAS AVAILABLE IN THIS COMMUNITY, THE KIDS LOST THEIR MINDS. I JUST IT'S SUCH AN OPPORTUNITY AS WE'RE TEACHING KIDS ABOUT OUR HISTORY, IF WE ACTUALLY HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE A PIECE OF THAT HISTORY TO BE ABLE TO ALLOW OUR STUDENTS TO MEET AND ENGAGE THEM. I FEEL LIKE THAT'S SUCH AN OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE THEY WERE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT LEARNING ABOUT LOCAL HISTORY. THANK YOU FOR REPORTING THE PM DATA. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING SPECIFICALLY I HAD ASKED

119EARLIER, BUT I WANT TO MAKE A REQUEST IF YOU COULD SEND EACH BOARD MEMBER THEIR DISTRICT PM DATA TO LOOK THAT. IT LOOKS LIKE NINTH GRADE IS ROCKING IT OUT THIS YEAR AND THIRD GRADE IS REALLY MAKING A LOT OF GAINS. IT'S NICE TO SEE WHEN YOU CAN INDIVIDUALLY SEE EACH GRADE BRAND AND WHERE THEIR STRENGTHS ARE. NINTH GRADE, I THINK IT WAS 11 POINTS THEY WENT UP. I APPRECIATE THE PM DATA. AND I FEEL LIKE THAT'S IT. I THINK I COVERED EVERYTHING ON MY LIST. SHOUTOUT TO STRAWBERRY CREST FOR THE BLACK HISTORY BRAIN BOWL REGIONAL WINNERS. STRAWBERRY CREST IS DOING AMAZING THINGS AND POPPING UP EVERYWHERE. YEAH. APPRECIATE IT. THAT'S IT. Karen Perez: THANK YOU. MEMBER WASHINGTON? Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. QUICK QUOTE FROM HARRIET TUBMAN. SHE SAID IF YOU HEAR

120THE DOGS, KEEP GOING. IF YOU SEE THE TORCHES IN THE WOODS, KEEP GOING. IF THEY'RE SHOUTING AFTER YOU, KEEP GOING. DON'T EVER STOP. KEEP GOING. IF YOU WANT A TASTE OF FREEDOM, KEEP GOING. THAT'S A TRUE STATEMENT. A GREAT STATEMENT BY HARRIET TUBMAN. OKAY. SO, FIRST, I WANT TO OPEN UP BY SAYING SUPERINTENDENT, THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR ALL WHAT YOU'RE DOING BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE REALLY DOING A GREAT JOB, AND I WAS KIND OF CAUGHT BACK LAST WEEK WHEN PEOPLE SAID NEGATIVE THINGS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS GOING ON. BUT, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT THEY WERE SAYING WAS NOT TRUE. AS YOU LOOK AT THE DATA, THAT'S NOT TRUE. ALL THAT DATA WAS NOT TRUE. THEY WERE THROWING OUT NUMBERS. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY GOT THOSE NUMBERS FROM. I

121REALLY DON'T. PEOPLE COME BY SOMETIMES AND JUST BREAK OUT NUMBERS. AFTER TALKING TO SOME OF YOUR STAFF, I FOUND OUT THOSE NUMBERS WERE NOT ACCURATE. I WANT TO SAY TO THE COMMUNITY, WE ARE WORKING HARD AS WE CAN TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITH THIS BOARD AND WITH THIS CABINET AND WITH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THIS IS WHAT WE DO. WE WORK HARD FOR STUDENTS. AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO OVERLOOK STUDENTS. LOOK HOW MUCH WE HAVE IMPROVED OVER THE YEARS. AND GRADUATION RATES. WE HAVE IMPROVED A GREAT DEAL. EVEN ON THE PAPER WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PAPER, YOU CAN SEE THE SUSPENSION RATE HAS DECREASED OVER 200-SOME STUDENTS. NOW I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GETTING IT FROM. IT KIND OF PISSED ME OFF A LITTLE BIT. EXCUSE MY EXPRESSION. AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE

122WORK HARD, THIS BOARD WORKS HAR. EVERYBODY WORK HARD. AND FOR PEOPLE TO COME UP HERE AND CONDEMN AND SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU AIN'T DONE NOTHING FOR BLACK KIDS. YOU'RE NOT DOING NOTHING FOR THE BLACK AND BROWN KIDS. WE'RE WORKING AS HARD AS WE CAN TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S ABOUT. I HOPE NOBODY INSIDE IS GIVING OUT NO BAD INFORMATION. I PRAY THAT THEY DON'T. BECAUSE IF THEY DO, YOU NEED TO FIRE THEIR ASS. BECAUSE WE CAN'T HAVE PEOPLE GIVING OUT BAD INFORMATION IF IT'S NOT TRUE. YOU HAVE PEOPLE SAYING OH, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM -- WE WORK HARD EVERY DAY. ALL YOU GUYS WORK HARD. THAT'S WHAT WE WORK FOR. EVERY DAY. OH, I'M SORRY. EVERY DAY. WE WORK HARD. WE WORK HARD EVERY DAY. ALL OF US. WE WORK HARD FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

123PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SO, SUPERINTENDENT, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP WORKING HARD. THE BOARD, WE'LL KEEP DOING WHAT WE -- WE'RE GOING TO KEEP LOVING KIDS. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE WITH YOUR GROUP. CONTINUE WORKING -- YOU'LL CONTINUE WORKING HARD SO WE CAN BE SUCCESSFUL AND MAKE THIS THE BEST SCHOOL SYSTEM IN AMERICA. NOT JUST IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA BUT IN AMERICA AND WE'RE ON THE WAY OF DOING THAT. SO I JUST HOPE THAT NOBODY INSIDE NOT GIVING OUT BAD INFORMATION. HEY, BLACK HISTORY COMING UP. WE'RE READY. WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD ON IT FEBRUARY 21. THE KIDS HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB. ALL THE PERSONNEL INVOLVED HAS DONE REALLY A GREAT JOB HELPING OUT THE STUDENTS. AND I'M HAPPY BECAUSE WE -- LOOK WHERE WE CAME FROM WITH BLACK HISTORY THOUGH. WE MOVED UP. WE MOVED UP THROUGH YOU

124-- YEAH, 140-SOMETHING SCHOOLS. THAT'S A PLUS. THAT'S REALLY GREAT BECAUSE WE'RE WORKING HARD. PABLO, YOU WANT TO -- OKAY. AS YOU CAN SEE UP THERE, THAT WAS THE WHITE COAT CEREMONY AT DUNBAR. THE SUPER IS UP THERE WITH ME AND MY DAUGHTER AND SON-IN-LAW. THEY CAME OUT. IT WAS REALLY NICE WITH THE WHITE COATS. JUST KIDS WITH EXCITEMENT. IT WAS VERY -- A LOT OF EXCITEMENT GOING ON AND IT WAS GREAT. I THANK EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT. IT WAS REALLY NICE. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE HAD THE STUDENT FORUM. AND YOU CAN SEE THE STUDENTS WERE VERY HAPPY AND THEY GAVE THE OPINION AND THE FEELINGS AND WHAT THEY WANTED IN THE SCHOOLS AND HOW THEY IMPROVE AND LOVE THE SCHOOLS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO

125ANOTHER BOARD MEE MEETING. Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. SO, PICTURES WERE TAKEN. NONE WERE SHARED WITH PABLO. JUST SAYING. WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, ALL OF US ACTUALLY WERE AT THE GOVERNOR'S LUNCHEON AT THE OPENING OF THE STATE FAIR. AND WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE THERE. IT WAS REALLY NICE. AND THEN OF COURSE SHAKE STOLE MY THUNDER BUT HE SHARED THEM. BUT FOR DUNBAR WHITE COAT CEREMONYA, THAT WAS AMAZING TO WATCH THE STUDENTS TALK ABOUT THEIR WORK AND PASSION FOR WANTING TO BE DOCTORS AND VETERINARIANS AND IT WAS REALLY NEAT TO BE PART OF THAT. THEY HAVE THE WHITE COAT CEREMONYA EVERY YEAR. I KNOW A LOT OF OUR STAFF WERE THERE. THE SUPERINTENDENT WAS THERE. MYSELF AND MEMBER RENDON AND MEMBER WASHINGTON. BUT JUST AN AMAZE -- AMAZING THINGS WE CONTINUE TO DO

126HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS. AND TO TAG ON TO SOMETHING THAT MEMBER WASHINGTON WAS SAYING, A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS ATTEND A LOT OF OUR MEETINGS. THEY'RE INVITED. AND SOMETIMES THEY GET A MISCOMMUNICATION IN THOSE MEETINGS. AND MAYBE -- MAKING SURE THOSE COMMUNITY MEMBERS UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING, THE OUTCOMES, AND WHAT IS REALLY -- THE FUTURE OUT OF OUR STUDENTS. WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR OUR STUDENTS MAYBE WOULD HELP TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE MISCOMMUNICATIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING WHEN THEY COME UP HERE TO SPEAK WITH US. I THINK THAT WOULD HELP US WELL. I BELIEVE NOT NECESSARILY ANY STAFF IS PROVIDING ANY MISCOMMUNICATION OR FALSE INFORMATION. BUT I THINK OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND A LOT OF THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEING PROVIDED. AND THEY ASSUME THINGS. SO MAYBE PROVIDING A LITTLE BIT MORE

127SOLID INFORMATION FOR THEM OR CLEAR INFORMATION PROBABLY WOULD HELP THE MISCOMMUNICATION. SEEING NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. (SOUNDING GAVEL)