001Good evening. Welcome to the RSU5 board of directors meeting. There goes my name tag. It's a good start to the meeting. Uh it is Wednesday, December 10th, 2025. We are here at the Freeport High School Library. Uh we have a full board with the exception of Danielle. She is out of town this evening. Uh we will get started with the pledge of allegiance. Do I have a motion for consideration and approval of the minutes from the November 19th, 2025 meeting as presented, barring any errors or omissions? Thank you, Valerie. Steph sees me just staring at her over there. [laughter] All right, all those in favor? Great. None opposed. Uh adjustments to the agenda. >> Yes, I do have sorry I do have a few. Um we have an additional retirement under 8C which I will
002announce at that time. Number two is that under 8D the student leadership team presentation will be deferred to another time at the request of the students who were going to make it. And third, I need to ask for um an additional executive session at the very end of the meeting to discuss a personnel matter. Okay. All right. We will get started uh with good news and recognition and we'll start with Maria with the student rep. >> Thank you all for coming. So this is our good news and recognition. We held a panel last week for seniors with representatives from college and universities which shared information information and advice how to support mental health in college primarily during your freshman year. We had reps from USM Bowden UI oro SMCC UNE and St. Joseph's. This is
003also tied to our goal of supporting mental health for students. And I think some of you know that I went to Morris High School in BMS yesterday to anonymously interview students about the honor pouch policy as that has been mentioned a few times. So I would like to start off by thanking the Morse High School and Bath Middle School principles for letting me come and speak to students yesterday. Morse and BMF and BMS had had Yoner pouches for about two years now and have been praised with their good results by our board. After speaking with staff members, students, and administrators, it is clear that this change has had a reduction of phones in the classroom. The opinion from the two schools was obvious. The culture of phones has changed. However, from what I observed in
004regards to the yonder pouch, it was unclear that the pouch was the reason for the change. When watching students enter the building, I saw that the majority of the students did not put their phone in the yonder pouch and walked past the table. A small group of students had put their phone in the pouch or they dropped it in the main office as that assorted by grade and as an alternative option. When watching the exit, the majority of the students exited without a pouch to unlock. Some comments from the students about yonder were that even though phones weren't being used in class, many students stated that walking the hallway had increased, as well as students using their phone in the bathrooms. When speaking with many different high schoolers and four middle school classrooms, the majority
005of the students told me that they did not use the yonder pouch and never have. When discussing yonder pouches with the principal from BMS, he shared how he was aware of many students did not put their phone in the pouch, but the objective of the policy had been met, no phones in the classroom. The results clearly come from the enforcement of the policy and the repercussions for not following it and not entirely from the pouch. During conversations with the principal, I learned that Morse and the two middle schools had money to fund yonder, which is from the federal ESSer funds that were provided to main schools in response to the pandemic, which was a total of $40,000, and 4,000 annually to purchase pouches for an upcoming sixth graders and the replacement costs. This is very
006different from our school as we would be using budget money to pay for Yonder. And we should all be very aware that this is a big purchase and should be thought through very carefully. As this would come from our budget, we need to be mindful. Even though phones are way, it doesn't mean that yonder is being used. We need to ask ourselves, are we paying for a pouch or a policy? I yet again hope that this me sharing the results will help you gain insight about how this affects our students and how well the pouch is actually working. I hope that this provides more thought and will help gauge a decision that will help benefit our school and its students. I also would like to thank the principles at Morris and BMS again for letting
007me anonymously interview their students. Thank you. >> All right. Uh I did not know you were doing that. So, thank you for doing that. That is um that is great insight and I'm sure we will get back to that when we're talking about the policy. So, thank you for that. Uh all right. So, we will move on to public comment. uh given by given given the number of folks that are in the seats that are usually empty, we'll give you a quick overview on how our public comment works here this evening. Uh if you'd like to speak, um Erica, have do we have a list? Are folks Okay, great. Uh so, uh Assistant Superintendent Mateo has a list. If you have not put your name on that list, feel free to do so now. Uh
008I will go through that list, call you up. You'll come up to the microphone. Uh you'll tell us your name, you'll tell us what town you live in, and we ask you to keep your comments to three minutes. Uh we do have a timer going. We'll let you finish your thought. We won't cut off your mic when you get to the end of the three minutes, but just try to be cognizant of that. Um and uh yeah, so we have it looks like we have six we have six folks that would like to speak. So uh we can certainly get through uh accommodating those. And um did everyone who wanted to speak get their name on here? I want to make sure everyone has an opportunity. Yes. Okay, great. Uh all right, we will start
009with Emily. Good evening everyone. My name is Emily Kelch and I'm a student at Freeport High School and the vice president of the sophomore class. I'm here today to speak against the proposed use of yonder pouches and the bell-to-bell phone ban in school. I want to start by saying I understand why the ban proposal came up. Phones can be distracting, but after listening to board conversations, talking with teachers, and hearing student perspectives, I truly believe this proposal creates more problems than it solves. Freeport High School already has clear restrictions during instructional time. And for the most part, they work. Teachers set expectations, phones stay put, and learning happens. The first step before moving to a bell-to-bell ban should be ensuring that these existing expectations are enforced consistently across all classrooms. The issue isn't a lack
010of rules. It's a need for consistency in education. What we need is education and self-regulation and responsible use. Real life skills that actually prepare us for adulthood. The purpose of high school is to set us up for the world beyond it, not to protect us from learning how to manage technology or uh or distractions in realistic situations. Removing phones removes that learning process. Students shouldn't have to rely on a locked pouch to make decisions for them. We need guidance, not restrictions that treat us as if we aren't capable of learning these skills. There are also real safety concerns. In emergency, time matters. Any delay in communication can make a crucial difference. Whether it's a medical situation, a threat, or an emergency such as the kind we practice for during Alice, students deserve immediate access to
011help. Students should never have to make the choice between policy and safety. We also need to think carefully about our priorities. Our district has se several uh ongoing challenges that could benefit from more support. For example, vaping in the bathrooms continues to be an issue for many students and it raises understandable health concerns. We also have students coping with depression, anxiety, and substance use, and the services that support them are often stretched. One of our most urgent needs is staff. Reductions and unfilled positions already hurt students um learning. For example, in seventh grade, I was in an advanced English class. In eighth grade, that teaching position was removed and it was never filled. This left us unprepared and made it harder for us to succeed in high school honors classes. These gaps impact student academic
012success far more than phones ever could. So, when we talk about spending tens of thousands of dollars on the potential use of yonder pouches, we have to ask, is this where already limited resources should go? Is a piece of fabric more important than mental health support and substance use education? More important than student safety where a locked phone could delay help? When you choose to yonder, you choose not to fund something more urgent. Penalizing every student because some struggle with phone use doesn't feel like support. It feels like control. If the goal is to help man help students manage distractions and anxiety, then the solution should be to teach them healthy habits. Even if the attention isn't punishment, the reality is overbearing and signals a lack of trust rather than genuine support. Phones can be
013distracting, but locking them will never be the solution. It removes responsibility instead of teaching it, creates safety risks, and takes money away from the issues that genuinely impact student lives. We deserve solutions that help us grow, keep us safe, and move forward, not backwards. Thank you for listening and for considering the actual perspective of students who live these decisions every day. I also have a um copy of the speech if you are interested. >> Thank you, Emily Hazel. Superintendent Gray, Madam Chair, Madame Vice Chair, administrators, members of the board, and others gathered at this meeting. My name is Hazel Glette, a Freeport High School sophomore, member of the student leadership committee. I'm here today to speak about the bell-to-bell technology band and the possibil possibility of implementing yonder pouches for RC5. As a high performing
014student who uses her device only during the approved times and puts it away when instructed, I have seen no issue with the current school rules. I make sure to follow the instructions and in turn I'm able to check in with my parents and stay updated on anything I may need to address during the designated times cell phones are allowed. I also have the reassurance that in an emergency, if I need to reach someone or if I need to tell a family member I love them for the last time, I still have access to my phone rather than having it locked away for the entire day in a pouch that can only be opened at certain checkpoints. At the end of the 2024 2025 FHS school year, student leadership sent out an administration approved anonymous survey
015to the student body asking how it felt about the current school cell phone rules and giving them a chance to reflect on the future of phone use as the board prepared to make its decision. This information was presented to the board and to my knowledge board members were given the opportunity to reference this document during their decision-making process. I am here today to speak on behalf of the 205 students who shared this their thoughts on this decision you will be making in compiling the statistics and personal responses from students of Freeport High. One thing is clear, students feel as if losing access to their phones puts them at risk and is and the proposed policy is unnecessarily restrictive and punitive. I am now going to share anonymous quotes verbatim from the very students this decision
016will impact. And I implore you to listen. I fullheartedly believe that phones are not as big a deal as this whole plan is making them out to be. Rarely are phones used in class and when they aren't in the holder, kids respect the rules and keep them in their bags. You cannot put our phones into yonder pouches for the day because people need access to their phones to communicate. Yonder pouches are a safety issue. There are countless scenarios where a student might have an emergency and need their phone with the pouches and we cannot do that. For example, like an Alice emergency. Students being unable to contact family members or friends during school seems unnecess unnecessary and unfair, especially for the majority of students who follow the rules and use phones only during the appropriate
017times. I believe phone pouches that are unable to be open freely are unfair and a safety hazard to everybody. Students need to learn how to get off their phones in high school. Taking them away is not teaching them that. And once they get out of high school, they will not have learned self-restraint. In real life, we able to use our phones as tools. By not having our phones in school, we're taking our curriculum backwards instead towards the future where it needs to be headed. It's disappointing that these are the rules the administrations are spending time on. There are many other issues of of higher importance. The fact that we are in high school should be a good enough reason to not have something that could risk our ability to contact 911 or our parents in
018an emergency when other options are not available. These pouches are not only a danger, but also a waste of money. They do not belong in Freeport High School as we have far too many other issues to take care of. These are just a few of the voices from students who chose to speak up and share their thoughts on a decision that will be impacting their years of high school. I understand this is a tough decision to make and I want to thank you for hearing me and the voices of Freeport High School students. I'm happy to provide more information or help referencing the form previously shared. Thank you. >> Thank you, Hazel. Linda Unfortunately, my speech is five minutes and if I don't finish it, I'll would just wait to the end and finish the
019last two minutes. This this has nothing to do with Bell. Hello, my name is Linda Farwell and I'm a resident of Durham, Maine and soon to be retired life skills edtech at Mor Street School. I'm retiring at 59. I worked at a different school district for 23 years as a title one edtech and have been here at RSU5 for a year and a half. Staying until I'm 62 doesn't make much difference in my retirement check and the job conditions make it not worth staying. I am here because I feel like the school board needs to know how hard the life skills edte work as salary negotiations are to be determined this year. I am concerned that the edte at more street school in the life skills program are small minority and will not get much
020consideration during negotiations. The life skills children who come to more street school usually don't have any formal education. We teach them routines and what is expected of them at school. This is not an easy task. Our job is even high risk for injury. In my year and a half here, I have been I have endured being kicked and pushed daily. Other co-workers have been bitten, their hair pulled, and even concussion has occurred. School is foreign to these little learners. When they successfully get to the other schools in RSU in RSU, RSU, sorry. We are the ones that acclimated them to the routine of learning. I am amazed how far our children come in a year and we did that. My hours are 8:20 to 3:20. I have five minutes to set up a student schedule
021before the children get to school at the end of the day. I have five minutes to enter data. I get one 15-minute break and a 30 minute break. There's no downtime, no time to be late when a break is over. When I say no time, I mean we can't look away from our students for an instant or talk with our co-workers. Some of the life skills edte rarely get to leave the room. The fact is there should be at least one more edte than there are students in this room, which currently is six students. But right now, you can't even retain more than four. As I've said before, there are great people in this room. But they will leave. Do you blame them? The edte in this room can only work so long under these
022conditions. I have had two other teachers tell me edte in the life skills program have a high turnover. That's just the way it is. Imagine training employees year after year. This job isn't easy. And my one and a half years here, I rate my experience and competency level a five out of a scale of 1 to 10. The school board values our students education as much as you talk about it. Then show these edte how much you value them. I've listened to the school board meetings for the past year and a half. I've heard mention of three job openings that have not been filled in the life skills room. The school board has never raised any concerns on why we can't get anybody to work specifically in the life skills program at Moore Street School.
023A couple of months ago, a school board member wanted to know how many job openings there were at RSU5. Mr. Gray got back to her, but no mention to why there were three job openings at Moore Street School and the Life Skills program. I gave a fourmonth notice, and I'm pretty sure there is no one to replace me. Currently, there is a long-term sub that leaves one and a half hours early daily in our room. And there was an edtech that can only work three days a week. She has been here the longest, two and a half years. On a rare occasion, we get a sub in our room or receive any help from someone else in our school. Thank goodness for some dedicated edte and very special life skills teacher that must put her
024job on hold to be an edtech for the day. I am asking the superintendent and the negotiating schoolboard members to approve $2 or more an hour if you work at more street schools life skills program. This is not uncommon uncommon practice as the life skills employees in the Cumberland and Falmouth school district receives $2 more an hour. Show these edte that you acknowledge their hard work and dedication. More money an hour probably won't be negotiated as stated previously because we are a small percentage other than the raise the edte will receive. If not a raise, maybe when multiple positions have not been filled for two years, you offer the program more money for their edte for so many years, a sign on bonus, a recruitment bonus, something. Last year, the superintendent said at a school
025board meeting, "We haven't hired two edte, so we're going to hire a teacher at the high school to do that job. Maybe if you paid us more, then you would get qualified edte." I am sure you know how much an edte makes with no experience. But if you don't, I will enlighten you. An edtech 2 one or two gets $21.40 an hour. A full-time sub makes $23 an hour. An edtech 3 gets $2269. What are you doing to find edte in this room? Are you going to create a task force to recruit and retain? Many people don't even know what an edtech is. Can't apply if you don't know what it is. Have you ever tried filling out an application through the apply track? It is complicated. I needed help when I decided to relocate.
026Perhaps a parent would like to work three hours and share the job with another parent. Has anyone reached out to the colleges as there are December graduates? How are you getting the word out? And how are you sharing this with the edte in this room? My closing remarks. Edtech contract negotiations are happening this year. Some schoolboard members and the superintendent are involved. Please be mindful of the edte in the life skills room. If you care about the children, as as you mentioned, you will do right by them. Thank you. >> Thank you, Linda. Korea. Craya, please correct my pronunciation. >> Uh, Korea. >> Okay, great. Um, hi, my name is Korea Galway and I am a sophomore here at FHS. Hello members of the board. Over the last couple of weeks, since the original email
027came out about the yonder pouches and the administration of the new phone policy, I have been listening. I have been listening to my friends, my classmates, to my teammates, to the seniors who have stopped on their way out the door. And the consensus is clear. People are not a fan of this policy. Of course, I understand that it is not about whether we like the policy or not, but really about limit eliminating the distraction of phones. But since then, I have been observing the different methods that each teacher has used to battle the phones being put away and have come up with the realization that our phones are not as big a problem as this new policy is making them out to be. But of course, it isn't up to me. That is why over
028the course of the last couple weeks, I have created a petition against administering this new phone policy and have been gathering signatures. And from the over 200 signatures I have been able to collect, I can tell that this isn't just my opinion. That's why I am asking you, the members of the board, to just take a minute to hear what we, the students who are actually going to have to submit to this policy, have to say. Students want to keep the current phone policy the same as it is now, where only repeated offenders face all day phone confiscation and no yonder pouches. It seems as though our schools keep keeps providing consequences to the whole school for problems only happening with a minority of the student body. Phone distractions in class are not being are
029not as big a problem as you might think. These next four years in our life mark a huge time in our learning as students as well as future adults. We need this time to prepare us for a world where phone bands are not put in place for us and we have to administer our own self- responsibility. Thank you for your time. And I also have the petition of the signatures as well as a copy of >> Thank you, Melissa. First was just want to thank you for all that you do on behalf of us in our community. Um my name is Melissa Luchi. I'm a science teacher here at Freeport High School, a community member, and a parent of two FHS students. I'm here tonight regarding the proposed bell-to-bell ban on cell phones, Apple watches,
030and AirPods. While I recognize that the vote on this new policy may be largely predetermined, I feel obligated to share my concerns. At FHS, our current policy requiring cell phones to be placed in holders during class has significantly improved teaching and learning. There is, however, a meaningful difference between restricting phones during instructional time and an all day ban enforced by yonderbacks. Um, a total ban prevents several problems in my opinion. The first and most glaring problem are is the budget implications in a year when the district may eliminate 17 teaching positions. Purchasing yonder bags is hard to justify. Even if funded through alternative sources, those dollars would be better spent on instructional supplies, building needs, and most importantly, staffing. Um, as a science teacher, this is number two. I, uh, regularly use phones to support
031learning, mapping field sites, identifying species out in the field, collecting data using photos and videos, documenting spectra, creating time-lapse recordings of investigations. A bell-to-bell ban would undermine these practices and diminish student learning opportunities. Number three is AirPods and accessibility. Student usees of AirPods for self-paced lessons, video-based stations, and as part of an IEP or 504 accommodation, including noise reduction support. Even general education students use music to focus or manage anxiety. Um, prohibiting AirPods will increase requests from formal accommodations and create enforcement challenges. um classroom sets of wired earbuds raise hygiene problems and uh replacement issues and policing Apple watches just seems like incredibly difficult. As a member of the school's district strategic planning committee, I can say with confidence that our work does not envision a school community shaped by heavy-handed approaches. Instead, we imagine
032a district where students are joyful, meaningfully, and intell intellectually engaged and authentic learning and support in an environment that fosters their autonomy, growth, and sense of belonging. In that context and with significant budget cuts ahead, purchasing yonder bags for bell-to-bell ban feels misaligned with our values. Uh so as a teacher, parent and community member, I rem I believe restricting students from using air um phones, AirPods and watches during all non-instructional time is excessive. Given the looming loss of positions across the district, I respectfully ask you to to not use RSU5 funds to implement a bell-to-bell plan. Every available dollar dollar should go toward retaining the invaluable invaluable human resources of this district. Thank you so much. Thank you. And Theo. >> Hello. My name is Theo Lions. I'm a sophomore from Freeport. I would like
033to start off by saying that I do understand the current restrictions on cell phone usage and I can see how no restrictions would cause a significant problem. What I don't agree with is restrictions during students free time. Preeriods have usually been up to spend to a student's choice. I will almost always use my free periods to complete homework or assignments I'm missing. But having no choice in how I spend my time feels overly restrictive and makes every hour feel longer. I would also like to say that phones do have uses in school as a couple other people have mentioned. Uh, one I've used personally is it is using a phone as a graphing calculator. A TI84 can cost between $80 to $100, which is a cost that is completely removed by using a phone instead.
034I also have a personal experience with using a phone productive way during a photography class. We can use phones to take photos or edit them and it removes multiple steps in the process of taking digital photos off the digital camera. and uploading them to the laptops. I'd like to also speak specifically on yonder pouches or any other phone pouch as a policy. Like to state that they are expensive and the money should be spent on students rather than enforcing them. There are multiple ways of using the funding. They're also easily bypassed through things like magnets or pencils. So even if they were implemented, which I believe they should not be, they should they still very much likely very uh it is still likely that they may not be effective. I recently found a study coming
035out of Florida. I don't have it cited here but I can find it if you need that uh it dramat it shows dramatic increase in disciplinary issues surrounding phones for about a year after a total bell-to-bell ban. The study showed about a double or a 100% increase to detentions and suspensions related to phone use. Finally, I would like to say that the world is using more technology than ever and will likely not stop doing so. I think that instead of restricting our technology during school, we should instead use we should instead learn how to use it effectively and how to incorporate it to make our work more efficient. Thank you. >> Thank you, Theo. All right, that was everyone I had on my list. Did we miss anyone who wanted to speak? Okay, thank you.
036All right, carrying on with our agenda. Item eight, uh, report from the superintendent. >> Good evening, everybody. [clears throat] Um, first I would like to really genuinely thank people who have come here to advocate tonight for whatever you're advocating for. It's a range of topics. Maria, I was so impressed with the way you presented tonight. This is not part of my written remarks, by the way. Um, but I was a teacher for a long time who taught specifically kids how to be civically active. And I've seen that tonight. And one of the primary skills that is embedded in that is for everybody here to be able to tolerate when somebody else is respectfully saying that they think you're wrong. And that's what I'm seeing here tonight. And so well done truly. So onward, boy, it's
037been cold. [laughter] Um I am just really glad that my last last week when we had a snow day that I made the right call because it was the first time I ever had to do that. And it was part of being superintendent. >> It was a little bit of a nailbiter. Um, and it was my f also, you know, it was my first time doing it, but it was also my first time group texting with all the other superintendents in the region about like, "What are you going to do? What are you going to do? What are you going to do?" I I was actually the first one at 4:30 that morning to say, "We're just not having school." And then everybody else was like, "Us too, us two. Us two." So, yeah. Um,
038I do hope that we won't have to do too many more of those because just looking ahead at the calendar right now with that one school day, our last student day will be uh Wednesday, June 17th. And if you're looking ahead [clears throat] of that, if we have one more, that puts our last student day at Thursday, June 18th, which puts us right up against >> Junth, which means if we have more than one more snow day, we're going like at into the next week, which just kind of stinks for everybody. Um, but you know, we'll do what we have to do. Um, I'd like to just talk a little bit more about the budget. um everyone's favorite topic these days. Um it has been identified that it's a tough budget year. Um I met
039with the administrators this morning. We had one of our regular meetings and you know we are sensitive to the fact that everybody is sort of waiting with baited breath about what exactly that means. Um, at at this point I think it's no mystery that it means that what come January I'm going to have to propose a budget that has reductions in it. Um, and we are not ready yet to say specifically what those would be, but we're digging into those and things that we are considering are in every school. They're not necessarily evenly in every school. Um, but they are keeping in mind the criteria of equity and being forward thinking and being fair and and creating the least disruption for kids. And in in due time, which will not be very long, I will
040have more specific proposals for you. Um to remind everybody when we last when we met last month for a special session on the budget um the guidance from the board which I very much appreciated was to bring you three tiers uh at basically increases of six seven and 8% over last year. um with with with without that I would be bringing forward a status quo budget that would be 10% or perhaps even more depending on other factors that we don't know about and how they come in. Um the way I've kind of framed that for school leaders as they think about what to do in their schools, I've used this orchard metaphor. So that 8% level that you've talked about is the lowhanging fruit. The 7% which is in the middle is pruning the orchard
041and the six% is redesigning the orchard. Um so looking at it that way is helping us think about every possible way to reduce in a fair and deliberate and thoughtful way. I do I I feel a need to point out and this may take more than one instance of being explained because it's just a bit more complex that those tears as school leaders look at their budgets will not necessarily directly translate into the way I bring you a budget because when that happens the lens changes. It changes from looking looking at my school and thinking about how much change is in my own one school versus across the district where is there where is there room for more reduction than in other places? It's not even and part of that has to do with history
042and how we got from where we were over the course of time to where we are now. But I I'm just I'm hope that I'm explaining that in a spirit of transparency so that people know the thinking that's going into this. Um that is what you'll see in January and February when I present a budget to you. Um I recently wrote a column for the forecaster. Um and I in I don't know if anybody here has read it yet, but Colin, you gave me something to think about. Did you read the my article yet? >> Oh well, >> no. No, I haven't. >> Well, thank you. >> Send us the link. >> Um, it's on it's it's on the website. >> There's a little thing on >> How many websites are on the web? Like
043>> there's a little thing on the website called the superintendent's journal or superintendent's notebook and it's in there. >> Um, but at when we had that meeting, Colin said budgets are moral documents. And I know you were citing somebody, Colin, and I can't remember who you were citing, but that thought and the way you articulated it did stay with me. Um I think it's very piffy and it well I mean it gets right to the heart of it. Um and it this is sort of what I talked about in my forecaster article is that when we are creating a budget we are articulating what we value and every line item in that budget says something about who we are um and what we believe that the kids and their families deserve. And I just I
044feel that I need to as an administrator in charge of this. I I I need to point out the big picture that when we do this work, this is this is not fun. Nobody in the room doing this is this is just not a fun year. The fun budget years are when you can think about things that you want to add and grow. And we are still thinking about that to a degree, but we know that it impacts people's lives. Nobody wants to give kids less than what they need. Also, nobody wants to burden the taxpayers to the degree that they can't bear. Um, so I think that it is in many ways fortuitous that this if we're going to have a rough budget year, it's not a bad thing for that to line up
045with strategic planning because it really provokes us not to think about this short-term cliff that we're facing, but to think about how to be forward- facing as a district and to make sure that we don't that we make the decisions through the lens of over the course of time. How are we being as efficient as possible? Not how do we just make a short-term decision that saves the most money right this minute, but over the course of time, how are we on the most sustainable and responsible path? Um, to return to the work of the strategic planning committee, we have just um put out uh a version of the portrait of a graduate. I literally just heard from Erica Walstrom today of a draft of that that's ready to go out with a survey. Um
046so you'll be seeing that very soon. Um at the same time we are now working on finer points which is a miss a mission statement shared beliefs and core values. This all goes back to budgets and moral documents. Um it really is not just academic. It is if we do this correctly it is a touchstone for how we think about the budget and the long-term needs of the district. because it's going to sh a thought that another thought that has stayed with me is that right now the budget climate that we are contending with right now is the result of decisions that were made 5, 10, 15 years ago. And with that in mind, the decisions we make right now will be contended with when Michelle is still on the board 15 years from from
047[laughter] now. Um, so as long as we keep our values in mind, we can feel good about those decisions and what we're bequaving to the folks that come after us or and some of us will still be here. Um, we are working hard to protect both through strategic planning and also through financial thinking and planning everything that makes school not just all not all the necessaries but all the things that make it rich for kids. music, art, PE, extracurriculars, all of these things have value and they need to be preserved to the greatest degree possible. Just all the things. Um, we are keeping an eye on class sizes. We have a policy that gives us a target for how to work with that and we're using that. Um the polic where that policy doesn't always
048focus us but we are paying attention to is the kids uh where kids have the most needs. Kids who are in poverty, kids who have disabilities, kids who have learning challenges, other obstacles that are much more individual and may vary from one school to another or community to another. We're looking hard at things that are have to have versus nice to have as well. Those are hard judgments to make, but we're doing our best to make them fairly. Um, we're definitely being thoughtful and deliberate and human focused as we move forward with that. And we know that every family in the district and in the country is facing a similar problem every single day when we go to the store. Um, so in we're all we're all facing inflation and the climate that it creates.
049It's real money. It comes out of real pockets. We live it too as individuals and we get it. Um, I need to pivot to the early childhood task force for a minute to update you about that. Back in November, that task force recommended unanimously that we join cohort three for next year. Um that means that we would next year take on special education responsibilities for four-year-olds and that the year after that we would add the three-year-olds to it. Um that group meets again on December 18th. So that's next week. Some of us here in the room are on that group. Um what we will focus on in that next meeting is a model, a few options that we could um employ to step into cohort 3. So beyond the decision we want to do it,
050it's okay, how do we do it? What would it look like? That's like what positions would we need to add and where would they need to go and what spaces would we use and etc etc. So that's going to the task force and um based on the task force's feedback, my hope is to bring to you something that you can also unanimously support when you meet in January. Um, we are under a bit of a timeline to be able to join cohort 3. The state had told us at first that we had until February to make that decision. Then a few weeks ago, they backed it up and said they wanted a commitment by January 2nd. I emailed them and said, "Well, okay, here's the thing." And told them about our process and that you
051as a board will meet on January 14th when you could approve that potentially. and they emailed me and I have it in writing that that would be fine. So that's sort of the timeline of things. Um >> unless you all want to meet on the first [laughter] >> that well that's a holiday so I won't be here but >> come on. >> Um so these these are uh these are the things we're talking about. We're talking about budgets. We're talking about early childhood. We're also talking about a long range um as you mentioned in November, longer range plans about how to look at the district and be aspirational in that in a way that is exciting to think about for what the district could look like 10 or 15 years from now, but is also
052more efficient and a better experience for kids. Um that's taking up all the bandwidth right now, but that's where we are. Um before I move on to talking about hires and retirements, etc., um any quick questions for me? Okay. Well, we do have some support staff hires. Uh Don Kareem is coming in as a 0.5 custodian at Mass Landing School. Joe Townsend is coming on as a van driver and a field maintenance person. Lucy Lloyd is coming in as a laughand teacher. We do have a um resignation Jonathan Rhodess as an edtech at Mor Street School. We have a retirement Diana Kusti at the end of the school year is a first grade teacher at Mor Street School. And as an addition to the agenda, it's not printed there. Phyllis Laam is a school counselor
053at Freeport Middle School who will be retiring at the end of the school year. Okay, thank you. Uh, and so as you mentioned in the adjustments, we're going to defer the leadership team to do we have the future date or just some future date? >> I'm hoping that we can work it in in the January first January meeting. >> Okay. All right. Wonderful. Uh, so we will move on to item nine, administrator reports, and we will start with Kelly for finance. Good evening. Um, included in your packets this evening are the expenditures through um, November 30, 2025. Um, we don't really see any issues at this time um, with the expenditures, but we do still do still do the monthly report out. Um, one thing um, that I that I did want to mention as
054well um, as the superintendent talks about, we're having um, group meetings of administrators. We're also working through um we started them last week, we've done a few this week, and we'll be finishing up next week. We're meeting individually um with each principal and director as well um gathering um their requests and information. I'm in the midst of compiling those as they come in um so that we can then work again as a team once we kind of have like that final number um on so we can work on the scenarios with um Superintendent Gray. questions for Kelly. Thank you. All right, so we will move on to item 9B, which is an update from the technology department in goal review. Sam Rigby. Hi everyone. Uh, I promise I'm keep I cut my hair too short
055this weekend and I'm just very cold all the time now. So I promise I'm not being disrespectful. I'm just freezing. Um, uh, all right. Um, now that you're warmed up, uh, no. Uh, so, uh, thinking about goals from last year. Um, and I can do this however you want. I'm open to questions or however you like, but, um, last year we picked some goals that were a bit more ambitious, um, and a little bit, um, I guess fuzzier in terms of how you would measure success. Um, I would like to say that we were successful in achieving them, but I also, you know, this is a public forum and I don't want to lie on camera. So, I would say that we were not all that successful um in kind of achieving those goals. I
056think some of that was um probably a misaluation of um the scope and the amount of time that we had um and and and then also position expertise um particularly around uh technology integration. That's something that I have spent a lot of my career doing, but it's not um something that anyone on my team has much experience. They're more kind of on the nuts and bolts support side of things. and um and I just did not have as much time as I would have liked um to spend on that last year. So um around communication, we did sort of uh get more community communication that seems redundant, but um uh I suppose those are different things. Um uh but it was generally around like major issues um like the power school data breach among other
057things. I'm sure all of the parents who are on the board or are watching at home probably uh got tired of seeing the same information from me over and over and over again. But um that that was kind of I think we were successful in certain ways. Um but we um it was not it was much more reactive than I would like to be. So that's something that we're continuing to work on at this moment in time. Any questions about stuff from last year? Cara? >> Um, thanks for your honesty. Sure. And in your report. I really appreciated reading the the reflection. >> Um, and in that you end saying that you hope to further prioritize um these things coming uh going forward. And I'm wondering what's providing you that hope like what what might
058be different this year? >> Just like a deep down sense of optimism, I guess. Um [laughter] I I don't uh no I think um in terms of you know focusing on um on technology integration you know we're considering uh device changes in grades 6 through 8 and and 9 through 12 and we're running pilot programs and so I'm having to um we're going to be running pilot programs I should say after after um school vacation and um I should say that uh I I I have I don't have much of a choice to be honest. Uh that's part of it is that we I really need to be um much more I have to put other stuff on the back burner and focus more on this while we're trying to evaluate the devices that we
059are going to I don't know hopefully use moving forward. So yeah, so that's that's that's that and you know yeah a deep sense of optimism just as a person. I guess >> you also did have a fair amount of I mean I won't say one time because there's always projects to be done but you had a pretty heavy lift. >> Yes. >> Um in the past year with some of the upgrades and the capital projects that were in process. >> Yeah. Yeah. And we did for those of you who are were not on the board and weren't part of this process last year, we um we kind of were we were taking a bunch of systems from like zero to one um so to speak, you know. So, um adding security cameras, uh across the
060district, um converting old security camera systems to new ones. Um uh we're still working through access control projects at the moment, um which is like badging into buildings, as well as, you know, door security, scheduled unlock and and locking, which we have in a couple of buildings, but not most of the buildings. Um and uh new phones and PA and intercom systems. So, we we did a lot last summer. like it was not it was not for uh uh not hitting these goals was not for lack of um it we weren't sitting around you know uh it was just more it was more other things became the became greater priority >> any other comments or questions before he moves on to next year I appreciate none of you rubbing it in my face because at
061least I know Colin and Cara last year said your goals seemed too ambitious And I was like, "No, no, no. We got this." [laughter] >> They just gave you the I told you so eyes. >> I know. I know. I know. It was just a look, you know. Um All right. So, for uh this coming year, um we've chosen some goals that are a bit more um I guess more easily measurable. Um that also are aligned with work that we are definitely going to be, you know, that has to get done. Um, you know, part of that is, um, licking my wounds after this past year and part of it is, you know, I wanted to, um, uh, you know, it's important that these things get done, you know, and these are these are big
062priorities for us this year. So, um, working, you know, I mentioned the access control projects and and the work on those is ongoing. Um, we're hoping to bring on a couple of systems over the holiday break. Um, hopefully the middle school and more street, but not I don't have that double confirmed yet. Um, and that's been a a big lift. Um, we had we had a change in project managers and um, you know, it's just it's been a lot of work, but it's it's one of those things that is like um, it's one of those things that I guess it it uh, you know, you you're like how how important or you know or how uh, how interesting is it like you know, figuring out badging into buildings? Um, but I'll tell you, at least
063for me, it's more interesting than you would guess. Um, uh, but, um, it's been, you know, it's it's it's going well and I and I we're on target to to take care of all of that work before, um, hopefully before the end of the school year, but kind of bringing a couple schools on during each school vacation over the course of the year. Um, and then, uh, our second goal is, um, replacing the Wi-Fi at Freeport High School. Um, we are in a situation that is not really of our own making, but um, the the equipment that we're using at Freeport High School is end of life in January 2007, sorry, 2027. Um, so we this is just one of those like it has to happen. Um, this this equipment was has been purchased or
064or is on order um for out of this current year's budget cycle uh, the FY26 budget cycle. So, we are in we we've landed a bunch of that equipment and we are on pace to get that taken care of over the course of the year. >> Other questions? >> So, the evidence of effectiveness is like what you will see. So, when it says Freeport survey shows 100% instructional that that hasn't happened yet, but that's how we'll know if this is done. >> Yes. >> Okay, great. Thank you. Cara Colin, how do you feel about it this year? [laughter] >> Valerie, >> can you hear me? >> Yeah. >> Okay, excellent. Because last time my mic was not cooperating. Um, so this equipment life cycle, is that something that we'll build into the budget as an
065ongoing? >> Yes. >> Recurring? Yes. Yeah. So, so yeah, Wi-Fi equipment depending on what you're buying and where you're buying from is sort of like a five to six year cycle. Um, and it doesn't work out, you know, the it would be great if like all of our schools were sort of the same size and and we could have these, you know, okay, we're on a five or six year cycle and we do one school per year. It doesn't really work out that way. Um, but yes is the short answer and you will see a figure in the budget representing doing some of that work in some of the other buildings this year. >> Yep. >> Thank you. >> Other comments or Yep. Kelly. >> I understand that the tension between not being too ambitious
066and, you know, wanting to do some of the things that you did incorporate into the goals for last year. And I was me I was looking in particular at the the comment that you did hope to further prioritize increasing your um presence with educators and I was just wondering even though that's not one of your specified goals if you do have some thoughts about how you might be able to do that. Yeah, I mean I it's it's kind of already happened this year sort of naturally. Um part of that through you know um thinking through iPad pilots. Um and so I've been meeting with more staff then um I've been meeting with more teaching staff and working through some of that some of the the thoughts around that and doing a lot of listening about
067concerns and things like that. Um, not to not to belittle that, that's important. But, um, uh, but also the um, uh, I ran I ran more PD this year at, you know, at the start of this year. I ran more PD than, um, I have in any in my other my previous two years here. Um, I ran PD sessions for each building. And then I'm, I'm doing some PD with the high school starting next week. So, it's kind of happening naturally. Um, it's happening organically. Um, and then some of the stuff that we're that we have to do is also leading to to more of that as well. >> Yep. >> Anything else for Sam? Thank you. >> Yeah. >> Oh, yeah. You're not off the hook. You're next again. All right. So, we will
068move on to 9C, which is the use of AI in schools. And Erica and Sam, I believe, are tag teaming this. And you're going to Oh, thanks. I totally forgot I did that. >> So, I'm going to put this on the projector, but I You have all of the slides, so you don't need to you don't need to turn around. I mean, you can if you want, but you don't. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Get comfortable, enjoy the show, all that. Uh, okay. >> Uh, hold on. Let me just make sure I'm on do not disturb. >> Do you want me to just >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Sure. >> Yeah. >> The age of AI and what it means for RC5. No. Uh [laughter] uh yeah. Sorry. [laughter] All right. Uh no no no. Uh so
069um what we're going to what the way this this presentation is going to be structured um you know the prompt that you all asked for us I believe is was about um what's happening in our schools now and what are some paths forward. So, we're going to take some time looking at data on what's happening in schools now, at least from the teachers perspectives. Um, and then, uh, we will move on to, you know, a couple options for visions down the line or or or what we could do as sort of first steps in a right direction. So, um, I'm not going to talk through all of these graphs. Um, but I will point out I'll point out some stuff that I thought was interesting. Um, with here where we were asking staff about how
070much they're using AI tools for their own work. Um, I was surprised, frankly, I was surprised that it was uh, you know, that it was 10% was daily. I would have guessed that that was much higher personally. Yeah. Do you have any kind of data on how that breaks out among where they are in the education system? >> We do and I I do, but also like as you'll see there's like 15 graphs here and I thought it was going to be far too [laughter] it was going to be far too much to be like all right so at PO we've got uh moving on to mass lighting. So um I I didn't want to I didn't want to delve that deeply but yes we did survey based on where people are and what their
071grade and the grade spans as well. Did you see more use on a higher grade level or was it pretty evenly split? >> Yes, across the board. Yep. Across the board for sure. Um and that and that and that is both that is both for students and staff. Yep. Um I personally and I guess I'll I'll put this out there. There's a slide down there that like what sticks out to you. if you have like questions and things like that, um I'm happy to answer them in the flow, but also if you've got stuff like stuff that you notice or sticks out to you, um let's uh I don't know, write them down. Write them down or or raise your hand and ask. I'm happy to answer as we go. But either way, just be
072thinking about that. What's what's sticking out to you. Um the uh the use here was, I think, not wholly not not terribly surprising. you know, brainstorming, writing emails and reports, um, and creating instructional materials. Um, I the the the thing that I was surprised to see forth was differentiation or accommodations. And I think that that is really kind of in thinking about uses of AI. I think that that's like a really tremendous use um for a teacher who might be, you know, might be working through um with a student that they they haven't found the right the the you know, the right um strategies with and uh I was, you know, happy to see that. Um so yeah, I mean I guess it'll be up to you. We all know what the AI like email
073writing style is. So, you know, you'll know when your te when your your kid's uh teacher is sending you an AI generated email. Um they all they all sound exactly the same or look exactly the same. Um I but that said, I mean, I think there are in thinking about efficiencies, there are efficiencies there. Um this was also I I I'm not stunned by this distribution. Um, but I was surprised I I guess I'm surprised at how many people are, you know, considered it not effective. And granted, I I should say this is this was about a hundred staff member about 100 staff responses. Um, and it was not like evenly distributed across buildings, you know, it wasn't like I think it was about 20% from the high school, 20% at the middle school level
074or 25% at the middle school level and then the remainder at K5, preK through 5. Um, so this is where it gets interesting. Um, so keep in mind that this is K, this is preK through 12. So the uh the weekly and daily being almost 50% or more than 50% excuse me that is I'm not shocked by that number. Um I think the uh and a lot of the never is students at the the prek through five level. That's a big portion of of the responses there. So yeah, >> this this is yes, this is this is basically to your knowledge, how often are students using AI tools in school or for school work? Yep. Excuse me. Uh observe student usage similar similar kind of um similar well some similar answers. uh writing assistance or
075to all all to you know fully bypass uh assignments or or you know copying AI generated work. Those are the the two big ones. Not not wholly surprising. Um, I was I guess I was sort of hoping to see a little bit more in like student in some of these where students are using them as um tools as opposed to something that is outright, you know, uh and and again this is the perspective of from teachers. So this might not be this might not be um a perfect correlation. Um, but we contemplated surveying students and no offense to the students in the in the audience, but no matter how no matter how uh when when we when we thought about it, um, no matter what guarantee we could give of anonymity, we just weren't sure
076what the that we would get um we weren't sure that we we would get like full fully honest responses. That's not to say that students would lie on that survey necessarily, but more to more to say that um it's in their interest to uh be nervous about something like that. You are right to [laughter] if I if I were to send out that email to students, I could see who clicked on the survey and answered the survey. So, um regardless of whether or not it was recording your responses, >> yes. Yes. Correct. Correct. To get Yes. Right. Right. To get something that was truly honest and not trackable, we would need to be doing something like that. Uh but yeah, no, I I I was um I guess I I would have thought that, you
077know, homework help or revision assistance or brainstorming, I would I would have thought that those would have been granted they're represented here, but I would have thought that that would have been more of the use that we would see as opposed to um something that, you know, at least how teachers observe it. Um something where there's, you know, it's really doing a lot of the work for them or writing a lot of the work for them. Uh okay. So how are this? This is kind of a so that was more teacher observed use of student uh for students with AI. This is teacher permitted use. So again important to remember that this is um this is this survey was is prek through 12. So um the uh not not hugely surprising here. We did not
078have a single person answer yes for most assignments and I know that there are teachers in the high school who are you know who are embracing this and are offering it as a tool and are allowing students to use it for certain assignments. Um but it is not yet we're no we don't have anyone in the district at least through my observation but also through responses to the survey who is saying yes please use use AI whenever you want for any assignment or for most assignments. Um yeah uh again acceptable use um here for teachers not uh not wholly surprising the that where it cuts off is generating content with attribution. Um so that was sort of the one that was the one instance of like you know somebody somebody saying yes I will allow
079a student you know to enter a prompt and generate work and turn that work into generate something from AI and turn that into me as though it is the work that they've done we did one person with attribution so and and you know I don't know I I could go digging in the data and find that try to find that person. Um but but I'm not I'm not I'm personally [laughter] I'm personally not interested in a witch hunt. Um but I could you know uh no. Um [laughter] [snorts] uh okay. So these perspectives are I I think you know this is none of this is surprising here. Um uh we do have a a significant contingent. Um the environmental concerns, not that that isn't a concern to me, but I just I was surprised that
080almost 40% of people and this was like select all that apply. So, you know, this isn't this is a distribution over how many people um how many you know any somebody could have checked all of these options. Um I was surprised that we were nearly 40% with that. Not that that isn't something that I've thought about, but it just you know um it's understandable. Environmental concerns. So um uh energy usage and then water usage for cooling uh in data centers. Yep. Yep. Yep. Among other things. I'm sure there are others. Yeah. Valerie, >> sorry. Um was anything regarding mental health and use of chat bots included as an option or >> It was not. It was not. But but I see where you're going. Yep. So um talking about ethical uses of AI um so
081this I I will say the overwhelming majority this is this is people who answered this question with something the percentages here are people who answered this question with something other than this is not part of my job which was one of the answers but that that was like the overwhelming majority um because I think for the for the prek through five teachers, they were sort of looking at this like we're not using this and teaching students about AI AI ethics isn't something that we that I that is I view as part of my job. So these these are the people who um who did who who responded something other than that um uh I was I guess I was a little surprised to uh to see these numbers that that this is something that is
082being included in instruction with where students are using AI or where teachers are using AI. Um, I would have thought that no would have been higher, but I was glad to see it wasn't. Uh, and then these are the topics and and obviously this makes sense, but you know, act the the topics that people are are talking about. Um, uh, but academic honesty and plagiarism sort of running away with it here. All right. So, um, this was a a little bit more of a Yeah, Colin's laughing. Uh uh this was a a little bit more of a um just like okay what if if we are if we take it as given that you know we would be teaching students about AI ethics and you would be involved in that how confident are you I
083this isn't again not not surprising that most of the teachers don't feel particularly confident in this in teaching this. [laughter] Yeah, may maybe they maybe maybe they can run some PD, you know. Um uh yeah. Uh and then these were we asked an open-ended question um for for staff about what their con what their concerns are. So lots of critical thinking, cheating and plagiarism. Obviously misinformation was came up more often than I than I I guess I would have thought. Um, privacy, safety, to your question, Valerie, you know, um, uh, you know, I view that mental health aspect of use of use of AI as sort of a safety concern. And then developmental concerns and increased screen times with younger kids. So, yeah. Um, I put this in there, but I'm not going to we
084can we can you can either ask questions now or we can do questions later. I don't know. >> Yeah, let's do it later. Okay. All right. So, now I'm gonna turn it over to Erica on some ideas on where we can go from here. >> Okay. So, um Sam and I met with Angela Marzili. If you were at the superintendence or sorry, the the winter convocation, you might have attended her session. Um she's with the day of AI from MIT. um she's a consulting representative there and she's a main resident and works uh across the country. So um having I think Sam and I have both done a little bit of this work systemically, but uh I've previously done this with Angela's support and others um in another district. And so we we found her
085to be an excellent resource and she directed us to some free resources that might guide some of our what do we do next steps. Um, so I thought it would be good to ground like what do we do next in something that is researchbased, peer-reviewed, practiced elsewhere. Um, instead of just like imagining all of those things into being. Um, this isn't to say that we're branding this as a solution, but it's nice that it's free. Um, there are ways you can pay for their support as well. Um, this is the uh the founder of that entity, uh, Dr. Cynthia Brezelle, I believe is how you pron pronounce it. um and a quote from her to get us started. Um and the genie is officially out of the bottle. Um okay, so some commentary from them
086about why AI integration matters. And I think we know this from some of that data that you've um just seen, but we know it from our own human lived experience that um AI is transforming everything. Kids are already using it and um statistically less than 10% of schools have formal policies. We'll get into that a little bit more. That's for what it's worth. We're not recommending that there be a usage policy, but perhaps there be some guidance offering us direction. Um, so we'll get into that a little bit more. Um, our responsibility is really to do more preparation, more formal preparation, and ensure that there is equitable access. There's an equity issue behind some of this as well. Ensuring that we have um students prepared in it with equal opportunity to utilize the tools that
087come through AI. Um and then for us to model responsible and ethical use um as the providers for kids in our settings. Um so foundational resources that we can capture through MIT Day of AI. Um, there's free hands-on curriculum if we were to run um to run some programming um across vertically across the grade levels that's developmentally appropriate and constantly under revision. Um that is available to us open source. Um the curriculum modules that they offer involve those things listed there. How AI works um chat GPT AI social media and then um science and climate change. And some of that gets into the the environmental impact area that came up at 40%. Um so uh this is just their model and a lot of this is for staff facing but it then has the the
088effect that it is brought into the staff's design for instruction. So um a recommendation if we were to take a phased implementation might be that we build a foundation of through teacher training um understanding capabilities and limitations and this kind of came through in how confident do you feel um in that in that data. So it does feel like that would be an appropriate starting place like assume no prior knowledge and go from there. Um and then classroom integration. That's that piece where after the teachers learn um what does it mean for them in terms of their instructional design and informing academic integrity conversations at throughout the age levels um advanced practice getting better just getting better at using the tools whether we're using a walled garden approach which is like um something like uh
089magic school which is uh which is a kind of a closed circuit where everything is sort of filtered embedded or if we're just instru structing how to use the worldwide web for that. So, um there are multiple ways to go about it. Um if we were looking at develop developmental appropriateness, these are kind of the broad brush areas for elementary, middle, and high school. Um some sort of descriptive learning goals there on the right. Um what we're hoping to gain uh for student opportunity. um clearer guiding framework that comes through the MIT um uh day of AI work. Um we'd want to land in a place where we have guiding documents that we can lean on, but they might not necessarily be like etched in policy. They're just policy may say, you know, we should
090have a we should have procedures that address these things. um because this is a very rapidly involving evolving area and to get locked in feels like not helpful. Um but we can get better tuned in some of these areas listed here and then there are things we probably haven't imagined yet. Um at every stage of the process, stakeholder engagement is important. Um and so this ecosystem of communication about um what are we facing, what are we trying to solve, and what are we um how is it going? Um the equity piece specifically um the challenge we're up against uh what it means for accessibility what what we saw in instructional design in the data is that some teachers are using it for lesson planning. This can be really really helpful in goal writing for students
091who are who are working to accomplish more than one year's growth in a year or students who are accessing beyond grade level content. So their teachers can bring in um learning expectations and clearly articulated goals to know that they are accessing very scientifically what what that student needs um to be expert at all those grade levels can be challenging. So these tools can be very very helpful in the instructional domain as well. Um these are the seven uh principles for AI and education from the UN. um they have a document on this and um some of their work is brought into the MIT work. So thought that was interesting. Um and then just a point that this is in all areas of our our kiddos learning opportunities. It does not live in just you know
092writing papers in English class. So um these are some examples of where that lives. um what it might look like for a road map if we were to do this and we can go slow or fast um or push it out however we decide to do it. But the initial step might be a task force beginning then with um MIT day of AI training um and then drafting some of those guiding documents um running them through the task force um bringing them back to the board um auditing our technology access. I we've done a little bit of an entry level of that but feels like there's probably some more when it comes to the behavioral health pieces and some other things. Um and then about eight months out if we were to pilot some day
093of AI curriculum which is like kids practicing with intention and with like with uh stewardship um in mind ushering them through AI experiences in a in a sheltered manner that might be something we might pilot and then a year out um if this were a timeline it doesn't need to be like this but um that we would have spec subject specific integration so like this really intentional approach across developmental spans, you know, to make sure that we are um advancing these opportunities for all kids and making those safety elements um very clear. Um success indicators would be that all teachers would be trained. Um a 100% of students would graduate with a with a basic AI literacy from RSU5 schools and um we would have clear guiding documents that would be under constant evolution um
094and that we would have community support for our work. Um I [clears throat] thought this was important to pull up for your reference. um Maine does [clears throat] not actually have digital literacy or computer science standards. Um and so that is we're not alone in that sort of you know wild west environment but we have um we do have some other states who have taken this on. Um it happens in a variety of ways. Uh meaning do they take on computer science? Do they take on digital literacy? Is it very detailed? Is it not? Some of them get to where they have them as graduation requirements, but I just wanted to quantify it. 32 states have these standards. 12 of them have them for graduation requirements. And then what we would be drawing on to
095ensure that we have this um articulation uh with a research backing would be these bodies named here. Common sense education, CSTA standards, ISTY standards and then the MIT day of AI is really a leader in this field right now as well. Who knows maybe others will join. Right. So um that is um yeah um so next steps thinking maybe a task force another one um beginning educator training with MIT day of AI and then um drafting initial guiding guiding documents uh for you to review at some stage. So we're happy to take your questions. Yeah. I'm just curious as we're thinking about the process and what it might look like. Um, you mentioned that all of the things you've talked about today in this presentation were free through data AI training, but there were also
096additional training resources available and I'm just cur that that are that cost money and I'm just curious if um as we're going through this process of thinking what this looks like, what do the additional paid resources look like and how they would actually help us meet our success indicators? So just kind of something to be thinking about. >> So we can engage PD um supported facilitation from day of AI like Angela Marzili could come here and support us um to do some of that delivery of professional development. Other areas could be investing in something like magic school AI, which is like I'm branding it, but it's a walled garden for potentially students and teachers to engage in AI based investigation with filters and safety features. Um, so there can be things and there can be
097people. Yeah. Did that answer your question? >> Yeah, it sort of I guess um it's not necessarily something we have to decide right now. I'm just thinking as we're going through the process and as we're entering into budget season eventually, these are things that we would want to be thinking about as we look at future budgets and whether they're worth the investment. >> It it does live in my draft. We'll see if it makes it through. Yes. >> Yeah. It seems to me that the the place we need to start is is kind of the um building the comfort and knowledge of the staff. um you know when you look at who's using it already versus you know when the kids are already using it more than the adults are there's clearly some catchup that
098has to happen right um and you know the sort of things I noticed is sort of the discrepancy between you know we know they're using it and you know 35% of us are using it but very few of us are actually like talking about the ethics of AI and you know how of how maybe it should be used appropriately and um you know it it is a tool um that is obviously very powerful in used for good and not evil. So um you know getting people comfortable with what are the ways they could use it for you know for me some of those graphs were like writing assistance really high revision assistance really low I mean those two things to me are very similar right so what I consider assistance might be I wrote it
099and I want them to help me to figure out if it's you know clear what I'm saying clearly it's not because I'm never clear but um you know just getting people comfortable with what's available to them um and I don't know I mean I I know we have PD budgets that we and PD days that we fill. Um there's lots of things vying for that time. I mean to me that seems the natural place to start for something like this. Um and I don't know if you can use the free resources for something like that or if that is something like Kelly said, you have to bring in somebody or a train the trainer kind of process. My >> Yeah. No, I I I think you're right to um you're that you're having trouble with
100that sign tonight. Um uh uh no I I I think you're you're right. You're right. You're right to identify, you know, professional development is really kind of the is not necessarily step number one because I think we need we need expertise with from each from all of the buildings and grade levels to kind of help inform some of this. I can I can come up with whatever ideas I want, but um I'm also I'm not the one who has to implement them or live with them necessarily. Um uh so but I think starting with starting with professional development and trying to identify the times that we that we do have and and when we can focus on this is a point taken you know >> um this is really helpful. Thank you. And I think
101it's really good timing too with our strategic planning process. And as we'll see soon in the portrait of the graduate, one of those components is that students are graduating future ready. So there's a future readiness component and um the landscape of education and the workplace is changing really really rapidly. So I think I'm feeling a sense of urgency around this and I would support the development of a task force and would really appreciate um this being a regular topic that we we hear about uh on the board. Um, and there was something else I was going to say and it's gone. I think part of whatever we end up doing, we also need to consider stewardship and identifying when it's responsible, when it's irresponsible, and when it might be I mean, circling back to cell
102phones, it might be too much. um when we're leaning too heavily on it. I think stewardship is super important and isn't something that we use enough in our lives generally of of making sure that we're being thoughtful of when we use our tools and using them appropriately. >> Yeah. And and I think from the staff perspective, I I I don't I don't think we're at risk of that now, but I can I understand your perspective of kind of keeping that top of mind. Um, I was just curious, um, as you surveyed the staff if there was any feedback about what they would actually want in terms of professional development. Um, I mean there's so much that can be done and just in what we saw um just now, but really what would be most helpful
103for them both in their teaching but in their in the classroom but also in their in their prep and and the work that goes on outside of the actual teaching part. I think I think where st what staff are and granted this was like 97 people answering open-ended responses so you know I read through them but um but I I I it's perhaps certain things are weighted in my mind a little bit heavier than they would be otherwise or than they might be to somebody else but um the the thing that stuck out to me was there were there's a lot of staff that don't know where to start and and just kind of just kind of starting just getting help of getting, you know, getting off the ground or what are some things that
104I could, you know, everybody says that this is going to make me more efficient. Give me something that I can do with it, you know, and that that was the that was the big thing. It was and um I also and and then to the to the discussion about AI ethics or really teaching students about AI, I think that that's the other the the other component where staff are not particularly a lot of staff are not not all that com comfortable Um, as we're going through the process of putting together this plan and the guiding documents, we've talked a little bit about the the educator facing piece and we've talked about the studentf facing piece. And as a parent who sometimes feel like I struggle to keep up with what my kids are doing and
105how they're using these tools, I'm just thinking um it would be really nice if we could keep in mind the the parent facing piece too and how we can educate our parents about what their students are doing with these tools and how the parents could support them and help guide their them in their ethical decisions about them. So just something to keep in mind. >> Yep. And we we do have a lot of um I will say a lot of this stuff is blocked on student devices um on devices that we provide for students. That was kind of that was done before uh before I came here and it's kind of been something that we've continued um with opening certain things up depending on what it being used for on a project basis and that
106that's kind of how it's been treated. Yep. >> Yeah. I I guess I'm what I'm really trying to get at is more like sort of a training or a a PD for parents so to speak so that we can as parents understand how these tools work so we can support our students. Yeah, >> sure. Cara. >> Yeah, that was the other thing I was going to say that came out of my head. Um I recognize when on the slide about professional learning, it says parent and community engagement throughout all phases. So I was curious if you can say more about that because I think that is also really important. Yeah, I think um it's the check-ins with bringing those representative stakeholder representatives both into the task force and then also checking to see how it's
107going um and getting feedback as to like what others are seeing. Um I think it's really interesting to have kids more proficient in something than teachers. Um, and I feel like we there is a there is a sense of urgency to make sure that we aren't so many steps behind. And I think that that's not too dissimilar from a lot where a lot of parents are. Um, but taking stock of where everybody what everybody needs right now and then staying up with the the evolution because it's going to grab change. Um, so I'm not sure what it all looks like because I'm not sure what all the there there is, but like we have um if we have a task force, it probably wouldn't be disbanded for some time. I think there's a lot of
108work to do here. Um, and parents are part of it. The stakeholder group called parents is something that can't be left out of this equation. Um how much we are able to provide direct support might be somewhat limited but offering opportunities for learning is is certainly something we can we can ensure. >> There might also be some parent experts some people in the community who have a lot of experience with this and might be able to offer something. >> Absolutely. >> Coline's quick. I just was going to say that one of the breakout sessions that I went to at the MSMA conference was a day of AI [clears throat] breakout session and it was really um enlightening and helpful and really well done. So I just wanted to add that voice. >> Um yeah, a
109couple couple things. First, thank you so much for this work. It is so appreciated and so helpful and so just thank you immeasurably for that. Uh, two, yes, we need a task force. Let's do that. Um, maybe we just call it something else like just a like a club, like a cool like where the cool kids hang out. I don't know. Sort of change. We think about the branding. Third, I think I'm just going to stand over here in the weird uncle corner. Um, which is what this sit seat is, just to be clear. Um, that Jenny put me in again. Um this seat right now is me saying like I um this is awesome. Also my general sense is that like in 5 years education is going to look nothing like what it looks
110like today. And this is like this is like 5% of that. And that is not said in any way as any sort of criticism. um that is just um that's based on um some that's based on my reading on the subject and also just based on my experience in the classroom. I mean, what h what I've had to change in terms of my teaching um of uh English and the humanities um over the last year, what I've had to shift in order to respond to even just like the spectre of this um is profound in terms of thinking about um why are we uh what is a class for? Um why do we assign papers to be written in the first place? um what are the skills that we believe are necessary in order to
111create that um that paper? How is it that we when we as teachers are getting um work from students, how are we actually uh how are we trained to respond to something that has been generated partially by a student and partially by um uh robots. Um, so I think I just want to say that like I think this is a much bigger thing and I think it I think we um uh we owe it to ourselves as a as a district to just like approach it that way. Um so I think like yes, I think like within 3 months like let's set up a task force. let's get some um resources in here because I think you're absolutely right that I think most staff is probably just in a position of saying like not even
112just aware of like what the current technology is um and what are the benefits and what are the potential um challenges but I think just like I don't know I think we just have to have like a really much higher level um view of that and I know there are other folks that are thinking about it um but I also know that like the technology is changing so much um that it's hard to exactly know what to aim for. Um so again, I think I'll just just want to mark this territory to just be like it's a really big it's like printing press >> like big like in terms of what's of what's uh changing in terms of education and in terms in terms of the working world um and in terms of like what
113the human being does with their time. Um, so, uh, love Colin >> would probably not benefit us to stick our heads in the sand. >> So, um, I'm curious if Maria has any insights from the student perspective because it does sound like we have a broad spectrum of approaches from teachers. I don't know if you've ever had any teachers that have been okay with the use of AI or or have given you guidance or I'm just curious. I mean, and if you're like, I don't really not prepared to speak to that, that's totally fine, but just wanted to see. >> I definitely have quite a few classmates who use it to, you know, bypass and to copy often to cheat. But I also have a large majority of people that use to help study, to
114create test questions for them and help prepare them for tests. And I think that it can be used really well and be really helpful, but at the same time can um stop independent thought and things like that. And so I think this is a super important thing to talk about and to get teachers and students more informed about. I think it's definitely a hard line to walk of when is it responsible and irresponsible to use it. But yeah, I think it can be used student to student of good or bad things like that. Do you think that um do you think that having a more systemic discussion about AI in general might help maybe dissuade some of the copy and pasters? I mean, and and there that will always be the case, right? Like whether
115I copy off of Kelly's or I plug it into Chad GBT, like that's always that's always a thing that we're going to deal with. Um, but I'm wondering, you know, if it was something that we talked about more, if we talked about the ethics of it, we talked about appropriate use versus inappropriate use a little more um globally in in the schools as opposed to what appears to be very oneoff. Um, if that might help direct people to using it for good. >> I think students will do whatever they want to do. I think it could definitely help inform students and maybe change their perspective on this kind of thing. But um at the end of the day, it's what people want to do. And I I hope that that would be the case, but
116I think some groups of people maybe wouldn't even open an email that enforce that or things like that. >> Maria revealing herself to be a bit of a pessimist, I guess. Uh uh no, I'm sorry. Uh yeah. Yeah, perhaps. Perhaps. Um uh the thing that the the thing I wanted to add is that I also um I think this looks really it looks really different at every kind of grad span. So what this is what either whether it's appropriate use or what is being taught about AI or how we're talking about ethics all of that stuff is very different in a kindergarten classroom from a third grade classroom from a sixth grade classroom from a nth grade classroom and probably up into the you know even the difference between working with nth graders and working
117with 12th graders on this sort of thing. And so I don't know what the I I you know we're we this was sort of step one is kind of making this proposal um or or kind of disclosing this information and making you know starting the conversation. Um but in terms of structure I just want to note that that having having a task force of 30 people it who are across a broad group might not necessarily make sense in terms of structure and I just want to mention that to mention it. It might be that when we dig into this, this really needs to be more focused on specific grade spans and there's going to be people who are floating between those groups. But I'm just mentioning that mentioning that to mention that. >> Yeah, I'm
118I'm feeling a lot of parallels when we're talking about, you know, when we're talking about the cell phone use and not just when do you use it and when do you not use it because that's the rule. It's like what's appropriate use, what is too much, what is what are the addictive tendencies that come out of it, right? Like they're all very similar, right? I mean, have we ever had a technology like committee or task force? Because I feel like a lot of these things are parallel in terms of, you know, staying trying to stay ahead. We're already behind clearly. Um, but like trying to stay ahead of, you know, what's available, what tools should we be teaching about, what is the, you know, all of those things. Um, I'd hate for us to be
119doing things in silos when they could be cross-pollinating each other. I don't know. >> Uh, I I think there was a technology committee when Seth Grant was here. Seth Grant. Seth >> Seth, >> who was who was three people before me? Yeah. Who was that? Seth something. >> Seth, it's Seth something. I can picture him. I talked to him. >> He wasn't as tall as you. >> No. Uh um and sorry, it's not Seth Grant because it was Jim Grant after him. Anyway, >> it was uh >> I almost said Seth Green, but that's not him either. >> Anyway, I think that there was a technology committee at one point when he was here, but I I don't think there has been uh one that has been active since then. Um, I'm certainly open to
120running one, but I also um there's a I don't know, everybody's got everybody's got a lot on their plate, so I don't want to I don't want to uh I don't want to necessarily say let's let's use that as our lens when when perhaps we're going to we for something like this, we really need something quite a bit more focused, you know, really focused on this task and not on this task, but also what devices are we buying ne next year? How are we going to plan for a Wi-Fi replacement? You know, things like that. >> Yeah. No, I'm I'm thinking more sort of district technology based, less >> digital literacy. >> Yeah. Essentially. >> Yeah. >> So, those bodies um these these entities have bodies of standards that have progressions that are developmentally appropriate
121and cover digital literacy, all of all of the tech stuff. Um, and it might benefit us to think about what do we in RSU5 hope all kids will have the opportunity to learn and demonstrate mastery of when it when it comes to those areas um across the developmental continuum. So I always like it's kind of part of my work ground it in standards. Um and so then that articulates up to the career and college ready level of expectations. Um but it leaves out no grade levels. So like this becomes then if this is something we expect where does it live in the instructional day where does it live organically in the instructional day. So that's where the real work is. We have the standards they have lessons attached like they have all the stuff we
122just have to figure out how do we operationalize something like that and we certainly can't do it without our educators having training on what the that is. So it's um it feels like it does start with PD and then it then we have we have a lot of guiding documents already out there u from trusted sources. We've used these sources you know for years. All of us have in in the field but to have a continuum where it's like this is how we do business. It can be guided by these standards. We don't have to create that. I'm just hesitant about more task force on top like just t time right bandwidth. Um I I know Sam likes to jump in and you know use all the bandwidth um plus some but you know we
123we have strategic planning we have early childhood. We have and and maybe there's enough people that are interested in a variety of things. I just know historically it tends to be the same people. Um, and I don't want to burn anybody out, but I do think there is some sense of urgency to be moving in a direction here. Um, because this stuff isn't stopping. So, it's just more ground to make up if we if we wait. So, that is a long- winded way of saying I I don't know. >> I mean, I guess this is probably an oversimplification, which I love to do. Uh but actually I hate to do also but um like it seems like PD is needed and we should definitely do that and that maybe task force is secondary to that.
124Um and so I guess I'm just saying that in in terms of like we could certainly >> say that we want to move forward with that >> if if the board needs to be involved with that. I mean I we generally aren't um you know that's that's I mean the thing is is PD is usually laid out for the year already right like all of those instructional days and those you know the staff meetings most of that stuff is already kind of laid out for the year. So um I don't know if there's a way to work that in this year or not but I I do I do see your point Steph that like any path forward starts with getting people up to speed on where we are right now. Right. there's there's probably
125things that could be done regardless of what path we took that would be beneficial to our staff. So >> yeah, I I'm just curious if this could be accomplished with in input from say survey data instead of a formal task force to get input from stakeholders and then you and a couple of key players do this work instead to make it to kind of streamline the process. Since every every buck stops with you, Mr. Superintendent, >> I mean, I have lots of thoughts. I put myself in listening mode here. I personally think that what makes the most sense is not a task force but a committee which is [clears throat] comprised of mostly people who are highly motivated and interested who are on the payroll um to in an ongoing way work with Sam to
126make sure we are a breast of what we need to be a breast of that reports out to the board occasionally that's what I've seen work in most other places um >> and are they responsible for creat creating [clears throat] the PD or >> well that that part of it would usually reside the assistant superintendent um >> who's on the committee clearly >> who would certainly be part of that um you know one with my with my realistic lens on one thing that just leaps out at my mind right now is that in the current contract I don't want to say this grossly wrong and I don't have it in front of me I know that the amount of PD time has been reduced by by an amount that it really hurts So finding enough
127PD time to do all the things. Strategic planning is is like the one that's front and center right now. Um we're barely finding enough time to do the collaboration we need just with the amount of P PD time we have. Um so that is not to say that this is not important. I do think it's important. I actually think that I agree with Colin. We're we don't even know what the ramifications for humanity are. Um and we need to be continually rethinking what school means in light of it. Personally, if I were a teacher right now, and I was not I'm not that far out of the classroom, so I feel like I can still comment on this. We need to be we need to be dynamic in the way we teach so that the
128concerns about how AI could be misused are obiated by the way we teach. Like we need to not teach in a way that means kids could cheat using AI. And in fact, we we need to be thinking about how we need to be teaching thinking and not things that could easily be replaced by AI. Um I could probably go on for and on for a long time about that. So I'll >> sorry I released the uh >> you well no I was sitting here being quiet. Um I will stop there. I seed my time. >> Um just a a few thoughts. One is it just I I would be really curious to know what the discussions are like um either within the teachers unions or uh interacting bodies with them in terms of um because
129this is has again this technology has a huge impact on um on that uh collection of workers and in terms of what the expectations might be. So I think so I think I don't know I think that would be something I'd be really curious to know about. I think committee is better than tasks force. It's much sexier. Um so yeah let's go with committee. I think I also just want to say and I think it does I think it does connect to the to the cell [clears throat] phone um conversation in that I do want us to escape um as much as possible or avoid as much as possible the um uh socially culturally inherited idea that that um that we as individuals are the problem. Um because what we are having to do as
130a as a body, as a school and then as you know as Maria and and the other uh and our classmates and the teachers are having to do is individually respond to huge uh cultural forces that are driven by business. Um, and you know, there's a there's a a fair bit of logic to the idea that the the fast out rolling of AI is basically uh being used to just like use all of us to better train um the models so that when the bubble does crash and there are fewer um companies, the models that are remaining have used all of our um have used our training in order to uh enrich themselves. So I think that would be the other thing that I would just say is that while I have great respect uh
131for MIT and UNESCO, my wife went to MIT and she worked at UNESCO. Um I don't uh I'm not thrilled about just using um uh MIT's resources because the the connections between MIT and business um are uh great. Um, and so finding some bodies um that have slightly less of an economic uh interest in this matter, I think would be really helpful for us. >> I I'm going to ditto your comments, Colin. Um I would love to see if this is something that we are to um I mean we need to take on, but I I would love to see what other resources are out there because I think there is a lot. And um while I'm sure MIT has a a great program and I love that it's free, I do think that there
132there are other resources out there that could be really beneficial to us as a district and our specific needs. >> And this I do want to I think I could say a little bit more about why how a committee is different from a task force. just that a a task force implies that you have a thing that you're going to get done and then you're going to disband and a committee is something that sits in perpetuity to continually reassess and work on the topic. I think this topic is something that's not going away and it's something that we we will continually need to adapt to. >> I don't disagree with that. I suspect that's why you were recommending um creating that committee first before the PD is maybe to have people together or can you
133say more about your recommendation to start there >> to start with what I referred to as a task force kind of generically. Um so yeah for a task force or a committee to kind of give direction to like the urgency the prioritization of the tasks potentially some of the standards that that have been reviewed any kind of provider review so like if we decide that MIT isn't a the provider we want who is and what are they aligned to um so vetting everything before we kind of put it into motion. Um, and also taking in new information because I I suspect that we are going to have um I suspect we're going to have a lot more new information in a very short period of time um that will kind of throw us in, you
134know, like we're going to have to respond. Um, I do suggest always that we ground our the work that we put in front of kids in standards that are researchbased and have, you know, a backing that isn't just just with a local design without that external validation. Um, and it doesn't really matter whether it's day of day of AI is free PD. That was one of the appeals for sure. But we could start with just the standards. there's enough there um to get moving uh without without any kind of like branded provider. Um but we would need some I sus I don't know about Sam but we are pretty thin at the central office administration level. I'm not sure how much how well we could execute a bunch of PD um in in group sizes
135that are meaningful without some support. So that does feel like maybe if we wanted to move a little bit faster, we might need to engage some external support. So something like a committee or a task force, somebody could some body could um you know help us work through the process and make decisions collectively. I think the biggest lift is actually where does this live in instruction. The PD piece we can we can get that done. Um it's the if these are the standards now, where do they fit in the day? um are they hitched on to science or library or like where does that live? And and different districts have fig figured that out in very different ways, but it begins at the beginning. It begins at K. Um prek tech, not so much. But
136the moment we put devices in front of kids, right? We've already got Grammarly. We've already got some things running, right? So, we have to like maybe you block that. But I don't know actually it's [laughter] like Um anyway, so yeah, it it yeah, we just we have to figure out and then and then there comes the you know the discussions about okay, well what what might we need to interfere with that's already in that times? There's stuff that's that's the lift. Yep. Someone earlier had mentioned um making use of parents who are really experts in the community and I think that's one reason why [clears throat] you know obviously we want to have in the committee uh teachers and board members but I would really hope that we could get some folks who might be
137like this is their full work is on AI and who could really bring that lens to the committee. I don't know how we find them. >> You know one. Okay. >> Doesn't live in this district but would come >> or she >> it's a she and she cut she would come and do PD for us but >> Okay. >> That's just >> I sorry. So is the ask of is the ask is there an ask of us today and is that to >> question create the committee or the task force or >> I I think that this is the board is being informed right now. Um, I think unless the board wants to create a board committee, which you certainly have the right to do, there's convers more conversation for us to have. But I
138think what you're hearing is that we feel this is important. And we're we are trying at this point to think of the the best way forward given all the constraints that we contend with, time being the biggest one. Since this is a AI conversation, I'm curious if you took the survey and fed it into AI and asked how you s how it suggests we proceed. >> I didn't ask that. I did ask for uh after I read through all the responses, I did ask for like, okay, can you pick out some common themes here? because there were some people who wrote, you know, 400 words and there were some people who were like, you know, uh using four-letter words and then being like, you know, [laughter] uh um so uh so it um I did
139use AI just to pick out like themes. That was the the primary in terms of data analysis of of that just and and that's I think pretty common with qualitative data. It's it's difficult to it's difficult. You can sit there and handcode all of it. But now that ne in my experience, this is a tremendous use for AI. Y >> well just go ask it what are our you know create a create a schedule and a and a path and a plan and you know tell us where we're going. >> Tell me to create a committee >> but you [laughter] can do it. I mean, that's that's one of the great things about AI, and I think there there are many really great uses of AI. >> Um, and so, yes, we joke, but I
140also think that it probably could give us some >> pretty good suggestions for PD based on based on this feedback. Colin's laughing. I want to know what he's [snorts] thinking. >> Just it's just funny, y'all. The idea that we'd ask AI what should we do in terms of moving forward in an AI policy is just f it's just tech it's technically funny. I looked it up earlier on the internet >> and [snorts] it's funny >> like it's like how do how do you get ID if you don't have ID you know. >> Okay. So so what I'm hearing is is more to come. You will come back with what you guys think would be the most prudent next steps. >> We're going to keep work >> Yep. >> We're going to keep working on this.
141Okay, this was great. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right. I'm not sure. Uh uh so now we are up to 9D. Alicia, is yours is exciting? [laughter] >> She's like, why did Jenny put me after that? >> No, just talking. Okay. Can you hear me? >> No. Can you hear me better now? >> Better. Yeah. Okay. All right. So, um my goals for last year um when I had come in last year was my first year. I really I just asked um teachers and the leadership team that was already here what their biggest concerns were um and it was around um staff shortages and um consistency across the district. And so with the staff shortages um my goal was around building capacity. So if we're if we're unable to hire staff, we really
142need to build capacity within our staff that we who we currently have. Um, so that was my first goal was around building capacity um, districtwide by ensuring that all special ed staff have the essential knowledge and skills to effectively support students with special needs. Um, so with that piece um, I had established behavior skills labs at Durham Community School, Morris Street and Mass Landing. So we had one behavior program for K5 over at Durham Community School where kids from More Street or Mass Landing would access, but there wasn't consistent practices among and it was really hard at times to get students over from More Street to Darham um to participate in the programming. So, um, together with the RBCBA, our leadership team, and the administrators at all three buildings, um, we came up with a
143behavior skill lab, um, a handbook or a manual with consistent practices around how students would access that program. So, at any time if kids were to shift among buildings, they would follow the same um, process with within those programs. So, we've done that and those programs are up and running in all three buildings um and is consistent with practices. The other piece of that is the schools really wanted to hang on to their own kids um which was also a reason why we established the one program across um the excuse me, three programs across the district as opposed to one district program for K5. Um the other piece that I had done was um facilitated collaboration between staff in our BCBA to provide a lot of um informal opportunities for professional learning um and daytoday
144interactions. So that would be PD like ongoing PD throughout the day provided by our BCBA when she was um in different buildings during our professional development days. our B we would have groups um based on what staff needs were um at any given time and staff had the opportunity to um attend different PD based on what they were experiencing. Any questions on that piece? >> I feel like um the BCBA last [clears throat] year was the first year we were actually able to fill that position. >> Yeah. Um, and it sounds like it's been pretty successful having that person on. >> Yeah. Good. >> Um, my second goal was just around consistency with special ed practices across the district. Um, so with that, um, again, having six six different buildings, it's really hard to be
145consistent with with how we're doing and completing our paperwork. And so I created a resource, a Google shared folder, um, and it has every template that you could think of, um, examples, different timelines, really. So it was, it's kind of a hub where all special ed staff can go to find really any answer they need with regard to special education, documentation, process, timelines. um I update it regularly with different items um anything that I get from the department or if there are resources that um are utilized by staff that they've created that are um that are great. So we we upload or I upload it to that and so staff have access um to that at all times. Um, also I'm in um I have attend bi-weekly PLC meetings, but I'm usually in each building
146um daily um and attend the PLC's are bi-weekly, but I'm still there um during that same time every week. So, if there are other questions that I need to answer, um so that's been good to provide that consistency. And then we have weekly leadership team meetings with our three um IEP coordinators that are spread out throughout the district, our BCBA and our school psychologists. And so with like a weekly two to three hour meeting, we're getting all the information. We're all hearing the same thing and then that's being disseminated across the buildings um to ensure that consistency in practices. Um, I will say that so far our paperwork is is has been um aligned with the um it took a little bit to get that up and running last year, but we have we're we're
147really enforcing that anytime people are people are creating any sort of paperwork or documenting that they're using the templates. So, when I'm reviewing paperwork, it's all coming in and it's looking the same. Um, which is also important when you have kids in multiple buildings in one family. And so a written notice can look very different from one teacher to another teacher. And so again, making sure that that all aligns and it looks the same and it's consistent. Um, also facilitated in-house and external professional development opportunities tailored to support um staff growth addressed to their specific needs. I spoke a little bit about that earlier with just providing opportunities um for staff to participate in um professional development provided by our BCBA um around those behavior strategies and um that can be offered during the school
148day through staff modeling. We've attempted to provide opportunities for after school um for edte that doesn't always work out because they're not required to stay and usually people have obligations after work. So, it's hard to to build capacity when there's not a lot of time in in the day to do that and there's not a lot of time after school to do that as well. But, um, we're we're working hard to do that. Also developed monthly professional learning committees. So, our social workers, our speech pathologists, our OT's and PTs meet monthly um as as teams to talk about what's going on around the district, what's working for them, how they're assessing different practices, um and what they would like to see moving forward on a consistent basis across the district. And this year um I
149added in a functional life skill PLC where our um life skills program. So middle and high school meet together and then more street and mass landing fls programs meet together as well to build that continuum of services um for students when they're accessing a K12 um life skills program. So that those were my goals from last year. Uh any questions? Okay, so my first goal for this year, it's it's align to the first goal from last year, just really continuing to work on building capacity. Um as Linda shared earlier, um we h we're having a really hard time filling positions over at More Street, especially in our functional life skills program. Um, and it's really hard to build that capacity, um, when we have staff that we just that are brand new or we can't
150retain them. Um, the work is really hard and staff get burnt out. And as we all know, if you do a really good job at your job, you're asked to do more. Um, so it's it's challenging. So really making sure that we can build capacity within those programs. um our BCBA spent a significant amount of time um at Mor Street at the beginning of the school year um in the program throughout the day modeling um and and providing um like advice and and comments kind of in the moment to help support students. Um but again, that's hard when she can't be there all the time because she is a district-wide BCBA. So really just continuing to work on building that capacity, providing ongoing specialized training sessions um to edex to really focus on supporting students
151with complex needs um and implementing like regular coaching systems. Um again, we've offered different times throughout the day or we're trying to find opportunities after school for staff to be able to get together. Um but again, that time it it's challenging because you can't force people um to to stay Um, so that again is just a continuation of just really working to build capacity because of the staff shortage. Um, and we can't bank on being able to hire. Um, I've been interviewing all year um, for these positions and either people withdraw their application um, or they're offered the position and they decline because they found something else. So, it's been um, a lot of interviews with with that are not amounting to to anything which is challenging. And my second goal is around our early
152childhood special education. Um so bringing on that cohort three next year. Um that involves a lot of um working with the task force meetings, deciding on program models, determining staffing needs. um you know posting jobs, onboarding people, looking at different policies, procedures, classroom preparation, trainings for staff if needed, child fine, so notification of child fine to parents to make sure that they are aware that we are um going to be assessing and responsible for their all four-year-olds within the district. Um family engagement and just making sure that once we are able to move forward that we are ready to hit the ground running um at the beginning of next school year. Any questions? >> Uh, thank you. Um, and even if, um, I'm just thinking about, uh, goal two kind of first here. Even if
153the board decided not to move forward with cohort 3, this is still work that needs to be done because we do have to do this at some point. So maybe it's not to be hit the ground running for July one. Yeah. >> Um just just thinking, you know, in in terms of sequential process here, but um and then um >> and just to to add to that, we would or I would 100% we'd have to be figuring how we're going to make this work. >> Yeah. This isn't this isn't if it's when. >> Yeah. >> 100%. >> Yeah. Um and then on goal one and sort of going back to um the the public comment we had earlier in the in the session tonight. Um is is our um struggle to hire an RSU5 issue?
154Is it is it everybody's facing I'm just curious. >> It's it's a nationwide struggle and when I talk to colleagues of you know districts all over the state, not just surrounding districts, they're all facing these same challenges. It's it's not just an RSU5 issue. >> And when >> it's hard work, it's really hard work. >> Um and there there's a high burnout rate. And um I think we we're seeing it more of an influx of students with with higher needs who are really struggling that have no skills when they're coming into kindergarten um than we've seen before. And um you mentioned interviewing um which is great that we're even getting applicants and then you know that they're not accepting because they found something else. Did they find something else outside of education or they finding
155a similar position elsewhere? Do we know >> similar positions elsewhere? Um or at times they're they're just not informing. You know, they may not show up for an interview or say I'm withdrawing but they don't give a reason. Um, typically if they're withdrawing an application, they do say, you know, I found a position in a in another district, a nearby district. >> Yeah. >> I sorry, >> all the hands went up. >> Didn't mean to interrupt, that I think it's fair to say, and we should correct me if I'm wrong. I think that the the work in the life skills programs for early childhood have particular stressors and challenges that they're really hard Yeah. I mean, when you think about some of these students who would really have benefited from full day programming before preK,
156they didn't have the services from CDS because there aren't providers, right? So, these kiddos who would have benefited from OT, PT, speech, and full-on like specially designed instruction have received nothing. Um, so when we're getting them, they have no skills. they don't know how to be in school. They may have been at home um with with a caregiver, you know, this whole time who can understand what it what what their child needs, right? But if they're non-verbal and they're grunting, we don't know any of those pieces. So, it takes time. There's a lot of um I don't want to say a lot of physical aggression, but there is there is a lot of physical aggression, but it's around students not being able to get their needs met and being able to communicate, right? So staff
157are getting bit. Their their hair is getting pulled. It's a really tough job. Um I would say probably one of the most challenging jobs in special education is being um in a special program. Um and ideally they would be fully staffed with staff that have a high skill set um and a capacity to learn how to do those jobs. The unfortunate piece is we don't have a lot of applicants and the pool the pool is really it's shallow and so there and I don't believe in filling a having a body you know just to fill a position but there are times that we really just need bodies um and when I'm interviewing I'm really clear with people that this is challenging and this is kind of what it looks like on a day-to-day basis so
158that they are aware of what they're getting into um and sometimes people come and then they you know they resign pretty quickly because it's it's hard. Yeah. >> Kelly, I am curious if when you find an applicant has resigned to go to another district if there is a pay factor involved if if they've ever given you that feedback. >> Um I know the districts that they're that you know that are surrounding that they are going to. So there probably is a a small increase in pay. care. >> Yeah, I was gonna ask a similar question and and if there are any districts that are keeping are filling the positions and are keeping them. I know it sounds like it is a nationwide problem, but are there any that are like managing to figure this out?
159And what are the what are the keys? And if you're not sure, maybe you can ask chat GPT. [laughter] >> Sure. Yeah. No. Um I haven't asked specifically to colleagues or this hasn't come up like are you completely fully staffed and what are you doing? Usually the conversations are oh yeah we're in we're in the same boat. Um so but I but I can at my next one of my next directors meeting I can certainly put it out there to Cumberland County admin to say like hey is is anyone fully staffed with with edex and how how are you doing that? >> They're probably not going to tell you. Yeah, cuz they don't want you to do the same thing. [laughter] >> I I don't know of another district that is fully staffed with edteex
160>> right now. Um there are there are districts that have different sort of pay structures that try to address this problem. >> Yeah. And I and I will say um we are really fortunate that we're fully staffed with our teachers with special education teachers because there are a lot of districts that are not staffed with teachers and edte and you have um kids going without services or the special ed director or assistant special ed director teaching classes um to students. So we are we're really fortunate in that way. Um but it's really unfortunate that we can't fill these positions. And I would say it's consistently been, you know, six to seven positions just since I've been here. And this is only my second year >> across all the schools. So that's not all at More
161Street. >> Not all at Mor Street. Most most of them are. We have three open positions currently at More Street. And we will have um more. >> Yeah. >> Steph, I have two questions. One is um approximately how many people have you interviewed that have fallen like that have not resulted in a hire? I would say probably at least 10 to 12 people this this school year. So from September until now >> um that haven't panned out and and it's a process. So it's really time consuming to go you know to set up the interview to have hold the interview um really time consuming to get references. Um sometimes it can take over a week to get back in touch with references. Um, and then you go through all of that work and then you
162call the person, they don't return your call. Usually I try three times and after three times it's like, okay, um, it's probably not going to work out. But it can be a two to three week process um, for hiring an edtech and then it doesn't really pan out to anything which is unfortunate. >> Yeah. and that any an estimation of how many folks um start and then resign quickly thereafter. >> Well, I haven't been able to hire any ed techs this year. Okay. So, >> yeah, never mind. Yeah. >> Yeah. And then this this might be a question for uh Erica or Tom because it's about the early childhood task force, but is there like a standard um budgetary rate that would be allowed under the funding that we would get through um cohort 3?
163>> Not not in terms of um what we would be paying staff because that varies contract to contract by district. that they would be looking at what we're asking for and determining if they felt it was reasonable given our numbers and our needs. [clears throat] On the flip side of our staffing crisis, um what unmet need do we have that we're not currently covering, if anything, um for our students? Are there students that are maybe suffering seems trit? um maybe not getting the education we would like them to have because of our staffing issue. >> So right now all of our students are receiving the services that are within their IEP. Um mostly um sometimes there's a unique situation and we do our best to fill that position. Um but it's it's rare. Um, and
164what we will do is in the event we can't provide a service, we do keep track of that time owed and then do a compensatory service. So, when we're able to hire somebody, um, we might add on additional service time to make up what was missed or a student that typically may not qualify for extended school year, they could receive those makeup service times like over the course of the summer or over vacations if you have people. Um, fortunately we we don't have that situation um, currently. Um, what I will say, so staff students aren't per se missing out on service times, but it's really hard when we have a lot of students that have edte support as needed um, in their IEPs and we have a shortage of edte. So edte are doing their
165best to to float and manage and check in with multiple kids across different settings. Um, but it is it is hard to to do that because you could have one edtech floating between three classrooms looking at three different students and you could have two students that really need that support. And so it's like picking which kiddo needs it um or right now. Um, so obviously there's a financial reason that these people that you've interviewed or or um gotten applications for have not kind of come to fruition, but do you see any other thing that we could we could do that would be beyond or in addition to that financial difference? Like do we have some is there some competitive advantage that we're missing? >> I don't think so. I I just think it's it's really
166hard to be in education right now. I I think Chris, you know, we can do our best to provide the best work environment possible and the pay is part of that. Um, to return to a theme that we've touched on, it is the work with the little kids who have very high needs that is actually across the spectrum the most dangerous. It's the most likely where you're going to get hurt. um it's where you're going to be toileting where you can't turn your back for a minute and the edte are the people who are doing that and so it's very very hard work and it is very highkilled work and the availability of individuals who are willing to take that on and have the skill set and the qualifications um and there are qualifications to
167being an edtech um it it's scarce And if you are a a special ed tech and that is your career, like you could see why people might move move up the age span to to sort of get away from the the very young if that is the most challenging. I mean over time there's only so much >> um >> I will say we we do have really great ed techs in this district. Yeah. >> Um and we can pull from general ed. So oftent times when there are gaps in special ed with edteex, we can pull from our general ed edte to help support in that setting. Um so people are are really stepping up and doing a great job. It's just it it's hard when there are so many unfilled positions that are that
168are high needs um with with high need students. But I I don't want anyone to think that our you know the current ed techs that we have aren't working hard because they're all working their butts off every day. >> Clearly. Yeah. Yeah. I don't think this is uh you know, similar to to Sam saying it's it's not for lack of of working really hard and using every moment available to them. It's just there's only so much one person can do. >> Yeah. Y >> any other comments, questions? >> Thank you. You're welcome. >> All right. So, uh moving on to item 10, board comments committee reports. uh board information exchange agenda requests. >> I just want to thank the students who spoke earlier. Um really really inspiring and and wonderful to see the level of
169voice that's being encouraged in the high school and also the um the general activism. It's really nice to see and I hope that you continue to um to pursue that and with other topics and maybe even like at the state level and and things like that. It's really exciting. So, thank you. >> Yeah. And in addition to folks that came and spoke today, we also received letters from from several students as well. So, um and you know, from from each of whether it was public comment or a letter we got, you know, things jumped out to me like, "Oh, that's a really good point. we need to make sure that we address those things when we're talking about whether it's implementation or whether it's um you know how we proceed or or what the policy
170looks like. Um, so all um all very um productive I felt like um you know to Superintendent Gray's point earlier, it's it's hard um you know when there's differing perspectives. Um but I really appreciated the um the authenticity and and the passion that they portrayed, but also in a very um very respectful way. So kudos to you guys and kudos to you two for hanging in there. [laughter] Yeah. [snorts] >> All right. Yeah. >> Um, yes. Just for the record, the uh individual that I poached that term from uh moral uh the budget as a moral document is uh Representative Melanie Saxs uh of Freeport. So, that is who I uh I stole it I stole it from. And I actually heard it from a she's gonna she's going to text me and tell me
171>> that was mine. Um I actually heard that same commentary from a um a US uh congressperson as well in the last couple of weeks. So it's catching. >> Um okay, any other information requests? Um I will share that we had the leadership um meeting last week. Um and I want to say it's probably the first one since maybe the very first one where we had everyone who uh uh in attendance. We had um Tom, myself, and Kelly were there from from the RSU. We had um three uh members of the select boards and the councils, two chairs and one uh the panel um representative because John wasn't able to join. Uh and then we had the town um managers for all and or administrators from all three towns. And I thought it was a
172really good conversation. Um we talked a lot about budget. Um obviously um we talked a lot about communication um how we can be more sort of collaborative and supportive of you know making sure um you know they're telling you know we different people watch different things or or key into different information in in their communities. So trying to be as transparent as possible. So, you know, when the council is saying, "Hey, you know, the school budget is is, you know, in full swing and and vice versa and um helping people understand their their place in the process and where they can be involved and um you know, there was some good information exchanging on like, oh, you know, how do you communicate with your with your communities versus how other towns do um I thought
173it was really I thought it was really productive. >> It was it was really good conversation. >> Yeah. So, um And you know what they really liked last year was you ended up >> Yeah. >> changing the way that the budget brochure went out because the process took longer than it was supposed to. And so, but guess what? They actually liked the little one pager with the QR code. >> Um, and there was feedback like you may just want to do it that way. So, >> not that we want to hash that out right now, but just that was an idea that was unexpected that came. Do they say why >> they felt that it was efficient? Probably saves money in postage. Probably it's just easier all the way around. And then having paper copies
174available at the strategic locations where they were, they just felt it met the need. >> Do they have room in their in their newsletter columns for RC5 information? >> I think they do different things. Um they don't all do the same sort of dissemination of information. Um, I know historically like Durham does a weekly newsletter that they're that they send out, but it's sort of like a running column that stuff just stays on there until it I don't know, someone takes it off eventually. Like usually, I think when we're going to have like the budget meeting or the referendum, we'll make sure they put something on there, but not anything more um frequent than that typically. And I'm not sure um I'm not sure what panel and and free ports look like in terms of
175what they push out for information. Um I mean everybody seemed very open to you know trying to cross-pollinate and share information. though if we can certainly ask >> that actually came up in a conversation I had with a um a friend and neighbor who is saying that she really wishes that there'd be more information in the town newsletter about what's happening in the school district and just in general wanting more opportunities to learn about what's happening in the district. Yeah, it's um you know, one thing that they had said was they try to be careful not to like push school stuff through the town resources. Um although it sounded like that is it sound like there was a point in time where that was kind of the direction from the council to try and keep
176things more separate, but their sense was that might be shifting the other way a little bit more. So, um, you know, the idea around like, hey, here's the town budget, here's the school budget. So, less sort of compartmentalized and more holistic. Um, so, you know, that that might be an opportunity. Um, all right. Policy. Um, hi. So the policy committee, we met on Wednesday, December 3rd uh for an hour and a half on Google Meet. Um we were uh joined by um Glenn Reynolds and uh Pam Crosby and Jen Gulo who were asked to come to uh share some of their expertise and insights on some of the um policies. Um we were we looked at as part of our regular um uh law change review, we just took a look again at the EBCF,
177the automated external defibrillators, just to affirm that uh we had heard that the board was uh supportive of moving that one forward. Um and then we also then talked about um EBBD which we've brought before you tonight for first read which is temperature standards for schools um which Glenn uh provided a lot of really um important and helpful detail on and he can also uh speak to some of the that tonight. Um and we also um talked for the second time about uh JICJ cell phones and other personal electronic devices in schools. Um and had a good conversation about that that was informed um by um uh Principal Crosby and Principal Golgo um uh passing on some of some thinking that had emerged through um through their circles. Um, and uh I think I'll just
178I think I'll just say that I think we could have um we could have sat on the um uh JICJ longer as a committee um because there was plenty more that we could talk about. Um but we thought that it was in the best interest of um uh the district to bring it forward to for to the board um so that we could have a full conversation um about it um and then uh at your direction um if need be go back and do more work. Um we uh table JICK bullying and JICKR bullying administrative procedures. Um as well as uh we we took a brief look at G uh GBCC employee use of cell phones. Um though that was primarily as uh meant as reference. Um so we had an understanding of what the
179uh uh policy is for staff use um as we consider um the student use period. >> [snorts] >> All right. You want to just jump right into the policies? Uh, >> do you want to do a motion? What? >> You want the lights back on? >> Thank you, Charlie. >> Can I make a comment >> about the lights? >> No. So with regard to EBCF defibrillators which is being brought forward for second read when we got to this in the policy committee we we remembered sort of all of us in the room like okay they asked us to go back and look at something on here but we were all like what what was it and it had something to do with the first paragraph and Michelle has conveniently reminded me that the the ask
180was and none of us remembered The word should should be become will. So in other u >> we will have at least one ed. >> Cara cara left. She was so embarrassed that we missed that. So I I just submit that now if we want to consider it for second read and I will make sure and Jenny's probably watching so she'll remind you too that it would if you were to approve it and you wanted to do that consistently with what you discussed last time it would be with that one word revision. >> Great. Nice catch. [snorts] >> All right. So uh let's get a motion on the floor for the for the first reads. So, do I have a motion for consideration and approval for the first read of the following policies? EBBD, temperature
181standards for schools, new policy, and JICJ, cell phones and other personal electronic devices in schools, new policy, Kelly and Anna. Thank you. >> Great. Um, so we bring these two uh new policies forward tonight. Um, let's talk first about EBBD, temperature standards for schools. Um this is uh just quite simply this is a uh new uh standard that is required uh by the state that we have a policy. Um so we made one. Um, and what this does is lays out um a framework for um uh sort of uh procedures, but primarily um having to do with establishing um uh temperature ranges and benchmarks um uh to ensure um safe and healthy um uh working environments for our students and staff. Um Glenn, would you like to come up and just share a little bit
182of your um because because all of the the truly substantive um information here um uh Glenn was able to provide coming from from some of the um engineering um standards and um and sort of other sort of contextual information from uh federal and state uh work that was done. So Glenn, could you share a little bit? >> Yeah, absolutely. Um, so it it's basically it's like like you indicated, it gives us the framework to be able to react to uh situations inside uh whatever the building may be. Um the ranges are um the reason why we have a range is uh you could have a different issue at Mass Landing School versus an issue over at Durham School. [snorts] Over at Durham, it could be mid 80s with high humidity in the 90s and then
183over at Mass Landing School where it's a little bit closer to the ocean be a little different. So, um you want to want to have a range. One of the questions was, you know, why wouldn't we just have a set point and that's why we would need the range. Um actually, uh Superintendent uh Gray did a lot of work on the uh what the meanings of the uh ASHe55 was for. Um, so I I'll leave that up to him if he wants to share that. If >> I don't have the notes in front of me and I don't >> nor do I. [laughter] >> I believe they're called Ashray standards. I'm not a I'm not an engineer, but I believe that's what >> Oh, you mean the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning
184Engineer Standards. Look at that. >> But those in the no call it ashray. >> Oh, I see. [laughter] >> Yeah. So, this is just helpful for us to be able to uh react to a situation in a building what we were already doing anyways. So if if you pick um another school and and it's hot, we'll bring fans during the you know school year or what have you or if there's a ventilation problem, we'll address it or what have you. This just gives us a frame framework to be able to move forward with that. >> Yeah. And I think I will also just say that um that uh again these these ranges are are relatively stardized. We had a reference for example can't remember whether it was superintendent gray or um Glenn brought that for
185example New York State has a requirement that um that there is action taken at 82 degrees Fahrenheit and then relocation of students at 88 degrees Fahrenheit. Um Maine does not have a state does not have a state standard in that same way. Um, but also just to say that this was also run uh run by staff and and I think uh principal Crosby weighed in as just to sort of say like practically in terms of just from a building administration uh standpoint um this uh seemed functionally um to do what it needs to do which again at the end of the day is really what we care about. Um is this giving our um administrators and staff uh the tools they need to to serve our students? Uh yes, Valerie. >> So I have sort
186of a broader question, then I have a really hyper specific question. Um I know that on two different occasions while visiting the middle school specifically, I um was in classrooms where they had opened windows because it was unbearably hot during the heating season. >> Is this something that's addressed in this policy specifically that I missed or something that would fall under this policy? >> Absolutely. >> Okay. >> Yeah. would so under the heating season with the range would be anywhere from 62 to 72. Uh so in that situation >> 68 to 72 >> excuse me 68 to 72. Thank you. >> Some people think 62 is a little >> that's what I keep my house at. >> But um so the reason why that is uh we're in the process of replacing the uh failed
187energy management system. So right now toward the end of last year the system just kind of went rogue. The system died. So we're in this process of changing that new one. It's not fully up and running yet. Once that's up and running, we'll be able to control the system. But the reason why the windows were open was because of that. >> Perfect. Thank you so much. Um, my hyper specific one is maintained at loser >> should be lower maybe hopefully where >> no we Kelly and I already had a discussion about this. We mean we mean >> loser. >> We mean [laughter] loser loser is the >> where is that again? >> It's just it's not it's not it's not us. It's what the Ashrays uh told us. >> Super big Beck fans. >> They
188want Thank you. Well done. >> Okay. >> Yeah, we should change that word. >> Lose. >> Um any other >> any other any other question? >> This is the first read thankfully. [laughter] >> Any other questions uh about this? Either the the letter of it or the spirit of it um that we could answer or that I could ask glimp. >> Um, so, uh, nothing there's no there's no hard stop here that says if it gets to this up or down, kids have to go. We don't have that in Maine. This is just the standard like this is what we're shooting for. This is the expectation. We're going to mediate as we need to to to do our best to live within those things. But there's nothing that says here like, hey, when our system
189is going down and we're working to replace it, that we can't send kids there in the meantime as long as it's safe. Yes. >> Yes. And again, my my my sense is that this uh in my mind rightly keeps that decision in the superintendent's office. Uh so that um but again that range is to sort of it's like once once it gets if it's 82 then we know that the um the building administrators are communicating with Glenn and communicating uh with Tom about that and that then a decision can be made but no there's not a hard and fast rule. >> Okay, great. >> Thank you. >> All right, next one. >> Kelly, were there other things because I for my computer got left at work on this one? It was the that was the
190only one. Yeah. Okay, cool. Thanks. Um, great. So, we will go back and change >> loser to lower >> or will it be? [clears throat] [laughter] Uh, and then we'll bring it back to you for a second read. Glenn, thank you so much um for all your help. Um, all right, let's move on to um JICJ um which is a new policy cell phones and other personal electronic devices in schools. Um so this was um we were working uh working from a a template that um superintendent Gray um provided that gave us uh sort of a array of options for sort of thinking about what the these policies must look like. Again we are um again also to make very clear the impetus for creating this policy is not the identification of a problem um
191in the schools. it is that this is required that we have this in place uh by July 1. Um that we have a policy regardless of what um we [clears throat] decide that policy uh says we have to have that policy. So that's why we put it on our agenda um and rightly then discussing all of the things that come with it. Um I'm not sure Tom how we might go about this. I mean, we can go through some sort of the the the sort of higher level um pieces, but I'm mostly curious to see what um what other board members identified as areas that they um had questions about, things that seemed like were in going in the right direction, places where we're going in the wrong direction. I think one thing I did
192want to just flag um is that I we have made the decision um again I think in the general spirit of our other uh policies and procedures to not have the uh policy itself um dictate any of the techniques that might be used um for uh enforcement of the policy. Um so for example we the we did not feel it was appropriate um to include in here a statement that uh that for example that it is required that we use yonder bags or equivalent right that is that we leave that decision um uh to the the superintendent and the administrators. So just to just to be very clear that like that is a that's a decision like that's a decision and we could uh make a different decision. I think I will just say that
193that I think um I I want to echo what Cara said to to our stu to the students who came tonight that it was just extremely it was extremely heartening at at many levels um the level of engagement there and and the and the um the quality of the the critical quality of the critical thinking on on that was really just um wonderful. So again um kudos to them. I will say that um as someone who I think was um more in support of the sort of the y the yonder bag um usage, I think that um especially having heard the student arguments tonight, I think that I would just sort of put into the mix, even though that's not part of this discussion at present, I would just say that I think that um
194that I think uh my personal opin opinion would be that we should move um forward and encourage the administration to be not using um yonderbacks to be um exploring um the this this policy of Elabel ban um but recommending um that we not pursue that again I'm not saying that on as the committee chair I'm not saying that um on behalf of the board I'm just saying that as an individual um and again I want to thank the um students for the uh quality of that argument So, questions, thoughts, curiosities, other things that we've spelled wrong like Beck songs. >> U, could I point out a few highlights? >> Yes, please. >> Just like I'm going I'm starting at the top. >> Um, >> it's a good place to start. >> Major [clears throat] um
195highlight of the introduction, if you dig into it, is that it establishes an aspiration that we will have education about responsible cell phone use. that'll be taught somewhere. Um, second, under guidelines for phone free school day, that actually is a change in language from the sample. It originally said something about a ban and this was deemed to be more positive language. Third, just under that, importantly, the following provisions apply to all students preK through grade 12 effective July 1st, 2026. So, not to go into effect until next school year to give us [clears throat] time to roll this out thoughtfully. Um, if you look through the bullets that are below, it does allow cell phones to be used on the bus to and from school. Um, if you look at the last bullet, it basically
196says if a student has a health related need that's in a 504 or an IEP, for example, a diabetic student who needs their phone to monitor their blood sugar, that is allowed. Um, if you go further down, I'm under mi the potential consequences, misuse of cell phones and other electronic devices. As Colin said, the the discussion in the policy committee was the schools should implement the procedures about how to respond to the misuse. So this policy does not say if a student does this this will happen. It does say here are things that could happen a verbal warning confiscation etc. But it specifically says and I'm looking at the third paragraph. RSU number five schools may develop administrative procedures to implement and enforce this policy appropriately. Um, part of the wisdom behind that is that
197we have no idea what the next new device will be and how it would need to be enforced or when it would come out and we don't want to have to go back to the policy committee every time Mark Zuckerberg thinks of a new device whether it's glasses or visors or whatever the heck. So, [clears throat] it may be just wisest for that to reside in the land of procedure. Um, if you look beyond the bullets, I'm on the second page. The first line says, "At all grade levels, parent student communication should be channeled through the school office or by email." That is in response to the um concern that parents want to be able to communicate with their kids throughout the day. And this is direction about how that should be handled. back like
198when I was in high school. >> You had email in high school. >> I did not have email in high school. I did have it in college, but I was like, "Wow, this is cool." Um, >> maybe it would prompt them to check their email more. >> And I believe >> probably not. >> I believe those are the like for me those are the main highlights. >> Something really quick that we talked about. >> Yes, please. Um so on the implementation for July 1st 2026, we had mentioned that we wanted the education to be implemented in the spring of 25 because our idea was that the education implemented in the spring then set us set us up for a more successful launch in 26. >> Yeah. And I think thank you Tom for for walking
199us through that. And I think also just to to to linger on the the date, I think um I think our uh original inclination was sort of um was sort of like whenever we get this passed, right? Like whenever we sort of uh move forward with first read, move forward with second read, once it gets passed a certain point after that, um it would then be implemented. Um I think we recognize that that is not a terribly efficient approach. Um and also we did hear um from um Principal Gulo that in conversations at the high school um both with uh staff and with students um there was definitely a feeling that sort of implementing um this for example in mid-Marchch um would have a much more disruptive um impact than would benefit would have any
200sort of benefit. Um, so I think that we identified that again we're required to have this in place by July 1st. So that is where that is coming from. Um, I don't think um, yeah, I'll just I'll just pause there. >> Yeah, I'm interested to hear folks um, thoughts on that because you know what I had took from a lot of our conversation was the goal to get this in sooner than later. Um, I I am fully supportive of the the why and the discussion and the and the conversation and education piece happening before it it comes into play. So, I I am I'm great with what you guys have proposed here, but it seems different than what it felt like the board's general consensus was previously. So, I'm interested to hear what >> Yeah.
201And I think and yeah, I think I'll I'll I'll own that. And I think that again I think the two pieces of it, one was the the pragmatism of it, I think we were looking at this and saying like let's say we brought this forward and and this was uh pitch perfect. Um then when is it uh January >> 14 >> um that would be the first that would be the first date we could we could technically make it make it policy. Um and so we have we have missed the the window that was discussed earlier. The idea that um we have all our ducks in a row uh so that when we go on winter break um the students and staff would be prepared and leaving with an understanding that when we come back
202that the the that there was a sort of clean um break that coming back from winter break that that's when the moment would be and we just recognized that that wasn't possible. Um and I think we also did very much take into consideration the um the on the ground um ad advice from uh perspective of the um administrators. Cara and Chris is that fair assessment of what we doing? >> I think so. Um one of the big feedback from principal Golo was that it was going to be really difficult to implement it successfully in in that time frame because not only is it just implementation, but it's also staff education and and all that that comes before I I have I'm changing the subject. So if anybody else has thoughts on that one, >> sorry.
203>> Oh, that they still need to develop their own how they're going about this, too. So even once the policy is passed, they still need some time to do that. I I mean I'll admit that I was anxious to get this underway, but I it does seem to make sense and I want to support their feedback. >> Yeah. And I think I think also as part of the conversation there was a little bit of a sense that if we let's say we as a board moved quite quickly on this um we're forcing um we're really like kind of unfunded mandate um forcing our >> forcing our our staff to like it's like okay like jump. Um and again we just felt that that was uh inappropriate and counterproductive. Um so yeah so I think like
204I think um I will own on our behalf that we have shifted that um so that would that is a decision um that we can that y'all should direct us on. Um but that this is our recommendation. >> Okay. um a couple of bigger picture issues and then some little nitty-gritty stuff. But I just thought it was a little interesting that we decided to tell what they couldn't do with their phones when we're not letting them have their phones. >> I had that question mark, too. [laughter] >> So, I just wanted kind of people's thoughts on why we're telling them that they can't use their phones in ways that will bully or in the bathrooms or lockers when they're not supposed to have them at all. >> Is it outside of school hours? Maybe like
205if you were here for a basketball game at night or something, you still wouldn't use your phone in the bathroom. >> Or is that like the extra bad way to use your phone? >> Or is it okay to use your phone in the bathroom at night? [laughter] >> Uh, yes. >> Not that this is where the conversation went because it didn't, but I actually believe so that's this is this is an adaptation of a sample policy that we got from the Woodson. Um, and I would say that this is what it says above is that is during the school day >> and that below it is in addition to the school day. Like even if it's after the game at 8:00, you are not to use your phone in the locker room. >> Okay, maybe
206we could be clear about [clears throat] that. Yeah, I mean I guess I guess I would clarific say that again we didn't discuss this in in particular to your to your question, Kelly, but I guess the way I think about it is that um is that it's slightly more um meant as uh sort of just in information and framing um to say because this because uh misuse and then within that is the violations. If we were to if we were to take out the first two paragraphs under misuse violations would would simply would simply mean using a phone and I think yes on the one hand that is very like clear and that's very clear. Um on the other hand I think this gives um again my sense is that it would give the the
207staff um just really like sort of like things to point at um is sort of the way I >> I think I kind of internalized it. Um, but again, I'm not wed to it. [snorts] >> The other part of it that is worth paying attention to is the last sentence, which is that student cell phones and other electronic devices may be subject to search if there's reasonable suspicion of a violation. And that that is the law. There's a legal reference to that that's included on the back page. Um, and that is worth people knowing. >> Yep. that the administration does have the right to search a student's phone if there is a reasonable suspicion of a crime being a violation or the SRO has the right to do that if they suspect a crime and
208they they actually have a higher threshold of evidence that they would need to meet to be able to do that. >> Okay. >> Yeah. the mis the misuse section for me. Um I guess I think it might be clearer if we state like when those things apply. I mean because you're you're also not allowed to bully someone outside of school on your phone, right? I mean so it's not just in school, it's also outside of school um or harass or any of those things. >> I mean some of these are illegal, [laughter] >> right? And they're also addressed in other policies, >> right? Um, >> so would you say Michelle if we were to preface that paragraph with words saying at all times, including outside of school hours, outside of the school day? >> Yeah,
209I would I would say that whatever we refer to as the school day or however we frame that earlier, I think makes sense to put it there. Um, >> so that's like like bus on the way to and from school for instance. >> Yeah. So, right when you can when it is allowed to have your phone. Yeah. >> And just you know the title is cell phones and other personal electronic devices in schools. So we might want to reconsider, >> right? Or maybe there is a during the school day and a not in the school day piece because, you know, I I keep thinking back to, you know, >> a game or something after school where they could have their phones because it's not during the school day, but we also don't want them taking
210pictures in the bathroom. Um, do we capture that rule somewhere in another policy right now? >> Which rule? >> The no phones video recording in locker rooms. I'm not sure. >> Is there like a privacy one? >> Yeah, >> I'm not sure >> off the top of my head. I don't know. >> It's in the handbook. >> It's in the student handbook. Okay. I feel like I feel like it is because I think we we we had some conversation a couple years ago about like deep fake um like deep fake photos of students and there was something about that that had to do with images and use of images or creation of images and there was something but I'll I'm going to make a note >> cyber bullying certainly mentioned in bullying >> we had
211talked about it but I don't know that we ever actually addressed it in policy >> I think we just talked about is it something I remember what we did was we didn't change anything because it was already there. It was already covered. It wasn't We didn't need to add anything about deep fake because it was already umbrellaed. >> I think you're right. Yeah. >> Uh but I'm going to look I'm going to make a note to look for that. >> I wonder too like there maybe there needs to be another subheading that would kind of organize more of the thoughts on the second page because a lot of them are about communication. >> Yeah. Yeah, school. It just kind of feels like they just keep following, but there's not really under the >> I felt
212like some of that stuff would actually be fit pretty well in the first section under guidelines because the guidelines here, they talk a lot about what can't be done, but we could include the things that are allowed under guidelines, too. And I guess to keep talking, um, the personal electronic devices, I heard some students that were concerned that AirPods might be included in personal electronic devices. And I'm not really sure if that's clear in this policy whether or not they would be. >> I think the intention is they would because you can call and text and do anything on your phone that you can do on your AirPods. So, >> or it could be connect it could be Bluetooth to your phone which is in your bag outside. [clears throat] >> So, um to the
213um uh Mrs. Luchcci who came and spoke about um specifically around the AirPods discussion piece. Um, I'm wondering if um the exception for it doesn't specifically say a 504, does it? Should should it say? I've Is that what a IHP is? Is the same as a 504 plan? >> It It's not, but it could be. That could be a 504 plan. >> Okay. Is it more broad and more inclusive having that IHP as opposed to a 504? >> Yes. >> Okay. I mean, is it possible that someone could have a 504 that allows them to use their headphones? >> Absolutely. Yeah. Right. >> It's possible that someone could have a 504 that says that they can listen to like background noise or something like that. >> Um, it would never say that they would have
214access to their own headphones. It would say, you know, they could have access to background music while they study. Um, that could be supplied through a district-owned device and, you know, in all in all ways. >> Okay. >> So, I guess that raises another question is I didn't see where in that paragraph IEPs or 504s would specifically allow the use of these devices. Would that need is that language that >> it's really the the individual health plan, >> right? But it seems like it's really more addressing health issues versus maybe learning needs, >> right? An accommodation. >> Yes, an accommodations. >> Yeah, we had that in there in a previous draft and I don't recall why we took it out. >> I don't remember that. I thought I remember we took it out because we
215wanted to make it a little bit more vague and not have it specific that because there was there was some needs that might be outside of an IEP that would be appropriate usage. I thought that's what we had discussed. That's what I was wondering if the I if the IHP is more broad and allows for more ability to work within that system as opposed I mean because I know a 504 or an IEP is a very specific plan whereas this if this is more broad to allow for more discretion on the administrator's >> the other part that we had discussed on that was talking specifically about a health care worker's orders right it because it says um healthcare provers order as incorporated into the student's individual health plan and I We had talked about that
216versus having it be more admin controlled because we had in our discussion at least we had we had mentioned that like it would be very simple for a you know a parent to come in and say like oh my my kid needs to have access to their phone. What I do remember us saying is we would not want to >> have an IEP say my child can use their phone. >> Um because there is always a way to meet those needs that doesn't involve the child's phone. We can supply a district device that is monitored that has you know the things in it. But specifically there are health reasons for that such as diabetic control and things like that which is why we we put in >> the healthcare provider >> but that would be
217something that would be controlled by the administrator or the you know >> right the parent doesn't get to write the ID they don't but I I I will say this about that it it is it could be it can be very make those conversations is very difficult and put that administrator in the role of a gatekeeper. Um, sometimes in the face of a very heated conversation, which is not necessarily the best use of their energy, >> which is why you're you're putting it back to health. >> Yeah. To health, which I think is what the science teacher was saying earlier is like she didn't want it to give rise to more requests to have accommodations, >> all these accommodations. So I I really like that and like what Tom was saying that if there is
218oh my child needs background music to study then they don't need a cell phone they can >> use a school own the iPad. >> Yeah. And this was with guidance from principal Gulo as well. And I'm wondering if Prince Asant principal Melon has any thing he wants to add. You don't have to but it look like you might have something you want to say. >> I'm here. Glad I'm here. it's [snorts] uh relevant for sure. Um yeah, so thank you. Hello everybody. Uh so yeah, I mean in terms of this the discussion where it stands right now about accommodations and and 504s and IEPs, I've never seen a 504 and IP that says a student can have a fi, you know, a cell phone uh for an accommodation. Uh I have seen, like uh Tom
219said, we definitely have accommodations where kids need background noise and things like that and we supply headphones. we they can use their computers for that that their their MacBooks for that. Um and so but we have seen we do have students with diabetes that definitely need their phones to monitor their glucose. So, I mean, the the individual health plan uh definitely seems to make more sense than than talking about IEPs and 504s because it is it is and I could see with this with this um creating this, you know, cell phone free schools policy, uh I could see that being leveraged for kids to start asking for that in 504s and IEPs and that that could be a slippery slope for sure. >> Yeah. Yeah. And I I guess I would just say on that
220again I mean I think these these are things I mean I was going to say that if Felicia was still here this would be something to run by her just in terms of that like that this piece but I think that particularly as we've talked about before with an understanding that um mental health and um uh and addiction are part of this conversation. I think sort of I think um I think we have to be thinking about how um to again because as we as we have continually uh talked about this there is there is nothing in this that is meant to be punitive. This is about student health and about uh education. And so just thinking about how do we make sure that we're not creating a situation where um there becomes like a
221channel where uh students uh who do um have a um addiction to their phone are able to use uh their their families are able to use that as a way to um continue access when actually uh the addiction itself is actually what needs to be addressed. [snorts] I hear everything that's being said about the accommodations for the 504s and IEPs, but I just wonder if by leaving that piece out if there might be something down the road, you know, something that we haven't even thought of yet that we're prohibiting as an accommodation because we're leaving that piece out. Just a thought. I mean, I guess yeah, we certainly we certainly don't want to do that, but we are we are obligated by law to cover someone's 504 and IEP. >> Yes. >> So, if it
222is written in there, we have to even if we have a policy that says you can't, >> right? So, you know, if it were truly required by the the the team creating that IEP, I think that's how you could get around having that concern. >> It would it would trump our policies, >> Right. Like we are obligated to deliver on the IEP as written. >> Yeah. Yeah, I mean I think that is an important thing to for us always to remember is that um uh state law and federal law trump uh our policies um and any any uh moment when we decide to do if we ever were to decide to do something that was uh deliberately out of alignment with state or federal law, we just know we're picking a legal fight. Um, so
223I think this doesn't I think I think it's a really I think it's a really really good point. And again, I'm I'm agnostic on on the inclusion of that or not, but I think I understand the rationale for not getting uh more granular, but again, it's the board's uh discretion. >> Valerie, >> I'm going to take a little bit of a left turn. Um, in the first paragraph, it ends with or without internet or cellular network connectivity capabilities. And I'm wondering if this is too broad. I'm thinking of I mean I think a big part of student life these days is taking photos of your friends and we're taking away their camera or their primary camera. Would a digital camera fall under this? It doesn't have internet capabilities. It is a electronic device. Um things
224like a a dumb pedometer instead of a smart pedometer that >> it's a dumb pedometer. >> My kid has a Garmin Vivo. It does nothing but steps and I think that's it. It's but it's an it's a personal electronic device. You can't contact anybody on it, but it's still an electronic device. So, I think there's some things that fall under Yeah, I think that's a really good point because I think also like a a Kindle uh might fall under that have those have internet or cellular access. But I'm also thinking about the Walkman's that we all have. >> Uh the Discman that we all have. Yeah, I feel like that's what I have >> that would that would technically >> I think uh [laughter] >> would [cough] Yeah, those would technically not be allowed under
225this policy. And I'm not actually sure we want to do that because I am actually all for uh creating a massive interest in uh Walkman as a way to provide uh really just sweet ambient music as a study tool. >> This is actually a pro- hipster movement. They're coming back. >> So, can we Yeah, let's just on that. Um, can we take out with or without? If we were to strike or without and we we just say student owned personal electronic devices with internet or cellular connectivity capabilities, wearable or handheld. Is that an would that be okay if we cut that? >> So, are we trying to remove Kindles because Kindles obviously are connected to the internet because that's how the books get downloaded. >> Why do you complicate everything? and just >> uh Yeah,
226I don't know. I don't know about that one. I don't have We That >> lets back in your Bluetooth headphones unless you remove Bluetooth. >> Dang it. >> What would your headphones be attached to? If you can't attach to your phone, you wouldn't. >> Right. But it's Bluetooth. The internet >> to the to the iPad or the Walkman. >> Oh, >> well, I mean, I can think of say a Nintendo Switch that someone could bring into school that's not connected to the internet, but it could be a big distraction. So, I don't know. >> Are those already? >> Yeah. I mean, but you know, some kind of gaming device or some kind of >> is that already um >> I mean, they're not explicitly banned in school, but and sometimes we do have them at
227school. >> I do like the idea of somebody pulling that out in the middle of class and just being like, "This is fine." I >> mean, I know I've seen kids at lunch using them. And >> yeah, >> I know this is we're policying, which we do so well. Um, but uh I think to the like the spirit of this is I don't think we have a huge problem with people playing their Switch in classrooms right now would be my guess. Um or like reading their reading their Kindle in classrooms right now, right? >> Too many books. Too many books. >> So I guess I just want to I I understand why we want to consider those things in a pol in a policy discussion. And I think there's also like the reality of what
228we're trying to do here >> and the devices that are causing causing issues. >> No, that's true. But if the language is already in here, do we need to take it out? I guess that's the question. >> My preference is to remove without. >> Yeah. I mean, I I I'm I'm going to ride for moving removing or without. I think that is a I think that is a very smart and good uh move. I'm not sure how to solve the Kindle um question. Um because also like like why doesn't an iPad fall under this? Um like a l like >> I assumed an iPad >> there school there's there's school but >> but I would assume that we allow for students if they No, I guess it's all personal. It's all personal mind. >> Are
229apps on the school devices? Are they able to do rigid digital reading on their school devices? >> Yes. Yep. Yeah, they're pushed out like books, you know, through different apps and stuff. >> I have a question. [clears throat] Are students allowed to bring their own laptops in instead of using the um devices provided by the school? >> Sometimes we we have had kids want to do that for various reasons. Um it's very, you know, rare and there's few and far between. And Sam could actually probably speak more to this. They're they're they do they are restricted on what they can do. Uh and there's you know they're they're extenduating circumstances about that but it's very very rare. >> Is it more common for them to have their own iPad though along with their laptop? >>
230Yes. >> Yeah. Yes. >> Because that's what I meant like any of their own personal devices bringing it to school. >> Yeah. Uh I it's not it's to Charlie's point. It's not terribly common. Um we it does happen but it's not super common. I think with the tools that our teachers are using with students, the digital tools, it's kind of one of those things where sometimes a kid will try it and bump into, oh, well, I don't have this piece of software or I don't have access to that and kind of go, okay, never mind. I'm not going to do that anymore. It is not I don't it's not explicitly forbidden. Um but it is it's so it happens from time to time >> but it would be under this policy. Right. >> Correct. >>
231Yeah. Which which I think in the in the in the pro category for that I think makes the policy all the more coherent, right? Like to say like the electronic devices with internet connectivity that may be used at school are those provided by the school. Um, and that's pretty that is pretty clearcut and um, so it's not it's not making a differentiation uh, between a phone, an iPad or a laptop in terms of a personal device um, that have those has those capabilities. Um, so yeah, I guess I see that as a pro. On the con, I don't know. Like it does like it does make me I I will just admit it makes me feel a little >> I I personally think that the >> the the issue that is we would really contend
232with is that like it's the devices that have um cellular connectivity because we can't monitor that. Like if a kid brings in their laptop and they get on the school guest network, we have a certain >> ability to >> it's not a great experience on the school. >> No, it's als it's [laughter] not. And also there's just less opportunity for a kid for a person I should say anybody to be fertive with a laptop as there is with a cell phone. >> So the the opportunity for the kind of problematic behavior is just not the same threshold. >> Yeah. I think I guess what I would just I guess say that in in our current Yeah. Our this current policy though does make it more blanket and if we didn't want that we would have
233to have some carveouts. Yeah, >> we would say like, comma, except for uh Kindles, uh PlayStation Fives, uh you know, like whatever, whatever. Like we would need to like elucidate that. But then that's also us getting into that's that's the board getting into the weeds >> on on that when again that should be probably something that lives in the superintendent's office and the other administrator. So I say there's no reason why the school couldn't come up with their own rules around that. So I feel like the essence of this policy is around cell phones essentially and I I would support removing or without >> Yeah. I I'll just add to the to the AirPods discussion. Um, uh, I think that would be pretty that that would cause perhaps more problems for kids than removing like
234than banning a cell phone. Just even even using their AirPods with their school laptops like that that or or not AirPods, but Bluetooth headphones that is extremely common. Um, in any study hall, you will see I don't know 40 50% of kids doing that. Um, and I guess we could provide them wired headphones. uh with wired headphones or say you know tough nuggies this is this is it but um I I understand where it's coming from. I would say the experience if anyone has ever done the like oh yes let me have AirPods announce text messages as they come in like you turn that off immediately you know like it's not like a I understand where it's coming from that it can connect to their phone and hear you can hear your text messages or
235whatever but it is not an experience that people will use you know it's like it's truly it's like a robot voice reading like you know your wife said that you need to get more cheeros at the grocery store you know it's like it's not It's not like [laughter] it's >> but if it's all you got, would you do it? Cuz that's what [clears throat] we're talking about, right? I >> and we're trying to break this connection, right? >> I just say that to say that to to your discussion about removing, you know, or without I think allowing some leeway for Bluetooth headphones and allowing that to be a decision at the school, I think would be wise because there's a lot of >> there's a lot that is an extremely common use even with kids
236who are have their cell phones in the holder. kids are pairing their Bluetooth headphones that they own to the school device that we're providing them. >> I will also note that Morse didn't ban headphones. >> Yeah. Did you say an issue or like there was more? >> No, they said that there's no issue at all. >> The kids that that was the one hill that they chose not to die on was letting them keep their headphones. >> Yeah. And I think and I think that I think this is Yeah. I again so appreciative of the the perspective and I mean it makes me actually just Sam's thing makes me want to allow for it to happen if only that people use the computer voice because I think because again that's funny >> in a group
237text with you and four others Jaden said [laughter] bra 67 >> yeah if we can have a carve out for that that would be fantastic but no just but in terms of the work before us tonight I think that this policy does not stip ipulate does does not make a list. So, this leaves it in the superintendent and the administrator's hands and and the building administrator's hands to make that list to to make that determination. Um, uh, I think at that level of gran granularity. Um, but so I I don't know. I guess maybe that's something we should think about is is do we want to leave it at like like electronic devices and you figure it out? But I don't I mean I guess the like >> if we move if we remove the
238or without that leaves airpods in the hands of the administrators to to see if it's an issue and if it's not to allow it because it seems clearly a a priority and if it does become an issue it still creates their ability within their framework to adjust as they need to. >> Yes. >> Yeah. I mean again yeah again I >> Yes. I my my committee member chair hat face suggests that we just cut without and leave it otherwise not further uh enumerated. >> Yeah Steph. Yeah, I guess I have the thought that it might be interesting to add a possibility for administrators to have an exception for specific educational purpose. >> Yeah, I was uh you know thinking about you know the the >> art classes or the science classes or the you know
239I know we had previously talked about the art classes and >> you know maybe this is we buy 15 digital cameras to be used in art class. Um, >> yeah. I guess my my thought is um just in the spirit of keeping it in the hands of the administrators is maybe like because right now I'm assuming like there isn't an allowance for that. >> It doesn't appear to be there, >> right? Yeah. So, I mean, I guess that's I to me it feels like um especially given what some of the students said that they've used their phones for. It feels like something that we could allow each building to determine if they wanted to make an exception or if there was a procedure for making an exception and what that looked like. Um that doesn't,
240I guess, fly too much in the face of the intention that we're trying to to make in this policy. Yeah, I you know when we talk about slippery slopes, that's what I worry about there is like, well, you know, we could all use our calculators. It'd be really easy to use our calculators. Well, you could also use your laptop, right? Any functionality you have on your phone, you could use on your on your on your computer, right? So, um I I don't know. I guess I'm interested in Charlie and Tom's perspective on that one. >> Yeah. I mean I I'm not I wasn't in the conversation when you like calling you said you intentionally did that. So I'm not sure exactly what the rationale was to intentionally not put in that phrase for to have
241like a at the hands of the educator or whatever. Uh but I do I do you know I think that there it is a slippery slope again and anytime we put these layers in where there's there's u you know ways to kind of get around it it causes tension it causes friction. >> It it causes Charlie to be the one to stand there and say [laughter] Mr. Melon can you make an exception for this? No. Then mom calls Charlie Melon. Why didn't you make this like that? That's the situation that it creates. >> But and also know that like specifically like the the the cameras and photography class. We already have we we have lots of digital cameras for the for the kids. Uh we have had um we have had uh the the photography
242teacher has these badges that kids wear uh when they go around taking pictures with their phones uh that says, you know, I'm allowed to use my phone because I'm taking pictures kind of a thing. Uh and that you know that that's that creates like why what why do they get to do you know these types of situations all over the place. It pits teachers against teachers too like now this teacher wants to do it for this but it's not really the same as a photography class >> you know just like things like that pop up you know it's not it's not the end of the world and it you know uh but it is it just creates that kind of tension. >> Yeah. And I think that I mean again I I maybe I misspoke
243a little bit. It wasn't that we had a huge discussion about leaving that out, but I was I was cons I was conscious that that wasn't there and I I was happy that it wasn't there because I think we had had the conversation about that we did have a conversation about having creating a maze of like just different ways in which this um could um >> circumvent different different different exceptions which again like on every individual exception was not a bad exception. Again, it's not a sort of bad good, but it's sort of how do we create as the as simple a policy and as as uniform a policy and again a policy where um again I just want to I want to reiterate that I think and I guess I'll I'm speaking to the
244students on this as as much as to um some of the parents who've weighed in on this. I think there is a sense that this policy is in re is in reaction to um uh kind of bad kids like kids that kids that can't can't handle themselves um that kids that aren't as good as other kids um at whatever at sort of at device at device management or about like uh self-regulation. And that is just like I I'll just say personally that I that I again I just um I'm not going to get worked up. I just I uh I really don't want that to be part of the conversation because it because it is it it is not relevant. Um this is not about good and bad kids. This is not about um are
245you coming from a family um or an economic situation um or uh some sort of social stability where you have been provided with the resources to allow for you to develop those um techniques where other students have not had that same opportunity and therefore you get to be a good student and someone else who doesn't have that is a bad student. Um, so again like yeah the idea of like a badge is like good student, good photo student, you know, like again like makes sense why we have it, but again I think the fewer carveouts we have for that um the better. And I just wanted to add um I came up to add that um part some of the consideration that we for the next round of devices um and in considering an iPad
246it is with sort of this more casual camera and fieldwork use in mind as opposed to um a laptop form factor where you can't really do that sort of thing. um it's not really for photog. The camera on an iPad isn't really good for photography class, but it is good enough to take a picture if you are out in the field doing a science experiment. Um and so that's that's some of the thought that is one of the use cases that we envision um in considering that change of device. I think relatedly something that popped into my mind, but it wasn't the forum to do so when um the example of using [clears throat] it in class came up. Um not every student has a cell phone or they have a cell phone that maybe
247isn't as capable as others. And I think having that be everyone has the same equipment um from an education standpoint is super helpful and helps with the education piece that we're trying to do >> because everybody is starting from the same starting point and I think that's super important of these are the tools that you have that happens in real life you have a certain amount of tools that you can't always buy your way out of and how are you going to solve this problem with these tools. And I think taking out this um non-standard item allows for that education piece to be a little bit more level. And I think the other date, the other part of the date that I appreciate is that provides a little more time to look at the curriculum
248like how are we using them now and how can we come up with an alternative that meets the needs, right? it gives a little bit more time for those discussions to happen. Sorry, Seth. >> No, I just wanted to say I appreciate everyone's thoughts and um it's helpful because kind of where that suggestion was coming from is I don't want to feel like we're limiting something that would feel like it was furthering educational opportunities for kids. So, yeah, thank you all for sharing. Yeah, but I think on that stuff I think I think actually I think we need to own that we like it's not that this is like um without various impacts. I think like I think I think we should I think we we need to own that um that this policy would
249for example if a if a kid has the the most recent iPhone that has a better camera on it um than the iPad that is given by the school that that does uh then limit what that student can do during school hours um in terms of like a photography assignment. It does and I think we just need to own that that that that it does. So, I think it's not saying that it like it has no impact. Um, it does. Um, but it's an impact that we accept. >> Yeah, I think that's I think that's a really good kind of place to start from this whole conversation, right? Nothing says that this is easy and you know, you should just it's fine. Just put your phone away. You'll be okay. Like that's not a fair
250way to approach this conversation. I mean, there are impacts. There are real impacts on how people communicate. there are real impacts on how people are using it in classes. Um, but I think what the board has has come to the conclusion based on the vote to enact this policy is that the benefits for mental health and for education and for um, you know, for the students as as whole as a whole outweigh those those changes that the the limitations that come, right? like there are ways that we will navigate the impacts, right? We will find ways we'll talk about the headphones. We'll talk about how do you communicate with your parents. Um, you know, we'll find ways to to to to fill those gaps and maybe they won't be as perfect or as instantaneous, but
251they will they will work. Um, and the benefit of not having that device, you know, connected all day. um the the benefit overall will be worth it. So I I think that's important to acknowledge. >> Okay. So where are we? >> Right. I'll just I'll just give back some things that I've heard. We're going to cut the without >> um we are going to look into some of these questions around what are other policies that cover this question of of um of uh taking taking photographs and sort of privacy that sort of question just so we have like a frame of reference for that. Um I think we at least in the current conversation we are not um we are not uh being directed to add accommodations in more broadly. I would like to just
252run that by a few more a few more professionals. I' like I like read that by Alicia and her team if not some other folks that Tom might identify just to sort of see like again beyond the sort of the legal well I guess it really fundamentally legally but then are there other things that we're not uh looking at um uh there had been some conversation about perhaps moving some of the points um that I that I agree are slightly um uh kind of clawed off a little random. Um >> and then and then another thing. >> Yeah. [laughter] No. >> And also um Yeah. And and I and I'll and I'll own like that first one at all grade levels, the student communication that like I I like that jumped out at me being
253like that feels really weird until somebody sort of explained is like no well that's just to make clear about the like uh parents and kids can still get in touch with each other. This is how they do it. Yeah. Um so again like there I think there's reason for all of those. Um, I'm open to just saying I mean I'm I'm totally game for us to take this back and to kind of look at those uh those last um couple of sentences and see whether we can incorporate those in or or maybe there's another subheader um that we add in there. But I I don't think that's I'm not reading that as a um as a substantive or a uh conceptual >> change more of an organizational and and um and clarity. Uh is that
254is that accurate? >> Um so that's what I've heard so far. Other things. Yeah. >> Yeah. Um this is not super substant but just a couple of little things that might be help clean things up a little bit. Uh the bullets that cross from the first to the second page. The third and the four fourth bullet seem really kind of redundant to me. I almost feel like the third bullet could be removed because the fourth bullet says pretty much the same thing. >> For continue or repeated and then repeated or serious. >> Yeah. Good. Let's I'm going to I'm going to I'm going to I'm going to take that >> and I'm going to I'm going to strike it. Strike it. I'm going to strike it right now. >> My next thought was that there's
255a a a sentence in here about how the school unit will not be responsible for loss, theft, damage, blah blah blah. Um, I just am curious about what the thinking was about including that because doesn't that kind of apply to pretty much any student property? Uh again that was language that we did we did we did inherit from the um the sample carried but I think the way I unders the way I kind of understood it was that >> the um the the policy leaves it to the administration to make a uh the determination of what the the technique is going to be for the the storage or the keeping them off. and that like if they decided there's going to be a big bucket um in the front and everything gets put in the
256big bucket, this just clarifies that that um that we're not responsible for uh breakage of your iPhone. I think that's what >> I wouldn't discuss. We didn't discuss that, but that's >> but I would say so like if if we developed like a central location, it's like, okay, you bring in your phone, we've got this central location. >> It's not on us if some other kid picks it up. >> Or I think probably more likely because I don't know if we're going to have a big bucket, um is if you have to confiscate a phone, right, >> and it has to sit in the office, right? Um I mean >> I mean I think I think Kelly, your question is like isn't that probably true just generally? And >> I would assume it. I would
257assume it is. >> Yeah. Does it need to be spelled out in this policy? I guess that's my my real question. >> I don't think it hurts >> because we're really trying to tell Maybe just don't even bring it. >> Yeah. [snorts] Um the the next par while we're going down the paragraphs the the next paragraph here I feel like maybe we could put digital citizenship or on like the stuff at the end more towards the beginning because like schools will include the appropriate use of cell phones smartwatches and the in educating students. I think we're talking about schools will work on educating students about the appropriate use of cell phones and citizenship. Like >> I don't know. It just to your point to me it's actually included in the first paragraph already. It says
258>> Yeah. And we added that to the first paragraph, >> right? So >> So maybe we've cleared that up. Yeah. >> Yeah. I don't know. I think I don't mind it there. I just feel like maybe we could jumble the words to be a little clearer. >> I'm I'm I I think if if it is the board's pleasure, uh I think we could take that back and kind of mess with it a little bit and see whether there's like an education subheader that we kind of put in there that is not purely repetitive. Um I think I will own that in the discussion um the to to Chris's earlier point about the our emphasis on education um that I really want to make as as much as possible I want to make sure we're not
259creating a policy that tells the administration that they need to create an educational structure. Um but effectively we don't mean it. Um because I I I have experience with some of our policies in the past that have uh sort of more subtle um mandates uh for the administration to do certain educational um uh um take certain educational measures that have not happened. Um and I think that again given the rationale for this um that's just not acceptable. Right. Um that that needs that needs to h that needs to happen. And so I think it I think just finding a way to make sure that it is clear. >> Um so again that's where that's again we didn't write that in that way but that's why it's been that's why I probably didn't pick up on
260it quite as much. >> Yeah. So my my thought about this is like so we've had you know we had this discussion about AI use in schools and how there's this multi multi-phase process for professional development and all that kind of thing. It's like my thought on this policy isn't that we are it's not a restriction policy. It's say that we we use this to have our kids graduate out of our high school with that knowledge of how to effectively use their their their devices. A knowledge that like as a millennial I definitely did not get that I really wish I would have gotten um but kind of didn't exist at the time. And so that education piece is like more important than the restrictions in any way I I find. And so having that
261kind of multiple times I think is really important. >> I agree. >> I also think that could be a really great way to use the students voice again to have the students involved and what kind of education they would like to see. I heard that in public comment earlier that people were saying that they students were saying that they wanted the opportunity to learn how to use a cell phone by having a cell phone during school. >> And um I hear that point. I I think that's a it's a helpful point to to ponder. Um if we're continuing with this um plan to have a bell-to-bell um phone free time, then how else can we be educating them and how else do they think like what what do they think would be helpful? Um what
262do they want to learn about? >> Am I making any sense? >> Yep. >> Yeah, totally. Um, I think that would be a great way to continue to have their participation. Um, and I think maybe Stephanie, you had brought this up before, also asking them to help with um, data tracking and deciding what to look at. So, I'm just thinking of other ways that they can be involved um, as I think those are two ways that I'd love to see them still involved in the process. I guess the I if I'm opening up a a can of worms that we don't want to open, that's fine. So, just let me know. But, um to me, the yonder bag versus not discussion actually really changes this educational point because if it's an off and away policy
263that is uh requiring someone to not use their phone if it's in their bag, >> right? And so, um, I guess where I I I've kind of was I was kind of there when we talked about it the first time, um, and it wasn't as wellreceived because we hadn't talked to administrators around what we thought the best um, implementation policy was yet. But to me, given where we are in budget constraints and the overwhelming feedback that we've also received from the students, not doing a yonder bag feels like a really easy decision to me at this point. And so I guess I wanted to name that just because we also still have students in the the audience and a lot of them came. Um and so I just wanted to name that um as my
264perspective. And then two I think that that opens up the educational conversation a bit more where we are talking about okay you're going to have to have your phone off and away um with a with a cell phone free bell-to-bell situation. So um yeah >> that's a good point. So, can I ask a a question on the last paragraph? Sequential learning. I'm just moving down the page. Um, we're talking about parent, excuse me, teachers, staff being conscious of their impact with the phones, not using it during um instruction supervision except as permitted in this policy. Where do we permit staff to use their phones in this policy? >> If they were diabetic and needed that the medical exception, >> don't they have their own policy? policy they do and that policy is up for consideration
265as a cross reference. >> Okay. >> We haven't we've taken a first glance at it but we haven't fully plumbed into it yet. >> I think >> yeah I mean that's a it's a it's a very very good catch. I mean I think like >> the the language here again which is not what we crafted but what we did inherit but it does seem to be um very consciously created like it's the should be right. Um, and then there's also avoid. Um, which avoids the nursing >> nursing word, right? It doesn't say like will not will not use it. >> Um, but like avoid using it. Um, so I think that um I think you're right, Tom, that I think it's meant to probably capture those like, you know, like >> you're not going to
266say to a somebody uh who's using it for a diabetes monitor, you're not going to say like avoid using it, >> right? >> Um, right. like but um >> but yes I mean I think I mean I think [clears throat] we uh we had a a bit a small conversation about the question of like yes what um uh because it was brought up I can't remember whether it was Maria or whether it was Phoebe um uh before had sort of had raised us the question of equity um in terms of like if this is something that the that the students are not allowed um to use uh their phones um during this time um should uh should staff um and I think it's a really good question and um we I think uh this does
267not cover that. >> Um we're we are going to look at look at that question in terms of the um uh the staff policy. I will say that we currently like I mean I guess I'll speak for myself. I don't I did not hear like arousing [clears throat] um articulation from the committee or from Tom to like to to really revise that policy and to make it stricter. I also don't know what um what sort of uh things we would have to deal with there in terms of like uh the staff policy deals more with staff should not use their phones in a way that interferes with their work or for inappropriate uses. I think what's different here is something that I I personally I think we should name which is that the way adults
268use their phones is part of the problem. It's not about the way all about the way that kids use their phones. The way that adults in the schools and in homes use their phones and model for kids is part of what we're contending with. And we should we are asking adults to be mindful that their example is important. >> Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. And again and I think I think it's I think it's I think it is it behooves us to sort of to to [clears throat] to own the kind of like um that adults um are can be addicted to their to their phone in the in in very similar ways. I think there are questions about sort of like brain development and and that and that sort of thing that I think are part
269of this, but I think it's something that we should look at. But I think for our purposes tonight that we're not trying to address that and we're not we're we're not looking at that at that equity issue uh fully. Um but that is something that we will be looking at when we um uh look at the staff policy. But I was just going to say I don't I'm just curious what um in terms of uh sort of teacher contracts or sort of the union uh rules or something. I don't know like we haven't gotten anything anywhere into any of that and I'm curious what that would look like. [snorts] Okay. So I'm going to ask the policy committee if they feel like they have the direction they need for revision. Did we wrap up the
270question about in school out of school? Are we making any changes around that and the timing of >> I think there was >> I took down was that based on Michelle's this is that under first side under the section misuse of cell phones and other electronic devices second paragraph if we preede the first sentence with the phrase at all times including outside of the school day use of cell phones and that that talks about the privacy areas that delineates how it's not just a school to a day a school day ban for those things. >> So, are we saying that a student after school hours can't use their phone in the bathroom or locker room? >> In the bathroom, locker room. >> Period. Okay. >> Well, it's it's saying um >> in places where privacy
271is generally expected. >> Okay. But yeah, but I think yeah, I think it is a really important I think it's a really important change does so I guess the locker room lock that but yes once the bell has rung um other uses on property are >> yeah because the first thing guidelines for phone free school day >> again >> and then this is outside the school day >> we're not creating Um, it's not a >> Are we Yes. Anding this? >> Well, it's not >> We're not policing it when you're waiting in the lobby for your mom to pick you up after school is over. >> Just don't take it into the locker room and do sketchy things, >> right? >> Well, but I guess I Sorry if I'm going too much in the weeds,
272but to me it's like, so you're not allowed to text in the bathroom after the bell rings. I mean, I get like not recording someone. It says voice and visual or something along those lines. >> No, but it says prohibited in bathrooms, locker rooms, and other places. >> Yeah, it says use of phones that have cameras is strictly prohibited. So, like if you were just checking your text messages to see if your mom texted you. >> Yeah, I think it would be like is prohibited if you're going to be taking photos or using voice recording. >> How about uses of cameras or video is strictly prohibited in bathrooms, locker rooms, yada yada yada. >> What about phone calls? Because you don't know what the other person on the other line is doing. When I go
273into Planet Fitness, as I used to do before I was a superintendent, um, back when you had time, >> it just says, you know, no self, you don't use the cell phone in the locker room. Um, that to me that's pretty standard. >> I think that's probably where I would fall right now is to just say that like I think it's perfectly I don't know. I think it's perfectly reasonable to say like you don't you don't use your cell phone in the bathroom or the locker room at school. They don't they don't need to after hours anyway because they can use >> they gota you know they got to read their Kindle app that's on the you know it's on the phone. >> I'm not I'm not weighing in on either way. I'm just saying
274like the way it reads it means you can't use you can't use it period flag it. Again it's one of those things where we're we are I think just we would own it that like that's we're saying like yes >> after the bell rings um if you go into the bathroom no you can't text your mom. >> Just wait till you come out. Wait, you wait to Right. Yeah. But again, just like just just be very clear that we are saying that >> in this current version. >> One more thing maybe. Are we striking in schools on here or >> in the title? >> Are we leaving it as in schools? Are we including this at school events for I'm thinking now of our addendum to the misuse? >> Well, the first paragraph does specify
275while students are part participating in school sponsored activities also, >> right? So, I'm wondering if we want to remove in schools because some of this is school related for sure, but not in the school. Like, how in the weeds do we want to get for that? I mean because it could be an you know there's employee use of cell phones this could just be student use of cell phones and other personal electronic devices period. the we we had discussed a little bit about open campus and about how like we struggled with kind of figuring out if we wanted to like we didn't at least for for me at least I didn't want to like >> have kids go out for open campus and like have their phone locked away in a yonder bag that they
276can't use. That seemed really unsafe to me. That seemed you we they were in an environment that was not something that that we were >> kind of controlling. So like it was it was bell-to-bell but also within the doors is what I thought we had discussed. >> Yes. So on site. So I guess that's a good point that I kind of breezed by during the school day and while students are participating in other school sponsored activities. So >> sports events. >> Is that a sport event? Sporting event like >> watch at a game or something or more field trip. >> Yeah. >> Is this more field trip driven? Right. But maybe during the school day, >> which we may need to >> school sponsored events during the school day >> when they go overseas. >>
277Yep. >> Yeah. >> But that would prevent I mean that would mean if it's an after school basketball game that that doesn't count. But if it's school during the day >> but what if it's open campus during the day? >> I see. Right. >> So should that sentence end with other school sponsored activities during the school day? It says while on school grounds. Where does it say that? Uh the first bullet. >> Yeah. So that's what we had kind of talked about is like within the school day and within the confines of effectively what we can regulate and control. >> Okay. Right. But if they're on a field trip, for example, >> or not permitted, >> we had discussed about bus transportation on field trips. Um it was >> I think um principal Galo said
278effectively it's really difficult to to regulate that and to enforce it. If you have one you have one um >> chapro >> chapra it's like the whole bus it's really really hard to do >> right so just I think I think yeah sorry >> no I was just going to say there's just a bus driver on the bus to region 10 and for that person to have to enforce that would be very while he's driving a bus >> we did drive the bus >> I remember now this policy we're discussing it and we added language to the first bullet >> while on school grounds during the school that that was when we added that and it was about the open canvas situation. We wanted to make a policy that we can actually enforce, right? >>
279That's true. >> Right. Um, so I think I think the f I think the the first bullet is I think our current our current gospel of what we mean. Um, I think if we actually like just put a period um after and other personal electronic devices um yeah then there's not confusing >> because then we just say that the intent of this body is to support a focused learning environment. We don't then go into any further detail. It's not during the school day or end while like again we're just stating the intent of the policy and then the detail of that is handled in the in the first uh bullet. >> And do we want to from the title remove the last two words in schools and add >> at the beginning student use of
280>> that makes sense to me. >> Okay. Then would you want to strike while students are participating in other school sponsored activ >> and then I think there were some suggestions around headings that educ enforcement and consequences and education. I have that noted first. >> Enforcement consequences. Um, >> are you guys ready for a vote? >> Yes. So, I think again we would go back, we would take these thoughts, we wouldn't fuss with very many other uh with other things. Um uh or if we did uh we would then come to you and say here's why we fussed we fussed with it. Um I think um yeah I'm trying to think if there's anything else >> we would just bring it back for a second read >> and we bring it back for a second
281read. And I think also just again to just reiterate that this this is um we're creating this policy and we're creating it as something that that is that is overarching over uh the schools and is leaving space very deliberately uh for the superintendent and the administrators to determine what the procedures are. Um, and also then to adjust them to be able to adjust them and be able to um, uh, yeah, to to to either make things more strict, less strict, again, like as they as they um, deem appropriate. Um, I mean, I guess I'll just I guess I'll just put you on the spot, Charlie, to just say like asis, does this seem like something that would be work relatively work? I'm not really saying do you like it or do you approve of it,
282but is this workable? Is this workable from a practical standpoint? Yeah, I would say absolutely and I appreciate the the thought around like not creating rules that are not enforceable. You know, that's that's always a difficult place to be and it especially when we're starting something new. Uh we don't want to start something new when we know right away that we can't enforce it but um or elements of it. But no, yes, I think this is a great uh starting point and and definitely uh workable for sure. >> Thanks, Troy. Okay. So, we have a first and we have a second on the floor like two hours ago. Um, yeah, we're gonna have >> 20 minutes. >> We're actually going to have to take a vote on whether we can move on to 11B here
283in a second. Um, [laughter] um, >> yeah. Any other comments, questions? All those in favor? Great. None opposed. All right. So our we do have a policy that says if it we go past 10 pm, we then have to have a vote on whether we want to continue with the rest of our agenda. [laughter] [snorts] Um so right now we have second read of the AEDs and then we have um public comments and executive sessions. Um I would say we certainly want to get through the second read of the AED uh because I think that's a relatively quick one. Uh obviously want to keep time for public comment. Um and then then maybe we can talk to Tom about >> I would say the executive sessions are important especially since we have a staff member
284present. Okay. >> Who is really waiting patiently for us? >> Okay. Um okay. So uh do I have a motion for to extend our meeting past 10 p.m.? Cara Chris. Thank you. All those in favor? >> Great. None opposed. Who is it who used to always vote no? There was always somebody who would vote no. Maybe it was Naomi. Um, >> let's Okay, let's say Maddie. [laughter] >> No, >> because they need to come back to the board and join. Um, okay. So, now we're >> I'm going to get a motion. >> Uh, do I have a motion for consideration approval for the second read of the following policy, EBCF, automated external defibrillators, AEDs? >> Kelly and Cara, thank you. All those Oh, I won't say yet. I will vote yet. >> We're not favoring
285yet. So, um we are bringing this to you um uh with the only change being um the uh should to will um in the first uh paragraph. Um but otherwise it is as you saw it uh on first read. >> Comments, questions, >> it says should. It says should but it >> will. >> No, it was should. >> It will be will. >> I think what we wanted is there will be at least one >> in the tomorrow. It needs to be it needs to be will. >> Yeah, >> I think is what we're being told by the >> spirits. >> Okay. Comments, questions on that? All those in favor? Great. Thank you. All right. So, uh, we are no unfinished new business personnel issues. We do have public comment. >> Same rules apply. Three
286minutes. Tell us your name. >> My name is Whitman Happy and I'm from Dur Durham and Freeport. And um I would just like to say that I feel like it's unnecessary for the AirPods and smartwatch part of the policy because um like a teacher would very easily notice if you're talking to no one or or if they see you on your watch like like they're going to notice that and then they're going to catch you. So I feel like that's unnecessary. And also like the part about like listening to music when you study, I don't think it should need like a um like a provided device to listen to music on because like a lot of pe for a lot of people um like they need that to help like study and like like tone
287in onto what they're doing because like some people's brains are just scattered. Um, for me especially, like I love music and it's really important for me to like find time in the day to listen to it, especially when I'm studying because it helps me study. Um, so I feel like taking that away isn't like um it's not good for a lot of students. So um music is very important to a lot of students and I feel like taking that away along with phones is just like too much and there's a lot of control at play, but I just feel like it's just unnecessary. >> That's all all I'll say. >> Thank you. Could you tell me your name one more time? I'm sorry I missed it. >> Uh Whitman Happy. >> Thank you. >> You
288can go again, Emily. You You hung in there. You get to go again. Um I'm Emily Kelch uh from Freeport and I just want to uh like say um my thoughts um I think as students we're going to need a lot of insight as to why because genuinely making the you know I've listened to the last few meetings I've really done research into this and uh hearing the mostly I mean the main argument is you know you're addicted to your phone and that is such a generalized assumption about every teenager. And I think it's very uh ethnosentric to make that because it's not true and it's not the reality for a lot of us. um a lot of us can manage it appropriately and uh before we move to the total bell-to-bell ban and anything
289else um I think I urge you guys to do a pilot approach um to work to see if it's even if it's even going to help the majority of students because enacting something that's only going to you know cause more stress and cause more anger between the students I don't think is a very smart idea. Um it's just going to cause more chaos and I just urge you guys to really into the students to for that and like to try to experience I mean we go to school and we're expected to try our hardest for five hours of instructional time and that is a lot and we like put in so much effort during those five hours in the 40 minutes that you're talking about taking away for the phones like we just we use
290that to relax and I I really truly think that free choice is important and I think that there's other ways to teach kids how to manage that so that's just all my thoughts but thank you guys thank you for your time >> thank you Emily All right. Uh, do I move on to item 16? Do I have a motion to enter into executive session as outlined in one MRSA section 4056A for the purpose of discussing a personnel matter? Kelly Cara. Thank you. All those in favor? Great. Uh, we moving