001The School District of [Name of District] validates and operates on lands that are ancestral lands of Indigenous peoples historically associated with these lands. These peoples have called these lands Indigenous. We recognize the atrocities committed here, including the long history of occupation, forced assimilation, and efforts to eliminate Indigenous peoples and communities with the support of U.S. government policies. We are aware of the many Indigenous peoples in the past and present who have lived and lived this land with strength and resilience. We recognize the histories of Indigenous heritage and the survival of the many nations who have carried their oral traditions to the present. It is the responsibility of the community to educate our children and students so that we can celebrate and respect the wisdom and knowledge of Indigenous peoples and actively join in preserving those
002traditions. By offering that recognition of Indigenous heritage, we affirm and enter into this tradition. We recognize the responsibility of Indigenous peoples to preserve the oral traditions and heritage of Indigenous peoples. Sorry, I cannot hear you. I can't hear you either. If you started like two minutes ago, we have... Good evening, Board President, members of the board. Our first... This is one of the interpreters. It sounds like they're working on it. Hi guys! Physical education... what a wonderful job! Thank you for being here. Another big round of applause, please. Board members, that's all I have. My comments... this... thanks to the Unified Physical Education class. Thank you, Doctor. And yes, we will take your offer. The next item is public participation. The board respects the public's right to speak about matters concerning the running of schools.
003We do not endorse the comments of any speaker, and I remind those who speak that they are responsible for their own speech. Each speaker has two minutes. You will see a yellow card when you have 30 seconds left and an orange card when you have 10 seconds left. If you run out of time, you can email the board. We have many participants, and I would ask that you do not applaud until the end. If once our time is up and we still have speakers, we will move to the end of the meeting. Our first participant, Sasha, is preparing. Hi, my name is Sasha, and I'm in fifth grade. I'm here for the SL program. You might think this program takes time away from our other subjects, but you might think we're not asking for a
004subject, but we're applying science, math, for example. They present us with very challenging instruction, and we use real-world tools. The teachers help us and allow us to fail, and they explain what happened. You identify how you feel, and they tell you how to do it next time. It's very inspiring. And look, they helped me make this shelf. When you make a mistake, they tell you, "Well, what did you learn from that mistake? Why did you make that mistake? And what are you going to do differently next time?" Here's another one. I created these blocks for your tools. This is just a couple of things out of 16 or more projects we have, and they donate their time to help us. Our instructors are always ready and teach us tools we can apply in school. We
005always do this inside and outside of school. No one has suffered any serious cuts. I'm going to high school next year, and I know it's a wonderful opportunity and I don't want future students to miss out. Thank you for your time. We have Jimmy next. Hi, my name is Jimmy. I'm a former student of the Sloyd program. It gives many opportunities to students like me. It allows you to make mistakes and learn from them. When I was in that program, I made some mistakes before getting it right, but I kept trying until I achieved what I wanted. That's okay because eventually I learned how to keep going and learn from my mistakes. What I learn is more important than the final product. I want students to continue having the opportunity to learn and know that
006it's okay to make mistakes. I know every participant in this program has gained great benefits from it because it amplifies every other activity the student undertakes. If you make this decision without attending a Sloyd woodworking workshop, it will be a big mistake because people who make this decision have never used one of these tools. But I have, and I can say with certainty that it is very valuable. It is worth our time, and it is a program that the Bolder district deserves to have. Thank you. Hi, my name is I'm here because Sloyd is a wonderful program. Three reasons why the program should continue are because the instructors teach you perseverance. That means that when something is difficult, you have to keep trying. Also, Sloyd has a lot of meaning for the children, and my
007kindergartener also wants to do it. It gives them the opportunity to use tools they've never used before. I want this program to continue. Yes, me too. Next, we have Nor. Hi, my name is [Name]. I'm in second grade, and I also want to be here. I'm so excited about the wonderful Sloyd program. It's a very important program for me, and I want all the other children to have the opportunity to participate in it. Since I joined this program, Mr. Johansen has helped me. We apply math, we take measurements. In second-grade math class, we also learn about measurements, and here we apply what we've learned. We also learn and apply reading and writing because you have to read the instructions to complete a project. There are also other important things that Mr. Johansen has taught us.
008For example, when you make a mistake, you can learn from it. I've also learned that if you're stuck on a project, that's okay. You have to persevere and ask questions. Before, don't... I used to ask for help, but now I can do it myself. I'm 8 years old, and I think I can do it with Mr. Johansen's help. Please come and see our class if you haven't had the chance. Then you'll understand how important this workshop is. And then it continues. My name is Liam Witon. I'm in fourth grade. I started the SLO program in first grade, and I think this program should continue because I've learned a lot, as my classmates have already said. But above all, it helps you with math, writing, and prepares you for later in life when maybe you work
009in construction. You need those skills, and we've already learned them here. It's something that will really help you. It's a gift to have SLO, and as the children before me have said, you wouldn't know what the SLO program is about unless you've experienced it yourself. It's a wonderful class. It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever experienced, and I wouldn't trade it for any other subject. Thank you. Noa Divine. Hi, my name is Noa Divine. I'm 8 years old and in second grade. Closing the SLO program is something. Very, very disappointing. Luis, we practice respect, and the program only teaches us to be respectful of our tools, of other people, and of ourselves. Taking responsibility is important because making mistakes is okay, but never giving up. Pride, confidence, and strength in our minds and
010hands are essential. Closing this program doesn't help us achieve our school goals. Thank you. We have Jasper. Hi, my name is Jasper. It's one of the best things in the world. I have two reasons for saying this: teacher John is wonderful and very kind. We apply math, we are learning, we are practicing reading and writing. It's so, so useful. Please consider keeping the program. Hi, I am [name missing], and I have a different topic, but I admire everyone. I am in the senior year at Fairview. I go to Aertech. I spoke with you a month ago, but the reason is because the beauty program is being discontinued. Well, at the end of last year, they explained to me that there are other reasons, but one of the reasons is the lack of return on investment.
011I sent an email, but I haven't received a response yet, and I'm here to ask: What is the data for what is this decision based on? I would also like to know If cost isn't one of the reasons, then what is the reason for cutting this program in a public district? And I also wanted to speak about the SL program. I haven't had the privilege of participating in a program like this, but hearing all these kids talk about their program makes me wish I had had this opportunity. I haven't done woodworking. Well, I did in Fairview in the drama workshop, and it was a very good skill that I wish I had continued learning. I hope this program stays open. Thank you. Our next speaker is... Hello. I believe SL should remain open because we
012are learning, and we are not just doing things or ceasing to participate in our subjects. We continue to apply math, reading, and writing. We have to read the project instructions. We also have to take exact measurements of each one, and I am not going to give up. I really hope this program stays open. Thank you. And with that, we conclude the student speakers section. I want to say thank you for your courage in coming to speak with us. Now, the next speaker is Andre. He was granted two additional minutes. Hilda... I see 85 people in the audience, and I thank you. The board isn't involved in school-level decisions to establish the district's strategic plan, but as you heard, FL is the strategic plan in action. It provides hands-on help and also gives socio-emotional support, which,
013as you talked about, also helps increase our students' self-esteem. Unfortunately, those of us who signed the petition and asked how this program aligns with the district's strategic plan felt there was n't clear and direct communication with the principal. For example, as parents, we heard numerous reasons for closing the program. Then they told us how they were going to change the program to after-school activities with a fee. But this is false. This will actually put the program out of reach, but I don't know what will happen to the students. They will be at a great disadvantage with this decision. Many of our teachers are here, and no one has spoken to them about the learning advantages of losing this program. Very valuable instructional minutes are lost. They are constantly practicing math concepts and must write thoughtful
014instructions for each project. In most cases, the instructional minutes of the SL program will be replaced by computer activities, but that doesn't compare if we are truly concerned about equity. We must try to maintain this program because it aligns with the strategic plan. As parents and teachers, we would like the opportunity to receive written responses, and we want detailed answers from the Board. We also want the opportunity for teachers and the community to discuss and establish the requirements for this type of program. You would be surprised to see how united we have been by this program. But if you were in this program, you would be speaking. We are a school with 345 families, and you would be one of the parents who would have written a multi-page testimonial about the benefits of this program.
015We want this program not to be closed; on the contrary, we want more to open so that more students have the opportunity to remain and experience this program. If I can take the information you brought, it is available. The next person presenting is... I know that Unman, and I am a teacher at Lisv Elementary. Last week, I tried to make a more concise presentation and threw away my draft because I heard that one of the reasons for discontinuing the program is a drop in test scores. My director is focused on improving education. Having the ability to define a problem, discuss solutions, and make long-term plans can only happen... With informed citizens, that requires a collaborative effort, a culture that goes beyond blame and requires that we all—we do n't think about our egos—basically share values.
016Sometimes the magnitude of the challenges and the critics overwhelms us. There is no reasonable or significant connection between the Sloy experience and the decline in SAS grades. I have noticed that the children have had problems with their executive functioning in other situations, but when they enter Sloy, they can flow. We all have concerns about the futures of our children. We all need to listen to each other, and everyone has to be open. Even the school board... the Sloy program gives us instructions to our children. Why are we going to withdraw an innovative program? Thank you very much. The applause was a little loud when I called Tiffany F. Gerald wanted to make sure he or she wasn't present. Okay, next presenter is O. Umansky. Hello. Yes, we hear you. Thank you. I'm Olki. I'm the
017parent of a first- grade student at Louisville Elementary, and I'm here for the same reason as the others. I have concerns about the cancellation of this program and what will happen. My student was in second grade a few years ago. When he entered kindergarten, this Sloyd program was one of the reasons we chose this school. It's a way to teach life skills as well as academics. My son has only been able to participate in a paid after-school program, but the impact has been significant. He wants to do the class repeatedly and was able to redo things where he made mistakes. We had talked about it at home. It's very clear that he takes the lessons very deeply. In addition to character training, it contributes to the core subjects. As mentioned before, they have to be
018reading and writing in every session, and they have to come home and write something thoughtful about what they've done. Sloyd is loved by students, parents, and teachers, and it's the best way to ensure equity in the school. To keep him in school so that everyone can participate, I want to raise my voice by asking you to reconsider your decision to benefit the children in our community. Thank you. Next presenter is Megan Armstrong. Oh, I understand. This is my first time. Hi, I'm Megan Armstrong. I'm a parent at Louisville Elementary, and I'm here to ask the board and Jeff Miller to change... Your decision to cancel the SLOYD program at the school... I have a master's degree in education and have taught for 10 years. My son, who is currently in third grade and is twice
019exceptional, has flourished. My son is very intelligent but has difficulty focusing. He does so-so in his grades. He cannot receive programming to teach his executive functioning. He is the kind of student who could benefit from occupational therapy and other services, but he doesn't qualify for the district's. He loves the work; it helps him with focus and fine motor skills. These are life skills that children need. Teaching them specifically helps them flourish in the classroom, not others. As a parent body, we want children to learn to focus. We want them to have high standards for completing projects and to be proud of the projects they have completed. Where are these skills taught? In elementary school, in the SLOYD program. That program will have a fraction of its impact if you change it to after-school. My son
020wasn't willing to participate in after- school activities until he had a lot of experience within the school. We are here to ask you to change your decision to Canceling the program is not an option. We are very united as parents and believe the school can come together to brainstorm ways to keep the program alive. We hope the children's education aligns with the community's values and that it provides the tools for our students to excel. Thank you. Next presenter is Natas Johnson, presenting virtually. Hello everyone. I 'm here to talk about bullying in schools. That's what you were talking about in a previous meeting. I want to talk about the other parents who are experiencing bullying from the school and the school board. Rob Anderson and Robin Fernandez are here to tell you that I have
021a voice for you. I've been in contact with a state senator and Kyle Brown. I've had several meetings with Kyle Brown, and he wants to hear how we as parents and students are not being heard by the district and how they are treating parents and teachers. The school board wants to know what they are doing to people. I have an autistic daughter. I followed the rules, and I know what they said, and Mr. Rob Anderson didn't contact me. Then they filed complaints. I've been in contact with Fernandez, who told me after filing an appeal that there is no appeals process. In the district, if you have a problem, there's no way to appeal. You have to file complaints with the School District, and the district doesn't help. The senator and representatives want to hear what
022the district is doing. Sloy's parents need to write to Kyle Brown; they're completely ignoring it. There are many students suffering from bullying at all levels, and no one is helping them. The district ignores them. I've called and loved them, and they have documentation, but they don't have it when you ask for it. Thank you, Natasha. Next speaker is Helena Sh, who received two minutes from Mary. Hello, school board members. Thank you very much. I love my job. I don't just teach German and Japanese to the children in Bolder High's preparatory program. I also teach celebrations, historical events, food, music, and more. The students learn that they should enjoy other cultures. They learn to have open minds, which prepares them to have compassion and to be responsible citizens in the world. In my classes, all the
023children learn another language, so everyone receives support. Foreign languages reinforce grammar rules, promote conflict resolution, growth, and protecting one another. They learn to think critically and have knowledge of the world. And your writing, there are clubs, trips, and other opportunities to reinforce what they learn in class, and they can take tests through the district that allow them to receive college credit. The programming in Latin, French, Spanish, Japanese, and sign language in the district is important for students and for those who come from outside the district, and in the projections, we are asking the district to investigate policies that negatively impact language programs. Students can take a stamp exam to replace high school internship courses. International or advanced. And that can incentivize taking higher-level classes. They need to recognize these courses also outside the district because
024otherwise it could negatively impact our enrollment. Hopefully, the school board and leadership will investigate policies that may have a negative impact on language courses. Thank you for supporting these programs in the district. Thank you, Elena. Next presenter is Helen Dee, and she has received 2 minutes from Isabel. Good evening. I'm Helen Bickery, and I'm here to talk about the new district policy of funding students who take foreign languages at the University of Colorado. That could be courses like Arabic, Mandarin, Italian, and Russian. These courses will have an impact on the program at Better High because of the university's proximity. I want to talk a little bit about what's happening in my Latin classes. They are preparing for the national exam and are working on a project involving art that prepares them for all levels of
025the exam. They are doing research, and it fosters collaboration. It helps them with confidence and gives them pride in achieving a common goal. It creates a community of students. There are several consequences of taking courses at the university. There's a question of economic equity. I understand that the district pays about $400 of the tuition fee for a $1300 class. Families who can afford the difference can send their students to learn languages not taught in high school, but that's not equitable access. If the family can't afford the difference, it also reduces inclusivity by creating an element of being special. We have a group of students who can access classes at the university because of their economic advantage, and then there are the children who can't. It also takes money away from existing high school programs that
026do provide access. A previous student said that high school is a very transformative time in a person's life. My experience has many memories, and I couldn't have imagined it when I started. Those students who choose to go to university to take their courses are taking a university-level course with different expectations than one has in high school, with different participation than one has in high school, and without the support one has in high school. That deprives them of the full high school experience. The district's mission is to have a meaningful experience. The University of Boulder does this and will continue to do so. If one continues to financially support students going to college that is n't offered in high school, it's indirectly impacting the languages we do teach and is prioritizing other skills like creativity, collaboration,
027and having a common goal when those students leave our class and go to other classes in a similar community. Thank you, thank you. Next presenter is Alison Johansen. Good evening, Board of Education, Dr. Johansen. My interest in quality education has two reasons. I have two children in the district, and Luke and I founded the Sloyd Experience and have worked for two years investing in the district's youth to have an impact. But we were informed that it takes away from instruction and there's no place for that in the school day. The solutions have been very short-lived, and the communications have included misinformation. Sloyd is not a problem; it's part of the solution. It's very efficient; it supports all learners, provides instructional time, and develops all the essential state skills. It's a community that has access for
028all. Our school has an after-school program, but it's comprehensive. We can't Serving other young people without further district investment. If they find value in what we offer the community, they need to take it into account. What we are doing to serve other students after school hasn't happened. What they 've said so far is impossible; they haven't found the value in our education. There is a community that does. That's what needs to be taken into account. The activities that take place in a school and the district's policies give importance to the process. Thank you. Thank you. Next presenter is Christina Pearson, who has given 2 minutes to Jessica Lawrence. Good evening, and thank you very much for the opportunity to comment. I am Christina Pearson. I teach at Luisville Elementary for 19- year-olds. I am the
029mother of two daughters who have benefited from the program, and I am part of the board of directors of the Sloyd Experience. For two years, the founders, Lucky Alison and Jeff Miller, have worked tirelessly to implement the program into the school day. It is difficult to do because everything else receives a higher priority, but with dedication, we have done it. As you have heard, the students value the experience and are willing to give up their recess to participate in the program and the parents have seen how it fosters the students' character, so we want to have a program for adults afterward so we can work as well. Many people are present to support us. They greet us. It's no exaggeration to say that Sloyd has been part of the school's identity. We are proud and
030grateful to be one of the first schools to work in partnership with the Sloyd Experience. The Experience has been informed that it can no longer work at the school. The reasons are to preserve instructional minutes and equity. I'm imagining that the administrators are under a lot of pressure to ensure that the new curricula are implemented equitably. We hear you. Know that the teachers are committed to giving excellent instruction with new materials, but we also want to work to overcome the barriers to maintaining the Sloyd Experience in the school. We want to work with you. Regarding equity, Sloyd has always intended to serve the largest number of students. Louisville Elementary is just starting out. We would like to have even more schools. We are in a precarious place if the decision to cancel the program follows.
031The schools in the Southwest Network won't have access to this resource, that's not fair. So we're going to decide not to donate our services to the board member schools. We need to ask them to revisit the decision to cancel the program. We need to have a conversation that includes everyone, and we're going to work to fix the problem because that's what we do to serve the students. Thank you. Thank you. Next presenter is Rebecca Lav. Sorry if I mispronounced it. For 19 years I've been proud to be a district teacher, but I have concerns about how they made the decision to cancel the SLOYD program. It's a successful program with the students, teachers, and even with the IR grades. There was no conversation with stakeholders about the cancellation. I'm also concerned about the message of
032why SLOYD is short minutes of instruction. They tell us we need more minutes to close the gap so that all children are reading on a computer, but not in SLOYD. But the secret is, as they've said, the students are reading, writing, doing math with diagrams. It's more than I was able to do in second grade. I've traveled all over the world asking, " What is a successful education system?" I've never heard that the best practice is to do everything. The same applies across all schools, but teachers need to make decisions for their students. That's best practice. We're a district that wants all students to do the same thing. That's not the district I know. I believe teachers need to be able to help innovate for students in terms of equity. We have students who meet
033the criteria for the learning gap, but they love success because for the first time they were doing as well as their peers. They also saw why it's important to read, write, and do math. Please reconsider the decision to cut the Sloy program. Next presenter is Pierre Richardson. Thank you. Hi, I'm P. Richardson. I'm here to offer opinions because I've been a volunteer teacher. I'm also the mother of a fourth-grade student. I loved the program. It has had a great impact on my life personally and on all the students I've watched learn these characteristics: being responsible, dedicated, committed, and the list goes on. It's an amazing program. It makes me very sad that the program is going to be canceled. I hope you will reconsider and open communication with the board and the Sloy program, and
034also the district. As all the students have already testified, it's a wonderful program, and it breaks our hearts. I hope the program can stay and be equitably available to everyone. Thank you very much. Our next presenter is Karen Mills. Hello, my name is KS. I am a mother of kindergarten and fifth-grade students and a classroom volunteer. In recent years, the emphasis in public education has been focused on reading, writing, math, and science. However, the education reform emphasizes historical education and active participation in democracy. This goes directly with the 2008-2012 bill. This speaks volumes about public education motivating and accommodating students and exposing them to secondary school planning and skills such as problem-solving, communication, social collaboration, cultural awareness, civic initiative, responsibility, character, leadership, and technology. These skills are recognized as essential, but without our exceptional teachers,
035we cannot meet the needs of our students. By deciding to eliminate Sloy from our children's day, there will be a huge learning gap and instructional goals to safeguard the development of these essential skills. I ask the District for a commitment to discuss this and how they can best support our principal. It saddens me to have this conversation. Today, because this program is provided free of charge to all students at no cost to the district, but as you hear in the community, I am confident that soon the discussion will be about how to support the growth of this program and, hopefully, much better for this district. Thank you for your service and attention. Thank you. Our next speaker is Wis. Thank you. My name is Wis, MS. I am a fifth-grade teacher at Lewisville Elementary. My
036three children also attend Lewisville Elementary, and two are in the Sloyd program. The Sloyd experience is a powerful solution to close the achievement gap. It creates an environment of participation regardless of race, disability, language, or socioeconomic concerns. I would like to talk to you about equity. District leaders have said that moving this program to an after- school program would expand equity. This is not true because after-school would only reach 32 students. But during the school day, it reaches 165 second- and fifth- grade students. It is actually the only program that is inaccessible to the critical population. That is a great example of a collaboration between community partners that BEBS is always looking for. $7,000 annually is the money that the Floyd Dona program or experience provides to families and students. The Bolder Valley School District
037recognizes that creating partnerships and collaborations with community members is essential to creating positive learning environments. We are removing this essential partnership, and this does not align with the strategic plan. As an educator at Louisville Elementary, I am committed, along with my colleagues, to finding a solution. Our students are working 25 minutes a week, and fifth-grade students are working 30 minutes a week. The confidence with which our students return after participating in the SL program is truly inspiring. Thank you. The next speaker is Lea Mocal. Hello, my name is Liam Mocal. My son is a fourth-grade student at Creek Elementary. The alarm goes off. I arrive at 5:50 a.m. for DOIR registration. It's not time yet. There are 5 minutes left to register my student. I choose the classes as soon as possible and select the
038button that says I have selected them, and after... A few minutes later, they tell me the classes are full. I wasn't quick enough. It's 6:02 in the morning, and when my children wake up, they ask me, " Mom, were you able to sign me up?" And I say, "No." I tell them, "No, no, I couldn't sign you up." This has been my experience month after month trying to sign my son up. My son loves it. It was the woodworking class. Not once has he said, "I don't want to go to school." He learns new skills, realizes it's okay to make mistakes, knows how to do things, learns to ask questions, has math lessons, and focuses on what he did well and what he can do better. He learns to clean up the mess he makes.
039My son can't wait to get back to school to continue his next project. He's not bored, distracted, or on technology. He's focused and learning from his classmates and teachers. I ask the district not only to consider this but to expand this program so that more children in the district have access to it. I'm sure they will be very happy with the results. Duke Aden are incredible people and incredible teachers. We are so fortunate to have them as part of our community. Thank you to the following speakers. They are virtual, next is dan gsk. Hello, that's the first I've heard of this program, plus Lloyd, but I would give my time, appreciated. I hope this program continues, and also the cosmetology program. I taught math for 17 years, and students who were able to apply their
040skills were the ones most willing to continue and learn more, and that's what's appropriate for a rich education. And many students have been asking me about no longer allowing certain books. When the government says they can no longer offer certain books, but if the district no longer offers a book to the district or the school, that doesn't mean it's illegal; you can still buy it. For example, if cafeterias stopped serving hot dogs, that doesn't mean you can no longer eat hot dogs at school. It does n't seem strange to me that several libraries within the district display books with a child being sexually abused, and the author says it's the ultimate fantasy of sexual contact between an adult and a child. Pedophiles abuse their victims; it's absolutely abuse, and the content is disturbing. Perhaps they
041expect an image like this to be used for... Letting children or minors know what sexual abuse is is important, but this book portrays pedophilia as something erotic. This worries me greatly. It confirms a victim's fear that if they report their abuse, they'll be told it's not a big deal, that they shouldn't do anything about it. Thank you. Don't offer this book to minors. Our next speaker is Andrea Cox. Thank you. My name is Andrea Cox, and this goes hand in hand with the socio-emotional presentation. My son attends a high school in the Netherlands. This is about athletes who commit to not using drugs, tobacco, or alcohol to play sports. That goes without saying. Sports create physical and mental health. Removing one of the only motivations students have in their lives, especially in a small mountain
042town, is unacceptable. We are a mountain school, and our sports programs are very limited due to the season, the number of students, or perhaps because we are not in a competitive city. It is very difficult to motivate our children to sign up for sports. Teenagers make mistakes and will have to learn their lessons, but with the pandemic, depression and anxiety have increased, and we as parents have a responsibility to support, guide, and seek help. For them, but with the Boulder Valley School District's punitive actions, that doesn't allow students to play sports and belong to a team. These sports keep our students active and participating in school activities, working as a team and engaged. I am aware of the Code of Conduct, but I ask the Boulder Valley School District to update its policies. We know
043that restorative justice, community service, and mental health are important. Instead of doing this, we are pushing our children away from sports and taking away their opportunity to be better human beings. As a mother and teacher's assistant, thank you. Our next speaker is Jennifer, who has received minutes of instruction. Hello, thank you for allowing me to be here. I am a proud mother of two kindergarten students from Medar Maverix. We are here talking about what is a special year. We have many children in second grade, and last year when they were in fourth grade, they only had three classes. As a volunteer and employee of the school, and as a parent, I can tell you that those classes—29, 29, and 30 children in second-grade classes—are not working. I understand the teachers' contracts. We hear from superintendents
044who tell us, "Look at the contract. Look at the contract," but the board knows that the contracts with The largest class size, 29, is not ideal for our students to learn. They need help. A third of the children in my son's class have an IP (Individualized Learning Disability). We have the 0504 adaptations plan, the ICAN program, and the gifted and talented students program, but we don't have enough support. Please, I ask that you evaluate the size of these classes. They are not acceptable. These classes were negotiated pre-pandemic and did not take into account the learning loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are talking about mental health and social-emotional support, and I can tell you that one way you can support the mental and social-emotional health of our teachers and students right now is to
045have smaller classes. I ask that the Superintendents please do something about this. I have spoken with the special education directors, and I will also contact the Superintendent. I want to tell you that I support SLOYD. This program is essential not only in LB Elementary but in all schools. These are skills that students can apply throughout their lives, and I agree with what Dan said. By filtering certain books, I saw some that weren't age-appropriate for my children. I was at the library, and since then I've spoken to the administration at Metalar. I 'm not satisfied with their response. They say we're taking away parents' rights to their children's learning. We had to pull our kindergarten and second-grade children aside to articulate their questions so they could understand what they were reading, and I want to talk
046Also, regarding the second-grade gifted and talented student program, at Metalar and Heer there's only one 16-hour resource. I would like to see more resources and more support allocated to Metalar. All I hear is talk about enrollment going down. But you know what? At Metalarc, we're not going down in enrollment; we're going up a lot. So there are other schools that have resources to support other things, and I think the board really needs to look at and evaluate spending more of the funds in schools and communities. Thank you, thank you. That brings us to an hour of public participation. I'm happy to announce that no one has to wait to participate and give their feedback. So, we've concluded the public participation, and on behalf of the board, I want to thank everyone who was here to
047share their thoughts and concerns. We take all things into consideration. And if we read all the emails the public sends us and respond to them, we'll be continuing with the next thing on our agenda, which is board communication. Board members, who wants to start? Is there anything you want to do? You want to add, how are you? Virtual? Yes, I just spent the last two seconds trying to turn on my microphone. First of all, thank you to everyone who came and spoke with us. I hear your passion about all the topics you're discussing today. Thank you for introducing them, and I took some notes. Something I will say is that I am an expert on sexual abuse and the prevention of child sexual abuse. The speaker who objected to a book didn't name the book;
048I don't know which one they're referring to, but it was a book that caught our attention at our first meeting. This book is known as *Gender Queer*, and of course, I had to read this book because I wanted to know what people were complaining about. And the only thing I saw that could be considered sexual abuse was an image of a passerby from ancient Greece or Rome that was created when pedophilia was considered acceptable. Of course, now that's not acceptable. I would never agree with anything that promotes sexual abuse, but in my expert opinion, this doesn't do what the book does. And I apologize if you're talking about another book, but this book I'm talking about has been... Ah If we've inspected it, what we do see in the book is how the author felt,
049and I think knowing how people who are different from you experience the world and feel different things than you is important to know. So I would never, ever agree to remove the book on gender. That's basically what I wanted to say for now. Thank you. Well, as always, I want to thank everyone who came to speak tonight, and as Kiri said, their passion and commitment to all the topics we heard about today was noted. Thank you for sharing. And although we do n't typically get involved in the decisions of the board, something I consistently heard during the comments was a request for more community involvement around the program. So I'm happy to see how we can find common ground around this situation. And going back a little bit, I want to back up a little
050and say how much I enjoyed the student moment, listening to your presentations, and inclusivity does matter a lot. And I want my shirt. Thank you for coming tonight and sharing with us. And lastly, on the Board's working note, I had the opportunity to attend the teachers' roundtable, and I'm always impressed by the topics that... They talk to our schools, and one of the topics I heard at the roundtable was how teachers feel about a disconnect between assessments and the curriculum, something that came up as a result of the review we did. So, I'm willing to do more talks about that. Alex, sorry, I also wanted to explain that I really appreciate the feedback we received tonight. The student moment... Ah, it was all very intense, and I'm always impressed by how well- articulated our students
051are. And I'm the one sitting here on the sidelines because I'm the one who cries the most in front of the camera. But one of the things they talked about on the Sloy field trip, and I want to take it to the next level, is questions about who participates in enrichment activities. I've asked for more data on student charts who are in cost programs, but it's still good to know if it's an equity issue or if other people have access to these programs. Who they are is information we need to collect and involve our community when we talk about these issues. I also want to say that I had a very good meeting with some of the elementary students from The primary school in the Netherlands, about two weeks ago, was left thinking about who
052fixes what, and talking about the declining enrollment and the issues in the communities, we've been discussing who is responsible for making decisions. Are people or families thinking about who is responsible for what? And I think for parents in small mountain communities, it's very unrealistic to say that the community is going to create solutions. It's better to say the community, our friends, are our partners. How can we get involved in the process and be realistic and approach that work to see how we can do it differently? And yes, I realized who is going to do that work? Who is going to raise those numbers? Since the last meeting, Dr. Andersen and I attended a meeting with the Title Nine Advisory Council. We made very good progress, very good progress with steps toward the future, doing an
053evaluation. I want to thank the Title Nine Council for their work, and that's all. Now I'll share from our last meeting, which I thought was last week, but not in time. I was able to attend the meeting. Jack was very... We were pleased to hear about the update to our policies. We were also able to attend the Heatherwood meeting. They had very good questions, discussed some concerns, and were generally very grateful for the next steps. I also wanted to notify the board—those who are parents and those who are not—whether there was a survey. And again, this survey ultimately asked questions about calendar preference. It's interesting to see if that affects calendars in the coming years. Some people in the community have said they never received this survey, but I want you to know that it
054was sent out and that the question about the calendar was included. And that's all I have, as there's nothing else the board members want to share. Let's move on to the next item on our agenda. We have these two informational items. First, a legislative update. Thank you, Member Rusp. I think everything is going well at the Capitol. They're trying to get the bills we're actively monitoring passed. Give me a moment. Yes, I'm going to say that since we last met, I spent Friday morning until almost all afternoon at the Capitol trying to talk with the Speaker. I want to thank you for giving the superintendents time to talk about the recommendations of The financial report, and if they shared any positive information with us, then it seems there aren't going to be any direct changes
055for next year. I think it's not clear if any changes will be proposed for the year after that. But if we look at the finance task force, there's a lot of money going to many districts, and there's also a lot of money leaving districts. And if there are people in our community who maybe had time to review this for the board members, there's no money to do any of that. So what we thought about adopting and making recommendations to the finance task force is that they pay attention to this: there's no new money that we're going to receive. And even if we did have new money, we're one of the districts that would lose huge amounts of money, and how would that impact the Boulder Valley School District? And they're looking at this energy around
056the public commentary where people are feeling that pinch of declining enrollment, and like, 100 students is $1 million for every 100 students, and on average, that could be more severe over the next 5 years. And I would say That school finances are on our minds, Nicole, this too. We're going to review and monitor the other bills that are in session. Yes, there aren't many significant changes since the last proposed bill and Bill 88, which is what we oppose. We oppose data transparency for charter schools. And there are many proposed amendments to that bill, but it seems that's all there is to it. That's the topic so far, and I don't have anything else to add. Our next item: Oh, sorry, board members, do you have a question about that? No? And since there are no
057questions, I'd like to move on to the next item on our agenda. It's a recommendation to dismiss. Is there anything else you'd like to add, board members? There was a lot of public comment, so I wanted to ask if we need a break. So I'd like to call a 10-minute break for the board. The next item on our agenda is agenda consent. 8.1 Approve the agenda contract for the installation of video surveillance cameras. 8.6 Provide and install furniture, lamps, and also the improvement of and the creation of the Connections 8.0 program, transportation security. Council member who wishes to approve the agendas as a group, we have a motion to approve and begin discussion. It is approved by [name omitted] and told by Jorge Kiri. I have one small thing to say. I have never seen
058such a short report in all the time I have been here on the council. Anyone else? Two comments. As a parent of Southern Hills School, I want to welcome the community member. The article on the video cameras. I want to thank you for your support. We are going to continue with the cameras at the secondary level since cameras were installed in our high school. We have noticed improvements in investigations of different acts. I would like to point this out to the council and to the community. Anything else, Council members? Before we continue, very well, could I take attendance on the agendas? Chavez: Yes. [Name omitted]: Yes. [Name omitted]: Yes. [Name omitted]: Yes. The motion is approved. We continue with the action items on our agenda. Our first action item is [item omitted]: ... Being aligned
059with IEP 504 plans and the reasoning is thinking about other plans, like accommodations where some people are given more time. But if they have two weeks to complete the assignment, perhaps they would be violating plan 504 if no one is looking at the attendance policy. I wanted to bring this to your attention. Excuse me, I'm trying to see the pause, Dr. Anderson. If what Alex and the board are proposing is agreed upon, probably under notification and documentation, you should see the opportunity in the second paragraph to add the phrase he suggested. And also the question for Kathleen: if that phrase isn't in the policy, is there another place where you could inform parents that they have that right? Well, the policies regarding students with disabilities that you're referring to— we would be violating this law
060if students aren't given additional time when they're completing an assignment. This policy exists and must be respected, and I thought about this in different ways. All our policies have to be implemented in such a way that they apply equitably to all our students. And Robin Fernandez, regarding this particular policy, I told teachers to keep it on hand and review it frequently. But no. This isn't the same for all policies, but it's something our teachers will frequently refer to. It's a very simple phrase to choose as a reminder for teachers. And if I could add, it would have to be included in the interventions section because there's a tendency to say, "Well, don't forget the reason you 're following this policy for all students with an Individualized Education Plan." But putting it in the first section
061of the policy or adding it to the second paragraph, that it should be coordinated with an Individualized Education Plan or a 504 plan, an Advanced Placement Plan, or student support plans, could be a good way to help our teachers remember the complicated work they're already doing. Yes, Jorge, let me clarify. Because these two-day policies are notices of why the absence occurred, and in the work section, it talks about time as well, but I like the idea of the phrase, maybe putting it at the top. Yes, the most obvious application of this policy is when they don't turn in their work or for those students who struggle with attendance, but those groups that have a 504 plan or an Individualized Education Plan... So maybe that's why I mentioned that it... I would have put the policy
062earlier, and well, at the point where it says that teachers individually consider particular situations or special circumstances that allow for the consideration of additional learning time, is it worth reiterating there or putting it in the interventions category? Because this should apply to all types of learning plans that our students have. I don't know if it would be possible to approve it with this language. Yes, Kiri, tell me, are you listening? Yes. This makes me think of a question: are there other parts of the policy where, if we weren't clear enough that the student's plan, whatever it may be, supersedes any policy we have, we would need to have a notice in different places. Because, for Alex's point, because we know we shouldn't—it doesn't mean we shouldn't make it very obvious and clear—especially for parents. Alex,
063yes, I appreciate your comments, but I do n't know. More inclusive of all the education plans we have, the council would like to hear advice on the vocabulary. What we are going to decide is an important part of these plans for me as a parent. This puts the burden on the student to advocate for themselves, but you are talking to the teacher individually, face to face, talking about this policy, and I appreciate your consideration. But I He was talking more about not only this particular policy but also some of our other policies, and if it's on the website, make it very clear that the student's Individualized Education Plan (IEP) supersedes any restrictions. Obviously, I don't know the answer to this, so I wouldn't have asked, but asking the question is important. Thank you very much
064for this point. I don't have the answer to that either. I don't have any examples where the policies have been misinterpreted in that way that I'm aware of. It 's a significant change to these policies regarding practices, and the council is changing to the degree that it represents a concern and the reality of how the policies are implemented over time. Well, it would be very helpful if we were very explicit. It seems we're going to make a motion, or not? Well, yes, we're going to make the motion, but we need to know where we're going to put that phrase, that amendment, before moving on to the motion to approve this article, which we have with a potentially different edit. We have another motion for this language that we've proposed. Does anyone want to put the
065language or something that K recommends? Well, I have another technical question. I don't know if it will be a second motion or if we'll make both one motion. We have a phrase that says students excused for attendance They shouldn't be in the school area on the school campus during their time being excused from attending because sometimes they have to leave the school to have a Zoom call. That can be covered within medical appointments. We can't assume... Or maybe I'm wrong, you can put the comments area, especially in high schools during the day because they jump around, but would that count as an absence if it's really a medical appointment? We have the policy and JCD for those students who are receiving necessary medical treatment during class time. Work has been done a lot on this
066language, and it was added in a motion and highlighted for the council. We removed the provision for a single hour about a student being excused and then staying in the school area, or not being there, and other concerns. We could discuss this; I think that's our intention. But we can draft language, for example, unless the student has already received administrative permission, if they are excused from a class and won't be there, they can be designated a place. They may have been given permission to attend class and then be allowed another activity. And I'm looking at Robin Fernandez because she's very... involved in And my other question is how is this implemented And how is this policy monitored? Perhaps students are allowed to be in the common area. That's a very good question. And thank you.
067Yes, the workforce did occur, but the intention is that we are not learning what sanctions are. As Cathlin said, perhaps the student feels that they were not prepared for a test, or that the test is going to be given later in the day, and we don't want to support an impact on a single class. Learning issue. In my experience, if the student is going to participate in a medical appointment, they are going to need a different space, an office, a place, a small classroom that allows for confidentiality. And it will also say the need for collaboration: a teacher advisor, a counselor, an administrator, and they can both collaborate and make sure that the absence is justified. And another question: do we need additional language, or do you consider the language appropriate? In my opinion, I
068think our language addresses these points, those that are included in special situations, and that would be just one example. Council members, any other opinions on this policy? General discussion before we continue, Jason? Well, I don't have a comment, but thank you for the language you added about this in this section because this really The tone changes after the discussion about practices and how to enforce the policy because that's how we left it, and this reflects our discussion well. Thank you. I wanted to thank our community and our team. Thank you for creating these policies that are more restorative and based on their nature, and they bring more than no more than 75 % of absences and require our students to submit documentation for excused absences. I want to thank Cathy G because she did a
069great job. It has a positive impact on our schools and our BB SD community. As Nicole said, the language is reddo. Well, how is it? Because I'm confused, this policy establishes it at 75 percent, it should be no more than 75 percent. Well, okay. Ah, up to 75 percent. Yes, it clarifies that if the student gets around 80% in their evaluation... Well, that language is difficult, and the policy will be readily available to our staff. I have questions. Sometimes it takes time for our policies to be fully implemented. We have an established process for people to know if something isn't working the way it was designed. Well, normally when a policy change is made, the community, our leaders, our teachers communicate it through the publication called Download, which is issued by the Communications Department. And
070well, inadvertently, they don't adhere to our policies. Or maybe it's not appropriate, or the policy isn't clear to the point that... When... Well, one quickly realizes this. Any other discussion? Comment? Alex, if I may make a motion, I ask the council to include a phrase that should be reviewed as necessary, something like, " The implementation of this policy should be aligned with the student's educational plans and other plans that are presented." The motion is made by Alex, seconded by Lora. May roll call? This is to vote on the policy amendment that Alex mentioned. It's a motion to amend the motion. Chavez: Yes. Hitler: Yes. Nera R S Ser Yes Anger Yes, the motion is approved. I need a motion to approve the amended policy. Alex, seconded by Jorge Chávez. Yes Rus. Yes Serge. Yes Anger.
071Yes, the motion is approved. Council members, this is a very good exercise to approve motions. The next item is: Council members, it is time for our meeting to decide which item will be given priority. Those items that we have not discussed here. Anything you want to add? It seems there isn't one. And we continue with the last item of our meeting. I have a motion to close the meeting. The session is adjourned. Thank you for your work tonight. Have a good week. And the session is adjourned.