001your camera. Okay. >> Allow. What is that? >> Zoom. We want What are you putting over there? >> Nothing. Just this can be moved. I'll switch it. >> I was just trying. Okay, maybe it is working now. >> Yeah, I remember. [Music] All right. [Music] Not yet. Angelber. I'm sure. would like to call our policy meeting to order and to the republics. Okay, before we just want to welcome our join us. >> Thank you. forward to hearing more. >> I don't I can just What? >> You can get started. I have a second. Any discussion addition hearing? None. All those in favor? Hi. >> And number three, have we received any public comment either in person or online? >> Is this was this for the policy meeting or was this for the second meeting? >>
002That looks like for policy. >> Yeah, that it would. So you're here for the policy meeting. >> Yeah. >> Is this for public comment or for present presenting? >> For presenting. >> Okay. So that's not accurate. Okay. So >> um so then no public >> no public comment. >> Um so that brings us to number four. Um overview of the Rotary Club International Exchange Program. Um and then it's going to flow into our discussion and possible action item on policy 6145.6 six, our exchange program policy like to start us off with an introduction to exchange program. >> So my name is John Cassidy. I'm president of the law at the moment and Track been doing a lot of work behind the scenes. He apologizes for not making it tonight. He's chairman of the board and
003their meeting is tonight the exact same. So tough to be in two places and Wyman here is the district inbound chair for change program for Massachusetts and Connecticut deals with quite a few kids every single year and been doing it for 20 years. So, so I met Lyman for the first time this in April and uh we were talking about youth exchange programs and we're pretty interested say on the road we should get going and do something and that Tuesday after meeting him on Saturday he goes we have a student just got in on the wire can you guys take so we immediately found somebody a host family somebody in Rotary said we would take him then we I reached out to the school system and it took a few a little bit going back
004and forth Irish finally Irish got to us and gave us the news that it's you have to pay about $19,000 for a change of any student come in you change forms for any student to come in so uh we went through the whole process we can support the student we're giving money for her name is Nora she's from France and we're going to support her she's here monetarily fun every month and then for any activities the exchange do throughout the area. So you a couple thousand dollars what it is that we lay aside we do a personal moment to get funds. So we've already pencil that in to make that happen. So she's in you know we're trying to get the J1 visa going. That's about a 12week process. So we are right on deadline
005at this at this time and we've gone back and forth and you know when we heard about the dollars we said started working on another program we found out that we get we'll take an exchange student and you know I I knew this because I went to Wil High School I had changed those I reach out I think they still do it they haven't done it in a few years but they won't let a student a student live in Bristol it so we have to find a new post which we may have and depending on what we talk about tonight then I'll go back and try to solidify that but we're personal voters we want we want this child experience the first experience and be part of that you know there's not we're not want
006this so the $19,000 can't happen there's just no way to fun and you know talking to Lman And there's usually not a fee anywhere. I mean he does this year we're doing 70 students going overseas and coming back 71 72 each. So >> that's just on the eastern >> se just on eastern se and we haven't come across this issue about okay you know student goes here we can get to send one over there. So it'll be tough to do it this year for Bristol send them they have to have their paperwork done probably this week. And it's quite process students are all thoroughly vetted come over look at the grades see what class deals English and French is her main language won't be a problem but for a student to go over class we
007have to move pretty quickly if that happens this year but it does open us up for future where we could do this on a yearly basis as long as we can find a host family rest and you know we have a youth youth exchange officer somebody to work with going back and forth and the student and then the host family and then we'll have counselor for her outside of these two groups so she can talk to somebody on a one-on-one basis just to make sure everything's going to it's a great program that's been going on you know has been doing for 20 years it's been going on for I don't know how many more than that >> but it started originally 1929 and then it started again I think I'm going to say 47 48
008and typically worldwide it's down a little bit now about 6,000 to 90,000 kids and coming into this area we have kids from Thailand Argentina over 200 miles southwest this girl is from French speaks English communicating back and forth. >> And what I was really invited is we had two students, one from Japan and one from Germany that came over. It's amazing. You know, they were both seniors. They spoke very well. I mean, highly educated and present themselves very well. And going back the host family, so young lady from Japan, she lived with three different families. to go in three month shifts. You can't find a whole family for a whole year. You can move and give other families the chance to experience >> and they're both here now. >> The girl from now, she's from
009Nagasaki and the German girl is from East Germany about less than 12 miles from the Polish border, southwest German. >> Yeah. A town of 400. So she's when she goes to New York City, she's pretty excited. It's like, wow. Everybody in our town knows her knows what she does and works and everything. >> So, so what what it comes down to is, you know, we're proposing that board of education, we're going to advocate for a change to the policy 6145.6 to remove the original requirement for foreign exchange. We wouldn't think about this one piece for foreign exchange. So we can open this up and you know and really create a cultural exchange in Bristol or overseas. I would think that's the most important to you know get people involved and see see how other people
010grow up how they live and go back and forth where she gets the experience of the Americans. We also get in this case a chance to see how people lived. People live in a small rural community in France, not Paris, but she's about an hour south of your history talk about your history. She's really in historical going back 80 years. And uh we hope that you know the family can learn about this culture firsthand, the students, the the students and the whole school system and deeper understanding of different customs, traditions, perspectives, enriching their own cultural awareness. That's Dave, right? >> But you know, so it gives us chance to see how their language changes. So I go to St. Joseph's church sometime they have the Spanish on one side >> and I didn't read a
011little Spanish but difference between the English and the Spanish the translation is so far off so just to hear her interpretation of our language she comes here speak on everyday basis would open up eyes and so you know and in in today's world to create this bond you know when I had you know Vagner I was in store as senior, you know, we went back and forth for a little bit, but it's not like today where I can text right now. This is this becomes an exchange for today, but changed for a lifetime. They, you know, family she lives with will connect forever to go back and forth. And in this case, you know, she's a 16 year old girl. The family has a 18, 20, and 24 year old. So, that would be a
012good community for her. So we we want to welcome this occasion into our homes and foster so we can foster empathy adaptability and an open mind to all adults young and old alike so we can go forward and we just see is a great opportunity for really the school system and all of us to just broaden our horizons to gain experience that usually hasn't happened in the Bristol community I mean period except for a short basis I know We've had like two week programs, but you'll get to know somebody. So, so that's why we want to get this moving and go forward, not just for this year, but for years to come. So, if you ro our our, you know, we're the service above South, but we really focus in Bristol on youth and we
013give out many grants to nonprofits that help youth programs. We have an interact club in Bristol central and it's the second largest in the state and as a matter of fact the club's getting a award from the Connecticut association of schools on Tuesday for the job they've done with their powder puff volleyball program to give you know I wore my make a wish tish I don't know but and they do this every year. This year went above and beyond what they actually take care of a couple students. So the interact club folks also and you know and what we really base ourselves on is we have a scholarship committee and strictly and and we wish we could tap into these funds for this heart but it's strictly for undergraduate four-year college and this year we'll
014give out $270,000. We've been doing this for about four years. So we give out and it's grown over years. We've been able to grow the base. So this so they know close to $3 million in just the last we Bristol and the surrounding area students for college and talk about life changing opportunities. I every time we talk to them on the phone during co we got the physical the best. I've never cried so much my whole life. you know, just they started just kind of going but it's really about the use and we think this is just another piece we could add to the puzzle growing our future leaders of tomorrow here and overseas. So, thank you very much. >> Thank you. Up for discussion and questions now. >> Yeah, I I have a few
015questions. Thank you. I I'm familiar with the Rotary Club's work and it's wonderful and inspiring and we appreciate all that you give to our community. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Um this might be a question more for the district trying to understand what the $19,000 covers and you know what what might costs to the district be when we accept a student from overseas. And how would a revision to this policy potentially impact other programming? Like I know earlier in the year we had the NICE program, NISE, >> right? >> Uh and that was we had conversations about uh foreign exchange student there. So just trying to understand um what the costs cover, what potential impacts other programming might we encounter if we do change the policy and um there was one other thing that
016I had but let me let me just close those two out and let's see from there if we have any >> so my understanding was from when Rory had reached out I think they had reached out to Susan Ever I reached out to be who director of finance um and she informed that the tuition rate was 19,000 um and what I was told is that was that's been the tition rate that the district had established um for for exchange. Do we recall the last time we had a student where we could assess what that $19,000 is covered? >> I'm not aware unless you're aware >> I I'm speaking um I think I just Oh, there he is. >> Sorry. >> I think lead to budget presentation talked about her people want to say that when
017you broke that down. So I'm wondering if this is not just a foreign exchange student number if it is a what does it cost in Bristol um for the city I think Okay. Yeah, thank you. That's um >> I mean I can understand where you might come to that conclusion. That seems like a sort of a logical conclusion. Um it's it's it's a it's a big number, right? And I think I would want to know like what does that cover >> exactly? Um, and do we have any programming currently that might fall under 61456 that could be impacted um by a revision of policy? >> Good question. Then I'm looking I'm looking at some of the information we got from the uh nice student English immersion program. remember that was back in January we discussed
018it. It was a Bristol Eastern, I believe. Um, and I don't recall if there was um a cost assessed to that experience. Um, it was a shorter duration, so it was not a year program. So, I would expect that it would proportionally be applied at a far less assessment. But um can I ask you I know that you said moving forward we would be able to send students there is that like I don't want to say is that a guarantee but is >> okay you ask okay okay >> we have been sending them out we've been taking one >> every time we send somebody out, you take one in, vice versa. >> So that would be like a one for one, >> right? Alleviate any additional cost. So >> So I think that's the difference
019between the one that the smaller one they did this year, I don't think, right? Whereas this one, it's a one to one. It's just different years. >> I think ideally it would have both been in this year, >> but it's like a time crunch thing, >> right? >> And this is for the upcoming school year, correct? >> The 25 26 school year. >> Um, >> and in your experience with other districts, um, what are some other districts that you have? >> Oh, school districts. Yes. I'm sorry. >> Oh, no. I'm sorry. I can be more specific. >> Oh, I'm sorry. Yeah. Other other school districts. Lenbury is onefield >> and also somebody coming >> and in those in in in your experience with those districts and this program has there ever been an instance like
020this where we a district was only receiving a student and you weren't doing a one for one exchange. >> Absolutely. Almost all of them. I took one in and sent one out. It just mix and match. But but to the extent you got somebody wants to go out next year or two years, that's the way it works. >> It's a big leap for a young kid. >> I mean, you never never left your home before. probably right >> 15 16 year you're going over for nine months to the country >> you know maybe you have you have low some language skills but you probably only have two or three years stops >> so it's tough >> do you find that in the dis the school districts where someone's coming in but another you know one
021of the uh Connecticut students is not going out that those school districts are um charging >> no >> or have a have a tuition associated with We have I mean I've been doing this 20 years. It's the first time I've seen >> wonder if we have we had a chance to look at any other that's the honest answer >> and Essics has never heard of it. >> Gotcha. We went to them and said look they want 20,000 said what it just doesn't happen but it's normally it's definitely at Essics if they're sending out they used to send out about 270 and take 27 now we're down to about 71 co and going >> right right these are really established programs then you you know that you've really grown >> oh yeah it's down now just
022because co it's up it's up a little Certainly up here they haven't done anything in four years and then it's then we reactivated but it's Lichfield has taken into Farmington sent out to it just it just it just varies but to the extent that you wanted to send somebody out we were to cover it somewhere somehow >> take in the one that to match up what you're sending out >> because we have we also have Massachusetts So, I've got the German girl right now in Northampton and I've got two going out from Pittsfield, Massachusetts. I just recently moved up from Georgia, so I apologize. >> Oh, wow. I felt like you were up here. a lifetime. You very fluid with Massachusetts, Georgia. >> We appreciate that great work you're doing and giving students a chance
023to be immersed in another culture. It's really wonderful. >> It's exciting. I mean, I will say only one thing and I don't truth but she this particular girl Although she's 57, but she plays basketball and >> works out in the weight room, whatever that >> you can I don't know what that means. >> Her English is very good. >> Thank you. >> And this was help from the personal basketball program. Not we need any help at this point. >> We're doing pretty well. >> You ain't done with that. Yeah, we did okay with that. >> Philosophically is it is a one. >> Right. Right. Right. Right. >> One one school is much more welcoming. Another one is less so. So if they send one out this other school have mix. >> Sure. >> But the
024students apply start applying in August then they are accepted in October or November. the placements really start February and we don't really find out until March. >> We happen to have here with us tonight two um what I would consider experts in the field of education from PA and I wonder if either of you are comfortable kind of weighing into some like policy that you might be aware of with travel and exchange programs. Um, >> you're on the spot. Sorry. >> Any any policy that that I've seen would would be something that would be very supportive of and encouraging change programs. So, it would just simply lay out the guidelines and and and look at enrolling students and and opportunities and and get into um how grades are counted and weigh way things like that.
025So, but but any any policy that I've seen, any any program I've been involved in as a superintendent or as a as a building principal, I just couldn't be more supportive of and and see the the value of exchange programs. >> And in your experience, um this the $19,000 fee that could potentially be a per pupil expenditure. Um is that typical or do you are you have you not seen that a fee assessed? From my experience, the school district, it was a wasn't a charge or cost for the school district. It was it was usually a Rotary Club or philanthropic organization would would subsidize and program involvement in get attracting the student, bringing the student um ensuring the student had housing and care for meals and all that other good stuff. and the school is
026there to provide an education and a cultural community experience. >> I think this conversation took place before you got here. Um, from what I gather, you charge tuition for students that are um, exchange students and the question is whether or not districts typically charge tuition or not. >> No, not my experience. >> Do we know anybody's ever been charged tuition to come the virtual school system? So, we're we were we were wondering where the policy came from and if something had transpired for this policy to be made. Um, >> my guess is at some point, again, this is just a guess, but there's nothing worse than an unanticipated cost to a superintendent in a board and the board and the board may have been expecting a a tuition or or support from a philanthropic organization.
027It didn't come through and they're on and they were caught holding the bag for that money. There are probably three or four competing programs I think in this area. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe about three or four. >> But I think this is for the student is the least expensive because all are all volunteers, >> right? >> And so it's the least expensive for a student. It's also the safest because we don't just drop a kid off and leave them. They have a a counselor, a president of the club, a district chair, a district protection officer. >> And I'm talking about Rotary District. >> Got you. Yeah. >> Thank you. >> So is considered the safest, the least expensive, and it is the oldest and traditionally it's been the largest, but it
028is not. We do not collect a fee from students going. That's not you know, yeah, there's an issue about paying the airfare and insurance, those items, but it's all it's not just a blanket fee. >> What do you What does a Rotary Club cover for fees? And is the host family, does the host family get a sip? >> No. >> Like a traditional? >> No. Yeah, we're >> okay. >> That's exactly my experience. And Rotary was the organization I've always worked with. Rotarian previous um experience in in a school district and um much of the money that we raised went to exchange program. >> I think from a you know from a person perspective I fully support I I was a host family for exchange students but a different organization not Rotary. Um >> we
029get your name. Well, I have a Bristol Blues player this summer, so I have to circle back. >> So, we're talking about next year. >> Yeah. Oh, boy. I just set myself up. >> Just set myself up. It's important. Okay. What what my point being is that it's it's I think it's valuable equally for the host family and obviously the student as well um to have that experience. I we want to see what other people think. >> I was gonna say a couple questions that I heard kind of come out of our conversations tonight were what does that 19,000 specifically go? What's that move towards? Um and then it sounded like possibly looking at some of the other school districts policies and how they're worded or if there's any model policy. >> I'm sure we
030can find one. I did look at Farmington and it does say um a tuition fee um must be um the district must it must be paid in full um before entering the United States but it doesn't say what the tuition is like. >> So I mean I think it's a great opportunity. It's that 19,000 of >> what does it cover? >> Well, you know per pupil expenditure It's really I mean it's broad. It's like there's really no like true formula that's establishes this is a it's the cost of a district to educate a student. And when you think about what that entails I mean from nuts to bolts you know staff all all of the things materials you know what does it cost to educate student X and and what I what I Think about
031it and I may be incorrect but it's taking the number of students in your budget. So you might need >> a nurse OT PT you know so you might be a $40,000 >> and I might be in general education average student don't have any of those needs. >> So I might be But us together we're $19,000 average. So I think that's also when we see that it cost $1,000. >> I just want to jump in. um your your report the status profile shows but yeah I don't know whether you self report that state or whe that's kind of the take the amount of the budget divide it by the number of kids and to point you bring a student in with other value to the district it doesn't really cost you anything um to have
032that student come in as long as there's a quid proquo. I don't see it right. You can also have in the policy that it would require that you would have to hire another teacher, another st other staff members. So um you know, you certainly wouldn't want to have to hire another algebra teacher and another um English teacher because your class load in that way. >> So you would be able to have those kind of trip wires to to >> right. This one student I can imagine tipping the scale anywhere >> and it would be a high school aged >> student 16. So >> that would either be >> she's on the young side. >> Yeah. I just can't imagine it really tipping the scale at a classroom size or you know a resource >> issue,
033>> right? >> I do one point of clarification. I probably shouldn't say anything but the Farmington situation is somewhat unique. They they love to take part as long as it's postgraduate which does us. >> They have sent students out and they send students out other high schools have stepped up to take their turn. >> I don't know what's going to happen in the superintendent has just retired. >> Oh yeah. So I I'm gonna pass on that. But I you brought up I wasn't gonna say anything but right now it's having huge exchange last year. >> So it's you brought it up. So they don't take any students in where they would where you would have like anecdotal experience about what they're charging. They don't they're not taking students in. >> Farmington is not. >> Okay.
034Gotcha. >> Yeah. I've got to go. They don't take them in. >> Okay. But they have had administration changes all over the place. >> So I don't know what's going to happen. >> They know they see the value that way. They're not going to take >> I live just past the goal post. Oh, >> a new high school. >> I'm feeling just a little conflicted because I know that you're it's a time-sensitive matter for the Rotary. >> Sure. >> And I I think I I want to be very supportive because it's such an amazing experience >> and we have some potential policy language in front of us. I mean, typically in my comfort zone, I love to have what? This is our current. >> This is Oh, this is our current policy. >> Yeah. Yes.
035Is current policy. So this is just to remove right. >> Oh paragraph I highlighted that we have a highlighter >> um where it's in that very first. >> Yeah. Students family would be expected to pay the two tuition rate established for the district. >> Right. >> We don't anticipate that this is a graduation issue. >> Okay. >> It's only a single year. She's not, you know, she's not going to stay here for two years. She wants graduate from Bristol Central, which I would understand why she'd want to do that. >> Well, I mean, Bristol could decide whether or not it has a tuition rate as well. I mean, if we're not in a position where we're modifying the policy at this point without looking at other model policy, it, you know, it could be a
036a decision of whether or not you would assess a tuition rate or not. Um I don't know what >> I would add that you might look at two in terms of what their policy is because that's who we're working with this particular time. That's always nice ideally to have because if if we had policy that we would want to revise and we would vote on it here if we wanted to move it to the full board and we have our board meeting next week and then the full board >> could review and decide whether or not they wanted to um you know vote in that the changes to remove the tuition tuition requirement. Um, >> I'm gonna probably bite my tongue for saying this, but um >> I I do think it's really important to
037codify whatever you want to do in policy, but if there was an exceptional circumstance, you could always vote as a board to wave the policy for the first year. If you found that you were in a situation a student's able to come in, we had somebody that can be taken out, >> we could always vote to wave that policy for the year. >> Right. Right. >> That be another option. >> Time. not at this time. >> Yeah. >> And I think it would be a huge um asset to the building to start having exchange students and this could be the beginning of a new tradition. >> Well, and we have established that it's something that we value when we looked at the NICE program earlier this year and it was something that we >> supported
038fully. So, I feel like this would be an extension of that. the next level up, >> you know, and and bringing that experience to Bristol and allowing our students to have that experience abroad as well. >> So, it sounds like Oh, yes. >> I would just encourage encourage you to ensure that the high school principles involved with this decision and, you know, is able to provide input and maybe a counseling head counseling. Those are going to be two real critical figures to ensure the success of the student. >> Have they not been I I started with Pete. >> Okay. I thought I he sent me not my decision. >> He didn't say, "Yeah, I would 100% behind this, but he just pushed me over." >> Well, any smart principal will do that. >> Right. Right.
039>> Could be, you know, Eastern Central. I mean, there are two options, >> right? Exactly. >> But it would also pick Central because we're the host. Yeah, that's what I was wondering. Right. >> Oh, yeah. And we can and it all comes down to the whole family. That's all. Seems like the next some next steps might be if um maybe um super white if you could check in with um principal >> um wager >> and the counselors if they're on board we could put it on our upcoming board agenda >> and discuss and possibly take action on waving the policy for a year. Would we just wave part the part of the policy that assesses the tuition because there I think there are other parts of the policy before us that >> would might be
040important um when it >> makes a lot of sense specific. Yes, it's still some guidance, some guidelines policy, but the actual tuition piece of it, you want more conversations about >> any do we have to make a motion? Is would this be something that we have to make a motion on here or can we just is it just an action that we do outside of the committee meeting and then add it to the board agenda? >> Would we make a motion here so it comes out of policy? And >> do you typically make motions and and and break things out at this >> typically? That would be a good idea. >> It's been very helpful having you here tonight. like what do we get into >> for our next conversation? >> I'm ready for that.
041>> Um, okay. So, I would like to make a motion to move policy 6145.6 six. Um to the full board for discussion and approval with a carve out of um potentially waving the tuition rate established for the district at the conclusion of the prior year. >> Conclusion of the So maybe if it's just um moving policy 6145.6 to the full board waving the tuition assessment. So it's see that whole sentence right? >> Yeah. Maybe recommending a waving >> recommend recommending a tuition assessment >> assessment for a year >> to to allow the board to consider um bringing in a an exchange student or something. assessment for the year to consider to allow for an exchange students. Michelle, did you get that? >> Do I have a second? I'll second. >> Did you make it? >>
042Okay. Okay. >> Hearing none. All those in favor? >> I So, this will be on the um once we check in with the principal and the counselors at central. This potentially will be on the upboard meeting and I can keep you and Dave in the loop because I think it would be great for you to be present um at that meeting for questions and provide a an overview. >> Thank you so much. Thank you for >> We hope we can do this for a long long time. That's really >> nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. Thank you. >> That brings us to number six and that is our our school climate policy. >> Great. >> Thank you. >> Jody, are you local? >> I live in Avon. Avon. All right. Well, >> I
043was hoping I had a new Rotarian. I hope I had a new Rotarian for Bristol. >> But thank you very much. But I can hook you up with Avon, though. That's all right. We all need good people. >> Absolutely. >> We meet every Tuesday at Park 8. >> Come on over for breakfast. first practices on me and then we can talk about joining Rotary. Bring cash. Bring cash. No, no, no. I got it. I got it. I got it. I got it. Thank you very much. >> All right, we got this. >> Yeah, this is gonna be good. >> So, um kind of looking around a little bit. >> So, we're trying to get ourselves back into compliance and this is going to be our first step because this one is coming up um for
044July 2025. Um and what it does is it really defines what's expected of the schools and of the district in regards to climate. um a lot of the a lot of the pieces of this um puzzle we already have in place. So for example, having a um a survey for students, for families, and for faculty, we have that in place and we've had it for years. We have a district school climate um committee. We've had that for years. Um we have uh climate committees in each school. Um so that's in place. Um the only and then there's some guidelines as far as um uh you know cyber bullying and dating but we have our errands law in place. We have um our school counselors push in. We also have has a different name, but we
045do we have the hive up in Chippens Hill. Um we have the crew at most of the elementary schools and it's it's a half an hour every day that works towards um giving students uh community building skills, relationship skills, self-regul regulation skills. So we do have all of that in place. Um we also have a climate um committee with um Steve who does security and climate and he has a few people underneath him. We have Erica who also works on climate. We have a climate camp um this summer. The climate camp is going to be bringing in uh a family from each school. So it'll be parents from the school, teachers from the school, support staff from the school, and we're going to work on uh student engagement. We also have created the um parent
046university for next year. Right now we have pre which is a parenting class that they that we offer. Next year it's going to be a sequence of different um opportunities for parents to um take part in the school. So that parent engagement that this discusses is uh already in place. Um and they outline, you know, the idea of the challenging behavior reporting form that is new, but we do have a lot of reporting forms that we already fill out. So that will be kind of a seamless um turn into this policy. So my recommendation would be to bring it to the full board. Um, people at K did a really nice job on this one. >> That was a year of my life. >> Thank you. Are there uh major differences between this and what
047we have currently? So I feel as though Bristol especially after CO really embraced climate. So um we have we have for the last five years um been what we call working through north stars and the very first north star was the established um understanding of what the climate was and how we can improve it and so um that has come into um into the schools. We had started with the panorama data taking that and really just trying to grow our tools from what the state said. Um, so I feel like we've gone we have exceeded our own policy for years and when I looked at what the state is um recommending a lot of what the growth that we actually end at a minimum what we have is is in compliance with our statutory obligations
048>> and then Bristol has maybe even some more sort of enriching parts of our our policy that you know kind of goes above what the baseline is. The only thing in here that I saw that we don't have um in every school is an FRC. >> However, we do have it um at Southside already. >> Um I believe we might have it at Green Hills and West >> and in um the other elementary schools, we do have the um social workers which are an added component in the last couple of years. So we do >> we don't call them FRC's but we do have uh people to support that. So >> it would be wonderful to have an F FRC, you know, >> superintendent >> the funding would just roll along with it. >> Exactly.
049>> Wonderful. >> It does, you know, with there's no ceiling on on anything. What would an ideal public schools look like? You know, we can always work towards that end. >> Can I just speak a little bit about this since I >> Yeah. [Laughter] The legislation when this was originally drafted a couple years ago was designed around it looked at where bullying policies have have gone and bullying policies were more concerned around due process. They were more reaction to poor behavior. um we start with an accusation of bullying and often as an administrator, as a principal or a superintendent um you discovered through the due process and through the deliberation process of investigating the issue, you find often um it wasn't a boring issue. may have been just simply a student behaving inappropriately and um
050and then all then you have to go back to the parent who was thinking this is a bullying issue and then then pull back and say well what it's in rise to level of bullying and so therefore we're treating it as a behavioral issue and that created a lot of um conflict with parents who had certain expectations and with the administrators and so the legislature decided that you know through through its work and deliberation wanted to create a take a whole different approach to school climate. that if you have these systems in place, if you have improvement plans and you have these different groups that are doing the work and and and you're continuing to improve your school climate and and look at every challenging behavior, the challenging behavior and address those behaviors so they
051don't escalate bullying. You'll have fewer incidents of bullying and not have to deal with starting up here and then working your way down, but starting down here and then work your way up. So, so the legislature said that so it determined that cave would create a policy and that the policy would be approved um and with technical support from commission of women children seeing as equity and opportunity. It's a state state um agency or or part of a state agency. So in creating the policy I had to have it approved by this organization and they approved it unanimously. So, so once they approved it, then it became the the policy that every school district in the state of Connecticut has to adopt. So, so without which is very unusual. Typically, legisl legislature will say that
052you need a policy on homework, but it won't determine what the policy is. Districts can do that. This is very unusual and that the the legislature said that K has to create the policy. has to be approved by this organization and every district has to approve this this policy word for word and and and comply with all the various um aspects of this policy. Make sure that districts have a restorative practices policy that goes along with that. even though that's a policy the board can create itself. Although we do have model policy, you have to make sure that you have a school climate improvement plan and it has to um be reviewed every year and you have a school climate specialist. And so all of this basically creates the architecture for your your school climate
053improvement work the district where where districts are getting a little bit tripped up is it doesn't really get into Well, what if we have an issue around bullying? What what if we do our investigation, we look at a challenge behavior, but boy, this kid is clearly meeting and exceeding this definition of bullying. What do you do? You just can't. And so this policy doesn't really address that. What does address it is probably your student discipline policy. And so whether it's student discipline, conduct, other other policies that get into what happens when a student misbehaves and within that policy, you probably have language around bullying. I would just encourage you if you have language around bullying and that be one of those policies that you would sure make sure that you're using the same definition and
054and and so when an issue does rise to the level of needing a definition of bullying you can then I'm not sure you want to employ necessarily restorative practices you're going to want to look at suspension I mean school suspension might even look at expulsion if it's something that's really the level of an expellable offense. So there are tools that administration has that the board has to deal with aberant behavior. What this policy really deals with is creating school climates where that aberant behavior is less of an issue because you're dealing with the challenges. >> Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, that was really helpful. Super helpful. >> Good. Good. I know a lot lot of districts are getting tripped up with that. You're asking you know you know superintendents I had a superintendent call First
055of all, call like a couple weeks ago. You call me a couple weeks ago. This is due in July 1. And you know, we've had this out for two years. You're calling me now. You don't have a superintendent like that. >> Okay. >> Not on this anyway. >> To keep me honest. Um, but what I pointed out was that, you know, don't look at this policy to address suspensions, expulsions, discipline. look at this policy as as as creating positive school climate, but you do have I'm sure you have a conduct policy, a discipline policy and you might want to refine that and and make sure that you have that that policy gets beyond what this policy provides and you also need will need a restorative practices policy which is a policy we have a model
056for it but you can use your own language for it. You can create your own policy around it. Unlike a school climate policy, the restorative practices policy you have to have is is your own draft of that policy. >> Thank you. Yeah. So that's that's helpful. So really this I mean we have like you had mentioned I think lots of the right things built in to this the the school climate policy. It sounds like this as it is presented, you know, really does need to be adopted because there's it's mandated to be adopted as it exists and we do have built in to this, you know, policy are other supports >> and it so that's seems easy. >> It's an easy decision. I'd like to make a motion to um move policy 5131.911 a Connecticut
057school climate policy to the full board for discussion. Second any further discussion questions hearing none. All in favor I >> motion passes. >> I just had discussion and adoption. Oh, discussion and adoption. >> Well, we're specifically said A, but it's the whole policy. >> It's the whole policy. Yeah. >> Oh, >> is the first page. >> Got it. >> Take that out. >> I need spectacles now. >> Thank you so much. >> People here. >> I love it. You guys >> should come to all of our meetings. >> Um And so that brings us to number seven. Um, which I'd like to make a motion to, um, move the should be our August, >> right? >> Move it to our um, move the item number seven to our August policy committee meeting. >> Second. >>
058None. All in favor? >> Motion passes. And that brings us to the end of our day at 7:01. >> All right. Thank you. So it went on as Okay.