001e e e we're going to call the meeting to order so we're going to call the meting to order thank you can we all stand for the Pledge of Allegiance I pledge aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liy and justice for all okay I'm going to give everyone just a minute to grab a seat that's looking at the end at the very end of the table yeah there you go okay well we're going to start with our teacher of the year recognition Dr Lon thank you very much Madam president it's my pleasure to turn it over to our assistant superintendent Human Resources Mr hamut thank you Dr laws good evening and welcome everyone my name is Ali ham
002I'm the assistant superintendent of Human Resources uh it is my pleasure to welcome you to the 2025 Wald Lake Consolidated Schools teacher of the year celebration tonight we'll have an opportunity to celebrate the unique talents and contributions that our teachers bring to the classroom every single day this prestigious award is truly a wonderful way to honor our exemplary Educators across the board here's an overview of the rigorous process that we we use to determine the teacher of the year a teacher is nominated by a colleague student parent or administrator each School pairs with another school in the district which selects the teacher of the year for its partner schools through an anonymous review the 20 finalists of for each school then Advance the second round in the second round a committee of past teachers of
003the year a board member and administrator select six from the 20 buildings by reviewing their application and recommendation letters then the six finalists advancing to the final round sub submit an essay titled why I teach and participate in an interview with the selection committee based on these the committee selects three finalists one from each level at the elementary middle and high school level our three District finalists will then go on as applicants for the Oakland County Teacher of the Year all honores this evening are extraordinary teachers who support every child every day it is now my honor to recognize the Wald Lake teachers of the year for each teacher I will be sharing quotes and letters of support we will start with Wald Lake Early Childhood Center and Elementary level I will then call your
004name please come forward stand next to the podium somewhere around here right uh and um and then accept this C certificate from Dr L and the Board of Education take a photo and proceed to accept a token of appreciation from Mrs Gerwin and the foundation for excellence you can then return to your seat at this time ECC teacher then elementary teachers please line up along this line along this wall over here EC first and then all the elementary teachers if you can please come on up line up against the wall in alphabetical order by school by school of course by school I'm Sorry by school alphabetical order yep okay all right Dr L's on the board if you can come on up please thank you after Dr that would be great thank you all right
005Early Childhood Center Lisa Evans Lisa Evans has been an integral part of the school Community for 27 years consistently demonstrating a passion for education and a genuine care for each students growth Lisa is the first teacher many of of our students have and her kind and warm personality provides a safe and welcoming environment her ability to create an inclusive and engaging learning environment has significantly impacted our students academic achievements and personal development Lisa understands that her job is an early childhood special education te teacher is full of challenges and can be unpredictable Lisa demonstrates patience and wisdom every day in her intentional planning intentional planning and interactions with her students ladies and gentlemen Mrs Lisa Evans next we have Commerce Elementary Christy Harrington christe is an incredible member of our school Community each day she
006she displays the qualities that embody heart and spirit of what it means to be an educator Mrs Harrington builds incredible relationships with students as an exceptional teammate and leader among staff she excels at doing the little things that make huge differences when not teaching you will find her making positive phone calls home to parents leading video announcements participating as student council representatives and a and mentoring staff in addition to this award christe was named the shape Michigan teacher of the year last year this year oh this year sorry well this year what is last year was it last year 24 okay it is truly inspiring to witness the impact she has on our school Community Commerce is very lucky to have her as part of the team Mrs Christy Harring [Applause] double and Elementary Sarah
007witson Sarah is the epitome of dedication and creativity bringing passion enthusiasm to art class to the art classroom at Dublin every day she gives 100% to each lesson ensures art is engaging accessible and a place where each student can freely Express themselves she allows all students to explore their own creativity and and unique talents making the art room a safe and inspiring space Sarah is collaborative with the art program districtwide and with Dublin staff she is a valued and inspiring educator we are so lucky to have Sarah's positive presence with us at Dublin thank you for all that you do at Dublin Miss Sarah witson thank you Glen Gary Elementary Robert vote Mr vote is a dedicated and passionate physical education teacher at Glen Gary Elementary known for his exceptional leadership strong student relationships and
008unwavering commitment to Excellence he creates a positive and nurturing environment for where students Thrive his calm demeanor and warm smile makes the gyma play students eagerly look forward to beyond the classroom Bob's leadership shines through initiatives like organizing the annual field day which Fosters school spirit and Community engagement Bob's unwavering commitment and dedication to both our students and and the community make him an invaluable asset to our school Mr Bob V [Applause] guest Elementary cayb Brin Mrs Caleb Brin is such an asset to guest Elementary where she is cherished by colleagues students and parents alike she Fosters a classroom environment rich in love respect and kindness all while maintaining high expectations for all students her Innovation her Innovative teaching methods and unwavering passion for ensuring that every child learns at high level set her apart
009as an exceptional educator Mrs Bren is a natural Problem Solver consistently seeking unique and Creative Solutions to complex challenges her colleagues frequently turn to her for advice and guidance a testament to her expert and support we are proud to call Kayla a guest Elementary Wildcat champ Mrs cayb [Music] [Applause] Bren Hickory Woods Elementary Carrie Murray Mrs Carrie Murray is a kind and empathetic individual who embodies the true Spirit of education her commitment to collaboration and her ability to work with diverse students make her an invaluable asset to any educational environment her soft spoken nature and loving demeanor creates a positive classroom environment where her students feel encouraged inspired and supported she has a unique ability to foster a sense of community among her students making a lasting impact on her students and families she challenges
010her students to be their very best while celebrating the unique talents her posit her positivity is complemented by her dependability and willingness to help students reach their full potential her loving approach Foster Fosters a sense of belonging and encourages students to express themselves freely while contributing to a harmonious learning atmosphere Mrs Carrie Murray Keith Elementary Mark Jan Dr Augustine shared I had the pleasure of knowing Mr Jan since 2016 he has consistently demonstrated exceptional dedication empathy Integrity as an as a teacher at Keith Elementary he went above and beyond to make learning engaging often incorporating his personal experiences like sharing stories from his travels or Hands-On activities like dissecting green beans to illustrate scientific Concepts Mr Jan fostered an inclusive and welcoming classroom environment where all students felt safe to take academic risks and he
011earned the respect of both students and colleagues for his thoughtful supportive approach he was committed to creating a positive and collaborative School culture and his work ethic organizational skills and strong relationships with parents and colleagues make him U he was colleagues have greatly benefited our schools although Mr Jan tragically passed away in October his legacy and impact on our school Community make him more than deserving of this honor his daughter Chelsea is here to accept this award on B behalf Mr Mark J just wait for a second Lon Lake Elementary Kelly hiny Mrs Rose shares I had I've had the opportunity to get to know Kelly this year as she is a fourth grade teacher in our building in the time that I've known her I found I found Kelly to be knowledgeable dedicated and
012an enthusiastic educator she has gained the respect of of many of her colleagues and is loved by so many students Kelly is is to be commended for her work ethic engagement in professional learning communities and respect for students and staff as a professional as well as a parent in the district who is profoundly interested in and engaged in education of our students within our community I strongly endorse Kelly hin Keef for the teacher of the year uh for the teacher of the year I strongly recommend her with our reservations knowing that she is imminent worthy for top consideration Mrs Kelly [Applause] hinki metal Brook Elementary Betsy Phillips Betsy Phillips is an outstanding educated with 20 years of experience across general education resource room and her current role as a behavioral interventionist Betsy build strong trusting
013relationships with students families and teammates always ensuring individuals feel seen and heard despite her vast experience Betsy remains humble and dedicated to continuous growth she listens actively and engages in meaningful discussions enriching her her team spirit her positive problem solving approaches encourages students to rise to the challenge while feeling supported and respected Betsy's influence creates a nurturing environment where students Thrive academically and personally making meow Brook a better place for all she is a valuable asset to the community and a model educator in the wal Lake Consolidated School District Mrs Betsy Phillips Oakley Park Elementary Leslie beis vulkar Leslie is a teacher every parent wishes for their Stu their child her passion for teaching is contagious igniting and a love for learning in every student she understands and connects with each each child to create
014a safe and supportive learning environment where students feel both valued and respected her classroom is a warm and welcoming is warm and welcoming for all students current past and future she is a building leader both in and outside of her classroom but what truly sets Leslie apart from others in her strong is her strong connections with people at the heart of her practice is how she prioritized the whole child she puts forth the sincerest efforts to get to know her students as individuals and takes great interest in the lives of her students in the classroom and Beyond Leslie is the best of Wald Lake and Oakley Park could not be prouder to have her as our teacher of the year Miss Leslie buus [Applause] falkers Pleasant Lake Elementary Brenda Raymond Brenda Raymond has is has
015been a beacon of Love patience and wisdom in our district for many years she is a hardworking caring and dynamic teacher leader that dedicates much of her life her time and energy to positively impacting the lives of Young Learners her colleagues and the Pleasant Lake Community in her classroom students become confident and pathetic Cooperative Learners in kindergarten Mrs rayman's impact extends outside of her classroom as she mentors new teachers leads professional development for her team and co-chairs the social committee at Pleasant Lake Elementary Mrs Raymond's impact can also be felt by our high school graduates as she raises funds and awards the Dale the Andy Dale scholarship each spring to graduating seniors as Wald Lake Prides itself on thinking of every child every day so does Brenda Raymond Raymond Mrs Brenda Raymond Wald Lake Elementary
016Aaron phy year after year Aaron magically connects with students who have struggled behaviorally or academically in previous grade levels in her classroom she shows tremendous growth academically they show tremendous growth academically and behaviorally typically well above a Year's growth over the course of a a year's time their confidence sores and their special adults at home Embrace a new level of calm about their child's success at school her work and attitude exemplify servant leadership she gently offers new ideas meets staff where they are at and asks what barriers can she remove to encourage others to grow their practice and their learning a colleague wants this described her as a humble leader those words could not be more true and are the essence of her work success and expansive impact on our students and our school Community
017Mrs Aaron [Applause] fol Wixom Elementary Lindsay Lopez Mrs Lopez is an exceptional educator who consistently goes above and beyond to cultivate an engaging and inclusive classroom environment with 12 years of teaching experience including nine in Wald Lake she has a remarkable talent for connecting with students from all backgrounds creating a sense of belonging her commitment to building meaningful relationships with students staff and families demonstrate her genuine care and compassion Mrs Lopez's positive of attitude and unwavering dedication Inspire everyone in the in the school Community making her a true role model for all ladies and gentlemen Mrs Lindsay Lopez conat thank you to all of our amazing elementary teachers at this time we would like to recognize our Middle School teachers Middle School teachers please line up in alphabetical order by school and proceed in line
018similar in the similar fashion after I call your name Sarah Banks thank you thank you Banks middle school Chelsea Shakur Chelsea Shakur brings unmatched attention to detail to every aspect of her teaching she ensures that each lesson is not only academically rigorous but also engaging meaningful and tailored to her students unique needs as the science department as a science department chairperson she leads by example consistently innovating and seeking new ways to improve methods of instruction having grown up in the very Community sheel serves Chelsea Shakura brings a deep sense of Pride and responsibility in her role she understands firsthand the importance of caring supportive and inclusive School environment and she has worked tirelessly to build one for every student who enters her classroom Mrs Chelsea Shakur Creek Middle School Mark little Mr Tabo writes I'm
019thrilled to announce that Mr Mark little has been recognized as the teacher of the year for the 2024 2025 school year throughout my career I've had the privilege of working with Mr little and and I am very and I'm truly impressed by his exceptional qualities his positive attitude and outlook on life are inspiring and his students are fortunate to have him as a Guiding Light and Mentor in their lives Mr Little's passion for teaching is evident in every interaction he has with his students making him an invaluable asset to our educational institution Mr Mark little Geisler Middle School Jeff snowy Mr snowy consistently demonstrates exceptional dedication and passion for teaching science Making a lasting impression on his students and the broader School Community as a science teacher Mr snowy ignites curiosity and fosters a love
020for learning in this classroom his ability to engage students in Hands-On experiments made have made classroom made has made his science classroom both accessible and exciting he encourages critical thinking and creativity empowering his students to explore and ask questions about the world around them Beyond his Beyond his classroom Mr snowy serves as one of our track coaches where he exemplifies leadership and mentorship his commitment to developing not only athletic skills but also teamwork and perseverance resonates with his athletes helping them grow on the field and off the field Mr Jeff [Applause] snowy Smart Middle School Rachel Sims Rachel creates an inclusive and nurturing environment where every student feels valued and supported students Thrive under her guidance knowing they are not just learners for but contributor me contributing members of society and of a caring classroom
021Community she takes the time to understand each student's unique needs and tailors her approach accordingly ensuring that every student can succeed both academically and socially Rachel engages her families and recognizes the vital role they play in their child's success and development her communication skills and compassion approach a compassionate approach helped families feel comfortable and involved in their child's education Rachel stands out as a beacon of inspiration her impact on her students's lives is profound and her dedication to their overall well-being extends beyond the classroom Mrs Rachel Sims thank you to our amazing Middle School teachers we will now acknowledge our high school teachers High School teachers please line up Wald Lake Central Wald Lake Northern Walt Lake western CN W are hard I know letters are hard letters are thanks Central High School Andrew tiberan
022Mr Bell will be accepting this award on his behalf Mr tian's Devotion to our profession our school and our students is unwavering consist consistently themes of compassion care inclusivity and positivity emerge among those who know him all underscored by his commitment to delivering an exceptional education in her own nomination for Mr Tiberian his colleague in former wal Lake Central teacher of the year Liz colen writes as a teacher coach and coworker and he is the go-to guy when there is a problem if he doesn't have a solution he will help you find it we we AE AE I'm sorry we a affectionately affectionately call him Mr Fixit to all of us at Wald Lake Central and Beyond Mr tiberan is unmistakably a teacher who is dedicated to his students his students needs comes first last
023and always Mr tiberan Northern High School Ashley Ward Mr Diamond writes to be honored as the School's teacher of the year is quite an accomplishment at Wall Lake Northern to receive this honor the teacher must be a leader among peers consistently looking to improve upon their craft of teaching contribute to the culture of the school but most importantly possesses the commitment and desire to ensure that every student reaches their fullest potential as Learners I'm very happy to announce that wal Lake northern's 2025 teacher of the year fits the standard very well it is my most sincere pleasure to recognize Mrs Ashley Ward as the Wald Lake northern's teacher of the year Mrs Ashley Ward all right Western High School Kevin Francis Kevin Francis is an outstanding educator whose dedication Innovation and Care make him a
024deserving recipient of the wal Lake Western High School teacher of the year award he connects the students he connects with students through diverse teaching roles fostering success in all Learners and is deeply respected by students and staff alike beyond the classroom he builds School culture with fun activities and supports students at extracurricular activities his leadership and commitment to the school Community exemplify his values of Wal Lake schools and embodies the Warrior Way Mr Kevin Francis thank you to all our magnificent High School teachers of the year before I officially announce this year's finalists for each level I would like to take this time and this opportunity to show everyone a the surprise video presentation board members and Dr LW you may be seated please today is an amazing day in Wild Lake I have the
025honor to repr presentent our Board of Education our Central Administration and all of our staff by congratulating our three districtwide teachers of the year you have the best elementary teacher in all of Wald Lake he's teacher of the [Music] year it was a shock it was a shock I I don't know what I thought other than it just like I got nervous all of a sudden but there's so many great teachers in in this district and and um to be recognized as one of them is is like I said it's a very humbling honor you don't get sometimes you don't get all the Kudos but that's not why we do what we do anyway we do it for the kids and and to be able to have this and be recognized in front of my
026students is very cool Bob vote brings such energy to Glen Gary on a day-to-day basis his enthusiasm and flexibility is is a joy I was asking the kids a few minutes ago when I was in there and I said what do you love about Mr vote and they said his kindness his energy and keep they keep him safe and that's what you see I love what I do I love what I do with the kids and to be able to be here every day um and the smiles on their faces and and and you know learning from them as much as I think that they're learning from me it it I just I couldn't be in a better place your teacher Mrs Shakur is the teacher of the year for all of the Middle School
027teachers in the district we couldn't be happier it's unreal um such an honor quite a surprise but but it just really is fantastic it's heartwarming I work with phenomenal Educators and to just be named you at the top of that list is it's you know it's humbling it really is it was awesome to see a teacher that I really like to win win a an award she's just such a such a kind person and um you know whenever I've had trouble with any kind of lesson that I've had um or anything that I just want to ask her a question um she's always open to answer Ing and she's always open to uh helping me it's always like fun and she does she like doesn't like just drone on the whole time about stuff and
028she always manages it to relate it to like something fun and like games and um online like simulations and stuff so that's nice Chelsea is is a leader she's a teacher leader among staff and students from the moment I stepped foot at Sarah Banks I knew that Chelsea was a dynamic rock star of a teacher she has passion enthusiasm and a love for kids that you don't see every single day good morning everyone Mr Von how are you fine it is my pleasure to say congratulations to be teacher of the year for all high school teachers in our district you are so lucky to work with them just watching the number of people walk you know walk through the door I just my heart rate uh started to race there it means a lot because
029I have an opportunity to work you know in in either directly in classrooms with people or you know a lot of my students on a resource room teacher so I'm in direct contact and I continually see the great things that everybody in this building does on a daily basis Stan is my number one te he always supports me in his in his students he helps out when we're having a bad day Andy is the type of teacher that students love staff respects parents um depend on he's the type of teacher that really behind the scenes helps make this school run as well as it does he does so many things for our students I like flying under the radar so it's just difficult for me to try and wrap my head around [Music] [Applause] this
030that was an incredible video that's see how much fun we have in school it's amazing thank you to our uh community relations department for putting this together indeed an amazing job at this time I would like to introduce Mrs Jackie Gerwin the executive director of the foundation for excellence hi everyone I will keep this short and sweet but the foundation exists to support teachers and students across the district typically with classroom grants but one of the other wonderful things we do is we give a small gift of appreciation to all of our teachers of the year and we also give an additional gift to our uh three teachers of the Year from each grade level so as I assume they're going to be called up shortly so I will present those to you at that
031time but congratulations to every single one of you I know how hard you guys work every single day and I wish that everybody could see how hard you work and even though you guys are here to celebrate the teacher of the year there are so many phenomenal teachers in this district and I wish we could do this for every single one of them each year because you are all so deserving but congratulations to every single one of you for this year's accomplishments and we hope that the rest of the year continues to be as successful thank you thank you Jackie and thank you to the foundation for excellence for all the wonderful work that you do to support our schools Wald Lake Schools Federal Credit Union are also big supporters of our amazing teachers please
032welcome Brian Phil [Applause] spash hello uh for anybody who doesn't know who we are we are wal Lake school's Federal Credit Union we have been in business for over 70 years and we are in business exclusively to serve faculty and students of the school district as well as their families as well as city employees for wal Lake Wixom Commerce Township and Wolverine Lake but really the main reason we exist is for the school system and so uh we were invited to tag along to award flowers and balloons for the teacher of the year presentation and tonight we have another special surprise for the teachers who are the finalists um I have a $250 Visa gift card for each of the finalists so if Robert vote Chelsea Shakur and Andrew tan want to come back up
033I have a $250 gift card here to reward you for your hard work and thank you for your dedication to the schools welcome thank you from Andy this one you can't spend got his name on can I go to dinner thank you Brian for being here this evening and for always supporting the Walle Consolidated School District as well as a teacher of the year finalists sorry I know you went back you you're going to have finalists uh please remain up here as you are called um for to accept another certificate from Dr Lon and the president of the board Mrs Stephanie Kaplan if you can come forward thank you as well as the gifts that you received from you know the foundation for excellence and the credit union please remain up here thanks as as
034each finalist approaches well you already approached but I will I will share a portion from the essay that they wrote why why I teach our elementary teacher of the year is Mr Bob Bob Robert vote from Glen gar Elementary Mr vote wrote as to why he teaches the the simple answer as to why I teach it's my students they are the biggest reason why I do what I do their energy and enthusiasm drives me the smiles on their faces and the excitement I hear in their voices as they walk into the gym motivate me to be the best I can for them I want to make each day a better day for all of them because that is what what that is what they deserve I strive to create an experience that they will remember
035and take with them well beyond their time in my gym at Glen Gary Elementary I teach to make an impact congratulations again our Middle School teacher of the year is Mrs Chelsea Shakur from Sarah Banks middle school Chelsea wrote I teach because I always feel encouraged and supported by the phenomenal people that I am lucky enough to work with who motivate me each day to be the best possible version of myself I teach because middle school students are hilarious and I love them and I love them yes even despite their awkwardness their impulsiveness and their hormones I teach because as cliche as it sounds these students are our future leaders and productive community members and I want to do my part to provide proper guidance as an educator I am doing everything in my power
036to contribute to the greater good and hopefully along the way I can make positive differences in the lives of some incredible children Mrs Chelsea Shakur our high school teacher of the year is Mr Andrew tiberan from Walt Lake Central High School and Mr Joe Bell is here to accept this on his behalf in 34 years of teaching so many things have changed over this time span what has however remained consistent are the opportunities to assist students and to see their potential and self-worth to help students realize that they have the power to change their lives these are the aspects of our profession that got me hooked and are what continue to dve me to provide an experience for each student that will help them realize their purpose my goal as an educator is not to
037focus on being a great teacher but rather to help students focus on and learn how to be great humans congratulations to Mr Andrew tiberan please please stay up here thanks please help me to congrat ulate these outstanding teachers on their prestigious honor as the 2024 2025 wal day Consolidated Schools teachers of the Year and best wishes as you are considered for the Oakland County teacher of the year please remain standing as we have a special announcement this evening our top three teachers were ranked based on nomination forms and essays please know that the decision was extremely difficult it is very hard to separate the best from the best these three will each receive an additional award for their outstanding countless contributions to our students staff and Community with that being said I would like to
038announce I would like to announce our third place winner Chelsea Shakur our second place winner Mr Robert vote and our first place winner and Wald Lake School's teacher of the year Mr Andrew Tiberian at this time please give a warm welcome to our special guest this evening Mrs Audrey ramp Garrett heninger and Steve Hartwick from the La Fontaine Chrysler Jeep Ram dealer here in Wald Lake welcome thank you everybody and if you don't know who we are we're right down the street from here less than two minutes it seems like and uh you know I didn't really expect to have to give a speech or say much today uh it's my first time here uh but I have worked at this location for quite some time and I am local in the area my kids
039are young young and come to you know some of these schools and from the bottom of my heart I just want to say thank you it's so inspiring to see what you do for your students and the children each day and every day and I'm sure you guys don't hear it enough but uh truly thank you from myself the La Fontaine family audri and Steve we truly appreciate it and we just wanted to continue to give back as well and to support our community like you do for us and our children yeah go ahead I also want to say thank you to all the teachers the staff the administration the board I've have a lot of connections my wife went all the way through the W Lake Schools uh she attended Western when it was
040the brand new High School in the middle of in the middle of cattle pastures and my kids both went uh through uh Commerce Elementary smart middle and Wate Northern they've all gone on to Fantastic careers my wife and daughter are both teachers and I can't than this organization enough and all the teachers uh you're amazing and I so appreciate it everyone and I'm really thrilled that last can be a part of this this evening for all of you yeah so with that being said we do have some extra prizes um for the third place teacher of the year we have $500 to give to Chelsea got it Jo congratulations okay and the second place teacher winner Mr Robert vote with ,000 [Applause] and last but not least we are so excited drum roll to announce
041a 2-year lease on a Jeep from us at La Fontaine to Mr Andrew tiberan who is not here today but thank you thank you so much app [Music] [Applause] thank you wow that was exciting I would like to I would like to take a moment to thank Audrey Garrett Steve and the La Fontaine family for their generosity and for the continued relationship in our to our annual teacher celebration this concludes our teacher of the year recognition event thank you so much for everyone who's taken the time to be here thank you to Dr Lans and the board of education for your continued support thank you to the foundation for excellence and the wal Lake uh Schools Federal Credit Union and La Fontaine Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Walt Lake congratulations to everyone before before you before
042you we leave before we conclude a couple things those of you who uh were here to take pictures a little earlier uh pictures a little earlier they are ready to take pictures after this celebration and then one more thing before I turn it over I'd like to thank Mrs Anna manur for organizing and putting this event together let's give it a round of applause it takes two hands to clap and I couldn't do it without her so I'm grateful for her at this time I will turn the meeting over to Dr l and board president Mrs Stephanie Kaplan well thank you and congratulations to everyone you guys are amazing amazing teachers with that being said I'm going to adjourn our meeting till 8 o' or not adjourn excuse me we're going to recess our meeting
043till 8 o' so that if you would like to stay you're welcome if you would like to make your way out you're welcome to do that as well but we'll see you back at 8 o' e e e know okay we're going to get ready to start hello go for it and Miss West Miss Crafton and Miss West Miss West Mrs Lisa West attention everyone we're going to take our seats to resume the meeting if every everybody could take their seats she's talking she's just talking does can you hear me when I talk or no yeah I can hear you is it okay let me know if if it's still doing that okay okay thank thank you okay we're g to get back underway and we're going to start with public commentary oh it's quiet
044all of a sudden thank you guys all for coming tonight and for your interest in addressing our board this is your opportunity to address us the board will listen to your statements questions or concerns we will not have a conversation if followup is necessary a member of the superintendent staff or board member will get back with you you'll have three minutes to address the board there's a Time up there if you get close to the time uh Mrs Crafton will remind you to wrap up your comments and um know that you're getting close to you know ending so you can wrap up your comments that we ask for all speakers to be professional and remain or and refrain from any personal attacks personal attacks are not tolerated thank you and with that our first speaker
045will be Hillary Glazer good evening I'm Hillary Glazer the Wald Lake PTSA council president first on behalf of PTSA Council I'd like to congratulate our teachers of the year the work you do for our students and within our community will have a positive impact for years to come one of my favorite things about the wal Lake School dist district is that people like me are given opportunities to help make the district stronger we're encouraged to take part in focus groups and planning opportunities that help build something better and at this year's presidents and principles breakfast I briefly touched on it while mentioning that uh both things both within and outside of our community that cause divisiveness to spread can be mitigated and then I made a really big big request to all of our ptas
046help keep our schools as unified and friendly as possible in the face of divisiveness my request wasn't an easy one and I recognize that but I'm also a person who walks the walk your PTSA Council has been working really hard over the past year planning an event at the zelan Holocaust center for the entire community that is structured around Unity it is my honor to invite staff students families and the Greater Community to the Holocaust Center on January 28th starting at 5:30 p.m. for the building connections event it's an evening to learn from the past so that we can unite for the future this private event is free and will feature an educator-led guided tour you can also take a self-led tour if you choose and a Next Generation Holocaust Survivor speaker who will share
047her grandfather's Story of Survival I am a firm believer that at some point everyone needs a reminder of what can happen when we allow divisiveness to take hold and this event is a great way for our community to take a look at the past make connections with each other which doesn't really get to happen very often and unite so that we can build a stronger District information was sent out in this week's District update email and I encourage everybody to attend it is free I also have a few Flyers thanks to Pam Cole who printed them for me uh there is a QR code where we're requesting registrations so that I know how much food uh to buy in advance there will be light Refreshments it is recommended Ed for ages 10 and above um
048but as parents you get to make the decisions for your own kids but that is the the recommendation if there are any questions later on I'm around thank you thank you Mr Ron liet Ron lipet Commerce Township uh my wife Denise and I have three daughters including our youngest who's a junior Wallick Northern uh before I begin allow me to express our sadness uh at the horrific images coming out of Southern California we pray this uh awful situation ends quickly uh we are thinking about them this evening uh now on to my comments one of the reasons I admire your board service is because you knowingly expose yourself to the public ey it's not easy listening to harsh criticism sometimes it gets personal uh and that could be hard to manage but it is protected
049speech here's a fun fact Schoolboard members are considered public officials under Michigan law this as opposed to limited public officials or private citizens it's important we understand this because public officials have fewer protections from defamation uh than the other classifications we see this play out in our political discourse as the public has wide latitude on how they can characterize our elected officials however it's important we understand that under Michigan law teachers are not public officials they are in fact classified as private citizens afforded the full protections from slander liable or defamation further public commentary about a teacher either written or verbal on social media or otherwise can more easily meet the lower threshold of defamation should they be harmed as a result of liable or slanderous statements and even further Michigan is a de defamation
050per se state where statements suggesting a lack of sexual morality or perversion is assumed to cause harm and it does so automatically damages from per se defamation can be extreme put simply public officials are fair game but make Lial of statements against a private citizen like a teacher as an example you do so at your peril as an example if we take issue on social media about a teacher reading content from a specific book a statement like we shouldn't be using that book or I don't think that book is appropriate these opinions are protected under our first amendment but then creating conclusions like he's a predator he's a deviant he can't be trusted around children this is not protected speech if it damages a teacher's career uh if it damages a teacher's career and May
051in fact put you in legal Jeopardy especially implications of sexual immorality given Michigan's defamation per se law I urge our community to be cautious with their words when it comes to private citizens remember the internet has a long memory there are reputations and careers at stake a teacher is not an elected official as a reminder our district maintains a robust HR policy we have strong leadership through our superintendent our cabinet staff and partnership with the wlea we are well suited to respond to any HR concern and we should allow the system to respond with the same professionalism it has shown over these many pleas start wrapping up yes ma'am on a last uplifting note the Saturday this Saturday is wal Lake school's day for strings at Wake Central as the father of three self-described uh
052orc dorks i' be remiss not to mention the uh event publicly and I hope you can attend with that happy New Year and good luck in the new session thank you Mr Mike wise Mike wise 23e resident of Commerce Township I want to talk about book Banning tonight a quote by Adolf Hitler he alone who owns the youth gains the future this was from the moms of Liberty publication Hamilton County Indiana June 2023 this is a right-wing extremist hate group in 1933 Nazi right-wing conservative dominated German groups carried out public burnings of books they claimed were unerman book burnings took place in 34 towns and cities and stood as a powerful symbol of Nazi right-wing conservative intolerance hatred racism and as we sometimes see here in public commentary sessions at Wall Lake school board meetings
053in 1933 conservative right-wing nazzi German authorities aimed to synchronize professional and cultural organizations with Nazi ideology and policy by Banning and burning books Joseph Geral Adolf Hitler's Nazi propaganda Minister succeeded in bringing German Arts culture literature and ways of thinking in line with extremist conservative right-wing Nazi goals Once In Charge Nazis purged cultural organizations and took Direct Control of governmental entities including the German military they murdered officials including UD newspaper Publishers journalists and radio broadcasters alleged to be politically left un suspect and who performed or created artworks or literature or writings or worked in scientific fields which Nazi idogs labeled as degenerate a certain political element is determined to abolish governmental entities in the United States like the Department of Education the National Endowment for the Arts The Corporation for Public Broadcasting Department of Health
054and Human Services and to defund the Department of Justice including the FBI in Berlin in 1933 huge crowds gathered to hear Joseph Geral Hitler's minister of propaganda deliver a fiery address Geral enjoyed the crowd I cons sign to the Flames the writings of Heinrich ban Ernest Glazer Ernest Hemingway Jack London Helen Keller and Albert Einstein these writers believed in social justice believed in improved conditions for workers and supported women's voting rights the Nazi propaganda was a resounding success receiving widespread newspaper and radio coverage in Berlin radio broadcast brought the speeches songs and chants live to Nazi German listeners the promotion of Nazi right-wing Aryan culture and the suppression of other forms of artistic production and writing and opinions book Banning and burning was a successful Nazi effort the nazzi started by Banning and burning books
055and ended by burning people I can't help but see some early similarities in our society in the United States today thank you Brian Yohi I hope I said that correctly it's actually yo I'm a Wixom resident since 2009 I have two children in sah Banks uh my son George is in the eighth grade and has an IEP uh it is an IEP that we fought forever to get it took three years of fighting with the schools to get that IEP in place and it was only because of teachers who stood up and got that IEP in place in the sixth grade when we went through the George's IEP uh annual review it was suggested that he move into a resource room IEP class and I miss O'Brien can attest to it I was somewhat against
056it at that time George is reading at the third grade level in the sixth grade Co policies in the school had failed him because he got his IEP in February of 2020 we all know what happened shortly thereafter so I talked to other parents other teachers and put him into this resource room class on the 17th of December I get an email stating that they need to amend his IEP because they're doing away with the resource room class this is a class that has taught the curriculum of the sixth grade the seventh grade the eighth grade whatever grade that they're in at that this is the curriculum he went from a third grade lead reading level to almost grade level now and now with only a few months left of his 8th grade year before
057he goes on to high school he's being taken out of that class just like every other student in that class to be put in a co-taught class fourth fifth sixth grade up until about this time of year he was in a co-au class and was still reading three grades below where he needed to be these classes these small classroom environments are critical and they're protected by idea which is the federal act that requires the individual education plan there is also a Supreme Court ruling that protects and defines what is an adequate accommodation we need to reconsider the removal of these resource room classes these small class sizes are a benefit to my son and many other students within the W Lake School District it is abhorent that we get a email on the 17th of
058December before a holiday shutdown that we have to amend this by January 20th thank you thank you Linda fman hi am Linda fman I'm a resident of West Bloomfield Township um I didn't prepare anything I'm just speaking from the heart regarding some horrible things I've seen written on socials lately about a particular teacher at Northern I want to start by saying I'm a career Public School educator I'm a career school psychologist I have recently retired from parmington school at school psychology I am currently working clinically as a developmental child Adolescent and young adult psychologist and I have spent a huge portion of my adult life completely devoted and focused on trying to help children of all ages in my career ages 6 to 26 to feel safe accepted and protected at all times and so
059many of these students and clients in private to me the tears the anger but mostly the fear of sometimes having to go home just to be themselves it was unbearable for many kids and I'm sad to say some kids didn't make it in my career this is what I've seen so now when I see what's going on continuously at the high school at Northern this teacher not only should his book not be banned but he has the power and the courage just to be himself and to many many of these kids he is an inspiration and could be the only safe person in their life and in my opinion he's not only a hero but he could be saving lives and to all of my fellow neighbors out there with their views that really a
060reminiscent of the 1940s I just want to remind you that hate rolls downhill into the kids you say the hate it will roll down into them and unfortunately I've seen this in my own personal life where I also had two kids both students at wal Lake Northern one who was bullied tremendously throughout his secondary career and the Nazi crap that happened to him made him absolutely afraid to show up to school I don't blame the kids even though I'm pretty angry at them I really blame the parents and my my kids are still somewhat afraid to go to school back to this teacher I began with my other student is a senior she has this teacher scheduled for next semester and she cannot wait 15 seconds and I would just love for her to have
061an experience with this amazing hero thank you thank you Sarah Hawkins hi I'm Sarah Hawkins I have four kids I will be in the district for 22 years I will be providing Transportation so my kids can attend Western for 16 years we never intended on having our kid kids in public school this long but decided to for many reasons one being we like the diversity exposure 82% of Loon Lake is white 44% of Meadow Brook is white 20% of Lon lake has free lunch 50% of meow Brook has free lunch Central's testing is top 20 in the state Western is top 50 in the state do you get more funding B based on testing does this correlate with diversity Central is set to be 70% white and Western 48% white with the draft Plan central
062would have been 58% white and Western 59% white since it's still January and plenty of time I asked the board to start a new Mo motion to rezone these schools to the draft plan Unity is more important than four days of enrollment Mr seagler in your opinion children don't really care so you should have no issue in voting in favor and Mr Smith people voted for you because we thought you cared about Unity I have asked the district why not to take this opportunity to fix this the answer I have received is the significance of current 350 high school students 350 high school students you are going to send kids as young as 10 years old across town to attend school for these kids 350 high school students are so significant you're going to continue
063these splits no parent would be excited Ed to split their kids from their peers no child either 350 high school students are not significant enough to figure out how many need bus transportation it could be one you don't know and getting the funding for that and implementing that now providing transportation for my kids for 16 years is a big deal for me life-changing but 350 students isn't a logical reason the homeowners and parents and Community have spoken no one one splits parents are only left to assume the real reason is based on demographics I don't understand what's going on here why do these splits what's the reason it's hurting kids it's emotional to them you can fix it fix it yall are getting rid of resource rooms that causes anxiety on kids why do that
064to them too and then you got teachers reading about sucking penises that's just nasty y'all that is nasty he wrote that book knowing Nationwide 16 not the legal age that is not the legal age Nationwide thank that is only that is only in Michigan Nationwide time thank you only in Michigan is that legal thank you not Nationwide thank you 17 to 18 is Nationwide officer Patterson if you would like to help her wrap up her comments thank you thank you intent is adults thank you Janice and Richard Robel evening Richard Robel I don't have any prepared marks um it does have to do with this particular subject though I've had children myself my wife go through the WT Lake School System from elementary school all the way through high school over the years as I
065said here today I noticed the mission statement that was showing here I don't have it memorized but what I noticed was at the very end of it it talks about the beginning talks about what you want students to be and it says at the very end the last two words are knowledgeable citizens that means you have to have knowledge you can't be narrow-minded you can't only learn one thing you have to understand the world you should want to understand the people in it and how the world works it may not be what you want may not be who you want to associate with but to have true knowledge that's what you need in my opinion another thing that I heard tonight with the teachers in particular who got the awards none of whom I don't
066think I Knew by the way one of the things that that struck me was many of them were in their description was they were described as being inclusive that word stuck out they were inclusive again they weren't only picking certain students presumably to help or not they weren't basing their teaching presumably on their religions their race their gender sexual orientation pick anything you want any particular thing that makes up a person is diverse it can be whatever it is and part of my I guess issue with this even being brought up was I thought why should any particular students parents think that they can control what every other parents students hear or don't hear in the classroom if I said I don't like what I just heard him say who am I to say your
067student and your student and your student you don't get to hear him because I don't like it that's nonsensical to say the least and even I guess worse in a way to say I don't like what you said and I don't know the shlan by the way I'm just pointing at him I don't like what you said and because of that you should lose your job lose your job cuz I don't like something that you said how about his wife and family what happens to that person if they do lose their job what about their children 15 seconds no one should have the right in any school to be able to tell any other parent what they have to have their kids here or not here or how their lives should be controlled or their
068teachers lives controlly unfair thank you thank you Andrew classa hello um bear with me I want to read you something that was given to me by students past and present from W Lake Western High School there is a point I'm writing this petition with deep concern and an intimate personal connection to the issue at hand Dakota a school therapy dog for the Wald Lake Consolidated School District at Wald Lake Western High School has been a beacon of joy and comfort for Years yet recently Dakota's Health has been declining and she seems depressed primarily due to being separated from the familiar presence of her longtime friend and caretaker Andy classa it is agon it is agonizing to watch Dakota now aged in her retirement years being forced to continue working in a school environment without the
069care of Mr classa this distressing situation has led the once cheerful Dakota into a state of depression with her health issues seemingly ignored and overlooked numerous Research indicates the profound impact environmental change could have on an animal's Health especially for Senior Dogs this is a clear demonstration of Dakota's current plight her radiant charm has dimmed and it's evident she is not receiving the necessary care to manage her age related ailments in the interest of Dakota's welfare we are appealing to the authority of Wald Lake Consolidated School District to return Dakota to the loving care of Mr classa let Dakota live out her Twilight years in comfort and happiness under the care of the Guardian she has known her entire life we deny the shift of Dakota's custody to someone else and demand on her rightful
070return to Mr classa it's not just about keeping our promise to a loyal friend it's about acknowledging and respecting the bond between Dakota and Mr classa please sign the petition to show your support for Dakota's well-being and her return to a happy loving home your students at Wald Lake western and present and past are seeing what I've been trying to tell you but there's a different issue here too kind of goes to what we've been talking about okay to say and Alice training are trainings that are designed to create a safe classroom when is a school safe when students are afraid to exercise their first amendment rights which is the reason I circulated this petition on their behalf that's the reason I circulated it thank you and have a good day thank you okay Hannah
071I'm gonna mess up your last name so if you want to say it when you get up there I would appreciate that [Music] Hannah good evening my name is Hannah thereor rich I in Mrs sp's resource and math class at s d Bain Middle School I am in sixth grade I here today to talk about resource through math and reading not getting cancelled I am below grade level in math and reading I do not think they should get cancelled I do not want to be anal in math class because it's embarrassing but I also know every kid who is far below needs to stay in Research In Math until they get better or great level I need the small math class it helps me understand math better and I like school now the last time
072I like school was was when I when I was in first grade in kindergarten with Mrs Hunton plus Mrs hoger I always hated math I cried doing homework for hour that's my mom now I like math thanks to Mrs Pickard and my resource in math class class I like social studies with Mr but too please let me keep my resource in math class also please add CH to the lunch menu also I will be in this F be thank you thank you [Applause] Hannah Hannah's M Alison again I'm not going to say the last name if you thank you good evening my name is Allison I have a daughter at Banks who is in a special ed resource for math class that is taught by a certified teacher at her IEP transition to middle school
073meeting last May it was determined that she would take this class due to her disabilities and math evaluation being in this class has helped her evolve significantly as a learner not only a math bit in all subjects she's emerged as a leader and now values education her last IEP signed in November 2024 gave her 26 hours in a general Ed setting and 10 hours in a special ed setting per week on December 19th I received an email asking to amend the IEP due to changes in the Michigan Department of Education and least restrictive rules these classes now require a teacher with a specialized math or reading certification does that apply to every general education students math and reading classes too my investigation found that the district is dissolving resource room math and reading classes by
074second semester on January 21st the lack of transparency communication and rushing this change is absurd it's sad that a student can't even get an IEP evaluation in the same 13 school days notice that the families were given these students are also in binding IEPs that go into next school year I have heard that the current structure is only at Banks why not have the structure at all three schools why not bring a teacher into these classrooms that meet the requirements at all the middle schools at Banks I estimate the change affects around 50 students with IEPs and legitimate disabilities closing these classes is a failure to the students these kids will be thrown into a cold hot class at grade level midye being taught curriculum that is built upon Concepts they have not yet been
075taught then pulled into small groups by a secondary teacher this puts all these kids at a disadvantage along with their math skills that are already two plus years behind this also sets them out as different Learners and takes away the safe learning environment for special ed Learners it delicately violates a lot of IEPs changing the IEP language through an amendment tricks families that don't know their rights and corrects the violation moving my daughter into into these classes will shut her down and she will become discouraged maybe others too the special ed math class has given my child the opportunity to excel like normal Learners in a general Ed setting my solution is to dedicate one classroom two hours per grade math and reading special ed class taught by one teacher certified in both subjects it
076still opens up two classrooms to make room for students coming in from the closing of Geisler while still accommodating the special ed students please make a motion to stop this change now you have a choice to empower these kids and help them Foster a love for education by giving them a safe environment where they can Thrive my child and all others deserve a right to these Disability Services they're not in number they are Minds wanting to learn at their Pace please make a motion to stop this and please consider my solution and thanks to the banks team for your hard work for special ed and thanks to all the heart teachers and congratulations to all of them and thank you board for L listening and taking this into consideration thank you Gabby thiaga hello my
077name is Gabby tiaga and thank you for allowing me to speak tonight I want to start the statement of misogyny leads to mansplaining interpret that how you want I have spoken at almost every meeting since April of last year around the same topic I speak of tonight I've talked about how Board of Education policies are like snow days what one District does the rest will follow I've spoken about Board of Education meetings in our State and other states in other states in our country which by the way R USD Riverside Unified School District's last meeting last week was over eight hours long they had so many parents speak it was amazing a woman there spoke her name was Sonia Shaw she is the president of the Chino Valley Board of Education a neighboring District to
078them she said something that stuck with me I quote one of us can do so little but many of us can do so much you the Board of Education are the voice of this community you have been elected to speak for us in May of 2024 Nick Russo stated that this District could do nothing about the bathroom policies because there are laws in place it's insulting to use that as a copout of course there are things you can do set policies speak out and stand up against laws that defy common sense when the statement is made we can do we cannot do anything it's lame of course you can't it's just easier not to easy isn't why you put yourself out there to run for your seat your job is to protect our children so
079protect our girls and give them the Peace of Mind in their daily lives on our campuses who on this board of education will stand up for our girls who will speak out and tell them you care about them who will be bold and show courage for us and speak up who will be the Sonia Shaws the Stephanie Boon the Sophia lores or even dare I say The Gabby tagas just because its law doesn't make it right our girls continue to be collateral damage in the social experiment and this community continues to allow it thank you thank you thank you Janet Mayo good evening board members School Board Educators parents and community members thank you for allowing me to address this issue the potential termination of a teacher for introducing a book into their classroom I'm
080a licensed mental health professional a queer individual and an advocate for the lgbtq A++ representation I hold a master's degree in clinical mental health a master's degree in criminal justice and a bachelor's degree in sociology with a minor in gender sexuality and women studies in my work I've seen how lack of represent ation and open dialogue harms mental health censor censorship and it contributes to isolation and we have a responsibility to fight against that books and teachers saved me during a childhood marked by abuse they gave me Refuge inspired hope and taught me to think critically punishing a teacher offering the same opportunity to our students is deeply troubling public education is not about shielding students from discomfort it's about preparing them for the complexities of the world literature challenges assumptions promotes empathy and encourages
081critical thinking silencing ideas that provoke discomfort undermines that mission firing this teacher would send a chilling message to all Educators that safety and Conformity come before courage and growth instead we should use this opportunity to Foster dialogue not Division and to teach students how to engage with diverse perspectives representation matters when students see their experiences reflected in books it Fosters resilience and belonging silencing these stories harms their education and wellbeing I urge the board to support this teacher oh well that's odd and affirm the importance of academic freedom and intellectual growth remember every child every day means the queer ones too thank you thank you okay we're going to move on to administrative commentary Dr Lon thank you Madame President Mrs ommer we'll start with you tonight thank you Dr Lans just talking about wrapping
082up that's a new year and then payroll that means that we're finishing up the old year so everybody's gearing up for all those fun things everybody likes to receive in the mail the W2s and 1099s so I'll beginning working on those types of things in the payroll department while everybody else was on holiday was trying to make sure that we got the page process so um working hard on that also anticip ating um presenting to you a budget amendment for 2425 at the February meeting and certainly um going through that information and providing that prior to that so busy in the business department and people accounting is looking forward to the February count which 10% of our funding depends on so thank you thank you Mrs om Mr hamka do you have anything left to
083say after have a little come on um you know I've had the opportunity to go through the entire teach of the Year process and yes we celebrated 20 today but there are so many amazing teachers after looking through all the nomination forms and interviews and getting to know and you know getting into B different buildings districtwide we have amazing teachers here in Walt Lake we have a lot to be proud of we need to continue encouraging them supporting them and celebrating them and I also want to thank the Committees who stayed after to help uh select the individuals and the finalists thank you thank you Mr hamka Miss Mir thank you Dr Lans um just want to continue to share um as we work towards increasing our parent engagement on January 14th we have our
084third installment of the Walt Lake special services parent advisory committee seminars and resource fairs where we have planning for your child's future and we have my able as well as some other supports coming in to provide some seminars for parents to learn about different supports and resources in the community in addition we always have our conferences from 5:45 to 6:30 prior to the meeting where parents can come in and talk with special education administrators and Leadership and so we look forward um to Tuesday um from 5:45 to 8:00 p.m. and we welcome community members and anyone who'd like to come and learn more about resources thank you very much let's go Mr scaling thank you Dr L just wanted to share as we know the outdoor education center was closed from August to October 16th
085and it's been reopened and since that short time they've already welcomed 2,000 students uh from Junior cart Junior kindergarten through 12th grade a thousand of those being Wald Lake and Sal school students on average the outdoor education center hosts around 15,000 K12 students annually along with a variety of other organizations leadership teams and groups from across South Eastern Michigan I just wanted to take a moment to thank Carrie Martin and her team for doing a fantastic job of reopening that so quickly and already making a great experience for so many students thank you sir Mr Durkin thank you Dr LW I had two save the dates for the community and I should have known better with Miss Glazer in attendance that she'd steal my thunder on one of them but I'll still mention it uh
086first off we have our 26th annual Dr Martin Luther King Jr Day celebration once again at wal Lake Northern uh the evening will start at 5 o'clock with a community dinner a gallery walk a student exhibits and then at 6:15 we'll have a program in the auditorium wonderful event we hope to see everyone come out again and then I will will not do it the same Justice that Hillary did but uh that building connections event that PTSA council's been working very hard on that is on January 28th we have the information for the uh pre-registration that she spoke of we have it in the district update the website and on social media so we encourage and hope to have a great uh attendance at both events thank you sir Mrs quy thank you Dr Lance
087um we're excited to start back at the new year because uh we have a little bit of a change with our kindergarten orientation night which typically that's been held in March each year and this year we've moved that up to be January 22nd so all of our elementary schools will be hosting kindergarten and Junior kindergarten night uh information night so families out there that are listening talk to your neighbors talk to your friends in the community make sure they know that January 22nd is our uh our new night 6 PM uh please go out and and hear about our kindergarten and Junior kindergarten programs um highly successful programs um great staff great teachers they they love and care for our youngest Learners and and do a great job with them and thanks to Mr Durkin
088uh and his team for the advertising and getting that word out there the website's all updated uh we're sending all of those resources out to schools and uh really looking forward to that and for our Junior kindergarten families uh following that night our Wald Lake families will be able to enroll in junior kindergarten if your child is turning five between September 1st and December 1st of 2025 so we are excited to welcome you uh and we look forward to a really successful year in planning forward with that so thank you thank you Mrs kky uh I'd like to personally thank Mr hkin and his team for all the hard work time and effort as someone who do that for a number of years I know that is no easy task not only to coordinate everything
089but to to find teachers to honor from all the amazing teachers that we have and so I I Echo the sentiments and probably many of what board members will talk about tonight is that is a small sampling of the great staff that we have not only in our teacher ranks but across the board with all everyone that we employ either third party or directly all 1400 and some odd staff that we have here I I couldn't be happier and prouder to work with I also want to specifically mention that we've had Middle School committees along this year but now our energy is really ramping up and we're starting to get down to the more specifics of how we'll start to divide up and then repurpose gisler and help support Banks Creek and smart as we
090move into the next year so we're very excited to do that work it's great work and and we're excited for that next opportunity for wal Lake and for our middle school students thank you thank you Dr Lans we're going to move into board commentary we're going to start with Mrs Fernandez this is a long night so I think I'll just say happy New Year everyone um and here's to a great 2025 thank you Mrs West um so first of all I want to go ahead and thank or congratulate all the teacher of the years winners um we have so many amazing teachers in this District whether they've been nominated or not um I have a little tidbit to share with about Mr vote um so my children have known him for quite a while and
091my oldest actually went to a class outside of school with his daughter when they're in elementary school and as soon as she would see him his class would Blood Out she would run past me go over and grab him and give him a big hug um because you know mom's chopped L at that point because Mr boat is so awesome so just a little tidbit because I think it is really awesome um that's how engaging and how fun he made physical education so um appreciate that um also want to say congratulations to all the students who took part in the December clage um concerts in December um is the only ticketed event concert for the school and it's so well worth attending my parents choose to go over to that as opposed to any professional
092performance because I think it's just as good if not better and our the students are just amazingly talented and one cool thing about northern's concert my children happen to attend Northern so that's why I can talk about that one more um so I go to see them but um Mrs Ward was also the teacher of the year so I think that's really cool to share with about that too um as far as everything else I want began my board training and I finished the mb's superintendent evaluation Rader reliability training last night I'll be soon working on my msab 101 and I want to thank Dr L and his cabinet for my onboarding on Tuesday you Mrs Len trying to figure out your order here all right um congratulations to all the teachers who were awarded
093tonight those who weren't um everybody who worked so hard to put the event together who work so hard in our schools uh very much appreciate that good luck to all the high school students on their finals next week uh it's a busy week and a big week for everybody um I want to point out a couple um events uh that are happening around um the school Community um Wald Lake Northern has their pink out basketball games on Friday night it's a quintuple header five games happening um against Lakeland so big night on Friday night that's a pink out and then um if you've never been to uh boys or girls hockey game um it's not one you know that happens in the school so not often thought about but they are super fun um they
094have the boys have their um the White Caps have their pink out on January 18th I think it's a Saturday night uh super fun game so if you've never been take your kids um it's a lot cheaper than a Red Wings game and you get a lot better seats and the students love it they do a great job so um just want to point those couple things out and um welcome everybody back to a new year we are in the long stretch now so good luck and stay warm Mr Smith thank you madam president uh welcome back hope everyone had a wonderful and nice restful break uh I want to have a personal thank you and Shout out as well to Mr Abbott from CHS for having a great uh vocal uh concert uh right
095before the break we had and uh even M Ward uh brought the northern singers in and it was a wonderful experience at CHS uh I want to thank you to the cabinet to the superintendent for my on boarding as well I was wonderful to meet with all of you and continue to get to know you over the next couple years here uh thank you to the new board uh as we're traversing through this year and welcome Susie back officially again uh I want to on a personal level too congratulate Miss witson uh it would be remiss if I didn't state that my two children have loved having her art class uh I've seen all of the work that they've come home I wanted to bring something because even during Co the amazing work that she
096was doing to bring art into my kids' lives was amazing and I know the impact that she makes among many of the other teachers that we know we saw firsthand how amazing all of uh the teachers that we have in our district and what you do is uh thank you uh I look forward to later on in the discussion uh officially I guess welcoming in uh a new Dublin Elementary principle so I I look forward to that once that occurs if it does uh and then uh also I just want to say uh hope we have a great year and I look forward to the one uh upcoming events thank you this Grafton hi Mr Smith stole my thunder just a little bit it's an honor to be um back at the table this month
097and for the next six years um what an amazing first meeting to serve my six-year term the celebration of incredible teachers their hard work their dedication um I'm starting this just on Cloud9 so i e you Echo the thank you to Mr hamka and his team for uh creating just a really special night um I also wanted because I wasn't here in December I would love to give a moment of praise to Wald Lake Central's one block stories play it was absolutely brilliant and I'm kind of a Critic of theater um and I I thought it was incredibly staged incredibly performed and I told the director afterwards I'm a better person for seeing that production so to the Wald Lake Central Crew production team um performers you were just brilliant that's it for tonight Mr
098Zigler you know we're all stealing each other's thunder tonight but the collage concerts the musicals the plays the art of our students watching what our buildings did on individual and class basis was gift donations for those that were less fortunate in December uh watching channel 7 when they did the piece on uh one of our high schools and the gift giving and I was sitting with some friends at the time and they said how do you feel I said I feel like a proud parent and you know it speaks of our community as a whole it speaks of our faculty our staff our Administration our students and it it's really phenomenal uh I can't be happier about it uh you know the other thing that I noticed is all of our you know our students
099that are being recognized with different honors different Awards different Scholastic achievements it speaks of our district and what we are trying to allow our children to learn and to express and to move forward and to make this a better world uh Mr hampy I don't want this to go to your head but it was probably one of the best teacher of the year presentations I've seen and I so yeah I no personal attacks no no no it was a compliment to Mr havea that's all somebody else took it differently um we you know we have a lot on our plate this year we have a lot of transitions that we will be facing uh I look forward to the open discussion that we will have within the sport and the expression of ideas and uh
100thoughts because that's how we will bring this District forward and how we will move forward together so welcome to everybody uh Mr Smith Miss West Miss Crafton welcome back for the rest of us we're here thank you thank you just want to say Happy New Year um hope everyone has a happy healthy one um congratulations to all of our wonderful staff not just our teachers of the year we have such an amazing staff here in wal Lake and it's just amazing to see and meet and hear the stories of every single one of them so congratulations and thank you to that I want to thank my fellow board members for putting me back in the president's role for one more year so thank thank you for for that um I appreciate that I would like
101to say you know speaking of musicals and arts and so forth I know we have Wild Lake Northerns Joseph and the techn Technicolor coat coming up in February okay you know what I needan you know what I mean it's late um which is coming up in February again as our last musical of the season so I would encourage everyone if you didn't get a chance go see it it will be amazing I'm sure um other than that welcome back and I look forward to all of us working strongly and cohesively together to make the rest of this year amazing so thank you for Wild Lake schools for all your help and everything that you do so I appreciate you as a board now we're going to move into strategic Plan update Dr Lans thank you
102Madame President it'll be my pleasure to introduce Mr Scott Fuller who will be walking us through our first update I I mean I've never been through this before with with Scott but I think we're about a third of the way through the process right now we've had a chance to look at the survey results and now we're moving into focus groups and I won't steal the rest of his Thunder I am curious to see what our community member says if he hates what you have to say or likes what you have to say since he pointed you out earlier in his public commentary and hopefully my job's not on the line if so I'll just repeat technical or dream coat over and over again try to get it out that'll be our grounding word for
103the evening uh good evening uh Madame President members of the board um District leadership and and members of the community it's a pleasure to be here um I've had the opportunity to be in your District uh for the last four days um we've been having amazing conversations with uh all of your stakeholders uh typically from about 6:30 in the morning uh and until about 8:00 at night has been fairly typical all week um and the scheduling that went into that I I have to thank uh Dr Lon and Dan Durkin and Pam Cole for um I call them my handlers my managers um and it really went off without a hitch I I did share and I don't say this lightly that we've done this work um across 30 States I think now across the
104country and with literally hundreds of schools and districts and this is about the most smooth this part of the process has ever gone so I'm very appreciative of that and it just shows your commitment to the process and organization um my name is Scott Fuller my contact details are there and I um you're welcome to use them as are anybody in the community they're welcome to reach out to me anytime uh to discuss this process ask questions um add context wherever they would like to uh I am a consult consultant for a firm called g& D Associates uh we are a small firm that is uh all of us are former public Educators and administrators I myself was um I was a classroom teacher for a little over a decade an instructional coach and then
105went into Administration my last role was as director of innovation and personalized learning in a school district in Colorado Springs of about 30,000 students 56 schools um doing that work and now I get to do it nationally and and so and really feed into my passion I also have a um master's degree in special education really focused on reading instruction and behavior response systems so it's an area I'm pretty passionate about as well and and love to get in the weeds with that sort of work I think one thing I'd like you to know about our our firm um that I think really separates us and and don't take my word for it I'm I'm happy to point you to people who've worked with us for many years is how we Define consultant and I
106I Consultants sometimes can get eye rolls and cringes and um all the other things especially in the education world and um how we Define a consultant is not somebody that comes in and gives you a bunch of theory and runs a couple couple of workshops and says well good luck with all that um we believe a consultant is meant to build relationships with you and your community get get in the weeds with you and do some of the lifting to get you where you're trying to go we don't come in with an agenda we come in with structures experience and perspective to help you get where you're trying to go and part of this week is really just about learning where that is from all all the different stakeholders out there um that being said
107again we always encourage people to reach out with any questions if we can't handle the questions we don't deserve to be here and and part of your District so we think a culture of questioning um is healthy we welcome it and we'll always tell you if we don't know and and we need to check we're we're pretty honest the owner of our company David who you meet next time I'm here is from the north of England he lives in he's been a citizen now he's been over in the states for about 15 years uh but if you know anything about the north of England they couldn't sugarcoat things if they tried um and so that's kind of how our company Works um so I I think the conversation you're having uh and all the work
108you're doing uh really leads to the why of of this work setting a vision and then putting a strategic plan to that vision and this is a model we use and I don't know if any of you have seen this before it's called the nostr model for managing change and what that states is you have to attend to five different areas to get whatever change it is you're looking for um one is having a vision and and Beyond just having a vision it's making sure that vision is commonly understood and spoken of often you know all too often I think we get in the hustle and bustle of our everyday work lives and and what's going on and you know the urgent things that inevitably come up in any community and we forget that we
109have to really bring our vision forward every day this is something we have to connect all of our work to because it is our North Star it's it's who we trying to be and it's putting that on paper once you have that vision and it's commonly understood you need an action plan it's great to be aspirational it's great to talk about the what we want to be but without the how we're going to do it very specifically it's just a dream and so that action that action plan really takes you beyond and I'll I'll show you some examples of what this looks like when we're working with you um as part of that action plan Noster says really you need to attend to three things uh constantly through implementation of any sort of vision or
110action plan the first is skills making sure you are looking at your personnel the people who are meant to deliver this action plan and reach towards vision and making sure you're resourcing them with the skills needed to deliver on that so it's a it is that continuous Improvement model it's that um lifelong learner model that you you know Educators have and it's helping Focus around something common um resources what resources are needed to pull something off and and do the work I'll tell you that the number one resource out there and you could probably guess it is time we have to think about time like we do budget there's a finite amount of it and we have to use it wisely focused on the important things we always say that the the greats um never
111let the Urgent get in the way of the important and an action plan and resources time show your community how important your prioritized work is and then finally incentives being being willing to have the conversations with people about what motivates them to do this work or participate in this work or feed back on this work depending their role in the community and knowing what makes people tick and I'm I'm sure we would all love for the money truck to show up and be able to pay all of our Educators what they're worth and what they deserve and through a lot of my conversations this week and it's not a surprise to me just remembering that this is a people industry this is about relationships and people appreciate the plus one the plus one you know
112some one of your recognized teachers this evening um walked up to uh somebody here at the dice and and and just commented how the small note they sent regarding the award just a a well done congratulations made all the difference in the world and it was and it was everything to that person it's those types of things that incentivize people to keep going so our structures all of our structures whether it be the vision strategic plan force you to attend to these things that's they're built in and baked in so that if if you're actually maintaining your plan you will be attending to these things as well so let's just talk about phases of work and I know Dr L's kind of alluded to this that first phase when when we were first um asked
113to partner with you all um involved just collaborative planning what what are the timelines what are the pro what's the process going to look like digging into your work what what existing data was there what initiatives are you looking at and that this is really an ongoing piece of the work is maintaining relationships so we've actually been um following the district I've been watching your board meetings for over a year now um which is it it crazy to me not not the meetings but the fact that I watch them no comment um but part of my job is to watch board meetings across I have about five districts I watch their board meetings so I like little spice um and and just really diving in that that's true though as you evolve and change and
114I know some of you you had the opportunity to speak with remotely um long ago and and talk to you about what your hopes and hesitations were about moving forward uh we're going to circle back around because there's new faces sitting here there's new faces in the district and so you'll hear from me in the next week or so just uh looking at what works for your calendar and and we'll get you on that calendar so we can have a onetoone conversation about those things what what are your hopes and and dreams but also hesitations for the community move moving forward uh from your multiple perspectives um phase two is what we're in right now and and it's that Community engagement piece we like I said we interviewed quite a few people including the superintendent's
115cabinet again we there's some new faces so we're going to be circling back around and make sure we hit those again we put out a community survey uh that was well responded to um and this week I've been doing focus groups and I'll just share I'll share some of the numbers and uh with the focus groups you'll have to forgive me if I'm one or two off I was putting that finalizing those I finished my last focus group uh for the week about uh 15 minutes before the board meeting started so here we are um in a lot of people wonder how this compares to other districts Common or or comparable to you and I will say this is these are very good numbers um from what we see the the this is great engagement
116so um where it says so far with the focus groups I I want to tell you a little bit about that um one we have some virtual engagements scheduled uh for next week on Thursday for different all of your different stakeholder groups that uh you know this week just didn't work for and we know it's a busy week we also know that every bus week's a busy week in a school district in the community so um we also have had several people that were scheduled for this this week reach out to me and and say look I've got a sick kid or I'm sick myself or something else came up so we actually reschedule them and offer onetoone phone calls Google meet how you know throughout this entire process and I put that out to
117the community anybody that's watching or listening now feel feel free to reach out to me um at my email address um I'm going to throw Dan Durkin under the bus here if if you don't see that feel free to reach out to Dan and he'll pass all my contact uh information along but our philosophy is you put the time in to talk to as many people as possible School District should be the Hub of the community and to make that happen you have to talk to the community as as much as possible um so we're really happy with this the opportunities that um we've given people and rest assured we'll continue to give those opportunities um throughout this process uh and I anticipate to talking to at least about 50 people next week for sure
118what do we do with all that Community engagement all that input we get well that is actually what drives Vision development it is one of the major inputs into Vision development and so we will be back at the end of February um facilitating the two-day workshop to start to develop that Vision um and I'll show you what one looks like in a little bit but uh one thing to know about the those two days I there's a reason it's just me out here doing all the community engagement we want one set of eyes one set of ears and one set of notes to work from to synthesize that work it's also I I will be the voice of the people who aren't in the room during that day and it I think it's one of
119the advantages of bringing um a third party in to do this type of work because again we we could just tell you what we heard and the perspectives out there and and talk about how that fits into the plan going forward so we're excited to do that um and then we'll move into once you have a vision you have to pull that apart and say great what are the deliverables against it and what's the plan look like I'll just tell you this is a vision sample from another client we've been working with um for several years actually and our vision goes beyond a a statement or a poster or some bullet points we really take this information and help you to develop narratives that really paint the picture of what you want to be as
120a district often they fall into what do you want the learning experience to be like for your students what do you want the employee experience to be and and what does it need to be to support that learning um experience that you're going for what do we need from leadership to make all of that happen but also how do we develop our leadership to ensure we have a pipeline of leaders ready to step in to avoid that pivot culture that sometimes comes when people leave for whatever reason it is um and then how do we best engage with our wider community on a consistent basis so they feel like partners with the district that have voice and that are heard and active participants in delivering this Vision like I said we go into deliverables uh
121mode once we have something and you'll have feedback opportunities throughout this process so just know every phase there is something built into where you get information you get an opportunity to feedback um on this work what we do from there is we pull those narratives apart and anything it says in there that you plan on doing we need to put some bullets to with specific actions it says let's map this out over the next five years what specifically are we going to do to get us to realize that part of the vision and then from there you will move into a strategic plan this is a 12 Monon look and a dashboard that you'll have and we do recommend that this becomes public facing this part of it um that connects everything if you look
122at the far left that is that is the language that comes directly from what will be your vision um all the way to the right which is a distilled down here's the work we're doing over the next 12 months to get closer to that being a reality you'll notice it also includes lines for budgets owners who is responsible when you can expect that project to be done and then of course there is a weekly health check and we'll provide structures for this but uh that automatically uh when you get in there and look at it it updates and it it's the classic uh blue is complete green yellow red um I'm guessing you can predict what all of those things mean um but we believe a plan is only a plan if it has two
123pieces to it one you have to look at it you it this isn't something to put on the shelf and let gather dust and at the end of the year see how you did we recommend that you look that your District looks at this weekly and does a quick health check to update these columns and we'll have a structure for that it's a short meeting we're not talking about an even an hour here to do that piece the other aspect of plan needs is flexibility as you learn and grow and your community needs shift you need to be able to flex the approaches to reaching the goals of the plan not changing the goal post not changing the outcomes you're looking for but sometimes it is necessary to change the approach to getting there based
124on what you're learning every project you see here then has what we call a a plan detail element that looks like this this gets really into the weeds of who needs to be involved whether it's eyes on or hands on what professional learning do the people involved need to be successful at this budget again what resources incentives all I hope you're starting to see those pieces of that change model we I put up earlier um sustainability after this project how will we ensure that this continues to grow and scale out across your District this one is a little harder to read but it's part of the same in the weeds details this is the step by step of how this project will happen these are actual projects by the way that um clients of ours
125have have done in their District so we like to call this the idiots guide to doing our project and it's mapped out that way and it's mapped out that way for a reason there's really two reasons initiatives tend to fail in school districts one of them is we get bogged down in the Urgent and we we're not prioritizing and so we get busy and the work doesn't get done we have some structures to Safeguard against that the other is people leave and this is designed so that if people leave the plan still exists it's there somebody could come in look at what needs to be done and pick it up from there the work of a school district can't stop um because people leave and then every one of these projects will also have smart
126goals attached to them qualitative and quantitative um looking at and again this is an actual example from a school district that was focused on some reading work and some primary grades um so we will we will help you all get to those measurables so that not only you but the community will know how you're plan to be successful what that looks like and where you are with it and then it's into implementation again we'll we'll provide plenty of structures for how you roll this out to the committee or to the community um and what we've seen work how you do those health checks uh we provide coaching support our initial contract again because we don't believe in just walking away our initial contract includes support at point of need throughout your first year of implementation
127so it's not uncommon for me to get calls and jump on Zoom meetings and and provide some thought partnership or coaching for people that feel like they're running into challenges barriers or just need some advice moving forward we also are already contracted to do a couple CLE things one facilitate some quarterly health checks on that uh which are deeper Dives and then also in the spring of 2026 come back out and help you map out your next 12 months that none of that's extra cost we are I I hesitantly make this joke but we are not District lawyers um so there's no clock that starts there's no hidden charges I made that joke to a board um and then and I knew this going in but there are there were three attorneys on that board
128and one of them was a school district lawyer so they laughed so I thought I I was okay um and then we'll also provide recommendations for communication structures around that so these are really your next steps with some timelines attached to them um you know anything past those February dates is really still in negotiation and figuring out so uh not in stone there but I wanted to give you a little bit of a look there and I want to open it up for any questions comments or um anything you need from me thank you does anybody have any questions Mrs Len thank you so much for the time that you have spent in the district um physically here the last several days and then the work you've put in so far um just a couple
129questions uh your slide said 249 people so far have participated in the focus groups how many people raised their hand saying they wanted to participate great question so um everybody that raised their hand to participate was uh able to be accommodated to participate when we did when we asked that question through the survey I believe it was 160 some I don't have the number right in front of me but it was in that range um but we didn't ask your employees or students so the number makeup to get to that closer to 250 is your employees and students so but all all your parents um that rais their hand all your community members that don't have children in the district that raised their hand were accommodated with times that they requested and if they couldn't
130make those times I am currently working with them to schedule times that do work for them okay because I had heard back from people saying they did raise their hand but they weren't contacted so okay I don't know where how that all works but and you are absolutely welcome to pass them on to me I know sometimes and we've had this happen I had this happen while I was here somebody had emailed about a sick child and I emailed back um with some options and they emailed me back the next day and it had gone to their junk junk mail folder just because we're not on their food chain as a company so um happy happy to come back to those people so please i' I'd love to connect with them okay and when people
131were um you said accommodations were made to to set up the meetings were people given different times or were people assigned two times with certain people like how did you divide up who was in each grou yeah yeah great question we asked on on the interest form what about days of the week that typically work best for for people and then time windows for instance um morning 8 to 11:00 a.m. and then we built a schedule around that so everybody that we scheduled your parents and community members had a Time offered to them that they listed and and a day that they listed okay um so the the people that I had had gotten feedback from that told me that they had participated in focus groups I don't know if it was a coincidence but
132in each of the several conversations I had the groups were very small like two three people was that common yeah depending on time of day yes um usually our early morning and afternoon ones tend to be anywhere from two to five people um just because of the nature of time of day with them um the evening ones are typically um a few more I know I had one group of about 25 and I had another of about 20 those are typically the largest groups we try to keep them at that cap um just to ensure that everybody has a chance to input so but it's often 10 eight people okay um so I assume and you can correct me if I'm wrong that we want focus groups any committee that's comprised of people from the
133district to represent the district proportionately to who's participating and and their percentage of of of population in the district so for example if our school district has I'm just using raw math because it is after 9 o00 I don't do anything more than that ion let's say we've got 12,000 students we've got 120,000 residents I would think then if a focus group has students involved then 10% of the focus group should be students if 10% of our community is students does that are you TR tracking what I'm saying yeah definitely track I I understand that maybe 10% of the students didn't check the box and say Hey I want to participate but it is there some point where we say hey maybe not enough of this population raised their hand so that we want to
134seek more feedback from a group that maybe didn't raise their hand cuz they don't get it they don't understand they don't want to check a box whatever reason but do we seek out that balance of representation in the community yeah so one we're again we're happy to take guidance of who we should be seeking out that maybe um didn't feel the opportunity was there didn't know about the opportunity so we're happy to help do that it's from our perspective it's difficult because we don't have all the access to everybody your community um the way you all might so happy to work with you on that I think um again in an ideal world that would that would be a yes so it's more it's not it's more um not people feeling like they didn't have
135the opportunity but it's it do you find it valuable to your process to have that representation that's equal to the representation in the community yeah I I mean yes I I think it's always valuable to get as many perspectives what I'll also tell you is it in doing this quite a few places and for a very long time you start to get the same themes pop up fairly quickly and then it becomes confirmation of those themes and what I have found is and and you'll see this when we present results and it gets synthesized is um that no matter the background no matter the perspective they often share those same themes it which is interesting to us um there are certainly nuances in that that that can change I will say that those differences are
136tend to rear themselves more with students than adults so um yeah and again with students what our request to the schools is always um we would love a cross-section of your student body that is representative um whether it is or not I I have no way of checking um with that but again I I feel like we do get that because the kids the kids say it okay so that's a good segue to my final great kind of question or Point here um so you know i' I've worked with people my entire career I find that they all ultimately say the same things if you're in sales they ultimately give the same objections how much of this process is more you guys confirming what you already think and there's already a plan that's kind of
137in place and you're confirming that before giving a recommendation rather than building it from scratch as if the answer that our community is giving are unique rather than the same answers everybody's giving yeah 0% we don't we don't can anything in our company it's probably why we why we lose business sometimes we don't have anything to sell we don't sell a product other than you know our expertise our perspectives and and that's why we spend so much time getting to know you so although look there's ntion there are National narratives in education there's National um issues in education that are that are out there and so very naturally some of those come up in our work and there are common themes um but there are always very unique things too especially on the side of
138here's what's working and um I'll say your community has been very gracious in celebrating what they feel has worked for them at points even when it's followed by and here's the laundry list of things I would like to see be different um I think the biggest thing I'll find and I'm happy to share this with with you is there is a u cautious optimism that I that I sensed from your community about this there's almost a healthy skepticism if you will of I'm happy that the district has made this opportunity available and I hope something comes of it and that I can see my voice in the product and and we take that seriously so when we come to table with the vision work we don't hand you any content other than this is what
139we've heard we ask a lot of questions you tell us what you want and then we help you put that together and like I said it comes back into feedback loops to you so you can say nope missed the Mark here where's this didn't you hear this and we just keep working with you until you feel it's right thank you yeah thank you thank you Miss thank you Mrs Levan any other questions Mrs Kaplan Mrs Crafton thanks um could you give it might not be you that can answer it it might be someone at the table but can we have a few more sentences on how students and employees were selected to be engaged so I'll start on it then Mr Durkin feel free to jump in we contacted our principles and asked them to
140put a cross-section of students together they know their students the best and their Community the best and so the the principls put that group together as far as staff they were provided opportunities they weren't chosen so at this place at this time any staff member could come and participate is that pretty close yeah and and yeah and I think there's um something to be said one of the things I did get uh a couple groups that we want to talk to still that we're scheduling starting next week will be principles um and then uh I will have an email going out to principles on Tuesday of next week um that is basically an email to their staff with my contact information that casset wiet again if you didn't have opportunity look it's first week back
141we had some weather um we understand life life happens for our Educators so again like any Community member we will offer that as an opportunity whether it's a onetoone um I know one principal even mentioned isn't an option for you to zoom in my to a staff meeting Scott I said absolutely we can work we can work that out so um we'll individualize it as much as people want us to great just one followup um can you define what cross section of students means we're looking at the the typical demographics looking at it both socioeconomic academic and so we were trying to make sure that end grade level so we wouldn't have just seniors going if we're looking at the high school level and so our charge to the principles were to pick a group
142of students that represent your school in totality from Arts academics and everything in between thank you Mr Zigler this is a little this is probably a little touchy on this one but as board members we allow our Administration you know we ask our Administration to report to us and give us all you know as you would give us the details do you have any times where you have school board members sitting in on the weekly strategic plan updates or any of those meetings it's it's rare but that that certainly does happen with with some of our clients um so I what we say is we don't have an issue with it because all they're looking at is stuff that's in the public forum anyway um I you know what what we find is the way
143that works best is when it's more of a um if there are board members in that meeting and that they're more asking clarifying questions so they can help communicate and promote the Strategic plan or of individual project to the constituents throughout the community I I could see that being healthy one of the things we'll also recommend um you may not want to hear this at 9:30 at night is that uh the structures we recommend is once you do start implementation of that plan we recommend that at every school board meeting that at least one of those projects is reported out in the public forum about here's where we are here are the challenges we are experiencing in this and here's the plan going forward so it's it's just out there and you all have an
144opportunity to see it ask questions about it and ideally say what do you need from us to keep it moving forward anyone else well thank you very much thank you for your information and thank you for your time and all your work on this we appreciate you yeah thank you it's been a great week and great District thank you so much okay we're going to move on to the consent agenda we have on the consent agenda the approval of minutes from December 5th 2024 special meeting and closed session and our regular meeting on that day we have Personnel recommendations of new hires retirements and leaves Financial reports dispersements in the amount of 22,7 11,648 um balance sheet and statement revenues and expenditures on audited and investment schedules we have purchased for web where everybody belongs
145Middle School orientation and mentorship program training fees approximately 34,600 from our grant funds and the Head Start director's report Mr seagler I move that the Board of Education approve the consent agenda as presented thank you all those in favor I I opposed motion carries 70 okay we're moving on to administrative appointment Dr L thank you madam president Mr hamka thank you Dr Lans paty carban has a true passion for Learning and leading with over 25 years of experience in education she also graduated from the University of Dayton with a bachelor's of arts and Elementary education uh Mrs carbin furthered her educational journey by uh by earning a master's degree in educational leadership from bethl University Patty's career in education spans a variety of roles she taught middle school science for eight years served as an
146assistant principal and has spent the last 10 and a half years as a principal throughout her career Patty has found great joy in learning alongside others fostering a collaborative environment and implementing innovative ideas that support the academic social emotional and behavior development of all students Patty's passion for education and her dedication to growth and well-being of every student will be turned tremendous will be a tremendous asset to Dublin Elementary and the broader Wald Lake Community thank you Mr Smith I move that the Board of Education approved the appointment of Mrs Patricia carbon as the principal of Dublin Elementary School and that this appointment be made consistent with the provisions of the wal Lake School administrators Association Master agreement any discussion Mrs L just a question when would this be effective Mr Hamp I don't have
147the date on top of my head do you happen to have that sure on Monday the 13th there we go and there is some overlap time with her and with Mr Juno thank you any other questions okay all those in favor I opposed motion carries 70 moving on to the appointment of the construction management services for Bond program Dr Lans thank you very much for the past 35 years the construction management firm o construction of Pontiac has assisted the wal Lake Consolidated School District in renovating and improving every school building in the district as well as constructing many new schools throughout that time o has consistently completed projects on time and within budget and has created a trusting and effective work environment with the district the administration recommends continuing the use of O construction for
148the management excuse me for construction man Management Services not to exceed 7 1,371 70 for the 2024 Bond program Mr zagler I mve at the Board of Education hire and appoint a construction to provide construction Management Services not to exceed 17,37 one, one70 for the 2024 Bond program discussion okay all those in favor I I opposed motion carries 70 moving on to purchases Dr Lans thank you very much and I turn over to Mrs kensky thank you Dr Lans uh at the December board meeting the uh statement was read about the current anatomy and physiology textbook and materials uh that they are currently over 25 years old uh the textbook is no longer aligning with our current science practices and standards and based on the results of the examination of available products the committee that
149studied that uh came up with a recommendation to adopt Essentials of human anatomy and physiology Pearson 2022 which includes a textbook and online support the cost does not exceed $30,000 and includes student additions teacher support materials online access technology and shipping uh the process that is endorsed by Administration uh put forth is putting forth I'm sorry a motion for approval of this textbook to you this evening Mr zagler I move at the Board of Education approved the purchase of anatomy and physiology high school textbook entitled Essentials of human anatomy and physiology Pearson 2022 in the amount of $21,700 from the general fund support discussion Mrs L sorry she beat you um I had an opportunity to revieww um this textbook and these materials and I'm happy to support it um one thing that I'm hoping
150maybe I can make request on is when we have textbooks that we want to approve maybe we don't put them forward for a first reading in December because it makes scheduling to review them when school's off for two weeks harder for us to vote on in January so I thank um Miss bear for for working with me to try to figure out a time but um it would be great if we actually had the full month to review things no worries we'll take that under consideration thank you Mrs West um yes I want to thank Mrs kohanski and Mrs Bayer for working with me because I also had some scheduling issues as far as uh trying to get to go review the book but I thought that the science was appropriate overall um and didn't
151really show me any concerns um the only thing I saw was that for families who um may have concerns regarding vaccinations that does discuss that but that's something up to each family to discuss and um that also discusses contraceptives and how they work so I just want parents to know that that that is in there but um I think that overall it was very um scientific as far as how it was discussed thank you Mrs Kaplan Mrs Crafton just a point of clarification I heard um Mrs kohanski say the amount was not to exceed 30,000 but the motion that we've made is for a specific amount should we amend the motion to align with Mrs Cohan 's statement or keep the motion as is we're comfortable with the motion as is okay perfect thank any
152other discussion okay all those in favor I opposed motion carries 7 zero moving on to bit Awards Dr Lans thank you madam president at a number of our schools we have three elementary schools who we had the opportunity to add a gym in in our last 2019 Bond and as part of using a space you learn what how a space works and in these particular spaces there was an elevated volume of noise that was reverberating off of the walls and the ceilings so in a way to mitigate that we are going to and I'm going to use such layman terms and everyone on the bond committee will be very upset with me this is what I'm going to say we're going to spray it with like foamy stuff yes that was our second choice perhaps
153a cheaper option and uh the foam will be approximately the 2 in in thickness and it will cover uh the vast majority of the roof so it would be the ceiling that we're covering it won't necessarily reduce rain noise or or wind noise or anything like that that's not the purpose the purpose is just to absorb sound so with that in mind the our school district solicited and received bids for Elementary School gym acoustic installation at Keith Lon Lake and Oakley Park Elementary Schools to be funded through the 2019 Bond proceeds the recommendation is to award the bid package to Stony Creek Services the lowest responsive bidder in the amount of $889,000 640 Mr Smith I move that the Board of Education approved the bid award for Stony Creek services to provide additional acoustic instulation
154and gymnasiums at Keith Lon Lake and Oakley Park Elementary schools for a total amount of $ 89640 funded from 2019 Bond proceeds support discussion just Mrs Len ahead you sure yeah Mr Smith I just want to say uh thank you Dr Lans for providing the spec sheets I kind of a little wonk and and going into the depth of what insulation is so I appreciate that and I got to watch the wonderful video their process so I'm uh glad that we're doing this so thank you Mrs Levan just want to say thanks for being here you sat through a whole meeting just to be here to answer questions and then nobody asked you any questions that's that's pretty awesome so thank [Laughter] you any other discussion okay all those in favor I I opposed motion
155carries 70 waiver request Dr Lans thank you Madame President Mr scaling thank you Dr Lans the Wald Lake Special Olympics team is made up of athletes who have previously attended wal Lake Schools along with currently enrolled athletes in specialty classroom across the district as a nonprofit organization Under the Umbrella of Special Olympics team Wall Lake offers an inclusive sports program similar to the Unified sports initiative within our district the wad Lake Special Olympics team is requesting for the 2425 basketball season the program fees associated with f facility usage be waved totaling $1,224 waving these fees would allow the program to continue practicing twice a week from December through March redirecting the funds toward future competitions uniforms equipments scoreboards athlete accommodations and other necessary costs give go Miss West um I moved that the Board of
156Education approved the request to wave the facility usage fees for the W Lake Special Olympics team for the 2024 25 basketball season totaling $1,224 discussion Miss gin Miss West um I just want to say that I think this is just amazing that we're doing this I have a friend that is in another District but her student also participates in the Special Olympics team and the confidence it builds in these students is amazing um and it's not just for the kids but for the the families as well because they have an opportunity to participate in things that they often get left out of and so I think this is wonderful that we have an opportunity to do this for these kids thank you any other discussion okay all those in favor I opposed motion carries resolution
157uh Board review of Head Start program Dr Lans thank you very much Mrs queny thank you Dr Lans uh in accordance with the federal Head Start performance standards the Wald Lake Consolidated School District Board of Education is the governing body of the district's Head Start program and the Head Start policy committee approved the policy committee code of operations at the December 2024 meeting to comply with all federal contract regulations Wald Lake Schools Head Start program requests the Board review and approve the policy committee code of operations which was shared with you Mrs Levan I moved that the Board of Education approve the 20242 Head Start policy committee code of operations as presented report discussion okay all those in favor I opposed motion carries 70 acclamation Dr Lans thank you Mrs Kaplan it is my honor
158to recognize our board of education for January's Board of Education Month so with that in mind whereas the education of our youth is the foundation upon which economic social and intellectual capital of our state is built and whereas locally elected School boards play an important and vital role in representative democracy and decisions made by local school boards of Education directly influence instruction in Michigan's public schools and whereas local board members contribute hundreds of hours each year leading their districts whether it's by deliberating important decisions about curriculum adopting policies listening to staff parents and students concerns or recognizing outstanding program board members always keep their eyes on the goal of student achievement and whereas these decisions affect the present and future lives of children and also set direction to prepare students to be competitive in a
159local State national and Global 21st century knowledge economy and whereas local school board members are exceptional people who tackle the enormous job of governing school districts and demonstrate to the students that they serve the High character of civic duty and responsibility that all citizens should engage upon and whereas local board member recognition month provides an opportunity to build stronger relationships between the thousand of women thousands of women and men who Champion the cause of public education as board members their schools and their communities that they serve now therefore let it be resolved that the state of Michigan Board of Education Oakland Schools Board of Education wal Lake Consolidated School Districts administrations staff and Community recognize the many contribution of the Wald Lake School Board of Education and thank them for their focus on the well-being
160and achievement of our children and so let it be declared that January 2025 as the school board member recognition month with that in mind we will continue our tradition of thanking the board we have a very small gift for you so if you'll hang tight just for one second Mr to if I can have your [Laughter] help right there you go where's the keys right you remember the test model we played chair roulette earlier thank you thank you we don't always get lots of awards but not always don't get used to it well thank you and we have one other additional recognition and that is to Mrs Kaplan who is our outgoing and incoming president but as an outgoing president thank you so much for your service for last year Well GE thanks and as
161the incoming president car condolences yes thank you thank you and I would like to thank our partners o and TMP for they sponsored the gifts you're receiving so no school funds were expended on this could be a shovel could be um it's not an umbrella moving on and I'm going to read the motion since it's on our agenda but this will be the last time that we need to put this on the agenda yes' for our organizational meeting so at this point it's the Oakland Schools Board Association dinner meeting um I move that the Board of Education approve the attendance of Mrs Susie Crafton um anybody else before I move on at the Oakland County School boards association dinner meeting on Wednesday January 29th 2025 and authorized payment of the registration fee support support thank
162you all those in favor I opposed thank you Mrs Crafton and with that at whole whopping 99944 we adjourn have a good night and thank you for sticking with us