001Are we good to go? I'd like to call this order at 6:36 with the following. Don't forgive review. Thank you to our Norwich colleagues for joining us. >> I really think you are no [Laughter] >> one. >> Thank you for being introduced. >> Hello. >> So noting that this is not a full meeting, so a lot of the our normal stuff is not on the agenda tonight. You're welcome. Um, we will do the obligatory things. Agenda review. Anyone have to add or subtract or otherwise amend anything on the agenda tonight. Seeing none, we'll move right along. Opportunity for public comment. I do see some public both on Zoom and in person. If there's something you wish to talk about tonight that is not related to things already on the agenda, now is the time to
002do so. Just raise your Zoom hand or your inperson hand and let us know. >> I like it. Right. >> You have an imperson. >> So come up to the owls which are these little devices right here and let us know what's on your mind. Uh yes, >> your name and >> thank you so much. So I'm Karen Hike. >> I'm Gabriel Hike. >> Um parent of a HHS senior. Okay. And so we have a bunch of questions about the technology issues that are happening and I don't know we are new to the coming to the schoolboard meeting. So not sure if this is the place to ask or not. So >> I I can help you with that. Yeah. So this is not intended to be a what's called a forum. There's a back
003and forth questions. We are happy to hear whatever you have to say, but since we have no idea what you're about to say, we may or may not have answers for you. So >> my question really was HHS related is >> address. Okay. Yes. Well done. >> So do you want to go ahead? Okay. So one of the questions we have is um so we are new to this requirement of using schoolisssued Chromebooks. Okay. And based on information I'm getting from my student and other students, we want to know what the school board is going to do to ensure that students have high enough quality technology to be able to support the academic needs of the classroom because there's a big gap in the Chromebooks that are provided and what's expected academically to perform there.
004I mean, what do you want to say? For cont, you know, do a freewrite in class or do do an assignment online during class. So, I just wanted to know, you know, this is a lot different from using my personal computer. So, how is that going to be solved? because that's a big obviously a big issue. >> And then a follow-up question to that was that um so do you want to talk about your privacy concerns or do you want me to >> Well, also yes, the Chromebooks I'm I have a lot of concerns about privacy meaning like considering Google and their um >> what is it? Yeah, data and just harvesting student data especially of of kids like me and how that is is being handled by the school district >> with a Google
005having required Google devices knowing that Google is a leader in the business of surveillance capitalism. And so how is the school board going to address that? And then another thing that's come up just in the first few weeks of school is there's a lot of changing of what the expectations are around these new rules and kids are not knowing students are not knowing what is expected. So we're hearing rumors they're going to be suspended if they bring their own devices. We're hearing now that they can't even bring their cell phones to school. And so we're just looking for some written information of where to find what the expectations are beyond the kind of vague policies that we signed. Um, and then from my perspective as a parent, so I have a student who bikes to
006school. I just do a check in the morning on his on this find by find my kid to just make sure he gets to school safely because the attendance reporting sometimes has been days later like, oh, your kid was marked unexcused two days ago. And so I'm hearing that they're going to cut off access to Wi-Fi for or that the kids might not be able to bring their phones to school. And the communication that came from the high school was plan accordingly for not being able to communicate with your student. And like I am 100% on board with reducing the technology dependence and I don't know how to plan accordingly for safety issues and you know god forbid if there were a lockdown um issue. I mean it, you know, whatever kind of lockdown it
007could be. I mean, there was a bear right at Ray School at one point or maybe it was RMS like how do we, you know, how are we what how do we plan accordingly, I guess, is my question. It was very vague. And there was a kind of we'll evaluate and re-evaluate and we don't as parents know what that means. So, >> for now, if it gets turned off, I'm planning to just call the attendance office every morning and say, is my kid there? Have you laid eyes on him? But that's a big burden on me as a parent. So, I just that's that's just and I'm sure other parents have similar concerns. >> So, thank you for coming, especially at an off-site location. So, we really appreciate that. And there are several different issues
008that you're presenting all that are all kind of happening at the same time, right? >> One is the cell phone policy, which as you may know is actually coming down from the state, right? And so right now we at the policy committee which feeds into the full boards are addressing with how to deal with that from a policy and implementation perspective. The school has had its own specific handover high school policy for a couple years now. That is still in effect as of now. The policy coming from the state is something we're still working on. A related but separate issue is the wifi becoming available only to staff and students on official devices. That is a new security related change that happened at the beginning of the school year which is having all sorts of
009trickle down effects some intended some not so intended. So it is dealing with that right now and I'm not going to pretend to attest to what they're what they're saying but that is a good thing we are dealing with. Other issues are the fact not only is the Wi-Fi been changed for security reasons but that there's no real good publicly available Wi-Fi via the phone networks etc. specific to the high school that is more of a that's a town Verizon type problem that we are also trying to figure out what we can do above that if anything all three of those things are kind of happening around the same time and in terms of the attendant software I can't attest to that if someone else wants to that um they can but thank you for
010bringing those issues to our attention the fourth or fifth issue is the Chromebook specific thing which is new to me and based on your experience I'm going to ask a question of you in terms of the lag time and other things is that new that is as of this year or is it it used to be better and now it's worse or this has been an ongoing issue? >> So in the past I've been able to bring my personal device which is lot a lot more powerful than school Chromebooks. this year because they're saying and I'm hearing that students are being called out to the office for using personal devices and that teachers are reporting that their students are using these devices and the tech department wants to know who's using these devices so that
011everyone is using a Chromebook. However, my Chromebook whenever I try to do, you know, just a typical day's work of homework and in-class assignments, the Chromebook will lag horribly and like I'm not able to get my work done as efficiently as my personal device. >> Okay, >> that is good to know. I appreciate that context. >> And I think you started my personal device early because >> because of the Chromebook. When we've asked people who know about technology, what what they said is this is kind of a toy computer is how they described it. >> I I think it's safe to say they're not highend nor they intended to be. And um our superintendent Roman Steiner would like to chime in as well. >> Hi, thank you for coming. We do have our director of
012technology who will be presenting at our Dresden board meeting which will be coming up I think >> Tuesday the 23rd. >> Yeah. >> Where he will be in attendance. If you have specific questions, that's a good time to ask. >> I would also say that council is entertaining emotion about cell phones and there was a very animated conversation today. And so there may be information circulating about punishment and etc etc. and how are we going to obey this law and should we obey this law that may have gotten ahead of reality. >> That was that was kind of my suspicion that it would be nice to have sort of as this has all been given that this you know you're also responding to the state just some regular communication that's backed kind of what we're
013hearing. Yeah, there were a lot of questions that students had and over the course of the hour there was a noticeable rise in agitation and so I wouldn't be surprised if by the time they left the room there was a lot of conversation and one student specifically said no one is going to like us for implementing for you know as if it was the council's responsibility and I thought, "No, no, no, no, no, no. It's not your job. It's not your law." But I think that that may be part of what's going on here. And I will not be popular with my teenager by saying if you want to just take all the assignments offline and have them write paper and cursive. >> Also suggest that you take your Chromebook into Suzanne and tell her
014you have a problem which might be specific to your computer. >> From what I'm seeing by my other classmates using the Chromebooks, this is just a typical Chromebook. >> Okay. But that's a good I would also like to say that the the phone policy we have now where you know you put it in a bin you can use it in the halls that works perfectly fine that's >> but it's against the law right >> we are working on our anticipation >> and and one of the intricacies too is that it's more instead of you will follow this policy it's you will have a policy >> which is something that we are grappling with as to what they especially given our particular IT needs and the availability of public Wi-Fi Kelly, then Lisa, and then we
015should move on if possible. >> Yeah. I just I more for um uh when we have this fuller discussion at the next meeting. Um I would also be curious if the internet is part of the slowness. I know when I was teaching there briefly and I had them do a Google Doc assignment, >> the internet crashed, went down, nobody could do what I'd planned. So, I'm wondering now that everyone is having to work through this medium at the same time if that's creating um some wear and tear on the on the network. Um and also, I know Ben, you said it, but I think, you know, part of I think as a board, we maybe want to think about the the fact that we put the cell phone thing in at the same time as
016we limited the devices. And I think that's creating a lot of concern and angst at a time when we have two very separate things going on. >> So just acknowledging that. >> Well, thank you so much. I heard someone say you were just you were just going to vote the way you said >> and and I I'm going to continue this with a question. Um I my I was also wondering if it's just internet strain since the internet went out. You know, it has been kind of iffy. So that the slowness might be that factor. Also, I would be curious and I had a question for the staff. Um, I mean, my kids had Chromebooks their whole history at Hannover High, which was not that long ago. One of them just graduated >> 14 months
017ago. Um, and they did not complain. Like, they were able to get their assignments done. Things happened. So, I'm wondering if we just need newer Chrome like if the if the Chromebooks have gotten outdated and we need newer ones. I never heard from them or their peers that the Chromebooks were a problem. So, I'm wondering >> they're purchasing them every year. >> But I guess I'm just wondering like what's different this year because I, you know, I had a lot of chatty people from many classes wandering through my home and never heard anything. I mean, they did say that when they as seniors finally got up their own personal device and used it, it was more comfortable, but it never inhibited their ability to get the assignments done. And I think those are two different
018issues. There's one is like yes, you can have a much better device and then there's does it allow you to get your work done. So, um I just you know those are my questions. >> So, I think what we're hearing is there's lots of current concurring issues happening right now. Yeah. >> Thank you for your comments. We will work on those specific issues as well as have a expect a update from RIT at the next meeting on the 23rd 7 o'clock high school library. You are more than welcome to attend at any time. >> Great. Thank you. also for our note taker. Would you mind spelling your last name? >> Yeah. >> Uh H U Y C. >> Right. >> Thank you so much. >> And then we do have a need to go into
019non-public regarding personnel and new layers. So I will take a motion for that if something would deb >> move to enter it into non-public session at 6:50 p.m. under RSA 91- A 3 two no that's parentheses B I >> we'll go start with Marcela yes >> Nelson yes >> yes >> and Ky yes we will see everyone soon >> where do we [Laughter] Oh my god. Not even close. >> Not even close. >> You ready to go? >> Okay, we'll call us back into session. And I will take a motion to approve the new hires if someone would like to do so. Dev >> I move to approve hiring the following. Chelsea Vog is the interim associate principal at Richmond Middle School. Lisa Lacass Lassie Lass >> as the 60 FTE art substitute for one
020semester at Hanover High School. Mary Zansinger as an.25 FTE strings teacher at RMS and a.20 to zero FTE strings teacher at Hanover High School for the 2526 school year will briefly stepped down is not oh right so then we can do this by motion book so all those in favor it is unanimous 80 thank you everyone we have a second for public comment we do have folks online and members of the public so please feel free to raise your hand if you have a Zoom question. Okay, seeing no questions, we will move right on and we will happily adjourn this meeting at 7:04. If you have any topics for the next scheduled meeting, which will still happen in September on Tuesday the 23rd, please send them my way. Otherwise, I'll take a motion to adjurnn.
021>> Good. >> Okay, I move to adjourn the meeting at 7:04 p.m. >> Second by Lisa again. We'll go around the horns again. Starting with Marcelo. Yes. >> McConnell. Yes. Sullivan. Yes. >> Yes. >> Nelson. Yes. >> Christy, yes. >> Russell, yes. >> And Keany, yes. We are ajourned. Thank you everyone. Stay tuned for handover. >> Thanks for coming, Mr. >> Welcome to You should with >> Thank you, Lisa. >> You're welcome. Byebye. Thank you. >> Thank you for all the nice stuff that you had to do.