01/16/2020 - Special Called Meeting

001Melissa Snively: GOOD MORNING. THIS SPECIAL-CALLED BOARD MEETING OF JANUARY 16th, 2020 IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER. MEMBER CONA, COULD YOU PLEASE LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? Steve Cona: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. WOULD YOU PLEASE JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE. [MOMENT OF SILENCE] PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MEMBER CONA. BOARD MEMBERS, I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADOPT THE AGENDA FOR TODAY. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER CONA AND A SECOND BY MEMBER PEREZ. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND THE MOTION CARRIES WITH MEMBER GRAY BEING AWAY FROM THE DAIS. LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF LYNN GRAY. MEMBER CONA

002WILL NOW READ THE BOARD GUIDELINES FOR TODAY'S MEETING. Steve Cona: AS WE BEGIN THIS MORNING'S MEETING, LET'S QUICKLY REVIEW THE FORMAT OF OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS. PLEASE SILENCE ALL OF YOUR ELECTRONIC DEVICES. THERE ARE SPEAKERS IN THE ROOM BEHIND ME THAT ALLOW BOARD MEMBERS TO HEAR THE MEETING. THIS MEETING CAN BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING ON OUR LIVE WEBCAST ON CABLE TV AND THE VIDEO MONITORS HERE IN THE AUDITORIUM. IT CAN ALSO BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING IN THE ONLINE VIDEO ARCHIVE. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MEMBER CONA. WE'RE GOING TO NOW MOVE INTO OUR PUBLIC COMMENT SEGMENT OF THE MEETING. THE BOARD WELCOMES COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS AND VALUES YOUR INPUT TO THE BOARD. IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSE TO YOUR COMMENTS, OUR STAFF WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU, IF NECESSARY, AND KEEP

003OUR BOARD INFORMED ABOUT RESPONSES. OUR SCHOOL BOARD RESPECTS THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD AND WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO BE HERE THIS MORNING. HOWEVER, IT IS REQUESTED THAT WHEN YOU ADDRESS THE BOARD, COMMENTS ARE NOT DIRECTED PERSONALLY AGAINST ANY SPECIFIC BOARD MEMBER OR STAFF MEMBER, BUT RATHER DIRECTED AT THE ISSUES. ANY BEHAVIOR INTENDED TO INTERRUPT THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THIS MEETING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED. OUR CIVILITY POLICY IS IN PLACE. WE HAVE NINE SPEAKERS SIGNED UP TODAY. WE HAVE ALLOTTED 30 MINUTES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. SO EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES. AND WE ASK THAT WHEN ADDRESSING THE BOARD, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND SPEAK CLEARLY INTO THE MICROPHONE. FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER SPOKEN BEFORE, THERE ARE THREE LIGHTS ON THE LECTERN. THE GREEN LIGHT MEANS THAT YOU HAVE

004THE TIME TO SPEAK. THE YELLOW LIGHT WHEN IT COMES ON MEANS THERE ARE 30 SECONDS LEFT SO PLEASE WRAP UP FOR FINAL COMMENTS. WHEN THE RED LIGHT APPEARS, THAT MEANS YOUR TIME HAS ENDED. OUR FIRST SPEAKERS WILL BE MELISSA ERICKSON, JONATHAN GRAHAM, AND JOSEPHINE AMATO. WELCOME, MS. ERICKSON. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. GOOD MORNING, CHAIR SNIVELY, VICE-CHAIR CONA AND HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. I DON'T DO THIS VERY MUCH. I DON'T LIKE TO DO THIS. I DON'T FIND THIS AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH ALL OF YOU. BUT WHAT I'VE COME TO LEARN IS THIS LECTERN ISN'T BEING USED TO ADDRESS YOU. IT'S BEING USED TO ADDRESS THE PUBLIC. IN THAT VISION, I CHOSE TO SPEAK TODAY. I SAT HERE LAST WEEK AND WATCHED THE PROCESS, WHICH DIDN'T UPSET ME. IT ACTUALLY ENCOURAGED ME BECAUSE IT

005WAS IMPORTANT DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE. BUT IN THE TIME SINCE THEN, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF RHETORIC. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK IN THE COMMUNITY. LOTS OF PEOPLE. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT YOU'VE GONE THROUGH BECAUSE MY PHONE HAS BEEN RINGING AND MY SOCIAL MEDIA HAS BEEN PINGED, AND ALL OF THAT. I'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT WHAT ADULTS DESERVE. WHO DESERVES THIS OR WHO DESERVES THAT. AND WHAT SCHOOLS NEED AND WHAT ADMINISTRATORS WANT, AND I'VE HEARD ALMOST NO TALK ABOUT KIDS. AND THAT'S REALLY, AS YOU CAN TELL, UPSET ME. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT, AND I HOPE THAT TODAY, AS YOU LISTEN TO THE SIX VERY QUALIFIED CANDIDATES TALK, THAT'S WHAT YOU KEEP IN MIND, AND THAT TODAY, YOU TAKE ONE MORE STEP IN A PROCESS THAT YOU AGREED

006TO. THE PUBLIC HAS KNOWN ABOUT AND HAS BEEN OPEN AND PART OF PUBLIC RECORD, THAT AS THIS CONTINUES TODAY, YOU FOCUS ON CHOOSING THE SUPERINTENDENT, OUR STUDENTS DESERVE. THANK YOU. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MS. ERICKSON. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MR. JONATHAN GRAHAM, FOLLOWED BY JOSEPHINE AMATO AND JOSEPH ROBINSON. I CONCUR WITH THE PREVIOUS PERSON THAT THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS MATTER. I ACTUALLY CANCELED THREE FLIGHTS THIS WEEK BECAUSE IT WAS SO SERIOUS. AND IT IS ABOUT THE CHILDREN. IT IS ABOUT OUR DISTRICT. LIKE I SAID BEFORE, IT'S NOT ABOUT ANYBODY'S POLITICAL AGENDA, ANYBODY'S PERSONAL AGENDA. THE REASON I FELT SO NECESSARY TO BE HERE IS BECAUSE SOME OF THE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE PUSHED A PERSONAL AGENDA IN MY ESTIMATION. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS HAS SHOWN A SORT OF DISDAIN FOR BLACK LEADERSHIP

007AND BLACK COMPANIES OR AFRICAN AMERICAN COMPANIES AND AFRICAN AMERICAN LEADERSHIP THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER IN BOTH OF HIS BOARDS, CALLING OUT PUBLICLY IF THERE IS SUCCESS. AND THAT WAS THE REASON I CAME, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS SO SERIOUS IS BECAUSE I REALLY BELIEVE THAT SOMETIMES AFRICAN AMERICAN SUCCESSES AND LEADERSHIP IS JUDGED DIFFERENTLY THAN OTHER ONES, OR GIVING DIFFERENT STANDARDS. AND SO I THOUGHT I WOULD VOICE MY OPINION BECAUSE OF THAT, BECAUSE I DO WANT THE DISTRICT TO HAVE THE BEST QUALIFIED SUPERINTENDENT. AND SOMETIMES THE QUALIFICATIONS, YOU CAN LOOK AT THE QUALIFICATIONS, AND YOU DON'T -- YOU LOOK AT THE BAD THINGS, BUT YOU DON'T LOOK AT THE BAD THINGS OF OTHER PARTICIPANTS OR PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME ON BOARD. I THINK THAT THE PROCESS HAS BEEN TAINTED A LITTLE BIT. A COUPLE OF THE BOARD

008MEMBERS HAVE TAKEN SOME OF THE PARTICIPANTS AROUND AND INTRODUCED THEM TO COMMUNITY LEADERS AS PART OF THEIR PERSON. AND SO THAT PROCESS MAKES IT A LITTLE BIT TAINTED BECAUSE IF PEOPLE SAY, OH, THIS BOARD MEMBER IS LIKING THIS PARTICULAR PERSON, THEN THAT'S MAYBE WHO WE SHOULD ADVOCATE FOR. THOSE THINGS KIND OF GOT ME TO WHERE I WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING. I MUST SAY THAT I'VE TALKED TO A LOT OF THE BOARD MEMBERS AND THEY HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY HELPFUL TO ME. MS. SNIVELY, YOU WERE VERY HELPFUL TO ME IN GETTING A CLEAR PERSPECTIVE ON THINGS. BUT I FELT IT NECESSARY THAT I SPEAK WHAT MY CONCERN IS ABOUT MAKING THE PROCESS FAIR, FAIR FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS, BECAUSE THAT'S THE COMMUNITY THAT I BELONG TO. SO WHEN I SEE THAT IT ISN'T -- IT DOESN'T SEEM

009FAIR, IF SOMEONE SORT OF STANDS OUT AND SHOWS IN THEIR PAST LIFE AND PRESENT LIFE THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THEY ARE COMPLETELY IN TUNE WITH, THEN I HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING. I'M OPEN FOR CONVERSATION ABOUT IT, BUT I HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING PUBLICLY. THANK YOU. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MR. GRAHAM. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JOSEPHINE AMATO, FOLLOWED BY JOSEPH ROBINSON AND THEN JASON FERGER. GOOD MORNING, BOARD. Melissa Snively: WELCOME. MY NAME IS JOSEPHINE AMATO. I AM A VERY ACTIVE EDUCATION ADVOCATE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT. I AM THE DIRECTOR OF SAFE BUS FOR US. I'M ALSO A BOARD MEMBER OF MILITARY KIDS, SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION ALLIANCE. I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT THE SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH. I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN SPANISH HARLEM IN EXTREME POVERTY. I AM KEENLY AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE

010OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS. IT IS THE FIRST SORE TO THE AMERICAN DREAM. AS MARTIN LUTHER KING SAID, THE DREAM IS TO BE JUDGED BY THE CONTENT OF OUR CHARACTER AND NOT THE COLOR OF OUR SKIN. THIS HAS GOTTEN ENTIRELY OUT OF CONTROL. THE MOMENT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD, THE EMPLOYER AND BOARD MEMBERS GO INTO THE PUBLIC AND HAVE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT EMPLOYEE CANDIDATES' RACE, THEY ARE IN VIOLATION, IN POSSIBLE VIOLATION OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT, TITLE VII, AND THIS HAS CREATED BIAS IN THE EMPLOYMENT SEARCH. THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 IS NOT ONLY THE LAW, IT EMBODIES WHAT WE BELIEVE AS A NATION THAT WE HOLD DEAR. DON'T BELIEVER ME AS A FORMER CIVIL RIGHTS INVESTIGATOR BUT SIMPLY LOOK IT UP ON THE EOC. I'LL SPEAK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT. WHEN WE HAVE BOARD MEMBERS

011GOING PUBLIC, GO ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND ENGAGE IN COMMENTS IN THE HIRING PROCESS INDICATING RACIAL BIAS FOR A CANDIDATE DURING THE EMPLOYMENT PROCESS, THIS HAS TAINTED THE ENTIRE PROCESS. AND I WANT TO READ TO YOU WHAT THE EOC GIVES IN VERY DETAILED GUIDELINES. THERE IS NO SITUATION IN WHICH QUESTIONS ABOUT AN EMPLOYEE'S RACE OR SKIN COLOR SHOULD BE USED TO DETERMINE THEIR ELIGIBILITY FOR A JOB. THIS PROTECTION IS GUARANTEED UNDER THE TITLE VII OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 THAT PROHIBITS EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, SEX, AND NATIONAL ORIGIN. THIS IS, WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT OUR CANDIDATES BASED UPON THEIR SKILL AND THEIR EMPLOYMENT RECORD. AND I NOT ONLY SAY THIS AS ONE OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, I SAY THIS AS A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN GIVEN EQUAL ACCESS

012TO OPPORTUNITY BASED ON WHO I AM, BASED ON MY SKILLS, NOT MY ETHNIC ORIGIN, NOT MY MULTIPLE RACES. AND THIS IS WHAT WE SHOULD BE DISCUSSING. THERE ARE AMAZING CANDIDATES THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT. THEY ALL HAVE AMPLE PUBLIC RECORDS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT OF WHETHER THEY CAN DO OR NOT DO THIS JOB, INCLUDING IN OUR OWN DISTRICT. AND WE NEED TO START HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHO CAN DO THIS JOB TO KEEP THAT DOOR OPEN FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF OUR STUDENTS. IT IS TIME WE MODEL THE BEHAVIOR WE WANT OUR CHILDREN TO EXEMPLIFY, BECAUSE OUR CHILDREN ARE ALWAYS, ALWAYS WATCHING US. THANK YOU. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MS. AMATO. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JOSEPH ROBINSON, FOLLOWED BY JASON FERGER. AND THEN YVETTE LEWIS. WELCOME, MR. ROBINSON. GOOD MORNING. JOE ROBINSON.

013I'M NOT REPRESENTING NAACP TODAY. I'M REPRESENTING JOE ROBINSON, AND I'M NOT REPRESENTING THE BUCS. PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE. WE WALK BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT. NOTHING BEATS A FAILURE BUT A TRY. TEAMWORK. WE WANT TO WIN IN -- WE WANT A WINNING TEAM. AND I WOULD SAY THE FIRST TODAY SHALL BE LAST AND THE LAST SHALL BE FIRST. BECAUSE WAITING IN A ROOM FOR EIGHT HOURS AND YOU COME OUT HERE AND YOU ALL AIN'T HAVE LUNCH AT THE DAIS. KEEP YOUR SUGAR UP. DON'T FALL OUT ON THE LAST PERSON. THE LAST PERSON IS THE PERSON PEOPLE WANT TO SEE UP THERE. I WANT TO SAY THIS, HE OR SHE, WHAT I'M SEEING UP THERE CAST THE FIRST STONE IN EVERY ONE OF THE PEOPLE HERE. CAST THE FIRST STONE, NO SIN, DONE NO WRONG,

014THE PUBLIC DONE VETTED THIS, BECAUSE YOUR CONSULTANT FROM THE GREAT STATE OF IOWA, WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA, DIDN'T DO A GOOD JOB. THE PUBLIC DONE VETTED THESE PEOPLE. IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION ON THESE PEOPLE, WEST TAMPA, YOU AIN'T READ THE TAMPA BAY TIMES. THE TAMPA BAY TIMES AND THE PUBLIC DID THE JOB OF YOUR CONSULTANT. OKAY? YOUR CONSULTANT FAILED YOU ON THAT. BUT THE PUBLIC DID THEIR JOB. WHY? THIS IS ABOUT THE CHILDREN. IT AIN'T ABOUT NONE OF YOU UP THERE. NONE OF YOU-ALL. YOU'LL ONLY BE UP THERE SO LONG. LOOK AT WHAT'S RIGHT. YOU'RE DISCRIMINATING WHEN YOU DON'T ALLOW A PERSON FROM THE INSIDE. THAT'S CALLED DISCRIMINATION. YOU ALREADY SAID WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE ANYBODY FROM OUTSIDE. WITH UNFORESEEN REVIEW OR INTERVIEW. YOU SHOULD HAVE WAITED UNTIL AFTER THE

015INTERVIEW TO SAY THAT. DON'T SEGREGATE. THAT'S WHAT YOU DID. YOU SEGREGATED PEOPLE WHEN YOU SAID WE DON'T WANT NOBODY FROM THE INSIDE. THAT'S WRONG. IF -- YOU-ALL GET BACK TO TWO, MAKE THREE PEOPLE. MAKE A MOTION FOR FOUR VOTES UP THERE TODAY, MS. GRAY. WITHOUT FOUR VOTES, AIN'T NOBODY GOING NOWHERE. THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE GAME. THIS IS THE THIRD QUARTER BECAUSE THE FOURTH QUARTER WILL BE ON THE 21st, GOD WILLING. THIS IS THE THIRD QUARTER. THAT'S WHERE THE BUCS STAND AND THEY DON'T WIN, THROW AN INTERCEPTION. DON'T YOU ALL THROW NO INTERCEPTIONS UP HERE, OKAY? RIGHT OFF THE BAT. LAST PLAY OF THE GAME AND LOSE THE CHAMPIONSHIP, AN OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY. WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY IN CLOSING IS, WHAT IS THE PERSONALITY OF THESE CANDIDATES? HOW CAN THEY HANDLE PRESSURE?

016HOW CAN THEY MAKE DECISIONS WITH A ROOM FULL OF HOSTILE PARENTS, HOSTILE TEACHERS IN A HOSTILE COMMUNITY. HOPEFULLY IT'S TIME YOU TAKE THE INTERVIEW AND HEAR THEM TALK. WATCH THE BODY LANGUAGE. SEE HOW THEY RESPOND, ON THE CUFF WITH ALL THE QUESTIONS EVERYBODY IS ASKING YOU TO ASK AND THEN HOPEFULLY YOU'LL FIND OUT THAT THE INSIDE MAN GOT TO BE THE BEST PERSON BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHERE ALL THE BODIES ARE BURIED. BOTTOM LINE IN THIS WHOLE SAGA IS, DO THE RIGHT THING, BECAUSE THIS AIN'T THE END OF THE GAME. WE'VE GOT ONE MORE ROUND, AND DO THE RIGHT THING. BECAUSE OTHERWISE THIS IS GOING TO BE EVERYBODY UP THERE LEGACY. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MR. ROBINSON. BOARD MEMBERS, LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT ALL MEMBERS ARE HERE NOW, PRESENT. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MR. JASON

017FERGER FOLLOWED BY YVETTE LEWIS AND THEN BISHOP MICHELLE PATTY. GOOD MORNING, BOARD MEMBERS. MY NAME IS JASON FERGER. I AM A STAKEHOLDER. I FIRST WANTED TO START BY SAYING THANK YOU TO THE SIX OF YOU WHO RESPONDED TO MY CALLS AND MESSAGES ABOUT AN ISSUE THAT I BROUGHT FORTH THAT AFFECTED HUNDREDS OF SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES. RIGHT AROUND THE HR DEPARTMENT. SO I WOULD HOPE WHOEVER IS HIRED FOR SUPERINTENDENT, THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THEIR FIRST DEPARTMENTS TO TAKE A LOOK AT AND MAYBE DO SOME CHANGES IN. BUT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH TODAY, I WATCHED THE MEETING. THAT WAS -- THAT WAS A MEETING. THAT WAS SOMETHING. I SAW AND I HEARD THREATS BEING MADE BY MORE THAN ONE INDIVIDUAL TO THE BOARD. I HEARD PEOPLE SHOUTING IN THE BACKGROUND, NEGATIVE THINGS TOWARDS THE BOARD. MR.

018GREEN, HE GOT TRESPASS FOR LESS THAN THAT. I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU GUYS DON'T ALLOW THAT MUCH LONGER. MR. PORTER, SPEAKING OF WHAT MS. AMATO SAID, HILLSBOROUGH HAS TO FOLLOW THE LAW WHEN IT COMES TO THE EEOC, CORRECT? I HAVE BIG CONCERNS. I KNOW I HAVEN'T SUED THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. THE ONE THING THAT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO KNOW WHEN YOU SUE A SCHOOL DISTRICT, ESPECIALLY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, IS THAT THE COUNTY WILL OUTSPEND YOU IN ATTORNEY FEES ABOUT THREE TO FOUR TO ONE. THREE OR FOUR DOLLARS TO YOUR ONE DOLLAR. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO SUE THE SCHOOL BOARD. BUT WHEN YOU POSSIBLY VIOLATE A LARGE LAW LIKE THE EEOC, OBVIOUSLY, THAT PERSON MAY HAVE A LOT MORE RESOURCES THAN THEIR OWN PERSONAL RESOURCES TO SUE YOU. IT IS NOT A BLACK OR WHITE ISSUE FOR ME. IT

019IS KIND OF A GRAY ISSUE. I THINK THAT'S KIND OF FUNNY BECAUSE MS. GRAY MAY BE THE ONE THAT MAKES THE ULTIMATE DECISION AS TO WHO THE NEXT SUPERINTENDENT WOULD BE. SO, WITH THAT SAID, WE'RE ALL AMERICANS. THIS DECISION IS GOING TO AFFECT HOWEVER MANY STUDENTS, COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF EMPLOYEES, BUT I THINK IT'S NOT JUST THAT. IT AFFECTS EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT SPENDS A DOLLAR HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. EVERY SINGLE PERSON, WHETHER THEY ARE FROM IOWA. THEY SPEND DOLLARS HERE. THEY CONTRIBUTED TO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. ALL I WANT -- I'M NOT GOING TO SAY WHO I'M HERE FOR. I DON'T KNOW. I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW. IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER WHO I'M FOR. IT MATTERS WHO YOU GUYS ARE FOR. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T TAKE TOO MUCH STOCK IN WHO'S HERE SPEAKING,

020WHO HAS WRITTEN YOU ALL LETTERS. WHO'S CALLED YOU AT THE SUPERMARKET OR PUBLIX, WHATEVER. STOP ALL THAT. JUST MAKE THE DECISION THAT IS BEST FOR THE DISTRICT AND THE CITIZENS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY REGARDLESS OF ALL OF THE STUFF THAT'S GONE ON. JUST MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION FOR OUR KIDS. THANK YOU. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MR. FERGER. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MS. YVETTE LEWIS FOLLOWED BY BISHOP MICHELLE PATTY AND THEN REVEREND DAMES JUNIOR. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS YVETTE LEWIS. I AM REPRESENTING THE NAACP HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BRANCH. THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE GONE OVER WITH OUR STATE AND OUR NATION. SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU ALL TO CONSIDER WHEN YOU'RE INTERVIEWING THESE CANDIDATES. ONE IS, WE HAVE GOT TO FIND SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS THE DISPARITY BETWEEN THE

021BLACK AND THE BROWN STUDENTS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. THE SECOND ONE IS, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT PRE-K IS IN THE BUDGET FOR EVERY THREE AND FOUR-YEAR-OLD IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND THAT THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO START SCHOOL RIGHT. AND THE OTHER ONES ARE, ONE THAT'S DEAR TO ME AS A SPECIAL EDUCATION MAJOR, SPECIAL EDUCATION, ARE THEY RECEIVING ALL THE FUNDS THAT THEY SHOULD BE RECEIVING? AND ASK THE CANDIDATES, WHAT ARE THEIR PLANS? WHAT ARE THEIR THOUGHTS? WHAT ARE THEIR VIEWS ABOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION, BECAUSE IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE DON'T DEPLETE THEIR FUNDS AND GIVE THEM TO OTHER PROGRAMS OR WE RECEIVE MONEY AND GIVE THEM TO OTHER PROGRAMS. BUT THIS PROGRAM IS NEAR AND DEAR TO ME. THERE ARE STUDENTS IN CLASSROOMS, SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOMS, THAT THEY DON'T HAVE BOOKS. THEY DON'T HAVE THE PROPER

022MATERIAL, AND THEY NEED MORE RESOURCES SUCH AS TECHNOLOGY TO HELP THEM IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS -- I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS, BUT KEEP THOSE IN MIND IF THEY HAVE THEM IN THE PLAN AND WORK IN THE BUDGET. ANOTHER ONE IS, TO ENSURE THAT ALL STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO TRADE SCHOOLS. EVERYBODY IS NOT COLLEGE MATERIAL. AND I HATE TO SAY THAT, BUT THERE ARE SOME THAT WILL END UP IN A TRADE SCHOOL OR DO A MARKETING FORUM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, CUSTOMER SERVICE. LET'S MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE ACCESS TO TO THAT. NOT JUST HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY BUT THEY ARE ENCOURAGED. IF A STUDENT IS STRUGGLING IN SCHOOL, THEY ARE ENCOURAGED TO GO SIGN UP FOR THESE CLASSES.

023YOU KNOW, COUNSELORS THAT HAVE NOT REACHED OUT TO THESE KIDS THAT ARE LOW-PERFORMING SCHOOLS, LET'S REACH OUT TO THEM OTHER WAYS SO THEY CAN MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS. THESE ARE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I PUT FORTH FOR YOU TO CHALLENGE SOME OF THE CANDIDATES THAT'S GOING TO COME BEFORE YOU. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS HAVE GONE THROUGH A LOT AND WE HAVE A LOT MORE TO GO THROUGH. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BRANCH NAACP, WE'RE HERE FOR YOU. MY THING IS, WE'RE HERE FOR THE KIDS. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE KIDS GET THE RIGHT THING AND UNDERSTAND THAT ALL OF YOU-ALL, ALL OF YOU-ALL, INCLUDING US, WANT TO REPRESENT THEM FAIRLY AND GIVE THEM A FAIR CHANCE. BECAUSE I HAVE A TWO-YEAR-OLD, AND SHE NEEDS YOU ALL. SHE NEEDS EVERY ONE OF YOU ALL, JUST LIKE SHE

024NEEDS ME. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MS. LEWIS. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS BISHOP MICHELLE PATTY FOLLOWED BY REVEREND DR. GLEN DAMES, AND THEN THE REVEREND MARCUS DERRICK WHITE. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING, BOARD. MY NAME IS BISHOP MICHELLE B. PATTY. I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF MY GRANDCHILDREN, BEHALF OF TEACHERS THAT ARE OVERWORKED AND UNDERPAID. I'M HERE BECAUSE THE FOCUS NEED TO BE REDIRECTED TO WHAT YOU ALL ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT. AND THAT'S FINDING A CAPABLE SUPERINTENDENT TO RUN THIS DISTRICT. IT'S NOT ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE RUNNING FOR OFFICE, IT'S NOT ABOUT THEM TAKING THIS PROCESS AND MAKING A COMMOTION IN THIS COMMUNITY. I'M HERE BECAUSE THERE IS NO BLOOD TEST TO SAY WHETHER SOMEONE IS RACIST OR NOT. BECAUSE I LIVED THROUGH SEGREGATION, I THINK IT'S APPALLING THAT PEOPLE HAVE DIRECTED

025COMMENTS TO PEOPLE BECAUSE OF RUMORS. I HAVE NOT BEEN A PART OF ANY MEETINGS, WHETHER THEY HAVE BEEN PRIVATE OR PUBLIC, BUT I'M HERE BECAUSE WHEN MY GRANDSON COME HOME EVERY DAY FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THE SUBSTITUTE IN HIS MATH CLASS HAVE ROTATED SEVERAL DIFFERENT TIMES, I'M CONCERNED, BECAUSE HE HAS TO HAVE MATH IN ORDER TO GRADUATE. IT IS TIME THAT YOU STOP LISTENING TO THE RHETORIC, LISTEN TO AND LOOK AT EACH CANDIDATE. EACH ONE OF YOU ALL, INCLUDING THE PERSON THAT WAS THE CHAIR SAID THAT YOU ALL WERE IN AGREEMENT WITH THE PEOPLE THAT YOU HIRED. YOU HAVE SPENT $45,000, MY TAX DOLLARS, IN HIRING THESE PEOPLE. NOW, WHEN IT DOESN'T SUIT YOU, SUIT YOUR REELECTION, NOW YOU WANT TO MAKE A MOCKERY OUT OF THE SYSTEM. THIS BOARD NEED TO SHOW SOME LEADERSHIP. IT NEEDS

026TO SHOW SOME BACKBONE. IT NEEDS TO HAVE COURAGE TO PICK THE BEST APPLICANT FOR THE JOB. IT IS TIME THAT YOU ALL UNDERSTAND YOUR POSITION, BECAUSE WHOMEVER YOU PICK, IF THEY ARE NOT MEETING THE STANDARD OF THIS BOARD, THEN YOU HAVE THE OPTION TO FIRE THEM. BUT DO NOT STOP SOMEONE BECAUSE OF RUMORS AND INNUENDOS. YOU LOOK AT EACH CANDIDATE, AND YOU BRING US THE BEST. I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN THIS CITY. I WENT TO DOVERVILLE ELEMENTARY, TO HOWARD W. BLAKE, AND I WOULD NOT ALLOW PEOPLE TO ATTACK ONE ANOTHER JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE TRYING TO GET SOMEWHERE IN THE NEXT ELECTION. SO, BOARD MEMBERS, HAVE COURAGE. DO THE RIGHT THING. I DIDN'T COME HERE FOR A POPULARITY CONTEST. I'M NOT TRYING TO WIN FRIENDS. I'M TRYING TO GET THE BEST SUPERINTENDENT FOR THIS

027DISTRICT SO THAT ALL CHILDREN CAN GRADUATE AND HAVE A FAIR SHOT IN LIFE, WHETHER IT BE TRADE, COLLEGE, OR WHATEVER THEY WANT TO DO. IT IS UP TO YOU ALL TO STAND FIRM AND NOT LISTEN TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOW SAYING THEY ARE FIGHTING FOR THEIR COMMUNITY. THAT FIGHT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A LONG TIME AGO. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, BISHOP PATTY. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS REVEREND DR. FOLLOWED BY REVEREND MARCUS DEREK WHITE. OUR LAST SPEAKER IS ELVIS PIGGOTT. GOOD MORNING, CHAIR AND ALL. WHAT A PRIVILEGE IT IS TO STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY. I JUST WANT TO SAY FAITH OVER FEAR. DO NOT BE SWAYED BY FEAR BUT RATHER MOVE IN FAITH, KNOWING THAT WITHOUT FAITH -- IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD. HAVING SAID THAT, I GREW UP, AS YOU HEARD ME SAY THE OTHER

028DAY, IN JACKSON, ORANGE PARK. I GREW UP IN DUVAL AND LAKE COUNTY. I WAS BLESSED TO BE RAISED BY THE COMMUNITY. I REMEMBER, MS. PEREZ, OLDER WOMAN IN MY COMMUNITY BY THE NAME OF MS. HERD WHO COULD NOT READ. I DID NOT KNOW SHE COULDN'T READ BECAUSE IT WAS NOT MY PLACE TO ASK HER BECAUSE SHE WAS AN ADULT. BUT EVERY DAY I GOT HOME FROM SCHOOL, SHE SAY, HEY, BOY, WHAT THAT SCHOOL LEARNING YOU OVER THERE? AND AS AN EXCITED THIRD GRADER, I WANTED TO SHOW OFF WHAT I LEARNED AT ORANGE PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. SO I WALKED IN THERE. SHE SAID, IF THAT SCHOOL LEARNING YOU SO MUCH, READ THIS. AND SHE GAVE ME HER SOCIAL SECURITY MAIL TO READ. I DIDN'T KNOW SHE COULDN'T READ. BUT I READ IT FOR HER FROM A

029TO Z. AND I REMEMBER HER SAYING, WELL, HOW THEM TEACHERS TEACHING YOU? I SAID, THEY -- THEY FINE. EVERY TIME SHE ASKED, I SAID THEY ARE FINE. UNTIL ONE DAY I GOT IN TROUBLE BY A TEACHER WHO CARED ABOUT ME DEEPLY. I SAID THAT SHE WAS PREJUDICE. SHE SAID, BOY, YOU COME HERE AND YOU LISTEN GOOD. YOU BETTER NOT SAY THAT AGAIN UNTIL YOU CAN SPELL IT. IF YOU CAN'T SPELL IT, DON'T YOU SAY IT BECAUSE YOU BETTER KNOW WHAT IT MEAN BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO CARE ABOUT YOU AND THEY COME TO WORK EVERY DAY TO SEE ABOUT YOU, AND THEY DO IT BECAUSE THEY LOVE YOU. STOP THAT. I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT LANGUAGE. AS I GREW OLDER, I BEGAN TO LEARN THAT I MAKE SURE

030THAT I KNOW PEOPLE FOR THE CONTENT OF THEIR CHARACTER AND NOT THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN. I GOT TO KNOW PEOPLE FOR WHO THEY WERE. I HOPE THAT YOU WOULD NOT BE SWAYED BY ANYTHING THAT ANYBODY HAS SAID, BUT THAT YOU WOULD SPEAK ON BEHALF OF CHILDREN. YOU ARE THEIR VOICE. AND I PRAY THAT YOU WOULD HEAR THEM, AND THAT YOU WOULD SPEAK FOR THEM AND THAT YOU WOULD KNOW THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, FAITH HAS TO TRUMP FEAR EVERY TIME. DON'T WORRY ABOUT VOTES. PEOPLE WHO LIKE IT GOING TO VOTE FOR YOU AND THE FOLKS WHO DON'T WANT. SOME FOLKS ALREADY MADE UP THEIR MIND WHO THEY ARE GOING TO VOTE FOR AND THEY DON'T CARE WHO YOU VOTE FOR, THEY STILL AIN'T GOING TO VOTE FOR YOU. DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.

031DO WHAT IS RIGHT. WE'LL SEE. MY GRANDMOTHER TAUGHT ME, WHAT DON'T COME OUT OF THE WASH COME OUT IN THE RINSE. EVENTUALLY THE RINSE CYCLE WILL COME AND ALL THE STUFF WILL COME OUT. DON'T WORRY ABOUT THOSE DIVISIVE BECAUSE OF REELECTION. DON'T LET THAT BOTHER YOU. STAND FLATFOOTED IN THE CLEAR. WE'RE GOING TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT ON BEHALF OF CHILDREN. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, REVEREND. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS REVEREND MARCUS DEREK WHITE. THEN OUR FINAL SPEAKER IS PASTOR ELVIS PIGGOTT. GOOD MORNING, BOARD. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN. AGAIN, I'M A PRODUCT OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS, FOSTER ELEMENTARY TO HILLSBOROUGH HIGH SCHOOL. AS I'VE STATED BEFORE THE OTHER DAY, I ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER CLERGY MEMBERS, FORMER EDUCATORS AND CIVIC LEADERS MET WITH POTENTIAL CANDIDATE FOR THE POSITION

032OF SUPERINTENDENT FROM CLAY COUNTY. THE CONTENT OF THAT CONVERSATION AGAIN WAS CONCERNING STUDENTS, STAFF, AND THE COMMUNITY. YET THE FOCUS WAS THE EQUITY OF EDUCATION FOR OUR STUDENTS. SOMEWHERE WE'VE GOTTEN AWAY FROM THAT CONVERSATION, AND WE'VE MOVED FROM EDUCATION TO RACE. AND NOW AS FAR AS I KNOW, I'VE BEEN BLACK ALL OF MY LIFE, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I DON'T PARTICULARLY CARE FOR ONE IF THEY ARE BLACK, BLUE, PINK OR GREEN, BOW-LEGGED, PIGEON TOED, KNOCK-KNEED, MY CONCERN IS ABOUT OUR CHILDREN AND THE EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS OF OUR KIDS AND THAT SHOULD BE OUR FOCAL POINT. THERE SHOULD BE NO AMBIGUITY ABOUT THE DECISION BETWEEN RACE AND EDUCATION WHEN PICKING OUR NEXT SUPERINTENDENT. DR. KING SAID, THE FUNCTION OF EDUCATION IS TO TEACH ONE TO THINK INTENSIVELY AND TO THINK CRITICALLY. INTELLIGENCE PLUS CHARACTER,

033THAT IS THE GOAL OF TRUE EDUCATION, AND THAT SHOULD BE OUR FOCAL POINT THIS AFTERNOON WHEN PICKING OUR NEXT SUPERINTENDENT. THANK YOU. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, REVEREND. OUR FINAL SPEAKER TODAY IS PASTOR ELVIS PIGGOTT. WELCOME. THANK YOU, CHAIR. IT'S A PLEASURE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THIS SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH. I WANT TO TAKE THE MOMENT FIRST TO MOST DEFINITELY SAY THANK YOU TO RAY AND ASSOCIATES BECAUSE I FOLLOWED THEM ALONG THIS WHEN THEY WAS HIRED, THEY WAS PICKED. I FOLLOWED THEM TO THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, AUDITORIUMS AS I BELIEVE THE YOUNG LADY HAD SUCH ENERGY AS SHE WALKED AROUND THE WHOLE AUDITORIUM FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER, DOWN THE MIDDLE, DOWN THE OTHER SIDE, ASKING THE QUESTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT IN A SUPERINTENDENT? RAISE YOUR HAND, TELL ME. IF YOU

034FEEL LIKE TALKING TO ME PRIVATELY, GET MY INFORMATION. HERE GO MY CARD. LET'S MAKE SURE WE FIND EXACTLY WHAT YOU ALL WANT. SHE WENT FROM THIS SIDE OF THE COUNTY TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COUNTY. MAKING SURE THAT THEY DID JUST WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTED, TAKING THAT INFORMATION, COMPILING IT INTO WHAT WE CAN FIND HERE AS THE CANDIDATES THAT WE HAVE LEFT TO ELECT FROM. I THINK AS MANY OF THE SPEAKERS SAID, WHAT A DISHEARTENING THING WHEN WE HAVE SOMEONE TO PUBLICLY AND CLEARLY SAY, WE WANT SOMEONE BLACK. I'M ALMOST LIKE THE SPEAKER BEFORE US THAT SAYS I'VE BEEN BLACK ALL MY LIFE, AND I KNOW BY ALL MEANS I SUPPORT AFRICAN AMERICANS, BUT THE SUPPORT FOR AN AFRICAN AMERICAN GOES WHEN YOU SEE AN AFRICAN AMERICAN THAT NOT ONLY IS QUALIFIED BUT HAS

035DONE THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN OVERLOOKED, THAT HAS BEEN STEPPED ASIDE, THAT HAS BEEN MISTREATED, THAT HAS ALSO BEEN NEGLECTED BECAUSE OF THE RACE OF HIS SKIN. AT THAT MOMENT, WE FIGHT FOR HIM. BUT TO CLEARLY SAY OUR BLACK STUDENTS NEED TO HAVE AFRICAN AMERICAN SUPERINTENDENT, IT'S ALMOST DISHEARTENING BECAUSE AT THAT MOMENT I WANT TO ASK THE QUESTION, WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR WHITE STUDENTS. DO THEY NO LONGER MATTER? NO LONGER RELEVANT? THE POINT NOW THAT WE COMPLETELY MADE IT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WE DON'T WANT ALL BLACK STUDENTS IN THE SAME SCHOOL. WE FIND THAT TO BE A PROBLEM, F SCHOOLS DOMINANTLY IN ONE DISTRICT SIMPLY BECAUSE I BELIEVE WE HAVE GOT THIS DISTRICT AND HOW WE REZONING TO PUT EVERYBODY IN ONE SCHOOL. I THOUGHT THAT WAS A PROBLEM. SURELY NOW, IF THE SHOE

036FIT, THEN GUESS WHAT, WEAR IT. IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN QUALIFIED, IF YOU HAVE NOT DID THE JOB THAT YOU WAS PLACED IN THE RANK THAT YOU WAS IN, WHAT DIFFERENCE AND WHAT COULD YOU DO NOW THAT YOU DIDN'T DO THEN? AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT WAS VERY CLEAR BEFORE RAY AND ASSOCIATES CAME THAT EVERYONE MADE IT CLEAR, ALONG WITH THE CHAIR AT THAT TIME. WE WANT TO HIRE SOMEONE FROM THE OUTSIDE. WE WANT A NATIONAL SEARCH. IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM THEN, THEY SHOULD HAVE FOUGHT FOR IT THEN. THEY SHOULD HAVE NOT VOTED FOR IT, NOT VOTED FOR RAY AND ASSOCIATES TO BE HERE, BUT WE BROUGHT THEM IN. WE SPENT OUR TAX DOLLARS. THEY HAVE DONE A MARVELOUS JOB. THE PROCESS SOMETIMES NOT ALWAYS THAT WE WANT IT, BUT AT THIS

037MOMENT, IT'S GOING TO SHOW THE INTEGRITY OF THIS BOARD THAT RESPECT PROCESSES. BECAUSE AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE TO HONOR THE PROCESS. THANK YOU. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, PASTOR PIGGOTT. BOARD MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENTS TODAY. BOARD MEMBERS, AT THIS MOMENT, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO OUR REGULAR AGENDA. BEFORE WE DO THAT, I WANT TO INTRODUCE RAY AND ASSOCIATES TODAY AND SAY THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY PRELIMINARY COMMENTS YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE BEFORE I DESCRIBE THE PROCESS WE'LL BE TAKING TODAY. I THINK WE'RE ALL SET. WE HAVE SEVEN ENTHUSIASTIC CANDIDATES READY TO COME BEFORE YOU THIS MORNING. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND LET YOU DO YOUR INTRO AND THEN WE'LL STEP OUT TO MAKE SURE WE GET THE FIRST PERSON hRD WAS TO CONDUCT A NATIONAL SEARCH

038FOR THE NEXT SUPERINTENDENT. THE BOARD DECIDED ON A TIMELINE THAT WOULD HAVE THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT IN PLACE IN THE EARLY PART OF THIS YEAR TO GIVE THE PERSON TIME WITH OUh VOTED T RAY AND ASSOCIATES TO CONDUCT A NATIONWIDE SEARCH, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY HAVE DONE. BETWEEN THAT TIME AND NOW, THE BOARD HAS RECEIVED REGULAR UPDATES ABOUT THE PROCESS FROM OUR FORMER CHAIR, MS. SHAMBURGER AND STAFF AND ME. THE GOAL THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS HAS BEEN TRANSPARENT AND OPEN. WE HAVE A LIST OF SEVEN SEMIFINALISTS TO INTERVIEW TODAY THAT REFLECT THE RESULTS OF A NATIONAL SEARCH. AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO GO OVER THE FORMAT OF THE MEETING TODAY AND SET SOME EXPECTATIONS. OKAY. SO THE BOARD WILL MAKE THE ULTIMATE DECISION ON WHICH APPLICANTS BECOME FINALISTS TODAY. THIS IS HOW THE INTERVIEWS WILL

039BE CONDUCTED. ALL CANDIDATES ARE GOING TO REPORT TO OUR BOARD AUDITORIUM. THEY HAVE ARRIVED THIS MORNING AND THEY HAVE BEEN SEQUESTERED UNTIL THE TIME OF THE INTERVIEW. THAT WILL PREVENT UNFAIR ADVANTAGES. THE ELECTRONIC DEVICES HAVE BEEN SECURED DURING THE TIME THEY ARE SEQUESTERED. EACH CANDIDATE WILL BE ESCORTED INTO THE BOARDROOM AND WILL BE INTRODUCED BY MARIE WHELAN, HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER. EACH CANDIDATE WILL BE ALLOWED A THREE-MINUTE OPENING STATEMENT. AND THEN AT THAT TIME, EACH BOARD MEMBER WILL BE ABLE TO ASK THE APPLICANTS A QUESTION AND THE APPLICANT WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO ANSWER. AFTER ALL OF THE QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ASKED, EACH APPLICANT WILL BE ASKED TO GIVE A THREE-MINUTE SUMMARY OF HIS OR HER 90-DAY PLAN WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE FINALISTS WILL BE ASKED TO GO INTO MORE DETAIL WHEN THEY ARE INTERVIEWED

040ONE ON ONE WITH EACH BOARD MEMBER NEXT WEEK. EACH BOARD MEMBER WILL ASK THE CANDIDATE ONE QUESTION, AND EACH BOARD MEMBER MUST ASK THE SAME QUESTION OF EACH CANDIDATE IN ORDER TO BE FAIR AND EQUITABLE. THESE QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN AGREED ON BY BOARD MEMBERS. ONCE THE LAST CANDIDATE INTERVIEW IS FINISHED, RAY AND ASSOCIATES WILL BRING THE CONSENSUS-BUILDING MATRIX FOR THE BOARD TO COMPLETE. THE BOARD WILL USE THE SCORES OF THE MATRIX TO BEGIN DISCUSSION ABOUT THE FINALISTS. AND FOLLOWING THE BOARD DISCUSSION, WE WILL SELECT TWO TO THREE FINALISTS. HOW THAT'S GOING TO WORK A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL, AFTER THE LAST INTERVIEW CONDUCTED AND USED THE MATRIX TO SCORE AND RANK THE CANDIDATES, THE BOARD WILL TAKE A SHORT RECESS AND GO INTO A CONFERENCE ROOM WITH OUR BOARD ATTORNEY. RAY AND ASSOCIATES WILL GO

041AND TABULATE THOSE SCORES INTO ANOTHER ROOM. AFTER THE SCORES ARE TABULATED, THE BOARD WILL BEGIN THEIR DISCUSSION. THE MATRIX IS MERELY A TOOL TO HELP THE BOARD FRAME THE DISCUSSION AND VOTE. I JUST WANTED TO REMIND THE BOARD OF THAT. IT'S A STARTING POINT, NOT A FINAL DECISION. AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE BOARD DISCUSSION, TO CONSIDER ALL ASPECTS OF THE CANDIDATES' INFORMATION. BOARD MEMBERS, PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT WE ARE SITTING TODAY IN A DIFFERENT CAPACITY THAN WE USUALLY DO. WE'RE INTERVIEWING PEOPLE TO HIRE. NORMALLY THE SUPERINTENDENT AND HIS STAFF CONDUCT INTERVIEWS AND BRING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD FOR APPROVAL. BECAUSE WE ARE IN AN INTERVIEW PROCESS, CERTAIN LEGAL AND HUMAN RESOURCES LAWS MUST BE FOLLOWED, AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE RESPECT THOSE LAWS. THE PROCESS THAT WE ARE IN IS DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE

042BOARD FROM LIABILITY AND THE BOARD AND ALSO THE APPLICANTS WHO HAVE THE RIGHTS UNDER FEDERAL AND STATE LAW. WE ARE AN EQUAL COMMUNITY EMPLOYER. Jim Porter: MADAM CHAIR, IF I MAY EXPAND UPON YOUR COMMENTS, BRIEFLY. SITTING IN A DIFFERENT CAPACITY TODAY. GENERALLY AS BOARD MEMBERS, YOU HAVE WIDE DISCRETION, FOR INSTANCE, WHEN YOU MAKE POLICIES. YOU'RE IN AN UNUSUAL SITUATION TODAY. AS THE CHAIR SAID, USUALLY THE SUPERINTENDENT AND STAFF CONDUCT INTERVIEWS AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOU-ALL TO HIRE. YOU-ALL ARE NOW DOING THE HIRING AND DOING THE INTERVIEW. THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU DO FOR ANYBODY BUT THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE SCHOOL BOARD ATTORNEY. BECAUSE YOU ARE IN THE INTERVIEW PROCESS, THERE ARE CERTAIN FEDERAL LAWS, SPECIFICALLY TITLE 7 THAT APPLY TO BOTH THE APPLICANTS AND TO THE BOARD. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT AND RESPECT

043THAT AND UNDERSTAND THE HAT THAT YOU'RE WEARING TODAY. THE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN DESIGNED WITH YOUR INPUT AND WITH YOUR HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER, DR. MARIE WHELAN AND I, ARE DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE BOARD FROM LIABILITY, PROTECT THE APPLICANTS WHO HAVE RIGHTS, AND ALSO ALLOW YOU-ALL TO GET THE INFORMATION YOU NEED FROM THE APPLICANTS TO HELP MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION. IT IS AN EXCITING TIME, AS YOUR CHAIR SAID. THE LAST TIME THE BOARD WENT THROUGH THIS PROCESS WAS OVER 15 YEARS AGO. SO THE BOARD HAS NOT CONDUCTED INTERVIEWS FOR A SUPERINTENDENT SINCE 2005. IT IS AN EXCITING TIME FOR THE DISTRICT. YOU HAVE SEVEN SEMIFINALISTS TO GO THROUGH. AT THE END OF THAT PROCESS, YOU WILL BE ASKED TO MAKE A MOTION TO BRING TWO TO THREE PEOPLE FORWARD AS FINALISTS FOR INTERVIEWS NEXT WEEK. Melissa

044Snively: MS. SHAMBURGER HAS A POINT OF CLARIFICATION. Tamara Shamburger: THANK YOU SO MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. I'D DEFINITELY LIKE TO POINT OUT A COUPLE OF THINGS BEFORE WE BEGIN -- Melissa Snively: A POINT OF CLARIFICATION, THAT MEANS IT'S A QUESTION. COULD YOU PLEASE STATE A QUESTION? OTHERWISE WE'LL SAVE BOARD COMMENTS FOR DISCUSSION. Tamara Shamburger: I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND A POINT OF CLARIFICATION. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK BEFORE WE BEGIN. IS THAT OKAY WITH YOU. Melissa Snively: THAT IS FINE -- Tamara Shamburger: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. FIRST AND FOREMOST, LET ME JUST CLARIFY THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS NATIONWIDE SEARCH, THERE MAY BE SOME CONFUSION. AS WE ALL HAVE LEARNED IN GEOGRAPHY CLASS THAT TAMPA, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS A PART OF THIS NATION. WE NEVER INSTRUCTED THE SEARCH FIRM TO GO

045OUTSIDE OF TAMPA, BUT TO HELP US EXPAND BEYOND TAMPA. IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY COMMENTS ON THIS DAIS ABOUT ONLY WANTING AN OUTSIDE CANDIDATE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED SEPARATELY. IT'S BEEN UNDER THE PROCESS, AS MENTIONED, ME AS THE FORMER CHAIR AGREED TO THE PROCESS THAT WE WOULD DO A NATIONAL SEARCH, WHICH HAPPENS TO INCLUDE TAMPA. LASTLY, I WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY, MADAM CHAIR, THAT THIS SEARCH -- THE SELECTION COMMITTEE, THE SEARCH COMMITTEE, RAY AND ASSOCIATES, WAS HIRED, AS AGREED BY THIS BOARD, TO FIND CANDIDATES. NOT TO -- Melissa Snively: MS. SHAMBURGER, IS THERE A QUESTION? Tamara Shamburger: -- MR. PORTER, THEY AGREED NOT TO TIP THEIR TOES INTO THE SELECTION COMMITTEE, BY PUTTING THAT DOTTED LINE -- Melissa Snively: MS. SHAMBURGER, YOU ARE OUT OF ORDER AT THIS TIME. YOU ASKED FOR A POINT OF

046CLARIFICATION. THAT'S A QUESTION. YOU HAVE NOT STATED A QUESTION. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO THE PROCESS AT THIS TIME. Tamara Shamburger: I'M GETTING TO MY QUESTION. I APPRECIATE SOME RESPECT. MS. SNIVELY, PRIVILEGED -- Melissa Snively: OUT OF ALL DUE RESPECT, EVERY BOARD MEMBER HAS AN OPINION THEY WOULD LIKE TO SHARE AND CLARIFICATION. Tamara Shamburger: YOU HAVE TO ALLOW ME TO ASK THE QUESTION. YOU CAN'T DICTATE TO ME HOW I CAN ASK THAT QUESTION. I ASK FOR RESPECT AS YOUR EQUAL, MEMBER SNIVELY. Melissa Snively: PLEASE, PLEASE ASK THE QUESTION. Tamara Shamburger: I AM ASKING THE QUESTION WITH ALL DUE RESPECT. THIS IS A PROBLEM. YOU'RE TRYING TO TAINT THE PROCESS SO THAT NO ONE CAN BRING A VALID DISCUSSION TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS A CLEAR AND HONEST PROCESS. SO, MR. PORTER, HAS IT BEEN

047FOR MOVING FORWARD FOR THIS NEXT ROUND SO THAT THERE'S TRANSPARENCY AND HONESTY IN THIS PROCESS, HAS RAY AND ASSOCIATES BEEN DIRECTED TO NOT STEP THEIR TOES INTO A SELECTION PROCESS BY INDICATING ON THEIR FINAL SHEET WHAT CANDIDATE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD? THIS BOARD MADE AN AGREEMENT THAT WE COULD PICK 1 OR 51 CANDIDATES. RAY AND ASSOCIATES HAVE GIVEN A FALSE PERCEPTION, HAS CAUSED CONTROVERSY IN THIS COMMUNITY AND CONFUSION BECAUSE OF IT. SO, MR. PORTER, I'M ASKING YOU IF -- THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PROCESS, MS. SNIVELY. Melissa Snively: I UNDERSTAND THAT. I AM TRYING TO RUN AN ORDERLY MEETING, MS. SHAMBURGER. Tamara Shamburger: I GET IT. Melissa Snively: YOU ARE OUT OF ORDER RIGHT NOW. Tamara Shamburger: WELL, WHATEVER. I NEED TO KNOW IF THEY HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO BE A SEARCH COMMITTEE AND NOT A SELECTION

048COMMITTEE SO THAT THERE'S NO CONFUSION ABOUT IF WE PICK ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, OR SEVEN CANDIDATES TO MOVE FORWARD, THAT IS OKAY. PLEASE CLARIFY, MR. PORTER. Jim Porter: ABSOLUTELY. IT IS A VERY GOOD QUESTION, MS. SHAMBURGER. LET ME BE CRYSTAL CLEAR. WE DID SPEAK WITH RAY AND ASSOCIATES. THEIR JOB -- THEY DID A NATIONWIDE SEARCH AS THIS BOARD DIRECTED. THEY ACTIVELY SOLICITED CANDIDATES AND PASSIVELY ACCEPTED RECOMMENDATIONS AND BROUGHT FORWARD THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU. AT THIS MEETING, THEY ARE GOING TO TAB YOUTUBE LATE THE SCORES THAT YOU ALL DO, IT'S YOUR SCORES. THEY'LL PUT THE RAW DATA IN FRONT OF YOU. AS MS. SNIVELY SAID THAT WILL BE THE STARTING POINT. THERE WILL BE NO DOTTED LINE. THERE WILL BE NO RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THEM ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS. THIS BOARD -- THIS BOARD HAS

049THE POWER TO CHOOSE ANY OF THE SEVEN SEMIFINALISTS TO MOVE FORWARD INTO THE FINALIST POSITION REGARDLESS OF HOW THE RAW SCORES COME OUT, BECAUSE, THIS IS IMPORTANT. MS. SNIVELY STATED THIS AT THE BEGINNING. THE SCORES ARE ONE PIECE OF DATA AND ONE PIECE OF INFORMATION THAT YOU ALL WERE USING TO MAKE YOUR DECISION. THE RESUMÉS ARE ANOTHER. THE INTERVIEWS ARE ANOTHER. THE SCORES ARE A STARTING POINT, NOT THE END RESULT. SO TO MS. SHAMBURGER'S POINT, THERE WILL BE NO DOTTED LINE OR LINE. THERE WILL BE THE RAW SCORES THAT YOU ALL CREATED AND YOU-ALL ONLY. AND THEN YOU WILL MAKE YOUR DECISION BASED ON THAT AND OTHER FACTORS THAT ARE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE LAW. AGAIN, KEEPING IN MIND THAT YOUR DECISIONS NEED TO BE INFORMED UNDER TITLE VII, AND YOU CAN'T MAKE DISCRIMINATORY

050DECISIONS ON HIRING. STARTING POINT, NOT A FINISH POINT. Tamara Shamburger: THANK YOU, MR. PORTER. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MR. PORTER. I'LL NOW TURN THE MEETING OVER TO DR. MARIE WHELAN, WHO WILL BEGIN THE PROCESS OF INTRODUCING CANDIDATES. Marie Whelan: BOARD MEMBERS, I INTRODUCE TO YOU DR. ALEXA CUNNINGHAM. Alexa Cunningham: GOOD MORNING. Melissa Snively: GOOD MORNING. WELCOME, MS. CUNNINGHAM. Alexa Cunningham: THANK YOU. MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD, I AM HONORED TO BE HERE TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY. AND THANK YOU TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE ALSO OUT TODAY. Melissa Snively: IS HER MICROPHONE -- WE CAN HARDLY HEAR. WE'RE GOING TO GET YOU MIKED UP TO MAKE SURE WE CAN ALL HEAR YOU ADEQUATELY. Alexa Cunningham: HOW ABOUT NOW? Melissa Snively: BETTER. THANK YOU SO MUCH. Alexa Cunningham: MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF

051THE SCHOOL BOARD, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'M HONORED TO BE HERE. Melissa Snively: WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE YOU HERE. I'M ASSUMING YOU HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED ON HOW THIS PROCESS WILL WORK TODAY. YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF, AND THEN EACH BOARD MEMBER WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK YOU A QUESTION, WHICH YOU WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS. BOARD MEMBERS, IF THERE IS TIME FOR FOLLOW-UP QUESTION WITHIN THAT FIVE MINUTES, THE BOARD MEMBER WHO ASKED THE QUESTION CAN FOLLOW UP WITH AN ADDITIONAL QUESTION, TIME PERMITTING. ONCE THE LAST QUESTION HAS BEEN ASKED, THE CANDIDATE WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO DO A BRIEF OVERVIEW OR SUMMARY OF YOUR 90-DAY PLAN FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. SO YOU MAY BEGIN. THANK YOU. Alexa Cunningham: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. LIKE I SAID, IT IS AN

052HONOR TO BE HERE. A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF. I HAVE TWO DIPLOMAS THAT HANG IN MY OFFICE THAT I LOOK AT EVERY DAY. ONE IS MY GRANDMOTHER'S HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND ONE IS HER COLLEGE DIPLOMA. THEY SERVE AS A REMINDER TO ME OF THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION. MY GREAT-GRANDPARENTS WERE IMMIGRANTS FROM GERMANY, AND THEY HAD FOUR DAUGHTERS WHEN THEY MOVED TO THIS COUNTRY. AND DURING THE DEPRESSION, ALL FOUR OF THEIR DAUGHTERS, INCLUDING MY GRANDMOTHER RECEIVED A COLLEGE EDUCATION. AND THEN MY GRANDMOTHER WENT ON TO TEACH IN A ONE-ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE IN NEBRASKA. THAT HAS BEEN MY MOTIVATION TO BE A TEACHER AND TO BE AN EDUCATOR MY ENTIRE LIFE. I LISTENED TO HER STORIES AND SAW WHERE SHE TAUGHT. I KNEW FROM AN EARLY AGE THAT I WANTED TO BE AN EDUCATOR. THOSE DIPLOMAS HANG IN

053MY OFFICE TO REMIND ME OF WHY I WENT INTO EDUCATION. THAT EDUCATION HAS THE ABILITY TO CHANGE LIVES FOR OUR STUDENTS. I HAVE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO WORK IN A NUMBER OF PLACES, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT IN EVERY PLACE THAT I HAVE WORKED IN AND EVERY JOB I'VE HAD AN EDUCATION, I WAKE UP EVERY DAY EXCITED TO GO TO SCHOOL. AND EVEN THOUGH I'M A SUPERINTENDENT, I STILL THINK I GO TO SCHOOL. I SPENT A NUMBER OF YEARS IN THE CLASSROOM AS AN ENGLISH AND SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER AND HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH ALL LEVELS OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. I ALSO WORKED AT A SCHOOL WHERE IT WAS ASKED THAT WE DO EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES. SO I SPONSORED THE YEARBOOK. I SPONSORED CLUBS. I COACHED VOLLEYBALL. DID A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS AND

054REALLY FELT THAT I WAS ABLE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MY STUDENTS DOING THOSE THINGS. I THEN, AND AT THE SAME SCHOOL, WAS ABLE TO SERVE AS ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AND THEN A PRINCIPAL. I SERVED THE FIRST 18 YEARS OF MY EDUCATIONAL CAREER ALL AT THE SAME SCHOOL, NEVER PLANNING TO DO THAT, BUT IT WAS A APPROVAL EXPERIENCE TO SEE A GENERATION OF LEARNERS COME THROUGH AND TO BE A PART OF FAMILIES' LIVES IN THAT PROCESS. I THEN SERVED AS AN ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT IN A HIGH SCHOOL-ONLY DISTRICT IN ARIZONA AND THEN AS A SUPERINTENDENT IN A HIGH SCHOOL-ONLY DISTRICT. WHEN I WAS A SUPERINTENDENT IN ARIZONA, WE WERE EXPERIENCING NEAR HYPERGROWTH. WE WERE GROWING ABOUT 500 STUDENTS A YEAR, ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT BUILDING AND WHERE WE WERE GOING TO PUT STUDENTS. I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE

055AND LUCKY ENOUGH TO SERVE AS THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE SALT LAKE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS. WE ARE THE CAPITAL CITY. IT IS THE MOST DIVERSE DISTRICT IN THE STATE OF UTAH, AND I HAVE LOVED BEING THERE AND WOULD LIKE TO TAKE SOME OF THE EXPERIENCES THAT I HAVE LEARNED FROM SALT LAKE CITY AND IF POSSIBLE BRING THEM TO HILLSBOROUGH AS YOUR NEW SUPERINTENDENT. I THINK THAT EDUCATION IS THE GATEWAY FOR OUR STUDENTS. I HAVE ALWAYS TRIED TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEST FOR STUDENTS AND SUPPORT TEACHERS AS THEY SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS. OUR STUDENTS, WE HAVE NO IDEA THE FUTURE THAT THEY ARE GOING TO FACE AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE. SO IT'S BEEN VERY EXCITING OVER THE LAST 29 YEARS TO BE A PART OF WATCHING STUDENTS GROW

056AND TO CONTINUE TO GET TO DO THAT. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE NOTICED, BUT UP ON THE LECTERN THERE, THERE ARE THREE LIGHTS. CAN YOU SEE -- Alexa Cunningham: I SEE A 14 -- Melissa Snively: OKAY. SO THERE ARE THREE LIGHTS ON THE TOP OF THE BOX. ONE IS GREEN, ONE IS YELLOW AND ONE IS RED. SO, OBVIOUSLY, THE GREEN LIGHT IS ON WHEN YOU ARE SPEAKING. THE YELLOW LIGHT WILL ALERT YOU TO 30 SECONDS, IF YOU WANT TO FINISH UP YOUR COMMENT, AND THEN THE RED LIGHT IS WHEN THE TIME HAS ENDED. OKAY? Alexa Cunningham: WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. Melissa Snively: SORRY I DID NOT POINT THAT OUT TO BEGIN WITH. IT'S ALSO UP ON THE SCREEN TO YOUR RIGHT AS WELL. Alexa Cunningham: GREAT. THANK YOU. Melissa Snively: WE'LL GO

057AHEAD AND BEGIN WITH OUR ROUND OF QUESTIONS. I'LL ASK THE FIRST QUESTION AND THEN I'LL CALL ON EACH BOARD MEMBER AFTER THAT. THEN, YOU HAVE UP TO FIVE MINUTES TO ANSWER. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE THE ENTIRE FIVE MINUTES IF YOU DON'T NEED IT. EACH BOARD MEMBER IS ALLOWED A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION IF THERE IS TIME WITHIN THAT FIVE MINUTES. WE HAVE A VERY TIGHT SHIP TO RUN TODAY, BOARD MEMBERS. I APOLOGIZE IF I'M A LITTLE RIGID. QUESTION NUMBER ONE. MS. CUNNINGHAM, HOW WOULD YOU BUILD A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT? AND PERHAPS PLEASE CITE SOME EXAMPLES ON HOW YOU WOULD BUILD THAT GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP. Alexa Cunningham: OF COURSE. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BOARD AND THE SUPERINTENDENT IS A CRITICAL RELATIONSHIP. AS THE LEADERS OF THE DISTRICT, WE ARE THE CAPTAINS

058OF THE TEAM, SO TO SPEAK. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A STRONG WORKING RELATIONSHIP. I THINK THAT RELATIONSHIP IS BUILT ON COMMUNICATION, AND IT'S BUILT ON TRUST. THERE HAS TO BE COMMUNICATION THAT FLOWS BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. I THINK IT'S CRITICAL THAT AS A NEW SUPERINTENDENT, I SPEND TIME GETTING TO KNOW EACH OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, BUT THAT THE BOARD HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO KNOW ME. THOSE CAN BE DONE IN ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS. THEY CAN BE DONE AT A BOARD RETREAT. BUT I THINK THE MORE WE KNOW ABOUT EACH OTHER, THE BETTER THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO FUNCTION AS A TEAM. I THINK THAT COMMUNICATION THEN HAS TO CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE TENURE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. I AM A PROPONENT OF WEEKLY REPORTS THAT GIVE

059AN UPDATE OF NOT ONLY OF WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING IN THE DISTRICT BUT ALSO THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT, THINGS THAT THE BOARD MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING OR KNOWING ABOUT. WEEKLY REPORTS OR WEEKLY MEMOS ARE CRITICAL IN THE RELATIONSHIP AND IN BUILDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT IT IS MY JOB, WHEN AT ALL POSSIBLE, MAKE SURE THAT THE BOARD IS NEVER SURPRISED ABOUT ANYTHING. THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN IS A BOARD MEMBER LEARNS ABOUT SOMETHING IN A DISTRICT AND I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO TELL THE BOARD MEMBER OR GET TO THE BOARD MEMBER ABOUT SOMETHING THAT MAY BE GOING ON IN THEIR DISTRICT OR MAY BE GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT. SO WITH MY TEAM, WE HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE THAT WHEN THERE

060ARE CRISES OR WHEN THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE THINK COULD GO TO THE MEDIA OR COULD BECOME A BIG DEAL, EITHER IN THE DISTRICT OR IN ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS' DISTRICTS THAT THE BOARD MEMBER, A BOARD MEMBER OR ALL BOARD MEMBERS RECEIVE A PHONE CALL. IF I'M DEALING WITH A CRISIS, I USUALLY ASK MY SECRETARY TO MAKE THE CALLS AND SAY, LET THE BOARD MEMBERS KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON, BUT ALSO LET THEM KNOW I WILL GET IN TOUCH WITH THEM WHEN I AM DONE SO WE CAN HAVE A PERSONAL TOUCH-TONE WITH EACH OTHER SO I CAN DEBRIEF EACH BOARD MEMBER. I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT IN PART OF BUILDING THE RELATIONSHIP IS THAT WE ARE SEEN TOGETHER AT EVENTS. WE ARE SEEN TOGETHER AT SCHOOLS VISITING CLASSROOMS. WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW, I

061SET UP MONTHLY VISITS TO CLASSROOMS WITH OUR BOARD OF EDUCATION. WE PICK DIFFERENT SCHOOLS IN EACH OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS' PRECINCTS, AND WE GO INTO CLASSROOMS AND WE VISIT WITH PRINCIPALS. WE TALK TO STUDENTS BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT THAT OUR SCHOOLS, TEACHERS, OUR LEADERS, OUR STUDENTS SEE US AS A TEAM. I DO MONTHLY BREAKFASTS IN THE COMMUNITY AND I ALSO ASK BOARD MEMBERS, WHEN AVAILABLE, TO COME TO THOSE. THAT'S ANOTHER WAY THAT WE ARE SEEN AS THE TEAM. IT IS CRITICAL THAT PEOPLE SEE US WORKING TOGETHER COLLABORATIVELY, THAT WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT STUDENTS. THE MORE WE CAN DO TO BE SEEN IN THE PUBLIC, THE MORE WE CAN DO COLLABORATIVELY TOGETHER IN THE DISTRICT THE BETTER IT IS FOR STUDENTS. BUT I REALLY BELIEVE THAT THE CORE OF WHAT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BOARD AND

062THE SUPERINTENDENT IS REALLY BUILT ON SOLID COMMUNICATION AND IT'S BUILT ON TRUST. I HAVE TOLD MY BORED RIGHT NOW I PROBABLY OVERCOMMUNICATE AT TIMES, BUT I REALLY PREFER THEM TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION THAN LESS INFORMATION BECAUSE I THINK THAT SERVES US ALL WELL WHEN WE'RE HAVING TO DO WITH OUR STUDENTS, OUR COMMUNITIES, AND OUR FAMILIES. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Alexa Cunningham: YOU'RE WELCOME. Melissa Snively: OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL COME FROM VICE-CHAIR STEVE CONA. Steve Cona: MS. SUPERINTENDENT, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY, AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR KIDS. YOU HAVE A GREAT TRACK RECORD, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY AND WANTING TO SERVE THE KIDS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COMMUNICATION, THAT'S WHERE MY QUESTION COMES IN. IN A VERY LARGE DISTRICT LIKE OURS, COMMUNICATION PLAYS

063A VITAL ROLE. HOW WOULD YOU COMMUNICATE YOUR VISION OF A QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL STUDENTS, WITH STAFF, WITH COMMUNITY, AND THIS BOARD? PLEASE SPECIFY WHAT STEPS YOU WOULD TAKE TO DO THAT. Alexa Cunningham: I WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO THAT. I THINK WHAT PEOPLE WILL HEAR FROM ME OVER AND OVER AGAIN IS ALL MEANS ALL. I AM ABOUT ALL STUDENTS. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU GO TO SCHOOL, WHAT GRADE YOU ARE IN, I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT ALL STUDENTS CAN LEARN AND THAT WE HAVE A DUTY, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT OUR STUDENTS GET A QUALITY EDUCATION. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE HEAR FROM ME OVER AND OVER AGAIN. YOU WILL ALSO LEARN ABOUT ME, THAT I MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT STUDENTS. AS I SIT IN ROOMS, I TRY TO IMAGINE, AS WE'RE TALKING, WHAT

064WOULD A STUDENT IN THIS SCHOOL THINK OF THIS DECISION. WHAT WOULD A STUDENT IN THIS SCHOOL THINK OF THIS DECISION? SO I AM ABOUT ALL STUDENTS BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THEY ALL HAVE POTENTIAL. I THINK IN A DISTRICT, WHETHER IT'S LARGE OR SMALL, THERE ARE MANY AREAS OR MANY WAYS THAT WE CAN COMMUNICATE WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS. I THINK THAT IN THE COMMUNITY, IT'S GOING TO BE CRITICAL TO BE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY WORKING WITH OUR PIE PARTNERS, OUR PARTNERS IN EDUCATION, SHARING OUR VISION WITH THEM. I THINK AN ANNUAL STATE OF THE DISTRICT OR REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY IS IMPORTANT. THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN PERSON, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE PERIODIC REPORTS AND UPDATES ON OUR WEBSITE, ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS, DELIVERED THROUGH OUR PRINCIPALS AT OUR SCHOOL

065THAT SHARE WHAT WE ARE DOING. COMMUNICATION IN THE COMMUNITY, IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO LOOP IN THE COUNTY, TO LOOP IN THE CITIES, OUR STATE LEGISLATORS, AND DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO SHARE THE GOOD WORK GOING ON IN OUR DISTRICT SO THAT WHEN THEY ARE MAKING DECISIONS THAT ARE ABOUT OUR STUDENTS AND OUR TEACHERS AND OUR SCHOOL, THEY KNOW WHO WE ARE, AND THEY BEGIN TO PUT A FACE ON THIS DISTRICT AND A FACE ON OUR STUDENTS SO THAT WHEN THEY ARE MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT APPROPRIATIONS OR K-12 EDUCATION THAT THEY ARE SEEING OUR STUDENTS' FACES AS WELL. I THINK OUR PARENTS ARE THE NEXT GROUP WE HAVE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ON A REGULAR BASIS. I LOVE THE IDEA OF DOING NEWSLETTERS OR MEDIA BLASTS THAT GO OUT TO PARENTS IN WHATEVER FORMAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO

066RECEIVE THEM. WHERE I AM CURRENTLY, THE MAJORITY OF OUR PARENTS LOVE TO ACCESS INFORMATION ON THEIR PHONES. SO WE'VE GOT COMMUNICATION THAT GOES OUT TO OUR PARENTS ON THE PHONES. I DO MONTHLY BREAKFASTS WITH THE SUPERINTENDENTS THAT ARE OPEN TO ALL PARENTS SO THEY CAN COME IN AND TALK TO ME AND MEET WITH ME AND VISIT. I SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT AND THEN I TAKE QUESTIONS FROM THEM OR JUST GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY JUST TO TALK TO ME ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE IN THEIR CHILD'S EDUCATION. I THINK THAT WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES WITH OUR PARENTS ALSO THROUGH OUR PTAs, PTSOs. I DO QUARTERLY -- EXCUSE ME, EACH SEMESTER I DO A BREAKFAST WITH OUR PTA, PTSO PRESIDENTS. I BRING THEM IN AND UPDATE THEM ON WHAT WE'RE GOING ON AND

067I USE THEM TO GO BACK TO THE SCHOOLS TO COMMUNICATE THAT -- THAT INFORMATION. TEACHERS AND STAFF, I THINK THAT WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES ON A DAILY BASIS TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT WE ARE THINKING. DO I A FRIDAY FLASH THAT GOES OUT EVERY FRIDAY TO ALL STAFF. IT JUST UPDATES THEM ON FUN THINGS GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT. AS A SUPERINTENDENT, I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE IN EVERY SCHOOL TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. OUR TEACHERS DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY, SO I JUST LOVE TO SHARE WHAT I'M DOING AND WHAT'S GOING ON IN SCHOOL SO THEY KNOW THE GREAT THINGS THAT ARE DOING. I MEET MONTHLY WITH ASSOCIATION PRESIDENTS SO THAT I CAN UPDATE THEM ON WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT, SHARE THE VISION, TALK ABOUT ALL STUDENTS, BUT ALSO HEAR THEIR

068CONCERNS SO THAT WE HAVE A STRONG WORKING RELATIONSHIP SO THAT WE CAN WORK THROUGH THINGS. I AM -- AS AN ADMINISTRATOR, I'M VISIBLE AT SCHOOLS WHENEVER POSSIBLE. I LOVE TO BE IN CLASSROOMS. I LOVE TO VISIT WITH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, AND THAT IS WHERE THE VISION IS A REALITY. WHEN I'M IN A CLASSROOM AND I SEE A TEACHER TEACHING A LESSON THAT REALLY MODIFIES THE VISION OF PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE. I MEAN, THAT IS THE -- THAT IS WHAT WE WANT TO SEE IS OUR TEACHERS DOING THAT AND THEN BEING ABLE TO SHARE THAT. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE CLEAR COMMUNICATION WITH OUR TEACHERS AND WITH OUR SCHOOLS SO THAT THEY KNOW WHAT MY EXPECTATIONS ARE, WHAT OUR EXPECTATIONS AS A TEAM ARE. AND TO BE REALLY CLEAR THAT WE ARE ABOUT PREPARING STUDENTS

069FOR LIFE. PREPARING ALL STUDENTS FOR LIFE, AND THAT WHAT WE CAN DO THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION, IF WE WORK TOGETHER. I THINK COMMUNICATION, I HAVE NEVER -- OKAY, NOW WE'RE AT YELLOW. NO SUCH THING AS TOO MUCH COMMUNICATION. WE HAVE AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY AS A TEAM TO DECIDE WHAT WE WANT TO DO SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE THAT VISION OF PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE. Steve Cona: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Alexa Cunningham: YOU'RE WELCOME. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MR. CONA. OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL COME FROM DR. STACY HAHN. Stacy Hahn: GOOD MORNING, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US TODAY. Alexa Cunningham: GOOD MORNING. Stacy Hahn: SO WHEN YOU ANSWER OR EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER, PLEASE PROVIDE SOME DETAIL. SO MY QUESTION IS, AS SUPERINTENDENT, HOW WOULD YOU DELEGATE AUTHORITY WHILE MAINTAINING ACCOUNTABILITY?

070Alexa Cunningham: DELEGATING AUTHORITY, I THINK THAT WITH THE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM OR WITH THE CABINET, I THINK THAT IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE COLLECTIVELY KNOW WHAT THE DIRECTION THE BOARD HAS GIVEN, WHAT OUR JOB IS IN THE DISTRICT TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR LIFE AND THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH ALL OF THAT. I AM VERY CLEAR WITH THE PEOPLE THAT I WORK WITH THAT I AM NOT A MICROMANAGER. I GIVE PEOPLE DIRECTION. WE TALK ABOUT WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. I FOLLOW THROUGH. I USE OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM MEETINGS AND OUR CABINET MEETINGS AS OPPORTUNITIES TO SHARE WITH ONE ANOTHER. I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF PEOPLE WORKING IN SILOS. SO THE TEAM FEELS THAT WHEN THEY HAVE SOMETHING THAT THEY NEED TO TALK ABOUT, THEY CAN BRING IT TO OUR CABINET MEETING. WE CAN

071TALK ABOUT IT ALL TOGETHER AND BRAINSTORM TOGETHER. I HAVE GIVEN CLEAR DETAIL TO PRINCIPALS ABOUT WHAT THEIR CHARGE IS TO IMPROVE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. WORKING WITH THOSE PRINCIPALS, THEY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION, BUT TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, I ALSO ON A MONTHLY BASIS, WE TAKE OUR CABINET, WE CALL IT OUR ROAD SHOW. WE TAKE OUR CABINET ON THE ROAD AND WE GO TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL ONCE A MONTH AND WE HAVE A VARIETY OF SCHOOLS COME IN AND PRESENT THEIR SCHOOL GOALS SO THAT WE AS A CABINET CAN SEE WHAT THE SCHOOLS ARE DOING, WE CAN SEE IF THEY ARE MEETING THE GOALS THEY HAVE ESTABLISHED, BUT WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT WAYS THAT WE CAN SUPPORT THOSE SCHOOLS. SO IF THEY NEED HELP IN ONE WAY OR THE OTHER TO ACHIEVE

072THEIR GOAL, WE CAN HELP THEM AS A CABINET. AND IT'S REALLY GOOD TO HAVE ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE THERE. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR WHERE LEADERS CAN COME TOGETHER TO BE REENERGIZED AND REMINDED ABOUT WHAT OUR GOALS ARE, WHAT OUR OBJECTIVES ARE. I THINK THAT WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND WITH THE FOCUS OF THE BOARD, THOSE ARE OPPORTUNITIES IN THOSE MEETINGS TO KEEP THE FOCUS ON THE WORK AT HAND. AN EXAMPLE THAT WE HAVE IN SALT LAKE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS WE HAVE A READING INITIATIVE OR LITERACY INITIATIVE THAT IS AN INITIATIVE OF OUR BOARD. AT EVERY PRINCIPAL MEETING, WE HAVE A SECTION OF OUR PRINCIPAL MEETING THAT'S CALLED LITERACY LEADERS. AND WE PRESENT INFORMATION TO OUR PRINCIPALS THAT THEY CAN TAKE BACK TO THEIR SCHOOL ABOUT WHAT

073IT TAKES TO BE A LITERACY LEADER, THINGS THAT THEY CAN DO TO ENHANCE LITERACY AT THEIR SCHOOLS. THEY HAVE ALL BEEN DELEGATED TO INCREASE LITERACY. OUR BOARD HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR ON WHAT THOSE EXPECTATIONS ARE, AND WHAT THEY EXPECT TO SEE. WE'RE SUPPORTING THE SCHOOLS IN THAT, AND THEN WE ARE EXPECTING FEEDBACK FROM THEM ON HOW THEY ARE DOING. AND THAT FEEDBACK COMES NOT ONLY IN THE NUMBERS THAT WE SEE ON OUR DIBBLES TESTING, OUR HE HAD ARE AING INVENTORIES, BUT IT ALSO COMES FROM STORIES THAT WE HEAR FROM OUR PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM. ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF DELEGATED AUTHORITY IS WE ARE FOCUSED ON SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING IN THE SALT LAKE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT. WE HAVE A FRAMEWORK FOR SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING. AND WE HAVE BEEN VERY CLEAR THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE

074ARE WORKING ON THIS YEAR AS AN ENTIRE DISTRICT IS CREATING A WELCOMING COMMUNITY FOR EVERY TEACHER, EVERY STUDENT, EVERYBODY THAT COMES IN THE DISTRICT. WE'VE BEEN VERY CLEAR AND GIVING EXAMPLES OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND THEN WE ARE MONITORING THAT PROGRESS. SO I THINK THAT WHEN YOU ARE CLEAR WITH EMPLOYEES ON WHAT IS EXPECTED, WHEN YOU PROVIDE TRAINING ON HOW TO DO IT AND HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT IT, YOU'VE GOT TO FOLLOW UP AND RECEIVE REGULAR REPORTS ON WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON. AND THEN YOU HAVE TO TRUST THAT YOUR EMPLOYEES WILL DO, IF WE TOLD THEM WHAT WE NEED THEM TO DO, WE'VE GIVEN DIRECTION, WE KNOW THEY WILL FOLLOW UP, WE HAVE TO TRUST OUR EMPLOYEES THAT THEY WANT WHAT IS BEST FOR THEIR STUDENTS AND THEY WILL DO THAT AND

075OUR LEADERS ARE THE SAME WAY. IT REALLY JUST, AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE AND LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT AS A LEADER, I TRUST YOU. I'M HERE TO SUPPORT YOU. IF YOU'RE STRUGGLING, YOU CAN COME INTO MY OFFICE. I'M NOT GOING TO THINK BADLY OF THAT. BUT I ALSO WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I MAY NEED THEIR HELP AND I HOPE THAT I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME INTO THEIR OFFICE OR IN A CABINET MEETING AND BRAINSTORM HOW WE CAN GET BETTER. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL BE POSED BY MS. TAMARA SHAMBURGER. Tamara Shamburger: THANK YOU SO MUCH. GOOD MORNING, DR. CUNNINGHAM. Alexa Cunningham: GOOD MORNING. Tamara Shamburger: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS OF YOUR COUNTY AND

076THANK YOU FOR YOUR DESIRE TO COME HERE TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND SERVE OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF AS WELL. KNOWING THAT CHILDREN OF COLOR HAVE PERFORMED CONSISTENTLY BEHIND OTHER SUBGROUPS IN OUR DISTRICT, PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ALL OF US WHAT YOU BELIEVE ARE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THAT AND EXPLICITLY SHARE YOUR PLANS TO ADDRESS THOSE BARRIERS YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED IN YOUR RESPONSE PLEASE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MS. SHAMBURGER. I'M GOING TO HOLD OFF AT THIS MOMENT JUST BECAUSE I WANT TO DEFER TO MR. PORTER. THAT WAS NOT ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WAS LISTED ON OUR LIST. AND SO, MR. PORTER, HOW SHOULD WE HANDLE THAT? Jim Porter: I THINK THAT IS AN APPROPRIATE QUESTION FOR MS. SHAM BURGER TO ASK, AS LONG AS YOU ASK IT OF ALL CANDIDATES. Melissa Snively:

077IF THAT'S THE QUESTION YOU CHOOSE, THAT IS THE QUESTION THAT IS ASKED OF EACH CANDIDATE. WITH THAT WE WILL MOVE ON. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO RESTATE THE QUESTION, YOU MAY OR IF YOU ARE READY TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, YOU MAY BEGIN. Alexa Cunningham: I BELIEVE I AM READY TO ANSWER THE QUESTION. IN THIS DISTRICT, IN THE CURRENT DISTRICT I'M IN, WE DO HAVE GAPS IN LEARNING. WE DO HAVE GAPS IN ACHIEVEMENT. THOSE ARE CAUSED BY A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS. THERE ARE GAPS THAT ARE CAUSED BASED ON LEARNING. AND WE ARE IN THE POSITION AS -- NOT LEARNING, BUT LANGUAGE. WE ARE IN THE POSITION TO ADDRESS THOSE THROUGH DIFFERENT ELL PROGRAMS. WE HAVE GAPS THAT MAY BE CAUSED ON NEWCOMERS TO THIS COUNTRY, STUDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE COUNTRY ONE YEAR, TWO

078YEARS OR EVEN NEWLY ARRIVED. AND THERE ARE PROGRAMS WE CAN PUT IN PLACE TO ADDRESS THOSE GAPS, TOO. WE HAVE GAPS BASED ON WHERE STUDENTS GO TO SCHOOL AND SCHOOLS THAT ARE STRUGGLING AND NEEDING MORE OF OUR HELP TO ADDRESS THE GAPS THAT ARE THERE. THERE ARE JUST A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT GAPS THAT ARE -- OR BARRIERS THERE FOR STUDENTS OF COLOR AND WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE REALLY OPEN, HONEST CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAVE GAPS. THEY NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. BUT I THINK PART OF THAT IS WE HAVE TO BE VERY OPEN IN OUR DISCUSSION WITH OUR EMPLOYEES AND WITH EVERYBODY THAT THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EQUALITY AND EQUITY. AND THAT EQUALITY IS WE HAVE SCHOOLS. THOSE SCHOOLS HAVE DESKS. THEY HAVE BOOKS. THEY HAVE TEACHERS. AND THAT'S EQUAL AND WE WANT THAT.

079BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT TRUE EQUITY, WE ALSO HAVE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE SCHOOLS AND THERE ARE GOING TO BE STUDENTS THAT ARE GOING TO NEED MORE. THEY MIGHT NEED MORE HELP LEARNING THE LANGUAGE. THEY MIGHT NEED ADDITIONAL HELP WITH A PARAPROFESSIONAL. THEY MIGHT NEED A DIFFERENT INTERVENTION PROGRAM. WE MAY HAVE TO PUT MORE RESOURCES AT SOME SCHOOLS SO WE CAN HELP OUR STUDENTS DO WELL. THOSE ARE VERY DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS TO HAVE IN DISTRICTS AND TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EQUALITY AND EQUITY. BUT IF WE REALLY ARE ABOUT PREPARING ALL STUDENTS FOR LIFE, THEN THE CONVERSATION IS ABOUT THERE ARE TIMES IN STUDENT EDUCATIONAL CAREERS WHERE THEY MAY NEED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. WE AS ADULTS CAN'T BE ANGRY OR UPSET ABOUT THAT IF SCHOOL A IS GETTING

080A LITTLE BIT MORE HELP NOW, THEY MAY NEED IT NOW, WHEREAS MAYBE A LITTLE LATER SCHOOL B WILL NEED THAT. SO I THINK THAT FOR ME IT'S ALWAYS BEEN HAVING REALLY OPEN, HONEST CONVERSATIONS ABOUT EQUALITY AND EQUITY, LOOKING AT WHERE OUR BARRIERS ARE, AND SEEING IF BARRIERS ARE ADULT MADE. IF THEY ARE, IF THERE ARE WAYS WE CAN ADDRESS THOSE BARRIERS. AND THEN I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT EQUITY. ONE THING THAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE SALT LAKE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING AN EQUITY FRAMEWORK SO WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT IS VERY CLEAR FOR PEOPLE TO SEE WHAT OUR EQUITY WORK IS, HOW WE ARE SUPPORTING SCHOOLS, HOW WE ARE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH THOSE BARRIERS THAT OUR STUDENTS AND SOME OF OUR

081SCHOOLS HAVE. WE HAVE ALSO BEEN VERY CLEAR WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND WITH OUR EMPLOYEES AND OUR ADMINISTRATORS THAT WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL FOCUS SCHOOLS. I THINK THAT EVERY DISTRICT HAS SCHOOLS LIKE THAT. AND WE ARE PUTTING MORE RESOURCES IN THOSE SCHOOLS. MORE TEACHING RESOURCES, MORE ACADEMIC COACHING RESOURCES. WE HAVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH. IT REALLY IS TO BRING STUDENTS UP. BUT OUR PROCESS HAS ALSO BEEN THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE A QUICK FIX. THIS IS GOING TO TAKE TIME. WE WANT TO DO IT RIGHT BECAUSE ONCE WE BEGIN TO BRING SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS UP TO WHERE THEY SHOULD BE ACHIEVING AND THEY ARE FINDING SUCCESS, WE DON'T WANT TO JUST PULL OUT THE RESOURCES QUICKLY AND SAY, OKAY, YOU'RE FIXED. WE CAN NOW MOVE RESOURCES OVER HERE. WE WANT OUR CHANGE

082TO BE SUSTAINABLE, AND WE WANT OUR TEACHERS TO FEEL EMPOWERED BY THAT, OUR ADMINISTRATORS TO FEEL EMPOWERED ABOUT THAT. I HOPE IN ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION, THERE ARE BARRIERS FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS. I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO -- IT'S EQUITY. IT'S EQUALITY. GETTING THE DEFINITIONS THERE. AND THEN MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE RESOURCES IN PLACE THAT CAN SUPPORT STUDENTS AS THEY NEED THAT. IT IS HARD WORK, AND IT TAKES TIME, BUT IT IS WORK WORTH DOING BECAUSE IT WILL HELP ALL STUDENTS. IF THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ABOUT, IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL BE FROM MEMBER STUART. Cindy Stuart: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND WELCOME, DR. CUNNINGHAM. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I KNOW IT IS A LOT FOR YOU TO SIT IN THE

083POSITION YOU'RE SITTING IN, BUT WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION WITH US. MY QUESTION, I ALSO WOULD ASK THAT YOU CITE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF THINGS THAT YOU HAVE DEALT WITH IN YOUR COMMUNITY OR IN YOUR CAPACITY AS THE SUPERINTENDENT. HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE DECISIONS THAT ARE UNPOPULAR WITH THE PUBLIC BUT EDUCATIONALLY NECESSARY FOR A DISTRICT? Alexa Cunningham: ALL RIGHT. WE ACTUALLY ARE GOING THROUGH THAT RIGHT NOW. THE SALT LAKE CITY BOARD OF EDUCATION IS LOOKING AT THE OPPORTUNITY TO POSSIBLY CHANGE OUR HIGH SCHOOL START TIMES FROM 7:45 TO 8:45. WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF RESEARCH OUT THERE THAT SHOWS THAT LATER START TIMES FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS LEADS TO BETTER ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, LEADS TO MORE TIME IN SCHOOL, DECREASED STRESS. THIS IS SOMETHING THEY

084HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. THIS IS AN UNPOPULAR DECISION IN OUR DISTRICT BECAUSE IF WE CHANGE THE START TIME OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO 8:45, IT MEANS THAT ALMOST EVERY ONE OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WILL CHANGE TIMES. CHANGING AN ELEMENTARY SCHEDULE, IT IS NEVER A POPULAR DECISION. PARENTS ARE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR STUDENTS BEING OUTSIDE WHEN IT'S DARK, GETTING TO SCHOOL. AND SO WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS THIS HAS BEEN A LONG PROCESS. A LOT OF TALK BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. WE THEN WORKED WITH A COMPANY WHO WENT OUT AND DID FOCUS GROUPS WITH PARENTS, DID ALL KINDS OF SURVEYING WITH PARENTS, WITH TEACHERS. HEARING WHAT WAS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. THAT INFORMATION WAS PRESENTED WITH OUR BOARD. THAT INFORMATION HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO OUR COMMUNITY. WE THEN CAME UP

085WITH DIFFERENT OPTIONS OR SCENARIOS AT WHAT BUSING WOULD LOOK LIKE AND SCHOOL START TIMES WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS IF WE MAKE THIS CHANGE FOR HIGH SCHOOL. WE'VE BEEN VERY TRANSPARENT. WE HAVE SHARED THAT WITH THE COMMUNITY. THERE ARE ACTUALLY FIVE DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT OUR COMMUNITY CAN SEE SO THEY KNOW WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE. WE ALSO WORKED WITH THE PRINCIPALS WITH THEIR SCHEDULES. IF WE CHANGED TO THIS TIME, HERE'S WHAT YOUR SCHEDULE WOULD LOOK LIKE, THIS IS WHAT IT WOULD MEAN. WE'RE NOW IN THE PROCESS OF CONDUCTING LISTENING TOURS IN OUR COMMUNITY. OUR BOARD THIS WILL WILL BE FOUR SCHOOLS IN OUR DISTRICT AND THEY ARE THERE TO LISTEN TO WHAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS TO SAY ABOUT THIS. THE COMMUNITY AND THE LISTENING TOURS HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE SCHEDULES

086AGAIN, THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS. THEY THEN HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO THE BOARD. SOME OF THAT FEEDBACK HAS BEEN POSITIVE. SOME OF IT HAS NOT BEEN POSITIVE. AND OUR BOARD HAS BEEN VERY OPEN ABOUT HEARING THAT NEGATIVE FEEDBACK BEFORE THEY MAKE A DECISION. THEY'VE BEEN VERY CLEAR WITH OUR COMMUNITY THAT THEY WANT THEIR INPUT. AND SO THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE A DISCUSSION NEXT WEEK AFTER THEY'VE CONDUCTED THEIR LISTENING TOURS BEFORE THEY MAKE A DECISION. SO I THINK DECISIONS THAT ARE UNPOPULAR, THIS ONE, AN EXAMPLE, WE HAVE PUT INFORMATION OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. WE HAVE GONE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. IT HAS BEEN ON OUR WEB PAGE. IT'S BEEN PROVIDE TO OUR PARENTS, OUR COMMUNITY. WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH OUR PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORT FAMILIES. AND HAVE HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO INCLUDE THESE

087-- THESE -- THESE PEOPLE AND THESE ORGANIZATIONS IN THESE LISTENING TOURS AND POSSIBLY DOING SOME ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS SO THAT ALL PARENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND. I THINK THAT THERE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE HARD DECISIONS THAT NEED TO BE MADE IN ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND REALLY IN ANY ORGANIZATION, BUT I THINK THE MORE WE CAN COMMUNICATE AND WE CAN COMMUNICATE OUR WHY. AND THAT IS WHAT I AM REALLY PROUD OF OUR BOARD OF IS THEY COMMUNICATED THEIR WHY. THE WHY IS THIS IS BETTER FOR KIDS. THERE'S A LOT OF RESEARCH. THEY SHOWED THE RESEARCH. IF WE CAN COMMUNICATE OUR WHY AND THEN INVOLVE AS MANY STAKEHOLDERS WE CAN AND GIVE PEOPLE A VOICE WHERE THEY CAN COME AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS TO MY FAMILY PERSONALLY, AND THESE ARE THE SACRIFICES I WILL

088HAVE TO MAKE, THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR PARENTS AND FOR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO HAVE. I THINK THAT IS A BIG DISTRICTWIDE INITIATIVE AND CHANGE THAT'S BEEN DIFFICULT, BUT I THINK THAT THERE ARE DIFFICULT DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE EVERY DAY. I THINK THAT TYPE OF PROCESS, WHETHER IT'S A DIFFICULT DECISION BEING MADE IN A CLASSROOM OR AT THE SCHOOL OR AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL, WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE WE ARE COMMUNICATING AND WE ARE CLEAR AS TO WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS THAT WE ARE INVOLVING A LOT OF STAKEHOLDERS WHENEVER POSSIBLE IN THAT. AND THAT WHOEVER THE DECISION IS ABOUT, THAT THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS. EVEN IF WE'RE DOWN AT A SCHOOL AND WE'RE GIVING SOMEONE DETENTION FOR SOMETHING, WE HAVE TO GIVE THAT CHILD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE

089THEIR FEELINGS, TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS, GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO APOLOGIZE OR MAYBE FIX OR GO BACK AND DO SOMETHING OVER AGAIN. I THINK WHEN PEOPLE FEEL THAT THEY HAVE BEEN HEARD, THEY MAY NOT ALWAYS AGREE WITH YOUR DECISION, BUT IF THEY FEEL THERE IS A FAIR PROCESS AND THEY HAVE BEEN HEARD IN IT, WE CAN USUALLY MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL COME FROM MEMBER KAREN PEREZ. Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, DR. CUNNINGHAM, FOR BEING HERE TODAY IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. AS YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SEVERAL NATIONAL ISSUES WITH STUDENTS TODAY. AND THREE OF THESE MAJOR ISSUES ON A NATIONAL WIDE LEVEL ARE THE STUDENT DISCIPLINE, SAFETY, AND MENTAL HEALTH. DESCRIBE YOUR BELIEFS ABOUT STUDENT DISCIPLINE, STUDENT SAFETY, AND MENTAL HEALTH. AND PLEASE SHARE

090SPECIFIC EXAMPLES. Alexa Cunningham: ALL RIGHT. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO. I THINK WITH STUDENT DISCIPLINE, I THINK THAT OUR JOB AS EDUCATORS IS TO TEACH AND TO REMEDIATE BEHAVIORS. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AS EDUCATORS THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH STUDENTS FROM PRE-K THROUGH MAYBE 18, 17 OR 18. WE'RE DEALING WITH CHILDREN. WE'RE DEALING WITH YOUNG ADULTS. THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE SOMETIMES BAD DECISIONS. A STUDENT MAKING A BAD DECISION DOESN'T HAVE TO RUIN THE REST OF THEIR LIFE. PEOPLE MAKE BAD DECISIONS. OUR JOB AS EDUCATORS IS TO HELP THEM SEE THAT MAYBE THEY MADE A BAD DECISION, LOOK AT WHAT OTHER CHOICES THAT WE MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE AND HELP THEM MOVE FORWARD. I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT RESTORATIVE PRACTICES, IT REALLY IS UPON US AS EDUCATORS. WE

091WILL HAVE LESS DISCIPLINE ISSUES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR IF WE SPEND TIME AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR STUDENTS, WELCOMING THEM TO OUR CLASSROOM, LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THEY ARE VALUED IN OUR COMMUNITY. IF WE DO THAT WORK, WE WILL BE ABLE TO RESTORE AND REPAIR SOME OF THE HARM THAT MAY BE DONE THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE YEAR. BUT IF A STUDENT DOESN'T FEEL THAT THEY ARE WELCOMED OR THAT THEY BELONG IN OUR SCHOOLS OR IN OUR CLASSROOMS, WE ARE SAYING TO THEM, WE DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU, YOU'RE NOT A PART OF THIS, SO WE BASICALLY ARE SAYING TO THEM, GO OUT AND DO SOMETHING WRONG. WE CANNOT DO THAT. WE HAVE TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL WELCOMED. WE CAN REMEDIATE BEHAVIOR. WE REALLY CAN. I THINK WE HAVE TO WORK REALLY

092HARD TO DO THAT. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT AS THE ADULTS, WE DON'T TAKE BAD BEHAVIOR PERSONALLY. WHEN A FOURTH GRADER ACTS OUT, THEY ARE ACTING OUT. I CAN'T TAKE THAT PERSONALLY. YES, THEY MAY HAVE BLURTED OUT FOUR TIMES IN MY CLASSROOM BUT THERE COULD BE SOMETHING ELSE IN THEIR LIFE GOING ON. WE HAVE TO FIND OUT WHAT THAT IS, WORK WITH THAT STUDENT, THAT FAMILY, THAT COMMUNITY TO FIX WHAT THAT IS. SUSPENDING STUDENTS AND NOT HELPING THEM IS NOT THE ANSWER. WE HAVE TO HELP OUR STUDENTS. WITH SAFETY, STUDENTS WANT TO BE SAFE. PARENTS WANT THEIR STUDENTS TO BE SAFE IN SCHOOL. WE HAVE TO BE VERY CLEAR WHAT OUR SAFETY MEASURES ARE AND WHY WE ARE PUTTING THEM IN PLACE. WE HAVE SAFETY PLANS. WE HAVE A SAFETY COMMITTEE. THAT'S THE SAME,

093I THINK, THROUGHOUT THIS COUNTRY. ONE THING THAT HAS WORKED REALLY WELL FOR ME AS A LEADER AND I'VE DONE IT IN SEVERAL DISTRICTS IS I HAVE A SUPERINTENDENT STUDENT ADVISORY. WE TALK ABOUT SAFETY. I HAVE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT WE MEET WITH ON A QUARTERLY BASIS. WE TALK ABOUT SAFETY. WE TALK ABOUT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE AS A DISTRICT IN THE DIRECTION OF HAVING ALL OF OUR STUDENTS WEAR IDs ON LANYARDS. AS STUDENT LEADERS, WHAT ARE YOUR PEERS BEGINNING TO? HOW CAN YOU -- GOING TO THINK? HOW CAN YOU HELP US WITH THAT? I ALSO WANT TO KNOW WHAT ARE SAFETY ISSUES THEY SEE AND HOW WE CAN HELP THEM ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES. WE KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE IN PLACE TO HAVE OUR SCHOOLS SAFE. WE ARE PUTTING THOSE THINGS

094IN PLACE AS ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. BUT IF WE WILL INVOLVE OUR STUDENTS IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS, THEY WILL HELP US WITH PUTTING THOSE THINGS IN PLACE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE FOUND THAT WAS REALLY UNSAFE THAT OUR STUDENTS TOLD US WAS THERE ARE DOORS BEING PROPPED OPEN ALL OVER SOME OF OUR CAMPUSES. WE TALKED ABOUT WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS? WHAT CAN WE DO? IT REALLY CAME DOWN TO OUR STUDENTS FELT THAT THERE WEREN'T ENOUGH ACCESS POINTS WHERE THEY COULD ENTER SCHOOL AT RUSH TIMES, BEFORE SCHOOL, GETTING BACK INTO THE SCHOOLS DURING LUNCH PERIODS AND THEN GETTING OUT AT THE END OF THE DAY. WE WERE ABLE TO SHIFT SOME OF OUR RESOURCES AROUND WITH OUR SAFETY PERSONNEL AT OUR SITES. WE WERE ABLE TO OPEN MORE DOORS AND HAVE THOSE DOORS OPENED

095AT RUSH TIMES SO THERE'S NOT A NEED TO PROP THE DOOR OPEN OR PUT A ROCK IN A DOOR SO IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S CLOSED. CONVERSATIONS WITH STUDENTS HELPED US TO SEE WHAT THOSE SAFETY PIECES ARE. THE MENTAL HEALTH PIECE, I REALLY THINK MENTAL HEALTH IS A LOT ABOUT SAFETY. OUR STUDENTS IN A LOT OF PLACES AROUND THIS COUNTRY ARE CRYING OUT FOR HELP, AND THEY NEED MENTAL HEALTH. THEY NEED PEOPLE WHO ARE LISTENING TO THEM. THEY ARE COMING TO US WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT -- THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH SO MANY DIFFERENT CRISES. AS A DISTRICT IN SALT LAKE, WE PUT A COUNSELOR AT EVERY SCHOOL, EVERY ONE OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. WE ALWAYS HAD COUNSELORS AT OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND OUR HIGH SCHOOLS. EVERY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HAS A FULL-TIME COUNSELOR. WE ALSO PUT SOCIAL

096WORKERS IN PLACE, AND WE ARE DOING A LOT OF TRAINING ON TRAUMA INFORMED, ON MINDFULNESS AND THEN IMPLEMENTING A WHOLE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL FRAMEWORK SO THAT EVERY TEACHER IS GETTING SOME SUPPORT TO SUPPORT STUDENTS IN MENTAL HEALTH, BUT WE ALSO REALIZE THAT NOW WE HAVE TO GO BACK AND WE HAVE TO PROVIDE SOME MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT TO OUR STAFF IN ORDER TO DEAL WITH THAT. I HOPE THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. Alexa Cunningham: YOU'RE WELCOME. Melissa Snively: ALL RIGHT. OUR LAST QUESTION WILL COME FROM MEMBER LYNN GRAY. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, AND GOOD MORNING. I'M VERY THANKFUL THAT YOU'RE HERE, DR. CUNNINGHAM. I SEE YOU'VE HAD 29 YEARS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION EXPERIENCE. GIVEN THE CHANGING DYNAMICS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION SUCH AS THE MOVEMENT TOWARD THE CHARTER SCHOOL INDUSTRY, WHAT DO YOU SEE

097AS THE CRITICAL ISSUES IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS? AND THIS QUESTION, THE SCOPE GOES BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY. Alexa Cunningham: I THINK ONE OF THE CHANGES THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE, AND WE'VE SEEN THAT AS STATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. PARENTS WANT CHOICE. THEY WANT CHOICE FOR THEIR STUDENTS. THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO PUT THEM IN SCHOOLS WHERE THEY THINK THEY WILL BE SUCCESSFUL. I THINK THAT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY HAS PROVIDED AMPLE CHOICE FOR PARENTS, BUT I THINK IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO LOOK TO SEE IF WE ARE PROVIDING THE RIGHT CHOICE OR IF WE NEED TO MODIFY OUR CHOICES. I THINK THAT HAVING CHOICE IN EDUCATION IS A GOOD THING FOR PARENTS, IT IS A GOOD THING FOR STUDENTS. THAT ONE SIZE SCHOOL DOES NOT FIT ALL FOR STUDENTS. I THINK CHOICE WILL CONTINUE TO

098BE AN ISSUE THAT WE WILL SEE, THAT WILL NEED TO BE ADDRESSED IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. I THINK THAT THE TEACHER CRISIS. IT'S REAL. IT IS GETTING WORSE EVERY SINGLE YEAR. I THINK THAT DISTRICTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WE ARE SCRAMBLING TO FIND WAYS TO BRING TEACHERS INTO THE ORGANIZATION, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY LOOKING AND BEING CREATIVE. I LOVE THE IDEA THAT HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH YOU'VE GOT AN URBAN TEACHERS ACADEMY THAT YOU ARE ADDRESSING THAT CRISES RIGHT THERE. HOPEFULLY BUILDING LEADERS WITHIN THE DISTRICT WHO CAN GO TO COLLEGE AND THEN GUARANTEEING THEM JOBS WHEN THEY COME OUT OF COLLEGE. I THINK IT'S THAT TYPE OF CREATIVE THINKING THAT WILL HELP GET TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM. I THINK THAT CRISIS, THOUGH E AND THAT SHORTAGE, IT'S NOT ONLY IN TEACHERS, IT'S IN INSTRUCTIONAL, PARAPROFESSIONALS. IT'S

099IN BUS DRIVERS. I THINK THAT CREATIVE THAT IS -- THAT CREATIVITY IN THE URBAN TEACHER ACADEMY, WE CAN FIND OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT STAFF. WHEN I WAS IN ARIZONA, WE HAD A LOT OF SPRING TRAINING GAMES. WE WRAPPED THE STEPS OF THE STADIUM ADVERTISING OUR JOB, SO AS PEOPLE WERE AT THE SPRING TRAINING JOBS, AS THEY WERE GOING DOWN THE STEPS, THEY WERE SEEING, OH, BUS DRIVER NEEDED, PARAPROFESSIONAL NEEDED. IT WAS THIS CONSTANT REMINDER. I THINK THAT IS AN ISSUE THAT IS GOING TO CONTINUALLY -- WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ADDRESS BECAUSE WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TEACHERS ACROSS THIS COUNTRY. I THINK ANOTHER ISSUE THAT IS ALWAYS THERE IS FUNDING FOR EDUCATION. I THINK THAT FIGHT IS REAL, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WILL DEAL WITH. I THINK DECISIONS, HARD DECISIONS ARE HAVING TO

100BE MADE EACH AND EVERY DAY IN THIS DISTRICT AND DISTRICTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ON WHAT TO FUND, HOW TO FUND IT, IF WE MOVE FUNDS FROM POT A TO POT B, WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO POT A? PEOPLE MAY LOSE THEIR JOB. I THINK THAT IS A REAL ISSUE THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO ADDRESS, TOO. I THINK ANOTHER ISSUE THAT IS GOING TO HAVE TO REMAIN ON EVERYBODY'S FOREFRONT IS THIS WHOLE IDEA OF MENTAL HEALTH. OUR STUDENTS ARE GOING TO NEED MORE AND MORE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO TO DO THAT. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES WE PROVIDE AS A DISTRICT AND AS A COUNTY FOR THOSE STUDENTS, WHAT TYPE OF SUPPORTS ARE WE ABLE TO PUT IN OUR SCHOOLS.

101WHAT SUPPORTS ARE WE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH THE COMMUNITY TO BRING TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS. THEY -- THEY CANNOT LEARN AND WE CAN'T EXPECT THEM TO LEARN IF THEY HAVE SEEN A CRISIS IN THEIR HOME THE NIGHT BEFORE. WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT BEFORE WE CAN DEAL WITH TEACHING PHONICS OR TEACHING MATH, AND THAT IS A REAL CRISIS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO -- THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE -- WE'LL NEED TO ADDRESS. I THINK THAT ANOTHER ISSUE THAT WE HAVE TO BE AWARE OF AND HAVE TO REALLY WORK ON, TOO, IS MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE STRONG LEADERS IN OUR SCHOOLS. IT IS REALLY HARD TO BE A LEADER IN EDUCATION. THE DEMANDS ARE GREAT. WE HAVE PRINCIPALS AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS THAT PROBABLY START THE DAY AT 7 OR 7:30, AND THEY ARE PROBABLY

102NOT GETTING HOME UNTIL 7:00 OR 8:00 AT NIGHT, DEALING WITH THE STUDENTS. I KNOW THERE ARE THINGS IN PLACE HERE THROUGH THE PRINCIPAL PIPELINE TO SUPPORT THOSE LEADERS, BUT I THINK THOSE LEADERS WILL CONTINUE TO NEED TO BE SUPPORTED. AND THEN I THINK THAT THE OTHER ISSUE THAT WE WILL NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON AND WILL ALWAYS NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON IS WORKING TOGETHER WITH OUR COMMUNITIES AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITIES UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE A PART OF OUR SCHOOLS, THAT WE CAN'T DO THIS BUSINESS WITHOUT THEM. AND THAT WE NEED THEM WITH US EACH AND EVERY DAY AS SUPPORTERS AND PARTNERS SO WE CAN DO WHAT IS BEST FOR THEIR STUDENTS BECAUSE THEY WANT THE BEST FOR THEIR STUDENTS AND SO DO WE. IT IS A REALLY TOUGH TIME TO

103BE IN EDUCATION, BUT IT'S ALSO AN EXCITING TIME BECAUSE WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REINVENT WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE. THERE ARE SOME REALLY EXCITING THINGS HAPPENING HERE, AND I THINK THAT WORKING TOGETHER WE CAN CONTINUE TO REINVENT WHAT EDUCATION IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE FOR OUR STUDENTS. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. SO THAT CONCLUDES THE ROUND OF QUESTIONS FROM OUR BOARD MEMBERS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR STAYING WITHIN THE TIME LIMITS AND ANSWERING ALL THE QUESTIONS FOR US TODAY. IN THE REMAINING FEW MINUTES, BOARD MEMBERS, EVERYONE HAS BEEN GIVEN A COPY OF DR. CUNNINGHAM'S 90-DAY PLAN. WE WOULD LIKE TO ALLOW YOU TO HIGHLIGHT ANY AREAS OF YOUR 90-DAY PLAN THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE BOARD AT THIS TIME. Alexa Cunningham: I THINK, FIRST OF ALL, THE 90-DAY PLAN, YES, MY NAME

104IS ON THAT 90-DAY PLAN, BUT I THINK THE 90-DAY PLAN IS REALLY ABOUT ALL OF US TOGETHER. IT IS THE BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT'S 90 DAY PLAN. THE 90-DAY PLAN GIVES ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO KNOW THE COMMUNITY. IT GIVES THE COMMUNITY AN OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW ME BUT IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY COLLECTIVELY TO INTRODUCE OURSELVES AS THE NEW LEADERSHIP TEAM IN THE COUNTY AND I THINK THAT IS REALLY EXCITING. I AM A FIRM BELIEVER, I WOULD RATHER GO A MILE DEEP AND DIG INTO THINGS AND REALLY GET TO KNOW PEOPLE AND KNOW PROGRAMS THAN JUST HAVE A SMATTERING OF INFORMATION HANDED TO ME. WHAT YOU WILL SEE IN HERE IS REALLY OPPORTUNITIES FOR ME TO BE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. I WANT TO LISTEN. I NEED TO LISTEN AND LEARN AS MUCH ABOUT THE DISTRICT

105AS I CAN SO THAT I AM ABLE TO LEAD. I HAVE ORGANIZED THIS PLAN AROUND FOUR GOALS THAT I HAVE SEEN IN THE DISTRICT. COMMUNICATION, THE GRADUATION RATE, STRONG CULTURE AND RELATIONSHIPS, AND THEN STRENGTHEN FOUNDATIONS OF FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP. THERE ARE PLACES IN HERE, THERE ARE THINGS THAT I AM HAPPY TO DO ON MY OWN BUT I ALSO PUT OPPORTUNITIES IN HERE FOR US TO DO THINGS TOGETHER. SUCH AS NEIGHBORHOOD TOWN HALLS IN EACH OF YOUR DISTRICTS. LAUNCHING ADVISORY COUNCILS, MEETING WITH ASSOCIATION AND FOUNDATION LEADERSHIP, REALLY STRENGTHENING THE COMMUNICATION THAT WE HAVE THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT. AS I REVIEWED DATA, THERE'S A MOUNTAIN OF DATA THAT I CAN LOOK AT. I CAN LOOK AT THAT, AND THAT WILL GIVE ME AN IDEA. BUT I'M REALLY A FIRM BELIEVER IN DOING DOCUMENT DISCUSSIONS THAT AS I'M LEARNING ABOUT

106THINGS IN THE DISTRICT, I WOULD LOVE THE CABINET OR THE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM TO REALLY LOOK AT THAT INFORMATION WITH ME. I'D LIKE TO, RATHER THAN BE GIVEN A BINDER OF INFORMATION, I'D LIKE A DIRECTOR TO COME IN AND SIT WITH ME AND GO THROUGH THAT. THAT HELPS ME LEARN THAT PROGRAM BETTER, IT ALSO HELPS ME GET TO KNOW THAT DIRECTOR OR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BETTER. I THINK THAT AS A LEADERSHIP TEAM, ANYTIME THAT WE GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW A PROGRAM OR REVIEW DATA AND LEARN TOGETHER, I THINK THERE'S POWER THERE AND MAKES OUR TEAM STRONGER. RATHER THAN -- I WILL LOOK AT ALL THE DATA, BUT I ALSO WANT TO ENGAGE IN CONVERSATIONS AND DOCUMENT DISCUSSIONS AND DATA DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THOSE BECAUSE I THINK THOSE WILL BE HELPFUL. I THINK THAT THE 90-DAY PLAN

107IS A LIVING DOCUMENT, TOO. I THINK THAT AS I'M OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, THERE MAY NOT BE THINGS THAT ARE HERE, BUT AS I'M OUT AND HEARING, OH, I'M HEARING ABOUT THAT THIS GROUP FEELS THAT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN LISTENED TO. IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DRAW HE IS THAT IN THIS PLAN, ADD -- ADDRESS THAT IN THIS PLAN, ADD TO IT AND TALK TO PEOPLE. AT THE END, I THINK THERE HAS TO BE A REPORT OUT TO THE BOARD AND THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT I HAVE ACCOMPLISHED AND WHAT I HAVE SEEN, HEARD, AND THEN WHAT I PLAN TO DO ABOUT IT. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THAT CONCLUDES OUR INTERVIEW WITH YOU TODAY. WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME YOU HAVE TAKEN TO BE HERE

108AND YOUR DESIRE TO LEAD THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT. AT THIS TIME, DR. WHELAN WILL ESCORT YOU BACK OUT OF THE ROOM TO THE OTHER ROOM YOU WERE STAYING IN. BOARD MEMBERS, I'LL ADDRESS THAT WHEN THE CANDIDATE HAS LEFT THE ROOM. I JUST HAVE A FEW COMMENTS. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING HERE. Alexa Cunningham: THANK YOU AND GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR DECISION. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS, WE ARE RUNNING A LITTLE BIT BEHIND SCHEDULE ALREADY THIS MORNING. SO OUR NEXT CANDIDATE WAS SUPPOSED TO BEGIN AT 10:30. IT IS 10:37. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL TAKE A VERY BRIEF, MAYBE A FIVE-MINUTE BREAK SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE SOME FINAL NOTES BASED ON THE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS THAT WERE ANSWERED AND WE WILL RESUME BACK HERE -- ACTUALLY, WE'LL RESUME BACK HERE LET'S SAY 10:45 FOR THE NEXT CANDIDATE.

109Cindy Stuart: QUICKLY, I ASKED MR. PORTER TO PLEASE HAVE STAFF PREPARE ALL OF THE QUESTIONS ON ONE SHEET OF PAPER AND WHO IS GOING TO ASK THEM SO IF WE CHOOSE TO MAKE NOTES SO WE ARE NOT SURPRISED BY THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE COMING AT US AND HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITY TO PREPARE WHAT WE MAY WANT TO TAKE NOTES ON OR NOT. THANK YOU. Melissa Snively: YOU WOULD LIKE A COPY OF -- Cindy Stuart: ALL OF THE QUESTIONS ON ONE PIECE OF PAPER AND WHICH BOARD MEMBER IS GOING TO ASK THEM, INCLUDING MS. SHAMBURGER'S QUESTION WHICH IS NOT PART OF THE ORIGINAL QUESTIONS THAT WERE SUBMITTED. Melissa Snively: YES, IF WE COULD GET A COPY OF YOUR QUESTION, MS. SHAMBURGER, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND SHARE THAT WITH THE REST OF THE BOARD AS WELL. THANK YOU.

110[RECESS] Melissa Snively: BOARD MEMBERS, IT IS 10:46 NOW. WE ARE WAITING, I BELIEVE FOR OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT TO GET US COPIES OF THE QUESTIONS, ONE SHEET FOR EACH CANDIDATE WITH ALL THE QUESTIONS ON THEM BY -- WITH AN INDICATION OF WHICH BOARD MEMBER IS ASKING EACH QUESTION. WE CAN WAIT JUST A FEW MORE MINUTES IF YOU NEED TO. AS SOON AS WE GET THOSE QUESTIONS TO EACH BOARD MEMBER, WE WILL BEGIN WITH THE NEXT CANDIDATE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. Melissa Snively: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. BOARD MEMBERS, IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU SHOULD HAVE TWO NEW ITEMS. YOU SHOULD HAVE THE SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH QUESTIONS. AT THE TOP OF EACH PAGE, WE'LL HAVE THE INDIVIDUAL CANDIDATE'S NAME. YOU HAVE ALSO RECEIVED A 90-DAY PLAN BOOKLET FROM THE NEXT CANDIDATE, WHICH IS MR. ADDISON

111DAVIS. I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD. BOARD MEMBERS, CANDIDATE ADDISON DAVIS. Melissa Snively: SORRY ABOUT THAT. MR. DAVIS, WELCOME. THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US TODAY. WE APPRECIATE YOUR DESIRE TO LEAD OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND OUR STUDENTS. I WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW IT'S GOING TO WORK TODAY, JUST TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF UPDATE ON THAT. YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF, TO MAKE SOME INTRODUCTORY STATEMENTS. EACH BOARD MEMBER WILL THEN POSE A SPECIFIC QUESTION, A STANDARD QUESTION. YOU'LL HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO ANSWER EACH BOARD MEMBER'S QUESTION. IF THERE IS TIME WITHIN THAT FIVE MINUTES FOR A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION, THE BOARD MEMBER MAY CHOOSE TO ASK A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION. AT THE END OF THE QUESTIONS, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO HIGHLIGHT YOUR 90-DAY PLAN FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE US TO KNOW SPECIFICALLY

112ABOUT THAT. TO YOUR RIGHT ON THE LECTERN -- ACTUALLY, MORE IN FRONT OF YOU THAN TO THE RIGHT, THERE ARE THREE LIGHTS. YOU WILL SEE THAT THE GREEN LIGHT OBVIOUSLY MEANS THAT IT'S YOUR TIME TO SPEAK. YELLOW LIGHT MEANS YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS. YOU MAY WANT TO FORMULATE YOUR FINAL THOUGHTS. THE RED LIGHT MEANS YOUR TIME HAS ENDED. GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. Addison Davis: THANK YOU. Melissa Snively: YOU MAY BEGIN WITH YOUR INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS. Addison Davis: THANK YOU. I'M SO HONORED AND HUMBLED TO BE HERE TODAY, TO BE ABLE TO SHARE MY PASSION FOR EDUCATION. EDUCATION HAS BEEN TO REWARDING FOR ME AND IT'S BEEN DRIVEN ABOUT APURPOSE, A PURPOSE TO CREATE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES THAT LEAD TO SUCCESSFUL OUTCOMES FOR ALL LEARNERS. FOR ME, IT IS A POINT WHERE EDUCATION HAS BEEN A PRIORITY.

113IT'S A PLACE WHERE WE CONTINUE TO CREATE THE INFLUENCE AND STRUCTURES TO BE ABLE TO HELP CHILDREN EXCEL EVERY SINGLE DAY. AS AN EDUCATOR, I'VE SEEN SO MANY DIFFERENT TRANSITIONS THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, THROUGH LEGISLATION. I'VE GOTTEN TO A POINT WHERE I SEE INEQUITIES. IN 2009, I WAS ASKED TO LEAD A SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL. A SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL THAT WAS ON THE BRINK OF BEING AN F. AS SOON AS I GOT THERE, BEFORE THE HIGH SCHOOL, IT WAS REALLY A PLACE WHERE IT WAS THE GREATEST PLACE TO BE IN THE EARLY '90s, BUT IT CHANGED DEMOGRAPHICALLY IN THE 2000s. UPON GETTING THERE IN THE FIRST WEEK, THE STAFF CONTINUED TO BE THE SAME AND IT NEVER ADJUSTED. THEY CONTINUED TO HAVE THE SAME OUTLOOK, THE SAME ENERGY THEY HAD IN EARLY 1900s. SO IT

114GOT TO A POINT WHERE THEY DIDN'T MAKE THE ADJUSTMENTS. UPON ME GETTING TO A PART WHERE I WAS THERE TO LEAD THIS WORK, I NOTICED THERE WAS INEQUITIES RELATED TO ACCESSIBILITY, RELATED TO CURRICULUM, RELATED TO TO THE ABILITY TO LEAD THE WORK FOR OUR CHILDREN. I MET WITH ALL OF THE STAFF MEMBERS TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THE DIVERSITY, THE ABILITY TO CHANGE THE WORK. THROUGH PUSHING THE SUPERINTENDENT, PUSHING THE CABINET, THEY GAVE ME A NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THE INEQUITIES. WITHIN THAT TIME, WE MOVED THE SCHOOL FROM SIX POINTS FROM AN F TO FIVE POINTS OR 15 POINTS AWAY FROM AN A. ALL THIS TO SAY IS YOU MAY ASK THE QUESTION WHY I'M HERE. I'M HERE BECAUSE I'M FADES WITH INEQUITIES WITHIN EDUCATION. I'M HERE BECAUSE I WILL FIGHT

115EVERY SINGLE DAY TO ADDRESS EVERY ONE OF OUR LEARNERS TO ENSURE THEY HAVE ACCESS. THE QUESTION IS WHY HILLSBOROUGH. I'M IN A GREAT PLACE IN CLAY COUNTY. IT IS A PLACE THRIVING. WE MADE HISTORICAL GAINS. I'M HERE TO TELL YOU, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I'VE ONLY APPLIED FOR ONE JOB AND ONE JOB ONLY. THAT'S TO BE THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. THIS IS A PLACE THAT IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE PLACE I LED IN DUVAL COUNTY, PLACE OF RICH DIVERSITY. PLACE WITH MAJOR SUPPORT IN THE COMMUNITY. I LEARNED IN ALL THE RESOURCES AND PREPARED TO LEAD TO ADDRESS THE EQUITY, THE INCLUSION WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. ALSO, TO REMOVE AND ELIMINATE ALL THE D AND F SCHOOLS WITHIN THE DISTRICT AS WELL, AND TO DRIVE TO WORK TO CREATE HIGH EXPECTATIONS

116WITH WITH EXPECTATIONS COUPLED WITH HIGH SUPPORT. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU TO CREATE A WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION FOR EVERY ONE OF OUR STUDENTS. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MR. DAVIS. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND BEGIN WITH OUR QUESTIONS. I'LL START OFF. OBVIOUSLY, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BOARD AND THE SUPERINTENDENT IS CRITICAL FOR THE SUCCESS OF A SCHOOL DISTRICT. COULD YOU PLEASE TELL US HOW YOU WOULD BUILD A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BOARD AND THE SUPERINTENDENT? PLEASE CITE EXAMPLES IN YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR BOARD AS A SUPERINTENDENT. Addison Davis: SURE. THAT IS THE GREATEST FOUNDATION FOR US TO BE SUCCESSFUL. WE'VE GOT TO HAVE AN HONEST, TRANSPARENT, THRIVING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE BOARD. THAT HAS BEEN A MAJOR DEMISE IN EDUCATION BETWEEN WHERE THE BOARD MEMBERS AND THE SUPERINTENDENT DON'T WORK

117COLLECTIVELY. I HAVE WORKED DILIGENTLY AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL TO TREAT MY BOARD AS IF I WAS AN APPOINTED BOARD. IN THE SENSE THAT I USE THEM TO BE A PROBLEM SOLVER, A DECISION MAKER, ANY INITIATIVES PROJECTS AND TARGETS THAT WE ADDRESS. I WORK COLLECTIVELY WITH THEM SO THEY CAN BE INFORMED AND WORK ALONGSIDE EVERY SINGLE DAY. THE BEAUTY IS I'M AN ELECTED POSITION. I DON'T WORK FOR THE BOARD AND THE BOARD DOESN'T WORK FOR ME BUT I TREAT THEM WITH VALUE. THEY ARE A PARTNER IN THE WORK EVERY DAY. AT THE END OF THE DAY I WILL OVERCOMMUNICATE TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE INFORMED OF ALL THE PROCESSES, INFORMED IF THERE'S ANY INCIDENT THAT EVER OCCURS WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT'S NEWS WORTHY OR GOING TO BE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU'LL KNOW IMMEDIATELY. WE WILL

118CREATE NORMS BETWEEN MYSELF AND YOU, BETWEEN MY STAFF AS WELL, WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE EFFICIENT, EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION. ALSO, BEFORE BOARD MEETINGS, BEFORE THE BOARD MEETING, 10 TO 12 DAYS BEFORE THE MEETING, WE'LL CREATE A WORKSHOP. IN THAT WORKSHOP, YOU'LL HAVE ALL THE NECESSARY INFORMATION YOU NEED IN ORDER TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION. GET TO TO A POINT, THE AGENDA REVIEW ITEMS WILL IDENTIFY THE DESCRIPTION OF THE AGENDA, WILL IDENTIFY THE GAP ANALYSIS. WILL IDENTIFY PREVIOUS OUTCOMES, EXPECTED OUTCOMES, AND FINANCIAL IMPACT AND WHO WILL OWN IT FROM THE LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVE. BUT OVERALL WE WILL WORK DILIGENTLY TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE INFORMED IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO WITHIN THIS WORK. YOU WILL RECEIVE WEEKLY AND DAILY UPDATES FOR ANY SCHOOL INCIDENTS. THERE WILL BE TIMES WHERE YOU WANT TO DELETE BECAUSE I WILL

119OVERCOMMUNICATE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I LOVE TO DO. YOU WILL BE INFORMED OF ALL OF OUR INITIATIVES, ALL OF OUR PROJECTS, ALL OF OUR TARGETS EVERY SINGLE DAY SO YOU CAN HELP ME BE A PARTNER AND MAKE SOUND DECISIONS FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE WILL WORK TO ENSURE THAT YOU ARE PART OF EVERYTHING WE GO TO FOR PRIORITY OF WORK SO YOU CONTINUE TO SHOW THAT WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER AS A PARTNERSHIP. IT WILL NOT BE ISOLATED. AND WE WILL MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU ARE CONTINUOUSLY INFORMED OF EVERYTHING WE DO WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. FOR ME BEING ELECTED, I UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU COME TO ME AND THERE IS A PRESSING ISSUE, I KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO WALK IN YOUR SHOES. I KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO WALK HOMES. I KNOW

120WHAT IT MEANS TO ATTEND DEBATES. I KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO GO TO HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS AND TALK ABOUT WHY YOU FELL IN LOVE TO RUN. OPENLY I WILL TALK WITH EACH OF YOU TO FIND OUT WHAT'S WORKING, WHAT'S NOT AND WHAT WE CAN DO DIFFERENTLY ON BEHALF OF CHILDREN. AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ARE HERE TO CREATE A WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION. IT CAN'T BE DONE IN ISOLATION AND IT WILL NOT BE DONE IN ISOLATION. I HAVE A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH MY CURRENT BOARD. THEY RESPECT ME AND I RESPECT THEM. WHEN I WENT INTO CLAY COUNTY, IT WAS VERY FRAGMENTED. IT WAS ONE WHERE THE SCHOOL BOARD HAD A POOR RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH OTHER. THE SCHOOL BOARD HAD A POOR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT. AND THE SUPERINTENDENT HAD A POOR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD.

121FOR ME WHEN I CAME INTO CLAY COUNTY, IT WAS ALL ABOUT REMOVING THE POLITICS. IT WAS ALL ABOUT REMOVING THE EXTERNAL NOISE AND MAKING DECISIONS BASED ON ADULTS. IT WAS THOROUGHLY ABOUT MAKING CERTAIN THAT WE MAKE EVERY SUNDAY DECISION ON THE BEHALF OF OUR CHILDREN EVERY SINGLE DAY. I'M TELLING YOU THAT I WILL FIND OUT TO FIGURE OUT WHY EACH OF YOU RAN. WHAT IMPACT DID YOU WANT TO MAKE NOT ONLY IN THE ORGANIZATION BUT IN YOUR CERTAIN DISTRICTS SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT CHANGE WE CAN CREATE IN ORDER TO CREATE THE BEST EXPERIENCE FOR OUR LEARNERS. I KNOW HOW TO MAKE EACH OF YOU WINNERS AND I WILL WORK ALONGSIDE YOU TO BE THE GREATEST PARTNER AND TO BRING PROFESSIONALISM WHERE NEWCOMERS SELECT HILLSBOROUGH AS THEIR DESTINATION. THIS IS THE PLACE. NOT SURROUNDING

122COUNTIES. WE'RE NOT THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN. IF WE CAN COME TOGETHER AND CREATE A WORLD-CLASS EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE THROUGH CLEAR COMMUNICATION AND WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE, THEN WE CAN BE SUCCESSFUL EVERY SINGLE DAY. Melissa Snively: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. DAVIS. OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL BE FROM MEMBER STEVE CONA. Steve Cona: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT, FOR BEING HERE TODAY. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR YOUR KIDS IN CLAY COUNTY AND WHAT YOU DID FOR THE KIDS IN DUVAL COUNTY. WE ARE HUMBLED THAT ANY CANDIDATE WOULD WANT TO SERVE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND WE THANK YOU FOR THE TIME THAT YOU'VE TAKEN TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION. TALKING ABOUT COMMUNICATION, IN A LARGE DISTRICT LIKE OURS, COMMUNICATION PLAYS A VITAL ROLE. HOW WOULD YOU COMMUNICATE YOUR VISION FOR A QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL STUDENTS,

123WITH YOUR STAFF WITH THE COMMUNITY, AND THIS BOARD? AND PLEASE GIVE US SOME SPECIFIC STEPS AS TO WHAT YOU WOULD DO. Addison Davis: AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE MUST FOCUS ON CREATING A SYSTEMS OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION. I BELIEVE IT STARTS FROM THE TOP DOWN. WHERE MY JOB AND ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY WOULD BE TO CREATE A CLEAR VISION OF WHAT EXCELLENT STRUCTURE LOOKS FOR IN THE ORGANIZATION. THAT'S ALL ABOUT DEFINING AND IDENTIFYING, YOU KNOW, WHAT -- WHAT'S -- WHAT'S THE CLEAR UNDERSTANDING AND WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO IN ORDER TO ACCELERATE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. WITH THAT COMMUNICATION, WE'VE GOT TO DEFINE WHAT QUALITY INSTRUCTION LOOKS LIKE. WE'VE GOT TO GET TO A POINT WHERE EVERYONE IS WORKING ON THE SAME PAGE AND WE ARE WORKING COLLECTIVELY WITH OUR -- WE'RE WORKING

124COLLECTIVELY WITH OUR TEACHERS, OUR SUPPORT STAFF OR DISTRICT PERSONNEL TO CREATE COMMON EXPECTATIONS FOR COMMUNICATION, BUT REALLY DRIVING THE WORK FOR CREATING AND IMPROVING ACHIEVEMENT WITH EVERY SINGLE DAY. IT'S ABOUT CREATING A COMMON LANGUAGE. IT'S ABOUT CREATING A COMMON UNDERSTANDING. IT'S ABOUT MAKING CERTAIN THAT EVERYONE IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT TRULY UNDERSTANDS THE ULTIMATE GOAL. THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CREATE A WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION BY PUTTING A THEORY OF ACTION. THE THEORY OF ACTION BECOMES MAKING CERTAIN THAT WE HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS WITH HIGH SUPPORTS. THAT MEANS ALL LEARNERS CAN LEARN. THAT MEANS REGARDLESS OF THEIR ZIP CODE, REGARDLESS OF THEIR CIRCUMSTANCE. IN ADDITION, WE'LL COMMUNICATE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE STRONG INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES. DO WE HAVE INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES THAT ARE PUSHING OUR CHILDREN INTELLECTUALLY? AT THE SAME TIME, ARE WE GETTING TO A

125POINT WHERE WE HAVE GRADE-LEVEL APPROPRIATE EXPECTATIONS TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT CHILDREN ARE EXPOSED TO THE GREATEST EXPECTATIONS, THE GREATEST CONTENT THAT'S ATHRIEND OUR -- ALIGNED TO OUR STANDARDS? AND OVERALL, DEEP AUTHENTIC ENGAGEMENT EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR OUR LEARNERS. WHEN WE CREATE THAT BIG OVERALL VISION, IT'S MY JOB TO MAKE SURE THAT PERMEATES IN EVERY CLASSROOM. AS SUPERINTENDENT, I WILL WORK COLLECTIVELY AND HOST DIALOGUE WITH DAVIS. THAT IS THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I WILL HAVE WITH EVERY PERSONNEL AND EVERY FACET WITHIN THIS ORGANIZATION TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S WORKING, WHAT'S NOT AND WHAT WE CAN DO DIFFERENTLY IN ORDER TO CREATE OPEN COMMUNICATIONS. WE HAVE TO EMPOWER OUR EMPLOYEES TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WILL LEAD US TO SUCCESS, AND THEY HAVE TO UNDERSTAND EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT THERE'S ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES. FROM ME WORKING COLLECTIVELY WITH MY DISTRICT STAFF,

126ME WORKING COLLECTIVELY WITH MY CABINET AND SENIOR STAFF, EVERYONE NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THE CLEAR VISION TO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH. THAT'S ALL ABOUT ACCELERATING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. BUT ALL THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS, IT'S ME. IT STARTS WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT. MY JOB IS TO WORK COLLECTIVELY WITH EACH OF YOU AS BOARD MEMBERS TO IDENTIFY AND TO DEFINE THE CLEAR EXPECTATIONS AND THEN PERMEATE THAT DOWN TO WORK WITH THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION SO THEY CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AND WORK ON THE BEHALF OF CHILDREN. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS, YOU SHOULD NOT ONLY COMMUNICATE WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS BUT ALSO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY WITH ALL OF OUR -- WITH ALL OF OUR CAREGIVERS AND OUR PARENTS, OUR BUSINESS PARTNERS AND OUR FAITH-BASED PARTNERS SO THEY TRULY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO

127ACCOMPLISH. IN CLAY COUNTY, I CREATED CLAY CONNECTIONS. WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PRESSING ISSUES, IT'S A VIDEO THAT I SHOOT WITH STAFF MEMBERS OR COMMUNITY MEMBERS EVERY MONTH TO COMMUNICATE, TO TALK ABOUT BIG IDEAS. I'VE ALSO CREATED OPPORTUNITIES, LIKE I SAID, DIALOGUE WITH DAVIS, TO MEET WITH EVERY FACET OF THE COMMUNICATION TO IDENTIFY NEXT STEPS AND TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S KEEPING INDIVIDUALS UP AT NIGHT. I'VE COMMUNICATED -- YOU KNOW, WE HAVE NEWSLETTERS WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION THAT WE SEND OUT AND WE ARE LEANCH -- YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE LEVERAGING EDGE POINT WHICH IS THE NEW SYSTEM TO CONNECT WITH OUR PARENTS. BUT IT'S ALL ABOUT PROTOCOLS. ONE THING I DON'T WANT TO DO IS BOG DOWN STAFF WITH CONTINUOUS E-MAILS FROM THE ORGANIZATION. THAT'S A WASTE OF TIME. IT'S MY JOB TO MAKE SURE WE CREATE PROTOCOLS

128SUCH AS WEEKLY BRIEFING. INSTEAD OF MY LEADERSHIP TEAM AND CABINET TEAM SENDING OUT E-MAILS AND INUNDATING PRINCIPALS, IT CAN ALL BE PUT IN A WEEKLY BRIEFING WHICH GOES OUT EVERY THURSDAY EVENING SO EVERY PRINCIPAL CAN TRULY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITHIN ANY FACET OF THE ORGANIZATION. IT'S A ONE-STOP SHOP, A ONE PLACE TO MAKE CERTAIN WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE WITH OUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND COMMUNICATION NEEDS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION. IT'S ABOUT SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES IN ORDER TO COMMUNICATE. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, FOR SUPERINTENDENT, I'M ACCESSIBLE. I'M GOING TO BE VISIBLE. I'M GOING TO BE ACCESSIBLE. I WILL BE -- YOU KNOW, I -- I WILL RESPOND TO TO ANY CONSTIT 200048 HOURS. USUALLY 24 HOURS. SAME WITH YOU. ANY CONSTITUENT RESPONDS TO YOU, I'LL WORK DILIGENTLY TO MAKE

129SURE THE STAFF RESPONDS AS WELL. EVERYONE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, EVERYONE IN THE ORGANIZATION TRULY UNDERSTANDS THAT THEY ARE VALUED AND THEY ARE IMPORTANT AND WILL HAVE COMMUNICATION -- EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS EVERY SINGLE DAY SO EVERYONE IS A PART OF THE WORK. Melissa Snively: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL COME FROM BOARD MEMBER STACY HAHN. Stacy Hahn: GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. WHEN YOU ANSWER THIS QUESTION, PLEASE EXPLAIN YOUR ACTIONS THAT YOU WOULD TAKE IN DETAIL. AS SUPERINTENDENT, HOW WOULD YOU DELEGATE AUTHORITY WHILE MAINTAINING ACCOUNTABILITY? Addison Davis: SO IT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION. YOU HAVE TO HAVE DEFINED AUTONOMY BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO HAVE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP IS. ME AS A LEADER, MY JOB IS TO -- THE WAY YOU IMPROVE

130A SCHOOL DISTRICT IS HIRE GREAT LEADERS AND IMPROVE THE ONES YOU HAVE. I THINK THAT IN THE SAME WAY, THE WAY YOU IMPROVE A SCHOOL IS HIRE GREAT TEACHERS AND IMPROVE THE ONES YOU HAVE. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP, MY JOB IS TO FIND INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE PROVEN TRACK RECORDS TO ELEVATE THE EXPERIENCE FOR OUR CHILDREN. TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE TRACK RECORD, THE KNOWLEDGE, THE SKILL SETS TO BE ABLE TO LEAD AND LEAD IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER EVERY SINGLE DAY. BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP, IT'S MY JOB TO CREATE THE BIGGEST VISION FOR THIS ORGANIZATION AND FOR IT TO BECOME, YOU KNOW, A PREMIER -- YOU KNOW, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION NOT ONLY IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA BUT THROUGHOUT THE NATION. BUT IT'S ALSO MY JOB TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT EVERY

131ONE OF OUR EMPLOYEES AND MY STAFF AND MY CABINET TRULY UNDERSTANDS OUR BODY OF WORK. AND THAT MY JOB IS TO MAKE CERTAIN IF THERE IS A TASK, MY JOB, IF IT'S ABOUT DEFINING THE INSTRUCTIONAL ROLES OR IDENTIFYING LOOK FORS INSTRUCTIONALLY IS TO MAKE WORK WITH THE INSTRUCTION, THE CHIEF EDUCATIONAL OFFICER OF SECONDARY OR ELEMENTARY TO DEFINE THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF WHAT THOSE LOOK-FORS ARE AND TO WORK COLLECTIVELY WITH OUR TEACHERS. AND THEN TO DISSEMINATE THAT INFORMATION. AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S MY JOB TO BUILD THEIR CAPACITY SO THEY CAN UNDERSTAND HOW TO WORK TO THAT. WE'VE GOT TO GIVE A CHANCE TO LET INDIVIDUALS LEAD. AND MY JOB IS TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THEY LEAD EFFICIENTLY. IF THEY DON'T, IT'S MY JOB TO BUILD THEIR CAPACITY. IT IS TO

132WORK WITH THEM ALONGSIDE EVERY SINGLE DAY. WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WITH DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP, WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE WE PUT THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT POSITIONS. AND IT'S MY JOB TO APPOINT. DO I BUILD THE CAPACITY OF ALL MY LEADERS? WE HAVE A CABINET, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE WORKING IN SILOS. THEY ARE NOT GOING TO WORK IN SILOS RELATED TO WHETHER IT'S OPERATIONS, WHETHER IT'S INSTRUCTION, WHETHER IT'S HUMAN RESOURCES. EVERYONE HAS TO WORK COLLECTIVELY. AND THEY HAVE TO BE -- ALL OF THEIR JOBS HAVE TO BE INTERTWINED. SO WHEN WE HAVE A SYSTEM OF CARE AND A SYSTEM OF SUPPORT, WHEN THERE IS AN INITIATIVE WE'RE TRYING TO IMPLEMENT OR A PROJECT WE'RE TRYING TO IMPLEMENT AND THE LEADER IS IDENTIFYING SOME BARRIERS, IT'S OUR JOB, THE CABINET AND THE LEADERS

133TO PICK THE INDIVIDUAL UP ALONG WITH MYSELF, ADDRESS THOSE BARRIERS, REMOVE THE BY AIERS IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL -- REMOVE THE BARRIERS IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL. IT IS MY ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY TO BUILD MY CABINET. IT IS MY ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY TO PUT YOU IN A SITUATION THAT YOU'RE NOT IN TODAY, THAT YOU HAVE FOUR, FIVE LEADERS READY TO LEAD THE DISTRICT IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO ADDISON DAVIS. THAT MEANS IF THERE IS A DISCONNECT THAT YOU BELIEVE THAT MY JOB -- OR I'M NOT HERE WITH YOU AND YOU THINK THERE IS A SEPARATION, YOU WILL HAVE FOUR OR FIVE LEADERS EAGER AND READY TO LEAD THE WORK AND DO IT IN AN EFFICIENT MANNER. DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT TRUST. IT'S ABOUT BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS, AND IT'S ABOUT BUILDING THEIR CAPACITY AND CONDUCTING CALIBRATION WALKS,

134ME WORKING WITH THEM SO THEY UNDERSTAND THE BODY OF WORK AND TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AS RELATES TO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND ALSO AS IT RELATES TO OUR INITIATIVES AND OUR PROJECTS AND OUR TARGETS, RELATED TO THE BODY OF WORK. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT. OUR NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM MEMBER TAMMY SHAMBURGER. Tamara Shamburger: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. GOOD MORNING, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE, DEDICATION TO OUR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS OF THE GREAT STATE OF FLORIDA AND YOU'RE WILLING TO DO SO THE SAME HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING. KNOWING THAT OUR CHILDREN OF COLOR HAVE PERFORMED CONSISTENTLY BEHIND OTHER SUBGROUPS IN OUR DISTRICT, WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE ARE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THAT? AND EXPLICITLY SHARE YOUR PLANS TO ADDRESS THE BARRIERS YOU

135HAVE IDENTIFIED HERE. Addison Davis: AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS ABOUT EQUITY AND INCLUSION WHICH IS DIRECTLY LINKED TO THE ORGANIZATIONAL CORE VALUES AND YOUR CULTURE. I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION BECAUSE EQUITY AND INCLUSION SHOULD BE THE FOUNDATION OF EVERYTHING WE DO. AS IT RELATES TO EQUITY AND INCLUSION, IT'S ALL ABOUT US GETTING TO A POINT WHERE WE ACKNOWLEDGE PRESSING ISSUES AND WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE TAKE BOLD, UNAPOLOGETIC STEPS IN ORDER TO ADDRESS INEQUITIES WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. OUR JOB, MY JOB HAS BEEN CENTERED AROUND THE GREAT WORK OF ACCESSIBILITY, INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY. I'VE WORKED EVERY SINGLE DAY TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS COUPLED WITH HIGH SUPPORT. HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR EVERY LEARNER REGARDLESS OF ZIP CODE, REGARDLESS OF CIRCUMSTANCE, REGARDLESS OF SOCIALLY ECONOMIC MAKEUPS, REGARDLESS OF RACE, GENDER. MY JOB IS MAKE

136SURE WE HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR EVERY LEARNER. IN ADDITION, IT'S ABOUT A GROWTH MIND-SET. DO WE BELIEVE EVERY LEARNER CAN LEARN WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT BECAUSE ALL MEANS ALL. IN ADDITION, IT'S ABOUT CREATING STRONG INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES. DO WE HAVE STRONG INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT EVERY SINGLE DAY WHERE CHILDREN ARE, YOU KNOW, PRODUCTIVELY GRAPPLING WITH CONTENT? ARE THEY SYNTHESIZING MULTIPLE MATERIALS BY LOOKING AT READING A NOVEL AND THEN TRANSITION TO SYNTHESIZE IT WITH A POEM? IN ADDITION, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE GRADE-LEVEL APPROPRIATE CURRICULUM. DEFINED TIER ONE, TIER TWO CURRICULUM IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT TO HELP CHILDREN COMPETE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OUR CLASSROOMS. ARE WE PUSHING THEM INTELLECTUALLY? AT THE END OF THE DAY, DO WE HAVE DEEP, AUTHENTIC ENGAGEMENT IN ALL THE LEARNERS? ARE THEY AUTHENTICALLY ENGAGED EVERY DAY WITH THE

137WORK. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES, WE HAVE TO REMOVE CULTURAL BIAS. IT HAS TO BE REMOVED. MAKE SURE WE HAVE DIVERSITY TRAINING, INCLUSION TRAINING. WHEN WE LOOK IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE ACHIEVEMENT SCHOOL MODEL, WE HAVE 50 SCHOOLS THAT ARE UNDERPERFORMING. I'M OPENLY TELLING YOU, IT'S UNACCEPTABLE. THAT'S ALL ABOUT HIGH EXPECTATIONS AND CREATING A THEORY OF CHANGE. THEREFORE, WE HAVE GOT TO TAKE PROACTIVE STEPS. IN CLAY COUNTY, I'VE MOVED THE NEEDLE BECAUSE I FOCUSED ON INEQUITIES AND FOCUSED ON ACCELERATING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. WE MOVED FROM NUMBER 20 TO NUMBER 8. WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR RECENT GRADUATION DATA, WE REMOVED AND ELIMINATED THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP WITH HISPANIC STUDENTS, WITH AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS AND ASIAN STUDENTS NOW GRADUATING AT HIGHER RATE THAN WHITE. DUVAL COUNTY, MY BODY OF WORK, SIMILAR TO THE WORK

138IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, WE ALSO MOVED FROM NUMBER 39 TO NUMBER 21. WE HAD AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS INCREASED BY 21% ALSO IN DUVAL COUNTY. AND WE ELIMINATED 51 D AND F SCHOOLS TO 13. ALL BY PUTTING A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH. HOW DO WE DO THAT? WE CREATE A SYSTEM OF CARE. WE CAN NO LONGER ALLOW OUR CHILDREN TO WALK OUT THE DOORS AND SPEND THEM EVERY DAY. WE HAVE TO HAVE THEM IN THE SCHOOLS SO WE CAN EDUCATE THEM AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IN ADDITION TO THE UNDERPERFORMING SCHOOLS, WE HIRED MINORITY TEACHERS. RESEARCH SAYS THAT WE MUST HIRE TEACHERS AND THE POPULATION MUST REFLECT THE POPULATION OF OUR CHILDREN. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE MADE CERTAIN THAT WE LEVERAGED SOCIAL WORKERS IN OUR SCHOOLS TO ADDRESS THE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING PERSPECTIVE, TO ADDRESS ATTENDANCE

139ISSUES IN ORDER TO HELP OUR CHILDREN NOT ONLY DEVELOP THE WHOLE CHILD BUT DEVELOP THE WHOLE FAMILY AS WELL. FINALLY, WE GAVE EVERY CHILD A SENSE OF HOPE. WE GAVE THEM A PART WHERE WE GAVE THEM ACCESSIBILITY TO ACCELERATED COURSES, TO DUAL ENROLLMENT TO ACE, TO IB, WE GAVE THEM A SENSE OF HOPE AND WE PARTNERED WITH UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES AND SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, EVERY CHILD DESERVES THE BEST. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TO HELP THEM BE SUCCESSFUL? THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE WORKED THROUGH THIS PROCESS. SO WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY STATUS NOW, I THINK DEFINITELY A NEED FOR US TO CONTINUE THE GREAT WORK WITH K-2 LITERACY AND K-2 EARLY EDUCATION. WE HAVE TO EXPAND THREE AND FOUR-YEAR PROGRAMS BECAUSE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP CONTINUES TO EXPAND. WE

140DON'T HAVE LOCATIONS WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS FULL CAPACITY, WHY ARE WE NOT PARTNERING WITH OUR BUSINESSES TO RENT A LOCATION, TO PUT OUR TEACHERS AND PUT OUR CURRICULUM THERE IN ORDER TO TAKE INNOVATIVE, PROACTIVE STEPS TO HELP EVERY LEARNER. IT STARTS FROM BIRTH ALL THE WAY TO WHEN WE GRADUATE TO GET TO POST SECONDARY. OUR ULTIMATE JOB AND GOAL IS TO ACCELERATE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND TO MAKE SURE EVERY LEARNER BECOMES A FULL OPTION GRADUATE. THAT MEANS THEY CAN GO TO MILITARY. THEY HAVE THE SKILL SET FOR THE WORKFORCE, OR THEY CAN GO TO POST SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. WE ARE HERE TO HELP THEM BE SUCCESSFUL AND GIVE THEM A SENSE OF HOPE EVERY SINGLE DAY. THE OTHER CHALLENGES THAT I SEE WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS THAT WE HAVE A HIGH NUMBER OF INEXPERIENCED TEACHERS IN

141OUR LOW POVERTY, IN OUR LOW-POVERTY SCHOOLS. WE HIRE 1300 SCHOOLTEACHERS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY A YEAR. GREAT JOB, MARIE. SHE'S DONE AN AWESOME JOB WITH THE TEACH IN TAMPA INITIATIVE. WE HAVE AROUND 30 STATES THAT ARE BEING PROACTIVE TO BRING INDIVIDUALS HERE. BUT IN THAT INITIATIVE, WE HAVE SO MANY NEW TEACHERS, 29% OF OUR NEW TEACHERS ARE IN UNDERPERFORMING SCHOOLS. I APPRECIATE YOUR PARK INITIATIVE. HAVING $7500, 5,000, 1500, $3600. BUT I'M HERE TO TELL YA, IT'S NOT ENOUGH. WE HAVE GOT TO GO AND CONNECT WITH OUR COMMUNITY. WHAT I DID IN WORK WITH DR. NIKOLAI VITTI, THE BEST SUPERINTENDENT IN THE NATION, HE WAS UNDER CURVALO AND NOW IN DETROIT AND DUVAL COUNTY, WE CONNECT WITH EVERY ONE OF OUR BUSINESS PARTNERS. WE RAISED $40 MILLION AND PAID TEACHERS $20,000 TO COME TO THESE SCHOOLS ON

142A THREE-YEAR CONTRACT AND PROVE CONFIDENCE EVERY SINGLE DAY. IN YOUR PACKET, I GAVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY GAP MATRIX THAT'S ALL ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND HOW WE WILL ADDRESS IT IN ORDER TO CREATE A WORLD-CLASS EXPERIENCE FOR EVERY CHILD NO MATTER THEIR ZIP CODE, THEIR CIRCUMSTANCE, THEIR SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUND. WE'RE HERE FOR ALL CHILDREN AND ALL CHILDREN MEAN ALL. I'M SORRY. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MR. DAVIS. Addison Davis: I'M SORRY, I GET FIRED UP PASSION ABOUT MY WORK. I REALLY WISH I HAD MY INTRO BACK. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU SO MUCH. MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT QUESTION, IT WILL BE POSED BY BOARD MEMBER CINDY STUART. Cindy Stuart: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. WELCOME. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, SUPERINTENDENT. FOR MY QUESTION AS WELL, PLEASE CITE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES AS YOU ANSWER THIS QUESTION. HOW WOULD YOU

143HANDLE DECISIONS THAT ARE UNPOPULAR WITH THE PUBLIC BUT WE KNOW ARE EDUCATIONALLY NECESSARY? Addison Davis: THROUGH THE CHAIR, AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S ABOUT CHILDREN. IT'S NOT ABOUT POLITICS. IT'S NOT ABOUT ADULTS. OUR JOB IS TO WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY ON THE BEHALF OF EVERY LEARNER WITHIN THIS ORGANIZATION AND HAVE THE RELENTLESS PURSUIT TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. WHILE IT MAY BE UNPOPULAR, I WILL WORK WITH EACH OF YOU TO TALK ABOUT BARRIERS, EACH OF YOU TO BE A PROBLEM SOLVER TO TALK ABOUT SOLUTIONS SO THAT WE CAN CREATE THE BEST EXPERIENCE FOR OUR CHILDREN. IN CLAY OF THE CAN, LET'S BE HONEST. IN CLAY COUNTY, WE HAD A SCHOOL BOARD OPENLY THAT WANTED TO GO AND HIRE AND DEVELOP THEIR OWN POLICE DEPARTMENT. THEY THOUGHT FROM THE ANALYTICS, THEY ASKED ME TO BRING

144FIVE DIFFERENT PLANS TO THEM. ALL WERE INCLUSIVE OF GOING WITH THE CURRENT SHERIFF'S OFFICE, HAVING A BLENDED MODEL, GOING TO SCHOOL SAFETY OFFICERS, GOING TO OUR OWN POLICE DEPARTMENTS. I GAVE THEM AN ANALYSIS OF ALL THE FIVE SELECTIONS, AND I PROVED FINANCIALLY THAT WE WOULD SAVE $1.2 MILLION ON BEHALF OF CHILDREN. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IN CLAY COUNTY, WHERE YOU HAVE LAW AND ORDER. WE HAVE A SHERIFF THAT DOESN'T PLAY. HE WANTS TO OWN THE ENTIRE PROCESS. AND THE COMMUNITY BELIEVES THAT LAW AND ORDER SHOULD BE HELD TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, INSTEAD OF DRIVEN IN THE EDUCATIONAL SILO. WHEN THE BOARD GAVE ME THAT INITIATIVE, WHETHER I AGREED WITH THAT OR NOT, IT WAS MY JOB TO PUT IT IN PLACE, AND IT WAS VERY UNPOPULAR. I HAD TO GO TO THE COMMUNITY AND DO LISTEN

145AND LEARN TOURS TO TALK ABOUT THE CURRENT STATUS OF HOUSE BILL 7030, WHAT IT REQUIRED FOR MENTAL HEALTH. WHAT IT REQUIRED FOR SCHOOL SAFETY AND TO BE ABLE TO ARTICULATE WHY THE PLAN WE IMPLEMENTED COULD USE AND SAVE $1.2 MILLION FOR CHILDREN. AND WE TALK ABOUT INEQUITIES IN SCHOOLS THAT ARE UNDERPERFORMING, $1.2 MILLION GOES A LONG WAY. $100,000 GOES A LONG WAY. SO IT WAS EXTREMELY UNPOPULAR. WE HAD A SHERIFF, HE DOES A REALLY NICE JOB. HE DIDN'T WANT THE EDUCATIONAL LEADER, SUCH AS ME AND I'M NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT I LED LAW ENFORCEMENT IN DUVAL COUNTY, AND IN FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS, I SET UP A HIGHLY EFFICIENT, EFFECTIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICE THAT WE SET THIS UP YEAR AND DONE GREAT THINGS BUT IT WAS COMPLETELY UNPOPULAR. IN ADDITION,

146WE ALSO HAD SOME PILOTS WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS THAT ARE UNPOPULAR AS WELL. THERE'S SOME CONTENT WITH LEARNING THAT I BELIEVE IS A GREAT CONTENT, WITH EL, I THINK IT PUSHES OUR CHILDREN INTELLECTUALLY. IT SHOWS THAT OUR CHILDREN HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MOVE PROFESSIONALLY AND TO GET THEM TO COGNITIVELY THINK AND SYNTHESIZE INFORMATION FOR THEM TO GRAPPLE WITH HIGH-QUALITY TEXT, FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE BUILDING KNOWLEDGE AND CORE CONTENT, ESSENTIAL VOCABULARIES TO BE SUCCESSFUL. BUT THERE WAS SOME CONTENT WITHIN THAT CURRICULUM SELECTION THAT DIDN'T MATCH WITH THE CORE VALUES OF OUR COMMUNITY. THEREFORE, IT IS MY ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY ONCE AGAIN TO GO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY TO TALK ABOUT BEST PRACTICES, TO TALK ABOUT WHY IT'S THE BEST CONTENT, TO TALK ABOUT HOW IT CONNECTS WITH OUR CHILDREN IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL. THE

147OTHER ONE IS EUREKA MATH. EUREKA MATH IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST ALIGNED MATERIALS WHEN IT COMES TO MATHEMATICAL PRACTICES, CURRICULUMS WITHIN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. IN CLAY COUNTY, WE -- IT WAS SO -- WE WANTED TO JUST DO COMPUTE MATH. MATH IS ABOUT UNDERSTANDING MATHEMATICAL PRACTICES. IN THAT SOLUTION, EUREKA MATH IT REALLY PUSHES OUR STUDENTS TO THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT HOW THEY UNDERSTAND HOW THE PROCESSES OF THE NUMBERS VERSUS JUST COMPUTING MATH THE WAY YOU AND ME GREW UP, WITH 2 + 2 IS 4. NO LONGER IS 2 + 2 IS 4. IT'S NUMBER BONDS AND HOW DO WE GET TO THE NUMBER. WE HAVE NOW ORGANIZATIONAL GRAPHS. IT'S ABOUT CRITICAL THINKING. I HAD TO GO AND EXPLAIN TO THE COMMUNITY WHY IT WAS SO HARD. CHILDREN WERE GOING HOME AND PARENTS DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO

148HELP THEM. UPLOAD VIDEO MODULES, PARENT ACADEMIES. STARTING COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTERS TO HELP OUR EDUCATORS, TO HELP OUR PARENTS, TO HELP OUR CAREGIVERS GAIN ACCESS TO THE CURRICULUM AND DO GREAT THINGS FOR CHILDREN AT HOME. BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE EXTENSION OF EDUCATION IS AT THE HOME. WE'VE GOT TO HELP OUR PARENTS GET TO A PART WHERE THEY UNDERSTAND TO HELP THEIR CHILDREN AND REMOVE THE FRUSTRATIONS. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HARD DECISIONS, THEY HAVE TO BE MADE BASED ON CHILDREN. I SIT BEFORE YOU EVERY SINGLE DAY READY TO FIGHT FOR CHILDREN, READY TO HELP YOU HELP ME IDENTIFY PROACTIVE SOLUTIONS TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND BE VERY THOUGHTFUL IN OUR PRACTICE THAT WE'RE INTENTIONAL, STRATEGIC EVERY SINGLE DAY AND THAT EVERY DECISION WE MAKE IS COMPLETELY LINKED TO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. AND IT'S LINKED

149TO OUR TOP PRIORITY, WHICH IS INCREASING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND CREATING THE SAFEST ENVIRONMENT WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. Melissa Snively: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL COME FROM BOARD MEMBER KAREN PEREZ. Karen Perez: THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS FOR BEING HERE WITH US TODAY. Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. Karen Perez: IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. AS YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SEVERAL MAJOR ISSUES THAT ARE AT A NATIONAL CRISIS TODAY IN THIS NATION. THREE OF THOSE MAJOR ISSUES THAT AFFECT OUR CHILDREN HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, BUT ALSO NATIONALLY ARE, ONE, STUDENT DISCIPLINE, TWO, STUDENT SAFETY, AND THE THIRD ONE, MOST IMPORTANTLY, IS OUR STUDENTS' MENTAL HEALTH. Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. Karen Perez: CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR BELIEFS ABOUT STUDENT DISCIPLINE, SAFETY AND MENTAL HEALTH, AND PLEASE SHARE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES WITH US? Addison Davis: YES,

150MA'AM. THANK YOU. THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. STUDENT DISCIPLINE ULTIMATELY IS ALL ABOUT STUDENT ENGAGEMENT. IT'S ABOUT HOW WE COMPLETE AND WE REPAIR AND WE GAIN ACCESS TO EVERY ONE OF OUR LEARNERS AND CREATE AUTHENTIC RELATIONSHIPS EVERY DAY. SO OFTENTIMES WE GET TO A PART WHERE WE HAD A REVOLVING DOOR WITH CHILDREN. ADDISON DAVIS COMES IN AND KICKS OVER A CHAIR, ALL WE DO IS SEND ADDISON DAVIS OUT. THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE. WHEN ADDISON DAVIS COMES BACK, KICKS OVER THE CHAIR AGAIN, SAME BEHAVIORS, WE NEVER ADDRESS THE UNDESIRED BEHAVIOR THAT ADDISON DAVIS CONDUCTED. OUR JOB AND MENTALITY IS TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE CREATE A VIBRANT, WELL-STRUCTURED DISCIPLINE PLAN THAT LEADS TO PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE. IF WE CONTINUE TO HAVE A REVOLVING DOOR AND SENDING CHILDREN OUT OF OUR SCHOOLS THAT WE NEVER GET A CHANCE TO GAIN ACCESS

151TO THEM. IF THEY ARE NOT HERE, WE CAN'T TEACH THEM. IF THEY ARE NOT HERE, WE CAN'T LEARN FROM THEM. AT THE END OF THE DAY, OUR JOB IS TO MOVE FORWARD TO HAVE A DISCIPLINE MATRIX THAT SHOWS THAT WE'RE HERE TO HELP CHILDREN REFLECT ON THEIR ACTIONS. IT'S ALL ABOUT IMPLEMENTING RESTORATIVE PRACTICES. WE INCREASED THAT 288% IN DUVAL COUNTY. IT'S ALL ABOUT CREATING STUDENT ACCOUNTABILITY BOARDS. IT'S ALL ABOUT CREATING PEER MEDIATION, WHERE OUR CHILDREN GET A CHANCE TO REFLECT WITH ONE ANOTHER, TO LEARN FROM THEIR PRACTICE AND BE ABLE TO BE SUCCESSFUL. BECAUSE IF WE DON'T GAIN ACCESS TO OUR CHILDREN AND WE LOSE THEM, WE LOSE THEM, AND THEY ARE NOT CONNECTED IN OUR CLASSROOM, THEN THEY WILL FIND IDLE TIME. WHEN THEY FIND IDLE TIME, THAT'S WHEN THEY CREATE UNDESIRED BEHAVIORS. OUR

152JOB IS TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF UNDESIRED BEHAVIOR. GAIN ACCESS TO OUR KIDS. SHOW THEM WE HAVE A SYSTEM OF CARE EVERY SINGLE DAY. WITH THAT PRACTICE, YOU CAN SEE, OUR SUSPENSION DATA IN CLAY COUNTY DECREASED WITH AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS BY 6% IN THE LAST THREE YEARS. IN SCHOOL SUSPENSION DECREASED BY 5% IN THE LAST THREE YEARS. AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS WITH LEVEL THREE AND LEVEL FOUR WITHIN CLAY COUNTY HAD REDUCED 8%. THAT SAME BODY OF WORK THAT WE'VE HAD IN DUVAL COUNTY. IN DUVAL COUNTY, WHEN I LED THE WORK IN CREATING WITH DR. HAVE ITI AND MIKE McCAULEY, CREATING A ROBUST CODE OF CONDUCT WITH BOARD MEMBERS, COLLECTIVELY BARGAINING UNANIMOUS, TO CREATE A MATRIX THAT SUPPORTS OUR LEARNERS BUT ADDRESSES DISCIPLINE WHICH WE'LL ALWAYS ADDRESS BUT ALLOWS THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL. REDUCED SUSPENSIONS FROM 67,000

153TO 43,000. IN ADDITION, AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENT SUSPENSIONS DECREASED 27% IN DUVAL COUNTY IN THREE YEARS AS I WAS CHIEF OF SCHOOLS. AT THE SAME TIME IT DECREASED HISPANIC STUDENTS BY 32. ALL THAT LINKS TO MENTAL HEALTH. MENTAL HEALTH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE THAT WE WILL FACE IN THIS NEW DECADE. IT IS A PART WHERE WE HAVE TO BE FORWARD THINKING IN OUR APPROACH, SO WE MUST CREATE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL PRIORITIES. DO OUR STUDENTS HAVE A SENSE OF WELLNESS? DO OUR STUDENTS HAVE A SENSE OF CONNECTEDNESS? DO OUR STUDENTS HAVE A SENSE OF SAFETY? WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT AND ACTIVATE OUR STUDENTS AND USE THE PANORAMA SURVEY THAT ALLOWS OUR STUDENTS TO REFLECT HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT SCHOOLS. DO THEY FEEL WELCOME? DO THEY FEEL SUPPORTED? DO THEY HAVE THE NECESSARY RESOURCES? CLAY COUNTY, WE PUT

154MENTAL HEALTH DAYS IN WE EVER ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS. THAT MEANS WE HELPED OUR STUDENTS. IT'S A THERAPEUTIC CLINICIAN THAT HELPS OUR CHILDREN WITH MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING. IN ADDITION, WE HAVE DROP-IN DAYS. WE HIRED INDIVIDUAL THERAPISTS AND COUNSELORS TO COME IN. IF ADDISON DAVIS HAS A BAD DAY, WALKS IN CLASS, GO TO THE DROP-IN CLINIC AND SEE HIM FOR FIVE MINUTES. WE ALSO CREATED A MILITARY RESOURCE CENTER. MILITARY WHEN THEY COME IN, IT IS A MENTAL HEALTH INTERACTION. WHEN THEY ARE HAVING SOMEONE NOT THERE AND GREATEST VOID, WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HELP THAT LEARNER, HELP THAT FAMILY HAVE COPING SKILLS IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL. AT THE SAME TIME, WHAT WE'VE DONE, WE'VE GOT TO REALLY HAVE A TRUE MENTAL HEALTH PLAN THAT'S BASED -- THE FUNDING DRIVES OUR INITIATIVES AND WE'VE GOT TO

155MAKE SURE WE DO OUR VERY BEST TO HAVE COORDINATED EFFORTS BETWEEN SCREENING, BETWEEN ASSESSMENTS AND INTERVENTION. OUR RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION HAS TO BE TIGHT AND IT HAS TO BE ABOUT CHILDREN. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE IT IS A PRIORITY WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, NOT ONLY THROUGH THE MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING SOURCES BUT ALSO THROUGH OUR GENERAL FUND AND OUR REVENUE IN ORDER TO CREATE SUCCESSFUL OPPORTUNITIES SO OUR CHILDREN CAN LEARN. IT'S ABOUT EVERY ONE OF OUR LEARNERS GAINING ACCESS TO THEM AND KNOWING THAT WE HAVE A CULTURE OF CARE EVERY SINGLE DAY. Melissa Snively: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR LAST QUESTION WILL BE POSED BY BOARD MEMBER LYNN GRAY. Lynn Gray: YES. I WAS TOLD THEY SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST, JUST SO YOU KNOW. THANK YOU, MR. DAVIS, FOR ENDURING A SET OF

156QUESTIONS AND APPRECIATING YOUR ANSWERS. I'VE BEEN CHARGED WITH A DIFFERENT TYPE OF QUESTION. I SEE YOU HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING -- OR PUBLIC EDUCATION -- NOT SURE IF IT'S PUBLIC, PRIVATE. Addison Davis: MORE THAN 20 YEARS PUBLIC EDUCATION. Lynn Gray: WITH THE CHANGING DYNAMICS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION SUCH AS THE ONSET OF INCREASED CHARTER SCHOOLS, WOULD YOU SEE AS THE CRITICAL ISSUES IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, AND, OF COURSE, WE'LL HAVE TO BE SPECIFIC, NOT ONLY LOCALLY BUT NATIONALLY AS WELL. Addison Davis: TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, IS THIS DIRECTLY LINKED TOWARD CHARTER SCHOOLS AND INTERACTION? Lynn Gray: YES. Jim Porter: BE CLEAR. THE QUESTION -- THE CHANGING DYNAMICS -- INCLUDING CHARTER SCHOOLS, WHETHER OR NOT -- CHARTER SCHOOLS IS A SUBSET OF THAT. THE QUESTION IS BROADER THAN THAT. Addison Davis: AT THE END OF THE DAY,

157LET'S TALK ABOUT CHARTER SCHOOLS. WHERE WE ARE FROM THAT, MY JOB AS THE EDUCATIONAL LEADER OF THIS ORGANIZATION, WE WILL MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE CREATE THE MOST COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE CAN CREATE. CHARTER SCHOOLS AREN'T GOING AWAY. THEY ARE AN OPTION. TO MY UNDERSTANDING FROM LOOKING AT YOUR HISTORICAL BUDGET IN THE LAST TWO YEARS AND LOOKING AT YOUR BEAUTIFUL GROWTH THAT YOU HAVE WITHIN THIS COUNTY, CHARTER SCHOOLS HAS REALLY HELPED US CREATE STUDENT STATIONS THAT SERVE OUR CHILDREN. AND THAT'S A CELEBRATION. AT THE END OF THE DAY, MY JOB IS TO CREATE THE MOST ROBUST ENVIRONMENT THAT CHILDREN AND NEWCOMERS SELECT, ARE DISTRICT-MANAGED SCHOOLS. AS IT RELATES TO OUR EXPERIENCE, I WILL FOCUS ON US. I WILL SUPPORT CHARTERS AS IS OUTLINED BY THE LAW, BUT I WILL MAKE CERTAIN THE DISTRICT-MANAGED SCHOOLS HAVE THE

158GREATEST CHOICE PROGRAMS, HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS, HAVE THE GREATEST CURRICULUM, HAVE THE GREATEST GRADE-LEVEL EXPERIENCES, HAVE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, HAVE EVERYTHING THAT COMPETES AND PREPARES OUR CHILDREN TO COMPETE OUTSIDE OF THE FOUR WALLS WE CALL OUR CLASSROOM AND ALSO INSIDE AS WELL. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE LANDSCAPE OF PROFESSION ISSUES, THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY ABOUT CHARTER SCHOOLS, MY ONLY HOPE IS THAT THEY WOULD EVEN THE PLAYING FIELD TO MAKE SURE WE ALL GO AND HAVE THE SAME RULES AND REGULATIONS RELATED TO WHAT WE ARE ACCOUNTABLE FOR. FOR CASTING THE ISSUE, OPENLY, THE STATE, THEY CONTINUE TO PUT MORE ON US WITH LESS RESOURCES. WE HAVE GOT TO FIGHT FOR OUR FINANCES. IN MY ABILITY TO CONNECT WITH TALLAHASSEE TODAY IS GREAT. I HAVE ACCESSIBILITY TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. I HAVE GREAT ACCESSIBILITY TO TALLAHASSEE

159LEGISLATORS TO TALK ABOUT OUR PRESSING NEEDS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION. IF WE DO NOT -- I CAN TELL YOU THIS -- IF WE DO NOT FOCUS ON IMPROVING UNDERPERFORMING SCHOOLS, I WILL TELL YOU WE WILL LOSE THEM. WE WILL LOSE THEM, THEY WILL CREATE MORE OPTIONS OUT THERE. WE TALK ABOUT AT THE END OF THE DAY WITH PRESSING ISSUES IN EDUCATION, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON MENTAL HEALTH. AT THE END OF THE DAY, COMING UP IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, I THINK IF THEY CHANGE STANDARDS, THAT I THINK THEY ARE GOING TO CHANGE THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS AS WELL. DO WE HAVE AN INSTRUCTIONAL LEADER AT THE HELM THAT KNOWS THE INSTRUCTIONAL SHIFTS AND CAN CREATE HIGH EXPECTATIONS, IDENTIFY QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES, HOLD INDIVIDUALS ACCOUNTABLE AND HAVE A NO-EXCUSE EXPECTATION. NO EXCUSE FOR LEADERS, NO

160EXCUSE FOR ME TO YOU, NO EXCUSE FROM MY CABINET, NO EXCUSE FROM MY PRINCIPALS AND NO EXCUSE FROM THE PRINCIPALS TO CREATE THAT CULTURE WITHIN THE SCHOOLS. THAT'S ALL ABOUT HIGH EXPECTATIONS COUPLED WITH HIGH SUPPORT. IN ADDITION TO THIS, I THINK WE'VE GOT TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR MORE MONEY WITH SCHOOL HARDENING AND SAFETY PROJECTS. AND THEN WE'VE GOT TO BE VERY SUCCINCT ABOUT MAKING CERTAIN WE TRY TO ELIMINATE HIGH-QUALITY ASSESSMENTS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE TAKE ALL OF THE ASSESSMENTS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL. I'M ALL ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHY DON'T WE USE NATIONAL ASSESSMENTS SUCH AS ACT AND SAT AND PSAT TO DRIVE THE WORK. THAT WOULD SAVE THE STATE A BUNCH OF MONEY AND SAVE A LOT OF PRESSURE OFF OUR TEACHERS

161AND ALLOW US TO FOCUS ON TEACHING AND LEARNING EVERY DAY. SCAFFOLD THE INSTRUCTIONAL PROCESS, AND PROVIDING RESPONSE TO INTERVENTIONS WITH SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS TO HELP OUR CHILDREN REACH NEW HEIGHTS IN EDUCATIONAL REFORMS. SO LOTS GOING ON. YOU CAN NEVER FORECAST WHAT'S GOING ON TOMORROW, MUCH LESS FIVE YEARS FROM NOW IN EDUCATION, BUT WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS FOCUS ON TODAY. FOCUS THAT WE KNOW OUR STANDARDS, THE ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM, AND WE KNOW INEQUITIES WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THAT WE BUILD A ROBUST BUDGET THAT SUPPORTS OUR CHILDREN WITHIN THIS ORGANIZATION. IF YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ORGANIZATION'S VALUE IS, LOOK AT HOW WE SPEND OUR MONEY. AND THAT MONEY HAS TO BE ABOUT RESOURCES. IT HAS TO BE ABOUT BOLD DECISIONS AND IT HAS TO BE UNAPOLOGETIC THAT WE SHOULD PROVIDE THE NECESSARY SKILLS AND

162RESOURCES TO OUR CHILDREN AND TO OUR TEACHERS TO HELP THEM BE SUCCESSFUL. THE OTHER THING IS, IF THEY GO THROUGH WITH 475 FOR NEW TEACHERS, WHILE THANKFUL FOR THE INITIATIVE, IT WILL PUT ME AS SUPERINTENDENT AND YOU AS SCHOOL BOARD IN A BAD POSITION. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT SEASONED TEACHERS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE 10, 20, 15 YEARS? GO TO THE RESERVE BALANCE? MY UNDERSTANDING RIGHT NOW IS WE'RE AT LIKE 6%. IN ORDER FOR US TO BE FISCALLY HELPFUL AND RESPONSIBLE WE NEED TO BE AT 10%. I'LL MAKE SURE EVERY DAY WE HAVE A FISCAL RESPONSIBLE ORGANIZATION BUILT ON ON TRUST TRANSPARENCY, WORKS WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN, OUR PRIORITIES, OUR INITIATIVES AND OUR PROJECTS IN ORDER TO BE GREAT. I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS JOB. I KNOW THE LIGHT GOES ON AND I GET

163LIGHTED AT MY SCHOOL BOARD ALL THE TIME. I ONLY APPLY FOR ONE POSITION, AND THAT IS THE POSITION TO BE THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR ROUND OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU, MR. DAVIS. DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT? THE LAST THING WE'LL ASK YOU TO DO IS TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO HIGHLIGHT ANYTHING IN YOUR 90-DAY PLAN THAT YOU WOULD LIKE FOR US TO TAKE A LOOK AT. Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. IN THIS PACKET YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE A TRANSITION PLAN, IF YOU CAN FLIP TO IT, IN THIS BOOK. YOU ALSO HAVE AN ACHIEVEMENT GAP PLAN AND YOU ALSO HAVE A SYSTEMIC PLAN TO BECOME A SYSTEMIC A WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ALONG WITH A PLAN TO SHOW HOW WE ADDRESS UNDERPERFORMING SCHOOLS IN ORDER TO ELIMINATE

164EVERY D AND F SCHOOL WITHIN THIS ORGANIZATION. OVERALL, YOU CAN SEE THE TRANSITION PLAN IS REALLY BUILT AND DESIGNED TO BUILD UPON THE GREAT FOUNDATION THAT YOU'VE ESTABLISHED AS A SCHOOL BOARD AND A SCHOOL DISTRICT WHILE CULTIVATING, NEW, INNOVATIVE EXPERIENCES FOR OUR CHILDREN. IT'S ALL ABOUT ME LISTENING AND LEARNING, PROBLEM SOLVING AND EVENTUALLY ACTING ON THE BEHALF OF CHILDREN. THIS IS ALL ABOUT ENGAGING EVERY POCKET AND EVERY FACET OF THE ORGANIZATION -- TEACHERS, LEADERS, CIVIC LEADERS, YOU KNOW, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LEADERS. ALSO LOOKING AT THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE MAYOR, THE SHERIFF AND THE SCHOOL BOARD, BRINGING EVERYONE IN CONCERT TO IDENTIFY WHAT'S WORKING, WHAT'S NOT AND WHAT WE CAN DO DIFFERENTLY WITHIN THIS ORGANIZATION. AS WE NAVIGATE THROUGH THIS PLAN, HUNDRED-DAY PLAN, NOT 90. I'M SORRY. I ADDED TEN MORE DAYS. WE'LL FOCUS ON RAISING

165STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. FOCUS ON RAISING EXCELLENCE IN EQUITY. CREATING A CLIMATE AND CULTURE THAT FOSTERS COLLABORATION. WE WILL LEAD WITH TRANSPARENCY AND IT WILL BE A PART WHERE WE MAKE EDUCATIONAL DECISIONS THAT ARE ALL ABOUT BEING CHILD CENTRIC. IN THIS PLAN IT'S ULTIMATELY ABOUT COLLABORATION, LISTENING, LEARNING, SHARING ASPIRATIONS, MY VISION AND IMPROVING TEACHING AND LEARNING EVERY SINGLE DAY. AT THE END SIX GOALS, BUILDING AND ENHANCING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BOARD AND THE SUPERINTENDENT. ONE THAT'S ALL ABOUT CLEAR GOVERNORS -- CLEAR GOVERNANCE. ONE THAT HELPS ME UNDERSTAND WHY YOU RAN. IT'S ABOUT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. DO WE HAVE THE RIGHT CURRICULUM TIER ONE, TWO, THREE. THE RIGHT ORGANIZATIONAL CHART WITH OUR INSTRUCTIONAL LEARNING PROCESSES? DO WE HAVE PEOPLE WITHIN POSITIONS, NOT BECAUSE THEY KNOW SOMEBODY, NOT BECAUSE THEY WENT TO CHURCH WITH SOMEBODY, NOT BECAUSE THEY LIVE IN

166THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT PEOPLE IN POSITIONS THAT HAVE HAD HISTORICAL DATA THAT DRIVES THE WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY WITHIN THIS ORGANIZATION AND THEN HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE, DEFINE OUR NORMS, DEFINE OUR EXPECTATIONS AND HELP THEM LEAD TO SUCCESS. MY JOB IS TO LEAD AND BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS AREA. ALSO, WE ADDRESS THE ACHIEVEMENT GAPS WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. THEN THE NEXT ONE IS ABOUT CREATING A GREATEST CLIMATE AND CULTURE, WE HAVE A HEALTHY ORGANIZATION. THAT'S ABOUT WORKING WITH THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT IN UNITS. IT'S ABOUT ME HOLDING DIALOGUES WITH DAVIS AND ABOUTMY GETTING THE OVERALL TEMPO AND PERCEPTION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TO ELEVATE THE EXPERIENCES FOR EVERYONE. THEN IT'S ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT -- I'M SO SORRY. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND ABOUT EFFICIENCY. WHERE IS OUR FUND BALANCE? WHERE IS OUR BOND RATING?

167WHERE ARE THE DEBT SERVICES? DO OUR ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES MAKE SENSE? I'M HERE TO TELL YOU, IF IT'S TRULY A PRIORITY TO LIFT EVERY D AND F SCHOOL IN THIS DISTRICT, MY QUESTION IS, WHY IS THAT POSITION NOT A DIRECT REPORT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT? FOR ME, MY JOB IS TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT I REMOVE BARRIERS. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MR. DAVIS. Addison Davis: I'M SO SORRY. I REALLY WANT THE FIRST QUESTION BACK. I THINK I MADE STUFF UP IN THAT QUESTION. ON A ROLL. Melissa Snively: WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TODAY. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. DR. WHELAN WILL NOW ESCORT YOU BACK TO THE AREA WHERE YOU ARE STAYING FOR THE DURATION OF THE DAY. Addison Davis: CAN I JUST SAY THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY? Melissa Snively: ABSOLUTELY. Addison Davis: I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.

168SORRY TO BE FIRED UP, BUT I LOVE THIS JOB. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, BOARD MEMBERS, WE WILL TAKE A FIVE-MINUTE BREAK -- Jim Porter: NOT A RECESS. Melissa Snively: A FIVE-MINUTE BREAK IN ORDER TO COLLECT YOUR THOUGHTS, AND WE WILL RESUME CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS MOMENTARILY. Jim Porter: FOOD IS BEING BROUGHT IN FOR YOU. SO AT APPROPRIATE TIMES, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE A BREAK, NOT DURING THE INTERVIEWS, BECAUSE THERE IS NO LUNCH BREAK BUILT IN FOR TODAY. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MR. PORTER. [FIVE-MINUTE BREAK] Melissa Snively: WELCOME BACK, BOARD MEMBERS. WE ARE READY TO MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT CANDIDATE. DR. WHELAN. GOOD MORNING. Marie Whelan: BOARD MEMBERS, THIS IS CANDIDATE DR. STEPHANIE ELIZALDE. Melissa Snively: GOOD MORNING, DR. ELIZALDE AND WELCOME TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE

169TODAY, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND YOUR DESIRE TO LEAD OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. HOW IT WILL WORK THIS MORNING, YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO MAKE SOME INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS. AND THEN EACH BOARD MEMBER WILL TAKE TURNS ASKING YOU A QUESTION. YOU'LL HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO ANSWER EACH QUESTION. YOU CAN USE ALL FIVE MINUTES, AND IF NOT, IF THERE IS SPACE FOR ADDITIONAL FOLLOW-UP QUESTION THAT BOARD MEMBER MAY ASK A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION WITHIN THAT FIVE MINUTES. AFTER ALL BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ASKED THEIR QUESTION, YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT YOUR 90-DAY PLAN FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, A FEW MINUTES TO DO THAT. OKAY? AND THEN IN FRONT OF YOU ON THE LECTERN AND OVER HERE ON THE SCREEN, YOU'LL SEE THE TIMER. GREEN OBVIOUSLY MEANS THAT IS YOUR TIME TO SPEAK. YELLOW, WHEN THE YELLOW LIGHT

170COMES ON, THAT'S 30 SECONDS, YOU MAY PREPARE SOME FINAL THOUGHTS. THEN, OF COURSE, WHEN THE RED LIGHT APPEARS, THAT IS WHEN YOUR TIME ENDS. ANY QUESTIONS? NO, MA'AM. Melissa Snively: PLEASE OPEN UP WITH YOUR INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS. Stephanie Elizalde: GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. MY NAME IS STEPHANIE ELIZALDE. I LIKE TO INTRODUCE MYSELF BY SAYING I WAS RAISED BY LUCY AND RICKY RICARDO. I HAVE WHAT I CONSIDER A VERY REACH UPBRINGING THROUGHOUT MANY DIFFERENT -- WITH MANY DIFFERENT CULTURES AND EXPERIENCES. I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN LORE RAIDO, TEXAS, FOR THE MAJORITY OF MY SCHOOLING WAS IN LOREDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE YEAR WHEN MY FATHER MOVED US FOR A YEAR TO AUSTIN SO HE COULD COMPLETE A MASTERS. MY MOTHER WAS A SECRETARY, CIVIL SERVICE FOR U.S. CUSTOMS. MY FATHER

171WAS A TEACHER. HE'S A RETIRED EDUCATOR. MY AM GO, MY FATHER'S MOTHER WAS ALSO AN EDUCATOR. MY DAD SAID GROW UP TO BE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO BE. WE'RE IN AMERICA. DO ANYTHING EXCEPT BE A TEACHER. SO, OF COURSE, I BECAME A TEACHER. I'M SLIGHTLY A HYBRID, HOWEVER MY COLLEGE DEGREE IS IN -- BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN BIOLOGY WITH A LOT OF HOURS IN CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WOULD GO TO MEDICAL SCHOOL. I TOOK A YEAR OFF BECAUSE I WAS TIRED, ENTERED A CLASSROOM IN HIGH SCHOOL IN THE SAN ANTONIO AREA. ONCE I GOT INTO THE CLASSROOM, TRULY FELT LIKE THAT WAS MY NICHE AND THAT'S WHERE I NEEDED TO BE. THAT'S HOW I STARTED MY CAREER THROUGH AN ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION APPROACH. AND FROM THERE, JUST WORKED IN A VARIETY OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

172MY FIRST SCHOOL DISTRICT IN SOUTHWEST WAS SMALL. IN TERMS OF 10,000 -- ABOUT 10,000 STUDENTS OR SO. SOME OPPORTUNITIES FROM SMALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS, I WAS THERE FOR 16 YEARS, AGAIN THINKING I'LL RETIRE FROM SOUTHWEST INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. THOSE 16 YEARS AFFORDED ME THE OPPORTUNITY, THOUGH, AS IN SMALL DISTRICTS, MANY DO, YOU HAVE TO WEAR SO MANY HATS. AN UNDERSTANDING OF MANY OF THE FUNCTIONS OUTSIDE OF THE CAMPUS AREA, I WAS AFFORDED THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AS I WORKED IN THAT DISTRICT FROM A TEACHER TO AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL TO A PRINCIPAL TO A DIRECTOR BEFORE I LEFT THE SAN ANTONIO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. I THINK ONE OF THE AREAS THAT I THINK HAS BEEN HIGHLIGHTED FOR ME IS THAT THROUGH THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, AS I MOVED TO LARGER SCHOOL DISTRICTS, OF WHICH I'M CURRENTLY AT DALLAS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT,

173I DID HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT QUESTIONS TO ASK IN SOME OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT I DIDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE DIRECT INTERACTION WITH. AND IT HAS SERVED ME WELL IN LARGE SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THANK YOU. Melissa Snively: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START WITH OUR BOARD QUESTIONS. I'LL START WITH MINE. IT IS OBVIOUSLY CRITICAL FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE BOARD TO HAVE A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP IN ORDER TO BE PRODUCTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL FOR OUR STUDENTS. HOW WOULD YOU BUILD A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BOARD AND THE SUPERINTENDENT? AND PLEASE CITE EXAMPLES, PERHAPS USING YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE, ABOUT BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH BOARD MEMBERS. Stephanie Elizalde: SO THERE'S NO SUBSTITUTE TO BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS THAN TIME. SO TIME HAS TO BE DEDICATED PURPOSEFULLY AND REGULARLY, AND IT ALSO HAS TO BE IN A VARIETY

174OF DIFFERENT APPROACHES. SO SMALL GROUP AS WELL AS INDIVIDUAL ONE ON ONES. CURRENTLY IN MY POSITION, I'M VERY FORTUNATE THAT MY SUPERINTENDENT ALLOWS ME TO BE A BOARD LIAISON TO THREE TRUSTEES. AND, THEREFORE, I SERVE AS THEIR DIRECT CONTACT EITHER WITH PROVIDING INFORMATION THAT MAY NEED TO BE TIMELY AS WELL AS CONCERNS THAT THEY MAY HAVE, NOT NECESSARILY JUST WITHIN THE AREA OF THE SCOPE OF MY WORK, BUT WITHIN OTHER AREAS, I SERVE AS THAT POINT PERSON. THOSE COMMUNICATIONS, FOR INSTANCE, WOULD LOOK LIKE EVERY FRIDAY BOARD UPDATES. THOSE WOULD BE TO TRUSTEES, GIVING A RECAP OF THE WEEK OR OF THINGS THAT ARE TO COME. ANOTHER THING WOULD BE LUNCHES WITH TRUSTEES -- EXCUSE ME, WITH MEMBERS, I'M USING A TEXAS TERM HERE, WITH BOARD MEMBERS SO THAT WE COULD ALSO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THINGS

175THAT MEMBERS ARE HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY. THOSE ARE A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES. BOARD WORK SESSIONS AND BOARD MEETINGS, OF COURSE. MEETINGS ARE CERTAINLY MORE FORMALIZED AND MAY NOT OFFER THE SAME OPPORTUNITY. BUT REGULAR AND ONGOING WORK SESSIONS HAVE ALSO PROVIDED US OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO BOTH PROVIDE INFORMATION, GATHER INFORMATION BEFORE WE SET OUT ON OUR NEXT ACTION PLAN OR BUILD ON A PLAN THAT WE MAY ALREADY HAVE. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL COME FROM OUR VICE-CHAIR, MR. STEVE CONA. Steve Cona: THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY. THANK YOU FOR NOT LISTENING TO YOUR FATHER AND BECOMING A TEACHER. I'M SURE ALL OF THE STUDENTS IN TEXAS ARE GRATEFUL THAT YOU MADE THAT DECISION. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR WANTING TO BE A SUPERINTENDENT OF

176OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, IN A LARGE SCHOOL DISTRICT LIKE OURS COMMUNICATION PLAYS A VITAL ROLE. HOW WOULD YOU COMMUNICATE YOUR VISION OF A QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL STUDENTS WITH STAFF, THE COMMUNITY, AND THIS BOARD? PLEASE SPECIFY WHAT STEPS YOU WOULD TAKE. THANK YOU. Stephanie Elizalde: FIRST, WITH REGARD TO VISION, CERTAINLY THE VISION WOULD BE A VISION THAT'S COLLECTIVE. IT'S NOT MY VISION. IT HAS TO BE OUR VISION. I DO HAVE A GUIDING PRINCIPLE THAT I UTILIZE, AND I KNOW YOU'VE SEEN IT IN EITHER MY RESUMÉ AND I'LL HIGHLIGHT IT IN MY ENTRY PLAN, PEOPLE SUPPORT WHAT THEY HELP TO CREATE. THAT TAKES A LOT OF TIME. CONSENSUS IS MESSY. PEOPLE HAVE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS BEFORE WE CREATE THAT VISION. BUT EVEN THOUGH IT'S A MESSY PROCESS,

177THE IMPLEMENTATION IS FAR MORE SUCCESSFUL. COMMAND DECISIONS ARE VERY EASY TO MAKE AND THEY ARE VERY EASY TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITH. FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST POINT OUT THAT THE VISION HAS TO BE COLLECTIVE. SO PART OF THAT COMMUNICATION RESTS IN HOW WE CREATE THE VISION. IF WE WAIT TO SEE COMMUNICATION OF OUR VISION OR OUR PLAN AS SOMETHING THAT'S AFTER THE FACT, THEN I USUALLY HEAR PEOPLE REFER TO THAT AS WE HAVE TO GO GATHER SUPPORT OR WE HAVE TO GET INPUT OR BUY-IN. WHEN WE'RE DOING BUY-IN, IT'S AFTER THE FACT. THE BEST WAY TO COMMUNICATE THAT IS THROUGH THE PROCESS. HOWEVER, SPECIFICALLY, AFTER WE BUILT OUR VISION WOULD REQUIRE US TO HAVE MULTIPLE WAYS IN WHICH TO COMMUNICATE THAT. I HAVE A PROCESS WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT AND OUR DIVISION CALLED DIALOGUE WITH

178SCHOOL LEADERSHIP. SO ONCE A QUARTER, I HAVE OUR PRINCIPALS COME TOGETHER. WE HAVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS COME TOGETHER TO PROVIDE US FEEDBACK AND INPUT ON IMPORTANT PROCESSES OR PROJECTS THAT ARE IN PLAY. WE HAVE TEACHER FOCUS GROUPS. THOSE ARE INDIVIDUALS FROM CAMPUSES, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE NETWORK MEETINGS TO GATHER INFORMATION FROM THE FIELD. SOMETIMES THAT INFORMATION FROM THE FIELD, IF WE DON'T STRATEGICALLY HAVE A PROCESS TO GATHER IT, BEGINS TO SOUND LIKE NOISE. SOME OF THE INFORMATION AND FEEDBACK WE GET BACK IS ALSO NOT ALWAYS FLATTERING, AND SO SOMETIMES WE MAY SHY AWAY FROM THAT INFORMATION. IN FACT, THE OPPOSITE IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO. SO A COMMUNICATION PLAN THAT WOULD BE BASED ON EVERY SINGLE PORTION OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, INCLUDING THOSE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, BE THEM COMMUNITY BASED, FAITH-BASED, BUSINESS BASED, HIGHER ED

179PARTNERS, A PLAN THAT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES THOSE. IN DALLAS ISD, WE HAVE, FOR INSTANCE, QUARTERLY MEETINGS WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS. THAT'S ALSO TO COMMUNICATE OUR VISION AS WELL AS OUR PROGRESS TOWARDS THAT AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER. THE PLAN HAS TO BE DESIGNED. THAT COMMUNICATION PLAN HAS TO BE DESIGNED COLLECTIVELY. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL BE POSED BY MEMBER STACY HAHN. Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. WHEN YOU ANSWER THIS QUESTION, PLEASE EXPLAIN THE ACTIONS YOU WOULD TAKE IN DETAIL. AS SUPERINTENDENT, HOW WOULD YOU DELEGATE AUTHORITY WHILE MAINTAINING ACCOUNTABILITY? Stephanie Elizalde: SO, CURRENTLY, WHILE I'M HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE STUDENT OUTCOMES IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, I CERTAINLY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DELEGATE THE RESPONSIBILITY AND

180THE AUTHORITY. HOWEVER, I WANT TO BEGIN BY DIFFERENTIATING DELEGATION AND ABDICATION. DELEGATION MEANS I CREATE A TEAM THAT WE ALL ARE HOLDING EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE AS OPPOSED TO ABDICATION WHERE I CONVENIENTLY MAY DECIDE IF THINGS DON'T GO TOO WELL, WELL, I GAVE IT TO SOMEONE ELSE AND SOMEONE ELSE DIDN'T DO WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO. PRIMARILY WITH DELEGATION, SPECIFICALLY I HAVE CHECK-INS, WITH, FOR INSTANCE, THE TWO DEPUTY CHIEFS THAT CURRENTLY REPORT TO ME AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS WHO REPORT TO THEM. WE HAVE BIWEEKLY MEETINGS WITH EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS WHO DIRECTLY SUPERVISE PRINCIPALS. AND THEN I MEET WEEKLY WITH THE DEPUTY CHIEFS. WE MEET BUT NOT JUST TO MEET. YOU HAVE TO HAVE DATA IN WHICH YOU'RE REVIEWING. OTHERWISE ALL WE'RE DOING IS HAVING A GATHERING. SO WE HAVE METRICS THAT WE UTILIZE AND WE HAVE A

181DASHBOARD IN OUR DISTRICT SO THAT WE'RE CONSTANTLY REFERENCING THE STUDENT OUTCOMES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PERIOD. THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF BEING ABLE TO HOLD EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE, THOUGH, HAS TO BE ROOTED IN STUDENT OUTCOMES. THAT IS THE ONLY THING WHICH I HOLD MYSELF SPECIFICALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR. SO THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO KNOW WHERE WE ARE SO WE CAN INTERVENE. A SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTABILITY THAT DOESN'T HAVE SUPPORT CREATES AN ENVIRONMENT OF FEAR, AND NO ONE WORKS WELL IN AN ENVIRONMENT OF FEAR. ACCOUNTABILITY WITH SUPPORT MEANS THAT AS WE FIND AREAS OF NEED, THEN WHAT RESOURCES AND WHAT SUPPORTS ARE WE PROVIDING RATHER THAN, WELL, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TO SOMEONE, TO A PARTICULAR SCHOOL. THERE ARE TWO WORDS THAT WE USE IN OUR SCHOOL LEADERSHIP DEPARTMENT MORE THAN THE WORD TO. AND THOSE WORDS

182ARE "FOR" AND "WITH." EVERYTHING WE DO HAS TO BE FOR AND WITH. STUDENT OUTCOMES ARE ALWAYS A REFLECTION OF OUR, THE ADULT'S WORK. AND THE ONLY REASON WE SHOULD BE DOING ASSESSMENT IS TO IMPROVE THE OUTCOMES AND WE MUST ADJUST OUR SYSTEM OF INSTRUCTION AND OUR INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY ALONG WITH THOSE SUPPORTS. CREATING A SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTABILITY IS PLANNED AND MONITORED, AND THEN REPORTED ON. THOSE REPORTS SHOULD ALSO BE TO THE SCHOOL BOARD, SO QUARTERLY REPORTS SHOULD BE PROVIDED, BOARD MEMBERS, HERE'S WHERE WE'RE WANTING TO GO, HERE'S WHERE WE ARE, HERE'S WHERE WE'RE CONTINUING TO MAKE GAINS. HERE'S WHERE WE'RE NOT MAKING GAINS. HERE'S WHERE WE THINK WE NEED TO HAVE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES OR WHERE WE MAY NEED TO SHIFT RESOURCES. Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Melissa Snively: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT QUESTION

183WILL COME FROM MEMBER TAMARA SHAMBURGER. Tamara Shamburger: GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND SERVING OUR STUDENTS, OUR TEACHERS ACROSS THIS GREAT NATION AND YOUR DESIRE TO DO SO HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH. KNOWING THAT CHILDREN OF COLOR HAVE PERFORMED CONSISTENTLY BEHIND OTHER SUBGROUPS IN OUR DISTRICT HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH, WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE ARE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS? EXPLICITLY SHARE YOUR PLANS TO ADDRESS THE BARRIERS YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED. Stephanie Elizalde: SO SPECIFICALLY, CURRENTLY, WE CAN DO DATA ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH ON SOMETHING PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN OUR COMMUNITY COULD TELL ME FAR BETTER THAN THE DATA EVEN SAY. THOSE ARE ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND SERVICES IN COMMUNITIES WHERE, UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE HIGH LEVELS OF POVERTY, WHETHER IT'S TAMPA OR WHETHER IT'S DALLAS. AND IN THOSE SAME AREAS THEN, WITH THE LACK OF RESOURCES AND SERVICES, CREATES

184A SYSTEM IN WHICH IN OUR STUDENTS ARE HAVING TO MAKE UP FOR THINGS THEY MAY NOT HAVE THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL SETTING. IT IS INCUMBENT UPON THE SCHOOL. THAT IS WHY I AM A PUBLIC EDUCATOR IS BECAUSE I DO THINK WE ARE THE STATUE OF LIBERTY. WE TAKE EVERYONE. WE TAKE EVERY SINGLE STUDENT THAT WALKS IN OUR DOORS. SO THE FIRST THING WE HAVE TO DO IS WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO CULL OUT WHAT THE DATA ARE SAYING. THOSE ARE HARD CONVERSATIONS TO HAVE. THEY MUST BE HAD BECAUSE WE HAVE TO IDENTIFY WHAT IT IS WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE. THEN WE HAVE TO MAKE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN EQUITY AND EQUALITY. THE WORST THING WE CAN DO IS THE EQUAL TREATMENT OF UNEQUALS. WE HAVE TO WRAP OURSELVES AROUND THE FACT THAT WHERE MORE IS

185NEEDED, THEN MORE SHOULD BE PLACED. CURRENTLY, THAT IS THE WAY IN WHICH WE OPERATE. THAT IS THE WAY IN WHICH I LEAD, BUT WE DO THAT COLLECTIVELY. SO WHETHER IT'S TIME, TALENT, OR TREASURE, WE CALL IT OUT AND THEN WE HAVE TO APPLY IT THERE. THEN WE HAVE TO HOLD OURSELVES CERTAINLY ACCOUNTABLE THAT IS RESULTING IN THOSE STUDENT OUTCOMES. WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO WITHIN THE DIVISION IN WHICH I LEAD IN DALLAS ISD. WE ARE MAKING GAINS. WE ARE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE THAT WHEN WE DO PUT MORE RESOURCES IN THE AREAS IN WHICH OUR STUDENTS NEED THEM, THEY DO RISE TO THOSE OCCASIONS. AND SO WE WOULD NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK AS YOU ALL HAVE ALREADY IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, SPECIFICALLY FOCUSING ON THOSE AREAS OF MOST NEED AND THEN WORKING TO BUILD

186UPON YOUR CURRENT PLAN SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT THOSE STUDENTS' NEEDS ARE MET. BUT WE MUST CALL IT OUT. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. OUR NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM BOARD MEMBER CINDY STUART. Cindy Stuart: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. SO MY QUESTION AS WELL, WE'RE ASKING FOR YOU TO CITE SPECIFIC ACTUAL EXAMPLES THAT YOU'VE EXPERIENCED IN YOUR TENURE IN YOUR OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS. HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE DECISIONS THAT ARE UNPOPULAR WITH THE PUBLIC BUT WE ALL KNOW ARE EDUCATIONALLY NECESSARY? Stephanie Elizalde: I THINK WHEN WE START WITH THE WHY, I'M AN OPTIMIST BY NATURE, SO WHEN PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SOMETHING OR WE FEEL SOMETHING IS UNPOPULAR, IT'S USUALLY BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T DONE A GOOD JOB OF COMMUNICATING THE WHY AND WHAT THE

187OUTCOME IS. FOR INSTANCE, IN DALLAS ISD, WE DO HAVE A DIFFERENT TEACHER EVALUATION SYSTEM THAN THE REST OF THE STATE. IT'S CALLED THE TEACHER EXCELLENCE INITIATIVE. AND IN SOME AREAS, IT IS VERY UNPOPULAR. IN SOME OTHER AREAS OF OUR DISTRICT, IT'S VERY POPULAR. THE DATA DO SPEAK VERY LOUDLY, AND THE DATA INDICATE THAT AS TEACHERS ARE PROVIDED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND TRAINING AND CHOOSE TO SERVE STUDENTS WHO HAVE THE HIGHEST NEED, AND WE REWARD THEM FOR THAT WORK, WE SEE NOT ONLY JUST OUTCOMES IN STUDENTS IN THE SHORT TERM, WHICH IS WONDERFUL, BUT WHAT'S NOT WONDERFUL IS ACROSS THE STATE, WE'VE ALSO SEEN THAT WHEN WE REMOVED THE TEACHERS OR THE LEADER OR THE RESOURCES, THOSE SCHOOLS OFTEN RETURN BACK TO AN AREA OF NEEDING IMPROVEMENT VERY QUICKLY. SO PART OF THIS IS THE FACT THAT

188WE ARE DEDICATING OURSELVES FROM BOTH AN EQUITY LENS AND STUDENTS WHO NEED THE GREATEST NEED, IS THAT THESE TEACHERS WOULD CONTINUE TO RECEIVE, FOR INSTANCE, STIPENDS THAT ASK, ARE BEST TO GO SERVE THE STUDENTS WHO NEED THE MOST HELP. SO WHETHER IT'S A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE, WE HAVE WHAT I CALL -- WE CALL ACE OR ACCELERATING CAMPUS EXCELLENCE. AND THAT IS INDEED A FOCUS ON ALLOWING OUR BEST TEACHERS, ENCOURAGING OUR BEST TEACHERS TO COME SERVE STUDENTS WHO HAVE THE GREATEST NEED. WE HAVE GONE FROM 43 TO 37 TO CURRENTLY 7 SCHOOLS THAT UNDER TEXAS JUST RECENTLY ADOPTED AN A THROUGH F. SO PREVIOUS TO THAT WE WOULD HAVE CALLED THOSE CAMPUSES IMPROVEMENT REQUIRED. WE ARE AT 7. AND 7 IS TOO MANY. BUT OF THOSE 7, ZERO ARE MULTIYEAR. THAT'S THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY

189PROBABLY OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE LAST TWO YEARS, WHERE WE HAVE NOT HAD MULTIYEAR CHRONICALLY FAILING SCHOOLS. WE HAVE MUCH TO DO, SIMILAR TO THE WORK IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. BUT DEALING WITH UNUPPER ISSUES REQUIRES US TO INCREASE -- UNPOPULAR ISSUES REQUIRES US TO INCREASE THE COMMUNICATION RATHER THAN DECREASE THE COMMUNICATION. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT. OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL BE FROM BOARD MEMBER KAREN PEREZ. Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. AS YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SEVERAL MAJOR ISSUES THAT ARE AT A NATIONAL CRISIS LEVEL AND THIS NATION AT THIS TIME. THREE OF THOSE MAJOR ISSUES THAT AFFECT OUR CHILDREN NATIONALLY BUT HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ARE STUDENT DISCIPLINE, STUDENT SAFETY, AND OUR STUDENT'S MENTAL HEALTH. DESCRIBE YOUR BELIEFS ABOUT STUDENT DISCIPLINE, SAFETY, AND

190MENTAL HEALTH, AND PLEASE SHARE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES. Stephanie Elizalde: I HAVE A QUOTE THAT I'VE STOLEN FROM LOU HOLTZ, THE GREAT NOTRE DAME COACH OF LONG TIME AGO. NONETHELESS, I'M DATING MYSELF. DISCIPLINE IS SOMETHING WE DO FOR STUDENTS. IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE DO TO THEM. WE MUST BEGIN WITH A PHILOSOPHY OF WHAT'S THE INTENDED OUTCOME? THE OUTCOME IS FOR US TO MODIFY BEHAVIORS THAT ARE INAPPROPRIATE. INITIALLY, OUR SYSTEM HAS GONE TO A PUNITIVE APPROACH OF DISCIPLINE. IF PUNITIVE MEASURES WORKED, THEN WE CERTAINLY HAVE FAR LESS PRISONS AS OPPOSED TO BUILDING MORE OF THEM. WE MUST START WITH HOW WE HANDLE DISCIPLINE WE CAMPUS. NOW, THE OTHER END OF THAT PENDULUM, OF COURSE, IS WE DON'T SIMPLY ALLOW ALL BEHAVIORS THAT ARE IN THE CLASSROOM TO OCCUR. SO SPECIFICALLY, WE CURRENTLY HAVE A SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING COMPONENT

191THAT WE HAVE EMBARKED ON FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS IN DALLAS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. THAT IS AT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF MY SCHOOLS. THEY ARE IN A DIFFERENT PHASE OF IMPLEMENTATION. BUT IT REQUIRED THREE COMPONENTS. IT WAS THREE PRONGED. ONE WAS FROM THE CURRICULUM STANDPOINT ITSELF, THAT THESE THINGS SHOULD BE EMBEDDED SO IT'S NOT SEPARATE. SIMILAR TO TECHNOLOGY. TECHNOLOGY HAS FINALLY REACHED THE ERA WHERE IT'S NOT I'M GOING TO TECHNOLOGY CLASS BUT RATHER TECHNOLOGY IS EMBEDDED IN THE CLASSROOMS. SIMILARLY, SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING HAS TO BE BUILT INTO THE SCHOOL DAY. THERE HAS TO BE BOTH AN OVERLAP WITHIN THE, IF YOU WILL, THE BASIC COMPONENTS OF READING, WRITING AND ARITHMETIC, ALONG WITH SOME DEDICATED TIME BEING MORNING TIME, CIRCLE TIME. THIS ALLOWS US THEN TO BE ABLE TO TIER THE SUPPORT. EVERY STUDENT DOES NOT

192NEED EXACTLY THE SAME SUPPORT, BUT EVERY STUDENT NEEDS SOME ATTENTION TO SOCIAL EMOTIONAL WELLNESS. IN FACT, EVERY ADULT NEEDS ATTENTION TO SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING. SO NOT ONLY DOES IT NEED TO BE EMBEDDED WITHIN THE CURRICULUM, IT ALSO HAS TO BE A PRACTICE IN WHICH ALL OF OUR ADULTS HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN, BECAUSE THE MODEL ITSELF IS EXCELLENT, BUT IT ONLY STAYS EXCELLENT IF WE DEDICATE ENOUGH TIME AND TRAINING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION. SO TEACHERS, STAFF MEMBERS, LEADERS ON CAMPUSES ALL HAVE TO ADDRESS THE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING COMPONENT AND PRACTICES. THEN YOU TIER THAT SUPPORT SO THAT SOME OF THOSE PRACTICES AREN'T JUST BUILT INTO THE CURRICULUM BUT, IN FACT, STUDENTS BEGIN TO -- WHICH IS OUR GOAL, ULTIMATELY SELF-MANAGE. IT'S WHEN I IDENTIFY THAT I'M STRUGGLING WITH SOMETHING AS A STUDENT, HOW DO I DEAL WITH

193THAT, WHETHER THAT'S TO GO TO A CENTER IN THE CLASSROOM WHERE WE HAVE SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS THE SQUISHY BALLS OR REFOCUS CENTER OR A LISTENING CENTER, BECAUSE IF I LISTEN TO CERTAIN SOUNDS, THAT MAY HELP ME WITH MY DEEP BREATHING EXERCISES, WHICH WE ALSO PRACTICED. TO SOME, THESE MAY SEEM NOT IN-DEPTH TYPE OF ACTIVITIES BUT GO HAND IN HAND WITH ACADEMIC SUCCESS FOR OUR STUDENTS. WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF OUR STUDENTS' EMOTIONAL PSYCHE IN ORDER FOR THEM TO INTELLECTUALLY BE ABLE TO ADVANCE. WE THEN ARE ABLE TO HELP OUR LEADERS AND TEACHERS, COUNSELORS, HELP TO IDENTIFY WHICH STUDENTS THEN MAY NEED A SECOND TIER OF SUPPORT AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE. THE THIRD TIER OF SUPPORT, THE GOAL WOULD BE SECOND TIER WOULD BE ABLE TO BE SERVED ON THE CAMPUSES WITH

194COUNSELORS AND SOCIAL WORKERS. THE THIRD TIER OF SUPPORT WOULD BE HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT WE HAVE PROVIDED THEM THE SERVICES TO OUTSIDE AGENCIES, WHETHER WE CONNECT THEM DIRECTLY IN DALLAS ISD, WE PARTNER WITH HOSPITALS, PARKLAND HOSPITAL AND HAVE YOUTH AND FAMILY CENTERS LOCATED IN 13 LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY WHERE WE CAN ACCESS PSYCHOLOGISTS AND PSYCHIATRISTS FOR OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. FROM THAT, WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE A FEEDBACK LOOP SO THAT OUR STUDENTS IS THAT WE'RE CONSTANTLY REEVALUATING HOW WE CONTINUE TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT, A CULTURE AND CLIMATE OF SINCERE WELCOMING AND EMBRACING. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. OUR FINAL QUESTION COMES FROM BOARD MEMBER LYNN GRAY. Lynn Gray: GOOD AFTERNOON. JUST CHECKING THAT CLOCK BECAUSE IT'S ALWAYS TICKING. GIVEN THE CHANGING DYNAMICS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE CRITICAL ISSUES

195AND, OF COURSE, WE NEED TO BE SPECIFIC, IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS SUCH AS TEACHER SALARIES, BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY? Stephanie Elizalde: SO, CERTAINLY, EDUCATIONAL FUNDING IN GENERAL -- Jim Porter: IF I COULD INTERRUPT YOU. VERY SORRY. MS. GRAY, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE SAME QUESTION BE ASKED OF EACH CANDIDATE. IF YOU COULD REPHRASE YOUR QUESTION SO THAT EVERY CANDIDATE IS GIVEN THE SAME OPPORTUNITY. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE INTERRUPTION. Lynn Gray: I APOLOGIZE. GIVEN THE CHANGING DYNAMICS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION SUCH AS THE GROWTH OF THE CHARTER SCHOOL INDUSTRY, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE CRITICAL ISSUES IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY? Stephanie Elizalde: SO, I THINK SPECIFICALLY WITH REGARD TO THINGS LIKE EXPANSION OF CHARTER SCHOOLS, CHOICE IN GENERAL IS ALWAYS AND SHOULD BE -- I MEAN, WE ARE IN THE

196UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, SO CHOICE IS A FUNDAMENTAL OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE THAT OTHER COUNTRIES DON'T HAVE. THAT BEING SAID, THEN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CHOICE, WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT THE RESOURCES AND THE SUPPORT FOR ALL OF THOSE ARE ALSO EQUITABLE. AND IN MANY INSTANCES, WHILE I CERTAINLY HAVE NOT SPENT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME STUDYING THE CHARTER SCHOOL LAWS IN FLORIDA, IN TEXAS, THEY INDICATE THAT WE HAVE SOME DISPARITIES. IF STUDENTS GET A GREAT EDUCATION AT A DIFFERENT SCHOOL, I WOULD BE IN SUPPORT OF STUDENTS GETTING A QUALITY EDUCATION REGARDLESS OF WHERE THAT IS. HOWEVER, THE DATA NATIONALLY DOES NOT SUPPORT THAT IS THE CASE. SO THEN WE HAVE THEN ASK OURSELVES FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT OR OTHER STANDPOINTS OF JUST ISSUES THAT ARE OF CONCERN WITH EDUCATION IS WHAT ARE CHARTER SCHOOLS

197DOING TO BE VERY DIRECT THAT MAYBE WE'RE NOT DOING? WHY DO PARENTS WANT OR FEEL THE NEED? BECAUSE PARENTS ARE DOING WHAT THEY THINK IS BEST FOR THEIR CHILDREN. MY EXPERIENCES ARE SUCH IN MANY INSTANCES THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN DO AS WE REFLECT IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT COULD HELP RECRUIT AND RETAIN STUDENTS THAT MAY BE ATTENDING CHARTER SCHOOLS. THE WHOLE ISSUE OF THE CHALLENGES IN EDUCATION COME FROM THE DEMANDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT IS EXPECTED OF OUR SCHOOLS, NOT ALWAYS BEING MATCHED WITH THE LEVEL OF FUNDING. TEACHER SALARIES ARE A PIVOTAL COMPONENT BECAUSE I ALSO BELIEVE THE OTHER GUIDING PRINCIPLE THAT I OPERATE WITH IS THE TEACHER IS THE PROGRAM. AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS, IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW GREAT THE RESOURCES ARE, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE SETTING OF THE CLASSROOM

198IS, WHETHER IT'S MONTESSORI, WHETHER IT'S A SINGLE GENDER, WHETHER IT'S A MAGNET SCHOOL, THE TEACHER IS STILL, AS SHOWN BY RESEARCH AS WELL AS IN PRACTICE, THE MOST SINGLE FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO STUDENT SUCCESS. THEREFORE, WE DO HAVE TO SERIOUSLY LOOK AT HOW MANY OF OUR DOLLARS ARE ACTUALLY BEING SPENT TO ENSURE THAT WE IDENTIFY, RECRUIT AND RETAIN CLASSROOM TEACHERS. ARE THERE WAYS IN OUR SYSTEM IN WHICH WE CAN ALSO REWARD TEACHERS WITHOUT HAVING THEM LEAVE THE CLASSROOM? TOO OFTEN, THE ONLY CHOICES WE HAVE ARE, I'M EITHER A TEACHER IN THE CLASSROOM OR I BECOME AN ADMINISTRATOR. WHAT IF I DON'T WANT TO BECOME AN ADMINISTRATOR? ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES IN OUR SYSTEM FOR TEACHERS TO BECOME TEACHERS PART OF THE DAY AND COACHES FOR OTHER TEACHERS PART OF THE DAY? THERE ARE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT

199WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL INCENTIVES WITH REGARD TO LEADERSHIP TO CLASSROOM TEACHERS THAT I DON'T THINK NATIONALLY WE HAVE SPENT ENOUGH TIME DOING. I WOULD CERTAINLY WANT TO DELVE INTO WHAT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES WOULD PROVIDE US IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, SHOULD I HAVE SUCH AN OPPORTUNITY. Melissa Snively: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING ALL THOSE QUESTIONS. WE APPRECIATE YOUR RESPONSES, AND AT THIS TIME, WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO HIGHLIGHT THE 90-DAY PLAN THAT YOU HAVE PROVIDED EACH BOARD MEMBER. YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES IN ORDER TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE -- ANY PARTICULAR ITEMS IN THAT PLAN. THANK YOU. Stephanie Elizalde: THANK YOU. HOPEFULLY YOU ALL DO HAVE A COPY OF THAT. I DID STEAL THE COVER PAGE FROM YOUR WEBSITE. HOPEFULLY YOU RECOGNIZE THAT. I DID CREATE THIS MORE OF A FRAMEWORK

200KNOWING THAT YOU WOULD NOT HAVE A LOT OF TIME TODAY TO DELVE INTO A LOT OF DENSE TEXT. ESSENTIALLY, THERE ARE THREE COMPONENTS TO MY ENTRY PLAN: LISTENING, WHICH I BELIEVE IS A CORE COMPONENT. I LEARN ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WHEN I TALK. I ONLY LEARN WHEN I LISTEN. SO LISTENING IS PROBABLY THE AREA THAT I WOULD SPEND THE MOST AMOUNT OF TIME ON. THERE'S A LOT OF QUANTITATIVE DATA THAT WOULD BE A PART OF PHASE ONE, BUT THOSE ARE READILY ACCESSIBLE. THE QUALITATIVE, NOT THE QUANTITATIVE, THE QUALITATIVE DATA OF INDIVIDUALS IN OUR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL COMMUNITY ARE KEY COMPONENTS OF BRINGING THAT TOGETHER WITH THE QUANTITATIVE METRICS AVAILABLE EITHER THROUGH OUR ACCOUNTABILITY REPORTS AND SUCH. THE SECOND COMPONENT OF THAT WOULD BE AFTER WE LISTEN, THEN WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED? THAT WOULD BE AS A

201TEAM ACTIVITY WITH WHOMEVER WE WOULD AT THAT POINT IDENTIFY AS THE LEADERSHIP TEAM, THE SUPERINTENDENT'S LEADERSHIP TEAM, TO GATHER FROM THE FIELD WHAT THEIR REFLECTIONS AND THOUGHTS ARE ABOUT THE DATA THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO COLLECT. AND THEN AT THAT POINT WE LAUNCH. WE CREATE ALIGNING IT TO THE CURRENT STRATEGIC PLAN. I STUDIED ONLINE WHETHER WE MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THAT, WHETHER WE BUILD UPON THAT. THOSE WOULD ALL BE THINGS THAT CERTAINLY I WOULD WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE BOARD AS WE WOULD DEVELOP THAT COLLECTIVELY. ON THE THIRD PAGE, ON PAGE 3, I WORKED TO SUMMARIZE ESSENTIALLY THE COMPONENTS THAT I'M LOOKING FOR AS I BOTH DO AN ENTRY PLAN AND I'M LISTENING AND EVALUATING AS WELL AS WHAT YOU COULD EXPECT FROM ME IN MY THINKING PROCESS. I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT ON THE LAST

202PAGE 6, THIS TO ME IS THE CORE OR THE ANCHOR OF THE WORK. STUDENTS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIANGLE WITH THE BOARD, COMMUNITY, AND STAFF. IF ALL THREE OF THOSE ENTITIES ARE NOT WORKING IN UNISON, IF I AM NOT ABLE TO HARNESS THOSE THREE ENTITIES TOGETHER, WE WILL NOT BE AS SUCCESSFUL. YOU CAN FUNCTION WITH TWO OF THOSE THREE, BUT YOU DON'T FUNCTION WELL. SO IN CLOSING, I WOULD SAY IT IS MY JOB TO ENSURE THAT THOSE COME TOGETHER. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AGAIN, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND YOUR ENERGY FOR THIS POSITION IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. DR. WHELAN WILL GO AHEAD AND ESCORT YOU BACK TO THE ROOM YOU CAME FROM. Stephanie Elizalde: THANK YOU SO MUCH. Melissa Snively: BOARD MEMBERS, I WOULD LIKE MR. PORTER TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF

203CONSISTENCY IN OUR QUESTIONS, PLEASE. Jim Porter: BOARD MEMBERS, AS I SAID AT THE OUTSET AND AS YOUR CHAIR SAID AT THE OUTSET, IT'S ESSENTIAL THAT EACH CANDIDATE HAVE THE EXACT SAME INTERVIEW EXPERIENCE. THAT MEANS THE QUESTIONS NEED TO BE ASKED THE SAME AND IN THE SAME MANNER OF ALL CANDIDATES. SO PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND. THAT'S TO PROTECT THE BOARD. AND TO GIVE THE CANDIDATES A FAIR TREATMENT. SO PLEASE BE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THAT. I APOLOGIZE FOR INTERRUPTING, BUT I WILL DO SO AGAIN, BECAUSE IT'S MY JOB TO PROTECT YOU. Melissa Snively: UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE IT. MY CONCERN IS WITH MEMBER GRAY'S QUESTION, WITH CANDIDATE ONE, IT WAS PHRASED DIFFERENTLY THAN CANDIDATE TWO AND THREE. SO I DON'T KNOW HOW TO -- Jim Porter: ESSENTIALLY, IT WAS SIMILAR ENOUGH THAT IT WAS OKAY. BUT I THINK

204WHEN YOU CHANGE SUBJECT MATTERS, THAT WAS THE PROBLEM, YES. Melissa Snively: SO AT THIS TIME, THE QUESTION AS MS. GRAY PHRASED IT IN THE LAST CANDIDATE'S INTERVIEW, IS THAT THE WAY SHE'S GOING TO PHRASE IT MOVING FORWARD? Jim Porter: THE PHRASING IS IMPORTANT, BUT THE SUBJECT MATTER IS MORE IMPORTANT. SHE SWITCHED FROM CHARTER SCHOOLS TO TEACHER SALARIES. THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. AS LONG AS THE QUESTION IS AS WRITTEN WITH HER ADDITION OF CHARTER SCHOOLS, THAT'S BEEN ASKED OF ALL THE CANDIDATES, THAT'S ACCEPTABLE. CANNOT CHANGE THE SUBJECT MATTER. Melissa Snively: OKAY. SO WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE THEN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR CLARIFYING THAT. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL TAKE A BREAK IN ORDER TO COLLECT OUR THOUGHTS AND TRANSITION. Jim Porter: KEEP IN MIND THE TIME. YOU HAVE FOUR MORE CANDIDATES TO INTERVIEW. Melissa

205Snively: WE'LL REALLY DILIGENTLY TRY TO START BACK HERE AROUND 12:30 FOR THE NEXT CANDIDATE. 12:30. [BREAK] Melissa Snively: ALL RIGHT. WELCOME BACK. WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE WITH OUR NEXT CANDIDATE. DR. WHELAN. Marie Whelan: BOARD MEMBERS, DR. DONALD HADDAD. Melissa Snively: GOOD AFTERNOON. Don Haddad: GOOD AFTERNOON. Melissa Snively: WELCOME TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE WELCOME YOU, AND WE THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR DESIRE TO LEAD OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. I WILL BRIEFLY REVIEW THE PROCESS TODAY WITH OUR BOARD MEMBERS. FIRST, WE WILL ASK YOU TO MAKE AN INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT. YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO DO SO. THEN WE WILL ASK YOU A SERIES OF QUESTIONS. ALL THE QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN THE SAME QUESTIONS THAT WE ASK EACH CANDIDATE. EACH BOARD MEMBER WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT

206AND YOU'LL HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO ANSWER EACH QUESTION. AND IF THERE IS TIME WITHIN THAT FIVE MINUTES TO HAVE A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION, THAT BOARD MEMBER MAY ASK A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION. AND THEN AT THE END OF THE QUESTIONS, YOU WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A FEW MINUTES TO HIGHLIGHT YOUR 90-DAY PLAN THAT YOU HAVE PROVIDED EACH BOARD MEMBER WITH TODAY. AND JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, IN FRONT OF YOU ON THE LECTERN AND ABOVE TO YOU YOUR RIGHT ON THE SCREEN, YOU WILL SEE THE THREE-COLORED TIMER. OBVIOUSLY, THE GREEN LIGHT IS THE TIME IN WHICH YOU HAVE TO SPEAK. WHEN THE YELLOW LIGHT APPEARS, THAT MEANS YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS TO FINISH -- OR GIVE FINAL THOUGHTS. AND THEN WHEN THE RED LIGHT APPEARS, THAT MEANS YOUR TIME IS UP. ANY QUESTIONS? Don Haddad: NO. I

207THINK I'M READY. I APPRECIATE THAT. Melissa Snively: VERY GOOD. LET'S START WITH YOUR INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS THEN. THANK YOU. Don Haddad: FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR INVITING ME HERE TODAY. I APPRECIATE IT. AND CONGRATULATIONS. I NOTICED YOUR GRADUATION RATES WENT UP AGAIN. THAT'S ALWAYS AN EXCITING WAY TO START. OURS DID, TOO. SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY EDUCATION PATHWAY AND THEN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY PERSONAL LIFE. I GREW UP IN THE DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WENT TO JOHN F. KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL AND THEN FROM THERE WENT ON A FULL SCHOLARSHIP TO COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY WHERE I GRADUATED WITH MY BACHELOR OF SCIENCE AND MY TEACHING CERTIFICATION IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION, HEALTH AND SCIENCE. AND WHEN I GRADUATED FROM THERE, I GOT MY FIRST TEACHING JOB WHEN

208I WAS 23, AND I WAS A TEACHER AND HEAD WRESTLING COACH FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. THEN I WAS RECRUITED TO GO OUT TO THE CHERRY CREEK SCHOOL DISTRICT WHERE I TAUGHT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AND THEN MOVED INTO ADMINISTRATION. AND I WAS THERE FOR APPROXIMATELY EIGHT YEARS, DURING WHICH TIME I EARNED MY MASTER'S DEGREE IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT DENVER. AND THEN FROM THERE, BECAUSE OF MY DAUGHTER, OUR DAUGHTER WAS GETTING A LITTLE BIT OLDER, GETTING READY TO GO INTO KINDERGARTEN, RELOCATED BACK INTO THE BOULDER AREA AND WORKED AT FAIRVIEW HIGH SCHOOL IN THE BOULDER VALLEY SCHOOLS FOR SEVERAL YEARS. WENT ON TO THE MAPLETON SCHOOL DISTRICT AND FOR THE PAST 19 YEARS IN THE ST. VRAIN SCHOOL WHERE -- I SERVED THERE AS THE PRINCIPAL OF NIYAWUT AND

209THEN MOVED TO DIRECTOR OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND FROM THERE, TO ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF LEARNING SERVICES. AND FROM THERE TO THE DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT AND FOR THE PAST 11 YEARS, I'VE BEEN THE SUPERINTENDENT IN THE ST. VRAIN VALLEY SCHOOLS. I ALSO EARNED MY DOCTORATE HERE IN FLORIDA FROM NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP, AND A COUPLE OF HIGHLIGHTS, DURING THE 2013 SCHOOL YEAR, I ALWAYS SAY, I HAVE TO PREFACE THIS, I SAY I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE SELECTED AS NATIONAL SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR, AND THEN WHEN I SAY "I," I SHIFT THAT TO "WE." BECAUSE IT WAS BORNE OUT OF AN ENTIRE TEAM. AND OUR BOARD OF EDUCATION THAT YEAR, THEY, TOO, WERE SELECTED AS THE TOP SCHOOL BOARD IN THE STATE OF COLORADO. SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT. A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME AS

210A PERSON. I'M MARRIED. MY WIFE IS A TEACHER. SHE'S RETIRING THIS YEAR, BUT SHE TAUGHT MIDDLE SCHOOL SPANISH AND HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES. SO I NEVER GET TOO FAR AWAY FROM THE TEACHING PROFESSION. MY DAUGHTER, OUR DAUGHTER IS 25. SHE'S LIVING IN AUSTIN. AND OUR SON, 22, HE'S LIVING IN DENVER, MICHAEL. AND SO I AM A PRODUCT OF A FAMILY OF EDUCATORS. MY FATHER, HE WAS A TEACHER IN HIS SECOND CAREER. HIS FIRST CAREER WAS A BUSINESS CAREER. THEN HIS SECOND CAREER WAS IN THE TEACHING PROFESSION, HIGH SCHOOL AND ULTIMATELY COLLEGE. MY MOTHER, I'M VERY PROUD OF HER PATHWAY AS WELL. SHE WENT BACK TO SCHOOL WHEN SHE WAS ABOUT 35 YEARS OLD TO EARN HER HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. SO I'VE GOT MY FATHER ON ONE END WHO EDUCATION CONTINUUM WHO EARNED HIS DOCTORATE FROM

211GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, AND MY MOTHER, ON THE OTHER END, WHO WENT BACK AND, AGAIN, ACHIEVED HER HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA WHEN SHE WAS 35. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU SO MUCH. Don Haddad: THANK YOU. Melissa Snively: ALL RIGHT. WE'LL BEGIN WITH THE FIRST QUESTION. IT IS OBVIOUSLY CRITICAL FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT AND BOARD TO HAVE A GREAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP, TO BE PRODUCTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL FOR OUR STUDENTS. HOW WOULD YOU BUILD A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT? IF YOU COULD PLEASE CITE SOME EXAMPLES MAYBE USING YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE ON BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR BOARD MEMBERS. Don Haddad: ABSOLUTELY. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BOARD AND THE LEADERSHIP -- DISTRICT LEADERSHIP IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE DISTRICT. AND I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE OVER THE PAST 11 YEARS. I'VE HAD NUMEROUS BOARD MEMBERS, AND WE'VE ENJOYED

212WONDERFUL AND VERY PRODUCTIVE RELATIONSHIPS THROUGHOUT THE PAST 11 YEARS. I LIKE TO TALK TO BOARD MEMBERS A LOT. I'M VERY COMMUNICATIVE. ONE RULE I HAVE IS THE BOARD WILL NEVER, EVER BE SURPRISED. YOU'LL NEVER HEAR ABOUT SOMETHING OF SIGNIFICANCE FROM ANYONE BEFORE YOU HEAR IT FROM ME. I THINK THAT VISIBILITY WITH THE BOARD, THAT CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH INDIVIDUALS, BUT ALSO COLLECTIVELY AS A TEAM. AND OBVIOUSLY THE BOARD, AS THE GOVERNING BODY, WILL DEVELOP AND DECIDE THE OVERARCHING MISSION AND VISION FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND THEN IN MY ROLE, TO MAKE SURE THAT I AM IMPLEMENTING THAT WITH FIDELITY, IT TAKES A LOT OF COMMUNICATION. COMMUNICATION, TRANSPARENCY. I HAVE A DEEP LEVEL OF RESPECT FOR BOARDS OF EDUCATION, BECAUSE YOU ARE THAT CONNECTION TO THE COMMUNITY, THAT LIAISON TO EVERY ASPECT OF THE COMMUNITY, AND YOU

213GIVE YOUR TIME SELFLESSLY FOR THE STUDENTS AND THE TEACHERS AND THE STAFF. AND I APPRECIATE THAT. AND THE WAY I FEEL ABOUT A BOARD IS ALWAYS DEMONSTRATED WITH THE WAY IN WHICH I INTERACT WITH THE BOARD. I TALKED TO OUR BOARD PRESIDENT AND OUR BOARD VICE PRESIDENT TOGETHER FOR SEVERAL HOURS WEEKLY, AND THEN I WILL MEET WITH OTHER BOARD MEMBERS INDIVIDUALLY. AND THEN COLLECTIVELY, WE HAVE OUR BOARD MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE THREE EACH MONTH. AND SO THERE'S COMMUNICATION THERE. AND WE VISIT SCHOOLS TOGETHER. OUR BOARD IS VERY ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY. WE WORK TOGETHER VISITING SCHOOLS. WE MEET WITH MEMBERS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY QUITE OFTEN, AND IT'S AN IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP TO ME. IT'S A 24/7 RELATIONSHIP. AGAIN, WHENEVER SOMETHING IS COMING UP IN THE DISTRICT OR SOMETHING THAT WE'VE ACHIEVED, SOMETHING THAT WE'RE STRUGGLING

214WITH, THE BOARD WILL ALWAYS KNOW ABOUT THAT. SO IT'S A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP TO ME. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL COME FROM BOARD MEMBER, VICE-CHAIR STEVE CONA. Steve Cona: THANK YOU, MR. SUPERINTENDENT. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR ALL OF THE STUDENTS OF COLORADO THAT YOU SERVE. I APPRECIATE YOU WANTING TO LEAD THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. Don Haddad: THANK YOU. Steve Cona: IN A LARGE SCHOOL DISTRICT LIKE OURS, COMMUNICATION PLAYS A VITAL ROLE. HOW WOULD YOU COMMUNICATE YOUR VISION FOR A QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL STUDENTS WITH YOUR STAFF, THE COMMUNITY, AND THIS BOARD? PLEASE SPECIFY WHAT STEPS YOU WOULD TAKE. Don Haddad: ABSOLUTELY. THE FIRST THING THAT I WOULD DO IS ENGAGE STAKEHOLDERS, INTERNAL AND

215EXTERNAL. IT WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO MEET AND VISIT WITH OUR TEACHERS, OUR STAFF, OUR PARENT COMMUNITIES, OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, OUR CORPORATE SECTOR, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE VARIOUS CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, ROTARIES, THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES. I AM VERY USED TO MAKING UPWARDS OF 100 PERSONAL PRESENTATIONS EVERY YEAR THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. I GO TO ALL OF THE ROTARIES, ALL OF THE CHAMBERS. WE SET UP COMMUNITY MEETINGS FOR OUR DIFFERENT PARENT GROUPS. I MEET WITH OUR TEACHERS ASSOCIATION ON A REGULAR BASIS. I ATTEND THEIR ASSOCIATION MEETINGS, A MEMBER OF THE -- PRESIDENT OF THE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION WORKS AS PART OF MY LEADERSHIP CABINET. AND WE WORK TOGETHER VERY, VERY CLOSELY. I ALSO MEET REGULARLY WITH OUR MEDIA OUTLETS. I AND OUR ENTIRE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM PRIDE OURSELVES IN THE WAY IN WHICH WE

216COMMUNICATE. WE USE SOCIAL MEDIA. WE USE BROCHURES, AND I'VE PROVIDED SOME OF THE WAYS IN WHICH WE COMMUNICATE TO OUR COMMUNITY ALL THE TIME. IT'S NOT JUST PEOPLE WHO HAVE STUDENTS IN OUR SCHOOLS. IT'S ALL OF THE TAXPAYERS. ALL OF THE SENIOR CITIZENS. WE BELIEVE THAT THE SCHOOLS AND THE DISTRICT BELONG TO OUR COMMUNITY, SO IT TRULY IS A 24/7 COMMUNICATION CYCLE. I WRITE EDITORIALS AND I'VE INCLUDED SEVERAL OF THOSE WITH YOU. I'M VERY ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. IT'S A GREAT WAY TO COMMUNICATE. I VISIT WITH THE SCHOOLS. WE HAVE 60 SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT OUR DISTRICT. I VISIT THEM ALL THE TIME. SO WITHIN A PERIOD OF A MONTH, I WILL GET TO THOSE SCHOOLS, AND THEN I WILL START AGAIN AND CONTINUE THAT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR. SO I'M VISITING WITH FACULTY, STAFF, PARENTS.

217I HAVE A STUDENT ADVISORY BOARD MADE UP OF ABOUT 50 STUDENTS WHO REPRESENT ALL OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS. WE MEET ON A REGULAR BASIS. AND TRULY, COMMUNICATION IS ONE OF OUR STRENGTHS. WE WERE SELECTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AS THE TOP COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT IN THE COUNTRY, AND THEN ALSO THE TOP COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT INTERNATIONALLY. AND WE HAVE A VERY, VERY STRONG TEAM. IT IS A FOUNDATION AND A CORNERSTONE OF WHAT WE DO. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I BELIEVE WHOLEHEARTEDLY IN, COMMUNICATING WITH EVERY ASPECT OF OUR COMMUNITY. Steve Cona: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Don Haddad: THANK YOU. Melissa Snively: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM BOARD MEMBER STACY HAHN. Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU, MEMBER SNIVELY, AND WELCOME TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND FOR YOUR TIME. Don Haddad: THANK

218YOU. Stacy Hahn: WHEN ANSWERING THIS NEXT QUESTION, PLEASE EXPLAIN YOUR ACTIONS THAT YOU WOULD TAKE IN DETAIL. AS SUPERINTENDENT, HOW WOULD YOU DELEGATE AUTHORITY WHILE MAINTAINING ACCOUNTABILITY? Don Haddad: IT'S A GREAT QUESTION. I THINK WITH LEADERSHIP, IT'S ABOUT CULTIVATING A VISION AND THEN BEING ABLE TO INSPIRE PEOPLE TO THAT VISION. THE WAY IN WHICH I HAVE FOUND IT TO BE MOST EFFECTIVE IS MEETING, COMMUNICATING, ARTICULATING SO THAT EVERYBODY IS VERY CLEAR, SO THAT WHEN YOU DO DELEGATE, YOU'RE DELEGATING STRATEGICALLY. YOU'RE DELEGATING WHERE THERE'S CONSISTENCY IN THE MESSAGE THAT'S GOING OUT WITH YOUR ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENTS AND YOUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS AND YOUR PRINCIPALS. AND THAT THEME THAT LEADERSHIP THAT PURPOSE IS COMMON SO THAT YOU KNOW THAT THESE ARE EXTENSIONS OF YOU AND THAT YOU'RE NOT GETTING MIXED MESSAGES OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. I HAVE A VERY

219HIGH EXPECTATION FOR THE WAY IN WHICH OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM FUNCTIONS, AND WHEN I SAY OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM, I'VE GOT THE CABINET BUT ALSO ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE SYSTEM. I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO BELIEVES WHOLEHEARTEDLY IN RELATIONSHIPS, SO I ESTABLISH A DEEP RELATIONSHIP, A CARING RELATIONSHIP, A PROACTIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL OF OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM, BUT THEY ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE HERE FOR CHILDREN, AND THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS AN EXPECTATION TO WORK REALLY HARD ON BEHALF OF OUR KIDS AND TO TAKE THE WORK REALLY SERIOUSLY, BECAUSE THIS IS OUR CHILDREN'S ONE OPPORTUNITY TO GO THROUGH OUR SYSTEM. AND SO THERE'S A HIGH LEVEL OF RELATIONSHIP BUILDING, AND THERE'S ALSO A HIGH LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY, AND THOSE TWO THINGS COME TOGETHER. AND WHAT I FOUND IS, WITHIN OUR TEAM, THERE IS A SENSE NOW, IT'S

220WELL BEYOND COMPLIANCE, AND IT'S WELL BEYOND BUY-IN. IT'S ABOUT OWNERSHIP NOW. EVERYONE ON OUR TEAM FEELS A SENSE OF OWNERSHIP. THEY FEEL LIKE THEY OWN THE DISTRICT. IT BELONGS TO THEM IN A WAY THAT THEY GIVE OF THEMSELVES SELFLESSLY. SO OFTENTIMES, THEY WILL BE THE ONES TO HOLD THEMSELVES ACCOUNTABLE TO THE MISSION AND TO THE VISION. SO IT'S A BALANCE. STRONG RELATIONSHIPS, HIGH LEVELS OF EXPECTATION, AND THEN CONSISTENT FEEDBACK AND ACCOUNTABILITY. THANK YOU. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL COME FROM BOARD MEMBER TAMARA SHAMBURGER. Tamara Shamburger: HI, GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE STUDENTS AND THE STAFF OF YOUR AREA. I ACTUALLY HAD A COUSIN THAT WAS JUST ELECTED IN AURORA, JUST EAST OF YOU. SHE IS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER THERE. I

221KNOW ABOUT THE EDUCATION THERE. VERY IMPORTANT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE HERE. Don Haddad: ABSOLUTELY. Tamara Shamburger: KNOWING THAT CHILDREN OF COLOR HAVE PERFORMED CONSISTENTLY BEHIND OTHER SUBGROUPS IN THIS DISTRICT, WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE ARE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THAT? EXPLICITLY, SHARE YOUR PLANS TO ADDRESS THE BARRIERS YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED. Don Haddad: YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS OFTENTIMES IS THE MIND-SET OF THE LEADERSHIP. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE LEADERSHIP, IT BEGINS WITH A DEEP VALUE AND BELIEF THAT EVERY SINGLE STUDENT CAN EXCEL. THAT EVERY SINGLE STUDENT MATTERS AS MUCH AS EVERY OTHER STUDENT. AND THAT BELIEF HAS TO COME FROM WITHIN, AT THE CORE LEVEL OF THE LEADERSHIP. BECAUSE IT STARTS THERE AND THAT'S WHEN IT BEGINS TO PERMEATE THE ENTIRE DISTRICT. WHEN I THINK ABOUT EQUITY, I

222KNOW THAT YOU ALL HAVE LOOKED AT EQUITY AND YOU'VE IDENTIFIED SEVERAL PILLARS, AND THEY ARE VERY CONSISTENT WITH OUR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE STUDENT AND THE COMMUNITY AND THE FAMILIES AND THE PARENTS, THE LEADERSHIP ASPECT OF MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS EQUITY. THE COMMUNICATION, A DIVERSE WORKFORCE IS REALLY IMPORTANT. AND THEN ACCESS TO THE MOST RIGOROUS, HIGH-QUALITY CURRICULUM. OFTENTIMES, WHAT YOU SEE IN A SCHOOL SYSTEM IS SOME KIDS HAVE ACCESS AND OTHER KIDS DON'T. WE HAVE BUILT OUT ALL 60 OF OUR SCHOOLS TO WHERE THEY ARE CHARACTERIZED BY STRONG LEADERSHIP, THE VERY BEST TEACHERS. WE HAVE UPGRADED AND RENOVATED EVERY SINGLE FACILITY SO THAT WE WOULD BE PROUD TO SEND OUR OWN CHILDREN TO ANY SCHOOL IN OUR SYSTEM. WE'VE ALIGNED THE STANDARDS WITH THE CURRICULUM, WITH THE INSTRUCTION, WITH THE WAYS IN WHICH WE ASSESS

223STUDENTS, SO THAT THERE IS A PREDICTABILITY AND A VIABILITY AND EVERY CHILD IS BEING EXPOSED TO THE MOST RIGOROUS CURRICULUM. ACROSS THE BOARD, THERE IS EQUITY WITH TECHNOLOGY. THERE IS NOT A SINGLE SCHOOL WHERE TECHNOLOGY IS DEPENDENT ON THE COMMUNITY'S ABILITY TO FUND THAT TECHNOLOGY. IT IS A DISTRICTWIDE PLAN AND EVERY CHILD HAS ACCESS. WE HAVE ROBUST CORE CURRICULAR STUDENTS. THE ARTS, THEATER, DRAMA, IN EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL. WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED HIGH-QUALITY PRESCHOOL AND FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS IN EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS TO MAKE SURE THAT KIDS GET A GREAT START. WE HAVE EXTENDED THE SCHOOL YEAR THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF JUNE FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH READING. WE CALL IT PROJECT LAUNCH. THEY STAY IN SCHOOL FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH OF JUNE FOR EIGHT HOURS. AND THEY GO WITH

224LITERACY, WITH NUMERACY, AND THEY ALSO HAVE FUN WHILE THEY ARE DOING IT. BECAUSE OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO MAKE SURE NOBODY LEAVES THAT THIRD GRADE WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO READ IN A VERY, VERY STRONG MANNER. WE ALSO HAVE ACCESSED THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF CURRICULUM IN OUR SYSTEM WITH ADVANCED PLACEMENT, GIVEN THE NUMBER OF EXAMS THAT WE ADMINISTER AND THE SCORES. WE WERE RECOGNIZED BY THE COLLEGE BOARD FOR ONE OF ONLY FOUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN COLORADO AS AN ADVANCED PLACEMENT HONOR ROLL SCHOOL DISTRICT AND ONE OF ONLY 356 SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS 14,000 IN THE UNITED STATES, BASED ON OUR SCORES AND THE DIVERSITY OF OUR POPULATION ENGAGED IN THOSE ASSESSMENTS. WE HAVE ALSO SEEN OUR GRADUATION RATE REALLY CLIMB WITHIN AND AMONG ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, AND I LOOK AT THINGS, BECAUSE OFTENTIMES SOME STUDENTS ARE MARGINALIZED

225BY THE WAYS IN WHICH DISCIPLINE IS ADMINISTERED, BY THE WAYS IN WHICH KIDS ARE STAFFED IN SPECIAL EDUCATION AND BY THE WAYS IN WHICH THEY HAVE ACCESS TO OR NOT THE MOST RIGOROUS CURRICULUM. I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THERE IS A DIVERSE WORKFORCE. WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED A PROGRAM CALLED P TEACH, WHERE WE GROW OUR OWN. EACH YEAR, WE HAVE COHORTS OF TEACHERS. AND MOST OF OUR TEACHERS NOW IN THAT COHORT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CU ARE FIRST GENERATION, BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT NOT ONLY OUR LEADERSHIP IS REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR STUDENT BODY, BUT ALSO OUR TEACHERS AND OUR CLASSIFIED STAFF. AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE BASED ON WHAT BEGINS WITH AN INNER BELIEF THAT WE ARE HERE WITH A RESPONSIBILITY TO SERVE EVERY SINGLE CHILD. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. OUR

226NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM BOARD MEMBER CINDY STUART. Cindy Stuart: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, AND WELCOME TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I APPRECIATE YOUR BEING HERE AND CONSIDERING LEADING THIS DISTRICT. Don Haddad: THANK YOU. SO MY QUESTION AS WELL, WE'RE LOOKING FOR YOU TO CITE ACTUAL EXAMPLES OF THE WORK THAT YOU MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN. HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE DECISIONS THAT ARE UNPOPULAR WITH THE PUBLIC BUT ARE EDUCATIONALLY NECESSARY? Don Haddad: YOU KNOW, IT COMES BACK TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDING WHAT OUR PURPOSE IS AND WHAT OUR VISION IS. AND THAT STARTS LONG BEFORE YOU'RE FACED WITH A DIFFICULT DECISION. THERE IS A HIGH LEVEL OF TRUST IN OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE PEOPLE IN THAT COMMUNITY HAVE COME TO KNOW ME AFTER 11 YEARS. THEY KNOW WHERE MY CORE IS, THEY KNOW WHERE MY HEART IS

227AND THEY KNOW I AM ALWAYS GOING TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE DECISIONS THAT ARE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR CHILDREN, OF OUR TEACHERS, AND OF OUR STAFF. WHEN WE ARE FACED WITH DIFFICULT DECISIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAVE TO CONSOLIDATE SCHOOLS FOR COST-EFFECTIVENESS, IF YOU HAVE TO CHANGE SCHEDULES, IF YOU GET INTO CONVERSATIONS AROUND SALARY SCHEDULES, ALL OF THE CHALLENGING THINGS, COMMUNICATION UP FRONT IS REALLY IMPORTANT. WE DON'T LIKE TO SURPRISE OUR COMMUNITY. IF WE KNOW THAT THERE IS A CHALLENGING ISSUE, I WILL SPEND A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME WITH ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS TALKING ABOUT THAT ISSUE UP FRONT, FACE TO FACE SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHERE THE CHALLENGES LIE. ALSO, COMMUNICATING VERY CLOSELY AND MOST CLOSELY WITH THE PEOPLE WHO WILL BE IMPACTED MOST SIGNIFICANTLY BY THAT CHALLENGING DECISION.

228BUT OUR NORTH STAR IS OUR STUDENTS AND OUR TEACHERS AND OUR STAFF, AND THEIR BEST INTEREST AND OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. SO THERE ARE GOING TO BE TOUGH DECISIONS. YOU DON'T LIVE IN THE SUPERINTENDENCY FOR 11 YEARS AND 35 YEARS IN THIS FIELD, PUBLIC EDUCATION, WITHOUT FACING SOME REALLY, REALLY CHALLENGING SITUATIONS. BUT THERE'S A LOT OF TRUST. THERE'S A LOT OF TRUST AND A LOT OF CARE AND A LOT OF CONCERN THAT GOES INTO THOSE TOUGH DECISIONS. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM BOARD MEMBER KAREN PEREZ. Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, BEING HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, DR. HADDAD. AS YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SEVERAL MAJOR ISSUES THAT ARE AT A NATIONAL CRISIS LEVEL IN THIS NATION. AND THREE OF THOSE MAJOR ISSUES

229THAT AFFECT NOT ONLY OUR CHILDREN NATIONALLY BUT HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ARE STUDENT DISCIPLINE, STUDENT SAFETY, AND STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH. CAN YOU PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR BELIEFS ON STUDENT DISCIPLINE, SAFETY, AND MENTAL HEALTH? AND PLEASE SHARE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES. Don Haddad: I STARTED MY ADMINISTRATIVE CAREER VERY CLOSELY CONNECTED TO SCHOOL SAFETY. IN COLORADO, WE HAD THE TRAGIC EXPERIENCES OF COLUMBINE AND THE AURORA THEATER SHOOTING. UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THESE THINGS. WHEN OUR PARENTS SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO OUR SCHOOLS, OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY IS THAT THEY COME HOME SAFE AND THAT THEIR WELL-BEING IS PARAMOUNT. I UNDERSTAND SCHOOL SAFETY AT A VERY DEEP AND AT A VERY NUANCED LEVEL. IN OUR SYSTEM, THE WAY IN WHICH WE HAVE MADE OUR SCHOOLS AS SAFE AS WE CAN POSSIBLY MAKE THEM, IS APPROACHING IT FROM TWO PERSPECTIVES. ONE, WE'VE ADDED

230COUNSELORS SO THAT THE RATIO OF STUDENT TO COUNSELOR HAS BEEN DIMINISHED. WE HAVE INTERVENTIONISTS, WE HAVE SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS, WE HAVE SOCIAL WORKERS. WE HAVE A WHOLE HOST OF PERSONNEL THAT IS THERE TO PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH AND SUPPORT. WE HAVE ALSO IMPLEMENTED IN FOCUS, AND THEN WE HAVE A PROGRAM, SOURCES OF STRENGTH, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU HEARD IT, BECAUSE THERE ARE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS. BUT K-12, WE HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH AND SUPPORT CURRICULUM THAT ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS ADHERE TO, AND WE WORK THROUGH. BECAUSE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THEIR MIND-SET IS SOLID AND STRONG AND THEY UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH THAT WE CARE ABOUT THEM. WE HAVE ALSO, CAMPUS SUPERVISORS, WE ALSO HAVE THE SCHOOL RESOURCE PROGRAM. IN COLORADO, I WORKED IN THE CHERRY CREEK SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND WE WERE THE FIRST SCHOOL

231DISTRICT IN THE STATE OF COLORADO TO BRING THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM TO OUR SCHOOLS, AND THEN WE WERE VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN WORKING WITH THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO REVISE MANY OF THE STATE LAWS AND THE POLICIES THAT COME WITH STUDENT DISCIPLINE. WHEN I THINK ABOUT STUDENT DISCIPLINE, I COME FROM THE SCHOOL OF RESTORATIVE. I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF PUNITIVE DISCIPLINE. I DO UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETIMES STUDENTS MAKE REALLY BAD CHOICES AND THAT WE HAVE NO CHOICE, BUT IF YOU'LL LOOK AT OUR EXPULSION RATE, WE HAVE 60 SCHOOLS, IF YOU LOOK ACROSS COLORADO, MOST OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS OUR SIZE AVERAGE OVER A HUNDRED EXPULSIONS A YEAR. WE'RE IN THAT FOUR TO FIVE RANGE EVERY YEAR. AND THIS PAST YEAR WE HAD ZERO. BECAUSE WE'VE BUILT OUR PROGRAMS IN SUCH A WAY THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE ENGAGED

232ACTIVELY, AND IT CHANGES THE WAY IN WHICH THEY BEHAVE. THE WAY YOU SET UP YOUR SYSTEM, AND IF THERE'S HOPE IN THAT SYSTEM, AND IF THERE'S CARE AND CONCERN AND NURTURING, THE LIKELIHOOD OF THE DISCIPLINE GOES DOWN, BUT IT'S A RESTORATIVE MODEL THAT I LOOK TO. IT IS THE SAME THING WITH OUR MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMMING. WE BELIEVE THAT IF STUDENTS ARE WELL FED, IF THEY ARE WELL CARED FOR, IF THEY HAVE ADULTS IN THE DID SOME THAT THEY CAN ACCESS ON A REGULAR BASIS AND IT'S A TOP PRIORITY, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING THROUGHOUT OUR SYSTEM IS PREVALENT. I'LL TELL YA, THERE'S REALLY NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN OUR CHILDREN'S WELL BEING. AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED, THE DISPLIRNTION THE SAFETY -- THE DISCIPLINE, THE SAFETY, ALL OF THAT STUFF IS ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY

233CRITICAL. ONE THING WE DID PROACTIVELY WHICH WAS KIND OF UNIQUE TO COLORADO, WE HAVE TWO SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS IN EVERY HIGH SCHOOL. ONE IN EVERY MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND WE HAVE RESOURCE OFFICERS THAT SUPPORT OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. AND THEY ARE OUTSTANDING. THEY BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH KIDS. THE KIDS LIKE THEM THERE. THEY TEACH CLASSES IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND POLICE ACADEMY. THEY GO TO THEIR FOOTBALL GAMES, TO THEIR BASKETBALL GAMES, TO THE CHOIR EVENTS. IT'S JUST AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY THAT HAS WRAPPED THEIR ARMS AROUND OUR KIDS TO MAKE SURE. WE ALSO PARTNER WITH VARIOUS GROUPS WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO. THEY HAVE A TEAM THAT COMES IN, AND THEY TRAIN OUR TEACHERS, OUR STAFF, OUR COMMUNITY AROUND LGBTQ ISSUES, SO OUR COUNSELORS, EVERYONE, WE WORK WITH MANY GROUPS, CULTURAL BROKERS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, AND THEY ARE A PART

234OF WHO WE ARE. BECAUSE, AGAIN, WHEN I SAY WE'RE HERE FOR EVERY KID, WE ARE HERE FOR EVERY SINGLE STUDENT. AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE APPLYING THOSE RESOURCES ACCORDINGLY. THOSE ARE AMONG OUR TOP PRIORITY, THE STUDENT SAFETY AND WELL-BEING AND OUR TEACHERS AND OUR STAFF AND OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THE FINAL QUESTION FROM BOARD MEMBER LYNN GRAY. Lynn Gray: THANKS FOR SHOWING SUCH CONCERN AND OVERALL LARGE SCOPE OF KNOWLEDGE. I APPRECIATE THAT. THE IDEA THAT YOU HAVE HAD MUCH EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION AND GIVEN THE CHANGING DYNAMICS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION, SUCH AS THE GROWTH OF CHARTER SCHOOL INDUSTRY, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE CRITICAL ISSUES IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, SPECIFICALLY LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY? Don Haddad: I

235APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION. IT'S SOMETHING THAT COLORADO HAS BEEN WORKING WITH FOR SEVERAL YEARS. COLORADO IS A CHARTER SCHOOL STATE. I AM A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR NEIGHBORHOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I BELIEVE THAT SCHOOLS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO GET CONNECTED BEYOND SCHOOL. I AM ALSO A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR SCHOOL CHOICE. IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, 60 SCHOOLS, IT'S OPEN TO ANY CHILD CAN GO TO ANY SCHOOL THAT THEY CHOOSE TO GO TO. WE HAVE FOUND THAT TO BE ADVANTAGEOUS. WHEN I THINK ABOUT CHARTER VERSUS NEIGHBORHOOD, THE FIRST THING THAT I ALWAYS DO IS PROCESS THE QUALITY OF THE SCHOOL, RATHER THAN THE LABEL, I LOOK AT THE QUALITY AND SAY IS THIS A PLACE WHERE OUR STUDENTS CAN GO TO SCHOOL AND RECEIVE A GREAT EDUCATION? I ALSO LOOK AT THE CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT OPEN,

236ARE YOU ABLE TO MANAGE YOURSELVES FINANCIALLY? BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE DATA ACROSS THE COUNTRY, MANY CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT OPEN, CLOSE WITHIN A COUPLE OF YEARS FOR EITHER FISCAL MISMANAGEMENT OR THE QUALITY OF THE EDUCATION PROGRAM. SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME. WE HAVE CHARTER SCHOOLS IN OUR DISTRICT, AND THE ONES THAT ARE THERE WORK VERY, VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR ADMINISTRATION. WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR CHILDREN ARE IN THOSE SCHOOLS, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE GETTING A GREAT EDUCATION. THE OTHER THING THAT I OFTEN THINK ABOUT FROM A SYSTEMS PERSPECTIVE, IS IF YOU BEGIN TO OPEN UP SCHOOLS ALL OVER THE PLACE THAT ARE OPERATING INDEPENDENTLY, IT BREAKS DOWN YOUR ECONOMY OF SCALE. IT BREAKS DOWN YOUR ABILITY FROM A FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE TO PROVIDE

237MULTIPLE RESOURCES FOR KIDS ACROSS THE SYSTEM. AND SO THAT'S WHY I'VE BECOME VERY, VERY FOCUSED ON LOOKING AT THE QUALITY, BECAUSE IF YOU'RE GOING TO OPEN UP A SCHOOL, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IT IS AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. SO I'M NOT ONE OF THESE PEOPLE THAT'S POLARIZING WHERE CHARTER OR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS ARE CONCERNED, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION WHEN SOMEBODY WANTS TO OPEN ONE, TELL ME WHY. BECAUSE IF WE CAN'T MEET THE NEED IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY THAT IS. I'D LIKE TO KNOW -- BECAUSE I DON'T WANT IT TO BE A MATTER OF CHOICING OUT TO GET AWAY FROM SOMETHING. I WANT IT TO BE CHOICING IN BECAUSE THERE'S A SPECIAL, UNIQUE PROGRAM. SO THAT'S WHERE I COME FROM WITH ALL OF THAT. IF THERE WERE A SITUATION

238WHERE SOMEBODY SAID, HEY, WE WANT TO OPEN UP A CHARTER CANNED AND THERE IS A BEST PRACTICES IN FLORIDA SIMILAR TO COLORADO, THESE ARE THE THINGS I WOULD LOOK AT IN DETERMINING MY LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR THAT PARTICULAR SCHOOL. BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL IN OUR SYSTEM BE A DESTINATION SCHOOL AND THAT PEOPLE DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE TO OPEN UP ANOTHER SCHOOL TO GET WHAT THEY PERCEIVE THEY'RE NOT GETTING ON BEHALF OF THEIR CHILDREN. SO THAT'S WHERE I COME FROM WITH THE CHARTER SCHOOL ISSUE AND THE WHOLE ISSUE OF CHOICE AND FUNDING AND EVERYTHING. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. Don Haddad: YOU'RE WELCOME. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT CONCLUDES QUESTIONS COMING FROM THE BOARD. NOW, AT THIS TIME, BOARD MEMBERS, EACH OF YOU HAVE RECEIVED A COPY OF DR. HADDAD'S

239PLAN, IF YOU COULD PLEASE HIGHLIGHT IN A FEW MINUTES. WE'VE GOT THE CLOCK WORKING AGAIN, SO THAT'S GOOD. HIGHLIGHT FOR A FEW MINUTES YOUR 90-DAY PLAN FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, PLEASE. Don Haddad: WITHOUT BEING PRESUMPTUOUS, THE 90-DAY PLAN WOULD APPLY IF I WERE SELECTED FOR THIS POSITION. AND I OPEN WITH AN INTRODUCTORY LETTER THAT SPEAKS TO MY BELIEF THAT EVERYTHING WE DO SHOULD BE IN SUPPORT OF OUR STUDENTS, THEIR WELL BEING, ACHIEVEMENT LEVELS AND SUCCESS. THAT IS A STATEMENT I WILL MAKE IN THE INTRODUCTORY PART. I ALSO SPEAK TO THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC EDUCATION ON A MORE GLOBAL SCALE. YOU KNOW, PUBLIC EDUCATION, OUR FIRST RESPONSIBILITY IS TO EVERY SINGLE CHILD. IT ALSO HAS A DRAMATIC IMPACT IN AMERICA. THE STRENGTH OF OUR ECONOMY, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, OUR NATIONAL SECURITY, OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, THE VALUE

240OF OUR HOMES, THE VALUE OF OUR PROPERTIES, THE QUALITY OF A SERVICE INDUSTRY, AND THE STRENGTH OF OUR DEMOCRACY IS ALL TIED TO OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS BECAUSE WE HAVE 90% OF AMERICA'S CHILDREN, K-12, ARE ENROLLED IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL. AND SO I MAKE THAT CASE IN MY INTRODUCTORY LETTER. THROUGHOUT THE PURPOSE OF THIS PLAN IS TO DEVELOP A VERY STRONG AND DEEP CONTEXTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS. I'VE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH TO DATE, BUT GIVEN THAT, I HAVE IDENTIFIED NOT ONLY A 90-DAY PLAN THAT WOULD BEGIN IN JULY, BUT A PREPLAN THAT WOULD BEGIN THE DAY AFTER THE BOARD HAS MADE THEIR DECISION. AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE SIX AREAS OF FOCUS. I WOULD BE LOOKING AT BOARD AND LEADERSHIP RELATIONS AND BEGINNING TO CULTIVATE THEM. I WOULD WANT TO UNDERSTAND SAFETY, THE

241POLICIES, THE PROCEDURES BECAUSE YOU MAY HAVE TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING ON JULY 1, AND I DON'T WANT TO BE IN A PLACE WHERE WE HAVE AN ISSUE, SOMETHING MAJOR HAPPENS. I WOULD WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE SAFETY PRACTICES AND PROTOCOLS ARE BEFORE STARTING THE JOB AND BE PREPARED TO DO THAT. I WOULD ALSO WANT TO UNDERSTAND AT A GREATER DEPTH THE FINANCES. I HAVE DELVED INTO THE FINANCES. I UNDERSTAND FLORIDA'S LAWS AROUND FINANCE. I UNDERSTAND HOW YOU ALL RECEIVED YOUR FUNDING IN FLORIDA, BUT I WOULD WANT TO BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND AT A DEEPER LEVEL THE SYSTEMS. I WOULD WANT TO KNOW WHERE THINGS ARE LEGISLATIVELY IN TERMS OF THIS SYSTEM AND FLORIDA. AGAIN, I HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING, BUT IT WOULD BECOME MUCH DEEPER. I WOULD ALSO WANT TO UNDERSTAND ANY LITIGATION THAT YOUR

242SCHOOL DISTRICT IS INVOLVED WITH WHERE I MAY HAVE TO THEN PROCEED TO BE THAT POINT PERSON IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BOARD STARTING ON JULY 1. AND THEN QUITE A BIT OF COMMUNITY EXPLORATION. I WOULD ALSO LOOK IN TERMS OF STRATEGIC AREAS, INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, I WOULD BE DELVING INTO STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DATA TO UNDERSTAND WHERE OUR STRENGTHS ARE. I WOULD ALSO WANT TO DO A DEEPER DIVE FINANCIALLY AND REALLY BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THE FORECAST, WHAT THE PLANS ARE FOR HILLSBOROUGH. I KNOW YOU JUST PASSED A BOND, SO I'D WANT TO GET UP TO SPEED ON THE BOND PROJECTS AND WHERE YOU ARE WITH YOUR NEW BUILDINGS AND THE GROWTH AND THE RENOVATION. I WOULD ALSO WANT TO CONNECT CLOSELY WITH HUMAN RESOURCES TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE STAFFING NEEDS ARE TAKEN CARE

243OF AND COMMUNICATION, COMMUNICATION, COMMUNICATION. IT'S A LOT, BUT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE I WOULD WANT TO BE RIGHT ON THE MONEY STARTING JULY 1. THANK YOU. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THAT CONCLUDES THE INTERVIEW PROCESS. SO WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. AND DR. WHELAN WILL GO AHEAD AND ESCORT YOU BACK TO THE ROOM. Don Haddad: ALL RIGHT. AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. REGARDLESS OF YOUR DECISION, I WISH YOU ALL THE VERY BEST AND THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU'RE DOING FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU SO MUCH. Don Haddad: THANK YOU. Melissa Snively: BOARD MEMBERS, WE ARE NOW AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. SO WE WILL TAKE A FIVE-MINUTE BREAK, AND THEN WE WILL CONTINUE WITH OUR NEXT CANDIDATE. [BREAK] Melissa Snively: ALL RIGHT. WELCOME BACK.

244BOARD MEMBERS, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE THE NEXT CANDIDATE. Marie Whelan: BOARD MEMBERS, DR. PETER LICATA. Melissa Snively: GOOD AFTERNOON AND WELCOME TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Peter Licata: GOOD AFTERNOON. WELCOME AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE. IT'S AN HONOR. Melissa Snively: BEFORE WE BEGIN, I'LL JUST GO OVER A LITTLE BIT OF A PROCESS WE'VE BEEN USING TODAY. WHAT WILL HAPPEN FIRST IS WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO TAKE ABOUT THREE MINUTES TO MAKE SOME INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS. THEN WE WILL EACH ASK YOU A QUESTION. YOU WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, AND THERE MIGHT BE FOLLOW-UP QUESTION, IF TIME PERMITS WITHIN THAT FIVE MINUTES. AND THEN ONCE WE CONCLUDE BOARD MEMBER QUESTIONS, YOU WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 90-DAY PLAN THAT YOU'VE PROVIDED EACH

245BOARD MEMBER TODAY. HOW DOES THAT SOUND? Peter Licata: SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT PLAN. Melissa Snively: ONE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT, IN FRONT OF YOU AT THE LECTERN AND UP ON THE SCREEN YOU'LL SEE THE THREE LIGHTS. GREEN LIGHT MEANS IT'S OKAY TO TALK, OBVIOUSLY. THE YELLOW LIGHT MEANS THAT YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS. LEFT TO MAKE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS. AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE RED LIGHT MEANS THAT YOUR TIME IS UP. VERY GOOD. SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND LET'S GET STARTED WITH YOUR INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS. Peter Licata: GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. I AM HONORED TO BE HERE, MOST IMPORTANTLY BECAUSE WHEN YOU TRAVEL, MY PATHWAY TO GET HERE, IT'S QUITE UNIQUE. MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL A STRONG ACADEMIC STUDENT, STRONG BASKETBALL PLAYER, HAD IT SET, PAVED, ARCHITECT, LAWYER. FATHER DIES, FATHER

246GETS SICK. I GO TO WORK, LEAVE HIGH SCHOOL EARLY. I BECOME A BUSINESS PERSON. GET INTO A COUPLE OF BUSINESSES, BECOME A CONTRACTOR. WENT TO MY FATHER'S FUNERAL, OBVIOUSLY, AND IT CHANGED FOR ME RIGHT THEN AND THERE. 35-YEAR COACH, TEACHER. THE IMPACT HE HAD ON THE COMMUNITY WAS INCREDIBLE. SO I SOLD MY BUSINESS AT THE AGE OF 23 TO MY BROTHERS AND THEY ARE STILL CONTRACTORS. AND REALIZED I NEED TO BE A TEACHER. I NEED TO STEP IN THIS REALM AND HAD AN IMPACT THAT HE HAD ON EVERYONE. STARTED OFF AT JOHN F. KENNEDY MIDDLE, 7th GRADE GEOGRAPHY TEACHER. ONE OF THE FIRST COMMENTS I HEARD AND I THINK I WROTE IT DOWN, PEOPLE LIKE YOU DON'T MAKE IT HERE. IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT SCHOOL. THEN I KNEW I WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE. COACH,

247TEACH.HOOL, I GOT TO FROM THERE, MY HISTORY TOOK OFF. I DON'T REGRET ONE SECOND OF THAT DECISION OF CHANGING MY LIFE IN THAT MANNER. WHEN I BECAME A HIGH SCHOOL -- HE SAID WE HAVE EQUITY ISSUES. IT'S ABOUT TO BECOME A C. YOU HAVE TO FIX IT. I NEED TO YOU BECOME AN A BY THE END OF THE YEAR. IT WAS A WEEK BEFORE THE SCHOOL YEAR STARTED. IT WAS A DIFFICULT YEAR BECAUSE WE LOST LIKE EIGHT OR NINE TEACHERS BECAUSE OF SIZE. WE MISSED AN A BY ONE POINT THAT YEAR. WE GOT LETTERS FROM JEB BUSH, THE GOVERNOR AT THE TIME AND ACCOLADES FROM MOVING READING AND GRADUATION RATE. I LISTED THE GRADUATION RATE PROGRESSION OVER THE YEARS. BUT I THINK THE BEST YEAR WAS THE YEAR WE DIDN'T GET THE A, BECAUSE THE

248NEXT YEAR, WE FOUGHT EVEN HARDER. AND WE DIDN'T GET COMFORTABLE, AND YOU CAN SEE THE ACCELERATION IN ONE OF THE DOCUMENTS THAT I PROVIDED YOU HOW I INCREASED THE GRADUATION RATE FOR ALL GROUPS, 23%. FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS, IT WAS NEAR 40. MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT WAS THE SUSPENSION RATES I WAS MOST PROUD OF. KIDS THAT REMAIN SUSPENDED WERE THE ONES NOT GRADUATING. I KNEW THIS WAS A FORMULA. WE HAVE TO TO UNDERSTAND THE FRONT, NOT THE BACK. BACK BEFORE MENTAL HEALTH WAS IN, THAT'S WHAT I WORKED FOR. BECAME CURRICULUM DIRECTOR, GOT PULLED OUT OF THERE. KEPT GETTING JOBS I DIDN'T APPLY FOR AND THEN MOVED INTO THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT ROLE. THE SUPERINTENDENT AT THAT TIME, SIMPLY MADE IT VERY CLEAR, OUR PROGRAMS ARE NOT EQUITABLE AND THEY ARE SORT OF ELITIST. CHANGE THAT, AND DO IT

249QUICKLY. AND WE'LL GO OVER MANY OF THOSE PIECES IN THE INTERVIEW. I'M A MARRIED MAN WITH FOUR WONDERFUL KIDS, AND A FOUR AND A HALF-YEAR-OLD GRANDCHILD THAT IS JUST THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD. I'M PRISTLED TO BE IN FRONT OF YOU -- PRIVILEGED TO BE IN FRONT OF YOU CONSIDERING WHAT I THOUGHT I WOULD BE DOING, BEING A LAWYER, WHICH I HAVE TWO CHILDREN THAT ARE. AND AN ENGINEER. SO THANK YOU. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START OUR QUESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBERS. AS YOU KNOW, IT IS CRITICAL FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT AND BOARD TO HAVE A STRONG WORKING RELATIONSHIP, TO BE PRODUCTIVE AND TO BE SUCCESSFUL FOR STUDENTS IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. HOW WOULD YOU BUILD A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT? AND PLEASE CITE EXAMPLES USING

250YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE IN BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH BOARD MEMBERS. Peter Licata: ABSOLUTELY. THE FIRST THING, SHOULD I BE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BECOME SUPERINTENDENT, MY FIRST ACT WOULD BE TO MEET WITH EACH ONE OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY. I NEED TO UNDERSTAND YOUR VISION, YOUR COMPONENTS OF HOW TO GET THERE AND BUILD THEM AND BRING THEM TOGETHER. I'VE DONE THAT WITH OUR BOARD FOR THE PAST 10, 11 YEARS OVER SOME INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT, CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS. THEY ARE NOT EASY. I AM A PERSON WHO RUNS THE PROBLEMS, NOT RUNS FROM THEM. AND SOMEHOW, SOME WAY, I GOT THE ONLY CONCAVE DESK IN THE ENTIRE BUILDING BECAUSE EVERYTHING COMES TO MY DESK INSTEAD OF FALLS OFF OF IT. I'LL GIVE YOU TWO EXAMPLES, ONE WAS CLOSING A SCHOOL. HARDEST THING YOU'LL EVER DO IS CLOSE A SCHOOL BECAUSE OF ENROLLMENT. WE'RE LOSING

251MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS TO CHARTER SCHOOLS. THIS IS A FOUR-YEAR PROCESS. I WASN'T SUCCESSFUL AT FIRST AND I HAD TO WORK WITH EVERY BOARD MEMBER. TWO PARTICULAR BOARD MEMBERS REALLY MEANT THEIR COMMUNITY, THEY ARE REGIONS LIKE FIVE OF YOU. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO MEET, TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS WAS BEST FOR THE BIG DISTRICT AND NOT FOR THE SMALL CONSTITUENT BUT WE CANNOT FORGET THE SMALL CONSTITUENTS IN THOSE AREAS. IT TOOK FOUR YEARS. WHAT I LEARNED THROUGHOUT THAT PROCESS IS HOW TO STAY OUT IN FRONT AND BE COMMUNICATION IN FRONT OF EVERYTHING THAT WE DO AND NOT HOLD THE INFORMATION UNTIL THE BOARD MEETING. AFTER FOUR YEARS, WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT. WE JUST HAD TO DO IT THE RIGHT WAY. I'LL PROBABLY SAVE THAT FOR ANOTHER ANSWER. ANOTHER EXAMPLE, WHICH I'M NOT SURE WHY IT

252LANDED ON MY DESK AGAIN BUT I HAPPILY ACCEPTED IT, BECAUSE IT IS A GOOD FEELING THEY CAN RELY ON ME AND THE SUPERINTENDENT RELIES ON ME CONSISTENTLY, THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA POLICY. WE HAD TO GET IT IN BEFORE THE STATE REQUIRED US. WE WERE IN LITIGATION AT THAT TIME WITH A PARENT REGARDING THIS AND IT WAS VERY TOUCH AND GO. A FEW OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS DID NOT BELIEVE WE NEED TO HAVE IT ON CAMPUS. THE STATE REQUIRES IT, AND IT WAS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE ENTIRE COMPLEXITY OF THIS, THAT THE STATE IS REQUIRING IT, BUT HOW DEEP DO YOU GO? ARE YOU SURFACE OR ARE YOU GOING TO GO EVEN DEEPER? WE PUT THE PROCESS THROUGH. WE HAVE A THREE-PART PROCESS OF APPROVING POLICY. I MET INDIVIDUALLY WITH EACH OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, MULTIPLE TIMES,

253AND WE DO HAVE A MEDICAL DOCTOR ON OUR BOARD. SHE WAS A VERY BIG PART OF HOW WE PROCEEDED THROUGH. AND WITHIN THREE MEETINGS, PRESENTATION, NEGOTIATION, AND THEN APPROVAL, WE WERE DONE WITHOUT PROBLEM, WITHOUT NOTICE, WITHOUT ANY ISSUES WHATSOEVER. THE POLICY IS VERY CLEAR. IT WAS COMMUNICATED TO THE NEWSPAPERS, COMMUNICATED TO THE PRINCIPALS, AND IT WAS SPELLED OUT VERY SIMPLY. ALL BOARD MEMBERS WALKED AWAY FROM THERE KNOWING WE HAD TO DO THIS BUT IT WAS AT THE MINIMUM LEVEL WHICH MEANT THE STATE'S REQUIREMENTS AND THAT WE HAVE THE LATITUDE WITHIN THAT POLICY TO MAKE IT BROADER AS THIS ISSUE IN OUR NATION BECOMES MORE POPULAR. AND WE DID NOT CONFINE OURSELVES TO A BOX, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT EVERYONE WAS WORRIED ABOUT. SO THAT WAS EASIER THAN I THOUGHT, BUT BECAUSE

254I LEARNED LESSONS OF ALL THE OTHER TIMES I'VE HAD TO PRESENT AND BRING THINGS FORWARD TO THE BOARD THIS REALLY MADE THE DIFFERENCE, AND THE EXPERIENCE OF WORKING WITH THE BOARD FOR TEN YEARS, SEVEN MEMBERS, MADE THIS PROCESS MUCH EASIER, BECAUSE IT'S NOT EASY. BECAUSE PEOPLE'S PERSONAL VIEWS COME INTO PLAY. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL COME FROM VICE-CHAIR STEVE CONA. Steve Cona: THANK YOU, DR. LICATA, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR SERVING OUR STUDENTS IN PALM BEACH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE EDUCATIONAL INDUSTRY. IN A LARGE DISTRICT LIKE OURS, COMMUNICATION PLAYS A VITAL ROLE. HOW WOULD YOU COMMUNICATE YOUR VISION FOR A QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL STUDENTS WITH THE STAFF, THE COMMUNITY, AND THIS BOARD. PLEASE SPECIFY WHAT STEPS YOU WOULD TAKE. Peter Licata:

255I THINK I STEPPED INTO THAT EARLIER. I NEED TO HEAR AND MEET WITH YOU TO UNDERSTAND YOUR VISION, WHAT ARE THE NON-NEGOTIABLES, WHAT WE HAVE TO PUT TOGETHER AS THE ENTIRE VISION THAT I CAN PUT TOGETHER AND THEN BRING TO THE CABINET AND LET'S PUT THAT TOGETHER. WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? HOW ARE WE GOING TO MAKE THAT WORK? BECAUSE WE CANNOT GO TO THE COMMUNITY WITH SEVEN DIFFERENT PLANS OR ONE PLAN FROM THE BOARD, ONE PLAN FROM INTERNAL. IT HAS TO BE THE SAME PLAN. WHEN WE GET THERE, THEN IT GETS COMMUNICATED TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, BUT MOST IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE HERE FOR, THOSE STUDENTS, THOSE PARENTS, THE TAXPAYERS, AND THE PEOPLE THAT RELY ON US TO PRODUCE TALENTED WORKFORCE. THAT PLAN HAS

256TO BE PUT IN FRONT OF THEM AND THEN LET THEM POKE THE HOLES IN IT. IF WE DON'T HAVE THEIR INPUT, WE'RE PUTTING A PLAN TOGETHER THAT WE THINK IS BEST AND WE'RE NOT THEM. THEY ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE. SO THIS HAS TO BE A CONCERTED EFFORT, BUT IT STARTS WITH US AS ONE VOICE COMING TOGETHER WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL VISION. THEN IT IS COMMUNICATED INTO EACH PART OF OUR COMMUNITY. FOR EVERYONE TO DECIDE THEN. WHERE ARE WE GOING? WE'RE GOING TO THEM WHEN WE COMMUNICATE THIS. THEY ARE NOT COMING HERE. WE ARE GOING INTO THEIR CHURCHES OR THEIR COMMUNITY HALLS. THEY ARE NOT COMING HERE. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE ARE ON THEIR TURF, THEIR GROUNDS SO THEY CAN SPEAK FREELY KNOWING WE'RE LISTENING. THEN WE COME BACK AND MASSAGE IT AND

257PUT IT TOGETHER. THAT'S GOING TO BE PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN, AND I KNOW THAT'S COMING UP, AND HOPEFULLY I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SQUEEZE THAT INTO AN ANSWER BECAUSE JUST COMPLETED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO MY SECOND STRATEGIC PLAN AND LOOKING AT A THIRD ONE COMING UP. I'M HOPING TO BE ABLE TO WORK THAT IN. BUT THAT'S HOW THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS, AND I THINK THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT REALLY SURROUNDS THAT. WE CAN'T DO THIS I THINK SO IN VACUUMS. ISOLATION IS THE BEST PLACE FOR CATASTROPHIC MISTAKES. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? WE SERVE AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY. WE SERVE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NOT A CITY, NOT THE LARGE CITY, NOT THE SMALL CITY. WE SERVE AN ENTIRE COUNTY. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL COME FROM BOARD MEMBER DR. STACY HAHN. Stacy

258Hahn: THANK YOU, AND WELCOME TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TODAY. SO WHEN YOU ANSWER THIS QUESTION, PLEASE EXPLAIN THE ACTIONS YOU WOULD TAKE IN DETAIL. AS SUPERINTENDENT, HOW WOULD YOU DELEGATE AUTHORITY WHILE MAINTAINING ACCOUNTABILITY? Peter Licata: GREAT QUESTION, AND IT IS A QUESTION THAT LEADERS LIKE TO ANSWER. THERE'S ALWAYS THAT QUESTION, WHAT ARE YOU WEAKEST AT AND EVERYBODY FALLS ON, WELL, I DO TOO MUCH OF THE WORK MYSELF AND I'M AFRAID TO DELEGATE IT. FOR LACK OF A BETTER -- THAT IS A BS ANSWER. REAL LEADERS HAVE PUT PEOPLE UNDERNEATH THEM THAT HAVE WORKED WITH THEM AND UNDERSTAND HOW WORK IS TO BE DONE, UNDERSTAND WHAT IS TO BE DONE AND HAVE THE RELIABILITY FACTOR THAT LEADER HAS BUILT INTO AS A MENTOR AND AS SOMEONE WHO HAS LED THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS.

259YOU HAVE TO AS A SUPERINTENDENT DELEGATE AUTHORITIES THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT PERSON WHO'S GETTING IT IS CAPABLE OF DOING IT. IT'S NOT A TRIAL RUN, BUT YOU JUST DON'T BUILD THAT. SO IF YOU'RE ASKING FOR STEPS, THE FIRST STEP THAT COMES ALONG IS WHEN YOU HAVE AN EXECUTIVE GROUP OF PEOPLE, THERE HAS TO BE SOME SORT OF METRICS ON THEIR SUCCESS AND HAVE THEY BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN WHAT THEY HAVE DONE? WHAT HAVE THEY DONE? HOW ARE THEY SUCCESSFUL? ARE THEY RELIABLE IN A PINCH? BECAUSE WHAT WE DO IS IMPORTANT. WHAT WE DO IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING. WE ARE NOT HERE FOR THE SECURITY OF OUR FUTURE. WE'RE HERE FOR THE SECURITY OF OUR KIDS' FUTURE. AND AS SOON AS WE GET COMFORTABLE IN MAKING SURE WE'RE NOT PUSHING HARD ENOUGH, WE'VE DONE A DISSERVICE

260TO OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING THE CHILDREN. SO WHEN WE DELEGATE, WE BETTER HAVE THE STAFF IN LINE THAT IS MENTORED, THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. THOSE SYSTEMS NEED TO BE IN PLACE AND THERE HAS TO BE A METRIC. THERE HAS TO BE A METRIC. AGAIN, I'LL REFER BACK TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN. PLEASE, HILLSBOROUGH IS A WONDERFUL PLACE, AND THERE ARE AMAZING THINGS GOING ON HERE. BUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN HAS NO METRICS. IT HAS NO TIMELINE AND IT HAS NO CLEAR GOALS OF WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO GET THERE. IT IS A GREAT FOUNDATION, AND THERE ARE SOME PHENOMENAL STATEMENTS IN THERE THAT ARE GREAT BUILDING BLOCKS. MUCH LIKE WHEN WE DELEGATE TO LEADERS, THEY HAVE TO BE PROVEN. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT AUTONOMY IN LEADERSHIP, IT'S EARNED AUTONOMY. IT'S NOT JUST AUTOMATIC WITH A TITLE. SO

261THIS IS A PROCESS THAT HAS -- I'VE WORKED WITH MANY, MANY YEARS AS A PROFESSOR AT FAU, EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP FOR TEN YEARS, EDUCATIONAL LEADER FOR 17 YEARS, I KNOW, I LOOK A LOT OLDER THAN THAT. REALITY IS, I'VE BUILT THOSE LEADERS. THEY UNDERSTAND IT. BUILT A LARGE DIVERSE GROUP OF LEADERS THAT ARE IN DIFFERENT COUNTIES, AND THEY -- THEY, TOO, KNOW HOW TO LEAD. MANY OF THEM ARE ASSISTANT SUPES, PRINCIPALS, SO FORTH. THAT IS A MEASUREMENT THAT'S DIFFICULT, AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING TO MEASURE AGAINST THE SUCCESS OF EVERYONE IN THIS BUILDING THAT'S WORKING FOR KIDS, STARTING WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT. Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE THAT. Melissa Snively: OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL BE FROM BOARD MEMBER TAMARA SHAMBURGER. Tamara Shamburger: GOOD AFTERNOON, DR. LICATA. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE TO

262THE STUDENTS AND STAFF OF PALM BEACH COUNTY AND YOUR DESIRE TO LEAD HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH. KNOWING THAT CHILDREN OF COLOR HAVE PERFORMED CONSISTENTLY BEHIND OTHER SUBGROUPS IN OUR DISTRICT, WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE ARE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS? EXPLICITLY SHARE YOUR PLANS TO ADDRESS THE BARRIERS THAT YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED. Peter Licata: I'M GOING TO AMEND YOUR QUESTION, IT'S NOT JUST HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, IT'S EVERYWHERE. WE UNDERSTAND THAT. CHILDREN OF COLOR ARE BEHIND. I'M GOING TO BE REAL FRANK, ZIP CODES SHOULD NEVER DETERMINE THE OUTCOME OF A CHILD. IT DOES NOT DETERMINE THE HIGH ACHIEVING ABILITY OF THAT CHILD, BUT WE HAVE AS EDUCATORS ALL OVER PUT IN SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES INTERNALLY AND INSTITUTIONALIZED THEM TO WHERE WE HAVE LOW EXPECTATIONS FOR CERTAIN KINDS OF KIDS, USUALLY THOSE CHILDREN HAVE A COLOR OR AN ACCENT ON THEIR TONGUE. AND

263I'M BEING ABSOLUTELY HONEST. THAT'S WHY I AM IN THE POSITION THAT I AM IN, TO MAKE A CHANGE AND AN EQUITABLE CHANGE. WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS LOOK AT THIS. WE HAVE A SCHOOL DISTRICT IN PALM BEACH COUNTY THAT'S ROUGHLY THE SAME SIZE AS HILLSBOROUGH. 20,000 LESS. I KNOW 20,000 IS A LOT OF KIDS. THE SAME NUMBER OF SCHOOLS. DEMOGRAPHICALLY THE SAME. WE ACTUALLY HAVE MORE BLACK CHILDREN, LITTLE LESS HISPANIC AND LESS WHITE CHILDREN. SOCIOECONOMIC, MORE ELL AND MORE ESE. BUT TRADITIONALLY WE ARE AN "A" DISTRICT. WE HAVE THREE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE Ds. BECAUSE WE'VE MADE AN ATTENTIVE EFFORT TO PUT OUR RESOURCES IN THE PLACES WHERE THE STUDENTS NEED IT THE MOST. SOMEWHERE SOMEONE CONFUSED EQUALITY WITH EQUITY, AND WE GOT TO STOP DOING THAT. WE HAVE TO STOP DOING THAT. EQUITY MEANS

264PUTTING THE MOST INTO WHERE WE NEED IT THE MOST, NOT EQUALLY ACROSS THE BOARD. IF WE GET A BUDGET QUESTION COMING UP TO ME, I'M GOING TO ADDRESS THAT AS WELL WITHIN BUDGETS. BUT THE REALITY IS, OUR MOST PRECIOUS STUDENTS ARE THE ONES WHO COME TO US WITH A DISTINCTLE IN THEIR -- TWINKLE IN THEIR EYE AND WE SEND THEM HOME WITH A TEAR ON THEIR FACE. WE DO INSTITUTIONAL PROGRAMMING THAT HAS HURT OUR CHILDREN. PALM BEACH COUNTY DOESN'T DO IT PERFECTLY BUT WE ARE DOING A PROCESS WHERE WE HAVE DUMPED MORE RESOURCES INTO THOSE SCHOOLS AND NOT JUST PROGRAMS. DON'T GET ME WRONG WITH PROGRAMS. PROGRAMS ARE GREAT. PROGRAMS DON'T MAKE KIDS. HIRING MORE TEACHERS, THAT'S GOOD, BUT WHAT IF THEY ARE NOT QUALIFIED. YOU HAVE TO PUT SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS IN PLACE, AND NOT

265JUST BUYING THINGS. BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE A STANDARD TO MEASURE AGAINST, AND YOU MUST HAVE A TARGETED FOCUS FOR THE STANDARDS CHILDREN ARE NOT UNDERSTANDING. YOU CAN'T WAIT UNTIL THIRD GRADE. IF YOU'RE NOT DOING THINGS IN P AND K, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT THAT THIRD GRADE TEACHER TO DO? THAT THIRD GRADE TEACHER GETS MOSTLY CHILDREN OF COLOR AND TEACH THAT CHILD TO READ IN THIRD GRADE, THERE IS NO MORE RIGHT FIELD. WE IN EDUCATION HAVE PUT OUR WORST TEACHERS, NOT OUR STRONGEST TEACHERS, IN PLACES THAT THEY CANNOT SUCCEED. LET'S START PUTTING THEM IN FIRST AND SECOND BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT MAKING UP THREE YEARS IN THIRD GRADE AND NOT MAKING IT UP IN FOURTH GRADE OR FIFTH GRADE. START WITH EARLY CHILDHOOD. GUIDED READING. INTRODUCING THE STANDARDS IN FIRST GRADE. I UNDERSTAND THAT STRESSES SOME

266FOLKS OUT, BUT DO WE WANT KIDS THAT CAN'T READ AT THIRD GRADE OR DO WE WANT THEM TO READ AT THIRD GRADE? RESOURCES IN PK 1, 2, 3. NO MORE RIGHT FIELD. RIGHT FIELD IS WHERE MOST PEOPLE CAN'T CATCH THE BALL IN KICKBALL. I'D SAY BASEBALL BUT RIGHT NOW BASEBALL HAS A BLACK EYE. HISTORY, MY WORDS, EVERYTHING SPEAKS FOR ITSELF AND WHAT I'VE DONE IN PROVIDING EQUITY. I'M GOING TO HIT ON THAT A LITTLE MORE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT MAKES US BETTER AND GET US OUT OF THE DA RANGE. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL COME FROM BOARD MEMBER CINDY STUART. Cindy Stuart: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU. WELCOME TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. SO MY QUESTION, I, TOO, WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO CITE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF YOUR WORK. HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE DECISIONS

267THAT ARE UNPOPULAR WITH THE PUBLIC THAT ARE EDUCATIONALLY NECESSARY? Peter Licata: SO I'M GOING TO GET TO THE NITTY-GRITTY ON THIS ONE. THERE ARE TWO THAT OCCURRED IN THE LAST FOUR MONTHS. I'LL KEEP SOMETHING VERY CURRENT. I LEFT ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF CHOICE AND INNOVATION AFTER EIGHT YEARS TO SOMEONE WHO WAS MY SPECIALIST FIVE YEARS AGO. AND THE DIRECTOR WAS MY SPECIALIST SIX YEARS AGO. IT IS IN A PLACE WHEN I TURN THE KEYS OVER TO HIM A FEW MONTHS AGO, I SAID "MAKE IT BETTER THAN ME." AND IT WAS READY TO BE TAKEN OVER BY SOMEBODY ELSE. I WANTED TO BE BACK TO SCHOOLS. I WAS SUPERVISOR OF LEADERSHIP FOR YEARS BUT IT WAS TIME I GO BACK. WE HAD A SCHOOL ADVERTISE FOR A PRINCIPAL, VERY WEALTHY SCHOOL, LARGELY WHITE IN A VERY WEALTHY

268AREA OF TOWN. THE PARENTS OF THAT COMMUNITY PUSHED FOR A CERTAIN PERSON TO TAKE THAT SCHOOL OVER. THEY WANTED THAT PERSON TO TAKE OVER. BUT THAT PERSON DID NOT PERFORM THE BEST AND DIDN'T HAVE GREAT METRICS. THE PERSON THAT PERFORMED THE GREATEST WAS A WOMAN OF COLOR. IT GETS BETTER. I HAD A LOT OF PUSH-BACK AS A REGIONAL SUPERINTENDENT. IT WAS ONE OF MY FIRST PRINCIPAL PLACEMENTS. MY SUPERINTENDENT CALLED ME, DR. HE SAID YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, RIGHT? I SAID I UNDERSTAND. BECAUSE THIS PERSON WHO IS A PHENOMENAL INDIVIDUAL WORKED FOR ME AS A SPECIALIST IN CURRICULUM. SHE WAS A TURNAROUND ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT A TITLE ONE SCHOOL, ONE OF THE TOUGHEST HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE STATE. WHEN THEY CAME OUT OF THAT INTERVIEW, IT WAS CLEAR THAT THIS WONDERFUL PERSON, INTELLIGENT PERSON WAS

269READY TO LEAD A CAMPUS REGARDLESS OF THE MAKEUP OF IT. AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN INJUSTICE TO THE COMMUNITY TO PUT THE WRONG PERSON IN THERE. NOT SAYING ANYTHING AGAINST THE PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T GET THE JOB. IT WAS CLEAR THAT SHE WAS THE BEST. AND TO ME, THOSE ARE THE DECISIONS THAT MAKE SUPERINTENDENTS GREAT. WHAT IS BEST FOR KIDS BECAUSE THE NOISE DID NOT HELP, BUT THIS WOMAN IS DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB, AND I LOOK UP TO HER AND SHE WILL BE MY BOSS ONE DAY. I KNOW IT. I JUST KNOW IT. THAT IS A VERY DIFFICULT DECISION BECAUSE THAT AREA IS AND I CAN'T SAY IT OUT LOUD BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS PUBLIC. THAT AREA IS A VERY VOCAL, VERY STRONG GROUP, A GROUP THAT I'VE BEEN PRINCIPAL IN AS WELL, BUT

270THE RIGHT THING TO DO IS PUT THE RIGHT PERSON IN THERE. I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY LEARNED A LOT RIGHT THERE. DR. FANOY GUIDED ME THROUGH IT, BUT IT WAS DEFINITELY THE RIGHT THING TO DO AND SHE IS FLOURISHING. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. OUR NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM BOARD MEMBER KAREN PEREZ. Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. WELCOME, DR. LICATA, TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. THANK YOU FOR COMING HERE. AS YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SEVERAL MAJOR ISSUES THAT ARE AT A NATIONAL CRISIS LEVEL IN THIS NATION. THREE OF THOSE MAJOR ISSUES AFFECT OUR CHILDREN, NOT JUST NATIONALLY, BUT HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. AND THOSE THREE ISSUES ARE STUDENT DISCIPLINE, STUDENT SAFETY, AND OUR STUDENT'S MENTAL HEALTH. DESCRIBE YOUR BELIEFS ABOUT STUDENT DISCIPLINE, SAFETY, AND MENTAL HEALTH, AND PLEASE SHARE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES. Peter Licata: I'M GOING TO START WITH

271MENTAL HEALTH BECAUSE IT FLOWS MUCH BETTER THIS WAY. WE HAVE BUILT A SYSTEM OF WORKING ON THE EFFECT AND NOT THE CAUSE. AND AS MUCH AS I SUPPORT POLICE OFFICERS, WHICH IS AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT JOB IN OUR SCHOOLS TO MAINTAIN SAFETY, WHEN POLICE OFFICERS HANDLE DISCIPLINE, WE'RE WORKING ON THE EFFECT, NOT THE CAUSE. WHEN YOU BRING A PSYCHOLOGIST AND A BEHAVIOR SPECIALIST INTO EVERY SCHOOL, WHICH OUR LAST REFERENDUM IS DOING RIGHT NOW, SOME OF THE NUMBERS YOU SEE ARE NOT ACCURATE, WE ARE GOING TO ADDRESS PROBLEMS BEFORE THEY BECOME WHERE THE LAW HAS TO TAKE IT. WE ARE EDUCATORS. WE SHOULD KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH ALL CHILDREN. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A STORY ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE. I'LL MAKE IT QUICK. PRINCIPAL OF A LARGE HIGH SCHOOL. CLASS CHANGE, MIDDLE

272OF THE MALL, 2000 KIDS, WALKING BACK AND FORTH. I ASK A YOUNG MAN TO TAKE HIS HAT OFF. HE STARTS CURSING AT ME, BALLS UP HIS FIST AND LOOKING AT ME. I KNOW THIS YOUNG MAN. NOT A BAD KID. I ASKED HIM, BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR NEXT MOVE, WOULD YOU PLEASE CONSIDER GOING TO MY OFFICE AND WAITING FOR ME THERE? THE WHOLE SCHOOL STOPS, STARES AT ME. HE GOES, FINE, YOU'RE GOING TO SUSPEND ME, THROW ME OUT, WHATEVER. GET TO CLASS, GET TO THE OFFICE. SAID, TIMMY, WHAT'S GOING ON? HIS NAME WAS NOT TIMMY, BY THE WAY. I SAID THIS IS NOT YOU. SAID MY MOTHER'S BOYFRIEND VERY PHYSICAL WITH ME LAST NIGHT AND THREW ME OUT OF THE HOUSE SO I HAVE NOWHERE TO GO. IT WAS AT THAT POINT I REALIZED IF I

273CALL THE POLICE, HE DOESN'T GRADUATE BECAUSE HE WAS A 2.1 STUDENTS AND HE DOESN'T GO TO THE MILITARY WHERE HE'S SUCCESSFUL. I HAD A DECISION WHETHER IT WAS MY EGO OR THAT STUDENT'S SUCCESS. AND IT WAS IN FRONT OF 2,000 KIDS, 1500, WHOEVER WAS IN THAT HALLWAY, TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS. I'M SURE THEY SAID YOU LET THAT CHILD DO THAT TO YOU? I SURE DID. WALKING ACROSS THAT GRADUATION STAGE ABOUT THREE MONTHS LATER, HE WAS CRYING. I'M NOT CRYING. HE'S CRYING. WE HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS AS EDUCATORS BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE GRADUATION RATES, I GUARANTEE, I DON'T WHAT DISTRICT YOU LOOK IN, MOST OF THE KIDS NOT GRADUATING HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED AT LEAST TWICE. I GUARANTEE YOU. MOST OF THE KIDS HAVE BEEN REPEATING CLASSROOMS OR REPEATING GRADES, THEY HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED. I'M NOT SAYING

274THERE'S NOT A POINT WHERE YOU HAVE TO MAINTAIN A SAFE CAMPUS. IF YOU CONTINUALLY WORK ON THE EFFECT AND NOT STAY OUT IN FRONT OF IT AND CHANGE THE CULTURE AND KNOW THAT STUDENTS HAVE A CHANCE TO GO TO PLACES AND BE SAFE, BE SECURE, AND WHEN THEY HAVE AN ISSUE, SOMEONE TO TALK TO, A PROFESSIONAL. GUIDANCE COUNSELORS ARE WONDERFUL. THEY GET IT, BUT THEY ARE NOT LICENSED SOCIAL WORKERS. THEY ARE NOT LICENSED CARETAKERS. THEY ARE NOT BEHAVIOR SPECIALISTS. MOST OF THE TIME THEY ARE NOT LICENSED PSYCHOLOGISTS. THAT IS FOR CHILDREN, AND WHEN YOU HAVE MENTAL HEALTH, NOT MENTAL ILLNESS, NOT TO BE CONFUSED, WHEN A CHILD HAS GREAT MENTAL HEALTH, THEIR BEHAVIOR CHANGES. WHEN WE HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS, AND I'M GOING TO GET INTO THAT AND HOPEFULLY LATER, HIGH EXPECTATIONS, SINGLE-MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF

275DATA YOU EVER WANT TO LOOK AT FOR SUCCESS OF SCHOOLS. JOHN HATTIE HAS DONE IT EVERYONE HAS DONE IT. WHEN YOU THINK A CHILD CAN'T BE SUCCESSFUL, THEY WON'T. SO IF WE WORK ON THE FRONT END, MENTAL HEALTH, PROVIDING SOLID INSTRUCTION, GOOD PITCHING ALWAYS BEATS BAD OR GOOD HITTING. GOOD TEACHING ALWAYS TRUMPS BAD BEHAVIOR, ALWAYS. AND THAT'S WHERE WE'VE MISSED THE BOAT. WE WAIT FOR KIDS TO DO SOMETHING WRONG AND THEN ZAP THEM, STOP IT. IF YOU LOOK AT MY DISCIPLINE DATA FROM THE STATE, I DIDN'T PULL IT FOR YOU, MY FIRST YEAR AS PRINCIPAL, I THINK WE HAD ABOUT 40 TO 50 FIGHTS ON THAT CAMPUS BECAUSE I HAD JUST ARRIVED. THE NEXT YEAR, I THINK WE FINISHED WITH LIKE 8, BECAUSE KIDS KNEW THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO BE ANGRY. THEY KNEW THEY COULD

276GO SOMEWHERE AND TALK TO SOMEBODY. IT IS A CULTURE AND IT HAS TO START AT THE STOP. I THINK I LET YOU KNOW IN PROGRESSION. WE'VE GOT TO WORK AT THE FRONT END, MENTAL HEALTH, PROVIDING FOR STUDENTS, MAKING SURE THEY ARE TAKEN CARE OF AND THEY ARE SAFE AND THEY ARE CHALLENGED. THEN WE HAVE THE EASY WORK DOING IT AT THE END BY CONGRATULATING THEM INSTEAD OF ARRESTING THEM. IF YOU LOOK AT THE DATA I PROVIDE YOU, EVEN THE ACLU REPORT, WE HAD 36 PLACEMENTS WHEN I WAS OVER ALTERNATIVE ED LAST YEAR. EXPULSIONS, IF YOU LOOK AT IT. IT'S REMARKABLY LOW. WE TRY. WE'RE NOT PERFECT. BUT WHAT ARE WE DOING? WHAT ARE WE DOING? FOR THOSE THAT DID GO TO ALTERNATIVE ED, WE OPENED UP CTE COURSES FOR THEM SO THEY CAN GET INDUSTRY

277CERTIFICATION AND ACCELERATE THEIR LEARNING. WE'RE EDUCATORS. WE ARE EDUCATORS. LET'S DO WHAT WE'RE GOOD AT. STOP TRYING TO DO SOMETHING ELSE. LET'S EDUCATE THE KIDS. WE'RE MAKING IT TOO HARD. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. OUR LAST QUESTION COMES FROM BOARD MEMBER LYNN GRAY. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND WELCOME, DR. LICATA. EXCUSE THAT NEW YORK ACCENT. Peter Licata: THAT'S OKAY. Lynn Gray: I'M HALF ITALIAN, TOO, JUST SO YOU KNOW. GIVEN THE CHANGING DYNAMICS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION AND CERTAINLY YOU ARE VERY AFFLUENT IN THE FIELD WITH EXPERIENCE, SO DOES THE GROWTH OF THE CHARTER SCHOOL INDUSTRY. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE CRITICAL ISSUES IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, SPECIFICALLY LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY? Peter Licata: LOCALLY, LET'S GO WITH THAT. PUBLISHED REPORT ABOUT SOME OF THE LEGISLATION GOING ON RIGHT NOW THAT'S BEING TALKED ABOUT. THERE'S

278SOME GOOD STUFF IN THERE. ONE OF THEM BEING BRIGHT FUTURES SCHOLARSHIPS CAN'T BE TAKEN AWAY FROM A STUDENT WHO HAS COMMITTED A FELONY OR MAYBE PUSH IT AWAY. BOBBY POWELL OUT OF WEST PALM. LET'S PUNISH A CHILD REALLY GOOD IN SCHOOL WHO WANTS TO GO TO COLLEGE AND TAKE HIS MONEY AWAY SO HE'LL BE TRAVELING DOWN A BAD PATH. GREAT PIECE OF LEGISLATION. THERE ARE THINGS WE NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT. I'M NOT AGAINST CHARTER SCHOOLS. THEY ARE OUR STUDENTS. I'VE LED THE CHARTER SCHOOL DEPARTMENT AT PALM BEACH COUNTY FOR SIX, SEVEN YEARS. BEEN UP TO TALLAHASSEE AND FOUGHT AGAINST SCHOOLS THAT WERE NOT GOOD FOR KIDS AND WON, WHICH IS RARE. YOU KNOW WHAT? THERE ARE SOME CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT OUTPERFORM US. SHAME ON US. WE HAVE -- WE HAVE THE RESOURCES. AND IF

279THEY ARE OUTPERFORMING US, WHAT ARE THEY DOING DIFFERENTLY? SOMETIMES IT'S JUST ABOUT GEOGRAPHIC AREAS AND SOCIOECONOMICS. I'M NOT TAUGHT TALKING ABOUT A SCHOOL THAT -- WE SUPPORT THAT SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY TAKE CARE OF SOME OF OUR MOST PRECIOUS STUDENTS AND THEY DO IT BETTER THAN WE DO. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S THE PLAN, THAT WORKS. WHY ARE WE LOSING STUDENTS? ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE DONE ABOUT THAT IS OBVIOUSLY ENTERED INTO THE K-8 ARENA. MY PLAN OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS HAS BEEN TO PUT IN FIVE OF THEM. WE'RE BUILDING OUR THIRD ONE AS WE SPEAK AND DID PLANS ON FOR LAST WEEK. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT I SEE CHARTER SCHOOLS GREAT, WONDERFUL, AND I KNOW THEY ARE SERVING A PURPOSE, BUT LET'S MAKE SURE THAT SCHOOLS IN PLACE TO EDUCATE CHILDREN AND NOT TO STAY

280AWAY FROM CERTAIN KINDS OF KIDS. LET'S MAKE SURE OF THAT. NATIONALLY I WORRY ABOUT FUNDING. 46th IN THE STATE WE ARE. BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, PROBABLY 47. THAT'S NOT GOOD. THAT'S NOT GOOD AT ALL. HOW ARE WE DOING THIS? IF YOU START CUTTING BACK ADDITIONAL FTE AND AWARDED FTE, I'VE GIVEN YOU THOSE STATS, WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF MONEY, AND WE HAVE HARDER AND HARDER RESTRICTIONS ON US, AND WE BETTER BE -- WE BETTER BE VERY DELIBERATE IN HOW WE SPEND OUR MONEY. AND WE CAN'T KEEP THROWING IT INTO PROGRAMS THAT AREN'T WORKING OR TRY THIS OR TRY THAT. WE HAVE TO BE TARGETED AND SPECIFIC IN WHAT WE DO. WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY BUT WE WASTE A LOT OF MONEY. I'LL BE THE FIRST TO SAY THAT. I THINK THE BIGGEST

281CRISIS IS FIRST HOW WE FINANCE SCHOOLS. OUR SECOND IS, ARE WE SPENDING ENOUGH TIME EDUCATING OUR KIDS BEYOND THE CLASSROOM? ARE WE TELLING THEM WHAT THE REAL WORLD IS AND WHAT'S ACCEPTABLE AND WHAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE? AND ARE WE TENDING TO THEIR SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL NEEDS. IT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN BEFORE. LOOKING AT SOMEONE WHO DIDN'T KNOW WHAT SOCIAL EMOTIONAL MEANT WHEN I WENT TO SCHOOL AND THESE KIDS NEED TO KNOW WHAT IT MEANS NOW. TWO ISSUES, LEGISLATION THAT HURTS OUR FUNDING AND B, ARE WE DOING ENOUGH FOR SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING WITHOUT TAKING FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE? SOMETIMES LEGISLATORS ARE GOOD AT THAT. THE POT IS ONLY SO BIG. I THINK I ANSWERED THAT FOR YOU. DID I COVER THAT? FOR YOU? Melissa Snively: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THAT CONCLUDES THE QUESTIONS DIRECTLY FROM OUR BOARD MEMBERS. SO AT THIS

282TIME, BOARD MEMBERS, IF YOU WOULD TAKE OUT THE 90-DAY PLAN THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED TO YOU BY DR. LICATA, AND THIS WILL BE YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE ANY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PLAN THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE BOARD MEMBERS. Peter Licata: ABSOLUTELY. Melissa Snively: YOU'LL HAVE ABOUT THREE MINUTES TO DO SO. Peter Licata: IF WE LOOK AT THE 90-DAY PLAN, I COVERED A LOT OF IT WHEN I SPOKE. IT'S ABOUT MEETING WITH YOU AND FINDING OUT WHAT YOUR VISION IS. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE GLASSES. I DON'T USE THEM, BUT I NEED THEM TO SEE WITH. IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT GETTING OLD. SORRY. THE 90-DAY PLAN ADDRESSES SPECIFICALLY STARTING WITH A VISION. IT STARTS WITH THIS VISION AND ONE VISION. I'LL BE PERFECTLY CLEAR THAT THIS IS A 90-DAY PLAN THAT I PRESENTED. IT'S NOT A

28390-DAY PLAN THAT SHOULD STAY IN PRINT, BECAUSE THE 90-DAY PLAN SHOULD HAVE THE COOPERATION AND THE INPUT FROM YOU SEVEN. THIS IS A TEMPLATE. THIS IS SOMETHING I WOULD START WITH, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE EDITED TO WHAT YOU SEE IS IMPORTANT IN MY ROLE. BUT IT STARTS WITH MEETING WITH YOU. THEN IT STARTS MEETING WITH THE EXECUTIVE CABINET AND WHERE WE STAND. WHAT ARE OUR LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS RIGHT NOW? WHAT ARE OUR FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS? WHAT DO WE LOOK LIKE? WHAT'S IN THE RESERVE? WHERE IS IT SPENT? IS IT ALL IN RESERVE? AND THEN WE NEED TO LOOK AT THEIR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES. THERE IS NOT AN A-RATED DISTRICT THAT HAS MEDIOCRE LEADERSHIP. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN THAT WAY. A-RATED DISTRICTS HAVE GREAT LEADERSHIP, AND LEADERSHIP THAT IS PROVEN. LEADERSHIP THAT HAS SHOWN THEY CAN DO THE

284HARD STUFF, AND LEADERSHIP THAT IS ACCOUNTABLE FISCALLY WITH EQUITABLE PRACTICES. WE'D MEET FIRST WITH YOU, THEN WITH THE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP, AND THEN MEET WITH THE EMPLOYEE UNION GROUPS AND, CERTAINLY, AND CERTAINLY THE TEACHERS. WE KNOW THAT TEACHERS ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH. THEY WILL TEACH WHATEVER WE GIVE THEM TO TEACH, BUT WE HAVE TO SUPPORT THEM AND THEY NEED TO BE HEARD. AS WE MOVE THROUGH THAT PROCESS, IF WE GO TO NUMBER TWO, THAT'S WHEN WE BEGIN, OR ROMAN NUMERAL II, THAT'S WHEN WE BEGIN THE COMMUNITY WITH THREE MINUTES, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT SO I'M TRYING TO SKIM THROUGH IT. THE COMMUNITY AGAIN, I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE GO TO THE COMMUNITY, WE GO INTO THEIR HOUSE, WE GO ON THEIR TURF. THEY HAVE TO BE FREE TO SAY WHATEVER THEY WANT. AND WE HAVE TO

285TAKE AND LISTEN TO WHAT THEY WANT. BECAUSE AS WE DEVELOP A STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH IS DUE, WHICH IS GREAT TIMING THAT STRATEGIC PLAN BETTER ECHO AND REFLECT WHAT THEY GAVE US AND WHAT THEY SAID. WE ARE EDUCATORS, WE KNOW HOW TO EDUCATE. WE KNOW HOW TO MOVE KIDS THROUGH PROGRAM, THROUGH SCHOOL, BUT WHAT ARE THE NEEDS OF YOUR COMMUNITY? WHAT ARE THEY? WOW, THAT WAS A FAST TWO AND A HALF MINUTES. FINALLY, I TALKED ABOUT LOOKING AT THE CAPITAL, LOOKING AT THE OPERATION SIDE. TON OF EXPERIENCE WITH THAT, UNDERSTAND WE HAVE REFERENDUMS OUT HERE, BUT THEN WE HAVE TO LOOK AT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. THAT 90-DAY PLAN, ARE WE SPENDING MONEY ACCORDING TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN? ARE WE LOOKING AT TARGETED GOALS? FOCUS GOALS? ARE WE LOOKING AT WHY DOES HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY HAVE A 50% ACCELERATION

286RATE IN THIS DISTRICT WHERE MANY OF THE STUDENTS ARE NOT OF COLOR GOING IN THERE? WE HAVE TO FIGURE THAT OUT. Melissa Snively: FINAL THOUGHTS, PLEASE. Peter Licata: FINAL THOUGHTS, I'M COMING FROM A SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT COULD BE RELATED, COULD BE A FRATERNAL TWIN OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. COMING FROM A SCHOOL DISTRICT WITH 200,000 STUDENTS, SIMILAR DEMOGRAPHICS LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE, HIRE AN ELL, LITTLE HIGHER IN ESE, LESS WHITE, LITTLE MORE AFRICAN AMERICAN. OUR COMMUNITY LOOKS THE SAME. WE HAVE A COAST. WE HAVE AGRICULTURAL REGION. SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN, COMMUNITIES ARE PUSHING OUT. WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT IS WE ARE CONSISTENTLY AN A BECAUSE WE PUT SYSTEMS IN PLACE FOR THE STRUGGLING STUDENTS, FOR THE STUDENTS THAT NEED MORE ATTENTION, THE UNDERSERVED POPULATION. THOSE SYSTEMS JUST DIDN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. IT TOOK SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTOOD WHAT 200,000 KIDS

287LOOKS LIKE. I'M NOT COMING FROM OUT OF STATE WHERE THEY FUND DIFFERENTLY. I DON'T HAVE TO LEARN THE LOGISTICS AND HOW TO NAVIGATE THROUGH FLORIDA POLITICS AND FLORIDA STANDARDS. I'M NOT COMING FROM A DISTRICT OF 30 OR 40 THOUSAND STUDENTS LARGELY WHITE, BLACK, HISPANIC. Melissa Snively: I'M SORRY, DR. LICATA, YOUR TIME IS UP. Peter Licata: WOW, THAT WAS FAST. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR THE ENERGY YOU BRING, AND WE APPRECIATE THAT TODAY. DR. WHELAN WILL ESCORT YOU BACK OUT OF OUR AUDITORIUM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Peter Licata: THANK YOU. Melissa Snively: BOARD MEMBERS, WE WILL TAKE ANOTHER FIVE-MINUTE BREAK AND RECONVENE SHORTLY. [BREAK] Melissa Snively: ALL RIGHT. WELCOME BACK, BOARD MEMBERS. WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT CANDIDATE. DR. WHELAN. Marie Whelan: BOARD MEMBERS,

288DR. JAMES McINTYRE. Melissa Snively: WELCOME, DR. McINTYRE, TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY TO SPEND TIME WITH US, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR DESIRE TO LEAD OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND SO THE WAY IT WILL WORK THIS AFTERNOON IS WE WILL BEGIN WITH YOUR OPENING COMMENTS, WHICH YOU'LL HAVE ABOUT THREE MINUTES TO MAKE SOME INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS TO THE BOARD. EACH OF US HAVE A QUESTION WE WILL POSE TO YOU, WHICH YOU WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO ANSWER EACH QUESTION. IF THERE'S TIME FOR FOLLOW-UP QUESTION IN THE FIVE MINUTES A BOARD MEMBER MAY ASK A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION. THEN AT THE CONCLUSION OF BOARD QUESTIONS, YOU'LL HAVE ABOUT THREE MINUTES TO GIVE US A HIGH-LEVEL OVERVIEW OF YOUR 90-DAY PLAN, HIGHLIGHT YOUR PLAN. AS YOU CAN SEE IN FRONT OF YOU ON THE

289LECTERN, THERE ARE SOME LIGHTS THERE AS WELL AS LIGHTS UP ON THE SCREEN. THAT INDICATE WHEN YOU ARE BEING TIMED. THE GREEN LIGHT IS FOR YOUR TALKING TIME. THE YELLOW LIGHT WILL INDICATE THAT YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS LEFT TO WRAP UP YOUR COMMENTS AND THEN THE RED LIGHT MEANS THAT YOU HAVE RUN OUT OF TIME. ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? James McIntyre: NO, MA'AM. Melissa Snively: VERY GOOD. LET'S START WITH YOUR INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS THEN. James McIntyre: VERY GOOD. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOU ALL ABOUT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. MY NAME IS JIM McINTYRE. I'M DELIGHTED TO BE AN APPLICANT FOR THE POSITION OF SUPERINTENDENT. I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK A LOT ABOUT MY BACKGROUND AND MY QUALIFICATIONS,

290MY EXPERIENCE TODAY, SO I THINK WHERE I WOULD LIKE TO START IS JUST TO TELL YOU WHY THIS WORK IS IMPORTANT TO ME, WHY I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL STUDENTS HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH AND THE WORK THAT I HOPE THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO TOGETHER. IT'S A STORY OF MY FAMILY. STORY OF MY DAD, A STORY OF WHERE I CAME FROM AND WHY I AM SO PASSIONATE. ALL FOUR GRANDPARENTS IMMIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES FROM IRELAND. TO HAVE BETTER FUTURE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. PASSED AWAY IN HIS 30s OF A DISEASE CURABLE TODAY. THAT LEFT HIS WIDOW, MY GRANDMOTHER, FOUR CHILDREN, DAD AND THREE SISTERS, AND MY FATHER WAS ONLY SIX YEARS OLD AT THE TIME. IN THE MIDST OF THE DEPRESSION, HE FOUND HIMSELF THE SON OF A LOW INCOME IMMIGRANT, SINGLE

291MOTHER. IT'S NOT A UNIQUE STORY. IT'S A STORY THAT WE SEE A LOT HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH, IN FLORIDA, ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. SOME MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT THE DECK WAS STACKED AGAINST HIM, BUT WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE IN MY DAD'S LIFE, WHAT WAS TRULY TRANSFORMATIONAL FOR HIM, WHAT CHANGED HIS LIFE TRAJECTORY AND, THEREFORE, MY LIFE TRAJECTORY AND PART OF WHAT ENABLED ME TO BE HERE TODAY, WAS THAT HE HAD THE BENEFIT OF A GREAT EDUCATION. YOU SEE, TEACHERS WHO SAW GREAT POTENTIAL IN HIM, WHO HAD HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR HIM. WHO HELD HIM TO HIGH STANDARDS. HE HAD TEACHERS WHO TAUGHT HIM TO THINK CRITICALLY AND TO SOLVE PROBLEMS AND TO LOVE TO LEARN FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE. HE HAD TEACHERS WHO PUSHED HIM AND WHO SUPPORTED HIM. HE HAD TEACHERS WHO CARED ABOUT HIM,

292WHO PROVIDED HIM WITH OPPORTUNITY. HE HAD TEACHERS WHO TRULY LOVED HIM. AND THAT MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN HIS LIFE AND THEREFORE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN MY LIFE. NOW, HE HAD TO WORK HARD, OF COURSE, AS WE ALL DO. AND HE DID. HE WENT TO WORK AT THE AGE OF 9. HE ULTIMATELY WORKED -- 30 SECONDS. OH, GOODNESS. WELL, THAT'S NOT A LOT OF TIME TO TELL THE REST OF THE STORY. MY DAD LIVED A REMARKABLE LIFE. HE TRULY LIVED THE AMERICAN DREAM. RAISED SIX KIDS. HE WAS VICE PRESIDENT AT BOSTON COLLEGE FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, AND THE REASON THAT HE WAS ABLE TO DO THAT WAS THE POWER OF GREAT EDUCATION AND GREAT EDUCATORS. WHAT I HOPE FOR FOR ALL OF OUR CHILDREN HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH AND ALL OF OUR CHILDREN ACROSS THE

293NATION IS THAT CHILDREN WILL HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT MY DAD HAD, THAT HE WILL HAVE THAT BENEFIT AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, THAT THEY WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ACADEMICALLY SUCCESSFUL, THAT THEY WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ECONOMICALLY COMPETITIVE AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE PERSONALLY FULFILLED. THAT'S WHY I DO THIS WORK, THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME AND I HOPE WE'LL HAVE A GREAT CONVERSATION TODAY ABOUT THE WORK. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DR. McINTYRE. I KNOW THREE MINUTES GOES BY VERY FAST. James McIntyre: IT DOES. Melissa Snively: WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START WITH OUR QUESTIONS FROM EACH BOARD MEMBER. I'LL START FIRST. AS YOU KNOW, IT IS CRITICAL FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT AND BOARD TO HAVE A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP, TO BE PRODUCTIVE AND FOR THE SUCCESS OF STUDENTS. HOW

294WOULD YOU BUILD A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BOARD MEMBERS AND THE SUPERINTENDENT? AND PLEASE CITE EXAMPLES USING SOME OF YOURS OWN EXPERIENCES BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR BOARD MEMBERS. James McIntyre: YES, THANK YOU. SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT IN ORDER TO BUILD A GREAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP TO JUST BE REALLY CLEAR ABOUT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS. I WAS SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS IN KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE. KNOX COUNTY SCHOOLS, A DISTRICT OF ABOUT 60,000 STUDENTS FOR EIGHT YEARS. AND HAD I THINK A TERRIFIC WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH MY SCHOOL BOARD, WITH MY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS. OVER A PERIOD OF EIGHT YEARS, I HAD -- WE HAD SOME TURNOVER. WE HAD SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS COME AND GO. WHAT WE TRIED TO DO WAS BE REALLY CLEAR AND EX-EXPLICIT ABOUT EXPECTATIONS AND ROLES. TO THE EXTENT WE HAD A BOARD RETREAT

295AND SAT DOWN AND WROTE OUT -- SORT OF THE PARAMETERS OF WHAT OUR WORKING RELATIONSHIP WAS GOING TO LOOK LIKE. WHAT WERE OUR COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS GOING TO LOOK LIKE. WHAT DID IT LOOK LIKE WHEN WE GOT A COMPLAINT FROM A CONSTITUENT? HOW DID WE WORK TOGETHER AT BOARD MEMBERS -- EXCUSE ME, AT BOARD MEETINGS. AND WHAT WERE THOSE VARIOUS ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES? SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. I THINK COMMUNICATION IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. AND I THINK A WILLINGNESS TO WORK TOGETHER AROUND COMMON PURPOSE FOR CHILDREN. AND FOR ME, I HAD MY THREE MINUTES TO TELL MY STORY A LITTLE BIT EARLIER. I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS WORK. I THINK THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK WE CAN DO IS TO PROVIDE FUTURE OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS. SO I THINK FINDING THAT COMMON GROUND WITH BOARD MEMBERS IS INCREDIBLY

296IMPORTANT, TO KNOW EACH OTHER'S STORY, TO BUILD RELATIONSHIP SO THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO THE BEST PURPOSES AND THE BEST ENDS FOR OUR STUDENTS. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THE NEXT QUESTION WILL COME FROM OUR VICE-CHAIR, MR. STEVE CONA. Steve Cona: THANK YOU, DR. McINTYRE, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SERVICE YOU DO FOR THE FOLKS IN TENNESSEE AND OUR STUDENTS OVER THERE AS WELL. IN A LARGE DISTRICT LIKE OURS, COMMUNICATION PLAYS A VITAL ROLE. HOW WOULD YOU COMMUNICATE YOUR VISION OF A QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL STUDENTS WITH THE STAFF, COMMUNITY, AND THIS BOARD? PLEASE SPECIFY WHAT STEPS YOU WOULD TAKE. James McIntyre: THANK YOU, MR. CONA. YES, I AGREE, COMMUNICATION IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. I THINK IN ORDER TO BE EFFECTIVE AROUND COMMUNICATING VISION AND THE WORK

297THAT WE DO FOR CHILDREN, WHAT OUR GOALS ARE AND OUR EXPECTATIONS ARE AND WHAT WE HOPE TO ACHIEVE, I THINK IT TAKES REALLY MULTIPLE STRATEGIES IN ORDER TO DO THAT. CERTAINLY, WE WANT TO -- YOU KNOW, PART OF MY HOPE IS, IF I'M APPOINTED TO YOUR SUPERINTENDENT THAT WE WILL TAKE SOME TIME AND REALLY THINK ABOUT WHAT THE FUTURE DIRECTION IS FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. I KNOW YOU'RE FINISHING UP STRATEGIC PLAN THAT'S HAD SOME GREAT SUCCESSES. SO TO TAKE SOME TIME TO REALLY THINK ABOUT WHAT DO THE NEXT FIVE YEARS LOOK LIKE? WHAT IS THE STRATEGIC DIRECTION FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS? I THINK THAT BECOMES THE BASIS OF A LOT OF THE COMMUNICATION, AND IT HAS TO BE TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION. WE WANT TO SOLICIT INPUT. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING PERSPECTIVES AND

298VOICE FROM A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS IN THIS COMMUNITY. WE WANT TO DO SOME WORK TO ANALYZE AND SYNTHESIZE THAT. THEN I THINK WE WANT TO COME TO CONSENSUS AROUND WHAT THAT STRATEGIC DIRECTION LOOKS LIKE. THEN I THINK IT'S REALLY THINKING ABOUT HOW TO COMMUNICATE THAT IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS. AND THAT MIGHT BE CERTAINLY THE WORK THAT WE DO HERE AT SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PUTTING INFORMATION OUT ELECTRONICALLY, WEBSITES, AND LIKE. SOCIAL MEDIA IS ALWAYS AN OPPORTUNITY. BUT I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT, THE BOARD, FOR MEMBERS OF THE LEADERSHIP OF THE CENTRAL OFFICE AND ALSO FOR PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS TO BE COMMUNICATING THAT SAME MESSAGE OUT IN ALL OF THEIR VARIOUS NETWORKS, TO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE CERTAINLY AT THE ROTARY CLUB AND

299DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. BUT I RECOGNIZE THAT EVERYONE ACROSS THE DISTRICT HAS THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL, THAT TEACHERS ARE TALKING TO THEIR FRIENDS, TALKING IN THE GROCERY STORE ABOUT WHAT THE VISION IS FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. I HOPE THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE ACCOMPLISH FOR KIDS. I THINK IT IS A COMPREHENSIVE EFFORT. I THINK IT TAKES MULTIPLE STRATEGIES, AND I THINK FOR US TO BE ABLE TO REALLY COMMUNICATE WHAT'S IMPORTANT, WHAT ARE OUR HOPES, OUR ASPIRATIONS BUT ALSO WHAT ARE OUR PRIORITIES FOR EDUCATION AND HOW ARE WE GOING ABOUT ACCOMPLISHING THAT. IT IS A MULTIFACETED EFFORT. Melissa Snively: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL COME FROM BOARD MEMBER DR. STACY HAHN. Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU, MEMBER SNIVELY, AND WELCOME TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. WE APPRECIATE

300YOUR TIME TODAY. WHEN YOU ANSWER THIS QUESTION, PLEASE EXPLAIN YOUR ACTIONS THAT YOU WOULD TAKE IN DETAIL. AS SUPERINTENDENT, HOW WOULD YOU DELEGATE AUTHORITY WHILE MAINTAINING ACCOUNTABILITY? James McIntyre: THANK YOU, DR. SO, AGAIN, I GO BACK TO EXPECTATIONS. I GO BACK TO BEING A BIG FAN OF BEING VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT EXPECTATIONS WE HAVE, IN TERMS OF THE WORK WE'RE DOING FOR CHILDREN, WHAT EXPECTATIONS WE HAVE IN TERMS OF THE OUTCOMES WE'RE SEEKING AND THEN CIRCLING BACK AROUND THOSE EXPECTATIONS AGAIN AND AGAIN TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE. I SERVED AS THE SUPERINTENDENT FOR EIGHT YEARS. SO I HAD TO THINK VERY CLEARLY AND VERY CAREFULLY ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE. HAD TO THINK CLEARLY AND CAREFULLY ABOUT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, ABOUT LINES OF AUTHORITY, BUT THEN ALSO I HAD TO THINK VERY CAREFULLY ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE

301TALKING ABOUT, WHICH IS HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE YOU'RE HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE APPROPRIATELY. I THINK A LOT OF IT REALLY GOES BACK TO BEING VERY CLEAR AND VERY EXPLICIT ABOUT EXPECTATIONS. WHEN I WAS SUPERINTENDENT, I ACTUALLY TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO WRITE DOWN BOTH EXPECTATIONS AND COMMITMENTS THAT I MADE AS SUPERINTENDENT TO OUR PRINCIPALS AND TO OUR SENIOR STAFF. AND WE GOT TO A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE SORT OF KNEW THOSE EXPECTATIONS, CLEARLY TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY ALMOST SOMETIMES SAY, WELL, THIS IS AN EXPECTATION 11 MOMENT, ISN'T IT? THIS IS A MOMENT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO ALL COME TOGETHER AND GET INPUT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A FINAL DECISION AND THEN WALK OUT TOGETHER AND IMPLEMENT IT AS IF THAT WERE EXPECTATION 11. BEING VERY CLEAR ABOUT EXPECTATIONS. BEING VERY CLEAR UP FRONT ABOUT HOW

302WE'RE GOING TO DO THE WORK OF EDUCATING CHILDREN AND THEN CIRCLING BACK AND HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR DOING THAT ON A REGULAR BASIS. THAT'S I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF ACCOUNTABILITY IS BEING VERY CLEAR AND VERY UP FRONT. AND THEN FOLKS KNOWING WHAT THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES ARE AROUND ACCOUNTABILITY. CERTAINLY, YOU WANT TO PROVIDE SUPPORT, IF PEOPLE ARE NOT MEETING THE BENCHMARKS, AND THEN BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THE PROCESS LOOKS LIKE IF YOU HAVE TO GO BEYOND THAT. Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL COME FROM BOARD MEMBER TAMARA SHAMBURGER. Tamara Shamburger: GOOD AFTERNOON. WELCOME, DR. McINTYRE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE STUDENTS AND THE STAFF OF KNOXVILLE AND YOUR DESIRE TO LEAD HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. KNOWING THAT CHILDREN OF COLOR

303HAVE PERFORMED CONSISTENTLY BEHIND OTHER SUBGROUPS IN OUR DISTRICT, WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE ARE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS? EXPLICITLY SHARE YOUR PLANS TO ADDRESS THE BARRIERS YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED. James McIntyre: WELL, I THINK THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PRIORITY FOR ME. I HAVE ALWAYS LED WITH EQUITY AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE WORK I DO. I THINK WE SEE A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES IN SCHOOLS THAT ARE STRUGGLING AND SCHOOLS THAT SERVE UNDER SERVED POPULATIONS. I'VE WORKED IN THE STATE OF TENNESSEE RECENTLY WITH A GROUP TO DEVELOP A DOCUMENT CALLED LEADERS FOR EQUITY PLAYBOOK. IT SPEAKS ABOUT SOME OF THE MIND SHIFTS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN IN ORDER FOR FOLKS TO REALLY ADDRESS EQUITY ISSUES AND TO MOVE TOWARD A MIND-SET THAT ALLOWS FOR ADDRESSING SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE SEE AROUND SERVING STUDENTS OF COLOR AND LOW-INCOME STUDENTS.

304IT'S ADDRESSING SOME THINGS IN A REAL PRACTICAL WAY THAT HAVE SOME CHALLENGES TO THEM. CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM. MAKE SURE WE HAVE A DIVERSE TEACHING STAFF. MAKE SURE WE HAVE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO EXCELLENT TEACHING. MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ENGAGING COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE WORK. I THINK THAT THERE ARE CHALLENGES WE SEE IN SERVING STUDENTS OF COLOR AND STUDENTS FROM LOW-INCOME BACKGROUNDS. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS HAVE CULTURAL COMPETENCY. I THINK SOMETIMES WE DON'T. I THINK SOMETIMES WE SEE A MISMATCH AS I KNOW WE DO HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH BETWEEN THE DEMOGRAPHIC MAKEUP OF OUR STUDENT POPULATION AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC MAKEUP OF OUR TEACHER POPULATION. ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK WE CAN DO TO BRIDGE THAT GAP IS ENSURE THAT WE SEE, THAT WE PROVIDE SUPPORT AND TRAINING AROUND CULTURAL COMPETENCY FOR OUR TEACHERS SO THAT

305THEY CAN UNDERSTAND WHERE OUR KIDS ARE COMING FROM. THEY CAN MEET THEM WHERE THEY ARE COMING FROM AND THEY CAN ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE ISSUES AND CHALLENGES. FOR ME, EQUITY IS ABOUT ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF EVERY STUDENT WHERE THEY ARE AT. MAKING SURE THAT IF WE HAVE STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN TRADITIONALLY UNDERSERVED OR WHO HAVE GREATER NEEDS, WE'RE PROVIDING MORE RESOURCES, MORE SUPPORT, AND MORE FOCUS AND ATTENTION TO SERVING THE NEEDS OF THOSE STUDENTS. I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE WORK THAT WE DO. SOMETIMES THAT'S CHALLENGING TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY DO NEED TO INVEST MORE IN OUR ACHIEVEMENT SCHOOLS -- OUR ACHIEVEMENT DISTRICT SCHOOLS, FOR EXAMPLE. BUT I THINK IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO AND SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO MAKE A PRIORITY. I KNOW THAT

306YOU ALL HAVE HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL COME FROM BOARD MEMBER CINDY STUART. Cindy Stuart: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. WELCOME TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. SO MY QUESTION, TOO, WE'RE ASKING FOR YOU TO CITE EXAMPLES IN YOUR COMMENTS BACK TO US. HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE DECISIONS THAT ARE UNPOPULAR WITH THE PUBLIC BUT ARE EDUCATIONALLY NECESSARY? James McIntyre: SO THE WORK OF LEADING SCHOOLS IS CERTAINLY CHALLENGING. YOU KNOW THAT AS SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS. THIS IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT WORK BUT IT'S ALSO SORT OF A VOLATILE MIX OF YOUR TAX DOLLARS AND YOUR CHILDREN AND A LOT OF THINGS THAT YOU CARE A LOT ABOUT. SO I THINK WE DO HAVE TO BE TRANSPARENT. I THINK WE DO HAVE TO ENSURE THAT WE ALLOW THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE VOICE AND INPUT INTO ALL OF

307THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE. THEN I THINK WE HAVE TO MAKE THE CASE VERY CLEARLY FOR WHY WE ARE MAKING THE DECISIONS THAT WE ARE MAKING. WE HAD TO -- I'LL GIVEN A EXAMPLE, WE HAD TO DO -- I KNOW YOU'RE CONSIDERING SOME OF THIS IN HILLSBOROUGH. WE HAD TO DO A REDISTRICTING RECENTLY IN KNOX COUNTY SCHOOLS. NIGHTMARE SCENARIO. YOU DON'T TO HAVE TO MOVE KIDS FROM ONE SCHOOL TO ANOTHER AND ALL OF THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. WHAT WE DID IS WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME INVESTING UP FRONT IN COMMUNICATION, IN HAVING COMMUNITY FORUMS, IN HEARING FROM PARENTS AND TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ABOUT HOW BEST TO APPROACH THAT DECISION. AND THEN IT WENT VERY SMOOTHLY, SURPRISINGLY. FOR THOSE OF YOU INVOLVED WITH THAT WORK. AND IT WENT SMOOTHLY BECAUSE WE MADE THAT INVESTMENT UP

308FRONT, BECAUSE WE TOOK THE TIME TO LISTEN, BECAUSE WE TOOK THE TIME TO COMMUNICATE WHAT OUR PROPOSAL WAS GOING TO BE, BECAUSE WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AND TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE INPUT AND MAKE REFINEMENTS BASED ON INPUT, TO ACTUALLY HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THEN MAKE CHANGES TO OUR PROPOSAL BECAUSE OF THAT. AND THEN TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS ADEQUATE TIME FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR THAT DECISION, TO UNDERSTAND THE DYNAMICS BEHIND THE PROPOSAL WE WERE MAKING AND THEN FOR US TO GO AHEAD AND IMPLEMENT TO EXECUTE IT. I THINK THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE OF WHERE, BUT I THINK THAT'S THE MODEL FOR HOW YOU WANT TO MAKE DIFFICULT BUT IMPORTANT DECISIONS IS TO GET INPUT, TO BE TRANSPARENT, TO TRULY LISTEN, AND TO BE WILLING TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS IF THEY MAKE SENSE

309AND IF THEY'LL MAKE IT A BETTER PROPOSAL. AND THEN COMMUNICATE THAT AND IMPLEMENT WITH FIDELITY. Melissa Snively: OKAY. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL COME FROM BOARD MEMBER KAREN PEREZ. Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, DR. McINTYRE, IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. AS YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SEVERAL MAJOR ISSUES THAT ARE A NATIONAL CRISIS TODAY, AND THE THREE MAJOR ISSUES THAT AFFECT OUR CHILDREN NATIONALLY, BUT ALSO HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, ARE STUDENT DISCIPLINE, STUDENT SAFETY, AND OUR STUDENT'S MENTAL HEALTH. DESCRIBE YOUR BELIEFS ABOUT STUDENT DISCIPLINE, SAFETY AND MENTAL HEALTH, AND PLEASE SHARE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES. James McIntyre: SO THOSE ARE THREE VERY BIG ISSUES, AS YOU'VE MENTIONED. AND THERE'S A LOT INVOLVED IN EACH OF THEM. AROUND STUDENT DISCIPLINE, FOR ME, STUDENT DISCIPLINE IS ABOUT, AGAIN, BEING CLEAR ABOUT EXPECTATIONS, BEING CLEAR ABOUT

310WHAT BEHAVIORS ARE ACCEPTABLE AND NOT ACCEPTABLE, AND BEING CLEAR ABOUT WHAT CONSEQUENCES THERE ARE FOR UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIORS. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE CONSISTENT AROUND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF STUDENT DISCIPLINE. SO THAT IF WE CAN BE CONSISTENT, THEN STUDENTS WILL UNDERSTAND TRULY WHAT BEHAVIORS ARE APPROPRIATE OR INAPPROPRIATE. I THINK THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION, AND I THINK RIGHTLY SO ABOUT DIMINISHING AND REDUCING THE NUMBER OF OUT-OF-SCHOOL SUSPENSIONS. I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE, AND I THINK IT'S ONE THAT WE REALLY DO NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO A LOT OF WORK AROUND. IF KIDS AREN'T IN SCHOOL, THEY'RE NOT LEARNING. AND SO WE WANT STUDENTS TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE WITH US IN SCHOOL AND LEARNING. AND SO THAT'S BEEN A LOT OF, I THINK, IMPORTANT DISCUSSION AROUND RESTORATIVE PRACTICES AND POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL SUPPORTS. I

311THINK THAT'S ABSOLUTELY APPROPRIATE. BUT THAT CAN'T JUST BE WE'RE GOING TO SAY WE'RE GOING TO REDUCE SUSPENSIONS BY NOT SUSPENDING KIDS. IT REALLY DOES MEAN WE HAVE TO TRAIN OUR TEACHERS AND PUT IN PLACE THE PROGRAMMING AND THE SUPPORTS THAT TRULY ALLOW FOR RESTORATIVE PRACTICES TO TRULY TAKE PLACE OR POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL SUPPORTS TO REALLY TAKE PLACE. I THINK WE HAVE TO DO BOTH. I THINK WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE VERY -- THERE IS A LOT OF CLARITY AROUND EXPECTATIONS. THERE IS A LOT OF CLARITY AROUND APPROPRIATE BEHAVIORS AND CONSEQUENCES, BUT I THINK WE ALSO HAVE TO CONTINUE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE ISSUES. AND MS. SHAMBURGER TALKED ABOUT KIDS FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND KIDS OF COLOR AND LOW-INCOME KIDS WE SEE HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY, PARTICULARLY AFRICAN

312AMERICAN MALES ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY SUBJECT TO DISCIPLINE AND PARTICULAR SUSPENSION OUT OF SCHOOL AND WE REALLY NEED TO ADDRESS THAT. WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE WE PUT IN PLACE BOTH THE STRATEGIES, BUT ALSO HAVE THE DISPOSITIONS AND BELIEFS THAT WILL ALLOW US TO ADDRESS THAT APPROPRIATELY IN OUR DISTRICT -- IN YOUR DISTRICT. I'VE ALREADY APPOINTED MYSELF SUPERINTENDENT. I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME LEFT TO ADDRESS THE OTHER TWO, BUT SAFETY IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, OBVIOUSLY. HERE IN FLORIDA I KNOW IT'S TOP OF MIND RIGHT NOW. AS SUPERINTENDENT, UNFORTUNATELY, I'VE EXPERIENCED SOME OF THE CHALLENGES AROUND STUDENT SAFETY THAT I KNOW THAT YOU'RE GRAPPLING WITH HERE IN FLORIDA. MY FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL, MY FIRST YEAR AS SUPERINTENDENT, WE HAD THE FIRST SCHOOL SHOOTING IN THE HISTORY OF KNOXVILLE, THE HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY SCHOOLS, UNFORTUNATELY.

313A STUDENT SHOT AND KILLED ANOTHER STUDENT IN OUR SCHOOL. SO WE HAD TO REALLY DIVE DEEPLY INTO SCHOOL SAFETY AND STUDENT SAFETY. AND SO WE DID. WE MADE EXTRAORDINARY INVESTMENTS IN SOME OF THE PHYSICAL TOOLS AROUND SAFETY, VIDEO MONITORING SYSTEMS AND KEY CARD ENTRY AND FENCING AND DIFFERENT PHYSICAL TOOLS. WE INVESTED HEAVILY IN SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS AND SCHOOL SECURITY OFFICERS AND ARMED UNIFORM PRESENCE IN EACH OF OUR SCHOOLS. I KNOW THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE MOVING TOWARD HERE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. BUT I THINK PROBABLY MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE TRIED TO INVEST IN STUDENTS AND INVEST IN RELATIONSHIPS. I THINK THAT SPEAKS TO YOUR LAST POINT AS WELL AROUND MENTAL HEALTH. WHAT WE RECOGNIZED WAS THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY STUDENT IN EVERY SCHOOL HAD AT LEAST ONE DEEP CARING RELATIONSHIP WITH AN ADULT

314IN THAT BUILDING SO THAT THEY FELT COMFORTABLE. IF SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT OR IF THEY HAD INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR SAFETY AND SECURITY THAT THEY WANTED TO SHARE TO MAKE SURE THAT CONNECTION WAS MADE. WE FELT THAT WAS AN IMPORTANT SAFETY AND SECURITY, THAT WAS AN IMPORTANT STRATEGY. IN ADDITION TO ALL THE THINGS WE DID, IN ADDITION TO OFFICERS, VIDEO MONITORING AND ALL OF THOSE OTHER TOOLS, WE THOUGHT RELATIONSHIPS WAS REALLY AT THE HEART OF OUR SAFETY AND SECURITY EFFORTS. SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. AND THEN MENTAL HEALTH I THINK IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. I THINK THAT WE HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN A LOT OF OUR SCHOOLS TODAY. WE HAVE STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO TRAUMA IN WAYS WE COULDN'T IMAGINE YEARS AGO OR DECADES AGO. I THINK THAT WE NEED TO AGAIN MAKE SURE

315THAT OUR TEACHERS ARE EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH AND SUPPORT STUDENTS WHO HAVE HAD TRAUMA IN THEIR LIVES. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE TO SUPPORT STUDENTS' MENTAL HEALTH, AND I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE AN INVESTMENT IN THOSE RESOURCES TO ENSURE THAT STUDENTS ARE COMING TO THE SCHOOL BUILDING, COMING TO THE CLASSROOM READY TO LEARN, READY TO BE SUCCESSFUL. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU SO MUCH. OUR LAST QUESTION WILL COME FROM BOARD MEMBER LYNN GRAY. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND GOOD AFTERNOON, DR. McINTYRE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. GIVEN THE CHANGING DYNAMICS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION SUCH AS THE GROWTH OF THE CHARTER SCHOOL INDUSTRY, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE CRITICAL ISSUE -- EXCUSE ME, ARE THE CRITICAL ISSUES IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, SPECIFICALLY LOCALLY AND

316NATIONALLY. James McIntyre: YOU'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT CHARTER SCHOOLS. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT EDUCATION POLICY IN GENERAL? Lynn Gray: YES. James McIntyre: I TRIED TO OBVIOUSLY DO HOMEWORK AROUND THE FLORIDA CONTEXT OF EDUCATION AND CERTAINLY CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE I KNOW A PART OF THAT CONVERSATION. AND I THINK WILL CONTINUE TO BE. I THINK, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I'M NOT AFRAID OF CHARTER SCHOOLS, NOT NECESSARILY OPPOSED TO CHARTER SCHOOLS. IF WE HAVE CHARTER SCHOOLS, TO HAVE GOOD ONES TO SERVE CHILDREN WELL. IF THEY ARE BEING SERVED IN A PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL. I THINK THERE ARE A FEW OTHER AREAS THAT ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE SIGNIFICANT, BOTH LOCALLY AND STATEWIDE AND ACROSS THE NATION. CERTAINLY, WE TALKED ABOUT ONE JUST NOW, SAFETY AND SECURITY, MAKING SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE A SAFE, COMFORTABLE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT, IS A

317CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THE WORK THAT WE DO. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, AGAIN, SAFETY IS IMPORTANT IN ITS OWN RIGHT BUT ALSO AS A PREREQUISITE TO LEARNING AS WELL. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT STUDENT SAFETY AND SECURITY IS ADDRESSED. I THINK THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE AN ONGOING CONVERSATION AND IMPORTANT PRIORITY. I KNOW ALSO HERE IN FLORIDA AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT TEACHERS AND TEACHER SUPPORT AND TEACHER PAY AND HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ENSURE TEACHERS ARE SUPPORTED AND COMPENSATED AS PROFESSIONALS. I THINK THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUE. THE WORK THAT WE DO WITH CHILDREN EVERY DAY IS DONE BY TEACHERS. THE MAGIC HAPPENS IN THE CLASSROOM. THE WORK THAT WE DO IS THE TEACHING AND COCREATION OF KNOWLEDGE BETWEEN A TEACHER AND A STUDENT. SO WE NEED

318TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR TEACHERS ARE SUPPORTED. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY FEEL LIKE THEY ARE BEING TREATED AS PROFESSIONALS. I THINK TEACHER LEADERSHIP AND TEACHER COLLABORATION ARE TWO MORE ISSUES THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT AROUND MAXIMIZING THE BENEFIT THAT OUR TEACHERS BRING TO OUR STUDENTS. I KNOW YOU HAVE SOME HISTORY IN THE DISTRICT AROUND TEACHER LEADERSHIP, AROUND COLLABORATION, AND I THINK WE NEED TO -- NOT ONLY IN TERMS OF COMPOSITION BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE THE WORK IN THE CLASSROOM EVERY SINGLE DAY. I THINK TEACHER LEADERSHIP AND TEACHER COLLABORATION ARE TWO STRATEGIES TO HELP TO DO THAT. AGAIN, I GO BACK TO MS. PEREZ'S QUESTION OF MENTAL HEALTH. IT IS A HUGE ISSUE. WE SEE MORE AND MORE KIDS WHO ARE COMING TO SCHOOL WITH CHALLENGES, BE IT THROUGH THE

319OPIOID CRISIS AND HAVING HAD SOME EXPOSURE NEONATALLY TO DRUGS OR STUDENTS WHO ARE COMING TO US EXPOSED TO TRAUMA. I THINK THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE A MAJOR ISSUE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION. AND I THINK STANDARDS. I KNOW THAT IS A HOT-BUTTON ISSUE. YOU PROBABLY DON'T WANT TO HEAR ME SAY THAT RIGHT NOW. I THINK STANDARDS ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. THE STORY IN TENNESSEE HAS BEEN A GREAT SUCCESS STORY. AND THAT SUCCESS STORY IN TENNESSEE BEGAN WITH RADICALLY HIGHER ACADEMIC STANDARDS FOR ALL STUDENTS. WE DECIDED IN THE STATE OF TENNESSEE THAT IF YOU EXPECT MORE OF KIDS YOU'RE GOING TO ACHIEVE MORE. STUDENTS ARE GOING TO ACHIEVE MORE. THAT TURNED OUT TO BE THE CASE. I KNOW THERE'S LOTS OF CONVERSATION, EVEN HERE CURRENTLY, IN THIS MOMENT IN FLORIDA. I KNOW NEW STANDARDS ARE ABOUT TO BE

320REVEALED, AND I'M AGNOSTIC ON WHAT THOSE STANDARDS ARE CALLED. I'M AGNOSTIC ON WHERE THOSE STANDARDS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED, EXCEPT THAT THEY NEED TO BE DEVELOPED BY EDUCATORS, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE RIGOROUS STANDARDS. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT OUR STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO AND WHAT OUR STUDENTS SHOULD LEARN. I THINK WE SHOULD EMBRACE RIGOR IN OUR STANDARDS MOVING FORWARD. I THINK THOSE ARE SOME OF THE -- FOR ME, SOME OF THE KEY ISSUES. AND I THINK -- I HOPE WE'LL GET A CHANCE TO TALK MORE ABOUT TEACHERS, BECAUSE I THINK THIS WORK OF IMPROVING EDUCATION, THIS WORK OF EDUCATION REFORM AND ENHANCEMENT HAS TO BE DONE WITH TEACHERS AND NOT TO TEACHERS. I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT TEACHERS ARE COMPENSATED AS PROFESSIONALS,

321BUT I THINK THE ISSUE OF HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT TOGETHER AS EDUCATORS WE PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE EDUCATION TO CHILDREN I THINK IS AT THE CORNER OF OUR WORK. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES QUESTIONS DIRECTLY FROM OUR BOARD MEMBERS. NOW WE'D LIKE TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR 90-DAY PLAN. EVERY BOARD MEMBER SHOULD HAVE A COPY IN FRONT OF THEM. I KNOW IT'S ONLY THREE MINUTES, BUT IF YOU COULD GIVE US HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 90-DAY PLAN YOU WOULD REALLY LIKE US TO KNOW. James McIntyre: ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO YOU A POTENTIAL 90-DAY PLAN, 90 DAY ENTRY PLAN. YOU SHOULD HAVE IT IN FRONT OF YOU. MY THINKING ON THIS PLAN WAS PROVIDING THE STUDENT FOR ME AS A NEW SUPERINTENDENT TO COME IN, TO

322LISTEN, TO LEARN, AND REALLY TO GET TO A PLACE WHERE, AS YOUR EMPLOYEE, I WILL BE WELL VERSUSSED ENOUGH TO FACILITATE -- VERSED ENOUGH TO FACILITATE A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. THIS 90-DAY PLAN IS BEFORE YOU. AND ON PAGE 2, ON THE SECOND PAGE, WHAT YOU'LL SEE ARE WHAT I ANTICIPATE FOUR DELIVERABLES AFTER 90 DAYS. I WOULD ANTICIPATE AT THE CONCLUSION OF 90 DAYS, AFTER THIS PLAN HAS BEEN PUT IN PLACE, TWO THINGS. ONE, A 90-DAY REPORT WITH OBSERVATIONS, FINDINGS, ASPIRATIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. TWO, THE OUTLINE OF A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS TO DEVELOP A FIVE-YEAR SUCCESSOR PLAN FOR THE PLAN THAT YOU'RE FINISHING UP RIGHT NOW. THOSE WOULD BE THE TWO THINGS THAT I WOULD WANT TO ENSURE THAT I HANDED TO YOU AT THE END OF

323THE 90 DAYS. AND THE WAY TO GET THERE, I THINK THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT ASPECTS TO THIS. AGAIN, TOWARD THE BOTTOM OF PAGE 2 OF THE PLAN IS SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW TO REALLY ESTABLISH A PRODUCTIVE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. YOU KNOW, FOR A SUPERINTENDENT, THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP THAT I HAVE. YOU'RE GOING TO BE MY BOSS AND MY PARTNER IN THIS WORK AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, AS I STATED AT THE BEGINNING, CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP LOOKS LIKE, WHAT DOES COMMUNICATION LOOK LIKE, WHAT ARE THE VARIOUS ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. WHERE IS THE LINE BETWEEN POLICY AND VISION AND DIRECTION VERSUS WHAT THE SUPERINTENDENT DOES IN TERMS OF DAY-TO-DAY ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE DISTRICT? AND BE REALLY CLEAR AND EXPLICIT ABOUT THAT. THAT

324WOULD BE PART OF THE 90 DAYS. MOVING TO PAGE 3, WE WOULD TALK ABOUT -- I WOULD REALLY SPEND A GOOD BIT OF TIME LISTENING, DOING KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS, FOCUS GROUPS, TALKING TO CRITICAL STAKEHOLDERS. THERE'S A LIST THAT'S NOT INCLUSIVE THERE OF WHAT MANY OF THOSE STAKEHOLDERS MIGHT BE. I WOULD WANT TO DO A GOOD NUMBER OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS TO GET OUT AND TALK TO FOLKS WHO WEREN'T PART OF THE KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS. Melissa Snively: FINAL THOUGHTS. James McIntyre: AND ALSO SURVEY. AND THEN SCHOOL VISITS. ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE DOING SCHOOL VISITS. I THINK THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOM. THAT'S WHERE YOU GET TO KNOW WHAT'S TRULY HAPPENING IN THE DISTRICT. HERE'S MY COMMITMENT TO YOU IS THAT I WOULD VISIT ALL HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN

325THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF MY TENURE. I KNOW THAT'S AMBITIOUS BUT I WOULD WANT TO DO THAT. ABOUT A FIFTH OF THE SCHOOLS IN THE FIRST 90 DAYS. Melissa Snively: THAT IS YOUR TIME. James McIntyre: THAT'S MY TIME. OKAY. THAT WOULD BE THE PLAN. AGAIN, THE IDEA WOULD BE TO CREATE A FRAMEWORK FOR ME TO LISTEN, TO LEARN, TO UNDERSTAND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THEN CREATE A PLATFORM AND A FOUNDATION FOR US TO BE ABLE TO FACILITATE A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS FOR THE FUTURE. Melissa Snively: GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. WE APPRECIATE YOUR INVESTMENT HERE IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT TODAY, AND WE WILL GO AHEAD AND HAVE DR. WHELAN TAKE YOU BACK. James McIntyre: VERY GOOD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE THE TIME. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, BOARD

326MEMBERS, WE WILL TAKE ANOTHER SHORT FIVE-MINUTE BREAK. A REAL FIVE-MINUTE BREAK AND BE BACK FOR OUR FINAL CANDIDATE. [BREAK] Melissa Snively: OKAY. WELCOME BACK, BOARD MEMBERS. WE ARE NOW AT OUR FINAL CANDIDATE FOR TODAY'S INTERVIEWS. DR. WHELAN WILL ESCORT THE LAST CANDIDATE IN. Marie Whelan: BOARD MEMBERS, MR. HARRISON PETERS. Melissa Snively: WELCOME, MR. PETERS. WE ARE VERY THANKFUL THAT YOU ARE HERE TODAY. WE APPRECIATE THE TIME YOU'VE TAKEN AND THE DESIRE YOU'VE SHOWN TO LEAD THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT. WE WANT TO WELCOME YOU AND EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT OF HOW THE PROCESS WILL GO TODAY. THE FIRST THING WE WILL HEAR FROM YOU IS YOUR INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS. YOU WILL HAVE ABOUT THREE MINUTES TO SHARE THOSE COMMENTS WITH THE BOARD. THEN EACH BOARD MEMBER AFTER THAT HAS AN INDIVIDUAL QUESTION THAT HAS BEEN PREPARED. YOU'LL HAVE

327FIVE MINUTES TO ANSWER EACH QUESTION THAT THE BOARD POSES. IF THERE IS TIME WITHIN THAT FIVE-MINUTE ALLOTMENT FOR AN ADDITIONAL FOLLOW UP QUESTION, THEY MAY ASK AN ADDITIONAL FOLLOW-UP QUESTION. ONCE THE CANDIDATE QUESTIONS ARE FINISHED, WE'LL GO INTO YOUR 90-DAY PLAN, A VERY HIGH-LEVEL OVERVIEW BECAUSE YOU'LL ONLY HAVE ABOUT THREE MINUTES TO SHARE HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR 90-DAY PLAN WITH US. WE HAVE ALL RECEIVED A COPY OF THAT HERE AT OUR PLACES. AND SO YOU, OF COURSE, UNDERSTAND HOW THE TIMING WORKS HERE. YOU'LL SEE THE LIGHTS AND SCREEN ARE THERE FOR YOUR VIEW. THE GREEN OBVIOUSLY IS WHEN YOU HAVE TALK TIME. THE YELLOW WILL BE 30 SECONDS, SO FOR FINAL THOUGHTS, AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE RED WILL BE THE END OF YOUR TIME PERIOD. ANY QUESTIONS? Harrison Peters: NO, MA'AM. Melissa Snively: OKAY. WITH

328THAT, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING HERE, AND LET'S BEGIN WITH YOUR INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS. Harrison Peters: MADAM CHAIR, MR. VICE-CHAIR, DISTINGUISHED BOARD MEMBERS, MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY. I KNOW YOU ARE FACED WITH AN INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT SITUATION WITH PICKING THE NEXT SUPERINTENDENT OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. I ALSO GREATLY APPRECIATE THE OUTPOURING OF THE SUPPORT FROM THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND I APPRECIATE THE LASTING WORK OF MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE COME BEFORE ME, WHO HAVE PAVED THIS WAY SO I CAN HAVE A SEAT AT THIS TABLE. RECEIVING THE ENDORSEMENTS OF LOCAL AND STATE ELECTED OFFICIALS IS VERY HUMBLING, AND IT IS A TESTAMENT OF THEIR BELIEF IN MY ABILITY TO LEAD THIS DISTRICT. MY WIFE AND I ARE PARENTS IN THIS DISTRICT. OUR YOUNGEST

329IS A NINTH GRADER AT LENNARD. IF GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, I WILL LEAD FROM A PARENT'S PERSPECTIVE. BEFORE THE HOLIDAY BREAK, I WAS VISITING ONE OF OUR MOST FRAGILE SCHOOLS, AND I SAW THIS CLASS FOURTH GRADE WITH THE MOST AMAZING TEACHER POURING OUT HER SOUL TO THESE FOURTH GRADERS. WHAT STRUCK ME WAS THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THOSE FOURTH GRADERS WERE TAUGHT BY A CERTIFIED TEACHER. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT I VISITED THAT CLASS AS I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS CLASS FOR QUITE SOME TIME. THE THOUGHT THAT THESE STUDENTS STARTED THEIR EDUCATION IN MOST ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT YEARS OF THEIR LIVES WITH NEVER A CERTIFIED TEACHER IS UNBELIEVABLE. BUT WE CAN TALK ABOUT PROGRESS, BECAUSE THERE IS PROGRESS, BUT WE NEED TO MOVE FASTER. IN A FEW DAYS,

330WE WILL CELEBRATE THE BIRTHDAY OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING. AND ONE OF HIS MOST FAMED SPEECHES IN 1967, A YEAR BEFORE HE DIED, HE TALKED ABOUT THIS FIERCE URGENCY OF NOW. RIGHT NOW, 30-POINT ACHIEVEMENT GAP BETWEEN BLACK STUDENTS AND WHITE STUDENTS IN ELA IN OUR DISTRICT. RIGHT NOW, THERE IS A 25-POINT ACHIEVEMENT GAP IN ELA BETWEEN HISPANIC STUDENTS AND WHITE STUDENTS IN OUR DISTRICT. WE DON'T HAVE ANY TIME TO WASTE. WE CAN NO LONGER WAIT ON ADULTS. FOR ME, THIS PERSON -- THIS IS A PERSONAL CHALLENGE. I'VE HAD LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES OVER THE COURSE OF MY LIFE AND MY CAREER AND I WAS BLESSED TO HAVE PEOPLE IN MY LIFE TO HELP ME REACH MY FULL POTENTIAL. FOLKS IN MY FAMILY HADN'T GONE TO COLLEGE, MADE IT ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT THAT I HAD TO

331GO AND COMPLETE MYSELF. I'VE SEEN PEOPLE THAT I LOVE HURT, ARRESTED, AND GET LEFT BEHIND BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY THAT I DID. ACROSS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, THERE ARE KIDS LIKE ME. TALENT DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE BY ZIP CODE, BUT NURTURING OF EQUALITY DOES. I HAVE THIS INNATE BELIEF THAT ALL STUDENTS DESERVE A QUALITY EDUCATION. I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THERE IS EXCELLENCE HAPPENING IN THIS DISTRICT, BUT IT'S NOT HAPPENING ALL OVER THIS DISTRICT. WE'RE NOT DELIVERING EXCELLENCE TO EVERY STUDENT, AND WE MUST. I WILL PROPOSE THAT WE ARE HYPERFOCUSSED ON THREE THINGS: RAISING THE ACHIEVEMENT FOR ALL STUDENTS, CONTINUING TO PUSH GRADUATION RATE, AND CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MR. PETERS. ALL RIGHT. BOARD MEMBERS, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND BEGIN WITH OUR INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS. I'LL START. MR. PETERS, IS IT

332OBVIOUSLY CRITICAL FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT AND BOARD MEMBERS TO HAVE A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP IN ORDER TO BE PRODUCTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL FOR STUDENTS IN OUR DISTRICT. HOW WOULD YOU BUILD A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BOARD -- BETWEEN THE BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT? PLEASE CITE SOME EXAMPLES USING SOME OF YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH BOARD MEMBERS BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS. Harrison Peters: YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. QUITE FRANKLY, I LOOK AT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT LIKE A CAR, A VEHICLE. THE BOARD OWNS THE CAR. I WOULD HOPE AS SUPERINTENDENT THAT YOU WOULD ENTRUST THE KEYS WITH ME AND WITH ENTRUSTING THE KEYS TO THE CAR, YOU WANT TO KNOW WHERE I'M GOING, WHO I'M GOING WITH, HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE, AND WHEN WE GET THERE. WHAT I'VE ALSO LEARNED IS NOT A SINGLE BOARD MEMBER

333I'VE EVER WORKED WITH LIKES SURPRISES, SO I THINK COMMUNICATION IS CRITICAL. WE HAVE TO LEVERAGE OUR TIME WHEN WE HAVE OUR ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS. I WOULD ALSO ASK THAT WITHIN MY FIRST 90 DAYS THAT WE WOULD HAVE A RETREAT SO WE COULD HAVE COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS AND ESTABLISH A WAY OF WORK. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE COMMUNICATION AND TALK ABOUT WHO GETS OUT IN FRONT OF WHAT. THERE ARE TIMES WHERE THE BOARD MEMBER, THE BOARD CHAIR WILL LEAD AND THERE ARE TIMES THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT WILL STAND AND HAVE TO FACE THE MUSIC AND ALSO REPRESENT THE DISTRICT. THOSE ARE VERY CRITICAL TIMES BECAUSE THOSE ISSUES COME AND GO. ALSO, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT BOARD MEMBERS ARE PREPARED. YOU'VE GOT TO GO BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITIES AND POLITICALLY MAP A LITMUS TEST DECISIONS WE'RE

334ABOUT TO MAKE. ENSURE CLEAR COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS THAT WE'RE EXERCISING OUR OPPORTUNITIES WHEN WE HAVE OUR ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS AND THEN THERE IS A PROTOCOL AND A FRAMEWORK IN PLACE THAT WE CAN HAVE A CLEAR WAY OF WORK. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. WE'LL MOVE TO OUR NEXT BOARD MEMBER. VICE-CHAIR STEVE CONA. Steve Cona: HEY, CHIEF. SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT. Harrison Peters: FELT LIKE I WAS IN THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE ALL DAY. Steve Cona: THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE IN OUR DISTRICT AND WHAT YOU DO FOR OUR KIDS. MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, OBVIOUSLY, IN A LARGE DISTRICT LIKE OURS, COMMUNICATION PLAYS A VITAL ROLE. HOW WOULD YOU COMMUNICATE YOUR VISION FOR A QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL KIDS, WITH THE STAFF, WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THIS BOARD? IF YOU COULD PLEASE SPECIFY WHAT STEPS YOU WOULD TAKE.

335Harrison Peters: THE FIRST THING WE WOULD DO IS WORK WITH THE STAFF, THE COMMUNITY AND THE BOARD AND DEFINE QUALITY EDUCATION. WE'VE GOT TO BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THAT. THE SECOND PIECE IS AFTER WE DEFINE A QUALITY EDUCATION, THE COMMUNITY AND THE BOARD WANTS A SUPERINTENDENT THAT'S VISIBLE. SO YOU HAVE TO LIVE THE QUALITY EDUCATION. YOU HAVE TO LIVE THE VISION. WE'VE ALSO GOT TO WORK THROUGH BRANDING. WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY CAN GET BEHIND. ARE WE SIMPLE IN OUR BRANDING? THE OTHER PIECE IS WE'VE GOT TO MODEL THAT, AND IT HAS TO BE IN THE DRINKING WATER, IN THE FIBER, IN THE TAPESTRY OF OUR DISTRICT WE BELIEVE. AND IF WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT VISION LOOKS LIKE, EVERYTHING THAT WE DO AND EVERYTHING THAT WE SAY

336HAS TO ALIGN TO THAT. WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT WE MEASURE, WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT WE TEACH, WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW WE MEASURE, WHEN WE LOOK AT WHO WE HIRE AND HOW WE HIRE, IT ALL HAS TO BE ENVELOPED IN THAT VISION. SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS, I THINK IT BECOMES JUST AN ORGANIZATION IMPERATIVE. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE VISION, THE BOARD STRATEGIC PLAN GUIDES THE WORK OF THE DISTRICT. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL BE FROM BOARD MEMBER DR. STACY HAHN. Stacy Hahn: GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. PETERS. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH US AND FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. PLEASE EXPLAIN THE ACTIONS YOU WOULD TAKE IN DETAIL WHEN YOU ANSWER THIS QUESTION. AS SUPERINTENDENT, HOW WOULD YOU DELEGATE AUTHORITY WHILE MAINTAINING ACCOUNTABILITY? Harrison Peters: SO

337DELEGATING AUTHORITY WHILE MAINTAINING ACCOUNTABILITY. THE FIRST THING YOU DO, DR. HAHN, YOU'VE GOT TO GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE ON THE BUS, IN THE RIGHT SEATS, GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. I ALSO BELIEVE IN STRENGTH-BASED LEADERSHIP. YOU ASSESS AND FIND OUT THE STRENGTH OF YOUR PEOPLE AND YOU ASSIGN THEM DUTIES ACCORDING TO THOSE STRENGTHS. I'M REMINDED OF A TIME WHEN I WAS TRANSITIONING TO CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS THE CHIEF OF SCHOOLS AND ONE OF THE RIGHTS OF PASSAGE IS EVERYONE GOES GET TO MEET THE MAYOR. THE MAYOR HAD MAYORAL CONTROL OVER CHICAGO SCHOOLS FOR A LONG TIME. AND MAYOR DALY WAS IN POWER. I REMEMBER WALKING WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT AND HE SAID, IF HE FIRES YOU, YOU'RE NOT FIRED. I WAS LIKE, I NEVER MET THIS GUY. JUST MOVED TO CHICAGO. WE'RE SITTING IN THIS DARK

338ROOM AND THE SUPERINTENDENT SAYS, MAYOR, THIS IS HARRISON PETERS. HE'S FROM CHARLOTTE. HE'S DONE GOOD WORK. WE'RE EXCITED, WE THINK HE'S GOING TO DO GREAT THINGS FOR KIDS. THE MAYOR NEVER LOOKED UP. KEPT LOOKING AT THE PAPER AND JUST GRUNTED. THEN HE INTRODUCED ONE OF MY COUNTERPARTS WHO HAD BEEN WITH THE DISTRICT ABOUT A YEAR. MAYOR, THIS IS SALLY, SHE'S ALSO DONE GREAT WORK. SHE'S BEEN HERE ABOUT TEN MONTHS AND SHE'S ALREADY FIRED TEN PRINCIPALS. OH, MY GOD, THE MAYOR JUMPS UP AND STARTS CLAPPING, FIRE ALL THEIR BUTTS. SO YOU WOULD IMAGINE AS A BRAND-NEW CHIEF OF SCHOOL, I WANT THAT AFFIRMATION, TOO, FROM THE MAYOR, THE MOST POWERFUL PERSON IN THE CITY. WHAT DO I DO, I GO ON A TERMINATION TEAR AND I START TO FIRE PEOPLE. I QUICKLY REALIZED THAT THE PEOPLE

339I HIRED, DR. HAHN, WEREN'T ANY MORE EQUIPPED THAN THE PEOPLE I FIRED. THE BIGGEST LESSON THAT I'VE LEARNED IN THAT IS HOLDING FOLKS ACCOUNTABLE IS VERY EASY, BUT DEVELOPING, MENTORING, SUPPORTING FOLKS, THAT'S WHERE THE REAL WORK STARTS. IT'S NOT A PROBLEM HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE. THAT'S RED, YELLOW, GREEN. EITHER WE MAKE THE NUMBERS OR WE DON'T. BUT BEING ABLE TO DEVELOP PEOPLE, BECAUSE WHAT I HAD TO DO WAS LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND SAY DID I DO EVERYTHING THAT I COULD AS A MANAGER TO ENSURE THAT YOU HAD THE TOOLS TO BE SUCCESSFUL. AND IT HAS LITERALLY CHANGED MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE. SO HOLDING FOLKS ACCOUNTABLE WHILE DELEGATING IS WE'VE GOT TO FIND THEIR STRENGTHS. WE'VE GOT TO PUT THEM IN SITUATIONS WHERE THEY'VE GOT TO BE SUCCESSFUL. WE CANNOT DENY THE FACT THAT THERE NEEDS TO

340BE DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT ALONG THAT WAY. AND THEN AS WE AGREE AND SET GOALS, EXPECTATIONS, THEN WE JUST HOLD FOLKS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT, BUT THAT'S THE EASY PART. Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL BE FROM MEMBER TAMARA SHAMBURGER. Tamara Shamburger: GOOD AFTERNOON, CHIEF. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO THE STUDENTS AND THE STAFF HERE AT THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND YOUR DESIRE TO LEAD WITH A HIGHER IMPACT. KNOWING THAT CHILDREN OF COLOR HAVE PERFORMED CONSISTENTLY BEHIND OTHER SUBGROUPS IN OUR DISTRICT, WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE ARE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS, EXPLICITLY SHARE YOUR PLANS TO ADDRESS THE BARRIERS THAT YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED. Harrison Peters: WHEN I WALKED INTO CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THE SCHOOLS THAT I INHERITED, THE AVERAGE A.C.T. SCHOOL AT THE HIGH SCHOOLS WAS A

34114.8. WHEN I WALK OUT OF THE DOOR AND WAS RECRUITED TO HOUSTON, IT WAS AN 18.3. WE KNOW THAT AN 18.3 ISN'T NECESSARILY WHERE YOU WANT KIDS TO BE BUT IT GIVES THEM HOPE AND OPPORTUNITY. IN MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, THE AVERAGE STUDENT WAS BEHIND TWO TO THREE YEARS IN READING AND MATH. RECENTLY, THERE'S A STUDY, AND IT'S IN THE BACK OF MY ENTRY PLAN, INDEPENDENT STUDY BY STANFORD UNIVERSITY THAT TALKS ABOUT THE 1.5 YEARS OF GROWTH YEAR OVER YEAR FOR THE STUDENTS THAT WE SERVED IN CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN READING AND MATH DURING THE YEARS OF 2010 TO 2015, THE YEARS -- WHEN I LEFT CHICAGO, I INHERITED 50 HIGH SCHOOLS. 11 OF WHICH WERE ON PROBATION. TWO YEARS LATER, WE ONLY HAD THREE. LET US NOT FORGET JUST A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN I

342STARTED WORKING WITH THIS DISTRICT, WE HAD 14 F SCHOOLS. TODAY, WE'VE GOT FOUR. NOW, LET ME BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THAT, I'M NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT. I KNOW THE BOARD ISN'T, BUT THERE'S WORK GOING ON. WHEN YOU GET THE RESULTS, PEOPLE CRITICIZE AND THEY NOTICE. IT'S A GAME CHANGER FOR KIDS BUT IT ALSO GETS YOU A SEAT AT VERY INTERESTING TABLES. NOT TOO LONG AGO, I WAS INVITED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE GOVERNOR -- A GOVERNOR, NOT OUR GOVERNOR. AND THIS GOVERNOR ASKED ME THE EXACT SAME QUESTION AROUND THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP, WHAT IS IT? HOW DO YOU SOLVE FOR IT? HOW DO YOU ELIMINATE IT? I SAID, GOVERNOR, YOU'RE AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL, SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO SCHOOLS, BECAUSE AT YOUR LEVEL, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE HOUSING

343GAP, THE INCOME GAP AND THE WAGE GAP. NOW, THEY PLAY A STRONG ROLE IN THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP, BUT I WANT TO GO BACK TO THAT CLASSROOM THAT I VISITED WHERE THEY WERE IN THE FOURTH GRADE AND HAD A CERTIFIED TEACHER FOR THE FOURTH TIME. WHEN YOU UNPACK THOSE STUDENTS, WHAT YOU SEE, YOU SEE FOUR THINGS. ACCESS TO A QUALITY, HIGHLY SKILLED TEACHER. YOU SEE GREAT LEADERSHIP IN THE BUILDING. YOU SEE A CURRICULUM THAT'S CULTURALLY SENSITIVE AND RESPONSIVE. YOU ALSO SEE A SYSTEM OF SUPPORTS AND ACCOUNTABILITY. AND I TOLD THE GOVERNOR, IF YOU GET THOSE THINGS RIGHT, THEN YOU'RE PUTTING YOUR SCHOOLS ON A PATH FOR SUCCESS. WHEN I LOOK AT OUR SCHOOLS, I THINK THAT'S THE LESSON THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE, BUT I ALSO WANT TO COMMEND THE BOARD, BECAUSE YOU'VE TAKEN SOME BRAVE

344STEPS, TOO, TO ELIMINATE THE GAP. WHEN YOU STOOD ON THE HILL AND YOU SAID NO LONGER ARE WE GOING TO HAVE A ZERO TOLERANCE DISCIPLINE POLICY, THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTS STUDENTS OF COLOR, THAT'S A STEP TOWARD THAT. WHEN YOU SAY WE'RE NO LONGER GOING TO -- WE'RE GONNA HAVE A RACIAL EQUITY POLICY THAT CALLS OUGHT SYSTEMIC RACISM, THAT IS A STEP TO CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP. WHEN YOU PUSH PBIS LEADER IN ME, SAFE AND CIVIL SCHOOLS, WHEN YOU PUSH START WITH HELLO, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO TOUCH CHILDREN IN OUR MOST NEEDY SCHOOLS. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CLOAPG THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP, IT'S THOSE FOUR LEVERS THAT I STRONGLY BELIEVE IN. YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE GREAT TEACHERS. YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE GREAT TALENT MANAGEMENT. GREAT LEADERSHIP, SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND A CULTURALLY RICH CURRICULUM

345THAT KIDS CAN BUY INTO. I'M AN OLD MAN AND YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER CANTERBURY TALES AND BEOWULF IN HIGH SCHOOL. I'VE NEVER HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THEM IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. I APPRECIATE THOSE GENRES, BUT THEY ARE JUST NOT REAL UP FOR KIDS. I KNOW I'LL GET IN TROUBLE WITH MY 12th GRADE ENGLISH TEACHER BUT THE REALITY IS WE HAVE TO BRING THINGS TO THE TABLE THAT STUDENTS CAN RELATE TO. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL BE FROM MEMBER CINDY STUART. Cindy Stuart: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. WELCOME, CHIEF. SO MY QUESTION, WE ARE ASKING THAT YOU CITE ACTUAL EXAMPLES IN YOUR ANSWER. HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE DECISIONS THAT ARE UNPOPULAR WITH THE PUBLIC BUT WE KNOW ARE GENERATIONAL NECESSARY? Harrison Peters: SO ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT DECISIONS WE'VE HAD TO MAKE WAS TO

346CLOSE 51 SCHOOLS AT ONE TIME IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO. AT THE TIME, THEY WERE SIGNIFICANTLY UNDERPERFORMING, SIGNIFICANTLY UNDER CAPACITY, AND IT JUST BECAME A STRAIN ON THE SYSTEM TO KEEP SCHOOLS OPEN THAT WERE 30% CAPACITY AND UNDERPERFORMING. YOU DON'T CLOSE 51 SCHOOLS WITHOUT OPPOSITION. YOU DON'T CLOSE 51 SCHOOLS WITHOUT GETTING -- BUT WHAT WE DID COMMIT TO WAS A VERY DEEP, RICH, ONE-YEAR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY. NOT ONLY DID THAT STRATEGY INCLUDE THE PUBLIC, BUT IT INCLUDED THE PRINCIPALS, THE MINISTERS, THE ECONOMIC COUNCILS, BECAUSE WHAT YOU ALSO HAVE, YOU'VE GOT TO THINK OPERATIONALLY. YOU JUST MOTHBALLED 51 SCHOOLS, SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THOSE? IT WAS A THREE TIER STRATEGY, ENGAGE THE LOCAL ALDERMEN, THE MANY MAYORS OF EACH AREA, HOW DO WE RESPECT THE SYMBOLISM OF WHAT SCHOOLS REPRESENT? BECAUSE IN

347COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, IN ALL COMMUNITIES, SCHOOLS, WHEN IT'S GENERATIONAL, MY MOM WENT TO THE SCHOOL, DAT WENT THE SCHOOL, THERE IS AN ATTACHMENT TO THE SCHOOL. HOW DO YOU RESPECT THAT, GO INTO THE CHURCHES, THE FRATERNITIES, THE FOLKS THAT SERVE THE SCHOOLS AND SAY, HEY, WE NEED YOU TO PARTNER WITH US? I THINK THE SECOND PIECE IS CONTINUING THAT MESSAGE AND TALKING TO CHILDREN SAYING YOU'RE GOING TO BE SAFE. SO ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECES THAT WE DID WITH THAT CLOSING IS WE BUILT IN CULTURAL INTEGRATION PLANS, BECAUSE THERE IS, WHEN YOU ARE USED TO GOING TO SCHOOLS AND YOU'RE IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE DEEPLY TRAUMATIZED WITH VIOLENCE, ANY TYPE OF CHANGE CAN SET KIDS OFF. SO THOSE CULTURAL INTEGRATION PLANS WERE DESIGNED FOR ONE ENTIRE YEAR WHERE WE DEVELOPED PEN PALS. IF YOU'RE

348GOING TO TRANSITION TO THE SCHOOL AROUND THE CORNER, LET'S BEGIN TO HAVE FIELD TRIPS TOGETHER, BECAUSE MANY OF THOSE STUDENTS HAD TO CROSS GANG LINES TO GO TO NEW SCHOOLS. SAFE PASSAGE, ONE OF THE BIGGEST PIECE OF RESEARCH IS STUDENTS DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE TALKING WITH SCHOOL. IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE CITY OF CHICAGO, THERE'S NO BUSES. IT'S ALL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. SO WE WORKED WITH CITY OFFICIALS TO DEVELOP SAFE PASSAGE ROUTES TO SCHOOL. CITY OFFICIALS, FIREMEN, POLICEMEN, COUNTY WORKERS LINE THE FIELDS WITH SAFETY VESTS AND RADIOS SO KIDS WOULD KNOW THEY WOULD HAVE A SAFE PASSAGE TO SCHOOL. THAT WAS REALLY, REALLY TOUGH. AND IT TOOK YEARS OF ENGAGEMENT. WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT COMMUNITIES RESPECT YOU WHEN THEY ARE AT THE TABLE WITH THE DECISION. THE SECOND PIECE IS I THINK THE WORK THAT

349WE'VE DONE RIGHT HERE IN OUR DISTRICT WITH THE INTERNAL OPERATORS. WE KNEW A FEW YEARS AGO THAT WE WERE FACED WITH VERY DIFFICULT DECISIONS. THE STATE GAVE US THREE OPTIONS. CLOSE THE SCHOOL, CHARTERIZE IT OR LET AN EXTERNAL OPERATOR TAKE OVER. WE WENT TO THE COMMUNITY WITH THOSE OPTIONS, AND WE SAID THIS IS THE HAND THAT WE'VE DEALT, HOW CAN WE WORK TOGETHER? THE COMMUNITY HAD A FEW DEMANDS. WE WANT TO BE A PART OF THE PROCESS. WE WANT TO HELP WRITE THE RFP TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE EXTERNAL OPERATOR, AND WE WANT TO BE ON THE COMMISSION TO SELECT THE EXTERNAL OPERATOR. WE WERE ABLE TO CHECK THE BOX IN ALL OF THOSE AREAS. QUITE FRANKLY, IT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST TEDIOUS, SENSITIVE PROCESSES THAT WE GOT THROUGH UNSCATHED AS POSSIBLE

350BECAUSE THERE WAS SHARED AGREEMENT IN THE DECISION WITH THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL COME FROM BOARD MEMBER KAREN PEREZ. Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY, MR. PETERS. AS YOU KNOW, THERE ARE HUGE -- THERE ARE SEVERAL MAJOR ISSUES AT A NATIONAL CRISIS LEVEL IN OUR NATION, AND ALSO HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY THAT AFFECT OUR CHILDREN. AND THREE OF THE MAJOR ONES ARE STUDENT DISCIPLINE, STUDENT SAFETY, AND OUR STUDENT'S MENTAL HEALTH. DESCRIBE YOUR BELIEFS ABOUT STUDENT DISCIPLINE, STUDENT SAFETY, AND MENTAL HEALTH AND PLEASE SHARE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES. Harrison Peters: MY FIRST WEEKEND IN CHICAGO, MORE PEOPLE GOT SHOT AND KILLED THAN AN ENTIRE MONTH IN IRAQ. EVERY YEAR, WE WOULD CALCULATE THE NUMBERS AND SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN, WE WOULD HAVE 200 TO 250 STUDENTS EVERY

351YEAR SHOT OR KILLED. THAT LEVEL OF VIOLENCE CAN WREAK HAVOC ON HOMES, NEIGHBORHOODS, AND SCHOOLS, AND IT FINDS ITS WAY INTO THE SCHOOLHOUSE. I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN COMMUNITIES MANIFEST THEMSELVES IN OUR SCHOOL. I THINK YOU APPROPRIATELY COINED IT, MS. PEREZ, IT IS A CRISIS. AND WE HAVE TO HAVE A KEEN FOCUS ON THIS FOREMOST CRISIS. SO WE WERE DOING SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE LONG BEFORE IT BECAME SORT OF THE WORD OF THE WEEK, JUST BECAUSE OF WHAT STUDENTS DEALT WITH IN SUCH A ROUGH CITY. SO WE WOULD BRING IN COMPANIES LIKE CASL, EXPERTS IN SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING. WE DESIGNED A FRAMEWORK THAT SUPPORTED EVERY SCHOOL ACROSS THE DISTRICT. BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS WE BELIEVE, AND WE GOT THAT PHILOSOPHY HERE, THAT EVERY SCHOOL SHOULD HAVE A SAFE, NURTURING

352CLIMATE WHERE STUDENTS FEEL COMFORTABLE, EVEN IF THEY CAN'T LEAVE SCHOOL AND HAVE THAT SAME ENVIRONMENT IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE OTHER PIECE IS WE DID A LOT OF WORK WITH THE ADULTS, HELPING TEACHERS UNDERSTAND, HELPING PRINCIPALS UNDERSTAND, HELPING OUR SECURITY FORCE UNDERSTAND THE TRAUMA THAT STUDENTS DEAL WITH AND THEN HOW DO YOU DE-ESCALATE. SO DE-ESCALATION STRATEGIES BECAME VERY IMPORTANT WHEN WE WERE DOING THAT WORK. THE OTHER PIECE THAT'S IMPORTANT IS AT WHAT POINT DO WE BRING IN MORE INTENSIVE SERVICES? SOME OF THOSE STUDENTS WE CAN SERVE THEM AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID. LEVEL ONE SERVICES WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MTSS. BUT SOME OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE SOME OF THE MOST SEVERE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE TO CALL IN SOME OF OUR PARTNERS. HOW ARE WE CONNECTING RESOURCES TO OUR SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES, HOW WE BRING

353IN MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS, ALL THE THINGS WE BEGAN TO DO AND IT WAS WRAPPED UP IN THE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL FRAMEWORK. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE RESEARCH IS VERY CLEAR. THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPACTFUL ON A CHILD'S LIFE IN SCHOOL BUT THAT TEACHER. SO THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE, BRINGING TEACHERS IN SMALL GROUPS, HELPING THEM UNDERSTAND HOW TO DEAL WITH STUDENTS OF TRAUMA, HOW TO DEAL WITH SOME OF THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, BUT ALSO HOW DO WE CONNECT FAMILIES. TYPICALLY, BROKEN STUDENTS COME FROM CHALLENGED HOMES. SO WE JUST CONDITIONED HIDE OUR HANDS AND ACT AS IF THESE THINGS DON'T HAPPEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. HOW ARE WE PARTNERING WITH OUR COMMUNITY AGENCIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT ONLY SUPPORTING STUDENTS AT SCHOOL, BUT WE CAN ALSO BRING SOME OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS, SOME OF THAT

354SUPPORT TO THEIR HOMES AS WELL. THANK YOU. Melissa Snively: I WASN'T SURE IF YOU WERE FINISHED. I THOUGHT YOU WERE HAVING ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. OUR LAST QUESTION COMES FROM BOARD MEMBER LYNN GRAY. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. PETERS. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. GIVEN THE CHANGING DYNAMICS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION, SUCH AS THE GROWTH OF THE CHARTER SCHOOL INDUSTRY, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE CRITICAL ISSUES IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, SPECIFICALLY LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY? Harrison Peters: SO, MS. GRAY, I THINK AS YOU PUT IT, CHARTERS WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE A PRONOUNCED FOOTPRINT ACROSS PUBLIC EDUCATION. I THINK THIS NOTION OF COMPETITION HAS REALLY CAUGHT FIRE. I ALSO LOOK AT THIS THING ABOUT PRIVATIZATION. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE GOT TO ALSO BE PREPARED FOR. THE REALITY IS,

355IT'S UPON US. I'VE ALSO BEEN READING ABOUT THIS NOTION OF MASS CUSTOMIZATION. HOW DO YOU LOOK AT THE MASSES AND CUSTOMIZE LEARNING AND HOW DO YOU USE PLATFORMS LIKE AI. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS THE NEXT WAVE OF INSTRUCTION. WHEN YOU LOOK AT HAVING A TOUGH TIME FILLING QUALITY SEATS WITH CERTIFIED TEACHERS, A.I. IS GOING TO BE AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF THAT. THERE'S ALSO A COMPANY THAT HAS BEGUN TO LOOK AT TEACHING THROUGH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. AND I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE GOT TO BE ON THE AHEAD OF THE CURVE IS, ARE WE PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THAT? BECAUSE THOSE ARE ALSO GOING TO BE THE JOBS THAT WE'LL HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PREPARE THEM FOR. WE ALSO TALK ABOUT PREPARING STUDENTS FOR AN INDUSTRY THAT DOESN'T EXIST OR JOBS NOT

356CREATE. WE HAVE TO GET AHEAD OF THAT CURVE. I ALSO KNOW THAT OUR CAREER AND TECH ED, OUR WORKFORCE IS EXPLODING. I MEAN, WE LIVE IN A COMMUNITY WHERE CONSTRUCTION, AND HEALTH CARE, THOSE BUSINESSES ARE BOOMING. WE'VE ALSO GOT TO ENSURE HOW WE STAY AHEAD OF THAT CURVE. I THINK FINALLY, THE IMPORTANT PIECE THAT WE UNDERSTAND IS THAT NO MATTER HOW THE CURVE GOES, NO MATTER HOW EDUCATION CHANGES, MS. GRAY, WE'RE GOING TO NEED CARING ADULTS IN FRONT OF KIDS. THIS IS A HUMAN-DRIVEN WORK. YOU RUN A LABOR-INTENSIVE ORGANIZATION. IT TAKES A LOT OF PEOPLE TO MAKE THIS SHIP GO RIGHT. SO AS WE LOOK AT THE ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY, AS WE LOOK AT MARKET TRENDS, AS WE LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT WILL IMPACT EDUCATION, WE STILL HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT

357WE ARE RECRUITING, RETAINING AND SKILLFULLY DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF GREAT TEACHERS AND GREAT LEADERS. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT. THAT CONCLUDES THE QUESTIONS FROM OUR BOARD MEMBERS TODAY. NEXT WE'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU IN ABOUT THREE MINUTES A KIND OF HIGH-LEVEL OVERVIEW OF YOUR 90-DAY PLAN, HIGHLIGHTING WHAT YOU'D LIKE US TO KNOW TODAY. THANK YOU. Harrison Peters: ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO, QUITE FRANKLY, THE 90-DAY PLAN IS BUILT OFF THREE PILLARS: PEOPLE, PROCESS, AND PROTOCOLS. PRIORITY NUMBER ONE SIMPLY IS ENGAGE DEEPLY WITH THE BOARD AND BEGIN TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS, STRENGTHENING UNDERSTANDING AND DEVELOPING OUR WAY OF WORK. ALONG WITH ENSURING THAT WE'RE GETTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT SEATS ON THE BUS. WE'VE GOT GREAT OPPORTUNITY IN THIS DISTRICT, AND I'VE BEEN WITH THIS DISTRICT FOR THREE YEARS.

358FROM AN OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE, QUITE FRANKLY, THINGS HAVE TO CHANGE, AND THINGS HAVE TO CHANGE IMMEDIATELY. IF YOU LOOK AT PAGE 6, I'VE ALSO OUTLINED -- I'M SORRY, NOT PAGE 6 -- YES, PAGE 6, WHAT I WOULD LIKE THE BOARD TO PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO ARE SOME IMMEDIATE ACTIONS THAT I THINK NEEDS TO HAPPEN ON DAY ONE. I THINK WE NEED TO DEFINE PEOPLE, PROCESSES AND PURPOSES AROUND THIS WORK. WE HAVE DIVISIONS IN DIVI WORKING IN SILOS. WE HAVE POSITIONS AND DEPARTMENTS THAT DO DUPLICATE WORK AND DON'T TALK TO ONE ANOTHER. WE HAVE TO RIGHT SIZE THE DISTRICT. THIS IS A LABOR INTENSIVE ORGANIZATION. AS I SAID, IT TAKES A LOT OF PEOPLE, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE USING PEOPLE, TIME, AND MONEY MOST EFFICIENTLY. WE HAVE

359A FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE STEWARDS OF PEOPLE'S TAX DOLLARS. I THINK THERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT STRATEGY MANAGEMENT AND LOOK AT ACCOUNTABILITY AND CREATE THE OFFICES OF IMPACT AND INNOVATION. BOTH OF THE OFFICES HOUSE DATA, THEY MINE DATA BUT COME FROM TWO DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE ORGANIZATION. ESPECIALLY IF WE WANT TO BREED INNOVATION. I REALLY BELIEVE IN THIS NOTION OF BOUNDED AUTONOMY. I THINK THAT PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS SHOULD HAVE AS MUCH FLEXIBILITY AS POSSIBLE TO AUGMENT LEARNING BASED ON THE STUDENTS THAT ARE IN FRONT OF THEM, BUT I LIKE TO DEFINE WHAT AUTONOMY IS. I THINK WE HAVE TO TAKE A LONG LOOK AT OUR ACHIEVEMENT SCHOOL INITIATIVE, ARE WE TOUCHING THE RIGHT BUTTONS? ARE WE HITTING THE RIGHT LEVERS? DO WE HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE? ARE WE GOING IN THE

360RIGHT DIRECTION? AND THEN JUST A COUPLE OF MAJOR PROJECTS, WE'RE GETTING READY TO BRING ONLINE A LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND A STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM AT THE SAME TIME. THAT'S GOING TO BE A HUGE LIFT FOR THIS DISTRICT. WHEN WE WERE IN CHICAGO, I HAD THE LUXURY OF BRINGING ON A LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM AND THIS IS A CHALLENGE AND WE HAVE TO BE AHEAD OF THE CURVE. WE'LL OPEN UP AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL, WE HAVE TO BE READY FOR THAT. SO I'M GOING TO SPEND THE FIRST 90 DAYS, THE FIRST HUNDRED DAYS GETTING TO KNOW PEOPLE BETTER, EXECUTING THE PLAN, BEING ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS DAY ONE THAT I THINK ARE CRITICAL TO OUR MISSION AND THAT'S ENSURING THAT LEARNING IS OUR NORTH STAR. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU VERY MUCH,

361MR. PETERS. ALL RIGHT, BOARD MEMBERS THAT CONCLUDES OUR CANDIDATE INTERVIEW WITH MR. PETERS, AND DR. WHELAN WILL ESCORT YOU BACK TO THE ROOM YOU WERE IN. AND THEN, BOARD MEMBERS, WE WILL BRIEFLY REVIEW THE NEXT STEPS. THANK YOU. NOW THAT EACH CANDIDATE HAS BEEN -- INTERVIEW HAS BEEN CONDUCTED, THE BOARD IS NEXT GOING TO USE THE CONSISTENCY MATRIX TO SCORE AND RANK THE CANDIDATES. WE WILL TAKE A SHORT RECESS AND GO INTO THE CONFERENCE ROOM WITH OUR BOARD ATTORNEY, AND THEN RAY AND ASSOCIATES WILL GO INTO ANOTHER ROOM TO TABULATE THE SCORES AFTER WE HAVE USED THE MATRIX. AFTER THE SCORES ARE TABULATED, THE BOARD WILL BEGIN THEIR DISCUSSION, THE MATRIX AGAIN IS MERELY A TOOL TO HELP THE BOARD FRAME THE DISCUSSION AND THE VOTE. THE MATRIX IS A STARTING POINT, NOT THE FINAL

362DECISION, THAT IS WHY WE HAVE BOARD DISCUSSION TO CONSIDER ALL ASPECTS OF EACH CANDIDATE. SO AT THIS TIME, I WILL TURN THE MEETING OVER TO RAY AND ASSOCIATES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'VE HAD A REALLY GREAT DAY HERE. WE THOUGHT OUR MATRIX WAS HERE IN THE ROOM, BUT I THINK SANDY WENT UP TO THE THIRD FLOOR TO GET IT. Melissa Snively: WITH THAT WE WILL GO AHEAD AS WE DID WITH EACH CANDIDATE AND TAKE A FIVE-MINUTE BREAK UNTIL SHE RETURNS. THANK YOU. [BREAK] Melissa Snively: ALL RIGHT, BOARD MEMBERS. WELCOME BACK FROM THE BREAK. AND I THINK WE ARE NOW READY TO TURN THE MEETING OVER TO RAY AND ASSOCIATES. MS. GRAY STEPPED AWAY FOR JUST A MOMENT. SHE WILL BE RIGHT BACK. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT. YOU MAY GO AHEAD. GREAT. THANK YOU.

363SO, AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, OUR CONSENSUS MATRIX. SANDY IS ACTUALLY GOING TO HAND THOSE OUT AND WE'LL KIND OF EXPLAIN AGAIN HOW WE'RE GOING TO TALLY THIS. IT WILL BE MUCH EASIER FOR YOU WITH SEVEN CANDIDATES RATHER THAN 13. SO AS YOU REMEMBER, YOU'RE WORKING AT THE VERY TOP OF THE PAGE. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE. SO AT THE TOP LEFT, YOU'RE GOING TO BE COMPARING ALEXA CUNNINGHAM, NUMBER ONE, TO ADDISON DAVIS, WHO IS NUMBER TWO. AGAIN, THESE WERE IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER. YOU'LL DO THAT AND THEN WORK YOUR WAY OVER TO THE RIGHT AND DOWN THE COLUMN. ONE TO TWO AND THEN TWO TO THREE, ONE TO FOUR, TWO TO FOUR AND THREE TO FOUR. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. ONCE YOU FINISHED ALL SIX VERTICAL

364COLUMNS, JUST RAISE YOUR HAND, AND WE'LL COME OVER TO YOU. Melissa Snively: BOARD MEMBERS, AT THIS TIME, WE WILL TAKE A RECESS UNTIL THE SCORES HAVE BEEN TABULATED. APPROXIMATELY HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU THINK YOU'LL NEED TO TABULATE THESE SCORES? Jim Porter: 15 MINUTES. Melissa Snively: 15 MINUTES IS WHAT WE'LL DO. WE'LL TAKE A 15-MINUTE RECESS AND BACK AT 3:35. Jim Porter: WE WILL BE GOING INTO THE BACK ROOM. THERE WILL BE NO DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS OR ANY OTHER MATTER THAT WOULD NEED TO BE DONE AT THE DAIS BECAUSE THE SUNSHINE LAW IS STILL IN EFFECT. Melissa Snively: ALL RIGHT. WELCOME BACK, BOARD MEMBERS. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THE PROCESS BY HAVING A DISCUSSION. THE MATRIX HAS BEEN TABULATED. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE RESULTS ARE IN FRONT OF US. NOW WE MAY START BOARD

365DISCUSSION AT THIS POINT. AGAIN, THE MATRIX IS JUST A STARTING PLACE FOR DISCUSSION. AS FAR AS OUR CONSULTANTS GO, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH US BEFORE WE START BOARD DISCUSSION? NO YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR CONSENSUS BUILDING MATRIX IN FRONT OF YOU, YOUR INDIVIDUAL ONE, AS WELL AS THE MASTER COPY. SO THOSE HAVE BEEN HANDED BACK OUT TO YOU, AND WE JUST DID THE TALLYING AND SCORING RIGHT HERE ON THE FLIP CHART FOR YOU AS WELL. AGAIN, YES, THIS IS TIME FOR YOU TO GO AHEAD AND DISCUSS. WE'LL BE HERE FOR YOU. Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS, HOW IT WORKS NOW IS WE WILL -- I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH FINALISTS, A SECOND FOR THE MOTION AND THEN WE WILL BEGIN BOARD DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CANDIDATES. MR.

366CONA. Steve Cona: I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO HAVE THE TOP THREE CANDIDATES THAT ARE ON THE MATRIX MOVE ON TO FINAL INTERVIEWS. Melissa Snively: I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER CONA. DO I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER STUART? Cindy Stuart: THAT'S A SECOND, YES. Melissa Snively: NOW WE WILL OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NO DISCUSSION, BOARD MEMBERS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND THE MOTION CARRIES WITH MEMBER SHAMBURGER DISSENTING. WOW, I WISH I HAD AN EASY BUTTON FOR THAT ONE. THAT WAS FASTER THAN WE ANTICIPATED. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO OUR CONSULTANTS AT RAY AND ASSOCIATES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO MR. PORTER. IS THERE ANY HOUSE KEEPING BEFORE WE ADJOURN? Jim Porter: JUST A REMINDER THAT THERE WILL BE A COMMUNITY MEET AND GREET

367TONIGHT ACROSS THE STREET AT RAMPELLO STARTING AT 6:45 FOR THE FINALISTS. BOARD MEMBERS ARE NOT EXCLUDED FROM IT, BUT REALLY IT IS INTENDED FOR THE PUBLIC AND NOT FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS. SO WE WOULD ASK THAT YOU RESPECT THAT SO THAT THE APPLICANTS AND FINALISTS WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND NOT INTERACT WITH YOU. OTHER THAN THAT, THEN YOU CAN ADJOURN THE MEETING. Melissa Snively: OKAY. SO WE HAVE -- JUST SO I CAN REITERATE BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S BEING SHOWN ON TELEVISION OR BROADCAST, THE TOP THREE CANDIDATES THAT WE JUST VOTED ON TO CONTINUE TO THE FINALISTS ROUND ARE ADDISON DAVIS, PETER LICATA, AND DON HADDAD. AND THEN MR. PORTER, COULD YOU ALSO TALK FOR JUST A MOMENT ABOUT NEXT TUESDAY. Jim Porter: SURE. YOUR FINALISTS WILL BE INVITED

368BACK TO INTERVIEW WITH YOU ON NEXT TUESDAY. THERE WILL BE ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS WITH THE BOARD IN THE MORNING AND THEN A BOARD MEETING BEGINNING AT 2:30, DR. WHELAN AND MS. SAUNDERS. 2:30, BOARD MEETING, CONDUCT INTERVIEWS SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU DID TODAY. YOU'LL RANK THE CANDIDATES, DISCUSS, AND THEN CHOOSE THE NEXT SUPERINTENDENT FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. Melissa Snively: OKAY. SO IF THERE ARE -- IF THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, THEN THIS BOARD MEETING IS ADJOURNED. THANK YOU.