KCSD Board of Education Meeting 1/7/2026

001It is 7:29. The board has returned from executive session for our public session. Happy New Year to everyone. If we could please call the role. >> Mr. Spicer >> here. >> Dr. Collins here. Miss Anderson >> here. >> Mr. Ryder is excused. Miss Corsome >> here. >> Mr. Lamb >> here. >> Miss Curr >> here. >> Dr. Bernaby >> here. >> Miss Collier >> here. >> Mr. Jenny is excused. >> Stand for the pledge of allegiance. To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> We have no action coming out of executive session. So that brings us to our public comment. We do have Good evening everyone. We are about to enter the portion of the

002meeting where we welcome public comments. Although state law does not require that we hold a public comment period, we feel it is crucial that we hear from our community about their concerns. The board is here to listen. Your concerns and questions may be addressed at a future meeting of the board or you may be contacted by the appropriate staff member or administrator. If you have pre prepared a written statement and do not have the opportunity to present it, please leave it with the clerk of the board who will see that all trustees receive it. Each speaker will have three minutes and this public comment period will not exceed 30 minutes in total. It is important to note that state and federal privacy laws and collective bargaining agreements prevent us from discussing certain topics in this

003venue, including specific employees or students impending grievances or negotiations. Any speaker who does not adhere to those these posted guidelines will forfeit the remainder of their time. Thank you for your adherence to the rules and your interest in the continuous improvement of our district. AJ. >> Hello. Good evening. Happy New Year, everyone. Um, my name is AJ. I've been here several times before. You may recognize me by now. Um, I'm here again to talk to you about improving um in every way that we possibly can in the Kingston School District um policy and practices around protecting students rights to attend school. uh especially given the threats of immigration enforcement of ICE of federal law enforcement which we have seen um in our own communities taking people as well as even moving into schools in other

004parts of the country and taking now children from schools. We need to do more about this. We need to do everything we can as a community. Um, and you know, just before the school break, we had a family that self-epported um because one of their family members was taken and the family was separated. Several of the children who were part of that family were part of our school community, our Kingston school district. We are losing children from the school in very real ways and families are afraid to come to schools to children are afraid, young people are afraid. It's a terrifying time and we really ask the school board to do everything that you possibly can. I am here to raise again the question of or the request that the school board pass a meaningful

005resolution um protecting immigrant students and family and ensuring safe school environments for all. I have um some community members have come together to actually present a new resolution um because we never really heard about the one we presented several months ago. This includes guidance from the NYLU, so a bunch of lawyers um and um and the initial information that we shared from the NEA. Um so I ask that you look this I also emailed it. It should be in your email um with my testimony. I ask that you look at this, that you take it seriously and you pass something meaningful. Let the community know that you're passing it. Let the community know how you're protecting them now and that you are committed to increased protections. We saw in Minneapolis today. I'm sure many of

006you saw how serious and grave things are and how terrifying a time we're in. Please do everything you can. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Jennifer Cook, hi. >> Hi. [clears throat] Happy New Year. Um, I'm new here. Um, everything that AJ already said I double down on. My name is Jennifer Cook. I'm a concerned parent of Olter County. And, um, last night I was working on something and my kiddo said to me, um, "Mommy, you're working too much." So, I said, "Come here." She sat on my lap. She's 11. She's 5 feet tall. So, she sat in my lap and I told her, "I'm working on this pledge with some people." and the pledge is asking people to commit to protect and defend our families and neighbors. And she's like, "Can I see it?"

007I said, "Sure." I open up my laptop and I read her the first line and I've seen this line a bunch, but I kind of forgot what it really meant. So, I read it to her and it says, "I pledge to protect the people who make up, sorry, I pledge to protect all [clears throat] the people who make up the place I call home. I pledge to protect all the people will make up the place I call home. And my daughter hugged me really hard and she said, "Mama, I pledge, too." So, we launched that pledge. We have 130 signers and the vast majority so far from Kingston, and we're working countywide to get more support for the pledge, but ultimately for things like the resolution that you have in front of you. Um, you

008have to pledge also to protect all the people who make up the place you call home. The schools that you are in charge of are home for many kids and families. And it's your duty and your responsibility to make it safe and brave for them to be here. So, I urge you to pass the resolution and as AJ said, implement it meaningfully so that people know that you're doing something to protect them. Thank you. writing as well. >> And do you have the pledge? >> Do you have a copy of the pledge? >> Uh, we did not. We did. We actually don't have a hard copy of the pledge. Although, um, is that something we can share to the DOE? >> That would be great. >> We will send it. Thank you. >> Thank you.

009And that is all that is signed up. Is there anyone else who would like to address the board? Okay, that brings us to the superintendence report. >> Thank you, Miss Anderson. Uh, first in the superintendent board, we have Dr. Cleti. >> Good evening everybody. Um, thank you for having me here. Um, I'm excited to show you how our diversity, equity, and inclusion work is strengthening the teaching, learning, and belonging ac across our district. Um, since we've last met, since I've last met with you, I kept a focus on culturally responsive uh, rigorous instruction, and restorative practices that make our classrooms thrive. And I'll walk you through what I've done, what we're learning, and where I'm headed next. So, here's the road map for tonight. I'm sorry, my glasses are progressive, and I'm [laughter] in three

010minutes now. All right. So, here's the road map for tonight. Um, my aim is to connect the dots so that you can see the coherence where rigorous culturally responsive instruction supported by restorative practices and practical tools leads to a stronger community for all students all the time. U, many of you on the board will remember that we uh sent three cohorts of 10 adults each to Montgomery um Alabama in June of 2024, October of 24, and March of 25. These were powerful perspective shifting experiences and from that learning we drafted two clear distinct goals um that emerged and now guide the work. So I'll share these goals next and how we are working with them. The first goal um the two goals that came out of that first goal says to ensure every student not

011only has access to rigorous grade level instruction but also is supported to achieve proficiency. And the second goal says to replace exclusionary and punitive practices with anti-racist, restorative, and inclusive approaches that foster belonging and academic excellence so all students can show up as their full authentic selves. So looking at the first goal, uh, teaching and learning initiatives like our CKLA and amplify, the I Ready, our Windlocks, they help to advance that. Um, and I'm partnering to make sure that rigor is that the rigor is culturally responsive so that it lands for every student. I'll return to goal two when I talk a little bit more about restorative practices. New York State inspires sets a statewide direction. Um and the portrait of the graduate describes that the learner that we're cultivating would be someone who is

012academically prepared, a critical thinker, creative innovator, um a global citizen, an effective communicator, and reflective and future focused. And you can see that the culturally responsive and sustaining education isn't just an add-on. It's a core that makes the whole all those other attributes real. So, you're going to hear me connect principle two of the the CRS framework to these attributes throughout my presentation. Hopefully, you're all familiar with the culturally responsive and sustaining framework. It came out in 2019 from New York State Ed. Um, it has um guidelines for students, for teachers, for building leaders, for central administrators, and it's guided in four major principles. um a welcoming affir a welcoming excuse me establishing a welcoming and affirming environment high expectations and rigorous instruction inclusive classroom and assessments and ongoing professional learning. So I've emphasized u

013principle one creating those welcoming and affirming environments over the last two years. This year we're moving into centering principle two ensuring the rigor with culturally responsive supports. Principle three also continues with the roll out of part of the curricula that I just named. And then principal four is is a through line at all times ongoing professional learning. We've worked um at Jay Watson Bailey in particular with Jess Leblanc for three years now. And um the through line in all of his work is student engagement and the engagement that comes from having high expectations paired with culturally responsive instructional practices. And that's exactly what CRSC principal 2 calls for. Two years ago, he and I held focus groups with more than 200 students at Bailey. and what they shared with us shaped everything that we've done

014since. Jess uses um student voice to help teachers design and deliver instruction that's rigorous, meaningful, and connected to students lived experiences. When the instruction is culturally responsive and academically demanding, students naturally engage more deeply. And then that's the essence of principle 2, the rigor that's accessible, that's supported, that's relevant to our students. Um and because Jess has been in the building for uh multiple years now, the teachers and the students have built a trust with him. So that consistency helps him coach teachers in ways that are practical and classroom ready strategies that raise expectations, that increase engagement, that strengthen students confidence in their own abilities. He's going to be speaking at the Jay Watson Bailey faculty meeting tomorrow um to connect the portrait of a graduate with the CRSC framework. Um the message is that

015when we honor who students are and expect them to reach challenging academic goals, the engagement naturally follows. So that's what the work is that he's been doing at at Bailey, lifting both the engagement and the rigor through culturally responsive work. Dr. Javon Hunter, we've been working with him. Um this is our third year working with him and some of our teachers have presented at statewide conferences. Um we've had a middle school teacher and two high school teachers. More students are excuse me, more teachers are preparing to present next year. Um several elementary students and we have a formal research agreement with Dr. Hunter to document the work that's been happening in our classrooms. Two educators, Miss Garmin and Miss Needam, contributed chapters to a book that he's publishing. And this is the practice that centers

016our youth, our community, and authentic outcomes. I want to read a quote to you from an elementary teacher, um, a meer teacher, Miss Desarm. This is what she had to say when I asked her about working with Dr. Hunter. So, she says, "Working with Javon over the last few school years has truly been an honor. He and the work that he does help me see my classroom and students through a different lens. Culturally responsive teaching is not about skin color or race, nor is it about any of the things that make us different. However, it is about what makes us the same across the spectrum of human experiences. Every person and family can have different cultures and traditions, but we do all have culture and tradition. In my classroom, both last year and this year,

017we have taken the time to explore this idea and create our own holidays, reaching into what makes us the same and creating fun events to celebrate people we cherish in our community. This has made our classroom and learning experiences deeper and richer. Thank you for making the opportunity to work with Javon available to us and to any teachers interested in doing this work. I highly recommend it. So, his work, Dr. Hunter's um his instructional approach is anchored in culturally relevant instruction. He calls it CRI. It's grounded in the scholarship of Dr. Gloria Ladson Billings who was a major contributor to the CRSSE framework. Um, it pushes us to design learning that's academically rigorous, culturally connected, [clears throat] and identity affirming so that students can achieve and see themselves in their learning. When he coaches our

018teachers, we use a common set of framing questions to design units and projects that are compelling and consequential for the youth. So the questions are like, what matters to our students right now? How does the work connect to their lived experiences and their community? How are we centering student voice and choice? Where are the authentic audiences in real world applications for this? What opportunities are we building for our students and showcases uh that showcase to showcase, share, and reflect, excuse me. So, this approach maps directly uh to the portrait of a graduate attributes and it maps directly into the CRSC framework. Last school year um Edson did a whole school project with Dr. Hunter anchored in this book called My Puppy Has a Motorcycle. The essential questions that the teachers came up with to work

019with the students were where do I find joy in my community and how does my genius contribute to it? So, in grades K through two, the students chose stencils, either sneakers or a skateboard or a helmet, and they illustrated a source of joy um in Kingston at school or at home. Teachers facilitated conversations around funds of genius, play, service, language, um food, expertise, work, family, wellness, and creative and artistic expression. So, it was a joyful, identity affirming and deeply connected to place to where the kids live. The reason they chose um sneakers, skateboards, and helmets is because you see this book is all about a girl hops on the back of her father's motorcycle and they ride all through town and they see cool things. Those how do our kids travel around? Um this is

020just some of the work that came out of it. Um they created class collages, drawings, and other pieces that connected to a fund of joy or genius um to their community. and one of the teachers assembled a video of kids giving presentations on each piece that they did. Um, then there were a few highlights that I got, excuse me, from some of the teachers. Miss Kesler connected to her her Edson students with a class at Red Hook via Zoom and then they became pen pals. So even though the communities are are geographically close to each other, they had lots of differences around them. Um, the students learned with and from each other and the exchanges made the project feel real and expanded their sense of community. Um, it was super cute. Kathy Lel was able

021to have a bulletin board there where you saw the the notes that the kids were able to write back and forth to each other. Miss Garcia created um this incredible map of the neighborhood. That's what you can see across the top here. Um Edson, Deetsz, and Bailey are in there. She had her students map themselves onto it and she built the map in stages which was really cool. So, it just like created this buzz. First, we had the the road there, then she added the buildings, then the kids were able to add their things on over the course of weeks. So, as students were walking through the hallways, they're like, "What's happening? What's going on there?" um drew a lot of attention to the project in a really joyful way. And then of course I

022have to shout out the teachers who did the heavy lifting with this those who worked most closely with uh Dr. Hunter through that. So it was Miss Coro, Miss Lee, Miss Connors and Miss Haiti and then of course Kathy Lel was also a great proponent of this very very supportive and I did not get I believe it was the PTO who also purchased the books. So it took a whole village. But that this sneaker I have up here, see this kid loves school and um that was a kindergartener and that's a picture of Edson right there and you can totally see it. And so I think it's super cool. Super cool. [laughter] Um so that's you know the sneaker is like a kindergarten. This up here is more second grade projects and then this was

023the third and fourth grade projects and just little snippets of them. Obviously there was a lot more in the school. We've supported teachers in presenting and learning at conferences. the New York State English Council, NISC, we had two presenters there. That's Miss Needam and Miss Garman with Dr. Hunter. Um the New York Reading Association, Naira, we had three elementary teachers who attended that in Buffalo. Um they just attended. They aim to present hopefully this upcoming school year. Um the New York State Council for Social Studies was Dr. Dr. Mr. Chris Thomas. He's back there. That was last year. And then um IQ is up there, the um International Conference on Urban Educators. Dr. Hunter is really hoping that we can send some of us to that. I hope to have your support. Um, but seriously,

024sending teachers to these conferences, even though it costs money and it takes them out of the classroom for a day, it's it's been very rewarding for them. It really helps to fill their cups. It validates the teachers expertise. Um, they learn from others. They share their learning with others. Um, and they just come back with a renewed sense of energy in their classrooms. That's been my experience after speaking to the teachers who do that. So, I think it's really important that we continue supporting teachers in doing this as best we can. Uh we have a new teacher professional learning series that started this year. So all teachers who are new to the Kingston district um attend six different sessions across the school year. Um you can read them up there. Foundations of equity, unpacking bias

025and action planning, applying it to our Kingston community, principles of CRSE, NextGen Standards and Curriculum, and inclusive classroom practices. With the support of Dr. Pedalino and the cabinet teachers are allowed to get three hours of uh release time when we do these these um sessions. One of them was over the summer at the new teacher orientation and the other are over the course of the school year. We've already done the first three and we have the next three to do coming in February and one in March. Um we hope to we are collecting data after each of these sessions to see how teachers feel what kind of um sense of of empowerment it gives to the teachers a sense of community. We hope to do it for the next two years. So, our next set

026of new teachers next year and the next set of new teachers the year after that. Um to see how it helps teachers with their competence and their confidence in building community among each other. Um so far the groups have been going really well. The feedback has been really positive and um it's just giving the teachers a a space to take a breath while doing professional work and working with other new teachers from K through 12 altogether across the district. Um Equity work is not one and done as we all know. So, it's got to be sustained practice that builds habits, community, and capacity. And again, we're only halfway through this. So, we're already seeing these teachers um coming with good questions and and learning new skills from that. Back to the journey, uh circling back

027to the Montgomery goals, right? You see the first first goal, how we are reporting rigorous grade level learning with culturally responsive supports. And then that second goal, um, we're recommitting to restorative inclusive approaches. And that's the second goal that you have up there, um, with our restorative practices reboot. So, we launched a team leadership training for implementing restorative practices through New York State Ed and the community dispute resolution center, the CDRC. Today was our first session of that. It was a virtual learning session. Um, the energy was really high. It was it was a great three-hour session for us. We're building on solid work that's already happening in several schools and we're bringing the whole district hopefully to that level ultimately to become a restorative community. So restorative community centers relationships, empowers students, staff and

028families to show up as their full authentic selves. So it's not just how we respond to conflict. It's a way of being that supports learning, growth, and belonging. This will be a multi-year journey if we are to become a whole restorative community. We're at the very beginnings of it. Um it's right where we should be. the training that we are attending um is about system change and implementation as opposed to specific skill building. Um but I think that's exactly what we need and exactly where we are uh right now as a district. So it's going to help us fill in that restorative foundation that we've already started and been working with. So the group has already um yeah developed its vision, mission, and values statement for that group. We've created a little fact sheet. It's

029a draft. It's all a draft right now. created a fact sheet that says what are restorative practices, why now, what are our outcomes. From there, once we get it to a final copy for us, we want to distribute it to staff and then of course to staff and families. And again, it will be a work in progress until we get it all together. It will always be iterative. Um, the six outcomes that we hope to target are having a stronger sense of belonging and safety, increased empathy and perspective taking, consistent use of restorative language and practices, proactive relationship building that reduces reactive interventions, shared ownership of community norms, and improved academic engagement, attendance, and access to rigorous learning. So, this is a draft. I'm sure it's going to get tweaked as the leadership team continues

030the training throughout January. Um, but we're really excited as we get to receive free coaching from the state. um as a district once we submit our action plan uh the work directly supports our instructional goals and our district vision, mission and core values. And then the last thing um I'm building a um DEIB resource guide. So I'd like to build an electronic guide for teachers and staff. The first release is going to offer a big picture overview and then followed by smaller practical guides that teachers can use right away. I'm hoping to have like lesson design prompts, discussion protocols, classroom strategies, community connections in there. It's it's all still very much in progress and I hope to have it published by the end of the year. I hope the end of the school year. Um

031and that's really where I'm at with that. And that's it. Thanks for your continued support. Um supporting all of our students all the time. And um I welcome any questions, >> comments and questions. We'll start with Stephanie. Hi, Dr. Thank you so much for your presentation. Um, I always appreciate your work very much and feel like I can't get enough. Um, I'm curious how you selected the schools to participate in some of the programs you highlighted. Um, uh, and the work that's being done, uh, what sort of drives the selection of engagement for each school building um, with so Dr. Leblanc is that with everything so how Dr. Leblanc landed on Bailey? That's a good question. We started, this started a few years ago. We had several teachers from Bailey who were interested in continuing

032um CRSE work. As we spoke more with Dr. Leblanc, um it just kind of fit naturally. I'm sorry I don't have like, you know, there wasn't real criteria except that it fit naturally and there was a need and Deb was responsive. Um and we had several teachers who were willing to help us with those focus groups really is why it started and that's why he stays focused in that school. Um it would be great if we could um duplicate him and get him into each of the schools. Um so that's Dr. Leblanc. As far as Dr. Hunter, again, it was teachers who teachers throughout the district signed up to work with Dr. Hunter. As far as that um book study to do at Edson, again, it was a core group of teachers who were there

033who were interested in doing it. We also started one at at um JFK. So we started both book studies at the same time. JFK did one on Ubuntu. They didn't get to finish it. Um, but they did a lot of really great work with that and I sort of went back and forth with whether or not I should so showcase that or not, but because they weren't finished, I didn't want to showcase it. I want to wait until they're done doing that. So, it was really teacher driven. I came from the ground up. They were the ones who were interested and teacher driven and um capacity driven, right? It would be great if we could do everything throughout all seven elementary schools um at one time, but we can't. We were hoping to do another,

034excuse [clears throat] me, schoolwide study this year with different with different elementary schools. Excuse the frog in my throat. >> Water. >> No, I think Oh, good. Thank you. Um, >> teachers were feeling overwhelmed with initiative fatigue at this point. So, we're on a slight pause for the moment. Um, we really want to get back to it. You know, there there are other great things going on in our schools, you know what I mean? So, I'm not worried about kids. I mean, CKLA, I can't say enough about that. That's been a great program. So, so they're getting the culturally responsive, they're getting the rigorous learning, they're getting the high academics. Um, I would love to see another book study go because that was really cool. a kindergarten through fourth grade thing. And although JFK didn't

035finish their book study, they did have a K through four thing because the the music teacher who is there created a song like so they have their whole ownu song which is really cool. Um um after that, what else did I talk about? Oh, the restorative leadership team. Um that came through we only had eight people who are allowed to go to the state training. So we do have elementary, middle, and high school um leaders on that. Again, we We chose Melissa Jameson from JFK as one because she has the experience with it. We chose Kate from Chambers, Kate [clears throat] Bardi from Chambers. Um she was interested in doing it. Not that the other um principles were not, but again, you have to make a choice. >> Yeah. Fantastic. >> Middle school, each middle

036[clears throat] school has an AP going there and the high school has two people going there. And then from the district, it's myself and Lawn Park. >> Great. Yeah. No, I think that's great. And I think, you know, the more the marrier and um I I applaud their engagement. I have two more things. Um the next one is um how do you review um programs like third party programs like I Ready and those sorts of things that engage directly with students to ensure they're aligned with the culturally responsive expectations that we have in our district. >> I can I [clears throat] can only speak to the CKLA because that that was the one that I was a part of. um what we did with CKLA and this was a few years ago when [clears throat]

037Sarah Hullbrook came on board. She vetted out a few different programs from her lens of science of reading and how we're going to get our kids to read. And then we had it was a whole group of um teachers, grade level liaison, >> grade level liaison and also a few folks who had been doing culturally responsive work with me and we used pieces of the NYU culturally responsive scorecard to score I think Sarah had broken us down to three different um you know, three different programs and we looked at those three programs and CKLA came away far and away the best as far as culturally responsive. >> Excellent. [clears throat] Um, is the in terms of communication regarding the topics that you oversee and want to, you know, make sure are threaded through our district.

038There's a lot of development, right, and modernization and changes that are constantly ongoing as we get to understand how to be more inclusive and represent our community. Is there any routine measures that you take or that you've initiated in order to educate, you know, the masses um [clears throat] that come directly from the voice of the district? Um we have done a few surveys and we a couple surveys I should say and we're still working on how best to communicate the the responses to the we did one a couple years ago. I did report out on on that one in 2023. We had a survey last year that we're still working on how to best communicate that out. Um it's hard stuff to measure, right? What we do see is with our the engagement of

039our students and our academic um scores are getting higher and higher. And as you look at academic scores disagregated through our groups, if we're closing achievement gaps and if we're all rising, then we know we're doing something right in terms of culturally responsive work as well, right? I mean, I firmly believe that. So at this moment most of our measurement comes through the academic board to making sure that that you know again across demographics we're doing well by our students. >> Thank you >> Dr. Vernon. >> Hi Nice to meet you. >> Thank you for the warm. Um nice to meet you. Um I just have a couple questions. First I'm so excited for the restorative practice. We took long enough to come through. We had Mr. Parker come the other day talk about how

040there's a decreased disproportion racial disproportionality in in safety and so but thinking about that restorative piece on top of it is just going to be wonderful. So very excited about that and um thank you for that. Um I have a question I'm not sure if it's for you Dr. P or if it's for Kathy. So I've heard now twice that teachers who are new to the district do all of this really powerful work. >> Nobody wants to play music for you. um uh why is it only teachers who are new to the district and does that mean we have a big gap between existing teachers and their competencies around DEI? And I I think I was asking last time around um specifically teachers who um not only have culturally relevant practice but also culturally relevant

041practice around trans issues, queer issues, stuff like that. >> Um so just curious why there's and is it a big gap then there? >> No, actually the gap is with our new teachers because we've been engaged in this work for probably seven years. Okay. >> So, most of our teachers who have been with us for that period of time are the ones who have been part of that that work whether it was our work with NYU and and all the way through over the last >> six or seven years that we've been doing this. So, the our new people who are coming in don't have that don't have that background. >> What about the older the teachers who've been around for more than seven years? >> Well, they they were part of that. They were

042part they were included when we started that work. So we started this work >> I see >> back I can't >> seven years ago. So we were because we were um identified as disproportion disproportionate suspensions of of students of color. >> So we could have created a you know a binder and sent it to the state and put it on the shelf but instead we decided to start engaging other organizations to help us. And we started out with a three-year relationship with NYU. Then we moved then then we started kind of went past that to the work we're doing with with Jess and with Dr. uh Dr. Hunter. So we we have a lot of a lot of most of our employees who are here got involved in that and were part of different superintendent

043conference days information that we did out of trainings that we did. So the new people that come in have they're the ones with the gap. So we decided that this kind of this kind of intensive kind of program for them when they first got here was the way to get them them up to speed. Well, I mean just with with the plan of of continuing that for for three years again and looking at that's going to be there going to be a lot of new teachers, right? You know, coming and >> there are a lot of teachers who work in this district, right? So there's there's a lot of teachers. [clears throat] So >> it's resources, time and money, right, that it would take to get everybody up to the same speed. And I have

044to say, you know, again, we're pulling teachers out of the classroom for three hours on a clip to do this, which is huge and it's powerful and it's disruptive and it's expensive. You know what I mean? So, it's just trying to balance all this and and do as much as you can. Um, but to be able to have three cohorts of new teachers over the course of three years, that's going to be a huge percentage of our of our teaching. >> Wonderful. And I just had one other question. Um, what else do you need? >> Time and money. >> Exactly. I just like I'm always curious because um we know that these challenges that we've had a period of time in the past few years where there was a lot of support from it for

045it and now we're at a different time and so just curious how the board can best support this work from your perspective and you don't have to get back to us today but if you >> yeah no I mean I think you guys do knowing that this is the board I mean I've been in education for 26 or seven years now so I worked in a few different districts and a few different boards several different boards this board has always been very supportive of this work and that is huge and and I appreciate that. Yeah, just keep doing that. >> Well, thank you. Thank you, >> Sophia. Just I really love your presentation. I thought a lot of it was working from the ground up. I know a lot of your work is in the

046elementary schools and throwing a lot of resources out there. >> I was curious outside of like teacher learning from your teachers, what how much of that can be adapted to a high school level? Like how is that how does that transfer aside from just aiding these young children as they grow up? Well, the the work with Dr. Hunter, excuse me, a lot of secondary teachers are working with Dr. Hunter. So, um that that work goes K through 12. So, it's the high school is is tricky because there's a lot of really great work going on there, but it's also so big that sometimes you don't see as much of of it as is going on. But, you know, the teachers who are writing the chapter for Dr. Hunter are high school teachers. Um they're same

047ones who presented our high school teachers. The other one is a middle school teacher who who did the presentation. So, um, there's there's a lot happening at the high school. There there is a lot happening at the high school, but there there's a lot happening at the high school, you know, that's that's kind of how it goes. Um, but that that's the I mean, that's what I have been thinking since I've since I've gotten to the district, you know, even when I was assistant principal, it's time and resources to really get in and really do the work and really um permeate and make some systems change. It's just it's a lot. And I think a good thing to point out where it's not as obvious at the high school level when we talk about really

048the the the reason that we started this work was around that identification of of disproportion suspensions and we and that most of that's secondary, right? Suspend most suspensions happen in between grade six and 12. Um and we're now in our I think our third year in a row not being identified with disproportionate suspensions. So I think that work while maybe not right in front of you is is being done and it is and we're seeing the data that says that this is this is happening. >> Mr. Fine doesn't matter either way. I just had Thank you so much Dr. I always appreciate >> it today. >> I know I always appreciate your presentations and so invigorated after hearing them. Um, and actually Dr. Burn, I stole my question about what do you need? I was

049gonna put you on the spot as well. Um, so I may return to that uh to give you more time to think about it. Um, I I'm also really mesmerized by this idea of the um the restorative community. It seems really that ambition seems really high and I love it. >> Um, it to me it feels um I think it's great to think sick because um but I know even a few years ago we were just trying to get um people to understand the language of restorative practices and could we have someone in every school to actually um ensure that conflicts could be prevented and then mediated and then worked through because it's such a time inensive process. So I'm I'm just really curious about this how to it's there's eight people involved and I

050guess I'll if you just might speak a little more to the um the steps it would take because I think this system change is really interesting. I love that instead of just you know guacamole game trying to fix that, right? >> Yeah. I mean, and it is huge. And even um the woman who was uh facilitating the the training today like most of the folks who were there were individual schools. We were the only district there. Although she did pull from our people what she called quotable quotes. So we were we were the superstars there. But um she said she's like, "Oh, 10 buildings that you know that's a heavy lift." And and it is. And it's going to be you know a minimum of two years. I would say three to five is more

051realistic to get it all done that way. So how it will exactly shape out, do we focus on a couple of elementary schools and then they teach one? You know, it's it's a long way coming. Um what I like that we learned about in this that we were talking about today, I should say, not necessarily learned about, but having the restorative practices in the same language as PBIS and the same language as MTSSI. So it's a lot of that. One thing I'd like you to say, you know, it's all about relationships, right? So if you think about a piggy bank, you've got to deposit into that relationship before you can pull out when something wrong happens. So like your tier one teaching, your tier one interventions, your tier, that's like depositing into the piggy bank.

052That's your everyday things. Let's be nice to each other. Another thing I really appreciated about this was this is adults as much as it is kids. It's about changing the adults. It's about, you know, we are all working together. Um similar to our work, you know, it it it ties all of that in together, which I love. So her point about um depositing into that piggy bank, having those warm relationships with people so that when things go ary, when you hit that tier two or tier three level behaviors, you can pull out from that piggy bank. You've got, you know, a a reserve there that you can pull from. Um so we need to spend, I think, a lot of time on helping to deposit into the piggy banks, right? Teaching people what that means.

053And yeah, it takes it takes takes time. It takes time. Well, you you mentioned something about uh writing an action plan to the state and getting coaching. So then that would be >> uh I guess would that >> you get professional coaching from the state for >> Yeah. the district for >> Yeah. for Yeah. So it's this session that we have with the state, it's five sessions with the state. So the last session which is January 21st, we will all sit together, the eight of us together and come up with the action plan. We already have pieces of it because we already tried to start um because we're star students like I said. Um, so once we get that action plan in, and you know, I'm sure we're going to be learning more on how

054how to do that, what they mean by that. Um, once we get the action plan in, we receive coaching sessions. It was pretty much unlimited coaching sessions, like two-hour blocks at a time. Now, does that mean we can have a coach in here and do all 10 of our buildings at once? You know, I'm sure that there's going to be, again, time and money in terms of resource, their money, not ours, because they said it's free. Um, but that's something I think we really need to lean into. And what does that mean? And we get experts in the buildings and then we, you know, each one teach one. That kind of ideally philosophy. Again, the bigger schools, the middle schools, the high school, it's going to have to be different and more concerted. We we've

055done things in the past where we've tried to have a person and it's hard to do it with one person and, you know, 1,700 students, never mind the other 250 adults walking around the building. So, >> well, that's so exciting. And I mean, it'll be great to have some people. I think new voices sometimes can be really influential, too, just um when they're teaching. >> Yeah. >> New new new things against people who've done things for a while. So, like I said, that group of eight is very excited. Um we're all very excited after the training today. So, and happy to hear that it was the systems change piece rather than the skills because the skills are great and they're necessary obviously. Yeah. >> But if you're not changing the system, they they can't be

056that. We need them both. you need to >> and I think it's important to point out I mean this isn't a new idea here right >> you know we've been working on restorative restorative practices since it was since when it was called restorative justice so I mean we've engaged in this work over over many years um you know this is interesting because it's state sponsored and free um but we have you know we've engaged with several partners we've done a lot of work getting some of this I think Dr. facilities building on a foundation. So this just happened to be something that came along through the state that we were able to grab on to and can now hopefully get some more free help. >> Mr. Spicer and then Mr. >> State sponsor and free

057so you don't need more money. >> No time. We need more time. The top five foundational skills Fortune 500 companies interview for are communication, critical thinking, and problem solving, teamwork, collaboration, and adaptability. None of these skill sets are possible if our children are not taught to be their authentic selves and are also able to accept and work with others accepting who they are. Our children's future, the world of the 2040s is global. >> Our children's futures in law, business, education, medicine, leadership, they all depend on our success in creating community that believes and achieves our culturally responsive education components and your work, Dr. Cady, does that. >> So, I just wanted to say thank you. you you know I've not only followed your work but been involved in your committees >> for years. So >>

058so we thank you >> we really appreciate all that you do. >> Thank you >> Mr. Mayor. >> Having been on the board when you moved up here >> to the central office, you told us it was going to take time and every year I see the progress and the moving forward and I thank you for our students and for our community. Anyone else? Thank you, Dr. Cleti, and thank you for your work. >> Okay, next up is me. Good evening everyone. Um, obviously you know for several years [snorts] the board has uh had a goal for me to present kind of a feasibility on redistricting. Um, so for several years I've been working on it and this is part one. Um, again say I want to make sure I clear everything out. This is

059part one. there is a lot more work for us to do and I thank everyone in my cabinet who's dropped everything and did some things for me over the break and other times but um so obviously what this presentation will probably do was will create more questions than answers so we'll we'll obviously um do our best to answer question I'll do my best to answer questions but I'm also going to do a lot of I'll get back to you kind of stuff that we're going to talk about but I think really um create discussion create questions and We'll move forward from there. Great. >> Turn. >> So go on. So we started off with just simple questions, you know, and I think some simple assumptions like are our buildings overcrowded? We want to see that.

060What were our enrollment? What are the enrollment trends in our school district? Is there space equity among our schools? And should a change in grade configuration be considered? That's a that's a different question than we had when we presented teaching and learning because this is evolved a little bit to see where we want to go. And actually from that conversation in teaching learning, I created another question, but the main question is does King City School District need to consider redistricting andor changing grade configuration? So first we look at our capacity in our buildings and answer the question about overcrowded. So are our buildings overcrowded. If you look and see you look at the first number is number of students that second number is our capacity. Um the sweet spot for for a school building is

061about 85%. That means you're you're being you're being efficient in how you're using. You're not wasting space, but you also have some flexibility. You also have some flexibility around you know if you have a if you have some people transfer into the bill into the district or those kind of things. So, you know, the sweet spot is really 85%. As you can see, most of our schools are below 85%, some significantly below 85%. And I think that the other the other story that is kind of there is that we are again overcrowded everywhere. That's not the case. Now, does it feel overcrowded in some buildings? You walk through Bailey Middle School, just by the design of that that building, it feels overcrowded, but by capacity and classroom capacity, it is not. So that answered our

062first kind of study question if you want to call it that. Are we um our buildings a little more crowded? Now again you see some of the things that that stick out are some of our buildings that are under um enrolled. So you look at George Washington which is a which if you look by the number of the capacity is the largest capacity well it's in in George Washington that's the largest elementary school we have. Um that is significantly below the capacity and that's including our 43 prek students. So we we know that George Washington is a building that is you know if we're looking to do something George Washington is one of those buildings that we could make some moves but more importantly really is the enrollment trends. So, I kind of just put

063this out there for everyone and I'll I'll walk through it. But kindergarten through fourth grade right now, right now, our fourth grade has 474 students. Our kindergarten is 394. So, as you can see, each year that number is going down significantly. You know, from grade three to two and one. Now, those students will roll through the grades, right? So that those buildings as far as capacity is concerned we're going to continue to see the capacity the percentage capacity go down go down go down as that is this lower number of kindergarters moves up through the grades. So 80 fewer kindergarters than grade four. So we're seeing a decline in enrollment. So some of the questions that people come up with and even we we've bounced around is well why don't we do an enrollment study

064right? And I'll tell you why we're not going to do an enrollment study because they're generally wrong. You know, they really an enrollment study is going to look at things like live births and and housing. All right? So, first of all, live births as far as in the Kingston aren't happening because there's really not that, you know, they're going outside of Kingston for libraries and we know that housing is an issue. So those things aren't going to give us really good numbers as far as who's coming in. And also they most of the time they don't count for in migration and you probably all know this in 2021 and 2022 the number one immigration population in the country in the state was Kingston. So we knew we had a lot of people moving in but

065that was that would never be accounted for in enrollment. Now looking at enrollment obviously didn't bring children with them students with them but we did have a large in migration during the co phase and this is just me throwing putting this in a different way for you to see and again this is by grade level. So you can see even in grade five by grade level you see them go down down down down fourth to kindergarten fourth to kindergarten fourth to kindergarten some of them significantly again George Washington 64 to 42 JFK 69 to 46 so do you see some significant now here grad kind of have an anomaly there it's really really uh pretty stagnant or pretty static I guess across those across but we do see that that just really shows us we're

066seeing a reduced enrollment are declining our success. So, you know, one of the things we looked at was how are we using our space and can is there something we needed to think about as far as grade configuration is concerned. And I know since we moved fifth and sixth grade to the middle schools, sixth was before was there for me. The question has always been, well, can you move fifth grade back to the schools? Um, so that's something we're looking at. I will I'll talk more about that. So, that's something we're whether it's whether it's feasible or whether it's necessary and I think there's some there's a lot of issues around it but so first of all let's look academically now we can see since the since we move fifth graders into the ele into

067the middle schools you'll see a significant decrease in achievement in both ELA and math so you know our our level ones have gone up our level three threes and fours have gone down some c to that. So 2013 was the first administration of grade 38 tests in EL math that were aligned with the common core standards. So that that was a dramatic change in the 3 through8 testing um you know the rigor of the 3 through8 testing and even the way we were teaching. So we've seen that and those lower scores in math and ELA are seen across the state. So that's not a Kingston specific those aren't Kingston specific data that we've seen them across the state that they went they went in that direction. So that tells us some things but it's not

068it's not a it's not doesn't tell us everything. We need to do more. We need to do more work around that. And that's why this is part one. Great considerations. You know, some of the configuration considerations that we've been thinking about is, you know, we did we did a space space usage audit and it shows we do have available space in our elementary schools, but it's not it's not even across the district. Obviously, um a change in grade configuration require complete redistricting of all of our elementary schools. So, it's not as if, you know, when we closed schools and redistrict and changed the grades, I don't want to say this because it makes sound like I didn't do any work around it, but we got really lucky. We got lucky. We were able to pick

069up schools and put them in other schools, >> right? We didn't have to break up neighborhoods. We didn't have to change Well, we did change some buses, but we didn't have to do a lot of that. And we were actually almost able to take full faculties and put them in. So if you went to Mahar and Mahar closed, we took everyone from Mahar. We marched them a mile a mile mile away and put them into JFK and they fit and Karen did it. Karen walked over there. Um that would not be the case in this situation. We would not be that lucky this time. You know, this would be breaking up schools. This would be changing neighborhoods. This would be all those kind of things. Now, can it Can it be done? Yes. Um that's

070why again this is part one. Um middle school theater schools would also change most likely because of the way we have to break things up. So we have to take a look at our middle school theater chains to to be adjusted for for B and Miller. Now you also probably remember we made some decisions around feeder schools when well some of you remember when we did when we closed schools before we made some um decisions around feeder schools that created a little imbalance between Bailey and Miller you know again those were things we cannot make that mistake again if we were to do something like this um as you all know we have siblings in these buildings so sibling phase in around changing changing our middle schools and how we're how we're redistricting our schools

071is going to it could impact building capacity number of our students and it and it could create an imbalance. Another concern, one thing that we that just kind of popped up during our conversations about this is how many homeschool kids do we have? How many out of district placement kids do we have and what happens if they all come back? >> And that was that's one of those things like as you start getting into this work, you start going down rabbit holes and you find new information. So, we have about 450 students who are homeschooled or out of or in out of district placement. So, what would it look like if any or all of them come back? Obviously, they don't all go to one school. They're not all in the same grade. So, they

072would be scattered throughout the district and creates questions and conversation about moving fifth grade back into the elementary schools. Really early conclusions. again part one or two little um our school buildings to answer our questions our school buildings are at or below the recommended capacity. Um overall trends show a decrease in Kingston enrollment grade by grade data show large no large like enrollment bubbles that are going to that are going to really stretch capacity in buildings. uh enrollment on our lower grades move through as I said capacity will actually capacity actually decrease capacity needs. Um we need to do a little deeper analysis of space usage in every building but we did a good job and we we feel pretty good about what we've seen but we're going to continue to do that. More analysis

073of fifth grade academic data is necessary. There's my big bulleted thing or highlighted bolded preliminarily right now looking at this redistricting and reconation is not recommended at this time. Now future consideration of school consolidation andor rethinking grade levels and those kind of things is something we we should continue to look at and see if these trends stay where they are. Um yeah, I'm gonna come back to you in couple of months with some more information, but the many of you lived through um the closing of schools, the redistricting, the red nails, and many of you know the um turmoil that that created for a lot of our families, for a lot of our students, for a lot of our faculty and staff. And but at that time, you know, I always say like the level

074of change has to meet the level of crisis, right? So if you have a crisis that's here and you put a change to it this size, it's really disproportional, right? So right now then we were seeing a we were seeing a financial crisis and a an enrollment decline crisis that really told us we were being totally irresponsible having the number of schools that we had. So far these data don't show us that. Um is there more work that needs to be done and more more research that needs to be done and more communication and conversation with the board and with with teachers and administrators? Yeah, absolutely. But at this moment in time, I would say the crisis the you know the degree of crisis does not the degree of change that redistricting and closing anything

075about closing schools. So don't print that over. Um thank you but where what grade configuration changes and redistric changes would do. So one thing I didn't put on here early um oh this is my next slide. Sorry. um other things we would think about. So like I said, you go down a rabbit hole, we find new things to talk about, think about. So transportation is a big piece of this. So our transportation director is working on that for me. She's got her her sandbox. She calls it all set up and able to move around, show me different routes and different ways we can be efficient. Um again, analysis are private parochial school enrollments. So how many students that that numbers we really have a great handle on but how many are those and what impact

076would they have if they all came back? So those are real things and we know this happened. So when when Coleman closed a few years ago this happened we got students that we weren't expecting to to have here. Um looking at our activity periods in 9th and 10th grade or extended day at the middle schools and is there a way we can combine that with deceptive next bullet bell schedules to look at end times and how can we be a more efficient with transportation and b create a little different dynamic for um our students when they're coming in when they're leaving school and this is one I just throw in there because I know it's it's it has a lot to do with everything but we really want to move the swimming curriculum to the

077elementary level so that's something when you that has nothing to do with redistricting [laughter] reorganization but you know when we start looking at overall system changes what are some things we can slide in here that might work so that does work around transportation. if we're able to make some savings and create some um some available buses and routes during the day to transport students from the elementary schools into the high school to swim that so there is there is a kind connection there and I'm sure most would be ninth graders would be very happy to know they don't have kids back school not like first period swimming in February for um yeah so that's where we net right now but we have a lot more work to do and this is kind of just the

078our first opportunity to have a discuss with all of you >> questions all around where to begin we'll start with Mr. All right, very quickly below that below um 85%. That was a number they rattled off 20 years ago. We did not have the number of special ed classrooms that take up more space for students. We did not have all the extra space for at that time we didn't have computer labs even. However, you have labs, you have OT rooms, you have PT rooms, you have you have music and art on wheels. I don't care what you say about 85% as long as we have arts classes on wheels. It is not equitable. We need to fix that. We also have committed to the union and this community smaller class sizes and that eats up

079that 85%. I want to see what the numbers. How many teachers do we have not having a classroom of their own in a building? There should be no one pushing a piano up and down the hall or an art cart. >> We do not have art in the park or music and cart any building in the city. >> So every place we have shared classrooms are our secondaries. So no one in the service. So where did the music room come from at at Chambers? Because they that was on wheels. So couple of things with chambers. So that's about red that's about a reduction in number of students. That's reduced enrollment and it's also about reduced enrollment in would reduce special permission into that building. So one of the you know I didn't put it up

080here but one of the things we really need to look at as a board of also our is our is our policy on special permission. So Chambers is a great great example. So chambers we had a certain daycare center that was in t that was in um their that area and a lot of students were going there to the point where I had two sections of students who were special permissions into chambers and I had no art room or no music room. So what we did slowly over time is deny special permission to that building till it got to a point where we did have space equity there where we were able to get the art and the music room in there and we actually even have a STEM lab in that building now too.

081There's three build three rooms in that building by looking at things like that. Yeah. I mean, special permission is a conversation that we really need to have too. It does it does throw a monkey wrench in a lot of the numbers that we look at. >> This is Kurt. Um, I loved this report. [laughter] I read it preparing for this meeting and I'm really excited. I obviously don't have a ton of questions because I understand it's preliminary and it's just kind of um the tip of the iceberg, but I feel like this kind of information digest of details is going in the right direction and is a very good use of time and analysis. So, thank you everyone who contributed. Um, a couple of just quick questions so that I can understand baseline. When we

082talk about capacity, is that based on state defined capacity? Correct. >> Okay. I do think it's important to highlight what your uh defined expectations are for the district for capacity because that's something that I has not has been like an unwavering commitment. So I do think that it's important to see the difference between those based on the definition of capacity because it would be a real shame if we miss the mark on where you lead towards our defined capacity versus the unreasonable capacity defined by state. So, so one of one of the the exercises that I did through this was to look at our our number of classrooms in I should put this in there. I'll do it next time. The number of classrooms in the in the buildings and our expectation of numbers of

083students. Let me first tell you that our average student, our average class size at the elementary school at the elementary level is well below our 22 that we've been hoping that we've been trying to establish. And we have 17 six teams. I mean we are >> we have our enrollment is down >> right? So as that enrollment goes down we look about talk about space equity as that goes down more. So, you know, last year we sit down and we say, "Oh, we've got, you know, 28 first graders, >> you know, so but we don't want to go over 22." So, now we have two sections of 14, right? >> That number turns to 26 next year. We're going to have to start having some real conversations. We're going to have to have harder conversations

084about how we feel. But, yeah, I think >> and the numbers theme isn't easy. I totally understand that. >> And but I think that's a good point. I think maybe next time I talk about this, we'll we'll throw out we'll make sure you everyone here knows our average class sizes in every building. Yeah, that would be great. My last point is um the study on the fifth grade. I was really that was a shock to me and I do think that's so important to dig into that um because I think it's very easy to um excuse that by defining it as a building related issue. I think there's so many other considerations regarding that. Um but if if there is some influence based on where students are and the the culture and the school community

085in which they're learning that influences that I I think we have to investigate that very quickly. >> And I think there's also in in some ongoing conversations with our middle school principles right now there's also the looking at changing the way we're using to change the way we're scheduling fifth and sixth grade. So that's the you know especially looking at the implementation of CLA and already the need for more more actual time with their teacher. Y >> um you know when we when we did this 13 years ago we did this 13 years ago one of the things was to create a more secondary experience really for our fifth graders. So we had we had exposure to language. We had a lot of the different things. But right now when we look at how we're

086trying to implement the programs that we're trying to implement, our teachers need more time with our students. So we're implementing longer reading blocks, longer math blocks. So that those are so looking at how we actually set up the schedules in the middle school for our fifth and sixth graders is something that both Mr. She and Mel have been looking into along with Dr. >> Excellent. Thank you all for that work. >> Dr. Cons, thank you very much. um impressive turnaround with some of the new fifth grade data. Thanks for that. >> Dr. Aloto got that for me. >> Thank you, Dr. Merry Christmas and happy new part. >> You're a rockar. So, I actually have two questions. One is very general and I just wondered if the trends in enrollment are similar across count other

087districts in Olar Duchess. Is it happening in other places? Yes, it is. I mean, you look at I mean, just just off the top of my head, New Balt is looking at closing schools. We know closed schools. Now, those are small districts much smaller than us, >> but the when you look at small city school districts with Kingston city school districts and small city school there's it's it's a statewide our numbers are, you know, our enrollment figures are going down. >> Okay. I was just curious. Um and then I'm thinking a little about this um grade configuration a little I'm wondering this is you've made a pretty convincing argument around space equity. Um but obviously academic outcomes are really what we're striving for and what decisions ultimately along with frugal financial management should be made

088based on um or should be based on. Um, so I I'm just curious what what data would con maybe convince you or what are we convince you that a grade configuration is necessary? So I can imagine some types of data to dig into, but I'm very curious to know. >> Well, I mean, I think it's there's a lot of different, you know, I think we need to I think I'd like to look longitudinally at the kids who in fifth grade and middle schools, how they're doing when they get into the upper grades, we'll see how they go from there. I mean we we do know transition grades tend to have lower performance right so when students move from one building to the next really that's that's one building to the next you see drops in

089drops in scores but um I think I think looking like I also want to hear so it's not all going to be charts and graphs you want to hear let's hear from our teachers you know let's look to see how they're doing that and we can we have new assessments that we're looking at how we doing with our I already you know our ready um uh come on diagnostics there. How are we doing with our RA diagnosis? How are they matching up to what we're seeing or what we're going to see state education the the state test scores? So, I think there's a lot of different things to look at and I think it's we're going to do a little think we need to have a little bit of a talking tour. >> Yeah, I

090Yeah, thank you for that. Actually, I I'm I'm really interested in those transition years. I think because we have seen for years that drop between fourth grade to fifth grade test scores, and I'm wondering um what it looked like when it was sixth grade. Like, is that percentage drop actually similar? Because it I mean, watching those fifth grade scores over time tells us something, but as you said, they're state patterns, right? >> Yeah. And you know, one of the problems with that is the sixth grade was changed so long ago that we didn't have sixth grade test scores. Okay. So, >> that's when we just had that's so we don't have that we don't have that that data point those data points to look at. >> Okay. >> Yeah. I'm just trying to figure out

091how to what this is the exercise what what do we need to know um in order to inform this decision about academic outcomes. And so that's what I just want to >> Yeah. And we need to combine them with like you said I think you're alluding to this you know we have to combine that not only the academic outcomes but with with the fiscal responsibility and you know we can look at putting it back is that going to put us in a place where we're not able to you know put the resources to bear to create the the educational opportunities we want to create. So all those things are they're all going to work together. We're all going to mesh together into whatever whatever very difficult decision you all are going to have to make.

092Well, I'm also intrigued to hear more in the future about the um the adjustment of the schedule in fifth and sixth grade because maybe again that will address some of the other issues that people bring up around the fifth and sixth grade. So the curriculum might drive that. >> So um thank you for the presentation. Uh full disclosure, I was involved very heavily when we went from 13 to 11, 11 to 7 elementary schools. But um one of the things as we're looking into the fifth grade that I would also encourage us to look at is not only the bell schedule, but if you'll recall when we first did those transitions, we really worked with uh creating executive functioning support for our fifth graders and our sixth graders as they came along. And so that's

093something I would encourage us as we're digging into that to also look into those kinds of things. That's it, Mr. L. >> And I'm not a Theon. However, to address some of the other issues, have we looked at going to one building being 56 and the other one being 78? And I I know many reasons why not, but I also know many reasons why that would be a good idea. >> Yeah, I think there's there I mean, you know, every every choice has a price, right? Every choice has a price and every price has something as a sacrifice that we have to do to pay that price. So, you know, we look right now just to be the bean counter in in the room, you know, right now when we're looking at our transportation budget

094being more than $20 million in the school district to take a take that kind of split and send buses the way we would have. So, basically would double the number of elees that we need. So, you know, that's a significant increase in cost to bring students to AC, you know, across the their own attendance zones into the middle schools. That's a really big consideration. I mean, I know that's not an easy um nobody wants to hear that, right? They hear that it's about money, but sometimes it's about what what can we you know, if we decided that was a priority, obviously said you can always judge people's values by how they spend their money, right? So if we decided that was our value they have fifth six one and seven we'd have to decide who

095sacred cow gets four to make that happen >> and that those are facts and as we've talked about last year we talked about now the the state budget isn't being any friendlier to us so it's um we're living in in Miss Carbon's new reality that she likes to talk about. >> Anyone else questions or comments for the superintendent? I guess we're finished with part one. >> Part one is done. >> On to part two. Thank you. >> I don't know if you have any other >> a couple of quick very quick things to the board. One of many things I know a lot. >> Um just really wanted to give a couple of things that we've gone for a while. So, I did want to, you know, remind the board that, uh, we have policy

096committee this Friday. Um, we have a health and wellness on January 14th, districtwide safety on January 14th, also audit and finances on January 27th, and we'll and, uh, facilities committee on January 27th as well. So, we're doubling up a couple of these dates. And then teaching and learning is on February 9th. Also, for everybody here and people at home, um, we're on Luther King Day January 19th. We're off for a three-day weekend. and Reg's exams start the next day. So, the high school will be in uh students who are not taking regions exams will not be in school, but we'll have reason exams from the 20th to the 23rd. So, the remainder of that week, excuse me, my glasses. >> Does anybody have any additional questions for Dr. Pedalino? >> I don't know. Um you

097probably I don't know if Dr. Oliva knows this or how many retakes do we have for the new um science and algebra? I don't have exact numbers but >> is this the last time we're offering both of those tests? >> Dr. Vern, um yeah, you don't need to have this now. Do we know if there's been any um drops in attendance of particularly our immigrant community members, students in since the beginning of the school year? >> Yeah, there has not. I have not I have not checked since we've been back. Obviously we've only been back to school 4 days. So, but we we monitor it regularly. Actually, um Mr. Thompson in the in the tech department created a a dashboard for me so I can monitor that basically daily. Okay, that brings us to um

098our student representative Sophie. I don't know if you have any >> just a brief um really me Betty and I's biggest focus right now. This is mostly Betty's idea, but I will speak on his behalf on this. Our biggest focuses are on students feelings of safety within the high school and the ongoing vaping problem that is although most prevalent in the high school, it is an issue that has to be addressed in all schools. And we feel that the biggest problem I think is that there's kind of a divide in how it's handled across schools. I think it needs to be our biggest goal is to try to make it more restorative. A lot of the a lot of the issues with vaping in the high school are need to be helped connected in a

099more restorative way to try to eliminate the issue instead of punishing a student. And that is our biggest focus right now is to try to come up with solutions that could work perhaps across grade levels, across buildings to help make a safer community, a healthier community, and students that stay in school and don't stay in school. So that's our biggest goal right now. We've been brainstorming. We've been asking people, but those are the biggest concerns right now that we've been hearing that we're working on. And I know that um just to respond to I know that um Miss Bonville and our communications team along with the principles have been working on exactly what you're saying a vaping campaign. Not just not just you know one building does one thing another does another working on a

100full campaign to talk to the vaping end. Also we did do our first two restorative um circles around students who were who were being suspended for vaping just before the break. So we are I mean that that's one of the um >> strategies more information on that like not necessarily right now but I would love to have more information on that. >> Yeah, you got it. >> All right. Thank you so much. That's all I got. >> So I have a question for you and I don't mean to put you on the spot but it kind of comes off Dr. Palino's presentation and our discussion on fifth grade. So you did fifth grade in middle school. Correct. I was I didn't go to Kingston as a middle schooler. >> Okay, that answers that question. >>

101My middle school I my middle school was K through uh not sorry I was a fifth grader in middle school. >> Okay, cool. >> All right, I'll have to wait for Ben Benny to Thank you. Thank you. >> And just so everyone knows, uh Sophia had a stint on the Polar Express >> during most of December, which is why probably why we didn't see her in uh in December. >> Thank you for being >> We're used to it. >> That's right. That's right. Good day. >> That brings us to our consent agenda. Are there any items that trustees would like to have pulled from the consent agenda? Hearing none. If we could have a motion. >> So move >> and a second. Second. Any discussion on the consent agenda? All in favor? >> Any opposed?

102So, our consent agenda is approved. >> We do have a couple donations. >> Well, okay. The board of education of the city uh Kingston City School District hereby accepts with grateful appreciation the following generous donations. And we've got a few of them. Very, very wonderful. Okay. Two, Harry Edson Elementary School from Edson School PTO. books valued at $4564 and from reading for education a donation of $1,371.15. Thank you to Ernest uh Steve Meyer Elementary School from Upstate Images a donation of $63422. Thank you to the ER Crosby Elementary School Library from Amanda Green. A donation of books. Thank you to Meager Pre kindergarten from Upstate Images. donation of $421.36. Thank you. And to the Kingston City School District from an anonymous donor, we don't know who you are, but we thank you because it's a

103gift of $6,526 to support programs for students and families that build a sense of belonging. So, we really love whoever you are as well. >> That's wonderful. >> I know. Isn't that great? Build a sense of belonging. Yes. Thank you very much, sir. Um brings us to board of education um committee reports teaching and learning. Dr. Collins. >> Sure. Okay. The teaching and learning committee met on December. Um we started with a guest presenter which is um Miss Kiy who is the health coordinator. So we were hearing about cul part because we had heard about it in a couple years and part because this inquired about it. Um and just a little backstory about the philosophy of kelp that was provided to us and we discussed as a committee. Basically it kelp stands for the

104Kingston accelerated learning program in case that ke acronym doesn't mean anything to you. Um over the years, health has evolved more into an enrichment program than an accelerated program that's meant to serve all students as opposed to um inviting only particular students. So um programs include enrichment activities such as and there was a whole list. I will just highlight a few like weaving, yoga, chess, um crazy ace, math club, sp Spanish Spanish language, science experiments, battle of the books, script spelling be um each building is allotted 50 hours. In actuality though, the numbers of programs at each school varies pretty wildly. Um for example, at JFK there are 13 different programs and at other elementaryaries there might only be between one and five um across the academic year. So equalizing the programming across school has

105been tricky because offering help is optional for faculty and staff. Um the district has been considering as Ki mentioned some additional incentives to get higher participation such as compensation for the hour prep time it takes in addition to the hourly rate offered for the program itself. Um we also discussed what potential barriers might exist for attendance by students. Um to Kalpa noted that some ele at some elementary schools morning programs seem to be particularly successful um in part there the walking schools probably where they rely less on bus transportation. So there was just some discussion around could there be more morning programs where those might work um without any immediate answers. Um, in response to questions about what is lost by moving the program toward enrichment rather than accelerated program, we discussed um, how more

106differentiation during the school day is occurring through wind blocks and other large blocks of time and that um, that can provide some appropriate levels of challenge for students who otherwise keep those outside of school. Um, so that was our discussion around. Yeah, I'm happy to. I knew that there might be questions that >> I have lots of thoughts on C, but I'm gonna just limit it to I do think that participation may be directly aligned with the enrollment process for Cal programs. It seems to be that it's limited to directly through enrollment um within the specific school and that's sent home in a paper form that can easily get lost or not be within the time frame. There's also some language choices around limited seats and a hurry first come first serve. And if we're

107shifting to an enrichment model rather than an accelerated or sort of a specialized model, I'd really love to that being evaluated a little bit more closely um to see if there's ways to make it more inclusive and champion those programs to get a wider audience to participate. And I want to shout out all of the amazing teachers that give up their time for those programs because I do believe they are essential in enhancing the experience in our in our district. Thank you. >> Thank you. No, I couldn't agree more actually about um being on the receiving end of the communication about those programs. So I think that that's something we can work on. So thank you. Did you have >> No, you answered my question. I was just I was unable to attend the meeting

108because I wasn't um around and um one of the things I was glad to see is that our philosophy about the kelp program has opened up to be much more inclusive. And so I I uh mirror what you said about if we could come up with ways to widen or entice more students to participate and I know it's a challenge because of the resources. So >> that's a heading in the right direction. >> Great. Thanks. This next part of our meeting was devoted to redistricting which we just heard about and in fact got a little bit more so I won't rehash that. um was essentially the same uh presentation. Well, the bulk of our meeting was really talking about the numeric initiatives. So, Dr. Alto just delivered this part of the presentation. Um and just

109for some framing the following on literacy briefs and the literacy initiatives that have happened in the last few years there been literacy initiatives and briefs published now about sorry numerousy um is it numeracy or numeric >> numerous >> numeracy numeracy um um published um eight briefs uh by New York State Ed. So these briefs provide a framework for building math proficiency for all students. Um and they support also our primary goal that emerged from our resource allocation review which aims to better prepare in particular economically disadvantaged students to be algebra ready. So with these two um um incentives behind us, um administrators and teachers have been using I Ready data and state data as well as data from teacher surveys um to identify skills that need building in order to get students algebra ready and

110opportunities within the I Ready curriculum where those needs can actually be addressed. Um and then develop practices that target specific skills. And this was um these develop development was started last summer's curriculum or during last summer's curriculum work. Um they're still being developed um very much so because this in set of initiatives are new. Um, but just for example, they include things like establishing uninterrupted and differentiated teaching blocks for math as well, not just for our reading blocks for K through eight, hands-on math manipulatives, and trainings to teach teachers how to successfully facilitate active learning in classrooms. Um, so we discussed the need for professional development in light of this because it seems to be a pretty uh large set of new skills and content that are being um sort of put onto our district

111and our teachers. So, what's already been done along with professional development um there's an instructional coach in the middle school level doing work with teachers and students on the approach built on a book called building thinking classrooms. Okay, that really focuses on productive struggle and active learning. So there's an instructional coach already in the middle school focusing on that. Um video tutorials are being made at the K through four level for how to use math manipulatives. Um and those will also be developed for the five six math blocks. Um the November superintendence day focused on everyone can be a mathematician. So this was really thinking about um high expectations and rigorous expectations uh in rigorous instruction as we heard from Dr. as being one of the central tenants for the CRS framework. So this was

112um this superintendence day training was aimed at grade five and six math and science teachers and grade seven and eight math teachers. Um and so the idea is really to emphasize high expectations and rigor and avoid confirmation bias or other things that might creep into the classroom and um affect students differentially. Um there's the whole we talked a lot about the I Ready trainings um to build numeric skills. So there's also professional development that's directly tied to the I Ready curriculum. So ultimately the goal to shift from a more passive approach to of teaching and learning to a more active approach to teaching and learning um and methods that support diverse learners. So while still using the I Ready curriculum yet still yet also looking at more effective ways of teaching. So there's coaching happening

113in all nine K through8 schools from I Ready professionals right now. Some schools are getting one two-day cycle, some are getting two um two two day cycles. Um the building thinking classroom approach which I mentioned a few minutes ago is a different way to approach instruction that teachers than teachers are used to. And the idea is really that teachers are walking around to help groups to check levels of engagement and facilitate learning rather than a teacher upfront model. Um so there have been groups of teachers from four different schools and one instructional coach that attended a training on the superintendent's conference day for this and the idea is to extend those methods throughout the district eventually. So the training also extends to administrators who can use the strategy in faculty meetings and problem solving and

114there was an example given there. Um some new interventions and supports that are starting in January and Q3 Q4. So there's new focus support at JFK for tier three students and those who scored level one and two um for two times per week during tops. There's a new algebra course they're calling launchpad. I think it's totally new, right? It's um for seventh graders to increase academic performance and algebra eighth grade success. So the idea of this five, it's five weeks of classes with one makeup schedule if needed. Um targeting students who are on the cusp of success with these skills but may need extra support. So it's really the students who are sitting in between al readiness and not with the idea that little extra will bolster them. Um, and so there's one class at

115each middle school and student selection based on diagnostics, teacher recommendations, and academic performance. So we discussed how to adequately publicize this to seventh grade families. Um and um how and it was described to us how teachers will facilitate um through different manipulatives um they will facilitate these classes through different manipulatives in order to promote deeper understanding. Um and then we took a peek at state assessment data but we really had only a minute left to do this and we're actually our next meeting on February 8th going to be looking at the subgroups for our state data. Um and so the only thing we really talked about was the fact that 167 more students took assessments um this year than or less last last year than the year previous. Um and we meant and the little

116bit that we looked at revealed some growth in core data. Um, but it was really just a glimpse and it was not broken down by subs. So the next meeting will be February 8th. >> Um, Mrs. Kones. So I have some questions and I don't know if it's you or Dr. >> Oh, did I say 9th? It's the Monday. >> Sorry. >> February 9th. >> Thank you for saying that, Mr. Spicer. February. >> Um, the The building thinking classrooms initiative is that something that we're targeting K through8 or just with a larger focus at the middle school started with 5 instructions. However, she has professional development that she >> is her presence is she full-time in our middle school class by eight one person, two people. >> Okay. So, she's split between both buildings. >>

117Okay. And are we what kind of um additional support only because I I do a lot in this. I'm assuming that um building thinking classrooms is really supporting the practice of math standards versus the content of math standards. I'm assuming that's more or less the approach he takes. Yeah, we're actually coupling it in right alert have we have we been able to create opportunities for our teachers to come together during throughout the year to revise and refine their instructional um strategies that they'll use in the classroom because it's a very very different approach to even what the I Ready you know you're going to need to take the I Ready and totally revise activities and instructional methods. >> Yeah, we've been utilizing our department. >> Okay. um at the elementary level since it's the first

118year a full implementation of CKLA I'm a little concerned about overload for our staff because both are heavy lifts. So, um I just that's just the classroom and particularly since I don't I don't believe they're um elementary math um instructional coaches in the buildings are >> there is not this work overached into We are seeing this naturally progress and building it into our into our math instruction as an instructional practice, >> right? It's just in changing instructional practice is a very very heavy lift and you know we need to do our model ourselves uh best practices with our teachers. just stage only the first to >> thank you. >> Any other questions for Dr. Collins? >> Okay. Um we included on the agenda the um continuation of the community communication goals which we initiated um

119at our last meeting. that really did not um come to a full conclusion. Um and we also have um a proposal from an outside person that's largely focused on internal communication which is somewhat different. Um and we have a retreat date that's already scheduled for January 22nd. Um, so in order to appropriately prepare for that, I thought it would be helpful to hear from board members in terms of um how we move forward on that initiative. >> Does the proposal align with the retreat date? >> Um, I I um have not necessarily confirmed that. I have been in touch with Eva and she is prepared to continue working with us. But I thought before I made that arrangement, I would prefer to hear from the board. I'm concerned that we have communication. We have two

120communication >> issues. Well, we have many communication. Um, but communicating with the outside and communicating inside are two different things. So, I I want to be sure that we're we're focused on what we really what the board really needs. So, I just have a clarification question. I thought at the meeting I attended in November, we were all supposed to send you what we thought the we were looking for in a communication retreat. Did we get that? I know I sent something, but >> yeah, you sent something, but I don't know that. And I and Erica >> because you're right, they're two different things. You know, I'm not certain which [snorts] >> Yes. Well, we had a pretty late conversation at our at our last meeting that you weren't >> there for just because we are

121on different pages. >> Yeah. >> Dr. Bernaby, >> thank you. Um I I am agnostic as to whether we use that retreat to talk about internal or external communications. Um I think if we're going to use her name is Emma or Eva Eva. Eva um if she's available during that time, I say let's go for it. Um and um it keeps coming up over and over again uh that we have growth to do around our external communications. And so the question becomes I mean, my proposal really is to and I can produce a more structured um agenda of of types um to talk about external communications to really just talk this is what we talked about last time to produce a conversation about the root causes of what we've heard from the community about why

122they're not happy with our communications about how we perceive our external communications. I know we always say we have the same thing that we say which is that sometimes folks think that we can talk about things with the public that we can't and that's one problem but there's other problems and there's other things that we can dig into and I think that we can have a congenial open conversation that I'd be happy to lead as I've said about external communications and so I think either would be appropriate for that time and would take up the time. Um the question for me is just you know if she has a really tight schedule then can we find an additional time to talk about the external communications. To me the external communications as I talked about last

123time is about our responsiveness to the community. We need to have a healthy culture inter inside too. I I get that and I believe in that as well. But that is something that we've been asked to do and I think we can find some simple and doable ways to start relatively immediately that again align to um our administrative staff um and leaders plans. Um and I think we should do that as soon as possible. But again I'm I'm I'm agnostic. I just what was it October 6 I believe was when I made the request for an external communications conversation which has never happened. Mrs. Curts, >> could we redefine? I think part of it is that we're really stuck in the language. I want to do what Erica wants to do as soon as possible.

124I think this is a comp I don't think this is what we're we're kind of stuck in. I think this is a how do we talk to our community >> discussion. And to me it's really yes of course it's driven by communication but it's it's more it's a little more simple than that. First I feel like we need to go over sort of like rules of the road like how we how we are legally required to and best practices but also just a really nice conversation about what we want to do as a board in terms of how we represent our voice to the public. I don't think it needs to go super deep. I completely endorse and support Erica just giving us framework for that and kind of just prompting conversation. I it doesn't

125feel like maybe even there's anything formal that has to be a deliverable out of that but simply a grounding and a sharing of understanding about how we do it. So maybe if we come at it from just like a curious conversation, it will feel less stressful while parallel we schedule this retreat which I agree with Erica will directly inform how we have that conversation together and how we continue to build on it as board. >> Dr. Um, so we had originally set that January 22nd retreat date um to review our board goals and that's our midyear check-in. And um when this first came up in the beginning of October, I had suggested that we talk about it in the framework of our goals because communication is one of our board goals. And just as you've

126just highlighted, it's never in the past been a contentious conversation. It's been he it's been um spirited because we have lots of feelings around communication and and people want to achieve it in different ways. Um, and so I'd like to potentially propose that we return to this idea of the 22nd being a board goals check-in and then stand and put this as the meat of our communication goals and really think about the ways in which we are we can move forward with communicating with our public and in the past we've brainstormed in the context of that conversation. Do we want to have surveys like you mentioned in June and already as per the last meeting heard that thought exchange is potentially up and running. We might be able to survey community members to find out

127what their most their biggest concerns are. Maybe that's one of our outcomes of our mid semester check mid year checkin. Um similarly um we've in the past done listening or copy and conversations and I've heard in the last few board meetings us bring up this idea of listening sessions. Again this is not new. I think people want this. We I certainly do. I we want to maybe we need the the thought exchange survey to find out what our community wants to be the theme of listening sessions. And then we set the goal as part of our board goals to have two of those listening sessions as an example. Um So I'm just pitching this idea that um we have this conversation and by sort of uh lowering the temperature on what it has to be

128at because we put it in the context of our goals which we already are planning to talk about on the 22nd. Um and then I just want to speak to the well I'll stop there. I just can I just interject for I'm just going to interject just quickly. I say we need >> we need to um use the appropriate language because >> more discussion about goals is not a retreat. Exactly. >> It's a workshop public meeting that needs to be that needs to be hosted and available open to the public like anything else. So it's not so we're not I know we use retreat when we mean we're not doing our regular business meeting really we're doing a workshop meeting. So I just I know we all throw that word around. It's just but I

129just want to make sure we're all know that's an open meeting and needs to be posted and all those things. >> Thank you for that clarification actually and it was actually that um that triggered this idea that um from what Dr. I had said is that this actually we are talking about this. We talked about the last for the airport but it is a public session topic right the communication with the public the commun internal communication is a retreat topic and so I used the wrong word when I was even talking about potentially our board goals revisiting that can also be an open meeting like our like setting our board goals was an open meeting. So I would just propose then that we shift our January 22nd open meeting to talk about forward goals to

130include this um uh concerted effort toward the communication. >> Mr. Lamb and Dr. Bernaby, >> I support that 100%. I mean I we have got to get down to it. We've had enough distractions from it. I I would support that 100%. >> Dr. Bernaby. >> Yeah, it sounds good to me, too. And I'll just say that like um I'm glad to hear that it's part of the regular work of the board. It hasn't been in my time. So, I'm glad that it is something that is familiar to everyone and that you can feel like it's just a conversation, you know, because I keep trying to say it, but it's I also want to say though that our ability to meet our community at this moment and you saw I mean I I've had a long

131day today too. Um, there's a lot going on in the country that some of the folks who came and spoke tonight have on their minds and you could feel it in the emotions of their of their presentation. So, if you don't know what I'm talking about, you can you can Google what's been going on today. But that's true for folks that are afraid of having federal interventions in their community and having their families torn apart. It's also true um since Christmas and that period of time and the holiday season for the trans community. So, you have very vulnerable people in our district who uh our communications, which have been great up to this point, but we we have to figure out what it means for us to imbue a sense of our own care and

132humanity and connection with our community. And that's all I want to talk about. And I actually don't um know the answer. I just know that if we don't talk about it, um, people will keep coming up show showing up here and giving us all kinds of thank you and thank you and thank you, but in their hearts they don't feel like we have that same level of commitment to it. And I and I want us to show them that we do because we do. And I see it in our policies, but it's it's in the way we show our show up in our communications um that makes a huge difference. And um these are really hard times to be silent. Being silent right now is absolutely not okay for a board. So we got to

133figure this out. So if if I'm if everyone is in agreement, we will use the January 22nd date as our original plan as a workshop where we will review or do a check-in on our goals with a focus on communication. >> Five to eight. >> That's what we have. >> Yeah. >> And and at this point I will not include an outside consultant. >> Great. >> We can arrange for that at a later date, right? >> And that might even come out of the the conversation we have on the 22nd. >> Based on the proposal though, um my understanding is that there's some upfront work to be done with it. So >> I will I'll touch base with her. Okay. >> Again, see how that could be managed. Um I I don't want to commit

134to a contract. >> Sure. >> When we're not really sure >> Yeah. >> what we want from her. >> Yeah. Because I am ready to commit to that work. Um knowing that it's just going to be a protracted period of time. Um and you know, I I am very excited about doing it. Um but yeah, I think we just need more clarification. >> Okay. Um Mr. Mr. Spicer, I don't know if you want to give a facilities um I know we didn't have a facilities meeting, but we do have some facilities activity. Um >> we do. Did you want to share? Because I I um I didn't I didn't hold my notes for it. >> Okay. So, this can be very brief. Uh we have Mr. Spicer and I developed a schedule. We sent it

135to principles for afternoon visits to each of the schools. I actually I think I've heard back from pretty much every principal saying yes, the date is good for them. So, what I will do is release to all of you those dates and if you could um identify when you could, you know, what schools you would like to visit and if you're available on those dates and then we can >> we'll put it in a form and then you guys can choose. >> I could do that. We could do that. And and do us a favor too. Pick pick pick more than a few dates because there may be some days where nobody picks that date and other days where five people pick that date. And we knowing that you are available on other dates would

136really help Marie and I out. >> So thank you. And I do have one other item that I I think we probably should have a discussion about and that is the um board vacancy that opened up um today. So um Dr. Pedalino, if you could just review for us what are we have three options, correct? Yeah, pretty much have three options and as small city school district you have three options and if you were a different district, different type of district who would be required to fill a seat but the board can do nothing and not fill the seat. The board can have a special election to fill the seat or the board can choose someone to fill the seat. Now, you know, traditionally the board has chosen the next most the next highest vote

137getter and in the election to fill the seat. Now, I won't say traditionally. We've done it different ways a few times different ways. But this is like Dr. Barby was one of those people that we that we uh put on using that. Um but you can use the board can use any method they want. They can say you know ask Mr. Kimble if he wants to be on the board whatever. Um >> forget it. He has to be they have to be qualified. But the um so those are really your options. Now, I think it's also important to for everyone to know just just um this person if they were if you were to the board just to pick someone put them on there, this person will only serve till the day after the May

138vote and the next day the new person would come in. So, this is just this is just a very temporary appointment and and like I said, Dr. Burby's appointment was from was from earlier in the school year. So, it was a much longer period of time. Yeah. So, this is we're talking about, you know, till now. Um, >> so if we do choose someone, that person could then run. >> Yes, >> they would have to if they want to stay. >> If they want to stay, they would have to run. >> They would have to run for that. >> So, we will have four open seats, >> right? With three incumbents. Well, I'm sorry. I'm making a lot of >> uh four Kathy. Okay. >> Okay. >> Will you look with my decision tonight? >>

139Um well, I I wanted to have the discussion tonight because I think it's important that we kind of have a sense of what the board is thinking. Um I know what I'm thinking, but I'm I'm anxious to hear from other people. I I would not support obviously a special election. Too short a period of time, too costly, too much time. >> Mr. Lamb and then Dr. confirming >> unless we had a former board member who wanted to come on. By the time someone got up and running with what you need to know and taking legally, you had to take the course the the the trainings. By the time you got up and running and had the trainings done, we would you'd be being up for election or deciding that what am I crazy? I'm not

140going to do this. But, you know, just I I think this short of time it's a mistake to fill the seat. >> Dr. Bernby, >> um I'll just say it's really hard to join this board. Um it's not intuitive. I don't understand. I couldn't figure out how to talk the first two meetings. Uh maybe true for all boards. Uh but um it's a long learning curve, a steep learning curve. So I'll just say that out loud. I don't know what that means. Um, we'd have to just really commit to if if we did appoint someone or have a special election, we'd have to just really commit to a very concerted effort and we'd all have to have the time and the energy to do so. Um, but I'll just say to to fully participate on

141the board, I think you need more time than four months. I just think you do. >> I'm just participating now and it's been four months >> and it's just to >> not at all. The >> just to give in perspective, it's six board meetings. It's not eight. It would be six board meetings because we only have one month. We only have one and we are on January. So we're not looking at four months, eight board meeting to six. >> Mrs. Kurt. >> Yes. I support leaving the seat vacant um only because the cohesion of the board is really just now getting together and for the sake of our work and our delivery of all the services and decisions we make on behalf of the students. We have to keep them in moving forward and any

142distractions to that or detractions from that work I think would not be in service to our students and our teachers and families. any other I I tend to agree. I'm I am in support of keeping the um seat vacant and I spoke with Mark um and he asked that I share that that is his wishes as well. So, do um I will make a motion that we um keep this vacancy vacant until the May election. >> Second. >> Any additional discussion? All in favor? >> I >> So that can we do a roll call vote so I can make sure I have it? Sorry. >> Sure. >> So, Miss Curts. >> Hi, >> Miss Corone. >> Hi, >> Dr. Collins. >> Hi, >> Miss Anderson. >> Hi, >> Mr. Lamb. >> Hi, >> Mr. Spicer.

143>> Dr. Bernain. >> Okay, so we have >> Y >> Five. Yeah. in favor. >> Yes. >> Why we don't do I can't count. >> Um All right. So the most >> Okay. U that brings us to old business. Mr. Lan, >> very briefly and you know Karen made copies of these the handout. This came up at policy um in October and came out of a discussion at the board about the rules of order and we have a set of rules of order that came from our legal council and it's designed for boards of ed. So it it it gets right to the point and I think we basically follow these. However, I don't want to have a long discussion tonight. It's 9:30. If you could look at them and we could have a discussion

144about I mean is this what we want? Is this how we Because we really should have some stated procedures in place. >> Thank you. So, could we give the board an opportunity to review it and then we can have the conversation at our next meeting? >> I would think so because I mean policies had these and and it's unfair that we have. So, yes, I would hope that we would. Yes. >> Um, you probably said this. I was talking briefly Karen. Um, Where where is this? I mean, it's obviously like a a bridge Roberts, but where is what's the source? >> This came from our legal council and and these were put together by um >> I think it came from Yes. I just >> I have another business. >> Okay. >> Sorry y'all. Um,

145I reviewed the students safety and privacy um resolution that um was presented or provided last time for us to review. And I just want to say that I think before we discuss it um we should take a look at the one that was submitted to us this evening. Um it's in our email and we should look at the two side by side. And this is is a part of communications and transparency with the public. Right? We've been asked to do something. We something to me they are quite different and they don't really sit well together as I scanned it briefly and so just to say I think I'd love the board to also take a look at both the one that we were provided last time as well as the one and and be prepared

146to have a a thoughtful conversation about it because this is we've been I think they've been coming for as as many months as I've been around so >> thanks >> I agree with you I I would like We compare what we've drafted with what we received tonight. >> That came in email. >> We got it during executive session. >> Yes, it came in at Yeah. 7, excuse me, 6:51, it looks like. And then the one we received last time we received in paper form. I'm not sure if it's in >> It is now in the >> Okay, >> thank you. I have I have one piece of old um business. I sent everybody this in an email >> and I said I was going to bring it up tonight. Um it's it's the wonderful diversity

147hiring report that we've been presented in in years past and it I was just warning the report given to the new board updated and uh so in order for us to discuss it I need to make a motion. So I'll make a motion that uh we we have Dr. Padino take the report and provide us an update. Uh uh I think I said by February or the 1 of March, but Dr. Fino can tell us when he can have it done. So, the motion needs to second. Then we could talk about why this is a good idea or a bad idea. >> Second >> discussion. >> Okay. So, I thought of five good reasons for us to to pursue this report. You can't know where you're going if you don't know where you are. Two,

148boards run on boards run on plan. Boards run and plan on data, not feelings. Three, this is one bright data point which details our success for many of our district uh for many of our district and board goals. We're we're running like for example the the presentation that was done today. How do we ultimately know if we're being [clears throat] successful? This report tells us if all of the massive programs that are happening district-wise, districtwide are being successful. [clears throat] Four, the specific position data points are important to know like how many of your nurses, building leaders, coaches, custodians [clears throat] we have are people of color to support our conversations on advancement. How do you know? How do you know how many you have? Uh, number five, this is really important. The year-over-year numbers

149also tell us the success or challenges of of our of our retention of our professionals of color. If we see a huge drop in any area of our professionals of color, we we really need to know that we could be we could and we don't even know why. We could be losing in any specific area employees of color and we just don't know why. It could be other districts have more businesses available or or pay more. A lot of our um professionals of color need to be in their larger cities, too, because that's where their communities are. But it it's great to know why. So, those are my five reasons >> for wanting to have an update on this report. So, we're looking for a vote to that Dr. Pedalino will provide us with an

150update on that data. >> Sure. Do you want me to call a question? >> Sure. >> Oh, I'm sorry. No discussion. I'm sorry, >> Dr. Jones. >> Um, thank you very much for for bringing this to our attention again and and also I just think we this is work that our district is and we as a board are so committed to doing. I think um I think the presentation by Dr. tonight is a good example and same with the um presented the presentation in December from the director of recruitment retention, right? Um I I think my my challenge when I look at the data in this format, I struggle for a couple of reasons or at least I I I want to better understand whether this is the best way for us to be thinking

151about um measuring our success in the district. And the reason I say that is that some of these numbers like hiring depends very much on availability of positions. So I think that our ability to fill positions is only relying on on there being open positions. So a lack of change in one number doesn't mean a lack of progress. I think right and and so I just I just want to say that I I worry a little bit about interpreting too literally some numbers. Um, and also I I feel like we are working really hard to imagine inclusion of marginalized groups of many different um uh types. And so I I just wonder if there's a way we can focus on measures of success that um don't feel so exclusive of other groups, if that makes

152sense. Well, one the the conversation that you bring up is is really wonderful. The great thing about the report for us collecting over the last couple years, we're getting better and better and better. But but Dr. Palino was really great at explaining if there's a certain category like secretaries and our number drops or stays the same, those numbers may come from a what do you call that list? >> Civil service list. So, it's not our fault. there's nobody on the civil service list of of color that's up for that position. And we find out we're doing the best we can. There are no candidates available, which makes us all feel better as well. So, it's a really good conversation, but we're not going to have it unless we know what's going on. But all all

153your questions were were really good and they come from us having a state because we turn right to Dr. Po and say, "Uh, how can we do better in that area?" and he says right away, you know, we we had no candidates this year on the civil service list and also other areas. And then Dr. Palino also speaks up and says in our recruitment um fair this year, we worked at at filling those and we and we had a lot of people who showed up, but they went other places. But but it it it it forms the basis for those conversations. And I think one of the things that both respond and and um Miss Jacob were working or have been keeping track of is a more looking at a more diverse number of categories.

154So even even in the presentation two weeks ago, you know, it was brought up it wasn't just it wasn't just, you know, our our uh employees of color, but also looking at other marginalized groups. So I think that that's I mean this is a this is a good tool and I think you could just add some columns and and make that happen >> and I appreciate that and and in this particular case the more the marrier. I just would add more work but you're right an expanded list [clears throat] of marginalized um uh employees of course is better. Of course it's better. >> Dr. I totally support this and I I think the conversation that comes out of it is even more valuable than the numbers, but I agree you need the baseline data to

155have the conversation. Of course, more the marrier, but we know that we see some of the greatest disproportionality um by race in all categories across the country at the intersection with other identities. So, you could have gender or sexuality, whatever intersecting, but always having the data broken down by race is helpful. So I think it'd be a great place to start a conversation. I think and and I I love that there's flavor that Dr. P can add to it, right? So we understand why the why of it is important as well, but I support it. >> I remember when when we first started talking about this so many years ago and the conversation of time was we are brave. If you're going to move forward, you have to be brave enough to look at where

156you are, disagregate all the data, and not be afraid of how it comes out. Because however data comes out is no disparagement on who you are or how hard you're trying. It just tells you where you are. And we were at the time great. We said, "Let's do it. Let's do it. Let's know and let's go forward." And that's how this all started. And I still think as boards go, we're brave. >> So, all in favor? >> Oh, I'm sorry. >> I just wanted to ask, why do we need to vote on this? Why can't a board request data? >> Well, we just made a motion. because policy in order for you to for the board to ask me to produce something that doesn't already exist, the board has to vote as a whole. One

157no one >> does exist. >> No, it doesn't. That's >> all right. Okay. I'm in favor. >> So, so the board needs to >> as a whole. So, that keeps one board member from directing the rest of the you know the board administration. Okay. So, would you like to call the question? >> I would. For one, I would like a chance to make a motion. I make a motion to a motion. >> How do you call? >> All in favor? >> Any oppose? Okay. So, >> had a question. >> I'm sorry. >> I have >> Did you really? >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> I did. My questions weren't answered. This was way faster. So, all good. I think that it's a Yes. >> Okay. Any uh new business? >> That was it. >> Was that

158I'm sorry. >> That was that was old. >> Okay. >> What comes first? >> Okay. I feel so old. >> Um >> board member announcements. >> I just have one. The Olster County School Boards Association, their um meeting on January 29th is with the local legislators. If you are interested in attending, Karen has to RSVP by probably sometime this week. >> Yeah. >> And it is at eyeborg. Um and it does include a dinner. >> Oh, nice. >> Six o'clock. >> You didn't tell me that part. I committed before the dinner for the record. >> Anybody else want to commit right now so I can just write it down? >> What's the date, please? >> 29th. >> January 29th. >> No problem. Right there. >> Do we have any more announcements? [laughter] >> Any other

159announcements? >> I just looked. I'm working that day but in the morning >> if we could until >> any other announcement >> I'm just trying to figure out >> I want to cut anybody off. >> If we could have a motion to adjourn. >> Oh actually I missed. Do we have anybody in the public that would like to speak? >> This is your chance. No, >> you're now on the you're in the minutes. >> I'm in the minutes. >> Owen Saver, >> thank you very much. Oh my god.