001good evening everybody we'd like to welcome you at this time to the October 15 20120 regular meeting of the enlarged City School District of Middletown call this meeting to order at this time we're going to ask everybody if you would please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance Mrs blumau would you lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance please uned States indivisible andice thank you Mrs Bloom now uh can we do a moment of silence do we have a moment moment of silence I would like to if everyone could please just stand for a moment for a moment of silence please this I'm going to do this at every board meeting it's for the people have passed as a result of the Corona virus it's up to 219,000 and that's uh uh like 14 thou no
002U 12 thou 8,000 more than two weeks ago when we did it so um let's have a moment of silence and may their memory be a blessing thank you Mr like to do a two-minute Public Service Announcement if I could um 8 million people now are infected with the virus if you put that in perspective that's the total population combined North Dakota South Dakota Montana Oregon Idaho Wyoming Nebraska the total population or the city of New York Manhattan Brooklyn Bronx queens and Staten Island we can slow this down dramatically I'm looking around this room everybody is doing the right thing wearing a mask is not this it's this I respect everybody in this room I will not take my mask off and especially these two people left and right because the close proximity wearing mask
003social distance let's knock this thing down thank you Mr President yes yes um if we if we could um yes sir Mr cenzo open the door I'm going to I'm going to walk through is your mic on my mic on it's on here here we go good uh this evening the Middletown Elks Club held a um benefit uh for uh the supporting the Honor Flight and the Honor Flight seeks to send veterans particularly World War II and of course that's almost finished unfortunately Korean War and so on to the uh Washington to see the various monuments the these veterans supported the American flag these veterans defended the country and if we weren't if they did not do this we wouldn't be here this evening so that's all I have to say right now thank you
004thank you sir take it for what it is thank you sir um greatly appreciate it we're gonna we are going to um uh be able to come back uh during the community announcements and uh comments uh Community reports um and uh talk a little bit more about that uh Mr Mr Williams could you please read the mission statement of the enlarge City School District of Middletown sure this one we strive to provide physically sound educational opportunities and a safe environment that continuously support our diverse student population we will enable all students to graduate to reach their full potential to become life liong Learners and to be competitive productive members of society thank you sir roll call Mrs Clark here here here thank you um I'm going do a little house cleaning before we start um
005as as as I'm sure everybody's aware we are still uh Bound by um uh the uh what is it the the guidelines that the state has has set on us and we can only have so many people in the room and so we're asking everybody that uh everybody if you don't have a seat um I'm unfortunately we're going to have to ask you to leave the room but we need you to be to be seated we're only allowed to have 50 people I see that everybody is pretty much seated but I'm making the announcement any house so it can't be said that I didn't make it so I'm smiling and uh so uh I wanted to do a little house house cleaning uh also also be aware that as as things are shifting as things
006are shifting if the numbers shift we might H we might end up going to a time when we won't won't be able to have public in um to the meeting so uh we're glad that we're able to do this now um and deal with the issues that we have there but I needed to say that so that we um so that we would be clear we're not trying to hold anybody out but we're only allowed to have 50 in this room we're only allowed to have 50 in this room according to guidelines and uh last last our last meeting last meeting we congregated just a little bit too too close for comfort and so I I just I want to make sure that we all are are respectful of the guidelines but also respectful of
007each other um if I was in my church I would have said let Let the church say Amen uh moving on I need a motion please for the approval of our agenda tonight removed and seconded any discussion all in favor I opposed so passes need a motion please for the approval of our regular minutes from our October 1st 2020 meeting second moved and seconded any discussion all in favor I opposed it so passes um I need a motion for the approval of our special meeting minutes from October the 8th 2020 so move moved and seconded any discussion all in favor I opposed so passes U moving on to our personnel action items if there is no objection we will put our Personnel memorandum 12a instructional and our Personnel memorandum 12b non-instructional together may I have
008a motion for such please so move second moved and seconded any discussion all in favor I opposed so passes there's no introductions tonight is there no all right moving on again um a very briefly um recognition announcements and Community reports does anybody have anything that is is urgent Mr Mr Pino I don't know Mr President if this is urgent or not but uh we've just completed um Hispanic Heritage Month yes and I I have a number of things but I'll just concentrate on that I wanted to recognize a couple of our families with uh who are doing a great job with the remote learning and the virtual learning the Johnson family and the Schwab family but I'll save those kind of things for the next uh meeting but you you know our district our instructional
009staff has been doing a good job promoting Hispanic Heritage Month uh I want to thank Mrs brat and uh the library media person the chair of the department at the high school Emily longer again uh at each of the buildings they've been featuring various materials either by Hispanic authors or studying uh various uh events in our history that uh Drew these people to prominence for example at Presidential Park they made available a large selection of picture books this this building they discuss the significance and importance of of Hispanic heres month they read various books the cultural significance at Twin Towers Mr sisle the media specialist there made a h Hispanic heritage padlet various resources also they celebrated at each each day a person of importance in the Hispanic uh community monhagen another media specialist Mrs
010soer discussed with her students various uh Hispanic authors and various Hispanic uh men and women of importance um Emily at the high school she concentrated on various people in various writings and just on and on so all District I believe has done a good job with Hispanic Heritage Month and also if you do not know this people listening or people watching we have various programs that benefit Hispanic heritage and people of Hispanic heritage ex uh extraction for example the English as a new language program the NL program transitional bilingual education program dual language program newcomer program language other than English or World language program so a number of these programs in our district for uh to benefit various groups so um I wanted to be brief I have other items but I'll bring those up
011at the next meeting thank you thank you sir anybody gu me I promise to be very brief I just wanted to mention that October is fire safety month and I know our teachers are doing a wonderful job even through remote learning to educate the children on safety but I just want to make mention um a few items that are near and dear to my heart my father was a firefighter and he actually sustained injuries on the job that he later s come to so um fire safety month is important to me because I do feel I have the opportunity to maybe change someone's um outcome if God forbid there was a fire that took place in their home so just a reminder gentle reminder to install smoke detectors change batteries um have a family fire
012plan teach your children stop drop and roll if God forbid they were to catch fire um and the most important as a former teacher of young children is to make sure your children understand that the firefighters are not people who they should be afraid of that they are there to help because all that apparatus that they wear can be a bit scary and usually the firefighters come to the children this time of year to um to uh you know make the children understand not to be afraid but that's all I have thank you Pastor Williams thank you um uh with that being said I had an announcement about the firefighters exam but I don't see the information here so it is what it is I we'll get back we'll get back but you can find
013that information I'm sure posted up on the city's website also just a quick reminder to everybody in the community that the City of Middletown has adopted a resolution concerning um uh the Halloween season that during the period of October 29th 2020 through November 1st 2020 between the hours of 900 p.m through 6: a.m. on each day commencing on October 29th 2020 it shall be unlawful for any person under the age of 18 years um Hereafter referred to as minor to be in any public place including but not limited to any Street alley highway or other public thorough far sidewalk Parks playgrounds stores shop restaurants taverns cafes etc etc etc you get the picture um uh uh except when accompanied by a parent or a guardian when the minor is on an emergency errand or when
014the minor is on a specific business or activity directed to directed by his or her parent or Guardian in writing a identifying the minor and the specific business or activity uh this information can be found on the on the city website we wanted to make sure that we um we mentioned it and announced it as it does uh affect our Scholars uh so thank you moving on I'm not missing anybody my my thank you moving on um our opport Unity to address the board uh you can come to the mic uh there's a piece of paper there to to sign you have four minutes we will not dialogue back and forth we will listen we will not dialogue back and forth but you'll have the opportunity to be able to address the board Mr cenzo
015has the clock and he will he will raise um a piece of paper to let you know when you have two minutes when you have one minute and when you have 30 seconds of course uh I'm not going to I'm not going to make you stop talking exactly at the at the 4minute Mark but uh please be respectful of each other uh at this time anybody who would like to uh make comments can please come to the mic hello um my name is Paul vland and I teach seventh grade mathematics at Twin Towers I'm here to speak about my current situation with regards to my medical condition and my ability to teach once students return to school I submitted the appropriate Ada form along with a note from my endrocrinologist that states I am at
016a higher risk to complications due to covid-19 and I should be allowed to work remotely from a place that does not require me to be in close contact for an extended time with others or be assigned different duties that will limit my contact with staff and students I was denied these accommodations and the district offered me more PPE extra disinfectant or an unpaid leave of absence I had initially tried to set up a meeting with the administration last week and again yesterday to today a meeting was set up with Mrs ceden and Mr tutle but unfortunately it had to be rescheduled to a future date I look forward to this meeting and I very much appre uh appreciate you Mrs ceden and Mr Tuttle affording me the opportunity to talk with you with that said
017more and more students are returning to the building next week and I feel it is necessary to make my board um of Education aware of my situation so I appreciate this time I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes out of nowhere when I was 15 and I spent a week in the hospital normalizing my blood sugar excuse me and being trained on how to navigate what I needed to do when we got home my mother broke down crying telling me she was so sorry that I had that I have to deal with this for the rest of my life I remember saying to her that I will do what I need to do to take care of myself so that she does not have to worry I spent the last 21 years taking care of
018my diabetes so my mother would never have cause to worry I have always been in control of my health but last night when I told my mother I was being forced to be in the classroom during the middle of a pandemic or take an unpaid leave I broke down crying to her which is the last thing I ever wanted to do my ability to manage my health is being taken out of my control now and I'm extremely worried frustrated and perplexed surrounding districts such as Chester Newberg walkill Minn and others are allowing their vulnerable teachers to teach remotely so why not here at Middletown I cannot take an unpa paid leave because I have four children and my wife is a social worker and we would not be able to survive on her salary alone
019plus if I were to take an unpaid leave that would require the district to find a replacement for me my current students would be without a cons a consistent teacher until a long-term sub could be found during the middle of a pandemic if one could even be found and it is highly unlikely they will find a teacher with 14 years of experience like myself my students education will most certainly be negatively affected by this and again I want to and can continue teaching how I have been teaching since day one of this year a type 1 diabetic like myself in a neighboring District was given the accommodation to teach remotely and it has worked well so again I'm not sure why it cannot be done here the district states that all safety precautions are being
020taken to ensure it is safe in the building there are certainly certainly many precautions being taken place and I appreciate the hard work and dedication of our custodial staff and security officers truly I do but I'm highly concerned that I've have been told classrooms uh including desks and countertops that multiple students will be sitting at and touching throughout the day will not be cleaned between classes by custodians plus I have been told teachers teachers and students are not allowed to clean them either this makes me extremely nervous given my condition in addition the district must not think the building will be safe for a vulnerable population as they were allowing students with underlying health issues to stay remote all year even prior to pivoting to allowing any student to stay remote all year I ask
021if it is unsafe for a student with an underlying health issue like mine to be in the building how is it safe for me I emphasize that I am asking to continue teaching my students and will be able to do so without threatening my health all I am asking is for an accommodation that surrounding districts are giving to people in similar situations I have at least 20 more years to give to this district and that is being put at risk again I appreciate I truly do uh Mrs ceden and Mr Tuttle for giving me the time to meet with you when we can set up the meeting and I look forward to discussing my accommodations and thank you board of education for your time and for listening anybody else tonight thank you for allowing me
022to address the distinguished board and Community my name is Judy Ron and I've been with the district since my own two children were in their teens now they are both in essential professions independent of their mom but still sometimes in need of my sage advice and Hungarian cooking when I started teaching it twin Bill Hull was my mentor and we used t-squares Hammers and saws to cut out wooden cars and bridges now I teach pre-engineering using computer software a 3D printer and Robotics but I still use some hand tools in the same room Mr Pino once taught in you better believe that I spent many nights weekends and summer days in Graduate School classrooms and on computers learning 21st century skills with hope to excite and motivate our young people to further their education and
023civil biomed or Aeronautical Engineering and become productive and compassionate contributors to society and if your child was in my class you know I never give up on them in person or remote sorry I also ran or walked alongside my students at Ruthie Dino Marshall races breast cancer awareness walks and most recently in peaceful black lives matter and social justice marches and during lockdown drills when students asked what I would do if we had a real emergency a real shooter without hesitation I replied that I would keep you safe at all costs I'm not a wimp I'm I've had treatment and surgeries for cancers I've waited in Alaskan rivers with bears and I teach in middle school now after almost two decades of truly investing my heart and mind in the Youth of Middletown I've been
024advised by my doctor to minimize physical contact and continue working remotely the CDC recommends that employers protect employees at higher risk of severe illness but after submitting the recommendation and my request for accommodations under the Americans with Disability Act I was informed that the district does not yet offer remote teaching I would have to take a leave of absence and pay for health insurance I cannot afford that kind of financial drain I just found out it costs $2,000 a month for insurance I have three documented medical strikes against me if I contract covid from one unsuspecting carrier after for being in a room with up to 20 children five times a day I would either suffer severe illness or possibly death and I've seen what death from covid feels like I've paid my respects via
025Zoom three times for friends and family and I'm terrified of suffering for myself my loved ones and my colleagues so I respectfully ask for myself and for my vulnerable colleagues that we be allowed to continue our dedicated duties as teachers via remote learning for which we have training experience and have witnessed creative and successful learning thank you for your consideration and a special shout out and thanks to my twin towers family for coming out tonight and [Applause] support thank you anybody else would like to address the board hello uh my name is Moran mukan um I started my career in Middletown as a teacher at Twin Towers 17 years ago at that point I was Donahue uh Twin Towers quickly became a second home and the staff and extended family the solidarity of my school
026Community has always been inspiring and I always have felt encouraged to do more some extensions of my workday have been instructional like after school programs in summer school some have been academic like professional developments and math committee and some have just been about making connections with the students like inter murals clubs dances concerts and athletic events the more I gave the more I wanted to give and I know just how lucky that that that makes me I have a career that's so fulfilling that 17 years later I really can't imagine doing anything else which brings me to the reason that I stand before you today when teachers were called to return to school in September I was very concerned for my safety well I know that prevention must be part of our new culture now
027um those that are to those that are vulnerable it has an increased level of importance I've been diagnosed with a disease called lupus it's an autoimmune disease which means that it causes my body to fight otherwise healthy cells lupus affects everyone differently but impacts the skin joints and organs there are a wide variety of symptoms but chronic pain inflammation and fatigue are at the top of my list regularly there have been times in the past uh during what they call a flare where the pain and swelling was so severe that I could barely move and found it difficult to even breathe during those times I needed assistance for even the most basic components of my day like getting washed and dressed I currently manage my lupus with a variety of medications which strangely enough strangely
028enough also impact my immune system and put me in a category called immunosuppressed this means that I get sick easily and it takes me much longer than the average person to recover in an attempt to limit my possible exposure to covid I filed a request um to be allowed to teach remotely from my home um based on my medical condition my request was supported by a note from my doctor stating that my condition stating my condition and the risk of complications should I contract covid and that request was recently denied here we are in the middle of a pandemic one which health experts expect to speed up in the near future where professionals across the world are now remotely uh working remotely from home where teachers in nearby districts with health issues are also working
029remotely from home but as a teacher in this District I'm being denied that accommodation because according to my letter with students in the building working from home would not permit me to perform all the essential functions of my job as a teacher in addition I was made an offer of what they consider to be appropriate alternative accommodations which include additional PPE like masks face Shields and gloves and disecting materials which are accommodations that are already being granted to all the teachers the letter goes on to say that uh should I not find those accommodations suitable I could take an unpaid leave of absence which in my opinion is the exact opposite of an accommodation as it is not allowing me to do my job in response to the reason stated in my letter I would
030like a few items to be considered first um me being in my home while students are in the classroom or in their own home puts us in a few different places at once something that we as teachers have been navigating for about five months of instruction at this point second if I should choose to take an unpaid leave my students would be left in the hands of a substitute without my level of experience or expertise for an undetermined amount of time the idea that a substitute would be preferred to my continuing to teach remotely makes absolutely no sense to me finally as teachers we are told Often by the administration that we are valued and appreciated and I've always felt that way recently during professional developments we have been reminded to show Grace to those
031around us in this unprecedented time a perspective that I fully support I have given my heart and soul to this profession this district and my students for 17 years and have provided many individual accommodations to students so that they can perform to the best of their ability it's my position that the district's response to my request does not in any way demonstrate that appreciation or great R and I wanted to tell my story so that the community could be made aware that vulnerable teachers of this District are not being protected and are instead being forced to choose between their career and their health thank you thank you huh thank you testing testing please please make sure you sign the paper as well please thank you we do Mr President um Mr President president board members
032Middletown Community good evening my name is Saleem Nome and I'm the proud parent of two wonderful kids one in sixth grade and one in fourth grade I don't want to get off track so I will read directly from my phone my notes constructing a reopening plan in the pandemic is hard work there are tough questions to answer and some of which we still don't have answers for I commend the district for Contin continuing to feed the families of Middletown throughout the pandemic I commend the board for revisiting a poorly informed decision and allowing All Families to have a choice however there are a few issues that I would like to bring to the attentions of our community and the board that needs addressing although there are difficult problems to solve our community is filled with
033intelligent people that should care enough to create a solution that works no matter what decisions are made not everyone will be happy but I think it goes without saying that the system put in place the decisions that are made should be good enough for your own children and families my first point there are several issues regarding the Twin Towers Middle School Middle Middle School building and many of them will take lots of time and money to remediate some of these issues require Solutions right now you cannot say that there is equity among employees and students when you look at the ventilation systems at Twin Towers teachers are currently teaching with the windows open all day without screens regardless of the weather my second point there are systems in place to provide the medical accommodations for
034children while there is a system in place to request accommodations for employees I don't think universally denying the accommodations of working remotely for those who are immuno compromise or have underlying conditions documented by a physician is the right answer this brings me to my next Point teachers who have been denied a medical accommodation to work remotely have been offered disinfection materials who will be doing the disinfecting lastly to add to that point for those students who will be participating in the hybrid model as students are phased back into middle school and high school they will they they will have they will be asked to change classes several times a day at this time what is the plan in place for how the death will be disinfected between groups keeping in mind that students and teachers
035cannot be responsible for disinfection between periods I ask that we put our heads together and remember that concerns for members of our community should be a concern for all for the whole community and when things do go wrong because there is no perfect plan without risk I ask that you will be forthcoming and engage the community with a spirit of transparency so that we can have necessary conversation with our children remain Vigilant to the risk and work together to come up with Solutions I respect the work you do for every student every day and ask that you consider my concerns thank you thank you sir anybody else like to address the board at this time hello my name is Alison Sweeney I signed up on the list to speak accidentally and then I crossed my
036name off because I didn't want to but hearing everyone else who has been so brave and speak so eloquently it made me realize that my voice is important too even though it might not be as eloquent as Moren and Paul thank you so much my child is an amino compromised child I submitted documentation to the district requesting accommodations or to work from home I would be happy to work within the building I just don't want to be exposed to Children my daughter has my daughter has cyclic vomiting syndrome and amuno disorder she has been hospitalized 13 times she is 11 years old that's not counting her emergency room visits Middletown has been wonderful about honoring the requests of parents to keep their children home even before the community organized and requested that everyone be given
037the option I want to know why my child is any less important than a child in the Middletown School District all I am asking is to keep her safe she almost died from an ear infection she was 5 years old and she was given morphine because she was in such horrible pain she was on antibiotics two antibiotics simultaneously and she still developed mastoiditis from this ear infection I didn't know if my child was going to wake up from that morphine they were talking to us about her statistics and whether she could pull through this she when she starts vomiting she can't stop on her own she needs an emergency room visit for a banana bag for fluids and half the time we end up hospitalized all I am asking is for the same consideration for
038my child that was given to the other Middletown students thank you thank you oh I think Sam and and and Daryl you're before me on list okay thank you hello my name is Maria blond I'm a Community member and grandparent of a future Middletown student my biracial grandson born on Wednesday October 7th he shares a birthday with activist Desmond tutu who said if you are neutral in the face of Injustice you have chosen the side of the oppressor each person in this room has a choice to stand on the side of Justice or Injustice to embrace this discussion of racism or choose silence which is the same as choosing the side of the oppressor on October 1st after weeks of being being in receipt of a community petition calling for district commitment to social justice
039and anti-rac racism education we the community with nearly 700 signatures asked by a show of hands how many in the audience and the Board of Education are in support of this petition only one board member raised their hand thank you Freddy Williams superintendent delmaro and other board members profess to be already working on the tenants of our petition yet they don't raise their hands in support does this make any sense to anybody here no me either so the five tenants of our petition to create a culture of anti-racism and social Equity our number one expansion of educator professional development number two increase staff diversity number three curriculum redesign and reform number four analysis of school discipline policies and number five Civic engagement for Scholars I come today again asking for a show of hands from
040the front of the room who is in support of this petition and the five tenants Mrs blond I I I I said something last week and and and I and I I don't want you to think I told you how I told you I was for this I told you I was for this then why don't you raise your hand i'm reason I'm not raising my hand right now is because the board during these times and every board member here knows Mr Williams is a new board member we don't we don't respond we listen we'll respond with our actions we'll respond we'll respond I don't want you to take that we're not raising our hands at this time as a sign of us not being in support I I I I I I I I
041I don't want I don't want it to be I really don't want it to be a conflict it's not a conflict we support but but you're asking us to do something which to be honest to be honest it it it's not it's not fair at this point it's not fair at this point we we will respond we will respond I'm just ask I asked last week I asked last week and I I I I I don't know what else I can say well we've been at this a few months and we'll just keep going until we have a response I have some questions here why Mr delaro along with the Board of Education members are you holding back on supporting embracing and moving forward with the tenants of this petition how has Mr delmaro the
042leader of this District educated himself around race and shared how he is maybe not understanding some parts of this with his staff and the employees he serves what about coming from a position of humility and just saying I don't know some of these things there's power in a leader who can do this with confidence to say what they know and and ask for help for what they don't know when is the Board of Education well Mr Williams interrupted me so I'm going to finish when is the Board of Education going to ask to hear from the black and brown teachers and administrators publicly or privately about their experience and ideas to improve the Middletown climate we asked to have kayle's letter as a starting point for discussions in the district has this happened yet I
043haven't heard that it has I haven't heard that our petition has been discussed in the district either I imagine educ Educators in this District are eagerly waiting for these discussions to begin because I'm sure they want to help their students as best they can and they're counting on the superintendent to start these important conversations I'm disheartened to hear that there's students and teachers with special needs in this District during this time of covid and they're not being treated with respect and giving given the option to teach at home to preserve their health that's a heavy weight on a district if a a teacher with special needs or a student with special needs would get sick and die lots of people are dying nowadays it's very scary so I speak for many who do not have
044a voice and those who have lost confidence in the decision-making group's ability to demand the superintendent you hired leads this work and educates himself around these issues we want a superintendent in this District who will create a culture of anti-racism and social Equity with confident Swift action thank you Miss blond good evening some of you remember me I am one of the grandmothers of the grandmother Coalition and if you think that um a mother lionist is something else deal with a grandma Alliance okay um I had some set things I wanted to say but a lot of what I heard this evening was very very disturbing to me especially for our teachers that um lives are putting being put in danger sue them um as you know many of you have seen last meeting and
045this meeting that I take a KN and there's been some jibber jabber about that so I want to clarify something I have had members of my family fight for this country from the Civil War to Afghanistan and I take need because it's a damn lie for liberty and justice for all and I will continue to take a knee until either my heavenly father takes me from this Earth or I see a change and on that you spoke about Hispanic month wonderful I appreciate it it's wonderful but I have a grandchild that goes to William Carter and last year I asked him so what did y'all do for Black History Month nothing nothing so there are large districts in New York state that are dedicated to equality and inclusion for example nyak has an office of
046equity and inclusion and invocate invitation Newberg has Fai it's called family and Community engagement engagement department Buffalo office of parent and family engagement team Arlington school district has district and building equality committees who is on the team from Middletown staff to lead this work or is there a team when will Middletown as a large District make the creation of this kind of Department of priority we want to superintendent for this District who would create a culture of anti-racism and social Equity with confidence and switch action I have to reiterate again because I too have an A compromised immune system the American for disab um for Americans with Disability Act believe covers each and every one of you that have it get a lawyer because you should not have to put your life on the line
047to teach our children if you can do it from home do it on Zoom whatever I don't understand why you're not afforded that and who is going to clean up between classes cuz I was told that teachers were told that they're not allowed to do that and if your if your immune system is already compromised why the devil would you want to go and clean up behind everybody else this whole evening has gotten me so upset I'm live it I really am the whole thing I think the fact that you have to come here and ask them to give you proper a combinations is a sin and a shame so that's why even in this instance putting racial stuff and everything else aside liberty and justice for all okay only if you're healthy good night
048thank you good evening everyone so you may um some of you may know me someone you may not know me my name is Carolyn but they call me muchi Merchant I do a podcast Radio called reporting live 845 I am the one that the people in the community come to I'm also the sister of one of the most intricate person one of the most active person one of the most intelligent giving person in in in Middletown and that's John Merchant so if you know John John Merchant I'm his sister we're standing here today we're coming here today because superintendent Del Maro I've been summonsing you so I'm glad that we're having this face to face um it just first of all to the teachers I feel so bad for you so what this is coming
049for what I was going to say and listen to teachers what this is showing me is the district don't care let's keep it real the district don't care the board don't care the district don't care if they care they wouldn't have sent you that letter so they don't care they don't care about the teachers nor do they care about the students now why am I here muchi I'm here because first of all we're not going to act like racis through the pandemic we're not going to act like racism don't exist but more so we're finding out it exists right here in Middletown School District um not only does it exist ex exist here it's being overlooked and brushed under the table now um I did a podcast my podcast got over 25 5,000 views in
050that podcast I got 4,000 testimonies 4,000 testimonies from some graduated former teachers some current teachers and some other people about the the things that's going on in the district what's going on in the district first of all we have a major problem if you look around shout out to all the good teachers we don't have a lot of color why is that Middletown is the one of the most diverse schools in the Hudson Valley region yet 90% of your teachers are white no no you know no disrespect but where is the if your if your students are 85% black and minorities if they're musim minorities 15% white why do we have so many unrelatable teachers can we ask that so we don't want to address that I've asked super uh uh superintendent Del Marvel to
051tell me why as a superintendent why his students don't forget Middletown students and you teachers should be proud your Middletown students let two of the biggest protests in Middletown 500 deep no issues no problem yet I seen nobody supporting your youth there was no teachers out there I didn't see a lot of board members out there where were you guys these are your your students so we bring it to I see kayy Kaye is one I'm shout out to kayy she wrote a letter about all her experiences I post that on social media how many other kids have said that they've been in a school and they were treated differently by some of these teachers not saying all teachers are bad we got M time got some great teachers there are some bad apples in
052this in the school we brought a a teacher in to the attention of the board I'm not going to say your name but we brought a teacher to the attention of board I have yet to see the board tell us what they did to that teacher what was the result of the teacher going on social media making racial remarks what was the result of the teacher making these comments about what and she teaches the bad thing about it is this teacher teaches history history that's an issue that's an issue as a young black woman when I what are you guys teaching for Black History Month you're praising the American Heritage and what you guys did for the what is it uh Spanish how what did you teach them I don't see a lot of Spanish
053teachers out here so how did you teach them what knowledge and experience can you teach it's not it's more to teaching than getting up there and reading a book and and following the it it's experience life experiences you know why some of these teachers are amazing and why some of us students love these teachers because they they can relate to us they have experience but when you look around and there's no experience how can you relate how I see no one that looks like me again we address super superintendent Del Maro and again no response no response so he doesn't care about his students nor does he care about his teachers your health don't matter you want accommodations unpaid um the children are hurting in the school they have racism going on he don't care
054blow it under the blood or you guys are working on it right no results what what what puzzles me is I'm going tell you what puzzles me during my podcast I'm not on to I didn't hit four yet on my podcast we talked about police Injustice right the chief of police in Middletown has gone above and beyond and make strides to make things right we talk about the district attorney I had a meeting with him and expressed the community's concern he also have gone above and beyond to make strides to make things right because people have hearts but we have a superintendent who just bypasses everything but continuously wants to promote how good he's doing and how great Middletown is doing but we're not talking about the real issues we're not talking about the teacher
055issues nor are we talking about the student issues my brother has been working for Middletown wck for over over 10 years fulltime not only does he that that he works in the school he worked in the school district those kids that we talk about they look up to John John they reach out to John John they talk to John John John John went back to school to make sure that he got his degree so he could do it the right way what did the school do instead of keeping this young black man in the school district where the kids can respect him and look up to him and have some type of go the ones that don't look like you guys they fired him they fired him instead of keeping him as an intern or
056keeping him something so the kids can you fire him why I know why because he spoke out because he was one of those people that spoke out let me just let this be known there are many teachers in my inbox right now that would like to remain anonymous why because they're scared to speak why because they're scared to lose their jobs so if you guys want to see I can show you email you guys all these testimonies your current teachers white teachers and the black teachers that you have the few they all have these concerns but that you guys are Afra to speak because why you might lose your job I am so tired of people giving us lip service no more lip service if if the police can go and make some changes if
057the district attorney can make some changes if people out here that really care about the community can make changes instantly why do we have to keep having meeting after meeting after meeting to see some type of result if you love your staff like you say you love your teachers and you respect them and you honor them why do they have to come and beg for you to to look at their health if you love your students like you say you love your students and you're investing in your students why are they crying out and you're not listening why why you guys need to look at yourself it's over four minutes and I'm still talking sir please don't be rude please don't be rude and this is the problem because half the time when I was
058talking Grandma one was writing and passing notes one is sleeping and one is trying to cut me off and one is on and she's ready to cut me off this is the problem that we have it's not just about race right now this is a problem you guys we have this is a problem we have how many board members nobody's listening to us they're not listening to us this little thing right here that's why they don't want to respond because they're not listening they want to take it in and then the next meeting none of this that we discuss will be addressed I'm sorry sir that you have to die or they want you to die to take care of your students but you've been here how long 20 something years for all you been
059here 10:5 I'm sorry that they don't care enough about your health and to the parents I'm sorry and to the community that's watching I'm sorry that this District the only District the most diverse district and their leader cares nothing about the his his just it's just a show all the funding yes I'm still talking all the funding that you get and all the great things see this is the issue I want you to pay attention to the issue I'm not being wrong I'm being passionate I got kids in this I got kids in your school district my brother works in your school district some of you teachers I know y'all personally yall great people they don't care trust me they don't care they sit there with their suits and tides on with his legs crossed
060cuz when he goes home he's going to this is going to be nothing and the next meeting we see on YouTube none of this will be addressed enough is enough enough is enough enough is enough and you sitting over there talking about me while I'm talking how rude are you mooch mooch no I'm passionate I'm passionate this enough is enough suppos to follow a time limit the meeting I think that you'll be appreciative of what we have to say everybody please everybody please mooch I I appreciate what you appreciate you have we gave we gave I gave I gave the time I gave the time and I wanted to hear what you I wanted to hear what you had to say I Sor minute over no it was long it was longer than that but
061that's not it's irrelevant it's irrelevant it's let me let me let me let me let me say it's irrelevant I wanted you to speak I wanted you to speak no no no let me please I'm about to say something please there is there is we we we stated we stated the the time limits at the very beginning and and we stated the time limits and it it's been standard all along I said I was going to give I was going to uh give the extra time and we did so we did so um I'm hoping that we can move move and have have a a a positive dialogue from here on out everybody here in this room is frustrated including the board including the board we're all everybody's frustrated and and we're not going to
062get any place we're not going to get any place if we if we keep it going the way it's going right now in the room I you are passionate muchi I've told you that I've known you since you were born you're passionate but but you have to give us an opportunity to respond this is the listening time give us an opportunity to respond give us an opportunity to respond I I Pro I I'm I promise you you you you think it's just rhetoric but it's really not rhetoric it's really not rhetoric if you try and I'm not I can't speak for nobody else but I hope that you trust me enough to to to know to know where I'm coming from when I say when I say this board this board we haven't just been
063sitting back not doing anything we we've been tirelessly working I haven't slept and so I I want I want if you're talking about changing culture if you're talking about changing aity system it takes patience and it takes hard work and we want to work together to do it I wanted you to speak we didn't cut you off I didn't cut you off we didn't cut you off I wanted you to speak I wanted you to speak and and because because because I think that we need to get it out we need to get it out so if you if you all we got we're going to be dressing something and just a little while which is just a beginning it's just a beginning but we're not going to get anywhere I promise you you know
064this as well as I do we're not going to get anywhere if we attack each other I'm not I'm I'm taking this standard I'm not attacking anybody whether I agree with you or whether I don't agree with you I'm not going to attack we're g to find solutions to work together we'll sit down we'll talk we'll sit down we show you what's going on what has been put in place and what is be what is being prepared to be moving forward these board members have been working tirelessly I I'm not just saying that because they're sitting here but they have they have the I I I I have not slept I have not slept and in the last in the last couple of weeks behind all of this and and I just all I want
065for us to do if we're going to have a discussion let's be respectful of one another can we do that can we do that can we be respectful of one another that's that's all I've ever I give respect and I expect respect everybody that's come has a voice has has the right to say and to speak and to say what they doing but we need to be respectful of one another and so I said it last week I said it last week Miss Blan I I I I sincerely did not was not was not trying to be you know cause a conflict sincerely this board it it's been it has been the the policy of this board that we don't respond in that fashion by by a show of hands they don't do that we
066have never done that but it's not an indication that particular point is not an indication that we're not in support we'll let our actions speak for us and if we sit down if you're willing to listen as I'm willing to listen then we'll move forward and we'll make it happen we'll make it happen um I got we're going to address some other things is there anybody else who would like to address anybody else who would like to address the board please sir Mr President yes sir I'd like to clear up a couple okay cut John I'll go that up all right but I want to I want to say one thing I remember clearly last year covering all the uh items that each of our schools did for black history month and I'm going to
067try to resurrect this and people on the board know that I did this yes sir so we we did cover that and the second thing it's an accurate to say that there were no board members at the at the meetings I remember clearly M Merchant that you speaking at the meeting at Festival Square okay I was there and I I think some of the other members were there and respect goes both ways I don't think we're respecting the superintendent for everything he's done in this District we'll talk we'll address I don't back away from any issues if there's a problem we're going to correct it believe me we 30 years of service by super all the years of service and no respect Community I am a father of four children here I have his black
068background and I'm not going to take this communist socialist garbage because our superintendent sorry sorry you can say what you want and I'm sorry that you have to leave I must have hit a spot I don't care how many issue years of service you got your student in your school you serve hour just because no just because you're yelling doesn't make voice more important Miss Merchant I I took the time just to get your attention do me a favor tell me what you guys did Black History mon what you did but you're not letting me speak listen to your podcast I'm sorry I'm president your people either don't tell me about service I know a lot of people well well everybody stop please stop stop please please stop tired of this this is the first
069time since I've been in the board that any president has had to use to gab the first time this meeting is out of control and perhaps that's my fault I take the blame it's out of control I just I literally said respect and what do we do [Music] we are going I I'm everyone please just take a breath this gentleman is standing at the mic he wants to speak I want him to have the opportunity to speak and say what he has to say we will address everything that has been discussed but we will it respectfully from both ends of the from both sides of the table please please no more yelling out please sir uh thank you everyone for sharing your stories my name is ignasio Aso um I'm an Alum Knight of Middletown
070High School uh I'm also uh a leader and I'm a community organizer I actually organized the the law they just passed Green Light it gave access to million um unauthorized uh immigrants to access to a driver's license uh I have organized multiple uh in multiple cities around the Hudson Valley organize thousands of people to go to Albany uh but the set thing that I have to say that didn't happen because of this of the school district of Middletown that did not happen because of that I'll share what my experience was in the City of Middletown I was afraid for the years that I was here I was terrified I was undocumented and I remember one time I asked I took the courage you have to imagine how scared you are as a 15-year-old who you're
071a single mom and you have all little brothers to say to a a person of authority I'm undocumented I want to go to I want to go to college wow the the the remark that the person said was what do you what do your parents do what did your family do oh they're Farm Workers in Pine Island maybe you should do farm working in Pine Island that was my Rea that was the answer I got there was no like plan to college maybe you could go to AR there's scholarships there's something there was nothing for me I was hungry I needed to survive I was a person I was one of the students and I realized from that point on I had to pretend that I that I was somebody else I never again tried
072to say it again that was undocumented now I want to say that time has changed I have talked to parents I have talked to younger family members my cousins nobody yeah thank you for the uh uh uh Hispanic month and thank you for that but that's not their concern their kids are not going to college even if they're citizens they're not going to college why who who is it the parents all fall that they're working 6 days a week to try to put food on their table is it because they made a decision to come here why did I come here because American companies went to my Village and they took resources so what do I do that my mom decides I die or I walk many miles to come to to United States I
073would never blame my mom for the decision she made now I wish my experience in the city of in the district of Middletown would it be talk to a teacher who said oh I know where you're coming from I know it's like I you know what I have some resource I have somebody you can talk to that never happened I want to say that my college experience was different no never happened 20 years later I wish something changed nothing has Chang so I'm here to where where are the where's the 40% of Middletown where are they and I know many people say listen we send them letters with their kids invited them to the school board they're afraid to come here there there this is a place they never feel welcome so when you say
074thank you 30 seconds thank you sir I want to say that uh that Middletown is my home Hudson Valley is my home but it's not I've been discriminated abused I've been dismissed so I hope that my future nephews nieces who are going to this school do not ever experience that again they all human beings no matter what what paper they have now I I say this because it took me 20 many years for somebody to for me to believe that I was a leader nobody in high school ever said listen uh ignasio you should be a leader yeah your your English is not perfect but you should be a leader that's all I wanted I wanted somebody to relate to me and if I have to fight for it I will fight for it thank
075you thank you sir thank you sir I'm sorry I just need you guys to see my pain as a student I am disgusted in what I am seeing you are not giving the teachers what they need if they have a EXC if they have a l low immune system and they can't you know fight off things they need to be at home instead of in school where they can catch it it is not fair as us students we can't help the teachers because you guys look at us like we are just children we have voices too so please just give the teachers what they need please just give us what we're asking of you the we're just asking for the smallest things and you are not giving it to us and it is utterly disgusting
076as a 14-year-old has to come up up up here to talk to you guys and I'm sorry that I'm yelling but it hurts me it really does I just want you guys to see that we are in pain and that we need things but you're not giving it to us so please as a 14-year-old child that goes to monhagen middle school I beg you please give the teachers what they need please give us what we need thank you [Applause] hun I'm sure some of you remember me from last meeting I was overly passionate and you could see where she gets her passion from because that's my daughter I was initially summoned here to speak in regards to the a teacher that is still teaching at Twin Towers after sitting here and speaking to a young
077woman and listening to everything that everyone had to say I speak to the teacher but I'm trying to to Fathom in my head how a teacher who said all these derogatory racist things on her Facebook is allowed to still teach but you have a man and a woman and another woman who said her child is immune system is compromised and you're denying them I can't I can't begin to Fathom where the moral compass comes in you know um oh Lord Jesus you would prefer for a teacher to infect our children with her conscious and unconscious bias than save a teacher's life and allow them to work from home it is no different than working in a classroom they still will do their lesson plan the CH actually they'll probably have better internet connection because they're
078at home closer to their router and it won't glitch honestly but I I I can't I can't fathom you will keep keep this this you'll you'll allow a disease to stay in the school but you won't Safeguard these teachers from a disease and if you don't hear anything else tonight please walk away with the fact that the innocent 14-year-old child okay had to stood there hysterical my daughter is an introvert she does not like to speak you know at all she is afraid to speak because individuals in this school system have made her afraid to speak but that's another topic take away the fact that innocence brought to you and everyone how how care how careless we are being not only with our students lives but our teachers lives and that's all I got to
079say thank you thank you hun anybody else like to address the board can I can I can I those of you that are standing on the wall can can I ask again for the sake of the um for the sake of the the the guidelines can I can I ask that you that you find a seat please just for the sake of the guidelines thank you good evening everyone um I apologize for breaking the guidelines slightly um okay this is not how I would normally bring this these issues to light given that four minutes is not nearly enough time to talk about this and make sure it gets the recognition it deserves firstly I applaud Mr vland Miss ronee and Mrs muken as well as any other teacher who has spoken tonight for speaking about
080their health conditions that would worsen with the effects of Co or that would worsen the effects of coid should they God forbid contract the disease and this applies to students as well and I thank you for following the suggestions of my father's petition to allow students to remain at home if their family so chooses to speak on this for a moment I understand the desire for an inperson education and I'm not attacking anyone right now yet I ask you to consider how much worse it would be to have a section in every yearbook for the coid victims I'll leave it at that and speaking to my friend from the grandmother's Coalition and muchi Merchant you do you also do not do anything for pride month which is in June or lgbtq plus History Month which
081is this month at the last meeting I spoke along with the along along with the other inspiring speakers about the inequalities and discriminatory behavior in Middletown city schools you know who I am you know my name I won't repeat it here today I bring a different matter to the discussion we are at a turning point in our history regardless of who you are or what your political affiliations are you cannot deny that this year has brought many new and difficult challenges that we have all been faced with as the history books have taught us the narrative is written by the winners that is not how history Works our education cannot be determined solely by the winners it must also include the stories and experiences of those who aren't given a voice in my research of
082the New York State social studies curriculum for grades 9 through 12 I found one mention of the L of the term LGBT which stands for lesbian gay bisexual and transgender the term came up in the 11th grade American history guidelines hidden in a pair of parentheses within a list of several civil rights movements including that of women people with disabilities Native Americans Hispanic workers immigrants and students among a few others the guidelines also say that students will will thoroughly investigate at least one of the movements assuming that teachers focus more on the topics written in the rest of the document students will be deprived of vital parts of their education at the same time students who are parts of one or more of the groups mentioned above will see little to no further representation or
083acknowledgement of their lives this is detrimental to students and it pushes the ideology of the mold of the ideal person someone who is a white straight male by not educating about these issue about these different group groups and their struggles you lead to a lack of allyship among teachers students and their peers teaching and inclusive curriculum Fosters a healthy respectful learning environment for students and teachers alike teaching about these different groups in their struggles and achievements will provide students who are struggling with their own identities a group of similar people who that student can look up to as an inspiration to continue not to mention this will also reduce bullying in schools by educating students about the power behind different words and slurs to not encourage them to use them against fellow students I cannot
084tell you how many times I have heard the nword or the word gay being thrown around school hallways as an insult the word gay is not an insult but it has been weaponized as one by allowing this lack of Education to persist to persist we are breeding a toxic environment for scho for students and staff who are part of those minorities given how diverse Middletown is this is a real issue education is at the heart of these other frightening problems that plague our schools I am here tonight to ask what the district has done to implement a culturally responsive curriculum following the guidelines put in place by the state of New York this lack of representation and education in schools is not entirely the fault of the district typically teachers will base their lessons around
085past regions exams focusing more on the Civil Rights and women's rights movements regions exams have never to my knowledge included questions about the lgbtq plus community and thus it is not taught while the state is at fault it is only partially my father Daryl mroy is an 11th grade US history teacher in Monro he makes sure to teach his students about Stonewall Harvey Milk Marsha P Johnson Sylvia Rivera and Bayard Rustin he does not do this to check off a box for LGBT movement he instead does this because it is the right thing to do he should not be an outlier his teaching should be the standard I offer myself to be included in these discussions regarding an inclusive curriculum and I look forward to working with you I only ask you keep an open
086mind and respect each and every person who is here tonight we will do this together thank you thank you Samantha darl uh good evening my name is Daryl mroy that was my daughter Samantha as I think most of you know um I think I rubbed off a little bit um I don't want to take credit entirely for for that petition I had uh the help of 1,68 people who signed along with um support from Connie canones um who who helped organize it with me as well as Lewis Jansen who um provided some of the artwork um so even though I'm in a tech World there I still have one foot in one century and the other ones in the in the new one um as my daughter mentioned I am a teacher in another district
087and listening to the um teachers talk about their health accommodations uh they are C not alone there are teachers in Orange County who uh and are in other districts who were denied those accommodations as well to teach remotely um I think I know one of them but my brothers and sisters uh who spoke before um you know we're we're eloquent and passionate and we're right on I understand that teachers have been asked to do a lot of things we don't just do math or history or science or teach music or engineering or any of the other subjects fad and so on we've been asked to be school counselors psychologists counselors um human shields in the face of school shootings and now biological Shields as Frontline workers we didn't ask for that but we are called
088to teach we're not getting rich off of it I assure you it is our passion it is what we want to do but we also don't want to die and I don't think it's unreasonable to ask to continue your passion while also asking to keep yourself and your family safe and for some reason in this country teachers are being made to look unreasonable because they don't want to die and that is an outrage it's an outrage Middletown is now number four in the county in Co cases among students with 20 it is inevitable that cases will rise despite whatever protections are put in place remember it wasn't that long ago when the president of the United States said that 15 cases would go down to zero well I'm not very good at math but Mr
089crescenzo mentioned earlier that we are over 8 million our country is the worst when it comes to battling this disease we are one of the richest countries in the world we have some of the best scientists and doctors in the world and we are handling this pandemic the worst because of a failed leadership at the top that has trickled down and created a lot of chaos and division throughout the country but we don't have to do it that way we don't have to take a lead from that direction we can do better I believe that Middletown can do better and I certainly I actually came to thank uh the board and the administration for their response to the survey I'm a person of my word I said I would do that and I'm here to
090say thank you because it was the right thing to do but it's also the right thing to do to allow the teachers to teach at home I noticed in the agenda that there were some approvals for non-instructional staff I'm not here to debate the merits of a district trans leader An accounts payable Specialist or a temporary warehouse person but I can't imagine that the issue is money if we have the money to do these things I also noticed that monitors could be hired as substitute teachers because that's ultimately what is required to make this accommodation happen you need an adult in the classroom to monitor the hybrid students so the teachers could be comfortably at home teaching doing their craft doing what they know and I could tell you as being a teacher in a
091school that had a coid positive case this week and shut us down I've worked from home and I can't even tell you what a relief it's been there's all this talk about social emotional health right the well-being of the students and the staff uh where where is that happening because if we're just concerned about theal of the students and of the families which is important and I appreciate that and I thank you but what about the teachers so I got to tell you it is one hell of a thing to be in the classroom worried about your health worried if you're going to bring this home just like the Frontline workers but a nurse and a doctor they chose that profession they know that those are the risks that they take when they go into
092that field teachers didn't sign up for that we didn't sign up for pandemic School families didn't sign up for pandemic school I know a lot of folks just want to pretend like this virus is going to vanish it is not it's only going to get worse and so what we have to decide as a community is is how many board resolutions do you want to make how many moments of Silence do you want to have before it sinks in that maybe even if it's not the best option we do what is right for the teachers what is right for families um and I would also just add that we are obviously in a twin pandemic uh the racial justice issues that were brought up before I I would have been kneeling too but I wouldn't
093get up because I got my me is not too great and that's no disrespect to anybody who served they serve so we have a right to express our first amendment rights and I appreciate veterans I have family who are veterans I have friends who are veterans but I'm not going to be shamed into standing for the Pledge of Allegiance I don't need to be told each day what country I'm all lied to I know I don't have to pledge to a flag I know um and yes I do teach history and I try try to do the best I can but I also don't know what I don't know and I've had to take the journey myself too do a lot of reading a lot of discussion a lot of talking I think that's going
094to be something that has to happen in this District too um they just did Columbus Day for my fourth grader who's in Maple Hill and I asked her well did they talk about the enslavement of Native Americans the enslavement of Africans the genocide that happened as a result of disease nope time for lunch you know and I get that those are uncomfortable things to talk about but there's age appropriate ways to do so and if we don't do it with our babies by the time they get to high school they're going to be saying those things in the hallways to their peers in front of their teachers and worst of all we the te we need the training I mean I'm not a Middletown teacher but I'm just going to speak on behalf of everybody
095we we need that training because we don't know what we don't know and until we're able to get that we won't be able to really address these issues because every child deserves to come to school safe whether that's Health race gender class religion all across the board and that that's all I think I have to say right now thank you thank you Daryl Chris all right good evening uh president Williams Vice pres how you doing and Ste bour and Mr Del Morrow Mr GRE and Mr Tuttle uh I'm standing up here today and I just want to acknowledge those that came before tonight and uh and shared their personal stories of uh what they're going through obviously without sounding cliche we were going through very stressful times and in that moment they felt enough to
096come here and and speak and to me um I commend you for that and I support you and I also want to say say thank you to the board for listening you know each one of us when we start working here we may not be from this community but we do weave ourselves into the very fabric which is Middletown and we do all bleed blue and white and uh I'm proud to call Middletown my home and as I as I know most of you do here and uh I want to just say I look forward to continuing the conversation with the with u Central on moving forward and I appreciate everyone here tonight thank you thank you sir anybody else hi everybody I actually wasn't planning on speaking tonight but I really truly feel like
097I have to I'm an editor in the POS in the petition that was given to the board that Maria had spoken on that muchi had spoken on spoken on I'm sorry um and I'm here because I'm waiting for an answer so I just don't want it to be miscommunicated we've been in rough times like we've we've talked about but we've came to the board with this at the end of July I sat in a room with you guys and we had a great conversation the end of July I under understand that things take time but that's why we're here cuz we're passionate about it and we want to make sure that it's being heard I think that muchi got a little bit miscommunicated because she's frustrated and she feels unheard I feel extremely frustrated and
098extremely unheard when we spoke about the petition for about 30 minutes it is recorded and I want to say it's at the 30 minute Mark we didn't hear any responses from anybody but Pastor Williams and Pastor Williams we're so thankful but we've heard your side we want to hear everybody else's side that's why we're here um I just the silence is what is what hurts we're missing the heart piece the petition isn't about anything negative it's not about what's negative that's going on that we already know about we're not here to keep on addressing that we feel that already we're here to talk about the positive and to build and that's what I think that you'll see our faces and you see a little bit of frustration and aggression and that's what you should be
099taking out of it is that we're here because we're passionate and we're honestly becoming impatient thank you hun is there anybody else that wants to address the board real quick if not anybody else no thank you guys for coming tonight um and thank you thank you for speaking speaking so uh so passionately and know I want you to know want you to know we appreciate you so so before we go any forward any further let me let me apologize I'm I'm be honest I'm mad I lost my temper as I think everybody else did here to a certain degree um I've got to I've got got to address I've got to address this because just because something is said and I didn't here's here's the problem all this yelling back and forth can't happen that
100can't happen that's that's that's that's a major problem and and and when I sat at this table I put on my big boy pants and and and I determined at that point I'll take whatever has to be said and I'll address it later but just because it's said doesn't mean that it's accurate there's some truth behind everything but it doesn't necessarily mean that it's accurate doesn't necessarily mean uh uh that is there's been a lot of misunderstanding that's been going on from the very beginning of this whole thing and I hope that I see everybody everybody everyone's gone so they have to watch the replay this is this this is this this is this is this is the problem we we we're going to address it we want to address it but everybody's left and
101and and and and that's a problem because we're still we're we're still here and and we're still here to listen and we're still here to address it so that we can so we can make a difference that's how we work together if we run out if we run out in the middle of and I understand everybody's busy all of us got jobs and we're busy and we got things to do too and and I I I promise you our paycheck our paycheck is not worth it you know you know you you understand so so so let me let me say this is that there's been a lot of misunderstanding from the very beginning from our initial meeting the young lady that just spoke she vot spoke very eloquently and she spoke very respectfully and nice
102and I I greatly appreciate her um and and and and most everybody did but our initial meeting we came out we came out of our initial meeting with a lot of misunderstanding a lot of misunderstanding some things were said the next day that was inaccurate was not truth I want to go on record I want to go on record on in saying this our superintendent for what anybody anybody thinks or what anybody has to say doesn't necessarily mean that is accurate or that it's right I've been on this board since 2013 I ran I ran on this board my first my first term my first term I ran um beside Mr bison and and former former board president Andy Warren from day one I walked into the office with our C our Superintendent at that
103time and I began to talk about these issues that were brought up from day one I F it you all know everything that I've fought for and that we've talked about and that we have shared back and forth with one another over these last seven now almost eight years I'm gonna I can say with an assurance that what no matter what anybody says that the initiatives that I fought for this this superintendent this superintendent that everyone had the nerve to stand up and to disrespect there's a better way to talk about a person better way to address a person than to do it in the way that was done tonight agree or disagree we don't agree on everything here in this board we don't but we got to be respectful one another there are more
104initiatives that I fought for in the last seven years as a black man yes that that have been that have been implemented by this superintendent more initiatives in the last two years and that's not to say our previous superintendent initiated many things as well but there's more initiatives that have been instituted and implemented in this District things that were implemented in September of this year actually in the summer of this year things that were begun and implemented that because because of the because of the the Health crisis that we're in that uh much of it was was not stopped but it was stalled a little bit never taking our eyes off the prize and I understand the impatience of everybody I want results too but results take time and we're not going to get results
105if we're going to fight each other you're not going to get results how do you how do you expect to get results when you're going to when the person you got to work with in order to get the results when all you're going to do is talk about them and put them down and say what he's not doing when we sitting here at the board know what he's doing have a conversation so my challenge my challenge to everybody because I I I stand and I said this I I stand and with with with the with the petition I stand with the petition I support the petition I said it said it again I'll say it again I support where's the camera VES where's the camera I support the petition I said it but I want
106you to understand something we're not going to get anywhere if we're going to fight if you want to talk and hear what is in place what is being worked on and what is being what is what is being worked for the future future then let's sit down and let's have a real conversation I I want you to come to the meetings and remind us every week that we need we need progress that's fine because that's your right and that's why we have these o opportunities to address the board I want you to remind us so that we can keep moving forward and working because I'm going to keep reminding people about the things that I'm fighting for but we we got to do it better than this I I let I let things go I
107let people talk tonight I let people talk tonight because because I and last week because because at the end of the day understand this at this meeting we get the last say so we don't have to worry about jumping back at everybody because we get the last say so I I I stand in support of the petition I stand in support of the superintendent who's doing the best he can when we got 20 balls in the air at the same time does anybody understand that there's how many how many wheels are turning and how many cogs are turning at the same time how many balls are in the air I got I got I got a little frustrated in earlier early on the meeting and and I said I said something that I shouldn't have
108said but uh but it was accurate I'm pissed I really am because I think we can do better this District 13 years ago was graduating 40% African-Americans now this district is graduating what almost almost 80 what 80 91% the females and 90% of the males 91% of African-American females and 90% of African-American males if that's nothing then I don't know what we're looking for nobody here knows it all nobody here has the answers nobody on the other side of the table has all the answers to work in progress a work in progress I I I promise you I promise you I'm getting so tired that I got I've got all I got to do is push one button and send them send the send the send a resignation letter because it's getting frustrating dealing with
109all of this but we got to deal with it these board members are committed we've had we've been going extra long in our meetings these board members are committed we've been working on a resolution that nobody's here to to see or listen to I know you're watching by by YouTube and I thank you for that we were trying to make sure that it was it was right and it was appropriate I told you I wanted to get it right and just for the record we do this out of service we don't get paid I think that's important because I think a lot of the people thought that we were getting paid for this service they know we don't get paid but but at the end of the day at the end of the day we
110we we we're held responsible and we take our responsibility very serious I think everyone here takes their responsibility very serious so that was my soap box I'm not finished but I'm gonna stop I'm GNA stop for now because because what happened here tonight is not going to help it's not going to help it's not it's not going to move us forward we got we got to do better we talk about doing better this is what what here's what's ridiculous this is what drew me to the board meeting to the board years ago was watching all the craziness with with with the board with the board from years ago president that's what drew me that's what drew me to the meeting was because of all the craziness that was going on John and when I and
111and and when when my son walked in the room and says to me hey Dad is that the board meeting I'm like yes sir I'm I'm watching the board meeting he said when did he start because I said oh man they're taking pot shots at one another he said Dad that's the board meeting yeah he says when did he start shooting one another I said okay I got I got to get up I got to get up and go down here and that's and that's what that's what brought me that's what brought me now I watched I got involved but that's what brought me to the meeting I don't want to repeat of that I don't want to repeat of that not under not not not now this Administration is worked tily in every area
112and and and and and we're going to we're we're going to we're going to we're going to go through the rest of our our our resolutions and our things and and I'm and then I'm going to allow the board to say what they got to say because because I I I know I I I kept you guys quiet I'm sorry but uh I'm GNA allow you to speak round table and say what you got to say because I think it's important that they hear that we that that it's not my voice this is not my voice that's just speaking it's not my voice I want we want better we want more we want what right for our entire entire team of teachers and family and students Scholars we want what's right and we're moving toward
113that direction as we always had so don't say I I I promise you don't say we ain't done nothing because it's not the truth it's a lie from the pit if you want to see more then let's work together to get more that was my address of what was said earlier to the inaccuracies and the attack against our superintendent which was unwarranted which was unwarranted I know this man's character and we don't always have to agree but I know his character and if you don't like it because I said it that's okay you know where to find me I'm easy to find [Music] Mr President uh no resignation please take that back somebody better take my phone oh no no that's all right I'm I'll put it in my pocket the moment you resign we'll
114renominate you reinstate you thank you Mr Gomez thank you now now now that I got that out I'm good I can smile um moving on our super intendance report turn it into the man into the man who who's working hard he's working hard this man don't he ain't he hasn't slept he hasn't slept he's not getting any time this thing is this thing is is grinding him all the way at home you know I think he deserves a little more respect than what's been shown to him tonight absolutely I want to thank the board for your support of the community uh and the staff here uh that I serve so humbly um I just like to say that we talk about listening listening and listening uh from the moment that we met with the Mrs
115Blan and a group I explained uh each of the tenants that were in the petition that we are committed to and that we are working toward and we have done uh different initiatives each and every one of those and we continue and at that moment I also mentioned that they were just the beginning the first step in a long journey that we realize that when we talk about professional development regardless of what the topic is regardless of what the desired outcome of that Initiative for professional development it doesn't happen by one session impossible and that is continuing growing the building and building upon each one of those incrementally the key here is to keep sustaining that work as far as the curriculum is concerned we had talked about uh the culturally responsive classroom uh that
116started about two years ago that we sent U contingencies of teachers to begin developing uh th those programs and those ideas and Concepts that historically haven't been in our Social Studies books and teacher preparation programs to teach the youth but as we evolve and become more aware of the injustices that what was actually presented to us as as young students as children isn't actually accurate in all aspects and that it is very critical for us to continue to grow and learn and to become part of that initiative to understand the necessity of all of that and here um as we have uh the cultural responsive sustaining education framework from the state education department we've already started uh the work there last year and the year before that with teachers and we will continue to do
117that uh this uh what less than 24 hours ago we notified the community that on October 23rd and October 30th will be a synchronous days for all of the children so that all of the staff can part participate in professional develop sessions many of which we'll be talking about these issues again another step not to be all and end all it doesn't happen practice occurs after you take these ideas nurture them uh embed them into your own personal style but the the lessons are there the key Concepts the Essential Elements of those pieces and components are there coda conduct committee another piece of the petition ready started work on that Mrs ceden will as the assistant superintend historically has facilitated that already has identified the committee and will begin that work hiring practices we're already
118working on creating a larger pool of candidates we want top quality qualified individuals because our children deserve that and we are committed to providing that for them and supporting our teachers as that we grow all of us administrators teaching assistants instructional practitioners in all areas of responsibility we all are professional and all professionals have continuous growth lawyers and doctors accountants all are required to continue growing and so is Educators whatever your role of responsibility is in within a school district so to have the community think that we are not committed to any of these as I mentioned even at the last board meeting when uh was on our tabletops here the five tenants of the petition and I responded to each one of the what what we were doing at that time I know that
119administrators are reaching out to student groups working listening we've made tremendous differences but more needs to be done in our district I'll be less than honest to say that it's completed not by a long shot in the areas of student support and crisis interventionism many of the other support staff we have put in place in the last couple of years for our students so I um I just want to continue to communicate our commitment our total commitment no one is um Beyond learning and growing but to assume that there's no understanding or knowledge or uh or sympathy or empathy is less than what is real I've been visiting the kindergarten students as they've entered the buildings for the last week and a half now as we started our phase in programing to see The Joy
120on their faces to see their teachers their fellow classmates is unparallel to any other feeling that one may have it it's almost like a the first day of school even though it wasn't it was five weeks into this excuse me into the school year and the and the joy and excitement of the children was just phenomenal to see and I again want to thank all of our teachers who made them feel so welcome uh it's just uh something that um belongs on a canvas uh to see all the different smiling faces and and um the appre appreciation of parents uh seeing their their young ones and we look forward to starting with our first grade returning on Monday and the week after that second grade and so on and so forth as well as some
121of the other special needs classes and I'll do a language is starting up soon and so on and so forth um there is no I should say there is no real a comparison to have learning in the classroom as to remote remote is uh effective in some areas but I do not think in my opinion in my professional judgment that it's a substitute for being in the class and I do realize that we're in a very different time and our parents have choices certainly I would be less than honest to understand that and as far as um our re-entry plan that was put forth uh at the end of July from the onset when I we did about nine total uh Town Halls uh some with parents some with teachers some with students some with
122non-instructional staff instructional staff and so on and so forth we mentioned all the time that at any time we'll be monitoring the metrics and that perhaps even overnight we might have to make a major pivot based upon those metrics and I think we responded to that certainly the uh we heard and listened to the uh community's petition regarding that but we were um moving toward that because of the metrics because of the increase of the infection in our area again as it was coming off a very low point and now increasing so we were all watching that and as far as uh all of the work done uh by our building and grounds to disinfect the buildings is certainly uh there is never going to be foolproof but I can assure you that our environments
123are safe as safe as can be in terms of trying to ensure the safety uh of our staff our students everyone who's in the building who comes into that building and we continue to work on that and as uh you talk to other leaders and other the school districts they're all grappling with uh those issues that were somewhere mentioned tonight in one particular but not limited to the uh disinfecting in between at the secondary levels whether it's Middle School high school or an elementary school that may have departmentalization whereby there is more movement you know changes have been made with scheduling for these purposes and other areas to ensure the safety today is happy world math day and I think that it's important to uh there you go all right there's Dana um but the
124point I bringing out is that each and every day is so important we have to actualize the importance of each day this month is National principal month October as well as all the others I think you know that we've talked about if I heard Sam correctly I think I it was a little muffled for me with the mask so I I do apologize but I thought you said or I thought I heard you say I should say uh that is lgbtq month this month right so there are all all of these are to be celebrated I do think that I would be remiss that if I don't thank all of the people that are part of this District are teachers going the extra mile working with a a very challenging environment that none of us
125that I am aware of have been in pre-service to teach live instruction at the same time when you have students remote these are challenges but I have very confidence in US successfully doing that again we probably need some support we all do to think a little differently our teaching assistants helping out are building the grounds ensuring that everything is cleaned over and over again multiple times during the day throughout the day our food service workers going over and beyond anything that is reported in this immediate area maybe the State the numbers increasing you know into the thousands and thousands of families being fed whether we are remote or not we will will continue doing that also I think that we have to think about our nurses and our nursing staff and all of those individuals
126helping ensure the safety security staff all a part of this team and I cannot agree more heartily that uh than Pastor Williams our president indicating that we're not going to accomplish what we want to accomplish if we are not listening to one another in a respectful manner I may not agree with everyone but I will agree that you have the right to do that to disagree but we can disagree without being disagreeable there were many things that were said tonight that were inaccurate but they have a right to say them doesn't make them true so as I conclude my superintendent report tonight and I apologize if I left out any group I know I clerical I didn't mention the clerical I don't want uh the phones just unexpectedly just to not work anymore but um
127there are so many U components to our school district uh that make this school district what it is and I'm very proud to be part of it and to serve it but over the next couple of board meetings um as we have been talking for the last couple of board meetings we will present to the community uh how we are addressing each of these and what we will continue to do remember these reports will give us where we are starting from where we are doing right at the moment and where we are headed toward in a continuation and we'll periodically uh remind um all of the parents about upcoming events and issues regarding those tenants as well as other issues that relate to our educational program here so I want to thank the board for
128giving me this opportunity and uh say good night to all remember October 23rd is coming up shortly and October 30th are totally asynchronous days for our uh student body as well um as we have continue our growth in our school district thank you thank you yeah I have a question also there's a question question sure yes sir yes sir turn your mic on there was a discussion um during the open mic of um twin towers and the um air quality in the building buing have has this been checked what has been done to ensure that there's a safe environment in that building there's also a question that there on screens in that building I thought we had the board had approved ordering screen so what has been done about that and what has been done
129about air quality in that building thank you JN U all of the ventilation circulation system are working uh properly and to that end we um had uh independent individuals come in and assess the air quality and the circulation of air and we had the Department of Health and uh arel sosi's staff come in do quality tests and check uh all of the mechanisms and deemed it uh meeting all of the requirements of State education department that there is um it's functioning uh at capacity and well Im median all those requirements so there is no absolute need as I address the staff to this point that uh certainly as we're entering into colder months uh that it's not feasible or logical to keep your window open uh when the weather dictates you know a very low
130temperature uh so the circulation of air and again this was affirmed uh and that information was sent over to the staff uh that from an independent analysis that the air quality is fine that the air filtration system is working properly the windows do not have to be open as far as the screens are concerned um screens uh as you said Mr bino uh the board approved that probably about five maybe six weeks ago uh to purchase them they have been fabricated and they should be arriving very shortly uh obviously I I don't want to say an exact time uh we keep calling uh but they were ordered and it will be placed on all of the windows as soon as they arrive hopefully it will be in a relatively short period of time but again
131the windows do not need to be opened in order to meet the proper ventilation set forth by State education department thank you you're welcome any other questions for our superintendent no all right thank you um let's let's move on to our action items let me put my glasses on H let there be light um approval I need a motion for the approval of our financial memorandum number 11 please so move second moved and seconded any discussion all in favor I opposed so so passes I entertain a motion for the approval of our special services memorandum number eight so move moved and seconded any discussion all in favor I opposed so passes motion for the approval of our revised uh ecsdm coaches handbook she move second moved and second it um uh uh Mr superintendent would
132you would you like to briefly address the coach's handbook certainly for discussion my pleasure um each year the athletic department under the supervision and direction of our athletic director Mr Dave coats has put out a document uh that outlines the expectations in many areas for our coaching staff this year we revised that document to be more inclusive of the many of the topics that have been raised uh over the last couple of weeks regarding the expectation of Ethics the expectations of communication what to do during emergency situations uh how to deal with biases micro uh aggressions um bullying all of these are part of that handbook that are now um requiring annually for each of the coaches who work for us to take uh these uh sessions or on online and affirm that they have
133completed each one of those sessions uh also there is guidelines in there with explaining to the expectations in terms of how they relate to their athletes as well as communicating to parents and of course to uh Administration so we're very very pleased about the revisions that were made many of the uh new items and items that were revised uh put more accountability for each of our coaches so that we have a very strong program continuing to build upon the successes of our athletic um program so I really want to thank Mr coats and the uh individuals from the physical education department uh and all those who also uh participated in the um contributions that they made to this handbook so we're very proud of that we look for your approval tonight uh so that it'll
134become part of who we are and what we're responsible for thank you sir we've had the discussion all in favor opposed it so passes congratulations Mr coats if you're watching to all all of those that worked diligently on uh on this document um need uh motion for the approval of our lgs1 retention and disposition of Records moved and seconded any discussion all in favor opposed so passes well now uh we're going to have a motion um I wish that I wish that the crowd was still here uh nevertheless we're doing this anyhow I I I hope that you we understand that what we're about to do is setting a tone for the district and setting the tone that we as a board have collectively come together and we have we have taken time and worked
135hard to try to get this right so that it would address so so many different areas I told you there's so many balls in the air it's just ridiculous sometimes and I don't know how to juggle so but this is now a motion entertain a motion for the approval of resolution condemning racism and affirming en large city school district of Middletown's commitment to an inclusive School environment for all show move there been moved second third fourth fifth 6th 7th and eth Mr President uh would it be feing fitting if the resol resolution were read out loud yes I we're not going to pass it until I do yes sir uh yes we we'll vote we'll vote after but we're going to read it oh would you like to read it okay here's the here here
136is the here is the is the final [Music] okay [Music] whereas the Board of Education of the enlarged City School District of Middletown is saddened by and condemns any events which demonstrate the racism Prejudice and Injustice that exists in our country we also recognize the word that words are just rhetoric until they are turned into action and whereas racism intolerance discrimination or any form of hate have no place in our schools for our society and whereas we must protect the constitutional rights of every person in our nation and whereas we will be EMP empathetic and seek to understand those who have endured discrimination and intolerance as they share their experiences and feelings and whereas we will continue work to engage our community in meaningful dialogue about the importance of equity and partner with those committed
137to helping the needs of all students and whereas each of us individually and collectively has a responsibility for creating and nurturing an environment that stands Against Racism where every child is respected and valued for who they are as a distri as a school district we will follow the New York State education department learning expectations or learning standards we will continue to review our curriculum to ensure it portrays an accurate account of the oppression of all marginalized groups but even more so the significant accomplishment accomplishments and contributions of all those who have positively impacted our nation and the world and whereas the enlarged City School District of Middletown is committed to modeling acceptance of all people as we work toward our vision of being an Innovative Community where caring relationships and authentic learning inspire all students
138and whereas we will continue to learn we will seek the perspective Ive of our students of color and our families who may have been overlooked by our society our community and our district our school district can be and will be a place of safety in our community and a beacon of light for other school districts and communities as we build and strengthen trust with those we serve therefore be it resolved that we the members of the enlarged City School District of Middletown Board of Education stand steadfast in our commitment to Foster an inclusive environment where every student teacher support professional parent and Community member is treated with dignity and respect and is empowered to continue fighting for racial justice and human and civil rights for all thank you Pastor M hou can we can we
139do a roll call vote to show our solidarity absolutely I was going to ask for that I'm glad you I'm glad I'm glad that you asked for that um uh I want to I want to say this one more more time is that this board spent countless hours working through this trying to trying to get it right we're serious about what we're what we're stating here this is our stand that's why if I'm sorry if I blew up if I got mad but but if we if we if we don't take time to listen to each other no matter what we think we're not going to accomplish anything and so this this board has has made has taken the time to draft this this is the this sets a tone this sets a tone a
140direction and the path to the goals that all of us in this community uh are are seeking to reach um roll call vote uh Mrs Clark please [Music] yes yes thank you thank you everybody so passes I I I I I I can speak also for our our missing board member tonight Mr lir who is not who's not was not able to be here tonight but also does stand in support even though even though at this moment we can't officially officially count his vote because his of his absence but he stands in support of this V of this vote um this this particular petition is going is is going to be signed by every board member and and it will be available um on the public board docs for the enlarg city school district of
141Middletown is it possible that we can put this as on the website as well is that possible absolutely we'll put it on Facebook and we'll put it yes good point Thank you thank you thank you Board of Education I I greatly appreciate you so we we're we're trying we're try we're trying we're trying and there's a lot of work to do but but despise not the Small Beginnings and I'll leave it there approval of change orders kind have a motion please moved and seconded uh the change order committee met briefly briefly prior to this um would you like to briefly address the change order certainly but before I do that I I'd like to uh also commit to the resolution and I normally do not speak for my fellow colleagues here but I'm sure that
142they will grab their microphones please understand uh Middletown Community we support all the tenants and components of that resolution as well obviously we're not a board member we are not permitted to vote but please do not miss understand our lack of voting we're not permitted to vote but we are committed to the concepts every word believe us we were contributors as well uh because it is a team effort and this is a team up here and I want to thank you again for your hard work and diligence and working through this I think it's an important document um to be a standard for all of our Educators uh every worker uh regardless of the capacity in working with our our children so thank you very much for taking this initiative I really appreciate it on
143behalf of all of our employees here in the district thank you thank you sir I'm change order change order um as you know as as as a result of our continued growth in enrollment at the high school um last spring we decided to create a fifth house so that the uh intimacy and connection between uh the staff and the students is in a much more manageable number as we increased that that needed to have space to do that so the change order basically is this as we all know part of the referendum was to uh repurpose our old Media Center that was in the uh foyer of our main ground level of the high school to an additional Cafe but behind that Cafe was a classroom that now has been reconverted and that will house
144house five and therefore the uh the Deans and the secretary and administration and teachers will have an appropriate location uh to do all of the work the counselors in that environment as well so um a portion of the existing uh area where there was a classroom it's going to be repurposed and create a a house five right now they're in temporary quarters uh that is not really appropriate for the type of work and confidential work that's necessary in these houses so that's what this is all about thank you sir all in favor I I opposed so passes um motion for the approval of resolution to appoint Shipman and Goodwin LLP so move second move and seconded any discussion did you want to address this or not personel matter to me leave personel matter yeah can't
145do that it's a Personnel matter we'll leave it alone so uh uh uh had we've had the the Motions all in favor I opposed so passes approval of resolution um superintendent employee medical examination authorization move been moved can I get a second second thank you moved and second it discussion all in favor I opposed so passes approval of resolution superintendent employee medical examination authorization n move second moved and seconded any discussion all in favor I opposed so passes um briefly briefly um we had a long way to go tonight I'm sorry we'll get out of here shortly um review of our nisba resolutions we're not going to go through um each of our each of the resolutions there were some questions about some questions about those particular resolutions uh uh some some had some had
146a question about some of the resolutions um our our representative to nisbah uh Mrs blumau who is our voting who's our voting delegate will um uh we'll we'll do our best to try to answer answer these particular um resolutions so uh real quick um I know Mrs Houston had had some questions yes if it needs to be on the record here I'd be happy to go through it I didn't want to belber anyone's time I can be brief or if Miss Blum now wants to greet me afterwards I don't know what the process is being a new member I don't want to break any well what what we'll do is okay we'll come to we'll come to what' you say I'll be very brief I I just oppose number four um this happens to be
147a town I'm very familiar with it it's good intentions the um resolution unfortunately I believe um eventually pushes out jobs from the community and they lose taxpayers I don't want to see that to happen to Middletown although the I believe the intent of the resolution is a good one um I oppose number six resolution um I I believe that evidence shows best learning occurs through direct instruction this makes a dram atic shift from classroom to Virtual I understand the covid pandemic has forced us to make some shifts but we're hoping these will be temporary solutions and in the long run our nation will regain its health I don't want to see this become The New Normal uh Pro uh proposition number eight um I believe that this one I believe uh I'm just turning the
148pages and catching up with myself here um I believe this hurts equity um it's uh regarding Charter Schools I believe Charter Charter Schools can in certain circumstances create healthy competition for our district to do a better job and for us to do continuous um Improvement and also that it enables certain students who learn in a different way to have that option um of course we have to consider funding with that and um I oppose number 13 um reasoning is that it's I believe it's a violation of HIPPA um I see it leading to more violations of HIPPA that's just my personal opinion I'll leave the board members to that one and number 14 um I believe that the Board of Elections does the best job when it comes to delegating um how um alternate election
149arrangements are um set in place I don't believe that should be um a part of the um Commissioner of education's job that is something that belongs in the um hands of the commissioners of election and thank you for listening to me I tried to be brief thank you um Paul what how do you think we should proceed with this um since there are so many of them I think that we need to spend a little I do think that we need to spend a little bit of time as a board um going through these if we want to schedule the the the actual meeting um the actual business meeting does not happen until October 31st um so we have a little bit of time to um come together if we want to even virtually to
150have this conversation before we um decide uh how we're going to vote uh for certain ones I mean I can I there there are certain resolutions I don't know if you've seen this resolution I and I don't I this me I no disrespect at all if this is all new to see this board resolution package and you know how we get the regularly this package is um and I say this every year since I think since I've been on the board except for one year because I went to learn that year um many of the resolutions that are on this um resol in this resolution packet actually the conversations come to the floor for discussion and are amended to be um more more I'll say more palatable and targeted and really focused on what is
151needed and what's lacking um sometimes they're just there because you know if us if we wanted to bring forth a resolution about something that we didn't feel or we wanted or we wanted to see included we could o we could absolutely do that and I think we have and we've supported certain resolutions and seconded them um one of you know one I do want to speak to one um one of the rationals the um expanded opportunity and capacity for online learning so please understand that New York in New York state and this has been talked about before not only in the Schoolboard world not only in the Schoolboard resolutions world but um in other areas the fact that there are remote school districts you know we're one of like 700 school districts in New York
152state um right and we're we have access all all of our students have access to online learning whether we're in Co or we're not in covid um many school districts do not have many School District are in areas that do not have access to Internet services to hotpots to ver to sell service let alone you know having what we have um we are among the um I I think we're among the minority of school districts but there are that have the the infrastructure that we have so this is saying that theate State should make it possible that all students have the ability to learn um at whether it's for remote you know remote learning or not being in a classroom to be able to access so those are you know it opens up the ability
153so that's what I see in this particular resolution that's the only one that I can speak to right now that I have any you know strong knowledge of um we the the charter school conversation comes up over and over over and over again um it'll it depends on the room of where that goes how many um you know what what um you know what the school districts uh you know what the school district's sitting at the table and it's a big room of you know many many many um I'm sure it'll come up again it'll be a strong conversation so if we want to have you know if we want to set a meeting for next a virtual meeting for next week um just to discuss a few of the resolutions that we have um
154you know we have issue that some of us have issue with I'm for that and then we can so that that's good so why don't we why don't we do that why don't we set a everyone review those those particular resolutions that are in question well and and if you haven't already res if you haven't already reviewed if there's anything else that you think needs to be tailored because what we do have an opport what we always have an opportunity to do is present a addendum yes to present an alternate language and I can do that as long as I have you know I'm not going to get up and do it by myself obviously because I'm not allowed to do that I come from you know I represent our board so if there is
155alternate language that we should use and we can bring that to the table and I can present it uh so we'll plan let's plan a a a virtual meeting for next week we won't come back in person and second thing I want to say yes ma'am is Orange County School boards also meets on these resolutions to discuss them um as a as a collective group we we sit together we uh we support um Orange County so if there we support the school districts in Orange County um and each other so if there are issues that are that Orange County School boards has with some of these resolutions that maybe we can get some input from that aspect right okay that's good all right I I yeah 4 6 8 13 and oh sorry right I
156have 4 6 8 13 and 14 there were some others I disagreed with that you pointed out that the nisba they they aren't recommending they're not recommending exactly and there's a reason why they're not I'll also state state that um uh that uh I asked I I sent an email to uh Mr Bill boss bosis to um and asked him to find out for us how many of these resolutions that nisba has has uh lobbied for in the last five years have actually been passed into legislation yeah so we understand we understand um all this is is is giving nisba an idea of what to lobby for in Albany so it does not this just because we're voting this doesn't necessarily mean that it law right and I would I will not to your question
157about um the uh the access um for digital platforms and um us a lot of times these resolutions are repeated somewhere you know in multiple ways so number 17 which I had um when I had gone through the uh packet kind of supports what we're they're looking for in number four I think it was so you know that the state that we look for um ways to create te you know technology and Broadband capability for all of our schools and that would create educational Equity um just exactly what we you know what we want for our you know for our for all of our students okay so we'll um we'll plan a meeting I you know I I don't know if next so and so you know um we we'll we'll we'll we'll know by
158tomorrow and uh it's going to have to be a public meeting it has to be discussed in public so we'll make it we'll make it a public meeting we'll make it a public meeting and do it do it short short public meeting for that case I um so should we aim for it for next Thursday is that what we're going to do we aim for next Thursday is that all right with everybody straw vote should be fine next Thursday I'm good all right um I missed I missed um two things on the committee report um I need a motion for approval in fact Let me let me turn that first that first um committee report a into the hands of mik Mike Tut oh oh okay well so let me get a motion then let
159me get a motion for the approval of our final external auditor report management letter and corrective action plan moved and seconded discussion Mike you want you need to address this any um I can real quick so at the last meeting um we approved the draft of the audit and so this is the actual final everyone got to see it this is the final and then we also have a management letter we had two items where we had a correct and we had to write a correction corrective action plan and that's the letter we have to send to the state so they you know everyone thinks we're doing what we're supposed to be doing here I don't know how we thank you sir that's what we're approving all in favor opposed passes appr president I'm sorry
160can I I think we may have jumped ahead um for some reason because I I thought I had enough time to run to the bathroom real quick um after the CH I think I came back during the change order vote did we do the appro the approval of resolution to appoint Shipman and goodwi yes we did okay and the approval of the resolution for superintendent employee medical examin okay over there and I all all that happened was when we got the committee reports I missed a and b and went straight to C okay all right so that's I thought maybe you had jumped to C and that yeah that's all that happened I just I missed a and b and I went straight to see um so with that being said uh can I entertain
161a motion for the approval to wave the first and second readings and approve policies and and proove approve policies and delete policy so moved moved and seconded do you want to you want to you want to address that since you're you're the policy committee sure chairperson just give me a second let me just get to it now all right um aha all right so one of the U policies that we uh just approved is the privacy and security for student data data and teacher and principal data um hang on and we hang on and then we uh we just approved the duties of the extra classroom activity Fund Central treasure and Fa faculty auditor and that is to make sure and to um and maybe our business our superintending can talk a little bit more
162to this but it is just to make sure that funds for clubs and extracurricular activities are overseen um and audited correctly is that one of the things that the auditor cited us for and that's in the management letter for corrective action is that the extra classroom activities there's some that have been dormant for over three or four maybe five years and and the re we didn't have anything in the policy reflecting what what we do with the funds after that so what we did is added after three years of being dormant we can put the money into the general councel for the that building the general fund for them and by the way would say thank uh thank you to Mr title for answering the questions that I had raised I think it was worth
163asking and uh it's good to see that we have our house in order yeah that's good all right all in favor I opposed so passes uh I think we covered everything um I know it's late uh but I said I was going to give an opportunity um for each person Round Table um to have some to have something to say so I'll um I'll start I'll start I'll start I'm I'm I'm keeping Chris White here can can I go first so that he could possibly go home yeah please chis doesn't want to hear what the rest of us was have to say it's not important it's not um I think we need a feel-good moment here um my stepson worked in Manhattan and obviously with the uh pandemic and everything he came in March he
164came back up here and he's living with us till things calm down and you know we're in conversation what have you 14 years ago uh Chris and Sam worked at Parks and Recreation over the summer Sam was the victim of a pretty violent mugging and a degradation actually Chris found out about it one of um one of Sam's items which was destroyed meant a lot to him uh he he did a year in Israel uh um in school and what have you and so long story short Chris went out of his way he went down to Seaside Heights to get the same hat bring it back to Sam unbeknownst to Sam and gave it to him so the reason I'm bringing this up it's just the character of the employees of this District I think
165Chris represents them well uh the fact that this happened 14 years ago and it's still fresh in Sam's memory means a lot and it means a lot to me that you went the extra mile to do something like that so for Sam and I thank you and his mother thank you can I continue I got I got a hot mic here all right soam you have wait a minute no no I'm not done I just I wanted to take care of that thanks Chris um you know I took some notes here during the meeting again I know it's late and I hope I can come across and hope to be quickly about it if if the people out here and in the public what have you took a really good look at this board of
166education it's a very diverse group uh we've got four retired Educators we have an attorney um we have business people um a pastor who's also a counselor and a community leader we have business people we have a gentleman here that opens up his shop to community students tutors them mentors them has Sports programs I mean this is a very diverse uh Board of Education more than I've seen in the nine years I've been here four of the board members have students in the district we have different ideologies I mean it's it's it became obvious early on and on the outside um you know we can talk about them we don't have to agree but just an example of what happened just previous to the this meeting we're an executive session talking about the resolution one
167of our board Meers board members had a very strong um opinion about a wording in the U resolution we weren't around with it and around with it around with it and one of the qualities of this very diverse board of education is that we came to a consensus we don't have to nobody has to win nobody has to lose we do it for the district we do it for the students we do it for the administration so of things run smoothly We Do It um so I I don't know again I I one of the problems I had I've been doing this for a while and I've been involved in other boards and what have you is that if the public looked at us they're looking at themselves um they put us here so they
168must have had something in we have something in common with them they trusted us for whatever reason they put us here and then you know what kind of what unfolded tonight they they they forgot that we're we're stewards of this District we make sure that the policy is met we hire the superintendent evaluate the superintendent we we work on the budget we do that well as a diverse group of people um so the last thing I want to say is that our superintendent said it well that we will listen we will always listen and we'll do what we can do but there are so many things that happen that are out of the superintendent's control out of the board of education's control due to State education law due to civil law uh personel is one
169of the hottest topics people are standing here demanding that things be done to an employee you can't you have to follow the law you have to follow confidentiality we do what is right the superintendent brings to us what he feels is a solution we talk about it we debate it we either approve it or don't more times than not the superintendent has been correct and I believe this situation was handled correctly it could not have been handled any other way so I think what my problem is right now is all the presumption that went on with some of the speakers that I've been passionate in my lifetime I've been passionate with people here and I'm glad we're still friends um but you can't let that get in the way you you you and again this
170superintendent said it well you're not going to make progress if you're going to insult people and and again it's the presumption that gets under my skin you didn't do it I know you didn't do it that's not true it's not true and you don't give us the opportunity everybody left you don't give us the opportunity to explain it and I think our resolution uh covered what Mrs blond was saying so you know we we'll recover uh good night sleep is 9:30 um we'll recover in the next meeting hopefully clearer heads will prevail and we will listen we'll even listen as you're yelling at us but we'll still listen we' much rather have we can't dialogue it's been a law forever a board Norm um but we will listen and we will work on what your
171issues are we can't do anything if you meet us in shop right we cannot say well I'm going to solve this problem we're not really board members there technically we do it here you tell us we have email emails you can find our email address on the district website email us we will bring it back to the Board of Education we'll discuss it we'll discuss it with the superintendent we'll see what's feasible and what's not feasible that's the way you do it and I think if we can follow that um we're going to make a tremendous amount of progress not that we're making Pro not making progress now we're moving way way far ahead I believe in the superintendent I've known him for 15 years he's been a man of his word he is one
172of the hardest working admin ministrators along with his uh his um um his his assistant superintendent I'm lost um we could not have done better uh he knows this District inside and out he's been part of every program that's ever been established here he he basically for years was the integral person getting them started he knows every staff here he hired virtually everybody they went to assistant superintendent he went they went to Richard last and then to the superintendent I have faith in him I supported his getting him to uh twisting his arm maybe to to be superintendent and I will always always always always support superintendent Richard delaro thank you thank you sir Mr Williams good evening um as a new board member speaking for myself uh I am 1,00% behind the uh fair
173treatment for all and always have been um I'm in I'm in tune with the community and will continue to do so speaking uh for the board I am a new board member and have been sponging information and uh can tell you everyone on the the board excuse me I lost myself it's late um that the board is looking to rectify any unjust and unfair treatment uh we can do better we all can do better everyone on both sides can do better uh it's more than the plan it's an application I am uh positive more progress will come through the district and um you know it's just about keeping good energy and good posit you know positivity within ourselves and the community so that's what I got thank you thank you sir Mr Blum now I'm
174going get to you Mr Gomez so I learned um probably um 30 something years ago as a communication major that um communication really is a very small percent content and a very large percentage of interpretation um what happened here tonight was about 99% interpretation and 1% content um I and I I I am I am one of those board members I am absolutely passionate about this district from the day I bought my house in the town of walkill knowing that I was going to be includ I was going to be working um toward the best possible School District not only for my children who are now have grown up have decided to leave the area against you know my wishes but they obviously were brought up in a community that allowed them the benefit of
175being able to function in anywhere they went they could have gone anywhere they could have landed anywhere they could they they're going to feel comfortable wherever they go um by the way those of you who don't know you know two uh two of probably I don't know 10 Jewish kids in school did they face some uh discrimination um absolutely I actually never felt it all that much um myself uh because I was always in the school and I was always working to for all of the children but what happened tonight uh I I I'm listening to what Mrs blond is saying I know Mrs blond her husband her daughter they gra my she her her daughter just gra had graduated with my son so many years ago um I support this District in its efforts
176for Equity that has been our mission since day one is to make make sure that every child in this District feels that they are valued we read it in our mission statement maybe we have to look at our mission statement to be a little clearer that's fine with me and I support most of what was in the petition what I don't support is accusation that we that we as a district have not addressed this that we are not systematically and we have to do things systematically addressing every single issue that is there can we do it all overnight absolutely not can we do it quicker maybe in the midst of a pandemic let's hope so our district has been so focused on making sure that every single child in this district has felt safe when
177they walk through the door has F has felt um protected has felt as though when they walk that it's an extension of their home and 90% of the time probably better well I'll just say 70% of the time probably better than the situation that they're dealing with at home and we have I have been part of that I have watched it happen I have listened to the to the changes that we have made over the years and we have come so far to say that we haven't is a I took it as a huge slap in the face and I I'm sorry I took it personally I'm sorry that I I tried to hold my I tried to hold my emotions back but when somebody stands and says you're not doing it when I know
178we are doing it it what leads me what it all comes down to is communication and the message that we're putting out there so I I um I'm going to challenge us to be better at community communicating what it is that we're doing to make things better we know that when there we know that there are a few bad apples in you know in every bushel there are a few bad apples right so we're going to do what we can do to pick those apples out and either shine them up real pretty and make them better and T and tasteful and and improve them or we're going to get rid of them and I'm and I believe that this district has done that and we have done that over and over and over again because
179of personnel because of personnel privacy we can't talk about every single situation we know who we're talking about so let's work together to know that we are doing let's let's just let let's assume positive that we're working from a place of wanting to make things better um I wanted to um commend uh Mr mroy um for uh you know for putting things in a very appro you know putting things in an appropriate way bringing it to our attention I think that our school district like every other school district in this country has been focused on reopening and getting our children back to normal getting our staff feeling confident to be back to normal we all want to feel normal and just when we start to feel normal what happens right here we are again in
180the midst of what could be another wave you know we're number two in the county right we're we're far behind number one for infection but we are number two that's a scary place to be when nobody's looking at what the what the difference is between number one and number two so I'm nervous right and we we've said from the very beginning if we had to Pivot to all to online uh learning and we had to Pivot to uh remote we're going to have to do that if we get to that point I respect the teachers who came to talk today I this is this is my first um first time hearing about it and I I'm honest again communication is key this is the first time I heard anything about issues about teachers who have
181medical issues who are not not able to who feel uncomfortable coming back to school in our district so and and specific stories I'm saying I know that there are teachers that are not feeling comfortable and you have every right to feel that way and I believe that bringing this uh open in into our air uh here tonight um will get some attention that it deserves I want to just so thank you to those of you who are pass pass as passionate as you are to come and speak I am disappointed I'm disappointed that I'm talking to 40 empty chairs that we didn't get a chance and we don't and it's unfortunate Pastor you said it we get the last word I don't want the last word I want to be part of the conversation we
182always want to be part of the conversation so I don't need the last word I need to know that I'm part of the process to getting us to where we need to be um so you know those of you who are passionate keep keep your passion but try to understand that we are passionate as well we all have to be uh working with the facts and if you don't have all the facts get them before you come to the microphone and accuse people of not doing what you say we're not doing because that's just wrong and this is not a platform to promote our own personal agendas which many of I saw uh I have seen it over the years it's not just tonight it has happened um I just I you know it I
183have worked so hard to make sure that our students are safe tonight was a milestone for Middletown with our new coach's handbook I want to just I I really want to say thank you to our district for paying attention to making sure that our students feel um you know feel safe that they're on a team that when they're working hard they're going to get where they in tend to go that they feel confident in their coaches that they're protecting them and keeping them safe and um and that our coaches are are you know we have new coaches we have very seasoned coaches they're all you know they're great coaches that they're giving their time they've this is extra um this is extra income for them this is these are extra jobs but this is also
184time and dedication to these teams and your children so I want to thank the um the athletic department for working hard to bring us this new handbook it truly is um wonderful to see us you know really protecting our students and protecting and educating our coaches as well so with that that's all I have to say I'm going to continue I've been on the school board for um now this is my ninth year and um you know that I've seen so much change in the school district so much and I say change because you know some of it is Improvement but some of it just had to be it just has to happen because of the the world that we live in the world changes we change along with it we are constantly changing we're
185usually ahead of the change I go to those we talk about these resolutions I go to the the Schoolboard um the Schoolboard conferences we're light years ahead of many of these districts light and we have been for a long time so I have confidence in our leadership I have confidence in this board and um and thank you to the community for bringing your passion you talk about bad apples there's 7,300 students 1,600 staff that's almost 9,000 people that's a medium-sized Village there's going to be a bed Apple in there yes sir Miss Houston um I've only been on the school board a few months um before that I was a teacher one of the things I always prided myself with was keeping my composure which I did lose tonight so for that I apologize but
186I did so with passion um because I want you to know we are listening to you um I agree with everything my colleagues here on the board said and every single person sitting here I have been interacting with for just a few months and I find every individual to be people person of integrity and um who have nothing but the best intentions for the children of our district and all the families and taxpayers that we represent so um you guys said it very well I don't need to repeat but um I um thank you uh first I want to begin by thanking president Williams for I would say his god-filled conviction and moving forward our resolution Against Racism and the passion example he set for us and the work of all our colleagues uh growing
187up as a child I experienced two incidents which I will describe as involving racism which impacted me I remember I would normally go to the corner grocery store to get milk one day I went there and the owner of the store packed in the bag and gave it to me I assumed he was given it to me for free I went home my uncle came and told my mom that they wanted me back at the store that I didn't pay for the milk even though mind you I did bring money but I wasn't supposed to buy milk that time when I went back my mother took me back having taught me good values there was a person there an older gentleman who began screaming his lungs he's a crook he's a Puerto Rican Puerto Rican
188steel they're bad people here I am an 8-year-old child hearing that impact impacted being told that I'm unfit because of my ethnicity mind you this person didn't know my adicity I never saw the first and last time I saw this older gentleman screaming his lungs out then there was another incident when we were in sixth grade our school trip we went to outside of Brooklyn to another uh nearby County uh I went to a school that was racially diverse heavily African-American Hispanic Jewish children and while we were out in the field playing baseball a group of local residents they were older High School te uh older teens or 20s came and attacked us with rocks it appeared it was even covered in the New York Times and they were saying derogatory things go home using
189the NW or the S word for SPI or J for for students of Jewish background impacted me again H oh I don't remember that one but it might have been there too in other words you don't fit in your color or your skin somehow that makes you wrong these experiences could have impacted me to have ill feelings towards my country to believe that somehow I don't fit in but I of growing up I came and still do love America love my country because the values that our flag stands for transcend are much higher than any racism and hatred that could separate us and though are those values the story of this country that the outcast from around the world who were rejected because of their faith their values or who they consider themselves as persons
190came here and based on and bound together by common values to stand up and say that we will form a more perfect union that we will stand up against the evil of racism and defeat it and that even though at times we may not agree in views or perspectives that's what makes us stronger that's the idea that we have representative government that people of different opinions come together when they could reach consensus they read it for the common good whatever wasn't resolve there will be future battles but at the end of the day we could sit at a table of Brotherhood that is the me for me that is the meaning of America and uh I welcome hearing different viewpoints but to quote my two outstanding and dear my three colleague my four colleagues and
191dear friends okay um it's one thing to express your views but I'm not going to tolerate defamation and insult to our superintendent or to any of my colleagues who are here working and I think it's important that we come and sit at the table of Brotherhood part bread hear each other we may not agree on everything but the end wherever we could reach the common good do so and I am grateful to be part of our community because looking back at those child of experiences which did I thank God did not cloud my mind or deprive me of my love and appreciation for America um actually our district is a Living Testament that theight by the odds because we are a diverse District a lot of children from lwi income um and racially we prove
192that yes we could have 89% or higher graduation our kids whether they're black or brown whatever race whatever background they are The Gatekeepers of our future and our freedoms and no any less and I'm grateful for our leadership from our superintendent and those that work with him and all the teachers I taught my children for uh laying the groundwork for the future are we perfect are there challenges I do believe there are but we're striving to form a more perfect perfect union and to quote the words of a uh famous American all this will not be finished in the first thousand days or even In Our Lifetime but let us begin because the faith and the energy that we bring to this endeavor War lie in our country and those who serve it and the
193glow of that fire would truly light the world light the world applied for America in 1961 and appli for us what we going do in our schools we're going to go forward and we're doing it because we a right thing to do for the good of all our children in their future thank you well now I can't top Mr Gomez and I can't top what anybody else said but I agree what what everyone said around the table so far so I'm not going to repeat that but you know I remember being on staff and I remember we had 10 superintendant in 12 years 10 superintendent and 12 years absolutely nothing got done and it laid the framework for 55% graduation rate I I recall when Kenny would first came his first meeting I said Dr
194Eastwood you know the the gradu uation rate uh it's being reported as 65 or 75 or 80% I said I I go to the graduations I don't see all the people in line what's the matter that got him investigating and so today we have a 90% graduation rate now that's not done happen stance what do the people think the programs come from they come from number one the initiative of the administrators the initiative of the superintendent the assistant superintendent and and so on they come from the staff members who execute these programs it's nice and easy to say we want this we want that I think if you pull everybody around this table everybody would agree with the concepts the basic concepts in that petition do I agree with the way it's written I do
195not and I would not raise my hand to that but we agree with the concepts of that tuition so um what I'm saying is this we got a great administrative staff we have a great instructional staff let's try to support these people let's try to provide any possible way to make your life a bit a little bit easier so that's about what I have to say and the last thing I'm going to say I like to listen to people but I'm going to refute if there's an inaccuracy at the mic or whatever I will refute that and I saw inaccuracies at the mic tonight and I refuted them and I also Express my support maybe I shouldn't have done it when the discussion was going on of the superintendent and I'll continue to do that
196and uh that's all I have to say because the hour is late and maybe we should consider more meetings and shorter meetings because we've been here since uh before 5:30 it's a little ridiculous it because the administrators around and say they have to go to work tomorrow uh many people around this table have to go to work people sitting over there Bill Mara he has to go to work the tech staff has to go to work people in the audience have to go to work tomorrow so it it's just an overly long meeting and as I said there's a remedy to that more meetings and shorter meetings that's it first of all Pastor I want to thank you um your message is loud and clear to Richard Amy and Mike um I felt the comments
197uh I I was churning inside constructive criticism at any time is difficult it's always to make us a little bit better I am just going to ask anyone comes to the mic and it was done two weeks ago and it was done tonight again please come with the accurate figures the accurate information many of the comments made tonight were inaccurate the accusations um with regards to even personnel and I think Vince addressed this and perhaps um Paula as with any company or any large corporation any personel matter cannot be discussed there's a legality there it's illegal we're not trying to avoid anything Chris White is sitting there he can tell you that issues are addressed maybe not to everybody's pleasure or to everybody what they want to see happen but again it's a legal matter
198I can't tell you how hurt I was we all sit here we try to do our best we've had meeting after meeting after meeting since July we heard about the graduation rates when I was running for the board I looked at the demographics of this community it has changed drastically since I arrived here in 1990 we are basically now largely Hispanic followed by black followed by white and followed by a minority of Oriental or Far Eastern people we try to embrace all of that diversity and try to meet all of those students needs I'm sure that we haven't been able to successfully do that 100% but the effort and the willingness of this board to move forward the amount of hours that this man has put in to meeting with people to talking with people
199and the amount of hours that he put in to bring this resolution to fruition there's nothing nothing that can ever or anyone that can ever thank him for what he did it wasn't easy and as every member sitting here said we didn't agree on everything we came together we had a discussion and I think we got one darn good resolution passed so please I beg of you if you come here stay hear us out you accuse us of saying nothing and all I can think about is what Susan B used to say when she sat on the board a board meeting is a meeting held in public a board meeting does not have to Encompass or give the opportunity to address from the day I came on this board we have always done that but
200to take the abuse that this board took tonight and I know that the people standing there felt that they were true and they were strong in their belief beliefs but so are we and we are doing the best job that we can for this community decisions made tonight or decisions made by the administration can be changed tomorrow by all Benny so our hands are tied too I'm sorry but I I'm really hurt by what was said tonight thank you thank you I'm not going to say I'm not going to say too much more I just I I there's some there's a statement that's in the it's late and everyone's got to get up early tomorrow I gotta be up at 5: um and everybody else has to be up earlier than that and get back
201here uh but I will say there there's there is a there is a a part at the end of the first paragraph of the resolution that states that rhetoric that um words are just rhetoric where where is it I want to read it do I have it yes please because we got to all sign that thank you I want to read it I want to read it clearly okay okay we'll find it it says it says that that that words we recognize that words are just rhetoric until they are turned into action that statement embodies the direction that this district is going and the direction that this district has been going and I know that everyone can't always see that it's unfortunate it's unfortunate what happened tonight it really is but I I I I
202I I want everyone and I urge everyone that's still watching this and there'll be the buzz on Facebook tomorrow and and whatever I want to urge you to be patient and begin to look at where we were where we are and where we and where we're going M there is constant motion where we were compared to where we were to where we are and compared to where we're going let the action the actions will speak that's why that's why I'm not going to get into back and forth with anybody anymore I'm done we're gonna we're going to let our actions speak and then and then you can go you can go from there but I do again everyone that came tonight to speak thank you thank you passion whether it went left or not thankk
203you for coming um I'm done thank you um thank you to um Tech staff you guys rock appreciate you guys everyone say Tim you're the man appreciate you guys Lenny and all all of the all of the security staff that stayed today and and helped so much Chris stayed the whole time I know you want to get home there baby girl uh Bill all of you Kevin we appreciate all of you our Administration um let's let's let's grab a couple hours sleep and get up tomorrow and start all over fortunately tomorrow's Friday so our next meeting will be on uh November we're gonna have a special meeting next week Pastor no okay our next four board meeting will be November 5th but next Thursday next Thursday we're going to um plan a meeting we'll get
204the times resolution um so that we can discuss nisba uh but thank you all um once again for a good evening to to the public thank you for tuning in motion motion to tojn you were slow you were slow tonight it's been seconded all right we're out have a good evening