SSCSD BOE Meeting 4/10/2025

001Hello. Hello. All right, this meeting is being called to order. We are now opening the Thursday, April 10th, 2025 school board meeting for Saratoga Springs City School District. Please stand and join me for the pledge. Well, good evening. Uh, welcome everybody. We need a roll. Oh, okay. Roll call first. Sorry. Thank you. Here. Trusty Crackler. Trusty Amory here. Trusty Braxton here. Trusty Bugamman here. Trusty Collagan here. Trusty Copans here. Trusty Lakia here. Trusty Witovvic here. Student representative Juan here. Student Representative Prostic. Well, good evening. Uh, welcome everyone. Uh, my name is Mike Patton, the superintendent of schools uh, here in Saratoga Springs. Uh and it's great we have such a large audience with us tonight uh because we have the opportunity to celebrate our student athletes uh this evening uh at the conclusion of each

002of our athletic seasons. Uh we are just so fortunate here in Saratoga Springs uh due to the commitment of our student athletes, our coaches, our parents, our entire community and their support of the extracurricular opportunities that are available to all of our kids here in Saratoga Springs to be able to celebrate uh the accomplishments uh of a very special group of of of students this year who have uh represented uh Saratoga Springs uh as state champions uh this past winter sports season. So many schools can go several years uh just hoping for the opportunity to be able to compete uh not only at the section level but at the state level. And again uh due to just the incredible commitment of our students and the support that we received from our families uh this past

003winter we had three state championship teams. So with us tonight our members So, with us tonight uh are members of our state championship Nordic ski team coached by Steve Bessler, our state championship alpine ski team coached by Jen Allen and and Colleen Bellinger, and our twotime girls state ice hockey champion team of the Aderonic United, which is a United team uh with several local school districts. combined. Uh, and their coach Jeff Willis. So again, we are so very fortunate and want to take this opportunity to congratulate our student athletes for all of their hard work and dedicated efforts uh throughout the course of the season. want to thank our coaches uh for their time and their commitment and their Tyler's efforts and their dedication to the promotion of our student athletes uh throughout the school

004year. Uh thank to our parents uh for your ongoing support uh all of our students who come out to support our teams throughout the course of the school year. Uh and again to our board of education and the community for making these opportunities available to our student athletes. So this time I'd like to turn over to Mr. John Goodson, uh, who is our director of athletics, uh, for some introductions and we're going to get some pictures, uh, of this year's state championship teams. Mike, I would like to also echo our congratulations to our student athletes, our parents and guardians, and a round of applause for all of our coaches, uh, for all of your time and dedication that you give to your sports. If we could have coach Jeff Willis come up first, please to

005recognize our ADK United girls ice hockey team. Uh, thank you, John. Um, got a couple things to say as we get started, but I'll begin by recognizing the girls individually, and then I'll I'll say a few thank yous. First off, Kira Gavage, Amelia Lzooski, Ursula Abstars, Alyssa Temple, and Kiara Tutill. It's It's taken me all season to memorize those last names. So, and I'm just I It's the first time I I've gotten Kira's name right. Um I want to thank you, Mike, um and John, uh and the entire administration for supporting girls hockey. We're the only girls icy hockey So, we're very fortunate to have your support behind us. Um, so thank you guys. Um, like to thank the community for supporting us. Um, you know, obviously we have a conglomerate of schools that feed

006into this whatever, but the community support we get behind this team is tremendous. We do a lot of fundraising because we don't have any local games. Our closest game is an hour and a half away in Lake Classic. So, we do a lot of traveling. Um, there's some overnight road trips. Um, and there's a lot of support that comes out from all the communities involved. Um, the parents, their daughters, um, for supporting their daughters, um, and the booster club. There's a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes, organizing everything, monthly meetings. Um, so they do a wonderful job with that, but most importantly, it's the players that we're here to recognize. Um, without them, their dedication and passion for the sport. Um, they do a fantastic job. They balance their homework. We have

007late night practices usually 8:45 to 10 o'clock at night. Um so they balance that with all their homework and they're very good with their time management because I think we're a scholar athlete team again this year. Um that means over 90% of our players had over 90 average. So that's an awesome job. And and then lastly a little bit about our season. Um LA last year we were uh it was a bit of a magical season. We went undefeated. Um nobody could touch us. We we really rolled everybody. This year um we took a much harder path. We played only we only had two games against teams that weren't in the top 10 of either New York State or Massachusetts. Um we finished with a 12 12 and five record, but we won all the

008games when they really counted. And uh we prepared ourselves well for the end of the season. And there was a couple games, especially the championship game where we just had to grind it out. And again, a lot by these girls. And congratulations We'd like to call up Jen and Colleen and recognize our boys alpine ski team. [Applause] Thank you. Um, so this is our second year in a row um for the boys winning the state title. And I think we figured out um earlier this year that since 2007, I think we've won sectionals 15 times and states eight, I think. So we're we're on a roll. We're gonna keep going. Um but so this year though we really focused on being a team and working together as a team. So all season long um the

009boys on this team really supported each other and they really came together as a team. We had seven varsity athletes that competed all year and without all of those seven we would not have won sectionals and therefore wouldn't have been the team to go to states or to fight for the state title. Um and then the three that went to states worked super hard. It was not a slam dunk like some years. Um but when it counted, they also pulled it pulled it out and um they skied fast and smart um and worked together as a team for the win. So I'm super proud of all all the kids on the team. Honored to be their coach. Colleen, do you have anything you want to say? Um so first I'd like to honor um Alex

010Landau. [Applause] and Griffin Singer. And for the second year in a row, our captain Cooper Villier [Applause] Thank you very much. [Applause] Just for the record, boys alpine also scholar athlete team. And we'll call up coach Steve Bessler with the girls Nordic. [Applause] Well, thanks everybody for having us here tonight. Um, I'm old school. I have a piece of paper, but um, so up here with us, we have um, our state team minus one. Couldn't make make it tonight, unfortunately. Annie, eighth grader. We have Emma Murray, [Applause] senior. Sophia Murray, sophomore, and Maline Miller, senior. [Applause] Um, all right. So, I'm not really great at uh not using a piece of paper, but here we go. So, thank you for recognizing the state championship girls Nordic ski team tonight. Um, as well as our other

011champions here. Um, so being able to yield a team of a New York State winning caliber is great honor um as a coach and it takes many years of commitment from the athletes uh parents and coaches. Um, For example, Emma, this is her final season season as a graduating senior. Uh she's been on the team for seven years and with seven years of consistent hard work and dedication, having many successes in both athletics and academics, uh she ended up um ending her career as a blue streak athlete on the highest of highs, pulling through for us in the last leg of our 3x3 relay that secured our victory estates. [Applause] However, it's the culmination of all these moments throughout the uh season uh leading up to those last seconds that earned the long aaited state

012title. This is our first uh Nordic state Nordic state title from boys and girls or in general um and section title as well. Uh so without the continuous efforts during practice at our invitationals and their own accord um the state championship state championship team would not be here tonight. Um, so their efforts as a group and as individuals are extraordinary and coaching such a dedicated team has been a great pleasure. So just to reflect on the state championship meet a little bit um our girls had an outstanding performance on day one which gave us the lead over all the other teams in the state um and a chance for victory on state on day two. But there was two other teams in contention. So we had to basically win the relay on on the second

013day. Um so on day one, our eighth grader and Steve Prodigy and was fourth overall. Emma was eighth and Sophia 13th. Um and then Maddie Miller, another senior, was a vital part of our state team as she helped displace other racers from teams which allowed our team to be in first after the first day. Um for day two, the exciting um relay. Sophia started our team off with a very strong first leg coming into the stadium seconds behind a very strong Sarah Lake team. She tagged Anna who was also an excellent had an excellent race holding our spot and finishing just seconds behind their leader. Um so Emma was our our final leg and she went off and had an epic performance. And as she merged out of the woods in the kilometer of the

014race or so. The Sarin Lake girl was nowhere in sight and I knew that was a minute that we won. So that [Applause] was Couple more sentences here and that's it. Um, all right. To an outsider, it might seem that the reason for our team's success is hard work, determination, and dedication. While this is true, I feel our team really came together as a family and the unwavering encouragement that was offered from all team members um and the bonding experience that was fostered allowed our girls team to succeed over all others in section 2 and the state this year. This victory would not have been possible without the support from our parents, community, coaches, athletic director, and the Saratoga Springs City School District for providing their resources and support to all our student athletes. So,

015thank you very much. [Applause] It sounds like a lot of homework was done on buses in these seasons. So, congratulations everybody. All right. Um, may I get a motion to approve the minutes from March 27th's business meeting? John and Natalia, is there any discussion? And families and athletes, please feel free to um not stay for our presentations. We're very happy you were here. Um all right, seeing no discussion, um all in favor? All right, that's unanimous. Thank you. Um can I now get a motion to accept tonight's agenda? Natalia and Deb. Um any discussion? Seeing none, all in favor? That is also unanimous. Thank you. All right, this brings us to our first public comment period. On behalf of the board, thank you all for being here. We truly value input from the community and

016appreciate your engagement. New York State Board of Education meetings are held in public so the board can conduct the business of the district visibly to maximize transparency and information sharing with the community. They are not public meetings with real-time dialogue with attendees. However, our board does provide these two public comment periods during which speakers may address us to share information and opinions that may inform our work. In the case that followup is necessary, the appropriate district official will reach out. We're asking speakers, especially tonight, to um conduct themselves in a civil and constructive manner, modeling the same respectfulness that we expect from our students in the district. We do not allow comments about specific individual employees, students, or trustees. And tonight, I will add athletic teams and ask that you be su succinct and try

017not to repeat previous speakers to allow more people the opportunity to address us. This first public comment period is limited to 30 minutes. Then after the board conducts its business, a second comment period will be available. Um with no official time limit, but we do have an executive session that is still to come after. So we'll we'll see how that goes. Um this opens our first public comment period. Speakers, you are allotted a maximum of three minutes. And before you address the board, please clearly state your name. Our first few slots are reserved for students. So, first up we have Sarah [Applause] Papino. Hi. Hi. I'm Sarah Papino and I am a current junior at this high school. Um firstly I would just like to remind everyone that um well not remind firstly I would

018like to thank the board for reaffirming DEI statement uh last time there are a lot of people who are very scared to um speak at meetings public speaking and stuff and I'm friends with a lot of those people and we've been talking about a lot and they feel more safe and accepted and loved in the community and they are so grateful. So I'm saying thank you from all of them who have talked to [Applause] me. However, I do know that there is still some opposition. Um so um here is the joint statement of the office of the attorney general and the state education department regarding transgender students rights. We write to inform you that these executive orders do not affect the rights of transgender students and individuals in New York's public schools. They're talking or

019they're referencing the executive orders um about uh trans students in the school. Notably, a federal court decision identified in the February 5th, 2025 executive order explicitly recognized and enjoining a 2024 regulation that the injunction did not limit the ability of any school to otherwise comply with applicable state or local laws or rules regarding transgender students. We understand that presidential threats to withhold funding are intimidating, but they are also beyond the president's authority. The attorney general cannot pursue the policy objectives of the executive branch through the power of the purse or the arm of of local law enforcement. This is from the case of city of Chicago versus bar. The president, in other words, may not arrogate himself to the power of Congress or otherwise circumvent appropriate legal process. I'm taking AP Lang this year and

020we're being taught right now about how to make a good argumentative essay and we're talking about the different types of evidence and there is evidence that has to do with data and numbers and direct quotes, expert opinion. That's this. There's also firsthand evidence. Um, and that's this. I, like I said, have many friends who are part of not just the LGBTQ plus community, but also specifically the trans community. And again, they are just so relieved that the school is a safe place for them. And I'm so grateful for them that we have adults who are willing to protect them. Thank you. Thank you. next up. All right, you only have 30 minutes, folks. Next up is Brianna Tatangelo. Hi, my name is Briana and I am seven. I don't think it's right for boys to

021use girls bathrooms. Who will protect me? Do you think it's right? Who Who will protect me? Do you think it's right? Hi, I'm Brianna's mom and I can tell you I'm Amy. Um, I can tell you at seven that she knows right from wrong better than the majority of adults sitting in front of us on this board. She knows that biological boys she knows that biological boys don't belong on girls sports teams and in the girls bathrooms and locker rooms. And biological girls don't belong in boys bathrooms or locker rooms. Just let her finish. She's seven. Let her finish. We know it is not safe or appropriate when it comes to this. Where do you draw the line? Can a biological boy identify as a boy one day and use a boy's bathroom, then identify

022as a girl the next and use their bathrooms? What about the students who are 18? To those who say this isn't happening in our schools, it is. Last board meeting, we heard from a father who has two girls in the school district. He said that his fifth grader um fifth grade daughter doesn't use a bathroom all day long because of boys using the girls' bathroom. Do you think this is right? No. This is wrong. Who will protect her? Who will protect my daughter or my two sons? The board voted using their personal opinions, not based on what parents want or students, and not based on safety. These board members are supposed to be voting based on the citizens and we are the majority. We have been quiet. We've been the quiet majority, but we will

023no longer be silent. Please reverse the resolution and stand up for our kids. Thank you. Next up, Next up is Sean Calhoun. Thank you. Hello, my name is Sean Calhoun. I'm a high school junior and student activist. I attend Niskuna High School, half an hour from here. I'm here to speak in support of the Saratoga Board of Education's vote in late March reaffirming its support to marginalized students. Gender identity and sexuality is a spectrum, not a binary. Crucially, it is an identity. To deny someone's identity or categorize their behavior based on race, immigration status, sex, or gender is an injustice. And injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. A time when the US government makes attempts to exclude transgender individuals from the military and to deny them representation is a time in which a

024grave just injustice is occurring. A time in which the US government is revoking student visas, targeting universities and jailing student protesters is an unjust time. And a time when the United States government challenges federal funding in low-income communities because they are inclusive is morally wrong. This is why the Saratoga Board of Education's actions are so incredibly significant. We live in unjust times and marginalized students are afraid. Afraid of deportation, afraid of discrimination, afraid for democracy. The board's decision to reaffirm its support for civil rights provides support for these students in a time of uncertainty, grave uncertainty. It is for these reasons and more that I urge the parents and adults in Saratoga to continue to show empathy towards marginalized students. These are teenagers. These are teenagers. The moral panic over transgender individuals should at least

025spare students in high school. I would think these students aren't doing anything wrong at all and face a lot of uncertainty every day. It is for these reason more and it's for these reasons and more that I thank you all especially the Saratoga Board of Education for your time, your empathy and steadfast supports for students rights. Thank you so much. Thank you. Next up is Carol Giri. Carol Giri I'm sorry. Bear with me. This is not easy for me public speaking. But if our students, as I've just heard tonight and last week, can stand up here in front of a room full of people, some that disagree strongly with what they're saying, then I can try and do this, too. I come to you as a mother, a mother who has lost a child. And

026in the months since that's happened, I've been deeply troubled trying to find a way to bring honor to my son, to his story, and to his life. For my son, school was not an easy path. It was an uphill climb, like a lot of students in our district. But he found a place, a place to belong, a place to find an advocation for the rest of his life, a place to find friendship and support. And I applaud this board for reaffirming that every child in our school district will have that same opportunity to walk through these halls, to not be afraid, to stand tall, to be supported, to be loved, to be respected for exactly exactly who they are. And make make no mistake when I say our children. They are all our children. Every

027child in this school district. We're listening. We're living in an unprecedented time where our children are being used as political ploy. And we have to stand strong. We have to stand to be on the right side of history. That we'll say no to hate. We'll say no to injustice. And we'll love all our children. Thank you. Next up is Caitlyn Wheeler. Uh, I would like to invite any female athletes to stand with me if they would like to. Uh, good evening everyone. Uh, I thank you all for having me. Um, I'm proud to speak uh, as an ambassador of the Riley Gaines Center. I was a former college swimmer. Uh, I was actually a teammate of Riley at the University of Kentucky. Uh, we trained. There are any female athletes in the room, you understand.

028Uh we trained, we competed, and we sacrificed for years. Yes. All in pursuit of a dream built on fairness and mutual respect. But what I didn't expect was to have that respect stripped away in an instant. When a male walked into our locker room, I went from changing in a space meant for girls, a space where we could feel safe and vulnerable to suddenly being stripped of that. We had no say. We had no privacy, no protection. It was humiliating. It was degrading. And it was incredibly wrong. I'm here today because no girl or woman should ever have to feel the way I felt. And every single girl in that locker room felt powerless, voiceless, and violated in a space that was supposed to be ours. This is not about sports. It's not just about

029sports. It's about safety. It's about dignity. It's about common sense. Title Nine has protected girls for the past 50 years uh over uh and President Trump's new executive order reinforces that truth. Boys do not belong in girls bathrooms, locker rooms, or sports. Period. [Applause] But the Saratoga Springs Board's policy that was just voted on in an incredible number, a 7 to1 vote in in lack of support of women. Uh this vote was on March 27th that violated the law. Even worse, it ignores the voices of every girl in this room, every girl in this state, in this school district. It claims to protect And let me be clear, no resolution, no board has the right to rewrite federal law. No state is absolved from following federal law. When schools betray the protections of students, they

030betray the trust of parents as well. Uh they betray the safety of their daughters and they send a dangerous message to girls that they no longer matter. We're told that this is about inclusion, but but what the girls are forced to do undressing in front of boys in girls locker rooms. That's time. Thank you. That's about fear. Uh sorry. It's that's time. I'm having time wielded to me. Uh no. No. No. I'm sorry. This is not about inclusion. It's about exclusion. And I'm asking for I'm pleading to fight to have courage and to have a backbone and to stand for not just but for every girl in your time. Thank you. Next up. Next up is Emanuel Sorenza. Hi, my name is uh Dr. Emanuel Sorenza. Um I've been uh a pediatrician in this community

031for over 27 years and I'm actually also uh the school physician advisor for the school district. So um I have a fair amount of experience in this uh area to some extent and um certainly I can feel the uh range of emotion. I think that most of the people here really are speaking out because they care about kids and I think that every person in this room does care about kids. But a couple of things that I can kind of inform you of is the fact that really basically there are people within the school district that care about every kid. And I have been, you know, serving here in the community. The one thing I can tell you is is that to a large extent, this is very much a manufactured controversy. Again, like I

032said, I've been here for coming up on 28 years, actually, and this issue has come up one time, to my knowledge. I I did a little investigating, and it was a track athlete essentially, uh, trying to kind of get onto a team where nobody was pushed out and nobody was made to feel uncomfortable. And these issues have always been handled. I can reassure everybody in this room with the greatest amount of uh sensitivity to everybody's needs. Each child, gay, straight, cis, whatever. They've always been handled with each child's best interests in mind. And all I can really honestly tell to every student who's here in this room, because that's what really everybody is here for, I want to reassure you that you have a safe place and people who care both in my office, with

033my partners, within this community, within this school, with your teachers, and with all the other people who care about you so much. Whether you're cis, whether you're straight, whether you're gay, whether you're bisexual, whether you're transgender, whatever, you have a voice and you will be heard and you will be safe. And those things were reaffirmed by this school board with their decision. Each child will be respected and treated with the utmost consideration. And that's really what I think people should remember is that that's what this should all be about. So, thank you. Thank you. All right, next up is Rebecca Pino. Hi, my name's Rebecca Papino and um I want to thank the board for, you know, caring about our kids because I know you all do and that's why you do this very thankless

034job. Um I you know the the previous speaker not the one right before me but before him uh was flown up here from another state and um may not be familiar with how things are in New York State. So I wanted to come up here and kind of educate everyone only to the point of there was um the joint statement that was read previously and she mentioned the executive orders and basically the joint statement from the attorney general and the state ed department um said the EOS restrict the meaning of sex and title n to exclude gender identity. The president cannot do that unilaterally. This would require an act of Congress or at minimum notice and comment rulemaking. As previously observed by the state education department, these pre presidential statements of policy are legally ineffective.

035Our offices are committed to upholding the gender expression non-discrimination act, an act pertaining to common schools, which is ed law 306. School districts must continue to follow state law and the state ed department and office of the attorney general stand behind districts and educators who uphold our state's commitment to equal educational opportunities for all which I will commend. Um multiple board members saying that the last time when people would speak. Just so you know, we are upholding state law. If we are not compliant with state law, then we're in some trouble. And they repeated that multiple times last time. So, in case you're curious, I printed out some information about gender, it is um January 19th, the New York State Human Rights Law was amended to add gender identity or expression as a protected category.

036Discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression is prohibited in all areas covered by the human rights law, including schools. So, that's the first thing. I'll put that over on the table there. And then also we should all be familiar with the dignity for all students act. New York state dignity for all students act seeks to provide the state students with a safe and supportive environment free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment and bullying on school property, a school bus andor a school function. Gender identity. DASA was amended in 2018 to specify that gender includes gender identity andor expression. The amendment is also included in the following illustrative examples. The types of incidents which must be reported to the principal, superintendent or designate as violations. And then they go through a whole bunch of things

037that protect our students. The final thing, the final one. Thank you. We are climbing. What does DASA require of my board? Have you Have you We are timing. We will take care of it. You let me know. I'll let Yeah. The dignity for all students act requires all boards of ed. All right. Now it's time. Thank you. We have a three minute timer. Thank you very much. Folks, we are keeping a threem minute timer. You do not have to time for us. We have time for two or maybe three more depending on what depending on how much we get through. Our next speaker is Kristen Dart. As I said two weeks ago, I will challenge anyone to find a bigger champion of women's sports than me. As a female athlete, the ha harassment and ridicule

038I received and women and girls currently receive is far more worrisome than a trans person competing against me or with me. On the athletic field of Saratoga High School, I've heard football coaches suggest to the football team when they weren't practicing hard enough that they should go play. volleyball, or better yet, girls volleyball. I'll note that both volleyball teams that year had a winning record and the football team did not. I was once asked in physical education class why I wasn't running as hard as I could in the mile as a varsity athlete. I had a competition later in the day and I had made arrangements with my fizzed teacher to come back and run the mile because I wanted to do it for real time. However, when the male fizzed teacher, who was also

039one of the assistant football coaches, asked me and I went to respond, I paused and looked around the track and there was not a single football athlete running the mile because they were upstairs watching film in the wrestling loft. As a coach, one of the recommendations I give to players for to become better at their sports is to watch other women play the game. In my 20 years of coaching, at least one, but typically multiple fathers have said to me, "Coach, I know you're right. She should be watching girls and women play, but I just can't stand to watch girls on TV." That's coming from fathers of daughters who want their kids to be successful athletes. If you want to support girls and women's in support in sports, you support women in college and professional

040athletics with your viewership and your dollars. We are talking about middle and high school athletes tonight, but in some states where they have put bans on transetic participation, it goes to the elementary school level. We are talking about both fairness and opportunity and in competitiveness. If we move to a situation where elementary school students could only participate in single gender sports, what would this mean? Currently, our community's youth hockey program has three to four co-ed teams at the 12 and under level. Co-ed, boys and girls playing together successfully. They don't. There's only one set of locker rooms at the rank. Let the speaker speak. If we were to create equal opportunity, keyword being equal, we could only probably field one girls team at each of those levels. So that would mean to create equal opportunity,

041we could only have one boys team at each of those levels. Does that mean the boys leave out lose out too and that opportunity? That's what equal means. At the division one level, women's basketball teams regularly practice against men. Thank you. Next up is Norah Brennan. Hi, Nora Brennan. Um, first I just want to reaffirm that uh the trans students in our community are supported and loved and we feel that way about all our children as was said already. Uh, but I think it's really important in this moment to call it out. We want to protect and we want to support and we want to love and we want to continue to do what we can in our community for all of our students, including the trans students who are here today. Um, aside from

042that, I'm kind of irritated that I'm here. I'm irritated that this fake issue, this fake outrage is something that we have to come back and reiterate over and over again that we live in a community where we support our students, where we support our children. It was interesting listen looking at the students before and as I was coming in earlier I stopped and looked at some of the the all the awards all the sports awards. So um this is a deep cut especially for people who aren't from here but I used to run cross country and track against Sher Goddard. So I know what it's like to have to struggle against somebody who is really an icon a pillar of excellence. And frankly, 90% of the boys who were running cross country and track also

043wish they could run like Sherry Goddard did at First Seratoga. She was amazing. And that's the kind of support this school, this school district has supported their students for a very, very long time in so many different ways. And if we really want to focus on what we do to protect all of our children, I think first of all, I know that this community will do it. I know this board will do it. I know this administration will do it. If somebody says, "I'm concerned. I'm scared. I'm not sure what to do. I'm worried about what bathroom I should use. I'm worried about who's in there." Do you really think that this is a group of people who are going to ignore that concern? No. Absolutely. These people are 100% going to say, "Let's talk

044about a real issue. Let's help you solve a real issue, but stop treating the trans students, whether they compete in sports or not, as your under the bed monster for an issue that it just does not exist. So, continue to do what you're doing at the school board, at the administration to make us the great community. And also, please everybody vote yes on the budget because if you really do care about women and girls in our community, you're going to vote to make sure that we're funded in this school district to make sure our students get everything they deserve. And that means voting yes on the budget every year in and out. Thank you. Thank you. Our last speaker for the first public comment period is Mark Crockett. Mark, our last speaker for this period

045is Mark Crockett. Hello. My name is Mark Crockett and uh I'd just like to address some of the people behind me. I'm sorry. Do you need to address the board? Okay. Thank you. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. I It's It's I see a lot of signs about hate. This is not about hate. Let me just give you my personal thoughts and a couple of things. My wife and I, we please let the speaker finish. My wife and I mentor many people in their 20s and 30s, and they're all different races. Some are gay. We love them all. If someone wants to be transgender, I have no problem with that. I think it's wrong to transition somebody as a minor, but that's my belief. I believe anybody who wants to be transgender a

046student, they should be treated properly and fairly totally. However, our freedom, our liberty ends when a female student is forced in a locker room or a bathroom to face a biological man. That's where the freedom ends. So, it's not about hate. I really care for them. I think I think in many cases they're misled, but that's okay. It's up to them and their parents. Okay. I believe there's men and women. That's what I believe. It's science, I guess. But, but let him let him finish. This is our last speaker. However, I'm really concerned in the locker rooms and in sports. We've seen examples, a lady spoke behind us here today where it's unfair for a biological man to compete against girls. So, it's not fair them from a sports standpoint. And it's definitely not fair.

047And I'd ask one question. It's rhetorical because I know you won't react to this, but you on the board, you may have some biological girls, some girls. Would you be, if you're okay with them facing a man and his genitalia and in a locker room, would you please stand up? Just finish this. I guess I'm right. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] That ends our first public comment period. We're now moving on to board reports and um start with any committee. Do we have any committee reports? Quiet please. This is Dean. Go ahead. Thanks, Angie. Um so nothing to report this week from the facilities committee. Uh we haven't had a meeting since the last. Uh, however, this morning, sorry, can you just wait? I can't hear you. Just hold on a sec. Excuse me. This is still

048a schoolboard meeting. Please leave quietly if you're leaving. Go ahead, Dean. So, as I mentioned, we didn't have a facilities meeting since the last. Uh, so nothing to report there. Uh however this morning uh unfortunately I wasn't able to attend but I did reach out to Dave and and Diane to get a a summary from the this month's dirt meeting. Uh and important uh topic was discussed this morning which was suicide prevention. Uh Melissa Conor is one of the school's counselors for seventh and eighth over at Colombian uh spring in the middle school had applied and took advantage of a grant that we received from the department of health's train the trainer course on suicide prevention and she came in and shared with the group uh the larger group of dirt uh on this very

049important topic. We also updated our website by adding several resources that she and Stacy Molton had provided in suicide prevention folder and our emergency response resources team so that all staff throughout the district are able to access that and and review. Uh uh we also had our yearly review of the post incident response plan which is also located uh in in the materials for folks to review within the district. uh and all of the members within the dirt team had reviewed that material to make sure it was familiar to them and be able to take that back to their buildings as well. So, just a little report out on dirt. Thanks, Dean. Any questions? All right. Thanks. Go ahead, John. Um we're working on the same thing, Dean. the uh policy committee did did not

050meet since the last meeting, but a policy we've been working on has been refined. And you'll see in in the consent agenda um uh this uh policy on suicide prevention is there for the first read. Thank you. Um can we close those doors or do we need to keep both of them open? What we can Mark, just leave one. Leave that one open and we'll close. Mark, that one has to stay open. Thank you. I appreciate it. Any other board reports or questions for John? If you heard him even did you any questions? Okay, Connie. Um, just um updating on our board goals. Um there was um one of our goals is on community engagement and the legacy project. So um I attended the Geyser Road PTO meeting um where Mike uh communicated to the

051people at that meeting about um the legacy project and our budget. He did a great job. Um so just a reminder that that goal is to help increase awareness and support communication about the legacy project and our budget. Um, and then just another quick update from the evaluation committee. U, the timeline for the evaluation process has been released, so just make sure to review that in your email and mark your calendars. Thank you. Any questions for Connie? All right. Any other board reports? Casey, you're going to have the whole report this time. Let's hear from the students. Um, at Dorothy Nolan, we continue to enjoy our students voices at our chorus concerts. We wrapped up the season with grade three this week. Bravo to all. Congratulations to our art club who got to showcase their

052creativity and imaginations at the Olympic visual arts competition last week. The drama club performers did an outstanding job of presenting a year with Frog and Toad, putting on a spotlight on the true meaning of friendship at Maple A. Maple Avenue Band and Chorus students recently participated in the grades 7 through 12 collaborative concerts at the high school. They all did an amazing job. This past week, the students completed their annual New York State English language arts computer-based testing. The students worked extremely hard and put forth their best effort. Spring sports have started at Maple Avenue and many of our seventh grade students are playing on a modified team for the first time at Lake A. Lake AV held its annual spelling bee for fourth and fifth graders. Our winner will be moving on to the

053regional spelling bee June 3rd. Our fourth grade team spearheaded a new event at Lake Culture Day, a celebration of our diverse community. It was wonderful to see students sharing about special traditions, food, clothing, and dance. At Geyser Road, we held our 10th annual airband celebration at the high school. Kids rocked out to contemporary hits and classics alike. The staff act, a crowd favorite, performed to a sports themed rock medley. Students and staff participated in decades day run by student council. We had every decade represented from 1950 to 2020. We just wrapped up attendance awareness month and the winners of the contests were super excited. Great job by Mrs. Werner. Our fourth and fifth grade concert was last night and our students performed amazingly at Division Street on April 2nd. Division Street's belt hold whoa hosted

054a cultural fair that brought the community together in a vibrant celebration of diversity. The event was made but possible by the incredible contributions of the presenters, volunteers, families, and community members. From the delicious foods to the stunning music, dance and art, attendees were immersed in the rich richness of cultures from around the globe. The World Traveler Passport displays where students explored unique artifacts, crafts, and traditions sparked excitement and curiosity. It was truly a memorable experience. On Monday and Tuesday of this week, Division Street teachers had the unique opportunity to engage in an enriching coaching experience with Dr. Seopi, a consultant currently working with our district. Their expertise centers around the critical roles of around the critical roles, responsibilities, and needs of content area teachers working with English language learners at Greenfield. Last week, Greenfield held

055its annual spelling bee for fourth and fifth graders. Our w our winner will be moving on to the regional spelling be June 3rd. This week, we had our fourth and fifth grade chorus concerts. We had our April BST assembly focusing on the character trait, friendship, and good listening skills. Greenfield grades two through five students just finished our cross-country biking unit. It was a lot of fun. At the high school, Emma Murray, senior, was recently featured on WNYT as athlete of the week. Congratulations. The Saratoga Springs High School Military Club held a yellow ribbon day donation drive in collaboration with National Honor Society and Student Council. Several bags of food and personal care items were donated to Saratoga County to create freedom boxes for deployed troops. SSHs staff participated in secret staff spirit week this week.

056Each day featuring a different theme like flannel shirt day or anything but a cup day. Congratulations to Ava Aught who created a winning video for attendance awareness month. Her animated video was fantastic and shared why attendance in school is so important. Thank you, Casey. Nice job. Um on to you, Mike. Just a few updates for the board and the community. Uh so tomorrow is our last day uh before a welldeserved spring break. Uh it weatherwise it doesn't feel like we're heading into spring break. Uh feels like more like February break out there. Uh but spring recess will be uh Monday, April 14th through Friday, April 18th. Uh so again to all those folks who are traveling, please be safe. Uh and we look forward to everybody's return uh after spring break. um the Bosey's annual

057budget and board elections uh for our all component schools. There's 31 school districts in our region uh that are supported uh by our local Boseies. So each year each component school district uh meets on April 22nd uh to vote on the Bosey's budget and then the board candidates who are running for the Bosey's board of education. So, uh, I did put out, um, some information to the board and it seems like the consensus is 5:45 that night. It will work best. Um, so we do have our elementary tenants zone meeting that starts at 6. Uh, so on the April 22nd, uh, we'll meet right at the administrative center uh, in room 225 just next door uh, at 5:45 uh, to host that annual uh, Boseies meeting. So, I'll send out some remind reminders to the

058full board, but it sounds like 5:45 was a better time for the majority uh of the board. Um, our second elementary attendance flex zone meeting uh is going to be held that same evening uh April 22nd uh at 6:00 in the administration building uh rooms 221 223. Uh those meetings are open to the community. Uh we've got three meetings scheduled uh to review our current attendance flex zones at the elementary school uh with the ability to make some recommendations uh based on the findings of the task force uh for any modifications for the upcoming school year. And then just want to uh be able to promote the opportunity for our district-wide uh annual student voices event. Uh actually I just want to update what's on the agenda. It's actually on Thursday, April 24th. uh at

0596:00 and this year it's being held at Lake Avenue Elementary School. So uh there was some misinformation on the agenda that had April 26th uh in the high school and this year's student voices event uh will again be April 24th at 6:00 at Lake Avenue Elementary School. Uh so now now uh gives me great pleasure uh we have one formal presentation tonight uh and that's from our district-wide uh professional learning committee uh so we have a group of administrators as well as teachers uh who work very hard throughout the year uh providing professional development and support uh for our staff across the district. So, I'll turn it over to our professional learning team. Good evening, everyone. Waiting for the rest of my crew to get down here. No, that's okay, Erin. Take your time. I

060do really wish everyone had say to hear the great content of this presentation. I'm serious. And here's why. Here's why. Because we often talk about student learning. And one of the things that this group behind me and that our teachers represent is uh continuous adult learning. And the group of people that are here tonight are going to talk about from a teachers point of view especially um what the district does to make sure that our teachers are meeting the needs of our students and identifying areas where we can get better. So um thank you for giving us the opportunity and uh we're going to have the crew introduce themselves as they go through the rest of the presentation. There will not be a quiz on who said what later. Um, but I'm very proud to

061work with such a great group of professionals. This is the committee membership for the current year. The professional learning plan is something that we're required to submit on um a yearly basis and you approve it. But the work is ongoing and isn't just done in one year increments. their short-term goals as well as long-term goals associated with it. As always, we align the work that we do here with the district vision and our core beliefs of equity of opportunity, collaboration, community, and personalization. And one of the pieces that I want to point out here that you will be hearing more about um over the next few years is how our district mission and vision aligns with New York State's portrait of a graduate. And there's been work being done um across the state to make

062sure that all New York districts are preparing students for college careers and civic engagement. And that lovely visual up there details skills, essential life skills that students need to have across all content areas. And so the work that the folks here with me tonight are going to talk about directly relates to how that's going to happen. So I will stop because you really want to hear from these folks and I'm going to turn it over to Dr. Danielle Boutton Wales to continue. Hello. So, as a district, our professional learning plan is aligned to New York State and national standards. Um, and we know from best practices around adult learning that we really want to make sure that our how we offer things is collaborative in nature that allows for uh our staff working together and

063discussing for learning. um that it's goal oriented and purposeful where they can go and apply it directly um and it's relevant to them and that we provide that supportive environment and culture for that sustained continuous growth there. So you can see from the graphic on the left is there's a variety of structures that we provide professional learning through throughout the year um so that we can have it focused in different ways and differentiate to different needs to resonate with teachers and staff. Um through this presentation, you'll hear highlighted some of the examples of how these structures look throughout the year to support ongoing learning. Um and how they're uh focused around um goals from our district goals, student needs, uh the portrait of the graduate and input and feedback that we receive from staff along

064the way. We start right from the beginning with our new teachers here at Saratoga um through our professional partners mentoring program which includes new teacher orientation and differentiated professional development opportunities throughout the year. So I'm very excited to present one of our uh firstear teachers, Eric Hatch, grade two over at Greenfield. [Applause] Hello and good evening. Thank you for inviting me to speak about the mentor program tonight. I am a second grade teacher at Greenfield Elementary and although it is my first year with the Saratoga Springs District, I'm currently in my eighth year of teaching. Throughout the eight years, I've had the opportunity of working in two districts prior to Saratoga. Therefore, it is not an understatement when I say that I have been through three mentors and three new hire programs. I can say

065with confidence that Saratoga Springs mentor program has given me the support and the confidence to teach and cultivate learning environment where students are able to thrive. I am fortunate that I was placed with a mentor that is my second grade colleague Carrie Guthrie. It is evident that when pairing mentor and mentees that the district takes great consideration when selecting a mentor. It is true when I say that new employees have about a hundred questions a day and that's even before the morning bell rings. However, the mentors help build a solid foundation of curriculum, policies, behavior management and student bodies. As teachers, we try our best every day. But without a doubt, we will make mistakes. But mistakes are part of learning. I tell my class that every day. I'm grateful that my mentor provides me

066with the space and support to hone my craft, make mistakes, and learn from her every day. In addition to our new higher orientation and mentor program, the district provides us with consistent support throughout the year. We have received numerous days of technology training, curriculum, classroom management, social, emotional, and professional development. I would be remissed if I did not mention my two unofficial mentors, district behavioral coach Katie Subus and elementary math coach Karen who you will hear from later. Katie provided us with an extremely valuable professional development on classroom behavioral management. She created a safe space for us to roleplay these behavior scenarios and modeled best practice for how to handle behaviors through a traumasensitive informed lens. These practices create an environment for the students to feel respected, validated, and safe. Likewise, Karen has been like

067a math fairy godmother for me. Really, she swoops in at just the right time, and somehow she knows what I need from her. The scariest thing about teaching elementary was teaching math because the numbers are the same, but the science and pedigogy behind the math has changed since the 80s. Yes, I was born then. Um Karen has modeled for me how to make math accessible for all students and how to apply it to the real world situation. She provides numerous resources for me to thrive and even jumps in to co-e alongside me. I'm extremely grateful for both of their support. In closing, I consider it a privilege to work in a district that values all voices and perspectives, including those of the new hires. From my first interview to me standing here in front of

068you tonight, I have always felt respected and supported. I am beyond grateful for the experience I've had so far. And if my first year is any reflection of what my future experience will look like with this district, I look forward to many years of working alongside my esteemed colleagues. Thank you. [Applause] So hopefully some of the things you're going to hear as common themes is we keep trying to get better at getting better. We really appreciate the feedback as we keep going to improve. So the mentoring program is one example where we ask for continuous feedback throughout the year as well as at the end of the year from mentors and mentees to continue to uh better support our new staff. And just on kind of the logistics side, we do make sure that our

069professional learning opportunities fulfill the needs that we have to through New York State, which is a continuing teacher and leader education credits, CTLE credits for our professionally certified teachers, administrators, and teaching assistance level 3es. So those are some of the pieces we just keep in uh mind in the background with this as we're looking at best practices. And next we have Dr. Whitley for the professional learning plan. Good evening everyone. Uh with over 25 years experience in education, I must say that um this is some of the most important and rewarding work that I've done throughout my career is to work and collaborate with educators on what is best for students and for us to grow and learn together. As Dr. cutting said at the beginning of the meeting. Each um year we update and

070review the professional learning plan and it's on a three-year cycle. We look at frequent needs assessments. We look at um research and best practices that allows for student success. All of the work that we do is personalized to the learning paths and creates an opportunity for robust offerings. I think it's most important for us to know that the expertise really falls within the walls of Saratoga, within our buildings, um, within all the educators that we have here. And in my experience in the seven years that I've been here, having the opportunity to work with educators who continue to thrive and learn um, to support children has been um, extremely rewarding. Tonight um behind me we have multiple people that are um participants on our professional learning committee and also come up with the ideas and

071orchestrate the different offerings um that happen within the school district and also outside of the school district. So it's my pleasure to introduce to you um Erica Clipple and Amanda Carpinsky, two members of our professional development committee. Good evening. My name is Erikica Clippel. I am an AIS math instructor supporting K through five students here in Saratoga and I'm a member of the professional development committee. Part of our role in this committee is to take time to discuss what topics are needed to best support our teachers in improving the overall success of our students. I don't know how to do that. Um, we develop surveys and conduct research to learn what further training or education is needed to best support our students towards their growth. The topics listed um on the slide behind you are

072examples of current areas of professional development that have been identified as high interest in our district. One area is culturally responsive instruction, which means responding to students academic, social, and behavioral needs in order to improve their overall academic experience and success. Another example of an area of high interest is social emotional learning. Currently, all teachers are working extremely hard to provide students with social to meet the social and emotional needs. the district here heard us and helped us get um sorry get uh development in circle training to build our class communities. In addition, we've been using technology and we've seen the increase of AI. Our teachers have also been learning how to use AI effectively and enhance learning in a safe and a responsible manner. And that's through the support of our district. The district

073offers us a variety of ways for teachers to access this professional development. My colleague Amanda Karpinsky will share more with you about how and when these opportunities are available. Hi, I'm Amanda Carpinsky. I am a reading teacher over at Geyser Road. I don't know enough for me. Sorry. Um, so as educators, we are lifelong learners. Um, we thrive on being able to cultivate our best practices. Technology is not one of mine. Thank you. And, um, we it's it's really important for us to be able to cultivate best practices always so that we're supporting our students various needs and we're setting them up for future success. And because we only have what is it 180 days with students, 184 total, time is our most precious commodity. So, we build a lot of professional learning opportunities throughout

074our school day and throughout our typical school year. Um, to start off, our superintendent's conference days often include the talents and the expertise of our very own staff members. A lot of our staff members have um specialties in the areas of reading, and the areas of math. At one point, I remember an opening day where we had little mini breakout sessions and one of our teachers was certified in yoga and we had these opportunities for little halfhour sessions and we were able to attend kind of like a health and wellness session which was really nice. Um, we also rely on community resources and we also have the wonderful uh opportunity to listen to global leaders on social emotional learning. We've had the privilege of listening to Brian Menler recently on students social and emotional health

075as well as Dr. Jodie Carrington whose knowledge and um her insight into kids these days kind of still rings true throughout all of our schools. Uh we also have professional development course offerings throughout the year um in which uh it's just another avenue where teachers can share their best practices but over a longer period of time. So instead of one half day session, our teachers offer multiple sessions over time. We have um teachers in our district who are certified in uh trauma crisis intervention and supports and um our district teachers and staff members can sign up for those. Um we have technology leaders in our district who offer amazing courses. Um we also have leaders in deescalation strategies. All of these are are um essential in meeting the various needs of our students. We then

076have targeted professional development based on needs identified through our curriculum renewal teams. Um our curriculum, ELA, math, science, social studies, the humanities, uh that goes through a six-year cycle. And so we have teams for each of those areas that get together often throughout those six years to identify needs within the grade level, but also vertically from kindergarten all the way up through. And then they get together and decide what else um do we need to put in place, where are the gaps and where can we improve and all of that is based on multiple sources of data. Uh we have embedded professional development for curriculum implementation. We have at the elementary level what are called articulation days where twice a year our grade levels across the entire district get together in one room so that

077second grade over at Dorothy Nolan knows exactly what second grade over at Greenfield is doing and knows what second grade over at division is doing. Um same thing happens at the uh middle and high school level at their department meetings. lots of professional development, lots of reworking things for um the better of our students. And then finally, we have the amazing opportunity through the support of our district to attend conferences and workshops um as identified by uh district and building level goals. Um many of our student sorry many of our teachers are also very into their craft listening to podcasts. We have a couple of ad hoc book clubs going on. Um, in terms of the uh, you know, just different topics. It could be phonics. It could be math strategies. We have one uh,

078book club that I know about that is reading the anxious believe I wrote this down and my my eyes are failing me lately. Um, the anxious generation. Um, you know, being able to support students um, in this post-pandemic world. So all of these um basically what I'm saying is Saratoga School District is a wealth of expertise. We also have the ability to um learn from those around us and uh we then share out and make sure that we are all together on the same page. And I am now going to hand it over to my colleague Karen Kangjura who's going to talk more about the ENL world. I don't want to touch the wrong button. Thanks. Hi, my name is Karen Kjar and I'm an ENL teacher here at Saratoga Springs at Maple Avenue School,

079but I've also been at Division Street Elementary School. And I believe this is my 14th year here and about my 20th year teaching. And I bring that up because whether you are a first year teacher or a 20-year teacher, you never stop learning and you never stop loving to learn more and more interesting and new and fun ways to help your students learn. And that's what we're all about at the professional learning committee. Um, and I am going to talk to you a little bit about um, one of the ways that we provide professional learning in this district through our ENL department. Um, and one thing that I want you to know is that there is a lot of planning and thought that goes into the professional learning opportunities that are provided. Um, we have

080an EL ENL collaboration project going on right now that started last year. Um, when the ENL department met with Dr. Whitley and had a meeting and brainstormed some different ways that we thought we could help our students and teachers to work with our ENL students in the classroom. Um, and we brainstormed ideas and prioritize prioritized. Sorry, with braces, it's hard sometimes to get things articulated correctly and I have a lot of empathy for students with braces now. Um but um so we prioritized um some of the different types of professional learning that we thought um would benefit students. Some that were kind of like quick um professional learning opportunities and some that are kind of ongoing and um and on a longer uh process. Um so one of the things that we have done is

081we've partnered with Dr. Sarah Chaffy um who um has her doctorate in helping content teachers learn how to work with ENL students because a lot of teachers who are general ed classroom teachers or teach content do not have a lot of training or knowledge about working with ENL students or the types of strategies to use with them. So we felt it was very important to get those strategies to stu to teachers who don't always have an ENL teacher in the room with them. Um, so that was one area that we thought was very important and we had um a co-eing workshop back in December where we had content teachers, general ed teachers and ENL teachers meet with Dr. Chaffy. We did a workshop. We um talked about co-eing and different co-eing models and how to

082best utilize the co-eing model in the classroom. ENL teachers do a lot of co-eing. Sometimes on some days I work with three or four different teachers, but there are a lot of teachers that do not have an ENL teacher in the classroom with them, but they have an ENL student. So getting as much information to all teachers about how to help ENL students and learn ENL strategies helps those students as well as helps all of the other students in the classroom. Um, another um priority for us was getting information to um teacher leaders building principles and other administration about the NL program and some of the regulations that we have and that we need to work within co-eing being one of them. Um but we just felt that it would be really beneficial for us

083all to be on the same page for um the administrators to know exactly what the regulations are, why ENL teachers do what we do, why we need to have so many minutes in this classroom and with these students. Um, and I think that that was really beneficial um, for everybody to have all of that information because not all administrators have worked with ENL students before either. Um, another thing that we're doing is another you've heard embedded coaching a couple of times. Um, at the elementary school, Dr. Chaffy has been going into classrooms and observing um, some of the co-eing pairs, some of the ENL teachers with the regular classroom teachers and then afterwards they're meeting they're talking about strategies and she's giving them ideas and different strategies to use. Um, we also have opportunities outside

084of the district. Um, there is something called the Arburn which is the regional bilingual educational resource network. Um, it is a program funded by the state. hopefully they do not lose their their funding, but they provide lots of different opportunities for for professional development for ENL teachers and for any teacher who's interested. Um I've participated this year in three different um learning opportunities that they had and they offer like a wide variety. A few weeks ago, I attended um a training down in East Greenbush where they had um um a specialist come from Buffalo and present a multi-tered um high stake practices I'm sorry for um multilingual learners with exceptionalities um which was really interesting. I have also attended um a virtual book study so there still are virtual opportunities out there which I think

085is awesome because you can meet with um other teachers from all over the place and have um uh an opportunity to meet with um who's got expertise, who's maybe not local. Um, because I'm an ENL teacher, I did bring a prop. This is the book that I uh went to collaboration for multilingual learners with exceptionalities. Um, and it was an online book study and I love it also because I got a free book. So, I was like, this is amazing. Um, so, uh, so Arburn is a great resource for any teacher. It's totally free any of the PDs that they offer. Um, and we are very supported. I have never like anytime that we want to go to a professional learning opportunity um as a staff person we have to fill out a form and

086request to go and it's we're always very supported when we want to learn something new and bring it to the classroom and share it with our other teachers um to collaborate and our peers to learn what we've learned in the PDS we're always very supported to do that um and then the last thing that is on my slide to talk about is multi-ter systems of support for English language learning learners and that's kind of an ongoing project that we started again with Dr. Chaffy where we are looking at ways um to better help when we have students who are English language learners. Sometimes they have exceptionalities. Sometimes it takes them longer to learn English than another ENL student. And it's difficult sometimes to know is this a language issue or a learning issue. Um, and

087we don't want to misidentify somebody and we want to make sure that we provide the student with the supports that they need that best fit their needs. So, we have been looking at different ways to better figure that out um by studying how different districts do that. We're doing a lot of self-study. We've like downloaded a lot of documents and we're working on trying to make a system in our district on how we can better um figure that ourselves like we're using different tools and resources and kind of studying oursel to kind of develop that. So again like we we are bringing in people to help us. We are doing things oursel through research and we are utilizing resources that are outside of our school community to try to better our profession. And I am

088going to turn it now over to Kaitlyn and Abby. Thank you. Good evening. Over the past two years, the elementary special education office has been committed to providing ongoing professional development opportunities for our aids and teaching assistants. Our support staff brings a remarkable level of skill and dedication to their work, and they work with some of our most vulnerable students. We understand that in order to continue growing and meeting student needs effectively, a structured plan for ongoing professional learning is essential. Each month, we focus on a range of important topics, including sensory strategies, social, emotional, and mental health, uh, reviewing our special education, classroom planning, and continuum, um, and additional areas relevant to student success. These professional development sessions are led by a variety of experts including members of our administrative team, our behavior coach,

089social worker, occupational therapists, and invited professionals from outside of the district. We are also proud to have staff who take an active role in shaping this work. Miss Gonzalez is a teaching assistant at Greenfield Elementary. She serves on our professional development committee. She also collaborates closely with her colleagues to help identify areas of focus and ensure that our training sessions meet the ever evolving needs of our staff and students. Thank you, Kaitlyn. Uh good evening. Uh so my name is Abigail Gonzalez. I'm a teaching assistant at Greenfield Elementary School in the K2 Connections classroom. Uh this is my ninth year in uh that program. Um I want us to share with you tonight some of the benefits of these trainings that we've been having the last uh couple years. Um one of the great opportunities

090it's had a provided it's provided a way to connect our buildings and our programs um with one another. Um with with that we've been able to share ideas, experiences, tools of the trade. Um each staff member brings such a unique skill set and level of experience. So, it's very valuable to be able to communicate and collaborate and and share ideas with one another. Um, it's provided the opportunity to receive consistent trainings as well as professional development hours for the staff who need them. Um, these trainings have allowed staff to feel supported in their fields um and grow as educators. Uh, trainings um have been staff driven, which is a really cool piece. um to this. At first, the first training that we had the beginning of the school year um on the superintendent conference day,

091we brainstormed topics um where all of the buildings, all of the support staff um of the elementary schools met together. Um and so that day led to many of the topics um that we had this year. Um and what's really neat is that they um Oh, I'm sorry. Yes. Um it utilizes the abundance of of knowledge right in our district. Um so these trainings are led by district administrators, educators um providing skills, techniques, information and pedigogies that can be brought back to our classrooms. Um the uniqueness of kind of the staff driving these um trainings has really created a meaningful and um personalized experience um when we bringing to to discussions and activities and um it's been really um really beneficial. Um we look forward to continuing our trainings and exploring a very diverse range

092of topics in the future. Um, and now I'd like to introduce you to Karen Sandba who will be speaking about our student centered coaching. Thank you. [Applause] Hello, my name is Karen Sambuff and I'm talking about student centered coaching here at Saratoga. At the elementary level, we have an instructional math coach and a behavioral coach. I am the instructional math coach. This is my second year in the role. I am a TOSA position, which is a teacher on special assignment. I love this role and I feel very very grateful to still be in it. Um at the middle and high school we have um conduct and restorative coaches. So what is student centered coaching? Well, student centered coaching keeps student data at the center of the coaching cycle to create the greatest impact of student

093learning. Now what does that mean? What that means that when a coach and a teacher decide to complete a cycle together, they start by um creating a goal with student learning targets. Once that learning goal and the targets are um decided upon, the teacher and the coach look at student data and they consider it. Do we know what our students um already know about the learning goal or the targets? So they try to assess students or find data that will determine what the students already know about the about the content. They find the baseline where the students learn in relation to the goal. Once that student data or student evidence is acquired, the teacher and the coach dig deep into that to determine where learning needs to occur and how instruction will occur. The teacher

094and the coach say based on what we know the students already already know about this learning goal or what they don't know what will our instruction look like what will our planning look like how will how will the instruction be taught what will you do and what will I do based on the data that we have about the students from there a plan is developed based on that data then the teacher and the coach teach together and instruct throughout that instruction that delivery of instruction the coach and the teacher are continuing to gather student evidence and data on the students learning. We they collaborate on what they're seeing where they may see gaps or where where they may see students certain students struggling based on the observations of the students data and the collection of

095evidence or the observations that they've made. The teacher and the coach may change their instruction or their plan to accommodate the learning needs of the students. Again, student centered coaching focuses on the students learning and the data that's been collected to drive the instruction. So, in a student centered coaching model, teachers and coaches are continually looking at the evidence that they're gathering from the students and they are changing their instruction. Are you talking to me? What am I doing? Can you not hear me? All right. Here. Wow, that's a big difference. Should I start again? All right. So, Here we go. Um, so the core, as I was saying, the core of the student centered coaching model is that once data is collected, teachers and coaches are continuously collaborating, looking at the data, and making

096adjustments in their instruction to maximize student learning. The way that it's most easily um explained for a student- centered coaching cycle is that the teachers gather evidence. They plan according to what they're seeing for student evidence and data. And then they teach. And while they're teaching, they're continuing to collect evidence and adjust their instruction as needed. And that cycle continues in that pattern from the beginning of the coaching cycle until the end. When the coaching cycle has ended, the teacher and the coach look at where the students growth occurred. Where was it most successful? They look at the beginning of the data and the end of the data. Then they discuss what what uh they have a reflection period in terms of what did we see, what did we notice, what are our takeaways and

097what about those students who perhaps did not meet that goal and we move on from there. So, kind of in a nutshell, um, student centered coaching, it's when teachers and and coaches collaborate, they analyze student data and student evidence, and they utilize responsive instruction to improve student outcomes. I appreciate your time and thank you. And Good evening everyone. I'm Kevin Walper. I'm an assistant principal at the high school. Um if you haven't figured out yet, education is very very complex. Uh particularly complex is teaching, instruction, and learning. Um we're here to talk to you tonight a little bit about learning walks. Um in the medical field, uh doctors do hospital rounds where they go from room to room and they they learn from each other. Um we're happy to tell you that we've started something

098very similar this year. Uh learning walks are also called instructional rounds. Um this is the ability for us to learn from each other. It really builds nicely on the district's vision statement because what's happening is our educational leaders this year and it varies by building a little bit but in the high school particularly groups of at least three of us have gotten together usually two administrators and a department head. We meet, we decide where we're going to go very quickly and we like the doctors have clipboards where we have four categories where we go in and gather data in about 10-minute chunks in three sometimes four different rooms. Um we gather data on cognitive routines. How are the how are the students asked to think? How are they thinking? We asked um we also write

099down data on questioning. what what's the depth and the type of questioning that the students are asking each other or the teacher is asking of them. Um we also look when we're when we're with our with our clipboards we uh we we really look at feedback which is very important. What type of feedback are the students receiving? Are they giving each other feedback? And the um the last part we look at is the collaborative structure. How are the students collaborating? Who's talking to whom? So after we quickly gather data from multiple data sets which are classrooms for me the best part is when we get back into the room and we dissect that data and that's where the learning happens. The educational leaders get in the room and we learn from each other about what

100they saw. Um and I was happy enough to do a learning walk before she couldn't walk uh with with Aaron. And um it's it's great to get feedback from other adults and it's uh it's such a simple and free professional development that I hope uh we will find that has longevity and is going to improve what we do. Erin's going to talk to you a little bit about what she sees from her end being in the classroom. Thanks Kevin. Um hi I'm Aaron Bell. Um not only I'm the science department head. Not only can I not walk but I also can't drive. And that's why my daughter and my father are here because they're my ride today. Um thankfully I live nearby. Um so I we did we did learning walks um a couple weeks

101ago before my surgery and um it was on my calendar and it was really awesome to have, you know, 45 minutes to an hour booked on my calendar to just talk about teaching with other colleagues and other educational leaders. Um, it's so easy to get caught up in the day by day, this kid, that kid, what's going on, how do this order, where's this PO, whatever. Um, but to sit in a room and just hear different perspectives and get into other teachers classrooms and see all the really awesome stuff that's happening, um, I took so much more away from it than I thought I would. Um, I, you know, furiously wrote on my clipboard. Um, and to hear Kevin and Joanna's different perspectives on what was happening in those classrooms, um, was fascinating to me.

102Um, as teachers, we do this job because we love teaching. Um, all of the, you know, red tape and all the other stuff kind of just is there. It's part of it. But the opportunity to really just talk about good teaching, um, it was really inspiring and it was nice to kind of walk out of that office after we dissected that data. um and have new ideas for things that I could do in my classroom the next day. Um so it was real on the job like embedded training that I could walk away with something really tangible. It was great. [Applause] All right. So we have amazing staff like as you've uh noticed here today even on crutches and everything. We are so excited that they were able to come and just give you uh

103their feedback about this because gathering and reflecting on feedback is such an important part of this learning process and part of the professional learning plan and being responsive to staff needs. Um along with the larger needs assessment and feedback that the professional learning committee gathers each year, we also really rely on that ongoing input input and focus on how are we doing with the grade level articulations and department discussions and through the curriculum renewal process. So getting that ongoing feedback so that we can continue to evolve throughout the year and adjust what is being offered and how it is offered before we even get to planning for the following year. Um so really with that in mind as a learning organization um it's important that for us that we provide that meaningful intentional and timely

104learning opportunities and structures for our staff to support them in meeting the changing everchanging needs of students curriculum technology and instruction. So we definitely welcome them and want to open it up for any questions. And just in closure, we would like to thank our um our colleagues here for the behind thescenes look of what goes on beyond the school day and how we continue to learn and grow as educators. Our goal is collectively to create conditions for success by designing and implementing and sustaining high quality professional development. And we all know the more we learn um in practice, the better our student outcomes are. So once again, thank you for your time this evening. Thanks, John. Things I liked about this presentation. Names of the people here, the titles, I think only one obscure acronym,

105but I knew what PD was. Uh the question I was going to ask you just answered in the last substitive slide. Um your passion and um dedication are contagious. Uh you had me well before simple and free. That's gorgeous. Uh but most of all just there's just so the other thing about that last slide is I think it's I think it's there's a real risk of doing too much of this or too little and it's all you're always trying to land on the aircraft carrier and the feedback stuff is so important that way and it's clear that you're really dialed into that and I think that's big but most of all just thanks for all the hard work that is behind the presentation on an ongoing way in the district. Thank you. Other questions or

106comments? That was fantastic. Thank you so much. [Applause] Thank you very much. All right, thank you so much. Um, that brings us to our consent agenda. Um, Do we have any modifications to our agenda tonight? We do. We're going to have to modify uh number F9 with a new date of April 22nd. So, I move uh that we modify um item F9 to accept the new date of April 22nd, 2025. And then can I get a motion to the No, you have to do this one first. We have to do this one first. No, you just announced the modification we have to You have a second on the on the motion to modify the agenda. Not usually, but that's okay. We'll just record that. Okay. So, let's get a second. Natalia, any discussion on changing

107that date. All right. Let's get a vote to modify. All in favor? Thank you. That's unanimous. And so, uh, with that change, I now move to accept the consent agenda items E through G as modified. Can I get a second, Connie? Any discussion? All right. Seeing none, all in favor? That is unanimous. Thank you. I just have one one recognition. Go for it. So, the board uh had just accept um one a retirement with appreciation and regret for Brenda Roberts. Uh Brenda is our senior keyboard specialist in our district uh business office. So, Brenda is one that keeps all things running smoothly and organized and keeps Bobby in line. Uh so again want to thank Brenda for her dedicated service, many many years of service to the district and wish her the best in retirement

108at the end of August. So congratulations to Brenda Roberts. All right, that ends our business meeting and opens up our second public comment period. Um again, all my original statement still applies. We're going to ask for your name. I'm going to go in order. Please be as brief and concise as possible. We still have an executive session that's going to be fairly lengthy after this. I'm going to try to get through as many as possible and um and see how we do on time. So, our next um speaker signed up is Jason Pen. And I'm guessing a lot of these folks may have left. So, going once. What? He's a good guess. Oh, yeah. Good guess. Um deed Czechro Okay, I'll do my best. I'm I'm vertically challenged. You can you can bend it down.

109Yep. All right. Terrific one. Um, thank you so much for that presentation which was outstanding. I had to run out because one of the presenters was one of my youngest favorite teachers, so I had to give her some kudos. I'm gonna take a little bit of time to say how grateful I am for the educators. I'm here because I feel as though we need a brief civics lesson. What do I mean by that? I think there is some confusion over what the board is permitted to do and not to do and what the school district is permitted to do and not to do. The federal executive has expressed opinions in several executive orders which have been challenged and are currently pending litigation in many federal courts. They are not the law. They are not rules.

110They are not the rules that the state of New York is bound to follow. And to not follow the law would be a mistake by this district. This school board supported that in their recent vote to follow the law. So, let's talk a little bit about what the law is. Sorry, I lost my thing. So, one of the executive orders recently passed actually gives some clarity to this. I was shocked by that, but it's true. There was an executive order on March 20th which directs the secretary of the department of education. This is the federal department to facilitate the closure of the department of education and return education authority to the states. That's a little misleading. It's misleading because the authority for education already rests with the states. There is no federal rules that govern

111what is taught in the classroom. There is some federal monies that support special programs and learning, but education has always been within the state. So what the law says without question it is the laws of the state of New York and this includes education law section 306 subsection one which is also known as the gender expression non-discrimination act and it is that law that this school district is required to follow. It is that law that the attorney general of the state of New York, who is counsel for all state agencies, directed the state of New York's Department of Education, right, NYED through its joint letter. Sorry, that's time. Okay, thank you. to follow the law. I appreciate it. And thank you. Is Brian Far? Is Brian Far here? Okay, thanks. All right, take your time.

112Hi folks, I'm Brian Far. Hello. There we are. So, I'm Brian Far and yeah, I had a whole thing made up here that I was going to say and it was going to unite everybody and we were gonna sing Kumbaya. So, it's a shame that everybody left. Um, but I want to address the board. I hung out because so much respect for you and I just want to take my hat off to you. Um, for those of you I haven't met, I had two kids that went through the school. They both graduated. They were both in the top 10 different years and they both received the Yato Award. So, I'm flexing a little bit because the Yato Award is not just about grades. It's about community service and following the ethics and the foundations put

113down by Saratoga Spring School District and you folks are enforcing that. So, I have so much respect for you. I wanted to say thank you. Everybody who gets up here and speaks is brave. The bravest person in the room tonight is the woman who came up here and talked about the child she lost. You know, taking that pain and putting it into purpose. That's what we're about. That's why we're here and holding strong. And you're holding strong for every single student. If certain students are uncomfortable, then they're uncomfortable. Um, so besides being a a parent, I've also been a substance abuse counselor for about 26 years. I'm a person in long-term recovery for 29 years in the district. And the way I made sure that uh the kids in my house and beyond my house

114were safe was everyone came to my house. And the issues that we watched out for there were not abusing substances, not having guns, if people felt like they were being bullied, or if they were suicidal or had mental health, it was safe there. And I can tell you, LGBTQ, straight, cis, it didn't matter. I never felt that the friends that my kids had put them in any danger. So, I was asked to be part of the DASA committee that came up earlier. That was we're going back 12 years or so. And we came up with the character ed program that I think every month you still see at the schools. I love driving by those sites. That was us. And we worked off four core things that I see you folks still enforcing. Be safe,

115be responsible, be respectful, and be kind. So the other part of my Oh, that's okay. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you, Erin. Aar and Larry. I'm going to just start by saying I'm a little bashful about this comment in the second comment period without some others here, but I want to be as clear as possible in stating my support for transincclusion, including in sports. Two meetings ago, I shared details of the National and New York State PTA's unwavering support for trans students. I think it's also worth noting that girl focused entities also support trans girls without exception. Girl Scouts welcomes cisgender girls, transgend transgender girls, non-binary, and gender expansive children, but has no intention of allowing boys to join. There is no confusion to them about what would be an inclusive model for

116girlhood. Trans kids are a part of our community and established advocates for children's education's growth and opportunities know that every kid deserves access to all aspects of public education and sports are a part of that. Restrictions on trans bodies ultimately regulate women's bodies and personal expression. Once we start policing the bodies of girls in school sports or school bathrooms or school locker rooms, any concern or speculation forces either confirmation or exclusion. So, let's talk about confirmation. That's done with DNA, hormone levels, or checking people's genitals. Unless anyone's here say that's not what's happening, I have a specific example for you. Shortly after Leah Thomas competed at the NCAA Championships, World Swimming changed regulations on participation to say that a trans competitor in women's swimming could not go past the age of 12 or Tanner stage

117two in their development, whichever is later. At the end of Tanner stage two, when puberty begins for boys, pubic hair is sparse and straight, appearing near the base of the penis. The testes expand in size, both in volume and length, and there are specific measurements for this. think calipers. The stages were developed in the 1960s when an adult man photographed and documented children's genitalia starting with girls. So to confirm a child's gender if accused of suspect or suspected of being trans is the baseline agreement that I as a parent consent to having my daughter's genitals examined at a sporting event. Do children have to consent to have their genitals inspected and measured? Do I need to make my medical records available to inquiring minds. The right to privacy is the right to change in public

118places isn't is not the right to change in public places without seeing things you don't want to see. It's the right to hold information about yourself privately. I suspect many people would no longer let their girls compete in sports if it implies consent to view their genitals or expose protected medical records. And that's what the data shows. As I said last tweet, last meeting in the period of 2012 to 2020, as reactionary trans-exclusionary policies were passed, states that did so found a decrease in girls sports participation, but states that had inclusionary le legislation saw consistent participation or an increase. Thank you, Joe Steam. Hi. Um, thanks and I'm incredibly impressed by the commitment of the board and the educators who spoke here. So, got got to say this and I just want to give a

119little perspective on what I think is going on and why we uh had somebody here from the Riley Gaines Center. So, uh, you all should know that New York passed the Equal Rights Amendment last year guaranteeing equal rights for transgender people and everyone else. Before the vote, before the election, GOP politicians had rallies in Albany telling us that the Equal Rights Amendment would mean the end of girls sports. We knew that was a lie because equal rights for transgender people had already been the law before it was cemented in the constitutions and girls sports were doing just fine. Girls sports are doing fine now after the equal rights amendment was passed. Girls sports in Saratoga Springs and Boston Spa and Burton Hills Bolston Lake. All of our communities are doing just fine. So what is

120this about? Why did they bring someone from the Riley Gain Center? This is simple and pure scapegoating. Fascism has historically found a small minority group to scapegoat. Whether it's targeted Jews, blacks, immigrants, or members of the LGBTQ plus community, it's always been the same tune from fascism. And uh this what we had here today was a partisan political stunt. The same party that supports fascism, hate, and lies across America was behind this stunt. Riley Gaines is a Trump team apparatic along with Nazis saluting Musk and other hate mongers. They want you to fear and hate transgender people to turn your eyes away as they tear our constitution to pieces and take away from working in middle class to give away trillions to ultra billillionaires. That's what this is about. And if you don't know any

121transgender persons, you should meet them, talk to them, and you'll find out they're people like everyone else who simply want to be themselves. So we can welcome transgender persons as members of our communities deserving of respect and considerations or we can hate and fear them. And what kind of a community do we want uh this community to be? Thank you. [Applause] Good evening. Um, I'm Holiday Ham in Saratoga Springs. Lived here 32 years. Um, I love my community. I'm feeling pretty devastated after what we sat through tonight. I am a proud aunt. I'm a proud neighbor, friend, mentor. I'm a proud customer. I'm a proud client. I'm a proud patient. Our LGBTQIA+ community members are everywhere. And I am very proud that this school board voted um to reassure them that they are wanted, welcome,

122supported. I don't know if they're safe here, but that you're committed to doing everything you can to make them safe. When I see young children coming here and being asked to say things about I don't even want to go there, but they are instead of teaching them how to be curious and kind and supportive, they're being taught to fear and really the the seeds of hate, fearing the other dehumanizing people. Um, so there's more work for us to do. Um, the the courage it took all of you to take a stand and pass the resolution is minuscule compared to the courage it must take so many of our students to step out their door every day. Keep doing the right thing. Thank you. Thank you, Lexi Gonzalez. Good evening. My name is Lexi Gonzalez. My

123pronouns are they, them, theirs, and I am representing Saratoga Pride tonight to reflect our mission statements, and that is to advocate and protect the visibility of of the LGBTQ community in Saratoga and the surrounding areas. the surrounding region. I'm here to defend trans athletes and diversity, inclusion, and equity in our state of New York. Any sport that any kids plays has a huge risk of injury and has the same odds of winning or losing, which is 50/50. There is 1% of people that are trans that make up the student body. And trans women in sports make up half of that percent. If there's any trans kids that are purposely injuring cisgender children at the higher rates, then there is a concern about safety. But there is no evidence that that is that this is the

124case at all. Then what is this about? It is about deni is about denying transgender individuals, specifically trans women, for the right to exist. I know this policy isn't adding to anything. When 75% of people voted yes to the equal amendment rights of New York, which aligns with the New York State Constitution, people play sports for a sense of community, family, and belonging. No one is transitioning to win at sports. No one is transitioning to be better than other people. They are transitioning to be their authentic selves, to save themselves. Did you know that according to the American Academy of Pediatrics that 11 to 15% of transgender children have reported on attempting suicide? I was almost one of those kids. If these bigoted policies move forward because of these attacks, the numbers will increase. I

125wanted to share the impact that inter I wanted to share the impact that participating in sports has had on a transgender child which I will quote without football I don't think I would be here because it's given me a sense of belonging it's taking away the spotlight that the fact that I am transgender and just allowed me to be a boy and it's allowed me to be a kid and that's from 13-year-old Chris Wilka this issue isn't about transgender athletes there are real issues to be focusing than reading into these lies and false narratives. Thank you so much for your time. Next up is Mark Bruma. Mark Bruma. Sure. Okay. Oh my gosh. Joseph uh starts with a W. Yes. It wasn't hard, but the writing was hard. I've never been to a schoolboard meeting

126before. I'm so impressed. And I probably would have been a better student had I had any idea that this stuff was going on. Somehow I still got out of college here, but it was Fredonia. So, anybody gets a degree there. Um, I I've got a long history in this world. I'm 70. I was raised in a in Buffalo. north side of it. We didn't know any blacks. We didn't know any gays. We were afraid of everybody like that. Was raised not to like them, quite frankly, Catholic family and all. Um, in my life, I found my best friend from high school was and still is gay. He ended up being the best man at my wedding about 27 years ago. And the joke goes, the best man didn't get married that day. Still stand by

127it. Um, I've been a best man at a gay wedding about 15 10 years ago. had a hell of a revelation in my life. Uh, this reminds me, and by the way, you made the right choice. I'm glad you're behind the DEI. Thank you so much. That's these poor people being tortured. There's really, it's a distraction. I think Joe Seaman, as somebody mentioned, it really is a distraction to what's going on. It's always been, look over here. Here's the evil guy. We're doing something worse over here. I use science and engineering as my interests and how I look at things and this is an evolution in society. It's not going away. You can wish them away. You can legislate them away. They're not going away. The science will will increase to give them the hormones

128and shots and therapies so they can become who they really are. Um, in my opinion, I I know they always say there's no money, but there's always money. Let's start building separate uh restrooms for them or separate parts of the locker room. If you're not comfortable, go in here, you know, and they use scare tactics like a grown man in front of a young girl. Well, of course that's hideous. Grown men are ugly when they're naked. They don't do any stashes of us. But but you say a girl and a boy, that's a different dynamic. These are both basically hero things at 13 years old, you know. And if they're going to as they make it sound, but it's to scare people and make us hate each other and divide us. Um, so I just

129wanted to mention it's organic. The thing if you stay with the program program, if you stay with the wave that is coming, you won't be hit by it and crushed by it because everything is a wave. You either get ahead of it or you get slammed by it. People are afraid of AI. They're going to lose if they don't study it now. Same with computers back in the day. So, They've got to just make changes as you can come up with them. Like if you don't like this side of your house, you don't say, "I'm not going to buy the house." You paint it. You add a room. It's the same thing with the schools. I would like to see more teams for transgender students. You can't do it at junior high level. Maybe at

130the national level. Time. Thank you. Thank you so much for what you do. Thank you. Jared Branch is Jared Branch. Uh, Ellen Eager, I don't know. I'm sorry. Hi, I'm Ellen Edgar Emany and uh I'm here also my first of school board meeting and I have to say I was so impressed with this group of teachers. One thing that I noticed nobody identified students as different. They were all students deserving of all the rights and teaching of all students. Athletics are obviously a very recognized part of education. So I'm here today to share my strong support with what you did two weeks ago. Uh making sure that all transgender all students are given the same protections and rights. There are people, transgender and non-binary students are people like anyone else individuals. They're people like anyone

131else. They deserve our compassion and our support. There is no reason that you should be excluded from any activities in school. The opponents of this resolution to protect students comes from a position position of hate and fear. I don't agree with the gentleman that said it's not hate. It's hate of the unknown. It's fear of the unknown. It's also a serious distraction. It's not about protecting girls sports, but it's spreading lies, anger, misinformation, and bigotry. Obviously, there's always got to be a scapegoat in the room. I also want to mention somehow the people have. We have an equal rights amendment in New York State and it's here to stay and that protects all people. They wrote it in a way and I worked on that quite a bit and it passed in Saratoga County, not

132just Saratoga Springs. It passed overwhelmingly in Saratoga Springs and it passed in the county. So, I just want to thank you for everything you've done. You have a great team here. Those teachers were amazing and I thank you for all your time here and I strongly support what you've done. Thank you. Thank you, Earl Wallace. Earl Wallace, Rebecca Lynch. Good evening, Rebecca Lynch. I have kids in uh Division Street and at Maple Lab. And I just wanted to take a moment to speak about something that affects not just a few of us, but the integrity and soul of our entire community, which is supporting our trans students. Um, every student deserves to feel safe, respected, and valued in their schools. And trans students are no exception. They are our classmates, our friends, our neighbors, and

133our future leaders. Yet, too often, they face challenges that others don't. discrimination, misunderstanding, and policies that try to erase who they are. Let me be clear, trans students belong here. Their identities are valid, their experiences matter, and they enrich our schools with their courage, creativity, and resilience. Supporting trans students should not be a political issue. It is a human one. It's about treating people with dignity and ensuring everyone has the same chance to thrive. We all have a role to play. Whether we're students, teachers, administrators, board members, parents. Standing up for trans students means creating classrooms where names and pronouns names and pronouns are respected, bathrooms are safe, and policies protect everyone. Inclusion isn't just a word. It's an action. By choosing to support our trans students, we're building a future that is more compassionate,

134more just, and more united. I thank you for passing the resolution at the last board meeting. It means the world. Thank you. Thank you, Leil Davidson. Hi, my name is Lai Davidson. I am the mother of a trans kid who graduated from this high school. I identify as a woman and as a feminist and I also helped to create the first varsity soccer team at Oberlin College in 1980. So it angers me to hear people use my rights as an excuse to attack trans people. People have talked about Proposition One. I thank you for you supporting, you know, all of the people and supporting anti-discrimination. So I don't need to go over that again. But there are a couple things I do want to go over that haven't been talked about tonight. The idea that

135there are only two genders, two sexes. That is not scientifically true. As I'm sure all of you know, it's a pretty complicated situation. You have your genes, your DNA, you have all your hormone uh reuptake inhibitors and all your hormone, you know, there's all these complicated things that happen. We have all kinds of genders. This is scientifically proven and anybody who wants to research it, please research it. There's no the government does not have the right to tell us what gender we are or that there's only two or how we should dress or how we should vote or what we should eat. Why why is the government Nobody would allow that. So why are they content with the government telling us whether we are male or female or that we're only one thing or another

136thing? I want to talk also about the argument that somehow they're protecting women's sports. I'm so fascinated that so many people are so suddenly so interested in women's sports and yet where are they in the stands? If they really supported women's sports, they would show up and watch them on TV in person in the same numbers as male as they do watch male sports. I also want to make the point that look at we come in all shapes and sizes male and female. I am five nearly 5'11. I am taller than your average man. Just look around. There's lots of little little men and very big women. And we c and and the idea that all trans women are going to be inherently better at sports. I'm sorry that's offensive to women. I think women

137athletes are way tougher than that. And also, for every trans woman who placed, there's a million there's a a whole bunch of trans women who didn't place. And in fact, there's so few this is a fake issue because people estimate that there's maybe a hundred trans women across the country who want to be in sports. And so, let's say maybe there's 50 across the nation. That means one trans woman is trying to get on a team somewhere in the in one one trans woman per state. And it also and we have a,200 high schools. So this is a tiny issue. The trans women's impact on sports is minuscule, but the stink that people have made here tonight is huge. Thank you. Thank you. Is there a Thomas? Thomas starts with an H. Jesse Ernst. We're

138on page three, folks. Susan Westbrook. I used to be 5'11 then menopause. Anyway, um, okay. This this like my t-shirt. This is my rainbow uterus. So, this this is very serious and I don't mean to be comical. You've heard many many times that people are thanking you. I thank you. The trans community thanks you. Humanity thanks you. On a more humorous note, I'm here to tell you I think I need new hearing aids because at the beginning of tonight in unison, everybody said with liberty and justice for all. So I'm really confused about are people confused about their own honesty? Are they not able to be free among their own friends to be honest about how they feel about the trans community or about liberty and justice for all? So, I thank you again. You

139stand strong. You stand with the laws and you're very, very brave and I applaud you for that. Thank you. Thank you, Mark Long. Um, after all of these talks, I I really don't have a lot to add. I'm very proud of all of the people who are speaking up and telling what they think. And I think, you know, We have a first amendment so that we have the right to say what we believe and what we're proud of and what we're not. I'm proud of having been a civil servant for 32 years. I worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is almost non-existent now. I fought AIDS, syphilis, gorrhea, anthrax, and violence. We used to have a violence prevention division. Firearms killed thousands of Americans. Problem other countries don't have. I'm on

140a tangent. But I worked with people in public health. And public health means public. It means every damn person on the planet. And I worked for a lot of those people. when I met them in places like Usuzbekiststan, Guatemala, and El Salvador, San Francisco, New York City, St. Louis, Salt Lake City. And you know what I found from those people that I met? They were all people. They were good. They were bad. Sometimes they were both. Most of them were both. They were human beings. And a long time ago, a guy said, "Love your neighbor." And his followers said, "Lord, who is my neighbor?" The Samaritan. The Samaritans were the outcasts. They were marginalized people. They were looked down on by the Jews. They were hated. So he said, "That's your neighbor." He basically said,

141Love your neighbor. No qualifications, no clarification. Love your damn neighbor. That's what our ERRA stands for in this state and I'm very proud to be a New Yorker again. Thank you. Thank you. Maya Mcdana. Maya Mcdana. Hi, my name is Maya Mcdana. I believe in our country. I believe in our freedom, our constitution. I'm a Christian. I'm active in my church, my community. I served 40 years in the Army National Guard and I'm a transgender woman and I'm proud to be that. But it's taken me a lifetime to kind of figure this out, try to understand it. Why me? What is this? I could never come out. So I come out in my 60s. But I'm me. I know what leadership is. I appreciate you and taking the lead. Leadership makes a difference. People want

142to follow leaders and you've demonstrated that with your passage of DEI in support of marginalized people. I'm glad that the young people won't have to suffer what a lot of us older trans people had to. Suppressing ourselves, compromising our lives. trying to do things in secret, trying to beat it, pray it away, do whatever. I'm glad they don't have to go through it. And that's a big big thing that you've done. Thank you for that. Thank you, Mary. Mary Beth Mary Beth Delar Stacy Deandria Good evening. Hi. Um, I'm Stacy Deandre Goodman. I have four beautiful, remarkable children. They all graduated from this very high school. My 32-year-old daughter who is just a masterpiece in resilience and courage. A 25year-old son who is beautifully diverse. remarkably funny and sometimes I think a little sad and

143alone, but we're getting there. A 21 year old who's tearing it up at Stony Fredonia, by the way, which is a really great school. And my baby, my 19-year-old who spoke before this um board last year about something that was very passionate to them and they were met with such kindness and attention and um I wanted to say thank you personally for that. I am here because I saw advertised that people were going to come here and speak about things that I felt most of them didn't have any information about. They didn't understand it. Why else would you persecute and pick on someone whose only crime is wanting to live? And so I just leave you with these words. Uniformity, inequity, exclusion, homogeneity, disparity, segregation, sameness, bias, marginalization, monoculture, unfairness, isolation. Does any of this

144sound like a world you want to live in? Is this any kind of world you want our children to live in? Think on that the next time you try to exclude someone whose only crime is not being you. Thank you for your time. Thank you, Jesse Huggin. Jesse Huggin and Andrea Huggin. Okay. Amy Tatino We're wearing out the microphones. That's okay. Go ahead. We paused your time. Last June's report and recommendations of of the New York State Bar Association task force on the treatment of transgender youth in sports stated focusing on the differences between cisgender boys and cisgender girls and using it to justify hypothetical fears about including trans athletes fails to address or account for the actual experience of tens of thousands of transgender athletes who have been eligible to participate in accordance with

145their gender identity in middle school and high school athletics for decades. in some cases. So the tens of thousands because it goes back years without displacing or dominating women's athletics. There has been no deluge of transgender athletes winning competitions. There is no evidence to suggest bias or unfairness towards cisgender athletes. In fact, participation among non-transgender girls has risen in those places where there are inclusive policies. Simply put, the reality of inclusive policies belies the fear-mongering speculation about the hypothetical dangers of inclusivity. I also was going to uh quote from the combined memo from the New York State Attorney General and Department of Education, but theos rocked that. I don't have to do that. And and finally, it is for reasons of both compassion and the facts supported by our laws that I support the decision

146that you made to preserve our commitment to DEI. Thank you all so much. Thank you, Paul Kelly. Paul Kelly. Good evening. Good evening. Uh there's a few things to touch on. I've heard about the uh the joint memo and As an attorney, there's a lot of misunderstanding about what that law is. It's a little bit of a procedural uh issue and it has to do with challenging employment law. And then the real issue, the real legal issue is title N section 1983 and of course negligence and court law, which is what I want to bring up to this to this uh to this board. And in regards to everybody else who makes this a divisive issue, trying to pit people against each other, nobody's saying that transgender people aren't welcome or can't participate. All these

147students can participate. However, there is some biological statistics that I pulled up from the New York State Public High School Athletic Association. These are all the records. 100 meter dash, the boys 10.3 seconds, girls 11.4. 200 meter 20.6 23.56 3000 meter staple 9 minutes versus 10 minutes and we can go on through 800 meters discus high jump pole vault shot foot any number of them they're all maledominated now we want people to to play sports I was I wouldn't say I was an athlete here at the school I played sports I wasn't very good at it and I understand what it is make a team or not play often on the team and and that's tough to do and I think a lot of athletes that are playing just want to play but it should

148be a level playing field and when you're playing with somebody ultimately you don't want to have to have to fight somebody who's very different than you. You don't want to have to quiet quit. You don't want to have to have a brain injury and paralyzed because somebody much stronger, much bigger, and much faster is going to hurt you. And hopefully they won't kill you. Now, as far as this board goes, people can say, "Oh, well, we didn't know." Well, now you know. This is a public record and this is on notice and hopefully it never comes up that there's an attorney that comes in front of this board and says, "You put children in harm's way for political agenda. There's no other reason. There's no reason why any student can't play any sport here. But

149let's use some common sense. Let's look at the numbers and let's let everybody play and they can be themselves. But we have to do it in a safe manner. All right. Next up is Crystal Nolan. Crystal Nolan. Um, this name has u I'm not really sure. I'm going to guess it. Uh, it starts with an N and a A and an H. Neran Atlas. Okay. Awesome. I'm so sorry. Nanalan Heliki. Um, thank you. Um so I am um the parent of a student in Saratoga Springs High School and my child has been in the public school system all of his life and I had prepared comments about um how many students participate in and enjoy the physical mental academic benefits associated of intercolar activities and how it contributes to physical health mental health but you're

150a very well educated board and you um are well versed in all of the benefits. Uh but what I was surprised about was that nobody mentioned the rising cost of participating in organized youth sports in the United States which makes it unaffordable for many families um and espec essentially barring um kids, teens, immigrant youth um and how that actually affects the physical health and the emotional skills and the build relationships of u majority of the people in the United the income gap is becoming a physical activity divide and I'm really um disappointed that this never became an issue and nobody actually raised the question or the importance of the school system how it is critical to actually even out um that uh gap in the United States. I am a Muslim immigrant and I know

151what it means to be targeted and I am really deeply um sad that the trans kids are being the scapegoat. I want to high school teachers, administrators for providing a safe supporting environment for adolesccents at a critical time in their development. Being a kid is a difficult thing on its own. And I know that the teachers in our school district has demonstrated their care and attention to not only the academic uh development, but also the personal well-being and mental health of my son and every child in this district. I really commend all your um approaches and initiatives for caring about the mental health and suicide prevention and I know it is really difficult to um be strong and brave in this period. Um and I hope that the board will continue to show the same

152level of commitment to all of our students. It's a journey. It's a difficult journey. um and the ensuring um that support is not just the privilege of only certain groups but it's accessible to all of our students. Thank you. Thank you Mitch. Mitch Goodman Mitch. Hey everyone. Um, I know some of you I hope you don't dislike me after I say what I have to say, but um, trying to be fair. Um, I definitely support all the DEI initiative. Not all of them, but a lot of them. I think the issue is, at least the big issue in the community is everyone's interwining multiple issues into one issue, and it's not one issue. Um, I'm all for all inclusiveness and DI initiatives and transgender, LGBTQ, whatever. Be whoever you want. I'm all for it. I

153think the majority of people are for that as well. I have three daughters in this district. I haven't really heard from many people that have daughters that play sports. So, I'd like to provide some perspective on that. Um, women's sports, well, sports in general very important to me, but women's sports, that's their platform to perform. That's their platform to be successful. Um, at the high school level, I disagree with it being um just a participation. It is not. Um, there's a reason you have championship games. Um, there's a reason there's trophies for, you know, the winners. Um, I know the girls, they're all out there trying to perform. They want to win. They're not out there just trying to have fun. Um, not at the high school level. Um, some people talked about, you know,

154youth sports at the elementary level. Um, you know, it's different. There's not locker rooms involved. The kids are smaller. My daughters competed against boys their whole lives when they were younger. It's fine. When you get to this level, I just have a problem with it. I'm sorry. Um, if you're a biological male, uh, you have testosterone. That is not a level playing field for women. And, um, I just think we're going to destroy women's sports. Yes, it has not happened in Saratoga. It has not happened in this area. I understand that. I understand. But the way the world is going, the way society is going, it is acceptable now. acceptable than ever. There's going to be more transgender people. There's going to be more LGBTQ people. And if you think this issue will not come

155into let him speak, if you think this issue will not creep into women's sports at some point, you're mistaken because it will. Um, and I'd like to get ahead of it. Like, I don't even I'm a little foggy on what the rules even really are. I'll be honest. Like, if a boy at Saratoga tomorrow decides they want to identify as a girl and hey, I want to go play softball. Is that allowed? Because I really don't even know. I don't know the I'm not sure. Um I just know that it's not a level and fair playing field and that is the whole point of women's sports. Thank you. Thank you. Uh Caroline Smith, I'm so impressed you all stayed. We only have a few more names. Come on up. Good evening. Thank you so much.

156My name is Caroline Russell Smith. I use she her pronouns and I'm first speaking to you as a parent. My wife and I have two sons who have gone to school here in the public schools in the district. I'm also speaking to you as an athlete. I participated in basketball and swimming on the high school and collegiate level, a little rugby to my parents dismay. and uh athletics have been an incredible part of my development which is true for many I think in this room and the students who were here earlier. Uh I'm also speaking to you as a professional. I've been a psychotherapist in the community for 27 years. I work with many LGBTQ folks and their families and I've run an LGBTQ support group for the last 15 years every month. And I

157can assure you that the scarest people are not the people in the locker rooms. It's the queer folks walking around town who are really really facing a great deal of threat of the day. Um so it won't surprise you hearing all of this to know that I believe that trans and nonbinary folks deserve the same rights uh protections and access that all Americans deserve, including on the field of play. But surprise you that I have really wrestled with this issue of gender and athletics. Um, as a competitive athlete, I really care about winning. I still care about winning even though this middle-aged body is not allowing me to do what I want to do. But um I understand uh truly the desire to make sure that girls whose access to strong athletic programs, which has

158been really limited for far too long, um have the space for fair competition. That really matters to me. And I also know that hormones are powerful. There's no getting around the reality that testosterone's impact on athletic performance is undeniable. That's a fact. And it's true that as a society, we have not figured this all out yet. We have not been able to reconcile yet this wildly complex intersection of biology and ethics. And that is really beyond what we're doing here tonight. It's going to take a great deal more research and critical thinking to get to the point where we're going to be able to balance uh these biological realities with social justice. We are not there yet. Um and I really really hope that in the years to come and with the people who've spoken,

159I think there's hope that there are going to be leaders who emerge are going to guide us down this pathway. So what do we do now? In my opinion, we acknowledge that we live all of us and we compete all of us in systems that are not perfect. Higher levels of testosterone offer undeniable benefits, but so does having money for private trainers, excellent nutrition and supplements, summer sportsmies, and performance coaching. I'm sorry that's time. There are many The playing field is un Kimberly [Applause] Barfus. Hello. Um hello. Um is it okay? Okay. Um so I just wanted to say thank you to all those teachers that were here lined up and giving all that amazing feedback. Um, it just brought me a lot of joy to hear them go over and over um about how

160much effort and work they put into the students that they teach. And um I wanted to say an extra thank you um to the teacher who presented about the ENL. Um you know, I don't know when it changed from ENL to ES or from ESL to ENL, but I think that that is super amazing. I love that it's English as a new language, not any more like English as a second language. Even though I'm sure many immigrant children would say that English isn't new to them either because they've been learning it since preschool, but um they were able to but it's still new to them as an immersive experience and stuff and um so uh one thing I just love about moving to different communities is seeing how they do things differently. And I would

161like to There have been many things said in this microphone today um that are very um not open or equitable or inclusive to like all opinions and all political parties and um especially like um they have claimed that they were being scapegoats but then it's like well now you're scapegoating them. So I just think there can be a little bit more fairness from the population at whole um to kind of treat others with more respect. The whole golden rule thing and I think in New York especially like you know, Republicans are used to dealing with Democrats. And so I think and I think Democrats need to get used to dealing with Republicans. And it's just we need to have more love and community there. And um as a Puerto Rican, I feel like I would

162I was mostly in predominantly English schools. And I didn't make people try to learn Spanish for me and like, well, you need to learn Spanish for me. It's like I came, I learned, you know, how to be uh in the community and um I think that's how we need to be more with the like LGBT community. Um like as a Puerto Rican, I wasn't forcing people to like celebrate my like King Three Kings Day and stuff. I love how this community does Jewish holidays and Hindi holidays and um I think that's amazing. Um you know, there's only so many days in the year though and so I think um we should be teaching these children how to kind of like integrate better and how to like like the ENL. They're not different. They're not like

163they're just unique and they have different needs, but we need to treat them all the same. And so I think people are fighting against special privileges. And it's like now that you're not now that we're saying you don't shouldn't get these special privileges, doesn't mean we're oppressing. Doesn't mean we're you know, it's just we should all be treated equally. And um and I think as has been said, you know, testosterone is different. I have five kids now. I have three daughters and that's time. Thank you. I just want the best for them. Thank you. Thank you, Scott Pin. Scott P. So, I'm going to apologize in advance. I'm actually going to talk about a different topic. Um, so I'm sorry for that. But, uh, earlier we had some teachers who talked about gathering and reflecting

164on feedback. And so, as a substitute bus driver, I have a special skill of being invisible while driving. And I get all sorts of feedback for a couple hours every morning listening to the kids behind me talk who apparently think that I can't hear. Um, so I would like to that when my daughter was in 10th grade, she started telling me that she would not use the bathrooms at the high school. She would actually sneak off campus, and I can say this now because she's graduated. She would sneak off campus in the good weather and ride her bike to our house, which is about a eight minute bike ride, and use our bathroom at home. She did not want to go in the bathrooms here. And as a bus driver, I have heard many, many

165comments from students on a bus that especially females that they do not want to the bathroom and it has nothing to do with what other people are talking about here tonight. They think that they're disgusting, that there's people vaping in them, that people go in there to fight. Um, and so one day as I was parked at the middle school in the morning, I asked the students on the bus I was driving that day, how do you guys feel about going to the bathroom here? And kids made some very interesting comments that they did not like the bathroom situation. Um, a lot of them hold it until after school or in my daughter's case when she realized that she couldn't sneak off campus, she would sneak into the faculty bathroom. So, I can throw under

166the bus now because she's graduated, but that was her solution to not being able to go home and use the bathroom was to sneak and use the faculty bathroom. So, I think that's an issue that is a real issue for a lot of students. Maybe it's not talked about a lot, but I hear about it as a bus driver. So, I'm letting you know because I think that's something that you can do something about. I also want to about the shortage of bus drivers. I know that there are runs that are still being cancelled. I know this because no one's called me yet and Scott said, "Scott, we don't need you anymore. You can sleep in. My wife is waiting for that day, so please." Um, we also had a consultant here who told us

167anecdotally that more money was not the solution. So, I know we just passed a contract that I think gives bus drivers $3 more an hour, but that is not going to prevent canceled runs. that is not going to make sure that we have the drivers we need moving forward. We went from 89 drivers down to 70 something. Now it might be 75 or 77. It goes up and down all the time. But if we want to have shorter bus runs, we need to have more drivers. So I'm going to finish with this. I drive all sorts of different runs in the morning. So there are times when I drive a high school run where the third stop is at 6:23 in the morning. That is an hour and seven minutes for the five to get

168on at that stop to come to school. I don't think there's a lot of adults here more than an hour. Thank you. There's a special needs student 6:04 in the morning who gets dropped off at 8:13. Thank you. That's your time. I appreciate it. Thank you. Jamie Murray. Is there Jamie? Okay, that ends our list for tonight. So, I'm sorry. Did I miss you? I completely apologize. Look at all these lists. Please come up. I am so sorry. Good evening. My name is Julian Wagner. My pronouns are he, they. I'm here as a representative of the Saratoga Pride Committee. I'm also here as a 10 years alumni of Saratoga Springs High School. I will begin with saying that I echo all points Lexi Gonzalez made including almost being one of those trans people to die

169to suicide. Thank you for passing the vote on DEI in the last meeting. I want to address any concerns regarding federal funding around schools with an excerpt from Commissioner of New York State Education Betty A. Rosa that she released today. We want to address a concern that has been raised regarding our diversity, equity, and inclusion DEI posture. In light of recent messages from the White House, we have been working closely with our legal team to ensure that we are in compliance with both federal and state laws. While we are aware of certain federal guidance regarding DEI, we also recognize that state law and the needs of our local communities are paramount. The overwhelming majority of funding for education in New York State comes from the state government and we will continue to follow state law

170even if there are shifts at the federal level. With that said, there is no need to be concerned over funding or resources being taken away. Transgender men are men. Transgender women are women. Non-binary people are non-binary. Transgender and non-binary people belong everywhere and should be safe to exist as they are. And New York State reaffirms this. I thank you for your time and your support. Thank you. Thank you. And I apologize there. You were on page two and you waited all the way to page four. I'm so sorry. My apologies. Um that's going to close our public comment period for the night. Thank you very much. Don't leave. All right board, we are moving on to agenda planning. Um so we have one agenda planning item on the on the um table already. And so

171Connie, I'll give you the table. Uh yes, thank you. Uh the last meeting I Connie just Connie just one second folks. This is still an active board meeting folks. Hello. This is still an active board meeting. If you can please take your conversations outside. Go ahead, Connie. Okay. So, at the last board meeting, I had brought up a request that um and Mike clarified that it would actually be the counseling presentation in June. um that a clear articulation, especially in light of the conversations that we've had tonight, um in light of the resolutions reaffirmation um that the administration clearly outline and communicate to the board. Number one, the specific process that students use to update their chosen names and pronouns and how it's implemented and recorded. and then the procedures for ensuring students access to

172facilities and participation in sports and activities. So I do think in light of the fact of the speakers that we had tonight maybe there is misinformation and misunderstanding and this is an opportunity to educate our community on what is actually happening and how it is actually done. So instead of the mystery, um it would be nice for people to actually understand and I can say I don't as a board member understand I I don't know what the process is. So it's an opportunity to ensure transparency but also alignment with this reaffirmation. Um so that was my agenda planning item. Thoughts? John? I'm not inclined to support this request. I think our resolution speaks for itself. The resolution and district are aligned with all relevant laws. My personal opinion is that the board need not make

173a special request to the administration to bring more information related to this topic. I trust them in this case to figure out what they think they should share with us. Others I I appreciate your opinion on that, John. Um, I don't know that we've been a part of any discussion that a member brings up at the table. Uh, and pardon me because I wasn't prepared to say anything because I'm just so used to us really kind of supporting each other at the table with requests that simply are looking to provide more information to not only us, but obviously to the community. We've had multiple speakers that came up tonight looking to find out more information. And the bits that I understand from what Connie is trying to ask us for, ask the administration for is

174really just for clarifications and some additional information on on how these things impact our district. Uh, again, my apologies for probably not being so eloquent in my discussion, but I wasn't prepared to say anything because I'm just so used to us supporting each other when we bring up these topics for discussion in the future. So, I would be in support of it. I don't think more information in this case hurts anybody. Other thoughts, Natalia? Yeah, sorry. I just want to clarify. Is this about the implementation of policy or is it about policy level? Is it a policy level question or about implementation of policy um in the schools? So I guess it's an articulation of the policies that we have. But in light of the reaffirmation that was passed and some of the controversial comments

175that we're getting, I just think it would be helpful to clarify what actually happens. So if so, sorry, what actually happens when what actually happens when and I'm reading from the reaffirmation the process for students to update their chosen names and pronouns, including how it's implemented and recorded. Um, and then ensuring students access to facilities and participation in sports and activities consistent with their gender identity. So, it's it's clarifying how we're doing that. So, I mean, we were all asked to reaffirm something that I think not all of us I I can say I don't understand how it's done. So, I'm I'm asking for some transparency and just understand and making sure that we're aligned with our with the stated commitment from the reaffirmation. So I guess I would say like that is to me

176about the implementation of DASA and so I guess I I my concern well I guess first of all I'll say I don't know how that's done in Saratoga schools. Um but I do know how it's done in the school district where I work because we're trained on it. Um, but I would say that I I guess I'm concerned that that's getting into the implementation of policy. Um, which is something that we're not supposed to do at the board table. Okay. If it would help communicate and educate our community instead of misinformation. I mean the word here are the words used tonight a lot. misinformation, hate, fear, lies, lies, false narrative, fake issue, manufactured issues that don't exist. So why reaffirm things that don't exist? So I'm I guess I'm trying to reconcile the differences that

177we're hearing from our community. But if if that's not something that the majority of the board would like to do, that's fine. I'm just bringing it up as an agenda planning item in hopes I see it as an opportunity to articulate misinformation that maybe people have because they don't understand the education is what we're supposed to be doing and if we are not educating our community then this is what's going to keep happening. Other thoughts, Beth? Um, I agree. You know, we should be able to ask questions and support one another. I I am confused though. Um, in my mind, our job is to set policy and then entrust the professionals in the district to make sure that it is implemented um in a way that is in line right with the policies that we

178set. And if we are concerned that there is a policy that is not being implemented um then in my mind we need to address that right that's where we come in or if we are in some way out of compliance with the law then in my mind that's where we would get involved right and it's not our job to make sure that operationally things are happening it's our job to kind of monitor those policies. So, are you concerned that that's happening that like students rights are not being protected and according to New York State law? And if that's not the issue, I'm just not sure what we would do with that information. You know, I'm not sure how we like why we would need to know what the policies and procedures are. So, we would

179need to know what the polic and procedures are because policy is right. That is our job, right? So, um I see it as an opportunity to articulate something that is misunderstood. And again, I can repeat the words misinformation, hate, fear, lies, lies, false narrative, fake fake issue, manufactured issue, an issue that doesn't exist. So, I just see it as an opportunity for education. If it's that the majority of the board does not think is necessary in being transparent and articulating. That's fine. I see it as an opportunity, but that's me. So, I'm fine with whatever you all decide, but that's it's something that I thought I think is important for us to discuss because it may help reconcile some of the great comments that we had tonight. people from different sides trying to actually they

180were very good at articulating well maybe there could be a solution to this if we talked about it but that's a separate issue I just saw it again as an opportunity yeah I guess I um share Beth's concern about sort of getting into the nitty-gritty of what trained professionals are doing um and I haven't haven't gotten the sense I don't know Connie if you have that there are any questions about the that that it's that our policy is not being implemented correctly. I haven't heard that. Um I also, you know, I heard all those words today tonight too and I found this whole proceeding exhausting and draining and very divisive and I would be concerned that this would continue that sort of an interaction. Um when uh I think I would like to focus on

181the real business of the board which you know, at the policy level. Yes. Celebrating our student athletes, enjoying, you know, presentations from teachers. Um, so that would be my concern. Anybody else? Um, I guess I'd just like to add we have talked about buses, which is operational. We've talked about flex zones, which is operational. People have brought those things up and they've been acted on. I have and I guess it's because I've really never heard it at a board meeting. There's a lot of description of like body parts tonight and that's that is like kind of staying in my head that those are thoughts that people are having and discussions that people are having. And again, I just see it as an opportunity to articulate what is and isn't happening or does or doesn't happen

182and what the process is or isn't. But if that's not important and you don't see it as important, that's fine. Anybody else? All right. Um, so I'm not hearing I I I'm not sure it rises to the level of the board either, honestly. We are don't usually ask for operational the operationalization of our policies. So that's kind of where whatever the topic would be, including flex zones, that piece is So I I wouldn't be supporting this either. And I see Natalyia and I see John. Yeah. I just want to clarify because I'm on the flex zones committee. We are having a discussion about the policy level of that because it is a policy. Um we have the attendance zone policy and so I just you know I know that there was a request um to

183discuss it further but that committee is discussing a policy level decision. All right. So I'm not hearing a consensus of asking for a report out on this. Okay. So you can scratch that that request for the next for that presentation. Are there any other agenda planning items? All right. Board member comments. Natala. Um, congratulations again to our athletes um, from earlier. That was really amazing to see and such a beautiful way to start the meeting. Um, I also wanted to say thank you. We received two donations um, and so there's um, quite a large one from the Caroline Street PTA um, and another one from the Greenfield Elementary HSA. I know that these are um, parent educator groups that are doing a lot of work um, for our students and Thank you for these wonderful

184donations. Any other board member comments? John, I want to congratulate um folks in the um uh drama club, the musical theater who performed Legally Blonde. Five of our students were nominated for the high school musical theater awards at Proctor's which is part of the national Jimmy awards and our uh our cast and our crew was nominated for outstanding choreography execution and the whole gang was nominated for outstanding musical and so a bunch of those folks will be there uh competing against um um some of the best young artists in the region and uh so exciting Anybody else? All right, seeing none, um I'm going to ask for a motion to move into executive session to host an appeal hearing with one of our collective bargaining units. Matt and Beth, any discussion? All in favor.