001thank you good evening and welcome today is Wednesday February 26th 2025 it is 5:36 p.m. Welcome to our Equity committee meeting special Equity committee meeting um in attendance today we have Equity committee uh members member Hall membery and uh for me member molar we also have our board president uh Carla Jackson and actually we have the whole board here member harison member Audrey member Alexander all of us um and then from Administration we have uh our chief of staff Carter superintendent Robinson um Miss alexand Mrs Alexander and Dr Chapman um and that is our table this evening um Full House um and uh community in the audience so thank you all for joining us today our first item on the agenda is the approval of our previous meeting minutes the previous meeting was February 3rd
0022025 I actually was not at this meeting uh because I was at the advocacy for ADV Equity conference um are there any comments on the meeting minutes thank you madam chair I move approval of the previous minutes thank you um and the next item on our agenda is public comment we do have people signed up for public comment um I do not have the list of who is signed up for public comment can you grab the sorry grab the list yeah I was told that there was not a signin sheet for public uh comment and so I think it'll just be a call because they didn't have the sign sheet available although we do have it access for public comment there was no sign up I think at the tables there people did sign up
003oh okay I don't know but I'm glad so just I want to say it on the mic that you weren't able to sign cuz someone said they tried to sign up so they couldn't sign in so we want to make sure that that's not a uh I'm not sure I just want to put that so they know we're not suppressing public comment yes because as I was got up in between meetings it was told that they tried to sign up and was was not able to so just so that you know okay I will uh leave that um option open um of course we have three people signed up for now and then we can um go from there if needed uh the first person signed up is Megan Lugo hello everyone um thank you
004again for letting us speak my name is Megan Lugo I am an akan resident um my comments are not as prepared as they were on Monday um so I just want to Echo as I know that your inboxes often get flooded with um an email that I believe I sent to All board members about the Dei link and the proposed removal of that language as well as other related Dei I believe positions and bodies within APS um as Sone as I noted I am a university of akan assistant professor one of my areas of research and teaching includes Dei so I very much understand deeply the position that you find yourself in but I also know that when we are looking at these issues we do have to ask our questions with intention I know
005that we had legal council brought um on Monday to give their interpretation of the dear colleague letter um with the injunction out of the District Court of Maryland as a an akran resident as a constituent um I would like to know and I know that my fellow citizens would like to know why the injunction out of the district court does not apply to our situation here akan residents are are quite well informed quite active and they would like to know why are we complying when it seems the District Court of Maryland has indicated ated that the dear colleague letter and Donald Trump's intention to remove Federal funding is um a executive over is an act of executive overreach so why must we comply uh in light of this injunction as well as why must we
006comply when as as far as my fellow constituents and I know Columbus isn't doing anything with their Dei work Cleveland isn't doing anything why akan are we unique in our bylaws or are we choosing to comply proactively um in addition as someone who has to do Dei work and has to deal with these legal ramifications I think instead we should be asking our legal council what is the narrowest path of compliance what is the bare minimum we must do to be compliant instead of completely gutting what we have that ultimately is serving marginalized and underrepresented voices in our school district moreover and this is the uh Rabel rousing revolutionary in me I would urge you instead to ask legal counsel how could we defend if we are indeed found non-compliant are non-compliant as I said
007on Monday our job is to Have Courage for our students we are the adults in the room they can't stand up for themselves it's our job to do that I understand that funding is threatened but we also have an opportunity here to show courage in the face of as what I said on Monday is a sincere evil because the Future Path forward should this Administration succeed is not one where we will have the opportunity to Institute Dei policies the future should this ad Administration succeed is very clear it's one where the majority of us are evicted from this country put on work Farms I say that as someone with a mental health disability it's very clear that that's where we're destined to go to put in prison and otherwise removed and eradicated not just from
008positions of power but from society at large we therefore have to fight now instead of delaying the fight till later because there isn't going to be a later the goal is to take our power now so we have no chance to fight in the future so I urge you fight now ask not why do we need to comply but how can we comply narrowly and if you have the courage to do so how can we defend our non-compliance as I said on Monday and I say again tonight our students deserve your courage and as parents we look to you for that courage as well thank you thank you our next person signed up is Tom ly lvery thank [Music] you I'm not quite sure of the uh procedure on here I just start talking and
009you you have so many minutes or something like that or or what yes so generally there are we try to hold it at committee meetings to about 3 minutes okay thank you well I read about this Dei Quest going on in the uh paper here and uh it's too bad really that this isn't down in Florida with uh Governor Des STIs down there is trying to clean up this mess and most of what the previous speaker said is a bunch of fiction it's the job of this school district to educate kids I mean educate them not propagandize them and you figure another way of calling this Dei is delusion exclusion and indoctrination it's going on pretty bad the schools here when I was much younger had 50,000 kids in here and they weren't doing too
010badly now there's apparently about only 20,000 and they're doing really bad this school district akan is the second worst in this whole Northeast County or section of Ohio Cleveland schools are even worse that's the worst ones but it was reported in the papers about the various testing and so on these kids can't read they can't count and it's not the stupid kids it's the problem with the administrations and the people that are trying to run stuff here and running these poor kids into the ground uh just a side comment on uh couple of things with the judges there's two judges one the juvenile court judge theodosio and one of the appeals court judges they sent their kid to Walsh they didn't send it to the akan schools they know better and it hasn't to do
011with race or anything like that either there will never be a a kid from the akran schools that goes to the National Spelling be it just won't happen and it doesn't matter whether they're black or white or whatever a few years ago there was a black kid that was the regional spelling be winner went to Washington DC that kid came from a private school in Worcester not from akan scho schools and why are we so fussed about this Dei stuff I can't figure it out I read the stuff in the paper like this one today and a couple other stuff and the big plus is Dei Dei 10 years ago nobody ever heard of Dei but I helped educate a bunch of people and I was helping with project learn and some other stuff I
012can remember some guy who was a graduate of the akan schools and he was a bus driver he had a second grade reading level but he graduated from the akran schools what are the teachers around here doing they don't need to spend their time on this Dei garbage thank you thank you the third um person signed up is Cynthia Blake hey everybody and that's that's Cynthia Blake Stokes now I got to give him all his credits so start okay so there is a lot in our national and local focus on diversity and equity and inclusion in response to the federal action from the Trump Administration and the US Department of Education in the dear colleague letter all school districts received on February 14th we are we were told that APS is conducting com comprehensive review
013on all existing Dei related but what many of us in akan don't understand is why is it so complicated this why is this so complicated we are truly focused on the kids rather than political power with the board members where was Dei when we wanted online tutoring for our children when there was no Revenue to be generated for the the unions it was a no we couldn't do the online tutoring where was Dei when they wanted a social worker it was no because there was no revenue for the union when it didn't cost you guys anything it was a no and also as a reminder that was a school's request people who worked in the building but what do we get hit with a lawsuit where was Dei when a 5-year-old and a six-year-old could
014have a teachable moment but instead the aea contract calls for the expulsion or for them to be expelled and the state law is a violation where was Dei when 41% of the teachers are absent that you previously reported at one of your Equity committee meetings where was Dei when the work force for the akan public school teachers are 70% white and 48% of them don't live in the city where was Dei when for a minority contractor when I wake up in the morning on the West Side to attend to business I never see a minority contractor plowing where was Dei when former Schoolboard superintendent Christina Mack had to work in a hostile environment created by former board president and former vice president only 3.8% of Chief officers are African-American when it comes to Dei from
015most recent articles written in the newspaper which I really don't read a lot I got a phone call cuz they know I have no love for them yesterday to sit up there to make it look like the two former Executives that left here left as Heroes like we left cuz we were going to be retaliated against making $179,000 and both of them are attorneys or were attorne still attorneys I don't know but to be reading you know about Daren Johnson and I hope you guys don't do anything to to mess with him and former employee uh another employee writing an apology letter uh that they previously had sent about the superintendent the continuations of some of these actions where you guys are orchestrating to get Dr sup the superintendent fired or suspended and out of
016the building because you don't want him to be a part of the aea contract has to stop so let me get back to the DEA real quick and I'll finish this on up and take it home so right now the colleague letter we cannot jeopardize 85 million of the federal budget for Aram public school which I calculated comes maybe somewhere to 20% the thing of Dei trying to make it seem like akan isn't going to do the humanitarian thing to take care of our students is wrong they will they will still take care of our students Dei has just been weaponized to beit political so just F Foo if we want to and we're going to lose our funding and it will not be because of the superintendent the fight wasn't with APS that y'all
017had people coming down here the fight was at the federal level or take it to the State House the fight isn't even with you guys and last but not least I wish I could do a public phone record request to see how many people are colluding and orchestrating the foolishness and Chaos that goes on thank you thank you and as president Jackson mentioned there might be people who were not aware of the signin so um is there anyone else that would like to speak okay thanks I'm Ruth Hotchkis I'm a retired APS employee um I was actively involved in Dei oh I'm sorry I was actively involved in Dei I um was a co-lead on the the akan aps Pride employee Resource Group I didn't prepare a speech so I'm just going to speak from
018my heart I'm I'm a white woman a white teacher who grew up in a white town and my Angelo says until you know better once you know better you do better so I was able to open myself up first through um I'm not going to say first through but I was a math coach at the Afrocentric School Stuart Afrocentric and I got to talk to the elders and listen to them we shared a room together and it became very apparent to me that I needed to know more and I need what I thought I knew was not even close to what I needed to know so when I became part of the Dei and the employee Resource Group it just broadened my horizons even more and when we say Dei has become politicized it has
019but we need to remember as a district is that even if that policy is wiped off the books it's how how we live our beliefs our actions and we have to get to know each other and see each other as assets and live our lives together versus against but if you don't know better you don't do better and the work that the equity committee has done has really opened not just doors and windows but it it's taken the walls down to learn more and do better so we just need to remember that that has to be part of who you are in your heart so thank you thank you and are there any other community members who were not able to sign up that would like their minutes okay okay thank you um so moving
020on in our agenda the purpose of the meeting today is that there were one two three four five six there were six items on our uh full board agenda two days ago that were referred to committee and so this is the committee that we are handling those um so they are on the agenda here exactly in the order that they were referred and brought to us so the first item on the agenda was item 5.4 motion to add D operations committee to board policy 0155 committees and so we will begin the discussion of that item now um and I will start [Music] with uh either Administration brought it the administration brought it so um if the administration would like to um begin the discussion of their motion I'm not sure I should looked into this
021I should wait but I would like to make an amendment to the agenda so I don't know if that starts at the top or to when we get to those items I I can't wait I was just going to make an amendment to the agenda so I don't know if you want to go go through each one to amend it it's not to the end but you want to wait till you get to okay relative relative to um number one um that was just a recommendation of you are you talking about the name of the committee I'm I'm yes so we had 5.4 motion to add D operations committee to board policy 0155 committees so just generally the motion yes that was in reference to the recommendation for the name um if Equity committee name
022is being would be dissolved then we would U recommend replacing that with an operations committee um which would which was just a recommendation that I that I Administration was making reference to the new name of a of a committee president Jackson thank you madam chair I think because I referred these to committees I think that's why you looked at me since the recommendation came from me because I referred them back to committee um and so the rationale for my referring them back to committee was as a result of the um the uncertainty and um it seemed like it like clarity as far as the the audit on unpacking what really we can do like we are currently now still in influx with uncertainties with injunctions then with lawsuits so it was to not move so
023quickly and to have this discussion in committee because uh the Su when it was discussed earlier in the superint I'm sorry at our board meeting and the superintendent broke them down and discussed the policies the reason for was that I referred it back to committee is for committee the the committee to discuss the policies and really basically um a Dei audit of the policy just for considerations without even if whether we move forward or not even if these if we don't decide to repeal these policies or not so the discussion is had with Fidelity so that if we find ourselves in any um situation I think as a community member so well said it that we're still able to go forth and do the work and what does that look like for that type of
024um discussion is the is why it was referred back so that no action was taken and it wasn't put up for them to just be stried I I appreciate that and the the background is also helpful especially if there are people who are tuning in for the first time but I definitely wanted since it was Administration who brought the Motions to the board I wanted to make sure administration had a voice and had an opportunity to to explain to the board since as a board and as a committee we've never had this discussion to to give that rationale and then from that we can we can have something to discuss so is there anything else the administration would like to give us on the um motion that was slated um for Section 5.4 Madam chair
025may I ask a question sure yes thank you madam chair Mr superintendent uh you mentioned that you wanted to change the name from Equity to operations and I'm wondering and what uh what brought you to this particular name operations as opposed to some other name for the committee or why not keep it as Equity so I I read where where you the press release I saw said that you had gone through meticulous process and and determining that we should be at this point so what was it that make you think that the committee should be called operations I don't determine the name of committees that was a recommendation that I was making that if we had to do away with and repeal the name of equity committee then we could use an operations committee which
026would allow us um to still bring forth like the building projects that we have going on right now um a lot of the um um things that we're doing in terms of that's on the operation side U that those discussions could come through that operations committee but none of this is based on what I want to do this is all based upon what the Mandate was and I'm recommending I was making a recommendation for then we could maybe have an operations committee but that's just a recommendation of what I was recommending in terms of a name and that we could um pass through that committee those types of projects um like our um our building projects those types of things could come and through that committee for for discussion so but I don't determine what
027the name is it was just a recommendation and that was the rationale behind it thank thank you thank you Mr superintendent Madam chair may I follow up uh thank you Mr superintendent so uh as you looked at this I'm I'm simply asking did you check with other school systems across the state across the country to find out what they would doing uh and is Operation a name that they found work well in moving from Equity to operations did is that did I mean they have other districts have different names of other commit any examples um you know they have finance committee they have um instructional committees some of them don't call it operations they call it other names whatever it would look like in their particular District um you know um but I was just
028thinking uniquely about what we could do here um in terms of and that's why I was just recommending the operations but it could be whatever the board wants it to be I was just thinking that because of we have a lot of operational things that we do bring and sometimes we're trying to figure out kind of where it it should go um operations would be a good place for that to land and have those those Rich discussions I see thank you Mr superintend [Music] um Madam uh chair thank you for U recognizing me I have a question for uh maybe uh Dr Chapman could answer yeah I think properly Dr Chapman um so as I understood as far as this this work that this district has done with equity and this committee at one point
029was call closing the achievement Gap and because we had a previous board president that was an expert in equity and took on work like a lot of that deep diving as I understand is how it was shared with me the work to build out the committee to build out the policies that akan really as I understand and this what I want you to clear up has been like a leader in uh this type of work almost and I'm not saying this cuz I'm at ACC of people WR seeing this don't send me nothing in email if it's not correct but that we we're the we're we're Forerunner with this type of work with this committee with the um the position that Dr um NJ abbar created that we're it kind of put us in a
030different position as a district as far as being a model for the work so that um because as I was looking I didn't see anyone as multifaceted or intrinsic as our committee and like that we're like a St a model so that we wouldn't have that we are the reference point for this is that would that be like a correct statement or can you give me some insight on that please thank you that would be correct okay um Mr Alexander brought a equity committee an equity Committee in 2017 to the board that provided working definitions around Dei which we then took and applied to all work and so the one thing that's really important to consider is when the racial Equity policy was created by Dr abar he went a step further to ensure that
031there was a comprehensive Deep dive look across all facets of the district so that the way we work the way we investigate examine our practices and processes could apply no matter which part of the system that we're talking about and it looks different depending on the work that we're engaged in in any point in time I have a followup Madam chair thank you so much Dr Chapman and Mr Alexander beg my Parton and respect D so I want to definitely acknowledge you for that work but that's what I was getting because I was trying to research you know that's what I do like best practice a comparable and there was no real comparable District while and when you lead and you're the Forefront you know people just didn't catch up yet so that's why it's
032from scratch but thank you for that Dr Chapman cuz I'm clear now Madam chair so just to sum up this one so uh the administration is not necessarily wedded to this word operation so the name could be something other than equity and doesn't have to be operation okay that's all thank you and also for clarity because there are so many items here and there are items that are intertwined here um as a reminder what we're discussing right now is the work of the committee this committee um which is related to policy which is related to department but right now just the committee and so the committee itself as I heard from Dr Chapman um examined no matter which part of the system and that was a critical aspect of the work of this committee which
033is why this committee as I look through um in in preparation for today um some of the work that this committee has done over the past few months um so there's been a lot of talk about sports and sports facilities we have student referees and getting paid to be referees um we have um in June uh we talked about uh cost breakdowns related to the corner Stones um uh family and Community engagement across the district um in in March of 24 creating sense of belonging and um last February this time last year we were talking about a portrait of a culture responsive educator um so optimism creativity adaptability um all all of those things and so it really is a high AR um view of things and the Community Learning Centers and the Community Learning
034Centers thank you yes the Community Learning Centers uh the work that is um available to everyone in our city not just our students not just the families that are enrolled in the district but the access to all of the taxpayers in our city um so all of this work so with that in mind um is there further discussion on this topic about the name um of the committee yes thank you uh Madam chair so in terms of this particular item the name of the committee um I understand that this is if we were to scrap all of our Dei stuff so if that unfortunate thing were to happen I would be okay with the naming of this committee as operations but I do not support uh scrapping it period thank you member Audrey is there
035any other um discussion on this topic yes thank you madam chair I just think um for this like the the the name was offered was suggestion by uh the superintendent but as we understand we talked before these committees are board committees and so it may be good for board members or the committee chair co-chair and those who are part of committee maybe to throw to get list of names and then as you hash it out because when I'm talking about the audit of the policies of the name that was my goal when I said it should come to committee that when you see something like this name then the discussion is okay then we need to think of some couple a couple of names that are Universal that the work is still being done like
036our Comm I know I keep referencing back to our community member but I think she set it up excellent excellently as far as and when Dr Chapman talked about everything being inter woven excuse me thank you man' um and to all the work that we do it's just best practices without us if I didn't even say diversity equity and inclusion we can speak to best practices and what works and what's measurable and and so we're thinking about committee names I'm saying and not to try to do a scrub or anything slick or nefarious but just we have an obligation as a district to serve all students and this is even what the civil rights legislation and law speaks to right that they're saying that he got conflicts with but we're just looking at ways as
037we examine and all use our experience and expertise what is a name that's Universal that still puts us in good posture regardless of what comes down the pipeline what is we look at these then we move to the next thing that we're unpacking it in that way with a majority of the suggestions and this is just my opinion coming from the committee with the names and that those are put out on the floor I'm not saying anyone has to decide now but that's the process about the audit and going through it in that type of way that was my vision when we're here today that we're hearing from that lens so we just had the one the operation was the only option that I heard so I just didn't want to I heard you um
038respectfully uh Miss ay say that operations was good but I was just curious like is no one else playing with anything just Madam Madam chair let me just say that I didn't I you know I just wanted to wait and just kind of hear what everyone said on the committee because yeah names are let me you know when I think about a name and and and and diversity inclusion Equity you know I think about from my standpoint as a as a black woman and I I look at my great-grandmother only wanted to be called negro because she thought that was that was respectful for her and then my grandmother only wanted to be called college and that's why that was in the ERA with NAACP and our NAACP director will tell us don't say NAACP
039because the national advancement for for the advancement of color people is still important and then when I came along I was black power and I wanted to be called Black and now with my daughters is african-amer so the name is important and it should reflect what this committee is about without offending anyone but at the same time making everyone feel that we have grown through this process so so that's the name that names I would think about as we go through that thank you I appreciate all of the comments and um what I'm also hearing not only our names are important but if we need to throw out some other options if if we want to juggle some ideas around um some things that stuck out to me so far from what I've gathered um
040about the work of this committee the important work of this committee for the whole district is this committee looks at institutional Effectiveness this committee looks at accountability this committee looks at strategic alignment this committee looks at access oversight and that's way way way too many words to commit to Al together so I think we probably will need more discussion on this um and let it simmer um and see if that um leads to any options when we need feel like we need them yeah and reflect the growth in in the process where we started and where we are now and understanding that a name is important but uh it it still doesn't take if we change the name it doesn't take away who we are and what we're about thank you um for the robust
041discussion um the next item on our agenda was um item from our previous meeting item 5.5 was the motion to repeal board policy 22604 Equity policy um and so uh because this was a recommendation coming from Administration I will let Administration uh first explain to us their recommendation for 5.5 5.6 and 5.7 let me be very clear I am not repealing anything I am just trying to follow legal guidance so that we do what we're supposed to do um so I don't want this to be made to seem as though the superintendent is asking to repeal these because he doesn't want to do the DI Dei work I'm very much in support of it um it's one of the things that Drew me to this District um but I'm caught in a crossfire of knowing
042what is Meaningful to us and what the Integrity of the work that I certainly appre appreciate that has been done and is still being done um as opposed to what do how do I follow and comply because either way people will say what they're going to say if I don't comply or recommend for us to comply and something happens and we we are audited people will talk and if I do say let's not do anything and let's stand on what we're doing and we lose we we don't Lo we lose the money than either way so with all of these there is no explanation for from me on any of this other than the fact that I'm just simply asking us to follow I was simply asking us to follow the directive that was given
043to us so I don't have anything in terms of the getting into the meat of these policies um in in any way shape form of fashion I I made the recommendation to the board and that was based on our legal recommendations um that viice that was provided to us because we are supposed to have a deadline of February the 28th so that's the reason I I brought those brought that recommendation to the board M Madam chair thank you yes so uh so does all committee members and board members have a copy of the the the policy so I copied off one myself so I could have it so I I would suggest that we C look at the policy and and see what it says and I was I'm I'm hoping that we can discuss
044what words within the policy that we find does not work that we perhaps can can amend can change and and go from that from that way so the equity policy say the Board of Education in the acan public school system is committed to Preparing each child for Success we believe that every student parent guardian and staff member brings their own personal background and experiences into our schools and we are rich for it each of them has a legitimate expectation to have a barrier-free learning environment that's that's I mean it's a great line so so so period so so so any problem with that yeah so so that's period I'm sorry yeah I mean this let's get excited now yeah yeah yeah me too we doing the work we making it work and we still want
045serve our PE the the community yes that's a great thing because this is very important what member PES just read let's go period the reason why it's so important because if you look at the Civil Rights language that we are being that the equity is being challenged with it all it mirrors this this part where we start the period right right where where she stop that it mirror saying that every child no matter don't separate don't should get this here what we're saying we're going to do so again as member Sykes wonderfully set up when she went from negro to colored to Black to africanamerican uh members of the board and of Education akan School Board all employees the question that we are presented with the challenge on today as we stop at that period
046because we're going to have to go further and some stuff might have to get chopped that's right is the name Equity policy are y'all is everybody tracking with me now those words I am saying fit into the F that where she stopped that period before everybody be emailing me and stuff is aligned with the language and the because I looked at this ear in a dear colleague letter about what the the challenge of the civil rights law what they're saying that uh Dei violates so exactly is this is why I put this in committee to do this right here what we're doing what I'm saying is off top the question becomes access oversight policy possibly whatever the names you guys thr out you understand other than Equity policy cuz just off the name Equity now
047okay it's being challenged off of that name but when you start to break it down at the period it's legit to stand as is at the period um so I just wanted to say that part because I got excited I'm like see here this the thing this legit and we already have this so we know this at that period is good and I'm saying this because I asked the question like what did the audit did y'all get together did people sit and break down what was stried what was not and when you see some stuff align with with current law under the Civil Rights Act current law it align it some of our things go just like this and it is somewhere okay this section has to go because it start to identify and isolate
048certain groups and certain people that's what they're talking that okay we can and still do the work with Fidelity so exactly and so what I would continue to say if we look at these last lines here now this is what we probably do want to strike when we talk race ethnicity class social econom ICS gender gender identity sexual orientation diverse language affluency religion and and the phys I don't know about physical ability but maybe those are the things we want to strike and then the last line there where it talks about uh the presence of diverse participants we may want all participants or just stop at period just stop at period and then move on to the second line to see if there's something in that line and which says the board believes that the
049responsibility for Student Success is broadly shared by District staff families communities and our student on efforts who disagrees with that and I would only say that the board believes that the responsibility for students success no that's right yeah I would add anything and I would say period and then move on to the the next slide and that's how I think we get to if this policy is one that would meet what the current Administration is asking us to do but at the same time we are still recognizing the growth that this community has taken that we don't have to name these items in here to understand that when we say all we want all of these individuals to be able to be treated fairly that's that's period period that's what [Music] I is great this
050is great so I have a question I don't see she's here from our um and I'm sorry I can't think of her name but she deals with our Stu uh our spe our oh yeah yeah yeah she spoke earlier at the okay because I just needed someone maybe that was an expertise in that background because it was the language up there as far as cognitive and physical ability and I'm wondering it's under part I was cting you know what PES what I believe is because the student student Rights Act and students of special abilities like the um I can't it's leaving me Disability Services their rights and protection say it say it sweetie what Americans for disability Americans for Disabilities Act yes my friend thank you that so I believe that under that that's covered
051already okay and so it to not put in there like we're still trying to deal with groupings and class again what you expect you inspect it's about when these policies are in place cuz we know we have laws already in place are they being adhered to we you know and and this is what I want to keep at the Forefront of people's mind because we have certain things in place the reason why the Dei work as I understand it when people converse with me that that language it be it became so important Dei because certain situations of marginalized people that although on Surface there were laws we had civil Rights Act laws we had things they were not being enforced with Fidelity it was no checkpoint it was no really as I was explain to
052me it was not really a a force to really stand on and say that this was being um delivered with Fidelity authentically to serve all people and what Dei work did was framed it and broke it down and say no you going to serve um black and brown children you're going to serve uh transgender children you're going to do it broke each class and which made people feel more empowered so what I'm saying is we have policies we have antibullying laws we have um anti-bullying policies within district and that's for all people but if it's not being enforced if I'm different if I'm poor if I'm black if I'm Brown if I'm transgender if I'm just quirky and different if I'm poor you know if I got good weave or or not good weave and
053I'm being picked on what is my process and who's fighting for for me the bullying act in law says that that's suppos you have an advocate but if people are not enforcing these and no one's checking it there's no oversight it don't matter what you call it if the work is not being done so I think that's the Fidelity that we need to think about when we're breaking this down where can this be moved that uh we have the act for dis uh Americans with Disabilities okay so we know that that would be covered there but are we checking it is that student who have this learning disability class are they being supported are they getting what they need are these title funds going here do we have enough tutors what is the classroom ratio
054who is really where is the oversight so this still goes to oversight in other way it word oversight audit same yeah who's auditing this who's doing so that I think it gets down to that type of in the weeds we need to get to we can get where to some of these names so so that's so I just want to give an example of it's clear that you took so much patient and time thoughtfulness and coming up with this policy the words are just beautiful they really are and so just if we just can just move some of them stract a few of them if we can still keep the intent and the meaning of those without actually putting those words out there and doing the work that you had intended this this board to
055to be about this community says this is what we want so that's that's you know I don't know if we want to go line by line how you want to do this I'm I'm ready to go if you want to do it so as long as we're not talking about the jobs or job descriptions of the employees that we are related to or married to or whatever like that we can still um Converse about policy um it's just like we would be doing a regular Equity meeting any the other time cuz we're talking about policy and uh we're not talking about job description so we can make comments to it I can't so what will be the difference I mean it will be something a decision that you make and I don't know that so
056talk to one of our lawyers and they said as long as we're not talking about the job descriptions cuz what we're talking about right now is not job descriptions we're talking about policy and re doing words as if we would do any other time correct like so if this was an actual Equity board meeting we would be talking about this anyways right rewarding and things like that so um one of the lawyers said that as long as we're not talking about the jobs we're not in that disc that discussion but we're able to talk about policy so I just wanted to let um Bruce and Harrison know that too have ADD no not yet I no not yet um before we move on I do want to let um community members both on YouTube and
057um here live with us know that all of our policies are in board docks because I know some people are are starting to look so there's a whole policy section and so um any of this the current policy can be viewed as we go line by line that might not be the same you might want to see what we have going on on the screen um in real time here um but in case you'd like to look ahead or see anything all of our policies are always on board docks um so yeah I would just just the final line there says learning and work environments are enriched and improved by the contributions perspective and very presence of diverse participants and all we may need to do is just say by the very presence of all
058participants you an audience I would love to highlight it oh oh okay yeah yeah so if we go to the next line says the board believes that the responsibility for Student Success is broadly shared by District staff Families Our communities and our students own effort so there I would just say period because then it gets into embracing the diversity of our district while so maybe we don't want to use that word uh and just just stop there then it says the aens public school mission is to prepare each child for Success period and then to move to the next sline we eliminate each child or all children for success and then therefore the board established the following course of action and then it lays out AB bcde e FG and if we want to go
059through each one of those and those are just two lines each Madame chair if we want to just read those and see where we would make changes to make sure that it fits in to say that we are looking at all as opposed to as opposed to calling out any particular group of people thank you uh member Harrison yes I just want to State uh I appreciate uh member Hall um I'm at the table but I'm not involved in the discussion I just want to put that on the record thank you member Harrison um and as we uh Dr Chapman thank you for getting our track changes happening up there um I will right I I will stall for a couple of seconds while you catch up to where we have been in the discussion
060just so we have um Clarity on these track changes I might even turn around a couple times well I would just say while we're stalled that that that uh the first a talks about adopting working definition for diversity Equity inclusion and I think that we would not do that and so uh that would just be a line that we would just eliminate just stri I can't talk to myself that's right okay okay and Dr Chapman also I see orange and yellow is there significant just a color Okay okay so maybe the a becomes the B that says commit to ensuring that fairness let's leave out equity and inclusion let's leave that out to say fairness is a principle of our school system fully integrating these principles into this principle into all of our policies program
061operation practice hiring practices and faculty assignments just just say the word Fair the fairness that fairness is is an essential principle of our school system fairness B we on B that will become a because a we will just eliminate because a talks about adopting the working definition which we did that so now she's on she's on new a yes so you are on new a and in new a it's commit to ensuring that fairness is an essential principle yeah an essential principle yeah uh then B would be adopt a teaching and learning culture that includes high expectations of students and staff VAR teaching and learning styles and individual as well as systematic support for teachers and students any objections systematic that's another word we may want to think about systematic support oversight may be a
062word for your community one of is that one of the words we want to we want do we want to take that out maybe just say supports just supports supp or District district supports or District support District district support for teachers and students that would be [Music] B yeah C would be create multiple learning Pathways that wi access to educational opportunities and lifelong success anybody disagree says nothing about race sexual orientation nothing nothing D provide high quality that says cult so we eliminate that word culturally relevant and responsive curricula for all students and teachers regardless of learning sight I'm trying I don't I don't think that I would leave the word responsive in there but relevant yes but responsive no okay relevant but not re okay did you get that doctor Chapman yeah I did
063hear it I do think that when we also talk about resp respons we're talking about being responsive for all children I understand but I wouldn't not want someone to take because the word culture I mean responsive is usually associated in curriculum with culturally responsive I wouldn't want that to be something that somebody would question but you can say provide high quality relevant curricul for all students m so you're still saying all students there and and teachers regardless of um learning styles uh ex eliminate District barriers that perpetuate um um well I would eliminate District barriers that would um wait a minute oh eliminate District barriers that would [Music] um something about access um not eliminate access but um eliminate barriers eliminate barriers no no no no well eliminate District Bar eliminate I would just say
064eliminate barriers um that would prohibit access and pro and provide for greater outcomes if something to that how about this eliminate barriers and contribute to I wouldn't use the word disproportionate yeah I I agree and contribute to improved access and outcomes yes eliminate District barriers and contribute to improve and to improve take the d off I would just say and to improve access and outcomes this our this is the first draft contribute to improved okay I got you access and out contribute and improve contribute to well that's another way of saying it contribute to and improve outcomes access and outcomes so Dr Chapman would you mind reading that back what provide high quality relevant curricula for all students and teachers regardless of learning styles eliminate District barriers and contribute to and improve access and outcomes
065is it and improve or to improve access it initially said contribute to improved access and outcomes okay now we're saying and contribute to and improve access and outcomes was that what you saying Dr Robertson okay what about uh so we're on F what about f I I think F can stay I don't see Dr chairman would you read that one up F allocate annually the district's many no identify develop Oh e i oh yeah I just kind of changed we didn't have a it's e identify develop and apply best instructional practices that have demonstrably made a positive difference for students and groups of students in order to reduce prevalent and persistent learning outcome [Music] gaps I would remove the groups of students it does make sense to have it in there especially when we're talking
066about our subgroups okay um and that is nothing to do with the EI um subgroups is how we are um uh evaluated by the state um if we're going to say if you're going to leave groups of students in there I would say um where is it f e f f Oh e uh superintendent I didn't want to cut your wisdom were you about to say something I was looking for where this was to because I was thinking because if you just said if you said students because we know the report com we do the subgroups as far as performance like you have this you know they're at this level and I have this group of students that are performing at grade level or below since we already get those indicators from at the state
067level could will we be better in this for this purposes just to say students like what we have to spell out like subgroups since the state since that information no naturally we populate anyway no it's fine with students I was just saying if you're going to keep groups of St I would I was just asking that was a question I think to make it just simple just say students just say students that's what I was thinking that's what just say students yeah made a positive difference for all students in order to reduce prevalent and persistent learning outcome gaps you get that Dr Chapman M yes yeah okay I'm rocking and roll um I don't cuz I'm I don't know but even with the word gaps but we do have that in our report card so
068I I think that that gaps language would reflect what's in the how we're the gaps the Gap piece in our report card um and I guess who it depends on somebody reading it what they read into it but that's how I would see it as the Gap closure for that we get evaluated in the state of Ohio on um for Gap closure yeah but it's not separating us by race or eity or social economics so it's good yeah no I I understand that I'm just saying in terms of how someone totally performance would be reading this but this is based upon our the way that we're evaluated at the at the state yeah so the last last one I don't think anybody could you read that when that was dealing with financial allocate annually the
069district's Financial capital and human resources in a manner that closes learning outcome gaps any objection G are we facilitate access to co-curricular extracurricular activities I don't have that OPP for all our students take away I don't have okay for some reason I don't have I don't I didn't copy H could you read I I'll read it facilitate access to co-curricular and extracurricular activities Social Services tutoring and enrichment opportunities for all students okay any problems superintendent no we just took out for students at the end there is an H engage include and collaborate with our families students residents communities and stakeholders as the board recognizes that their active involvement is essential to the board's own responsibility for Effective and Equitable governance and maybe move acable just get effective governance governance y just give yeah just and
070the paragraph and then that paragraph could you read that to that end the board holds itself and all district and school and School site decision makers faculty support staff and participants accountable for building a districtwide culture of equity we need to change that can we do culture accountability culture of accountability account supporting all students districtwide culture of supporting all students or accountability you could say a districtwide um culture I mean dist something for accountability for all students accountability for all or accountability of student support yeah distri accountability th this looks like student accountability not District accountability system of access and accountability because we want our faculty we want our staff we want our community to have we want everybody to have access and we want to be accountable with providing that access system access I
071think we spoke to access a little further up in the document and so it's already in there sum of it yeah and and the summary being how are we holding ourselves accountable to what we have described and defined in this policy so the so I don't understand are you saying not accountability I ended it with for building a districtwide system of accountability District system of accountability well that would make I mean that's fine because the next sentence how does it would support that because the board's act directive to the superintendent to develop an action plan which is basically our blueprint for excellence the Strategic plan Falls right in there so Madam chair I mean I know we just hopping around but I figure so as I uh remember how just shared this with me a
072Dei terms and one of the terms just I didn't even know this is weird probably disability like how would that be uh like that's yeah that's why I question whether or not up front you did that's why I wanted to go back yeah because I me even though I'm saying this is crazy me you have something to say out there yeah you got it tell us yeah yeah you have to come now just just for it's committee so it's kind of loose okay now just for Clarity for those who are at home if they're wondering why I talked to the um uh the audience member now the board policy does say that the board would engage community members and stakeholders in this type of dialogue that this is permissible under our policies so me calling
073to the Community member to add Insight is legit it is part of our policy work so just so that you know that the board has set itself up for this very thank you Ma please the many lawyers in my family would like me to say I am not a lawyer um so this is based on my understanding of the dear colleague letter the dear colleague letter was about race-based decisions so I would like to know from legal council why we are wholeheartedly gutting say protections for disability sexual orientation and other group membership when the dear colleague letter is specifically based on race-based decisions taking the decisions made by scotus as it relates to effectively affirmative action in college admissions and as the dear colleague letter explains expanding it more broadly to education and in fact
074if you read the dear colleague letter it does describe Dei policies that have been used as a pretext for racial preference and racial discrimination in education as such I'm not sure if we were not using Dei to make race-based decisions why we would eliminate it from our bylaws to begin with however I understand that we do want to be compliant it seems like again I would want to have legal council explain why it is necessary to remove disability sexual orientation socioeconomic class I do believe that any mention of unfortunately any mention of systemic barriers systemic racism systemic discrimination would be currently considered under the interpretation provided earlier unlawful as the dear colleague letter does describe that such discussion of systemic discrimination May make certain students feel bad about themselves and stigmatized um so we must
075remove them from our education as such I do Madam let me just say that we have read we have read the dear colleag letter and we do understand what you're saying but this is our first draft okay and just because we're taking some things out we will talk to the lawyers we will talk to them we may put some things back in but just kind of bear with us please thank you for allowing to stive to everything you say very very my heart frankly and a recommendation committee name could be engagement that may or may not be what we renamed our diversity in what did you rename it engagement it was student engagement Committee just engagement but just engagement that's what we said because ultimately our goal was to engage our students faculty and staff
076so okay thank you all you okay thank you um Dr chair if you could please thank you we're so close staff in this committee yes on the work okay this is where we are Dr Robinson was speaking to the second sentence in the last paragraph oh no I was saying that that's that work I was saying that the sentence before it made sense because it went into the second the next sentence where the board develop uh directs the superintendent to develop an action plan I was just saying that that's our blueprint um for excellence um and measurable standards and procedures that can assess and Report uh transparency to the public um I would change I wouldn't change that but the akan public schools Equity plan I probably would take that out um because our blueprint
077is submitted to the board annually um and for board approval um and its Supple subsequent implementation so I would say the Aran Public Schools blueprint for excellence strategic plan will be submitted annually to the board which encompasses that okay so do we do we want akan Public Schools strategic plan or just I don't think you want to name it specifically if it's a policy it's just plan so the policy could outlive a new strategic plan okay and what happens is when it's so Broad in general it gives us the levity that no matter what the changes or tweaks that come and if they try to come at as a different way to challenge this word or that word we're in a position that we won't have to stay in influx because it's so Broad and
078as was stated by some of the community members if we do the work with Fidelity and make Ure that we're serving all students which I think is the ultimate goal that everyone is served everyone is treated fairly everyone is afforded access to the opportunities that are offered by our district and again that's where the oversight um is important and us really putting legs to things and using our two employees to help push the vision in addition and what community members tell us what our teachers tell us it's just really having action steps when things come that compromises or challenges this like what is the the system yes ma'am uh Miss oh well I'm not to Cher you got talk Miss Carter thank you oh I was going to suggest maybe we could put the Aron
079Public Schools accountability plan I mean because it's this whole paragraph is about accountability so I don't know do we want to name what of plan like what the plan is going to be addressing which is our systems of monitoring and making sure the implementation of practices are happening that's yeah I'm just saying do we want to put the word accountability in front of plan I I think that we have a big strategic plan in our district that is our guiding document and then every department and division has their own implement ation plans to carry out the strategies in the Strategic plan so I would want the last sentence not to be so specific to any one plan but that all plans of the district are reviewed examin plans for implementation that adheres to our Equity
080policy just my suggestion so so would we rewrite it plans within the akan public schools instead of the akan public school plan well only Madam chair because I think as I'm reading this only one plan is submitted to the board as it stands we get one plan and and that it which uh encompasses the entire District uh right now under this Administration it's called The Blueprint fr Excellence is the Strategic plan and it covers each area we have specific goals another superintendent may name it something else to Dr Chapman's point so when we speak generally the plan of the district it's really I want to hear what you said Carter because I feel like I missed it's really dealing with the what is the goal what is the vision of this District currently like at
081that whatever point so the general term with Dr Chapman if I'm understanding what you are saying it gives the levity for a lot of work to be done throughout is am I misunderstanding that well I I think the the fact that yes there is a strategic plan but also each department has their own plans and while the board must approve the Strategic plan the work of a committee like this whatever it shall be named that work uh that accountability work would include reviewing that data and learning and seeing what our district is doing and having that that's a place to receive that information and those updates what does that have to do with this I think that's what I'm so those plans could be submitted to the board um because the plan if I'm if
082I'm under all Department the Strategic plan drives the the work of all the work and so it covers every Department Dr chairman and and I cuz I added the word strategic plan will that work I was fine with just plan like you had it before but I don't know if when it's getting specific to you the point that you just made is what I'm trying to in on you made a point to keep it which I agree with I'm just one of all you know is that if it's General then it doesn't even if administrations change whatever the strateg who knows what this how language is going now but the work is still the work the the board drives we approve whatever the plan is going to be and to member M's Point that's why
083I'm trying to make sure I'm understanding correctly um cuz I feel like I I may not be but it goes every department so if syes is HR if you're instructional policy you know whatever then your work is aligning with what the district plan is that the board approved so your the oversight of your work is coming from my our employee the superintendent who we're going to evaluate or measure on is that not how it's supposed to work and this is a real I'm not being this is not a fous I already know the answer I'm asking what am I missing that that plan is not acceptable to just I I I feel I hear what you're saying and I hear what Dr Chapman is saying as it relates to strategic I think we I think
084we need to define the plan I don't think we need to just say Acron Public Schools plan so something needs to go in front of that word plan to Define what type of plan so either it's accountability and we know that accountability would be the plan would actually be the Strategic plan or we just keep it strategic plan so I mean I'm fine with with either with either either strategic plan or a plan to show that we're being accountable to our work I think that we just leave it and we did do the strike out with the racial Equity already too we did this well not we the committee internally did did this with the another policy but and we can bring those recommendations to the next meeting or however y'all want this to be
085done but I would just leave it as a strategic plan it doesn't matter the name it's just it whatever 50 years from now it's still going to be a strategic plan no matter what it's called but that is our accountability plan because everybody's work and districtwide is connected to that plan um and one cornner stone or another or two or three or all of them so I wouldn't get us caught up on the semantics around the words I would just leave it as the agan public school strategic plan because that's what we submit to the I mean that's what we bring to the board that's what we will be coming to the board periodically with updates and um and and letting the the board and the public know what we're how we're progressing on on
086those things that are in the plan let may I ask Dr Chapman a question so if we say strategic plan uh do you see that your office responsibility has been to make sure that that all have been in included and thought about in in the Strategic plan and that all of us are paying attention to what the policy says but that's a part of strategic plan too isn't it okay that's what okay so I think strategic plan but the board yall do understand it's a board policy so we need to it's the bo like we're I'm in agreement with it strategic plan the Board needs to weigh in cuz it's a board policy so it's good for uh the superintendent staff and everyone to weigh in but the Board needs to weigh in if the
087board is come because it is a board policy it's a board committee it's our committee so we regulate it you understand so we're we're just seeking Insight from experts who work within the committee but as we stated and I know uh member it was a point a really good workout and a discussion about these are our committees and so this is why the board what is the Readiness of the board after receiving this Insight from the the individuals that work it I'm good with it as it is just I'm good with strategic plan I'm fine with strategic plan sounds good um so this was is still we are working on 22604 Equity policy um is there any anything else that we need to discuss on the equity policy at this time yeah the possible name
088oh instead of equity policy okay someone I forgot someone said something earlier what you I can't remember I thought I I just wrote down the the uh the the the names for the Comm can you talking to Mike superintendent make sure your mic's on I had recommended as we um Revis these policies that are name for instead of equity policy that we could rename it uh either accountability policy or like achievement policy or something to that effect something along those lines I'm not tied to either name but just that um we would have to change the name of of it from Equity to something policy yeah remember har just bringing to our attention she looked up that believe it or not accountability is one of those words too that's supposed to be a red flag
089for Dei I have that's crazy so interesting should we read the list of Dei words Dei flag words it's like I think we going to have to keep going going just keep going back and forth I can read quickly the ones that yeah we can look over advocacy first we advocacy anti-racist barrier so we may have to consider using a different word than barrier and then just a reminder um sorry not to cut you but as misss said this is a first draft this is a draft so we're just doing like kind of like some basic things here like on on Surface and then we we'll know we'll have to you know re scrub it again but this is a this is so that we know that these things are still on the books that
090we don't we're not 86ing and is gone we made some edits we made some changes it's still our policy and we the goal of the the what we're doing is to make sure that we don't find oursel having to compromise our 84 million while still doing the work this is what this is like we're we're not we're we're trying to adhere to the laws we're not trying to not adhere to the laws but we're also not trying to not serve our people who were so this is just the draft and I think we're we're on to a good start but like we we understand it's a first draft and these little words here which is come to be a lot of words to take out uh we see it's popping up but I think we
091can go to the next policy and start to break it out cuz it you know just be respectful all of everyone's thank you and and I appreciate all of this conversation and I appreciate the time and the work that we're putting into this and I think it demonstrates to our community how important this is to us not just this work work but also transparency are we doing this perfectly right now probably not but we cannot be doing this any more transparently than we are um we are trying to do our best for everyone so please at least give us that um so with that um before we end the conversation on the first draft edits of this policy what is the will of the committee as in regards to the current status of this first
092draft how will we share this draft with the board this working document with the board um are their thoughts I think you know how we go through like first read and all because we know it's a draft so the whole board is here so it's shared with us all like we all here now so I I I don't know um I was just going to say institutional Effectiveness for the policy name that was something someone threw out there institutional Effectiveness I'm not sure whose name that was but for this policy name CU that seems like um because it's threaded through and all the work that that would be a good name for this policy this specific policy I got have a suggestion but I like systemic responsibility but I like what is it institutional yeah
093I think systemic is one of those words we want to kind of stay away from yes so yeah so the I don't know who it was but institutional Effectiveness is the what I said who is could be a name for this here policy Dr chman for this policy institutional effective I that's that's okay uh thank you madam chair man I just um um as you're thinking about the name of the policy if we could also keep our eyes on the thought that this is the work this is the work and we're not ever going to stop focusing on rigorous instruction welcoming and engaging practices and all of those things Recruitment and Retention and family and Community engagement so whatever the name is welcoming and engaging practices comprehensive enough can can we have as a draft
094comprehensive education practices we got that think we got it for the policy okay instead of institutional Effectiveness comprehensive educational draft policy for this one policy is that what you saying or the whole draft as we're working on it yes so okay yeah yeah these these are our comprehensive educational practices as I take it from oh okay you you saying under the root of the draft of the work like all all of these these three PO is that what you're saying I'm trying to understand are you saying that we're saying this body of work as we're working on the draft that it's going to be saved under comprehensive educational I'm sorry I think you said comprehensive right um well that that was the title of the document that Dr Chapman just pulled up this is the
095work is the comprehensive educational practices oh okay where' that come from this is some work break yeah yeah yeah okay not make a decision right now so we can have more than one name to choose from mhm institutional Effectiveness should be one comprehensive should be another and so could we just make note of that Dr chman that that that's we want to that was two names that was thrown out institutional Effectiveness and the one that you already had yes yeah the work can't say accountability can't say system access you can't you can't say you know you got have to start paying money every time you say it you gotta give me a dollar I'll say it for your birthday District opportunity and growth so if there is no further discussion at this time on uh
09622 6.04 we will move our discussion now to uh 5.6 uh five from the previous agenda 5.6 was a motion to repeal policy 2360 working definitions for Dei and excellence in education this was required because in this policy it was um letter A um so with that is there any other discussion um on this on this I would say that we this is something we should eliminate the working definitions because we are we can't use these terms anymore right so and I was going to say uh internally we went through um we never got to the first two items but we did get to the racial Equity one and we did find ourselves marking out the majority of what was in it and I'm wondering if we just need to create a whole new policy
097for the third item on the agenda which was the racial Equity policy no we're on we're on the working definitions of Dei and excellence and education oh okay so that's what I'm saying I don't think that we should that we we should have it yeah I I'm in agreement so we just that's yeah stke that one okay um any other discussion on 2365 okay moving forward we have um there huh Gabriel a whole look at that yes um 5.7 was motion to repeal board policy 22607 racial Equity policy um M Carter Miss Carter was beginning to speak on this one oh so yeah that's what this is the one I was talking about is that um in our internal committee we started going through and doing this exercise and it was a lot that we
098ended up having to um cross off and I'm just wondering is this one that we would just want to rewrite it did address some other item some other policies that we already have within our um within our board policies as well so I was just putting that out there so I don't know if you yes Dr Chapman and I am wondering if what we just went through to think about rewriting the first policy is enough to include what we would have from this so that there's one policy that is combined to include all the pieces that we want to to continue to elevate in the district that's that's a good ide I like I love it that was that was what we were internally discussing um to just have a policy that would Encompass everything
099that is valued thank you so for clarity Dr Chapman are you saying so the LA so the policy that we just spent the majority of the meeting on 5 um five I'm sorry 22 6.04 right you're saying that we can then just put is it something that you see like maybe can just be added or you saying the way that is written is already interwoven or is there a section are you saying we need to work on like one more section that's part of that covers all that cuz I thought I heard you saying that policy covers everything that will be done in this policy if we do it you hoping that's what she said AB that that is correct but I would also uh want to be sure we're not missing anything from racial
100Equity did you all come up with something uh no you were just going through and finding you was reading everything out yes cuz I think the challenge would sorry I'm out of order um I I believe the the challenge with the racial Equity do you can you pull that up like we did the last one because I I I see that I understand it's time to go if you need to excuse yourself Miss Wilman that's fine okay okay thank you but um yeah because I understand we thank you for your input but it's the board's me the board can it out yeah so um very quickly uh Dr Chapman my my question is being that I believe that the with the racial Equity just off of the title of the policy it tells me that
101this might be that everything in it is dealing with stuff that will be stried and that if you guys already sat and did this one I don't believe to Mrs uh woman's point like I don't think we got to stay here very long I'm saying how can y'all inform what did you already do where is it at yeah like why would we have to go through it if you guys did these strikes pull that up yeah so we can see the your framework yeah so that sounds good this this would be it clean cop yeah less is more less is more and and just so you can clear understand this because we call this special meeting this is like one of those long work sessions I know because we we convene again and then we
102working on the deadline so that's why and I say that uh Miss woman because I greatly respect you and I say that with all due respect and I understand your time cuz I value time so I don't want you that was not flipping or but I respectfully wanted to make sure and I want to say it on the mic so people know I respect my people but um yeah so yeah so that's why I feel like we got to take this time and I understand but this is the work this is one of those things to me this the work for us as the board to do um that's just the deal because then if after this we have to do something else we got a notice a meeting tomorrow and we would have to
103vote on something Friday which I think the way we're going about we're not we not even going to be in that positioning because we have things in draft which I think will still put us in a level of compliance I don't know where she is if you share it with me well Madam chair I would just say that if in fact uh the superintendent and staff have already gone through this and they're saying that most of these things we are going to have to eliminate anyway that it does look like what we just did is going to be the the the heart of our policy so so um Madam chair so can we say in in the event you find something that you can share that and we [Music] can okay cuz that gender identity
104you have to go oh yeah cuz this some of the similar language that was in the last policy that we took so to your point I think yeah this is where on your side you guys can give us advice because y'all spent the time of breaking through that but if we strike the whole policy and then something because we can always uh modify I'm going help me because I know we dealt with this uh when you were over um legal contracts and policies or then policies about making changes to policies and how are we okay to do that can you give some insight on that like if we see if we do this policy we strike this and then we need to edit later can you speak to something about that yes so what we're
105doing right now is we are drafting um what we think we would like the policy to say and so what I think traditionally would happen if during normal times and a normal timeline is the equity committee would notice something like we have two similar policies we would like to merge them into uh a unified policy the equity committee would then draft their unified policy the equity committee would then send that policy to the legal con the legal policy and contracts committee and say this is what the the equity policy came up with a representative of the equity committee or however it is named would uh go through legal legal would do a first read legal would discuss then legal would take it to the full board for a second read and then the next board
106meeting would be the full board for approval for vote that is traditionally what would happen I think the issue right now is timeline what do we do with both the work that needs to be done and the timeline it needs to be done on additionally sorry the question you ask amendments what happens if we change this and in two weeks go oh um we we chose to leave in a lot of things in there we you know we took um we took items specifically about race out but we left in items about other uh populations of students but now a new dear colleague letter has come out and now we need to take that out too then what we would do is we'd meet again amend it again go through the process again whatever whatever
107process we go through now we would just do it again there's um no limit to how many times we can it's just a a Time issue for us as human beings who have other responsibilities um so then that brings it to where does this leave us with this potential looming uh Friday deadline Dr mol is correct but I would also add that we can also suspend rules yes we can suspend the rules and move this along because I would say that this this can be declared an emergency because of the time issue and so we can suspend the rules and move these move this alone in order to uh call would have to call a special meeting in order to vote for this so we still consented to to legal and then they can still
108take a look at it and then send it over to the full board and ask that the rules be suspended in order that we vote on this yeah did you have something superintendent to say okay I I do believe in the exercise we previously completed we we've covered a lot of it we really have we we've covered it and uh you know if there is an opportunity through suspending of the rules you can always go back and look at additional information so um if I thank you so just for clarity so we're saying that those the first one that we draft can be our soul policy that's covering this and so we're just striking um we're repealing I guess I just is a better word uh 22 6.07 is that correct M um M Dr
109Chapman racial Equity yes that would be the one 20 right so so that one we are okay so we can strike that and we don't have to go through this but we do understand that that even though we're we're repealing it we're striking it that if in your perusing of it or something that there's something in there that seems like it's missing that covers all students that we can then amend if necessary but for the sake of our timeline everything that um M said share with us we can move this along to put us align with the timeline is what I'm this is questioning not my statement yes sir superintendent oh M um and sorry before uh before you go Mr superintendent so to make sure I fully understand what you're saying is that we
110would use these recommended changes or you're saying the the items from these would be inserted when when would the board see what items are being inserted into the other policy no I'm saying based off the recommendation of Dr Chapman who's looked through this who did the strike she said the policy we just spent the time on and um Miss Carter Carter that the what we've done on the first policy encompasses the understanding to serve all students without have to identify the racial component of it that is covered in this one policy and so what I'm what I am positing is that we don't that it this policy is like how Miss syes we did on 23 6.05 that we're doing the same thing on this one they looking to PES maybe you can explain well
111I was just going to ask as uh U member arre is is there meeting for legal set up um when is the when is the date what date is what day the week is it no when when are we today you just meant today on 1 ofch but when were you trying to get this finalize what's the uh his plan was going to be his plan was going to be to um is it 28th get it repealed on March March well March yeah the 28th is the deadline but then I think we're doing our due diligence if someone were to come in and do an audit because we've started the process okay of looking at it and seeing how to okay I don't I felt like it's a cuss word how to get de out
112and so like so but we're doing our due diligence as it relates to working through the process and but like you said if we needed to suspend the rule to go ahead and move uh like the definitions one to the to a third and final read on March 10th we can show hey we've already started like we look we got rid of our definitions right if we want to do that with the racial Equity policy we can do that too but we could still continue to work through the equity policy as we work through the new name of that policy as well okay yes goe this is how I get you know kind of I'm trying to be clear and succinct because do I feel like Dr Chapman just said something very succinct and clear
113then we went around in a conversation and I'm thinking is not what she said what it is like what I'm agreeing with that the first policy that I I'll be with you once I finish superintendent we worked on this first policy we unpacked it the expert the person who was the chief person of equity said this is it y'all covered it you all said you said uh Miss Carter before like yeah most of this stuff was stried out we couldn't do nothing with it I'm just saying and it was agreed upon well then just like we struck through 23 6.05 we're doing the same thing with this one right repealing it repeal I got it but I'm but minute round robin back talking about adding something doing and that's where I'm getting confused at I
114don't think okay when I we're saying the same exact thing okay well bless God I'm fine okay yeah think we said the same exact thing we the you we've already done the work on the new named policy which was used to be the equity policy that's already been done the other two are done I was just talking the process chair monar Dr with one point of yes yes with one point of clarification that this is our first reading and there could be other things that we would need to add yes yes that I yes I as our first reading and I have not even reviewed the strike throughs but I do see a lot of items in red that look like additions so if there are critical valuable pieces in here that would support and
115enhance the policy that we started a draft of I would hope to see those elements within that policy I don't want us to lose good things that we don't need to lose just because they were in the wrong policy agreed yeah so with that being said it does you oh sorry yes I'm sorry madam chair could you send all of us a copy of this to our email address so we could all board members could read that this evening sometime thank you and so it sounds like this meeting this long meeting um is evidence of due diligence and evidence of our hard work um and our efforts towards um meeting all of the uh things that the government is asking us to do for our funding um at least from what I've heard so far
116is there any other discussion is there anything else that we feel needs to be done done immediately um or before Friday at this point Madam chair I would just want to say to the chair and and to the president that in in talking about this we want to just make it clear to the public because I I just love the public participation in this that when we say that we are asking to repeal 22607 ra racio Equity policy that's only because we have included it someplace else so that they know that we have not forgotten about it that we have not considered it that we did not review it and that when we say that we are striking the definitions that we just find that is best that that's where we would get in trouble
117in trying to go over the definitions because they have basically told us that is unacceptable but it does no way take away from the intent or what this school system stands for and making sure that all are involved in this process and will be considered as we go through this this whole process yes all that's the thing we're just focusing on all so we're not trying to finesse the racial Equity to still do any de we're saying everyone will be served everyone will be served but yeah so I just want to before we get ready to the end to move because um I wanted to make a motion and um so I move to remove the following items from the agenda as they are not appropriate for the discussion in this committee um items 10.3
118job description coordinator of talent and organizational development andr recruitment um item 10.4 job description coordinator of Social Service and student [Music] support I'm not going to second that I because I mean I want discussion why well BEC BAS oh I'm sorry I'll second okay now it's for oh yeah now we got you thank you because when I moved it because I think in the conversation because of how it was resir we were talking about getting rid of the ior when I record Lord um because originally when I moved it to this com to committee and I remember conversation was legal contracts or where should it go when I looked at our board policy when it comes to job description and where that's house that it would not be discussed in equity committee and job descriptions
119um is are policy 320.11221 could be discussed there it could go back there to unpack it it wouldn't it just wouldn't be in this committee not that it can't be discussed not that the board cannot look over a job descriptions because ultimately the board can but based off our policy the board um empowers the superintendent when we talking about job descriptions um assignment transfers things like that so it was because when I referenced the policy I realized that I wrongly I sent it to the wrong policy and committee I'm sorry I sent it to the wrong committee and set of breaking up and sending the equity to equity and possibly um as I was looking at if I had to think of a committee uh it could have went to legal and contracts if it
120went to a committee I just so my rational is just when I looked at policy it didn't support it being here is there any other discussion sure not about that do I need to relate it oh no we need to we need to settle this this is item 103 yes so um yes policy 31201 does give the superintendent the uh does empower the superintendent to create job descriptions and I believe that's exactly what the superintendent has done the superintendent made two job descriptions the superintendent brought two job descriptions to the full board and uh made recommendations for those job as as recommendations um and as as a board I think the question is if or when we learn of those jobs so and then with that if or when we learn about those jobs that
121are being asked to be created those new positions that would then determine which committee that discussion might occur in openly transparently publicly I will say I have not discussed um these these I have not been part of an open session discussion of these um job descriptions right um it was my understanding um that the jobs came to the equity committee because they were related to equity Personnel that was my understanding yes so when I just sent when I made the recommendation I sent everything to equity it's because understanding the job description is this in the job description that the current per chief officer of equity Equity I'm sorry possibly would have been offered and so in my mind without any real due diligence it made practical sense to me to just send it all to
122committee but when I reference policy that's not the struct that's not how we are set up concerning job description not that the board can't discuss them I'm just saying it's in the wrong I'm just move this is not the committee to discuss them and typically based off of how our policy reads yeah the superintendent can we give him the privilege if we have questions any board member can follow up because it's on um it's on our agenda and things like that now just for sake of time and not to rambling I'm just giving the rationale not that it can't be discussed even in this open form it just within the equity committee and if it's a job description for a person like say if it's if it was for another person we wouldn't discuss that
123with the the board determines and the superintendent we can do that openly in the contracts meeting and ask questions to the superintendent and make determinations of the job description the board and the superintendent it wouldn't be necessarily committee work May I just as I understand I'm saying I'm not may I just ask a question of the superintendent is it the superintendent intent to recommend that you eliminate the staff in the Dei office So based on the directive in terms of how we have to move um that yes to your point yes that would have been what we would have been doing to be in compliance but knowing that our work has to be distributed somewhere um and trying to continue just like we're doing with the whatever the policy is going to be called but
124our I'm just going to call it our education policy but ensuring that the work continues because we know what we need to do for our kids and so I was just trying to make sure that we're in compliance but not losing the Integrity of the work that we know that we need to still do and have been doing for our students so so so the it is the intent to eliminate all of the staff in the Dei office even though we have gone through we we're going through this process now and perhaps is going to be called the institutional Effectiveness office and so would you still see that as a need to eliminate the staff in the office well I mean I I would have to see you know how we do how we I'm
125just following and conferring with legal on how I would not support this because this you I don't I'm not comfortable with what you're saying here this is a yes or no answer well miss and and we are going through this process and saying that we want this to stay we I this office I support this office still being an office of the individuals that's in there that's doing the work I have have seen nothing that say that none of that those employees are not doing their job and so is there a reason to eliminate if we are changing this and we are changing the title of equity to something else then would that not be the titles that the staff members would also take on and continue to do the job so that's something that
126I need to discuss with legal right um so I would not support moving this out of here because this appears to me to be a enroll to changing the jobs in the Dei office and I am not supporting that especially I haven't finished especially when we have an individual all of the individuals when we look at their backgrounds and what they're doing and the time they spent there you have people who have spent 30 years or more in that office we have invested in them they have participated in workshops and training and education and done all of that and now we are at the point where we really need that expertise and we want to disperse them and break them up and get rid of them when we can work through this and come up
127with a better solution so I just saw nope I'm not finished I'm not finished I just saw a news person ask what about all this training what about this this people going off on on conferences and things and I wanted to say what about that we want to keep our staff up standards on part we want our staff to go and find out what's the latest and this and that and other I think that has happened in this office with these staff people we want them to be trained effectively and efficiently I think that they are this is very important that we have experienced staff handling this right now so that our community will know that we care about all of the individuals in the system being inclusive and that we have the very best
128staff working every day to do that and I don't want to see this department broken up broken down for what reason when we've just gone through this process to show we can keep this group together without going against what the administration says so uh I am not going to support adding on these two positions because it seems to me that the intent is to get rid of what we have now or to not include and change what we just went through to make sure that these experienced educated trained and prepared people can continue to make sure that we are being fair in this system to all people all the time our students our staff our support staff everyone member Jackson and then superintendent thank you so for a point of clarity cuz maybe I was
129unclear c as I read this so because of the these these the individuals were over Equity the one title is was in a equity policy Chief diversity Equity officer off office so the word the the it has to be the a job description has to be created or Rewritten um and that's what my understanding was that these uh the job description that's why I think it needs to be discussed as far as the work but just not here but it has to be Rew they can't stay what they are in order for us to be in compliance but the people the physical people as I was understanding still we're going to be and and I feel like that's what member Sykes was asking but I don't need to speak for her because now I'm unclear
130that the question is that these people that the people that already was doing the equity work we just unpacked this that these job descriptions were just to align with federal guidelines and regulations ever the discussion to the point which I think needs to be had I'm just saying this is not the right this is not where it's supposed to be had it should go to legal or whatever but in any event that discuss the discussion needs to happen the same way it happened with the policies as far as what is the work who's doing what's the title to work because I was understanding it to be am my understanding and I'm can ask a more direct question that these jobs were going to that Chapman would have a job Mrs uh Wilma would have a
131job that it was just legally their current jobs could not exist but I know even with our system if a job is Riff that there are certain things that the rights that those employees have period um to not interview for a job to get another if it's a job that's that they want that's the same pay my understanding was people's pay was not changing they were not losing money and so now I'm conf that's the thing that's the conversation with these job descriptions that needs to happen in my that's what I was thinking when I said let them go here to unpack them how does it align now we're building a policy now what is the title now because Chapman is still going to do the work what is the policy now and if I'm
132out of work just call a point of order because I'm calling names I don't know but and U Miss Williams Miss uh Wilma Alexander is going to do the work is really what my understanding was because I understand the names have to change it h the names have to change well I don't see how how a person's title is Chief that's now a title of coordinator and that's the discussion part but I'm just saying for the job just for cuz I wasn't finished with my thoughts but so that's that's The Conversation Piece right the all that now those are the questions that can be asked which I'm not against all I'm saying to colleagues is that I believe I put it in the wrong committee not that this work what we talking about what's the
133title is it going to be a chief is it going to be this cuz the work still can be done and done with Fidelity based off experience we all know all that now I'm thinking was is that the question was simple mhm it's so because I'm thinking these people just going to these jobs because we have to I want a job still so um I want to so I believe that even we're we know diversity Equity inclusion Chief diversity officer we already know that that's a thing we know that's out and and her in uh Dr Chapman's title was in a policy that was out so now when we're talking about job des criptions and what we're doing are we saying okay we not writing a job in a policy how are we really doing
134that with Fidelity to be clear we are going to write keep a job in policy like where are we going with that and again colleagues all I'm saying is not that we should discuss it I ain't saying it goes away I'm just saying I housed it I believe it this is not the commit right and and what we've been trying to say is whatever this is diversity Equity accountability aliance um oversight whatever this is that this is the committee of that so if these are jobs of this committee this committee is where you discuss the roles and responsibility of that work we are talking about that work right here right now yeah and even though I said we can stract the part uh where it may have stracted this P particular job description I also
135said this is the first draft so I plan on taking a look at this and seeing exactly what we did do and make my recommendations as I think all board members will do every board member that feel that they're comfortable doing it to say I think we want to be clear on this so if in fact we have taken out the position of Chief then I can tell you right now I'm putting it back in any other discussion on 10.3 I will follow up and say um also I I will second um a lot of member syk's points um and remind the community we did this live on the spot if anyone's tried to type live in front of other people knows there are going to be errors we are going to improve this it
136is not done what you saw today is not finished I hope to see a comprehensive built together review and I believe we have heard from our community and from our board colleagues and from our Administration the importance of this work the need for this work to continue the support for this work to continue um and this is a strategic job um that is overarching and I do not believe that the work that needs to be done can be done by a coordinator that is my opinion at this point in time um as far as 10.3 so with that um a motion the motion on the floor was to move 103 and 104 out of this committee um there are actually only two commit members of this committee um and so I think I heard member
137pes's opinion but no okay and I am also a no of moving it out of this committee and as the board president you know I'm the facto on every committee so I'm a member of this committee as well just for clarity because you stay it was just two but it's three but either way you're it care because you understand but I just want to be clear the president is part of the committee as well of all committees absolutely M president of all committees yes sorry thank you um so with that we I think now are at the point where we are at board actions in our agenda so for board actions I think this is where we are going to um where I would like to discuss uh it's board actions and future Equity committee
138agenda items so I think we should discuss um what and when we are going to have our next meeting and what we will talk about well Madam chair you know as you know you are the chair because of uh our actual of our permanent chair not being able to chair this committee so I think we probably want to want to go with her guidance on what we're going to discuss in the next committee [Music] if you know I mean you could be subject to call and you know but it's your committee yeah you I don't need it my mouth is my mouth is big enough um I would just say in our next committee meeting we do like a second look at the policy um and discuss that and kind of nail it in so
139then we can take it to legal and then take it to the board um I think that's the biggest part right now and try to figure out a name so I know I had sent an email a while ago saying let's all you know come up with different names and stuff like that so maybe we can come the board collectively and us can think of a appropriate name and then maybe bring that to the board to vote or do just the committee members vote on an a I guess that was a question does the whole board vote on a new committee name or is it just the committee that VES on so what would happen is it would be brought to the the full agenda but the so the committee would discuss it and then
140bring provide that recommendation to the full board okay so um in our Monday meeting which feels like a lifetime ago now um we had uh that's what I thought you was talking about other things that's on the agenda sorry that's what I thought um so we had uh you announced that we would have an equity committee meeting on March 3rd do you have other topics um that you would like to include on March 3rd or I didn't I didn't think of all that at this point I really came here to be president's support okay so I didn't think of other topics at this time but if I do as well as us we can send an email and Converse about it about the next topics for March 3rd I just want to um before we
141leave just as you go and your your private reading because you guys get so many emails and things that we have to read is to please is to reference our policy about job descriptions and because I really want us as the a board to kind of hash through that regardless of where we handle this at because I just feel like it is very gray or silent to how we're conducting this job description now based off how we have the policy written even if this is something that needs to be Revisited I think we need to really look at our policies when we make decisions concerning how we how we're moving not that we're in violation I just want people to look at the policy because we need to be informed I don't know I'm going
142to circle back to legal but when you all read that and then if you if one person can call and like share with me like okay Carla this is my understanding on that because I just really like to follow policy and do things what as I understand and I want Clarity on my understanding so if you all get time to read that it's just that part about what the superintendent what we are empowering to happen and I I know I can reference legal but as board members if we hash that out together that might give us a different type of guidance of something we might want to do differently some Ed I don't know but I think we need to really look at what it says now because I almost feel like it gives us
143it just look at the policy and see how it reads for us as Boardman because it appears it gives us very like we've empowered like we've given up a lot of what the authority with that is in his house with the superintendent as it reads as I understand so if we if that can be something I don't know I know I can discuss with one or two of you on the phone that which is cool but then we may need to bring it back up just just for clarity and if we need to make changes and Madam chair let me just make make just say uh and and just call me a nerd but I tend to read policy all the time and so uh I don't exactly know what you're referencing and what you're
144saying and what your concerns are but I think that the board and this committee has acted appropriately as it relates to the agenda items okay well I'll read it specifically so that it's Clarity on what I'm saying the policy reads the Board of Education recognized that it's essential for district and employee accountability for each staff member uh to be fully aware of the duties and responsibilities of his or her pos position job descriptions document and describe the essential functions for professional and classified staff positions and thereby promote organizational Effectiveness and efficiency therefore the superintendent should maintain continuously a comprehensive coordinated set of job descriptions for professional and classified staff positions all other job Sub sub I'm sorry all other job descriptions should be defined as guidelines of the superintendent and will be originated and maintained
145in accordance with the provisions specified in bylaws of the board and it tells us see bylaw 0131 which doesn't and each shall contain the following provisions and it says the employee shall it's all about the employee the employee shall remain free of alcohol prescrib control substance things like that employees will be evaluated at least part of their job job description shall be brief factual um generically descriptive of similar job descriptions each job description so it goes on then to talk about the job descriptions how the people should be Role Models good citizens it talks about the hiring process um then it says upon employment by by the board so then the job description comes and the board employ the the board decides whether to employ the staff member shall receive a copy of the current
146job description which he or she shall be employed um and it says the employees immediate supervisor shall review the job description and staff and um so on so when I'm saying what I'm unclear about is because as I read that if then further says from time to time the board further recognizes that the superintendent may find it necessary to revise job descriptions following the revision this is the part where I said I know it has to come before the board following the revision of a job description staff members who hold the position for which the essential functions are described in that revised job description shall be provided access to the updated version and the opportunity to discuss the revisions therein with their immediate supervisor in addition the superintendent May prepare administrative guidelines necessary for the
147proper implementation of this policy Neola 2004 uh RC 331 3602 so in that whole reading when I'm saying that I'm un clear it does not say at any time about like it's giv a lot of authority to the superintendent in that and it talks about the boy the board employing it doesn't talk about the board drafting disc we have the authority to discuss it is what I'm saying but as far as this is this is what I'm saying as far as I'm I'm unclear that how is going about well Madam Madam chair uh Madam president just I would just ask you to be clear on this as a board we are the elected bodies and that we have the authority to vote yes or no on anything that the superintendent bring to us and that
148is the under the authority that I have just given my no vote for his recommendation as a coordinator for anyone that would be respons responsible for our diversity and inclusion in this school district regardless of what we call it and again I do understand it say it's for my vote for my vot [Music] go so what I'm saying if this position of Coordinator would have stayed on agenda and and vote it could have been voted up or down I'm simp saying the discussion no quals about to cheve the title I am saying when it's house here in the equity committee the discussion about the job description between the board and the superintendent I am simply saying that the as the policy reads it I'm sorry I'm simply saying as the policy reads it gives a
149certain levity to the superintendent to do things yes the board can say no we're not approving that position or the board the majority of the board can say yes they are the discussion of the position when I'm talking about the legalities of it when I said to just move it out committee my comments are simply about where his house and the discussion is happening for for the the board and that's the that's my only thing not that cuz it's got to go for a vote whatever the title is and you're one board member member SES one of seven so coordinator could go up or it could not go up the title can change or it could not so clearly as elected official so that we're all clear because I'm clear on that so as I'm
150moving forward that is my only question and that's why I read it out because the question was what I was unclear about and so I read the description because nowhere in that does it I see where the board is at other than our decision to say we not we not accepting that position the discussion the unpacking of it is what I was talking about because I don't see a area where it gives the board the opportunity and this is what I was that's all I posited that we need to look at the policy because I don't see where it gives the board the area to have this very discussion when he if policy if um job descriptions come up that's where it seems like the board took it Authority through policy to say let the
151superintendent handle it and then we're in a position to vote it up or down instead of unpack and say this should be a chief not a coordinator where is that discussion happening I'm saying policy is not speaking to at this committee or in legal contracts the board with questions like where do we have as a board the discussions if we don't agree with a um a job description because the board has given Authority for the super to make it I don't see where we have the opportunity which is why it had to be pulled off the agenda I don't see where we have a real opportunity to really break down and say before it even comes to an agenda like no you we need you to rewrite this to say this that is my own
152that is my questioning um to my col that's it not that I completely disagree is just we might want to Recons considerer the policy to in some type of way to be able to have those discussions and member Jackson I I hear your questions um and so in in a desperate attempt to try to um even transparently um here since we do have less people who have stayed don't blame anyone um to to go through what is that policy and who you know and when we ask ourselves anytime as a board you know do we need to re examine a policy do we need to amend a policy do we need to improve a policy um what does do it allow us to do what does it prevent us from doing um and as a
153board what do we always have the authority to do um and as we take things into and out of committees so first I I will say superintendent um if I may ask were you able to um write those job descriptions yes yes so the they brief factual I I tried to take notes as you right right their brief factual uh job descriptions and um did anyone stop you from drafting a job description no we worked with legal on that so as a board we don't you know we have empowered our employee to write whatever job description they want and and and our employees can can do that when those jobs are brought to the board the board then has the authority to to look at it briefly and decide do I need more information do
154I not need more information to proceed on this thing and we always have that Authority and so as you said we needed more information these appear to be Equity jobs so we or Equity related jobs so we are having that conversation in the equity related space but I do not feel as member sych said we are in violation of any policy because we have allowed our employee to do everything that he's empowered to do and without changing any policy we have used the authority granted to us by our voters also to gain more information before we take action you do understand this was on a agenda this is only in this committee cuz I referred it here so before then if the the discussion was so limited it's I'm not confused I'm not sure what
155the whole breakdown you just did I'm clear what I'm saying is before it goes to agend I want to know before it goes to agenda like before a week before a board meeting or Clarity that if changes need to be made that the changes are made before it comes to an agenda like how we sit in committees and we talk about these these job descriptions I I don't know how more clear to make it what I'm saying I'm not agreement it's clear this meant he had time to do the job disc that's not my qu that's not what I'm questioning I'm questioning as a board member when it's on a policy and it's affecting people's jobs and I have other questions instead of getting to a point where I have to vote it down or
156feeling we talked about like press the hurry up and make this decision where are do we don't have it to where job descriptions naturally are coming they go to our legal team sees it but as far as the board seeing and said no fix this fix this fix this before it comes on the agenda is what I'm saying not that he didn't have time and I don't want to belabor this I hear you it's an equity committee fine I just it seems like my my um point was not clear I'm not dis I'm not the discussion it's in equity that's cool if it's going to stay in equity I'm saying in future times he can do a job description and then it's on we see it on the agenda and say we don't see the
157agenda sometimes like you looking at it before the meeting or maybe I don't know what people's times are and you see this job description and say if someone someone says hey I'm concerned about this job description what is this and then I as a board member agree I do have I have concern now it's on the agenda we have to say no and it's more when we could have handled business and made the corrections our suggestions our rationale to our employee to this you need to fix this and then we can vote and we're it's that's all I'm saying I don't see the process where that happens than thanks yes and I I agree as as a board we can be more active in building the agenda I I completely agree with that so um
158thank you um with that it does look like our next Equity committee meeting is scheduled for Monday the 3D at 5:30 um is there any other discussion before we close for the evening okay thank you all we will conclude at 8:03 p.m. thank you [Music]