001Okay, Dave, I can see we are live streaming. I'm going to give Alma just a minute because she There she is. And then we'll we'll get going. Thank you. >> Sounds good. Let me know because I I can start the webinar as well. So, I can go ahead and do that right now if you'd like. >> Yeah, I think we're good to go. She's she's just logged in here. Okay, we are good to go. >> All right, thank you. Um, all right. I'd like to call to order the February 19th, 2025 Force Grove School District Board of Directors meeting at 12:00 p.m. We will start with a roll call of board members present. Uh, Kate Grandoski >> present. >> Pete Truax >> here. And I think it's 2026, not 2025. >> Oh my gosh, 2026.
002Thank you. My agenda said 2016. It's It's We're all over the place. All right. Um Alma Lozano >> here. >> Briea Franco is not here at the moment. I will um note the time. She's coming in in a few minutes from class. Maya Andrade is excused today and in school. And I am here Christy Cocky. So if we could all take a moment and rise for the flag salute. I pledge allegiance to the flag >> flag of the United States of the >> United States of America and to the republic >> for which it stands. One nation under God >> under God indivisible >> indivisible with liberty >> and justice >> justice for all. >> for all. >> All right. Thank you everybody. I'm looking for a motion to approve today's agenda. >> So moved
003madam chair. Second. >> All in favor say I. >> I. >> All right. So, we are going to do two main things today. Um, the first is to talk about some advocacy planning that Pete and I were able to do a skeleton of this weekend to bring today to this meeting um as the subcommittee for advocacy. And what I'd like to do is present it in three buckets and then take a take take a minute to have every board member be able to weigh in. I thought about going through each one separately, but I think it makes more sense to just give the overall um framework and then let board members sort of give some general feedback. And our goal with that today is just to share this idea and get feedback and thoughts and
004adjustments that the board might like to consider. We would bring that feedback from this meeting um refine that and then bring it to our board discussion for the meeting on the 24th. So that would be the first section. The second section is just um talking about a new place we've or Bethy's put together where we can start to house our testimony. and what kinds of things in this folder the board ideas we have again for what we want to put in there how we want to put things in there and what we want it to look like and um Bethany I didn't ask you this if there's a chance to possibly share screen when we get there to where it is but we don't have to do that in this meeting if that's possible it
005might not be because this is a webinar and yeah okay all right so we'll start and Pete I'm going to I'm going to go over the three pieces and then what I'm going to do is toss it to to see if you want to add anything and then we'll just go down the line go to Kate and all that and hopefully Briea for some feedback. Um we talked about between now and June what are some structural and maybe systemic changes that we could consider as a board to help us streamline our advocacy and get some things in place. And we these are things we've mentioned on the dis before in conversations but they ended up landing in three buckets. And one was finding a more regular time where our representatives um man, but possibly others
006involved in bills that are affecting our district could come and talk with the board or have a two-way back and forth conversation. And our original proposal for right now was to think about using maybe this Zoom space um in the spring to invite reps Mlan and Sulman together to be able to give a recap of the short session experience to the board and have the board be able to ask questions, but also have our board be able to share um our thoughts on the short session and perhaps some ways that we want to work together once the session is over. So that would be Oh, and I'm just going to at 12:05. Welcome um to Briea Franco who has now joined us for the minutes in the record. Welcome, Briea. We just started talking about
007um this proposal for like a short-term advocacy plan idea for the board. Um, so the one bucket was that was finding a space or a time to have both of our reps come together, give us a summary, let us have some conversation. The second thing we talked about was uh strengthening the board's connection to our union leadership and what that might look like. We've we've explored ideas and we've mentioned this before of inviting union leaders to join us perhaps in a leadership meeting to just we just be able to sit down face to face. Um they had leadership that's changed over. We also have new leadership on the board and um but there's multiple different ways we could do that but there was an interest in building that strengthening that relationship with the board directly
008and it's a team with Dr. West and union leadership and board members and we all are kind of working together on what we need for legislation and also for advocacy and having an opportunity to talk more directly about how we do that together. And then the third part of this three-pronged plan and Pete you can correct me if I'm wrong here but this idea of rethinking how we use that summer retreat that the board does. I I was actually able to talk with Clinton uh the chair of Gaston this morning, kind of getting some feelings from different chairs about what they do in those retreats. And Gaston actually doesn't do a retreat in the summer with their board. They've never done that. you know, they and we we're thinking about can we use that summer
009space as more of a chance to do some engagement in a different way and maybe again build on this collaboration with our reps at that potentially in these chair meetings. There's definitely growing interest in what we did in January and trying to find ways between January and the next January where we all are working together. Um, but even in this conversation this morning with Clinton, we talked about this idea of, and it came up in January, building a template so that when legislators do write legislation, there's there's a formula they're following, which hopefully starts with let's see what we need. Maybe that summer time could be a chance to do more of a work type session with our legislators and board members and even building out what that template could be. I mean, I don't
010I'm just now I'm kind of spiraling. So, there's a lot of different ways to use that time. The question became, can we use that summer space not as an additional meeting, but an instead of a retreat to do something that's a little more tangible? So, I'm going to stop there. I'm that was that's a lot. That's all three pieces of kind of what we thought we'd put in front of the board and all of that is up for discussion, ideas, scrapping and restarting, but it's a starting point. So, I'm I'm going to pass it to Pete uh Pete to have you add anything I'm not thinking of or things that you think and then let's just if we can give every director a chance to sort of comment on any and all of that and
011just capture some of the things we're thinking right now. So, we'll start with Pete and then we'll go to Alma and then Besa and then Kate. >> So, thank you Madam Chair. the uh first couple of things uh concerning the legislators meeting with the board. Um in the next six, seven weeks that's not going to happen. Um I mean they are going from pillar to post right now and will beginning to do that. Uh I also suspect that given the current political situation that once the session is over, they are going to both uh Representative Mlan and Senator Salman since they have uh primary opponents are going to be working very very hard on on the primary election which comes up in May. And so a sit down with various school boards, I mean if
012they sit down with us, other school boards in their Baywick, Hillsboro Banks, so on and so forth are probably going to be asking this for the same kind of uh exposure, same kind of communication. and they're not going to be able to do that when they're trying to get all of that stuff done for the campaign. So, I think after the primary, which I think is a big thing because uh I'm not sure that um the winning Democrat in either one of those races is going to have a huge opposition from the Republican party in in Washington County. I could be wrong, but if we wait until after the election before the start of the general session uh in 2027, probably get a little bit more uh leg up on the stuff on the morning
013after the November election, you know, either email them or call them up or instant message them, do something to say, now congratulations now that you've one, these are some of the things that a what can we do to help in the legislative session and b what we think you can do to help us throughout the process. And between now and November, that's when we have to get all our ducks in a row as to what we think is important. um because their main job after the legislative session, after the short session is going to be to get reelected. Um, as far as strengthening the association, uh, strengthening the relationship between the associations and the board, um, we probably need, I would suggest having a sit down with their leadership, both leadership at the same time,
014saying, "What are we hitting on? What are we missing?" um and say we understand. We're going to agree to disagree on uh their continuing effort, the license license group continuing effort to get class size as a mandatory bargaining issue. Um and we can say, "Yeah, we you can give us your viewpoint on that. we'll give you ours and we're obviously right now going to agree to disagree on that, but then make every effort to say, "Listen, we got to get by that and get the things that we can agree on that we can come to consensus um for not only for Forest Grove, but for uh schools statewide. Um, and I'm not saying anything new there, but you know, I sat on the bargaining for the classified employees and um I think we opened a
015couple of avenues there, opportunities for conversation. Um and we need to need to build on that. Um and there are some other areas where we have developed a relationship with various individuals in both associations um where we're able to say can we build on this uh you and I have a have a good friendship have a good relationship ship. We know what we agree on. We know what we disagree on. We know where we can possibly come to agreement. We want to widen the pool of people that are involved in that so that we can get get those messages out there. And as far as rethinking the summer retreat, um I think Northwest Regional ESD needs to we need to meet with them more often. And while I enjoyed and thought that that meeting that
016we had with all the school boards and the electeds was an excellent meeting, putting that together has got to be a hell of a lift. And we can't do that all the time. um there is we aren't being paid enough to to get into that into that realm. So, I would suggest that perhaps um we we cut the call to herd a little bit and maybe give Christie and the other chairs uh the opportunity to meet more often. uh and maybe bring in somebody not from outside but another board member that maybe has some expertise or has offered something in their schoolboard meetings that the chair wants to share. Um but at least once every two years and maybe once a year before the session try to get that fullboated fullthroated uh group together. Whether
017the reps are there, reps and senators are there or not. the rest of us need to be able to get together to sit down and send a message not only to the legislature but to the Oregon School Boards Association as to what we need in the in Washington County uh school districts across that because you know through the work of Christy and others we are beginning to make a difference. I'll shut up. >> Okay, sounds good. Alma, >> I'm here. Sorry, I couldn't unmute. >> That's okay. That's fine. >> Um I So, thank you. Um I want to just clarify. So, we're trying, you know, discussing uh this option is just trying to get in create better communication uh partnerships with our legislators. Is that correct? This is why we're discussing this as an option.
018>> Yeah. I think we're just trying to figure out what does our advocacy plan look like for this board and it's probably two conversations. It's what structures and systems do we have in place or need to improve so that we can do this advocacy work more effectively which is I think some of what we're putting out there today but then what we haven't even talked about yet is what are those conversations once we're having them >> right >> what are they proactively instead of just responding to bills so I think it can be any and all of those things today just trying to gather everybody's thoughts of where we are think where we're thinking we're going and then trying to put something together for the next like Pete said maybe through November and beyond of
019what are the action pieces that we want to try to be working on. >> Okay. And now so far this would be during the retreat time. Correct. >> Well, I think we talked about a couple different ideas. One was finding a time where Rep. Soulman and Rep. MLAN are meeting with us on a more regular basis as a group instead of just oneoffs or one-on-one conversations and what that could look like. The second piece, as Pete said, was strengthening our collaboration with the union. So, we're aligning messages and and the third piece we thought about is is there a way to rethink how we're using that summer retreat time as a board to be more informative? And the reason that came up, and Kate's mentioned this several times, is we need to take this January
020show on the road, right? We need to get it in front of legislators. So, locally, the chairs, I mean, we've been talking about how do we continue to keep >> like after this all comes down in the short session and budgets are now cut 1%. Where do legislators, including our own, hear in the summer, this is how your policy has impacted our district right now in July or August. This is where we are making some adjustments and this is what we need with regards to the budget. So, there's kind of a need to and it seems like sometime in the summer might be an appropriate place to have that conversation. I I'll I mean I I'm going to let everybody keep going, but I think Pete's idea of the timing has been brought up by
021several different people including chairs of when we do that that has the biggest impact so that when they go into the next session they're we're way ahead of it. >> We've already Yeah. So thoughts on that that those ideas in particular, but then any other thoughts you have are what we're trying to just flush out today. >> Understood. Okay. I mean, I I personally do think that it's a good uh good idea to be in front of legislators and be in some sort of communication or partnership with them. After all, they are the ones who make those calls um you know that impact our school district. So, I I think it's a great idea. Now we can we can come together with understanding you know what are those topics that we will touch base uh
022with them um based on their availability as well. >> Okay. Yeah. I think the question was if if this board feels like that retreat time is something that is useful to us in particular or is it like G you know when Clinton mentioned from Gas and he's like we just have never done a retreat. we haven't noticed what we're missing from not doing one, >> right? So, are we doing one just for the sake of doing one at this point or have we kind of done the team building and started that last year >> and now this summer it just needs to look different for the purpose and intent? >> Yeah, I think based on obviously experience at least speaking for myself, I've I've only gone to one retreat. So, um I would be okay
023with using that retreat for this purpose. I think there's more intention behind it than what we currently do at the retreat. >> Okay. Um, let's go to Briea. Did I say or Kate? I've lost track, but Brieesa, go ahead. >> Hello. Um, I think just kind of going based off of what Elma just said about what is ad and what our conversation is, what does advocacy look like and how we're going to go into that. Um, I think like again, same as Edma, I only had one retreat experience. I thought that was a great experience just for the sole purpose of getting to know everyone and and kind of building us as a team because we were new. Um, but I think now moving forward, like I don't I think we've done a great job
024of of collaborating and knowing how to communicate um amongst ourselves as a board and communicating across with our community. So, I think using the retreat time for something else would be beneficial for us. Um, and then as to like meeting with our representatives and and kind of finding that time, I think now that we have established our our meetings on on Thursdays at at noon, possibly inviting reps since that's a consistent thing and seeing if they would like join us on Zoom or can use this time to have that conversation and and talk to them and kind of hear their thoughts on what building communication with them looks like. Um, and I know something that really stuck with me during that um, dinner that we had with our reps was MLAN had brought up kind
025of like stories like what does that look like? What are the impacts and and how is that directly how have the programs been beneficial for students or how have they not been beneficial for students and what that looks like on a smaller scale like how it's been specifically impacting students like with literacy programs or math programs like what what our success rates are and she talked a lot about kind of like stories and my understanding of that was kind of like this is a group of students and and they've excelled or like um personal statements from students saying like this is a program that I really like and this is how it's benefited me. I don't know if that would be helpful. I don't know if that's what she meant by stories. Um, but that's
026something that I've really thought about and can possibly have an impact on and kind of what our district needs are and what our student needs are on a smaller like a more focused scale. Um, those are kind of just my let's see my initial thoughts. Sorry, I took notes while we were all talking. Um yeah, I think I think those are my initial thoughts right right now. >> Okay, thank you Kate. Um so um the first one about um talking about let me read my notes for a second here. I was taking notes also. Um um I was thinking that and I like um Brieza's idea about on our every th once a month Thursday meeting is to invite um you know our representatives to be part of that that group. I think that's a
027a really good suggestion. I mean because that could be a regular basis. Um they could you know put it into their calendar. The other thing and and I don't know how it works so I I'll just toss it out there. I would really like to see us um do a Zoom meeting with the education committees. You know, I think there's like I don't know eight or 10 of them and that we do something like a 101 with Eileen. Um it but I think that it it doesn't have I mean originally I I thought we should all go down and I still think we should I think we should educate the legislators because there's going to be new people um after November is that we ask for a day we ask for a day where in
028the morning um the business managers from around the the state you know show where a small you know a small a mediumsiz and a large school district the challenges of the financial um issues and then in the afternoon have a discussion in our groups um and then I mean it it would take a lot of planning and doing but the majority of the legislators are not educators and they don't understand the nuances they don't understand the impacts of unfunded mandates and we are going to be really challenged the next three years um And you know, we're we're all going to be deficit spending unless there's some kind of miracle. The other thought that I had was that um if we maybe just Forest Grove also just Forest Grove, you know, even even though the session
029I I don't know when the session is going to end or if it's ended yet, but that we asked could we have a Zoom with the education committee. Um uh because there's eight I don't know how many is on there. I don't know if it's six or eight, but to begin to instead of we're we're responding to what they're saying, instead we give them information so that they can make decision better decisions than they're making. And I think that's pretty doable. We could just say, could we I know the committees I don't know, do they have what an hour long? Is that how the committees are working in Salem? Um I don't know. Anyway, we could figure that out. But I think that we need to take that committee and from that committee um say,
030you know, here's here's here's our budget. Here's what we're doing 101. I'm just talking off the top of my head, but then ask them to send us questions that they may have about the nuances of how we fund, how we operate as a school district because we we continually assume that they know what they're doing and understand. But it's really hard in these short bits where they they get a little story here or they get a little bit of information here or we gave you a lot of money last year but not so much this year. Um because we're you know anyway I'm I'm rattling on about that but I think that we need to do both. I think that we need to um I think we I really like the idea of legislators joining
031us on on a um on a monthly basis like what Brieza suggested. Um the second thing about leadership I think that's a great idea u with the classified and certified together and I think that somehow and I'm going to take class size. Class size is putting the numbers out and showing exactly what if we reduce you know the class sizes what the financial impact is and what how it affects our general fund and that we would have to lay people off. So if we reduce class sizes by two or by three and what that impact has and from that that there's a print out that goes to the leadership of both the classified and the certified. So it's not just the two people that are coming as the representatives or four people. It's it's going
032out it's a discussion we have but then it goes out to the membership to understand and it could be class sizes. It could be anything. Um, but I think that's a a really good issue. Again, talking about deficit spending. Um, the last thing is that the board retreats, they were to um to really to help um review the bylaws and um the agreements etc that the board has. And again, last year we had, you know, three new members, which was really important. Um, and that was an opportunity to go over it and get to know. I think that every time that there's a new election that we we need to do that. Um but um I really think that uh I'm open to a discussion about engagement, but I really like the idea Christie about
033um I know it's work for whoever becomes the chair, but the chairs in Washington County meet on a regular basis. Um and then again a print out of the discussion, the talking points, um some agreements, whatever, so that the rest of the board members throughout the region would know what was happening. I I think that's a good idea. I don't really I don't really have an idea um about the summer retreat. Let me think about that. But I do think that the chair is meeting on a regular basis uh and the Northwest Regional Group um one of the things about the Northwest Regional is that I I'm not sure that a lot of board members really understand the nuances of what they do. For example, that's how we go through outdoor school. And when we
034were when I was on the board and um one of the previous superintendents said, you know, we we can't afford um we can't afford outdoor school. Well, we had a reserve of $2 million at Northwest Region at that time. And also the bill that had just passed to allow for to help pay for outdoor school. Um, Forest Grove was one of the very first people that went and supported put in our application and almost I think almost everything was paid for new new sleeping bags, new um, raincoats, boots, etc., etc. And um, the other board members had no idea that there was a reserve at Northwest Regional at that time. So I I think somehow educating different aspects of of Northwest region would be really good for board members to understand and I don't have
035anything else to say. Okay. Sorry I had to do a little maneuvering here. Um, so I what what I'm kind of hearing and then I'd like to see Suzanne if you have thoughts or would like to contribute is there's maybe some consensus around the idea of potentially looking at inviting reps and or to your point Kate it might be baby steps to get in front of different members of the House and Senate ed but I don't think it's completely far-fetched to imagine that in the future maybe not this year but that at one of those zooms when we have Susan or Janine that we also have Lou Frederick come so he can share with us what the chair of Senate is doing. You know, I think there's a way to bring people into the conversation.
036Um but we can ex think more about that process. I'm hearing definite consensus around like let's just see if we can come to some understanding with our union leadership of again how we can support what they need from us, how we feel like they're hearing our message and all of that raft together and just keep going and building and the the summer retreat option I think is is an ongoing conversation. I think your point about the chairs, what's interesting is we are baby stepping towards these pieces that I think will make all of us stronger, the chairs now asking their boards if they can have a regular agenda item where there is a common message shared. That's what they're working on this month, right? And then what is that common message and how do we
037align that with what superintendents would like us to be sharing? And I think we're setting up some different pieces to be able to do that. And that's why, you know, I know there would be interest in some if I were to say, well, we're actually gonna do this thing in the summer where we just sort of do a drill down on where we are now with the changes. And I I know there will be other chairs that would be like oh could I sit in on that or you know not and I think Pete your point of we don't need to have another giant insane summit that took so much time and energy but is it could we do something on a simpler local level that accomplishes a more educational goal that then is sharable
038with other boards because other boards are interested in what that looks like. So, I'm I'm hearing that. I I see Pete's hand and then I'm going to toss it to Suzanne for thoughts and then we can kind of move on to the second option. >> Okay. I didn't I I think that annual meeting is good that I I I if I transmitted the idea that we didn't need to do something like that, I was that I was in error because I think having too many of those ends up being a huge lift for somebody for a number of people and that's not that's not what they're getting paid for. Uh but I think the opportunity to get that mass of education interested people in the same room talking about that subject sort of coaleses uh
039the metro Washington County around uh certain messages i.e. um FFA, um smart programs, things like that that are on the chopping block. If if somebody were to say, "Okay, I mean, those these programs are way too important uh to our district." Um and you need to you need to keep the spigot turned on on that one or on those programs. I think that's part of the excuse me part of the conversation. Uh the other one I think Brie's idea and um vocalization of telling stories. We have a great story in Forest Grove to tell about the Viking house and we've told it and we will tell it again. But I think keeping those kinds of student involved activities, student driven activities uh make uh make for for good news. And I don't know if the
040Viking House would be a part of that, those programs would be on the chopping block, but I would be amazed if that kind of elective program and electing quotes uh were was not on somebody's list because they need to cut money and they just don't know how critically important that program is for forest So, I'll shut up. >> Okay. No, that that is how I heard it from you. It's we don't need to have we can't just have big huge things all the time for no, you know, so I did hear that from you. I maybe didn't state that back correctly, but thank you for that. Um Suzanne, thoughts? >> Uh well, before sharing any thoughts, just a clarifying question. Um, all three of these options, if I understand correctly, are focused on advocacy. So,
041meeting with our local elected officials around um I'll use Pete's reference, how do we support them? How do they support us? What does cooperative advocacy look like um with our associations on the big topics? Christine, you brought up class size, making sure that we understand each other and finding points in advocacy where we can work together. Um, and then in terms of the retreat um the concept of chairs from around the region um coming together to work on what does a more unified advocacy response look like? So am I correct in understanding all of this is framed around this idea of advocacy? >> I think yes that that sounds like what I think we're trying to get to and even if this that summer time and coming back to Bree's idea is maybe anchored in
042an opportunity. I mean, it's almost like is it maybe a state of our state of the union for our regions with schools, you know, and we highlight like here's all the amazing things that are happening and but and we tie that to the budget which is I think what we're doing so well in January and yeah, but potentially yes. And I don't want I'm getting ahead of myself a little bit with the chairs, but I I do feel like there's they're leaning in and looking for Yes. What can we like Nobody is saying these are not great ideas. I think it's just trying to shift how we use time and do so effectively. And I'll add one more piece to think about this idea of the template that Janine brought up. And I just had
043a conversation with her about her 1555 bill, which no boards really knew about. I don't think most board members would know what that was. That was the bill to maybe overhaul our financial system. But what was interesting is she realized, I think, in some conversations with OSB and even KOSA and OASBO that there were most CFOs did not know that was being floated. You know, I so there's just it sometimes if there's a way that we can way before the session, not just before and maybe not waiting until after November, but start to say how can you re how can you build legislation around us? What is so building a template not for I think what we're talking about now is we need like an emergency template so when a bill comes out they can
044send it out and we can put fiscal impact together with our region and get it back to reps. But we're like let's back it way up. Let's help them write legislation that actually serves us. And that's what I would think in the summer we would try to get to. Now, that's really pie in the sky, but >> yeah. So, a just a couple of things to throw out for the board's consideration. Um, we don't have to have a retreat. That's certainly not a requirement. There are requirements that we need to address every year. So, for example, going back and looking at the bylaws and the agreements about how the board will work together, looking at the working agreements between the school board and the superintendent, looking at the timeline for an evaluation process for the
045superintendent. So, we don't have to do that in a retreat, but those functions that are normally done in a retreat would have to move somewhere else. So, I just want to put that out there. Um, additionally, the idea of board chairs coming together, whether it be a state of the district or however it's branded, if it's not the school board deliberating, making decisions, it's also not a schoolboard meeting. So, it could be something that is streamed as a town hall, but it doesn't really fit the definition of a schoolboard meeting. So that is something to consider because that actually would give you a lot more flexibility if I understand correctly what this um intent is for that third option. Um in terms of the first option and asking our elected representatives to the table, I
046agree with Pete. I think we're going to find ourselves in a compressed timeline given the order of events following the short session. So probably need to adjust some expectations there and accept that we may not be working with the same individuals we've come to know over the last few years depending on how things shake out. Um and then in terms of working with association leadership, I think we have a great relationship with our association leaders. We as a school district um they are great partners in the work that we do together. Um they also are working employees. So, as we think about how we engage with them, um I ask that we be thoughtful about working with within their structures for when their release time is and what that looks like so that as we
047have these conversations, we're not imposing on them any undue hardship. Okay. Any last comments on this um agenda item before we move to the second one? Any follow-up questions or comments? All right. Okay. Seeing none, we're Thank you everybody for the feedback. I think what Alma and I can do is talk with Suzanne and leadership about maybe some next steps to bring to the board. And um and thank you to Pete for the time that on the on our subcommittee to work through some of those ideas. Um the second item is where we are going to maintain or keep testimony for public access and I think the board will see and Bethany shared with you a link to get to or maybe it was just with me so far but I Bethany was it just
048me? Okay. So, so far just me. Oh, go ahead Suzanne. >> I thought we sent it out in the last Friday update to all board. >> That's what I thought. But >> you should have access to the show. >> Okay. Okay. >> Yeah. And so she has um with her organizational brain has come up with this idea of where we could house things that we do like testimony, like maybe articles that we've read and shared. And I think as we if each of you take some time to take a look at that in some of the folders that are in there, we also have um this list of this idea of being able to put topics down that each of us has mentioned at some point whether it's in leadership or one-on- ons. And so
049I went ahead and I think I if I remember I pasted in sort of a starter list from what I've heard from different board members of topics that we might want to go deeper into. But I believe you have access to be able to either add to that or it might just be if you email Bethany and say, "Hey, can you add this to the list?" Um, and those are all just working folder ideas right now. But I think I really like the idea of eventually being able to have our community be able to access testimony and union leadership to see our testimony that we put there and very transparent and when we reference it in our board meetings that it is somewhere um instead of just a Google doc. But I any thoughts that
050anybody has about that piece? Pete? Yeah, my thought first of all is if we draft something for other members of the uh school board to look at and for uh Dr. West to also uh be exposed to that I don't want being floated around in public. So if there's some way that draft, you know, this is a practice essay, I don't want that being bandied about until we get a chance to polish it. And I think the worst thing that could happen would be for somebody to write something that might uh be inflammatory but wants to raise that issue and then all of the sudden that gets branded as well this is what the school board wants to do. I mean try getting that toothpaste back into that tube. So, uh, that's what if there
051was a way that we could make sure that draft stuff stays draft stuff, uh, and not become policy without full and rich discussion. But how do you get that rich discussion without screwing around with the open meetings law using technical terms there? Well, I think I think that's a good point and we can talk about we can follow up in leadership too with some particulars. I I'm thinking things like when we do put something out to the board for a draft and I will send and that's rare when we don't do it before a board meeting, but it's individual, you know, do not reply all um be ready for comments when you come to the meeting. I would think we can think about only final testimony that's been submitted would go into this folder. It
052does make me think about the questions though. Maybe those are things that are just raised to leadership and then in leadership we can say okay these are the things who were raised and then Bethany and Suzanne can say okay let's add those to this list especially if it's a publicly accessible list but I think right now that's just for the board and Bethany did clarify that any board member can go into those folders now and add things to that list or see that list. Um so but those are good points Pete. I mean just thinking about and that also gets to this other piece of this where we've talked about um operating procedures presets coming up. Brie has made some really good points about just defining specific operating procedures and it's even things around um
053like that testimony that we did for 401. Well, how do I you know when who should be seeing that and when how do we get feedback? What what does that flow look like? I want to you everything that we we present it was of course going to Dr. West as well to get thoughts and ultimately she's also representing the whole district so she can put eyes on it and say okay let's think about this. So, I do feel like we have a good process, but if again, if it wasn't us, what is the process for drafting testimony? I just have been I talked about this at the meeting, just drafting one, you know, I'd rather have it be more intentional where when we want or if Brisa, you would like to provide testimony, what does
054that look like? Do you reach out to leadership first and ask if we do it as a board? You also have the prerogative to do it on your own. But what are our agreements around those pieces? I think that's for that's part of why we're opening up some of that discussion at a meeting like this. Just trying to figure out what are our thoughts. And Suzanne, you probably have a lot of information from previous districts of how people do that. I don't think we've really defined that in this district at at least as much as I can think of. I I not my knowledge have we. Again, this is my second year, so I feel like I'm still very much in a learning stance for Forest Grove School District. So, I want to preface what
055I'm about to say with that statement. Um, so the working agreements with the board is one place where that can be defined. Um, and again, that is traditionally something that we've had some conversation around during a retreat, but we can have that conversation anytime and update that anytime. Um, what I want the board to think about is that it is easier than you might think to violate public meeting laws. And so as we have conversations around how do we collaborate on a piece of writing, any kind of collaboration that will lead to a decision or any kind of deliberation that will lead to a decision is required to be in a public sphere. Um and so we we need to think carefully around if it is a collaborative effort on a letter that is probably
056a public meeting. If it is one or two board members drafting a public letter, sending it out in advance of a board meeting so people have time to think about it and then action is taken. That also is a public meeting. If it's Uh Besa for example has a question she forwards that to Bethany or to you Christie. We capture that and we disseminate the answer to that question to all board members but there's no deliberation, no conversation, no action. That is not a public meeting. So somehow we've got to be really careful about how we engage with these different pieces so we don't inadvertently violate the public meeting laws because it's easier to do than you might think. >> Yeah, I appreciate that. I think we I think we have been kind of hyper
057aware of that, but especially what I love about this board is we're it's not stopping us from thinking about how we communicate better. And I I appreciate that reminder. And I know there's a bill right now that's you might have seen in the news about what public there's all kinds of debate about that bill happening right now and who can talk to who when and so I do I do think we do a good job that the timing of testimony when we don't have a board meeting or something that's one separate issue that's seems unique to um session when you do get something quickly in but you need the board to weigh in and maybe those are things where we do build in if we need that public meeting. It's a quick 10-minute Zoom, right,
058where we can but then of course Yeah. So, there's a couple special situations like that that I think we've been very open about in the meetings like we have to get this testimony in the next 24 hours. How are boards doing that? Typically maybe the way around that Suzanne I think is what we've done where the board gives the chair permission in the work working assign right to be able to do a testimony on behalf of the board if it's under these agreed topics. I don't know I mean that's its own little bucket but yeah there's a lot of little different buckets that I think we could define clearly so we all can follow this protocol. >> Exactly. It can be exactly what you just described. It can be authorization by the school board for
059one or two members to speak on behalf of the school board and testimony. As you've said, I would recommend sharing that testimony with all of the board before that actually happens. It can be individual board members speaking on their own behalf. um you are um able to use your title while speaking on your own behalf, but to differentiate that from I'm speaking as the Forest Grove School District School Board. Um or we can bring it into the boardroom and we can have some deliberation about it and land on a collaborative um written document or oral comments for public testimony. Any other questions or comments about that topic for now? We can kind of work on getting some things down a little bit more clearly for everybody. Nothing. Nothing. Okay. I think that I think that
060might be it. Can we We can't really do good of the order in a meeting. Is there I mean any of other last comments before we sign off? Thank you, Pete and uh Christie for all your effort. It's good good work. >> Well, you got you all know that when you're in a conversation with Christie, you say hello and that's the last thing you ever say in in many regards. I just want to make reiterate that I think the annual retreat is vital. I mean it's not just something worth saving. It's absolutely vital and it's key as to how we use it. Dr. West says there are certain things that have to be done on an annual basis and the retreat gives us an opportunity to do that and not take time away from uh
061one of the regular board meetings in the evening. Um the the other thing about the retreat is that it allows us now that the next retreat we will have the same board. There won't be any additions. So us newcomers will have a year's experience under our belt and there are things that will come up between now and next August that are going to be hugely important. It'll be election topics. Um it'll be proposed items for the 2027 legislative session. Um, we'll have that time frame to uh talk about what's what's on the agenda, what might be on the agenda for that um 2627 school year also. So I think that that whole thing is is imperative that we use that not as the get acquainted thing which we spent a lot of time with in
062the meeting and that was that was absolutely necessary but since we have broken bread together for a year now we're able to get uh get beyond that and get into those items. I would expect that the retreat every other year would be that and in the off years and the years when we have new individuals coming on the board. If that's the case, then we use that for get acquainted and an idea as to how uh this ship is run and an idea as to perhaps what the new member might say as to maybe I ran because I wanted to make some changes and these are them uh or those. Um, so that's I think the the retreat, the annual retreat takes on a different flavor every other year and I could have said that
063and stopped and would have saved you a hell of a lot of time. >> No, it's all good. So I Oh, >> I've listen I've listened to Christie a lot and I've learned a lot from her about No, I'll be quiet. >> All right. So, and I did send out and I appreciate the board gave some feedback to how we are assessing ourselves on those 12 domains of successful boards. And so, I think on Tuesday I'll share where we are with that. We were pretty aligned in where we need to improve and what we're doing well. And I think we can kind of come back to that too and evaluate when we have time. So, thank you. Thank you to Bethany for getting the talking points ready and being here and Dave for being Enrique
064today and Suzanne for being here and for everybody showing up and at we're gonna adjourn officially at 12:58. Thank you everybody.