001[Music] Heat. Heat. Heat up [Music] here. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat up here. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat up [Music] here. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Music] Hey, hey, Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Hey, [Music] hey, hey. Yeah. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Hey, hey, [Music] hey, hey. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. N. [Music] Heat. Hey, heat. Hey, heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Come on. Oh, Mary. Hey, where you going, >> Larry? [Music] So, now you going to go to the bathroom. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Okay, welcome everybody. Roll call, please. Chairman Smith >> here. >> Mrs. Black here. >> Mr. Connor >> here. >> Mr. Dy
002>> here. >> Mr. Gro >> here. >> Mrs. Haden >> here. Mrs. Jones >> here. Mr. Keane >> here. >> Mrs. Schaefer >> here. >> Mr. Slater >> here. >> Miss Thomas >> here. >> Superintendent Dr. Roberts >> here. >> Okay. Thank you. Need a motion to approve our agenda. >> Move to approve. >> Second. Point of order. >> Scott, do we need to make a motion or anything to add Felissa's stuff to the she she wanted >> we already have totally added. >> I I took that as as that is the proposed agenda. So So noted. Thank you, Mr. Connor. >> And and also I note that Mr. Dy had a proposed policy amendment. So our records reflect that both of those are on the the proposed agenda. >> Mr. Chair, we there's Mr.
003Bennett, there's also amendments to the centerstone agreement. >> Yes. >> Well, do we still need a second? >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> This is motion to approve the agenda. Mrs. Black, >> yes. >> Mr. Connor, >> yes. >> Mr. Dy, >> yes. >> Mr. Gro, >> yes. >> Mrs. Haden, >> yes. >> Mrs. Jones, >> yes. >> Mr. Keem, >> yes. >> Mrs. Schaefer, >> yes. >> Mr. Slater, >> yes. >> Miss Thomas, >> yes. >> Chairman Smith, >> yes. So, Mr. Mullins, are you in the house? There you are. Welcome, Mr. Mullins, our principal at Udawa High School. Thank you, Mr. Mullen. >> Good evening, Chairman Smith, members of the board, Superintendent Dr. Robertson. Uh, thank you for allowing me to be here tonight. I'm going to ask that all would stand for
004our pledge, please. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. You may be seated. Before I start tonight, I feel led just to say a big thank you to our law enforcement and first responders today who acted uh so bravely and quickly with the events uh in and around UTC today. Uh very thankful for them and very thankful that everyone is safe and and home with their families. Um as we begin this meeting, let us take a moment to reflect on the joy and promise that comes with the start of a new school year. There is something truly special about these first days. Hallways once quiet now hum with
005energy. Classrooms are filled with conversation and the air is alive with anticipation. We reconnect with colleagues and students we haven't seen in a while. And we welcome new faces into our community. These moments remind us that education is not just about instruction. It's also about connections. The start of the school year is a celebration of relationships. It's in the smiles exchanged at the morning dropoff, the laughter shared in the lunchroom, and the quiet encouragement offered in the classroom. It's in the joy of seeing a student light up, and they feel seen, heard, and valued. And at the heart of these connections is a powerful commitment to know every student's name and every student's story. Because when we know who they are, where they've been, and what they hope for, we can walk alongside them, not
006just as educators, but as champions of their growth. We celebrate the friendships that are just beginning, the bonds that will grow stronger, and the shared experiences that will shape this year. We honor the sacred trust placed in us by families and communities, and we recommmit ourselves to creating spaces where every child feels safe, supported, and inspired. As we carry out this work before us, may we be guided by that same spirit of connection, care, and purpose. May we never lose sight of the individual lives behind every decision we make. And may we move forward with joy knowing that the work we do together has a power to transform lives. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Mullins. Thank you. So, we've got some exemplers of excellence. Coach James is getting to be a regular
007figure around here. >> A good thing. The good thing is it's my favorite part of the job is that to to be able to come and celebrate the accomplishments of our student athletes here in Hamilton County School. So, Chairman Smith, thank you for your time. Distinguished members of the board, Dr. Robertson, Dr. Stewart, thanks for having us. Um, the kid I'm going to present to you, and I I probably shouldn't call him a kid anymore. He's a young man. Uh, he's actually uh continued his wrestling career at UTC. uh talked with this this young man at length and uh you know to be a state champion especially in sport of wrestling and you know I think I've played about every sport there is and to me rough uh wrestling is probably the toughest sport that
008there is. It's almost like being a two- mileer in in track and field and having to fight the whole time while you're doing it. you know, it just it's a complete total body uh uh exercise for for six minutes and sometimes longer if necessary. But for Mr. Urchuk, six minutes was a rare rare event in his career because he he pinned almost everybody that that he ever wrestled. But I want to go ahead and recognize uh our first ever as Hamilton County Schools fivetime state champion uh wrestler and his name is Mr. Ethan Urachuk. Uh he is uh he is from Signal Mountain High School. Uh his his one of his assistant coaches here. Uh Dean, if you come up, this is Mr. Dean Clemens. He was assistant coach on the Signal Mountain wrestling team.
009Uh you may recognize the Urachuck name. Uh how many state championships between you and your your two brothers? >> 16 state championships. So uh he's got both brothers at West Point. Both two brothers at West Point. and he is a he is a future uh national champion mock is what we're we're pulling for you. Okay. So, uh I'm going to go ahead and read this the exemplar. It's with immense pride and admiration that we recognize Ethan Urchuk of Signal Mountain High School as the first ever fivetime state wrestling champion in the history of Hamilton County schools. This historic achievement is a testament of Ethan exceptional dedication, resilience, and sportsmanship. Uh he has represented his school and our district with distinction and honor both on and off the mat and we wish him the best as
010he continues to uh his athletic career at the University of Tennessee. Chad goss. All right. Uh we uh we we appreciate everything you've done. We we wish you the best in the future. And I just like to present you this certificate and recognize your uh your board member. If you would come down front, Mr. Dardy. >> Yeah. uh you uh would like to get a picture with you gentlemen or if you would like to say something, the floor is yours, sir. >> I'd love to. Thanks, Coach James for setting this up. Coach Clemens, thank you for coming. Um just just to reiterate what he said there, there's been and and Anna, my wife, keep me honest. There's been three young men in the history county in private school. So, private school and public school that
011have ever >> in the whole state of Tennessee that have been a four-time state champion. I think Baylor McAulay where they're at. that I say that to say this is as big of a deal it is to be the first public school. This has only been done three times in the entire state of Tennessee. So, it's an incredible accomplishment. So, on behalf of the board, on behalf of District 2, on behalf of, you know, where I get to represent Sigma Mountain, where I get to hopefully send my kids one day, I just want to commend you for all the hard work you did. And I know your parents were obviously a huge piece of that, but you represented the mountain so well. You created a legacy. I know you helped that program. Um, so congrats,
012man. I appreciate what everything you've done. [Applause] Do a take down there. >> Get in there. Get [Laughter] >> leg. Come on. >> Yes, sir. Yes, sir. >> Good luck. >> Hey guys, in closing, I want to apologize for my casual attire tonight. I'm going to ball game Chattanooga Central. Uh, Signal Mountain Open Kickoff at 7 o'clock tonight. after you get done with the board meeting, if you don't have anything to do, come out and support our kids in in the first kickoff of the year. So, thank y'all very much. [Applause] >> It's pretty amazing. >> Thank you so much. Thank you, Coach James. >> Uh, we have another recognition and Dr. Stewart has got your name here, but I I'm going to steal your thunder a little bit because uh uh Doc uh Miss
013Reynolds just came to Loftess this year up in District Three and we've all fallen in love with her and the great work she's doing. So, come on, girl. >> Thank you. Thank you. All right. Good evening, uh, Hamilton County School Board members, Dr. Robertson, Dr. Stewart, distinguished guest. Really appreciate this opportunity and I'm excited to to, uh, recognize someone else that's worthy of recognition. Uh, my name is Bethany Reynolds. Like he said, I'm the principal at Loftess. So excited to be there. I first want to pause and recognize the weight of today in our community. Uh many of our families and staff have been affected by the events that unfolded earlier and I was reminded once again of the mental composure and selflessness of our educators. Even while carrying on professional worries about their families,
014they place the needs of our students first. And that kind of dedication is a hallmark of Hamilton County Schools and the incredible people that serve here. So, I wanted to recognize that as well. Um, before I share tonight's recognition, I want to introduce uh Saudi Daisy Middle School administrators, Principal Karen Cox and Deianne Moulder uh that are here today to support our teacher Stacy. Yes. Yes. And they're here to uh to uh to support uh a fantastic teacher, Miss Stacy Higgins. Um and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to to now serve here and North River. and it's truly an honor to be to serve along such uh incredible educators in Hamilton County. Tonight, I'd like to share a story that speaks to the courage and professionalism and extraordinary care of one of our teachers.
015Too often, the stories that caption capture our attention are the ones that go wrong. But this summer, um during our summer reach program at Loftess, uh something went incredibly right. On June 13th, Miss Stacy Higgins, noticed that one of our students, Emma Chapman, was walking up the stairs in a way that was unusual. And when Emma was unresponsive to uh directives to come back down the stairs, uh Miss Higgins just followed her closely and tried to talk with her. Um they reached the very top of the stairs. And at that point, when they got to the very top, Emma began to seize and have a seizure. Um Miss Higgins caught her and guided her safely to the ground, preventing a dangerous fall. Uh she protected her head and positioned her on her side and called
016for help all while calmly reassuring nearly near nearly 60 other students in the gym. Uh our school nurse Sher Shelley Hardy um arrived to administer uh emergency medication and together they assured that Emma safety uh Emma safety until our emergency responders to could transport the student to Children's Hospital. Um, one of the emergency responders later told me it could have been way worse had it not been for Miss Higgins. Um, Hamilton County schools is filled with remarkable teachers like Miss Higgins. They don't just teach lessons or manage classrooms. They change lives and sometimes they save them. Our students are worth every ounce of preparation, vigilance, and care that we can give. In Hamilton County Schools, we have a renewed focus on joy as a strategy. Um and one of and one way we build joy
017is by practicing gratitude. So tonight uh I want to I want to share some and express some gratitude for Miss Higgins. Uh her courage and compassion. Uh gratitude to her leadership team for their support and to all the educators who show up every day ready to give their best. Uh wherever we are, I encourage us to be all there because our students deserve nothing less. It's my honor to articulate this recognition from our school board and Hamilton County Schools District for Miss Stacy Higgins remarkable actions. Miss Higgins, on behalf of the school board and Hamilton County Schools, it's my distinct privilege to thank you publicly for your courage, professionalism, and care. So, everyone, if you don't mind, please join me in celebrating her outstanding example. [Applause] I I too have a um her her husband
018is here as well. U Mr. Higgins your name. That's his name. What's your name? >> I just Jim Jim Higgins. I met him right before and I just completely forgot. We have um a certificate to give you and um we'd like to recognize you as well. So everybody, thank you so much. We appreciate you. Is that you, >> Steve? And Joe, >> good job. [Applause] Thank you so much. Shoot. [Applause] Okay, it takes us down to our member disclaimer. And as I recall, there just one, I think, in there. >> I declare that I have a family member who works for the school system and that the board's vote on budget, policies, etc. may have an effect on my relatives employment. Even so, I hereby certify that I will cast my vote in the best
019interest of the school system. >> Okay. Takes us down to our consent agenda agenda. Need a motion to approve. >> Move to approve. >> Need a second. >> Second. >> A motion to second. Any items to be pulled? >> 8B3. >> 8 B three. >> Three. >> So, pharmacy benefit manager. >> Yes. >> Just a question. >> Okay. That's nice. >> Any other items to be pulled? >> M. That's actually not on the consent. >> That's I'm sorry. Is that under board matter? >> Thank you. >> Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. >> So, any any items? Any anything else? >> Okay. Roll call. >> Mrs. Black? >> Yes. >> Mr. Connor? >> Yes. >> Mr. Dy? >> Yes. >> Mr. Grown? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Haden? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Jones? >> Yes. >> Mr.
020Keane? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Schaefer? >> Yes. >> Mr. Slater? >> Yes. Miss Thomas, >> yes. >> Chairman Smith, >> yes. Uh, takes us down to administrative business matters. Uh,ouou with Centerstone Mental Health. Need a motion to approve. >> So, move. Second. >> Got a motion in a second. Any discussion? >> Yeah, I'd like to pull for discussion. >> Okay. Go ahead, Mr. Dry. >> Yep. Um question for you, Dr. Robertson. Um just for our own understanding, obviously new to the board, first time I think we've looked at this with this group. Help me understand what exactly this group the intended u what's the goal with them? What's their intended purpose? >> Yes. So got a couple people from Centerstone here. Ask them to come up. Lindsay Finson, the area supervisor, and Dan Mansfield, the
021regional director. As you said, Mr. We've been partnering with uh Center Stone for a number of years. Um we know that we've got uh kids that have s significant needs that uh within our counselors uh and and other support groups, we don't necessarily have the uh capability to serve them the right way. Um this is for uh referrals. We refer uh these parents and students to Centerstone. Um, so there I know there's a lot of misinformation out there. This is with parental consent. We're these aren't uh these aren't counselors that are have an office in our building that kids are going. This is being referred to the parents that then connect with Centerstone and get services. They can be for uh behavioral issues. They can be for um you know mental health issues around suicidal
022ideiation, things like that. Uh, but it if it might be helpful, I think that um Dan may be able to come up and and help us provide some context. >> Thank you for that introduction. Appreciate it. Appreciate being here today. Um, so Centerstone represents community mental health in this area as we do across Middle Tennessee. Um, we have a strong partnership with Hamilton County Schools over the past decade and more. And last year we were present in 32 different schools serving over 2600 students. Um and and as you said we uh always provide um parents the opportunity to discuss our services prior to engaging in those services. We have informed consent that is obtained prior to starting with those services. And of course, if there's any concern about custody or informed consent, we're going to
023pause that treatment until we clarify um what the issues may be around a parent or guardian. So, I'm happy to talk about um any other specific questions, but over this past year, I did want to highlight that we also treated diagnoses such as uh PTSD or other trauma- related issues, uh anxiety disorders, neurodedevelopmental disorders, um and mood or depressive disorders. But um we represent the roughly 6% of the 45,000 students enrolled in Hamilton County schools that have mental illness or severe persistent mental illness that need services in order to be able to excel academically and achieve their best self. >> Appreciate that overview. To be clear, Dr. Robertson, we're not paying this group presently. >> So So then what is the the incentive then for this group to be part of this program? >> The
024incentive for centerstone or incentive for us? center stone. >> Yeah. >> It gives >> Well, I mean, >> it gives them opportunity. Well, >> I'm curious. >> It gives them opportunity. It gives >> Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Let me let me >> We're here to serve at your pleasure. >> When When I read the memoranding, I see a requirement you have to have 30 cases for a CA for a case load. Is that correct? >> That is roughly correct as far as covering the cost of our services. But all of our services are paid for by >> Tenare, >> right? >> So or or Safety >> Net and those services can also be received at our at our local office in Chattanooga if that is the family's preference. >> So your your group,
025you have the ability to decide based off these 30 case load numbers whether or not an individual or child requires these services. You guys make that designation yourselves. Um, all of our employees are masters level trained in either social work, marriage and family therapy, or professional counseling. And as part of the initial process, when we receive a referral through the school, we will meet with the family to complete an initial intake assessment and determine what level of care they may need. >> Okay. No further questions this time. Uh, uh, Miss Jackie, >> thank you. Um M chair I I I'm I I stood here well sat here and listened in the beginning when the young lady stood up and talked about all the negativity about mental health service for children. But yet on this board
026I continue to hear you all talk about safety and if this happens will a child have a telephone to call and all of these things. Everything she stood at that podium and said was incorrect. And whether someone is a Christian or not, she does not know. They may not teach through the Christian philosophy, but children come in and discuss what they need to discuss. And I think that's our problem because we think all children can just be resilient, but they're not. The mental health services that they offer can be offered also in a in the home outside of the school. So you're holistically working with a family because we know some children have issues but the parent has to give the consent before the child even participates. It's only allowing uh uh an agency to
027be there as an opportunity for a child to receive the service if needed. No, they're not forcing them to go. They're not making them parents sign up for it. They don't have to. It just amazes me how everybody talks about children and in their best needs, but yet no one wants to continue to meet their mental health needs and think that we're in violation violation of parents rights, children's rights, when the reality is in any mental health service, you have to have permission in order to go forward. It's not like they coming in and saying we can't. Now there are some rules around ethics when it comes to what is disclosed in those meetings. But one thing is that that if they disclose any harm to themselves or anyone else has to be disclosed for
028safety reason. So I think we keep giving this mental health system and all of this. We we're just going for me you just going too far with it because the minute something happens you all are going to be on here talking about they didn't have this wasn't in place and we're going to be blamed when we're trying to when the school system is trying to put people in place to help address the needs. Will there be kids missed? Yes, there will be. But I'm just so tired of the negativity when it comes to mental health services. And we have so many children that you all don't think in need that are truly in need of these services. And I'm I know I'm let me get off because I know I can keep on talking about
029this. But that's all I wanted to say. Thanks. >> Thank you for that. Thank you, Miss Jones. >> So Jackie actually said a lot of what I wanted what I wanted to say, but I do want to say this. Um, everybody knows I'm a social worker. My very first job was a grant-f funded community liaison position with Centerstone Mental Health in Nashville, Tennessee, where I worked in a in a therapeutic preschool offer venture way. Um I worked with children in their early education settings and I worked with them in schools and then I was promoted to a um an in outpatient therapist. Kids came to me um and I was able to work with them there. So, I'm very familiar with what Centerstone does, but even more so, I am very familiar with what Centerstone
030did and continues to do in the lives of students in the district that I represent. More particularly, um, after the events of November 16th, no, I'm sorry, November 21st, 2016, in which we had 37 families, 37 children and their families affected by a tragic bus crash. I watched children be afraid to take baths because the water to their bodies felt like the shattered glass through the window. I watched parents come back from losing their only child all with the supports and those are just two instances of 37 families or beyond the the teachers myself um as a leader. I know for a fact that if it had not been for organizations such as Centerstone, if it had not been for Miss White in that building, um I don't think she would mind me saying that
031because she was a centerstone therapist at the time, if it had not been for her and the staff there, that some of those children would not have graduated this past May walking across the stage for Hamilton County Schools at Briner High School or at Tiner or at Howard. their parents wouldn't have been able to stand there and get their diplomas postumously if they had not had supports from people like centerstone. And so I do want to say that while we talk about all of these while there are some I should say in our community that would like to negate the benefit of services be it centerstone Joe Johnson cadis volunteer min wherever it's coming from focus park ridge valley wherever or your private Christian therapist or whomever there are benefits to this and as a
032Christian I will say that I believe God calls all kinds of people to do all kinds kinds of things. And there is benefit to therapists just as there's benefits to pastors. Pastors are counselors. >> Pastors have some of these same degrees and and certifications. And so I do not take it lightly that people use my Jesus and my God as a vice for their own personal methods. I've said where you sit and your workers sit, sir. I've also sat on the opposite side as a family member and someone who has received services and I've seen the benefit of both. So I do not take it lightly that we have skilled educated professionals in our system be it centerstone or Hamilton County hired that are able to support our children and keep them safe and given
033in light of today because everybody keeps mentioning in light of what happened today. There's going to be a child tomorrow that's going to need a referral to centerstone or somewhere else in light of what happened today. Because children are resilient, but it doesn't mean that they forget their experiences. They bounce back from them, but it does not mean that they forget them. And I want this board to know from my standpoint that we should be cognizant of that because but by the grace of God, it's somebody's child today and it could be yours or mine tomorrow. >> Thank you, Miss Jones. Miss Shaker, >> my question is Senator Stone's not the only agency that can provide these services. >> So when have we put this out for other agencies such as Kadis? >> Yeah, we
034>> Well, I know that, but I'm just saying there are other agencies. >> We have Helen Ross McNab. >> We we've got other agencies that we work with as well. We we work with OnPoint um and then uh Helen Ross McDab, right, that provide similar services. I I'll go back to the question I thought was being asked like what is the benefit for us as a district? Obviously there's a benefit for center stone but for us as a district what we recognize is there are a lot of families and kids that don't have the resources and don't have the connections to uh to get this kind of assistance and help. And I want to be clear again this is with with full parental consent. What I see for us as a district is we're being
035a connector of families to resources >> on the parental consent side. Are they coming into the classroom to absorb? >> They they do not come >> see the child. >> They do not come in the classroom for it's individual and family therapies. >> We we do not provide any kind of classroom. >> Are they observing the student >> observation unless the school has asked us in the past? Now that is a typical practice of like functional behavioral analysis but that is only at the request of the school and that is not the typical plan for how we execute treatment. We will provide individual treatment. We will provide family therapy whether it be in the school or in the home setting. >> That's where my concern lies is if there is classroom observation of children whose
036parents haven't consented. I I would recommend if that's like what's keeping us, then let's put something in there that says if we're doing that, we'll get consent of families in the classroom. >> And to my knowledge, the the changes to theou that's before you today includes your legal department's um recommendations to change that wording. I think it was bullet point three or four. >> So we we are happy to follow any policy and procedure that the school so suggests. M I can interrupt >> to address that. If you look at the the third bullet point, it provides support Hamilton County Schools will support the counseling services to allow the school-based therapist access to the students in classrooms. And here's the added language in accordance with established school policies and procedures. So what what that recognizes
037is that we have procedures in place that allows uh specialists to observe our kids in the classroom as necessary and as appropriate. And we obviously do have protocols in place to make certain that people aren't just running the school and they're not seeing things that that that would in that would invade the privacy of other students. So we have ways to to to safeguard that. The recognition here was that if Centerstone is there providing a service, they should not be at a disadvantage relative to other people whom we do allow to to access the classroom. So you mentioned, for example, functional behavior assessments. If you have a child whose behavior is disruptive, then obviously you want behavior professionals to observe that child briefly in the learning environment to develop an assessment of what interventions you
038can take play. you you could implement to address the child's behavior. So we we already do that and so this language here was to put them on the same footing as other professionals, not better but also not worse. >> So back to my first question, Dr. Robertson, why do we not haveus with other agencies? Why just centerstone? We have hadus with other agencies >> currently or have had >> um I I'll need to look into that. Uh do you give me we can get it back tomorrow? I don't know. >> To my knowledge there are there are currently some schools that receive services from um Helen Ross McNab. >> We'll look it up. >> We used to have anou with lighthouse but >> lighthouse. >> Yes. It's just the only one we have currently. >>
039It's the only one we have currently though. I I believe >> I I don't think that's correct. We're looking it up to to see. >> And then parents are just for record purposes. Parents are always able to take their child wherever they want them to go to receive supports of these types. Nobody's saying they have to utilize centerstone, but it is a resource that is readily available to recommend them to. But if the parent want to take them to Timbuktu to a therapist, they can get them in the car and take them. >> So check. >> Yes. Sorry. >> Okay. >> So Miss Black, excuse me just a sec. Go ahead. >> So with onpoint through community forward as part of the community forward program who >> community forward program and the schools that we're
040s serving >> on that's not that's not a mental health agency. They do work in spaces like this. Yes. >> They're not. But that's not a mental health agency. >> And then Helen Ross McNab has school-based use. >> Okay. All right. >> Okay. M. Black. >> And on the one left is mental health court. >> Um >> I just want to be clear there are instances you can provide like a therapy session at the school if that's what the parent consents to. >> That is correct. Yes. Okay. Um, I feel like there is a real disconnect between the public discourse about how available these resources are to families and what the actual lived real experiences of families in our communities are. Um, not everybody can has the resources, support, or availability to make it to
041a therapist appointment before 6 p.m. for their children. That doesn't mean that their children don't deserve to have mental health supports. Um, I see this as just taking care of our kids with the parents permission, but this is a way that we can support our students and our families and help address some of these issues that we don't have control of outside the home, right? But that definitely affects the way that our students show up to school every day. Um, I I just get really frustrated when the narrative is always, well, the parents can take care of that. Not every caregiver can. Some caregivers work nights. Some caregivers have two or three hourly paying jobs. Not every caregiver can make office hours for a traditional doctor or therapist's office. the fact that we are able
042to offer these services at school for the families who can't get there or just make it easier for our kids to access mental health services that they need I think is a good thing if there is something happening with I'm not with my kids every day at school. I don't know what like who they're beefing with with their st with their peers. Like I don't know these things because I'm not at the school. If a teacher or a counselor or an administrator sees something happening with my kid and tells me, "Hey, I think they need help." And we can do that here. I I want as a parent, I want to know. I want to know. And I think most parents feel that way. And we really need to again emphasize this is not being
043pushed on people. It is being offered. This is not required. It is an offering that they can choose and it is a way that we can take care of the kids in our school building. Um and I just wanted to be really really clear that everybody understands that not every caregiver can access these things outside of school hours. um and what you do is really important. Thank you. >> Thank you. Shade. >> Yeah. I just had a quick question because you said um that Tinare provides you know the costs of the services and all. What if do I mean a lot of kids probably don't qualify for Tinare and I was wondering about those kids? >> Sure. Great question. So, uh, for those that don't have tenare, um, we can screen them for safety net
044block grant coverage through the state. Uh, that is based on a qualified mental health diagnosis and their household income. Um, so so we can certainly go through that with a family to see if they qualify. We also have a uh a sliding scale or client assistance program um, if they don't qualify for safety net that extends that eligibility. Um, and then of course if they have commercial insurance, we have licensed providers in a few of the school systems, but we also have licensed providers at the clinic that they can see as well. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Yeah. Thank you, Chairman. Um, here's where my reservations are. Um, and everybody's kind of giving their opinion on so I'm just going to give mine and mine's from a position of a parent. Um, here
045here's here's where I have hesitation. I don't know you that well. You seem like a nice guy. Um, but where I have pause is people that are not part of Hamilton County school system directly. Meaning, I don't know really much about your company's philosophy. I certainly don't know much about any of the individuals that you're going to employ across this school system. I don't know their background, their beliefs, their ideology. and the idea to to to put someone that we really don't have quote unquote control over from an employee perspective that doesn't align with our values when when Dr. Brown hires someone to be a position that gives me grave reservations because at the end of the day growing up's hard enough and um obviously it's personal responsibility and Jill I hear you. I know
046that like not everybody is there and I know it's difficult but the idea of of putting people that we don't know that didn't go through a hiring system having an impact on a kid in a very vulnerable time in their life gives me absolute reservation as a parent. about our future. >> Thank you, chair. >> If I may read something in response to that, um I I am a marriage and family therapist by trade. Um trained at Louisville Presbyterian Seminary. Um, and part of my code of ethics creed or or um requirement is that as a marriage and family therapist, I provide professional assistance without discrimination on grounds of race, age, ethnicity, socio socioeconomic status, disability, gender, health status, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or relationship status. And it is not our place
047as a mental health provider to affirm or unaffirm someone's personal beliefs. It is not. And so if there is a particular issue that needs to be discussed, I I'm welcome to do that. Um it is the parents place in the home and and it is their job to help instill morals and values within their household and with their child. Um, so we are there to treat the mental illness, not necessarily push a specific value system, if you will. Um, so I'm happy to discuss that further if necessary. >> Thank you for clarifying that. And, uh, thank you, chair. So, everyone that works for your company um is has a license, has been uh approved by either a college or or has their certification that they have gone through all the educational materials to be a
048licensed therapist. Correct. >> To to clarify, >> all of them have earned a degree, a master's degree in like I said, social work, marriage, family therapy, or professional counseling. Not all of them have a license but are working towards a license under the supervision of a licensed provider >> similar to our educators that I referenced in my report. So u okay. So I just kind of want to put it in perspective because we're kind of throwing them under the bus for somebody who is far and away a master of their craft. That I think that what is what it means to hold a master's degree. You're a master of your craft. In perspective, if you broke your arm, got in a car wreck, or god forbid, there was an actual active shooter today at UTC
049and you were rushed to Erlinger, would you all have stopped and said, "Hey, I don't know you. Could we talk for a minute before you start to do surgery on me? This this is something that, you know, probably a little little bit of a a big deal. I'm bleeding out, but I want to make sure I know you personally before I let you treat me." or do you trust that they've gone through all the background checks, all the hoops we put through them? I everyone on this board's been fingerprinted and background checked the same way, too. I think that we have to give a little bit of professional courtesy to trust someone that is literally a master of their trade to do their trade. >> And and to add to that, I'd be happy to
050share that, you know, there are school systems that choose to ask for our background checks, which we would be happy to provide. Uh Putham County has done that recently. Lawrence County is doing that currently. We're happy to provide that. That is not a problem. There are even some school systems before we decide to hire someone, they want to get to know that person as well and maybe do a second interview. We're not opposed to that. >> Thank you, Mr. Gon. >> Uh just a question. Um, when I came on this board, Centerstone used to, this was three years ago, used to list their therapist on their website for Chattanooga. You no longer do that. Is that correct? >> I I can certainly check with our marketing department on that. I But uh I don't know.
051I can certainly give you a list if you'd like. Well, I would like to to see the list that you make reference to in terms of background checks. >> Okay. Sure. Yeah, I'd be happy to provide that. >> Okay. Thank you very much, >> Mr. Keane. Okay. >> And I'm I'm trying to get clarity in this. So, we have anou, but we do not pay them money for their services. that money is provided by the state of Tennessee or federal or a variety of things. Uh they are also an organization that can work, you know, with families and that outside the school. I I guess my question is, you know, if we're not paying them and they're not charging us, what what what is the reason behind theou? >> I would turn to Scott to
052clarify. The biggest one though is because they're providing services within the four walls of our schools. >> Okay. And and during school hours uh and so I would say that that is probably the number one reason. Scott >> rules of the road. Um if you look on the second page, the first page provides basic expectations. Um but the second page provides what frankly I'm concerned about in terms of the meat and potatoes. That that big middle paragraph spells out the kind of background checks that they're going to have done. Spells out that they're that they're not going to have anyone in our school until they've been background checked. Um, that second to last paragraph is the strongest indemnity language that I can draft. If anything goes in the ditch, they agreed to step in and
053take and and protect us and not simply protect us, but but they defend us. Um, that's why we have anou to have a have a clear understanding that if anything goes ary, they're handling it. We don't have to. This is the same, by the way, and and I hate to compare this, but it's the same indemnity language that we had for Durham when they handled that situ when when that situation arose, we said handle it. When they handled it, we didn't have to >> and we made them handle >> that that's this is it's the same it's the same language. So, that's why we have an MOU. And I will add that this is nearly the identical that was in place last year, right? Other than points three and four that were slightly modified. >>
054I I guess it didn't come up last year that there was no money being exchanged hands though because I didn't realize that. Second >> for um this is my ninth year to have this conversation and every year that this is a point of contention. We we have this same discussion every year. Every year, Dr. Robertson, I'm wondering if uh are you with me? >> Yes, sir. >> I'm I'm Let's just pretend for a minute we don't have center stone. >> Okay. And tomorrow morning, little Ben, uh, we we decided that maybe he needs some mental health services, but we don't have anou with Centerstone. >> So, what's happening now? >> Okay. So, so no, we got anou with him now. This is a renewal of that contract. We got one with him now. I'm I'm
055just pretend with me for a minute. >> I'm following. >> What What would happen to Ben? What would would I as a counselor or the principal or whoever what would I do? So, I mean, put principal hat back on, right? Counselor comes, you got, >> you know, student that's struggling with X, Y, or Z. We need services like Centerstone. We don't have access to them. We're calling the family. If you're calling me as family, like more than likely I've got the resources to to provide support, right? Um, what we know is that a lot of our families don't. um think it's a very valid point that uh not only do they maybe not have the resources or the connections, but uh providing services that in the afternoon after school is extremely difficult. Taking time off
056work to come pick your student up and take them off campus to receive services is very difficult. And so in my opinion, um what we're doing is creating a a hardship for a family uh to get mental health services for their son or daughter um that really doesn't need to be there. Um I I know my experience in school and and probably um a little bit more sensitive this to some because I've been in schools and I've seen it, right? I've seen kids that needed this support that family didn't have it, that family couldn't make it work, x, y, or z. What centerstone does is provide an opportunity during the school day with family consent, with family permission to get services that our students need. Um, and this is not, again, this is a small
057percentage of students in Hamilton County. I think we said 6%. So, we're not talking about u the majority of our kids that need this, but there is a group of kids in our in our district that are hurting, that need support. And what this does is allows us to provide access to a resource that doesn't create barriers for family to address mental health needs. I look at this is the almost the exact same thing as what we're doing in places like Clifton Hills with um our nurse practitioners. We're removing barriers for families. Again, this is with full family consent. They don't have to. They you can call the family and we can offer it and the family can say no. They never even talked to anybody at Centerstone. So, it's with consent during the school
058day removing barriers. if we don't have it, uh, we're we're pushing back to the family. The family's on their own to provide support for their kid. >> So, going back to my scenario again, so a little Ben needs help and we have this organization called Centerstone. Why do we not have this organization called Joe Johnson or XYZ Counseling Company? Why? Why? Why is it just center strong? >> We've had in the past and we still have with Helen Ross McNab as I mentioned earlier, we have uh school level use that they're working there. This is a Patricia's walking up to to answer it all. So I' I've heard several times why is it just centerstone? We have centerstone Helen Ross McNap has also been mentioned, but those are the two schoolbased counseling or therapist programs.
059So they are schoolbased. The other Joe Johnson, some of the others that you're name that you've named, they're not schoolbased, right? So every once in a while they may go into schools and uh see students based on parent consent, but they're not school-based programs. So that's the difference. >> Do we do we uh >> can I also tell the difference? >> Just a sec. Do we issue any kind of RFP and give some of these other organizations an an opportunity to offer schoolbased? >> I don't know that anybody offers schoolbased. >> They're not paying. >> But they you're not paying. >> Okay. But for clarity, if I to if we took our if I took my child to intentional healing and his therapist sees him at intentional healing and I work with his counselor, Miss
060XYZ at battle because whatever's going on with him and I want them to come into his classroom, I can do that as a parent. I can work with the guidance counselor there with Dr. Wayan and whomever else there to come and meet with him off out of class to do whatever, right? I can do that as a parent. Correct? >> Yes. Okay, Jackie, >> every every mental health agency does not serve children. >> You have Helen Ross McNab that does have it. You have um Centerstone that does. You have mental health health connect and mental mental health corporation that does serve it. But everybody like when you say Joe Johnson for me when I think of Joe Johnson and having been in the mental health field, I think of of adults that they generally serve.
061And so everybody, I know you have individual counselors and things like that, but when you come to nonprofit, everyone doesn't serve children. So for me, that that's that's what I that's why I see Heler Ross McNab and why I see um Centerstone, but like I said, you have two others that I could think of that that that do do home homebased case management and things like that. Uh you villages has a program, an intensive program somewhere that they do, too, but everyone doesn't do it. So that's I won't just say that. >> But but can I answer another question? >> Sure. Go ahead. >> But I like to say to my colleague to my right, your left, um having been a social worker and worked with children in crisis, if something was going on with
062little Ben and Center Stone wasn't readily available in the area and the social worker couldn't make the referral and depending on the level of whatever was going on with him, he reported to his teacher and or another staff member and he made it home that night. A call was made from the principal. Mama was at work. Mama wasn't at work. Mama got the call. Say, "Oh, I'll talk to daddy about it. Forgot to talk to daddy about it. We'll talk tomorrow." Or mama was at work, didn't get the call. Tomorrow could look different for little Ben and or the school. And it will be said that oh, he said to something to Miss Jones and then Miss Jones didn't do anything about it. Because that's what happens whether we didn't have the service in place
063or not. You've been here long enough with me that when nobody else gets blamed, if it started at the school, it became a Hamilton County failed to do something. And I think this offers us the precautionary measure of saying they said something to Miss Jones, Miss Jones made a referral. Once Miss Jones made that referral or to the social worker, the social worker made that referral, Miss Jones and the social worker have done all they could do. But if you leave that to the premises of the staff, then do we have staff that's going to continue to call Mrs. Smith until he they get an answer. I mean, maybe we do, maybe we don't, cuz we don't know them either. We don't know how diligently they going to work for a kid. We would hope
064they would keep calling until they got somebody based off of what little being said, but we don't know that. But what we do know is a referral went into a licensed clinician that was able to address the trauma, the crisis, whatever was going on at that time because they are legally and ethically obligated to do that. That's what could have happened to Little Be or Little Bean's mama could have got the call and send them on down intentionally. But we don't know that. And that's always the chance I think you take when you don't have some type of service available to address that. I just want to be transparent in the fact that I have concerns that it's only center stone. I have fundamental um concerns with some things I see on your website that
065I can't vote for. >> Okay. >> So, the fact that we only have one option is concerning to me. >> We have We have Helen Ross right now, right? >> We don't have an >> Well, you looking at that website. Donna, get the looking now. >> So, you can be ready. >> Okay. Anything else? >> Miss Schaefer, if I may. Um, I I appreciate that. I do. As a very conservative man, I don't agree with everything that others in this community might agree with. However, again, I have an obligation as a marriage and family therapist to treat everyone regardless of their background. And I will meet them where they are at. not not to push an agenda, not to push a lifestyle, not to push decisions about who they may become, but to help them
066overcome their mental illness, just like a a medical provider would do. They're going to step into that space and treat them medically regardless of where they're coming from. So, thank you for your concern. I I appreciate it. >> Quickly say I agree with what you just said. If everyone does what you said, that's the right process. Can you guarantee that all your other therapists em embrace what you just said? >> How could I possibly guarantee that? I don't think anyone could have guarantee that. >> I think that's that's the point the shaker is making. >> But I think there there's an eth there's an ethnic clause in which you what he just said you have to when you're doing counseling, professional counseling, what he just said is is is what every counselor is obligated to
067do. Now whether they practice it the way they should, no one can ever guarantee that. But they are under that what he just said because as as as a counsel in situations go against a lot of counselor's religious belief or whatever. And so they look at you have to go back to your ethics training in order to make sure you're doing what he just said. So I I want to I wanted to put that out there too when he said as could he guarantee if they if they if they've taken the responsibility and the ethnic clause they they're supposed to be doing it. >> And I can also guarantee that I will personally be involved if there are any concerns about someone acting in in any unethical way. >> You have my guarantee on that.
068Steve Slater. Let's just vote. >> Okay. >> Question's been called for roll call. >> Mrs. Black, >> yes. >> Mr. Connor, >> yes. >> Mr. Dy, >> no. >> Mr. Groan, >> no. >> Mrs. Haden, >> yes. >> Mrs. Jones, >> yes. >> Mr. Keane. >> No. >> Mrs. Schaefer. >> No. >> Mr. Slater. >> No. >> Miss Thomas? >> Yes. >> Chairman Smith? >> No. >> Motion fails. >> We going to call in when something happened a little bit. >> All right. We're going to uh takes us down to district differentiated pay plan 2526. Motion to approve. >> Second. >> No lights. Roll call. >> Mrs. Black. Excuse me. >> One minute. I do have a What you just saying? You >> I didn't have it on, but it came too fast. Sorry. >>
069Go ahead. >> So, are we discussing the differentiating? >> Yes. Yes. Yes. >> Oh, okay. Um, I just know in one meeting or you know we did talk about the Dawn school and differentiated pay and um and I'm glad you came to spoke speak on that behalf. So I didn't know what the status was or or have y'all made a decision. >> Yeah, it's included. >> It's in there. Well, that just showed I didn't read everything in the fine print, but thank you. I appreciate you doing that. >> Okay. Mails. No likes. Roll call. >> Mrs. Black. >> Yes. >> Mr. Connor. >> Yes. >> Mr. Dohy. >> Yes. >> Mr. Grown. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Haden? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Jones? >> Yes. >> Mr. Keane? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Schaefer? >> Yes. >>
070Mr. Slater? >> Yes. >> Miss Thomas? >> Yes. >> Chairman Smith? >> Yes. takes us to request for proposal file 2526 pharmacy benefit >> Mr. Chairman teachers eligible for reinstating the tenure. >> Yes. Yes. Thank you. Thank you. Uh Mr. Bennett. Uh teachers eligible for reinstating tenure. I think it'd be important Dr. Roberts, if you would just for the public to kind of explain what this means. You know, >> it it's teachers that um are are getting tenure reinstate. It doesn't mean that I think there's a lot of times that people think that something happened. Most of the time these are teachers that have left us for a while and have come back, had tenure and are getting tenure reinstated. So, uh, say that again. >> Yeah, there's a probationary period that they have to
071go through to be in good standing to get tenure read reinstated. So, it's a two-year period for that to happen. >> Okay. >> How how many are we talking about? Just out of curiosity. >> Um, eyeballing it looks about 21 or so. >> Okay. I didn't I didn't look at >> Okay. Motion to approve. Did I ask for that? I don't think I did that. >> We don't have one. >> Okay. I need a motion to approve. >> Some moved. >> Second. >> Okay. Any other discussion? >> Roll call. >> Mrs. Black. >> Yes. >> Mr. Connor? >> Yes. >> Mr. Dy? >> Yes. >> Mr. Grown? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Haden? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Jones? >> Yes. >> Mr. Keane? >> Yes. >> Miss Schaefer? >> Yes. >> Mr. Slater? >> Yes. >>
072Miss Thomas? Yes. Chairman Smith. >> Yes. >> Agreement with county operated detention centers, Hamilton County Jail. Motion to approve. >> So move. >> Second. >> Miss. >> Wait a minute. Wait a minute. >> Pharmacy. >> I ask. >> Thank you. >> I ask pharmacy. Yeah. I'm sorry. >> Be all right. Let's go back to that to the pharmacy benefit. Okay. You got a question, Gary? >> Yes. Well, let let me let me get a motion and then we'll Okay. Motion to approve. moved. >> Second. Okay. Now go ahead discussion. So the as I look through that there was a 3.6 I think 3.66 million savings there. >> And that's on this budget we are currently in. You're shaking your head. No. >> If you remember when we went through this uh last last spring, this
073is going to kick in in dis after December. So it starts January. So we budgeted for >> uh about a 1.8 million savings in FY26 this current year. >> Okay. All right. So then the other 1.8 million >> the other one P it's for a year. So remember benefits we don't run on a July 1 to June 30th as January to to December. And so even though you made that decision, if we implement this today, it won't go into effect until January 1st, >> right? So there's truly not a savings of 3.6 million. >> 1.8, >> right? Okay. So So let looking at that 1.8 that would not cover the step increases. >> The the 1.8 was already used to to balance our budget. So, >> all right. That was my question. No more lights.
074Roll call. >> Mrs. Black? >> Yes. >> Mr. Connor? >> Yes. >> Mr. Dhy? >> Yes. >> Mr. Grown? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Haden? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Jones? >> Yes. >> Mr. Keane? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Schaefer? >> Yes. >> Mr. Slater? >> Yes. >> Miss Thomas? >> Yes. >> Chairman Smith? >> Yes. >> Now, agreement with County Operated Detention Center, Tammy County Jail. So move. >> Second. >> Got a motion and a second. Questions, comments? Mr. K? >> Yeah, I was just wanting somebody to stand up and give us a little explanation about what we're voting on since it's not very apparent in the thing. It >> Yeah, you go. >> This is to provide services for our juveniles who are in detention andor at Silverdale. So it's us it's us fulfilling our
075educational obligation to do that. >> They're in the >> Y they're in detain. They're detained. >> But it say with with disabilities. So is it just for kids with disabilities? >> It is with kids with disabilities. We do serve all of our children in that space, but this is particular to kids with disabilities. >> Yeah. So to be clear, it's it's us going to the detention centers to service children who are there who we should otherwise be educating. >> That's right. >> It's not exactly forward. I wanted to make sure the public knew what we were. >> So So this could be a Maybe a juvenile that's charged as an adult. >> It's a juvenile who's either in juvenile detention or at Silverdale. >> It's the same just two different places when you look at
076it. >> Yeah, because we're asking for two different votes. >> Those are two two different facilities. >> And this includes >> for students with disability up until they're age 21. But for normal up to 19 or >> I think it's only until 18. But okay, it's 21. >> Yeah. So 21 and 18 if I guess my question is are we providing it for 19 year olds for students with non-disabilities or only up to 18 with students? All right. Think 18 and 21. >> Well or or it could be I mean we have some fourth years that could be 19. Okay. >> So, it's while they're still in high school, there all right. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Roll call, please. >> Mrs. Black, >> yes. >> Mr. Connor, >> yes. >> Mr. Dardy, >> yes.
077>> Mr. Gro, >> yes. >> Mrs. Haden? >> Yes. >> Miss Jones? >> Yes. >> Mr. Keane? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Schaefer? >> Yes. >> Mr. Slater? >> Yes. >> Miss Thomas? >> Yes. >> Chairman Smith? >> Yes. Agreement with county operated detention centers Hamilton County Juvenile Detention Unit. Motion to approve. >> So approved. >> Second. >> Got a motion to second. >> No lights. Go ahead. Roll call, please. >> Mrs. Black, >> yes. >> Mr. Connor, >> yes. >> Mr. Dy, >> yes. >> Mr. Gro, >> yes. >> Ms. Haden? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Jones? >> Yes. >> Mr. King? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Schaefer? >> Yes. >> Mr. Slater? >> Yes. >> Miss Thomas? Yes. >> Chairman Smith. >> Yes. >> Revised school fee for Center for Creative Arts Athletics program. >> Motion
078to approve. >> So move. >> Second. >> Discussion. Seeing no lights. Roll call. >> Mrs. Black. >> Yes. >> Mr. Connor. >> Yes. >> Mr. Dy. >> Yes. >> Mr. Grone? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Haden? >> Yes. Mrs. Jones? >> Yes. >> Mr. Keane? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Schaefer? >> Yes. Mr. Slater, >> yes. >> Miss Thomas, >> yes. >> Chairman Smith, >> yes. STEM school lease agreement with Chat State. Motion to approve. >> So move. >> Second. Discussion. No lights. Roll call. >> Mrs. Black. >> Yes. >> Mr. Connor? >> Yes. >> Mr. Dy? >> Yes. >> Mr. Groan? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Haden? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Jones? >> Yes. >> Mr. Keane? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Schaefer? >> Yes. >> Mr. Slater? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Thomas. >> Yes. >> Chairman Smith.
079>> Yes. >> Need a motion to approve agreement with Stellar Therapy Services for Medicaid reimbursement, school nursing services. >> Motion to approve. >> We need a second. >> Second. >> Discussion. >> No likes. Roll call. >> Mrs. Black. >> Yes. >> Mr. Connor? >> Yes. >> Mr. Dhy? Yes, >> Mr. Gro. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Haden. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Jones. >> Yes, >> Mr. Keane. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Schaefer. >> Yes, >> Mr. Slater. >> Yes, >> Miss Thomas. >> Yes, >> Chairman Smith. >> Yes, we got a few policies there. The first read tonight and I we'll be discussing them in detail at our policy meeting, I guess. Miss Schaer, >> that's correct. >> Okay, so it takes us down to policies on second and final read. Policy 6.311 wireless communication devices. Need
080a motion to approve. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Got a motion in a second. >> Is that the one that we just got? >> That's the cell phone. Any comments? >> Oh, yeah. >> Are we Are we discussing it? >> Yes. Uh, Mr. Con. >> Oh, you said Miss Thomas. >> Mr. M. I said Jackie. Go ahead if you're ready. I'm pulling some stuff together. >> Okay. I my notes I wrote on this and and I I I looked it over. I have um you know the the new things that's putting in here. I just have a problem with us now making administration responsible for irresponsible children and parents who bring phones to school and utilize them. But we're now trying to hold the principal responsible if if if if every principal is not
081enforcing it the same way or if um the superintendent is even saying it's going to be on his evaluation if the principles doesn't enforce it the same way. I just don't think we should be making them responsible for a telephone that children do not have to have in order to achieve academic achievement. And so, uh, I don't think even if you all adopt this policy, the violations, the first offense, all of these different offenses, you have that going on now. You have that now. When a parent comes up and complains about you taking their child $2,000 phone, we're not there to deal with it. It's the principles and administrations that's there to deal with this. And I just don't I don't like the violations. Uh the first offense to me is 30 days and I
082think they should be permanently barred. uh if they bring it again. I but to have to try to monitor that I think is putting an undue burden again on administrators who you gonna hold accountable if kids keep violating not following the plan. I just under emergency communication is there a phone in each classroom was my question. Do teachers not have cell phones? uh is there not a phone that they can go if it's an emergency asked to use uh the punishment administration for non-inforcement rather than student who is in the violation. I just had a lot of questions in regards to to to some of these things and so I wanted to put that out there and I wanted to to say that because there's no way we're now going to remove the responsibility of
083children using cell phones to the administrator as the responsible person for it. I just I don't like that. And that's how I'm reading it. >> Mr. Connor, >> thank you, Chair. Um, and Jackie, I'm glad I let you go first because that was a great segue to my questions. So, I've got a few items here. Uh, Scott, I'm going to address you directly. Do we have the same wording for incidents of bullying, fighting, vaping, or any other student behavior issues like we do here to say specifically, do we specifically re reference retaliation on principles or the director of schools in any other of our policies? >> Not that I'm readily aware of. Mr. Conor, >> this seems to go a little it's a little bit of a witch hunt, if you will, or like I
084I see in my mind pitchforks and going after the Frankenstein monster um when we don't do it anywhere else. And I definitely don't want to set the precedent of four page policies because we have to list all the ways we're going to go after people if they don't follow it. Um again, a little a little aggressive, a little too much. Um, we reference often in in this policy that we are one to one. Um, if we continue on the same budget structure that we've done this year, we will not be that way soon. We already had gaps in getting our onetoone devices to our sixth graders, fourth graders, and other children in need. Um, I experienced it. I I know that Jill experienced it because her daughter's at one of my schools. Um, and so
085it's it's difficult for us to say that we're doing all these great things when when in reality we're not because of our own choices. Um, continuing down uh on Oh, continuing on the kind of witch hunt and my use of metaphor. Um, page four, lines one through three. Scott, do we have any other policies where we require the policy to be posted in every classroom and all common areas of a school? >> I my mental image is the the Harry Potter movie where they've got the ministry decrees covering the entire door to the cafeteria great hall and all of these laws and rules that we may make up that we now have to post everywhere. Do we have any other policies that we're required to post? I suspect we probably do have our anti-bullying policy
086posted >> in every room in every common area >> in every room. I I won't say that. I I won't say that. >> I mean, I would I was going to say I would offer that I I would like to think I spend a good amount of time in our schools and I couldn't tell you where that is >> in most of the schools. I I do know that there are some bulletin boards around and in the offices, but I can't think of that in every classroom. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but that there are no other policies posted in every single classroom. >> Okay. >> I feel like this is Jeopardy. That's why >> I don't I don't know the answer to your question. Nobody knows the answer. >> Students out here. I
087mean, they could tell us if they had that posted in every one of their classes. >> Librarians is here. It's not post. You don't have anything posted in the library like that, do you? >> I don't have anything posted that talks about all of our stuff. It's innocent either. Yeah. in the lobby or anything right outside, >> you know, kind of like it worked with title C, >> right? Even even when I ran restaurants, we had by the bathroom, there was a bulletin board of all the OSHA and everything like that. So, again, my my line of thought here is just four pages that go a little hard in the paint. Uh, all right. So, continuing on, page two, lines 11 and 12 and page three, lines 31 through 35 contradict one another. Um, in
088lines 11 and 12 of page two, it references that we must uh only use in case of emergency if the principal uh if given permission of a teacher or administrator. And if you continue on down to the next page, it restates the emergency communication plan, but in no way states that you have to get uh permission from anyone specifically to use it. It's just in the case of an emergency. um >> they do say that they'll be the primary point of contact for them, but it doesn't say that they have to give them permission. So, we don't we contradict ourselves and don't state what an emergency is. It's just not clean. Um and then finally, at current, we have permission in our uh policy to allow the principal or administrator to decide if they don't
089want phones to be used at different times, uh hallways, lunch, etc. one of my uh principles has already implemented that this year and is happy with the progress, happy at the school. Um I've not personally pulled the student population, but says that it's being re received well. I have another principal who reached out to me specifically wanted to say that in high school we're trying to teach responsibility and demonstrate that responsibility. So understanding that absolutely during instructional time they should not be allowed to have their phone but it should be up to the principal discretion if they should be used at lunch. I have told members of this board from this DS that I would could go either way on the lunchroom part of it. Uh I definitely due to law know that the phone
090has to be on their person uh turned off but or in airplane mode as our new uh uh version states but it has to be allowed to be on their person. So I think what I'm saying is I I again I have said that I I believe it to be the will of the board that that changes but I it would be remiss if I didn't state what one of my principles has said and and it it echoes what I had said about making future ready kids like making kids who aren't scared of this device who know how to use it properly teaching them the right ways to fight off bully bullying. I guess that's not the right way to say that, but to to know about and and be standard with bullying and to
091raise to raise them to to use their tools around them to be truly future ready. So, that's that's the last part about this, but there's a lot that we need to clean up. I I'm just I'm not going to support something that has such retaliation and so wordy and so further than precedent is set for all of our policies. That's that's that's my biggest issue. I would support this the way it's written if we could remove some of that kind of witch hunt stuff. Kind of that's where I'm at. >> Mr. Slater. >> Thank you. Um, my only I support this 100%. My only thing would be >> we need to make this effective November 1st or so every student will know, hey, here's what's coming. Be ready. Effective November 1, we will take your
092phone up. Period. U or we could do it, I don't know, after the first quarter, even after the first semester. But I I think if we get that word out to every student and every parent and everybody knows this is what's going to happen, I think we'd be better off. >> That's my idea. >> Well, if I may, Mr. uh what Mr. Connor was talking about on page four, I I see no reason why we have to put this in every classroom. It It's just >> No, he he was saying it wasn't. >> He didn't say that. >> Yeah. Well, I agree with you that that this should this part of it should be stricken. You know, it's it's going to be communicated to the students anyway. Yeah. So, no. Uh to force every think
093just think about how many classrooms we have in in 70 how many schools 73 schools it no we need to strike that and I I make that motion that we strike >> that last sentence >> second >> well I have a comment on that whenever >> okay >> we can have discuss question on that motion. >> So I think I heard that you were you were making a motion. >> Yes, sir. >> Was that in the form of a motion and Okay. So what >> uh let me see what's here. Ben, what >> I don't even know what's the line. >> What was your motion? Uh Larry >> to strike the last sentence on page four. >> Schools will post reminders of the policy in common areas and classrooms. >> Yeah. At least the strike
094it in classrooms. >> Okay. All right. So, >> so >> your motion is to strike. Schools will post reminders in classrooms. >> I don't think we need to put something else on the wall that nobody's going to read. And I seconded it because I believe it >> your motion is is >> students or schools will post reminders in classrooms. That's what you want struck. >> No, I want the whole last >> Senate struck. Okay. >> And that's what >> that's your motion. Did Did somebody second that? >> I did second it, sir. >> Okay. So, we got a motion and a second >> in the middle of another. Do we have >> It's a motion to amend. So, >> so for the record, we have a motion. We have a main motion on the table.
095We have a motion to amend by by Mr. Groan to strike the last full sentence on page four of the policy. It was seconded properly by Mr. Connor. >> Okay, we're voting on the amendment. So, we need to vote on the amendment. >> Okay. >> Discussion. >> So, well, we're going to >> Okay. Just making sure >> before I call Yeah. Before I I call for the for the role. >> Okay. >> We want to discuss now the amendment. >> Yes, sir. Yes, sir. discussion to the amendment. I got several lights on here, so I'm assuming that's what you want to discuss. >> No, we was on the original motion. >> All right. That's the reason I'm asking. >> I want to discuss this. >> The amendment >> she wanted to discuss. >> This motion
096is what I want to this amendment. >> The amendment. >> The the amendment. >> Yes. >> Okay. Go ahead. >> Okay. I'll just say as a former high school teacher who really struggled with, you know, this particular policy, this particular policy, in my opinion, is a lot harder to enforce. Um, students are addicted to their phones. It's >> I think it's different than most other policies or um I think it would be good to have it posted just to show everyone that we mean business. You know, this is a policy. We need to follow it. And I don't think there's any big deal as a former teacher, you know, to be for students to be able to see that sign coming and going. I think it would really help enforce this uh new policy that
097we have. That's my opinion. >> Okay. Anyone else have a comment question about the amendment? >> I about the amendment. I I agree with uh police. I think it should be in the classrooms for kids. I don't even agree with the policy, but if it's anywhere, kids at least know that it's in the um it's in the classroom. They can't say they didn't know. They can't say they've never seen it. Um, uh, so I could agree that it needs to be in the class in in a in a classroom so when they walk in they they see it, but I don't even agree with this. But I deal with mines afterwards when I want to make some amendments, too. >> Hey, M. Thank you. >> So, this policy, these violations to this policy, the same
098violations we had when I got here in 2014. No, typ typically I have a goddaughter that just turned 22. I remember she was a student at Tina Middle. Her phone got taken three times. On the third time, it was for 30 days and then her mama had to pick it up at the end of the school year. And I remember my friend being very upset. She paid a bill that she didn't have a phone to similar concept. Might not be exactly the same, Justin, but it was similar. >> Yeah. >> And it was in that blue trifold code of conduct. >> You remember that? Now don't you know you know I got a mind of an elephant. It was in that blue trifold code of condor with the old seal on it. >> Memory of
099elephant right then we created this catalog called a code of acceptable behavior and it was in there. Parents at same way with these ripped jeans and these two short skirts and crop tops and everything else. These parents sign it every year at open house where they supposed to have read it. But clearly reading is fundamental and comprehension is key cuz they sign it and then they don't remember two days later when they send little Cararissa with a crop top and ripped jeans. They don't got what sign >> and the teacher or the principal is held accountable for what the kid came to school with had. The kids as old as they get older, they sign stuff. And while y'all talking about posting this in the classroom, we just said the kids look at their phone
100all day. So, you might want to put it on the digital police and let them look at it after the fact when they get home so they can see it cuz they ain't looking at what's on the walls. I mean, it's it's kind I don't understand. It's like both sides of the neck. You say they digitally inclined, but then you don't want them to have a device. And then you want to post it, but they're not gonna read it because it's 30,000 things on there, including motivational posters, what the class assignment is for the day, when they gonna go for testing, what time they lunch going to be, >> all of that. You a portrait of a graduate, all students thrive with Z without limits. I mean, so much stuff on their walls. And if
101you're at Brain High School, this Y is all at the top. So they can see in that, too. As you can see, I'm just very frustrated with this because at what point does it change if there's no enforcement? >> There you go. Right. There you go. >> And I do not think it's just up to the staff of a school to enforce this. >> Y'all wanted parents to do that. I >> I just I think it's a parent piece. >> Okay. >> And I think there should be a parent accountability when the child does it. >> Cuz if my child play too rough, they going to put it on the back of his first grade communication. And then I need to have a conversation with him that night, right? That's what they do with me.
102And and we sit down and have a conversation with him about how to stay in his safe space and stay out of theirs cuz that's what parents do. So I'm just saying like you can post it all day long, run across the TV, put it in Tik Tok, but if a child bring a phone to school and a parent tell them to bring it is okay, then what are we doing? Wasting our staff's time. So, I'm not voting for this thing because I'm just tired of talking about cell phones. And it's the same thing. I vote for a polic I try to support every policy come through here. I'm tired of that because people don't support policies that I want to support. So, this amendment, the first motion, whatever, I'm not voting for none of
103it. And let the chills file where they made with the school. And my little nieces and nephews probably be mad. I don't care. My child don't have a cell phone. He want I mean in first grade and I put up his device weekly. He gets it on Friday nights. We take it back on Sunday nights cuz we parenting. That's what we do. But I don't know where y'all want to post it at that y'all think these kids going to see it cuz they not going to look at something on the wall. They're not. So you might as well run across the bottom of uh something they looking at because they ain't looking at Hampton County Schools uh glove either. Mr. And that's the reason why we've had to go in and change some policies uh
104with this board and the one prior to it is that the vast majority of of our school leaders enforced the district policies and there was just a very few that didn't enforce policies. So then then you have to come back and try to say well you you know you have to do this but those people weren't held accountable. So if you don't if you don't hold administrators at the school level accountable then you have issues like this. So I can I just want to say I completely agree that that last sentence needs to be stricken and I still put that forward. >> Okay. M Miss Thomas, you want to speak to me? >> I do. I do. We have sat here all all this time. I'm I'm kind of tired of it, too. But nevertheless,
105and always we all always hear about these parents rights, parents rights, parents rights. But yeah, we are not having parents being held responsible because I guarantee you the majority of the students are not paying for those cell phone bills. So, it's the parents. So, are we worried about parents rights when you take them up for 3 days and when you take them up for 30 days? What about the parents? They're not. I don't see no I don't see where a parent has to sign an agreement. Maybe it's in here and I mis I mis I misread it. Well, we're not the parents going to be responsible. I don't see why we are making administrators responsible for cell phones of children because people if there's an emergency you got in here, they got to ask the
106the principal or the teacher if they can use their cell phone. If it's an emergency and they got to ask them anyway, why can't they use the phone that's right there in the classroom or uh the princ or in the office if they got to ask for permission anyway? I I I just think we are not voting all the time in the best interest of children. We're voting in the best interest of our own personal beliefs and our own personal things that are going on when when it comes to whether Democratic or Republican. And I am sick and I'm just telling y'all cuz today is a frustrating day for me and it does not make sense that we are not making decisions in the best interest of children. We're making decisions on the best interest
107of our personal beliefs which to me you need to look at talk about different ethics and other things to to to to see where you are and where we are and when we're doing that and I just think it's ridiculous and I I wanted to say that because that's on my mind. >> Mr. Carter speaking to the amendment. >> Get on for the next call for the question. >> Okay. I wish you would >> call for the question. Thank you for recognizing. Question's been called for for the amendment right to read once again. >> I'm going to restate it. Okay. This is a vote on the motion to amend the policy 6.311. Uh the amendment is to delete the very last uh sentence which reads schools will post reminders of the policy in common areas
108in classrooms. The motion to amend is to delete that sentence. Just to restate that. Okay. >> Roco. >> Mrs. Black. >> Yes. >> Mr. Connor. >> Yes. >> Mr. Mr. Dardy. >> No. >> Mr. Gro, >> yes. >> Mrs. Haden, >> no. >> Mrs. Jones, >> no. >> Mr. Keane, >> no. >> Mrs. Schaefer, >> no. >> Mr. Slater? >> No. >> Miss Thomas? >> No. >> I said no. >> No. Okay. Chairman Smith. >> No. >> Motion fails. >> Okay. We we've got a a motion on the floor and it's properly seconded to approve this policy. Uh Ben, is that a light? Okay. Go ahead, buddy. >> I was going to make another motion to try to fix this terrible bill, but since that we can't even get one thing done on it, I'm
109just not going to vote for it. >> It's a big beautiful bill. >> It's a lot of pages. It's not that beautiful. >> There's There's no more lights. I would just say that yeah, this has been painful and and we've been kicking it around for months. You're and and is it perfect? Probably not, but it's better than it was. And we I think have kind of come to at least for the most part a consensus. So maybe that's good government. I don't know. But uh questions been called for. Roll call, please. Can we put a date on it like I suggested? >> That's a process though. That's not a policy. That's more of a procedural thing. Like once we pass it, you could put a date on it. >> There's a date on every policy
110based on the day that it's changed. >> But he's saying a date to make it effective like actually implementation, which is a procedure, not >> when you vote. It's >> right away. >> It's policy. >> What can I table to vote then? Mr. Slater, >> you can't we can't be expected to have this policy in every single classroom tomorrow. That's right. That's right. So, so to to M to Mr. Slater's point, >> unless the board has an effective date, >> then it goes into effect tomorrow. And to and to the superintendent's point, that's a little unreasonable. So, >> Mr. Slater, October 1st, this this policy October Okay, I'll make this effective October 1st and everybody will know about it. >> Everybody will know about it. Second. >> So we have a a motion to amend
111this policy to be effective October 1st. Yes, sir. >> And properly seconded. >> Yes, sir. >> So any discussion about just that motion? >> No likes. Roll call. >> Mrs. Black. >> Yes. Mr. Connor? >> No. This is such a great policy. We should do it tomorrow. >> Mr. Dy. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Haden or sorry, Mr. Grum. >> Yes. Mrs. Haden, >> yes. >> Miss Jones, >> no. >> Mr. Keane, >> yes. >> M. Schaefer, >> yes. >> Mr. Slater, >> yes. >> Miss Thomas, >> no. >> Chairman Smith, >> yes. >> 8 to three. >> Motion question. >> That motion passed. Yes, sir. >> Policy as amended. >> So, now we're back to the original motion. >> Okay. as amended. >> Yes, sir. >> Okay. And been properly seconded. >> Yes, sir. >>
112Correct. >> That's right. >> Yes. >> I see no lights. Sir Roll call. >> Mrs. Black. No. >> Mr. Connor? >> No. >> Mr. Dy? >> Yes. >> Mr. Groan? >> Yes. >> Miss Haden? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Jones? >> No. >> Mr. Keane? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Schaefer? >> Yes. >> Mr. Slater? >> Yes. >> Miss Thomas? >> No. >> Chairman Smith? >> Yes. >> 74. 74 passes. >> You better pop it when your head be hurt when they blow your phone up or they going to blow your phone up. >> Hey, that takes us down to uh >> Oh, they going to blow it up once phones get >> discussion of policy 4.70 testing programs. I've got I've got two here that want to I know have already asked to speak to this.
113So, uh Steve, if you'll go and then Mr. Connor >> and then I'll ask for a motion to approve. So why are we discussing this? Go ahead. >> Okay. >> Um I've heard from teachers. Um first of all, they were asking me if I if I knew that these quarterly assess assessments were coming. No, I I did not. Uh I learned about it from some of my teachers telling me about it. So um the whole idea of doing away with those benchmarks was to reduce the testing and here we come out with more tests. So uh I'll support I'll support this policy 100%. Okay. Mr. Dar everybody has this in their hand by the way. >> Everybody have we don't have it. You don't have it? >> No. You got Dr. Robertson here. So, >>
114yeah. Thank you, Chair Smith. Um, >> I I'll try to be concise because I know we're we had the potential to go long tonight as there's been a lot of discussion. >> As Mr. Slater echoed um you know when we went through the budget season albeit as difficult as it was this was one thing that I felt collectively we as a board were really in tune with in terms of the overall need or the overall impact of testing and it was something that I felt we all got collective input from both parents, teachers, staff and I felt coming out of that budget season we were we were largely on the same page in the sense that the amount of testing was putting an undue strain on on really everybody. And similar to to Mr. Slater
115and Dr. Roberts and I echoed this to you. I mean, we we as a board were taken a little bit by surprise when we started having teachers, administrators emailing us asking if we knew about this this program that was set to be rolled out, which of course we didn't. So, I just want to kind of clarify something. The intent this policy is not to say, hey, we can't do XYZ down the road. Really the intent of it is to say, hey, I think we as a board, we need to collectively be part of these discussions with Dr. Robertson because at the end of the day, you know, we're elected by our community to represent them, represent parents, the teachers that are in these classrooms and these schools and and part of that is district-wide testing
116and this is something that's going to have an impact on everybody, teachers, staff, parents. So the concept with this is we need to be on the same page and and really I think ultimately it's it's beneficial for for Dr. Robertson and his team because if we can be united on something when it does get rolled out properly, we can support them in that endeavor. And I felt this was a situation with these quarterly assessments that that could have been rolled out a little bit differently had we been better kept in the loop. So, so the intent behind this is is the board is going to have a a say in anything that rolls out from a future perspective. So whether I'm on the board for the next three years or, you know, Steve Slater's on
117the board for the next hundred, this is a good sound policy that that I feel is going to create a unified approach to something that's going to impact the district as a whole. >> Okay. Thank you, Mr. King. >> Yeah, Miss Barnes, uh, came up and talked about it and and it it really surprised me, too, when uh, people in my district brought this up. I I wasn't aware of it. So, if you would please. Uh, she asked some questions. She made some comments. She didn't have the information. I' I'd like to get some information about this. Uh, some things. Do te she she said she said, "Do teachers have a say? Uh, what grades will grades be given for it? Uh, does a school have the choice in this matter in that?" So, I
118mean, she asked some good questions that I was wondering about. And so, if you could give us the >> procedures of this test. >> I I Let me before I get into it, uh, I'll apologize for for not bringing this to the board and bringing it to your attention. Our intent was not to supersede anything that the board voted on. Um, our our intent was to provide a resource. So, I I'll just and I provided you guys a one pager that um kind of provides some of the details that we're asked. Number one, um this this is fully optional at the school level. Um and it's not a decision by the principal. It should be a decision by leadership team at the school leadership team at the school even has the flexibility of using first
119quarter but not using third quarter. Use it in math, not use it in English. Um so there is uh complete flexibility in in how it's used. Um the the intent um was also to take away a burden from teachers. I I think that we've gotten into this conversation about assessments of saying like an assessment is always a uh sumitive type activity. Um and for ages uh we have worked as a district to provide resources around um weekly assessments or bi-weekly assessments. And so uh where it is optional um schools could decide to use uh you know the banks of questions that we've already provided to instead create bi-weekly assessments in place of this. Right? And so it's again providing a resource. What what I will say is that we're we're held accountable and and I
120hear you and I hope that more than anything this conversations leads to a question about statemandated testing, right? Because the majority of our testing is coming from state mandates or federal mandates. Um what we're asked to do and and we have done rather successfully is to improve outcomes for kids against the standard. And one of the ways that you do that is that you you do have to monitor progress, right? And so this is not a benchmark that's a sumitative at the end. Uh we we put in there it's like you can choose it use it as a grade or not. I would use it as a grade because as a teacher almost every teacher I know gives an end of quarter assessment, right? We put, you know, some some guard rails in there that
121uh when our team was making these, they should be uh done in a way that a kid can take them in a single sitting in a class. We're not changing schedules. We're not moving kids around. You go to your fourth block math class and and you can take um the the snapshot. So, the the intent was not to supersede. I think I answered some more questions in um that that one pager that I gave you, but again um we we are trying to provide a resource. We should have done a better job communicating and I'll own that uh part of it. But uh the intent was really to support schools and leaders and teachers in providing an assessment resource that is fully aligned to standards. >> All right. Thank you. Uh, so let me kind
122of ask you another question or two then. So here I am. I'm a science teacher at my school and my administrator tells us we're going to give these tests as quarterly graded tests. So uh, first so is this going to be done through Mastery Connect or you you talked about some things. So is it are the is it the question banks from Mastery Connect? >> Yes, sir. >> All right. So So it's material that they should already be familiar with. Anyway, I guess my concern would would have been, you know, it the concerns that were shared more than anything. And in my district, many of the administrators thought there was too much testing, but not all administrators. But I never came across one teacher that felt like we weren't testing enough. Uh they all felt
123like it was too much testing. So the the point I'm making is that's that's good uh in the fact that yes uh even I don't know a school that doesn't require an end of quarter exam or some kind of of thing there. So that that part is good. I like, you know, single seated, you know, one class period, which actually, you know, I know teachers sometimes took two class periods to give a test depending on if they did a large writing assessment with it. So, but uh I guess the thing that I had concerns is that a lot of times if teachers aren't getting to make out their own test, if that test is being made by somebody at central office that's saying, "All right, your principal said you're going to do a quarterly test
124and here's the quarterly test you're going to use." then I have a problem with that. But if it's you are allowing the principal and the principal speaking for the staff and they're going to have quarterly exams are going to count a grade, but that teacher in that class can use Mastery Connect to to match what they've been teaching to assess the students, then I don't have a problem with this. So >> So I I I want to make sure I'm I'm hearing you clearly because I think that uh I spoke too much. >> No, I just want to make sure like are are you advocating that an individual teacher in a school have the ability to choose to or not to choose or to use or not to use an assessment? >> Well, no. You've
125already said that it's the leadership team or the administrator in the school. So, I'm saying that's already a strike against the teacher, which is what we were trying to do as a board by cutting out required testing. But if you're saying that that teacher has the autonomy to go in using Mastery Connect, which we've had now for years and a and a good question bank from that, and they can create a quarterly exam for their classes or are you saying that? >> No, I'm we're not we're not saying that. And I I' I'd ask you as a former principal, would you have allowed that one teacher >> for them to come up with their own test for them? >> Like if if your leadership team said, "We're going to use this as a quarterly assessment."
126One teacher to make their own decision outside of what >> as a principal, I did allow my teachers to make their own quarterly exams to assess their class. >> Yeah. That's not what what I'm asking is that back in the day when you and I were principles, we didn't have a districtwide resource. We had to get our teachers together to make a common assessment. >> Right. >> So if you had your team come together and make a common assessment >> and one of your four algebra one teachers said, "You know what? I don't want to use this assessment." >> Maybe I stated something wrong. >> The leadership team of that school creates that assessment. Yes. >> Well, but what we're trying what we're trying to do is provide an option that the leadership team can
127say algebra one, we're going to use this assessment. the leadership team can say, "No, we're actually going to get our algebra one teachers together to create our own." >> Okay, that's what I wanted clarity on. So, the school has the autonomy >> to create their own test. >> Again, this is where I'm trying to be crystal clear. Out of those four algebra one teachers, >> you can't have one that says, "No, I'm going to do my own thing." >> Right. Exactly. >> No. And as an administrator, we wouldn't do that. >> No, that that helps clarify things for me. police. >> Yeah. Um I've heard I think we need to just kind of wait and see too how this goes because I've heard from elementary schools they really like to have the data to drive
128their instruction. And I'm glad that we have Mastery Connect, you know, for them to use. And I think a school base is a good idea. Um, one of my problems I had with the benchmark as a former teacher is all the hoops you had to go go to through just to administer the test. So, if you know they can use their same testing environment in one period and not be required to give up instructional time to practice for the test for days and days. you know, if they can have that, you know, one test that they can use during a regular class period, I think it'll be much much less stressful for the kids. And like I said, the elementary schools, they use data from what I hear. And I think, you know, that's great
129if they do, but it could be different like at the middle school level, high school level. So, I think just kind of wait and see how it goes because if the schools have autonomy, you know, I don't know if there will be many issues. >> I I I think what's happening here over the last 20 minutes is exactly what Mr. Doy and Mr. Slater are proposing through this policy is that when we have something like this come up, bring it to the board and let's talk about it. That's what's happening right now. That's what's happen right. >> Yeah. I I spoke with Mr. already earlier this week and I I'm I have no problems with what's proposed here. >> Okay. >> And I just want to say one thing. I'm sorry, Chairman, just to interject.
130Like I'm not saying I'm against these at all. Like at the end of the day, your team, you're going to say, "Hey, here's what makes sense." What I'm saying is we we need to be part of the discussion to to avoid this because I think there's a lot of confusion. Like I you get on Hamilton County Sports Education like a lot of us follow. And uh Tammy Barnes uh put a comment out there a couple days ago and I mean there was 50 comments and there was probably five different interpretations of how it was going to be applied if it was optional. So that's we're on the same page. >> Okay, >> Mr. Jon. >> Well, there's there's a book written recently, well like eight years ago. This idea of data, data, data drives instruction
131has just been out of control all across the United States for like 10 years now. Uh the vast majority of foreign countries test their kids three times in 12 years. You know, our kids by the time they go through, you know, 13 years of school here, they could take over a hundred of these. It's ridiculous. The book's title is the testing charade and it talks specifically about high stakes test undermines the goals of instruction and meaningful learning because it takes time away from what we're trying to impart to the kids in the first place. So I'm I'm for this policy. So, I think with that, I'd like to make a motion to amend policy 4.700 by adding text that's outlined there uh below. >> Second. >> Okay. Any further discussion? >> We restate the motion.
132>> Quite a right. The motion is to amend policy 4.70 by substituting the language in front of you. >> Forgive me. I thought you were adding something in, but this to use this policy. Also, >> yes. >> I have no more lights, so I'll ask for a roll call. >> So, the motion is to change to supplant the current language with what is on >> as as is in front of us. You need a copy, Mary. >> Did you just I think I've got it. I've got it. Yeah. Thank you. Okay. Mrs. Black, >> yes. >> Mr. Connor, >> yes. >> Mr. Dardy, >> yes. >> Mr. Gran, >> yes. >> Mrs. Haden, >> yes. >> Mrs. Jones, >> yes. >> Mr. Keane, >> yes. >> Mrs. Schaefer, >> yes. >> Mr. Slater, >> yes.
133>> Miss Thomas, >> yes. >> Chairman Smith, >> yes. Okay, it takes us down to I need a nomination to approve the inclusion of our colleague, board member. So moved. >> Second. >> Thank you. >> Oh, ju just for uh the benefit of the public. Uh Ben, let me do this for you because uh our our colleague, our legislative representative uh has been asked, encouraged uh to seek an office on in TSBA as uh the treasurer, I understand. And in order for him to place his name or accept uh uh put his name in nomination then this board has to approve that. Uh Mr. Connor is works tirelessly especially on those legislative matters and although sometimes uh we may not always agree, I certainly would cannot question his passion and his work ethic and and
134I think it would be very good for this board to have a u a representative on that TSBA board. So, uh, with that, I need a nomination to approve the inclusion of board board member. So, that's what you already did that. >> We already got that. >> Roll call. >> Any other >> Thank you, Ben, for all your hard work. >> Hey, may I say one other thing? >> Uh, I'd also like to uh bring it to the public that Mr. Connor, on September gosh 13th >> 11th on September 11th we have our TSBA uh Southeast District meeting. It'll be held at Tiner Middle High and Mr. Connor will receive level five. Oh, you're not going to be getting that level four there. I I've submitted my portfolio for level five and we'll find out
135in September. And if if my portfolio has been approved, it would be awarded at the uh November meeting. >> Okay. And we have not had, if I'm not mistaken, going back and asking previous uh that we've never had a level five boardsman. So, congratulations there. >> Thank you. Uh thank you very much. Just to so you know the position would be somebody who um I would oversee the finances but um TSBA handles their own. I would review them and approve and then I would be the chair of the fac financial committee. Um and I can promise you that there is nothing to do with cell phones on either of those. So >> well we can continue to agree to district on roll call please >> Mrs. Black. Yes. Mr. Connor >> self- serving but yes
136>> Mr. Dy >> Mr. Gro >> yes >> Mrs. Haden >> yes >> Mrs. Jones >> yes >> Mr. Keane >> yes >> Mr. Schaefer >> yes >> Mr. later. >> Yes, >> Miss Thomas. Chairman Smith. >> Yes. >> Thank you, fellow members. >> Uh, congratulations. >> So, we need to I need a motion to approve the instrument that we will use to uh uh to evaluate our director of schools. It's in your packet. And we've been talking about this for a while. So we need a motion to approve this instrument. >> So move a motion. Excuse me. >> Mr. Chair, >> I I don't know what you call this, but we need permission to make some editorial changes. Like there are a couple typos in this. >> Yes. >> So we move to approve
137pending. There's got to be some legal way that after you approve it that we can make nonsubstantial changes. >> They're just typos. They're not material. >> Yeah. Like in the rubric, there's a section that we removed that's still like at the end. >> We didn't we didn't get a final copy. >> It's online. >> If you check in your very last page, it's got Postsecondary opportunities is a section that's no longer a section. >> Okay. So, it's a script. All right. So, so I I don't It's a scrivener's error. We can delete it if if the movement is acceptable. If that's acceptable, >> I move to accept it with the scrier's error removal. >> Very good. >> Second. >> All right. >> Okay. Miss Black, I think. Oh, I put up my light for something
138different. Okay. That we talked about. >> All right. Well, let's let's get this and get what? >> We're going to do this part first. >> Okay. >> All right. No other discussion. Roll call. >> Mrs. Black. >> Yes. Mr. Connor? >> Yes. >> Mr. Dy? >> Yes. >> Mr. Grown? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Haden? >> Yes. Mrs. Jones? >> Yes. >> Mr. Keane? >> I'm I'm gonna pause a second. I'd like to ask Dr. Robertson, what so this final thing that we are voting on uh I would actually like to hear from you. Do you feel like it's a very fair >> Yeah, we I mean we've we've been working Yeah. working on it. So I mean it's it's agreed on. I mean it just needs approval. It probably shouldn't have had typo in it,
139but it still does. >> Okay. All right. >> Yes. >> Miss Schaefer. >> Yes. Mr. Slater. >> Miss Thomas. >> Yes. >> Chairman Smith. >> Yes. W with that approval. We're still waiting on just kind of talk about timeline again. I know I ask that every time, but I think that's important. >> Yeah. Shane can give best update on >> um at the next board meeting, we will have um an update for you guys on district um data, right? um in terms of growth and achievement, that's when it will be unembarged. Um the rest of it will not come until December and so we will not have school level data until December. Is that helpful? >> I I don't see any reason why after it's presented that the 30-day wouldn't kick in from there. I
140mean, unless you all want individual school data, >> I mean, letter grades won't be here, but achievement >> letter grades are usually in April >> or March or April. >> So how will we how will we complete this instrument without that completion? >> I mean I think you you have the the meat of what we're talking about being evaluated on. You'll have district-wide growth. You'll have achievement. Uh graduation rate should be in. What you're talking about is like individual school letter grades and we may not have like district designation. >> Correct. We will not have district level designation either. Um I think usually we um Dr. Robertson puts through some information and we help them gather data for that and so we'll just make sure that all the data that we can gather is stuff
141that is um publicly available. >> So let me just ask the question. Would the board prefer to have all of the data, meaning we would wait till the December, or would the board prefer to go ahead and and move forward based on what we have? And and and I'll ask you all that. >> Well, I I wouldn't say we move forward until value added is >> and and then and then the same question would be since when the data gets here that triggers your self-evaluation. So I so I asked the board this question, I also asked you Dr. Robertson, when do you want um when are you going to have enough information to submit to the board your self-evaluation because that's what triggers the cycle? >> Yeah. A after uh value added is unimaroed which
142will be probably around the September meeting. Uh after that I would say it's the pleasure of the board. >> So there's no reason to we can't do it beforehand. >> But the receipt of that data is what triggers Dr. Robertson's opportunity to self-evaluate based upon this rubric and also based upon the state assessment data. So if Dr. Robertson is comfortable moving forward sometime in September, then my suggestion would be that that starts his 30 days. He submits his evaluation, then the board evaluates Dr. Roberts. If you look on um the first page of the evaluation model that that that that middle section. This model will consist of three parts. >> That tells you what the timeline is. >> So, I think we're I think we're on the same page now. >> My understanding that you
143can't go back. >> So, just making it clear. >> Did you rely on that data from December last year? >> I I I think that the most important is the value added and achievement. Shannon just told me that value added might be on embargoed a little bit before the September meeting, but those are the two things that once those are out, most of what we would need are would be available. Okay. So, we got a motion and we got a second. I don't have any more lights. Yes, I do. >> Clarification again. >> I got one more. >> Oh, you're hope. That's right. Okay. to approve this. We already done that. >> The hour's getting late. Okay, >> we have one more item. >> Uh we have a couple more things. >> Well, let's get
144clarity. What What did What did the board decide right there? >> Well, what triggers it is the receipt of the data that where you submit your evaluation. My my what I heard is that they're okay with this. when when you have enough data to start your self-evaluation process, that's what triggers the timeline. >> So, I just need to notify the board once that 30-day is triggered. >> Correct. >> To be clear, Mary, uh we we did approve this. We did both. >> We did. Absolutely. >> Okay. Now, we got a couple other things. First of all, Miss Haden's got some things. Uh, Miss Black, you you wanted to make a point about something. I think now is the time to do that. >> Okay. Um I think we've had different conversations privately and maybe it
145hasn't been clear from behind this de um I think there was I was volunttoled um to be head of the safety committee um for the board and through discussions we realized that most of the things that we would review on a safety committee is not something that we can discuss publicly because if we discuss these things publicly then anyone who wants to do harm to our children will have all of the information about the decisions that we've made regarding safety. So through many discussions we realized that the safety committee actually has to function as part of like an executive executive function. Um, and so I wanted to be clear with the public that we are not derelct in our duties regarding safety uh of the children, but we have to have those meetings and those
146discussions as an executive in private because that's what's necessary to keep our kids safe. So I wanted to be clear that the safety committee doesn't actually function like the rest of the committees for the board. it can those public those discussions cannot be had publicly and I just wanted to be clear about that. >> Thank you. Point well taken. Okay. So, we're gonna go back and and capture what we didn't get to during our uh our work session. Uh so, Miss Haden, you've got two or three items there that you wanted us to talk about. So, go ahead. >> Okay. It's kind of like three in one. I'll try not to make it long. Um I don't intend to. I gave each of the board members a report. Um, it's something that I worked on
147so you can reference that in the summary page. So, I'll say first of all, I want to say what motivated me to create this report. It was the budget cuts to school staffing and the fact that teachers did not receive their step raises that made me want to look at the figures more closely. So, it took me a while to try to understand all the figures in the budget. Um the full itemized budget versions contained every item and it wasn't clearly labeled for me anyway or organized. It was just you know item item item for many pages. Um so um but there were separate sheets and explanations. Uh but I wanted to see the whole budget. So I was able to obtain an Excel version that I could categorize myself after the budget was passed
148in May. So I worked on it afterwards. Um, so I noticed some at the time too new positions were being created and promotions at the central office level during that tight budget season. So I really wanted to analyze it. On July 25th, the board was finally given an organizational chart which included more highlevel positions which may or may not be filled. There might be some that aren't even filled, but they're still in the organizational chart. Um, and this brings me to my second concern is that according to board policy, the board is supposed to approve new positions. And I did print off a few um few of those policies and we're supposed to be able to approve them every year. Um, so I created a report which compared the positions in the actual budget to
149the positions in the organizational chart by department. and and I did meet with um Dr. Robertson and some staff and Mr. Bennett on um Monday of this week. So, I've already gone over, you know, they've seen it all all of this. We've already talked about it and they've clarified some things for me as well. So, um but anyway, the report, all the budget items on the main by department, they're all on the left and the organizational charts are on the right. So, I just tried to see what was different. Um, and so what I didn't realize is that the final budget posted well, okay, on the school website does not include the federal grant positions and other categories. So the one that I thought was the whole budget with all the positions was not. So
150there's actually another, you know, the other document, Shannon, that you sent me that actually has, you know, it's the full budget, but at the same time, um um but the 50 there are 50 positions or so that are listed in the federal section of the budget that are not listed individually. So there's like a line item with 50. And it's like I I would just like to see a listing of all the positions because I thought that's what I was looking at and I just didn't know. So y'all clarified some things and and you know we I might need for further clarification from you all in case I missed anything which is very possible. So um um but I've also also asked and I think others for a list of all approved positions in our
151system and I know you know we you mentioned there are 200 or so that we could use. I'm not saying not saying that we have all those positions, but we do have about 200 positions that are approved and that some positions have changed responsibilities and are renamed, but they are still the same position or level position like a coordinator. It's still a coordinator in the system. So, I'm asking that the school board be provided a list of all the federal positions in the budget and a list of all approved positions in our system. But please know that my end goal is to find a way to provide our teachers the raises they deserve. Let me just mention the summary page again too. So in my findings which there might be some errors um you know
152I went by the organizational chart the number of positions 116 I guess was were the ones and so the ones the number provided in the federal difference was 50. So, there's still maybe a discrepancy that you could probably or end up explaining to me, but I'm just wanting more clarity and I just want to understand and see, you know, all of the budget items. >> Just to clarify, the list of positions is the org chart. So, we've provided a list of positions. >> Okay. Well, that's what I've used. >> Okay. Um, so, so all the ones that were not in the budget are the ones that we can put in a list. The ones that I found that were not in the budget. We can say those all of those positions are federally funded positions.
153Then that's what we're saying. >> So, you you all received an email, right, about the the number of positions. Um, how many were federally funded? How many are self-funded? Self-funded is also not included in the general purpose budget that you all approve. Self-funded is things like school nutrition, SACC. That was included on your >> at all. I just totally >> Some of them were like we went through every single one. Some of them were. Um but you know, like when you go through any list, you're always going to find something as well. Um so we do have the list of all the positions. Um one of the pieces in the budget is that we talk about central operations, right? And our org chart includes both central operations and people that are serving schools but may
154be managed at the central office like IT techs or PRN nurses are included in that org chart for you for transparency. >> Okay. And there was another category that y'all you all explained to me. There were like 36 and a half positions in the general budget that said other central other salaries centralized. Um, and I know that's a code that >> it's a state reporting code. >> That's an extra code because they didn't have POS codes for the positions that we actually had or something. It would be nice to have those named though in the budget and you know somehow >> they are named on the org chart. >> Okay. And I will say the org chart I needed a magnifying glass to look at some of those positions and the numbers. I truly had
155to use the magnifying glass. One other thing that I've heard that we would really like is the na names of the people I looked at. I have the 2025 org chart and it's very clear and easy to read. Um and most every position is named has a person with it. And >> the we went a step further. There's more positions because we literally in this org chart went through the budget and listed every single position. So there it's more detailed than what we did the previous year. We can go back and we can we can put names to it, but uh it's it's unless we print it on poster board, it's it's going to be hard to read. Um but we can put names on it. >> Well, there was plenty of room on the
156paper to enlarge. >> Okay, some we'll do that. I I do want to be clear though to um you know to to the board and to the public after we met with you Monday, right? And and clarified that uh the the positions that are in federal or some of the ones that you were um confused about with weren't in the the budget. They're in the budget. They're in the federal budget. They're in the self funded through SACC or something. But we presented all of those in the or chart and are in the budget at some point, right? So I just want to make it clear like we we didn't not bring anything to the board. >> Well, I just think they were just separately under federal and that's what I >> I think this is
157where again like the process and and it maybe goes back this the first time we went through a budget with this board, right? Um, I think you would all agree this was the most transparent budget process >> that we've ever been through. Uh, we presented a a flat local revenue balance budget, right? >> If we want to do it different and and you know with Mr. Dy, we've already talked about and I think you see it on Monday that we're having the first finance committee meeting that's in August of a new fiscal year. like we're going to start the process early. If there are things that we want to see different that make it more clear, y'all have got to be specific with us about what you want to see. I I but I I
158want to make sure that we're on the same page that when we went through this process, uh we looked at every single line. We looked at every single position. We cut, we trimmed, we got it to where we needed to. Uh and it was passed. >> Yeah. >> Right. And so what you're what you're asking us is go back to stuff that we passed three and four months ago. Uh and and we we can but it it your >> I'm not questioning you know the positions that we have or anything. What I want to see is see them all listed and see where they are in you know because I know you did that because there were a lot of individual sheets that y'all painstakingly wrote for us. uh as far as saying what you
159were adding each time for each budget. So I know you worked really hard on that and I'm not questioning that process. I'm just saying how I would like to see it like in a report or how I'd like to see it in the budget and see the list of positions. So I'm not questioning you know what you all did. Um and I don't want to take away from the fact that we did have a balanced budget. So, you know, you made concessions and and all, but I'm just saying I would like to see how I would like to see things listed in the future to actually balance and reconcile the positions we have to, you know, paper on paper, but we can discuss it Monday with someone. >> Okay. >> M uh Miss Thomas. >>
160Yeah. I have a question. So was this is this is are these the the uh list of all the positions right? >> No. >> Is that what this is? >> You all who provided this? >> Yes. But we can talk about it on Monday and I can I can further explain more but all the organizational chart that's what we are given on July 25th. >> Okay. I I have question my question is not that and it might be Dr. Robinson. It may not be what we talked about tonight. Maybe we need to talk about in person, but it's it it has to do with the the positions. And when you change a position's job description when that job description change, even though we've approved that previous job, right, and that job description change, my question
161is how does that salary then change? Why why does the salary change um in in regards to that? So it may be a question you'll have to explain to me because I am very much interested in the process and how things because >> I'm not following what you're asking. >> Like for instance, you if you if you change title >> job title the job title changes and the job description I guess maybe the job description but the job title changes and then does the salary change? May I I I remove my question and I'll call you. >> Okay. that this would be shaped. >> So the policy calls for every position every year to be approved by the board through the budget and through the org chart. >> You didn't give us the org chart
162to July 25th. >> So that going forward I'd like to see >> Yeah. >> at the same time as the budget >> that they they need to go hand inand according to the policy. >> Yeah. And this has not been easy to understand. >> I agree with you. It's a $600 million budget >> that the federal positions weren't itemized. They were just one line item, federal positions, here's the amount. They weren't itemized. So when she looked at the or chart, she couldn't find them, right? So if it had been itemized, which is transparency, then she would have been able to true it up. And that's where I think the question >> they're item they're itemized in in in the line item budget. But to to your point and I agree with you, it's not super
163clear. And federal positions are really hard. The good example is number one, we don't get projections in the same time frame that we're doing our budget. So we could put positions, but they are going to be estimates. Um we don't get title one allocations typically until uh end of July. We didn't get title two allocations this year until um August, right? And so we we put that in there, but they are projections, right? Based on what we think is coming from federal funds, >> but we're talking about look title, how it's funded, who's sitting in the seat, job description. That's four things that could be easily sorted in an Excel spreadsheet. And I think that's what we're asking for. >> Yeah. And I think going into this budget, anything that we want to do differently,
164we can. And >> as far as the organizational chart, you know, we have the the budget, the operation budget, and then we have the organizational chart, but a lot of the budget names are not the same as the organizational chart. I had to match them up by department and level. Um, but also it it doesn't tell me which ones are actually in the budget and which ones are federal. It's an organizational chart, but I don't know which one's which. >> I'm seeing no more. >> I was just going to jump in at the at the risk of prolonging the meeting by five minutes. Um, >> maybe three time, >> but but I I I think one of the things that I learned this past week that honestly I didn't know is that we effectively have
165two budget seasons. we have the the general budget season and then when when we get data that comes down from the federal government about what they're going to fund the the administration then sends a true up to to the board and in fact if you looked at the agenda tonight under under uh finance there were a lot of trueups and so what I think I heard Dr. Robertson say and correct me if I'm wrong Dr. Robertson, but you can put placeholders in the org chart early in the process, but but the administration's not going to have the detail necessary to fill out that org chart until tonight when the board decides to to allocate those funds. So, I think it's important for the board to understand. I'm looking at the policy here and I'm trying
166to apply it to the situation. There's there's only so much detail that the administration can give in March until we get the federal numbers looking at Dr. Robertson. Correct. But now they can give more detail based upon the numbers that have come down and what this board has just approved. So there's we need to understand that there's basically a two-part process, >> right? the I still think we could know which ones are the positions that we are waiting on for federal funds and which ones are already in the general purpose budget. >> Sure. And and I just I I think what what we need to be clear on and this is this is based upon what's gone on around the state in the last six weeks. There there are school boards that were cutting positions
167in anticipation of federal cuts. So, it may be that your order chart isn't filled out until you actually find out what's going to come down. So, all I'm saying here is I agree with this policy. It's a good policy. It does require budgeting and or chart. I think the board just needs to understand that that this is it effectively happens twice in the year and you can't do everything in March basically. But since you're starting the the the the budget building process next month, next week, sorry. Um we can we can we can flesh stuff out a little bit more in anticipation, but but you're still going to have this this necessary true up process. >> Just just real quick, I just I I do want to commend police because the reality is and we
168all agree on it. It's very complex and you know at the end of the day we are we're here to try to move this this county forward. So having collective input is helpful. So thanks please. >> Okay. Uh takes us down to uh information only. U Monday the 25th has already been mentioned finance and facilities committees together that what time is that meeting? >> 5:30. Okay. And then Monday, September 1, Labor Day. Everybody will enjoy the day, I'm sure. Tuesday the 9th, policy committee. That'll be a 5:32 uh Miss uh Miss Aiden. Okay. >> Thursday, September the 11th, has already been mentioned. TSBA fall district meeting over at Tiner. If you haven't been to Tiner, uh go over there. It's it's amazing. Very proud of of Tiner. uh September the 16th annual family life curriculum
169forum and then our next board meeting will be September 18th. >> Chair, if I may add one item, uh we were all invited uh to the autism conference that's on Friday, September 5th. If anyone on the board wants to go, the fee would be waved. Just respond to the email that came from Mr. Dave Buck. Um it's a really great conference. It has a lot of words where >> it's at the convention center and it's uh all morning afternoon of uh Friday the 5th. I've been a couple times. I've really learned a lot from it and I would reiterate that September 11th we we getting to host it is a huge honor and I I hope that all 11 of us can be there. >> Okay. Thank you. >> One more thing, Joe. Lord, >>
170I promise >> I want to wish a happy birthday to the future president of the United States from Saudi Daisy, Ryan Jenkins. He's 18 years old today. Happy birthday. Is he here? He's not. >> He's listening. Okay, we stand a journ.