001Good evening everyone. I now call this special meeting of the Goose Creek CISD Board of Trustees to order. The time is now 6:33 p.m. Mrs. Guy, was this meeting properly posted? >> It was. >> And do we have a quorum? >> Yes, we do. >> Thank you very much. We'll move on to item number two, citizens participation. Miss Garcia, has anyone signed up to talk tonight? Thank you so much. Let the record show that no one has signed up to talk this evening. At this time, the board will now recess into close session pursuant to one or more of the following sections of the Texas Government Code, specifically 551.071 and 551.074. No action will be taken while the board is in close session. The time is now 6:34 p.m. The board will now reconvene into
002open session. The time is now 7:23 p.m. No action was taken while the board was in close session. At this time, we'll move on to item action item, let's see, 3 C. Consideration of taking action to name finalist for the position of superintendent of schools. >> I move that we name Dr. Joe Rodriguez as the loan finalist for the position of superintendent of schools for Goose Creek CISD. >> Second. I have a motion by Mrs. Guy and a second by Mr. No, no, you never go with the plan at this point. >> A second by Mr. Rio. >> Why you laughing, Randy? >> To name Dr. Rodriguez as the finalist for the position of superintendent of schools. At this time, we'll open up for discussion. >> Sure. I will just say that um you know
003we've taken this this um task very seriously and I I truly feel like we've found um the right person to to be our next leader in the district. >> I would like to also include that Dr. Joe is one person that you guys are going to really just like we went through the process. It was a very difficult decision, but it was we all work very hard. But one of the things that I know that he will do is keep the needs of our children uh in mind as he make any decisions moving forward. That's what I saw in him. Thank you. I'd like to thank everybody that participated in the citizens part, the focus committees, the about 90 people for that and the 748 other people who wrote in and we we did read
004all of that. Once we did that and kind of synthesized it down to what the community is looking for, I thought we will never ever find that person. And Mr. Thompson, thank you for saying trust the process because we when we came in and looked at the applicants and then we narrowed that down to interviews and then we spent way past our bedtime conducting interviews for two weeks. It it the process worked and we're excited to have the next leader of our children in Dr. Rodriguez. >> Um, I would like to thank the board first for us being able to come to an agreement about our next superintendent. Uh I'm hoping that each and every one of you who are staff, administrators, teachers, children will make sure that you give him a chance to be
005the leader of of Goose Creek CISD. Thank you to everyone in here. Sure. Yeah, I can go ahead. Um, I would also just like to thank the community and um, everybody on the board. It was a very long long and arduous process, the interviewing and everything. And so, um, I think we're going to make it through the other side just okay, though. So, thank you'all. >> First of all, I'd like to publicly thank Randy for his service and uh, he was a hoot to work with. Ry's Ry's a good guy. Hey, he he put up a lot with us, and I thank him for that, first of all. Now, I'd like to thank um and ease any concerns that people have about who we selected, Dr. Joe. Um I think we all felt the spirit
006of him u unanimously. You know, they probably thought I was going to vote against him or something, but I I'm not. You know, I I really do I agree with what Richard Clim said about, you know, he's He's the future for our children in the next coming years and hopefully. But here's where the real complication come. It's not only Dr. Joe. Our board needs to transform and do better along with supporting Dr. Joe. And if we do that, we'll be successful. Thank you. That everybody. >> All right. I'd like to uh start my comments first of all by talking a little bit about where we were and what we've done to get here. Uh several months ago um this board stood before you and we discussed a process that would be based upon integrity, transparency,
007and listening to our community. Um I feel and I know that we have lived up to that promise to our community. Um as Mr. Clem said, "We read every one of those u surveys that came in in depth. Some were fun to listen to, some were hard to listen to, and some were things we needed to listen to. But the direction we went when we made our decision and what guided us was community input. We listened to our community. We really did. Um, I echo the comments of this board that we weren't sure we'd be able to find what this community wanted, but we did. One thing that's very notable is when we started this process, there were seven people on this board with seven different opinions and the direction we were going, but we
008came together very quickly. Uh we did a team of eight training in the middle of this and I promise you that team of eight training was nowhere comparable to hiring a superintendent and going through that process. This brought this board together. We have student achievement is our number one priority and the education of every child in Goose Creek is what guided us in this decision. I want to speak a little bit about I've had a lot of conversations with our candidate throughout this process and someone asked me well everyone's asked me Jim who are we hiring it's like I can't tell you that but one thing I could tell you is I have that warm and fuzzy feeling that we have the right person and the person that we are naming as the finalist is
009a very good human being and I think it is a perfect fit for Goose Creek. I don't just say that as words. I truly feel that. Um, and it's it's it it just hits me close to home. Um, I want to congratulate this board. We did a great job. We lived up to our promise and our commitment to the community. Uh, and I am excited to see what Dr. Joe Rodriguez can do uh, in Goose Creek and take us even beyond. With that being said, Dr. O'Brien, it would be remiss of me to move forward without thanking you again for everything you did. A few months ago when we talked about this, I said Goose Creek looks the way it does today because of your vision, your innovation, and what you've done with Goose Creek
010and the things you brought to Goose Creek. It's great to go to conferences and shine when it comes to things like CCMR. Your vision took us there. Uh we have so manymies and so many opportunities here in Goose Creek that we didn't have before you arrived. Um with that being said, I'm going to get off my soap box. Um and y'all ready to vote? >> Let's vote. All in favor of naming Dr. Joe Rodriguez as the finalist for superintendent of schools for Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District. Please signify by raising your hand at this time. The vote is unanimous. Congratulations, Dr. Joe Rodriguez. >> And at this time, Dr. Joe Rodriguez is in the audience. It's pretty obvious. If you would please, sir, stand up. Come in front of the Goose Creek Giants. We'll
011give you a microphone and allow you the opportunity to address uh your future community. I appreciate that. Thank you so much. I do want to start off by recognizing the board. Uh anytime a school board does a superintendent search, it takes a lot of time and there's a lot of stress. And as you all know, uh our trustees are volunteers. So they not only volunteer time during meetings, but they volunteer their time for important decisions like this. So do want to thank the board. Thank you for the honor of being able to serve uh Goose Creek CISD. And I also want to thank Dr. O'Brien. Uh Dr. O'Brien, I want to echo uh the comments that have been made. Your vision and the team that you have put together truly is recognized throughout the state.
012And because of that, that is one of the reasons, one of the most important reasons why I actually applied for the job. So, I do want to thank you publicly for what you've done during your tenure here as superintendent. Everyone else, I am very excited uh to meet everyone. It's a very unique transition, midyear. I've never done a mid-year transition in any job I've ever had. Uh but I'm excited. Once again, I have done my own research and I I told the board uh school boards interview superintendents, but superintendents also interview school boards and the community and the administration and the students. So, it's been a very great process for me and the family and I look forward to working with you all and most importantly, I look forward to serving you all. What I
013bring to this table is and you will find quickly is that I am someone that will work for you. There is nowhere in my book of leadership that says that anyone works for me. So I am truly here to serve you all. I'm here to serve the students in the community and just to continue the vision that Dr. O'Brien and the board have started and just add value to all the different places that I can. So once again, thank you for the honor of being selected as the loan finalist and I look forward to working with everyone in the community. Thank you. Good job. Good job. He's a lot better looking than Randy, but but what I told him, if he don't look like Randy when he's done, then he didn't do his job. glasses,
014gray hair. >> While we're still on the mic, I want to thank you for always having a warm and fuzzy feeling for me, Mr. Enter. Thank you. >> Hey. >> All right. Very good. Congratulations, Dr. Rodriguez. Uh on behalf of the board, um Dr. Thompson from Thompson and Horton, thank you for your leadership and guidance through this process. um you've been a tremendous help uh and a tremendous ally in this process. You've kept us guided uh kept us focused and led us right to where we need to be. Um with that being said, before I close this meeting, uh Dr. Joe, will you be available to mix and mingle and answer a few questions and meet some people? Uh we welcome you to hang around and chat with our loan finalists this evening. I I
015hear we need to do a photo first >> am >> after after we do a uh okay after we adjourn. Uh one other thing I want to uh >> this could have been >> but it's not going to be this is the most important thing that we do as board members so I have to own it. There's two other people I need to thank and thank you Dr. O'Brien for keeping me focused behind the scenes. No Amy Garcia and Vicki have done tremendous work. Where's Vicki? There she is. >> Come on, Vicki. >> That team of 10. >> We we we spent many many hours together and Vicki and No, Amy have been our backbone and our support behind the scenes and have greeted and taken care of every need that we've needed through this
016process. Thank you on behalf of this board of trustees for your service. It did not go unrecognized. Having no further business before this board, we are adjourned. The time is now 7:36 p.m.