5/19/2026 - FCPS Governance Committee Meeting

001All right, this May 19th, 2026 governance committee meeting will come to order. We can go ahead and start with the meeting minutes. Get that out of the way while folks settle in. So, we're at order at four o'clock. Okay, Mr. Fresh, >> we'll make a motion to adopt the minutes. >> Thank you. Uh seconded by Dr. Anderson. All those in favor? Three of us. So that will carry. So Madame Clerk, the minutes carry with um FR, Dr. Anderson, and Marin. Okay. Well, let's just give one more minute until our two remaining members come back. We will start with the standard school year calendar though when we begin in just a moment. Uh, Madame Clerk, are you able to please put the calendar policy on the screen? Thank you so much. Okay. So, let's begin with

002our first agenda item, which will be the calendar policy 1344. Um, as a reminder, well, so today's agenda will be the calendar policy and then we're also going to be discussing discussing the instructional technology policy as well as two related policies in the 6000 series. So, my goal is to get us to sending a policy for calendar out to the board from this committee meeting as well as doing so for the instructional tech policy. But first, let's start with the calendar policy. So, where we last left it was we had a work session. We had a um Are you good? >> Okay. So we had a work session and the board uh raised several items for discussion and as a result the committee you know I took the comments back and did a final read

003to push pull all these policies together. So it was um two four six policies but then we found that 13840 was not really relevant to calendar. So we excluded that so we have five policies and upon reviewing it was brought to my attention Dr. Dr. pointed out that there really wasn't a uniform like voice because all these policies were written at different times and we wanted to try and make it as succinct as possible and not just plunk pieces together. So it is more woven together than when you last saw it but that is in an effort to get it to read more clearly for our public who we know want to see this. I will say though it does not include an element of the guidelines which was about the holidays because that was

004unclear. So I I did leave that part out. People can bring you know comments and motions. So our goal here why don't we set ourselves like a time frame of 30 minutes to try and give ourselves some benchmarks here. Um, do we we could start with does anyone want to make general comments and also specific things that you'd like to have changed and or perhaps starting with an overall temperature like how close are you to supporting this policy? Are there things that you think could be fixed and we could get to? Um, can we get to consensus? >> Okay. So, >> Mary, do you want to start at three minutes or two minutes? >> Let's do three minutes, please. >> And then go back. Set two minutes. >> Um, I I don't know yet. I

005don't know. Okay. Yeah, we have a lot to discuss. So, uh, okay, Dr. Anderson and then Miss Lady, Mr. Three minutes. Thank you. >> Yes. Um, first of all, thank you for, um, accepting my comments regarding the choppiness of it because I think we just had put them together, but we didn't organize it, so it looks really good. And thank you for just kind of formatting it because there were also some of those discrepancies. Um, I do want to say I I think I I'm close. I think what is missing here that you just referred to which is the list of holidays um is actually very helpful um as we have more conversations as we're trying to have a community engagement process that's going to allow us to be perhaps responsive. I think carving out

006all of those dates kind of in stone makes it difficult to be more responsive because we're already locked in. So, I think that offers flexibility to us as a board and perhaps to the superintendent. Not sure yet how that's going to work out, but I think that is a plus. It gives a little bit more flexibility. What I like to be thinking about that I think is missing is as we talk about the community engagement more and more even hearing from one of our um and I think I said this at the at the main meeting at one of the main meetings even our um one of our unions have shared how they want to have more opportunities to sit around and discuss the calendar. It's making me wonder could we consider for a calendar

007committee not as it was previously structured but structured in the way that we are um organizing the um tech committee so that there is a wide um array of representatives in order to build consens or to build feedback around the calendar. So, that would be something that I'd like for us to um add to the engagement piece. Um that can perhaps be more instructive. Um and I think I'll stop here for right now. >> Thank you. So, to summarize, you prefer not including those holidays. So, as it is, and you would prefer more in there about a committee. Okay. Miss Lady, >> thank you. Um, thank you for the work that's gone into this. Um, I have lots of sort of editorial notes, but um, I think I'm in complete opposition to my colleague as

008I would like to add under on page three under student holidays. I would recommend that we keep all federal holidays except Veterans Day or designated student holidays. remove the rest of that paragraph and then add a new number eight which would bump those down and call that religious holidays and list the six religious holidays. Those being Christmas, Diwali, Eidal, Ada, Eidal, Feter, Rashashana, and Yamapor. I think we need to name them. I've had an overwhelming um amount of emails from people of um who celebrate different religious holidays and protecting those. Um I do not want to put it upon the superintendent to like the paragraph above and the chief equity officer and chief of schools to make determinations on an annual basis as to whether we're going to keep all six of those or not.

009Um I just I don't think that's good practice. We are a very diverse um school system and we need to celebrate uh each other's uh diversity and these are to me the ones that are impact operations the most because the percentage of people who celebrate them and the reason I want them to just be designated as religious and not religious and cultural is because I don't want to get into giving off different additional like New Year's or Day of the Dead or St. Patrick's Day, Cinco de Mayo. I mean, there's all kinds of days that people celebrate that are more cultural. These are purely like prayer prayer days. There's something in the Torah or in the you know, their their literature that they that they it's important days to them. So, that's I'll I'll say

010that much. Um, then I have other sort of editorial edits, but I but that's my main thing. Um, I didn't know number nine that's on page three, the National Day of Morning. I'm assuming that was a standalone policy that's been folded into this. >> It was part of something that that I think when me and my team tried to smush it all together, we omitted it, but it was brought to our attention that it still is relevant. So the most the most recent one we had was President Carter's death, >> but it was school day. So I guess from that perspective, I don't know why it would belong on a call. Maybe we can sum it set it all together. I don't know that we need it. Obviously, if it's a national day, they tell

011us what we have to do. It's flags that have staff, but that's my only other question for now and then I'll probably have a go back. >> Okay. Thank you. Uh Miss St. John Cunning, I believe the Mr. Yes, Miss St. John Cunning. So, um, first of all, again, I appreciate all the work that has gone into this. Um, I'm a little bit confused as to why we agreed to one policy and then another thing was brought to us. The crosswalk was extremely difficult. So, and doing this crosswalk, there are some things that are here, some things that are not. Can you please explain to me what you took out of the original calendar policy that we had agreed to and and explain to me why? Well, by agree you mean that we agreed to

012send it to the work session for further discussion. That if that was the status and as I said at the beginning, what I took out was language that didn't quite mesh everything together. And so some of it was just purely like writing an editorial. I did also say that I did remove the holidays because they were in the guidelines and not the policy. So, you know, based on that discussion, a different product emerged and that's that's this product. >> Okay. Um, can you explain to me why you omitted aligning our practices with neighboring school divisions? >> Um, I don't think that that was in any of the policies and it was was in the initial one that we looked at. >> Okay. Like well, you know, I've edited quite a bit. So, if there are

013things that you think should go back in um like I said, I was trying to use as possible. >> What your thinking was? That's what I'm trying to >> My thinking again was trying to take five policies that were written at different points in time and make it a uniform document. So, that included like rearranging things and even just by rearranging things sometimes the language needed to be smoothed out. So, I did my best to try and make one document and please propose things to put back in it if you'd like. >> I I know for a fact that we have a lot of employees that work in different jurisdictions and when our holidays aren't aligned with theirs, it's a hardship for our employees. Um, so I I think that that has to be that

014language has to be put back, which is uh we're committed to aligning practices with neighboring school divisions whenever possible, reviewing attendance data, and providing opportunity for community and staff input and calendar development. But a significant amount of our staff unfortunately can't afford to live in Fairfax County. So they work in other jurisdictions. and when we have days awe when when our when we do not align that does provide a hardship. So I would strongly recommend that that be put back in. Um I also agree that the holidays should be included. I happen to know communities that worked for over 20 years to get some of those holidays included. I think that they feel that if they are not named that they they run at risk of being removed. Uh we received I know I received

015several letters from different faith groups um and from organizations that represent them of how hard they fought to get certain holidays in and by them not being enumerated they feel very threatened that they will not be kept in. So I think that that's really critical. I believe that in one of I mean I do have other edits uh going to that when we look at it's hard because I'm flipping between two different documents here but when we go to philosophy the school board acknowledges the diversity of cultural that I I that word acknowledges was put in to replace respect. I think respect is a stronger word and I would like to see acknowledges change to respect just because I happen to know for a fact the people that really fought hard to get some of

016those holidays included. Um I mean I'll I'll take a go back because I'm even though I spent a lot of time cross-sectioning and reviewing this, there's still some more things I need to come back to. >> Mr. Fr. >> Thank you. And I appreciate everybody's kind words about my friend. So thank you. a friend of mine passed away. Um, which delayed some of my work here. Anyways, uh, I do want to say that um, uh, I'm not always a big fan of combining a bunch of policies, but in this case, I think there is some, uh, merit to, uh, some of these being included. In terms of um macro level feedback, um I would be supportive of Miss Lady's intention to create a new number eight with religious observances, holidays as described. Um I did

017want to delve a little bit into the definitions. Um let me just scroll to the exact one. So full school week says a school uh a school week consisting of five consecutive days of student instruction typically Monday through Friday. This structure is prioritized to maintain academic momentum and provide schedule flexibility for families. So interesting about that definition in it's in the definition section three on page one. There's argumentation and I I don't disagree but the second sentence could be removed entirely um because it's making a um a claim versus defining the term. Right now, later in the document, we get to like sussing out the claim, right? Um, and I'd also like to delve into that a little bit because, um, as I've said before, the last calendar that we voted on, I opposed primarily

018because I think it had three less five-day weeks than the other alternative at the time. I don't even remember what the colors were, but um but one thing that I'm curious about uh is whether students are better served by a five day week followed by a three-day week. And this is, you know, just a an example out of no reality necessarily, or are they served better by a 4-day week followed by a 4-day week, right? Um that doesn't mean that like if staff goes back and does some research on academic continuity that we can't revise the policy in the future. Um but one way that we could address that in the uh in the um philosophy section uh is committed to clear reliable academic calendars that prioritize uh full school weeks. It could say that

019prioritizes academic continuity parenthesis typically in the form of full school day typically in the form of full school weeks, uh uh five days of instruction weekly. it it doesn't need week in there again. But um so it could be something like that that gets at that question because I can imagine based on the other parameters that we're putting on the calendar um which limit some of the flexibility already um uh that limit some of the flexibility that the board may may want four and four versus a five and three or a five and two scenario. But we wouldn't necessarily be presented with that if we're specifically saying the other thing that we could put on there is that when a week is offered or when back-to-back weeks have a day that doesn't have instruction, the

020superintendent in presenting the new calendar uh as the policy kind of lays out could explain why that choice was made to the board in offering the calendar. So I'll have to go back as well. >> So So thank you. So I'll kind of mix my turn as chair and myself. So, I I think that there's not enough data to make decisions about the religious holidays. So, I would prefer to not list them. So, I would not be in favor of that. I would still be in favor of putting a calendar policy forward. So, I would just be in the minority for that. Um, a public committee, I could go either way on that. I think it seems like we have a committee about every topic we talk about these days. Um, so, you know, again,

021that's not one I'm going to go to battle for. um the policy of consideration of practices with neighboring school divisions that was in the March draft and I think the reason it was changed is that it didn't bear out in the discussion of the full board that that was something that resonated that um we wanted to you know make our decisions for you know Fairfax. So that's just an explanation. Um if you wanted to put that in uh the full school week you know I think that's one of those really good things that we could put on the the parking lot list like the 2.0 0 version because we've also discussed having that balanced calendar and right now we're at such a deficit of five school day full school weeks. I don't think we need

022to put more flexibility in there. We are trying to rein things in a bit due to the outcry of you know what's happening. So I'd prefer to not adjust that language under philosophy, but I do agree with Mr. Fish's comment that under the definition of full school week that that second sentence could be removed because it does add more subjectivity than a definition and it is also discussed in philosophy. So I'd be cool with that. So um why don't we do another round and then maybe we could get to votes on some of these things and see where we're at. So Miss St. John Cunning and then um Dr. Anderson. Interestingly enough, in my in my red line, I crossed out that second sentence in philosophy um in philosophy where it says full school weeks

023enhance student engagement and learning while reducing the child care and logistical burdens placed on families caused by school closures. Uh I've spoken to this, >> the current one I believe, right? Um the one that It's >> Are you looking? it. >> So, it's full school weeks enhance student engagement and learning while reducing the child care and logistical burdens placed on families caused by school closures. Okay. >> Um I think when we talk about a calendar, we talk about a school community. I say this and I don't say this lightly because I was a family leaison and a parent leaison and I worked with families to provide wraparound services and I've talked about the creep of responsibility of schools having to be responsible for things like child care, mental health care, feeding kids. That was my

024job. I totally believed in that. I did it as a family liaison. don't think that with the kind of budget costs cuts we're talking about with the things that we're looking at that this should be in policy. Child care is not our responsibility. The burden of child care is not ours. Our burden is to provide academic support to kids. So when I see language like this >> you have a proposal then >> something I would I would just cut out that whole sentence. Well, how about perhaps not the whole sentence, but how about just reducing or just the child care because it does present logistical burdens that have nothing to do with child care. It's the child care piece. Perhaps you can propose just reducing removing those words. >> I mean, my proposal is the

025whole sentence. It's, you know, what other people feel, but I just >> Okay. So, we'll take that. So that's been a proposal then to remove that philosophy sentence >> and then again when I had mentioned that I would like to see in that philosophy acknowledges change to respect >> um acknowledges would be respect >> respecting the diversity of our cultures. I think respecting carries more weight. >> Okay. So what I'm doing is I'm just tracking these so that we can do a vote for all of these ideas um perhaps after this round. Uh it was Dr. Anderson next I believe. Um, I I have a couple of questions before I share my comments. Uh, Mr. Smith and Dr. Dr. Reid, perhaps you can help me better understand what does that collaboration look like currently with

026our neighboring school divisions in terms of aligning calendars. Dr. Anderson, I will check in with my team and make sure that the board is updated. Right. Um, for me that's kind of important as we're speaking about whether or not to hold that language because when I I did a little chart of my own just like I've done in years past in terms of the days off with the neighboring school districts and really focusing on Loud and Prince William, Arlington, Falls Church, and they're kind of all over the place. They're they're fairly inconsistent. Um, some days are consistent for sure, but I know the conversation is it is hard for our employees who live in those places to come to work when their children are off. What I will present is they have a ton of

027teacher work days in these other divisions where their children are off, but we still don't have those days off. We don't align teacher work days which pose the same issues as the holidays. So we are definitely inconsistent there. So that's one of the things that I want to raise in terms of alignment because then we'll have to do it for everything as much as possible and I don't think that's the case. Secondly, I I do appreciate the conversation regarding the burden on our employees when their children are off and child care is not our should not be one of the things that we prioritize. But it makes me wonder what is the burden that we're willing to bear for parents when they have to work and their kids are off. So that's a question that

028that's a wondering that I would love to get some feedback on. Okay, thank you. Oh, sorry. >> No, I'm going to just finish using the rest of my time. Um, Miss St. John Cunning um statements regarding move to respects. I have no um opposition to that. So, I'm happy to support that change and you can mark that. another wondering that I I want to be sure that we're being responsive to our community in the same way that board members are raising that parents are really adamant about some of the holidays and for us to be mindful of that. I also feel that we need to be mindful of the part of our community that has been screaming that we need to be more consistent with instruction five days. I would not want to dilute that

029language because it would not be reflective of what I have received as one board member. Um, and if we are adding holidays back into this, I will be bringing a motion to add Ash Wednesday. that is a religious holiday that many people in this community celebrate but shows up nowhere. >> Thank you Dr. Anderson, Miss Lady, and then Mr. Fresh. All right, I'm going to drill down a little bit more on some word smithing of things. So on page one, academic calendar, uh, one of the terminologies missing in that is teacher work days. It's not the same as a PD day. It's not the same as a school holiday. So somewhere in there fit in. >> Where is that, Miss Lady? Sorry. >> Page one, definitions, academic calendar. somewhere needs to also include teacher work

030day which is >> in in the academic calendar definition >> under definitions academic calendar it says PD days but does not say teacher work days they're distinctly different days >> okay >> so >> yes okay so um without objection we would ask it's on the first page on the first page under okay listen definitions the definition for academic calendar adding teacher work days after professional development days and before school holidays. >> So without objection is there objection to that. >> Are you good Dr. Anderson? >> Yes. >> Okay. Or we could also go back and do this as well. But >> but this one seemed pretty >> I'm going to go through it in order so hang with me. >> Okay. So then maybe All right. >> Full school week. >> Okay. We don't have

031school on Saturday or Sunday. So why do we need typically Monday through Friday? >> I would I would delete typically Monday through Friday and just keep it as a week consisting of five consecutive days of student instruction. Then when you get to religious cultural observances, here's where it gets a little sticky because >> are you still >> sir? Hold on a second. >> Yes, Mr. Fresh. It's okay. We'll allow >> I'm so sorry. That is not a point of order. Point of order. Do we want to pause and add these things in? >> Well, I I think I've already been tracking. So, why don't I track and then we'll just go through and do but thank you. Could go either way. So, but okay. So, Miss Lady, we've got the adding the teacher work day

032and then the second one you were saying was full school week not having the um typically Monday through Friday. >> Well, and then the rest of that which Mr. Fish already said we should remove. I agree with um and then the last um definition on this page, religious and cultural observance. Here's where it gets sticky. The last sentence, such absences are considered verified and shall not result in academic or extracurricular penalties. I know what we're trying to say and it also comes up again somewhere else. Um but the bottom line is it still counts in terms of chronic absenteeism. And so and there what I mean at the end of the day verified or unverified doesn't matter in our system anymore. Parents think it matters but there is really no such thing. So I'm not

033telling you how to fix that. I'm just making an observation. Um I'm going to make a comment related to the 4 day weeks. I can tell you at a high school and a middle school where you have A days and B days, a 4 day week is far superior to a three-day week. every every week. There are some systems around the world that do four day weeks. So, I would advocate repeatedly for a four and a four versus a five and a three because then every kid sees each class twice in each of those weeks. Um, and it's much better for the momentum of instruction. I will stand behind that as a professional educator for my life's work. Um see um yeah the second place is um page two the third def well are we

034still under we're still under definitions verified absence. It goes along with religious and cultural because it's mentioned twice. Again, I just think that somewhere we need to put something in about if we're going to talk about that about chronic absenteeism like it still matters like it still counts against us for for that particular perspective. I agree with my colleagues about uh replacing acknowledges with respects in the philosophy section. I'm I I like uh Miss Marin's compromise to Miss St. John Cunning's request to eliminate the second sentence of philosophy. And if we just eliminate the child care, I think that's a fair that's a I think that's a nice coming together of two different perspectives. Um, >> okay. Well, guess I'll stop there. >> Done. >> I Yeah, I'm going to keep looking through to see

035the ones that mean the most to me. I have a lot of notes, but I don't need to state them all. >> Okay, Mr. Fr. and then I will go. Let's rewind a little bit to section four, which I think is philosophy. Yeah, page two. So, here's the language that I would use. The Fairfax County School Board is committed to a clear, reliable academic calendar that so that's all the same prioritizes academic and instructional continuity in the form of full school weeks to a uh period period. Well, and then you know you could continue on from there if the if people are immunable to it. Now what I would say Yeah. Yeah. So after, can we pause my time while I'm repeating myself? Um after the word reliable academic calendar that prioritizes academic and instructional

036continuity in the form of full school weeks. Now I want to stress that this is the philosophy section. It's not a binding part of the policy. and sort of drive at that. If you join me on a little trip down the page to section five, number A1, instructional time, I think we should add a sentence to the end of that that says to the greatest extent possible within the confines of schoolboard policy, full school weeks will be prioritized. That puts it into the actual policy uh like that's to be followed by the the philosophy is telling the public here's why we've done this policy. If the policy doesn't then tell doesn't pro provide the guidance we're seeking, it doesn't matter what the policy says. So at least that would indicate, okay, we've provided you with

037this policy superintendent. Um, and it says this about in uh professional development, it says this about O days, it says this about holidays, etc. Now that you know those confines, we want you to prioritize X. Now, between now and the and so that's the end of that comment. Between now and when the board votes on this, I may talk to colleagues and everybody on the committee about how we might word this in such a way that we're that we are saying yes, we want five day weeks, but for the sake of academic continuity, we might be open to other things if there's no other choice as long as the superintendent kind of explains that when providing us with a new calendar. I don't know how that language would work and that's far too complicated to

038figure out right now, but it could be figured out between now and when we vote. Um, all right. Going a little further down to uh Miss Lady's comment about um religious and cultural observances to fix what she was getting at that sent uh at the bottom of page one under definitions religious and cultural observances. It could read the last sentence of that could read while such absences are considered verified and shall not result in academic or extracurricular pen penalties, they do impact the school division for the purposes of um the >> it's not an impact on the school division. They still count towards a student's absences for the year >> for the well for the purposes of um measuring >> well for for the purposes of measuring chronic absenteeism. >> That's only if they get

039to 10%. I have a thought on how to deal with the absences if you want to. >> Well, I'll let you pick that one up then. Um all right. Um that's where I am for now. I might need another go back. >> Awesome. Um, I'm hearing a lot of stuff that I agree with. So, I'll share um that I agree, Miss Lady. I also was paused when I was going over the verified credits and I'm like, this isn't exactly right. I wonder if um we maybe we just take it out for now and that's something we come back to. I mean, we can adjust this in the fall. We can come right back to it after or maybe in even in the next two weeks we get some clarity. So, if we were to remove

040the um the language, that last sentence in religious and cultural observances and then the other one that says verified absence, maybe we just take that out for now, see if we can improve it. If it doesn't happen by June, we could do it in the fall because I think that's where we need advice from the superintendent who hasn't provided that as of yet. So, >> shall not result in penalties. Okay. So, that could be >> That's true for that one. >> But I would hate to lose the opportunity to inform folks that any absence, >> right? And that's >> excuse or unexcused. >> And that gets to the >> Well, that's true. But then so we should we take out the verified absence piece or maybe we write in here absence the superintendent shall specify

041what counts as an absence and how absences will be tracked. I mean again trying to so so that that's one thing. Um just some questions to try and clarify decisions. So um the um full school week I like Mr. Fr's idea of moving the or removing the typically or someone's idea the full school week removing typically Monday through Friday in addition to that last sentence and then again putting the uh Monday or full school week support under responsibilities instructional time. So that was I believe how Mr. first said it the cultural religious and cultural observance. Miss Lady, didn't you say that you wanted to keep it just to religious and not cultural observance? Was that correct by or misunderstand? >> I see. So the part so the definition would remain the same as religious and

042cultural observances and >> those days. >> Okay. Okay. And so and so the days off would be religious observances. Okay. Got it. Um one I I do think the absenteeism so that needs to be addressed by some more than we could do right now. Um so I think we've got a lot of places we can start getting consensus on. And um just do a time check. We're doing great. 437. So, do we maybe want to do one more round and then I can start seeing if we can get to consensus on pieces, keeping in mind that we can get this super far. If we get it 95% of the way there, we can add a thing or two to to tweak it when it comes time to vote. But, okay. Uh, is it Miss St.

043John Cunning and then Dr. Anderson? So we're I mean I do agree to take out the verified absences and at the end of that sentence what we were trying to get at as you know religious and cultural services such absences are considered verified and shall not result in academic or extracurricular penital penalties but are documented as all school absences. So, how would you can you say again how you'd like how you would like it to be >> that but are documented as all school absences because >> such absences shall be documented as according >> recorded or recorded as all school absences >> as all school absences are >> yeah it doesn't matter even if you even if you're in the hospital for 10 days it's still >> so it could be something like such absences

044shall be recorded as all school absences are >> yeah yeah >> okay >> and then then go ahead and cross out the verified absences. Um >> whole definition we're just going to >> No, just no, it's just add that where where Mr. Fish was trying to add a sentence at the end and where um Dr. Anderson was trying to make sure that we informed I think that we just put our documented as all school absences. >> Yes. Yeah. >> Yes. So the verified sentence that's all gone because you just replace and then this addresses that. >> Okay. Um, >> okay. I I'll take a go back because I was just looking at that. I still have um >> and once we we'll walk through all this and we'll verify all the stuff at the clerk's

045>> Yeah. Okay. So, Dr. Anderson and then Miss Ley. Um, thank you. I do see on page two, I don't know if that's what you guys were talking about here, where there is a definition for verified absence. like do we need to leave that or remove that because the only thing I care about in this area is one that we communicate that an absence is an absence is an absence. It doesn't matter what reason and I don't want it to only live in the regulation because people do look at the policies themselves and there's always in all of my years in working into in schools there's always been this misunderstanding on the part of parents. Well, it was excused. Yes, excused by the school because we know where your kid is, but not excused in

046any sense of what the state looks at. So any opportunity we have to educate, I want to take advantage of that. So I'm very much in support for the language here. And if we're going to strike the verified piece, because again, I don't know if that helps. I know this is a carryover from another previous document. Then perhaps we remove the verified absence language on page two >> as well. >> I'll note that to take a because I agree with you, but let's see what others think. Yeah. >> Um I I think I am in favor of I can be supportive of what Mr. Fris just said regarding philosophy, but I I still want to be sure that we are offering a stress on five days because the philosophy is where we talk about our

047beliefs and and and and values. We are nowhere near a 4-day week in Fairfax County Public Schools. I I just don't see any space that's just as realistic as year round school at this point. It's way down the line in terms of needing to do a lot of work to get us there. But I I want us to be responsive to our public and make sure that we are adding that value there. Um teacher work days and professional development I think. No, that's not it. That's not what I wanted to say. I don't I thought I saw it here. But one of the other Oh, I'm going to go back to National Day of Morning. I'm fine with removing that alto together. So I can be supportive of that. I do want to ensure that

048we have some language in here because I don't know if I see it and excuse me if it was there. some language about what when we have our calendar that it be reflective of all the days even the ones that we know we don't know exactly when the holiday or the day off for students are for example the elementary release days because it's kind of on a rolling basis it's not the whole division at once but some sort of asterisk like elementary will have x more days of early release. Similarly with high school, high schools will have x number of days of early release. Um, which can I just ask the one question that's going to help me find some language to that? Do we have a consistent number of days for the high school

049early release or are all high schools very different? Some do three, some do five? because I've just heard that Woodson had a day off for so my kid wanted to know why they didn't have a day off for SOS. Is it the same number of days per high schools or is that inconsistent? >> So, I'm going to defer to Dr. Prescidio on that because I think that the attempt is to be similar, but I expect depending on the graduation rotation, um, graduations don't all happen at the same time. So there may be some uh difference there, but I'll ask Dr. Prescidio to respond. I'd like to just say like I don't think we're going to discuss that in within the realm of today. I just want us to be really focused >> that that's a

050great discussion for the next time. I mean, heck, my my daughter went paddle boarding today with her friends. She did not have school. You know, it's kind of a mess the way that >> Well, just maybe language that I bring forward in terms of what the calendar should include. >> I get it. We have a list of things we want to get consensus on. And we're not going to start talking about how to make the high school calendar. >> No, I'm not talking about what. I'm just talking about what currently exists. It's not how to make it better. I just want to get an understanding of what currently exists. So, if I can get that, that would be very helpful. >> Well, unfortunately, I don't have a lot to add beyond what Dr. Reid already

051mentioned. the the largest factor towards the end of the school year is the graduation schedule, but all of those early releases are coordinated and approved through the chief of schools and region office. So, we'd have to double check with them, but I I would think there's much more similarity than difference with the one variable being the uh graduation schedules. >> Okay, thank you. Okay. Um do I have lost track of where we are. Are we do we have remaining things, Miss Lady? Can we get close to getting to some agreements? You have more questions. >> Uh just want to read a couple things. First of all, spring break we have to that's the one where we have to coordinate with other jurisdictions because it's five full days. That's the one I think we were referencing

052and there was something in there in one of the versions that said spring break we will take into account the other jurisdictions. Um we have a we have a um um we had a follow on motion about surveying the community. So I do we know where we are. I know you were waiting on some consensus from us as to which survey. >> So yes ma'am we have several iterations of a survey. I think we've shared with the board in several Friday letters. I think we're having two iterations translated to be ready to go. Um if the board's policy enumerates the uh religious holidays then we don't need to survey the community about the religious holidays because it's already in the policy. So, that would be the one distinction um about the surveys, but we're prepping

053both um and waiting to determine, you know, where the policy lands. >> Okay. Um and so I've heard a lot since we started calendar, which was not on my radar to do at all about this overwhelming number of emails. The only overwhelming number of emails I have received are in support of religious holidays. Okay. And I'm just making a comment. >> I know. Is there new things you want us to consider? >> I hadn't shared that. I had received a lot of emails on page three. Um actually uh page two at the very bottom. Um well, first of all, I agree with Dr. Anderson. I could get rid of verified absence altogether from the policy. I could keep it too, but I could get rid of it. The very bottom under teacher work days and

054professional development. I personally want to scratch the last sentence. whenever possible. Teacher work days and professional development days will occur during weeks with student holidays. I understand we're never going to get to a four-year school year, but with continuity of instruction, I can't emphasize enough that going to the classes the same amount of times in a week is is that momentum of instruction. And I would much rather see two four day weeks than a five and a three as someone who worked in the system and is my life's work is being an educator. So, I need to reiterate that. Um, and then there was one last thing which is on page three, uh, under the O days observances. Um, about halfway down, the sentence starts to the right. On these dates, staff should avoid scheduling

055major tests. I'm fine with that, but I would like to delete or activities. Um, we need to let people teach. People need the momentum of instruction. So, yes, I agree they should avoid major tests, but I don't want to say or activities. >> Number eight. >> It's on number eight. Yes. I just would like to scratch or activities and I'll stop there. >> You have your placard up, Mr. Fresh. Okay. >> Couple things. Under calendar adoption, it says that we will, you know, get the third year out calendar um in July for our first meeting. I think it should be part of the reorg meeting. The governance manual says that's in July. So, I'd be fine with it just saying at our annual reorganization meeting. >> What is that again? Calendar adoption. >> This is

056um under the section called calendar adoption. >> Make it during the business. >> Mr. Fresh, I'm just going to flag that we do have an annual reorg meeting in January at the beginning of every new board school board term. So if we only say annual reorg, I don't know if that would cause any confusion because once every four years we have the annual reorg. >> I know I I believe that this the code indicates that the reorganization meeting is when the chair and vice chair are elected when contracts and other things are approved etc. We do all that in January in addition to the previous July. >> Yes. >> Okay. Um well then I would say the July reorganization meeting So adopted at the regular school board reorganization meeting, business meeting in July. Yes. Something

057to that effect. >> Yeah. Uh secondarily just to put a finer point on um the comment about the philosophy and it's saying five days. I think the point of full school week uh is that full school week is already defined in the policy. So to then redefine it again in parenthesis right after it's said what's the purpose of a definition if we're going to follow up the terms in the policy with the definitions again. So I think that's why that was to be stricken. Uh under elections we use the word substantial. Dr. Reid how would you define substantial if a substantial number of schools are holding the elections? more than we can effectively provide security for which um would probably you know it it would likely be more than 50 for sure. Um it might

058be less depending on needing to provide security at schools where election polling sites aren't existing depending on where the sites are. But that's a it would be where substantial number would be the number we could no longer assure safe and secure school. >> That's helpful to me because it provides like what's the operational lens on that term and I'm comfortable with that because in my head I've had trouble thinking well shouldn't it be a majority because that's something we kicked around like a year ago. Should it be a majority of schools? But that takes away from the idea of like well why are we closing them in the first place whether or not we can keep them safe. So I like that answer there. Um uh so just to reiterate I I do want to

059ensure that we include something under the um the actual policy portion of this under instructional time about uh full weeks and in the time between this meeting hopefully when we get this out of the committee and when we meet as a full board to debate and vote on this. I may be circling around to colleagues with thoughts about academic continuity and how do you um both incentivize five day weeks but also give space for the superintendent to provide greater academic continuity. For example, if she has the calendar already and she's looking at it and there are two places where we could have two four day weeks or a five and a two or a five and a three, I think the board would probably be open to two fours, right? I just want to figure

060out what's the smart way of saying that in the policy without dissuading from a fiveday week. Um so and I'm sure we can get there. I just don't think it's something we can do with it'd be a whole lot of sausage making at this day right now. >> Okay. >> So between now and then. >> Well, great. So let me go through here and um we can Why don't we just start at the top? Uh if the clerks could please go to the top and let's just walk through. I'll say what I've tracked. Please let me know if I've missed something. We'll take votes for consensus. Okay. Um or disagreement. So the purpose, it sounds like the purpose is intact. Is that accurate? I think we're all okay on the It would help if you

061could like verify like Yeah. Give me a thumbs up or some eye contact or an I. Okay. Okay. Great. Summary of changes. It's been changed. Definitions. Academic calendar. Uh we already said by consensus that we want to add um make it professional development days and days, teacher work days and school holidays. Okay. So we got thumbs up from two and clerks. I'm also going to just hand write this in and then we can make sure. Okay. >> And you got Okay, we've all got our notes. Okay. Um the full school week. So there was uh >> I am fine with what was just described because it does live in the definition. >> Okay. So the sentence would then read, "A school week consisting of five consecutive days of student instruction." Is that accurate, Miss Anjuting?

062>> I'm sorry. I just wanted to go back to where we were with academic calendar where we said in school holidays. Do we want to delineate between school holidays and student holidays? Because we don't have the delineation. >> That's a good point. >> We have student holidays. So should we make that student >> holidays? Okay. Okay. >> Right. But she's you're raising that it's school holidays. So yeah, why don't we we have a definition for student holidays. No, it's a good point. Maybe if we could just leave it be for now since it's not among the ones that rose to the top. Um but full school week. So a full school week consisting of five consecutive days of student instruction period. Is that accurate? I see nods. Yes. Okay. Um instructional day and instructional hours

063had no change. Religious and cultural observances uh this was a sentence missing John Cunning you had named it um just comma but our document or >> just a moment >> had more to it >> the full school week back to full school week it had more to it >> last sentence se uh more than one person after >> we decided to remove that. Okay. >> Yeah. So it will just be five days of student instruction period. That was the consensus. Religious and cultural observances. The sentence um uh >> yeah I think we such absences shall be recorded as all school absences are. >> It may be not that language. >> Yeah. I don't know if that's the language, but Robin, one of the things that I said is let's take the opportunity to make sure

064everybody knows absences are abs. >> So, what I had captured is such absences shall be recorded as all school absences are. >> Well, what's important there, I believe what what what we want to put there is that we're not penalizing. I just wanted to add but are recorded as all school absences because if you're taking off for isn't a a religious holiday as a student, you don't want to be penalized. >> But isn't But I I thought the agreement that meant that was such absences shall be recorded as all school absences are. >> But if you're absent, if >> I could clarify, >> I just wanted to add but are recorded as all school absences and keep that other where you're verified that you were absent for an observance and so that you you're not

065going to be penalized as a student for observing your holiday. >> This language that's currently up there in red reflects Marcia and Robin's comments. >> Okay. Um, it removes the quote unquote verified, but it keeps, hey everybody, this is still an absence and you won't be for this. You won't be penalized. >> Does that work that language? >> I'm okay with it. >> Yeah. Okay. It's just backwards in my the way I wrote it. That's fine. Yeah. >> Okay. Okay. Great. All right. Uh, standard calendar guidelines, student holiday. I think I had a tiny little typo in there to fix editorial verified absence. Did we want to remove that al together? >> Yes. >> Okay. So, we're going to remove verified absence. Philosophy. There are a bunch of changes here. Okay. So, remove the second

066uh remove. Oh gosh. I hold on a second. Make it respects rather than acknowledges. That was one I think that had consensus in the last sentence. Is that >> right? Okay. So, the board respects the diversity. And then we're going to remove in the second sentence the child care. And so, it'll read full full school weeks enhanced student engagement and learning while reducing logistical burdens placed on families. Is that accurate for those two things? There's still more in that section, but >> yeah, the second sentence there was what was the deal with the second sentence? >> It was the first sentence. >> The first sentence >> would read, "The Fairfax County School Board is committed to clear, reliable academic calendar that prioritizes academic and instructional continuity in the form of full school weeks." >> academic

067and instructional Yep. Prioritizes. So, picking it up from the word prioritizes academic and instructional continuity in the form of full school weeks. >> Period. >> And then are we moving in parentheses onward? >> Yes. Well, no, up to the part that we just edited before this comment that I just made. >> Okay. So, we're removing the parentheses >> to uphold instructional continuity and sta stability. >> Right. >> That's right. >> Yeah. So, we've got the F County School Board's committed to a clear, reliable academic calendar that prioritizes academic and instructional continuity in the form of full school weeks. Period. Full school weeks. enhance student engagement and learning while reducing logistical burdens placed on families caused by school closures. >> Right. >> The school board respects the diversity of culture and religious observances that impact the

068calendar throughout the year. >> Yeah. >> And this is the thing that I mentioned I'll probably come back to in the in in the in between times. >> Okay. Okay. Great. So then we've got the responsibility section, the calendar development. This is where the language about Oh, go ahead, please. >> That's right. At the end of instructional time, we would add the sentence to the greatest extent possible within the confines of schoolboard policy, full school weeks will be prioritized. To the greatest extent possible within the confines of schoolboard policy, full school weeks will be prioritized. Right. So, >> this is another area that may get massaged >> or proposed for massaging. >> Okay. Dr. Anderson, >> I I'm not in favor of that either, but probably for different reasons because once we said within the

069confines of um schoolboard policy and we've already stayed here, we're going to list federal holidays. We're going to list a bunch of religious and not cultural religious holidays. We're going to be a little bit more broad with the uh professional development development days. I just don't see how we achieve much. >> Okay. So, there's not consensus on that that statement. It sounds like Well, I don't know. It depends how Miss St. John Cunning feels because I could get in I can get on board with it. But want to go ahead. >> My opposition is what I've reiterated. two four day weeks absolutely better than a five and a three. >> Um I will say for elementary school families that's not the case >> and that's also why I forgot to mention that I I will

070fight hard for whenever possible teacher work days and professional development will occur on weeks with student holidays. That's what crushed our families this year is those half day Wednesdays after four day weekends. >> That's why that's important to me. >> That's another started. Well, but I'm just saying your perspective is talking about high school, so >> middle and high, >> right? >> But but but point made, I guess, when when you think about specials, >> I guess it's easier for me to miss. >> Well, let's let's keep going. It sounds like there's not agreement on that portion of instructional time. Let's just put a pin in that for a moment. Okay. The standard calendar structure, we had no comments on teacher work days and professional development. There was already uh a red line put in

071there. Are folks okay with that? We're in uh number three, teacher work days. And there is a already a red line up there. >> It is up. It is up there. It's on the Yeah. Are people in agreement with that? >> I'm not. But we we see >> Is there consensus? Is there a majority that agree or disagree? I'm okay. Mr. Fr, Miss St. Junk Cunning, I need to know if you're in agreement or not. >> Yeah, I I I I agree with my colleague um in terms of the in collaboration well in terms of the student holidays will occur um with those those weeks. I I I'm agree with Miss Lady with that and seeing how it works out in schools even and I was in elementary schools. So >> um >> Okay. So

072Okay. So, you don't agree with that red line language? >> Could you This was done before. Could you explain why that was? >> This was right out of the work session. This was taken as what the conversation lent itself to. >> And I do want to be mindful, it's five after fives. And I know we're doing hard stuff, but it doesn't have to be perfect. Let's finish these and we could always tweak it. >> Sure. And I don't disagree with you. If I may say something while Miss um Cunning kind of finishes um looking at her thing, we have to make sure that this works for the entirety of the division. I too spend my entire career in schools, elementary and middle schools, in classrooms. And so that's the lens that I bring to this.

073And while in high school the AB schedule that is definitely true. I wish they could figure out how to make it more consistent. We have to make sure that we are thinking about all of our kids the majority of which are in elementary schools and even just this past spring break they came back for spring break a day off then another early release it. We have to be mindful of that. So for me, the four by4 is not an easy solution because it just leaves out the rest. And I don't see this language being um a challenging one because we want to make sure that all of the weeks are not interrupted. If we could collate them a little bit, I think that's what this speaks to. Rather than this week is interrupted by a

074holiday, the next week is interrupted by a staff development day. just connecting those together to give more consistency because I will tell you my principles and teachers in my district are saying how hard it is for kids to recall the things that they need to know because of the interruption. So let me just clarify. So regarding the redlinined I thought that's what we're discussing. It sounds like we're discussing the second sentence though about the >> Okay. Well, okay, great. Okay, so we have consensus on removing that. We don't have consensus on the last part. Do we? >> Do we? Who is okay with keeping the last sentence the way it is? That is two. Is that it? I can't. >> Can we? No, I don't. But could we highlight the ones that we don't have

075consensus on just so that we have points for conversation? >> I am keeping track of them, but yes. >> Okay. >> Yeah. I I >> So far there's just two of those. Okay. Well, great. Okay. Well, so we'll adopt that red line though and then that last sentence though needs to come back to. Okay. All right. To to put the PD together. Okay. So, um we have Okay. Uh start of school, last day of school, summer holiday. We did not have any changes to those. Student holidays. Oh, yes. I didn't get is is the last day of school shall not be um on a Monday or Tuesday. Is that in code? >> No, >> it was in a previous policy. >> What Why can't it be on a Tuesday? >> I'd love it to be

076on a Wednesday >> or a Thursday. >> No, but the last day, why would we go an extra day just to go an extra day? >> I just want to say we've asked the superintendent for input on this and it is not there was no guidance given on whether this should or shouldn't be. anything that we're changing now is just totally subjective and not based on data. So, >> okay, I'm just asking a question because this was built prior to me being on a board and >> Okay, >> I I just want to be cautious about changing things that this is actually in policy right now. So, >> okay, I still would recommend we delete the word and or Tuesday. >> I don't I would really like to keep facilitating to get us through the

077things we've already talked about. It's It's tough when we have to do everything in this two hours. So, I really would like to table any new stuff. And can we please go through what we already have? >> Point of order. Point of order. >> Just as in a regular meeting, if a board member wants to bring something up for consideration, I think we should let them. The only um time limitation is self-imposed. like if we get a much better policy because >> first does on a point of order >> touche >> I would like to say as chair trying to facilitate the work I did ask everyone to please go through what we had already levied as issues so if we could please go through that then we can return to add more things so

078I would respect >> please my my plan >> sure >> thank you >> Sure I guess in fairness I am going through the whole thing thinking that we did go through everything. So perhaps if you could help me skip to the next part. Um the student holidays was there I don't recall I don't have notes about that. I have notes about observance days >> so that we discussed >> I'm just going to say that when we started doing this process we landed on certain things and then you said we want to go back and so I was going sequentially. So sequentially there are other things that I have comments on that then you went back to so then I thought as we come up to them sequentially I will make my comments. >> Sure. And

079as I just said I realize now that I asked us to go through sequentially. So if we could go through with just the topics that we talked about sequentially and then go back to the ones we haven't that would be >> thank you >> fantastic. for this one. I think the feedback was at least one of the comments was to remove after additionally if I'm not mistaken. >> So all federal holidays except for Veterans Day are designated student holidays period. Is there consensus on removing then additionally onward three? Okay. So that's going to be removed. Okay. All right, observance days. Um, >> this is the new eight that Robin was talking about would go in between seven and observance days. >> And what would be the new eight again? >> Uh, holiday, what was it?

080Religious observances. Religious holidays. I don't remember. Let Robin speak to it. >> Sorry. The bold would be religious holidays. And then it would indicate that um where's my language of that? But basically the following religious holidays will be um there will be no school in the following religious holidays. And I was going to put them in alphabetical order and list out Christmas, Diwali, Eidal, Ada, Eidal, Feter, Rashashana, and Yamapour. Okay. realizing Christmas isn't is is actually addressed in the bullet before because it's a federal holiday, but because it is also a religious obs, you know, holiday, I I felt we needed to state it both places, but it it's it is included above. >> Okay. So, consensus to adding language that says the religious holidays and including those spec those six holidays. Mr. Fish obviously

081miss lady missing John Cunning no okay so there is consensus to put that in okay >> there will be no school okay um also then uh wait to add that um then miss Dr. Anderson you said you would want to add Ash Wednesday if the holidays go in is that >> yes >> Dr. Anderson did. >> Yes, I did because that is their very >> the definition that you used earlier which I'm not disagreeing with >> it meets the criteria for Ash Wednesday. So whether I do it here or at the dis I will definitely be bringing it. >> So is there consensus to add Ash Wednesday in >> only Dr. Anderson? So no there's not consensus >> later. Okay. All right. um national day of morning agreement to remove that >> observance days I

082suggested or activities >> I'm sorry okay uh suggestion under observance days to delete um or activities is there >> can I just ask a clarifying question the activities that you're referring to are like meetings or sports activities because I think that was the initial conversation way back when. >> Well, then it should say extracurricular because I'm thinking instruction. My brain was on instruction as I read this. Our instructors need to teach on these days, >> but they don't need to give major assessments. >> So, if I could share an >> I don't know the intent of the original writing. The intent was that until a few years ago, it was very common to have back to school nights on the holiest day of the Jewish year or to have a big uh homecoming game. So,

083that is what that's speaking to. >> Maybe we should do >> then keep it and add extracurricular. >> I think that works >> or after school or even after school. >> Well, we didn't want it wasn't like it's a practice, right? It's like a major. >> Well, again, it does say shall or should avoid. >> Yeah. should avoid >> whenever practical. >> Yeah, that's fair. That's good. So, you're good with the status quo? Okay. >> Oh, with the word extracurricular >> is >> okay. >> That also means we need to get rid of the rest after students since we had that conversation regarding verified correct >> credit. Right. So, from students >> except for the Veterans Day, >> we'll keep Veterans Day, >> right? So, we are going to remove Correct. You've got it clerks.

084Thank you. Extracurricular. Okay. Uh national day of morning. We had agreed to remove that. Is that right? Okay. Because we already do have masked flags when you know. Okay. Um I don't believe we got to the rest. Um well though we had something under community engagement around a committee and calendar adoption. Um so well that would finish us out, right? So um >> I had a a specific thing for calendar adoption. >> Please go ahead. >> Um uh so let me Okay. Where it says um maintain three years of approved calendars with the third year adopted at the school board's regular reorganization meeting in July. >> If I could speak to that please. >> Please. Um, I would love consideration, Mr. Fris, for us to add it to the reorg in January that Miss Setlo

085referred to. The calendar is an important thing to our community and in July a lot of our community will not come to our meetings. >> I think it's only in January, the year of an election. Well, I would like to not adopt the calendar in July when our community is not present because I'm just kind of thinking back. If we're going to adopt it in in July, whether it's the first or second meeting, it's going to be posted for new business likely after school ends, which means we would lose some attention to it. And I would not want for it to be seen to be at least interpreted that we're trying to do this under the cover of everybody's away and we're not being as transparent as possible. So that's a timeline that makes me

086uncomfortable. I love the idea of having a very regular time frame to do it. And if there's some way to do it in January, then I'd like to do that. Um but July, I cannot support that. It makes me uncomfortable and I don't want for people to think that we're trying to do it when they're not around. >> So, what do we like to do here? Um, uh, yes, >> I I I hear you. I hear, but I I also know that like it's it's a calendar that goes from like August to the following June. So, doing it >> Three years out, right? So, then we're going to be doing it three and a half years out. Just so we're clear, to make sure we have a full three years out calendar, we would be

087doing this three and a half years out, >> right? Except once we approve it, we're not not we are not likely to change it after we've just approved it. I just want us to be transparent with our folks so that they know because everybody wants a multiple year calendar >> to be three years out. We we will be approving it three and a half years out, >> right? I get that. But the idea is when we approve it, when am I as the representative going to have sufficient time for the people of Mason district to tell me what they think so I know how to pre how to present my vote? If this is happening after school is over, we are losing a large chunk of our community who's no longer as on higher alert

088as they are on things. Let's just find another date and whether it's three and a half years, three and three/4ers years, July just makes it a little less likely to have people be responsive. >> Okay. So the the >> my preference is what Mr. Fresh recommended. >> This is the proposal and so we could take consensus and um let's let's keep going on that mode. So >> I would like to continue this but I am open to looking at the work plan just to see where it makes the most sense. >> Okay, let's go ahead and do this because it makes it clear and then it could always be adjusted. So is there a consensus or agreement or majority? Can your language be supporting of a specific date and not necessarily commit us to July

089right now? >> I don't I don't follow >> just to have consistency around when rather than it because your language right now states July. >> Well, the language before said July as well. If we could have just some if we could agree in this room that it will be a particular date and not July as was just specified so that you have the time that you've just acquired. >> We're supposed to bring things forward before the meeting date. So it's not out of the realm of possibility to bring the proposed calendar forward well in advance. I mean it shouldn't be the week before a meeting as has become our custom. It should be >> I would like to keep it as is for the time being and happy to entertain other things after looking at

090the >> Thank you. I'm not supportive. >> Okay. Is there who else is supportive of this? Okay, it does have support to be adopted at this time. Okay. Okay. I believe that's everything and the two that we've discussed so far and the two things that we have not well the committee is one thing a public committee and the two outstanding things are both under calendar development under instructional time. um adding about you know the greatest extent possible the full school weeks under number one and under teacher work days and professional development that last sentence. Yeah. Under five responsibilities a calendar development number one and number three is where we did not get to consensus and more discussion is needed. So let me ask you all this. It's 520. We've done awesome work. We also want

091to get to our tech policies. So what do we want to do here? Um, Miss Marin, we do just want to clarify with the substant uh substantially down below in elections. We're good with that, right? We did have a comment. >> There was no change recommended. >> Okay. So, we wanted to make sure >> that's true. I I'm not sure that elections belongs under closures during the school year. Um, because this encompasses the November election every year. So, it's not like an emergency closure. Does that make sense? >> I think it's better calendar development. That's all. just moving it is my only suggestion. And then I also under at the very top of page four, it says it says adjustments. >> Wait, before you move on, people are not following. >> So, it sounds like

092we're going to keep going through the calendar. >> I think we can get to the finish line. >> Okay. I I'm f that's fine, but let's be really like do only things that really need to be picked up. Okay. your point about the election. Um, >> well, why don't >> can we can we pause for just a second? Everybody catch their breath and let individ let chair Marin pick people who have their turn and then if we have something to say about their turn, we can take a turn. >> That was a good point of order, Mr. Fresh. >> Okay. >> Should have just said the word decorum. >> Um, okay. So, let's go back. I know Miss St. John Cunning and Miss Lady had comments. So, Miss H. John Cunning, why don't we try

093and keep it to two minutes, okay, to help us along. Thank you. >> Okay. Well, I have three comments. And one of them, which I apologize when we're talking about federal holidays. The one thing that we do not address with federal holidays is that we do celebrate the we do take Thursday is Thanksgiving, but we take that Friday off and that's not addressed in this. So, it's kind of an outlier and how we're going to codify that. Uh because that is not a federal holiday. So, that's one thing that has to be fixed. The other thing that I agree with Miss Lady about elections not being under closures that it should be moved. And I also have a question about closures during the school year and if that should be that standalone policy that already

094exists. Um I don't know that that should be in this. I think that the standalone policy um there's a lot here and looking at that policy which I had marked up I I just don't think that that should go in the calendar. It should be the standalone policy as it stands. I I do agree that consolidating some things are good but I just don't see where this >> so closures during the school year. We're consolidating policy uh 3501 into this. Um and I I just think that um >> so it could be a standalone. >> You're proposing to move what >> closures during the school year. It's a standalone policy already. 3501 >> and I think that it can be a standalone policy. >> Huh. That's that's just what >> Okay. So that is your

095um suggestion to my suggestion stand alone to remove closures altogether >> and just leave in letter E. >> Yeah, just leave it where it stands now is 3501. Um okay so we will come back to see agreements about that. >> Is that all Miss Agent Cunning? >> That's it. Okay, Miss Lady, thank you. Um, actually on the top of page four, number three, which is adjustments, I would suggest we remove that alto together because it's encompassed in closures during the school year under emergency closures. >> I'm sorry, >> page four. >> The very top number three, adjustments. I would get rid of it um because it's exactly what is under E at the bottom of the page, which is emergency closures. They're two in the same. Well, that is what exactly missing. >> I would

096not I would I don't need another policy. I like the fact that you've put this in this policy. >> You're suggesting we remove three adjustments. So, let's put that in the mix here. >> Right. I would remove number three because I think it's encompassed in emergency closures. >> Got it. >> And then the elections, all I'm saying is move it verbatim, but I think it should go under calendar development. >> Okay. Moving. Got it. Okay. Um yes, Dr. Anderson and then Mr. Okay. Okay. I just want to speak to what was just raised. Um, number three, adjustments. I agree that adjustments can can go because it's embedded in closures. Um, I do not agree with having the closures be a standalone policy. Again, just when we can make something more robust, I'd like to be

097able to do that. So, I want to leave E here. And I also want to leave elections there because outside of and we've learned this from this year, outside of the general election day that we all know and can predict because it's the same date every year. We've had a lot of other things that are more emergent. So it speaks to not necessarily an emergency, but it speaks to other closures during the year that are not planned. So I think that's why it kind of lives there. It's the unplanned things that we don't know about that we've had to be responsive to because how many did we do this year, Dr. Reid that we had no idea of? >> Too many. >> This is correct. So, I'd like it to be there because it's not

098under development because we're not planning for it because we don't know. It's us being responsive to whatever is happening that we are not controlling. So, I think it should live where it is. >> Okay. Uh Mr. Fresh, right? I agree that election should stay where it is and that we should get rid of number three. Um, under community engagement, I think this is an unintended word choice. Um, let me find where it is. I just had it. Okay. In the second paragraph, it says, "Feedback may address start and end dates, timing of breaks, and alignment with regional school divisions." Talk about a boring survey. Uh, we would be limiting the superintendent to surveying on three topics because we were saying it may include these things. >> So, um, we have a couple options here. I

099think you can either change the end of the sentence to say and other topics and remove the first reference to the word and um or we don't say I mean we just uh take out the sentence alto together um knowing that this the survey is going to encompass all sorts of issues. Um, but I don't think that we want to get in the business of listing three discrete pieces of the calendar for surveying and only three discrete pieces of the calendar. >> Okay. So, um, all right. So, let's go if we could go back through what we've listed out here. Okay. Um, good catch adding that the day after Thanksgiving will be a holiday because in the original policy it was added because veterans was a day in school, but now we've changed that. So,

100um, well, we we've removed that policy. So, we need to add where can we add that? Um, maybe it's federal holidays and the day after Thanksgiving, >> I think. Yeah. Under student holidays, all federal holidays except for Veterans Day are designated student holidays, >> but it's not a student holiday. It's a school holiday for all. So, it shouldn't go under student holiday. it should go and do some under something else because staff is off that day as well. >> Okay. So, we're gonna have to figure Do we have consensus to figure that out and put it somewhere where it's going to go? We need to correct that. >> I would say yes, but can it also raise something else for me? The student holiday as we've just provided except for Veterans Day. Um, the other

101holidays that I think were just listed are days off for everyone or is it a hodgepodge of summer days off for everyone and some are only for kids? >> That it's a hodgepodge. So that doesn't really align fully. So we don't have to do it here because that's just a placement thing. We could just find wherever that makes sense. So that the student holiday topic is only inclusive of the students days off. It just says there will be no school. It doesn't has not reference that faculty are insured to be off. It just says there will be no school in the following religious holidays. >> Right. But then didn't we add because I don't have it listed. Didn't we list the federal holidays and not all of them are necessarily days off for kids as

102per your amendment? >> Again, it says student holidays. All federal holidays except for Veterans Day. >> The point is is that teachers have work days on some student holidays. >> Correct. And on some federal holidays. >> Yes. But if we say the day after Thanksgiving, it is a school holiday for everyone. >> Right. That's why it can't fit under. >> Exactly. There's no place to put it right now. >> We agree that it needs to be put somewhere. >> Somewhere. Okay. So, we agree that it needs to be put somewhere. >> Okay. >> Quite frankly, or not because I don't see any superintendent who's not going to give that day off. So, I don't know that has to be in policy. >> Well, it used to be. >> Um, moving election day to the calendar

103development section. Um, no. >> Is there consensus to move the calendar the election day to the calendar development? No. I see three nos. So, that's a no. Okay. And then moving E uh to its own thing, closures, keeping it as a standalone policy. That's a no. I see no consensus for that. >> Um, can can I then just do an edit to that if we're going to keep it in? I don't know where I would fall in place. >> Yeah. What is it? >> So it so where it says the division superintendent I think the language is granted the authority is kind of like arcane. I don't know what we could change that to and we could work on that later. >> Authorized >> or can or whatever >> granted the is authorized would be

104better because that's kind of clunky. Um, and then I think we would just have a period after due to inclement weather in consultation with staff and local and public safety officials. I think that's that should go in regulations. I think that's being too prescriptive like to be in policy. Um, >> I think we we talked about that quite a bit at the meeting though and talked about how decisions are made and the snow days and so I'm just offering that. I'd rather stick with the part that we were going on if that's okay. So, keeping emergency closures in there. Also, um we need to put a number one in front of emergency closures and a number two in front of elections because they're actually two distinct things. Um okay, I agree with you because I

105know we talked about how people are feeling that we could take days off. It was this long convoluted conversation and frankly the clearer we are here the better it is for the regulation. Okay. There's something about the length of the school day. Three adjustments. Um, Robin, I think you said that could go if E was kept in. >> Correct. I think that's redundant. I think that E encompasses the number three from B. >> Okay. What do others think? >> This one. >> What? So that's removing um adjustments, giving the superintendent authority to make adjustments. And folks are saying because we have the emergency closures language, it gives that flexibility that would be needed. Okay. So we're going to remove adjustments. Okay. So the only thing remaining it sounds like is um the community engagement piece.

106There was language about um the survey and also Dr. Anderson had mentioned a committee. Um, it's 5:30. Is there a chance that that could come as a nice amendment to the policy, a fleshed out community engagement piece? >> I will. >> And thank you. I would not like to kick something that's easy to a board meeting where it could be >> It's easy. Please go ahead and propose what you'd like. >> Well, not for Dr. Anderson's part. Well, I'm just going to say at this point we're probably not getting to anything on AI and I think that's I I really think we should reserve some time. >> So, I get it that we're almost there, but >> uh I would strike the sentence feedback may address start and end dates, timing of breaks, and alignment

107with regional school divisions. >> May I ask a question? Being that we have articulated the fellow federal holidays, the the all of the days that are supposed to be off, what else is left on the calendar survey that you would ask Dr. Reid? And I this is just a wondering because is there something beyond these things here that I may not be thinking of? >> Yes, ma'am. We when you go back to the original directives that were written in November of 23, there's language around starting school two weeks prior to Labor Day. There's language around >> uh the survey would be language around the two weeks um that winter break. Um the spring break, I think the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I don't think the third the Friday, but the Wednesday before because that's a that's

108been kind of a new >> day off. So more so the I see um >> yeah and the number of five day weeks I'm trying to remember I mean you've seen the survey but the number of five day weeks versus not is that a higher priority is alignment with the regional folks a higher priority we're looking to get some type of um you know priorities and so that even with the u holidays listed um those other pieces as we put those into place become important. >> No, that's very helpful. I mean, I'm pretty agnostic because it's not an exhaustive list. It's just presents some things. It doesn't mean these are the only things to talk about. >> It does. So, what do you >> It's granting permission to the superintendent to do three things. >>

109Well, then it's a wording issue rather than I don't I didn't read it as an exhaustive list, but I see what you're saying. >> So, that's why I offered two solutions. And I don't think we need to lead the witness on like what the survey is going to be about. We have draft surveys. Um coming up with just a couple examples of things that could be surveyed on is pointless in the policy because it's not requiring those things to be discussed either. So why include them at all? >> Or maybe just adding may address but is not limited to. >> I mean that's what I'm getting at. Why those things over other things? That's why if we just strike it. We're going to do a survey. It says that that's one of the tools in

110the tool belt. So, >> let's just strike it. >> All right. Well, then let's keep going then. Let's not use our time to >> So, the consensus is to strike. >> Okay. The consensus is to strike that language in community engagement, >> but it's not striking the second sentence, which is Okay. >> So, can I pose one more question? >> Sure. >> Um, and I don't recall from before, but there isn't any notation in here that we will have a winter break and we will have a spring break. Does that need to be delineated in here? I understand the survey could get more intel regarding placement of said break, length of said break, but >> under instructional time it says under one calendar sh also includes state and federal holidays, winter and spring holidays. >>

111It does say that it doesn't page. I'm sorry. Uh uh two responsibilities a calendar development two calendar structure last sentence. So um there. Okay. Thank you again. >> We're doing great. Let's let's wrap this up. Let it sit. Other people might have ideas. We've got to conclude this. Okay. So if We've got that sentence we just removed about what was it the survey. Uh Dr. Anderson, what do you think about the committee? >> I will I will bring language as an amendment just so it I don't have the exact language here. >> Okay. So tremendous progress. Can we send this forward? Is it absolutely urgent? Well, I had brought I had brought up the point about us aligning our practices with neighboring school divisions whenever possible. I would like consensus to add >> I would

112like to see that. I just don't know where we could add this and I'm not saying that we have to do all I think Miss Lady brought up a good point about like when certain breaks are important. >> Sure. Those all sound like great amendments point. We've been talking about this for an hour and a half. We've done great work. And I also ask >> work has to happen outside of this meeting too. Okay, we we have to it can't all be just now. We have other responsibilities. We have to talk about the AI and tech policies. We've pushed off the data security policy for months. It is from 2015. We have got to talk about it today. >> Okay. May I just also say one thing? Number five was also on the table. >>

113I I would like to retain sovereignty as chair and say at this point I'd like us to take a vote on it. Okay. We've done great work. It's not going to be perfect. I have tracked here that there are certain areas where we don't agree yet. Okay. Instructional time. Um I mentioned the two before the instructional time the teacher work days the after day after Thanksgiving being a holiday. It sounds like Dr. Anderson will be some bring something about a committee. Um it sounds like there's interest in um what you just said missing John Cunning about aligning to other school divisions. Okay. And that is the work of amendments. So, do I have a motion to send this? Well, so what will happen is if we approve this, I will work with the clerk to

114review the edits, send it to all of you, but I'd like to post it today as new business and the document will come soon after since that is something we do. We post things for new business and the document will come soon after. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, that would be the plan. Okay. Can I have a motion to send this policy 1344 to the school board? Mr. Fr. Um, does someone want to second it? M. Dr. Anderson. Okay. Mr. Fr, would you like to speak to it? >> Uh, I'll just reiterate. So, it sounds like we're getting um perhaps a amendment around what a committee could look like um from Dr. Anderson. I trust I know she'll reach out to all of us when she develops some thinking on that. Um, and then I'll

115will talk to each person on the committee and colleagues as well about how to balance the the want for a five-day week um with the efficacy of academic instruction uh continuous academic instruction. So the idea of the four four or a 53 whatever um and to make sure that there's something in the policy that actually drives it that because the current draft does not include anything about the board wanting that other than it being our opinion that that's a good thing. Um so uh I imagine there'll be other things as well and I look forward to the conversation. >> Thank you Mr. First. Dr. Anderson, >> just very briefly, I just want to ask Miss Lady, and you don't have to answer in here, but the last day of school language, is that something that

116you think you want to follow up on because I I want to hear more. I'm pretty interested in that. Um, but other than that, I will bring >> No, I forgot to go back to that. Yeah. Yeah. I It doesn't make sense to me why we would say it can't be on a Tuesday. I understand a Monday, but I don't understand why Tuesday. >> We're moving the motion. Okay. So, you're speaking to your motion. >> So, I I'm fine with Yeah. Great. I'm fine. >> Okay. Um, anyone else would like to speak to this? >> No. Seeing no others? Okay. Uh, the motion that the governance committee send policy 1344 standard school year calendar as revised to the full board for adoption. All those in favor? Got Lady Fresh Marin Anderson. Miss St. John Cunning,

117are you in favor? >> Oh, yeah. >> Yes. Okay. That is unanimous. Congratulations everyone. Take one minute breath here before we totally switch gears. I just need Let's just reset. Check out this. You're losing one more. What's that? Nice to meet you. I guess >> you're very precise. It was so hot. You should be so happy. >> Okay. >> You should be so happy because it's so hot today. >> So, I'd like to >> So hot today. >> Ask colleagues. Would you like >> All right, let's come to order. >> Thank you. So, um, just to get a pulse on here, what's happening? So, we, uh, had a very productive discussion. The instructional tech, AI, that whole um, body of work obviously cannot fit into a 15-minute discussion. So, I have two ideas. One is

118to hear just, you know, a minute on people's temperature on where they're at with the different policies um with the different versions. And then the next is can we approve the 6860? Um oh wait, that's not that's not the one. It's the other one uh 6220. Okay. Because that is the one from that is about data security. So I think it's important to update that one. So >> is that the combined? >> It is the combined. Yes. And I will explain that once we get through. So I see Mr. FR already has his placered up. Or did you? >> So there were two 6,000 policies we've been looking to review. 6220 and 6860. Both are over 10 years old. A version was edited by the superintendent for each one and one was edited by our

119clerk. They were not married together because I didn't have the word document of both. So today I went through and handp put in together to make one document for the most important one which is the information security disaster recovery and contingency planning 6220 that was last updated in 2015. So, how about we each take a minute and say our temperature on where we're at with the policies that are listed for the AI intentional tech today and then let's see if we can approve to go forward. Is that amendable? Seems good. Mr. Fish seems good. Okay. So, I do want to just get on the same page. So what was posted in board docs for the instructional tech policy were three things. One was the intentional tech policy 304 draft. That's the policy this committee has

120been developing. The committee has a agreed on several components of that. One is the purpose. One is the definitions. The philosophy section had a placeholder. That was something that Dr. Anderson and Mr. Fr were going to come back with. And then the responsibility section, we had agreed at the last meeting everyone would come with ideas on that. I didn't receive ideas on the responsibility section. So as chair, I updated to move us to the next place into the discussion. I combined things I heard. I did put in there very specific information about device use. Um and so that is where that intentional so that is the committee's policy for all intents and purposes. Then there's the two other drafts that we've heard from a non-committee member, Miss Anderson, that were provided and certainly can be

121considered, but because we've adopted an approach at the board to post in public documents that we would be talking about at the table, that's why those are posted. Okay. So, Mr. Fris, we'll start with general temperature on the policy and then Dr. Anderson will be after that with Let's do um two minutes, Madam Clerk, please. Thank you. Uh so I think progress has been made on the philosophies. Okay. Dr. Anderson and I tried to coordinate. We had not yet connected on whether or not she liked my edits. Um so I think progress has been made. Um and the approach we took depending on where the committee ends up or where the board ends up is a philosophy that would work for an AI policy and an instructional tech policy. Um, and I think that was

122important because um, we don't want one that speaks to both if it's not both and we don't want one that feels hollowed out if we end up doing a separate instructional technology policy. So, at the very minimum, I think we're close to having a good philosophy for either both. Um and uh in anticipation of this meeting last week, I started um or after um Chair Anderson sent some uh her thinking along, I started taking what we currently had and um diagramming my thoughts on what I wanted to uh ensure made it across if we did split things up. Um, and so I think Can you remind me when our next meeting is? >> Don't have one scheduled, >> but we could schedule one if we wanted. >> We had tried to, but it was very

123difficult. And with graduation forthcoming, we don't even have a next regular meeting after this week until June 11th, which is the impetus for trying to get this done today. >> Well, Madame Clerk, Miss Brown, do you have something to add about that? >> I could certainly look at June. I had not. I don't I focused on May, so we could have two in May, but I'd be happy to look at June. may just >> well we'll have to see because we know that the next few weeks are bananas. So >> all right well regardless um >> I think a lot of great work has been done by a lot of people I've talked to Tom uh Mr. Dan about a bit as well. Um and uh so >> so >> you know what's interesting is

124that my thinking has evolved quite a bit from the beginning. Uh I think the first meeting that we had of governance where we talked about this I was advocating for a singular policy. Dr. Anderson was not advocating for a singular policy. Um, and you know, I think it would be fantastic at a minimum if an AI policy was adopted before the end of this school year. Instructional tech um could take a little longer and potentially be informed by the work of ERTC. Um, but that's kind of like a an outside thinking there. So, that's just generally where I am on that. In terms of um 6220, uh I'd not seen anything uh objectionable uh in the edits. >> Thanks, Mr. Fish. Dr. Anderson, >> thank you. Um thank you for Mr. Fish for bringing it

125up because I think I've been fairly adamant that we needed to have two policies. So, I I was actually very surprised that um Miss Anderson's um edits were bifurcated, which I've been for the entire time. Um I think there's some good things there. I think there's some good things in what you were able to collate. Clearly, we're not going to get it today, but I do want to say it is paramount that we find a date so we can get them out the door because I think lots of work is pending to make that happen. I could not stress that enough. But I'll be honest, I'm glad for the little bit of time because I too spoke with Mr. Dannon. I've spoken with others. There's a lot of ideas that need to be collated so

126that we can better understand them because there's no red line of anything, but there's just lots of things that I think we could benefit from. So, I would be in support of finding a date. Um, regarding the technology infrastructure, um, I'm so sorry to ask you to do this, but Dr. Reid, can you speak a little bit about the red line? What here is I know the language is, you know, redlined, etc., but what here is like >> urgent or new like new in terms of content, not in terms of structure of the document? >> 6220. That's what we're talking about. >> I'm so sorry. Yes, 6220. I said 8220. >> No, I just was saying the number in general. Yeah. So, I think it's really just to bring the policy into alignment uh since

127it's outside the five-year review cycle. I will share that um it's important that the board know that what I forwarded from staff has been legally reviewed and I have not had whatever the amendments I haven't had a minute today to log on to see what might have been posted for this meeting, but um I don't believe that Mr. Fosters's office has had a chance to legally review it. So, I always want to make sure that whatever I bring to the table uh to governance because I mean often these policies are high stakes and I want to make sure our legal team has reviewed those. So, um it's entirely possible that the edits that were made um to the staff um draft are perfectly fine. and I just haven't had a chance to uh review those

128and haven't had a chance to uh review them with division council. >> And so it would be my advocacy then after we leave here because by taking a quick look with what we had with yours, these seems to be structural in nature. I just wanted to confirm that. But since we're unable to um and knowing that we have eight minutes left to this meeting, could we after everybody's had an opportunity to speak then remand this back to the superintendent for legal review and pending any activity there? Then it goes to the full board for um approval >> possibly. Okay. Miss Lady, Miss Cunning, did you want to speak to the two post prompts here? Miss, Miss Lady, go ahead. >> I just a point of clarification. So, um, the version of the policy that's got

129all this formatted down the side that's was your work you did on the policy. No, the one that has formatting down the side is from our clerk and the superintendent sent one that I think added some definitions and changed the order and I thought that it was ownorous to have to look through two of the documents and so this morning I went ahead and combined them by hand to make one document so it's easier for you all to read. Now, I hear what the superintendent is saying that she did not have legal remove them, but this policy has been on the agenda since March. And again, it is 11 years old. So, >> so I I did not print anything from this morning. So, >> it sounds like the best thing to do is going

130to be to send it back to the superintendent. >> Yeah. I mean, I I I think legal has to review whatever it is. I just am trying to understand which version is >> I'm trying my best. There's a lot of promises that weren't kept. So I I'm trying my best to queue it up, but it sounds like we have we have about seven minutes left. So can we take a vote on remanding 620 6220 as it is back to the superintendent for review? Which as it is? Are we the one that is posted on board docs which is the combined one? It's just formatting. >> It's not just formatting. The current policy is a paragraph. >> I will move that we remand it back to the superintendent for review. Thank you. Do you have any

131further comment, Dr. Anderson? Mr. Fr. Does anyone else have a comment on this? I will say I don't know when it's going to come back to us for review. Now it will sit for months more even though it is about data and information security and disaster recovery which given the situation with cyber terrorism >> is really concerning. >> May I ask a question since I I failed to speak to my motion. Dr. Reed, what do you think is a time frame by which we can receive this back? >> I would want to, you know, take the document, work with division council. Well, I think we have another meeting scheduled June 11th, I believe. >> We do not. >> Oh, we do not. >> So, by the next meeting, whenever that occurs, do you think this

132will take more than two, three weeks to review? >> I don't think it would take more than two to three weeks. No. >> So, I what I think I'm hearing, and tell me if I'm wrong, is that by our next meeting, this could be reviewed. So, we can then move along >> as long as the next meeting isn't within the week. Right. But yes, as long as it's >> Today's the 19th, >> so Okay. ma'am. >> So what so just to summarize we have a motion moved by Dr. Anderson seconded by Mr. Fr to bring this >> I don't know to remand it. I don't know where it's going after I personally want to say the lack of urgency is so frustrating. It is literally information security and I just >> Can I ask a

133question >> please? I I guess I'm confused by that because this has been you you've had this reviewed by legal and when did you make it available to us as a as a government's committee to look at? >> It's been done for months. >> That's un excuse me that's untrue. Got them. Seth pulled it from the agenda earlier this year and we waited for it and then it came back to us. >> So I will call I will call for a vote because we still have two members that need to speak to what they want to do. for Mr. Seth. >> We've talked about it before. We're just reiterating discussions. It's done. There's nothing else we're going to do here. >> I just like to get clarification cuz um >> I'm telling you the situation.

134>> Let me ask the question. Okay. >> I would like you to continue. Well, let's take a vote on this motion to remand this to the superintendent and I guess it will stay there until either the governance committee or the board picks it up again. So, um, all in favor of the governance committee remaining policy 6220 as stated to the superintendent. That is unanimous for the committee. Uh, Miss Lady, did you want to continue sharing your thoughts on the policy, the AI, tech, all of the three policies that are posted for today? >> Uh, no. I was just hoping for a timing clarification from Mr. Sethy on the last conversation. >> Okay. Miss St. John Cunning, do you have thoughts you want to share on your temperature of the two to three? Oh, I'm sorry.

135right now. >> Yes. >> Okay. I misunderstood. Mr. Thetssy, let's go ahead and and relitigate this thing that is over to the superintendent. >> I think as it was mentioned a little bit earlier, we had submitted a version of the policy, but there were changes made after the submission, which was the review cycle that had us pull it back. So, when we had submitted it, there were some changes made. There's been a few versions of this. If you look at the red lines, there's quite a few versions of it floating around in there. The policy we had submitted the changes we had submitted was as Dr. was saying a few months ago between that and this current version there's been some changes done which we just asked to review in the last time we had

136said we want to look at this changes that were done in >> I think there were some formatting okay I think before the winter holidays there was some discussion I know it's been >> I'm just saying I just feel like it's been ready for quite some time I just want clarity because I don't like to put it does matter it does matter because I I think that I like I like accountability and I and I want to make sure that staff are accountable to what we ask and I don't want to miscommunicate um or put subjectivity into a timeline. Thank you. >> I will be happy to look for the email and Miss Janet Brown actually can confirm. Miss Miss Brown, would you please do you remember I had asked you to confirm was this

137policy asked for to be reviewed by the the IT director by the chief technology officer and pulled from our work line our workflow? Yes, there you go. Confirmed. Can we please have a temperature? Missing John Cunning, I had asked if everyone wanted to give their thoughts in two minutes on the policies that were posted for today. Um, I appreciate all the work that has gone into this. Um, I do like the idea of two separate policies and digging into this. Like I can even see the possibility of three different, you know, um, policies with this. I appreciate that. Um, and I also appreciate the gift of time. Uh, I received a lot of correspondence today and in big bold letters, it was like, you are rushing this. Take your time. There's not enough information. So,

138when we talk about urgency, there's one thing, but when we talk about making informed decisions that are well thought out, and I think that that's what a lot of the correspondents that I received today indicated. I think there's a lot of things that we have to look at and try to understand and I'd rather get it right than to rush it. So I do appreciate the gift of time uh with this and um I think that if we take the time to do it thoughtfully and to take all the stakeholders into consideration we're going to have a better policy than if we try to rush this through a better two or three policies. Okay, I will go ahead and take my turn and then we'll wrap up the meeting. So, I actually think that, you

139know, I had a calendar that I went over and initially as chair, I was trying to help facilitate us get to a policy by this meeting to send over to the board so that the superintendent, we could set her up for success the best way possible by giving her the policy before the end of the school year. There were times when the board used to approve the student rights responsibility at the last meeting in June and we knew how much of a hardship that was to get that out. So with that in mind, I as chair was trying to set us up to approve this today. The goal for today was to approve it to get it on to the June 11th meeting. So that will not happen. That means then we're up to the

140June 25th meeting, which is after the school year ends and summer is underway. So that already puts the superintendent at a disadvantage for doing her best work. I um I'm pleased to hear that, you know, especially Miss John Cunning, you were able to look at the new versions because they weren't crosswalked and redlined. And I know that's often a criticism you offer from my work. So I'm glad that you were able to to review those that way. >> I didn't review them all. We also got some other documents from another school board member that that we just got today that I have to look at. >> You know, for the committee to do its work, we have to be responsible. Work was not done according to timelines and now people are waiting. So what I

141want to say is the policy that is the committee's policy. Um, I would want to add language about the um, ERTC, the um, electronic resources review committee. I also will be sharing motions. I'm going to post them uh, by 7 o'clock today uh, for the following. I'm going to post a motion that u moves the superintendent to require parental or guardian permission at each school year for any instructional technology going home. I'm going to post a motion that prohibits uh onetoone devices in prek1 and and prescribes intentional use for elementary school and storage for elementary grades. And number three directs the superintendent to provide digital literacy instruction and guarantees professional development. So I will post those and whether they get attached to a forthcoming policy or their standalone votes, I would suspect that they would

142be um on action for June 11th. So with that um uh this meeting is adjourned at um 603.