001Good afternoon and welcome to our Duth Public Schools April right listening session before our full full school board. Um we're glad to have you are all here and we will begin with roll call from clerk micasel. Member banks here. Member Derek Eer present. Member Laughler Kemp here. Member Loal here. I am here. Member Sidellski here. Member Williams is excused. Uh Superintendent Maggus here. Assistant Superintendent Bonds present. Deputy Clerk Zunich here. Executive Director of HR and operations Terresa Severance present. And it looks like our student rep from East Miss Dean present. Thank you. Thank you, Clerk Micel. Now, we'll turn it over to um member Loal to talk about our civility. So, one of the things we've always adopted for the DUTH public schools is to follow the civility code. And as long as I've come
002to schoolboard meetings and even before I was seated on the board, um I remember this policy being a big for a a big program and a big way that we like to begin our meetings. Usually we would go over our mission, our values and our our um vision, but that will come during our regular meeting. I invite you all to stay for that. But we also follow these 11 tools of civility. And so the school board recognizes 11 tools of civility that will provide increased opportunities for civil discourse in order to find positive rel resolutions to the issues that face our community. These tools include that we will all pay attention, we'll listen, we'll be inclusive, we don't gossip, we show respect, we be agreeable, apologize, give constructed criticism, take responsibility, be honest, and care
003for others. And our 11th one is show your evidence and share your reasoning. And again, we've adopted this um philosophy and it was encouraged by the speak your peace, the civility project um developed here in Duth, Minnesota and then modeled throughout the city and the country. So, thank you all for coming and I turn it to um clerk Mikeel to go over the guidelines for our listening session tonight. Thank you. um listing session information that should have gone out to all of our speakers, but so we all know um if you have handouts for the board, please give them to our school board secretary Pette up here. Persons addressing the board will have three minutes total. When speaking, the use of negatively personally identifiable language is not permitted. Persons addressing the board may not merge
004their time in order to allow one person to speak for more than three minutes. The clerk of the board will start the stoplight timer which is up here at the start of each person's time. Green means go, yellow means wrap up, and red means stop. When the red light comes on, uh, chair eater will gavel to signal you to end. And in the interest of respect for every listening session speaker, please hold any commentary during the speaker's time until they are finished. Thank you. Thank you. And I just want to take a minute to reiterate that we um are very serious about not using individual names of employees in the district. If that does happen, that will be an opportunity for me to gave. So I just want to make sure that we're all clear.
005With that being said, again, we want to welcome you here. And I'd like to bring up Andrea Glib. Just want to give Andrea a chance if she's here. Give Andrea one more second. If Andrea does show up, we'll try to make room later on down the list. Next, we have Katherine Disturhoff. Thank you and welcome. Oh, green. Gotcha. Okay. Thank you. Sorry. Button is off. Green button is on. Okay. Um, thank you for the opportunity to speak to you. I'm going to be direct and blunt. Please do not be offended. I'm stating facts and how I feel. Um, I speak here and nothing changes and no replies are provided to me after my comments, which I find extremely frustrating. Um, I'm hoping today will be different and I challenge you to make that behavioral change.
006First, I want to address the current situation ongoing to date. Wolfish is a field trip that the schools go to at fourth grade year. I signed up to be a chaperone, but others were selected instead of me. Even parents who got had been there before in prior years. Personally, I think it's because of the issues I've had with the school and in administration in particular. I tried to explain my child's needs and concerns at parent teacher conferences and they didn't the teacher didn't understand. I tried working with Wolfridge, but the final several weeks after that the there was scheduling conflicts and it took a while. Um, this brings me to the current situation. My child's um provider wrote a letter um requesting reasonable accommodation, but the school denied this. This violates laws and I was
007told because I didn't have an ISTD background check. I could not meet my child's needs. And then I received threatening emails from different staff. This is not okay because I have a substitute teaching license through the state of Minnesota. I've had to do way more for this license and maintain it more than with the other parents who only had a background check. my license was discounted. I could go sub in another school but not go on a field trip um when needed um to meet my daughter's needs in the evening and and at night. This is not okay. Um I find this also very insulting. So my child has had been discriminated against has been discriminated against again at a cost to me and my family. Also the school leaison refused to allow me to
008speak to the chapron to explain my daughter's needs, child's needs. This is not okay at all. I then have had to deal with the results. all have had a negative effect on me and my family and this is not okay. I sent all the schoolboard and the admin about the situation. I received no response. I did a follow-up and received no response again. I then did phone call and received no response. This is not okay. Um I'm providing and explaining situation. Someone should be there to explain it. Um again, this is an ongoing because of um the current situation. So I would like someone to follow up um as soon as possible with me, please. Um second, the main reason why I was going to speak last time was about the Spanish immersion split. This
009has divided students and has taken a lot away a lot of time away from teachers teaching um to the students. Um it has split the program in many different ways caused many different paw and bumps. Um it has left many families to make difficult choices which again is not okay. I made an email request on March 27th of 2025 to allow another student to stay at LOL um who would have to go to Myers Wilkins. I explained the situation in the email. I received no reply or followup from the school board or the district's administration. This is not okay. when some when will someone get back to me about this and allow this? These are my child's lives you are are messing with and it has a huge effect on them in a negative way.
010Please be proactive rather than passive and do nothing. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Next we have Margaret McManon. Welcome. And you should be able to see the little Does the light work? Okay, perfect. There's a little light over there for time, too. Thank you. My name is Margaret McMahon and I'm a 12th grader at East High School. The story I'm about to share with you isn't my own. However, I could stand here and tell you all about how music has saved my life and given me unbreakable bonds, but I think we should hone in on music on the middle school level as their impact is seemingly the greatest. My little sister Louisa is a seventh grader at or at Ordin East Middle School. She started this year with enthusiasm for choir. As many
011of us are aware, this year has been especially hard for the choir kids at Ordin. For some reason, they refused to tell the students, their choir teacher left the school early on in the academic year. To the annoyance of almost all choir kids, especially Louisa, they were now stuck. They had a substitute every day there was choir, and all they would do is watch movies. For months on end, these kids were receiving no musical enrichment. At this point, I practically serve as a part-time guardian of this girl. I drive her all over Kingdom Come, listen to all the petty middle school drama, but most of all, I hear her complain about the music program at her school. The situation became so bad that the core went to the went to their school to rescue them.
012We sang some songs for them, showed them all the fun choir activities to look forward to, and practically begged them not to quit. My little sister obviously craves music because she loves to sing. Um, so this so imagine my surprise when she told me she was switching to band. Well, I wasn't that surprised given her current situation, but the flute was a bold choice. Unfortunately, because of the staffing problems in the music department, there's not a single person available to give her lessons. She's asked countless people, but to no avail. So, instead of sitting around in choir, she's sitting around in band. She's unable to play with all of them, but is still required to sit at attention. I recently heard a phrase about this dilemma that explains how their schedule is set up. Instead
013of taking your medicine every day, you take it every other day but double the dosage. So, as it stands, every other day she sits in the classroom doing nothing for 79 minutes on end. I can only imagine how draining and disheartening that must be. Now, she refuses to join choir in high school because the system failed her and took the joy of making music away. These programs are refugees and families for these kids. Now, it serves as a place where creativity goes to die. It is to my understanding that when switching the schedule to every other day for music, more positions were promised to be available. If they cut the lesson teachers by 50% as suggested, that means less and less students will have the opportunity to actually learn their instrument as most families cannot
014afford private lessons. I know lessons are beneficial because I once had to learn the flute for a show I was in. And after only two half-hour lessons, I can pray play more notes on the flute than she can. These kids want more than anything to give up. But when they see all the role models losing hope and letting go, it's disheartening. So I urge you, show these kids that you actually care about their future. Tell them their dreams aren't worth giving up. And please, please don't give up on them. Their lives lie in your hands. Treat them with care. Thank you. Next, we have Daisy Brotten. Daisy, thank you. Welcome. Um, we have four children. The youngest is a senior at East. All four have played string instruments and participated in orchestra classes in high
015school. It's made a difference from them from the beginning and past graduation. One of my kids was having trouble as she learned to read, tracking from left to right, and reading music made a huge difference for her and improved her reading skills. I have kids with personalities and strengths that are very different from each other, but they all found close friends and camaraderie with their classmates in music. We could afford to pay for lessons, but some of their stand partners couldn't, and the music program provided an opportunity for all of the kids to excel. None of my kids will be professional musicians, but their involvement in music helped them get into college and continues to enrich their lives. Our oldest son, who loved math and music, played violin through college, and now is in a
016physics PhD program at Princeton. Our middle son is the president of the US Naval Academy orchestra. When I asked him today what he thought about music at East, he said it was a great opportunity to practice discipline and creativity. My daughter, who graduated from St. Olaf said, "The orchestra classes I took through my time at ISD79 were pivotal in shaping my understanding of the importance of hard work and dedication. Music class prepared me just as much, if not more, than upper level CITs and honors courses. The DUTH East music program played an essential role in developing my resilience, discipline, and the study and practice skills necessary for success in 300 level college coursework. While I was never first chair, the impact orchestra had on my work ethic, personal development, and ability to collaborate to meet
017professional standards continues to guide me as I work in a clinical setting and pursue a career in medicine. Our youngest son will play viola at Georgetown in the fall, and none of them would be where they are now without the district's music program. The music program was a large part of why our kids went to the public schools. with more educational alternatives in the community is it it is a strength to be not to be squandered and in which to be built. I encourage you to revisit the high school 7 period day when was a great opportunity for music collaboration. Consider making the life skills courses elective and optimize students can who want to choose to continue music in foreign languages. My senior's experience of pause days for the most part has been an experience
018of lost learning opportunities. Most particularly, please support the middle school lesson teachers and preserve music teachers FTE across the district. Thank you. Next, we have Torren Peterson. Welcome. Good evening. Thank you for all being here and allowing me to speak. My name is Torren. I'm a senior and music student at ISC 79 High School. Orchestra has given me my most valuable friends, experiences, and skills. Long hours of practicing for a concert or gig have taught me the value of hard work. I've proven myself, my teachers, and others that if I set my mind to something, there's no challenge I can't grow up on. I've learned how to ask for help when I'm struggling out of piece and when to take the lead or follow in a way that benefits not just me, but the ensemble.
019I've had the privilege of performing some of the best music written for strings, playing at venues like the deck, I gaming club, and the depot and here. All this is possible only because our school district funding and support, both of which have been sadly lacking for numerous years. With plans being made to cut the few existing resources we still have, resources like lesson teachers in the middle schools, these educators are providing help to overwork teachers and they deliver private lessons which teach vital skills needed for any player in their early development. These skills will allow them to succeed in high school and beyond. I can personally attest that without lessons back in middle school, I would be nowhere near the level I am today. Without district funding, only families who can afford lessons build a
020champion their child's success. I ask you, does that sound equitable? I don't think it does. At East High School, in order to facilitate a seventh period day, we've had our daily rehearsal time trimmed down from 53 minutes to a slim 47. This may not seem like much, only six minutes, but over the course of the year, it adds up to over 60 hours of dispersal time. That's crazy and it's unacceptable. This new schedule also cut out wind, which was a critical time for us to fine-tune our repertoire. Students and faculty were told pause days to become a surrogate placement for win and help balance out the new changes. This has not been the case. Those pause days are needed for students to catch up on clubs and excess homework now generated by a seven period
021day. A quality education should aim at creating a well-rounded individual and it should provide and it should strive to support a multitude of opportunities for students to go above and beyond the basic classroom learn. Activities like orchestra provide a vital lifeline keeping students interested in and attending school. And if I'm being very honest and corporate with you, I don't think I would enjoy school at all if I didn't have music and I didn't have that looking forward for me again. Thank you. Let me speak tonight. Thank you, Mr. Hessen. Uh, good evening. First of all, thank you to the school board and administration for creating time for input, which is so important. Uh, my name is Kevin Hessen and I'm speaking this evening to urge the school board to continue to support the co-eing model
022for band and orchestra at both Lincoln Park and Ordinis Middle School and to reject the proposed uh movement toward a pullout program for music students next year. I'm speaking as both a DUTH resident and as a retired public school orchestra teacher. I taught orchestra for 30 years in Wisconsin and six years at Erdin East Middle School, retiring in June of 2022. During the years I taught middle school and high school orchestra in Superior and Ashland, we used the pull out model and I know it well. Students were taught individually and in small groups by leaving their other academic classes for lessons. When I taught at Ordin, we used the co-eing model in which students were taught in small groups or individually during the orchestra class by a second teacher. There is absolutely no doubt in
023my mind that the co-eing model used in the Doo schools now for many decades is a great idea and it results in better outcomes for students and better health for teachers. The pullout model is not just another approach to providing small groupoup instruction. In my experience, my belief is it's vastly inferior and if adopted will result in a drastic reduction in small group contact between music teachers and students, perhaps 50% less or even worse. Many of you in this room recall about two years ago, well several years ago during COVID, the co-eing positions were cut because there was no in-person learning. Upon returning to classroom uh instruction, we were surprised and very disappointed that the co-eing positions were not funded. there was you I have to say an avalanche of support from the community all
024areas of the community in support of these co-eing positions u just recognizing their value we were I have to say completely overjoyed when we were informed that yes they would be returned to the students and they were later that year so today I think the co-eing positions are even more important than they were two years ago the new middle school schedule uh which is a wonderful idea now allows for more electives. Uh what dream I always had when I was teaching was that more students would stay in orchestra in eighth grade and now they do. There are far more students who are I understand from what I've heard in in orchestra and band in eighth grade than before. So the need is greater than it was two years ago. Also the flex time what used
025to be called wind there's a great deal of that in the new schedule. But one teacher, if I were the only teacher there and I had six, seventh, and eighth graders coming in, 20, 30 of them, what would I do? Right? So, I just want to say in closing, please talk to the middle school and high school bandon orchestra teachers. Please get their feedback before you take this this this step, which would really really cut back on instruction. Thank you so much, Sarah Lawrence, please. Sarah, [Music] welcome. I'm here to share my concerns about cuts to the middle school co-eing positions and to suggest that we begin to reverse previous music cuts as soon as possible. Thank you for this opportunity. I join many others in the hope that conversations about music education will continue
026beyond this meeting. My husband and I moved to Duth to sing in an opera and stayed. We are parents of a Lincoln Park 7th grader. My job in arts administration keeps me in frequent contact with music educators, elementary school students, and community members of all ages. First, thank you for restoring the seven period day. I know there are bumps to be worked out, but I trust that this additional period will ultimately give our students more access and more options. Because of district cuts made over the years, many students arrive at our middle schools with no experience with a musical instrument, as well as with a deficit of contact hours in general music. 30 minutes of instruction every fourth day has taught our K through fifth graders that music is secondary to other areas of the
027curriculum. In spite of the fact that a rigorous music education has been foundational to academia around the world for centuries, our elementary school situation is a recipe for burnout and high turnover for our teachers. And in spite of their efforts, it essentially trains out the love of music in many of our students. In short, we are making music bad for our children and our and our teachers. Now, we're asking our middle school teachers to again work with less with a group of students who are starting from zero. The narrative that the fine arts are the providence of the wealthy begins right here in rooms like this. Cuts like this make the myth a reality. Learning an instrument is difficult. These are solo instruments, but they are not solo pursuits. cost, transportation, time, practice space are
028all barriers to out of school private lessons. The stated goal of the music department of educa or the Minnesota Department of Education is to create the world's best workforce. To that end, when a child says they want to be an astronaut, we show them the classes to take and show them the paths to to that goal. But when a student says they want to be a musician, our first response is to set them on a path to plan B. But why? A student who pursues a rigorous music education develops multiple avenues to success in just the same way as an aspiring astronaut and has a very like a high likelihood of actually participating in music professionally or avocationally throughout their life. Also, musicians are a part of the workforce. In addition to music and music
029adjacent fields, highly trained musicians work in business, government, government, medicine, and education. Please do not forget that a less musical graduating class is a less involved constituency, less connected to the community and less likely to vote and to volunteer. Thank you for continuing to work with all of us to find ways to put our music education back in the center of our curriculum. Thank you. And now we're in for a treat. Anukica, please come forward. Thank you for this opportunity. I'm Anukica and I'm a junior at Do you mind going ahead? I'm Thank you for this opportunity. I'm Anukica Sauer and I'm a junior at Duth High School and I would like to use our time by playing with the Sterling Strings. Thank you. Thank you. One more time, let's give it up for them
030for this amazing job and incredible way to show civic and social engagement. Thank you. And I'm sorry Melanie, you get to go next. I don't know what to say, how to follow up after that, but welcome. Thank you. Now, that's a product of the co-eing model right [Applause] there. My name is Melanie Siver. I'm a musician and music educator in this community and the administrative director of the Dul Superior Symphony Youth Orchestras program. Two years ago, when the middle school instrumental co-eing positions were on the chopping block, we met with the superintendent and assistant superintendent and um at that time the district saw the importance and found um resources to continue uh those positions. Um that action had a very positive impact on the equity and access for middle school music students across the district.
031The co-eing model formed in part in response to the elimination of starting instruments in the earlier grades has been a cornerstone of music of instrumental music in ISD 709 middle schools for more than a generation. It's been widely supported by parents, schoolboard members, teachers, um students and community. In our meeting with the superintendent and others on uh last Friday, I learned of imminent proposed cuts to these same positions for next year. I also learned that the successful model has been proposed to be changed to the pull out uh model and moreover to put as much of that pull out teaching onto one person as possible in those classrooms. This raises many concerns which need to be addressed and which I don't have time for here. Um when budget challenges were announced last fall, we had
032asked for a meeting but we we were assured that if any changes were proposed that um we would be notified and have an opportunity to discuss them. In January, we witnessed changes happening at one of the schools and um to the teaching model and then uh we also learned that uh the co- teachers had been displaced um for next fall. We asked for a meeting with the district at that point but uh didn't receive a response. In April, we again reached out and um we had the opportunity to meet last week and we found out that the new model um has been proposed along with the reduction to total FTE. Now, this sounds like a done deal to us and um we have not had an opportunity for community input and as far as I
033know from my conversations, I don't think that there the um those who have the most vested interest in these changes, the music educators um in the school district um are aware of these changes yet. Um, so, um, we're not beginning the process of cuts to our music programs. We're at the tail end of decades of whittling away our programs. These pros cuts, while they seem insignificant in and of themselves, will have um, great negative impact at this point. Um, I believe that we all have our students best interests at heart. I understand that there are extreme budget pressures and that in this current climate um we may in fact they may in fact get worse um before they get better cuts may be necessary but I encourage us to have more timely conversations and to
034choose the best strate strategies to bridge these times um so that there's the least negative impact on our students. Thank you. [Applause] Thank you. Francis Wittenberg, please. [Music] Welcome. Thank you. Good afternoon, superintendent and to the school board members, families, and students. Before I begin, I want to share a little bit about myself. I'm a proud mom of three and a retired Air Force Master Sergeant. One of the greatest joys has been watching my children, especially my son, perform in parades, football games during halftime, and the annual holiday concert at the deck. Playing the instrument is about so much more than just making music. It teaches students the values of teamwork, self-discipline, and our work. My son has played the two of us since fifth grade while we were stationed at Al Altus Air Force
035Base, Oklahoma. Music has played a huge role in his development, not just as a musician, but as a confident and dedicated young person. I see in firsthand how music can shape lives. That's why I'm deeply concerned about the proposed budget cuts to our district's music program. These cuts don't just mean fewer instruments or smaller classes. They mean fewer opportunities for our kids to grow, express themselves, and connect with others. They mean reduced access to practice time, limited performance opportunities, and less support from instructors who already give so much. And it's not just the budget. Newly required high school classes are cutting into students ability to choose electives, making it even challenging for them to stay involved in music. The promise of more choice isn't being fulfilled, if anything, is disappearing. These schedule scheduling changes haven't
036helped. They've only made it more difficult for students and faculty to pursue their passions. You have the opportunity, each of you, to support not just academic success, but the fulfill the development of every student. Music plays a vital role in the growth. Research consistently shows that students involve music perform better in schools, according to a study from the Arts Education Partnership. Students who participate in music score higher in math and reading and are more likely to graduate. Music education has also been linked to improved memory, stronger language skills, and greater emotional well-being. If we truly value equity and collaboration, our decisions must reflect that by supporting programs that uplift the whole child, not just the test scores. To our school board and district leaders, please understand that these decisions send a broader message. They aren't
037just about money. They are about what we value as a community. Right now, our students are feeling overlooked. Our teachers are stretched thin. Families are anxious. Morale is low. Please protect and invest in the programs that make our schools and our students thrive. Thank you. Thank you, Michael. [Music] Welcome. Good evening. My name is Dr. Michael Fuks and I am here to voice my opposition to the proposed music teacher cuts at Ordin East and Lincoln Park middle schools. I am a parent and a citizen of this community, but tonight I am primarily speaking from my years of professional experience as a university music educator and current chair of the department of music at University of Wisconsin Superior. I want to be clear that I am not speaking on behalf of the university, but as a
038private citizen whose professional experience and expertise is directly applicable to this topic. Each year WS along with colleges and universities across the nation hold auditions for prospective music students, those who desire to be music teachers, performers, composers, arts administrators, and all the other careers that come from a music degree. At these auditions, we also award thousands of dollars in scholarships. It is acutely obvious whose musical education has adequately prepared them for success and whose hasn't. Access to high-quality music instruction, particularly individual lessons is one of the biggest factors for a successful audition. Those who have had highquality lessons from a young age, are much more likely to be given music scholarships and to be successful in a challenging music curriculum. By cutting these middle school positions, DPS is not preparing students for success beyond graduation.
039You are essentially saying that highquality music instruction, of which lessons are non-negotiable, is only for those who can afford to pay for it privately. These cuts cottify a status quo of inequality and make highquality music instruction of privilege for the few instead of an opportunity for all. You cannot claim to be advancing equity and supporting every student goals found in the current strategic plan and cut these proposed positions. I have observed with dismay the administrative decisions that negatively affect music instruction in DPS over the past several years. The small amount of instructional minutes for music in elementary schools. The allocation of FTE that makes sense on a spreadsheet but not in a school. for there really is no such thing as a8 music teacher in a school or this latest attempt to cut critical co-eing
040positions. While the district boasts incredible music educators, they are being undermined administratively. The result is that you are not providing for every student every day. Make no mistake, within every building, every grade are our future music educators, composers, and performers. We owe them the opportunity to reach their potential. Music is just not an activity for them. It is their future career and livelihood. And it is being threatened by these cuts. Music is not it is not a talent. It is a language, a curricular content that must be taught, learned, and nurtured. And it is up to you, our school board, and our community to ensure that every student in the Duth public schools is provided with highquality music instruction. Thank you. Thank you. Next we have Alexa. Welcome. Hi. Um my name is Alexa. I
041am a resource teacher at Laura MacArthur right now. Um, and I would like to address the district's current practice of evaluating special education teachers placement based primarily on the number of students at each site rather than also considering the individual intensity of student needs as outlined in their IEPs. Some students require significantly more one-on-one support, intensive interventions, and behavior management, which impacts the amount of service time, and quality of instruction that other students receive. Additionally, larger groups of students with high needs can create environments that are chaotic and less conducive to effective service delivery, further diminishing the support of our students, the support our students require to succeed. I also want to express concern about the impact these decisions are having on teacher morale. There is growing fear among staff about the reduction of resource
042teachers. Special education paperwork demands substantial time and attention. An increasing case loads only makes an already stressful job even more overwhelming. For years, resource teachers have voiced their concerns of rarely getting their full prep or due process time due to student behaviors and the current trajectory will only worsen this issue. Ultimately, we must prov prioritize the needs of our students first. If we do not provide the legally required services and appropriate support, we cannot expect to see meaningful academic growth or improved test scores. Our students and staff deserve better. I respectfully urge the district to prioritize student needs and IEP requirements when making placement and staffing decisions. If we are committed to improving academic achievement and meeting legal obligations under IDA, we must ensure that students receive the services and support they are entitled to.
043Without doing so, progress for both our special education and general education students will continue to be compromised. Thank you. Thank you, Matilda. Welcome. Can you use the microphone, please? Hello. Push the Hello. There it is. Thank you. Um, I am currently a junior at Duth East High School. I am both a music student and a German student. Um, I'm here to talk to you today about the current schedule. It doesn't work. It hurts the students uh whom you I can only assume trying to help and it hurts students in music and foreign language. Most of all, the added classes uh made it so that students couldn't fully use the seventh hour you were trying to give them. Now students have to drop uh music uh classes and language classes more than they did before. Uh
044not having win has made it so uh students have enrolled in study halls more than they ever have before. One of my T teachers actually told me that study hall enrollment had doubled since last year. Uh we tried to help not being able to use this wind time in music by having uh sectionals. These didn't really work because unlike zero-hour ensembles, sectionals weren't only for the people who were willing to show up. They were for everyone. And everyone wasn't willing to show up. Everyone wasn't able to get there and we weren't able to practice for things like the Memorial Day parade or the homecoming field show. No one got to so see those performances that normally we the band would be able to perform. I would like to say that these required classes, three of
045them, aren't necessary. You could just make students have three extra elective requirements. This would work and it wouldn't cut into students schedules. Thank you for your time. Thank you, Erica. Welcome. Okay. Good evening. I feel left out of the music party not speaking about music tonight, but that's also really important. Um, good evening. My name is Erikica Drangler and I'm here as a union steward for Laura MacArthur Elementary. And um, I'm here talking about uh the cuts proposed for next year for our special ed resource position. Um, I know these are difficult financial times and every position in our district is important and serves our students. Um, but when cuts were announced earlier this year and we found out about the reduction to FTE for the special education department at Laura MacArthur, um, I was
046approached by many of the staff at Laura MacArthur who are very concerned and they're concerned about next year because they don't know that they'll be able to meet the needs of their students. The special education teachers are fearful that they won't be able to meet the minutes. They won't have enough time in their day to meet the required service minutes for the students they serve on IEPs. The general education teachers are terrified that they're going to be left on their own because so many of the students we serve have behavior plans as part of their B uh IEPs and those are managed by the case managers as well. So with reduced capacity that's going to suffer. We were told that these cuts were made based on case load. So just straight numbers of student receiving
047special education services rather than looking at service minutes or specific needs of the student. And that's a big concern because we have some students who are receiving up to 150 minutes a day of um service minutes, many receiving 90 minutes a day. So, those students count the exact same as a student who's straight LD reading, only getting 30 minutes a day of reading instruction. Um, but there's a big discrepancy in the amount of time that is legally required to have that student being served. Um, and then with the number of students we have on behavior plans, those check-ins happen with case managers, too. So, in additioning in addition to scheduling groups, they're also having to find uh time to check in on those things. Um, we also have heard recently that we're losing two setting
048three pair professionals next year. This will deeply impact our most vulnerable students and there's a lot of fear in how the folks left behind will be able to um maintain the uh needs those students need to be successful in school. We're asking that if there is any flexibility, these are positions that you consider first reinstating uh the special education position and the paraprofessional positions. We're also asking that in future when staffing decisions are made specifically towards special education, they're made with the use of student need service minutes rather than just straight case load numbers because we know students are complex and and the number doesn't tell the whole story. Thank you so much for your time and your consideration. Thank you. I'd like to check in and see if Andrea is here. Andrea Glip. I
049may be saying that incorrectly. Gilb. Is that better? Gelb. Thank you, Henry. Or member banks. Thank you. Um, as I don't see Andrea here, I would invite everybody to stay. We'll be talking about many of these same issues during the superintendence report today. So, if you'd like to hear that, please stay. And schoolboard meetings are just a ripin good time. So, thank you all so much. And again, can we just applaud our Sterling Strings? Thank you. Thank you. We will begin the full board meeting at 6:30. Thank you.