[00:00:03] ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. I'D LIKE TO CALL OUR MAY 6TH, 2026 BOARD OF EDUCATION WORK SESSION TO ORDER [1.01 Call to Order] 1.02 APPROVAL OF THE MAY 6TH, 2026 MEETING AGENDA. [1.02 Approval of the May 6, 2026 Board of Education Meeting Agenda] DO YOU HAVE A MOTION? I WILL MOVE THAT AGENDA. THANK YOU, MR. BLACK. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS BY ALL PRESENT, INCLUDING THE STUDENT MEMBER. 1.03 INFORMATION ITEMS. THIS IS AN INFORMATION ISSUE. [1.03 Information Items] ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I ACTUALLY I ACTUALLY HAVE A QUESTION. I KNOW THERE ARE TWO CURRICULUM ITEMS ON THERE FOR LITERACY AND I JUST WANT TO KNOW. I KNOW THIS IS A MAJOR FOCUS OBVIOUSLY FOR MSDE. DO WE DO THEY, ARE THEY STRICTLY GUIDING US ON CHOICE OF CURRICULUM, OR DO WE GET GUIDELINES? AND THEN WE KIND OF CHOOSE WHAT'S GOING TO MEET THAT CRITERIA. GOOD AFTERNOON. I CAN ANSWER THAT. I'M KIM SEISS I'M IN CHARGE OF LOCAL ASSESSMENT AND INTERVENTION. AND SO NO, WE'RE NOT GUIDED BY MSDE ABOUT SPECIFIC INTERVENTIONS THAT WE CHOOSE. BUT THESE TWO CONTRACTS ARE ABOUT A FLUENCY INTERVENTION AND A PHONICS INTERVENTION. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE ON TO 1.04 RFP 26 C 5 RELOCATION OF OUR PORTABLE CLASSROOMS. [1.04 RFP 26C5, Relocation of Portable Classrooms] GOOD AFTERNOON. THIS RECOMMENDATION IS TO ESTABLISH A CONTRACT FOR THE RELOCATION OF 14 PORTABLE CLASSROOMS FROM OAKDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT ARE NO LONGER REQUIRED DUE TO THE OPENING OF LINGANORE CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THE PORTABLES OF THE 14 PORTABLES THAT WILL BE RELOCATED, SIX WILL BE GOING TO TUSCARORA ELEMENTARY, SIX TO ORCHARD GROVE AND TWO TO WALKERSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL. ONCE THE PORTABLES ARE RELOCATED, THEY WILL. THE SCOPE OF WORK INCLUDES AN ENCLOSED TRANSITION AREA CONNECTING THEM TO THE MAIN SCHOOL BUILDINGS TO ENHANCE CONVENIENCE AND STUDENT SAFETY. THE WORK IS TO TAKE PLACE DURING THE SUMMER OF 2026 AND BE READY FOR THE 2020 627 SCHOOL YEAR. STAFF IS RECOMMENDING CONTRACT AWARD TO WORMALD COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION, LLC. AT A TOTAL COST OF $2,700,000. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM. SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE RFP 26 C FIVE. I WILL MOVE RFP 26 C FIVE. ALL RIGHT SECOND MISS MONIER. ALL RIGHT. QUESTIONS MISS YOHO. SO IN LOOKING AT THE BID TABULATION SHEET IT SAYS BREAKOUT COSTS. AND IT SAYS SIX TO TUSCARORA, SIX TO ORCHARD GROVE. AND THEN IT SAYS SIX TO WALKERSVILLE. WE'RE ON THE COVER SHEET SAYS TWO. SO I'M JUST TWO IS CORRECT. OKAY. AND OOPS. AND I JUST CLOSED IT. SO THAT COST IT'S NOW I THINK IT WAS LIKE 28,000. THAT IS A CORRECT COST. THAT IS A CORRECT COST. THANK YOU. MR. BLACK. AND I JUST ALSO WANTED TO DOUBLE CHECK THESE COST ALSO INCLUDE THE TRANSPORTATION, NOT JUST THE INSTALLATION AT THE NEW SCHOOL. THIS IS ALSO TRANSPORT FROM THE CURRENT LOCATION TO NEW LOCATIONS. CORRECT? YES, SIR. CORRECT. ANYONE ELSE? I JUST HAVE A QUESTION. THEIR REPLACEMENTS. SO THEY'RE NOT ADDITIONS. WHAT HAPPENS TO THE OLD ONES? I'M GOING TO PHONE A FRIEND ON THIS ONE. I TOOK THIS ONE FOR MY TEAM, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THEY CAN ANSWER IT BECAUSE I WANTED TO JUST HIGHLIGHT FOR A SECOND. AS THE BOARD KNOWS, WHEN YOU GET OUR ANNUAL UPDATE TO THE F AND P, WE GIVE THE LOCATIONS AND AGES OF OUR PORTABLES. WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANTLY AGING PORTABLE FLEET. SO WE'RE THRILLED TO BE ABLE TO MOVE THESE MEGA POD BUILDINGS TO CREATE THE CONNECTING CORRIDORS. SO WE'RE GETTING RID OF ALL THE SINGLE UNIT PORTABLES AT THOSE LOCATIONS TO BE ABLE, AND THEN TO GIVE THEM A MEGA POD STYLE WITH A CONNECTING CORRIDOR. SO IT'S GET GETTING RID OF SOME REALLY AGED PORTABLES IN OUR IN OUR FLEET. SO THEY'LL BE DEMOLISHED IN PLACE AND THEN THESE WILL BE MOVED IN. THAT'S WHAT I WAS WONDERING IF WE DEMOLISHED THEM RIGHT THERE IN PLACE OR DEMOLISHED THEM IN PLACE. REMOVE AND THEN REPLACE. OKAY. VERY GOOD. MIGHT BE SO ALSO RECOGNIZE THIS IS GOING TO CLEAR AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF SPACE AT OAKDALE ELEMENTARY [00:05:02] SCHOOL. ARE WE PLANNING TO RESOD THAT CREATE IT INTO A PLAY AREA? HOW ARE WE GOING TO HANDLE THAT? SO THAT WAS ORIGINALLY ONE OF THEIR PLAY FIELDS. SO IT WILL BE RESEEDED AND BECOME A PLAY FIELD. THEY'VE HAD TO GET QUITE CREATIVE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS WITH THE LOSS OF A PLAY FIELD. AND SO IT'LL JUST RETURN TO WHAT ITS ORIGINAL INTENDED PURPOSE WAS. GREAT. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? MISS BRENNAN, I NOTICED THAT WE ONLY HAD TWO PROPOSAL APPLICANTS AND ONE ONLY ONE COMPANY. THIS COMPANY IS THE ONLY ONE THAT SUBMITTED AN ACTUAL BID FOR THIS WORK. IS THAT WHAT THAT IS SAYING? YES. WE HAD MANY THAT THAT VIEWED THE BID BUT ONLY TWO DOWNLOADED IT AND WE ONLY HAD ONE THAT SUBMITTED A PROPOSAL. I DID CHECK WITH SOME OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT VIEWED AND DOWNLOADED AND DUE TO THE COMPRESSED SCHEDULE AND THE THE AMOUNT OF PORTABLES THAT NEEDED TO BE MOVED OVER THE SUMMER, THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE CAPACITY, SO THEY DID NOT THEY CHOSE NOT TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. BLACK. SO I WANTED TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THE DELETION OF THE UNDERGROUND RAIN LEADERS. IS THAT A COST SAVING MEASURE OR WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR THE DELETION OF THE UNDERGROUND RAIN LEADERS? BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE TO IMAGINE WE'RE CONNECTING THOSE TO STORM DRAIN INFRASTRUCTURE TO AVOID ANY POSSIBILITY OF, YOU KNOW, WATER POOLING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT ON THE GROUND AND CREATING A MAINTENANCE ISSUE. SO I'M JUST KIND OF CURIOUS ABOUT THAT. IF YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THAT FOR A MOMENT. TOM MULLIGAN WITH CAPITAL PROGRAMS. THE DELETION OF THE UNDERWATER RAIN LEADER WAS A CREDIT BACK TO US. IF WE DIDN'T DO THAT, THE WATER WOULD HAVE JUST RUN OFF THE ROOF AND ONTO THE GROUND INTO THE AREA. SO WE DIDN'T ACCEPT THAT CREDIT. SO THE WATER WILL BE RUN FROM THE ROOF UNDERGROUND TO TO AN OUTLET. OKAY, GOOD. YEAH. I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT. MY CONCERN WAS AND READING THIS THAT WE POSSIBLY MIGHT BE CREATING A FUTURE MAINTENANCE ISSUE. SO I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT WE'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE CONTRACTOR PROVIDING THESE SERVICES. THANK YOU, MISS YOHO. I KNOW WE'VE ASKED THIS QUESTION BEFORE WITH OTHER BIDS. WHEN YOU ONLY GET ONE BID LIKE THAT, HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S A COMPETITIVE PRICE? WE JUST DID THE A WHITTIER PORTABLE AND WE COMPARED THE PRICES THAT WE GOT AND THAT WAS MORE COMPETITIVE. WE WE HAD I, I, I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE HAD SIX PROPOSALS. I DON'T, I DON'T QUOTE ME ON THAT ONE, BUT WE HAD MORE AND WE LOOKED BACK AND WE COMPARED THE PRICING AND WE FELT THAT THIS WAS COMPARABLE AND IT WAS COMPETITIVE. SO WE DECIDED TO MOVE IT FORWARD. THANK YOU. AND WE DID SEE WHERE THE WHITTIER PORTABLES GOING AT ARBOR DAY. MISS MONIER AND I AND MR. O'HARA THANKED US FOR THAT. AND IT'S GOING TO BE PART OF THE BUILDING SO STUDENTS WON'T HAVE TO GO OUTSIDE, WHICH IS NICE. MISS MONIER, I'M SURE THE SCHOOLS ARE EXCITED TO GET THE MEGA PODS, BECAUSE THERE'S SUCH AN IMPROVEMENT OVER WHAT THEY HAD BEFORE, AND IT'S MORE SECURE AND EVERYBODY'S THE STUDENTS WILL HAVE A BETTER LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AS A RESULT. I'M JUST CURIOUS, THE THREE SCHOOLS THAT ARE RECEIVING THEM, WHERE THEY FALL IN ARE REPLACEMENT RENOVATION SCHEDULE AND THE EFMP, IF AT ALL, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IF WE'RE USING PORTABLES, IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING INCREASING ENROLLMENT IN THOSE SCHOOLS. I'M GOING TO HAVE TO PHONE A FRIEND FOR THAT RESPONSE. WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT HERE, RUN THE GAMUT. HI. BRIAN STAIGER, DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL PROGRAMS. ORCHARD GROVE IS ON THE CYCLE FOR THE RENOVATIONS. IT'S BACK A LITTLE WAYS IN THE MATRIX, BUT IT IS THE. THE OTHER ONES ARE NOT AT THE MOMENT. REALLY THESE AREAS I THINK WERE, AS YOU KIND OF ALLUDE TO, IT'S A MUCH BETTER LEARNING ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE'RE DOING KIND OF INCREASING YOU KNOW, THE AGE OF THAT FLEET IS PRETTY, IS PRETTY OLD. SO WE'RE BRINGING THAT UP TO SPEED. SO BUT THEY AREN'T REALLY ON THERE, EXCEPT ORCHARD GROVE IS ABOUT MAYBE 3 OR 4 ITERATIONS BACK BEHIND. I THINK WE HAD EMMETSBURG AND MEYERSVILLE IN THERE, AND IT WAS KIND OF SOMEWHERE IN THERE AFTER THOSE SCHOOLS. NOW THAT'S FANTASTIC. AND I'M SURE THEY'RE ON PINS AND NEEDLES WAITING FOR THAT AS WELL. BUT SO WITH TUSCARORA AND ELEMENTARY, DO YOU KNOW, JUST OFFHAND, I'M JUST THINKING TO MYSELF HOW OLD THAT SCHOOL IS AND HOW OLD THE WALKERSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL MIGHT BE. THAT ONE, I DON'T KNOW. I DO 2004, I WENT THERE THE SECOND YEAR AT OPEN, WHICH WAS 2005, SO 2004, 2004, AND WALKERSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL IS. WHAT YEAR DID YOU GRADUATE? I BELIEVE TUSCARORA ELEMENTARY. YOU WENT THERE? OH, I WENT THERE. SORRY. I MOVED THERE AS A TEACHER. SORRY. I THINK WALKERSVILLE HIGH AS 1976, I BELIEVE. OKAY. PERFECT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. GREAT. ANYONE ELSE? I'LL SAY I'M EXCITED THAT IF THERE WAS ONE BID, OR AT LEAST IT WAS WORMALD, A VERY LOCAL COMPANY. [00:10:05] SO. AND THEY'RE DOING THEY ARE DOING VERY WELL ON THE WHITTIER PROJECT. WE'RE VERY HAPPY WITH THEIR PERFORMANCE AND THEIR LOCAL. SO GOOD. IT'S A WIN. GOOD. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF RFP 26 C 5. RELOCATION OF PORTABLE CLASSROOMS PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS. INCLUDING THE STUDENT MEMBER. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE ON TO RFP 23FS FOR KITCHEN SERVING LINE EQUIPMENT. [1.05 RFP 23FS4, Kitchen and Serving Line Equipment, Smallwares, Parts, Design and/or Installation (Renewal)] AND THIS IS ALSO A ACTION ITEM. GOOD AFTERNOON. THIS RECOMMENDATION IS TO RENEW THE CONTRACT FOR KITCHEN AND SERVING LINE EQUIPMENT, SMALL WARES, PARTS AND DESIGN AND OR INSTALLATION. THIS CONTRACT RENEWAL TERM WILL BE EFFECTIVE FROM JUNE 1ST, 2026 THROUGH MAY 31ST, 2029, WITH NO RENEWAL OPTIONS REMAINING. NO PRICE INCREASES WERE REQUESTED. FREDERICK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS PARTNERS WITH OMNIA PARTNERS AND IS A LEAD PUBLIC AGENCY FOR THE SOLICITATION, WHICH IS UTILIZED FOR MULTIPLE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. SCP RECEIVES REVENUE SHARE FEES FOR TIME SPENT ON SOLICITATION AND CONTRACT MANAGEMENT. THE CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR IS DENNIS SMITH, DIRECTOR OF FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICES. STAFF RECOMMENDS RFP 23 FS4 FOR KITCHEN AND SERVING LINE EQUIPMENT. SMALLWARES PARTS AND DESIGN OR INSTALLATION BE RENEWED TO CCAP USA, LLC. JOHNSON, LANCASTER AND ASSOCIATES INCORPORATED. NATIONAL RESTAURANT. SUPPLY. COMPANY. INCORPORATED. SINGER EQUIPMENT COMPANY. INCORPORATED. DOING. BUSINESS AS SINGER. MARYLAND, LLC. TRADING AS SANGER ASHLAND. REESE BROTHERS OF HAGERSTOWN, LLC. PER THE ATTACHED SUMMARY OF RENEWAL. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. DO YOU HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE RFP 23FS4. MOVE TO APPROVE RFP 23FS MRS MONIER. SECOND. MISS YOHO. ALL RIGHT. QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE. ANY COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE? ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING RFP 23FS4, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS. AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS. INCLUDING THE STUDENT MEMBER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NEXT WE HAVE 1.06 RFP. 26 MISCELLANEOUS. [1.06 RFP 26MISC6, Natural Gas] SIX NATURAL GAS. ACTION ITEM. GOOD AFTERNOON. SO THE PURPOSE OF THIS ITEM IS TO INFORM THE BOARD THAT WE WENT BACK OUT TO BID FOR OUR NATURAL GAS, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR REQUIRED ENERGY UTILITIES. WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE BOARD TO ACCEPT THE PRICE LOCK IN AGREEMENT THAT WE HAD THAT WAS EXECUTED ON APRIL 13TH BECAUSE WE HAD A TIGHT TURNAROUND ON THIS. WE ARE LOOKING FOR THE 36 MONTH TERM FOR THIS NATURAL GAS PRICE LOCK IN, WHICH WILL START ON JUNE 1ST AND END ON MAY 31ST OF 2029. WE HAD A TWO STEP SOLICITATION PROCESS TO PRE-QUALIFY THESE THIRD PARTY VENDORS. WE OPENED THE BID PACKAGES BACK IN FEBRUARY. WE HAD TWO IN OUR G BUSINESS MARKETING DOING BUSINESSES IN OUR G AND WGL, WHICH IS WASHINGTON GAS AND LIGHTING ENERGY SERVICES OUT OF VIENNA. NOT. THESE INDIVIDUALS HAD TO MEET SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR PRE-QUALIFICATION BEFORE THEY COULD MOVE ON INTO SUBMITTING A PRICE. WE HAVE SOME PRE-QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS THERE THAT ARE LISTED. AND WE REQUESTED THE PRICES. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE PRICES CAME IN AT A 12, A 24 AND A 36 MONTH PRICE LOCK IN. WE ARE RECOMMENDING TO THE BOARD THAT THEY ACCEPT THE PRICE LOCK IN FROM WGL ENERGY SERVICES FOR THE 36 MONTH PRICE OF 52.7 CENTS PER THERM. AND IF YOU SEE DOWN IN THE PARAGRAPH UNDERNEATH, THAT IS CURRENTLY A 14 CENT SAVINGS OVER THE NATURAL GAS PRICES THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY PAYING THIS YEAR. SO THAT'S A LARGE SAVINGS FOR US. SO WE ARE LOOKING FOR THE BOARD TO APPROVE THE LOCK IN PRICE. ALL RIGHT. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE NATURAL GAS. I WILL MOVE RFP 26 MS. C THANK YOU MS. YOHO. SECOND MISS MONIER. ALL RIGHT. QUESTIONS? JUST ONE COMMENT. YEAH. ON THE $250,000 SAVED. ANYONE ELSE? WHOSE IDEA WAS IT? WHOSE IDEA WAS IT TO SAVE US? $250,000 AND SIGN A THREE YEAR AGREEMENT? WELL, THEN I'M GOING TO HAVE TO TURN THAT OVER TO MY CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR, DON ASHBACHER. I ACTUALLY THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO SAY. I'M GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE CREDIT FOR THAT. NO, I'M REALLY JOKING. [00:15:01] I JUST WANT TO COMMEND THE WHOLE CREDIT DOES NOT BELONG TO US. I JUST WANT TO COMMEND THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT FOR FOR THAT. THAT'S THAT'S FANTASTIC. NOT ONLY ARE WE SAVING MONEY BY GOING THREE YEARS, BUT YOU SAVED MONEY ON THE CURRENT CONTRACT. SO AMAZING JOB. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE? ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING RFP 26 MISCELLANEOUS. SIX. RAISE YOUR HAND. AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS. INCLUDING THE STUDENT MEMBER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE ON TO 1.07 WORK BASED EXPERIENCES LEARNING GRANT. [1.07 Work-Based Experiences Learning Grant] THIS IS INFORMATION DISCUSSION AND ACTION. GOOD AFTERNOON BOARD. I'M DOREEN BASS GRANTS MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST. AND I'M JOINED BY KATIE BUCKLEY, OUR DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EDUCATION FOR SECONDARY. AND WE ARE HERE SEEKING YOUR APPROVAL OF A $183,029 GRANT FROM MSDE'S DIVISION OF REHABILITATION SERVICES, ALSO KNOWN AS DOORS. AND THIS GRANT WILL PROVIDE TRANSITION TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR 45 STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. OVER THIS SUMMER AND SUMMER OF 2027 STUDENTS WILL BE PAID AT OUR STUDENT WAIT FOR THEIR HOURS WORKED. WE'LL ALSO BE PAYING COACH 12 JOB COACHES WHO WILL WORK WITH THE STUDENTS, FIND THEM THESE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENT. AND THIS WILL BE COVERED THEIR COSTS IN THE SUMMER, SUMMER OF NEXT YEAR AND ALSO THEIR REQUIRED FIXED CHARGES, UNEMPLOYMENT AND FICA. AND WITH THAT, I ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BECAUSE THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE, THE ONE WHO KNOWS IT ALL ABOUT TRANSITION SERVICES FOR OUR STUDENTS. ALL RIGHT. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE WORK BASED EXPERIENCES LEARNING GRANT? I MOVE TO APPROVE THE WORK BASED EXPERIENCES LEARNING GRANT. THANK YOU, MISS MONIER. SECOND. MR. WILSON. ALL RIGHT. QUESTIONS. MISS YOHO, HOW WILL THE STUDENTS BE SELECTED? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. AND THAT WILL BE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DOORS. SO WE WILL PROVIDE THEM WITH A LIST OF OPPORTUNITIES, PEOPLE THAT THEY ARE ALREADY CONNECTED WITH, STUDENTS THAT THEY'RE ALREADY WORKING WITH, AND THEN WE WILL WORK WITH THEM IN TANDEM TO FIND JOBS FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES. BUT NEXT YEAR IT WILL BE, OR THIS SUMMER IT'LL BE 20 STUDENTS, AND THE FOLLOWING SUMMER IT'LL BE 25. MISS MONIER, THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR STUDENTS. OBVIOUSLY, I WAS CURIOUS, HAVE WE DONE THIS, THIS GRANT BEFORE, OR IS THIS THE FIRST TIME IT'S BECOME AVAILABLE TO US? FIRST TIME. AS TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'VE OFFERED THIS TYPE OF OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR STUDENTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DOORS. NOW THAT'S FANTASTIC. AND IS THERE, I GUESS, JUST LOOKING AT THE FISCAL FUTURE OF THE NEXT 3 TO 5 YEARS, DO WE HAVE ANY CONCERNS OR THOUGHTS ABOUT WHETHER THIS GRANT MAY BE AVAILABLE AFTER THAT? I THINK WHAT DID YOU SAY? 27. YEAH, I WISH WE COULD SPEAK TO THAT. WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THESE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS IN ADDITION TO WHAT THEY'RE GETTING DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, BECAUSE WE DO PROVIDE QUITE A FEW TRANSITION OPPORTUNITIES DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, BUT WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE THESE CONNECTIONS AND SUSTAIN TRANSITION BEYOND JUST THE SCHOOL YEAR. SO IF WE CAN PROVIDE THIS IN FUTURE YEARS, WE WOULD LOVE TO PARTNER WITH THEM AND CONTINUE THAT. THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC. I APPRECIATE THIS, AND I KNOW THE FAMILIES OF THE STUDENTS ALSO APPRECIATE THIS HELP AND HELPING THEM TO TRANSITION INTO THE NEXT PHASE OF THEIR LIFE. SO THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. MR.. OKAY. SO AND I THINK MISS MONIER BROUGHT UP AN EXCELLENT POINT ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THIS GRANT IS GOING TO BE HERE IN THE FUTURE. I THINK THAT'S A TOPIC OF BIG CONCERN, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T PREDICT THAT. BUT I'M JUST RATHER CURIOUS. IN TALKING ABOUT THE STUDENTS SELECTED FOR THIS, WHERE ARE THESE STUDENTS ACTUALLY WORKING? ARE THEY WORKING HERE IN FCPS OR ARE WE PAYING WITH THIS GRANT? YOU KNOW, THE, THE EMPLOYMENT ELSEWHERE, IT'S GOING TO BE A VARIETY OF PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES. WE ALWAYS ARE SEEKING FCPS OPPORTUNITIES AND WE EVEN USE THOSE DURING THE REGULAR SCHOOL YEAR. AND SO I WOULD LOVE TO TELL YOU THAT IT'S GOING TO BE EXCLUSIVELY JUST FCPS. BUT THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THERE ARE OTHER JOB OPPORTUNITIES THAT PRESENT THEMSELVES. THAT'S OF THAT STUDENT'S INTEREST AREA AND SEEMS MORE ALIGNED TO THEIR TRANSITION TO THEIR POST-SECONDARY OUTCOMES. SO WE WOULD UTILIZE THOSE AS WELL. DOES THE STUDENT HAVE A CHOICE IN IN WHERE THEY GET PLACED WITH WITH THIS PROGRAM? OFTEN THERE IS CHOICE BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S STUDENT CENTERED AND WE WANT TO PLACE THEM IN A VOCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY THAT'S GOING TO EXTEND OR KIND OF PROVIDE THOSE SKILLS FOR THEM. SO OUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO MAKE IT MEANINGFUL TO THAT STUDENT. WE DON'T ALWAYS FIND THE PERFECT FIT, BUT SOMETIMES WE'RE JUST TRYING TO FIND A SKILL SET TO DEVELOP. [00:20:01] AND THERE'S MULTIPLE WAYS TO DEVELOP A CERTAIN SKILL SET. SO THAT'S KIND OF OUR JOB IS TO HELP FIND THAT AND TO WORK WITH THAT STUDENT TO SEE MAYBE THEY DO OR DON'T LIKE THAT CAREER PATHWAY OR THAT TRANSITION OPPORTUNITY. SO IT'S ALL A PROCESS AND WE'RE JUST THERE ALONGSIDE TO HELP SUPPORT THEM. OKAY. AND THEN ONE OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS THAT I HAD IN LOOKING HERE UNDER THE SALARIES AND WAGES. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT THIS IS CORRECT. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT HIRING A TOTAL OF 24 COACHES AT $25.97 AN HOUR. THAT'S GOING TO BE 12 COACHES IN TOTAL. OR ARE WE HIRING A TOTAL OF 24 TO MANAGE 20 KIDS? IT'S 12 COACHES. AND THEIR TIME IS SPLIT BETWEEN THEIR HOURS SPENT, WHERE THEY'RE IN THEIR OWN TRAINING, LEARNING HOW TO WORK WITH AND THESE STUDENTS AND MANAGE THE CASELOAD. AND THEN THE OTHER TIME IS ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTATION WHERE THEY'RE WORKING WITH THE STUDENTS. SO THEIR TIME WE NEEDED FOR MSDE DOORS PURPOSES, WE NEEDED TO ALLOCATE THE TIME THAT WAY. AND THAT'S REFLECTED ON THE BUDGET. ARE THE COACHES OR ARE THESE FOLKS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE EMPLOYED HERE AT FCPS OR ARE THESE FOLKS WE'RE HIRING? TYPICALLY THEY'RE GOING TO BE FCPS EMPLOYEES BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY TRAINED THEM IN MANY REGARDS THROUGH OUR SUCCESS ACADEMY AND OTHER PLACES WHERE THEY'RE DOING THIS TYPE OF WORK. SO IN KIND OF THAT SPIRIT OF CONTINUATION OF SKILLS, OUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO HIRE CPS STAFF TO PERFORM THESE JOBS. SO THE PAY FROM THESE JOB COACHES DOING BOTH THE TRAINING AND IMPLEMENTATION WOULD BE IT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL JOB CATEGORY FOR THAT EMPLOYEE, AND THEY WOULD BE GETTING THIS IN ADDITION TO THE SALARY THEY'RE ALREADY RECEIVING. THIS WOULD BE WORK THAT IS BEYOND THEIR CONTRACTUAL DAY. SO DURING FOR ANY TRAINING THAT THEY MIGHT ATTEND IN JUNE, IT WOULD BE AFTER THE SCHOOL DAY ENDS. AND THEN IT'S WORKED DURING THE SUMMER. SO THAT WOULD BE BEYOND THEIR TEN MONTH CONTRACT PERIOD. SO IT'S SUPPLEMENTAL WAGES FOR THEM. OKAY. AND THEN THE PROJECT MANAGER, IS THAT GOING TO BE SOMEBODY THAT WE ALREADY HAVE CURRENTLY EMPLOYED HERE. CORRECT. AND THAT THEM THIS INDIVIDUAL THEM THEY WHOMEVER ADMINISTERING THIS GRANT AS THE PROJECT MANAGER. THEY'RE GETTING THIS IN ADDITION TO THE SALARY THAT THEY ALREADY SEE THE $78.51 AN HOUR ESTIMATED. CORRECT. AND THAT AGAIN, WOULD BE BEYOND THEIR CONTRACTUAL WORKDAY. THERE ARE TEN MONTH EMPLOYEE AND IT WOULD BE BEYOND THE END OF THE TEN MONTH SCHOOL PERIOD. OKAY. AND WHAT DEPARTMENT WOULD THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR THIS GRANT ACTUALLY BE CLASSIFIED UNDER HERE IN FCPS. SPECIAL EDUCATION? OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT. ANYONE ELSE? WELL, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR AGAIN, ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL GAINING OF A GRANT. I KNOW WE ALREADY DO A LOT OF THIS THROUGH OUR SUCCESS PROGRAM, SO WE GOT A LOT OF GOOD PRACTICE AT IT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE SERVICE YOU'RE PROVIDING OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE STILL NEED TO VOTE. WE ARE. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. I DIDN'T WANT TO WALK AWAY WITHOUT THAT. YOU YOU WANT THAT TO YOU WANT YOU WANT TO BE APPROVED, RIGHT? OKAY. SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE WORK BASED EXPERIENCES LEARNING GRANT, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS, INCLUDING THE STUDENT MEMBER. THANK YOU SO MUCH. HAVE A GOOD AFTERNOON. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NEXT 1.08 ACADEMIC CALENDAR WEATHER CLOSURES INFORMATION DISCUSSION AND ACTION. [1.08 Academic Calendar Weather Closures] GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. I HOPE YOU'RE WELL. TODAY WOULD LIKE TO DO IS SHARE WITH YOU SOME UPDATES FROM THE MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OR THE MARYLAND STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION RELATED TO PARAMETERS THAT THEY'VE GIVEN REGARDING THE ACADEMIC CALENDAR. AND SINCE THIS IS YOUR CALENDAR, WE WANTED TO BRING THIS BEFORE YOU TO GET YOU TO THINK ABOUT IT. SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS I'M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU THOSE NEW PARAMETERS, LET YOU KNOW WHAT WE ALREADY DO HERE IN FCPS, IN WHICH YOU ALL HAVE DECIDED TO DO WITH YOUR ACADEMIC CALENDAR RELATED TO THAT, AND THEN LEAVE IT TO YOU ALL TO VOTE ON SOME SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS REGARDING THE CALENDAR. SO FIRST, JUST SOME UPDATES FROM THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION REGARDING THE USE OF IDENTIFYING WHETHER MAKE UP DAYS. AND SO WITH THE STATE BOARD HAS TOLD US TO DO IS THAT EACH SCHOOL SYSTEM MUST INDICATE IN THEIR ACADEMIC CALENDAR THE SIX WEATHER MAKEUP DAYS THAT THEY'D LIKE TO USE, IN WHICH YOU SEE THERE IS THAT IT'S EITHER SIX WEATHER MAKEUP DAYS OR THREE WEATHER MAKEUP DAYS, AND IT'S THREE WEATHER MAKEUP DAYS. IF THE LEA HAS A VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION PLAN IN PLACE. [00:25:02] NOW, FOR SOME OF YOU, THIS IS A REMINDER. BUT FOR OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, THIS MAY BE NEW. AND FREDERICK COUNTY, WE DO NOT HAVE A VIRTUAL INSTRUCTIONAL DAY IN PLACE. WE DID AT ONE POINT, BUT WE DON'T. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THERE HAS TO BE SYNCHRONOUS INSTRUCTION ON A WEATHER CLOSURE DAY, WHICH MEANS EVERY STUDENT HAS TO HAVE A DEVICE, EVERY STAFF MEMBER HAS TO HAVE A DEVICE, AND THEY HAVE TO BE ONLINE TOGETHER FOR A MINIMUM OF FOUR HOURS A DAY. AND SO A FEW YEARS AGO, WE MOVED AWAY FROM 1 TO 1. SO WE CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT EVERY STUDENT WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THAT DIRECT INSTRUCTION ON A WEATHER CLOSURE DAY. SO FOR US, IT WOULD BE SIX WEATHER MAKEUP DAYS THAT ARE INDICATED IN OUR ACADEMIC CALENDAR. SO THEY HAVE TO BE CLEARLY IDENTIFIED. AND THE REASON THAT THE STATE BOARD DID THAT IS BECAUSE THAT ALL LEAS HAD IT CLEARLY IDENTIFIED IN THEIR ACADEMIC CALENDAR. THE MAKEUP DAYS COULD COULD ALSO BE EMBEDDED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. SO SOME LEAS MAY DO IT AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. THEY TACKLE AN ADDITIONAL DAYS. OTHER LEAS MAY INDICATE THAT ON A TEACHER WORK DAY THAT THEY HAVE, OR A HOLIDAY ON WHICH SCHOOLS ARE TYPICALLY CLOSED. SO REGARDING THE STRUCTURE AND THE TIMELINE EXPECTATIONS, ALL MAKE UP DAYS HAVE TO BE SCHEDULED BEFORE JUNETEENTH. ANOTHER THING THAT THE STATE BOARD INDICATED, ANOTHER PARAMETER THAT THEY SET IS THAT NO SCHOOL SYSTEM IN MARYLAND CAN CLOSE ON OR AFTER JUNETEENTH. SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT WAS NOT THERE IN IN PLACE BEFORE. AND THE THING THAT WE'RE ALWAYS ABLE TO DO IS IF WE HAVE THOSE IDENTIFIED MAKEUP DAYS AT THE END OF THE ACADEMIC CALENDAR, IF WE DON'T USE THEM, THEN WE CAN TAKE THOSE THOSE DAYS BACK TO GIVE US OUR 180 DAY TOTAL REQUIREMENT. THEY ALSO GAVE SOME EXPECTATIONS REGARDING WAIVERS. SO LEAS MUST USE ALL OF THE IDENTIFIED WEATHER MAKEUP DAYS BEFORE THEY CAN APPROACH THE STATE FOR WAIVER. SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SIX DAYS IDENTIFIED. AND IF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS SEVEN WEATHER CLOSURES, THEN THEY CANNOT ASK FOR THAT SEVENTH DAY WAIVER UNTIL I BELIEVE IT IS MARCH OF THAT ACADEMIC YEAR. IF, HOWEVER, THEY WOULD LIKE TO USE A USE ONE OF THOSE DAYS, ONE OF THE MAKEUP DAYS IS ON A STATE CLOSED HOLIDAY OR FEDERAL HOLIDAY. THEY CAN REQUEST THE USE OF THAT PARTICULAR DAY AS A MAKEUP DAY. AT THE JANUARY STATE BOARD MEETING, THE STATE BOARD IS SAYING THAT THEY ARE STRONGLY DISCOURAGING LEAS FROM SELECTING DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. AS A WHETHER MAKEUP DAY. THERE ARE SOME SCHOOL SYSTEMS THAT USE PRESIDENTS DAY AS A WHETHER. MAKEUP DAY. AGAIN, IF A SCHOOL SYSTEM DECIDES TO DO THAT AND IT'S INDICATED IN THEIR ACADEMIC CALENDAR, THEN THEY CANNOT GET THE WAIVER FOR THAT UNTIL JANUARY OF THAT OF THAT YEAR. AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT A NEW ONE. 180 DAYS STUDENTS ARE TO BE IN SCHOOL. SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO NOW IS I'M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU WHAT THE BOARD HAS HAD US DO IN FREDERICK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS REGARDING THESE PARAMETERS. AND THEN I'M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU A PROPOSAL THAT WE'RE PUTTING FORTH FOR YOU ALL TO DISCUSS AND THEN POTENTIALLY VOTE ON. SO HISTORICALLY, IN FREDERICK COUNTY, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE INDICATED OUR WEATHER MAKE UP DAYS, AND THOSE DAYS ARE TYPICALLY INDICATED AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. IT'S AN ACADEMIC CALENDAR. A FEW YEARS AGO, WE ACTUALLY USED WORDS TO INDICATE IT. THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS IS A LITTLE SNOWFLAKE. SO YOU SEE THAT LITTLE SNOWFLAKE AND IT SAYS SNOW MAKE UP DAY. AND THAT LETS OUR COMMUNITY KNOW THAT IF WE HAVE X NUMBER OF DAYS THAT WE'RE USING FOR THIS YEAR, THIS YEAR WE EXCEEDED THEM. IT'S LETTING THEM KNOW AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR THAT IF WE HAVE SNOW CLOSURE DAYS, THESE ARE THE DAYS ON WHICH WE'LL MAKE THEM UP. IN RECENT YEARS, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS NOT GONE BEYOND JUNETEENTH FOR THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL OR FOR WEATHER MAKE UP DAYS. SO SOME OF THESE PARAMETERS THAT THE STATE BOARD IS NOW GIVING US ARE NOT GOING TO BE COMPLETELY OUTSIDE OF WHAT WE'VE DONE. WE'VE INDICATED THEM ON THE CALENDAR. YOU ALL HAVE HAD US DO THAT. WE'VE HAD FIVE IN PLACE. WE'RE NOW ASKED TO ADD A SIXTH AND WE'VE NOW CLOSED SCHOOL ON OR AFTER JUNETEENTH. SO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS TO ADD A SIXTH WEATHER MAKE UP DAY, INDICATE THAT IN THE ACADEMIC CALENDAR. AND RIGHT NOW, WE'RE FOCUSED ON TWO CALENDARS FOR 26, 27 AND 2728. AND THE REASON THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON THOSE TWO CALENDARS IS BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT YOU ALL HAVE APPROVED. ANY CALENDAR THAT WE, THAT WE DEVELOP AFTER THIS WILL ALREADY HAVE THESE PARAMETERS IN THEM, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE STATE IS NOW ASKING. THE STATE BOARD IS NOW ASKING YOU ALL TO DO. THE OTHER CHANGE THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS CURRENTLY WE HAVE SNOW DAY, MAKE UP SNOW DAY, AND WE'RE JUST RECOMMENDING THAT WE CHANGE IT TO BE IN LINE WITH THE LANGUAGE THAT THE STATE USES, WHICH IS WEATHER MAKE UP DAY. SO I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION AND THEN TAKE ANY QUESTIONS AND ALLOW YOU ALL TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION THERE. SO THIS IS WHAT THIS WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR US. IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE CURRENT. THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE AND WE HAVE PUBLISHED ON OUR WEBSITE RIGHT NOW FOR THE COMMUNITY YOU SEE THERE IN JUNE. [00:30:05] JUNE 4TH OF 2027 IS THE LAST DAY FOR STUDENTS. AND THEN YOU SEE THERE, MONDAY, JUNE 7TH IS THE TEACHER WORK DAY. NOW THIS IS HOW IT'S PUBLISHED. WHAT WOULD TYPICALLY HAVE HAPPENED IS IF WE HAD A SNOW DAY THAT WE NEEDED TO MAKE UP, THEN IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED ON, IT WOULD HAPPEN ON JUNE 7TH, AND THEN JUNE 8TH WOULD HAVE BECOME THE TEACHER WORK DAY. AND SO WHEN WE PUBLISHED THIS PARTICULAR CALENDAR, WHAT WE WOULD HAVE DONE IS WE WOULD HAVE PUT THAT SNOWFLAKE IN THE MONDAY, JUNE 7TH BOX. AND IT ALSO WOULD HAVE SAID TEACHER WORK DAY, RIGHT? AND THEN AFTER THAT, AS YOU SEE WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE PUBLISHED, YOU SEE THAT WE HAVE FIVE SNOW DAYS, JUNE 8TH AND JUNE THROUGH THE 11TH AND THEN JUNE 14TH. SO THE PROPOSED RECOMMENDATION IS THIS TO MAKE TO INDICATE ON THE CALENDAR AND REPUBLISH IT, THAT IT WOULD BE A WEATHER MAKEUP DAY ON JUNE 7TH, AND THEN THAT WOULD BE SEVENTH THROUGH THE 11TH AND THEN THE 14TH, WHICH GIVES US OUR SIX DAYS THAT MSDE THAT THE STATE BOARD RATHER IS REQUIRING THAT WE INDICATE IN THE CALENDAR. THE SAME THING APPLIES FOR JUNE 2028, THE FOLLOWING YEAR. YOU'LL SEE THERE THAT THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL IS ON THE 1ST OF JUNE FOR 2028, AND THEN THE TEACHER WORK DAY IS ON THE ON THE SECOND, WHICH IS THAT FRIDAY. SAME THING WOULD HAVE OCCURRED WHEN WE WHEN WE PUBLISHED THE FINAL EDITION OF THIS CALENDAR, THE SNOWFLAKE WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE SECOND. AND THEN THE NEXT FOUR DAYS AFTER THAT, IT WOULD HAVE ENDED ON THE EIGHTH. BUT IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO INDICATE SIX, WE WOULD. WE WOULD GO THE FRIDAY THE SECOND, AND THEN THE FIFTH THROUGH THE NINTH, AS YOU SEE IN THE PROPOSED. SO THAT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION. THE ACTION HERE WOULD BE. DO YOU ALL RECOMMEND THE ADJUSTED CHANGE FOR JUNE 20TH 8TH JUNE 2020? EXCUSE ME, JUNE 2028 IN JUNE 2027. AND ARE YOU OKAY WITH THE CHANGE IN LANGUAGE TO WEATHER MAKE UP A DAY INSTEAD OF SNOW DAY? ALL RIGHT. SINCE WE'RE REALLY NOT 100% CERTAIN WHAT DIRECTION WE MIGHT GO HERE, WE'LL START WITH QUESTIONS. MISS GALLAGHER, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A QUESTION OR A COMMENT FOR CONSIDERATION, BUT I THINK WHAT WE SAW THIS YEAR WITH THE SNOW DAYS, WEATHER CLOSURE DAYS AND THE THE CALENDAR DESIGNATING LAST DAY OF SCHOOL, I THINK WE ENDED UP WITH A LOT OF JUST COMMUNITY CONFUSION. AND THIS HAPPENS EVERY YEAR AND I KNOW EVERY YEAR WE TALK ABOUT IN THE CALENDAR, HOW DO WE DESIGNATE THOSE MAKEUP DAYS? SO I'M IN FAVOR OF WHETHER MAKEUP DAYS. WHAT I'M WONDERING IS DO WE DESIGNATE, CAN WE REMOVE THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL DESIGNATION ON WHAT SHOULD BE THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL AND FRAME IT SOME OTHER WAY SO THAT IT'S NOT SO CONFUSING TO THE COMMUNITY. BECAUSE I THINK WHAT WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING, AND I SAW SO MANY SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS AND WE GOT A LOT OF PARENT EMAILS. THE CALENDAR SAYS THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL IS JUNE 6TH. WE'RE LEAVING FOR VACATION ON JUNE 7TH. I'M MAKING UP THE DATES, BUT WE SEE THIS EVERY YEAR. AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WAY IN THE LANGUAGE WE USE ON THE CALENDARS TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT, SHOULD WE USE ALL THESE DAYS? THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL IS JUNE 9TH AND 28. I DON'T KNOW, I JUST I THINK WE SHOULD CONSIDER THE LANGUAGE WE'RE USING. I'M FINE TACKING ON THE DAYS AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. I JUST THINK WE NEED TO MAYBE BE MORE SPECIFIC IN THE LANGUAGE WE'RE USING SO THAT THERE'S LESS CONFUSION. I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER TO IT. I JUST WANT TO THROW IT OUT THERE TO THE BOARD FOR DISCUSSION. MISS YOHO. SO FAR, I'M IN TOTAL AGREEMENT. THE WEATHER RELATED. THAT MAKES SENSE, BECAUSE WHILE IT MIGHT BE SNOW A LOT OF THE TIME IN 1993, MY FIRST YEAR IT WAS ICE AND WE HAD AN HOUR EXTRA OF SCHOOL EVERY DAY. AND THEN SOMETIMES IT'S BEEN FLOODS OR WHATEVER, SO WEATHER RELATED. IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. YOU KNOW, WE WE DO, WE GET THIS EVERY YEAR. WE GOT AN EMAIL SPECIFICALLY ON THIS. I, YOU KNOW, SO I THOUGHT ABOUT HOW COULD YOU SCATTER THEM THROUGH THE YEAR? AND I THINK THAT'S KIND OF MESSY. I MEAN, PRESIDENT'S DAY MAY BE I SAW SPRING BREAKS DONE ALL I HAVE GRANDCHILDREN AND THREE COUNTIES. EVERY ONE OF THEM DID SPRING BREAK ANYWAY DIFFERENTLY AND THEN ADD IN SNOW OR WEATHER MAKEUP DAYS. IT JUST GOT TO BE MESSY. SO WHILE TAKING THEM ON TO THE END OF THE YEAR IS NOT MAYBE THE MOST BENEFICIAL ACADEMICALLY, IT'S PROBABLY IN SOME WAYS THE SAFEST, MOST CLEAR CUT, BUT I'M WITH WITH MISS GALLAGHER. IT'S LIKE EVERYBODY. I THINK TEACHERS DO IT AS WELL. [00:35:01] PARENTS CERTAINLY DO IT. YEP. THAT'S THE LAST DAY. HERE WE GO. TEACHERS DON'T HAVE A CHOICE. THEY GOT TO COME BACK. OF COURSE I'M LOOKING AT THIS GOING OH 2028 POOR TEACHERS. THEY GET TO COME BACK ON A MONDAY. AND WE HAVEN'T EVEN ADDED THE REST OF THE DAYS YET. BUT SO YEAH, MAYBE NOT BIG BOLD LAST DAY, TENTATIVE OR YOU KNOW, SOMETHING, BUT AND MAYBE SEND IT BACK TO YOU ALL IN THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT TO DO YOUR MAGIC WITH WORDS, BUT SOMEHOW SENDING A DIFFERENT MESSAGE THAT, HEY, POTENTIALLY IN 27, THE 14TH COULD BE THE LAST DAY, YOU KNOW, SO DON'T COUNT ON THAT FOURTH OR, BUT MAYBE LESS BOLD, A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT MARKING, A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT WORDING. AND I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO THAT EITHER, BUT I WOULD AGREE WITH IT. MISS BRENNAN. NOPE. MISS MONIER, I AGREE. THERE WAS A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER HAD SENT IN SOME. THE IDEA OF SAYING, WHY DON'T WE MAKE. YOU'RE GOING TO ADD FIVE DAYS. SO THAT LAST DAY WOULD BE THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL ON THE CALENDAR. FOR THIS VERY REASON, IT CREATES SO MUCH CONFUSION FOR OUR FAMILIES AND THEY WIND UP HAVING, YOU KNOW, PLANNING THEIR VACATIONS AND SUMMER CAMPS AND EVERYTHING ELSE BASED ON WHATEVER THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL SAYS AND THE BENEFIT OF BEING ABLE TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE DIDN'T HAVE TO USE ALL THOSE SNOW MAKEUP DAYS OR WEATHER MAKEUP DAYS, WHATEVER LANGUAGE WE USE, WE CAN ACTUALLY GIVE YOU A COUPLE DAYS OFF THAT WEEK AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO. THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL CAN ACTUALLY END EARLIER. AND IT JUST SENDS A DIFFERENT MESSAGE. IT'S MORE POSITIVE. AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GREAT IDEA. HOW DO YOU WORD THAT, HOW YOU WOULD MESSAGE THAT IF IT'S A MATTER OF LAST DAY OF SCHOOL WITH THE WEATHER MAKEUP DAYS ADDED IN IS X IF WE DON'T USE ALL OF OUR DAYS, IT COULD END TWO DAYS EARLIER OR THREE DAYS EARLIER, BUT AT LEAST IT GIVES FAMILIES A CHANCE. AND ALSO COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE PLANNING THEIR CAMPS AROUND WHAT OUR END OF SCHOOL YEAR IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. DO YOU SEE DO YOU FORESEE ANY CONCERNS OR ISSUES OR WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE? SO I'M GOING TO BE DIRECT HERE, WHETHER IT IS ON THE THE DAY THAT'S DESIGNATED AS THE LAST DAY, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS YEAR IT IS JUNE 9TH. AND IT SAYS THERE'S THAT IN BOLD LAST DAY FOR STUDENTS TO OUR EARLY DISMISSAL. AND IT'S A HALF SHADED BOX BECAUSE IT'S A HALF DAY WHETHER IT IS THERE OR IT IS ON JUNE 16TH WITH THE SAME INDICATION AND WE USE THE WORD TENTATIVE, WE WILL YOU WILL STILL GET THE SAME EMAILS. THAT'S AND THAT'S AND THAT'S THE REALITY. THE THING IS WITH. AND I DON'T WANT TO SUGARCOAT IT. AND YOU ALL KNOW I'M CALLED THE DIPLOMAT SOMETIMES, BUT THAT'S THE REALITY. WE'RE GOING TO GET THAT AND UNDERSTAND THE FEELINGS THAT THAT CREATES FOR OUR COMMUNITY. PART OF THIS IS THOUGH, FOR AND THE SUGGESTION TO JUST SAY THE LAST DAY IS GOING TO BE ON THE 16TH. AND IF WE DON'T USE THOSE SIX WINTER WEATHER MAKEUP DAYS, THEN FAMILIES ARE HAVING TO ADJUST THE OTHER WAY AROUND. AND THEN YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ANTICIPATING THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF COMPLICATIONS THAT CAN CREATE AS WELL. SO IT'S ONE WITH THE CALENDAR. ONE OF THE THINGS IS, AS I LISTEN TO THE STATE BOARD MEETING, AND I HAD TO PROVIDE THEM WITH SOME FEEDBACK REGARDING A WORKGROUP THAT THEY HAVE WITH THE CALENDAR. THE ONE THING THAT ALWAYS STRIKES ME WITH THIS IS THAT THERE IS NO PERFECT CALENDAR FOR ANYONE. WE'RE DEALING WITH 48,000 STUDENTS TIMES TWO, IF YOU CONSIDER FAMILIES AND EXTENDED FAMILIES. AND SO IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT WHEN YOU HAVE THESE PARAMETERS THAT YOU ALL HAVE TO NAVIGATE FOR THE CALENDAR. SO ONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS WE COULD DO TENTATIVE LAST DAY. AND THEN WHAT WE HAVE ON HERE IS THE SNOWFLAKE TO INDICATE. SO IF I'M PLANNING A VACATION, I HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT IT'S POSSIBLE THAT IT MAY NOT UNTIL THE 16TH. IT'S A POSSIBILITY. SO YOU KNOW, BUT I DON'T WANT TO SAY ANY MORE BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE ARE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS THAT HAVE. AND AS TO YOUR TO YOUR POINT, IT COULD SAY TENTATIVE LAST DAY, JUNE 9TH. AND THEN EVEN IN THAT SAME BOX UP TO JUNE, WHATEVER THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, 15TH. JUST A THOUGHT. BUT I HEAR YOU. THAT'S WHY I WAS CURIOUS FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE AND WHAT YOU HEAR, WE WANT TO MAKE THE COMMUNITY YOUR CANDOR. WE WANT TO MAKE THE COMMUNITY HAPPY AND PUT THEM AT EASE BECAUSE WE KNOW WE UNDERSTAND THE ANXIETY. YOU ALL GET THE EMAILS AND WE GET THE FEEDBACK, AND WE DON'T WANT TO CREATE UNDUE ANXIETY. BUT AS FAR AS A PERFECT SOLUTION, IT'S THE BEST SOLUTION. UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE THAT FEEDBACK THAT WE GET. MISS BRENNAN. WELL, THE POSSIBILITY EXISTS TOO, THAT WE WOULD NOT GET A WAIVER. AND SO OUR LAST DAY THAT WE THINK IS OUR LAST DAY AFTER OUR SIXTH DAY, IT MAY NOT ACTUALLY END UP BEING OUR LAST DAY DEPENDING. I MEAN, THEORETICALLY, THEY WOULD LARGELY PROBABLY WAIVER US. BUT, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE SITUATION WAS, IF IT WAS LIKE LOCALIZED TO US, MAYBE THEY WOULDN'T OR MAYBE THEY WOULD OR, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO BECAUSE WHY ADD A SIXTH DAY? BECAUSE FIVE MAKES SENSE. FIVE IS A WEEK. IF YOU WANTED TO END YOUR DAY ON A FRIDAY, NOW YOU HAVE ONE MORE WEEK. BUT NO, NO NO. SIX. SO OBVIOUSLY WHAT MAKES SENSE? AND BESIDES THAT, IT'S MY OWN PERSONAL GRIPE THAT A DAY IN JUNE IS NOT REMOTELY EQUIVALENT TO LOSING A DAY IN FEBRUARY, [00:40:03] AND WHY WE GO THROUGH ALL THIS ANY YEAR ANYWAY IS MIND BOGGLING TO ME, BECAUSE IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT'S PRODUCTIVE NECESSARILY. ALWAYS PRODUCTIVE TIME. CERTAINLY NOT AFTER OUR SENIORS ARE GETTING DONE AND OUR, YOU KNOW, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. SO BUT IS I DO AGREE, I JUST WANT TO THAT SAYING SOMETHING MAYBE LIKE TENTATIVE OR POSSIBLE OR, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLE, LIKE SAY, I THINK WE KNOW WHAT WEATHER DAY MEANS, BUT MAYBE SOMETHING ABOUT LIKE WEATHER DAY MEANS A POSSIBLE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE DAY, YOU KNOW, LIKE KIND OF SAY IT LIKE THAT, SOMEHOW FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE. YOU KNOW, IT MAKES SENSE. WE ALL KNOW WHAT IT TAKES. BUT OTHER SOME SCHOOLS DON'T BUILD ANY OF THAT INTO THEIR CALENDAR. SO IF PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM OTHER STATES OR WHATEVER, THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND THAT THAT MEANS THAT WE'RE STILL GOING TO KEEP GOING TO SCHOOL UNTIL WE'VE USED UP ALL THOSE DAYS. SO. SO WHAT WE CAN DO IS WE CAN ADD TENTATIVE LAST DAY, AND THEN WE CAN INDICATE THE OFFICIAL LAST DAY WILL BE PROVIDED AFTER WINTER WEATHER, YOU KNOW, IS DONE FOR THE SEASON. TYPICALLY WE SEND OUT THAT MESSAGE THE OFFICIAL LAST DAY. TYPICALLY IT'S IN APRIL. SOMETIMES THERE COULD BE A TORNADO OR THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT ALSO THAT, THAT ENCOMPASSES THAT. AND SO THAT WE CAN ADD THAT AND THAT SPECIFIC LANGUAGE IN THE CALENDAR. MAY I ALSO OFFER, I JUST WANT TO LOOK AT A COUPLE OF OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS CALENDAR. AND ONE STRUCK ME IT'S HOWARD COUNTY. WHAT THEY HAVE IS LAST SCHEDULED DAY. AND SO TO ME, WE COULD PROBABLY SOMEHOW PUT AN ASTERISK THERE THAT WOULD EXPLAIN WHAT THAT MEANS. THE LAST SCHEDULED DAY PENDING NO SNOW DAYS OR NO WEATHER RELATED DAYS, WEATHER RELATED CLOSURES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO I JUST OFFER THAT TO THE BOARD AS WELL. WHAT I LOOKED AT THAT SEEMED LIKE IT GOT AT YOUR INTEREST AROUND TENTATIVE WITHOUT MAKING PEOPLE NERVOUS, LIKE, OH, WHAT? BUT LAST SCHEDULED DAY, SORT OF WITH A NOTE MAKES SENSE. MAYBE I LIKE THAT. YEAH, I MEAN, I WOULD FIRST OFF, I'D JUST LIKE TO PROSPER. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US TRY TO SPLIT SOME OF THESE MAKEUP DAYS UP. WE HAVE IF WE'RE HAVING TO HAVE THEIR SCHEDULE. I'M A MALCONTENT WHEN IT COMES TO THAT. I'D RATHER NOT VOTE FOR THAT. BUT THAT BEING SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US MAYBE LOOK AT BREAKING OUR MAKEUP DAYS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THREE TACKED ONTO THE END OF THE YEAR AND MAYBE THREE THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL CALENDAR JUST FOR THE SIMPLE FACT THAT NOBODY WANTS TO MAKE UP SCHOOL IN JUNE AND THE QUALITY OF LEARNING THAT YOU GET AT THE END OF THE YEAR WHEN YOU, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER BEING IN SCHOOL AND, YOU KNOW, BLIZZARD OF, YOU KNOW, 96 AND SYBIL WAS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. AND WE SIT THERE, YOU KNOW, WE WAS WE WAS GOING AN EXTRA HOUR ONTO SCHOOL AND YOU WOULD LITERALLY SIT THERE MOST OF THE DAY AND WATCH VIDEOS, RIGHT? IT REALLY HAS ABSOLUTELY ZERO ACADEMIC VALUE TO IT. I KNOW THE LAW SAYS 180 DAYS, BUT IF YOU DIDN'T LEARN IT IN 174 DAYS, THE EXTRA SIX DAYS IS NOT GOING TO MAKE ANY BIT OF DIFFERENCE. AND I JUST THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS. SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US TRY TO SLICE THIS UP IF THREE AT THE END OF THE YEAR AND THREE THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE YEAR, BECAUSE I WOULD MUCH RATHER HAVE A SHORTER WINTER BREAK OR SHORTER SPRING BREAK AND HAVE A FULLER SUMMER. AND I, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE GOING OUT OF TOWN FOR SUMMER VACATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I MEAN, IT REALLY, REALLY MAKES IT INCONVENIENT. AND QUITE FRANKLY, PEOPLE'S JUST GOING TO GO AWAY NO MATTER WHETHER THEY HAVE SCHOOL OR NOT. IF THEY'VE PLANNED IT, THEY'VE PLANNED IT AND THEY'RE LEAVING. THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS. AND I'D ALSO JUST LIKE TO SAY I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF CHANGING IT TO THE TERM SNOW DAY TO INCLEMENT WEATHER OR WHATEVER OTHER TERMINOLOGY. I THINK THAT WHEN WE DO THAT, EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTY KNOWS WHAT SNOW DAY MEANS. I THINK JUST CHANGING THE JARGON JUST TO APPEASE THE STATE IS RIDICULOUS. I, I AM NOT IN FAVOR OF THAT WHATSOEVER. WE, WE ALL KNOW WHAT A SNOW DAY IS. LET'S, LET'S NOT MIX, MIX THIS UP INTO SOMETHING. IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE. ANYONE ELSE? I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN 1996. THAT'S ALL. I WON'T, I WON'T, I WON'T SAY WHERE I WAS. SO IT WASN'T IN SCHOOL. I WAS TEACHING, AS I ALREADY SAID. SO A THOUGHT OCCURS TO ME, AS I SAID, IT'S MESSY TO DO IT, AND YOU REALLY CAN'T START LIKE THE FIRST SEMESTER. HARDLY, BECAUSE YOU REALLY DON'T TEND TO HAVE TOO MANY DAYS THAN OFF. SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT THEN CONDENSING THEM INTO A FEW MONTHS TIME. BUT A THOUGHT DID OCCUR TO ME. I KNOW GOOD FRIDAY AND EASTER MONDAY ARE STATE MANDATED HOLIDAYS, BUT SO ARE SOME OF THE OTHERS. AND THEY WERE GIVING WAIVERS FOR THOSE. [00:45:02] IF THAT HAPPENS, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IF IT'S GOOD FRIDAY AND THEN WE GET THE WEEK AFTER EASTER OFF, OR SOMETIMES WE GET THE WEEK BEFORE AND THEN EASTER MONDAY, I'M THINKING THAT DAY HANGING OUT THERE. SO IT COULD BE EITHER ONE OF THOSE. WOULD THAT BE A POSSIBILITY TO ASK FOR A MAKE AS TO MAKE THAT A MAKE UP DAY? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. WHAT THE STATE HAS SAID IS THAT THEY WANT US TO IDENTIFY THOSE SIX DAYS IN THE CALENDAR. AND YOU CAN DO THOSE AT THE END OR THROUGHOUT. SO FOR EXAMPLE, I WOULD HAVE TO ASK THE STATE IF WE HAVE INDICATED THAT OUR SIX WEATHER MAKE UP DAYS. OUR BOARD HAS INDICATED THAT'S AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, AND THEN THEY DECIDE IN A GIVEN YEAR THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO USE ONE OF THOSE DAYS DURING SPRING BREAK OR ONE OF THE HOLIDAYS THAT THE STATE HAS INDICATED, SUCH AS GOOD FRIDAY, EASTER MONDAY, OR PRESIDENT'S DAY. CAN THEY THEN GO BACK AND TAKE IT AWAY FROM THAT END OF YEAR DAY AND PLACE IT THERE? I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO THAT. IT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD HAVE TO ASK, BUT FROM WHAT I'M HEARING, THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING. OKAY. WHAT? WELL, ONE, I AGREE WITH DOCTOR DYSON'S POINT ABOUT THE TENTATIVE LAST SCHOOL DAY. AND I THINK YOU'VE KIND OF ALREADY GOT IT DOWN HERE IS I APPRECIATE YOU'RE GOING TO ASTERISK IT. AND THEN THE ASTERISK IS EXPLAINED ON THE PAGE OF THE MONTH RIGHT THERE. SO THEY'RE NOT GOING AND HUNTING FOR WHAT DOES THAT ASTERISK MEAN. IT'S RIGHT THERE ON THE MONTH OF JUNE. IT EXPLAINS TO THEM THIS IS A TENTATIVE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL WITH THE ASTERISK. IT'S ON THAT PAGE. WE'LL STILL GET PLENTY OF EMAILS. NO WORRY ABOUT THAT. WHAT I WOULD ONE THING I WOULD PROPOSE IS SINCE REALLY WE'RE JUST AMENDING TWO CALENDARS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN VOTED ON AND SET, I WOULD PROPOSE THAT ON OUR NEXT CALENDAR COMMITTEE FOR 2829. THAT'S WHEN WE PRESENT GUIDELINES TO THEM THAT THEY PRESENT TO US AT LEAST ONE OPTION, WHERE THE WEATHER RELATED DAYS ARE SPREAD EARLIER IN THE YEAR. AND THAT WAY, THAT GIVES US A CHOICE OF BECAUSE I THINK FOR HOW MANY CALENDARS IN A ROW NOW, WE'VE ALWAYS PUT THE SNOW DAYS AT THE END, AS MANY AS I CAN REMEMBER. YEAH. SO, SO I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA. NOW THEY'VE MANDATED THIS SIXTH DAY AND I WILL SHARE THAT THE MESSAGING THEY SENT BY ADDING THIS SIXTH DAY IS WAIVERS. DON'T BOTHER. THERE AREN'T GOING TO BE ANY. SO THAT'S REALLY THE MESSAGE THAT THEY SENT. SO I WOULD SUPPORT. LET'S GO WITH WHAT WE HAVE PRESENTED HERE WITH THE LANGUAGE CHANGE TO THE TENTATIVE LAST SCHOOL OF DAY. BUT LET'S REMEMBER NEXT TIME WE'RE SETTING THE GUIDELINES FOR OUR CALENDAR COMMITTEE, THAT WE HAVE THEM PRESENT TO US AT LEAST ONE OPTION WHERE IT SHOWS THOSE WEATHER DAYS SPREAD SOMEWHERE OUT IN THE CALENDAR ELSEWHERE. OKAY. AND JUST TO MAKE SURE I'M BEING CLEAR HERE, THE FOOTNOTE THAT YOU SEE ON THIS PROPOSED ONE IS REALLY SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT THE TEACHER WORK DAY. AND SO WHAT WE'LL DO IS BASED OFF OF THE INFORMATION THAT MRS. BRENNAN HAS PROVIDED, THAT YOU PROVIDE IT. WE'LL PUT ANOTHER FOOTNOTE DOWN THERE, REALLY SPEAKING ABOUT THE LAST DAY AS FAR AS THE LAST SCHEDULED DAY, AND GIVE SOME DEFINITIONS SURROUNDING THAT THE NEXT TIME I'LL COME BEFORE YOU, UNLESS THE STATE THROWS SOMETHING ELSE AT US RELATED TO THE ACADEMIC CALENDAR WILL BE IN AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER. AND AT THAT, WE WILL DISCUSS THOSE PARAMETERS AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE INCLUDED FOR THE BOARD. PERFECT. THANK YOU. ONE OTHER QUESTION. WE HAVEN'T PRINTED, HAVE WE? NO. WE'RE STILL WE'RE STILL PROCESSING. SO THESE UPDATES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR THE 2020 627, YOU'LL SEE THAT IN THE THE EDITION THAT COMES OUT THIS SUMMER. GREAT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OH, MR. BLACK. MORE JUST A COMMENT IN REGARDS TO THE THOUGHT PROCESS OF MAKING SOME OF OUR OUR WEATHER, INCLEMENT WEATHER DAYS, SNOW DAYS, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL THEM. THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE YEAR, WE WAS TALKING ABOUT LIKE GOOD FRIDAY AND SOME OF THESE HOLIDAYS. POSSIBLY USING THOSE DAYS. I JUST WANTED TO MENTION FOR THE PUBLIC AT HOME THAT IF FOR SOME REASON YOU HAVE RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES THAT FALLS ON THOSE DAYS YOU WOULD STILL BE EXCUSED FROM SCHOOL FOR RELIGIOUS REASONS. SO I DON'T WANT ANYBODY IN THE PUBLIC TO MISCONSTRUE WHAT'S BEING SAID UP HERE TO ATTACK ANYONE'S RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. BUT AND THERE WILL STILL BE THAT EXCUSED ABSENCE IF SHOULD SOMEONE CHOOSE TO EXERCISE THAT. RIGHT. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SO SINCE I'LL JUST MAKE IT I'M GOING TO MAKE I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE CALENDAR REVISIONS AS PRESENTED WITH THE CHANGE IN THE ARTICULATION OF THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL. DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND THAT. ALL RIGHT. SO I MADE THE MOTION. MISS BRENNAN. SECONDED. ANY COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE? [00:50:02] I DON'T SEE ANYONE OUT THERE. SO. ALL RIGHT. SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL RIGHT. THOSE AGAINST. ALL RIGHT. ABSTAINING. DID YOU RAISE. OKAY. GOOD. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I KNOW I'M TRYING TO. YOU KNOW, I'M TRYING TO SCAN THE ROOM FOR ALL THE COMMENTERS THAT MIGHT WANT TO COME UP, SO. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE THAT. ALL RIGHT. NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO 1.09 SPECIAL EDUCATION UPDATE. [1.09 Special Education Update] GOOD AFTERNOON AGAIN. PRESIDENT ROSE, VICE PRESIDENT GALLAGHER, DOCTOR DYSON AND BOARD MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US AGAIN. THIS MONTH WE'RE EXCITED TO BE SHARING AND HAVE SOME SPECIAL GUESTS. SO I'M KATIE BUCKLEY, DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EDUCATION. AND I HAVE WITH ME TODAY CHRISTINA MCKEEVER, THE PRINCIPAL OF WALKERSVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. AND THEN ALSO DOCTOR DR. KAITLIN MOORE, WHO IS OUR SUPERVISOR FOR MULTILINGUAL EDUCATION. YOU WOULD THINK I WOULD KNOW HOW TO GET THIS MOVING. ALL RIGHT. SO TODAY'S PRESENTATION IS GOING TO PROVIDE US WITH AN UPDATE OF OUR CURRENT ONGOING EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN OUR CO TEACHING PRACTICES ACROSS THE DISTRICT. AND TO START US OFF, WE WANTED TO DO SOME LEVEL SETTING AND ESTABLISH A SHARED UNDERSTANDING. IS IT ON. AND IF IT IS LEAN IN SOME OR SCOOT IT CLOSER TO YOU AND YOU CAN MOVE IT. THERE YOU GO. THANK YOU. PERFECT. OKAY. SO TO ESTABLISH FIRST A SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF THE TERM ITSELF, HERE'S OUR DEFINITION OF CO-TEACHING THAT WE'LL BE REFERRING TO THROUGHOUT THE DAY. CO-TEACHING IS DEFINED AS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN TWO TEACHERS THAT INCLUDE SHARED PLANNING, INSTRUCTION, AND ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS WITH OR WITHOUT DISABILITIES AND THAT WITH OR WITHOUT DISABILITIES. PIECE IS IMPORTANT HERE FOR TODAY'S CONVERSATION. CO-TEACHING IS NOT SPECIFIC TO THE SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM, BUT IT'S AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF IT. A MAJOR PART OF THE WORK WE'RE SHARING TODAY IS RELATED TO HOW WE'RE COMING TOGETHER ACROSS TEAMS TO ESTABLISH A SHARED VISION FOR CO-TEACHING IN FCPS. SO THROUGH THIS WORK, WE'VE CREATED A DISTRICT WIDE CO-TEACHING WORKGROUP AND PARTNERED ACROSS THE ACS DIVISION TO ALIGN THOSE PRACTICES. WE'VE BEEN PROVIDING ONGOING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND COACHING TO SCHOOL TEAMS AND OFFERED SCHEDULING GUIDANCE AND CO-TEACHING BEST PRACTICES FOR BUILDING LEADERS AND ALSO THE TEACHERS WHO ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITHIN THESE MODELS. OUR ME PROGRAMS ARE. THE MULTI-LINGUAL EDUCATION PROGRAM HAS BEEN DOING THIS WORK FOR YEARS, AND AS A DISTRICT NOW, WE'RE KIND OF COMMITTED TO SETTING CLEAR EXPECTATIONS FOR WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE ACROSS THE DIFFERENT INSTRUCTIONAL MODELS, REGARDLESS OF PROGRAM AREA. THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, WHICH WILL BE OFFERED THIS SUMMER FOR THE THIRD TIME, IS A WAY THAT WE CAN HELP SUSTAIN THAT WORK AND BRING TOGETHER CO-TEACHING PAIRS FROM ACROSS OUR PROGRAM AREAS AS WE DO THIS KIND OF LEVEL SETTING WORK. SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR CO-TEACHING AND LEADERS WITHIN OUR CO-TEACHING MODELS WITH SETTING EXPECTATIONS ACROSS THE DISTRICT FOR CO-PLANNING, CO-TEACHING, CO ASSESSING AND CO REFLECTING SO THAT PARTNERSHIP ACROSS ALL PARTS OF THE TEACHING AND LEARNING CYCLE. ALSO SETTING EXPECTATIONS ACROSS THE DISTRICT FOR STRATEGIC SCHEDULING, CLUSTER GROUPING, CONTENT MASTERY AND SUPPORT LAYERS WITHIN THAT MODEL AND PROVIDING RESOURCES TO ASSESS ASSIST WITH IMPLEMENTATION AND TRAINING. SO OUR GOAL IS REALLY TO EMPOWER TEACHERS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS TO EFFECTIVELY CO-PLAN, CO-TEACH CO ASSESS, CO REFLECT, AND THEN ALSO TO HELP OUR SCHOOL LEADERS ESTABLISH AN ENVIRONMENT WHEREIN TEACHERS ARE EMPOWERED TO DO SO. PRINCIPALS ARE EMPOWERED TO RESPOND TO THE NEEDS REAL TIME IN THEIR SCHOOLS AND ALSO MAXIMIZE THEIR RESOURCES. AND SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO ONE OF OUR AMAZING PRINCIPALS TO SHARE HOW SHE'S DOING JUST THAT. THANK YOU. AND SITTING BETWEEN SPECIAL EDUCATION AND MULTILINGUAL IS ACTUALLY THE PERFECT PLACE TO BE BECAUSE IT'S A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN ALL OF US AND OUR BUILDING. WALKERSVILLE IS IN OUR THIRD YEAR OF CO-TEACHING AND REALLY HAVE A ROBUST MODEL CENTERED AROUND A COMMITMENT TO CO-PLANNING. WE FOUND THAT THAT IS KEY TO THE SUCCESS FOR OUR TEACHERS TO BE ABLE TO CO-TEACH IN OUR BUILDING. WE ALSO PRIORITIZE OUR CLASSROOMS USING STUDENT DATA. WE LOOK AT HOW DO WE MEET STUDENT NEEDS IN DIFFERENT WAYS? DOES THAT MEAN WE PLUG AN INTERVENTION TEACHER IN DURING A WRITING CLASS? DOES THAT MEAN THAT IN A MATH CLASS, WE USE OUR MULTILINGUAL TEACHER ALONG WITH ONE OF OUR MATH INTERVENTIONISTS, TO MAKE THAT GROUP SMALLER AND TO MEET STUDENT NEEDS IN A DIFFERENT WAY. SO IT'S A FLEXIBLE MODEL, BUT IT'S WELL GROUNDED IN THE COLLABORATION PIECE THAT CO-PLANNING IS CRITICAL BASED. THROUGH THAT PROCESS OF CO-PLANNING, THEY COME UP WITH THEIR TEACHING AND THEIR ASSESSMENT MODEL. [00:55:05] BUT THEN OUR CO-TEACHERS ALSO ATTEND THE ACCELERATED LEARNING PROCESS, THE COLLABORATIVE PLANNING EACH WEEK, WHICH IS ALSO ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO THEN REFLECT BRINGING DATA TOGETHER THAT THEY'VE CREATED, DESIGNING INSTRUCTION TOGETHER, REFLECTING ON THOSE PRACTICES AND THEN REFINING THAT AS THEY GO FORWARD. THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY FROM ALL THIS IS THE SHARED OWNERSHIP OF OUR STUDENTS THROUGHOUT OUR BUILDING. THEY'RE NOT YOUR STUDENTS OR MY STUDENTS. THEY'RE OUR STUDENTS. WE TALK ABOUT ONE TEAM AT WALKERSVILLE ALL THE TIME. AND WE'RE TRULY TRYING TO LIVE THAT VISION WITHIN OUR BUILDING. AND THEN IT'S SO ROBUST THAT WE HAVE TEACHERS THAT ASK EVERY YEAR, CAN WE BE PART OF THAT CO-TEACHING PROCESS? THEY'VE ATTENDED THE PLS OFFERED OVER THE SUMMER. THEY MEET SOMETIMES THEMSELVES AND GO INTO, THEY HAVE A BOOK STUDY GOING RIGHT NOW THAT THEY'VE CREATED OUT OF IT. SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT OUR TEACHERS VALUE BECAUSE THEY SHARE THAT OWNERSHIP OF OUR STUDENTS. AND WHAT MISS MCKEEVER JUST SHARED IS WHAT WE HOPE TO CAPITALIZE ON AND BRING ACROSS THE DISTRICT. NO MATTER IF YOU ATTEND WALKERSVILLE OR PARKWAY OR FREDERICK HIGH SCHOOL, THAT IS OUR ULTIMATE GOAL, IS TO GIVE EVERY STUDENT A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE, NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE AND WHERE THEY'RE GETTING THEIR EDUCATION. AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE ARE COMMITTED TO CONTINUING OUR TEACHER COACHING, WHICH, AS DOCTOR MOORE SHARED EARLIER, WE HAVE A PLAN FOR THIS SUMMER TO ELEVATE THAT TO ANOTHER GROUP OF STAFF MEMBERS AND THEN ALSO PROVIDE A RESOURCE THROUGH A BOOK THAT CAN BE USED THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR AND TO CONTINUE THAT INITIATIVE. WE WANTED TO, WITHIN OUR CO-TEACHING WORKGROUP, REALLY LOOK TO CONSOLIDATE OUR CO-TEACHING RESOURCES. WHAT WE HAVE FOUND BY WORKING TOGETHER IS THAT WE ARE CREATING MANY WONDERFUL THINGS, BUT WE NEED TO CREATE A FEW GREAT THINGS AND BE ABLE TO SHARE THOSE ACROSS OUR DEPARTMENTS, ACROSS OUR STAFF, WITH OUR ADMINISTRATORS, SO THAT WE'RE HOLDING PEOPLE TO THE SAME EXPECTATIONS NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE A CURRENT TEACHER. IN ADDITION, OUR GOAL IS TO STRENGTHEN OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS KNOWLEDGE ON HOW DO YOU LEVERAGE SPECIALLY DESIGNED INSTRUCTION DURING THAT CO-TEACHING BLOCK? CO-TEACHING ITSELF DOES NOT CHANGE THE INSTRUCTION FOR THE STUDENT. IT'S WHAT THE TEACHERS WITHIN THAT ROOM BRING TO THE TABLE AND THE EXPERTISE THAT THEY BRING TO PLAN THAT SDI, THAT CHANGES THE OUTCOME FOR STUDENTS. SO IT CAN BE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES OR WITHOUT. AGAIN, WE ARE A SYSTEM OF ALL STUDENTS, BUT THAT KNOWLEDGE ON DESIGNING INSTRUCTION IS REALLY CRITICAL TO THAT SUCCESS. SO PROVIDING SOME FRAMEWORK AND SUPPORT AROUND THAT. AGAIN, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR ADMINISTRATORS, OUR CENTRAL OFFICE LEADERS ALL HAVE THE SAME EXPECTATIONS. AND WHEN WE ARE DOING BUILDING WALKTHROUGHS, WE'RE COMMUNICATING THE SAME INFORMATION ABOUT CO-PLANNING CO, ASSESSING CO REFLECTING AND CO-TEACHING. THAT WILL REQUIRE THAT WE CREATE SOME STRUCTURES FOR MONITORING AND EVALUATING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CO-TEACHING. AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT MISS MCKEEVER DOES. SHE LOOKS AT THE DATA. SHE SHARES THAT WITH HER STAFF, AND THEY CELEBRATE THE WINS OF THE STUDENTS WITHIN THAT BUILDING. WHEN IT'S SUCCESSFUL. WE ALWAYS ARE LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK. SO JUST A REMINDER TO ANYBODY WHO'S WATCHING OR THE BOARD THAT WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU. WE WANT TO BE BETTER AND DO BETTER AND MAKE ENHANCEMENTS AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW. SO THAT IS OUR CONTACT INFORMATION. SHOULD THERE BE OR CONCERNS, WE ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER THOSE. AND AT THIS TIME WE ARE OPEN TO QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSIONS FROM THE BOARD. ALL RIGHT, MISS GALLAGHER, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. DOCTOR MOORE, I THINK, HAS BEEN HERE ALL DAY PRESENTING ON DIFFERENT TOPICS TO TO THE BOARD. SO MY QUESTION IS REALLY BASED ON SOME OF THE DISCUSSION AT CNI THIS MORNING AROUND THE MULTI-TIERED SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT AND THE WAYS IN WHICH OUR INTERVENTION, OUR TIER TWO AND TIER THREE INTERVENTIONS ARE GOING TO BECOME MORE EMBEDDED IN THE CLASSROOM THEMSELVES. SO CAN YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT HOW THAT, HOW MTS AND CO-TEACHING SORT OF WORK HAND IN HAND FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR STUDENTS? I'M HAPPY TO SPEAK TO KIND OF WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT THIS MORNING, WHICH IS THAT ESPECIALLY IN THE ME MODEL. AND AS YOU SAW THIS MORNING WITH THE INTERVENTION SYSTEMS, WE ARE REALLY MOVING AWAY FROM SOME OF THE OLDER MODELS WHERE IT WAS KIND OF TAKE THESE SPECIALIZED OR SPECIAL STUDENT GROUPS, REMOVE THEM FROM THE GRADE LEVEL CLASSROOM, DO YOUR SERVICE, POP THEM BACK IN HOPE THAT THERE'S A COHESIVE RESPONSE. SO WITH A CO-TEACHING MODEL, WE ARE MUCH BETTER ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT SOLID TIER ONE, THAT FIRST TIER OF MTSS TO ALL STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM, REGARDLESS OF ML STATUS, DISABILITY WITH TWO EXPERTS IN THE ROOM WHO THEN ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE APPROPRIATE SCAFFOLDING AND SUPPORT FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS NEED IN THE GRADE LEVEL CLASSROOM WITH ACCESS TO GRADE LEVEL PEERS. AND THEN WITHIN THAT, OF COURSE, NEITHER OF THOSE LABELS SHOULD PRECLUDE A STUDENT FROM ACCESSING ADDITIONAL TIERS, NOR DOES IT RELEGATE THEM TO THOSE ADDITIONAL TIERS. SO IT'S REALLY THAT PARTNERSHIP THAT MISS MCKEEVER WAS TALKING ABOUT. [01:00:02] AND THAT'S WHY WE FOCUS IN SO MUCH ON THIS CO-PLANNING ASPECT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THOSE GOOD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RESPONDING REAL TIME THROUGH THOSE TIERS OF MTSS TO THE STUDENTS IN THE ROOM COMES INTO PLAY. SO YOU'VE GOT YOUR EXPERTS TOGETHER IN THE CLASSROOM RESPONDING REAL TIME TO STUDENT NEEDS. AND THEN THAT PLANNING OPPORTUNITY IS WHEN WE CAN SIT DOWN AND SAY, OKAY, IS THERE AN ADDITIONAL LAYER OF SUPPORT NEEDED? WHERE DO WE TAP INTO THOSE MAYBE INTERVENTION OPTIONS OR PULL IN SOME EXPERTISE FROM EITHER THE ME PROGRAM TEACHER OR THE SPECIAL EDUCATOR WHO CAN WORK ON THAT SDI COMPONENT TO CONTINUE TO HONE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN TIER ONE, AND THEN ADD ON LAYERS OF SUPPORT AS NEEDED AND NECESSARY. AND I'LL ADD ON TO THAT. THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF WHY WE GOT INTO CO-TEACHING FOR THAT EXACT REASON, SO THAT OUR STUDENTS HAD THAT ACCESS TO CORE CONTENT, AND THEY WEREN'T TAKEN OUT OF THE ROOM. SO THEY CAN GET THAT. LIKE DOCTOR MORRIS SAID, YOU CAN GET THAT WITH YOUR TYPICAL PEERS IN YOUR CLASSROOM AT THE SAME TIME. AND SO I THINK THAT THAT HAS BEEN THEY CAN HAVE AN INTERVENTION AT ONE STATION. THEN THEY'RE GOING TO THE SECOND TEACHER AND GETTING THE CORE CONTENT, THEN MAYBE THEY'RE DOING THEIR INTERVENTION WORK. AND SO IT CREATES THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO STAY WITH THEIR CLASSROOM ALL DAY. MAY I ASK ONE FOLLOW UP QUESTION? SURE. WHAT DO WE NEED AS A SYSTEM TO IMPLEMENT SYSTEM WIDE IN TERMS OF THE CO-TEACHING MODEL, IN TERMS OF RESOURCES? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN AT TIME AND MONEY? BUT THAT WAS A BIG FOLLOW UP QUESTION. ALL I GOT TO SAY. I KNOW. SO WE ARE WORKING STRATEGICALLY THROUGH EACH OF THOSE STEPS AND IT IS BEING STRATEGIC. SO WE CONTINUE TO ENHANCE WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO OFFER. AND MISS MCKEEVER HAS BEEN PART OF OUR CO-TEACHING JOURNEY FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW SINCE WE STARTED REALLY ENHANCING IT FOR OUR FIRST SUMMER TWO YEARS AGO. SO IT'S BUILDING UPON WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN PLACE, CAPITALIZING ON THOSE AS MENTORS OR COACHES FOR OTHER BUILDINGS. CHRISTINA CAN GO TO HER COLLEAGUES AND SAY, THIS IS HOW I MAKE CO-PLANNING HAPPEN IN MY BUILDING. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE DESIGNED IN THE STRUCTURE OF MY SCHEDULE, AND THIS IS HOW IT WORKS HERE. NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW IT'S GOING TO WORK WITHIN YOUR BUILDING. SO BY BUILDING CAPACITY IN A STRATEGIC WAY BETWEEN ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, WE JUST WANT TO KEEP SPREADING THAT. AND IT'S KIND OF LIKE IT CATCHES. AND ONCE SOMEBODY KNOWS THAT IT'S GOING REALLY WELL, THEY'RE LIKE, HEY CHRISTINA, CAN I COME SEE YOUR BUILDING? AND THAT'S OUR ULTIMATE GOAL. SO JUST LIKE ELP REINFORCES THE CONCEPT OF BUILDING TEACHER CAPACITY, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO JUST AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL IN A STRATEGIC MANNER. OKAY. MISS MONIER THANK YOU FOR THIS. I KNOW I'VE TOURED IN OTHER SCHOOLS THAT HAVE HAD A CO-TEACHING MODEL AND HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THAT IN ACTION AND, AND IN DIFFERENT WAYS. SO YOU GET TO SEE HOW THEY ARE RESPONDING TO THE NEEDS OF THEIR STUDENTS AND REALLY HAVING TO BE A STUDENT CENTERED PRACTICE AS WELL. AND IN THAT COURSE, I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO TWO TEACHERS WHO WERE A PART OF THAT MODEL, AND OCCASIONALLY THERE WILL BE THE BIGGEST CONCERN I WOULD COME WOULD JUST BE ABOUT CAPACITY. AND I THINK YOU STARTED TO ANSWER IT A LITTLE BIT. SO PERHAPS TO EXPAND ON THAT. BUT WE DO YOU KNOW, THERE'S CAPACITY IN TERMS OF THE CO-TEACHING MODEL, THE SCHEDULING, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALSO SCHEDULING. I DON'T ENVY YOU THAT. BUT SO I MY QUESTION IS REALLY, HOW ARE WE MONITORING AND GUIDING ONE ANOTHER THROUGH THE CAPACITY OF OUR TEACHERS? SO IF YOU HAVE A CASE, YOU KNOW, A TEACHER, SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER WHO'S A CASE MANAGER, SO THEY ALSO HAVE OTHER OBLIGATIONS AND DUTIES OUTSIDE OF BEING THE CO-TEACHER, JUST MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, YOU THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO BE GREAT. NOW WE'RE GETTING INTO DECEMBER. HOW IS IT GOING, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE MONITORING THAT. AND WHEN WE'RE STARTING TO SEE SOMEONE STRUGGLE, HOW ARE WE HELPING THEM THROUGH THAT? THE GUIDANCE ADMINISTRATORS GET TO HELP, YOU KNOW, LOOK, LOOK AT THEIR STAFFING AND SEEING WHAT'S HAPPENING AND ASK THOSE QUESTIONS. SO LIKE KATIE SAID, WE'VE BEEN REALLY STRATEGIC WITH SOME OF OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OFFERINGS AND IT'S BEEN VERY HELPFUL OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AS WE STARTED THIS PARTNERSHIP TO COLLABORATE ACROSS THE DIVISION. SO WHAT THAT'S LOOKED LIKE IS ON THINGS LIKE OUR CURRICULUM DAYS OR SPECIALIZED TRAINING DAYS. LIKE WE, WE CAN USE OUR HQ, I AM AS AN EXAMPLE, OUR HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN THE ELA SPACE. ON THOSE DAYS WHEN WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING TEACHERS TOGETHER FOR TARGETED PROFESSIONAL LEARNING. IN THE PAST, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DIVVY UP OUR TEACHERS AND SAY, ALL RIGHT, HALF OF YOUR DAY, YOU'RE COMING TO ME FOR TARGETED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON YOUR [INAUDIBLE] OR YOUR CONTENT SPECIFIC PEDAGOGY. AND THE SECOND HALF OF YOUR DAY, YOU ARE EMBEDDED WITH THE ELA TEAM. YOU'RE GOING TO GET TRAINING ON THE HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS. AND THIS YEAR, WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH THAT OUR ELA PARTNERS PROVIDED TEACHERS GUIDES TO ALL OF OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION AND ME PROGRAM CO-TEACHERS THAT ARE IN THAT SPACE. SO IT'S OFTEN THROUGH THOSE REALLY STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS TO SAY, HOW CAN WE BUILD THEIR CAPACITY IN THE CONTENT AREA AND CO-TAUGHT MODEL, WHILE ALSO REINFORCING THOSE KEY COMPONENTS OF THE SPECIALIZED PART OF THEIR ROLE, WHICH IS THE ME PROGRAM ROLE OR THE SPECIAL EDUCATOR? [01:05:07] BUT I'M SURE, KATIE, YOU MIGHT HAVE MORE TO ADD. EXACTLY WHAT DOCTOR MOORE SAID. AND THEN ALSO WE'RE REBUILDING OUR CO-TEACHING WEBSITE, AND THAT INCLUDES A VARIETY OF RESOURCES. WHETHER YOU'RE A CO TEACHER OR AN ADMINISTRATOR, YOU CAN GO THERE TO ACCESS INFORMATION AND OUR CONSISTENT MESSAGE ACROSS THE DISTRICT. SO THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO GET THOSE RESOURCES AND KNOW WHAT'S THE EXPECTATION OR IF YOU NEED A PLANNING TOOL, HERE'S A SAMPLE OF ONE THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO USE. SO THAT'S REALLY OUR PLATFORM FOR ESTABLISHING CONSISTENCY OF MATERIALS AND THEN TRAINING BEYOND THAT. AND I WILL SAY IT'S BEEN OUR, OUR SPECIAL EDUCATORS THEIR CAPACITY HAS GROWN IN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE CURRICULUM AND THE STANDARDS. AND SO WHEN YOU HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM OR YOU'RE IN AN IEP MEETING AND THEY'RE DEVELOPING THE IEPS, THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT LENS ON WHAT INSTRUCTION ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT STUDENTS NEED IN TERMS OF THAT SPECIALLY DESIGNED INSTRUCTION BECAUSE OF THE CAPACITY THAT'S BEEN BUILT THROUGH THE CO-PLANNING AND ALSO THROUGH ATTENDING THE ALP SESSIONS AS WELL. AND THAT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT BECAUSE SOME OF IT IS THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING PIECE THAT HELPS WITH THE TIME MANAGEMENT PIECE THAT ALSO BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH ONE ANOTHER. SO WHEN SOMEONE IS STRUGGLING, WHO DO I GO TO? WHERE DO I FIND THAT INFORMATION? AND, AND HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BECAUSE WE ALSO WANT TO RETAIN ALL OF OUR AMAZING EDUCATORS AND TEACHERS, AND OUR STUDENTS NEED EVERYBODY. OUR STUDENTS NEED THESE DUAL ROLES OF CO-TEACHING AND THE SPECIAL EDUCATION ML. SO THANK YOU AND CONTINUE EXCELLENT WORK. JUST CONTINUE DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING. I REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT. HOW MANY CO-TEACHERS DO WE HAVE SO FAR ACROSS THE SYSTEM? DO YOU KNOW ROUGHLY? I MEAN, MY EYES ARE STILL HEALING. SO YOU MAY HAVE HAD THAT IN HERE AND I JUST DIDN'T QUITE READ IT. I CAN'T PROVIDE YOU WITH A NUMBER RIGHT NOW. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR WORKGROUP IS ACTUALLY LOOKING AT IS OUR TAGGING SYSTEM, SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO A BETTER JOB OF TRACKING OUTSIDE OF INDIVIDUALLY SAYING, MISS MCKEEVER. HOW MANY HOW MANY TEACHERS DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE? SO WE'RE WORKING RIGHT NOW TO IDENTIFY SOME SOLUTIONS TO OUR TAGGING SYSTEM TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, AND ALSO HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR ADMINISTRATORS ABOUT WHAT IS WHAT IS TRUE, CO-TEACHING WITH TWO TEACHERS AND TWO EXPERTS VERSUS WHAT IS A SUPPORTED CLASSROOM MODEL. AND THAT IS A REALLY BIG CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HAD IN MANY OF OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS, BECAUSE JUST BECAUSE THERE'S TWO ADULTS IN THAT ROOM DOES NOT DEFINE IT AS CO-TEACHING. THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT. AND THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT. MR. WILSON, HEY, HOW ARE YOU DOING? SO I ACTUALLY WAS A CO-TEACHER FOR 13 YEARS, AND I WAS LOOKING FOR MR. MURPHY BECAUSE HE ACTUALLY OBSERVED ONE OF MY CLASSROOMS I WAS CO-TEACHING IN. AND SO, LIKE, ACTUALLY LED A TRAINING ON CO-TEACHING. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT CO-TEACHING IS BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND UNDERSTANDING THE PERSONALITIES ABOUT THE ADULTS YOU PUT IN THE ROOM. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES EDUCATORS ARE VERY TERRITORIAL ABOUT THEIR CLASSROOMS. YOU KNOW, THEY LIKE TO SET UP A CERTAIN WAY. AND SO HOW DO YOU FOSTER THAT RELATIONSHIP AND HAVE AND I'LL START WITH THAT. HOW DO YOU FOSTER THAT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CO-TEACHERS? SOME OF THAT HAPPENS THROUGH THAT CO-PLANNING PROCESS, ALSO BEING STRATEGIC ABOUT THE PAIRS THAT WE PUT TOGETHER. I THINK KNOWING I MEAN, I'VE BEEN AT WALKERSVILLE, THIS IS YOUR NUMBER EIGHT. SO AND OUR STAFF HAS NOT HAD A LOT OF TURNOVER IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. AND SO KNOWING THE STAFF AS WELL AS I DO KNOWING STRENGTHS, KNOWING NEEDS, AND THEN KNOWING THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS, ABLE TO PUT THOSE MODELS TOGETHER. AND THEN DURING OUR ALP PROCESS, WE DO DO SOME RELATIONSHIP BUILDINGS AS WELL AS THOSE GRADE LEVEL TEAMS. SO THAT THAT CO-TEACHER ALSO FEELS PART OF THE GRADE LEVEL TEAM, NOT JUST A PART OF THAT CO-TEACHING CLASSROOM. YEAH. THERE'S STILL SOME OF MY CLOSEST FRIENDS THAT BECAUSE YOU REALLY. IT'S LIKE A FAMILY. AND SO I WAS GOING TO ASK THE SECOND PART IS HOW DO YOU UTILIZE A CLASSROOMS AND SPACES SPACES, ESPECIALLY FOR THE CO-TEACHERS THAT A LOT OF TIMES ARE FLOATING AROUND. AND THAT ALSO MEANS LIKE ACCESS TO GRADE BOOK ACCESS TO SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS THAT TWO PEOPLE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DO TO BE ABLE TO CO-PLAN. SO WALKERSVILLE IS A UNIQUE BUILDING. IT'S AN OPEN BUILDING ON THE INSIDE, AND THEN IT'S A CLOSED BUILDING ON THE OUTSIDE. SO WE ARE INCREDIBLY CREATIVE WITH THE USE OF SPACE. WE HAVE ONE OF OUR CO-TEACHERS, ONE OF OUR SPECIAL EDUCATORS ACTUALLY TEACHES IN THE HALLWAY AND HAS WHAT SHE CALLS PLATFORM. SO SHE, IT'S A CONSTANT FLOW OF STUDENTS IN AND OUT OF THAT THIRD GRADE CLASSROOM TO THAT SPACE. WE'RE FORTUNATE THAT OUR CLASSROOMS ARE BIG ENOUGH AND OUR TEACHERS EKE OUT THAT SPACE. WE HAD AN EMPTY CLASSROOM THIS YEAR THAT WE WERE ABLE TO CREATE A CO-TEACHING SPACE FOR A MATH CLASSROOM. AND SO I THINK PART OF WORKING AT WALKERSVILLE IS UNDERSTANDING HOW OUR SPACE WORKS AND BEING AGAIN FLEXIBLE WITH HOW THEY USE THAT. AND THE LAST THING IS, YOU KNOW, WITH CO-TEACHING, YOU WANT TO GET TO THE TEAM TEACHING MODEL IS YOU WANT TO GET THERE WHERE IT'S TWO ADULTS AND THAT CAN LOOK DIFFERENT ONE DAY, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE A SUPPORTIVE ROLE. [01:10:02] THE NEXT DAY, IT COULD BE STATIONS. THE OTHER DAY YOU MIGHT SPLIT THE CLASS. ME AND MY ONE CO-TEACHER DID NATIONAL, STATE, LOCAL GOVERNMENT. AND SO WHEN WE WERE TEACHING LIKE POLITICAL PARTIES, I WOULD COME IN AS ONE. HE WOULD COME IN WITH THE OTHER. THEN WE WOULD LEAVE THE CLASSROOM AND COME IN AS TWO MORE. SO THERE'S A LOT OF FUN THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO. HOW ARE WE MOVING OUR EDUCATORS AS A WHOLE THROUGH THE COUNTY TOWARDS THAT TEAM TEACHING MODEL AND AWAY FROM LIKE IT USED TO BE? WHEN WE BEGAN, YOU HAD A SUPPORTING MODEL AND YOU HAD A PARALLEL TEACHING MODEL WHERE IT WAS A PULL OUT, AND YOU'RE TRYING TO TEACH THE SAME LESSON IN TWO DIFFERENT SPACES. HOW ARE WE MOVING WITH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TOWARDS OUR, OUR ENTIRE CO-TEACHING MODEL, GOING TOWARDS TEAM TEACHING. THAT'S A PART OF WHAT WE'RE BUILDING INTO THOSE TEACHER FACING RESOURCES ON THE WEBSITE. AND SO WE'VE KIND OF, THROUGH OUR WORK GROUP, DECIDED WHICH MODELS WE ARE KIND OF FOCUSING IN ON BASED ON WHAT THE RESEARCH TELLS US IS MOST EFFECTIVE AND WHAT WE HAVE SEEN BE MOST EFFECTIVE IN OUR SCHOOLS. AND SO THE WAY WE ENVISION THESE RESOURCES TAKING SHAPE FOR TEACHERS IS THAT WE WOULD DEFINE OUR PREFERRED MODELS. AND KIND OF WHAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED AS FCPS CO-TEACHING LOOKS LIKE. AND THEN WITHIN THAT TEACHER FACING RESOURCE, IF YOU THINK ABOUT THAT CO-TEACHING CO-PLANNING CO REFLECTING, CO ASSESSING PROCESS, THERE ARE RESOURCES UNDER EACH OF THOSE AREAS. AND SO THAT WOULD BE OUR CO-TEACHING TAB WOULD HAVE THE VARIOUS MODELS, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN PRACTICE AND SOME IDEAS PLANNING TOOLS FOR IMPLEMENTATION. SO THEY HAVE THAT AUTONOMY TO BE ABLE TO CHOOSE WHAT'S BEST. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THEN WE PROVIDE THE RESOURCES TO HELP SCAFFOLD THAT FOR THE TEACHERS TOO. AND I APPRECIATE ALL YOU'RE DOING. I KNOW CO-TEACHING IS IT'S ONE OF THE IT'S AN AMAZING THING WHEN DONE RIGHT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. MS. YOHO. YES. AND TO THAT POINT, THOSE WERE SOME GREAT, GREAT POINTS. THAT'S VERY INTERESTING. SO I HAD ONE YEAR OUT OF MY 25. THAT PART OF THE TIME WAS ONE OF THE SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS WAS WOULD ADVANCE INTO CO-TEACHING. A LOT OF TIMES IT WAS MORE THE PARALLEL. AND THEN SHE WOULD LEAVE AND I WOULD TAKE THAT GROUP. SO THEY GOT A DOUBLE DOSE. BUT WHAT HOWEVER, WE TAUGHT OTHER TIMES SHE TOOK THE LEAD OF THE WHOLE CLASS, AND THAT'S WHEN IT GOT INTO THE CO-TEACHING. AND WE WOULD TRADE ROLES AND JUST WANTED THE STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO GO TO EITHER ONE OF US AND THINK OF US BOTH AS THE TEACHER. BUT HOWEVER WE DID IT, IT REQUIRED A LOT OF THE PLANNING THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT. AND AS FAR AS I KNOW, WE WERE THE ONLY TEACHERS IN THE SCHOOL THAT WERE DOING THAT. SO AN ASSISTANT CAME AND COVERED ME IN THE MORNING. SO ONE MORNING A WEEK, SO A WEEK AGO PLAN. SO I'M THINKING, HOW DO YOU CARVE OUT THE TIME WHEN YOU'VE GOT MULTIPLE TEACHERS DOING THIS. AND YOU'RE SAYING, SO THE SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS OR YEAH, THEY COME TO THE ALP AS WELL. AND NOW WHEN DO THEY GET THEIR PLANNING TIME? WHEN ARE THEY SO TIME? THAT'S WHY I SAID TIME, TIME, TIME. SO TALK ABOUT SCHEDULING AND TIME. LAST YEAR WAS WE DEVELOPED A BLOCK SCHEDULE. WE RUN OUR SCHEDULE IN 40 MINUTE INCREMENTS. IT ALIGNS TO OUR SPECIAL SCHEDULE. AND THEN ALL OF OUR INTERVENTION BLOCKS ALIGN TO THAT. SO THAT AND THEN WE PLUG IN ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, AND THEN WE PLUG IN ALL OUR STAFF FROM THERE. AND THEN THEY BUILD THAT CO-TEACHING AROUND THAT. SO SOME OF BEING STRATEGIC IN ASSIGNING CO-TEACHERS IS ALSO WHO IS AVAILABLE DURING THAT BLOCK THAT CAN MEET THAT GROUP OF STUDENTS NEEDS. ALL RIGHT, MISS BRENNAN. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I GET I HEAR FROM FRIENDS AND AND NEW TEACHERS IN PARTICULAR IS THAT, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE HAVE SEEM TO HAVE A LOT OF TEACHER BURNOUT, NOT NECESSARILY HERE IN FCPS, BUT IN GENERAL, LIKE EARLY, LIKE IT SEEMS LIKE PEOPLE COME INTO THE PROFESSION AND THEN A LOT OF THEM LEAVE WITHIN FIVE YEARS. AND SO IS THERE SOMETHING ABOUT CO-TEACHING THAT COULD HELP WITH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE AN EXTRA, YOU KNOW, EXTRA SUPPORT FOR PARTICULARLY YOUNG TEACHERS FIRST COMING IN TO THE, YOU KNOW, INTO THE SYSTEM? AND IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT FOR THAT PURPOSE? I JUST FEEL LIKE SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WHENEVER YOU START THAT FIRST NEW JOB, BUT MOST OF US DON'T START OUR FIRST NEW JOB WITH, YOU KNOW, 30 PEOPLE WEARING, YOU KNOW, RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING TRACK OF LIKE 30 LITTLE FACES WE NEVER SAW THE DAY BEFORE. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? IT'S NOT IT'S MUCH MORE DAUNTING, I THINK, TO COME IN THAT WAY. IS, IS THERE A WAY WE COULD SCALE THAT TO HELP, YOU KNOW, OUR OUR ON BOARD SOME NEW STAFF AND. I DON'T THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE SPECIFICALLY LOOKED AT. BUT YOU WILL SEE THERE'S A DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE CO-TEACHING PAIR AND EITHER OUTCOMES OF STUDENTS OR THEIR KIND OF ENTHUSIASM TO COME IN AND TEACH EVERY DAY. AND I THINK THAT'S THAT COLLECTIVE EFFICACY THAT WE OFTEN GET IS THAT WHEN YOU ARE WORKING TOGETHER WITH SOMEBODY ELSE AND YOU ARE SHARING IDEAS AND COLLABORATING, THAT IS ENERGIZING. AND IT'S ALSO A BUILT IN SUPPORT. SO I THINK WHEN CO-TEACHING IS DONE REALLY WELL, WE DO SEE THAT ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN VERY MINDFUL OF TO OUR DISTRICT IS HOW MANY TEACHERS ARE OUR CO TEACHERS HAVING TO CO-PLAN WITH AND CO-TEACH WITH, BECAUSE THAT LEADS TO BURNOUT IN AND OF ITSELF. [01:15:07] SO THIS YEAR WE DID QUITE A BIT OF WORK ON ANALYZING OUR TEACHER SCHEDULES TO SEE ARE THEY TEACHING MORE THAN ONE SUBJECT? ARE THEY TEACHING WITH MULTIPLE TEACHERS? BECAUSE THAT IN AND OF ITSELF LEADS TO BURNOUT. AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE WANTED TO PREVENT. SO REALLY, THAT'S WHERE WE'VE STARTED. OUR WORK IS LOOKING TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE NOT AFFECTING OUR CO-TEACHERS IN A NEGATIVE WAY AND BEING MORE STRATEGIC ABOUT IT. BUT I WOULD ASSUME THERE WOULD BE A CORRELATION BETWEEN RETENTION IF THAT BECAME MORE OF A PRACTICE. I'M JUST THINKING THAT SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DO HAVE NEW GRADUATES AND, AND, AND WE TEND TO, IT SEEMS FROM THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN TOLD FROM HR AND WHEN WE TALK THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE GO SOMEWHERE ELSE AND THEY COME BACK TO US, YOU KNOW, AS EXPERIENCED TEACHERS. BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE WORKING IN NEW PEOPLE THAT I CAN IMAGINE THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE A SEASONED PROFESSIONAL TO REALLY LEARN OFF OF. I MEAN, THERE'S NOT, NO MATTER HOW MUCH TIME YOU SPEND AS A STUDENT TEACHER, IT'S DIFFERENT WHEN YOU ARE CO-RESPONSIBLE, BUT NOT ENTIRELY ONLY YOU RESPONSIBLE, YOU KNOW, AND YOU REALLY GET TO LEARN STRATEGIES FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING WITH THOSE STUDENTS. AND THAT'S THE OTHER THING, BECAUSE YOU DO YOUR STUDENT TEACHING LIKE LOTS OF DIFFERENT PLACES AND THE DEMOGRAPHICS AND THE, THE, YOU KNOW, AND SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT COULD BE VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO EXPERIENCE WHEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY ON THE JOB FOR THE FIRST TIME. AND I JUST FEEL LIKE IT WOULD BE A GOOD WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR YOUNGER, YOUNGER STAFF COMING COMING IN AND HELP GIVE THEM SOME EXPERIENCE. ALL RIGHT. I'M GOING TO GIVE MR. WILSON THE LAST WORD ON THIS DISCUSSION. AND I WAS ABOUT TO SAY, JUST TO BRING UP MR. BRENNAN'S POINT IS YES IT COULD, BUT ALSO IT WORKS THE OPPOSITE WAY. A NEW SPECIAL EDUCATOR IS LEARNING IEP PROCESS. THEY'RE LEARNING A NEW CURRICULUM. AND A LOT OF TIMES, LIKE MY SECOND YEAR, I WAS CO-TEACHING BIOLOGY, ENGLISH NSL AND TEACHING RESOURCE WHILE MANAGING A CASELOAD OF 27. SO ONE THING WE CAN DO IS, IS PROVIDE TIME, BUT ALSO THE STAFFING THAT'S NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. AND THE CAPS ON CASELOADS REALLY GO A LONG WAY TO KEEPING YOUNG EDUCATORS. AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN ADMINISTRATOR RIGHT HERE THAT ALREADY SAID THEY'RE LOOKING AT. IF I'M PUTTING MY YOUNG TEACHER OUT THERE, AM I LIMITING THE PAPERWORK AND MOVEMENT AND ALL THIS STUFF? CAN THEY FOCUS ON EDUCATION? BUT, YOU KNOW, UP TO US UP HERE TO ALSO TREAT THEM AS PROFESSIONALS. SO. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. WE COULD PROBABLY TALK ABOUT THIS FOR A LONG TIME, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING. IT'S EXCITING. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE ABOUT IT IN THE FUTURE. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO 1.10, WHICH IS THE 2026 2027 BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING DATES REVISION. [1.10. 2026-2027 Board of Education Meeting Dates Revision] I'M GOING TO MAKE THIS ONE REALLY QUICK SO YOU WON'T EVEN HAVE TO GET UP. THE ONLY REVISION THAT WE'RE MAKING HERE WAS THAT OUR SUGGESTION. BUT I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER REVISION. IT HAS TO BE OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WE WE ASKED TO MOVE THE COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSION DATE THAT WAS CURRENTLY SCHEDULED FOR APRIL THE 14TH. WE ASKED TO MOVE IT TO APRIL THE 28TH, SO IT WOULD BE AFTER A BOARD MEETING SO WE CAN PROMOTE IT. AND IN THE FUTURE WE WOULD TRY TO DO THAT ON FUTURE BOARD CALENDARS. ALL RIGHT. DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER? YES, BECAUSE I'M LOOKING AT THE SWEARING IN FOR THE NEW MEMBERS ON DECEMBER 2ND. I BELIEVE IT HAS TO BE ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1ST. AND THAT'S WHY I WAS TRYING TO LOOK IT UP. IT'S EITHER IN THE HANDBOOK OR POLICY. I THINK THE SWEARING IN HAS TO BE. I BELIEVE IT DOES HAVE TO BE THE FIRST TUESDAY FOLLOWING CERTIFICATION OF THE ELECTION. SO THAT WOULD BE DECEMBER 1ST. OKAY. SO LET'S MAKE A MAKE AN ADDENDUM THERE THAT WE WILL MOVE THE LISTENING SESSION FROM APRIL 14TH TO APRIL 28TH, AND WE'LL MOVE THE SWEARING IN TO TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1ST. ALL RIGHT. SORRY. THE OTHER ONE. THE MEETING IS FINE BECAUSE THE ELECTION OF THE OFFICERS IS. WE'LL JUST DO THE SWEARING IN MEETING. YEAH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION. I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE MOVE OUR LISTENING SESSION FROM APRIL 14TH TO APRIL 28TH, AND WE MOVE THE SWEARING IN FROM DECEMBER 2ND TO DECEMBER 1ST. SO DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? MISS MONIER, I DON'T SEE ANYONE TO GIVE ANY COMMENT FROM THE PUBLIC. SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS FOR ALL MEMBERS PRESENT, INCLUDING THE STUDENT MEMBER. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE NOW GOING TO MOVE INTO CLOSED SESSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH MARYLAND'S OPEN MEETINGS ACT. [1.11. Motion to Move into Closed Session] [01:20:01] GENERAL PROVISIONS, ARTICLES 3-305, B SEVEN AND NINE. THE BOARD WILL MEET IN CLOSED SESSION AT 4:23 P.M. IN THE BOARD ROOM TO CONSULT WITH COUNSEL TO OBTAIN LEGAL ADVICE, AND TO RECEIVE AN UPDATE ON NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE FREDERICK ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL SUPPORT EMPLOYEES, THE FREDERICK COUNTY TEACHERS ASSOCIATION, AND THE FREDERICK COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPERVISORY ASSOCIATION. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO MOVE INTO CLOSED SESSION? SO MOVED. MOVING TO CLOSE. MR. BLACK, SECOND, MISS YOHO. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? THAT IS UNANIMOUS. AND FOR ALL MEMBERS PRESENT AND INCLUDING THE STUDENT MEMBER. ALL RIGHT. WE ARE ADJOURNED. GOOD [3.01 Call to Order] EVENING EVERYONE. I'D LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING OF MAY 6TH, 2026. [3.02 Pledge of Allegiance] WE COULD ALL THOSE THAT ARE ABLE. PLEASE STAND AND JOIN US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. ALL RIGHT. 3.03 CLOSED SESSION ANNOUNCEMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH MARYLAND'S OPEN MEETINGS ACT, [3.03 Closed Session Announcement] GENERAL PROVISIONS, ARTICLE 3-305B7 AND NINE. THE BOARD MET IN CLOSED SESSION AT 4:23 P.M. TODAY IN THE BOARD ROOM TO CONSULT WITH COUNSEL TO OBTAIN LEGAL ADVICE AND TO RECEIVE AN UPDATE ON NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE FREDERICK ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL SUPPORT EMPLOYEES, THE FREDERICK COUNTY TEACHERS ASSOCIATION, AND THE FREDERICK COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPERVISORY ASSOCIATIONS. [3.04 Approval of the April 22, 2026 Board of Education Meeting Minutes] 3.04 APPROVAL OF THE APRIL 22ND, 2026 BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING MINUTES. DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED. MISS GALLAGHER SECOND. MISS MONIER. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AND THAT IS FOR ALL MEMBERS PRESENT, PLUS THE STUDENT MEMBER. AND I DID WANT I DID WANT TO SHARE. MR. BLACK IS NOT WITH US THIS EVENING. HE IS ATTENDING ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD AT THE LINGANORE HIGH SCHOOL FFA BANQUET. SO REPRESENTING THE BOARD TONIGHT. SO THANK YOU. [3.05 System Recognition: Pupil Personnel Workers (PPW) Month Proclamation] ALL RIGHT. SO A 3.05 IS SYSTEM RECOGNITION FOR PUPIL PERSONNEL WORKERS MONTH. WHEREAS THE FREDERICK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS PROUD TO RECOGNIZE PUPIL PERSONNEL WORKERS FOR SERVING ALL CHILDREN OF ALL THE PEOPLE, PROMOTING THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERY CHILD TO EXPERIENCE A SAFE AND HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT. AND WHEREAS, PUPIL PERSONNEL WORKERS ARE SPECIALISTS TRAINED TO CONSIDER AND ASSESS THE NEEDS OF THE WHOLE CHILD AND SERVE AS THE SCHOOL'S LIAISON WITH THE FAMILY, COMMUNITY, ORGANIZATIONS AND SOCIAL AGENCIES TO FOSTER THE CHILD'S PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND INTELLECTUAL GROWTH. AND WHEREAS, PUPIL PERSONNEL WORKERS WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE RESOURCES OF THE HOME, SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY ESSENTIAL TO THE GOOD MENTAL, EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH OF EACH CHILD NECESSARY TO ADVANCE EFFECTIVE TEACHING, LEARNING AND ACHIEVEMENT IN SCHOOLS. AND WHEREAS IT IS IMPORTANT THAT FCPS HONORS THE UNIQUE AND ESSENTIAL ROLE OF THE PUPIL PERSONNEL WORKERS PLAY IN THE PERSONNEL AND ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT OF ALL CHILDREN. THESE DEDICATED PROFESSIONALS DEMONSTRATE EXCEPTIONAL COMMITMENT TO NURTURING THE GROWTH, MATURITY, AND RESPONSIBILITY THAT ADULTHOOD AND GOOD CITIZENSHIP REQUIRE. NOW, THEREFORE, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF FREDERICK COUNTY DOES HEREBY PROCLAIM THE MONTH OF MAY TO BE DESIGNATED AS PUPIL PERSONNEL WORKERS MONTH IN ALL FREDERICK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE ENCOURAGE ALL STAFF, STUDENTS, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE PPWS IN ALL FREDERICK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT PUPIL PERSONNEL WORKERS MONTH. SO MOVED. MISS GALLAGHER SECOND. MR. WILSON. ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL MEMBERS PRESENT, INCLUDING THE STUDENT MEMBER. NEXT 3.06 CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK. [3.06 System Recognitions: Children's Mental Health Awareness Week and National Physical Education and Sport Week Proclamation] WHEREAS, GOOD MENTAL HEALTH IS A KEY COMPONENT IN A CHILD'S HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT, AND CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY TO FOCUS ON THIS IMPORTANT MATTER WHILE CELEBRATING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AFFECTED BY MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS. AND WHEREAS, OPENING UP CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE IN ORDER TO REDUCE STIGMA AND. WHEREAS, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS, ALONG WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES, LEARN ABOUT WARNING SIGNS OF A MENTAL HEALTH DISORDER. [01:25:02] AND WHEREAS, STRENGTHENING ACCESS FOR CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES TO THE RESOURCES NECESSARY TO PREVENT AND SUPPORT MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES. AND WHEREAS, HIGHLIGHTING AND CELEBRATING INNOVATIVE EFFORTS OF FREDERICK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO SERVE STUDENTS WITH MENTAL HEALTH OR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS AND WHEREAS PROMOTING EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES RELATED TO CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING TO SERVE ALL STUDENTS. NOW, THEREFORE, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF FREDERICK COUNTY DOES HEREBY HEREBY PROCLAIM THE WEEK OF MAY 3RD THROUGH NINTH, 2026 TO BE CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK AND ENCOURAGES ALL STAFF, STUDENTS, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO UNITE IN OBSERVING FCPS S EFFORTS TO PROMOTE POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH AND REDUCE STIGMA SURROUNDING MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. ALL RIGHT, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK? PROCLAMATION. SO MOVE. THANK YOU, MR. WILSON. SECOND MISS MONIER. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS. INCLUDING THE STUDENT MEMBER. 3.06-2 IS NATIONAL PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORT WEEK. WHEREAS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS NECESSARY TO SUPPORT NORMAL GROWTH IN ALL CHILDREN AND IS ESSENTIAL TO THE CONTINUING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF YOUTH AND ADULTS, WHEREAS, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY REDUCES RISK AT ALL AGES OF HEART DISEASE, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND DIABETES. WHEREAS, TEACHING ALL CHILDREN ABOUT PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS NOT ONLY ENSURES THAT THEY ARE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE DURING THE SCHOOL DAY, BUT ALSO EDUCATES THEM ON HOW TO BE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE FOR A LIFETIME. WHEREAS, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS RECOMMEND THAT EVERY CHILD ENGAGES IN AT LEAST 60 MINUTES OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PER DAY. WHEREAS RESEARCH SHOWS THAT FIT AND ACTIVE CHILDREN ARE MORE LIKELY TO THRIVE ACADEMICALLY AND HAVE IMPROVED BEHAVIOR IN SCHOOL. NOW. THEREFORE, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF FREDERICK COUNTY DOES HEREBY PROCLAIM WEEK OF MAY 1ST THROUGH MAY 7TH AS NATIONAL PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORT WEEK IN THE MONTH OF MAY AS PHYSICAL FITNESS AND SPORT MONTH IN FREDERICK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, MARYLAND. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO SUPPORT NATIONAL PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORT WEEK? I WILL MOVE NATIONAL PHYSICAL EDUCATION SPORT WEEK. MISS YOHO. OKAY, I'LL SECOND AND MISS MONIER. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AND AGAIN, THAT IS UNANIMOUS. INCLUDING THE STUDENT MEMBER. NOW WE'RE JUST GOING TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF RECOGNITION OF MR. [3.07 System Recognition: Student Member of the Board Medal Presentation] THOMAS WOULD MEET US DOWN IN FRONT. AND IF YOU'LL COME WITH ME. YES. RECOGNITION. AND SOME OF YOU ARE WEARING THIS MEDAL AT GRADUATION. OH, ISN'T THAT NICE? GRADUATION. LET'S GET WITH THEM REAL QUICK. OH, THERE YOU GO. THERE YOU GO. ALL RIGHT. YEAH. COME HERE ERIC. I. GOT IT. YOU GOT EM LINED UP. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. VERY GOOD [APPLAUSE] ALL. OKAY, WE WEREN'T GOING TO GET INTO A WHOLE RECOGNITION THING BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT DONE YET. SO WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU HAD THAT FOR GRADUATION. BUT WE'LL CERTAINLY HAVE A LOT TO SAY ON YOUR LAST EVENING. BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THAT I AM JUST I'VE SAID IT BEFORE, OUR STUDENTS GET IT RIGHT EVERY TIME. AND MR. THOMAS IS NO EXCEPTION. HE'S BEEN AN OUTSTANDING, OUTSTANDING STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE FOR HIS CONSTITUENTS. SO THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. [01:30:06] ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND LET ME DO IT [3.08 Public Comment] HERE. ALL RIGHT. THE BOARD VIEWS PUBLIC COMMENT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR CONCERNS OF THE PUBLIC WITH THE UNDERSTANDING AND EXPECTATION THAT IS NOT CONSIDERED A QUESTION AND ANSWER PLATFORM WITH BOARD MEMBERS. CONSEQUENTLY, THE BOARD WILL NOT PROVIDE A RESPONSE TO PUBLIC COMMENT PRESENTED IN ITS MEETING OR BY SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENT, ALTHOUGH IT MAY FOLLOW UP WITH INDIVIDUALS WHEN APPROPRIATE. WHAT DO I DO WITH THE REST OF IT? HERE. HERE WE GO. IN ORDER TO HAVE AN ORDERLY PRESENTATION OF COMMENTS BY THE PUBLIC AND TO MAXIMIZE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, STUDENTS, INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATION REPRESENTATIVES SHALL BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES FOR THEIR PUBLIC COMMENT. WHEN THE BUZZER SOUNDS, YOU'LL BE ASKED TO COMPLETE YOUR SENTENCE IN A TOTAL OF 60 MINUTES IS ALLOTTED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. ALL RIGHT. AND OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS DAVID G. AND I DON'T SEE DAVID HERE TONIGHT. SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO. OUR SECOND IS HEATHER FLETCHER. I DON'T SEE HEATHER EITHER. SO NEXT WE'LL GO ON TO NATHAN FOLTZ. HELLO, BOARD AND DOCTOR DYSON. ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO DO WAS GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO JALEN HUSKEY. HE GOT DRAFTED IN THE THIRD ROUND OF THE JAGS AND HE PLAYED ON MIDDLETOWN. I THINK ONE OF THE BOYS FROM OAKDALE GOT DRAFTED AS A WIDE RECEIVER. AND JUST TO GIVE HIM SOME ADVICE, KEEP AT IT. BECAUSE BEING A WIDE RECEIVER IN THE NFL IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT DUE TO OPTION ROUTES. THE NEXT THING I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WAS THE AI POLICY. I DON'T COMPLETELY HAVE THE RECORDS OR I DON'T THINK I WATCHED THE TIME THEY DID THIS, BUT I JUST THINK IT MIGHT BE NICE TO HAVE A LABOR POLICY THAT TEACHERS AREN'T GOING TO LOSE THEIR JOBS BECAUSE IT'S VERY CONCERNING. WHAT I SAW COME OUT OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH AND THE FIRST LADY AND THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WE HAD A CANDIDATE ORIENTATION THING. I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY NIFTY AND NEAT AND INFORMATIVE. AND ONE OF THE POSITIVE THINGS IS A SPECIAL ED TEACHER. I GAVE A HYPOTHETICAL TO DOCTOR DYSON AND DOCTOR SIRGO, AND BASICALLY IT WAS A MANIFESTATION SEQUENCE, WHICH IS A DISCIPLINARY IEP. AND BASICALLY I GAVE THEM THIS HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIO. AND IN MY CASE, AS THE CLASSROOM TEACHER, IT WAS TAKEN AWAY AND THAT WAS IMPROPER. THEY ANSWERED IN A WAY THAT SAID THAT THAT IEP TEAM ECOLOGICALLY AT THE SCHOOL HAS CONTROL AND NOT A BOARD MEMBER COMING IN. SO THAT REALLY, REALLY MADE ME THINK THAT'S GOOD FOR OUR SPECIAL ED TEACHERS. OH, I DID A SURVEY IN THE PARK. THERE WAS A BUNCH OF MIDDLE SCHOOLERS AND APPARENTLY SEVENTH GRADE BOYS. ONE OF THEIR MOST MOTIVATIONAL THINGS MOZZARELLA STICKS. WE ARE DOING IT ALL WRONG HAVING PIZZA PARTIES. AND I KNOW THAT THEY MAY GET UPSET, BUT DO YOU KNOW THE CLIP DOWN CHART YOU USED AT THE PRIMARY SCHOOL? WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO INSTITUTE A BEHAVIOR CLASSROOM MOZZARELLA STICK CLIP DOWN CHART FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOLERS, ESPECIALLY THE ADAPTIVE CLASSES. OH, AND THEN ALSO APPARENTLY OVER AT TUSCARORA, THEY'RE HAVING A HALL HANGER PROBLEM. THIS WAS MY SENIOR SUPERLATIVE AT MIDDLETOWN HIGH SCHOOL. I WAS THE BIGGEST HALL HANGER. AND DOCTOR SHEATON WAS A WONDERFUL PRINCIPAL. HE WAS OUT AND ABOUT, BUT BASICALLY WOULD, IF WE PLAYED ELEVATOR OR LAWRENCE WELK MUSIC IN THE HALLWAY AND IT WOULD FORCE THE KIDS PROBABLY. AND THIS IS ONLY BECAUSE I HAD TO GO TO MY GRANDMA'S IN THE 80S AND WATCH LAWRENCE WELK. I ALSO HAVE A PRANK MATRIX THAT I WOULD LIKE TO GO OVER, BUT I DON'T HAVE TIME. THANK YOU, MR. VOLTZ. SURE. NEXT WE HAVE SEAN HART. SEAN. ALL RIGHT. WELL. ALL RIGHT. NEXT WE HAVE TOM NEWMARK. THANK YOU. WE WE ALL WANT TEACHERS TO BE PAID MORE AND STUDENTS TO LEARN MORE. FOR DECADES, FCPS HAS SAID THAT THEY NEED MUCH MORE MONEY TO DO THAT, BUT YOU ALREADY GET AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY. [01:35:03] YOU DOUBLED OUR BUDGET TWICE SINCE 2000. YOU STARTED AT $250 MILLION, THEN WENT TO 500 MILLION, AND NOW YOU SPEND OVER A BILLION. ENROLLMENT DIDN'T DOUBLE TWICE. INFLATION DIDN'T DOUBLE TWICE. SO ARE WE REALLY GETTING EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE PAYING FOR? STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DIDN'T IMPROVE SALARIES, DIDN'T IMPROVE ENOUGH. OTHER COUNTIES LIKE CARROLL COUNTY SPEND LESS PER PUPIL, BUT PAY MORE. YOU SEND THE SAME MESSAGE EVERY YEAR. GIVE US MORE MONEY AND WE'LL DO BETTER. THIS YEAR YOU GOT EVERY LAST DOLLAR YOU ASKED FOR. AND YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED? YOU TOLD US EVEN THAT'S NOT ENOUGH. RESPECTFULLY, THAT DOESN'T HOLD UP. YOU CANNOT INCREASE SPENDING SO DRAMATICALLY FOR SO LONG AND CLAIM THAT YOU HAVE A REVENUE PROBLEM. YOU HAVE AN OVER HIRING PROBLEM. JUST LOOK AT THE LAST TEN YEARS FOR ROUGHLY EVERY FOUR NEW STUDENTS. YOU HIRED A STAFF MEMBER THAT'S AGGRESSIVE. IN 2016, THE RATIO WAS 7 TO 1. IF YOU HAD SIMPLY CONTINUED HIRING AT THAT RATE, YOU WOULD HAVE MORE MONEY FOR RAISES. LESS THAN HALF OUR STAFF ARE CLASSROOM TEACHERS. I KNOW MR. ROSE LIKES TO SAY THAT OVER 90% OF OUR STAFF INTERACT WITH STUDENTS, AND HE'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. BUT INTERACTION IS NOT INSTRUCTION. OF COURSE, MOST OF YOUR STAFF INTERACT WITH STUDENTS THE SAME WAY. MOST HOSPITAL STAFF INTERACT WITH PATIENTS IN SOME WAY. SUPPORT ROLES ARE IMPORTANT. BUT WHEN A SMALLER SHARE OF THE WORKFORCE IS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION, EVERYONE ENDS UP MAKING LESS MONEY. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS PROBLEM WAS GOING TO GET WORSE. THE BLUEPRINT REQUIRES THAT TEACHERS SPEND MORE TIME PLANNING AND LESS TIME TEACHING. THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO HIRE EVEN MORE TEACHERS, AND THAT MAKES IT HARDER TO RAISE SALARIES. SOME SAY, WELL, JUST RAISE TAXES. BUT THAT'S NOT REALISTIC. MARYLAND SPENDS MORE ON EDUCATION THAN MOST STATES. MARYLAND IS AMONG THE HIGHEST TAX STATES IN THE COUNTRY, AND PEOPLE ARE LEAVING MARYLAND BECAUSE OF THAT. THAT MEANS THAT A SMALLER AND SMALLER POPULATION HAS TO BE TAXED AT HIGHER AND HIGHER RATES TO GET THE SAME REVENUE. THOSE HIGHER TAXES, IN TURN, DRIVE OUT EVEN MORE RESIDENTS, AND THIS CREATES A DEATH SPIRAL OF HIGHER TAXES. THE ONLY WAY OUT OF THIS DEATH SPIRAL IS TO BE MORE REALISTIC ABOUT SCHOOL SPENDING. PLEASE ADVOCATE TO STOP THE BLUEPRINT MANDATES THAT ARE HURTING FCPS AND TAXPAYERS. AND PLEASE WITHDRAW YOUR REQUEST FOR EVEN MORE MONEY AND JUST WORK WITHIN THE BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN GIVEN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THIS EVENING. 3.09 SUPERINTENDENT COMMENTS. THANK YOU. START OFF BY SAYING HAPPY TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK. [3.09 Superintendent Comments] I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF BEING IN SOME WONDERFUL SCHOOLS AND IN CLASSROOMS. SO I WANTED TO JUST SHOW YOU WHAT I LOOK AT OFTEN SPEAKING TO BLUEPRINT AND ALL OF THE MANDATES WE HAVE. THIS IS TWO SHEETS OF PAPER LISTING ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO AS A SYSTEM, EITHER FROM THE BLUEPRINT OR FROM MSDE. AND SO I KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING AN EFFECTIVE TEACHER IN FRONT OF EVERY CLASSROOM. AND OUR GOAL IS IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN TO FOCUS ON TEACHING AND LEARNING. SO THE OTHER THING I HAVE WITH ME IS WHAT FCPS SAYS THEY'RE GOING TO DO, WHICH IS WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON TIER ONE INSTRUCTION, MAKING SURE WE'RE SCAFFOLDING FOR OUR STUDENTS. WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE DATA SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES IN PLACE TO PROGRESS MONITOR. WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE OUR MTSS NOT JUST FIDELITY, BUT INTEGRITY TO OUR INTERVENTIONS AS WELL AS OUR ACCELERATION OPPORTUNITIES. SO THE REASON WHY I'M SO HAPPY THAT IT'S TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK, BECAUSE I'VE HAD VISITS TO BALLENGER CREEK ELEMENTARY. I'VE WALKED THE HALLS OF DEER CROSSING ELEMENTARY, HAVE GONE INTO GONE INTO CLASSROOMS. OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS, I'VE BEEN IN BLUE HERON, CRESTWOOD AND A SPECIAL VISIT TO BUTTERFLY RIDGE. LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I SAW IN THE CLASSROOM. I SAW STUDENTS ENGAGE IN RIGOROUS TIER ONE INSTRUCTION. I SAW EVERY ADULT IN THE ROOM HELPING CHILDREN. I SAW SENIORS PROVIDING 1 TO 1 SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN SO THAT THEY COULD BE SUCCESSFUL. I SAW A STUDENT DISCOURSE TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEY LEARNED AND WHAT THEY WERE EXCITED ABOUT. I ALSO SAW DISREGULATED STUDENTS AND STUDENTS WHO WERE CHALLENGING. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I SAW WITH THAT? ALL HANDS ON DECK WITH OUR STAFF, I SAW STAFF RUNNING TO THEIR RESCUE AND TRYING TO SUPPORT. AND I ALSO HEARD FROM STAFF WHAT WE COULD DO BETTER TO SUPPORT THEM. AND WHEN I COME BACK, I TALK TO THE TEAM ABOUT WHAT I SAW AND WHAT THEY SAID. SO NICE CONVERSATIONS WITH ALL OF THOSE PRINCIPALS AND THANK YOU FOR WELCOMING ME IN THE BUTTERFLY RIDGE. [01:40:07] ONE DOCTOR, LEE BO AND I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO SEE BUTTERFLY RIDGE TO SEE THE PARTNERSHIP CALLED FRESH STEP LAUNDRY. AND I DON'T KNOW IF HE LIKES HIS NAME CALLED OUT, SO I WILL NOT CALL HIS NAME. THE PERSON WHO CREATED THE NONPROFIT, THE NONPROFIT WAS CREATED TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES IN REAL AND PRACTICAL WAYS. HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO WASH YOUR CLOTHES, OR NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD TO WASH YOUR CLOTHES, OR SENDING YOUR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL WITH THEIR CLOTHES, NOT CLEAN? IT'S A DIGNIFIED WAY TO HELP OUR FAMILIES. I DIDN'T SEE THEIR NAMES. IT WAS JUST LIKE FAMILY E FAMILY F, BUT THEY WERE IN THERE WASHING THEIR CLOTHES AND THEY PUT THEM AWAY FOR THEM IN A VERY DIGNIFIED WAY. AND I'M JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO DOCTOR COLEY AND THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL LIAISONS AND THE COMMUNITY COMMUNITY SCHOOLS COORDINATORS FINDING WAYS TO EXPAND THAT PROGRAM SO THAT WE COULD HELP MORE FAMILIES. IT WAS A BLESSING TO SEE THE PASSION HE HAD AND THE HEART HE HAD TO HELP OUR STUDENTS. SO THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATORS THERE AND THE COMMUNITY COORDINATOR THERE WHO REALLY ARE CHILDREN DRIVEN AND STUDENT CENTERED. SO I WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE TEACHERS OF THE YEAR. WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME HONORING THEM ON FRIDAY NIGHT AT TJ MIDDLE. AND SPEAKING OF TJ MIDDLE DOCTOR ALVITO AND I WENT TO ANNAPOLIS TO HONOR DOCTOR JOSH WORK IN THE INAUGURAL MARYLAND LEADERSHIP HONORS, WHICH WAS SPONSORED BY OUR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AND THE WALLACE FOUNDATION. AND SO WE JUST DIDN'T HONOR THE PRINCIPALS, BUT WE GOT TO TALK ABOUT THE PRINCIPAL PIPELINE AND HOW WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF ATTRACTING, RETAINING AND SUPPORTING THOSE PRINCIPALS. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO DOCTOR WORK. I WANT TO END BY JUST ENCOURAGING OUR STUDENTS. WE ARE AT THAT AT THAT TIME WHERE I KNOW PEOPLE ARE GETTING TIRED. I KNOW THEY ARE GETTING TIRED OF SCHOOL. I KNOW THEY'RE TIRED OF STUDYING. RIGHT, ALEX? I'M TIRED OF STUDYING. I'M READYING FOR TESTS AFTER MCAT AND THE AP EXAMS. I WANT TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO CONTINUE TO WORK HARD, DON'T STOP, STAY FOCUSED, AND BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, DOCTOR DYSON. ALL RIGHT, MR. THOMAS, I DON'T HAVE MANY COMMENTS TONIGHT OTHER THAN TO THANK THE BOARD FOR THE MEDAL. [3.10. Student Member Comments] I'M VERY EXCITED TO GRADUATE. VERY EXCITED TO GRADUATE. BUT, YOU KNOW, MY YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THINGS ARE HAPPENING FOR A LOT OF STUDENTS. A LOT OF PROMS WERE LAST WEEKEND, THIS WEEKEND, A LOT OF KIDS AP TESTS ARE ON THEIR PROM DAYS, TOO. SO THEY'RE STUDYING WHILE GETTING READY FOR PROM, TOO. SO A LOT OF STUDENTS ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO A LOT OF THINGS. AND I KNOW WE'RE ALL GETTING A LITTLE BIT SLOWER, BUT WE'RE PUSHING THROUGH. WE ARE. THANK YOU, MR. THOMAS. ALL RIGHT, MR. WILSON. HOW'S EVERYBODY DOING TODAY? [3.11. Board Member Comments] SO FIRST OF ALL, ALL THE EDUCATORS IN THE ROOM SHOUT OUT TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK. STAND UP. I JUST WANT TO SAY I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS. I MEAN, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. STAND UP PLEASE. LET'S GIVE HIM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. AND ALL THE NURSES, THE NURSES ALSO IN THIS ROOM, LET'S GIVE THEM APPLAUSE AS WELL BECAUSE IT'S ALSO NURSES APPRECIATION WEEK. [APPLAUSE] AND SO THOSE ARE SO IMPORTANT. AND YOU KNOW, OF COURSE I'M BIASED BECAUSE I AM A TEACHER. BUT THOSE ARE SO IMPORTANT. AND SO FROM A PARENT PERSPECTIVE, MY CHILDREN HAVE RECEIVED SO MUCH LOVE AND SUPPORT BY THE EDUCATORS THAT THEY HAVE IN THEIR SCHOOLS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, AS A PARENT, I WANT TO THANK YOU AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER. I WANT TO THANK YOU. OUR DEMOCRACY IS STRONG BECAUSE OF OUR EDUCATORS AND OF OUR NURSES. YOU KNOW, OUR PEOPLE ARE STRONG BECAUSE OF OUR EDUCATORS AND NURSES, AND OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM IS STRONG BECAUSE OF OUR EDUCATION EDUCATORS AND OF COURSE, OUR SCHOOL NURSES, WHICH I HAD TO VISIT LAST WEEK BECAUSE I GOT SICK AT SCHOOL. SO, YOU KNOW BUT I ALSO WANTED TO SAY HOW, HOW BLESSED AND HAPPY I'M FEELING THIS WEEK. AND IT'S AT THAT POINT IN EVERYBODY IN HERE IS DOCTOR DYSON WAS SAYING THE TEACHERS ARE HITTING THE WALL. THE STUDENTS ARE HITTING THE WALL. THE ADMINISTRATORS ARE HITTING THE WALL. EVERYBODY'S HITTING THAT WALL. BUT I'M THANKFUL BECAUSE I. YESTERDAY IN MY CLASS MY STUDENT WROTE ME A LETTER AND I LEFT IT AT SCHOOL, OF COURSE, BECAUSE I HUNG IT UP ON MY WALL. AND, YOU KNOW, YOU GET THESE LETTERS FROM STUDENTS THAT TELL YOU LIKE HOW MUCH YOU MEAN TO THEM. AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE REJUVENATION MOMENTS, YOU KNOW, WE'LL DO IT FOR THE PAY. [01:45:02] WE'LL DO IT FOR ANYTHING ELSE. BUT IT'S THOSE LITTLE MOMENTS OF JUST THANKING SOMEBODY WHO POURED INTO YOU. SO I THINK WE ALL COULD TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT. AND IT MIGHT BE JUST YOUR NEIGHBOR. IT MIGHT BE SOMEBODY THAT LIVES NEXT TO YOU, SOMEBODY YOU WORKED WITH. JUST SAYING THANK YOU FOR SOMETHING SMALL THAT THEY DID. WE DON'T KNOW WHERE EVERYBODY IS IN THEIR MENTAL SPACES. WE DON'T KNOW WHERE EVERYBODY IS IN THEIR LIFE. BUT HAVING THAT JUST LITTLE BIT, THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS, I BELIEVE GOES A LONG WAY. AND THE LAST THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS I'M BLESSED TO BE A MARYLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATOR. MARYLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS RANK. I BELIEVE WE'RE IN THE TOP 6 IN 2026 THIS YEAR WITH INVESTMENT AND ALSO OUR ACADEMIC PROGRESS. AND I DON'T WANT TO EVER SAY, ARE YOU PROFICIENT, BUT I WANT TO SAY, ARE WE GROWING IN MARYLAND IS ALWAYS GROWING AND WHAT OUR STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO DO, AND THEY AMAZE ME EVERY DAY THAT I GET TO BE IN THE CLASSROOM. SO SHOUT OUT TO THE STUDENTS FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE YOUR TEACHER AS WELL. THANK YOU, MISS MONIER. SO IT'S TEACHER APPRECIATION. OH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. SORRY ABOUT THAT. SO HAPPY TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK. IT'S ALSO NURSE APPRECIATION WEEK. AND TODAY IN PARTICULAR IS SCHOOL NURSE APPRECIATION DAY. SO AS A NURSE WHO SITS ON A BOARD OF EDUCATION AND KIND OF STRADDLES BOTH OF THESE WORLDS, I'M WANTING TO SPEAK TO SOME CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN OUT THERE ABOUT FLAT ENROLLMENT AND WHAT IT MEANS TO OUR STAFFING AND OUR STAFFING OF OUR HEALTH ROOMS AND SCHOOL NURSES. AND I WANT TO SAY LIKE OUR DATA, OFTENTIMES WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DATA AND ENROLLMENT, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST BASED ON THE NUMBER OF KIDS WHO HAVE JUST ENROLLED INTO KINDERGARTEN OR INTO HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL. IT'S ACUITY EVEN AT THE GENERAL, YOU KNOW, AND TEACHER STAFFING, BUT PARTICULARLY WITH NURSE STAFFING IN A HOSPITAL, OF COURSE, WE MIGHT HAVE 4 TO 5 PATIENTS TO ONE NURSE ON ONE FLOOR, AND THERE MIGHT BE 1 TO 1 IN A MORE HIGHER ACUITY. AND THAT'S THE SAME FOR OUR STUDENTS WHO HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT MEDICAL CARE NEEDS THAT THEY MAY HAVE FROM, SAY, TYPE ONE DIABETES AS SICKLE CELL DISEASE, A MORE COMPLICATED CARE REQUIRING TUBE FEEDINGS AND CLEANING OF THEIR TRACH TUBE. AND IT IS JUST SO IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE SAFE, INCLUDING OUR STUDENTS WITH MEDICAL NEEDS AS WELL. AND I WORRY AT TIMES THAT AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR BUDGETS AND DATA, THAT WE'RE FORGETTING ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE BEHIND THESE NUMBERS AND THE LIVED EXPERIENCE THEY HAVE EVERY DAY. THAT IS BEHIND THESE NUMBERS AND ENSURING THAT WE'RE THINKING OF THAT WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT OUR BUDGETS AND OUR DATA. AND I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST SHARE WHAT A COUPLE SCHOOL NURSES SHARED WITH ME ABOUT ONE DAY THAT THEY HAD AT THE HEALTH ROOM, AND AN RN WILL HAVE ANYWHERE FROM 2 TO 4 SCHOOLS THAT THEY OVERSEE. AND IN A HEALTH ROOM, YOU MAY HAVE A HEALTH ROOM TECHNICIAN OR AN LPN. THESE ARE DIFFERENT SCOPES OF RESPONSIBILITY. SO IN ONE OF HER HEALTH ROOMS, THEY HAD OVER 50 KIDS. THEY SAW THAT DAY. THEY HAD 20 MORE MED PASSES. THEY HAD EMERGENCIES THEY HAD TO RESPOND TO, AND STILL GETTING CALLS ON THE WALKIE TALKIE FOR A PLAYGROUND AND FOR A CLASSROOM, WHILE ALSO GETTING CALLS FROM THE OTHER HEALTH ROOM, TECH AND THE OTHER SCHOOLS FOR GUIDANCE AND DELEGATION. AND THIS IS A SIMILAR SORT OF SITUATION WE FIND MANY OF OUR TEACHERS ARE IN AS WELL. AND SO BEING MINDFUL OF DATA AND OUR BUDGET NUMBERS ARE ACTUALLY PEOPLE WITH A LIVED EXPERIENCE. AND WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF OUR STUDENTS. WE'RE TAKING CARE OF OUR COMMUNITIES. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE SCHOOL NURSES, THE HRTS, THE GNAS THE CNAS, AND THE LPNS WHO ARE ALL THERE TO HELP OUR STUDENTS GET THROUGH EACH AND EVERY DAY SAFELY, GET BACK HOME TO THEIR PARENTS, ENJOY A NICE DINNER, GET THEIR HOMEWORK DONE, AND ALL THE THINGS WE WANT FOR THEM. SO THANK YOU TO THE TEACHERS, THE NURSES, AND THE SCHOOL NURSES. THANK YOU, MISS BRENNAN. THANK YOU. LAST MEETING, THIS BOARD VOTED TO APPROVE ALLOWING FLAGS AND BANNERS TO BE FLOWN IN OUR SCHOOLS. OTHER THAN THE MARYLAND FLAG AND THE US FLAG, LIKE MOST THINGS THAT THIS BOARD DOES, WE LATCH ON TO THE MOST INNOCUOUS SOUNDING REASON, AND WE USE THAT TO HIDE OUR TRUE MOTIVES. THE LANGUAGE OF THE POLICY GAVE EXAMPLES LIKE WANTING TO HANG UP A BANNER CELEBRATING SOME MEASURE OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. SO ON PAPER IT'S WRITTEN AS IF IT'S NO BIG DEAL. IN PRACTICE, THOUGH, IT WAS ADMITTED THAT IT WAS SPECIFICALLY WRITTEN TO MAKE SURE THAT TEACHERS COULD DISPLAY THEIR OWN POLITICAL LEANINGS IN THEIR CLASSROOMS UNDER THE GUISE OF SOCIAL JUSTICE OR INCLUSION OR WELCOMING. THIS POLICY WAS EXACTLY WHAT PREDATORY ORGANIZATIONS LIKE PFLAG, THE TREVOR PROJECT AND GLEASON HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR FOR YEARS. THE PURPOSE OF THE POLICY, AS PREVIOUSLY WRITTEN, WAS TO KEEP POLITICS AND SOCIAL ISSUES OUT OF OUR CLASSROOMS. RECOGNIZING THAT OUR STUDENTS COME FROM A VERY DIVERSE BACKGROUND AND DO NOT SHARE THE SAME POLITICS, POLICY GOALS, VALUES, OR FAITH, I THINK THAT A TEACHER DISPLAYING ALLEGIANCE TO VARIOUS SOCIAL POLICY LEANINGS IN A CLASSROOM SHOULD BE VIEWED AS [01:50:03] AN INFRINGEMENT ON THE STUDENT'S RIGHTS. NOT ONLY DOES IT QUELL FREE SPEECH IN THE CLASSROOM, BUT IT COULD RESULT IN STUDENTS PERCEIVING THAT THE TEACHER MAY HOLD A BIAS AGAINST THEM IF THE STUDENT HOLDS OPPOSING VIEWS AND TEACH THE STUDENT THAT THEY NEED TO KEEP THOSE VIEWS QUIET. ADDITIONALLY, I THINK THAT IT ACTUALLY VIOLATES THE DECISION, AS LAID OUT IN MAHMOOD V TAYLOR. IN HIS DECISION, JUSTICE JUSTICE ALITO DESCRIBED THAT IT WASN'T THE MERE EXPOSURE, BUT THE POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT OF IDEAS THAT COULD BE CONTRADICTORY TO A PARENT'S BELIEFS. IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THERE'S ANYTHING MORE POSITIVELY REINFORCING THAN WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO DECORATE YOUR CLASSROOM WALLS WITH. GENERALLY, I TRY TO TO AVOID BEING OVERTLY POLITICAL AND NOT ADDRESS MY PERSONAL SOCIAL POLICY POSITIONS. BUT SINCE IT'S FINE FOR OUR STUDENTS TO BE SUBJECTED TO THE SOCIAL POLICY POSITIONS OF THEIR TEACHERS, I FELT LIKE THERE WAS REALLY NO NEED NOT TO DISPLAY MINE. ONE OF THE REASONS GIVEN FOR ADDING THESE FLAGS AND BANNERS WERE THAT THEY WERE ABOUT INCLUSION AND WELCOMING. AND SO ONE OF THE FLAGS THAT I BROUGHT TONIGHT WAS THE PRO-LIFE FLAG, BECAUSE I CAN'T IMAGINE ANYTHING MORE ABOUT INCLUSION OR WELCOMING THAN MAKING SURE EVERY CHILD HAS A RIGHT TO BE BORN. BUT. IN THE END, I THINK THAT THE MOST CONCERNING ASPECT OF THIS IS HOW STUDENTS ARE GOING TO PERCEIVE WHAT THEIR TEACHERS HOLD AS POLICY POSITIONS, AND HOW THAT IS UNINTENTIONALLY GOING TO IMPACT THEIR ABILITY TO BE THEMSELVES OR TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES FREELY IN THE CLASSROOM. AND I THINK THAT THIS FLAG POLICY WAS A BIG MISTAKE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, MISS YOHO. SO I SPENT AN HOUR ON THE PHONE WITH QUICKBOOKS TODAY, WHICH HAD ME REALLY, REALLY FRAZZLED. AND ALL THEY DID WAS TRY TO SELL ME SOMETHING I DIDN'T WANT. SO I'M TRYING TO MOVE ON AND TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK AND NICE THINGS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, AS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT NURSES MISS MONIER, MY THOUGHTS KEPT GOING BACK TO. YEAH. AND GUESS WHO USED TO DO ALL OF THAT? THE SCHOOL SECRETARY. SO, YOU KNOW, WHO LOVES NURSES, ESPECIALLY A LOT OF STUDENTS DO AS WELL BECAUSE THEY LIKE TO GO SPEND TIME THERE, BUT IT'S THE SCHOOL SECRETARIES BECAUSE THEY USED TO HAVE TO DO ALL THAT. UNBELIEVABLE THAT WE WOULD PUT THE HEALTH CARE AND PUT THAT ON THEM. SO THINGS ARE MUCH BETTER NOW. WE NEED TO GET THEM UP TO HAVING A REASONABLE CASELOAD, OF COURSE. SO MY BEST FRIEND FROM HIGH SCHOOL IS, IS A NURSE AND WE TALK A LOT ABOUT ALL THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN NURSES AND TEACHERS AND THE, THE JUST THE EMOTIONAL ASPECT OF IT. AND ALSO I DO WANT TO THANK ALL THE EDUCATORS AND TEACHERS, SUPPORT STAFF AND ADMINISTRATORS. WE KNOW HOW CRUCIAL HAVING A GOOD ADMINISTRATOR IN THE BUILDING IS TO REALLY THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF THE WHOLE STAFF. AND SO EVERYBODY WORKS TOGETHER TO DO THE BEST FOR OUR STUDENTS. A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE SAY TO US, OH, YOU'RE ON THE BOARD. THAT IS SUCH A THANKLESS JOB. AND FRANKLY, YEAH, THERE ARE PARTS OF IT WE ALL DON'T LOVE. BUT I GET THANKED EVERY TIME I GO INTO A SCHOOL. AND SO THANK YOU FOR THANKING ME AND APPRECIATING. AND I ACTUALLY LOVE BEING ON THE BOARD OF ED. AND I'LL GET EMOTIONAL AND I'VE GOT SIX MONTHS STILL TO, TO DO THAT. BUT I LOVE THIS JOB. AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S NICE WHEN PEOPLE APPRECIATE, BUT IT'S REALLY NOT AS BAD AS PEOPLE THINK IT IS. A COUPLE OF THINGS IN THE LAST MINUTE CAPSTONE FROM THE ACADEMY FOR THE FINE ARTS. AMAZING. ARBOR DAY WAS SO MUCH FUN AT WHITTIER. THE CTC AWARDS. I GOT TO MENTION MORE ABOUT THIS, BUT I WANT TO SAY THE TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARDS WAS WAS GREAT. MY BEST FRIEND FROM COLLEGE, HER DAUGHTER IN LAW IS A TEACHER IN THIS COUNTY, AND HER SON CAME UP TO ME. I RECOGNIZED HIM RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE OF THE CHRISTMAS PICTURES ALL ALL THROUGH THE YEARS AND AND ALL BUT CTC. KARLA ESHELMAN FROM THE CTC IS RETIRING. MR. CONCEPCION GOT HER UP ON THE STAGE. IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO THE CTC, MISS ESHELMAN IS THE WARMEST, MOST WELCOMING PERSON IN THE ENTIRE SYSTEM. GO STOP BY AND SAY HI. BOARD MEMBERS BEFORE SHE RETIRES BECAUSE SHE'S GOING TO BE MISSED BIG TIME. AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT WE HAD AN ORIENTATION FOR ALL THE BOARD CANDIDATES. 13 OF THE 14 SHOWED UP AND IT WAS GOOD. THE ONLY ONE THAT WASN'T THERE WAS MISS DAY BECAUSE SHE WAS IN HOUSTON WITH HER ROBOTICS GROUP. SO CONGRATULATIONS. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THEY DID VERY, VERY WELL. BUT YOU KNOW, GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS. WE HAD BOARD CANDIDATES. SORRY. WE HAD SOME VERY GOOD QUESTIONS AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD EVENT. [01:55:03] ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MISS GALLAGHER. THANK YOU. I WILL ALSO START BY SAYING HAPPY TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK. IT SHOULD BE HAPPY APPRECIATION TEACHER APPRECIATION DAY. EVERY DAY. YOU HAVE MY APPRECIATION DAILY, NOT JUST THIS WEEK. AND I THINK THAT GOES WITHOUT SAYING FOR THE REST OF THE BOARD. I WAS ALSO AT THE TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARDS. WHICH SEEMS LIKE IT WAS EONS AGO. I THINK IT WAS ONLY LAST WEEK, BUT DEFINITELY WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MISS SOUDER FROM PARKWAY, WHO IS THE CPS TEACHER OF THE YEAR. MISS MONIER, MISS YOHO MR. ROSE AND MYSELF WERE ALL THERE, AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF STAFF MEMBERS AND ADMINISTRATORS. I THINK WE ALL GOT A LITTLE BIT EMOTIONAL WATCHING SOME OF THE TEACHER VIDEOS OF THE FINALISTS WHO ARE JUST DOING AMAZING WORK WITH OUR STUDENTS EVERY SINGLE DAY. SO I WAS GLAD TO TO BE ABLE TO BE THERE AND CELEBRATE WITH THEM. I ALSO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MR. KURTZ ON THE AFA CAPSTONE PROJECTS WERE AMAZING. I GOT TO SIT IN ON, I THINK 3 OR 4 STUDENT PRESENTATIONS AND THEIR TALENT IS JUST OUTSTANDING. REALLY A GOOD REMINDER OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ARTS FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS AND THE WAYS THAT, THAT KEEPS THEM ENGAGED IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS IN THE ACADEMICS. SEVERAL OF US, MR. WILSON, MR. ROSE AND MYSELF ALSO WERE AT THE COUNTY COUNCIL. I THINK THAT WAS JUST YESTERDAY AGAIN. IT FEELS LIKE IT WAS A WEEK AGO. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE EDUCATORS WHO CAME OUT TO REALLY ADVOCATE FOR THE FUNDING FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. WE, I ACTUALLY HAVE A LOT OF STATS AROUND INFLATION COSTS THAT WE HAVE HAD TO STRUGGLE TO, TO COVER OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS IN COMPARISON OF OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION GROWTH AS WELL. OUR STUDENT NEEDS ARE INCREASING EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND THERE ARE A LOT OF RESOURCES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN COVER THOSE NEEDS. SO DOCTOR DYSON MENTIONED THE LAUNDRY FOR OUR STUDENTS. SOMETHING THAT MAYBE MANY OF US DON'T NECESSARILY THINK ABOUT, BUT THERE ARE RESOURCES THAT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES NEED. AND OFTEN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE ABLE TO COME TOGETHER AND MEET THOSE NEEDS. AND THEN FINALLY, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO MISS MONIER. SHE WAS ABLE TO JOIN ME THIS MORNING IMPROMPTU ON OUR CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION MEETING. WHICH HAD TWO EXCELLENT PRESENTATIONS ON OUR MULTILINGUAL INSTRUCTION AND INTERVENTIONS ON MATH AND OUR MULTI-TIERED SYSTEM OF SUPPORT WHERE WE FOCUSED ON MATH AND READING INTERVENTION. SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR BEING ABLE TO JOIN ME ON THAT. I THINK THAT'S IT. I'LL SAVE THE REST OF MY COMMENTS FOR BUDGET DISCUSSION. OKAY. I'LL USE YOUR 15 SECONDS. NOW, I TOO WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR TEACHERS. JUST JUST AMAZING. MY MY NIECE IS A TEACHER. SHE'S AMAZING. AND JUST SO HAPPENS, MY DAUGHTER IS A NURSE. SO GO NURSES TOO TEACHER OF THE YEAR CELEBRATION ON FRIDAY. FANTASTIC. EVERY TIME I GO TO ONE OF THESE CELEBRATIONS, WITHOUT QUESTION, AT LEAST ONE, SOMETIMES TWO TEACHERS, WHILE THEY'RE SHAKING MY HAND, ASK ME, HOW IS HOLLAND? WHO IS MY DAUGHTER? AND IT'S BEEN 11 YEARS SINCE SHE GRADUATED. SO I OFTEN WONDER, DO THEY REMEMBER HER FOR THE RIGHT REASONS OR NOT? BECAUSE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, ALMOST EVERY OTHER DAY, SHE CAME HOME. BACK THEN, THE PINK COPY CAME HOME WITH THE STUDENT. SO ALMOST EVERY OTHER DAY SHE CAME HOME WITH A PINK COPY FROM THE NURSE'S OFFICE, WHERE SHE HAD JUST CHECKED IN WITH THE NURSE'S OFFICE. AND IRONICALLY, SHE BECAME A NURSE. SO I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS THAT WAS INTERESTING. BUT IT WAS A GREAT EVENT. AND IT JUST KEEPS GOING. IT HITS KEEP COMING. SO BECAUSE TODAY I HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE, I'M A MEMBER OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF CARROLL CREEK AND WE ARE PARTNERS WITH LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. SO THIS MORNING WE HELD OUR MEETING AT LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND WE RECOGNIZE THE ROTARY CLUB OF CARROLL CREEK TEACHER OF THE YEAR AND STUDENT OF THE YEAR. AND I JUST WANTED TO SHOUT OUT TO AMY HENNIG AS SHE IS THE ROTARY CLUB OF CARROLL CREEK LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER OF THE YEAR. SHE'S A SPECIAL EDUCATOR. SHE'S AWESOME. AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS KIND OF IRONIC BECAUSE OUR TEACHER OF THE YEAR AND STATE TEACHER OF THE YEAR, ALANA SWORD PER YEAR WAS PRESENT. AND I WAS LIKE, WELL, THAT WAS VERY NICE OF YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND I THOUGHT THEY WERE COLLEGE ROOMMATES. AND I THOUGHT, WOW, WHAT WENT ON IN THAT COLLEGE DORM THAT DEVELOPED TWO AMAZING EDUCATORS. SO JUST VERY PROUD TO BE THERE. WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO ZOE MORENO, WHO WAS THE FIFTH GRADER, AND SHE IS THE LINCOLN STUDENT OF THE YEAR FOR ROTARY CLUB OF CARROLL CREEK. [02:00:05] SO I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE, PROVIDE FUNDING, WE PROVIDE BOOKS. WE PROVIDE A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS IN THAT SCHOOL. WE HAVE A GENTLEMAN THAT'S A FORMER PAST PRESIDENT OF THE ROTARY CLUB, FRANK FRED GANO. HIS SON IS A TEACHER AT LINCOLN, BUT FRED HAS BEEN A VOLUNTEER AT LINCOLN FOR GOING ON 15 PLUS YEARS. HE HE JUST GIVES LINCOLN A SHOUT OUT ALL THE TIME. HE'S AMAZING. I WANT TO THANK PRINCIPAL DOCTOR MICHELLE BAZZI COMMUNITY SCHOOL COORDINATOR CROSBY BLAIR, FOR ALSO PROVIDING ME SOME OTHER INFORMATION THAT WAS GOING ON THERE. AND THEN I WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO HEATHER QUILL. SHE IS ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING SCHOOL COUNSELORS WE HAVE IN OUR SYSTEM. AND SHE'S GOING TO BE RETIRING AT THE END OF THIS YEAR AFTER 35 YEARS. SO SHE'S SHE'S AMAZING. WE'RE GOING TO MISS HER, BUT SHE'S GOT BIG PLANS AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT SHE'S GOING TO DO IN HER SECOND CHAPTER. BUT I WANTED TO ADD ONE THING. OUR TITLE ONE FUNDING, WE JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF AGO IS BEING CUT BY $4.5 MILLION. AND SO I SAT THERE IN THAT SCHOOL THIS MORNING, ONE OF OUR TITLE ONE SCHOOLS COMMUNITY SCHOOL, JUDY CENTER, OUR NEEDIEST STUDENTS. AND YET THEY CHOOSE TO TARGET OUR TITLE ONE SCHOOLS WITH CUTS. IT'S NOT ONLY FISCALLY UNSOUND AND IRRESPONSIBLE, IT'S IMMORAL. SO I WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE AT EVERY LEVEL FOR THESE STUDENTS, AND I HOPE YOU WILL JOIN ME IN DOING THAT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO OUR ACTION CONSENT STAFFING CHANGES. [4. Regular Meeting - Action Consent] DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE ACTION. CONSENT MOTION TO APPROVE MISS GALLAGHER SECOND MR. WILSON. ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS. ALL MEMBERS PRESENT, PLUS THE STUDENT MEMBER. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO OUR BOARD ITEMS 5.01 STRATEGIC PLAN KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS REPORTING GOAL TWO. [5.01 Strategic Plan Key Performance Indicator Reporting Goal 2 (KPI 7, KPI 8, KPI 9)] THIS IS INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION AND ALWAYS ONE OF MY FAVORITE DISCUSSIONS. I'LL TRY TO KEEP IT SHORT. OKAY. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT ROSE, VICE PRESIDENT GALLAGHER, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF ED, DOCTOR DYSON. MY NAME IS DOCTOR SARAH SIRGO. I SERVE AS CHIEF OF STAFF FOR FREDERICK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. AND IN MY BODY OF RESPONSIBILITIES, I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF ALSO PROVIDING THE EXECUTIVE OVERSIGHT FOR THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT. AND WE DO A LOT OF WONDERFUL WORK IN HUMAN RESOURCES, MOST IMPORTANT AMONG THEM TAKING CARE OF OUR PEOPLE. AND SO I'M VERY PLEASED TO HAVE OUR TEAM WITH YOU THIS EVENING TO WALK YOU THROUGH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. UPDATE AROUND GOAL TWO, WE HAVE THREE KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS THAT WE'RE GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH. ONE OF THE THINGS I'D LIKE TO START BY DOING IS INTRODUCING OUR TEAM. SO WE HAVE MISS JULIE NGUYEN, WHO IS OUR DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES. WE HAVE MISS NICOLE SAINT LOUIS, WHO IS OUR SENIOR MANAGER OF TALENT ACQUISITION FOR OUR SUPPORT STAFF. AND WE HAVE MRS. GINA KEEFER, WHO IS OUR SENIOR MANAGER OF TALENT ACQUISITION FOR OUR CERTIFICATED STAFF. AND THESE ARE THE LEADERS WHO OVERSEE THE WORK THAT WE DO TO RECRUIT, HIRE AND RETAIN THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST BECAUSE OUR NUMBER ONE STRATEGY AS AN ORGANIZATION IS OUR PEOPLE. AND WE KNOW THAT A GREAT HIRE MAKES A GREAT DIFFERENCE FOR THE OUTCOMES THAT WE HAVE AS A SYSTEM. AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WALKING YOU THROUGH THE DATA THAT WE'VE COLLECTED TO SHARE WITH YOU THIS EVENING. SO WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO GO OVER SORT OF THREE MAIN THINGS. WE'RE GOING TO START BY GOING OVER THE REQUIRED REPORTING. THAT'S PART OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. WE HAVE THREE KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS THAT ARE PART OF THE BOARD'S OVERALL GOALS AND OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE, AND HOW WE DO THAT WORK. WE'RE GOING TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT THAT. WE'RE GOING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOME OTHER DATA THAT WE'VE COLLECTED THAT WE KNOW IS OF INTEREST TO THE BOARD IN OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR STAFF AROUND THE WORK THAT WE DO, AND THEN TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOME OF OUR STRATEGIC EFFORTS AROUND GROW YOUR OWN AND AROUND RECRUITMENT AND THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING EVERY DAY JUST TO BEGIN AND FRAME OUR CONVERSATION. WE'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU ABOUT THE ALIGNMENT THAT WE HAVE. AND SO DOCTOR DYSON SAYS, OFTEN SAYS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE WE SPEAK TO TO MANY MASTERS. WE HAVE MANY BODIES OF WORK, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, REGULATORY AGENCIES THAT SORT OF DRIVE THE WORK THAT WE DO. AND THE MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS, OF COURSE, ONE OF THOSE KEY ORGANIZATIONS. THEY HAD RECENTLY UPDATED THEIR STRATEGIC PLAN. AND SO WE WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT OUR KPIS, OUR KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, THIS YEAR TO ENSURE ALIGNMENT. SO WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN HERE IS THE ALIGNMENT BETWEEN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, WHICH IS THE DIRECT LANGUAGE FROM MSDE'S STRATEGIC PLAN. [02:05:08] THESE ARE THE THINGS THEY'RE HOLDING US TO. THEY'RE REPORTING ON THIS FOR EVERY SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE STATE. WE BELIEVE THAT BY MONITORING THIS WORK, WE ARE GOING TO ACHIEVE ALL OF THOSE GOALS. BUT YOU WILL SEE SOME DIFFERENCES IN THE FREDERICK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS STRATEGIC PLAN, KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS. AND THAT'S BECAUSE YOU'LL SEE IN THE LANGUAGE OF MSDE, THEY'RE VERY FOCUSED ON TEACHERS AND WE THINK THAT'S WONDERFUL. BUT AS A SYSTEM WE HAVE A BROADER FOCUS. WE ARE ALSO INTERESTED IN OUR SUPPORT STAFF, WE'RE INTERESTED IN OUR LEADERS. AND SO MANY OF OUR KPIS HAVE BEEN SLIGHTLY MODIFIED TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE OF ALL THE EMPLOYEE GROUPS THAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN MONITORING. AND SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MISS NGUYEN TO WALK YOU THROUGH WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO. HI. GOOD EVENING. SO TO KIND OF SET THE STAGE AND GIVE YOU A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE, MARYLAND EMPLOYEES, OVER 64,000 TEACHERS IN THE STATE AND 65% OF THOSE ARE EMPLOYED IN THE TOP SCHOOL SYSTEMS AT SIX SCHOOL SYSTEMS. AS YOU CAN SEE, FREDERICK COUNTY IS THE SEVENTH SCHOOL SYSTEM, SEVENTH LARGEST, AND WE EMPLOY APPROXIMATELY 5% OF THE WORKFORCE FOR TEACHERS IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND. THIS PERSPECTIVE HELPS TO FRAME WHY OUR STAFFING STRATEGIES NEED TO BE LOCALLY RESPONSIVE AND REGIONALLY COMPETITIVE. BECAUSE ALL OF OUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS ARE FIGHTING FOR THOSE SAME NUMBER OF TEACHERS THAT COME OUT EACH YEAR. SO IF YOU BEGIN TO LOOK AT OUR STAFF DEMOGRAPHICS, YOU CAN SEE ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEE GROUPS, OUR WHITE STAFF MEMBERS REPRESENT THE VAST MAJORITY, THE ADMINISTRATOR AND THE TEACHER GROUPS. AS YOU CAN SEE THROUGH OUR FOCUS AND OUR TEACHER UNIT FCTA SHOW SIMILAR DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILES, SUGGESTING THAT THE DEMOGRAPHIC MAKEUP BETWEEN THOSE TWO GROUPS IN BOTH THE LEADERSHIP AND THE CLASSROOM ARE NEARLY IDENTICAL. OUR SUPPORT EMPLOYEE GROUP REFLECTS OUR MOST DEMOGRAPHICALLY DIVERSE SEGMENT OF OUR WORKFORCE, AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US BECAUSE WE'VE BEGUN WORKING ON THE GROW YOUR OWN INITIATIVES, AND WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THOSE AREAS TO HELP EXPAND THE DIVERSITY OF OUR WORKFORCE. SO AS WE LOOK AT KPI SEVEN, IT'S A REPRESENTATION OF ALL OF OUR SCHOOL BASED STAFF. IT FOCUSES ON THE EMPLOYEES OF COLOR ACROSS ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEE UNITS. WE ARE SEEING STEADY GROWTH, POSITIVE GROWTH AMONG OUR CERTIFICATED STAFF. WE'RE INCREASING IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA. OUR SUPPORT STAFF ALSO HAVE DEMONSTRATED A STRONG GAIN AS WELL. HOWEVER, REPRESENTATION AMONG OUR ADMINISTRATORS AND OUR SUPERVISORS HAS DECLINED SLIGHTLY. KPI EIGHT FOCUSES ON THE STABILITY OF OUR RETENTION AND OUR WORKFORCE. SO KPI EIGHT LOOKS AT THE OVERALL RETENTION RATES REFLECTED ON THE SCREEN. YOU CAN SEE THE STEADY PROGRESS. PEOPLE WHO COME HERE TYPICALLY TEND TO STAY HERE YEAR OVER YEAR. LAST YEAR, ALL OF THE STAFF THAT WE HIRED, 64% WERE TENURED OR EXPERIENCED EDUCATORS FROM OTHER SCHOOL SYSTEMS. TYPICALLY, A HEALTHY EMPLOYEE RETENTION RATE IS APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 90%, MEANING THAT NINE OUT OF TEN TEACHERS COME BACK THE NEXT YEAR AND RETURN TO THEIR SCHOOL FOR THE FOLLOWING ACADEMIC YEAR. WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON OUR EMPLOYEE RETENTION RATES AND SPECIFICALLY LOOK AT THOSE OF OUR NEW TEACHERS AND OUR TEACHERS OF COLOR. AS WE KNOW THAT THESE AREAS ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR TEACHER RETENTION RATES. WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND RESEARCHERS ON A PROJECT TO EXPLORE TEACHER RETENTION AS WELL. AND AS WE DIVE INTO A CLOSER LOOK AT OUR RETENTION, WE CONTINUE TO EXPLORE REASONS WHY EMPLOYEES LEAVE FCPS. WE DO HAVE AN EMPLOYEE EXIT SURVEY THAT WE USE. IT PROVIDES PROVIDES US VALUABLE DATA TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHY EMPLOYEES ARE LEAVING. SO EVERY EMPLOYEE HAS TO COMPLETE AN EMPLOYEE STATUS CHANGE FORM WHEN THEY LEAVE. A REASON FOR DEPARTING THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS REQUIRED BY MSDE, BUT OUR EMPLOYEE EXIT SURVEY PROVIDES A MORE IN DEPTH OPPORTUNITY TO FIND OUT WHY THEY'RE LEAVING THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, JUST BEYOND WHAT PRE-SELECTED OPTIONS EXIST FOR REPORTING PURPOSES. OUR DATA HAS SHOWN THAT OVERWHELMINGLY OUR CERTIFICATED EMPLOYEES ARE LEAVING DUE TO RETIREMENTS. HOWEVER, THERE ARE OTHER REASONS THAT THEY'VE NOTED IN THE EXIT SURVEY. THIS PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SHARE MORE ABOUT OR I'M SORRY, TO GAIN MORE INFORMATION WHEN THEY SHARE ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL REASONS FOR LEAVING. ON OUR SUPPORT SIDE, WE CAN SEE THAT THE SIMILAR PATTERN EXISTS. ALTHOUGH OUR EXIT SURVEY DATA INDICATES THAT MOST OF OUR SUPPORT STAFF ARE LEAVING FOR 12 MONTH WORK AND OR OUTSIDE OF THE PUBLIC EDUCATION INDUSTRY, WHICH DOES PROVIDE LARGER COMPENSATION INCREASES. AS A SIDE NOTE, A THIRD OF OUR WORKFORCE IS ELIGIBLE FOR RETIREMENT. ALL RIGHT. WE CONTINUE TO RELY ON CONDITIONAL TEACHERS, CONDITIONAL CONDITIONAL HIRES DUE TO SOME SHORTAGE AREAS, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS WE USED TO, WHICH I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IN THE NEXT SLIDE. [02:10:03] AND CONDITIONAL CERTIFICATES ARE NOT ISSUED BY MSDE. THEY'RE ISSUED BY THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM. ONCE AN OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT HAS BEEN MADE. WE'RE FIRST OBLIGATED TO FILL OUR VACANCIES WITH FULLY LICENSED TEACHERS. AND IT'S AFTER WE HAVE EXHAUSTED THAT POOL, THAT WE CAN THEN BEGIN TO LOOK AT THOSE WHO WOULD BE CONDITIONAL. THEY MUST HAVE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE TO QUALIFY FOR A CONDITIONAL CERTIFICATE. AND A LOT OF OUR CONDITIONAL TEACHERS ARE ONLY MISSING THE TESTING THAT THEY NEED TO TAKE. WE DO HAVE CURRENT SUPPORTS IN PLACE FOR THOSE CONDITIONAL CERTIFICATE HOLDERS. ONE OF THOSE SUPPORTS IS OUR, IT'S A DIFFERENTIATED SUPPORT WITH OUR PARTNERS IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING. THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR OUR TUITION BENEFITS AND WE PAY FOR THEIR PRAXIS TEST FEES. THE CERTIFICATION TEAM PROVIDES AN ONGOING GUIDANCE WITH THEM, EITHER IN A GROUP OR A ONE ON ONE SETTING. AND THEN WE HAVE OUR BECOME CERTIFICATED NIGHTS WHERE WE TARGET OUR CONDITIONAL TEACHERS AND LET THEM KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY NEED THEMSELVES INDIVIDUALLY TO GET THAT, TO GET THAT LICENSE. THE CONDITIONAL NUMBERS ARE ALWAYS A MOVING TARGET. I'VE LISTED THEM HERE. I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THE SPECIAL EDUCATION NUMBER. IT'S NOT AN ADDITIONAL GROUP. THOSE ARE ALREADY INCLUDED WITHIN ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY BECAUSE THOSE SPECIAL EDUCATION CERTIFICATE HOLDERS ARE DUAL CERTIFIED IN EITHER ELEMENTARY OR SECONDARY AREA. SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT. ALL RIGHT. SO AS YOU CAN SEE THE TOP LINE THERE IN 2021 WE HIRED 131. WE HAD 131 CONDITIONAL HIRES. I'M SORRY, NOT CONDITIONAL HIRES CONDITIONAL TEACHERS THIS PAST YEAR. IN 2025, WE HAD 263. BUT YOU'LL SEE IN 2023 WE HAD 289. SO IT HAS COME DOWN, SO IT'S TRENDING BACK DOWN. WE'RE NOT RELYING ON THEM QUITE AS MUCH AS WE WERE IN THE PAST. ABOUT 21, 22% OF OUR CONDITIONALS ACHIEVE THAT FULLY LICENSED STATUS. AND I THINK THAT DOES REFLECT A STEADY, HEALTHY PROGRESSION TOWARD FULL CERTIFICATION OVER THE ALLOWABLE FIVE YEAR PERIOD OF TIME THAT THEY ARE GIVEN. AND THEN OUR, OUR FOCUS OBVIOUSLY IS MAKING SURE THAT THEY DO BECOME FULLY LICENSED. AND YOU'LL SEE HERE OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD LICENSURE. I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT 97.8% OF OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION TEACHERS ARE FULLY LICENSED. I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. AND THEN OUR NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION HAS STEADILY GROWN AND I'M SURE BECAUSE THE BLUEPRINT WILL SEE THAT CONTINUE TO RISE. OKAY. ON THIS SLIDE, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE TRENDS THAT IS HAPPENING OVER TIME WITH OUR RECRUIT AND HIRING FOR SUPPORT. THESE TRENDS REFLECT HOW WE'VE RESPONDED TO CHANGING CONDITIONS. DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE DID IMPLEMENT A REDUCTION IN FORCE, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO BRING THEM ALL BACK IN 2022. AND THEN BY RESTORING THOSE POSITIONS, AS WELL AS EXPANDING ROLES, INCLUDING CONVERTING OUR SCIAS TO BENEFITED BECAUSE WE HAD SEVERAL NON BENEFITED SENIORS. AND THEN WE ALSO DURING THAT TIME ADDED RESIDENT SUBSTITUTES AT ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS. GROWTH CONTINUED THROUGH TO 2023 WITH INCREASED ENROLLMENT AND THE WORKFORCE RETURN. AND THEN IN 2024, CLASS SIZE CHANGES REDUCED OUR STAFFING NEEDS. AND THEN ALSO STRONG RETENTION HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE LOWER HIRING THAT WE'VE HAD, WHICH REFLECTS A MORE STABLE WORKFORCE OVERALL. FOR CERTIFICATED, YOU'LL NOTICE IN 2023, WE HIRED 478 AND WE HAD THAT DECREASE DOWN TO 261 IN 2024. THAT WAS DUE TO THE CHANGE IN CLASS SIZE, AND YOU'LL NOTICE IT IS TRENDING BACK UPWARD. LAST YEAR WE HIRED 297. SO WE ARE SEEING MORE APPLICANTS AND MORE HIRES. SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET BACK OKAY ON THIS SLIDE WHAT YOU ARE SEEING IS OUR VACANCY TREND DATA. AND YOU CAN SEE WE STARTED AT 4.67%. THESE ARE OUR TOTAL VACANCIES. WHAT WE DID IS WE HAD TO TAKE IT IN A SNAPSHOT IN TIME. SO THIS IS TAKEN EQUIVALENT FROM JANUARY. AND WE WERE ABLE TO START TAKING. SO WE TAKE THOSE DATES OR EXCUSE ME, JANUARY SNAPSHOT OF HOW MANY VACANCIES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE. YOU WILL SEE THAT WE'VE STEADILY DECLINED AND IN DOWN TO 2.6%. IT REFLECTS A STRONG HIRING AND MORE STAFF IN PLACES AT OUR SCHOOLS. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I WANT TO SAY A HIGHER FILL RATE ALSO REDUCES OUR FLEXIBILITY DURING BUDGET REDUCTIONS. WHILE WE'VE SUCCESSFULLY PLACED ALL IMPACTED STAFF, FEWER VACANCIES MEAN FEWER OPTIONS AND LESS ABILITY TO ABSORB FUNDING [02:15:11] FUNDING CHANGES. EXCUSE ME. ALL RIGHT. THIS NEXT SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS OUR RECRUITMENT AND GROW YOUR OWN STRATEGIES THAT ARE DESIGNED TO BUILD AND SUSTAIN OUR FUTURE WORKFORCE OR GROW YOUR OWN EFFORTS ARE FOCUSED ON IDENTIFYING AND NURTURING OUR CURRENT STAFF MEMBERS, AS WELL AS COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND HELPING THEM TO BECOME CERTIFIED TEACHERS AND GIVING THEM PATHWAYS INTO CAREERS IN EDUCATION, INCLUDING OUR TEACHER ACADEMY PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE, AND ALSO OUR APPLICATION FOR THE MARYLAND GROW YOUR OWN GRANT, WHICH IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR, WE WERE 1 IN 13 IN MARYLAND TO RECEIVE THIS GRANT. IT WAS OVER $855,000 TO SUPPORT OUR EMPLOYEES AND COMMUNITY TO BECOME LICENSED TEACHERS WHILE STILL WORKING. SO THAT'S THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH MCDANIEL, WHERE OUR CONDITIONAL SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS CAN ENROLL IN A POST BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM TO BECOME FULLY LICENSED TEACHERS. SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND ON OUR CAREER DEVELOPMENT PATHWAYS FOR STAFF. LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE OUR BECOME AN EDUCATOR NIGHT WHERE WE SHARE THE CLEAR ROUTES INTO BECOMING HOW TO BECOME A TEACHER. THOSE ARE VERY WELL ATTENDED EVERY TIME WE HAVE THEM. SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THOSE. AND IT JUST SHOWS OUR COMMITMENT TO NOT ONLY RECRUITING EXTERNALLY, BUT INVESTING IN OUR GROWING TALENT FROM WITHIN FCPS. AND WITH THAT, WE ARE WELCOME. YOUR QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION. ALRIGHTY. QUESTIONS, MISS GALLAGHER. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I GUESS I'LL MAYBE START WITH A STATEMENT AND THEN GO INTO THE INTO MY QUESTION. I THINK WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT THE DIVERSITY OF OUR VARIOUS ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP IT'S DISAPPOINTING TO ME TO SEE THAT OUR ADMINISTRATIVE LEVEL POSITIONS ARE THAT WE HAVE SO FEW REPRESENTATION FROM INDIVIDUALS OF COLOR. AND THEN YOU COMPARE THAT, WHICH IS OUR HIGHEST PAID UNIT, GENERALLY SPEAKING, AND YOU COMPARE IT TO FACE WHERE WE HAVE OUR HIGHEST REPRESENTATION OF INDIVIDUALS OF COLOR, WHICH HISTORICALLY, TRADITIONALLY IS OUR LOWEST PAID EMPLOYEES. AND SO I KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN MAKING A LOT OF EFFORTS. AND I'M JUST AS A BOARD MEMBER, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE REALLY CLEAR ABOUT OUR GOALS AND PRIORITIES. AND FOR ME, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE ADMINISTRATORS IN OUR SCHOOLS THAT ARE REFLECTIVE OF THE DIVERSITY OF OUR STUDENTS. AND THE SAME THING GOES FOR OUR TEACHERS. AND SO I APPRECIATE OUR OUR GROW YOUR OWN PATHWAYS. AND I THINK THAT WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT IT'S CLEAR TO ME THAT THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK FOR US TO DO. AND SO I GUESS THAT LEADS INTO MY QUESTION. WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE NATIONAL LANDSCAPE OF INDIVIDUALS COMING INTO THE TEACHING AND EDUCATION PROFESSION, KNOWING THAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE GOING LOWER. AND I REALLY, I APPRECIATED THE, THE PHRASE WE NEED TO BE LOCALLY RESPONSIVE AND REGIONALLY COMPETITIVE. WHAT DO WE DO? WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO? WHAT ARE THE ADDITIONAL EFFORTS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE AS A SCHOOL SYSTEM TO REALLY ATTRACT AND RETAIN A DIVERSE WORKFORCE, CANDIDLY? SO I'LL START AND THEN I'LL HAVE MISS NGUYEN SORT OF ELABORATE. THERE'S SOME REALLY INTERESTING RESEARCH ON SOMETHING CALLED THE LEAKY PIPELINE, WHICH COMES OUT OF PENNSYLVANIA. AND IT REALLY TALKS ABOUT THIS IDEA THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT CAREERS LIKE EDUCATION, THAT PIPELINE STARTS WITH THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE, RIGHT? HOW DO I WHAT IS MY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE AS A STUDENT? AND TO WHAT EXTENT DO I SEE MYSELF REFLECTED IN THE EDUCATORS? TO WHAT EXTENT DO I HAVE A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE AS A STUDENT? HOW DOES THAT EXPERIENCE DRIVE MY INTEREST IN BECOMING AN EDUCATOR OR BEING A SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL? AND THAT THERE ARE UNFORTUNATELY, LOTS OF DIFFERENT PLACES WHERE THAT PIPELINE HAS HOLES AND WE LOSE PEOPLE, WE LOSE THEIR INTEREST OR THEIR DRIVE TO PURSUE EDUCATION AS A CAREER. AND SO TO SOME EXTENT, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE RESEARCH ON THE LEAKY PIPELINE, SCHOOL SYSTEMS ARE AT THE END, RIGHT? BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE HAD SO MANY SORT OF OTHER SORT OF CURVATURES IN THAT PIPE, RIGHT WHERE THE PIPE SORT OF TURNS, WHETHER IT BE THEIR SCHOOL EXPERIENCE, THEIR THEIR HIGHER EDUCATION EXPERIENCE, THEIR EARLY TEACHING OR EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCES. AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TRY TO DO IS TO SORT OF CULTIVATE THAT BELIEF ONCE THEY'RE HERE. AND SO WE'RE COMPETING FOR A VERY SMALL PROPORTION OF, AS MISS NGUYEN POINTED OUT, MOST OF THE EDUCATORS OF COLOR ARE WORKING IN ONE OF THREE SCHOOL SYSTEMS IN THE IN THE STATE. AND SO THE DENOMINATOR OF, OF, OF THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY LICENSED AND LOOKING FOR EDUCATION JOBS AND CHOOSING [02:20:10] FREDERICK IS LOW. AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S NECESSARILY ANYTHING THAT FREDERICK'S DOING. I THINK THAT'S SORT OF THE SORT OF THE RESEARCH ON AFFINITY GROUPS AND SORT OF THAT IDEA OF BEING DRAWN TO, TO HAVING A COHORT AND A PEER GROUP THAT YOU FEEL SUPPORTED BY. SO WE'RE DOING SOME WORK WITH THAT, WHICH I'LL CERTAINLY ASK MISS NGUYEN TO SPEAK TO, BECAUSE WE HAVE A STUDY AROUND THAT. BUT I THINK THE IDEA OF HAVING INCREASED DIVERSITY IN OUR ADMINISTRATOR WORKFORCE STARTS WITH OUR SUPPORT AND EDUCATOR WORKFORCE. IT STARTS WITH A PRINCIPAL LOOKING AT A TEACHER OF COLOR AND SAYING, I SEE A LEADER IN YOU. IT STARTS BY INVITING THEM TO BE A MEMBER OF THEIR LEADERSHIP TEAM. IT STARTS BY GIVING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE A BUILDING REP AND BE PART OF THE, OF THE, OF THE LEADERSHIP WORK AROUND ASSOCIATION RELATIONSHIPS. AND SO WE SORT OF DO THAT WORK ON THE BACK END OF IT. DOCTOR ALIVETO AND HER TEAM WORK DILIGENTLY TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN LEADERS OF COLOR. AND THAT IS ALWAYS A DRIVING INTEREST THAT WE, WE PURSUE WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT HIRING AND STAFFING OUR SCHOOLS. BUT I'LL CERTAINLY TURN OVER TO MISS NGUYEN TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE RESEARCH WE'RE DOING. HI. SO WE ARE PARTNERING WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND RESEARCHERS LOOKING AT SPECIFICALLY OUR TEACHER DIVERSITY. WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH THEM ON SOME RESEARCH PROJECTS AND ARE CONTINUING TO ASK ALL OF OUR TEACHERS IN OUR SCHOOLS TO BE A PART OF A RESEARCH PROJECT TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE AS AN EDUCATOR. WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH DOCTOR HARRIS'S TEAM TO CREATE AN EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUP WHERE THAT GROUP OF EDUCATORS CAN SAY WHAT THEY ARE INTERESTED IN, HOW THEY ARE SEEKING, HOW THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEEK OPPORTUNITIES TO BE INCLUDED. AS DOCTOR SIRGO MENTIONED IN THEIR SCHOOL'S LEADERSHIP TEAM, HOW WE CAN HELP SUPPORT THEM THROUGH SIMPLE THINGS AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, PREPARING THEIR RESUME AND PROVIDING INTERVIEW SUPPORT TO TO PREPARE AS PART OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS. GINA'S TEAM HAS ALSO WORKED TO CREATE A NEW OFFERING THIS YEAR ABOUT, WE DO BECOME AN EDUCATOR NIGHT. WE ARE ALSO DOING BECOME AN ADMINISTRATOR NIGHT. SO WE CAN TAP INTO THAT TEACHER POLL AND SAY, HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF BEING AN ADMINISTRATOR AND COME MEET WITH US TO SEE WHAT IT TAKES TO GO DOWN THAT PATHWAY AND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT IT? SO THOSE ARE SOME RESOURCES THAT WE'RE USING TO TRY AND GET OUR TEACHERS TO GROW INTO OUR LEADERS. WE ALSO HAVE THE GROW YOUR OWN AND THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WAS JUST MENTIONED WITH MCDANIEL COLLEGE TO HELP SOME OF OUR SUPPORT STAFF GROW INTO OUR NEW, NEW REGIME OF EDUCATORS, SO TO SPEAK. WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME CHALLENGES IN THAT PROCESS. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE TUITION AND THE COURSEWORK CAN BE A BIG CHALLENGE SO THAT GRANT HAS SOME FUNDING TO IT THAT WILL HELP PROVIDE THAT FOR OUR STAFF MEMBERS. WE ALSO ARE LOOKING AT CREATING A MENTORSHIP, BECAUSE WE KNOW GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF GETTING THAT DEGREE CAN BE AN EXCITING AND EXHILARATING PROCESS IN THE BEGINNING. BUT OVER TIME OF BEING IN THE SCHOOL WORK, WE RECOGNIZE THAT PEOPLE COULD COULD MEET CHALLENGES BETWEEN WORKING FULL TIME, HAVING A FAMILY, AND HOW DO YOU KEEP THAT MOMENTUM GOING TO FINISH THE FOUR YEAR DEGREE? SO WE'RE WORKING ON THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR TEAM AND DOCTOR HARRIS'S TEAM TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE SOME SUPPORTS IN PLACE AS WELL. THANK YOU, MISS YOHO. SO I SERVE AS THE MAY MARYLAND ASSOCIATION OF BOARDS OF EDUCATION, OUR STATE ORGANIZATION. I SERVE AS THE REPRESENTATIVE TO THE PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND TEACHER EDUCATION BOARD, AS DOES DOCTOR DYSON FOR AM AND PS DEB, I CALL IT OTHER PEOPLE CALL IT SOMETHING ELSE. BUT WE ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT HOW TO TAKE AWAY OBSTACLES WHILE STILL MAINTAINING HIGH STANDARDS FOR TEACHER LICENSURE. AND ONE OF THE PIECES OF DATA I REMEMBER IS THAT SO PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS IN COLLEGE OF COLOR TEND TO HAVE A LOWER RATE OF PASSAGE ON THE ASSESSMENTS AT THE FIRST TIME. AND THEN THEY KIND OF, BECAUSE IT'S MONEY AND IT'S TIME, THEY MAY NOT TRY A SECOND TIME. AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT THAT WILL COME UP. AND DARREN HORNBECK, TEACHER FROM LINGANORE, IS ONE OF THE CHAIRS. AND TO EBONY TERRELL SHOCKLEY FROM UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND IS THE VICE CHAIR CO-CHAIR, I THINK VICE CHAIR, I DON'T KNOW. THEY SERVE TOGETHER AND AND RUN IT. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS WE KIND OF LOOK AT. AND AND ALSO I'M JUST TRYING, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING ELSE THAT I CAME WITH THE RETENTION OF STAFF. OH, THAT'S I'M SORRY, I HAD SOMETHING ELSE I WAS GOING TO SAY. SO I'LL GO OFF OF THAT FOR A MINUTE. I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST RAN FOR BOARD AND THERE WAS AN EVENT AT ONE OF THE CHURCHES AND THE NAACP WAS SPONSORING THE EVENT AND A LOT OF IT, MIKE BENNETTSKY WAS THERE. HE WAS ON THE BOARD AT THE TIME, AND HE WAS, HE WAS THERE, FORMER FCPS CURRICULUM SPECIALIST, [02:25:07] AND JUST TALKING ABOUT HOW TO GET A MORE DIVERSE WORKFORCE. AND IN THE END, I ASKED A LOT OF THE PEOPLE, SO HAVE ANY OF YOU ASKED YOUR CHILDREN KIND OF CONVINCED THEM TO BE TEACHERS? NO, NOT AT ALL. AND I THINK THIS IS WHERE BLUEPRINT IS TRYING WITH THE 60,000, BUT GETTING THE STATUS OF TEACHERS UP AND THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WANT TO DO. SO, YOU KNOW, ANY OF THOSE KIND OF YOU KNOW, INITIATIVES THAT WE CAN TRY TO MAKE TEACHING. AND I KNOW THE TEACHER ACADEMY OF MARYLAND IS A WONDERFUL THING. BUT AND MY OTHER QUESTION, I FORGOT AND I APOLOGIZE. SO I WILL LET IT MOVE ON. ALL RIGHT. MR. WILSON, HOW ARE YOU DOING? SO I HAVE THE UNIQUE POSITION OF BEING A BLACK MALE EDUCATOR. AND IT'S A POSITION THAT I HOLD VERY DEAR TO MY HEART. BECAUSE GOING THROUGH SCHOOL, I NEVER HAD AN EDUCATOR THAT LOOKED LIKE ME. BUT WHEN WE'RE RECRUITING MINORITY EDUCATORS, THE BIGGEST, THE FIRST LARGE THING THAT I SAW WAS THE FACT THAT THE ADMINISTRATIVE POOL FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS IS 6.3%. HISPANICS LOOK LIKE 0.4. AM I MISSING THAT? IT'S ON THE BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR STUDENTS, OUR STUDENTS MAKE UP 14% OF THE POPULATION ARE HISPANIC STUDENTS ARE 21%. ONE OF THE BIGGEST DETERRENTS OF A MINORITY EDUCATOR IS WHEN YOU WALK INTO SCHOOL. AND LEADERSHIP DOES NOT REFLECT YOUR CULTURE OR LOOK LIKE YOU. IT'S. IT'S ALMOST AS IF YOU ARE WALKING INTO A PLACE WHERE YOU'RE NOT FEELING WELCOME. SO I DO WANT TO, YOU KNOW, ASK A COUPLE QUESTIONS. SO ONE OF THEM IS WHAT HAS BEEN THE REASONS, WHETHER IT'S BEEN POLICY, WHETHER IT'S BEEN AN INTERVIEW PROCESS THAT HAVE PROHIBITED MINORITY MINORITY EDUCATORS FROM ATTAINING OR BECOMING AN ADMINISTRATOR. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED IN YOUR EXIT TICKETS OR WHAT, WHAT CAN YOU DISCERN FROM YOUR HIRING PRACTICES THAT PREVENT A HIGHER NUMBER OF AFRICAN AMERICAN OR HISPANIC, LATINO OR AAPI ADMINISTRATORS IN FREDERICK COUNTY. SO I THINK ONE OF THE THE CHALLENGES THAT WE NOTICED WHEN WE START, WE LOOK AT OUR TEACHER POOLS SPECIFICALLY ARE THAT WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF, OF CANDIDATES OF COLOR THAT APPLY, BUT THE EDUCATOR CERTIFICATE IS THE CHALLENGE FOR THEM. THEY ARE INTERESTED IN BEING A TEACHER, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE CREDENTIALS TO EVEN, I THINK EVEN MEET THE CONDITIONAL LICENSURE PIECE. AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT GINA'S TEAM HAD NOTED. SO WE ARE DOING SOME TALENT SOURCING TO SEE IF WE CAN STILL GET THEM INTO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IN AN AREA, AND THEN SEE IF WE CAN WORK WITH THEM TO GET INTO THAT TUITION REIMBURSEMENT AND INTO THE GRANTS THAT WE HAVE AND ALL THE GROW YOUR OWN INITIATIVES SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR SCHOOL BASED ADMINISTRATORS. I THINK SOME OF THAT WORK IS STARTING TO COME OUT IN OUR EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUP. WE ARE PARTNERING WITH DOCTOR HARRIS'S TEAM IN OUR UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND RESEARCHERS TO EXPLORE WHY OUR TEACHERS OF COLOR MAY NOT HAVE FELT COMFORTABLE EITHER APPLYING OR HAD NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT. AND I THINK SOME OF THE CONVERSATION HAS SHOWN THAT CONVERSATION WITH OUR LEADERS TO DOCTOR SIRGO'S POINT NEEDS TO BE THE TAP ON THE SHOULDER SAYING, HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT GROWING YOUR CAREER AND BECOMING A, YOU KNOW, A LEADER AND FINDING PATHWAYS INTO OUR EDUCATOR LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS AND SUPPORTING THEM? SO THIS YEAR WE STARTED OUR EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUP THROUGH THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE SPECIFIC RESEARCH WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND AND OUR EMPLOYEES OF COLOR THAT PARTICIPATED IN THOSE LISTENING SESSIONS. AND THAT HAS REALLY CREATED A PLATFORM FOR OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH DOCTOR HARRIS'S GROUP TO IDENTIFY WAYS THAT WE CAN SUPPORT THOSE EDUCATORS IN THAT PROCESS. AND WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT DEVELOPING A AN AMBASSADOR PROGRAM WHERE WHEN WE HAVE NEW STAFF THAT COME TO FCPS, THIS WOULD KIND OF HELP WITH THE RETENTION PIECE TO MAKE SURE THAT ONCE THEY COME, THEY STAY AND THAT THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE IN IT, REGARDLESS OF WHATEVER ROLE THEY HOLD WITH OUR SYSTEM. SO MY NEXT QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, 50% OR MORE AT THIS POINT OF AFRICAN AMERICAN EDUCATORS GRADUATE FROM A HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE UNIVERSITY AND A MAJORITY OF OUR HISPANIC AND LATINO EDUCATORS WHO GRADUATE FROM HISPANIC SERVING INSTITUTIONS. WHAT ARE WE DOING CONNECTING OUR GROW YOUR OWN PROGRAMS TO OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE LEAVING TO GO TO AN HBCU? [02:30:06] AND ALSO, ON THE FLIP SIDE, WHAT ARE WHAT ARE OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH HBCUS HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTES? I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND. BUT WHERE'S OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HOWARDS? WHERE'S OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR BOWIE STATES? WHERE'S OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR LINCOLN? IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PENNSYLVANIA, THAT FUELS PENNSYLVANIA, NEW YORK FUELS MOST OF OUR EDUCATORS. DO WE HAVE A STRONG COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN OUR GROW OUR OWN PROGRAM AND OUR HUMAN RESOURCES WITH HBCUS AND HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTES? YES WE DO. WE'VE HAD A PARTNERSHIP WITH BOWIE STATE FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS. WE HAVE A REGULAR RELATIONSHIP WITH MORGAN STATE AND OTHERS. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO GO BACK TO THOUGH, IS SORT OF A REMINDER OF WHERE HR SITS IN THIS PROCESS, RIGHT? AND SO I THINK REALLY OUR STRATEGY, OUR WORKFORCE STRATEGY, I WANT TO GO BACK TO A DATA POINT MISS KEEFER SHARED, WHICH IS 64% OF OUR HIRES LAST YEAR WERE EXPERIENCED EDUCATORS FROM OTHER LEAS. WE ARE NOT GOING TO DIVERSIFY OR SOLVE ANY OF OUR WORKFORCE CHALLENGES THROUGH NEW TEACHERS, RIGHT? THERE AREN'T ENOUGH PEOPLE GOING INTO EDUCATION OR ENOUGH PEOPLE PURSUING EDUCATION, REGARDLESS OF YOUR RACE OR ETHNICITY. AND SO I THINK OUR STRATEGY IS, OF COURSE, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO CULTIVATE AND SUPPORT, GROW YOUR OWN. BUT OUR STRATEGY IS HEAVILY A RECRUITMENT STRATEGY AROUND WHAT WE OFFER IN TERMS OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE, IN TERMS OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, IN TERMS OF OPPORTUNITIES, WE HAVE A VERY GENEROUS TUITION REIMBURSEMENT, EDUCATION, EDUCATION CREDITS, OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEADERS. THERE'S, YOU KNOW, DOCTORAL STIPENDS, ALL KINDS OF THINGS. SO REALLY, WE'RE TRYING TO RECRUIT AND I JOKINGLY WILL OFTEN SAY TO DOCTOR OLIVETO, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE, A LOT OF EXPERIENCED LEADERS FROM OTHER SCHOOL SYSTEMS, SOMETIMES THEY RETIRE, THEY DECIDE THEY MISS THE PRINCIPALSHIP. THEY WANT TO COME BACK TO WORK. THEY SEEK US OUT. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE CHOOSING FCPS TO BE LEADERS IN. SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PURSUE THAT WORK. BUT WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PARTNERSHIPS WITH HBCUS. BUT I WANT TO GO BACK TO A POINT YOU MADE THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. ONE. I HAPPEN TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AND PRIVILEGE. I'VE TAUGHT ADJUNCT AT HOOD COLLEGE, AND I CURRENTLY TEACH ADJUNCT IN THE DOCTORAL PROGRAM AT BOWIE STATE. AND THROUGH THAT PARTNERSHIP, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOKED AT WAS EVERY FCPS GRADUATE, RIGHT? BECAUSE 75% OF OUR EMPLOYEES LIVE AND WORK HERE, RIGHT? THE I FORGOT THE TERM YOU USED, BUT THAT GEOGRAPHIC CONNECTION IS IMPORTANT. AND WE LOOKED AT ALL OF THE FCPS GRADUATES WHO ARE CURRENTLY ATTENDING BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY. AND HOW MANY OF THEM COULD WE. TALENT SOURCE FROM 0% OF THEM WERE PURSUING EDUCATION. AND SO AGAIN, I GO BACK TO SORT OF HOW CAN WE ENCOURAGE AND DRIVE PEOPLE TOWARDS PURSUING EDUCATION? THE PARTNERSHIPS IS ACTUALLY NOT OUR AREA OF NEED. IT'S HAVING A SORT OF A COHORT OF INDIVIDUALS WHO WANT TO BE TEACHERS WHO ARE AT THOSE UNIVERSITIES AND PURSUING EDUCATION, AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PURSUE THAT WORK TOGETHER. AND SO MY LAST POINT AND WHY I ASKED THAT IS BECAUSE I DO AGREE WITH YOU THAT IT IS LIKE YOU SAID, 64%, BUT THE TEACHERS THAT ARE TEACHING IN A PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY THAT ARE MINORITY EDUCATORS COME FROM. THOSE HBCUS AND TEACHERS TALK TO EACH OTHER. SO, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T ALL WE'RE NOT ALL IN A VACUUM. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PURSUING WHAT SCHOOL DISTRICT WE WANT TO TALK TO, WE TALK ABOUT IT'S OUR CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN THEIR AREAS, THEIR CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN THEIR SCHOOLS. SO EVEN IF WE ARE RECRUITING EDUCATORS AND ADMINISTRATORS FROM OTHER AREAS THE PARTNERSHIP WITH HBCU HELPS BECAUSE YOU COULD SAY, LISTEN, THIS IS MY BROTHER FROM HOWARD. WHY DON'T YOU COME UP TO FREDERICK COUNTY AND CHECK IT OUT? BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE THOSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO RECRUIT FROM THOSE OTHER LEAS. AND YOU KNOW, MY LAST POINT IS TO KIND OF BACK UP WITH MISS GALLAGHER SAYING, WHEN EDUCATORS TALK TO EACH OTHER AND WE SEE SOMETHING THAT SAYS, WELL, OUR SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE THE LOWEST ON OUR SALARY SCALE HAVE THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF DIVERSITY. IT SPEAKS TO THE CULTURE OF A SCHOOL DISTRICT SAYING THAT, WELL, IT'S OKAY TO COME IN AT THIS LEVEL, BUT IT'S NOT OKAY TO COME IN AT THAT LEVEL. AND I'M NOT SAYING BY ANY MEANS THAT WE'RE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING, BUT THAT'S A PERCEPTION RIGHT NOW OF FREDERICK COUNTY. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DIVERSITY AT THE DIFFERENT LEVELS, IF I AM A TEACHER THAT WANTS TO LIKE FOR MYSELF, I LIVE IN FREDERICK, I WORK IN MONTGOMERY. IF I WAS TO TOMORROW DECIDE I WANT TO GO TEACH SOMEWHERE ELSE, I'M GOING TO BE COMPARATIVE TO SEE DO I HAVE THE ABILITY TO MOVE UP? DO I HAVE THE ABILITY FOR LEADERSHIP? DO I HAVE THAT CULTURAL SUPPORT? DO I HAVE THE ABILITY TO AFFECT THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT? AM I GOING TO BE SAFE? AM I BEING AT A SCHOOL OR SCHOOL DISTRICT? [02:35:04] I'M IN. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT OURSELVES WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND POLITICAL TENSIONS. BECAUSE IF AS A COMMUNITY, AS A FREDERICK COMMUNITY, IF WE ARE DOING THINGS AND SAYING THINGS THAT PRECLUDE OR PREVENT PEOPLE FROM WANTING TO MOVE HERE, THEN THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE OUTSIDE EVEN THE SCHOOLS THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT. SO I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO RAISE THAT UP FROM MY PERSPECTIVE. GROW YOUR OWN IS GREAT, BUT IF YOU'VE LIVED HERE AND WE HAVE A NEGATIVE TREATMENT OF OUR MINORITY STUDENTS IN SCHOOL, WHETHER THAT'S BULLYING, WHETHER THAT'S POLICY, THEN THEY'RE NOT GOING TO WANT TO COME BACK HERE AND BECOME A TEACHER HERE. ALRIGHTY. MISS YOHO REMEMBERED HER QUESTION. I REMEMBER MY QUESTION. SO HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THE SEPARATION INTERVIEW? SO WE IMPLEMENTED THE EMPLOYEE EXIT SURVEY. I BELIEVE IT WAS IN THE FALL OF 22 OR EARLY 23. YEAH. I WAS THINKING IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN TOO LONG BECAUSE WE USED TO DO IT AND THEN IT STOPPED KIND OF COVID AND A LOT, BUT IT JUST STOPPED BECAUSE PSTEP DID ASK MSDE TO REINSTATE THAT. SO I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT THAT IS ALL HAPPENING. THANK YOU. SURE. ALL RIGHT. I HAVE I HAVE ONE STATEMENT AND THEN TWO QUICK QUESTIONS. FIRST ONE IS I, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID UP. I THINK AS YOU ALL AGREE, THE DATA IS CLEAR. STUDENTS OF COLOR WHO ARE EXPOSED TO TEACHERS OF COLOR DO BETTER. BUT DOING THAT RESEARCH, I FOUND SOMETHING ELSE THAT I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING. THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON TEACHER QUALITY DID A STUDY IN 2024 ON ALL STUDENTS, AND FOUND OUT THAT WHITE STUDENTS DO BETTER WHEN EXPOSED TO DIVERSE TEACHERS. SO IT'S ALL STUDENTS WHO BENEFIT FROM BEING EXPOSED TO DIVERSE TEACHERS WITHIN THEIR ACADEMICS. SO I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS KIND OF THAT THEY CHOSE. I THOUGHT THAT WAS GREAT THAT THEY CHOSE TO DO THAT STUDY. AND IT FOUND THAT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS BENEFIT FROM DIVERSITY IN OUR SCHOOLS. SO I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT TARGETING IN A BROAD NET. I MEAN, BECAUSE WE ALL RECOGNIZE LIKE, IF WE LOOK AT THE STATISTICS TEACHERS IN WEST VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTH CAROLINA GET PAID NOTHING. DO WE TARGET STATES OUTSIDE OF OUR BORDERS AND TRY TO DO SOME AWARENESS ABOUT FREDERICK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, MARYLAND AND THAT TYPE OF THING? SO COULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT? SURE. WE DO HAVE A RECRUITMENT PLAN. AND GINA CAN KIND OF SPEAK TO THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS THAT WE GO TO, BUT WE DO RECRUIT OUTSIDE OUT OF THE MARYLAND AREA. CAN YOU SHARE THE. YEAH. SO WE USED TO, WE USED TO RECRUIT IN NORTH CAROLINA. WE'VE BEEN TO A LOT OF STATES OUTSIDE OF JUST, YOU KNOW WEST VIRGINIA, VIRGINIA, DELAWARE. BUT WE DID STOP DOING THAT JUST BECAUSE OUR RECRUITING BUDGET WAS CUT. SO WE CAN'T REALLY DO THAT ANYMORE. BUT WE DO. TOYAH, OUR TOYAH NEWMAN PIERMARINI, OUR TEACHER RECRUITER DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB REACHING OUT TO THE DIFFERENT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AND SENDING THEM INFORMATION ABOUT FREDERICK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SHE HAS CONTACTS IN ALMOST ALL OF THE SCHOOLS ON THE EAST COAST THAT HAVE EDUCATION PROGRAMS, SO SHE'S IN TOUCH WITH THEM CONSTANTLY. HOW MANY KIDS ARE GRADUATING? YOU KNOW, LET ME SEND YOU THIS. LET ME SEND YOU. WE HAVE BROCHURES THAT WE SEND. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO PHYSICALLY GO THERE. AND MOST OF THE JOB FAIRS THAT ARE HAPPENING NOW DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE DID VIRTUAL, WHICH MADE IT REALLY EASY TO GO ALL OVER. BUT THEY'RE REALLY NOT DOING VIRTUAL JOB FAIRS ANYMORE EITHER. BUT I WILL SAY THE GOOD NEWS IS THE JOB FAIRS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO GO TO THAT ARE CLOSE WITHIN AN HOUR TRAVEL DISTANCE HAVE BEEN THIS PAST YEAR VERY HIGHLY ATTENDED, WHICH IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM EVEN A YEAR AGO. AND THEY ARE COMING TEACHERS ARE COMING MORE PREPARED, READY TO, YOU KNOW, HAND YOU THEIR RESUME. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE EXCITED TO SEE. BUT YES, WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO GET BACK OUT ON THE ROAD SOMETIME SOMEDAY. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU'RE HAVING WITH UNIVERSITIES LIKE THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND. ARE WE HAVING DISCUSSIONS WITH COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ABOUT TEACHER PREPARATION? BECAUSE IF WE LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PROUD OF RETENTION, BUT OF THOSE 10% THAT ARE LEAVING US, THE AVERAGE IS ABOUT THREE YEARS OF TENURE. AND THAT'S I MEAN, ESPECIALLY IF YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, OUR STAFFING REPORTS. THERE ARE MORE AND MORE OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE COMING INTO THE TEACHING TEACHING PROFESSION AND DECIDING IT'S NOT FOR THEM. [02:40:03] SO I'M WONDERING, ARE THEY BEING EXPOSED TO THEIR WHAT WHAT THEY'LL BE FACING IN THE CLASSROOM IN THESE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES? AND ARE WE HAVING DISCUSSIONS WITH THOSE COLLEGES ABOUT THEIR CURRICULUM AND HOW THEY'RE PREPARING TEACHERS FOR LIFE OUTSIDE COLLEGE? SO WE DO HAVE HIGHER EDUCATION PARTNERS, AND WE DO PARTICULARLY LOOK AT THE PARTNERSHIP OR THE OFFERINGS THAT THEY NOT ONLY OFFER THEIR STUDENTS, BUT WHAT IS THE TEACHER PREP PROGRAM LOOK LIKE? WE ALSO PAIR THAT WITH AN EXIT SURVEY QUESTION TO SAY, DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE PREPARED FOR YOUR ROLE IN FCPS, OR WAS IT SOMETHING THAT FCPS COULD HAVE DONE TO BETTER PREPARE YOU? BECAUSE REMEMBER, WE HAVE A NEW TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY FEEL SUPPORTED ONCE THEY GET THERE. BUT THEN WE ALSO ASK ABOUT, DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE PREPARED FROM THE COLLEGE AND THE TRAINING LEVEL? SO WE DO LOOK INTO THOSE AREAS. I THINK ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE NOTICED OVER THE YEARS IS THAT WE'RE SEEING A DECLINE IN OUR, IN OUR EDUCATION PROGRAMS AT THE COLLEGIATE LEVEL WHICH HAS SHIFTED SOME OF OUR RECRUITMENT, SOME OF THE SCHOOLS THAT WE USED TO RECRUIT AT NO LONGER HAVE AN EDUCATION PROGRAM. AND INITIALLY WE HAD GONE TO, TO CONTINUE THAT RECRUITMENT EFFORT. BUT IT'S REALLY HARD TO TALK SOMEBODY INTO A, YOU KNOW, AN ACCOUNTANT FROM A PRIVATE SECTOR INDUSTRY LOOKING AT THEIR SALARY RANGE INTO BECOMING A TEACHER FOR JUST $60,000. RIGHT. SO LOOKING AT THAT, WE ALSO NOTICED THAT OUR CAREER CHANGERS DON'T NECESSARILY GET THE SAME TEACHER EDUCATION PREP PROGRAM. AND THAT'S ANOTHER CHALLENGE. SO WE DO PARTNER WITH, WITH, AGAIN, WITH OUR ORGANIZATIONAL AND DEPARTMENT, ORGANIZATIONAL AND LEADERSHIP TO MAKE SURE THAT PART OF OUR TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM, WE CAN, WE CAN LOOK AT WHO CAME THROUGH THE TEACHER PREP PROGRAMS AND HAS THAT BACKGROUND VERSUS WHO IS A TEACHER AND MAY NEED MORE SUPPORTS IN THEIR FIRST YEAR. THANK YOU. AND A SHOUT OUT TO OUR RISE PROGRAM BECAUSE IT'S AMAZING. AND WE MANY OF US SPEAK TO THAT GROUP EVERY YEAR. I THINK NEXT WEEK WE'LL BE THERE. SO AMAZING PROGRAM AND I'M SURE THAT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH OUR IS IT THIS WEEK? OKAY. IT'S TOMORROW. SO, BUT YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO BUILD ON WHAT MISS NGUYEN SAID BECAUSE WE, WE WE SORT OF HAVE TRIED TO WORK REALLY DELIBERATELY TO ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T TAKE ON NEW, HIGHER ED PARTNERS THAT DON'T HAVE THE RIGOR THAT WE EXPECT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, DOCTOR HARRIS'S TEAM WORKS WITH OUR TEAM. ANY TIME A NEW HIGHER ED PARTNER, ANYBODY APPROACHES US ABOUT GETTING INTO A PARTNERSHIP, WE HAVE AN APPLICATION. THAT APPLICATION IS REVIEWED BY MISS NGUYEN AND A DIRECTOR AND DOCTOR HARRIS'S TEAM. AND WE LOOK AT THE CURRICULUM, THE COURSE OFFERINGS, THE ACCESS, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN INTERESTING SORT OF NATIONALLY IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE RESEARCH ON SCIENCE OF READING, PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN FARTHER AHEAD IN THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND THE TRAINING AROUND SCIENCE OF READING. WE WERE FINDING INITIALLY, PEOPLE WERE COMING OUT OF THEIR COLLEGE EDUCATION PROGRAMS STILL WITH MORE OF A BALANCED LITERACY APPROACH. AND SO WE HAD TO REALLY WORK TO SHIFT, YOU KNOW, TO SAY, LISTEN, WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET IN A PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU IF YOU AREN'T TEACHING SCIENCE OF READING TO YOUR TO YOUR STUDENTS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A SORT OF A MULTI-PRONGED EFFORT. THE BLUEPRINTS ACTUALLY HELPED IN THIS REGARD BECAUSE THEY'VE SORT OF SET A STANDARD FOR WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A LICENSED EDUCATOR, CREATED SOME NEW PATHWAYS AND HELPED US. BUT WE DO LOOK AT THE, THE RIGOR. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT ACCESS. IT'S ALSO ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE TRAINING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO PROVIDE. I APPRECIATE THAT, AND I JUST THIS IS A TINY SAMPLE SIZE, BUT I SPOKE TO TWO YOUNG TEACHERS WHO LEFT THE PROFESSION. AND WHAT WAS INTERESTING WAS BOTH OF THEM SAID THE SAME THING ABOUT COLLEGE IS THAT THEY SAID IN COLLEGE, THEY WERE NOT EXPOSED TO ANY CURRICULUM ON CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT. AND IT JUST THEY SAID THAT WAS THE BIGGEST THING THEY STRUGGLED WITH WHEN THEY GOT INTO THE REAL WORLD IS THEY HAD HAD NO EXPOSURE TO CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT. THEY THOUGHT, I'M READY TO TEACH. I'M READY. BUT I HAD NO EXPOSURE TO CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT. AND I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS INTERESTING. SHOULDN'T THAT BE LIKE, THAT'S LIKE HAVING A BUSINESS COURSE AND NOT TEACHING YOU HOW TO WORK IN AN OFFICE, YOU KNOW, SO, BUT SO JUST FOUND THAT INTERESTING THAT IN SOME WAYS OUR UNIVERSITIES WERE CAUGHT UP IN THE HEY, TEACH, TEACH, TEACH, BUT FORGOT ABOUT THERE'S A BIG PIECE HERE WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MANAGE YOUR CLASSROOM. SO AND I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T GIVE MISS SAINT LOUIS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO TALK ABOUT HOW THAT RECRUITMENT LOOKS WITH OUR SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS, BECAUSE WE DO ALSO HAVE HARD TO FILL AREAS IN OUR NON-TEACHER STAFF. AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT RECRUITMENT AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ALWAYS GOING OUT AN AREA TO GRAB FOLKS FROM ALL DIFFERENT PLACES. OH, YEAH. SO A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE'RE RECRUITING FOR THE FOR OUR POSITIONS HERE, WE OFTEN FORGET THAT TRADES ARE OFTEN VERY HARD TO FILL. SO ACTUALLY, OUR TRADES POSITIONS ARE OUR HARDEST TO FILL HERE AT FCW WITH OUR. THOSE ARE OUR HVAC, OUR OUR PLUMBERS AND ELECTRICIANS, OUR MECHANICS, OUR VEHICLE MECHANICS ARE INTERESTING BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MUCH DIESEL [02:45:06] TECHNOLOGY. AND THAT'S NOT REALLY EVEN PARTNERING WITH CTC AND TALKING WITH THE TEACHERS AT CTC, OUR MAINTENANCE AND TRANSPORTATION STAFF HAVE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB TALKING WITH THOSE INSTRUCTORS AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED AND WHAT WE'RE NOT SEEING IN THE APPLICANT POOL WHEN WE GET IT. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS COME OUT, I THINK IT'S BEEN ABOUT FIVE YEARS NOW. WE HAVE A WONDERFUL APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM WITH OUR TRADES. AND WE'RE SEEING THE FRUITS OF IT. IT TAKES A LOT BECAUSE FOR IT TAKES FOUR YEARS TO GET THROUGH THE TRADES PROGRAMS. AND SO WE SAW, SAW A NEED ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO, IT TOOK ABOUT 4 TO 5 YEARS TO GET THE APPRENTICESHIP UP AND RUNNING. BUT WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH WHAT IS NOW CALLED THE WITH HAGERSTOWN, HAGERSTOWN COMMUNITY COLLEGE. EXCUSE ME. IT USED TO BE A B, C SCHOOL. THEY'RE NOW PARTNERING PARTNERING WITH HAGERSTOWN COMMUNITY COLLEGE. SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE SEVERAL APPRENTICES GOING THROUGH BOTH HVAC AND PLUMBING PROGRAMS. SO WE'RE OFTEN RECRUITING FROM THERE. WE ALSO SPEND A LOT OF TIMES AT OUR HIGH SCHOOLS RECRUITING OUR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS TO REMIND THEM THAT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES THAT BEING A TEACHER IS WONDERFUL, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES THAT KEEPS OUR ORGANIZATION RUNNING IN OUR FISCAL SERVICES DIVISION, HUMAN RESOURCES. OUR IT DEPARTMENT OFTEN HIRES A LOT OF OUR INTERNS AS WELL FROM THAT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MISS BRENNAN. YES. SO ONE THING THAT I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT ARE EDUCATORS AND A LOT OF THEM WHO ARE WE ALL ABOUT THE SAME AGE. ALL HAD CHILDREN AT THE SAME TIME. A LOT OF THE MOMS WAS ALL MOMS LEFT THE WORKFORCE. BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, EVEN EVEN WITH A SIX FIGURE YEAR SALARY, PAYING TWO AND 3 OR 4 DAYCARES IS IT'S JUST NOT PRACTICAL. SO THEY, BUT NOW THEY'VE BEEN OUT OF THE WORKFORCE FOR QUITE SOME TIME, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM ARE STARTING, YOU KNOW, WELL, KIDS GRADUATING JUNIOR SENIORS AND THEY'RE CONTEMPLATING GETTING BACK IN, BUT THEY DON'T WANT TO WORK FULL TIME. AND SO I WONDER TO THAT END, WHAT IF THAT IF SOME OF THIS, BECAUSE I'M ASSUMING WE'RE LARGELY RECRUITING FOR FULL TIME STAFF AND HOW MUCH OF THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SHOULD WE BEGIN TO LOOK AT WHAT OUR OPTIONS WOULD BE FOR PART TIME STAFF, FOR CERTIFICATED POSITIONS, FOR TEACHER POSITIONS, AND HOW WE COULD POSSIBLY WORK THAT IN MORE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW LIKE I'VE HAVE 3 OR 4 FRIENDS RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD THAT ALL WERE CERTIFICATED TEACHERS. WE ALL LEFT. THEY LEFT THE WORKFORCE AROUND, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR 28 AND NOW, YOU KNOW, LATE 40S NOW. AND THEY'RE READY TO KIND OF GET BACK IN. BUT THEY DON'T THEY'VE BEEN OUT OF THE WORKFORCE FOR 20 YEARS. THEY DON'T WANT TO WORK FULL TIME, AND THEY'VE SET THEIR FAMILY STRUCTURE UP. THEY DON'T HAVE TO WORK FULL TIME. AND BUT THEY WOULD LOVE TO TEACH AGAIN. SO THEY'RE TEACHING AT PRIVATE SCHOOLS OR WORKING AT TUTORING PLACES. BUT I FEEL LIKE THAT THAT IS SOMEWHAT OF AN UNTAPPED RESOURCE BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO WORK FULL TIME. AND IF THERE'S ANY, YOU KNOW, POSSIBILITY TO, TO DO THAT, YOU KNOW, TO THINK ALONG THOSE LINES OF HOW WE COULD START WORKING IN PEOPLE WHO ARE READY. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE IN YOUR LATE 40S, YOU HAVE 20, YOU COULD HAVE 20 YEARS. YEAH, 30 YEARS TO WORK. YOU, YOU BRING UP A WONDERFUL QUESTION. BUT TWO THINGS TO CONSIDER. SO MANY OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS DO COME BACK TO US. THEY START WITH DOING DAILY SUBSTITUTE WORK OR INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANT OR CIA WORK. WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF PART TIME SCHOOL BASED POSITIONS FOR TWO VERY BASIC REASONS. NUMBER ONE, IT DOESN'T REALLY WORK WELL FOR THE SCHOOLS, RIGHT? SO FROM A SCHEDULING PERSPECTIVE, THE SECOND POINT IS IT'S A MORE EXPENSIVE EMPLOYEE BECAUSE A PART TIME EMPLOYEE STILL IS ENTITLED TO BENEFITS AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS. SO ACTUALLY TWO PART TIME EMPLOYEES ARE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN ONE FULL TIME EMPLOYEE. SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THOSE COMPLEXITIES. BUT I WOULD SAY THE PRIMARY REASON WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF THOSE PART TIME OPPORTUNITIES, WE DO SOME LIMITED JOB SHARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXISTING STAFF IS BECAUSE IT'S JUST NOT IT DOESN'T FILL A NEED THAT WE HAVE AS A SYSTEM, BUT WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THEM COME AND DO A DAILY SUB JOB. THEY CAN WORK HALF DAY OR THEY CAN TAKE AN I, A POSITION THAT DOESN'T HAVE A, A FULL, YOU KNOW, SORT OF FULL SCHEDULE. AND THEY COULD FIND US AT FCPS.ORG/CAREERS. I THINK. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WOULD BE, I THINK HARD. I MEAN, I CAN IMAGINE TO TAKE A STEP BACK. YOU WERE YOU ARE YOU KNOW, AND SOME OF THEM HAVE KEPT THEIR CREDENTIALING, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE YEARS AND GO LIKE, OH, I'M GOING TO GO, YOU KNOW, TAKE A, A MUCH LOWER PAID POSITION THAN WHERE I WOULD COME BACK IN. SO I GET IT. THE OTHER THING TOO, I CAN UNDERSTAND THE TRADES. MY SON ACTUALLY WENT TO OUR, THROUGH OUR HVAC PROGRAM HERE AT FCPS AND HE'S FRIENDS WITH A LOT OF KIDS WHO DID. [02:50:03] ONE OF THE KIDS WHO GRADUATED BEFORE US IS ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, WORKS HERE. BUT THE YEAR BEFORE HIM WORKS FOR US HERE. BUT TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THE DIESEL AND THAT SORT OF THING, HE'S GOT A VERY GOOD FRIEND. 2223 WORKS ON DIESELS, MAKES ABOUT $120,000 A YEAR. AND THAT IS HARD. YOU KNOW, THAT IS HARD FOR US, YOU KNOW, TO COMPETE WITH YOU KNOW, THAT'S A YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE THAT A KID AND YOU CAN MAKE THAT KIND OF MONEY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT REALLY THINKING ABOUT STUFF LIKE BENEFITS, YOU KNOW, AND WHICH IS A GREAT, WHICH IS LIKE, I THINK PART OF WHY WE GET OUR TEN YEAR TEACHERS BACK, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THEY, THEY GO SOMEWHERE ELSE, MAYBE FOR A FEW EXTRA DOLLARS. BUT BY THE TIME YOU'VE BEEN IN THE WORKFORCE TEN YEARS, YOU REALIZE LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER STUFF THAN JUST, YOU KNOW, MONEY IN YOUR POCKET. YEAH. SO, AND WE NOTICED THAT THAT'S PART OF OUR RECRUITMENT STRATEGY IS TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE MONEY THAT YOU GET IN YOUR PAYCHECK, RIGHT? THAT CAN BE A STRUGGLE FOR OUR 22 YEAR OLDS SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY'RE MOST LIKELY STILL ON THE PARENTS INSURANCE PLAN, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE OUR TOTAL COMPENSATION FLIERS THAT ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND. IT'S NOT JUST THE MONEY YOU GET IN YOUR PAYCHECK. IT'S ALSO THE BENEFITS THAT COME WITH THAT IN THE FORM OF, YOU KNOW, MEDICAL AND DENTAL, AS WELL AS THE TUITION REIMBURSEMENT AND PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS THAT ARE MADE. YES, PART OF IT OUT OF YOUR CHECK, BUT ALSO AS WELL AS THE BOARD SHARE. SO WHEN EMPLOYEES LOOK AT WHAT THEY GET PAID, THE TOTAL COMPENSATION FLIER ACTUALLY INCLUDES ALL THAT THE BOARD OF ED PAYS FOR THEM. SO FOR EXAMPLE, YOU MAY HAVE A $60,000 SALARY, BUT YOU COST THE BOARD OF ED $90,000 IN THE ROLE THAT YOU HAVE. SO WE'VE TRIED TO USE THAT AS A RECRUITMENT STRATEGY TO KIND OF HELP HELP OUR CANDIDATES UNDERSTAND IT'S MORE THAN JUST THE SALARY. OH, YEAH. ABSOLUTELY. MR. WILSON YEAH, I JUST SAW TWO QUICK QUESTIONS. I'M DONE. ONE WITH THE UNFORTUNATE CLOSING OF, WELL, DISMANTLING OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN, YOU KNOW 33% WERE AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN THAT LOST THEIR JOBS. THEY WANTED A DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT. ARE WE DOING ANYTHING TO TRY TO RECRUIT THOSE EDUCATIONAL LEADERS THAT WERE CUT BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, THAT LIVE IN COUNTIES CLOSE TO US, TO BE ABLE TO BRING THEM IN TO FREDERICK? AND I'LL SAY MY SECOND ONE REAL QUICK TO THE SECOND ONE IS, HAVE WE ALSO ASKED OUR MINORITY EDUCATORS, IS IT ARE THEY NOT MOVING INTO THE ADMINISTRATIVE SPHERE BECAUSE OF THE LEVEL OF WORK VERSUS A TEN MONTH? THE PAY DIFFERENCE IS THAT PAY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TEN MONTH TEACHER AND THEN BECOME AN ADMINISTRATOR, WORTH THE EXTRA LOAD OF WORK THAT IS GOING TO BE ON THEM. SO. WELL, AND I'M GOING TO I'LL START BY ANSWERING AND THEN CERTAINLY HAVE SOME OF THE TEAM. SO YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE ASK US ABOUT RECRUITMENT LEADERS, WE DON'T HAVE MANY, WE HAVE NO OPENINGS, RIGHT? SO OUR FILL RATE IS SORT OF A BLESSING AND A CHALLENGE BECAUSE WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR WORK. AND MISS KEEFER, WHO OVERSEES ALL OF OUR ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPERVISORY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO REACH OUT TO US AND WE DON'T HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO MAKE OFFERS RIGHT NOW. AND SHE CAN CERTAINLY SPEAK TO SOME OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SORT OF IN GENERAL OUTREACH THAT WE'VE HAD, BUT WE HAVEN'T HAD A LOT OF OPENINGS TO OFFER. AND SO I THINK THAT'S SORT OF A COMPLEXITY. THE SECOND PART OF IT. REPEAT THE SECOND PART OF YOUR QUESTION. SO THE SECOND PART IS, YOU KNOW, I'M A TEACHER MAKING ABOUT BECOMING A. YEAH, YEAH. BECOMING AN ADMINISTRATOR. RIGHT. I MEAN, I THINK, I THINK EDUCATION IN GENERAL IS THERE'S A, I THINK PRESIDENT ROSE SORT OF SPOKE TO THIS. I THINK WE HAVE TO THE NATIONAL DISCOURSE AROUND BEING AN EDUCATOR AND AROUND BEING A PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEE HAS CREATED SOME COMPLEXITIES, RIGHT? SO WHEN, WHEN THE, THE, THE NARRATIVE AND THE CONVERSATION IS, IS AROUND THE PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM HAVING FLAWS OR BEING BROKEN OR WHATEVER THE LANGUAGE MIGHT BE USED. THERE ARE SO MANY BRIGHT SPOTS. BUT IF THAT'S THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION, AND I THINK WE SEE LOTS OF EXAMPLES OF LEADERS, SUPERINTENDENTS, BOARDS OF ED, PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS, EVERYONE WHO ARE SORT OF UNDER A MICROSCOPE AND IN SOME WAYS MIGHT FEEL UNDER ATTACK. IT CERTAINLY MAKES A CHALLENGE. BUT I THINK THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE EDUCATORS HAVE A, HAVE ALWAYS HAVE A REALLY STRONG CENTER AND A REALLY STRONG WHY. AND SO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PURSUING THOSE ROLES OR PURSUING THEM, BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IN KIDS AND THEY BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF THAT OPPORTUNITY. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK I MEANT LIKE BETWEEN BEING A TEACHER AND AN ADMINISTRATOR. YEAH. I MEAN, IT'S AN INTERESTING QUESTION. I THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WANT 12 MONTH WORK. I THINK MISS NGUYEN TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE CHALLENGES WITH OUR SUPPORT STAFF AND THE COMPENSATION IS NOT NECESSARILY THE HOURLY RATE. IT'S THE HOURLY RATE AT A NON 12 MONTH WORK SCHEDULE. RIGHT. AND SO I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR 12 MONTH WORK. SO I THINK THAT'S SOME PEOPLE THAT COULD BE A FACTOR. [02:55:02] BUT I ALSO THINK THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT TO WORK 12 MONTHS. BUT I THINK HAVING BEEN AN EDUCATOR AND HAVING ALSO BEEN A PRINCIPAL MYSELF I THINK WHAT DRAWS PEOPLE TO THOSE DIFFERENT PATHWAYS IS SORT OF VERY PERSONAL AND INDIVIDUAL AROUND HOW THEY WANT TO, WHAT OPPORTUNITIES THEY WANT TO CREATE. THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO LOVE BEING IN THE CLASSROOM, AND THAT'S THE CENTER OF THEIR, OF THEIR SORT OF SPHERE OF INFLUENCE. AND THEY LOVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE LIKE YOU. RIGHT. AND THEN THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE WHO SORT OF START TO SEE THOSE SORT OF SORT OF OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND THAT WORK OUT AND HAVE AND SORT OF SEE THAT THAT GIFT BEING OFFERED IN A DIFFERENT WAY. SO I THINK IT'S HARD TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION IN SOME WAYS, BUT, MISS KEEFER, DID YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING ABOUT OUR WORK WITH THE FEDERAL YOU KNOW, THE THE SHUTDOWN AND THE FEDERAL. I'M NOT SURE OF THE ANSWER. I'D HAVE TO ASK OUR RECRUITMENT OUR TEACHER RECRUITER TOYA FOR FOR THAT INFORMATION. YEAH. WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN OUR CANDIDATE POOLS ACROSS THE SYSTEM, BOTH CERTIFICATED AND SUPPORT FROM OUR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE BEEN APPLYING. THE CHALLENGE IS THE THE VACANCIES THAT ARE OPEN FOR THEM. BUT OUR CANDIDATE POOLS ARE ARE PRETTY FULL OF FEDERAL WORKERS. MR. THOMAS. SORRY, EVERYBODY JUST LOOKED AT ME. I GUESS I'LL JUST TALK FROM MY PERSPECTIVE. I MEAN, A LOT OF MY FRIENDS, I MEAN, I EVEN WANTED TO BE A TEACHER. BUT THE REASON I DIDN'T BECOME A TEACHER IS BECAUSE I COULDN'T AFFORD IT. I MEAN, A LOT OF MY FRIENDS, THEY, YOU KNOW, GOING TO COLLEGE, EVEN IF YOU GO TO TOWSON UNIVERSITY, IT'S 40,000 A YEAR. THAT'S $120,000 IN STUDENT LOAN DEBT. IF YOUR PARENTS AREN'T PROVIDING OR YOU AREN'T GETTING STUDENT AID. SO THAT'S $120,000 IN STUDENT DEBT TO GET PAID, YOU KNOW, LESS THAN $60,000 A YEAR. SO A LOT OF STUDENTS CAN'T AFFORD THAT. AND THE WAY STUDENTS DO AFFORD THAT IS THEY DO TWO YEARS AT COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THEN THEY TRANSFER TO A STATE SCHOOL. SO, YOU KNOW, THE KIND OF THE ENVIRONMENT YOU'RE IN IS YOU'RE TELLING STUDENTS IN ORDER TO FOLLOW YOUR PASSION IS YOU HAVE TO BE UNDERPAID, YOU HAVE TO MISS OUT ON TWO YEARS OF THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE BY GOING TO A COMMUNITY COLLEGE. AND THEN YOU HAVE TO TRANSFER TO YOUR STATE SCHOOL, EVEN JUST TO AFFORD THE STUDENT DEBT, TO GET YOUR DEGREE, TO BE UNDERPAID, TO BE ATTACKED BY STUDENTS WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND ALL THESE THINGS. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A CONVERSATION, YOU KNOW, NOT REALLY TO HAVE HERE IN THE BOARDROOM, BUT, YOU KNOW, AS A SOCIETY IS HOW EXPENSIVE IS COLLEGE? HOW MUCH ARE WE PAYING TEACHERS? HOW ARE WE, AS YOU KNOW, COMMUNITIES AFFORDING TO PAY FOR OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS WITH TAXES, STATE AND PROPERTY TAXES? YOU KNOW, IT'S A LARGER CONVERSATION BESIDES, YOU KNOW, JUST, YOU KNOW, RACE DEMOGRAPHICS AND ALL THAT. MS. MONIER AND THANK YOU, BECAUSE THAT IS AN EXCELLENT SEGUE INTO WHAT I WAS GETTING READY TO SAY, WHICH IS, I MEAN, I'M NOTICING QUITE THE TREND OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE WHERE THERE WAS A, YOU KNOW, A FEW MONTHS AGO WHERE I WAS IN ANOTHER PART OF THE COUNTRY WILL NOT NAME WHICH ONE. AND SO MANY FOLKS WERE UPSET. THEY WANTED TO SEE MORE TEACHERS THAT CAME FROM THEIR REGION, FROM THEIR AREA, FROM THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. THERE'S ABOUT 30, 35 FOLKS IN THE ROOM. AND AT ONE POINT I STOPPED THEM. I ASKED THEM, SO HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE ASKED YOUR KIDS TO BE TEACHERS TO WORK? NONE OF THEM RAISED THEIR HAND, INCLUDING THE THREE TEACHERS WHO WERE IN THE ROOM. ALL RIGHT. AND TO MR. THOMAS'S POINT, THE FINANCIAL PICTURE. KIDS ARE THINKING ABOUT THIS AS FRESHMEN AND SOPHOMORES, RIGHT? THEY'RE ALREADY HAVING THIS CONVERSATION. SO THEY'VE ALREADY PUSHED EDUCATION OFF THE TABLE. AND EVEN IF THEY WANT TO BE IN SPECIAL EDUCATION, WELL, MAYBE THEY'LL CONSIDER NURSING. BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH NURSING IS THEY GET INTO THE HOSPITAL, THEY GET INTO THE COMMUNITY, AND THEY REALIZE WHAT THE ACUITY IS LIKE, WHAT THE NEEDS OF OUR POPULATION REALLY IS. AND THEY WERE NEVER PREPARED. BECAUSE THE OTHER PROBLEM IS THAT THE FOLKS WHO CAN AFFORD TO GO TO COLLEGE, WHO CAN AFFORD TO DO ALL THOSE THINGS, ARE COMING FROM FAMILIES THAT CAN AFFORD TO SEND THEM, AND THEY'VE NEVER HAD THOSE EXPERIENCES FOR THEMSELVES. AND THE DIVERSITY OF EXPERIENCES ARE SO IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THESE THINGS. SO IT'S IT IS MORE OF A NATIONAL CONVERSATION THAT NEEDS TO BE HAD. AND, AND I'M LOOKING AT YOUR VACANCY AND FILL YOUR RATES AND SEEING THE TRENDS IN 2022 WHERE THE VACANCY RATE WAS UP ABOVE FOUR TO WHERE WE'RE AT NOW AND THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE VERY FEW. THE JOB OPENINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ARE NARROWS OUR POSSIBILITIES QUITE SIGNIFICANTLY. AND THEN ONCE WE DO GET THEM, THEY'RE NOT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S COMING TO THEM WITH THE CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT, THAT'S JUST NOT WHAT THEY'RE TRAINED FOR. SO I APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK YOU'RE DOING TO TRY TO MEET THESE NEEDS. IT'S ONE THAT WE GOT TO KEEP TALKING ABOUT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN, BUT THANK YOU. YEAH, I AGREE, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING. AND I THINK WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT YOU'RE COMPETING WITH 3000 PLUS OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT HAVE EXACTLY THE SAME GOALS AS US. SO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING. AND I THINK ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES IS WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO ADDRESS AS A COUNTRY. WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR GOING ON 100 YEARS, PROBABLY THAT POSITIONS THAT ARE PREDOMINANTLY STAFFED BY WOMEN ARE HORRIBLY UNDERPAID. AND SO THAT GOES BACK HUNDREDS OF YEARS. I CAN SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE, OBVIOUSLY, HERE SEEING TEACHERS. MY DAUGHTER IS A NURSE. I HAPPEN TO DO HER TAXES. SHE'S A PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY NURSE. SHE WORKS FIVE DAYS A WEEK, 12 MONTHS A YEAR, AND SHE WOULD BE ON STEP FIVE OF THE TEACHERS SCALE. [03:00:04] SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THESE POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PREDOMINANTLY STAFFED BY WOMEN, THEY ARE FAR BEHIND. AND WE AS A COUNTRY NEED TO START DECIDING, ARE WE GOING TO INVEST IN SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT POSITIONS IN OUR CULTURE, REGARDLESS OF WHO'S STAFFING THEM. BUT I THINK WE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO, AND I APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING A PART OF THE SOLUTION. SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON [5.02 Fiscal Year 2027 Operating Budget Update] TO 5.02 FISCAL YEAR 2027 BUDGET UPDATE. THIS IS INFORMATION DISCUSSION AND ACTION. GOOD EVENING. I AM HEATHER CLABAUGH, THE ASSOCIATE SUPERINTENDENT OF FISCAL SERVICES. AND I AM JOINED TONIGHT BY DENISE FROCK, OUR DIRECTOR OF BUDGET. AND THIS EVENING WE WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE FOR YOU AN UPDATE ON OUR FY 27 OPERATING BUDGET AND THEN HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE GET BALANCED. SO BEFORE WE GET STARTED WITH THE UPDATE ON THE FISCAL YEAR 27 BUDGET, I WANTED TO PROVIDE TO YOU AN UPDATE ON TWO TOPICS THAT WE COVERED DURING OUR. AT THE VERY END OF OUR CONVERSATION ON THE DURING THE APRIL 22ND MEETING. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE BROUGHT TO YOU WAS THE CHARTER SCHOOL REGULATIONS THAT WERE SET TO BE APPROVED BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION. WE HAD SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE REGULATIONS BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF WHAT WE FELT WAS CLEAR GUIDANCE AND UNFORTUNATELY THEY WERE PASSED AS WRITTEN. STAFF DID ACKNOWLEDGE THE MSDE STAFF DID ACKNOWLEDGE THAT GUIDANCE WAS NEEDED. THE GOAL OF THE REGULATIONS IS TO PROVIDE CLARITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN THE COMMENSURATE FUNDING FORMULA. SO UNFORTUNATELY THAT DID NOT HAPPEN IN ITS ENTIRETY. AND WE ARE STILL WAITING FOR GUIDANCE BASED UPON THE INFORMATION THAT WAS SHARED OUT. MY READING OF THE GUIDANCE CONVERSATIONS WITH MY FELLOW CFOS AROUND THE STATE, I RAN THE CALCULATIONS SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS, AND MY WORST CASE SCENARIO SEES US ABOUT BREAK EVEN WITH THE CURRENT FUNDING THAT WE HAVE IN OUR FY 27 BUDGET. SO WE DID NOT MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENTS TO THE FY 27 ALLOCATION TO THE CHARTER SCHOOLS. WE ANTICIPATE WE WILL GET MORE GUIDANCE. UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK WE WILL GET THAT GUIDANCE SOMETIME IN THE SUMMER AFTER THE BUDGET HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED. WE DO, WITHIN OUR BUDGET. ON THE OPERATING SIDE, WE HAVE ALWAYS, SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE CHARTER SCHOOLS, HAD A SMALL RESERVE THAT WE BUDGETED FOR. SO SHOULD THERE BE ANY SWINGS IN THAT WHERE PERHAPS IT ISN'T AS BREAK EVEN AS WE THOUGHT IT WAS, WE, WE SHOULD HAVE SOME FUNDING AVAILABLE TO COVER THOSE SWINGS. SO AT THIS POINT, WE'RE NOT CONCERNED OVER WHETHER THERE WOULD BE A BUDGETARY ISSUE. BUT WE ARE CONCERNED THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE GUIDANCE. WE'RE CONCERNED NOT ONLY FOR FCPS, BUT WE'RE CONCERNED FOR OUR CHARTER PARTNERS BECAUSE THEY'RE BUDGETING FOR FY 27 THE SAME WAY THAT WE ARE. AND WHILE WE'VE BEEN PROVIDING THEM INFORMATION AND CONTINUE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION WITH THE CALCULATION IT, IT PUTS THEM IN THE SAME TYPE OF PREDICAMENT THAT WE ARE. THE NEXT CHALLENGE THAT WE DISCUSSED WAS OUR TITLE ONE FUNDING. AND MR. ROSE MADE A COMMENT OF IT IN REGARDS TO THE REDUCTION THAT WE ARE GOING TO SEE FOR FISCAL YEAR 27. AND AS A REMINDER FOR THE FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT HAVE SEEN THE LAST MEETING OR CAME TO THIS MEETING LATE TYPICALLY OUR FUNDING FOR FY 26 WAS A LITTLE UNDER $6.9 MILLION, IT'S BEING REDUCED TO $2.4 MILLION. THIS REDUCTION WAS DUE TO THE POVERTY INDICATORS THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COLLECTS, AND THOSE INDICATORS COME FROM THE US CENSUS BUREAU. THEY ARE SENT TO US ED AND THEN THEY ARE SENT TO MSDE. AND THOSE ARE THE FIGURES THAT THEY USE FOR ALL SCHOOL SYSTEMS. AND THERE ARE SOME. HA. EXCUSE ME. HOLD HARMLESS PROVISIONS WITHIN THE FUNDING. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, YOU HAVE TO REMAIN ELIGIBLE FOR THE PARTICULAR FUNDING PROGRAM TO BE HELD HARMLESS. AND WE ACTUALLY HAD THAT CONFIRMED TODAY IN CONVERSATIONS WITH AN INDEPENDENT ATTORNEY WHO SPECIALIZES IN SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING. SO WHAT WORK HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE WE HAD THAT CONVERSATION? [03:05:02] OUR SYSTEM ACCOUNTABILITY AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION TEAM, YOU HEAR US REFER TO THEM AS THE SASSA TEAM, ALONG WITH THE SCHOOL PRINCIPALS AT THE AFFECTED SCHOOLS, HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT WHAT SOURCES OF FUNDING DO WE HAVE TO ASSIST WITH THIS? THE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE THE TITLE ONE FUNDING ARE ALSO TEND TO BE OUR CONCENTRATION OF POVERTY. SCHOOLS AND THE SCHOOLS THAT HAD SIGNIFICANT TITLE ONE FUNDING HAVE SIGNIFICANT PER PUPIL ALLOCATIONS THAT COME ALONG WITH THE TITLE WITH THE CONCENTRATION OF POVERTY GRANTS. AND SO INSTEAD OF CREATING ANY NEW INITIATIVES WITH THOSE ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT WE'RE RECEIVING THROUGH THE PPAS, THESE TYPE OF ACTIVITIES THAT OUR TITLE ONE CLASS THAT HAPPEN WITH TITLE ONE CAN BE SUPPORTED THROUGH THOSE PPAS. SO WE'RE SUPPORTING SOME OF IT THROUGH THAT. WE ALSO HAVE SOME CARRYOVER FUNDS FOR TITLE ONE FOR THIS YEAR THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR NEXT YEAR. AND WE ALSO HAVE SOME THERE'S ANOTHER FORM OF THE TITLE ONE GRANT THAT WE GET. IT'S A SMALL PART OF THE GRANT, BUT IT'S THE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT GRANT, AND WE HAVE THOSE FUNDS THAT WE'LL BE USING TO DEFRAY SOME OF THESE COSTS. THE OTHER THING WE HAVE PROVIDED TO THOSE AFFECTED SCHOOLS IS FLEXIBILITY TO USE THEIR STAFFING FORMULA AND TO TRADE. WE TYPICALLY DO NOT ALLOW SCHOOLS TO DO TRADES. BUT WHAT THEY'VE BEEN ALLOWED TO DO IS THEY CAN PERHAPS AND IT'S VERY LIMITED. SO YOU MAY TRADE UP TO ONE CLASSROOM TEACHER FOR AN INTERVENTIONIST TEACHER, YOU MAY TRADE UP TO TWO IAS FOR A TEACHER. IT'S THAT IT'S THAT TYPE OF TRADES THAT ARE HAPPENING. AND SO IT'S VERY LIMITED. THE DIRECTORS AND THE PRINCIPALS ARE WORKING CLOSELY TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO MEET THE GOALS OF THE SCHOOL AND HOPEFULLY WITH LITTLE TO NO IMPACT IN REGARDS TO THE SCHOOL. BUT THERE IS IMPACT. WE'VE HAD PEOPLE WHO'VE HAD TO BE IN VOLUNTARY TRANSFER AND WE HAVE HAD SOME CENTRAL OFFICE POSITIONS THAT SUPPORTED THE GRANT THAT ARE HAD TO BE ELIMINATED, AND THOSE FOLKS HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED AS WELL. AND IT IS AN ONGOING PROCESS. AS DOCTOR SIRGO MENTIONED, I BELIEVE IN AND MISS NGUYEN MENTIONED, THERE ARE STILL SOME FOLKS WHO HAVE FOR THIS YEAR HAVE NOT BEEN PLACED THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE TITLE ONE. BUT AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE PROCESS, WE WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE PROCESS. RIGHT NOW, WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE IN A GOOD POSITION. WE ARE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR COUNTY PARTNERS ABOUT HOW THE DATA IS COLLECTED, BUT THAT'S REALLY OUT OF OUR HANDS. WE KNOW WHAT OUR DATA SAYS, WE KNOW WHAT OUR FARM DATA SAYS. AND SO WE JUST CONTINUE TO HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS AND SEE IF THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US IN THE FUTURE. SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MISS FROCK RIGHT NOW TO DISCUSS THE FY 27 OPERATING BUDGET UPDATE. GOOD EVENING. THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE CHANGES THAT WE'VE HAD SINCE OUR LAST MEETING FOR LOCAL REVENUES. THERE WAS NO CHANGE. STATE REVENUES. WE DON'T HAVE AN UPDATE RIGHT NOW TO SHARE WITH YOU. WE'RE EXPECTING THAT BY MAY 13TH. SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO SHARE THOSE REVENUE UPDATES WITH YOU AT OUR NEXT MEETING ON MAY THE 20TH. WE DO HAVE AN INCREASE IN FUND BALANCE OF $4.5 MILLION FOR OTHER REVENUES. THIS IS A DIRECT RESULT OF US MEETING WITH OUR PROJECTION COMMITTEE ON A BIWEEKLY BASIS, AND REVIEWING SPENDING PLANS FROM ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS THAT THEY PROVIDE. AND THEN FINALLY, EXPENSES. WE HAVE NO CHANGE FROM THE 422 MEETING. SO WHERE ARE WE? TOTAL EXPENSE ADJUSTMENTS. TOTAL $45.5 MILLION. TOTAL REVENUE ADJUSTMENTS. TOTAL $47.1 MILLION. LEAVING US WITH A REVENUE EXCEEDING EXPENSES BY $1,606,867. SO FOR A TIMELINE, THE BOARD MUST APPROVE A BALANCED BUDGET BY JUNE 30TH, 2026, AND THE COUNTY COUNCIL MUST APPROVE THE COUNTY'S CAPITAL AND OPERATING BUDGETS BY MAY 31ST. SO AT THIS POINT, WE ARE READY TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE BOARD WOULD HAVE AND AND REVIEW ANY MOTIONS THAT MIGHT BE OF PARTICULAR INTEREST AS WE WORK TO BALANCE THE BUDGET. MISS GALLAGHER? I'D LOVE TO START WITH A MOTION AND THEN I'D BE HAPPY TO SPEAK TO IT, SO I. MY MOTION WILL INCLUDE REDUCING OUR OPEB CONTRIBUTION FROM THE 2.5 MILLION THAT'S BEEN ALLOCATED DOWN TO ZERO, AND INCREASING OUR SALARY RESOURCE POOL TO $3,495,000. I'M GOING TO SECOND THAT MOTION. I'M THE PRESIDENT. [03:10:01] I'M GIVING IT TO YOU. ALL RIGHT, SO IT'S MISS GALLAGHER AND MR. WILSON. AND SO I'LL JUST SPEAK TO THE MOTION. I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT OUR OPEB CONTRIBUTIONS. AND WE'VE AS A BOARD HAVE MADE SOME COMMITMENTS TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OPEB. HOWEVER, WE'VE ALSO CONTINUED TO SEE THAT OUR FUNDS ARE DOING VERY WELL IN THAT AREA. AND SO I THINK GIVEN THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE AROUND OUR SALARY RESOURCE POOL, THAT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO, TO REDUCE THAT CONTRIBUTION THIS YEAR AND ALLOCATE IT TO OUR SALARY RESOURCE POOL. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOUR SECOND? ABSOLUTELY. IT'S TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK, BUT YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T JUST SAY THAT ONCE A WEEK, BUT WE HAVE TO DO ACTIONS THAT SHOW HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE OUR TEACHERS. AND I FEEL THAT OUR EDUCATORS IN FREDERICK COUNTY, THEY JUST WORK SO FREAKING HARD, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO ANY MOVEMENT, WE CAN GET THEIR CHILDREN CLOSER TO A SUMMER CAMP. I'M CLOSE TO BEING ABLE TO PAY ALL THEIR BILLS A LITTLE LESS STRESS. I THINK THAT'S A MOVEMENT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. AND I THINK THIS IS AN ACTION THAT BACKS UP THE WORDS OF HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE STAFF. THANK YOU. I'LL SPEAK TO MY SECOND POINT, A. SO I JUST WANT WELL, I WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO AS YOU CONTINUE TO POUR OVER THIS BUDGET, BECAUSE I THINK IT IT SPEAKS THAT I THINK ONE THING THAT SPEAKS TO IT IS WE HAVE TO RESORT TO TRADING TO COMBAT THE CHALLENGES THAT WE ARE FACED WITH ALL OF OUR STAFFING AND OUR FUNDING. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING FOR US TO TRY TO FIND EVERY DOLLAR IN THE COUCH CUSHION THAT WE CAN, THAT WE CAN POSSIBLY SHARE WITH OUR EDUCATORS, OUR SUPPORT STAFF, OUR ADMINISTRATORS. BECAUSE THIS ISN'T JUST TEACHERS, THIS IS ALL OF OUR STAFF. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THEY, THEY REALIZE THE WORK THAT YOU AND WE ARE DOING ON THEIR BEHALF TO COMBAT WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER ABOUT OUR COMPENSATION SCALE. SO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING. MISS YOHO. SO I ALWAYS USED TO SAY, HAVING WATCHED THE BOARD FOR YEARS, DECADES THAT MISS PELLEGRINO, YOUR PREDECESSOR, I FELT REALLY RESTORED A LOT OF TRUST THAT THE TAXPAYERS FUNDS WERE BEING HANDLED WISELY. BUT THAT THE MONEY WAS ALSO OUT THERE AND WHAT WE WERE HEARING WAS HONEST, AND I FELT LIKE SHE WORKED VERY HARD TO DO THAT. AND I'VE ALWAYS FELT LIKE YOU'VE FOLLOWED IN THOSE FOOTSTEPS. YOU WERE TRAINED WELL AND THAT YOU CONTINUE THAT THAT LEGACY. ANYBODY LISTENING TO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND AND, AND THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, HOW MUCH TIME YOU ALL HAVE TO SPEND WITH THESE NUMBERS. AND, AND IT'S NOT THAT YOU LOOK AT IT ONCE AND THEN LEAVE IT, IT'S CONSTANT. ALSO WITH LEGISLATION, I DON'T THINK THE PUBLIC KNOWS, YOU KNOW, MR. ROSE AND I SERVE ON THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE FOR OUR STATE ORGANIZATION, MABE, AND I'VE DONE THAT MANY OF THE EIGHT YEARS I'VE BEEN ON. AND ANYTIME I BRING SOMETHING TO YOU OR DOCTOR LEBO OR OTHER PEOPLE, YOU ARE ALREADY AWARE OF IT. YOU'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR WHAT'S GOING TO AFFECT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. YOU MEET WITH THE CFOS, WHAT, TWICE A MONTH OR WEEKLY, WEEKLY. AND AND SO CONSTANTLY KEEPING UP ON THINGS. SO I ALSO APPRECIATE THAT. SO WHEN YOU GIVE US INFORMATION, I FEEL LIKE IT'S SOUND FIDUCIARY SOUND. THOSE ARE HARD WORDS TO SAY. BUT YET WATCHING OUT FOR THE BEST FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WHILE STILL WATCHING OUT FOR THE TAXPAYER. SO THE FACT THAT YOU'VE BROUGHT US THESE NUMBERS, I FEEL COMFORTABLE BECAUSE YOU WOULDN'T BRING THEM TO US IF YOU WEREN'T. THAT'S A LONG WAY TO GET AROUND TO, YOU KNOW. OPEB. I USED TO ROLL MY EYES. SORRY. MR. YOUNG WAS THE FINANCIAL GUY. WAS ALWAYS VERY PROTECTIVE OF OPEB. AND I WOULD KIND OF ROLL MY EYES LIKE, YEAH, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO UNDER, YOU KNOW, AND AND THEN YOU FOUND OUT LAWS WERE KIND OF GOING ALONG WITH IT. AND IT WILL BENEFIT US TO GET THAT FULLY FUNDED. BUT AGAIN, IT'S THAT BALANCE OF WHAT MR. WILSON SAID, AND OBVIOUSLY MY COLLEAGUES FEEL IS THAT WE HAVE TO WATCH OUT FOR OUR PEOPLE. WE HAVE TO LET THEM KNOW WE HAVE TO BALANCE OUT THE 13% YOU KNOW, WITH THE BENEFITS AND, AND ALL THAT. SO VERY, I THINK IT'S A GREAT MOTION AND, AND HOPE THAT IT'S APPRECIATED. MISS MONIER IT'S AN INTERESTING MOTION TO HAVE RIGHT AFTER CONVERSATION ON KPIS AND STAFF RETENTION AND STAFF RECRUITMENT, [03:15:08] RIGHT. WHERE WE, WE JUST DISCUSSED AND HIGHLIGHTED HOW HARD IT IS TO FIND FOLKS WHO WANT TO GO INTO TEACHING BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T PAY THEM ENOUGH TO PAY THE, THE, THE BILL FROM SCHOOL, RIGHT, TO PAY THAT LOAN. AND AND THEN THERE'S ALL THE MORTGAGES AND EVERYTHING ON TOP OF IT. SO IT'S ESSENTIAL THAT WE TAKE CARE OF THE TEACHERS THAT WE DO HAVE THAT WE APPRECIATE. AND, YOU KNOW, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE FOR OUR STAFF. IT'S THE THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THEY HAVE IS THE ENVIRONMENT THAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE AS WELL. RIGHT. AS WELL AS WE HAVE $60,000 MINIMUM THAT WE NEED TO GET TO BY BLUEPRINT. AND IF WE WERE NOT TO DO THAT, WE WOULD ALSO LOSE MORE FUNDING, POSSIBLY FROM THE STATE, ON TOP OF WHAT WE'RE ALREADY LOSING, WHICH WE POSSIBLY SEE HAPPENING. YOU KNOW, FOR THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO YEARS OR THREE, WE DON'T KNOW. IT'S REALLY ESSENTIAL THAT WE TAKE CARE OF OUR TEACHERS AND OUR STAFF AND OUR SUPPORT STAFF. SO I APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK THAT YOU WENT, YOU KNOW, GONE THROUGH AND WENT INTO AND THE WAITING ON THE NUMBERS FROM OTHER MOTHER FOLKS. AND I KNOW AS LAST YEAR YOU WILL KEEP ON TOP OF THE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE STILL WAITING ON TO HEAR FROM, BUT THANK YOU. IS THAT IT? ALL RIGHT. DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE REGARDING THIS MOTION? I SEE MR. HYDE RISING FROM HIS SEAT. JUSTIN HYDE, FCTA PRESIDENT. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE COMMENTS THAT YOU'VE MADE. I SUPPORT ADDING ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO THE SALARY RESOURCE POOL BECAUSE INVESTING IN EMPLOYEES IS INVESTING IN OUR STUDENTS. OUR EDUCATORS AND SCHOOL STAFF WORK EVERY DAY TO SUPPORT STUDENT SUCCESS AND OFTEN GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR THEIR SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES TO RETAIN EXPERIENCED EMPLOYEES. WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REMAIN COMPETITIVE WITH SURROUNDING DISTRICTS. WE MUST CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE FAIR AND COMPETITIVE COMPENSATION. ADDING MORE FUNDS TO THE SALARY RESOURCE POOL SENDS A CLEAR MESSAGE THAT WE VALUE AND RESPECT THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE OUR SCHOOLS STRONG EVERY SINGLE DAY. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT MOTION. THANK YOU, MR. HYDE. MISS SOWELL.I DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING PREPARED. IT'S NEVER STOPPED YOU BEFORE. I KNOW IT HASN'T. I'M SORRY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. WHEN I SEE MY SUPPORT STAFF EMPLOYEES STRUGGLING EVERY DAY WHEN I'M BEING ASKED, DO I HAVE AN EXTRA 20 SO THAT THEY CAN GET GAS IN THEIR CAR TO COME TO WORK BECAUSE THEY WANT TO COME TO WORK. IT'S IT'S, IT BREAKS MY HEART. SO I DON'T THINK THAT ANYBODY CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE HOW MUCH THIS IS GOING TO MEAN TO OUR SUPPORT STAFF, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW WITH GAS AT 449 A GALLON. THIS IS GOING TO HELP THEM OUT SO MUCH. SO THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. THANK YOU, MISS SOWELL. AND JUST FOR THE PUBLIC THAT WAS WATCHING, I WASN'T BEING SNIPPY. I THINK WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD RELATIONSHIP THERE. SO I WAS JUST GIVING HER A HARD TIME. I ALSO WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT THANK. WHEN WE SPEAK OF GAS PRICES AND INFLATION, DIESEL WAS AT 555 TODAY. SO I WANT TO HEAR THAT. YEAH, I KNEW YOU WOULDN'T. AS YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING PREPARED, BUT IT'S NEVER STOPPED ME BEFORE EITHER. JUST LIKE KAREN, ONE OF THE THINGS I'M HEARING. STATE YOUR NAME, MARIA VALCARCEL. I'M ALSO SUPPORT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS I'M HEARING FROM JUST PEOPLE IN MY OWN BUILDING, SOMEBODY SAID AT LUNCH YESTERDAY SHE WENT TO GIANT EAGLE FOR HER NORMAL GROCERY LIST, WHICH RUNS HER ABOUT $100 A WEEK. SHE SAID SHE WALKED OUT OF THERE WITH NOT EVEN HALF, AND IT WAS ALREADY OVER $100. SO THIS MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE TO US BECAUSE FEES FOR MVA ARE GOING UP. AND SORRY, BUT THE CITY OF FREDERICK HAS TOO MANY RED LIGHT CAMERAS. I HEARD A TEACHER SAY ONE UP BY MY BUILDING. SHE HAS IT HAS COST HER $300. WE THINK THEY'RE A LITTLE TOO SENSITIVE. SO MAYBE YOU CAN HAVE SOME PULL WITH THE CITY OF FREDERICK MR., RHODES. I MEAN ABOUT THAT. BUT IT DOES MATTER, BECAUSE THE EMAIL THAT I SENT TO BRAD YOUNG FOR LAST NIGHT, I GAVE HIM THE RENT ON A ONE ROOM. BASICALLY, YOU WERE RENTING A BEDROOM AND A PRIVATE BATH RIGHT WITHIN CITY LIMITS. AND I HAD SEEN IT YESTERDAY MORNING WHEN I WAS WRITING IT, 1100 PLUS, YOU HAD TO PAY YOUR SHARE OF UTILITIES. [03:20:07] AND AS SUPPORT STAFF. OUR PAYCHECKS, IF YOU'RE LUCKY, AFTER ALL THE DEDUCTIONS EVERY TWO WEEKS FOR IAS AND SCIAS, YOU'RE LUCKY IF YOU ARE BRINGING HOME MORE THAN 7 OR $800. SO IT MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE TO US, TO THOSE ON THE HIGHER END OF THE PAY SCALE. THEY DON'T NOTICE IT, BUT IT REALLY DOES IMPACT US. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE, WE'RE GOING TO GO ON TO THE VOTE. DO YOU WANT TO DO YOU HAVE THE MOTION. ALL RIGHT. YOU'RE RIGHT. OKAY. SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS FOR ALL MEMBERS PRESENT, INCLUDING THE STUDENT MEMBER. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. DO WE HAVE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSIONS FOR TONIGHT? NO. JUST A REMINDER. WE WILL BE BACK ON THE 20TH. WE, AS MISS FROCK SAID, WE SHOULD HAVE, HOPEFULLY BY FRIDAY. NEXT FRIDAY. THE INFORMATION FROM THE STATE. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO FOLLOW US ON GRANICUS PEAK YOU PROBABLY WILL NOT SEE THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION UNTIL THE TUESDAY BEFORE THE MEETING. AND IF ANYONE EVER HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR THEY WANT TO SEE DOCUMENTATION YOU PLEASE FEEL FREE TO VISIT US AT FCPS.ORG BACKSLASH BUDGET OR EMAIL US AT CPS.ORG. THANK YOU. I'LL JUST I'LL ECHO THAT FOR THE PUBLIC THAT IF YOU THINK WE DON'T ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS LIVE, GO AHEAD AND CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE AND SEE HOW MANY QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ASKED. SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO READ IT. NO, I WASN'T I WASN'T PICKING ON YOU. I WASN'T PICKING ON YOU, MR. WILSON. THERE'S MORE COMING THAT WILL BE UPLOADED. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT. LET'S MOVE ON TO THE SETTING OF THE NEXT AGENDA. [6.01 Setting the Agenda for the May 20, 2026 Board of Education Meeting] 6.01 SETTING AGENDA FOR THE MAY 20TH BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING. OKAY. WE HAVE POLICY FIRST READING POLICY 426 FUNDRAISING, AND THEN WE'LL BE BACK, AS MISS CLAYBAUGH SAID, TO TALK ABOUT THE FY 27 BUDGET UPDATE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO 7.01, WHICH IS LEGISLATIVE UPDATES. [7.01 Legislative Updates] AND I JUST WANT TO I JUST WANT TO THANK MISS YOHO. MISS YOHO, QUOTE UNQUOTE, STEPPED BACK TO THE ALTERNATE ON THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE. AND I BELIEVE THIS YEAR, THANKS TO ALL OF MY OTHER COMMITMENTS, SHE'S DONE MORE WORK THIS YEAR THAN SHE'S DONE IN OTHER YEARS, SO I WANT TO THANK HER FOR STEPPING UP FOR ME. I THINK I WAS AT THE SURPRISE PATROL, WHICH IS GREAT, AND I WOULDN'T HAVE MISSED IT, BUT I WAS AT SOMETHING I MISSED. BUT SO I WANT TO THANK YOU. SO GO FOR IT. OH, SO THOSE DOCUMENTS WILL BE ATTACHED AFTER THIS MEETING BECAUSE I, I DIDN'T GET THEM TO MISS RICH EARLY ENOUGH SO I. BUT THEY WILL BE ATTACHED MABE DID THEIR END OF THE SESSION SUMMARY. AND I THINK AT OUR BOARD MEETING IT WAS 45 MINUTES. SO I'M NOT GOING TO GO ALL THROUGH IT. IT'S A FASCINATING DOCUMENT. YOU KNOW, REALLY IT GIVES THE NUMBERS OF HOW MANY BILLS PASSED, HOW MANY MABE WAS TRACKING FOR EDUCATION PURPOSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND THEN THERE'S WILL BE ANOTHER DOCUMENT, MY NOTES THAT GO ALONG WITH IT. SO IT'S SORT OF A SUMMARY OF THE SUMMARY. AND IT'S SO IT'S, I WRITE OFF, I WAS GOING TO PULL IT UP AT THIS MOMENT. I CAN'T THINK OF ANY OUTSTANDING OR SOMETIMES IT'S THE BILLS YOU GET TO NOT PASS THAT ARE SOME OF THE ONES CELL PHONE POLICY THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE OF INTEREST. THERE WILL BE NO CELL PHONES ALLOWED. BASICALLY IN HIGH SCHOOL. WE ALLOW THEM OUT NOW. THEY WILL NOT BE ALLOWED OUT. MABE WAS NOT NECESSARILY HAPPY ABOUT THAT. THEY WOULD HAVE RATHER LET EACH LEA DO THEIR OWN. I FEEL LIKE OURS WAS PRETTY GOOD, BUT THAT THAT'S PROBABLY THE ONE CHANGE THAT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ALSO CANNOT HAVE THEM OUT. BUT OTHERWISE READ THAT DOCUMENT TO GET THE SUMMARY OF THE SUMMARY. IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ONE TIME I APPLAUD A LAW. SO I'M VERY, VERY THRILLED WITH THAT ONE. SO NOW WE'LL GO ON TO 7.02 POLICY COMMITTEE REPORT, MISS GALLAGHER. [7.02 Policy Committee Report] SO THE POLICY COMMITTEE HAS NOT MET. BUT I'LL GIVE A QUICK PREVIEW OF WHAT WE'LL BE DISCUSSING AT OUR MAY 20TH MEETING. WE WILL BE REVIEWING THE POLICY 117, WHICH IS OUR ANTI-RACISM POLICY POLICY 513, WHICH IS DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS POLICY. 511 ASSESSMENTS POLICY. 508 SPECIAL EDUCATION POLICY. 500 WHICH IS APPROVAL OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND POLICY. 501 SELECTION AND APPROVAL OF LIBRARY MEDIA MATERIALS. AND THEN WE'LL ALSO BE LOOKING AT THE ROADMAP PREVIEW FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR'S POLICY REVIEW. THERE WE GO. ALL RIGHT. NEXT IS 7.03 WHICH IS CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION. [7.03 Curriculum & Instruction Committee Report] [03:25:01] AND SOMETIMES LIFE GETS IN THE WAY. AND I WANT TO THANK MISS GALLAGHER AND MISS MONIER FOR STEPPING IN TODAY AT CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION. SO DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU COULD SHARE? I MEAN, THERE WERE TWO MAIN TOPICS PRESENTATIONS TODAY, ONE ON OUR MULTILINGUAL EDUCATION SERVICES, WHICH WAS A REALLY GREAT PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION. AND THEN OUR INTERVENTION STRATEGIES FOCUSING ON THEM, MULTI-TIERED SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT AND OUR MATH AND READING INTERVENTIONS. I DON'T KNOW, MISS MONIER, IF YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING TO THAT. SCARBOROUGH'S ROPE THAT IS GOING TO BE A RABBIT HOLE THAT I'M GOING TO GO DOWN PROBABLY AT 01:00 IN THE MORNING. BUT YES, AND THAT HAS TO DO WITH ALL THE FROM, YOU KNOW, PHONEMES AND COMPREHENSION, ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO LEARN AS WE'RE GROWING AND DEVELOPING IN ORDER TO BECOME GOOD READERS AND COMPREHENDING WHAT WE'RE READING AND ANALYSIS AND SO FORTH. SO SCARBOROUGH'S ROPE, GO CHECK THAT OUT. IT'S ALSO DEFINITELY THAT THAT IS, I WANT TO SAY THE INTERVENTIONS. IT WAS 2.2 ON TODAY'S AND TODAY'S CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION MEETING. I'M PULLING IT UP REAL QUICK SO I CAN GET THE RIGHT SCARBOROUGH'S ROPE IS ALSO DOOT DE DOOT. THERE WE GO. I'M SORRY. MY EYESIGHT IS STILL HEALING, SO I'M STILL WORKING ON THAT. SO SCARBOROUGH'S READING ROPE. I CORRECT THAT 2001 FROM THE SCIENCE OF READING. SO IT'S ON PAGE 15 IN THERE AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. BUT YEAH, IT WAS AN EXCELLENT DISCUSSION. I REALLY DO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO WATCH THE VIDEO. IT WAS EXCELLENT. YEAH. YEAH. THE ONLY OTHER THING I WOULD ADD IS JUST THE THOUGHTFULNESS THAT OUR STAFF ARE PUTTING IN AROUND THE NEW MATH AND READING POLICIES AT THE STATE LEVEL AND WHAT THAT IMPACT WILL BE IN OUR OWN PRACTICES IN THE CLASSROOM AND IN, IN INTERVENTION. SO I APPRECIATED THAT DISCUSSION AS WELL. NO, THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT. SO ANY PARENTS WHO HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THAT NEW MATH CURRICULUM MIGHT LOOK NEXT YEAR, AND SOME OF THE CHANGES THEY MIGHT BE SEEING FOR THEIR STUDENTS, TAKE A LOOK AT THE VIDEO. THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION AROUND THAT AND IT WOULD HOPEFULLY BE ILLUMINATING FOR FOLKS. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER POLICY REPORTS? I MEAN SORRY, POLICY COMMITTEE REPORTS. OTHER COMMITTEES? NO, I CORRECTED MYSELF. I WAS CORRECTING MYSELF. ANY MORE COMMITTEE REPORTS. THAT WOULD BE ME. YES. [7.04 Committee Reports] SO WE DO HAVE A COUPLE. MS. MONIER. I'M GOING TO START WITH CCAC IS HAVING THEIR CHAMPIONS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION. IT IS GOING TO BE ON MAY 12TH FROM 6 TO 8 P.M. AT THE GOVERNOR THOMAS JOHNSON HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM. SO COME OUT AND CELEBRATE THE FOLKS WHO WERE NOMINATED FOR CHAMPIONS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND HEAR ABOUT THEIR STORIES AND THEIR NOMINATIONS. AND I WILL BE THERE AS WELL. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO ALL OF THE FESTIVITIES AND SEE RIGHT THERE. AND THEN ALSO THE SCHOOL HEALTH COUNCIL MET, AND WE MET OVER AT MONOCACY MIDDLE SCHOOL WITH PRINCIPAL GUNTHER. AND AGAIN, AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE. AND WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION OF TEAM SPORTS. AND I GOT TO MEET MISS HAMMOND, WHO WAS ALSO HONORED AS AN ATHLETIC TEACHER OF THE YEAR, I BELIEVE IS HOW THAT WAS DONE. BUT SHE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING FLAG GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL INTO THE SCHOOLS, NOT JUST IN FREDERICK COUNTY, BUT ALL ACROSS THE STATE OF MARYLAND. AND AGAIN, THE IMPORTANCE OF MOVEMENT TO OUR HEALTH AND TO ACCESSING OUR EDUCATION. WE WANT TO SEE THOSE MATH SCORES RISE, AND WE WANT TO SEE READING RISE. WE NEED TO HAVE MOVEMENT RECESS. PRINCIPAL GUNTHER REALLY SPOKE TO HOW MUCH. IT JUST HELPED TO HAVING TWO OPPORTUNITIES FOR RECESS AND OUTDOOR TIME FOR HIS STUDENTS. AND THAT'S A MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND WE ALL NEED A LITTLE BIT OF THAT. AND ALSO JUST HELP TO REDUCE THE INCIDENCE. WE TALK ABOUT CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR AND MANAGEMENT EARLIER. IT MAKES THAT A LITTLE EASIER THE MORE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT AND PROVIDE THAT FOR OUR STUDENTS. ALL RIGHT. I THINK CAC'S MONDAY. RIGHT. OKAY. ANY OTHERS? I JUST WANT TO SAY MAKE SURE PEOPLE COME OUT. PLEASE COME OUT TO THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY. COME OUT. I AGREE, THIS IS THIS IS A VALUABLE COMMITTEE THAT ALLOWS THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH OUR SYSTEM. SO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. 6 P.M. ON MONDAY. RIGHT? YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANY OF US, MISS MISS YOHO, I DON'T WHO GOES TO THE CAREER TECH MEETING NOW WAS WAS MR. SHOEMAKER. CORBIN SHOEMAKER, DID THEY MAKE THAT I MEAN, I DID. FINALLY, DOCTOR DYSON POINTED ME TO AT THE AWARDS THEY WERE. EVERYBODY'S CONGRATULATING HIM. I'M LOOKING ON OLD THINGS SAYING IT FINALLY ABOUT TIME, BUT I DID THEY MAKE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT AT THAT MEETING OR. SORRY TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT. JUST CONGRATULATIONS TO MR. SHOEMAKER. OKAY. SO CONGRATULATIONS, CORBIN SHOEMAKER. WELL DESERVED. AND ANOTHER THING. TOMORROW MORNING IS THE CAREER SIGNING DAY FOR CTC. AND I MEAN, WHAT AN AMAZING DAY. EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT INVOLVED, YOU SHOULD COME OUT. IT'S AN EXCITING DAY TO SEE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE SIGNING THEIR LETTERS OF INTENT FOR CAREERS. [03:30:06] SO I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR PARTNERS THAT PARTICIPATE IN THAT AND MAKE IT SUCH A SPECIAL EVENT FOR OUR GRADUATES. SO COME ON OUT TOMORROW. 9 A.M., FREDERICK COMMUNITY COLLEGE. YEAH. SO COME ON OUT. ANYONE ELSE? ALL RIGHT. [8.01 Quarterly Agenda for Board Meetings] SO NEXT WE'LL MOVE ON TO 8.01. OKAY. 8.01 QUARTERLY AGENDA FOR BOARD MEETINGS. THIS IS INFORMATION. ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR QUARTERLY AGENDA. [8.02 Future Agenda Items] NO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. WE'RE GOOD AREN'T WE. YEP. ALL RIGHT. SO WE'RE ALL GOOD ON THERE. SO IT DEAN. I'M SORRY. THAT'S OKAY. WHEN DID WE ADD THE DATA CENTER DISCUSSION? IS THAT GOING TO BE SEPTEMBER? OKAY. THE NINTH. RIGHT. NINE. NINE PAIRED WITH WHAT? WITH THE FMP. I'M SORRY, CIP. OKAY. YEP, YEP. SO I THINK IT'S NINE NINE. I THINK IT'S THE ACTUAL DATE. YEP. SO WE'RE ALL SET. ALL RIGHT. SO I'M GOING TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT EIGHT. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.