[00:00:01]
GOOD AFTERNOON, THIS MEETING IS NOW CONVENED AT TWO P.M.
[CALL TO ORDER]
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT IN THE BOARD AUDITORIUM ARE TRUSTEE ALLEN, TRUSTEE WADE, TRUSTEE GUIDRY, TRUSTEE SANTOS, TRUSTEE CRUZ, TRUSTEE BLUEFORD-DANIELS, TRUSTEE DEIGAARD, TRUSTEE BAKER, AND TRUSTEE HERNANDEZ.THE BOARD WILL NOW ADJOURN TO CLOSE OR EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER CHAPTER 551 OF TEXAS
[ADJOURN TO CLOSED OR EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER SECTIONS 551.004, 551.071, 551.072, 551.073, 551.074, 551.076, 551.082, 551.0821, 551.083, 551.084, AND 551.089 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE FOR THE PURPOSES LISTED UNDER SECTION C]
GOVERNMENT CODE OPEN MEETINGS ACT SUBSECTIONS 551.004.071.072.073.074.076.082 .0821.083.084.089. SHOULD BOARD FINAL ACTION VOTER DECISION ON ANY MATTER CONSIDERED IN THE CLOSED SESSION BE REQUIRED SUCH FINAL ACTION, VOTE OR DECISION SHALL BE TAKEN AT THE OPEN MEETING COVERED BY THIS NOTICE UPON THE RECONVENING OF THIS PUBLIC MEETING OR AT A SUBSEQUENT PUBLIC MEETING OF THE BOARD.UPON NOTICE THEREOF, THE BOARD IS ADJOURNED TO CLOSE FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION AT 2:01 P.M.
[REGULAR BOARD MEETING RECONVENES FOR OPEN SESSION]
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT AT THE BOARD AUDITORIUM ARE TRUSTEE ALLEN, TRUSTEE WADE, TRUSTEE GUIDRY, TRUSTEE SANTOS, TRUSTEE CRUZ, TRUSTEE BLUEFORD-DANIELS, TRUSTEE DEIGAARD, TRUSTEE BAKER, TRUSTEE HERNANDEZ.I WOULD LIKE TO ASK EVERYONE TO PLEASE SILENCE ALL CELL PHONES AND REMIND EVERYONE TO PLEASE ADHERE TO THE DISTRICT'S MASK MANDATE IF YOU ARE NOT WEARING A MASK.
YOU WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE THE PREMISES.
AND JUST AS A REMINDER THAT WE IF WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN TO THE HEARING OF THE COMMUNITY BY SEVEN P.M., WE WILL PAUSE THE BUSINESS OF THE MEETING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO HEAR THE HEARING OF THE COMMUNITY AND WE DO SEE THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE TODAY AND WE ARE GLAD YOU'RE HERE AND WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS.
SO AT THE LATEST, WE'LL BE GETTING TO THAT AT SEVEN P.M.
PLEASE RISE FOR A MOMENT OF SILENT MEDITATION.
PLEASE REMAIN STANDING FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND PLEDGE TO THE TEXAS FLAG.
SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE WILL NOW LEAD THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND THE PLEDGE TO THE TEXAS FLAG. ATTENTION SALUTE.
PLEDGE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC, FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THEE, TEXAS, ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.
[RECOGNITIONS]
AT EACH FEBRUARY BOARD MEETING, WE HAVE THE PLEASURE OF FEATURING THE STUDENT WHO WON THE ANNUAL MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.ORATORY COMPETITION, HISD WOULD LIKE TO THANK FOLEY AND LARDNER LLP FOR SPONSORING THIS COMPETITION NOW IN ITS 26TH YEAR IN HOUSTON.
NOW I WOULD LIKE TO ASK VERONICA CARROLL FROM LAW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO COME TO THE PODIUM AND TO INTRODUCE HERSELF AND THIS YEAR'S WINNER.
EXCUSE ME. MY NAME IS VERONICA CARROLL, AND I AM DELIGHTED TO INTRODUCE THIS YOUNG MAN TO YOU, NOT JUST BECAUSE HE IS THE 2022 WINNER OF THE LARDNER.
FOLEY LARDNER [INAUDIBLE] MARTIN LUTHER KING ORATORY COMPETITION, NOT JUST BECAUSE HE'S THE FIRST WINNER WHO HAILS FROM JAMES H.
LAW ELEMENTARY UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF MR. DEREK ESTES, NOT JUST BECAUSE HE IS QUALIFIED FOR THE UNIVERSITY INTERSCHOLASTIC LEAGUE DISTRICT FINALS IN MULTIPLE CATEGORIES AND MORE TO COME, NOT JUST BECAUSE HE EXCELS IN ALL THINGS ACADEMIC AND ATHLETIC.
I AM DELIGHTED AND EXCITED BECAUSE RONNIE WILLIAMS IS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN PARENTS PARTNERS WITH TEACHERS FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE STUDENTS BY REINFORCING WHAT IS TAUGHT IN THE CLASSROOM.
I AM DELIGHTED BECAUSE RONNIE REPRESENTS THE POTENTIAL LIVING AND BREATHING THROUGH THE HALLS AND CLASSROOMS OF LAW ELEMENTARY AND DISTRICT WIDE.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I PRESENT TO YOU, RONNIE WILLIAMS, THE WINNER OF THE FOLEY LARDNER MLK ORATORY COMPETITION.
[00:05:05]
[APPLAUSE].KING WOULD ASSESS OUR PROGRESS OF HIS VISION FOR AMERICA? I BELIEVE DR.
KING WOULD ASSESS HOW AMERICA IS PROGRESSING WITH HIS VISION BY COMPARING HOW IT STARTED WITH HOW IT'S GOING.
IN HIS ASSESSMENT, HE IS LOOKING FOR PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION.
KING WOULD ASSESS OUR PROGRESS OF HIS VISION FOR AMERICA? I BELIEVE DR.
KING WOULD USE A METHOD KIND OF LIKE THE STAAR TEST.
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, THE TEACHERS GIVE US TESTS TO SEE WHERE WE ARE OR WHAT READING, MATH, AND SCIENCE LEVEL WE ARE ON.
AFTER SOME MONTHS OF LEARNING, THEY TEST US AGAIN TO SEE HOW IT'S GOING.
THEY KEEP A DATA CHART TO SEE IF WE HAVE GOTTEN BETTER.
THERE IS AN ACTUAL CHART IN OUR CLASSROOM THAT SAYS APPROACHES, MEETS, OR MASTERS.
APPROACHES MADE YOU UNDERSTAND THE GOAL, BUT YOU JUST HAVE A FEW CHALLENGES.
MEETS MEANS YOU PASSED THE TEST AND YOU'RE READY FOR THE NEXT LEVEL.
MASTERS MEANS YOU'VE EXCEEDED THE EXPECTATIONS.
WITH THAT IN MIND, I BELIEVE DR.
KING, WHEN YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO ASSESS AMERICA'S PROGRESS FOR HIS VISIONS.
TODAY, WE ALL JUST LOOK AT HOW YOU WOULD ASSESS THE PROGRESS OF THREE OF HIS VISIONS.
VOTING, INJUSTICE, AND HATE BUT REMEMBER PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION.
KING WOULD ASSESS OUR PROGRESS OF HIS VISION FOR AMERICA? LET'S START WITH HIS VOTING VISION.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN THEY MADE IT [INAUDIBLE] IMPOSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE TO VOTE WITH THE TEST AND POLL TAX? DR.
THAT'S HOW WE GOT THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965.
EVEN AFTER THAT, THEY'RE TRYING TO SCARE PEOPLE INTO NOT VOTING SO HOW'S IT GOING? ON THE ONE HAND, DATA SHOWS THAT 2020 ELECTIONS HAVE THE HIGHEST TURNOUT IN CENTURIES, EVEN IN THE PANDEMIC PEOPLE WAITED IN THE HOT SUN WITH MASK FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE FOREVER.
MY PERSONAL FAVORITE WAS THE VIDEO OF THE GREEK SHOWS TO THE POLLS.
IT WAS LIKE THE LINE TO GET INTO AN HBCU FOOTBALL GAME, SO SURELY DR.
KING [INAUDIBLE] GOT A MASTERS, RIGHT? UNFORTUNATELY, AS THE DATA ALSO SHOWS THAT AS OF OCTOBER 2021, NINETEEN STATES ALREADY HAVE LAWS THAT MAKE IT HARDER FOR PEOPLE TO VOTE.
I DON'T EVEN THINK HE'LL COUNT THAT AS APPROACHING BECAUSE IT'S GOING THE WRONG WAY.
KING WOULD ASSESS OUR PROGRESS OF HIS VISION FOR AMERICA? LET'S LOOK AT INJUSTICE.
DR. KING SAID INJUSTICE ANYWHERE IS A THREAT TO JUSTICE EVERYWHERE.
I THINK RACIAL INJUSTICE IS A REALLY BIG PROBLEM.
1964, THERE WAS VIOLENCE AGAINST AFRICAN-AMERICAN PROTESTERS FIGHTING FOR THEIR CITIZENSHIP AND RIGHTS PROMISED IN THE CONSTITUTION.
WE KNOW HOW IT STARTED LYNCHING, BEATINGS, BOMBINGS, DOGS, HOSES.
HOW'S IT GOING? WELL, I THINK YOU WOULD SAY APPROACHING, BUT REMEMBER PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION. HOW DO I THINK DR.
KING WOULD ASSESS OUR PROGRESS OF HIS VISION FOR AMERICA? AT THE CORE OF HIS VISION WAS THE DESIRE TO STOP HATE.
HE BELIEVED THAT IF WE COULD STOP HATE, THEN THE ACTS OF HATE WOULD STOP ALSO, I BELIEVE DR. KING OR GREAT AMERICA A HIGHER SCORE ON THIS ONE THAT IT SHOWS THAT HATE IS BEING EXPOSED AND EXPELLED LIVE ON INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, TIKTOK, AND THANKFULLY AT MY SCHOOL.
I KNOW SOME OF YOU MAY DISAGREE WITH ME, BUT REMEMBER PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION.
WE ARE NOT WHERE WE OUGHT TO BE, BUT THANK GOD WE ARE NOT WHERE WE USED TO BE.
KING WOULD ASSESS OUR PROGRESS OF HIS VISION FOR AMERICA? DR. KING SAID HATE PARALYZES, LOVE RELEASES IT, HATRED CONFUSES LIFE, LOVE HARMONIZES IT, HATRED DARKENS LIFE.
SO WHEN THE DATA SHOWS HOW MANY AMERICANS STOOD IN HARMONY AND RELEASED LOVE CRISIS AFTER CRISIS, HE WILL SAY THAT'S PROGRESS.
THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF DEDICATED INDIVIDUALS OVER THE YEARS THAT HAS HELPED AMERICA REACH OUR GOAL OF JUSTICE FOR ALL.
HE WILL BE PROUD TO SEE HOW FAR WE HAVE COME AND ENCOURAGE US TO WORK HARDER WHEN HE COMPARES HOW IT STARTED, BUT HOW IT'S GOING.
[00:10:02]
HIS ASSESSMENT WOULD READ PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION.[APPLAUSE] THANK YOU, MR. WILLIAMS. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK TRUSTEE ALLEN TO READ OUR PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING BLACK HISTORY MONTH, TRUSTEE ALLEN.
PROCLAMATION, BLACK HISTORY MONTH, FEBRUARY 2022.
WHEREAS EACH FEBRUARY BLACK HISTORY MONTH HONORS THE ENDURING LEGACY OF STRUGGLE AND TRIUMPH OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND CELEBRATES AND ACKNOWLEDGES THE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN AND WOMEN HAVE MADE TO OUR GREAT CITY, STATE, AND COUNTRY. AND WHEREAS AFRICAN-AMERICANS HAVE PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE HISTORY OF HOUSTON AND TEXAS FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF THE PIONEERS TO THE PRESENT DAY LEADING OUR COMMUNITY IN SUCH INDUSTRIES AS EDUCATION, MEDICINE, FINANCE, GOVERNMENT AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE.
AND WHEREAS WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS HIGHLY BENEFICIAL FOR ALL SEGMENTS OF OUR COMMUNITY TO EMBRACE AND LEARN FROM OUR DIVERSE CULTURES AND TO RECOGNIZE OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE RISEN ABOVE CIRCUMSTANCE AND BECOME PRIZED ROLE MODELS FOR NOT ONLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHILDREN, BUT FOR CHILDREN OF ALL RACES.
AND WHEREAS THE HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION PROUDLY AND GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS AT EVERY LEVEL OF THE DISTRICT FROM PARENT VOLUNTEERS AND CROSSING GUARDS TO TEACHERS, DISTRICT STAFF, AND ELECTED OFFICIALS, EACH ONE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE TEAM.
AND WHEREAS IT IS FITTING THAT WE SET ASIDE A SPECIAL TIME TO EXPRESS APPRECIATION FOR THIS VALUED SEGMENT OF CITIZENS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THEIR IMPORTANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
NOW, THEREFORE, WE, THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, PROCLAIM FEBRUARY 2022 BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND HISD AND ENCOURAGE ALL TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND CELEBRATE THE RICH HISTORY OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE AND WITNESS THEREOF ON THIS 10TH DAY OF FEBRUARY 2022.
PLEASE NOTE THAT WE ARE CONDUCTING OUR HEARING OF THE COMMUNITY IN TWO PARTS TO
[HEARING OF THE COMMUNITY (Part 1 of 2)]
PRIORITIZE OUR STUDENTS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.WE HAVE EIGHT STUDENT SPEAKERS WHO SHALL BE LIMITED TO ONE MINUTE EACH.
AS I CALL THE NEXT TWO NAMES, PLEASE TAKE A SEAT ON THE FRONT ROW.
I'M NOT SURE IF I'M SAYING THIS RIGHT. [INAUDIBLE] PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM AND THEN THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS ARE IRIS [INAUDIBLE], AND LIAM SOLANO.
WE HAVE FIVE OTHER STUDENT SPEAKERS SIGNED UP TO ADDRESS THE BOARD VIA ZOOM.
ZOOM SPEAKERS, PLEASE REMEMBER THAT WE MUST SEE YOU LIVE WITH YOUR CAMERA ON AS YOU SPEAK.
IF YOU WERE WATCHING THE VIDEO, THE MEETING LIVE ON ANOTHER DEVICE, PLEASE MUTE THE MEETING AUDIO WHEN YOU SPEAK TO AVOID AUDIO INTERFERENCE, TURN ON YOUR CAMERA AND BEGIN SPEAKING. MY NAME IS ARI [INAUDIBLE]. I AM IN SECOND GRADE.
I HAVE NEVER HAD A NORMAL YEAR OF SCHOOL.
I AM HERE FOR THE SECOND TIME TO ASK WHY? I DO NOT WEAR TO DANCE CLASS.
I DO NOT WEAR A MASK TO GYMNASTICS.
I DO NOT WEAR A MASK TO THE PARK WHEN I PLAY WITH MY CLASSMATES.
I DO NOT WEAR A MASK TO SPORTING EVENTS.
I DO NOT MASK WHEN I WATCH MY SIBLINGS DO THEIR ACTIVITIES.
I DO NOT WEAR A MASK TO CHURCH.
I DO NOT WEAR A MASK TO CONCERTS.
I DO NOT WEAR A MASK TO BIRTHDAY PARTIES.
I DO NOT WEAR A MASK TO GO ICE SKATING.
I DO NOT WEAR A MASK IN RESTAURANTS.
I DO NOT WEAR A MASK AT COMMUNITY GATHERINGS.
I DO NOT WEAR A MASK AT THE GROCERY STORE OR SHOPPING.
I DO NOT WEAR MASKS CELEBRATING THE HOUSTON MARATHON.
I WILL NOT WEAR A MASK UP RODEO NEXT MONTH.
WHY AM I FORCED TO WEAR A MASK IN EXCHANGE FOR SCHOOL? I AM ONLY SEVEN, BUT NOTHING YOU ARE DOING MAKES SENSE.
I CHOOSE LIFE. I CHOOSE FREEDOM.
I'M NOT AFRAID. PLEASE STOP TRYING TO STEAL MY JOY AND PEACE.
[00:15:09]
OKAY. MY NAME IS IRIS FLORES, AND I'M IN FOURTH GRADE.I DON'T LIKE MASK. DO YOU WEAR A MASK FOR EIGHT HOURS STRAIGHT? DO YOU WEAR A MASK AT YOUR WORKPLACE, AT YOUR DESK OR AT YOUR HOME WHILE I'M AT SCHOOL? THE MASK MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I'M SUFFOCATING.
NO ONE IS HERE HAS TO WEAR A MASK IN HOUSTON ANYMORE.
MANY OF MY FRIENDS DON'T HAVE TO WEAR THEM AT THEIR SCHOOLS.
IT'S CONFUSING AND DOESN'T SEEM TO MAKE SENSE.
I SEE WITH MY OWN EYES THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE CHOOSING NOT TO WEAR MASK.
CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE US A CHOICE IF SOMEONE WANTS TO WEAR A MASK, THAT'S THEIR RIGHT? WHAT ABOUT THE CHOICE FOR ME, MY FRIENDS AND MY TEACHERS WHO WOULD RATHER NOT WEAR A MASK? I'M HERE ASKING AGAIN, PLEASE DON'T WEAR MASKS.
AUDIENCE, PLEASE HOLD YOUR APPLAUSE.
HI, MY NAME IS LIAM SOLANO, AND I'M IN SECOND GRADE AT COLTER ELEMENTARY.
PLEASE LET KIDS, PARENTS, AND TEACHERS DECIDE IF THEY WANT TO WEAR A MASK OR NOT.
I DON'T WANT TO WEAR THE MASK BECAUSE IT BOTHERS ME AND I CAN'T BREATHE WITH IT.
MY DOCTOR ALSO SAYS I SHOULDN'T WEAR A MASK EITHER.
I WANT TO SEE MY FRIENDS FACES WITHOUT THE SILLY MASK.
I ALSO WANT TO SEE MY TEACHER'S FACE WHEN THEY TALK.
IT'S HARD FOR ME TO HEAR THEM WITH A MASK ON.
WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO END ALL OF THIS CORONAVIRUS RULES? WHY CAN'T WE GO? WHY CAN'T WE GO ON FIELD TRIPS? I HAVEN'T BEEN ON A FIELD TRIP SINCE KINDERGARTEN.
I ALSO WANT MY MOM TO COME VOLUNTEER ON MY SCHOOL LIKE SHE USED TO AND WITH. ONLY HAVE TO WEAR A MASK AT SCHOOL ON THE WEEKENDS AND AFTER SCHOOL, I GO TO BASEBALL PRACTICE BIRTHDAY PARTIES, KIDS NIGHT OUT IN RESTAURANTS WITHOUT A MASK AND SEEING MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
PLEASE STOP THE MASK RULES NOW.
[APPLAUSE] MS. JONES, PLEASE IDENTIFY AND ADMIT OUR ZOOM SPEAKERS.
WE HAVE FIVE STUDENT SPEAKERS WEST VIA ZOOM WESTON ZURICH, [INAUDIBLE] MENDOZA, JASMINE ALVAREZ, CARLOS ALVARADO, AND CHANCE JOHNSON.
WESTON, IF YOU NEED ANY EXTRA DEVICES AND CUT ON YOUR CAMERA, YOU MAY BEGIN.
BUT. HI WESTON, YOU MAY BEGIN.
PLEASE CUT ON YOUR CAMERA. I MEAN.
[INAUDIBLE] HI, MY NAME IS WESTON [INAUDIBLE].
I AM IN FOURTH GRADE AT [INAUDIBLE] ELEMENTARY.
I AM GOING TO TELL YOU WHY I NEED YOU TO GET RID OF MASK IN SCHOOL . WEARING MASKS MAKES ME FEEL MAD BECAUSE THEY PREVENT US FROM BREATHING GOOD.
WHEN YOU HAVE A BLOODY NOSE, IT MAKES YOU LICK BLOOD.
IT MAKES YOUR MASK [INAUDIBLE] AND IT MAKES IT SMELL BAD.
IT WAS GROSS. THEY DON'T GIVE YOU ENOUGH OXYGEN AND DON'T THEY GIVE YOU A HEADACHE AND DON'T GIVE YOU ENOUGH OXYGEN.
THAT IS WHY I DON'T LIKE MASK.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND CONVINCING HOW KIDS FEEL AT SCHOOL.
ALEXANDER, PLEASE TURN ON YOUR CAMERA AND MUTING THE EXTRA DEVICES, AND YOU MAY BEGIN.
YOU MAY BEGIN. UH, CAN I GO NOW? YES. AND [INAUDIBLE] AT SCHOOL.
[00:20:06]
HELLO. PLEASE MEET YOUR EXTRA DEVICE AND YOU MAY BEGIN.OK. GOOD AFTERNOON, SUPERINTENDENT BOARD, PRESIDENT TRUSTEE, I'M A SOPHOMORE AT CESAR CHAVEZ HIGH SCHOOL, I WOULD LIKE TO START WITH THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE MASK MANDATE.
I CAN COUNT A HANDFUL OF STUDENTS THAT DO NOT WEAR A MASK GOING ON THE MORNING ANNOUNCEMENT STATING HISD WILL CONTINUE TO ENFORCE THE MASK MANDATE.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A MASK, PLEASE GO TO YOUR ACADEMIC OFFICE TO RECEIVE ONE.
THIS IS NOT GOING TO MAKE A STUDENT PUT A MASK ON AND NO TO THE ANTI-MASKERS THESE STUDENTS ARE NOT WEARING A MASK BECAUSE THEY CAN'T BREATHE OR THEY'RE GOING TO DIE IF THEY HAVE A MASK ON. IT'S SIMPLY BECAUSE IT'S NOT BEING ENFORCED.
MY GRANDPARENTS, WHO HAVE MAJOR HEALTH ISSUES, HAVE GOTTEN COVID TWICE THIS YEAR, AND I'M SURE THEY GOT IT BECAUSE OF ME.
I AM THE ONLY ONE THAT LEAVES THIS HOUSE AND GOES TO SCHOOL AND TO ADD, WE ARE NOT HAVING A CHOICE CONCERNING A VIRTUAL OPTION DURING THESE CHALLENGING TIMES, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF STUDENTS AND TEACHERS WANT TO GO VIRTUAL.
STOP SAYING YOUR [INAUDIBLE] YOU ARE PRIORITIZING STUDENTS AND TEACHERS WHEN YOU REALLY ARE NOT. ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS, AND STUDENTS ARE NOT WEARING MASKS IS SIMPLY HAPPENING BECAUSE YOU ARE JUST PROVIDING LIP SERVICE AND NOT TAKING ACTION.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, AFTER AN HIC STUDENT WITH BEING AN [INAUDIBLE] STUDENT FOR ABOUT 12 YEARS NOW, I WILL BE TRANSFERRING TO A VIRTUAL EDUCATION SCHOOL UNTIL MY FAMILY AND I FEEL IT SAFE FOR ME TO RETURN BACK TO HISD.
JUST HOW I HAVE BEEN SUFFERING THROUGH THIS.
Y'ALL WILL AS BY ME LEAVING THE DISTRICT NEXT WEEK.
PRESIDENT CRUZ, JASMINE, CARLOS AND CHANCE HAVE NOT CHECKED IN.
IT'S NOW TIME TO HEAR FROM SPEAKERS TO SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS.
[SPEAKERS TO AGENDA ITEMS]
WE HAVE 17 SPEAKERS REGISTERED THIS EVENING WHO SHALL BE LIMITED TO TWO MINUTES EACH PER BOARD POLICY.PLEASE SPEAK TO THE AGENDA ITEM YOU HAVE SIGNED UP FOR.
WE ALSO ASKED THAT SPEAKERS STAY ON TOPIC AND REFRAIN FROM NAMING INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY STUDENTS, AS THEIR IDENTITY IS PROTECTED UNDER LAW.
BUT YOU MAY NAME YOUR OWN CHILD.
PLEASE BE REMINDED THAT MASKS ARE REQUIRED ON ALL HISD PROPERTIES.
IF YOU WILL NOT COMPLY WITH THE RULES, YOU WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE BUILDING.
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT IF YOU ARE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK VIA ZOOM, WE MUST SEE YOU LIVE WITH YOUR CAMERA ON AS YOU SPEAK.
IF YOU'RE WATCHING THE MEETING LIVE ON ANOTHER DEVICE, PLEASE MUTE THE MEETING AUDIO WHEN YOU SPEAK TO AVOID AUDIO INTERFERENCE.
TURN ON YOUR CAMERA AND BEGIN SPEAKING.
OUR FIRST ITEM HELD FOR REGISTERED SPEAKERS IS A1 APPROVAL OF PERSONAL PERSONAL SERVICES PERFORMED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT, INCLUDING SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, PANEL DISCUSSIONS, WORKSHOPS, ETC.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS EDUCATION CODE.
SECTION 11.201E WILL, GARY MONROE, PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM.
MR. MONROE IS ALSO REGISTERED TO SPEAK REGISTERED FOR ITEMS B1 AND I1, AS WELL AS HEARING OF THE COMMUNITY. THE NEXT SPEAKER AFTER HIM IS MELISSA [INAUDIBLE].
I JUST WANT TO TALK TO YOU, YOU DID AN INTERVIEW WITH THE CHRONICLE LAST WEEK WHERE YOU TOLD A FLAT OUT LIE.
YOU SAID YOU'D NEVER HEARD ABOUT SCHOOL CLOSURES.
YOU FORGOT THE DAC MEETING THAT YOU HAD LAST AUGUST THAT I GOT THE MINUTES TO WHERE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT CLOSING OUR SCHOOLS.
OR DID YOU FORGET ABOUT THE PRINCIPAL MEETING THAT YOU HAD WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT CLOSING OUR SCHOOLS? LET ME TELL YOU HOW THAT'S GOING TO WORK.
WHY DON'T YOU CONTROL THAT CON MAN RIGHT THERE? THAT'S THE ONE THAT'S REALLY RUNNING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT THEN HIRED 60 OF HIS FRIENDS. SIX ZERO.
WHEN I GOT TEACHERS AND SUPPORT SERVICES OUT THERE THAT CAN'T GET A RAISE.
WHY DON'T YOU? I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU HERE BECAUSE NORMALLY YOU DON'T COME OUT THE OFFICE.
ALL YOU DO IS SIT THERE AND EAT.
AND MY MAMA ALWAYS TOLD ME, IF YOU LIE, YOU STEAL.
SO NOW IT'S JUST ME VERSUS YOU.
YOU CAN PACK YOUR STUFF AND GET UP OUT OF YOU.
SO LET ME TELL YOU WHAT YOU'RE PLAYING, AIN'T GOING TO BE.
SO NOW SINCE YOU CAN'T CLOSE OUR SCHOOLS, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO ATTACK OUR BLACK PRINCIPALS. IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, PARTNER.
AND THE PEOPLE YOU'RE IN BED WITH [INAUDIBLE], TELL THEM, I'LL BE IN FRONT THEY HOUSE.
YEAH, I KNOW A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH.
YOU KNOW WHY? LET ME SHOW YOU WHY.
BECAUSE ONE OF YOUR CHIEFS WORK FOR ME.
AND THEY'RE GOING TO TELL ME EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW.
SO WHY DON'T YOU GO BACK TO YOUR CABINET AND FIGURE OUT WHICH ONE OF THEM PAID? BUT BEFORE YOU EVER THINK THAT YOU'RE GOING TO COME FOR MY SCHOOLS YOU GONE COME FOR ME.
[00:25:02]
YOU WILL NOT ATTACK MY PRINCIPALS, BUT LAST, YOUR TEAM AND YOUR TEAM THINK I'M A JOKE.THE LEGAL TEAM DON'T THINK I'M ONE.
[APPLAUSE] MELISSA [INAUDIBLE].
I DO NOT WANT TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
Y'ALL HAVE READ MY EMAILS, YOU KNOW WHY I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL HEARD. BUT THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TONIGHT.
I'M SPEAKING FOR MY DAUGHTER, EMILY.
I DON'T LIKE, MY NAME IS EMILY.
I DON'T LIKE WEARING MASKS BECAUSE THEY ARE HOT AND I SWEAT IN THEM.
MY TEACHERS CANNOT HEAR ME AND I CANNOT BREATHE.
IT'S NOT FAIR BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A CHOICE WHETHER TO WEAR A MASK OR NOT.
NOT BECAUSE, AND NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE MAKING US WEAR THEM.
TEACHERS TAKE THEIR MASKS OFF WHENEVER THEY LIKE AND THE STUDENTS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO REMOVE THEM. IF YOU BELIEVE THAT CHILDREN SHOULD WEAR A MASK EIGHT HOURS PLUS A DAY, THEN I EXPECT YOU TO WEAR A MASK EIGHT HOURS A DAY IN SOLIDARITY WITH THEM AND MAKE SURE YOU FIND SOMEONE OF AUTHORITY THAT YOU RESPECT TO ALWAYS NITPICK AND BE A REMINDER, IF IT IS FALLING DOWN OR YOU CANNOT BREATHE AND NEED TO REMOVE IT FOR A MOMENT AND HAVE EVERYONE AROUND YOU, LOOK AT YOU LIKE YOU'RE KILLING SOMEONE'S GRANDMA OR YOUR OWN TEACHER.
GO OBSERVE SWEDEN, FLORIDA, TEXAS, IOWA AND OTHERS WHO DON'T HAVE MASK MANDATES, NO ISSUES. VIRUS DID ITS THING WITH OR WITHOUT MASKS, NO STATISTICAL DIFFERENCE, BUT THERE IS STATISTICAL DIFFERENCE IN OTHER FACTORS YOU CAN MEASURE THAT SHOW MASK HARM CHILDREN.
I DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THOSE THINGS, BUT I HAVE SENT YOU PREVIOUSLY STATISTICS ON THESE AND I'M GOING TO REREAD AN EMAIL THAT I'VE SENT TO ALL OF YOU BECAUSE I DON'T HEAR BACK FROM MAJORITY OF YOU.
I ASK YOU FOR CHANGE, LET'S MAKE THESE BOARD MEETINGS PRODUCTIVE BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT.
YOU GET WHAT YOU WANT IN YOUR COMMUNITY, GETS WHAT THEY WANT.
WHY ARE WE NOT SUPPORTING EACH OTHER AND TRYING TO REACH THE SAME GOALS? THIS IS HOW WE BECOME THE BEST DISTRICT.
WE ARE PARENTS AND WE CARE TO BUILD THE BEST TOGETHER.
OUR NEXT ITEM HELD FOR REGISTERED SPEAKERS IS A2 ACCEPTANCE OF UPDATE ON THE DISTRICT'S STRATEGIC PLAN.
WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM REGARDING THIS ITEM.
MS. JONES PLEASE IDENTIFY AND ADMIT OUR SPEAKERS.
MR. NEWPORT, PLEASE CUT OFF ANY EXTRA DEVICES AND CUT YOUR CAMERA.
MR. NEWPORT, PLEASE CUT ON YOUR CAMERA AND YOU MAY BEGIN.
OUR NEXT ITEM HELD FOR REGISTERED SPEAKERS IS C1 PERSONNEL.
WILL PETER WHITE, PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM.
MR. WHITE IS ALSO REGISTERED FOR ITEM F1.
OUR NEXT ITEM HELD FOR REGISTERED SPEAKERS IS F1 APPROVAL OF THE 2022-2023 ACADEMIC CALENDAR. WILL EASTON DORIAN WONG PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM AND AS I CALL THE NEXT THREE NAMES, PLEASE TAKE A SEAT ON THE FRONT ROW.
MARCO [INAUDIBLE], ASHLEY SOLANO AND EARL [INAUDIBLE].
HELLO, MY NAME IS EASTON, THIS MASK MANDATE HAS GONE TOO FAR.
WHY IS THE MASK MANDATE WRONG? BECAUSE THE TEXAS GOVERNOR HAS ALREADY OUTLAWED MASKS IN SCHOOLS.
MASK KEEP CARBON DIOXIDE IN YOUR LUNGS.
ALSO MASK BLOCK AIR OUT OF YOUR LUNGS.
MANY SCIENTISTS HAVE ALSO PROVEN THAT MASKS DON'T PREVENT COVID-19.
THE TEACHERS DID NOT MAKE ME FEEL COMFORTABLE.
INSTEAD, THEY MADE ME FEEL BAD ABOUT NOT WEARING A MASK.
THAT'S WHY I'M AGAINST MASK MANDATES.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. [APPLAUSE] MARCO [INAUDIBLE].
[00:30:07]
ASHLEY SOLANO.AND THEN FOLLOWING HIS EARL [INAUDIBLE].
I'M HERE TO SPEAK FOR EVERYONE WHO'S SCARED TO SPEAK OUT IN FEAR OF LOSING THEIR JOBS OR BEING SHUNNED IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
AND WOULD DO ANYTHING TO PROTECT HIM.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHERE ON THE CALENDAR IT SAYS WHEN THE MASK MANDATE WILL GO AWAY AND WHEN YOU'LL DECIDE TO FOLLOW THE LAW, CONSTITUTION, AND MY SON'S DOCTOR'S ORDER.
I'VE ASKED MY PRINCIPAL SEVERAL TIMES NOW ABOUT ACCEPTING MY SON'S MEDICAL EXEMPTION.
AND EVERY TIME I'M TOLD MEETINGS AND 504 PLAN IS REQUIRED.
NOTHING IS REQUIRED TO FOLLOW DOCTOR'S ORDERS IN THE CONSTITUTION.
MY SON DISABLED FOR A MASK REQUIREMENT JUST SO THAT THE DISTRICT AND SCHOOL CAN OBTAIN ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE 504.
WHEN IS THE MASK THAT CAUSED THE MEDICAL ISSUES NOT MY CHILD? YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME THAT YOU ALL THINK THAT THE KIDS ARE WEARING THESE MASKS PROPERLY WHEN THEY'RE BELOW THE NOSE, UNDER THE CHIN ALL DAY.
THIS DISTRICT IS ABOUT TO LOSE TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE STATE, IF YOUR ENROLLMENT NUMBERS DON'T GO BACK UP TO PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS.
YET, YOU HAVE MANY OF OUR PARENTS LEAVING THE DISTRICT NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF MASK AND QUARANTINE REQUIREMENTS, BUT BECAUSE OF POOR QUALITY OF EDUCATION AND INAPPROPRIATE BOOKS IN OUR SCHOOLS. IN DECEMBER, MY SEVEN YEAR OLD SECOND TIME EVER GOING TO THE SCHOOL LIBRARY, HE PICKED OUT A BOOK CALLED HORROR IN NEW JERSEY.
AS SOON AS HE GOT IN THE CAR, HE TOLD ME HE THOUGHT THE BOOK WAS INAPPROPRIATE.
SURE ENOUGH, HE WAS RIGHT AN EVIL BOOK ABOUT A MAN WHO KILLED HIS WHOLE FAMILY AND THEN HUNG HIMSELF.
A WOMAN WHO CALLED HER BABY A DEVIL BECAUSE HER HUSBAND NEVER HELPED HER AROUND THE HOUSE AND THE CHILD BECOME A DEVIL CREATURE AND RAN AWAY.
NEEDLESS TO SAY, MY SON WAS SO SCARED AFTER READING THE BOOK AT SCHOOL, HE WOULDN'T SLEEP BY HIMSELF. THAT NIGHT, I HAD TO SEND TWO EMAILS FOR THE PRINCIPAL TO ACTUALLY REPLY BACK TO ME. AND ALL SHE SAID WAS THAT IT WAS NOT A CLASS ASSIGNMENT AND MY SON IS FREE TO PICK OUT WHATEVER BOOKS HE LIKES.
WHAT? HOW CAN YOU [INAUDIBLE] AN APPROPRIATE BOOKS BUT YOU ALLOW TRASH IN A LIBRARY.
WHERE'S THE EVIDENCE THAT THE GOVERNMENT? THANK YOU. YOUR TIME IS UP.
[INAUDIBLE] WAS HERE IN AUGUST.
MY WHOLE MESSAGE WAS ABOUT UNITY.
I SAID, HOW IS THE KID IN THE AFTERNOON IN 1967 START DELIVERING NEWSPAPERS? THAT'S WHEN I THOUGHT ABOUT MLK AND UNITY.
THIS IS SOMETHING ELSE THAT HAPPENED IN THAT FALL.
IT WAS INTRODUCTION BY MR. RILEY IN OUR SCIENCE CLASS, AND I THINK EVERYBODY HERE HAS PROBABLY HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD.
DOES THIS MAKE SENSE IF X AND Y? SO LET'S MAKE BELIEVE WE'RE ALL IN SEVENTH GRADE AND TAKE THIS MASK QUESTION TO BEAR.
WHAT DOES IT DO? WHAT DOES IT STOP? SERIOUSLY. MISINFORMATION IS ALL OVER THE FRICKIN PLACE, RIGHT? OK, SO WHAT DOES MASK DO? SO MR. RILEY WOULD SAY, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS A TEST? I DON'T KNOW. SO, CAN YOU THROW GRAVEL THROUGH A [INAUDIBLE] FENCE? CAN YOU TAKE AN EIGHT AND A HALF BY 11 PIECE OF PAPER AND DRAW A ONE INCH CIRCLE AND THAT'S A VIRUS. YOU THINK THE REST OF THE SQUARE STOPS IT? AND I WOULD SAY, MR. RILEY, SURELY YOU'RE JOKING, THIS DOESN'T STOP ANYTHING.
SO I'M ASKING FOR THE MASK REPRIEVE.
WE THE PEOPLE, SEEK HISD TO MAKE IT AN EXAMPLE OF THE UNITED STATES IN THE POSITIVE.
THANK YOU. AND FEEL FREE TO LOOK AT THIS.
THIS MAGAZINE THAT I HAD FROM MY FAMILY.
GOOD DAY. [APPLAUSE] DORIAN WONG.
SO YOUR COVID POLICIES ARE CREATING CONFLICT, FEAR, AND DIVISION.
I DON'T THINK AND IF YOU ARE, YOU'RE NOT MY SON'S DOCTOR OR ANYBODY ELSE'S DOCTOR.
MANY OF YOU PROBABLY DON'T EVEN LIKE THE MASK, AND I THINK YOU'LL TAKE IT OFF WHENEVER Y'ALL THINK Y'ALL WON'T BE CAUGHT.
BUT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE CAUGHT YOU WITH THEM DOWN.
AND WHAT'S UP WITH TESTING KIDS FOR COVID AT SCHOOLS? YEAH. WHY ARE YOU TESTING PEOPLE WHEN THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE SYMPTOMS?
[00:35:03]
WHAT'S UP WITH THAT? THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.PROMOTING VACCINES TO KIDS WHO CAN'T MAKE DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES? WHAT'S UP WITH THAT? THERE'S SO MANY THINGS WRONG WITH THAT.
THEY CAN ALL FIGURE IT OUT FOR THEMSELVES.
THE CONTACT TRACING, THAT'S MESSED UP.
YOU GOT KIDS FALLING BEHIND, SENDING THEM HOME WHEN THERE ARE NO SYMPTOMS. THEY'RE NOT SICK. YOU'RE SENDING TEACHERS HOME THAT AREN'T SICK.
SO EVERY TIME A TEACHER IS OUT, BASICALLY KIDS, THEY'RE GETTING NO NEW CONCEPTS.
Y'ALL ARE BRINGING IN SUBSTITUTES THAT A LOT OF TIMES AREN'T EVEN QUALIFIED.
DEFINITELY NOT TEACHING NEW CONCEPTS.
SO EVERY WEEK A TEACHER IS OUT.
AND SMALL CHILDREN THEY NEED TO SEE THE MOUTH TO LEARN HOW TO SPEAK PROPERLY.
SO WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING ABOUT ALL THE SPEECH IMPEDIMENTS THAT ARE BEING CREATED FROM THIS STUFF? AND THE MASK ARE JUST DIRTY.
Y'ALL GOT KIDS WEARING THEM ALL DAY LONG.
WHO'S TELLING THE KIDS TO CHANGE THE MASK ARE THE TEACHERS REALLY BEING BABYSITTERS AND HAVING THE KIDS CHANGE MASK AND THE MASK THAT Y'ALL ARE HANDING OUT, THEY'RE NOT EVEN THE WHAT ARE IN N95S OR WHATEVER.
PUT THAT MONEY TO SOMETHING ELSE.
YOU KNOW, OUR KIDS ARE LOSING THEIR EDUCATIONS RIGHT NOW WITH ALL THESE POLICIES AND STUFF LIKE THAT. ANYHOW, THAT'S ALL.
[APPLAUSE] MS. JONES, CAN YOU PLEASE ADMIT, PETER WHITE? I BELIEVE PETER WHITE IS PRESENT.
IS HE COMING IN? YOU DON'T KNOW, OK? PETER WHITE.
OK, THANK YOU. MY NAME IS PETE WHITE, AND I'VE HAD ENOUGH.
YOU PICKED YOUR SIDE, YOU CHOSE THE BUREAUCRACY OVER HUMANITY.
YOU'D RATHER RAISE A FLOCK OF MINDLESS SHEEP THAN A GROUP OF GLOBAL GRADUATES.
YOU CLAIM TO YOU CHAMPION STUDENTS TO RISE ABOVE TO CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO, TO BEAT SOMEBODY AND YET YOU'VE MUZZLED THEM AND YOU'VE MUZZLED THE TEACHERS.
MY QUESTION TO YOU IS WHEN WILL YOU RISE ABOVE? WE THE PEOPLE KNOW WHY YOU'RE KEEPING MASK MANDATES.
IT'S MONEY. BUT IN THE PROCESS, YOU HAVE BROKEN THE LAW.
I'VE SENT THE BOARD A COPY OF THE CRIMINAL COMPLAINTS, WHICH I'LL BE FORWARDING TO THE HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY, WHO BY LAW WILL HAVE TO PRESENT IT TO A GRAND JURY? A JURY OF THE PEOPLE WHO WILL DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO INDICT YOU ON THESE CRIMINAL CHARGES. I'M A TWENTY-FIVE YEAR HOUSTON FIREFIGHTER.
NOT IN THREE YEARS I EVER MADE A SCHOOL AGED CHILD ON A CALL, EVER.
I HAVE MADE MENTAL CALLS, SITE CALLS ON THE SAME AGE, KIDS SUICIDES AND SUICIDE ATTEMPTS.
ALL CHILD, ALL CHILDREN, COLLEGE AND UNDER.
I GET ON SEEN AND I HAD THESE KIDS MESSING WITH THESE MASKS.
FREAKING OUT, THE PARENTS CALL US TO HELP THEM.
BECAUSE OF THESE, KIDS ARE LOSING THEIR MINDS, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, THEY WANT TO LISTEN TO ADULTS.
THE ADULTS IN THE CLASSROOM, MOST OF THEM DON'T WANT TO MAKE THEM DO THIS BECAUSE THEY NEED TO SEE THEM AND TALK TO THEM AND HAVE EMOTIONAL FEELINGS WITH THEM AND ENJOY CLASS, NOT STARE IT THROUGH A MASK.
[APPLAUSE] WE ALSO HAVE A SPEAKER REGISTERED VIA ZOOM FOR ITEM F1, MS. JONES, PLEASE ADMIT SPEAKER [INAUDIBLE] MCCORMICK.
MS. MCCORMICK, PLEASE MUTE ALL YOUR EXTRA DEVICES, CUT ON YOUR CAMERA, AND YOU MAY BEGIN.
YOU MAY BEGIN. TWO YEARS IN PANDEMIC, WE [INAUDIBLE] SCHOOL, THE MITIGATION AT THE INITIAL HEIGHTENED STATE OF EMERGENCY.
WE NOW HAVE [INAUDIBLE] THAT STILL DENIED EVIDENCE FOR THIS INTERVENTION TO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT DOWNSIDES OF MANDATED MASKS.
IN YOUNGER CHILDREN THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT ISSUES RELATED TO LANGUAGE ACQUISITION, PRONUNCIATION READING, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS LEARNING.
AND THEN THERE ARE VERY CLEAR AND SOCIAL, MEASURABLE SIDE EFFECTS IN THE OLDER TEENS.
[00:40:03]
THE SUPERINTENDENT SENT OUT AN E-MAIL YESTERDAY SAYING HE WAS REMOVING CONTACT TRACING BUT KEEPING THE MASK MANDATE BECAUSE QUOTE OUR MITIGATION EFFORTS HAVE KEPT HISD POSITIVITY RATE AMONG THE LOWEST IN THE STATE, UNQUOTE.DO YOU KNOW WHO IS LOWER? PASADENA ISD, THEIR POSITIVITY RATE IS FIVE PERCENT.
PASADENA ISD HAS HAD MASKS OPTIONAL SINCE AUGUST 2021.THIS IS OUR DIRECT NEIGHBOR.
ALSO, WHY ARE WE MANDATING MASK TWO YEARS LATER ON KIDS WHEN THE RISK OF MORTALITY IS 0.00001 PERCENT BASED ON THE CDC STATISTICS AS OF THIS MORNING, NINE HUNDRED AND FORTY DEATHS OF KIDS AGES ZERO TO 18 HAVE DIED THAT WERE ALSO TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID NOT CAUSED BY OUT OF 78 MILLION AMERICAN CHILDREN.
BUT IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, SUICIDE IN TEENS HAS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED DURING THE PANDEMIC DUE TO RESTRICTIONS.
SUSPECTED SUICIDE ATTEMPTS WERE UP TWENTY- TWO PERCENT IN THE SUMMER OF 2020 FOR ADOLESCENTS, AND THEY'VE CONTINUED TO INCREASE WITH THE COVID RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE.
ACTUALLY, THEY WERE 39 PERCENT HIGHER JUST THIS PAST WINTER OF 2021 THAN THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD IN 2020.
IT IS TIME TO DROP THE MASK MANDATE FOR OUR CHILDREN, A MEASURE THAT HAS NO SOUND EVIDENCE OF KEEPING OUR CHILDREN SAFE, BUT OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE OF HAVING CONSEQUENTIAL EFFECTS SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE AND WIDESPREAD THAN THE VIRUS ITSELF.
CONTRACT WITH LINEBARGER GOGGAN BLAIR AND SAMPSON LLP FOR DELINQUENT TAX COLLECTION SERVICES. MS. JONES, PLEASE ADMIT ZOOM SPEAKER MEGAN J.
THE SPEAKER IS ALSO REGISTERED FOR THE HEARING OF THE COMMUNITY.
OUR NEXT ITEM HELD FOR REGISTERED SPEAKERS IS K-1 APPROVAL OF PROPOSED REVISIONS TO BOARD POLICY, A.E.
LOCAL EDUCATION PHILOSOPHY SECOND READING WILL ANGELA BOX, PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM? PRETEND I'M STACEY ABRAMS, WHO'S A WALKING CO-MORBIDITY BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO WEAR A MASK IN A SCHOOL SETTING.
MY NAME IS ANGELA BOX AND I'M A FORMER HISD TEACHER.
HISTORY IS BEING WRITTEN RIGHT NOW AND YOU ARE ON THE LOSING SIDE OF IT.
YOU WON'T STOP MASKING CHILDREN AND STAFF BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN INSTRUCTED NOT TO, BECAUSE THE MINUTE YOU DO IS THE MINUTE THE LIES AND THE EVIL YOU HAVE PUSHED FOR TWO YEARS COLLAPSES. BUT DON'T WORRY, WE ARE HERE.
WE ARE HERE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE WILL NOT WAIVER UNTIL YOU'RE ALL EXPOSED AS THE CORRUPT, VENGEFUL, SPITEFUL, PETTY TYRANTS YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN.
YOU DO NOT CARE ABOUT CHILDREN.
YOU ARE HOLDING THEM HOSTAGE OUT OF SPITE AND POLITICS.
THERE IS NOT ONE STUDY, NOT ONE THAT PROVES YOUR LITTLE FACE DIAPER DOES ANYTHING EXCEPT KILL SOCIALIZATION, CREATIVITY, AND IMPEDE BREATHING, LEARNING AND BRAIN FUNCTION.
YOU ARE FUNDED BY LEFT WING PSYCHOPATHS OUT OF CALIFORNIA, WASHINGTON, D.C., AND OTHER DEMOCRATS STRONGHOLDS, AND THEY CONTROL YOU.
WE ARE GOING TO BE HERE EVERY MONTH TO HIGHLIGHT YOUR EGREGIOUS FAILURES SO THE WHOLE WORLD CAN SEE THEM.
BUT BY ALL MEANS, KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
THE DEMOCRAT PARTY OWN FAILED PUBLIC EDUCATION AND RADICAL TEACHERS UNIONS.
THEY OWN DYSFUNCTIONAL INNER CITIES.
ERGO, YOU ARE MISERABLE FAILURES.
YOU ARE GETTING EXACTLY WHAT YOU DESERVE.
WE ARE GOING TO DEFEAT EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU.
[APPLAUSE] OUR NEXT ITEM HELD FOR REGISTERED SPEAKERS K3 APPROVAL OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF BOARD POLICY E.F.
LOCAL INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES SECOND READING MS. JONES, PLEASE ADMIT ZOOM SPEAKER ALLISON NEWPORT.
MS. NEWPORT, PLEASE MUTE YOUR DEVICES, INCLUDING YOUR CAMERA, AND YOU MAY BEGIN.
THANK YOU. RECENTLY, MY CHILDREN'S SCHOOL, [INAUDIBLE] ELEMENTARY, MISSED OUT ON A REALLY COOL DEMONSTRATION WITH AN AWARD WINNING ILLUSTRATOR AND AUTHOR.
PARENTS WITH CONCERNS WERE OFFERED ACCOMMODATIONS AND YET PRESSURE AND THREATS FROM AN INFLAMMATORY SOCIAL MEDIA GROUP MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR OUR SCHOOL LEADERSHIP TO MOVE FORWARD. THESE TYPES OF EVENTS ARE HAPPENING IN OUR DISTRICT, AND THEY DISTRACT FROM EDUCATION TIME AND ENCOURAGE UNNECESSARY SELF-CENSORSHIP.
IT'S WELL KNOWN THAT HISD LIBRARIES AND LIBRARY PERSONNEL ARE ALREADY IN SHORT SUPPLY.
CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION MUST DO MORE TO PROTECT CAMPUS STAFF FROM SOCIAL MEDIA THREATS AND
[00:45:01]
SUPPORTED SO THAT THEY CAN FOLLOW THIS WELL-FORMED INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS POLICY THAT'S BEING DELIBERATED TONIGHT.I RESPECT PARENTS RIGHTS TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT CONTENT THEIR CHILDREN ARE EXPOSED TO.
THIS POLICY IS WELL FORMED AND PROTECTS PARENTS RIGHTS TO SHIELD THEIR CHILDREN FROM SAID CONTENT, WHILE ALSO ENSURING THAT MY CHILDREN CONTINUE TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIVERSE LITERATURE. THESE OUTCOMES ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.
IF THE POLICY IS FOLLOWED, EVERYONE CAN WIN.
I ENCOURAGE TRUSTEES TO FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS POLICIES AND USE YOUR INFLUENCE TO ENCOURAGE PARENTS AND THE BROADER COMMUNITY TO LEAN ON THE ESTABLISHED PROCESS TO ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS.
YOUR SUPPORT IS REALLY NEEDED TO ENSURE OUR CAMPUSES CAN EFFECTIVELY NAVIGATE THESE TYPES OF CONFLICTS. THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT ITEM HELD FOR REGISTERED SPEAKERS IS K-5 APPROVAL OF PROPOSED DELETION OF BOARD POLICY, EGA LOCAL CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT, INNOVATIVE, AND MAGNET PROGRAMS. SECOND READING WILL SHAWN [INAUDIBLE] PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM? OUR NEXT ITEM HELD FOR REGISTERED SPEAKERS IS L1 DEBT MANAGEMENT ACTIVITY REPORT.
MS. JONES, PLEASE ADMIT ZOOM'S SPEAKER DAVID [INAUDIBLE], MR. [INAUDIBLE] IS ALSO REGISTERED FOR ITEM L2.
MR. [INAUDIBLE], PLEASE MUTE ANY EXTRA DEVICES AND CUT ON YOUR CAMERA.
MR. [INAUDIBLE], PLEASE CUT ON YOUR CAMERA AND YOU MAY BEGIN.
THIS CONCLUDES OUR HEARING OF REGISTERED SPEAKERS FOR AGENDA ITEMS. WE ARE NOW READY TO CONSIDER OUR FIRST DISCUSSION AND REPORT ITEM A2 ACCEPTANCE OF UPDATE ON THE DISTRICT'S STRATEGIC PLAN.
WITH NO OBJECTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES, WE ARE GOING TO POSTPONE THIS DISCUSSION UNTIL NEXT WEEK, SINCE WE WILL HAVE MUCH MORE ROBUST CONVERSATION AROUND THE STRATEGIC PLAN AT OUR WORKSHOP THAT WILL BE HELD NEXT THURSDAY AT 9:00 A.M.
[A-3. Acceptance Of Board Monitoring Update: Presentation Of Constraint 1 Progress Measure 3]
WE WILL NOW CONSIDER A NEXT DISCUSSION AND REPORT ITEM A3 ACCEPTANCE OF BOARD MONITORING UPDATE, PRESENTATION OF CONSTRAINT ONE PROGRESS MEASURE THREE.SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE, WE ARE READY FOR YOUR UPDATE COLLEAGUES PLEASE HOLD YOUR QUESTIONS UNTIL THE PRESENTATION IS COMPLETE.
I'D LIKE TO PROVIDE THE PODIUM TO DR.
GOOD EVENING, TRUSTEE, THANK YOU.
PRESIDENT CRUZ, AND WE'RE HERE THIS EVENING TO DISCUSS CONSTRAINT ONE PROGRESS MEASURE THREE. AND AS A REMINDER, CONSTRAINT ONE IS OUTLINED IN A.E.
LOCAL STATES THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT WILL NOT ALLOW THE DISTRICT TO OPERATE WITHOUT A SYSTEM TO RECRUIT OR EMPLOY STRONG TEACHERS WHO MEET THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS NEEDING THE MOST SUPPORT.
THE PROGRESS MEASURE WE'RE GOING TO BE DISCUSSING THIS EVENING IS PROGRESS MEASURE 1.3 WHICH STATES THE GAP IN RETENTION RATES OF NEWLY RECRUITED TEACHERS BETWEEN IDENTIFIED CAMPUSES AND OTHER HISD CAMPUSES WILL DECREASE SIX PERCENTAGE POINTS FROM 20 PERCENT DURING THE '19-20 SCHOOL YEAR TO 14 PERCENT DURING THE '23-24 SCHOOL YEAR.
THOSE TWENTY-FIVE IDENTIFIED CAMPUSES OUTLINED HERE OR IN YOUR PACKET PAGE TWENTY SIX IN THE THIRD PAGE OF THE REPORT.
JUST AS A REMINDER OF WHICH CAMPUSES THOSE ARE.
SO IN LOOKING AT OUR DATA FROM THE PREVIOUS YEARS MOVING INTO 21-22, WE ARE LOOKING AT OUR RETENTION FOR IDENTIFIED CAMPUSES, THAT'S OUR BLUE LINE.
SO THOSE ARE THOSE 25 CAMPUSES THAT WERE ORIGINALLY IDENTIFIED AS HAVING HISTORICALLY HIGH, THE HIGHEST RETENTION, THE HIGHEST RATES OF LOSS OF FIRST YEAR TEACHERS AFTER YEAR ONE.
THE PURPLE LINE IS ALL OF OUR OTHER CAMPUSES.
THE GREEN LINE IS THE GAP THAT WE SEE BETWEEN THE TWO.
AND THEN THE RED LINE IS THAT TARGET THAT WE'VE SET IN ORDER TO GET TO THAT 14 BY '23-'24 . SO YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT WE MET THIS CONSTRAINT FOR THIS YEAR.
OUR FIRST YEAR TEACHER RETENTION RATES INCREASED FOR BOTH THE IDENTIFIED GROUP OF CAMPUSES AS WELL AS ALL CAMPUSES.
AS A REMINDER, THIS IS JUST LOOKING AT TEACHERS THAT WERE IN THEIR FIRST YEAR THE YEAR
[00:50:01]
PRIOR, MOVING INTO THEIR SECOND YEAR.DID WE RETAIN THAT SPECIFIC POPULATION OF STAFF? SO OUR GAP WENT FROM THE TARGET OF 20 TARGET OF 18 FOR THIS YEAR.
BUT WE'RE AT NINE, WHICH IS OUR OUR GAP BETWEEN THOSE TWO POPULATIONS.
SO NOT ONLY DID THE GAP GO DOWN, BUT BOTH INCREASED, WHICH IS WHAT WE WANT TO SEE FOR BOTH SETS OF THE DATA.
SO OUR NEXT STEPS FOR THIS CONSTRAINT PROGRESS MEASURE, CONTINUING TO UTILIZE THE DATA TO IMPROVE OUR RECRUITMENT AND HIRING PRACTICES USING UPDATED IMPROVED COMPENSATION PLAN FOR ALL EMPLOYEES AND IMPROVING TEACHER TALENT PIPELINES.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT SOME OF THE STRATEGIES INCLUDE, FOR EXAMPLE, ON THOSE IDENTIFIED CAMPUSES HAVING A LOWER RECRUITER TO NUMBER OF CAMPUSES RATIOS SO THAT THOSE RECRUITERS CAN REALLY PROVIDE THAT TARGETED SUPPORT FOR THOSE 25 CAMPUSES.
AND THAT CONCLUDES THE DATA COMPONENT FOR THIS CONSTRAINT PROGRESS MEASURE.
WE ARE NOW READY. THANK YOU, DR.
MATNEY. WE ARE NOW READY FOR COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM TRUSTEES FOR EACH ITEM OF DISCUSSION, WE WILL DO TWO ROUNDS OF TWO MINUTES EACH.
IF AN ADDITIONAL ROUND IS DESIRED, THAT CAN BE DONE WITH A MOTION SECOND AND BOARD VOTE TRUSTEE DEIGAARD. THANK YOU.
AS I SAY, EVERY MONTH, EVERY MONTH, THIS IS ALWAYS MY FAVORITE PART OF THE MEETING BECAUSE IT'S FOCUSED ON THE CORE WORK OF THE BOARD.
HOW ARE OUR CHILDREN DOING? HOW ARE WE DOING WITHIN THESE GUARDRAILS AS WELL? SO I COULDN'T HELP BUT TO NOTICE THIS CONSTRAINT PROGRESS MEASURE WAS GRADED A YEAR AGO, AND WE HAVE ALREADY NOT ONLY MET BUT EXCEEDED THE TARGET.
WE'VE NOT ONLY EXCEEDED THAT TARGET FOR LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR, BUT WE'VE EXCEEDED THAT TARGET, THE FIVE-YEAR TARGET, RIGHT? SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS WHAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE RAPID SUCCESS IN NOT ONLY MEETING BUT EXCEEDING THE TARGETS RAPIDLY? DR. MATNEY, YES, AND WE ALSO HAVE MR. JEREMY GRANT SKINNER, HE AND I HAVE COLLABORATED ON SOME OF THESE RESPONSES KNOWING THAT SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS WOULD COME UP.
SO IF IT'S ALL RIGHT, SUPERINTENDENT? ABSOLUTELY. OK, THANK YOU.
THE FIRST THING IS, WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS, WE SEE SOME LINKS TO SOME SPECIFIC THINGS THAT WERE DONE. DR.
MATNEY REFERRED TO ONE WHERE FROM A STAFFING ASSIGNMENT STANDPOINT, FROM THE TALENT OFFICE, THERE ARE TEAMS WHERE WE HAVE REDUCED THE RATIOS OF THE TALENT OFFICE STAFF MEMBERS TO CAMPUSES TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO THIS GROUP OF CAMPUSES.
AND THEN SOME SOMETIMES SOME OTHER CAMPUSES HAVE SIMILAR SIMILARLY HIGHER LEVELS OF ATTRITION OR TOUGHER TIME RECRUITING.
WE HAVE SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON THESE SCHOOLS RIGHT NOW THIS YEAR FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF APPRECIATION ACTIVITIES.
SO EVERY MONTH WE'RE IDENTIFYING STAFF IN THESE SCHOOLS AND LIKE SCHOOLS FOR ADDITIONAL APPRECIATION ACTIVITIES.
AND THEN WE HAVE EXISTING STIPENDS FOR RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION.
SOME OF THOSE ARE GENERAL ACROSS THE DISTRICT, WHICH WE BELIEVE CERTAINLY PLAYED A ROLE IN THE OVERALL OVERALL RETENTION THAT YOU SEE HERE FOR THESE SCHOOLS IN PARTICULAR.
SOME OF THEM ALSO ARE ALIGNED WITH SOME OTHER WAYS THAT WE DIFFERENTIATE THOSE STIPENDS FOR SOME OF OUR SOME OF OUR LOWER PERFORMING OR CHALLENGE SCHOOLS.
THANK YOU. I SEE WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR, YOU KNOW, DO WE KNOW WHY AND ARE THESE THINGS THAT YOU CAN SUSTAIN AND GROW ON? RIGHT? SO MY NEXT QUESTION IS, WERE THERE ANY PATTERNS IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF SUCCESS ACROSS THE TARGETED CAMPUSES? FOR EXAMPLE, WAS THIS SUCCESS PROGRESS MEASURE CONSISTENT ACROSS ALL THE TARGETED? DID SOME OF [INAUDIBLE]? DID ANY DECLINE? OR WAS IS IT CONSISTENT ACROSS [INAUDIBLE]? BUT ONE THING I WILL SAY BEFORE DR.
MATNEY MOVES ON IN REFERENCE TO THIS PARTICULAR PROGRESS MEASURE, IS ON THE 17TH ONE OF THE, OF COURSE, PRIORITIES THAT WE HAVE THAT WE'RE BUILDING A STRATEGIC PLAN ON WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD ON THIS.
SO THERE WOULD BE SEVERAL STRATEGIES TO CONTINUE US ON THE TRAJECTORY THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY ON TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE GETTING BETTER HERE, DR.
MATNEY. SO I DON'T HAVE THAT HERE THIS EVENING.
BUT AFTER EACH MAIN MEETING, YOU'LL GET THE BI-CAMPUS BREAKDOWNS FOR THE PREVIOUS TWO
[00:55:04]
PRESENTATIONS, SO THAT'LL BE INCLUDED THERE.SO REALLY, WHAT MY QUESTION IS IS HAVE YOU ALL DONE THE ANALYSIS OF ARE THERE SCHOOLS THAT DID BETTER? ARE THERE SCHOOLS THAT DIDN'T DO AS WELL? OR WAS IT CONSISTENT IN YOUR ANALYSIS OF THIS? BECAUSE YOU CAN ACHIEVE THIS WITH SOME DOING REALLY WELL AND OTHERS STAYING THE SAME, OR EVEN SOME DOING REALLY WELL AND SOME GOING BACKWARDS? RIGHT. SO THAT'S A LOT OF WHAT THE TALENT OFFICE DOES WHEN THEY'RE REFLECTING AND IDENTIFYING HOW THEY'RE SUPPORTING EACH OF THESE THINGS IS WHERE DID IT WORK? WHERE DID IT NOT WORK? WHERE WHERE DID IT WORK EXTREMELY WELL? AND THEN BEING ABLE TO EXAMINE THAT BACK AND THEY AND WE LOOK AT THE DATA FROM THE RESEARCH END AND WORK WITH THE TALENT OFFICE ON INGESTING THAT WITH THOSE WITH THOSE ACTION ITEMS. OKAY, WONDERFUL.
THANK YOU. AND THEN FOR TARGETED.
TARGETED CAMPUSES WERE RETENTION INCREASED.
WHAT IMPACT DID THAT HAVE ON STUDENT PERFORMANCE ON THOSE CAMPUSES? SO WE HAVE NOT LOOKED AT THAT SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT THE SPECIFIC.
WHAT WE WOULD WANT TO SEE IS NOT JUST OVERALL BUT SPECIFIC THOSE TEACHERS THAT WERE RETAINED AND LOOKING FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
AND OF COURSE, WE ONLY HAVE ONE YEAR OF DATA.
WE DON'T HAVE THE YEAR THAT THEY WERE FIRST YEAR TEACHERS BECAUSE THAT WAS 19-20.
BUT IN LOOKING AT ONGOING, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANT TO DO IS IS NOT JUST WE RETAINED THEM, BUT DID IT PAY OFF WITH STUDENT OUTCOMES AS WELL? OK. AND YOU'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT IT WITH MORE SPECIFICITY THAN I ASK, SO I APPRECIATE THAT. AND ARE THERE ANY CAMPUSES NOT ON THE TARGETED LIST OR EVEN ON THE TARGETED LIST THAT SAW A DECLINE IN RETENTION? OR DID EVERYBODY GO UP? I DO NOT HAVE THAT RIGHT HERE IN MY NOTES.
OK, NEXT QUESTION WERE THERE ANY BOARD ACTIONS THAT WERE TAKEN THAT SUPPORTED THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THIS SUCCESS? OR WERE THEY ALL ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS? LIKE, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU CAME TO US AND THEN WE WAS PUT IN PLACE THAT IF WE UNDID, WOULD MAKE IT HARDER FOR YOU TO DO THIS, WE'D BE GLAD TO GO BACK AND TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT WHAT THAT ALIGNMENT IS AND PROVIDE THE INSIGHT ON THAT EFFECT.
OKAY. AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED? YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT THE SUCCESS.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT THE ANY BOARD ACTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN THAT COULD JEOPARDIZE THIS IN THE FUTURE? TRUSTEES. OK, I'LL ASK MY QUESTIONS, SINCE NO ONE IS IN THE QUEUE YET.
SO IS THERE ANY CORRELATION LIKE THIS IS CAMPUS RETENTION RATES OF NEWLY RECRUITED TEACHERS AND THE CONSTRAINT? DO YOU MIND GOING BACK TO THE SLIDE THAT WERE THE CONSTRAINT IS, PLEASE? NO, SORRY, THE ACTUAL CONSTRAINT, DO WE HAVE IT IN THIS? NOT THE PROGRESS MEASURE.
SO THE SUPERINTENDENT WILL NOT ALLOW THE DISTRICT TO OPERATE WITHOUT A SYSTEM TO RECRUIT EMPLOYEE STRONG TEACHERS.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS NOW THAT WE'VE MET THIS PROGRESS MEASURE.
IS THERE A CORRELATION BETWEEN NEWLY RECRUITED AND HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TEACHERS? I GUESS IT'S A PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTION.
IS THERE A CORRELATION BETWEEN NEWLY RECRUITED TEACHERS, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE MEASURING WITH THE CONSTRAINT, PROGRESS MEASURE AND HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TEACHERS.
OR GRANT SKINNER? SO I'LL ANSWER JUST FROM A METRIC STANDPOINT, THAT'S A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO ANSWER BECAUSE, OF COURSE, FIRST YEAR TEACHERS, WE DON'T HAVE THAT HISTORY.
IT'S KIND OF WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE OTHER TWO PROGRESS MEASURES.
BUT AS THEY GO INTO THEIR SECOND YEAR, WE CAN KIND OF LOOK AT HOW THEY IMPROVE FROM YEAR ONE TO YEAR TWO AND HOPEFULLY MOVING ALONG THAT CONTINUUM.
I MEAN, IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE YOU'VE DONE AN ANALYSIS YET, BUT JUST BASED ON WHAT YOU KNOW, WERE THERE SCHOOLS THAT DIDN'T BENEFIT AS MUCH FROM THIS CONSTRAINT? THE MEETING THE TARGET? YOU KNOW, FROM YOUR END.
MATNEY SAID WE'LL LOOK AT THE CAMPUS BY CAMPUS, BUT I CAN SAY TO THE EARLIER QUESTION IN THIS ONE IS, I DON'T BELIEVE THE RETENTION OF FIRST YEAR TEACHERS WENT UP IN EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE SCHOOLS. BUT ALSO THE AVERAGE THAT YOU SEE IN MEETING THE TARGET IS NOT THE RESULT OF SOME, SOME EXTREME OUTLIERS.
MOST OF THEM, MOST OF THEM HAVE IMPROVED.
AND SINCE WE'VE NOT JUST MET BUT EXCEEDED THE TARGET, I WOULD EXPECT FOR YOU TO BRING US A NEW CONSTRAINT PROGRESS MEASURE.
[01:00:03]
NO? NO, SO I WAS PREPARED FOR THAT.I KNEW THAT THAT WOULD COME UP.
DR. MATNEY. SO I KNOW, I KNOW.
SO UM, SO THIS IS IT'S A NEW CROP OF FIRST YEAR TEACHERS EVERY YEAR.
SO EVEN THOUGH SOME OF THE THE ACTION ITEMS WE SAW SUCCESS WITH NEXT YEAR'S DATA, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THE SAME TREATMENT GROUP.
IT'S GOING TO BE A WHOLE NEW GROUP OF FIRST YEAR TEACHERS THAT WE'RE.
SO EVEN THOUGH WE WOULD JUMP TO THAT, YAY, WE'RE ALREADY THERE.
LET'S RAISE IT EVEN HIGHER OR LOWER, AS THE CASE MAY BE HERE BECAUSE IT'S A NEW GROUP EVERY YEAR.
WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO REFINE AND CONTINUE THAT PROCESS EVERY YEAR.
OK, AND I DO THANK YOU FOR I DO REMEMBER HAVING THAT CONVERSATION BEFORE, SO I KNOW IT'S NOT PART OF THE CONSTRAINT PROGRESS MEASURE.
BUT ARE YOU THEN TRACKING LIKE THE SECOND AND THIRD YEAR, RIGHT? BECAUSE IF WE'RE JUST AS A BOARD FOCUSED ON THIS ONE? YEAH, JUST WONDERING ABOUT THAT.
SO WE HAVEN'T FOR THIS PURPOSE, BUT I KNOW THAT THE TALENT OFFICE HAS HAS MANY MORE PLANS BEYOND JUST THIS ONE PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT.
THANK YOU, I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT WE ARE MEETING OUR EXPECTATIONS.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE EXPLANATION ABOUT THE NEXT GROUP OF TEACHERS BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO ASK SOMETHING SIMILAR.
SO WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE TEACHERS WHO DID LEAVE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY DATA ON WHY THEY LEFT? WE COLLECTED THE EXIT SURVEY DATA, I DON'T HAVE THAT HERE TODAY, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY PROVIDE PROVIDE A RESPONSE TO ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
JUST MAKING SURE THAT SOME DATA IS BEING COLLECTED ON THAT.
SO HOW MIGHT CHANGES SHOW UP IN THE FUTURE SINCE THIS IS WORKING SO WELL? GRANT-SKINNER, I'M SORRY, I COULDN'T HEAR THE QUESTION.
ARE WE GOING TO STAY EXACTLY THE SAME OR ARE THERE ANY CHANGES THAT MIGHT SHOW UP IN THE FUTURE? SURE.
I THINK AGAIN, WE'RE EXCITED TO SHARE A LOT ABOUT WHAT'S TO COME WITH A MORE COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIC PLAN FOCUSED ON TALENT.
I WILL SAY SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WE'VE DECREASED THIS GAP.
WORKING WITH THIS PARTICULAR SET OF SCHOOLS ARE THINGS THAT WE WILL CONTINUE AND EXPAND.
AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT EVEN AS WE'VE MADE MADE GOOD PROGRESS HERE LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY, WE HEAR AND SEE DATA SUGGESTING THAT IT IS.
IT'S A PRECARIOUS TIME FOR TEACHERS AND INCLUDING ESPECIALLY NEWER TEACHERS.
AND SO IT WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE TO REALLY PUT A SPECIAL FOCUS ON TALENT, AND WE'RE EXCITED TO TALK MORE ABOUT THAT NEXT WEEK.
ARE THERE ANY CHALLENGES THAT YOU SEE COMING FORTH THAT THE BOARD MAY BE ABLE TO HELP YOU WITH? GRANT-SKINNER.
SURE. I THINK, BROADLY SPEAKING, WE HEAR ACROSS MANY ORGANIZATIONS ABOUT THINGS LIKE A GREAT RESIGNATION.
WE HAVE HEARD A LOT OF WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
I WILL SAY HERE AND HERE IN HISD AND IN OTHER PLACES, WE ACTUALLY HAVE NOT SEEN SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS OR OTHER STAFF LEAVING.
AND YET THE THREAT OF THAT IS THERE AS WE ARE ALL LIVING THROUGH A PANDEMIC AND AFTER EFFECTS OF IT. SO I WOULD JUST SAY THERE'S A BROAD UNKNOWN OF JUST HOW MANY STAFF MEMBERS COULD CHOOSE TO LEAVE IN THE FUTURE.
AND AGAIN, WE HAVE PLANS TO ADDRESS THAT BY MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN ON THE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION FRONT END.
AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL NEED SOME SUPPORT FROM YOU TO IMPLEMENT SOME OF THOSE THINGS. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, PRESIDENT CRUZ, SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE, DR.
SO WAS THERE AN OR HAS THERE BEEN AN INCENTIVE BONUS TO TELL US IF IF TEACHERS ARE OPTING OUT EARLIER THAN THEN THE RELEASE DATE? A CURRENT INCENTIVE BONUS.
SO THAT WE CAN BETTER PLAN FOR NEXT YEAR, HOW MANY TEACHERS ARE LEAVING.
GOT IT. IN THE PAST, THE DISTRICT HAS HAD AN EARLY NOTIFICATION INCENTIVE AND SOME YEARS, I THINK THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT AND WE'RE CONSIDERING HOW WE CAN ENCOURAGE IN MULTIPLE WAYS STAFF MEMBERS WHO KNOW FOR WHATEVER REASON THAT THEY MAY BE LEAVING THE
[01:05:02]
DISTRICT TO TELL US AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, RATHER THAN WAITING UNTIL THE LAST DATE.THEY TECHNICALLY CAN WAIT UNTIL WHICH IS VERY LATE, WHICH MAKES IT HARD TO REFILL THEIR POSITION. THE REASON I ASK IS THAT I'M WONDERING HOW WE'RE FACTORING COVID 19, LIKE HOW WE'RE RETAINING TEACHERS BECAUSE THEY'RE EITHER SCARED TO LEAVE OR THEY HAVEN'T OPTED OUT YET, OR ARE THEY GOING TO? SO THAT EARLY INCENTIVE NOTIFICATION WAS COULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL.
WILL THERE BE MORE SUPPORTS BUILT INTO PIGGYBACKING OFF OF MY COLLEAGUE TRUSTEE HERNANDEZ BUILT INTO SUPPORTING FIRST-YEAR TEACHERS? IF SO, MAYBE THIS BOARD CAN START ADVERTISING SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE THE GROWTH OF THE TALENT THAT WE NEED FOR NEXT YEAR.
YES, WE'RE DEFINITELY THINKING ABOUT WAYS THAT WE CAN INCREASE SUPPORT FOR FIRST-YEAR TEACHERS, AND ONE OF THE CONNECTIONS THAT I WILL MAKE TO SOMETHING ELSE THAT IS ON THE AGENDA IS BEING CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THEIR INSTRUCTIONAL VISION IS FOR THE DISTRICT AND PROVIDING REALLY STRONG AND CONSISTENT FEEDBACK THROUGH OUR TEACHER FRAMEWORK.
INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICE FRAMEWORK AND TEACHER EVALUATION PROCESS IS AS A PART OF THAT.
OK, AND I'M GOING TO SAY IT AGAIN, BUT PROTECTING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME WOULD BE AWESOME TO THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
NO OTHER COLLEAGUES IN THE QUEUE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, SIR AND MA'AM, DOES YOUR PLAN ALSO INCLUDE AN INCREASE IN SALARY BASED SALARY? THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE ITEMS AS WE GO INTO OUR WORKSHOP THAT WE'LL BE PROVIDING A COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE AROUND THAT'S MORE SO ON THE ON THE SIDE OF THE BUDGET AS WELL. WE WILL BE HAVING OF COURSE, ON THE 17TH THE STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKSHOP AND THEN WE'LL BE MOVING INTO ON THE THIRD THE BUDGET WORKSHOP SO THAT WE CAN GET INTO THE COMPREHENSIVE NUTS AND BOLTS AROUND IT.
WITH SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT'S BEING ASKED.
CAN YOU TELL US, PLEASE, THAT THIS MONTH YOU'RE DOING AN OUTREACH OR A JOB FAIR THIS MONTH THAT'S GOING TO PREPARE US FOR AUGUST FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR WITH NEW HIRES, WITH NEW TEACHERS AND STAFF, ET CETERA? THERE ARE DEFINITELY SOME STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IN REFERENCE TO THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR AND MR. GRANT-SKINNER, YOU'RE GOING MORE THAN WELCOME TO SHARE A COUPLE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE EFFICIENCIES THAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE AND THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE THE BEST VERSION OF US THAT WE CAN HEAR.
SURE, TWO THINGS THAT I WILL HIGHLIGHT OUR NUMBER ONE, YES, THIS MONTH WE WILL BE LAUNCHING ADDITIONAL RECRUITMENT ACTIVITIES AND THAT GOES BEYOND HIRING FAIRS.
WE'RE THINKING OF WAYS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING OUR MESSAGE OUT BROADLY, WIDELY, AND CONSISTENTLY. AND THE SECOND THING THAT I WILL SHARE IS WE'RE DEFINITELY TAKING A LOOK AT WHAT OUR ACTUAL HIRING TIMELINE IS, BOTH FOR THE WAYS STAFF MEMBERS MOVE WITHIN SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT AND EXTERNAL HIRING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MOVING THE TIMELINE EARLIER, KNOWING THAT THERE ARE SOME INTERACTIONS THERE WITH THE TIMELINE WE HAVE FOR A BUDGET PROCESS. BUT WE WANT TO EVEN EVEN WITH THAT CONTEXT, WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE HIRING AS EARLY AS WE CAN. TRUSTEE DEIGAARD, THANK YOU.
THIS IS FOLLOWING UP ON TRUSTEE CRUZ MS. QUESTION ABOUT POSSIBLY REVISING THE PROGRESS MEASURE.
SO I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING IS YOU'VE PUT SO IF YOU'VE PUT STRATEGIES IN PLACE AND THEY'RE ACHIEVING SUCCESS, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE EXCEEDING A GOAL, ONE MIGHT PRESUME, HEY, THE RIGHT THINGS ARE IN PLACE.
WE KNOW THE RIGHT THINGS ARE IN PLACE.
THAT'S WHY WE'VE MADE SUCH GREAT PROGRESS.
WHAT'S ANOTHER AREA WE NEED TO FOCUS ON AND ACHIEVE SYSTEMIC CHANGE ON, RIGHT? BUT WHAT I THINK I'M HEARING AND TELL ME, MY INTERPRETATION IS CORRECT THAT BECAUSE YOU'RE LOOKING AT FIRST YEAR TEACHERS, IT MIGHT TAKE A COUPLE MORE CYCLES TO REALLY KNOW IF THE STRATEGIES YOU HAVE IN PLACE ARE ACHIEVING THE RESULTS THAT YOU WANT THEM TO ACHIEVE. THAT BE A CORRECT UNDERSTANDING.
ONE OTHER THING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THIS PROGRESS MEASURE, THOUGH, IS IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE RETENTION TO DECLINE AND THE GAP TARGET TO STILL BE MET.
RIGHT. SO I JUST WANT TO CAUTION US AROUND THAT.
LIKE IF EVERYTHING GOES DOWN, THE GAP CAN DECREASE.
BUT EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, THE RETENTION RATE COULD STILL DECLINE BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT
[01:10:03]
A SUBSET OF SCHOOLS AGAINST THE WHOLE RIGHT.SO THEN IF WE COULD GO TO THE SLIDE WITH THE SUPERINTENDENTS RESPONSE, PLEASE, I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
AND THE FIRST IS WHAT KINDS OF DATA ARE YOU LOOKING AT AND WHAT IS THE DATA TELLING YOU THE CHALLENGES ARE? SURE. DR. MATNEY.
SO IN IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFICE OF TALENT, WE LOOK AT THESE DATA COMPONENTS TOGETHER LOOKING AT AND I DON'T HAVE THE ALL THE WORDING UP HERE.
IT'S JUST THE BULLETS TO THE NEXT STEPS.
BUT LOOKING AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS ARE THERE BECAUSE AT SOME POINT THIS CONSTRAINT IS GOING TO END.
AND DO WE HAVE A NEW GROUP OF SCHOOLS THAT WE NEED TO EITHER BRING IN NOW OR BRING IN ONCE THIS ENDS AND WE CONTINUE, EVEN IF IT'S NOT A CONSTRAINT? SO WE LOOK AT THAT PIECE ALSO LOOKING AT WHAT I REFERENCED EARLIER THAT THE STUDENT OUTCOME PIECE IS, IS WHAT WE'RE DOING IMPACTING THE BOTTOM LINE FOR STUDENTS? AND THEN IS IT IMPACTING NOT JUST THE NEW TEACHER, BUT ON THOSE INDIVIDUAL TWENTY FIVE CAMPUSES? IS IT IMPACTING THE OVERALL NUMBER OF ALL TEACHERS? SO ARE THESE EFFORTS THAT THE OFFICE OF TALENT IS DOING PERMEATING THROUGH NOT JUST OUR OUR FIRST YEAR TEACHERS, BUT ALL TEACHERS GETTING IT THAT SCHOOL CULTURE IN THOSE PIECES? THANK YOU. AND JUST TO CLARIFY, I'M LOOKING AT THE REPORT, NOT THE THE PRESENTATION.
SO MY NEXT QUESTION ISN'T HERE.
THERE'S A ONE OF THE STRATEGIES IS HIRING TEACHERS EARLIER AND FASTER.
AND I'M CURIOUS, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANT.
SURE, EARLIER AND FASTER, I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EARLIER.
PART OF THAT IS JUST ABOUT THE TIMELINE, LIKE WHEN YOU ACTUALLY START OFFERING CONTRACTS TO TEACHERS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR, THE FASTER PART IS ABOUT LIKE OUR INTERNAL EFFICIENCIES. HOW ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT FROM THE TIME THAT A HIRING MANAGER SAYS I'D LIKE TO HIRE THIS PERSON TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS THEN FAST TO THE POINT WHERE THE PERSON IS ACTUALLY IN OUR SYSTEM BOARD AND READY TO GO AND THIS IS A POINT THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON. AFTER GETTING FEEDBACK FROM THE URBAN SCHOOL'S HUMAN CAPITAL ACADEMY, WHICH DID A DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT FOR US LAST YEAR IN PART OF OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS THAT REALLY HIGHLIGHTED THE IMPORTANCE OF SHRINKING THAT TIME.
I THINK I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT RELATES TO THE RETENTION OF TEACHERS, BECAUSE IF YOU'RE RETAINING THEM, THEY'RE ALREADY HERE.
SO HOW IS HIRING EARLIER AND FASTER CORRELATED TO RETENTION? YEAH, OUR.
ALL RIGHT. THE RESPONSE THERE IS HIGHLIGHTING, REALLY, THAT THERE'S NEED FOR A BROADER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
OK. AND I WOULD SAY THESE THINGS DO CONNECT BECAUSE WHEN A SCHOOL IS GETTING LATE HIRES OR HAVING VACANCIES, THAT ABSOLUTELY HAS AN IMPACT ON THEIR RETENTION OF STAFF WHERE THEY'RE ALREADY. OK, I APPRECIATE THAT.
ARE WE IN THE FUTURE GOING TO CROSS-REFERENCE THIS LIST OF TWENTY FIVE SCHOOLS OR ANY SCHOOLS THAT MAY BE ADDED TO THE TWENTY FOUR SCHOOLS THAT ARE IN THERE IN THE TRANSFORMATIONAL SCHOOLS PLAN? ARE WE GOING TO CROSS-REFERENCE THE TRANSFORMATIONAL TRANSFORMATION SCHOOLS WITH.
WITH THIS LIST OF TWENTY FIVE SCHOOLS OR ANY THAT WE MAY ADD OR ROTATE IN IN HERE? SO THAT WE SEE.
I THINK THE IDEA IS TO TAKE A LOOK AT ANY OF OUR HIGHS AND LOWS IN THE DATA TO ENSURE THAT WE FIND THE TREND.
KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THAT WE NEED TO IMPROVE WHERE THE SUCCESSES ARE TRYING TO DUPLICATE THOSE SUCCESSES.
SO THE DATA IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, WHETHER IT'S OUR TRANSFORMATIONAL TRANSFORMATION COHORT OR NOT.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT ALL ASPECTS OF ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
SO THE ANSWER IS YES? YES. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL.
SO TO FOLLOW UP ON TRUSTEE DEIGGARD'S POINT SHE MADE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE GAP CAN BE GETTING SMALLER AND THAT TRICKY PART LIKE WHAT? WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN PLACE TO KEEP FROM, I GUESS, KIND OF FALLING INTO THAT TRAP? MR. GRANT-SKINNER SURE.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT TO THE POINT OF THE QUESTION, DR.
MATNEY, WHEN SHE SHARED THIS, SHE HIGHLIGHTED THAT THE GAP HAS CLOSED AS BOTH HAVE INCREASED. I MEAN, I THINK THAT OUR REPORTS TO YOU ARE A CHECK ON THAT.
IF WE ARE COMING AND SAYING, LOOK, WE MET THE WE MET THE GOAL BECAUSE BOTH WENT DOWN, BUT THE GAP IS BETTER THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR CONVERSATION HERE WOULD WOULD BE DIFFERENT.
YEAH. OKAY. I APPRECIATE THAT.
[01:15:02]
AND THEN IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, I KNOW FOR THIS CONSTRAINT PROGRESS MEASURE, THE FOCUS IS, ARE THESE SPECIFIC SCHOOLS.ARE THEIR BEST PRACTICES THAT YOU'RE SEEING THAT CAN THEN BE REPLICATED THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT? YES, I WOULD SAY THE NUMBER ONE OF THESE IS ABOUT THE INTENSITY OF SUPPORT.
I MENTIONED THAT HOW WE HAVE PROVIDED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT IN MULTIPLE WAYS, IN PART BY IN MULTIPLE WAYS, SUPPORTED BY THE ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES, RIGHT? BY SAYING WE HAVE A RECRUITER OR WE HAVE A HUMAN RESOURCES BUSINESS PARTNER WHO IS SUPPORTING 10 SCHOOLS INSTEAD OF 18 SCHOOLS.
AND THAT INTENSITY OF SUPPORT IS DEFINITELY A TAKEAWAY HERE BECAUSE THE WORK TO SUPPORT FIRST-YEAR TEACHERS AND RETAIN STAFF OVERALL IS VERY PERSONAL WORK THAT INVOLVES A LOT OF INTERACTION AND FOLLOW UP.
I APPRECIATE THAT EXPLANATION.
IT IS INDEED VERY PERSONAL, VERY PERSONAL WORK.
THANK YOU. NO, OTHER QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES.
WE WILL NOW MOVE TO ACCEPT THE PRESENTATION GIVEN TO US.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED SANTOS. IS THERE A SECOND? WE HAVE A MOTION BY TRUSTEE SANTOS AND A SECOND BY TRUSTEE DEIGAARD.
NINE IN FAVOR, ZERO AGAINST, ZERO ABSTENTIONS.
WE ARE NOW READY TO CONSIDER THE SUPERINTENDENT'S AGENDA ITEMS, FOR THE RECORD, LET IT BE
[CONSENT AGENDA]
REFLECTED THAT AGENDA ITEMS A2, A3, AND F1 HAVE NEW ATTACHMENTS.B2, ITS ATTACHMENT HAVE BEEN REVISED.
THE ATTACHMENT TO A1 HAS BEEN REVISED.
K1 HAS REVISED AND NEW ATTACHMENTS IN K2 THROUGH K8 AND THEIR ATTACHMENTS ARE NEW.
BOARD POLICY REQUIRES TRUSTEES TO EXCUSE THEMSELVES AND ABSTAIN FROM ALL DISCUSSION AND VOTES PERTAINING TO CONTRACTS THAT MIGHT INVOLVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
AS DEFINED IN BOARD POLICY BB8 LOCAL THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST IS ANY CIRCUMSTANCE THAT WOULD THAT COULD CAST DOUBT ON A TRUSTEE ABILITY TO ACT WITH TOTAL OBJECTIVITY WITH REGARD TO THE DISTRICT'S INTERESTS.
WE WILL NOW CONSIDER ITEMS HELD FOR ABSTENTION AND OR DISCUSSION.
EACH MONTH ALL ACTION ITEMS BEGIN ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
IF A TRUSTEE WOULD LIKE AN ITEM HELD FROM CONSENT, THEY NEED TO NOTIFY SILVIA TRINH BY EIGHT A.M. ON THE MONDAY PRIOR TO THE VOTING MEETING, TRUSTEE IS A REMINDER EVERYONE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY PRIOR TO THIS MEETING TO SUBMIT ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AFTER AGENDA REVIEW TO THE ADMINISTRATION.
THE Q&A DOCUMENT HAS BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT THE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
THE UPDATED Q&A WAS SENT TO ALL TRUSTEES VIA EMAIL IS IN YOUR SHAREPOINT UNDER FEBRUARY BOARD MEETING DOCUMENTS AND HAS BEEN POSTED ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE.
ONLY TWO ITEMS ARE BEING HELD FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA, BOTH AT MY REQUEST I4 APPROVAL OF THE FEBRUARY GENERAL FUND BUDGET AMENDMENT AND I5 AUTHORITY TO CONTRACT WITH LINEBARGER GOGGAN BLAIR AND SAMPSON LLP FOR DELINQUENT TAX COLLECTION SERVICES.
FOR EACH ITEM OF DISCUSSION, WE WILL DO ONE ROUND OF ONE MINUTE PER TRUSTEE.
IF AN ADDITIONAL ROUND IS DESIRED THAT CAN BE DONE WITH THE A MOTION SECOND AND BOARD VOTE. OUR FIRST ITEM HELD FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA IS I'VE FOR APPROVAL OF THE FEBRUARY
[I-4. Approval Of The February General Fund Budget Amendment]
GENERAL FUND BUDGET AMENDMENT.MAY I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED SANTOS.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? [INAUDIBLE] WITH A MOTION BY TRUSTEE SANTOS AND A SECOND BY TRUSTEE HERNANDEZ.
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES? TRUSTEE SANTOS, THANK YOU, PRESIDENT CRUZ, SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE.
I WAS VERY CONCERNED WITH I4, AND I KNOW THAT THERE WAS CLARIFICATION ON THE Q&A.
SO JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE TO HAVE A KIND OF LIKE TRUSTEE DEIGAARD WITH SAYING, AN EXPLANATION ON WHEN WE HAVE BUDGET AMENDMENTS ON WHY STUFF IS SHIFTING FROM ONE FUNCTION TO ANOTHER.
SO WE DON'T HAVE AS MANY QUESTIONS.
WE CAN DEFINITELY MAKE THAT MAKE THAT CHANGE.
I ALSO WANTED TO ASK A QUESTION BECAUSE I THINK THE CONCERN THAT WAS EXPRESSED LAST WEEK WAS ABOUT THE $81 MILLION BEING TAKEN FROM INSTRUCTION.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET AN UPDATE ON ESSER FUNDS AND WHERE WE ARE? YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER.
WE CAN ABSOLUTELY PROVIDE AN UPDATE FOR ESSER.
WE ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT NOT ONLY OUR BOARD, BUT OUR PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS WHERE
[01:20:03]
WE ARE, WHAT WE'RE DOING, EVEN THOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN SOME, SOME DEFICITS IN THE PAST.WE'RE TRYING TO WORK CREATIVELY TO DO WHAT'S NECESSARY TO MOVE THIS STRATEGIC WORK FORWARD. AND THAT'S INCLUDING INTERTWINING, ESSER GENERAL FUNDS AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE DO. SO WE'RE DEFINITELY LOOKING FORWARD TO SHARING THAT INSIGHT AND INFORMATION MOVING FORWARD. I APPRECIATE THAT.
HISTORICAL EXPENDITURE OF WHERE WE WERE WITH THE INSTRUCTIONAL BUDGET FROM PRE-COVID DURING COVID AND THEN LIKE A THIRD COLUMN WHERE THE ESSER FUNDING, SO THAT WOULD HELP CLARIFY, YOU KNOW, THE HISTORICAL EXPENDITURE WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THE CURRENT BUDGET AND ADDITIONALLY WHAT MONEYS ARE BEING USED FROM ESSER FUNDING.
SO THAT WOULD, I THINK, PROVIDE FURTHER CLARIFICATION FOR US.
AND I THINK OUR UPCOMING BOARD BUDGET WORKSHOP WILL HELP CLARIFY SOME OF THAT.
WE'RE GOING TO SPEND THAT TIME SPECIFICALLY ON THESE ITEMS IN TERMS OF WHAT WITH SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MOVING FORWARD.
THANK YOU. CHUCK TRUSTEE DEIGAARD.
MADAM PRESIDENT, SINCE THIS IS A CHANGE THAT WE'RE GETTING THESE MONTHLY NOW, WHEN YOU LIKE, USED TO NOT HAPPEN THIS WAY, I'D LIKE TO RECOMMEND THAT YOU CONSIDER OFFERING FOR ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO TAKE UP ON THIS A LITTLE ONE HOUR ONE ON ONE TRAINING ABOUT HOW BUDGET AMENDMENTS WORK FOR THE BOARD, BECAUSE I THINK THAT MIGHT HELP EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND BETTER WHAT THIS IS, WHY IT IS AND WILL PROBABLY ELIMINATE A WHOLE LOT OF OUR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU.
AND WE'LL GET THOSE CALENDARS OUT AND SENT TO EVERYONE.
OUR LAST ITEM HELD FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA IS I-5 AUTHORITY TO CONTRACT WITH LINEBARGER
[I-5. Authority To Contract With Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP, For Delinquent Tax Collection Services]
GOGGAN BLAIR AND SAMPSON LLP FOR DELINQUENT TAX COLLECTION SERVICES.WITHOUT OBJECTION FROM MY COLLEAGUES, I AM PULLING I-5 FROM CONSENT BECAUSE IT MUST BE CONSIDERED SEPARATELY DUE TO LEGAL REQUIREMENTS.
I WISH TO MAKE CLEAR IN STATE FOR THE RECORD, THAT THE BOARD IS NOT ONLY APPROVING THE CONTRACT, BUT ALSO THE FINDINGS MADE IN THE ATTACHMENTS SUPPORTING THE ITEM FINDINGS WHICH ARE REQUIRED BY STATUTE.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED SANTOS.
SECOND ON THIS. WE HAVE A MOTION BY TRUSTEE SANTOS AND A SECOND BY TRUSTEE HERNANDEZ.
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES? PLEASE VOTE.
NINE, FOUR, ZERO AGAINST, ZERO ABSTENTIONS.
YES, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE REMOVE ITEM K8 FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA TO MODIFY
[K-8. Approval Of Proposed Revisions To Board Policy FFAA(LOCAL), Wellness And Health Services: Physical Examinations—Second Reading]
WORDING. SO MOVED, I MEAN SECOND.SECOND WE HAVE A MOTION WITH BY DR.
ALLEN WITH A SECOND BY TRUSTEE BLUEFORD-DANIELS.
ARE THERE? IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? GO AHEAD AND PUT IT DOWN. OK.
NINE, FOUR, ZERO AGAINST, ZERO ABSTENTIONS.
OK, SO NOW WE WILL WE WILL CONSIDER MOTION K8.
IS THERE A MOTION AND A SECOND? [INAUDIBLE] GOING TO MAKE OUR AMENDMENT NOW.
WE JUST NEED A STRAIGHT A MOTION AND A SECOND.
WE'VE A MOTION BY TRUSTEE SANTOS IN A SECOND BY TRUSTEE BLUEFORD-DANIELS, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? THIS IS ITEM, K8.
I'M SORRY I DIDN'T HEAR YOU CALL MY NAME.
[01:25:01]
I WAS LIKE, READY FOR YOU IN MY HEAD.I MOVED TO AMEND THE FIRST LINE OF K8 TO PRIOR TO PARTICIPATING IN A PRE-DESIGNATED UNIVERSITY INTERSCHOLASTIC LEAGUE PROGRAM.
OTHER DISTRICT EXTRACURRICULAR PROGRAM IDENTIFIED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT AS STUDENT SHALL UNDERGO A PHYSICAL EXAMINATION ANNUALLY AND SHALL SUBMIT A STATEMENT FROM A PHYSICIAN, A PHYSICIAN'S ASSISTANT LICENSED BY THE STATE BOARD OF PHYSICIANS ASSISTANT EXAMINERS, A REGISTERED NURSE RECOGNIZED AS AN ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSE BY THE BOARD OF NURSE EXAMINERS OR A DOCTOR OF CHIROPRACTIC, INDICATING THAT THE STUDENT HAS BEEN EXAMINED AND MEDICALLY CLEARED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? DO WE HAVE? MOVE SECOND. DO WE HAVE THIS LANGUAGE THAT HAS THIS BEEN SENT TO US? IT WAS SENT BY SILVIA WHERE? I THINK THE ONLY CHANGE, IF I'M CORRECT, DR.
ALLEN IS ADDING THE WORD PRE-DESIGNATED, EVERYTHING ELSE IS THE SAME.
SO IN YOUR ITEM, K8, I'M SORRY, MY MICROPHONE IS ON.
CAN YOU NOT HEAR IT? I'M SORRY.
APOLOGIZE TO THE PUBLIC AS WELL.
WHAT I THE ONLY DIFFERENCE I HEARD THAN WHAT'S IN YOUR PREPRINTED PACKET MATERIAL IS IN THE FIRST SENTENCE, IT PREVIOUSLY SAID PRIOR TO PARTICIPATING IN A DESIGNATED UYL PROGRAM OR OTHER DISTRICT EXTRACURRICULAR PROGRAM.
NOW IT'S SAYING PRE-DESIGNATED, SO ADDING PRE-DESIGNATED INSTEAD OF DESIGNATED.
ALLEN? YES, IT WAS SENT IN THE Q&A SENT FROM SILVIA TRINH ON.
YESTERDAY. IT JUST CHANGED ONE WORD.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THIS A SECOND STILL BEFORE WE HAVE DISCUSSION? NO, WE'VE ALREADY STARTED DISCUSSION.
WAS THERE A SECOND? YEAH, THERE WAS A MOTION AND A SECOND, I THOUGHT.
OK. NO, THERE WASN'T. THERE WASN'T A SECOND.
OK. SO SHE NEEDS A SECOND ON HER.
BY TRUSTEE ELLEN AND A SECOND BY TRUSTEE BLUEFORD-DANIELS.
ANY DISCUSSION? TRUSTEE DEIGAARD.
THANK YOU. SINCE IT WASN'T PULLED FROM CONSENT, I DIDN'T LOOK AT THE Q&A DOCUMENT, SO THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING, SO I'M HEARING THE ONLY THING, TRUSTEE ALLEN, THAT YOU'VE ASKED YOU'RE ASKING TO BE CHANGED IS PRE-DESIGNATE, SO IT'S THE ONLY CHANGE.
OK, SO TWO QUESTIONS TO THAT WHEN FOR LEGAL, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THESE ARE THE THINGS BEING BROUGHT TO US BY TASB.
DOES THIS STAY WITHIN THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS? SORRY. ANSWERING QUITE A FEW TEXT MESSAGES, COULD YOU REPEAT YOUR QUESTION, PLEASE? IS THIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT, STAY WITHIN STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS? I DON'T THINK THIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT AFFECTS STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
OK. AND MY SECOND QUESTION IS FOR THE ADMINISTRATION IS, DOES THIS STAY WITHIN THE SPIRIT OF WHAT YOU WERE BRINGING TO US AND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH? I'LL LET DR. SEAN BYRD, OUR CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER, COME UP AND SHARE SOME INSIGHT.
THIS WAS AN AN ITEM THAT FALLS WITHIN HIS PURVIEW AND SHOT.
WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN IN PRACTICE HAVING STUDENTS SINCE MARCHING BAND GET PHYSICALS FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. SO THIS IS JUST SO THAT BECAUSE IT WAS A LITTLE VAGUE WHEN IT JUST SAID UYL, THAT COULD BE LIKE, YOU KNOW, NUMBER SINCE THEY DON'T NEED PHYSICAL EXAMINATION. BUT IT'S JUST TO CLARIFY WHAT ACTIVITIES, WHAT SO IT IS IN THE SPIRIT OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. GREAT. THANK YOU.
I APPRECIATE IT. TRUSTEE SANTOS.
PLEASE VOTE, SO WE'RE VOTING ON THE AMENDMENT TO K8 CORRECT? THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING FIRST, OKAY? THAT'S CORRECT.
PLEASE VOTE. NINE, IN FAVOR, ZERO AGAINST, ZERO ABSTENTIONS.
WE WILL NOW VOTE ON K8 AS PRESENTED AS AMENDED.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY TRUSTEE SANTOS AND A SECOND BY TRUSTEE BLUEFORD-DANIELS.
ANY DISCUSSION? PLEASE VOTE THIS ON K8 AS AMENDED.
NINE IN FAVOR OF ZERO AGAINST ZERO ABSTENTIONS.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MONTHLY BOARD MEETING HELD ON
[CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM JANUARY 11, 13, AND 20, 2022]
JANUARY 13, 2022 IN THE SPECIAL MEETINGS HELD ON JANUARY 11TH AND 20TH, 2022?[01:30:07]
WE HAVE A MOTION BY TRUSTEE SANTOS AND A SECOND BY TRUSTEE BLUEFORD-DANIELS.IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? PLEASE VOTE. NINE, FOUR, ZERO AGAINST ZERO ABSTENTIONS, WE ARE NOW READY TO CONSIDER ITEMS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
[CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON MATTERS DISCUSSED IN CLOSED OR EXECUTIVE SESSION]
ARE THERE ANY MOTIONS? YES. I'LL STOP TALKING.I MOVE THAT THE BOARD APPROVED THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT IN THE MATTER OF [INAUDIBLE] VERSUS HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE TWO HUNDRED THIRTY FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT OF HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS, CAUSE NUMBER 2018-91257 AND THE TERMS DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 11TH 2022.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY TRUSTEE DEIGAARD AND THE SECOND BY TRUSTEE SANTOS, PLEASE VOTE.
WAIT. SIX FOUR TWO AGAINST ZERO ABSTENTIONS.
I'M SORRY. SIX, FOUR, THREE AGAINST ZERO ABSTENTIONS.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD APPROVE A FINDING OF NO GOOD CAUSE FOR EDUCATORS TO RESIGN OR ABANDON EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS WITHOUT DISTRICT CONSENT UNDER SECTIONS 21.105C 21 .160C 21.210C OF THE TEXAS EDUCATION CODE IS DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION AND AUTHORIZE A SUPERINTENDENT OR HIS DESIGNEE TO SUBMIT A WRITTEN COMPLAINT TO SBEC TO IMPOSE SANCTIONS, AS DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 11, 2022.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY A TRUSTEE DEIGAARD AND A SECOND BY TRUSTEE SANTOS.
PLEASE VOTE. EIGHT IN FAVOR, ONE AGAINST ZERO ABSTENTIONS.
I MOVE THE BOARD APPROVED THE RESIGNATION AND FULL AND FINAL RELEASE AGREEMENT WITH CARLOTTA BROWN, FORMER MADISON HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, ON THE TERMS DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 11, 2022.
THE MOTION BY TRUSTEE DEIGAARD AND A SECOND BY TRUSTEE BLUEFORD-DANIELS.
EIGHT, FOUR, ZERO AGAINST ONE ABSTENTION.
I MOVED TO THE BOARD APPROVED CLOSED SESSION PERSONAL AGENDA ITEM 26, AS DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 11, 2022.
DR. ALLEN. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND, HERNANDEZ.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY TRUSTEE DEIGAARD AND A SECOND BY TRUSTEE HERNANDEZ.
FIVE, FOUR, FIVE IN FAVOR, FOUR AGAINST, ZERO ABSTENTIONS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER MOTIONS? YEP.
I MOVED AT THE BOARD, APPROVED THE BALANCE OF THE CLOSED SESSION PERSONNEL AGENDA, INCLUDING SPECIFICALLY THAT THE BOARD APPROVED PROPOSED TERMINATIONS OF CONTINUING TERM AND PROBATIONARY CONTRACTS, APPROVED END OF TERM TERMINATIONS OF PROBATIONARY CONTRACTS THAT THE BOARD APPROVED PROPOSED NON-RENEWALS OF TERM CONTRACTS.
THAT THE BOARD APPROVED ISSUANCE OF FOURTH YEAR PROBATIONARY CONTRACTS AND THAT THE BOARD AUTHORIZES SUPERINTENDENT OR HIS DESIGNEE TO PRESENT TO PROVIDE NOTICE OF SAME THAT THE BOARD APPROVED SEPARATION AND RELEASE AGREEMENTS.
THAT THE BOARD APPROVED WITHDRAWALS OF CONTRACT RECOMMENDATIONS AND THAT THE BOARD APPROVED ISSUANCE OF FINAL ORDERS ON CONTRACT TERMINATIONS AND NON RENEWALS, AS DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 11, 2022.
THOSE SECOND, THE MOTION BY TRUSTEE DEIGAARD AND A SECOND BY TRUSTEE BLUEFORD-DANIELS.
PLEASE VOTE. NINE, FOUR, ZERO AGAINST, ZERO ABSTENTIONS. THAT'S IT.
[LAUGHTER] IT WAS JUST THE END OF PERSONNEL.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD AUTHORIZED A SUPERINTENDENT OR HIS DESIGNEE TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE AGREEMENTS, GRANTING EASEMENTS AND ENCROACHMENTS ALONG EQUIPMENT STREET NEAR KITTLESON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MARSHALL MIDDLE SCHOOL AND NORTHSIDE HIGH SCHOOL TO THE GREATER NORTH SIDE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND METRO FOR THE PURPOSE OF PEDESTRIAN AND
[01:35:03]
TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE ENHANCEMENTS ON THE TERMS IT DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 11, 2022.WE HAVE A MOTION BY TRUSTEE DEIGAARD IN A SECOND BY TRUSTEE BLUEFORD-DANIELS.
PLEASE VOTE. NINE, FOUR ZERO AGAINST, ZERO ABSTENTIONS.
DRUM ROLL, PLEASE. HERE'S THE LAST ONE I MOVE THAT THE BOARD AUTHORIZED A SUPERINTENDENT OR HIS DESIGNEE TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR THE REMOVAL OF LAND USE RESTRICTIONS AND REVERSE ENGINEERING INTEREST PLACED ON THE PREVIOUSLY CONVEYED RUFUS PAGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROPERTY IN EXCHANGE FOR PAYMENT OF THE FAIR MARKET VALUE OF THE PROPERTY AT THE TIME OF SALE ON THE TERMS DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 11, 2022.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'VE GOT A MOTION BY TRUSTEE DEIGAARD AND A SECOND BY TRUSTEE SANTOS, PLEASE VOTE.
NINE, FOUR ZERO AGAINST ZERO ABSTENTIONS, WE ARE NOW READY TO CONSIDER THE BALANCE OF TODAY'S AGENDA. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE BALANCE OF TODAY'S AGENDA BY CONSENSUS? SO MOVED.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION BY TRUSTEE SANTOS AND A SECOND BY TRUSTEE DEIGAARD. PLEASE VOTE.
NINE, FOUR, ZERO AGAINST ZERO ABSTENTIONS.
Y'ALL WE'RE LIKE WE'RE ROCKING AND ROLLING.
I'M SO PROUD OF US. LOOK AT THE TIME WE WILL BEGIN THE HEARING OF THE COMMUNITY SPEAKERS.
[HEARING OF THE COMMUNITY (Part 2 of 2)]
WE ARE GLAD YOU WERE HERE AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING YOUR VIEWS.ONLY THOSE WHO REGISTERED BY NOON YESTERDAY MAY SPEAK THIS EVENING.
COPIES OF HANDOUT MATERIALS MUST HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO BOARD SERVICES BY NOON YESTERDAY.
WE HAVE 33 REGISTERED SPEAKERS REMAINING THIS EVENING.
SPEAKERS ARE LIMITED TO ONE MINUTE EACH.
I'D LIKE TO REMIND SPEAKERS THAT WHEN ADDRESSING THE BOARD, PLEASE STAY ON TOPIC AND REFRAIN FROM NAMING INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY STUDENTS, AS THEY ARE PROTECTED UNDER THE FAMILY EDUCATION RIGHTS AND PRIVACY ACT.
HOWEVER, NAMING YOUR OWN CHILD IS PERMISSIBLE IN THE COURSE OF STATING YOUR CONCERN.
THE BOARD ENCOURAGES AND WELCOMES COMMENTS AND INPUT FROM OUR COMMUNITY, BUT WE CANNOT RESPOND TO OR DELIBERATE ON ANY SUBJECT THAT IS NOT INCLUDED ON THE POSTED AGENDA.
THAT IS, THE BOARD CANNOT DELIBERATE OR RESPOND DIRECTLY TO A SPEAKER IN THIS FORMAT.
YES, WHEN THERE'S A LOT OF SPEAKERS ARE OUR BOARD POLICY.
I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE TO PLEASE ADHERE TO THE DISTRICT'S MASK MANDATE.
IF YOU ARE NOT WEARING A MASK, YOU WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE THE PREMISES.
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT YOU WERE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK VIA ZOOM.
WE MUST SEE YOU LIVE WITH YOUR CAMERA ON AS YOU SPEAK.
FOR THOSE ZOOM SPEAKERS, I DON'T.
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT IF YOU ARE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK VIA ZOOM, WE MUST SEE YOU LIVE WITH YOUR CAMERA ON AS YOU SPEAK.
FOR THOSE ZOOM SPEAKERS WHO ARE WATCHING THE MEETING LIVE ON ANOTHER DEVICE, BE SURE TO MUTE THE MEETING AUDIO WHEN IT IS YOUR TIME TO SPEAK TO AVOID AUDIO INTERFERENCE, TURN ON YOUR CAMERA AND BEGIN SPEAKING.
WE'LL BEGIN WITH THOSE APPEARING LIVE IN OUR AUDITORIUM WITH MAY [INAUDIBLE] PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM. OH, SORRY.
MAY [INAUDIBLE], IF YOU CAN COME UP AFTER AND THEN JACKIE GILL.
IT'S NOW FEBRUARY 2022, AND YOU'RE STILL FORCING US TO WEAR A MASK.
DON'T YOU KNOW IT'S ILLEGAL IN TEXAS? WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO STOP TELLING PEOPLE HOW TO LEAVE AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, HOW TO THINK? FOR FAR TOO LONG, YOU KEPT MY KIDS FROM BREATHING FRESH AIR.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOU PRACTICALLY TOOK OVER MY ROLE AS FATHER, CLAIMING TO KNOW WHAT IS BEST FOR MY KIDS.
THIS IS THE ONLY COUNTRY ON EARTH WHERE OUR RIGHTS COME FROM, GOD, NOT THE GOVERNMENT.
ACCORDING TO YOU, WE ARE NOT SUBJECTS OF THE GOVERNMENT LIKE ANY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE NAME OF THE GREATER COLLECTIVE GOOD THAT YOU GET TO CHOOSE.
CONGRATULATIONS. YOU CANCEL 1776.
THERE'S NO POINT FOR ME TO BE HERE.
YOU TOOK THEM ALL ALONG WITH MY MONEY.
I'M HERE TO TELL THE PEOPLE WE NEED LEGISLATION TO KEEP THE MONEY WITH THE KIDS, NOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THANK YOU. MAY BLUNDELL, FOLLOWED BY JACKIE GILL.
MAY BLUNDELL, JACKIE GILL AND [INAUDIBLE].
[01:40:04]
HI, GOOD EVENING, MY NAME IS MAY BLUNDELL, AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE THAT I'M AGAINST SEX EDUCATION IN THE SCHOOLS.SO MY SON ATTENDS ENERGY INSTITUTE.
WE COME FROM A PRIVATE SCHOOL AND SO I'M AGAINST TEACHERS AND GOVERNMENTS AND SCHOOLS TEACHING OUR CHILDREN ABOUT SEX.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE IS THAT YOU GIVE US SENSITIVITY THE CHRISTIAN PARENTS LIKE YOU GIVE LGBT PARENTS IF BOYS CAN WEAR DRESSES AND BE CALLED PRONOUNS AND YOU RESPECT THOSE PARENTS. I WOULD LIKE FOR HIC TO RESPECT MY CHOICE OF NO AND ALLOW ME TO OPT OUT MY SON FROM SEX EDUCATION.
THAT'S HIS FATHER'S JOB, AND I DO NOT FEEL THAT MY TAXPAYING DOLLARS SHOULD SUPPORT SEX IN OUR SCHOOLS. JACKIE GILL, FOLLOWED BY [INAUDIBLE] AND LAURA [INAUDIBLE].
RIGHT. ALL RIGHT, SO I'M GOING TO READ A BOOK THAT SOMEONE ALREADY COMPLAINED ABOUT, BUT LET ME TELL YOU WHAT IT SAYS SINCE I ONLY HAVE A MINUTE.
IT'S IN TWO OF OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS, HOGG AND MEYERLAND.
WELL, WHAT I MEAN IS WE'RE ALL JUST HERE CHECKING OR TALKING ABOUT THESE CHICKS.
I THINK IT SUCKS. BUT HOW BROKE THEY HIS HEART.
GREAT. YOU GUYS HAVE GOT ME RUSH NOW.
WE'RE EACH BUSTING A LOAD INTO THIS BOTTLE.
IF YOU DON'T COME, YOU HAVE TO DRINK IT.
OH, I THINK I FIGURED OUT WHAT THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS MEANS.
THIS IS IN OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS, 11 TO 13 YEAR OLDS.
A LOT OF YOU HAVE KIDS AND GRANDKIDS.
WOULD YOU WANT THEM READING THIS? I THINK YOU'RE ON THE SAME PAGE.
WE ARE. IT'S OK THAT YOU'RE PROGRESSIVISM CAN STOP HERE NOW.
THIS IS RIDICULOUS AND DISGUSTING, AND I'M EMBARRASSED THAT WE PROMOTED THIS AUTHOR IN OUR SCHOOLS. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED.
[INAUDIBLE] AND JACKIE [INAUDIBLE] HILL.
MADE A POINT OF STUDYING AND ADHERING TO YOUR TWO MINUTE LIMIT, AND NOW YOU'VE CHANGED THAT, THAT'S CRAP. AT BOARD MEETINGS, YOU HIDE BEHIND SOME RIDICULOUS PROTOCOL THAT ENABLES YOU TO AVOID ANSWERING DIRECT QUESTIONS.
AND YOU ALL HIDE BEHIND THE EMAIL SYSTEM, NEVER RESPONDING, AT LEAST NOT TO ME.
FOR TOO LONG, YOU'VE IGNORED US.
YOU'RE ACCOUNTABLE TO US AND YOU WORK FOR US.
REAL LEADERS FOSTER COMMUNICATION AND FIND WIN WIN SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. YOUR MASK MANDATE HAS DIVIDED THE COMMUNITY AND YOU'VE CREATED WINNERS AND LOSERS.
IT SICKENS ME IF SCHOOLS WERE MASK OPTIONAL.
THEN ENTIRE SCHOOLS COULD EXERCISE CHOICE.
AND NO LONGER WOULD THERE BE WINNERS AND LOSERS, THERE WOULD BE DECIDERS.
FAILED LEADERSHIP DURING THE PANDEMIC HAS LED TO THANK YOU, LAURA [INAUDIBLE], JACKIE [INAUDIBLE] HILL, ELISE MADRE.
HELLO, MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE].
I'M AN ACTIVE PARENT, VOLUNTEER AND FUNDRAISER FOR MY CHILD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
I ALSO WORK FULL TIME AND A STEM CAREER.
OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS, NEWS SOURCES, DOCTORS AND PARENTS ON ALL SIDES OF THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM HAVE COME OUT AGAINST MASK MANDATES WITH A PLEA TO RETURN NORMALCY TO CHILDREN.
A RECENT USA TODAY ARTICLE STATED THAT AN URGENT RETURN TO NORMAL SCHOOL WITHOUT MANDATORY MASKING IS CRITICAL FOR OUR KIDS HEALTH AND WELL-BEING.
IT IS TIME TO SHIFT OUR FOCUS AWAY FROM MASKS AND ONTO THE FACE BEHIND THEM AND WHAT IS HAPPENING BEHIND THE MASK AT HISD IN 2021 THIRTY TWO PERCENT OF THIRD GRADERS COULD READ AT GRADE LEVEL, DOWN FROM FORTY TWO PERCENT IN 2019 THIS MONTH.
CHILDREN IN KATY ISD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND FATHER-DAUGHTER DANCES AND ACTIVITY MY DAUGHTER HAS BEEN LONGING TO GO TO FOR TWO YEARS.
WHY DO CHILDREN AND PARENTS IN SURROUNDING DISTRICTS GET TO GO BACK TO NORMAL HEALTHY INTERACTIONS WHILE HISD IS STILL HIDING BEHIND THEIR MASKS AND FEAR? WHY ARE HISD CHILDREN BEING DENIED A NORMAL CHILDHOOD? IN FACT, NINETY FOUR PERCENT OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN TEXAS DO NOT HAVE A MASK MANDATE.
STEPHANIE MCGILL, [INAUDIBLE].
[01:45:01]
GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ELISE, I'M A MOTHER TO THREE CHILDREN, A CIVIL ENGINEER AND A TEACH FOR AMERICA ALUM.TEACHERS NEED TO SEE THE CHILDREN'S FACES AND CHILDREN NEED TO SEE THE TEACHERS.
WHEN I WAS TEACHING, I WOULD NOT LET MY CHILDREN COME INTO THE CLASSROOM UNLESS THEY GAVE ME A HIGH FIVE AND THEY HAD TO SMILE.
THEY HAD BAD DAYS OFTEN, BUT THEY ALWAYS STARTED ON A POSITIVE NOTE BECAUSE THEY WERE SMILING. AT THE END OF MY FIRST YEAR, I HAD A STUDENT WRITE ME A NOTE.
SHE SAID THAT SHE HAD BEEN SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION BECAUSE OF THINGS GOING ON AT HOME, BUT THAT MY CLASS, THAT SIMPLE, QUICK SMILE THAT THEY NO LONGER CAN SHARE KEPT HER FROM DOING THINGS THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN HER AWAY FROM THIS EARTH.
WHAT ARE WE DOING? WHAT METRIC ARE WE WAITING FOR? MS. DEIGAARD I HAVE EMAILED YOU OR MY HUSBAND TWENTY FIVE TIMES YOU HAVE RESPONDED ONE TIME THE WEEK BEFORE ELECTIONS.
TO NO SURPRISE, I NEVER HEARD BACK FROM YOU.
IF WE CAN'T TALK NOW, YOU WON'T RESPOND.
YOU WILL NOT RESPOND TO MY EMAILS.
LAUREN [INAUDIBLE], ANNA FLORES, LOPEZ [INAUDIBLE].
DID YOU SAY, STEPHANIE MCGILL? YOU ARE MUZZLING US TONIGHT, JUST LIKE YOU MUZZLE OUR CHILDREN EVERY DAY AND WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY.
WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO ENFORCE THESE ILLEGAL MANDATES FOR YEARS ON END, ON OTHER PEOPLE, ON OUR CHILDREN? HOW DO YOU SHOULDER THE WEIGHT OF THE DETRIMENTS THAT THIS MANDATE HAS CAUSED THEM? UNBURDEN YOURSELVES.
YOU ARE NOT IN CHARGE OF OUR CHILDREN.
YOU HAVE TAKEN SO MUCH FROM THEM.
EVERYONE WINS WITH THE OPTION TO MASK UNCLENCH THE GRIP YOU HAVE SO TIGHTLY AROUND OUR CHILDREN, YOU HIDE YOUR INTEREST UNDER THE GUISE OF PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY AND MORAL RESPONSIBILITY, AND IT IS A SHAME.
THESE CHILDREN ARE YOUR COLLATERAL DAMAGE.
THE REPERCUSSIONS TO THEM ARE NOW WIDELY KNOWN.
STOP USING THEM AND STOP SHAMING THOSE OF US WHO ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT THEIR EDUCATION AND WELL-BEING. LAUREN [INAUDIBLE], ANNA FLORES, ELIZABETH WEAVER.
YOU ARE STANDING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF HISTORY.
AND EVERY SINGLE DAY YOU HOLD TO THIS FLAWED MASKING POLICY.
YOU ARE ROBBING OUR CHILDREN OF MORE PRECIOUS TIME.
YOUR POLICIES ARE PROMOTING A WIDENING OF THE EDUCATION GAP BETWEEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM STUDENTS. YOU ARE DRIVING ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, LEARNING LOSS, SPEECH AND READING DELAYS, LOWER TEST SCORES AND HINDERING SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
WHEN I LAST SPOKE IN OCTOBER, ELIZABETH SANTOS QUESTIONED THE CONTENT OF MY CHARACTER AND POINTED OUT IT WAS A SAD THAT WE WEREN'T TAKING OTHERS FEELINGS INTO ACCOUNT.
WE ARE TWO YEARS INTO THIS PANDEMIC.
IT IS TIME FOR FACTS OVER FEELINGS.
IT IS YOU THAT LACK CHARACTER AND BACKBONE TO BE ABLE TO READILY SEE THE DATA BEFORE YOU AND CONTINUE DOWN. THIS PATH OF THE DESTRUCTION OF THESE CHILDREN'S FUTURES IS SHAMEFUL.
[INAUDIBLE], FORMER WRITER AT THE NEW YORK TIMES, SAYS IT BEST WHEN SHE REFERS TO MASKING CHILDREN AS A MORAL CRIME, AND YOU ALL ARE GUILTY OF THAT CRIME.
FOLLOW THE SCIENCE, UNMASK OUR KIDS HISD WALK OUT FEB 18TH.
ANA FLORES, LOPEZ [INAUDIBLE], ELISABETH WEAVER, BRETT GUILLORY.
THIS IS NO LONGER A PANDEMIC OF THE CORONAVIRUS, IT'S A PANDEMIC OF FEAR YOU'RE USING THIS VIRUS AS A FOOTHOLD TO MAINTAIN ABSOLUTE POWER OVER OUR CHILDREN AND TO STOKE FEAR.
YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE LEADERS TASKED WITH OVERSEEING EDUCATION, OUR COMMUNITY WITH PRUDENCE, COURAGE AND RATIONAL THOUGHT.
INSTEAD, OUR CHILDREN HAVE BEEN PAWNS IN THIS POLITICAL AGENDA, SUBJECT TO TWO YEARS OF PHYSICAL, EDUCATIONAL AND EMOTIONAL DELAYS.
OUR CHILDREN ARE COLLAPSING ACADEMICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY UNDER YOUR WATCH.
I SAW THE EMAIL TOUTING HISD HAVING ONE OF THE LOWEST COVID RATES IN THE STATE.
IT'S UNDER ONE PERCENT, JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER MASK OPTIONAL DISTRICT.
AND IF YOU'RE TAKING CREDIT FOR THAT, ARE YOU ALSO TAKING PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE INCREASED DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, SUICIDE RATES, FAILING ENROLLMENT, LOW TEST SCORES UN-RELEASE THE CHOKE HOLD THAT YOU HAVE ON OUR KIDS AND MAKE IT MASK OPTIONAL, IT HAS TO END NOW. IT'S GONE ON TOO LONG.
BRENT GUILLORY, JENNIFER [INAUDIBLE], JACKIE ANDERSON.
GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT ON MAY 18, 2021 ISSUED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER PROHIBITING GOVERNMENT ENTITIES IN TEXAS, INCLUDING COUNTIES, CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT, PUBLIC HEALTH AUTHORITIES OR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS FROM REQUIRING MANDATING A FACE MASK.
THIS IS STACEY ABRAMS AND A GEORGIA SCHOOL WITH KIDS AND MASK.
SHE IS NOT. THIS IS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WHY I'M RUNNING FOR UNITED STATES.
[01:50:01]
CONGRESS IN TEXAS IS 38TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT TO FIGHT UNLAWFUL MANDATES SUCH AS THIS ONE. HOUSTON ISD AND THE MANDATE.YOUR FUTURE CONGRESSMAN BRETT GUILLORY.
JENNIFER SWULLEN, JACKIE ANDERSON, AMY WILEY.
I AM JACKIE ANDERSON, PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSTON FEDERATION OF TEACHERS.
I STAND HERE REPRESENTING SOME 6,000 NEARLY 6000 TEACHERS IN HISD.
I STAND IN SUPPORT OF THE MASK MANDATE.
WE APPLAUD YOUR SENSITIVITY TO OUR COMMUNITIES, OUR STAFF AND STUDENTS.
OUR TEACHERS DO NOT WANT TO TEACH IN FEAR OF CATCHING COVID IN THE WORKPLACE FROM UNMASKED STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT YET ELIGIBLE FOR THE VACCINE.
THE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL ILLS THEY GET HAVE OR BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO GET COVID AND TAKE IT HOME TO THEIR RELATIVES.
I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM ONE TEACHER WHO CALLED FOR AN END TO THE MASK MANDATE.
THE TEACHERS THAT I TALKED TO ARE FOR THE MASK MANDATE.
BY THE WAY, I UNDERSTAND WHAT MY TEACHERS ARE WALKING OUT.
THE APPLE DOESN'T FALL FAR FROM THE TREE.
AMY WILEY, ELIZABETH KILGORE, DANIEL SANTOS, AMY WILEY, ELIZABETH KILGORE, DANIEL SANTOS. [INAUDIBLE] PLEASE REFRAIN FROM MAKING AUDIBLE NOISES SO WE CAN HEAR THE SPEAKER.
GOOD EVENING. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND SUPERINTENDED HOUSE.
MY NAME IS DANIEL SANTOS, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSTON FEDERATION OF TEACHERS.
HFT APPLAUDS THE SUPERINTENDENT'S DECISION TO MAINTAIN THE CURRENT COVID 19 MITIGATION FRAMEWORK, WHICH INCLUDES MANDATORY MASKING NOW MORE THAN EVER.
RESPONSIBLE LEADERS SHOULD CONTINUE TO INFORM THEIR DECISIONS REGARDING COVID 19 BASED UPON SCIENCE AND DATA INSTEAD OF POLITICS AND HYSTERIA.
A SUPERMAJORITY OF PARENTS STAND WITH OUR SCHOOL LEADERS WHO PRIORITIZE SCIENCE BASED MITIGATION EFFORTS.
IN FACT, A SURVEY COMMISSIONED BY THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS IN DECEMBER SHOWED THAT 83 PERCENT OF PARENTS ARE SATISFIED WITH THE EFFORTS MADE BY SCHOOLS TO KEEP STUDENTS AND STAFF SAFE.
WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE SCIENCE AND NOT IGNORANCE.
THANK YOU. PLEASE REFRAIN FROM MAKING AUDIBLE NOISES IN THE AUDIENCE IN RESPONSE TO SPEAKERS. I'M [INAUDIBLE].
YES, WE CALLED YOUR NAME SEVERAL TIMES.
GO AHEAD. SO I JUST WANT TO TALK TODAY AGAINST THE MASK MANDATES.
I THINK EVERYTHING HAS BEEN SAID.
YOU HAVE TO PUT THE KIDS WELFARE AND HEALTH BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE.
IF TEACHERS HAVE A PROBLEM, HAVE THEM MASK THEMSELVES.
YOU KNOW, I MAY HAVE A STRONG SPANISH ACCENT, BUT I'M A RESEARCHER.
I HAVE A BACHELORS IN CHEMISTRY.
A MASTER IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY.
[INAUDIBLE] BIOCHEMISTRY, IT'S TIME TO END THIS.
I HAVE DEVOTED MY LIFE TO SCIENCE AND I KNOW THIS IS NOT RIGHT.
CAN'T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I'VE HAD TO WEAR ONE OF THESE, BUT THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME OF THAT. MY NAME IS ELIZABETH KILGORE, AND THERE'S NOT A DAY THAT GOES BY THAT I DON'T THAT I TAKE FOR GRANTED THAT MY HUSBAND AND I ARE BOTH IN AN INDUSTRY WHERE WE CAN FOR RIGHT NOW, HOMESCHOOL OUR CHILD.
WE PULLED OUR CHILD OUT OF HISD BECAUSE OF THIS MADNESS WITH THE MASK MANDATE.
SHE'S IN FIFTH GRADE, SHE'S BRILLIANT, SHE'S CREATIVE AND I LIVE AND BREATHE TO PROTECT THAT. I KNOW THAT I SPEAK ON BEHALF OF EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM WHO WHO FEELS THAT WAY ABOUT THEIR CHILD, INCLUDING EACH OF YOU.
IT'S ONE OF THE BEST DECISIONS WE'VE EVER MADE.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY THAT I LIVE IN THAT I BELIEVE IN.
I'M A PROUD HOUSTONIAN, Y'ALL.
LOOK AT THE DISTRICTS AROUND US.
LOOK AT THE STATES AROUND US, THE COUNTRIES, THE CONTINENTS PAY ATTENTION.
WE HAVE A VOICE AND Y'ALL NEED TO LISTEN.
THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE IN YOUR POSITION TO DO IS TO LISTEN TO WHAT WE HAVE.
[INAUDIBLE] LEON, FOLLOWED BY A BERNARDO OVANDO, FOLLOWED BY [INAUDIBLE].
[01:55:10]
I'VE GOT A FEW ITEMS TODAY, I'M IN FAVOR OF THE MASK MANDATE I WOULD NOT HAVE SENT MY ELDEST TO SCHOOL HAD IT NOT BEEN IN PLACE.AS HAS BEEN SEEN BY COUNTLESS SURVEYS, SUPPORT FOR MASKS FALL ALONG RACIAL LINES, WITH WHITE PARENTS BEING MORE LIKELY TO BE IN OPPOSITION.
ALTHOUGH A MAJORITY OF ALL PARENTS SUPPORT MASK BASED ON THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THIS DISTRICT, PLEASE DON'T LET A [INAUDIBLE] SUBSET OF THE POPULATION BULLY YOU INTO REVERSING THIS MANDATE PREMATURELY.
AS FAR AS AGENDA I5A REMEMBER TRUSTEES, IF YOU HAVE TAKEN CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM LINEBARGER OR ITS EMPLOYEES, YOU NEED TO ABSTAIN FROM THIS VOTE.
ALSO, AS FAR AS THE WHY IS THE DISTRICT BEING SO SECRETIVE ABOUT THE STARFIELD TEST? PARENTS HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW IN A TIMELY FASHION IF THEIR CHILDREN WILL BE GIVEN THIS ASSESSMENT AND WHEN IT WILL BE ADMINISTERED.
TRANSPARENCY HELPS BUILD TRUST, SO DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS OPPORTUNITY.
THANK YOU, BERNARDO [INAUDIBLE], [INAUDIBLE] AND CAROLINE WALTER.
YOU MIGHT THINK I'M A PRIVILEGED AND SPOILED WOMAN SPEAKING BEFORE YOU AND JUST THROWING TANTRUMS BECAUSE YOUR CHILDREN ARE STILL MASKED.
WE ESCAPE THE COMMUNIST REGIME THAT WAS ABOUT TO TAKE OVER THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
WE CAME HERE WITH NOTHING BUT THE CLOTHES ON OUR BACKS.
DESPITE ALL THE HARDSHIPS, DISCRIMINATION AND RACISM, WE STILL PROSPERED AND PERSEVERED.
YES, I DO CONSIDERED MYSELF PRIVILEGED, PRIVILEGED AND GRATEFUL EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT I GET TO LIVE IN A COUNTRY THAT DOESN'T PERSECUTE US FOR EXERCISING OR GOD GIVEN RIGHTS TO BREATHE FRESH AIR AND TO MAKE OUR DECISIONS OVER OUR OWN BODIES.
IT SADDENS AND FRIGHTENS ME THAT ALL OF YOU HERE HAVE TAKEN AWAY THOSE SAME RIGHTS FOR MY CHILDREN THAT MY ENTIRE FAMILY ESCAPED FROM MANY YEARS AGO.
FOR WHAT YOU KEEP SAYING, IT'S FOR OUR OWN GOOD.
THAT KIND OF RHETORIC IS REMINISCENT OF THE COMMUNIST REGIME FORCED UPON MY HOME COUNTRY BEFORE THEY TORTURED AND KILLED MY PEOPLE.
TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THIS GIRL.
THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW TIMES SHE WAS ALLOWED TO SHOW HER IDENTITY AND SMILE AT SCHOOL.
SHE LOVED SCHOOL FORCED TO WEAR AN ILLEGAL PIECE OF MATERIAL OVER HER NOSE AND MOUTH FOR TWO YEARS. YES, FORCE, YOU GO TO YOUR SOCIAL EVENTS WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY WITH A MASK.
SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE, LAST AUGUST, YOU SAID THAT YOUR DECISION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A MASK MANDATE WAS A PERSONAL ONE.
AS A PARENT, YET YOU TOOK THAT DECISION AWAY FROM ALL OF US PARENTS.
YOU HAVE GIVEN YOURSELF THE SOLE AUTHORITY AND POWER TO FORCE SMALL CHILDREN THAT AREN'T YOUR OWN TO ENGAGE IN A BEHAVIOR THAT MAKES THEM UNCOMFORTABLE AGAINST THEIR WILL AND WITHOUT PARENTAL CONSENT.
YOU HAVE NEVER MET MY CHILDREN.
YET YOU FEEL THAT YOU ARE THE BEST PERSON TO MAKE MEDICAL DECISIONS FOR THEM.
THAT FACT ALONE DISCREDITS YOU.
WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? YOU COMPLETELY DISREGARD THE LAW.
YOU CARE ABOUT CONTROL AND THE PEOPLE PULLING YOUR PUPPET STRINGS.
IF ANY OF THIS IS UNTRUE, YOU WOULD REMOVE THE MASK MANDATE TONIGHT.
MY GUESS IS THAT WON'T HAPPEN.
SO I HAVE DECIDED TO FILE A CLAIM AGAINST YOUR SURETY BOND AND I WILL FIGHT UNTIL MY CHILDREN ARE GIVEN BACK THEIR RIGHTS TO GO TO SCHOOL UNMASK.
THANK YOU, LACEY [INAUDIBLE] AND THEN THE GENTLEMAN HERE.
I'M HERE TO TALK ON THE MASK MANDATE.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK IN THE AGE OF WIDESPREAD, COORDINATED, UNCONSTITUTIONAL CENSORSHIP IN DIGITAL BOOK BURNING.
IT'S RARE THAT A CONTRARY OPINION TO THE OFFICIAL NARRATIVE IS ALLOWED TO SPEAK.
HOWEVER, LISTENING TO EVERYONE HERE, I DON'T THINK MY OPINION IS THAT RARE.
THE DATA DOES NOT SUPPORT MASKS, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT THE DATA DOES SHOW THAT MASKS DO HARM, SO PLEASE STOP THAT.
IN ADDITION, YOUR TOWN HALL ON DECEMBER 7TH ON VACCINATION WAS A FARCE.
WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS.
HOWEVER, THEY CUT OFF THE QUESTIONS FROM PEOPLE 15 MINUTES IN, AND THEY WERE USING THREATENING LANGUAGE THAT UNMASKED UNVACCINATED PEOPLE CAN'T SEE THEIR THEIR FAMILY
[02:00:03]
DURING CHRISTMAS ON DECEMBER 7TH.AND YOU SHOWED NO DATA MS. DEIGAARD, YOU ASKED FOR DATA AND ONE OF YOUR EARLIER TALKS.
I WROTE TO MY PRINCIPAL TO ASK IF ANYONE TOOK THE TIME TO LOOK UP [INAUDIBLE] PRIOR TO PROMOTING IT. TO DATE, HE HAS FLAT OUT REFUSED TO ANSWER MY DIRECT QUESTION, BUT TOLD ME THE INFORMATION CAME FROM HISD LIBRARY SERVICES.
OUR AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM HAS BEEN SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN BY THE STATE, WHICH HAS RESULTED IN AN INVESTIGATION.
THE PROGRAM WAS OPERATING ON CAMPUS WITHOUT A PERMIT SINCE AUGUST.
ONE WAS NOT INITIALLY REPORTED.
THIS IS MORE THAN ANY OTHER SCHOOL IN THEIR PROGRAM.
IN ADDITION, THEY HAVE REPEATEDLY BEEN OUT OF RATIO COMPLIANCE UNKNOWINGLY TO OUR PRINCIPAL AND ADMINISTRATORS.
A VENDOR WAS UNLAWFULLY OPERATING DAILY FOR ALMOST SIX MONTHS, RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURIES. A SERIOUS STUDENT INJURIES, A PORNO BOOK WAS ON PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS.
BUT HERE WE ARE, SPENDING AMPLE AMOUNTS OF TIME ENSURING EVERYONE IS SAFELY MASKED WHO IS BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS SEVERE NEGLIGENCE.
HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM AND IT'S COMING FROM THE VERY TOP.
SANDRA FRANCIS, JAMES WILMORE, BRITTNEY FRANCIS.
SANDRA FRANCIS, JAMES WILMORE.
GOOD EVENING. OK, I'M HERE, I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF A LOT OF POLICE OFFICERS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT AREN'T ABLE TO OPEN THEIR MOUTHS ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
AS FOR MY UNDERSTANDING, HISD HAS ZERO TOLERANCE FOR WORKPLACE BULLYING AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT, CORRECT? AM I CORRECT ON THIS? YES. OK.
I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW IS IT THAT THESE OFFICERS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THEIR JOB? WE HAVE PEOPLE ON THE COMMAND STAFF THAT WILL FALSIFY GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS.
I MEAN, I HAD TO FILE MY APPEAL WITH THE STATE, WITH THE WITH THE COMMISSIONERS COURT, WITH TA BEHIND MY BEING FIRED FOR AN ACCIDENT THAT I NEVER HAD.
OK. YOUR ASSISTANT CHIEF IS VERY UNETHICAL.
SHE'S DOING THINGS THAT SHE SHOULD NOT BE DOING.
I HAVE ALL THE DOCUMENTATION AND WHEN I HAD MY HEARING HERE BACK IN NOVEMBER, NOBODY HERE. I'M SORRY.
I HAD THIS WHOLE THING PREPARED.
OK, I'M HERE. I'M HERE AS A TEACHER THAT LOVES MY JOB.
GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS BRITNEY FRANCIS, AND I'M A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER AT [INAUDIBLE] HIGH SCHOOL IN HISTORIC THIRD WORLD COMMUNITY.
OUR SCHOOL HAS THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM AND WE HAD OUR FIRST COHORT LAST YEAR AND I WAS EXCITED TO BE PART OF THAT WITH THE FIRST COHORT TEACHING THEM.
I'M A CIVIC VOICES FELLOW WITH LEADERSHIP ISD AND I'M IN MY SECOND YEAR IN HISD.
I'M LEARNING EVERYTHING ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO BE AN EFFECTIVE EDUCATOR AND COMMUNITY LEADER.
DURING THE 2021 HYBRID LEARNING YEAR, I WON BEGINNING TEACHER OF THE YEAR.
I'M VERY PROUD OF MYSELF FOR THAT.
I SPENT NEARLY FOUR YEARS TEACHING ABROAD, AND I'VE GAINED EVEN MORE PASSION AND STRONG WORK ETHIC VIEWING EDUCATION ON A GLOBAL SCALE.
I WANT MY STUDENTS TO BE SEEN AND HEARD, AND I'M EXCITED AND INVITES HANK YOU.
NEXT, WE WILL HEAR FROM REGISTERED SPEAKERS WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM.
AGAIN, COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO ONE MINUTE EACH AND EACH SPEAKER ZOOM CONNECTION WILL BE TERMINATED AT THAT TIME.
MS. JONES, PLEASE IDENTIFY AND ADMIT OUR SPEAKERS.
MS. JACKSON, PLEASE MUTE ANY EXTRA DEVICES, CUT ON YOUR CAMERA AND YOU MAY BEGIN.
[02:05:01]
MS. JACKSON, PLEASE CUT ON YOUR CAMERA AND YOU MAY BEGIN.MS. QUINTERO, PLEASE MUTE ANY EXTRA DEVICES PUT ON YOUR CAMERA AND YOU MAY BEGIN.
MS. QUINTERO, PLEASE MUTE ANY EXTRA DEVICES AND YOU MAY BEGIN.
HELLO, GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
MY NAME IS CHRISTINA QUINTERO AND MY CHILDREN GO TO PORT HOUSTON ELEMENTARY.
I HAVE A SECOND GRADER AND A FIRST GRADER THAT HAS SPECIAL NEEDS.
BOTH OF MY CHILDREN HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH THIS COVID ERA JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE'S CHILDREN. BUT THEY UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR THE MASKS, AND I ASK YOU TO CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE AND ENFORCE THE MASK MANDATE.
DUE TO COVID AND MY CHILDREN FULLY UNDERSTAND EXACTLY HOW DANGEROUS IT COULD BE, ALTHOUGH ALTHOUGH WE HAVE WORKED THROUGH IT, I WORK WITH MY DAUGHTER AND MY SON AND MY THING IS MY SON THAT HAS AUTISM, UNDERSTANDS THE DANGERS OF COVID AND UNDERSTANDS WHAT ARE THE REPERCUSSIONS. HE IS CONSIDERATE ENOUGH TO WEAR THE MASK AND LET TEACHERS KNOW WHEN HE FEELS UNCOMFORTABLE, AND I FEEL LIKE THAT'S A PARENT'S NEED TO DISCUSS WITH THEIR CHILDREN. IT IS UNSAFE.
IT IS DANGEROUS. IT IS CALLOUS AND SELFISH OF US TO CONTINUE TO SAY, WE DON'T NEED MASKS, WE NEED THEM. SO THAT IS IT.
[INAUDIBLE] MS. HERNANDEZ, PLEASE MUTE YOUR EXTRA DEVICES, CUT YOUR CAMERA, AND YOU MAY BEGIN.
ENOUGH TO WEAR THE MASK AND LET TEACHERS KNOW WHEN HE FEELS UNCOMFORTABLE.
AND I FEEL LIKE THAT'S A PARENT'S NEED TO [INAUDIBLE] IT IS DANGEROUS.
MS. HERNANDEZ PLEASE MUTE YOUR EXTRA DEVICES AND YOU MAY BEGIN.
LET ME JUST IF I HAVE ONE SECOND TO MOVE THIS OVER.
SO MY NAME IS MARIA FERNANDEZ, AS WAS MENTIONED, SO I AM A HISPANIC MOTHER WHO COMES HERE AS A HISPANIC MOTHER WHO'S VERY, VERY CONCERNED. I BELIEVE IN THE MASKS.
I HAVE PARENTS THAT LIVE WITH ME, AND I ALSO KNOW THAT THE STATISTICS SHOW THAT BLACK AND LATINO FAMILIES ARE MORE, IN FACT, AFFECTED BY COVID.
I SIT HERE TODAY AND I HAVE TO THANK THE BOARD BECAUSE I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE SITTING HERE THROUGH COMMENTS THAT ARE INCREDIBLY OFFENSIVE.
PEOPLE HAVE TOLD YOU THAT YOU ARE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF HISTORY.
THEY HAVE TOLD YOU THAT YOU ARE ENGAGING IN MORAL CRIMES AND THEY HAVE TOLD YOU THAT THESE CHILDREN ARE COLLATERAL DAMAGE AND THAT YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT THEM.
BUT THAT'S NOT THE TRUTH, AND EVERYONE CITES DATA, BUT THEY HAVE YET TO SHOW DATA THAT PROVES THEIR POINT.
AND WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS THAT STUDENTS CAN PERSIST AND EXIST WITHOUT MASKS.
IF WE ARE CONCERNED, THE CONCERN SHOULD BE ABOUT THOSE POOR STUDENTS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER ZOOM SPEAKERS, MS. JONES? YES, I'M LETTING THEM IN NOW.
HI, MR. [INAUDIBLE]. PLEASE MUTE ANY EXTRA DEVICES, CUT ON YOUR CAMERA AND YOU MAY BEGIN.
WE CAN'T HEAR THE SPEAKER, PLEASE.
I DO NOT KNOW WHY I'M UPSIDE DOWN, I APOLOGIZE.
MY NAME IS JOHN [INAUDIBLE] I'M A TEACHER AT NORTHEASTERN EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE I SPONSOR OUR CLIMATE ACTIVISM CLUB AND I ALSO WORK WITH STUDENTS FROM OTHER CAMPUSES ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
TODAY, I WANT TO FOCUS ON STYROFOAM LUNCH TRAYS, WHICH OUR DISTRICT GOES THROUGH MILLIONS OF EVERY SCHOOL YEAR.
STYROFOAM IS A PLASTIC, AND THEIR PRODUCTION HELPS WORSEN AIR QUALITY AND CONTRIBUTES TO GLOBAL WARMING. WHEN STUDENTS ARE DONE WITH THEIR TRAYS, THEY ARE NOT RECYCLABLE AND SO THEY GO TO LANDFILLS WHERE THEY TAKE OVER 500 YEARS TO DECOMPOSE.
[02:10:03]
IN THAT TIME, THEY BREAK INTO SMALLER AND SMALLER PIECES UNTIL THEY GET INTO OUR SOIL AND OUR FOOD. STYROFOAM IS AWFUL.THAT IS WHY AUSTIN AND DALLAS ISD HAVE TRANSITIONED AWAY FROM STYROFOAM LUNCH TRAYS AND NOW USE BIODEGRADABLE TRAYS.
WE REACHED OUT TO DALLAS ISD AND WE FOUND OUT THAT THAT TRANSITION COSTS THEM LESS THAN A PENNY MORE FOR TRAY, AND IT DECREASED THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO LANDFILLS BY 30 PERCENT.
THEY GAVE US THE NAME OF THE COMPANY THAT THEY USED, AND I WILL EMAIL THAT TO ALL BOARD MEMBERS AS SOON AS I AM DONE SPEAKING.
PLEASE MEET WITH OUR STUDENTS SO THAT WE CAN TALK TO YOU ABOUT HOW HISD CAN BUILD A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR OUR DISTRICT.
THANK YOU. THREE OF THOSE THAT CONCLUDES OUR SPEAKERS ON ZOOM.
PRESIDENT CRUZ. WE ARE NOW READY TO HEAR REPORTS AND COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS, PLEASE LIMIT YOUR TIME TO ONE MINUTE PER TRUSTEE.
I CALLED ALL OF THE NAMES SEVERAL TIMES.
GO AHEAD. YESTERDAY'S WHITE HOUSE PRESS CONFERENCE MADE IT CLEAR THAT EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT MAKES THEIR OWN COVID 19 PROTOCOLS, SO I'M HOLDING YOU NOT LENA, NOT ABBOTT, NOT THE CDC OR BIDEN ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE PROTOCOLS YOU PUT IN PLACE FOR TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND STUDENTS. YOUR ANNOUNCEMENT YESTERDAY MADE IT CLEAR THAT AS LONG AS NO NEW VARIANT EMERGES, THE BOARD WILL CONSIDER RELAXING COVID PROTOCOLS, INCLUDING MASKING AND A JOHN HOPKINS MEDICINE ARTICLE PUBLISHED JUST LAST MONTH.
DR. STUART RAY STATES THAT QUOTE NEW VARIANTS OF THE SARS-COV-2 VIRUS ARE DETECTED EVERY WEEK FOR HISD TO HINGE THEIR UNMASKING DECISION ON THE BASIS THAT NO NEW VARIANT EMERGES IS UNREASONABLE.
THERE IS NO SCIENTIFIC STUDY PROVING THAT MASKING CHILDREN IN SCHOOL PREVENTS WIDESPREAD VIRAL TRANSMISSION.
AND EVEN THOUGH WE BOAST ONE OF THE LOWEST COVID POSITIVITY RATES IN THE STATE, WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT THE HUNDREDS OF TEXAS SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHO ALLOW OPTIONAL MASKING AND THEIR INFECTION AND MORTALITY RATES ARE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM OURS? WHY DO YOU FEEL THE NEED TO MASK MY CHILD IF THEY ARE VACCINATED OR HAVE ACQUIRED IMMUNITY THROUGH INFECTION WHEN THEIR RISK OF DYING IS POINT.
AVAILABLE TO ALL STUDENTS AND STAFF.
THANK YOU. WE ARE NOW READY TO HEAR REPORTS AND COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS.
[TRUSTEE REPORTS AND COMMENTS]
PLEASE LIMIT YOUR TIME TO ONE [INAUDIBLE] AT PER TRUSTEE.FIRST, I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THIS EVENING, AND THEN I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE MY STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND PARENTS HAVE A HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY.
HAPPY MARDI GRAS! CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY.
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR AND HAPPY PRESIDENT'S DAY! THANK YOU. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT CAME TONIGHT, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND CONCERNS.
WE VALUE YOUR TIME THAT YOU TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR FAMILIES TO COME.
I WANT TO THANK THE BOARD MEMBERS FOR OUR WEEKEND RETREAT, WHERE WE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT TIME SPENT ON STUDENT OUTCOMES.
AND THE BEST PRIORITY OF OUR DISTRICT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GIVING THE STUDENTS THE BEST OUT OF DEEP RESPECT FOR MY FELLOW COLLEAGUES.
I AM. THIS POLICY WAS STATED BEFORE MY TIME AND I'D LIKE TO HONOR THAT, THAT WAS THE CASE.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IT AN OPEN DISCUSSION GOING FORWARD IF POSSIBLE.
APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TOO.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. ALSO, I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT, IT REALLY IS IMPORTANT FOR US AS A BOARD TO HEAR EVERYONE'S PERSPECTIVE AND WE DO WHETHER YOU ALL BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE DO CONSIDER YOUR PERSPECTIVES AND WE DISCUSS IT.
SO I JUST WANT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW WE ARE HEARING YOU.
BUT I WANT TO ALSO DISCUSS BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
YOU KNOW, THE HISTORY OF THE BEAUTY OF HISTORY MONTH, PARTICULARLY BLACK HISTORY, IS THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT MORE ON OUR LOSSES AND THERE WERE MANY CELEBRATE OUR HEROES. AND AGAIN, THERE WERE MANY.
AND THEN TO REFLECT AND AS WE REFLECT, I ASK MY COLLEAGUES THAT WE LOOK INTO THE FUTURE AND THAT WE PROTECT, CELEBRATE AND SUPPORT OUR AFRICAN-AMERICAN BABIES WHO ARE AT THE
[02:15:01]
VERY BOTTOM OF THE GAP IN LEARNING.THANK YOU ALL. HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! THANK YOU, TRUSTEE GUIDRY, I WANT TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF THAT.
AS AN ENGLISH TEACHER, AS SOMEONE THAT FOR A 10-YEAR VETERAN ENGLISH TEACHER, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT BOOKS OPEN MINDS.
BOOKS CREATE CRITICAL THINKERS.
IF WE WANT TO MAKE SURE CHILDREN GET BOOKS APPROPRIATE FOR THEM, GIVE THEM ACCESS TO A LIBRARIAN. KIDS ARE ATTRACTED TO BOOKS THAT SPEAK TO THEM.
BANNING BOOKS DOESN'T BAN VOICE.
YOU CAN'T STIFLE A CHILD'S SEARCH FOR SELF UNDERSTANDING.
IF YOUR CHILD IS READING SOMETHING YOU THINK IS INAPPROPRIATE, GOOD.
THAT BOOK JUST GAVE YOU A CHANCE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO YOUR CHILD. IT OPENED A DOOR.
IT OPENED A DOOR TO THEIR INNER WORLD, SO PLEASE LET THEM FINISH IN THE COMMENTS.
PEOPLE THAT CHOOSE TO IGNORE HISTORY ARE IGNORING BOOKS.
THANK YOU. WOW, THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT.
MR. SUPERINTENDENT AND ALL OF YOU THAT ARE HERE, WE ARE LISTENING AND I'D LIKE TO SAY THIS BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS AND CELEBRATE THE FOLLOWING AND EDUCATION HATTIE MAE WHITE, STATE REP.
THADDEUS LOTT, MS. GERALDINE SMITH OUT OF [INAUDIBLE] WOODS, MS. JEWELL PHILLIPS, MS. TRUSTEE PORTER, MS. WILLIE J. CALHOUN, COACH JACKIE CARR, AND COACH FRANKIE BRAISES, PROF.
CONRAD JOHNSON, [INAUDIBLE] AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT WHOSE SHOULDERS WE STAND.
CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE, HONORABLE CAROLYN MIMS GALLOWAY, WHO WAS ON CITY COUNCIL AND WAS A SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE, MAXINE LANE-SEALS, MS. BEULAH SHEPPARD, DORIS HUBBARD, MY MOTHER, [INAUDIBLE] AND OF COURSE, THE HONORABLE CONGRESSMAN MICKEY LELAND AND THE FIRST BLACK TEXAS FEMALE SENATOR BARBARA JORDAN, BOTH GRADUATES OF THE PHILLIS WHEATLEY HIGH SCHOOL.
STUDENTS ZIP CODE SHOULD NOT DETERMINE THEIR ACCESS TO QUALITY EDUCATION.
IN 2022, AS WE CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY, I NEED EVERYONE TO GET OUT AND VOTE AS IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT BECAUSE IT DOES.
FIRST, THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS WHO WERE HERE TONIGHT AND ALSO OVER ZOOM FOR SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS.
WE ARE GOING TO SPEAK FOR MYSELF.
I LISTENED TO EVERYTHING THAT IS SAID AND TAKE IT INTO CONSIDERATION IN THE ROLE THAT I HAVE AS A BOARD MEMBER.
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE REQUESTED OF US OF BOARD MEMBERS ARE NOT IN THE AUTHORITY OF BOARD MEMBERS, AND SO I SEND IT ON TO THE ADMINISTRATION.
I WANT TO THANK IN THIS BLACK HISTORY MONTH MY COLLEAGUES TRUSTEE ALLEN, TRUSTEE GUIDRY, TRUSTEE BLUEFORD-DANIELS, AND TRUSTEE BAKER AND SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE.
I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE PERSPECTIVES THAT YOU ALL BRING TO THE TABLE THAT I INHERENTLY DO NOT HAVE.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOICES IN THIS PROCESS.
AND THEN I ALSO JUST WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO OUR STAFF FOR PROGRESS MONITORING BECAUSE THAT WAS A ROCK AND CONVERSATION TONIGHT, AND THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH.
I WANT TO FIRST HONOR ALL OF THE SPEAKERS WHO CAME OUT TONIGHT AND MOST OF WHOM I KNOW FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.
I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I HEAR YOU.
AND HOPEFULLY SOON SOMETHING WILL BE RESOLVED REGARDING THE MASK MANDATES.
I AGREE THAT IT SHOULD BE OPTIONAL.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE AWESOMENESS SOME OF THE PRESENT DAY TRAILBLAZERS WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
EACH AND EVERY DAY THROUGHOUT THIS DISTRICT, TEACHERS OF EVERY COLOR CONTRIBUTE TO THE UPLIFTING OF OUR OF OUR NEARLY 200,000 BOYS AND GIRLS.
BLACK HISTORY IS NOT JUST FOR BLACKS, IT'S FOR ALL RACES.
BLACK TEACHERS IMPACT NOT ONLY BLACK KIDS, BUT BROWN AND WHITE KIDS AS WELL.
WE ALL SHARE IN BLACK HISTORY BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE BENEFIT FROM BLACK EDUCATORS.
BLACK, BROWN, AND ALL COLORS ARE TO BE CONGRATULATED WHEN ONE RIGHT WHEN ONE OF US RISES, WE ALL RISE. SO TODAY I WANT TO RECOGNIZE ALL TEACHERS BLACK, WHITE, HISPANIC, ASIAN AND ALL OF THEM FOR BEING TRAILBLAZERS DURING THIS BLACK HISTORY CELEBRATION.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL. THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES.
[02:20:07]
WE HAVE OBVIOUSLY GROWN AND HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH.AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR THE COMMITMENT THAT WE'VE MADE OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS TO REALLY FOCUS ON OUR STUDENTS, AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BUILD UPON THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING AND LOOK FORWARD TO AN AMAZING YEAR.
MR. SUPERINTENDENT, DO YOU HAVE ANY REPORTS FOR US AT THIS TIME?
[REPORTS FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT]
MADAM PRESIDENT, I DO HAVE SOME COMMENTS THAT I'D LIKE TO MAKE.FIRST OF ALL, ON TOP OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND VALENTINE'S DAY, MARDI GRAS AND SEVERAL OTHER HOLIDAYS THAT WE ARE CELEBRATING.
I ALSO WANT TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL COUNSELOR'S WEEK AS WELL AS WE KNOW COUNSELORS PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN THE LIVES OF OUR STUDENTS BY HELPING FAMILIES FIND SOLUTIONS TO REAL LIFE PROBLEMS. AND THEY'VE BEEN A HUGE PART OF ALL OF US MOVING FORWARD AS A DISTRICT AND AS A COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU TO OUR COUNSELORS AS WELL.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS IN REFERENCE TO MASK MANDATE.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, EARLIER THIS WEEK WE ANNOUNCED UPDATES TO OUR CONTACT TRACING PROTOCOLS, AS WELL AS COVID-19 DASHBOARD DATA FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT SHOWS THAT AS OF THIS WEEK, NEARLY 18 PERCENT OF THE CHILDREN FIVE TO 11 ARE FULLY VACCINATED, AND A LITTLE OVER 60 PERCENT OF THE CHILDREN 12 THROUGH 17 ARE VACCINATED.
WE'LL WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR MITIGATION STRATEGIES AND ASSESSING SEVERAL FACTORS, INCLUDING DATA AND GUIDANCE FROM PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS TO MAKE ANY UPDATES TO OUR COVID-19 PROTOCOLS AND READY SET GO PLAN.
IF THE CURRENT TRENDS CONTINUE AND DATA SHOWS OUR CONDITIONS ARE IMPROVING GREATLY, WE WILL REASSESS OUR COVID 19 PROTOCOLS ON MARCH THE 11TH AND WHEN SCHOOL RESUMES ON MARCH 21ST A SCENARIO EXISTS WHERE MASKS WILL BE OPTIONAL AS A POSSIBILITY, BUT STRONGLY ENCOURAGED. WE CAN ONLY GET THERE AS WE KNOW IF WE ALL PULL TOGETHER AND CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS MITIGATION THAT WE KNOW ARE WORKING, MASKING, TESTING, HAND-WASHING, VACCINATE ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, I THINK ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
A COUPLE OF ITEMS, A COUPLE OF OTHER ITEMS I'D LIKE TO MENTION BEFORE WE EXIT TODAY.
NUMBER ONE, LAST WEEK WE HAD ABOUT A HUNDRED STUDENTS THAT ACTUALLY SIGNED SCHOLARSHIPS ON NATIONAL SIGNING DAY ATHLETES.
WERE VERY PROUD OF. THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT I EMPHASIZE THAT WILL HAVE A FREE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO COLLEGE.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT WHEN I WHEN I SPOKE TO THESE YOUNG PEOPLE, I TALKED TO THEM ABOUT GOING TO GET THAT PAPER AND I'M NOT NOT TALKING ABOUT IT PAPER IN REFERENCE TO TO TO THE IDEA OF MONEY, TALKING ABOUT PAPER IN REFERENCE TO THE IDEA OF A DEGREE.
SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THESE STUDENTS AND LOOK FORWARD TO THEM MOVING TOWARDS THE IDEA OF BEING A COLLEGE SCHOLAR AND AN ATHLETE AT THE SAME TIME.
I AM ALSO VERY PROUD OF THE TEAM AT THIS DAIS AS WELL.
THE STRATEGIC PLANNING THAT'S GOING ON, THE PUSH THAT YOU ALL ARE PUSHING TOWARDS EACH OTHER TO BECOME A BETTER BOARD.
I SEE IT HAPPENING BEFORE OUR EYES.
FEBRUARY THE 17TH WILL KICK OFF, OF COURSE, A STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKSHOP.
SO LOOKING FORWARD TO PROVIDING THAT UPDATE TO THE TEAM.
IT'S BEEN SEEMED LIKE A LONG TIME COMING WITH ALL THE LISTENING LEARNS, ALL THE FOCUS GROUPS, ALL THE ROUNDTABLES OUR TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING EXTREMELY HARD TO TO GET TO THIS PARTICULAR POINT.
AND I'M VERY, VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT'S COMING TOGETHER.
ON TOP OF THAT, ON MARCH THE 3RD, WE WILL HOST A BUDGET WORKSHOP AS WELL TO REALLY SHOW THE OVERLAY OF WHAT OUR STRATEGIC PLAN WILL LOOK LIKE AND HOW WE'LL BE ABLE TO SUPPORT IT FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT.
LASTLY, JUST WANT TO AGAIN THANK STAFF AND OUR STUDENT BODY PARENTS FOR ALL THE HARD WORK, BUT A VERY DIFFICULT TWENTY TWO MONTHS FOR EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY, PARENTS, STUDENTS, PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE.
THE WHOLE IDEA IS FOR OUR STUDENTS TO CONTINUE TO LEARN AT A HIGH LEVEL, AND WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO ENSURE THAT THAT HAPPENS.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT OUR NEXT REGULAR BOARD MEETING ON MARCH 10TH, 2022.
AGENDA REVIEW FOR THAT MEETING WILL BE HELD ON MARCH 3RD, 2022.
THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS, THIS MEETING IS OFFICIALLY ADJOURNED AT 7:24 P.M.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.