GOOD EVENING. THIS MEETING IS NOW CONVENED. THE TIME IS 5:06 P.M.. [Call to Order] [00:00:07] I WOULD LIKE TO ASK EVERYONE TO PLEASE SILENCE ALL CELL PHONES. A QUORUM OF THE BOARD MEMBERS IS PRESENT IN THE BOARD AUDITORIUM. I WILL PRESIDE OVER TONIGHT'S MEETING IN PRESIDENT RIC CAMPO ABSENCE. IF THERE ARE ANY PUBLIC OFFICIALS IN THE AUDIENCE THIS EVENING, PLEASE STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED. PLÁCIDO GÓMEZ IS HERE. THANK YOU. OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS TO HEAR FROM SPEAKERS TO AGENDA ITEMS. [Speakers to Agenda Items] PUBLIC COMMENT DURING SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE TO THOSE PERSONS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK PRIOR TO THE MEETING TIME, PER CURRENT PROTOCOL. VERBAL AND OTHER DISRUPTIONS BY PERSONS DURING THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE, AS THEY INHIBIT THE BOARD'S ABILITY TO CONDUCT BUSINESS AND THE PUBLIC'S ABILITY TO OBSERVE THOSE PROCESSES. PERSONS WHO PARTICIPATE IN SUCH BEHAVIOR WILL BE GIVEN ONE WARNING, AND IF THE BEHAVIOR IS REPEATED, THEY WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE THE MEETING. WE HAVE 25 REGISTERED SPEAKERS WHO WILL HAVE UP TO TWO MINUTES EACH PER BOARD POLICY. WE ASK THAT YOU STAY ON TOPIC AND REFRAIN FROM NAMING INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY STUDENTS, AS THEIR IDENTITY IS PROTECTED UNDER LAW. BUT YOU MAY NAME YOUR OWN CHILD. I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE RESPECT OUR PROCEDURES AND THE OTHER SPEAKERS AND END YOUR COMMENTS PROMPTLY. WHEN YOUR TIME IS EXPIRED AND THE TIMER RINGS. OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD WILL BEGIN WITH GROUP A AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS. ELECTED TRUSTEE PLÁCIDO GÓMEZ, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE, SIR. THANK YOU ALL. I WANT TO BRIEFLY RESPOND TO THE STATE OF THE DISTRICT ADDRESS, AND SPECIFICALLY THE PART ABOUT AI IN SCHOOLS, AND MAKE A MOVIE REFERENCE. I IMAGINE YOU REMEMBER THE PART IN INTERSTELLAR WHERE MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY'S CHARACTERS IN THE FIFTH DIMENSION LOOKING BACK AT HIS PAST SELF SCREAMING, NO, NO, NO, NO NO. WELL, THAT'S HOW I FEEL WHEN I LOOK BACK AT MYSELF IN 2013. FIRST YEAR TEACHER SITTING IN A PRESENTATION AS SOME GUY IS TELLING ME ABOUT INTEGRATING MY STUDENTS AS SMARTPHONES INTO MY LESSON PLANS. TECH, THEY SAID, WAS GOING TO BE ALL THE RAGE. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. THE JOB MARKET. SO SCHOOLS INVESTED IN 1 TO 1 TECHNOLOGY. EVERYBODY GETS A. EVERYONE GETS AN IPAD OR A CHROMEBOOK OR A MACBOOK EVEN. AND EVERY EDUCATION EXPERT WHO LOOKS BACK SERIOUSLY WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THAT EDTECH HAS, AT A MINIMUM, BEEN A COLOSSAL WASTE OF MONEY, AT WORST HARMFUL TO STUDENTS. COLLEGE BOARD EVEN SHORTENED THE READING PASSAGES IN THE SAT TO ACCOMMODATE FOR STUDENTS DIMINISHING ATTENTION SPAN, AND THEY RECENTLY ADMITTED TO DUMBING DOWN AP SCORES. THIS IS ALARMING, AND IT IS TRUE THAT TODAY TECHNOLOGY IS USED MORE IN THE WORKFORCE. I DON'T THINK ANYBODY THINKS THAT THE PROBLEM WITH SOCIETY TODAY IS NOT ENOUGH ACCESS TO PHONES AND TECHNOLOGY. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY PARENTS HERE WHO SAY, GEE, I WISH MY KIDS SPENT MORE TIME ON THEIR PHONES. THERE ARE PEOPLE HERE RIGHT NOW HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME FOLLOWING WHAT I'M SAYING BECAUSE THEY'RE ON THEIR PHONES RIGHT NOW. THERE ARE PEOPLE WATCHING THIS VIDEO ON INSTAGRAM REELS WHO ARE MINDLESSLY SCROLLING, AND YOU SHOULD STOP IMMEDIATELY AND GO OUTSIDE UNTIL YOU GET, WAIT TILL YOU GET TO THE END OF THE VIDEO GIVE ME A LIKE AND A FOLLOW. MY POINT IS, WHEN IT COMES TO AI, I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A BIG PART OF THE WORKFORCE. IT ALREADY IS. BUT BEFORE JUMPING HEAD FIRST INTO AI IN CLASSROOMS, WE OUGHT TO THINK BACK ABOUT LESSONS THAT WE MAY HAVE LEARNED THROUGH EDTECH FAILURE, INCLUDING, AND ESPECIALLY STUDIES THAT ARE SHOWING THAT PEOPLE WHO USE CHATGPT MORE ARE BECOMING WORSE AND WORSE WRITERS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. WE HAVE ELECTED TRUSTEE MARIA BENZON ON ZOOM. MISS GARZA, PLEASE ADMIT HER. HELLO. TRUSTEE BENZON, PLEASE GO AHEAD. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, DR. MARIA BENZON, ELECTED TRUSTEE IN DISTRICT FIVE. TO EVERY PARENT AND TEACHER WHO BELIEVES IN SB 1882 THAT IT IS YOUR TICKET TO FREEDOM. I HEAR YOU, I UNDERSTAND YOU, AND I HONOR YOUR FIGHT. YOU WANT FREEDOM FROM A CURRICULUM IMPOSED WITHOUT CONSENT, FREEDOM TO RAISE CREATIVE THINKERS, NOT ROBOTIC POWERPOINT WATCHERS AND HIGH STAKES TEST PREPPERS. THAT DESIRE IS REAL. THAT FRUSTRATION IS VALID. BUT 1882 IS NOT YOUR ANSWER. IT IS HIS. SUPERINTENDENT MILES COULD GRANT AUTONOMY TODAY WITHOUT CHARTERING, WITHOUT SOMEONE ELSE CONTROLLING BUDGETS, CURRICULUM AND POLICY. BUT HE CHOOSES NOT TO HEAR. HE FOCUSED HERE. HIS FOCUS IS NOT ON STUDENT OUTCOMES BUT ON CHARTERIZATION. SB 1882 WAS BUILT FOR STRUGGLING SCHOOLS. MILES IS USING IT TO PLACATE FAMILIES AT HIGH ACHIEVING ONES. THAT IS NOT INNOVATION. THAT IS THE DESTRUCTION OF PUBLIC EDUCATION DRESSED UP AS REFORM. [00:05:03] THIS VOTE WILL PASS. WE KNOW IT. BUT HOUSTON WILL REMEMBER. WE WILL KEEP SHOWING UP. WE WILL CONTINUE TO VOTE. THAT IS NOT WEAKNESS. THAT IS POWER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT WE WILL HEAR FROM SPEAKERS WHO IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AS HISD STUDENTS OR PARENTS. SPEAKERS, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND TOPIC WHEN YOU STEP TO THE MICROPHONE. MISS GARZA, PLEASE CALL OUR SPEAKERS. CAN OUR STUDENT SPEAKER MIHIR, PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM AND YOU MAY BEGIN. GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. MY NAME IS MIHIR SUBRAMANYA. I'M A FRESHMAN AT ENERGY INSTITUTE HIGH SCHOOL. I'M THE SECOND STUDENT IN MY FAMILY TO ATTEND ENERGY, AND I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND HOW IMPACTFUL OUR UNIQUE SCHOOL'S LEARNING MODEL IS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO PROTECT IT THROUGH THE 1882 PARTNERSHIP. I CHOSE ENERGY BECAUSE OF THE CREATIVE APPROACH TO TEACHING, PROJECT BASED LEARNING AND ENGINEERING FOCUS. FOLLOWING MY BROTHER'S FOOTSTEPS SHOWED ME THAT THE SCHOOL DOESN'T JUST TEACH CONTENT, IT TEACHES STUDENTS HOW TO THINK, COLLABORATE, AND LEAD. ALL OF WHICH I'VE GROWN SO MUCH AT DURING MY TIME HERE. THROUGH PARTICIPATING IN FRC ROBOTICS, I'VE LEARNED HOW TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY, WORK WITH ONE ANOTHER, LEARN FROM EACH OTHER, THINK CREATIVELY, AND PROBLEM SOLVE. I'VE EXPERIENCED THE ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS IN REAL WAYS, WHICH HAS SHOWN ME THAT LEARNING IS NOT ABOUT GETTING IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME, BUT ABOUT WORKING AS A COMMUNITY, WORKING AS A TEAM TO CONSTANTLY IMPROVE. ENERGY GIVES STUDENTS ACCESS TO REAL WORLD LEARNING, ENGINEERING EXPERIENCES, AND SUPPORTIVE TEACHERS. APPROVING THE 1882 PARTNERSHIP HELPS ENSURES THAT FUTURE STUDENTS HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES I'VE HAD. THANK YOU ALL FOR SUPPORTING ENERGY AND BELIEVING IN WHAT STUDENTS CAN ACHIEVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THIS CONCLUDES OUR IN-PERSON STUDENT SPEAKERS. WE'RE GOING TO LET TRUSTEE BENZON BACK INTO THE MEETING TO SEE IF HER DAUGHTER IS AVAILABLE TO SPEAK. TRUSTEE BENZON. OH, ADINA'S HERE, PLEASE BEGIN. HELLO, MY NAME IS ADINA H. BITNER. HELLO, MY NAME IS ADINA H. BITNER AND I'M A STUDENT AT YOUNG WOMEN'S COLLEGE PREPARATORY ACADEMY. I DON'T UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING ABOUT SB 1882. I'M A STUDENT. WHAT? BUT I UNDERSTAND UNFAIR. YOUNG WOMEN'S PREPARATORY NETWORK HAS BEEN MY SCHOOL'S PARTNER FOR YEARS. THAT PARTNERSHIP WORKS. WE DON'T NEED SB 1882 TO KEEP IT. OTHER SCHOOLS DON'T NEED SB 1882 EITHER. HERE'S WHAT NOBODY IS SAYING OUT LOUD SB 1882 FRIENDS ARE TREATED AS VENDORS. ONCE THEY RECEIVE PUBLIC DOLLARS, THEY DECIDE HOW TO SPEND THEM. NO OBLIGATION TO STUDENTS, NO ACCOUNTABILITY. MR. MILES SAYS SB 1882 MEANS FREEDOM FROM HIS AI CURRICULUM, FROM CONSTANT TESTING. BUT HE COULD GIVE SCHOOLS THAT FREEDOM. RIGHT NOW, HE CHOOSES NOT TO. AND WHILE SELECT SCHOOLS GET SPECIAL DEALS, SCHOOLS IN UNDERSERVED BLACK AND BROWN NEIGHBORHOODS GET CLOSED. WE DESERVE TRUTH OVER EQUITY, OVER DEALS, ACCOUNTABILITY OVER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE MORE STUDENTS OR PARENTS ON ZOOM, MISS GARZA? NO, MA'AM. THAT CONCLUDES OUR GROUP A SPEAKERS. THANK YOU. WE HAVE AN UPDATE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION ON OUR TEXAS PARTNERSHIPS, WHICH ARE AGENDA ITEMS 1 THROUGH 5 ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA. [Update on SB1882 Partnerships] SUPERINTENDENT MILES, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM VICE PRESIDENT. GOOD EVENING. I'D NOW LIKE TO TURN OVER TO DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT KRISTEN HOLE TO SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR PREK 1882 PARTNERSHIP. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE HAVE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE 1882 PRE-K PARTNERSHIP IN A PREVIOUS MEETING. SO WE WILL GO OVER INFORMATION QUICKLY, BUT DID WANT TO JUST QUICKLY GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF THE CONTRACT. SO JUST A QUICK REMINDER, THE GOAL OF THE PRE-K 1882 PARTNERSHIP IS TO BUILD A HIGH QUALITY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THREE AND FOUR YEAR OLDS ACROSS HOUSTON. AND PART OF HOW THE 1882 PARTNERSHIP HELPS US DO THAT IS THROUGH INCREASED FUNDING FOR OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS AND STRONGER CONNECTIONS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO ARE SERVING THESE STUDENTS OUTSIDE OF HISD SCHOOLS. THE WAY THE PARTNERSHIP WORKS IS HISD WOULD PARTNER WITH AN ORGANIZATION THAT WE WOULD CALL A HUB, AND THAT ORGANIZATION WOULD PARTNER WITH EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTERS OUTSIDE OF HISDS SCHOOLS. SO SCHOOLS THAT ARE NOT HISD SCHOOLS, BUT EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTERS. AND THROUGH THAT WE WOULD SERVE THE STUDENTS IN THOSE SCHOOLS. HISD IS A DISTRICT CAN PARTNER WITH MULTIPLE HUBS, WHICH MEANS THESE PARTNERSHIPS CAN EXTEND INTO MANY DIFFERENT EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTERS [00:10:07] ACROSS THE CITY. THIS IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT IN THE ZONES WHERE HISD SCHOOLS ARE AT CAPACITY AND CAN'T ADD PRE-K. AND SO WE CAN SUPPORT STUDENTS WHO ARE IN OTHER CENTERS AROUND THOSE AREAS. WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE FUNDING AND SUPPORT FOR THIS, THE WAY THAT THE PARTNERSHIPS WORKS IS THERE'S FUNDING, THE REGULAR FUNDING PER STUDENT ALLOTMENT FOR PRE-K, STUDENT, PLUS ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR SPECIAL NEEDS, PLUS 1882 ADDITIONAL FUNDS. 95% OF THOSE FUNDS WOULD GO TO THE HUB WHO WOULD THEN SUPPORT THE SPOKE, BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE ACTUAL PLACES WHERE THE TEACHERS ARE, WHERE THE STUDENTS ARE, THEY'RE RUNNING PRE-K DAY TO DAY. SO THEY WOULD RECEIVE THE MAJORITY OF THE FUNDS. WE WOULD MAINTAIN A SMALL ADMINISTRATION FEE TO SUPPORT THE PARTNERSHIP. FROM A TIMELINE PERSPECTIVE, WE BEGAN CONNECTING WITH COMMUNITY AND PRE-K LEADERS LAST JULY. IN OCTOBER OCTOBER 17TH, WE OPENED A CALL TO ALL PARTNERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN APPLYING TO BECOME A PRE-K 1882 PARTNER. A MONTH LATER, APPLICATIONS WERE DUE. WE EVALUATED THOSE APPLICATIONS IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY, AND THEN WE'VE BEEN WORKING IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH COLLABORATIVE FOR CHILDREN TO FINALIZE A CONTRACT THIS PAST TWO MONTHS, FEBRUARY AND MARCH. AND OVERALL COLLABORATIVE FOR CHILDREN. A COUPLE REASONS WE BELIEVE THERE WILL BE A GOOD PARTNER. THEIR PRIMARY GOAL IS TO IMPROVE KINDERGARTEN READINESS WITH THEIR PARTNERS THAT ARE OUT IN THE FIELD. THEY FOCUS DEEPLY ON HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTION AND WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERY STUDENT HAS A STRONG PRE-K LEARNING EXPERIENCE. AND THEY HAVE MULTIPLE SPOKES ALREADY IN EXISTENCE, 17 PARTNERS ALREADY IN EXISTENCE THAT THEY ALREADY WORK WITH THAT WILL BE ABLE TO IMMEDIATELY SUPPORT AT THE START OF THIS PARTNERSHIP. AND THAT'S IT. THANK YOU DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT HOLE. SUPERINTENDENT MILES. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE WILL NOW HEAR FROM OUR REMAINING REGISTERED SPEAKERS IN GROUP B, FIRST IN PERSON AND THEN ON ZOOM. WE HAVE SEATS IN THE FRONT ROW RESERVED FOR THE NEXT GROUP OF SPEAKERS. SO PLEASE OCCUPY THOSE SEATS IF YOU ARE UP NEXT. PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE IN YOUR NUMBERED ORDER BEGINNING WITH NUMBER SEVEN AND STATE YOUR NAME AND TOPIC, PLEASE. CAN WE HAVE SPEAKERS SEVEN THROUGH 17. MOVE TO THE FRONT ROW, PLEASE. WE WILL BEGIN WITH SPEAKER NUMBER SEVEN. JENNIFER. THANK YOU. GOOD TO GO. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JENNIFER KAPRAL. I SERVE ON THE BOARD OF THE FRIENDS OF HOUSTON ACADEMY FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, AND I'M HERE TONIGHT WITH A CLEAR MESSAGE. HAIS DESERVES TO BE IN 1882 PARTNER. AS A BOARD MEMBER, I BRING OVER A DECADE OF EXPERIENCE IN EDUCATION AND NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP. 13 YEARS HERE WITH AN HISD AS A TEACHER AND ADMINISTRATOR. I'M A FULBRIGHT-HAYS SCHOLAR AND I HAVE A MASTER OF EDUCATION FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF SAINT THOMAS. ALL THIS BACKGROUND HAS TAUGHT ME TO RECOGNIZE WHEN A MODEL HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE TRANSFORMATIVE, AND I BELIEVE THIS IS ONE. THIS PARTNERSHIP WILL AMPLIFY WHAT MAKES HAIS EXCEPTIONAL ITS LANGUAGE IMMERSION, GLOBAL STUDIES, AND EARLY COLLEGE PATHWAYS. THESE AREN'T EXTRAS. THEY'RE THE FOUNDATION FOR PREPARING STUDENTS TO LEAD IN AN INTERCONNECTED WORLD. THIS PARTNERSHIP ALLOWS THESE TO BECOME EVEN MORE CORE TO THE OPERATIONS OF THE SCHOOL. AS BOTH AN EDUCATOR AND AN HISD PARENT. I BELIEVE THIS MODEL OFFERS SOMETHING BIGGER A NEW PATH FOR THE DISTRICT TO EXPAND FLEXIBILITY AND INNOVATION IN WAYS THAT HONOR EACH CAMPUS'S UNIQUE MISSION. HAIS IS READY FOR THIS, AS HOUSTON STUDENTS ARE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT. SPEAKER NUMBER EIGHT. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS STACEY ANDERSON, AND I'M A CURRENT PARENT OF A JUNIOR AT HSPVA. AND I'M HERE TONIGHT TO ASK YOU TO APPROVE THE CONTRACT WITH HSPVA FRIENDS UNDER THE TEXAS PARTNERSHIP 1882 FRAMEWORK. I WANT TO START BY SAYING THAT I HAVE HAD TWO OPPORTUNITIES AT COMMUNITY MEETINGS HELD BY HSPVA AND HSPVA FRIENDS IN ORDER TO ASK QUESTIONS, EXPRESS CONCERNS, AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROCESS. THESE WERE WELL ATTENDED MEETINGS WITH VERY ROBUST DISCUSSION, AND PEOPLE GOT TO VOICE CONCERNS AND ASK THEIR QUESTIONS. I'VE GOT TO HEAR FROM STUDENTS AND TEACHERS WHO EXPRESSED THEIR WHOLEHEARTED SUPPORT OF THIS MOVE. NOW, I BELIEVE THAT IT'S POSSIBLE TO HOLD SPACE FOR THE CONCERNS THAT PEOPLE HAVE REGARDING THIS PROCESS AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE NEED TO PROCEED CAREFULLY. I GET IT, AND THOUGHTFULLY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I'M ALSO HERE TO EXPRESS MY COMPLETE CONFIDENCE IN DR. REAVIS AND HSPVA FRIENDS THAT THEY'RE CAPABLE OF STEERING THE SHIP WITH STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY INTERESTS WITH THAT BEING THE FOREFRONT. [00:15:11] I ALSO WANT TO CONCLUDE WITH JUST AN APPEAL TO OUR BOARD AND TO MR. MILES TO PLEASE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT AND PROTECT THE FINE ARTS ACROSS OUR DISTRICT, AS YOU ARE HERE WITH HSPVA. THANK YOU. HELLO, MY NAME IS JILLIAN HINSHAW, AND I'M AN ENGINEERING TEACHER WHO'S BEEN WITH ENERGY INSTITUTE FOR NEARLY A DECADE. I WAS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL TEACHERS WHO OPENED OUR DOORS IN 2013, AN OLD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BEGINNING A NEW ADVENTURE. SINCE ITS START, ENERGY WAS BORN TO BE DIFFERENT. HERE I'VE BEEN A STAR TESTED BIOLOGY TEACHER AND A PE TEACHER, A MAGNET COORDINATOR AND COMMUNITY LIAISON. I'VE SEEN HOW WE'VE GROWN OVER THE YEARS, PRIMARILY THROUGH PROJECT BASED LEARNING AND STRONG COMMUNITY SUPPORT. AS A TEACHER, I HAVE AUTONOMY AND WORK WITH OUR STUDENTS ON UNIQUE PROJECTS, UNIQUE PROBLEMS, NETWORK WITH THE COMMUNITY ABOUT MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCES AND I ALSO CREATE CUSTOM LESSONS EVERY SINGLE YEAR. ENERGY HAS BEEN SHAPED BY OUR STUDENTS AND IS A FORMER RECRUITER, I KNOW THAT STUDENTS COME TO US BECAUSE WE ARE DIFFERENT. AN ALTERNATIVE EXPERIENCE FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL THAT MOST OF US EXPERIENCED. EVERY YEAR WE'VE HAD A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT GROUPS AND CONFERENCES THAT COME TO OUR SCHOOL FROM ACROSS THE NATION, AND OFTEN STOP BY ON MY CLASSROOM ON THEIR TOURS. IT MAKES ME HAPPY, BUT ALSO A LITTLE BIT BEWILDERED THAT THERE ARE SO MANY EDUCATORS WHO ARE SURPRISED DURING THE TOURS OF WHAT OUR STUDENTS ARE CAPABLE OF DOING. WITH GUIDANCE, RESOURCES, AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT WE'VE PROVEN THAT ANY STUDENT CAN GO BEYOND THE LIMITS OTHERS HAVE PREVIOUSLY SET FOR THEM. I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF OUR CAMPUS SEEKING THE 1882 PARTNERSHIP, AND I SINCERELY HOPE THAT THE VOTING MEMBERS TONIGHT SEE AND ALSO TREASURE HOW UNIQUE OUR PROGRAMS ARE. MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS PARTNERSHIP ALLOWS US TO PRESERVE THE THRIVING ENERGY MODEL THAT WE HAVE AND THAT STUDENTS, FAMILIES AND TEACHERS EXPECT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SPEAKER 10, MISS HOFFMAN-LACH. HI, DR. RUTH HOFFMAN-LACH. I HAVE TWO SONS WHO, ONE WENT TO A PVA AND ONE WENT TO ENERGY, AND I'M A SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST, SO I KIND OF HAVE A LOT OF INTEREST IN CURRICULUM. AND BOTH OF THOSE SCHOOLS HAVE THIS AMAZING STRUCTURE WAY BEFORE THIS TAKEOVER, RIGHT? THAT THE PVA, ONE OF THE THINGS I USED TO SAY, BECAUSE I'M REALLY INTO BEHAVIOR STUFF IS YOU NEVER SAW A FIGHT AT PVA. AND YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE THEY DID ART HALF THE DAY. NONE OF THE OTHER KIDS IN THE DISTRICT HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE, RIGHT? BUT THEY GOT TO DO THEIR THING THAT MADE THEM HAPPY AND EXPERIENCE AND IT WERE ALL CONNECTED TO LEARNING, AND IT WAS AMAZING, RIGHT? AND LIKEWISE THAT ENERGY, EVERYTHING IS PROJECT BASED LEARNING, WHICH IS IN FACT THE MOST HEAVILY RESEARCHED, SUPPORTED APPROACH TO LEARNING FOR ANYBODY AND ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH RISK KIDS, BECAUSE IT'S HANDS ON AND IT MEETS ALL THE WAYS THAT OUR BRAIN LIKES TO HAVE INPUT. AND IT TEACHES SOCIAL SKILLS. KIDS HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO INTERACT. UNFORTUNATELY, AFTER THE TAKEOVER, THAT ALL WAS THREATENED BECAUSE MR. MILES THOUGHT THAT HAVING EVERYTHING BE DONE IN FOUR MINUTE INCREMENTS AND MAKING EVERYONE STOP ON A TIMER AND TAKE QUIZZES AND READ SCRIPTED LESSONS, AND NOT LETTING ALL OF THESE AMAZING TEACHERS DO WHAT THEY WANT, WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING, AND HAVING AMAZING SUCCESS THAT HE KNEW BETTER THAN THEM. AND SO ALL OF THESE AMAZING TEACHERS AT THESE PROGRAMS HAD TO START JUMPING THROUGH RIDICULOUS HOOPS THAT THEY NEVER HAD TO JUMP THROUGH BEFORE, AND THEY HAD TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT EDUCATION, WHO DO NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT THE, WHAT THE STRUCTURE THING AND NOW I'M HAVING A WORD LOSS THING. BUT ANYWAY, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TERMS ON THE SPOT FORM EVEN MEAN. LIKE THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THEY'RE SEEING IT OR NOT. THOSE PEOPLE ARE COMING IN JUDGING WHETHER THESE TEACHERS ARE DOING A GOOD JOB. IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS WHO LEFT EACH OF THESE SCHOOLS SINCE THE TAKEOVER, IT'S SHOCKING. ALSO, THE AVERAGE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE OF TEACHERS HAS GONE DOWN SINCE THE TAKEOVER. AND IF YOU HAD LEFT THEM ALONE, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO BE HERE. AND NOW THEY'RE BEGGING YOU TO LET THEM DO WHAT THEY ALWAYS. THANK YOU. FOR I TOO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GO TO SEVERAL COMMUNITY MEETINGS TO HAVE MY QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SB 1882, AND I'M IN SUPPORT OF IT. PLEASE BE ALSO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HELLO, I'M ALENE COGGIN, I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HSPVA FRIENDS. I'VE BEEN IN THIS POSITION FOR 14 YEARS, AND IT'S REALLY MY PRIVILEGE TO WORK WITH DR. REVIS EVERY DAY AND THE FACULTY EVERY DAY. SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU KIND OF A PICTURE OF HOW HSPVA FRIENDS WORKS RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE IT IS A UNIQUE SETUP, AND IT'D BE GREAT IF MORE SCHOOLS HAD SETUPS LIKE THIS, I THINK. [00:20:05] SO I DO HAVE THIS IS MY FULL TIME JOB. I HAVE THREE STAFF MEMBERS WHO WORK WITH ME FULL TIME. WE HAVE AN OFFICE THAT'S ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE SCHOOL, AND WE'RE ABLE TO WALK BACK AND FORTH TO VISIT WITH THE TEACHERS EVERY DAY AND TO JUST LISTEN TO THEIR NEEDS. AND I HAVE A BOARD WHO'S PAYING VERY CLOSE ATTENTION. THEY PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THEIR METRICS. THEY PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO WHAT THE TEACHERS ARE ACCOMPLISHING IN THE ART AREAS BASED ON INTERNATIONAL TRENDS, NATIONAL TRENDS. WE REALLY LOOK AT WHAT COLLEGES WANT TO RECRUIT AND TRY TO AIM FOR THAT. YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE OUR TEACHERS HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE COLLEGES AND VISITS AND THINGS SO THEY KNOW WHAT WE'RE BUILDING TOWARD. HSPVA FRIENDS, I THINK IS SOMETIMES SEEN AS JUST A FUNDRAISING ORGANIZATION, BUT WE ARE ALSO A PROCUREMENT ORGANIZATION. WE ARE AN EMPLOYER. WE FILE 150, 10-99 EVERY YEAR FOR CONTRACT TEACHERS AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS WHO COME IN TO HELP DELIVER THE ART CURRICULUM. SO THAT'S EVERYTHING FROM A CONTRACT PIANO TUNER, BECAUSE WE HAVE DOZENS AND DOZENS OF PIANOS THAT NEED CONSTANT MAINTENANCE WHEN THEY'RE PLAYED CONSTANTLY ALL DAY LONG BY DIFFERENT KIDS, ALL THE WAY TO PEOPLE WHO COME IN TO DO GUEST DIRECTION OF A SHOW. SO MAYBE THEY'RE HERE ON CAMPUS FOR JUST SIX WEEKS, OR A TEACHER WHO PERHAPS TEACHES CERAMICS, AND THEY TEACH TUESDAYS AT 10 A.M.. AND SO WE ALREADY HAVE THESE STRUCTURES IN PLACE, AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO SET A PAY SCALE FOR THOSE TEACHERS THAT REFLECTS THEIR UNIQUE JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND THEIR UNIQUE JOB TITLES. THIS IS VERY EXCITING. THANK YOU, MR. MILES. THANK YOU TO THE BOARD. THANK YOU TO YOUR ADMINISTRATION HAS WORKED SO HARD TO PUT IT TOGETHER. WE'RE REALLY ENTHUSIASTIC AND I APPRECIATE YOUR VOTE FOR YES. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ANGIE EASON AND I SERVE ON THE HSPVA FRIENDS BOARD. I AM ALSO THE PROUD PARENT OF AN HSPVA ALUM. MY SON, GRANT EASON. CLASS OF 2022. BECAUSE OF THE RIGOROUS TRAINING, ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, AND DEDICATED EDUCATORS AT HSPVA MY SON GRANT WAS ONE OF NINE STUDENTS ACCEPTED INTO THE 2026 DRAMA DIVISION AT THE JUILLIARD SCHOOL. THIS LIFE CHANGING OUTCOME IS NOT UNIQUE. IT REFLECTS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A HIGHLY SPECIALIZED SCHOOL IS EMPOWERED TO OPERATE WITH THE FLEXIBILITY AND WITH VISION. AS A COMMUNICATIONS LEADER WITH MORE THAN 25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN COMPLEX, HIGHLY REGULATED ENVIRONMENTS. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE THE EXPERTISE, THE KNOWLEDGE AND THE SKILLS AND OVERSIGHT NEEDED TO HELP HSPVA GAIN GREATER AUTONOMY AND PROTECTS ITS MISSION, STRENGTHEN ITS ACCOUNTABILITY, AND ALLOW IT TO CONTINUE PRODUCING EXCEPTIONAL OUTCOMES FOR HOUSTON'S CREATIVE STUDENTS. I RESPECTFULLY URGE YOU TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF SB 1882 AND INVEST IN WHAT WE KNOW WORKS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. SPEAKER 14. HI. IN ALL MY 15 YEARS OF COMING TO THESE MEETINGS, I'VE NEVER HAD TWO MINUTES. THIS IS EXCITING. HELLO, MY NAME IS NAOMI DOYLE-MADRID. I KNOW SOME OF YOU GUYS. I'M A FORMER HSPVA PARENT AND A CURRENT ENERGY INSTITUTE HIGH SCHOOL PARENT. I'M HERE TODAY TO URGE THE BOARD OF MANAGERS TO VOTE YES ON AGENDA ITEMS ONE AND AGENDA ITEM 4. APPROVING CONTRACTS WITH HSPVA FRIENDS AND FRIENDS OF ENERGY INSTITUTE HIGH SCHOOL UNDER THE TEXAS PARTNERSHIP 1882 FRAMEWORK. THESE PARTNERSHIPS PROVIDE SOMETHING OUR SCHOOLS DESPERATELY NEED AUTONOMY. I ONLY WISH MORE HISD SCHOOLS HAD THIS OPPORTUNITY, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, THIS IS ONE OF THE ONLY PATHWAYS FOR SCHOOLS TO PRESERVE WHAT MAKES THEM SUCCESSFUL. MY OLDEST CHILD BENEFITED FROM THE UNIQUE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE AT HSPVA. HE WOULD HAVE DROPPED OUT IF HE HADN'T BEEN AT THAT SCHOOL. AND MY DAUGHTER IS NOW THRIVING EMOTIONALLY GRADE WISE AT ENERGY INSTITUTE. TO PROTECT AND SUSTAIN THESE PROGRAMS, WE MUST SUPPORT PARTNERSHIPS WITH FRIENDS, ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN HELP OUR SCHOOLS GROW, INNOVATE, AND CONTINUE SERVING STUDENTS AT A HIGH LEVEL. PLEASE VOTE YES TO PROTECT AND SUSTAIN THESE SCHOOLS FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE STUDENTS. THANK YOU. SPEAKER NUMBER 15. HELLO, MY NAME IS LORI LAMBROPOULOS AND I AM THE FOUNDING PRINCIPAL AT ENERGY INSTITUTE HIGH SCHOOL. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK IN STRONG SUPPORT OF ENERGY MOVING FORWARD WITH AN 1882 PARTNERSHIP. [00:25:05] 1882 PARTNERSHIPS WERE CREATED TO SUPPORT INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS. AND IF YOU HAVE EVER STEPPED FOOT ON OUR CAMPUS, YOU KNOW THAT INNOVATION IS THE SOUL OF ENERGY. YOU SEE IT IN OUR PUBLIC EXHIBITIONS WHERE STUDENTS DEFEND THEIR LEARNING TO PROFESSIONALS. YOU SEE IT IN OUR ENGINEERING DESIGN TEAMS SOLVING REAL WORLD PROBLEMS. YOU SEE IT IN OUR CHAMPIONSHIP ROBOTICS TEAMS COMPETING AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS. THESE EXPERIENCES ARE NOT ADD ONS. THEY ARE AT THE CORE OF WHO WE ARE AND THEY REQUIRE STABLE, SUSTAINABLE FUNDING TO MAINTAIN QUALITY AND ACCESS FOR ALL STUDENTS. WHILE SOME MAY VIEW 1882 AS A NEW PATH FOR HISD, ENERGY HAS APPROACHED THE DISTRICT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS ASKING FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY AND WE ARE VERY EXCITED FOR THIS NEXT STEP. FROM THE BEGINNING, OUR CAMPUS WAS DESIGNED TO OPERATE DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE INNOVATION REQUIRES FLEXIBILITY AND INTENTIONAL DESIGN AND SUSTAINED SUPPORT. AN 1882 PARTNERSHIP ALLOWS ENERGY TO PROTECT WHAT WORKS. PLAN RESPONSIBLY FOR THE FUTURE, AND CONTINUE DELIVERING AN EXCEPTIONAL, INNOVATIVE EDUCATION FOR HOUSTON STUDENTS. THANK YOU, MR. MILES, AND THANK YOU, BOARD OF MANAGERS, FOR CONSIDERING THIS REQUEST. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS DR. PRISCILLA RIVAS, PRINCIPAL OF KINDER HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS. KINDER HSPVA WAS FOUNDED IN 1971 AS AN INNOVATIVE CAMPUS WITHIN HOUSTON ISD. FOR ITS TIME, IT WAS A TRUE PIONEER, A BOLD REIMAGINING OF WHAT PUBLIC SCHOOL COULD BE WHEN ARTS EXCELLENCE AND ACADEMIC RIGOR WERE INTENTIONALLY INTERTWINED. NOW, MORE THAN FIVE DECADES LATER, WE FIND OURSELVES AT ANOTHER IMPORTANT CROSSROADS. SB 1882 REPRESENTS A NEW FRONTIER FOR US, WITH UNTAPPED POSSIBILITIES FOR INNOVATION IN HOW WE STRENGTHEN OUR ARTS AND ACADEMIC PROGRAMING, BUT ALSO HOW WE OPERATE. THE ADDED AUTONOMY WILL HELP US MAKE THOUGHTFUL, STUDENT-CENTERED DECISIONS THAT STRENGTHEN OUR ROBUST PRE CONSERVATORY ARTS MODEL. SUPPORT HIGH ACADEMIC EXPECTATIONS AND KEEP US RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF TODAY'S STUDENTS FOR TOMORROW'S CREATIVE INDUSTRIES. OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH HSPVA FRIENDS IS A LONG STANDING AND DEEPLY TRUSTED ONE. FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, THEY HAVE HELPED SUSTAIN THE EXCELLENCE OF OUR CAMPUS BY SUPPORTING MASTER CLASSES WITH PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS, EXPANDING STUDENT PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES, AND ENHANCING PROGRAMS IN WAYS THAT TRADITIONAL FUNDING ALONE CANNOT. TOGETHER WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF OUR SCHOOL LEADERSHIP AND THE SKILL AND COMMITMENT OF THE HSPVA FRIENDS BOARD, WE ARE FULLY PREPARED TO LEAD THIS WORK SUCCESSFULLY IN A CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR COMMUNITY. WE REMAIN DEEPLY COMMITTED TO RECRUITING AND SERVING TALENTED HISD STUDENTS WITH DEMONSTRATED POTENTIAL IN THE ARTS. THE STRENGTH OF KINDER HSPVA LIES IN ITS DIVERSITY, AND THAT DIVERSITY IS ESSENTIAL TO WHO WE ARE. WITH THIS AUTONOMY, WE WILL CONTINUE PROTECTING THE EQUITY AND DIVERSITY THAT DEFINE US, MAINTAINING OUR STATUS AS A TUITION FREE PUBLIC INSTITUTION, AND CONTINUING TO OPEN DOORS TO. THANK YOU. CAN WE HAVE ALL REMAINING REGISTERED SPEAKERS TO THE FRONT ROW, PLEASE? WE'LL BEGIN WITH NUMBER 17. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS JOSH PAZDA. I'M AN ALUMNUS OF HSPVA AND A MEMBER OF THE HSPVA FRIENDS BOARD OF DIRECTORS. I'M HERE TO ASK THE BOARD TO VOTE TO APPROVE THE SB 1882 PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN HSPVA FRIENDS AND KINDER HSPVA. IN MY PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY AS THE OWNER OF A CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY, I ENDEAVORED TO HELP THE WIDER COMMUNITY CONNECT WITH ARTISTS, INCLUDING MANY HSPVA ALUMNI. AS YOU MAY KNOW, ARTS EDUCATION AT PVA IS HIGHLY SPECIFIC. IN ADDITION TO HAVING UNIQUE CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS, IT REQUIRES SPECIFIC VENDORS AND A LARGE ROSTER OF ADJUNCT FACULTY AND GUEST ARTISTS. THIS PARTNERSHIP WILL GIVE HSPVA THE AUTONOMY AND FLEXIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF ITS SPECIFIC NEEDS ARE MET, WHILE ENABLING GREATER COLLABORATION WITH PROFESSIONAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS IN HOUSTON, INCLUDING THE AMAZING ORGANIZATIONS IN THE THEATER DISTRICT JUST SEVEN BLOCKS FROM OUR CAMPUS. AS I MENTIONED, I'M AN ALUMNUS OF THE SCHOOL. I'VE ALSO BEEN A MEMBER OF THE CONSULTANT FACULTY. I'VE BEEN A GUEST ARTIST. MY MOTHER TAUGHT AT THE SCHOOL FOR 22 YEARS AND WAS CHAIR OF THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT. AND ALL OF THOSE EXPERIENCES HAVE ALLOWED ME TO KNOW THE SCHOOL INTIMATELY AND UNDERSTAND IT FROM A VARIETY OF PERSPECTIVES. AND SO NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS SCHOOL HAS SHAPED ME ENTIRELY, AND I'M EXCITED AT THIS OPPORTUNITY TO HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE OF THE SCHOOL. [00:30:08] THANK YOU FOR HISD SUPPORT OF HSPVA. WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING OUR GREAT WORK TOGETHER. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. I'M A PROUD HISD PARENT, COMMUNITY MEMBER AND THE FOUNDING PRINCIPAL OF THE HOUSTON ACADEMY FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES. AS A FORMER TEACH FOR AMERICA TEACHER, PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER, I HAVE DEDICATED MY LIFE TO ONE BELIEF THAT EVERY CHILD DESERVES ACCESS TO A HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION AND HIGH-QUALITY EXPERIENCES. THAT BELIEF IS WHAT BUILT HAIS. IN 2006. WE OPENED OUR DOORS WITH A BOLD VISION TO PREPARE HISD STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE AND GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP. WE BEGAN AS AN IN-DISTRICT CHARTER IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE, THE ASIA SOCIETY'S INTERNATIONAL STUDIES NETWORK AND HOUSTON A+ CHALLENGE. I OFTEN SAY THAT IN 2006, I BIRTHED BOTH A SCHOOL AND A CHILD, AND MY BELIEF FROM THAT FIRST DAY WAS THAT WE WERE BUILDING A SCHOOL. NOT ONLY THAT, I, BUT EVERY HOUSTONIAN RESIDENTS WOULD BE PROUD TO HAVE THEIR CHILD ATTEND. DESPITE OUR LIMITED FACILITIES AND RESOURCES. FIRST IN A TEMPORARY BUILDING ON A PARKING LOT AND NOW IN A 1960 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WE HAVE EXCELLED. TODAY, ALL OF OUR STUDENTS TAKE COLLEGE COURSES. 85% EARN AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE, 100% COMPLETE A CTE SENIOR INTERNSHIP. WE HAVE INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES AND WE ARE A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL. LAST WEEK IN THIS BOARDROOM, I HEARD THE WORD ELITE BEING USED TO DESCRIBE OUR SCHOOL. AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR, HAIS NOT BEEN GIVEN ELITE RESOURCES, BUT WE HAVE CREATED ELITE OUTCOMES FOR HISD STUDENTS. THE MAJORITY OF WHOM ARE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED AND ALMOST HALF OF WHOM ARE AT RISK. THIS PARTNERSHIP IS NOT ABOUT CHANGING WHO WE ARE OR WHO WE SERVE. IT'S ABOUT EXPANDING WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY PROVEN WORKS. IT ALLOWS US TO INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES AND ENSURE HISD STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO THE GLOBAL FUTURES THEY DESERVE. OUR STUDENTS WILL REMAIN HISD STUDENTS. WE WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE THE STUDENTS WHO CHOOSE HAIS. FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS, WE HAVE DONE MORE WITH LESS. THIS PARTNERSHIP, WE CAN DO EVEN MORE FOR OUR HISD STUDENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS HEATHER PETERSON AND I'M THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF ENERGY INSTITUTE HIGH SCHOOL PTO. I'M ALSO THE PROUD PARENT OF TWO JUNIORS AT ENERGY WHO HAVE BEEN ATTENDING HISD SCHOOL SINCE KINDERGARTEN. I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN EACH OF THEIR SCHOOLS HEAVILY. I ALSO, IN ADDITION TO THAT PRACTICE LAW IN HOUSTON FOR ALMOST 28 YEARS. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO VOICE MY STRONG SUPPORT FOR ENERGY'S 1882 PARTNERSHIP FOR THE CONTINUED ROLE OF FRIENDS OF ENERGY AS OUR TRUSTED PARTNER IN OUR WORK. AS A PARENT, I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND THE IMPACT THAT ENERGY'S INNOVATIVE MODEL HAS HAD ON OUR STUDENTS, NOT JUST ACADEMICALLY, BUT IN HOW THEY GROW AS COLLABORATORS, PROBLEM SOLVERS, AND CONFIDENT YOUNG ADULTS. THROUGH OUR PROJECT BASED MODEL, I'VE SEEN MY OWN STUDENTS WHO ARE QUITE INTROVERTED, UNLIKE THEIR MOM, DEVELOP INTO CONFIDENT PUBLIC SPEAKERS AND SKILLFULLY ANSWER QUESTIONS IN A DISSERTATION DEFENSE TYPE FORMAT AT OUR EXHIBITIONS. IT'S VERY IMPRESSIVE. AS PTO PRESIDENT, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT OUR ENERGY'S 1882 PROCESS HAS BEEN TRANSPARENT, INCLUSIVE AND COMMUNITY DRIVEN. PARENTS, TEACHERS AND STAFF HAVE PARTICIPATED IN CMC CONVERSATIONS, MULTIPLE Q&A SESSIONS AND ONGOING DIALOG AND COLLABORATION WITH THE PTO. BOTH THE PTO AND THE SCHOOL ALSO SEND FREQUENT WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS, UPDATING OUR COMMUNITY ON OUR PROGRESS WITH THE H&H PROCESS. QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN WELCOMED. FEEDBACK HAS BEEN SHARED. VOICE IS HEARD. THIS HAS TRULY BEEN A PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR TIGHT KNIT COMMUNITY. FRIENDS OF ENERGY HAS ALSO SHOWN A DEEP COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING ENERGY'S MISSION. THEIR PARTNERSHIP PROVIDES A SUSTAINABLE PATH FORWARD FOR THE UNIQUE PROGRAMS OUR ENERGY COMMUNITY DEPENDS ON. I HOPE TO SHARE GOOD NEWS ABOUT TONIGHT'S VOTE AT OUR PTO SPONSORED INFORMATION SESSION, WHICH I'VE ALREADY SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY. ON BEHALF OF THE ENERGY FAMILIES, I RESPECTFULLY URGE YOU TO APPROVE ENERGY'S 1882 PARTNERSHIP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JENNIFER LANKAU CHASE AND I TEACH US HISTORY AND SERVE AS THE CHAIR OF HUMANITIES AT KINDER HSPVA. I HAVE ALSO TAUGHT AT KASHMERE AND MILBY HIGH SCHOOL IN HOUSTON ISD. I'M ALSO THE PROUD MOTHER OF TWO HSPVA GRADUATES. HSPVA ISN'T A TYPICAL HIGH SCHOOL. WE DON'T HAVE CHEERLEADERS, NOR A HOMECOMING DANCE OR EVEN A MARCHING BAND. WE DO HAVE A BAND. HSPVA HAS HAD TO CHART ITS OWN PATH FROM THE BEGINNING IN 1971, WHEN WE CREATED A SCHOOL IN THE SUMMER OUT OF A FORMER SYNAGOGUE BUILDING. [00:35:02] THE FACULTY AT HSPVA IS EQUALLY COMMITTED TO MAKING THE MOST OF THIS 1882 OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO INNOVATE AND EDUCATE AND TO SHOW THE COUNTRY WHAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON ISD CAN DO. PLEASE VOTE TO ALLOW US TO GO EVEN FURTHER, TO SHOW MORE PEOPLE WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN THE PUBLIC SUPPORTS A HIGH QUALITY ARTS EDUCATION, WHICH WE KNOW HELPS NURTURE AND BUILD THE CRITICAL THINKING THAT ENABLES OUR ACADEMICS AT HSPVA TO ALSO BE EXEMPLARY. YOUR SUPPORT OF AN SB 1882 CHARTER WILL ALLOW US TO BE AN EVEN BRIGHTER GEM IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND I URGE YOU TO VOTE YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JANIS JAROSZ, BOARD CHAIR OF HSPVA FRIENDS. FIRST, THANK YOU, MR. MILES, TO YOU, TO THE HISD TEAM THAT YOU HAVE AND TO ALL OF YOU HERE ON THE BOARD. WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT. LAST WEEK, I SHARED THAT OUR 13-MEMBER BOARD IS READY TO ASSUME GOVERNANCE AND ACADEMIC ACCOUNTABILITY FOR KINDER HSPVA. TONIGHT, I WANT TO DEMONSTRATE THAT WE ARE ALSO UNIQUELY CAPABLE. OUR BOARD IS COMPRISED OF SEASONED PROFESSIONALS, INCLUDING LAWYERS, CPAS, BUSINESS OWNERS AND EXECUTIVES, ARCHITECTS, SOCIAL WORKERS, ARTISTS AND EDUCATORS. TEN OF US HOLD ADVANCED DEGREES AND 11 HAVE EXTENSIVE NONPROFIT BOARD EXPERIENCE. AS CHAIR, I WILL LEAN INTO MY 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. IT'S ACTUALLY 30 PLUS IN HR, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS AND LEADERSHIP TO SUPPORT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ALENE COGGIN, PRINCIPAL DR. RIVAS, AND THEIR DEDICATED AND TALENTED ADMIN TEAMS AND FACULTY. WHILE OUR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUNDS ARE DIVERSE, WE ARE SINGULAR. WE ARE UNITED BY A SINGULAR, UNWAVERING MISSION TO ENSURE KINDER HSPVA CONTINUED EXCELLENCE AND TO PRESERVE ITS STATUS AS AN HISD PUBLIC SCHOOL SERVING A DIVERSE STUDENT POPULATION. WE HAVE THE EXPERTISE, THE EXPERIENCE AND THE PASSION. WE ARE READY. PLEASE VOTE YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CRISTINA ESQUIVEL, AND I'M HERE TO ASK THE BOARD OF MANAGERS TO VOTE TO APPROVE MOVING FORWARD WITH AN AGREEMENT WITH HSPVA FRIENDS TO OPERATE KINDER HSPVA. I AM A MEMBER OF THE HSPVA FRIENDS BOARD OF DIRECTORS. PROFESSIONALLY, I AM THE DIRECTOR OF ASSET MANAGEMENT FOR GRYPHON PARTNERS, A COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE COMPANY HEADQUARTERED HERE IN HOUSTON, WHICH MANAGES THE CUMULATIVE ASSET VALUE OF 2.6 BILLION. I HAVE SERVED AS TREASURER OF THE FRIENDS BOARD AND CURRENTLY SERVE ON THE FINANCE COMMITTEE. I'M ALSO A PRODUCT OF HISD. ALTHOUGH NOT AN HSPVA ALUM, I ATTENDED THE HIGH SCHOOL FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE. RAUL YZAGUIRRE, CHARTER MIDDLE SCHOOL AND FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY. I CONTINUED MY EDUCATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, FOLLOWED BY MY MASTER'S AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CITY OF HOUSTON. HSPVA FRIENDS IS FULLY AUDITED BY A PREMIER FIRM USED BY OTHER SCHOOLS AND PUBLIC ENTITIES. THE FINANCE COMMITTEE HAS ALREADY SPOKEN TO OUR ACCOUNTING AND AUDIT TEAMS, SO THEY ARE WELL AWARE OF THIS POTENTIAL NEXT STEP AND READY TO ADVISE US ACCORDINGLY. AS A FIRST GENERATION AMERICAN WHO GREW UP IN THE EAST END OF HOUSTON, I BENEFITED FROM A CUSTOMIZED HISD MAGNET PROGRAM MYSELF, AND IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO HELP FUTURE STUDENTS DO THE SAME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TRUST AND PARTNERSHIP. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS BROCK LEWIS. I'M A GRADUATE OF ENERGY INSTITUTE HIGH SCHOOL AND A HOWARD UNIVERSITY ALUM. I'M CURRENTLY A CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PROFESSIONAL AND A MEMBER OF ENERGY INSTITUTE OF FRIENDS OF BOARD. I'M HERE BECAUSE ENERGY'S MOTTO DIDN'T JUST PREPARE ME FOR COLLEGE. IT PAVED THE WAY FOR MY CAREER. ENERGY'S COURSEWORK AND PROJECT BASED LEARNING AND THEIR ALIGNMENT WITH THE INDUSTRY TAUGHT ME TO THINK LIKE AN ENGINEER LONG BEFORE I EARNED MY DEGREE. I LEARNED THE POWER BASICALLY THROUGH THEIR PROJECT TEAMS. AND I LEARNED THE POWER OF COLLABORATION. AND THE BEST SOLUTIONS COME FROM LEARNING, FROM ITERATING AND FROM LEARNING TOGETHER WITH OTHERS. THE FRIENDS OF BOARD, I MEAN, THE FRIENDS OF ENERGY BOARD BRINGS THEIR EXPERTISE IN GOVERNANCE, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND LONG-TERM STEWARDSHIP. I BRING THE ALUMNI PERSPECTIVE. SOMEONE WHO HAS EXPERIENCED A MODEL, LIVES THE MODEL. IT NOW WORKS IN THE FIELD. AS A YOUNG PROFESSIONAL, I OFFER INSIGHT INTO THE SKILLS GRADUATES NEED ON DAY ONE AND THAT INCORPORATES OF [00:40:10] ADAPTABILITY, TEAMWORK, CLEAR COMMUNICATION AND CONFIDENCE. WE ARE PREPARED TO SERVE AS RESPONSIBLE PARTNERS, ENSURING STRONG OVERSIGHT AND CONTINUED ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY, PROJECT BASED LEARNING AND EDUCATION. I THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU SIR. THIS CONCLUDES OUR IN-PERSON GROUP B SPEAKERS. EXCUSE ME. I DIDN'T HEAR THAT, MISS GARZA. THIS CONCLUDES OUR IN-PERSON GROUP B SPEAKERS. WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER ON ZOOM, MISS GARZA. PLEASE ADMIT LUCY KRISTEN BELL. LUCY KRISTEN BELL CURRENTLY IS NOT ON ZOOM, BUT WE DO HAVE TWO REGISTERED SPEAKERS. WE WILL BEGIN WITH CLAUDE BITNER. CLAUDE BITNER, YOU MAY BEGIN. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS CLAUDE BITNER. I'M THE PARENT OF AN HISD STUDENT. I'M ALSO A GRADUATE OF H. AM I MUTED? NO, SIR. WE CAN HEAR YOU. CAN YOU RESTART FOR ME? SORRY. CAN YOU RESTART MY TIME? YES, YOU MAY BEGIN. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS CLAUDE BITNER. I'M THE PARENT OF AN HISD STUDENT, AND I GRADUATED FROM HSPVA PVA AS WELL AS TWO OF MY SISTERS. I WAS BORN IN A MOMENT OF PURPOSE TO INTEGRATE COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE ARTS. THAT LEGACY IS REAL, BUT HSPVA IS NOW ONE OF THE MOST SELECTIVE SCHOOLS IN THIS DISTRICT. STUDENTS FROM OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT GET IN. MEANWHILE, KIDS INSIDE HOUSTON WAIT AND WONDER, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ENROLLMENT OPENS TO EVERYONE? WHAT CREATIVE BENDING RULE WILL PROTECT ITS SELECTIVITY THEN? THE BOARD ASKS QUESTIONS. THEY PERFORM CONCERN, BUT THEY ALWAYS VOTE FOR MILES. THE SAME MILES WHO BUILT A CURRICULUM AROUND A PREDICTION RING, THE SAME MILES, WHO CITES THE NAVARRE POINT IN AN OFFICIAL DISTRICT DOCUMENT, A CONCEPT INVENTED, NOT RESEARCHED, BUT FICTION. THIS IS RESHAPING HOUSTON SCHOOLS VOTE NO ON SB 1882 FOR PARTNERSHIPS WITH HISD. THANK YOU. MELISSA YARBROUGH. PLEASE TURN ON YOUR CAMERA. UNMUTE YOUR MICROPHONE AND YOU MAY BEGIN. HI, MELISSA YARBROUGH HISD PARENT AND FORMER TEACHER. WHAT ALL OF THE PARENTS WHO ARE SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF THE 1882 PARTNERSHIPS TONIGHT, ALL I HEAR THEM ASKING YOU FOR IS AUTONOMY AND THE ABILITY TO CONTINUE DOING WHAT THEY ALREADY DO. WITH THEIR HIGH SCHOOL, PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE DONE LONG BEFORE MILES EVER STEPPED FOOT IN HOUSTON. THEY'RE NOT ASKING FOR CHANGES. SO WHY ARE YOU, THE BOARD OF MANAGERS, FORCING THEM INTO MAJOR CHANGES TO THE WAY THEIR SCHOOLS ARE RUN JUST TO KEEP THEM OPERATING AS THEY ALREADY WERE? WHAT IS GOING ON HERE, AND WHY IS THE BOARD FAILING TO EXPLAIN WHY THEY NEED AN 1882 PARTNERSHIP JUST TO HAVE AUTONOMY. SO ALL THEY'RE TRYING TO DO, THEY KNOW MIKE MILES SYSTEM IS BAD AND THEY DON'T WANT IT FOR THEIR KIDS, AND THEY'RE JUST ASKING TO KEEP HIS BAD POLICIES AWAY FROM THEIR CHILDREN. SO WHY CAN'T THEY JUST DO THAT? WHY CAN'T THEY RUN THEIR SCHOOLS THE WAY THEY ALREADY WERE? AND WHY ARE YOU FORCING THEM INTO THESE PARTNERSHIPS? I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THE BOARD EXPLAIN THIS. THANK YOU. WE HAVE NO ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS. THAT CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC COMMENT. AT THIS TIME, THE BOARD WILL RECESS TO CLOSED SESSION UNDER CHAPTER 551 OF TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE OPEN MEETINGS ACT SUBSECTIONS 551.004 THROUGH [Recess to Closed Session under Sections 551.004 through 551.089 of the Texas Government Code for the Purposes Listed in this Notice] 551.089. SHOULD BOARD FINAL ACTION, VOTE OR 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 HAS RECESS TO CLOSED SESSION AT 5:51 P.M. ON MARCH 26TH, 2026. GOOD EVENING. THIS MEETING IS RECONVENED AT 6:54 [Reconvene in Open Session] P.M.. BOARD PRESIDENT RIC CAMPO, SECRETARY OF PAULA MENDOZA AND BOARD MEMBER LAUREN GORE ARE JOINING US VIA ZOOM. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE TONIGHT'S AGENDA ITEMS BY CONSENSUS? [Consideration and Approval of Agenda Items] I HAVE A MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER JANETTE GARZA LINDNER. AND DO I HAVE A SECOND? I HAVE A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER MARCOS ROSALES. [00:45:02] I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? BOARD MEMBERS IN THE AUDITORIUM, PLEASE VOTE. WE'LL NOW TAKE VOTES FROM OUR BOARD MEMBERS ON ZOOM. PRESIDENT RIC CAMPO. YES. BOARD MEMBER. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER PAULA MENDOZA. YES. BOARD MEMBER LAUREN GORE. YES. THANK YOU. THE MOTION TO APPROVE TONIGHT'S AGENDA BY CONSENSUS PASSES. WE HAD. OH, I DIDN'T COUNT. ONE, TWO, THREE. WE HAD 9 IN FAVOR. ALL IN FAVOR, THANK YOU. THE NEXT BOARD REGULAR BOARD MEETING WILL BE HELD ON APRIL 9TH, 2026. WITH NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO DISCUSS. THIS MEETING OF THE BOARD IS ADJOURNED AT 6:56 P.M.. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.