[1. Opening Items]
[00:00:03]
EVERYONE, THIS IS THE SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2021, CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING.
THE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER AT 4:10 PM WITH MOTION BY MR. RICK BARTON, SECONDED BY MR. MARK JONES WHO'S GOING TO JOIN US HERE IN A FEW MINUTES.
A MINUTE LATER, A MOTION WAS MADE BY MS. DIGIACOMO, SECOND BY MR. BARTON FOR AND FAVORITE ONE IN THE CLOSED SECTION A SESSION.
AGAIN, MRS. WAYMAN WAS ABSENT.
THE BOARD CONSULTED WITH LEGAL COUNSEL ON MATTERS THAT ARE IMPACTING SCHOOL SYSTEM HERE RECENTLY, AND ALSO DISCUSSED AND CAME UP WITH A PLAN OF ACTION AND DISCUSSED THE SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH PROCESS AND POTENTIAL CONTRACTS AND CONTRACTORS WILL BE USING ASSOCIATED WITH THAT PROCESS.
THAT BEING SAID, IT IS NOW 6:05 PM.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO RECONVENE INTO OPEN SESSION? SO MOVED.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? [OVERLAPPING] AYE.
ALL RIGHT. I GUESS I'LL JUST SAY THAT [NOISE] I MIGHT GET KICK STARTED A LITTLE EARLY.
MR. JONES WHO'S JUST TAKEN STEP OUT, HE'LL BE BACK.
THAT BEING SAID, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS FOLLOWING THE GUIDELINES AS CURRENTLY OUTLINED AT THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, THAT ALL PEOPLE INSIDE A SCHOOL BUILDING WILL BE WEARING MASKS EVEN THOUGH WE'VE SEPARATED AND ARE MORE THAN SIX FEET APART.
FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE RECORDING AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC WHO ARE LISTENING ONLINE, ANYONE WHO'S ACTIVELY SPEAKING, PLEASE, IF YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE, REMOVE YOUR MASK, SO THE MIC WOULD BETTER PICK UP YOUR VOICE.
OTHERWISE, THE BOARD HAS DECIDED TO FOLLOW THOSE GUIDELINES AND TO STAY MUST.
IS THAT APPROPRIATE? ALL RIGHT.
THAT BEING SAID, MR. JONES, THANK YOU.
SORRY, I GOT A LITTLE EXCITED AND STARTED A LITTLE AHEAD OF TIME.
THAT BEING SAID, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
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.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, EVERYONE.
MOVING ON TO 1.05 OF THE AGENDA, APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.
BOARD MEMBERS, MS. BARRY SEND US OUT THE OUTLINE OF THE AGENDA UNDER THE WEEK.
IS THERE ANY CORRECTIONS OR ADDITIONS OR DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED? SO MOVED.
SECONDED BY MS. DIGIACOMO. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? [OVERLAPPING] AYE.
AGENDA IS APPROVED. THANK YOU.
[2. Reports]
ALL RIGHT. MOVING ON, BOARD MEMBER REPORTS.BOARD MEMBERS AS AT END OF THE SUMMER STARTED THE SCHOOL YEAR, QUITE A FEW ACTIVITIES.
AGAIN, MRS. WAYMAN IS OUT THE NIGHT, BUT SHE DID PARTICIPATE IN A FEW THINGS.
IT'S LISTED THERE. MR. BARTON, HOW ABOUT YOU FOR THE MONTH? WELL, LOTS OF THINGS GOING ON.
I'D SAY THAT SINCE [INAUDIBLE] IT HAS PULLED OVER INTO SEPTEMBER, AND JUST A LOT OF ACTIVITY FIRST DAY IN SCHOOL.
FOR ME THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME EXPERIENCING THAT AS A BOARD MEMBER AND THEN THERE'S PARENT.
BUT JUST WATCHING THE CARE AND FEEDING WELL, NOT THE FEEDING SO MUCH BY THEIR STAFF, BY THE TEACHERS, JUST INCREDIBLE.
MY FIRST STOP WAS IN LOVE WITH DONNA, WHO STOPPED OVER ALL SCHOOLS THERE, THE HIGH SCHOOL, AND EVERYTHING THERE, JUST IMPRESSED ME SO MUCH.
THE DEVOTION OF STAFF, THE EXCITEMENT OF THE TEACHERS.
BUT HERE IT'S JUST AMAZING TO SEE ALL THOSE KIDS, WHILE THE APPOINTED TIME COMES IN THAT HALLWAY MOVING LIKE SALMON HEADING UP A RIVER.
DID YOU ALL SEEM TO KNOW WHERE THEY WERE GOING? THEY ALL JUST WENT AND THERE WERE STAFF THERE TO HELP THEM.
THEN AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THEY WERE ALL GONE.
THAT EITHER MEANT THEY WENT WHERE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO OR THEY WENT SOMEWHERE.
[LAUGHTER] JUST AMAZING TO WATCH A LOT OF MOVING PARTS.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS A LOT OF MOVING PARTS.
NEXT STOP FOR ME, ORIGINALLY ELEMENTARY AND AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF
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RESILIENCE AND CAN DO ATTITUDE AND JUST MAKING IT WORK.WHEN I GOT THERE, THEY ARE ALL GONE.
IT WAS LIKE A WATER BODY WITH NO REBELS.
THINGS STARTED TO HAPPEN AND IT WAS JUST AMAZING.
BUT TO WATCH THE TEACHERS AND SOME OF THE CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF AND DEPUTY FROM SHERIFF'S OFFICE, THE SRO AND ALSO ANOTHER DEPUTY THERE.
TAKING THOSE KIDS BY THE HAND, TAKING THEM WHERE THEY NEED TO GO, REASSURING THEM, GETTING IT THEIR LEVEL OF TALKING WITH THEM.
JUST AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE JUST FOR ME TO WATCH THAT.
I WAS JUST AWESTRUCK [INAUDIBLE].
AFTER I REACHED OUT TO THE SHERIFF AND SAY, YOUR DEPUTIES WERE AMAZING.
JUST AMAZING, THE WAY THEY WERE.
I EXPECT THE TEACHERS TO HAVE THAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP WITH CHILDREN, RIGHT? BUT BIG TOP COPS, THAT'S THE BEST POSSIBLE ROLE MODELING FOR THAT.
FOR ME, THE WEEK WAS CAPPED OFF THAT I DID THE CHAIN GANG AS THEY CALL IT, AT THE FOOTBALL GAME ON FRIDAY NIGHT.
IT WAS NICE TO SEE YOU ALL GOING OUT THERE.
I COULD TALK ABOUT IT A LONGER TIME, I'LL JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT.
IT WAS BECAUSE OF COVID, I HAD A KNEE INJURY, SO I WAS ON THE INJURED LIST.
KNEES ALL BETTER, I WAS ABLE TO RUN BACK AND FORTH WITH CHAINS.
I'M SAYING THIS NOT JUST BECAUSE OF [INAUDIBLE], A REAL JOY ABOUT THAT.
IT'S NOT JUST WATCHING THE PLAYERS AND THE WAY THEY BEHAVE AND HOW THEY HANDLE THEMSELVES.
IT IS WATCHING THE COACHES INTERACT WITH THEM.
THEY ARE AMAZING. THEY GET IT, THE PLAYERS GET IT, THE FANS GET IT.
MEANING YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE A GOOD HUMAN BEING FIRST, AND RESPECTFUL, AND POLITE, AND GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP.
THEN YOU CAN BEAT THE DAYLIGHTS OUT OF YOUR TEAM, WHICH THEY DID.
BUT IT'S REALLY ABOUT THE CONDUCT OF BEHAVIOR AND EXPERIENCES.
JUST NICE TO SEE THAT UP CLOSE IN PERSONAL.
THE NUMBER ONE RULE FOR YOU IF YOU HOLD MORE OF THOSE CHAIN, IS GET OUT OF THE WAY.
LET'S HOPE THAT EVERYBODY STAYS HEALTHY.
ENOUGH OF MY SPEED, BUT IT TOOK ME MUCH TIME.
>> LIKE RICK WE VISITED THE SCHOOLS TOGETHER, IT'S AWESOME.
I DON'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO SAY, IT WAS JUST AWESOME BEING AROUND THE STUDENTS AND A LOT OF THE STUDENTS AT NORTH CAROLINE REMEMBERED ME, AND THEY WERE COMING UP AND GIVING ME HUGS AND GO, "MAYBE WE SHOULDN'T DO THAT."[LAUGHTER].
I THINK NORTH CAROLINE BY, BUT 8:05 EVERYBODY WAS EITHER WHERE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE OR SOMEPLACE. WHICH WAS AWESOME.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY EXPECTED TO GO THAT SMOOTHLY.
THEN GREENSBORO THAT'S THE FIRST TIME I EVER SAW AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, DO THE FIRST DAY.
IT'S INCREDIBLE, ALL THEIR STAFF MEMBERS WERE THERE AND OUT THERE AND GREETING THE KIDS AND THE KIDS WERE EXCITED.
THEY WERE LOOKING UP LIKE, WOW, JUST LIKE WE THOUGHT THEY WOULD.
THE TEACHERS I THINK WE'RE PROBABLY MORE EXCITED THAN THE STUDENTS WERE AND MS. SWANN, SHE WAS RIGHT THERE IN THE THICK OF IT.
GETTING RIGHT UP THERE ON THE BUSES TO BE WITH THE KIDS AND JUST ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES AND I'M GET TEARY-EYED BECAUSE I JUST COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD OF THE STAFF, THE TEACHERS, THE IA'S, THE LUNCH LADIES, I MEAN, BECAUSE TO EVERYBODY.
I'VE SAID IT BEFORE THIS COUNTY ROCKS, I'M BLESSED TO BE PART OF IT AND JUST SAY IT WAS AN AWESOME FEELING.
I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH WHERE I GOT TO GO TO EVERY SCHOOL BEFORE THE STUDENTS GOT HERE, BASICALLY JUST WALK AROUND SAYING HI.
TEACHERS WERE VERY RECEPTIVE, THEY LOVE IT WHEN THE BOARD MEMBERS GO INTO BUILDINGS.
TWO THINGS I'D LIKE TO BRING UP, I DID SUMMERFEST WITH THE LEO CLUB.
LEO CLUB IS A JUNIOR VERSION OF LIONS CLUB.
THEY WERE AT THE SUMMERFEST HELPING THAT LIONS CLUB, BUT THEY ALSO SOLD COTTON CANDY.
OVER EIGHT HOURS THEY SOLD OVER $700 OF COTTON CANDY.
[NOISE] ALL OF THAT MONEY IS GOING TO SOMETHING CALLED BAGS OF HOPE.
IT'S GIFTS FOR CHILDREN AT THE HOSPITAL IN THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.
THEY ACTUALLY STARTED THIS PROGRAM ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS THE ADVISOR.
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THEY'RE LIKE, LET'S DO BAGS OF HOPE," AND I'M LIKE, "WHAT IS IT?" THEY TELL ME AND I'M LIKE, "LET'S DO IT." WE RAISED $1200 AND THEN WE GET ALL THIS STUFF, I'M LIKE, "NOW WHAT?" THEY'RE LIKE, "WE DON'T KNOW." I'M LIKE, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW?" THEY MADE IT UP.BUT I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS SO INCREDIBLE THAT THEY MADE UP A PROGRAM CALLED BAGS OF HOPE AND WE HAVE KEPT IT GOING ALL THIS TIME AND THAT THEY GO THERE AND JUST DO THAT COTTON CANDY AND MADE THAT MUCH MONEY.
IT WAS INCREDIBLE. IT WAS FUN GOING TO THE SCHOOLS AND CCTC THEIR THEME WAS BE THE SUNSHINE.
I LAUGHED BECAUSE IT'S OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL AND ALL THE HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS ARE LOOKING YEAH, BUT THEY WERE GETTING INTO IT.
THAT WAS THE COOL PART [INAUDIBLE] WERE THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL BECAUSE SHE'S THE SUNSHINE AND FEDERALSBURG WAS CALLED BE THE MARIGOLD.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU EVER HEARD OF THIS, BUT IT'S AN AWESOME STORY.
I WANTED TO READ IT, BUT IT WOULD REALLY TAKE TOO LONG.
BUT LONG STORY SHORT, IT'S LIKE, BE A MARIGOLD NOT A WALNUT, BECAUSE WALNUT TREES KILL THINGS AND SUCK THE LIFE OUT OF EVERYTHING AROUND THEM.
WHERE MARIGOLDS ARE USED BY GARDENERS FOR COMPLIMENTARY PLANTS.
WHERE THEY KEEP THE PESTS AWAY, AND THEY NOURISH THE THINGS AROUND THEM, AND THEY HELP THEM GROW.
THE TEACHERS WERE LIKE, "WE'RE GOING TO BE A MARIGOLD, WE'RE GOING TO BE MARIGOLD AND DON'T BE A DEBBIE DOWNER." LOOK AT THE BRIGHT SIDE AND SHE'S TELLING HER NEW TEACHERS FIND THE MARIGOLDS.
IF YOU EVER GET A CHANCE YOU CAN LOOK IT UP.
IF YOU JUST SAY, BE THE MARIGOLD.
IT WAS GOOD, IT'S JUST A LOT OF GOOD THINGS GOING ON IN THIS COUNTY.
>> VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. [OVERLAPPING]
>> SORRY TO INTERJECT IF YOU DON'T MIND.
DONNA MENTIONED THAT ONE TIME SHE WAS THE ADVISOR FOR THE YOUTH CLUB CALLED LEOS THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LIONS CLUB.
A FEW YEARS AGO, DONNA WAS STILL TEACHING A FEW OF US FROM ORIGINALLY LIONS CLUB, I THINK THREE OF US WENT TO THE SCHOOL AND THE PRINCIPAL AT THAT TIME WAS HAVING A MEETING AT THE END OF THE DAY WITH MOST OF THE STAFF, IF NOT EVERYBODY.
THEY INVITED US TO BE PART OF THAT MEETING FOR PART OF IT AT LEAST AND PITCH OUR IDEA THAT WE WEREN'T THE FIRST TO DO IT, IT HAD BEEN DONE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, [INAUDIBLE] ALREADY HAD THE CLUB AND WE WERE TRYING TO BORROW THAT IDEA AND DO THOSE HERE AND HAVE ALL THE LINES PLOTTED TO THIS PART OF THE COUNTY, THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY.
WE JUST PAVED IT, ORIGINALLY IT WAS READY LIKE TO TAKE THE LEAD AND MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
BUT WE HAD TO HAVE SOMEBODY AT THE SCHOOL, A TEACHER TO BE THE ADVISOR.
THAT DAY WHEN WE WERE THERE WE PITCHED THE IDEA WE GOT A BUNCH OF BLANK STARES.
WE LEFT THERE THE THREE OF US AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THIS, BECAUSE NOBODY STEPPED FORWARD.
WELL, GUESS WHO STEPPED FORWARD AND IT BECAME THE ADVISOR? THAT WAS DONNA.
IF YOU HADN'T DONE THAT, THAT CLUB WOULDN'T EXIST.
SHE WASN'T JUST THE ADVISOR, SHE WAS THE GEORGE WASHINGTON IF YOU WILL.
THE FOUNDING MOTHER OF THAT LEO CLUB, AND I'M NOT OVERPLAYING IT, IT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT HER.
>> WELL, THANK YOU. IT'S STUDENT, THESE ARE THE STUDENTS THAT LOVE TO DO THE SERVICE.
I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT THESE STUDENTS.
WE STARTED WITH 10 AND LAST YEAR WE WERE UP TO OVER 50.
WE STARTED OUT AT THE GEEK CLUB, THE NERDY CLUB, ALSO NICKED AS THE COOL KIDS CLUB.
I'M LIKE, WHAT THE [INAUDIBLE], HOW DID I GET IN CHARGE OF THE COOL KIDS CLUB? BUT I THINK IT'S ONLY THAT THAT MANY KIDS IN THIS COUNTY WANT TO GET INVOLVED AND THEY'RE DOING THINGS. KUDOS TO THE KIDS.
>> I GUESS THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL PROBABLY THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY MONTH.
PRETTY NEAT TO SEE ALL THE KIDS COME BACK, IT WAS NICE TO SEE.
SOME OF THE STAFF MEMBERS AT THE SCHOOL HELPING OUT EARLY IN THE MORNING AND GO TO WALK AROUND AND WELCOME FOR THE KIDS ACTUALLY GOT THERE AND TALKED SOME OF THEIR TEACHERS.
GOT TO HELP POINT TO GET IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND HELP SOMEONE FIND THERE QUESTIONS THEY HAD.
THAT WAS NICE TO WALK AROUND, SEE THE TEACHERS AHEAD OF TIME AND AGAIN, WATCH THE LITTLE KIDS COME TO THE DOOR AND FREEZE UP AND THEN IT'S A MINOR QUESTION IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
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RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY, I GOT TO PEAK IN THE KINDERGARTEN CLASSES AND SEE THE LITTLE SCARED KINDERGARTNERS, FIVE OR TEN MINUTES AWAY [NOISE] FROM THEIR MOMS [INAUDIBLE] .THAT WAS DIFFERENT, I'VE BEEN IN KINDERGARTEN LESSONS, FOUR OF MY KIDS THERE SINGING AND DOING FUN THINGS WERE ALL JUST GETTING USED TO WHAT'S GETTING READY TO HAPPEN.
AT THAT TIME THANKS TO ALL THE STAFF MEMBERS THAT KIND OF AGREE WITH ME AND WALKED ME AROUND SOME OF THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.
JUST NEED TO GO AND SEE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE DAY OR WALK AND STEP IN DIFFERENT CLASSROOMS, STEPPED IN MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSROOM AND I ANSWERED SOME QUESTIONS FROM SOME STUDENTS THAT WAS FUN AND [INAUDIBLE] THAT WAS COUPLE OF PRETTY TOUGH QUESTIONS FROM SOME KIDS BUT THAT WAS GOOD.
END OF THE DAY, AT GREENSBORO IT WAS A RAINSTORM BUT AND THE KIDS ON THE BUS AND TO SEE HOW THE STAFF REACTED TO THAT, THAT WAS A CHALLENGE AND TO SEE HOW THEY REACTED TO IT, IT WAS GOOD TO WATCH.
MADE ME KIND OF PROUD TO SEE HOW THEY REACTED.
I THINK THE ONE THING BEING LEFT OUT, THANKS TO THE PARENTS FOR BEING SUPPORTIVE.
THAT COULD HAVE BEEN A REALLY TOUGH FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL AND THE PARENTS AND STUDENTS THEY CAME READY FOR SCHOOL.
I THINK EVERYBODY WAS GLAD TO GET THEIR KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL AND THANKS TO THEM FOR MAKING THAT FIRST 15 OR 20 MINUTES GO AS EASY AS IT DID BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT MORE DIFFICULT THAN THAT.
IT WAS DIFFICULT ENOUGH AS IT WAS.
I THINK SOME OF THESE KIDS NOT BEING IN SCHOOL FOR TWO YEARS, REALLY NOT I MEAN, PROBABLY 60, 70 PERCENT OF OUR KIDS REALLY DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH TIME IN THEIR SCHOOLS.
FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, AND FOR IT TO GO AS WELL AS IT DID AS A GREAT COMMUNITY EFFORT.
JUST PICK IT UP FROM THERE, LIKE HE SAID, I MEAN, YOU CAN TELL FROM THE AND WE'LL HEAR MORE OF A REPORT FROM STAFF LATER BUT FROM THE BOARD MEMBERS PERSPECTIVE, A LOT OF EMOTION, A LOT OF EXCITEMENT, IN GETTING BACK TO SCHOOL AND THINKING HOW LONG IT'S BEEN FROM EVERYBODY UNEXPECTEDLY GOING HOME FOR TWO WEEKS IN MARCH OF 13TH, 2020 AND STAYING HOME AND NOT DOING THIS LAST YEAR, NOT HAVING BACK TO SCHOOL AND SEEING THE FACES COME IN THE BUILDING AND THE KIDS, AND IT'S EVEN MORE EXCITING AND NICE TO BE A PART OF.
THAT BEING SAID, IT'S GREAT AND THERE'S SO MANY GREAT THINGS TO COMMENT ON BUT I JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOME THINGS THAT WEREN'T SO GREAT BECAUSE I WAS DISAPPOINTED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS IN THIS COMMUNITY A LITTLE BIT.
NOT 99 PERCENT OF THEM BUT THERE'S A SMALL PERCENT THAT ARE UNHAPPY WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING AND THAT'S FINE.
I THINK IF YOU'VE PAID ATTENTION AND IF YOU WATCH OUR BOARD MEETINGS, A LOT OF YOUR BOARD MEMBERS, A LOT OF OUR STAFF ARE UNHAPPY ABOUT THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING.
WE'VE SHARED THOSE COMMENTS BUT THERE'S A RIGHT WAY AND A WRONG WAY TO VOICE YOUR DISPLEASURE.
I JUST HOPE THAT US AS A COMMUNITY AND CAROLINE COUNTY CAN VOICE OUR CONCERNS AND HOLD OUR COMMUNITY ACCOUNTABLE TO PEOPLE WHO MIGHT NOT BE USING THE BEST SOCIAL PARAMETERS AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE SITUATION.
IF THEY DO MAKE A MISTAKE WE ALL HAVE TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY AND SAY, HEY, I'M SORRY, I MISSPOKE.
NONE OF US ARE HAPPY TO BE WEARING MASKS ON A DAILY BASIS IN A GROUP.
I THINK I KNOW THIS BOARD SAID THAT IN THE FIRST MEETING OF AUGUST AND WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WE COULD GO BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS AND NOT REQUIREMENTS BUT THOSE WEREN'T THE CARDS THAT WERE GIVEN US.
THAT BEING SAID, IT'S FINE TO VOICE YOUR CONCERNS, IT'S FINE TO CONTINUE TO PUSH BUT LET'S STAY WITHIN THE CONFINES OF GOOD SOCIAL DECORUM.
TO MAKE SENSE OF SOME OF THE STUFF IN MY MIND,
[00:20:02]
I BOILED IT DOWN TO GOVERNMENT MOVE SLOW, SLOWER THAN A LOT OF US LIKE TO THINK.TAKING IT OUT OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR A MINUTE AND EDUCATION, READING, WRITING, ARITHMETIC, AND SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN AND OUR FAMILIES, I'VE WORKED WITH AGRICULTURE FOR THE LAST 25 YEARS AND GOVERNMENT CALL SHARE ON MANURE SHEDS.
I JUST CAME TO IN ONE OF MY CONFERENCE STATE CONVERSATIONS.
GOVERNMENT SAID ITS COST-SHARE ON MANURE SHEDS, WHICH PROTECTS OUR ENVIRONMENT BY KEEPING RAIN OFF MANURE HAS BEEN AN OVER-ENGINEERED, OVER COSTLY, OVER DONE GOVERNMENT PROGRAM FOR DECADES.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN GROUPS OF PEOPLE TRYING TO SAY, HEY, LISTEN, WE CAN GET THE SAME JOB DONE FOR A LOT ECONOMICAL AND SAVE TAXPAYERS A LOT OF MONEY. IT HASN'T CHANGED.
THAT'S JUST PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT FROM NUTRIENT-RICH RUN-OFF.
WHEN IT COMES TO OUR SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN IN OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND OUR STAFF AND OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND OUR COMMUNITIES, THE GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO DO ITS DUE DILIGENCE.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE ERROR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN WE SHOULDN'T SHARE FACTS WITH THEM.
INFORMATION LOBBY FOR CHANGE AND TRY TO DO THINGS BETTER BUT THERE'S A TIME AND A PLACE AND A WAY TO DO IT.
THAT'S JUST KIND OF THINGS THAT RUN THROUGH MY MIND THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS BUT IT'S BEEN A GREAT SCHOOL YEAR.
I'M GLAD WE GOT BACK TO ALL KIDS IN THE BUILDING, SCHOOL BUSES ALL OVER THE PLACE, ON THE ROAD, AND INFLUX OF NEW STUDENTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HEAR ABOUT.
WE HAVE PROFESSIONALS WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM LATER IN THE MEETING.
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S GOING TO BE HERE TALKING ABOUT THE METRICS WE'RE WATCHING AND THE GUIDELINES WE HAVE TO FOLLOW BUT JUST SO ANYBODY KNOWS, THE FIVE OF US IT UP HERE AND TAKE COUNSEL FROM THE PROFESSIONALS, THE READING, WRITING, ARITHMETIC, THE SPECIAL ED COUNSEL, THE FACILITIES COUNCIL.
WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO STATE AND LEGAL GUIDELINES AND THINGS THAT WE DON'T MAKE THEM UP EITHER, WE REFER TO OUR LEGAL COUNSEL.
THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS A MAJOR ENTITY AND WE DO CONTRACT WITH SANDY MCALLISTER AND HIS FIRM WHO'S HERE WITH US TONIGHT.
BECAUSE IF NOT, WE'VE BEEN VERY LUCKY IN CAROLINE COUNTY FOR NOT HAVING AN ABUNDANCE OF LEGAL ISSUES TO HANDLE BUT OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE PLENTY EACH YEAR.
WHEN THEY COME UP, WE RELY ON OUR LEGAL COUNSEL TO GIVE US THE FEEDBACK SO WE FOLLOW THE BEST PATH POSSIBLE.
I JUST SANDY, APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE WITH US TONIGHT AND ALL THE YEARS OF FEEDBACK AND COUNSELING YOU'VE GIVEN US.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT AND HOPE FOR BETTER CONSULTATIONS AND FEEDBACK IN THE FUTURE FROM OUR GENERAL COMMUNITY.
THAT BEING SAID, I THINK I SAID MICHELLE'S MISSING THE NIGHT BUT SHE DID TURN IT IN SOME THINGS AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
>> THANK YOU, MR. NEWCOMB. RECURRING THEME WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT FOR THIS MONTH.
I SHARE IN THE JOY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS AS WELL.
THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL WAS ABSOLUTELY EXCITING.
THANK YOU TO SANDI BARRY AND NANCY ROBINSON AND VARIOUS OTHERS WHO SEND IN PICTURES FROM THE FIRST DAY.
AS MR. JONES MENTIONED AS WELL, FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL THAT WE'VE HAD ALL KIDS IN PERSON LEARNING SINCE MARCH 13TH, 2020.
I HAD THE ABSOLUTE PLEASURE SPENDING MY FIRST DAY RIDING AROUND THE DISTRICT WITH MR. BILL MANGLE WHO'S HERE TONIGHT, OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS.
BILL AND I WENT AROUND TO ALL THE SCHOOLS THAT DAY, LITERALLY MADE IT TO ALL 10 OF THEM.
IT WAS CORRECT AS DOMINANT, RICK POINTED OUT AT NORTH HIGH BY 8:05, THE HALLS WERE CLEAR, KIDS WERE WHERE THEY NEEDED TO BE.
COLONEL HIGH, SAME THING, KIDS IN.
I THINK THE BIGGEST SURPRISE WE HAD TO COLONEL HIGH FIRST, QUITE A FEW 9TH AND 10TH GRADERS NEEDED REMINDERS ON HOW TO OPERATE A LOCKER.
IT'D BEEN A LITTLE WHILE, AND THAT'S OKAY.
WE EXPECTED IT AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
THE HIGH SCHOOL WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT IT'S OKAY.
BUT THE KIDS WERE EXCITED COMING IN.
IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THAT AND GREAT TO FEEL IT.
GREAT TO FEEL THE EXCITEMENT WITH THE STAFF.
COLONEL MIDDLE, SAME THING, JUST THAT REAL EXCITEMENT COMING INTO BUILDING.
AGAIN, HELPING STUDENTS WITH THE LOCKERS, THERE IS ALWAYS HAVE THE FUN.
MADE HER WAY AROUND TO ALL OF THE SCHOOLS.
AGAIN, THAT SAME LEVEL OF EXCITEMENT WAS TRULY SEEN EVERYWHERE.
IT DIDN'T MATTER IF WE WERE THERE FIRST THING IN THE MORNING.
WE GOT THERE AFTER LUNCH SHIFTS, WE'RE FINISHING UP.
LITERALLY, THE KIDS WERE ABSOLUTE TROOPERS.
THE SUPPORT STAFF WAS AMAZING.
HATS OFF TO THE PARENTS FOR GETTING THE KIDS UP OUT OF BED THAT MORNING, GETTING THEM IN.
[00:25:01]
DAY 1 IS USUALLY EASY.DAY 2, THE ROUTINE GETS A LITTLE HARDER, AT LEAST IN MY HOUSEHOLD, IT WAS.
JUST GETTING USED TO THAT EXTRA DAY OF HAVING TO GET UP A LITTLE EARLIER.
BUT IT REALLY WAS INCREDIBLE TO SEE ALL THAT HAPPENED THAT DAY.
IT WAS ALMOST LIKE THINGS HADN'T BEEN MISSED FOR A YEAR AND A HALF AS QUICKLY AS ROUTINES RE-ESTABLISHED.
THERE WERE A COUPLE OF THINGS, AND I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK ON AND IMPROVE UPON AFTER THE FIRST DAY.
WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH OUR TECHNOLOGY PROCESSES AND MAKING SURE WE GET LAPTOPS IN THE HANDS OF ALL KIDS.
DAY 1, TRYING TO BE READY TO HAND OUT 5,500 AND 5,600 DEVICES CAN BE A LITTLE DAUNTING AND CHALLENGING.
WE WERE THERE WITH A HIGH PERCENTAGE, BUT WE'RE STILL FINISHING UP THAT LAST LITTLE BIT OF PROCESS NOW.
TRANSPORTATION. IT'S INCREDIBLE WHAT THE BUS DRIVERS PULLED OFF.
THERE IS A BUS DRIVER SHORTAGE.
WE DO HAVE ENOUGH DRIVERS IN CAROLINE COUNTY, BUT IF ANYBODY HAS A CDL OR WOULD LIKE TO GET A CDL AND DRIVE A SCHOOL BUS, IT'S A WONDERFUL REWARDING OPPORTUNITY.
WE COULD ALWAYS USE SOME WORK.
BUS DRIVERS DO AN INCREDIBLE JOB.
THE FIRST DAY TYPICALLY, SOMETIMES HAVE A LITTLE GAP, WE FORGET WHAT THE FIRST COUPLE OF DAYS ARE LIKE.
FIRST COUPLE OF DAYS IN TRANSPORTATION ALWAYS TEND TO BE A LITTLE CHAOTIC, A LITTLE BIT OF A HECTIC PACE OF STUDENTS MOVING.
DATING TRANSPORTATION ROSTERS, THEN TRYING TO GET THOSE UPDATED FOR BUS DRIVERS.
NUMBER OF REQUESTS THAT COME IN ABOUT DAYCARE CHANGES, WHICH ARE DIFFERENT THAN THEIR HOME ADDRESS.
HAVING TO REROUTE SOME BUSES AND THEN REBALANCE BUSES, NOT EVERY KID RIDE THE BUS AND WE BASED THE ROUTES OFF THE BEST WE CAN OF WHO RODE LAST YEAR OR HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE LIKELY TO STILL BE RIDING ON THAT ROUTE.
YOU DO END UP WITH SOME OVERCROWDED BUSES WITHIN THE FIRST FEW DAYS.
OUR TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK IT FEELS EVEN OVER THIS PAST WEEKEND TO TRY TO IRON OUT THOSE LAST WRINKLES TO GET THE BUSES WHERE THEY NEED TO BE SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY OVERCROWDING ON BUSES IN THE MIDST OF IT.
WE ALSO IMPLEMENTED A NEW TRANSPORTATION SOFTWARE ROUTING SOFTWARE PIECE.
AGAIN, THAT ADDED A COUPLE OF WRINKLES AS WELL, BUT THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB AT WORKING THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
PARENTS, WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE AND WE'VE APPRECIATED THOSE WHO'VE REACHED OUT TO SAY, HEY, WE'RE STILL HAVING AN ISSUE WITH ONE OF OUR BUS, THANKS FOR LETTING AS KNOW AS WE'RE WORKING THOSE KINKS OUT.
BUT TODAY WAS A MUCH BETTER DAY.
WE HAPPEN TO BE AT ONE OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ON FRIDAY EACH DAY.
THEY GOT A LITTLE BIT BETTER GETTING THE KIDS OUT ON TIME.
BY FRIDAY, IT WAS ALL HAT, AFTER THE THIRD DAY OF SCHOOL, IT WAS LIKE NORMAL WITH BUSES LEAVING ON TIME, WHICH WAS GREAT.
WE'RE JUST WORKING THOSE KINKS OUT AND THINGS SEEM TO REALLY BE IMPROVING AS WE'VE NOW FINISHED OUR FOURTH DAY OF SCHOOL BACK IN SESSION.
BUT INCREDIBLE START TO THE SCHOOL YEAR.
THE FIRST DAY WAS A LITTLE EMOTIONAL, WAS A LITTLE OVERWHELMING IN A POSITIVE WAY.
JUST LITERALLY TO FEEL THE EXCITEMENT THAT EXISTED AMONGST ALL STAFF AND JUST TO SEE ALL THE KIDS BACK IN, YOU DON'T REALIZE HOW LONG IT HAD BEEN BECAUSE WE WERE EXCITED LAST YEAR WHEN WE'VE GOTTEN BACK 50 PERCENT OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS AND THEY GET ONE POINT OR HIGH WATERMARK FOR ELEMENTARY, IT WAS ABOUT 70 PERCENT, A COUPLE OF OUR SCHOOLS.
WE THOUGHT THAT WAS EXCITING AND WONDERFUL, AND IT WAS.
IN OUR SECONDARIES, WE GOT ABOUT 50 PERCENT BACK AT ANY ONE POINT.
WE THOUGHT THAT WAS EXCITING AND IT WAS GREAT WHEN THEY ALL SHOWED UP THE FIRST DAY, SOME KIDS.
BUT AGAIN, IT WAS AMAZING TO SEE HOW QUICKLY EVERYONE JUST FELL RIGHT BACK INTO ROUTINE.
EVERYBODY FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, AND THE KIDS JUST DID A WONDERFUL JOB ADJUSTING.
IT WILL BE AN ADJUSTMENT, NOT JUST BY DAY 4 AS THE SCHOOL YEAR GOES ON.
PARENTS, IF YOU'RE LISTENING IN AT HOME, EACH OF OUR KIDS ARE GOING TO EXPERIENCE THINGS DIFFERENTLY AFTER BEING OUT OF A NORMAL ROUTINE FOR ABOUT 18 MONTHS.
IT MAY PRESENT ITSELF NOW AND MAY PRESENT ITSELF LATER.
IT MAY NOT PREVENT ITSELF AT ALL.
YOUR KID MAY ADJUST REAL WELL BEING BACK IN SCHOOL.
BUT IF THOSE CHALLENGES ARE BEING NOTICED AT HOME, FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT.
PLEASE DO SCHOOL COUNSELORS THERE TO HELP.
WE'VE GOT OTHER FOLKS TO HELP.
BUT ROUTINE IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
OUR KIDS HAVE HAD ONE ROUTINE FOR A REALLY LONG TIME, AND NOW WE'RE TRYING TO GET THEM BACK INTO WHAT USED TO BE THE NORMAL ROUTINE.
THERE'S GOING TO BE CHALLENGES AND HICCUPS FOR ANY OF US IN THAT PROCESS.
PLEASE REACH OUT IF YOU NEED SOME SUPPORT AND SOME HELP, OUR FOLKS ARE DEFINITELY HERE TO HELP.
WE WANT THE KIDS IN AND WE WANT TO KEEP THEM IN.
>> QUESTION, YOU MENTIONED TRANSPORTATION AND THAT DRIVERS HAVING ROSTERS.
YOU'RE WELL AWARE OF THE CHALLENGES AND THE ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON.
THIS WEEK, THURSDAY, THE PRE-K, OR IS IT TOMORROW? PRE-K IS ROLLING IN HERE, RIGHT [OVERLAPPING].
>> THURSDAY. YEAH. TOMORROW IS MEETING DAY.
>> I GUESS THAT'S ANOTHER TEST.
>> BEFORE BELEAGUERED DRIVERS HAVE THE ROSTERS THAT ARE ON THE SPOT, THE RIGHT ROSTER.
[00:30:01]
I KNOW THAT BILL HAS THIS ALL FIGURED OUT ALREADY.>> WE WERE TALKING EARLIER TODAY. YEAH.
>> I WAS GOING TO QUESTION IT.
I KNOW IT'S ANOTHER TARGET POINT, SO TO SPEAK.
>> THE BUGS WE'RE GETTING WORKED OUT, THERE'S A TEST.
>> YES. [INAUDIBLE] WE FEEL WE HAVE IT WHERE IT NEEDS TO MEET.
RICK, THERE MAY BE A BUS OR TWO THAT NEEDS TO BE READJUSTED DEPENDING, AND THOSE THINGS TYPICALLY HAPPEN, BUT WE FEEL WE'RE IN A REALLY GOOD SPOT FOR THURSDAY WHEN IT WHEN IT PICKS UP. YEAH.
>> THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. MOVING ON TO THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT. WHO'S UP FIRST?
THERE ARE TWO SLIDES FOR INSTRUCTION, BUT I REALLY AM JUST GOING TO FOCUS ON THE FIRST BULLET POINT WHERE I AM HIGHLIGHTING THAT OUR 7TH AND 8TH GRADE MATH TEACHERS ARE PILOTING A NEW CURRICULUM THROUGH DESMOS, AND TRULY, THIS WAS A REQUEST MADE BY THE 7TH AND 8TH GRADE TEACHERS THAT THEY WANTED TO PILOT THIS.
WE HAD SOME FUNDING THROUGH OUR GRANT TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
IT IS BOTH A ONLINE AND PAPER PENCIL OPPORTUNITY, SO IT'S A BLEND OF THOSE.
IT ALLOWS INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES ON THE COMPUTERS AND THEN FLEXIBLE AND CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES ON PAPER.
THROUGH THE CURRICULUM, THE LESSONS POSE PROBLEMS THAT REALLY ALLOW STUDENTS TO HAVE A VARIETY OF APPROACHES TO SOLVING THAT PROBLEM.
REALLY IN LINE WITH ALL OF OUR STANDARDS.
ASPECTS FOR THE TEACHER, AS I SAY, THERE'S POWERFUL FACILITATION TOOLS THAT INCLUDE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW STUDENTS' WORK ANONYMOUSLY.
EVERYONE MAY BE WORKING ON THEIR INDIVIDUAL COMPUTERS, BUT THE TEACHER CAN CHOOSE TO SHOW SOMEBODY'S WORK ANONYMOUSLY, WHICH GIVES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR NO FEAR FOR STUDENTS TO HAVE THEIR WORK SHOWN.
TEACHER HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HIDE SCREENS IF PACING OF THE CLASS NEEDS TO CHANGE.
THEY CAN HIDE PIECES AND ADD OTHERS BACK IN.
THERE'S SOME REALLY NEAT FACILITATION TOOLS THAT GO ALONG WITH THE PROGRAM, LOTS OF OTHER THINGS ARE HAPPENING AND INSTRUCTION, AGAIN, GETTING EVERYBODY BACK IS VERY EXCITING.
WE ARE DOING OUR FALL MCAP TESTING, THERE'S JUST SOME INFORMATION ON THERE ABOUT SOME OF OUR BEGINNING OF THE YEAR DATES AND ASSESSMENTS.
BUT THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE INSTRUCTION.
>> FIRST I WANT TO SAY, I'M VERY EXCITED AND VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE.
THE FIRST DAY WITH DR. SIMMONS WAS INCREDIBLE.
IT HAS BEEN 18 MONTHS SINCE I'VE SEEN THAT MANY KIDS IN A SCHOOL SYSTEM SHOW UP ON A SITE AT ONE TIME.
IT WAS A LITTLE OVERWHELMING, EMOTIONAL LITTLE BIT TO SEE THE KIDS.
THE KIDS WANTED TO BE THERE AND IT WAS CLEARLY EVIDENT AND THAT WAS A GREAT THING TO SEE.
WHAT I WANT TO DO TONIGHT IS JUST HIGHLIGHT OPERATIONS IN OUR TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT.
HERE'S A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE WORKED VERY DILIGENTLY OVER THE SUMMER, THEY'VE BEEN PROCESSING AND UPDATING CLOSE TO 6,000 LAPTOPS AND IPADS AND DEVICES FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF.
AFTER THEY COLLECTED THOSE DEVICES BACK IN JUNE, THE DEPARTMENT HAD THE SUPPORT OF ALL THE SCHOOLS AND ALL THE STAFF TO PUT THIS WHOLE THING TOGETHER, IT WAS DEFINITELY A CULMINATION OF EFFORTS.
THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, THE STAFF, THE TEACHERS DID AN AMAZING JOB THAN ISSUING THESE DEVICES OUT TO THE STUDENTS ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF RIPPLES THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH.
BUT I'M GOING TO SAY THAT WE'RE PROBABLY 98, 99 PERCENT ALL HANDED OUT.
THOSE ARE ONE OR TWO PERCENT WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS.
AT GREENSBORO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AS YOU KNOW, WE JUST MOVED INTO THAT BUILDING THIS YEAR SUCCESSFULLY, THE INSTALLATION OF TECHNOLOGY FROM THAT OLD BUILDING TO THE NEW BUILDING.
IT INCLUDED: DATA NETWORKS, TELEPHONE SYSTEMS, WI-FI ACCESS POINTS, ELEARNER'S SYSTEM, AND THE RAFTER BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
ALL THOSE THINGS GOT MOVED AND UPDATED AND UPGRADED AND PUT IT INTO THE NEW BUILDING.
[00:35:03]
WE ALSO WERE ABLE TO INCREASE AND UPGRADE THE INTERNET SPEED TO SUPPORT ALL THE ADDITIONAL STUDENTS THIS YEAR.THEY ALSO INSTALLED 80 PLUS NEW WIRELESS ACCESS POINTS THAT WERE INSTALLED TO HELP SUPPORT THE ONE-TO-ONE LAPTOP PROGRAM.
MY HAT'S OFF TO THIS DEPARTMENT, THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB.
MR. WIELGOSZ HAS DONE AN AWESOME JOB LEAD IN HIS DEPARTMENT THROUGH A LOT OF CHALLENGES THIS SUMMER AND LET'S NOT FORGET THAT THERE IS ALSO A SUMMER SCHOOL THAT WAS GOING ON AND THERE WAS A LOT OF USAGE REQUESTS ON TOP OF JUST GETTING THIS BASIC TASK DONE FOR EVERYBODY TO COME BACK ON SEPTEMBER 1ST.
THAT'S ABOUT WHAT I GOT FOR OPERATIONS JUST THIS MONTH.
>> THANK YOU [OVERLAPPING] SPECIAL PROGRAMS.
>> BEFORE WE CAN GET THE KIDS BACK, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR TEACHERS GET THE APPROPRIATE TRAINING.
THE MONTH OF AUGUST IS WHERE WE HOST OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION BACK SCHOOL MEETING AND THIS WAS PRIOR TO THE MASK MANDATE.
THE PICTURES THAT WE HAVE TAKEN, ACTUALLY, I THINK THE MASK MANDATE WENT IN PLACE PROBABLY ABOUT SEVEN OR EIGHT DAYS AFTER.
SO WE'RE VERY LUCKY WE GOT TO HAVE THEM BY THEM NOW.
NOT ONLY DID WE GET EVERYBODY IN, BUT WE ALSO HAD 90 PERCENT OF OUR STAFF ATTEND THE TRAINING, WHICH IS HUGE BECAUSE WE'RE STILL HITTING THAT TIME PERIOD THAT'S PRIOR TO WHEN TEACHERS ARE DUE BACK.
THERE ARE VACATIONS GOING ON AND WE ACTUALLY THERE FIVE STAFF MEMBERS THAT WERE ON VACATION AND THEY NOTIFIED US RIGHT AWAY AND THEN WE HAVE THREE OPEN POSITIONS.
THAT WERE THE EIGHT STAFF MEMBERS THAT WE'RE UNABLE TO ATTEND.
BUT THIS MEETING, JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKGROUND, WE STARTED THIS BACK IN 2014.
REALLY WHAT THIS WAS, WAS TO GET ALL OF OUR STAFF TOGETHER.
OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS OUR SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS OUR SCHOOL PSYCHES, OUR CONSORTIUM FOLKS.
JUST SO EVERYBODY WOULD GET TO MEET EACH OTHER WAS LIKE A MEET AND GREET.
THEY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THE STAFF INSIDE THEIR BUILDINGS AND WHO THE INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF WAS GOING TO BE THAT THEY WOULD BE WORKING WITH AS A TEAM.
THEN ALSO ANY OF THE UPDATES FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION.
WE HAD SOME LEGISLATION THAT CAME THROUGH THAT WE HAD TO DO SOME TRAINING ON.
I THINK EVERYBODY REMEMBERS LAST YEAR WHEN WE WENT THROUGH WHAT WE CALL THE IDEAL PAY, WHICH WAS THAT INDIVIDUALIZED DISTANCE LEARNING PLAN AND LEGISLATION WAS PASSED THAT THIS WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE IEP.
IT'S IN THE FORM OF AN EMERGENCY PLAN.
IT'S A LOT OF DROPDOWNS, BUT IT IS THERE SO WE ARE PREPARED.
IF WE WOULD GO INTO A SITUATION LIKE COVID AGAIN, WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO BACK UP TO MOVE FORWARD.
ANY UPDATES WE'D BE LEARNING ONLINE.
WE ALSO CHANGED THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TEACHER'S SPECIALISTS THIS YEAR.
IT'S A NEW YEAR, WE FACED A LOT OF CHALLENGES LAST YEAR.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT NEEDS FOR OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS.
IN TURN, WE DECIDED THAT WE WOULD HAVE OUR TEACHER SPECIALISTS BE MUCH MORE INVOLVED IN INITIAL ASSESSMENTS, WHICH TAKE UP A LOT OF TIME, SCHEDULING, TIME TO TEST, AND THEN WRITE REPORTS AND THEN PARTICIPATE IN IEP MEETINGS.
THEY WILL BE TAKING ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY ALONG WITH BEING A FACILITATOR OF IEP MEETINGS, WHICH WILL HELP BUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE WITH OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS WHEN THEY DO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FACILITATE AN IEP MEETING.
THAT WAS OUR BACK-TO-SCHOOL MEETING.
>> ALL RIGHT. GOOD. THANK YOU. A LOT GOING ON TO KEEP SCHOOL GOING ON AND GET SCHOOL REBOOTED.
DEFINITELY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S EFFORTS.
INCLUDING OUR STUDENTS WHO'VE GOT TO GET BACK TO SCHOOL IN PERSON.
ZACK FROM NORTH CAROLINE; ZACHARY O'BRIAN FROM NORTH CAROLINE HIGH SCHOOL YOU'RE SITTING HERE WITH US TONIGHT. WHY DON'T YOU GO FIRST.
>> ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, DR. SIMMONS, PRESIDENT NEWCOMB, AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I HOPE YOU ALL HAD A GOOD SUMMER AND ARE READY TO GET THE SCHOOL YEAR ROLLING.
IF YOU GUYS DON'T KNOW ME, MY NAME IS ZACK O'BRIAN AND I WILL SERVE AS YOUR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE FROM NORTH CAROLINE HIGH-SCHOOL.
TO BEGIN MY REPORT, DENTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HAS BEEN BUSY WELCOMING STUDENTS BACK INTO THE BUILDING.
DURING LAST MONTH AT DES, THE DOLPHINS HOSTED A SUCCESSFUL DRIVE-THROUGH LIKE MEET THE TEACHER EVENT.
SOME UPCOMING EVENTS FOR THE DOLPHINS INCLUDE A PTA MEETING ON SEPTEMBER THE 14TH AND PICTURE DAY FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF ON SEPTEMBER 21ST.
LAST MONTH OVER AT RIDGELY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THE TERRIERS HOSTED A DRIVE-THROUGH MEET THE TEACHER EVENT, WHICH WAS A HUGE SUCCESS.
THE RIDGELY STAFF WERE ALSO VERY THRILLED TO WELCOME BACK THEIR 400 PLUS STUDENTS BACK INTO THE BUILDING.
FIRST DAY OF PRE-K STUDENTS AND PICTURE DAY ON SEPTEMBER THE 30TH ARE JUST SOME OF THE UPCOMING EVENTS THE TERRIERS ARE EXCITED FOR.
EVERYONE AT RIDGELY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ALSO WISHES EVERYONE A WONDERFUL SCHOOL YEAR.
[00:40:03]
NEXT AT GREENSBORO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THEY TOO HOSTED A SUCCESSFUL DRIVE-THROUGH MEET THE TEACHER EVENT.THE HORNET STAFF WERE ALSO SUPER THRILLED TO WELCOME STUDENTS INTO THE BRAND NEW BUILDING AND EVERYONE LOVES IT.
UPCOMING EVENTS FOR THE HORNETS INCLUDE PRE-K STUDENT DRIVE-THROUGH, MEET THE TEACHER AT 5:45, WHICH IS SCHEDULED FOR TONIGHT.
BACK IN DENTON AT LOCKERMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL, WAS VERY BUSY THIS LAST MONTH.
THEY HOSTED A DRIVE TO SCHEDULE AND FOLDER PICKUP FOR ALL STUDENTS AND FAMILIES.
THE WILDCAT STAFF ALSO WAS VERY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO GET NEW FLOORING IN MAJORITY OF THE CLASSROOMS, AS WELL AS A NEW HVAC SYSTEM FOR THE WHOLE SCHOOL.
LASTLY, THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL WENT REALLY WELL AT LOCKERMAN MIDDLE.
RETURNING TO RIDGELY NORTH CAROLINE HIGH SCHOOL, WAS VERY BUSY THIS LAST MONTH.
EVENTS THAT OCCURRED THIS LAST MONTH INCLUDE: FALL SPORTS TRIALS AND PRACTICES, A SUCCESSFUL ADMINISTRATION TEAM RETREAT, AS WELL AS A GREAT FIRST DAY FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF IN WHICH THEY WERE EAGER TO GET BACK TO WORK.
UPCOMING EVENTS FOR THE BULLDOGS INCLUDE THE FIRST DAY OF HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, LATER ON THIS MONTH.
LASTLY, CCTC IS SO EXCITED TO BRING OLD AND NEW STUDENTS INTO THEIR BUILDING AND WAS READY TO GET TEACHING IN PERSON.
JOKINGLY, THEY WERE READY FOR THEM ALL.
OVERALL THE SCHOOLS IN WHICH I REPORT FOR ARE READY TO GET THE SCHOOL YEAR ROLLING AND ARE EXCITED TO WELCOME ALL STUDENTS BACK INTO THEIR BUILDINGS.
>> THANK YOU, ZACHARY. HOW ABOUT YOU, WILL YOU BE GETTING IN ANY EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES NOW THAT YOU'RE BACK IN SCHOOL?
>> I'M TRYING TO I'M PART OF THE LEGAL CLUB, JUST SIGNED UP THIS YEAR AND ALSO MY SENIOR CLASS PRESIDENT SO WE'RE GETTING SENIOR T-SHIRTS AND ALL THE STUFF WE'RE ALL PRETTY EXCITED.
>> BETTER THAN SITTING AT HOME DOING IT?
>> 100 PERCENT YES [LAUGHTER].
>> GREAT REPORT ZACK. THANK YOU.
>> FIGURED I'D THROW YOU A SOFTBALL THERE [LAUGHTER] WE HAVE SAHEED WITH US ONLINE,.
>> HELLO, GOOD MORNING TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
STARTING OFF IT'S FEDERALSBURG ELEMENTARY.
THEY HAD MEETING WITH PRINCIPALS AND THEN THEY PROVIDED ALL THEIR TEACHERS WITH BREAKFAST FROM THE RED CHEF AND LUNCH FROM PIZZA EMPIRE.
THEN LASTLY TO HAVE A DRIVE THROUGH MEET WITH THE TEACHER FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS [NOISE] FOR PRESTON ELEMENTARY, LAST MONTH THEY HOSTED THE MEET THE TEACHER DRIVE-THROUGH FROM KINDERGARTEN TO FIFTH GRADERS AND WELCOMED ALL THE STUDENTS BACK TO THEIR FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
UPCOMING EVENTS: TODAY THEY HAD A CHIPOTLE FUNDRAISER FROM 4-6 AT EASTERN FOR THEIR PBIS PROGRAMS. ON SEPTEMBER 22ND, THEY HAVE A BACK-TO-SCHOOL NIGHT WITH PLANS TO BE ANNOUNCED AND PICTURES DAY FOR FALL IN SEPTEMBER 29TH.
FOR COLONEL MIDDLE, LAST MONTH THEY HOSTED STAFF BACK TO SCHOOL WORKSHOPS AND GOODIES.
DRIVE THROUGH INFORMATION PACKET PICKUP.
OVER HALF OF OUR STUDENTS ATTENDED AND THERE WAS STAFF COOK OUT.
ALSO WE HAD A GREAT FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, WITH 100 PERCENT ATTENDANCE DURING THE FIRST BLOCK.
FOR COLONEL HIGH THERE'S NOTHING TOO MUCH GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
ALL ATHLETICS AND MARCHING BANDS ARE ARE GOING IN A FULL SWING.
THEY HAVE COLLEGE APPLICATION COMING UP IN OCTOBER.
THAT WAS ALL FOR COLONEL HIGH.
HOW ABOUT YOU, WHAT ARE YOU GETTING INTO NOW THAT YOU'RE BACK IN SCHOOL?
>> EXCUSE ME, I COULDN'T REALLY HEAR THAT.
>> HOPEFULLY, YOU'RE ABLE TO GET BACK INTO SOME ACTIVITIES NOW THAT YOU'RE BACK IN SCHOOL?
>> MOVING ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.
[3. Consent Agenda]
WE HAVE TWO ITEMS ON CONSENT AGENDA PERSONNEL, AND WE HAVE MS. SIACHOS WITH US?>> GOOD EVENING DR. SIMMONS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
MEMBERS THE BOARD I'M APPEARING FOR TONIGHT FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH ADDENDUM FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION CONSENT.
I JUST TOTAL THEM UP SO THERE'S ONE LEAVE OF ABSENCE, ONE RESIGNATION, THREE APPOINTMENTS TO REGULAR CONTRACT, NINE APPOINTMENTS TO PROVISIONAL CONTRACT, AND TWO, APPOINTMENTS TO REGULAR CONTRACT FROM PROVISIONAL CONTRACT.
>> ALL RIGHT. STILL HIRING, I GUESS WE'RE GOING TO WRITE UP A REPORT AND [OVERLAPPING] FOR ALL THE DETAILS AND NUMBERS. THANK YOU.
[00:45:06]
>> BOARD MEMBERS ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, HEARING NONE.
ALSO ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, WE HAVE MOVED THE AGENDA AROUND A LITTLE BIT.
BOARD MEMBERS DID YOU SEE ANY CORRECTIONS OR ADDITIONS TO THE MINUTES FROM THE AUGUST BOARD MEETING AND THE SPECIAL MEETING WE HAD?
>> ALL RIGHT, HEARING NONE. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED?
>> MOTION BY MR. JONES, DO I HAVE A SECOND?
>> SECOND BY MR. BARTON. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR?
SOON I'M SURE WE'LL HAVE SOME RECOGNITIONS COMING AT SOME POINT, BUT NOT THIS EVENING AND WE'RE MOVING ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
[5. Citizens/Public Comments]
I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE SIGNED UP.ALRIGHT. DUE TO THE NUMBER IN THE ROOM, WE'RE TRYING TO [NOISE] SPACE THEM OUT AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO COME IN.
I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE ONE AND WE HAVE ONE THAT WAS SUBMITTED BY EMAIL [NOISE].
>> [INAUDIBLE] EXPLAIN HOW WE MOVED THIS UP.
>> BUT WHILE WE'RE WAITING, YES, THANK YOU, MS. JACQUELINE.
WHILE WE'RE WAITING, WE DID HAVE A BOARD RETREAT IN AUGUST AND THE BOARD IS WORK WITH THE STAFF TO READJUST OUR AGENDA TO TRY TO ALLOW STUDENT REPS WHO HAD REPORTS AND WE WANT THEIR FEEDBACK, BUT ALSO HAD OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES TO BE ABLE TO LEAVE A LITTLE EARLIER TO GET HOME FOR HOMEWORK AND WHATNOT.
AT THE SAME TIME MOVE UP PUBLIC COMMENT SOONER SO WE CAN GET IT EARLIER IN THE EVENING.
THEN HOPEFULLY SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN MAKING PUBLIC COMMENT WOULD STAY AROUND AND SEE OUR REPORTS AND ACTION ITEMS. BUT IF THEY DO HAVE OTHER CONFLICTS, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO MOVE ON FROM THAT.
OUR AGENDA IS DIFFERENT THAN IT HAS BEEN THE LAST YEAR OR SO, AND THEN WE ALSO HAD TO SPREAD OUT FOR THIS MEETING AND I'M TRYING TO FACILITATE MAINTAINING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE TO COME IN.
THAT BEING SAID IT DOES LOOK LIKE OUR FIRST PUBLIC COMMENT PERSON IS AVAILABLE.
[NOISE] HE'S UP TO SPEED WITH ALL THE GUIDELINES. MS. BARRY.
>> [NOISE] WE'LL BEGIN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, THERE IS A PUBLIC COMMENT STATEMENT THAT WE SHOULD READ.
THE NUMBERS OF THE CAROLINE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION DESIRE TO HEAR THE VIEWS AND HAVE THE ADVICE OF INTERESTED CITIZENS.
THE PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION IS HELD AT EACH BOARD MEETING FOR THAT PURPOSE.
THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURES ARE TO BE FOLLOWED DURING THIS TIME.
[NOISE] THERE IS A FIVE MINUTE TIME LIMIT FOR [NOISE] PUBLIC COMMENT.
SPECIFIC AND PERSONAL REFERENCES, [NOISE] THE STUDENTS, EMPLOYEES, OR OTHERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BOARD OF EDUCATION WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.
SHOULD SOMEONE WISH TO BRING SOMETHING TO THE ATTENTION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OR THE BOARD ABOUT A SPECIFIC PERSON OR STUDENT, THEY MAY DO SO IN WRITING TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OR THE BOARD.
RUDE, SLANDEROUS, OR THREATENING REMARKS ARE NOT PERMITTED.
BOARD OF EDUCATION DOES NOT ENGAGE IN A DISCUSSION OF THE MATTER BEING BROUGHT TO IT DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, IF APPROPRIATE, THE BOARD MAY DIRECT THE SUPERINTENDENT TO PROVIDE A RESPONSE FOLLOWING THE MEETING.
>> OKAY. YOU TELL ME WHEN TO GO. DO I TAKE MY MASK OFF?
>> IF YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE SO WE CAN HEAR YOU BETTER.
>> OKAY. I HOPE THAT YOU WILL SEE ME AS MARIGOLD AND NOT AS AN OAK.
[LAUGHTER] I HOPE THAT YOU WILL SEE THIS AS THE APPROPRIATE WAY OF SPEAKING TO EVERYBODY, OKAY? SUPERINTENDENT AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, FAMILIES WATCHING AT HOME.
I KNOW MANY OF YOU PERSONALLY.
IF I HAVEN'T MET YOU, MY NAME IS STEVE MOODY AND I'VE WORKED FOR AND THEN A FRIEND OF CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR A LONG TIME.
GOT FRIENDS IN THE ADMINISTRATION, TEACHERS, AND ALL THE KIDS AND FAMILIES TOO.
MY CHILDREN ATTEND LOCKERMAN IN NORTH CAROLINE AND I'VE COME TO LOVE SO MANY OF OUR TEACHERS AND FAMILIES THROUGH SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES.
I AM NOT AN OUTSIDER COMING IN TO SPEAK TO YOU, I'M COMING TO YOU BECAUSE I WANT WHAT'S BEST FOR THE KIDS, TEACHERS, AND FAMILIES.
WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW DOES NOT SEEM TO BE WORKING FOR A LOT OF MOMS AND DADS AND GUARDIANS.
THERE'S BEEN A GREAT AMOUNT OF TENSION BETWEEN FAMILIES AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS, AND I ALONG WITH SO MANY PARENTS WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND MAKE THINGS BETTER.
BUT WE CAN'T DO THAT ALONE AND WE KNOW THAT, AND WE KNOW THAT TO WORK TOWARDS IT, WE NEED TO WORK WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD AND WE NEED TO WORK WITH SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR THE SAKE OF THE KIDS.
A HUGE PART OF THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE NEVER KNOW WHAT TO DO, HOW TO GET STARTED.
I THOUGHT THE ANSWER WAS BEING MORE INVOLVED AND THEN I FOUND OUT THAT THAT'S NOT REALLY THE RIGHT THING BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS.
[00:50:03]
LAST YEAR I WAS NOMINATED TO BE A MEMBER OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR CAROLINE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION.I JUMPED AT THE CHANCE FOR THAT BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT THAT WOULD GIVE ME A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW OUR SYSTEM WORKS AND TO BE ABLE TO SHARE SOME THOUGHTS AS A PARENT AND AS A CITIZEN, AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER.
I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE SOME ADVICE OR BE SEEN IN SOME ADVISORY CAPACITY BECAUSE THAT WAS THE TITLE OF THE COMMITTEE, THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, SO YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE THE CASE.
BUT AFTER BEING THERE FOR THE ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR, I FELT LIKE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY MEANINGFUL INPUT IN MUCH OF ANYTHING.
I FEEL LIKE MOST OF THE TIME THAT WE SPENT WAS TALKING ABOUT THE SCHOOL CALENDAR.
THEN AFTER TALKING TO OTHER SCHOOL TEACHERS, NOT TO MENTION ANYBODY BY NAME, BUT IN TALKING TO OTHER SCHOOL TEACHERS, THEY TOLD ME THAT SCHOOL CALENDAR HAD ALREADY BEEN SET, AND SO I FEEL LIKE IT WAS A BIG WASTE OF EVERYBODY'S TIME TO BE THERE.
ALMOST EVERY MEETING THAT WE HAD, WE SPENT OUR TIME ON THE SCHOOL CALENDAR AND NOT TRUE CHALLENGES THAT SEEMED TO BE FACING THE KIDS AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM [NOISE].
I FEEL LIKE I SPEAK FOR A LIVING AND I'VE NEVER BEEN SO NERVOUS BECAUSE I KNOW SOME OF YOU AND I LOVE YOU.
I'M VERY, VERY NERVOUS, SORRY.
>> YOU ARE DOING FINE [NOISE].
>> MEETING AFTER MEETING THE PARENTS SAT IN SILENCE WITH NO COMMENT BECAUSE THERE REALLY HONESTLY WASN'T ANYTHING TO COMMENT ON REGARDING A LOT OF THE INFORMATION THAT WAS BEING PRESENTED TO US.
AGAIN, BEING ON THE COMMITTEE [NOISE] PRETTY MUCH HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE DAY-TO-DAY CHALLENGES OF THE KIDS.
IN GENERAL, THE PROCESS OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS NOT VERY EASY FOR EVERYDAY MOMS AND DADS TO FOLLOW.
[NOISE] THEN I FOUND OUT THAT BEING A PART OF THIS ADVISORY COMMITTEE REALLY DIDN'T HELP ME EITHER, SO I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO AS PARENTS.
THERE'S A LOT OF ANGRY MOMS AND DADS, AND I KNOW THAT YOU SAID 99 PERCENT OF THE FOLKS ARE VERY HAPPY WITH WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT I REALLY FEEL LIKE WE'RE MORE THAN ONE PERCENT.
THERE'S THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ONLINE ON ALL THESE CHAT BOARDS, AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ONLINE AND SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS THAT ARE ALL VERY, VERY UPSET.
I KNOW THAT SOME ARE GOING TO BE UPSET WITH ME BECAUSE I'M NOT COMING ACROSS AS ANGRY AND COMING ACROSS THE WAY THAT THEY WANT ME TO, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE WAY TO WORK IT OUT, AND SO I'M PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE FLAK WHEN I GET BACK.
OFTENTIMES MANY TOPICS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED AT LENGTH BY THE BOARD AND DECIDED ON PRIVATELY BEFORE THE PARENTS WERE EVEN AWARE OF THE TOPIC CAME UP FOR DISCUSSION.
MANY PARENTS ARE OF THE BELIEF THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION COULD BE MORE TRANSPARENT ON MANY TOPICS, AND THOUGH YOU MAY NOT INTENTIONALLY BE ACTING THIS WAY, YOUR ACTIONS COME ACROSS TOO MANY MOMS AND DADS AND GUARDIANS AS SECRETIVE.
WHEN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TRULY WANTS US TO KNOW THINGS, WE'RE REMINDED THERE ARE ENDLESS ROBOCALLS, AUTOMATED EMAILS, AND EVEN OFTENTIMES ACTUAL TANGIBLE PAPERS THAT ARE SENT TO OUR HOME MAILBOXES.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT DO COME ACROSS THE SYSTEM THAT WE'VE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF.
THOUGH OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS AND THE BOARD MAY NOT FEEL THAT THEY ARE HIDING FROM PARENTS BY CANCELING EVENTS LIKE BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT AND NOT ALLOWING PARENTS TO COME INTO THESE MEETINGS WITHOUT GOING THROUGH ALL THE HOOPS, MANY MOMS AND I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO SAY THE WORD THAT'S USED.
MOMS AND DADS FEEL IT'S NOT RIGHT.
IF WE CAN HAVE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE IN BLEACHERS THIS PAST FRIDAY NIGHT IN NORTH CAROLINE, MAYBE WE SHOULD MOVE THESE MEETINGS OUTSIDE SO THAT MORE PEOPLE CAN PARTAKE IN THEM.
IF WE CAN CRAM CHILDREN ON TOP OF EACH OTHER ON THE SCHOOL BUS RIDE HOME, WE CAN PUT A FEW EXTRA SEATS OUT HERE WITH MASKS.
YOU MAY BE TRULY UNAWARE, BUT THE SYSTEM THAT YOU HAVE IN PLACE MAKES IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
WE BELIEVE IF PARENTS WERE A LARGER PART OF THE DISCUSSION OR EVEN AWARE OF THE DISCUSSIONS IN EARLIER STAGES, THINGS WOULD NOT ESCALATE THE WAY THAT THEY HAVE RECENTLY.
WE WANT TO WORK TOGETHER FOR THE CHILDREN, NO ONE LIKES SURPRISES BEING SPRUNG ON THEM JUST A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE SURPRISES GO INTO EFFECT.
IN CLOSING, WE TRULY FEEL THAT PARENTS SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN THE CONVERSATIONS AND HAVE A LARGER VOICE IN TOPICS.
WE PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF SEVEN QUESTIONS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT TO THE BOARD, AND RATHER THAN PUT YOU ON THE SPOT TO ANSWER IN THE MOMENT, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU'D ANSWER THE QUESTIONS FOR US BY THE NEXT BOARD MEETING.
THAT WOULD BE FAIR. WE FEEL THAT THERE YOU MAY SAY OUR INPUT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU, IT'S NOT SHOWING IT RIGHT NOW.
IF YOU'RE TRULY NOT INTERESTED IN OUR INPUT AND YOU PLAN TO CONTINUE TO MAKE DECISIONS WITHOUT TAKING ALL THE FAMILIES INTO CONSIDERATION, WE JUST WANT TO KNOW THAT SO THAT WE COULD FIND OTHER ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CHILDREN'S EDUCATION.
I HAVE A LIST OF QUESTIONS FOR EVERYBODY THAT COVERS EVERYTHING FROM FUTURE MANDATES TO BOYS BEING ALLOWED IN GIRLS BATHROOMS, THE POLITICAL PROPAGANDA, TEACHER BIASES, TRANSPARENCY, RESPECT, AND FUTURE OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
I'LL LEAVE THAT WITH ALL OF YOU.
>> THANK YOU MR. MOODY, YOU DID A GREAT JOB.
>> THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. [NOISE] AGAIN, I'M NERVOUS, I DON'T LIKE TO BE IN THE POSITION THAT I'M IN.
>> I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR ALL, YOU KNOW THAT I'M THANKFUL FOR YOU.
YOU KNOW THAT I'M THANKFUL FOR YOU AND ALL THAT YOU DO.
YOU KNOW I'M THANKFUL AND I LOVE YOU.
PLEASE KNOW THAT I AM AND I JUST FEEL WE'RE IN A BAD SPOT RIGHT NOW, WE SHOULD WORK TO MAKE IT BETTER FOR ALL OF US.
>> WE APPRECIATE YOUR FEEDBACK AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY TOO,
[00:55:04]
I KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU MISUNDERSTOOD.I KNOW 99 PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE AREN'T HAPPY OR THINK EVERYTHING'S RIGHT.
WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY IF I MISSPOKE WAS 99 PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE OFFERED THEIR DISPLEASURE OR THEY'RE OPPOSITE OPINION IN AN APPROPRIATE MANNER.
>> MAYBE ONE PERCENT [OVERLAPPING] DID IT INAPPROPRIATELY BECAUSE I KNOW MY COMMUNITY.
THAT BEING SAID, I WOULD SAY, JUST TO SAY THE FEEDBACK I'M GETTING IT'S PRETTY GOOD SEESAW ON ANY GIVEN TOPIC, AND SOME OF THEM YOU MENTIONED ON WHERE PEOPLE WOULD GO AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE THESE WATERS, BUT WE DO APPRECIATE YOUR FEEDBACK.
>> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
>> I'D LIKE TO SAY JUST ONE OTHER THING I KNOW IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE IT SOMETIMES, BUT NUMBER ONE I APPRECIATE YOU BEING RESPECTFUL AND DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT BUT WE REALLY ALL ARE HERE FOR THE SAME REASON.
IT JUST DOESN'T ALWAYS COME ACROSS THAT WAY.
>> I WISH THAT IT COULD, I FEEL LIKE THE KIDS COME HOME AND ARE LIKE THE TEACHERS DON'T CARE, AND I'M LIKE THE TEACHERS DO CARE.
WELL, THEY DON'T SHOW THEY CARE AND I'M LIKE, HOW CAN WE ALL SHOW THAT WE CARE MORE.
>> RIGHT. WE'VE ALL FELT IT, THIS IS WHY WE'RE ALL ON THE BOARD OF EDUCATION BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE.
>> WE JUST NEED TO LEARN TO WORK TOGETHER. EVERYONE HERE CARES.
>> I KNOW THAT, IT JUST SEEM THAT SOMETIMES IT'S VERY HARD TO SEE.
>> BUT I DO KNOW THAT YOU DO OR YOU WOULDN'T BE HERE.
>> FROM AN OUTSIDE LOOKING AT US, IT'S NOT THE SAME FEELINGS.
GETTING TO KNOW MORE TEACHERS.
I HAVEN'T MET ONE PERSON YET THAT I FEEL REALLY IS TRYING THEIR BEST TO DO THE BEST.
AM A PARENT TOO [INAUDIBLE]. [NOISE]
>> I WAS AN INSIDER AND STILL FELT SOME OF IT.
>> THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT.
MS. BARRY, DO WE HAVE ONLINE SUBMITTAL?
>> WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC COMMENT BY E-MAIL THAT I'D LIKE TO READ.
I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY CONCERNS ABOUT THE COVID POLICIES PUT IN PLACE.
I KNOW A STUDENT THAT WAS EXPOSED TO COVID AND WAS NOT SICK AND COULD RETURN IN 10 DAYS.
BUT NOT HER SCHOOL SPORT UNTIL THE 14TH DAY, ALTHOUGH SHE TESTED NEGATIVE TWICE.
I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THE DISCUSSION ON POSSIBLY COMING UP WITH A DIFFERENT APPROACH IF A STUDENT HAS BEEN EXPOSED.
IF A STUDENT HAS BEEN EXPOSED AND THEY ARE NOT SICK AND GO GET A COVID TEST AND ARE NEGATIVE, THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO RETURN TO SCHOOL IMMEDIATELY.
I AM ACTUALLY AGAINST TESTING AND FEEL THAT WE SHOULD GO BACK TO THE WAY IT USED TO BE.
BUT IF IT TAKES US TO KEEP KIDS IN SCHOOL AND KEEP IT SOMEWHAT NORMAL, THEN THIS WOULD BE THE BETTER OPTION.
COVID WILL BE HERE FOR AWHILE AND WE ARE HURTING THE CHILDREN.
I'VE TALKED TO SEVERAL CHILDREN AND THEY ARE STRESSED AND IT IS NOT ONLY HURTING THEM FROM LEARNING, BUT HURTING THEM SOCIALLY.
THIS IS ALSO HARD ON THE SENIORS WHEN THEY HAVE LOST DOWN ON SO MUCH ALONG WITH SPORTS THE LAST TWO YEARS.
IF YOU COULD PLEASE DISCUSS THIS TOPIC IN TONIGHT'S MEETING, IT WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
AS OF AUGUST 5TH, CHILDREN ACCOUNTED FOR.057 PERCENT OF ALL COVID INVOLVED DEATHS AND THERE ARE NO FLU CASES THIS YEAR WHICH CHILDREN ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DYING OF ALSO, THE CHILDREN ARE SUFFERING, AND I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE DISCUSSED DURING PRESENTATION TONIGHT RATHER THAN A MONTH FROM NOW, WHEN CHILDREN HAVE LOST TIME FROM SCHOOL AND FROM SPORTS.
PLEASE ALSO CONSIDER PARENTS TO BE ABLE TO TALK IN YOUR MEETING AND LISTEN TO OTHER APPROACHES ON HOW WE CAN KEEP OUR CHILDREN IN SCHOOL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
>> THANK YOU, MS. BARRY. THANK YOU, MS. KELLY.
IT IS TIMELY DUE TO SOME OF THE CONSTRAINTS WE FELT WE WERE UNDER.
WE DID SHIFT THE LAYOUT OF OUR MEETING AND OUR PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT WE'RE HAPPY THAT YOU SUBMITTED ONLINE AND WE'RE HAPPY MR. MOODY GOT HERE.
YEAH. WE ARE HAVING A PRESENTATION LATER ABOUT SOME OF THESE CONVERSATION AT THIS GOT POINT SO HOPEFULLY SOME OF THOSE INFORMATION WILL BE DISCUSSED TO YOUR AWARENESS.
MS. BARRY, I GUESS WE'LL GET A COPY OF THOSE QUESTIONS MR. MOODY LEFT AND WORK WITH DR. SIMMONS, AND POTENTIALLY OUR LEGAL COUNSEL ON ANY BOARD INPUT TO GET THE BEST ANSWERS POSSIBLE.
>> JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS. ONE WAY FOR PEOPLE TO BE INVOLVED, PART OF MR. MOODY'S COMMENTARY AND HE DID A GREAT JOB EXPRESSING HIMSELF AND HE WAS VERY POLITE AND MUCH APPRECIATED AND RESPECTFUL.
PEOPLE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY NOW THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE PRIOR TO COVID AND THAT IS, THEY CAN PARTICIPATE IN THESE MEETINGS OR AT LEAST OBSERVE THEM FROM WHEREVER THEY WANT.
FROM HOME, ANY PLACE THEY CAN GET INTERNET CONNECTION.
[01:00:03]
THAT'S AN OPENNESS THAT DIDN'T EXIST BEFORE.IN THE PAST, YOU HAD TO COME INTO THIS ROOM TO ATTEND THESE MEETINGS AND I DON'T THINK YOU VERY OFTEN HAD PEOPLE IN THE ROOM.
IF WE MOVE THE MEETING OUTSIDE, TO THE FOOTBALL STADIUM, DO YOU THINK IT WOULD BE FULL OF PEOPLE? IT MIGHT AND THAT'D BE GREAT.
BUT THAT'S NOT THE TRACK RECORD.
BUT THE CONVENIENCE OF BEING IN YOUR OWN HOME IN YOUR DINNING OR YOUR OFFICE OR LIVING ROOM WHEREVER OR WHEREVER YOUR PHONE CAN GET A CONNECTION.
THAT'S TERRIFIC AND THAT GIVES PEOPLE A CHANCE TO WATCH WHAT'S GOING ON.
I ALSO WILL SAY FOR ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE LISTENING, AND SO TO SPEAK ON THE RECORD, THAT THIS BOARD AND I CAN'T SPEAK FOR PRIOR BOARDS BECAUSE I WAS NOT A MEMBER OF THAT.
THIS BOARD, IS VERY DILIGENT ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE ALLOWED TO TALK ABOUT IN CLOSED SESSION AND WHAT YOU'RE ALLOWED TO DECIDE IN CLOSED SESSION.
WE'RE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT THAT BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO BE SNEAKY, WE DON'T WANT TO BE MYSTERIOUS. WE WANT TO BE OPEN.
SO IF WE DISCUSS THING IN OUR CLOSED SESSION THAT REALLY OUGHT TO BE OUT HERE, WHEN WE COME BACK OUT HERE, IT'S HERE.
BUT I WOULD SAY IT'S VERY RARE THAT WE'RE IN OUR CLOSED SESSION, AND ANYBODY HAS TO SAY, HEY, YOU GOT TO STOP.
THIS IS OPEN SESSION MATERIAL AND WHEN SOMEBODY SAYS THAT GUESS WHAT WE DO? WE STOP BECAUSE WE DO WANT TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE.
IT'S NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE, TO INCLUDE EVERYBODY IN EVERY DECISION.
BUT AGAIN, THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE LISTENING AT HOME, I FEEL LIKE, SO TO SPEAK, ALMOST EXACTLY PREACHING TO THE CHOIR.
YOU'RE THERE, KEEP DOING IT AND ENCOURAGE OTHER PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE, EVEN IN JUST SOME OF THE MEETINGS, JUST PART OF IT.
YOU CAN'T SPEND HOUR UPON HOUR UNDERSTOOD.
THE TECHNOLOGY IS THERE, IT'S REALLY IMPROVED.
IT'S COME A LONG WAY SO MY COMPLIMENTS TO THE STAFF AND TO THE IT PEOPLE, ONCE AGAIN, FOR CREATING THAT OPPORTUNITY.
I JUST WANTED TO PUT THOSE POINT OUT THERE.
>> JUST TO PIGGIE BACK OFF WHAT RICK SAID, EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT WATCHING IT LIVE, IT'S TAPED, YOU CAN GO BACK AT YOUR OWN CONVENIENCE AND WATCH IT, WHICH I THINK IS A GREAT THING.
EVEN AFTER WE GO BACK TO NORMAL, WE WILL KEEP THIS ASPECT SO YOU WILL ALWAYS BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
>> YEP. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR THOSE POINTS.
ACTUALLY IT'S TIMELY BECAUSE TO RICK, I DON'T THINK THE FOOTBALL STADIUM WOULD BE FULL.
SOMETIMES THIS ROOM WASN'T FULL, BUT WHEN THIS ROOM WAS FULL, WHEN WE HAD SOME RECOGNITIONS OR SOMETHING, WE MIGHT HAVE 30 TO 40 PEOPLE HERE AND RECOGNITIONS WOULD BE OVER AND THEY'D LEAVE AND WE MIGHT HAVE TWO OR THREE, BUT IT IS INTERESTING AS MR. [INAUDIBLE] POINTED OUT, AND WE DO GET THE NUMBERS BECAUSE WE WERE CURIOUS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO WATCH IT THE NIGHT OF THE MEETING IN JUNE WHERE 25 PEOPLE WATCHED THIS, BUT OVERALL THAT MONTH THERE WAS 108 NEW VIEWS, NEW SPECIFIC PEOPLE LOOK TO SEE, HEY, WHAT'S GOING ON IN JUNE TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND JULY THE NIGHT OF THE MEETING IT WAS 79, BUT OVERALL, NEW VIEWS WAS 170.
THAT'S 170 PEOPLE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN SITTING IN THIS ROOM.
I'VE NEVER SEEN 170 PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM.
FIRE MARSHAL WOULDN'T LIKED IT.
THEN IN AUGUST WHERE WE WERE ALL HOPEFUL IN THE FIRST MEETING WHEN WE DID INITIALLY SAY WE WANTED TO GO BACK, MASK RECOMMENDED BUT NOT MANDATORY, 247 PEOPLE WERE WATCHING THAT NIGHT.
OVERALL THAT MONTH, 430 PEOPLE WATCHED ALL NEW VIEWS AND THEN THEY WOULD SAY IT WHEN WE HAD THE NEW GUIDANCE FROM THE STATE AND WE CHANGED IT TO TWO WEEKS LATER.
IT WAS A 191, BUT THAT'S STILL 191 PEOPLE THAT NIGHT WATCHED THE MEETING.
WE DO WANT YOU TO BE PARTICIPATE AND GIVE US FEEDBACK.
THANK YOU FOR THOSE WHO SUBMIT AND WE DO PAY ATTENTION.
MOVING ON TO REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS.
[7. Reports and Presentations]
SUMMER PROGRAM UPDATE.WHO WE HAVE HERE? MS. LINDSEY MCCORMICK, DIRECTOR OF INSTRUCTION, AND MISS ELIZABETH ANTHONY, DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS.
>> WE ALSO HAVE MISS STACEY SEWARD, FROM RECREATION AND PARKS, AS WELL WITH THEM.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. DR. SIMMONS.
MISS ANTHONY, MYSELF AND STACEY SEWARD,
[01:05:02]
ARE HERE TO SHARE WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR CCTS SUMMER PROGRAMS. THE FIRST THING WE WANT TO SHARE IS THAT OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROGRAM WAS IN COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP WITH CAROLINE COUNTY RECREATION AND PARKS, AND THEY PUT TOGETHER A SHORT VIDEO OF NUMEROUS OF THE PROGRAMS, BUT WE CHOSE ONE JUST TO SHOW YOU.[MUSIC] THAT JUST GIVES YOU A SHORT LITTLE HIGHLIGHT OF WHAT OCCURRED IN FOUR ELEMENTARY BUILDINGS THIS SUMMER THAT REALLY HOUSED FIVE PROGRAMS. WE WERE UNABLE TO OBVIOUSLY HAVE A PROGRAM AT GREENSBORO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SO WE COMBINED GREENSBORO STUDENTS TO BE A PART OF DENTONS PROGRAM AS WELL.
WHAT WE HAVE ON THIS SLIDE RIGHT HERE IS THAT AS I SAID, RECREATION AND PARKS REALLY CAME TOGETHER IN COLLABORATION FOR THIS PROGRAM.
STACEY HAD SAID TO ME A LONG TIME AGO, IT TAKES ABOUT A FULL YEAR TO [LAUGHTER] REALLY PLAN SUMMER PROGRAMMING.
OKAY. STACEY, A FULL YEAR? [LAUGHTER] WELL, WHEN WE FOUND OUT IN MARCH I BELIEVE, FEBRUARY, MARCH, THAT WE NEEDED TO AS A SCHOOL SYSTEM, PUT TOGETHER A SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAM.
WE JOINED FORCES IMMEDIATELY AND IT REALLY DOES TAKE A FULL YEAR.
WE'RE ALREADY PLANNING FOR NEXT SUMMER.
BUT OUR BIGGEST HIGHLIGHT IS TRULY THAT IN AN INCREDIBLY COMPRESSED, SHORTENED TIMELINE, WE PUT TOGETHER AN AMAZING PROGRAM FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS.
WE WERE ABLE TO PULL TOGETHER STAFFING.
WE HAD SCHOOL NURSES AND WELLNESS CENTERS IN THE BUILDINGS.
WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING FOR ALL SIX WEEKS AND TRULY THIS WAS A TIME PRE-MASK MANDATE.
STUDENTS WERE IN THE BUILDING WITHOUT MASKS AND DURING THOSE SIX WEEKS THERE WAS NO DOCUMENTED CASES OF COVID TRANSMISSION DURING THE PROGRAM.
THAT'S A HUGE KUDOS TO EVERYBODY AND THE HARD WORK THAT WENT ON.
ANOTHER HUGE HIGHLIGHT WAS THAT THE SPECIAL EDUCATION INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS AND I KNOW TWIG WILL GO INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THAT LATER BUT FLEXIBLE AND COMMITTED TO NOT ONLY THE STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS BUT TO ALL STUDENTS IN THE PROGRAM, OUR CAFETERIAS AND BETH BREWSTER AND HER TEAM, SAM FIGUEROA, MEALS WERE AMAZING, STUDENTS ENJOYED BREAKFAST IN THE CLASSROOM EVERY MORNING AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THEY ALSO HAD THEIR NORMAL LUNCH BUT IT WAS IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. BUS DRIVERS, AGAIN WE HAD A FEW LITTLE HICCUPS IN THE BEGINNING.
AGAIN, IT'S LIKE A FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL BUT FOR SUMMER PROGRAMMING BUT THOSE OPERATIONS IMPROVED THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM ITSELF.
OF THOSE FOUR SITES, WE HAD 643 STUDENTS ATTEND SUMMER PROGRAM.
YOU CAN SEE HERE THE BREAKDOWN OVERALL WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE MALE STUDENTS THAN FEMALE STUDENTS.
BUT ONE OF THE HUGE HIGHLIGHTS IS 67 PERCENT OF THE STUDENTS THAT PARTICIPATED IN OUR ELEMENTARY PROGRAMMING HAD NEVER PARTICIPATED IN OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME RECREATION AND PARKS PROGRAMMING BEFORE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO SHARE MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT TRULY MEANS.
>> RECREATION AND PARKS HAVE BEEN OPERATING AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND SUMMER PROGRAMS FOR OVER 20 YEARS NOW IN SOME CAPACITY WITH DIFFERENT GRANT FUNDS AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
[01:10:01]
WE HAVE EXTERNAL EVALUATORS, WE TRACK EVERYONE THAT ONCE THEY JOIN OUR PROGRAM THEY'RE IN A DATABASE AND WE TRACK HOW THEY DO ALL THE WAY THROUGH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THEN TOWARDS MIDDLE SCHOOL.THIS YEAR WITH OUR NUMBERS NORMALLY PAST YEAR SUMMERS WE'VE BEEN TARGETING AROUND 440 KIDS, WE'VE BEEN AVERAGING 350 TO MAYBE 400, SO WE DEFINITELY INCREASED OUR NUMBERS THIS YEAR.
IT'S EXCITING TO SEE THAT WE REACHED A WHOLE NEW GROUP OF STUDENTS THAT WERE ABLE TO ATTEND AND HOPEFULLY BE SOMETHING THAT WILL CONTINUE FORWARD.
THERE'S A WHOLE ANOTHER GROUP OF STUDENTS ALONG WITH THE PREVIOUS ONES THAT HAVE ATTENDED A PROGRAM, SO WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE THAT INCREASE OF STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER.
>> WE HAD 23 DAYS OF PROGRAM THIS SUMMER WHICH IS ALSO AN ADDITION BECAUSE IN PREVIOUS YEARS IT'S BEEN FIVE WEEKS AND THIS YEAR DUE TO THE LEARNING LOSS WE HAD INCREASED THAT TO SIX WEEKS BUT WITH 4TH OF JULY WE HAD 23 DAYS OF PROGRAM AND ON AVERAGE, STUDENTS ATTENDED 17 DAYS.
THAT WOULD BE, FOR EXAMPLE, TAKING A ONE-WEEK VACATION OVER THE SUMMER.
WE THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS VERY POSITIVE ATTENDANCE.
IN THE MORNING THE STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN, AND I KNOW I'VE SHARED THIS WITH YOU ALL BEFORE, BUT HANDS-ON LEARNING THROUGH STEMSCOPES WITH A CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER AND A RECREATION AND PARKS PROGRAM LATER AND JUNIOR LEADER.
THEY ALSO HAD SOME TIME IN A TUTORING PROGRAM OF EXACT PATH.
THEN IN THE AFTERNOON STUDENTS WERE GUIDED THROUGH THEIR ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES WITH CAROLINE COUNTY RECREATION AND PARKS STAFF.
WE DEFINITELY HAVE DEBRIEFED TO NO AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT.
BUT OF THOSE 600 PLUS STUDENTS, 391 STUDENTS ACTUALLY TOOK THE PRETEST AND THE POST-TEST.
THERE WERE STUDENTS THAT TOOK A PRETEST AND NOT A POST-TEST OR A POST-TEST AND NOT A PRETEST SO OUR DATA IS A LITTLE SKEWED FROM OUR EXACT PATH.
BUT OF THE 391 STUDENTS THAT TOOK BOTH ASSESSMENTS IN READING, THEIR AVERAGE GROWTH WAS APPROXIMATELY THREE PERCENTAGE POINTS.
NOT A STATISTICALLY LARGE GROWTH.
HOWEVER, EXACT PATH RECOMMENDS 12 FULL WEEKS OF PROGRAMMING IN ORDER TO SHOW GROWTH.
WE BELIEVE THAT WITH OUR SIX WEEKS OF PROGRAMMING, THAT SEEING THREE POINTS INCREASE IS POSITIVE.
THROUGH EXACT PATH, INDIVIDUAL SKILLS WERE TARGETED AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WITH READING, 55-128 SKILLS WERE MASTERED AND THAT JUST DEPENDS ON THE SCHOOL AND THE GRADE LEVEL.
ANYWHERE FROM 55-128 SKILLS WERE MASTERED WITHIN THE EXACT PATH READING PROGRAM.
IT COULD BE A PHONICS AND YOU MIGHT HAVE [OVERLAPPING]
>> IT COULD BE ANY OF THE FIVE COMPONENTS WE ARE READING.
WHAT HAPPENS WITH EXACT PATH IS YOU TAKE A DIAGNOSTIC AND IT CREATES A SPECIFIC LEARNING PATH FOR THE STUDENT BASED ON THEIR DEFICIT AREAS.
YOU COULD BE WORKING IN ANY OF THE FIVE AREAS OF READING.
IT COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM PHONEMIC AWARENESS ALL THE WAY UP TO COMPREHENSION.
A REAL SIMPLE WAY TO IMAGINE IT WITH THE COMPREHENSION, YOU MIGHT BE READING A SHORT PARAGRAPH AND THE ENTIRE QUESTIONS GO WITH THAT.
>> THEN IN MATH YOU SEE THE SAME DATA POINTS ALTHOUGH WE HAD 415 STUDENTS WHO WERE ABLE TO TAKE BOTH THE PRE AND THE POST ASSESSMENT.
A LITTLE BIT LARGER GROWTH AND YOU SEE THE TOTAL SKILLS MASTERED THERE WERE ANYWHERE BETWEEN 81-241 SKILLS MASTERED.
IN MIDDLE SCHOOL WE DID NOT PARTNER WITH RECREATION AND PARKS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL OR HIGH SCHOOL.
BUT IN MIDDLE SCHOOL WE HAVE A MUCH SMALLER NUMBER OF STUDENTS PARTICIPATE.
YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THERE.
IT WAS A MUCH GREATER TARGETED TO STUDENTS WHO NEEDED THE ADDITIONAL SUMMER PROGRAM.
BUT IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS, THEY DID NOVEL STUDIES.
THEY READ THE LIGHTNING AND THE OUTSIDERS.
THEN THEY DID MOVING WITH MATH FOR MATH AND BOTH OF THOSE WERE WITH CCPS TEACHERS.
IN THE HIGH SCHOOL WE HAD OUR STUDENTS DOING
[01:15:01]
THEIR CREDIT RECOVERY FOR APEX LEARNING IN APEX LEARNING SYSTEM.AT COLONEL RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL WE HAD A 76 PERCENT PASS RATE FOR THE STUDENTS WHO STARTED THE COURSE.
THOSE THAT HAVE NOT PASSED THE COURSE YET ARE STILL WORKING THROUGH IT.
IF THEY HAVE NOT COMPLETED IT, THEY STILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE WORKING IN THEIR COURSE.
AT NORTH CAROLINE WE HAD A 79 PERCENT PASS RATE AND THEN WE HAD NINE STUDENTS WHO DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN CREDIT RECOVERY.
THEY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ORIGINAL CREDIT IN ALGEBRA I.
WE HAD NINE STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN THAT.
>> YOU DON'T HAVE HOW MANY STUDENTS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, JUST HOW MANY COURSES?
>> I DID NOT PUT THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS.
THERE WERE SOME STUDENTS WHO HAD ONE COURSE, THERE WERE SOME STUDENTS WHO HAD MULTIPLE COURSES.
>> OKAY. THE 63 COURSES THAT MAYBE WAS 50 STUDENTS?
>> IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THAT NUMBER OR SPECIFIC STUDENTS I CAN GET THAT FOR YOU.
>> SURE. WHAT I LIKE IS THE PATH FOR YOU.
>> NORTH CAROLINE MIGHT BE CONSERVATIVELY EVEN IF SHE SAID A 100, 110 [OVERLAPPING].
>> I THINK IT WAS A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN 100. MAYBE A 125.
>> OKAY, STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
I KNOW YOU'RE USED TO WHEN I COME IN HERE AND TALK ABOUT SUMMER PROGRAMMING IT'S USUALLY CAMP LAZY DAYS.
WELL, WE HAVE A LITTLE HICCUP THIS YEAR BECAUSE CAMP LAZY DAYS CHANGED HOW THEY WERE ACTUALLY DOING THEIR PROGRAMMING.
OUR STUDENTS WITH MORE INTENSIVE NEEDS, WE HAD TO TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE STUDENTS AND SEE WHAT WE COULD DO THROUGH THIS CAMP TOO, BECAUSE THEY WERE ONLY TAKING SMALL NUMBERS WITH CAMP LAZY DAYS.
THIS WAS A BIGGER CHALLENGE FOR US.
BUT WHAT WAS REALLY NEAT ABOUT THE SUMMER PROGRAM WAS HOW WE MADE THIS SO INCLUSIVE FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
YOU CAN SEE HERE WE HAD A 102 CHILDREN PARTICIPATE IN THE SUMMER PROGRAM THAT HAD A DISABILITY.
NOW, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A CHILD THAT WAS RECEIVING SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES OR THIS COULD ALSO BE A STUDENT THAT HAD A 504 PLAN, BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE, WE PROVIDED THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEEDED SO IF THERE WERE SPECIFIC ACCOMMODATIONS ACCORDING TO THEIR IEP, WE MADE SURE THOSE WERE IMPLEMENTED ALONG WITH ANY TYPE OF SUPPLEMENTARY AID.
BUT THE NICE THING IS THAT WE DID GO OUT AND WE HIRED ADDITIONAL STAFF SO THAT WE ENSURE THAT THOSE STUDENTS WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THE PROGRAMMING THAT WE WERE PROVIDING AND THEY WERE WITH THEIR TYPICAL PEERS.
THAT'S PRETTY EXCITING. ALSO, WE HAD 10 STUDENTS THAT REQUIRE BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT AND WE CONTRACTED WITH A HYBRID PROGRAM AND THEY JUMPED ON BOARD AND THEY CONTINUED THEIR PROGRAMMING AND ADDED LITTLE SPICE TO IT SO THAT IT WAS A LITTLE MORE EXCITING THAN JUST ACADEMICS FOR STUDENTS THAT HAVE MORE BEHAVIORAL TYPE CHALLENGE DISABILITY.
THIS IS OUR STUDENTS THAT HAVE A HEALTH RELATED DISABILITY THAT REQUIRE ACCOMMODATIONS IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN ACADEMICS, OR ANYTHING ELSE IN NAVIGATING THE SCHOOL BUILDING.
BUT THESE ARE NOT STUDENTS THAT RECEIVE SPECIALLY DESIGNED INSTRUCTION, WHICH WOULD COME WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION.
>> IF SOMEBODY LIKE A STUDENT HAVE MAY BE REALLY BAD ASTHMA [INAUDIBLE] BECAUSE THEY MIGHT MISS CLASSES, BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO GO TO THE NURSE, SO THIS ACCOUNTS OUT FOR THAT.
IT COULD BE A STUDENT, AS DAN JUST DESCRIBED, THAT HAS ASTHMA, AND BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO GO TO THE NURSE SO MUCH TO USE THE NEBULIZER, THEY'RE MISSING PARTS OF THEIR ASSIGNMENTS, SO THAT WE PUT IN ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS FOR THEM, SO THAT THEY STILL GET THAT WORK, AND THEY HAVE EXTENDED TIME TO COMPLETE IT.
>> THEN ALSO, YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER BACK IN SPRING MAYBE, I TALKED A LOT ABOUT COMPENSATORY SERVICES, AND THESE WERE DUE TO THE CLOSURE.
WHEN SOME OF OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT RECEIVING THEIR SERVICES, AND THIS WAS AT NO FAULT OF ANYONE'S, EVEN THOUGH COMPENSATORY DOES SOUND LIKE A VERY NEGATIVE TERM, IT WAS DUE TO US BEING CLOSED, AND WE WEREN'T ABLE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES AT THE LEVEL WE WOULD BE PROVIDING THEM, SO IN TIME WE HAD MEETINGS, WE MET WITH FAMILIES, AND WE DETERMINED WHAT TYPE OF SERVICES THEY WOULD NEED TO HAVE IN ORDER TO GET THEM BACK UP TO THE PLAYING FIELD WHERE THEY WERE.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE HAD 50 STUDENTS THAT WERE RECEIVING COMPENSATORY SERVICES.
BUT OF THE 50, 10 OF THEM ACTUALLY RECEIVED THEM WHILE IN THE COUNT.
IT WAS A WIN-WIN FOR THEIR STUDENTS.
THEN ALSO WE HAVE EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR, WHICH SOME OF OUR STUDENTS REQUIRE THAT.
WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT TOO IN THE COUNT,
[01:20:03]
SO IS VERY INCLUSIVE, VERY EXCITING.[NOISE] THEN WE HAVE OUR PRE-K 3, OUR THREE-YEAR-OLDS.
WE WERE ABLE TO EXTEND THEIR PROGRAMMING, FOR THE SIX WEEKS.
WHAT WE ACTUALLY DID WAS WE USED, AND YOU'VE HEARD ME TALK ABOUT FROG STREET BEFORE AND ALSO ANGELA GIVER.
THE FROG STREET PROGRAM IS USED WITH OUR THREE-YEAR-OLDS AND OUR FOUR-YEAR-OLDS.
FROG STREET CREATED A SUMMER CURRICULUM.
WE WERE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THAT WITH OUR THREE-YEAR-OLDS, AND YOU CAN SEE THERE, [NOISE] WE HAD 11 OF OUR STUDENTS.
OUR TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN OUR THREE-YEAR-OLD PROGRAMS IS 19, SO WE HAVE 11 OVER 19 PARTICIPATE, THAT'S SUPER-DUPER EXCITING.
ALSO, IF WE HAD ANY STUDENTS THAT REQUIRED EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR OR COMPENSATORY, WE DID SAVE THEM.
ALSO ONE LAST PIECE HERE, OUR EARLY LEARNING ASSESSMENT, WHICH HAS A PRE AND A POST ASSESSMENT, WE WERE ABLE TO UTILIZE THAT IN THE PROGRAMMING, TO SEE WHERE OUR STUDENTS WERE, AND THEN WHERE THEY ENDED UP AT THE END OF THE SUMMER PROGRAM.
THAT WAS TRULY EXCITING, AND THEN WE MOVE ON TO OUR FOUR-YEARS-OLDS.
WE HAD 96 CHILDREN, 96 PREPARES PARTICIPATED IN SUMMER PROGRAMMING OUT OF 246 STUDENTS. THAT'S A BIG NUMBER.
ONCE AGAIN, WE HAD A FROG STREET EXTENSION.
FROG STREET HAD CREATED A SUMMER CURRICULUM FOR OUR FOUR-YEAR-OLDS, WHICH WAS AN ADDITIONAL THEME.
THE KIDS HAD AN EXCITING TIME IN THE SUMMER PROGRAM, AND WE ALSO WERE ABLE TO SHOW THEM THE NEW PLAYGROUND.
[BACKGROUND]. YOU CAN SEE UP HERE, WE HAD OUR SUN CHAIN, WHICH IS VERY NICE.
[LAUGHTER] THEY HAVE THIS IN ALL OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
THE KIDS LOVE IT. THE PLAYGROUNDS ARE EXCITING.
IF YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY WHEN YOU'RE AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND I KNOW YOU GET EXCITED DOWN ABOUT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, WALK OUT ON THESE PLAYGROUNDS [LAUGHTER] BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO BE TEMPTED TO TRY OUT THE PLAYGROUND. [NOISE]
>> WELL, I'LL HAVE TO LOOK THE OTHER WAY BECAUSE WE ARE [NOISE] PROBABLY [OVERLAPPING].
>> I USED TO BUILD PLAYGROUNDS, SO I THINK I'D BE PRETTY EXCITED.
>> OUR NEATEST THINGS, WE HAVE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OUT THERE, WE HAVE DIFFERENT RIDING TOYS, AND THEN OF COURSE ALL THE NORMAL PLAYGROUND TOYS THAT YOU'VE SEEN BEFORE.
THAT WAS VERY EXCITING TO HAVE OUR KIDS OUT THERE SINCE THEY'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS THROUGH THE WINDOWS [LAUGHTER] FOR QUITE A WHILE.
OUR LAST POPULATION IN SPECIAL EDUCATION WAS OUR INFANTS AND TODDLERS.
IF YOU WEREN'T AWARE OF THIS, WE ARE AT 21 STATE, SO WE SERVICE BABIES AS SOON AS THEY'RE BORN.
IF THEY ARE REFERRED TO US, WE CONNECT THEM WITH THE CORRECT RESOURCES.
WE HAVE 80 STUDENTS RIGHT NOW THAT ARE ELIGIBLE IN OUR INFANT AND TODDLER PROGRAM, AND IT KEEPS ON RUNNING.
WE WERE ABLE TO DO IN-PERSON IN THE HOME, SO THAT WE CONTINUE COACHING OUR FAMILIES IN OUR ROUTINE BASED INTERVIEWS.
WHAT THAT IS, IS BASICALLY WE ARE TEACHING FAMILIES HOW TO WORK WITH THEIR CHILDREN INSIDE OF THEIR OWN ROUTINES, WHICH IS ALSO IN OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.
>> I JUST LOVE THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT TERMINOLOGY.
I REMEMBER [INAUDIBLE] GUY, SO [LAUGHTER] OBEY HABITAT AND FOREST ENVIRONMENT, SO IN YOUR OWN HOME, THAT'S YOUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.
>> SPEAKING OF THESE WERE IN YOUR OWN HOME, THE OTHER SPECIAL EDUCATE POPULATIONS, WERE THEY INCLUDED IN THE ELEMENTARY NUMBERS? SO IT'S THERE IN THE ELEMENTARY NUMBERS?
>> YES. NOT THE PRE-K 3, THAT WAS SEPARATE FROM LOGIC PROGRAM.
SOME OF THE SERVICES PROVIDED IN-PERSON, I GUESS ARE SEPARATE OUT?
>> YES. ACTUALLY, WE HAD A FEW FAMILIES, IT WASN'T A LOT OF FAMILIES THAT JUST WERE NOT COMFORTABLE YET WITH US COMING INTO THEIR HOME, BUT THEY WERE OKAY WITH MASKING AND COMING HERE, SO WE MADE THAT ACCOMMODATION, WE THOUGHT IT WAS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES TO THAT FAMILY AND CHILD.
>> WHAT TYPE OF SERVICES YOU PROVIDE FOR INSTANCE? I'M JUST CURIOUS.
>> ACTUALLY, THE SERVICES ARE REALLY GEARED MORE TOWARD THE MOM AND DAD, THE FAMILY, THE GUARDIAN, IN HOW TO WORK WITH THE CHILD, HOW TO, I GUESS THE SIMPLEST THING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IS ECHOING.
WHEN I SMILE TEACHING MAYBE YOU SMILE BACK TO ME.
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU THINK ARE SO SIMPLE ARE NOT ALWAYS SIMPLE FOR EVERYONE, SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET SOME OF THOSE THINGS IN PLACE BECAUSE WE'RE
[01:25:01]
DEVELOPING COMMUNICATION WITH THE BABIES.ACTUALLY YOU COULD SIT THERE AND WATCH FOR HOURS WHEN OUR STAFF ARE WORKING, ESPECIALLY OUR OTS AND PTS.
BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, AND THAT'S OUR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS AND PHYSICAL THERAPISTS, [NOISE] THEY'RE TEACHING [NOISE] THE FAMILIES HOW TO DO THINGS WITH THE BABIES.
THAT'S WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY GOING TO BE THERE FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, AND WE WANT OUR FAMILIES TO BE VERY CONFIDENT IN WHAT THEY'RE DOING WITH THEIR CHILDREN.
>> HOW DOES THE INFANT GET REFERRED TO US?
>> MAJORITY OF OUR REFERRALS COME THROUGH DOCTORS.
THEY COME HERE TO THE BOARD OFFICE, AND THEN WE DO AN INTAKE HERE, AND THEN WE GO THROUGH AN ASSESSMENT PROCESS.
ANOTHER WAY IS WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL ONLINE REFERRAL.
THAT CAN BE ACCESSED OFF OF OUR WEBSITE, AND WE HAVE FOUND THAT OUR REFERRALS HAVE INCREASED BECAUSE OF THE ONLINE REFERRAL.
THAT WAS DEFINITELY A WIN-WIN FOR CAROLINE COUNTY TO HAVE THAT AVAILABLE TO US.
>> DOES THIS PARENT HAVE TO TAKE THE SERVICES?
WE HAVE SOME FAMILIES DECLINE.
I HONESTLY, IN PROBABLY THE 17 YEARS, THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, I WOULD SAY PROBABLY [NOISE] 90 PERCENT OF OUR FAMILIES TAKE THE SERVICES.
>> THEN WE HAVE OUR ENGLISH LEARNER POPULATION, AND WE ACTUALLY HAD A 108 OF OUR EL STUDENTS PARTICIPATE.
THIS LOOKED VERY SIMILAR TO OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, HOW OUR PROGRAMMING WORKED.
WHAT WE DID WAS PROVIDED ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS.
[NOISE] THE SUPPORTS ARE GOING TO LOOK DIFFERENT.
A LOT OF OUR SUPPORTS WITH OUR EL STUDENTS THAT ARE NOT FLUENT SPEAKERS IN ENGLISH ARE VISUAL SUPPORTS, AND WE HAVE THEM HELP SUPPORT THEM SO THEY CAN ASK US WHAT WE'RE PROVIDING ACADEMICALLY.
THE NICE THING ABOUT THE PROGRAMMING, AND I DO GET KUDOS FOR LINDSEY FOR THIS, AND HER TEAM.
[NOISE] THE PROGRAM WAS ALL ABOUT BEING COUNSELING, SO FOR A STUDENT THAT'S AN ENGLISH LEARNER, THAT'S A BIG DEAL.
A STUDENT WITH A DISABILITY, THAT'S A BIG DEAL.
THEY TEND TO BE MORE ENGAGED, AND THEY TEND TO LEARN WHEN YOU'RE USING MULTIPLE CAPACITIES IN ORDER TO LEARN SOMETHING.
>> WHY WAS THIS ONLY AUTISTIC, GREAT THING WITH LEARNERS? [NOISE].
>> THE PROGRAMMING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, WAS OUR ELEMENTARY PROGRAMMING.
OUR STUDENTS THAT, I THINK THEY WERE EXTREMELY LIMITED.
I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER IF WE HAD MANY THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE [OVERLAPPING] MIDDLE SCHOOL.
>> MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL.
I MEAN, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS OBVIOUSLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CREDIT RECOVERY.
MIDDLE SCHOOL, IT WAS ON A SCHOOL REFERRAL BASIS, SO ANY STUDENT THAT THE PRINCIPALS HAD SHARED WITH US, WE REACHED OUT TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS TO PARTICIPATE.
>> THEN WE ALSO ADDED ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING FOR EL STUDENTS, AND THAT WAS THE HEGGERTY PROGRAM AND FOUNDATIONS, AND WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS WE'RE DEVELOPING PHONEMIC AWARENESS AND PHONICS, WHICH ARE YOUR BEGINNING SKILLS AND LEARNING HOW TO [INAUDIBLE].
>> WITH OUR OPERATIONS, WE HAD FIVE HEALTH ROOMS STAFFED WITH NURSES, AND HEALTH ASSISTANCE.
WELLNESS CENTERS WERE AVAILABLE AND OPEN TO STUDENTS AND STAFF.
FOOD SERVICES, YOU CAN SEE [NOISE] THE NUMBER OF BREAKFASTS AND LUNCHES DONE THROUGHOUT THE 23 DAYS OF SUMMER PROGRAM.
OVER 8,000 BREAKFASTS, OVER 9,700 LUNCHES, JUST AT ELEMENTARY, AND THEN SECONDARY, 945 BREAKFASTS.
SECONDARY WAS ONLY A HALF-DAY PROGRAM, SO LUNCH WAS NOT PROVIDED FOR THEM AT SCHOOL.
TRANSPORTATION, WE HAD 17 BUSES, INCLUDING, I BELIEVE FOUR SPECIAL EDUCATION BUSES, AND THAT'S WHERE THEY EACH HAVE AN ADDITIONAL STEP NUMBER, MAYBE IT WAS FOUR BUSES, SO 21 STAFF IN TOTAL WITH THE 17 BUSES.
WE DEFINITELY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY.
I KNOW RECREATION PARKS HAD A DEBRIEF ON THEIR END ABOUT THE ELEMENTARY PROGRAMMING.
CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS CAME TOGETHER AS A TEAM AND DEBRIEFED ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH SCHOOL AND THEN WE CAME TOGETHER WITH RECREATION AND PARKS TO DEBRIEF TOGETHER.
[01:30:01]
WE DEFINITELY HAVE, AS I SAID BEFORE, LEARNED SOME REALLY GOOD LESSONS AND SOME NEXT STEPS.ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE IN DISCUSSION ABOUT IS, SHOULD WE GO BACK TO THE RECREATION AND PARKS MODEL OF A FIVE-WEEK PROGRAM THIS UPCOMING SUMMER.
WE FOUND THAT SIX WEEKS REALLY SHORTENED THE TIMELINE BETWEEN THE LAST DAY OF THE REGULAR SCHOOL YEAR AND THE START OF SUMMER PROGRAM AND NOT NECESSARILY ENOUGH TIME IN THERE TO HAVE ALL OF THE BUS ROUTES DONE AND TO HAVE BUILDINGS READY AND PREPPED AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR 700 STUDENTS TO BE COMING THROUGH.
WE'RE TAKING A LOOK AT WHAT WE WANT TO DO IF WANT TO DO THE FIVE WEEKS OR THE SIX WEEKS.
WE HAVE HEARD VERY LOUD AND CLEAR THAT BOTH STAFF WORKING SUMMER PROGRAM AND STAFF GETTING BUILDINGS READY NEED THE MONTH OF AUGUST WITHOUT STUDENTS IN THE BUILDING FOR SUMMER PROGRAMMING.
WE'RE LEANING MORE TOWARDS A FIVE-WEEK PROGRAM.
WE ALSO LEARNED THAT OUR TIMELINE NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED.
BUT BECAUSE STACEY WAS RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING AND IT TAKES A FULL YEAR [LAUGHTER] TO PREPARE WE ARE READY.
WE WILL HAVE AN EARLIER REGISTRATION DEADLINE.
WE WILL HIRE OUR STAFF SOONER FOR THE SUMMER.
WE WILL INCREASE OUR STAFF TRAINING.
WE LEARNED A LOT FROM TRAINING THEM ON STEM SCOPES AND EXACT PATH AND TRAINING IN COLLABORATION WITH RECREATION AND PARKS AND THE PROTOCOLS FOR FOOD SERVICES AND ALL OF THAT.
WE KNOW THAT WE NEED TO INCREASE OUR STAFF TRAINING.
WE HAVE DEBRIEFED WITH NIKKI FISHER AND WE WOULD REALLY LOVE TO INCLUDE A SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL PORTION OF SUMMER PROGRAMMING TO REALLY BE A PROJECT-BASED LEARNING OPPORTUNITY AND TO INCLUDE SERVICE LEARNING OPPORTUNITY FOR OURS THERE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT AND HAVE INCLUDED IN OUR UP-FUNDING IS TO HIRE AN AFTER SCHOOL SUMMER SCHOOL COORDINATOR WHO WOULD TRULY COORDINATE ALL OF THE OPERATIONS FROM INSTRUCTION REGISTRATION, HELPING WITH HIRING, SO FORTH.
WE ARE LOOKING AT POSTING IN THE NEAR FUTURE FOR THAT SO THAT WE CAN GET SOMEBODY ON BOARD TO VIEW NOT ONLY THE COLLABORATION WITH RECREATION AND PARKS AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, BUT TO INCREASE AND BOOST OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND OUR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM AS WELL.
THE LAST SLIDE I HAVE FOR YOU IS JUST SOME FEEDBACK FROM OUR STAFF.
SOME OF THESE WERE JUST REALLY IN INDIVIDUAL EMAILS THAT CAME TO ME SAYING IT WAS JUST SO GOOD TO HAVE KIDS IN THE BUILDING, HANDS-ON OPPORTUNITIES, BEING WITH STUDENTS, AND SEEING THEIR GROWTH.
DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WANTED TO ADD?
>> I JUST WOULD LIKE TO THANK CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR THE PARTNERSHIP WITH US AGAIN.
WE ARE ONE OF THE FEW WORKERS WHO PARKS IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND HAS SUCH A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND ARE ABLE TO PARTNER.
BECAUSE WITHOUT YOUR BUILDINGS, WITHOUT YOUR ACCESS AND YOUR COMMITMENT, WE WOULD STRUGGLE TO OFFER THESE TYPE OF PROGRAMS. WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT, WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU GUYS PARTNER WITH US AGAIN THIS YEAR, EVEN STRONGER THAN WE HAVE IN THE PAST [INAUDIBLE] OFFER THIS PROGRAM FOR THE STUDENTS.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT THREE YEARS BECAUSE WE RECEIVED OUR GRANT FUNDING AS WELL FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THIS ELEMENTARY PROGRAM FOR INTAKE KINDERGARTEN WHO ARE ENTERING SIXTH GRADE OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
LIKE I SAID, WE'VE ALREADY STARTED PLANNING, AND WE HAVE A THEME READY, WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING.
JUST SO NOW AND A LITTLE BIT WE DID END UP HIRING CLOSE TO A 100 STAFF MEMBERS BETWEEN SENIOR PROGRAM LEADERS AND JUNIOR PROGRAM LEADERS AND DIRECTORS ON OUR END, TO HELP RUN THE PROGRAM FOR THE SIX WEEKS THAT WE DID THIS PAST SUMMER.
IT IS A BIG LIFT. LIKE YOU SAID, IT DOES TAKE A LOT OF PLAN BUT WE'RE EXCITED TO CONTINUE THAT PARTNERSHIP AND LOOK FORWARD TO ANOTHER GREAT SUMMER NEXT YEAR.
>> COOL COMMENTS. STACEY, IT'S REALLY GREAT YOU TO BE SAYING THOSE THINGS BECAUSE I WAS SITTING HERE THINKING WHAT A GREAT PARTNERSHIP AND HOW LUCKY CAROLINE COUNTY OR THE SCHOOLS IS TO HAVE NOT ONLY CAROLINE COUNTY RECREATION DEPARTMENT TO HAVE YOU SPECIFICALLY WITH YOUR EXPERIENCE INVOLVED AND YOUR KNOW-HOW AND HOW TO MAKE THIS WORK ONE OF GREAT PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU WITH A TABLE TOGETHER.
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A SYMBOL OF THAT IS JUST WONDERFUL STUFF THAT REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE FOR KIDS AND DEEP APPRECIATION FOR RECREATION PARKS AND WHAT IT DOES.
[01:35:05]
THAT'S PART OF MY BACKGROUND OF COURSE SO.A SOFT SPOT AND I'M PROBABLY BIASED, BUT I KNOW WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE.
LINDSEY, YOU HIT THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD AND I LIKED THE LESSONS LEARNED THAT WHAT KIND OF COMPRESSION DID THAT PUT GETTING READY FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR AND YOU CERTAINLY ARE WELL AWARE OF THAT.
I'M NOT SAYING FIVE WEEKS BETTER THAN 6.
YOU'LL KNOW BETTER THAN I WOULD.
I JUST HAVE TO WONDER HOW YOU GET READY FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR AND THE KIDS JUST LEFT.
>> YOU KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF CLEAN UP, THERE'S A LOT OF EVERYTHING THAT'S GOT TO BE DONE TO GET READY.
WHAT A GREAT PROGRAM AND I KNOW YOU HAD A LOT OF MOVING PARTS AND A LOT OF HICCUPS AND ALL THAT.
YOU WERE TELLING US ABOUT IT THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER, BUT IT'S NICE TO HAVE THAT PARTNERSHIP. LOOKS GREAT.
>> PARKS AND RECREATION IS REFERRED TO HAVE PROGRAMS FOR AWHILE, BUT I GUESS SOME OF THE FUNDING THIS ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT CAME IS WHERE CAROLINE COUNTY KICK IT UP A NOTCH OR SCHOOL SYSTEM WITH THE STAIRWELL FOR THE MONEY THAT WE RECEIVED THROUGH SOME OF THESE INSTANTANEOUS GOVERNMENT.
>> CARES FUNDING. THANK YOU. WHICH WOULD JUST COME IN INTERMITTENTLY OR NOT.
IT WAS BEING CREATED AS THE SCHOOL YEAR ROLLED OUT LAST YEAR, I GUESS, RIGHT?
>> CARES FUNDING WITH A PERMANENT RECREATION COMPONENT AS WELL, THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO USE OUR CARES FUNDING FOR.
>> ALL RIGHT? NOW THAT WE HAVE THE FORESIGHT TO SEE IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT COMING YEARS, YOU'RE ABLE TO PLAN BETTER.
>> IT'S JUST INTERESTING TO LOOK AT THIS AND YOU TALK ABOUT THE 700 PLUS PUSHING 800 KIDS.
IT SOUNDS LIKE STACEY YOU'RE IN 300, 400 KID RANGE.
WE'VE NEARLY ABOUT DOUBLED AT THE BUS DRIVERS, THE FOOD.
IT'S BASICALLY KEEPING THE SCHOOL THE SIZE OF COLONEL RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH I'M FAMILIAR WITH GOING INTO A WHOLE ANOTHER FIVE OR SIX WEEKS.
>> NOT TO MENTION ALL THE OTHER IMPROVEMENTS THAT FACILITIES WE'VE DONE AND AGAIN, A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, EVERY KID DIDN'T HAVE A COMPUTER.
BASICALLY AVERAGE CHILD IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM NOW HAS A COMPUTER.
NOW POINT OUT IN WHERE WAS ONE COUNTY IN ONE STATE IN THIS COUNTRY.
ALL THIS EFFORT AND PLANNING AND FUNDING HAS GONE TO IT BECAUSE TO TRY TO SUPPORT AND MAKE UP FOR WHAT WAS LOST, IT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME.
BUT I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT BECAUSE IN THE SOME OF THESE THINGS IS I'VE HEARD THAT FOLLOW THE MONEY BECAUSE WE HAVE TO PUT MASK ON TO GET THE MONEY.
BUT THAT WASN'T THE POINT OF GETTING THEIR MONEY.
THE POINT IS TO HAVE PUSH A SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAM, WHICH A LOT OF COUNTIES PROBABLY DIDN'T HAVE AS GOOD A PROGRAM AS WE'VE ALREADY HAD A FOUNDATION FOR.
IS THAT AN ACCURATE STATEMENT, STACEY?
>> YES, IT IS CORRECT. WE'VE BEEN RECOGNIZED THROUGHOUT THE STATES, CAROLINE STATES EDUCATION FOR OUR AFTER SCHOOL AND SUMMER PROGRAMMING AND ONE OF THE TOP PROGRAMS IN THE STATE.
>> WE ALREADY HAD A FOUNDATION.
ALL WE HAD TO DO WAS TRY TO [INAUDIBLE] AND TAKE IT UP A NOTCH.
AGAIN, ALL OUR KIDS GOING HOME WITH COMPUTERS, I MEAN, WITH THE INTENTION OF MAKING, IMPROVING, MAKING UP FOR SOME OF WHAT WAS LOST.
ACTUALLY WE WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE PROBABLY HAD THE STREAMING SERVICES AND THE ABILITY IF SOME OF THIS HADN'T HAPPENED, WHICH AGAIN, FUNDING GOES TOWARDS.
BUT APPRECIATE ALL YOUR EFFORTS.
>> I GOT TO SEE SOME OF THE KIDS IN THE NEXT AND LAST DAY TO SEE THE OUTSIDE.
THEY WERE DOING SOME OF THE POPSICLES AND THEY WERE ENJOYING, HOW MUCH WERE SOME GAINS NEEDED A LOT MORE THAN OTHER KIDS, BUT IT'S WELL-WORTH IN MIND THAT WE SPREAD ALL THAT IN THE JOB AND THE KIDS WERE HAPPY.
IT WAS ABOUT THE NEXT AND LAST DAY I THINK.
[LAUGHTER] I'M SURE SOME OF THEM MISSED IT.
>> YEAH. I KNOW IT WAS NICE BECAUSE THE FUNDING ALLOWED US TO EXPAND TO ALL FIVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
IN THE PAST, WE'VE ONLY BEEN IN THE THREE SCHOOLS FELLOWS FOR GREENBERG DAY.
SO BEING ABLE TO EXPAND AND BE BACK IN PRESSING ORIGINALLY WAS VERY NICE.
IT'S PROBABLY BEEN 10 YEARS OR MORE, I THINK SINCE WE'VE BEEN IMPRESSED IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR SUMMER CAMP PROGRAMMING.
SO IT WAS NICE TO BE ABLE TO GET BACK INTO ALL FIVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO BE ABLE TO SERVE EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTY.
>> WHICH WILL CONTINUE FOR THREE YEARS.
>> ARE ALL SCHOOLS ELIGIBLE? I MEAN, NOT FULL STUDENTS.
>> ALL STUDENTS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE WE ACTUALLY PUT THE APPLICATIONS OUT IN WAVES BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT WE WOULD HAVE A CAP.
WE KNEW THAT WE COULD NOT HOUSE EVERY ELEMENTARY CHILD.
WE PUT THE APPLICATIONS OUT IN WAVES AND IDENTIFIED TARGETED GROUPS OF STUDENTS AT FIRST,
[01:40:04]
AND THEN GAVE A DEADLINE AND THEN AFTER THAT OPENED IT UP TO A SECOND TIER AND EVENTUALLY TO ALL STUDENTS.>> IN THE END, A LOT WILL ACCUMULATE.
BUT WE ENDED UP RECEIVING OVER 740 APPLICATIONS FOR SUMMER PROGRAMMING FOR JUST KINDERGARTEN THROUGH SIXTH GRADE CAME THROUGH OUR OFFICE.
BUT OUR TARGET WAS WE SAID AT THE BEGINNING WE'D HAVE CAPACITY FOR 840 IF WE WERE ABLE TO FILL EVERY TEACHER OR STEPPING SPINE AND EVERY SPOT WITHIN THE DEADLINE.
WE DIDN'T MEET THAT DEADLINE, BUT WE STILL RECEIVE SOME HANDFUL THE APPLICATIONS.
WE'RE REALLY ABOUT A 100 OFF AS FAR AS RECEIVING APPLICATIONS.
>> SO EVERYBODY THAT WANTED TO ATTEND WAS ABLE TO ATTEND.
>> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
MOVING ON. REPORTS ON PRESENTATIONS, 7.02, FIRST-DAY ATTENDANCE UPDATE.
WE HAVE MR. FARRELL ALLEN WITH US, SUPERVISOR OF PEOPLE SERVICES.
MR. ALLEN, HOW DID WE MAKE OUT, NUMBER-WISE?
>> GOOD EVENING, MR. NICK AND THE BOARD MEMBERS, DR. SIMMONS.
WELL, EVERY YEAR, I COME BEFORE YOU AND GIVE A REPORT [NOISE] SNAPSHOT ON THE FIRST DAY OF COUNT STUDENTS HAD A PRESIDENT SCHOOL.
NOW CAN WE GO TO THE FIRST ONE THAT'S THERE, IT'S ACTUALLY SMALL [LAUGHTER]. OKAY, GREAT.
EVERY YEAR PUPIL SERVICES IS A RESPONSE FOR GATHERING THIS DATA FROM THE SCHOOLS.
KEEP IN MIND, THIS IS NOT ENROLLMENT, THIS IS ATTENDANCE.
THESE ARE PHOTOS THAT WERE PRESENT THAT FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
THESE ARE SEATS AND THE SEAT AS I CALL THEM.
THERE YOU SEE THE BREAKDOWN FOR ALL NINE SCHOOLS, ELEMENTARY AS WELL AS SECONDARY THERE AT THE BOTTOM.
YOU COULD STUDY THAT FOR A WHILE, BUT THERE IS ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT THIS ALSO AND WE'LL JUST PLAY THAT FOR A WHILE [LAUGHTER] [INAUDIBLE] BACK. I'M SORRY.
>> GO TO THE ATTENDANCE BY GRADE REPORT AND SEXUAL COURT, OR I SHOULD SAY GENDER.
THIS IS A BREAKDOWN FROM GRADES K THROUGH 12.
KEEP IN MIND, PRE-K IS NOT IN THIS COUNT ANYWHERE TO BE FOUND BECAUSE THEY START TOMORROW.
THIS AGAIN IS A HEADCOUNT; BOYS, GIRLS, AND THE NON-BINARY SECTION THAT WE NOW GATHER.
I'M GOING TO ASK YOU NOW GO TO THE CHART 3, WHICH I ACTUALLY THOUGHT THIS WAS BETTER TO DEPICT THINGS LIKE THIS.
BECAUSE THIS IS ACTUALLY SHOWING YOU THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ENROLLMENT AND ACTUAL ATTENDANCE.
ON THE LEFT IS ACTUAL ATTENDANCE ON SEPTEMBER 1ST, THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, AND YOU SEE ALL THE BREAKDOWN THERE OF ALL THE SCHOOLS.
TO THE RIGHT, YOU SEE ACTUAL ENROLLMENT AS OF SEPTEMBER 3RD.
NOW THAT'S A POWER SCHOOL FIGURE.
I HAVE TO EMPHASIZE TO YOU, THIS IS A SNAPSHOT IN TIME.
WHEN I RAN THESE NUMBERS, I RAN THEM AT 3:03, AND BY 3:19 THEY HAD CHANGED EVEN.
YOU'VE GOT TO STOP THAT CONVEYOR BELT AT SOME TIME AND COTTON AND CANDY AS I GUESS LUCY WOULD SAY.
BUT YOU HAVE TO GET A DEPICTION OF THAT RIGHT THERE OF THAT'S WHERE IT WAS AND IT'S CHANGED.
IT'S CHANGED, LIKE I SAID, FRIDAY AFTERNOON IT'S CHANGED AS OF THIS MORNING, IT'S CHANGED AS OF THIS AFTERNOON.
AS YOU SEE TO THE LEFT ATTENDANCE, ACTUAL ENROLLMENT, THINK OF THAT AS CHILDREN THAT ARE A MEMBERSHIP.
THAT'S EXACTLY REALLY WHAT WE CALL IT, MEMBERSHIP.
THINK OF IT AS IF THEY'RE IN A GYM AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MEMBERS.
THEN TO THE LEFT WOULD BE THOSE THAT CAME TO THE WEIGHTLIFTING SESSION, THAT THING.
THEN TO THE RIGHT IS THE DIFFERENCE.
EVERY YEAR WE LOOK AT THAT NUMBER AS TO WHO WE'RE MISSING.
THAT COULD BE KIDS THAT WERE ABSENT THAT DAY, THAT COULD BE STUDENTS THAT HAVE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER SCHOOL.
IT COULD HAVE GONE TO GASTON COUNTY, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT DIDN'T START TILL THE DAY, MANY SCHOOL SYSTEMS, SCHOOLS DON'T ACTUALLY SEND A REQUEST FOR RECORDS UNTIL THE STUDENT IS ACTUALLY IN THE BUILDING.
THAT FIGURE IS BEING CLEANED UP AS WE SPEAK, WE GET ADDITIONS AND WE GET PEOPLE LEAVING.
WE GET PEOPLE COMING AND WE GET PEOPLE GOING.
HOPEFULLY, THAT'LL BE A BALANCE.
NEXT MONTH I'LL BE HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE FINALS AS OF SEPTEMBER 30TH COUNT. SO ANY QUESTIONS?
>> IS THAT WHEN WE GET FUNDING ON? SEPTEMBER 30TH?
>> [OVERLAPPING] EVEN AT SEPTEMBER 30TH, WE'RE STILL CLEANING UP A NUMBER OF THINGS BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THOSE KIDS ARE THERE.
THEY COULD HAVE BEEN THERE THAT DAY AND THEY COULD BE GONE THE NEXT.
THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A GRACE PERIOD AFTER SEPTEMBER 30TH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN COUNT THOSE CHILDREN FOR FUNDING.
[01:45:02]
>> THERE WAS A CHANGE WITH THE CURRENT LEGISLATION BEING PASSED.
THE PUPIL COUNT FOR FUNDING IS NOW BASED ON A THREE-YEAR AVERAGE, NOT TO INCLUDE SCHOOL YEAR 2020, LAST SCHOOL YEAR, BUT IT'S A THREE-YEAR AVERAGE NOW, WHERE PREVIOUSLY AS MR. NEWCOMB IS AWARE OF BEING ON THE BOARD, YOUR ENROLLMENT COUNT WAS BASED ON THE PREVIOUS YEAR, SEPTEMBER 30 COUNT.
WHAT WE WOULD GET FUNDED FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR IS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF KIDS YOU SUBMITTED BY THE SEPTEMBER 30 COUNT.
IN THE KIRWAN BILL THAT WAS PASSED A BLUEPRINT, IT NOW IS A THREE-YEAR AVERAGE.
THEY WILL TAKE THREE YEARS TOGETHER OF YOUR ENROLLMENT AND THEN AVERAGE THAT AND THAT IS YOUR FUNDING COUNT.
IF YOU HAVE ONE DEBT OF A YEAR OR ONE GROWTH OF THE YEAR, IT DOESN'T SKEW YOU.
YOUR FUNDING DOESN'T SWING TOO FAR BETWEEN YEAR TO YEAR.
THAT'LL BE ONE CHANGE THAT AS YOU GUYS LEARN MORE ABOUT KIRWAN AND I KNOW MAYBE IT'S GOING TO HOST A BOARD ACADEMY.
WE INCUR ONE AS WELL, WE'RE STILL LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE LEGISLATION THAT IS ONE BIG SHIFT THAT DID COME IN KIRWAN.
IT'S A THREE-YEAR AVERAGE NOW ON PER PUPIL COUNT FUNDING.
>> MR. ALLEN, WHAT'S THAT NUMBER? HISTORICALLY, WE WON'T HOLD YOU ANYTHING FROM SEPTEMBER 3RD TO THREE DAYS IN, THREE [INAUDIBLE] DAYS IN TO SEPTEMBER 30TH.
USUALLY, WE HAD A FEW INSTRUCTIVES AND STAY IN THE BALLPARK TO GO UP, DOWN.
>> THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION THAT'S [OVERLAPPING].
>> NOT COUNTING 3K, 3K IS COMING IN.
IT CHANGES EVERY YEAR BUT WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR CHILDREN, THE DIFFERENCE IS CATEGORY, WE ALWAYS HAVE A NUMBER OF NO SHOWS, AND THAT WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO CLEAN THAT UP.
THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR THAT WE'RE RECEIVING THOSE REQUESTS FOR RECORDS AND WE'RE RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS FOR HOMESCHOOLING, WE'RE RECEIVING REQUESTS FOR HOME HOSPITAL TEACHING.
ALL OF THAT PLAYS INTO THAT FIGURE.
>> YEAH, WE TYPICALLY END UP, MR. NEWCOMB, CLOSE TO WHERE THE ACTUAL ENROLLMENT COMPONENT IS, AND WE HAVE SEEN AN INFLUX OF ABOUT 70 NEW EL STUDENTS IN THE COUNTY THAT REALLY THOSE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN COMING IN REALLY OVER THE LAST THREE WEEKS AT THREE OF OUR SCHOOLS.
IT'S NOT SHOWING ANY SIGNS OF SLOWING DOWN.
WE EXPECT TO BE IN THE AREA OF THE ENROLLMENT COUNT, PERHAPS A LITTLE BIT UP.
THERE'S A BEAUTY IN HAVING THREE DAYS BEFORE LABOR DAY OR A THREE-DAY WEEK TO ADJUST.
IT'S ALSO A HINDRANCE SOMETIMES HAVING A THREE-DAY PEACE BEFORE BRINGING ALL KIDS BACK IN.
SOMETIMES FOLKS STAY OUT FOR THAT EXTRA WEEK FOR VACATION.
WE ARE AWARE THAT WE HAVE A GOOD HANDFUL SIZE OF STUDENTS WHO ARE IN QUARANTINE FROM COMMUNITY CONTACT WHO WERE NOT COMING IN THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL.
FOR THAT REASON, WE'VE BEEN MADE AWARE OF.
THEY'RE IN THAT ACTUAL ATTENDANCE COUNT, THEY'RE NOT INCLUDED IN, BUT THEY WILL BE IN THE ENROLLMENT COUNT BECAUSE ALL SIGNS THEY'RE COMING BACK TO US ONCE THEIR QUARANTINE LIFTS ON.
>> IN THE COUNT NUMBER, DO YOU KNOW IT OR SOMEBODY KNOW HOW MANY WERE PRE-QUARANTINED BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED?
>> WE KNOW ONLY WHAT HAS BEEN SHARED WITH US BY FAMILIES.
>> YEAH. IF ANYBODY HAS CALLED AND SAY, "HEY, MY KID IS COMING BUT THEY CAN'T JUST YET." WE HAVE HAD SOME OF THOSE REACH OUT TO US.
>> LET'S SEE, WHAT'S NEXT ON THE PRESENTATION? I'VE SHIFTED GEARS.
>> [NOISE] I LOOKED BACK, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T COMPARE IT TO LAST YEAR 2020 FALL.
BUT 2019 BACKS IN THE SEAT, WE WERE AT 5249 IN THE FALL OF 2019, 5249, WHICH IS 133 BELOW WHAT OUR ENROLLMENT IS CURRENTLY.
IT MEANS WE'RE 133 MORE IN ENROLLMENT, BUT THEY HAVEN'T SHOWN UP, AND WHETHER IT'S BECAUSE COVID OR JUST BEFORE LABOR DAY OR STILL CONCERNED ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE.
OH, AND WE DO HAVE KIDS IN THE TOTALLY ONLINE SCHOOL TOO.
>> [INAUDIBLE] I WAS THINKING ABOUT THAT.
>> WHAT'S THAT? 50 OR 20 OF THEM?
>> ALL RIGHT. THERE'S NOTHING I CAN SAY.
>> NONE OF THE SCHEDULES WERE SWITCHED TO BDPS, THOSE POWERFUL SKILL SHOW PERHAPS THAT THEY WERE ENROLLED IN A CLASS, NOT BDP.
>> BUT THEY WEREN'T THERE, SO THEY'RE NOT COUNTED.
>> THERE'S DEFINITELY A DIFFERENCE THERE AS WELL.
>> TAKE FROM A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYWHERE.
IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY YEAR WE GO THROUGH THIS THAT WE GET CLOSE TO THAT FIGURE.
>> YOU KEPT REFERRING TO THE REQUESTS FOR RECORDS.
>> THIS AS A TEACHER USED TO DRIVE ME CRAZY, I KNEW THE CHILD MOVED.
BUT UNTIL THAT SCHOOL THAT THEY WENT TO REQUEST RECORDS,
[01:50:04]
WE HAVE TO MARK THEM ABSENT.>> THAT'S WHY YOU KEEP REFERRING TO THAT.
>> YES, YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH THAT, THAT'S PART OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND KEEPING A CONTINUOUS RECORD.
MANY PEOPLE SAY THEY'RE WITHDRAWING THEIR CHILD.
YOU CAN SAY THEY'RE NOT COMING, BUT THEY'RE NOT REALLY WITHDRAWN UNTIL.
>> WE GET THE REQUESTS FOR RECORDS AND WE ENSURE THAT THAT CHILD IS RECEIVING THEIR EDUCATION SOMEWHERE ELSE.
>> SO AT THAT TIME, THEY'RE CONSIDERED A TRANSFER.
>> RIGHT. WE'VE GOT OWNERSHIP.
>> RIGHT. THOSE ABSENCES ARE BACKED OUT AT THAT TIME TOO.
THERE'S A LOT OF CLEANING UP IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT AREAS.
>> THAT'S JUST CONSTANT LIKE YOU SAID, ALL YEAR LONG.
>> AGAIN, THIS IS A SNAPSHOT AND IN THE NEXT MONTH WE CLEAN THIS UP. THANKS FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
>> IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? THANK YOU, MR. ALLEN.
>> MOVING ON, CAPITAL PROJECTS, MR. MANGO? I GUESS WE SHOULD SAY WELCOME TO CAROLINE COUNTY.
GOOD TO SEE YOU OUT ON OPENING DAY.
>> THIS COULD BE PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD, OBVIOUSLY, I WASN'T HERE THIS SUMMER TO START THE PROJECTS THAT WERE SLATED.
THIS WILL BE PRETTY MUCH STRAIGHTFORWARD ON WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW. [NOISE] AT DENTON ELEMENTARY, THE BATHROOM STALLS ARE REPLACED.
THEY CONTINUED TO REMOVE PNEUMATIC CONTROLS AND INSTALL DDC CONTROLS. WHAT'S THAT MEAN? THAT IS A TERM THAT'S USED IN HVAC, TERMS OF VOWELS AND PIPING AND REGULATORS TO HELP KEEP PRESSURE AT A CERTAIN POINT.
IT'S REALLY MEANT TO BETTER BALANCE THE BUILDING WITH AIRFLOW.
WE'RE GOING FROM A LOWER HOUSE, AN OLDER AND MORE ANTIQUATED SYSTEM TO A MORE DIGITALIZED SYSTEM AND SO IT'S ONGOING.
I PUT ONGOING IN THERE BECAUSE ABOUT 90 PERCENT IS COMPLETED.
I'LL JUMP AHEAD JUST A LITTLE BIT.
YOU'LL SEE DOWN IN RIDGELY AND [INAUDIBLE], ALSO WE'RE DOING THE SAME THING THERE AND THEY'RE AT ABOUT 90 PERCENT COMPLETED ALSO.
IT'S AN ONGOING PROCESS, PROJECT SHOULD BE COMPLETED SOON.
BUT THAT WAS GOING ON IN THOSE THREE SCHOOLS WITH THOSE.
AT FEDERALSBURG ELEMENTARY, WE SEALED, REPAVED THE BUS LOOP.
WE PAINTED THE CAFETERIA AND THE GYMNASIUM.
WE INSTALLED CLASSROOM WALLS IN THE CAFETERIA POD AREA.
IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT AREA.
KINDERGARTEN? KINDERGARTEN ALSO.
IT WAS ALL OPEN CLASSROOMS AND SO IS ONGOING STILL BECAUSE THERE'S A BACKWATER ON DOORS.
IF YOU GET DOWN HERE YOU'LL SEE THAT THE DRY WALL'S UP, THE DOORS ARE FRAMED OUT.
BUT MOST SUPPLY CHAINS THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING NOW THERE'S DEFICIENCIES AND THAT PARTICULAR PRODUCT.
ONCE THAT COMES IN, WE'LL BE ABLE TO FINISH THAT UP.
AT RIDGELY ELEMENTARY, WE WERE ABLE TO REMOVE THE CARPETS FROM ALL CLASSROOMS AND INSTALL A NEW LVT FLOORING.
WHAT DOES LVT ME? IT'S LUXURY VINYL TILE.
[LAUGHTER] I WANT TO SAY TAPESTRY.
THEY PULLED ALL OF THE CARBON OUT OF THOSE CLASSROOMS AND PUT THAT LVT IN THERE, NOW IT LOOKS NICE.
AGAIN, WE'RE CONTINUING THE TRANSITION FROM THE AUTOMATIC CONTROLS TO DDC CONTROLS.
AT BLOCK AND MIDDLE-SCHOOL, PRETTY MUCH SAME THING THAT WAS GOING ON.
ORIGINALLY WERE DOING THE SAME THING WITH THOSE CLASSROOMS PULLING THOSE CARPETS OUT IF ON THE LVT AND AGAIN, SAME THING WITH THE DIGITAL CONTROLS ONGOING.
AT COLONEL RICHARDSON MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE PAINTED THE LOCKER ROOMS AND WE PAINTED THE GYMNASIUM.
AT NORTH CAROLINE HIGH-SCHOOL, WE PAINTED THE BATHROOM STALL DOOR, I'VE BEEN TOLD IT HAS BEEN NEAR PREPARE FOR ABOUT SEVEN YEARS.
[LAUGHTER] I DON'T KNOW MUCH MORE BEHIND IT, BUT I KNOW THAT IT FINALLY GOT PAINTED.
WE ALSO REPLACE THE LIFT STATION IN THE OLD GYMNASIUM.
AT CCTC, WE WERE ABLE TO REFRESH THE AUTOMOTIVE SHOP WITH PAINT FOR TRANSITIONING THE LIGHTS FROM THE [INAUDIBLE] TO THE LEDS.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE ON IN THE AFTERNOONS BECAUSE THEY GET OUT AROUND 12:00-12:30 OR SO.
THAT MEANS [INAUDIBLE] WHEN THEY HAVE A DAY OR TWO HERE THEY CAN GET THAT DONE IN THE AFTERNOON, SO THAT'S AN ONGOING PROJECT.
WE REMOVED THE WALL IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE ROOM, IN THIS ROOM, UNTIL SEPTEMBER 1ST I HAVE NEVER BEEN IN CCTC AND SO WHEN HE TOLD ME ABOUT THIS ROOM,
[01:55:06]
WHAT IT LOOKED BEFORE AND I LOOKED AT IT NOW, IT'S AMAZING TRANSFORMATION.IT WAS PROBABLY A GOOD TIME BECAUSE THE CLASS IS FULL.
THEY KNOCKED OUT A WALL AND BASICALLY DOUBLED THE SIZE OF THE CLASSROOM.
THEY COULDN'T KNOCK OUT THE ENTIRE WALL BECAUSE THERE'S ELECTRICAL PANEL BOX ON THE ONE SIDE OF THE WALL BEHIND IT, BUT THEY WERE ALSO ABLE TO INSTALL BATHROOMS INTO THAT PART OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE ROOM AND FLIP IT OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE WHERE THE AUTOMOTIVE SHOP IS AT.
THEY WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SPACE SERVER THERE AND THEY CONVERT THEM TO BATHROOMS. AT THE CENTRAL OFFICE WE REPLACED THE SERVER PIPE.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE BLACK TOP SHOULD BE GETTING DONE SOMETIME THIS WEEK ALSO, SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF AN ONGOING PROJECT, BUT I BELIEVE THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY THERE WAS GETTING THE SERVER PIPE REPLACED, SAY NO MORE.
THEY DID A LOT OF PAINTING IN SCHOOLS THIS YEAR ALSO, BESIDES WHAT I JUST SPOKE ABOUT.
AT DENTON ELEMENTARY THEY TOUCHED UP A LOT OF THE WALLS.
AT RIDGELY, THEY DID THE HALLWAYS AND THEY DID THE METAL WALLS.
AT [INAUDIBLE] MIDDLE, THEY DID CLASSROOMS AND NEAR THE LIBRARY.
AT NCHS, THEY DID THE EXTERIOR FRONT DOOR.
AT COLONEL RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL THEY DID THE BACK HALLWAY NEAR THE GYMNASIUM, ON THE LOCKER SIDE.
COUPLE OF MISCELLANEOUS SAFETY FEATURES THAT WERE ALSO CONDUCTED AND THIS GETS DONE EVERY YEAR, BUT I WANTED TO PUT THIS IN THERE BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS WERE AWARE OF THIS, BUT FIRE EXTINGUISHERS GET INSPECTED EVERY YEAR.
THEY WERE COMPLETED AND THEY'VE HAD BEEN CERTIFIED IN ALL BUILDINGS.
ALSO THE ANSUL HOOD SYSTEMS THAT YOU'LL FIND IN ANY KITCHEN, COOKING ROOM, CHEF COOK AREA, OUR CURRENT CENTER, THEY HAVE BEEN INSPECTED AND ALSO COMPLETED AND CERTIFIED AS WELL.
I FEEL VERY GOOD ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
THAT IN A NUTSHELL, IS WHAT THE GUYS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON, WITH OUR VARIOUS VENDORS THAT DO DIFFERENT THINGS ABOVE THE OTHER SKILL SET.
THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET HELP, I WON'T LIE TO YOU THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET EVERYTHING DONE.
SOME OF THE STUFF IS STILL GOING ON.
SOME OF STUFF WILL BE CONTINUED LATER IN ONE OF TIME WHEN DOING TIME SETTLES DOWN A LITTLE BIT AND THEY GET THE DIFFERENT AREAS. ANY QUESTIONS?
>> I GUESS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE AIR CONDITIONING REPAIRS ARE ONGOING AT LOCKER ROOM, WITH THAT REASON THERE'S SOMEWHERE IN THERE, A HOT OR COLD ROOM DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU'RE AT.
>> YEAH, WE HAD SOME HUMIDITY ISSUES THAT WERE UNEXPLAINED FOR A WHILE.
WE HAD SOME ROOF LEAKS THAT LET A LOT MOISTURE IN AND I THINK THAT OVERBURDENED THAT SYSTEM A LITTLE BIT.
I'M HOPING THAT THAT DIGITAL SYSTEM WILL BE ABLE TO HELP BALANCE THAT OUT A LITTLE BIT.
WE'VE ALSO DONE SOME REPAIRS THAT WE DID DO IN SOME OF THESE REALLY OPEN AREAS TO THE OUTSIDE AND TRY AND FILL THOSE IN TO ELIMINATE AND BARE OURSELVES WITH THAT.
>> ARE THEY STILL HAVING PROBLEMS?
>> TO KNOWLEDGE, THEY HAVE NOT HAD ANYTHING BUT ALSO THE WEATHER'S BROKE AND THE HUMIDITY HAS GONE AWAY.
IT'S BEEN COOLER UNLIKE THE FIRST COUPLE OF DAYS.
>> THERE WERE SOME IN THE FIRST COUPLE OF DAYS?
>> SO FAR, I HAVEN'T HEARD OF ANY REPORTS OF ANYTHING THAT BEING A RIDER.
>> THE LOCKER ROOM PROJECT PRIOR TO BUILD SIGN COMING UP IN THAT PROJECT IN PARTICULAR, THAT IT SUPPLY THE CHANGE USE, CONTRACTOR DOING THAT AND THAT MEANS SUPPLY CHANGES, YOU'RE GETTING MATERIAL IN, GETTING THAT PROJECT DONE BEFORE YOU GUYS WALK BEFORE THE SCHOOL WEEK AND BEFORE THE KIDS CAME IN.
THERE WAS NERVOUS FOLKS WALKING.
ARE WE GOING TO BE SEEING CLOSED UP AND BE READY TO GO? BECAUSE IT WAS JUST COMING DOWN TO GET INTO WHY THAT TIME THEN WE'LL APPROXIMATE.
ORIGINALLY GOT MOVING A LITTLE BIT QUICKER AND THAT AND THEY STARTED A LITTLE BIT EARLIER AND I THINK THE ASSUMPTION WAS FROM THE CONTRACTOR, THEY'VE GOT TO START THIS WEEK AND THEN THE STAFF DIDN'T COME IN IT, THEN WE'RE HOP INTO IT ONLY WHILE FEATURES WERE IN TRYING GET FINISHED AND A BIT SCARED OF GETTING PUSH BACK A LITTLE BIT, AS THINGS ARE PERMANENT AND NOW THEY'RE WORKING TO FINISH IT UP WHEN KIDS AREN'T IN THE BUILDING SO THEY I COME IN ON EVENINGS AND WEEKENDS AND FINISH IT UP.
IT SHOULD BE GET IT ALL TAKEN CARE OF ONCE YOU GET EVERYTHING DONE.
>> IT WAS ORIGINALLY AND THEN IT FEEL NICE.
I FELT AS THOUGH IT WERE ALMOST FEW MORE ADJUSTMENT [OVERLAPPING] COME MORE [OVERLAPPING] TO THAT.
>> THEY TOLD ME THAT ABOUT 90 PERCENT COMPLETED.
I'M THINKING WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS PROVIDING THAT THE PERSONS WILL KEEP ON COMING IN.
>> WHEN I WENT TO RIDGELY, APPARENTLY WHEN THE TEACHER FIRST GOT THERE, THEY WERE FREEZING.
IT WAS, I THINK THEY SAID 63 DEGREES AND OF COURSE THE DAY I WENT THERE, IT WASN'T WORKING.
[02:00:04]
IT WAS 90 DEGREES AND I HATE THAT HEAT.[LAUGHTER] DID THAT GET FIXED?
>> EVERYTHING'S HAS BEEN BALANCED OUT TO MY KNOWLEDGE.
I HAVE NOT BEEN TOLD DEFINITELY THAT THERE'S A COLD ISSUE OR A HOT ISSUE.
I THINK I WOULD HAVE DEFINITELY HEARD IF THERE WAS A HOT ISSUE.
SOMETIMES THINGS LOOK COOLER AND THE WORK ENVIRONMENTS AND THEY MAY NOT NECESSARILY SAY EVERYTHING, BUT IF IT WAS HOT, I WOULD HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT.
>> I DIDN'T KNOW BECAUSE [LAUGHTER] THAT WAS ON A MONDAY WHEN I WENT AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS SHUT OFF OVER THE WEEKEND.
>> YEAH, I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR YOU ON THAT ONE, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
I DO KNOW THAT MONDAY, TUESDAY, AND WEDNESDAY, WE'RE INCREDIBLY HOT AND VERY HUMID, SO IT'S VERY TAXING ON ON HVAC SYSTEM.
>> BUT NO COMPLAINTS THAT YOU'VE HEARD?
>> I HAVE NOT HAD ANY COMPLAINTS, NO, MA'AM.
>> THE TRADITIONAL UPCOMING TEST COMING IS WHEN IT GETS COLD OUT, THE HEAT COME OUT AND DOES IT FEEL GOOD? I THINK THE AIR WILL BE TESTED LATER THIS WEEK FROM THE [INAUDIBLE]?
>> SURE. OKAY. THANK YOU, BILL.
>> ALL RIGHT. MOVING ON TO RECRUITING AND HIRING UPDATES.
>> GOOD EVENING AGAIN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DR. SIMMONS.
THANK YOU FOR INDULGING [LAUGHTER] I'M GOING TO PRESENT FOR THE HIRING AND RECRUITING FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR.
JUST THINKING ABOUT WHAT MS. JACKSON WAS SAID ABOUT MARIGOLDS AND I'M NOT THE DEBBIE DOWNER.
I'M HERE TO PRESENT POSITIVE GOOD STUFF HERE ABOUT OUR HIRING SEASON.
THE FIRST SLIDE IS ONE THAT I REPORTED ON JUST ABOUT A MONTH AGO OR SO.
IT'S JUST CAPTURING WHERE WE ARE AS OF 9.1.2021.
REALLY, LOOKING BACK AT OUR HIRING METRICS, IT WENT TO, WE DO CALENDAR YEARS, WE DO FISCAL YEARS.
REALLY IN OUR HIRING, WE NEED TO LOOK AT A SCHOOL YEAR, AND REALLY THAT'S 9.1 FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES BECAUSE LAST YEAR WE DID HAVE FOLKS START 9.15 AND THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR.
REALLY IN GOING BACK AND LOOKING AT THE DATA, IT'S REALLY 9.1 IS THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR AND 8.30 REALLY CLOSED OUT LAST YEAR.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE 50 NEW HIRES CERTIFIED.
AGAIN, WE'RE JUST TALKING TEACHERS HERE, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE WHOLE STORY OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM; 15 RETIREMENTS, 35 RESIGNATIONS, ONE PARENTAL LEAVE, ADDING FOUR NEW EL POSITIONS, AND THREE INTERNAL TRANSFERS.
YOU CAN SEE AN ASTERISK THERE THAT WE STILL ARE STAFFING.
WE'RE STILL IN NEED OF SOME POSITIONS.
BUT AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBERS.
IT GOT A LITTLE CUT OFF, BUT A LIGHTER SCALE IS ACTUALLY LAST YEAR'S NUMBERS AND THEN IN THE DARKER GREEN IS THIS YEAR'S NUMBERS WHICH ARE BROKEN DOWN BY SCHOOL.
>> I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED. YOU SAID TOTAL NEW HIRES IS 50, THEY'RE ALL CERTIFIED?
>> THEY'RE GETTING THERE, MEANING THEY'VE HAD THEIR OWN THE PROVISIONAL, BUT THEY'RE UNDER THE TEACHER CONTRACT.
>> OKAY. THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY CERTIFIED BUT THEY'RE UNDER THAT CONTRACT?
>> YES. THEY'RE ACTIVELY TEACHING, THEY'RE TEACHERS.
>> THE NUMBER UNDERNEATH IT, ARE YOU SHOWING WHERE THOSE 50 POSITIONS WERE NEEDED?
>> THE 15 RETIREMENTS, 35 RESIGNATIONS?
>> THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GETTING THE 50 FROM?
>> YES. IT'S STILL NEEDING EIGHT, LIKE I SAID 15, 35, ONE THAT ADDS UP TO 58, SO I'M STILL NEEDING SOME POSITIONS.
>> WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THOSE EIGHT? I'M NOT TRYING TO BE THE DEBBIE DOWNER, [LAUGHTER] BUT I WANT THE WHOLE PICTURE HERE.
>> WHAT ARE WE DOING [LAUGHTER] WITH THOSE EIGHT OPEN SLOTS?
>> ACTIVELY TRYING TO FIND FOLKS.
>> WELL, AND THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT TO THE SCHOOLS IN TERMS OF SHIFTING.
I KNOW IN TERMS OF THE SPECIAL EDUCATION POSITION WE STILL ARE IN NEED OF.
THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CHANGES IN SHIFTING WITHIN THE SCHOOLS.
THAT'S JUST KUDOS TO THE SCHOOL AND HOW WE'VE DONE THINGS, AS WELL AS THE EL POSITION.
AGAIN, SOME SHIFTS GOING ON AS WE SPEAK, AND THAT'S WHAT THE FIRST WEEK IN NUMBERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
>> BUT NO ROOM WITH STUDENTS AND NO TEACHERS?
>> [OVERLAPPING] THAT'D BE FUN. [LAUGHTER].
>> [INAUDIBLE] LOOKING AT MIDDLE SCHOOL BECAUSE MATH IS REALLY HARD TO FIND IN ANY YEAR, IT'S REALLY HARD TO FIND THIS YEAR.
THE MATH TEACHER SPECIALIST IS TEACHING FOR THE FIRST SEMESTER.
FOR THE FIRST YEAR, HE IS TEACHING IN ATHLETICS TO FILL THAT HOLE.
THEN WE'RE WORKING ON, AND I THINK NOW SOMEBODY'S LINED UP FOR A MID-YEAR HIGHER, WHO'S GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE MID-YEAR SO WE KNOW WE'LL HAVE A FILL.
SOME OF IT IS INVOLVED ON TEACHER SPECIALTIES THAT WE HAVE TO FILL THE ROLE MOVING FORWARD.
>> WHAT ARE THOSE EIGHT POSITIONS NEED? WHAT SCHOOLS?
>> DENTON NEEDS TWO, LOCKERMAN NEEDS ONE,
[02:05:03]
GREENSBURG NEEDS ONE, COLONEL MIDDLE NEEDS ONE, COLONEL HIGH NEEDS ONE.>> THAT MIGHT BE EIGHT? [LAUGHTER]
>> I TRY NOT TO COMPARE OURSELVES TO OTHER SCHOOL SYSTEMS, BUT REALLY A LOT IF NOT ALL SCHOOL SYSTEMS STILL NEED POSITIONS.
LIKE OUR STAFF HAS DONE REALLY WELL IN ACCOMMODATING WHILE WE'RE STILL AT TRYING TO ACTIVELY HIGHER FOR THIS POSITIONS AND THUS BEGINS THE FALL HIRING SEASON OF GOING OUT AND DOING THIS AT SCHOOLS FOR THERE'LL BE GRADUATING STUDENTS IN DECEMBER.
>> OKAY. NOW EXPLAIN THE DARK GREEN, IS THIS YEAR?
>> OKAY. MAYBE IT'S ME BUT I NEVER UNDERSTAND YOUR GRAPH.
[OVERLAPPING] IT COULD JUST BE ME, SO COULD YOU EXPLAIN.
>> SURE, SO IN DENTON, WE HIRED SEVEN NEW TEACHERS THIS YEAR AND LAST YEAR WE HIRED FIVE.
IN FEDERALS BURG, WE HIRED FOUR THIS YEAR AND LAST YEAR WE HIRED ONE.
WHILE WE'RE BUILDING DATA, I'D LOVE TO DO A DIFFERENT TREND LINE AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT AGAIN, SORRY, THIS IS MY VISUAL, I GUESS.
I CAN CERTAINLY BUILD IT ANY WAY WE WANT.
>> LOCKERMAN THERE WERE NINE HIRES THIS YEAR AND THERE WERE ONLY FIVE LAST YEAR, AND IN NORTH HIGH, NINE THIS YEAR, SEVEN LAST YEAR.
>> AFTER WHAT TEACHERS HAVE GONE THROUGH, I'M NOT SURPRISED [NOISE] PERSONALLY THAT WE'RE HIRING MORE THIS YEAR THAN WE DID LAST YEAR.
IF ANYBODY WAS ON THE BORDERLINE AND THINKING, WELL, I DON'T WANT TO PUT ANOTHER YEAR IN OR NOT.
I'M SURE THAT LAST YEAR HELPED THEM MAKE UP THEIR MIND.
>> WELL, WE DID HAVE SOME LATER RETIREMENTS TOO SO IN THINKING OF THIS YEAR TO COME AND CHANGES WITH MASKING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT AGAIN, I DON'T HONESTLY ATTEMPT TO GET IN EVERYBODY'S HEADS.
I HAVE EXIT DATA TO SHARE, BUT I DON'T ATTEMPT TO GET IN EVERYONE'S HEADS AND ALL THEIR REASONS FOR LEAVING.
WE ADDED FOUR NEW EL POSITIONS TOO, SO THOSE ARE PART OF THE BUDGET THAT YOU ALL ARE PART OF AS WELL, WHICH WE REALLY NEED THIS YEAR AS WELL.
>> NOT SURE WHICH ONE I ASK FIRST.
RETENTION, WE KNOW THERE'S ISSUES.
ARE WE WORKING ON RETENTION? WE HAVE LESS RESIGNATION, LESS RETIREMENT.
I KNOW WE HAVE COVID, I KNOW THERE'S 50 BAJILLION THINGS, AND I GET THAT.
BUT THE REALITY IS WE STILL NEED TO WORK ON RETENTION FOR WHATEVER REASON.
I DON'T CARE WHAT THE NEXT COUNTY OVER IS DOING, I CARE ABOUT CAROLINE COUNTY.
THAT BEING SAID, THAT I THINK WE NEED TO WORK ON RETENTION, WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE EXIT INTERVIEW? WHAT DO WE DO WITH THAT INFORMATION?
>> AS I'M GOING TO PRESENT IN THE END AND TELL YOU SOME TRENDS THAT I SEE, SURE, WE'RE ALL PART OF THAT PROCESS OF WORKING ON THOSE THINGS.
LOOKING AT OUR SURVEY DATA TOO, EVERY PART OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS A JOB TO DO THERE IN TERMS OF RETENTION AND RETAINING FOLKS.
I DON'T HAVE A LIST RIGHT NOW IN FRONT OF ME OF ALL THE ITEMS WERE DOING, BUT AGAIN, EVEN TALKING ABOUT IT AND PRESENTING THIS DATA, I THINK IS IMPORTANT AND BEING TRANSPARENT ABOUT IT.
>> YOU DON'T HAVE THAT MAGIC WAND, FOR REAL. [LAUGHTER].
>> IT'S A WAND. MORE THAN A [INAUDIBLE]. [LAUGHTER]
>> FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, JUST TO ADD A PIECE TO THIS, AND THIS IS THE LUXURY OF BEING IN EDUCATION FOR 31 YEARS, YOU START TO REMEMBER DIFFERENT THINGS AND PATTERNS THAT HAPPEN.
THEY SURE SAW THIS, THIS WHOLE SITUATION, OBVIOUSLY IT WASN'T COVID.
IT WAS BACK IN '97 AND '98 WHERE WE HAD A LARGE NUMBER OF TURNOVER OF STAFF AND THAT'S WHEN THE STATE OF MARYLAND PUT IN THE MENTORING GRANTS AND THEY STARTED CREATING MENTORING PROGRAMS. THE MENTORING PROGRAMS WERE ABLE TO CORRECT THIS TYPE OF SITUATION.
IT'S JUST WE'RE AT A PLACE NOW BECAUSE THEY'RE STILL IN PLACE, ALL THE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES, WE'RE STILL UTILIZING THEM.
NOW LEST WE HAVE TO LOOK AT A DIFFERENT LAYER TO ADD TO THIS.
>> I IMAGINE IT HAS, AND YOU'RE SAYING '97, '98, THAT'S WHEN I GOT HIRED, SO THAT WAS A GOOD THING THAT THAT WAS HAPPENING THEN, TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST.
BUT I STILL THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT HOW TO FIX THAT HERE AND THAT NOW.
>> IT'S LIKE I'M NOT TRYING TO BLAME ANYBODY, JUST GET IT FIXED.
BECAUSE THIS IS A GREAT COUNTY.
THAT'S HOW WE STARTED THE MEETING OFF, TALKING ABOUT HOW WE LOVED THIS COUNTY.
WE NEED TO GET THE REST OF THE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE LOOKING TO BE TEACHERS TO FIGURE OUT HOW GOOD WE ARE. SURE WE WILL
[02:10:06]
>> BEING A MIRACLE HERE, I SEE 50 NEW HIRES, STILL HAVE EIGHT TO GO.
LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, 28 HIRES AND 10 ARE STILL TO GO.
>> WELL, WE'VE HAD SOME CHANGES LAST YEAR, MEANING WE DIDN'T FILL ABOUT 10 POSITIONS.
>> IT'S A PRETTY GOOD PERCENTAGE COMPARED TO LAST YEAR, AN AWFUL LOT OF POSITIONS.
MARIGOLD'S POINT SAID THERE ARE ALL THESE POSITIONS YOU GOT TO FILL YET.
MARIGOLD SAID, LOOK, YOU'VE HIRED 50.
WE'RE PRETTY HAPPY ABOUT THAT, BUT I DO LIKE THAT PICTURE, THAT IMAGE OF A CLASSROOM WITH NO TEACHER AND KIDS RUNNING THE OPERATIONS THERE.
>> SOME HAVING BEEN BROUGHT IN MY CLASSROOM AND ALL SUMMER HAVING KIDS COMING RUNNING GOING, MRS. [INAUDIBLE] IS MY TEACHER IN THE ROOM. IT DOESN'T WORK.
>> IT'S ALSO JUST JUMPED OUT AT ME THAT 28 A YEAR AGO AND 50 NOW, SO AS IT IS, IS THAT PART OF THE COVID EFFECT? THE PRIORITY IS JUST, LOOK AT THE DRAW, SO TO SPEAK, WHEN PEOPLE TEND TO, IT'S THEIR TIME TO GO OR A LOT OF REASONS, SO WHY NOT SEE IF THAT'S A TREND OR [OVERLAPPING] IF IT'S JUST AN ANOMALY.
>> I TEND NOT TO LOOK, AGAIN, GLASS HALF FULL.
BUT, THIS YEAR WE HAD NO IN-PERSON JOB FAIRS.
WE DID ZOOM ROOMS AND HOPE THEY COME IN AND THAT SORT OF THING, AND SO BY WORD OF MOUTH, BY GREAT MARKETING, BY FOLKS TELLING HIM, AGAIN 50 HIRES, AND AS YOU'LL SEE, COME FROM LOTS OF DIFFERENT PLACES IN A COUPLE OF SLIDES.
AGAIN, THERE ARE MANY CHANGES AGAIN AND COVID PUT A BIG DIFFERENCE IN MY RECRUITING.
BUT AGAIN, SO WITH 50 HIRES, WITH NONE OF THOSE TYPICAL THINGS WE'VE DONE IN YEARS PAST.
>> LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
JUST SOME DEMOGRAPHIC AND EEO INFORMATION, SET GOALS OF MINORITY RECRUITMENT, MINORITY HIRING, OF 10 PERCENT.
IT'S A GOOD GOAL, COMMON GOAL.
AGAIN, CAME UP AT EIGHT PERCENT FOR OUR MINORITY HIRING.
OUR DEMOGRAPHICS TEND TO BE FEMALE-DOMINATED, AS YOU CAN SEE, WITH ABOUT 40 AND 10.
AGAIN, THE FIRST NUMBER IS THE ACTUAL NUMBER 40 AND 10, AND THEN PERCENTAGES AFTER THAT.
AGAIN, 46, CAUCASIAN, THREE AFRICAN AMERICAN, AND ONE ASIAN.
I KNOW THIS IS A SLIDE THAT EVERYONE ENJOYS.
I HAD TO COLOR IT UP BECAUSE WE HAD A FEW MORE PLACES THAT I JUST INCLUDED THIS YEAR.
THE ORANGE, AGAIN, I MAKE SURE THEY'RE BLUE AND RED, BLACK AND RED, THAT THING.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, THE ORANGE ARE NORTH HIGH GRADS AT NINE, ABOUT 18 PERCENT OF OUR HIRES, COLONEL HIGH GRADS ARE AT FIVE.
ABOUT 10 PERCENT OF OUR HIRES.
JUST INCLUDE SOME OTHER PLACES, MARYLAND IN GENERAL, AND THEN IS THE GRAY BOX AT 17, AT 34 PERCENT, AND THEN DELAWARE PENNSYLVANIA, OTHER WOULD BE TRULY OTHER, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA, FLORIDA, THINGS LIKE THAT.
JUMPING RIGHT TO OUR EXIT DATA.
[LAUGHTER] AGAIN, OUR ONLINE EXIT IS THROUGH QUALTRICS.
PREVIOUSLY IT WAS DONE THROUGH PAPER.
OUR DATA POINTS AGAIN, GOING BACK TO A TRUE SCHOOL YEAR WAS 9.1.20 THROUGH REALLY 8.30 IS REALLY, BUT 9.1.21 IS WHEN I REALLY PULLED THIS, HAD 25 CERTIFIED STAFF, TEACHERS BASICALLY COMPLETE THE SURVEY.
THERE'S A TOTAL OF 17 QUESTIONS THAT ARE TOGETHER AND EXPLORE COMMON THEMES IN OUR EXIT INTERVIEW.
AGAIN, AN EXIT INTERVIEW, WHICH MAY BE SOME HAVE DONE, MAYBE SOME HAVEN'T, IS TOTALLY UP TO THE PERSON IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO IT.
ALTHOUGH OBVIOUSLY, WE'D LOVE FOR EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THE EXIT AS EXIT DATA SO WE CAN HAVE THAT.
MAINTAINING CONFIDENTIALITY WITH FOLKS WHILE UTILIZING AND COMPILING THE BEST INFORMATION WE CAN FROM THEIR HONEST AND HOPEFULLY CONSTRUCTIVE RESPONSES THAT WE CAN BUILD UPON.
ALWAYS LOOKING TO IMPROVE THIS, REALLY TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE 17 QUESTIONS, THERE'S FOR NOT GETTING THE DETAILS ARE SKIP LOGIC THAT GOES INTO THIS QUESTIONS LIKE IF THEY DIDN'T FIND SOMETHING GREAT WITH CAROLINE COUNTY, HAD TELL US TOTALLY BUT TELL US WHY, IF THEY DID THEY MOVE ON SOMETHING THAT GIVE US MORE INFORMATION.
AGAIN, JUST LOOKING AT MAYBE CLEAN THAT UP A LITTLE BIT.
SEVENTEEN IS AN ODD NUMBER TOO, SO WE'LL JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THAT THIS YEAR.
JUST ONE OF THE DATA POINTS THAT WE PULLED OUT OF THERE.
JUST OVERALL, HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE IN WORKING IN CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS? AGAIN, THIS WAS JUST ONE OF THEM.
OUT OF THE 25 FOLKS THAT RESPONDED.
[02:15:01]
BUT THIS WAS ONE THAT IS PULLED TO GIVE US A GOOD IDEA.THEN THE LAST SLIDE IS REALLY GENERAL THEMES THAT WE SAW WITH THE PERCENTAGES OF HOW FOLKS RESPONDED IN TERMS OF WORKING CONDITIONS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
THEN ALSO WITH THE COMMENTS, SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WERE EXPRESSED THROUGH OUR EXIT DATA REALLY WORKLOAD PAPERWORK, FINDING THAT WORK-LIFE BALANCE, TEACHERS HAVING MORE INPUTS, CONSULTATION ON CURRICULUM UTILIZATION OF RESOURCES AND THEN OPPORTUNITY TO LEADERSHIP TRAINING.
THEN SOME OF THE SUCCESSES THAT WE FOUND OVERWHELMINGLY THROUGHOUT THE SURVEY WAS COWORKERS.
JUST THE CONNECTION, THE TEAMWORK, FEELING LIKE THAT EVERYONE HAD EACH OTHER'S BACK.
SEEK FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY HERE IN CAROLINE COUNTY, THEY FELT THERE WAS GOOD PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT WAS DONE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE UTILIZE HERE AND ALL OF OUR TECHNOLOGY.
THEN ALSO JUST PASSIONATE PRINCIPLES AS WELL. ANY QUESTIONS?
>> WELL I MEAN MRS JACKMAN IS SAYING WE JUST GOT TO PAY ATTENTION IN MAINTAINING AWARENESS OF IT.
I MEAN IF 25 PEOPLE FILL OUT THE SURVEY AND THEY'RE LEAVING US THEN IT LOOKS LIKE 17 OF THEM SAID THEIR EXPERIENCE WAS GOOD OR EXCELLENT.
WELL, I'M MORE THINKING ABOUT WHAT WAS THE AVERAGE IN POOR.
LIKE I SAID YOU SAID TO 17 OF THEM WERE LEAVING FOR OTHER REASONS.
IF THEY'RE GOING TO ANSWER THAT, WHY WOULD YOU ANSWER POSITIVE IF YOU LEAVE AT THAT POINT? 5, 6, 7, OF THOSE, WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON? BUT GOOD INFORMATION.
WORKLOAD PAPERWORK, WORK-LIFE BALANCE.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF CAREERS.
>> [INAUDIBLE] I MEAN, THAT THAT'S WHAT I LOVE THE THOUGHT OF WORKING WITH THAT POPULATION, BUT PAPERWORK [OVERLAPPING].
>> BUILD ON SUCCESSES THAT NOTION OF THE FAMILIES AND THE COMMUNITY THE COWORKERS.
YOU TALKED ABOUT RETENTION AND YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
DR. SIMMONS THOUGHT BUILDING THAT FEELING OF FAMILY [BACKGROUND] AS WORKPLACE AS A FAMILY AND COWORKERS.
THAT'S A THEME ANYPLACE INCLUDING IN THE MILITARY, THAT PEOPLE GIVE THAT EXTRA EFFORT BECAUSE OF THEIR TEAM, BECAUSE OF PEOPLE THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO LET DOWN.
THAT WAS GREAT COMMENT AND SUCH OVERARCHING.
HOW DO WE BUILD ON THAT? THAT'S NOT THE ANSWER TONIGHT. THAT'S LONG-TERM.
>> DO WANT TO COMMENT ONE THING IF POSSIBLE.
DEBBIE MENTIONED A SMALL PIECE, BUT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE EVER HAD THE PLEASURE OF DAWN RECRUITING BECAUSE RECRUITING BE LOT OF FUN, ESPECIALLY FOR A DISTRICT OF OUR SIZE.
BECAUSE WHO GOES TO THE RECRUITING EVENTS IS HOW YOU SELL THE COUNTY.
WE NOW BE HONEST, IF YOU'RE OUTSIDE OF SALISBURY UNIVERSITY, YOU'LL BE AS FAIR THING.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO PENN STATE, WHICH IS AN EXPERIENCE.
BUT YOU'RE IN A ROOM OF 1,000 SCHOOL DISTRICTS PROBABLY.
UNLESS YOU HAVE A CONNECTION WITH SOMEONE THERE, NOBODY KNOWS WHO CAROLINE COUNTY, MARYLAND IS [NOISE].
YOU'RE USUALLY NEXT TO SOME BIG SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT'S HANDING NOW, EXPENSIVE GADGETS AND GIZMOS BRINGING EVERYBODY OVER.
YOU RELY ON YOUR PERSONALITY AND YOUR CONNECTION AND YOUR ABILITY TO TALK TO KIDS AT THAT POINT, 21-YEAR-OLDS TO SUCKLE THEM IN AND THEN SELL THE COUNTY.
IT'S GREAT. WE USUALLY DO A GREAT JOB AT THOSE OUT-OF-STATE FAIRS.
PENN STATE IN PARTICULAR, AND I'VE DONE IT A FEW TIMES.
I WAS GLAD TO BE ASKED TO BE PART OF IT.
BUT THOSE REALLY ARE OUR BREAD AND BUTTER FOR HOW YOU CAN SELL THE BEAUTY OF WHAT'S HERE.
IS HOW YOU SELL THE FAMILY FIELD.
IS HOW YOU SELL THEIR SUPPORT.
IT'S HOW YOU SELL THE COMMUNITY, THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER HEARD AND CAROLINE COUNTY, BECAUSE YOU CAN TELL THEM WE'RE CLOSE TO THE BEACH, BUT IN REALITY WE'RE NOT.
IF THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR, THEY GET TICKED OFF AND GO.
NO, YOU'RE NOT. WORCESTER OR WICOMICO IS A LOT CLOSER.
I'LL MOVE THERE OR GO TO DELAWARE.
YOU SELL THEM ON WHAT'S HERE AND LET THEM SEE THE VALUE OF THAT FOLKS BRING TO THE TABLE.
THOSE RECRUITING EVENTS ARE POWERFUL FOR YOU TO DO THAT.
THIS PAST YEAR TO KNOW A PENN STATE TYPE EXPERIENCE IS.
HERE'S YOUR ZOOM ROOM AND YOU HOPE PEOPLE FIND YOU.
YOU'RE GOING TO SIT ON A LAPTOP ALL DAY IN FRONT OF A ZOOM SCREENING AND MIGHT FIND ONE PERSON TO COME THROUGH BECAUSE YOU MISS THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HOW WE CONNECT.
I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HOPEFULLY GET THOSE DOORS BACK OPEN THIS YEAR WITH RECRUITING EVENTS.
BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SUCCESS, GOOD SUCCESS IN PAST OF GETTING OUTSIDE FOLKS IN BY
[02:20:04]
GOING TO GET BOOTS ON THE GROUND IN FRONT OF YOUNG FOLKS WHO ARE LOOKING TO COME HERE TO START THEIR CAREERS.THAT'S BEEN A TOUGH SPOT FOR US.
APPRECIATE THE MARIGOLD COMMENT OF WE HIRE 50, WHICH IS GREAT.
GIVEN THOSE OTHER DOORS, OPEN AND BACK UP AGAIN, WE KNOW THAT THAT'S GOING TO HELP US TREMENDOUSLY WITH BRINGING NOT JUST PEOPLE, BUT THE RIGHT PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE HERE BEYOND A COUPLE OF YEARS TO GET TENURE, WHO WANT TO SETTLE ROOTS HERE, AND DO THEIR CAREER HERE.
BUT HR HAS DONE A GREAT JOB AND RUNNING HERE HAS BEEN PART OF THE HIRING PROCESSES.
HAS DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB OF PUTTING DOWN EVERY LEAD WE CAN THINK OF AND THEN HUNTING IT DOWN AGAIN, PROBABLY ONE MORE TIME.
THE TURNOVER STONES TO FIND ANYBODY, NOT JUST ANYBODY, ANYBODY WHO'S QUALIFYING TO BE A GOOD FIT THAT WE CAN WORK WITH FOR OUR KIDS.
>> I'LL JUST GO BACK TO SLIDE 3.
I REALIZED HE COULD NOT DO THE NORMAL RECRUITING.
DO WE HAVE A PLAN GOING FORWARD TO TRY TO GET MORE MINORITY?
I'M WORKING WITH THE EQUITY COMMITTEE AND NIKKI FISHER ON JUST CAPTURING FOLKS, GETTING FOLKS IN, EVEN GOING DISTANCES TO OTHER SCHOOLS THAT WE HAVEN'T.
WE START BY GOING DOWN FURTHER SOUTH.
BUT AGAIN JUST ATTENDING THOSE FAIRS AND WORKING WITH NIKKI A LOT ON THAT.
BUT HOW DOES THAT HELP WITH THE MINORITY HIRING? I'M NOT TRYING TO DIFFER; JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT HELPED.
WE'RE GOING TO GO TO MORE PLACES BUT I WOULD THINK WE SOMEHOW OR OTHER HAVE TO FOCUS ON MINORITIES.
WHEN I SAY MINORITIES, I DO NOT JUST MEAN AFRICAN AMERICAN BUT ASIAN, EVERYTHING ELSE OUT THERE BECAUSE I'M SEEING 92 PERCENT WHITE AND HONESTLY, YOU LOOK IN THIS ROOM.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO TRULY FOCUS ON BECAUSE I LIKE THE CONCEPT OF STAFF SHOULD REPRESENT THE STUDENTS.
THE DISCUSSION YOU WERE PART OF THE SCHOLARSHIP SELECTION COMMITTEE.
THE BOARD SCHOLARSHIP FOCUSING ON THAT HELPS A LOT ESPECIALLY WITH GROW YOUR OWN.
I KNOW MICHELLE BROUGHT IT UP EARLIER AND WE'VE GOT TO COME BACK TO MY NEW BUDGET DEVELOPMENT OF EXPANDING THE SCHOLARSHIP FROM 3-4 TO INCREASE ANOTHER SCHOLARSHIP TARGETING MINORITY STUDENTS TO TRY TO HELP FILL THE PIPELINE THAT WAY.
BUILDING OUR OWN IS ONE OF THE STRONGEST PIECES THAT WE CAN BUILD.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES TO RECRUIT INTO OUR TEACHER ED PROGRAMS TO TRY TO GET OUR STUDENTS IN THERE AS WELL.
THE GROW YOUR OWN MODEL, I THINK, IS GOING TO BE ONE OF OUR MOST SUCCESSFUL APPROACHES OVERALL.
IF WE'RE LOOKING AT CERTAIN MINORITY POPULATIONS, WE'VE GOT TO GET THE COLLEGES WHERE THEY GO.
IF YOU GO TO THE RECRUITING FAIRS AT SOME SCHOOLS THAT ARE OVERWHELMINGLY MAJORITY WHITE, THERE'S A FEW MINORITY CANDIDATES WALKING AROUND.
EVERY DISTRICT IS TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO ATTRACT THEM.
WE'RE ONE OF 500 WHO WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT MAYBE 10 WHO OR THERE.
BROADENING OUR SCOPE A LITTLE BIT AND WORKING WITH THE EQUITY COMMITTEE AND SOME EFFORTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING THERE WE ALSO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SHOW UP TO RECRUIT.
I KNOW DEBBIE'S BEEN PUTTING TEAMS TOGETHER IN THIS FASHION.
IF WE SHOW UP TO RECRUIT AT A SCHOOL THAT HAS A LARGER MINORITY POPULATION, AND WE SHOW UP WITH A VERY 92- PERCENT-LOOKING POPULATION TO RECRUIT DOESN'T HELP THE MESSAGE THAT WE ARE TRYING TO RECRUIT MINORITIES AND SHOW EXAMPLES OF FOLKS IN OUR COUNTY AND HAVE THEM AS PART OF THAT RECRUITMENT PROCESS.
IT IS HELPFUL TOO AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO BUILD THAT BACK IN AS WELL.
WHEN I MENTIONED ABOUT NIKKI FISHER, SHE AND I HAD A PLAN.
PRE-COVID, SORRY, ABOUT GETTING OUT TO SCHOOLS, SENDING NIKKI AND TEAM TO GO TO CLASSES AND TALK ABOUT TO STUDENTS ABOUT CAROLINE COUNTY AND JOINING THEIR EDUCATION FIELD AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
THERE WAS A BETTER PLAN BUT, LIKE I SAID, COMING BACK INTO THIS YEAR, REIGNITING THAT PLAN A LITTLE BIT.
MOVING ON TO REOPENING PLAN HEALTH METRICS AND UPDATE, DR. SIMMONS.
YES. MRS. JOE SHOULD BE COMING IN AS WELL AS [OVERLAPPING].
THEY ARE HERE. THEY'RE ALIVE HEY, HOW ARE YOU GUYS? HEY, HOW ARE YOU? PRETTY GOOD.
WELCOME AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME, I APPRECIATE IT.
WE'LL WALK THROUGH AND THE BOARD HAS ACCESS TO
[02:25:03]
THE PRESENTATION AND WE'LL WALK THROUGH IT.OBVIOUSLY, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT ANY POINT, WE WANTED TO REVISIT OUR GOAL FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR AS IT RELATES TO OUR HEALTH METRICS.
THEN WALK THROUGH [INAUDIBLE] SOME QUESTIONS THAT COME UP AROUND QUARANTINE.
TO GIVE JANE A CHANCE AND ROBIN TO HELP AS WELL IF WE NEED TO IN TERMS OF UNDERSTANDING QUARANTINE PROCEDURES AND HOW THEY WORK.
THEN OBVIOUSLY GET INTO CONVERSATIONS AROUND OUR DATA AND WHAT'S IT LOOKING AND ALSO LOOKING AT LAST YEAR'S QUARANTINE DATA.
THEN OF COURSE, HOW THE COUNTY DATA IS FAIRING MASSIVE ACTUALLY AS OF THIS MORNING, MOST RECENT DATA UPDATES.
IT'S THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO GET THROUGH TONIGHT.
OUR FIRST SLIDE, RACHEL, OBVIOUSLY AS WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS OPEN 180 DAYS FOR AT LEAST 1,080 HOURS FOR IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION FOR ALL STUDENTS.
I'M NOT COUNTING DOWN [LAUGHTER] AND I'M NOT BUT WE'RE A 176 AWAY FROM ACTUALLY MEETING OUR GOAL.
EVERY DAY IS PROGRESS TOWARDS ACHIEVING THAT GOAL WHICH IS WHAT'S DRIVING A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
THIS IS THE CONTACT-TRACING DECISION AID THAT JANE SHARED AND HAD DEVELOPED AT THE LAST MEETING.
JANE, IF YOU WANT TO WALK THROUGH HOW THIS PROCESS WORKS, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT SYMPTOMS NUMBER OF SYMPTOMS AND THOSE THINGS THAT HAVE COME UP WITH FOUR DAYS IN WE'VE HAD FOLKS OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE TO QUARANTINE.
JANE, IF YOU DON'T MIND JUST WALKING THROUGH THAT PIECE AND BETWEEN YOU AND ROBIN YOU CAN PROBABLY END UP ALSO EXPLAINING THE WHOLE 7, 10, 14 PIECE AND THAT DECISION MAKING COMPONENT, THAT MAY HELP.
WHEN WE ARE NOTIFIED OF A POSITIVE STUDENT, WE LOOK AT WHEN THEIR SYMPTOMS STARTED.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THE PERIOD TWO DAYS BEFORE SYMPTOM ONSET IS WHEN THEY COULD BE CONTAGIOUS AS WELL AS WHEN THEY WERE SYMPTOMATIC.
WE LOOK AT ATTENDANCE, WE LOOK AT SEATING CHARTS, WHO WAS SITTING LESS THAN THREE FEET OF THE POSITIVE STUDENTS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT SEATING CHARTS ON THE BUSES IN THE CLASSROOMS, IN THE CAFETERIAS, EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES SUCH AS ATHLETICS.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE WANTED TO IMPLEMENT THE MASKING BECAUSE IF MASKS ARE BEING WORN AND STUDENTS ARE THREE FEET APART, THEN WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO QUARANTINE THOSE STUDENTS.
WHEREAS IF WE DIDN'T HAVE MASKING IN PLACE, WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT EVERYBODY WHO WAS WITHIN SIX FEET OF THE SYMPTOM OR THE POSITIVE STUDENTS.
WE LOOK AT WERE MASK BEING WORN DURING THE ACTIVITY AND THEN HOW CLOSE THE OTHER STUDENTS WERE TO THE POSITIVE STUDENT.
THEN ONCE WE IDENTIFY A CLOSE CONTACTS, WE FIND OUT FROM THE CLOSE CONTACT THEIR VACCINATION STATUS.
IF THEY'RE FULLY VACCINATED, THEN THEY DON'T NEED TO QUARANTINE.
IF THEY'VE HAD COVID 19 IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS, THEY WOULDN'T NEED TO QUARANTINE.
BUT IF THEY'RE NOT FULLY VACCINATED, THEN WE WOULD PROCEED WITH GIVING THEM QUARANTINE GUIDANCE.
THE QUARANTINE GUIDANCE WE ARE FOLLOWING IS IF STUDENTS ARE EXPOSED, THEY HAVE TO BE OUT FOR A MINIMUM OF 10 DAYS AND MONITOR FOR SYMPTOMS. THEY CAN RETURN AFTER THAT 10-DAY PERIOD IF THEY REMAIN SYMPTOM-FREE.
THE CDC AND THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH GUIDANCE SAYS, CONTINUES TO SAY THAT 14 DAYS IS THE SAFEST OPTION BUT WE CAN CONSIDER A SHORTENED QUARANTINE PERIOD UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS AND THAT'S IF MASKS ARE BEING WORN, DISTANCING IS BEING IMPLEMENTED, ALL OF THOSE MITIGATION STRATEGIES TO SAFELY HAVE A 10-DAY RETURN.
JANE, IF THAT'S WHAT WE'RE FOLLOWING, I MEAN IS EVERYBODY ON THE SAME PAGE WITH THAT, WE'RE HEARING CONFLICTING STORIES.
ARE YOU HEARING ANY CONFLICTING STORIES ABOUT THE NUMBER OF QUARANTINE DAYS WITH NO SYMPTOMS? FROM WHERE? FROM SCHOOL STAFF, FROM PARENTS OR ANYTHING.
I MEAN OBVIOUSLY WE HAD A LETTER THIS EVENING AND I HEARD IT BEFORE.
THERE'S ACTUALLY THAT NO SYMPTOMS AND A NEGATIVE TEST AND THEY WERE TOLD 14 DAYS AND I WAS [OVERLAPPING] IT DEPENDS ON WHO THEY ASKED.
ALL OF THE NURSES HAVE THE GUIDANCE, THE PRINCIPALS HAVE THE GUIDANCE, IF THEY'VE ASKED ME, IT'S A 10-DAY FOR SCHOOL AND IT'S 14 DAYS FOR ATHLETICS BECAUSE WE CAN'T IMPLEMENT ALL OF THOSE MITIGATION STRATEGIES IF THEY'RE COMING BACK TO SPORTS.
[OVERLAPPING] HIGH CONTACT AND THEY'RE NOT WEARING MASKS SO NOT ALL THE STRATEGIES ARE IN PLACE TO SAFELY HAVE A RETURN.
>> WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A STUDENT THAT'S TESTED POSITIVE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STUDENTS THAT WERE EXPOSED.
>> I'M TALKING EXPOSURE TOO, [OVERLAPPING] IF THEY'RE POSITIVE, IT'S A 10 DAY.
[02:30:05]
>> IF YOU'RE EXPOSED, AND I THINK I KNOW WHERE MR. NEWCOMB IS GOING, THE PUBLIC COMMENT EARLIER ADDRESSED THE ATHLETICS PIECE WHERE YOU CAN BE OUT OF SCHOOL FOR 10 DAYS, BUT THEN WHY ARE THEY OUT OF ATHLETICS FOR AN ADDITIONAL FOUR?
>> BECAUSE OF THE LEVEL OF CONTACT WITH ATHLETICS.
>> IN ATHLETICS WE ARE NOT REQUIRING UNIVERSAL MASKING DURING ATHLETICS?
>> IF EVERYBODY WAS UNIVERSALLY MASKED THEN YOU HAVE ALL THE, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG AS WELL, IF DURING ATHLETICS EVERYBODY WAS MASKED THEN YOU HAVE THAT MITIGATION STRATEGY FOR ALL.
SO THEN YOU CAN BRING BACK AT 10, WHERE DURING THE SCHOOL DAY, IN SCHOOL WE'RE REQUIRING UNIVERSAL MASKING ALL DAY LONG.
[OVERLAPPING] THAT GIVES US 10 [OVERLAPPING] SO THAT WE'RE NOT MASKING DURING SPORTS THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES YOU THE NEXT ADDITIONAL FOUR DAYS.
>> IN SPORTS YOU'RE IN CLOSE CONTACT.
>> DEPENDING, GOLF IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN SOME OTHER SPORTS.
>> I'M NOT GOING TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT I'M TRYING TO DIGEST THROUGH IT.
IF A KID IS EXPOSED AND QUARANTINE WITH NO SYMPTOMS OR NEGATIVE TESTS AND COMES BACK TO SCHOOL ON DAY 10.
CURRENTLY, WERE THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.
>> FOR FOUR DAYS. I'M ASSUMING THIS BAND INCLUDED IN THAT?
>> THAT'S NOT CONSIDERED CLOSE CONTACT.
>> WE CONSIDER CHEERLEADING A SPORT.
>> COULD THE STUDENT SELF-IMPOSED OF MASKING AND SAY, "LISTEN, LET ME GO BACK. I'LL WEAR A MASK."
IT'S EVERYBODY BEING MASKED, THE WHOLE TEAM, AND THEN THE PEOPLE THAT ARE PLAYING AGAINST, UNIVERSAL MASKING SO EVERYBODY'S PROTECTED.
BUT THEN IT'S THAT CLOSE CONTACT PIECE AS WELL.
>> YEAH. WE AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS RECEIVED SEVERAL COMMUNICATIONS AS WELL FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE A LITTLE CONFUSED IN TERMS OF HOW THIS IS WORKING, BECAUSE THERE IS DIFFERENT GUIDANCE FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN TERMS OF QUARANTINING AND THEIR SITUATION.
AGAIN, THE 10 DAY, 14 DAY, SEVEN-DAY QUESTION CONTINUES TO COME UP.
IT'S DIFFICULT TO PUT THIS IN AN EASY TO READ FORMAT IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE THE WHY AND THE HOW.
I WILL SAY THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS IN TRYING TO PUT OUT SOME INFORMATION.
I THINK WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD DOCUMENT THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE RELEASED TODAY, BUT AGAIN, WE HAD TO RE-EVALUATE IT AND CHANGE A FEW THINGS SO THAT IT WAS VERY CLEARLY EXPLAINED.
WE HAVE A DIFFERENT FLOW CHART FOR SCHOOL ATHLETICS AND NOW WE HAVE A FLOWCHART FIRST SCHOOL IN GENERAL IN TERMS OF QUARANTINE, THAT WE'RE GOING TO BROADCAST THROUGH OUR CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION, THROUGH FACEBOOK, OUR WEBSITE, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
IT IS VERY CONFUSING, SOME OF IT IS A CASE-BY-CASE SITUATION.
LIKE JANE SAID, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT MITIGATION STRATEGY OF UNIVERSAL MASKING.
YEAH. THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS HAVE BEEN A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT IN TERMS OF TRYING TO COMMUNICATE THE INFORMATION AND THE WHY.
IN TERMS OF THE POPULATION THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, AGAIN, A LOW VACCINATION RATE, WHICH IT IS INCREASING, WHICH IS GREAT.
BUT WE HAVE A LOW VACCINATION RATE AND A HIGH LEVEL OF COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION.
TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE AND SAY THAT WE CAN REDUCE AND SHORT AND THE QUARANTINE TO 10 DAYS IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.
THAT THE 14 DAY PERIOD, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT IN TERMS OF THE STUDIES.
AFTER YOU'VE BEEN EXPOSED ON DAY 10, THE LIKELIHOOD OF YOU BEING ABLE TO TRANSMIT THE VIRUS ITSELF IS ABOUT 1-12 PERCENT AS OPPOSED TO IF YOU WERE TO BE RELEASED ON DAY 14.
DAY 14, I THINK IT WAS LIKE 1-5 PERCENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
OF COURSE THAT CHANGES AS WELL.
THAT'S THE LOGIC BEHIND THE 10 DAY AS OPPOSED TO A SEVEN DAY AS WELL. IT'S VERY CONFUSING.
>> BUT WHAT ABOUT IF THE STUDENT GET'S TESTED AND IT'S NEGATIVE, WHY ARE THEY STILL BEING QUARANTINED FOR THE CENTER 14 DAYS?
>> YEAH. YOU STILL HAVE A LIKELIHOOD OF BEING A CARRIER FOR THAT 14 DAY PERIOD AFTER YOU'VE BEEN EXPOSED.
[02:35:02]
>> YOU COULD STILL DEVELOP SYMPTOMS. [OVERLAPPING]
>> WHEN EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE NEGATIVE ON THAT DAY, BUT THEY'RE STILL THAT POTENTIAL OF BECOMING POSITIVE ON DAYS 8-10, 11-14.
>> BUT IS THERE ANY BENEFIT OF THEM GETTING TESTED IF THEY'RE ASYMPTOMATIC?
>> IF THEY'RE ASYMPTOMATIC, ESSENTIALLY, IT WOULD BE A SCREENING PROCESS OF THEM GETTING TESTED.
THE REASON WHY FOR THEM TO BE TESTED BETWEEN DAY THREE AND FIVE, IS BECAUSE THAT'S THE STUDY SHOW, THAT'S THE PERIOD OF TIME THAT THE MAJORITY EITHER BECOMES SYMPTOMATIC OR THEY SHOW THE VIRAL LOAD FOR THE VIRUS.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT CAN'T HAPPEN 5-10 DAYS AFTERWARDS OR 5-14 DAYS AFTERWARDS.
IT JUST MEANS THAT THAT'S THE LIKELIHOOD, THAT'S THE PERIOD OF TIME THAT IT'S LIKELY TO HAPPEN.
FOR THEM TO BE TESTED DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME, IF THEY'RE ASYMPTOMATIC, THEY SHOW NO SYMPTOMS WHATSOEVER THEY'RE TESTED, THEY THEN QUARANTINE FOR THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT'S NEEDED IF THEY TEST POSITIVE.
>> GREAT. BUT IF THEY TEST NEGATIVE, YOU'RE STILL MAKING THEM QUARANTINED.
>> YEAH, BECAUSE THERE'S STILL THAT LIKELIHOOD.
>> BUT I'M GOING BACK, AND I'M NOT SAYING I DON'T WANT THE MASKS, DEFINITELY NOT SAYING THAT.
I'M JUST SAYING, WHAT'S THE POINT OF GETTING TESTED? IF YOU'RE NEGATIVE OR POSITIVE, YOU'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE TO QUARANTINE X AMOUNT OF DAYS.
>> WILL NOT LEAVING SCHOOL FOR 10 DAYS?
>> WELL, AND IT ALSO TAKES ON A DIFFERENT SENSE OF IF YOU TEST POSITIVE AT DAY THREE THROUGH FIVE, YOU ARE NOW A CASE AND THEN YOU GET CONTACT TRACED.
>> RIGHT. BUT I'M SAYING IF YOU'RE ASYMPTOMATIC.
>> IF YOU TEST POSITIVE, YOU TEST POSITIVE REGARDLESS IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS OR NOT.
>> YOU CAN STILL BE POSITIVE AND NOT DEVELOP SYMPTOMS.
>> YEAH. YOU WOULD STILL BE CONSIDERED A CONTACT AND THEREFORE BE CONTACT TRACED AND TRY TO GET RID OF THE COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION OF IT.
>> HOW LONG DOES THE TEST TAKE? ARE THEY RAPID TESTS OR ARE THEY?
>> YOU CAN GET A RAPID TEST FOR IT IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS, BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN SHOWN TO BE MORE ACCURATE IN TERMS OF FOR SYMPTOMATIC INDIVIDUALS? I DON'T RECOMMEND IT FOR ASYMPTOMATIC.
HOWEVER, THE PCR TEST, WE'RE GETTING A TURNAROUND OF ABOUT 2-3 DAYS FOR OURS.
WE SAY 3-5 BUT THEY'RE BACK BEFORE THE THIRD DAY.
>> WE DON'T WANT CHILD IS QUARANTINED BECAUSE OF EXPOSURE TO AND NO JOB.
THEY HAVEN'T HAD COVID, BUT WE'RE GETTING THEM TESTED. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THAT IF A CHILD HAS BEEN EXPOSED FOR WHATEVER REASON, THEIR OWN REASONS WITHOUT STAYING TOO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER WITHOUT A MASK.
THIS KID IS SENT HOME FOR UP TO 14 DAYS.
THIS KID NEVER DEVELOPS SYMPTOMS AND GETS THE TEST AFTER 3-5 TO FIVE DAYS.
IS THERE A WAY WE ONLY LOOK AT A WAY TO HAVE THESE KIDS TEST A RAPID TEST EVERYDAY BEFORE THEY COME TO SCHOOL, TO BE AVAILABLE TO GET THEM AT SCHOOL.
BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A VIRTUAL OPTIONS FOR THESE KIDS IN THERE HOME.
WE NEED TO LOOK AT A WAY TO GET THESE KIDS BACK AND THESE KIDS THAT DON'T HAVE SYMPTOMS, THEY DIDN'T HAVE COVID, A WAY TO GET THEM BACK INTO SCHOOL.
>> YEAH. THAT'S A REALLY GOOD IDEA.
>> [OVERLAPPING] TO GET THEM BACK IN SCHOOL, AND HAVE TO TAKE A TEST EVERY DAY.
WE'RE TRYING TO LIMIT THE EXPOSURE, WE'RE TRYING TO LIMIT OTHER KIDS GOING HOME.
WE ALSO WANT THESE KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL.
IF WE TEST THEM EACH DAY, IF THE PARENTS ARE WILLING TO TEST THEM EACH DAY FOR THAT 10 OR 14 DAY PERIOD, CAN WE GET THESE KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL AFTER 3-5? [OVERLAPPING]
IF THEY TESTED BETWEEN DAY THREE TO FIVE, THEN THAT WOULD MEAN THAT THEY WERE AT DAY 8.
>> BUT THEY'D HAVE TO WAIT TILL AT LEAST DAY 5, ACCORDING TO THE GUIDANCE
>> YEAH, THEY WOULD. [OVERLAPPING]
>> THEY'RE NEGATIVE, AND WILL TAKE A DAILY TEST [OVERLAPPING]
>> WELL, THEN IT WOULD TAKE A PCR TEST.
LIKE I SAID, AT A MINIMUM, IT WOULD BE BACK WITHIN 2-3 DAYS.
>> WHAT IF YOU CHOOSE THE RAPID TEST?
>> THE RAPIDS ARE NOT AS RELIABLE FOR ASYMPTOMATIC.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE SYMPTOMS, THEY'RE NOT AS RELIABLE.
>> IT'S ALL CHANGING AS YOU SAID.
[02:40:01]
YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE FLOW CHARTS AND I DIDN'T REALIZE THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE.I SAT THROUGH THIS MEETING IN AUGUST, AND WE WERE GOING TO RECOMMEND BUT NOT MANDATE, AND THEN TWO WEEKS LATER WE'RE CHANGING GUIDELINES, TRYING TO KEEP KIDS IN SCHOOL.
WE RECOMMENDED, SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO SEND AS MANY KIDS HOME.
BUT WE ARE SENDING KIDS HOME FOR SOMEWHAT MINOR THINGS, WHETHER IT'S COVID-RELATED OR JUST FIRST DAY BACK IN SCHOOL FOR 18 MONTHS AND I GOT A SLIGHT HEADACHE OR SOMETHING, THEY'RE GOING HOME.
NOT TO JUMP AHEAD, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS YEAR'S FEW DAYS' NUMBERS ARE YET, BUT WHAT I'M LOOKING AT IS LAST SPRING, 87 PERCENT OF THE KIDS THAT WENT HOME DIDN'T HAVE COVID.
THAT LEAVES 12 AND 1/2 PERCENT AND 12 AND 1/2 PERCENT KNOCK ON WOOD, I HOPE NONE OF THEM WERE SERIOUS.
I DON'T THINK IN CAROLINE COUNTY, WE'VE HAD [INAUDIBLE].
BUT THEN THAT'S AGAIN, THAT'S WHERE SOME OF THESE PARENTS ARE FEELING THAT'S THEIR CHOICE ON WHETHER THEY WANT THE PARAMETERS, HOW MUCH RISK THEY'RE WILLING TO TAKE.
THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WANTS TO MITIGATE OUR RISK.
LIKE I SAID AT THE BEGINNING, WE WANT THE GOVERNMENT TO MOVE SLOWLY AND IS VERY CAUTIOUS.
BUT WHEN WE KNOW THERE'S ONLY 12 PERCENT OF THE KIDS IN THE COMMUNITY POTENTIALLY HAVE IT, AND THEY'RE LIVING THE WAY THEY LIVE OUTSIDE THESE SCHOOL WALLS ANYWAY.
THEN THE PERCENTAGE WHO ARE ACTUALLY GETTING VERY ILL IS EVEN MORE.
I APPRECIATE MARK'S COMMENTS AND MS. JACKMAS' TOO, DONNA'S, WHAT CAN WE DO, IF ANYTHING, TO TRY TO KEEP THESE KIDS IN SCHOOL WHEN ACTIVITY IS MORE, IF ANYTHING?
>> I REALLY DID LIKE THE IDEA IN TERMS OF LIMITING THE DAYS FOR QUARANTINE.
IF WE CAN CERTAINLY FIGURE THAT OUT, WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT BECAUSE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WANTS KIDS IN SCHOOL AS WELL.
THAT'S THE BEST PLACE FOR THEM IN TERMS OF EDUCATION AND MENTAL HEALTH AND EVERYTHING ELSE IN TERMS OF THOSE KIDS GROWING.
I KNOW THAT WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT LAST SPRING, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE VARIANTS THAT WE WERE AWARE OF AT THAT TIME, AND WE NEVER SAW DELTA UNTIL THIS SUMMER.
THERE ARE STUDIES IN TERMS OF THE EFFECT OF DELTA ON CHILDREN.
I HAVE A WEEKLY CALL WITH SUREHEALTH, AND THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT PEDIATRIC SURGE, AND THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THESE OTHER THINGS.
I'M NOT TRYING TO INSTILL FEAR IN ANYONE AT ALL, BUT YOU HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT THE DELTA VARIANT IS VERY SERIOUS.
WE HAVE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF THOSE CASES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF THE DELTA VARIANT.
IF IT CONTINUES AND IT HITS HARD, IT'S GOING TO HIT EXTREMELY HARD.
IN ORDER TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN POSSIBLY DO TO MITIGATE THAT CIRCUMSTANCE IS WHAT I'M DEDICATED TO DOING.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT AS OF THIS MORNING, I HAD 65 CASES THAT WERE ACCOUNTED FOR FOR THE LAST 10 DAYS.
OUT OF THOSE 65, I HAD 16 OF THEM WHO WERE UNDER THE AGE OF 18.
>> WHAT WAS THAT AGAIN? SIXTY FIVE, HOW MANY?
>> SIXTY FIVE CASES, I HAD 16 THAT WERE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 COMPLETELY, AND THEN 12 OF THOSE WERE UNDER THE AGE OF 12, WHICH REPRESENTS 18 PERCENT OF THOSE 65.
I HAVEN'T SEEN NUMBERS LIKE THAT IN TERMS OF THAT AGE GROUP, IN TERMS OF CASES, WHICH IS CONCERNING MY COMMUNICABLE DISEASE DIRECTOR.
SHE EMAILS ME EVERY MORNING WITH HOW MANY NEW CASES WE HAVE, AND I'VE ASKED HER TO BE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT THE NUMBER THAT ARE INDICATED FOR UNDER THE AGE OF 12 SO THAT WE CAN KEEP TRACK OF IT.
THANKFULLY, WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY HOSPITALIZATIONS FOR THAT AGE GROUP, WHICH I'M THANKFUL FOR, AS WELL AS NO DEATHS.
BUT LIKE I SAID, THE DELTA VARIANT IS REAL AND IT'S HERE, AND IT CONTINUES.
I MEAN, I GOT FOUR MORE REPORTS THIS WEEK OF DELTA VARIANT TESTING FOR SEQUENCING AND IT'S SHOWING UP AS BEING POSITIVE FOR DELTA.
>> I THINK EVERYBODY HERE UNDERSTANDS THAT IT'S REAL.
LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY, I GET IT. I KNOW IT'S REAL.
I KNOW THIS IMPACTS CHILDREN MORE THAN THE ORIGINAL ONE, SO MY QUESTIONS ARE NOT TRYING TO ARGUE WITH ANY OF THE SCIENCE,
[02:45:02]
I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE THINGS LIKE WHEN YOU SEE A LIST OF SYMPTOMS FOR COVID, ANYTHING, HAY FEVER FITS INTO IT, I HAVE HAY FEVER, SO ACCORDING TO THE LIST, [INAUDIBLE] AND I STILL HAVE IT BECAUSE I HAVE HAY FEVER, HEADACHE.HOW ARE YOU DETERMINING WHAT STUDENTS HAVE TO GET QUARANTINED? IF THEY COME TO YOU WITH A HEADACHE, OR STOMACHACHE, OR MY NOSE IS RUNNING, HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHEN IT'S HAY FEVER VERSUS A STRESS HEADACHE OR WHATEVER? HOW DO YOU DETERMINE THAT WE DON'T KNOW IF THIS CHILD HAS COVID, BUT WE'RE GOING TO QUARANTINE THEM?
>> THE GUIDANCE IN TERMS OF WHO IS BEING INDICATED AS SUSPECTED HAS CHANGED.
>> THEY CHANGED, LAST YEAR, THERE WAS A LIST OF FOUR SYMPTOMS, IF YOU HAD ANY ONE OF THESE SYMPTOMS, OR THEN THERE WAS A LIST OF SIX-RATE THAT IF YOU HAD TWO OF THE FOLLOWING, BUT THEN AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CHANGED IT TO IF YOU HAD ONE SYMPTOM OF AND THERE WAS A LONG LIST AND LIKE YOU SAY, SORE THROAT, SEVERE HEADACHE, ANY OF THOSE SYMPTOMS COULD MEAN OTHER THINGS.
IT ALSO SAYS IF IT'S A CHANGE IN BASELINE, IF YOU HAVE AN UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITION.
I HAD A STUDENT LAST WEEK WHO HAS A HISTORY OF MIGRAINES. HE HAD A MIGRAINE.
IF IT'S HAPPENING AT SCHOOL, THE NURSES ARE USING THEIR JUDGMENT, THEY'RE ASSESSING, THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE WHOLE SITUATION.
BUT WITH THE GUIDELINES, I MEAN, UNFORTUNATELY, THE SYMPTOMS MIRROR SO MANY OTHER THINGS UNLESS YOU HAVE A TEST OR THEY SEE A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER FOR AN ALTERNATE DIAGNOSIS, WE DON'T KNOW, WE HAVE TO ACT LIKE IT COULD BE UNTIL WE KNOW IT ISN'T.
>> JEN, YOU MENTIONED HEADACHE AND A STUDENT WITH A HISTORY OF MIGRAINES.
DO YOU KNOW IF THAT CASE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT THE NURSE DECIDE, THIS IS TYPICAL, JUST GO BACK TO CLASS AND WE'LL KEEP MONITORING YOU, OR WAS THAT IDENTIFIED AND SENT HOME?
>> WE HAD DOCUMENTATION ON FILE.
I MEAN, I HAD A HISTORY OF THE STUDENT AND IT WAS DOCUMENTED AND HE HAD MEDICATION ORDERS.
>> THAT WASN'T A PREVENTATIVE QUARANTINE?
>> RIGHT. I MEAN, WE KNEW HE HAD MIGRAINES.
IT WAS THE END OF THE DAY TOO, HE WENT HOME.
>> WELL, IT WAS FOUR O'CLOCK, HE GOT SICK, HE WENT HOME.
>> NO, HE DIDN'T GET QUARANTINED.
WE KNEW THAT THIS WAS HOW HE [OVERLAPPING]
>> ON PREVIOUSLY DOCUMENTED STUDENT WITH HEADACHES, THERE ARE PARAMETERS ON KIDS AS FAR AS, IS IT A HEADACHE OR IS IT JUST-
>> RIGHT. A LOT OF IT IS HOW THE KID PRESENTS, HOW THEY DESCRIBE IT.
SOME OF THAT IS SUBJECTIVE, AND IT'S NOT BLACK AND WHITE.
>> WHEN YOU GET THE FEELING THAT IT'S PREVENTATIVE QUARANTINE, THEY DON'T SHOW UP FOR OUR MEMBERS AS THE STUDENTS WOULD.
>> YOU'RE GETTING NOTIFICATIONS IF WE HAVE A POSITIVE CASE.
>> MY QUESTION, A WHILE AGO YOU SAID, THIS IS HARD TO EXPLAIN, COMPLICATED, THEREFORE, HARD TO UNDERSTAND.
WHEN WE HAD OUR MEETING IN AUGUST AND YOU WERE EXPLAINING IT, THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS I SAID, IS THAT IT'S PRETTY HARD TO UNDERSTAND, PRETTY HARD TO EXPLAIN, AND SO DIFFICULT FOR EVERYBODY TO GRASP AND THEN TO IMPLEMENT. THIS IS NOT EASY.
>> THAT WAS INTERPRETED OUT THERE FROM THE LISTENING PUBLIC AS WE WERE TELLING PEOPLE THEY WERE STUPID.
NOT AT ALL. THIS IS HARD STUFF.
THEN WHEN YOU START TAKING US OUT INTO REAL PEOPLE, YOU HAVE THESE COMPLICATIONS, A KID WHO'S SHOWING SOME OF THE SYMPTOMS BUT HAS A HISTORY OF HAY FEVER OR MIGRAINES OR WHATEVER, THIS STUFF IS HARD.
THERE'S SO MANY VARIABLES AND THEN THE DATA SHIFTS, AND THE GUIDANCE COULD GET A SHIFT BECAUSE IT'S A MOVING OBJECT.
I WAS APPREHENSIVE ABOUT PUTTING OUT A FLOWCHART, AND THE MESSAGING THAT WILL COME OUT WITH THE FLOWCHARTS FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL BE THAT THESE THINGS CHANGE AT A RAPID PACE, SO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH THE INFORMATION.
IT BLOWS MY MIND AT HOW RAPID IT CHANGES.
>> THAT WAS VERY CHALLENGING LAST YEAR WHEN THE GUIDANCE CHANGED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND KEEPING THE NURSES UPDATED AND THE FAMILIES UPDATED WITH THE SYMPTOMS,
[02:50:06]
AND WHEN THEY QUARANTINE, AND HOW LONG.>> A LOT OF IT REALLY IS CASE-BY-CASE.
I SHOULDN'T SAY A LOT OF IT IS CASE-BY-CASE.
YOU HAVE A GOOD MAJORITY OF IT THAT FITS INTO THE FLOWCHART AND IT WORKS, BUT THEN YOU HAVE ALL OF THESE OUTLIERS THAT LIKE JEN DESCRIBED AND THAT IS A CASE-BY-CASE SITUATION.
>> IT'S COMPLICATED. YOU'RE AN EXPERT, I'LL SAY YOU DON'T HAVE TO, AN EXPERT IN PUBLIC HEALTH AND THIS IS CHALLENGING FOR YOU TO EXPLAIN AND FOR PEOPLE [INAUDIBLE] .
IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN, IT'S HARD TO UNDERSTAND, PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THE BEST THEY CAN AND NURSES ARE DOING THE BEST THEY CAN, EVERYBODY IS. IT'S NOT EASY.
>> YEAH, THIS IS A NOVEL VIRUS AND THAT MEANS, WE HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT.
THAT MEANS, IT'S NOT LIKE CHICKENPOX, IT'S NOT LIKE THE FLU.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
WE DON'T KNOW, IF YOU ACQUIRE NATURAL IMMUNITY THROUGH ACTUALLY CONTRACTING THE VIRUS.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE IMPACT OF THAT IS GOING TO BE 10 OR 20 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD ON YOUR SYSTEM BECAUSE THEY LINK VIRUSES TO DISEASE EVERY DAY.
I MEAN, IF YOU TAKE THE HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS THAT CAUSES CERVICAL CANCER, THIS IS WHY IT'S SO SERIOUS.
FOR PUBLIC HEALTH, INDIVIDUALS ARE COMMUNICATING IT, TO REMEMBER THAT THIS IS A NOVEL VIRUS.
NOT ONLY DOES IT IMPACT THE HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY, IT ALSO IMPACTS THE HEALTH OF YOUR COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC IMPACT, YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE CLOSED DOWN FOR THE TIME PERIOD THAT WE DID.
YES, PEOPLE WERE GOING TO GET SICK.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE ILL, THEY'RE GOING TO BE HOSPITALIZED.
GOD KNOWS, THEY'LL PERISH AND IT'S VERY SAD.
BUT YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE DAMAGE THAT IT COULD POSSIBLY DUE TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITY.
REALLY WEIGH ON THAT IN TERMS OF HAVING OUTBREAKS AFTER OUTBREAKS.
AGAIN, I'M NOT HERE TO INSTILL FEAR, I'M HERE TO GIVE YOU FACTS.
I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT YOU GUYS WANT TO SEE ON A REGULAR BASIS IN TERMS OF THE DATA.
I MEAN, WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU SOME INFORMATION.
BUT IF THERE'S SOMETHING UP, IF SOMETHING'S MISSING, I WANT TO KNOW SO THAT I CAN PROVIDE THAT INFO FOR YOU.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT CDC AND THE STATE OF MARYLAND, MDH, THEY'RE JUST NOW DIGGING INTO THE PEDIATRIC SIDE OF THE DATA.
HOWEVER, I HAVE SOME ACCESS TO THINGS THAT I COULD STILL PROVIDE.
YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON WHAT IT IS THAT YOU WANT TO SEE.
BECAUSE THE INFORMATION YOU'RE GOING TO SEE TONIGHT IS BASICALLY THE SAME INFO THAT IS PUBLISHED AND GIVEN TO THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
IT'S THE INFORMATION THAT WE PROVIDE ON OUR WEBSITE AND OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AS WELL.
WHAT YOU GUYS TO DO IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
I WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE DATA TO SUPPORT THE DECISIONS THAT YOU MAKE.
RACHEL, DO YOU WANT TO FAST-FORWARD TO THE DATA SLIDES IN, SINCE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IT?
>> THAT'S FINE. YOU CAN SEE OUR SEVEN-DAY POSITIVITY RATE.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT POSITIVITY RATE, I HEAR A LOT OF THIS, GIVE ME THE NUMBERS, NOT THE PERCENTAGES.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT POSITIVITY RATE, WE'RE AT A 7.77 PERCENT RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S AN INCREASE OF 34.7 PERCENT COMPARED TO THE SEVEN DAYS AGAIN.
BECAUSE WE UPDATE THIS INFORMATION OVER SEVEN DAYS.
THEN YOU CAN SEE MARYLAND AT 4.77 PERCENT, AND THAT'S DECREASED A LITTLE BIT, THOSE NUMBERS FLUCTUATE.
THEY CAN ALSO BE BASED OFF OF YOUR TESTING CAPACITY AS WELL.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE CASE RATE, AGAIN, YOU SEE AN INCREASE THERE.
WELL, LAST WEEK OUR CASE RATE WAS 18.82 PER 100,000 POPULATION, AND THEN IT INCREASED TO 28.65, SO THAT SHOWS A 52.2 PERCENT INCREASE.
ESSENTIALLY, YOU CAN SEE, AGAIN, WITH THE TESTING SITUATION, THEY HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF TESTING MUCH MORE [NOISE] THAN WE DO.
OUR LEVEL OF COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION,
[02:55:02]
WE'VE ALREADY SPOKE ABOUT THAT BEFORE.WE ARE IN HIGH FOR OUR COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION LEVEL.
THEN WE HAVE THIS NEW LITTLE PIECE OF INFORMATION, THE PERCENTAGE OF NEW MARYLAND CASES REPORTED THAT WERE CHILDREN UNDER AGE 18, AND THIS IS STATEWIDE.
YOU HAVE 26.1 PERCENT AND I CAN'T SEE THAT VERY WELL, AND IT IS 268 CHILDREN.
THAT IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF CASES IN OUR PART, AND YES.
THEN OF THE PERCENT OF CASES THAT WE HAVE REPORTED HERE, 72 PERCENT OF THEM ARE NOT FULLY VACCINATED, WHICH WE'VE BEEN SEEING.
THAT'S A TREND THAT WE'VE OF COURSE BEEN SAYING.
WHEN I WAS REVIEWING THIS INFORMATION, THE ONE THING AND THAT'S WHY I PULLED THE INFORMATION FOR THE LAST 10 DAYS IN TERMS OF THE NEW CASES THAT THE NUMBER 65, THAT I HAD GIVEN YOU.
I THINK THAT I CAN ACTUALLY PULL THE DATA AND BREAK IT DOWN IN TERMS OF THE NEW CASES.
THE PERCENT OF NEW CASES REPORTED SPECIFICALLY FOR CAROLINE COUNTY FOR THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
I NEED TO DISCUSS THAT WITH MY DATA PEOPLE, BUT I THINK THAT THAT CAN BE DONE.
I'M SURE THAT THAT WOULD BE SOME VALUABLE INFORMATION FOR YOU GUYS.
I APPRECIATE THE NUMBERS AND ALL.
I WAS LOOKING AT LAST SPRING'S.
DO WE HAVE A NUMBER ON WHERE WE ARE THIS YEAR, AS OF NOW, FEW DAYS INTO SCHOOL.
WE WENT TO SCHOOL LAST WEDNESDAY.
WE WERE OFF MONDAY TO 334 FULL SCHOOL DAYS.
WHERE ARE WE ON? KIDS THAT WE'RE AWARE OF.
>> NUMBER OF POSITIVES AND NUMBERS OF QUARANTINE.
>> THAT HAD BEEN IN THE BUILDINGS, SINCE SCHOOL STARTED? [BACKGROUND] YEAH, WE'RE AWARE OF POSITIVE CASES THAT HAD BEEN IN THE SCHOOL SINCE THE FIRST DAY.
>> ABOUT 40. THERE WAS AN ATHLETIC TEAM IN THE COMMUNITY THAT HAD SCHOOL-AGE KIDS ON IT, THAT THERE WAS AN EXPOSURE, SO THAT LED TO MULTIPLE KIDS.
>> THIS QUARANTINES ARE NECESSARY FOR KIDS IN SCHOOL, FROM SCHOOL ACTIVITIES.
>> NOT ALL THEM. NO. WELL, AT LEAST HALF.
>> YEAH. BUT CAFETERIA, A BUS, SOME CLASSROOM.
>> HAVE WE HAD ANY STAFF POSITIVES?
WHEN COVID FIRST STARTED, IF SOMEBODY GOT COVID OR GOT [INAUDIBLE] IT WASN'T TELLING AGAINST TO CHARGE USING SICK PAY.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IF SOMEBODY GETS COVID NOW IT'S BEING HELD AGAINST THEM. SINCE DAY ONE.
>> THE FEDERAL LEGISLATION THAT'S PROVIDING PAID COVID RELIEF, DON'T MIND DISTANCING.
>> I GUESS ONE OF MY CONCERNS WITH THAT IS I CAN SAY A NEW TEACHER COMES.
GETS COVID, THEY'VE GOT TO USE THE WHOLE 10 DAYS.
>> IF THEY'RE VACCINATED, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TO MISS ANY TIME UNLESS THEY DEVELOP SYMPTOMS.
>> IF THEY DEVELOP SYMPTOMS THEN THERE THEY'VE GOT TO USE THEIR WHOLE?
>> IF THEY'RE POSITIVE THEY'RE OUT FOR 10 CALENDAR DAYS.
>> WE WOULD LIKE TO THINK THIS WOULDN'T HAPPEN BUT LET'S BE REAL.
DO YOU THINK THERE MIGHT BE SOME TEACHERS THAT DON'T GET TESTED BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO USE UP ALL THE SICK LEAVE?
WE HAVE SOME FOLKS WELL NOT FACT WISE BUT I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO BE GETTING SOME FOLKS THAT DO NOT WANT TO [NOISE] SIT DOWN THEMSELVES TO COVID TESTING IN GENERAL.
THERE COULD BE A SEGMENT REGARDLESS THAT DOESN'T WANT TO TEST FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
>> CONTACT TRACING, I GET THE PRINCIPLE BEHIND IT I DO, BUT THE REALITY IS REALLY TRULY PROVING WHERE SOMEBODY GOT COVID IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE.
BUT LET'S SAY IF IT APPEARS THAT A STAFF MEMBER GOT IT FROM COMING TO WORK.
[03:00:02]
THEY STILL HAVE TO USE THEIR SICK LEAVE?>> AS OF RIGHT NOW, YES, BUT THERE'S NO PROVISION TO NOT DO THAT.
>> ISN'T THAT ALMOST LIKE A WORKMAN'S PASS TYPE THING THOUGH?
>> COULD BE IF IT'S PROVEN THAT THEY KEEP THEIR WORK.
>> RIGHT, BUT HOW DO YOU PROVE THAT?
>> NOW IT BECOMES A CHALLENGE.
>> I DON'T KNOW. IT'S JUST THAT MUCH I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT.
>> I DON'T WANT SOMEBODY TO NOT GET TESTED.
>> THAT NEEDS TO GET TESTED AND LIKE I SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO THINK PEOPLE WOULD DO THE MATURE THING TO KEEP WORKING FULL.
I JUST THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK AT AND ANOTHER THING THAT MARK WAS BRINGING UP.
WHEN THESE STUDENTS ARE GETTING QUARANTINED RIGHT NOW WE HAVE NO WAY OF HELPING THEM NOW THEY'RE GONE.
ARE WE WORKING ON SOMETHING? EVEN IF YOU JUST HAD SOMEBODY THAT WOULD GO ONLINE FOR A STUDENT TO SAY, OKAY, HERE'S MY QUESTION AND THEN THAT STAFF MEMBER TO GO TO THE TEACHER, FIND OUT THE ANSWER AND THEN GET BACK TO THE STUDENT.
>> I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ALL OF OUR STUDENTS WILL BE ON GOOGLE CLASSROOM WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO ACCESS THEIR ASSIGNMENTS THROUGH THAT.
STUDENTS CAN EMAIL THEIR TEACHERS TO GET FEEDBACK.
TEACHERS HAVE TIME WHERE THEY COULD UTILIZE PLANNING TIME TO TOUCH BASE WITH KIDS IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS.
TEACHERS DO STILL HAVE ACCESS TO THE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE VIRTUALLY WITH KIDS.
THEY COULD IF NEED BE AND JUST SET UP A TIME TO DO THAT, TO OFFER THAT HELP, BUT TO GO FULL FLEDGED WITH A CONCURRENT TEACHING MODEL, WE DON'T HAVE THE EXTRA STAFFING TO DEDICATE FOLKS TO YOU'RE THE PERSON WHO'S CONNECTING WITH ALL THESE OTHER KIDS.
THAT THE BEST MODEL WITH WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS REALLY TEACHERS UTILIZING THROUGH EITHER EMAIL OR PLANNING TIME TO TOUCH BASE WITH KIDS.
TO OFFER THAT SUPPORT WHEN THEY CAN.
>> IN LINE WITH THAT QUESTION AND IT OCCURRED TO ME TOO AND IF THERE'S ANY ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS LISTENING THEY'LL BE WRITING LETTERS BUT AS WE'VE HEARD ABOUT CAROLINE AND THE PUSH TO HAVE A ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS SPEND UP TO 20 PERCENT OF THEIR WEEK IN INSTRUCTION.
SHOULD WE GET THEM ON DECK FOR AS WE'RE ENTERING THIS NEW SCHOOL YEAR TO TRY TO HELP THE TEACHERS? YOU MENTIONED GOOGLE CLASSROOM THAT'S GREAT.
IN THIS WE WEREN'T ONE-TO-ONE A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, BUT NOW WE ARE.
WE HAVE KIDS WITH THE ACCESS ON EMAIL, GOOGLE CLASSROOM, TEACHERS ON THAT.
WE DOING ANYTHING WITH PEP TALK, ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS TOUCHING BASE WITH THESE 48 KIDS RIGHT NOW, WHO KNOWS IF IT'S GOING TO BE 68 KIDS IN A MONTH.
TRYING TO MAINTAIN OUR COUNCILORS, ARE THEY DOING SOMETHING TO KEEPS KIDS ENGAGED BESIDES JUST THE TEACHER WHO'S ALREADY IN THE CLASSROOM.
>> I WOULD CAUTION US AT THINKING THE OTHERS WHO JUST BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE KIDS SITTING IN FRONT OF THEM DON'T HAVE FULL DAYS.
OUR ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS ARE ALSO OUR SCHOOL TESTS COORDINATORS.
THEY START STATE TESTING NEXT WEEK, AND THEN THEY'LL START IT AGAIN IN NOVEMBER AND THEY'LL START IT AGAIN IN JANUARY AND START IT AGAIN IN MARCH.
AS WELL AS BEING THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL FOR THE BUILDING.
WE REDUCED OUR SYSTEM PRINCIPLE FOOTPRINT IN AT LEAST ONE OF OUR BUILDINGS.
MAYBE TWO IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS DUE TO HIRING FREEZES.
I KNOW CAROLINE WANTS US TO GET TO THAT, AND THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER COMPONENTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE PART OF THAT IN ORDER TO GET TO THE PIECE OF A TEACHING ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL OR SOME WHO TEACH SOME.
OUR COUNSELORS ARE SLAMMED RIGHT NOW WITH THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS.
JUST ADJUSTING BEING BACK IN THE BUILDINGS.
COUNSELORS OF COURSE CAN HELP SUPPORT.
THEY CAN BE ANOTHER SUPPORT MECHANISM BUT I'D CAUTION US ON REPLACING THE VALUE OF THE PERSON WHO'S GOING TO HAVE THE KID WHO COMES BACK IN AS SOON AS THEY'RE ALL OFF QUARANTINE TO NOT BE THE PERSON WHO CAN PROVIDE THAT ASSISTANCE ON THE ASSIGNMENT THAT'S BEING CREATED BY THAT PERSON.
I GET EVERYBODY'S GOT A LOT ON THEIR PLATE AND I DO, BUT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO NOT GO BACK TO CONCURRENT BECAUSE WHAT WE DID FIND WITH CONCURRENT TEACHING OR HYBRID TEACHING AND WE SAW THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE WHO DID IT REALLY WELL BUT FOR THE OVERALL MAJORITY OF PEOPLE, YOU CAN FOCUS ON THE PEOPLE IN FRONT OF YOU.
A HUNDRED PERCENT OR ONLINE A HUNDRED PERCENT AND YOU CAN'T FOCUS ON EACH ONE OF THEM FIFTY PERCENT AT A TIME AND DO IT WELL.
WE'RE TRYING TO LIMIT THAT PIECE AS WELL.
[03:05:02]
>> WOULD EITHER YOU SUGGEST SOMETHING THAT WE'RE NOT DOING THAT YOU THINK WILL HELP? JEAN.
>> BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE THE MEDICAL EXPERTS.
>> JEAN AND I CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION OFFLINE BUT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, I WAS ABLE TO ACQUIRE FUNDING TO HELP WITH A CONTACT TRACER SPECIFICALLY DESIGNATED TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
>> I HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY AND MAYBE WE COULD SPEAK ABOUT A SUPPORT PERSON.
DO YOU THINK THAT IF YOU HAD SOMEONE AS A SUPPORT PERSON FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL, THAT THEY COULD COORDINATE?
>> BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 40 QUARANTINES RIGHT NOW.
>> EVERY DAY. EVENING, WEEKEND.
RIGHT NOW. WE WERE BUSY THIS WEEKEND TOO.
>> IF WE COULD TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF COST.
>> I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS BRAINSTORMING AND SORRY TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT BUT IT'S GOOD QUESTIONS AND YOU JUST YOU MIGHT NOT COME UP WITH A SOLUTION RIGHT NOW, BUT YOU GET THE BALL ROLLING.
EVERYBODY'S GOT TO LIVE THEIR LIFE AS THEY SEE FIT AND I DIDN'T SEE MYSELF SITTING HERE IN THE MEETINGS SPREAD OUT SIX FEET WEARING A MASK AGAIN TWO MONTHS AGO BUT WE ARE AND WE'RE IN SCHOOL WITH PROTECTIONS IN PLACE, MASKS UP.
I KNOW OUR KIDS PLAYED WITHOUT MASK LAST SPRING BUT WE WENT TO A COUNTY AND THAT COUNTY HAD MASKS ON.
IF A TEAM ELECTED, BECAUSE MAYBE JOHNNY GOT COVID THEN HE HAPPENED TO BE NEXT OF FOUR OTHER KEY PLAYERS IN THAT TEAM WANTED TO MASK UP AND THEN LEADERS ON THAT TEAM AND THAT COACH CHOSE TO DO THAT, WOULD THAT BE GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE- I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T WANT TO START A SLIPPERY SLOPE, I GUESS.
>> YOU MEAN WOULD IT LIMIT QUARANTINE?
>> WOULD IT LIMIT QUARANTINE FORM 14 DAYS DOWN TO 10, THE SAME AS A SCHOOL DAY?
>> WE WOULD HAVE GUIDANCE FROM HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
>> I'M NOT ASKING FOR AN ANSWER RIGHT HERE.
LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S CONFUSING ENOUGH FOR YOU, AS MS. BRICK SAID.
IT'S CONFUSING ENOUGH FOR YOU, THE METRICS ARE CHANGING THE GUIDELINES ARE [OVERLAPPING]
>> EVEN IN OTHER COUNTIES WERE GOING TO MASK UP TOO.
WELL, I'M TALKING ABOUT PRACTICE INITIALLY AND MAYBE IT'S IN PREPARATION FOR A GAME THAT'S 14.
MAYBE YOU GET TWO THREE DAYS OF PRACTICE BEFORE YOUR NEXT GAME. THAT'S A GOOD POINT, JANE.
>> YEAH, BECAUSE NOT ONLY WOULD THEY HAVE TO BE MASKED DURING THE GAME AND DURING THEIR PRACTICE, THE ACTUAL SCHOOL SYSTEM WOULD HAVE TO HAVE UNIVERSAL MASKING IN PLACE.
YEAH, WE'D HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT AND WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
>> SOMETHING IS DIFFERENT AS YOU POINTED OUT, ROBIN. I WAS JUST TRYING TO FREE UP.
>> MANY THE OTHER THING WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING AND BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT ANY OF THE COUNTIES ON THE SHORE ARE DOING.
THIS IS SCREENING TESTING, WHICH IS ROUTINE SCREENINGS, SAY, ONCE A WEEK OR EVERY OTHER WEEK AND IT'S YOU DESIGNATE WHAT YOUR TARGET GROUP IS.
IS IT ATHLETICS OR CONTEXTS SPORTS? IS IT SCHOOL AGE, TESTING AT THE SCHOOLS? BUT [OVERLAPPING] OTHER THAN BEING ABLE TO DO THAT AND PEOPLE HAVE TO CONSENT TO DO IT AND HAVE THE MANPOWER TO MANAGE THAT, BUT YOU COULD PICK UP.
IF WE TESTED ATHLETICS ONCE A WEEK-
>> BUT THEN AGAIN, PEOPLE HAVE TO WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT AND YOU HAVE THE STAFF AND MANPOWER TO MANAGE THAT.
>> WHAT'S IT CALLED WHEN A WORD OF MOUTH IT'S NOT SCIENTIFIC, BUT THERE IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT, ROBIN, AS YOU SAID, IN SPEAKING TO A REFEREE WHO'S INVOLVED DEEPLY IN DELAWARE.
I BELIEVE DELAWARE STARTED THEIR SPORT SEASON ON SCHEDULE AND NORMAL LAST FALL. MARYLAND DID NOT.
THEY WENT THROUGH FOOTBALL AND TO HIS KNOWLEDGE, THEY HAD A CASE HERE AND THERE, BUT IT DIDN'T REALLY IMPACT THEM.
TODAY WHETHER IT'S DELTA OR WHATEVER IT IS, I'VE ALREADY HEARD OF WHAT AT LEAST THREE SCHOOL SYSTEMS, THAT THREE FOOTBALL TEAMS- [OVERLAPPING]
>> THREE FOOTBALL TEAM SHUT DOWN FOOTBALL TEAMS FOR WEEK ONE.
>> HAVE SHUT DOWN SPECIFICALLY, SO WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS, I DON'T KNOW BY WORD OF MOUTH,
[03:10:03]
LAYMAN'S, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S CHANGED NOW OR NOT.FOCUS TESTING SCARES ME TO A POINT, BECAUSE I KNOW LAST YEAR WHEN ALL THIS WAS REALLY GETTING ON AND THERE WAS HOSPITALS NOT REQUIRING TESTING ON ALL EMPLOYEES, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO NOW.
THEY MIGHT NOT HAD EMPLOYEES THE NEXT DAY IF THEY REALLY TESTED EVERYBODY.
BUT THEY MASKED UP AND 95, THEY HAD ALL THE PPP IN PLACE. DON'T GET ME WRONG.
THEY WEREN'T TRYING TO SPREAD IT, BUT THEY WEREN'T TESTING ALL THEIR EMPLOYEES EITHER.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT WOULD TAKE US, BUT BOARD MEMBERS ANYTHING?
>> ONE OF THE THING I DON'T REALLY THINK THEY ARE FULLY VACCINATED AT THIS POINT, MEANS YOU'VE HAD THE TWO SHOTS.
>> BUT WE KEEP HEARING ABOUT ALL THESE BOOSTERS.
>> YEAH, IT'S COMING, BOOSTER.
>> OKAY, SO WHAT'S UP WITH THAT? ARE THEY OFFERING IT?
>> RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN GET A THIRD DOSE IF HAVE CERTAIN CONDITIONS THAT QUALIFY YOU AS IMMUNOCOMPROMISED.
THE INDICATIONS FROM MDH RIGHT NOW ARE THAT CAROLINE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE READY TO IMPLEMENT BOOSTER DOSE SCHEDULING ON SEPTEMBER 20TH.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT FOR RIGHT NOW, PFIZER IS THE ONLY ONE THAT'S HAS AN EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION FOR THIRD DOSE OR AS A BOOSTER.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT IF YOU RECEIVE TWO DOSES OF PFIZER EIGHT MONTHS AFTER YOUR SECOND DOSE, YOU SHOULD HAVE A THIRD, WHICH WOULD BE INDICATED AS YOUR BOOSTER DOSE.
THAT'S NOT INCLUDING ANYBODY WITH THE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED CONDITION.
MODERNA HAS REQUESTED EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION FOR BOOSTER.
THEY HAVE NOT BEEN AWARDED IT YET, BUT WE BELIEVE IT'S COMING AND THEIRS WILL BE SIX MONTHS.
FULLY VACCINATED MEANS THAT TODAY IF YOU'VE HAD PFIZER, IF YOU'RE WITHIN THAT EIGHT MONTH WINDOW AND YOU'VE HAD YOUR TWO DOSES, YOU'RE FULLY VACCINATED.
ON THE DAY THAT YOUR EIGHT MONTHS IS UP, YOU NEED A BOOSTER OR YOU'RE NOT FULLY VACCINATED.
THAT IS THE PRELIMINARY INFORMATION THAT I'VE RECEIVED.
THERE IS AN ACIP MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 17TH AND THAT GUIDANCE WILL [OVERLAPPING]
>> MODERNA IS SAYING SIX MONTHS.
>> YEAH, IT'S GOING TO BE [OVERLAPPING]
>> WHAT ABOUT JOHNSON & JOHNSON?
>> OH, NO. THEY'RE STILL WORKING ON IT.
>> DO YOU HAVE MORE NUMBERS YOU NEED TO SHOW US?
>> I WANTED TO USE THE MIRACLE SITUATION, SO IF WE COULD GO TO THE NEXT ONE, BECAUSE IT IS GOOD NEWS.
ALL RIGHT, SO WHEN I TALKED TO YOU LAST, WE WERE PUSHING 21 PERCENT, 12-17 YEAR-OLD, FULLY VACCINATED AND HERE WE ARE AT 25.5.
WE HAVE INCREASED AT A SLIGHTLY FASTER PACE OVER THE LAST THREE WEEKS, I THINK, IN TERMS OF 12-17 YEAR-OLD.
WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND ARE 18 PLUS, WE'RE AT 58.9 AND ALL ELIGIBLE, MEANING AGES 12 PLUS, WE'RE AT 55.6.
KEEP IT WE'VE HAD WE HAVE SEEN A SURGE IN VACCINATION REQUESTS, SO WE'RE MOVING AND WE'VE GOT OUR SITE SETUP.
THERE'S SOME TALK OF PRIVATE PRACTICES GETTING SOME VACCINES POSSIBLY TO DO THEIR PATIENTS AS WELL.
IT'S AVAILABLE AND IT'S OUT THERE AND WE'LL KEEP PLUGGING ALONG.
I THINK [INAUDIBLE] MEETING OR LATER. I CAN'T REMEMBER NOW.
THE AGE IS 18 PLUS THE WHOLE POPULATION.
THAT 58.9 PERCENT OR 55.6, THAT INCLUDES THE ELDERLY OR THE OLDER POPULATION OF 60 PLUS OR 65 PLUS WAS A MUCH THAT GIVES A MUCH HIGHER PERCENTAGE.
>> DOES THAT GROUP, THEIR HIGH PERCENTAGE GIVE US A FALSE READING? IF YOU TOOK THE POPULATION BETWEEN 18 AND 60, AND I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO KNOW THIS NUMBER WHAT WILL THEIR NUMBER BE? [OVERLAPPING]
[03:15:01]
>> BUT I COULD FIND THEM. [OVERLAPPING] BETWEEN 18 AND 64.
>> I DON'T KNOW IS THAT 45 PERCENT, WHICH THE STANDARD FLU SHOT, BUT ISN'T 45 PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE GOT IT?
>> YEAH, IN TERMS OF WHEN I RECEIVED THE REPORTS, I GET THIS THING CALLED AN EQUITY BRIEF AND IT BREAKS IT DOWN INTO OUR TARGETED AREAS BASED OFF OF DEMOGRAPHICS, WHICH INCLUDE AGE RANGE, RACE, SEX, AND BY ZIP CODE.
IT'S GENERALLY, I THINK 35-49 MALE.
>> YEAH, THAT AGE GROUP FROM 18-60 AND COULD BE ANY OTHER VARIANT TO BE 65.
IF THEIR PERCENTAGE IS PRETTY LOW AND DELTA SEEMS TO BE GOING UP MORE THAN THE PREVIOUS ONE, SO THE CHILD BRINGS HOME COVID, EITHER FROM EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, NON-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES, OR HEAVEN FORBID, FROM SCHOOL, AND THE PARENTS AREN'T VACCINATED OR FOR ANYBODY ELSE IN THE HOUSEHOLD, IS THAT GETTING TO YOUR POINT ABOUT COMMUNITY SPREAD UNDER CONCERN? THAT'S NOT JUST FOR CHILDREN, BUT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT A WHOLE COMMUNITY THAT HAS A PRETTY LOW VACCINATION RATE, OTHER THAN THE OLDER PEOPLE OVER 65, WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE.
>> THE FACTOR THAT IMPACTS YOUR COMMUNITY LEVEL OF TRANSMISSION RATE REALLY HAS TO DO WITH THE CASES THAT CAN'T BE IDENTIFIED WITH IN TERMS OF AN ORIGINATION POINT.
WHEN YOU HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION, IT'S AN INDICATION THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THE DISEASE IS, OR THAT VIRUS IS.
WE DON'T KNOW WHERE EXACTLY IT IS.
IT'S OUT THERE AND IT'S SPREADING.
WHEN YOU HAVE LOW COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION LEVELS YOU CAN STILL HAVE OUTBREAKS, BUT YOU KNOW WHERE THEY ARE, BECAUSE THEY'RE OUTBREAKS.
THAT'S A DESIGNATED POINT OF ORIGINATION AND NOT JUST WIDESPREAD AS IT CAN BE INDICATED FOR THAT HIGH LEVEL.
YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT. BECAUSE I ACTUALLY DO GET THAT DATA ON THE 18-64 YEAR-OLDS.
THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT AND I'M GOING TO LOOK AT THAT.
>> [INAUDIBLE] WITH AUGUST 17TH [INAUDIBLE], BASICALLY, WHEN WE PUT MASK BACK [INAUDIBLE] IN OUR PLAN.
WE HAD A CLEAR CUT EXIT TO THAT.
NOW, THE STATE'S PROBABLY WILL PASS THE MANDATE.
>> ACTUALLY, RACHEL, IF YOU CAN PULL THAT SLIDE UP NOW THAT WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO.
>> I GUESS THEN WE'LL KNOW MOST PROBABLY GOING TO BE WHEN IT IS.
IF WE WEREN'T COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT WITH THE PLAN THAT WE PUT INTO PLACE ON AUGUST 17, WHY COULD WE NOT AS A BOARD VOTE TO HONOR THAT PLAN AND NOT HONOR THE STATE MANDATE? IS THAT SOMETHING WE COULD DO I GUESS, AS A WAY [OVERLAPPING].
WE DON'T WANT TO ANSWER THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT I'M JUST SAYING, COULD WE DO THAT, IS THAT SOMETHING? WE HAVE AN EXIT STRATEGY.
IT'S JUST. THERE'S A LITTLE MORE CONFIDENCE THERE THAT WE HAVE ONE A LITTLE BETTER FEELING AND SOME OTHER PARTS OF IT WE CAN DO AWAY WITH.
>> I THINK, MARK, YOU RAISE A GOOD QUESTION.
ALL THE SUPERINTENDENTS, CAN'T SAY ALL 24, BUT I THINK ALL 24 BASED ON CONVERSATIONS WE'VE ALL HAD, WE'RE ALL ASKING SIMILAR QUESTIONS OF THE STATE.
RACHEL, PULL THE SLIDE UP FOR THE MSD MANDATE OF WHERE THAT IS.
AUGUST 26, STATE BOARD PASSED EMERGENCY REGULATION REQUIRING MASK INDOORS AT ALL SCHOOL FACILITIES.
BASICALLY, THEY APPROVED IT BECAUSE IT'S AN EMERGENCY REGULATION, IT HAS TO GO THROUGH A REVIEW PROCESS AND IT'S THERE NOW.
SEPTEMBER 14TH IS THE DATE THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE HEARING AND HOLD THE VOTE ON THAT EMERGENCY REGULATION.
THE ASSUMPTION IS, IT'S GOING TO PASS, AT LEAST IT'S EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE SEEING AND READING IF IT IS GOING TO BE APPROVED.
IT PUTS IN PLACE FOR A 180 DAYS.
WE'VE ALL BEEN ASKING WHAT THE EXIT STRATEGY WILL BE.
ALL'S WE HAVE IS THE STATEMENTS THAT WERE MADE AT THE MEETING WITH
[03:20:04]
THE STATE BOARD THAT THEY WOULD BE LOOKING AT THE DATA TO MAKE THOSE DETERMINATIONS WE'VE BEEN ASKING.MYSELF, I'VE CLEARLY SHARED WHAT OUR EXIT STRATEGY WAS.
[INAUDIBLE] DATED REALLY THREE DATA POINTS, LEVEL COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION AND THEN VACCINE RATES FOR TWO DIFFERENT POPULATIONS AS BEING THE DATA POINTS AND THAT'S WHAT I'LL BE ARGUING FOR.
BUT I THINK AT THE SAME TIME THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE US AN ANSWER UNTIL IT'S APPROVED FOR WHAT THEIR EXIT CRITERIA WILL BE.
AS A BOARD, YOU'RE IN A POSITION NOW YOU COULD DO THAT. I BELIEVE YOU COULD.
I THINK WE'LL BE IN A BETTER POSITION AFTER SEPTEMBER 14TH TO KNOW WHAT THEIR EXIT STRATEGY IS OR AT LEAST TO KNOW WHAT DIRECTION IT'S GOING IN.
I DON'T SEE, AND ROBIN, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, I DON'T SEE US BREACHING THOSE VACCINATION LEVELS, OBVIOUSLY, NOT PRIOR TO SEPTEMBER 14TH BECAUSE THAT'S A WEEK AWAY.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL HIT THOSE LEVELS BEFORE THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, ASSUMING IT'S THREE WEEKS IN BETWEEN VACCINATIONS, TO GET TO 50 PERCENT OR 70 PERCENT, WE'D HAVE TO SEE THAT CLOSE TO IT WITH THE FIRST SHOT NUMBERS ALREADY.
>> I DID SOME PREDICTIONS BASED ON THE RATE OF VACCINATION THAT WE WERE OVER A THREE-WEEK PERIOD OF TIME.
I WAS LOOKING AT ALMOST 18 WEEKS AT THAT RATE.
THEN THAT WOULD BE FOR THE 12-17 YEAR-OLD WITH OUR VACCINATION RATE AT WHAT IT WAS THAT WE PREDICTED, AND IT WAS OF COURSE, LONGER IN TERMS OF THE ENTIRE POPULATION FOR [NOISE] EVERYONE.
I DON'T FORESEE US GETTING QUITE THERE BEFORE THEN, BUT CERTAINLY THE POINT THAT YOU BRING UP, I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.
WE WORKED REALLY HARD TO PREPARE, JUST WHAT THEY TOLD US TO DO IN TERMS OF OUR LAYERED STRATEGY.
I THINK THAT, IT'S A VERY VALID POINT IN TERMS OF WHAT IS OUR EXIT STRATEGY AND WHEN CAN WE START TO THINK ABOUT IMPLEMENTING WHAT IT IS THAT WE CAME UP WITH UNLESS SOMEONE HAS SOMETHING BETTER.
BUT I'LL PUSH ON MY END IN TERMS OF GETTING ANSWERS ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS FOR US.
MOST DEFINITELY BECAUSE I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL.
>> I DOUBT THE STATE WILL COME OUT WITH SOMETHING BETTER. JUST BE OPTIMISTIC.
ANYTIME THE STATE GETS INVOLVED IN SOMETHING IT TENDS TO BE MUDDY OR WORSE.
BUT I'M CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE PREDICTING.
IF IT'S AN EXIT STRATEGY THAT'S BETTER FOR OUR KIDS THAN WHAT WE SAID INITIALLY, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT WILL BE, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT THEIR HAND IS GOING TO BE BEFORE I WOULD BE PROBABLY COMING AND SUGGESTING TO THE BOARD THAT WE LOOK AT TAKING A COURSE OF ACTION.
OF COURSE, THE BOARD COULD DO THAT IF THEY WANT.
BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE THEM TIP THEIR HAND A LITTLE BIT TOO, TO LET US KNOW WHAT THEY'RE THINKING OTHER THAN IT'S A 180 DAY MANDATE THAT'S IN PLACE FOR 180 DAYS.
PEOPLE LIKE TO TARGET THEIR WORK TOWARDS AND WE FELT GOOD ABOUT THAT.
>> YES, IT'S STILL IS, MOST DEFINITELY.
>> WE SHOULDN'T CHANGE BECAUSE SOMEBODY ELSE CHANGED.
WE SHOULDN'T CHANGE BECAUSE SOMEBODY TOLD US WE HAVE TO CHANGE.
>> [INAUDIBLE] WE FELT CONFIDENT THAT WHAT WE PUT INTO PLACE.
>> THIS IS UNRELATED TO THESE NUMBERS, BUT A GENTLEMAN STOOD AT THAT PODIUM EARLIER TONIGHT AND SAID WHAT PLENTY OF PEOPLE WERE SAYING, AND IT NOT COVERED BY THE WORDS THERE THAT SAY INDOORS.
THEY'RE REFERENCING FOOTBALL GAME THAT HAPPENED LAST FRIDAY NIGHT AND THERE'S LOTS OF PEOPLE THERE, ALL RIGHT UP NEXT TO EACH OTHER AND HOW IS THAT NOT A PROBLEM, BUT AS SOON AS THEY GO INDOORS, IT'S A PROBLEM.
NONE OF US CREATED THESE RULES.
NONE OF US CREATED ANY OF THIS PROBLEM, OF COURSE, BUT THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING.
AS I SAID, A GENTLEMAN STOOD RIGHT THERE, MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY, WHO WAS VERY POLITE, WHO'S BEEN VERY OUTSPOKEN AND THAT WAS ONE OF HIS POINTS, HE RAISED MANY OTHERS AND HE GAVE SANDY SEVEN OTHER POINTS, OR SEVEN QUESTIONS, THAT MIGHT BE ONE OF THEM.
HOW DO WE ANSWER THAT QUESTION? I'M SORRY TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.
>> NO, IT'S ABSOLUTELY FINE BECAUSE I HAVE HEARD THAT QUESTION AND I SAW A MEME THE OTHER DAY [LAUGHTER] THAT ACTUALLY BROUGHT A LITTLE SHIMMER OF LIGHT FOR ME THERE, WHERE THERE WAS A COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME AND
[03:25:02]
EVERYBODY'S AT THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME AND EVERYBODY'S CLOSE TO ONE ANOTHER.THEN IT HAD A LITTLE KINDERGARTNER SITTING THERE WITH HIS MASK ON, UNDERNEATH OF IT.
ESSENTIALLY IT WAS, HOW IS THAT OKAY AND THIS ISN'T RIGHT? MY EXPLANATION FOR THAT IS THE FACT THAT THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE SITTING IN THE STANDS, THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE ADULTS OR THEY ARE OF THE AGE WHERE THEY COULD BE VACCINATED AND BE PROTECTED.
AS OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY, YOU SAW THE VACCINATION RATE FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
THEN YOU LOOK AT THE VACCINATION RATE FOR THE CHILDREN THAT ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 12, WHICH IS NOTHING.
THEY HAVE NO PROTECTION WHATSOEVER.
THE CHILDREN THAT ARE 12-17, OR THE YOUNG ADULTS 12-17, THEY HAVE VERY LITTLE PROTECTION.
THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE FOR ME WHEN I SEE THAT.
ANOTHER THING IS THAT, AS ADULTS, IT'S OUR JOB TO PROTECT THOSE KIDS AND TO SAY, [INAUDIBLE].
WHEN THE ADULTS KNOW AND THEY'RE EDUCATED BASED OFF OF THE SCIENCE AND THE INFORMATION THAT PUBLIC HEALTH IS GIVING THEM AND THE OTHER OUTLETS ARE GIVING TO THEM, THEY MAKE THOSE DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILY.
THOSE KIDS, THEY DON'T GET TO DO THAT FOR THEMSELVES.
THAT'S MY ANSWER, IS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CHILDREN WHO ARE UNPROTECTED AND IT'S OUR JOB TO PROTECT THEM.
>> I COULDN'T ASK FOR ANYTHING BETTER.
I WISH THERE WAS A BETTER ANSWER.
>> IT IS NOT MY WISH TO WALK AROUND IN A MASK.
I DON'T EVEN WANT TO STRONGLY RECOMMEND IT, BUT I HAVE TO BECAUSE I SEE THE DATA AND I SEE WHERE IT'S GOING.
THAT'S THE BEST I CAN DO. I REALLY DO.
I APPRECIATE, I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION WHILE I'M HERE, THE PARTNERSHIP THAT I'M ON.
I DON'T KNOW, DAY 72 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT OF THIS NEW POSITION, THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT I HAVE SEEN AND THAT I HAVE TAKEN PART IN WITH JEN, WITH DEREK WITH CHATHAM COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES.
I GREATLY APPRECIATE THOSE PARTNERSHIPS, AND THE COMMUNICATION AND THE RESPECT THAT WE ALL HAVE FOR ONE ANOTHER. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> WHAT YOU SHOWED US JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO, I DON'T NEED TO SEE IT, BUT WITH THE VACCINE RATES, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN EMAIL TO US? [OVERLAPPING]
>> ABSOLUTELY. I'M GOING TO TALK TO OUR VENDOR AND SEE IF I CAN GET THE DATA SPECIFICALLY FOR 18-64 PUT ON THERE, AND THEN A COUPLE OF OTHER PEDIATRIC MEASURES.
BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE PUT OUT ON A WEEKLY BASIS.
I WOULD BE HAPPY TO INCLUDE YOU ON THAT DISTRIBUTION LIST.
I CAN SEND IT TO YOU AND YOU CAN FORWARD IT ON IF THAT'S OKAY.
SOUND GOOD? IF YOU GUYS NEED ANYTHING, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
>> WE NEED IT TO GO AWAY. THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. [LAUGHTER] [OVERLAPPING]
>> I WANT IT TO GO AWAY SO BAD.
WE'RE JUST HERE TO MITIGATE IT.
YES, IT'S NOT GOING TO GO AWAY, UNFORTUNATELY. ANYTHING ELSE?
>> THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT. DON'T FORGET MY MASK.
[9. Unfinished Business]
>> DERRICK, HOW MUCH IS THE GRANT UPDATE?
>> I CAN MAKE IT BRIEF. [OVERLAPPING].
LET'S TRY TO MAKE IT BRIEF, AND IF WE HAVE TO REVISIT IT MAYBE WE WILL.
>> THE ONE BRIEF PART IS WE THINK ACTUALLY TONIGHT AARON RECEIVED AN EMAIL, AND WE HOPE WE'LL BE GETTING SOME FEEDBACK ON OUR GRANT APPLICATIONS VERY SOON WITHIN A WEEK FOR NEXT STEPS, OR WHATEVER THAT MEANS.
THAT APPLICATION [INAUDIBLE] WE CANNOT INCUR THE FUNDS.
[INAUDIBLE] IN ESSENCE, WE'VE APPLIED FOR THE $13.7 MILLION.
WE'VE PUT OUR MONEY OR OUR APPLICATION IN, AND WE'RE WAITING FOR FEEDBACK ON THE GRANT BEFORE WE REALLY GO AND COVER MUCH OF THE EXPENSES BESIDES A FEW THINGS THAT WE KNOW FOR SURE 100 PERCENT WILL FIT BECAUSE OF CASH-FLOW REASONS. RIGHT, ERIN?
>> CORRECT. I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT THERE'S TWO REASONS WHY WE'RE BEING CAUTIOUS ABOUT SPENDING THIS MONEY RIGHT AWAY.
[03:30:01]
THE FIRST IS THE POTENTIAL THAT MSD MAY FIND SOMETHING THAT THEY FEEL IS NOT ALIGNED OR NOT ALLOWABLE IN THE GRANT APPLICATION.IN WHICH CASE IF THEY DON'T ALLOW IT, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO USE OUR LOCAL BUDGET TO PICK UP THAT COST, WHICH WE DO NOT HAVE ANY EXTRA MONEY SITTING AROUND ON LOCAL BUDGET.
THE SECOND REASON IS BECAUSE OF CASH FLOW REASONS, BECAUSE UNTIL WE HAVE A NOTICE OF GRANT AWARD, WHEN OUR APPLICATION HAS BEEN APPROVED, WE CAN NOT GET REIMBURSED FOR ANY OF THE EXPENDITURES.
BUT WE DID RECEIVE NOTIFICATION JUST EARLIER THIS EVENING, DID YOU MENTION THAT? [OVERLAPPING]
>> JUST THAT WE RECEIVED AN EMAIL THAT HOPEFULLY SOON, WE'LL GET SOME FEEDBACK.
>> YES AND THEY SAID THAT ALL REOPENING PLANS AND SOME OF THE SR APPLICATIONS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE REVISED.
THE NEXT STEPS ARE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IN A VIRTUAL MEETING WITH MSD STAFF TO DISCUSS THE REVISIONS THAT ARE REQUIRED ON OUR BEHALF.
THE SOONER WE CAN MEET WITH THEM, THE SOONER WE CAN GET OUR APPLICATION FINALIZED AND REALLY START SPENDING THAT MONEY.
>> I KNOW THERE WERE A COUPLE ASKS OF THE BOARD WHEN WE GET OUR WORK SESSION IN JULY.
I JUST WANTED TO REVISIT THAT WE DID PROVIDE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
WE'LL SEE WHERE IT FALLS, WHEN WE SEE THE GRANT APPLICATION TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL FOR OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, USING MORE FUNDING TOWARDS MATH INTERVENTIONS, READING INTERVENTIONS, LANGUAGE ARTS SUPPORTS.
WE'VE ALSO ADDED SOME ADDITIONAL POSITIONAL SUPPORT AS WELL COUNTY-WIDE, BUT IN PARTICULAR SECONDARY ALSO, IF IT STICKS IN THE BUDGET.
ONE WAS AN ADDITIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELOR, AS WELL AS NEEDED AT ONE OF OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
WE'VE ALSO INCLUDED IN THE GRANT, OBVIOUSLY SOME OF THE OTHER COMPONENTS THAT WERE IN THERE.
WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE ELA CURRICULUM AND REVISITING THAT PROCESS, AND WHAT WE WILL END UP DOING.
OF COURSE, WE'LL FIND OUT WHAT'S ALLOWABLE. WE BELIEVE IT IS.
IF IT REMAINS IN THERE WHEN WE START THAT PROCESS, WE WILL GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AS WE DO FOR ALL CURRICULAR REVIEW, DEVELOP OUR SCOPE OF WHAT THE CURRICULUM COMPONENTS WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
WE'LL PUT IT OUT, GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, PUT IT OUT THROUGH VARIOUS VENDORS LOOKING AT VENDORS WE'VE USED AND ALSO VENDORS WE'VE NOT USED, AND THEN SEE WHO MEETS THE CRITERIA.
WITH THE PURCHASE THIS SIZE, WE WILL BE UTILIZING THE RUBRIC TO REVIEW ALL CURRICULUM MATERIALS.
BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT K-5 EXPENSE, IT'LL BE CLOSE TO A MIL WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT KIND OF A PURCHASE.
OF COURSE, IT'LL BE DONE WITH A GROUP OF CURRICULUM FOLKS HERE AT CENTRAL OFFICE AS WELL AS TEACHER SPECIALIST AND TEACHERS FROM ALL THE BUILDINGS.
IN THAT PROCESS, WE ALSO ARE VERY SERIOUS ABOUT IT BEING A PILOT PROGRAM AS WELL.
WHATEVER PROGRAM WE'RE GOING TO BE GOING WITH, WE'RE GOING TO PILOT THE CURRICULUM, PUT IT IN PLACE, LET SOME TEACHERS TEST RUN IT BEFORE WE MAKE THE FULL PURCHASE DECISION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE IN OUR COUNTY FOR PROBABLY 8-10 YEARS.
BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TEST RUN IT FIRST, AND THAT WE ALSO RUBRIC SCORE IT AGAINST ALL THE CRITERIA THAT WE WANT TO SEE IN IT FOR A STRONG READING PROGRAM, FOUNDATION OF K-5.
THAT WAS IN ESSENCE THE UPDATE.
I KNOW THERE WERE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AROUND THAT, BUT ALSO THE GRANT OF DATA WANTED TO KEEP YOU GUYS IN THE LOOP OF WHERE WE ARE WITH IT.
THAT'S HOT OFF THE PRESSES THIS EVENING, THAT WE WILL HAVE A FOLLOW-UP MEETING, AS WELL AS EVERY DISTRICT WILL BE WITH THE STATE WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS TO SEE WHERE WE'RE AT WITH ALL THOSE PIECES.
BUT ONCE WE GET THE APPROVAL ON THE GRANT, WE WILL START MOVING FORWARD WITH ALL THOSE ITEMS. I KNOW ONE OF THEM, THEY TALKED ABOUT IN THEIR PRESENTATION ON SUMMER, AN AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM WAS A SUMMER AND AFTER SCHOOL COORDINATOR POSITION, SOMEONE TO HELP OVERSEE THAT PROCESS AND THAT'S IN THE GRANT AS WELL.
NOW, WE'RE JUST WAITING TO SEE WHEN THAT APPROVAL COMES IN FOR THE FUNDING SO WE CAN START MOVING FORWARD WITH THOSE THINGS.
>> ANYTHING IN THE GRANT REQUEST THAT WE GOT EXTRA POINTS OR BONUS POINTS FOR HAVING MASKS WORN IN SCHOOLS, ANYTHING? WAS THAT A BOX WE HAD TO CHECK OR ANYTHING? [LAUGHTER]
>> NO, NO BONUS POINTS, NO BOX FOR THAT, MR. LUKE, [OVERLAPPING] I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION.
>> APPARENTLY, THAT'S THE THOUGHT PROCESS SOMEWHERE.
>> PERHAPS THE QUESTION IS MORE LIKE A BLANKET.
IS IT OKAY IF I COME BACK NEXT MEETING AND ASK THOSE QUESTIONS UNLESS YOU WANT TO STICK AROUND MORE?
>> I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE THE GRANT SITUATION IS A LITTLE FLUID FROM WHAT WE SUBMITTED TO WHAT IT MIGHT.
WHEN IS THE ZOOM CALL, ERIN? [OVERLAPPING]
[03:35:01]
>> IT'LL BE WITHIN THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS.
>> WE SHOULD PUT THAT ON THE WORK SESSION.
>> ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE [INAUDIBLE] BOARD?
HAVE WE HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE MASKED STUDENTS?
>> STUDENTS HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL.
>> I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S ALL GOOD.
>> GOOD TO HEAR. MOVING ON TO UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS.
[10. Upcoming Meetings and Events]
WE HAVE A LIST HERE AND BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF, THIS IS A LITTLE ON THE SHORT NOTICE.DEREK AND FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS, DO WE HAVE ANY HARD CONFLICTS? OUR MEETINGS ARE ALWAYS THE FIRST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH, THE THIRD TUESDAY OF THE MONTH.
DO WE HAVE ANY HARD CONFLICTS ON MONDAY NIGHT OR WEDNESDAY NIGHTS? ANYBODY SITTING HERE? I HATE THIS ESSAY.
I'M JUST ASKING, I'M JUST FEELING THE WATER THEN IT'S LATE.
>> I'M JUST ASKING IN GENERAL, SOME PEOPLE HAVE THE LIONS CLUB, SOME PEOPLE HAVE TOWN COUNCILS, THAT KIND OF THING. [OVERLAPPING]
>> I THINK IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE WEEK.
>> I'M MISSING THE SENIOR SOCCER GAME TONIGHT.
I'M GOING TO MISS THREE MORE, AND I WOULD RATHER NOT DO THAT.
>> IF WE WENT TO FIRST AND THIRD MONDAYS, I'D BE OKAY. [OVERLAPPING]
>> PREVIOUSLY, THE SYSTEM WASN'T DOING THAT.
TWO YEARS AGO, I MISSED A MEETING OR TWO, BUT WE HAD A VERY VETTED BOARD AND NOTHING AGAINST Y'ALL, BUT ALSO THE SYSTEM'S GOING THROUGH SOME UNPRECEDENTED CONVERSATION.
>> IT WAS AN EASIER YEAR TWO YEARS AGO.
>> TWO YEARS AGO. I MEAN, TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO.
ALSO, WE'RE HAVING TO GO THROUGH SOME UNPRECEDENTED CONVERSATIONS THAT I DON'T WANT TO MISS OUT ON PERSONALLY.
BUT JUST ASK IF ANYBODY HAS ANY HARD CONFLICTS.
I KNOW THAT REALLY THROWS A WRENCH IN A FEW THINGS, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY THREE DAYS I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, SEPTEMBER 21ST, OCTOBER 5TH, AND OCTOBER 19TH ARE EXISTING MEETINGS AND I JUST WANTED TO TEST THE WATERS AND SEE WHAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE, AND BE A LITTLE SELFISH FOR ONCE.
>> DEFINITELY, WE'LL HAVE A LOOK.
>> IF ANYBODY CAN LOOK IN ON THE DAY OR DEREK, IF WE CAN START AN EMAIL CHAIN, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT POSSIBLY.
ANYTHING ELSE FOR MEMBERS FOR THE GOOD OF THE CAUSE? I HAVE A WORK SESSION LATER IN THE MONTH, IN OCTOBER MEETING AND LIKE I SAID, I'LL START AN EMAIL CHAIN.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, EVERYONE.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN?
>> SECOND BY MR. BARTON. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR?
>> THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.