[0:28] e [0:58] e [1:28] e [1:58] e [2:28] e [2:58] e [3:28] e [3:58] e [4:28] e [4:58] e [5:28] e e [6:10] good evening the regular meeting of the Independent School District 279 School Board is called to order at 6:01 p.m. on [6:18] October 22nd 2024 this regular business meeting of the oio school board is being conducted [6:25] in the boardroom of the Educational Service Center the meeting can be monitored electronically by streaming [6:32] online from the district website an archived recording of tonight's meeting will also be available on the district [6:38] website seated in front of you this evening from my left to your right are director Thomas Brooks director Heather [6:46] Douglas director Tanya Prince myself Jackie moscada Jones director Sarah [6:53] Mitchell and director Tamara Grady also present in the room this evening um [6:58] super in endent Dr Kim Hile and members of the superintendent's cabinet as well [7:04] as our esteemed student School Board Representatives um I don't see reason no [7:10] she's okay reason is not here antoanet Brown for AIO [7:16] senior um and we welcome new student board representative Henry at a sleo [7:21] she's not here she's not here either okay and then student representative Gavin Chaba for Maple Grove senior hi is [7:28] not able to be here yeah okay sounds [7:34] good all right those of you can please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and director Douglas will you please lead us [7:41] I pledge of alance to the flag of the United States of America and to the [7:47] Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and [7:53] justice for all [7:59] thank you um board members are there any additions to the agenda um at this time I would like to [8:06] make a motion to table the vote for policy 652 until November is there a [8:12] second no second okay then that fails because [8:18] there's no second um any discussion about the rest of the agenda no okay all right all in favor of [8:27] um accepting the agenda is printed say I I I all oppos say nay all right motion [8:34] passes 6 to zero the next standing agenda item is recognitions we have no recognitions [8:41] this evening wait a minute we do we have a scholar showcase not a recognition our [8:46] next agenda item is the scholar showcase we're happy and proud again this school year to have showcases and presentations [8:53] of some of oio area school's amazing programs this evening we have staff and [8:58] Scholars from Brooklyn Middle steam school board members will be moving to the seats in the front of the audience [9:04] at this time and principal Kim Monette will you please step up to the podium for introductions and start us off with [9:10] the presentation [9:45] good evening board chair board Vice chair and directors superintendent Dr Hy [9:52] and cabinet members our amazing student representations um representatives of [9:57] our high schools good evening and Welcome to our fabulous BMS families and our staff members my [10:05] name is Kim onet and I am the proud passionate principal of Brooklyn Middle steam school and we are so excited to be [10:13] here to Showcase all the amazing things that our students have the opportunities and experiences at Brooklyn middle so [10:20] behind me I have oh come on up here [10:27] everybody I have Megan hack who is our assistant principal I have Shannon Kar [10:32] who is our steam curriculum integration coordinator and kayn Bricks who is our [10:38] technology integration specialist and then I have our amazing resident experts [10:45] that will be our feature experts tonight so come on [10:57] up I have Raphael I have Jameson I have [11:02] Aiza and June and they are going to be sharing a little bit about their [11:08] favorite steam experiences that they've had throughout their time at Brooklyn [11:13] Middle I'm going to turn it over to Shannon Kar our steam integration specialist who is going to talk a little [11:21] bit about our steam experiences our value added standards and a little bit [11:26] about the events that we have coming up [11:38] good evening and Welcome to our steam showcase I'm Shannon commissar and I'm the steam integration coordinator I have [11:45] the pleasure with working with all content areas and grades to integrate our steam theme which is engineering a [11:51] Global Perspective and these value added standards you see here and in your [11:56] packet all students in their middle SCH School careers will have the opportunity to work along and have discussions with [12:03] Professionals in Steam careers such as Engineers musicians artists scientists [12:09] and more you will see evidence of these steam standards value added standards in [12:15] our steam Showcase tonight every content area addresses the [12:21] engineering design process engineering design is a process interwoven in all of [12:26] the content areas at BMS it involves tools and ways of thinking that people can use in almost any situation each [12:34] part of the process reveals information about the problem and possible solutions [12:39] engineering design is problem solving and this is an important 21st century skill that all people need to have you [12:47] will find out from our expert residents today how they specifically use this engineering design process and designing [12:53] and preparing a menu for the Bulldog Cafe creating their own circuit map of [12:58] Minnesota and how to create their own esophagus stent with Boston Scientific which is one of our [13:04] partners today you will learn more about our steam experiences from our resident [13:11] experts here so what are steam experiences well steam experiences are [13:16] about creating transformative learning experiences that go beyond the classroom where students are actively engaged in [13:23] Hands-On real world activities and can make connections to their future career [13:28] path now um I'm going to hand it over to our [13:34] resident experts here who are going to introduce themselves and lead you through their favorite steam [13:40] experiences so let's give them another room [14:05] hello School Board my name is Jameson Hawthorne I'm an eighth grade advis student I'm here with my fellow peers [14:10] and we're here to demonstrate some steam activities that demonstrate our learning experiences at BMS first I'm going to [14:16] show you something I learned back in the sixth grade Minnesota studies we did many steam activities in this class something that stuck with me is called a [14:23] circuit map and it connects technology with [14:29] iography if you push a button an electric current moves from a battery through a copper tape to light to a [14:35] light bulb and back to the battery this creates a complete circuit and light bulb lights up if the light bulb does [14:42] not light up your circuit is incomplete scoreboard I want to challenge your Minnesota geography see if you can find [14:48] the different places highlighted on the map of Minnesota when you are ready to check your answers push the button my [14:54] friend June is going to bring you your the various circus Maps [15:17] thank you now I'm going [15:27] to iot [15:36] right [16:27] thank you now I'm going to pass it to my friend [Applause] [16:39] Z hello School Board I'm AA dataton I currently attend Brooklyn middle school and I'm in e8th grade one of my [16:46] highlights last year in seventh grade was fax class we made a lot of different foods from different cultures we and we [16:51] had the experience of hosting the Bulldog Cafe for the bud do Cafe all students work together to make different [16:56] cultural foods for families and staff during conference nights students recreate a restaurant and have different [17:02] roles servers chefs and hosts we were very busy the whole night of the buldog cafe over 200 St people attended to [17:11] prepare for the event we first connected Concepts from science and art to our fact class we learned about the chemistry of cooking and how food [17:17] undergoes chemical reactions as it Cooks we also utiliz our art skills to create the menu with photography and creative [17:24] writing take a look at our menus from our budda Cafe last spring my friend rapael Hill IS F pass out the menus [18:09] additionally we compiled all our favorite foods we made last year between the facts and culinary arts classes in a cookbook we printed copies for you to [18:16] keep and enjoy at home my friend Raphael is also going to pass out the cookbooks [18:52] today our current intro to Culinary Arts students May trust less cake in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month we brought from [18:58] we brought some for you to try Miss havac will pass out the cake [19:37] thank [19:44] you thank you no she's not [19:58] thank you for listening now I'm going to hand it over to my friend June [20:04] [Applause] [20:10] here hello my name is June Bey I also currently attend Brooklyn Middle steam school I'm in the eighth grade one of my [20:18] highlights has been our steam explorers program the purpose of this program is to expose us students to careers that we [20:24] may want to have in the future for the program different professionals come to into our school to talk about their [20:30] career and how they got there during these events we participate in Hands-On activities to learn more about the [20:37] career of the presenter the staff at BMS do their best to bring in presenters that are that are diverse and reflect [20:44] our student population my personal favorite steam explorers was when the dentists from the U ofm came in to talk [20:52] about their career field we did many activities about oral health and looked at teeth we acted as dentists and [20:58] figured figured out how to solve different Dentistry problems another popular steam explorers experience is [21:04] when Engineers from Boston Scientific come into our school they highlight the many different careers offered at Boston [21:11] Scientific and we are challenged to design a stent here's an [21:16] example in this scenario someone's esophagus is clogged the stent help [21:21] helps keep the esophagus open so that food can easily pass through the digestive system in activity we had [21:29] different constraints based upon different patient scenarios like allergies and we were required to [21:34] complete a cost analysis we also got to use their procedure [21:42] pal later in the year students are invited to take a field trip to the Boston Scientific campus where we are [21:50] participate in different manufacturing and lab stations and see how robotics is [21:55] connected to engineering work an example is sh with these cubet challenges board [22:00] members pair up and try to solve this cubet challenge of making the light bulb light up you have two [22:08] minutes my friend Jameson will pass them out [22:19] oh oh not too much [22:31] am I red [22:43] know okay ready set go you guys have two [22:54] minutes turn on the what turn on the blue one [22:59] oh yeah turn on the blue cube yeah [23:07] there yes [23:49] okay 30 more seconds [24:02] okay [24:21] Rafa me okay [24:30] just as EAS okay we're time's up thank you for [24:37] participating in our challenge I'm going to pass it to [24:43] [Applause] [24:54] Raphael hi [25:00] hi my name is Rafa kilua and I'm an eighth grade Avid student and a GPS leader at BMS I'm here to present on the [25:07] ufro show that I experienced in my seventh grade science class this event was a culmination of what we learned in [25:13] seventh grade science we saw a real human brain played a carding coding card [25:19] game from a u ofm professor and learned about how UV light can filter water and [25:24] perception by the brain my favorite activity was the perception glass glasses I'm going to show you how they [25:30] work you there are lines on the inside that blur your vision and when you look through them they distort your vision in [25:36] the activity we put on the glasses and then played a bean bag game what people [25:41] typically don't know is when you first see something and then something else happens afterwards your brain generally [25:47] thinks of the second thing because it's fresher in your mind for example if I put an apple in front of you and then I [25:53] blindfolded you you're probably going to think of the blindfold because it's fresher in your mind this relates to the [25:59] glasses because you are supposed to throw a bean bag then you put on the glasses you're probably going to miss [26:06] because of the Distortion from the glasses and then also you know it [26:11] distorts your mind do two do two board do two board [26:17] members want to try the game [Laughter] [26:30] War [27:01] does another person want to also try [27:09] [Laughter] [27:19] [Music] [27:42] [Applause] [27:50] would you like to try without the would you like to try without the glasses to show the difference no they told me [28:00] all right thank you for inviting us to this space to share our experiences we invite [28:07] you to join us at our school for some of our future events that are listed in your [28:13] packet thank you School Board [Applause] [28:28] yes [29:05] good right big smiles [29:19] [Applause] [30:07] okay who else felt like they were on who's smarter than a fifth [30:13] grader all right our next agenda item is the school board representative reports um and then we [30:20] have reason's not here Antonette will you please share your report yeah [30:28] good evening everyone um at AEO Senior High last month we celebrated our [30:33] homecoming week and 100 Years of Excellence 100 Years of growth courage [30:39] and success gradually oio Senior High has become super inclusive and diverse [30:44] for example at AIA Senior High we celebrated a beautiful you day whether that was expressing you your beautiful [30:51] culture your sports or just being your beautiful self um for example the [30:56] football players show their love and dedication for football for by wearing their jerseys speaking of sports fall [31:02] was super successful for our soccer and volleyball team they have been playing extremely well similar to similar to [31:09] being team players our link crew and BSU have been team players by helping out families and freshman around the school [31:16] this this mea break U Senior High had the most students on our HBC HBCU tour [31:22] which was extremely informational and special and we learned a lot so that was [31:29] nice thank [31:35] you all right and Naomi here yep will [31:40] you please share your report hello just hello everyone just in case you forgot I am Naomi Cooper hyen Greer and I [31:46] represent Park Center it is officially the month of October but in my opinion it's a it's come extremely fast I [31:54] remember the first day of school like it was yesterday and sometimes I wish it was yesterday moving forward I'd like to [32:01] congratulate all the fall Sports and activities and having a great run and turnout for their season all of our [32:07] teams have been seeing to move up and taking steps up from last year for example marching man has been [32:13] accomplishing New Heights in beginning higher scores and more outstanding scores than last year now now that our F [32:21] activity sports that are coming to a close our winter sports and activities have been coming up into the scene and [32:26] making an appearance Asian Club has been in full swing collecting members like there's no [32:32] tomorrow everybody's just been drawn to the activity and the creativeness that's been surrounding it to continue on I'd [32:39] like to mention a few fun events at Park Center that have been hosted this month first of all I'd love to start off with [32:45] the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration to give credit where credit is due Latino Circle our Spanish club that is [32:52] held at our school did an incredible job assisting those who needed help during the event and trust me me there was [32:58] tacos and they look good alongside with that there was a mariachi van and they played well too so y'all should go next [33:06] time we have an event alongside that there would there's more concerts [33:11] including musical concerts that are coming up this week and that have happened this week and they're putting [33:16] in a lot of skill and effort to play their beautiful instruments and use their vocals so please go to those [33:22] concerts too speaking of food there's a lot of food from [33:27] fundraisers this month a lot of assorted items and Gifts a lot of club and activities like CSS sophomore class [33:35] cabinet have been selling boo bags filled with candies and fidgets they've been selling like hot cakes Latino [33:42] Circle has been selling spicy candy and you know soft and smooth buttery muffins [33:47] a lot of assorted baked goods a lot uh lastly I'd like to mention that our [33:53] school has seen an increase of disposable items around our school many many students and teachers have been [34:00] talking about how they're concerned about you know all the trash around the school and what we can do to pick it up [34:06] and make our school look a little more cleaner so hopefully within the seven months our school looks like a brand new [34:13] school so that's all I got to say thank you thank [34:22] you oh thank you for those amazing reports Anette and Naomi um the student [34:27] represent review the board meeting packet in advance and are prepared to answer questions from board members on [34:33] issues to seek student input related to agenda items for this evening's meeting board members do you have an agenda item [34:39] for which you would like student [34:44] input I was just really excited to hear their reports I forgot to think of [34:53] questions I know we really appreciated it when we could have students at our work questions which is where we um [34:59] really work hard on getting our ideas was there anything that you wanted to give input on that we did not ask [35:06] you on the agenda no that's good too all right I [35:13] thinking our first readings we're going to be on here next time cell phone policy for next time sure for [35:22] sure okay so our next agenda item is audience opportunity to address the school board and I have a few um [35:29] guidelines um for participation um Stu speakers will be called to the podium in this order [35:35] students first then parents then staff then community members and others when I call your name please come to the [35:41] microphone and state your name the topic and whether or not you're District resident please keep your comments to [35:47] three minutes and address the entire board um that means not addressing an individual board member or the audience [35:54] um if you have handouts please uh for the board please hand them to either Sherry or put them on the table back [36:01] there um the board and audience will listen and not respond back at this time [36:06] um also it is um as it is election time we are not taking uh any kind of um [36:14] campaigning for any individual uh person running as we want to focus on the um on [36:23] the governance of the district currently thank you um and for the good of community Personnel concerns should be [36:30] directed to individuals in the following order the building principal the executive director for human resources [36:35] assistant superintendent superintendent and finally in writing to the school board and with all that I call the [36:43] first person um to speak Celeste runquist [37:02] well good evening school board members and Dr H and cant my name is Celeste runquist I am a District 279 resident as [37:10] well as a parent to five children three of which currently attend oio senior high school as some of you on the school [37:17] board may remember uh three years ago I initiated what I was told was the first [37:23] book re-evaluation request in The District in 10 plus years and I realized now that um since that time three years [37:29] ago there have been several other requests um that have been made um this [37:35] book review request was driven by concerns over the content of a required reading that was in one of my child's [37:41] n9th grade English class there was lack of transparency for [37:47] the parents and the Guardians and also our child was eventually placed in a separate classroom to read a book um of [37:54] their choice by themselves we were frustrated to have to walk through this process but we do believe that some good [38:01] came from it we did discover that there was a lack of accountability in place and as parents and myself as also a [38:08] Community member this is one of our roles for students in our school district for decades public education [38:15] has been afforded to any individual that desires to receive it in our country all [38:20] citizens living in a school district are required to provide the necessary funds to meet the financial needs via our [38:26] taxes these community members have an invested interest in our schools and it is their [38:32] hard-earned money at work we want our schools to remain Community Schools and [38:38] not isolated to only students employees and parents eventually my children will [38:43] graduate out of oio area schools and at that point I desire to be a support to [38:49] the district as a community member being held accountable is never an enjoyable [38:54] process but it is necessary to allow growth to take take place our District 279 is surrounded with invested and [39:02] engaging community members many that I know personally and we must continue to provide opportunities for them to come [39:09] alongside of all of us I hope that we can continue to come together as parents teachers and community members in the [39:16] oio area school district for the growth and betterment of our students even if it means more accountability and more [39:23] work as a parent I appreciate and am thankful for the community that I have [39:28] found in this school district and I'm thankful for them coming along my children to support them over seconds [39:38] remaining okay our next speaker is Jessica bam [39:43] [Music] be it's all good Jessica thank [39:54] you hello my name is Jessica B and I'm District resident and a parent of students in the district over the past [40:00] several months I've observed various discussions in this room regarding the appropriateness of certain books for certain student audiences not [40:07] surprisingly reasonable people disagree about whether or not certain content may or may not be considered appropriate in [40:12] different circumstances in the course of those discussions I've observed some very thoughtful and nuanced commentary [40:18] and Reflection by many parties including those raising the concerns and various board members considering those concerns [40:24] I've also observed some less thoughtful approaches or reactions to these situations where it seems as though some might be suggesting that literally any [40:30] challenge to the appropriateness of public school library content for minors amounts to an infringement on or at [40:35] least blatant disrespect for the First Amendment as an initial matter I don't believe it's accurate to claim that the [40:41] First Amendment somehow prohibits the board from reviewing the appropriateness of content that the public school makes available to children I happen to be a [40:47] lawyer but don't base this conclusion on any claimed personal expertise regarding constitutional law rather I reached this [40:53] conclusion based on listening to the discussions during those board meeting board meetings including commentary from the general Council quite simply it [40:59] seems that board objections to so excuse me broad objections to book reviews based on appeals to the First Amendment [41:05] are misplaced however for the moment I want to set aside the accuracy of the application of the First Amendment and [41:11] instead focus on the consistency of its purported application on the one hand we have the idea of limiting children's [41:17] access to certain specific content within the limited scope of the school library and that is somehow [41:22] characterized as gross infringement of the First Amendment on the other hand we now seem to have some positions of [41:27] leadership seeking to remove the right of taxpaying community members to voice concerns about that content but somehow [41:34] That explicit limitation on their speech doesn't seem to raise the same First Amendment concerns the contradiction is [41:40] alarming if one wants to be guided by the overarching principle that more speech and sharing of ideas in the form [41:45] of books or otherwise is fundamentally better why would we aim for Less speech and sharing of ideas in the form of [41:50] community input community members have a vested interest in how the children within the community are being educated [41:56] with taxpayer dollars regardless of any biological or legal ties to one or more of those children disagreement is [42:02] uncomfortable speaking here is uncomfortable I imagine many people in various seats today find those seats [42:07] quite uncomfortable at times but we can't deal with the discomfort of disagreement by trying to stop certain people from Ever voicing it I would [42:14] encourage anyone supporting the idea of blocking Community Voices in this manner to First pause for a moment of reflection imagine a future circumstance [42:21] where you happen to agree with a Community member who wants to raise a concern with Public Schools or you are that Community m [42:27] concerns but theen for getting those concerns heard is blocked if we want to retain the right toar from people with [42:34] whom we agree then we must unequivocally unequivocally accept the obligation to hear from those with whom we disagree [42:40] thank you Michaela McCoy [42:57] hello I'm Michaela McCoy I'm a teacher at Park Center Senior High School and I'm here um on behalf of several of my [43:03] colleagues um at Park Center my grandmother was a first grade [43:08] teacher and did not believe in book censorship my mother was allowed to read whatever she wanted because she was [43:15] unrestricted my mother spent a large part of her childhood at the library and she fell in love with reading she passed [43:22] this love of books onto me and similarly did not restrict me from reading anything I wanted to read as a [43:29] multi-racial person with a white mom and a black dad I had many questions growing [43:34] up about my identity reading was one of and continues to be one of the primary [43:40] ways I understand my biracial black experience from my board books as a baby [43:46] to what I took home from the Scholastic Book Fair my parents always gave me the freedom to read books that featured [43:52] characters that looked like me I decided decided I wanted to become [43:57] an English teacher when I was a sophomore in high school after I made this decision I began to read as much [44:03] classic American literature as possible and so naturally I picked up Tony Morrison from my teacher's classroom [44:10] Library when I read The Bluest Eye at age 15 I resonated deeply with Paka the [44:15] main character like her I too felt ugly in my brown skin I attended a [44:21] predominantly white school and I was one of three black girls in my class of over 300 [44:28] I didn't have straight hair or thin lips and our theater Department didn't even have a makeup shade that matched my skin [44:34] for our Productions before I read The Bluest Eye I didn't have language to describe how [44:39] eurocentric beauty standards were damaging my self-esteem I thought I was just ugly but Tony Morrison's book [44:46] showed me that my feelings of unworthiness weren't my fault the racism I was experiencing and internalizing as [44:53] a young girl was a system outside of me that was praying on my my Humanity I'm [44:58] grateful for her to her Tony Morrison and for her book for showing me a truth about my experience of black girlhood [45:05] and unlocking a path for younger me to learn to love her skin English teachers are taught that books can be mirrors or [45:11] Windows for our students black children deserve to have access to books that are mirrors to books that affirm the [45:17] experiences we're having the pain we're feeling and the joy we're cultivating we deserve access to the truth about our [45:24] history and our Humanity no matter how uncomfortable able and it can be uncomfortable seconds remaining [45:30] horrifyingly so but in confronting these harsh realities we are able to understand the cause of the pain in our [45:36] world deepen our sense of empathy for others and reaffirm our uh reaffirm our [45:42] desire to make the world a better place black students deserve freedom and agency to decide even in adolescence [45:49] what literature is and isn't appropriate for our journey to understanding ourselves and our communities thank you [45:57] thank you uh Max Mah sorry we're not responding to anyone [46:05] at this time thank you hello I am a district resident Max [46:13] Maher I am here to express my deep concern about representatives from the verified hate group gays against [46:19] groomers who have spoken unopposed at recent school board meetings gags leaders have proven ties [46:26] to to the proud boys a violent Neo fascist extremist group with deeply [46:32] islamophobic beliefs and gag has been ousted from payment platforms like PayPal and venmo due to their unethical [46:40] positions and practices it's a red flag within organization's preferred online [46:45] payment method is Bitcoin the kind of homophobic rhetoric [46:50] a professes has sadly been shared by other community members uh one of which who has appeared before you at at least [46:57] four times to deliver vitriolic commentary against lgbtq plus students [47:03] including defacing a pride flag and displaying it at a June 2023 board [47:10] meeting this conduct is harmful to District students and employees it is a distraction from the [47:17] focus on a quality experience and education and preparation for [47:23] Life current Workforce requirements and laws do not allow discrimination on the [47:29] basis of gender identity and sexual orientation to teach students otherwise [47:35] or to encourage them to opt out of understanding that is wrong finally while I'm not sure to what [47:42] extent these reports are made public I'd be interested in seeing an annual analysis of the instructional and [47:48] Library materials challenged under the revisions made to policy 652 with breakdowns by the challenged [47:55] author's demographics that's the kind of transparency I would expect as a district [48:01] stakeholder I think we all know which communities will suffer when diversity is [48:07] challenged rather than acting as Gatekeepers of literature this board would be better served by trusting the [48:13] certified professionals such as library media Specialists and the coordinator of digital learning and instructional media [48:20] who are trained to select materials that meet curriculum standards and student needs oio schools face real challenges [48:28] like low ESP pay overworked staff and increasing class sizes it's disheartening that some [48:36] individuals Aspire both locally and across the United States of America 30 [48:42] seconds Foster the kind of regressive thinking that will harm students teachers and their communities thank you [48:49] for your time thank you Deb Peterson [49:07] hello uh my name is Deb Peterson I am the proud parent of a Maple Grove [49:12] graduate and a member of this community we aren't here to argue [49:18] vacular every parent has the right to decide what their child [49:23] reads they do not however have the the right to tell my child what they can [49:29] read in the library based on their beliefs call what you will that's book [49:37] Banning oio School District already has a system in place to challenge books [49:43] it's filled with professionals who have training and age appropriate materials [49:48] and the process works you may not agree with the outcome but if you go to the doctor and [49:56] don't like the diagnosis you don't get a second opinion from an accountant or a [50:02] plumber stop disrespecting our educated and fully trained Library [50:11] professionals I spent 20 years as a military spouse I spent countless months [50:18] anxiously awaiting that unexpected knock at the door when my husband was [50:24] deployed this bracelet represents one of my heroes who didn't [50:29] return didn't return from fighting for our freedoms to be who we [50:36] are and who we are as a country is rooted in the free exchange [50:43] of ideas moving forward toward more Enlightenment and inclusion for all not [50:52] backward toward a Theocratic monarchy [50:57] we've lost too many Heroes to do that thank [51:04] you again we're not responding to the speakers tooa [51:22] Cochran good evening everyone my name is taka Cochran and and I'm here to speak [51:28] to the residents um and fellow community members regarding book Banning so today [51:33] I stand before you to address a pressing issue that threatens the very Foundation of our democracy the Banning of books in [51:39] our schools this practice not only undermines the principle of freedom and education the values that our nation has [51:45] fought so hard to uphold but also educational system achievements such as any degrees that faculty members May [51:51] hold that allow them the scope of practice to do their jobs the United States was built on the ideas of Liberty [51:58] Justice and the pursuit of knowledge our founding fathers instill these principles in the Constitution [52:03] recognizing that freedom of speech and the freedom of exchange of ideas are fundamental to a functioning [52:10] democracy when we restrict access to books we deny students the opportunity to explore diverse perspectives [52:16] challenging their own beliefs and engaging in critical thinking this is merely an issue of educ not just an [52:22] issue of Education it's a violation of constitutional rights many people understand that the first [52:28] amendment gives them the right to speak on any subject probably fewer realize that it also grants the rights to read [52:35] whatever you like challenging the language of the first amendment is not appropriate in this menu it should [52:40] therefore not be entertained throughout our history we have seen the destructive impact of [52:46] censorship Banning books not only silences those voices but perpetuates a culture of fear and hate my son is [52:53] currently serving to protect our nation our stitution as is his father and my [52:59] father my family marched with Dr King in the Civil Rights Movement I here today as a resident ready to defend our [53:05] students rights in our community in closing I urge that you consider the implications of banning books in our [53:11] schools it's not just an infringement on our rights it's a betrayal to the idea of freedom and de democracy that defines [53:18] us As Americans let us protect our students rights to read learn and grow in an environment that celebrates [53:24] diversity and fosters critical thinking thank you okay leadon [53:42] seon good evening Leon San District resident and concerned parent um and [53:47] forgive me I don't have any notes tonight but I just wanted to say something quick about uh was looking at [53:52] the agenda for tonight and I know 441 is also on the docket um policy 441 and I [53:57] just wanted to mention um I noticed that let's see if I can remember uh Roman [54:04] numeral 6 part e it just um it's supposed to be edited out of there and I [54:10] would just like you guys to relook at that because I think it's it's more talking about just queuing the kids in [54:17] on the dangers of what can happen online um I don't know I've just heard too many [54:22] stories of people that get into like sex trafficking and get back out of it and then the initial problem was an online [54:29] encounter so I don't know if there was maybe a reason you guys wanted to take that out but I thought well that would be probably something actually good to [54:36] help kids uh be aware of if their own parents aren't warning them about it and [54:41] then I also noticed the uh whole section seven Roman numeral 7 was going to be edited out and I really like the [54:47] language of that I feel like it's some of the most substantial language that is in the policy 441 so I would just ask [54:54] you to reconsider that and um just because I am one of the people who has [55:00] challenged a book I wanted to use the remaining amount of my time to just kind of talk about that um I think like I [55:08] challenged a book because of sexually explicit content um it's a book that [55:14] people could probably find in public libraries or buy it on Amazon if they [55:19] must um so really the issue is just getting it out of the tax funded [55:27] kids libraries in schools and I I mean I feel like we've said this a million times but um I [55:33] also want to mention that it's still in the library um I guess only three people [55:38] have checked it out um so it's not like it's widely used but [55:44] um the main thing is if if something is harmful I don't know why we need to be [55:50] offering it in the school libraries with tax pay taxpayer funds I just don't see [55:56] the purpose in it again it can be found if if they must find it they will find it somewhere else um I'm also a little [56:04] concerned about how I think there's only been five other four or five other book challenges and all of them have have [56:12] stayed in so really I don't I don't see the alarm and a lot of the comments I've [56:17] been hearing tonight kind of remind me I was just reading um some a the union [56:22] magazine the latest one September and October um version and and I just I saw the letter [56:29] from the director and and she made it sound like she's afraid that we're going to start Banning books about Martin [56:34] Luther King Jr and Rosa Parks and I just thought why why are they always trying to Hitch when they're when they're [56:40] trying to do sexual stuff why are they trying to always hitch the wagon to the race card time because that's [56:46] already it's already something that we know is totally wrong in our nation so [56:52] your they AR getting the public support your time's up Lon thank [56:57] you um Lori [57:08] wolf good evening thank you for the opportunity to address the board my name is Dr Lori wolf and I'm a mom my son has [57:15] graduated and is proudly in college now and I'm a district resident and I wanted to address the board policy and [57:22] procedure 652 the instructional Library material selection and reevaluation that has already been spoken about by a [57:29] number of people um particularly um I would like to reiterate what Deb [57:35] Peterson I think already said about trusting our professionals we have trained staff that have gone through [57:42] college have master's degrees they are experts in this area and we should trust [57:48] them to be able to do their job and select appropriate materials for the classroom for the library for the [57:55] schools I have a doctorate in educational leadership I still would not presume to [58:02] tell teachers what is appropriate and not appropriate for their classroom for [58:07] their students they are the experts and they know best second trying to interfere with [58:16] that process as a community member undermines confidence in our schools and [58:21] in those professionals and also schools are meant to be be a place of [58:27] disagreement Jessica whose last name we couldn't pronounce right and I don't know I'm sorry mentioned that [58:32] disagreement is uncomfortable it absolutely is and it's necessary for [58:37] growth and schools should be a place where we are exposing people to [58:43] diversity of ideas diversity of experience diversity of the world and [58:48] helping them in a guided facilitated supported kind of environment have [58:54] discussions and work through issues that make them uncomfortable that make all of us [59:01] uncomfortable because that discomfort is where growth happens and our school [59:06] district has a mission to create a welcoming and inclusive learning environment for all students [59:13] representation matters students need to see themselves reflected in the [59:18] curriculum reflected in the materials that they are reviewing that they are seeing that they are being asked to read [59:25] and if as a parent parent you have a concern about that there's a process in place you can talk to the teacher you [59:31] can talk to the superintendent the the principal the board whomever you need to [59:37] in order to feel like your concern is addressed 30 seconds remaining but you should not be presuming to do that for [59:44] everyone else's child that's why we have staff trained in it thank [59:50] you okay our last um speaker is Ann Harms [1:00:09] my name is Ann harms and I'm a district resident I also have a master's degree [1:00:14] in literature from a large University and I would like to speak on the issue of freedom to [1:00:20] read as someone who has studied literature I do not believe in book Banning I don't believe it is good for [1:00:27] society and I am not a proponent of it but I just want to take a step back and say that this is not an issue of taking [1:00:34] away a student's right to read this is not about limiting a student's ability [1:00:39] to read what they wish the issue at hand is what materials are is our school [1:00:46] presenting to children and do we feel that those are appropriate to their age [1:00:51] levels and I understand what people are saying but if parents are coming and saying I don't feel this is appropriate [1:00:57] I don't feel this is appropriate I don't feel this is appropriate then there is [1:01:02] something there that we need to address and not just sweep under the rug and I [1:01:08] also am concerned about um trying to limit District um voices and community [1:01:15] members on this matter I no longer have students in this District but that doesn't mean I don't care about the kids [1:01:21] in my district and I also find it interesting that you're interested in my [1:01:28] input on a bond issue but you're not interested in my input on other issues [1:01:33] um as well and I feel like if you're going to ask me for my money then I feel [1:01:38] like it is okay for me to ask questions about how my money is being used and I [1:01:44] think we just need to just step back from this issue and just see the truth [1:01:50] of what it is we're actually arguing here we all love our kids we all want what's best for our kids we all want [1:01:57] books that our kids can read and identify with and I think when we hype [1:02:03] that up we take away the commonality that we are trying to achieve here we [1:02:09] want our kids to be safe we don't want our children to encounter sexually explicit things before they are ready [1:02:15] for them and as a school that's on that's on us we introduce that to them [1:02:21] that's not the library that's not the internet that's on the school and so I think when we're thinking about this I [1:02:27] would just invite everyone involved to just think about okay what is what is my [1:02:32] part that I'm going to bring to this and how can I make sure that the decisions I'm making in my school are the best for [1:02:39] students and we are going to disagree and that's okay as everyone has said but [1:02:45] I think we just need to be really thoughtful and listen to one another truly listen to one another about what [1:02:51] our concerns are and not just a blanket yes or a blanket no because because that benefits no one so I'm just going to ask [1:02:59] that as you're considering this issue we just take a step back from where wherever we're standing and just look at [1:03:06] it with fresh eyes and just say if this was my kid standing here looking at this [1:03:11] book would I want that for them and let's just kind of go from there thank [1:03:18] you okay thank you okay our next agenda item is the [1:03:23] superintendent report Dr h thank you good evening chair M sko Jones and school board members uh today I would [1:03:29] like to speak about a term that has a profound meaning and that term is belonging while we often use the word [1:03:37] inclusive to signify our efforts to integrate diverse individuals with different thoughts and different lived [1:03:43] experiences belonging goes a step further it emphasizes a deer a deeper [1:03:49] sense of acceptance connection and feeling valued within one's community [1:03:55] it's not just about being included it's about ensuring that every individual feels that their presence and their [1:04:02] contributions matter as we reflect on these contributions I want to emphasize [1:04:07] the importance of holding space for one another some of you may have heard it already but holding space means that [1:04:14] we're willing to walk alongside another person on whatever Journey that they're on without judging them making them TR [1:04:21] feel inadequate or trying to fix them or trying to control the outcome when we [1:04:27] hold space for others we open our heart offer unconditional support and let go [1:04:32] of judgment and control our number one goal here in aary school is to build one Community for all [1:04:40] where all voices are valued and heard and when we create a safe space for all [1:04:45] of our voices achieving this isn't always easy in our district this serves [1:04:50] eight cities approximately 21,000 students and around 3,000 300 staff [1:04:57] members naturally there will be times that we don't agree and we may encounter obstacles as we strive to make our [1:05:04] district a place that continues to prioritize our Scholars and our staff [1:05:10] but let's but let's remain committed to honoring the humanity in all of us and [1:05:16] continue to work toward our goal of making this District always be human Centric our Scholars are watching and [1:05:24] learning from what way they see and hear from us the journey may be messy at [1:05:29] times and we might face conflict but I am confident that through transparency [1:05:34] collaboration and respect that we will continue to strive to become the best [1:05:40] place to learn the best place to work and a safe place of belonging for each and every one of our stakeholders I want [1:05:47] to conclude with our district vision statement which guides everything we do our goal is to unleash and enhance the [1:05:54] Brilliance of our Scholars or or our babies as I say to thrive and change the world for the better let this Vision [1:06:01] remind us that our work is not just about today but about shaping a brighter more inclusive and more connected future [1:06:09] for each and every one of us thank you a regular part of our superintendent's report is to share [1:06:15] points of pride in our district by sharing our points of Pride we are taking time to recognize and celebrate [1:06:21] the scholars our staff and our community members who are contributing to our accomplishment of our mission statement [1:06:28] which states to inspire and prepare each and every scholar with confidence courage and competence to achieve their [1:06:33] dreams contributed to community engaging the lifetime of learning this evening I [1:06:38] have members of our district cabinet here to assist in sharing some examples of this from this last [1:06:47] month in the area of achieving dreams AIO Senior High School centennial [1:06:53] celebration was a huge success the festivities included School tours band [1:06:58] and dance performances food trucks games and alumni recognitions from each decade [1:07:05] which included alumni from as far back as 1949 in attendance happy 100th [1:07:11] birthday AIO Senior High elementary schools across the [1:07:17] district hosted fund run events in September as fundraisers a great opportunity to get outside and be active [1:07:24] together great work to all of the students and staff [1:07:29] involved students at Edinbrook Elementary School recently captivated an audience of family friends and School [1:07:36] staff with a performance in the school's gymnasium of selections from [1:07:42] Frozen the After School production was made possible in partnership with oio area school's Community Education youth [1:07:49] enrichment program and the beat bunts educational Adventure theater [1:07:56] in the area of contributing to community fa Oaks Elementary staff made the 2024 [1:08:03] employee giving campaign extra memorable with staff events running throughout the 11-day campaign such as a cornhole and [1:08:10] pickle ball tournaments Plinko Donut Day Shucks I missed that one trivia trivia [1:08:17] and break time and hammocks all meant to bring staff together and encourage them to donate to District 279 Foundation [1:08:24] greater cities United Way or a nonprofit of their choosing way to make a [1:08:30] feel-good campaign even more fun Far Oak [1:08:35] staff on the beautiful fall morning of October 4th oio education center [1:08:41] students and staff celebrated their new accessible playground with a grand opening celebration featuring music [1:08:49] popcorn ice cream and a whole lot of playground play and [1:08:54] exploration special education teacher Angie oir said we needed to dream big [1:09:00] and dream big we did we had many purposeful committee conversations about [1:09:06] how to include everyone at oec and in the community we are so pleased at how [1:09:11] this amazing Park and fitness path turned out and we look forward to seeing [1:09:16] you get your workout on in the area of lifelong learning [1:09:24] Hispanic heritage AG month ran from September 15th through October 15th in [1:09:30] AIO area schools celebrated in a few different ways all community members were welcomed to attend the family and [1:09:37] Community engagement Department's Hispanic Heritage Month celebration [1:09:43] October 5th at Park Center Senior High School where attendees enjoyed food [1:09:49] music and celebrated Hispanic culture and history additionally Palmer Lake [1:09:55] Elementary School recognized the event with a Hispanic Heritage Month museum [1:10:01] for students to visit and learn about important events within Hispanic [1:10:09] cultures students at Rice Lake Elementary and oil Middle School wore [1:10:15] orange on October 16th to celebrate Unity day uniting for kindness [1:10:21] acceptance and inclusion to prevent students from being bullied at Rice Lake [1:10:27] Elementary School students wrote down ways that they can show kindness to their fellow classmates on an orange [1:10:34] piece of paper the classes then connected the piece of paper pieces of paper together in a link roie the mascot [1:10:42] visited all of the classrooms as they worked on this project at ail middle [1:10:48] school students in the unified advisory class chalked the sidewalks writing [1:10:54] inspiring messages that included kindness and acceptance they also planned a mural that will display [1:11:00] further messages of inclusion the whole school participated in this event [1:11:06] decorating a small part of the mural the unified advisory students will assemble [1:11:12] the mural this week for all students to view these events were planned in [1:11:18] partnership with the Pacer Center Oak viw Elementary School [1:11:25] behavior interventionist ESP Stephanie Halverson started using move mindfully [1:11:32] techniques or moving your body to explore your emotions after noticing [1:11:37] more kids were coming into the school's intervention room feeling emotionally [1:11:43] disregulated after seeing the initial success haverson applied for a grant and [1:11:49] receive $5,000 from henpen County public health promotion allowing her and and [1:11:55] Oak View's new principal Ryan Gibbs to bring in move mindfully coaching and [1:12:00] expand it schoolwide including at the new monthly husky Pride assemblies that [1:12:06] principal Gibbs will lead each month Zanewood Community esteemed [1:12:13] school's fall engineering night has become a beloved tradition for the school community and the school's [1:12:19] dedicated partner organizations families came together on September 26th to enjoy food games [1:12:26] robots virtual reality and other steam related [1:12:32] activities during the week of September 16 through 20 elementary school students [1:12:37] across the district participated in bus safety week kindergarteners in Mrs Johnson's class at Basswood Elementary [1:12:44] School and in classes at other elementary schools learned where to stand to wait for the bus how to get on [1:12:50] and off and how to sit and act while riding the bus students also watched a video in their library media centers [1:12:57] called bus safety it's everyone's job to learn more about the importance of bus [1:13:05] safety a group of Park Center Senior High Juniors and seniors from the school's community-based vocational [1:13:11] assessment and training or CVB program recently attended a career exploration [1:13:17] field trip from with envent Hoffman a company that designs and manufactures [1:13:23] systems that protect Electric systems and electronic [1:13:29] controls oio area schools adult basic education or AB launched additional [1:13:35] classes this fall in response to a growing Community need to help adults gain skills to support their personal [1:13:41] academic and career goals the ab program expansion includes increasing courses [1:13:47] offered in driver's education citizenship and computer skills from Summer only offerings to now include [1:13:54] fall and spring semester opportunities Emily Watts AB program coordinator said [1:14:00] we are always looking to improve programming that is responsive to the needs of our community and students and [1:14:05] are excited to offer some of our most popular summer classes throughout the year [1:14:12] now dare officers in training recently spoke with students at Elm Creek Elementary School to talk about life [1:14:19] skills for Success officer Laurel Slawson said we're take we're talking in [1:14:24] these class asss about stress and dealing with Stress and Anxiety talking about communication and being confident [1:14:31] in your communication we're also talking about ways to handle bullying about ways to resist peer [1:14:39] pressure in the area of Missi driven employees the AIO area schools custodial [1:14:45] team does so much to keep our schools and grounds in good working order for students staff and the community this [1:14:52] year we celebrated the team on OCT October 2nd if you see a custodial worker make sure to thank them for all [1:14:59] that they do Elizabeth Shong a staff development [1:15:06] teacher with the District student services department served as a distinguished guest panelist at the 2024 [1:15:12] check and connect Global reach conference on September 26 at the University of Minnesota's mcnamer Alumni [1:15:19] Center the conference seeks to bring together hundreds of collaborators who are dedicated to boosting student [1:15:28] engagement oio area schools recognize National lunch School National School [1:15:34] Lunch week the week of October 14th through the 18th in schools across the district our nutrition services Team [1:15:41] Works diligently every day to provide [1:15:47] meals a few final notes and reminders for this evening looking for that perfect School fit this is your chance [1:15:53] to explore all grade levels from Early Childhood to high school including our magnet and online programs whether [1:15:59] you're new to the district or if you have enrollment questions or just want to learn about your child schools or [1:16:05] other schools that we uh have in our district we got everything in one place for you join us on Saturday November [1:16:11] 16th from 9:00 a.m. to noon at oio senior high for our first ever school choice fair so thank you and that [1:16:18] concludes tonight's superintendent report thank you our next agenda item is [1:16:23] Schoolboard reports director Brooks do you have a report I do not have a report my first uh committee meeting is this [1:16:30] week okay thank you director Douglas do you have a report or update I do not [1:16:35] director sentman I do I have the October 8th 2024 policy committee summary report [1:16:42] at the meeting we reviewed and discussed half of the remaining policies from the 400 series these included reviewing And [1:16:48] discussing proposed edits to policies and procedures for 403 discipline suspension and dismissal of School [1:16:55] District employees 421 gifts to District Personnel 443 tutoring of students and [1:17:01] 435 qualification of personnel we also reviewed and discussed the proposed repeal of policy 448 workers [1:17:09] compensation a oneline policy that states that the district will provide workers compensation as required by [1:17:14] Statute as a policy change does not change or add that requirement we also [1:17:20] reviewed and discussed a new policy required by recent legislation related to School sponsored Publications and the [1:17:27] First Amendment rights that student journalists have that must be reflected in policy this will be a new policy for [1:17:34] the district and is policy 512 School sponsored student publication and [1:17:39] activities the last policy review and discussion was proposed edits and the addition of procedures to policy 505 [1:17:48] student cell phone and Technology we heard about the feedback from students [1:17:53] principls School staff parents and community members because of the importance and level of Interest by our [1:18:00] community we asked Administration to seek feedback based on the edits to the policy and procedures which are new that [1:18:07] feedback will be available at the next regular board meeting all of these policies were moved forward for their [1:18:13] November regular board meeting for a first reading thank you director Mitchell not at this time director Grady [1:18:20] no not this time okay and at this time I do not have a report or update um the [1:18:26] next agenda item is the consent agenda board members our consent agenda items this evening include meeting minutes and [1:18:34] financial reports for September 24 um fiscal year 25 budget adjustment [1:18:40] extended educational trips Personnel items construction bid approvals and we have 25 grants requiring requiring [1:18:49] approval as well are there any items that you would like to remove for separate consideration [1:18:56] okay hearing none is there a motion to approve the consent agenda as printed so moved moved by director Brooks is there [1:19:02] a second second by director Mitchell um is there any [1:19:08] discussion I just want to say thank you to all the people that spent hours and hours um of time writing grants so that [1:19:14] our students have extra opportunities um all in favor say I I I [1:19:19] I'll oppose say nay motion passes six to zero [1:19:27] uh our first action item tonight is the second reading of policies General Council Amy Moore will share the [1:19:34] information for all policies up for second reading and then we'll act on each policy [1:19:40] individually Amy you're on all right so uh I'll do you want me to go through all [1:19:48] the policies or you want them one by one it is written here to go through all of them but I would prefer to go one at a [1:19:55] time yeah thank you so we'll start with 432 which is teacher involuntary [1:20:00] transfer process and this policy is being proposed for repeal because this is addressed in collective bargaining [1:20:07] agreements thank you is there a motion to approve the second reading of policy 432 teacher involuntary transfer [1:20:15] proposed proposed for repeal as presented so moved okay moving by um Tam [1:20:21] M Grady second second second by director Prince is there any [1:20:26] discussion all in favor say I I I I'll oppose say nay motion passes 6 to zero [1:20:34] all right the next policy uh the next policy then is 441 digital Technologies [1:20:39] and digital systems responsible use um as we discussed last time the updates to [1:20:46] this policy were done to reflect um what is responsible use what [1:20:53] you should do versus all the prohibitions that were the main changes to the policy um we haven't received any [1:21:00] feedback since the first reading and Publishing for the past month thank you [1:21:06] is there a motion to approve the second reading of policy 441 digital Technologies and digital systems AC [1:21:12] acceptable use proposed edits as presented so move by director Brooks is [1:21:18] there a second I'll second second director greedy is there any discussion and I just just want to [1:21:24] clarify that um this is the policy and there are procedures and we do have curriculum that teaches kids how to [1:21:31] responsibly use digital media correct absolutely um yeah that's a good point [1:21:36] we had a lot of discussion and policy committee about kind of what um other things were taking place in the district [1:21:42] and where all of that was outlined so I want to be really clear all of those things are still present um in our in [1:21:50] our district thank you any other discussion all in favor say I I I all oppos say nay [1:21:59] motion passes six to zero next policy the next policy is policy 507 corporal [1:22:06] punishment and prone restraint and um due to legislation uh clarifying um uh [1:22:14] school resource officers and and um who is and is not a um employee or agent of [1:22:22] the district we updated um um with the changes that you see um we have also not [1:22:28] received any input since the first reading and posting thank you is there a motion to approve the second reading of [1:22:34] policy 507 corporal punishment and prone restraint statutory updates as presented sorry longer than I thought it was sorry [1:22:42] all right um motion by director Grady is there a second second second by director [1:22:47] Brooks um is there any discussion all in favor say I I all say [1:22:55] n motion passes 6 to Zer next next policy 640 class size and [1:23:01] student teacher Staffing ratio this is one we're also proposing for repeal because it is now negotiated through the [1:23:09] collective bargaining process by Statute thank you is there a motion to approve the second reading of policy 640 [1:23:16] class siiz and student teacher Staffing ratio proposed for repeal as presented so moved all right moved by um director [1:23:24] Douglas and a second by director Prince um is there any [1:23:29] discussion all in favor say I I I I'll oppose say n motion passes 6 to [1:23:36] zero all right so the last one then we have is policy 652 instructional and [1:23:41] Library material selection and re-evaluation and you have two sets of [1:23:48] the policies and uh we're also including the procedures uh the form and the [1:23:54] guidelines so everyone can see all of the updates that we are proposing um the [1:24:00] first set that starts on page 269 and then goes through Page [1:24:07] 285 um is what has been posted and was discussed at the first reading um since [1:24:14] that meeting through feedback and uh questions from the directors and [1:24:19] discussion we did do some updates that are then highlighted um um and that's [1:24:25] the second set which starts on 286 and goes through the end there to 302 and so [1:24:33] I am recommending that the policy with those [1:24:38] updates that starts on page 286 is one that the board would consider for [1:24:45] approval tonight um the um [1:24:54] updates that you can see are well one was a bit of a Miss on the policy was [1:25:00] removing and production we discussed that at the last board meeting somehow after reading it a million times I still [1:25:06] missed that so that was one um we did make further clarification then in [1:25:12] section six saying uh uh that a parent or Guardian could make the request in [1:25:17] writing or verbally to the principal or Li library media specialist That's practically how it's working currently [1:25:23] but putting that Clarity in there and then reflecting the same order of um our [1:25:31] community who can um voice concerns or objections we made sure it was the same [1:25:37] order in the policy and the procedures so you see that reflected as an update [1:25:42] in section um eight there um those are the changes since [1:25:48] last time in the policy um we did also do some updates in the procedure um and [1:25:54] form somewhere grammatical um the probably one of the bigger changes or [1:25:59] updates we made that we thought was a really great idea was that when um the [1:26:05] director coordinator of digital learning instruction all media was supposed to select someone that uh that position [1:26:13] would also include the director of learning and achievement and director of educational Equity so it's a team making [1:26:19] that decision um we also encourage that for those selecting individuals to be on [1:26:25] the district evaluation committee that um they consider appointing um different [1:26:31] individuals to the extent that that's available to them because we value that diversity um in variety of input um and [1:26:40] like I said some of the other updates were kind of more grammatical those were the main ones [1:26:47] um this is a policy that started our review in December of [1:26:53] 2023 uh um went through three policy committees we've received a great deal of [1:26:58] feedback um there's been a lot of discussion um what you see before you is [1:27:06] um a compromise to some folks um but I think it reflects a an improvement from [1:27:13] where we have been it provides Clarity um we will be digitizing the form um you [1:27:20] know making it more accessible uh we will put guidelines that St that folks [1:27:25] can see how the committee works as well um so it's been it has been a long [1:27:31] process but I think overall it's been really good um and we've been able to input a lot of really good I think [1:27:37] productive feedback into um the policy you know it is a reminder to the board [1:27:43] that you're voting only on the policy tonight um not the procedures [1:27:50] um you know regardless of what the um happen tonight on the vote for the [1:27:55] policy the procedure language will get updated because that is under uh [1:28:01] Administration to do um and I think like I said a lot of the updates are really productive and um help in kind of [1:28:08] clarity and transparency thank you okay is there a motion to [1:28:17] um let me read the whole thing is there a motion to um approve [1:28:24] the second reading of the policy of policy 652 revised after the first [1:28:30] reading published on the district website as agenda item 12 point a. 3 [1:28:36] point B 2 so moved um motion by director Brooks [1:28:44] is there a second second second by director Prince um any [1:28:51] discussion yes I I just would like to start by saying that I really appreciate the policy committee's time effort and [1:28:57] their diligence in creating the revisions to policy 652 the policy revisions provide for [1:29:04] enhanced checks and balances to ensure the highest educational standards are [1:29:10] adhered to and that's why I'll be um voting to approve this um revised policy [1:29:18] tonight other comments or discussions so um we spend a lot of time [1:29:25] talking about this at the last meeting so um it was a little surprising to um find that there were a fair number of [1:29:32] people who felt like this was the first time that they were learning about it especially from staff members who [1:29:38] reached out and asked about why they were receiving an email about the board [1:29:43] reviewing a book Banning policy tonight so that was very unfortunate that there's been confusion created and [1:29:51] misinformation um since we've been working on this um since December so if there if this is new information to you [1:29:58] I invite you to um go back and review last meetings uh detailed information [1:30:04] all of our policy committee meetings are open to the public we've had uh a number of people participating in that which is [1:30:10] really um good for that transparency and seeing the discussion taking place so um [1:30:16] we we've definitely had robust discussion and as we stated last time I think um our goal was to make impove [1:30:23] improvements for the benefit of everybody uh in the district and those participating in the [1:30:30] process um so that that's my comments at this particular [1:30:35] time anyone else I would like to go ahead no it's right you [1:30:43] first like many of you I don't like book bands and I am grateful for all the work [1:30:50] of our system for giving feedback on this policy um books are [1:30:57] important it's and these you know the part that I have the most objection to in this is Library materials should be [1:31:03] available for all students and they should have the freedom to read what matches their um [1:31:11] interests the part that's controversial I guess tonight [1:31:18] that we have a lot of feelings about is really talking about what materials are available in the library [1:31:24] for all students to read to have the freedom to read what they want when they want what's appropriate and regarding [1:31:31] what's appropriate we have qualified media [1:31:37] Specialists who go to school and have training to be able to do this so this isn't just an attempt to pull away [1:31:44] rights of students but also pulls away from [1:31:50] the confidence that we have in our system and our teach [1:31:55] teachers parents in this policy have the right to restrict the reading of their [1:32:01] child they have the right to talk to the librarian they have the right to bring it to the school committee they don't [1:32:08] like the result on that they can bring it to the district committee what I object to is the political push since we [1:32:16] pushed for for our district to recognize the humanity of LGBT St lgbtq students [1:32:25] we've the rules of our board are to focus discussion on the merits of the [1:32:32] policy so I would just like to again remind us to consider our discussion to [1:32:38] stay focused on that versus claims or projections or conjecture about intent [1:32:43] of community members or people who have participated in the process thank you for once again for interrupting [1:32:50] me um parents parents have the right to decide what their kids [1:32:56] read That's not been taken away it's there but parents don't have the right to decide what other kids are reading I [1:33:03] have a rights as a parent too and I want my kids to have the freedom to read whatever they want to that's deemed [1:33:10] appropriate by our library professionals the problem with where [1:33:16] this policy is at right now is it comes on the heels of I had forgotten about [1:33:21] the first book Banning I believe that was about Trevor no um three years ago but even the last [1:33:26] year and a half is the consistent political agenda against books that [1:33:33] represent lgbtq students and it's not just about lgbtq [1:33:39] students because from when folks come to ban books about one marginalized [1:33:46] Community they come for another and that's exactly what has happened with [1:33:51] the next book that is coming through our system which is The Bluest Eye by Tony [1:33:58] Morrison now I get that this is a fear-based political [1:34:04] campaign that is working to gross parents out about sex there's nothing [1:34:09] grosser than coming to a school board meeting and reading these passages out loud these are things that students [1:34:17] ought to have the opportunity and if somebody mentioned only three students had mentioned [1:34:22] it we've got a point in our district and in our country right now where folks are [1:34:28] talking about academic excellence and there's nothing further [1:34:34] than promoting academic Excellence than nitpicking over [1:34:40] books that children may or may not choose to [1:34:46] read and for those reasons I object to the community part [1:34:53] of being able any Community member again this is a parents rights any Community [1:34:59] member being coming into a school district and and and and initiating a [1:35:04] book Challenge on what's going on our books on our books that should be a parents right that should be a students [1:35:10] right and once again if our books have passed at the building level and at the [1:35:18] district level why would they need to come to the school School Board [1:35:25] unless it is part of a concerted coordinated effort to remove books from [1:35:32] our system to ban marginalized identities and to remove the academic [1:35:38] freedom for our students to learn to read and learn about themselves and [1:35:43] having all marginalized identities within our very diverse District be respected and and supported because no [1:35:51] child can achieve academic Excellence when their identity is being erased [1:35:57] thank you uh yes uh first I'd like to say [1:36:03] thank you to um General Council am Moore and District staff for answering my numerous questions after the last um [1:36:10] reading they the first reading I'm sorry um and I wanted to recognize I really appreciate the changes that were made to [1:36:17] the reeval re-evaluation committee section in procedure 652b [1:36:23] um for creating more transparency and Clarity around committee selection um and thank you to our policy [1:36:31] committee members for their work on this policy um you've been working on it for quite a long time so thank you um as a [1:36:38] board we have received many inquiries and comments regarding perceived changes to this policy many of which correlate [1:36:45] to comments made after the first reading of the policy erroneous statements have [1:36:50] been repeatedly made by director Grady leading to widespread misinformation regarding this polic specifically that [1:36:57] this policy was created excuse me point of order no please don't I mean I that [1:37:03] these are public comments that were made I can respond to them have to say but the director I say the director I said [1:37:11] director Grady she's the one who made the comments is not arous no it's not I can [1:37:19] respond to your comments we do typically allow for exchange among members um [1:37:24] let's be sure to keep um keep things as clear as [1:37:30] possible leading to widespread information regarding this policy specifically that this policy was [1:37:36] created to erase lgbtq identities from our libraries and that the purpose of the policy is to ban [1:37:42] books this is simply not the case as stated in the policy the school board [1:37:48] recognizes that instructional and Library materials serve a vital component of each students education [1:37:55] Library materials enrich the breath of curriculum as a whole and meet the needs of students interests uh individual [1:38:02] interests of students I stand behind those words wholeheartedly as a board member it's also important to [1:38:08] acknowledge that school boards are required by Minnesota statute to create policies to serve the needs of the [1:38:15] school district and are responsible for the adoption of instructional materials including books and other [1:38:21] materials this policy was originally introduced into our district in [1:38:26] 1981 as policy 6401 it's been revised twice before it [1:38:32] was recategorized into the current 600 series as Poli 652 in 2003 it was [1:38:39] revised one additional time in 2019 prior to being brought back to the policy committee for reevaluation in [1:38:46] 2023 please note that the language regarding those who have the right to express concern or object to materials [1:38:53] has always always included District residents this is not a change to the policy I share this history because [1:39:00] numerous stakeholders have been misled to believe that this policy has been newly developed to ban books [1:39:07] particularly after the adoption of the LT lgbtqia plus resolution which we passed [1:39:13] in 2022 this policy was brought to the policy Committee in December of 2023 as [1:39:19] part of the policy committee's regular three-year evaluation cycle a process that was developed to maintain clear and [1:39:26] Equity Equitable policies that align with both state statutes and our District's mission mission and [1:39:32] vision in compliance with Minnesota State Statute 120b 11 subdivision 3 [1:39:38] which states each School Board must establish an advisory committee to ensure active Community [1:39:45] participation active Community participation in All Phases of planning [1:39:50] and improving the instruction and curriculum affecting State and District academic [1:39:57] standards consistent with subdivision 2 a district advisory committee to the [1:40:02] extent possible must reflect the diversity of the district and its School sites including teachers parents support [1:40:10] staff students and other community residents and goes on to say that [1:40:16] whenever possible parents and Community residents must comprise 2third of the [1:40:22] Community Committee membership our district committee is called deac the District planning [1:40:28] advisory Council deac and its members play a vital role in the material review [1:40:34] plan which makes its recommendations to the full board as an example of the board's trust [1:40:42] in its leadership of its community and staff director Grady made comments [1:40:49] suggesting that community members should have no say in the selection and reevaluation process of instructional [1:40:55] and Library materials those comments are in direct conflict with Minnesota State [1:41:01] Statute this board has a duty to uphold the rights of community residents in [1:41:06] this process the re-evaluation process is an important aspect of this policy [1:41:12] and needs to be available to all of our stakeholders I appreciate the community's input in [1:41:18] regarding putting trust in our very capable staff while the board is charged [1:41:24] with the selection of instructional materials we place our trust in our superintendent and her designated staff [1:41:30] to select materials that are both enriching engaging and age appropriate during my tenure District [1:41:38] staff have recommended an implemented curriculum that has later been identified as inappropriate content [1:41:46] content that was did not align with our mission and our vision and had taken [1:41:51] steps to remove this content those materials in those cases a formal [1:41:57] reevaluation process was not required because the decision makers in [1:42:02] those instances were all in agreement if there had not been agreement a formal process may have been [1:42:08] necessary it's important that a pro procedure for when parties disagree on instructional materials is established [1:42:15] so we may attain a clear and transparent process should the need arise [1:42:21] furthermore our district is funded by taxpayer dollars not all taxpayers are parents but all taxpayers and residents [1:42:28] have a vested stake in our district and a fundamental right to participate in the process we will rely on our [1:42:35] community for a great many things including passing referendums and bonds [1:42:40] in addition to property taxes so that we might better serve our students the majority of our voting community members [1:42:47] are not parents but they our stakeholders just as much as any parent [1:42:52] student or District employee we all have the right to have our voices [1:42:59] heard thank you anyone [1:43:05] else yeah um so I uh also just want to shout out um General councel Amy Moore [1:43:13] um not just for keeping all of our edits together and neat um but also for your [1:43:19] facilitation of some pretty um contentious uh policy [1:43:25] committee meetings um and always bring in I think a calm presence um to those [1:43:32] discussions and keeping us moving forward I [1:43:37] am really disappointed in what this has become this has become [1:43:44] more than what the content is of this policy um and this regularly scheduled [1:43:49] review of policies that we do every single year this somehow turned into some bigger political ideological debate [1:43:57] about book Banning and while we can certainly entertain a discussion about book Banning which I am against right now I [1:44:04] want to focus on the content of this policy that we spend so much time working on we spend a lot of time in [1:44:10] policy committee talking about all of our policies um and most of our a lot of our wish list items don't actually make [1:44:17] it into the policy we work to build consensus on the things that we do agree with we work work with staff to [1:44:24] understand what their capacity is and what they can actually move forward um and what's able to make it into a policy [1:44:29] and then onto the board is what actually makes it to the board [1:44:34] I I have a pretty high threshold for removing a book from a public library [1:44:40] and we haven't met that threshold yet I made the decision to bring this policy forward and policy committee [1:44:46] along with director Prince because I do believe that the community has a vested [1:44:52] interest in our our school district um and if they don't they should [1:44:58] we if I look back just a year in the Community member actually beat me to it if I look back just the year the [1:45:04] district was out in the community telling residents how important their role is and supporting the success of [1:45:10] our district and Scholars as we had our hands out for money at that time and [1:45:15] today it's being proposed that we give the exact opposite message to Residents that their voice doesn't matter in this [1:45:21] process so we'll take take your money but your voice doesn't [1:45:28] matter as long as I've been on this board we've worked to build an inclusive culture we talk a lot about inclusion on [1:45:34] this board uh we also talk a lot about elevating Community engagement um I we [1:45:40] continue to talk about engagement and I want us to invest more in it and I worry about the dangerous Direction um that [1:45:47] we're going in by intentionally excluding certain groups of community members from policy particularly because [1:45:53] we don't like or agree with who they are or what they have to say with that said um I know for quite [1:46:01] some time um since the gender inclusion policy and the lgbtq history and culture resolution there have been numerous [1:46:08] occasions where uh people have come into this room and made some pretty harmful comments to lgbtq students and staff um [1:46:15] comments that are deeply rooted in bigotry and hatred and it's not okay [1:46:23] but I also believe that this policy works both ways and just as community members have [1:46:28] been in here to advocate for um their their Scholars um for whatever their [1:46:35] reasons are I think it works both ways in just a few months uh director Grady [1:46:41] half of our school board is actually going to roll off this board um and this entire board is going to look completely [1:46:47] different and any Community member should be able to come forward and have a voice voice and ask questions about [1:46:54] what we're doing in our district if I look back even in my own [1:46:59] past and history as a kid um whether that was a younger kid in church or with my large [1:47:06] extended family that was very hands on or whether it was as an older youth even having to come to terms with my own [1:47:13] identity in the lgbtq community um and what that meant in a social aspect or [1:47:19] professional aspect or in a school setting it was actually community members that stood up for me and [1:47:24] advocated and were my Ally um and that actually mentored me um throughout all of that time and I think any of our [1:47:32] students should be able to have that I would hope that someone like director greedy or director mosca Jones or any of [1:47:40] the other members that are sitting in here today um would take the time to advocate for a [1:47:46] student that needs them and so for me I am going to support this policy language [1:47:53] as I um originally did when I voted to move it forward to this board um I am [1:48:00] willing and continue to be open to continuing the discussion and continuing to evaluate uh this policy I don't think [1:48:06] our work is done um as I mentioned we had a lot of discussion and not everything necessarily made it into uh [1:48:12] what you see here today but that's how policy committee Works um so with that said I'll I'll be supporting [1:48:21] IT director books um thank you so much for modeling our values and the mission [1:48:27] of our district and everything you just said anything [1:48:33] else okay so um I just wanted to make a few comments um in looking at this [1:48:40] policy revision and the original policy and the original practices um I don't [1:48:46] see much difference between the two um versions of the policy or at least the [1:48:53] practice of what um we've been doing originally I think [1:48:59] um I have issues with some of the procedure pieces um and um I'm going to [1:49:06] continue to voice my opinion about that um but the reality is the procedure is [1:49:12] the purview of the district um Administration and um the designes and [1:49:19] the people with highly qualified um educated experienced um [1:49:28] backgrounds um as a teacher um I want parent feedback I want [1:49:35] parent input and in the end the decision needs to be mine as the educator um and [1:49:44] my supervisors um because I am the one with the expertise but that doesn't mean I [1:49:50] don't hear the um the voices it doesn't mean I don't change my mind I might [1:49:57] change my mind um but to really listen and sit and hold space for people um and [1:50:02] I trust that our district um Personnel will do that as [1:50:08] well um I've worked with this Administration [1:50:14] um in the previous one for six years now um I only have two more months [1:50:20] left and I'm I'm really [1:50:26] saddened that people's identity has been um politicized in [1:50:33] general and I'm trying to figure out from a [1:50:39] governance position I'm on the policy Committee in 287 it's always been very [1:50:44] clear that we vote on the policy not the procedures the procedures is is operational um so when I look at the [1:50:52] this and I'm looking only at the policy I don't see really anything that has [1:50:58] changed from the original policy aside for some [1:51:04] um definitions and um the criteria of [1:51:09] the selection of Library materials which is already in um process through the um [1:51:16] the procedures that our um esteemed library media Specialists um go through so for that reason I don't see a [1:51:24] a need to have um to vote for this new policy because it doesn't seem to make [1:51:32] any difference and I would like to um make sure that all the voices are heard [1:51:38] I'm hearing from Educators that um they didn't feel like their voices were heard and I understand they had a month I also [1:51:46] understand that September is crazy for teachers um and so to have had that time to really look into this and dig into it [1:51:53] and give feedback um I I would like to have a little more [1:52:00] um feedback before I would vote Yes for this and [1:52:05] um I'm not voting no just on principle but that it [1:52:12] just isn't really changing anything so I don't understand [1:52:17] um I just don't understand so any other comments before we move [1:52:24] forward all right with that let me get my procedures over [1:52:29] here um we are at the point where we vote um [1:52:36] all in favor say I I all oppos say nay n n motion passes four to zero I mean four [1:52:44] to two sorry the final action item is gifts to the district is there a motion to [1:52:51] approve the gifts of to the district District totaling 9938543932 [1:53:23] 749m so moved um motion by director Douglas is there a second second second [1:53:30] by director Prince all in favor say I I all oppos say nay motion passes 6 to Zer [1:53:37] and we are officially adjourned your comments were [1:53:43] really really good [1:53:51] seriously e