[0:28] e [0:58] e [1:28] e [1:58] e [2:28] e [2:58] e [3:28] e [3:58] e e [4:43] good evening tonight is Monday January 11th 2021 and we do have a quorum so I will call this meeting to order due to [4:50] the current federal and state emergency declarations the Minnesota directive to Residents to stay home and guidance [4:58] about limiting personto person cont due to the covid-19 pandemic this meeting of the ad Public School District [5:03] School Board has been conducted online in accordance with Minnesota statute 13d [5:08] 021 people may monitor this meeting from a remote location by The District's YouTube channel um John would you please [5:15] review our agenda for the evening yes uh so tonight we'll have uh a recognition [5:20] of our great media Specialists who've been um unsung heroes this year in our [5:26] year of covid I'll we hear from members of the public several letters to read we have consent agenda that um has uh [5:34] contracts as well as minutes and uh a guide book in discussion as we get ready [5:39] to um uh approve going out for a technology referendum um we're giving [5:45] some background around um the the tax impact of that so John and Steve will be [5:53] giving some backround around the technology referendum and then in action uh we're approving uh budget parameters [5:59] so we can begin to build the 2122 budget John will present what those parameters are uh Jody will present the new [6:06] secondary new course proposals and um and uh Jordan Randy [6:12] will be talking about elementary grading and uh how we are making adjustments uh [6:18] in our grading for both Elementary and secondary um during this pandemic um and [6:24] then uh just the information that's with that I want to call our attention to the uh [6:30] uh the response from the Minal Department of Education and Minister Department of Health uh to the school [6:36] board's letter uh to the state so with that is theend thank you thank you um [6:43] John um do I have a motion to approve our agenda so moved is there a second uh [6:50] we will now vote by roll call to approve our agenda for the evening allenberg I Fox I GRE [7:00] hi Jones hi Michaelson hi Shaw Hi Well [7:08] Freedman hi the agenda is approved um we're going to move to our excellence and action [7:14] portion featuring our media specialist um tonight the spotlight is on the role of our media specialist in our school [7:21] since the pandemic began the districts media Specialists have especially focused on getting books into the hands [7:27] of our students even when they're learning from a distance joining us tonight are media specialist Christa [7:33] winkl from Creek Valley Elementary and Sharon gone from Cornelia Elementary so [7:39] welcome our wonderful media Specialists thank you thanks for having [7:46] us um I'm going to be presenting U my screen and Sharon and I will be kind of [7:52] tag teaming as we go um through our short little presentation [7:58] we created for all of you just getting that up [8:13] here all right so our um Public udina Public Schools media centers um just a [8:21] quick refresher for anyone um why the media centers are so important there's [8:26] lots and lots of studies that show that scores in reading and just achievement [8:32] overall for students are higher with media specialists in every single building and Dina is very lucky and [8:39] unique that we have a media specialist in every single building that's not something that all districts can say [8:50] nowadays what we're doing to support reading we record read aloud videos and [8:56] send the links out on our own YouTube channels to the kids uh create book [9:02] lists of recommended reading for the kids tutorials and screencasts on how [9:08] kids can use technology uh for example how to request books online we continue to uh improve [9:15] our book collections for pleasure reading as well as learning and we do [9:21] have weekly book checkouts for the imperson students when they come to the library every [9:27] week um but it's not just our in-person kids that we're supporting we're also supporting our Eva students and [9:33] depending on the building some of them are having inperson checkouts for those students to come in at you know may [9:40] maybe on the asynchronous Wednesdays or at other times we're also directing them to resources they can also get from the [9:47] hennipen county library we're allowing students to put book holds and do contactless um Book pickup we're still [9:54] continuing to push out read alouds and digital citizenship lessons to all those students and and lots and lots of tech [10:01] support um we even last spring you can see that middle picture we gathered some [10:06] funds together and a few of us waited outside the um food pickups a couple days a week and handed out books and we [10:13] also had books stashed in all of the food deliveries that happened last spring as [10:20] well yes and during distance learning uh we still uh have some of us have [10:27] in-person book checkouts or these same online book holds and pickup at school [10:32] providing lots of tech support doing help desk tickets and Chris already [10:38] talked about Distributing food and books during material pickups and we do partner with hennipen County Library as [10:45] well we even have our own little website Elementary media e-learning resources [10:50] which is in the the student portal um so the numbers prove it in so [10:59] far this year we have um circulated over 58,000 books print books and in addition [11:08] um ebooks and audio books that have been checked out at the secondary is [11:14] 1,283 different titles or checkouts I should [11:20] say yes so we are the Jack of all trades we do support for schoolagy cisa Google [11:28] meets with kids parents teachers digital digital citizenship [11:33] lessons we've given Out usernames and passwords and QR [11:38] codes a gazillion devices have been checked out for kids and staff uh we [11:46] support the new view boards in the classrooms thank you very much for those and the new IPO cameras we provide [11:53] instructional support for our teachers and Paras we do news shows and [12:00] everything else they want us to do we're right there that's our job is to provide them [12:06] service um and oh maybe I'll take a moment here to load we do have videos I [12:12] don't know um how much time you have for these are just statements from families for the work that we've done I Erica do [12:20] you want to I mean this is something you could View later as well or we can show them I just didn't want to take yeah [12:25] sure okay um this one is for sure quick [12:33] [Music] yeah good good I like the [12:43] books I can [12:50] get we've got some family ones here too I really like how you can get interested [12:57] into one book and keep [Music] [13:03] favorite there so many good iol you get to get new books every [13:10] week one of them to explore new options all our kids [13:16] love their Library day and I love it as Mom because they're reading a book when [13:22] they home and they not so excited whatever thank [13:27] you thank you bye and then just one more of our Eva [13:34] families hi [13:44] hi and we this and LU enough toefit from the [13:51] library open in the spring it was great we could grab as many books as we needed [13:57] to to supplement for [14:02] and In Sum we Mone books [14:10] Anders in the and first grade read [14:17] now thankful that after long summer session Library open for business it has [14:25] aot lot being able to supplement especially [14:32] ma [14:42] books [14:50] after and supped to not having to purchase special books [15:06] liary made it very easy the process we get to pick books up and not contact [15:14] them up very very simple easy process and when we have Pi easy to grab at the same [15:22] time so for us us having the library open has really been a great resource in [15:28] order to learning [15:34] experience incred difficult and interesting times much thankful for the [15:46] library so that um is it for our presentation I can speak for myself that [15:54] um a bonus of this is that it's been so much of a focus for us to get books in [15:59] the hands of kids which is why I got into this job um I do a lot more tech support than I anticipated but I'm still [16:07] getting to do connecting kids with books as well so yep thank you thank you so much do [16:15] any board members have questions or comments no well thank you for [16:22] everything you guys are doing I know um I know you guys are doing a great job getting books at the hands of students [16:27] and it looks like Matt does have I was waiting to just say great job [16:33] when everybody said great job I don't have any I think I think getting the access remotely and being clever about the ways [16:39] to deliver that material is hard so there was a full sense but great job thank [16:46] you I was waiting for Christa to comment about how much she missed me sorting books at the creek Valley that's true I [16:52] do miss our volunteers quite a bit it is actually a lot quieter because of that we don't have the parents coming in and [16:57] helping but yeah well thank you thank you excellent job thank you for having us bye bye bye bye [17:06] bye okay we are now moving on to our um Community [17:11] comments or hearings from the member of the public um so we did receive multiple [17:17] emails with requests to have them read at the board meeting um I just wanted to [17:23] um give some reminders to the community about how our public comments work um [17:28] public comments are only read at our main board meetings um not at our work sessions or special meetings so those [17:35] would be our public meetings that take place uh Monday evenings at 7 o'clock if [17:41] you'd like an email to be considered to be read at the board meeting please email it to us by noon the day of the [17:47] board meeting and please use the subject line for board meeting comment or let us know in the on body of your email um we [17:55] do have a board policy 206 and any emails or public testimony um need to be [18:01] associated with a person and have an accompany name and address emails and public testimony are also limited to [18:08] three minutes and may not contain complaints regarding individuals um now um bus business [18:14] director John taupe is going to read tonight's public comments for us thank you chair allenburg uh the [18:22] first email reads dear School Board now more than e ever before the need for civil discourse is critical [18:29] what we saw yesterday was a display of violence and disrespect to our democracy and the processes that have kept our [18:36] country moving forward for 223 years I truly believe that every single person [18:41] in that mob understands that one of the most important pillars on which our democracy stands is the peaceful [18:48] transfer of power from one elected president to the next but the issue here is the lack of civil discourse that [18:55] occurred and this has been a a brewing storm for years we as people we as [19:01] citizens of the US and of the 21st century no longer know how to speak with one another we don't know how to debate [19:08] and to disagree and to hear the other person's side one of the major culprits in my opinion is social media any [19:16] individual can post a picture a video a statement and not face the consequences of being intellectually challenged on [19:24] what they just posted there is very little space on Instagram or Twitter or [19:29] Facebook to thoughtfully respond to debate to challenge a grandio statement [19:34] or claim and so without a second thought we retweet or we we screenshot and post [19:40] again only continuing to Fan the flame I am the first one to admit I have fallen [19:45] into that trap as well if we don't teach our kids how to have challenging engaging frustrating [19:52] conversations in the safe space of the classroom we will only continue to fall deeper and deeper into the spiral [19:58] blaming finger pointing alienating and grandstanding which as we saw last night [20:04] ultimately culmin culminates in div violence and disrespect I'm writing to ask how a [20:10] proper civic education is being taught throughout the state and how our children are learning that everyone has [20:16] a voice to be heard this means not just one chapter on Civics in ninth grade not [20:22] just one school field trip where all students visit the state capital for the afternoon this means a thoughtful [20:28] engaging interactive and challenging curriculum unto itself that shows our children how to properly use their voice [20:35] in this democracy I look forward to hearing from you about how our state can do better in developing each motans [20:42] Civic duties thank you Sarah class thank you John um we also had many [20:48] emails about the return to school for our secondary students so here is a sample of some of the many different [20:57] perspectives Irina school board Edina parents for Progress was started last [21:02] week with the singular goal of returning all students to the classro five days a week the group is large and growing as [21:11] we have tapped a nerve of of parents who believe that it is time for our children to return to in-person [21:17] learning several students have engaged with us through their school newspaper and various social channels we are so [21:24] proud of them for finding their voice and articulating their position while we have been careful in our dealings with [21:30] students we wanted to make sure that we were clear with the board and the community Edina is and has always been [21:37] about excellence in education the most fundamental element of excellence in our [21:42] opinion is Choice what some students have missed is that no one is going to require them to go to school if they [21:48] don't feel safe however they cannot and do not speak for all students on what is [21:54] working for them while we are aware that some students are enjoying vacations and Advanced Sports training across the [22:01] country this is not the reality for most of our students you have seen the data [22:06] from several parents about what other districts are doing over 50% of the state has returned to hybrid or inperson [22:13] learning for all students we are behind and finally we must remove the [22:18] hysteria from the discussion it is simply not productive to Look Backwards site politics or [22:25] otherwise the current case count in hennipen County based on the data you receive weekly superintendent is 21.7 cases per [22:34] 10,000 in Idina it is 22.7 this is a dramatic Decline and [22:40] speaks to the incidence of covid-19 in our community we look forwarded the plan [22:45] to return our children to school Edina parents for Progress Jeff Jeff Northrup [22:50] Elizabeth Ross Nicole Schnell and over 700 others and it says PS we're happy to [22:57] provide the more than 00 names and 75 public comments of support where appropriate if [23:04] requested the next email starts with heina school board members I was [23:10] disappointed to read that the plans to return to in-person learning exclude middle school students as cases in [23:16] Minnesota have been dropping precipitously in a good way and well beyond forecast it is time to accelerate [23:23] getting our kids back to school based on the public data and the fall semester hybrid experience I would implore you to [23:30] move more quickly to get middle schoolers and possibly high schoolers to get back in the [23:36] classroom it was clear that this Fall's hybrid protocols were a priority and worked well with those protocols already [23:43] established it seems pretty straightforward to return quickly to hybrid in Middle [23:49] School while everyone is fixated on getting the youngest kids back first it might be smartest to start with Middle [23:55] School according to the state covid statistics middle school and younger AED population significantly under index on [24:03] confirmed covid cases I would suggest that high schoolers are more social [24:08] increasing the risk and elementary students struggle with social distancing increasing the risk this may be why [24:16] middle schools seem to be the least impacted by covid cases this past fall the three grade at a time guideline [24:24] is arbitrary as it ignores the zero overlap between different School population ations I could understand [24:30] incrementally adding grades within a building however there is no overlap between elementary middle school and [24:36] high schoolers and therefore it is unreasonable to conclude that a linear transition will contribute to [24:42] safety whether due to closing the bars prudent Behavior or perhaps the natural course of viruses new covid cases have [24:50] fallen dramatically in Minnesota based on the Star Tribune website as of Christmas Eve henpen County ranked about [24:57] 60th in min OTA Count's bottom third on new case growth in the last seven days [25:03] more encouraging positivity rates have fallen to less than 5% throughout the pandemic Edina has had [25:09] fewer cases than that total henpen County and that bodess well for opening Edina [25:16] School sooner than some surrounding communities I understand that the official stats lag a couple weeks and [25:23] based on the daily reporting I expect Trends to continue in the right direction I hope the school district [25:28] district is ready to capitalize as those Trends continue thanks for your consideration Edina schools were a [25:35] leader in the Twin Cities this fall and I believe it can chart the path in the second semester as well regards Bill [25:41] Dean Valley View Middle School Parent next deal email starts with dear [25:48] board members I am writing in response to the announcement that the K5 kids will be returning to in-person learning [25:55] in a month a few questions unanswered one one what is the rationale for not [26:00] sending the kids back to in-person learning after the holiday break the existing data does not indicate a need [26:07] to delay another month and your explanation that it will start at the semester is arbitrary especially [26:12] considering you delayed the start of the semester and severely hindered learning thus far with many extra days off and [26:19] changes to routines waiting longer puts our kids further and further behind their neighboring District private [26:26] schools who get to return to inperson learning question two why do the [26:32] teachers need a transition time once they return to in-person learning with Wednesday's off we all know the [26:38] asynchronous days are not learning days checking in for attendance so your data stays clean is different than providing [26:44] a day of teaching of course when teacherskids are off for the summer we [26:49] do not return to fall school years with one day off for an undetermined amount of time for adjusting to the new [26:56] routine teachers are returning to what they are trained to do teach in person the adjustments being made to allow for [27:02] additional safety precautions have already been practiced in some capacity with the hybrid model thus far to [27:09] further eliminate school days for kids is not responsible weeks and weeks of preparation for a routine that is [27:15] standard warrants detailed explanation to your customers third [27:22] question what data are you using to support leaving the middle school kids in a distance [27:28] then hybrid model instead of returning to full iners was this decision data informed or [27:35] based on fear Andor indecision I have not seen any data or information to [27:40] support the need to further isolate these kids indefinitely why is it safe for them to [27:45] play contact sports but not learn in a classroom you owe us an explanation that includes scientific data to back up your [27:53] decision have you not been made aware of the many risks of keeping this age group of kids remote and [28:00] isolated we owe the kids of Edina an education as a top school district in [28:05] the state and Country we should be leading the way in response to educating during the pandemic actions to date have [28:12] not demonstrated leading qualities and in fact as a parent it feels like a big failure we do not sense any urgency from [28:19] you to make the best possible education happen additionally if you plan to start [28:25] allowing ed kids to play sports before they are allowed to learn in person it sends a signal to Residents students and [28:32] families where your priorities lie please consider making education our kids educating our kids the top priority [28:41] above all I look forward to you addressing these questions regard Andrea [28:46] regards Andrea buha next email is starting with Dr [28:53] Schultz and Idina school board members a year ago the thought of not having our children in public schools [29:00] was unimaginable however after our experience this year we may be left with no choice but to take our children's [29:07] education elsewhere watching every board meeting leaves me with the feeling that no one [29:12] cares about how devastating distance learning has been for our children or is fighting for what is best for them we [29:19] have watched our happy motivated High School daughters struggle immeasurably with little support or empathy from the [29:25] school district as board members we elected you to advocate for the children and families of Edina that is your job [29:34] 67.5% of middle and high school families indicated that they want their children in school buildings so you should be [29:41] doing everything in your power to make that happen as quickly as possible school is where children are [29:48] safest Dr Schultz shared with my husband that there was not a single transmission that happened in any DIN School building [29:55] during hybrid learning you have the ability to use a variety of metrics in [30:00] your decision making to have schools open or closed and transmission within school buildings is one of them we are [30:07] counting on you to advocate for our children to be in school where they are safest from covid and many other public [30:13] health concerns depression anxiety suicide substance abuse and child abuse are all [30:20] rising at alarming rates not once ever in any meeting were these public health [30:26] concerns acknowledged or discussed in addition for a school district that Prides itself on valuing [30:33] Equity I'm sure you will agree that there is nothing more inequitable than distance learning families with [30:39] financial means are paying for private schools tutors nannies therapists the list goes on those who cannot will be at [30:48] at an even bigger disadvantage than before making the already disturbing achievement Gap even more [30:55] prevalent in his letter from last night the superintendent referred to County and District numbers from two weeks ago [31:02] in his message that indicated no plans were being made for secondary students to return to in-person [31:08] school however he failed to acknowledge that thankfully the county numbers have dropped quite significantly in the past [31:15] two weeks sharing this downward Trend would have been more transparent while [31:20] portraying a message of hopefulness as of January 4th the numbers were henpen County 21.7 s and he [31:28] DED at 22.7 cases per 10,000 people very close to safe enough for full-time [31:36] inperson learning while I disagree with this metric and know that there are many [31:41] other health metrics that should be considered your Reliance on it for quickly closing down schools should also [31:47] mandate schools reopening as quickly as possible when the numbers allow the argument that you need to wait to see [31:54] what happens over weeks did not seem to apply the other way there was no wait to see if things [32:00] improved before closing schools instead it was done with less than a day's notice therefore being ready to have [32:06] students back in school as quickly as possible while the numbers are dropping would seem to follow the same [32:13] logic I am asking you to do what we elected you to do represent us by [32:18] fighting for the safety and education of our children open the schools sincerely [32:24] Sarah Perry next email starts with dear [32:30] Schoolboard as a parent of a sixth grader at vvms I'm writing for the third time to [32:36] urge you to get them back into the classroom ASAP like in two [32:41] weeks all of the trends are improving significantly in Minnesota and the numbers per 10,000 cases in henpen [32:48] County are to the point that they were at in October when middle schoolers were successfully still in school with very [32:55] low covid case counts the risk of middle schoolers passing the virus is so low [33:01] the risks of not having them in school mental health getting involved in drugs and alcohol are much higher instead of [33:09] accelerating their return to the classroom we have prioritized the dinina hockey how can I explain this to my [33:16] son Additionally the pace that you're restarting iners classes makes zero [33:22] sense since the hybrid model has already been effective why is the staggered start needed [33:28] other than it's an arbitrary guideline from the governor there is zero physical overlap between the elementary schools [33:35] and middle schoolers at Valley viiew so start them on the same day these kids are dying at home without [33:42] any social interaction we can move more quickly if we really believe that educating kids is a priority I don't [33:50] think we should wait for the expert to give the all clear because we will wait all school year starting back in school [33:58] with the start of the second semester seems prudent and very doable I hope you will take this Challenge and accelerate [34:04] the timetable it will help both schools and parents we look forward to hearing [34:09] from you s soon sincerely Christine [34:15] Dean next email starts out with dear neighbors excuse me your neighbors I [34:23] think most of us have been through hard times before but this is a marathon this is a gauntlet people are losing family [34:30] members friends businesses hope we have all lost so much since this pandemic [34:36] began perhaps most of all we have lost each other like it or not our wagons are [34:41] all hitched if we don't learn to take care of each other through this we're going to feel it for a long time our [34:48] kids will likely feel it even longer we have different ideas it would seem on [34:53] what taking care of each other really means I say it means valuing an [34:58] 80-year-old life as much as an 8-year-old life I say it means being honest about what we're facing and [35:05] behaving as if the virus is already at the door it might be children can handle [35:11] being charged with protecting the vulnerable in my experience good-hearted children welcome that responsibility we [35:19] adults tend to struggle with it a bit or a lot more government officials [35:24] Frontline workers business owners and more are all making impossible decisions in real time based on information that's [35:32] changing Moment by moment they carry the burden of keeping people safe and whole [35:37] during a dangerous time which we know is never really possible I can practically hear the [35:44] chorus of anti-mask open the schools let them play folks shouting amen when I [35:49] write that but I didn't say we shouldn't try we have to try there are practical [35:55] and moral reasons to try so societal reasons educational reasons great brains [36:01] without strong generous Hearts to Anchor them are of no use to our society if we're really worried about [36:09] mental health then let's give meaning to this sacrifice let's protect each other and especially our children from the [36:15] burden of being responsible for someone else's demise nobody recovers from that [36:21] children don't tend to get seriously sick from this virus but do we think they won't feel it if they watch should [36:27] happen to the people they love let's tell them why why we're wearing masks [36:33] and staying home we're Americans so we help if we can help education is about more than above [36:40] average test scores right it's about flexible problem solving and critical thinking and understanding that your [36:46] right to pleasure ends where someone else's right to survival begins Co is a [36:52] fantastic opportunity to study that calculus geography literature and [36:57] physics will all be waiting on the other side of this don't worry there's nothing that says our kids have to learn [37:03] absolutely everything before they turn 18 we didn't Public Health policy experts the [37:09] Physicians who write textbooks about medicine and those who listen to them tell us this is real more than 350,000 [37:17] deaths friends with lasting symptoms and Schoolboard members with more information than we think we have tell [37:24] us this is real we don't want it to be but it is it's real and it's here and we [37:30] have to link arms and get through it we're almost there Edina don't give up now in love and solidarity solidarity [37:38] Marta scus ASAC Drew class of [37:44] 1991 next email starts with dear members of the school board this is a belated [37:49] apologies for that note to express my appreciation for all the time and energy you have been giving to our students [37:55] during this unprecedented School school year my kids were in hybrid in the fall and I was grateful for your decision to [38:02] move to distance learning when Co numbers were skyrocketing here in Minnesota I have reluctantly signed up [38:09] the kids for in-person learning for the second semester and fervently hope that all [38:14] families will follow the covid guidelines so the kids can stay in school if covid numbers start soaring [38:21] again I will be grateful for your difficult decisions again you have already been faced with [38:27] near possible decisions with no perfect options and much controversy on both sides and will likely be faced with [38:34] similarly awful choices in the coming months please know that regardless of the outcomes we appreciate your time [38:41] energy creative thinking and obvious care for our students and school communities here's to a better 2021 for [38:49] all be well Jenny Gris ofish Risco vious mama mom of four at Cornelia [38:59] next email is uh isn't addressed to anybody but it starts with yesterday I [39:04] learned about an open letter to the Ed School Board ostensively talking about trust that linked to a petition to get [39:11] the EPS kids back to school five days a week K12 as a parent of a concered fourth [39:18] grader and kindergartener I was flabbergasted at the tone of the open letter and what it purported I was going [39:24] to draft a long note to the school board addressing each point but of course the students [39:30] have done a much better job of that in an open letter in the EHS zephrus which [39:35] poignantly captures my thoughts so I am sending this email to voice my thanks to [39:41] you for all the work you've done for our kids teachers families and Community during this difficult year difficult [39:47] covid year I can only imagine how much more time energy and effort all of you have given than you ever anticipated I [39:55] am so grateful for our EPS ad Administration board teachers and staff [40:00] who've consistently shown up during such a challenging time when times have gotten tough and we've had to shift our [40:07] expectations as we often have this year I have repeatedly told my kids that we have people like you helping make sure [40:13] we all stay safe while continuing to learn and play as best we can at the [40:19] same time I focused on the things we've gained the Silver Linings like the Incredible family bonds we've formed [40:25] this year and and all the outdoor time we've been able to spend together and with a handful of friends and the [40:32] resilience our young boys and we have built up if we can get through Co we can [40:38] get through anything has become a refrain in our home Mr Rogers mom said it best that in [40:45] times of Crisis we should always look for the helpers you are the helpers and I'll always be grateful for you and the [40:51] service you've provided to our community please know that I'm one parent who adamantly trusts and is in support of [40:58] the school board sincerely Michelle Meek next email starts with dear school [41:05] board members I read the open letter to the school board that is on the dup parents for Progress page and I strongly [41:13] disagree with it I have seen the board put children first listen to experts in [41:18] science and do everything you can to get kids back to school in a safe way I have [41:24] not lost trust in you and I thank you for working to make our decisions in an extremely divided community and [41:31] Country I do not think it is a good idea to use alternative science or data to [41:36] get to a resolution that would allow kids to go back to school I do not think Edina should have been rewriting State [41:43] guidelines to get more students back in school I do not think it is the board's place to instruct teachers how best to [41:49] teach remotely I do not agree that you have instructed teachers to take too many days to plan or that having asyn [41:57] synchronous Wednesdays and no school for development days and holidays is a wanting disregard for the children you [42:03] are responsible for I think you if you had shown some positive examples of [42:08] distance learning during meeting during meetings you would be accused of hiding fam's true experiences and for what it's [42:16] worth my first grader is thriving in distance learning though I acknowledge we have a privileged situation since we [42:22] have created a learning pod and I absolutely abolutely disagree [42:28] that the board has set our community back you did not cause covid you can't cure it you don't have power to AFF roll [42:36] out of the vaccine I see you working to make the best possible decisions given the situation we have been dealt I am [42:44] sad and angry that people in our community would write such a letter to you I also don't understand from the [42:50] letter how the signatories would have students be in school five days safely especially given the news news yesterday [42:57] that we have identified five cases of the more contagious variant in the state [43:02] if anything the variant will make it more difficult for students teachers and staff to be in school [43:09] safely these are really hard decisions with no easy answers and whatever decisions you make will make some people [43:16] angry and frustrated so please know that I don't agree with the letter and I thank you for doing a hard job in an [43:22] unprecedented time Megan Walsh [43:28] next email uh isn't address to anybody but it starts with for the sake of time [43:34] we have selected the main points of our letter the full dissection is available on Edina zeus.com [43:41] this past week an open letter was released from Edina parents for Progress [43:46] addressed to the Edina School Board demanding a timely return to a full five day per week in-person learning [43:53] model educational adversity is a universal experience among K12 students [43:59] which has been exacerbated by the changing School structure however this can't outweigh [44:05] public health and the importance of community welfare the five-day model suggested by the organization severely [44:11] understates the dangers associated with fully reopening the letter addressed the lack [44:17] of transparency from the Edina school board if transparency is to be expected from the administration it is certainly [44:24] reasonable for us to ask the same from the community members in charge of Edina parents for Progress are the leaders of [44:32] Edina parents for Progress currently involved with the district or are theyo residents whose children have [44:38] graduated there is a meaningful distinction between the two and one that isn't publicly [44:43] answered the same parents who try to micromanage the EPS faculty and demand leadership accountability must extend [44:51] that same courtesy towards EPS students safe return to the classroom is [44:57] not possible in the proposed 5day face-to-face model the hybrid system [45:02] utilized earlier in the Academic Year used measures such as reduce class sizes [45:08] to ensure social social distancing and increase covid precautions full capacity [45:14] classrooms do not provide the social distancing required to manage the transmission of the virus none of us are [45:21] against the implementation of a hybrid model students with an unsafe or unstable learning environment [45:27] must be able to return but that won't happen safely under their current [45:33] demands when EPS opens its stores it must be done with care and in accordance [45:38] with CDC guidelines ultimately preserving the lives of Frontline workers neighbors and family members [45:45] many of whom are in low-income hous households takes precedence over a rush [45:51] School reopening distance learning isn't easy however in the midst of a global [45:57] pandemic Community safety is Paramount medical professionals see the implications of a reckless response to [46:03] covid and set guidelines according to hard data and right now they're telling us to stay home signed by Isidor Lee Mia [46:12] D Lorenzo and Izzy Wagner Edina High School students thank you John thank you for [46:19] reading all of that um public inut I appreciate that Eric I had one quick thing [46:27] just just um you gave kind of the overview of what we do in terms of the you know the emails that come in and how [46:33] they're viewed sorry I'm out of breath and the one thing I wanted to just mention was just everybody knows we don't respond to them in real time [46:39] either so agree or disagree of questions are asked even if something is said like [46:45] we've never reviewed student wellness which isn't true like we don't respond so it's just something that we let them [46:50] go by we listen and then we respond later thank you than mat [46:57] um we're going to move on to our consent agenda um is there anything that anyone wants to remove from the consent [47:04] agenda um do I have a motion to approve the consent agenda so is there a [47:10] second great we'll now vote by roll call to approve Sor I'm sorry I didn't see [47:16] the second I think I second Owen was the second thank you thank you and we will [47:23] now vote by roll call to approve the consent agenda allenberg I Fox I green I [47:32] Jones I Michaelson hi Shaw hi Will and fredman hi [47:43] than thank you the consent agenda has been approved we have one item up for [47:49] discussion tonight and it is our um technology referendum and we have um [47:55] director Butner here who is direct um director of District media and Technology Services um so I'll turn it over to you [48:03] um director Butner thank you good evening chair [48:09] allenberg uh superintendent Dr Schulz and fellow board members tonight I'd like to uh continue uh providing the [48:17] board and the community an update on the technology Lev Levy referendum that is [48:22] proposed for May so if you may I'll bring up the slide show [48:36] here does everyone see the slide the technology Levy slide yes thank [48:43] you so just a little bit of context again uh the the technology Levy [48:50] currently under in place expires in uh 2021 at the end of this year it's [48:56] currently at arounds $6.5 million dollar a year and it really does support all [49:02] aspects of uh the organization if you split that $65 [49:08] million dollar down you'll see that a large portion of it does or a little over 50% is in the in for Staffing and [49:17] professional development so ensuring that our staff know how to use the technology but as well as uh people like [49:24] um the media specialist that you saw this evening need to help offset their C their salaries as well as uh hardware [49:32] and software uh that is used instructionally our our future needs is [49:40] really not asking for more but rather ensuring that idea of excellence and [49:45] education leveraging technology when it is the best tool to use not the only tool or not the tool that's handy but it [49:52] is the best tool to use and then like every other um piece of of equipment in [49:58] the district it needs to be refreshed and replaced when it reaches its end of life and so the technology future needs [50:05] is really about that concept of ensuring that we have the tools for our teachers and our students so that when it is [50:12] appropriate to use technology it's there and available for them and that we maintain that investment by ensuring [50:18] that the technolog is replaced in an efficient and effective [50:23] manner but it's also about those other are like our um [50:29] staff and about the software and not everyone knows but uh the technology [50:35] Levy does pay for fundamental technology software such as our finance HR payroll [50:42] system so the way we pay our teachers the way we manage our our staff the way [50:48] we keep our bills paid are all through our Erp system that the technology Levy pays for it's also used to help um [50:57] recruit teachers through and then keep applications track our professional [51:02] development ensure that our teachers are being Rel licensed and that their licensure is being kept up to date [51:09] critical aspect is is an idea about Safety and Security uh the technology [51:14] Levy pays for the electronic burglar alarm system that we have in place the [51:19] cameras that we used to monitor our classrooms and hallways and buildings and um our security system that keeps [51:27] our doors locked and opened our video cameras for our U front entryways and [51:33] for those doors that be opened and closed when appropriate and then finally it's also for communication our Mass [51:40] notification system that we use to let parents know when we have snow days or when there's major changes in the [51:47] organization is paid through the levy our website paid through the levy our 2A [51:52] radios and our walkie-talkie systems that we use to keep everyone a rest in a case of emergency paid through the [52:00] levy and increasingly as we look at our current um curricular materials that [52:07] were in the form of textbooks we're not saying that the textbooks are going away but increasingly textbooks are being [52:14] transformed and what we're seeing is Rich multimedia and content is that is [52:19] being distributed digitally is really the future of our curricular material [52:25] that doesn't mean that we won't still be getting our textbooks but in uh in addition to our textbooks we have an [52:32] opportunity of being able to access content anywhere anytime and in different formats to help our our [52:38] students learn our our proposal for the future [52:44] technology Levy is to raise it a little about a half a million dollars to $7 [52:50] million and the bulk of that would be to help offset curricular m uh resources so [52:57] again that idea of helping to ensure that we have the tools and the content [53:03] for our teachers to help deliver the instruction in their [53:09] classroom uh this is the annual proposed annual spending broken down by [53:16] categories and if you look at how that compares currently with our neighboring school [53:22] districts uh as I mentioned earlier our technology leving is around $6.5 million [53:28] and you'll see that it is um lower than most of our neighbors except for Richfield and St Louis Park with the [53:36] proposed increase we still stay um lower than our neighbors um we go slightly [53:42] higher than motanka but I have heard that motanka is planning to go out for a levy referendum as well if you look at [53:49] the average across all of our districts we would be under the average for an [53:54] annual Levy when you think about the impact to our [54:00] our community which um is important for us to understand um for a house value of [54:10] $300,000 the average increase is $11 a year and for a $600,000 house it's $24 a [54:19] year he broke that down by month that's $2 a month increase for a home of [54:25] $600,000 and of course if your home value goes up you do pay a little bit more as [54:33] well some Key T some key dates to keep in mind is that we'll continue to refine [54:39] uh referendum planning uh this month and uh next month will be the month to adopt [54:45] the resolution uh we'll receive some additional information back on um a [54:51] survey so we'll be able to understand um what specific needs are Community is [54:56] looking for in the technology Levy and then the um the referendum will be on [55:03] May 11th on this point I'll pause and see if there's any [55:11] questions thank you Steve do board members have any [55:16] questions Owen Steve I have a couple questions um I think for the U good of [55:22] the community it'd be good for you to explain a little bit how the the um Tech [55:27] Levy will be beneficial toward um um struggling readers in dyslexia you had [55:33] made that point at one of our work sessions so I just wanted to turn that over to you for a moment yeah thank you [55:40] uh um board member um Michaelson uh we are working very close with student [55:45] support services so again based on recommendations and input from this group as well as other people we have [55:52] engaged student Support Services in a number of ways uh in particular uh we [55:58] are looking at um funding or helping to offset the cost of assist of technology [56:04] so getting additional support in the student support area for assist of technology that is the person that helps [56:12] uh UND identify um train and um promote technology in special education services [56:20] and addition to that uh many of the curricular materials that have been purchased recently like the fontas panel [56:27] and other um reading curriculum and dyslexia has a technology component or [56:33] an electronic curriculum and so we would be purchasing or assisting the purchase of that curriculum putting the training [56:40] on and building that content into our learning management system so that our teachers would have that content that [56:46] they could use uh either with uh main instruction or with uh special um [56:53] situations where it is called out in apce or through um the identification of [56:59] needs so that's just two ways through assistive technology and helping to support that in special education as [57:05] well as purchasing dyslexia software and other software applications and assisting in [57:11] that okay great thank you I have sorry Owen go ahead yeah I have one more [57:18] question and this has occurred to me just in the last couple of days and so I didn't get a chance to even think of it [57:24] or ask it um when you came to work sessions but we've been hearing a lot about ransomwares uh in fact some school [57:31] districts being um held Ransom the entire districts um what is will our Tech Levy [57:39] uh give us greater protection in that can you speak to that because I know that's on the minds of members of our [57:46] community yes and it's on my mind as well and increasingly for Tech directors around the country the idea of cyber [57:52] security is becoming more and more of a topic that we need to pay attention to and put resources into it that's in data [57:59] practices and so we do work really hard to ensure that our children's data privacy is secure doesn't leak out we do [58:06] sign a data sharing agreements with any vendors that we share information with and we also work to ensure that that [58:13] data is held protected and private and then in addition to that it's just this whole area of fishing scams or um um I'd [58:22] say bad people um trying to um um penetrate uh networks and planting [58:31] what's called ransomware software in the servers what that does is it locks down [58:36] your servers or locks down conf your data and uh you are required to pay a [58:42] penalty or pay a fee to the person that's holding your your data Ransom [58:47] before they unlock it and um we are doing quite a bit for that one thing we're doing is educating all of our [58:54] staff on fishing and so periodically we do do uh fishing education for all of [59:00] our staff we've implemented what's called multiactor authentication in the business office and with principles [59:06] which allow in mandate that um you can't just use a password in order to get into [59:12] email you also have to have some other form of authentication that way if your password is compromised by someone they [59:19] still need that second form of authentication before they can get into your systems and then the third thing is [59:25] is tonight in the consent agenda uh we did uh authorize purchase of a new firewall or an upgraded firewall so that [59:33] fire that does much more than just firewall protection or protecting the district from uh Bad actors coming into [59:39] our Network it also does inspection for denial of the service attacks and it it's constantly looking at traffic in [59:47] and out of our Network to um monitor that and to ensure that any malicious [59:52] traffic is being stopped and pushed out and then finally the the other thing I [59:57] just want to give kudos to um the dmts staff uh what we've done in the last uh [1:00:04] couple of years has changed the culture from cyber security is someone else's job to cyber security is all of our jobs [1:00:11] and so we all of the U team members in dmts spend a portion of their time [1:00:17] working on cyber security working on ensuring that their area is is is [1:00:23] looking at how do we uh protect our environment how do we protect our data how do we ensure that the Bad actors [1:00:30] don't get into our system that's everything from our workstation manager making sure that our devices are patched [1:00:36] our systems administrator patching our servers uh every month and our Network [1:00:41] person monitoring that firewall to make sure that um no one's getting in and accessing our our system so is a big [1:00:47] issue uh costs are going up but what we're trying to do is manage that with the tools that we have but of course as [1:00:55] uh things um become more sophisticated we also have to become more [1:01:00] sophisticated and how we counteract that and that does uh come at a [1:01:08] cost you um [1:01:13] Janie yeah I just it was just a quick comment I know Steve's gonna he's heard me talk about this many times but I just [1:01:20] wanted to say that I'm really grateful that you made no made mention of um the assist of Technology being being a part [1:01:26] of this um especially with literacy um I think people don't realize that that is [1:01:31] a critical component to the success of a lot of students and it might be something that um people could take for [1:01:37] granted but I know in our household it's really um the difference between um you [1:01:42] know success and failure so um it's really really important I think to our district so thank you for making mention [1:01:49] of that Steve yeah I just would like to um I think um in our teaching and [1:01:54] learning department or what call a district office there is a renewed idea that student Support Services isn't an [1:02:01] isolated island but we have to be integrated in how we solve our problems and how we deliver instructions so [1:02:06] that's the teaching and learning Department that's uh Donna roer in the research and assessment area that's in [1:02:12] dmts and it's in Jeff Jorgenson's area in student Support Services with Bonnie on board and so we are all looking to [1:02:19] say let's work together so as we adopt things we got to make sure that the technology components there the student [1:02:26] support services are there the teaching and learning Department the Deans and the buildings and so I I really enjoy [1:02:32] this collaborative effort of of working to solve the things and then the only I hate I would miss if I didn't also point [1:02:39] out that earlier this evening you saw the media specialist talk I think they play a huge role in our literacy they [1:02:46] are phenomenal U my title is director of of media and Technology I have the [1:02:51] incredible honor of working with people like Sharon and Christa lanaa um uh [1:02:58] Kathy and uh all and Kip all the media specialists at the elementary and the [1:03:03] secondary Heather Bob deal and Sarah Winson and they too are on the front lines working on literacy day in and day [1:03:10] out and uh this Tech Levy helps that whole group be able to provide the services we need to be excellent in our [1:03:20] education great thank you Steve Matt [1:03:26] hey Steve I'm not going to go along uh we talk pretty often but I think that everything that you're doing um is is a [1:03:32] really good stewardship of the the tech Levy and that's kind of the aaces under which you're presenting tonight so um [1:03:38] there there's a lot of good things in there and whether it goes as you said Owen we don't have Bitcoin on hand so if we do get locked down we'd be in quite a [1:03:45] lot of trouble uh so it goes from the security element to personal security to [1:03:50] education to um delivery of all content and support and I think that if you look at any comparative School in the West [1:03:56] Metro District the levy requests and all of that are exactly in line with with a several percentage mix of what anybody [1:04:04] else is doing that's competitive so whether you value safety security excellence and education whatever it is [1:04:09] just keeps us competitive so I'm just um grateful for all the work you and the team are doing thank you I'll pass that on to my [1:04:16] team they do the the the bulk of the work great um [1:04:21] Lenny so Steve you noted that a number of the districts in our area have larger levies so the question I have is is [1:04:28] there anything sort of substantive or material that we're not going to be able [1:04:34] to do because we are capping our Levy at at 7 because we're now locked in for 10 [1:04:40] years assuming that it passes and so the question I have is is that the right number is there something that we're missing [1:04:47] out well that's a that's a great question and and uh I've been talking with my partners in other neighboring [1:04:53] districts I think it is the right number I think in this uh era of being just [1:04:59] part of the technology vision is being good stewards and uh being uh [1:05:04] recognizing that the investment of the IND public or the D the din Community has in technology and so I try to to run [1:05:14] um the technology budget like it's my own pocketbook and so I'm I'm trying to make sure that what we're doing is um [1:05:22] have enough but be uh conscious of of How It's used I'd say this that um the [1:05:28] most important aspect of education is our Educators our teachers and and and [1:05:36] uh the people that support the classroom and so uh technology is just a tool on it and so I think the technology Levy is [1:05:44] that good mix and so there is some staffing involved in the technology Levy that helps um where appropriate where um [1:05:52] uh staff are supporting our tools or supporting the maintenance and management and the support of technology [1:05:59] that we're helping to underwrite their salaries not all of it and so I think it's a good mix but I also think that um [1:06:06] um where we really need the money going forward is not necessarily in the technology Levy but rather in our [1:06:12] staffing and and making sure that we have the staff needed so I'd say we're really we're we're positioned fairly [1:06:18] well and uh I'll always work with the leadership so rant Dr smle um are [1:06:25] teaching and learning director again Donna rooper and John taupe and our HR director and every year as we go through [1:06:31] the budget process uh the the technology budget is at that table as well and how [1:06:37] can we leverage that technology budget uh to help fill needs and identify [1:06:42] priorities and so uh from what I've heard from that group it sounds like it is it's it's the right mix it's the [1:06:49] right amount going forward great thank you Steve any other [1:06:56] oh Julie yeah I just wanted to um make a comment Steve um uh not really a [1:07:03] question but um I this I think you've done an excellent job of um explaining [1:07:09] the technology Levy and what it does and what it means for our district I think one of the things that is is very clear [1:07:17] in here which um I think is great is that it ties right back to our strategic plan and our vision and Mission right [1:07:24] and that it goes to what jie was talking about you know unlocking possibilities for students so that they can Thrive and [1:07:30] I think that one of the things that um is important for um our community to [1:07:35] hear is that this is a this is a parallel path with covid I think Co taxs [1:07:41] your department tremendously with tech help and really the you know technology was [1:07:47] essential it really did allow more possibilities than we could have imagined um you know 50 years ago that [1:07:53] we would never been able to do this so um I'm just really um want you to take a [1:07:59] moment because I I'm proud that we were able to have this parallel path going at the same time and I know how challenging [1:08:05] that is when we've got covid which is a giant variable impacting every single [1:08:11] department and every student and um every decision to still be able to keep [1:08:16] um other things moving forward so um yeah so thank you you know I I I really TR [1:08:24] truly mean that uh we believe technology is is a tool in the toolbags of hands of [1:08:29] our teachers and so as our students as our students start coming back to school when we see it safe and they start [1:08:36] coming back face to face um I know I've heard from a lot of teachers that we'll probably maybe take a little bit of a [1:08:42] pause from technology reduce our screen time and spend more time with those relationships and that's that idea of [1:08:49] intentionality and that comes through working with our teachers to provide the professional development to understand [1:08:54] when is the best time to use that technology and when is the time to set that technology aside and so I fully [1:09:00] expect as our students start coming back to school what we'll do is maybe grab those iPads that the uh kindergarten [1:09:06] first and second grade students were used give them a health check to make sure that they're up and running make sure that that Google meet is working [1:09:13] and things like that update the applications but also give some time for our teachers and students just to be in [1:09:19] a classroom and and nurture those relationships that really is what we'll remember about our education experience [1:09:26] as well it's those features that impact our lives and so we're very we're very excited about using technology when it's [1:09:33] supposed to be used and when it's the best cool but also setting it aside uh and uh keeping our relationships alive [1:09:39] with our teachers and students absolutely thank you thanks Steve thank you Steve thank you for [1:09:46] bringing this forward and all the work doing this I we all appreciate it so we [1:09:51] know how vital it is for our district so I think that's all for for that um topic [1:09:59] for discussion um we have four items um up for Action tonight the first one are the um budget parameters do I have a [1:10:06] motion to approve the budget parameters so move second okay Matt Matt for the [1:10:13] second um John to we have you up again to present the budget [1:10:19] parameters thank you chair allenberg superintendent Schultz and members of the board uh we velop these budget [1:10:26] parameters so that I can put together a projection of what our budget will look [1:10:31] like for the 2122 school year in this case uh there's there's about three very [1:10:38] key parameters um we have discussed this in first a board work session a couple [1:10:44] weeks ago second we had this in front of our finance committee to look over all [1:10:49] these parameters and uh have input on those and third we discussed them a [1:10:54] little bit tonight in the work session before this board meeting so just want to go through just some of the key [1:11:01] parameters that make this is Matt sorry sorry to cut you off I just wanted to mention one quick thing as you're [1:11:06] leading into that because I didn't want that to go over too quickly um the process in the general scope is it it [1:11:12] often goes to the finance and Facilities committee and then it goes to the work [1:11:18] session and then it goes right to the board but this is literally the seventh or eighth iteration of the budget that [1:11:23] we've had to rewrite or evaluate as a board and as a committee because of [1:11:28] covid in the past 12 months so just I wanted people to note that as John mentioned because of the importance of [1:11:35] it we took it first to the whole board in a work session then back to the committee then to the board in a work [1:11:41] session again so this is the fourth time this is being reviewed um I want to make sure that as people think about things [1:11:47] like the tech Levy and things like fiscal discipline the amount of time and energy that the finance committee and [1:11:52] especially the administration's putting into being thoughtful about this is extreme but it's appropriate in this environment so I just wanted to say this [1:11:58] is the fourth time this is going through board members review in some fashion sorry please go ahead John YP nope [1:12:05] that's a good point uh director Fox appreciate that uh on the bottom of the first page uh it starts with enrollment [1:12:13] parameters and what we put in front of the board and the finance committee was a five-year weighted average which would [1:12:19] result in an increase in our enrollment for 2122 on a projected basis of about [1:12:28] 76 students and that's on the next page on number three average daily membership [1:12:34] increase of 76 students and adjusted pupil units that's where we put weight [1:12:40] on uh 7 through 12th graders at 1.2 instead of 1.0 for the kindergarten [1:12:45] through sixth graders uh that would increase by 62 so we put that in front [1:12:51] of the board we've put that in front of the finance committee they are uh okay with that conservative increase in [1:12:58] projection and it it may be a little bit higher than that we don't know might be [1:13:03] a little bit lower too but we have uh open enrollment that is just starting to [1:13:09] uh have a deadline here of January 15 so we will know more about that probably in the next couple [1:13:16] months uh the next thing I wanted to go over with uh the public uh and the board [1:13:23] is on the uh Revenue so the general education Aid per student is something [1:13:29] that the legislature sets each bium we are in a budget uh b bium session where [1:13:37] we the state is going to be looking at the state budget I think most people are aware that the state budget is [1:13:43] projecting a deficit of $1.3 billion uh for the upcoming bium of 2122 [1:13:50] and 2223 uh so we are projecting our students [1:13:55] increase at 0% for 2122 and 2223 until we see something different [1:14:04] from the state uh I think it's prudent I think the board has had much input on on [1:14:09] whether this is a a good way to go or not and I think we are uh all in [1:14:14] agreement that at least for um beginning budgeting purposes that this is probably a good uh percentage to start the [1:14:22] budgeting process at a 0% increase in uh per student uh allowance uh the last [1:14:28] thing I wanted to uh put in front of the board as a key component is the uh [1:14:34] salary and benefit increases and that is on page at the bottom of page three [1:14:40] expenditure budget parameter Staffing uh the [1:14:46] uh the theuh Staffing here is saying was based on December 2020 estimated ADM [1:14:52] calculations and the current estimated ADM for 2021 was slightly less than [1:14:57] projected I think the board as well as the public is aware that our enrollment this fall came in on an actual last [1:15:05] October to this October basis about 100 students but also came in 151 students [1:15:13] approximately lower than what was projected and what was uh budgeted for [1:15:18] for this current school year so based on that uh the next one on page four is [1:15:25] taking into account salaries and fringe benefits which is the bulk of our budget and I'm giving the uh number of [1:15:32] 97.5 million approximately uh that our general fund [1:15:38] has for salaries and benefits so a 1% increase and that is almost a million [1:15:43] dollars um and I am going to be basing the uh salary INF fringe benefits on on [1:15:49] either [1:15:55] 122 or estimates based off of our previous settlements uh for example our [1:16:01] our teaching contract isn't settled we're just going to start to go into negotiations in February or March so we [1:16:07] won't have that number on an actual basis until uh probably after we [1:16:13] actually approve the budget in June and then we'll also know what our state aid increase is as well so I'm going to base [1:16:20] that based off of uh prior settlement data and uh build the budget based off [1:16:26] of that so those are the three components that are the key critical components of uh starting to set the [1:16:33] budget up so I will stop there and ask if there's questions from board [1:16:42] members Matt not a question again uh but one other last comment is as you guys [1:16:47] think about what's been put in these budgets as we've seen three times before John really is airing on the side of [1:16:53] conservatism um because the goal is to try to have upside if we receive more state or federal funding and relief [1:17:00] efforts in the near future or if we have enrollment pickup as we think might happen um following this year hopefully [1:17:06] when things return to more of a state of normaly yeah that's that's actually a a real good comment and I neglected to say [1:17:13] that but this is kind of a Max exposure worst case scenario uh budget I would [1:17:20] say any comments before we vote okay we'll now vote by roll call to [1:17:27] approve the budget parameters allenberg I bu hi green hi [1:17:36] Jones hi Michaelson hi sha hi fredman [1:17:44] hi the budget parameters are approved um we're now going to move to the secondary new course proposals um do [1:17:52] we have a motion to approve this new course proposals so second great um we have um teaching [1:18:02] and learning Director jod D St Hubert here to talk about our secondary new [1:18:08] course [Music] proposals okay so secondary new course [1:18:15] proposals um we it seems like alberg for welcoming and Dr Schultz and school [1:18:22] board members colleagues and community members um it seems like a long time ago [1:18:27] that we discussed the new course proposals which was back in December and there's two um High School courses just [1:18:35] to remind everybody about the physical earth science which is a ninth grade class and will be um used for our [1:18:42] students in eighth grade next year who are on the compacted science course and then the unified Ace and creative Foods [1:18:49] um in the report there's also a couple of drops and title changes um that I don't feel like I need to highlight but [1:18:55] if there are any questions I'm happy to answer [Music] them great thank you any questions or [1:19:03] comments Ellen yeah could you um tell me which courses are are um going to be [1:19:11] dropped is there are there any science courses that are going to be dropped no [1:19:16] there is not Ellen um thank you for the question the the drop is a theater production class and that's just simply [1:19:22] for it's been a three you know it's been on the registration for several years and there has not been students that are [1:19:28] um signing up for it and there hasn't been able to have a course run because of the numbers that's that's the only [1:19:38] drop does that answer your question yeah well I'm just uh so can [1:19:45] you again explain a little bit about [1:19:51] um the progression for science in uh for in the [1:19:57] high school um that is a great question and we are not at the point of having [1:20:02] that 100% nailed down yet so the progression for high school course changes is um going to be brought to the [1:20:10] board for official discussion and action um later probably actually either [1:20:16] towards the end of this year beginning of next year um but we did need to speed up the decision on the ninth grade and [1:20:22] that will be a physical Earth science course because that aligns with the Minnesota state standards in order to [1:20:28] have earth science and the reason we needed to do that nth grade a little bit ahead of time that the rest of the [1:20:34] science progressions at the high school is because we'll have eighth graders who are currently in compacted Middle School [1:20:40] courses that will be doing that course next year and so we have a team of eighth grade and ninth grade um teachers [1:20:48] and staff we're trying to formulate in order to make sure we have all the content and material and instruction [1:20:54] ready for that course however we do know the title will be physical earth science okay and so are you um I know that we [1:21:03] have talked about um the fact that you will be presenting the board with um [1:21:09] whether or not there will be an enriched class for physical earth science um we [1:21:17] we had talked about that is that still going to be coming before the board yes [1:21:22] and as of right now um that is on registration for next year um however we are having discussions and about how we [1:21:29] can best enrich all of our students and so as we do that and develop that if there are changes of course they will be [1:21:35] brought to the board okay so there is going to be an enriched uh physical earth science that that is well the [1:21:43] physical that that's a good question Ellen um the eighth grade course there [1:21:48] will be enriched but the physical earth science is compact is is a is compacted [1:21:54] Okay so there won't be an there won't be a physical earth science in nth grade [1:21:59] and an enriched because that physical earth science that the eighth graders will be taking is going to be do it's [1:22:06] done in a compacted fashion because there's less time to do it at the eighth grade than there is in the ninth [1:22:12] grade um why is there less time um that that's a great question [1:22:18] it's the schedule and the school year and how that comes together for the middle schoolers [1:22:24] I I I really don't understand I'm sorry it's a school this it's the same school [1:22:30] year for middle school as it is for high school the length of the length of the [1:22:36] class periods at the high school and the middle school vary so you get less instructional time in a middle school [1:22:42] schedule then you do in a high school schedule so number of days are the same [1:22:48] but the instructional time is different [1:22:56] um and so the students so just so I'm catching this so so currently you are [1:23:02] not planning on having an enriched physical earth science offered [1:23:08] at the high school not there will no right now a [1:23:13] separate course as a as a separate course right and there will not be physical air science at 9th grade next [1:23:19] year yet it will that will be the following year but it will be in the E eighth grade class because those [1:23:25] students will need that class and we'll be ready for it however we're designing it together with eth and nth grade okay [1:23:32] can I clarify because it's my understanding that we're approving this [1:23:37] class for 8th grade at this point yes and we're not approving an honors class [1:23:43] because taking the class in eighth grade as opposed to ninth grade is making it [1:23:49] honors in and of itself people are taking it a year ahead and so that makes [1:23:54] it an honors class for 8th grade the decision as to whether or not to offer [1:24:02] honors or enriched when this class gets to ninth grade is going to be made at a [1:24:07] later date none of those decisions have yet yes that is correct I understand [1:24:14] that now it wasn't it wasn't clear from the way that it was written in the in [1:24:19] the packet just to say that this is absolutely um [1:24:25] like I was approving a ninth grade class yes it's a good question and a great paraphrasing CH allenberg thank you um [1:24:32] and so how can I just ask how different is this from um the AP or [1:24:42] science um Ellen I that's a good question we have not created this course [1:24:48] yet it is to align with the new um MD standards that are for a ninth grade [1:24:54] earth science class and so I don't I have to be honest I I'm not 100% familiar with all the secondary courses [1:25:01] and offerings yet and ex I'm not the best one to probably answer that question right now however I could have [1:25:07] um someone follow up with you for sure sure I would love to hear whether or not it's it's possible since we are talking [1:25:16] that this is going to be a compacted class whether or not what it's covering is also going to be able to be used as [1:25:24] an AP course so I'm just saying that if you haven't designed it yet yes and [1:25:29] that's a a great question as we design and create yes and bring the standards in with the instructional materials and [1:25:36] the instruction right okay thank [1:25:42] you are there any other questions before we vote okay we'll now vote by roll call to [1:25:49] approve the new course proposals allenberg I [1:25:55] Fox hi green I Jones I Michaelson hi [1:26:04] Char hi wman hi the new course proposals [1:26:10] are approved um and we'll move on to Elementary grading and we have director [1:26:15] St Hubert D St Hubert here for that as well sorry thank you chair allenberg and [1:26:21] Dr Schultz and members of the board um the elementary report we oh I apologize [1:26:27] do I have a motion to approve the elementary grading so moved is there a second every time [1:26:34] second you could tell it's getting to the end of the meeting yes lots lots of hours um and [1:26:41] the elementary grading report is very similar to last week I just wanted to point out that we did um do some [1:26:47] reflection and collaboration upon the question that um if we are reporting out [1:26:52] kindergarten official grades the end of the school year that that seems like a long wait to give that official [1:26:58] information in um in a more of a reporting out format and so we are in [1:27:04] collaboration with kindergarten teachers and we will be determining a way um we [1:27:09] just haven't had all the time to figure that out exactly yet of reporting prior to the end of the year so we're looking [1:27:15] at kind of probably right around the spring break time which would be a Midway point to when students are coming [1:27:20] back into school and the end of the year so that's the only thing I wanted to make sure I pointed out in the report [1:27:26] that we're still being fluid with that and responsive to the questions we're hearing great thank you are there [1:27:33] questions or comments before we vote great oh sorry Ellen I didn't see [1:27:39] that yeah I um I just I you know and and um I just I know I brought this up at [1:27:45] the last meeting but I really am concerned that our elementary grading proposal uh doesn't include an i for [1:27:53] incomplete um I believe that there's a difference between a student not completing work or [1:28:00] not attending online classes and a student attending but not performing very well on that work yes so I think [1:28:08] that the remedies in interventions for those two scenarios would be different um and so I have really two [1:28:17] questions um what number grade will be given a student that's not attending [1:28:23] classes or is not completing assignments is that question one yeah [1:28:29] that's question the other one too that's perfect um each individual teacher will [1:28:35] work you know will work through that um with different scenarios but if there's a student I I we have very very few [1:28:41] students at the elementary that are just not attending and the and the teachers and the principes are all in touch with [1:28:46] those families and so that's a really limited number but our scale in the elementary being 1 2 3 4 um gives a [1:28:53] little Le more leeway and so I would imagine that it would depending on the [1:28:59] work that's being shown even if they aren't attending it would be a one um or potentially a two and it was interesting [1:29:06] because Ellen after you shared um your reflection on that at our last meeting I was reviewing some of my notes and we [1:29:13] did talk about using the the mark IP in progress um and so we really want to [1:29:19] hold on to that for future conversations and to to answer directly the mark that would reflect that right [1:29:25] now would be a one or a two depending on the amount of Engagement okay um so I I I think what [1:29:36] where I'm getting at is how is the district um tracking students who are [1:29:43] not attending uh who do not attend or complete work um you know an incompletes [1:29:50] a Very could be a very specific [1:29:55] Mark to indicate and I'm really glad to hear that it's very infrequent um it [1:30:01] actually you know I know that it would be more unusual in grade school but um [1:30:07] this is covid and I I I actually am concerned that we don't lose track or or [1:30:18] don't focus our strategies to meet the needs of the students absolutely grading [1:30:24] process so um how are how is it just maybe you're already telling me that [1:30:30] that those students are identified but is there a way that you're keeping track of those absolutely each each individual [1:30:36] building has a little bit of a tweak to a system where they have those lists of kids however they're following processes [1:30:42] where if um every teacher is reporting to Administration if there are students [1:30:47] that are falling off or not not attending right and then the process [1:30:53] that they use during year is being processed now where they follow going to the the student support meetings that [1:30:58] they go to and they put a team in place support those families and reach out and [1:31:03] find different ways to engage them so each each building it really is um has [1:31:09] has a has a a tracking system in place of they they're able to tell us which [1:31:14] which kids and families are needing the extra support and we'll keep keeping that data in our minds with other data [1:31:19] as we start making plans for talking about how we support students moving into the future okay thank [1:31:35] you you're on mute Erica yes ready to vote we'll now vote [1:31:40] by roll call to approve the elementary grading helber I Fox I green hi Jones hi [1:31:51] Michaelson hi sh hied hi uh the elementary grading is [1:32:00] approved um do I have a motion to approve secondary grade motion [Music] [1:32:06] second Jody Director D St Hubert is here to talk about secondary [1:32:13] grading and I see is here as well yes I was gonna say and I'm going to turn it [1:32:18] over to Dr smel if that's okay Dr SM absolutely thank you ter Berg [1:32:24] superintendent Schultz school board members community members I think this will be quick um I'll just give you a [1:32:31] little bit of setup and then I'll ask maybe Andy and Tim or Sean toh say just a couple words so the goals of grading [1:32:39] is to really help provide feedback to maximize student engagement to um help [1:32:45] assist student motivation and part of what we want to make sure we're doing at secondary level is holding kids harmless [1:32:51] during a really challenging time whether it is uh some of the challenges related to covid or it could be challenges of [1:32:58] busy schedules it could be challenges uh in life in general or learning gaps Etc [1:33:04] uh another consideration is that at the middle school level students don't earn credits they do have a transcript but [1:33:10] that Middle School transcript is very different than the high school transcript the high school transcript carries with a student or stays with a [1:33:17] student their entire life it is a life record and students at the high school level earn credits for the courses that [1:33:23] they take so those letter grades have a have a very different story at the high [1:33:29] school level than at the middle school level so we have a middle school grading system and we have a high school grading [1:33:34] system the important components are that we want to make sure kids continue to [1:33:40] work hard and that the grades don't shut down their brains so we feel like these changes align better to what the [1:33:46] research says about how students learn how students become motivated and how they become engaged so Al Sean for Tim [1:33:54] to summarize maybe the proposed changes at middle school and then Andy could do the high [1:34:03] school Tim I'll let you start and then I'll um follow up well I think with Dr smle said good [1:34:10] evening everybody once again chair superintendent members of the board um I [1:34:16] think Dr smle summary makes sense uh in that we want to keep kids engaged and so [1:34:21] these changes represent um our um best uh experience you know the practice [1:34:28] we've had since Co began and what the literature says is he indicated um with [1:34:34] what we're seeing in student Behavior so rather than shutting down Learners brains for example when they have a when [1:34:42] a d or an F sometimes what we're seeing is they're shutting down subbing in and not yet to keep them engaged and then [1:34:50] executing a number of intervention strategies uh is what we're finding is working the best and uh so I think [1:34:56] that's kind of the The quick summary and Sean what would you add what did I miss [1:35:02] I would just add that um it really um aligns with the philosophy that um [1:35:08] learning is the constant and time as the variable um we really want to make sure that we have students um engaging in [1:35:15] their learning regardless and and many years working with middle school students sometimes if they don't do well [1:35:21] on a test or don't do well on a couple assignments um they find it easier to give up and [1:35:26] not do anything rather than persist and be resilient and we just really want kids to stay engaged and stay resilient [1:35:34] and um working with them to for a not yet is really a sound practice and it really I think also speaks to the social [1:35:41] emotional um psyche of a a middle school student in ensuring that um there's hope [1:35:47] there's always hope and um we'll work with you and we'll bring across the finish line [1:35:54] thank you Sean and Tim and this is all great preparation because in middle school kids are really deepening their [1:36:01] skill set and learning how to learn and learning how to study and become uh learners for lifelong activity and I'll [1:36:08] turn it up to Andy to talk a little bit about the proposed change at High [1:36:13] School uh thank you uh chair alberg superintendent Schultz members of the board uh I'm back and uh pleased to be [1:36:20] here um similar proposal to what we did last spring and you know at the high school level as Randy explained uh kids [1:36:27] do carry with a transcript and they do carry letter grades on those transcripts to colleges so we are not dismantling [1:36:33] that letter grade process at the high school but what we are doing is students that um are struggling and don't meet [1:36:40] minimum competencies for a particular course we are shifting away from the letter grade of F and shifting that to [1:36:46] an NG to a no- grade so what that means is that student still would have to retake that course they haven't met [1:36:53] competency that course but it doesn't drastically impact their GPA um we also [1:36:58] are allowing students that if they have a passing grade but they're concerned about their GPA that first uh C minus [1:37:05] that A student got in a class and they're concerned or they have been impacted by distance learning we are allowing students to choose one or more [1:37:12] of those passing grades that they can designate as a p or a passing grade instead of a letter grade but we also [1:37:17] have many students that are thriving and doing outstanding work um and and excelling and getting those top grades [1:37:24] and we're letting students continue to to keep those top grades so it's really a choice that we will facilitate at the [1:37:30] end of the semester as we did last spring thank you Andy Sean and Tim with [1:37:36] that I'll turn it back to you chair allenberg great thank you are there any board questions or comments before we [1:37:44] vote I have one oh oh go ahead Julie go ahead Julie go ahead Julie okay [1:37:53] um I just wanted to um I know we we've had a lot of discussions about this in the spring and had a lot of learning from [1:38:00] that and then I think that um we also have had discussion about this fall and I just wanted to say I think one of the [1:38:07] key components of this um so this is more of a comment than a question is you know the option to have that pass fail [1:38:14] and then also working with your counselor and if that's the best choice for you and I think that that's a super intentional um way to support students [1:38:22] so that they are empowered and again um you know Randy what you said about the [1:38:28] you know motivation and engagement and success and not taking that away so I think that's a really important key [1:38:34] component in this in this um in this proposal to us so it's more of a comment than anything thanks Julie [1:38:42] Owen yeah I didn't read exactly for this when I was looking at it this weekend [1:38:48] but um it is terminal and it will end at the end of this school year and if we [1:38:53] need to renew it we'll visit it again in the fall just to confirm that okay good thank [1:39:00] you Ellen yeah um I have kind of a first I'm [1:39:05] glad that you're looking at into this or we've talked about this before I I really feel that this is very important [1:39:12] for students I understand how difficult this is to try to learn remotely and [1:39:20] with changing models so I think that you guys are right spot on to be looking at [1:39:25] how to continue motivation during this time um I I'm I'm mostly concerned about [1:39:32] making sure that we're not going to have students fall through the cracks and um [1:39:38] so you probably are going to tell me just as I heard from elementary school that you have a a system for this in the [1:39:45] middle school and the high school but um I don't see it in um the grading um and [1:39:52] I just was one wondering if if that was um uh you were deciding to do it this [1:40:00] way because you didn't want to put in incompletes as a you know a student that [1:40:06] literally it has incomplete work and and or hasn't been showing up you know to [1:40:12] really identify those students that um are not being are not engaging [1:40:19] remotely um and and I'd like to just hear hear your your thoughts and using an an [1:40:26] incomplete kind of in different ways for middle school and high school is also a concern of mine um so I just I have [1:40:34] those two questions for you um well thanks for your question I [1:40:40] can speak from the high school level um teachers still uh give incompletes we haven't removed that from the system um [1:40:47] and so we but typically an incomplete is designated kind of with a a contract [1:40:53] between between that teacher and and a student to really give an extension for the end of the term and so we've had [1:40:59] incompletes and that will continue um what we're doing here is really with the NG is tied to students that really have [1:41:06] not met met minimum standards and uh would have received an F on their [1:41:11] transcript and we have given FS at edana high school previously um but we're saying during this time period U we feel [1:41:19] like we want to hold students students harmless we are not having kids earn credit for uh classes where they haven't [1:41:25] met minimum competencies but they're not having their GPA um as a zeroed out for [1:41:30] that particular class um in terms of uh intervention and support uh we have a [1:41:35] really robust system of identifying struggling students whether it's in ninth grade teaming model that you all [1:41:41] supported Grace gracefully and uh it's great for us and through our ssts that are divided into four teams by alphabet [1:41:48] um that's also allowed us to have really good data about the kids that we are going to be bringing back to provide [1:41:53] some support for them in distance learning um going forward that we're proposing um and so it's we have [1:41:59] actually a good finger on how kids are doing during the term so we can respond to them as quickly as [1:42:06] possible thank you uh chair allenberg superintendent [1:42:14] school school board members and Community um I wanted to say to address your question Ellen that we have uh a [1:42:21] robust system as well at the middle school level um each Middle School does have kid talks weekly and we um in our [1:42:29] kid talk we really focus it on attendance and making sure if kids are engaging and we have interventions set [1:42:37] up for kids who don't engage we have a learner support system set up for students who don't engage um we have [1:42:44] valy plan on bringing some students into face-to-face learning um starting [1:42:50] January 25th and we have um sat process which is similar to the high school SST [1:42:57] process so I feel good about um the interventions we have and we are trying [1:43:02] desperately to not have any students fall through the cracks and we have our data from last year so we know um at [1:43:08] least in our seventh and eighth graders who we are worried about with that um with regard to the not yets and [1:43:14] incompletes at the end of the semester a student um if they have made progress a [1:43:20] teacher can change that grade from not yet into a grade if a student has made [1:43:25] progress and met essential standards if they are still struggling um this week [1:43:30] and next week teachers are going to be thinking about what are the most essential things moving forward before [1:43:36] second semester and the student could end up with an incomplete on their um in their grade instead of um a not yet the [1:43:44] not yet will change it won't stand for the semester it will either be a grade or an [1:43:49] incomplete right so so thank you that you know I I knew that that was um [1:43:55] likely that you guys had a system for tracking um these students um and it [1:44:04] wasn't but it's not it wasn't clear on this that that you're in you're [1:44:10] apparently you're not using the grading system for that purpose um which is which is fine but I I am curious why um [1:44:20] that the not yet is going to shift to an incomplete it's just different for [1:44:26] Middle School versus High School the not yet versus a no grade does [1:44:32] it not yet um will not be the state will not accept an ny as a as an official [1:44:39] grade so it's it's it's strictly a bookkeeping piece um so um [1:44:45] incomplete um seem like a better option because truly the work is incomplete [1:44:54] okay thank you Jamie I'll just be really quick I just [1:45:01] wanted to comment for Tim and Sean that um I wanted to say that I've been really [1:45:07] impressed with what's been happening at the middle schools as far as um more [1:45:12] than one teacher really knowing what's going on with the students and the NY process has been um I agree that it's [1:45:19] been showing kids that they do have an opt opportunity to to keep going and that it isn't finite and so um kind of [1:45:26] to Ellen's question it's been very obvious to me that these kids are [1:45:33] not there's many opportunities for them to to rise above a crack because there's so many teachers that are really keeping [1:45:40] track of them and the conversations you can tell are really happening so I just wanted to give you a big shout out for [1:45:45] that because it's been really impressive well thanks for that comment and I think that just underscores you [1:45:51] know some of the heavy lifting teachers are doing to try to lift kids up during this time so um you know so many things [1:45:58] happen every day that we don't we don't see or aren't public or so I appreciate you making those comments because that [1:46:05] it really is true that teaming model is uh super alive and and teams are really [1:46:10] working hard on that so thank you yeah thank you all right we'll now vote by roll [1:46:17] call to approve the secondary grading Ellenberg I Fox I green I Jones [1:46:27] hi Michaelson hi Jo hi Wellen fredman hi [1:46:35] the secondary grading is approved so thank you everyone thank you um do any committee [1:46:42] chairs have any updates Matt uh yes just briefly uh not on the [1:46:49] finance committee I think we spent time on that tonight on the uh testing subcommittee that's been set up where [1:46:55] myself juli and Owen serve on behalf of the board just wanted to give a quick update so I wrote some notes because I'm [1:47:01] exhausted so I want to thank Matt just I I don't mean to interrupt you but make sure the people watching from the [1:47:07] community know you're talking about covid testing yes this is covid testing not [1:47:12] academic testing sorry this is thanks Julie this is the testing um [1:47:18] subcommittee for covid uh not for academics so want to thank the state for recognizing the need for testing across [1:47:24] all of Minnesota um we understand the bi-weekly support that's been given and that's rolling out now across our state [1:47:31] which is great um we also have have pushed and asked and looked at doing more frequent testing and realized that [1:47:38] at this point everyone's doing a best effort so it does take a lot of time to do the sample evaluation and return of [1:47:44] results back to the district so a Bi weekly basis of what the state and the current testing centers could support [1:47:50] and we appreciate that very much um we had this discussions earlier tonight both in the work session and the regular [1:47:55] meeting about the importance of testing and I think on behalf of the the entire board and administration and District [1:48:02] it's uh the committee's responsibility to continue to advocate for testing to make sure that our student staff and [1:48:07] teachers and all all Administration that are in the buildings are as safe as possible um vaccines are great there's [1:48:13] three approved they're going to be taking time to roll out you know from that march to June July time frame at [1:48:18] least even with the tier one status so we really want to continue our work in two different areas advocating for [1:48:25] continued and more access to tests and also around funding so uh one of the [1:48:30] things in terms of three items there on advocacy so following our research and acknowledgement from the state and [1:48:36] writing which we received and appreciated that ad's work and advocacy had a positive influence we are keeping [1:48:42] an open line of communication uh a letter was sent today on behalf of the administration after more of our [1:48:48] research uh from John and team asking if we can consider ways in the future that we can even take resources and allocate [1:48:55] them from Logistics around testing to ordering more tests so that went out today and continues to be a good [1:49:01] communication line with the state uh and again we're very appreciative for all their financial logistical support the [1:49:06] second of three is private partnership so we do have a lead potential partner we've been working with four different outside groups we don't have a material [1:49:14] proposal from them yet we've been waiting on that for a couple weeks um businesses are dealing with a lot as [1:49:19] well as you know schools and education centers at these times so hopefully there's an opportunity there but we're [1:49:25] going to continue to push down the mainstream process that we've been able to engage with around the state and the third area is around direct funding so [1:49:31] we've reached out to city and state additional officials formally now uh after the board's approval to can have a [1:49:37] little bit of an advocacy element as well to try to find more testing dollars available so that's where we are we'll [1:49:44] keep working um we're excited the testing is going on but we need to keep pushing because uh it's it's easy to see [1:49:50] the lens shift to vaccines with excitement but when we talk about what could or couldn't come whether it's the [1:49:56] new strain that's entering the us or not having more testing available will keep our a community safer uh and enable us [1:50:03] to have more inperson class time so I want to thank the committee and I'm really grateful to the state um Julian [1:50:08] and Owen any additional comments or thoughts please this again is covid testing go [1:50:16] ahead good I it very well yeah I was going to say the same thing Matt I think [1:50:21] you covered it really well I think one of the thing that's um really important is that um through all this work it's [1:50:28] you know it's adding this as another another piece of the puzzle right there is no magic path but this um this work [1:50:36] um is to try and move the needle on things and uh you know once we get students in school um how do we do the [1:50:43] best work that we can to keep them there from a safety standpoint so um Matt I think you summed it up perfectly so well [1:50:51] thank everyone for their work thank you Lenny or or Owen do you have a teaching and learning or policy [1:50:57] update I can talk about policy we don't talk about policy in January traditionally because we just have our [1:51:03] committee assignments determined the week before and we don't have time to have our policy meeting so we'll be back [1:51:09] in the sadle in February for our policy reports so stay tuned great yeah for teaching and [1:51:15] learning the items we've talked about have come before the board and so we'll we're moving on to some new things at [1:51:21] our next meeting and have an update after that great Ellen did you have a committee update no I was just going to [1:51:28] ask Matt a quick question on whether or not the testing of the staff I mean I'm [1:51:34] not really sure what the scope of what you're doing is but have we started testing our [1:51:41] staff uh in terms of the the process beginning John do you have an update from the ICT from the instument command [1:51:48] team today whether they've initiated that or yet yeah so they yeah we've started um just [1:51:56] piloting to make sure we get the process down getting the instructions of the staff so we've uh rolled that out at U [1:52:05] uh I think three sites including I think Creek Valley and ECC early childhood and [1:52:11] um that's going well we hope to have uh some data coming from that um eventually [1:52:19] um uh that we're we can aggregate together to share I know Nikki do you [1:52:24] have any other um perspective with that no you summarized it well um we are [1:52:30] in the we are in the pilot phase of of testing and Mary Hyman and her crew are [1:52:36] doing a great job working with um the site based nurses to make it happen so [1:52:41] um yes we're working on making sure that it's implemented in all of our sites [1:52:46] y thanks Ellen for the question and thanks Nikki for you've done a ton of work across all elements of HR and data [1:52:53] and safety protocols along with Mary Heyman and other administrators so thank you guys yep thank you yeah thank you [1:53:01] John did you have any superintendent updates um I'll just give a quick uh update on what we're working on of [1:53:07] course budget development with the uh budget parameters uh leadership team will be working on that of course as you [1:53:13] all know we're continually planning um planning for a new learning model uh we're recreating this recreating the [1:53:19] system again um so hopefully we become more stable and getting back to inperson [1:53:24] learning and then um I think another big discussion item that uh looking forward [1:53:30] to thinking about is the federal dollars see what uh we can do with those as they come in so uh more to come I'll keep you [1:53:37] all in in um in the loop on that and Eric and I can work together to figure [1:53:43] out when we would bring the planning uh planning document back where they the secondary to uh see how the 16 February [1:53:51] 16th plays out and John that was both you and John taupe that suggested bringing to the board last time so I thought that was [1:53:57] really prudent and appreciated it and I the board did too thank you great thank you okay um with that I [1:54:06] will adjourn the meeting and um thank you everyone have a good night good night thank [1:54:21] you e