That's right. Order in the court. It is 7 p.m. on Tuesday, February 17th, 20, 2026, and I call to order this regular meeting of the Richfield School Board. Before we begin, I'd like to start by acknowledging that we're located on ancestral land of the Dakota people who have lived on and cared for this land since im. Indigenous nations have long have a long history of stewardship and preservation of the local area. We are grateful for the guardianship to these lands which hold historical, spiritual, and personal significance to the Dakota people. To read our full our district's full land acknowledgement statement, please visit our district's website or take time to view the display, in this case at our high school or outside in our district office. Attending this evening's board meeting live and in the boardroom are board members Dennis, Haley Tomkins, Paul Cole, Ken Liss, I'm bouncing around with everybody. Kirk Spencer, and I'm board chair Eric Carter. We're joined, we are not joined tonight by our student representatives. I don't know if they'll be joining us later. Don't know. Hopefully they'll join us later. Um, also at the table we have superintendent Steve Yunowski and assistant to superintendent Cassandra Quam. Other members of the district leadership team are in attendance and may be participating throughout the meeting as well. Richfield Public Schools mission is to inspire and empower each individual to learn, grow, and excel. And we aim to keep that focus at the heart of our discussions this evening. Thank you to all of us joining joining us here live and in the boardroom. We also want to thank those of you who are streaming the meeting or watching it after the fact via YouTube. We appreciate when people bear witness to our meetings where we conduct the necessary official business of the district. Our first item of business this evening is to approve the agenda before us. As approval of the agenda is routine item of business, I'll briefly pause to see if there are any comments or questions related to the agenda hearing. And seeing none, is anybody prepared to move the agenda as presented? >> I move the agenda as presented. >> I second it. We have a motion by director Cole and a second by director Liss. All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> All post, please say nay. The chair votes I. And we have an approved agenda. Uh this evening is uh we now this evening is an opportunity for public comment. Uh as such, nobody signed up, so we do not have public comment this evening. Um, I'll remind everybody watching that our next opportunity for public comment will be on March 16th at 7 PM, which is a regular board meeting. Information for signing up can be found on the Richfield Public Schools website under menu about school board and public comments. Now, over to Superintendent Yowski for our superintendent update. >> All right, three items on the superintendent update today. You can see our team moving up to the microphone because our first presentation will be from IPAC at our Native American indigenous presentation. That'll be followed with an update from student support services and our safe and supportive schools team and then we'll have an update on our temporary online learning program and supports. Uh but with that I'm going to turn things over to Sam, our Native American indigenous coordinator and the indigenous parent and guardian advisory committee members at the table. Take it away. Just pop those microphones to green. and Hello board members. I'm Nia. I'm a senior here at Richfield High School. >> Thank you so much for having us here today. Uh my name is Melissa Carter and I am a co-chair of the Indigenous Parent Guardian Advisory Committee. Uh yeah, thank you again for having us. Uh I'm Tony Garcia. Um just on iPad committee. >> I'm Sam Weaver, the indigenous education coordinator. >> Janelle Mccardi, the chairperson. Uh Cynthia Bond, a parent in the district. >> Um so we are here tonight to talk about the vote of concurrence. Um the vote of concurrence for those who may be watching online is an annual vote that is required for funding um where the indigenous parents and guardians determine whether or not we think Richfield is providing a highquality culturally relevant um education to our indigenous students. Um and we had this vote as part of our committee meeting um at the beginning of this month. And the great news is that it passed and it passed with a vote of 8 yay and zero nay. Um, similar to last year, this vote does come as a yes and vote. Uh, meaning we are very happy with how things have moved forward and there's still room to grow, right, and to do more. Uh, the first thing we want to do though is to thank the district staff. um more specifically Rachel Jen's Alex Ward and the team that supports them. It was a very heavy lift this year um as we looked to identify very specific measurements that we wanted to look at for success that went well beyond the scope of simple graduation rates. um and this required a lot of their teams. But I also think it sets us up for success of identifying where the gaps are, where uh change needs to be made and then also measuring longitudinally how we're making progress. So, um, we our entire team wants to just express gratitude to Rachel, Alex, and their team for all of that work because we could not have been as confident as we are right now in this vote without all of the work that they did. Um, again, it's a yes and vote. Uh, which means we are happy with the progress that has been made. Um, we are confident in the momentum that has been built up and there's more work to be done. So, IPAC expectations, um, the expectations have actually stayed the same as last year, but been reordered. Um, and they've been reordered based on priority because of the work that has been done so far. Um, and my colleagues here are going to go through each one of these expectations and provide a little bit of an update as to the progress that has been made and then the things that we hope to change in the near future. Um and so for those who may be new um the IPAC expectations are to first deliver better academic outcomes for indigenous students because we do know that there's a pretty significant achievement gap to develop and deliver curriculum that includes indigenous history knowledge and culture for all RPS students not just indigenous students right making sure that Minnesota history truly is inclusive Minnesota history US history is inclusive US history and so on. providing curriculum and culture training and accountability for all staff, not just classroom teachers. This one continues to be very important because it's not just the classroom teachers that have impacts on our kiddos. And it's not just indigenous kiddos, right? It's every kiddos in the school. It is our bus drivers, it is our parz, it is our lunch staff, everyone that talks to a student and is in this building impacts the culture, right? And impacts how a student's day goes. So, it's making sure that that um training is available for all uh providing culturally relevant curriculum for indigenous students and Sam's going to speak on this uh when we're done as well. All the great work that she has been doing and then also hiring additional uh indigenous staff to support this work. So, I'm going to hand it over to Tony to go over the first couple items. >> Oh, yeah. Just uh deliver better academic outcomes for indigenous students. Indigenous students at Richfield public schools are not achieving academic success at the same level as their white counterparts. Over 90% of our seniors are currently on track and have have a defined pathway to graduate this spring. We have seen great progress in proficiency gains in both reading and math across grade levels. However, however, a significant achievement gap still exists between indigenous and white student outcomes. Uh check-ins have started with secondary students to see how students are progressing and what support they may need. Uh develop and deliver curriculum that includes indigenous history, knowledge, and culture. Only when all students are taught a curriculum that is accurate and inclusive in indigenous of indigenous cultures will our indigenous students get a quality education successfully. Uh we have added Ojiway to the global languages program in the secondary levels. Uh we request that Dakota also be added to the global languages program. Uh we continue to review or continue to review and remove text being used that have inaccurate or uh harmful content. Uh develop and deliver curriculum that includes indigenous history knowledge and culture continued. We ask that there be an increase to the amount of indigenous content taught at all grades and across subject areas and that there be a trans there that there there be transparency in teaching standards and how indigenous knowledge is incorporated. Staff began tracking utilization of and evidence of curricular resources that highlight the contributions and perspective of indigenous peoples. Utilization remains low, however, with most grades between 20 to 30% of teaching staff. provide curriculum and culture training and accountability for all staff. All staff engage with students in some way and have an impact um on their learning environment at Richfield Public Schools. Um mandate culture training for all staff and indigenous ways of being. Uh 40% of the licensed staff chose to participate in the indigenous offerings in the three PD days so far this year. provide relevant subject area training to teaching staff, teachers, and other staff that provide academic support uh that incorporate indigenous content. Uh health teacher on health disparities in the indigenous community. Um provide a mechanism for reporting uh and retraining staff that are not meeting expectations. >> Cynthia now go to Cynthia now. >> Oh, sorry. I thought you >> It's okay. >> Hi. Um so so yeah I um just started attending the events we were having like the sewing circle in the fall. So I was talking about family events in the fall were well attended. Um the I can't say the first line without saying like a little bit about my own kids past. But there's generational trauma impacting our student population from centuries of attempted eraser. If you've heard of the Hayward um Indian school uh that's where their great great grandma was sent. But um so that's really all I know because she never talked about it and we didn't learn about it. >> But um anyway, Mr. B is awesome >> and my son's really enjoying his >> and we're looking forward to people actually being able to get out and enjoy the event that we were enjoying in the fall. >> And um so yeah, so we're all um not meeting in person because the next slide. Okay, so more people like Mr. B, more people like Sam able to, you know, fully support all the age groups and across the schools would be wonderful. And learning more about, you know, Dakota culture as well as black culture so that, you know, all like different, you know, tribes are represented, you know, in the area so that the kids can see themselves actively um, you know, in current tents, not in previous textbooks. We're going to talk about past tense. So, um building culture and community. So, >> yeah, that was one of the many things we learned at a few of the different conferences is that when there's examples of uh Native Americans, whether it be in business or STEM or education and entertainment, uh students are able to see themselves in a present tense as opposed to just a historical tense. And the historic historic in that way. So, uh, having a current example in a positive manner can kind of it has shown improvement on test scores in schools that are updating that. >> And to continue on that, um, also with the boarding schools, my great grandmother was in the boarding schools as well. So, I did wasn't have a chance to meet her, but that has a great impact on how my grandmother raised my mother and how my mother is raising me and how I will continue to raise my future children. And having uh Mr. Beij's class has never made me feel more native now and until and until every point in my life. Even going to pow- house, I still felt a little weird because I wasn't able to speak the speak sentences and express how I feel and what I'm supposed to say in Oji boy. >> Thank you. >> Did you want to say anything? >> No. >> You guys are over. I don't want to start coughing. >> Yeah. So that's the that is the vote of concurrence piece of it. So we're just going to hand it over to Sam so that she can talk about programming. >> Um so I'm Sam Weaver from Way Nation Anishab. This was our first event of the school year. Um the back to school backpack event and it's where we provide backpack and school supplies for all the indigenous students. >> Yeah. And it was one of the first events that I attended with u my siblings as well. Um I had to bring my siblings myself because my mom got bit by a dog. So it was very nice to see my siblings hanging out with other native kids. And actually it was really nice because my younger brother he saw his one of his friends Odin. And he was like, "Oh, it's so cool to see you." So it's just really nice to get the supplies we need for school. It made me feel ready for my senior year. Genuinely. >> Yep. of our old. >> And this is from the um Ojiu language and culture class taught by Mr. Beige. And the students are making their own lacrosse sticks. >> And I was able to make and scrape and paint my own uh lacrosse stick. And I've actually been playing it with playing with it myself. It felt really nice cuz it makes me feel I guess. See, that's me right there in the yellow. And this was natives in STEM at the science museum. And it's just it's great for the kids to see other native students that are in college that are have booths set up to show that they can be in STEM as well. I was unfortunately unable to attend this event because I was in another pow-ow, but I do know that dancer and he was an amazing dancer and I know that he made the experience um well for those kids. And this is one of our it's our ongoing sewing circle. So throughout the summer, all the kids were creating regalia for themselves. >> Yep. This is uh where I started my second regalia myself. Um I've never worked on regalia before really. Um and it just felt like family. It felt like my auntie at my grandma's house um when they would make regalia and be like, "Come over here. I need to put this on you." So it's like it just felt really nice to be taught something. is something especially I'll be able to teach my my younger siblings or my kids. >> There's the finished regalia. >> Yeah. >> And look at them. Beautiful. And this is Richfield's third annual powow. This was honestly our best powow yet this year. Um we had multiple vendors. We had a lot of people come after. Um because our first year it was supposed to go until after school, but it didn't really work. Um so it was just really nice to actually continue a powout. It felt real and genuine to me how pows are supposed to go. Um, it's just this is how pow we're supposed to be, I guess. And it's we really achieved that and I feel like next year it'll be 10 times more better. >> And it's a huge thanks to Melissa Carter with all of her help in organizing the >> POW. Yeah. My daughter at the POW, she's in uh fourth grade now. And uh I seen at least two different times where her and students from her own class were like, "Oh, I didn't know you were a native." And they would be able to talk about what tribes you were. to think that there's kids that are super young that are probably going to have more confidence now holding space being indigenous and it's because of something like that. >> And these books were um given to us by do you have a paper? Oh, wob ajac Press and Foundation a nonprofit publish publisher that support the Native American community through scholarships and philanthropy. Uh this was me dancing for the Richfield title. Uh this is our first year that Richfield had um a title for a senior princess, junior princess, a senior brave, and a younger brave. And I was like, "Oh, come on. I've been in Richfield for too long." So it's my I I deserve this title and I danced my hardest. And um now I have the title. I am Richfield senior princess. Thank you. I appreciate And most of those dancers, the younger dancers that you saw, um, while I was able to teach during, uh, the win times that we had, it felt really nice because most of the native kids here at Richfield, they don't go to pow house consistently or they don't have regalia or their parents are like, "No, I can't do that. I don't want to bring you. That's too much work." So being able to give them the steps and give them regalia because my grandma is amazing. She's just has so much regalia and give that to them and it makes them feel native because there's a lot of native kids that I know that I see at POW. They're like I feel bad because I don't dance, I don't drum, I don't sing. So am I native? >> And giving that and me able to give that to somebody else brings me brings me joy. Here's some of our vendors. And it's nice to have all the students and staff that get involved too and got out there and danced. >> Yes, it was really nice to have people come down because I go to school people, these people every day. So, they know me. Oh, they know me. So, it's just like it's it's really great and to be appreciated and to be known. It's like, hey, you know, we're still here because some people feel like we are myth still. And if and if it comes to my end of my time and to preach and tell people we are still here, I will do that. >> And these pictures are from NIEA, the National Indian Education Conference that Christina, Melissa, myself, and Tony attended. So 506 forms were down a little bit this year because we've had a dozen graduate last year and some students transferring out of the district. Um and although 506 forms are important for funding indigenous education programming, the process of requesting documentation needs to be handled with care. For many families, identity documentation is connected to historical policies of enrollment, exclusion, and blood quantum, experiences of government oversight, and mistrust, displacement, adoption, or disrupted tribal connections. We prioritize trust in family choice, strong programming builds trust, which increases voluntary participation and accurate representation. You want to speak tonight? >> So yeah, what do I got to do? Let's read it. I'm like, so pretty much the activities back to school supplies, you know, the the practice top the the winded Oh, holy, I'm so sorry. Let me restart. the w the the wind time practice which like I said before was just genuinely amazing because we were able to have a dance studio for a month and the win time and doing that with Mr. beige. Um, him teaching me Oji boy cuz I knew very mediocre Oji way cuz I went to a native school, but now I'm able to speak sentences to like to my mom, you know, be like, "I'm tired." I said, "I want to go to bed, you know, I'm able to tell that to my mom and she understands me because she understands." And the third annual pow, like I said, was beyond amazing and we should continue to have it because you we are on ancestral land. and forever will be. And the sewing circles, I feel it just it makes a sense of family. It makes us feel like we are family because that's how I feel. I've always always felt with Richfield, especially with the things that I've done. Upcoming activities, um, we will continue with sewing circle because that's been highly requested. um a lot of positive feedback and we'll continue offering these events with appropriate precautions in place to support a safe and comfortable environment for all participants. Um we will be doing a guided plant walk at Wood Lake um led by um Blue Hummingbird Woman. Um MIA conference is coming up. Graduation honoring again where Nia will dance. Yes, I will be dancing two different times showing uh my new regalia that I was making in those photos. Uh because honestly, it's a genuine honor to dance for people for for me at least. >> We'll have the public hearing. We have a literacy night coming up, but that won't be until October because the author is booked. Um but it's the author of Stitching. Um it's called Stitching of Tradition. Um, and then a requested event by Nia is Valley Fair. She's been asking for that for three years now. >> Yes. >> Yes. I've been asking that since I got here. Hey, end of the year, Valley Fair trip. >> I feel it's welld deserved because um Sam has been pushing me to be my best. There's a lot of there was a lot of times where I felt like I was generally going to fail and she was like, "Hey, you got this. If you got this, you got this." All right, I got there. >> So, it's a genuine uh trip deserved, especially with the other native kids because I I know most of them. >> If I don't, I I know they know me. >> So, Mwitch, and thank you for your partnership in serving indigenous students and families. >> Thank you very much and for listening to us. Mwitch. >> So, like I said, supportive for you. Great job. Right. I jumbled up at the beginning of my presentation. So, but you was small questions from the board. >> Just have comments. I'm very inspired by you as a student. >> Appreciate it. >> And the the things that you are modeling for the next uh group of kids and for the people currently with you and the grown-ups around you. Uh so, thank you so much for investing time and coming and and sharing your your very a genuine truthful experience about what all of the things that we talk about here on paper like what is the what does it do for for kids and families and then definitely commending the the adults for your investment. This has been a joy to see grow year after year. Uh we didn't used to have uh this type of work uh you know it wasn't long ago that uh we started. So, and the things that you have been able to do with it, uh, is just out of this world. I'm so glad that that students in Richfield have the opportunity, all of them, to learn about, uh, your culture and and to appreciate it and to make it more. Yeah. Like you said, we're here. Uh, and and and that's something to be proud about. So, thank you. >> I appreciate you for letting me be here. I mean, I've been asked before, but I've always been busy. um a pow house, you know. So, I really happy I'm really happy to have this chair to speak in front of you guys. >> Thank you. This means a lot. This really means a lot to us as we're talking about because we're not there. We're not at the schools and we and we are here for the kids and we don't get to see you. Uh so, it's always so good to hear about what's happening uh and and and what this means at the long term. Oh, might I add additional comment like how we said earlier about adding uh the Dakota classes because there is a lot of Dakota kids here that need to learn Dakota because it is it's in their blood and it's it's just genuinely >> I feel the best thing you could pos the best next thing we can do for Richfield >> is to add that Dakota class >> and then I also hear that it's not for the sixth graders >> um in the middle school um I feel it'd be really beneficial for them to learn from sixth grade. It's when they when so when they do get to high school um you'll be able to just Mr. Beige will be able to speak to them only in Ojiway >> because um I but learning center that's what they did that you learned it when you're a younger grade and then when you got to the older grades they only speak to you in Ojiway or in Dakota. >> That's great great advice. Thank you. you know, it's really important that the language continue. Um, its culture, its history, you won't So, that makes that pleases me. My people are losing their our native tongue. If you ever heard of Yiddish, Yiddish almost died. Um, it's the it was the language of east of the Jews of Eastern Europe. And because of one organization, they've been saving Yiddish literature and music and all this. And you know, the the native tongues are going away. >> And it's just it warms my heart to see that. Um they're bringing it back. You need to learn your language. It's it's got to continue. Um it's funny. Most of my friends are Dakota and when I was and they're in education and you know they everybody knows Beige. He's pretty well known and when they called him Beige the other day I was like who? And now I just heard you say it. So it's like okay now I got it. So um when is the So yay yay that we're continuing language. I'm a very big language you know anthropology and all that kind of stuff. When is the Woodlake tour? We haven't scheduled the date yet, but we have blue hummingbird woman booked. We're talking about reaching out to her to see when the best time would go. >> Okay. I'm on the Woodlake board, Foul, Friends of Woodlake. So, if you need any influence or anything like that, you know, >> so good. Thank you. >> Thanks, Kim. And it's it's like why it's so important for me is because like I said before, my great-grandmother, she went to the boarding school. So my grandma, she barely learned it. And then my mom was lucky enough that my my aunties were like, "Hey, I got you. I'll teach you." >> Being her sisters. >> So, and then my auntie's teaching me a little bit and now having the class, I'm able to teach my younger siblings. So, like when I tell them go and like, "No, don't do that." They understand what I'm saying. Or like, "Uh, gay." means like you're good, that's good, you did a good job. So, it's just like learning those little things from when they were young is very crucial. >> And it's a very hard language to learn, too. >> I think you guys are in par with the Navajo and the difficulty of the language. >> Like, >> it's I feel like it's hard for other people, but me, it came very natural. I don't know, maybe because I'm a native. Who knows? >> You got it. Well, I'd like to say thank you for coming to share your um journey with us. I think you're very brave and I do expect that, you know, um this will continue for a while and we're here to support you. Um because it's great to reclaim your ancestry and your heritage. I mean, without your past and, you know, it's hard for you to determine what your future is going to be. So, I say yay to you guys and we're really supportive of what you're doing. Thank you. Um, I will echo everybody here and just say thank you. I want to share just a couple things that I'm taking away or things that I'm kind of learning. I think one thing I want to share is that is a thank you for having really clear kind of like here are next steps. I was over here taking notes even though we'll keep the slides but just you know thinking about what are the things that that we can do as the board to support this work moving forward. Um, but something that I'm kind of taking away is just how, you know, education in schools is a place for education, right? But also a place for cultural education and also we talk about belonging so much in school. Um, and what that looks like in this context, right, is making me think of representation, right? And ensuring that folks, right, it's not just the history of indigenous people, but indigenous people are here today, right, and still and doing great things. Um, and then also just a lot of these activities I see um that that that sense of belonging, that sense of representation eliminates some of those barriers from accessing that culture, right? For folks who have had that, like you said, kind of this legacy of eraser. Um, and making things really approachable, connectable, um, easy access seems to just be working really, really well. So, thank you all for your work. uh and thanks for sharing and please just keep letting us know how we can support you all um and keep this great work going >> and I want to say thank you for having an open mind. >> So, thank you. >> Um I mean I echo what many of my colleagues here say. I um and if you haven't gone to the powows, they're incredible. I really appreciate that there's also two opportunities. one for students during the day which I was able to attend in the second one and then the community one um this last time and and it's that the community one is bigger than Richfield right we've got people coming from Minneapolis or Hopkins or other other places and not just indigenous that it's inclusive of the whole community um so I brought my nephews and and niece and sister along and and you know they're four six and eight and they had a fantastic time got to do potato dance with my four-year-old niece, which is cool. So, I really hope we're able to continue to do both of those >> um as we go forward. So, and and then also just to um uh echo Ken's the events that you had at the end, if you could just follow up with us if there's opportunities for us to engage too, just send a note to us. We I think we'd love to um be a part of some of the other opportunities that you have. >> Okay. It's my turn for questions. >> Uh, how many indigenous seniors are there? >> So far that I have know at least four. >> I'm like that I know, but like there's way more than that. >> So >> I believe that there's 11. >> I think so. >> There's 11 seniors. >> 11. >> And I knew a lot of them graduated last year. Like a good amount of >> Yeah, about a dozen last year. Yeah, >> thanks for bringing the slide back because I was focused thinking about your Valley Fair comment. I'm trying to figure out how many kids are going to go and how I could tag along at 30 years and I've never been. >> Well, see then you want to go too. Maybe it's a board trip along with the seniors. >> Uh make it official meeting. >> Um >> I want to clarify too. Sorry, but these are just numbers of students. Are these >> these are all students? >> Okay. On the right side and then the forms on the bottom left. Okay. I just wanted to make sure because the number of 506 forms aren't indicative of the number of native and indigenous students in our district. So you'll see the total number 147. That should say 25 to 26. Have a little error >> um for that final number. And then 55 forms. Okay. I just want >> And you're saying that just because >> forms you fill them out once, right? >> Yep. >> Okay. Because that's not listed on there. Right. You fill them out once. >> Yeah. And it it gets back to what Sam was uh trying to explain around um documentation being very challenging for indigenous students. Um and I want to call out this um for two reasons. One to highlight why we have less forms than total native students. but also as you all start making policy decisions um understanding that the generational trauma and these policies that were put in place for years and years that have been harmful to the indigenous community. Um, we would like you to think about policies you are going to put in place and understand what is the spirit of what you're trying to put into place and are you really just trying to dot eyes and cross tees because the dotting eyes and cross te's we would only have 55 students in our program but we are choosing not to do that because the spirit of the program is to include close to 150 students right so that's what we would like you to take away from that >> and I'd set Sam up to say that even that n number is not indicative of the true number of native and indigenous students that we have in our district. Right. So, um, for many different reasons, how does one define indigenous erasure connection to their own identity and culture? And so, but I don't know if you want to add anything or if I >> um, no, I think it's just it's difficult to ask families for these forms because if they're not enrolled member, it might make them feel like they're less than >> or not native enough. Um, and so we did do a big poll at the beginning of the year at our back to school event where we did get several more forms, but it just and families I think have a lot of confusion around what that means. >> It's education. I mean, I get it too, right? It's like being native and being in the position, right? It's like it rings bells when you say it's um your comment about feeling less than, right? Um, and it's tricky, right? It's like um >> I appreciate everything you guys doing. I appreciate what you're saying, right? thinking about growing up myself and it's like growing up in a school where you know they didn't talk about being native. It's like and it's kind of brushed under the rug and so um I think it's great that we offer it. I would say one of the things that I I hear you saying and how you're advocating for the language and I think students encouraging other other students to take language is fantastic. I think that's the best way you're going to get it. And I say that because um and I don't know if I'd say push back, but um when I hear you say words like mandate, I think it becomes tricky because mandating a language for anybody is is uh hard, right? It's like so we can mandate English. Beyond that, I don't know if there's much mandating we can do. Um and the more students we get that are excited about it and that I don't know I keep looking at you. It's not like you're the only one. Um but as as we talk about the students and the students power in selecting the language um their ability in the middle school their ability in the high school to go ahead and say that they're interested and that's also for the parents to push for that language um that helps us as we do course selection and I'm no expert I'm just what I've learned in my time on the board that's kind of how that operates >> and I was going to just speak to the fact that we did a we were at NIA the four of us and I attended quite a few language revitalization conference conferences or breakout sessions. So, language course is absolutely one way. One of the ways that Sam and I have been ideulating and we're going to partner with Beige and then a new person who's a Richfield High School grad who has their mass their undergrad in American Indian studies is just how we normalize inc increasing language and words that are Ojiway or Dakota in um daily practice we do and even doing the land acknowledgement regularly with a a word of a day partnering with our early childhood settings just to learn words across identities not just for our native and indigenous students. So, this is like language revitalization 2.0. Um, loss is real. As a Arab woman who doesn't speak my native tongue because my parents wanted us to work towards whiteness, there's a loss. And it's not about fluency. It's about fostering connection and learning words to create an increased sense of connection and connectivity in the ways that meet the needs of our students, families, and young people. at that training out. The last I'll say is you saw me um talking to some children because of course I'm going to at NIA and to hear these little children just learn basic introductions and language and the celebration combined with the grief that their parents hadn't held and the deep commitment to learning another language. It's real and um we're just really excited about what language revitalization 2.0 can look like in partnership with Beige. So, I know we're grateful as someone who supports Sam's work for the board's support and for Sam's efforts and for our chair Melissa Carter who is such an earnest worker and our future chair. This is our VIP, our very important person. Future chair Cynthia. Yes, we're our future chairs in training. So, >> thank you. Thanks for letting me talk. >> Thank you. >> Signed up for volunteers and volunteer. we help them volunteer a little over >> um culture and training and accountability for all staff. Uh who are you thinking when you say all staff? >> Uh so we're truly thinking all staff. uh as I just mentioned, you know, when we talk about getting forms and the impacts that policies have, I think it it matters when we talk about uh synergy, for example, right? Uh in data collection and um defaults that we have that prioritize certain races over others, right? So it may not seem like that particular individual should have background of understanding indigenous matters or how there's been eraser. But in that role, when they are setting up a data store that will ultimately allow or not allow the district to report on certain metrics and we need to understand how that would work, that role needs to understand eraser. So truly all roles and that's just one example, but that would be like a non non- studententf facing role that I still think has it. All of you I think should go to training, right? Um, even if you can get out to Ho Chiakati if you have not already, it's the Shakapei Medawakatan Cultural Center over in Shakapei and it's incredible. Um, horrible and incredible to go through uh, of an experience. Eric has been there. Um, and I'm not sure if other board members have there. Um, but it it's just it's a good learning experience to understand. Uh and then the comment about um hiring a staff to teach and someone to support uh the Indian education center. I just thinking about it, it's like I understand the request, right? And it's like a full staff, how many classes are they teaching and just trying to understand the balance of what the request is, right? So we can advocate for it and right kind of use that word again is what does that mean realistically? like if there's interest in the class from the students, if there's interest in class from the parents and like how else do we get support for you guys? So, >> um we will continue for me anyways, I can speak for myself, we'll continue to advocate on behalf of the Native American students. How do we do that? Um and also for me is I want to make sure that we're trying to get to where you want to go and be realistic about how we get there. >> Other go. >> So, I have a couple of response. If you look back at uh page 16 and 17 of the board packet um the slides from the vote of concurrence um delivering curriculum um including knowledge of history and culture um utilization still remains slow um and so when we look at where we were a year ago it is a significant move up to 20 to 30% of our staff but that's nowhere near the number it needs to be. Um and so as we think about some of the expectations um it can be in regard to training staff to integrate that into all of our curriculum and watching that number jump um not by 510 but by 30 40 50 to get to that 70 80 90 100% of staff. >> Um something for us to think about and talk about um is a lot of our professional development are choice sessions. Um and so when you see on page 17 that 40% of our staff um chose to participate in the indigenous offerings in our three PD days, that means 60% were in other PD. And so how do we um get that number up? Um and how do we ensure that we are training all of our staff. Um we do have certain policy trainings that all staff take. And so can we um work together with our IPAC group or our educators to create something that now still encapsulates what we need but shrinks in the time window that everybody can be required for something. So those are some of the things we can do in that category. The other thing I want people to hear um you hear from us often that we only offer the classes that kids want in a number that justifies. We also have other ways. uh basious class don't actually have enough students to fill at this point to fully fund. So we have a grant uh we have ideally when you hear 2.0 we have asked for that grant again which would allow us two more years of being able to not have class size have anything to do with the number of staff we have in this area. >> Um and so right now Beijes in the point of building up a program which takes investment on the front. We are very hopeful we will get this grant again which then allows two more years of building a program to grow um and to continue growing in that way. Um and so for us pursuit of grants um that allow us to supersede what our typical ratio for students in a classroom are and offer a wide range of things to me also is something that we need to continue doing. >> I was going to say just let me speak to them. I got you. Because maybe maybe if they hear from a student points of perspective of how they feel about it, >> it make them maybe m maybe just maybe change their mind and be like, okay, maybe if I take this time and understand them, >> I will be I maybe there'll be a closer relationship with said student. >> Thank you. I do know too that with uh with this being a new class um this year that it was not as easy to get it in the master schedule and my understanding is that it um uh more how do I want to say this? I don't want to say more care will be taken because I do think that they gave the care that they could, but the master schedule had already been um identified and fleshed out a bit before this new class came in. And so the Ojiway class over overlapped with pretty important core classes that students didn't necessarily have like they would have to choose ELA or Ojiway, which you have to have ELA to graduate. Um and my understanding is that next year it's going to be incorporated in the master schedule. So there will not be as many conflicts like that. >> Absolutely. The Department of Education gave us the money late. >> So just to clarify, no fault. No fault at all. Make sure that we're clear for our team who is working diligently. And so when they build the schedule that applies most effectively, we try to put it's called singleton classes or classes that are just one offering uh to a certain set of students. try to put those in the schedule where as many of those students can take it as possible so they get placed first uh with a lot of the classes around them and so we weren't able to do that in the building. We should be able to be doing that next year as we anticipate and we are staffing um as though we're getting this grant and continued funding in classes whether we do or don't. So >> um one question on your comment about um the 40% of teachers um attend chose to attend the PD offering. Is that the same PD offering? Is it like the same class offered several times during the year and the same next year? And and then the reason why I'm asking is like we should kind of do a longitudinal how we had 40% so far this year. Maybe it's 60% by the end of the year. Maybe it's 80% same time next year. We've offered a couple of different classes. I believe we provided the same class three times this year, but I'll have to check on that and make sure. And then, like I said, we are looking at ways to integrate and have everybody take um and how do we how do we work that in. >> You can't make it a required course for PD. >> Um we can um and we have required read training. And so we're trying to balance. So, in this past year, we've had an intense amount of state required reading training that took up an a really high percentage of our professional development days and time. Um, that entire group at elementary is at the end of this year should be out the other side and we're moving to phase two. And so, that 40% I am guessing, I haven't looked at the data, leans secondary at this point. And now we will be able to really push it hard at the elementary level when we have the the lack of choice that elementary teachers have had in the past two years. So we can work that direction. >> I guess one of the questions I'd ask a little bit to both of you um so so back to that whole kind of culture training accountability for all staff. Um I think about the like the Arctic Wolf or the uh security awareness training. Mhm. >> Is there an opportunity to do something like that where people could do it offline where it's maybe a slide deck or some other type of you know here's 20 30 minutes of training which it may not be exactly what you're looking for but it's also better than nothing right it's like where also I think of like the bus drivers or the custodians you talk about everybody because I hear what you're saying about the interactions that everybody interacts with the students right it's like from the point they get on the bus until the point they get home right it's like from the cafeteria all across the board it's interactions with with Ridgefield >> and how do we make sure that everybody has awareness or better understanding and you don't necessarily need an answer now, right? But it's >> Yeah, I mean I'm open and I would have to look to IPAC's direction. I mean my own human skepticism about an online course that's actually about engaging in culture has me worry that people might not be taking much out of it. >> Um and I would rather because of the importance invest in humanto human training. Um, and I think we can figure that out, but we'd have to figure out, we'd have to work on the logistics um, in in going that direction. >> It guy asking, >> I know I hear people who engage in IT components that enjoy that they can click, play, and walk away and maybe not engage in the same way. Not that a Richfield employee would ever do anything like that, but I've heard that out there in the world. Um, that that can happen. I just don't I don't want that to occur. >> That sounds like a good hack. Thanks, More questions, countless from the board. >> Thank you again. Great job. Appreciate you guys coming in. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you all. Thank you all. All right, we're going to transition to number two, Christina Gonzalez and the next student team who has waited so patiently um to talk about student support services, safe and supportive schools um and continuing our conversation in social emotional health culture um and the things that we do in our school system. And so with that, Christina, >> thank you so much. I'm going to get started as folks are getting settled just so for time sake we have our high school students until just a few minutes after 8 and their voices are most important. So um board chair Carter, superintendent Yunowski and board chair members. We're so grateful to be here. Um I can't I just before our indigenous ed coordinator and our IPAC members go thank you again Sam Weaver, Melissa Carter, Cynthia Janelle team for being here and for all of your work. The programming has literally exploded and that's really under Sam's leadership and with such strong partnership from Melissa Carter. All right. Well, I'm Christina Hed Gonzalez. I'm the director of student support services. Brevity's a leadership skill. We're going to do quick introductions just of staff because Jackie is going to introduce the most important people here which are students. K. K. Sweeney, lead school psychologist. Jackie Sanchez Vidal, the Ritual Health Resource Center Coordinator. So, hello everyone. I am proud to introduce our remarkable high school students who are here today representing our safe and supportive student committee. These students are not only leaders among their peers, but also passionate advocates for creating a school environment where everyone feels safe, valued, and heard. They were they will share why this work matters to them. Please welcome Amino Adden, High Portales, Gonzalez, Ashley Jennis, Chavez, and Tenzen Tashi. Hello. The purpose of a safe and support committee is to have student voices and policym and to help create change in the student board. This has been important to me because student voices such of those minorities are underrepresented and I have loved being able to use my voice to ensure all voices are heard. The purpose of the committee is to get different opinions from different people in the community for different perspectives and changes. And it is important to me because I like having an overview of my school's policy especially because the school policies affect me as a student. The purpose of safety and supportive is for students voices to be heard and taken seriously. This committee helped me believe that my voice as well as other students voices are as important as any other voice in this room. I think that the purpose of this committee is to allow RPS to gain students perspective on policies that have never or haven't had in a long time a student's outlook. Thank you so much students. I'm going to pause quickly to see if there's any questions or comments um for our youth because I know a number of you need to leave soon right by about 8:00 p.m. Um so these folks are members of our safe and supportive schools committee because of them. We have degendered our um dress codes. We've uh changed policies as it relates to hoods and hats. We have updated our language to be more reli relevant. our behavior policy. So, these fantastic humans have really made school a much better, safer, more inclusive space for their peers and the younger scholars. So, just really quick, any comments or questions? Clapping as you wish before we move into >> Well, always clap because you guys did a great job. >> I have a quick question if that's okay. First of all, thank you'all for being here. I'll talk quickly. I'm just curious what I mean if if we only have a couple minutes with y'all. What's some of the most important things that you think we should know uh as the school board? Please don't be shy. Tell us tell us what what do we need to know based on your your research, the work you've done, your own experience. What are some of the things you think are most important to hold up to us tonight? I'm taking notes. That's crazy. >> So remember that the school board is the boss of the superintendent and they finalize our policies and give feedback. So what feedback do you have? What do you think they need to know about your school experience? >> It's not really about like school experience. I would say it's more so like kind of just how like beneficial this has been. And I think maybe there should be a little bit more students in the community. Um I do know that right now it's our like us four. Wait, no actually us five. There's supposed to be another one. Um, and then two other people and then two other ones that sometimes come. Um, but I think adding more people would be beneficial. >> Yeah. Adding off of that, I feel like I only knew about this group due to Amino. And I feel like if a lot more students knew about this group and how to like become a part of this group, I feel like we would have a lot more like change in our policies and like more maybe different perspectives. And I feel like safety and supportive has been like one of the main groups that has been like a space where I can actually use my voice, change something, like do something about something. And I feel like this group has changed my school experience for the better. >> I have to say something. Go ahead. I am um part of the safe and supportive network and it is my favorite committee to be on. It's so good to see you guys. I've I've done a couple of the different schools, RMS, RAP, you guys until this year. And um your your um your views are are just so different from what we old people think. And it's very important that we that you >> Huh. >> I'm the oldest guy in this room right now. Um, I think um, and it's it's it's just it's it's one of my favorite things to watch you guys talk about what you what your ideas are and we change we have changed our our our policies for you. Now, are e any of you juniors right now? >> All seniors. >> All seniors. That's too bad because your next step should have been to be on the board. >> Yeah, Steve already recruited them. Oh, okay. Well, there you have it then. So, congratulations. I love I love the safe and supportive and then the food doesn't hurt either, right? >> That's true. That's true. >> Well, thank you so much students. Any other comments before we hop through the rest of our question? >> One other and I think this you probably heard this in the last conversation, but it's student voice that that helps get other students involved. So, I really hope that you spend this spring semester finding like one or two people that are juniors or sophomores to get involved. Um, is it during wind time? When is the meeting? Okay. So, people are available and if they're not playing basketball or catching up on math homework or something like that, >> we always ask whenever there's a policy that specific to the dayto day >> and we always want to know what do the students say. Um, and uh, I'm I'm an organizer. Like that's my day job. And I'll be happy to help you consider, you know, an outreach plan and make your group bigger and also get the bench ready for the next year because you would be doing great things outside of school and you I'm sure you want to make sure that it continues. Thank you so much for for being here >> and I'd just like to say I think you guys are great representatives for the school. um each of you represent a different culture actually and so I think you guys are doing a great job being forerunners you know for the safe and support committee and I think you know like uh Paula says if anything we can do to help get the word out because you guys are seniors right so we need to recruit others to carry on the great work you've started so thank you guys we appreciate it >> thank you >> thank you >> welcome to stay I mean if you You're welcome to stay or go. I know you know what you need to do. So, you all have a plan. >> Take care. >> All right. Thank you guys. >> Thank you. >> You all right? We're just going to keep going through our content here. Um, so this is really exciting, folks. Up until this year, we've been building SEAL systems. And I can really proudly say because of the hard work of building leaders, school social workers, um, special ed team members, student engagement specialists, outreach workers, and our district, our mighty little district team. We're just strengthening, and that's a huge transition. So, no more building, just really strengthening the systems that we have, and we actually have the data to prove that. Um, we're going to start with the Richfield Health Resource Center. Jacqueline will talk you through that. Yes. So, the Richfield Health Resource Center is a community health center located at Richfield High School. It's serving all youth ages 0 to 21 who live, work, or attend school in Richfield. We partner with trusted health organizations to provide barrier-free or lowcost highquality health care services to youth and families in our community. Through these partnerships, the Ritual Health Resource Center offers free medical services through Park Nicollet, lowcost dental services through children's dental services, free health insurance navigation services through portal health net. Since opening, the Ritual Health Resource Center has experienced continuous growth in service utilization. Over the past year, utilization across all services has increased. When comparing 2024 to 2025, we saw an average increase of eight additional community members served per month. Today, the Ritual Health Resource Center is the most utilized health resource center statewide, the most frequently toured center, serving as a model for future health services centers across Minnesota. What began as a response to health disparities has become a statewide model for youth centered care. With growing utilization and proven impact, the Ritual Health Resource Center is positioned to continue leading the way in accessible, equitable health services for youth and families. >> Thank you, Jackie. Um, yes, so the most utilized clinic and the youngest. And just to lift up Jacqueline Sanchez Vidal. She's a Richfield resident, a Richfield High School graduate uh bachelor's holding college graduate and recently completed her masters. So she has really expanded the youth. Yes, we are so proud of you. And I want to also just lift up that she has overseen our food shelf and all food deliveries. she is overseeing about a 100 to 150 food deliveries each week to our families um in their homes. So just thank you for all of your work and your passion. So our work has really been again we're no longer doing initiative work. It's standard work. This is the practice of what we do and how we do uh social emotional learning. How we support behaviors, how we address behaviors and because this work has become systemized. You can move to the next slide my friend. CQ um we have seen a great increase in usage and a significant decrease in behavior. So first and foremost nearly 100% 83% of our school classrooms have a safe place. It's a designated spot that students can access on their own or through queuing in the classroom. So it's getting a little bit hard getting a little distracted having a minor moderate feeling. students can go engage in some activities around breath and awareness still accessing learning in the classroom and then get back to learning as quickly and easily as possible. Um so this is the number of safe places through our learning walks that we've done that we have seen. Next slide. And then we interview our students. This is really cool. So it's one of my most favorite things to do during learning walks. just catch a kid in the hall and ask, "Do you know about the safe place?" Like who taught it to you? And then how do you get to it? Understand? Like what do you do? If you can see folks in fall 25, 98% of the scholars that we interviewed were already taught by a grown-up what the safe place is. And 96% could tell us this is what it is. This is how you access it. I go there sometimes or Johnny goes there sometimes. So, pretty remarkable that this is now an embedded practice in our classrooms districtwide. Um, I've done it before, Mr. Carter. Do you know what our schoolwide behavior expectations are? We are >> kind. >> We are >> safe >> and responsible. >> Just to be clear, everybody's saying random words here. >> They are kind of random words. >> Okay, we're going to say it together. We are safe. We are kind. We are responsible. We are safe. We are kind. We are responsible. Um historically about four years ago, everyone had their own school expectations. Some had respectful. That's a deeply racialized construct. Others had um nice um others had courageous. So we standardized from early childhood all the way up to our 12th plus grade students. We are safe, kind, and responsible. Why? Our students iterate through buildings and they even move amongst buildings. It also just aligns what it looks like in classrooms, buildings, hallways and buses. So here is the information we know about students being able to identify a huge jump yet again. Next slide. Lastly, we've been using screening seal social emotional learning screenings through fastbridge. Our completion rates have significantly increased. So this is a sabers and a my sabers measures. teacher completes uh screen and the students grades 2 through 12 complete their own measure. We then use that data to identify supported interventions for our students individual group class grade and schoolwide. So these these data points are critical. I'm going to turn over to casewini to talk about how trans how student has been transformed. Yes. So, as Chris as Christina shared, we have strong systems in place and now we're going to dig into the data and it definitely shows that as our systems have matured, um we've seen a huge drop in major behavior incidents across elementary and our secondary levels. Um this slide shows the impact at the elementary level. We combined all four elementary buildings. their data together for this slide. Um, and we have seen a drastic decrease in major behavior incidents dropping from 262 fall semester of 23 down to just 38 this fall of 25. That's an over 85% decrease in major behaviors. This slide um shows the impact at the middle school. So as you can see our major behaviors also followed a declining trend dropping from 73 to 38 um comparing uh fall semester to fall semester. Um out of school suspense suspensions decreased by over 67% from 59 to 19. We only had 19 out of school suspensions all of first semester at the middle school and again the impact at the high school. So you can see fall semester of 23 to 24 numbers remained um steady but then most recently this last semester showed a sharp decline. So we went from 173 down to 89 at the high school for major behaviors. And then our out of school suspensions fell from 64 to 24 from just last year to this year. This slide um very fun shows our inputs versus impact. So our inputs are the work we've put into place around um social emotional learning and then the impact is major behaviors. And so as you can see as our systematic seal support has increased through our multi-tered systems of support that we have developed over the last number of years. Um our behavior incidents have decreased. So our data is really showing that what we're doing is working for students. We're building pro-social positive social emotional learning skills. And as kids know better, they do better. And so now we're seeing a decline in the number of major behaviors and out of school suspensions. Um so while we've done some remarkable things, there's always more work to do. When we know better, we do better like Kay said. Um so really timely use of data as it relates to behavior attendance and academics uh utilized and examined through our social emotional behavior team. So birthing they're they're I I do want to say folks this isn't our work. This is led deeply um thoughtfully and in a very dedicated way by our building leaders. We just go in and scaffold and support. So the celebration is shared and actually needs to be the folks in the buildings leading the work need and deserve to be celebrated for the work that they've done because all change begins with loss. Moving into alignment can't isn't always easy. Folks have a way of doing business and our building leaders were all about students. We're all about doing different and we've seen the data. Um progress monitoring. So our saber completion rates they look pretty good and they can always you know get a bit better. And then how are we using that data and then using it to monitor progress through direct behavior reporting and other measures and then our multi-tered systems of support just making sure that we're really blending not just the multi-tered the systems of support for but for academics. So that's our future work and opportunities because there's always future work and opportunities. So essentially the world we believe in becomes the world we live in. I had a slide on here. My teacher thought I was smarter, so I was. And so the same goes for our students. We get more of what we pay attention to. Um, and I'm just grateful for your support, for your care, and for the leadership of our building folks in making sure that our students feel a bit safer, a bit more cared for, and appropriately and professionally loved in their school setting. The end. Thank you for that. That was fast and a lot of data. >> I'll hand to the board for questions. >> Want to say I remember when uh you were here talking about a a child who's in a certain stage cannot learn. >> They go into safe mode. I brought your teachings to my house uh for the grown-ups. Yeah, calm calm. It's us first. That's right. >> Um, and so when I see that this this progress, what I envision that children are in classrooms, they're learning, they have tools uh that will work for them in the future also >> because life will continue to throw things uh at them. But this is this very very encouraging. I'm glad I think I've offered this PA but if I haven't um I know I think anyways we are happy to share a conscious discipline online training with any schoolboard member to peruse at your um preference conscious discipline our practice our tier one practice is an adult first model it's trauma informed and it so it starts with the adult calm meets calm >> so what pa is referring to is that pa is referring to is Um if we're in the base of our brains in our survival state, fight, flight, freeze, also fawn and annihilation, rage, Resma Manakum has added as a response when we feel unsafe, we aren't able to move into that frontal lobe to activate learning. And so we teach our students this, we teach our adults this about how to either get into the frontal lobe or stay in the frontal lobe. Three deep breaths, relationship, connection skills. So thank you. And I it's really been supported and integrated into our schools. Other questions? >> Yeah, I know. We used to teach conscious discipline at Centennial, you know, during our staff meetings and stuff. I got a question for Jackie. So, I was talking to somebody the other day about how we have this medical facility here on campus and they were like, whoa. They've just never heard of it before. So, yay us. So you have kids who come in and they get lowcost free or free medical care. What if it's worse and you have to send them out? How does that work financially for them? >> Yeah. So the partnership with Park Nicollet um they can address like acute care. Now, if it's something more intense or they think they may need, for example, I like to give this example to students. Let's say you're in gym class, you roll your ankle, um it's swollen, then you go to the nurse, the nurse just gives you ice, but it's a Wednesday, the clinic's open, and you know you can go. Um and you think maybe you have like a severe sprain or you might have broken your foot, I don't know. Um the student can go down there um as long as they have their consent form signed by their parents and they will be seen there. If the doctor determines that they need x-rays or further um to be further seen by a doctor or anyone else, they will refer them to a park nicllet. Usually it's the park nicollet in Bloomington. It's still free of charge and they will be able to get the x-rays there. Um and then they will still be able to get the care they need free of charge. So that's like the most example I like to give to students and everyone. >> So it's a it's a it's a partnership. >> Yes. >> That's good to see. >> Yeah. The clinic is um is staffed by Park Nicollet through their foundation. So everything that they do there's a nurse practitioner and a doctor. It's a fully staffed clinic. So they have a nurse practitioner, a nurse, and a a receptionist every time the clinic is open. And then they just refer to their own respective clinics. The same goes for if they need medication, they get a voucher to go to a park nicollet pharmacy. So, um, and even there's additional supports like eyeglasses. We have dental care on-site and in school-based dental clinics as well. We offer dental clinics in all of our elementary schools periodically as well. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. I just think that what you're doing is great. There was one, the Richard Green Community Center a few years back. I work there. Um, but you are doing some great things because we weren't partnered with a clinic per se. We did it all uh there. So, I do u applaud what you're doing. And um I just think also now um Jackie that um what you guys are doing is um you guys are raising and um educating leaders and and and students who are healthy not just physically but also in their minds. And so what you're doing, this dual approach to the students, I think is a great thing. And again, the world we live in becomes the world, the world we believe in becomes where we live. And what you pour into the students is what you're going to get out. So thank you for what you do. >> Thank you. >> Um I'll just say thanks y'all for this great work. Uh my son, as you know, is a Richfield student and I feel the support that he gets from his school. Um, and but I I wanna yeah, just huge thanks. It's really necessary and really impressive. The data that you're showing is super exciting. Um, I'm curious about if you've gone any deeper around if there's any differences related to demographic groups in that data. >> Exist. Um, yes. So, we still have work to do. Um the most significant hysterity is our young boys of color um and young girls of multi-racial identity. So we still have the disparity has decreased but the sterity still exists. Right. So the numbers themselves have decreased and we have work to do. Um Yep. And we do put that right in front of our leaders and our schoolers. We have brave conversations about what we're noticing. But racial and gender disparities persist. Yep. >> Um, just a couple questions on the the safe place. I noticed the last couple years there's been a very small dip. I'm just curious about kind of root cause of that or if maybe it's new teachers or what what we're doing to try to resolve that. Yeah. >> And then my second question is now that we've gotten to this point where we're sustaining a lot of the good practices that we put in place, maybe an example of something that you want to start in the spring or start in next fall, something you want to stop doing and something we want to continue. >> Oh, these that's good. Okay. So, first question was safe places. We've had a number of new leaders come on board. So, um, as you know, new principles in different buildings, a little bit of staff turnover, but really we had a very significant grant the last six years, the last four or six years that covered, is it six? >> Four years significant grant that covered it was a non-exclusionary discipline grant. We're the only district that was granted twice in a row. Um, and I would say because of the great work that we've been able to do that would cover the cost of conscious discipline training. So, we did get our new leaders to conscious discipline training this year. So, some of it's just getting new leaders aware of expectations. We give safe place kits to all of our new staff and we train them. So, that I would say is a safe place. There's an N of folks that are doing it doing it consistently. What's really great though is when we have the data, we then push back into ILTS and say about 83% we give folks exact numbers in their respective buildings and then they just make it available to their staff who don't have a safe place. Um, and then what we want to do more, less or different. I'm going to turn it to K first. I think she has an idea. I I have an idea too, but I could tell her brain. The other thing I would say about safe places is much easier and probably done more consistently at the elementary level and our secondary folks struggle more um with just I think wrapping their mind around what does that look like in a secondary classroom? We have you know a lot of kids in there. Where do they go? Things like that. So we have offered some trainings to help them ideulate and yeah to figure that out. So um so that I think that's some of the number disparity as well there. um do more of I think uh continuing to support our um social emotional behavioral teams in our buildings is that is where we look at our tier one data, our tier 2 data, tier three data, our screening data and really drill down on is this a building level problem? because then you're going to reboot tier one. Is this a grade level issue? Is it all of third grade? Then we're going to push in, work with th those teachers, create a PowerPoint, maybe a grade level system to build skill there. Is this a classroom level or is this an individual student level? And then really that helps us adjust like where we put our time and our resources. And so just supporting teams in knowing how to look at data, how to have those data dialogues and then what are some ideas in terms of how are we building skill right in students so we can see that drop in the behavior. So, um I think our admin are our leaders and our social workers and um student engagement specialists amazing special ed is partnering with them. Um and we just really more Christina now this year going in to support those teams and helping them um get routines and systems in place during those meetings. So, we're getting kids what they need when they need it. So, that work has started. Yep. We've made great progress and we've got more work to do. >> What would you say? >> I I agree. Yeah, I was thinking SC. So, >> yeah. >> Good. And then my only other comment, these last couple months, we all know it's been very hard in this community. Um Jackie in particular, the work you're doing, you're here very early in the morning and um you've responded to my emails and requests in the evening as well. Um so, commend all the work that you're doing here for our community. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Amazing. Can we clone you? Is that weird? >> Um, thank you. To echo what he just said. Um, I think just thinking about your story just right from a Rich Hill grad to a community member, right, to a proven expert, right? Someone that the kids should look up to um that we look up to, right? Thank you. >> Um, >> thank you. That was a lot of information passed. Uh clearly since I was apparently zoning with the whole we're kind, we're responsible, we're safe. >> Um >> do you know it now? >> Uh ask again in a week. He just said it. Kind, responsible. >> It didn't feel integrated. >> He didn't have a slide on his Okay. >> He's tough, man. >> He's picking up for you cuz I'm picking on you, Mr. >> I know. You know what's new? with with uh JV gone, you got to step up and probably take it out. And if she's watching, >> she probably is. I know, right? I got to text. She usually texts me after. Great job. >> Right now it would be Laura. >> Yes, it would be Laura. >> So she's watching. She could text you. Um so back to that slide, Smarty. Um 63 for those who are controlling the slide deck. Um this is student survey information, right? Next one down to that one >> with student survey. Just make sure that's clear of us to what we're looking at and and saying that they agree that we are kind, we are responsible. >> No, this is not the student survey. This is when we interview our students in the hallways. >> Okay. >> We say to them like I did for you, do you know what our schoolwide behavior expectations are >> just off the cusp we >> and to see if they answered those three. >> That's right. across grades from prek to to 12th grade. >> So this is all grades. >> You got all grades. We should actually we could just aggregate it >> by elementary and secondary. >> Yeah, we could. >> But um so this is the percentage of students over time that could accurately report what the school behavior expectations are. >> And what are you saying we could aggregate it? This is or is not aggregated? >> This is all students across all schools. >> It might be cool to look at elementary versus secondary. >> Got it. We do disagregate it for our schools. Every school gets specifically the data related to their learning walks for their buildings. >> Chuck, >> so a huge jump really. And again, what I want to lift up here, folks, is like when we ask students, well, who taught you it? They'll be like, my principal, my student engagement specialist, my teacher in first grade, what grade you in right now? Fifth. I had a student at the high school be like, I learned that at STEM. >> Wow. >> Right. So this is where we talk about that alignment of standardizing what the expectation is because students can integrate it. I mean and one of our techniques then is okay you made a not so great decision. What schoolwide behavior expectation might you be able to do different or better next time? Oh I hit them. So which one is that safe? How can you keep it safe? It's my job to help you feel safe. It's your job to help keep it safe. So, it gets embedded into all of the language and interactions from not so great decisions to more proactive preventive. >> Well, and um now to slide 67 because I think it's two more there. Next one. Thank you. Um because I was curious and I was trying to count while you were talking like as we go and think about the students moving from sixth, seventh, eth, right? Because that's also a trend too, right? like as the incidents go down in the school, they see less incident and they move to the next school and they see less incidents, right? And then it continues to propagate hopefully. Um I'm always curious to see how much data we can get and how much we retain and I know we've been tracking this longer, right, for major incidents because I know we've been talking about it for RMS. I love to see more when we're able to show it and and maybe that should just be an expectation of when presentations are coming in of like, you know, show us five years, show us 10 years or >> maybe it show us postcoid. I mean because co kind of throws a wrench in it especially when it comes to incidents because like they were looking good and then right speed bump >> and I would say we chose to just show the last three years because we made a huge um change in our district where we started tracking minors. So our minor behaviors are tracked um on in qualrex and our major behaviors in synergy. And so really our data much before this if it was a 5-year trend, it's not really apples and oranges cuz before this we were tracking most our behaviors through synergy or majors. They looked like majors but they weren't. So we decided to just do the last three years because that's when we had the two separate systems where we could really say these are majors and these are minors. Does that make sense? >> It it does. Well maybe. So if you're saying um so this is only majors no minors and before it was both combined. >> Yes. Yeah. And there so a couple things I think your point is is very valid and we'd be happy to produce trend data. So you can see that and we definitely will see to your point I it's interesting even when you spoke I was thinking about risk and threat and how that has greatly increased since co just students harming themselves or making statements about wanting to harm others. I would say because we've systemized clarifying what a minor is, it's level behaviors one to five, um that the the better we got at a minor behavior that isn't tracked in our system to track the beginning of K starting to have a negative interaction with me, maybe hitting my foot and calling me a name, right? And teacher Jackie came in, got some support from the student engagement specialist, tracked this as a minor. As we got better at tracking our minors, the more attention we got to fix it early because then they didn't get teacher Jackie. Then I punched her and then she said a cuss word and then we took it in the hallway. So what we realiz is as we track minors, we're going to likely decrease the likelihood of majors because we're getting ahead of behaviors >> and we can prevent further more significant behaviors. So simultaneously we clarified what a minor was >> and then we clarified what a major is and how it gets leveled in a way that's not based in a way that's not um subjective that we're doing it in a more objective way. So some of the reasons the numbers have in full transparency is because we've systemized how it's been done. There was a building recently that there was a bunch of majors and when we looked at the data they weren't accurate. So those got um removed because we're now more regularly authentically and intentionally checking out data to make sure X matches with Y. we'd still be really happy to provide that trend data so you can see it. >> I like it. I mean, I think for the newer members, I think for the historical purposes, right? It's like as we continue and kind of keep our history and like show show our progress, right? Show over time. Again, I look back and and I uh want to make sure I say this right is uplifting the progress made at RMS, right? And like by doing that, it's like show show the good progress we've made, right? Because we know I can go back to my middle school years and go, it was not the best, right? And so >> hard time of year. Yeah. Hard. >> Yeah. It's hard time of life, right? And so how do we how do we go ahead and say like these are great schools to be at? >> Um I I've said this before, I'm going to say it again. Uh and you mentioned it like the conscious discipline training. Um I look and I wonder as a parent I think about how do we get it in the community, right? I mean, now we're at the point where, you know, I've got a kid who's out of school and one who's a junior. Still think it'd be valuable, but I wish I'd gotten it when they were in STEM. Um, and I think about all the parents who could benefit from it. And I think about again the behavior challenges, they start at home, right? It's like, and it's like if the parents, you talk about being consistent throughout, if the parents are doing it along with the schools, right? It's like, how much money does it cost us to go ahead and stop those problems before they start? And if we could do that training or share some of that knowledge, maybe you only get a handful of people who sign up, but those who want it take it and and it propagates. >> That's another future opportunity. I trust my boss can email us that, you know, I mean, in full transparency, our our staffing has reduced over the last couple years. It was a goal to start groups for parents in Spanish and English just teaching basic cont concepts around conscious discipline and we just haven't had the time or bandwidth and we need to prioritize it again and how we can make it to your point even if it's just a few folks. We've sent some nuggets home. We've sent some communications and we can support parents and guardians better. You know, I bring it up in all the parent meetings I'm in. I talk about it. I've done trainings and we haven't done kind of a broad stroke maybe by grade level and that's an a really positive opportunity. Maybe when things slow we can get Jackie trained and she and Kay can do some even if it's next school year because I it's really fantastic. I love it. >> Plant the seed. >> Yeah. I was taken. We will water the seed. >> Well, and just thinking about like some of the things you said again like I try to take notes and try to follow along talk so fast. I think you drink too much coffee this late at night. Um >> okay. I'm not supposed to say that we're not supposed to take a long time, but so I was just aware of the amount of time I was taking. >> So remember who the boss is. >> That's true. Who is the boss? >> Well, we're sitting right here. So, um >> I just was mindful of your time. >> Yep. And this is good stuff, right? It's like and we apologize for the kids and like kind of crunching their time and we want we want to make sure the other kids get their time. Um and maybe we shouldn't do like I feel like we're getting a lot of kids which is good which may we're creating our own problem because then says asking for their input right >> oh man so good at what we do. >> So you you made a comment that stuck with me that I want to hear again and I I don't know if I got it said the being respectful is deeply a deeply racial construct. Did I get that right? >> It's deeply racialized. >> Deeply racialized. Oh. Um, >> we could probably go on that for a long time and maybe >> I think I Steve could do it too. I'll start. Um, in certain systems, what is deemed as disrespect is not. What is deemed as insubordination is not. As a learner myself, um, I I you might have heard me do it during the IPAC. I was like, right. My son stood as he learned and moved his body. um as a brown boy, half Arab, half Mexican, you know, he's very vocal as he learns. And for some teachers, and I'd say probably from a lens of whiteness, that type of uh presence and experience in a classroom may be deemed as disrespectful. You're interrupting. You're you're talking out of turn. You're moving your body a lot, which is really also about culture, race, and identity. So using language of that's disrespectful, stop doing that when in certain cultures, races, and communities it's a norm. We want to and it's so subjective how folks define what disrespect and insubordination is. We move away from that and we clarify what responsible means, what safe means, and kind means. So just what like I I am a east coast Arab so I have what's called negative lapse time. So if I'm super excited and Steve is like super understanding of it I overt talk my own boss and he'll be like yep go ahead because you just know it's because I'm so excited but there are some cultures that have positive laps time >> like that. >> I don't have that. I am an East Coast Arab. And so that also is a racialized culture construct. Like I'm not overtalking you because I don't think what you're saying is valuable. It's actually because I think it's so cool and I have another thought to combine with your thought and I can still hear you. So that again is could be deemed as disrespectful and it's about my race, my culture, and my lived experience. So we just kind of step away from saying that was disrespectful. Does that make sense? And what I don't know if my boss or anyone in the room wants to add if I did it justice. >> I want to add that I'm happy to learn. >> Mike, >> want to add that I'm happy to learn that that's been my problem my whole life. >> I had a Latina Unaqua in one of my trainings be like, "Oh my god, that just helped me. I am not a jerk." I'm like, "No, you are not." >> Yes. Yes. Yes. I mean, I I think concepts of of respect have to do with gender, have to do with race, have to do with culture. I mean, eye contact in some culture is respectful. In some cultures, it's disrespectful. Um, addressing and talking to certain people is respectful in certain cultures, disrespectful in certain cult cultures. I mean, when my wife and I lived in Saudi Arabia for two years, we would go to the doctor and the doctor would only interact with me even though she was being treated. that was considered respectful in that culture and it would have been inappropriate for him to talk to her. Uh, in our culture in America, that would be very disrespectful and I wouldn't be at the doctor with my wife because that's not how it works. And so, if you just think about me as a white male, me talking loud is just going to be interpreted as me being me. Um, if I were a female-bodied person or a person of color, that might be interpreted very differently. Um, and that often is phrased as respect. Um but it is the interplay of how race or gender or um different identities um play into how kids are treated and how people are treated. That term is often used as respect. Um so somebody is disrespectful for behaving in one way when it is very respectful in their culture and it's just being interpreter landing based on those things. >> Would you go to the RHS? I think it's the next slide. So I went to the wayback machine and we had a presentation two years ago and it had 2022 data. It was the whole year but that whole year is 260 suspensions. So if you figure >> spring is generally I think a little bit higher than the fall >> but let's just multiply by two and a half. That's 150 suspensions maybe in 2023 and 260 the year before that. >> Yeah. And that that's across all our buildings. I think there are the two things to keep in mind. One, majors and minors and our ability to systematize the data is much more effective. And when we came out of COVID, uh, the 2020 three-year data was way down in terms of suspensions, in terms of majors and minors and behavior incidences. We were at an astronomical, I would suggest probably Richfield Public Schools high number of data incidences um, and suspensions. the year after CO um and each year has progressively um in systemwide taken these either stagnant to significant drop drop. >> Yeah. So 2122, right, Steve? >> Correct. >> Yeah. I mean, of course, children were hurting. Yes. >> You know, it's funny you were talking about the East Coast Arab. Here's an East Coast Jew. We got all the cultural differences. Anthropology 101. Maybe we should teach it. >> You got to get teach students to want it first and then they ask for it. >> Provide food. >> Yeah, food is a good incentive. >> Uh I think my last question um can thinking about the safe space in your safe space comments. Um can an RHS student use safe space without an IEP? >> Absolutely. any student, >> everybody, >> any student can use it. They're in every single classroom. >> Um, then maybe the question is different in that do we find or are we tracking the usage and then >> No, because it's a Go ahead. >> Well, the re the reason why I'm asking is that like I'm just thinking about kind of as you get to that age and like the kind of the shame of like I look at your Well, that that picture, right, is perfect. I mean, kind of the shame of I'm gonna go sit in the corner to take a timeout, like a self-proclaimed timeout. And I'd be curious like when I think about students on an IEP and their ability to leave the classroom, right, which creates their own safe space and that in a certain criteria, but then like going to this spot in the room seems like, you know, shame, shame. >> I mean, that's a good point. So, a couple things. If a student has an IP or a 504, an accommodation that includes taking a break, we would want that student through their own sense of self and awareness to activate a break if it's in the hallway or elsewhere. I would say that for any student across ability or need, the safe place is a middle space. It's very normalized. So, in high schools, it's just like a chair, um a plant, a lamp, a comfy recliner, um a pillow. A couple folks have like um they look like I don't know things hanging like a canopy, a small little tent. Um, to Kay's point, it was the most the biggest lift at the high school because conscious discipline can just feel like it's for younger folks, but we have lots of pictures and resources about how to build a safe place for students at the secondary level. Um, we haven't had any reports of it not being accessible or noticings. The reason we don't track the data is because it is either I'm going to go over there and do it for 1 minute, 3 minutes, four minutes, or my teacher might cue me to take it. But we all know that if I need that break, I'm going to take that break and then be able to continue to access learning. Um, I'd encourage you if you're in buildings to just ask like, do you have I ask the students, especially if there's downtime when I'm serving, hey, do you have a safe place? I'm like, yeah, where is it? How how do you get to it? you know, well, I haven't used it yet or I use it when math gets hard or so if you're in classrooms, just ask students like, hey, tell me about your safe place. Do you have one in here? Um, it was interesting talking to like the woodworking class and the art class, like where do you But they all have been really creative. Yeah. I mean, and some folks just have like a chair with a little table and it says safe place and then some graphics around how to take breath >> and they still have access to learning. >> That's the cool part. Exactly, Ken. That's why it's in the classroom. We also noticed early on when we started this work, probably a decade ago, that the tendency to send a kiddo out was very high and the reason often didn't seem to warrant a reason to leave like go to the office and you need to talk to an admin. So, what a safe place does is a kiddo's beginning to get disregulated. They have this self-awareness or uh awareness through a trusted adult. Okay, why don't you go in that safe place and take a break and you can come out when you're ready. Be like a really discreet cue or a self kind of initiated rest and come right back to learning because we do know that sometimes kids are sent out at faster rates or for reasons that don't necessarily warrant go in the hall or go down to the office. >> So I take it what you're saying is that there's very little or no stigma attached to that space. >> Exactly. and they can be there and still be learning and be >> absolutely a part of the whole classroom experience. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> And one of the big keys is normalizing that from elementary to middle to high. And so the more we implement these things across the entire system, the more they become normalized across the entire system. >> I'll say to Oh, sorry. I was just going to say with my son's experience and being going through K5 with him so far, it's been interesting the ways in which the classrooms there's lots of different ways to be in the classroom in general. >> Yes. >> In a way that wasn't when I was in school, right? like he can sit on the floor or at a hightop or at one of those wiggle chairs or at a regular chair or he can sit back with the books or he can sit you know like there's just so much flexibility uh in terms of how you are in the classroom which ties right to what you were saying Christina about you can show up however you need to show up to learn um and so I think if there was a dedicated space in any of his classrooms that he's had K5 it wouldn't be weird because there's already so many different spots if you're just like I feel like sitting on the floor today and you can just do that you know so >> super normal >> I was just going to add especially at the elementary level if a student is struggling and they call for support from a social worker or student engagement specialist they push into the classroom and support that student adult to student as a second adult in using that safe place. So they're modeling like let's go to the safe place using the breathing using fidgets and supporting them there. So the student just in prior they would just be removed from the classroom with the social worker or the student engagement specialist but instead they're just getting that additional support and using the safe place regulating their body having access to learning and getting back to their regular um seating when they're ready and regulated. So that's been wonderful as well. >> Okay, fine. One more question. >> Okay. >> And it this may be a dumb one. You need to go and laugh. >> I doubt it. >> So I think about all the cool stuff we're doing and my question is is like I feel like this is advancements in education and some of this hopefully most of this is not unique to us. Am I right in that assumption? I mean I think >> we are so if you think about innovation those who are trying brand new cutting edge things I don't think of us as on that cutting edge in that area. What I think of us as is a school system that systematizes the work that we do. We try to do it at all levels and we try to do it really really well. So were we the first people to have unified behavior systems and effective documentation and effective follow-up? No. um these are systems that are used and when you look around the state of Minnesota, people are looking to us because we're doing it very well. Um and so we try to fully implement, fully systematize, fully launch and we share all the time. We have people who reach out to us and partner with us on a range of things. Our health center, we have people coming by all the time. Um for our behavior systems and what we are implementing, we have people who want to learn about that. um when you look at what we have been doing with our virtual online programming and network that work we have people who want to know about that and so I'd say what makes us unique is systematized implementation um and consistency and successful effective outcomes >> I would agree like we focus deeply on ensuring what we do is aligned and I say all the time to the team that I get to work with we got to go slow to go fast although I talk fast. I'd rather have us get really good at something, really, really, really good before we add on another, say, power or skill within the conscious discipline framework. We've gotten really good. I'd ask your child, anyone who has a child in Ridgefield public schools, is there a safe place in your classroom, how do you get to it? How is it used? Um, what are the schoolwide behavior expectations? So, I think that's what we do and we do really well. We're we're a really strong small and mighty system and our leaders really believe in the work. They're very strong. Our building leaders at launching this and implementing it. >> Well, and where I was going with this, I was just kind of curious as I I hear all the great things that we do and it's like one of the things I've kind of pushed for in the past is um how do we market it, right? How do we show the good work that we're doing? And assuming that it's not all unique, right? That said, and like when I think about our numbers of like uh families moving, coming and going and like what we talk about wanting to get them to stay in the district, how much are we kind of pushing to the parents that it's like this is the cool stuff that happens, right? It's like I um if I weren't on the school board, I don't know if I'd know all the good stuff that's happening. And as a parent, maybe you could ask my wife, right? She apparently she reads all the communications. I don't. >> She does. Excellent. >> Right. So, so maybe she knows all the good stuff, but it's like how do we communicate that? And then again, if you're not in the district, how do you get that information, right? Because wow, Richfield's doing all this cool stuff. I want I want to go there. I want our kids to go there, right? I want them there forever. It's like I want to get involved. And just more of a how do we market that? So, comment more than a question. >> So, I can give you sort of three different things. One, uh we do partner and share with other educators all the time. Um and so, educators are well aware of the work that we're doing. Um, as far as marketing and communication, um, Jennifer and Laura, now Laura, um, do targeted outreach and marketing to both our community, but then also our nearby surrounding communities to share that specific work that we're doing. Um, and then according to our surveys and our information, the biggest word of mouth is parents. Um, is you all talking about and community members talking about the work that we're doing. And you can see, you know, if you think back to all of the incidences we had 5 years ago, and you might imagine what something on social media on the community Facebook might look like and giving feedback about the middle school, it was hard to read. If you look, for example, um, at something that just showed up a couple days ago as somebody was talking about their experience at the middle, I think there were 18 22 comments and I think 17 to 21 of them were really positive and talking about the great things going on. And so I think it takes parents to continue to share, but to also be having those experiences um to be able to share um is is that biggest marketing piece for people to to hear and believe? >> Any more questions, comments? >> The only thing I'll add is we like we wouldn't be able to do this work if we didn't have the support of the board and our superintendent. That's also it. Like we We know that this work is valued and important and supported by all of you and by our superintendent. For that, we're really grateful because it's the most our work's the most important work >> or your work allows us to have the school climate and culture to get the most important work. It's just the outcomes for our students that allow them to have the futures that they deserve. cuz it's foundational to their achievement to be okay in their heads and hearts connected. >> It is. I was just kidding about the important work. Although we'll talk about it offline. >> Well, you know what? When we start seeing these newsletters of how to do conscious discipline and little like one month, you know, kind of snippets, then then I'll say yes. >> Yeah, that's good. That is good. It's great feedback honestly. >> Thank you guys. >> This is great. Great session. Appreciate >> it. Thanks. Thanks. >> All right. So, I have no kids to present with me and hopefully I won't um go so long. Miss Gonzalez. Ah, she wasn't even paying attention at that point. Okay. Uh, so we are um in with temporary online program update. Um, so we want to talk about what we had been doing, which is a four-week program, but also what we're going to call version two. So, if you recall last week, um we had actually planned on a couple of days off at R SEM, at RDLS, and at RMS, uh we were going to be looking at re-rosting our students. At that point, we had almost 900 students engaged in daily online learning. Um and we were moving forward towards that. And then an announcement came out um that there would be um a metro surge ending in Minnesota. That actually occurred Thursday morning. Uh given that um we looked at our plans um and we moved towards um online program version two um and so we are continuing to offer temporary virtual programming uh to students who don't feel safe sending their kids to school. Our first program was set to expire on February 13th. Um and so we have now extended um our online program for two weeks through February 27th. uh looking at our elementary program, they um met, worked through our new survey which actually had cut in half the anticipated students who were going to be online um which has actually dropped again by a third and so we went from 900 students to 450 students to today we believe there are only 300 who are remaining online. Um and we are implementing the same learning program but have increased the amount of synchronous instruction which means there will be more live teaching going out to our students. um and also added some additional academic improvements that'll be going at elementary. Uh we had anticipated that program would be going through April 10th. Um it could be going longer than February 27th, but right now we are anticipating a February 27th. Um and we'll be examining before then. Uh secondary schools, uh they're using grade level teams or teaching models which allow them to teach both in person and online at the same time or very close to the same time. Um, and so we're also increasing the amount of synchronous time for our secondary students who are enrolled online. And synchronous time is that live teaching instruction from our teachers because we do know um that that does create um higher levels of learning and tends to be more effective with our students. Little bit more at the elementary. Um and so with those increases um we actually had no school at RDLS in STEM on Friday and we begin to examine whether we were going to do re-rostering or not. Rostering would have meant um assigning an English section of each of our grade levels in Spanish and English and a Spanish section or and let me say that again. Now I'm stumbling. Yes. one section prek through five of English and one section prek through five of Spanish. Because re-rostering at the elementary is a very intense experience, the team decided with um with Metro Surge ending um and with an anticipated two weeks to not engage in re-roistering. The big thing at elementary is each student has one teacher. Um typically for most of the day where in our secondaries they're already switching teachers. What rerostering means is they would have to switch teachers um because we would have students who were in a classroom for an online teacher. Uh that online teacher would have all of their students be rerostered to other teachers. So we decided not to go that direction um based on some voice of our teachers, based on some voice of our families and based on what we was we thought was best in the situation. Uh we did create then new learning packets and so that occurred in terms of distribution today and Wednesday. And so all of our students who have remained online will have packets to support their learning. Um and all three or all four elementary schools are working together towards that increase of synchronous instruction. Um and so where we were going to have just our STEM teachers teaching online, uh we actually have teachers at all of our elementaryaries increasing the amount of morning meeting time with their students intervention and additional supports going on in terms of live instruction. So, we have moved forward with each of those components at secondary. Um, and you're going to see some differences in the voice. And so, I want to share with you the difference between elementary, middle, and high school. In elementary, um, a student has one teacher almost all of the day. In high school, their grades count towards graduation. In middle school, while they do have grades and they count, they don't count towards graduation and they already switch the entire time. And so as we engaged teacher voice on Friday, the middle school decided r-rostering is what was going to happen. So they are shifting. Um a sixth grade math teacher will be teaching in person and another sixth grade math teacher will be teaching online. Um the person in person will have classes during this window that could increase very significantly above board levels even. Uh meaning they could go into the mid to high 30s and even into the low 40s. Um and this was planned for this window. and our online teacher will be instructing online during the same time. If students come in who had been planned to be um online, they'll still be taught by the online teacher, but online in their classroom where they'll be teaching online and in person at the same time. So, our middle school students are going to be receiving daily instruction in language arts or Spanish language arts, math, science, and social studies, synchronous live instruction. Uh we also will have EL and special ed teachers providing additional instruction online and in person. And then our exploratory teachers are going to be using asynchronous assignments, but they will also be online uh to provide additional support. And then at our high school, they've moved to um in terms of their online instruction, they're going to somewhat of a block. Um meaning that our students will get two days a week. Um half of their classes will be in synchronous instruction and then the other two days of the week they will have the other classes in synchronous instruction. Um special ed EL and intervention supports are going to be providing those specific supports online. um during Wednesdays which is typically win time or what I need time where they typically have intervention and then as a reminder so re-roistering of students didn't occur in elementary uh the RHS or the high school did not re-roister their students because of grades and lensure components but they did do that at RMS and so that's why they did not have school today and they are launching their programming tomorrow. So, if you think about our our schools that had a day off, teachers that are changing the way they instruct and having to plan for online, that was RHS, RT STEM, and RDLS. They had one day off. Uh, and so did RHS. Um, and then RMS is not only teaching differently online and in person, but then they also are re-rostering or teaching kids that they might not have had in the past, and so they need that extra day of transition to plan for that. um as of our current data. So, this was the survey that occurred of our students to determine who was planning to commit to our online program. And we had planned to hold it until up until April 10th, which was the end of the semester. Uh we had actually had 48% were already planning to come back to school with 464 remaining online. Uh based on our attendance reports from today, we believe there are about 300 students approximately who are remaining online. Um and so if you think about we had taken our survey, we had announced the plan program. Um the metro surge was then very publicly announced to end. We were not able to take an extra survey. So we launched something that allowed our students to be flexible. And as of today, we believe there are about 300 online and believe that will continue to um reduce as we go through this week and into next week and hopeful that um enough of our students will feel safe that we'll be able to end our temporary virtual program um as of February 27th. and hopefully have all of our students in place um back in our schools by March 2nd. So, with that, I will pause and see if there are any questions. Are we anticipating any difficulties having a middle school class of 30 to 40 kids? >> Difficulties? Yes. Um our teachers have walked into this with their eyes wide open. um they have taken the two days to collaboratively plan as teams. So, language arts teachers are planning together. Uh they felt very very impassioned and deeply that they needed to do more that they needed to figure out how to get more live instruction in front of their students and the only way they could possibly do it was that way. Um and then in our conversation with board members, the way that they could keep um the way they could keep 30 students or under in their classroom was by forcing students to stay out of school. Uh people who had signed up, if you look at 456, if all those students were forced to stay out, our class sizes would stay low. Um in checking with some board members, um and I didn't get to everybody, I got a very quick and resounding that's not happening. Um which I'm very comfortable with. that is that has matched what our board perspective overall has been um which is if our students want to be in school, we have to welcome them in school. Uh they do better when they're in school and so whatever rules we put in place have to allow for that to happen. And so then our teachers knowing that said, "Okay, I'll take 40 if I have to, but we're going to do this because that's what our kids need." So is it ideal? No. But either is it to not get synchronous instruction and be stuck in your homes. And so we it was very easy for us to support uh the teachers willingness to do that um and and desire to serve our students better. I'm very proud of them. >> More questions, comments? want to commend you Steve and your teams for your flexibility being nimble, the pivoting required uh to do this like my my head still on day one of like what do we even do? Uh and so I appreciate uh prioritizing learning but also well-being uh safety and and a welcoming school district that differentiates based on students needs. >> Thank you. I'm gonna I'm going to push that off to our staff and say I appreciate hearing that and our staff are amazing. um they are right now um you know if we want to think of how we're able to do this as a district their conversations right now are okay we have three sets of kids and we have to figure out how we're dealing with that. They have kids who have been all along who they've been teaching all along. They have kids who have been engaging online learning online doing all the work and are coming back to school and they have students who have been online may or may not have been engaging online and have not yet come back to school. So, they're looking at three waves of how do you then bring them all together at the end and they're already planning to try to figure that out. And so, I think it's a testament to you all um the vision that you provide. Um it allows me to lead um in a way that has our incredible team and our our team is is amazing. So, I will definitely pass that on and pass on the appreciation. Yeah, I just want to add on to that. Just shout out for balancing the need for what's best for students and listening to teams, right? Because it was clear in that where it's just like, okay, we got like a bunch of options. Should we standardize and stick with one teams are saying this is what's best for kids, right? And really figuring out how to balance um balance all of it. So, shout out to you. Shout out to teams for advocating for young people, figuring out how to make it work to do what's best for kids. So, shout out. >> It has been trying times. Cautiously optimistic. Hopefully, we can go ahead and get back to school full time. >> Yeah. Yeah. We are all We are all anticipating and hoping that this actually is coming to an end, that our community will be safe in the future. Um we have planned I mean the the intellectual reasoning behind two weeks is this year is this week is to see is this a reality is metroserve actually ending or people actually leaving and then an extra week of really really are we sure and then we'll breathe and then you know the way human nature and psychology work those two weeks if it actually is going that way we'll be in good shape and I'll be honest our high school planned three weeks of instruction today um and so they are they'd like it to end on the 27th and if they have to go further, they're ready. And our teams have already had conversation about how they'll utilize PLC time to get us further as needed. Um so that we don't have to extend the school year and we can now figure out how to do this integrated into our current planning models. So if we have to shift, we'll keep doing it. >> Okay. Commendations. >> All right. Uh since we are doing shoutouts to staff, uh reminder to board members, we have lots of events next week because it is employee appreciation week. And so we'd like to commend every staff member for going that extra mile. Um especially during these most recent challenging months, daily presence of our staff members has been vital in both the academic and emotional needs of our community. Uh by doing our two-phase online program, managing massive supply distribution, they've proven that no task is too large for team RPS. And so we are very grateful. Um, as a board and superintendent, we want to acknowledge and commend the collective dedication and hard work of our team members and we believe in the best. So, they are the best and we be believe in them. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> I can still do that at 9:03, right? That's >> just let that sink in for a moment. Yeah, believe. >> Okay. Uh the next item is approval of our consent agenda which consists of a collection of routine or fairly routine business items that we consent to pass in bulk without individual discussion. I'll pause for a moment to see if there any questions or requests before we proceed hearing and seeing none. Is there a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Second. >> We have a motion. I might just give it to you for pointing. We have a motion by director. I'm doing my queen like >> we have a motion by director Spencer and a second by director Tomkins. >> My queen be leaf. >> Oh nice. >> Can I hit the mute button from over here? >> Challenge accepted over here. Tomkins war. Uh is there any discussion? All in favor please say I. >> I post nay. The chair votes I and the consent agenda is approved. This brings us to old business. There are policies before us this evening for continued review and possible action. The first and only one is policy 406 professional learning and administrative guideline 406.1 and it's a third read. >> All right. And so we um have before you 406 and 406.1. Um there have been no significant substantive changes. There's been input from uh teaching staff in regard to the teaching and learning department q team. Uh those suggested changes are included. Uh we do have um one suggested addition um to the actual wording here within the guideline 4061 page 100 in the board packet 7C uh where it reads provide an inclusive curriculum for racial, ethnically, linguistically and culturally diverse student population. Uh was suggested to add um and we agree and support provide an inclusive curriculum for racially, ethnically, economically, linguistically and culturally diverse uh student population just to clarify all of those components of diversity. The reality is this is about sharing that our professional development um something we actually talked about in our first um item is um designed to support our educators in providing effective instruction and supports to all of our community and all the beautiful diversity that they bring. So we have this for you with a third read and with that slight wording adjustment in guideline uh on page 107.c Let's see questions, comments, or of course a motion on our third read. Punches after 9:00. >> I move to approve the professional learning uh policy in front of us. >> I'll second that. >> With the what? with the amendment. Yes. Thank you. >> We have a motion by Dr. Cole and a second by Director Liss. Any more discussion? Move it right along. Seeing a lot of head shaking. That's why I said that. All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> I. All post. The chair votes I. And policy 406 is approved as amended. Brings us to new business. First item is authorization to proceed with the district office and closed offices completion project. >> Correct. So, um, just as a reminder, back in history in 2017, we had a facility bond referendum, $89 million, $123 million of construction. There remains approximately 800,000 or 800,000 in change in the construction fund. We've identified three projects. One is a storage facility on the activity field or on the athletic field. Uh, that will be coming to the board in the coming months. Some updates at the central building uh to accommodate um possible uh future programming there. Um and then um finishing off and creating office spaces. Um there are more cubicles than needed at the district office and at least one space previously designed for an office um and another area already marked off in regard to an office. Um and so storage facility will come around $500,000 we believe about $100,000 at central and this one is uh somewhere between $150,000 and 200 um to complete the one office which is uh just on the other side of the large conference room and the other which would be connected to it. Um so this is to have our district uh partner architect W architects uh continue to support the design. uh you'll see the construction at approximately $150,000 with then contingency and possible soft costs bring it up to 190. And so this is for us to move forward in that direction. Again, these are leftover funds from construction uh which we are moving forward on um hopefully as we speak. >> Questions about questions? >> I have a question. >> Yes. So the company that we're working with is this this is the folks who we've already worked with. >> Yes, this is the company that did our entire overall project. >> Cool. Cool. And then just an additional question is is this a company or have we looked for working with companies that are minorityowned, womenowned, etc. that to work with? Or is this kind of a folks who specialize in schools? Is there a >> W specializes in schools in terms of school architect and then for specific uh projects we end up putting most of them out for bid and then there are rules and logistics we're supposed to take the lowest responsible bidder um >> which hopefully do fit into those racial equity categories or gender categories. Um but that's that's sort of the design that we are boxed in on. >> Cool. Thanks. Question. >> Yes. Uh so because it's a grant, do we have to use it or lose it? >> Um it's not a grant. So we uh basically when you do a levy referendum, we ask the voters for that. We sell bonds. We've already sold those bonds. Um we restructure and continue on with those projects um over that window of time. >> Okay. Thanks for clarifying >> or questions or a motion. >> I'll move that we um proceed with the district office enclosment completion. >> A motion by director Spencer and a second by director Dennis. Any other comments, questions? Bring it to a vote. All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> All post say nay. The chair votes I. And the authorization to proceed with district office and closed offices completion project >> tong twister >> is approved. Brings us to policy 701 budget and fund reserves and administrative guidelines 701.1. And it's our first read. >> All right. So this is the first read. Just a reminder uh just to refamiliarize ourselves. We'll have that second and third read. Um and so this talks about budget and fund reserve. Uh this is important as we go into this year. Um as we don't know about enrollment, there is those number of things um for us to um monitor as we go through the state finance situation. Um and so these are the principles that guideline how we make budgeting and b fund balance decisions. It also talks about consideration for how we would make budget reduction decisions. Uh so those are currently being reviewed by the finance department. Uh but these are important for board members to refamiliarize ourselves, not with just for the policy. Um but we will be getting a revised budget before long and we'll begin talking about 2627. Um and this will be important information for us to all be familiar. So with that, I will turn it over and can take any questions or comments now or um in the weeks into the next meeting. >> I'll uh be the first to ask a question. Just to be clear, no proposed changes on the first iteration. >> Correct. Those come in for read number two. >> Okay. >> You might have some already because we're so excited about this one. >> Do you have some? >> No, I do not. >> But he might. >> I might. I I'll wait. I'll hold mine for the second read. Any other questions? If not, we'll just move right along. Policy 413, staff use of school facilities administrative guidelines 413.1. It is also a first read. >> All right. So, this is also a first read. And so this is how staff members may use facilities for health or wellness activities when the space is not otherwise being used. And this so this is the rules and process and method by which staff members could reserve facilities um if they wanted them for other usages um and they are not currently in use for other reasons. And so again I have this for you for a first read um and can certainly take uh questions or comments um now or in the couple of weeks moving forward. Um, I have one question. Why? And what I mean by that is I don't think there's an MSBA policy, at least there's not one on the packet here, model policy. Is this a unique thing to Richfield? Um, I don't believe so, but we can investigate. Typically, school districts allow, for example, pickup basketball game from their staff if the gym's not being used or a classroom to be used for uh a group activity. Um if it's not associated with a school, only when they're only when their site's not being used, we can certainly look and see. >> And it wasn't like a >> it's very rare just as an >> Yeah, it's not that I'm saying why would teachers want to use this facility or staff want to use the facility. I think that that's fine. Um maybe it's just a really what it's a vessel for getting a release waiver of liability. So it might just be our lawyers recommended or something. >> Could be. Yeah, we'll we'll figure that out. >> That was it. >> Any other questions or comments? >> I haven't yet. >> So recovered. >> Recovered. >> Check. Um, that looks like that moves us to donations. >> All right, we've got a run. Uh, you heard about the food shelf and so here is some examples. RHS food shelf received the following donations. $1,000 from John and Patricia Schiffller of St. Cloud, Minnesota. $600 from Brenda Dvita of Spring Green, Wisconsin. $500 from Andre and Tim McKini of Spring Green, Wisconsin. $100 from Douglas and Pamela Ryan of Webster City, Iowa. $400 from Allison Herkits Boots of Richfield. $50 from Sarah Young and John Christensen from Spring Green, Wisconsin. $50 from Robin Reed of Spring Green, Wisconsin. $40 of John from John Young and Gail Snowden of Middleton, Wisconsin. An anonymous donation of $100. So, thank you for those generous donations to our families through the food shelf. And the RHS softball team received a donation of $2,000 from the Richfield Lions Club. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Before we make a motion, I have one question about the food shelf. >> Yes. >> Are we still accepting donations? I mean, are we still passing food out to people? I've been recommending it to people who are wondering what to do with donations. >> Yes. So, every day inside the front door, I would say two to three pallets end up being filled and end up being distributed. And so, right here in the district office, it ends up being donated there. And then the food shelf team comes and picks it up. And then a load of cars shows up in the middle of the day afternoon and starts delivering. >> So they should they should donate. >> Door 26. Yes. Door 26. There's a sign on the door. Um and all day every day. >> All right. >> And the food shelf is was around before then. Really the unique thing. >> Yes, I know. But now people are feeling the need >> and and the delivery. And so >> yeah, I anticipate that similar to our program going through the 27th. I assume we're two weeks more of that for sure. and then we'll see where we're at as kids come back um and as some of those components change. >> Um there's also students that come in in the morning to pack those bags. So there's Yeah, >> it's exciting to see that too. >> We have great community >> and looking for somebody to >> I move that we accept these donations with gratitude. >> I second that. Good job. We have a motion by Director Tomkins and a second by Director Dennis. All uh to accept these donations with gratitude. All in favor, please say I. >> I. All post, please say nay. >> Chairs I. And we accept these donations with gratitude. >> Noticing a list of Spring Green, Wisconsin. Again, >> yeah. The uh >> there's there's a fundraiser that >> there's a particular staff member that has family in Spring Green. And you'll notice uh yeah, that person's family has clearly taken on Richfield Public Schools and we we are very appreciative. So >> Wisconsin's the best. >> They're the best. >> At least this family and their donations coming out of Wisconsin and Minnesota to Richfield public schools. Our food shelf. >> Sorry, we're getting punched again. >> Yes, >> Richfield is the best. >> Richfield's the best. brings us into advanced planning section of our agenda which always begins with the legislative update. >> Uh yes, so the we had our legislative study session previously, but we did um have the legislative session started today. Um and so they already began hearing bills today. Ironically, in support of our platform, both uh board member Cole and I are speaking in support of House File 3409, um which connects to our platform related to immigrant students, uh protecting their data, protecting their right to be in our schools, and supporting us, educating everyone, uh regardless of whatever location they came from. And so, both of us will be down there. Uh we are speaking in the four to five window in the House chambers. Um and so, uh that is what we have now. And I'm sure there will be more bills as we go along um just for us to continue. >> The MSBA already launched also their day for lobby day >> uh the first week of March. It's a lot of fun if you like policy. Anyway, uh but great opportunity to connect with our fellow board members uh across the state. >> That's right. in my Friday letter and I'm I'm giving the nudge to MissWam to take notes for me to remind me um since it's too late for me at this point. Uh there is Minnesota Association of School Administrators Day at the capital and there's Minnesota School Board Members Association Day at the Capital and there's Association of Metropolitan School Districts Day at the capital. Those are all the days that we at and our metro area colleagues or our statewide colleagues uh school boards and administrators go down. I will send you reminder information about that um and sign up information in case any of our board members want to go do that. We make um appointments with our representatives on those days um and again share our platform and share the things and sort of check in um and the other thing that we do legislatively is we testify from time to time um or offered opportunities to go do that. So we will keep doing that and pushing for our students. >> More questions with legislative update? If not, information and questions from the board, suggested future agenda items. like everybody >> maybe coming up with some more punny uh monthly themes for staff recognition. Um >> to be fair, be the best in the whole Bumblebee thing rolled out in August and there has been in the staff newsletter. Uh there have been little bee games all along. >> It has created quite a buzz. >> Oh, and with that Oh, that's >> future meeting dates. Boom. >> Uh, our next meeting will be March 2nd at 7 p.m. normal night. Um, normal Monday night and then March 16th. Wow, time flies. It'll be 7 p.m. That'll be our opportunity for public comment. Uh, with that, that brings us to our final item of business, which is to adjourn. At this time, at this this item does not require a full board vote. I officially adjourn the meeting at check the clock 9:20 20.