Jul 14, 2020 Called Board Meeting

[00:00:01]

>> GOOD EVENING. I HEREBY CALL TO ORDER THE JULY 14TH,

[1.0 Call to Order]

I REQUEST THE OFFICIAL ROLL CALL MR. KIRCHNER.

>> YES, MA'AM. TRUSTEE PLACE ONE, NEDRA ROBINSON? MR. ROBINSON? ALL RIGHT.

WE'LL COME BACK TO MR. ROBINSON.

TRUSTEE PLACE TWO, DR. LA TONYA WOODSON MAYFIELD?

>> PRESENT.

>> THANK YOU. TRUSTEE PLACE THREE, MIA HALL?

>> PRESENT.

>> THANK YOU. TRUSTEE PLACE FOUR, JUNE W. DAVIS, HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO JOIN US YET? COME BACK TO HER. TRUSTEE PLACE FIVE, RYAN RAY?

>> PRESENT.

>> THANK YOU. TRUSTEE PLACE SIX, GARY GRASSIA?

>> PRESENT.

>> THANK YOU. TRUSTEE PLACE SEVEN, LYNDSAE BENTON?

>> PRESENT.

>> THANK YOU. TRUSTEE PLACE ONE, NEDRA ROBINSON? TRUSTEE PLACE FOUR, JIM DAVIS? MS. HALL, WE DO HAVE QUORUM AND SUPERINTENDENT, DR. MICHAEL MCFARLAND.

>> PRESENT.

>> THANK YOU, SIR.

>> OKAY. MR. KIRCHNER IF YOU CAN CONTINUE TRYING TO REACH OUR OTHER COLLEAGUES.

>> YES MA'AM. WE DID HAVE MS. ROBINSON ON EARLIER, SHE MUST HAVE JUST DROPPED OFF, WE WILL WATCH FOR HER.

>> OKAY. MS. DAVIS IS STILL IN HER ROOM.

WE'RE TRYING [OVERLAPPING] TO GET HER. ALL RIGHT.

I THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING OUR MEETING BY VIDEO CONFERENCE THIS EVENING, WHICH IS ALSO OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TO JOIN.

WE HAVE IMPORTANT BUSINESS TO ATTEND TO THIS EVENING.

I WOULD ASK THAT YOU BE PATIENT AS WE CONDUCT OUR MEETING IN THIS FORMAT, WE NEED YOUR GRACE.

PLEASE ENSURE YOUR DEVICES ARE MUTED.

I REPEAT, PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOUR DEVICES ARE MUTED.

IF YOU EXPERIENCE ANY TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES PLEASE SEND A TEXT MESSAGE OR EMAIL TO MR. KIRCHNER.

KIRCHNER JUST TO VERIFY AND CONFIRM THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY SIGN-UP FOR OPEN FORM THIS EVENING?

>> THAT IS CORRECT. NO ONE SIGNED UP.

>> OKAY. WITH THAT, WE WILL THEN MOVE ON TO OUR REPORT AND DISCUSSION ITEMS.

[3.0 Report and Discussion Items]

>> SO THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT AND BOARD MEMBERS, WE ARE DEFINITELY APPRECIATIVE OF YOU MAKING SPECIAL TIME TONIGHT TO DISCUSS THE POSSIBLE MODIFICATIONS TO THE CALENDAR.

TONIGHT WE'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME POSSIBLE MODIFICATIONS.

WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANY ACTION TONIGHT, BUT WE ARE ASKING FOR INPUT AND POSSIBLY EVEN MORE CONVERSATION LATER.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALIZE IS THAT THE CRISIS, THE PANDEMIC THAT WE ARE APART OF RIGHT NOW CREATE SOME VERY REAL AND CHANGING CHALLENGES.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS REALLY CHALLENGING IS THAT THE INFORMATION IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING ABOUT THE SEVERITY OF THE CRISIS AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE RESPONSIVE AND WE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON AS IT RELATES TO THE CRISIS AND THAT WE CAN CONTROL THE THINGS THAT WE CAN CONTROL.

YOU ALL KNOW THAT OUR STAFF HAVE BEEN WORKING ALL SUMMER AND SO WE ACTUALLY RETURNED ALL BACK ON MONDAY AND I REALLY SHARED ABOUT SIX THINGS AS WE GO THROUGH THE CRISIS, THAT I'M CHALLENGING OUR LEADERS TO DO AND TO BE AWARE OF AND FOCUS ON.

THE FIRST THING IS THAT AS LEADERS, ALL OF US, WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS FOCUS ON CONTROLLING THE THINGS THAT WE CAN CONTROL.

SO I'VE CHALLENGED US TO LOOK AT ALL OF THE VARIABLES RELATIVE TO THIS COVID-19 CRISIS AND LET'S IDENTIFY THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE CONTROL OVER.

THROUGH CONVERSATION WITH THE TEAM, WHAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED IS THAT THE ONE THING THAT WE HAVE CONTROL OVER AND FLEXIBILITY WITH IS THE CALENDAR AND SO WE'LL COME BACK AND HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE CALENDAR HERE IN A SECOND.

ALSO, THE NEXT THING I ASK EVERYBODY TO DO, AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO, IS TO BLOCK OUT ALL THE NOISE.

WHAT WE REALIZE IS THAT IF WE SPEND TIME EVERY DAY LOOKING AT TV, RE-WATCHING THE NEWS, WHETHER IT'S FOX OR WHETHER IT'S IN MSNBC, WHETHER IT'S CNI, IRREGARDLESS OF WHAT STATION.

WE ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT THE NEWS EVERY DAY THAT WE WILL BE CONSTANTLY CONFLICTED AND CONFUSING AND IT WILL REALLY NOT BE TOO MUCH BENEFIT FOR ALL OF US AS WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO LEAD.

[00:05:02]

THE THIRD THING I ASK PEOPLE TO DO AND LEADERS TO DO IS TO FOCUS ON WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT.

FOR US, WE ARE EDUCATORS, WE ARE LEADERS AND THE THING THAT'S MOST IMPORTANT FOR US, REALLY ARE TWO THINGS.

NUMBER ONE IS TO ENSURE SAFETY.

WE WANT TO ENSURE OUR STUDENTS AND OUR TEACHERS AND OUR FACULTY, WE WANT TO ENSURE THEY ARE SAFE AND THEN NUMBER TWO, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THEY RECEIVE THE HIGHEST EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE.

THOSE ARE THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT THINGS FOR US.

THE THIRD THING HERE IS WE HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN.

WE'VE BEEN DEVELOPING A PLAN, WE'VE REFINED THE PLAN, WE'VE THROWN THE PLAN OUT AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS NOW OF ACTUALLY FINALIZING A DRAFT OF A PLAN THAT WE FEEL LIKE WE'LL BE READY TO ROLL OUT WITHIN A WEEK OR SO, BUT AGAIN, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IMPLEMENTING OUR PLAN.

THE 5TH THING IS TO OVER-PLAN AND THEN ALSO TO FLICKS.

BE PREPARED TO FLICKS.

WE KNOW THAT WE'LL HAVE TO CHANGE, WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE SOME CHANGES.

WE'LL MAKE A PLAN IN THIS WEEK, AND NEXT WEEK BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THESE CRISIS, WE MAY HAVE TO CHANGE THAT PLAN AND SO WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKING FOR GRACE AS WE PRODUCE PLANS AND THEN COME BACK AND HAVE TO CHANGE THOSE PLANS.

THEN THE LAST THING AND THE MOST IMPORTANT IS JUST CHALLENGING AND ENCOURAGING EVERYONE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF.

I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE CROWLEY ISD FAMILY, WE HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY IMPACTED.

STUDENTS HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY IMPACTED.

TEACHERS HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY IMPACTED.

ADMINISTRATORS, ALL FACETS OF THE CROWLEY FAMILY HAVE BEEN IMPACTED DIRECTLY BY THIS CRISIS TO THE POINT WHERE WE'VE LOST LOVED ONES, WE HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT HAVE LOST LOVED ONES.

SO WHAT I CHALLENGE US TO DO IS MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF EACH OTHER, AND TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES.

WE DO THAT FIRST OF ALL BY OFF COURSE MAINTAINING SOCIAL DISTANCING, WEARING MASKS, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE JUST BEING RESPONSIVE TO WHAT WE'RE HEARING IS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD.

SO TONIGHT THOUGH, WHAT I ASK IS THAT WE HAVE A CONVERSATION AROUND OUR CALENDAR BECAUSE THAT IS A DECISION THAT COLLECTIVELY WE MADE AS A GROUP.

WE FELT LIKE STARTING SCHOOL ON AUGUST 13TH AND ACTUALLY ENDING SCHOOL ABOUT MAY 28 OR SO.

SPREADING TO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS AND WORK DAYS OUT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE FELT LIKE THEY GAVE US THE BEST CHANCE TO BE SUCCESSFUL BASED ON THE VARIABLES THAT WERE PRESENT WHEN WE MADE THAT DECISION.

RIGHT NOW, THE VARIABLES THAT ARE PRESENT TODAY CAUSES US TO BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER SOME POSSIBLE OPTIONS, AND SO TONIGHT WE HAVE REALLY TWO POSSIBLE OPTIONS.

ONE POSSIBLE OPTION WE'LL SHARE WITH YOU WILL RECOMMEND THAT WE ACTUALLY DELAY THE START OF SCHOOL UNTIL AUGUST 31ST, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHY, WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT IMPACT THAT WILL HAVE ON US, THE PROS AND THE CONS OF THAT MOVE.

WE'LL ALSO TALK ABOUT WHY WE FEEL LIKE IT'S POSSIBLY A GOOD MOVE FOR US AND THEN ALSO WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT A CALENDAR THAT WILL HAVE US STARTING SCHOOL ON SEPTEMBER THE 8TH, WHICH IS AFTER LABOR DAY.

SO WE WANTED TO LOOK AT THOSE TWO PLANS IN DETAIL.

DEFINITELY I ASK THAT YOU STOP US, ASK QUESTIONS, HELP US THINK THROUGH THIS SO THAT WHEN WE ACTUALLY COME BACK FOR ACTION IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO, WE'LL ACTUALLY HAVE A TIGHT PLAN THAT WE ALL CAN AGREE TO.

A COUPLE OF PARAMETERS THAT I'D LIKE TO SHARE AND THEN I WILL ASK KIRCHNER TO WALK US THROUGH THE PLAN.

A COUPLE OF PARAMETERS.

ONE THING WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IS THAT WE DID NOT REDUCE INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS.

WE WON'T DO ANY MODIFICATIONS, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROTECTED THE CURRENT INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS THAT WE HAVE.

WE'VE DONE IT WITH BOTH OPTIONS.WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RESPECT THE TEACHERS TIME AND THAT WE'VE MADE SURE THAT WE HAVE PROVIDED ADEQUATE TIME FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, BUT ALSO THAT WE STAY WITHIN OUR TEACHERS CONTRACT.

WE BELIEVE WE'VE DONE THAT WITH BOTH PLANS AS WELL.

THEN THE SECOND THING IS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE CRISIS, TO THE PANDEMIC AND TO WHAT'S HAPPENING AS IT RELATES TO THE INFECTIONS AND OTHER THINGS AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PREPARED A SCHEDULE OR PRESENTED A SCHEDULE THAT WILL GIVE US THE BEST POSSIBLE CHANCE TO KNOW REALLY HOW THIS PANDEMIC WILL IMPACT US DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR.

SO ANYWAY, THOSE ARE THE MAIN THINGS THAT WE FOCUSED ON AS WE DESIGNED THE PLAN.

KIRCHNER WOULD YOU GO AHEAD AND PULL UP THE CALENDAR AND JUST TALK TO THEM ABOUT WHAT OUR CURRENT CALENDAR IS, AND LET US WALK THROUGH OPTION ONE WHICH IS STARTING ON AUGUST THE 31ST AND THEN OPTION TWO STARTING ON SEPTEMBER 8TH?

>> YES SIR. MS. HALL, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DR. MCFARLAND, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT.

MS. HALL, WE DO NOW HAVE MS. DAVIS WITH US, MS. DAVIS CAN YOU HEAR US? SHE'S UNMUTING RIGHT NOW, I CAN TELL.

>> YES.

>> THANK YOU, MA'AM.

>> THANK YOU.

>> DID WE GET MISS ROBINSON? [LAUGHTER]

>> ALL RIGHT, WE'LL DEFINITELY BE WATCHING FOR MISS ROBINSON.

[00:10:01]

NOW, THIS LOOKS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WE'RE USED TO.

THIS IS NOT OUR FINAL COPY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE CALLING OUR WORKING COPY.

IT HELPS US COUNT OUR INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS AND NOW IN THE STATE, WE MEASURE INSTRUCTION BY MINUTES.

THE STATE REQUIRES US TO HAVE A MINIMUM OF 75,600 MINUTES IN CROWLEY ISD, AND SO YOU'LL SEE ON THIS CALENDAR, THIS IS OUR CURRENT APPROVED CALENDAR, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

YOU'LL SEE THAT WE GREATLY EXCEED THAT MINIMUM REQUIREMENT.

DOWN HERE ON THE BOTTOM, YOU'LL SEE OUR ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH SCHOOL MINUTES AT 79,000 AND 78,000 AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.

JUST TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW, THE COLORS ON THIS CALENDAR, ANYTIME YOU SEE THAT PINKISH PURPLE, FUCHSIA, THAT'S A TEACHER IN-SERVICE WORKDAY, THE LIGHT BLUE IS A STUDENT INSTRUCTIONAL DAY, GREEN WOULD BE A HOLIDAY AND AN IN-SERVICE, AND THEN A WOULD BE EARLY RELEASE.

AS YOU LOOK AT THIS COUNTER, YOU'LL SEE OUR START DATE CURRENTLY IS SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY, AUGUST 13TH, AND OUR END DATE FOR LAST STATEMENTS INSTRUCTIONS, AND OUR FINALS FOR STUDENTS WOULD HAVE BEEN THURSDAY, MAY 27TH [NOISE].

YOU'LL SEE DOWN HERE IN THE KEY ALSO HOW THAT SHOWS THAT THERE'S A 174 INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS AND LIKE DR. MCFARLAND SAID, THESE TWO OTHER POTENTIAL DRAFTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU THIS EVENING HAD THOSE SAME NUMBER OF INSTRUCTION DAYS.

ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT OUR CURRENT CALENDAR LOOKS LIKE? IF NOT, HERE IS A DRAFT OF OPTION ONE, AND I'M SURE SOME PEOPLE ONLY WANT TO TAKE PICTURES OR SCREENSHOTS OF THIS, BUT PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU IF SHARE THIS, MAKE SURE THAT IT SHOWS THAT THIS IS A DRAFT AND THIS IS AN OPTION, THAT NO ACTIONS ARE BEING TAKEN TONIGHT.

AS DR. MCFARLAND SAID, THIS CALENDAR DELAYS OUR START UNTIL MONDAY, AUGUST 31ST.

OF COURSE, THE FIRST QUESTION WOULD BE, WELL, HOW DO WE MAKE UP THAT TIME TO STILL KEEP OUR INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS THE SAME? YOU'LL SEE OUR END DATE HAS CHANGED.

OUR LAST DAY FOR STUDENTS WOULD BE TUESDAY, JUNE 8TH.

WHAT THIS CALENDAR DOES ACCOMPLISH IN AUGUST BY DELAYING OUR START FOR STUDENTS IS IT ALLOWS ADDITIONAL TIME FOR TEACHERS, FOR PROFESSIONAL GROUP DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE FOR PANDEMIC RESPONSE, AND SO YOU'LL SEE TWO FULL WEEKS OF IN-SERVICE/WORKDAYS THERE AT THE START OF AUGUST.

THE MIDDLE OF THE CALENDAR IS THE SAME AS OUR OTHER CALENDAR.

WE'VE HAD TO ADJUST THE MARKING PERIODS OF WHEN THOSE SIX WEEKS ARE, BUT AS FAR AS THE HOLIDAYS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, OPTION ONE IS SIMILAR TO OUR CURRENT CALENDAR.

DR. MCFARLAND IS THERE ANYTHING I'M LEAVING OFF OF THAT CALENDAR? YOU'RE MUTED, SIR.

>> IF WE JUST WALKED THROUGH MONTH BY MONTH, I BELIEVE OCTOBER, WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL DAY ON THE 13TH, WHERE IN THE PAST THAT DAY WAS AN INSTRUCTIONAL WORKDAY BEFORE, SO THAT'S A DAY AFTER COLUMBUS DAY.

WE ACTUALLY WILL BE IN CLASS ON THAT DAY AND THEN IF YOU'LL LOOK THROUGH THE END OF THE SCHOOL SEMESTER, LOOK AT JANUARY.

JANUARY ON THE CURRENT CALENDAR, THE FIFTH AND THE SIXTH, WE ACTUALLY ADDED FIFTH AS SIXTH AS INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS, BUT WE DID KEEP THE HOLIDAY ON THE FIRST AND THEN WE HAVE THE WORKDAY OR IN-SERVICE ON THE FOURTH.

BUT IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO END SCHOOL ON JUNE 8TH, WE HAD TO HAVE ANOTHER STRUCTURE TODAY AND SO THAT WAS THE FIFTH THAT WE TURNED INTO AN INSTRUCTIONAL DAY AS WELL.

>> RIGHT. THANK YOU, SIR, FOR ADDING THAT.

>> RIGHT AND THEN WE ACTUALLY ADDED, I BELIEVE EARLY RELEASE DAYS AT THE END OF SIX WEEKS.

I BELIEVE THEY ALL FALL IN THE MARKING PERIODS, SO THAT AS TEACHERS NEED THE ADDITIONAL TIME TO GET GRADES AND EVERYTHING TOGETHER, WE TRIED TO BE COGNIZANT OF THAT AND ADD IN WHERE WE COULD.

>> THAT'S CORRECT, AND TRUSTEES, YOU WILL STILL SEE ON THE BOTTOM OF THIS CALENDAR, ALONG WITH THE INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS, THOSE INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES ARE STILL SIGNIFICANTLY EXCEEDING THE STATE MINIMUM OF 75,600.

>> THE OTHER POSITIVE TO DELAYING IS THAT WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE BOARD, YOU APPROVE THE PURCHASE OF DEVICES AND WE DEFINITELY ARE ANTICIPATING THAT WE WILL AT SOME POINT DURING THE FIRST SEMESTER LIKELY HAVE TO GO FULL VIRTUAL.

OUR PLAN IS TO ENSURE THAT EVERY STUDENT, NOT JUST EVERY HOUSEHOLD, BUT EVERY STUDENT, ACTUALLY HAS A DEVICE AND WE KNOW THAT THE DEVICE IS CURRENTLY OSCILLATED TO GET TO OUR DISTRICT THE LAST WEEK OF AUGUST, 1ST OF SEPTEMBER.

WE FEEL LIKE BY DELAYING THE START OF SCHOOL, THEN WE ACTUALLY INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT WHEN WE'LL HAVE TO GO OUT FULL VIRTUAL AT SOME POINT, THEN WE'LL HAVE DEVICES IN HAND TO BE ABLE TO ISSUE OUT TO STUDENTS.

SO WE THINK THAT GIVES US ADDITIONAL TIME FOR THAT.

ALSO, THE TWO WEEKS WILL HELP US TO WORK THROUGH LOGISTICALLY, WHAT OUR FACE TO FACE SAFETY PROTOCOLS WILL LOOK LIKE.

[00:15:02]

SO WE FEEL LIKE AN ADDITIONAL DELAYING HELPS US TO PREPARE BETTER FOR THE VARIABLES THAT WE ARE SURE TO FACE COMING FORWARD.

>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT OPTION ONE BEFORE WE LOOK AT OPTION TWO?

>> ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD?

>> I HAD A QUICK QUESTION AND YOU MAY COVER THIS AFTER THE SECOND ONE, BUT FOR THOSE DAYS, LET'S SEE, AT THE END OF SIX WEEKS WHERE THE STUDENTS ARE OUT, ARE THOSE GOING TO MAXIMIZE THAT TIME? DO YOU KNOW IF WE'LL HAVE FULL DEEP CLEANING DAYS OF THE SCHOOLS? I KNOW SOME COMPANIES ARE DOING THAT, LIKE SHUTTING DOWN ONE DAY EVERY FEW WEEKS TO DO DEEP CLEAN, THOROUGH CLEANING.

IS THAT WORKED INTO THE CALENDAR OR WILL THOSE BE DONE MAYBE ON THE WEEKENDS WHEN THERE'S NOBODY IN THE BUILDINGS?

>> THE DEEP CLEANING WILL BE OCCURRING ON A MORE REGULAR BASIS, IN ADDITION TO THE DAYS.

OF COURSE, WE HAVE STUDENTS THAT ARE ON EARLY RELEASE OR STUDENTS OUT, WE DEFINITELY WILL BE DOING IT THERE, BUT THERE WILL BE OTHER TIMES THAT WE'LL BE ENGAGING IN DEEP CLEANING AS WELL.

WHAT I LIKE TO DO, DR. MAYFIELD, IS TO BRING AN ITEM BACK FOR JUST CONVERSATION AT A FUTURE BOARD MEETING THAT WILL GO THROUGH, IN DETAIL, THE CLEANING PRECAUTIONS AND OTHER ACTIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING TO MITIGATE SAFETY, BUT DEEP CLEANING WILL OCCUR OUTSIDE OF JUST THOSE DAYS, BUT FOR SURE ON THOSE DAYS.

>> OKAY. THANK YOU.

>> LET'S LOOK AT OPTION TWO, REAL QUICKLY.

AS DR. MCFARLAND MENTIONED, THIS WOULD BE WHAT THE CALENDAR COULD LOOK LIKE IF WE WERE TO DELAY OUR START UNTIL SEPTEMBER, 8TH, WHICH IS THE DAY AFTER LABOR DAY.

YOU'LL SEE THERE, SEPTEMBER 8TH WOULD BE THE FIRST DAY IN INSTRUCTION FOR STUDENTS.

WITH THIS CALENDAR, TEACHERS WOULD STILL HAVE THOSE TWO FULL WEEKS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING TO PREPARE FOR STUDENTS RETURNING AND PUTTING ALL THE SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE, BUT THEY JUST WILL NOT REPORT UNTIL MONDAY, AUGUST 24TH.

THEN STUDENTS WOULD COME ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH.

WHAT THIS DOES TO OUR END DAY, AS YOU'LL SEE, OUR LAST DAY OF INSTRUCTION AND ORAL EXAMS FOR STUDENTS GETS PUSHED TO FRIDAY, JUNE 11TH.

WE'RE ALSO TO MAKE UP FOR THIS LATER START OF THIS CALENDAR.

IF YOU LOOK INTO NOVEMBER, HAS THREE DAYS OFF FOR THANKSGIVING, INSTEAD OF THE FULL WEEK, LIKE THE OTHER TWO CALENDARS DID.

SO MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23RD AND TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24TH WOULD BE INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS UNDER THIS DRAFT CALENDAR.

YOU'LL SEE SOME OTHER CHANGES JUST TO THE MARKING PERIODS AND WHEN THE SEMESTER START AND END.

OF COURSE, THE FIRST SEMESTER GETS PUSHED INTO JANUARY WITH THIS CALENDAR.

THOSE ARE THE MAIN HIGHLIGHTS.

THIS STILL HAS THE SAME NUMBER OF INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS, AND AS YOU'LL SEE DOWN THERE IN THE KEY, EXCEEDS OUR INSTRUCTIONAL AND MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS.

DR. MCFARLAND, ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SAY ABOUT THIS CALENDAR?

>> NO, I THINK YOU HIT ALL THE KEY CHANGES THAT WE MADE AS A RESULT OF THESE CALENDARS.

>> TRUSTEES, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT EITHER OF THESE DRAFTS [OVERLAPPING].

>> WHAT WAS THE RATIONALE IN PUTTING TOGETHER THIS SEPTEMBER 8TH? IS THAT BASICALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE TECHNOLOGY IS HERE AND WE HAVE TIME TO DISTRIBUTE IT?

>> REALLY THE MOTIVATION BEHIND SEPTEMBER 8TH DATE CAME BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT SEVERAL OF THE LARGER DISTRICTS AROUND US ARE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT STARTING AFTER LABOR DAY.

QUITE FRANKLY, OUR RECOMMENDATION, IF WE WERE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TONIGHT, WOULD BE THE AUGUST 31ST CALENDAR, BUT WE WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE APPROVE BOTH CALENDARS AND THAT IF WE SAW THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE LARGER DISTRICTS AROUND US WAS ACTUALLY DELAYING TO AFTER LABOR DAY, THEIR WEEK COULD ACTUALLY JUST SHIFT TO THAT CALENDAR'S WILL.

OUR MOTIVATION, REALLY, WAS TO TRY TO ALIGN WITH THE LARGER DISTRICTS WHO HAVE SHARED PUBLICLY THAT THEY ARE CONSIDERING AFTER LABOR DAY STARTS.

>> OKAY. I GUESS, JUST FROM MY OPINION, I THINK WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE RIGHT NOW AND HOW THINGS ARE GOING,

[00:20:01]

IF I HAD TO PICK RIGHT NOW, I WOULD PROBABLY SAY SEPTEMBER 8TH.

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT OTHER CONSIDERATIONS WITH THE FACULTY AND STUFF, BUT THAT ONE MAY GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME FOR OTHER SCHOOLS TO HAVE STARTED OPENING.

YOU CAN SEE WHAT KIND OF PROBLEMS THEY'RE HAVING, THE ONES THAT DO OPEN, T THOUGH I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'LL ACTUALLY GIVE US MUCH TIME FOR THAT.

PEOPLE ARE MAKING DECISIONS NOW, WE'RE ASKING THEM TO MAKE A DECISION RIGHT NOW WHETHER THEY WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO START GOING VIRTUAL OR WHATEVER.

BY THE TIME SEPTEMBER ROLLS AROUND, THINGS COULD EITHER BE A LOT BETTER OR A LOT WORSE.

[LAUGHTER]. LIKE YOU SAID, MAYBE WE HAVE [INAUDIBLE] TO GO FULL VIRTUAL FOR THE FIRST SEMESTER.

IF WE'RE NOT GETTING THE TECHNOLOGY, EXPECTING [INAUDIBLE] TILL THE END OF AUGUST TO BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER AND WE DO IT AUGUST 31ST OR WE DO THE EARLIER CALENDAR, THEN WE MAY NOT BE HAVING THE TECHNOLOGY IN HAND TO EVEN GET THINGS GOING AT THAT POINT.

I WOULD BE LEANING TOWARDS THE SEPTEMBER 8TH START DATE, BUT I GUESS HEAR WHAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY, BUT THAT'S JUST ME.

>> I HAVE A QUESTION AND IT'S NOT SO MUCH ABOUT THE CALENDAR.

WE'RE TALKING A LOT ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY.

IF THE STUDENTS ARE GOING TO HAVE IT IN HAND, WILL THEY BE USING THE DEVICES IN THE CLASSROOM SO THAT IF OR WHEN WE HAVE TO GO OUT, THEY'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE DEVICES? YES, MS. DAVIS.

WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT ALL STUDENTS HAVE DEVICES AND THAT ALL STUDENTS ARE ACTUALLY USING DEVICES, WHETHER THEY'RE IN FACE-TO-FACE OR IN THE VIRTUAL ACADEMY.

THAT WAY, IF THEY'RE USING THEM EVERY DAY, REGARDLESS TO WHETHER THEY'RE VIRTUAL OR FACE TO FACE, IF WE HAVE TO GO ALL VIRTUAL, THEY'LL ALREADY BE READY AND HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH USING THEM AND BE ACCUSTOMED TO USING THEM.

AS WE SPEAK, WE'RE WORKING ON A REALLY DEFINING KIND OF HOW THE VIRTUAL LEARNING ACADEMY AND THE FACE-TO-FACE OPTION WILL BE INTEGRATED SO THAT KIDS ARE BASICALLY MOVING AT A VERY SIMILAR PACE AND USING VERY SIMILAR DEVICES.

>> OKAY. THANK YOU.

>> ONE OF THE THINGS, JUST FOLLOWING UP TO THAT, WE'RE ACTUALLY IN THE PROCESS, RIGHT NOW, OF REMOVING ALL DEVICES FROM CARTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON CAMPUSES AND WE'LL BE REISSUING THOSE DEVICES OUT AS WELL.

AS YOU ALL KNOW, IN THE SPRING, WE ISSUED A DEVICE TO EVERY HOME, BUT WE ARE NOW MAKING AN EFFORT TO ISSUE A DEVICE TO EVERY STUDENT.

THAT MEANS THAT WE WILL HAVE TO TAKE CARTS.

WE HAVE SOME CAMPUSES WHERE WE HAVE CARTS AND THOSE CARTS WILL NO LONGER BE AVAILABLE ON THAT CAMPUS.

THEY'LL BE ACTUALLY ISSUED TO STUDENTS.

THEN AS WE GO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE'LL REPLACE SOME OF THOSE CARTS.

BUT OUR FIRST AND PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR TEACHERS HAVE ACCESS AND OUR STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS AND A DEVICE TO GET ONLINE BECAUSE WE FULLY ANTICIPATE A POSSIBLE VIRTUAL, OUR VIRTUAL OPTION BEFORE THE END OF THE FIRST SEMESTER FOR SURE.

>> ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD?

>> I HAVE ONE.

HAVE WE [INAUDIBLE] AND THE ENDING AND THE EARLY PART OF JUNE, HOW THE [INAUDIBLE] AFFECTS THE SENIORS [INAUDIBLE]

>> YOU'RE CUTTING OUT REALLY BAD, FOR ME AT LEAST.

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT EVERYONE ELSE.

>> WE CAN'T UNDERSTAND YOU.

WE'RE GETTING EVERY THIRD WORD.

>> I THINK HE WAS SAYING HOW IT'S GOING TO AFFECT SENIORS, THOUGH.

>> SO WHAT WE COULD DO IS WE COULD DEFINITELY INVESTIGATE THAT AND SEE WHAT IMPACT THAT WILL HAVE ON GRADUATION.

IT MAY IMPACT SUMMER SCHOOL FOR A GROUP OF KIDS.

WE WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT.

WE HAVE NOT LOOKED AT THAT, UP TO THIS POINT.

IF THE QUESTION IS ABOUT THE IMPACT ON SENIORS, WE THINK THAT IT'LL HAVE LITTLE TO NO IMPACT ON SENIORS.

HOWEVER, WE NEED TO INVESTIGATE TO SEE WHEN THE COLLEGE SUMMER CLASSES STARTED AS WELL.

[00:25:02]

>> MR. GRASSIA, ARE YOU BACK? OKAY. [OVERLAPPING].

>> HE JUST TEXTED ME. HE JUST DROPPED OFF THE CALL.

HE'S GOING TO LOG BACK IN. INTERNET ISSUES.

>> NO INTERNET TODAY.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? DR. MCFARLAND, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE BEFORE WE RESET?

>> WELL, NO, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THESE OPTIONS WITH THE BOARD.

I ENCOURAGE YOU TO SHARE ANY INPUT YOU HAVE ABOUT THE TWO CALENDARS.

WE DO FEEL LIKE, AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, WE'LL BE BRINGING BACK A CALENDAR FOR ACTION.

ANY FEEDBACK OR ANY INPUT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US, WE DEFINITELY WELCOME THAT BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE A GOOD DECISION, ONE THAT WORKS FOR ALL INVOLVED.

ONE OTHER THING, WE ALSO REALIZED THAT BY DELAYING THE START OF SCHOOL, WE HAVE BASICALLY EXTENDED THE AMOUNT OF TIME STUDENTS HAVE BEEN OUT.

WE KNOW STUDENTS HAVE BEEN OUT SINCE MARCH, AND BY DELAYING IT, THAT'S A CHALLENGE FOR US.

ONE OF OUR PLANS WOULD BE, IF WE WERE TO DELAY TO AUGUST 31ST, WOULD BE TO ENSURE THAT ON EVERY CAMPUS WE HAVE SOME SORT OF JUMP START PROGRAM.

WE'D HAVE SMALL GROUPS OF STUDENTS ON CAMPUSES WHO WILL BE ABLE TO TEST OUT OUR LOGISTICAL PROCEDURES AND ALL THAT.

WE DO PLAN TO MAKE PROVISIONS FOR THOSE PARENTS WHO MAY HAVE BEEN THINKING THEIR KIDS WERE STARTING SCHOOL ON THE 13TH.

SO WE WILL CREATE A PLAN AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE PARENTS HAVE OPTIONS FOR THEIR KIDS BETWEEN AUGUST 13TH AND AUGUST 31ST.

>> OKAY. MR. GRASSIA IS BACK.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ASK YOUR QUESTION, MR. GRASSIA, BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE NEXT?

>> I WOULD. SORRY ABOUT THAT ALL.

MY QUESTION WAS, WITH THE END DATE OF THE OPTION TO MID JUNE, HOW DOES THAT AFFECT TCC, ONRAMPS, GRADUATING SENIORS, THINGS LIKE THAT?

>> WE HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THEIR CALENDAR YET.

WE WILL LOOK AT TCC'S CALENDAR TO SEE.

WE KNOW THERE'LL BE SOME KIND OF IMPACT BECAUSE LIKELY, THEIR SUMMER SCHOOL WILL HAVE STARTED BY THEN.

FIGURING OUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS SOMETHING THAT WE'LL DO BETWEEN NOW AND THE TIME WE MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION.

>> OKAY. THANK YOU.

>> ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? WELL, DR. MCFARLAND, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AND THE TEAM.

I KNOW THAT YOU'RE COMING OFF OF A TWO-WEEK BREAK UNTIL YOU COME IN ROLLING IN THE DOOR WITH TWO NEW PROPOSED CALENDAR SAYS THAT IT WASN'T ALL PLAY.

WE APPRECIATE THE WORK UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THE SACRIFICE OF THE TEAM TO KEEP THE BOARD ABREAST AND THE COMMUNITY ABREAST OF THE OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE GOING FORWARD.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHTFULNESS AND YOUR DEDICATION.

>> YOU'RE WELCOME. I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE WERE ON A BREAK, BUT MOST OF THE TEAM WORKED THROUGHOUT THE BREAK.

I APPRECIATE THE PEOPLE WHO HELPED PUT THE CALENDAR TOGETHER, SO THANK YOU TO THE TEAM FOR THAT AS WELL.

WE'LL BE READY TO FLEX AND BE ABLE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION SOONER.

>> WELL, IF THERE IS NOTHING ELSE REGARDING THE CALENDAR, I BELIEVE THIS IS OUR RECESS TIME.

[4.0 30 MINUTE RECESS]

WE'LL RECONVENE FOR OUR BOARD STUDY SESSION AT EXACTLY 7:00 PM.

[NOISE] THANK YOU, WE'LL SEE YOU BACK AT 7:00.

WE ARE GOING TO RECONVENE FOR OUR STUDY SESSION.

THE TIME IS NOW 7:00 PM.

WE WILL BEGIN WITH AGENDA ITEM 5.1,

[5.0 Study Session]

DR. MCFARLAND, DID YOU WANT TO SHARE SOME WORDS BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO MS. ARVANITIS?

>> YES. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT AND BOARD MEMBERS.

AS YOU ALL KNOW BACK DURING THE SPRING SEMESTER, WE ACTUALLY STARTED THE LONE STAR GOVERNANCE TRAINING, AND ALSO WE STARTED WORKING ON GOALS AND SOME OTHER THINGS.

WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF THINGS HAVE HAPPENED SINCE THAT LONE STAR GOVERNANCE EXPERIENCE.

WE HAVE SPOKEN WITH MS. ARVANITIS AND ASKED HER TO COME BACK HERE.

WE ARE NOW AT THE TIME OF THE YEAR WHERE WE CONSIDER GOALS, WE LOOK AT BOARD CODE OF CONDUCT, AND REALLY TALK ABOUT SOME OTHER THINGS AS RELATES TO THE BOARD AND THE TEAM OF EIGHT.

WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WOULD DO IS REALLY MARRY OUR TEAM OF EIGHT, BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES GOALS, AND ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO, CONNECT THAT OR MARRY THAT TO OUR LONE STAR GOVERNANCE EFFORTS.

SO TONIGHT, MS. ARVANITIS IS HERE TO START US WITH THAT WORK.

WE'LL HOPEFULLY CONTINUE OVER A SERIES OF MEETINGS AND HOPEFULLY HAVE

[00:30:01]

NOW, I'M DEFINITELY EXCITED TO TURN IT OVER TO MS. ARVANITIS AND ALLOW HER TO GUIDE US THROUGH THE SESSION FOR TONIGHT. MS. ARVANITIS.

>> THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DR. MCFARLAND.

TRUSTEE HALL AND ALL THE OTHER TRUSTEES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, I'M GLAD TO SEE YOUR FACES.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE, AND SO I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE WITH YOU TONIGHT.

I'M GOING TO SHARE MY SCREEN HERE IN A MINUTE AND JUST WALK SOME THINGS THROUGH.

BUT I'M GOING TO START WITH OUR OBJECTIVES FOR THIS TRAINING AND PROBABLY THE NEXT TRAINING, WHICH IS REALLY TO LEVEL SET, GO BACK THROUGH THE WORK BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF TIME SINCE WE SET OUR GOALS, SINCE THE BOARD HAS WORKED ON THIS.

SO I WANT TO BRING YOU GUYS BACK TOGETHER, DO A LITTLE LEVEL SETTING AROUND THAT.

THEN ALSO, I JUST WANT TO CHECK IN WITH YOU GUYS TOO AND SEE HOW THE LAST FEW MONTHS HAVE BEEN AND WHAT IS BUBBLING UP SO THAT WE CAN FRAME SOME OF THE WORK MOVING FORWARD AROUND THOSE ISSUES, AND THOSE CHALLENGES, AND ALSO THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAVE COME UP.

THEN OUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO END UP WITH OUR OPERATING PROCEDURES, OUR SUPERINTENDENT EVALUATION, AND ALL OF THAT MARRIED TO THE VISION SO THAT IT ALL LIVES TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE.

THAT'S OUR ULTIMATE GOAL OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE WORK SESSIONS.

SO BEFORE I SHARE MY SCREEN, I JUST WANTED TO CHECK IN AND SEE IF THERE WAS ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.

>> ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS YOU WANT TO SHARE?

>> I'M GOING TO SHARE MY SCREEN HERE. HOPEFULLY IT'LL WORK.

[NOISE] SURE THIS WORKS.

WHAT SCREEN ARE YOU SEEING? DOES IT SAY REFLECTIONS? WE GET THIS SIDE BY SIDE.

>> MY SCREEN IS [OVERLAPPING]

>> TANDEM.

>> TANDEM, YES. [LAUGHTER]

>> YOUR BACKGROUND, I THINK, BUT NOTHING ON IT.

>> YEAH.

>> SORRY ABOUT THIS.

ANTHONY, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO HELP ME A LITTLE BIT IF YOU CAN.

>> YES, MA'AM. LET'S SEE.

>> LET'S STOP SHARING.

[NOISE] SORRY, TECHNOLOGY.

LET ME TRY ONE MORE THING.

HERE WE GO. HOW ABOUT NOW?

>> YES, MA'AM. WE CAN SEE OPENING REFLECTIONS.

>> EXCELLENT. ALL RIGHT.

SO AS I SAID, WE WERE JUST GOING TO GO THROUGH THE AGENDA HERE JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT OUR OBJECTIVES ARE.

WE'RE GOING TO START WITH LEVEL SETTING, LIFTING UP CURRENT CONCERNS INTO THE BOARD WORK, FRAMING YOUR WORK AROUND YOUR GOALS, REVIEWING THE GOALS THAT WE'VE ALREADY SET, AND THEN THINKING ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO MEASURE STUDENT PROGRESS IN THIS INTERESTING TIME.

FRAMING YOUR WORK AROUND YOUR VALUES, SUPERINTENDENT GUARD RAILS, MEASURING PROGRESS AGAIN AROUND THAT, AND THEN BOARD COMMUNICATIONS.

I WANTED TO FIRST JUST CHECK IN WITH YOU GUYS A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THESE ARE REALLY TOUGH TIMES WE'VE BEEN HAVING AND IT'S TOUGH ON OUR STUDENTS, IT'S TOUGH ON OUR FAMILIES, AND I KNOW IT'S TOUGH ON YOU GUYS AS WELL.

LEADERSHIP REALLY MATTERS AND OUR STUDENTS NEED YOU MORE NOW THAN EVER.

I WANTED TO JUST SEE HOW YOU GUYS WERE FEELING DURING

[00:35:05]

THE FIRST THING I WANTED TO CHECK IN WITH YOU ON WAS, WHAT PARTS OF THE DISTRICT RESPONSE TO COVID ARE YOU FEELING MOST PROUD ABOUT? THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY SHARE WITH YOUR TEAM AND YOUR SUPERINTENDENT AND HIS WORK ABOUT HOW YOU'RE FEELING THAT THE DISTRICT HAS HANDLED THIS, SO LET'S LIFT THAT UP A LITTLE BIT.

NORMALLY I MIGHT PUT YOU IN BREAK OUT ROOMS, BUT I DON'T THINK I CAN DO THAT RIGHT NOW.

SO I'M GOING TO JUST ASK THE BOARD MEMBERS, EACH OF YOU, IF YOU WOULD SHARE SOMETHING THAT YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE REALLY PROUD OF THE WAY THAT YOUR DISTRICT HAS HANDLED AND SUPPORTED THEIR STUDENTS.

>> I'LL GO.

>> GREAT.

>> I FEEL LIKE CROWLEY ISD DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF PIVOTING QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID SITUATION, ESPECIALLY IN COMPARISON TO SOME OTHER DISTRICTS.

FROM MY PERCH IN MY DAY JOB, I'M ABLE TO SEE THAT I THINK CROWLEY ISD WAS REALLY A LEADER IN THE COVID RESPONSE.

NICHOLAS KEITH, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS BEEN REALLY LEADING DISTRICT LEVEL EFFORTS FOR DISTRICTS ALL OVER OUR REGION.

HONESTLY BEYOND REGION 11, EVEN INTO REGION 10 AND 9 TOO, I THINK.

IT'S JUST BEEN REALLY NICE TO SEE ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE COME TOGETHER AROUND A COMMON PROBLEM, BUT I REALLY FEEL LIKE CROWLEY ISD HAS BEEN A HUGE INFLUENCE OVER NOT JUST THE KIDS IN OUR OWN DISTRICT, BUT IN MANY, MANY SURROUNDING PLACES.

>> I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THAT, MS. BENTON.

TO THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THE FOOD SERVICE RESPONSE AND HOW THEY STEPPED UP AND ENSURED OUR STUDENTS STILL RECEIVED MEALS.

I DON'T HAVE ANY DATA TO SUPPORT IT, BUT I THINK WE'VE PROBABLY EXCELLED A LOT OF DISTRICTS AS WELL IN NUTRITION PROVISION FOR THE STUDENTS DURING THIS TIME.

>> [OVERLAPPING] [LAUGHTER]

>> THAT'S MY VIEW.

>> I'LL JUST FOLLOW UP TOO BECAUSE I AGREE WITH BOTH MS. BENTON AND MS. DAVIS, AND THEN SPECIFICALLY, I WAS GOING TO MENTION ABOUT THE FOOD.

THE FOOD SERVICE BEING, THE WAY WE HANDLED IT SO EARLY ON BEING A MODEL FOR OTHER DISTRICTS TO FOLLOW.

I THOUGHT THAT WAS COMMENDABLE OF OUR TEAM, OUR STAFF, OUR LEADERSHIP, AND IT WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED.

I THINK IT WAS JUST A RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO FOR OUR STUDENTS, BUT THE WAY IT WAS HANDLED WAS REALLY CLASS ACT.

THE OTHER THING THAT I'LL MENTION, ONE OTHER RESPONSE WAS HOW WE HANDLED THE GRADUATION FOR OUR SENIORS.

THEY MISSED OUT ON A FEW THINGS, BUT I THINK THE GRADUATION WAS VERY MEMORABLE FOR THEM, AND INSTEAD OF DOING A VIRTUAL GRADUATION OR SOMETHING ELSE, THEY REALLY, REALLY WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND IN MY OPINION.

THERE'S SO MANY THINGS WE CAN MENTION, BUT THOSE TWO STICK OUT FOR ME.

>> I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION JUST HOW WELL CROWLEY ISD RESPONDED WITH PLANNING EFFORTS.

I THINK, AND THE COLLABORATIONS WITH REGARDS TO ORGANIZING WHAT WE CALL OUR 813 COMMITTEE AND STARTING TO JUST PLAN OUR OPENING.

WE WERE PLANNING FOR OPENING NOT FAR ON THE HEELS OF CLOSING.

SOLICITING A NUMBER OF PERSPECTIVES TO HELP INFORMING THE PROCESS, AND NOT JUST SETTING OURSELVES ON ONE PLAN, BUT ALSO SETTING THE EXPECTATION OF HAVING SEVERAL CONTINGENCY PLANS AND JUST BEING RESPONSIVE AND ONGOING WITH THAT.

THEN ALSO, THE CELEBRATION OF OUR SENIORS, THE WAY THAT WE CELEBRATED THEM.

LIKE DR. MAYFIELD SAID, THE GRADUATION CEREMONY, THE YARDS TIME TO LET THEM KNOW THE QUALITY OF THAT,

[00:40:01]

JUST THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THEY DID TO JUST LET OUR KIDS KNOW THAT THEY STILL WANT TO BE IN TOUCH AND THAT WE LOVE THEM.

THEN ALSO, I THINK IT'S COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY.

WE WERE REALLY QUICK AND RESPONSIVE TO GET TECHNOLOGY INTO THE HANDS OF OUR FAMILIES, WHETHER IT WAS HOTSPOTS, WHETHER IT WAS COMPUTERS, AND JUST HOW WE CONDUCTED THAT.

THEN ALSO THE COMMUNICATION EFFORTS TO ENGAGE OUR FAMILIES DURING THAT TIME.

RATHER, WE WERE HANDING OUT FLIERS DURING FOOD DISTRIBUTION OR IT WAS A FACEBOOK POST, SOCIAL MEDIA, OR JUST WORD OF MOUTH.

I FEEL LIKE THERE'S ALWAYS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH AND THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN DONE BETTER, I GUESS WHEN YOU'RE ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN.

BUT I THINK THAT WE GAVE A 500 PERCENT EFFORT OF TRYING TO COVER ALL OF OUR BASE GROUPS, AND BE INTENTIONAL IN RESPONSIVE TO ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDER'S NEEDS.

>> GREAT.

>> YEAH. ANYBODY ELSE?

>> I BELIEVE YOU ALL COVERED EVERYTHING, BUT I DO WANT TO ECHO WHAT YOU SAID AND I DO APPRECIATE DR. MCFARLAND'S VISIONARY LEADERSHIP AND INSIGHT INTO THIS.

AS SOON AS MARCH CAME AROUND, HE WAS CALLING US AND WE WERE PLANNING MEETINGS ALREADY, AND THEN THE VIRTUAL COMPONENT WAS READY TO GO FOR STUDENTS, DISTRIBUTING TECHNOLOGIES, SO AS YOU ALL SAID, WE HIT THE GROUND RUNNING AND WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT LAG THAT MANY DISTRICTS HAVE.

I JUST APPRECIATE HIS LEADERSHIP IN GETTING THIS DONE.

>> GREAT. GARY GRASSIA, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD?

>> ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, THEY'VE NAILED IT.

I MEAN, THEY'VE ALREADY SAID EVERYTHING THAT NEEDED TO BE SAID.

I WILL POINT OUT THOUGH, THAT A COUPLE OF MINUTES BEFORE THIS MEETING, I ACTUALLY TEXT DR. MCFARLAND AND TOLD HIM THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE HIS LEADERSHIP, AND JUST I DON'T KNOW WHERE CISD WOULD BE RIGHT NOW WITHOUT HIM TAKING THE REINS AND JUST I'M THANKFUL THAT HE'S HERE.

TWO YEARS AGO, I THINK WE MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE AND I WOULDN'T CHANGE IT FOR THE WORLD.

I'M HAPPY BEING IN HIS BOAT RIGHT NOW.

I DON'T KNOW IF HE LIKES THE STORM THAT HE'S IN, BUT [LAUGHTER] I LIKE THE BOAT THAT WE HAVE.

>> YEAH. THANK YOU.

HOW ABOUT YOU, TRUSTEE RAY? DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING [OVERLAPPING].

>> YEAH. I'LL JUST SAY, I THINK THAT [LAUGHTER] PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING WAS COVERED ALREADY.

THE FOOD SERVICE WAS GREAT, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STRUCK ME AND I REALIZED THAT [INAUDIBLE] HAS A DISTINCT INCENTIVE TO KEEP THINGS GOING.

BUT STILL, I MEAN, WE DID MORE MEALS IN THE FIRST WEEK THAN ALL OF FOURTH ISD.

FOURTH ISD MAYBE WHEN THE FIRST WEEK, BUT I HEARD THEM ANNOUNCE SAYING WE'VE HAD 50,000 MEALS THIS WEEK, AND WE'RE LIKE, WAIT A MINUTE, WE'RE A SIXTH YOUR SIZE [LAUGHTER] AND WE DID THAT IN THE SAME TIME PERIOD.

WE HAVE DEFINITELY FOUND WAYS TO INNOVATE QUICKLY AND TO MAKE SURE THAT, WELL, THE GRADUATION AND DOING THE DRIVE IN, THAT WAS I THINK A GOOD SHOW.

I MEAN, EVERYONE HAD TO FIND THOSE ALTERNATIVES, BUT WE'VE DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB.

I WAS GLAD TO HEAR LINDSAY KNOWS MORE THAN I DO, SHE SEES WHAT EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING.

I DON'T DISBELIEVE IT BUT IT'S GOOD TO HEAR PERSPECTIVE ON THEM.

>> GREAT. THANK YOU GUYS.

THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT.

I THINK IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT FOR THE LEADERSHIP TEAM TO HEAR THAT YOU GUYS APPRECIATE THE WORK, AND THIS IS A REALLY DIFFICULT TIME TO LEAD IN.

I THINK THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO START OFF THIS MEETING.

I WANTED TO JUST MOVE BACK IF I CAN GET MY, OKAY, SO NOW I WANT TO THINK ABOUT WHAT'S KEEPING ME UP AT NIGHT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO DRIVE OUR WORK MOVING FORWARD A LITTLE BIT AS WELL.

BUT BEFORE WE CHECK IN ABOUT WHAT'S KEEPING YOU UP AT NIGHT ON THE DISTRICT.

[00:45:01]

THERE IS A LOT GOING ON IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW.

A LOT OF SCARY STUFF, A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE CONCERNING FOR OUR CHILDREN, ARE CONCERNING FOR YOU AND I. I DON'T THINK THAT WE CAN IGNORE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD, AND SO I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I OPEN UP A SPACE FOR YOU TRUSTEES TO JUST CHECK IN WITH YOU.

HOW ARE YOU FEELING? HOW ARE YOU FEELING RIGHT NOW ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING AS A TRUSTEE AND JUST AS A PERSON IN THIS WORLD.

ARE YOU DOING OKAY? TRUSTEE DAVIS?

>> [LAUGHTER]. AM I MUTED? OH, NO I'M NOT.

AS YOU WERE ASKING THAT QUESTION, SO MANY THINGS WERE RUNNING THROUGH MY MIND BECAUSE IT IS A LOT GOING ON IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW AND WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED TALKING, OF COURSE, MY THOUGHTS WENT TO THE VIRUS, COVID-19.

OF COURSE, WHAT'S KEEPING ME UP AT NIGHT ABOUT THAT IS THAT THE NUMBERS AREN'T DECLINING.

THAT FOR WHATEVER REASON, VARIOUS REASONS, WE CAN'T SEEM TO GET THOSE NUMBERS MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

THAT REALLY CONCERNS ME BECAUSE THE LONGER THE NUMBERS KEEP RISING, THE MORE DEATHS WE'LL HAVE AND OF COURSE, THE MORE CONCERNS I'LL HAVE ABOUT STUDENTS AT SCHOOL.

IN OTHER AREAS OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD, OF COURSE, WE CAN'T DENY ALL OF THE MARCHES AND EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON THERE, AND IT MAKES ME WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING ON A BIGGER SCALE THAN WHERE I AM NOW, AND WHAT IS IN MY SPHERE OF INFLUENCE.

I REALLY THINK BIG PICTURE, AND I CAN THINK OF A LOT OF THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE FOR PEOPLE IN POSITIONS TO DO THAT AND I GET FRUSTRATED THAT I'M NOT SEEING IT.

THAT'S A REAL SOURCE OF FRUSTRATION FOR ME.

>> THANK YOU. THANKS FOR SHARING.

ANYONE ELSE WANT TO SHARE SOME OF THEIR CONCERNS OR WHAT THEY'RE FEELING RIGHT NOW? IT'S TOUGH TO BE A LEADER AND BE IN THIS POSITION WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW, AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO CREATE THAT SPACE.

ANYONE ELSE WANT TO SHARE?

>> I WOULD SAY THAT ECHO A LOT OF THE SAME SENTIMENT WITH DAVIS.

IT'S HARD. IT'S A VERY BIG QUESTION IF YOU ASK HOW DO I FEEL RIGHT NOW.

BUT IN THE MIDST OF ALL OF THIS CHAOS AND ALSO SERVING, WORKING IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION, THERE WAS A LOT OF ANXIETY WITH THAT, AND THEN THE GEORGE FLOYD THING, AND THEN THE MOVEMENT, AND ALL OF THAT.

COVID-19 IN NOW, WHAT SEEMED LIKE EON OF TIME TO SOME REGARD AS SCHOOL OPENINGS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.

I HAVE A LOT OF ANXIETY BEING A BOARD MEMBER WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF CONTRIBUTING TO PROVIDING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR STUDENTS, OUR STAFF, ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS, AND JUST BEING IN AN UNCHARTED TERRITORY NOT KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT THE RIGHT MOVES ARE TO ME, BUT I'M THINKING ABOUT THAT CONSTANTLY, AND THEN ALSO AT THE SAME TIME BEING A PARENT.

MY KIDS ARE SENIOR.

IT'S LIKE I HAVE SOMEONE BREATHING DOWN MY NECK ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE FOR THEIR SENIOR YEAR.

HE'S 17 YEARS OLD, SO I EXPECT THAT.

BUT JUST ALL THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS PUSHING IN AND THEN ALSO JUST WORKING IN THIS SPACE.

IT'S A LOT. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY QUIET TIME IN MY HEAD EVER, BUT I ALSO FEEL VERY FORTUNATE [NOISE] FOR ALL THE OBVIOUS REASONS.

[00:50:02]

WE HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE AROUND THE TABLE TO PUT OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD. THAT'S SOME COMFORT.

>> FOR MY PERSPECTIVE, FOR ME, WHAT KEEPS ME UP AT NIGHT AND ONE OF THOSE THINGS I TALKED ABOUT WAS BLOCKING OUT THE NOISE.

FOR ME, I'M VERY COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT THAT IF WE HAVE GOOD INFORMATION, WE CAN MAKE SOME GOOD DECISIONS AND PLANS AND ALL THAT.

BUT THE CHALLENGE FOR ME IS THAT AS WE'RE GETTING INFORMATION, THE INFORMATION IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING OR DISTORTED OR POLITICALLY BEING PRESENTED ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

IT'S JUST HARD TO FIGURE OUT, GIVE ME A SOLID FOUNDATION ON WHICH TO MAKE DECISIONS, SO THEN WE JUST GOT TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW CAN I BLOCK THIS INFORMATION, ALL THE DISTRACTIONS OUT IN MY DECISIONS BECAUSE THE REALITY IS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAKING LIFE AND DEATH DECISIONS IN SOME CASES.

I MEAN, THESE ARE NOT DECISIONS THAT WE TAKE LIGHTLY OR WE CAN MAKE LIGHTLY.

IT DOES KEEP ME UP AT NIGHT WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE INFORMATION I JUST HEARD ON TV AND WHETHER THE INFORMATION IS ACTUALLY FACTUAL OR IF IT'S NOT.

I MEAN, IS THAT GOING TO IMPACT WHAT WE DO? JUST REALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THAT STREAM OF INFORMATION THAT I KNOW IS VERIFIABLE AND RELIABLE, IS WHAT SOMETIMES KEEPS ME UP AT NIGHT.

>> GREAT, I APPRECIATE THAT.

[OVERLAPPING]

>> CAN I SAY SOME?

>> YEAH. GO AHEAD, GARY. I KNOW I HEARD SOMETHING.

[LAUGHTER]

>> I HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS SAID.

THE ONLY ONE THAT I KNOW OF HAS A RESTAURANTS, AND RIGHT NOW IT IS CRAZY.

IT IS NOT KNOWING IF TOMORROW I'M GOING TO MAKE IT SHUT DOWN OR IF I'M GOING TO GO UP TO 75 PERCENT.

EVEN IF I WASN'T 75 PERCENT, WILL THE PEOPLE COME BACK AND HAD TO ORDER THE FOOD AND HOW TO GET THE EMPLOYEES TO WANT TO COME BACK? I MEAN, A LOT OF THINGS THAT I THINK IN A SENSE THAT DR. MCFARLAND IS ALSO WITH EMPLOYEES AND MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE IN THE DECISIONS THAT HE IS MAKING THAT HE DOES HAVE THE BEST INTEREST OF EVERYONE [BACKGROUND] NOT ONLY THE EMPLOYEES, BUT THE STUDENTS AND ON AND ON AND ON, BUS DRIVERS AND SO FORTH.

IT'S TOUGH. I KNOW THAT MS. HALL TOUCHED UPON IT IN WHICH WAS THE SAFETY, BUT ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT NO MATTER WHAT WE DO THAT OUR KIDS ARE STILL LEARNING.

THE KID IS THE PARENTS BECAUSE THESE KID IS NOT ONLY HAVE TO DECIDE, THE PARENTS HAVE TO DECIDE ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE GOING TO STAY AT HOME OR GO TO SCHOOL AND TRUST THE ISD WITH THIS, BUT THE PARENTS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO FOLLOW THROUGH THAT.

IF THEY DO STAY HOME, THEY DO WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THAT CHILD AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DO THEIR LESSONS AND CONTINUE TO FURTHER THEIR CHILD'S EDUCATION, HOPEFULLY, WITH THE GUIDANCE CISD.

MINE REALLY IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE KIDS ARE STILL GETTING A QUALITY EDUCATION.

IT'S SO HARD IN AN UNPRECEDENTED TIME THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THIS.

THAT IS NOT ONLY THE SAFETY, BUT THAT'S OUR GOAL, THAT'S OUR JOB.

I DON'T KNOW. IT'S A LOT OF STUFF, AND I'M GLAD I'M NOT A SUPERINTENDENT.

[LAUGHTER]

>> NO, THAT'S GREAT. I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT, AND THERE'S SOME REALLY THINGS THAT BROUGHT UP ALL OF YOU.

WHAT ELSE IS KEEPING YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT ABOUT THE DISTRICT? WHAT ARE YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT YOUR KIDS, THE STUDENTS? WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT? YOU BROUGHT UP SOME REALLY GREAT ONES, TRUSTEE GRASSIA, THE STUDENT'S SAFETY,

[00:55:01]

>> FOR ME, I THINK ABOUT THE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL ASPECT.

MY JOB IN ANOTHER DISTRICT IS CONNECTING THE COMMUNITIES.

I ONCE MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES WITH RESOURCES.

AS WE START OUR PLANNING FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR, THE QUESTIONS THAT WE ASK OURSELVES ALL THE TIME IS, HOW THE HECK DO YOU IDENTIFY THE KIDS WHO ARE IN THE GREATEST NEED WHEN YOU DON'T SEE THEM EVERY DAY? I THINK THOSE ARE QUESTIONS THAT CROSS MY MIND AT NIGHT FOR CROWLEY ISD.

HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT OUR KIDS NEED? WE DON'T SEE THEM EVERY DAY, WE HAVEN'T SEEN THEM EVERY DAY FOR MONTHS.

A LOT OF THE INTERVENTIONS THAT WE PROVIDE RATHER IT'S SOCIAL OR EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, OR RATHER ITS RESOURCES, OUR SERVICES, WE WITHOUT SEEING THEM AND HAVING THAT TEACHER TO BE THAT PERSON, OR GUIDANCE COUNSELOR, OR INTERVENTIONIST, OR WHOMEVER TO MAKE A REFERRAL OR HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THAT KIDS.

HOW ARE WE GOING TO STAND IN THAT GAP, ESPECIALLY WITH ALL THAT'S GOING ON? BECAUSE THEY ARE LOSING FAMILY MEMBERS TOO AND THEY ARE GOING TO THE SAME EMOTIONAL, I GUESS, RIDE A ROLLER COASTER THAT WERE ON AS FAR AS HOW THEY FELT ABOUT THE SOCIAL JUSTICE, EFFORTS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OUR COUNTRY RIGHT NOW, THE POLITICAL DIVIDE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR NATION.

THEN AT THE SAME TIME, WE KNOW THAT OUR BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES ARE THE COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN MOST IMPACTED BY COVID.

A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS OF THOSE COMMUNITIES AND THOSE WHO ARE NOT, THOSE ARE STILL THEIR FRIENDS AND THEIR PEERS, SO THEY HURT WHEN THEY HURT.

>> YEAH, IT'S GREAT.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

WHAT ABOUT THE TEAM? WHAT ABOUT THE EDUCATORS? WHAT'S KEEPING YOU UP AT NIGHT ABOUT THE TEAM THAT IS SERVING OUR CHILDREN RIGHT NOW AND THAT WOULD BE WALKING BACK TO SERVE OUR CHILDREN IN THE FALL? THERE ARE ANY CONCERNS OR THINGS THAT ARE BUBBLING UP WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?

>> I LIVED WITH TEACHERS RECENTLY, I THINK IT'S TWO YEARS AGO.

I HAVE A LOT OF MY TEACHER FRIENDS OR TEXT ME LIKE, "NEDRA, WHAT'S THE DECISION? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?" THEY ARE STRESSED OUT AND WORRIED ABOUT GOING BACK IN PERSON LEARNING JUST BECAUSE SOME OF THEM HAVE HEALTH ISSUES, SOME LIKE MYSELF WERE SINGLE PARENTS AND YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE THE DECISION.

WHAT DO I DO FOR MY OWN CHILD WHILE SERVING OTHER CHILDREN IN DISTRICTS? FROM EDUCATOR'S STAND POINT IS, WHERE DO I FIT IN ALL OF THIS? BECAUSE TEACHERS HAVE BEEN FEEL LEFT OUT OF THE CONVERSATION.

A LOT OF IT IS SURROUNDING STUDENTS, BUT NOT SURROUNDING TEACHERS AND TEACHERS' ROLES IN THE CLASSROOM.

WHAT HAPPENS IF A TEACHER GETS COVID OR EXPOSED? THEY'RE LIKE, "WE'RE NOT PART OF THIS CONVERSATION THAT'S HAPPENING AND NO ONE IS INCLUDING US IN THIS."

>> I WANT TO SAY I THOUGHT, PERHAPS, WE WILL SEE AS MUCH POLITICAL ACTION OUT IN THE STREETS AS WE SAW FOR THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT IN RECENT, AS FAR AS TEACH, BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST A LOCAL ISSUE, IT'S [NOISE] A NATIONWIDE ISSUE AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.

I DO AGREE WITH [INAUDIBLE] ROBINSON THAT THE TEACHER PERSPECTIVE, THEIR VOICE, IT HASN'T BEEN SOLICITED AS MUCH.

>> I WORRY [NOISE] ABOUT THE UNCERTAINTY NOT JUST IN CROWLEY ISD BUT STATEWIDE, NATIONWIDE, BECAUSE IT IS ABSOLUTELY INEVITABLE THAT IN A FACE-TO-FACE SITUATION IN A CLASSROOM, A STUDENT IS GOING TO BE DIAGNOSED.

A TEACHER IS GOING TO BE DIAGNOSED AND WHAT HAPPENS AT THAT POINT? I CANNOT IMAGINE SHORT OF A VACCINE HOW THAT IS EVEN GOING TO LOOK.

SO IT'S JUST UNFATHOMABLE TO ME AND WORRISOME.

>> YEAH.

[01:00:03]

IT'S THE TEACHERS, THE STAFF THAT ARE THE BIGGEST CONCERN, AND OBVIOUSLY THE KIDS SPREADING IT AND TAKING [NOISE] IT HOME AND TAKING IT TO THEIR GRANDPARENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE TEACHERS, THAT'S THE BIGGEST OF THE CONCERN, IS HOW DO YOU DO THIS TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE? REALLY, IT'S THE TEACHERS.

I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU KNOW THE AGE STATISTICS ON OUR TEACHING STAFF, BUT THERE ARE A LOT THAT ARE PROBABLY RELATIVELY HIGH RISK.

IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING I'M SURE WEIGHS ON THEM AND [NOISE] ON US AS WELL. HOW DO WE DO THIS?

>> WHAT I AM THANKFUL FOR, BECAUSE PART OF ME WORRIES AND LIKE MRS. BENTON SAID, IT GOES BEYOND OUR DISTRICT.

IT SEEMS LIKE THE TYPE OF LEADER SAID, ''I'D LIKE TO HELP MAKE DECISIONS FOR WHAT HAPPENS IN OUR SCHOOLS'' ARE NOT THE ONES [LAUGHTER] THAT ARE AT THE TABLE HELPING MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.

I'M REALLY THANKFUL THAT OUR LEADERSHIP INCLUDES THOSE WHO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND WHO ARE REALLY LOOKING AT EVERY STAKEHOLDER, EVERY STUDENT, AND MAKING THE DECISIONS FOR OUR DISTRICT.

THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR TEACHERS, THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR STAFF, OUR STUDENTS, AND THE HEALTH AND WELFARE.

AS MRS. HALL MENTIONED ABOUT SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND THINKING ABOUT THE LEARNING STYLES AS WELL.

ALTHOUGH MY DAUGHTER DID WELL AND SHE ENJOYED BEING VIRTUAL FOR HER LEARNING TO CONTINUE OR TO GROW.

IT'S GOING TO BE ESSENTIAL FOR HER TO BE IN FRONT OF A TEACHER OR HAVE THAT DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE TEACHER.

IT'S THOSE THINGS THAT ARE REALLY KEEPING ME UP AT NIGHT.

HOW DO I THINK ABOUT NOT JUST MY DAUGHTER, BUT THOSE OTHER STUDENTS AND KNOWING THAT EVERY STUDENT'S LEARNING ABILITY IS DIFFERENT, BUT HAVING TO MEET THEM WHERE THEY ARE, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CHOICE.

SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S KEEPING ME [LAUGHTER] UP AT NIGHT.

BUT I AM THANKFUL FOR OUR LEADERSHIP, MAKE NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. VERY THANKFUL.

>> [OVERLAPPING] DR. WOODSON [INAUDIBLE] RIGHT POINT BECAUSE MY TWO OLDER DAUGHTERS ARE TAKING CLASSES RIGHT NOW AT TCC AND THEY'RE TAKING A CALCULUS CLASS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

FIRST OF ALL, I CAN'T EVEN DO, LET ALONE ON A COMPUTER.

THEN MY YOUNGEST ONE IS NOW GOING TO GO TO TCC, WHICH I BELIEVE ARE ALL ONLINE CLASSES, AND SHE'S GOING TO STRUGGLE.

SHE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO THIS WITHOUT PROBABLY MY WIFE SITTING NEXT TO HER, HELPING HER DO THIS.

I AGREE AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE EVEN MORE HANDS-ON WITH THE KIDS, OR HOWEVER WE CAN DO THAT, JUST MAKING SURE THAT THESE STUDENTS ARE LEARNING AND UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPTS.

THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE GOING TO THRIVE IN THIS SITUATION, BUT THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE GOING TO FALL EVEN GREATER TOO.

>> THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD IS, I KNOW MRS. HALL MENTIONED THE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING OF STUDENTS, BUT I WOULD ADD THE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING OF STAFF AS WELL, AND ENSURING WE HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE TO ADDRESS THAT, AND ENSURE THEIR WELL-BEING. [BACKGROUND].

>> YEAH. FOR SURE.

THANK YOU. THANKS FOR SHARING ALL OF THAT.

I THINK WE CAPTURED A LOT OF THOSE CONCERNS, AND I JOTTED THEM ALL DOWN BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AS WE'RE MOVING

[01:05:01]

HOW DO WE BRING THESE CONCERNS INTO BOARD WORK? WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO BRING THESE INTO A PLACE WHERE YOU GET TO OVERSEE THE PROGRESS IN THOSE AND CAN RESOURCE AND SUPPORT YOUR SUPERINTENDENT AND HIS TEAM TO TAKE CARE OF THESE, TO IMPLEMENT AROUND THIS WORK? SO THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO LIFT THESE UP TOO BECAUSE IT'S A DIFFERENT WORLD THAN WHEN WE FIRST STARTED OUR GOVERNANCE TRAINING.

IT'S A DIFFERENT WORLD ALTOGETHER.

HOW DO WE BRING SOME OF THESE CONCERNS INTO THAT BOARD WORK? THAT'S WHY I WANTED US TO THINK ABOUT THAT.

JUST TO LEVEL SET AND REMIND YOU OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE, WE'RE GOING TO SPEAK IN TERMS OF VISION AND VALUES.

OUR VISION IS WHERE WE WANT TO GET TO.

WHERE WOULD WE WANT OUR STUDENTS TO BE? WHAT IS THE LEGACY WE WANT TO LEAVE BEHIND? WHERE WE WANT OUR KIDS TO BE? THE VALUES ARE HOW DO WE WANT TO GET THERE? WHO ARE WE AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT? WHO ARE WE AS A COMMUNITY AND HOW DO WE WANT OUR CHILDREN TO BE SUPPORTED, AND OUR STAFF, AND OUR EDUCATORS? IN YOUR VISION, YOU HAVE THRIVING STUDENTS.

THAT'S A GOAL, THAT YOU WANT YOUR STUDENTS TO THRIVE.

YOUR STUDENT OUTCOME GOALS LIVE UNDER THAT PART OF YOUR VISION.

THEN YOU ALSO HAVE THAT YOU WANT AN ENGAGED COMMUNITY AND AN EMPOWERED STAFF.

THAT TO ME IS PART OF THE VALUES.

THAT'S HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE.

WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT THROUGH, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO CALL NON-NEGOTIABLES OR GUARDRAILS.

WE'RE JUST GOING TO SET SOME SIDE RAILS ON HERE AS WE MOVE FORWARD SO THAT YOUR SUPERINTENDENT AND HIS TEAM ABSOLUTELY KNOW, "LOOK, THIS IS THE EXPECTATION OF WHERE WE WANT TO BE WITH OUR KIDS, AND THIS IS WHAT WE AS A COMMUNITY AND YOU AS TRUSTEES WHO REPRESENT YOUR COMMUNITY HOLD DEAR TO US." THIS IS HOW WE WANT TO SHOW UP, AND THAT'S YOUR VALUES.

AS WE GO BACK THROUGH AND I THINK YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT WE DID WORK THROUGH.

WE LOOKED AT A LOT OF DATA, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME, YOU GUYS SPENT A LOT OF TIME REALLY THINKING ABOUT THOSE GOALS.

I WANT TO JUST REVISIT THEM, MAKE SURE THEY STILL SOUND GOOD, THAT THEY'RE STILL THERE.

THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT ARE THE TWO THINGS THAT GO WITH THOSE STUDENT OUTCOME GOALS? WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME KIND OF PROGRESS MEASUREMENTS THAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE.

WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME KIND OF ASSESSMENTS, BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO MEASURE STUDENT PROGRESS.

YOU GUYS EVEN BROUGHT UP IS SOMETHING THAT WAS KEEPING YOU UP AT NIGHT, IS HOW WE MAKE SURE OUR KIDS ARE LEARNING.

WHAT IS THE LEARNING LOSS? HOW DO WE CLOSE ANY GAPS? HOW DID WE ADDRESS OUR NON-TRADITIONAL LEARNERS? ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE STILL IMPORTANT.

THAT'S STILL YOUR ROLE AS A TRUSTEE, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE CHILDREN ARE LEARNING.

EVEN IN THIS NEW WORLD, WE'VE GOT TO FIND WAYS TO MEASURE PROGRESS, AND WE'VE GOT A MONITOR THAT PROGRESS.

THAT'S PART OF THOSE, THE GOAL-SETTING AND THE VISION.

WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THAT, WE WANT TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT THE BOARD LEADS THAT SCHOOL SYSTEM AROUND THOSE VISIONS, AND THAT THOSE SCHOOLS EXIST AND IMPROVE STUDENT OUTCOMES.

THAT THAT IS A HUGE PART.

THAT'S WHAT YOU GUYS WERE ENTRUSTED WITH.

IS TO MAKE SURE KIDS ARE SUCCESSFUL.

KIDS HAVE LEARNING, KIDS HAVE A GOOD STUDENT EXPERIENCE.

THAT'S WHAT YOU WERE ENTRUSTED TO BE, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE SCHOOLS.

I WANT TO JUST GO THROUGH YOUR BOARD BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, I WANT TO MAKE SURE, IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY COMMENTS THAT YOU WANT TO ADD IN BEFORE WE REVIEW AND DO SOME LEVEL

[01:10:01]

SO THIS WAS YOUR ORIGINAL GOAL AND WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOME HP3 GOALS THAT THE HOUSE BILL 3 PUT SOME THINGS IN AND THIRD GRADE READING WAS CERTAINLY ONE OF THOSE.

SO YOU HAD SET AN EQUITY GOAL.

YOU HAD LOOKED AT THE DATA AND FELT VERY STRONGLY THAT YOU'RE AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS.

WE NEEDED TO UP THAT GOAL SO THAT WE COULD CLOSE THOSE OPPORTUNITY GAPS FOR OUR BLACK CHILDREN, AND YOU WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE SET ALL OUR GOALS ON MEETING STANDARD ON THE THIRD GRADE STAAR READING WILL INCREASE BY 28 PERCENT TO 48 PERCENT BY JUNE OF 2025.

THAT IS OUR EQUITY GOAL AROUND THAT, THAT'S OUR TARGET.

IF WE USE THAT AS OUR TARGET, THIS IS THE WAY THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WILL CHANGE WHEN YOU PUT IT IN ALL STUDENTS.

I PUT IT IN A FORMULA, I SPIT IT OUT.

THE FORMULA COMES OUT, AND IT SAYS THAT IF WE WERE TO HIT THIS GOAL AND CONTINUE THE TRENDS THAT YOU HAVE WITH YOUR OTHER STUDENT POPULATIONS, THEN BY JUNE 2025, WE WOULD GO FROM 37-57 PERCENT.

SO THAT WOULD BE YOUR OVERALL HP TARGET, AND THEN YOU WOULD STILL HAVE THIS EQUITY GOAL.

THAT, WHICH I THINK IS AN AMAZING GOAL FOR YOU TO HAVE, IS A FIVE PERCENT HIGHER GROWTH TARGET THAN THE TOP TARRANT COUNTY DISTRICTS.

SO YOU'RE LEADING YOUR REGION IN THAT.

I THINK THAT IS A REALLY GREAT WAY TO LOOK AT IT, IS HOW ARE WE IN COMPARISON TO OUR PEER DISTRICTS? HOW ARE WE DOING WITH OUR CHILDREN? SO ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT GOAL? STILL MAKE SENSE? STILL MAKE SENSE TO YOU, DR. MCFARLAND?

>> YES, IT STILL MAKES SENSE TO ME.

>> GREAT. SO GOAL NUMBER TWO IS ANOTHER HP3 GOAL.

THIRD GRADE, WE KNOW IS A PIVOTAL GRADE, AND SO THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS MEETING STANDARD ON THIRD GRADE STAAR MATH WILL INCREASE FROM 45 PERCENT TO 60 PERCENT BY JUNE 2025.

THESE ARE LONG-TERM GOALS, BUT WE WILL HAVE ANNUAL TARGETS FOR ALL OF THEM.

WE WILL LOOK AT THE ANNUAL PROGRESS MEASURES, BUT WE'RE ALSO GOING TO TALK ABOUT, WHAT DO QUARTERLY PROGRESS MEASURES LOOK LIKE? WHAT DO INCREMENTAL PROGRESS MEASURES LOOK LIKE? SO THIS IS A 15 PERCENT GROWTH STRETCH GOAL, WHICH IS ALSO EQUAL TO THE TOP TARRANT COUNTY COHORTS, WHICH WAS GREAT, AND I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN REALLY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT CREATING STRETCH.

BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT IF WE OVERREACH, THAT THERE ARE SOME CHALLENGES WITH THAT.

NOT BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT A 100 PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS IN ALL OF THESE GOALS, BUT BECAUSE WHEN YOU SET A GOAL, YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT? YOU HAVE TO RESOURCE THAT GOAL, YOU HAVE TO SUPPORT YOUR SUPERINTENDENT'S INNOVATION AROUND MEETING THAT GOAL.

ALL OF THE THINGS THAT GO WITH THAT.

WE HAVE TO HAVE THE FACILITIES, THE CURRICULUM, ALL OF THOSE THINGS IN PLACE IN ORDER FOR YOUR SUPERINTENDENT TO MEET THAT GOAL.

SO IF YOU SET IT TOO FAR, WHICH YOU GUYS SET A REALLY GREAT STRETCH GOAL, BUT IF WE WERE TO SAY AT A 100 PERCENT, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE ALL WANT, WOULD WE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO MEET THAT GOAL RIGHT NOW? WHAT WOULD WE HAVE TO GIVE UP IN ORDER TO RESOURCE THAT GOAL? SO THAT'S YOUR MATH LAW.

ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT ONE? THEN OUR PERCENTAGE OF COLLEGE AND CAREER MILITARY READY KIDS, THIS IS OUR LAST HP3 GOAL, WILL INCREASE FROM 58-73 PERCENT.

ANOTHER HIGHEST GROWTH GOAL IN TARRANT COUNTY.

SO ONCE AGAIN, EXCEEDING WHAT IS HAPPENING AROUND CROWLEY, SO THAT'S AN EXCITING GOAL, AND THERE ARE MANY WAYS THAT YOU CAN MEASURE THAT.

[01:15:02]

THOSE PROGRESS PRIMARILY WILL BE LOOKED AT TARGETS BY ANNUAL, AND OF COURSE, ALL OF THESE GOALS WILL HAVE ANNUAL TARGETS THAT YOU WILL GET TO SEE BY EVERY STUDENT POPULATION.

THAT WILL ALL BE BROKEN DOWN IN YOUR MONITORING CALENDAR, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE ALL OF THAT.

I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TOO BECAUSE EACH OF THOSE TARGET POPULATIONS, WHETHER THEY ARE YOUR LATINX CHILDREN, OR YOUR BLACK CHILDREN, OR YOUR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN, ALL OF THOSE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THOSE TARGETS EVERY YEAR AND HOW YOU'RE PROGRESSING TOWARDS THEM.

QUESTIONS? FOR THE FOURTH GOAL, WHICH IS OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSE BILL 3, BUT ANOTHER IMPORTANT BENCHMARK FOR KID'S SUCCESS AS THEY'RE MOVING THROUGH THIS SYSTEM, AND THAT'S A FIFTH GREAT STAAR READING GOAL, WHICH HAS AN INCREASING FROM 42-57 PERCENT BY JUNE 2025, WHICH IS ANOTHER 15 PERCENT GROWTH STRETCH.

I THINK THAT IS ALSO A STRONG GOAL.

SO WE'LL HAVE TO BE THINKING ABOUT THAT.

IF YOU HAVE A THIRD GRADE READING GOAL, AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT PROGRESS, AND YOU HAVE A FIFTH GRADE READING PROGRESS SCORE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO CHECK COHORTS AS WE'RE MOVING THROUGH THIS, WHICH IS REALLY, I THINK NOTABLE ON THE WAY THAT YOU GUYS HAVE SET THAT UP AS A BOARD.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT ONE? YOUR LAST GOAL IS AN 8TH GRADE STAAR MATH GOAL.

SO WE REALLY HAVE FOCUSED ON OUR READING AND OUR MATH THROUGHOUT, WHICH IS CRITICAL, AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FROM 37 PERCENT TO 58 PERCENT ON JUNE 2025? ONCE AGAIN, WE WILL BE ABLE TO BREAK THAT DOWN FOR YOU TO ANNUAL TARGETS BY EVERY STUDENT POPULATION.

SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE GROWTH WITHIN ALL OF YOUR STUDENTS.

SO WHILE YOU SET AN EQUITY GOAL AROUND BLACK STUDENTS AND AROUND READING, YOU'LL STILL HAVE THOSE EQUITY TARGETS IN ORDER FOR YOU TO CLOSE THE OPPORTUNITY GAP.

SO JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW SOME OF THESE CAN BE CALCULATED.

FOR INSTANCE, WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS GOAL, I CAN PUT THIS DATA INTO THE SYSTEM, AND I CAN PUT IN WHAT YOU WANT FROM A GROWTH ORIENTED, AND THEN HOW QUICKLY YOU WANT TO CLOSE THE OPPORTUNITY GAP, AND IT WILL SPIT OUT THE NUMBERS THAT SHOW US EXACTLY WHERE WE NEED TO BE FOR EACH YEAR.

SO IT'S A GREAT TOOL FOR US TO USE TO TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND, AND I KNOW THE DISTRICT DOCUMENT FILE, AND I'M SURE YOU HAVE ANALYSTS THAT ARE DOING THIS WORK AS WELL.

THIS IS BASED ON OBVIOUSLY THE STATE TEA DATA, SO IT'S ALL PUBLIC DATA, BUT IT ISN'T A HANDY LITTLE TOOL.

AS WE WALK THROUGH ALL OF THAT, I JUST WANT US TO PAUSE THERE, AND HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A CONVERSATION ABOUT, NOW THAT WE DON'T HAVE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A STAAR TEST FOR 2020.

SO WE HAD A 2019 STAAR TEST, WHICH IS WHAT WE BASE THESE GOALS ON, AND DR. MCFARLAND, YOU CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, I DON'T WANT TO MISTAKE WHAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THROUGH THE SPRING, BUT IT'S BEEN PROBABLY PRETTY DIFFICULT IN ANY END OF YEAR PROGRESS RATING FOR THE KIDS AS WE'VE BEEN STRUGGLING TO GET THEM IN THE CLASSROOM, GET ONLINE TECHNOLOGY IN THEIR HANDS, ALL OF THAT.

SO CAN YOU JUST LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAD ANY END OF YEAR ASSESSMENTS?

>> COOL. SO WE HAD END OF YEAR ASSESSMENTS, BUT THEY WERE NOT 100 PERCENT CONSISTENT ACROSS THE BOARD.

SO I KNOW TEA HAD SENT OUT SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO VOLUNTEER ASSESSMENT VIA ONLINE, AND WE HAD KIDS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THAT, BUT IT WAS NOT 100 PERCENT ACROSS THE BOARD.

>> YOU'RE ACTUALLY ABOVE MANY,

[01:20:04]

IT JUST WAS TOO DIFFICULT.

SO IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH FOR TEACHERS COMING IN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.

AS A BOARD, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO RELY ON BEGINNING OF YEAR DATA.

SO BEGINNING A YEAR ASSESSMENT ON THOSE PROGRESS MEASURES, ON THE ASSESSMENTS THAT YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE AND ARE INDICATIVE OF GROWTH TOWARDS WHAT WOULD NORMALLY BE A STAAR TEST.

I KNOW THAT TEA IS ROLLING OUT SOME OLDER STAAR TESTS THAT YOU CAN USE FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR IF YOU WANT, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE YOUR ASSESSMENTS, AND I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN FINE TUNING THOSE, DR. MCFARLAND.

>> DR. VANITIS?

>> YEAH.

>> I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.

IN LIGHT OF WHAT YOU JUST SAID AND DR.

MCFARLAND'S COMMENT ABOUT ASSESSMENTS AND ALL OF THAT AND JUST BASED ON THE YEAR WE HAD LAST YEAR, DO WE NEED TO GO BACK AND ADJUST OUR GOALS?

>> WELL, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE THE DATA TO MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENTS AT THIS POINT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A STAR TASK FOR 2020.

WHAT YOU WILL HAVE IS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR IS HOPEFULLY SOME BEGINNING OF THE YEAR ASSESSMENTS, AND THEN WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO DO AND WHAT DR. MCFARLAND AND HIS TEAM WILL LOOK AT IS WHAT IS THE LEARNING LOSS.

WHAT HAPPENED? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, THERE'S NO DATA TO MAKE TO THAT DECISION TO MOVE THE GOAL.

MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THAT WE HOLD THE GOAL, BRING IN THE BEGINNING OF YEAR ASSESSMENTS, AND MAYBE EVEN HOLD THAT GOAL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO SEE.

WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT LEARNING IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE NEXT YEAR.

ALL OF THOSE THINGS, IT'S REALLY A YEAR THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THOSE PROGRESS MEASURES, HOW WE'RE GOING TO RESOURCE IT, HOW YOU'RE GOING TO EMPOWER YOUR TEAM TO MOVE FORWARD.

THEN MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT THOSE TARGETS ARE NOT DUE TO THE TEA UNTIL JANUARY NOW FROM AN HV3 PERSPECTIVE, SO THERE'S GOING TO BE NO PENALTY AROUND THAT.

THOSE FIRST THREE GOALS, WE HAVE SOME TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?

>> IT DOES. I GUESS, MAYBE I DIDN'T ASK THE RIGHT QUESTION BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, THESE ARE STRETCH GOALS.

WHEN WE MADE THESE GOALS, THESE WERE STRETCH GOALS, AND IT WAS GIVEN THE SITUATION AND CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE WERE WORKING WITH AT THAT TIME.

I'M JUST WONDERING IF NOW THE STRETCH IS UNREASONABLE.

HOW DO I SAY THIS? I KNOW STAFF IS GOING TO DO THEIR JOB, AND THEY'RE GOING TO DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO, WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.

BUT IS THIS UNREALISTIC NOW? THAT'S JUST A QUESTION I HAVE BECAUSE I DON'T WANT IT TO BE SO MUCH OF A STRETCH THAT WE SET OURSELVES UP FOR FAILURE.

>> THAT'S A FAIR QUESTION.

DR. MCFARLAND, DO YOU WANT TO ADDRESS THAT QUESTION? I THINK THERE'S SOME SOME WAYS THAT WE COULD BUILD OUT SOME INTERIM GOAL PROGRESS MEASURES THAT ALLOW US TO JUST GIVE US SOME BREATHING ROOM THROUGH THIS NEW REALITY THAT WE HAVE WITHOUT CHANGING THESE GOALS IMMEDIATELY, BUT I WANT YOU TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THAT.

>> YES. I DEFINITELY WOULD AGREE THAT LOOKING AT THE CURRENT GOALS AND BEING HELD TO THESE CURRENT GOALS, WHEN WE KNOW THESE GOALS WERE CREATED IN A DIFFERENT TIME PERIOD, WOULD PROBABLY NOT BE PRODUCTIVE, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT TAKING OUR BEGINNING OF THE YEAR ASSESSMENTS.

I BELIEVE US AFTER THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, AS YOU'VE MENTIONED, WE DO OUR BEGINNING OF THE YEAR ASSESSMENT, WHICH WE'LL DO IN JUST ABOUT IN EVERY GRADE LEVEL WITH READING AND MATH, FOR SURE.

[01:25:02]

BASICALLY WHAT THAT WOULD DO IS THAT WILL BASICALLY CHANGED US FROM LOOKING AT STAR FOR THIS YEAR TO ACTUALLY JUST LOOKING AT OUR INTERNAL BEGINNING OF THE YEAR ASSESSMENTS OR WHATEVER ASSESSMENT WE DETERMINE AND SETTING A TARGET ON THOSE LOCAL ASSESSMENTS FOR THIS YEAR.

AGAIN, THEY SAY THAT STAR IS GOING TO BE OFFERED IN THE SPRING.

I'M NOT SURE WHETHER IT'LL HAPPEN OR NOT.

BUT IF IT DOES, THEN NOW SPRING 2021 ACTUALLY BECOMES OUR BASELINE, AND THEN WE ACTUALLY START FROM 2021 AND LOOK TO SEE WHERE WE ARE AT 2021 TO SEE WHERE WE COULD BE AT 2025.

WE'LL BE ADJUSTING THESE TARGETS.

WE COULD ACTUALLY STILL KEEP THE SAME STUDENT GROUPS THAT WE IDENTIFIED ALREADY.

FOR GUESSING, WE COULD STILL USE EIGHTH GRADE.

BUT INSTEAD OF SAYING EIGHTH GRADE STAR MATH, WE'LL BE SAYING EIGHTH GRADE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR ASSESSMENT.

I THINK CHANGING THAT ASSESSMENT TO A LOCAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE FIRST YEAR UNTIL WE GET BASELINE YEAR ON STAR BECAUSE WE REALLY HAVE TO START FROM WHATEVER.

WHENEVER WE GET THIS SPRING WILL BE A BASELINE, AND THEN WE HAVE TO GO FROM THERE.

I DON'T THINK COMPARING WHAT WE DO THIS SPRING TO WHAT WE HAVE DONE TWO SPRINGS AGO WILL GIVE US ANY REAL INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOM.

I DO THINK, AS MRS. DAVIS SAID, WE NEED TO CHANGE THESE.

I THINK WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE TO WAIT TILL AFTER THE START OF THE YEAR BEFORE WE DO THAT THOUGH.

>> [OVERLAPPING] ONE MORE QUESTION. WHAT THOSE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR ASSESSMENTS WILL LOOK LIKE FOR DISTANCE LEARNING?

>> WE'LL WORK IT THROUGH THOSE.

BUT OUR GOAL AND ASPIRATION WILL BE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ASSESSMENTS FOR THE VIRTUAL ACADEMY AND ASSESSMENTS FOR FACE-TO-FACE WILL BE VERY SIMILAR BECAUSE WE WANT KIDS TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO GO BACK AND FORTH IF THEY NEED TO BASED ON THE SIX WEEKS.

WHATEVER WE HAVE AS AN ASSESSMENT WILL LIKELY BE THE SAME ONE FOR BOTH A VIRTUAL ACADEMY FROM A THIRD GRADER.

IN A VIRTUAL ACADEMY AND IN A THIRD GRADER AT BENCH RACE, FACE-TO-FACE, WE WANT BOTH THIRD GRADERS TO BE ASSESSED ON THE SAME INSTRUMENTS SO WE CAN REALLY SEE THAT THEY'RE BOTH MAKING PROGRESS.

IT'LL LIKELY TO BE THE SAME ONE.

WE'RE STILL DEVELOPING, BUT I COULD TELL YOU THE FRAMEWORK AND INTENT WILL BE THAT THEY BE THE SAME ASSESSMENT.

>> I THINK THOSE ARE GREAT QUESTIONS, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I WANTED TO BRING THESE GOALS UP BECAUSE I THINK THOSE INTERIM GOALS ARE GOING TO BE REALLY CRITICAL.

FIRST OF ALL, YOU AS A BOARD DEFINITELY WANT TO KEEP YOUR FOCUS ON STUDENT OUTCOMES.

YOU STILL WANT TO BE ABLE TO MEASURE PROGRESS EVEN IN THIS NEW REALITY, SO SETTING SOME INTERIM GOALS BASED ON A LOCAL ASSESSMENT ALLOWS YOU TO SEE PROGRESS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

SO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THE DISTRICT IS MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE IF WE SEE A GOAL THAT ISN'T MOVING FORWARD, THEN THAT'S A SIGNAL TO YOU AS A BOARD MEMBER TO SAY, IS OUR IMPLEMENTATION WORKING? DR. MCFARLAND WILL EXPLAIN HIS IMPLEMENTATION.

THAT WAY, YOU ARE LIVING IN THAT BOARD WORK AND REALLY KEEPING THE FOCUS ON STUDENT OUTCOMES FOR THE VISION.

IT ALSO GIVES YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO SET UP AN INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT EVALUATION BASED ON WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE, NOT BASED ON DATA WE DON'T REALLY HAVE ANYMORE RIGHT NOW.

I THINK THOSE ARE IMPORTANT GOALPOSTS TO SET.

DR. MCFARLAND AND HIS TEAM NEED TO KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO AND WHERE THEY NEED TO RESOURCE AND INNOVATE AROUND TO DRIVE TOWARDS THOSE STUDENT GOALS, SO WE NEED TO GIVE THEM THAT GOALPOST.

YOU AS A BOARD, YOUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE MONITORING THAT PROGRESS AND RESOURCING THAT IMPLEMENTATION, SUPPORTING THE DISTRICTS WORK THAT WAY. [OVERLAPPING]

>> ALSO I'D JUST LIKE TO ADD THE BENEFIT, I BELIEVE, TO SETTING A GOAL BASED UPON THE BOY.

[01:30:01]

IN EVERY AREA WE HAVE A BOY, A MOY, AND A EOY.

WHAT HAPPENS IS AS WE ARE COLLECTING AN INFORMATION, IF WE SET THESE GOALS BASED UPON OUR INTERNAL INSTRUMENTS, THAT WILL GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO REPORT BACK TO THE BOARD IN JANUARY, WHERE WE ARE IN RELATION TO WHERE WE STARTED AND THEN ALSO GAIN AT THE END OF THE YEAR, SO IT GIVES US A CHANCE TO DEVELOP OUR OWN LOCAL ASSESSMENT AND NOT HAVE TO RELY ON OR WAIT ON STAR TO TELL US WHERE THE KIDS ARE GROWING AND THAT WE COULD BASICALLY DO THAT WITH OUR OWN INTERNAL ASSESSMENTS.

>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AROUND THAT PROCESS AND THOUGHTS? DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO YOU TRUSTEES?

>> ABSOLUTELY. LOOKING AT THE GOALS, I HOPE WE CAN STILL HIT HIM, BUT WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT THE IMPACT OF THOSE LAST SPRING IS GOING TO BE AND HOW MUCH WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE ABILITY AND THE RESOURCES TO PUT IN THE EXTRA TIME TO MAYBE GET KIDS WHERE THEY NEED TO BE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

I DON'T KNOW. IT'S JUST SO MUCH INFLUX RIGHT NOW.

I ABSOLUTELY THINK WE NEED TO FIND SOME OTHER WAY TO DO THIS.

>> ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, THE OTHER IMPORTANCE IS AS A BOARD, WE'LL BE MAKING DECISIONS AROUND RESOURCING.

IF WE MAINTAIN THESE SAME STUDENT GROUPS, THEN WE'RE STILL ON A TRAJECTORY TO HIT THESE LONG-TERM GOALS, BUT AT LEAST WE KNOW WHERE WE ARE AND WE CAN MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS.

IT MAY BE THAT WE STILL NEED TO MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS IN JANUARY BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SEND AT LEAST THE FIRST THREE GOALS TO THE TEA BY JANUARY, UNLESS THEY MOVE THAT AGAIN, WHICH THEY MIGHT.

CORRECT ME TOO IF I'M WRONG, DR. MCFARLAND.

I LOVED THE IDEA OF BEING ABLE TO CREATE A LOCAL ASSESSMENTS SO THAT YOU KNOW IN REAL-TIME HOW YOUR KIDS ARE DOING AND DON'T HAVE TO WAIT MORE THAN A YEAR TO SEE THOSE RESULTS ON STAR, BUT I ALSO WONDER IF THERE ARE PROGRESS MEASURES THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO EVEN GO IN BETWEEN THAT BEGINNING OF YEAR, MIDDLE OF YEAR, AND THE END OF YEAR THAT YOU COULD DEMONSTRATE TO THE BOARD JUST LIKE YOU HAD DEVELOPED THE PROGRESS MEASURES FOR THESE GOALS.

>> YES, MOST DEFINITELY.

WITHIN OUR PART OF OUR ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK, WE HAVE COMMON ASSESSMENTS THAT WE WILL BE ADMINISTERING AT NORMALLY AROUND THE FOUR-WEEK PROCESS, AND THEN WE HAVE ACTUAL BENCHMARKS, AND ALSO WE HAVE THE RELEASED ASSESSMENTS THAT WE GIVE.

THERE ARE A SERIES OF ASSESSMENT TOOLS THAT WE USE CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW, AND QUITE FRANKLY, THE CAMPUSES RIGHT NOW WOULD BE USING THEM TO SET THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL CAMPUS GOALS.

ALL THIS WILL BE NOTHING NEW FOR OUR CAMPUSES, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF US ELEVATE IT TO THE LEVEL OF THE BOARD AND PUT IT INTO OUR DOCUMENT AS A MONITORING PIECE.

IT WILL REALLY BE NOTHING DIFFERENT FOR US INTERNALLY.

THE ONLY DIFFERENCE WE WOULD ACTUALLY BE INCLUDING A MONITORING PIECE AT THE BOARD LEVEL, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT WE CALL THEM.

PIT STOPS HAD TO GO FROM CAMPUS TO CAMPUS.

WE'RE ABLE TO SHARE WITH YOU WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON AND ALL THAT.

SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WE DO HAVE AN INTERNAL ASSESSMENT SYSTEM THAT WE COULD USE THE DATA FROM AND USE THE INFORMATION FROM TO HELP FEED INTO THIS PROCESS WITHOUT US HAVING TO DO SOMETHING EXTRA IN THE DISTRICT.

>> YEAH, I THINK THAT'S GREAT.

[01:35:04]

I CAN PROVIDE TOOLS AND EVEN DASHBOARDS THAT MAKE IT EASIER SO THAT THAT MONITORING IS ALWAYS IN FRONT OF YOU FOR EACH BOARD MEETING.

YOU'RE ALWAYS KNOWING HOW OUR KIDS ARE DOING IN RELATIONSHIP TO THESE GOALS, AND I THINK THAT KEEPS YOU REALLY UBER FOCUSED ON THAT GOALPOST.

WE CAN WORK THROUGH THAT.

I THINK IT'S A GREAT WAY FOR YOU TO SELF-REGULATE AS A BOARD TO KNOW THAT EVERY MEETING WE'VE LOOKED AT THESE GOALS, WE KNOW WHERE WE ARE.

IT MAY BE THAT YOU DON'T LOOK AT ALL FIVE GOALS AT EVERY MEETING, BUT WE ALTERNATE THEM FOR EVERY MEETING SO THAT YOU'RE AT LEAST LOOKING AT EACH GOAL THREE OR FOUR TIMES A YEAR, SO YOU'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT PROGRESS.

I THINK FOR YOU THAT WILL MAKE IT EASIER TO KNOW, ARE WE STAYING ON TRACK? IS OUR SUPERINTENDENT'S TEAM IMPLEMENTING AROUND THE GOALS, THE VISION THAT YOU HAVE SET FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT? IN THAT WAY, YOU'RE IN YOUR VISION SETTING, YOU'RE IN THE MONITORING AND THE GOAL PROGRESS AND LOOKING AT STUDENT OUTCOMES, AND YOUR SUPERINTENDENT AND HIS TEAM EMPOWERED TO IMPLEMENT AND INNOVATE TO MOVE THE NEEDLE.

YOU ARE WORKING TOGETHER IN A REALLY COLLABORATIVE WAY.

I WILL SAY THAT WE HAVE MORE AND MORE DATA AND I KNOW I'VE SHARED THIS WITH YOU IN OUR ORIGINAL TRAINING, BUT WE HAVE SO MUCH MORE DATA THAT WHEN BOARDS REALLY FOCUS ON MONITORING THIS PROGRESS AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT IS HAPPENING AT THE STUDENT OUTCOME LEVEL, THAT STUDENT OUTCOMES IMPROVE.

THAT STUDENT OUTCOMES ACTUALLY DO IMPROVE MUCH MORE THAN BOARDS WHO ARE NOT FOCUSED ON THOSE GOALS, WHO HAVEN'T SET THOSE GOALS, WHO HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THE DATA AND AREN'T MONITORING THAT PROGRESS.

I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE REASONS WE DID THE TRAINING WITH YOU IS BECAUSE YOU WANT IT TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION AS A BOARD.

WE CAN CREATE SOME MECHANISMS THAT'LL MAKE THAT EASIER FOR YOU, DR. MCFARLAND, TO SHARE WITH THE BOARD AND ALSO EASIER FOR THE BOARD TO SEE CONSISTENT PROGRESS REPORTS.

ANY QUESTIONS? THAT MAKE SENSE?

>> YES.

>> IT SOUNDS LIKE WHAT WE NEED TO DO MAYBE IN SEPTEMBER OR LATE SEPTEMBER AFTER YOU'VE SEEN SOME RESULTS OF THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR SURVEY, ASSESSMENTS RATHER, TO JUST COME BACK TOGETHER AND THINK ABOUT THOSE INTERIM GOALS AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

I THINK THAT'S A GOOD PLACE.

THAT'S A LONG CONVERSATION, TRUSTEE DAVIS, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION THAT, YES, WE PROBABLY NEED TO LOOK AT INTERIM GOALS, BUT WE DON'T NEED TO CHANGE THESE RIGHT AWAY.

>> OKAY, THANK YOU.

>> THAT'S A GOOD DIALOGUE THOUGH, I THINK.

THE NEXT THING I WANT US TO TALK ABOUT, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO WORK ON BEFORE AND WE MAY NOT GET IT ALL THROUGH THIS EVENING, BUT I WANT US TO THINK ABOUT IT AND MAYBE COME BACK IN OUR NEXT MEETING BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS IN YOUR CONCERNS, WHEN I GO BACK AND I LOOK AT YOUR CONCERNS AND WHAT WAS KEEPING YOU UP AT NIGHT, I SEE THINGS THAT DON'T OBVIOUSLY FIT IN STUDENT OUTCOME GOALS.

THEY DON'T FIT IN THAT VISION CONVERSATION RATHER THEY FIT IN A VALUE CONVERSATION.

WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE TO SET VALUE STANDARDS FOR A SCHOOL DISTRICT? WE CAN CALL THEM MANY DIFFERENT THINGS, THOU SHALT NOTS, NON-NEGOTIABLES, CONSTRAINTS, OR GUARDRAILS IN THIS WAY, BUT IT'S JUST A MATTER OF THIS IS HOW WE WANT TO GET HERE, SO LET'S THINK ABOUT THOSE.

WHEN WE THINK ABOUT STUDENT SAFETY, IT'S A HUGE HIGH UP ON OUR THINKING RIGHT NOW.

STUDENT SAFETY, TEACHER SAFETY,

[01:40:03]

IF YOU SET A GUARD RAIL AROUND SAFETY FOR THE STUDENTS WHICH MEANS SOMETHING LIKE WE EXPECT ALL OUR CHILDREN TO BE KEPT SAFE THEN YOUR SUPERINTENDENT IS GOING TO GIVE YOU HIS IMPLEMENTATION OF HOW HE'S GOING TO KEEP KIDS SAFE.

IN YOUR BOARD MEETINGS, PART OF YOUR BOARD WORK IS FOR HIM TO REPORT ON THAT OR HIS TEAM TO REPORT ON THAT.

I DON'T HAVE ALL THOSE PROGRESS MEASURES OFF, BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT AND IT WOULD BE THE SAME WITH EDUCATORS SAFETY.

IT'S ALSO THE SAME WITH SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL.

IT CAN ALSO BE WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE WANT TO ADDRESS THAT, BUT IF YOU DON'T WRITE IT IN, IF WE AS A BOARD DON'T SET THOSE THEN THEY DON'T BECOME PART OF YOUR OPERATING PROCEDURES AND THEY DON'T BECOME PART OF WHAT IS REPORTED TO YOU AS BOARD WORK.

SO I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT MECHANISM FOR US TO THINK ABOUT.

I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU SOME EXAMPLES AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO THINK THROUGH SOME OF THESE, BUT I JUST WANT TO GET YOUR REACTION TO THAT BECAUSE THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF A NEW MECHANISM HERE THAT WE'RE GOING TO INTRODUCE.

>> OKAY. I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION.

I'M SORRY, BUT THE VALUES AND GUARDRAILS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL BOARD PRIORITIES AND IT'S WHAT WE VALUE.

IS THAT THE SAME THING YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE?

>> THERE ARE PROBABLY SOME COMMONALITIES IN THAT.

WHEN WE LOOK AT THOSE BOARD PRIORITIES, WE CAN LOOK THROUGH THOSE AND SEE.

WHEN I THINK ABOUT A GUARD RAIL CONVERSATION, WE WANT TO ASK OURSELVES THESE KIND OF QUESTIONS, IS IT A VALUE OF YOURS? IS IT A VALUE OF YOUR COMMUNITY? DOES IT STILL LEAD TO BETTER OUTCOMES? ARE WE GOING TO STILL IMPROVE THESE STUDENT OUTCOMES? IS IT COLLABORATIVE WITH YOUR SUPERINTENDENT? YOU CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO PUT CONSTRAINTS ON YOUR SUPERINTENDENT THAT HE CAN'T IMPLEMENT AROUND, THAT HE CAN'T ANSWER TO? DOES IT ADDRESS ANY OF YOUR CONCERNS, THE CONCERNS THAT YOU BROUGHT UP, THE THINGS THAT ARE KEEPING YOU UP AT NIGHT? SO IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN A PRIORITY BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO ACTUALLY BE A STATEMENT, AND THERE'S GOING TO BE PROGRESS MEASURES JUST LIKE THERE ARE GOAL PROGRESS MEASURES, THERE ARE GOING TO BE PROGRESS MEASURES ASSOCIATED WITH THESE.

THE OTHER THING THAT THIS DOES IS IT FREES UP YOUR SUPERINTENDENT TO BE INNOVATIVE, TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX.

SEVERAL OF YOU SPOKE TO THAT AND HOW PROUD YOU ARE THAT THIS DISTRICT PIVOTED FAST, THAT YOUR SUPERINTENDENT WAS ABLE TO REACT, THAT HE'S THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX, THAT THE TEAM IS LOOKING AT THAT, THE EDUCATORS.

THIS ALLOWS THAT SPACE FOR YOUR SUPERINTENDENT.

ESSENTIALLY, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT GIVING PERMISSION, WHAT IT IS, IS SAYING IS, THIS IS AN EXPECTATION THAT YOU'VE REACHED THESE KIND OF THINGS.

LET ME SHOW YOU SOME EXAMPLES, TRUSTEE DAVIS, AND THEN WE'LL SEE IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.

>> OKAY.

>> THESE ARE JUST GENERIC EXAMPLES.

[01:45:05]

BUT IF YOU LOOK AT GUARDRAIL NUMBER 4, THE SUPERINTENDENT WILL NOT ALLOW CONDITIONS FOR STUDENTS OR STAFF THAT ARE INEQUITABLE OR UNSAFE.

MEANING ALL THE CAMPUSES ARE GOING TO BE SAFE.

THIS ADDRESSES BOTH EQUITY BUT IT ALSO ADDRESSES SAFETY.

IF THE SUPERINTENDENT WILL NOT ALLOW THESE WILL NOTS, THESE SHALL NOT STATEMENTS, AND THEN THE SUPERINTENDENT KNOWS THAT HE HAS THE FREEDOM AND IN FACT, THE IMPETUS TO BE INNOVATIVE AROUND HOW HE CREATES EQUITY AND SAFETY ON THESE CAMPUSES.

HE DOESN'T HAVE TO COME BACK AND GIVE YOU ALL THE SINGLE PLAN, WHAT HE ESSENTIALLY HAS TO DO IS COME BACK AND SAY, "HERE'S WHAT WE DID AND HERE IS THE PROGRESS THAT WE CAN SHOW YOU THAT 90 PERCENT OF OUR CAMPUSES ARE SAFE," AND WE CAN CREATE SOME NUMBERS AROUND THAT.

IF YOU THINK ABOUT THOSE, HERE'S SOME MORE EXAMPLES THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE AROUND COVID THAT WE'RE STARTING TO SEE OTHER DISTRICTS ADDRESS.

SUPERINTENDENT WILL NOT OPERATE WITHOUT ADDRESSING THE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS.

SO THAT'S SAYING, "LOOK, WE EXPECT ONE OF OUR VALUES IS HOW WE ARE ADDRESSING THE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF OUR KIDS, SO SUPERINTENDENT, WE HAVE AN EXPECTATION THAT YOU ARE GOING TO EMBRACE THIS VALUE AND IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS IT, AND YOU AS A BOARD WILL RESOURCE THOSE STRATEGIES." SAME WOULD BE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY.

IT COULD BE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF YOUR STAFF, COULD BE A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT YOU BROUGHT UP IN YOUR CONCERNS.

BUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS THINK ABOUT, DO YOUR CONCERNS TO THE THINGS THAT YOU LISTED THAT ARE KEEPING YOU UP AT NIGHT, ARE THOSE PART OF THE PRIORITIES THAT YOU HAVE ESTABLISHED IN YOUR VISION STATEMENTS? IF NOT, THEN WE MIGHT WANT TO CREATE SOME INTERIM GUARDRAILS, ESPECIALLY TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU ARE MOST CONCERNED WITH MOVING FORWARD.

I TALK A LOT ABOUT BOARD WORK AND BOARD WORK FOR WHAT YOU'RE MONITORING, [NOISE] WHAT YOU'RE MEASURING.

IT'S WHAT YOU'VE ESTABLISHED GOALS AROUND, THAT'S WHAT BOARD WORK IS.

IT'S HOW WE MOVE OUR STUDENTS TO SUCCESS.

IF IT'S NOT SET AS A GOAL, AND IT'S NOT SET AS A GUARDRAIL, AND IT'S NOT A COMPLIANCE ISSUE OR A LEGAL ISSUE, THEN IT'S NOT BOARD WORK.

BOARDS AREN'T HERE TO GOVERN, AND SO WRITING THESE THINGS INTO YOUR BOARD WORK, INTO YOUR OPERATING PROCEDURES, BRINGS THEM INTO A PLACE WHERE YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING.

ESSENTIALLY, YOU ARE THE ONES RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ULTIMATE OUTCOMES OF THIS DISTRICT.

THAT'S WHERE YOU [INAUDIBLE] TO BE.

>> [INAUDIBLE] ON THIS, LIKE IN THE CASE OF THESE GUARDRAILS, IS IT ALWAYS WHAT YOU WILL NOT, SHALL NOT DO? IS IT ALWAYS WRITTEN IN MY MIND LIKE IS IT ALWAYS PROHIBITED BEHAVIOR AS OPPOSED TO WHAT YOU WILL DO? [LAUGHTER]

>> WELL, IT IS BECAUSE IT FRAMES IT.

IT'S A GUARDRAIL SAYING YOU CAN'T GO OUTSIDE OF THIS.

YOU CAN'T TREAT SOME CAMPUSES ONE WAY AND TREAT OTHERS ANOTHER WAY.

YOU CAN'T BE INEQUITABLE.

YOU CAN'T NOT CARE ABOUT OUR KID'S SAFETY AND JUST WILLY-NILLY DO WHATEVER, SO IT IS A WILL NOT.

THEN THE POSITIVE PART OF IT, TRUSTEE HALL, IS THE PROGRESS MEASURE THAT THIS SUPERINTENDENT BRINGS BACK TO SHOW TO DEMONSTRATE THAT HE IS LIVING WITHIN THOSE GUARDRAILS.

[01:50:01]

>> MS. ARVANITIS, CAN I GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF HOW I'M INTERPRETING THIS TO SEE IF THIS MAKES SENSE?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> IF THE FIRST STATEMENT, THE SUPERINTENDENT WILL NOT OPERATE WITHOUT ADDRESSING THE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF ALL STUDENTS, IF I'M LOOKING AT THAT STATEMENT AND THINKING ABOUT THE PLAN, I WOULD DEFINITELY MAKE SURE THAT THE FACE-TO-FACE STUDENTS, STUDENTS THAT ARE IN FACE-TO-FACE FORMAT, THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING THEIR SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING.

BUT BASED ON THIS STATEMENT, I ALSO WOULD LOOK AT THOSE STUDENTS WHO ARE LEARNING VIRTUALLY.

THEN I WILL ALSO BE CHALLENGING CAMPUSES OR LEADERS AND SAY, HOW CAN WE CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THESE STUDENTS WHO ARE ENGAGED IN VIRTUAL LEARNING? HOW CAN WE CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THESE STUDENTS TO ACTUALLY ENGAGE WITH THEIR COLLEAGUES OUTSIDE OF THE VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT? MAYBE HAVING AN AFTER-SCHOOL SITUATION WHERE THEY COULD COME UP ON A SATURDAY.

IF THEY WANT VIRTUAL, THEY ARE PART OF A VIRTUAL ACADEMIES, ON SATURDAYS, MAYBE THEY COME UP AND WE CREATE SOME KIND OF SOCIAL-DISTANCE ACTIVITY.

BUT THOSE KIDS STILL GET A CHANCE TO ENGAGE SOCIALLY AND EMOTIONALLY WITH OTHER STUDENTS AND NOT JUST LIVE AS VIRTUAL LEARNERS BY THEMSELVES.

THIS WOULD GIVE ME THE, I GUESS I DON'T KNOW, MOTIVATION OR REMINDER OR WHATEVER TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT BOTH OF THOSE TWO THINGS.

LOOKING AT THAT STATEMENT, THIS IS HOW I WOULD INTERPRET THAT STATEMENT FROM A EXECUTION STANDPOINT.

>> YEAH, EXACTLY.

WHAT THE BOARD HAS SAID IS LOOK, THIS IS A VALUE THAT IS IMPORTANT TO US.

THE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING OF OUR CHILDREN IS REALLY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY NOW.

IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT, BUT REALLY WORRIED NOW.

WE HAVE TOLD YOU THAT'S IMPORTANT, SO NOW YOU GO OUT WITH YOUR TEAM AND SAY, "THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO THE BOARD.

WE'VE GOT TO COME UP WAYS TO ADDRESS THIS, AND THEN WE GOT TO SHOW THAT WE'RE DOING IT TO THE BOARD." ALSO, THE BOARD AND THE COMMUNITY KNOWS THAT THIS IS SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO US.

>> GOT YOU.

>> THEY SEE THAT REPORTED IN.

IT'S NOT JUST THE MOTIVATION, DR. MCFARLAND, IT'S WHICH YOU MAY NOT EVEN NEED.

IT'S ALSO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE THEY'VE BUILT THAT CHARGE JUST LIKE THEY HAVE WITH THE STUDENT OUTCOME GOALS, THAT THE BOARD IS RESPONSIBLE TO MAKING SURE YOU HAVE THE RESOURCES AND THE SUPPORT TO LIVE UP TO THAT CHARGE.

IT IS THE PRIORITIES, TRUSTEE DAVIS, BUT IT'S PUTTING THE PRIORITIES INTO ACTION, MEASURABLE ACTION.

>> THANK YOU.

>> MS. ARVANITIS?

>> YES.

>> PRIOR TO THE BREAK, WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE SOCIAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT AND EQUITY WITHIN OUR DISTRICT.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO CREATE A GUARDRAIL OR VALUE GOALS SURROUNDING EQUITY AND DISPARITIES?

>> IT ABSOLUTELY IS.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN HAVE CONVERSATION.

BUILDING THESE OUT IS SIMILAR TO BUILDING OUT THE BOARD GOALS.

WE NEED TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF THOUGHT AND LOOK AT DATA AND THINK ABOUT WHAT WE WANT.

BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL EXAMPLES THAT I CAN BRING AROUND RACIAL JUSTICE, RACIAL EQUITY, AND THEY'RE INTENTIONALLY TIED TO CLOSING OPPORTUNITY GAPS.

THEY WORK HAND-IN-HAND AND THERE'S MANY WAYS TO LOOK AT THAT.

YES, I APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING IMPORTANT FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER.

SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I THINK ARE INTERESTING THAT YOU BROUGHT UP AND ESPECIALLY TRUE, AND I ACTUALLY AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I HAVEN'T HAD ANY OTHER BOARD BRING THIS UP YET, WHICH IS THE TEACHER VOICE, THE TEACHER PERSPECTIVE, THE TEACHER EXPERIENCE.

WE REALLY WANT TO BE CONCERNED WITH OUR STUDENT EXPERIENCE AS WELL.

WE SHOULD BE MEASURING STUDENT EXPERIENCE.

WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE LEARNING VIRTUALLY OR TO BE LEARNING IN A CLASSROOM.

THAT'S IMPORTANT, BUT SO IS THE TEACHER EXPERIENCE, SO IS THE TEACHER VOICE.

SO HOW COULD YOU SET A GUARDRAIL AROUND THAT THAT WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND AND HEAR FROM OUR TEACHERS,

[01:55:02]

THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE COULD INCLUDE OUR EDUCATORS IN THIS CONVERSATION, JUST LIKE WE WANT TO INCLUDE OUR STUDENTS IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

>> HELLO. I WAS WONDERING IF I'D BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY ASK A QUESTION.

I'M NOT ON THE BOARD, BUT I'M A TEACHER.

>> I'M GOING TO DEFER TO YOU, TRUSTEE HALL. [LAUGHTER]

>> I JUST WASN'T SURE IF I'D BE ABLE TO ASK A QUESTION.

>> THIS IS ACTUALLY A BOARD TRAINING SESSION, SO [INAUDIBLE] TO ASK A QUESTION, BUT YOU ARE OPEN TO OBSERVE THE, I WOULD SAY, PROCEEDINGS ABOUT OUR WORKSHOP AS A SPECTATOR. I'M SORRY.

>> NO PROBLEM, JUST ASKING.

>> BUT WE ALL HAVE EMAIL ADDRESSES AND YOU DEFINITELY KNOW WHERE TO REACH US. [LAUGHTER]

>> OKAY. THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU. I WASN'T POSITIVE HOW, SO I THINK THAT'S A REALLY INTERESTING POINT TOO ABOUT OUR EDUCATORS AND BRINGING THAT PERSPECTIVE IN, WHICH YOU GUYS BROUGHT UP.

I HAVEN'T SEEN BOARDS BRING THAT TEACHER PERSPECTIVE IN IN A REALLY INTENTIONAL WAY, SO I LIKE THAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT.

THIS IS ALSO A PLACE WHERE YOU COULD TALK ABOUT THE NON-TRADITIONAL LEARNERS.

WE HAVE GOALS, YOU'LL SEE THOSE IN THE GOAL PROGRESS MEASURES.

BUT DO YOU ALSO WANT TO THINK ABOUT WHAT DOES VIRTUAL LEARNING LOOK LIKE FOR NON-TRADITIONAL LEARNERS OR STUDENTS WITH DIFFERENT NEEDS, WITH LEARNING NEEDS? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? HOW DO YOU LIFT THAT UP?

>> HOW DO YOU DISTILL ALL OF THIS TO THE POINT THAT WE'RE JUST GOING TO SPITBALL IDEAS AND WHAT WERE PASSIONATE ABOUT EACH OF US? HOW DO YOU BEGIN TO WHITTLE DOWN WHAT OUR FINAL GUARDRAILS WILL BE?

>> I BUILT A LIST OF YOUR CONCERNS, SO THAT'S THE FIRST PART.

THAT'S THE BRAINSTORMING.

HERE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE KEEPING US UP AT NIGHT.

WE'RE THINKING IN TERMS OF AN INTERIM.

THEN WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS, JUST LIKE WE DID WITH THE GOALS, WE WOULD GO THROUGH A PROCESS OF HERE'S WHAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT.

WE'RE GOING TO NEGOTIATE THIS BETWEEN THREE OF US.

NOW WE'RE GOING TO NEGOTIATE THIS BETWEEN THE SEVEN OF US OR THE EIGHT OF US, AND WHAT DOES THAT BRING TOGETHER? I COULD DO A LOT OF THAT THROUGH PRE-WORK FOR THE NEXT MEETING.

THEN WE COULD COME TOGETHER AND SAY, HERE ARE THE FOUR THINGS THAT WE ALL AGREE.

WE CAN DO THAT THROUGH VOTING, I COULD BUILD A SURVEY OUT, I CAN DO A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS TO GET THAT BECAUSE IT'S A LITTLE CHALLENGING.

I DON'T HAVE FLIP CHARTS THAT I CAN RUN YOU ALL AROUND LIKE I DID WITH THE GOALS.

BUT WE CAN CREATE SOME MECHANISMS WHERE WE NARROW IT DOWN.

THEN WE BRING THAT IN AND MAKE SURE THAT DR. MCFARLAND IS A PART OF THAT CONVERSATION.

THEN JUST LIKE THE GOALS WERE, ONCE YOU NARROW THAT DOWN, THEN WE GIVE IT TO DR. MCFARLAND AND SAY, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DEMONSTRATE PROGRESS ON THIS? HIS TEAM WOULD TACKLE THAT, AND THEN THEY'LL COME BACK WITH PROGRESS MEASURES.

THAT'S HOW I WOULD RECOMMEND US DOING IT.

THAT MAKES SENSE? ANSWER YOUR QUESTION?

>> YES, MA'AM INDEED. THANK YOU.

>> THAT WAY, I THINK WE CAN DO IT MUCH MORE EFFICIENT WITH A LITTLE DIGITAL HELP BEFORE WE COME BACK TO THE NEXT MEETING AND THEN TALK ABOUT THAT.

BECAUSE I ALSO THINK THAT THIS PART OF THE EQUATION IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO BUILD INTO YOUR OPERATING PROCEDURES, JUST LIKE IN YOUR OTHER GOALS, OR EVEN IF WE HAVE AN INTERIM MANIFESTO THAT WE DRIVE AND BUILD OUT THAT COULD INCLUDE SOME OF THESE NEW REALITY THAT WE'RE FACING WITH AS A BOARD.

ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? BEFORE I MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT, I DO WANT TO GET YOUR FEELINGS BECAUSE I'VE

[02:00:02]

WE DO THAT INTERIM PROCESS DIGITALLY AND THEN COME BACK WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE NEXT BOARD TRAINING TO DISCUSS.

OR IF YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS THAT I CAN ANSWER AROUND THIS.

>> I'M NOT SURE IT'S A QUESTION, BUT IT'S JUST A COMMENT.

I DON'T KNOW A BETTER WORD TO USE FOR THIS, BUT I COMPLETELY AGREE ON INTERIM PROCESSES AND THAT SORT OF THING.

THE IDEA OF THE GUARDRAILS FEELS STICKY TO ME.

[LAUGHTER] IT FEELS A LITTLE BIT LIKE THERE WOULD BE AN ASSUMPTION OF TRUST THAT IS MISSING, TO SAY TO OUR SUPERINTENDENT THOU SHALT NOT BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW.

IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE HOW WE TYPICALLY INTERACT WITH OUR SUPERINTENDENT.

IT'S A LITTLE BOTHERSOME TO ME.

IF IT'S AT THE PLEASURE OF THE REST OF THE BOARD, I'M HAPPY TO COMPLY.

I JUST WANTED TO VOICE THAT.

>> IT'S INTERESTING THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT BECAUSE THE THOUGHT THAT WAS GOING ACROSS MY MIND AND I DON'T WANT THIS TO SOUND LIKE, I DON'T KNOW.

THE THOUGHT THAT CAME TO MIND FOR ME WAS, HOW DOES DR. MCFARLAND FEEL ABOUT THIS? BECAUSE UP UNTIL THIS POINT, WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTHCOMING WITH WHAT WE WANT OUR GOALS TO BE AND WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE, AND I FEEL LIKE WE HAVEN'T HAD ISSUE WITH THOSE THINGS THAT THEY'RE NOT ATTENDED TO AND THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY QUESTION OF TRUST.

FOR ME, IT'S THINKING BACKWARDS. I DON'T KNOW.

I HAVEN'T BEEN THINKING ABOUT, IT IS VERY BACKWARDS THINKING FOR ME.

IT'S ALMOST LIKE ANTICIPATING THAT SOMEONE WOULD NOT DO SOMETHING AS OPPOSED TO JUST SAYING WHAT IT IS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE THEM TO DO, AND THEN ALLOWING THEM TO DO THAT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS, AND GUIDELINES, AND ETHICS, AND OUR VALUE TO THE BOARD.

I LIKE THE VALUES, I FEEL LIKE THE VALUES ARE OUR GUARDRAILS.

>> RIGHT? [OVERLAPPING].

>> SO EVEN. [OVERLAPPING] OH, GO AHEAD.

>> NO, GO AHEAD.

>> SAME THING FOR ME AND I KNOW WE HAVE THE VALUES AND I AGREE WITH YOU, MS. HALL.

EVEN IF WE HAVE THESE EXAMPLES, IS THERE NOT A WAY TO MAKE IT MORE POSITIVE? SO YOU COULD EASILY SAY THE SUPERINTENDENT WILL OPERATE OR WILL ADDRESS THE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF ALL STUDENTS.

YOU'RE ACHIEVING THAT AND YOU'RE JUST WORDSMITHING IT SO THAT IT'S MORE POSITIVE REFLECTED THAN NEGATIVE REFLECTIVE.

BECAUSE THESE ALL SOUND NEGATIVE. [OVERLAPPING]

>> THAT WAS GOING TO COMMENT.

THAT IT'S STATED POSITIVELY, RATHER THAN WILL NOT.

>> I PROPOSE A DESIGNATE AS OPPOSED TO A GUARDRAIL.

[LAUGHTER].

>> BUT THESE ARE THE THINGS WE WILL DO.

>> YES, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO ARRIVE AT THIS PLACE, AS OPPOSED TO THIS IS THE ROAD I WANT YOU TO TAKE AND ONLY THIS ROAD.

>> OKAY.

>> SO [OVERLAPPING]

>> I DON'T KNOW. MY ADD IS NOT SET UP LIKE THAT.

I MEAN, THIS IS NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH MY IP TO TELL YOU WHAT BEHAVIOR IS PROHIBITED TO MAKE YOU MANIFEST THE OUTCOME THAT I WOULD LIKE.

>> CAN WE HEAR FROM DR. MCFARLAND?

>> I'M TRYING TO PROCESS THIS.

THIS IS FOREIGN TO ME, BUT I KNOW THAT IT'S A BAKED IN PART OF THE LONE STAR GOVERNANCE.

IT MAY BE BECAUSE, AND YOU CAN CORRECT ME MS. ARVANITIS IF I'M WRONG, BUT I THINK THE WHOLE CONCEPT AROUND LONE STAR GOVERNANCE WHEN IT INITIALLY STARTED WAS BASED UPON EITHER DISTRICTS OR BOARDS WHERE THERE WAS SOME CONTENTION AND THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF DYSFUNCTION, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD.

I DON'T SEE THAT WITH OUR BOARD.

[02:05:02]

THAT'S EASY FOR ME TO INTERPRET.

THIS IS NEW FOR ME, LET ME JUST BE CLEAR.

THIS WILL BE NEW FOR ME. I'M HAVING TO READ IT AND INTERPRET IT.

IF IT'S THE WILL OF THE BOARD, I PREFER US NOT USE THE GUARDRAILS THAT WE JUST DO THE VALUES AND MOVE FORWARD.

BUT MS. ARVANITIS, YOU MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT BACKGROUND, I KNOW YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVE A DIFFERENT BACKGROUND THAN I DO AS IT RELATES TO THIS, BUT THAT'S MY ASSESSMENT OF IT.

IT'S A DIFFICULT WAY OF LOOKING AT WHAT IT IS I'M ASKED TO DO.

>> FAIR ENOUGH. ALL OF THOSE ARE FAIR COMMENTS.

LOOK, WE CAN CREATE VISIONARY GOVERNANCE HOWEVER YOU WANT.

HOWEVER, IT MAKES EVERYONE FEEL COMFORTABLE.

I THINK THE IDEA IS, THIS IS NOT ABOUT A PUNITIVE.

THE REASON WE BUILD OUT GUARDRAILS IS NOT BECAUSE WE WANT TO CREATE ANYTHING PUNITIVE FOR YOUR SUPERINTENDENT, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS PLACE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MONITORING THOSE VALUES SQUARELY ON THE BOARD AND THE RESPONSIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING AROUND THOSE VALUES SQUARELY ON THE SUPERINTENDENT.

IT ACTUALLY WAS DESIGNED TO BE ABLE TO GIVE PERMISSION, UNSPOKEN SUPPORT THAT SAYS YOU MIGHT HAVE TO MAKE SOME HARD DECISIONS, SUPERINTENDENT MCFARLAND.

>> RIGHT.

>> RIGHT. WHEN WE GO BACK TO SOME OF THESE OTHER, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL AND SAFETY VOICE, THOSE ARE PRIORITIES THAT PROBABLY LIVE IN MOST PEOPLE THAT ARE SITTING ON THIS CALL AND SITTING DEFINITELY AT THE BOARD TABLE.

BUT THERE MAY BE TIMES WHEN YOU HAVE ASKED YOUR SUPERINTENDENT TO CLOSE SIGNIFICANT GAPS ON HIS CAMPUSES AND HE IS GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE HARD DECISIONS IN ORDER TO DO THAT OR TO BE INCREDIBLY INNOVATIVE.

BY SETTING A GUARDRAIL AROUND THEM AND THE EXPECTATION THAT THIS IS THE VALUE, THAT WE VALUE ALL STUDENTS, THAT WE DON'T JUST VALUE SOME STUDENTS, THERE IT FREES HIM UP TO MAKE THOSE REALLY HARD DECISIONS AND IT GIVES HIM POLITICAL COVER QUITE HONESTLY AS WELL, BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHAT HE'S GOING TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR.

NOW, THAT BEING SAID, THAT'S THE REASON BEHIND IT, WHICH YOU ASKED ME TO GIVE YOU.

THE REASON BEHIND IT IS THE [INAUDIBLE] EVERYTHING IS IF IT'S A VAGUE PRIORITY AND IT'S TOO BROAD, THEN HOW DOES THE BOARD MEASURE PROGRESS? BECAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE BOARD TO BE ABLE TO MEASURE PROGRESS.

NOW, I WOULD WANT TO BRING IT INTO BOARD WORK, PUT IT INTO THE OPERATING PROCEDURES, AND I WOULD WANT TO DO IT AS A VALUE STATEMENT.

NOW, TO MOST OF YOUR CONCERNS, WE CAN MAKE IT A POSITIVE STATEMENT.

WE CAN MAKE IT A DESTINATION STATEMENT, BUT WE STILL NEED TO MEASURE PROGRESS ON, AND WE STILL NEED TO ALLOW THE SUPERINTENDENT AND SET THE EXPECTATION THAT NOT ONLY DO WE EXPECT IT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, AND OF COURSE WE TRUST YOUR SUPERINTENDENT.

THAT'S WHY YOU'RE BUILDING THESE COLLABORATIVELY.

YOU'RE NOT TELLING HIM SOMETHING THAT HE HASN'T PROVIDED INPUT ON.

WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS SAYING THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY AND THEREFORE, IT'S IMPORTANT TO US AS TRUSTEES.

WE KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU AS WELL SUPERINTENDENT, SO WE'RE GIVING YOU THE SPACE TO INNOVATE AND TO IMPLEMENT AROUND THAT.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MADE SENSE.

>> I THINK YOU HAD SOME OTHER EXAMPLES OF GUARDRAILS.

>> I DO.

IF YOU LOOK AT GUARDRAIL NUMBER 1, THE SUPERINTENDENT WILL NOT ALLOW UNDER-PERFORMING CAMPUSES TO HAVE PRINCIPALS OR TEACHERS WHO RANK IN THE BOTTOM TWO QUARTILES OF A PRINCIPAL OR TEACHER DISTRICT WIDE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION.

THAT'S SAYING THAT ONE OF THE VALUES FOR US IS TO CLOSE THE GAPS FOR KIDS.

I'M NOT SAYING THIS IS FOR CROWLEY,

[02:10:02]

WE MAKE SURE THAT THOSE CHILDREN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CATCH UP WITH OUR KIDS.

IT'S NOT SAYING WE'RE GOING TO SHIFT THINGS AROUND.

IF DR. MCFARLAND, I AS TRUSTEE HAD TOLD YOU YOU HAD TO CLOSE THE READING GAP BY 40 POINTS, [NOISE] YOU WOULD HAVE TO DO SOMETHING, THAT'S A BIG ASK.

YOU MIGHT NEED SOME GUARDRAILS AROUND THAT.

[NOISE]

>> OKAY. WHEN I LOOK AT GUARD RAIL NUMBER 4, GOING BACK TO MISS ROBINSON'S QUESTION ABOUT BEING INEQUITABLE OR BEING EQUITABLE, THAT GUARD RAIL NUMBER 4 WOULD ADDRESS THAT?

>> YES, WE COULD BE MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT IT.

>> OKAY.

>> THE GUARD RAIL NUMBER 2, YOU MAY NOT HAVE THIS CHALLENGE WITH YOUR SUPERINTENDENT.

YOU MAY NOT NEED THIS KIND OF A GUARD RAIL, BUT THERE ARE BOARDS WHO WANT TO MAKE SURE THEIR SUPERINTENDENT IS COMMUNICATING WITH THEM.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SAYING, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT CROWLEY ISD HAS TO HAVE ANY OF THESE GUARD RAILS, I'M JUST WANT TO INTRODUCE IT AS A MECHANISM.

>> QUESTION ABOUT JUST THE FORMATION OF GUARD RAILS.

I'M ASSUMING THAT THESE GUARD RAILS ARE CREATED FROM THE LIST OF VALUES THAT WE HAVE, SO WE LOOK AT THE VALUES AND THEN WE ASKED THE QUESTION, WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS OR ACTIONS THAT ARE NECESSARY IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THAT VALUE IS EMPHASIZED OR IS RECOGNIZED.

THEN, WE HAVE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THAT ACTION IS AND THEN THAT BECOMES A GUARD RAIL, IS THAT HOW THAT'S DONE.

>>YES. THEN JUST LIKE YOU MEASURE THE PROGRESS AT BOARD MEETINGS ON THE GOALS.

YOU WOULD MEASURE SIDE-BY-SIDE PROGRESS ON THOSE GUARD RAILS.

WHAT DID YOU DO TO GET TO THE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL KIDS, THE WELL-BEING OF KIDS, OR WHAT DID WE DO TO LIFT UP PARENT VOICE? WHAT DID WE DO TO LIFT UP TEACHER VOICE? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?

>> GOT YOU.

>> [OVERLAPPING].

>> GO AHEAD.

>> IF WE OPTED TO DO THE VALUES IN GUARD RAILS, THESE WOULD REPLACE THE BOARD PRIORITIES THAT WE HAVE NOW?

>> NOT NECESSARILY, I THINK WE WOULD ALIGN THEM, WE'D LOOK AT SOME ALIGNMENT THERE.

I THINK IT JUST MAKES THE BOARD PRIORITIES MEASURABLE.

>> IT'S SO HARD TO [OVERLAPPING].

>> YOU CAN HAVE A LOT.

>> [LAUGHTER] YEAH, IT'S SO HARD TO DO THIS IN THE ABSENCE OF A FLIPCHART AND SOME OTHER VISUALS IN THE ROOM, BECAUSE I WANT TO SEE OUR PRIORITIES AT THE SAME TIME, SO THAT I COULD BE THINKING, AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME, I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT OUR GOALS ARE FOR TONIGHT, MEANING ARE WE DEVELOPING GUARD RAILS TONIGHT? WE'RE BRAINSTORMING THIS PART AND THEN, OUR PRIORITIES, HOW MANY GUARD RAILS DO YOU HAVE? GUARD RAILS ARE INTERCHANGEABLE FOR PRIORITIES.

>> JUST LIKE WHEN WE WENT BACK UP TO YOUR GOALS AND YOU HAD THRIVING STUDENTS, POWERED STAFF, ENGAGED COMMUNITY, THOSE ARE YOUR GOALS.

BUT THOSE ARE NOT MEASURABLE GOALS.

WE HAVE TO SET STUDENT OUTCOME GOALS THAT ARE MEASURABLE.

THEY FIT UNDER YOUR THRIVING STUDENTS, SO NOW YOU HAVE THESE OTHER TWO GOALS AND YOU HAVE PRIORITIES, ENGAGING YOUR COMMUNITY OR EMPOWERING YOUR STAFF, SO THAT MIGHT SPEAK TO THIS TEACHER VOICE, SO LET'S CREATE A MEASURABLE, AN ACTIONABLE ITEM UNDERNEATH THAT.

THAT'S WHAT THE GUARD RAILS ARE.

>> I STILL THINK THAT YOU CAN HAVE THE GUARD RAILS, BE POSITIVE AND STILL MEASURE.

[02:15:02]

>> YEAH, WE CAN DO THAT, WE CAN BUILD THAT OUT.

I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THAT.

THIS IS TRADITIONALLY HOW WE BUILT THEM OUT, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS CREATE WHAT FITS YOUR BOARD AND YOUR VALUES AND YOUR SUPERINTENDENT.

WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS.

ALL WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS [INAUDIBLE] THE ACTION.

[NOISE]

>> [INAUDIBLE] HAVE A VISUAL? I FEEL SO ELEMENTARY ASKING YOU THAT, BUT DO YOU HAVE A VISUAL? I JUST [INAUDIBLE] AROUND AND NEED YOU TO ANCHOR IT FOR ME.

>> I'M SORRY, I INTERRUPTED YOU.

>> NO, YOU DIDN'T, I WAS DONE.

>> YOU MEAN A VISUAL OTHER THAN THE SAMPLES.

YOU'RE ON MUTE I THINK.

>> I DID KNOW THAT, I HAD PEOPLE ENTERING MY ROOM.

[LAUGHTER] BUT I WAS TRYING TO KEEP THAT THOUGHT GOING.

FOR ME, AND THIS IS GOING TO BE A VERY ELEMENTARY EXAMPLE, BUT JUST SO YOU CAN GET AN IDEA, I DON'T KNOW THAT WHEN WE WERE WRITING PAPERS WHEN WE WERE KIDS, AND YOU GAVE ME A THESIS STATEMENT, THEN I KNEW MY THREE IDEAS, THEN I KNEW THE LITTLE BOXES UNDERNEATH WHERE I HAD TO DO MY SUPPORTING THINGS FROM OUR THREE IDEAS THAT SUPPORTED MY THESIS.

DO YOU HAVE A FLOW CHART OF THIS PROCESS SO THAT I UNDERSTAND WHERE OUR GOALS SIT, WHERE OUR VALUES SIT, WHERE THE GUARDRAILS, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I'M TRYING TO ORGANIZE MY THINKING SO I KNOW HOW IT'S ALL CONNECTED.

>> I DO HAVE THAT VISUAL AND I CAN SHOW YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>> I DON'T HAVE IT BUT I CAN PULL IT UP RIGHT THIS MINUTE.

>> [INAUDIBLE] BECAUSE WE'RE NOT DOING IT TONIGHT, BUT JUST SO YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THAT LEARNER IN THE ROOM, AND I'M THAT LEARNER.

>> I APPRECIATE THAT. I HAVE THAT VISUAL.

ALL MY GOAL WAS TODAY WAS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IT BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THE COMPONENTS THAT YOU WOULD BRING INTO YOUR OPERATING PROCEDURES AND IT'S ONE OF THE COMPONENTS YOU WOULD BRING INTO SUPERINTENDENT EVALUATION.

I WANTED US TO FRAME IT AND TALK ABOUT IT.

WE DIDN'T GET THE OPPORTUNITY, WE DID TALK ABOUT CONSTRAINT, WE CALL THEM CONSTRAINTS IN THE LONE STAR GOVERNANCE, AND NOBODY LIKES THAT WORD. THAT'S EVEN WORSE.

I'D MODIFIED IT A LITTLE BIT TO CALL IT A GUARD RAIL, A NON-NEGOTIABLE, A VALUE STATEMENT, WE CAN CALL IT ANYTHING YOU WANT, BUT IT'S GOING TO REPRESENT THE SAME AND WE CAN FRAME IT IN A POSITIVE WAY, AS LONG AS IT'S WRITTEN INTO THE WORK AND THERE'S PROGRESS MEASURES THEN WE'VE MADE IT ACTIONABLE.

BUT YOU HAD A LOT OF CONCERNS AND THINGS THAT ARE KEEPING YOU UP AT NIGHT, WHICH IS TRUE FOR ALMOST EVERY BOARD THAT IS WORKING IN THIS WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN RIGHT NOW BECAUSE YOU'RE CONCERNED WITH YOUR STUDENTS, YOU'RE CONCERNED WITH YOUR TEAMS, YOU'RE CONCERNED WITH YOUR FAMILIES, SO WHAT DO WE NEED TO WRITE IN THERE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ADDRESSING THOSE CONCERNS.

EVEN IF IT'S SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL, JUST LIKE THE EXAMPLE THAT DR. MCFARLAND GAVE, VIRTUAL VERSUS IN PERSON, WHAT DO WE DOING TO MAKE SURE OUR STUDENT EXPERIENCE AND THEY'RE TAKEN CARE OF? WHAT DO WE DO TO LIFT UP STUDENT OR A TEACHER VOICE? IF THAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU, OR TEACHER EMOTIONAL TRAUMA, HOW ARE WE PROVIDING FOR THAT? THOSE ARE THREE PRETTY IMPORTANT VALUES THAT I BELIEVE YOU AND YOUR COMMUNITY PROBABLY ALL SHARE.

IF WE DON'T CREATE ACTIONABLE ITEMS AROUND THAT, WE DON'T MEASURE THEM.

WE DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE WORKING.

NOT THAT WE DON'T TRUST OUR SUPERINTENDENT, BUT WHAT YOU MEASURE IS WHAT COUNTS, SO YOU GOT TO MEASURE IT.

THAT MAKE SENSE? I DON'T WANT TO LABOR THIS ANYMORE.

WHAT I DO WANT TO DO IS, IF IT'S ALL RIGHT WITH YOU GUYS, I'LL BRING IN SOME VISUALS, I'LL FRAME THIS, I'LL BRING YOUR PRIORITIES IN, I'LL CREATE THIS IN A BUILD OUT WORD MAP FROM YOUR CONCERNS, SO WE FRAME THOSE IN THERE AND THEN WE CAN HAVE ANOTHER CONVERSATION ABOUT, OKAY, YEAH, THESE THREE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT TO US, OR NO, WE'RE GOOD, WE DON'T NEED TO DO THIS, AND IF THAT'S THE CASE THEN THAT'S THE CASE. FAIR ENOUGH?

>> ALL RIGHT.

[02:20:01]

>> OKAY.

SO [LAUGHTER] JUST BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO THROW ANOTHER WRENCH IN THERE, THOSE GUARDRAILS ARE NOT JUST IMPORTANT FOR YOUR SUPERINTENDENT, THEY'RE ALSO IMPORTANT FOR YOUR BOARD.

THEY FRAME HOW YOU HOLD YOURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE.

SO YOU CAN ALSO SET VALUES AND GUARD RAILS FOR YOUR BOARD.

I AM GOING TO PULL UP THIS HERE, SO THAT YOU CAN SAY, WE'RE GOING TO HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE FOR MEASURING STUDENT PROGRESS FOUR TIMES A YEAR, [NOISE] OR WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT STUDENT OUTCOMES IN EVERY SINGLE MEETING OR WE'RE GOING TO FRAME OUR AGENDA SO THAT 30 PERCENT OF OUR AGENDA IS ON STUDENT OUTCOMES.

WE'RE GOING TO CREATE A COMMUNICATION STRUCTURE ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS STAFF MEMBERS, HOW WE'RE GOING TO HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT.

THOSE ARE ALL GUARDRAILS THAT YOU WOULD PUT ON YOURSELVES.

I CAN GIVE YOU EXAMPLES FOR THAT TOO AND I'LL BRING THOSE TO YOU BECAUSE THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR OPERATING PROCEDURES AS WELL.

YOUR OPERATING PROCEDURES IS REALLY DIVIDED OR SHOULD BE DIVIDED INTO THESE FOUR SECTIONS.

WHAT ARE YOUR VISION AND GOALS? WHAT ARE YOUR VALUES AND GUARD RAILS, BOTH FOR YOU, FOR THE BOARD, AND FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT? AS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR SUPERINTENDENT DERIVE, YOUR ONLY DIRECT REPORT IS YOUR SUPERINTENDENT AS A BOARD.

SO HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THEM? IS IT CLEAR? IS IT COLLABORATIVE? DOES IT INCLUDE VISIONS AND VALUES? WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER STAFF MEMBERS AND HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THAT? SHOULD YOU ADDRESS THAT? THEN YOUR BOARD RELATIONSHIPS, COMMUNITIES WITH YOUR BOARD MEMBER AND WITH EACH OTHER.

HOW DO YOU HOLD YOURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE? IT MAY NOT BE SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE STRUGGLING WITH RIGHT NOW, BUT ONE OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT YOU ALSO HAVE IS TO CREATE AND SET PRECEDENCE, SO THAT AS NEW BOARD MEMBERS COME INTO THE PROCESS, THEY ARE VERY CLEAR ON HOW THE VALUES THAT YOU HOLD AS A BOARD, NOT JUST FOR YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUT ALSO FOR YOURSELVES AND FOR EACH OTHER.

SO THAT'S WHERE THOSE BOARD GUARDRAILS COME.

[OVERLAPPING] GO AHEAD.

>> WOULD YOU TALK ABOUT THE VALUES AND GUARDRAILS, ARE THESE INCLUDED, HOW ARE YOU MONITORING AND HOW YOU RESOURCING THEM, WOULD YOU TALK ABOUT THAT, PLEASE?

>> SURE. JUST LIKE YOU'VE SET GOALS, THE STUDENT OUTCOME GOALS, AND YOU GOT PROGRESS MEASURES AND YOU'RE GOING TO MONITOR THEM, AND BECAUSE YOU SET THOSE AS YOUR STUDENT OUTCOME GOALS, THOSE ARE YOUR HIGHEST PRIORITY GOALS.

THOSE ARE WHAT YOU'VE DECIDED ARE WHAT'S GOING TO CHANGE THE LIVES OF KIDS.

THERE ARE TONS OF OTHER WORK THAT YOUR SUPERINTENDENT AND HIS TEAM ARE DOING FOR EVERY SINGLE GRADE AND AT EVERY SINGLE CAMPUS.

BUT YOUR ROLE IS NOT TO IMPLEMENT OR TO MANAGE ALL OF THOSE MOVING PIECES.

YOUR ROLE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DISTRICT IS MOVING IN A DIRECTION WHERE ALL STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO EXCEED AND YOU'RE MEASURING THAT PROGRESS.

[BACKGROUND] THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE STUDENT OUTCOME GOALS.

>> OKAY. I GUESS I MAY HAVE INTERPRETED THAT A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.

WHERE DOES ETHICS COME IN? WILL IT FIT IN ONE OF THESE?

>> YEAH, IN YOUR GUARDRAILS.

THERE'S ALSO YOUR LEGAL REQUIREMENTS, BUT YOU CAN WRITE ESSENTIALLY YOUR ETHICS OR HOW YOU SHOW UP.

HOW YOU SHOW UP WITH EACH OTHER, HOW YOU SHOW UP AS A BOARD MEMBER, HOW YOU SHOW UP IN THE WORK THAT YOU MIGHT DO WITH YOUR SUPERINTENDENT AND HIS TEAM.

THOSE ARE GUARDRAILS, THOSE ARE BOARD BEHAVIORS [NOISE] THAT YOU SET, YOU CAN CALL THEM ETHICS, YOU CAN CALL THEM OPERATING GUIDELINES, YOU CAN CALL THEM MANY OTHER WAY.

YOU HAVE THEM IN YOUR BOARD OPERATING PROCESS.

[02:25:04]

>> OKAY, THANK YOU.

>> DID I ANSWER IT?

>> YES, YOU DID. THANK YOU.

>> SO I THINK ONE OF OUR END GOALS OF THIS TEAM OF A WORK AND THE EXTENSION OF MOST OUR GOVERNANCE WAS TO FRAME ALL OF THIS WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE IN A WAY THAT LIVES IN AN OPERATING PROCEDURE GUIDELINES SO THAT BOTH THE COMMUNITY KNOWS WHAT YOU'RE REPRESENTING, YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS, NEW BOARD MEMBERS KNOW WHAT IT IS.

YOUR SUPERINTENDENT IS TOTALLY CLEAR WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING.

EVERYBODY'S LIVING BY THE SAME RULES.

SO THAT'S ONE OF THE GOALS OF THIS TYPE OF GOVERNANCE IS TO SAY, WE'RE JUST GOING TO CLARIFY EVERYTHING.

HERE IS WHAT WE DO AS A BOARD.

THIS IS THE WORK THAT WE DO.

THIS IS THE FOCUS THAT WE MAKE, AND HERE IS THE WORK THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT DOES.

WE WORK IN COLLABORATION, BUT WE DON'T WORK AS INTERCHANGEABLE.

[NOISE] THAT MAKES SENSE? ONE WAY YOU CAN DO THAT IS JUST BUILD THE FRAMEWORK SO EVERYBODY'S CLEAR.

THERE IS NO FUZZINESS.

WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN ONE OF OUR GOVERNANCE TRAINING AND I ONLY HAVE A FEW MINUTES AND I DO WANT US TO HAVE SOME TIME TO JUST REFLECT, BUT WE DIDN'T GET TO ALL THE COMPONENTS.

WE JUST KIND OF FRAMED IT IN THAT TWO-DAY WEEKEND THAT WE WORK TOGETHER.

WE TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF THIS.

WE BROUGHT IT OUT, BUT WE NEVER GOT TO PUT IT INTO ACTION.

SO THAT'S WHAT THESE FOLLOW-UP MEETINGS ARE, IS TO SUPPORT YOU AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO BRING IT ALL INTO ACTION.

I'M JUST INTRODUCING THESE PIECES AND HOW WE CAN BRING IT IN TO FRAME IT.

SO WITH THE FEW MINUTES THAT WE HAVE LEFT, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE FIRST OF ALL, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY REFLECTIONS OR WE'VE JUST SPENT TWO HOURS AND I'VE TOTALLY MUDDIED UP ALL THE WATERS FOR YOU, IN WHICH CASE WE GOT TO FIND CLARITY.

BUT I DO THINK THAT THIS IS, NORMALLY, WE WOULD HAVE A FOUR-HOUR IN-PERSON WORK MEETING THAT WE COULD CHART OUT AND DO ALL THIS AND GET DIRTY AND MOVE AROUND.

SO IT IS A LITTLE BIT HARDER ON THESE DIGITAL WAYS.

BUT I THINK IF OUR END GOAL AT THE END OF THIS IS TO HAVE VERY CLEAR GOALS, PROGRESS MEASURES, VALUES, IF WE WANT TO MAKE THOSE ACTIONABLE, IF WE WANT TO MAKE YOUR PRIORITIES ACTIONABLE, THEN WE NEED TO HAVE THOSE.

HOW THE PROGRESS IS TO BE MEASURED, AND THEN HOW DO WE BRING THAT ALL TOGETHER.

SO IT'S INCLUDED IN YOUR OPERATING PROCEDURES.

THEN HOW DO YOU BUILD YOUR SUPERINTENDENT EVALUATION BASED ON THOSE? THAT'S A SIMPLE FLOWCHART, NOT VISUAL, BUT NARRATIVE OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

SO THE NEXT STEPS WOULD BE TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF THIS VISUAL WORK OFFLINE, WHICH I CAN RE-FRAME AND BUILD OUT.

THEN WE CAN COME BACK AND SAY, OKAY, WELL, YEAH, THIS IS IMPORTANT TO US, THIS MAKES SENSE.

HERE'S THIS PIECE THAT THIS PIECE DOES MAKE SENSE, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.

WE'RE GOING TO FRAME THIS, BUT NOW WE HAVE A FULL SET OF PARAMETERS THAT WE CAN OPERATE FROM THAT ARE A LITTLE CLEARER AND SIMPLER THAN THE STANDARD TASK BE OPERATING PROCEDURES, WHICH IS PROBABLY WHAT YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW, IN FACT WITH A FEW MODIFICATIONS.

SO THAT WOULD BE OUR NEXT STEPS.

SO THEN WE WOULD END WITH OPERATING PROCEDURES AND THE SUPERINTENDENT EVALUATION TOOL AND A MONITORING CALENDAR.

[02:30:12]

THAT TO ME IS INCREDIBLE.

IF YOU END UP WITH ALL OF THAT, REGARDLESS OF HOW IT LOOKS, IF WE END UP WITH A VERY CLEAN AND CLEAR FRAMEWORK FOR THIS WORK, THEN THAT TO ME IS VERY GOOD COLLABORATIVE TEAM OF EIGHT WORK. THAT'S BOARD WORK.

>> PATRICIA, I KNOW THAT OUR TIME IS COMING TO A CLOSE, AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME RESOURCES YOU SAID YOU'RE GOING TO PROVIDE, ACCOMMODATIONS, IF YOU WILL, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD.

IS THERE HOMEWORK? I [INAUDIBLE] TO BE PREPARED FOR THIS NEXT MEETING.

I CAN'T SPEAK FOR OTHER PEOPLE.

I KNOW THAT I KEEP [INAUDIBLE] FORWARD AND SAYING THIS IS HARD FOR ME.

NOT THAT I'M NOT ENJOYING THIS, BUT I'M SAYING THE TRAINING THAT WE HAD BEFORE, IT'S DIFFERENT, OBVIOUSLY, ZOOM IS DIFFERENT.

THIS CONTEXT, THIS SPACE IS VERY DIFFERENT.

THIS IS NEW FOR US.

I DON'T KNOW, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME, SO I JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M READY WHEN WE COME BACK THE NEXT TIME.

>> I APPRECIATE THAT FEEDBACK.

I'M GOING TO RELY ON ALL OF YOU.

I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU SOME VISUALS.

I'M GOING TO DISTILL THIS CONVERSATION AS BEST I CAN AND SEND IT BACK OUT TO YOU, AND THEN I WILL TAKE ANY FEEDBACK.

I'LL PUT SOME PLACES WHERE YOU CAN GIVE ME FEEDBACK, AND I'LL BRING THAT BACK TOGETHER AND BUILD [NOISE] A MORE VISUAL LOOK AT THIS SO WHEN WE COME BACK, WE HAVE IT ALL, YOU'VE SEEN IT, YOU HAD CHANCES TO LOOK AT MAYBE YOUR CURRENT OPERATING PROCEDURES, ALL THAT.

WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY.

THIS WAS REALLY TO INTRODUCE SOME CONCEPTS, BUT I CAN DISTILL THE CONVERSATION AND THE BRAINSTORMING THAT WE DID AND SEND IT BACK OUT TO YOU, GET YOUR FEEDBACK, AND THEN BUILD A MORE CUSTOMIZED NEXT STEPS.

>> IS IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO DO THE BREAKOUT GROUPS? I KNOW WHEN WE MET BEFORE, WE HAD THE SMALLER GROUPS WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO DISCUSS.

IS THAT POSSIBLE IN THIS FORMAT, OR BECAUSE WE'RE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, IS IT NOT?

>> I NORMALLY WOULD HAVE PUT YOU IN BREAKOUT ROOMS AND I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASIER FOR SOME OF THIS, BUT NO.

BECAUSE THIS IS A PUBLIC AND OPEN MEETING, I CAN'T BREAK YOU OUT.

>> ALSO, BOARD, ONE THING THAT WE MAY CONSIDER FOR THE NEXT MEETING IS SEE IF WE CAN CREATE A SCENARIO OR A SPACE WHERE WE CAN SOCIAL DISTANCE AND BE FACE TO FACE SOMEWHAT SO THAT WE CAN POSSIBLY BE IN THE SAME ROOM TOGETHER.

WE CAN THINK THROUGH THAT, WORK THROUGH THAT IF THAT'S THE DESIRE OF THE BOARD.

SOME OF THIS WORK JUST REALLY DESERVES FOR US TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO EACH OTHER AND BOUNCE OFF EACH OTHER IDEAS THAT MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE THROUGH ZOOM.

SO IF IT IS THE WILL OF THE BOARD, WE CAN CREATE A SITUATION AND A SCENARIO WHERE WE DO SOME KIND OF FACE TO FACE.

WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE IN A SAFE FORMAT IF YOU'RE INVESTED IN IT.

>> WHATEVER THE BOARD PREFERS WOULD BE GREAT FOR ME, I'M AMENABLE TO.

I KNOW WHEN WE DID THIS LAST TIME, THERE WAS A LOT OF PARTICIPATION AND A LOT OF GOOD WORK PRODUCT, AND I THINK THAT WE'RE ALL STRUGGLING IN THIS CONTEXT.

I'M SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, MY I STATEMENT.

I AM STRUGGLING IN THIS CONTEXT TO [NOISE] HAVE CLARITY OF THOUGHT ON EXACTLY HOW TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DISCUSSION.

>> ALL RIGHT. ALSO, BOARD PRESIDENT HALL, BEFORE WE END, I WOULD LIKE JUST ADD SOME CONTEXT TO WHY WE'RE DOING THIS.

BEFORE WE WRAP UP, I'D JUST LIKE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

[02:35:04]

>> BACK TO YOU. WAIT, I'M GIVING IT BACK TO PATRICIA.

ARE YOU GOING TO GIVE YOUR FINAL THOUGHT? ARE YOU CLOSING NOW? [OVERLAPPING].

WE STARTED ASKING QUESTIONS AND STARTED TALKING, BUT WE NEVER GOT BACK TO [INAUDIBLE].

>> NO, I'D LOVE TO HEAR DR. MCFARLAND PROVIDE CONTEXT.

AS I SAID, I THINK WE CAN CREATE THE MECHANISM.

I CAN EVEN DO IT DIGITALLY IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

I JUST WANTED TO INTRODUCE THESE CONCEPTS TODAY.

I THINK YOU GUYS GAVE ME GREAT FEEDBACK TOO AND MAYBE I DIDN'T PROVIDE IT AS VISUAL AS IT MIGHT'VE WORKED FOR ALL OF YOU.

WE CAN WORK ON THAT, WE CAN DO THAT, AND WHETHER YOU GUYS WANT TO DO IT IN PERSON OR DIGITALLY, I'M OPEN TO ANY OF THIS.

I THINK JUST OUR END GOAL IS THE SAME.

WE WANT A FRAMEWORK THAT WORKS AND LIVES AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS CLARITY ON THAT.

THAT WAS MY CLOSING.

>> FIRST OF ALL, I CAN SAY THE CONVERSATION, ANYTIME WE HAVE OPPORTUNITY AS A BOARD AND AS A TEAM OF EIGHT TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS AND MAKE MEANING, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO GO FROM BEING CONFUSED AND UNSURE TO ACTUALLY COLLECTIVELY HAVING A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF A PROCESS THAT WORKS FOR US.

BACKING UP, LET'S TALK ABOUT WHY WE'RE DOING LONE STAR GOVERNANCE.

WHY ARE WE EVEN INVESTIGATING THIS? WHY ARE WE EVEN GOING DOWN THIS ROUTE? OR WHY DID WE START ON THIS ROUTE? WELL, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, MY ASPIRATION AND OUR ASPIRATION IS TO BE THE BEST SCHOOL BOARD IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND A HIGH-PERFORMING BOARD AT THAT.

IN TALKING TO MS. DAVIS, WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR IS SAY, "WHATEVER THE HIGHEST PERFORMING BOARDS ARE DOING OR WHATEVER THE BEST BOARDS ARE DOING IN THE STATE, WE WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT." SO THE TRAINING IN LONE STAR GOVERNANCE, IT STARTED OFF AS A REQUIREMENT FOR SOME BOARDS.

BUT THEN THERE WAS THIS ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT IT WAS A REALLY GOOD WORK, REALLY DIFFERENT WORK, DIFFERENT WAY OF DOING BOARD BUSINESS AND BOARD SUPERINTENDENT RELATIONS.

IT REALLY IS A DIFFERENT WAY; DIFFERENT LANGUAGE, DIFFERENT APPROACH, AND IT STRETCHES YOUR THINKING ABOUT TRADITIONAL BOARD WORK AND TRADITIONAL SUPERINTENDENT WORK.

I HAD SEVERAL COLLEAGUES AT OTHER DISTRICTS, IN LARGER DISTRICTS THAT WENT INTO THIS LONE STAR GOVERNANCE COHORT FULL BLAST.

SOME OF THEM HAD TO. INITIALLY, LONE STAR GOVERNANCE STARTED OFF FOR DISTRICTS THAT HAD LOW-PERFORMING CAMPUSES.

AS A REQUIREMENT OF THE SCHOOL BOARDS RETAINING THEIR POSITION, THEY HAD TO GO TO THIS LONE STAR GOVERNANCE.

WE'RE DOING IT NOT BECAUSE WE HAD TO, WE'RE DOING IT BECAUSE WE WANT TO.

IF THERE'S SOMETHING OUT THERE THAT WE FEEL REALLY GOOD THAT CAN TAKE A DYSFUNCTIONAL BOARD AND MAKE THEM BETTER, WELL, I FEEL LIKE IF THEY CAN TAKE A DYSFUNCTIONAL BOARD AND MAKE THEM A REALLY GOOD BOARD, THEN WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE THIS INFORMATION TO TAKE A REALLY GOOD BOARD AND MAKE US GREAT.

OUR DEAL FOR EVEN INVESTIGATING THIS PROCESS WAS TO SAY, "LET'S LOOK AT THIS.

LET'S SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN LEARN FROM THIS PROCESS." THE GOOD THING ABOUT IT IS, THE QUESTION THAT WE'RE ASKING AS WE'RE WALKING THROUGH IT WILL HELP US TO CREATE WHAT WE WANT OUT OF THIS PROCESS.

SO WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE EVERYTHING LOCK AND STALE, BUT THERE ARE ALSO VERY GOOD TOOLS IN LONE STAR GOVERNANCE.

AS WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM, WE CAN MAKE THEM OUR OWN.

THE GOOD THING ABOUT IT IS WE'RE DOING THIS TRAINING BECAUSE WE CHOSE TO, NOT BECAUSE WE WERE REQUIRED TO.

SO WE HAVE SOME LATITUDE AND FLEXIBILITY AS IT RELATES TO THAT.

WE HAVE SOME SYSTEM IN PLACE.

THINGS ARE GOING WELL, BUT OUR DESIRE IS TO BE A HIGH-PERFORMING BOARD.

SO IF WE CAN LEARN SOMETHING FROM THIS PROCESS, I THINK IT'LL BE BENEFICIAL.

I APPRECIATE YOU, MS. ARVANITIS.

I KNOW WE'VE BEEN VAGUE IN WHAT WE WANT, BUT AS WE WORK THROUGH IT, IT'LL BECOME CLEARER TO US, CLEARER TO ME.

SO I'M LEARNING RIGHT ALONG WITH YOU, BOARD.

I HAVE NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE WITH LONE STAR GOVERNANCE.

I JUST KNOW THAT HIGH-PERFORMING, SUCCESSFUL BOARDS ARE COMMITTED TO THE PROCESS, AND I'D LIKE FOR US TO BE A PART OF THAT.

THAT'S WHERE WE ARE, BUT I DEFINITELY WANT US TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A WALK AND NOT A SPRINT.

THIS IS A MARATHON FOR US.

SO WE TAKE OUR TIME AND WE FIGURE OUT WHAT WORKS FOR US AND I THINK WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.

THAT'S JUST MY PERSPECTIVE ON IT.

I WANT YOU TO KNOW, BOARD, WE'RE DOING THIS NOT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO, BUT BECAUSE WE WANT TO.

SO THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IT OUR OWN PROJECT.

[02:40:01]

>> I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, DR. MCFARLAND.

WE CAN CALL IT LONE STAR GOVERNANCE OR WE CAN CALL IT VISIONARY GOVERNANCE.

WE CAN CALL IT WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, BUT THERE'S THREE THINGS THAT A BOARD NEEDS TO BE, TO BE THE BEST BOARD IN TEXAS BY ANY MEASUREMENT.

THEY NEED TO BE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT, THEY NEED TO BE EQUITABLE AND UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF EQUITY THAT PLAYS, AND THEY NEED TO IMPROVE STUDENT OUTCOMES.

ALL THOSE THREE THINGS NEED TO HAPPEN FOR A BOARD TO BE THE BEST BOARD, NOT JUST IN TEXAS, THE BEST BOARD IN THE NATION.

THAT I THINK IS THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE AND THAT YOU HAVE COMMITTED TO.

I THINK YOUR COMMUNITY SHOULD BE INCREDIBLY PROUD OF YOU.

THE WAY YOU'VE BUILT THAT COMMITMENT TO THIS IS YOU'RE LOOKING AT, WHAT DO WE CREATE THAT IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE HERE AND NOW, BUT THE LEGACY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO LEAVE BEHIND? BECAUSE THAT'S THE OTHER REASON THAT WE HAVE TO CREATE THESE FRAMEWORKS IS YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU'RE LUCKY YOU HAVE DR. MCFARLAND RIGHT NOW.

BUT TWO YEARS AGO YOU DIDN'T HAVE DR. MCFARLAND AND A BOARD HAD TO MAKE A DECISION ON WHO TO HIRE.

SO IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AS THE BOARD.

YOU'RE THE ONE WHO REPRESENTS THE VISIONS AND VALUES OF YOUR COMMUNITY AND THEN YOU HIRE AN INNOVATOR, A TRANSFORMER, TO EXECUTE UNDER THAT VISION AND VALUES.

BUT IF YOU HAVE NOT ESTABLISHED THOSE VISIONS AND VALUES AND MADE THEM MEASURABLE.

THEN HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU'RE SUCCESSFUL? HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HIRED THE RIGHT LEADER? AND SO I THINK THAT'S THE SHIFT FOR BOARDS.

FOR MANY, THE BOARD, YOU ARE THE LAST STOP.

YOU'RE THE LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND YOU HAVE A REALLY HARD JOB, BUT I THINK WE HAVE AMAZING PEOPLE LIKE YOU ON THE BOARDS AND THAT TO ME DEMONSTRATES A PROMISE TO OUR KIDS AND I'M VERY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT IT.

I LOVE THAT YOU'RE DOING THE WORK VERY COLLABORATIVELY WITH THEIR SUPERINTENDENT BECAUSE THAT IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT AS WELL.

SO I'VE [OVERLAPPING] AND WORK WITH YOU.

>> ONE QUICK THING, YOU MENTIONED THAT IT'S LEGACY FOR THE BOARD, BUT BASED ON WHAT YOU JUST SAID, IF WE DO ATTAIN THAT HONOR, IT'S A REWARD FOR THE STUDENTS AS WELL.

BECAUSE IF WE GET IT, IT MEANS THEY'RE ACHIEVING.

>> THAT'S CORRECT.

>> THAT'S THE END GOAL, IT'S FOR THE STUDENTS TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

SO YEAH, I'LL BE A BOARD LEGACY, BUT THE BENEFITS TO THE STUDENT IS WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

>> I THINK THAT THE LEGACY THAT YOU WANT TO LEAVE BEHIND IS, HOW WELL DID WE SERVE OUR STUDENTS? WHAT ARE THE KIDS OF CROWLEYISD? WHAT IS THE NEXT, IN FIVE YEARS, THE KIDS WHO GET TO WALK ACROSS THE STAGE, HOPEFULLY THEY GET TO WALK ACROSS THE STAGE.

WHAT DID THOSE KIDS HAVE? WHAT DID YOU CREATE IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING THAT FOR THEM? IT'S A BIG RESPONSIBILITY, BUT IT'S ALSO AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY.

SO I THINK WE'VE GOT SOME NEXT STEPS AND THEN I'LL REACH OUT TO TRUSTEE HALL MAYBE AND JUST GO BACK OVER THESE AFTER THIS MEETING AND WE JUST MAKE SURE WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND AS DR. MCFARLAND SAID, THIS IS WORK THAT YOU'VE OPTED IN TO DOING.

IT'S GREAT TEAM [INAUDIBLE] TRAINING BECAUSE YOU'RE HAVING INCREDIBLE DIALOGUE AND YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS, WHICH IS; HOW DO YOU BEST SUPPORT YOUR STUDENTS? AND HOW DO YOU SUPPORT YOUR TEACHERS? AND BUILD THE BEST DISTRICT OUT THERE.

GO CROWLEYISD. THAT'S ALL I GOT.

>> ALL RIGHT.

>> SO I DON'T KNOW IF SOMEBODY NEEDS TO ADJOURN, END THIS MEETING LEGALLY.

>> SO I BELIEVE TRUSTEE HALL.

[02:45:03]

>> IS FROZEN. OH, NO. THERE SHE IS.

RIGHT THERE.

DO I NEED TO CLOSE THIS OUT? AND DR. MCFARLAND IS THERE A COOPERATIVE IN MIND?

>> IS THERE ANOTHER WAY FOR [OVERLAPPING] QUESTIONS?

>> WE HAVE AN EXECUTIVES [INAUDIBLE] , IS THAT TRUE?

>> NO. WE DON'T HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TONIGHT.

>> IS THERE ANYWAY THAT YOU CAN COULD PROVIDE AN EMAIL OR A PHONE NUMBER WHERE PARENTS COULD ASK QUESTION?

>> YES, MS. DUNN.

WE WILL HAVE SOMEONE REACH OUT TO YOU ONCE THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE THAT.

>> SO DR. MCFARLAND, THERE IS NO EXECUTIVE SESSION TONIGHT, CORRECT?

>> THAT IS CORRECT. THERE IS NO EXECUTIVE SESSION.

>> OKAY, THAT ONE'S VERIFIED.

OKAY, AND MS. ARVANITIS, YOU AND I WILL GET A CHANCE TO DEBRIEF.

I KNOW YOU JUST SAID THAT, BUT YOU'LL REACH OUT TO ME SO THAT WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THIS AS WE PREPARE SUCH THAT THERE HAS BEEN A QUESTION IF LIKE, I KNOW THAT WE CAN'T DO THE BREAKOUT SESSIONS, BUT WHAT WE MAY POSSIBLY BE ABLE TO DO, AND YOU'LL CLARIFY THIS FOR ME, IS IF WE COULD MAYBE POSSIBLY MEET WITH NOT MORE THAN TWO OTHER PEOPLE AND HAVE A DISCUSSION AMONGST OURSELVES IN BETWEEN NOW AND NEXT TIME JUST TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARITY IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.

SO I DON'T KNOW, THAT'S NOT REALLY A QUESTION BUT WE WILL CLARIFY IT WITH DR. MCFARLAND AND YOURSELF BEFORE WE MEET AGAIN, IF THAT'S OKAY?

>> YES.

>> OKAY. ALL RIGHT, WITH THAT BEING SAID, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, FEEDBACK THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH MS. ARVANITIS OR DR. MCFARLAND BEFORE I ADJOURN THE MEETING? OKAY. WELL, I'LL SAY SOMETHING.

MS. ARVANITIS, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU THOUGH FOR THE TRAINING TONIGHT.

I HOPE THAT IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE YOU TAKE OUR COMMENTS THE WRONG WAY.

I THINK THAT YOU ARE VERY SENSITIVE TO OUR FEEDBACK AND UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE COMING FROM, BUT WE DO HAVE ASPIRATIONS OF BEING THE BEST BOARD IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND WE DO IN ACCORDANCE WITH A VISION THAT TRUSTEE DAVIS SET FOR US.

I THINK ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, WE EMBARKED ON THIS ROAD OF BECOMING, AN HONOR BOARD AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE PURSUING AND AT THE MOST IMPORTANT GOAL AND OUTCOME IS THAT WE WANT OUR STUDENTS TO BE HIGH ACHIEVING [INAUDIBLE] SUCCESSFUL RATE FOR ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND STAFF.

FOR THE COMMUNITY OUT THERE THAT'S GOT QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.

I WANT TO APPLAUD YOU FOR STICKING WITH US AFTER 9 PM TONIGHT TO WATCH SOMEONE ELSE'S TRAINING SESSION.

THAT LET'S US KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN THE OUTCOME OF CROWLEYISD, FOR THAT WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL.

IF YOU DO HAVE QUESTIONS, THERE IS A BOARD PAGE ON OUR CROWLEYISD WEBSITE SO FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO US, REACH OUT TO CENTRAL OFFICE LEADERSHIP AS WELL TO DIRECT THOSE.

WE ALWAYS ARE INTERESTED IN HEARING YOUR COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK AND ESPECIALLY IN OUR CURRENT ENVIRONMENT.

SO WITH THAT SAID, IF THERE IS NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO BRING BEFORE THIS BOARD, WE ARE ADJOURNED.

HOLD ON, I'VE GOT TO FIND MY FAKE GAVEL.

WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 9:15 [LAUGHTER].

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.