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Okay, good evening everyone. It is
September 10th at 7 o'clock. Um, welcome

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to this board retreat for the Greenidge
Board of Education. Please join me in

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rising for the pledge of allegiance

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to the flag of the United States of
America and to the republic for which it

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stands. One nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice

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for all.

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Okay. Well, I think we should just dive
right in and thank you so much for

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providing the materials in advance and
the videos. We had a little bit of a

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snafu with some of the technology
because we've moved over to Diligent.

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Um, so it's a little tricky loading some
of the videos, but I was able to do it.

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So, just in case the public actually if
anyone is trying to do it that way, you

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know, they should reach out to Michael
and Tonachio if they have trouble

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loading the videos. Well, well, I'm
confident that of the 12 views,

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» mine's not.
>> Oh, no. I'm confident of the 12 views

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that we had as of 2:30 that each one of
you is one of those views. So, uh, as

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long as you've had an opportunity, I
think we can engage in a meaningful

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dialogue. Uh, welcome. Thank you so much
for having us this evening. Obviously,

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this is not just my presentation, but
uh, it's the hard work of everyone

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seated. not only next to me but behind
me and in the schools. So, it's a

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privilege to be able to represent all of
our educators in the Greenwich Public

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Schools and our administrators. Um,
tonight I'm here to talk to you about

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the assessment report and the assessment
calendar which is located on our website

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under teaching and learning and
assessment. Um, there's four key

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highlights that I would like to bring to
your attention. And then if you'd like

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to go into detail on any single uh item
that I raise, uh we have the entire team

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here that can go into a little bit more
depth for you. So four things that I

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think the public should know and the
board should know. Uh and I'm excited to

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share. The first one is that we're
finishing our three-year transition

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where we have been phasing in the NWA
assessment and phasing out the link

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assessment which was our Greenwich
benchmark assessment. And the reason why

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we've moved to NWA map is because we get
much more actionable data at the teacher

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level and the alignment to the SBA is is
much more um specific and uh reliable.

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So the NWA transition is going to be
complete at the end of this year. It was

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a three-year phase in. I believe when we
when we transition that you should

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always kind of scale up and so we
started slow to make sure that we

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monitored whether or not we were going
to have any hiccups or issues and then

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we slowly scaled on and brought more
schools on board and uh received

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feedback from those teachers and
administrators and really uh this was a

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no-brainer for us. The second thing that
I wanted to bring to your attention

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again is we're expanding our use of
dibbles. Currently, we have it in place

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at K 1, 2, and three. We're expanding
that into grades four, and five this

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year. This particularly reinforces the
district's multi-tered support system of

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support, and it ensures a better
progress monitoring of foundational

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literacy skills. And that leads us into
um the third highlight, which is one I'm

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really happy to share. Because we have a
robust assessment system that includes

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the NWA map and the unit assessments and
dibbles, we're able to eliminate running

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records in grades 2 through five. And
anytime we can eliminate or have uh a

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chance of eliminating testing
redundancy, we certainly take advantage

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of that because we want to be sensitive
to the fact that, you know, there's only

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so many school days and we don't want
kids to always feel like they're being

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tested. So, that's a that's a positive
right there. And then the final thing,

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and um I'm sure Dr. Mike is listening at
home. This was something he pushed for

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for a couple of years. We now have a
universal reading screener in grade

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nine. and that is the uh educational
vista's degree of reading power power

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and so that's being implemented to all
9th graders and that's to provide early

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identification and support for students
performing below grade level and so

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we're really excited about that. So
those are my four big takeaways from the

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assessment uh report and uh
presentation. Everything else is pretty

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much status quo uh and a carryover from
last year. Um, can you talk about the

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last one first? I'm really interested. I
I know I know it's too bad that uh Dr.

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Mackant Anthony is not here for this
because I know he was super passionate

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about it, but can you sort of give us an
overview of how does it work and what

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are you seeing?
>> Yeah, I don't want to steal Bridget's

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thunder because she really did all of
the hard work on researching this. So,

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I'm going to have Bridget come up.
>> Great.

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So when we met last year, we were tasked
with finding a reading screening for nth

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graders and um we do have when we have
nth graders coming in, we do have lots

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of data on them as you've just heard and
we have all the SBA scores etc. But we

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wanted a universal screener to give us
another angle on just make sure there's

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there's no student who's not been
identified who is going to have reading

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struggles. and I worked with Jocelyn
Buckman who's our K12 reading specialist

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and the reading specialists at the high
school and we talked to a number of

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purveyors of universal screeners and
what came out to us and a couple other

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districts in our area using was the DRP
degrees of reading powder was a um good

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measure. It's not uh lengthy 45 minutes
the kids can do it. It's online. It's

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quick and it should reveal. What we
liked about it was it's going to tell

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you a student's comprehension level. And
if you're an English teacher or a

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science teacher and you have a text
that's at this level of difficulty and

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you're asking a student to read that,
it's going to be valuable to realize for

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for that student, you're going to need a
lot of scaffolding and a lot of help.

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Other texts they can read completely
independently and do very well. most

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comprehension. So there it's it's going
to give us good information. When I get

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um those scores quickly, the
turnaround's digital, so I'll quick turn

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around and can see the scores. When I
see students who are low, I will um look

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at the other scores we have on those
students. By then we'll have the ninth

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grade PSAT. We'll we'll have the still
the eighth grade data. And a student

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could have one bad day on any of those
tests. But if there's a pattern of this

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is a student who's scoring low across
the board, then we're going to target

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those students. Teachers will work on
that. We'll see what else we need to

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know. We'll let the house teams know and
then we will test them again mid year

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and see the score gone up. Was that an
aberration? What's it what's the

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situation?
>> And when is this assessment happening in

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the school year?
>> Should be very soon. We're still we just

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we picked it. We select, we put the
order in, and I'm in um and I'm in

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communication with them. So soon as we
have the goal, we will do it. Teachers

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are ready and to know
>> and all ninth graders are doing it,

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right? All nth graders. So that's kind
of also really interesting data set to

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have of all ninth graders. So we can see
sort of the whole range of

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comprehension. And this year, for the
first time, we're going to give the

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ninth graders have taken in the fall for
years a um PSAT when the when the um

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juniors take it, for them it's the
critical thing. And it's great great

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practice. And anybody who knows SAT PSAT
stuff knows the more you take it, the

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more accustom you are to it, the the
better off you are. And we're going to

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also the ninth graders in the spring
didn't take it again. They we did tasks.

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They did activities. this year. They're
going to take it again in the spring,

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the full um test. It's shorter now. It's
not the fourhour operation it used to

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be. So, we're going to give it again in
the spring for those kids. Teachers will

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compare how they did in the beginning,
how they did at the end. And so, we're

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happy to have that as a as a real
benchmark. It's objective. It's

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interesting. And that just gives us
another data set.

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» Thank you. That's so great. And while
you're here, could we talk about the

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freshman English a little bit because
that was also a new

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» Oh, sure. change.
>> So, um, this year is our first year. We

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had three levels in the past. The 113A,
113, 112. We moved, um, last year we

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moved to having two levels. We have
nine, English nine. We got rid of

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numbers. We're humans. And we went to
English 9 and English 9A, which is

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accelerated. And, um, teachers spent
some summer work to differentiate a bit,

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realize where they have to scaffold,
really have to pace. And so far from

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what we had PLC's yesterday and we went
around to the PLC's to hear how's it

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going and all the nines for English sat
together all the nine A and I said how's

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it going and the um re reaction is is
good so far the um students who may have

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been in the lower level who were a
little less

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didn't have maybe the scholarly attitude
are seeing oh get our homework out oh no

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so the it's been good and I think
they're really finding ways together in

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the PLC's How do you differentiate? How
do you scaffold? How do you make sure

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you're still challenging students but
also holding those kids that are so so

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far so good.
>> And what's the split like in terms of

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the freshman class? What's what
percentage are in nine and what

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percentage are in 9A do you think?
>> I think it's 58%. Is that right, Lucy?

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» Yes.
>> Like 58% are in nine.

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» Okay. Thank you. Thanks. Um Karen, did
you have a question?

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» I did.
>> Uh yes, I did. Um first of all um great

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news on the NWA roll out. Uh
congratulations and thank you on that.

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On the assessments I wanted to see if
two things were possible. One about um

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the speed at which we get back to
parents and and two the granularity that

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we provide. So on the SBA tests I had
heard the schools had the results in

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July. I think I saw an article in one of
the local papers last month. Um, as a

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parent of of two kids, I'm still waiting
for the results. And if they were

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available in July, I would have loved to
and I'm sure other parents and I've

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talked to other parents would have loved
to have seen that because there's all

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that time over the summer if there are
any gaps to remediate. We could have

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done things at home. Um, it feels a
little late. Uh and then on the

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granularity,
my understanding is there's really rich

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data from the NWA.
And I think as a parent, I just see some

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pretty summary level scores. I mean,
maybe it's because I'm a data geek, but

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I I think other parents too would like
to see more if we're allowed to provide

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that to parents.
>> Well, let me let me start with the first

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question and I want to clarify this for
for all of you and who might be

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listening in as well. We did not have
the scores that um in July for for

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release. Uh we wait until the state
actually lifts the embargo.

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Internally we have the ability to see
results and we start building internal

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data charts so that we can get ahead of
the achievement report but they're not

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released until what is it almost
>> the 31st of August.

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» Released when we're at leadership.
>> Yeah. Yeah. So, late August and then

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there's a a mailing when when we are
allowed to release the letters and and

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scores to parents. So, definitely not
July. Not sure where you heard that.

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» I heard the schools had them in July.
>> Um,

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» they're embargoed. What does that mean?
>> They have them and they just don't want

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to give them to us. Is there some sort
of Are they checking to make sure some

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of the questions were correct? What
What's going on there?

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» Because took the exams in May.
>> Yes.

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» So, it's four months. That's a long time
for a test that's electronic.

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» Yeah. Yeah.
>> So, to be honest, getting them in August

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is a real celebration. They used to come
in like October. I mean, it's it's

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earlier than normal. Well, you've got to
remember though, they're doing the whole

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state. And so, they're looking at cut
scores. They're making sure there's not

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an error on the assessment. They're uh
they want people to verify data. Do we

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see something like did they miss a whole
subset of students? I mean, and and with

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the testing process, it they can it can
be long. I mean, I think about the one

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year they lost our AP scores. Um,
[laughter]

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you know, and that went on for a couple
months trying to figure that out.

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» So, it is hard. So, we can see behind
the dashboard like and we think we know

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where we're going to fall because we can
see it as we can see when kids are

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completing tests. We can see the data.
So, we can start planning like, wow,

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what happened here? even though we may
not know the score exactly, we kind of

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know where it's going to fall. But until
they put the scores up, it we can't do

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anything. And they email us and let us
know. They give us the first look. And

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that's just because all the
superintendents complained a couple

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years ago that we did not want it to be
in the paper and we haven't even seen

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them. So now they embargo them and it's
usually a very short window where

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they're embargoed and then they give it
to all the press.

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» Yeah.
>> And then the granular data on NWA. Yeah,

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I I think we would have to go back and
talk to NWA, but but Tara, in terms of

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what we can turn on at this point,
>> yeah, our ability to share parent

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reports via NWA, now that we're
districtwide, will be able to upload

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parent reports to the parent portal. So,
parents will be able to log in and see

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the basic family report. any uh parent
who did want more detailed information

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about skills or topics where students
could either reinforce or continue to

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develop, we do have another layer of
granularity that we can provide to

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parents. That data upload is not
something we would do for the entire

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district because it is you're looking at
30 to 40 page PDFs depending on the

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assessment. But the general parent
report we do go ahead and upload into

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our uh link parent portal. So you will
see that this year

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Jeff, go ahead.
>> Just real quick, uh the GHS reading

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screener, how are parents notified and
when are they notified of those results?

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» There is a parent um there is a parent
report. So once the screenings happened,

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the report will go out and I'll put out
my information. Someone could easily

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contact me and I can explain them. But
the handbook will have pretty clear um

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definition for the parents.
Paul,

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» just housekeeping. It goes along with
Jeff when we can expect stuff, but uh

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now that I understand the um PSATs for
the ninth graders are going to be in the

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spring. I don't think that's on the um
assessment calendar. So, housekeeping

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will get that on the calendar and people
will know when those come out.

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» Yeah, we just we just finalized the date
for that on Tuesday. So, we'll go ahead

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and add that into that spring window.
It's a March date.

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Bob,
>> I'm sorry you're getting a lot of

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questions today. That's okay. Okay. Um,
how exactly does the midyear follow-up

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work? And if you do find a student uh
that might have to be moved somewhere,

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» how uh what are what are the steps in
place to avoid embarrassment and avoid

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like kind of keep anonymity of the
child?

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» We won't have to move any child. So, if
they need followup, it's we'll see if

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they need to go to more extensive MTSS.
Um, they may need to have a reading

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class. We have really great reading
teachers. Maybe they need just to take a

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fluency class in reading. Maybe they
need to get something more intensive,

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but we we would never single out a kid
and you're over there. So, but um and

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for for the most part, our reading
classes are enjoyable. Kids don't have

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to take them. They take them. And so, I
think no, we'll follow up and just the

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house will know if this student is and
then we'll move in on it.

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» That was the answer I hope to hear.
Thank you.

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On that same note, um you know the sort
of through line here that I'm I'm

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sensing is how is communication to the
parents as you collect each you know

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sort of element of this data um being
delivered in an actionable way so that

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parents can be responsive to it provided
they so desire to.

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Our primary mode of communication is
going to be that parent portal and we do

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have updated links for the parent
portal, how to sign up for your account,

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how to log in on the Greenwich Public
Schools website under the parent portal.

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I think that's what the tab is actually
called. And what we do is as soon as

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those reports are available and into
link it, we'll send information via

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school newsletter s'mores or even Dr.
Jones's Friday note when information is

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available. So we do attempt to be as
transparent as possible.

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I guess I'm curious, you know, where's
like the big big red flag that sort of

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says, hey, you know, parent, you want to
jump on this?

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» Yes. When a student is flagged for a
concern that would require an MTSS

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process, meaning an additional level of
support, there is a parent letter that

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is triggered within the process that
does get sent home immediately and then

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parents are engaged in that process and
get to um be updated every 6 to 8 weeks

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on progress monitoring. So that
information is also shared within the

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MTSS process.

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» Um can I ask about Dibbels now?
>> Sure. Miss Paladino.

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» So
thank you Bridget.

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» Hi everyone. I'm Kim Paladino. I'm the
Ka coordinator. Nice to meet you.

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» Hi. Thank you. Um so just if you could
describe a little bit more about rolling

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it out. sounds like the fourth, fourth
and fifth grade like what is that going

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to look like and sort of what is the
support that like we're hoping to

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achieve by having the dibbles in there
and how frequently are we using them?

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Can you just describe it a little?
>> Sure.

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» Before Kim answers that, Kim, maybe I
think it might be helpful because we

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keep talking about MTSS and it's an
acronym

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» and I don't like when we use educational
jargon because a lot of people don't

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know what it means. So, do you want to
talk a little bit about our multi-tered

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system of support
>> and what that really is in layman's

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terms?
>> Sure. So, a multi-tered system of

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support is a way for us to identify
students that are in need of extra

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support academically, socially,
behaviorally, speech and language, um

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any area in which is getting in the way
of performing academically. So, we have

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a district-wide MTSS handbook that
outlines all of um our mission

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statement. It's available online for
parents and for the board. Um that

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outlines our process of first
identifying students. How do we identify

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a student that's at risk? Um so, our
reading screener in high school is our

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one for for 9th graders. Dibbles, which
we'll talk about in a second, is our

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universal screener for elementary. Um,
and once we identify a student that

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might be in need of support, um, our
teachers, our classroom teachers are our

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first line of defense. They are the
first ones to see that universal

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screening data and they start thinking
about, well, what is going on with this

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student and develop like a plan within
the classroom to target that area that

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has come out as a need. and the teacher
will work um with that student whether

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small group one-on-one or within the the
general classroom targeting that

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specific skill with that student and
then we'll take progress monitoring in

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tier one a tier one intervention like
we're talking in the classroom once

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about every 3 weeks if a student isn't
making progress on that skill that the

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classroom teacher has identified they
will request a meeting um at their

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building level or their house um to talk
more about the student and um the areas

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in which they're concerned about that is
a a bigger team that's usually has an

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administrator. It has usually whatever a
specialist that is involved in that area

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of concern. Um uh and so other people
that can speak to that and then we look

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as a team together to decide do we need
to up the level of support and maybe the

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frequency of support. So, in addition to
whole class instruction, they're getting

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some specialized instruction from their
their um classroom teacher, but maybe we

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need a literacy specialist to get
involved or a math interventionist to

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get involved or we need a consult from a
speech and language pathologist or we

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might need some support from a social
worker um at the school level and then

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that would they would also have a plan
with that student and potentially see

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that student at a higher frequency and
also progress monitor. The idea is that

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we're trying to identify early and close
gaps um so we can get kids back into a

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grade level kind of scenario.
Everyone Anyone have any questions about

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MTSS?
So, Dibbles is um one of our pieces of

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our MTSS program. It is it's considered
a universal screener. It's this

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assessment, a quick reading assessment
that we give to all students so that we

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can compare across. Um we implemented it
three, we've just finished our third

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year um in K3. Um the K3 portion is a
requirement by the state of Connecticut.

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We had a various number of assessments
we could choose from, but we had a

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committee 3 years ago that chose Dibbles
as our as the best one um in different

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grade levels that identifies target key
foundational literacy skills that that

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we want to see if our kids have. And if
our kids are missing some of those

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skills, we want to identify them as soon
as we can and go through that MTSS

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intervention process to close those gaps
and to fill those holes as as early as

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possible. Um, so we've been screening K
through three. In the last couple years,

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we've had um our fourth and fifth, our
fourth through 8th grade students that

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have IEPs that have reading goals have
had that screening and progress

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monitoring available. Um, the last two
years we've included our students in

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MTSS in that process, but now we want to
just have all of our fourth and fifth

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grade teach uh students screened. In
fourth and fifth grade, there's two

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subtests. One is oral reading fluency,
which is a 60-second probe where kids

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are reading a grade level passage and we
want to see what their risk factor is

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for fluency. And then there's a
threeinut on the computerized maze

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assessment which basically sees how a
student can silently read

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uh look at semantics of a sentence, fill
in vocabulary words. It is a quick these

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are two evidence-based subtests that
really give us a high predictability of

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risk. It doesn't diagnose anything but
it tells us who out of the whole

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population we need to like maybe get
some more information on and who could

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be struggling. So we want to give that
to it. It's a easy lift for really nice

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00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:16,720
information that and then the nice part
about dibbles is we can progress monitor

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with those quick dipst sticks in
specific um target areas so that we can

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see progress and close gaps quicker.
>> How how frequently would you be doing

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the dles?
>> So in um we use our universal screener

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is three times a year. beginning of
year, we're in the window now, middle of

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the year around January, and then end of
the year, end of May, June, and then

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teachers or interventionists have the
option if we're instructing in an

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00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:48,480
intervention and we want to progress
monitor, we could use one sub like all

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the subtests are about 60 seconds, we
would give a 60-second subtest um to

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that student to see how are we doing?
How is our instruction meeting the

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child's needs? and we want to see that
that that that target line is going up

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like they are making progress.
>> Got it. Thank you so much. You're

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00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:08,480
welcome.
>> Bob,

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» I just wanted to say that we were lucky
enough uh the newer board members to get

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into the schools at the beginning of the
year and see some of this in real time

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for the K through three. So, I'm really
excited. It's going to be in fourth and

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00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:24,480
fifth grade and perhaps we could do it
again with Mr. Soka and uh and John as

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00:24:22,159 --> 00:24:27,600
well. I hate to take up your time. I
know your time is for the students, but

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um I guess I just really want to get
back in the school. So [laughter]

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guilty.
>> Thank you.

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» Does anyone else have any other
questions on the assessments?

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00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:48,640
» Can move on to
>> Okay. So, we'll switch gears and and go

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to the summer uh curriculum institute.
And uh Miss Fogle, you might have

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00:24:51,120 --> 00:24:57,440
noticed, narrated this uh video for you.
I thought I'd give you a break from just

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00:24:55,520 --> 00:25:00,960
listening to me all the time. And and
and since I gave her the power of

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00:24:59,279 --> 00:25:04,480
narrating the video, she actually said
before the meeting, um I don't think I

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00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:08,080
need you at the table for this one
because I really want to be able to

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00:25:05,919 --> 00:25:11,840
bring up the coordinators and showcase
the work that they did this summer. So,

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00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:16,400
I'm actually going to step aside, let
Miss Fogle uh run the show and bring up

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00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:19,600
each coordinator as you see fit to ask
questions about the work they were able

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00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:26,000
to accomplish this summer. And and it
really is um it's it's it's a testament

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00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:29,279
to how uh how dedicated they are to get
teachers and and I'm speaking about our

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00:25:27,679 --> 00:25:34,000
administrators and our teachers that
they give up summer time to come in and

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00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:38,640
do this work because I I'm a firm
believer that I want teachers in front

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00:25:35,919 --> 00:25:41,760
of kids as much as possible. There are
days when teachers are sick and they're

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00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:46,799
not going to be in front of kids and a
substitute is just not the same as a

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00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:50,799
teacher. And in years past, uh, before I
took this position, we used to pull

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00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:55,039
teachers out a lot to do curriculum work
and I just never felt comfortable doing

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00:25:53,039 --> 00:26:00,400
that. When I was a principal, I saw the
impact. And so my motto has always been,

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00:25:58,240 --> 00:26:05,279
we will address this in the summer. So
they have aggressive timelines, but they

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00:26:03,039 --> 00:26:10,080
get very dedicated teachers to work
alongside them to get quite a bit

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00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:13,919
accomplished as you can see uh in the
presentation and the report that we've

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00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:18,240
prepared for you. So um I think you'll
be happy to hear all that we were able

355
00:26:15,360 --> 00:26:22,159
to do. So Tara, I'll let you take
>> Yeah, thank you. I think um Mr. Demo

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00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:26,640
summarized that pretty well. What we
want to shout out first and foremost is

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the teachers who work 187 days during
the year and then do dedicate their time

358
00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:34,159
during the summer to continue to tweak
and modify curriculum as necessary to

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00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:36,880
meet the needs of students. I know Miss
Cross, you spoke a little bit about

360
00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:41,279
those scores that are available
internally to staff early on. And what

361
00:26:39,039 --> 00:26:45,760
that allows us to do is use those
internal preliminary metrics to support

362
00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:50,159
some of the summer curriculum work that
we do. And while the assessment calendar

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00:26:47,840 --> 00:26:54,400
only had 12 views, I believe at 2:30, we
had about 18 on the summer curriculum

364
00:26:52,159 --> 00:26:58,080
work. So perhaps we are quite well
verssed in that information today. So I

365
00:26:56,320 --> 00:27:01,919
thought it was a best use of our time to
start with each content area and just

366
00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:06,320
bring up the coordinators and house
administrators and facilitators who led

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00:27:04,159 --> 00:27:10,960
that work and we can go question answer
style. I'd like to start with ELA and

368
00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:15,919
welcome up um introducing to some of you
Miss Kimberly Paladino, Miss Bridgette

369
00:27:13,360 --> 00:27:21,679
Barry, and ALP facilitator Bonnie Orian
who supported some of our advanced

370
00:27:17,360 --> 00:27:26,480
learning work from the ELA standpoint.
Perhaps we'll start at the K5 and if you

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00:27:23,919 --> 00:27:29,720
have any elementary ELA questions, we
can go there.

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00:27:30,618 --> 00:27:37,039
[snorts]
>> Great. Does anyone have a question? I

373
00:27:33,919 --> 00:27:39,679
don't have one right now.
Are you present? Are you going to do any

374
00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:42,640
kind of presentation or
>> We recorded the video, but I'm happy to

375
00:27:41,120 --> 00:27:44,880
summarize some of those slides if you'd
like.

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00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:47,919
» Yes.
>> General question more about everything.

377
00:27:47,120 --> 00:27:52,640
» Okay,
>> we can start with that.

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00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:57,760
» Um, first of all, uh, you you've clearly
been incredibly busy um, this summer. I

379
00:27:55,120 --> 00:28:03,360
see a ton of activity. Um I'm quite
interested to hear how you will

380
00:28:01,120 --> 00:28:08,880
assess the effectiveness of these
changes on educational outcomes. Are

381
00:28:06,159 --> 00:28:15,120
there particular metrics that you'll
look back at say a year, two years from

382
00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:18,880
now to determine whether these changes
had the desired impact on students?

383
00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:23,039
» Yeah, I think that's a great question
and some of our most clear metrics are

384
00:28:21,360 --> 00:28:27,200
be will be the ones that we present to
you on October 8th in our achievement

385
00:28:24,799 --> 00:28:32,240
report. And when we're looking at
sustained growth of students and the

386
00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:35,919
need for tweaking curriculum, we look at
the curriculum management plan as our

387
00:28:33,919 --> 00:28:39,760
north star. So all of the materials that
you watched in the video or read in the

388
00:28:37,919 --> 00:28:44,159
report that we worked on today are
aligned to needs with the curriculum

389
00:28:41,919 --> 00:28:48,799
management plan. And our curriculum
management plan helps us to understand

390
00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:52,399
where we can implement resources, both
personnel and financial resources to

391
00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:55,919
support any sort of shifts that we need
to do in our curriculum. what you may

392
00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:59,200
have seen on the curriculum management
plan last year with some of this three

393
00:28:57,279 --> 00:29:02,960
through five reading for example. So we
did uh invest a large amount of

394
00:29:01,440 --> 00:29:06,240
professional learning time for this
school year and then the need for

395
00:29:04,399 --> 00:29:10,480
teachers to come in over the summer and
support their colleagues with materials

396
00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:15,039
that would help them implement those
resources over the next 2 three years.

397
00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:19,600
We hope to see the continued growth
we've seen in English language arts as

398
00:29:17,279 --> 00:29:23,279
evidenced by results on the SBA to
continue to grow. So, I'd say our

399
00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:26,960
standardized tests are metrics, but we
also collect feedback from our staff,

400
00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:30,720
from parents. We're constantly
surveying, you know, you see our survey

401
00:29:28,720 --> 00:29:35,520
goals as our strategic plan. So, those
are all metrics to evaluate the

402
00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:40,399
effectiveness of our curriculum and our
instruction as is and then providing us

403
00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:45,360
more detailed information about changes
that may need to be made.

404
00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:49,679
I'm wondering if um Bonnie could talk a
little bit about the ALP science um and

405
00:29:48,320 --> 00:29:53,919
like the changes you're making there and
the enhancements you're making there.

406
00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:56,480
» Actually, I want to
>> Yeah, perfect. We'll bring up uh Dr.

407
00:29:55,600 --> 00:29:59,039
Beckley.
>> Yes.

408
00:29:57,039 --> 00:30:01,840
» Yeah.
>> He led that over here.

409
00:30:00,799 --> 00:30:07,480
» Okay. Sorry. Thank you.
>> No, that's okay. We can do musical

410
00:30:03,919 --> 00:30:07,480
chairs for a bit.

411
00:30:12,799 --> 00:30:16,559
Good evening.
So the could you repeat the question

412
00:30:15,840 --> 00:30:19,919
again please?
>> I just I was you know in the

413
00:30:18,399 --> 00:30:23,600
presentation in the video they talked
about sort of enhancing the ALP science

414
00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:27,520
in the elementary schools and I'm just
wondering if you could talk a little bit

415
00:30:24,880 --> 00:30:31,200
about what does that look like like give
if you could provide some examples.

416
00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:35,120
» Sure that's a great question. So for our
students who are in the ALP program uh

417
00:30:33,120 --> 00:30:38,640
heading out for science instruction, one
of the things that we do in the ALP

418
00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:42,720
program is we compact the curriculum and
so they have a um the ability to you

419
00:30:40,799 --> 00:30:47,039
know take on extensions or other
activities. We had some ALP teachers

420
00:30:44,559 --> 00:30:51,679
engage this summer and the work and they
worked on designing activities for

421
00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:56,080
students. For example, um our first unit
is the view from Earth and we're dealing

422
00:30:54,240 --> 00:31:00,880
with the brightness of the sun being the
closest star to Earth. They designed a

423
00:30:58,799 --> 00:31:06,000
very unique opportunity for students to
test using their iPhone and a tool on

424
00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:09,440
the iPhone to pick up the uh brightness
of flashlights at different distances.

425
00:31:08,159 --> 00:31:12,080
So, they're actually able to use tools
in real time, which goes well beyond

426
00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:16,960
what they would do in the normal
classroom. Um another example would be

427
00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:21,360
at our second unit this year we have um
our ALP students building a terrarium to

428
00:31:19,520 --> 00:31:26,000
basically take a look at how the
interacting sphere so the hydrosphere

429
00:31:23,520 --> 00:31:28,799
and the atmosphere and the geosphere how
they all interact and basically they're

430
00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:32,320
running through a water cycle as one of
the activities as well. Um so students

431
00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:36,320
get a chance to have more in-depth
conversations they're doing more

432
00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:40,720
investigations uh and they're doing more
complicated modeling.

433
00:31:39,279 --> 00:31:44,480
» Thank you. You're welcome. And is there
an opportunity to kind of take the

434
00:31:42,720 --> 00:31:48,960
what's really successful in ALP and then
feed it back, you know, so that there's

435
00:31:47,279 --> 00:31:52,960
that it's iterative between like the
general classroom and ALP and like oh

436
00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:59,440
that worked really well. Let's do it for
everybody or you know I'm just curious

437
00:31:55,200 --> 00:32:03,840
about I hope they're not too siloed.
>> So um the science curriculum in general

438
00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:07,279
runs parallel and so what ends up
happening is every single student is

439
00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:12,159
entitled to their general curriculum
first. So everyone has an opportunity to

440
00:32:09,279 --> 00:32:16,000
have high quality instruction. What the
ALP does differently is that they

441
00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:21,120
sometimes are accelerated in how fast
they attain the standards and so we give

442
00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:26,799
them the opportunity to uh explore
further and go deeper at their grade

443
00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:29,600
level to um be able to again engage in
sometimes the students even come up with

444
00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:33,600
some of their own learning. It's great.
Um they suggest things to their

445
00:32:30,960 --> 00:32:36,720
teachers, but that's the outside of it.
In the classroom, we're still engaging

446
00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:39,200
in the science and engineering
practices. students are still

447
00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:43,919
investigating. They're still doing
modeling. They're still engaging in um

448
00:32:42,559 --> 00:32:47,360
uh they're engaging in arguments for
evidence. All the practices that we have

449
00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:51,279
to do, they're doing in both the main
classroom as well as the out classroom.

450
00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:54,799
» Thank you.
>> You're welcome,

451
00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:58,080
» Bob.
>> Yeah, I had a question going back to

452
00:32:55,919 --> 00:33:01,679
ELA. Uh sorry.
>> Thank you.

453
00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:05,200
» When the music stops. Um just about the
student resources uh the the grade six

454
00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:08,000
to eight grammar the creation of
studentf facing grammar materials and

455
00:33:06,559 --> 00:33:12,480
assessments. It sounds so interesting.
Could someone talk a little?

456
00:33:10,399 --> 00:33:17,519
» Well, I have to say that Bridget was
here a couple two summers ago now

457
00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:22,720
talking about um summer work that they
had done in the in terms of grammar.

458
00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:27,039
They were seeing some holes that needed
to be filled at the high school um in

459
00:33:25,039 --> 00:33:34,159
terms of language standards. And so they
created um a robust um resource for for

460
00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:38,240
teachers in order to and a progression
of skills that they wanted to make sure

461
00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:43,600
kids were solid on before they left high
school. At the same time she was doing

462
00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:48,559
that work, we were working at the K5
level and really looking at what our

463
00:33:45,440 --> 00:33:52,799
grammar progression looked like um from
foundations. There's grammar embedded in

464
00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:58,399
foundations. There's grammar embedded in
our writing units of study in starting

465
00:33:54,880 --> 00:34:03,200
in second grade. Um our we just um last
year implemented new 3 through five

466
00:34:00,480 --> 00:34:07,919
writing units that have grammar like
more grammar embedded. In addition to

467
00:34:05,279 --> 00:34:13,520
grade four and five, we have grammar
workshop for sadlier. So, we were

468
00:34:11,200 --> 00:34:18,000
finding and fine-tuning each summer as
we got new resources to make it work for

469
00:34:16,079 --> 00:34:24,399
teachers to make sure our students are
getting the best um lessons and hitting

470
00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:28,879
all of the important skills. So,
high school was filling. We're building

471
00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:32,960
from the ground up and now we had six
through eight. And I keep, you know, in

472
00:34:30,879 --> 00:34:36,800
in going into my fifth year in this
role, we've had lots of conversations

473
00:34:35,200 --> 00:34:42,720
with our middle school teachers about
grammar and about the importance of it.

474
00:34:40,079 --> 00:34:48,480
And what we found is we needed um
teacher clarity about what skills to

475
00:34:45,839 --> 00:34:53,280
teach in what grades and which skills to
hold kids accountable. We did a lot of

476
00:34:50,639 --> 00:34:58,000
work this summer to look at our state
standards, look at the SBA assessment,

477
00:34:56,000 --> 00:35:03,040
look at um some of the sample
assessments that we that we get for the

478
00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:08,160
SBA like our IABS or our FIABs and see
what those assessments are asking of our

479
00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:11,359
students and then think about how do we
put that in a progression and how do we

480
00:35:09,760 --> 00:35:15,280
hold kids accountable. So the work that
we did this summer was to create the

481
00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:20,160
progression. We we used a lot of the
work that the high school had done um

482
00:35:17,599 --> 00:35:25,440
and brought it to middle school. We
created resources, teaching resources

483
00:35:22,480 --> 00:35:30,480
for our teachers. How like how do we
teach this skill? What are some

484
00:35:27,599 --> 00:35:36,079
resources I can use to teach this skill?
We came up with student um practice

485
00:35:33,119 --> 00:35:41,520
opportunities. I'm really leveraging our
platform that has all of that already

486
00:35:39,040 --> 00:35:46,960
embedded for teachers and students. And
we created a pre and post assessment on

487
00:35:44,240 --> 00:35:51,280
EXL which teachers can disagregate the
data really quickly to know what skills

488
00:35:49,200 --> 00:35:54,720
do kids already know or what skills do
we need to teach. And so they're in that

489
00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:58,240
they're doing that assessment right now.
Our program meeting next week is to

490
00:35:56,240 --> 00:36:01,680
disagregate that data and use it to
inform instruction. So we're really

491
00:35:59,920 --> 00:36:05,680
trying to target those really important
skills so that our kids can be not only

492
00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:09,040
great oral communicators but great
written communicators. and we know how

493
00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:13,200
important it is for our standardized
assessments not only in middle school

494
00:36:10,560 --> 00:36:16,320
but the SAT as well. So, um we're really
excited about it and um we'll see how it

495
00:36:15,599 --> 00:36:20,079
goes this year.
>> And we're very excited at the high

496
00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:24,560
school because we know when there is
consistent work there that we can see

497
00:36:22,079 --> 00:36:28,400
the framework of then we can take ours
where we are starting from and move our

498
00:36:26,400 --> 00:36:32,960
goal post a little bit further along.
So, we're we're happy about this.

499
00:36:30,880 --> 00:36:41,119
» So, I can't remember with the PSAT do
they have a grammar section? Um the PSAT

500
00:36:38,320 --> 00:36:46,065
um English part is called evidence-based
reading and writing. Well, there's no

501
00:36:43,599 --> 00:36:48,960
essay. When we took the SAT, well, I
[snorts] don't know some of you

502
00:36:46,800 --> 00:36:52,880
youngsters, but when we took the SAT,
you wrote you wrote an essay. There's no

503
00:36:51,440 --> 00:36:57,040
writing. How are they calling it
writing? Because there are many

504
00:36:55,440 --> 00:37:00,560
questions
threaded through that test a student's

505
00:36:58,880 --> 00:37:06,480
grammar. And if you don't understand how
a sentence works, you can't answer it.

506
00:37:03,359 --> 00:37:10,000
And we we really um we are spending time
as you'll see our summer work at the

507
00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:14,240
high school on the SAT not just because
that's a an objective test that the

508
00:37:11,839 --> 00:37:19,440
state looks at. But you won't find a
teacher that doesn't recognize it's a

509
00:37:16,960 --> 00:37:23,680
it's measuring something real. It it's
measuring reading close reading. And if

510
00:37:21,599 --> 00:37:27,760
you don't follow the sentence that has a
transition and you think that sentence

511
00:37:25,839 --> 00:37:32,400
meant this and you're duped by the
sentence. So it really does help build

512
00:37:29,680 --> 00:37:36,000
close reading skills. So we realized as
we looked closer that if you don't

513
00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:40,720
understand the grammar of it you can't
you you can't compete. So that has

514
00:37:38,720 --> 00:37:45,839
infused our work and once we found the
Khan Academy which was gamified and

515
00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:49,599
interesting and individualized we
thought we can make this not the tired

516
00:37:47,680 --> 00:37:53,760
stuff of the past grammar we understood
we could teach grammar in a more in a in

517
00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:59,599
a you know more efficient way and better
for students and so that took us off.

518
00:37:56,480 --> 00:38:03,280
» Okay that sounds great. Thank you
Karen. Yeah, sorry. Just one more

519
00:38:01,440 --> 00:38:08,800
question on ELA. I mean, great to see
the focus on on grammar, on vocabulary,

520
00:38:06,320 --> 00:38:14,880
reading, writing. The one thing that I
don't see in here is spelling.

521
00:38:11,760 --> 00:38:18,560
» And I remember studying my vocab, my
spelling lists and then having a weekly

522
00:38:16,880 --> 00:38:22,800
spelling test. Neither of my kids who
are both in elementary school have ever

523
00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:25,681
brought home a spelling list and it
shows. [laughter]

524
00:38:25,760 --> 00:38:33,200
Is is that a not a thing anymore? So
spelling is actually embedded within our

525
00:38:30,079 --> 00:38:37,839
foundations phonics systematic approach
to teaching reading. So not only are

526
00:38:35,359 --> 00:38:41,359
kids learning to decode words like learn
letters and sounds and blend them

527
00:38:39,359 --> 00:38:47,680
together to read words, they are also
expected to encode words. So how do I

528
00:38:43,839 --> 00:38:52,560
take that word separate it by by phone
and and and match the graph theme to

529
00:38:49,680 --> 00:38:57,119
them. Um there are assessments embedded
within foundations in which we are um

530
00:38:55,680 --> 00:39:03,200
especially at the first through third
grade level the assessment is a spelling

531
00:39:00,079 --> 00:39:08,400
and coding assessment. It it impacts the
the

532
00:39:05,040 --> 00:39:12,640
if kids can write the word they can read
it. So we test them on you're not going

533
00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:16,880
to see a spelling list in which you're
memorizing words. um those kind of

534
00:39:15,280 --> 00:39:20,720
processes have been a little debunked
over the years because we remember we

535
00:39:18,640 --> 00:39:24,560
studied those words and then you ask
them to spell them two weeks later and

536
00:39:23,119 --> 00:39:29,040
they can't remember. We take a really
systematic approach looking at different

537
00:39:27,359 --> 00:39:35,119
syllable types, different spelling
patterns and that's how we're um

538
00:39:31,359 --> 00:39:39,599
assessing spelling within the thing. Um,
so if and you you can see the home

539
00:39:37,520 --> 00:39:43,119
letters that come home if there's if
there's there's opportunities if you

540
00:39:41,440 --> 00:39:47,520
want to see it in action in your own
house. Um, the foundations has parent

541
00:39:45,839 --> 00:39:51,440
letters that go home at the end the
beginning and beginning of each unit.

542
00:39:49,520 --> 00:39:54,720
And there's opportunities for you to see
what spelling patterns are being covered

543
00:39:53,119 --> 00:39:59,359
in your class. Um, there are
opportunities for dictation at home and

544
00:39:56,880 --> 00:40:03,119
different practices at home. Um, kids
are learning words that are regularly

545
00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:10,000
spelled. They're also learning words
that are irregularly spelled. So, um

546
00:40:05,760 --> 00:40:16,160
that is and and kids that um you'll see
some of that flag on Dibbles, too. If a

547
00:40:13,280 --> 00:40:20,960
kid is is struggling, you're going to
see it come out there, too. So, um it is

548
00:40:18,640 --> 00:40:24,320
embedded within our systematic phonics
program. We could talk later though. If

549
00:40:23,200 --> 00:40:27,680
you have a specific if [laughter] you
have a specific question, I see the

550
00:40:25,760 --> 00:40:31,440
faces. We can talk and I'll give you
more details or specifics if you if you

551
00:40:31,388 --> 00:40:35,040
[laughter]
>> Jonathan, I will not embarrass my

552
00:40:33,280 --> 00:40:36,720
children further.
>> Jonathan, [clears throat] you have a

553
00:40:35,839 --> 00:40:42,720
question?
>> Yeah. Um, I have a child in second grade

554
00:40:39,520 --> 00:40:48,480
and uh I hear endlessly about Lexica.
Lexia Lex Lexia. Um, and it's it's

555
00:40:46,960 --> 00:40:54,079
created a little bit of tension at home
where there's way more enthusiasm for

556
00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:59,200
the iPad Lexia learning experience than
for, you know, the reading. Um, and I'm

557
00:40:57,359 --> 00:41:04,400
sort of curious as we've been talking
about like reductions in phone use and

558
00:41:01,599 --> 00:41:09,680
screen time sort of where does that fit
into the, you know, sort of forward

559
00:41:07,440 --> 00:41:16,000
path? Is that is that a long-term
commitment? Is that something that is

560
00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:18,480
being traded back with iPad reduction?
Are you talking about Lexia in general

561
00:41:17,359 --> 00:41:23,359
or are you thinking are you talking
about screen time in general?

562
00:41:20,880 --> 00:41:27,680
» Both. Yeah. Like the gamification, the
Khan Academy, you know, reference sort

563
00:41:25,680 --> 00:41:31,440
of and fine at the high school level. I
think that that

564
00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:38,400
» the attentions really need to be
competed for more. But um

565
00:41:35,200 --> 00:41:43,359
» yeah, it it the screen time reduction.
I'm interested in hearing like the

566
00:41:39,920 --> 00:41:47,440
roadmap for that and also how Lexia and
those sorts of I hear popular programs

567
00:41:45,520 --> 00:41:51,760
but the students are built into it.
>> So so Lexia it's an interesting to

568
00:41:50,000 --> 00:42:00,640
understand what the platform does and
why um it's part of our comprehensive

569
00:41:54,079 --> 00:42:07,040
approach is Lexia is a um adaptive
computer program which will meet kids

570
00:42:04,640 --> 00:42:12,240
right where they are. So, if your kid is
having struggles with phonics or FMIC

571
00:42:10,400 --> 00:42:16,880
awareness or vocabulary or any of the
five pillars of reading, it's going to

572
00:42:14,160 --> 00:42:21,760
identify that and scaffold them. Um,
every move, every every move they make

573
00:42:19,359 --> 00:42:25,119
on it, it will give corrective feedback.
It will help teach and it will trigger

574
00:42:23,200 --> 00:42:30,720
to a teacher if they're having some some
trouble. Lexia is an at inschool

575
00:42:27,440 --> 00:42:37,280
program. It's not an atome program. Um
the typical um recommended time for

576
00:42:34,160 --> 00:42:42,480
Lexia is 20 minutes a week. So it is not
um and and that recommended time equates

577
00:42:40,720 --> 00:42:49,280
to a certain number of units that we
want kids to get um per week. So some

578
00:42:46,319 --> 00:42:53,440
kids finish it earlier, some kids um you
know maybe take a little bit longer, but

579
00:42:51,440 --> 00:42:56,240
typically it is finished in that 20
minutes a week. And what we do say is

580
00:42:54,880 --> 00:42:59,599
like when they meet their minutes for
the week or their units for the week

581
00:42:57,920 --> 00:43:04,960
that they're not going they're not doing
more. It's not a more is better thing.

582
00:43:02,240 --> 00:43:10,400
But the the beauty of Lexia is that it
it will take our some of our even our

583
00:43:08,160 --> 00:43:14,880
top students and give them the next
level of instruction that they may not

584
00:43:12,160 --> 00:43:18,240
be getting in their core curriculum. I
remember sitting with my own daughter a

585
00:43:16,400 --> 00:43:22,480
couple years ago and she was she was
telling me about, oh, you know, bio

586
00:43:20,880 --> 00:43:25,599
means blah blah. I'm like, where did you
learn that? because I know you haven't

587
00:43:24,079 --> 00:43:30,720
done that yet. And she was like, "Oh, I
learned it in Lexia." So, we have an

588
00:43:28,160 --> 00:43:34,720
opportunity to meet kids where they are
um and really use it as an intervention

589
00:43:32,960 --> 00:43:38,480
um and an acceleration. And we get a lot
of good data on the back end. Um so,

590
00:43:36,800 --> 00:43:42,800
we're not we're not pushing them to use
it outside of school. We're not pushing

591
00:43:40,480 --> 00:43:48,560
them to use it more than they need to.
Um it is a very systematic way of of

592
00:43:46,480 --> 00:43:53,440
prescribing an additional level of
support for students.

593
00:43:50,560 --> 00:43:58,560
» Um well, I appreciate that. Um, I'm
curious because

594
00:43:55,359 --> 00:44:02,079
on the subject of gamification, um, my
daughter comes home with those fullcolor

595
00:44:00,240 --> 00:44:06,880
certificates, uh, you know, from her
Lexia accomplishments and I have to

596
00:44:04,960 --> 00:44:12,240
assume she's doing quite well, maybe
relative to the class with it. It does

597
00:44:09,599 --> 00:44:17,520
seem like it's teaching her to value and
be excited for a gamified learning

598
00:44:14,480 --> 00:44:22,240
experience over the pleasure of reading.
Um, and so I'm curious about balancing

599
00:44:20,240 --> 00:44:25,119
that, but I don't need to put you on the
spot. I'm just

600
00:44:23,119 --> 00:44:30,480
» No, it's fine. I think I what I will say
is Lexia is the only digital platform

601
00:44:27,680 --> 00:44:34,319
that we have in ELA at the elementary
level that is a required part of our or

602
00:44:32,800 --> 00:44:39,119
like a part of our comprehensive
approach. Our kids have real books in

603
00:44:36,480 --> 00:44:43,440
their hands. They have real pen and
paper. Pen and some of our kindergarters

604
00:44:41,440 --> 00:44:49,599
like to use flares. Um, but they have
real writing instruments and real paper.

605
00:44:46,640 --> 00:44:55,359
We um have invested [snorts] a ton of
money in real books. Um it is not

606
00:44:52,560 --> 00:45:00,720
replacing that instruction, but there
are certain basic skills that are

607
00:44:58,160 --> 00:45:07,520
necessary in order to read those books
that we're trying to build um from both

608
00:45:03,760 --> 00:45:12,880
ends, right? And so um
I I think if you asked most teachers in

609
00:45:10,400 --> 00:45:17,599
our district, they would they would say
Lexia is a really important part. It's

610
00:45:15,440 --> 00:45:23,359
not a babysitter. It is not something
that we just put kids on. There is real

611
00:45:19,920 --> 00:45:29,119
value in it and and and and they see
that that progress. So, um I think

612
00:45:26,800 --> 00:45:34,160
there's a balance. Um but that is the
only digital thing that we have as part

613
00:45:31,359 --> 00:45:35,839
of our approach in K5.
>> Paul, you had a question.

614
00:45:35,119 --> 00:45:39,359
» Thank you.
>> I had a question, but I think it's so

615
00:45:37,359 --> 00:45:44,160
far back that we're Maybe we'll just
skip it. Maybe not though. I was

616
00:45:41,680 --> 00:45:48,079
interested in knowing
what

617
00:45:45,680 --> 00:45:53,839
um what criteria gets something into
that summer program um to be reviewed.

618
00:45:50,880 --> 00:46:00,240
Is it uh you know among the teachers? Is
it databased? Things like that. Um but

619
00:45:56,720 --> 00:46:04,880
she went on to explain how you um uh
Karen had asked about the back end of

620
00:46:02,000 --> 00:46:09,520
that, how you you uh measure that and
its successes. I have to suspect that

621
00:46:07,119 --> 00:46:14,160
those same measurements um are based on
other things. But that's the question I

622
00:46:12,160 --> 00:46:17,280
had. I think I I had enough answers. But
what I wanted to do was more of a

623
00:46:15,680 --> 00:46:22,480
statement. You had said something that
was very interesting. Um and there's a

624
00:46:20,079 --> 00:46:29,920
lot of people very critical about it and
I'm one of them. And it was teaching to

625
00:46:25,680 --> 00:46:37,599
the test. And the way you you um uh
expressed it was uh refreshing. I mean,

626
00:46:34,000 --> 00:46:42,800
I can't tell you how many um parents and
I mean, just everyone is told, "Oh, the

627
00:46:40,160 --> 00:46:47,359
they're just teaching at these tests and
you know, we're wasting this time and

628
00:46:45,280 --> 00:46:52,319
we're taking a classroom time out of
it." And by the and I I feel that way as

629
00:46:50,160 --> 00:46:57,520
well, but what you're saying about the
SATs as it relates to these are really

630
00:46:54,319 --> 00:47:04,800
good measurements and I have to expect
now that that can touch other tests and

631
00:47:01,520 --> 00:47:11,599
teaching to these tests might actually
be, you know, milestones that are that

632
00:47:08,319 --> 00:47:16,800
are important. And I just wanted to say
that again because there are it's a it's

633
00:47:14,079 --> 00:47:21,119
said a lot. it comes to me a lot and I
am critical of it and your statement

634
00:47:19,040 --> 00:47:23,920
related to it made me feel a little bit
better about it.

635
00:47:22,319 --> 00:47:27,520
» Well, thank you and I couldn't agree
more. A test is one day and it's

636
00:47:26,000 --> 00:47:32,240
something the school is measured by, but
for the student, what's the what's the

637
00:47:29,280 --> 00:47:36,079
meaning and the value? And I think we we
believe that there's meaning and value

638
00:47:33,839 --> 00:47:39,839
in in reading closely and understanding
what you read, communicating well, and

639
00:47:38,000 --> 00:47:44,160
the SAT is a measure of that. And
therefore, we feel the same way about

640
00:47:41,839 --> 00:47:48,960
our AP courses. The test is one day. We
want them to do well, but those AP

641
00:47:46,400 --> 00:47:53,599
courses are rich in content. And there's
real learning that you're going to need

642
00:47:50,319 --> 00:47:59,119
for the test, for college, for your
career, for life. So, we we do believe

643
00:47:56,160 --> 00:48:02,480
that because some of the criticisms I I
get, and I imagine the other boards and

644
00:48:00,560 --> 00:48:06,960
maybe even you, Tony, as well, is, oh
yeah, we got, you know, number one at

645
00:48:05,040 --> 00:48:13,440
this and blue ribbon at this, but well,
we teach to the test. And um I think

646
00:48:10,240 --> 00:48:19,280
that we've got a amazing staff and what
I'm hearing right now um uh speaks more

647
00:48:16,560 --> 00:48:24,079
to uh educating our our our students. So
thank you. I

648
00:48:20,960 --> 00:48:27,680
» I couldn't stay away because Paul, you
mentioned something that's so critically

649
00:48:26,000 --> 00:48:31,520
important that we talk about for a
couple of minutes. there is so much

650
00:48:29,760 --> 00:48:37,599
misinformation
that floats out there in the public that

651
00:48:34,559 --> 00:48:42,240
um it really is important and and I'm
glad you you you took it head on and I

652
00:48:40,079 --> 00:48:47,599
hope we answered it well enough that it
kind of demystifies any misconceptions.

653
00:48:44,960 --> 00:48:51,839
Um you know earlier Karen thought that I
was hiding the uh results in my office

654
00:48:50,000 --> 00:48:54,079
since July. Um, [laughter]
and she really thought that, right? You

655
00:48:53,440 --> 00:48:57,440
did. And
>> a lot of parents do.

656
00:48:54,960 --> 00:49:02,000
» And a lot of parents do, but I had no
idea that that was out there until you

657
00:48:59,680 --> 00:49:06,559
brought it up tonight. And so I think,
you know, you're the conduit from the,

658
00:49:04,480 --> 00:49:11,680
you know, from the public to us. And if
you hear things that just don't seem

659
00:49:08,960 --> 00:49:15,920
right, please either email the
superintendent who will get in touch

660
00:49:13,359 --> 00:49:22,480
with one of us um or bring it up at a
board meeting because um misinformation

661
00:49:18,640 --> 00:49:27,520
sets us back. And we are trying very
diligently to not only educate our

662
00:49:24,960 --> 00:49:31,920
students but educate our families. And
so we want to make sure that um what

663
00:49:29,839 --> 00:49:36,640
we're saying is conveyed in a very
transparent manner. Uh we try to put as

664
00:49:34,800 --> 00:49:41,440
much information on the website as
possible so that parents can feel like

665
00:49:38,960 --> 00:49:45,440
they're part of their child's education.
Um I was incredibly happy to hear uh

666
00:49:44,000 --> 00:49:50,240
that our new board members want to get
out and into the schools. um you make

667
00:49:47,920 --> 00:49:54,960
very important decisions and your
decisions need to be informed decisions

668
00:49:52,880 --> 00:49:59,680
and if you don't spend any time in the
schools um then the only time you hear

669
00:49:57,920 --> 00:50:03,520
about things is either in the public
which it could be misinformation or you

670
00:50:02,000 --> 00:50:07,200
hear it at board meetings and we don't
have enough right I mean we could have a

671
00:50:04,880 --> 00:50:12,559
board meeting every night on a topic not
that anybody wants to but there's so

672
00:50:09,760 --> 00:50:18,559
much breath and depth to what we do and
so um I welcome the opportunity uh to

673
00:50:15,920 --> 00:50:22,800
answer any questions or if you hear
something out in the public, let us know

674
00:50:20,400 --> 00:50:25,920
so that we can we can you know uh put it
in our newsletter and say this has been

675
00:50:24,559 --> 00:50:31,040
this has been brought to our attention
and here's the truth on on that

676
00:50:28,640 --> 00:50:35,440
particular situation. So um this has
been very helpful. I apologize Tara for

677
00:50:33,359 --> 00:50:40,079
coming back to the table. I like being
at the table. Uh but but I think I we

678
00:50:38,319 --> 00:50:45,040
can move on now but thank you Paul for
bringing that up.

679
00:50:40,800 --> 00:50:50,000
» Thank you for bringing it up. Oh.
>> Oh, Veronica.

680
00:50:48,160 --> 00:50:53,119
» Thank you. I'm so sorry to miss you guys
and thank you so much for the

681
00:50:51,440 --> 00:50:56,160
presentation. Mark, I just want to
piggyback on what you said and I was

682
00:50:54,559 --> 00:51:00,559
even thinking actually about what Karen
said also with her earlier question

683
00:50:57,680 --> 00:51:03,680
about spelling. Um, and and I know that
uh Dr. Jones knows this really well, but

684
00:51:02,400 --> 00:51:08,880
a lot of the work that you guys are
doing is

685
00:51:06,000 --> 00:51:11,839
significantly better than what is in
many of the private schools. It's more

686
00:51:10,559 --> 00:51:14,960
consistent than what we're seeing in a
lot of the private schools. A lot of

687
00:51:13,440 --> 00:51:18,640
times they're modeling off what we're
doing. I don't think there's any of the

688
00:51:16,800 --> 00:51:22,880
the schools are teaching explicit
spelling anymore the way that we used

689
00:51:20,160 --> 00:51:26,319
to. I'm using that as an example. Um
they're now just beginning to use more

690
00:51:24,880 --> 00:51:30,800
data driven approaches, which obviously
GPS has been doing for a long time. So,

691
00:51:28,480 --> 00:51:36,160
I just want to um from even looking at
at other schools, just commend um how

692
00:51:33,520 --> 00:51:41,839
well our curriculum team is doing um
both in their work this past summer, but

693
00:51:38,559 --> 00:51:45,520
also really all the time. Um because it
it we really are an example for for the

694
00:51:43,920 --> 00:51:52,040
district and how learning should be
happening. And I just I'm so much kudos

695
00:51:48,079 --> 00:51:52,040
to you guys with all that work.

696
00:51:54,559 --> 00:52:00,559
» Great. Um, yeah, I I did want to just
say something. I agree. Like it's very

697
00:51:59,040 --> 00:52:04,319
helpful having curriculum and a system
together this way because then it really

698
00:52:02,880 --> 00:52:07,520
feels like the the point of the
assessments is to think about how to

699
00:52:05,839 --> 00:52:11,280
improve the curriculum
>> rather than like giving a student a

700
00:52:09,520 --> 00:52:14,720
grade, right? Which is how a lot of
times the parents feel or the students

701
00:52:12,800 --> 00:52:18,640
feel like how did I do? But this is like
okay well if you look at an entire you

702
00:52:17,119 --> 00:52:23,760
know grade of fourth graders and you
think okay we can see we need to be you

703
00:52:21,920 --> 00:52:27,520
know improve the curriculum in a certain
way so they can be more successful next

704
00:52:25,440 --> 00:52:32,240
year and that's just such a much more
collaborative positive approach and and

705
00:52:29,520 --> 00:52:37,280
so I echo everyone's comments. I had a
specific interest I want to hear more

706
00:52:34,480 --> 00:52:42,240
about um the outsiders a new program for
the seventh graders the page to stage

707
00:52:40,160 --> 00:52:49,040
I'm so excited. So can someone talk
about it? Yes, I'm we're really excited

708
00:52:44,400 --> 00:52:53,200
about it. Uh we uh in our ELA
curriculum, we have two in seventh

709
00:52:50,640 --> 00:52:59,280
grade, we have two narrative units. Um
they um they're the kind of units that

710
00:52:56,480 --> 00:53:04,160
we're teaching our ELA standards. They
can be uh taught with any mentor text,

711
00:53:02,480 --> 00:53:10,079
right? Like so in in ELA, we don't teach
the text, we teach the standards, and we

712
00:53:06,319 --> 00:53:15,760
pick a a strong article, novel,
non-fiction,

713
00:53:11,680 --> 00:53:19,119
um piece to teach those standards. Um a
lot a couple of our seventh grade teams

714
00:53:17,520 --> 00:53:24,160
have used the Outsiders within our
units. Um a couple years ago, uh The

715
00:53:22,000 --> 00:53:27,839
Outsiders came on Broadway. Um I think
it's been this is the third year, I

716
00:53:25,839 --> 00:53:32,079
believe. It's won a lot of awards. Um
Eastern started taking their students,

717
00:53:30,000 --> 00:53:36,800
um the first year, I think it came out.
Um, I got to go with them and see it all

718
00:53:34,160 --> 00:53:44,160
in action. Um, and we thought, well,
wow, what a great opportunity. Last

719
00:53:39,200 --> 00:53:48,160
year, Western um, like really fundraised
and like really scraped together. They

720
00:53:46,079 --> 00:53:52,960
really wanted their kids to go, so we
got an opportunity. They they they made

721
00:53:50,559 --> 00:53:57,040
it happen, but it was it was like
borrowing and stealing to get the money.

722
00:53:55,040 --> 00:54:02,240
The buses alone are are very very
expensive. Um and

723
00:54:00,480 --> 00:54:08,559
Central was like, "Well, we want to do
it, too." And so we knew that we needed

724
00:54:05,440 --> 00:54:13,280
some extra funding support for for um
some of our schools. So we went to the

725
00:54:10,000 --> 00:54:17,760
Grunch Alliance and they generously um
offered to make it so that all of our

726
00:54:15,280 --> 00:54:22,800
seventh graders could go this year. Um
so that you asked like some why does

727
00:54:20,640 --> 00:54:28,559
some summer work come to be? Well, this
was an opportunity for us for all

728
00:54:25,920 --> 00:54:32,559
seventh graders to go on this trip,
which means this book is going to be in

729
00:54:30,800 --> 00:54:38,480
one of the narrative units at each
school. Um, and we wanted some extra

730
00:54:35,839 --> 00:54:43,680
resources for for teachers that were
specific to this book. Now, while we

731
00:54:40,640 --> 00:54:50,559
don't teach the book, we know that when
we put a uh a book that's set in 1950

732
00:54:48,640 --> 00:54:56,079
in front of our students, there are some
background knowledge and vocabulary that

733
00:54:52,559 --> 00:55:02,960
we need to get them ready for. Um, and
there are um some some key things that

734
00:54:59,760 --> 00:55:07,520
would be helpful to have before, during,
and after reading that text that are

735
00:55:04,800 --> 00:55:10,880
specific to that text. So, we had um a
seventh grade teacher. We had four

736
00:55:09,200 --> 00:55:17,280
teachers, but one at least from each
school that have used this book as a as

737
00:55:14,000 --> 00:55:22,319
a as a a trade book um before and they
kind of created things, pulled their

738
00:55:19,440 --> 00:55:28,480
resources. We also um consulted with
Leah Stillman of how we can really

739
00:55:25,520 --> 00:55:32,960
integrate the arts into it. We made some
lessons for before going to a Broadway

740
00:55:30,720 --> 00:55:36,800
play. Like what are some things that you
should be looking like what lenses

741
00:55:34,559 --> 00:55:40,640
should you be looking for about staging
and blocking and choice of costume and

742
00:55:39,119 --> 00:55:44,800
choice of music and let's look at the
lyrics. Um if you've never been to a

743
00:55:43,040 --> 00:55:49,040
Broadway play before, how should like
what's it going to be like? Like giving

744
00:55:46,960 --> 00:55:53,119
them the layout, what kind of like what
are theater etiquette rules, that kind

745
00:55:50,720 --> 00:55:57,920
of thing. And then afterwards, how do we
now compare the book to the to the play,

746
00:55:56,319 --> 00:56:01,680
which is in the theater standards, it's
in our ELA standards. So, what an

747
00:55:59,760 --> 00:56:06,799
amazing opportunity for all of our
students to to be able to go right in

748
00:56:04,720 --> 00:56:10,799
our backyard to New York City to
experience live theater. And so, we're

749
00:56:09,280 --> 00:56:14,319
really grateful for that opportunity.
And that kind of sparked this summer

750
00:56:12,319 --> 00:56:17,760
work because we hadn't had that
opportunity for all of our kids to go.

751
00:56:15,839 --> 00:56:21,040
So, we needed to upgrade our curriculum
a little bit to meet the needs so that

752
00:56:19,680 --> 00:56:24,480
our teachers could be prepared and our
kids could um have a really great

753
00:56:22,640 --> 00:56:27,920
experience.
>> That's really exciting and I think it's

754
00:56:26,079 --> 00:56:31,040
great and I feel like it get it gets
some kids who maybe are more interested

755
00:56:29,280 --> 00:56:34,880
in the arts could get excited about
English, right? And kids who are

756
00:56:32,799 --> 00:56:38,400
interested in ELA are get excited about
the arts. Like, it's it's really

757
00:56:36,640 --> 00:56:42,400
exciting and I'm thrilled that they all
have that common experience going into

758
00:56:40,000 --> 00:56:45,680
the high school is fun. I'm sure they'll
be able to draw on it and their work

759
00:56:44,240 --> 00:56:49,680
that they do in the high school. Thank
you.

760
00:56:46,240 --> 00:56:52,720
» Thank you to the Greenwich Alliance.
>> All right, we have six other groups of

761
00:56:51,119 --> 00:56:54,720
people. So, if it's okay with you, are
we ready to pivot to social studies?

762
00:56:54,240 --> 00:56:59,359
» Thank you.
>> All right. Uh when Principal Healey is

763
00:56:56,880 --> 00:57:04,079
not busy opening a building, he is
overseeing some social studies work

764
00:57:01,760 --> 00:57:07,440
» and uh oversees our middle school social
studies. And then we'll also bring up

765
00:57:05,440 --> 00:57:10,559
Miss Lucia Reco. And together they'll
answer any questions you may have about

766
00:57:08,880 --> 00:57:14,520
the social studies work that occurred
over the course of this summer.

767
00:57:15,514 --> 00:57:17,534
» [snorts]

768
00:57:22,880 --> 00:57:24,799
» Bob,
>> do you have a question?

769
00:57:23,839 --> 00:57:29,280
» I was just curious about the
revolutionary America uh in that you

770
00:57:27,440 --> 00:57:32,319
were doing in eighth grade. Was that was
that already established or you you were

771
00:57:31,119 --> 00:57:34,559
you building upon something that was
already there or is it something brand

772
00:57:34,079 --> 00:57:36,720
new?
>> You mean I I didn't hear the first part.

773
00:57:36,319 --> 00:57:38,640
I'm sorry.
>> I apologize. The revolutionary American

774
00:57:38,240 --> 00:57:42,720
unit.
>> Yeah.

775
00:57:39,520 --> 00:57:47,680
» Yeah. So th that all is part of the
standard US history curriculum in eighth

776
00:57:44,559 --> 00:57:52,319
grade. Um specifically what we were
really targeting was um all of this I'll

777
00:57:51,200 --> 00:57:57,760
kind of back up for a second. All of
this work really what's embedded in it

778
00:57:53,839 --> 00:58:02,319
is um how we are tracking student um
skills more so than just reading for

779
00:58:00,640 --> 00:58:07,280
information or gathering evidence and
things like that. So, we're reusing the

780
00:58:04,240 --> 00:58:12,319
um four dimensions from the um state of
Connecticut and taking um out those

781
00:58:10,559 --> 00:58:15,119
inquiry dimensions. How are students
thinking about history, thinking about

782
00:58:13,760 --> 00:58:20,240
the social studies, thinking about
geography? Um and and what should they

783
00:58:17,599 --> 00:58:24,240
be doing through grade six or be able to
do through sixth, seventh, and eighth

784
00:58:21,680 --> 00:58:28,079
grade? Um that was work we started last
year. And then basically what we um

785
00:58:26,400 --> 00:58:31,040
jumped on this year was how do we align
that a little bit better across the

786
00:58:29,599 --> 00:58:35,680
three schools so we can make sure those
students are having common experiences.

787
00:58:33,359 --> 00:58:39,839
So specifically for eighth grade it came
down to um something important which in

788
00:58:38,480 --> 00:58:44,319
our conversations with the high school
folks much like you heard with the

789
00:58:41,200 --> 00:58:49,680
grammar and English working backward
is um engaging with and analyzing

790
00:58:46,319 --> 00:58:53,200
primary sources. So, how uh did we how
can we make sure that all of our eighth

791
00:58:51,359 --> 00:58:56,480
graders are engaging deeply with primary
sources before they get to the high

792
00:58:54,640 --> 00:58:59,760
school? And so, what we ended up doing
was looking at certain units,

793
00:58:58,000 --> 00:59:06,559
specifically the revolutionary unit and
others to say, what are

794
00:59:03,200 --> 00:59:10,400
the primary sources that our students
are typically looking at or being asked

795
00:59:08,079 --> 00:59:15,200
to analyze. So, for example, one of the
most famous ones is um Paul River's

796
00:59:12,960 --> 00:59:19,200
engraving of the Boston Massacre, right?
You probably all looked at it too cuz it

797
00:59:17,599 --> 00:59:28,400
happened prior to you going to school as
well. Um so um

798
00:59:22,720 --> 00:59:32,319
most um but the idea being um are all
kids getting that experience uh and if

799
00:59:30,880 --> 00:59:35,920
so what does that experience look like
in terms of the depth of their analysis

800
00:59:34,160 --> 00:59:41,040
or how do we scaffold that for the level
of the learner? Um so what happened over

801
00:59:38,319 --> 00:59:45,280
the summer was um teachers got together
and they basically brainstormed and they

802
00:59:42,799 --> 00:59:50,160
said let's come up with say five or six
common primary sources that we all have

803
00:59:46,960 --> 00:59:54,559
been using and we brought that back to
um the whole group on that you know

804
00:59:51,920 --> 00:59:58,559
first PD day back before school started
um and said from these let's pick three

805
00:59:56,640 --> 01:00:03,280
and they did that for every unit so that
in every single unit of 8th grade there

806
01:00:00,799 --> 01:00:07,200
are three primary sources that we know
every child is going to engage with in

807
01:00:05,119 --> 01:00:13,680
their American history class at some
level in terms of a depth of analysis um

808
01:00:10,799 --> 01:00:17,599
and how to draw conclusions from that,
look at perspective, um think about

809
01:00:15,839 --> 01:00:21,839
varying points of view, whatever the
case might be. Um now teachers can bring

810
01:00:20,319 --> 01:00:25,520
in a lot more and they do bring in a lot
more, but we felt it was important that

811
01:00:23,839 --> 01:00:28,160
there was some level of consistency to
say every student that's leaving 8th

812
01:00:26,960 --> 01:00:31,680
grade in the Greenwich public schools
and most of them do go on to the high

813
01:00:29,520 --> 01:00:36,319
school have this same experience and we
know are practicing this critical skill.

814
01:00:34,000 --> 01:00:41,440
So how different were the primary
sources? Like did you find

815
01:00:38,799 --> 01:00:46,640
» Not really. So most of them were using
some of the same common ones. So there

816
01:00:43,280 --> 01:00:51,359
really wasn't any vast difference. But I
think it was it's more about the

817
01:00:49,520 --> 01:00:55,760
consistency with which we are having
kids engage with them. So when we know

818
01:00:53,839 --> 01:00:59,200
we're looking at the same one, teachers
started talking about well how do you

819
01:00:57,119 --> 01:01:02,960
use it? What questions do you ask? What
do you have the students do with it? And

820
01:01:01,040 --> 01:01:06,720
how deep can we get? So we started
looking back at some of those skills and

821
01:01:04,559 --> 01:01:10,880
standards for inquiry and saying how can
we push that further. So for example,

822
01:01:09,599 --> 01:01:15,599
one of the things that we want to have
students do, right, are are um is to

823
01:01:13,760 --> 01:01:19,520
become very good at asking deep
questions, right? That's a part of

824
01:01:17,200 --> 01:01:23,920
inquiry. So, can we use some of these
primary sources to help students learn

825
01:01:21,359 --> 01:01:26,880
how to develop really deep questions to
think about what this source meant at

826
01:01:25,520 --> 01:01:29,920
the time and what was the perspective
and what would the impact be and who was

827
01:01:28,559 --> 01:01:33,440
the audience and all those different
things to facilitate their own

828
01:01:31,839 --> 01:01:37,119
discussion amongst each other as opposed
to having be the teacher telling them

829
01:01:35,680 --> 01:01:40,880
this is what happened and this is how
people reacted. So, I think it was just

830
01:01:39,119 --> 01:01:44,720
more the consistency with how we were
putting that onto the students and

831
01:01:42,799 --> 01:01:50,000
engaging with those materials over with
each other. So, um, everyone was using

832
01:01:47,920 --> 01:01:54,880
some of the same common ones. You know,
everyone used the engraving. That wasn't

833
01:01:52,640 --> 01:01:59,040
an argument. But again, I just think it
was important because now they can speak

834
01:01:56,960 --> 01:02:03,040
to each other about what they're seeing
in terms of the level of what kids are

835
01:02:00,400 --> 01:02:08,480
able to do. And then more importantly
for our learners for whom um this is a

836
01:02:06,079 --> 01:02:12,720
challenge, how can you help them
overcome that hump of you know I don't

837
01:02:11,359 --> 01:02:16,480
understand what they're saying because
that word is funny or whatever the case

838
01:02:15,119 --> 01:02:20,240
might be right and then they're sharing
those strategies as well because they

839
01:02:17,920 --> 01:02:25,799
can break down in those core resources
or primary sources um what to expect

840
01:02:22,559 --> 01:02:25,799
from kids.

841
01:02:26,400 --> 01:02:31,200
Um, I had a question about learning
geography

842
01:02:30,573 --> 01:02:36,960
[laughter]
because it was I have a seventh grader.

843
01:02:33,520 --> 01:02:40,480
Um, and he was doing like learning
Europe, you know, the map of Europe last

844
01:02:38,880 --> 01:02:43,920
year. And it was interesting because it
was different from when I was in sixth

845
01:02:42,640 --> 01:02:47,119
grade in the sense of just that there's
the computer and you can kind of click

846
01:02:45,520 --> 01:02:50,720
on it and see if you got it right or
wrong and you can do it over and over

847
01:02:48,400 --> 01:02:54,480
and over again. But it was actually
quite similar in a way to to how I

848
01:02:53,040 --> 01:03:00,319
learned it. And I was like, what where
are the advances in that? And how can we

849
01:02:57,599 --> 01:03:04,720
be better at learning that? Because
>> I I'm just curious. I feel like, you

850
01:03:02,880 --> 01:03:07,599
know, there must be better ways to learn
geography than trying to memorize the

851
01:03:06,319 --> 01:03:10,559
map. And and I actually was thinking of
it when you're talking about spelling

852
01:03:08,799 --> 01:03:14,960
because it feels like the same thing
where you memorize the map of Europe and

853
01:03:13,040 --> 01:03:18,000
then a month later someone asks you and
you can't remember anything at all

854
01:03:16,319 --> 01:03:21,760
because you just you learned it for the
test,

855
01:03:18,480 --> 01:03:26,160
» right? So I I think you know that that
is sort of the pendulum if you will um

856
01:03:24,160 --> 01:03:30,319
that we've seen across many disciplines
with this idea of memorization right

857
01:03:28,720 --> 01:03:34,559
like how much are we doing drill and
kill not not as much anymore. So when it

858
01:03:32,400 --> 01:03:39,039
comes to geography, the pendulum
definitely had gone more over to which

859
01:03:37,520 --> 01:03:44,000
is important as well and really what the
the curriculum is is based on is you

860
01:03:41,839 --> 01:03:48,720
know something more like how does a
region impact how people live? Right? So

861
01:03:46,720 --> 01:03:54,000
what is your geography? Is it dry and
aid? Right? Is is there a lot of water?

862
01:03:51,039 --> 01:03:58,319
Is it coastal? Um is it rainforest? Do
you have rainy seasons? So, it's really

863
01:03:56,000 --> 01:04:03,200
more looking at the element of what's
the area and how does that change the

864
01:04:00,799 --> 01:04:08,079
way people live, interact, their
economy, their politics, and everything.

865
01:04:05,359 --> 01:04:10,880
Um, but I think we had kind of gotten
away, you know, every once in a while

866
01:04:09,280 --> 01:04:15,119
I'm still seeing some maps being colored
by region and things like that just to

867
01:04:13,039 --> 01:04:19,839
get them a sense. But this idea of
really being able to identify where

868
01:04:16,720 --> 01:04:23,520
countries are hasn't been necessarily
the the focus or where they spent the

869
01:04:21,920 --> 01:04:27,359
time.
What I think we're kind of seeing

870
01:04:25,680 --> 01:04:31,039
somewhere come back to the middle is
this understanding that knowing where it

871
01:04:29,599 --> 01:04:35,520
is especially in relation to other
places is also really important. Right?

872
01:04:33,520 --> 01:04:39,119
So it's like seeing the forest through
the trees, right? Like you need to know

873
01:04:36,960 --> 01:04:42,480
where it is. So interestingly enough
that you asked this and and I get a

874
01:04:40,880 --> 01:04:45,760
chance to highlight the structure of my
new building in this story. So this is

875
01:04:44,240 --> 01:04:50,400
like thank you for laying this one up
for me. Um, so for those of you who are

876
01:04:47,920 --> 01:04:54,000
aware, right, our new building not only
um has these grade level areas, but in

877
01:04:52,880 --> 01:04:58,160
those areas, right outside the
classroom, it's a common learning space.

878
01:04:56,160 --> 01:05:04,240
So my seventh grade social studies
teacher actually uh let's see, today's

879
01:05:00,559 --> 01:05:09,039
Thursday. So this was on Tuesday,
uh came up to me and said, um, do you

880
01:05:06,400 --> 01:05:12,000
have painters tape? A normal question
you get from a seventh grade social

881
01:05:10,319 --> 01:05:14,240
studies teacher, right? And I was like,
uh, no, but I can find you some cuz

882
01:05:13,200 --> 01:05:19,200
there's a lot of painters around here,
which is great. Um, so we got her some

883
01:05:16,400 --> 01:05:23,119
painters tape and and you know, she was
like, "Come by tomorrow if you want to

884
01:05:21,359 --> 01:05:26,799
see something." So I was like, "Okay."
So that afternoon I saw her and a couple

885
01:05:25,280 --> 01:05:30,480
colleagues. They had pushed all the
furniture to the side and she was taping

886
01:05:28,400 --> 01:05:35,280
a giant rectangle on the ground in the
common area. So the next morning I went

887
01:05:32,400 --> 01:05:39,520
up there and the place was buzzing. She
was sitting back like this and you just

888
01:05:37,039 --> 01:05:43,280
saw kids running around with 8 1/2 by 11
pieces of paper. And I'm trying to look

889
01:05:41,200 --> 01:05:49,760
what was going on. She had printed out
the entire world map in eight and a half

890
01:05:46,640 --> 01:05:53,760
by 11 pieces of paper and she had just
scattered it around and given it to the

891
01:05:51,599 --> 01:06:00,160
kids the entire class
>> and said m make the map and she had a

892
01:05:57,440 --> 01:06:03,039
map up in her room and she could see
through cuz we have these wonderful

893
01:06:01,200 --> 01:06:07,680
windows onto the common areas but
basically the kids had to figure out

894
01:06:05,599 --> 01:06:10,799
where everything went with nothing else.
She just said that's all you have. So

895
01:06:09,119 --> 01:06:15,280
they started putting things together but
what was magical about it was the way in

896
01:06:13,680 --> 01:06:19,599
which they would have conversations with
each other right they were like you know

897
01:06:17,200 --> 01:06:24,400
we know China's over here and we know
Japan is close to here and then it was

898
01:06:21,280 --> 01:06:28,400
sort of like well you know this has a
lot of water it's got to be over here

899
01:06:26,319 --> 01:06:30,559
and then there was also a legend so they
were trying to figure out they're like

900
01:06:29,359 --> 01:06:33,599
start from the corner right so they're
like oh like like the legend needs to be

901
01:06:32,559 --> 01:06:37,039
in the corner because whenever you look
at a map that's where it is so anyway it

902
01:06:35,440 --> 01:06:39,760
was really interesting because it became
this beautiful collaborative

903
01:06:38,319 --> 01:06:43,280
conversation where they were pulling in
background knowledge. They were using

904
01:06:41,520 --> 01:06:47,119
each other as resources to go back and
look and see what was near each other.

905
01:06:44,960 --> 01:06:51,920
And that's what she started with. And it
wasn't like just, you know, let's

906
01:06:49,440 --> 01:06:55,280
memorize, you know, an acronym for the
countries of Europe. It was something a

907
01:06:53,920 --> 01:06:58,319
little more engaging where the kids were
actually laying everything out. And then

908
01:06:56,640 --> 01:07:02,079
she was able to take that and start to
have conversations about climate and

909
01:07:00,240 --> 01:07:05,200
zones and things like that, which now
will then feed their discussion about

910
01:07:03,920 --> 01:07:08,079
how that impacts the people who live
there and the civilizations and the

911
01:07:06,559 --> 01:07:11,440
cultures. So, I don't know if that
totally answered your question, but it

912
01:07:09,039 --> 01:07:16,480
was just a little more engaging off the
computer, which I loved. Um, it was

913
01:07:14,480 --> 01:07:19,920
literally all kids just talking to each
other with paper and pencil and like

914
01:07:18,400 --> 01:07:23,119
kneeling on the floor. It almost kind of
looked like Twister in a way cuz they

915
01:07:21,839 --> 01:07:26,480
were like leaning over each other. It
was very cool.

916
01:07:24,559 --> 01:07:29,839
» That that completely answers my question
and also makes me feel really good about

917
01:07:28,240 --> 01:07:33,839
the new Central Middle School building
and the new use of that space, which is

918
01:07:32,319 --> 01:07:36,839
great. Thank you so much. Of
>> course.

919
01:07:37,200 --> 01:07:46,960
I commend that teacher. Uh and uh also
um that does lead me to inquire about

920
01:07:44,240 --> 01:07:52,720
this uh go guardian implementation which
I see am I am I asking the right group?

921
01:07:50,480 --> 01:08:01,119
» So that's been implemented at Greenwich
High School this year.

922
01:07:54,559 --> 01:08:07,920
um that is um a platform that allows uh
teachers to um on their screen see all

923
01:08:05,359 --> 01:08:13,599
of the screens of their students
basically to asssure they're on uh the

924
01:08:10,640 --> 01:08:18,640
tab that they should be on um and
staying focused. It also acts as a

925
01:08:16,239 --> 01:08:23,679
lockdown browser during an assessment
provided every student is on a

926
01:08:21,440 --> 01:08:29,199
schoolisssued device because the
lockdown browser is Chromebased. Uh so

927
01:08:26,319 --> 01:08:33,880
if a student is using a MacBook the
lockdown browser is not going to be

928
01:08:30,880 --> 01:08:33,880
effective.

929
01:08:36,000 --> 01:08:44,640
Um can you just give me like a quick
assessment of you know sort of what are

930
01:08:42,000 --> 01:08:49,120
the circumstances in which um GoG
Guardian is used? You mentioned like

931
01:08:46,080 --> 01:08:54,400
lockdown for like I imagine an exam or
you know something like that and this

932
01:08:50,719 --> 01:09:00,239
general general monitoring uh makes
sense but but what is that time that the

933
01:08:56,560 --> 01:09:03,679
kids are on their Chromebooks?
>> Are you asking how much time are they on

934
01:09:02,080 --> 01:09:07,839
their Chromebooks? I'm saying like when
is this? Is this like like study hall

935
01:09:05,759 --> 01:09:10,640
time? Is this like midclass time? Is
this like throughout the day?

936
01:09:09,199 --> 01:09:13,199
Everybody's on their Chromebooks. I I'm
not I don't yet have a student in the

937
01:09:12,480 --> 01:09:19,120
high school. So
>> So it's our our first year with it. I

938
01:09:15,600 --> 01:09:24,239
think uh the different programs are um
using it differently. Um and some

939
01:09:22,080 --> 01:09:31,199
programs might be using it more than
others. Um in a social studies class, I

940
01:09:28,799 --> 01:09:35,759
I have seen it used for instance during
an assessment.

941
01:09:32,640 --> 01:09:41,199
um in order to uh maintain academic
integrity during the assessment. Um also

942
01:09:39,279 --> 01:09:46,080
uh it has been used for instance if
students are working on uh a research

943
01:09:43,839 --> 01:09:50,960
paper. So during class to make sure
students are uh solely on you know

944
01:09:48,719 --> 01:09:57,760
websites being used for research and
that they are um only on a Google doc

945
01:09:54,800 --> 01:10:05,840
and and uh their writing is authentic as
opposed to uh using AI or um you know

946
01:10:03,360 --> 01:10:10,080
another website like AI to help them
write their paper.

947
01:10:07,920 --> 01:10:14,480
This sort of leads me into my next
inquiry. I was curious and maybe this is

948
01:10:12,239 --> 01:10:22,400
outside the scope of this meeting, but
how are we responding to sort of AI use

949
01:10:18,239 --> 01:10:26,159
in uh you know in these situations by
students? I mean I don't even know if

950
01:10:23,840 --> 01:10:32,159
chat is blocked in the school system.
>> It is I I can take this one. Um we do

951
01:10:29,199 --> 01:10:37,360
have a staff facing regulation regarding
AI use for staff. We have segmented

952
01:10:34,080 --> 01:10:42,800
Wi-Fi where staff have access to certain
um AI based web browsers and then we do

953
01:10:41,040 --> 01:10:48,159
uh this year we offered a studentf
facing AI platform just at the high

954
01:10:44,480 --> 01:10:53,360
school. So we do have a um school AI is
the platform that we're we're working

955
01:10:50,320 --> 01:10:59,040
with within GHS and our regulation
segments the use cases for uh students

956
01:10:57,440 --> 01:11:02,800
in grades 6 through 8 as well as
students in grade 9 through 12. So that

957
01:11:00,800 --> 01:11:07,360
regulation outlines exactly how teachers
support students in making good

958
01:11:04,400 --> 01:11:13,760
decisions about using AI as a thought
partner as opposed to a creator of

959
01:11:10,239 --> 01:11:18,640
content. And we also um have supporting
structures worked into the library media

960
01:11:16,480 --> 01:11:21,520
specialists at the uh 6 through8 level
and supporting middle schools

961
01:11:19,840 --> 01:11:26,320
specifically in better understanding
what AI can do, when there are

962
01:11:24,000 --> 01:11:32,480
appropriate times to use AI and what
different AI engines could support. Um,

963
01:11:29,360 --> 01:11:36,880
we have really worked with teachers to
better understand the best ways to

964
01:11:34,159 --> 01:11:42,560
support students in emerging technology.
And I think software such as GoG

965
01:11:39,280 --> 01:11:47,280
Guardian is more of a deterrent from
ineffective or inappropriate technology

966
01:11:44,800 --> 01:11:51,520
use, less of a big brother watching,
more of a supporting structure where

967
01:11:49,520 --> 01:11:56,239
while our teachers are fantastic
monitors of student um support student

968
01:11:54,159 --> 01:12:00,159
behavior and classroom management, when
you have 20 devices open on all

969
01:11:58,640 --> 01:12:04,000
different tabs, sometimes it's nice to
have your main screen just checking in

970
01:12:01,840 --> 01:12:08,000
while you can do some small group work.
Um, so AI is constantly changing and we

971
01:12:06,800 --> 01:12:11,199
have regulations that are keeping up
with it and we have the teachers and the

972
01:12:09,679 --> 01:12:16,080
administrators doing that work to
support them.

973
01:12:13,520 --> 01:12:22,080
» Thank you.
>> I had a question about the AP geography

974
01:12:19,040 --> 01:12:26,480
» class. Um, are students taking that
instead of like another AP or an

975
01:12:24,480 --> 01:12:30,239
addition? And how many students do we
have enrolled in it this year and kind

976
01:12:28,560 --> 01:12:37,920
of how is it going? I know it's early
days. Um so there are about 20 students

977
01:12:34,560 --> 01:12:42,000
enrolled in the c in the class. Um you
know how it fits in the schedule really

978
01:12:39,840 --> 01:12:49,520
depends on the student. It's available
for juniors and seniors to take. Um so

979
01:12:47,679 --> 01:12:55,360
uh if you are a junior you certainly
could take AP human geography along with

980
01:12:52,239 --> 01:13:00,480
for instance our civics requirement or
um the AP government class. It really

981
01:12:58,159 --> 01:13:05,679
really depends on what else the student
is trying to um accommodate in their in

982
01:13:03,679 --> 01:13:08,000
their schedule.
>> So and this year we have basic so we

983
01:13:07,360 --> 01:13:12,880
have one section
>> one section okay and it's going well.

984
01:13:09,760 --> 01:13:19,600
The um the teacher actually attended um
an AP institute in the summer um that

985
01:13:16,320 --> 01:13:25,040
was uh project based learning
essentially for AP human geography. So,

986
01:13:21,840 --> 01:13:30,239
I know she's trying to implement more um
projects in the class. Um and uh she's

987
01:13:28,480 --> 01:13:34,040
very excited about that.
>> Great. Thank you so much.

988
01:13:34,480 --> 01:13:40,800
» Okay. And with that lull, perhaps we'll
shift to math. I know usually um Mike

989
01:13:39,040 --> 01:13:44,159
and Bonnie are so excited to share what
they're doing in the K through 8

990
01:13:42,480 --> 01:13:49,040
landscape, but this summer we only had
math work going in grades 9 through 12.

991
01:13:46,640 --> 01:13:54,760
So, I'm going to invite Mr. Andrew Burn
up to share what the high school worked

992
01:13:50,400 --> 01:13:54,760
on both in math and computer science.

993
01:13:56,365 --> 01:14:02,920
[clears throat] And this is page five in
your report or slide 10 on your slides.

994
01:14:08,811 --> 01:14:10,831
[snorts]

995
01:14:20,480 --> 01:14:23,360
While everyone else is looking, do you
mind if I Okay,

996
01:14:22,640 --> 01:14:26,400
» go ahead.
>> Just curious about the AP cyber

997
01:14:24,800 --> 01:14:30,000
security.
>> Yeah, it's uh it's really exciting. I

998
01:14:28,239 --> 01:14:32,640
think um I just want to give a shout out
to all our teachers. You know,

999
01:14:31,040 --> 01:14:38,080
curriculum institute is a wonderful way
for us to refresh and renew our

1000
01:14:34,880 --> 01:14:43,600
curriculum um in all our courses. Um but
this year was particularly exciting for

1001
01:14:39,679 --> 01:14:47,920
me uh with the ability to uh see over
oversee the launch of two new courses uh

1002
01:14:46,080 --> 01:14:51,360
this year at Granch High School. Uh one
of them was approved by this board many

1003
01:14:49,440 --> 01:14:54,960
years ago with the support of Dr. Jones
and we were unfortunately not able to

1004
01:14:53,520 --> 01:14:59,280
run it for a number of years and that is
honors linear algebra. Um but some of

1005
01:14:57,280 --> 01:15:04,640
you that were with us last spring uh
approved uh AP cyber security which is

1006
01:15:01,840 --> 01:15:09,280
equally exciting. Um, so we also had
some teachers uh participate in or one

1007
01:15:07,040 --> 01:15:13,440
teacher in this case participate in a AP
curriculum institute, Mr. David Angelo.

1008
01:15:11,679 --> 01:15:18,719
Um, he was able to go over the summer
and and learn more about the AP cyber

1009
01:15:15,679 --> 01:15:23,120
security and uh it's really been a a
great start thus far. Um, the kids are

1010
01:15:20,880 --> 01:15:27,600
very excited. We have about uh 17 kids
in that class this year. um and uh you

1011
01:15:26,239 --> 01:15:32,560
know they're they're really invigorated
by all that's happening uh in in our

1012
01:15:29,920 --> 01:15:36,480
world and and learning more about uh AP
cyber security. So I I do applaud the

1013
01:15:34,719 --> 01:15:40,239
work of this board to make this a
possibility for our students and I think

1014
01:15:38,640 --> 01:15:45,760
that in years to come we'll actually see
the uh enrollment grow because it is

1015
01:15:42,239 --> 01:15:51,719
such a a timely important course um uh
for our students in their future.

1016
01:15:48,719 --> 01:15:51,719
» Yeah.

1017
01:15:54,800 --> 01:16:00,400
Okay. I'm wondering if you could just
like for especially for our two new

1018
01:15:59,040 --> 01:16:03,760
board members if you could talk about
like the breadth of the math program at

1019
01:16:02,480 --> 01:16:09,199
the high school because I think a lot of
people are not aware of of how

1020
01:16:06,400 --> 01:16:12,719
differentiated math becomes at the high
school level. I know that's not part of

1021
01:16:11,199 --> 01:16:15,440
this, but I just I think it might be
helpful because a lot of people don't

1022
01:16:14,000 --> 01:16:18,239
know if they have elementary school
students.

1023
01:16:16,400 --> 01:16:21,040
» Sure. Um, you know, we're fortunate
enough to have about 30 different

1024
01:16:19,360 --> 01:16:25,840
courses on the books at at Crunch High
School. We have about 115 sections that

1025
01:16:23,679 --> 01:16:29,280
are run every year. Um, and it really
does cover the breath of of all levels

1026
01:16:27,840 --> 01:16:33,760
of math, which is really exciting. And
we do do a great job um, meeting the

1027
01:16:32,159 --> 01:16:37,840
students where they are. And I I want to
give just a quick shout out to Mr. Reid

1028
01:16:35,440 --> 01:16:42,159
and and all the uh, KA teachers that
prepare the students so well u for us at

1029
01:16:40,480 --> 01:16:46,239
Greenwich High School. We are certainly
fortunate to um, get kids who are

1030
01:16:44,719 --> 01:16:51,600
excited about learning math and and
really have the foundational skills uh,

1031
01:16:48,480 --> 01:16:55,600
to do it at such great levels. And so um
really as you mentioned you know there

1032
01:16:53,840 --> 01:17:00,239
is a quite a breath. We have everything
from uh skills-based courses in

1033
01:16:57,679 --> 01:17:05,920
mathematics all the way through uh now
honors linear algebra um and uh a number

1034
01:17:03,120 --> 01:17:10,159
of AP uh computer science and
mathematics courses that would be

1035
01:17:07,600 --> 01:17:14,719
traditionally at any other school. Um
but really I think the other piece of

1036
01:17:12,080 --> 01:17:20,960
this all is um the work that Dr. Jones
has done along with this board to uh

1037
01:17:17,280 --> 01:17:26,159
really help our students um early on uh
who are I you know showing a proclivity

1038
01:17:23,679 --> 01:17:31,040
for for math uh inspiring them and and
providing them with uh opportunities to

1039
01:17:28,080 --> 01:17:35,679
to grow and and so um one of the things
that's I think is is unique uh to Granch

1040
01:17:34,159 --> 01:17:41,280
High School or to Granch Public Schools
that is is our block zero. Um, so we we

1041
01:17:38,400 --> 01:17:45,040
could have students who um are as young
I believe as uh sixth grade um all the

1042
01:17:43,920 --> 01:17:50,560
way through eighth grade that could be
taking courses um in everything from

1043
01:17:47,600 --> 01:17:55,040
algebra 2 to uh AP pre-calculus or even
we've had some kids take advanced

1044
01:17:52,000 --> 01:18:00,080
calculus which is after BC calculus um
before they come to us at at GR High

1045
01:17:56,960 --> 01:18:04,880
School. So uh that alone has really um
done amazing things for for us as as a

1046
01:18:02,640 --> 01:18:09,679
as a district as a town and uh certainly
as a department. So um thank you u I I

1047
01:18:08,480 --> 01:18:13,199
want to say thank you to all of you uh
for making these things possible for our

1048
01:18:11,520 --> 01:18:18,960
students and for you know giving our
opportunities to our teachers to really

1049
01:18:15,360 --> 01:18:22,239
um you know teach in a district where um
you know math is valued and and that we

1050
01:18:20,960 --> 01:18:27,360
are able to provide our students with
those exceptional opportunities and um

1051
01:18:24,880 --> 01:18:32,000
encouraging us as as new opportunities
come about to uh ensure that we're

1052
01:18:29,440 --> 01:18:36,080
planning and preparing um to to meet
those students needs.

1053
01:18:34,640 --> 01:18:39,760
Well, thank you for all of your hard
work, but and I commend you. I mean, it

1054
01:18:38,080 --> 01:18:43,199
is unbelievable
the level of work that the students are

1055
01:18:41,840 --> 01:18:48,760
doing at the high school, I really do
think it's unmatched.

1056
01:18:45,280 --> 01:18:48,760
It's just incredible.

1057
01:18:49,760 --> 01:18:55,679
» Jonathan,
>> yeah. Um, since you gave us that

1058
01:18:53,920 --> 01:18:59,920
assessment, one thing I'm actually very
curious about is, you know, data science

1059
01:18:57,920 --> 01:19:04,080
programs. One thing that absolutely
drives me nuts hiring, you know, young

1060
01:19:02,080 --> 01:19:09,440
people out of high school and college is
their absolute inability to navigate

1061
01:19:06,480 --> 01:19:14,560
Excel and large data sets. [laughter]
It it is it seems like such a

1062
01:19:11,840 --> 01:19:20,239
fundamental skill set in our modern era
that uh I I don't know how it isn't uh

1063
01:19:17,760 --> 01:19:22,800
just core basic curricula. So, if you
could speak [laughter] to that.

1064
01:19:21,600 --> 01:19:25,600
» I don't I don't know if I have a great
answer for you, Mr. Katz. I will say my

1065
01:19:24,400 --> 01:19:29,920
daughter is a Granch High School grad
and she is a data scientist. uh

1066
01:19:27,800 --> 01:19:34,640
[laughter] uh right now and she would
concur with you. Um but um I do think

1067
01:19:32,400 --> 01:19:40,159
there are courses within our course of
study that um students who have that

1068
01:19:36,560 --> 01:19:44,640
interest um will certainly um be exposed
to it. I I don't know um from a

1069
01:19:42,719 --> 01:19:47,360
traditional math point perspective how
we could do better with that but that is

1070
01:19:46,080 --> 01:19:52,560
something that I do struggle with as
well. I I will say uh courses like AP

1071
01:19:49,920 --> 01:19:59,360
statistics and honors linear algebra um
you know we're really u manipulation of

1072
01:19:55,040 --> 01:20:03,120
data large data sets um are you know
things that students enjoy and that we

1073
01:20:00,960 --> 01:20:07,520
need to do and find more ways to infuse
them into maybe some of our uh lower

1074
01:20:05,520 --> 01:20:11,040
level math classes. But uh your point is
well made and I think um you know just

1075
01:20:09,679 --> 01:20:16,960
like we're talking about cyber security
earlier it is something that um is uh a

1076
01:20:14,159 --> 01:20:20,880
need and uh I don't know where we'll do
it but it is it is on my radar to to

1077
01:20:19,280 --> 01:20:25,120
take a look at that in the coming years.
I would happily trade away [laughter]

1078
01:20:22,960 --> 01:20:30,480
all the calculus that you're teaching
for the ability to manage piv pivot

1079
01:20:27,360 --> 01:20:35,199
tables and like just in terms of like
being integrated in the workforce and

1080
01:20:32,000 --> 01:20:39,120
and especially now with AI helping
students supplement their Excel

1081
01:20:37,280 --> 01:20:42,880
knowledge by being able to give them
formulas and you know but they still

1082
01:20:40,880 --> 01:20:46,560
fundamentally have to be familiar and
comfortable working with those data sets

1083
01:20:44,560 --> 01:20:51,679
in order to take advantage of that. And
on a workforce level it's something I

1084
01:20:49,040 --> 01:20:56,159
care about a lot. I I do as well and and
I I think the the folks that we need to

1085
01:20:54,159 --> 01:21:02,159
uh kind of sway more are the colleges
and universities. They um you know are

1086
01:20:59,520 --> 01:21:06,800
even though perhaps I I would argue that
uh AP statistics is more of a valuable

1087
01:21:04,239 --> 01:21:11,840
course in the long run um they are
looking for AP Calculus BC [laughter] as

1088
01:21:09,920 --> 01:21:18,000
part of the the uh admittance process.
So you know I think we have to you know

1089
01:21:14,560 --> 01:21:22,239
um uh support both ends of those those
competing demands.

1090
01:21:20,960 --> 01:21:25,760
Thank you. Yeah,
>> Mr. Catz, I think that actually might be

1091
01:21:23,760 --> 01:21:29,760
a perfect segue because we do start with
spreadsheets as early as third grade in

1092
01:21:28,080 --> 01:21:34,560
our science classes. And that will bring
us back up to Dr. Beckley and

1093
01:21:32,239 --> 01:21:38,239
introducing Miss Amy Farnum officially
in her role as science program

1094
01:21:36,159 --> 01:21:44,239
administrator at Greenidge High School.
So, thank you Amy and Dr. Beckley for

1095
01:21:41,600 --> 01:21:48,000
being up here.
and they'll take a moment to answer any

1096
01:21:46,000 --> 01:21:51,440
questions you may have about the K
through 12 science work that went on

1097
01:21:49,920 --> 01:21:56,639
this summer and perhaps share a little
bit about our um goals around data

1098
01:21:54,400 --> 01:22:00,639
literacy, data manipulation, data
showcasing and data communication from

1099
01:21:58,400 --> 01:22:06,719
the science perspective. Maybe Amy, you
want to start with that?

1100
01:22:03,520 --> 01:22:11,199
» Sure. So, um data literacy is actually
one of the found one of the foundational

1101
01:22:08,960 --> 01:22:16,239
pieces of our MDSS standards. to
practice that. We we start [snorts] all

1102
01:22:13,120 --> 01:22:20,239
the way in kindergarten. Um we have
programs where they get on the computer

1103
01:22:18,239 --> 01:22:26,159
and begin to manipulate spreadsheets, as
Terra said, as early as third grade with

1104
01:22:23,120 --> 01:22:31,040
Tuva where they're learning to use data
sets and manipulate variables to make

1105
01:22:28,320 --> 01:22:36,639
the types of graphs that make sense. Um,
and that grows all the way through to

1106
01:22:33,280 --> 01:22:41,199
the high school level where um, one of
the things that I have here that we did

1107
01:22:38,639 --> 01:22:46,800
this summer was to create physics labs
using um, pocket lab technology and

1108
01:22:44,719 --> 01:22:52,560
veneer technology where they're graphing
real-time data to solve challenges. So,

1109
01:22:50,000 --> 01:22:55,920
um, they're taking their own data. Um,
one of the the really cool challenges

1110
01:22:54,480 --> 01:23:01,360
they were making is something called an
Atwood cart where you have a string in a

1111
01:22:58,080 --> 01:23:04,960
car and it's it's going to fall down
with a pale at the other side. And so

1112
01:23:03,520 --> 01:23:08,480
what they need to do is try to make it
move exactly 1 meter per second. And

1113
01:23:07,360 --> 01:23:11,040
what they're going to do is they're
going to take candy corn out of one side

1114
01:23:09,840 --> 01:23:14,880
and put it on the other. But they have
to do at the exact rate and with the

1115
01:23:12,960 --> 01:23:18,800
exact amount. So if it means you take
off that white little tip, you may get

1116
01:23:16,320 --> 01:23:20,960
it perfect. And it's a challenge to see
who could get it the best. But the way

1117
01:23:20,000 --> 01:23:26,080
that they're doing that is they're
looking at their data. They're analyzing

1118
01:23:22,400 --> 01:23:31,600
the data and they're seeing um their
accuracy because we actually know how

1119
01:23:28,080 --> 01:23:36,000
much a Newton weighs. So at the end we
could test it. Um so we have we have

1120
01:23:34,000 --> 01:23:41,280
those programs all the way through. I
know in um my science class I I taught

1121
01:23:39,360 --> 01:23:46,159
AP environmental and environmental
science. Um I'm constantly using

1122
01:23:44,000 --> 01:23:50,239
spreadsheets and uploading it um
everywhere from local data. um we can

1123
01:23:48,239 --> 01:23:56,960
get real live data. Um I'm going to
circle back to the maps um question. Um

1124
01:23:53,840 --> 01:24:00,960
we can get real-time data today um on
computer programs that will show you

1125
01:23:58,400 --> 01:24:04,800
exactly what the weather is like. Um and
we can use that to make predictions. So

1126
01:24:02,639 --> 01:24:07,840
we could track hurricanes in real time
and we could turn off layers and have

1127
01:24:06,320 --> 01:24:12,560
students predict exactly where it's
raining just by looking at pressure. Um,

1128
01:24:10,108 --> 01:24:17,360
[snorts] so we use technology constantly
and we're constantly pushing our

1129
01:24:14,080 --> 01:24:23,120
students to answer questions that um
that they're going to use data to find

1130
01:24:20,159 --> 01:24:28,560
answers to. Um, we make them manipulate
um data in spreadsheets as well. And

1131
01:24:25,760 --> 01:24:32,480
that gets increasingly more complex as
they go through the years. So we start

1132
01:24:30,400 --> 01:24:38,880
with just finding an average. But by the
time they get up to high school, we're

1133
01:24:33,920 --> 01:24:43,280
looking at um trends and trend lines and
um deciding whether it's linear or

1134
01:24:41,199 --> 01:24:48,040
exponential, right? And our our students
are trained to do that um early on.

1135
01:24:48,080 --> 01:24:51,080
» Thanks.

1136
01:24:51,600 --> 01:24:55,600
» And also just to say this is my my first
board meeting. See everybody's all we

1137
01:24:54,400 --> 01:24:59,040
have some new faces. So I just want to
say hi to all the board members. Madam

1138
01:24:57,040 --> 01:25:03,840
Chair, Dr. Jones. Uh my name is Jeff
Beckley and I was a newly appointed uh

1139
01:25:01,360 --> 01:25:07,520
member of the team back in April. So um
as far as again data literacy goes since

1140
01:25:05,920 --> 01:25:11,120
we're talking about Tuva, we do use Tuva
in grades 3, four, five and of course

1141
01:25:08,880 --> 01:25:14,560
the middle schools this summer heading
into some of the work that we did um

1142
01:25:12,800 --> 01:25:19,440
getting ready for grade five. So grade 5
has four brand new science units this

1143
01:25:16,800 --> 01:25:24,000
this school year. Um we're very excited.
Um, a big huge shout out to the team of

1144
01:25:21,600 --> 01:25:27,520
teachers who spent their summer with me.
Um, going through and agonizing and

1145
01:25:26,080 --> 01:25:30,960
making really tough decisions, but also
having a lot of fun. And again, half of

1146
01:25:29,360 --> 01:25:34,480
the fun of science is is, you know,
experiencing science, doing the work,

1147
01:25:32,320 --> 01:25:37,520
doing the science. And so, um, for
example, the tub of the stuff that we're

1148
01:25:35,760 --> 01:25:40,639
doing in fifth grade, students are
looking at the hours of daylight on

1149
01:25:39,280 --> 01:25:44,159
their birthday, and do all children have
the same amount of playtime on their

1150
01:25:42,400 --> 01:25:48,480
birthdays? So, that's one fun activity
we're going to look at, and we can

1151
01:25:45,679 --> 01:25:52,400
manipulate that data set. So, um, again,
uh, super proud, um, of the work that

1152
01:25:50,560 --> 01:25:55,199
was done this summer and looking forward
to. Again, grade two was another grade

1153
01:25:53,840 --> 01:25:59,120
level that we spent some time doing,
another, um, development of of the first

1154
01:25:57,760 --> 01:26:04,639
unit for them. And that that was part
of, again, I have the very lucky

1155
01:26:02,400 --> 01:26:08,480
position to inherit the work that Mrs.
Fogle, to my right, um, did for the last

1156
01:26:06,560 --> 01:26:13,280
two years in terms of a spiraling
redesign. Uh, the kindergarten who are

1157
01:26:10,560 --> 01:26:17,280
now second graders have had all the
realigned uh, science work up to now.

1158
01:26:16,320 --> 01:26:20,400
So, the second graders are the
benefactors of that just like the fifth

1159
01:26:19,199 --> 01:26:24,679
graders are the benefactors of the
third, fourth, and now the fifth grade.

1160
01:26:24,800 --> 01:26:30,400
» Jonathan,
>> uh I'm excited about the uh the new

1161
01:26:28,639 --> 01:26:33,840
grade 5 curriculum, especially because
my daughters aren't there yet. So, you

1162
01:26:32,400 --> 01:26:40,000
know, hopefully it'll all get ironed out
by then. Um, and it's killing me because

1163
01:26:36,719 --> 01:26:44,800
I'm forgetting what district uh locally
uh has been doing it, but there is a new

1164
01:26:42,080 --> 01:26:50,960
planetarium in Stamford uh which I'm
taking my daughters to almost at least

1165
01:26:48,320 --> 01:26:56,400
monthly since January when it opened and
it's fantastic and any way it can be

1166
01:26:54,000 --> 01:26:58,960
incorporated is very exciting and you by
your smiles I suspect you have something

1167
01:26:58,000 --> 01:27:01,840
to share with me.
>> So I'll go first and then I'll turn over

1168
01:27:00,239 --> 01:27:05,440
to Amy who has something also exciting
to tell you. Uh the first thing is the

1169
01:27:03,600 --> 01:27:10,960
Stanford Museum and Nature Center uh in
Stanford, Connecticut uh did open their

1170
01:27:07,760 --> 01:27:14,320
astronomy center uh recently and one of
the great things that Greenwich does uh

1171
01:27:12,800 --> 01:27:17,120
better than maybe any other district is
they provide assured experiences to

1172
01:27:15,679 --> 01:27:20,960
students that every child no matter what
school you go to gets to partake in an

1173
01:27:18,960 --> 01:27:24,800
experience. Grade five students this
year are all going and after the first

1174
01:27:23,280 --> 01:27:28,159
unit is complete to the Stanford Museum
and Nature Center to partake in the

1175
01:27:26,080 --> 01:27:30,960
planetarium on Greenwich skies. They're
going to have their school logos posted

1176
01:27:29,600 --> 01:27:35,679
up in the planetarium when they get
there. So they're going to be all jacked

1177
01:27:32,000 --> 01:27:39,840
up and excited. Um but also um it's a
way to cement what they just learned by

1178
01:27:37,600 --> 01:27:43,520
looking at it in real time. The second
part of that is that they will also be

1179
01:27:42,080 --> 01:27:47,120
pre-learning and getting some
preexposure to looking at our watershed

1180
01:27:45,920 --> 01:27:52,639
because in the second unit they're
looking at our inter interacting spheres

1181
01:27:49,520 --> 01:27:57,440
and again um being able to understand
how towns you know clean their water.

1182
01:27:55,120 --> 01:28:01,920
The the phenomenon is how does it go
from a a raindrop to your cup? like how

1183
01:27:59,840 --> 01:28:06,480
would it even do that? Um and so that's
really exciting as well. Um and

1184
01:28:03,600 --> 01:28:09,440
additionally um I was asked to serve as
a member of the board for the Stanford

1185
01:28:08,159 --> 01:28:12,159
Museum and Nature Cent's Astronomy
Center. So I will serve as a grant

1186
01:28:10,800 --> 01:28:16,040
representative to be able to help
represent our district with them.

1187
01:28:16,239 --> 01:28:22,080
» If we're talking and oh sorry
>> if we're going to talk about experiences

1188
01:28:20,400 --> 01:28:25,920
outside I'm just wondering do we partner
with Soundwaters for all fifth graders

1189
01:28:24,080 --> 01:28:30,159
or is that some of the fifth graders
that do that experience?

1190
01:28:28,320 --> 01:28:33,120
So, the Soundwaters experience is a
grade four possibility. I think Leah

1191
01:28:31,920 --> 01:28:36,080
might be able to talk about it more when
she gets up here, but that's typically

1192
01:28:34,320 --> 01:28:40,080
an art experience even though it seems
sciency. Um, it is typically fourth

1193
01:28:38,639 --> 01:28:43,120
grade. They have a choice. Soundwaters
is one of those choices and it's under

1194
01:28:41,760 --> 01:28:44,800
the art umbrella for a short
experiences.

1195
01:28:43,920 --> 01:28:50,239
» Okay. Thank you.
>> Yep. And here's Amy on Star.

1196
01:28:46,960 --> 01:28:55,840
» Oh, how'd you get that?
>> Um, also I want to share that uh Tara

1197
01:28:53,440 --> 01:28:59,280
actually was able to purchase uh two
planetariums. We actually have two

1198
01:28:57,440 --> 01:29:02,800
planetariums in our district and we did
not have to compromise the pool which is

1199
01:29:01,199 --> 01:29:07,440
what happened when we paid into that as
a swimming coach. Um so we actually have

1200
01:29:05,120 --> 01:29:11,120
both. We have two planetariums that we
can bring around two schools. Um I

1201
01:29:09,520 --> 01:29:15,280
brought it to summer school which you'll
hear about in two weeks with me. Um and

1202
01:29:13,760 --> 01:29:18,880
it's it's really an incredible
opportunity because we get to choose

1203
01:29:17,040 --> 01:29:22,960
exactly what we present and what the
students are learning and we can make

1204
01:29:20,239 --> 01:29:26,800
our own shows. Um, in one of the courses
that I wrote um, with the team this

1205
01:29:25,360 --> 01:29:31,120
summer, we actually incorporated
designing your own planetarian show for

1206
01:29:29,120 --> 01:29:33,600
younger grades into it. So, we're hoping
that that can be an ass shared

1207
01:29:32,320 --> 01:29:37,280
experience where our students are
leaders and could go present to other

1208
01:29:35,280 --> 01:29:41,040
students um, based on what they're
learning.

1209
01:29:39,600 --> 01:29:42,960
» Great. Thank you,
>> Bob.

1210
01:29:41,520 --> 01:29:46,080
» You just want to take us out of outer
space and bring us back to planet Earth.

1211
01:29:44,817 --> 01:29:49,440
[laughter]
>> Ask you questions about the horiculture

1212
01:29:47,840 --> 01:29:54,880
and animal behavior. It sounds pretty
fascinating.

1213
01:29:52,159 --> 01:30:01,840
Yeah, the team that um that wrote this
um this was right before I came on um is

1214
01:29:58,719 --> 01:30:08,159
extremely excited to write these courses
with NGSS standards. So this summer we

1215
01:30:06,239 --> 01:30:12,719
were able to finally focus on our
elective courses which didn't get the

1216
01:30:10,080 --> 01:30:17,920
same amount of attention as our core
courses because we had taken senior year

1217
01:30:15,360 --> 01:30:22,960
after the NGSS test. So our focus is
really on strong um instruction in our

1218
01:30:21,520 --> 01:30:27,280
uh freshman and software engineer
classes. So having the opportunity to

1219
01:30:25,440 --> 01:30:32,800
take teachers who are incredibly
passionate about these courses and and

1220
01:30:29,840 --> 01:30:39,679
have the chance to um actually
incorporate NGSS um teaching styles into

1221
01:30:36,960 --> 01:30:45,360
it, project based. Um, I know they have
plans in horiculture to kind of to do

1222
01:30:43,199 --> 01:30:50,080
what New Lebanon did and bring a bring a
garden and have the students take care

1223
01:30:47,120 --> 01:30:55,199
of the garden and and partner. Um, and I
know that we're also interested in

1224
01:30:51,600 --> 01:30:58,800
looking into CTE opportunities um for
this course. Um, we're not running this

1225
01:30:57,040 --> 01:31:04,719
course this year. The hope is that we
can sell what we did to students and get

1226
01:31:01,760 --> 01:31:07,520
a group of students excited to take this
course next year. But we were able to

1227
01:31:06,159 --> 01:31:11,360
strengthen the curriculum. the
curriculum really did need a lot more

1228
01:31:09,120 --> 01:31:15,920
science and and a lot more opportunities
for students to be leaders and to to use

1229
01:31:13,920 --> 01:31:20,560
the science and engineering um
practices. And so we're we're incredibly

1230
01:31:18,560 --> 01:31:24,080
excited and this is going to continue
the work over the year and make sure

1231
01:31:21,920 --> 01:31:26,960
that this class would be ready um and we
we are able to sell it to students and

1232
01:31:25,760 --> 01:31:29,600
fill this class.
>> That's great. I'm sure if you showed

1233
01:31:28,239 --> 01:31:33,360
them uh all the amazing things that
happened at New Lebanon, that might help

1234
01:31:31,199 --> 01:31:37,600
them help inspire them. I I happened to
be at New Lebanon this summer and

1235
01:31:34,719 --> 01:31:41,440
brought the team over and uh they cannot
wait to sleep to write the grants to

1236
01:31:39,520 --> 01:31:44,440
hopefully get it in action at our
school.

1237
01:31:47,920 --> 01:31:57,880
» Okay. Uh I'd like to bring up the World
Languages Program team, uh Christina

1238
01:31:53,440 --> 01:31:57,880
Shaw and Dr. Jeffrey Shaker.

1239
01:32:19,920 --> 01:32:25,199
So, Christina and Jeff had a team of uh
teachers looking at flesh for grades

1240
01:32:23,679 --> 01:32:29,520
three through five and then some work at
the middle school level as well as GHS

1241
01:32:27,280 --> 01:32:36,159
courses in Spanish 1 through 4, native
Spanish 356, and all AP world language

1242
01:32:33,199 --> 01:32:43,360
courses as well as Italian 1 and 2. This
is on slide 17 of your packet.

1243
01:32:40,960 --> 01:32:48,400
Can you like how how what sort of
percentage of the Spanish courses are

1244
01:32:45,760 --> 01:32:53,199
native like native Spanish? I know
obviously it changes from depends school

1245
01:32:50,239 --> 01:32:55,679
to school but just overall
>> do you want to take for the younger

1246
01:32:54,560 --> 01:33:00,719
grades and then
>> so for younger grades we have native

1247
01:32:57,760 --> 01:33:07,920
Spanish at our bilingual schools. So
that's um at New Lebanon and at um

1248
01:33:05,280 --> 01:33:11,679
Hamilton Avenue. Um in the middle school
we have it at all three levels. So we

1249
01:33:09,520 --> 01:33:16,400
have Spanish for native 6, native 7 and
native 8. At the high school, I would

1250
01:33:14,000 --> 01:33:20,520
say about 20% of our Spanish classes
would be native Spanish classes.

1251
01:33:26,480 --> 01:33:32,800
» Sure.
>> Do you want to do the

1252
01:33:29,440 --> 01:33:37,120
» Yes, that's okay. So, uh, two things. I
think one thing that's interesting to

1253
01:33:34,159 --> 01:33:41,440
mention is, uh, in with regard to the
fact that we're talking about what is

1254
01:33:38,880 --> 01:33:45,520
the value of teaching to a test, right?
And that comes into play when you are

1255
01:33:43,760 --> 01:33:51,280
teaching advanced placement courses
because the curriculum is set by the

1256
01:33:48,960 --> 01:33:54,719
college board and the idea is that you
want to prepare the students for the

1257
01:33:52,480 --> 01:34:00,800
test so that they score well. With that
in mind though, it was refreshing to see

1258
01:33:57,760 --> 01:34:04,880
that the college board changed the
advanced placement test for world

1259
01:34:02,400 --> 01:34:08,960
languages to really represent what we
want, which is students who can use

1260
01:34:07,199 --> 01:34:15,360
their language proficiency in the real
world. And so they added a project that

1261
01:34:12,560 --> 01:34:19,760
the students need to complete. And the
idea of the project is that the students

1262
01:34:17,199 --> 01:34:27,280
would do research and then make a
proposal to the AP board and then they

1263
01:34:24,239 --> 01:34:31,440
would create authentic speaking tasks
for the students. And then the day of

1264
01:34:29,360 --> 01:34:35,920
the exam, which they haven't done yet,
they will do for the first time this

1265
01:34:32,800 --> 01:34:40,480
year in 2027. The students will have to
give a presentation. and then they will

1266
01:34:38,880 --> 01:34:45,760
have to answer questions that are
impromptu

1267
01:34:42,159 --> 01:34:50,960
by some you know uh system through a
digital platform that the AP provides.

1268
01:34:48,080 --> 01:34:55,679
So it's very exciting and our focus this
year for our AP teachers was preparing

1269
01:34:52,880 --> 01:35:00,400
the students for that. But we are really
excited number one they got rid of all

1270
01:34:58,159 --> 01:35:05,360
of these antiquated ways of testing our
students. If you can believe it, we were

1271
01:35:02,560 --> 01:35:11,440
still using CDs given to us by, you
know, the testing board to put into boom

1272
01:35:09,199 --> 01:35:16,639
boxes. You can imagine it was actually
really hard to find [laughter] the boom

1273
01:35:12,960 --> 01:35:20,880
boxes and there were some glitches that
uh created problems for our students.

1274
01:35:18,800 --> 01:35:26,400
So, I'm glad that they're bringing it up
to [laughter] the what what is, you

1275
01:35:24,719 --> 01:35:31,920
know, what they're used to, which is
modern Thank you. modern teaching and

1276
01:35:29,040 --> 01:35:40,000
technology and uh it will be fully
digital and we will have our students um

1277
01:35:36,000 --> 01:35:43,120
working on platforms that more represent
what they will be using in the

1278
01:35:41,679 --> 01:35:46,880
workforce.
>> So with that description so is it there

1279
01:35:45,280 --> 01:35:52,400
it's weighted some of it is weighted
then on being a practical communicator

1280
01:35:49,440 --> 01:35:57,440
as opposed to like pure grammar right if
you can convey an idea. Okay.

1281
01:35:55,199 --> 01:36:00,159
» Exactly. And but they'll be talking to a
computer or something like like

1282
01:35:59,760 --> 01:36:03,120
» right
>> it will be right because I mean

1283
01:36:01,600 --> 01:36:08,040
otherwise it would be hard to scale
something like that I would imagine.

1284
01:36:05,040 --> 01:36:08,040
Yeah.

1285
01:36:08,880 --> 01:36:15,256
» Are they graded on their ability to use
a CD in a boom box? [laughter]

1286
01:36:16,000 --> 01:36:20,639
» Just stick them in a room with those and
see what

1287
01:36:17,920 --> 01:36:24,880
» Most of them don't know what a CD is.
They just they just hear it coming out

1288
01:36:22,320 --> 01:36:29,440
of the the box. Um, additionally, we
were able to finish our alignment 6

1289
01:36:26,800 --> 01:36:34,880
through 8 of our new Spanish um,
curriculum with the K chevet book that

1290
01:36:32,080 --> 01:36:38,639
we adopted two years ago. So, we um,
started with six and seven last year and

1291
01:36:37,040 --> 01:36:41,920
then we finished with 8th grade this
year. So, now we have alignment also

1292
01:36:40,560 --> 01:36:46,320
working with the high school to make
sure that we have alignment with our

1293
01:36:44,320 --> 01:36:50,639
levels at the high school that are also
using the resource and our Italian book

1294
01:36:48,639 --> 01:36:56,960
which we adopted in the spring. Uh we
wrote our curriculum for levels one and

1295
01:36:53,040 --> 01:37:01,440
two to be used this year as well.
>> How how many [clears throat] students go

1296
01:36:58,800 --> 01:37:06,639
on to do like AP foreign language sort
of I don't know percentage of like the

1297
01:37:04,000 --> 01:37:13,679
high schoolers.
>> We have a probably last year about 200

1298
01:37:09,840 --> 01:37:19,280
students taking AP classes uh in world
languages. So, uh quite a bit

1299
01:37:17,280 --> 01:37:24,239
» and we also have some students who are
able to a lot of our students take it in

1300
01:37:21,920 --> 01:37:27,679
their junior year um which is actually
quite advanced. Most students take

1301
01:37:26,080 --> 01:37:31,440
language in their senior year just based
on where language typically starts in a

1302
01:37:29,679 --> 01:37:36,159
district. So, we do have some students
who are actually able to take two

1303
01:37:33,520 --> 01:37:41,520
language APs in Spanish because we offer
both um language and culture and lang.

1304
01:37:40,080 --> 01:37:45,280
Another thing that we're excited about
is that we're providing rigor for the

1305
01:37:43,199 --> 01:37:50,239
students not through only advanced
placement but Dr. Jones did give us

1306
01:37:48,159 --> 01:37:55,920
funding so that we could have studentu
uh students have rigor in different ways

1307
01:37:53,119 --> 01:38:00,800
and we are providing dual enrollment for
many of our world language classes and

1308
01:37:57,840 --> 01:38:04,880
this was always really a goal of mine to
open doors for all kinds of students.

1309
01:38:02,880 --> 01:38:10,480
Not all students want to take advanced
placement courses, but this is a new way

1310
01:38:07,280 --> 01:38:15,440
for them to explore rigor. For example,
our French program is going to now have

1311
01:38:13,440 --> 01:38:21,920
a Quinnipiac
college course that they are taking at

1312
01:38:18,239 --> 01:38:27,840
our high school this year through our uh
French six honors program. So, that's

1313
01:38:24,239 --> 01:38:32,080
very exciting. And we also have an
advanced Latin America course taught for

1314
01:38:30,560 --> 01:38:37,440
the Spanish students who don't want to
take advanced placement, but they can

1315
01:38:34,320 --> 01:38:41,840
still earn a Quinnipic course credit. So
that's three credits at a very

1316
01:38:39,520 --> 01:38:48,639
inexpensive rate. So again, I see that
as opening doors for our students for

1317
01:38:44,480 --> 01:38:52,280
whom college may be an expensive fee. So
it's fairly exciting.

1318
01:38:53,040 --> 01:38:55,733
» Exactly. [laughter]

1319
01:38:57,600 --> 01:39:01,600
Okay,
>> thank you.

1320
01:38:59,440 --> 01:39:05,280
» Thank you. Thank you so much. I'd like
to bring up Miss Leah Stillman, who is

1321
01:39:03,679 --> 01:39:09,440
here to talk a little bit about some
exciting things that happened in the

1322
01:39:06,639 --> 01:39:13,520
world of visual and performing arts,
including some um exciting prek work

1323
01:39:12,080 --> 01:39:16,560
that I was quite excited about with a
three-year-old at home myself.

1324
01:39:15,328 --> 01:39:22,320
[clears throat]
>> Hi, nice to see all of you. Um before

1325
01:39:20,639 --> 01:39:26,960
you field some questions, I'll just kind
of after finishing year one in district

1326
01:39:25,199 --> 01:39:30,400
and taking I can kind of give you my
thought process and my think process

1327
01:39:28,560 --> 01:39:35,440
behind my two departments that I
oversee, which is visual art and

1328
01:39:32,000 --> 01:39:39,199
performing art, music. Um coming into
the district last year, I really just

1329
01:39:36,960 --> 01:39:43,600
looked at across the board where our
curriculum is and really worked hard. I

1330
01:39:42,000 --> 01:39:47,520
have a wonderful team of teachers, but
really on the vertical alignment of our

1331
01:39:45,199 --> 01:39:52,400
curriculum, where are we going from our
foundation up to our rigorous high

1332
01:39:50,000 --> 01:39:57,119
school courses and what's in between?
And I saw some holes that we had. Um, if

1333
01:39:55,520 --> 01:40:01,679
you don't know, my background is in
curriculum in addition to teaching and

1334
01:39:59,440 --> 01:40:06,239
other things. But, um, that's a big
piece of where I come from. So, I really

1335
01:40:03,920 --> 01:40:11,600
kind of look at that lens of curriculum
and and what that looks like, how we fit

1336
01:40:09,040 --> 01:40:16,400
our arts curriculum in the box of
sometimes what a core curriculum might

1337
01:40:13,280 --> 01:40:23,199
look like, but how we how we fit into
that and really teaching my teachers how

1338
01:40:19,199 --> 01:40:28,320
to write curriculum from the lens of a
whole education, but within our our

1339
01:40:26,080 --> 01:40:36,000
coursework. So, a lot of the work was
focused this summer on the middle. So,

1340
01:40:33,040 --> 01:40:41,520
um, we looked at or I looked at what was
kind of missing in terms of documents

1341
01:40:38,480 --> 01:40:46,000
and and and real curriculum that the
teachers were pulling from and it was

1342
01:40:43,520 --> 01:40:52,000
really at the middle school level. So,
um, we started to build

1343
01:40:48,960 --> 01:40:56,159
or rebuild or look at um, share
documents that look similar across all

1344
01:40:54,000 --> 01:41:00,320
our courses now. So, we're using one
document for each course that we build,

1345
01:40:58,159 --> 01:41:05,679
whether it be prek or high school. But
we looked at our 67, we started with 67

1346
01:41:03,360 --> 01:41:12,560
band this summer and then we'll continue
with eighth grade next year. Um, looking

1347
01:41:08,400 --> 01:41:17,360
at funding and then 67 general music and
then we'll continue into ETH next year.

1348
01:41:15,199 --> 01:41:25,360
With our general music curriculum, we
looked at almost a a grabag of units. So

1349
01:41:23,119 --> 01:41:30,800
if you're looking at what was developed,
it's more we don't we have requirements

1350
01:41:28,320 --> 01:41:33,760
up to fifth grade after that we have
kids that are taking courses maybe

1351
01:41:32,320 --> 01:41:38,080
they're eighth graders haven't taken a
musical art course in sixth or seventh.

1352
01:41:35,840 --> 01:41:43,040
So, how do you scaffold a curriculum
that really has access to all students?

1353
01:41:40,719 --> 01:41:48,320
And the decision that I made, and I
think the teachers really leaned into

1354
01:41:44,400 --> 01:41:53,440
it, was, let's create units that the
teacher can pick, a basket of sixth

1355
01:41:51,840 --> 01:41:58,719
grade units, seventh grade units, eighth
grade units that they can pick out and

1356
01:41:56,159 --> 01:42:04,800
any student up to having their fifth
grade experience in music will be able

1357
01:42:01,199 --> 01:42:08,960
to learn at their level. whatever that
looks like, a ukulele unit or whether

1358
01:42:06,800 --> 01:42:12,960
it's a history or a history of rock unit
or a keyboarding unit. Those sorts of

1359
01:42:10,800 --> 01:42:18,800
things. Some are more hands-on and and
others are a little more I won't say a

1360
01:42:16,159 --> 01:42:22,000
little more not as hands-on, but I don't
know what the right word is. I'm last.

1361
01:42:20,560 --> 01:42:26,000
I've been you [laughter]
my thought process. So, that's where we

1362
01:42:24,639 --> 01:42:30,719
went with the with the middle school
curriculum and in in terms of general

1363
01:42:28,159 --> 01:42:35,040
music. And then this I won't I won't
give away my next month's presentation

1364
01:42:32,800 --> 01:42:38,800
but we'll look at art in the same way
moving forward with that. So we built

1365
01:42:37,199 --> 01:42:43,840
that and then the the really exciting
part was we have a lot of teachers pre

1366
01:42:41,199 --> 01:42:49,199
teaching prek um as our pre-k programs
grow and we have extended day in those

1367
01:42:45,920 --> 01:42:54,800
extended day schools uh for prek. My
teachers are teaching prek students and

1368
01:42:52,320 --> 01:43:00,239
they don't have a curriculum. So, I had
such a dynamic, awesome team this summer

1369
01:42:57,040 --> 01:43:07,600
of um of elementary educators and we
developed a really robust prek music

1370
01:43:04,320 --> 01:43:12,239
curriculum and art will be next. and um
to really

1371
01:43:09,440 --> 01:43:19,040
touch our youngest learners and it's all
play-based movement using your bodies

1372
01:43:14,880 --> 01:43:24,639
all the things that um they
intrinsically have to use to really

1373
01:43:22,320 --> 01:43:31,520
build a foundation musically. So, and
then the other piece was of course our

1374
01:43:26,639 --> 01:43:38,159
favorite um art history. Um, we built uh
the um Liz Vasquez uh from GHS art

1375
01:43:35,520 --> 01:43:42,239
department wrote an incredible five unit
honors art history uh curriculum which

1376
01:43:40,320 --> 01:43:49,840
is a one semester course and we have one
section running this first semester. So

1377
01:43:45,360 --> 01:43:55,760
um really rich in um hands-on work from
the and this will feed into our AP

1378
01:43:52,639 --> 01:43:59,280
course will give them a foundation. So
>> can you talk a little about like the

1379
01:43:57,280 --> 01:44:03,840
difference between that then? So, sort
of like the the AP art history and the

1380
01:44:01,600 --> 01:44:06,880
honors art history
>> without getting into too much detail. I

1381
01:44:05,520 --> 01:44:10,320
mean, I know that this that's always
been a super challenging AP and we want

1382
01:44:08,639 --> 01:44:13,280
to provide more support for our students
so they can be more successful in the

1383
01:44:11,840 --> 01:44:16,000
class, but like what does that look like
so you're not repeating right

1384
01:44:15,520 --> 01:44:21,040
curriculum?
>> That's a great question. So

1385
01:44:18,639 --> 01:44:28,880
a few years ago we had they had changed
the AP curriculum to not be a

1386
01:44:24,000 --> 01:44:34,560
lecture-based but more a uh presentation
based where the students were

1387
01:44:32,080 --> 01:44:41,600
working on presentations and learning
about different eras in history of art.

1388
01:44:38,480 --> 01:44:46,560
Right? And now we've kind of pivoted and
now that's what the honors course looks

1389
01:44:43,280 --> 01:44:55,360
like. So, the honors course looks like
more hands-on presentationbased

1390
01:44:50,320 --> 01:45:01,920
um more like a dip into each uh each
area of art going through the ages. And

1391
01:44:58,320 --> 01:45:07,679
now the AP has almost gone back to
a more I won't say college level format

1392
01:45:04,639 --> 01:45:11,119
but a more format more of a format that
is

1393
01:45:09,199 --> 01:45:16,400
not completely lecture style because
that's not always engaging to kids but

1394
01:45:13,840 --> 01:45:20,719
more of that college level classroom
style. So they're getting yeah they're

1395
01:45:18,719 --> 01:45:24,960
getting the kind of the hands-on dip
their toes in and then they get to that

1396
01:45:22,320 --> 01:45:28,960
AP and they can really dive in deeper.
The AP art history is one of the hardest

1397
01:45:26,480 --> 01:45:34,480
AP exams out there because the content
is so diverse. You're talking about

1398
01:45:32,239 --> 01:45:38,639
early early art all the way up until
modern art and there's so much in there

1399
01:45:36,719 --> 01:45:43,280
and to be able to cover all that is
hard. So this gives them a basis to go

1400
01:45:40,719 --> 01:45:48,320
in there and and is a lot of like
memorization the AP the I mean I just I

1401
01:45:46,639 --> 01:45:51,520
I didn't take AP art history in high
school but I took art history in college

1402
01:45:49,920 --> 01:45:54,719
and I mean I just remember having to
memorize you know like 600 slides,

1403
01:45:53,360 --> 01:45:58,480
right? Like that's what you had to do.
>> Similar. It's exactly

1404
01:45:56,560 --> 01:46:03,199
» Okay. Okay. So, it hasn't changed.
>> Yeah. It's [laughter]

1405
01:45:59,679 --> 01:46:06,728
similar map. I don't know.
>> Maybe cassette tape. I don't know.

1406
01:46:04,708 --> 01:46:06,728
[laughter]

1407
01:46:07,520 --> 01:46:12,080
» Anyone have questions?
>> Thank you.

1408
01:46:11,280 --> 01:46:15,040
» Okay. Thank you.
>> Great. Absolutely.

1409
01:46:13,520 --> 01:46:19,440
» And last but not least, I'm going to
invite back up Dr. Jeff Beckley. In

1410
01:46:17,520 --> 01:46:25,199
addition to what he does for K science,
he also oversees our K through2 library

1411
01:46:22,400 --> 01:46:30,000
media specialists, a group of certified
staff educators who are quite important

1412
01:46:28,159 --> 01:46:34,080
in the in our media centers and
throughout our buildings and a and a

1413
01:46:31,920 --> 01:46:38,480
group of teachers who haven't had uh
dedicated coordinator support in quite

1414
01:46:36,000 --> 01:46:42,000
some time and who squeezed every ounce
out of Dr. Beckley's stone this summer

1415
01:46:40,159 --> 01:46:45,440
to get a lot of parent facing documents
done that he'll tell you a little bit

1416
01:46:43,199 --> 01:46:50,239
about.
>> All right. So, I feel like I've been up

1417
01:46:47,600 --> 01:46:54,400
here a lot tonight. Um,
this summer, uh, I had again a wonderful

1418
01:46:52,639 --> 01:46:59,760
opportunity to sit down with some of our
very, very dedicated library media

1419
01:46:57,280 --> 01:47:03,520
specialists. And one of the things that
we wanted to do was take all of the

1420
01:47:01,920 --> 01:47:07,600
things that they're doing and make sure
that everyone knows what they're doing.

1421
01:47:05,360 --> 01:47:15,040
Um, and so what we put together this
summer was a K2, a 35, a 6, and an 8,

1422
01:47:13,119 --> 01:47:18,960
uh, library media parent or public
facing document. So you can see what

1423
01:47:17,360 --> 01:47:26,000
your children are learning when they are
in school at those particular uh bands.

1424
01:47:23,280 --> 01:47:31,800
Uh aside from that, um any questions on
any of that material that you guys had a

1425
01:47:27,520 --> 01:47:31,800
chance hopefully to look at prior.

1426
01:47:35,040 --> 01:47:42,719
» Go ahead.
>> I'm just wondering how the media staff

1427
01:47:40,719 --> 01:47:50,880
um [clears throat] how you're feeling
about it. What's um do you have adequate

1428
01:47:45,679 --> 01:47:55,360
staff? What's the feedback on that?
>> So the question is how have the media

1429
01:47:53,679 --> 01:47:59,880
staff responded about staffing for
running the media centers in general?

1430
01:48:00,800 --> 01:48:08,560
» No, we had an issue last year where we
got a lot of feedback related to

1431
01:48:05,920 --> 01:48:14,480
staffing cuts in the media center. Um,
and I just want to I just want to find

1432
01:48:11,760 --> 01:48:19,280
out from a fresh perspective if we think
we are uh staffed appropriately.

1433
01:48:17,840 --> 01:48:22,080
» I I think I'll take this one just with
the historical and kind of um

1434
01:48:20,639 --> 01:48:25,360
institutional knowledge about the
reduction of our media assistance, I

1435
01:48:23,679 --> 01:48:30,080
think, is what you're speaking to. I do
want to clarify that we do have 1.0 FTE

1436
01:48:28,639 --> 01:48:33,840
library media specialists in the
certified staff position across all of

1437
01:48:32,000 --> 01:48:37,280
our K through8 schools and three of them
at the high school. Our media

1438
01:48:35,520 --> 01:48:43,360
assistants, however, were cut through a
series of uh budget discussions and we

1439
01:48:40,159 --> 01:48:48,560
went through all of 2526 with that cut.
I think as a new coordinator overseeing

1440
01:48:46,480 --> 01:48:52,000
that group, Dr. Beckley is continuing to
kind of partner with our library media

1441
01:48:50,400 --> 01:48:56,320
specialists to continue to understand
the impact of that. That means getting

1442
01:48:54,480 --> 01:48:59,760
into our media center looking at our
circulation count of books and better

1443
01:48:58,159 --> 01:49:04,719
understanding whether or not that has
had a an overall impact. I think from a

1444
01:49:03,040 --> 01:49:08,400
principal perspective and the feedback
we get from our administrator group,

1445
01:49:06,400 --> 01:49:12,880
it's that our libraries continue
continue to be bustling hubs of

1446
01:49:10,560 --> 01:49:18,239
communication, of innovation and
collaboration in our buildings despite

1447
01:49:15,600 --> 01:49:21,840
that unfortunate but necessary budget
cut throughout the course of that

1448
01:49:19,440 --> 01:49:26,719
process last year. Um, I think some of
the work that happened this summer was

1449
01:49:24,239 --> 01:49:30,080
uh not only providing more concrete
information for our parent community,

1450
01:49:28,320 --> 01:49:34,080
but also aligning our library media
specialists about the core uh most

1451
01:49:32,400 --> 01:49:38,000
important buckets of work that they're
doing in grade bands, allowing

1452
01:49:36,000 --> 01:49:41,440
flexibility across the instruction
across those grade bands. I think it's

1453
01:49:39,920 --> 01:49:45,920
important for everyone to know that
students in grades K through 1 visit the

1454
01:49:43,760 --> 01:49:50,159
library media center twice per week at
30 minutes per session and in grades 3

1455
01:49:48,239 --> 01:49:55,040
through 5 once per week at 30 minutes
per session within their specials block.

1456
01:49:52,560 --> 01:49:58,960
We do have some buildings with um
smaller sections of students who have

1457
01:49:57,040 --> 01:50:03,440
more opportunities to visit the library
just based on the number of sections in

1458
01:50:00,719 --> 01:50:09,199
that rotation. And we also partner with
library media specialists and our core

1459
01:50:05,440 --> 01:50:13,760
academic teachers to uh facilitate work
in our in our maker spaces. Um library

1460
01:50:11,920 --> 01:50:17,280
media specialists have dedicated time in
their schedule to work on what we call

1461
01:50:15,280 --> 01:50:21,679
medium management which is time in their
schedule to think about book

1462
01:50:19,040 --> 01:50:25,520
circulation, ordering, etc. Um in
addition to some time to perform their

1463
01:50:23,760 --> 01:50:29,520
uh general job responsibilities outside
of their planning or lunchtime. So we're

1464
01:50:27,600 --> 01:50:33,600
doing our best to support that sta these
staff despite those cuts. um and

1465
01:50:31,600 --> 01:50:39,719
continuing to solicit feedback and
support wherever we can.

1466
01:50:36,080 --> 01:50:39,719
» Thank you for that feedback.

1467
01:50:40,960 --> 01:50:47,119
» I'm tempted to engage in in this
conversation, but I if we took a step

1468
01:50:45,280 --> 01:50:50,239
back, you know, because that's really a
trap door and I know I'm I'm going to

1469
01:50:48,639 --> 01:50:53,280
fall right through it if I go in one
direction, but I'm going to go in a

1470
01:50:51,360 --> 01:50:58,480
different direction, Paul, and to the
rest of the board. Um, I've been around

1471
01:50:55,360 --> 01:51:01,520
a long time and I can think back to when
I was the lead principal for the

1472
01:50:59,840 --> 01:51:06,719
elementary group and I received an email
from Dr. Jones saying, "I need you to

1473
01:51:03,760 --> 01:51:11,760
pull the elementary principles." Um, we
had instructional coaches at the time

1474
01:51:08,960 --> 01:51:17,440
and we were identifying and we try to
make datadriven decisions. We I we were

1475
01:51:14,880 --> 01:51:21,920
um concerned about math performance at
the elementary level. And so uh there

1476
01:51:20,000 --> 01:51:25,199
was an opportunity for elementary
principles to give feedback to the

1477
01:51:23,440 --> 01:51:28,719
superintendent about whether or not we
should uh transition from having

1478
01:51:27,199 --> 01:51:33,280
instructional coaches to math
interventionists. Um, and I don't want

1479
01:51:31,600 --> 01:51:36,719
to give away too much information about
what you're going to hear next month,

1480
01:51:34,639 --> 01:51:43,440
but those math interventionists have
been pivotal in uh our mathematics uh

1481
01:51:40,239 --> 01:51:48,560
success over the last uh several years.
Now, I want to stress that doesn't in

1482
01:51:45,679 --> 01:51:53,440
any way devalue uh the merits of having
instructional coaches. And the reason

1483
01:51:50,480 --> 01:51:57,920
I'm bringing that up now is because Paul
um and other members of the board um

1484
01:51:56,159 --> 01:52:02,320
when you ask the question, do we have
enough staff? My answer will always be

1485
01:52:00,400 --> 01:52:05,840
no. Um I would like to have
instructional coaches and math

1486
01:52:04,080 --> 01:52:10,239
interventionists because I think that
they're very different and distinct

1487
01:52:07,280 --> 01:52:15,840
roles. And I think when you um when you
talk about the 900 teachers that we

1488
01:52:12,639 --> 01:52:21,119
served and the sophistication to to
which our curriculum has grown and when

1489
01:52:18,560 --> 01:52:25,679
you think about the data analysts that
teachers have become um having

1490
01:52:23,599 --> 01:52:31,760
instructional coaches to be able to
provide them um ondemand support would

1491
01:52:29,360 --> 01:52:35,920
be incredibly beneficial. But if I had
to make a choice between instructional

1492
01:52:33,360 --> 01:52:39,360
coaches and math interventionists, um,
you know, sometimes you have to make

1493
01:52:37,360 --> 01:52:44,719
tough decisions and I understand that
you can't have everything that you want.

1494
01:52:41,679 --> 01:52:48,400
So, um, would I love to have full-time
media assistants? Of course I would. Do

1495
01:52:46,800 --> 01:52:53,199
I think the uh, library media
specialists miss having their partner?

1496
01:52:50,960 --> 01:52:58,000
Of course they do. Uh, in the absence of
having a library media coordinator, they

1497
01:52:56,000 --> 01:53:02,159
actually worked directly with me for
several years. I don't know if they

1498
01:52:59,599 --> 01:53:08,400
enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed it, but
I got to hear from them about um how

1499
01:53:04,960 --> 01:53:12,000
they felt um underappreciated in the
sense that the community really didn't

1500
01:53:10,080 --> 01:53:17,360
understand what their role their role
was. And we actually spent me and the

1501
01:53:15,199 --> 01:53:24,400
group several years rewriting their job
description so that it better uh suited

1502
01:53:21,360 --> 01:53:30,400
um the skills and uh talents that they
possess and and the ways in which they

1503
01:53:27,199 --> 01:53:35,679
support classroom instruction. And so in
that process I think uh providing the

1504
01:53:33,360 --> 01:53:40,000
parentf facing documents gives you now
again uh a look behind the curtain as to

1505
01:53:38,480 --> 01:53:44,239
what they actually do during the course
of the day because if you think a

1506
01:53:41,920 --> 01:53:50,159
library media specialist is just helping
kids check out books you're sorely

1507
01:53:46,800 --> 01:53:54,719
mistaken. Um, but again to answer your
question, yeah, I I wish we had

1508
01:53:52,560 --> 01:53:59,440
full-time uh media assistants, but then
I'm going to add I also wish we had

1509
01:53:56,880 --> 01:54:03,280
instructional coaches and I also wish we
had one start and end time for all of

1510
01:54:01,119 --> 01:54:07,280
our elementary schools because having
five tiered start and end times is

1511
01:54:05,520 --> 01:54:11,360
decimating to professional learning
opportunities for our teachers. And I've

1512
01:54:09,360 --> 01:54:15,840
said it publicly and I will continue to
say that publicly.

1513
01:54:14,239 --> 01:54:19,040
» Veronica has her hand up, so I'm going
to Hey, Veronica. Do you still have your

1514
01:54:18,000 --> 01:54:22,639
question?
>> I do and I'm going to happily change the

1515
01:54:21,280 --> 01:54:23,520
subject for everyone that they don't
have to.

1516
01:54:23,199 --> 01:54:28,239
» All right.
>> Um, doc, no, that was a great answer.

1517
01:54:25,679 --> 01:54:33,599
But, um, Dr. Beckley, are you in charge
of or is, uh, there anything to be in

1518
01:54:30,800 --> 01:54:38,880
charge of um, in relation to summer
reading uh, for students uh, when they

1519
01:54:36,639 --> 01:54:42,320
go over when they go home over the
summer? Whether it's uh, I don't think

1520
01:54:40,800 --> 01:54:45,520
we require any reading. So any
recommended

1521
01:54:44,784 --> 01:54:49,280
[snorts]
>> the media specialists typically will

1522
01:54:47,280 --> 01:54:54,239
work to put together lists for summer
reading

1523
01:54:50,960 --> 01:54:56,480
» and those are by school or um is that
something that

1524
01:54:55,520 --> 01:54:58,239
» district [laughter] wide?
>> It's it's district wide.

1525
01:54:57,920 --> 01:55:01,360
» Yep.
>> It's districtwide. Okay, perfect. Thank

1526
01:55:00,239 --> 01:55:05,040
you so much.
>> You're welcome.

1527
01:55:02,960 --> 01:55:08,480
I actually I have a question about um
when you were saying teachers have to do

1528
01:55:06,719 --> 01:55:13,920
so much more and I was thinking we
looking at this with sort of my old

1529
01:55:11,679 --> 01:55:20,159
school perception of like a librarian
right and then I see digital citizenship

1530
01:55:16,639 --> 01:55:27,119
and that feels like a whole different
world and I'm wondering how are we

1531
01:55:23,520 --> 01:55:30,320
helping students not just like
think about how they present themselves

1532
01:55:28,880 --> 01:55:33,599
online to the extent that they're doing
that but also how are they discerning

1533
01:55:32,000 --> 01:55:38,719
discerning learning to discern
information because there's so much

1534
01:55:36,000 --> 01:55:42,880
information out there that's inaccurate
and you know like if you're doing a you

1535
01:55:41,360 --> 01:55:46,239
know when they search it up right and
then they find out all this information

1536
01:55:44,400 --> 01:55:49,760
you're like where did that come from you
know and I I know they are working on it

1537
01:55:48,320 --> 01:55:53,280
because I've heard my kids talk about it
but if you could talk about it a little

1538
01:55:51,119 --> 01:55:58,880
bit because it's like there's a universe
of information out there but maybe 90%

1539
01:55:56,159 --> 01:56:04,639
of it is it doesn't have a lot of value
and how are we helping them learn Sure.

1540
01:56:01,760 --> 01:56:09,520
So at the at the K5 level um and
actually at the K8 level we use um

1541
01:56:06,560 --> 01:56:14,320
actually now 18 level we use uh common
sense media's curriculum for digital uh

1542
01:56:12,480 --> 01:56:18,239
wellness and well-being uh and
citizenship. And so essentially students

1543
01:56:17,199 --> 01:56:21,119
you you probably have noticed in the
parentf facing documents there are now

1544
01:56:19,520 --> 01:56:25,599
like five topics that media specialists
are covering. One of those topics out of

1545
01:56:23,679 --> 01:56:29,920
the five is on the digital citizenship
piece and the well-being part of it. In

1546
01:56:27,440 --> 01:56:34,159
addition to information literacy,
essentially learning how to and what

1547
01:56:32,080 --> 01:56:38,080
what information is valuable and what is
not. They learn how to integrate

1548
01:56:36,159 --> 01:56:42,400
technology as part of their journey.
They also learn how to plan and innovate

1549
01:56:40,000 --> 01:56:46,480
in our maker spaces. And they also learn
to love the library. I think one of the

1550
01:56:44,880 --> 01:56:51,199
challenges and and again being new to
the district and hearing this past

1551
01:56:48,080 --> 01:56:55,440
summer about the sensible screen use um
I think we've all heard that we wanted

1552
01:56:52,560 --> 01:56:58,960
to try to come back to books and so I
think there's a huge opportunity this

1553
01:56:57,040 --> 01:57:04,239
year for our our media specialists to
continue to teach our students our

1554
01:57:01,920 --> 01:57:09,040
youngest children our second graders uh
to be lovers of literature lovers of the

1555
01:57:07,040 --> 01:57:13,920
library and what that space means.
However, you are correct that there is

1556
01:57:10,960 --> 01:57:17,599
still a digital world. It's basically an
unlimited world of information that they

1557
01:57:15,599 --> 01:57:23,119
have to learn how to navigate. And so
part of their journey when they're in

1558
01:57:19,679 --> 01:57:28,239
elementary school starting um in in
grade 1 is they have to learn how to be

1559
01:57:25,280 --> 01:57:34,239
digital citizens, how to maintain
safety, how to discern information, um

1560
01:57:32,239 --> 01:57:39,360
whether a source is is good or not, how
to uh take how to behave. I mean, let's

1561
01:57:37,520 --> 01:57:42,639
be clear there, some of the biggest
challenges we have are how people behave

1562
01:57:40,800 --> 01:57:47,840
on the internet. And so, they're working
on those skills in K5. In the middle

1563
01:57:44,800 --> 01:57:51,920
school, it goes a step further. Um, they
actually get into cyber bullying,

1564
01:57:50,239 --> 01:57:55,280
harassment, other issues that could be
negative, but also continues to open the

1565
01:57:53,840 --> 01:57:59,040
doors for positive things, how they can
be crosscurricular. They partner with

1566
01:57:56,880 --> 01:58:03,920
their science and social studies teams
to work on research and information

1567
01:58:01,280 --> 01:58:08,560
gathering. Um and then also the last
part of it is in this past year and I

1568
01:58:06,000 --> 01:58:13,280
know this is this is hot button but um
the common sense media is has recently

1569
01:58:11,280 --> 01:58:17,440
released information specifically about
how to be a citizen with AI and that

1570
01:58:15,360 --> 01:58:21,520
talks about how to understand your
presence on on the internet and what

1571
01:58:18,880 --> 01:58:26,080
that means and and what AI literacy
looks like. It also is um how to

1572
01:58:23,840 --> 01:58:29,599
recognize deep fakes and things like
that in addition to being able to

1573
01:58:27,920 --> 01:58:32,320
understand chat bots and relationships.
And we have that curriculum that's in

1574
01:58:31,040 --> 01:58:38,000
there for our eighth graders to leave
middle school prepared. And that is kind

1575
01:58:34,400 --> 01:58:42,239
of the major jobs of the K8 media team.
>> Yeah. And I I think this is going to be

1576
01:58:40,080 --> 01:58:47,760
a subject that we continually revisit.
When you think about AI and appropriate

1577
01:58:45,040 --> 01:58:52,639
uses in schools, I think our I believe
that our thinking on that is continually

1578
01:58:50,080 --> 01:58:57,280
evolving and how we will address that
with students needs to be at the

1579
01:58:54,639 --> 01:59:03,520
forefront of a lot of our decision-m.
Um, my biggest concern with AI in

1580
01:59:00,719 --> 01:59:08,639
schools is the cognitive offloading. You
know, we really have to be able to teach

1581
01:59:05,760 --> 01:59:15,360
our kids to be critical thinkers and how
to use it as an appropriate resource,

1582
01:59:11,440 --> 01:59:20,400
but not a uh, you know, a substitute for
uh, their own thinking. And so that's,

1583
01:59:18,239 --> 01:59:24,560
you know, we're at a very interesting
time in education right now. And it can

1584
01:59:23,040 --> 01:59:29,679
be very exciting, but it also could be
very scary. And we we recognize that and

1585
01:59:27,440 --> 01:59:35,440
I think I felt that in the room when we
presented to parents last spring about

1586
01:59:31,840 --> 01:59:41,679
the sensible use of screen time. Um we
need to be able to um narrow um the

1587
01:59:40,320 --> 01:59:46,159
variances that we have in our
classrooms. We we certainly had teachers

1588
01:59:43,760 --> 01:59:49,520
who were much more uh technologically
dominant in their delivery and then we

1589
01:59:48,239 --> 01:59:53,280
had teachers who were very
technologically sparse and then we had a

1590
01:59:52,000 --> 01:59:57,360
majority of our teachers who live
somewhere happily in the middle and it's

1591
01:59:55,599 --> 02:00:00,880
trying to find that sweet spot for
everyone and so again it comes back to

1592
01:59:59,679 --> 02:00:05,199
providing professional learning
opportunities for teachers. So for

1593
02:00:02,800 --> 02:00:09,520
teachers who didn't use technology at
all, where's our entry point in helping

1594
02:00:07,520 --> 02:00:13,840
them understand the importance and value
of having integration of technology into

1595
02:00:11,679 --> 02:00:17,760
instruction? And I think uh you know Kim
talked a lot about how we have one tool,

1596
02:00:15,679 --> 02:00:22,960
Lexia, and it's critically important
that teachers are using that tool

1597
02:00:20,320 --> 02:00:27,920
because it is um you know, highly
evidence-based in that it will support

1598
02:00:25,280 --> 02:00:32,239
um reading instruction. Um but at the
same time, when you have teachers who

1599
02:00:29,119 --> 02:00:39,360
are too technically um
emergent into their um style. Um have to

1600
02:00:36,320 --> 02:00:44,880
teach them ways to present information
in in in in a more traditional uh

1601
02:00:42,719 --> 02:00:48,520
format. So uh we're working with
teachers on that.

1602
02:00:49,360 --> 02:00:56,719
» I I had a quick question about you you
mentioned research. I'm interested in

1603
02:00:53,920 --> 02:01:02,320
how we are teaching students how to do
research. What are appropriate sources

1604
02:00:59,520 --> 02:01:06,400
to reference? Uh, I mean there's there's
so many sources out there now that, you

1605
02:01:04,560 --> 02:01:12,239
know, everything from Wikipedia to AI
that are probably not good uh, reference

1606
02:01:10,080 --> 02:01:18,480
material for research. And so, how are
we setting those guidelines and and and

1607
02:01:14,880 --> 02:01:21,520
shaping where students are going uh, to
get source material to write papers and

1608
02:01:20,239 --> 02:01:22,800
do research?
>> Yeah, I think

1609
02:01:22,000 --> 02:01:25,760
» definitely a team answer.
>> Yeah, I think this is Mr. Healey, this

1610
02:01:24,239 --> 02:01:28,800
is up your wheelhouse. Yeah, I I think
we're all very excited that you brought

1611
02:01:27,119 --> 02:01:33,280
up this question because we understand
district-wide K through 12 across

1612
02:01:30,880 --> 02:01:37,440
disciplines, research is a skill that
needs to be explicitly taught,

1613
02:01:35,360 --> 02:01:41,679
reinforced, and given students an
opportunity to try it out and then get

1614
02:01:39,440 --> 02:01:45,280
better at that skill. I think Mr. Healey
and I, in addition to our fellow

1615
02:01:43,760 --> 02:01:48,880
coordinator Kim, and and some of our
learning facilitators, we are quite

1616
02:01:47,599 --> 02:01:52,480
fortunate that we have learning
facilitators in the library media

1617
02:01:50,560 --> 02:01:57,760
specialist crew. We all came together
and we identified the pain points of

1618
02:01:54,880 --> 02:02:04,000
research as a area where we have
dedicated time to teach and a pipeline

1619
02:02:02,000 --> 02:02:08,159
or a pathway for who teaches what
because it touches every area and every

1620
02:02:06,400 --> 02:02:11,360
different discipline within a student's
instructional day. So, I'll let Tom

1621
02:02:10,000 --> 02:02:15,199
share a little bit about the pathway
that we're on and how we're continuing

1622
02:02:12,800 --> 02:02:20,000
to put time, energy, and invest um
personnel and and funds there.

1623
02:02:17,199 --> 02:02:24,480
» Yeah. But even before uh I I I turn it
over to Tom. Real world example from

1624
02:02:22,239 --> 02:02:29,360
earlier this evening. John Jonathan
Sopranoitz and I were going to Paty's

1625
02:02:26,880 --> 02:02:31,679
for dinner. We got up to Paty's. I don't
know if any of you have been up there.

1626
02:02:30,400 --> 02:02:34,800
And he said, you know, Mark, does this
have any affiliation with the Pats

1627
02:02:33,440 --> 02:02:39,280
restaurant in New York City? And I said,
I think it does because it says 1933 on

1628
02:02:37,520 --> 02:02:43,040
on the signage. And he said, well,
Google says it doesn't. So then we went

1629
02:02:41,360 --> 02:02:46,400
inside and I asked the the gentleman
inside and he said, oh yeah, we have an

1630
02:02:44,320 --> 02:02:51,199
affiliation. Jonathan checked Google
again and it actually this time said yes

1631
02:02:48,800 --> 02:02:56,159
there was an affiliation. So I'm telling
you it's very interesting.

1632
02:02:54,000 --> 02:03:01,520
» It's very interesting the times we live
in and that that's a true story and it

1633
02:02:58,560 --> 02:03:05,040
happened less than two two hours ago. Uh
so Tom go ahead.

1634
02:03:02,719 --> 02:03:11,119
» So again just just quickly to address uh
your uh question. So last year actually

1635
02:03:08,639 --> 02:03:16,800
the summer work um was a partnership
between the media specialists and the so

1636
02:03:13,760 --> 02:03:24,560
six or eight um social studies teachers
where um the media specialist took the

1637
02:03:20,880 --> 02:03:29,360
research progression that they typically
lived in their realm and integrated it

1638
02:03:27,280 --> 02:03:36,159
directly into the units of social
studies um 67 and 8. So basically uh

1639
02:03:33,280 --> 02:03:39,840
what we have now is a more embedded sort
of authentic experience where kids are

1640
02:03:38,239 --> 02:03:44,400
going through the entire research
process from developing questions to

1641
02:03:42,320 --> 02:03:47,920
finding sources to evaluating sources,
taking notes on those sources and then

1642
02:03:46,400 --> 02:03:53,440
coming to some sort of conclusion,
thesis, claim, whatever you want to say.

1643
02:03:49,840 --> 02:03:57,040
Um one of the things that um the social
studies teachers use that's out there

1644
02:03:55,360 --> 02:04:00,880
is, you know, we as Mark mentioned
earlier love our acronyms. Um so there

1645
02:03:59,440 --> 02:04:06,400
is something that of course in middle
school they love as well and it is

1646
02:04:02,560 --> 02:04:11,440
called the crap test. Um that is C R A
P. Um and basically we are teaching kids

1647
02:04:09,440 --> 02:04:16,239
how to evaluate sources by using that
acronym. And so it stands for currency.

1648
02:04:14,000 --> 02:04:21,199
So how current is the actual source
you're looking at? Um relevancy, how

1649
02:04:18,800 --> 02:04:25,920
relevant is the information in it? Um
authority, how much is the author an

1650
02:04:23,599 --> 02:04:30,800
actual authority on this topic? um
accuracy. Is the entire piece accurate

1651
02:04:28,639 --> 02:04:35,760
to your knowledge? Um and then purpose.
What is the author intending to do? So

1652
02:04:33,760 --> 02:04:39,840
um you can walk through a lot of uh
social studies classrooms in the middle

1653
02:04:37,599 --> 02:04:43,520
schools and you can hear um the teacher
say something like um we're going to put

1654
02:04:41,280 --> 02:04:48,639
this through the crap test or when in
8th grade they get to the um their

1655
02:04:47,199 --> 02:04:51,360
capstone where they're doing their own
kind of research and they have to they

1656
02:04:50,080 --> 02:04:54,480
have a little more freedom in terms of
the sources they're looking at. That's

1657
02:04:53,040 --> 02:04:58,800
something that they're constantly pushed
back into is show me that you've

1658
02:04:56,719 --> 02:05:04,639
actually evaluated the source through
those mechanisms to ensure what you're

1659
02:05:01,040 --> 02:05:08,320
using is um accurate and relevant and
purposeful and everything else. So um

1660
02:05:06,719 --> 02:05:12,400
these are things that really are
essentially embedded again speaking

1661
02:05:10,320 --> 02:05:16,800
specifically to the middle schools um
but again having come from the high

1662
02:05:14,000 --> 02:05:19,840
school in my earlier days very much the
same process and and heavy in social

1663
02:05:18,400 --> 02:05:23,280
studies but I know in other content
areas they're also doing similar things

1664
02:05:22,000 --> 02:05:26,800
especially with the amount of
information you can find now.

1665
02:05:24,880 --> 02:05:31,440
» That's great. And and how young are we
start being able to teach these skills?

1666
02:05:29,199 --> 02:05:36,800
» So again
>> you left me up here. Um the they go back

1667
02:05:34,400 --> 02:05:40,400
to the elementary school. So, so
historically

1668
02:05:38,320 --> 02:05:44,480
part of what was happening when kids
were going to the media center was they

1669
02:05:42,800 --> 02:05:47,599
were learning research skills and they
were going through the research cycle.

1670
02:05:45,840 --> 02:05:55,119
So, I can still actually envision the
the visual that this media center group

1671
02:05:50,480 --> 02:06:01,360
had created years ago. Um, but again,
um, best practice and where this becomes

1672
02:05:58,400 --> 02:06:04,080
way more, um, authentic and meaningful
for kids is when it's embedded in

1673
02:06:02,800 --> 02:06:07,679
something they're doing, right? leaving
the classroom to go to the media center

1674
02:06:05,520 --> 02:06:10,880
to learn a cycle of research isn't as
real as actually engaging in what you're

1675
02:06:09,199 --> 02:06:14,960
doing. So, so that was really where this
was generated was number one um trying

1676
02:06:13,360 --> 02:06:18,639
to keep up with the times. We realized
that research was kind of happening and

1677
02:06:16,960 --> 02:06:23,280
we were sort of like putting out fires
as they came along and this new group of

1678
02:06:20,719 --> 02:06:27,040
media specialists um really came
together and said I think it would be

1679
02:06:24,480 --> 02:06:30,239
important to embed these more. So, so
again, I know it was happening at the

1680
02:06:28,400 --> 02:06:33,840
elementary level through uh language
arts and and obviously social studies

1681
02:06:32,000 --> 02:06:36,880
and science lessons, but specifically
for us, we went right into social

1682
02:06:35,599 --> 02:06:43,199
studies and just said where can we
integrate these directly? And then the

1683
02:06:38,960 --> 02:06:47,840
goal really is um how can we have the
media specialist become somewhat of a

1684
02:06:45,199 --> 02:06:51,040
co-teer to that? Is there opportunities
where you know they don't have to be in

1685
02:06:49,599 --> 02:06:54,719
the media center for a period where the
class could come down to the media

1686
02:06:52,320 --> 02:06:58,400
center and you have one content area
specialist working on one side and one

1687
02:06:56,560 --> 02:07:01,199
skill area specialist of research
working on the other and showing the

1688
02:06:59,760 --> 02:07:03,599
kids how they work in conjunction with
each other but I know it goes all the

1689
02:07:02,960 --> 02:07:08,960
way back down
>> from the elementary perspective um our

1690
02:07:05,599 --> 02:07:12,639
research starts in grade two um at the
last unit of the year. It's an

1691
02:07:10,239 --> 02:07:16,400
integrated unit for writing and reading
where kids um which is also kind of

1692
02:07:14,639 --> 02:07:19,119
associated with the science unit at the
time. So, it's a really

1693
02:07:17,119 --> 02:07:22,400
interdisciplinary unit where kids are
learning about insects, reading about

1694
02:07:20,639 --> 02:07:27,840
insects, studying about insects,
learning how to read a piece of

1695
02:07:25,280 --> 02:07:32,400
information, possibly do some sketch
noting, some note takingaking, how do I

1696
02:07:30,000 --> 02:07:36,639
find key words and vocabulary, main idea
in detail, and then how do I turn that

1697
02:07:34,880 --> 02:07:42,480
into an information piece that I'm going
to write in our new 345 reading units.

1698
02:07:39,599 --> 02:07:48,079
Um the second unit of the year is an
integrated research unit using NGSS

1699
02:07:45,679 --> 02:07:54,320
science standards. So um we're really
excited about that. Our team this summer

1700
02:07:50,560 --> 02:07:58,400
spent some time creating um we created
some hard copy tech sets. So we ordered

1701
02:07:56,960 --> 02:08:02,560
I've been a book warehouse in the
warehouse sorting books and packing

1702
02:08:00,159 --> 02:08:06,880
books. Um our team created some vetted
resources on a Padlet. So getting an

1703
02:08:04,560 --> 02:08:12,079
opportunity to have some vetted articles
that they can access digitally or be

1704
02:08:09,520 --> 02:08:19,520
printed out um including some videos and
things multimedia sources that kids are

1705
02:08:15,440 --> 02:08:26,239
using their ELA skills of reading for
gist summarizing synthesizing how do I

1706
02:08:23,520 --> 02:08:32,079
take notes how to identify main idea and
detail. So we're using ELA skills with

1707
02:08:28,639 --> 02:08:36,960
science content. So it is this rich
experience. Um we are also um finding

1708
02:08:35,360 --> 02:08:41,440
ways to partner with our media
specialists in order to do some of those

1709
02:08:39,599 --> 02:08:45,360
kind of research questions. So that was
something we've even just as early as

1710
02:08:43,599 --> 02:08:48,960
last week said, "Hey, we have this unit
coming up. Jeff, we're going to talk to

1711
02:08:47,280 --> 02:08:53,840
the media specialists. I've already
spoken to the medf of like how can we

1712
02:08:51,679 --> 02:08:58,800
get at least let's get a lesson or two
in the media center. number one, how do

1713
02:08:55,760 --> 02:09:05,599
we pick a topic? How do we make what is
our question? And then using some of

1714
02:09:01,840 --> 02:09:09,679
their media time to find books on that
topic. Um the third bend of each of

1715
02:09:08,000 --> 02:09:14,639
those units is a self- selected topic
versus the other two are preparing them

1716
02:09:12,159 --> 02:09:19,599
and and and given a a little bit less
choice for that. So, we're finding ways

1717
02:09:17,199 --> 02:09:23,599
to do that important work. But second
grade through through 12th grade, um

1718
02:09:22,000 --> 02:09:29,239
they're using all their ELA skills and
inquiry skills uh to go through the

1719
02:09:25,920 --> 02:09:29,239
research process.

1720
02:09:30,800 --> 02:09:34,400
» Bob,
>> I just wanted to say some of us uh some

1721
02:09:33,199 --> 02:09:38,560
of the BOE members were lucky enough to
be in New Lebanon and watch that in real

1722
02:09:36,079 --> 02:09:42,880
time with the garden and how it was it
was amazing to see how you can take

1723
02:09:40,639 --> 02:09:47,840
something uh that the students are
really invested in and turn it into

1724
02:09:45,199 --> 02:09:51,679
trick them into learning, so to speak.
And I also wanted to mention this isn't

1725
02:09:49,679 --> 02:09:57,520
this is kind of like side side related.
Brent Reeves also who's the director of

1726
02:09:53,280 --> 02:10:02,320
security for GPS does offer uh hold
cyber bullying presentations having seen

1727
02:10:00,079 --> 02:10:05,119
one at the elementary school and at at
the middle school as well. He caters

1728
02:10:03,599 --> 02:10:10,960
them to each grade. So if anybody's
listening to the recording or one of the

1729
02:10:07,440 --> 02:10:15,520
15 people watching uh reach out to your
PTA and maybe Brent Reeves can come uh

1730
02:10:13,280 --> 02:10:21,440
come speak as well.
>> Great. Thank you so much. I have a

1731
02:10:17,119 --> 02:10:25,760
question. Our our title one students uh
traditionally they have less books in

1732
02:10:24,239 --> 02:10:31,679
their hands, you know, less availability
for that. Is there anything that we're

1733
02:10:28,639 --> 02:10:38,159
doing to address maybe
uh I false uh we have uh title one

1734
02:10:35,679 --> 02:10:44,960
funding that I work very uh thoughtfully
with our title one principles on

1735
02:10:40,719 --> 02:10:48,800
identifying uh needs. So, whatever can't
be furnished through the ELA budget, and

1736
02:10:47,040 --> 02:10:53,440
Kim does an incredible job of making
sure there's equity across all of our

1737
02:10:51,199 --> 02:10:58,800
schools, um there's additional funding
sources for resources like additional

1738
02:10:56,400 --> 02:11:04,320
books in our title one schools.
>> So, what you're saying is true, but

1739
02:11:00,880 --> 02:11:07,599
you've met that.
>> Sure. Okay.

1740
02:11:05,520 --> 02:11:10,960
» Well, I thank you. Fair. Because you
know, we have traditionally those

1741
02:11:09,520 --> 02:11:13,520
» Well, that's exactly why Title One
funding exists. Thank you.

1742
02:11:13,119 --> 02:11:18,000
» Yeah.
>> The other thing that's important to note

1743
02:11:14,880 --> 02:11:23,280
is we have an online book resource that
we that we pay for the unlimited version

1744
02:11:20,239 --> 02:11:30,239
of called Epic Books, which allows our
students to to have access to a library

1745
02:11:25,920 --> 02:11:34,960
of over 40,000 ebooks um and uh like uh
audio books um at home. So, it can be on

1746
02:11:33,520 --> 02:11:39,280
a parent's cell phone while they're
waiting for their dentist appointment.

1747
02:11:36,400 --> 02:11:44,560
It can be on an iPad or a school-based
device that gets taken home. So all of

1748
02:11:41,520 --> 02:11:50,040
our students have access to books um at
their house um and in their schools.

1749
02:11:50,480 --> 02:11:55,440
» All students.
>> Yeah. Yeah. We have it for all students

1750
02:11:53,679 --> 02:12:00,400
and we pay for the premium membership so
that we can create equity um for

1751
02:11:57,920 --> 02:12:03,760
students inside school and outside of
school.

1752
02:12:02,880 --> 02:12:08,159
» All summer long.
>> Oh yeah. And all summer long too as

1753
02:12:05,599 --> 02:12:12,719
well. And we we have it as a resource.
And that's an a web uh site or an app.

1754
02:12:12,480 --> 02:12:16,400
It
>> it's a it's both.

1755
02:12:14,239 --> 02:12:20,079
» Yes, it's both. And it is and and there
are books that are, you know, like

1756
02:12:18,239 --> 02:12:23,199
widely known. Like you're going to find
books that you'd find at Greenwich

1757
02:12:21,280 --> 02:12:27,920
Library or in your media center. So um
it's a great resource for the families

1758
02:12:24,880 --> 02:12:32,159
that that that want to have that um and
that that portability um of books

1759
02:12:30,159 --> 02:12:36,719
without maybe necessarily needing to go
buy a whole bookshelf of books.

1760
02:12:34,719 --> 02:12:39,920
» So I sense we're closing. Uh we're
really excited to come back next month

1761
02:12:38,320 --> 02:12:43,199
to present present the curriculum
management plan, but even more excited

1762
02:12:41,440 --> 02:12:48,159
to come back and share the achievement
report. And I just want it noted uh

1763
02:12:45,520 --> 02:12:52,880
madame chair uh that Mr. Reid didn't get
asked any difficult questions tonight.

1764
02:12:50,480 --> 02:12:55,840
So I want everybody to come with math
questions based on the achievement

1765
02:12:54,320 --> 02:12:59,199
report and really put him through the
ringer next month because he's really

1766
02:12:57,440 --> 02:13:04,320
enjoying himself back there.
>> Okay, we'll be ready. We'll be ready.

1767
02:13:01,920 --> 02:13:08,040
Thank you so much everyone and yeah,
thank you so much.

1768
02:13:12,400 --> 02:13:23,079
» All right, now we're going to move to
the enrollment um update. Dr. Jones,

1769
02:13:17,599 --> 02:13:23,079
so I I will Is this on?

1770
02:13:23,440 --> 02:13:30,320
» Can you Is this one on?
>> Hear you, Dr. Jones? If that works.

1771
02:13:28,239 --> 02:13:35,280
» Okay, can you hear me now? Okay,
>> it's better.

1772
02:13:32,400 --> 02:13:40,880
So with this just as a reminder this is
not the annual enrollment report which

1773
02:13:37,599 --> 02:13:45,599
is very thorough um that happens after
our October one which is our official

1774
02:13:43,199 --> 02:13:50,239
date um when we have to give the count
to the state and then we collate all of

1775
02:13:48,159 --> 02:13:53,360
that data um that goes to the state and
we have a very thorough report that

1776
02:13:51,840 --> 02:13:56,880
you'll hear. This is just an update
coming back to school. So what do we

1777
02:13:55,360 --> 02:14:01,599
look like uh compared to our
projections? We were projected to be at

1778
02:13:59,840 --> 02:14:06,440
8,270
students. We are at 8,140.

1779
02:14:06,480 --> 02:14:17,599
So basically we're right at 98.42%
um of accuracy for our projection which

1780
02:14:14,639 --> 02:14:24,000
is within that 1.58%. It's so our
projections are very accurate but on any

1781
02:14:20,960 --> 02:14:27,760
on any given year you have shifts from
one building to the other and that's

1782
02:14:25,440 --> 02:14:33,360
sometimes what you really you can't
gauge um and for instance this year and

1783
02:14:31,040 --> 02:14:36,079
and I'm happy to read each school or I
can just give you a couple highlights.

1784
02:14:34,639 --> 02:14:39,760
Would you like to hear the schools where
they ended? I mean it's very quick but

1785
02:14:38,719 --> 02:14:43,320
» um sure. Yeah. Okay.
>> Why not? Um,

1786
02:14:43,760 --> 02:14:49,599
» you get the data though afterwards. Not
tonight because this will actually right

1787
02:14:48,320 --> 02:14:54,719
now what they're still doing I'm giving
you as of this was on uh 98 September

1788
02:14:52,960 --> 02:14:58,800
the 8th and right now what we're trying
to do is we have to kind of go through a

1789
02:14:56,400 --> 02:15:04,079
cleanup process because we do have
parents that move and they just don't

1790
02:15:01,520 --> 02:15:07,280
withdraw their students and by law we
have to number one make sure we know if

1791
02:15:05,760 --> 02:15:12,560
a student didn't show up that's enrolled
with us are they safe and okay and where

1792
02:15:10,079 --> 02:15:17,119
are they and that takes several weeks
and that's the process we're in right

1793
02:15:14,079 --> 02:15:20,079
now. I don't expect this to change um a
whole lot, but I'll just give you I can

1794
02:15:18,880 --> 02:15:26,320
give you some highlights if you'd rather
have that. Um we were projected to be at

1795
02:15:22,960 --> 02:15:32,239
194 sections for our elementary schools,
we are at 192.

1796
02:15:29,760 --> 02:15:37,760
Um when we look across the buildings,
probably some of the ones where it was a

1797
02:15:35,119 --> 02:15:43,440
little bit lower, um Glennville is an
example where we were projected to be

1798
02:15:40,079 --> 02:15:50,480
460, they're at 434.
So, um, and that's mainly been in K and

1799
02:15:46,880 --> 02:15:55,360
K and one. Um, and but that's actually a
great problem for us. Um, that's good

1800
02:15:53,040 --> 02:15:59,119
because they are bursting at the seams.
Um, they are our largest elementary

1801
02:15:57,360 --> 02:16:04,320
school and we literally are out of space
there. Um, most of the buildings are

1802
02:16:02,079 --> 02:16:09,360
within, you know, anywhere from two to
five students um, different. Um the

1803
02:16:07,280 --> 02:16:15,360
other building would probably be North
Miamiis was projected to be just over

1804
02:16:12,159 --> 02:16:20,320
400 at 401. They're at 379.
Again, not a huge swing. And usually

1805
02:16:18,400 --> 02:16:24,960
what happens is it's either kindergarten
because we are still struggling getting

1806
02:16:22,560 --> 02:16:29,760
good kindergarten projections. And that
is because again this year um the way

1807
02:16:27,840 --> 02:16:34,240
the legislation was written, if they did
not if they didn't really want to go to

1808
02:16:32,160 --> 02:16:38,080
kindergarten, they didn't. So we had 20
odd kids that didn't. But then we also

1809
02:16:36,319 --> 02:16:42,880
had the waiver where we had families
that wanted to start early next year.

1810
02:16:41,200 --> 02:16:48,479
That completely goes away. There is no
early start to kindergarten. So it'll be

1811
02:16:45,359 --> 02:16:52,880
a hard date. Um so hopefully that part
will settle down. Um can I just I'm just

1812
02:16:51,280 --> 02:16:56,719
going to interject for one second just
for Jeff and Jonathan. I don't know if

1813
02:16:54,479 --> 02:17:02,160
you followed this but that at the state
level um historically you have to be

1814
02:17:00,479 --> 02:17:06,240
five by
>> December

1815
02:17:02,800 --> 02:17:10,719
» December 31 right? So, but but we had a
lot of variation in our schools. So,

1816
02:17:08,800 --> 02:17:14,240
some schools the kids, you know, went
when they're four and other schools they

1817
02:17:12,160 --> 02:17:18,479
didn't and you just don't know what
parents are going to decide. And so, the

1818
02:17:15,920 --> 02:17:21,679
state has initially said it was going to
be September one then gave sort of a

1819
02:17:20,319 --> 02:17:24,800
reprieve that they said the parents
could still decide whatever. So, it's

1820
02:17:23,120 --> 02:17:30,200
been shaking it's been shaking out I
guess is the long way of saying it. We

1821
02:17:26,559 --> 02:17:30,200
did our

1822
02:17:33,519 --> 02:17:40,880
» Yeah, we did that exact process where we
had to decide whether to hold back or

1823
02:17:38,240 --> 02:17:45,040
move forward.
>> So I think the other the other points

1824
02:17:43,280 --> 02:17:49,599
that you might be interested in is
central as you know opening the brand

1825
02:17:47,040 --> 02:17:54,719
new building we did the open enrollment
um this year which was new for us. We

1826
02:17:51,920 --> 02:17:59,359
were originally at around right around
131 students. Then we did open

1827
02:17:56,800 --> 02:18:04,960
enrollment and then we also had some
students that um either came back to the

1828
02:18:02,960 --> 02:18:09,040
district because they were in like a
private school or outplacement or

1829
02:18:07,280 --> 02:18:15,679
something of that nature. So now their
sixth grade is at 173 students. So that

1830
02:18:12,880 --> 02:18:20,080
that was a a pretty big gain. Um when we
look at middle school, the good thing

1831
02:18:17,599 --> 02:18:25,679
is, as you know, we had some students
from Western who went open enrollment to

1832
02:18:22,399 --> 02:18:30,719
Central, but um Western still opened
with or they're at as of right now 517

1833
02:18:28,960 --> 02:18:34,240
students, which is right about where
they were supposed to be. So even though

1834
02:18:32,160 --> 02:18:38,559
they lost students, that was actually
very helpful for their building because

1835
02:18:37,040 --> 02:18:42,160
they still started where they were
projected to be because they had new

1836
02:18:40,319 --> 02:18:45,760
enrollment. And that's that's that
impact of the Glennville corridor that

1837
02:18:44,399 --> 02:18:50,000
we're seeing at elementary.
>> Can you just explain to me because I'm

1838
02:18:47,840 --> 02:18:54,559
what open enrollment is? Are you saying
that students from

1839
02:18:53,040 --> 02:18:56,240
outside of district are going to a
different school or what is open

1840
02:18:55,679 --> 02:19:02,319
enrollment?
>> They're all um they're all students who

1841
02:18:58,960 --> 02:19:06,880
live in Greenwich and they're going into
sixth grade. Generally, they go to their

1842
02:19:04,240 --> 02:19:13,359
home school where they live and opening
a larger brand new elementary school. um

1843
02:19:10,719 --> 02:19:17,120
central had very small numbers um for
their school, so there was room for

1844
02:19:14,719 --> 02:19:20,479
other students to go, which could be
helpful even for the other buildings

1845
02:19:18,559 --> 02:19:24,319
because it if some students transfer, it
takes pressure off our larger

1846
02:19:21,840 --> 02:19:30,960
enrollment. And they did. They chose to
actually um to to ask to be um in open

1847
02:19:28,800 --> 02:19:33,760
enrollment to attend central instead of
Western or Eastern.

1848
02:19:32,080 --> 02:19:39,120
» And and how do we manage that with
busing? And I mean, does that create

1849
02:19:35,920 --> 02:19:43,120
chaos on buses that have to go from
>> this? No, that was part of the open

1850
02:19:41,040 --> 02:19:47,679
enrollment is that you have to be able
to drop your child off,

1851
02:19:45,439 --> 02:19:50,640
» but it's worked really well and and it's
been a bonus, I think, for all three of

1852
02:19:49,760 --> 02:19:55,280
the schools.
>> That's great.

1853
02:19:53,280 --> 02:20:01,280
» Um, yeah. Question related to Central.
Uh, given the the the uh the increase in

1854
02:19:58,800 --> 02:20:04,720
sixth graders. Back when we were first
talking about this, you had mentioned

1855
02:20:02,640 --> 02:20:08,240
you had the ability to flex to two
sections if the numbers did increase.

1856
02:20:07,040 --> 02:20:11,840
And it sounds like we're now pretty
close to where Western is and I think

1857
02:20:09,680 --> 02:20:17,520
Western has two sections. Did we go up
to two sections uh sorry two teams

1858
02:20:14,399 --> 02:20:21,760
rather uh in uh at Central yet they are
still at two teams. There's a little bit

1859
02:20:19,439 --> 02:20:26,720
of cross teaming because 7th grade is
still very small in the 130s um because

1860
02:20:24,720 --> 02:20:30,640
we only had a few students who wanted to
move. Obviously they had already started

1861
02:20:28,399 --> 02:20:34,080
in middle school. Um but that's at all
three of our middle schools. It's not

1862
02:20:32,319 --> 02:20:39,280
we're not doing anything different. We
did not reduce originally because we do

1863
02:20:36,479 --> 02:20:43,920
the budget so early and the numbers that
we had last November, we would have

1864
02:20:41,680 --> 02:20:48,319
reduced four positions in the middle
school. So it ended up impacting a

1865
02:20:46,240 --> 02:20:52,720
little bit of that. Uh where we ended up
I think reducing like 2 something. Um

1866
02:20:50,800 --> 02:20:56,000
but we still needed for instance like it
was either art or music a little bit

1867
02:20:54,319 --> 02:21:00,240
more because there were more sixth
graders. So but that's just normal that

1868
02:20:58,479 --> 02:21:03,920
shakes out across the diff district
every year.

1869
02:21:01,520 --> 02:21:08,960
» Veronica. Veronica.
>> Yes. Sorry. Um c do you mind backing up?

1870
02:21:06,640 --> 02:21:14,080
Sorry. Um to the elementary schools and
letting um us know what Riverside is. Um

1871
02:21:11,840 --> 02:21:20,160
and I'm just asking because we are
working on that project.

1872
02:21:18,319 --> 02:21:26,720
» Numbers have come out. But
>> Riverside was projected to be 423 and

1873
02:21:23,680 --> 02:21:30,960
they are 425.
>> Oh great. [laughter]

1874
02:21:28,479 --> 02:21:33,920
» There are no houses for sale there. I
mean, that really is part of it.

1875
02:21:32,880 --> 02:21:38,960
» Yeah, [laughter]
>> they're pretty stable most almost every

1876
02:21:37,040 --> 02:21:43,600
year because the housing market, there's
not a lot of housing, not a lot of

1877
02:21:40,800 --> 02:21:49,600
rental. Where we have rental property is
where we tend to see more shifts. Condos

1878
02:21:46,960 --> 02:21:54,439
and different types of housing.
>> Wonderful. Thank you.

1879
02:21:51,200 --> 02:21:54,439
» You're welcome.

1880
02:21:54,960 --> 02:22:01,200
» I don't think there's any more questions
on this, right? Are we good? Okay. All

1881
02:21:59,120 --> 02:22:07,479
right. Then we're going to move on um to
superintendent goals for 2026 2027.

1882
02:22:04,160 --> 02:22:07,479
First read.

1883
02:22:09,439 --> 02:22:15,439
Okay. So you you have a copy of the
draft goals um in your packet. I'm just

1884
02:22:14,240 --> 02:22:22,479
going to walk you through what some of
these are. Um so the number one thing at

1885
02:22:19,680 --> 02:22:25,600
the top um in that first box and this is
really about all of our curriculum

1886
02:22:24,160 --> 02:22:30,080
alignment and all the work that we've
been doing. But the thoughtful use of

1887
02:22:27,520 --> 02:22:34,560
technology regulation is very important.
I think you heard the heard us reference

1888
02:22:32,240 --> 02:22:38,479
it tonight. There's a lot of work going
on across the district. And I will just

1889
02:22:36,240 --> 02:22:43,040
tell you as we implement this for the
first time, I'm already getting great

1890
02:22:40,160 --> 02:22:46,560
feedback um from our PTA and and from
parents who are seeing homework shifts

1891
02:22:45,040 --> 02:22:51,680
and what their students are doing at
home. So, I'm very excited about that.

1892
02:22:48,800 --> 02:22:56,240
But it's sustainability. You know, we
we've got to really stay on it all year.

1893
02:22:53,920 --> 02:23:01,359
um the implementation of the no sale
build to bell there's that sounds so

1894
02:22:58,960 --> 02:23:04,960
simple and to be honest I think people
were very concerned like how were we

1895
02:23:03,280 --> 02:23:09,600
going to pull it off is it going to be a
huge shift it's gone beautifully again

1896
02:23:07,680 --> 02:23:14,240
it's going to be all about followup and
follow through um and so we're meeting

1897
02:23:12,160 --> 02:23:19,920
on that regularly and again right now
it's going great um the secondary

1898
02:23:16,800 --> 02:23:24,399
schedules was a huge task and again what
you're seeing in goals tonight I had to

1899
02:23:22,000 --> 02:23:28,000
start working on these like last year.
Um because these things if you're going

1900
02:23:25,920 --> 02:23:33,280
to be ready to start school, I start
working with all of our team very early

1901
02:23:29,600 --> 02:23:36,960
on. Um so with the schedules, um I work
very closely with Dana Tada at the high

1902
02:23:35,359 --> 02:23:41,520
school who does their master scheduling
and we really set a goal. We did it at

1903
02:23:39,840 --> 02:23:46,880
the middle schools as well, but high
school it's it's challenging and it was

1904
02:23:44,080 --> 02:23:51,280
to set a goal to have classes at 24. If
we needed to go to 25, that's okay for

1905
02:23:48,880 --> 02:23:56,479
core classes. And when you look across
the high school, that is primarily what

1906
02:23:53,439 --> 02:24:00,880
you see. Um, in the past, I actually had
pulled my notes out from like the last

1907
02:23:58,319 --> 02:24:07,600
two years. We would have class sizes of
14 and then you would have 28, 29, 30,

1908
02:24:04,479 --> 02:24:11,760
and we would have 30s in core classes.
And what I'm trying to work on as a goal

1909
02:24:10,240 --> 02:24:19,200
and I think it'll be helpful for the
board is we are so well defined on what

1910
02:24:15,280 --> 02:24:23,520
reasonable class size is um in K5 and
we've kind of had this mentality in

1911
02:24:21,040 --> 02:24:29,040
Greenwich for many years that well we
just it's whatever the students choose

1912
02:24:26,000 --> 02:24:32,960
and that's how we actually staff but
that really isn't a good model and so

1913
02:24:30,880 --> 02:24:36,880
I'm very very focused on the high school
right now. um in secondary, I should

1914
02:24:34,800 --> 02:24:40,319
say. All three middle school principles
actually went back in and worked on

1915
02:24:38,240 --> 02:24:45,600
their schedules as well. Um so we're
we're very balanced right now going into

1916
02:24:42,640 --> 02:24:50,880
the year. Um we're very focused on
access to the art uh arts at GHS. So you

1917
02:24:48,640 --> 02:24:55,920
heard Leah mention a little bit of that
and edict at middle school and this is

1918
02:24:54,080 --> 02:25:02,160
because we're going to do a lot of work
this year on our career tech is what CTE

1919
02:24:59,359 --> 02:25:07,920
means uh pathway. And again, you heard
Andrew talk about cyber security. That's

1920
02:25:04,479 --> 02:25:12,720
a CTE pathway. And you know, they have
what are the AP is actually calling

1921
02:25:10,319 --> 02:25:17,280
Kickstarter course and that is where
you're pairing up like the AP business

1922
02:25:15,280 --> 02:25:22,399
and finance course that's new for us
this year along with cyber security. Um,

1923
02:25:20,720 --> 02:25:27,760
so we're we're looking at all those
different pathways and what do we need

1924
02:25:24,479 --> 02:25:33,520
to get better at because um, CTE has not
been a focus for us um, at all for the

1925
02:25:30,399 --> 02:25:42,000
most part. Not not a real focus um, for
the arts at GHS. This year we added um

1926
02:25:38,160 --> 02:25:46,960
over the summer another um component
that the students really wanted and

1927
02:25:44,000 --> 02:25:52,080
that's more ceramics because as I was
working closely uh with Dana on the

1928
02:25:49,439 --> 02:25:57,840
schedule you know we recognized that you
have students who are wanting to take

1929
02:25:54,720 --> 02:26:02,720
art but we didn't have enough of the
classes that they wanted. So we added a

1930
02:25:59,920 --> 02:26:07,280
whole another ceramics um component and
we're working on that this year. So now

1931
02:26:04,479 --> 02:26:12,319
we have another 100 200 students that
are actually able to take art and we are

1932
02:26:09,840 --> 02:26:16,640
very it's very strange for Greenwich. We
are actually very low enrollment in high

1933
02:26:14,399 --> 02:26:20,800
school for the arts if you actually look
at the report and it's because of

1934
02:26:19,040 --> 02:26:25,439
aspects like that. We just couldn't fit
the kids in. Um so we're very focused on

1935
02:26:23,359 --> 02:26:28,960
that right now as well. Um and then
focusing on high high uh level

1936
02:26:27,359 --> 02:26:32,960
professional development. This has been
this was a goal last year. It's a goal

1937
02:26:30,640 --> 02:26:38,319
again. And at the beginning of this
year, we had fantastic feedback from our

1938
02:26:36,000 --> 02:26:42,080
teachers where several of them wrote
just wonderful notes to the curriculum

1939
02:26:40,240 --> 02:26:46,720
team about what great professional
development was going on. So, I want us

1940
02:26:44,399 --> 02:26:52,319
to be able to do that again this year.
Um, we still our PCG special education

1941
02:26:49,760 --> 02:26:57,359
action plan was just updated again in
August. So, it's on the web and all

1942
02:26:54,240 --> 02:27:03,040
updated. This is only the second year of
positive pathways and so that is a needs

1943
02:27:00,080 --> 02:27:07,920
to be a focus. We are also with our
co-taught. Um this is the first year

1944
02:27:05,520 --> 02:27:12,960
where we've compete uh completed the
multi-year plan at costub so that we

1945
02:27:10,640 --> 02:27:18,080
have every grade level has co-taught but
we also this year made some uh changes

1946
02:27:15,600 --> 02:27:22,720
at the high school where we implemented
co-taught for instance in chemistry.

1947
02:27:20,800 --> 02:27:27,280
Last year we had done biology. It's
brand new in chemistry. This year we

1948
02:27:24,479 --> 02:27:33,200
have four sections. Um and that will
probably continue to grow as well. Um,

1949
02:27:30,720 --> 02:27:38,160
we also have that second bullet, a
hybrid learning center. So, last year we

1950
02:27:36,080 --> 02:27:44,000
built hybrid learning at the high school
as a space. We started very small. Uh,

1951
02:27:41,840 --> 02:27:50,880
Christina Shaw is the one that leads on
that. And this year, we've really

1952
02:27:47,359 --> 02:27:54,800
expanded where kids can roster in high
se. You'll learn more about that as we

1953
02:27:52,880 --> 02:27:58,000
talk more about the curriculum um
because it's hard for a lot of people to

1954
02:27:56,399 --> 02:28:01,840
imagine, but it's the way that we
actually operate summer school for high

1955
02:27:59,760 --> 02:28:06,080
school. And some of you that were on the
board last year may remember in the

1956
02:28:03,840 --> 02:28:11,439
summer school report, we went from, you
know, 50 students taking summer school

1957
02:28:07,920 --> 02:28:15,920
with us to, you know, 300 and 400. Um,
and what it does is give a student total

1958
02:28:14,080 --> 02:28:21,040
flexibility in their schedule. It's not
for everybody, but it's a it's it's a

1959
02:28:18,399 --> 02:28:25,600
big implementation this year. Um we are
also working on the English language

1960
02:28:23,040 --> 02:28:30,080
immersion solution. Uh we worked on it
last year. I want to see us continue to

1961
02:28:27,359 --> 02:28:35,120
do a lot more with that. Um and then
last year we did the first presentation

1962
02:28:32,399 --> 02:28:41,040
ever for the board uh about the case
load and the hours. That has to be

1963
02:28:37,680 --> 02:28:44,399
another focus for us because people are
coming to the board meeting talking

1964
02:28:42,479 --> 02:28:48,160
about how huge case loads are and that
we're not actually thoughtful in the

1965
02:28:46,800 --> 02:28:52,560
process. And I think it was great for
the board last spring to actually hear

1966
02:28:50,640 --> 02:28:58,399
that it is a very very thoughtful
process. Um and then of course um the

1967
02:28:56,080 --> 02:29:02,160
student wellness and supports down on
the bottom. And as I'm looking at this

1968
02:29:00,800 --> 02:29:06,800
one, I'm hoping that this is actually
the right one, but I'm going to go back

1969
02:29:03,359 --> 02:29:11,439
and check that. Um because this middle
section, we had trouble and um Mike had

1970
02:29:09,600 --> 02:29:16,479
switched it out. So I don't know when
this one was printed, but I'll go double

1971
02:29:13,040 --> 02:29:21,040
check that. Um so on the bottom again
onboarding of new board members I would

1972
02:29:18,720 --> 02:29:24,560
have taken off but that is very
important for us now because we have new

1973
02:29:23,120 --> 02:29:28,240
board members and we want to make sure
that they do have an opportunity to get

1974
02:29:26,319 --> 02:29:33,040
to the schools and you know all the
things that we try to do. um the legal

1975
02:29:30,720 --> 02:29:37,600
briefings last year was the that was
revived again after not being able to do

1976
02:29:35,280 --> 02:29:43,920
that for a year or two and that's why
it's a goal we it's so helpful for the

1977
02:29:40,720 --> 02:29:48,960
board um to have a a session on what are
the legal issues in an exe executive

1978
02:29:46,240 --> 02:29:54,240
session but also it is incredibly eye
opening to learn about how outplacements

1979
02:29:51,280 --> 02:29:59,280
and settlements um work um from a legal
perspective and then

1980
02:29:57,760 --> 02:30:03,078
» when you say outplacements and
settlements. I know we were talking

1981
02:30:00,640 --> 02:30:06,479
earlier about like um out of
[clears throat] district placements, but

1982
02:30:05,040 --> 02:30:13,359
then we were also talking about things
like uh parents individual decision to

1983
02:30:10,720 --> 02:30:17,760
place. What where's the distinction
there?

1984
02:30:14,240 --> 02:30:21,680
» So, um a settlement is when a parent
moves into Greenwich, they may never

1985
02:30:19,280 --> 02:30:24,800
enroll their child here and they go and
put them in a private school and then

1986
02:30:23,359 --> 02:30:29,760
they want to come back and have the
district pay uh for that. And sometimes

1987
02:30:27,840 --> 02:30:34,479
it's a parent who really wants one
setting and it's not state approved.

1988
02:30:32,319 --> 02:30:40,479
That's going to be a settlement. Um the
do the students that we outplace because

1989
02:30:37,840 --> 02:30:45,040
we we don't have the capacity to provide
what the student needs, those are

1990
02:30:42,960 --> 02:30:51,680
outplacements and they are only in state
approved schools. and those situations

1991
02:30:48,479 --> 02:30:57,439
where um the student never enters our
system is in a private school setting

1992
02:30:54,960 --> 02:31:02,560
and then would move into our system but
there is a dispute. How does that

1993
02:30:59,760 --> 02:31:08,319
dispute get determined like whether our
facilities are adequate to you know meet

1994
02:31:05,200 --> 02:31:13,920
the parents needs and therefore you know
>> yeah they they they let us we end up

1995
02:31:11,200 --> 02:31:18,560
going to mediation is what happens. Um,
and it all depends. You have mediation,

1996
02:31:16,319 --> 02:31:24,319
then you also can go to a due process
hearing. Um, which we try to avoid those

1997
02:31:21,200 --> 02:31:27,359
in the sense that they're very long. Um,
you know, we would like to be able to

1998
02:31:25,680 --> 02:31:31,520
mediate, you know, with a family.
Sometimes you just can't. Um, but there

1999
02:31:29,520 --> 02:31:36,800
is an actual process that you have to
use in Connecticut.

2000
02:31:33,600 --> 02:31:41,200
Um, and then again, monthly check-ins.
And you know, this last one is really

2001
02:31:39,040 --> 02:31:46,800
important. I mean, I was on the call
today with Veronica for Riverside um

2002
02:31:44,960 --> 02:31:52,080
really being able to support in the
building committee work and um because

2003
02:31:49,840 --> 02:31:56,240
most of you are serving now on building
committees and those of you that you

2004
02:31:54,560 --> 02:32:01,200
know as you serve on them, they require
not only a lot of time but a lot of

2005
02:31:57,920 --> 02:32:05,359
knowledge um and there are things that
pop up where I have to be available as

2006
02:32:03,359 --> 02:32:10,720
as a goal like sometimes you need the
answer in the same day. Um, and I'm also

2007
02:32:08,319 --> 02:32:14,000
responsible from a goal standpoint.
We've got a lot of committees going

2008
02:32:12,160 --> 02:32:18,399
right now and nobody can communicate
with the Department of Administrative

2009
02:32:15,600 --> 02:32:22,399
Services except the superintendent. Um,
it's not hard when you have one building

2010
02:32:20,160 --> 02:32:25,920
committee, but when you get multiple, it
is. And so I want to make sure that I'm,

2011
02:32:24,640 --> 02:32:29,840
you know, providing what the board
members need there as well.

2012
02:32:28,240 --> 02:32:34,640
» And you had accidentally skipped over
the uh 15 schools. The over

2013
02:32:32,319 --> 02:32:39,240
» Oh, all 15 schools. Yes. Making sure the
visits are there. Absolutely.

2014
02:32:39,359 --> 02:32:46,880
» Thank you, Karen. Uh, yes, Dr. Jones.
So, thank you for sharing the first

2015
02:32:44,880 --> 02:32:50,000
draft of your goals. I did have a couple
of recommendations that I'd like to

2016
02:32:48,319 --> 02:32:57,439
share.
One is on the the balance, the relative

2017
02:32:53,359 --> 02:33:01,680
emphasis. Uh, you know, we've got a
third of the goals are focused on

2018
02:32:59,840 --> 02:33:07,359
special eds and other special ed and
other high needs populations. I don't

2019
02:33:04,399 --> 02:33:12,399
see a lot here on the other call it 70
80% of our students. I think it's

2020
02:33:09,840 --> 02:33:18,240
incredibly important that all students
receive appropriate challenge

2021
02:33:14,880 --> 02:33:22,960
year-over-year growth uh across our you
know our sped our struggling populations

2022
02:33:20,640 --> 02:33:29,840
are on track and are advanced. When I
look at our uh strategic plan for the

2023
02:33:27,040 --> 02:33:33,520
seven goals are about uh academic
achievement. And so I'd like to see more

2024
02:33:31,680 --> 02:33:38,319
of a a balance so that all of our
students see themselves represented in

2025
02:33:35,280 --> 02:33:42,399
these goals. Um the other is about a
third of the bullet points on here are

2026
02:33:40,160 --> 02:33:45,920
about supporting the board of ed. Um and
although it probably feels that way, we

2027
02:33:43,920 --> 02:33:50,560
we aren't that high maintenance. Um and
and we really would rather your time be

2028
02:33:48,000 --> 02:33:54,880
focused on students and staff.
Uh, no, but look, if you know, in in all

2029
02:33:53,680 --> 02:33:58,399
seriousness, no, I mean, a lot of these
are are quite tactical, so maybe we can

2030
02:33:56,880 --> 02:34:03,120
condense some of those so there's just a
little less little little less weight on

2031
02:34:00,240 --> 02:34:08,160
the on the board of ed. Um, two, would
like to see how uh would like to see

2032
02:34:06,000 --> 02:34:12,319
metrics. How do we measure how are we
going to measure the achievement of of

2033
02:34:10,800 --> 02:34:17,120
these goals? So, for example, you know,
we talk about the Bell uh cell phone

2034
02:34:14,880 --> 02:34:22,000
ban. Are we measuring
um incidents of bullying? Are we

2035
02:34:19,600 --> 02:34:27,120
measuring some sort of mental health?
Are we measuring

2036
02:34:23,920 --> 02:34:30,800
uh uh surveys from teachers of of how
much class time they've hopefully gotten

2037
02:34:28,800 --> 02:34:35,040
back by not having to police this uh at
the beginning and end of every class? Um

2038
02:34:33,439 --> 02:34:41,120
and then the third one I would say my
third one would be I'd like to see a

2039
02:34:37,840 --> 02:34:46,160
goal around culture. Um our strategic
plan goal number seven is focused on uh

2040
02:34:44,640 --> 02:34:49,840
increasing a positive working
environment for teachers and staff. Um

2041
02:34:48,319 --> 02:34:53,680
and I do want to acknowledge I
understand this job involves hard

2042
02:34:51,359 --> 02:34:58,800
decisions. Not everyone will be happy.
Um work climate matters and it does uh

2043
02:34:57,280 --> 02:35:02,880
you know ultimately in the long term
affects our ability to attract and

2044
02:35:00,800 --> 02:35:10,240
retain talent and you know it seeps into
interactions with students. So I'd like

2045
02:35:05,040 --> 02:35:18,880
to find an objective way to to assess
that that climate um you know under some

2046
02:35:13,680 --> 02:35:24,600
sort of you know third party to to
ensure neutrality rigor foster trust.

2047
02:35:26,720 --> 02:35:32,000
Jeff.
>> Yeah. I I'd just like to add it's it's

2048
02:35:30,319 --> 02:35:35,240
looking at these goals. It's hard for me
to understand.

2049
02:35:36,080 --> 02:35:44,240
» What is success mean? What does that
mean in I see we have you know as

2050
02:35:41,760 --> 02:35:49,280
measured by what does that mean? What in
that measurement are we looking for? You

2051
02:35:46,399 --> 02:35:53,200
know in in I go back to my my military
we write in order we write commander

2052
02:35:51,359 --> 02:36:00,160
intent and then we have an end state.
That end state is how we know we achieve

2053
02:35:55,920 --> 02:36:06,200
success. How do we how do we know we're
we're meeting the end state? We're

2054
02:36:01,359 --> 02:36:06,200
achieving success in these goals.

2055
02:36:06,479 --> 02:36:11,359
» So
when you look at that far right hand

2056
02:36:09,600 --> 02:36:14,800
side, it again looks much more
simplistic. I think when you go through

2057
02:36:13,040 --> 02:36:19,120
the district annual achievement report,
you will see the amount of data that we

2058
02:36:17,120 --> 02:36:25,120
actually collect that supports all of
these goals. Um and and that goes back

2059
02:36:22,160 --> 02:36:29,520
to even our strategic plan survey um
that we give. We survey parents, we

2060
02:36:27,200 --> 02:36:33,439
survey students, we survey our teachers.
And if you ask me, and I I probably

2061
02:36:31,920 --> 02:36:37,520
wouldn't do it in a meeting, but if
somebody called and said, "Why did this

2062
02:36:35,120 --> 02:36:40,720
school drop and why did this one go up?"
I can pretty well tell you exactly why

2063
02:36:39,280 --> 02:36:45,040
and what was going on in the building.
And you can see it actually in the

2064
02:36:42,720 --> 02:36:48,880
metrics that we collect. But now, let me
just say because this is my eighth year

2065
02:36:46,640 --> 02:36:53,439
here. every board seems to want
different goals. So, the first year or

2066
02:36:50,880 --> 02:36:57,280
two I was here, I I bet I had if I went
back and pulled it, I probably had 60

2067
02:36:55,040 --> 02:37:01,120
items. And it was like, you know, if I'm
going to put it on here, I'll get it

2068
02:36:58,319 --> 02:37:03,520
done. Um, and then the board was like, I
think it was you even you might have

2069
02:37:02,319 --> 02:37:06,720
been on the board when it's like, this
is like way too much. You're giving us

2070
02:37:05,280 --> 02:37:10,000
like three pages. Well, I was giving you
three pages because that's what the

2071
02:37:07,840 --> 02:37:15,439
board at the time wanted to see. Um, so
it's very simplistic right now because

2072
02:37:12,000 --> 02:37:19,120
this current last year's board didn't
did not want it to be super long.

2073
02:37:17,680 --> 02:37:24,720
» I don't disagree with that, but I'm just
like as if I'm looking at the district.

2074
02:37:23,040 --> 02:37:28,479
» If if I'm looking at the district annual
achievement report, what am I looking

2075
02:37:26,960 --> 02:37:34,479
for in that? Because it's going to have
a lot of data in there and I'm not sure

2076
02:37:31,439 --> 02:37:37,840
what you know what I'm looking at that's
going to indicate that we've achieved

2077
02:37:36,000 --> 02:37:42,560
success. Well, it's going to be it's
going to be a mixture between I will

2078
02:37:39,760 --> 02:37:47,040
update you on the cell bell to bell for
instance and we'll talk about for

2079
02:37:44,800 --> 02:37:54,319
instance I was in a conversation I think
it was with PTA um this this week they

2080
02:37:51,040 --> 02:37:59,040
confiscated like five phones like it was
very minimal and so we're keeping track

2081
02:37:56,880 --> 02:38:03,600
of all that type of data now I can
expand this and put all the different

2082
02:38:00,960 --> 02:38:08,640
metrics and things that we're going to
do but generally again like recent

2083
02:38:06,640 --> 02:38:13,120
years. That's not what the board has
wanted. And quite frankly, one year the

2084
02:38:11,120 --> 02:38:15,920
board was like all over the place and we
just didn't put on the agenda again

2085
02:38:14,479 --> 02:38:20,800
because you don't even have to approve
my goals. So, I mean, it really depends

2086
02:38:18,479 --> 02:38:28,399
if if you're wanting it to look like
something different than, you know, you

2087
02:38:24,800 --> 02:38:33,680
just have to share what you are wanting.
>> I think Oh, sorry. Jonathan, do you want

2088
02:38:30,560 --> 02:38:36,800
to go ahead? No, I think that um you
know, I'm sure that there's a happy

2089
02:38:34,960 --> 02:38:41,680
middle in the three pages and the one
page. Um and and I think that you know,

2090
02:38:39,920 --> 02:38:46,080
echoing what Jeff was saying just a
moment ago, I think we're excited to

2091
02:38:44,080 --> 02:38:52,479
have a better sense of what data is
collected and how especially as we do

2092
02:38:49,040 --> 02:38:57,040
novel things like no sell belltobell um
we get to capture, you know, the

2093
02:38:54,880 --> 02:39:03,760
tangible results that we can report back
to parents. Um I'll gave an anecdote

2094
02:39:00,479 --> 02:39:09,520
recently um of
a a child passing out at a private

2095
02:39:06,399 --> 02:39:13,840
school recently and teachers simply knew
that when that happened in the era, you

2096
02:39:11,760 --> 02:39:17,439
know, where cell phones were popular in
school that that young woman's photo

2097
02:39:15,920 --> 02:39:21,040
would have been passed around among the
students. And that didn't happen this

2098
02:39:19,835 --> 02:39:25,040
[clears throat] time because there's no
cell phones in the school. And so, you

2099
02:39:23,600 --> 02:39:28,960
know, but that's like those sorts of
incident reports. I don't know that

2100
02:39:26,640 --> 02:39:34,720
they're captured or aggregated or like
you know displayed and and presented in

2101
02:39:32,160 --> 02:39:39,600
a way that has the meaningful impact
that you know we could we that we want

2102
02:39:38,080 --> 02:39:44,160
to capture for the sake of showing the
positive achievement uh that is deserved

2103
02:39:42,399 --> 02:39:49,760
by the initiatives that are being
tackled.

2104
02:39:46,240 --> 02:39:54,720
So, no, I just um I think it's
challenging doing these goals without

2105
02:39:52,640 --> 02:39:58,080
especially for for the two new board
members without having seen like the

2106
02:39:56,560 --> 02:40:02,399
tremendous amount of educational
attainment data that we're about to see,

2107
02:40:00,080 --> 02:40:08,000
you know, in the next month because you
see how metrics driven the school

2108
02:40:05,840 --> 02:40:12,800
district is. And so then it's really
clear like are these scores going up?

2109
02:40:10,800 --> 02:40:16,720
Are these scores going down? you're
looking across 15 schools. You're

2110
02:40:14,800 --> 02:40:22,080
looking across different disciplines.
So, in my experience as a board member,

2111
02:40:20,560 --> 02:40:27,840
there's a lot of accountability
throughout the year of getting this

2112
02:40:24,479 --> 02:40:31,840
information back. And I think the
challenge is, and I don't know what the

2113
02:40:29,520 --> 02:40:38,319
right answer is to this, but it's like
you could populate this with a bunch of

2114
02:40:35,520 --> 02:40:42,800
data, you know, saying looking at SBA
scores, looking at PSAT scores, looking

2115
02:40:40,640 --> 02:40:48,080
at SAT scores, looking at whatever, you
know, but you don't necessarily need to

2116
02:40:45,680 --> 02:40:52,800
list all that because we know we're
going to see it and that is how we judge

2117
02:40:51,040 --> 02:40:56,880
the performance of our schools. So I
think it's, you know, we that could be a

2118
02:40:54,960 --> 02:41:01,760
way to address that concern a little bit
of like and it having been on the board

2119
02:40:59,520 --> 02:41:06,240
now I guess I'm almost for 3 years you
you start to see all of the information

2120
02:41:04,240 --> 02:41:09,200
that is fed to us all the time. I think
like the bell-to-bell thing is a little

2121
02:41:07,600 --> 02:41:13,439
more challenging because it's going to
be anecdotal right now. So like for

2122
02:41:11,600 --> 02:41:17,840
example that you know Dr. Jones saying
okay so you have 2700 students and

2123
02:41:15,920 --> 02:41:21,439
you've only confiscated four phones. It
sounds like, you know, this is being

2124
02:41:20,000 --> 02:41:24,880
enforced pretty, you know, it's going
pretty well and then you get to hear

2125
02:41:23,359 --> 02:41:28,479
sort,
>> right? Well, I guess that's another way,

2126
02:41:26,880 --> 02:41:31,920
you know, but whatever. So, we'll see.
You know, I think it's like you're going

2127
02:41:29,600 --> 02:41:36,880
to hear stories. I guess the question
would be at the end of the school year,

2128
02:41:34,399 --> 02:41:41,520
is there a way to measure, you know, are
our educational outcomes better because

2129
02:41:39,200 --> 02:41:45,200
this the phones are away? I don't really
know. I feel like because then it's like

2130
02:41:43,520 --> 02:41:49,359
how do you control for that of saying
okay that are the test numbers up

2131
02:41:47,520 --> 02:41:52,960
because the phones are away or the test
numbers up because we've done all these

2132
02:41:50,880 --> 02:41:57,760
curricular enhancements or you know
whatever it is like you never you never

2133
02:41:54,720 --> 02:42:01,359
have perfect information. Um which isn't
to say that we shouldn't pull certain

2134
02:41:59,760 --> 02:42:06,560
metrics and say these are ones that we
think are really important and we think

2135
02:42:03,760 --> 02:42:10,080
tell a story but we will be getting a
huge amount of information. So just for

2136
02:42:08,319 --> 02:42:16,399
the two of you to know you will be
inundated with data soon. I have no

2137
02:42:13,439 --> 02:42:21,680
doubt and I I think you know while
academic performance is obviously a

2138
02:42:19,040 --> 02:42:27,439
central focus um I think that
disciplinary issues uh in you know

2139
02:42:24,160 --> 02:42:32,240
incidents of violence you know uh you
know um you know even just the presence

2140
02:42:30,080 --> 02:42:36,960
of you know phones and how they can be
weaponized from one student to another

2141
02:42:34,479 --> 02:42:41,040
like uh or used for cyber bullying
things like that um these are a reality

2142
02:42:39,600 --> 02:42:46,720
it's like I'm sure part of what
influenced us to do the cell phone bl

2143
02:42:43,840 --> 02:42:50,560
band bands. And so I I just I I
appreciate the opportunity to air a

2144
02:42:48,560 --> 02:42:56,800
desire for maybe some more novel or
creative approaches to data collection

2145
02:42:53,280 --> 02:43:00,600
um so that uh the great signals don't
get lost in the noise.

2146
02:43:00,880 --> 02:43:07,600
» Yeah.
what I was hearing from you sounds like

2147
02:43:04,880 --> 02:43:13,920
a a districtwide
like um

2148
02:43:09,920 --> 02:43:19,600
evaluation. Um and I think that what we
what we're trying to look at here is how

2149
02:43:16,080 --> 02:43:24,640
to how to evaluate the superintendent on
a on a more, you know, administrative

2150
02:43:22,720 --> 02:43:28,479
level. Like all of that data that you're
talking about is something that we're

2151
02:43:26,479 --> 02:43:32,479
we're looking at, you know, every year.
And I recognize that everything that Dr.

2152
02:43:30,640 --> 02:43:38,080
Jones does it such a top level is going
to affect everything um from from you

2153
02:43:34,960 --> 02:43:44,720
know from top to bottom. But if we're
going to have goals, you know,

2154
02:43:41,680 --> 02:43:50,080
they should be defined and measurable. I
I think that's what I'm hearing.

2155
02:43:48,479 --> 02:43:53,680
» Yeah. I mean, if you want metrics with
them and I'll give you like even in the

2156
02:43:51,840 --> 02:43:57,680
second section is measured by the threat
assessment data. That's exactly what

2157
02:43:55,200 --> 02:44:03,680
Jonathan was talking about. Um the 504
data. Um, there are all types of metrics

2158
02:44:00,800 --> 02:44:08,399
that I don't list all of them on here,
but certainly as we go through the year,

2159
02:44:05,920 --> 02:44:11,760
you I I will make sure that what's on
the goal sheet gets done. And if it's

2160
02:44:10,240 --> 02:44:16,720
not if I'm not going to do it, I'm not
putting it on here. I I just don't

2161
02:44:13,920 --> 02:44:22,720
because, you know, we have a very robust
strategic plan. We are performing better

2162
02:44:19,200 --> 02:44:26,479
than we have even precoid. And so, you
know, I I want to be sure that whatever

2163
02:44:24,720 --> 02:44:30,560
goals I'm presenting, I want, you know,
I want the board to support them. And

2164
02:44:28,800 --> 02:44:37,040
certainly, I don't mind tying the
metrics. We can expand this um and go

2165
02:44:34,000 --> 02:44:41,040
back to what we used to do. It's again,
this is guidance from the board at the

2166
02:44:38,880 --> 02:44:45,120
time that wanted it like this on one
page. Um, you know, when I look at like

2167
02:44:43,520 --> 02:44:50,160
the culture goal that you're mentioning,
Karen, to me, that is the strategic

2168
02:44:47,200 --> 02:44:54,319
plan. We spent two years putting the
survey together so that we were

2169
02:44:52,000 --> 02:44:59,840
surveying staff, parents, and students.
We want the same metric year overyear so

2170
02:44:57,359 --> 02:45:03,680
we have a benchmark to compare. Now,
this year and next year at whatever

2171
02:45:01,520 --> 02:45:06,720
point the board starts again, we've got
to get ready to have a brand new

2172
02:45:04,800 --> 02:45:10,800
strategic plan. That's when you would
change the metric because you don't do

2173
02:45:08,640 --> 02:45:15,880
that in the middle of a strategic plan
and especially when we're getting really

2174
02:45:12,640 --> 02:45:15,880
good data.

2175
02:45:16,560 --> 02:45:23,040
Um, I'm wondering if we could maybe
since this is the first read, if there's

2176
02:45:21,200 --> 02:45:28,560
an opportunity for you to make some
suggestions of like, okay, here are a

2177
02:45:25,200 --> 02:45:33,040
couple measurable data points that I
could, you know, provide to the board

2178
02:45:30,960 --> 02:45:36,479
underneath like sort of in your third
column. Do you see what I'm saying? And

2179
02:45:34,640 --> 02:45:41,760
I know I mean I feel like maybe with my
first year on the board that we had a

2180
02:45:38,560 --> 02:45:44,880
goal for a a better graduation rate for
Greenwich High School, right? So that's

2181
02:45:43,200 --> 02:45:48,399
like a very clear measurable thing of
like, okay, we're at 96%, we want to be

2182
02:45:47,120 --> 02:45:50,960
at 98%.
>> But it's in our strategic plan,

2183
02:45:49,840 --> 02:45:54,720
» right? No, and I know it's in the
strategic plan. So I I'm wondering if we

2184
02:45:52,800 --> 02:45:58,479
could just pull some of those across
from the strategic plan to put it in

2185
02:45:56,640 --> 02:46:03,040
this. And I I do appreciate like the
culture of the board shifts continually

2186
02:46:00,800 --> 02:46:06,399
as we have new members on. But it sounds
like there's an appetite with the

2187
02:46:04,800 --> 02:46:12,560
current membership that we would like to
have a you know maybe I don't know three

2188
02:46:09,760 --> 02:46:15,840
three metrics per cell or something like
that that we're saying these are the

2189
02:46:13,760 --> 02:46:20,399
ones that we want to track.
>> Yeah. And I I would say you know I do I

2190
02:46:17,920 --> 02:46:25,520
I this is pretty but I wouldn't let
PowerPoint constrain you. I think if

2191
02:46:22,880 --> 02:46:29,200
look if a word document and Excel
whatever works you know let's whatever

2192
02:46:27,840 --> 02:46:32,479
works for the content let's not
constrain ourselves to that. I I

2193
02:46:31,120 --> 02:46:36,800
appreciate that you got very different
guidance in the past. Um but I I just

2194
02:46:35,120 --> 02:46:44,359
wanted to reiterate I really want to
make sure that there are goals aligned

2195
02:46:40,160 --> 02:46:44,359
to all of our student populations.

2196
02:46:47,200 --> 02:46:53,840
» Do is there something that we should be
take responsibility for? I mean it

2197
02:46:51,680 --> 02:46:57,680
sounds like the feedback I'm getting
from Dr. Jones is that she's had you

2198
02:46:55,920 --> 02:47:01,120
know this been all over the place,
right? doesn't really know what to

2199
02:46:59,680 --> 02:47:05,120
present because she doesn't know what we
want as individuals and she set up so

2200
02:47:03,120 --> 02:47:09,520
many different you know boards but
sounds very open to you know like tell

2201
02:47:07,600 --> 02:47:12,880
me what you want and we'll talk about
it. So what I would say the

2202
02:47:11,600 --> 02:47:16,640
responsibility of the board is you have
board goals and the eight years I've

2203
02:47:14,720 --> 02:47:22,560
been on the board I'm not sure we've
actually met them maybe once like often

2204
02:47:20,319 --> 02:47:27,040
we don't even review them and and
there's a lot of thought that goes into

2205
02:47:24,319 --> 02:47:31,359
those um because we have to work
together my goals don't work if I don't

2206
02:47:29,200 --> 02:47:33,840
have support of the board
>> and you guys went

2207
02:47:32,319 --> 02:47:37,359
» we're working finance board goals
>> yeah yeah

2208
02:47:35,760 --> 02:47:41,600
» so I mean and this this is just a
challenge of a of a changeover right And

2209
02:47:39,840 --> 02:47:45,680
I I think it's true like I'm sitting
here and I'm thinking I'm actually the

2210
02:47:43,200 --> 02:47:50,960
only person who was here last year when
we did this process of of of the people

2211
02:47:47,760 --> 02:47:55,359
in this meeting. Um so who participated
in last time with the superintendent's

2212
02:47:52,800 --> 02:48:00,000
goals. So um that's part of the
challenge, right? So this is really like

2213
02:47:57,120 --> 02:48:05,279
a fresh a fresh look at them. And we did
do the board goals in the spring, but

2214
02:48:02,720 --> 02:48:09,760
again we have two new members. So and
they're I'm sure not familiar with them

2215
02:48:07,200 --> 02:48:13,200
at all. So, I'm happy to circulate those
as well. And um certainly the board

2216
02:48:12,000 --> 02:48:16,960
goals need to align with the
superintendent's goals which need to

2217
02:48:14,800 --> 02:48:20,800
align with the strategic plan, right?
So, all of those three things have to

2218
02:48:18,479 --> 02:48:27,760
match up so that we're all marching in
the same direction. Karen

2219
02:48:24,720 --> 02:48:31,680
» Yeah. I just wanted to
>> Karen Karen

2220
02:48:28,800 --> 02:48:34,640
» Karen Karen Veronica. Okay. Yeah. I look
I just wanted to echo I under I

2221
02:48:33,200 --> 02:48:37,600
understand the challenge. I mean, you
know, certainly we've all had situations

2222
02:48:36,080 --> 02:48:41,439
where we get a new boss with different
expectations. Uh, you know, the

2223
02:48:38,880 --> 02:48:45,680
superintendent has eight bosses um who
who think differently and those bosses

2224
02:48:43,359 --> 02:48:48,960
change every couple years. So, I I do
recognize that uh you know, it's an

2225
02:48:47,359 --> 02:48:54,319
unusual situation. It's also kind of an
unusual situation for an employee to be

2226
02:48:52,080 --> 02:48:57,600
asked to propose goals as opposed to an
employer to set goals and is an unusual

2227
02:48:56,319 --> 02:49:00,399
setup that we
>> that we have here at the moment.

2228
02:49:00,172 --> 02:49:04,479
[snorts]
>> Yeah,

2229
02:49:01,520 --> 02:49:09,120
» totally agree, Veronica.
Um I Sophie if you circulate the board

2230
02:49:07,040 --> 02:49:12,800
goals I remember that in the spring um
and I don't know if it was ever finalist

2231
02:49:10,800 --> 02:49:18,640
you and I think it was with Dr. Jones
and maybe Michael Joseph were working on

2232
02:49:15,680 --> 02:49:23,760
um like people who are sort of going to
target different goals based on our own

2233
02:49:20,479 --> 02:49:29,760
areas of expertise and experience let's
call it um and so would we be able to

2234
02:49:27,200 --> 02:49:34,160
see that so then as board members we
knew what we should be working on and

2235
02:49:32,399 --> 02:49:39,439
Jeff to answer your question you can
search um for old documents and old

2236
02:49:36,399 --> 02:49:42,560
board meetings um in what's now diligent
what was board docs and you can find

2237
02:49:41,040 --> 02:49:45,279
them
Okay, great.

2238
02:49:43,359 --> 02:49:49,520
» Okay.
>> Yeah, I I'll recirculate it, Veronica. I

2239
02:49:47,680 --> 02:49:55,600
think Yeah, Michael Joseph was going to
be sort of assigning people. So, we can

2240
02:49:53,439 --> 02:50:00,000
go back and take a fresh look at that
now that we have two new board members.

2241
02:49:58,240 --> 02:50:03,120
» Thank you.
>> Everything Everything from board docs

2242
02:50:01,520 --> 02:50:06,720
moved over to Diligent. So, it's it's
from a couple meetings ago. It's on

2243
02:50:04,640 --> 02:50:11,359
there.
>> Um All right. Thank you. Does anyone

2244
02:50:08,640 --> 02:50:17,279
else have anything else? Nope. Okay. So,
we're going to move on to the calendar.

2245
02:50:14,319 --> 02:50:20,279
Um, school year calendar first read. Dr.
Jones.

2246
02:50:21,279 --> 02:50:29,840
So, this is the proposed 2027 2028
calendar. It is very similar to the

2247
02:50:27,680 --> 02:50:33,439
calendar um that we have this year. It
was a little bit easier actually just

2248
02:50:31,920 --> 02:50:37,120
because there weren't as many holidays
that fell. And if you look at like

2249
02:50:35,520 --> 02:50:40,880
October, you know, we're only it's
there's one day there where schools are

2250
02:50:38,720 --> 02:50:45,359
closed. and we put our professional
learning day there which is a little bit

2251
02:50:42,720 --> 02:50:49,600
different. Um that full professional
learning day what Mark was referencing

2252
02:50:47,359 --> 02:50:53,120
today is when everybody does
professional learning on the same day

2253
02:50:51,040 --> 02:50:58,000
they can all start at the same time and
so it really becomes a very valuable

2254
02:50:55,439 --> 02:51:03,040
opportunity for us. Um what you'll
notice is where February break falls

2255
02:51:00,399 --> 02:51:07,439
again it's that's not highly unusual for
us. We usually back up to President's

2256
02:51:05,279 --> 02:51:13,279
Day which gives that extra kind of long
weekend. the community likes that. Um,

2257
02:51:10,240 --> 02:51:17,040
in April again, it's falling where it
generally has. If you remember last

2258
02:51:14,720 --> 02:51:21,279
year, we either moved it earlier or it
was later and then the board ended up

2259
02:51:18,560 --> 02:51:26,880
changing it back. Yeah. And we didn't
get good feedback from the community.

2260
02:51:22,880 --> 02:51:31,439
Um, so what happens is when you get into
June, like the last day for staff, if we

2261
02:51:29,680 --> 02:51:36,080
didn't have any snow days, and to be
honest, after this summer and all the

2262
02:51:34,080 --> 02:51:41,040
rain and the crazy weather across the
United States, I'm very concerned about

2263
02:51:37,840 --> 02:51:47,120
snow days this year. Um, so if our last
day with staff and students could be the

2264
02:51:43,600 --> 02:51:52,319
22nd, 23rd, if it if we ended up using
five snow days, um, and we always look

2265
02:51:49,760 --> 02:51:56,720
at that. So, we're already into that
very end of June, which is can be

2266
02:51:54,560 --> 02:51:59,359
challenging. It's challenging for, you
know, families that are going on

2267
02:51:57,840 --> 02:52:04,720
vacation. It's challenging for summer
camps, uh, because we get out later and

2268
02:52:02,080 --> 02:52:07,520
so some students can't go off to their,
you know, summer course. They're a

2269
02:52:06,160 --> 02:52:12,479
sophomore and they're taking a summer
class at Harvard or wherever. Um, so we

2270
02:52:10,160 --> 02:52:18,720
try to be thoughtful about when we are
ending. Um, so, and you will have

2271
02:52:16,319 --> 02:52:23,359
requests, um, for sure. You know, we
hear from the community every year. We

2272
02:52:20,960 --> 02:52:27,120
we don't have the day off for religious
holidays, say like to Wall-E, uh, which

2273
02:52:25,600 --> 02:52:32,160
I know the board heard from a community
member. We're not off for Veterans Day.

2274
02:52:29,760 --> 02:52:36,479
We haven't been in Greenwich like for
years. And to be honest, our veterans, I

2275
02:52:34,399 --> 02:52:40,880
think, are very supportive of what we do
because we make it so important. And

2276
02:52:38,560 --> 02:52:44,960
it's our kids probably get way more
being in school than they would if they

2277
02:52:42,800 --> 02:52:49,279
were out. We had to make a decision uh
several years ago that if we're in

2278
02:52:46,800 --> 02:52:53,920
school on Junth, are we going to have
school or are we going to push back

2279
02:52:51,200 --> 02:52:57,359
again to that last week into June? And
we chose that we we're going to have

2280
02:52:55,840 --> 02:53:01,920
school and we're going to approach it in
the same way like we do Veterans Day.

2281
02:52:59,520 --> 02:53:07,120
And we have slides, we have it as a
teaching opportunity so all of our kids

2282
02:53:04,319 --> 02:53:11,439
learn about Junth. And generally when
when our community realizes that if I

2283
02:53:09,760 --> 02:53:15,439
get an email and I let them know what we
do, they're actually happy with that

2284
02:53:13,359 --> 02:53:20,800
because they know that the vast majority
of our students probably wouldn't go to

2285
02:53:18,240 --> 02:53:24,319
like a ceremony, the vast majority where
this way all of our students are having

2286
02:53:22,880 --> 02:53:29,439
some really great um learning
opportunities. So because we have a full

2287
02:53:27,600 --> 02:53:33,359
February and we have a full April, our
our calendar becomes challenging. The

2288
02:53:32,080 --> 02:53:37,120
other thing you will hear from,
especially new board members, is

2289
02:53:35,520 --> 02:53:42,720
generally why do you start on Thursday
or Friday? That's annoying. And but if

2290
02:53:39,840 --> 02:53:46,640
you push back again, you're pushing two
days somewhere else back in the

2291
02:53:44,479 --> 02:53:51,680
calendar. Um because we have the
orientation day, which is on a Thursday,

2292
02:53:49,120 --> 02:53:55,439
and that's for transitional years. Your
kindergarteners uh come in and visit.

2293
02:53:53,760 --> 02:53:59,200
Sixth graders have their first day of
school at 9th grade, so that they can be

2294
02:53:57,200 --> 02:54:03,200
in the buildings when nobody else is
there. and it's, you know, just really

2295
02:54:00,720 --> 02:54:07,680
helps with their transition. Friday, we
bring everybody in which is actually

2296
02:54:05,439 --> 02:54:11,760
very helpful because like in secondary
for instance, they get to run their

2297
02:54:09,120 --> 02:54:18,240
schedules on a Friday. They come back
and they're ready to go. Um, so

2298
02:54:16,080 --> 02:54:22,160
we're happy to take feedback on it or if
you have questions about why we do

2299
02:54:20,160 --> 02:54:25,160
certain things on certain times of the
year.

2300
02:54:25,680 --> 02:54:30,960
» Karen,
uh, yeah, a couple things. So, one, I

2301
02:54:29,760 --> 02:54:34,000
really like what you did with the end of
the school year. I think that's really

2302
02:54:32,319 --> 02:54:37,040
clear. I hope that we'll say we'll have
the room on the page to do that, showing

2303
02:54:35,520 --> 02:54:44,000
the last day and the last day with snow
days. Um I would suggest that as we've

2304
02:54:40,560 --> 02:54:48,720
done for uh Veterans Day and a number of
the holidays that we also write schools

2305
02:54:45,760 --> 02:54:52,160
open on June 19th, Junth to to
acknowledge uh to avoid the confusion

2306
02:54:50,800 --> 02:54:59,840
and acknowledge that we'll have a
program that day uh for that holiday. um

2307
02:54:56,160 --> 02:55:03,279
on the K through8 conferences. It was a
couple of years ago that we switched

2308
02:55:01,600 --> 02:55:09,520
from having written comments in the
report cards to having I think twice a

2309
02:55:05,840 --> 02:55:14,640
year uh 15minute parent conferences. So
I've uh

2310
02:55:11,760 --> 02:55:20,319
are we are we locked into that based on
the latest GA contract or do we have

2311
02:55:18,160 --> 02:55:26,160
some flexibility there? Uh, and the
reason I ask is that I I've spoken with

2312
02:55:22,720 --> 02:55:29,760
some parents and there's a little bit of
a question of whether is the is the

2313
02:55:28,319 --> 02:55:36,479
trade-off worth it. So, we're we're
losing two half days in December, two

2314
02:55:33,359 --> 02:55:40,479
half days of learning in March. Um, and
the and and you know, which is which is

2315
02:55:38,720 --> 02:55:46,560
a loss of learning of of two days, but
it's also uh it's also hard for parents

2316
02:55:44,080 --> 02:55:52,240
uh who work and they're getting a
15minute conference twice. Um, is it

2317
02:55:50,080 --> 02:55:55,760
worth it?
>> Well, let me say when we first put the

2318
02:55:54,160 --> 02:56:00,640
second conference in, it was feedback
from our parents um that wanted it. So,

2319
02:55:58,960 --> 02:56:05,040
when we put middle school conferences
in, it was feedback from our parents who

2320
02:56:03,120 --> 02:56:09,520
also wanted the middle school
conferences. So, you know, that it it

2321
02:56:07,760 --> 02:56:12,880
was driven by parents. Certainly, we can
always survey our parents again. Now,

2322
02:56:11,359 --> 02:56:16,720
we've lived through it for probably I
think about four years. you know, if

2323
02:56:15,120 --> 02:56:21,920
they don't want the second conference,
but would we need to work with GA on

2324
02:56:19,920 --> 02:56:25,760
what comments would look like? We have a
brand new report card. I'm not sure.

2325
02:56:24,240 --> 02:56:30,000
You're never going to get a narrative
like you would like when I was I was in

2326
02:56:27,680 --> 02:56:33,279
private for five, six years. We just did
a whole narrative. You didn't get any

2327
02:56:31,359 --> 02:56:40,000
grades and it was all narrative. That
would never get through here. Um, yeah.

2328
02:56:37,359 --> 02:56:43,680
So, it would be a matter of you would
have to probably give them more time to

2329
02:56:42,080 --> 02:56:47,680
write the comments than what it takes to
actually have it on the calendar here.

2330
02:56:47,279 --> 02:56:50,680
» Got it.
>> Yeah.

2331
02:56:52,640 --> 02:56:59,200
» Any other comments? Anyone?
>> Can I um I do have a quick question.

2332
02:56:57,040 --> 02:57:02,399
Sorry, but I I would I already asked
this to Dr. Jones and I said it's sort

2333
02:57:00,560 --> 02:57:08,640
of in passing, but I would actually like
to defer to other board members and hear

2334
02:57:04,960 --> 02:57:13,920
their thoughts and opinions. But um we I
thought that maybe and also having just

2335
02:57:11,200 --> 02:57:18,960
lived it that the Friday before Labor
Day weekend, which would be the end of

2336
02:57:16,319 --> 02:57:24,479
that first full week of school uh that
the kids have uh be a half day. Um and I

2337
02:57:22,880 --> 02:57:27,920
brought it up with Dr. Jones and she
made a great point and she said, "Well,

2338
02:57:25,840 --> 02:57:31,920
it's like our first full week of
school," which I appreciate because the

2339
02:57:30,560 --> 02:57:35,520
following week's only a 4-day week and
then we fall into some of the holidays

2340
02:57:33,279 --> 02:57:40,800
where there's no school. Um, but my
thought was actually that, you know,

2341
02:57:38,560 --> 02:57:44,399
after an entire full week of school,
granted my kids were little, they're

2342
02:57:42,479 --> 02:57:48,800
exhausted, the teachers are exhausted
just coming back in, you know, energyy's

2343
02:57:46,560 --> 02:57:53,040
high in the building. Um, that maybe,
you know, to to settle into the weekend,

2344
02:57:50,880 --> 02:57:59,920
and I know that the Friday afternoon of
Labor Day weekend is not always a super

2345
02:57:55,279 --> 02:58:03,359
busy time um in uh for for people, you
know, a lot of people have that time off

2346
02:58:01,120 --> 02:58:08,800
or leave early. So anyways, that was my
only um thought on the calendar that I

2347
02:58:06,560 --> 02:58:14,439
would I don't feel that strongly about
it. I would just defer to everyone else

2348
02:58:10,160 --> 02:58:14,439
having just experienced it.

2349
02:58:18,080 --> 02:58:22,720
» Crickets. Okay.
>> Yeah. Sorry. I I don't think there's a

2350
02:58:21,120 --> 02:58:26,240
lot of support for that. I hear what
you're saying, Veronica. I feel like I

2351
02:58:24,560 --> 02:58:30,880
think it probably is different when you
have older kids. And Frankly, my concern

2352
02:58:28,560 --> 02:58:35,120
would be if you give people a half day,
then you're going to have a lot of

2353
02:58:32,800 --> 02:58:39,760
they're going to just not go to school.
>> And yeah, and and honestly, like I

2354
02:58:37,760 --> 02:58:43,600
always find September to be tricky
anyway because there tends to be like,

2355
02:58:41,520 --> 02:58:46,560
you know, we have two days like you have
Labor Day, then you have Yonapore, like

2356
02:58:45,439 --> 02:58:50,880
you know, and so it's like you're trying
to get into a rhythm.

2357
02:58:48,479 --> 02:58:54,560
» Um, and anything that breaks up the
rhythm, I I don't know. I'm just, this

2358
02:58:52,720 --> 02:58:57,120
is me speaking as a parent, but I, you
know, as a board member, I feel like if

2359
02:58:55,760 --> 02:59:00,640
you do a half day, you'd have a lot of
kids not show up, and that probably

2360
02:58:58,560 --> 02:59:04,160
wouldn't be great.
>> No, I was wondering on the um attendance

2361
02:59:02,479 --> 02:59:09,120
if there was any appetite for the idea.
I was just wondering on the attendance,

2362
02:59:05,520 --> 02:59:13,760
but if if it's not a if it's, you know,
not going to land, then, you know, don't

2363
02:59:10,960 --> 02:59:18,319
pull it. It's not worth it.
>> Yeah. I think going [clears throat] back

2364
02:59:15,520 --> 02:59:23,279
to the comment about the the half days
for the 15-minute conferences, I think

2365
02:59:20,960 --> 02:59:27,359
that, you know, my wife and I have shown
up for each of those conferences. Uh I

2366
02:59:25,439 --> 02:59:31,359
do appreciate the sort of frank nature
in which people can just speak freely

2367
02:59:29,040 --> 02:59:37,279
about what's going on. Haven't found
them to be like too very substantive. Uh

2368
02:59:35,600 --> 02:59:40,880
but but at the same hand, you know,
there's this part of me that would just

2369
02:59:39,439 --> 02:59:45,200
love to figure out a way to have the
kids playing in the the recess for the

2370
02:59:43,600 --> 02:59:49,920
back half of that day and then still get
on their buses and, you know, not create

2371
02:59:47,359 --> 02:59:53,600
child care problems for those who it's a
real burden for. I'm not sure that

2372
02:59:51,840 --> 02:59:57,760
there's a practical solution for how to
do that, but you know, uh, you know, put

2373
02:59:56,499 --> 03:00:03,600
[clears throat] a big fence around them
and just let them go.

2374
03:00:00,880 --> 03:00:09,200
» Yeah. it what what really the problem is
again it's it's they have to be where

2375
03:00:06,880 --> 03:00:14,240
they're not supervising children and you
can't getting that many subs for 11

2376
03:00:11,840 --> 03:00:18,240
elementary schools to cover even if you
tried to kind of spread it out number

2377
03:00:15,760 --> 03:00:22,080
one it would be expensive um for us you
know to add sub coverage but you just

2378
03:00:20,160 --> 03:00:27,399
couldn't get the subs I mean it's hard
to cover subs as it is

2379
03:00:28,399 --> 03:00:36,960
» just on that point though just on that
point though I we it is a financial

2380
03:00:32,640 --> 03:00:39,920
burden on on families as well.
>> Well, you know, this is the first read,

2381
03:00:38,640 --> 03:00:43,520
so I feel like that maybe that's
something that we can all think about

2382
03:00:41,600 --> 03:00:46,240
and and try and problem solve for
because I think

2383
03:00:44,880 --> 03:00:49,439
» Yeah. Go ahead, Dr.
>> Yeah. And I do just want to add there's

2384
03:00:47,680 --> 03:00:54,560
there's a couple of early releases that
are on here that previously we didn't

2385
03:00:51,920 --> 03:01:00,560
necessarily have like the collab time
that and again it's very difficult to

2386
03:00:58,080 --> 03:01:04,960
try to meet the expectations of
everybody. So our teachers say all the

2387
03:01:02,720 --> 03:01:09,680
time they don't have enough time. They
don't have enough time to meet together,

2388
03:01:07,520 --> 03:01:14,080
you know. So that's why we've added
those collab days on here. Um but we

2389
03:01:12,160 --> 03:01:18,319
haven't had those in the past. So, you
know, that's where we have to analyze.

2390
03:01:16,560 --> 03:01:23,520
If parents think there are too many
early releases, then maybe we can't do

2391
03:01:21,200 --> 03:01:27,040
that even though we want to do it. And I
think the board has to to weigh that.

2392
03:01:25,439 --> 03:01:32,160
And in the past, we have sent out a
survey, you know, um, you know, to

2393
03:01:29,520 --> 03:01:35,680
parents like, do you support this time
and see what they say? And it can be

2394
03:01:34,000 --> 03:01:38,080
very helpful.
>> Yeah. I'd love to get the data so it's

2395
03:01:37,040 --> 03:01:44,560
not anecdotal.
>> Didn't we we did we pull a day from um,

2396
03:01:41,120 --> 03:01:44,560
vacation last year?

2397
03:01:46,000 --> 03:01:51,279
Yeah, we did. It was like March 8th or
something. We pulled one. We pulled one

2398
03:01:49,680 --> 03:01:53,439
back because we had we had so many
snowtorms.

2399
03:01:51,920 --> 03:01:58,479
» Professional learning day.
>> We moved it to the very end of the year.

2400
03:01:55,680 --> 03:02:02,880
So, we took when we had bad snowfalls
last year. That was that was me. Um but

2401
03:02:01,359 --> 03:02:06,000
» yeah. No, no, but it's like, you know,
you get these bad snowfall and you don't

2402
03:02:04,399 --> 03:02:09,279
know if there's more coming. So, it's a
it's a hard thing. So, I think the point

2403
03:02:07,600 --> 03:02:13,600
I was making when I asked it is this is
a really tight schedule. I mean, it's a

2404
03:02:11,680 --> 03:02:20,399
it's a it's a tight schedule. It's hard
to manage and I think, you know, looking

2405
03:02:15,760 --> 03:02:25,680
to put anything else in there, time off,
unless there's a holiday that that

2406
03:02:22,720 --> 03:02:31,439
presents itself that
that causes the Greenwich public school

2407
03:02:28,479 --> 03:02:36,960
system not to be able to operate, right?
Like we have so many of our of our

2408
03:02:34,479 --> 03:02:40,800
teachers or students that just aren't
going to show show up. They're going to

2409
03:02:38,319 --> 03:02:45,359
take uh that holiday. That's the
barrier. You know, I I I don't want to

2410
03:02:42,640 --> 03:02:49,359
be insensitive to to the other holidays.
So, I want to take a very practical look

2411
03:02:46,960 --> 03:02:55,279
at this. This is a this is, you know,
holidays are based on when they really

2412
03:02:52,000 --> 03:02:59,040
interrupt the ability to to to to run
the system.

2413
03:02:57,359 --> 03:03:02,160
» Yeah. And and again, we've talked about
this, I think, you know, every year that

2414
03:03:00,479 --> 03:03:06,080
I've been here. It's hard putting a
calendar together that meets the needs

2415
03:03:03,680 --> 03:03:10,560
of everybody. And one of the, you know,
the statements the board has tried to be

2416
03:03:08,080 --> 03:03:17,120
responsive to is how do we run the
schools safely? And there are holidays

2417
03:03:13,120 --> 03:03:22,399
where it's a smaller smaller minority of
of individuals and they get the day off.

2418
03:03:19,600 --> 03:03:28,319
We honor that for them. But then we also
have some holidays that it's a large

2419
03:03:24,479 --> 03:03:32,640
portion of our staff and our parent
community. And that's why our calendar

2420
03:03:30,880 --> 03:03:37,760
doesn't necessarily look like, you know,
another region even of Connecticut. They

2421
03:03:35,040 --> 03:03:40,960
may have a different holiday um based on
what their community looks like. And we

2422
03:03:39,439 --> 03:03:43,960
also have to look at it from the staff
perspective.

2423
03:03:46,160 --> 03:03:53,200
All right. I think if there's no further
comments, then are we done with the

2424
03:03:50,319 --> 03:03:57,200
calendar first reading? Okay, great. Um
can I

2425
03:03:55,120 --> 03:04:01,840
» Okay. Okay. So, send comments to Dr.
Jones. Um, can I entertain another

2426
03:04:00,319 --> 03:04:07,120
motion?
>> I'll make a motion to adjurnn.

2427
03:04:03,760 --> 03:04:09,600
» Okay. Would anyone like to second?
>> I'll second.

2428
03:04:09,120 --> 03:04:13,920
» Okay.
>> All right. All in favor?

2429
03:04:12,080 --> 03:04:19,240
Okay. Meeting adjourned. Thank you
everyone. Good night.

2430
03:04:15,359 --> 03:04:19,240
» Thank you. Good night.