[This transcript was generated automatically from audio using AI and hasn't been reviewed by a person -- it can contain mistakes, including plausible-sounding sentences that were never actually said. Treat it as a starting point, not a verbatim record.]

[0:56] Good? All right. Good evening. It is time for the chair to call the meeting into order. So September 1st, Harrison Bernstein School Board, Business Meeting, a very special day in which Emma Phillips was down. I can't believe so. I'm so happy that she was.
[1:19] Happy birthday.
[1:21] Yeah, I'm glad to end that way.
[1:24] Thank you.
[1:26] All right.
[1:30] If you could join me in a moment of silence,
[1:46] I think it's a skip via the action that you
[1:48] check.
[1:48] Right.
[1:49] I hope everybody was okay with the silence.
[2:01] So I have a motion and a second, a discussion on favor.
[2:07] All right.
[2:09] We did our movement.
[2:10] And if you could stand, you're able to stand and join us in the budget
[2:19] positions to the flag, to the state of America, to the Republic, for which it stands,
[2:27] one nation under the law, indivisible, with liberty and justice or all.
[2:42] All right, item five can sense agenda?
[2:47] Except that you said that agenda as proof, as proof, as proof, as proof, as proof, as proof, as proof, as proof, as proof, as proof, as proof, as proof, as proof,
[2:59] as proof.
[3:02] special reports and we're going to turn over to Dr. Rick.
[3:06] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good evening, everyone. I'd like to reverse the order here
[3:10] and start with B, other. I want to talk a little bit about Suicide Prevention Month.
[3:18] September is Suicide Prevention Month, and so I'd like to read the following statement
[3:22] from HCPS. September is Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness,
[3:30] reduce stigma and reinforce the importance of recognizing when someone may be struggling.
[3:38] According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the CDC,
[3:42] suicide is the leading cause of death in the United States and affects people of all ages.
[3:48] In Harrisonburg City Public Schools, this month provides an opportunity to remind students,
[3:53] families and staff that help is available and that meaningful person-centered connections can make a
[3:59] The National Alliance of Mental Health Immortal Illness, who
[4:03] excuse me, Nami, challenges us to, quote,
[4:06] start a conversation, be the difference, unquote.
[4:10] Students have poor professionals, including counselors,
[4:13] social workers, psychologists, and other support staff
[4:16] play an essential role in this work, building relationships
[4:19] with students, identifying concerns, providing support
[4:23] and resources, and connecting families and students
[4:27] with additional services when needed.
[4:30] HCPS Remind remains committed to creating safe supportive environments where students feel
[4:35] seen, heard, and connected to trusted adults.
[4:39] Throughout this month, the student support team will share prevention information and resources
[4:43] to help our school community recognize warning signs and promote suicide prevention.
[4:50] I will add that we're doing that all the time.
[4:53] It's not just during the month of September.
[4:55] School more members, you'll see on at your place, you have a little pin.
[5:00] Purple and green pen. I've got mine up here. I'd like to ask you to wear those for the month of September and beyond.
[5:07] A little bookmark that gives you more information about who's inside prevention month.
[5:12] I also want to add that for the second year now, we've been working with Sandy Hook Promise.
[5:19] By the name you would recognize that it's a system that helps us prevent major tragedies in schools.
[5:27] But one of those tragedies is, of course, suicide.
[5:30] And so when we audited our programming a few years ago, maybe two years ago, one thing
[5:36] that we noticed was missing was an anonymous reporting system.
[5:40] It's something that experts say is really necessary in a system to prevent suicide to prevent
[5:46] school shootings and other catastrophes.
[5:50] And so we put that in place a couple of years ago, when our second, I think I'm going to
[5:57] year? Yep. And it's going very well. So I wanted to mention that as well. Sandy Hook
[6:02] promises a nonprofit organization. That's rather selective in the School of
[6:06] Education at Works with. It's really strict in terms of training. Everybody has
[6:12] to pass a test before they'll allow the system to be activated in your school
[6:16] system. So I'm very proud of that work. So again, suicide prevention month,
[6:21] suicide prevention year, suicide prevention decade, and so forth. Thank you.
[6:26] Secondly, I'm very excited tonight to recognize some special, very important educators in our system and they are pre-educators.
[6:37] So, a little pre-amble here that I'm going to ask Ms. West to come up to the podium if she so dares.
[6:44] About 20 years ago, maybe 25, I don't, I'm not sure of my dates here, but the general assembly in Virginia and then a series of governors took an interest
[6:56] in pre-K education. They recognized rightly that it is the basis for solid education and
[7:01] guess what? A solid society, right? We have to have good early education and then around 2022,
[7:09] they put together a regional system for looking at pre-K education in Virginia and that system
[7:17] was supported by funding through the general assembly and it is to hold these systems.
[7:22] these programs accountable, making sure their parent-centered, responsive, reliable, and I like
[7:29] the last one the most bold. We are certainly that. And so they use the system that I think
[7:37] Ms. West may go into a little more in a little more depth, but it's called Class CL-A-S-S, which stands
[7:42] for a classroom assessment scoring system, which is an observational measure of the quality
[7:48] of teacher, child interactions, how teachers and children connect to communicate and support learning.
[7:55] It focuses on three domains that research shows our most predictive of child outcomes,
[8:01] emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support. High quality interactions
[8:07] are directly linked to gains in children's learning and development. Class, that acronym data helps students
[8:15] identify strengths and schools identify strengths and areas for targeted professional learning.
[8:22] Certified observers conduct a two hour observation in each classroom twice a year.
[8:27] They rate a number of dimensions of quality on a one to seven scale with seven being the highest level quality.
[8:33] The state has developed three categories of quality aligned to these scores.
[8:38] And I'll read just a little bit from the report that our wonderful educators received some key takeaways.
[8:49] Harrison Burke City pre school program outperforms regional averages in all domains,
[8:56] demonstrating particular strength in classroom organization compared to other programs regionally.
[9:01] Scores remain largely stable across the 23-24 and 24-25 school years.
[9:07] Many of HCPS's preschool classrooms exceed regional averages across all class domains,
[9:14] demonstrating consistent quality across the program.
[9:17] Please help me in recognizing these amazing educators.
[9:27] This West, would you please come up?
[9:31] So Ms. West is the director, Christie West is the director of Elon Rhodes,
[9:35] and we have bluestone with us in the house as well,
[9:38] because we have pre-caperegaming at bluestone as well.
[9:41] Yes, we do. Good evening.
[9:42] I just wanted to tell you a little bit more
[9:44] about the class observation system.
[9:48] We are required to do what we call internal,
[9:51] so me and the Assistant Director are required
[9:53] to do two hour observations per classroom.
[9:58] And then the state also conducts,
[10:00] External observations. We don't know which classrooms they're picking or when they give us a window, they show up. So some teachers get observed three times a year and it is quite a long time to be observed for two hours because they're really looking at the questions the teachers asking the activities that they have set up and the learning that's happening in there.
[10:22] And we have two classrooms. I love to tell this story.
[10:26] Sometimes they look at the scores.
[10:29] And if they feel like they're unusually high,
[10:32] they will come back and check.
[10:33] They don't really think that we're that great.
[10:37] So two of our classrooms had four observations last year.
[10:40] But one of them, when external people came,
[10:44] scored them even higher than we scored them.
[10:47] So I was like, ha ha, see?
[10:51] So it is required for VPF funding to do these observations, so we've been doing them for over 10 years.
[10:59] We started doing them before it was required.
[11:03] But it's sort of like a accreditation for pre-K because they will then put out a report,
[11:07] whether we meet expectations, exceed expectations.
[11:11] So this is the second year of that.
[11:13] And the first year we've gotten a regional report like that.
[11:16] So I'm just so proud of Bluestone and E-Lon because it's their work that's measured.
[11:23] So I was really excited that Dr. Rich is invited us tonight, so thank you.
[11:29] Thank you.
[11:34] And we do like to excuse our people who are recognized so you don't have to listen to policy all night.
[11:45] You're welcome to stay if you'd like to.
[12:01] And now bring us into item number seven, information items, and I think we have on Mr.
[12:11] Curve.
[12:14] Hello, Delay Full to see you all.
[12:16] Happy Birthday.
[12:17] Thank you.
[12:19] First policy is fundraising, just offering a little bit more detail and some more distinction
[12:25] between what we sponsor and what other organizations sponsor.
[12:47] Yeah, that's where it comes from, most divisions are consistent and definitely elementary and middle school don't and divisions make some choices about high school if you do they use you say in groups or pairs.
[12:59] I think when we had the discussion as a cabinet we felt better maybe just not offering that at all and opening that door.
[13:06] So to speak.
[13:11] Um, I think I know, uh,
[13:13] I worked here to take
[13:17] a visit.
[13:18] Uh-huh.
[13:19] The attractions guys, um,
[13:21] selling those and, um,
[13:23] um, I do that.
[13:24] But they sold them down down businesses.
[13:28] Uh, businesses different companies.
[13:29] Then I, like, I would be,
[13:30] Yes.
[13:31] Yeah.
[13:32] I think it was being a friend.
[13:35] I'm just speaking kind of as a parent at the moment.
[13:37] I think that would seem different to me, yeah.
[13:41] And if you would run with a parent for that then the OK,
[13:44] like if you were like, I used to take my kids
[13:47] at Smithland fundraising for a month and a separate year
[13:50] and then they delivered them to all the neighbors.
[13:53] Yeah, I think if a parent went with them,
[13:55] I'm not sure all the kids would have access to someone.
[14:01] But certainly I would feel much more comfortable
[14:02] if a parent regarding them or with students.
[14:08] but maybe a clarifying language is a business is okay and just not private
[14:15] residents is for a door door. I'm hearing at least that I don't know
[14:19] I'm a swathling dip or
[14:23] programmatic fundraising has opposed to a doubling in one top of one
[14:27] student like if that would make a difference because like it sounds
[14:32] students felt like they could do more to support the whole program that they're
[14:40] is that a possibility that actually would really
[14:45] need to form exactly?
[14:49] I think it would speak more to our support of equity.
[14:54] We can...
[15:01] I guess I just worry about kids on their own feeling pressured to go out there and knock on doors.
[15:07] I have to think with door to door, so people don't want soliciting and they were headed to don't want it, but you're just open-up.
[15:13] Yeah.
[15:16] Yeah.
[15:16] Like the idea of fundraising for all.
[15:21] So there's just some other idea that that might be a program based.
[15:27] Yeah.
[15:28] be in a neighborhood where it may not be safe to knock on the door.
[15:32] And I don't, I mean, maybe I'm interpreting it wrong, but when I, when I'm seeing
[15:37] door to door, I'm thinking somebody you don't know and approaching, like, so if my cake
[15:45] goes around to our neighbors, who we all know, that's kind of my point.
[15:50] Yes, I really feel like that's door to door.
[15:52] Right.
[15:52] I'm going to my neighbor's house and if they would, but if they're going to a
[16:00] Yeah, exactly.
[16:01] And so like, I don't know, like, it's like a neighborly, you know, neighbor function, all right.
[16:07] I'm going next door to like, someone says house and asking them, you know, just like, you know, like,
[16:13] don't come and ask if we have an egg.
[16:17] That's very different.
[16:19] Yeah, you know, like, it's so, I don't know.
[16:21] So, but the dope, when I see door to door, it's like going to a stranger's house that you're
[16:25] and just kind of, you know, and that's where I would be, like, worried about the interaction.
[16:34] Pretty hard to dig back, so to make it, that the exception that you're well describing,
[16:40] you're all agree with me.
[16:42] What do you mean, you want to?
[16:44] I don't know.
[16:45] I know a little bit of student term.
[16:48] Well, I mean, that's where I'm saying, I don't know if you need to.
[16:51] You know, like, I kind of interpreted that.
[16:53] I mean, I don't know if we're going to go in the police.
[16:57] Right.
[16:59] Right.
[16:59] And that's a key point because this is official policy, and so I think it's important
[17:04] for us to have an official policy that does not include that.
[17:11] So, you know, club sponsors won't say, well, you know, do your own neighborhood,
[17:16] but don't forget go to the one next door, too, and go to this one, go everywhere.
[17:20] I don't think that's safe.
[17:23] No,
[17:29] it's preventative and maybe we can offer some clarity in the regulation on some of those pieces.
[17:38] What if instead of having the emphasis beyond the student can't do that, having it be that the fundraising activity can't ask students to do that?
[17:49] That's kind of cool.
[17:51] Yeah, it just sort of reads right now,
[17:53] like students are prohibited from doing it.
[17:54] What does it actually say there?
[17:56] What's the actual word?
[17:57] Students may not participate in
[17:59] dordid or solicitation for school
[18:01] sponsored fundraising activities.
[18:02] Like that's putting it on the students
[18:04] and what they're choosing to do
[18:05] as opposed to the school's saying
[18:08] we can't ask students to do that.
[18:10] Right.
[18:11] And I like that.
[18:12] Students should not be asked
[18:14] by a school's sponsored by
[18:16] staff member or program to go door to door. Is that better?
[18:20] Yep. Okay.
[18:22] And we're not stepping on any parents' toes or something.
[18:24] Yeah, exactly. Well, some parents would say, go go door to door.
[18:27] You know, you get an egg while you're out.
[18:30] We need a mother.
[18:33] Always need a mother.
[18:38] Okay.
[18:42] Yeah. Thanks.
[18:46] Next one.
[18:49] That's the next one, I'll do this in conjunction with Jiren and HR.
[18:55] The changes are essentially to make sure that we're offering high quality funds to our
[19:01] staff or the option, so one we would remove the 10 company limit, just to be able to offer
[19:09] some more highly rated funds that don't have as many fees and things to our employees.
[19:15] And then also offering a little bit of a way to sort of evaluate how these funds are doing.
[19:21] So that we continue to offer the best product.
[19:25] Okay, I'm access to the best product.
[19:31] The same thing.
[19:32] Some of the conditions we've walked to in the work is if we have to read,
[19:37] forward, children, in terms of the service for life,
[19:43] right?
[19:44] Yes.
[19:45] And, or I guess, maybe it also could be considered as a knee of the board
[19:50] if we wanted to be more specific so that the superintendent or his design needs to go up.
[20:00] That was not the intent. We could do that. But we found a non-profit, for example, that rates the different funds in terms of fees and customer service.
[20:12] And we saw that of our ten summer high on the list, summer lower on the list. We thought, why don't we remove the limit of ten?
[20:19] We don't want to take anyone's fund manager from them. We'll keep all the current ones, that's fine.
[20:25] But then be able to add some high-quality ones that get the A rating, but we didn't intend
[20:32] to bring that list to the board, so maybe we need to change that to Designee.
[20:44] Well, I appreciate the idea of bringing more options to folks.
[20:51] And then also being cognizant of not getting rid of ones that people may already be working
[20:56] up.
[20:56] So I think that's a
[21:09] motion.
[21:10] Is that a motion?
[21:11] Yeah.
[21:13] Is that a motion?
[21:14] Is that a motion?
[21:17] I have a motion.
[21:18] And a second.
[21:20] Any further discussion?
[21:24] On there.
[21:25] All right.
[21:36] Good evening.
[21:37] And happy birthday, Emma.
[21:38] Thank you, Joy.
[21:40] So I'm going to start with policy 728 alternative school programs.
[21:45] Basically, we just updated a little bit.
[21:46] based on VSBA guidance.
[21:52] Definitely.
[21:54] We're going to read the book by the word that you'd like to
[21:57] read your word of education.
[21:58] Okay, that's one of the thoughts we want.
[22:00] There are not.
[22:00] That's the least specific.
[22:02] Yep.
[22:12] Yep.
[22:12] Do with that additional.
[22:17] A minute.
[22:19] One first week.
[22:22] All right.
[22:23] I have the motion in a second.
[22:24] Any further discussion?
[22:27] All there?
[22:30] All right, and the next one is summer school.
[22:33] So here we just wanted to update the language a little bit to align with our practice.
[22:38] This was written back on, if you all remember, we used to offer the summer enrichment program at Smithland.
[22:44] And so all of our students that attended summer school then went to the summer enrichment program.
[22:48] Not that we don't so offer some enrichment opportunities in summer school, but we just wanted it to be really clear that really the focus of summer school is for intervention and remediation.
[22:57] and grades K through eight and may include enrichment opportunities.
[23:11] I have a motion and second. Any further discussion?
[23:17] All of there?
[23:18] All right. Moving right along.
[23:22] 7.59 College Board School Day program.
[23:24] This is new.
[23:26] And so, it's really nice about this.
[23:28] I believe the reason they're asking us to do this is to remove barriers
[23:31] for students who want to take the SAT,
[23:33] specifically transportation.
[23:34] because in the past that SATs were offered at HHS and I think we're moving it over to Rocktown
[23:40] on Saturdays but for some students that's a transportation barrier to get there.
[23:44] So this is we're offering the SAT in school on a regular school day.
[23:49] So we've already got both of our high schools have their dates set for the PSAT as well as the SAT
[23:54] that will be offered on school site during the school day.
[23:57] And
[24:02] with her institutions, her feet, like all that information, I was like, it's different.
[24:06] And I was like, that's fabulous.
[24:09] And then I got this, and I was like, oh, that's like, what?
[24:11] So it was a long, lovely show.
[24:14] It just, it's tricky with extracurricular activities that take place on Saturdays.
[24:19] And the season is obviously in the prison.
[24:22] And this is the S-H-A-N-E-C-T.
[24:23] They're talking about, like, that brings up time to actually go into the colleges.
[24:31] And maybe it might help a little with testing's ID2, you know, some students have severe
[24:34] testing's ID.
[24:35] I know I did.
[24:36] And so on a Saturday going in and doing that, where is now you're just going to school
[24:40] it's a regular day and you're going to take the test hopefully it'll help a little bit
[24:42] with that as well.
[24:43] All
[24:49] right, I have a motion at a second. Any further discussion?
[25:04] We won't need to pay someone to proctor, so we'll use our own staff to be able to proctor, but we won't have to pay them, because we'll be within their regular supervision hours.
[25:15] Yeah. Now, we still believe we talked about still offering SAT on Saturdays just in case, so we still would be having that option available for students as well.
[25:28] Well, what they're trying to do is pair it with other things that are already happening,
[25:32] whether it's as bad, so that way it won't be too disruptive to the school day.
[25:41] That's a good question.
[25:43] That's a good question.
[25:44] Yeah.
[25:45] I don't know.
[25:47] Yeah, no, I just really, I, this sounds very, sounds very smart, you know, something,
[25:56] So it makes sense students are already there. Why not lower the barriers and help the folks out.
[26:05] All right, ready to take a vote.
[26:10] All right.
[26:13] Stay there.
[26:17] My rating won't be just
[26:26] that.
[26:27] May I, Mr. Chairman.
[26:28] So our next information item is that we're bringing to the board the basic structure of
[26:37] an aspiring principals academy that we are setting up.
[26:42] It is for our aspiring principals that we have already who are currently assistant principals.
[26:48] I want to thank the Department of Instruction and Dr. Poster in particular for leading this work.
[26:53] So this will ensure that we have a deep pool of applicants for our, one of our very most important positions in the school of vision in the principal position.
[27:04] So Dr. Blossard, thanks for the very excited.
[27:07] And before we get started, I do want to acknowledge that the logo there was created with AI.
[27:12] So I think it's important to acknowledge when we use AI.
[27:16] And so I just ask it to take our logo and add in some people.
[27:19] So I think that's in our AI policy.
[27:20] You have to say that.
[27:23] Let's see.
[27:24] I am a full follower.
[27:25] No, but very excited about this program because we have such a pool of really strong
[27:30] leaders in our division.
[27:32] And so we want to make sure that we're preparing them to take on the next step being
[27:36] a principal.
[27:38] So why this program, it's building a leadership pipeline that begins with the strengths that
[27:44] we already have.
[27:45] I mean, and it's best when we can take people who already know our students, our families,
[27:49] our staff, our community, and then they move really easily right into that
[27:54] principal ship role. There's not a whole lot of learning that, I mean, obviously
[27:57] there's learning, but it's not the same as someone coming from outside of the
[28:00] division that has a lot, a steep learning curve to learn about our students and
[28:04] families.
[28:06] So the program basically is a two-year cohort model and we would have
[28:10] up to five participants. We intentionally wanted to keep it small so that it could
[28:15] be a really intimate group where we're learning together. There's going to be
[28:18] professional learning sessions, which I'll show you some of the topics that we're going to have where different departments are going to be helping to facilitate those professional learning sessions.
[28:27] There's going to be coaching and mentorship that's offered through this program.
[28:32] So the support model looks like this.
[28:47] professional learning or meetings that they really have time we didn't
[28:51] want to do it after the work day because when you're talking about elementary
[28:55] middle and high trying to find a time to bring people together at the same
[28:59] time is really hard plus people are really tired so we try to build it into
[29:03] the day already and then each AP already has an initiative or a project that
[29:09] they're already working on so what we're asking them to do is select one that they
[29:13] focus on that then they'll have a coach who will really partner with them to help grow that initiative or that project.
[29:20] And then they're going to have monthly mentorship from an experienced principal within our division who leads at the division level,
[29:27] who then will meet with them monthly to kind of check in and provide some mentorship.
[29:31] And then that by monthly coaching isn't supported that leadership project that they select.
[29:37] So this is the quarterly learning sessions that we're going to have.
[29:41] So the first year is really focused on building leadership capacity.
[29:45] And so you can see the bullets, those are some of the topics that we're going to cover.
[29:49] So HR will hub us as we provide professional learning to them about how to navigate difficult
[29:54] conversations.
[29:55] I'm sure we'll pull in some of the learnings that we've gleaned from crucial conversations
[29:58] and other books that...
[30:00] That we've read as books that is at different division leaders finance. Mr. Kerwin will step in and help with budget development and resource allocation because I will say stepping into that principal role.
[30:11] That was the thing I was lacking the most as an assistant principal item get the opportunity to really develop a budget.
[30:17] So having that knowledge for our assistant principals before they step into that principal role is going to be huge.
[30:22] Also learning a little bit more about teacher supervision evaluation.
[30:25] are APs already do that a little bit but really giving them that idea of what it looks like from the
[30:30] principal level. Instructional leadership data analysis in the school accountability and of course
[30:35] family and community engagement are going to be some of the topics for the first year.
[30:41] And then year two is really kind of continuing to prepare them for that principal
[30:45] ship but also getting them ready for that, sorry, the interview. Because sometimes we have
[30:51] strong candidates that don't interview well. So we want to make sure that our APs that are going to
[30:57] this cohort are prepared for that interview and that their resume or their curriculum feed it.
[31:02] I've never said that word right. Feed it. Feed it. Feed it. Stay it. Feed it. Feed it. Thank you. I usually
[31:07] just say CV but it was written out here. So to make sure that that's ready but they're really prepared
[31:14] for that interview, we also want to make sure during year two if they are topics that we did
[31:19] covered during year one that our candidates are participants.
[31:22] Phil would be important that we want to make sure we focus on those as well, as well as
[31:26] doing some case studies, because that's a really good opportunity to dig in and apply some of
[31:31] the things that we learned during year one through case studies, real life case studies that have
[31:35] happened here in here in Hamburg.
[31:39] So that's kind of the principle of spiring principle cohort
[31:43] Over view, are there any questions?
[31:47] Gosh, I have so many.
[31:48] This is really exciting, just for that out there right away,
[31:51] because I think it's one of those jobs.
[31:53] It's really, really hard, right?
[31:54] And giving some support in there,
[31:56] especially coupled with the support that we already
[31:57] get to our principals,
[31:59] walking from one supportive situation
[32:00] into another supportive situation,
[32:02] really, really cool.
[32:04] And there's certain areas if I could.
[32:05] Yeah, no, please do.
[32:06] I thought we were going to jump in there.
[32:07] There's certain areas where principals don't get
[32:10] academic, enough academic training in there, you know, universities, right?
[32:15] Like, special ed for one is where we really need to focus a lot on social and
[32:20] emotional learning.
[32:21] So when you see instructional leadership, it includes so many important topics that
[32:25] we're going to pinpoint as those areas.
[32:29] No.
[32:29] You're the birth of your own.
[32:30] I did that.
[32:31] No, I really appreciate that.
[32:32] I figured you were going to jump in there as soon as I started talking about support
[32:35] and for a principle.
[32:36] That's good.
[32:37] So I think my first question has to do with cost associated with it.
[32:42] So no cost associated with it for the people participating or the division as where no
[32:47] constraint is outside.
[32:48] Yeah, we're going to use internals.
[32:50] So all of our cabinet members and maybe others will be tapped to help facilitate those learning
[32:54] sessions because we have such a depth of knowledge here.
[32:56] We really don't need to necessarily go outside to provide the training for our aspiring
[33:01] principals.
[33:01] Nice.
[33:03] I know sorts of statements or anything for them,
[33:05] participating in just the joy of learning how to be a principal.
[33:08] Right. And because we tried to build it into the day,
[33:10] so those learning sessions happen,
[33:12] the mentoring will probably also try to happen during the school day,
[33:15] or a little bit like right after, as well as the coaching.
[33:17] So we're not expecting them to do too much outside of what their normal work is.
[33:22] And that's where we thought about the project.
[33:24] And the initiatives, I did not want it to be something new.
[33:26] I wanted it to be something they were already focused on,
[33:29] that they could get that coaching and support to make it even better.
[33:32] Yeah, that's cool. Just turn it to follow up on that and then I'll let somebody else ask some questions.
[33:36] Um, do you, how do, I mean, obviously our school division is the best in everybody wants to work here, right?
[33:42] But like, is there any sort of an incentive to keeping them in house after they have gone through this process?
[33:47] We have not talked about that.
[33:49] So, um, we are just really nice.
[33:55] And we are a strong team and people do want to stay here.
[34:00] So we'll just keep doing that, but no, there's no real incentive.
[34:06] I mean, you know, when you have a program that you pay for, sometimes you can say we need to give us two years, three or something like that,
[34:13] we might consider something like that.
[34:15] I mean, we're not really paying for it.
[34:18] So, but I do think that the people who will be going into these cohorts want to be principles at HCPS.
[34:27] Yeah.
[34:27] I want them here, but if they go out and they're good principals anywhere, I mean, it's just better
[34:32] resource students, right? So I guess it's fine either way. All students benefit from it, but I think that ours
[34:38] We'll keep them. I'm pretty sure they will.
[34:42] Yeah, let's say that's the same question. How do we grow them? Make sure to stay. But I agree. I think that if you put the work in,
[34:50] the division shows that we want, we want to help you grow and keep you here in that
[34:56] and I'm hoping to that the partnership.
[35:00] We've been the support that they receive in this program, and then they also then understand what support we provide our principals is the other thing that keeps people here, because we have had some people that have left and decided to come back.
[35:11] And they said, when I was here as a leader, I felt so supported, and then when I left, I went somewhere where I did not feel supported, and I wanted to come back.
[35:17] So I think that support is what speaks strongly for people wanting to stay here because they know that they received more support here is a there.
[35:26] I know I did and definitely what we've built over the last couple years is way more support than I received as a leader.
[35:32] And so I think that helps more than anything more than pay is to feel supported and that you're not in an alone and you can pick up the phone and call your coach or your mentor or your supervisor anybody.
[35:42] And they're going to be there to help you.
[35:43] That's exactly right and they know the mentor the mentoring won't end when the academy so
[35:49] Over when they become a principal the mentoring continues. They and they'll know that and that is so different
[35:55] From other places that I've experienced and others have experienced
[36:00] I didn't have one more question
[36:03] I
[36:03] See this program being competitive to get into so it's up to five. I think it's great
[36:08] Keep it small and keep it
[36:11] you get hands on everybody, but if you guys thought about like, if it is kind of the sort of
[36:17] after, is it like called patients or, yes, we do. So you have to have at least two years
[36:23] experience as an AP. And then we have an application process and they're also going to share
[36:28] their letter of interest as well as then we have references that will go out to their principle
[36:33] as well as someone from the Department of Instruction and someone from the Department of
[36:37] of special education so that we can kind of get some additional feedback on the people
[36:40] who are applying.
[36:42] And of course, this is a two year cohort model.
[36:45] So once we get through this year, we will start next year's cohort.
[36:48] And if we feel that we have more demand than what we said we had space for, we'll talk with
[36:53] everyone that's facilitating and the mentors in the coach and say, hey, could we expand it
[36:57] to include more than five in year two?
[37:00] So it's kind of like one of those things we're going to start small and build it really strong.
[37:04] And then if we need to, we can expand.
[37:05] And
[37:12] hopefully there's one out there helping the principal stay to it.
[37:17] Yes.
[37:18] These people that are going through this great experience,
[37:21] they're ready, eager, and it's like grateful that people
[37:24] even they know about the future process.
[37:26] They want to be a principal.
[37:31] Yeah.
[37:32] You only have so many schools?
[37:33] You only have so many schools?
[37:36] It's a job.
[37:40] Yeah.
[37:40] So that's a, that is a built-in dilemma, right?
[37:44] We want to keep our current principles.
[37:45] We've got some cover.
[37:47] Cope.
[37:48] That's so exciting.
[37:49] We also are developing a co-principle paradigm
[37:54] at the early stages, success so far.
[37:58] So there will be more opportunities
[37:59] than most divisions would have of our sides.
[38:04] I think I think I also have to look at the reality of, you know,
[38:09] It looks so much different today than it did 20 years ago when people, like, what's the shelf life of the principal these days?
[38:19] And the attention, you know, like, is not very long.
[38:24] And a lot of times they're moving to such an office for other opportunities and other professional things that they want to experience.
[38:34] So it's nice to, I think Dr. Richardson has used this before we already have a deep bench.
[38:43] It's nice to have the deep bench even more prepared and more ready.
[38:51] And people who go into the program inevitably are going to leave the system sometimes because a family and
[39:04] professional development from us, hopefully wherever they go they speak very highly of
[39:10] Harrison for two schools and you know maybe they send us you know a principal one day
[39:15] you know like so it's just giving back to the profession too and I'll just back to the system
[39:20] I think this will set us apart from other school divisions and essentially we're going to be
[39:33] And so their experiences here, they'll bring
[39:36] with them wherever they are in the state or in the region
[39:40] or in the country, and that'll be good for us.
[39:43] And they'll send us people wherever they are.
[39:46] You got to think, you know, the long term vision, too,
[39:49] is like not just like right now, but which is hard
[39:53] when we're like, really pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty.
[39:57] I mean, I mean, a spiral system principle.
[40:01] I mean, that's been a step for you.
[40:34] And we needed to develop more opportunities for teachers to develop within that role as opposed
[40:41] to every teacher's a teacher, same, you know what I mean, we try to look for opportunities
[40:47] for teachers to grow more in their profession as a teacher.
[40:52] And I do want to emphasize that, to anybody who may be listening on our staff, we don't,
[40:58] So if you're a really talented teacher and you also want to be an AP, we don't, we're not gonna hold you back, go for it.
[41:05] You know, I want to make that clear because I know that you were talking about kind of narratives within public education generally, and that's one of them.
[41:12] If you're really, really good and not gonna let you, you know, leave the classroom, don't, please don't think that everyone, we definitely will.
[41:20] However, it is still a problem that we don't have in general in public education.
[41:25] We don't have a career advancement as much as we should for teachers as teachers.
[41:32] So we're very much attuned to that.
[41:35] So we provide cohorts over to EMU for restorative practices, restorative justice.
[41:41] We provide cohorts over to JMU for special education.
[41:48] I guess I call micro certification, I'm not sure they call it that, but that's the idea.
[41:52] So we try to look for those opportunities so teachers can advance as teachers and stay tuned because that's a good segue
[42:00] We might be bringing forth an idea of how to provide leadership opportunities for teachers
[42:05] They can still stay in the classroom, but take on some leadership with additional pay
[42:09] We've been talking with Daniel to figure out how we might be able to do that. That wouldn't necessarily impact the budget
[42:14] It would just be thinking differently about how we've done some curriculum development and other things because that's the one thing that we heard a lot during our
[42:21] morale conversations as that teacher said there's no pathway to leadership without leaving the classroom.
[42:26] So we've been kind of having that circle around and our brains and conversations.
[42:30] So maybe in the coming months we'll bring forth an idea, a proposal for that.
[42:37] Just fix the world over you.
[42:41] All right. Thank you, Dr. Blaster.
[42:50] Speaking of money.
[42:52] Oh, wait, we have public comment for, sorry.
[42:54] Help me with my hands.
[42:58] Lisa, do we have anybody signed up for public comment?
[43:02] Anybody in the room here that would like to speak on agenda items? Thank you.
[43:10] Not agenda items next.
[43:11] All right, moving right along.
[43:16] So number nine, we have Shina.
[43:18] Happy birthday again. It's still your birthday.
[43:21] Yeah, we'll keep celebrating you.
[43:24] I'm just hanging out with you guys.
[43:27] I'm just hanging out with you guys.
[43:27] I'm just hanging out with you guys.
[43:29] Let's open.
[43:32] Please.
[43:34] As a typical of this time of year,
[43:36] asking for your permission to re-appropriate funds that were contracted
[43:40] in the last fiscal year, but the services are goods haven't been delivered
[43:44] or completed until this year.
[43:49] And this is not about new money.
[43:51] Just, I know the board knows this,
[43:53] but for the public, I want people to know this is not an ask for new money.
[43:56] This is a requirement by law that we get permission from the board to move money from one bucket to another to bring money into this fiscal year and pay our debts that were incurred in the last one
[44:12] All right, I have a motion and a second any further discussion
[44:16] All in favor.
[44:18] All
[44:22] right.
[44:24] And item 10 public comment, non agenda items.
[44:28] Miss can up, do we have anybody signed up?
[44:30] So, none, anybody like to speak on non agenda items?
[44:35] All right.
[44:38] We're going to move to item number 11,
[44:41] Superintendent's comments.
[44:42] Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
[44:43] Well, we had an amazing opening to the school year.
[44:48] All systems go.
[44:49] All of our campuses opens smoothly and as I traveled around I know my colleagues as well and the board members as well on the first day of school have heard that
[45:00] We've had many of the systems that we've put in place are paying off, and so people are fairly happy.
[45:06] I know not, you know, not everyone is, is obviously perfectly, perfectly content or a complex system, lots of human beings in it.
[45:15] But generally, I think we did a really great job, and I want to thank staff for all their hard work opening, it really pays off for our students.
[45:23] I think the only snafu was when I was asked to do announcements at Sposford Elementary School and I forgot to ask the kids to stand before the pledge.
[45:32] That was the only problem in opening schools this year.
[45:36] But they forgave me and they invited me back.
[45:39] So I want to also mention that today the chair and vice chair and I and Mr. Romero and others met on the topic of or in these task force for the
[45:52] athletics academy. I haven't said a lot about that recently, so it's not a
[45:58] wanted to say that that work is going well. I'm very excited. I think
[46:02] others are as well with some of the ideas coming out of those meetings, and we
[46:06] look forward to bringing updates in the future.
[46:10] I think that's it. Thank you,
[46:11] Mr. Chairman.
[46:12] Awesome. All right. And now I have, as well, we have committee conference
[46:19] reports and board announcements. Let's start with Dr. Keller.
[46:30] Let's swing it over here in this village, the birthday girl.
[46:36] I never mind coming in behind Andy. Let's see, Shenandoah Valley Regional program
[46:42] meets on the eighth. You guys saw that touched me. I think from Harrison for education
[46:46] Foundation which meant last Friday and is meeting again on the 11th. Just to shout out to
[46:51] your our solid schools for Donna Green opening. It was really fun to be out there Green
[46:56] students and you know you guys all participated in that too. It's always kind of a big joy. So
[47:01] well done.
[47:04] Miss Dahl?
[47:20] Okay, so no committee reports, I do, well, I don't want to sound like I don't go to meetings, but we just don't need any more.
[47:34] But, yes, first day of school was wonderful, it was great to see big kids, little kids.
[47:45] Just hopping off the bus and only had one tier.
[47:52] There was one little kid that had a meltdown.
[47:56] And many fewer tears this year.
[48:00] Yeah, that's right.
[48:01] And so it wasn't that many, but yes, that's cool.
[48:08] So all right, Mr. Schneider, thank you, right now.
[48:15] Echo in the first day of school, that's probably
[48:17] one of my favorite things to do.
[48:21] And what?
[48:27] But it wasn't amazing. I had three of them schools, all levels. One of my favorite parts of that was at Skyline Middle School. There were fifth grade teachers there, reading the new sixth grade kids coming in. So those kids, just as they were not, they were nervous. We took kids to see their teachers there and they were running up in the hug and I thought it was amazing.
[48:54] Dr. Richard touched on the athletic academy, who got some great people involved in that
[48:58] some really excited to see what we can do for all students there.
[49:04] I have a CFB coming up on the 14th year, and then we have a arts-directed advisory master
[49:12] plant focus group coming up on the 21st, and then I did go to Miss Sau, and we were there
[49:17] of the opening of the kids' castle for self-harks.
[49:21] So if you get a chance to go, it's amazing.
[49:24] It's really cool.
[49:25] That's all I got?
[49:29] All right.
[49:30] Yeah.
[49:31] In terms of committee stuff, the athletic academy meeting
[49:36] today was great.
[49:37] Lots of great energy there.
[49:39] Excited to see what's coming.
[49:42] And legislative committee met our intern.
[49:46] We're working on our agenda for the year so that's exciting work and then in terms of leadership it's just been really great to get the
[50:00] Updates from Dr. Richards about the opening and school, you know, really staff has worked tirelessly to make sure that this, you know, this happens and, you know, taking in all these kids as a huge responsibility and people just did it so well.
[50:20] And I know Dr. Richards gets kudos to the staff, of course, I want to give them kudos as well.
[50:27] But shout out to Dr. Richards and your team for setting it up and making sure that we're in good hands.
[50:33] So thank you. Let's give them a hand.
[50:39] Great. Great start to school.
[50:42] Great energy on our campuses.
[50:44] And so, all the false sports are out and about.
[50:50] I was at Harrisburg High School Football on Friday evening.
[50:53] It was great to see the students out there,
[50:56] cheering on their classmates,
[51:00] and then watching the band perform.
[51:03] Half-time was great as always.
[51:06] The drum lines show at the end.
[51:09] He's always just really fun.
[51:11] And so, just so many good things going on, so, and our medical sports are going strong.
[51:19] And so, lots of really cool things going on in Harrisburg City Schools, lots to be granted here.
[51:25] So, all right, I think we have a closed session item to get to, so, we'll go ahead and break for five minutes to clear the room.
[51:39] Make sure to wish Emma happy birthday if you haven't already, and we'll reconvene.