[0:00] Welcome back everyone. It's six o'clock. So let's kick off this first study session of our 2526 school year.

[0:08] Roll call please.

[0:11] Member Cheryl.

[0:14] Yes.

[0:16] Member Hickson.

[0:18] Member Maribou.

[0:20] Here. Member Jones.

[0:22] Here. Member Langendorf here.

[0:23] Vice President Baxley.

[0:26] President Flowski.

[0:27] Here. We definitely have a quorum.

[0:30] There are, are there any additions, corrections or modifications?

[0:33] So now it's agenda, hearing none.

[0:35] There will be a short executive session.

[0:37] After tonight's meeting for the purpose of a personnel matter,

[0:40] there will be no action taken by the board after our executive session.

[0:44] It is now time for citizen statements.

[0:46] Anybody here present wishes to make a statement for the board.

[0:48] Please fill out a golden rod sheet from the back of the room

[0:50] and hand it to a recording secretary, Lori Johnson.

[0:53] We have get to receive any.

[0:55] And I see no one indicating they wish to speak for the board.

[0:57] So at this point, the chair would take a motion to approve tonight's agenda.

[1:05] Second.

[1:06] It's been moved in a second. All in favor say aye.

[1:08] Any opposed?

[1:10] We have an agenda.

[1:12] Board reports.

[1:13] There are a few topics listed here for a quick board discussion.

[1:17] One is picking up where we left off at our last June meeting, which is discussing Board of Education

[1:24] So Lisa, board task, we wish to make sure that we take on during this calendar year as well as study session topics.

[1:32] We wanted to discuss so that we can cut a planner or a year's calendar out.

[1:37] So we have a bunch of things up with much of stuff at the end of the year.

[1:41] We have the list that we created.

[1:43] We started this conversation in June.

[1:45] So we had several suggestions at the June 17th meeting.

[1:51] but we also always just give you time over the summer to think about it and so if they're

[1:56] additional topics that you'd like to add.

[1:59] Could you give the public a reminder I guess of what we've already talked about wonderful I can.

[2:05] So on June 17th, Sherry asked if we could have more discussion around how UHS is going to be implementing

[2:14] their cell phone policy and just to have the team come and discuss how it's going and what

[2:21] their planning to do. I shared an email from Mr. Guzman, but I think it'd be nice to have

[2:26] him come after school starts just to give us a little bit of a update on how their plan is working

[2:32] out. Communication, other ways to convey to parents what's going on and getting input before major

[2:39] changes happen in schools, and addition to the, and this was still from Sherry.

[2:46] In addition, Sherry would also like to talk a little bit more about our incoming

[2:51] kindergartners, what their needs are, how we're seeing them grow from the beginning to

[2:57] the end of the year, just a little more about the demographic make up of our kindergarten

[3:03] group because we showed some data around the kids, KIDS, assess it, and we are

[3:11] getting our students are starting and they are already a large number of them

[3:16] behind where some of their grade level peers are before they even walk in the door.

[3:21] So just having a little more information about that, and yes, so that was some

[3:27] information from Sherry. Paul said that he'd like to have the director of immigrant services

[3:34] and I got to write her name down. Come and share a little bit about immigration and how that's

[3:41] impacting our community and we would invite the welcome center, maybe to come and share a little bit

[3:48] addition to that topic. We have the statement from Jennifer Hickson around lots of things,

[3:58] things like exit interviews, so those were some really specific HR comments, a little more

[4:06] information from parents that are leaving the district and going to private school, if we can come up with some kind of

[4:11] to interview for specific parents, interviewing parents of students who are attending and taking

[4:19] a variety of classes at UHS, monitoring school performance,

[4:29] let's see.

[4:30] So we had a full statement, we copied, we have her statement, a designated board committee

[4:35] that gathers and analyzes the data that we need, wants to know to help us make decisions going

[4:41] work and okay I think that was that Ben wanted to invite the Urbana police chief chief

[4:53] boom to come to a meeting is that something you wanted to do early or maybe during

[4:58] the course of when we're talking about school safety okay yep and then just having

[5:05] a broader positive relationship with our band of police department.

[5:11] And Sherry also discussed maybe the effort

[5:16] of going into the community and really talking more

[5:21] about how we can advertise that the board members are available

[5:24] and where those locations are going to be,

[5:27] where they are going to be making themselves available

[5:29] to meet citizens throughout the year.

[5:32] And I think that was it.

[5:36] So, you know, the floor would be open for any other topics people would like, or a specific

[5:43] actions you want the board to take this year.

[5:48] But I think a big focus this year is going to be as all in all contract years, our contract

[5:52] negotiations.

[5:54] I'm the only sitting board member who's done this before, so I probably should be a member

[5:58] of that committee.

[5:58] But I don't plan on running for reelection.

[6:02] So I would really appreciate it if we had at least one other board

[6:05] member who kind of wishes to learn how this process works.

[6:08] In case they're able to serve the next time around.

[6:14] Thank you, Jennifer.

[6:18] It's a pretty heavy time commitment because it's when they get down

[6:21] as the meat of it, we're meeting with the union for three

[6:25] ish hours once a week.

[6:27] But then we have a prep meeting the day before that typically,

[6:30] so that we can kind of get our side of it kind of figured out and that's also another two to three hours.

[6:38] So it can be upwards of six or seven hours a week in the late afternoon early evening for a long, pretty time.

[6:50] What typically happens is that the two sides kind of set deadlines and that the artificial deadlines kind of do help us reach consensus.

[7:00] So, and we thought our prep work before we were going to break and on the administrative side talking about we already have a list of specific topics, and then we have our opening meeting, we haven't set that time with the union, but in the last two negotiations cycles has been around February Marchish, our goal was always to be done by the last day as well.

[7:25] I mentioned it in art yesterday when I ran into a new teacher day and he was like

[7:30] Oh gosh, Paul. So it's too early. But yeah, I know that they want to figure out when to start a 5B late fall

[7:40] for winter time when we really get going.

[7:46] Oh, okay. So you and Jennifer maybe because you're.

[7:49] Yeah, that's so the point of information for the board, union negotiations are completely exempt from

[7:58] You don't even need to notice it, I'd like you would have an exact session.

[8:03] It's the only thing that doesn't follow under OEMA, so yes.

[8:08] So as long as that's what the topic of discussion is, we could have as many board members

[8:14] who want to participate as so.

[8:19] I think it's a good idea to have some discussion about immigrant issues,

[8:25] but I would like to think just that we have the Refugee Center.

[8:29] Oh yeah, that's what I said that we were going to-

[8:31] I thought you said welcome center, but Refugee Center, yes.

[8:35] That's what I meant, but yes, Refugee Center.

[8:40] Thank you. Go ahead.

[8:45] I know I rely on you a lot, Paul, as far as policies,

[8:48] poor policies go because you're the encyclopedia.

[8:52] I don't say that much.

[8:53] Now, I mean, as far as understanding and knowing them, and I was wondering if it's the time

[8:57] if there's any policies that we need to sit and review change because some of it might be

[9:02] outdated.

[9:03] So that would be one thing that I...

[9:05] That's part of what we do in press plus is to make sure that it's compliant with changing

[9:09] the state of federal laws, but there are certainly other policies that don't fall under

[9:16] a silly fall into state and federal law, then we should probably revisit.

[9:21] I think she's talking about like specific board policies, things that we, that maybe are never touched by press.

[9:28] Because that's what you're saying right now.

[9:31] Do you have any policies in particular you're thinking about or?

[9:34] I would like to, you know, more about them.

[9:38] Also, Abbott, it seems that the sixth grade center is going to be pretty involved in that program in the high school.

[9:45] Also, uses it.

[9:46] So I don't know if we're going to have another presentation about Abbott.

[9:48] We just sent a large group to the week of summer institute for having it.

[9:54] So the sixth grade center is going to be school wide avid, which means all the students

[10:00] will get some exposure to avid strategies, but they also will still have the elective avid

[10:05] classes.

[10:06] The middle school high school will have the avid elective classes and this year we're

[10:11] moving down and piloting avid at Dr. Williams, our first elementary school.

[10:16] I'd like to know more what it was involved.

[10:19] And also possibly a memorandum of agreement between the U.S.

[10:27] Auditorium for their Student Performances.

[10:30] We have one with the U.S., the Ban of pop Orchestra that we've had from many years.

[10:37] They've worked with them for 16 years.

[10:40] And I think it was signed in 2013, possibly,

[10:43] that there was an agreement.

[10:46] And if that's something that they really

[10:47] want to use for their productions, we're using our students,

[10:52] then I think we should more formalize that.

[10:55] They've not expressed.

[10:56] So this is the first year they've used our auditorium.

[10:59] They've been using Parkland.

[11:01] Yes.

[11:02] But I was told they wanted to try it out

[11:05] and see if they like to better than Parkland.

[11:09] So they've not requested that, but I'm happy to reach out to them.

[11:17] Great.

[11:17] Anyone else?

[11:22] It's a long list.

[11:24] But appreciate people.

[11:25] And of course, this isn't set in stone.

[11:28] If something comes up that you would want to explore,

[11:32] you know, always bring it to the board report.

[11:35] So we can discuss and make sure we get pitted in.

[11:38] And I'll take the topics that you've shared, and just like last year, we'll kind of put together a tentative calendar.

[11:45] And again, as long as everyone knows it's blue it, so there are times where we have to move things around.

[11:51] So hopefully we'll get you this early September.

[11:56] Okay.

[11:56] Under board reports, I have assumed that's when board members could share what they wanted to share.

[12:01] And you jumped ahead to 7.1.

[12:04] Well, that's under board reports.

[12:05] the goals, so we have big goals.

[12:08] I promise we will get to open floor to people who can discuss with you.

[12:12] I just want to make sure we could be specific things.

[12:14] I'll put whatever in the agenda and then we'll open the floor up to anything else.

[12:18] All right.

[12:21] Committees.

[12:22] So you have a couple documents in front of you.

[12:24] So one is actually has some red on it.

[12:28] It says board committees.

[12:30] This is our draft.

[12:31] And it's got pink, I mean, it's got red names and dates.

[12:39] And then here is our other draft.

[12:44] We'll send a couple of that way.

[12:49] That has all of the dates.

[12:52] We had a few that didn't make it on to the colored copy that you have,

[12:59] because directors are still actively,

[13:04] they're kind of folded back and forth,

[13:06] so you can see that.

[13:13] So I normally, what we do unless you guys,

[13:16] if you'd like to do this differently,

[13:18] what I usually do is just walk through,

[13:20] tell us, talk a little bit about each one,

[13:23] and then you just tell me

[13:25] who would like to volunteer for what?

[13:30] And we do it that way.

[13:32] Okay. Sorry. All right. So first is the policy committee to 150. These are the ongoing

[13:42] award committees. So the first one is roundtable. So I think everyone here except maybe

[13:49] Luke and Lindsey got to experience the UABOE roundtable discussion. I was just checking my

[14:00] because I proposed to UEA that with negotiations coming Paul, you know, seeing that they

[14:07] made it respond to me, you know, but I don't think they've had a chance to get.

[14:12] I'd propose because we're going to be going out into the schools in October, November, December

[14:18] for those lunch round tables, so what we usually do, and Lori will start sending out information,

[14:27] and we'll start collecting dates from the UAA

[14:30] and from our principles.

[14:31] During a negotiation year, we like to go

[14:35] and engage with teachers.

[14:37] And we just do it during the lunchtime.

[14:40] So we go to every school.

[14:41] And we just listen.

[14:43] And we listen to concerns.

[14:44] We listen to what challenges are they experiencing.

[14:48] We like to hear a lot.

[14:49] We like to hear the positive things.

[14:52] But then that is a way for the board

[14:55] and admin to also hear some of the concerns.

[15:00] So we can begin to prepare for the negotiation cycle that is going to be coming. And so I propose to UEA, because that is really a time intensive process. You're giving up your lunchtime.

[15:14] We ask you to commit to at least going to two or three buildings. We ask board members to definitely commit to going to the building that you represent. You're in your closest neighborhood school and it is a lot of time effort that you're putting in for that.

[15:27] And so I proposed to UAA that maybe we don't have our fall round table meeting in lieu of

[15:34] the lunch meetings that we're going to be having instead.

[15:37] They haven't responded yet till let me know if that's something.

[15:40] We usually have a meeting in October, February, and then April.

[15:45] So the April meeting, I'm sure, will be very heavily focused on negotiations.

[15:52] So I don't have those dates yet because we've not finalized it.

[15:56] But my proposal to them is we don't have the fall, round table meeting, because you guys

[16:02] are going to be putting in a lot of time going to the schools to do those lunch meetings.

[16:05] If you'd like to do both, I'm more than happy too.

[16:09] We haven't not go for date that we looked at, but I was also trying to be considered of your

[16:14] time to do that.

[16:15] I mean, I think until we hear back from UAE leadership, it's kind of hard.

[16:19] They may have been very specific things they want to address outside.

[16:21] And I told her.

[16:22] Okay, we'll see what they say. I have not gotten a response yet. Contract negotiations. We just talked about. So it looks like we have Paul for sure. Jennifer and Ben as a possible whenever he can attend.

[16:37] Thank you.

[16:39] Standing board committees.

[16:41] So there are two committees that are part of our board policy and also part of our contract.

[16:47] Our contract with the union or CBA.

[16:50] And it is the parent teacher advisory committee.

[16:53] And we have the dates listed for you.

[16:56] That is an evening committee.

[16:58] The last two years.

[17:00] on Lola and Tori, who are representatives on the district parent teacher advisory committee

[17:06] chastity and I share the leadership of that this year. This is a standing open committee.

[17:12] So we do notice this committee. We have an agenda. It is an open meeting. People can come

[17:18] and listen to the discussion or they can come and make public comments. But we are very

[17:23] specific about the direction of what that group works on.

[17:29] So it is truly a space where we talk about discipline,

[17:33] culture climate, this last year,

[17:35] we created a handbook that we will give

[17:38] to all of our families around positive behavior

[17:41] and interventions in the schools.

[17:45] So I don't know, Lola, if you want to continue on there.

[17:49] Okay, we don't have to have two people,

[17:52] but it's always great.

[17:53] Okay, Lindsey.

[17:55] It's a great group because we had teachers,

[17:58] we had parents, so it is, it's a really nice,

[18:01] we had a really great group of folks

[18:04] who were really committed this year.

[18:06] So thank you, Lindsey.

[18:08] And the other one, I'm gonna turn the page

[18:11] to facilities and property acquisition.

[18:13] So this is an as needed committee.

[18:16] So Paul has done this in the past

[18:18] just because he has a lot of history.

[18:20] been has also been a wrap for the facilities committee. These are noticed as well. So we put out

[18:26] an agenda that is open to the public. And it is as needed though we are doing. I would

[18:33] still like to participate in this, especially leading into what's going to be a kind of

[18:36] facility is assessment that we're going to be doing through the strategic plan. It's also

[18:40] want to state that we're not limited to board members here because this is a notice meeting we can

[18:48] absolutely. Okay, I'd be able to like to continue. Thank you, Ben. Anyone else?

[18:54] These usually happen during the day, because many of the people who come and have

[18:59] information to share with us are, you know, it might be the part of this reason. We talk

[19:04] about the aquatic center a lot of these space in meetings. So, okay. Next is the working

[19:13] committees. So these are not standing board committees, but they're the committees that are

[19:17] in the work of the districts, kind of behind the scenes. So the first one is the school wellness

[19:22] committee that is overseeing by Mary Ann. She's put the dates there and it looks like the

[19:28] committee is going to meet once a quarter. Who is your personal last year? Remember Sherry? Sherry?

[19:34] Would you like to continue Sherry? Okay.

[19:39] Oh yeah, perfect. Yeah, that's great. Anyone else?

[19:43] Like because we can have up to two. Okay. Crisis and school safety committees. So this is

[19:50] committee that includes administrators. We try to get a couple of teachers so that we've had

[19:58] a couple of teachers that number small, smaller, depends on the year. We have representatives

[20:04] from our band of police, both of our SROs participate. This is a monthly committee where we meet

[20:10] and we talk about our crisis plans, evacuation procedures, and this has been Tory and I think

[20:20] was just touring this year.

[20:25] What did that was they meet? If you look at our list they meet

[20:28] right after school because it does involve teachers. So we this meeting usually is a 4 o'clock

[20:37] starting time for the and it goes from about 4 to 5 30.

[20:48] Okay. John, you want to talk about the district

[20:51] technology committee?

[20:54] Your first tentative date?

[20:56] This has been typically to provide

[21:00] direction for classroom and district

[21:02] technology.

[21:03] This year, we're focusing

[21:04] following our strategic planning committee

[21:07] on finding better communication

[21:09] tools and then also finding better

[21:13] ways to engage in communication

[21:15] and increase participation with families.

[21:19] as well as other technology issues.

[21:24] It'll meet after school because they're usually...

[21:28] Yeah, typically after school we are.

[21:31] We had some requests to move them off of Zoom.

[21:34] Typically we had been on Zoom but maybe like a hybrid mix in person this year.

[21:40] The first one is tentatively probably going to be because we're looking to move quickly with communication tools.

[21:49] to pilot some stuff starting this next semester either the 11th or 12th of August and then we'll work with the committee to kind of find a availability then.

[22:03] You'd like to do a sharing.

[22:07] Okay, thank you.

[22:08] Thank you.

[22:10] Next we have a new committee and this is also from the strategic plan and under the umbrella of the strategic plan of Mary Ann is going to talk about the finance committee.

[22:21] Good evening. So the purpose of this committee is to just promote transparency and support

[22:27] the strategic plan. One of my goals is to...

[22:30] To improve upon the equitable building budgets. And so this group will have discussion about that. We're going to be reviewing budget financial reports. Anything that comes from is these weekly news letter just to kind of prep the committee.

[22:48] And so if there's any discussion before a board meeting, it would be good to have some of that transparency and conversation beforehand.

[22:54] And then with just the state of our government right now, we just feel like it's a good time to reinstate this committee to start having those conversations.

[23:09] So loves numbers and findings.

[23:11] That will be me.

[23:14] Mary Ann, are you thinking these will be?

[23:17] I think I have like four to five.

[23:25] I'm going to be at the conference.

[23:27] I'm going to be attending a couple of the finance workshops.

[23:30] So maybe to go to buy something similar would it be possible to have like a hybrid so Paul think is in me

[23:37] And maybe if you had work for a small spill just for me. That would be ideal for me, Frank. Yeah, we can do that. I find that be a possibility. Okay

[23:45] Share is that a committee that only to only to well, we could we could either trade off or or probably notice it, but

[23:56] Yeah, we

[23:58] I guess when you just get to those meetings

[24:00] I think there's three of us going to figure out which two of us will be doing.

[24:03] So you're interested in maybe depending on the topic or something.

[24:07] Like you'll have an agenda and then you guys pick it together.

[24:09] I might just be slammed at work and can't go any way, so.

[24:13] Okay. Sounds good. Thank you.

[24:15] Next is a standing committee that we've had for many, many years.

[24:18] So program council, which is where we talk about curriculum needs.

[24:23] This year, we also are going to be using program council time to talk about

[24:30] school improvement goals but also reinforce with our, this is where we have all of our

[24:34] teacher leaders. So we have our department chairs, we have members of school improvement

[24:38] teams. So we have a lot of our experienced and most knowledgeable staff members in

[24:44] this space. So we're also going to be utilizing it to do some of our strategic planning

[24:48] work. So Sherry and Jennifer did that last year for us. I was out of town for

[24:55] the majority of them because they were the second way to make it go on yeah so yeah okay okay

[25:02] awesome we move from four meetings to three meetings because for that group because this is

[25:11] your one of this strategic plan we're also bringing in these strategic planning priority goal work

[25:16] So these will be split up based on the goal area, so you know we have a goal area for student achievement,

[25:28] a goal area for staff retention and growth and retention.

[25:34] We have a goal area around family and community is agency and then a goal area around district operations and procedures.

[25:40] And so, we're going to have different working groups break out on these dates.

[25:46] So I think board members could be on a working group and, you know, one, so of multiple

[25:52] people wanted to do this, you would do be in your working group for the entire time, depending

[26:00] on your area of, you know, interest, which one of those priority areas you might be interested

[26:06] in.

[26:10] And those will be in the evening because this is where we'll have community partners, we'll have parents, we'll open this up to pick parents as well.

[26:18] So this won't be a four o'clock meeting, it will be a meeting that probably right now on the sheet that you have.

[26:24] I have it highlighted to start either 530 to 7 or 6 to 730.

[26:30] So we haven't made a final decision on that time yet because I want to get a little more input from our UEA, but it is definitely going to be an evening space.

[26:42] No, this is the one under program council, the priority goal groups for this strategic plan.

[26:48] So this will be where we identify our strategic plan action steps and then throughout the year we'll monitor our progress and be working doing that in a group.

[26:57] We already have several teachers who have signed up to join different working groups.

[27:02] We just need to get some parents on those groups.

[27:04] So I'm going to have that available at welcome back to school night.

[27:08] Hopefully we'll have some parents willing to be on some of those groups as well.

[27:12] I could probably do this.

[27:14] You kind of all could do it. You just have to be on a separate working group.

[27:18] Okay. So I will make sure to share that and then you guys maybe can split up those four

[27:24] priority areas. And then these are the ad needed ad hot committee. So right now we just

[27:32] approved two years worth of calendars. So unless we need to bring the calendars back

[27:37] to make any changes, we probably will not have the calendar committee working this year.

[27:43] Health insurance committee is Angie and we've got four dates. So I don't remember who your

[27:49] and was, oh, go for it, Angie.

[27:58] Yes, last year, Paul served on the committee and we have changed our insurance broker to

[28:04] U.S.I. which matches what our district liability insurance is with as well and so we're

[28:09] looking forward to meetings and hopefully Paul, you can continue especially with the impact

[28:14] on negotiations.

[28:16] So sorry to add one more thing to your play, but we do meet these things.

[28:19] just stay on that. Okay. Okay. Thanks. A school-based house and thank you

[28:23] Paul. School-based house center advisory board. And that was...

[28:29] Oh, I remember maybe a story. It was, it was story. Okay. So this one meets quarterly

[28:36] Beth Ladd, our Executive Director for Student Services leads this initiative. It is

[28:42] our time where we talk about the needs of the health center staff from

[28:46] Promise the leadership from promise are usually there some of the staff members from the school-based health center

[28:53] Also participate

[28:54] And it's part of our negotiated agreement with them that we have these quarterly meetings to talk about the needs of the health center

[29:04] I would want to do that and they do meet in the evening. I

[29:09] Beth has it on here

[29:11] I can do that one. Okay, I'm pretty awesome.

[29:18] And then naming committee is on here

[29:21] And you want to talk about naming now or you wait one way to later?

[29:24] Maybe we could approach it now, let's say.

[29:26] Okay.

[29:26] Since it's the next thing on the list.

[29:28] As needed.

[29:32] Yes, we really had.

[29:34] So naming committees are typically drawn up on an as needed basis.

[29:40] When either a new building is built that needs to be named,

[29:44] or a group comes forward with a set of petitions wishing to honor a specific individual.

[29:49] Yes.

[29:50] So far, I've seen two letters.

[29:54] So it's typically 10 letters as what it is.

[29:56] Yes, I think too.

[29:58] So I don't know.

[30:00] We want to, but you, the board can, but the board can, can still direct me. Right, the board can direct, can direct the superintendent to convey. Absolutely.

[30:12] In panel, a committee for a specific purpose. So if we wish to, for example,

[30:19] in panel, a committee to seek out a name for the, we have been calling the sixth grade center.

[30:24] The board can, can direct the superintendent to do so.

[30:29] Would the process be for that after you have a committee and then what happens?

[30:34] The committee will then meet and they will bring forth a recommendation to the board which the board can accept or or decline

[30:42] Yep, that's all we've done in the past

[30:46] I mean, I mean for example, like the re naming

[30:49] Changing the name of Prairie to William School

[30:52] There was a set of petitions that were brought forward at least kind of them a committee met and brought forward to the board

[30:59] request to rename per year school as Dr. Preston Williams the third or sorry it's a junior

[31:05] sorry not the third entry and the board's liberated it was a fourth row actually it was a

[31:14] it was a deliberated a couple times yeah I think we had a couple meetings right yeah so

[31:22] a chair you should look like you wish the chime in no I think that we need to address it

[31:29] either with responding to some of the, I only saw two letters, I think, two letters responding

[31:35] to that now or somehow in the fact that we're going to propose having a naming community,

[31:40] I think that that's next up forward in addressing those school letters.

[31:46] And I can reach out to the two people who have sent us letters and asked them if they would

[31:50] like to participate.

[31:51] I think that'd be the first step.

[31:52] I know there's some staff members at the sixth grade center who also would like to be part

[31:59] the committee as well. So their voices are heard. And we can go from there. Is there a board member

[32:08] who would like to be their representative for that committee? We've got three six grace interparent

[32:15] sitting here. I don't know. I was like Ben Luke and Lindsay. Just thought. Just just throwing it out

[32:23] thought if you would you like to do it then okay you have more than one we can have more than one

[32:29] Lindsey okay all right I do think as parents you wear a very you have a very unique perspective so

[32:37] I mean yeah I mean I mean think about this in general we haven't received any request yet by

[32:41] more petition or but no I was thinking just a completely differently I think it would be

[32:46] worthwhile for the district to honor Janus Mitchell some fashion with

[32:51] finding something appropriate to name them up to her, I think, would be worthwhile.

[32:55] And there are a lot, I mean, the other thing, maybe that board members don't realize.

[32:59] The naming committee can also bring back suggestions around.

[33:04] We have several libraries that are named after, like I'm Yankees Ridge.

[33:09] The library there is named after Margaret D's, and the D's.

[33:12] That is a really important legacy for the D's family.

[33:16] so their other spaces in the building athletic athletic jump we have gems that are

[33:23] named after people so the committee can bring back multiple recommendations for the

[33:29] board to consider for sure okay so I people do that yes

[33:38] it was actually Luke no no

[33:49] us me. And then we already have our 2526 delegate. So thank you, Sherry. That was approved in on June 17th.

[33:59] So awesome. I will rewrite all of this up and reshare a final copy with everybody before next

[34:05] meeting. I know it took a while, but it's certainly necessary for us to kind of get this all figured out.

[34:11] Well, and it's important for our staff and our community to see you in those spaces and

[34:17] And you're representing all seven of you because all seven of you can't be there, so when we bring up certain topics, it's great that you're in some of those faces that you can bring back.

[34:28] You can bring back the just the feel of the committee and what you're talking about. So I think it's really important that you guys are committed to being on working committees and needs a lot.

[34:40] Next up in the list of published.

[34:44] We must have you a leadership meeting people watching the meeting right now because they

[34:49] email me and they suggest around the round tables so they've just emailed us said let's focus

[34:57] our time and energy on the admin lunches in the fall and only have round table on October 21st

[35:04] and February 10th and we forego the meeting in April because we will be heavily into negotiations

[35:10] is that that time?

[35:11] Yeah, that sounds good.

[35:12] Does that sound good?

[35:14] Okay.

[35:14] So we will start working on the admin lunch meeting schedule and we will have two roundtable

[35:20] meetings this year on October 21st and February 10th.

[35:22] Thank you, UEA, for watching the meeting and chiming in.

[35:26] We appreciate you.

[35:27] And then will you get back to us with the schedule for the lunches so that we can sign up

[35:37] Is that really involved?

[35:39] Yes.

[35:39] We will get repeated emails from Lori with regards to scheduling, and we tend to like break up

[35:45] the bigger buildings like the high school into shifts because there's like three lunches

[35:49] at the high school, and typically there's more than two more members who want to go to

[35:53] the high school.

[35:54] So we'll figure out which, you know, these two will take the first lunch period and these

[35:59] two will take them.

[36:00] So we kind of negotiate that ad hoc, be email.

[36:04] And I, of course, see, we'll be, we'll have others.

[36:07] So we've broken up the bigger building.

[36:10] So like last year, Yankee, last time we did this again,

[36:12] bridge, we had two people coming in and out in and out in and out

[36:16] because you may really want to be there to hear from

[36:19] Duoline Wood or something.

[36:21] So we start this process by reaching out to the principals

[36:23] to find out what they have going on in their buildings,

[36:29] the meetings happen during the lunch time.

[36:31] So we had their lunch schedules.

[36:33] we talk to UEA because we kind of share noticing it to that like they let their folks know

[36:40] we make sure that administrators have set up a space and know that we're coming and so it is

[36:44] pretty it is a pretty involved process so you'll get lots of you know this process also includes

[36:50] Gerber I would recommend if if board member hasn't visited Gerber to do so and this is a

[37:03] tour of the different schools at the same time?

[37:06] Well, definitely.

[37:08] I think we've done that.

[37:09] So we've been there for lunches, especially Gerber,

[37:11] because it is a unique setting being there on the

[37:15] with Cunningham.

[37:17] So, yes, we definitely could do a tour before

[37:19] after we just have to work it out with the principal.

[37:25] No, it's okay.

[37:26] I did.

[37:30] This is the 7.3. So John approached me, the summer, the discussion with the guards to having a fee schedule for access to district public records.

[37:41] Kind of an alignment to what other districts of our size in the area are doing. So I guess John can provide us some context for our discussion.

[37:47] Yep, as we discussed at one of the previous board meetings, we've had a greatly increased

[37:53] number of FOIAs this year, and then reviewing the board policy, one of the policies

[38:01] 2.250 states that the FOIA officer shall provide a fee schedule to the board,

[38:17] so this

[38:17] like from board members earlier, just about how many people this would affect and what kind of effect this would have.

[38:25] So of all the foes we've gotten since I've been here, this would have affected aside from one individual.

[38:33] There was one other foe of rope quest that we had that would have fallen into this fee schedule.

[38:39] This also addresses commercial, fee schedules and how much time and limits on those and is consistent with what other districts have and is consistent with the Illinois state statutes.

[38:57] So, if you have any other questions, I will try to answer them. I am not a lawyer, but I have a little bit of knowledge on this subject.

[39:07] This is on our agenda, it's a possible action, you know, the board can choose to

[39:13] vote it up, vote it down or defer it to another meeting if they wish.

[39:18] I had a question, a couple of questions.

[39:21] One didn't we have, I thought I had seen a page on the website.

[39:26] And Lori's picture was above it, and then there was a fee schedule below it.

[39:30] So did we already have some sort of a fee schedule and we're changing the fee schedule?

[39:36] I have to admit, when I looked for that page again, I didn't find it, so I just found

[39:41] the rules.

[39:43] No?

[39:50] I don't think anything was taken down from the website and I don't recall seeing that there.

[39:56] No.

[39:56] Okay, so then I have no idea then, but so we have not had any kind of a fee schedule before

[40:02] this then.

[40:04] Yes, that's my hand or something.

[40:05] Other than what the FOIA Act has, it's just a basic worry, what you can charge for and things like that, but it was nothing official.

[40:16] So this one, this makes it official.

[40:18] Okay, because it will become part of policy.

[40:22] It's not changing the policy.

[40:24] The policy is stated.

[40:26] It was just that the FOIA officer would provide this to the board for review on a regular basis.

[40:31] So that's what we're doing here, but no policy change.

[40:35] OK, and I was really wondering about the PDF stuff,

[40:40] the online digital.

[40:44] Since we're doing it by megabytes, we're charging by megabytes.

[40:49] Would that be manipulable given the,

[40:55] it, but just by changing the resolution of what we were sending, and should we have something

[41:05] in there that said at such and such resolution?

[41:10] I think they're mostly encoded as text, but we've never had any complaints about using to

[41:19] I have a resolution, the only complaints we've ever received were about the resolution being

[41:23] too low, and we had to like provide a slightly higher resolution, and we would be consistent

[41:30] with that.

[41:32] Yeah, I just meant would the price be manipulable by changing the resolution.

[41:41] You know what I'm saying?

[41:42] if you, if we're doing it by megabytes, then if I, if you send me a very, very, very, very high

[41:50] resolution, it would take more megabytes, therefore you would charge me more money.

[41:57] Yes, we have not been changing the resolution on any PDFs that we've been sending anybody, is that

[42:02] what people have been saying? I know, I'm saying if you're going to start a FOIA,

[42:08] When we receive a request, we respond with what we have and how we have it.

[42:15] We do not alter it, we do not create anything new, we give it as how we have it.

[42:21] So we have been charging people and we have not been charging.

[42:26] We haven't been, so okay, so we haven't been, we're going to start charging them what

[42:32] the law allows. And would this be, I think it was, was it, I left my paper at home for

[42:39] my questions. Oh, that's the five hundred copies, the 500 pages. Is that from one request

[42:50] or after you have done 500 pages, does it? So it is, I actually pulled it up here for the state

[43:00] statute because that was another question I got. So it's voluminous if it's all

[43:07] paraphrased. Just a little here. Two broader requires the complication of a large number

[43:12] of records. Concert voluminous if it includes more than five individual requests for

[43:17] more than five different categories of records within a 20 day period or requires the

[43:24] of more than 500 pages of legal-sized pages in a single record.

[43:40] So, do you want to switch to the topic or have any questions?

[43:42] Yeah, I just have one question regarding the amount of time that our staff puts in.

[43:48] Is there any way when we do get a FOIA request to indicate after we've completed how many hours

[43:55] if that can be conveyed as long as well as what the FOIA entailed?

[44:03] Yeah, and in the kind of board reporting, we had talked about that.

[44:08] As far as internal time, that would be something that it would be possible to include.

[44:13] As far as legal time and expenses, we typically report the FOIAs at the next board meeting

[44:21] after they're closed, and we don't receive our legal invoices until the following month.

[44:28] So we wouldn't be able to report the legal costs at the meeting, following the FOIA request,

[44:34] but we could have a follow up if desired to report on that.

[44:39] In a following meeting, it would be either one or two meetings after when the FOIAs were

[44:45] initial initially reported, as far as the internal time, that would be possible to track.

[44:50] it's just a little extra work on our parts.

[44:53] We could publish a spreadsheet with that

[44:54] if the nation too, like online, right?

[44:56] Yeah, if that was the desire of the board,

[44:58] we could look into what we would have.

[45:00] Have to do to make that happen?

[45:01] Exactly. I wouldn't expect you to know immediately how much it's going to cost because you don't

[45:05] know until you get billed for it. But if we had a spreadsheet, as Paul mentioned, that

[45:12] will use give us some idea of how much time and how much money are district dispending.

[45:18] Thank you.

[45:20] Okay. So again, this is on our agenda for a vote later if the Board wishes to act.

[45:27] Now,

[45:27] the floor is open for any other report, report anybody

[45:30] which is to discuss.

[45:33] Go ahead, Jennifer.

[45:35] OK, and this is about renaming.

[45:41] And I just want to tell everybody a story.

[45:47] On June 3rd, I received an email from a community member telling

[45:51] me that in January, the superintendent had

[45:54] begun the process with the state to officially rename

[45:57] Wiley School, and that the new name had been officially approved by the state on May 9th.

[46:04] So, the school is now officially named by the, according to the state, urbanistic grade

[46:10] center, and has its own middle school RCDS number under that new name.

[46:17] On June 4th, I wrote an email to the superintendent asking if this was true, expressing my belief

[46:24] This could not have been true because such matters were not to be advanced without the express approval of the board.

[46:31] According to board policy 4.150, naming or renaming a building requires a vote by the board.

[46:39] Since the board has the policy on the books, and since the board is referred to the policy in board meetings, at least twice over the past 18 months or so,

[46:48] I would have considered such action to be a breach of the public trust, because, in fact,

[46:56] the public was led to believe that we would follow our own policy, and we didn't.

[47:01] On June 5th, the superintendent replied to my email with a message to the entire board.

[47:08] In it, the superintendent made the following points.

[47:12] Number one, commemorations or memorials require submissions to the superintendent, who then

[47:18] forms a committee for submission to the board for approval.

[47:22] Citizens and staff have had over a year to come forward with necessary letters or signatures

[47:28] and I have received neither.

[47:31] Number two, the board can also direct the formation of a committee to approve a new facility name.

[47:38] The board has not made the recommendation to form a committee.

[47:41] I assume primarily because there have been no public requests or public interests in doing so.

[47:49] This continues the email. Critics and proponents alike, including staff, administration, board members, parents, and students,

[47:59] have deemed the building to be the sixth grade center. All architect rendering, branding, and internal signage have been designed with a sixth grade center as its name.

[48:10] This is what we, and parenthesis, are quotation marks, basically everyone has called the building since its inception.

[48:21] Therefore, we have all been complicit in this practice for the last 18 months.

[48:27] At this point, in the project, the district would encourage significant costs for rebranding and labeling the building.

[48:35] Now, the policy 4.150 actually reads, definition, for the purpose of this policy, the term

[48:45] facility or facilities refers to any district outbuilding classroom to an Asian auditorium

[48:53] or other space, and any athletic or academic field or complex, recognizing that the name

[49:01] for a school facility reflects its public image.

[49:05] The boards, primary consideration,

[49:08] will be to select a name that enhances the credibility

[49:11] and stature of the school facility and or district.

[49:15] Any request to name or rename, and existing facility,

[49:20] should be submitted to the board

[49:22] according to the process described below.

[49:25] When a facility is to be named or renamed,

[49:29] The Board of Education will appoint a special committee to consider nominations and make a recommendation along with supporting rationale to the Board.

[49:39] The Board will make the final selection.

[49:42] The policy goes on to say, all nominations for commemorative or honorary naming must be presented to the superintendent through a formal letter with the reasons for the request.

[49:54] The formal letter of nomination must be accompanied by a minimum of 10 signatures or supporting letters.

[50:02] A committee will be appointed by the superintendent, and that committee will be approved by the Board of Education.

[50:10] The committee has the responsibility to review any suggestions, study the impact of the requested recognition on the school, district and community,

[50:19] and make recommendations to the Board of Education of ways to best honor the individual

[50:25] nominated. The committee's recommendation may reflect the wishes in the nominating letter

[50:30] or the committee may suggest other methods of honoring the nominated individual. Please note,

[50:38] now this is me and up, that all naming or renaming of buildings must go through the board.

[50:44] No one came to the board to request a name change.

[50:49] I had assumed that the name would be staying

[50:54] flawlessly, because no one had come forward

[50:57] to ask the board to make a change.

[51:00] I found it interesting that the superintendent used the word

[51:03] complicit in her email to the board.

[51:06] She says, we have all been complicit in this practice

[51:10] of calling at the sixth grade center.

[51:14] complicit means, from the dictionary, associated with or participating in an activity, especially

[51:20] one of questionable nature.

[51:23] Well, I may not have been as observant as I should have been, but I have not been complicit

[51:29] in anything questionable.

[51:31] I was calling the program located in the Wiley Building, the sixth grade center.

[51:37] When Wiley was an elementary building, the name was Wiley.

[51:40] When Wiley was closed as an elementary building and used for early childhood in central office the name of the building was Wiley.

[51:50] Because no one suggested a new name, the board had nothing to do in that case.

[51:56] So, does the superintendent think that this renaming process was done in a questionable manner?

[52:04] And therefore, she and others at C.O. at Central Office were complicit in that activity.

[52:11] I was not complicit.

[52:13] Yes, I should have been more observant.

[52:16] I should have been more watchful to be sure that board policy was being followed.

[52:21] I was naive, maybe negligent.

[52:25] And I believe that the board did not provide the oversight that we should have in this

[52:30] Process. Be that it as it may, I believe that now we have to step up to following board policy carefully and thoroughly.

[52:41] There is no excuse for administration to be unaware of the policy and the ramifications of that policy.

[52:48] I can remember two times in the last 18 months or so when the policy has been discussed at board meetings.

[52:55] Once it was brought up when Yankee Ridge was closed as a neighborhood elementary school and became a multi-lingual school.

[53:03] I think it was Sittlally who asked about changing the name.

[53:06] She was told at that time about the policy.

[53:10] The second time was when a Wiley parent asked about keeping the Wiley name.

[53:15] He was told about the policy.

[53:17] So, parents and the community were told at board meetings that to keep the name, they didn't

[53:24] have to do anything. To change the name, a request had to be made, a committee had to

[53:30] be formed, and the board would make the decision publicly at a public board meeting.

[53:37] To continue my timeline, as I said, the superintendent replied to me and to the entire

[53:42] board on June 5th. On June 7th, I replied to the superintendent saying that all of this

[53:50] had to be brought up at a board meeting. I decided that it was most appropriate for me

[53:56] that I allow the superintendent the grace to bring up the topic and introduce it in a manner

[54:04] that she was comfortable with. When it wasn't done the agenda for our last meeting in June,

[54:10] I assumed that she had decided to bring it up at the end of the meeting in the superintendent's report.

[54:18] I was flabbergasted when it was not.

[54:21] I was pretty upset with myself for letting things unfold as they had

[54:25] and not getting this brought up at that last meeting.

[54:29] At that time, I determined that I would bring it up at this first meeting in August.

[54:34] I believe that the school board must now live up to our responsibilities as representatives

[54:41] of the public and address this squarely and honestly.

[54:47] And I'm glad we are going to, in retrospect, in hindsight, do something about this, but

[54:54] I think, I think, in order to do that, we need to face what's already been done.

[55:03] Thank you.

[55:05] Anybody else?

[55:06] Would you make a go to port this evening?

[55:07] Yes, I'd like to convey my feelings, my ideas about this. I was going to not read this

[55:15] after we've decided to have a naming committee because I thought that would be a more appropriate

[55:19] time but I think there's some other issues besides specific board policy and what has been

[55:24] done in the past one has been assumed that need to be addressed. And so I'd like to read my statement now.

[55:31] And unfortunately I will not be able to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for this Friday

[55:36] as I will be out of town. This is a big disappointment for me as it has been 20 months since

[55:41] the decision was made by this board to convert Wiley School to a sixth grade center. And during

[55:47] these past months, there has been a great deal of planning for and commitment to improving the

[55:52] educational experiences for middle school students. There are many who are excited to start a new

[55:57] and will go forward so this change in our district will be successful. There are still many in

[56:02] community who are still outraged by the decision of losing a cherished school that serves

[56:07] so many students and families in our community.

[56:10] This feeling of allegiance to one school is not unique.

[56:14] There are families across the district who feel the same way about their elementary schools,

[56:19] their teachers and their experiences that they had when their children attended their designated

[56:23] school.

[56:24] As I thought about how I would feel as a parent of a student who spent six years in a building

[56:29] Where she was nurtured and cared for in so many ways, I wondered how I would react if the only elementary school where my daughter attended was suddenly eliminated.

[56:38] I reflected about the teachers and their strengths and their willingness to treat my daughter as an individual.

[56:44] I valued the teachers who listened to our concerns throughout the years.

[56:47] It is not the building that made the experiences memorable for rather the interactions and the successes that were achieved through the years.

[56:55] What now is important to me is meeting former classmates of my daughters and learning about the past they've taken in their lives

[57:03] It is seeing my daughter's former teacher K. Grable in the community and how she always asked about my daughter and how she still conveys a

[57:11] sincere interest in her well-being

[57:14] losing a building in the community is difficult, but that does not take away the memories or negates the successes that were achieved during the years

[57:21] As a former adult education teacher of over 20 years in the district, it is still exciting

[57:27] to see former students in the community and be able to learn that their experiences

[57:31] and class helped pave the way for a different future and other possibilities.

[57:36] These interactions are so meaningful and I don't need the building on race street to confirm

[57:40] the relationships and the opportunities that were forged during those years.

[57:45] I don't believe there was a vote to drop the name of Wiley.

[57:48] it was just assumed that the school would have a new purpose to educate six graders and it

[57:53] would no longer be an elementary school. It would be confusing, I believe, if a six-grader said

[57:58] he or she was attending Wiley School and the assumption would probably be that that student was

[58:02] still in fifth grade, as the name Wiley is associated with an elementary school program.

[58:08] Yes, I know Flossie Wiley was important to our district and was honored because of her contributions,

[58:13] but so was Jean Burkholder and John Garth.

[58:17] The administration building was named in honor of Jean Burkholder and the Adult Education

[58:21] Center was named for John Garth.

[58:24] Their names may be on the building, but people do not refer to these buildings by their

[58:28] names.

[58:29] They say, we are meeting in Central office or the classes held at the Adult Ed program,

[58:34] her Adult Ed Center.

[58:36] Even though the names Burkholder and Garth were on the buildings for such.

[58:39] If the board wants to include the name of Lossie Wiley on the renovated building, I will not vote against it, but I still would refer to it as the sixth grade center.

[58:49] As I refer to central office or the adult ed building.

[58:56] Thank you.

[58:57] Anybody else have a board of board this evening?

[59:00] Okay, this is moving on with our published agenda.

[59:04] Thank you for your patience.

[59:05] First up is a single administrative personnel item.

[59:09] Angie, can you provide context for the board?

[59:11] Sure.

[59:12] Mignona, do you want to come up to the microphone so we can properly introduce you.

[59:17] Thank you for your patience.

[59:25] Mignona, Mignona, Migno Cuol, Longgang Long, hired versus in her first administrative

[59:32] role as a student principal at Thomas Payne, is excited, honored and extremely grateful

[59:37] for the opportunity to directly serve and positively impact the life outcomes of our most

[59:43] important stakeholders, the scholars and tiger cubs of Thomas Payne, their families, their

[59:48] teachers and staff. Minyona, I hope that I pronounced your name correctly. It's going to take

[59:53] a minute to Minyona, Minyona, Minyoko, Lungalang. Bye.

[1:00:00] Okay, sorry, we'll nervous, I don't want to mess it out. So, and you want to bring 14 years of serving in the North American public school system, both in the role and semi-urban Midwest community, she's called home since arriving in the United States, from the northeastern state of Nagaland, which is geographically located in the Indian subcontinent. Most recently, she has served as the instructional interventionist at Dr. Howard Elementary in Champaign.

[1:00:27] Niona is a proud resident of Urbana, which has become home for her and her husband Mike

[1:00:32] who's here with us.

[1:00:34] Niona hopes to lead with integrity, wisdom, humility, and joy.

[1:00:38] She welcomes every opportunity of genuine support, kind of collaboration, and strategic

[1:00:42] partnerships that will directly strengthen positive life outcomes for all students.

[1:00:47] Most especially, though, she'll serve at Thomas Pain Elementary School.

[1:00:51] So, Mignona was recently interviewed as a assistant principal at Thomas Penelomentry and overwhelmingly selected to serve as a assistant principal, her first administrative role, pending formal board approval.

[1:01:07] Thank you, Angie. Is there a motion for the floor?

[1:01:12] I move to approve the hiring.

[1:01:14] It's been moved and sacked at any further questions, comments or discussion.

[1:01:19] A roll call, please.

[1:01:32] Member Hickson? Yes. Member Amarabu? Yes. Member Jones? Yes.

[1:01:38] Member Langendorf. Yes. Vice President Baxley? Yes.

[1:01:41] President Klauski? Yes. Member Cheryl? Yes.

[1:01:46] Congratulations. Welcome to the district.

[1:01:51] Please.

[1:01:54] There you go.

[1:02:04] Thank you all so much for this opportunity for me to lead at this time in this community.

[1:02:11] Today, I bring two members of my community, my husband, Mike, and our neighbor Paula.

[1:02:17] And I look forward to extending my Urbana community with unit, excuse me, Urbana school district 1116. Thank you all.

[1:02:28] Thank you.

[1:02:34] Next on our agenda is our single study topic, Tiger Academy.

[1:02:39] Okay, so while Dr. Weemell is coming forward, it has been our tradition since we started Tiger Academy.

[1:02:46] they don't do their into the year presentation with the other schools because they are very unique

[1:02:51] in their programming and their methods of learning and so we always start the year with an update

[1:03:00] from Tiger Academy is something that we all look forward to and so I'm going to turn it over

[1:03:06] to Dr. Weemott and his team. Thank you. Good evening and thank you for having us tonight to present

[1:03:12] about Tiger Academy, one of my favorite topics.

[1:03:15] I'm joined with some colleagues of mine,

[1:03:17] so Natalie Brett, who is our curriculum coordinator

[1:03:20] and program coordinator and teacher,

[1:03:22] instructional specialists.

[1:03:24] Kind of does a little bit of everything at Tiger Academy,

[1:03:27] and we're excited to have for joining us this evening

[1:03:29] to co-present with me,

[1:03:31] as well as one of our teachers, Ms. Lighty, the teacher.

[1:03:35] Ms. Lighty, as you probably know,

[1:03:37] has been in the district for over 29 and a half years.

[1:03:42] Mostly at UHS, but came over to Tiger Academy when we opened and has been an amazing teacher with us here at Tiger Academy

[1:03:48] We have three other staff members who weren't able to four other staff members who weren't able to join us this evening, but we'll present on their behalf as well

[1:03:56] So

[1:03:57] Jumping straight in, that buzz that mean

[1:04:01] Okay, so we're gonna just do a quick presentation this evening of a review or an overview of the past school year

[1:04:08] the 24-25 school year as well as sensitive, a couple slides just previewing our plans for this year,

[1:04:15] which are pretty similar to the past couple years as well. Also, we will provide a real quick update

[1:04:21] from the SIU Carbon Nessolino, Illinois University Carbon Up Program evaluation. Last year, if you

[1:04:27] were called, we presented Phase 1 findings and now they have completed Phase 2 findings,

[1:04:32] and so we will present and provide that information to you this evening as well as time for questions

[1:04:37] and answer. So just starting off here is just a real quick overview of who our staff members are,

[1:04:43] so myself as executive director, specifically here at Tiger Academy, I function more like a

[1:04:48] principal than a director, but because I have role with multi-lingual programming at the

[1:04:53] middle school and high school, my title is director, but I'm kind of the principal here as well.

[1:04:58] Math teachers and Melissa Lydie, we have a social emotional learning specialist in

[1:05:02] Maldonado, grants and curriculum coordinator, Natalie Brett, student and family community support

[1:05:07] specialist J.J. L. Vier, our Restory facilitator is Domitia Nunn, and we have a special education

[1:05:13] teacher who has a sixth assignment who comes over her eighth period every day who is Emily

[1:05:17] Carter and provides special education services for students as well. This image on the right

[1:05:22] was our kind of our motto, this past school year, and our t-shirt design, T.A. all the way,

[1:05:28] just kind of a catchy phrase for us just some essential skills that we really try to emphasize at

[1:05:34] Tiger Academy listed there. The next one is just, you've seen this slide every year for the

[1:05:40] past three years, I just added two more bullets at the bottom. So just as a reminder in the spring

[1:05:45] of 2022, the district Board of Education planned for the opening of Tiger Academy and I'll turn

[1:05:52] education in the district and I was hired and then most recently the 23-24 school year was

[1:05:59] rolling into our third year up until this current school year will be starting our fourth year kind of

[1:06:05] our third and a half year so to speak so we are grants have ended which we'll talk more about that later

[1:06:11] and so we are now district funded completely which we're very appreciative and thankful for but we are still

[1:06:17] seeking grants to continue to provide services and funding for

[1:06:21] Tiger Academy as we move forward.

[1:06:24] Just a real quick reminder and overview of our students in the process for the students

[1:06:30] that we serve and how they are placed at Tiger Academy.

[1:06:33] So, Tiger Academy functions during the school day as an alternative daytime program that

[1:06:38] is primarily a part-time program or what we call a hybrid program where students typically

[1:06:45] will spend part of their school day at or been a high school or been a middle school and

[1:06:49] part of their school day here at Tiger Academy and will literally walk back and forth

[1:06:54] between the two schools to hear for their day for their schedule.

[1:06:58] We individualize student schedules so not all students are here at the same time.

[1:07:04] They're here for certain times of the day for certain classes and for certain individualize

[1:07:08] needs and supports.

[1:07:10] The referral process goes through the buildings of or been a middle school and

[1:07:14] in a high school, primarily through counselors and a lead administrator that's kind of tasked

[1:07:20] with working with me directly and with our team for that referral process.

[1:07:26] So the referrals typically revolve around...

[1:07:30] We typically talk about three types of students that we serve at Tiger Academy. One type is a student that's just really struggling to be engaged in school and the traditional school setting, whether that's for social reasons, emotional reasons, academic reasons, they're just struggling to do well and a lot of times, low attendance, a lot of times, disengagement from class and failing classes and so that the referral process is an opportunity for them to have just a new start and a smaller space.

[1:08:00] more flexible space of Tiger Academy for part of their day and then we develop individualized

[1:08:05] plans for those students. That's kind of one group. Another group of students are students that

[1:08:10] are already way behind academically and have been reclassified maybe their second year as a

[1:08:16] ninth grader or their third year as a ninth grader or their very much behind in credits and we

[1:08:21] bring them their referred to catch back up with us with our process and our programming

[1:08:27] We're able to provide online options for credit recovery in addition to classes that they can take simultaneously while they're here.

[1:08:35] That's kind of that second group and the reasons why they're behind could be a variety of reasons academically and socially emotionally.

[1:08:43] And then the third group that we do serve our students who have been expelled with an alternative placement, held in advance of an expulsion.

[1:08:51] Typically, if they're not able to be placed or accepted at other alternative programs in

[1:08:55] our region, like the ready program or other alternative programs that serve more as safe schools

[1:09:02] for students who have been expelled, if those schools are full or if they are not accepted

[1:09:06] there, then we would typically take them either for part of the day or some kind of individualized

[1:09:12] plan between homebound, online learning and us. And so we serve those types of three groups of

[1:09:19] is typically who we serve through that referral process.

[1:09:22] The referrals can have to be parent-approved and agreed upon and they can be generated.

[1:09:28] The requests can come from families, but they have to be approved by the building administration

[1:09:33] and us as we work through that process.

[1:09:36] Last school year we served at total of 47 students across the middle school and high school.

[1:09:41] In the year but before we had 34 total students, so we increased, of course, as you can see.

[1:09:46] There's just a real quick breakdown demographically.

[1:09:49] It's a very diverse mix of students, not just racially and so

[1:09:53] economically, but a wide variety of different reasons and needs for

[1:09:58] for needing us and for being with us.

[1:09:59] And so that's just a real quick overview there and a reminder of our staff at the bottom.

[1:10:04] Sorry, I like to take time to really, there's always

[1:10:07] questions about how students are placed at Tiger Academy.

[1:10:10] So I always want to, I think I lost battery or something.

[1:10:21] Thanks Sean.

[1:10:23] Okay. All right. So last year, this is just a real quick overview of what we do.

[1:10:30] So our alternative programming, we really tried to have a low student-to-step teacher ratio.

[1:10:36] We really try to emphasize a calm space, fewer distractions, being able to be more

[1:10:42] individualized with their schedules. Some students are able to have shortened school days,

[1:10:47] based on their needs, based on whatever the situation might be. We really try to emphasize

[1:10:51] flexible learning environments, literally with the furniture that we have, if you were to walk

[1:10:59] through classrooms or to see some of the other spaces, you would see a wide variety of types

[1:11:02] of seating, and that's on purpose, that's intentional to try to create something different and unique

[1:11:08] and non-traditional for students. We already know that the traditional setting has not been working

[1:11:12] well for them, so we really try to change it up and be much more flexible and different with

[1:11:18] students that we serve. We really try to provide an emotionally supportive environment for students

[1:11:23] to be successful as well. Last year, a real quick overview of academic supports in classes that we

[1:11:31] provide. So we do a lot with credit recovery with an online program called Apex Learning and we

[1:11:38] coupled that with hybrid learning models with Google classroom at the middle school and high school.

[1:11:42] So, for example, for some students, it works better to take biology via Google classroom

[1:11:49] and not be physically present at the high school for biology, but they're still with the

[1:11:54] exact same curriculum that their peers are using in biology at UHS, and we work with the

[1:11:59] teacher via Google classroom to provide that class.

[1:12:02] We don't have any licensed science teachers on staff at Tiger Academy, so sciences typically

[1:12:07] either have to be at the other school site or online with apex or with the hybrid model

[1:12:12] Google classroom. The rest of these classes that are belated are classes that we provide with live instructors

[1:12:19] and up to about 10 students in each class with each teacher. We typically have every class as two adults.

[1:12:27] So one teacher and one co-teacher or one teacher and one assistant with most of our classes.

[1:12:32] So all of the math is all of the math classes.

[1:12:37] algebra 1, algebra 2, geometry in high school level, and we've offered middle school math as well.

[1:12:43] Social studies were able, we've been offering civics in middle school social studies.

[1:12:47] We'll describe what we're going to offer next year, we're adding more social studies classes.

[1:12:52] As well as English classes with English 9, that's our most popular, or most populated class,

[1:12:58] because that's often a class that students have failed and are having to retake it, so we've offered that in person here with students.

[1:13:05] as well as art as an elective physical education if you've walked through this

[1:13:09] background you've seen our new weight room that we've built over the last

[1:13:12] couple of years so we do a lot of fitness-based physical education with

[1:13:15] students as well as some other elective classes with 21st century skills and we

[1:13:21] are an avid site also we offer the avid elective just like the middle school and

[1:13:25] high school do as well so that's a real quick overview of what we provided

[1:13:29] last year with classes, I haven't taken those lines.

[1:13:34] No.

[1:13:35] It's coming up.

[1:13:36] Okay.

[1:13:36] You're next.

[1:13:37] So this is just a real quick picture of Ms. None who offers in collaboration with Ms.

[1:13:42] Breds, our English classes.

[1:13:44] And so this was a day that they went to their benefit library to get a library card

[1:13:48] and to really emphasize checking out novels and reading and those sorts of things.

[1:13:52] So this is just a quick picture.

[1:13:54] That's not all the students that were in an English nine that was just all the students

[1:13:57] that wanted to take a picture of that day.

[1:13:59] And now pass it over to Ms. Brets.

[1:14:02] And one more slide.

[1:14:04] So real quick, we do a lot of social emotional learning

[1:14:07] and emphasis on that emotional regulation for students.

[1:14:12] A lot of some of the students, or maybe more than half

[1:14:15] of the students, have had negative behaviors

[1:14:18] in their previous school years at the middle school

[1:14:21] high school.

[1:14:22] So we really try to emphasize a lot of emotional regulation,

[1:14:25] and conflict resolution.

[1:14:27] We do that daily with advisory classes, with SEO lessons,

[1:14:31] goal setting, a lot of community building,

[1:14:34] a lot of relationship building with students

[1:14:36] in a variety of different ways.

[1:14:38] We really emphasize restorative practices.

[1:14:40] We really try to teach and work with students

[1:14:42] on how to resolve conflict with our words

[1:14:44] at the appropriate age level of middle school.

[1:14:48] It's challenging.

[1:14:50] A lot of the students that are here are here

[1:14:51] because of physical fights that they've been in.

[1:14:54] and so really trying to rewire the response to disagreements and conflict.

[1:15:00] It's a challenge, it's hard work, but it's important work and it's hard work for us and something that we really emphasize.

[1:15:07] We also do a lot of work with long-term goal setting, so not just the day-to-day, but especially high schoolers preparing for post-secondary, which we'll get into in a few slides.

[1:15:18] So a couple of these pictures you can see some students that are leading social-emotional learning activities, as well as doing other work to help with in those areas.

[1:15:27] One of the points of pride for us and the three and a half years that we've been open and the students that we've served here

[1:15:33] We've only had one real physical altercation that's happened in the building and a lot of the students that we've had

[1:15:40] That we've served have had our place here because of multiple fights, and so I say that because we're very intentional with trying to create a different type of space and

[1:15:50] Retaching some of those skills to be more restorative and less conflict based

[1:15:56] Okay.

[1:15:58] Student outcomes.

[1:15:59] So one of my responsibilities, the Tiger Academy, is to collect data.

[1:16:05] And mostly that's used for our grant purposes.

[1:16:08] All of our grants are asking for different goals and different data to come to them.

[1:16:13] And so one of my jobs is to compile all of our data at the end of the semester.

[1:16:18] So that we can see both internally and what we have to send externally what our progress looks like for students.

[1:16:24] So I get to talk about the student right here

[1:16:28] pying me in the face.

[1:16:29] You can't tell, but that's me.

[1:16:31] I'm the left side, and Mr. JJ are getting pied in the face.

[1:16:35] So all that to say, because we are attendance,

[1:16:38] if you can see from the top of the slide,

[1:16:40] we had a 56% average attendance rate for the whole year.

[1:16:44] So our students are coming to school

[1:16:45] about half of the time.

[1:16:47] We would like that to be higher.

[1:16:49] Of course, we had a 58% of students improve from fall to spring, which is good, but we still would like that to be higher.

[1:16:58] So one of the things we did back in February was we created an attendance incentive plan where we had reached out to community organizations,

[1:17:08] stores, restaurants, to receive donations, and we started a weekly and monthly attendance incentive program.

[1:17:17] And we, one of the closing rewards with students get to buy a staff member of choice in a phase,

[1:17:25] so you can see me in Mr. J.J. right here in this picture. But during that time,

[1:17:29] They didn't choose misleadier.

[1:17:31] No.

[1:17:32] I don't know why.

[1:17:34] They want to pie their favorite teacher.

[1:17:37] They don't.

[1:17:39] So during that incentive program, we had 11 students come 80% and more of the time.

[1:17:46] 25, coming more than 50% of the time, and those were upper numbers, like 60, 70%.

[1:17:54] And so stuff like that works for our students.

[1:17:56] being able to have fun and engaging them with prizes and rewards.

[1:18:02] We don't have a large number of students, so it's easy for us to get some of those smaller donations

[1:18:08] to give to our students and something like that helps.

[1:18:11] We do want to continue working on our attendance, so we need our students here to help support them.

[1:18:18] So we want them here, we want them here more the time.

[1:18:20] Students who were not consistently attending during this past year,

[1:18:24] It was for a variety of reasons, and we continued to reach out to the students and monitor them with home visits and phone calls and

[1:18:32] different other supports and check-ins.

[1:18:38] For academics, we have a little bit better data to show.

[1:18:42] It's the in-back in August of last year. We had 13 of our high school students start the year in August,

[1:18:49] reclassified in a below grade level. So if they were supposed to be a sophomore, they were reclassified as a freshman because they didn't have enough credits to be

[1:18:57] more and throughout the other grade levels too. So of those students who ended the year still

[1:19:03] in her band of school district still tiger academy students with six of them who were fully

[1:19:07] caught up in on track to be at the right grade level and five actually graduated high school which

[1:19:13] is a huge celebration for us. One finished early in December and the other four finished in May

[1:19:19] and one of those four that finished in May finished an entire year early because she was able to

[1:19:27] credit options that Dr. Remeld just discussed. So we're really excited to have those

[1:19:34] graduation numbers. 61% of all of our high school students, not just the ones that

[1:19:40] started behind, but all of those students are on track for this coming year at the right

[1:19:45] grade level. 71% of them improved their overall GPA from fall to spring. And then of our

[1:19:53] school students 70% ended the year on track ready for their next grade level and we did have five

[1:19:59] students complete eighth grade and are ready to go to the high school.

[1:20:04] And so here are some pictures

[1:20:06] of some of our high school and middle school graduates. We do a little celebration here at

[1:20:12] Tiger Academy for our students as well as allowing them to participate in the UMS and UHS ceremonies.

[1:20:19] and several of them are now enrolled at Parkland that graduated from here as well, which I think is coming up with.

[1:20:28] Yeah, we did a lot this year with College and Career Readiness and Community Partnerships.

[1:20:34] One of the initiatives that we began last year was the Avid initiative.

[1:20:39] So we are an Avid site, so we try to incorporate College and Career Readiness skills throughout our building,

[1:20:45] and we also had five students in the actual Avid elective class.

[1:20:50] And so throughout the day and the school year, we had, we involved community partners with the goal of community partners and colleges and businesses with the goal of showing our students opportunities for a future beyond what they might have imagined themselves previously.

[1:21:13] So in November and March, we had the University of Illinois Graduate Society of Women Engineers

[1:21:20] come and join us and they facilitated STEM experiments with our students, our female students,

[1:21:28] our students were hooking up potatoes to electricity and creating finding DNA from strawberries.

[1:21:35] It was hands-on and really exciting.

[1:21:39] In November, we took a group of students to the JAC Vocal,

[1:21:43] I'm not going to get this right.

[1:21:44] 149 plumbers, pipe fitters, and service technicians open house.

[1:21:49] So they were learning about different career opportunities.

[1:21:51] In the trades, we had a representative from Carl Com and speak to our students in January to discuss different career paths in the healthcare field and how to get there too.

[1:22:04] So if you wanted to do this career, what type of education do you need to get to that?

[1:22:10] And then we also began taking groups of students to Dr. Williams

[1:22:14] and Urban Early Childhood School to volunteer, so they were going once a week.

[1:22:20] Sometimes twice a week, we would take the activity bus,

[1:22:25] and they would help with recess games, they would read the students, they would play games.

[1:22:31] So that was really rewarding for our high school students to be able to engage in that type of volunteer service work.

[1:22:41] We also did two college visits this past spring. We took a group of students to East or Millen, and then we also took a group to Parkland.

[1:22:49] And when we got back from Parkland, we had four students get right on the computers, ready to fill out applications to go to Parkland.

[1:22:58] So we were really excited about supporting our students through that process.

[1:23:02] And those that have graduated, we are still in contact with to try to support them with that next step of now that they are enrolled.

[1:23:12] How are we going to continue to support them while they're there?

[1:23:15] We also had street college who helped volunteer with us last year and meet with our students

[1:23:22] last year.

[1:23:22] They continued this year, engaging students in music and other engineering activities.

[1:23:29] So they came a few times.

[1:23:30] They have a separate program that meets that are being a free library and so a lot of our students

[1:23:34] started going to that on their own after school, which is really cool.

[1:23:39] So we really just wanted to bring all these opportunities for our students to show them what different opportunities look like and

[1:23:47] for them to see themselves in those roles. And that's something we really just kind of took off with last year

[1:23:54] and we want to continue doing more of that this year.

[1:23:59] And so here's some pictures.

[1:24:01] This is the group that went to Eastern.

[1:24:03] And then this is the group at Parkland and

[1:24:11] this is the street college,

[1:24:14] have some kids creating beats, doing some DJing.

[1:24:21] And so then the last student outcome I just wanted to reflect on was our improved

[1:24:25] relationships between our students and the school and families.

[1:24:30] So enrolled students of just really generally have expressed feeling positive about

[1:24:36] school. They feel that their peer relationships and their

[1:24:39] staff relationships are more positive than they've been in the past. They feel

[1:24:43] more connected. They feel more respected. And that's really just shows that when

[1:24:50] you have a small environment, you really get to know students in a different

[1:24:54] sort of way. And we like to joke around, but it's true. We're kind of a family here.

[1:24:59] So we have the good days and the bad days of being a family, but in the end we all

[1:25:03] come back together as a family and work through what we need to work through.

[1:25:08] So we've really been able to kind of show students a different way to trust education again

[1:25:16] and trust school again, maybe that they had lost that trust in in the past.

[1:25:21] We also this past spring collaborated with the CEO of Schools Foundation with a grant and

[1:25:28] another community partner and we had the documentary film that was created that I think

[1:25:33] you were able to come to the screening of, which really does capture that relationship feeling

[1:25:40] that our students feel and how they feel about Tiger Academy. So this is a picture of one of

[1:25:47] our advisory lessons where students were really just working together to solve a riddle or thinking

[1:25:54] strategy, not really riddled, but they're working together and kids that would have never really

[1:25:59] work together before and they're solving problems together.

[1:26:07] One more picture we did take an end of the year field trip to Crystal Lake Park, where we

[1:26:11] taught the kids how to fish, which was really fun.

[1:26:16] Most kids don't know how to fish, or have never been fishing, which is shocking to me, but

[1:26:21] they loved it.

[1:26:22] And the girl in the middle was the most proud of her fish, even though it was about not even

[1:26:27] a pound, I don't think so.

[1:26:29] Back to me, so, this past school year, we were able to continue some of the after school programming

[1:26:35] if you recall, when we first opened, we had the Freedom School grant and Freedom School

[1:26:39] programming happening that ended last year, but we were able to maintain mentorship groups

[1:26:45] after school. The self-made Kings program has still been an operation for several years.

[1:26:50] We started an equivalent girls group called Besties, which was the Girls Mentorship and then

[1:26:56] manifest group, which was a continuation from last year, but shifted to the House here at

[1:27:01] Tiger Academy, where high schoolers were mentoring middle schoolers here with our staff,

[1:27:06] and was a great program that involved many students at multiple levels.

[1:27:10] And so we're going to continue hopefully with these afterschool types of mentorship programming

[1:27:15] for students as we continue into the future years.

[1:27:20] Here's just a quick overview of our plans for this school year.

[1:27:23] As I mentioned earlier, our grants have all ended.

[1:27:26] Other than, we do have one new after school grant,

[1:27:29] which I'll talk about in just a moment.

[1:27:31] But the day time, what has funded our day time programming

[1:27:33] has dried up, and those grants are not able to be renewed

[1:27:37] at least at this time.

[1:27:38] So the district and board, we really appreciate

[1:27:41] your support of maintaining what we've been able to do

[1:27:43] with a slight shift, which is bullet two,

[1:27:46] where, for the start of the school year,

[1:27:47] we're gonna focus just only on high schoolers.

[1:27:51] All but two of our middle schoolers

[1:27:52] we're eighth graders last year anyway.

[1:27:54] So those students are rolling up into high school

[1:27:56] and would continue with us.

[1:27:58] The two students that weren't eighth graders,

[1:28:00] we're going to continue to wrap around them

[1:28:02] at the building at the middle school,

[1:28:04] this school year to start the school year.

[1:28:06] And we want to spend some time thinking about new ways

[1:28:08] we can provide alternative programming

[1:28:10] within the building at UMS.

[1:28:13] Now that sixth graders won't be there,

[1:28:15] we have a little bit more flexibility

[1:28:17] within the building to create some new types

[1:28:19] of alternative programming inside the building.

[1:28:22] One of our greatest challenges, these past couple years, was the integration of middle

[1:28:26] schoolers and high schoolers here during the same time.

[1:28:30] As you know, a 16-year-old and a 12-year-old are very different, and their needs are very

[1:28:34] different, behaviorally, socially, academically.

[1:28:37] And we struggled with that at times, just the maturity levels, and those sorts of things.

[1:28:42] So that's one important reason.

[1:28:43] The other one is with the reducing of funding, really trying to focus on with the staff that

[1:28:49] do have increasing the number of high schoolers while we can to get more back on track and

[1:28:54] caught up.

[1:28:55] But with plans to start meeting this fall with UMS staff to start developing a plan and a

[1:29:04] program within the building or at the end of middle school.

[1:29:07] That's not to say maybe in the future we may never have middle schoolers back, but at least

[1:29:11] to start this school year and as we move forward we really believe that separating high

[1:29:15] and middle schoolers is a priority and so thinking about a new way to do that at the middle school level.

[1:29:21] While also with the new structures that are coming in at the sixth grade in the seven-eight level,

[1:29:27] kind of starting over with new systems and new routines and new programming and supports,

[1:29:33] our hope is that fewer students will need alternative programming at the middle school level.

[1:29:37] And so it's kind of rebranding and restarting all of that at the middle school level will be the work this year

[1:29:42] while we increase the number of high schoolers that are coming, the school you're here.

[1:29:47] Can I add one thing to this?

[1:29:48] I think another thing that we've talked about at the administrative level, and also with our new leaders at UMS, we have a full new administrative team there, so we also want to give them an opportunity.

[1:30:00] We need to really build the programming in some of the new initiatives that they want to house now

[1:30:07] for the 7th and 8th graders. But one thing that we've talked a lot with Beth land, our executive

[1:30:12] director for special services, is just the generalization of the skills from our middle school

[1:30:19] student. When they're here, one thing that we've seen is when you're individualizing, you're meeting

[1:30:26] students needs at such an individual high-intense level, it's been really difficult to generalize

[1:30:34] those skills back to when you're in a space with, well, with 900 kids as it has been, but now

[1:30:41] even going back with just the seventh and eighth graders. And that part has been, I think, really tricky,

[1:30:47] is we fear that by having students here, are we ever going to be able to get them back in a space

[1:30:53] where they can function as a typical middle schooler.

[1:30:57] And so we feel like having a space at UMS

[1:31:01] where they are on site.

[1:31:04] They are seeing those students every day.

[1:31:07] They may not be interacting with them in the same way.

[1:31:10] But they're in the building.

[1:31:11] They're part of that space.

[1:31:12] They feel like I'm still part of the school.

[1:31:16] Being able to generalize those skills back and forth

[1:31:18] from crossing over here when it is so small

[1:31:22] And it is so individualizing that the teacher to student ratio is so unique.

[1:31:27] It's been hard to generalize that back to that setting.

[1:31:30] Thank you for that.

[1:31:31] That's definitely.

[1:31:31] We should have even made that a bullet point.

[1:31:35] One of the two things we saw with middle schoolers was once they were here, they generally

[1:31:40] did much better when they were here because of all the different things.

[1:31:45] They would either, they and their families eventually would say, we no longer want them

[1:31:49] us when we just keep them here at Tiger Academy, which wasn't the original intent of

[1:31:53] Tiger Academy.

[1:31:54] So generalizing those behaviors as Dr. Britannia said, back to be able to transfer

[1:31:58] them back into the traditional setting, wasn't going, wasn't working well. And or when

[1:32:03] they would go back, it was just a real struggle for them and the staff that was working with

[1:32:08] them.

[1:32:09] And so we were always kind of struggle with that transition back and forth for middle schoolers,

[1:32:13] not as much of the high school level. We were able to, this was the right amount of

[1:32:18] of supports to be able to go back into the high school building and be more successful generally,

[1:32:23] not every single student, but much more successful at that level, so thank you for that reminder.

[1:32:29] We do have 29 now since we made this PowerPoint high school students schedule to start the

[1:32:35] school year here, which is more than we've had at once at the start of the year, which is a great

[1:32:40] that's a good thing, and we're hoping to continue to add students strategically as we move

[1:32:46] to at the school year at the high school level.

[1:32:48] Abbott implementation will be continuing,

[1:32:51] a really strong focus on attendance and academic gains

[1:32:54] and performance will continue to be a focus.

[1:32:57] And we're really excited about the district initiatives

[1:32:58] around the portion of the graduate, the strategic plan,

[1:33:02] the monthly mind sets with the seven mind sets,

[1:33:05] capitalizing and utilizing those resources

[1:33:07] with the SEL focus that we have here,

[1:33:09] we're really excited for that as well.

[1:33:12] And then just real quick overview of the classes

[1:33:16] We're providing this year very similar with the addition of new high school classes of U.S.

[1:33:22] history, another English class, English 10, another elective class and a continued special education support.

[1:33:31] So we're able to provide more for high schoolers by just focusing on high school than we have in the past,

[1:33:36] which will be a very positive initiative.

[1:33:40] And then this is just a real quick blur of evaluation phase two.

[1:33:44] It promises just two slides, and then we're done.

[1:33:47] So the program evaluation from SIU Carmendale,

[1:33:51] I have an appendix that you can read more on your own,

[1:33:54] but the researchers focused on these research questions

[1:33:58] in year two, as it relates to academic outcomes,

[1:34:02] and you can see that what their findings are.

[1:34:04] These are just pulled from an article

[1:34:06] that they're publishing right now, or a chapter

[1:34:08] they're publishing, but seeing increases

[1:34:10] and academic performance over 80% of students

[1:34:12] had an increase in their math and reading scores, according to Matt, and so on and so forth

[1:34:18] with GPA improvements that Natalie's already mentioned.

[1:34:20] Motivation attendance, they interviewed students and parents and surveyed students and parents

[1:34:25] about their own motivation and their kind of social emotional well-being at Tiger Academy and

[1:34:33] they see that they're more confident and more motivated now that their at Tiger Academy attendance

[1:34:37] is still an issue as we've talked about, but wanting to continue to focus on that.

[1:34:41] a couple more questions. What are the degree and response of disciplinary incidents?

[1:34:45] So they've seen a significant decrease in behavior infractions from students once they

[1:34:49] started sending cyber Academy, which is our goal of ours compared to their previous

[1:34:55] academic or behavioral experience. Disciplinary incidents are less serious and less common here

[1:35:02] than at the high school and middle school and they're overall behavior improved at the middle

[1:35:07] when high school as well, generally speaking.

[1:35:11] Restored of practices are favored rather than

[1:35:14] more serious out of school or in school suspensions.

[1:35:17] We only suspended two students all year last year.

[1:35:20] And these are students that have had multiple

[1:35:22] multiple suspensions or expulsions in the past.

[1:35:25] And then the last research question,

[1:35:26] what's happened to students, social emotional achievements,

[1:35:28] are students experiencing the patience, maturity,

[1:35:31] feeling less angry, more excited to be in school,

[1:35:35] et cetera, higher self-esteem.

[1:35:36] So we appreciated the program evaluation was required by one of our grants, but it's helped us

[1:35:44] drive some of the work that we've done, and it's also been nice to get outside perspective

[1:35:48] on the evaluation of what we're doing well, what we need to improve upon. So if you were to look

[1:35:53] into, that's just a real quick overview, undoubtedly supporting the growth of students who have

[1:35:59] struggled in traditional classrooms, we were excited to see that statement. Not just academics,

[1:36:04] but life skills, which was a great press to see.

[1:36:08] The remaining slides are just a pinnicks of phase one,

[1:36:11] and they're sending us more phase two results soon

[1:36:14] that I can share with the board as well.

[1:36:15] But we'll take this time to answer any questions

[1:36:18] that the board may have.

[1:36:20] The board members, any questions?

[1:36:24] Did you serve six graders in the past year?

[1:36:27] This past school year was there a sixth grader?

[1:36:30] The previous years we've had six graders before.

[1:36:33] This past year we did not have any sixth graders that were referred

[1:36:36] There were a couple that were referred and placed it ready, but not here.

[1:36:41] Okay.

[1:36:42] So, if I'm just curious, you have the same amount of staff, you had in previous years,

[1:36:50] and you're going to really, are you going to have some permanently stationed here and some

[1:36:57] permanently stationed at the middle school?

[1:37:00] Staff, you mean staff.

[1:37:02] So everyone will be based out of here, all of the staff, but we are scheduling times where

[1:37:08] they're going to the middle school to do work with students, either mentorship groups,

[1:37:13] coaching into classrooms, primarily in the middle of the day, and into the afternoon.

[1:37:19] But it'll be scheduled with students based on their needs, based on where they're struggling.

[1:37:22] It's not officially scheduled in their day yet because they'll be based on students.

[1:37:26] But they'll be in regular classes the rest of the time.

[1:37:29] Yes.

[1:37:30] Are you figuring you're not going to serve six graders? Because they can't walk across straight.

[1:37:37] Yep, not this school year.

[1:37:39] Okay.

[1:37:43] What is the capacity for the students at Tiger Academy that you can have?

[1:37:49] I told a number of students.

[1:37:51] We've, the past last school year, we set it like the cap at 40.

[1:37:56] We got up to 37 or 38, which felt about right.

[1:38:00] By now just having high schoolers, we think we could get 40, 45, but it really is going to

[1:38:06] depend on the classes they need.

[1:38:09] And maintaining that balance of, we don't want classes to become 20 students in a class

[1:38:15] like it would be at the high school because we already know that they struggle with larger

[1:38:19] class sizes, right?

[1:38:21] So we're trying to maintain the balance of 10 or less in each section in each class that

[1:38:26] they're in, but increasing the total number of students that are here at different times.

[1:38:30] So a general ballpark 45 is kind of what we're looking at.

[1:38:35] And those 45 students wouldn't be here at the same time.

[1:38:38] So some of our students are here in the morning,

[1:38:40] and then they're at the high school and after noon,

[1:38:42] and vice versa, or they're going back and forth at different times.

[1:38:46] So we rarely, there's maybe like some time in the middle of the day,

[1:38:49] we have a big number, but it adds in flows

[1:38:52] throughout the day based on the students' individual schedules.

[1:38:58] In dollars, how much money have you lost with the loss of your grants for the upcoming years?

[1:39:06] Year for annual.

[1:39:07] I have a number at the top of my head, but maybe at least at least 500.

[1:39:15] Yeah, I was thinking, right around 600,000 is what we've had in grants.

[1:39:22] The last few years now.

[1:39:24] In the event, unfortunately, we do have some middle schoolers, sometimes who we do have to

[1:39:30] expel.

[1:39:31] So Tiger Cady, we will no longer be an option for it, but ready is still an option for them

[1:39:39] and other alternative placements that they may qualify for.

[1:39:43] And we're ready to get flexible and creative with them too, but just not during the school

[1:39:48] day when high schoolers are here.

[1:39:49] Right. Okay. Also, if you can convey to us some of your needs that you have some of us up

[1:39:57] along to other organizations that would, you know, like to help supplement if your needs

[1:40:01] if they're, we are able to do that. So if you can make that known. Sure. And thank you for

[1:40:06] your work. It's very needed in our district. And for the students that are successful, we are

[1:40:12] glad that you have played a role in their success. Thank you.

[1:40:19] We all kind of joke with this,

[1:40:20] But we all say this is the best jobs we've ever had, but I think it's true, we really love

[1:40:25] it.

[1:40:25] This work.

[1:40:27] And so we appreciate the support, financially, and emotionally, and I'll all live.

[1:40:37] All right, thank you for a really great presentation.

[1:40:39] I always look forward to seeing you guys.

[1:40:41] Thank you.

[1:40:42] Appreciate it.

[1:40:47] We have two administrative reports this evening.

[1:40:49] The first one is, and Emma Wave from the Champaign Urbana Public Health District.

[1:40:55] So this is annual we renew it every year. Nothing changed. It basically is our agreement that they come in and they do the dental clinics.

[1:41:06] They do the dental screenings. We provide them a space. They provide the dentists.

[1:41:13] In the results, we provide the students, of course, we send out the permission slips, we really

[1:41:21] highly encourage very specific grade levels where dental is like second graders, so they don't

[1:41:28] get any student information, unless the parents fill out the slips saying they want them

[1:41:34] to be seen by the dentist when they come here.

[1:41:36] So it is basically just kind of our annual agreement that we, we, we enter into with them every year.

[1:41:43] So no changes.

[1:41:45] Yes, this is one of the items on our consent agenda lately this evening.

[1:41:49] But if you any board member has questions or which is discussed the MOA,

[1:41:54] it's now will be appropriate time to do so.

[1:41:59] Okay.

[1:42:00] Our second administrative report this evening is for a,

[1:42:03] a salary allocations for substitute teachers and teaching assistance.

[1:42:06] Thank you. Yeah, I don't have a formal presentation. It was just to request a raise.

[1:42:12] We have not given our substitute teachers, TAs, long-term subs are raised.

[1:42:16] In a couple of years, last year we were at our freeze and so I'm asking if we could raise the rate

[1:42:21] 3% just to be competitive with other districts in our area.

[1:42:28] Any questions for you?

[1:42:30] What is the rate now?

[1:42:31] Right now for our daily subs. It's 160 a day.

[1:42:35] currently unit four pays one seventy five a day so if we were to give a three percent

[1:42:40] raise for our daily subs it would raise them to one sixty four eighty. And so we

[1:42:45] suggested the three percent just because of CPI so it still doesn't get us as close

[1:42:51] but the subs have been requested raises last year we didn't come through and so if we

[1:42:57] can it be nice to be able to give a three percent raise across the board. What's the

[1:43:02] for retired teachers as a thing. No, it is higher for it. So this would be a 3% race for each

[1:43:08] category of subs. So, for example, our long-term subs and our bandemake $240 a day. That means

[1:43:14] that they're filling in a place of a teacher. So even our long-term subs who have, they have

[1:43:20] teaching degrees. They went to school to be teachers, but we have some that have had a hard time

[1:43:25] passing the teacher licensure tests. And their pay per day is $240 per day in unit

[1:43:32] for that's $253.90 and so with the 3% raise that would bring them up to 247-20 and this

[1:43:39] is the time of year where it's very competitive for us to secure. We don't plug in our long-term

[1:43:46] subs until August because we're still hiring.

[1:43:54] Any other questions?

[1:43:57] Again, this is something else

[1:43:59] that's on our consent agenda. Let's just coming up next. One more question. I know that last year

[1:44:06] was a good surprise that we had extra money

[1:44:09] at the end of the fiscal year

[1:44:10] because we budgeted for teachers

[1:44:13] that weren't hired or we couldn't fill.

[1:44:16] Do we know how much extra money we have

[1:44:20] after last fiscal year from that same situation?

[1:44:24] That might be a question for Mary Ann,

[1:44:27] but it's hard to know how much will need every year for subs.

[1:44:32] I mean the goal is to fill the classrooms

[1:44:34] with the license teachers

[1:44:35] and have the fewer amount of subs, but for like the day-to-day subs with the teachers being

[1:44:40] sick or personal days were so on and we're going to have those and so the question

[1:44:43] ran in, I don't know if you heard it. It was what, so what type of budget do we maybe have

[1:44:48] left over for vacancies, a positions that, um, from the other budget? Yeah, from last year's budget, right?

[1:44:57] I'll have to get back to you on that one.

[1:45:00] I have like I did get about how much we paid in subs for last year for teachers, which was like 2.3 million for the year, and but like Angie said it's really hard to budget for that because it just depends teachers have days in their contract that they're allowed to use, and so it varies.

[1:45:23] One day to point that might be helpful is Angie has the data from the last couple years,

[1:45:29] a number of long-term subs that we've had, that number has gone down, and when you think

[1:45:34] about that we typically budget around 65,000 for a teacher, is that the number that we're

[1:45:41] still using in 65?

[1:45:44] So, you want to give that progression of how much you should do a little bit, which is a positive.

[1:45:49] It is a positive.

[1:45:50] So, you know, the goal is to continue to increase teacher retention from the 2223 school year to the 2324 school year.

[1:46:04] We retained 80% of teachers from 2324 to 2425.

[1:46:09] We retained 87% of teachers.

[1:46:12] And from that last year, 2425 to those returning now, 2526, we retained 88%.

[1:46:18] So that is also in a line with our strategic plan.

[1:46:22] We are hoping to raise that 1% per year.

[1:46:26] Strong and consistent building leadership matters greatly in terms of retaining teachers.

[1:46:31] But for long-term subs in the 23-24-square, we had 89 long-term subs.

[1:46:37] Last-square, we had 75.

[1:46:40] Currently, we have 27 long-term subs.

[1:46:43] We still have a little over 30 vacancies, but a lot of the folks that are serving as our

[1:46:51] long-term subs are in school that we are helping them finish their degrees through

[1:46:56] teacher vacancy grant tuition and fee assistance through various programs in the state as well

[1:47:01] as advocating at the state level, because our teacher licensure test, the folks that are not

[1:47:13] and it has been deemed by several folks,

[1:47:16] myself included, that it's a racially biased test.

[1:47:19] And so if you ever want to advocate at the state level,

[1:47:22] we have several people that deserve to be paid

[1:47:25] as our teachers and to get the same benefits.

[1:47:29] So even with 30 vacancies, plus the number we know we have,

[1:47:33] that's still going to be in the mid-50s,

[1:47:35] which is a decrease from 75 to year before.

[1:47:40] So, yep.

[1:47:43] Do you have them to know what, but they get through the rental rate is?

[1:47:48] Usually rentals under us, and so I always look at unit 4 since it's right here.

[1:47:52] I can google it real quick.

[1:47:53] I had it from a couple years ago, but let me see.

[1:47:55] Yeah, I thought they had raised it recently.

[1:47:58] I can look.

[1:47:59] That's my concern as we're also competing with them.

[1:48:02] Yep.

[1:48:05] Usually triggers a domino.

[1:48:06] So it will raise hours,

[1:48:09] rental will raise their champagne,

[1:48:11] will raise their problem next year.

[1:48:14] But let's just do it.

[1:48:16] It depends on where we fall

[1:48:16] when the negotiation cycle is.

[1:48:18] I understand we're trying to be physically conservative.

[1:48:21] I just wonder if three percent is enough.

[1:48:23] That's what I was getting at.

[1:48:24] Three percent is not very much at the end of the day,

[1:48:27] but we didn't percentage-wise,

[1:48:29] I didn't know if I should request more than that.

[1:48:32] I understood.

[1:48:32] You don't understand.

[1:48:33] And I get a lot, we have a lot,

[1:48:35] I mean, we lost grants, we're covering a lot of expensive and other places.

[1:48:39] Yeah.

[1:48:40] I'd love to go.

[1:48:40] And we landed at 3% because that's the race that we gave our non-linear supports.

[1:48:46] All right.

[1:48:47] And this is not like something we can't address later on.

[1:48:52] Yep.

[1:48:53] If you're struggling hiring subs for example, we're going to address this later.

[1:48:57] Yep.

[1:48:58] We've done really well.

[1:48:59] Like we're doing, we have some very special retention efforts with our substitute teachers

[1:49:03] and just support and general with our teacher,

[1:49:05] big and secret funds.

[1:49:07] And so we're going to much better place than we were

[1:49:09] four or five years ago with substitute teachers.

[1:49:12] But they do deserve a raise.

[1:49:13] They're working hard just like everybody else.

[1:49:14] And the price of groceries and everything else continues to go up.

[1:49:19] Any other questions?

[1:49:23] Did I hear correctly that you budget $65,000 for teacher?

[1:49:28] With our base level.

[1:49:30] Base level.

[1:49:30] Thank for a new teacher.

[1:49:31] Thank you for having me.

[1:49:32] OK, I just want to make sure I thank you.

[1:49:36] I have a question, do you know what the retention rate is for the different schools for teachers?

[1:49:42] Yes.

[1:49:43] I could.

[1:49:43] About 87% retention.

[1:49:46] Yeah.

[1:49:47] Overall, like district-wide with all the teachers.

[1:49:49] I can get that for you and break it down by school.

[1:49:52] I don't want to tell you my gut.

[1:49:55] I mean, I can tell you that there's a couple of schools that have had higher turnover.

[1:49:59] and are typically a little bit harder to fill

[1:50:01] or be in a middle school is the number one.

[1:50:04] It's really hard to be a middle school teacher

[1:50:06] and there's just, that's what another reason

[1:50:08] we're hoping to have the division between the two levels

[1:50:12] to just make it a little bit easier for kids to learn

[1:50:15] and teachers to teach too.

[1:50:17] So I can get those numbers for you, I just don't have them off my.

[1:50:19] That's an essay.

[1:50:20] One thing I was also wondering is,

[1:50:23] I don't know if this is ever a protocol,

[1:50:25] but is it protocol to change the rate for what grade level somebody's teacher?

[1:50:33] So you're having a trouble getting people at the middle school?

[1:50:36] Yep, so yeah, so I'm all for that.

[1:50:39] That's something that has to be negotiated with our union and and talked about.

[1:50:44] We do have a higher referral rate if you because the middle school's been harder to fill.

[1:50:49] If a current staff member refers a new teacher to the middle level,

[1:50:53] 6, 7, 3, 8. They get a $500 bonus for referring them. If they refer any teacher in the district

[1:50:58] it's $250. But right now if it's a special education teacher or somebody that works with

[1:51:03] our middle-level students, it's $500. So we try to do little things like that to attract

[1:51:09] where it's at. But yeah, as a former middle school principal, that would be great.

[1:51:15] There was a provision added to the last new contract that allows for some level of differentiated

[1:51:21] pay in areas that are hard to hire, that is negotiated annually between administration and

[1:51:29] the E and S to which positions are hard to hire, and it's not just for the incoming staff

[1:51:34] members, but for the already existing staff members who are filling that role.

[1:51:40] So what rules I guess are qualified as hard to hire right now?

[1:51:44] Sure, hard to fill.

[1:51:45] Hard to fill.

[1:51:46] So the hard to fill positions, we have a lot of 50 stipends.

[1:51:51] annually for the last contract negotiations and it's actually a retention and retention and recruitment

[1:52:00] as opposed to recruitment and retention. So we want to retain the people that we have. So for

[1:52:03] example, last school year, our school psychologist, part of the Heart to Field Group, we were short

[1:52:11] two people and so they were deemed in that group agreed upon with the Union and administration. So

[1:52:18] current person serving as a school psychologist also received that hard to feel

[1:52:22] stipend. It wasn't just for people that we hired in. So we wanted to value the

[1:52:27] staff members that we're serving that role too.

[1:52:30] Past positions that have fallen into this category have been dual-engaged teachers, have been various

[1:52:36] speed teachers, have been the school psychologist. It's hard, because we only have 50 stipends,

[1:52:41] and we have more than 50 teachers at the middle level. And so is hard to say every middle school

[1:52:46] teacher is, you know, hard to feel positions. We don't have enough to do all that. That would have to be

[1:52:50] something that would come out in negotiations. But the future is bright. I mean, the sixth grade

[1:52:54] center staffing has been really solid. UMS is picking up. It's just it takes a while to be able to kind of change the narrative of public perception and teacher perception.

[1:53:09] But I think an 88% retention rate is outstanding. We're not being, well, I'm not going to want to say anything else.

[1:53:19] any other questions all right moving on to our action items which are listed as part of

[1:53:26] the senate agenda I'll go ahead and read out the entire senate agenda and if any board

[1:53:30] member wishes to have particular actually removed from the senate agenda and vote on individually

[1:53:35] you can indicate after I've read them 11.1 is a long list of personal items which is typical

[1:53:41] for the start of a school year. 12.2 is approval of the 2025 Urbana High School Graduates.

[1:53:48] 11.3 is the MOU from the with the Japan Urbana Public Health District, which we discussed

[1:53:56] as part of the administrative report. 11.4 is a fee schedule for access to district public

[1:54:03] records which we discussed in Porterports and 11.5 is a fiscal year 26 salary allocation for

[1:54:12] some of the teachers which we just finished discussion. Does anybody wish to have any of

[1:54:16] these particular actions removed from the consent agenda?

[1:54:21] Hearing none, the Chair of Intertain

[1:54:23] Emotion to approve the entire consent agenda as read. Second, the moon is secited, any further

[1:54:29] comments, questions or discussion? Roll call please.

[1:54:34] member of our group. Yes, member Jones. Yes, member Langendorf. Yes, Vice President

[1:54:40] Vaxley. Yes. President Flowsky. Yes. Members Cheryl. Yes. And member Hickson. Yes.

[1:54:47] Motion passes.

[1:54:51] There is no call for future, especially executive meetings. Although we're going

[1:54:55] to have a quick succession after dies meeting for the purpose of personnel with no action

[1:55:00] taken for the board after the exact session.

[1:55:03] So pretend it's a report.

[1:55:06] So while John is pulling that up, I

[1:55:08] don't want to do show until because I'm too far away from it.

[1:55:11] But if you go to the next slide, John.

[1:55:15] So we are starting to put out some of our strategic planning

[1:55:17] signage.

[1:55:18] So right here, we took down our little vinyl posters

[1:55:21] that were back there and we put up one of these.

[1:55:24] We're going to hang one of these at our high school as well.

[1:55:27] So this is just showing the the priority areas for our strategic plan if and there is a QR code where you can access some information about the process and the plan coming soon.

[1:55:41] If you go to the next one John.

[1:55:44] We have created mission posters that are going to be hanging in all the buildings relaying our new mission to create a supportive community to equip and nurture all learners to achieve success.

[1:55:56] So we have these translators, so we have Spanish versions, French versions that will hang in our multi-lingual spaces.

[1:56:05] And we also have a new values poster, which is, we just received these all today.

[1:56:11] So John, we're going to go to the next one.

[1:56:13] This poster will also be hanging in our all of our school spaces to show that as a district we value belonging, community integrity and pride.

[1:56:24] So we'll be talking about these things through, of course, in everything that we do, but I'm very excited to be able to show student representation and staff representation on the images that relay what we value and what our new mission is.

[1:56:39] those are hot out the press we just picked they were just delivered today. So six

[1:56:43] grace and a ribbon cutting and open house so just as a reminder to anyone

[1:56:48] listening Friday's event is very much geared to staff students and their

[1:56:53] families. I know there have been many many people who have stopped me in the community

[1:56:57] and want to come to see the building and we encourage those folks to come on Monday,

[1:57:03] August 11th. I will have people available to tour you know walk you around

[1:57:07] the building, but we really want Friday night to be about our kids and about our teachers and

[1:57:14] their families. So we have a couple special activities for our students to make their mark in

[1:57:22] being the first class of six graders, so it's in the sixth grade centers, so there are a couple

[1:57:26] of activities for them. The teachers, where we were just given access to the building today

[1:57:33] And so teachers started arriving today to pick up their keys, and to go in the start setting up their classrooms, so people do need to manage their expectations.

[1:57:44] I mean, by Friday, the building is not going to work in every single room and every single bullet in board.

[1:57:50] Like it will when the students arrive on August 18th, but you will be able to see the spaces and really really see the building and how it's transformed in the last.

[1:58:02] year. So again, 530 p.m., we'll cut the ribbon right around that time and then invite

[1:58:09] families in classrooms. We'll now all be open because not every teacher has come back

[1:58:15] yet to start setting up their spaces, but the common areas will be available on the new section.

[1:58:23] Of course, we'll be available and we don't anticipate it to be a final view, but we did just want

[1:58:31] everyone to be able to get in and see it.

[1:58:34] We've, today, we had some families start bringing their students in who have some special

[1:58:40] needs who just kind of want to walk around and familiarize themselves.

[1:58:44] So we're really excited that we were able to get other people there today and kind of get

[1:58:50] in their spaces, so it's been great.

[1:58:53] And then our back to school event, so we are having a back to school event for the first

[1:58:58] in several years. So we will be outside or

[1:59:01] abandonmentals will weather permitting. I'm not

[1:59:03] claiming any bad weather, but it's going to be

[1:59:05] great. 530 on August 15th before the week in the

[1:59:11] Friday before our students start. We have food. We're

[1:59:15] going to have hot dogs and chips. Kona ice will be

[1:59:19] there to give out a free little slushy. They'll be

[1:59:24] prizes. We'll introduce our seven mindsets to our

[1:59:28] you through show up. We have about 25 community partners who have signed up to have

[1:59:36] community resources available and they'll be out there at their tables to give

[1:59:39] out information to all of our families and then we'll go over to the the field

[1:59:45] and hear more about the fall sports team so we really want to encourage all of

[1:59:51] our youth to come out to our events because again our goal is for every single one of

[1:59:58] So they need to really see it and be excited.

[2:00:00] So please join us on the 15th or night of family fun.

[2:00:07] Meet the teacher and supply drop off nights. So again, back to school nights will happen at the buildings as they have in the past.

[2:00:17] So you can see on this document, I know some of the board members like to go to specific schools. So you might want to jot down when those events are happening.

[2:00:25] Again, this is not a mandatory student visit with your teacher time.

[2:00:30] It isn't parent teacher conference time.

[2:00:32] It is really designed to be, I bring my supplies.

[2:00:35] I know where I'm picking up, I know where I'm jobbing off, my kid knows where to wait for me.

[2:00:40] Just an opportunity for you to walk around the school and familiarize yourself with the building.

[2:00:45] If you're a new parent and new to our district, so those will be happening at early childhood

[2:00:51] in our elementary spaces.

[2:00:54] The secondary schools, sixth grade center, UMS, and UHS, there are more open houses instead

[2:01:03] of welcome back nights.

[2:01:05] So for the sixth grade center, the building will look very different by August 20th, and then

[2:01:11] it will this Friday.

[2:01:13] And then the middle is one high school.

[2:01:14] They will run those events more so as open house events.

[2:01:18] So you drop in, you walk around, you get to see teachers.

[2:01:21] So please write down those dates and go to any of those events and remember board members.

[2:01:27] We can have two more than two board members in these spaces as long as we're not discussing any board topics or anything like that.

[2:01:35] But you're more than welcome to for everyone to join us in any of these back to school events.

[2:01:42] new teacher orientation we welcome Paul did a great job welcoming as board president he

[2:01:48] represented you all very well and welcoming our about 60ish new teachers who were at

[2:01:55] orientation yesterday I was able to welcome them and spend the morning with them so this is the

[2:01:59] class of 2025 for our new teacher orientation higher group and just a really unique group of people

[2:02:07] And they were all very, very happy to be part new members of the Urban

[2:02:11] and the family.

[2:02:15] Opening day, 2025.

[2:02:17] So we have shared out our theme, postcards have all been delivered.

[2:02:22] And the theme for this year is the time is now.

[2:02:26] If you plan to attend, make sure you let Lori know.

[2:02:30] Paul will welcome our staff again.

[2:02:33] We always have a short time for reflections from the board

[2:02:37] President, our UEA president, Mayor Williams, has confirmed that he will also be able to attend

[2:02:44] and welcome staff back, and we always invite you to school foundation because they are always

[2:02:49] great about giving us great money, so they really hype the teachers up.

[2:02:53] One of the unique things we're going to do this year is you've been hearing about seven mindsets,

[2:02:58] of course, we're going to have the presentation about the mindsets before the board here is very

[2:03:05] but our staff will get to experience the seven mindsets as well and so we'll have

[2:03:11] stations available as people come into the building and they'll have little

[2:03:16] seven mindsets little passports that they can fill out so it'll be a little

[2:03:20] different vibe for opening day this year but also really exciting. So our theme

[2:03:26] the time is now is hopefully meant to recharge everyone around several of our new

[2:03:31] initiatives. We have new SEO curriculum. We've been talking about something called Champs,

[2:03:37] which is a classroom management framework. So there's just lots of new things and new

[2:03:43] learning for our staff, the portrait of a graduate, the strategic plan. So lots of excitement

[2:03:48] around the beginning of this school year. And again, if you're going to attend, please let us know.

[2:03:55] We know Paul will be there, but if you also plan to be there, we like to have a space for you

[2:03:59] in the front. This weekend is CU days at Douglas Park. We always participate and have a table.

[2:04:07] We give away school supplies. So our tents will be up from 11 to 1230 on Saturday.

[2:04:15] First day of school for students in grades one through nine plus half of kindergarten is Monday to

[2:04:20] 18th and then Tuesday the 19th is the first day of school for early childhood and the other half

[2:04:27] of kindergarten. So write those dates down parents. In case you don't have them, board members

[2:04:32] should have. We gave you your calendar. You also have the postcard about opening day.

[2:04:39] And we gave you one of our new little tiger tickets if you want to stick that on your computer

[2:04:43] or on a cup or whatever. Little tiger sticker.

[2:04:50] There's a list of processed queer requests that are listed in the agenda. I guess now we'll

[2:04:58] time for the chair to entertain a motion. I have to read this because it wasn't actually published

[2:05:03] in the agenda so I'd read all the legal verbiage. So after attending a recess to clear the

[2:05:09] room, the chair would entertain a motion to interclose session for the purpose of the appointment

[2:05:16] employment compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of specific employees, specific individuals

[2:05:22] who serve as independent contractors or specific volunteers of the district or legal counsel

[2:05:27] for the district, including hearing testimony on a complaint,

[2:05:31] Bosch against employee, a specific individual who serves as independent contractor or volunteer

[2:05:36] the district, or against legal counsel for the district to determine as literally, however,

[2:05:40] a meeting to consider and increase in the compensation to a specific employee of a public

[2:05:45] body that is subject to the local government way of transparency act, me, not be closed,

[2:05:50] and Shelby's open to the public and posted in accordance with this act.

[2:05:55] Is there a motion to that effect?

[2:06:03] So, the move in second again, there will be no action after the closed session.

[2:06:07] Any comments, questions or discussion?

[2:06:08] Roll call, please?

[2:06:11] Okay, there have been a list in front of me.

[2:06:13] Member Marabou.

[2:06:14] Yeah.

[2:06:15] Member Jones.

[2:06:16] Yes.

[2:06:16] Member Langendorf.

[2:06:18] Oh, what's up?

[2:06:19] Yes.

[2:06:20] Member Hickson.

[2:06:21] Yes.

[2:06:21] Member Cheryl.

[2:06:22] Yes.

[2:06:23] Press and plowsky.

[2:06:24] Yes.

[2:06:24] Vice President.

[2:06:26] Backslate.

[2:06:28] We'll reset the room and then begin our closed session.

SchoolBMeeting08-05-25

Transcript