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to our Williamson School Board meeting

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. Welcome to everyone

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present this afternoon. I'm Lee Webb,

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current superintendent of

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Williamson County Schools, and I'm

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proud to welcome you. We're going

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to start this afternoon with an

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oath-taking process. It is a privilege for

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us to welcome the

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newly elected members of the

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school board at the start of each

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academic year in an

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oath-taking ceremony, and we are starting this

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ceremony at 6:30 on purpose, so that

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all of our constituents and

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family members who are here

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tonight can witness this

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momentous occasion.

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In addition, we are broadcasting live

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so that family members we know

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who are at home or voters at

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home can also watch. At this

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time, I would like to welcome

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to the podium our Mayor of

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Williamson County, Andy Marshall, who

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will introduce and swear in the

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newly elected school board members. Therefore,

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I would like to welcome the

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school board members and their

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families to the podium at this time for

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our oath ceremony. Yes.

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Just make a small circle.

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Yes.

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Fill the well.

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Forward. So, let's

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swear everyone in at the same time, so there's

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a little bit of harmony. We'll

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see. We're in Nashville, right

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, Tony? So, we'll harmonize our

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answers, but we're going to

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swear everyone in at the same time. But

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, before doing so, I first want to

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congratulate and thank you.

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Williamson County thanks you for your service

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and your willingness to run, win, and

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serve. So, thank you

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all very much. So, let's begin the

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ceremony. I say his name. I

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solemnly swear that I will

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faithfully fulfill the duties of the

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office

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to which I have been elected

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and which I am about to assume. I

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solemnly swear to

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uphold

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the constitutions

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of Tennessee and the United States.

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And to

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faithfully fulfill the duties

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of the office of member of the

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Board of Education representing

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the fourth district, performing

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all the obligations corresponding

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to said office.

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Excellent. from Williamson County,

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Tennessee.

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Congratulations to all. Thank you.

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If I can take your oaths so you

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can sign them before then. Yes, I'm going to have him sign them

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.

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Very good, guys.

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Randy, can everyone make some space?

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Very good, right here in 3. 1 2 3.

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Excellent. Thanks, guys.

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Okay, we'll take a moment to

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let you all sit down and then we'll

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begin.

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Very well, while you take your seats, we will

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give you an official welcome and

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congratulate you individually. From

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District 2, Randy Allen. From District 4

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, Tracy Anderson. From District 6,

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Kimberly Caldicott. From District 8,

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Donna Clements. From District 10,

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Jennifer Canady. And from District 12,

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Jessica Licciardello. Welcome and

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congratulations to all of you.

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I now call this meeting to order.

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I request that all

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board members register their

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digital attendance at this time.

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There are 12 members present.

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Thank you. We would like to

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welcome and thank our

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Williamson County Sheriff's deputies who are here tonight,

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Officer Matt Smith and Officer Jason

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Curtis. Thank you for your service to

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our district and thank you for being

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here tonight. We would also

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like to welcome

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Boy Scout Troop 86. Could you please stand

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, gentlemen? Troop 86 is

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here tonight from Brentwood and

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they are working on their

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communication badge. So, welcome.

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Thank you for being here with us

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tonight. And I believe we also have

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some Summit High graduates who

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are enrolled at Columbia State.

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Future teachers, could you please stand

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to be recognized? Thank you for

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being here tonight. Thank you and

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welcome. They are here as part of

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their class project which they are

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working on at Columbia State University

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. Alright, to start off

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tonight, we'll stand for the Pledge of Allegiance

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led by

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Summit High School students

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Lyric Hudson and Owen Stratton.

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We will stand firm tonight.

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We will welcome the singing of

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our national anthem by the

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Summit High choir, and when they conclude

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, we will pause for a moment of

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silence. So, come closer, Lyric and

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Owen.

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Pledge allegiance

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to the flag

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of the United States of America

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and to the republic for which it stands,

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one nation

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under God,

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indivisible,

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with liberty and justice for all.

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Oh, can they see in the early light of

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dawn what we so proudly acclaimed in

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the last glimmer of twilight?

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Whose broad stripes and

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bright stars, through the perilous

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struggle, waved so gallantly over the walls we observed

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. And the

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red glow of the rockets, the

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bombs exploding in the air,

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proved throughout the night that

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our flag was still there. Oh,

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tell me, does that star-studded flag still fly

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for the land of

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the free and the home of the brave?

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Thank you. Please remain standing

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for a brief moment of silence.

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They can sit down. First on our

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agenda tonight is an annual item,

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the election of the president and

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vice president of our board of

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directors. So, to begin this

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process, I'm going to ask for nominations

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verbally. All nominations will be

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heard until we close the

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nominations. So, at this moment

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, I will ask you to open the

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nominations. Once I close the

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nominations, I will ask for your vote for

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president by voice call in a

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roll-call voting system that will be

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run by Lydia Glenn. We will begin

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that roll-call vote first by the

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first district and then proceed

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numerically until we have

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reached seven votes for our

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new chairman of the board.

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At this time, I would like to open the

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nomination process for the position of

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president of our board of directors

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for this academic year. Very good.

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Dr. Driggers?

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I would like to nominate Dr. Claire

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Reeves.

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We have a nomination for Dr.

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Claire Reeves, nominated by Dr.

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Driggers. Mr. Bostick? Does he have any

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nominations? No? Very good. The

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nomination period is still open. Any

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additional nominations? At this time,

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I will close the nominations and we will vote

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by district. Mrs. Glenn?

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Tony Bostick?

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Yes.

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Randy Allen?

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Yes.

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Dennis Driggers?

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Yes.

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Tracy Anderson?

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Yes.

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Margie Johnson?

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Yes.

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Kimberly Calcoat? Yes.

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Melissa Wyatt? Yes.

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Donna Clements? Yes.

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Claire Reeves?

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Yes.

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Jennifer Conine?

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Yes. Yes. Yes.

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We have 12 yes votes, zero no votes.

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Congratulations, Dr. Reeves. Come on.

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Let's take a moment. Let's give a round of

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applause to Dr. Reeves. We'll take a

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moment to have the chairs changed. The

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next item on the agenda

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will be the election of our

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vice president, for which we will let

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our new president lead the

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process. The process will work in the

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same way as the nominations and

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voting for the chairman of the

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board. In a moment, Dr. Reeves

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will open the floor for

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nominations for vice president.

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We will leave the floor open and

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then begin the voting.

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First, I would like to begin by

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thanking my fellow

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voting board members for that vote

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of confidence. I feel I had great

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respect for our outgoing chairman

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, Mr. Josh Brown, and I believe he provided

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strong leadership to this board and I

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look forward to following in his footsteps. Whenever

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there is a transition, five

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board members leave, and tonight we just

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installed five new members.

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I believe that change brings

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opportunity, and I know that each of

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the five new board members

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has unique backgrounds and experience

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, and I welcome the fresh

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perspective they will bring to this board

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. Therefore, what I hope to offer

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are efficient and respectful meetings.

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My goal is to keep this board

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focused on policy and

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governance, and to give everyone the

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opportunity to be heard.

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Thank you very much, and now we will return to the agenda

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. OK. The next

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item on the agenda is the

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election of the vice president of the

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school board. We will follow the same

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process that we just used for

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the position of president. Then,

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I will open the floor for

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nominations and we will hear the

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nominations until no

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more names are presented, and then we will hold an

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oral vote starting with

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district one and moving around the room.

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The floor is now open for

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nominating the vice president.

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I would like to nominate Margie Johnson,

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Dr. Johnson.

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Mrs. Calcote, you have the honor of being

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recognized.

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I would like to nominate Tonya Hickman. Are

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there more nominations? Well, since we don't see

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any, we'll close the nominations and

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proceed to the voting. Mrs. Glenn

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.

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Tony Bostick.

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And this is the person we'll be voting for

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, Margie, right? For this or...

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Please indicate the name of the person you would

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like to support.

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How will we do it? Very good, Margie

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Johnson.

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Randy Allen.

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Tanya Hibma.

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Dennis Triggers.

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Tanya Hibma.

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Tracy Anderson. Tanya

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Hibma.

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Margie Paget.

282
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Kimberly Calcoat.

283
00:15:00,481 --> 00:15:01,760
Tanya Hibma.

284
00:15:01,760 --> 00:15:03,039
Melissa Wyatt.

285
00:15:03,039 --> 00:15:04,679
Tanya Hibma.

286
00:15:04,679 --> 00:15:05,860
Donna Clements.

287
00:15:05,860 --> 00:15:08,580
Margie Paget.

288
00:15:08,580 --> 00:15:10,519
Claire Reeves.

289
00:15:10,519 --> 00:15:12,179
Tanya Hibma.

290
00:15:12,179 --> 00:15:13,979
Jennifer Cannine.

291
00:15:13,979 --> 00:15:18,921
Tanya Hibma.

292
00:15:18,921 --> 00:15:20,440
Jessica Lucian.

293
00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:25,719
Tanya Hibma.

294
00:15:25,719 --> 00:15:28,011
Nine votes for Mrs. Hibma and three

295
00:15:28,011 --> 00:15:29,993
for Dr. Paget.

296
00:15:29,993 --> 00:15:32,193
Very good. Congratulations to Ms.

297
00:15:32,193 --> 00:15:36,899
Hibma on being elected vice president.

298
00:15:36,899 --> 00:15:39,078
Now we will move on to topics of special

299
00:15:39,078 --> 00:15:45,031
public interest. This is our

300
00:15:45,103 --> 00:15:47,917
afternoon public commentary segment and I believe we have eight speakers

301
00:15:47,917 --> 00:15:51,801
registered. So I'll say we have

302
00:15:51,801 --> 00:15:54,123
30 minutes allotted. Each person will have

303
00:15:54,123 --> 00:15:56,845
3 minutes to speak. I will announce the

304
00:15:56,845 --> 00:15:58,985
names of the first three, and

305
00:15:58,985 --> 00:16:01,065
please come forward to the podium when they

306
00:16:01,065 --> 00:16:03,384
have finished speaking. If the

307
00:16:03,384 --> 00:16:05,819
first person has finished speaking,

308
00:16:05,819 --> 00:16:07,888
ask the second person to do so

309
00:16:07,888 --> 00:16:11,502
immediately to save time. The

310
00:16:11,502 --> 00:16:15,097
first three are Lily Graver, Ed

311
00:16:15,097 --> 00:16:29,161
Wagner and, oh, Lisa Schraufnagel.

312
00:16:29,161 --> 00:16:30,879
Should I start?

313
00:16:30,879 --> 00:16:32,439
Begin and pay attention to the time

314
00:16:32,439 --> 00:16:36,379
displayed on the screen. Thank you.

315
00:16:36,379 --> 00:16:37,922
I propose that

316
00:16:37,922 --> 00:16:39,546
Winston County and District schools ban

317
00:16:39,546 --> 00:16:41,171
books from school libraries

318
00:16:41,171 --> 00:16:43,730
and impose two censorships on

319
00:16:43,770 --> 00:16:46,065
newspaper articles and publications. Therefore,

320
00:16:46,065 --> 00:16:48,101
policy 4.43 states that

321
00:16:48,101 --> 00:16:49,883
Winston County supports the principles of

322
00:16:49,883 --> 00:16:51,665
intellectual freedom and recognizes the

323
00:16:51,665 --> 00:16:53,650
right of students to access

324
00:16:53,650 --> 00:16:55,636
different types of material, and that

325
00:16:55,636 --> 00:16:57,520
censorship of instructional material will be discouraged

326
00:16:57,520 --> 00:16:59,531
. However, his own

327
00:16:59,531 --> 00:17:01,796
track record proves otherwise. A

328
00:17:01,796 --> 00:17:03,725
couple of examples I mentioned were

329
00:17:03,725 --> 00:17:05,654
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, whose

330
00:17:05,654 --> 00:17:07,635
themes represented in this book are

331
00:17:07,635 --> 00:17:09,616
trauma, friendship, identity, and

332
00:17:09,616 --> 00:17:11,758
growth. In The Catcher in

333
00:17:11,758 --> 00:17:13,168
the Rye, isolation,

334
00:17:13,168 --> 00:17:14,505
survival, relationships,

335
00:17:14,505 --> 00:17:16,357
truth, and justice are shown. And Extremely

336
00:17:16,357 --> 00:17:17,617
Loud and Incredibly Close, it

337
00:17:17,617 --> 00:17:19,022
shows the pain, 9/11,

338
00:17:19,022 --> 00:17:22,288
war, and trauma. Thus, in 2023,

339
00:17:22,288 --> 00:17:23,904
it was decided to keep them in the

340
00:17:23,904 --> 00:17:25,844
school library, but in 2024 the decision was made to

341
00:17:25,844 --> 00:17:27,892
prohibit access to

342
00:17:27,892 --> 00:17:29,993
students in Williamston County schools

343
00:17:29,993 --> 00:17:33,206
. But I believe the

344
00:17:33,206 --> 00:17:35,099
purpose of having a library is

345
00:17:35,099 --> 00:17:37,091
that everyone can read books according to their

346
00:17:37,091 --> 00:17:39,034
own preferences, not according to what

347
00:17:39,034 --> 00:17:40,927
someone else censors, because everyone

348
00:17:40,927 --> 00:17:42,819
has a different idea of ​​what is

349
00:17:42,819 --> 00:17:44,762
comfortable and appropriate for

350
00:17:44,762 --> 00:17:47,689
students. And another thing I want to

351
00:17:47,689 --> 00:17:49,478
mention is that the Supreme Court

352
00:17:49,478 --> 00:17:53,057
addressed the removal of books from

353
00:17:53,109 --> 00:17:55,214
public school libraries in the case Board of Education

354
00:17:55,214 --> 00:17:57,266
versus Pico in 1982 and recognizes that

355
00:17:57,266 --> 00:17:59,056
students have

356
00:17:59,056 --> 00:18:00,634
First Amendment rights to receive

357
00:18:00,634 --> 00:18:03,411
information. And that removing books

358
00:18:03,411 --> 00:18:05,228
because officials disagree goes

359
00:18:05,228 --> 00:18:06,505
against

360
00:18:06,505 --> 00:18:08,771
constitutional concerns. And some of them

361
00:18:08,771 --> 00:18:11,299
would be Sarah J. Maas, The Hate U Give.

362
00:18:11,299 --> 00:18:13,091
All have been challenged for

363
00:18:13,091 --> 00:18:14,794
sexual content, and yet all were allowed to

364
00:18:14,794 --> 00:18:17,143
remain in libraries. And if

365
00:18:17,143 --> 00:18:18,849
you start framing them in terms of

366
00:18:18,849 --> 00:18:20,555
an adult audience, there would be nothing left

367
00:18:20,555 --> 00:18:22,391
to read. It's the story, not the

368
00:18:22,391 --> 00:18:25,503
activation warning. And then the

369
00:18:25,503 --> 00:18:27,172
other issue I want to mention was the

370
00:18:27,172 --> 00:18:28,489
ban on censorship of

371
00:18:28,489 --> 00:18:30,114
journalistic publications, which dates back

372
00:18:30,114 --> 00:18:31,740
to 2025. This shows that

373
00:18:31,740 --> 00:18:33,409
Tennessee already has situations where

374
00:18:33,409 --> 00:18:34,990
schools have restricted

375
00:18:34,990 --> 00:18:36,483
access because administrators

376
00:18:36,483 --> 00:18:37,889
deemed the topics

377
00:18:37,889 --> 00:18:40,398
inappropriate. The topics covered

378
00:18:40,398 --> 00:18:42,253
were birth control and the

379
00:18:42,253 --> 00:18:44,156
LGBTQ+ field, both fundamental to

380
00:18:44,156 --> 00:18:45,868
providing students with access to information

381
00:18:45,868 --> 00:18:47,704
. And not only are they prevented from

382
00:18:47,704 --> 00:18:49,452
reading a newspaper, but they are also

383
00:18:49,452 --> 00:18:51,200
prevented from accessing information on

384
00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:53,640
issues that directly affect them.

385
00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:55,391
It meant that they lost the ability

386
00:18:55,391 --> 00:18:57,142
to listen to different perspectives and

387
00:18:57,142 --> 00:18:58,780
form their own opinions.

388
00:18:58,780 --> 00:19:00,519
He conveyed the message that certain

389
00:19:00,519 --> 00:19:02,213
topics were not appropriate because they were

390
00:19:02,213 --> 00:19:04,206
controversial. And that has a

391
00:19:04,206 --> 00:19:05,789
greater effect on student journalists

392
00:19:05,789 --> 00:19:07,291
because it basically discourages them from

393
00:19:07,291 --> 00:19:08,934
reporting on issues in the future.

394
00:19:08,934 --> 00:19:09,712
Thank you.

395
00:19:09,712 --> 00:19:17,241
Next up is Ed

396
00:19:17,241 --> 00:19:20,860
Wagner.

397
00:19:20,860 --> 00:19:23,563
Good night. I didn't realize I

398
00:19:23,563 --> 00:19:24,952
only had 3 minutes, but I understand

399
00:19:24,952 --> 00:19:26,304
everyone has the same amount,

400
00:19:26,304 --> 00:19:29,512
so it's fair. To begin with, my

401
00:19:29,512 --> 00:19:31,069
experience was that I was a

402
00:19:31,069 --> 00:19:32,760
primary school teacher and school psychologist for

403
00:19:32,760 --> 00:19:35,255
more than 30 years. I am very

404
00:19:35,255 --> 00:19:36,585
familiar with

405
00:19:36,585 --> 00:19:40,006
public education. I really want to propose not

406
00:19:40,006 --> 00:19:42,505
just for this school district, but

407
00:19:42,505 --> 00:19:44,741
a regional vocational high school

408
00:19:44,741 --> 00:19:46,911
that covers

409
00:19:46,911 --> 00:19:49,542
Williamson County, Davidson County, and

410
00:19:49,542 --> 00:19:53,760
Maury County. In this way,

411
00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:57,700
we lose many gifted children

412
00:19:57,700 --> 00:19:59,502
who do not have the opportunity and are

413
00:19:59,502 --> 00:20:01,926
forced to go to university. I

414
00:20:01,926 --> 00:20:04,092
love university, it did a lot for

415
00:20:04,092 --> 00:20:06,146
me, but I'm not a very

416
00:20:06,146 --> 00:20:08,369
handy person. I lift the hood of a car and

417
00:20:08,369 --> 00:20:09,891
I could point to the engine, and that's about it

418
00:20:09,891 --> 00:20:12,620
in terms of my skill level.

419
00:20:12,620 --> 00:20:15,187
But I think it's very important and that there will

420
00:20:15,187 --> 00:20:17,620
potentially be a million

421
00:20:17,620 --> 00:20:20,120
jobs a year looking for people

422
00:20:20,120 --> 00:20:22,948
with those skills. Now, I know there is

423
00:20:22,948 --> 00:20:25,165
some vocational training

424
00:20:25,165 --> 00:20:27,154
in schools, but I mean

425
00:20:27,154 --> 00:20:29,371
licensed plumbers,

426
00:20:29,371 --> 00:20:31,588
licensed electricians, licensed welders,

427
00:20:31,588 --> 00:20:33,805
sheet metal workers, HVAC technicians,

428
00:20:33,805 --> 00:20:35,965
not just technology, but I do think

429
00:20:35,965 --> 00:20:38,182
technology is important in school

430
00:20:38,182 --> 00:20:41,005
. I hope I can convince some of

431
00:20:41,005 --> 00:20:43,122
you to meet with me and

432
00:20:43,122 --> 00:20:45,072
talk and explore how we could

433
00:20:45,072 --> 00:20:48,103
talk to the other districts. I don't

434
00:20:48,103 --> 00:20:50,475
mind doing a lot of grassroots work,

435
00:20:50,475 --> 00:20:52,910
but I truly believe, as a former

436
00:20:52,910 --> 00:20:55,153
educator and in the importance of

437
00:20:55,153 --> 00:20:57,717
education, that there are 132,000 children in these

438
00:20:57,717 --> 00:21:00,832
three districts. If you took 20%, you

439
00:21:00,832 --> 00:21:06,640
would be looking at more than 13,000 children whose

440
00:21:06,716 --> 00:21:09,205
needs we may not be meeting, and

441
00:21:09,205 --> 00:21:14,145
we could. Well, right now

442
00:21:14,145 --> 00:21:17,695
I'm hoping that Mark Zuckerberg from Facebook—

443
00:21:17,695 --> 00:21:20,801
I'm not a big fan of his, but he has the

444
00:21:20,801 --> 00:21:24,351
Workforce Academy, which tries to train

445
00:21:24,351 --> 00:21:27,457
people to work and create the

446
00:21:27,457 --> 00:21:30,475
new technological systems they

447
00:21:30,475 --> 00:21:33,847
want, or the A1, etc. AI, I should

448
00:21:33,847 --> 00:21:37,255
say. The president is starting

449
00:21:37,255 --> 00:21:39,577
one where they look to do internships,

450
00:21:39,577 --> 00:21:41,601
etc. But those programs could

451
00:21:41,601 --> 00:21:43,627
appear and disappear. They are not

452
00:21:43,627 --> 00:21:45,731
guaranteed. A vocational high school

453
00:21:45,731 --> 00:21:47,760
would be a constant.

454
00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:49,558
I would be there every year, every

455
00:21:49,558 --> 00:21:51,166
year, for the children who

456
00:21:51,166 --> 00:21:53,349
need it. I don't know how much time I have

457
00:21:53,349 --> 00:21:56,572
left. So I'll leave it here. I had a

458
00:21:56,572 --> 00:21:58,312
lot of information, but I couldn't give it to you right

459
00:21:58,312 --> 00:22:01,104
now. But I hope some of

460
00:22:01,104 --> 00:22:02,758
you are willing to sit down

461
00:22:02,758 --> 00:22:05,649
with me and talk about doing this. I think it would be a

462
00:22:05,649 --> 00:22:07,158
wonderful thing for the

463
00:22:07,158 --> 00:22:08,750
region and I think it would meet many

464
00:22:08,750 --> 00:22:10,384
needs of the children who are left

465
00:22:10,384 --> 00:22:12,326
behind. I'm going to tell you a

466
00:22:12,326 --> 00:22:13,592
quick story. I met a guy who was a

467
00:22:13,592 --> 00:22:16,126
plumber. He is 27 years old. He graduated

468
00:22:16,126 --> 00:22:17,459
from high school,

469
00:22:17,459 --> 00:22:19,024
unsure of what he wanted to do.

470
00:22:19,024 --> 00:22:20,685
After talking to her parents, she went

471
00:22:20,685 --> 00:22:21,638
to university. I'm

472
00:22:21,638 --> 00:22:23,398
sorry, Mr. Wagner. It's time. It's

473
00:22:23,398 --> 00:22:23,773
over. I'm sorry

474
00:22:23,773 --> 00:22:25,607
. Okay, thank you very much

475
00:22:25,607 --> 00:22:30,356
for your time.

476
00:22:30,356 --> 00:22:32,514
Next up is Lisa Schrouth

477
00:22:32,514 --> 00:22:34,462
Schrouthnegel. I regret having ruined

478
00:22:34,462 --> 00:22:36,303
his name. And after her we have

479
00:22:36,303 --> 00:22:38,540
Beverly Purvis followed by Emma Graw.

480
00:22:38,540 --> 00:22:40,216
Good night. Thank you all. My

481
00:22:40,216 --> 00:22:42,150
name is Lisa Schrouthnegel. I have two

482
00:22:42,150 --> 00:22:43,499
students who attend

483
00:22:43,499 --> 00:22:45,089
Thompson Station Elementary School. First,

484
00:22:45,089 --> 00:22:46,718
I want to thank you all for your work.

485
00:22:46,718 --> 00:22:48,385
We love Williamson County and

486
00:22:48,385 --> 00:22:50,253
the Thompson Station community. We

487
00:22:50,253 --> 00:22:51,723
moved here specifically because of the

488
00:22:51,723 --> 00:22:53,992
schools and their excellence. That's why

489
00:22:53,992 --> 00:22:55,948
I'm here to talk about what

490
00:22:55,948 --> 00:22:57,904
a reasonable expectation of

491
00:22:57,904 --> 00:22:59,322
bus transportation is. We have

492
00:22:59,322 --> 00:23:00,906
ongoing challenges specifically at Thompson

493
00:23:00,906 --> 00:23:03,314
Station. For the last 4 years,

494
00:23:03,314 --> 00:23:05,527
transportation was predictable. Whether it was their

495
00:23:05,527 --> 00:23:07,032
first or second trip in our

496
00:23:07,032 --> 00:23:08,659
area, students usually got back

497
00:23:08,659 --> 00:23:10,813
home by 4:20 p.m. m.

498
00:23:10,813 --> 00:23:12,508
Parents could plan their

499
00:23:12,508 --> 00:23:14,072
work days, childcare, appointments, and

500
00:23:14,072 --> 00:23:15,810
activities around a schedule they

501
00:23:15,810 --> 00:23:18,533
could rely on. However, since

502
00:23:18,533 --> 00:23:20,121
the first day of classes this year,

503
00:23:20,121 --> 00:23:21,383
that predictability has been

504
00:23:21,383 --> 00:23:24,008
completely diminished.

505
00:23:24,008 --> 00:23:26,205
My children's school is 1.4 miles from our

506
00:23:26,205 --> 00:23:28,705
house. Our original delivery time

507
00:23:28,705 --> 00:23:30,834
was 4:17 p.m. m. Then it changed to

508
00:23:30,834 --> 00:23:32,764
4:42 p.m. m. Without explanation, we are

509
00:23:32,764 --> 00:23:33,924
simply supposed to

510
00:23:33,924 --> 00:23:36,521
accept it. It set us back 25

511
00:23:36,521 --> 00:23:38,360
minutes, almost half an hour. We were never

512
00:23:38,360 --> 00:23:40,978
notified of this new standard time. It

513
00:23:40,978 --> 00:23:43,484
is not unreasonable for a family to expect to

514
00:23:43,484 --> 00:23:45,989
know when their child will return home

515
00:23:45,989 --> 00:23:48,185
. I say this with privilege because I work

516
00:23:48,185 --> 00:23:50,201
from home. I can't imagine being a

517
00:23:50,201 --> 00:23:51,762
single mother who might work outside the

518
00:23:51,762 --> 00:23:53,245
home and trying to guess every day

519
00:23:53,245 --> 00:23:54,807
when her child will arrive, especially

520
00:23:54,807 --> 00:23:57,658
if he is a minor. The impact is real

521
00:23:57,658 --> 00:23:59,635
. Those young children wait at

522
00:23:59,635 --> 00:24:01,275
school long after

523
00:24:01,275 --> 00:24:02,915
dismissal time, as do the staff who

524
00:24:02,915 --> 00:24:05,245
look after them. Working parents can't

525
00:24:05,245 --> 00:24:06,785
just quit their jobs,

526
00:24:06,785 --> 00:24:08,364
join a line of cars at

527
00:24:08,364 --> 00:24:09,904
3:30, and do this every time

528
00:24:09,904 --> 00:24:11,959
changes occur. It has been a continuous challenge and I

529
00:24:11,959 --> 00:24:13,791
cannot emphasize enough how

530
00:24:13,791 --> 00:24:15,361
difficult it has been. I imagine they

531
00:24:15,361 --> 00:24:16,694
have much more important things to

532
00:24:16,694 --> 00:24:18,484
do than this. That's why being here at

533
00:24:18,484 --> 00:24:19,953
the county board to address this

534
00:24:19,953 --> 00:24:21,422
issue is like making a mountain out of

535
00:24:21,422 --> 00:24:23,742
a molehill. Last Friday, a

536
00:24:23,742 --> 00:24:25,148
driver became ill and

537
00:24:25,148 --> 00:24:26,406
my children had to be picked up 4

538
00:24:26,406 --> 00:24:27,664
minutes before

539
00:24:27,664 --> 00:24:29,920
school started. Like many others, I decided to

540
00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:32,030
take them to school that day. But

541
00:24:32,030 --> 00:24:33,713
I went to the bus stop just to

542
00:24:33,713 --> 00:24:35,351
see what was happening, and the bus passed by

543
00:24:35,351 --> 00:24:36,818
without any students. So,

544
00:24:36,818 --> 00:24:38,175
many parents, again, simply

545
00:24:38,175 --> 00:24:39,498
made arrangements to take them to

546
00:24:39,498 --> 00:24:41,913
school themselves. It is a reflection of

547
00:24:41,913 --> 00:24:43,552
how families have

548
00:24:43,552 --> 00:24:45,234
completely abandoned a transport service that is

549
00:24:45,234 --> 00:24:46,960
owed to us as taxpayers in this

550
00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:49,598
area. After school that day,

551
00:24:49,598 --> 00:24:51,085
my children stayed in the cafeteria

552
00:24:51,085 --> 00:24:52,457
for almost an hour waiting for

553
00:24:52,457 --> 00:24:54,630
the bus to arrive. Illnesses

554
00:24:54,630 --> 00:24:56,329
happen, I understand. I have three

555
00:24:56,329 --> 00:24:58,129
deceased children who had been in

556
00:24:58,129 --> 00:25:00,412
daycare services. I understand. But that doesn't

557
00:25:00,412 --> 00:25:01,697
explain the unpredictability and the

558
00:25:01,697 --> 00:25:03,096
ongoing challenges and delays that

559
00:25:03,096 --> 00:25:04,419
I and many other families

560
00:25:04,419 --> 00:25:05,856
have faced since

561
00:25:05,856 --> 00:25:08,565
classes started 8 weeks ago. I have requested

562
00:25:08,565 --> 00:25:10,554
changes to our program. I have asked

563
00:25:10,554 --> 00:25:12,136
that we have different loads. They've given me

564
00:25:12,136 --> 00:25:13,683
excuses. There is a shortage of

565
00:25:13,683 --> 00:25:15,373
buses. There is a shortage of drivers.

566
00:25:15,373 --> 00:25:17,012
Again, I understand. What I'm asking is

567
00:25:17,012 --> 00:25:18,655
that they be held accountable for what they're

568
00:25:18,655 --> 00:25:20,714
doing about it. I haven't seen

569
00:25:20,714 --> 00:25:22,353
any information explaining that my

570
00:25:22,353 --> 00:25:24,289
bus is full, therefore, my

571
00:25:24,289 --> 00:25:27,613
route cannot be changed. I haven't given any

572
00:25:27,613 --> 00:25:29,422
data on how many drivers

573
00:25:29,422 --> 00:25:31,081
they need. Again, what's the plan

574
00:25:31,081 --> 00:25:32,789
for hiring them? When are

575
00:25:32,789 --> 00:25:34,096
our children expected to

576
00:25:34,096 --> 00:25:35,701
get home from school on time? They have not once

577
00:25:35,701 --> 00:25:37,180
arrived home on time.

578
00:25:37,180 --> 00:25:48,124
Thank you for your time. Thank you.

579
00:25:48,124 --> 00:25:49,732
Good night. I am Beverly Purvis and I

580
00:25:49,732 --> 00:25:51,051
have the privilege of serving as

581
00:25:51,051 --> 00:25:52,256
president of the

582
00:25:52,256 --> 00:25:54,040
Williamson County Education Association.

583
00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:55,224
Tonight, I want to ask you to

584
00:25:55,224 --> 00:25:56,668
carefully consider the vote

585
00:25:56,668 --> 00:25:58,890
before you regarding the

586
00:25:58,927 --> 00:26:00,692
superintendent search process. As you weigh up whether to

587
00:26:00,692 --> 00:26:02,061
spend district resources on

588
00:26:02,061 --> 00:26:03,643
hiring an outside search firm

589
00:26:03,643 --> 00:26:05,354
, I encourage you to consider a

590
00:26:05,354 --> 00:26:07,239
simple but important question. If we already have

591
00:26:07,239 --> 00:26:08,651
a qualified,

592
00:26:08,651 --> 00:26:10,265
reliable, and proven leader performing this

593
00:26:10,265 --> 00:26:11,677
role, why spend

594
00:26:11,677 --> 00:26:12,968
additional taxpayer money

595
00:26:12,968 --> 00:26:14,501
looking outside the district for someone

596
00:26:14,501 --> 00:26:15,994
who may be highly qualified

597
00:26:15,994 --> 00:26:17,164
but lacks the deep

598
00:26:17,164 --> 00:26:18,536
institutional knowledge that has

599
00:26:18,536 --> 00:26:20,109
helped make Williamson County Schools

600
00:26:20,109 --> 00:26:21,320
one of the

601
00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:22,934
top districts in Tennessee and across

602
00:26:22,934 --> 00:26:25,124
the country? Dr. Lee Webb is not

603
00:26:25,124 --> 00:26:26,749
an unknown candidate. It's not

604
00:26:26,749 --> 00:26:28,285
someone we would have to spend

605
00:26:28,285 --> 00:26:29,552
months getting to know, nor

606
00:26:29,552 --> 00:26:30,973
our schools, our staff,

607
00:26:30,973 --> 00:26:32,508
our students, our culture, or

608
00:26:32,508 --> 00:26:34,516
our community. She has been an

609
00:26:34,516 --> 00:26:36,196
integral part of the leadership team that has

610
00:26:36,196 --> 00:26:37,876
guided this district through years of

611
00:26:37,876 --> 00:26:39,885
growth and success. He understands what

612
00:26:39,885 --> 00:26:41,377
makes Williamson County schools

613
00:26:41,377 --> 00:26:42,990
exceptional because he has

614
00:26:42,990 --> 00:26:44,834
helped build that success. The

615
00:26:44,834 --> 00:26:47,559
reality is that leadership matters.

616
00:26:47,559 --> 00:26:48,888
The direction set by a

617
00:26:48,888 --> 00:26:50,297
superintendent ultimately influences

618
00:26:50,297 --> 00:26:51,586
every school, every

619
00:26:51,586 --> 00:26:52,996
educator, and every student in this

620
00:26:52,996 --> 00:26:55,286
district. Decisions made at the

621
00:26:55,286 --> 00:26:56,950
district level have a

622
00:26:56,950 --> 00:26:58,662
domino effect that eventually reaches every

623
00:26:58,662 --> 00:27:00,803
classroom. These priorities set by

624
00:27:00,803 --> 00:27:02,372
the district leadership affect the

625
00:27:02,372 --> 00:27:03,611
working conditions of

626
00:27:03,611 --> 00:27:04,892
educators, the

627
00:27:04,892 --> 00:27:06,461
learning conditions of our students, and

628
00:27:06,461 --> 00:27:07,907
the overall trajectory of our

629
00:27:07,907 --> 00:27:10,000
schools. And that is why the WCA has

630
00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:11,650
encouraged teachers and

631
00:27:11,650 --> 00:27:13,299
educational support professionals across the district

632
00:27:13,299 --> 00:27:14,821
to contact their

633
00:27:14,821 --> 00:27:16,386
representatives on the school board and

634
00:27:16,386 --> 00:27:17,993
share their perspectives on those

635
00:27:17,993 --> 00:27:20,362
decisions. Regardless of whether they

636
00:27:20,362 --> 00:27:22,127
support Dr. Webb as

637
00:27:22,127 --> 00:27:23,891
permanent superintendent or believe an

638
00:27:23,891 --> 00:27:25,435
outside search is necessary, we believe

639
00:27:25,435 --> 00:27:27,067
educators deserve to have a voice in this

640
00:27:27,067 --> 00:27:28,883
process. These are the people who

641
00:27:28,883 --> 00:27:30,069
experience the impact of

642
00:27:30,069 --> 00:27:31,561
leadership decisions every day

643
00:27:31,561 --> 00:27:34,000
. The decision is much more important

644
00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:35,674
than filling a position. This is about

645
00:27:35,674 --> 00:27:37,216
determining the future direction of

646
00:27:37,216 --> 00:27:39,124
schools in Williamson County. It's about

647
00:27:39,124 --> 00:27:40,605
deciding whether we continue

648
00:27:40,605 --> 00:27:42,494
building on the foundations that

649
00:27:42,494 --> 00:27:44,536
have made this district successful

650
00:27:44,536 --> 00:27:46,426
or whether we look for leadership and vision

651
00:27:46,426 --> 00:27:48,711
elsewhere. As board members,

652
00:27:48,711 --> 00:27:50,327
you have a tremendous responsibility

653
00:27:50,327 --> 00:27:52,309
tonight and we appreciate it. My

654
00:27:52,309 --> 00:27:53,962
request is simply that you listen

655
00:27:53,962 --> 00:27:55,397
carefully to the educators,

656
00:27:55,397 --> 00:27:57,093
staff, parents, and

657
00:27:57,093 --> 00:27:58,616
community members who have invested their

658
00:27:58,616 --> 00:28:01,065
lives in these schools. Don't

659
00:28:01,065 --> 00:28:02,583
just consider the qualifications on a

660
00:28:02,583 --> 00:28:04,492
resume, but also the value of

661
00:28:04,492 --> 00:28:06,157
experience, trust,

662
00:28:06,157 --> 00:28:08,066
relationships, and proven commitment to

663
00:28:08,066 --> 00:28:10,459
Williamson students. Thank you for

664
00:28:10,459 --> 00:28:12,081
your service, your careful consideration

665
00:28:12,081 --> 00:28:13,788
of this matter, and your continued commitment

666
00:28:13,788 --> 00:28:15,453
to the students and employees of

667
00:28:15,453 --> 00:28:17,225
Williamson County schools. We

668
00:28:17,225 --> 00:28:19,081
appreciate you guys.

669
00:28:19,081 --> 00:28:25,941
Thank you, Mrs. Burgess. Next up is

670
00:28:25,941 --> 00:28:27,563
Anne McGraw, followed by

671
00:28:27,563 --> 00:28:29,229
Tony Caudill and then

672
00:28:29,229 --> 00:28:30,640
Robin Baldry.

673
00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:33,819
Thank you. My name is Anne McGraw and

674
00:28:33,819 --> 00:28:35,369
first of all, I want to point out, just at random,

675
00:28:35,369 --> 00:28:36,647
how nice it is to see so many

676
00:28:36,647 --> 00:28:40,083
women sitting here. Brilliant! I am

677
00:28:40,083 --> 00:28:41,673
the mother of a former high school student

678
00:28:41,673 --> 00:28:43,018
and I'm only saying this part because it's

679
00:28:43,018 --> 00:28:44,703
incredibly relevant. I am a

680
00:28:44,703 --> 00:28:45,901
former member of the

681
00:28:45,901 --> 00:28:47,710
Williamson County School Board. It's been 8

682
00:28:47,710 --> 00:28:49,368
years since I sat here in

683
00:28:49,368 --> 00:28:50,895
Tracy's seat and I'm here to

684
00:28:50,895 --> 00:28:52,553
speak for the first time since then

685
00:28:52,553 --> 00:28:54,212
because this district is about to

686
00:28:54,212 --> 00:28:55,957
make a colossal mistake by not voting

687
00:28:55,957 --> 00:28:58,700
Dr. Webb for a permanent position.

688
00:28:58,700 --> 00:28:59,809
As someone who has been in

689
00:28:59,809 --> 00:29:01,319
Dr. Webb's professional orbit in

690
00:29:01,319 --> 00:29:03,219
one way or another since I first

691
00:29:03,219 --> 00:29:04,869
showed up at one of these

692
00:29:04,869 --> 00:29:06,769
meetings in 2014, here's what I know

693
00:29:06,769 --> 00:29:09,875
about her. He is excellent at his job. She

694
00:29:09,875 --> 00:29:11,426
is professional, fair, kind but

695
00:29:11,426 --> 00:29:13,066
firm, cares deeply about

696
00:29:13,066 --> 00:29:14,794
student outcomes, and is

697
00:29:14,794 --> 00:29:16,567
incredibly respected and loved by

698
00:29:16,567 --> 00:29:19,182
staff and parents. I also know

699
00:29:19,182 --> 00:29:21,103
that it scares me a little, in the best way

700
00:29:21,103 --> 00:29:23,254
. She always has the answers,

701
00:29:23,254 --> 00:29:24,807
is determined to find solutions, and

702
00:29:24,807 --> 00:29:26,281
, which is especially helpful for

703
00:29:26,281 --> 00:29:27,834
all new board members, will

704
00:29:27,834 --> 00:29:29,347
never make them feel remotely

705
00:29:29,347 --> 00:29:30,781
like idiots for asking a

706
00:29:30,781 --> 00:29:32,980
dumb question. But this is the most important thing

707
00:29:32,980 --> 00:29:34,843
tonight. I wouldn't even

708
00:29:34,843 --> 00:29:36,481
venture to guess about

709
00:29:36,481 --> 00:29:38,743
his political affiliation. I have no

710
00:29:38,743 --> 00:29:40,833
idea. Even better, it had never occurred to me to

711
00:29:40,833 --> 00:29:43,239
ask until now.

712
00:29:43,239 --> 00:29:44,903
It would be hard to find many

713
00:29:44,903 --> 00:29:46,520
people more in tune with the

714
00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:48,328
last decade of headwinds in politics

715
00:29:48,328 --> 00:29:50,183
than me, sad to say, and I don't even

716
00:29:50,183 --> 00:29:52,085
have any idea how I vote

717
00:29:52,085 --> 00:29:54,192
as a citizen. And that's what

718
00:29:54,192 --> 00:29:56,502
a professional looks like. Dr. Webb has been

719
00:29:56,502 --> 00:29:58,073
doing on-the-job training

720
00:29:58,073 --> 00:29:59,643
for this position for decades, which is what

721
00:29:59,643 --> 00:30:01,214
every organization dreams of when

722
00:30:01,214 --> 00:30:03,097
appointing a new leader. We don't

723
00:30:03,097 --> 00:30:04,657
need to spend a single dollar of

724
00:30:04,657 --> 00:30:06,139
taxpayer money to rewrite

725
00:30:06,139 --> 00:30:07,699
a succession plan that has been

726
00:30:07,699 --> 00:30:09,142
in the works for decades under the pretext that

727
00:30:09,142 --> 00:30:10,546
she is proving she has

728
00:30:10,546 --> 00:30:13,182
earned it. In fact, it has been crazy to

729
00:30:13,182 --> 00:30:14,869
even hear anyone mention the

730
00:30:14,869 --> 00:30:16,556
search for a superintendent who

731
00:30:16,556 --> 00:30:18,243
might lean in a

732
00:30:18,243 --> 00:30:20,603
political direction. I hope I misheard and that this isn't

733
00:30:20,603 --> 00:30:22,143
a factor in wanting to conduct an

734
00:30:22,143 --> 00:30:23,683
external search using

735
00:30:23,683 --> 00:30:25,104
taxpayer funds that are scarce at the

736
00:30:25,104 --> 00:30:27,387
moment. I don't know how many of you

737
00:30:27,387 --> 00:30:28,823
know this, but parents have to

738
00:30:28,823 --> 00:30:30,259
pay out of their own pockets for things like

739
00:30:30,259 --> 00:30:31,579
mowing the school lawn and

740
00:30:31,579 --> 00:30:33,054
buying blackboards and even

741
00:30:33,054 --> 00:30:35,560
new equipment for the teachers. I don't know how

742
00:30:35,560 --> 00:30:37,166
anyone could seriously justify

743
00:30:37,166 --> 00:30:38,571
spending money on private consultants

744
00:30:38,571 --> 00:30:40,136
when we have a very clear

745
00:30:40,136 --> 00:30:41,581
and qualified candidate, willing and able to

746
00:30:41,581 --> 00:30:42,905
dedicate even more years of her

747
00:30:42,905 --> 00:30:44,511
career to steering the ship. And to

748
00:30:44,511 --> 00:30:46,116
be clear, this is not a

749
00:30:46,116 --> 00:30:51,328
sinking ship. We are at the

750
00:30:51,328 --> 00:30:52,960
top of the rankings in every

751
00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:54,495
aspect of the state, and Dr. Webb has

752
00:30:54,495 --> 00:30:55,573
played a vital role in getting us

753
00:30:55,573 --> 00:30:57,230
here. And if there's one thing I

754
00:30:57,230 --> 00:30:58,750
know about her, it's that she's ready

755
00:30:58,750 --> 00:31:00,227
to exceed expectations as the

756
00:31:00,227 --> 00:31:01,663
leader of

757
00:31:01,663 --> 00:31:04,177
our county's crown jewel. Ask some

758
00:31:04,177 --> 00:31:05,700
teachers what needs fixing here and

759
00:31:05,700 --> 00:31:06,949
what they could dedicate all their

760
00:31:06,949 --> 00:31:09,129
attention and energy to this year. Or to the

761
00:31:09,129 --> 00:31:10,702
parents, the bus idea is a

762
00:31:10,702 --> 00:31:12,515
great idea. I agree with that. I would have

763
00:31:12,515 --> 00:31:13,863
loved

764
00:31:13,863 --> 00:31:16,088
reliable bus transport. But I can promise you

765
00:31:16,088 --> 00:31:17,630
that the one thing that doesn't need fixing

766
00:31:17,630 --> 00:31:30,160
is replacing Dr. Webb. Thank you.

767
00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:32,360
Very well, good night. My name is

768
00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:34,380
Tony Cardile. Both of my children

769
00:31:34,380 --> 00:31:35,812
graduated from Williamson County schools

770
00:31:35,812 --> 00:31:37,745
. I have followed the

771
00:31:37,745 --> 00:31:39,899
district closely for years. And two

772
00:31:39,899 --> 00:31:41,339
years ago I applied for a position on

773
00:31:41,339 --> 00:31:44,006
this board. Tonight I ask you to

774
00:31:44,006 --> 00:31:45,427
vote against spending up to

775
00:31:45,427 --> 00:31:46,804
approximately $100,000 to

776
00:31:46,804 --> 00:31:48,403
hire a company to conduct

777
00:31:48,403 --> 00:31:50,135
the search for a superintendent

778
00:31:50,135 --> 00:31:52,919
. I understand the argument in favor of the

779
00:31:52,919 --> 00:31:54,861
search. They have the important

780
00:31:54,861 --> 00:31:56,168
responsibility of ensuring that we

781
00:31:56,168 --> 00:31:57,369
have the right person in

782
00:31:57,369 --> 00:31:59,646
charge of our schools. But we already

783
00:31:59,646 --> 00:32:01,246
have a highly

784
00:32:01,246 --> 00:32:02,686
qualified leader acting as

785
00:32:02,686 --> 00:32:05,606
interim superintendent. I don't know

786
00:32:05,606 --> 00:32:07,387
Dr. Webb personally, but I've

787
00:32:07,387 --> 00:32:10,363
seen her work for years. She is a

788
00:32:10,363 --> 00:32:12,135
very well-informed person, always

789
00:32:12,135 --> 00:32:14,105
prepared, understands this district

790
00:32:14,105 --> 00:32:15,975
and this community, and has demonstrated the

791
00:32:15,975 --> 00:32:17,797
qualities we should desire in

792
00:32:17,797 --> 00:32:20,554
our superintendent. When WCS

793
00:32:20,554 --> 00:32:22,352
needed an interim superintendent,

794
00:32:22,352 --> 00:32:24,105
the previous board of directors elected her

795
00:32:24,105 --> 00:32:26,649
unanimously. Therefore, I would like to

796
00:32:26,649 --> 00:32:29,459
ask you a very simple question.

797
00:32:29,459 --> 00:32:31,189
Before spending up to $100,000 of

798
00:32:31,189 --> 00:32:33,113
taxpayer money and months of

799
00:32:33,113 --> 00:32:34,507
your time and the administration's time

800
00:32:34,507 --> 00:32:36,382
looking for someone else

801
00:32:36,382 --> 00:32:38,209
, why not first determine if

802
00:32:38,209 --> 00:32:40,084
the highly qualified person who

803
00:32:40,084 --> 00:32:42,008
is already doing the job is the

804
00:32:42,008 --> 00:32:45,619
right person to continue doing it?

805
00:32:45,619 --> 00:32:47,543
Every year, this district fights for the

806
00:32:47,543 --> 00:32:49,467
funding needed to support

807
00:32:49,467 --> 00:32:52,273
our schools. Finding $100,000

808
00:32:52,273 --> 00:32:53,943
in the budget doesn't mean

809
00:32:53,943 --> 00:32:57,292
we have to spend it. Evaluate

810
00:32:57,292 --> 00:32:59,926
Dr. Webb, decide what you expect from your

811
00:32:59,926 --> 00:33:02,376
next superintendent, and determine

812
00:33:02,376 --> 00:33:05,635
if she meets those expectations. If

813
00:33:05,635 --> 00:33:07,319
they conclude that they don't, then consider

814
00:33:07,319 --> 00:33:08,692
conducting a

815
00:33:08,692 --> 00:33:10,978
search. But please, answer

816
00:33:10,978 --> 00:33:13,028
that question first. I urge you to

817
00:33:13,028 --> 00:33:14,234
vote against hiring

818
00:33:14,234 --> 00:33:15,920
a search firm tonight.

819
00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:18,660
Thank you.

820
00:33:18,660 --> 00:33:21,505
Next is Robin

821
00:33:21,505 --> 00:33:23,914
Baldridge, and after Robin Baldridge

822
00:33:23,914 --> 00:33:35,648
is Becca Ripley.

823
00:33:35,648 --> 00:33:37,565
Thank you. My name is Robin Baldridge.

824
00:33:37,565 --> 00:33:40,224
I live on Arno Road in Franklin. I have been a

825
00:33:40,224 --> 00:33:41,750
resident of Williamson County

826
00:33:41,750 --> 00:33:43,403
for almost 26 years and all three of my children

827
00:33:43,403 --> 00:33:44,760
are proud graduates of

828
00:33:44,760 --> 00:33:46,986
Williamson County schools.

829
00:33:46,986 --> 00:33:48,519
I wish to thank each member of

830
00:33:48,519 --> 00:33:50,324
our school board for their service and

831
00:33:50,324 --> 00:33:51,902
welcome those who have

832
00:33:51,902 --> 00:33:54,552
joined us to serve our county. I

833
00:33:54,552 --> 00:33:56,023
also believe that Dr. Webb has done

834
00:33:56,023 --> 00:33:57,485
a wonderful job stepping up

835
00:33:57,485 --> 00:33:58,755
during this time of

836
00:33:58,755 --> 00:34:00,179
transition following Jason Golden's departure

837
00:34:00,179 --> 00:34:02,010
as superintendent. I

838
00:34:02,010 --> 00:34:03,437
sincerely appreciate your many years of

839
00:34:03,437 --> 00:34:05,106
service to Webster County.

840
00:34:05,106 --> 00:34:07,567
Really. That said, I support

841
00:34:07,567 --> 00:34:08,863
conducting a

842
00:34:08,863 --> 00:34:10,288
thorough search for our next

843
00:34:10,288 --> 00:34:12,299
superintendent. At the end of that

844
00:34:12,299 --> 00:34:14,410
process, Dr. Webb could very well

845
00:34:14,410 --> 00:34:17,067
be the person selected. But I think it would be

846
00:34:17,067 --> 00:34:19,268
a disservice to conduct an

847
00:34:19,268 --> 00:34:21,130
open and thoughtful search, and

848
00:34:21,130 --> 00:34:23,332
frankly, I think it would be a

849
00:34:23,332 --> 00:34:26,171
disservice to Dr. Webb herself. Because

850
00:34:26,171 --> 00:34:28,171
for many years Jason Golden

851
00:34:28,171 --> 00:34:30,112
faced criticism because

852
00:34:30,112 --> 00:34:32,407
a formal search was not conducted before

853
00:34:32,407 --> 00:34:34,701
the board appointed him to the position

854
00:34:34,701 --> 00:34:38,676
. Out of an abundance of caution and with respect for everyone

855
00:34:38,676 --> 00:34:41,015
involved, including Dr. Webb,

856
00:34:41,015 --> 00:34:43,236
I believe it is important that we follow a

857
00:34:43,236 --> 00:34:45,165
careful and transparent process

858
00:34:45,165 --> 00:34:48,544
during this time. And again,

859
00:34:48,544 --> 00:34:50,598
Dr. Webb may ultimately be chosen

860
00:34:50,598 --> 00:34:52,707
as our next superintendent,

861
00:34:52,707 --> 00:34:54,815
but conducting a search will give

862
00:34:54,815 --> 00:34:56,923
the community a chance to have confidence

863
00:34:56,923 --> 00:34:59,159
in the process. Thank you very much for your

864
00:34:59,159 --> 00:35:11,540
time.

865
00:35:11,540 --> 00:35:12,982
Hi, I'm Becca Ripley and I have a

866
00:35:12,982 --> 00:35:14,678
middle school student in Grassland and

867
00:35:14,678 --> 00:35:16,078
a high school student in

868
00:35:16,078 --> 00:35:19,671
Franklin. Hello. Well, let's

869
00:35:19,671 --> 00:35:21,870
welcome all the new members.

870
00:35:21,870 --> 00:35:23,776
Thank you so much for serving our

871
00:35:23,776 --> 00:35:25,919
community and our students. We

872
00:35:25,919 --> 00:35:28,074
all appreciate it very much.

873
00:35:28,074 --> 00:35:29,916
We currently have an outstanding interim superintendent

874
00:35:29,916 --> 00:35:32,103
, Dr. Webb. Dr. Webb's 22 years of

875
00:35:32,103 --> 00:35:34,483
advancement within the WCS educational and

876
00:35:34,483 --> 00:35:36,299
administrative system have

877
00:35:36,299 --> 00:35:40,417
provided her with

878
00:35:40,472 --> 00:35:42,666
unique and vital institutional and historical knowledge that would benefit us if she

879
00:35:42,666 --> 00:35:44,476
were to take up this position

880
00:35:44,476 --> 00:35:46,840
permanently. While it is quite possible that there is

881
00:35:46,840 --> 00:35:48,647
no more qualified candidate

882
00:35:48,647 --> 00:35:50,468
than our Dr. Webb, and we have her

883
00:35:50,468 --> 00:35:52,479
track record right in front of us,

884
00:35:52,479 --> 00:35:54,489
and we have this fortuitous opportunity to

885
00:35:54,489 --> 00:35:56,449
generate leadership from within,

886
00:35:56,449 --> 00:35:58,047
we could still have a

887
00:35:58,047 --> 00:35:59,851
competitive and hopefully

888
00:35:59,851 --> 00:36:01,914
transparent search process without spending our hard-

889
00:36:01,914 --> 00:36:03,976
earned WCS funds

890
00:36:03,976 --> 00:36:05,832
on an unnecessary external search firm

891
00:36:05,832 --> 00:36:08,804
. For example,

892
00:36:08,804 --> 00:36:10,447
Wilson County hired a new

893
00:36:10,447 --> 00:36:12,794
superintendent this year, and they received

894
00:36:12,794 --> 00:36:14,730
applications from all over the country without

895
00:36:14,730 --> 00:36:18,486
paying a recruiter. As a parent of

896
00:36:18,486 --> 00:36:20,231
Williamson County schools

897
00:36:20,231 --> 00:36:21,931
and a

898
00:36:21,931 --> 00:36:23,541
county property and sales tax payer,

899
00:36:23,541 --> 00:36:24,928
I find this superfluous expenditure

900
00:36:24,928 --> 00:36:26,270
disappointing, discouraging, and

901
00:36:26,270 --> 00:36:29,245
frankly frustrating. That

902
00:36:29,245 --> 00:36:31,031
search team money could and should be

903
00:36:31,031 --> 00:36:32,587
spent on our underfunded schools

904
00:36:32,587 --> 00:36:34,419
instead of

905
00:36:34,419 --> 00:36:36,112
redundantly lining the pockets of an

906
00:36:36,112 --> 00:36:37,761
Illinois corporation whose

907
00:36:37,761 --> 00:36:39,500
closest partner to Williamson County

908
00:36:39,500 --> 00:36:41,462
is southeast of Huntsville.

909
00:36:41,462 --> 00:36:43,482
People all over Tennessee know about this

910
00:36:43,482 --> 00:36:45,610
vacancy right here in our county,

911
00:36:45,610 --> 00:36:48,000
and there will be no shortage of applicants. Even

912
00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:50,032
without the delightful possibility

913
00:36:50,032 --> 00:36:52,174
of Dr. Webb's interest in making

914
00:36:52,174 --> 00:36:54,189
her temporary position permanent, an

915
00:36:54,189 --> 00:36:56,147
exhaustive and expensive search is

916
00:36:56,147 --> 00:37:00,100
simply unnecessary. Thank you.

917
00:37:00,100 --> 00:37:06,934
so much. Thank you all

918
00:37:06,934 --> 00:37:08,400
again for taking the time to be

919
00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:09,602
here with us this afternoon and

920
00:37:09,602 --> 00:37:12,231
share your feedback. Right now, we will

921
00:37:12,231 --> 00:37:14,312
move on to the approval of the

922
00:37:14,312 --> 00:37:16,957
agenda. Board members, we will do it

923
00:37:16,957 --> 00:37:21,220
by oral vote.

924
00:37:21,220 --> 00:37:23,281
Basically, they've reviewed the

925
00:37:23,281 --> 00:37:26,863
agenda. Everyone in favor, say yes.

926
00:37:26,863 --> 00:37:29,738
Anyone against it? Very good. With that,

927
00:37:29,738 --> 00:37:32,270
we have approved the agenda. Next,

928
00:37:32,270 --> 00:37:34,103
approve the

929
00:37:34,103 --> 00:37:37,370
consent agenda. On the

930
00:37:37,370 --> 00:37:39,436
consent agenda, we approved the minutes of the

931
00:37:39,436 --> 00:37:41,396
August 17, 2026 school board meeting

932
00:37:41,396 --> 00:37:43,515
, the

933
00:37:43,515 --> 00:37:45,634
Fairview High building modification request, the

934
00:37:45,634 --> 00:37:47,753
band shed, field trip fees,

935
00:37:47,753 --> 00:37:49,766
and board policy on second

936
00:37:49,766 --> 00:37:51,514
reading 6.415 regarding

937
00:37:51,514 --> 00:37:53,263
applied behavior analysis with

938
00:37:53,263 --> 00:37:55,170
private payment within

939
00:37:55,170 --> 00:37:58,438
school institutions. We will also hold an

940
00:37:58,438 --> 00:38:00,533
oral vote to approve the

941
00:38:00,533 --> 00:38:02,353
common agenda. Does anyone have any questions

942
00:38:02,353 --> 00:38:03,287
about the

943
00:38:03,287 --> 00:38:07,667
consent agenda? OK. Very well,

944
00:38:07,667 --> 00:38:09,590
since there is no discussion, all those who

945
00:38:09,590 --> 00:38:11,563
are in favor of approving the

946
00:38:11,563 --> 00:38:14,054
consent agenda, say yes.

947
00:38:14,054 --> 00:38:17,444
Anyone against it? Very well, we have

948
00:38:17,444 --> 00:38:18,841
approved the

949
00:38:18,841 --> 00:38:22,070
consent agenda. Now, we move on to

950
00:38:22,070 --> 00:38:23,889
communications with the board with the

951
00:38:23,889 --> 00:38:25,759
report from the superintendent, Dr.

952
00:38:25,759 --> 00:38:26,437
Webb.

953
00:38:26,437 --> 00:38:27,867
Thank you, Madam President. First,

954
00:38:27,867 --> 00:38:29,220
I want to thank those who came

955
00:38:29,220 --> 00:38:30,423
this afternoon and spoke about the

956
00:38:30,423 --> 00:38:32,416
audience's comments. In case you didn't

957
00:38:32,416 --> 00:38:34,385
know, at the top of the well,

958
00:38:34,385 --> 00:38:36,158
around the center, are

959
00:38:36,158 --> 00:38:37,734
all our

960
00:38:37,734 --> 00:38:39,654
assistant superintendents from all the

961
00:38:39,654 --> 00:38:41,868
Williamson County Schools departments.

962
00:38:41,868 --> 00:38:43,643
As public comments come in

963
00:38:43,643 --> 00:38:45,418
, they take into careful consideration the topics

964
00:38:45,418 --> 00:38:47,105
presented for discussion and the

965
00:38:47,105 --> 00:38:48,775
concerns raised.

966
00:38:48,775 --> 00:38:50,253
Therefore, in addition to contacting

967
00:38:50,253 --> 00:38:51,773
you individually after

968
00:38:51,773 --> 00:38:53,336
this meeting, we will also analyze

969
00:38:53,336 --> 00:38:54,940
the issues you have raised and

970
00:38:54,940 --> 00:38:56,503
ensure we follow up

971
00:38:56,503 --> 00:38:58,367
with the board regarding them. A

972
00:38:58,367 --> 00:39:00,445
perfect example is our

973
00:39:00,445 --> 00:39:02,195
bus and transport department. We continue

974
00:39:02,195 --> 00:39:03,521
working on our routes and on the

975
00:39:03,521 --> 00:39:04,919
recruitment and retention of our

976
00:39:04,919 --> 00:39:06,592
bus drivers. It's something we're

977
00:39:06,592 --> 00:39:09,383
constantly working on, so we'll keep

978
00:39:09,420 --> 00:39:10,797
you updated on it as well. I also want to

979
00:39:10,797 --> 00:39:12,025
thank the students who come to

980
00:39:12,025 --> 00:39:15,194
speak. It's very stressful. I can speak

981
00:39:15,194 --> 00:39:16,492
from my own seat. Sometimes it's

982
00:39:16,492 --> 00:39:17,799
stressful sitting in these

983
00:39:17,799 --> 00:39:19,760
seats. But to be a student and

984
00:39:19,760 --> 00:39:21,419
step forward and get up on the podium to

985
00:39:21,419 --> 00:39:23,078
share something you're passionate about, I just

986
00:39:23,078 --> 00:39:24,826
want to congratulate you on your leadership and

987
00:39:24,826 --> 00:39:26,575
thank you for being here tonight

988
00:39:26,575 --> 00:39:30,021
. And while we continue with

989
00:39:30,021 --> 00:39:32,044
our superintendent's report, I just want to

990
00:39:32,044 --> 00:39:33,966
share with you my vision for

991
00:39:33,966 --> 00:39:35,989
this year regarding our

992
00:39:35,989 --> 00:39:38,065
school visits. And, obviously, one

993
00:39:38,065 --> 00:39:39,154
of the things I do as

994
00:39:39,154 --> 00:39:40,646
superintendent is go in and out of

995
00:39:40,646 --> 00:39:42,611
school buildings and classrooms. And

996
00:39:42,611 --> 00:39:44,040
this academic year, I made the

997
00:39:44,040 --> 00:39:45,745
decision to visit classrooms and

998
00:39:45,745 --> 00:39:48,147
schools based on the groups. And

999
00:39:48,147 --> 00:39:49,681
for the past 6 weeks, I've

1000
00:39:49,681 --> 00:39:51,303
been in the Spring Hill group at

1001
00:39:51,303 --> 00:39:52,925
Thompson's Station and at the schools

1002
00:39:52,925 --> 00:39:55,549
that feed into Summit High School. And

1003
00:39:55,549 --> 00:39:56,849
those have been

1004
00:39:56,849 --> 00:39:58,553
phenomenal conversations and a great

1005
00:39:58,553 --> 00:40:00,301
learning experience about each group, from

1006
00:40:00,301 --> 00:40:02,094
kindergarten through 12th grade. On

1007
00:40:02,094 --> 00:40:03,798
those visits, I have the opportunity to

1008
00:40:03,798 --> 00:40:05,412
talk with bus drivers,

1009
00:40:05,412 --> 00:40:06,936
students, staff, teachers, and

1010
00:40:06,936 --> 00:40:09,641
leaders. They've been pretty phenomenal

1011
00:40:09,641 --> 00:40:12,954
. Therefore, each month we will highlight the

1012
00:40:12,954 --> 00:40:16,412
group I have just visited. And this month,

1013
00:40:16,412 --> 00:40:18,410
in our working session,

1014
00:40:18,410 --> 00:40:20,987
we celebrated and recognized

1015
00:40:20,987 --> 00:40:23,501
Thompson Station Elementary,

1016
00:40:23,501 --> 00:40:26,014
Allendale, Bethesda, and Chapman's Retreat schools

1017
00:40:26,014 --> 00:40:27,991
. They came to our work session

1018
00:40:27,991 --> 00:40:29,462
and our students became

1019
00:40:29,462 --> 00:40:30,932
teachers and taught us a few

1020
00:40:30,932 --> 00:40:32,779
things. Some of the things they

1021
00:40:32,779 --> 00:40:34,085
taught us on Thursday night

1022
00:40:34,085 --> 00:40:35,779
were the mission statement.

1023
00:40:35,779 --> 00:40:37,242
Our board members have

1024
00:40:37,242 --> 00:40:38,627
a copy of

1025
00:40:38,627 --> 00:40:40,240
Bethesda's mission statement. They wanted them to make sure they

1026
00:40:40,240 --> 00:40:41,600
remembered what they had been

1027
00:40:41,600 --> 00:40:43,270
taught. We won't have an exam, don't

1028
00:40:43,270 --> 00:40:44,728
worry, but they showed us their

1029
00:40:44,728 --> 00:40:46,534
mission statement. We had

1030
00:40:46,534 --> 00:40:47,937
groups of students who

1031
00:40:47,937 --> 00:40:49,388
showed us art projects and

1032
00:40:49,388 --> 00:40:51,213
replicated the process that their teachers

1033
00:40:51,213 --> 00:40:53,037
had followed to teach them about

1034
00:40:53,037 --> 00:40:55,361
art and create art. We learned about the

1035
00:40:55,361 --> 00:40:56,985
books the students were

1036
00:40:56,985 --> 00:40:58,794
reading as they prepared for the

1037
00:40:58,794 --> 00:41:00,881
Elementary School Book Battle. It was

1038
00:41:00,881 --> 00:41:02,439
a wonderful evening and we want to

1039
00:41:02,439 --> 00:41:04,450
thank the directors, especially

1040
00:41:04,450 --> 00:41:06,410
Tiffany Dukes from Thompson Station,

1041
00:41:06,410 --> 00:41:08,321
Anthony Johnson from Allendale, Karen

1042
00:41:08,321 --> 00:41:10,030
Caldwell from Bethesda and Michelle

1043
00:41:10,030 --> 00:41:11,963
Hummel from Chapman's Retreat. It was a

1044
00:41:11,963 --> 00:41:13,983
great experience and the students

1045
00:41:13,983 --> 00:41:16,083
did a fantastic job. It was

1046
00:41:16,083 --> 00:41:19,337
great to celebrate them. As part of that

1047
00:41:19,337 --> 00:41:21,514
group, we celebrated a great practice we

1048
00:41:21,514 --> 00:41:23,808
saw there, which was the Golden

1049
00:41:23,808 --> 00:41:26,588
Mentors. We would like to highlight a program that takes

1050
00:41:26,588 --> 00:41:28,071
place in our

1051
00:41:28,071 --> 00:41:29,598
primary schools, where grandparents and

1052
00:41:29,598 --> 00:41:31,299
retirees return to our schools

1053
00:41:31,299 --> 00:41:32,739
as volunteers and participate in

1054
00:41:32,739 --> 00:41:34,178
our reading program and

1055
00:41:34,178 --> 00:41:35,836
volunteer with our

1056
00:41:35,836 --> 00:41:38,222
students. It was great to hear about

1057
00:41:38,222 --> 00:41:39,887
that great program that's going on

1058
00:41:39,887 --> 00:41:41,821
. And of course, tonight,

1059
00:41:41,821 --> 00:41:43,177
before this meeting, we highlight

1060
00:41:43,177 --> 00:41:45,227
our high schools. Spring

1061
00:41:45,227 --> 00:41:47,011
Station was here and we heard a

1062
00:41:47,011 --> 00:41:48,419
great broadcast from our

1063
00:41:48,419 --> 00:41:50,014
student broadcasters, the

1064
00:41:50,014 --> 00:41:51,892
Thompson Station Middle Orchestra, the

1065
00:41:51,892 --> 00:41:53,629
Summit High School Corrale, and of

1066
00:41:53,629 --> 00:41:55,412
course, they joined us tonight

1067
00:41:55,412 --> 00:41:57,605
with some beautiful music. So

1068
00:41:57,605 --> 00:41:59,237
we want to thank those students

1069
00:41:59,237 --> 00:42:00,912
for being here and their principal Sarah

1070
00:42:00,912 --> 00:42:02,501
Lamb, Paula Waits and Jason Loudon

1071
00:42:02,501 --> 00:42:04,176
for their respectful support of those schools

1072
00:42:04,176 --> 00:42:06,903
. One of the questions I ask when

1073
00:42:06,903 --> 00:42:08,740
I'm in the building, no matter

1074
00:42:08,740 --> 00:42:10,435
who I'm talking to, is, "What do you

1075
00:42:10,435 --> 00:42:12,417
love about this school? What makes

1076
00:42:12,417 --> 00:42:14,154
your school community unique as a

1077
00:42:14,154 --> 00:42:15,609
student, as a teacher, as a

1078
00:42:15,609 --> 00:42:17,692
bus driver?" Therefore,

1079
00:42:17,692 --> 00:42:19,503
I want to share with you some of

1080
00:42:19,503 --> 00:42:20,906
the words that were

1081
00:42:20,906 --> 00:42:23,735
constantly repeated to me in this group. What

1082
00:42:23,735 --> 00:42:25,828
students, teachers,

1083
00:42:25,828 --> 00:42:27,868
staff, and leaders love is the sense

1084
00:42:27,868 --> 00:42:30,014
of community, the people, the pride, the

1085
00:42:30,014 --> 00:42:31,785
relationships, the hearts of the

1086
00:42:31,785 --> 00:42:34,540
people who lead in those buildings.

1087
00:42:34,540 --> 00:42:37,002
And it was a great experience to feel the

1088
00:42:37,002 --> 00:42:39,531
culture alive and well in that

1089
00:42:39,531 --> 00:42:41,994
kindergarten up to grade 12 within

1090
00:42:41,994 --> 00:42:43,796
that group. Therefore, I want to

1091
00:42:43,796 --> 00:42:45,220
especially thank our

1092
00:42:45,220 --> 00:42:46,848
leaders from those schools who are in

1093
00:42:46,848 --> 00:42:48,439
the room tonight. Thank you for your

1094
00:42:48,439 --> 00:42:50,511
leadership. Thank you for the culture you

1095
00:42:50,511 --> 00:42:52,112
build. I would like to ask you to stand

1096
00:42:52,112 --> 00:42:53,242
to receive

1097
00:42:53,242 --> 00:42:54,476
recognition if you are here as

1098
00:42:54,476 --> 00:43:05,452
directors in that group tonight.

1099
00:43:05,452 --> 00:43:07,102
Thank you for your leadership. I see that

1100
00:43:07,102 --> 00:43:08,965
we have many principals and teachers

1101
00:43:08,965 --> 00:43:10,594
here. If you are a teacher or leader in

1102
00:43:10,594 --> 00:43:11,938
Williamson County, could you

1103
00:43:11,938 --> 00:43:22,339
also stand up? Thank you for

1104
00:43:22,339 --> 00:43:25,875
being here. As I continue with my

1105
00:43:25,875 --> 00:43:27,462
report, I want to remind our

1106
00:43:27,462 --> 00:43:29,006
community that we are beginning the

1107
00:43:29,006 --> 00:43:30,722
process of adopting our

1108
00:43:30,722 --> 00:43:32,266
social studies textbooks, as well as

1109
00:43:32,266 --> 00:43:33,811
adopting some

1110
00:43:33,811 --> 00:43:35,527
select courses for career

1111
00:43:35,527 --> 00:43:38,122
and technical education. And that process begins

1112
00:43:38,122 --> 00:43:40,825
tonight. We will sign and finalize the

1113
00:43:40,825 --> 00:43:43,291
committee that will begin that process in

1114
00:43:43,291 --> 00:43:47,177
the coming weeks. In the coming

1115
00:43:47,177 --> 00:43:48,741
months, from December to February,

1116
00:43:48,741 --> 00:43:50,658
we will have approximately 99 hours of

1117
00:43:50,658 --> 00:43:52,575
community time where

1118
00:43:52,575 --> 00:43:54,592
community members can come and review

1119
00:43:54,592 --> 00:43:57,492
those materials. You can see those dates

1120
00:43:57,492 --> 00:43:58,988
and the timeline for the

1121
00:43:58,988 --> 00:44:00,528
full adoption of the

1122
00:44:00,528 --> 00:44:02,137
social studies textbooks. You can see it in

1123
00:44:02,137 --> 00:44:03,595
our board package, which is

1124
00:44:03,595 --> 00:44:06,579
on our website. Next year

1125
00:44:06,579 --> 00:44:08,459
, for 2027-28, we will have the

1126
00:44:08,459 --> 00:44:10,151
fine arts adoption process and some

1127
00:44:10,151 --> 00:44:11,891
additional CTE courses, but this

1128
00:44:11,891 --> 00:44:13,724
year is for social studies and some

1129
00:44:13,724 --> 00:44:16,841
additional courses there. I would like to

1130
00:44:16,841 --> 00:44:18,153
give special thanks to

1131
00:44:18,153 --> 00:44:19,394
our entire Careers and

1132
00:44:19,394 --> 00:44:21,809
Technology Department. As Mr.

1133
00:44:21,809 --> 00:44:23,498
Wagner shared in his public comment, you

1134
00:44:23,498 --> 00:44:24,822
know, we prepare our

1135
00:44:24,822 --> 00:44:26,648
students for Careers and Technology

1136
00:44:26,648 --> 00:44:28,109
and opportunity for all

1137
00:44:28,109 --> 00:44:29,662
walks of life when they cross

1138
00:44:29,662 --> 00:44:31,305
our stage, whether they go

1139
00:44:31,305 --> 00:44:33,040
directly into the job market, to a

1140
00:44:33,040 --> 00:44:34,638
specialized trade, to a

1141
00:44:34,638 --> 00:44:36,282
community college, to a 4-

1142
00:44:36,282 --> 00:44:37,834
year university, it is important that we have

1143
00:44:37,834 --> 00:44:40,435
pathways for every student. And

1144
00:44:40,435 --> 00:44:42,076
we highlighted those pathways

1145
00:44:42,076 --> 00:44:43,909
last week in the State

1146
00:44:43,909 --> 00:44:45,405
of the Schools address we did in

1147
00:44:45,405 --> 00:44:47,142
partnership with Williamson Inc. And

1148
00:44:47,142 --> 00:44:49,024
our CTE leaders, Jeremy Qualls

1149
00:44:49,024 --> 00:44:50,568
, Paula Chilton, and Chris Snyder,

1150
00:44:50,568 --> 00:44:52,305
led that in our Center for

1151
00:44:52,305 --> 00:44:53,849
Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and

1152
00:44:53,849 --> 00:44:55,442
our students did a

1153
00:44:55,442 --> 00:44:57,034
fantastic job telling the

1154
00:44:57,034 --> 00:44:58,916
story of what

1155
00:44:58,916 --> 00:45:00,701
that education is like inside our classrooms

1156
00:45:00,701 --> 00:45:02,631
as we prepare for

1157
00:45:02,631 --> 00:45:05,522
those pathways. Well, we want to give

1158
00:45:05,522 --> 00:45:07,839
special thanks to those leaders.

1159
00:45:07,839 --> 00:45:09,439
And since tonight we're highlighting

1160
00:45:09,439 --> 00:45:10,959
Summit High School, one of the

1161
00:45:10,959 --> 00:45:12,399
student presenters was Adler

1162
00:45:12,399 --> 00:45:13,959
Smith, a junior at

1163
00:45:13,959 --> 00:45:15,319
Summit High School, who is an

1164
00:45:15,319 --> 00:45:16,879
entrepreneur in her own right and runs

1165
00:45:16,879 --> 00:45:18,439
her own sportswear business, and

1166
00:45:18,439 --> 00:45:20,039
has been part of our

1167
00:45:20,039 --> 00:45:21,559
entrepreneurship program since she was in

1168
00:45:21,559 --> 00:45:23,599
middle school at Thompson Station.

1169
00:45:23,599 --> 00:45:26,650
So, we also want to say hello to her. I'd

1170
00:45:26,650 --> 00:45:28,523
also like to introduce

1171
00:45:28,523 --> 00:45:30,496
everyone to Sam Jackson, who is here.

1172
00:45:30,496 --> 00:45:31,930
He is our new board lawyer and

1173
00:45:31,930 --> 00:45:33,401
this is his first school board meeting

1174
00:45:33,401 --> 00:45:34,897
. So we want to

1175
00:45:34,897 --> 00:45:36,019
officially welcome Sam.

1176
00:45:36,019 --> 00:45:36,840
Thank you.

1177
00:45:36,840 --> 00:45:39,698
Yes, welcome. And now, I'd like to

1178
00:45:39,698 --> 00:45:41,765
hand the floor to the fabulous Corey

1179
00:45:41,765 --> 00:45:43,713
Mason from our

1180
00:45:43,713 --> 00:45:45,545
Communications Department. Welcome, good sir

1181
00:45:45,545 --> 00:45:46,239
.

1182
00:45:46,239 --> 00:45:48,304
Thank you, Dr. Webb, and good night

1183
00:45:48,304 --> 00:45:50,588
everyone. We have a great group of

1184
00:45:50,588 --> 00:45:52,530
Spotlight Award winners

1185
00:45:52,530 --> 00:45:54,365
tonight, including four

1186
00:45:54,365 --> 00:45:58,042
national champions. We'll start with three of the

1187
00:45:58,042 --> 00:46:00,416
students who won gold medals

1188
00:46:00,416 --> 00:46:02,791
at the National Special Olympics

1189
00:46:02,791 --> 00:46:05,046
last summer, including Delaney

1190
00:46:05,046 --> 00:46:07,005
Heflin from Franklin High School

1191
00:46:07,005 --> 00:46:09,332
. You see her here, she's on the

1192
00:46:09,332 --> 00:46:11,147
right with the gold medal hanging around her

1193
00:46:11,147 --> 00:46:13,841
neck and a big smile. She won the

1194
00:46:13,841 --> 00:46:15,811
gold medal in the

1195
00:46:15,811 --> 00:46:17,722
unified women's doubles

1196
00:46:17,722 --> 00:46:20,190
pickleball competition. I am very proud of her

1197
00:46:20,190 --> 00:46:22,196
. And pickleball must be a

1198
00:46:22,196 --> 00:46:23,475
regular thing at Franklin High School

1199
00:46:23,475 --> 00:46:26,033
because Rogan Rivers, a

1200
00:46:26,071 --> 00:46:27,819
Franklin High School student, also competed there. He

1201
00:46:27,819 --> 00:46:29,525
is on the right and won the

1202
00:46:29,525 --> 00:46:31,686
traditional doubles

1203
00:46:31,686 --> 00:46:33,791
pickleball competition, earning the

1204
00:46:33,791 --> 00:46:36,852
gold medal. Congratulations to him. And then there's

1205
00:46:36,852 --> 00:46:38,224
Kimley Wood, from

1206
00:46:38,224 --> 00:46:39,679
Ravenwood High School, whose

1207
00:46:39,679 --> 00:46:41,929
favorite sport is swimming. He won a

1208
00:46:41,929 --> 00:46:44,091
gold medal in the

1209
00:46:44,091 --> 00:46:47,117
4 x 25 yard freestyle relay. Congratulations

1210
00:46:47,117 --> 00:46:49,980
to them. And continuing with the topic of

1211
00:46:49,980 --> 00:46:51,600
athletics, at Page High School

1212
00:46:51,600 --> 00:46:53,175
, their athletic department

1213
00:46:53,175 --> 00:46:56,291
is doing great things. In fact, they just

1214
00:46:56,291 --> 00:46:58,333
received the

1215
00:46:58,333 --> 00:47:00,540
Quality Program Evaluation Designation

1216
00:47:00,540 --> 00:47:04,017
from the National Association of

1217
00:47:04,072 --> 00:47:07,903
Interscholastic Sports Administrators. Guys, this is

1218
00:47:07,903 --> 00:47:10,308
very important. They are one of

1219
00:47:10,308 --> 00:47:12,151
only two schools in the state of

1220
00:47:12,151 --> 00:47:14,054
Tennessee to have earned this

1221
00:47:14,054 --> 00:47:16,432
designation, which is awarded to programs

1222
00:47:16,432 --> 00:47:18,810
that have exceptionally

1223
00:47:18,810 --> 00:47:20,951
high standards in the areas of operations,

1224
00:47:20,951 --> 00:47:23,454
leadership, and safety. The

1225
00:47:23,454 --> 00:47:25,438
athletic director at Page High School

1226
00:47:25,438 --> 00:47:27,423
is Benji Gray, and he's doing a great

1227
00:47:27,423 --> 00:47:30,210
job. Next, we have

1228
00:47:30,210 --> 00:47:32,276
some state championships that we would

1229
00:47:32,276 --> 00:47:34,254
like to acknowledge. At

1230
00:47:34,254 --> 00:47:36,290
Page High School, the Future

1231
00:47:36,290 --> 00:47:38,382
Farmers of America program is doing

1232
00:47:38,382 --> 00:47:40,526
extremely well. The students you

1233
00:47:40,526 --> 00:47:42,808
see here, Grace Snyder, Sam Hatch,

1234
00:47:42,808 --> 00:47:44,806
Ben Delvin, and Scarlett Hendrickson,

1235
00:47:44,806 --> 00:47:48,458
won first place in the

1236
00:47:48,515 --> 00:47:50,455
high school dairy judges competition

1237
00:47:50,455 --> 00:47:52,624
during the summer at the Tennessee State Fair

1238
00:47:52,624 --> 00:47:54,386
. In fact, this is the

1239
00:47:54,386 --> 00:47:55,811
second year in a row that they have won this

1240
00:47:55,811 --> 00:47:57,531
competition. So they're right

1241
00:47:57,531 --> 00:47:59,348
at Page High School,

1242
00:47:59,348 --> 00:48:02,263
where their teacher is Tommy Green.

1243
00:48:02,263 --> 00:48:03,930
Not to be outdone, Page High School

1244
00:48:03,930 --> 00:48:05,698
also has an

1245
00:48:05,698 --> 00:48:07,645
exceptional FFA program. In fact, they have just

1246
00:48:07,645 --> 00:48:09,634
received the

1247
00:48:09,634 --> 00:48:11,916
national designation of three-star chapter

1248
00:48:11,916 --> 00:48:14,080
, which is the highest rating

1249
00:48:14,080 --> 00:48:16,245
a chapter can achieve in the

1250
00:48:16,245 --> 00:48:18,252
world of FFA. In fact, this is the

1251
00:48:18,252 --> 00:48:19,790
third consecutive year they have received

1252
00:48:19,790 --> 00:48:22,409
this designation. The teacher is

1253
00:48:22,409 --> 00:48:25,815
Shanna Botella. We talked a little while ago

1254
00:48:25,815 --> 00:48:27,819
about Page and the great work they are

1255
00:48:27,819 --> 00:48:29,765
doing in the world of athletics.

1256
00:48:29,765 --> 00:48:31,336
Well, this is proof of that.

1257
00:48:31,336 --> 00:48:32,766
We would like to share with you some

1258
00:48:32,766 --> 00:48:34,445
highlights of our staff. James

1259
00:48:34,445 --> 00:48:36,722
Ickoff, from Page High School, has just been

1260
00:48:36,722 --> 00:48:39,122
named the TSSAA Coach of the Year

1261
00:48:39,122 --> 00:48:41,693
in girls' golf. Congratulations

1262
00:48:41,693 --> 00:48:45,886
to him. And then Dana Fassano is the

1263
00:48:45,946 --> 00:48:49,884
girls' lacrosse coach of the year at Page High School. At

1264
00:48:49,884 --> 00:48:52,045
Independence High School, Luke Finley is

1265
00:48:52,045 --> 00:48:54,340
seen there wearing the gray t-shirt.

1266
00:48:54,340 --> 00:48:56,668
He received the

1267
00:48:56,668 --> 00:48:58,870
TSSAA Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year award

1268
00:48:58,870 --> 00:49:03,307
. And then Indy's rival,

1269
00:49:03,307 --> 00:49:05,026
Summit High School, Warren Reiker, who

1270
00:49:05,026 --> 00:49:06,698
did a great job at Summit, was

1271
00:49:06,698 --> 00:49:08,185
named volleyball coach of the year

1272
00:49:08,185 --> 00:49:09,904
, where he worked and helped the

1273
00:49:09,904 --> 00:49:11,762
team win a state championship

1274
00:49:11,762 --> 00:49:15,214
last year. And then our last

1275
00:49:15,214 --> 00:49:17,122
highlight of the night, guys,

1276
00:49:17,122 --> 00:49:19,380
is really special. We went to the

1277
00:49:19,380 --> 00:49:21,468
archives and found a new photo

1278
00:49:21,468 --> 00:49:23,390
of Harriet Medlin. If they know her, they

1279
00:49:23,390 --> 00:49:25,990
adore her. Harriet retired

1280
00:49:25,990 --> 00:49:28,162
last year after 57 years in the world

1281
00:49:28,162 --> 00:49:30,785
of education. She continues to be a

1282
00:49:30,785 --> 00:49:32,785
coach, continues to change lives, and continues to

1283
00:49:32,785 --> 00:49:34,946
do great work in the world of

1284
00:49:34,946 --> 00:49:37,933
public speaking and debate. Well, the

1285
00:49:37,933 --> 00:49:40,324
Tennessee High School Speech and Drama

1286
00:49:40,324 --> 00:49:42,225
League, the THSSDL, let me

1287
00:49:42,225 --> 00:49:44,616
double-check the name, presented her with

1288
00:49:44,616 --> 00:49:46,946
a lifetime achievement award this

1289
00:49:46,946 --> 00:49:49,031
summer for all the work she has

1290
00:49:49,031 --> 00:49:52,515
done over the years. And

1291
00:49:52,515 --> 00:49:54,677
not only that, they also went a step

1292
00:49:54,677 --> 00:49:56,607
further. They gave him the award and,

1293
00:49:56,607 --> 00:49:58,179
later, decided to name it after him

1294
00:49:58,179 --> 00:50:00,175
. So, from now on

1295
00:50:00,175 --> 00:50:02,449
, it will be known as the

1296
00:50:02,449 --> 00:50:05,340
Harriet Medlin Lifetime Achievement Award.

1297
00:50:05,340 --> 00:50:07,601
Congratulations to Harriet and congratulations

1298
00:50:07,601 --> 00:50:09,804
to all our outstanding winners

1299
00:50:09,804 --> 00:50:12,280
this month.

1300
00:50:12,280 --> 00:50:14,118
Thank you, Mr. Mason. And Madam

1301
00:50:14,118 --> 00:50:15,301
President, with this my

1302
00:50:15,301 --> 00:50:16,379
report concludes.

1303
00:50:16,379 --> 00:50:19,206
Thank you so much. Okay, the next item on the

1304
00:50:19,206 --> 00:50:20,761
agenda is the president's report

1305
00:50:20,761 --> 00:50:22,585
. There is no report from the

1306
00:50:22,585 --> 00:50:24,238
chairman of the board tonight, so we will

1307
00:50:24,238 --> 00:50:26,173
move on to new business. The

1308
00:50:26,173 --> 00:50:29,628
first item on the new agenda is the

1309
00:50:29,673 --> 00:50:31,468
textbook adoption committee's approval for the adoption of

1310
00:50:31,468 --> 00:50:34,754
social studies in March. I was going to say

1311
00:50:34,754 --> 00:50:36,639
Mr. Dr. Webb.

1312
00:50:36,639 --> 00:50:38,988
Thank you, Madam President. Okay,

1313
00:50:38,988 --> 00:50:40,341
our first memorandum for your

1314
00:50:40,341 --> 00:50:41,693
approval here is a point of

1315
00:50:41,693 --> 00:50:43,333
contention regarding the textbook committee

1316
00:50:43,333 --> 00:50:45,583
. And again, you will see here that it is

1317
00:50:45,583 --> 00:50:47,490
for social studies and in the areas

1318
00:50:47,490 --> 00:50:49,348
of professional and technical education,

1319
00:50:49,348 --> 00:50:51,206
human services, and administration and

1320
00:50:51,206 --> 00:50:53,232
entrepreneurship. This includes our

1321
00:50:53,232 --> 00:50:54,764
teachers, parents, and

1322
00:50:54,764 --> 00:50:56,255
our school board members who will act

1323
00:50:56,255 --> 00:50:57,787
as our representatives on this

1324
00:50:57,787 --> 00:50:59,758
committee. As a reminder, all

1325
00:50:59,758 --> 00:51:01,312
board members are ad

1326
00:51:01,312 --> 00:51:02,908
hoc members of the committee, but are not

1327
00:51:02,908 --> 00:51:04,580
voting members, including Ms.

1328
00:51:04,580 --> 00:51:06,149
Tanya Hibner, who will act on the

1329
00:51:06,149 --> 00:51:07,861
committee because you, as the board,

1330
00:51:07,861 --> 00:51:09,966
have the final vote. Therefore, they are

1331
00:51:09,966 --> 00:51:11,581
voting members in the end with

1332
00:51:11,581 --> 00:51:13,116
regard to the materials and their

1333
00:51:13,116 --> 00:51:15,660
adoption. This is the committee I

1334
00:51:15,660 --> 00:51:18,640
recommend and I recommend its approval.

1335
00:51:18,640 --> 00:51:22,350
Very good. Thank you so much. Do we have a

1336
00:51:22,350 --> 00:51:24,654
motion? Yes, okay. I see a

1337
00:51:24,654 --> 00:51:26,809
motion by Ms. Calcoat and one

1338
00:51:26,809 --> 00:51:29,760
seconded by Donna Clements. Now, the

1339
00:51:29,760 --> 00:51:31,275
floor is open for discussion on

1340
00:51:31,275 --> 00:51:37,790
this point. Very good. Since there is no

1341
00:51:37,790 --> 00:51:49,259
debate, we will proceed to the vote.

1342
00:51:49,259 --> 00:51:53,179
12 in favor, zero against.

1343
00:51:53,179 --> 00:51:54,775
And with this, the

1344
00:51:54,775 --> 00:51:56,372
textbook adoption committee for the

1345
00:51:56,372 --> 00:51:58,055
adoption of social studies in March is approved

1346
00:51:58,055 --> 00:52:01,033
. Moving on to the next point, the

1347
00:52:01,033 --> 00:52:03,147
approval of the collaborative conference team

1348
00:52:03,147 --> 00:52:04,881
, Dr. Webb.

1349
00:52:04,881 --> 00:52:07,161
Thank you, Madam President. WCS is

1350
00:52:07,161 --> 00:52:09,296
in the second year of a

1351
00:52:09,296 --> 00:52:11,431
three-year memorandum of understanding with WCEA, and TCA

1352
00:52:11,431 --> 00:52:13,342
stipulates that we must conduct an

1353
00:52:13,342 --> 00:52:14,971
annual review of pay,

1354
00:52:14,971 --> 00:52:17,162
grievance procedures, benefits, and

1355
00:52:17,162 --> 00:52:19,948
working conditions. So, this

1356
00:52:19,948 --> 00:52:22,583
is your chance to vote to approve

1357
00:52:22,583 --> 00:52:24,935
this committee. We have asked Ashley

1358
00:52:24,935 --> 00:52:26,464
Slaughter to chair this committee this

1359
00:52:26,464 --> 00:52:27,688
year in our

1360
00:52:27,688 --> 00:52:29,027
Human Resources Department. As many of

1361
00:52:29,027 --> 00:52:30,437
you know, this is a committee I

1362
00:52:30,437 --> 00:52:31,811
have chaired before, so

1363
00:52:31,811 --> 00:52:33,295
we are grateful to Ashley for

1364
00:52:33,295 --> 00:52:34,542
stepping up to lead it.

1365
00:52:34,542 --> 00:52:37,130
I recommend its approval.

1366
00:52:37,130 --> 00:52:39,437
Thank you, Dr. Webb. I see we have a

1367
00:52:39,437 --> 00:52:41,133
motion from Ms. Wyatt and one

1368
00:52:41,133 --> 00:52:43,945
seconded by Ms. Kenneine. And now

1369
00:52:43,945 --> 00:52:45,498
the floor is open for

1370
00:52:45,498 --> 00:52:51,624
debate. Very well, since there is no debate,

1371
00:52:51,624 --> 00:52:59,180
we will proceed to the vote.

1372
00:52:59,180 --> 00:53:00,641
is 12 in favor and

1373
00:53:00,641 --> 00:53:02,300
zero against.

1374
00:53:02,300 --> 00:53:05,586
And with that, we have approved the

1375
00:53:05,643 --> 00:53:08,482
collaborative conference team's approval. The next

1376
00:53:08,482 --> 00:53:10,169
item on the agenda is the

1377
00:53:10,169 --> 00:53:12,183
approval of the board's parameters

1378
00:53:12,183 --> 00:53:13,979
for the 2027-28 school calendar

1379
00:53:13,979 --> 00:53:15,412
. Dr. Webb.

1380
00:53:15,412 --> 00:53:16,700
Thank you, Madam President. This is an

1381
00:53:16,700 --> 00:53:18,622
annual voting point. The

1382
00:53:18,622 --> 00:53:20,625
school board has the opportunity, before

1383
00:53:20,625 --> 00:53:22,166
we begin the

1384
00:53:22,166 --> 00:53:23,861
calendar process for the next

1385
00:53:23,861 --> 00:53:25,864
school year, to set the

1386
00:53:25,864 --> 00:53:29,425
calendar parameters if they so wish. In

1387
00:53:29,425 --> 00:53:31,126
recent years we have not voted on

1388
00:53:31,126 --> 00:53:33,021
any parameters and have simply

1389
00:53:33,021 --> 00:53:34,673
allowed our

1390
00:53:34,673 --> 00:53:36,616
calendar committee to listen to our comments

1391
00:53:36,616 --> 00:53:38,366
through debate and take them into

1392
00:53:38,366 --> 00:53:40,309
account as they do their work

1393
00:53:40,309 --> 00:53:41,864
and report on those

1394
00:53:41,864 --> 00:53:43,710
feedback points rather than going

1395
00:53:43,710 --> 00:53:46,914
ahead with the parameters. I noted

1396
00:53:46,914 --> 00:53:48,631
in our working session that

1397
00:53:48,631 --> 00:53:50,600
we had three talking points

1398
00:53:50,600 --> 00:53:52,368
from the board that we requested the

1399
00:53:52,368 --> 00:53:55,152
committee to consider. The first is

1400
00:53:55,152 --> 00:53:56,858
the commemoration of September 11th

1401
00:53:56,858 --> 00:53:58,257
so that this day is added to the

1402
00:53:58,257 --> 00:54:00,220
calendar. The second was the

1403
00:54:00,220 --> 00:54:01,740
consideration of early dismissal days

1404
00:54:01,740 --> 00:54:03,060
for the primary to

1405
00:54:03,060 --> 00:54:04,300
discuss them with respect to a

1406
00:54:04,300 --> 00:54:07,975
transition to Fridays. And the third

1407
00:54:07,975 --> 00:54:09,625
was a consideration of the dates on

1408
00:54:09,625 --> 00:54:11,274
which we have elections and how we conduct

1409
00:54:11,274 --> 00:54:12,923
school, whether we should be

1410
00:54:12,923 --> 00:54:14,201
open or closed, taking

1411
00:54:14,201 --> 00:54:15,850
careful consideration with regard to

1412
00:54:15,850 --> 00:54:18,678
election days. Those are the

1413
00:54:18,678 --> 00:54:20,669
three points of discussion that,

1414
00:54:20,669 --> 00:54:22,944
beyond any parameters, they will take

1415
00:54:22,944 --> 00:54:25,911
and move forward with. As you know, this

1416
00:54:25,911 --> 00:54:27,682
is a committee that I have chaired for

1417
00:54:27,682 --> 00:54:29,407
the past 8 years, and some of the

1418
00:54:29,407 --> 00:54:30,996
things I want you to know that this

1419
00:54:30,996 --> 00:54:32,131
committee does annually,

1420
00:54:32,131 --> 00:54:33,901
regardless of its parameters,

1421
00:54:33,901 --> 00:54:35,445
is that its number one goal is to

1422
00:54:35,445 --> 00:54:36,943
ensure that we have the best

1423
00:54:36,943 --> 00:54:40,041
possible educational calendar. And that's why

1424
00:54:40,041 --> 00:54:41,973
they rely, of course, on all the

1425
00:54:41,973 --> 00:54:44,061
policies of the state and local board,

1426
00:54:44,061 --> 00:54:45,889
but that's the first objective they

1427
00:54:45,889 --> 00:54:48,354
discuss. They aim for a balance of days

1428
00:54:48,354 --> 00:54:50,411
in each quarter. They review the

1429
00:54:50,411 --> 00:54:51,889
start and end dates,

1430
00:54:51,889 --> 00:54:53,748
breaks, and attendance data as they

1431
00:54:53,748 --> 00:54:55,810
pertain to them. They review

1432
00:54:55,810 --> 00:54:57,859
local and national election days and holidays

1433
00:54:57,859 --> 00:54:59,960
, and they review feedback

1434
00:54:59,960 --> 00:55:01,799
from the board and our

1435
00:55:01,799 --> 00:55:04,535
school community. I don't have a recommendation

1436
00:55:04,535 --> 00:55:05,971
for them to proceed with the

1437
00:55:05,971 --> 00:55:07,766
parameters, but of course, that's

1438
00:55:07,766 --> 00:55:09,517
a decision and a motion they can

1439
00:55:09,517 --> 00:55:11,660
make this afternoon.

1440
00:55:11,660 --> 00:55:14,175
Thank you, Dr. Webb. I see a motion

1441
00:55:14,175 --> 00:55:16,615
by Mrs. Hidema and one seconded

1442
00:55:16,615 --> 00:55:19,413
by Mrs. Kelso. Any

1443
00:55:19,413 --> 00:55:24,423
discussion? Yes, Mrs. Wyatt.

1444
00:55:24,423 --> 00:55:26,251
Thank you, Madam President. I believe

1445
00:55:26,251 --> 00:55:27,942
we also discussed in the

1446
00:55:27,942 --> 00:55:29,588
working session, I think Dr. Padgett

1447
00:55:29,588 --> 00:55:31,325
mentioned the continuation of the two

1448
00:55:31,325 --> 00:55:33,154
years we would have with the

1449
00:55:33,154 --> 00:55:34,893
school calendar. If we could continue with

1450
00:55:34,893 --> 00:55:36,010
that, I think our families would

1451
00:55:36,010 --> 00:55:42,259
really appreciate it. Thank you.

1452
00:55:42,259 --> 00:55:44,541
Very well, since there are no further discussions,

1453
00:55:44,541 --> 00:55:55,914
we will proceed to the vote. Well, what

1454
00:55:55,914 --> 00:55:58,659
we will vote on is that there are no parameters

1455
00:55:58,659 --> 00:56:01,267
for the 2027-28 calendar, just to

1456
00:56:01,267 --> 00:56:08,940
make that clear.

1457
00:56:08,940 --> 00:56:11,900
There are 12 votes in favor, zero against.

1458
00:56:11,900 --> 00:56:14,049
Very well, we have approved that there will be no

1459
00:56:14,049 --> 00:56:16,315
parameters for the 2027-28 school calendar

1460
00:56:16,315 --> 00:56:19,182
. Moving on to the approval of the

1461
00:56:19,182 --> 00:56:21,301
calendar committee composition

1462
00:56:21,301 --> 00:56:22,002
, Dr. Webb.

1463
00:56:22,002 --> 00:56:23,175
Thank you, Madam President. As

1464
00:56:23,175 --> 00:56:24,669
you will see here, we have our

1465
00:56:24,669 --> 00:56:26,084
calendar committee that is ready to

1466
00:56:26,084 --> 00:56:28,056
begin its work without parameters. And

1467
00:56:28,056 --> 00:56:30,880
I recommend its approval. Jenny Lopez

1468
00:56:30,880 --> 00:56:35,499
will chair this committee.

1469
00:56:35,499 --> 00:56:36,995
Very well, I see a motion from Dr.

1470
00:56:36,995 --> 00:56:38,699
Driggers and one seconded by Ms.

1471
00:56:38,699 --> 00:56:41,796
Wyatt. Does anyone have any points to

1472
00:56:41,796 --> 00:56:46,011
discuss? Okay, since we didn't see any,

1473
00:56:46,011 --> 00:56:47,923
we voted to approve the composition

1474
00:56:47,923 --> 00:56:56,160
of the calendar committee.

1475
00:56:56,160 --> 00:56:57,565
The vote is 12 in favor and

1476
00:56:57,565 --> 00:56:59,840
zero against.

1477
00:56:59,840 --> 00:57:01,319
Thank you, and we have approved the

1478
00:57:01,319 --> 00:57:03,631
calendar committee. Moving on to the

1479
00:57:03,631 --> 00:57:05,542
approval to renew the

1480
00:57:05,542 --> 00:57:08,108
interim superintendent's contract. Oh,

1481
00:57:08,108 --> 00:57:10,320
I'll lead the discussion on this.

1482
00:57:10,320 --> 00:57:12,606
So, we had our

1483
00:57:12,606 --> 00:57:14,768
district general counsel, Seth Wilson,

1484
00:57:14,768 --> 00:57:17,054
amend the contract based on

1485
00:57:17,054 --> 00:57:19,464
our conversation at the

1486
00:57:19,464 --> 00:57:22,382
work session. Well, you'll see that it now

1487
00:57:22,382 --> 00:57:24,749
includes, uh, specifies that

1488
00:57:24,749 --> 00:57:27,787
Dr. Webb's tenure will not be

1489
00:57:27,787 --> 00:57:29,944
affected if she returns to her position as

1490
00:57:29,944 --> 00:57:32,043
assistant superintendent of

1491
00:57:32,043 --> 00:57:34,200
high schools, and we will also pay

1492
00:57:34,200 --> 00:57:36,125
her entire cell phone bill

1493
00:57:36,125 --> 00:57:38,282
that will be reimbursed to her as

1494
00:57:38,282 --> 00:57:40,997
regards work use. So,

1495
00:57:40,997 --> 00:57:43,380
those two changes have been made.

1496
00:57:43,380 --> 00:57:45,053
We have a motion in Dr. Driggers' room

1497
00:57:45,053 --> 00:57:46,555
, seconded by Mr.

1498
00:57:46,555 --> 00:57:48,306
Bostick. Are there any other discussions

1499
00:57:48,306 --> 00:57:53,851
related to that? Well, since we didn't see

1500
00:57:53,851 --> 00:57:55,970
any, we were going to vote to approve

1501
00:57:55,970 --> 00:57:58,144
her interim superintendent contract

1502
00:57:58,144 --> 00:58:04,420
.

1503
00:58:04,420 --> 00:58:08,355
Vote: 12 in favor, zero against.

1504
00:58:08,355 --> 00:58:10,679
And with that vote, we have approved the

1505
00:58:10,679 --> 00:58:13,000
interim superintendent's contract.

1506
00:58:13,000 --> 00:58:14,929
Now, we move on to the approval of the

1507
00:58:14,929 --> 00:58:16,909
superintendent search firm

1508
00:58:16,909 --> 00:58:19,968
. So, we discussed this too;

1509
00:58:19,968 --> 00:58:21,643
we had an intense discussion in the

1510
00:58:21,643 --> 00:58:24,716
working session. And where we left off

1511
00:58:24,716 --> 00:58:26,929
is that you are all welcome to

1512
00:58:26,929 --> 00:58:28,744
make a motion to discuss

1513
00:58:28,744 --> 00:58:30,729
anything you wish to discuss

1514
00:58:30,729 --> 00:58:32,942
related to the search process

1515
00:58:32,942 --> 00:58:36,055
. Well, I see we have a motion

1516
00:58:36,055 --> 00:58:38,081
from Mr. Allen and one seconded by

1517
00:58:38,081 --> 00:58:41,347
Ms. Calcoat. The floor is yours, Mr.

1518
00:58:41,347 --> 00:58:42,140
Allen. I

1519
00:58:42,140 --> 00:58:44,330
suppose I would like to recommend that

1520
00:58:44,330 --> 00:58:46,137
a motion be put forward to

1521
00:58:46,137 --> 00:58:48,217
hire the search firm

1522
00:58:48,217 --> 00:58:50,243
Zeal Education to search for a

1523
00:58:50,243 --> 00:58:54,500
superintendent for next year. I'm

1524
00:58:54,500 --> 00:58:56,446
going to repeat the motion to make it

1525
00:58:56,446 --> 00:58:59,640
clear. Therefore, it proposes hiring

1526
00:58:59,640 --> 00:59:01,980
Zeal Education Group as a

1527
00:59:01,980 --> 00:59:03,124
search firm.

1528
00:59:03,124 --> 00:59:03,647
Correct.

1529
00:59:03,647 --> 00:59:05,291
For the search for the superintendent.

1530
00:59:05,291 --> 00:59:06,054
Correct.

1531
00:59:06,054 --> 00:59:12,080
Okay. Mrs. Kennan Kennard.

1532
00:59:12,080 --> 00:59:15,848
Yes, I want to start a conversation

1533
00:59:15,848 --> 00:59:18,155
about that. Obviously, I wasn't sure

1534
00:59:18,155 --> 00:59:23,108
what Mr. Allen was going to propose,

1535
00:59:23,108 --> 00:59:25,188
but I personally would be

1536
00:59:25,188 --> 00:59:28,010
interested in proposing that the board not

1537
00:59:28,010 --> 00:59:30,610
hire any of the

1538
00:59:30,610 --> 00:59:35,896
private companies. However, if we are going to have

1539
00:59:35,896 --> 00:59:38,630
that conversation, I suppose what

1540
00:59:38,630 --> 00:59:41,507
I would like to request, before voting,

1541
00:59:41,507 --> 00:59:44,312
is that each board member disclose

1542
00:59:44,312 --> 00:59:46,830
for the public record whether they have

1543
00:59:46,830 --> 00:59:49,707
any personal, professional,

1544
00:59:49,707 --> 00:59:52,584
financial, employment, or any other

1545
00:59:52,584 --> 00:59:54,814
type of relationship, current or past, with HYA

1546
00:59:54,814 --> 00:59:59,860
Associates or Zeal Education Group. I would

1547
00:59:59,860 --> 01:00:01,212
also ask members to

1548
01:00:01,212 --> 01:00:02,604
disclose any such relationship

1549
01:00:02,604 --> 01:00:03,956
with an owner, employee,

1550
01:00:03,956 --> 01:00:05,386
consultant, associate, or any other

1551
01:00:05,386 --> 01:00:06,855
representative acting on behalf of

1552
01:00:06,855 --> 01:00:10,590
any of the companies. And the reason I

1553
01:00:10,590 --> 01:00:12,080
ask that is because I know

1554
01:00:12,080 --> 01:00:13,217
that one of these proposals,

1555
01:00:13,217 --> 01:00:14,628
specifically Zeal's, came

1556
01:00:14,628 --> 01:00:17,543
before this board was appointed. And I

1557
01:00:17,543 --> 01:00:18,626
'm not sure how it got to

1558
01:00:18,626 --> 01:00:19,743
us. I'm not sure how

1559
01:00:19,743 --> 01:00:20,708
any of the

1560
01:00:20,708 --> 01:00:22,128
proposals from the private company reached us.

1561
01:00:22,128 --> 01:00:23,955
Therefore, I would love to have a

1562
01:00:23,955 --> 01:00:25,782
conversation about how

1563
01:00:25,782 --> 01:00:27,713
these proposals came to the board before

1564
01:00:27,713 --> 01:00:29,696
the board casts any vote,

1565
01:00:29,696 --> 01:00:31,523
as well as about the disclosure of any

1566
01:00:31,523 --> 01:00:34,192
possible relationships that may exist.

1567
01:00:34,192 --> 01:00:36,640
OK.

1568
01:00:36,640 --> 01:00:40,308
Well, I'll talk about how Zeal, Zeal, the

1569
01:00:40,308 --> 01:00:43,976
Jeff Melendez guy, proactively submitted the proposal

1570
01:00:43,976 --> 01:00:47,854
. I believe it was

1571
01:00:47,854 --> 01:00:50,260
originally sent to Mr. Galbraith.

1572
01:00:50,260 --> 01:00:52,349
knew he was going to leave

1573
01:00:52,349 --> 01:00:54,710
the board. So he asked Mr.

1574
01:00:54,710 --> 01:00:57,632
Melendez to send it to me. At that

1575
01:00:57,632 --> 01:01:01,111
time I shared it with Mrs. Farmer

1576
01:01:01,111 --> 01:01:05,249
and Mr. Jackson. And I asked them

1577
01:01:05,249 --> 01:01:07,847
both if we needed a request

1578
01:01:07,847 --> 01:01:10,171
for quotation or a request for

1579
01:01:10,171 --> 01:01:12,222
proposals or a request for

1580
01:01:12,222 --> 01:01:14,682
qualifications, to which they both

1581
01:01:14,682 --> 01:01:17,143
replied no because it was

1582
01:01:17,143 --> 01:01:19,673
professional services that the board was

1583
01:01:19,673 --> 01:01:23,792
seeking. So that's how

1584
01:01:23,792 --> 01:01:27,635
Zeal came about. I would like to ask the

1585
01:01:27,635 --> 01:01:29,969
other board members present

1586
01:01:29,969 --> 01:01:32,364
if they wish to consider

1587
01:01:32,364 --> 01:01:34,268
disclosing any conflicts of

1588
01:01:34,268 --> 01:01:36,172
interest; I suppose that's how

1589
01:01:36,172 --> 01:01:38,605
I would phrase it. So I'll open a

1590
01:01:38,605 --> 01:01:41,228
debate about that. I mean, I

1591
01:01:41,228 --> 01:01:42,613
have no conflict of interest. I did

1592
01:01:42,613 --> 01:02:02,500
not know Mr. Melendez. So,

1593
01:02:02,500 --> 01:02:03,499
wait.

1594
01:02:03,499 --> 01:02:04,839
Say it again. I

1595
01:02:04,839 --> 01:02:07,203
just want to make sure we have

1596
01:02:07,203 --> 01:02:10,116
a second motion from Mr. Allen. No,

1597
01:02:10,116 --> 01:02:12,249
I saw that you seconded the motion, but it was

1598
01:02:12,249 --> 01:02:14,329
before he made the motion

1599
01:02:14,329 --> 01:02:16,490
. So I wanted to make sure. I've got you

1600
01:02:16,490 --> 01:02:16,616
.

1601
01:02:16,616 --> 01:02:18,797
You ended up being second.

1602
01:02:18,797 --> 01:02:20,112
Ah, okay. There you have it.

1603
01:02:20,112 --> 01:02:21,552
But, but fine. Well,

1604
01:02:21,552 --> 01:02:22,839
there's a second one in the room.

1605
01:02:22,839 --> 01:02:24,761
Yes, now that I know what it is, of course.

1606
01:02:24,761 --> 01:02:28,138
Thank you. That's all I had. I'm sorry

1607
01:02:28,138 --> 01:02:29,942
. Okay. Okay. I'm sorry, I did

1608
01:02:29,942 --> 01:02:31,090
n't mean to...

1609
01:02:31,090 --> 01:02:31,700
we had one.

1610
01:02:31,700 --> 01:02:34,289
Yes. Well, what we're discussing

1611
01:02:34,289 --> 01:02:37,391
is that Ms. Cannine has asked if

1612
01:02:37,391 --> 01:02:38,864
any other board members

1613
01:02:38,864 --> 01:02:40,706
wish to disclose whether they have any

1614
01:02:40,706 --> 01:02:42,548
conflicts of interest with any of the

1615
01:02:42,548 --> 01:02:46,239
search options that are on the table. I'll make it

1616
01:02:46,239 --> 01:02:55,080
clear that I won't. Mrs. Anderson.

1617
01:02:55,080 --> 01:02:56,765
Yes, first of all, I would like to

1618
01:02:56,765 --> 01:02:58,951
thank Ms. Cannine for that

1619
01:02:58,951 --> 01:03:01,500
excellent idea. I think it's a great

1620
01:03:01,500 --> 01:03:05,512
idea. And if I say that I wasn't aware

1621
01:03:05,512 --> 01:03:07,891
of this company before it was

1622
01:03:07,891 --> 01:03:11,775
presented to the entire board. I have no

1623
01:03:11,775 --> 01:03:13,142
connection with any of these

1624
01:03:13,142 --> 01:03:20,072
people. Yes, but it's good to know.

1625
01:03:20,180 --> 01:03:22,386
Who's next? Miss

1626
01:03:22,386 --> 01:03:25,319
Lucian.

1627
01:03:25,319 --> 01:03:26,915
Similarly, I think it's a good point

1628
01:03:26,915 --> 01:03:28,690
to mention, but I had never heard

1629
01:03:28,690 --> 01:03:30,198
of any of the

1630
01:03:30,198 --> 01:03:31,617
private companies before receiving these

1631
01:03:31,617 --> 01:03:32,840
proposals.

1632
01:03:32,840 --> 01:03:34,423
Miss Wyatt. Or, sorry,

1633
01:03:34,423 --> 01:03:36,360
Miss Kelcode.

1634
01:03:36,360 --> 01:03:37,977
I'm in the same situation. I have no

1635
01:03:37,977 --> 01:03:39,710
personal or professional relationship

1636
01:03:39,710 --> 01:03:42,858
with them. My first introduction to

1637
01:03:42,858 --> 01:03:44,360
Zeal Education Group was when it was

1638
01:03:44,360 --> 01:03:46,639
presented to the board of directors.

1639
01:03:46,639 --> 01:03:47,640
Miss Wyatt.

1640
01:03:47,640 --> 01:03:49,285
I don't have a

1641
01:03:49,285 --> 01:03:51,752
professional or personal relationship with them either. Can we

1642
01:03:51,752 --> 01:03:54,667
also know how we received

1643
01:03:54,667 --> 01:03:57,100
proposals from HYA and TSBA?

1644
01:03:57,100 --> 01:03:59,855
Clear. The previous board of directors

1645
01:03:59,855 --> 01:04:01,829
had discussed TSBA as an option

1646
01:04:01,829 --> 01:04:03,679
. And we know very well that TSBA

1647
01:04:03,679 --> 01:04:05,604
provides those services and we are

1648
01:04:05,604 --> 01:04:08,110
members of TSBA. So I

1649
01:04:08,110 --> 01:04:10,334
contacted TSBA as well because I

1650
01:04:10,334 --> 01:04:12,557
realized they were going to be a

1651
01:04:12,557 --> 01:04:15,285
lower-priced option. So, they sent us

1652
01:04:15,285 --> 01:04:17,939
an application and then I asked Mr.

1653
01:04:17,939 --> 01:04:20,663
Meléndez to name a

1654
01:04:20,663 --> 01:04:23,387
major competitor of his company, and he said HYA and

1655
01:04:23,387 --> 01:04:25,971
that he used to work for them, so he

1656
01:04:25,971 --> 01:04:29,043
knew them. So, when I did

1657
01:04:29,043 --> 01:04:30,881
a search, they were always one of the

1658
01:04:30,881 --> 01:04:32,719
top companies mentioned

1659
01:04:32,719 --> 01:04:35,320
for superintendent searches. And I

1660
01:04:35,320 --> 01:04:37,493
also knew they would be at the

1661
01:04:37,493 --> 01:04:40,099
top end. So, the goal

1662
01:04:40,099 --> 01:04:41,949
was to have a lower-priced option

1663
01:04:41,949 --> 01:04:43,899
, a mid-priced option, which

1664
01:04:43,899 --> 01:04:45,699
was Yeager, and a higher-priced option

1665
01:04:45,699 --> 01:04:49,822
. And as we all know, there are

1666
01:04:49,822 --> 01:04:53,240
many different options, but I felt

1667
01:04:53,240 --> 01:04:56,317
that three was kind of a

1668
01:04:56,317 --> 01:04:59,651
standard number and yes, asking for more proposals

1669
01:04:59,651 --> 01:05:02,898
could sometimes make

1670
01:05:02,898 --> 01:05:10,499
decision-making more difficult. So.

1671
01:05:10,499 --> 01:05:12,364
Miss Padgett or Dr. Padgett,

1672
01:05:12,364 --> 01:05:14,400
sorry. You

1673
01:05:14,400 --> 01:05:17,160
can call me Margie. I

1674
01:05:17,160 --> 01:05:20,854
'm getting used to Padgett too. Thank you

1675
01:05:20,854 --> 01:05:23,586
for asking that question. I hadn't heard

1676
01:05:23,586 --> 01:05:25,178
of any of the companies

1677
01:05:25,178 --> 01:05:26,861
except TSBA, and that's because we

1678
01:05:26,861 --> 01:05:28,407
were members before

1679
01:05:28,407 --> 01:05:32,036
the proposals came to us.

1680
01:05:32,036 --> 01:05:33,545
And Mrs. Clements?

1681
01:05:33,545 --> 01:05:35,749
Thank you, Madam President. I just

1682
01:05:35,749 --> 01:05:37,986
want to point out that I hadn't heard

1683
01:05:37,986 --> 01:05:40,160
of Zeal or HYA until they

1684
01:05:40,160 --> 01:05:42,335
arrived in our package, and of

1685
01:05:42,335 --> 01:05:47,350
course I did know about TSBA.

1686
01:05:47,350 --> 01:05:50,299
Mrs. Hima?

1687
01:05:50,299 --> 01:05:52,700
Yes, I haven't heard of HYA or

1688
01:05:52,700 --> 01:05:55,297
Zeal, but I also reflected a bit

1689
01:05:55,297 --> 01:05:57,699
on why we're doing this

1690
01:05:57,699 --> 01:06:00,165
nationwide search, so I wrote

1691
01:06:00,165 --> 01:06:02,567
some comments that I'd like to

1692
01:06:02,567 --> 01:06:07,160
share before making that proposal.

1693
01:06:07,160 --> 01:06:08,568
I think it's important to ask

1694
01:06:08,568 --> 01:06:09,976
why we are requesting this

1695
01:06:09,976 --> 01:06:12,358
national search. I believe our

1696
01:06:12,358 --> 01:06:14,010
interim leadership preserves the stability of

1697
01:06:14,010 --> 01:06:15,662
our district this year,

1698
01:06:15,662 --> 01:06:17,498
but also gives our community

1699
01:06:17,498 --> 01:06:18,966
a real voice in setting the

1700
01:06:18,966 --> 01:06:20,710
future direction of

1701
01:06:20,710 --> 01:06:23,963
Williamson County schools. The election of

1702
01:06:23,963 --> 01:06:26,111
a chief executive officer is arguably

1703
01:06:26,111 --> 01:06:28,202
the most consequential vote that

1704
01:06:28,202 --> 01:06:31,054
a school board casts. And it's not a place

1705
01:06:31,054 --> 01:06:33,243
for convenience or taking shortcuts

1706
01:06:33,243 --> 01:06:36,163
. Our job is

1707
01:06:36,163 --> 01:06:38,831
fiduciary oversight. To demonstrate to our

1708
01:06:38,831 --> 01:06:40,721
contributors and our families

1709
01:06:40,721 --> 01:06:42,610
that our next superintendent

1710
01:06:42,610 --> 01:06:44,551
survived the toughest,

1711
01:06:44,551 --> 01:06:47,062
broadest, and most validated market possible. And this

1712
01:06:47,062 --> 01:06:48,930
process is not just about collecting

1713
01:06:48,930 --> 01:06:51,547
resumes. Williamson County schools

1714
01:06:51,547 --> 01:06:53,679
are at the top

1715
01:06:53,679 --> 01:06:55,867
of the state rankings, which means that

1716
01:06:55,867 --> 01:06:58,054
status quo thinking is our

1717
01:06:58,054 --> 01:07:01,171
biggest enemy. A

1718
01:07:01,171 --> 01:07:03,263
real national search partner provides us with

1719
01:07:03,263 --> 01:07:05,135
structured community insights to

1720
01:07:05,135 --> 01:07:07,283
manage rapid growth and

1721
01:07:07,283 --> 01:07:10,900
budgets. Oh I'm sorry.

1722
01:07:10,900 --> 01:07:12,477
Structured

1723
01:07:12,477 --> 01:07:14,202
community information to define the

1724
01:07:14,202 --> 01:07:16,124
exact leadership profile we need right now

1725
01:07:16,124 --> 01:07:19,036
. And Zeal offers this profile of

1726
01:07:19,036 --> 01:07:20,996
people, and some of those examples

1727
01:07:20,996 --> 01:07:23,009
would be someone who could manage

1728
01:07:23,009 --> 01:07:24,916
growth and budgets or

1729
01:07:24,916 --> 01:07:27,035
someone who connects

1730
01:07:27,035 --> 01:07:28,730
district operations to run smoothly

1731
01:07:28,730 --> 01:07:30,319
or who plans

1732
01:07:30,319 --> 01:07:32,332
ahead for the future needs

1733
01:07:32,332 --> 01:07:35,432
of the community. Those are just three of

1734
01:07:35,432 --> 01:07:39,759
the different people who share

1735
01:07:39,759 --> 01:07:41,855
with the community. And there are also many

1736
01:07:41,855 --> 01:07:44,050
opinions from the community that I know

1737
01:07:44,050 --> 01:07:47,298
our community wants. We need

1738
01:07:47,298 --> 01:07:49,076
someone who will not only maintain a

1739
01:07:49,076 --> 01:07:50,900
top ranking in the state,

1740
01:07:50,900 --> 01:07:52,678
but also compare us to

1741
01:07:52,678 --> 01:07:54,457
national excellence, while keeping

1742
01:07:54,457 --> 01:07:56,189
daily operations stable for

1743
01:07:56,189 --> 01:07:59,151
our students and faculty. That

1744
01:07:59,151 --> 01:08:00,825
is the diagnostic rigor we

1745
01:08:00,825 --> 01:08:03,707
need. And while I

1746
01:08:03,707 --> 01:08:06,138
deeply appreciate the vital advocacy and

1747
01:08:06,138 --> 01:08:08,164
multifaceted support that TSBA

1748
01:08:08,164 --> 01:08:10,595
provides to our district year

1749
01:08:10,595 --> 01:08:13,229
after year, a mandate of this magnitude

1750
01:08:13,229 --> 01:08:15,930
requires a partner with a singular

1751
01:08:15,930 --> 01:08:18,564
and absolute focus on executing our

1752
01:08:18,564 --> 01:08:21,429
search. And of the three companies we

1753
01:08:21,429 --> 01:08:23,014
interviewed in our

1754
01:08:23,014 --> 01:08:24,776
working session on Thursday, I also recommend

1755
01:08:24,776 --> 01:08:26,537
partnering with Zeal Education Group to

1756
01:08:26,537 --> 01:08:30,816
help us achieve this. Thank you.

1757
01:08:30,816 --> 01:08:33,082
Mr. Bostick. Yes, I've never heard

1758
01:08:33,082 --> 01:08:33,844
of any of the

1759
01:08:33,844 --> 01:08:34,606
search companies either, so I have no

1760
01:08:34,606 --> 01:08:39,725
conflict of interest. I assume this

1761
01:08:39,725 --> 01:08:40,322
is also covered by our official conflict of

1762
01:08:40,322 --> 01:08:43,899
interest disclosure, correct? Well, I

1763
01:08:43,899 --> 01:08:44,424
'm not sure about this

1764
01:08:44,424 --> 01:08:50,119
additional audience. Dr. Triggers.

1765
01:08:50,119 --> 01:08:51,825
Like everyone else, I didn't know about

1766
01:08:51,825 --> 01:08:53,624
the other two companies until a few

1767
01:08:53,624 --> 01:08:55,680
days ago, when we received the package. HYA

1768
01:08:55,680 --> 01:08:57,246
conducted an exhaustive search on

1769
01:08:57,246 --> 01:09:00,844
them. HYA faces serious

1770
01:09:00,844 --> 01:09:02,774
legal challenges over some of its

1771
01:09:02,774 --> 01:09:06,543
hiring practices. The only

1772
01:09:06,543 --> 01:09:09,596
superintendent they've hired in

1773
01:09:09,596 --> 01:09:12,730
Tennessee was Shelby Memphis a few

1774
01:09:12,730 --> 01:09:17,174
years ago, a couple of years ago. Okay.

1775
01:09:17,174 --> 01:09:20,756
That's all for me. The other is Zeal, a

1776
01:09:20,756 --> 01:09:23,539
small company that they can

1777
01:09:23,539 --> 01:09:27,032
adapt to. Okay. But they have never

1778
01:09:27,032 --> 01:09:29,518
hired a superintendent in

1779
01:09:29,518 --> 01:09:34,146
Tennessee. So, what it leaves me with is

1780
01:09:34,146 --> 01:09:38,644
the TSBA. The day after Jason

1781
01:09:38,644 --> 01:09:41,217
announced his resignation, I called the

1782
01:09:41,217 --> 01:09:43,648
TSBA and said, "What the hell do we

1783
01:09:43,648 --> 01:09:48,069
have here? They've dumped this on us." And

1784
01:09:48,069 --> 01:09:50,607
I spoke with Ben Torres, the deputy director,

1785
01:09:50,607 --> 01:09:53,360
and with his legal advisor. OK

1786
01:09:53,360 --> 01:09:58,950
? We talked about the new statute that

1787
01:09:58,950 --> 01:10:01,101
Tennessee has. Nobody has mentioned the

1788
01:10:01,101 --> 01:10:05,375
hot topic here. The

1789
01:10:05,375 --> 01:10:07,590
Tennessee legislature has given

1790
01:10:07,590 --> 01:10:09,924
school districts a new way to specifically search for a

1791
01:10:09,924 --> 01:10:14,768
superintendent. It's never been

1792
01:10:14,768 --> 01:10:17,363
tried, not in Tennessee, as far as

1793
01:10:17,363 --> 01:10:21,135
Sam is concerned, help me with this. I

1794
01:10:21,135 --> 01:10:23,022
don't think any other state is

1795
01:10:23,022 --> 01:10:24,661
using

1796
01:10:24,661 --> 01:10:26,548
Tennessee's new superintendent search, although

1797
01:10:26,548 --> 01:10:28,485
the idea might be floating around

1798
01:10:28,485 --> 01:10:33,564
. So it's never been done before. If we

1799
01:10:33,564 --> 01:10:36,239
do that, the TSBA has already drafted the

1800
01:10:36,239 --> 01:10:39,610
template. They've already figured out how we would do it

1801
01:10:39,610 --> 01:10:42,894
. We would be the first district in the

1802
01:10:42,894 --> 01:10:45,011
state of Tennessee to use the

1803
01:10:45,011 --> 01:10:46,531
new law to find a

1804
01:10:46,531 --> 01:10:50,674
superintendent. I mentioned in the

1805
01:10:50,674 --> 01:10:52,806
work session that if we are the

1806
01:10:52,806 --> 01:10:54,816
spearhead and the first

1807
01:10:54,816 --> 01:10:57,009
district to use the first

1808
01:10:57,009 --> 01:11:01,692
new law that the legislature gave us, yes,

1809
01:11:01,692 --> 01:11:04,300
there will be problems to solve because

1810
01:11:04,300 --> 01:11:07,771
we will be the first. And no matter what we

1811
01:11:07,771 --> 01:11:09,591
do, someone isn't going to be

1812
01:11:09,591 --> 01:11:13,606
happy. I don't mind. Let's go

1813
01:11:13,606 --> 01:11:16,550
back. Sam, I'm putting you in a

1814
01:11:16,550 --> 01:11:18,385
tight spot again. You have collaborated in the

1815
01:11:18,385 --> 01:11:20,277
searches for superintendents in the

1816
01:11:20,277 --> 01:11:21,680
state of Tennessee.

1817
01:11:21,680 --> 01:11:22,400
Yes sir.

1818
01:11:22,400 --> 01:11:25,116
And you've worked with the TSBA on some

1819
01:11:25,116 --> 01:11:26,720
of those searches.

1820
01:11:26,720 --> 01:11:27,500
Yes sir.

1821
01:11:27,500 --> 01:11:32,734
Okay. The TSBA would do it faster and

1822
01:11:32,734 --> 01:11:36,831
for much less money, and it's the only

1823
01:11:36,831 --> 01:11:40,822
firm that knows how to hire a

1824
01:11:40,822 --> 01:11:44,813
superintendent if the board accepts

1825
01:11:44,813 --> 01:11:48,644
Tennessee's new law. Nobody else knows

1826
01:11:48,644 --> 01:11:53,003
how to do it. OK? And the TSBA

1827
01:11:53,003 --> 01:11:55,277
has hired 30 superintendents in

1828
01:11:55,277 --> 01:11:57,552
the state of Tennessee in the last

1829
01:11:57,552 --> 01:12:00,858
5 years. I haven't heard any

1830
01:12:00,858 --> 01:12:04,579
problems with those 30 new registrations. So,

1831
01:12:04,579 --> 01:12:06,607
for those reasons and maybe some others

1832
01:12:06,607 --> 01:12:11,525
, if you asked me, I would support the

1833
01:12:11,525 --> 01:12:15,834
TSBA for those reasons. Now, we can

1834
01:12:15,834 --> 01:12:19,780
discard this second part. Nobody

1835
01:12:19,780 --> 01:12:22,956
knows Williamson County better

1836
01:12:22,956 --> 01:12:26,270
than the TSBA. Nobody knows the

1837
01:12:26,270 --> 01:12:30,619
school district better than Dr. Webb. Spot. They do

1838
01:12:30,619 --> 01:12:32,961
n't exist. You're not going to go anywhere

1839
01:12:32,961 --> 01:12:34,754
in the other 49 states and find

1840
01:12:34,754 --> 01:12:36,122
someone who's better or

1841
01:12:36,122 --> 01:12:39,317
smarter than what we already have. And

1842
01:12:39,317 --> 01:12:41,140
we pay our TSBA membership fee, which was

1843
01:12:41,140 --> 01:12:42,913
established by the legislature to

1844
01:12:42,913 --> 01:12:46,485
help school districts. And they

1845
01:12:46,485 --> 01:12:49,290
are there to help us. So I

1846
01:12:49,290 --> 01:12:52,099
say let's give them a chance. That

1847
01:12:52,099 --> 01:12:55,456
's all. I don't know where that leaves us with

1848
01:12:55,456 --> 01:12:56,872
the motions, but

1849
01:12:56,872 --> 01:12:58,443
hey, we're still debating.

1850
01:12:58,443 --> 01:12:59,530
OK. OK.

1851
01:12:59,530 --> 01:13:01,640
Mrs. Cannine. Well, I

1852
01:13:01,640 --> 01:13:03,782
just wanted to echo

1853
01:13:03,782 --> 01:13:06,126
Dr. Driggers' statements

1854
01:13:06,126 --> 01:13:09,276
regarding the TSBA. As I mentioned

1855
01:13:09,276 --> 01:13:10,880
before, I personally would be inclined

1856
01:13:10,880 --> 01:13:12,361
not to vote for either of the two

1857
01:13:12,361 --> 01:13:16,637
private firms. So, if that's what we

1858
01:13:16,637 --> 01:13:18,308
're putting to a vote, my

1859
01:13:18,308 --> 01:13:21,409
vote would be no. I have no objection to

1860
01:13:21,409 --> 01:13:23,088
considering the TSBA, and I have no objection

1861
01:13:23,088 --> 01:13:24,641
to considering Dr. Webb's appointment

1862
01:13:24,641 --> 01:13:25,984
, but I just wanted to put that on

1863
01:13:25,984 --> 01:13:30,000
record during our discussion.

1864
01:13:30,000 --> 01:13:33,182
Dr. Padgett.

1865
01:13:33,182 --> 01:13:36,471
In the working session, one of

1866
01:13:36,471 --> 01:13:38,257
our concerns with the TSBA was

1867
01:13:38,257 --> 01:13:39,998
whether they could conduct a

1868
01:13:39,998 --> 01:13:42,514
nationwide search. So, I contacted

1869
01:13:42,514 --> 01:13:45,278
Ben Torres on Saturday, and they are indeed conducting

1870
01:13:45,278 --> 01:13:48,392
a nationwide search. He

1871
01:13:48,392 --> 01:13:50,490
shared with us that they have networks where

1872
01:13:50,490 --> 01:13:52,701
they can post

1873
01:13:52,701 --> 01:13:56,206
job offers. He mentioned some

1874
01:13:56,206 --> 01:13:58,382
states: Alaska, Georgia, Idaho,

1875
01:13:58,382 --> 01:14:00,757
Illinois, Indiana, etc. They also

1876
01:14:00,757 --> 01:14:03,131
partner with consultants in 38 other

1877
01:14:03,131 --> 01:14:06,740
states. And then another question I

1878
01:14:06,740 --> 01:14:12,002
asked them was, well, in how many counties

1879
01:14:12,002 --> 01:14:14,461
in Tennessee have you conducted searches

1880
01:14:14,461 --> 01:14:16,662
comparable to ours or

1881
01:14:16,662 --> 01:14:18,844
larger? Well, they did searches in

1882
01:14:18,844 --> 01:14:20,081
Sumner County, they had 15

1883
01:14:20,081 --> 01:14:21,467
applicants, eight of them from out

1884
01:14:21,467 --> 01:14:23,283
of state. In Rutherford, seven

1885
01:14:23,283 --> 01:14:25,055
applicants, one from out of state.

1886
01:14:25,055 --> 01:14:26,680
In Clarksville-Montgomery, they had

1887
01:14:26,680 --> 01:14:28,258
some applicants from out of

1888
01:14:28,258 --> 01:14:29,750
state. In Knox County, they had

1889
01:14:29,750 --> 01:14:30,920
some out-of-

1890
01:14:30,920 --> 01:14:33,228
state applicants. And one thing that really

1891
01:14:33,228 --> 01:14:34,926
impressed me about the TSBA was their

1892
01:14:34,926 --> 01:14:36,961
two-year warranty. So, if the

1893
01:14:36,961 --> 01:14:39,014
superintendent were to leave within

1894
01:14:39,014 --> 01:14:40,862
two years, they would conduct the

1895
01:14:40,862 --> 01:14:43,419
search again free of charge. And so far

1896
01:14:43,419 --> 01:14:45,369
, in those four large counties I

1897
01:14:45,369 --> 01:14:47,169
mentioned, the superintendents

1898
01:14:47,169 --> 01:14:50,340
are there. My other concerns

1899
01:14:50,340 --> 01:14:52,836
with search companies, you know

1900
01:14:52,836 --> 01:14:55,076
, I have 30 years of experience in

1901
01:14:55,076 --> 01:14:57,327
education. I have worked in three

1902
01:14:57,327 --> 01:14:59,856
different states, and each state has

1903
01:14:59,856 --> 01:15:03,303
a very different education law. And when we

1904
01:15:03,303 --> 01:15:05,987
conducted a nationwide search, we still

1905
01:15:05,987 --> 01:15:08,395
wanted someone who was well-

1906
01:15:08,395 --> 01:15:11,700
versed in Tennessee state law.

1907
01:15:11,700 --> 01:15:15,439
Because, as I said, every time I went to

1908
01:15:15,439 --> 01:15:16,999
a new state, I had to figure out,

1909
01:15:16,999 --> 01:15:18,599
"Okay, what are the laws here and

1910
01:15:18,599 --> 01:15:22,031
how do I operate?" And the last thing I want to

1911
01:15:22,031 --> 01:15:24,486
warn you about regarding

1912
01:15:24,486 --> 01:15:27,373
educational consulting firms is that they have their

1913
01:15:27,373 --> 01:15:30,116
network, but often people have to

1914
01:15:30,116 --> 01:15:32,860
attend their events or pay their

1915
01:15:32,860 --> 01:15:36,130
fees to be part of that network. And

1916
01:15:36,130 --> 01:15:38,617
one of my concerns is that

1917
01:15:38,617 --> 01:15:40,879
we'll get someone who keeps

1918
01:15:40,879 --> 01:15:43,516
rising through the ranks in different

1919
01:15:43,516 --> 01:15:46,456
districts and that with that process... So I'm

1920
01:15:46,456 --> 01:15:51,975
going to vote against Zeal. Very

1921
01:15:51,975 --> 01:15:56,509
well, Mrs. Anderson. I

1922
01:15:56,509 --> 01:15:58,150
just wanted people to know that,

1923
01:15:58,150 --> 01:15:59,706
at first, when I was looking for

1924
01:15:59,706 --> 01:16:00,969
search companies, I had

1925
01:16:00,969 --> 01:16:06,284
different doubts. They had an

1926
01:16:06,284 --> 01:16:12,484
extraordinarily expensive company. Um, where uh, not only was its base level high, uh,

1927
01:16:12,484 --> 01:16:15,190
but also the additional cost you

1928
01:16:15,190 --> 01:16:17,760
could incur was also

1929
01:16:17,760 --> 01:16:21,760
high. And that made it seem like, uh, I

1930
01:16:21,760 --> 01:16:24,526
couldn't say for sure if it would be worth it

1931
01:16:24,526 --> 01:16:27,524
. Now, I had some

1932
01:16:27,524 --> 01:16:29,976
doubts about Zeal until I was

1933
01:16:29,976 --> 01:16:32,948
advised to get in touch and

1934
01:16:32,948 --> 01:16:35,845
talk to Mr. Malendez myself

1935
01:16:35,845 --> 01:16:38,958
. And these are the things that

1936
01:16:38,958 --> 01:16:41,753
stood out to me if we decided to do

1937
01:16:41,753 --> 01:16:45,699
that. The people in charge of

1938
01:16:45,699 --> 01:16:48,659
the search and who are in charge of

1939
01:16:48,659 --> 01:16:50,579
our account have been

1940
01:16:50,579 --> 01:16:54,181
superintendents. So, for every

1941
01:16:54,181 --> 01:16:57,105
candidate they analyze and send to us,

1942
01:16:57,105 --> 01:17:00,183
these are analyzed by four or five

1943
01:17:00,183 --> 01:17:03,030
actual school district superintendents

1944
01:17:03,030 --> 01:17:06,117
. So, while I'm very

1945
01:17:06,117 --> 01:17:08,360
good in my experience, I couldn't

1946
01:17:08,360 --> 01:17:10,727
tell you who the best person in

1947
01:17:10,727 --> 01:17:13,219
this particular group is without a certain

1948
01:17:13,219 --> 01:17:16,960
amount of reasonable guidance.

1949
01:17:16,960 --> 01:17:19,864
Some other things he mentioned, and

1950
01:17:19,864 --> 01:17:22,298
this is something I think is very

1951
01:17:22,298 --> 01:17:24,888
important, is that part of this

1952
01:17:24,888 --> 01:17:27,871
consultancy involves engaging

1953
01:17:27,871 --> 01:17:30,462
the community to provide their

1954
01:17:30,462 --> 01:17:32,974
opinions on what the

1955
01:17:32,974 --> 01:17:38,383
priorities are for a superintendent. The

1956
01:17:38,383 --> 01:17:40,710
previous superintendent was appointed

1957
01:17:40,710 --> 01:17:43,097
without much input from the community

1958
01:17:43,097 --> 01:17:47,238
. I have no complaints against the

1959
01:17:47,238 --> 01:17:49,401
previous superintendent, but something I

1960
01:17:49,401 --> 01:17:51,456
've heard time and time again is that there were

1961
01:17:51,456 --> 01:17:53,348
some people who probably would have

1962
01:17:53,348 --> 01:17:55,349
preferred someone with an

1963
01:17:55,349 --> 01:17:58,195
academic background. Those people

1964
01:17:58,195 --> 01:18:01,878
should be able to make their voices heard.

1965
01:18:01,878 --> 01:18:04,007
People in

1966
01:18:04,007 --> 01:18:06,394
special education departments and parents who

1967
01:18:06,394 --> 01:18:08,976
have such children should be able to make

1968
01:18:08,976 --> 01:18:14,019
their interests and concerns heard.

1969
01:18:14,019 --> 01:18:16,509
Bus drivers should be

1970
01:18:16,509 --> 01:18:18,868
able to... If we don't have a system in

1971
01:18:18,868 --> 01:18:21,096
place where we can take

1972
01:18:21,096 --> 01:18:23,587
community opinions into account,

1973
01:18:23,587 --> 01:18:26,012
then I personally believe we

1974
01:18:26,012 --> 01:18:28,568
're not serving the community in the

1975
01:18:28,568 --> 01:18:32,600
best way. The other thing, and I appreciate

1976
01:18:32,600 --> 01:18:35,931
all the information you sent us, I

1977
01:18:35,931 --> 01:18:38,750
wanted to say that it is the

1978
01:18:38,750 --> 01:18:41,996
stakeholders who make me tip

1979
01:18:41,996 --> 01:18:45,242
the scales in favor of hiring a

1980
01:18:45,242 --> 01:18:48,574
medium-sized search firm

1981
01:18:48,574 --> 01:18:51,546
. In fact, I also

1982
01:18:51,546 --> 01:18:53,396
contacted one of the references

1983
01:18:53,396 --> 01:18:55,400
after speaking with him and said, "

1984
01:18:55,400 --> 01:18:58,590
Well, I'm not sure about this." He said to

1985
01:18:58,590 --> 01:19:00,344
speak with the superintendent

1986
01:19:00,344 --> 01:19:02,297
about the search we had conducted

1987
01:19:02,297 --> 01:19:07,905
in South Carolina. And she...Here's

1988
01:19:07,905 --> 01:19:09,744
something interesting about that

1989
01:19:09,744 --> 01:19:11,732
particular community: they're south of Charlotte,

1990
01:19:11,732 --> 01:19:13,720
so even though they're in

1991
01:19:13,720 --> 01:19:17,247
North Carolina, they have middle-class people, they

1992
01:19:17,247 --> 01:19:18,918
actually have a lot of

1993
01:19:18,918 --> 01:19:20,678
students from the local Indian reservations

1994
01:19:20,678 --> 01:19:26,480
. They had many students from

1995
01:19:26,480 --> 01:19:28,135
other communities who are more...

1996
01:19:28,135 --> 01:19:30,999
what's the best way to put it? These were

1997
01:19:30,999 --> 01:19:34,890
disproportionately lower-income communities

1998
01:19:34,948 --> 01:19:37,123
, and they used to have

1999
01:19:37,123 --> 01:19:39,412
school board meetings with 500 people in which they

2000
01:19:39,412 --> 01:19:41,587
very clearly expressed the

2001
01:19:41,587 --> 01:19:43,876
concerns they had about what had

2002
01:19:43,876 --> 01:19:47,420
been a bankrupt district. In the

2003
01:19:47,420 --> 01:19:49,457
end, they managed to unite the entire community

2004
01:19:49,457 --> 01:19:51,495
because the community felt

2005
01:19:51,495 --> 01:19:55,276
that they were being heard. According to what

2006
01:19:55,276 --> 01:19:58,631
this lady said, they got the

2007
01:19:58,631 --> 01:20:01,820
Tribal Leadership Group Council,

2008
01:20:01,820 --> 01:20:05,188
the council, the NAACP, and Moms for Liberty to

2009
01:20:05,188 --> 01:20:08,471
agree, and I was

2010
01:20:08,471 --> 01:20:12,381
speechless. And the reason he

2011
01:20:12,381 --> 01:20:14,324
said that is because of the expert who came

2012
01:20:14,324 --> 01:20:16,320
during the entire week in which they

2013
01:20:16,320 --> 01:20:19,848
have community meetings. I can

2014
01:20:19,848 --> 01:20:21,926
tell you that I don't feel qualified

2015
01:20:21,926 --> 01:20:24,113
to have these community meetings

2016
01:20:24,113 --> 01:20:26,137
with this opinion from the community, and

2017
01:20:26,137 --> 01:20:28,215
for me, the opinion of the community

2018
01:20:28,215 --> 01:20:31,778
is very important. Finally, I want to

2019
01:20:31,778 --> 01:20:33,712
thank the community for the feedback we

2020
01:20:33,712 --> 01:20:35,749
've received, the email support

2021
01:20:35,749 --> 01:20:37,225
, the calls for

2022
01:20:37,225 --> 01:20:38,854
fiscal responsibility, and I want to

2023
01:20:38,854 --> 01:20:40,789
highlight the excellent

2024
01:20:40,789 --> 01:20:44,020
interim superintendent and candidate, Dr. Webb.

2025
01:20:44,020 --> 01:20:45,928
I want to ensure that this search

2026
01:20:45,928 --> 01:20:47,646
includes a process in which Dr.

2027
01:20:47,646 --> 01:20:49,460
Webb is considered within the pool

2028
01:20:49,460 --> 01:20:51,130
of candidates and fairly evaluated

2029
01:20:51,130 --> 01:20:53,729
alongside them. When

2030
01:20:53,729 --> 01:20:55,851
the final candidate is selected, this

2031
01:20:55,851 --> 01:20:58,150
process will validate that they are absolutely

2032
01:20:58,150 --> 01:21:00,213
the best person for the job and

2033
01:21:00,213 --> 01:21:02,742
will create a foundation of legitimacy. A

2034
01:21:02,742 --> 01:21:04,860
search can fail in two ways.

2035
01:21:04,860 --> 01:21:06,373
You can hire the

2036
01:21:06,373 --> 01:21:08,138
wrong candidate and that becomes obvious quickly, or you

2037
01:21:08,138 --> 01:21:09,954
can fail to clearly define the

2038
01:21:09,954 --> 01:21:11,922
job parameters within the

2039
01:21:11,922 --> 01:21:13,939
community, and that's also a failure, just a

2040
01:21:13,939 --> 01:21:17,537
more subtle one. Finally,

2041
01:21:17,537 --> 01:21:21,032
regarding cost, the minimum cost of the

2042
01:21:21,032 --> 01:21:23,979
TSBA is $15,000. Therefore, it

2043
01:21:23,979 --> 01:21:26,696
is not zero. They don't do the

2044
01:21:26,696 --> 01:21:27,947
community outreach work we

2045
01:21:27,947 --> 01:21:31,309
're talking about here. They don't have

2046
01:21:31,309 --> 01:21:33,937
staff whose job is to find

2047
01:21:33,937 --> 01:21:37,170
candidates. The other company says it

2048
01:21:37,170 --> 01:21:39,201
will conduct criminal,

2049
01:21:39,201 --> 01:21:41,522
financial, DMV, and

2050
01:21:41,522 --> 01:21:43,785
media checks on the candidates they

2051
01:21:43,785 --> 01:21:47,480
screen for us. The TSBA doesn't do

2052
01:21:47,480 --> 01:21:53,431
that. And this other company is at around

2053
01:21:53,431 --> 01:21:55,323
50,000 plus maybe a small

2054
01:21:55,323 --> 01:21:58,221
amount for travel expenses. An

2055
01:21:58,221 --> 01:22:01,022
excellent superintendent will make up for

2056
01:22:01,022 --> 01:22:05,226
that difference in no time. Out of a

2057
01:22:05,226 --> 01:22:08,905
budget of $500 million, this

2058
01:22:08,905 --> 01:22:13,474
cost is 1/10,000 of one percent

2059
01:22:13,474 --> 01:22:16,609
of the budget. So that's what I

2060
01:22:16,609 --> 01:22:18,258
wanted to say about it, and

2061
01:22:18,258 --> 01:22:21,083
I'll vote for Zeal.

2062
01:22:21,083 --> 01:22:24,207
Thank you, Mrs. Padgett, Dr. Padgett.

2063
01:22:24,207 --> 01:22:25,880
Well, I'm glad you

2064
01:22:25,880 --> 01:22:28,112
mentioned that TSBA does engage with

2065
01:22:28,112 --> 01:22:30,233
voters because they hold meetings with

2066
01:22:30,233 --> 01:22:32,330
them. They also conduct surveys and

2067
01:22:32,330 --> 01:22:33,949
said they would give us a few

2068
01:22:33,949 --> 01:22:35,312
more days if we felt it was

2069
01:22:35,312 --> 01:22:40,841
necessary. For me, the big difference

2070
01:22:40,841 --> 01:22:42,823
between TSBA and Zeal is that Zeal has

2071
01:22:42,823 --> 01:22:45,921
some advantages. They have the people

2072
01:22:45,921 --> 01:22:49,501
and they have a control panel. TSBA

2073
01:22:49,501 --> 01:22:55,858
has committed to holding meetings and

2074
01:22:55,858 --> 01:22:57,895
surveys with voters and then

2075
01:22:57,895 --> 01:23:00,866
providing us with the data. And now, with

2076
01:23:00,866 --> 01:23:02,311
survey data or

2077
01:23:02,311 --> 01:23:03,954
survey tools, it's not

2078
01:23:03,954 --> 01:23:05,349
difficult to take that data and

2079
01:23:05,349 --> 01:23:07,341
turn it into a kind of

2080
01:23:07,341 --> 01:23:13,585
dashboard. Zeal costs $48,000,

2081
01:23:13,585 --> 01:23:15,742
plus travel expenses. None

2082
01:23:15,742 --> 01:23:17,392
of them live here. So if

2083
01:23:17,392 --> 01:23:19,306
they come here for a week,

2084
01:23:19,306 --> 01:23:24,288
how many people do they send each night, including

2085
01:23:24,288 --> 01:23:29,767
food, flights, and hours? Yes, it's now

2086
01:23:29,767 --> 01:23:32,420
$48,000. However, what

2087
01:23:32,420 --> 01:23:35,163
will the final bill be? Well, and you

2088
01:23:35,163 --> 01:23:38,648
know, I'm very conservative when it comes to taxes,

2089
01:23:38,648 --> 01:23:42,040
so I'm always worried about money.

2090
01:23:42,040 --> 01:23:43,880
That's all I have for now.

2091
01:23:43,880 --> 01:23:45,720
Okay, Dr. Triggers. Once

2092
01:23:45,720 --> 01:23:49,379
again, I'm back with Mr. Jackson.

2093
01:23:49,379 --> 01:23:51,745
Given their personal and

2094
01:23:51,745 --> 01:23:54,630
professional knowledge, having worked with the

2095
01:23:54,630 --> 01:23:57,589
TSBA on so many searches, they have bought

2096
01:23:57,589 --> 01:24:00,474
at three levels: $5,000, $10,000 and

2097
01:24:00,474 --> 01:24:03,765
$15,000. The $15,000 fee

2098
01:24:03,765 --> 01:24:06,344
is the platinum level, and I believe that

2099
01:24:06,344 --> 01:24:08,708
includes community meetings and

2100
01:24:08,708 --> 01:24:11,126
outreach. Someone said they don't do

2101
01:24:11,126 --> 01:24:14,604
that. Yes, they do. So, uh, that's

2102
01:24:14,604 --> 01:24:15,298
true. The

2103
01:24:15,298 --> 01:24:19,260
understanding is that

2104
01:24:19,260 --> 01:24:21,222
they will put on the website whatever we

2105
01:24:21,222 --> 01:24:23,134
tell them to put on the website, which is what

2106
01:24:23,134 --> 01:24:27,609
we are looking for. And if we choose

2107
01:24:27,609 --> 01:24:29,924
the 15,000 program, then they

2108
01:24:29,924 --> 01:24:32,529
will come to Williamson County and

2109
01:24:32,529 --> 01:24:36,205
help establish it. We haven't really

2110
01:24:36,205 --> 01:24:38,272
gotten that far. I think everyone

2111
01:24:38,272 --> 01:24:40,334
wants the community's opinion,

2112
01:24:40,334 --> 01:24:42,563
okay? Everyone wants the

2113
01:24:42,563 --> 01:24:45,804
community's opinion. I don't know if Dr. Webb would

2114
01:24:45,804 --> 01:24:48,092
apply for the position or not. Don't

2115
01:24:48,092 --> 01:24:51,595
answer that. But if he does,

2116
01:24:51,595 --> 01:24:53,831
he would be on equal footing with

2117
01:24:53,831 --> 01:24:55,781
other applicants, and would then either

2118
01:24:55,781 --> 01:24:57,846
succeed or fail based on his track

2119
01:24:57,846 --> 01:25:02,539
record. And I think that's all we

2120
01:25:02,539 --> 01:25:06,800
can ask for.

2121
01:25:06,800 --> 01:25:08,140
End of my comment.

2122
01:25:08,140 --> 01:25:11,321
Thank you. Mrs. Anderson.

2123
01:25:11,321 --> 01:25:14,331
Just one last thing. I just wanted to

2124
01:25:14,331 --> 01:25:20,177
point out that

2125
01:25:20,177 --> 01:25:22,515
Zeal's primary business model is to take

2126
01:25:22,515 --> 01:25:25,805
superintendents and find them, and their

2127
01:25:25,805 --> 01:25:28,488
primary business model is to

2128
01:25:28,488 --> 01:25:33,058
engage the community. And they're also

2129
01:25:33,058 --> 01:25:35,339
doing

2130
01:25:35,339 --> 01:25:37,620
leadership profile development training and

2131
01:25:37,620 --> 01:25:40,087
bias training

2132
01:25:40,087 --> 01:25:43,246
for the board, and other things like that. This

2133
01:25:43,246 --> 01:25:45,710
is a very important decision. And

2134
01:25:45,710 --> 01:25:48,442
I want to make sure that people

2135
01:25:48,442 --> 01:25:54,080
whose primary job is not

2136
01:25:54,080 --> 01:25:55,872
interpreting the law in Tennessee,

2137
01:25:55,872 --> 01:25:57,763
which is very, very important, but who

2138
01:25:57,763 --> 01:25:59,257
are not recruiters, who are not

2139
01:25:59,257 --> 01:26:01,099
superintendents, and that's the only thing

2140
01:26:01,099 --> 01:26:02,991
that makes me a little nervous about the

2141
01:26:02,991 --> 01:26:06,769
TSBA. I'll be happy with whatever

2142
01:26:06,769 --> 01:26:08,447
the board chooses, but since I've done these

2143
01:26:08,447 --> 01:26:10,365
additional interviews, I wanted

2144
01:26:10,365 --> 01:26:13,410
people to know.

2145
01:26:13,410 --> 01:26:14,620
Mrs. Clements.

2146
01:26:14,620 --> 01:26:17,828
Thank you, Madam President. First

2147
01:26:17,828 --> 01:26:23,585
I had a question for Sam. Could you

2148
01:26:23,585 --> 01:26:27,369
help and guide us with this new

2149
01:26:27,369 --> 01:26:30,590
Tennessee state law? Because that was

2150
01:26:30,590 --> 01:26:32,638
one of the attractive things about TSBI,

2151
01:26:32,638 --> 01:26:34,521
that they know the law, but can they

2152
01:26:34,521 --> 01:26:36,569
make sure we stay in

2153
01:26:36,569 --> 01:26:38,780
our lane? I

2154
01:26:38,780 --> 01:26:40,809
can try, but here's what I'll

2155
01:26:40,809 --> 01:26:42,625
tell you, which I think everyone has

2156
01:26:42,625 --> 01:26:44,601
pointed out, the new law, we'll be the

2157
01:26:44,601 --> 01:26:46,684
first to... So let's walk

2158
01:26:46,684 --> 01:26:49,611
together on the ice. But yes,

2159
01:26:49,611 --> 01:26:51,495
ma'am, I'd be happy to help you

2160
01:26:51,495 --> 01:26:53,285
overcome it and give you my best idea of

2161
01:26:53,285 --> 01:26:54,720
how it would work.

2162
01:26:54,720 --> 01:26:56,787
Good. Thank you. Secondly

2163
01:26:56,787 --> 01:26:58,755
, I think that was the only thing we saw

2164
01:26:58,755 --> 01:27:00,622
when we analyzed the TSBA model, they

2165
01:27:00,622 --> 01:27:03,020
only had one day to communicate. I know they

2166
01:27:03,020 --> 01:27:04,993
said they'd be back for more,

2167
01:27:04,993 --> 01:27:06,967
but for me, what makes Zeal

2168
01:27:06,967 --> 01:27:08,595
more appealing is that it offers a

2169
01:27:08,595 --> 01:27:10,421
much greater amount of

2170
01:27:10,421 --> 01:27:13,029
community interaction. I think that's very

2171
01:27:13,029 --> 01:27:17,633
valuable in this situation. I

2172
01:27:17,633 --> 01:27:20,366
was also doing some research today, I went into a

2173
01:27:20,366 --> 01:27:22,962
little bit of a topic and a little bit about how we

2174
01:27:22,962 --> 01:27:24,739
've done

2175
01:27:24,739 --> 01:27:27,062
superintendent searches in

2176
01:27:27,062 --> 01:27:29,385
Wilmington County in the past, and I saw that

2177
01:27:29,385 --> 01:27:31,912
we put a limit on a firm that we

2178
01:27:31,912 --> 01:27:34,645
put in place years ago, like a couple of

2179
01:27:34,645 --> 01:27:37,378
decades ago, but we did limit travel

2180
01:27:37,378 --> 01:27:40,475
and assignment. So I think

2181
01:27:40,475 --> 01:27:42,324
we could have some framework for that,

2182
01:27:42,324 --> 01:27:44,124
especially with video and Zoom, to be

2183
01:27:44,124 --> 01:27:45,924
able to have some meetings where we do

2184
01:27:45,924 --> 01:27:47,821
n't have to incur a lot of

2185
01:27:47,821 --> 01:27:50,820
travel expenses. It's just an idea. And

2186
01:27:50,820 --> 01:27:53,464
finally, I just want to say that,

2187
01:27:53,464 --> 01:27:56,035
although I know we're thinking about

2188
01:27:56,035 --> 01:27:58,386
making it a public or

2189
01:27:58,386 --> 01:28:01,030
search company, that doesn't disqualify, what

2190
01:28:01,030 --> 01:28:03,698
great work, Dr. Webb. I mean,

2191
01:28:03,698 --> 01:28:05,531
Dr. Webb is currently doing

2192
01:28:05,531 --> 01:28:07,412
an interim job, and it's been fun

2193
01:28:07,412 --> 01:28:09,198
having a front-row seat to watch

2194
01:28:09,198 --> 01:28:11,400
you in this role. And I know you'll be a

2195
01:28:11,400 --> 01:28:13,328
strong contender. So I just

2196
01:28:13,328 --> 01:28:15,094
want to assure the community that I

2197
01:28:15,094 --> 01:28:17,003
know you will shine in this position, and we

2198
01:28:17,003 --> 01:28:18,817
look forward to working alongside

2199
01:28:18,817 --> 01:28:20,535
you and seeing you perform in this

2200
01:28:20,535 --> 01:28:22,205
new role throughout this year,

2201
01:28:22,205 --> 01:28:24,790
sir.

2202
01:28:24,790 --> 01:28:27,577
Mrs. Calcote. I

2203
01:28:27,577 --> 01:28:29,413
just wanted to second

2204
01:28:29,413 --> 01:28:31,718
Mrs. Clements' comments. One of the things I

2205
01:28:31,718 --> 01:28:33,870
deliberately asked TSBA on

2206
01:28:33,870 --> 01:28:35,968
Thursday afternoon was how much time they

2207
01:28:35,968 --> 01:28:38,067
give us to receive feedback from the

2208
01:28:38,067 --> 01:28:40,372
community. And in the plan, there's only one

2209
01:28:40,372 --> 01:28:42,639
day, whereas with Zeal, we have

2210
01:28:42,639 --> 01:28:44,660
a whole week of

2211
01:28:44,660 --> 01:28:47,049
solid community feedback, including

2212
01:28:47,049 --> 01:28:49,438
public assemblies, Zoom calls,

2213
01:28:49,438 --> 01:28:51,766
the ability to survey our

2214
01:28:51,766 --> 01:28:53,542
community, and, you know,

2215
01:28:53,542 --> 01:28:56,367
community forums. It's simply a

2216
01:28:56,367 --> 01:28:58,778
more robust approach to ensuring that all

2217
01:28:58,778 --> 01:29:01,189
stakeholders in our community—

2218
01:29:01,189 --> 01:29:03,167
parents, teachers,

2219
01:29:03,167 --> 01:29:05,269
community leaders, and any

2220
01:29:05,269 --> 01:29:08,500
contributors—can have a say. And then,

2221
01:29:08,500 --> 01:29:10,902
the other thing that... That's why I think

2222
01:29:10,902 --> 01:29:13,304
Zeal is the best option, because I don't

2223
01:29:13,304 --> 01:29:15,573
think that by choosing HYA we'll get

2224
01:29:15,573 --> 01:29:17,708
stronger

2225
01:29:17,708 --> 01:29:19,843
community feedback or more services that

2226
01:29:19,843 --> 01:29:23,078
justify the extra money. Another

2227
01:29:23,078 --> 01:29:24,349
thing I know is

2228
01:29:24,349 --> 01:29:25,971
constantly mentioned is the fact that it is

2229
01:29:25,971 --> 01:29:28,146
a new law. This is the first

2230
01:29:28,146 --> 01:29:30,671
time a school district has used the

2231
01:29:30,671 --> 01:29:34,923
new law. For Zeal and HYA, and

2232
01:29:34,923 --> 01:29:37,891
obviously my vote is for Zeal, but

2233
01:29:37,891 --> 01:29:40,780
one could argue that Zeal has

2234
01:29:40,780 --> 01:29:43,670
more experience than TSBA or us

2235
01:29:43,670 --> 01:29:46,170
because they have conducted

2236
01:29:46,170 --> 01:29:49,391
confidential and public searches. So,

2237
01:29:49,391 --> 01:29:51,339
whether it's Tennessee law or another

2238
01:29:51,339 --> 01:29:53,619
state law, because they travel all over the US,

2239
01:29:53,619 --> 01:29:55,296
they have more experience than any

2240
01:29:55,296 --> 01:29:58,260
of us in these kinds of searches.

2241
01:29:58,260 --> 01:29:59,810
I believe their guidance will be

2242
01:29:59,810 --> 01:30:01,410
crucial to ensuring that

2243
01:30:01,410 --> 01:30:08,057
we comply with the law and that this process

2244
01:30:08,057 --> 01:30:10,463
is transparent. We are receiving the

2245
01:30:10,463 --> 01:30:12,137
most feedback from the

2246
01:30:12,137 --> 01:30:13,811
community and are accountable to

2247
01:30:13,811 --> 01:30:15,252
our internal candidate to

2248
01:30:15,252 --> 01:30:16,554
ensure that everything is

2249
01:30:16,554 --> 01:30:18,906
transparent. Therefore, I believe that

2250
01:30:18,906 --> 01:30:20,541
in order for us to conduct our

2251
01:30:20,541 --> 01:30:22,128
due diligence as a board, it is

2252
01:30:22,128 --> 01:30:24,004
really important that we hire

2253
01:30:24,004 --> 01:30:25,783
a firm that has experience in

2254
01:30:25,783 --> 01:30:27,274
this area, especially if

2255
01:30:27,274 --> 01:30:29,102
we decide to use this new approach

2256
01:30:29,102 --> 01:30:32,840
under the new law.

2257
01:30:32,840 --> 01:30:35,880
Mr. Bostick.

2258
01:30:35,880 --> 01:30:38,019
Yes, regarding the cost

2259
01:30:38,019 --> 01:30:39,984
, I understand that Rachel

2260
01:30:39,984 --> 01:30:41,950
was discussing that topic

2261
01:30:41,950 --> 01:30:45,142
last Thursday. It might put you in a

2262
01:30:45,142 --> 01:30:48,222
difficult position, Rachel. I'm sorry. But you

2263
01:30:48,222 --> 01:30:50,045
had given us a rough estimate of

2264
01:30:50,045 --> 01:30:53,797
how far we were going to get there. Because I think there's

2265
01:30:53,797 --> 01:30:55,839
a misconception that we're

2266
01:30:55,839 --> 01:30:57,829
asking for additional funding or

2267
01:30:57,829 --> 01:30:59,714
taking money from other

2268
01:30:59,714 --> 01:31:02,912
resources to pay for it, or whatever. And

2269
01:31:02,912 --> 01:31:07,240
that's not the case, right?

2270
01:31:07,240 --> 01:31:09,441
Correct. So, there were funds for

2271
01:31:09,441 --> 01:31:11,078
the superintendent position, funds

2272
01:31:11,078 --> 01:31:12,715
for the assistant

2273
01:31:12,715 --> 01:31:13,998
high school superintendent that were in the

2274
01:31:13,998 --> 01:31:16,940
budget that you all voted for.

2275
01:31:16,940 --> 01:31:18,543
The agreed-upon salary for the

2276
01:31:18,543 --> 01:31:20,776
interim superintendent was less than

2277
01:31:20,776 --> 01:31:23,592
the superintendent's budget. And

2278
01:31:23,592 --> 01:31:25,568
then there's also money left in that

2279
01:31:25,568 --> 01:31:28,040
assistant superintendent line.

2280
01:31:28,040 --> 01:31:29,668
So, that's where the

2281
01:31:29,668 --> 01:31:32,332
money to cover it will come from.

2282
01:31:32,332 --> 01:31:34,351
Whoever they end up voting for

2283
01:31:34,351 --> 01:31:35,814
next month, we will introduce a

2284
01:31:35,814 --> 01:31:37,833
resolution to move the money from a

2285
01:31:37,833 --> 01:31:39,549
payroll line to a

2286
01:31:39,549 --> 01:31:42,650
contracted service line. But we weren't going to

2287
01:31:42,650 --> 01:31:44,452
do that until we knew how much

2288
01:31:44,452 --> 01:31:46,074
money, or how much estimated money,

2289
01:31:46,074 --> 01:31:48,690
needed to be moved. So, if the

2290
01:31:48,690 --> 01:31:50,274
money is not spent, if it is moved, every

2291
01:31:50,274 --> 01:31:51,818
time money is not spent, and this is

2292
01:31:51,818 --> 01:31:52,996
true for any

2293
01:31:52,996 --> 01:31:54,418
budget line, it will be transferred to the

2294
01:31:54,418 --> 01:31:56,772
balance of funds at the end of the year. We can't

2295
01:31:56,772 --> 01:31:58,332
just move or spend

2296
01:31:58,332 --> 01:32:00,999
money on anything else. It will

2297
01:32:00,999 --> 01:32:02,588
always depend on you how

2298
01:32:02,588 --> 01:32:04,220
the funds can be spent if

2299
01:32:04,220 --> 01:32:05,400
a change is made.

2300
01:32:05,400 --> 01:32:06,544
OK.

2301
01:32:06,544 --> 01:32:08,655
Can you give us a rough estimate of

2302
01:32:08,655 --> 01:32:09,668
what that is?

2303
01:32:09,668 --> 01:32:15,319
It was one hundred thousand dollars, Thank you. Yes,

2304
01:32:15,319 --> 01:32:16,946
I believe it is important to make it

2305
01:32:16,946 --> 01:32:18,717
clear to everyone the

2306
01:32:18,717 --> 01:32:20,440
exact origin of that money in

2307
01:32:20,440 --> 01:32:26,819
question. Also, I'm undecided

2308
01:32:26,819 --> 01:32:30,731
between TSBA and Zeal. I'm leaning towards Zeal.

2309
01:32:30,731 --> 01:32:32,038
I think everyone has given very

2310
01:32:32,038 --> 01:32:34,630
good arguments about this. But I know I'm

2311
01:32:34,630 --> 01:32:36,831
totally in favor of

2312
01:32:36,831 --> 01:32:40,391
doing a real search. And that's

2313
01:32:40,391 --> 01:32:44,325
because I think it's the fairest thing for

2314
01:32:44,325 --> 01:32:49,792
Lee. Lee is amazing. I have

2315
01:32:49,792 --> 01:32:51,448
thoroughly enjoyed my time on the board

2316
01:32:51,448 --> 01:32:53,264
getting to know Lee, and especially

2317
01:32:53,264 --> 01:32:55,348
since he took on this new role, he has

2318
01:32:55,348 --> 01:32:59,377
impressed me greatly so far. But

2319
01:32:59,377 --> 01:33:01,597
I want you to know that if you receive this

2320
01:33:01,597 --> 01:33:04,008
position, you have received it on your own

2321
01:33:04,008 --> 01:33:06,545
merits and it was not given to you because it was

2322
01:33:06,545 --> 01:33:10,160
the easiest and cheapest thing to do.

2323
01:33:10,160 --> 01:33:12,243
I believe we also owe him that

2324
01:33:12,243 --> 01:33:15,834
confidence in his work. It's incredible. I

2325
01:33:15,834 --> 01:33:17,899
fully believe that. Never, but if

2326
01:33:17,899 --> 01:33:19,480
everyone else believes it too,

2327
01:33:19,480 --> 01:33:21,018
we should allow her to continue the

2328
01:33:21,018 --> 01:33:23,753
process and defend herself. And that's all I have to

2329
01:33:23,753 --> 01:33:25,148
say about it

2330
01:33:25,148 --> 01:33:26,760
.

2331
01:33:26,760 --> 01:33:28,532
Thank you. Mrs. Connine, you have all the

2332
01:33:28,532 --> 01:33:29,879
recognition. I

2333
01:33:29,879 --> 01:33:33,019
just wanted to thank Ms.

2334
01:33:33,019 --> 01:33:35,208
Anderson for mentioning the fact that

2335
01:33:35,208 --> 01:33:37,397
Zeal uses current

2336
01:33:37,397 --> 01:33:39,530
or former superintendents as part of its

2337
01:33:39,530 --> 01:33:44,153
search process. I'm not sure if

2338
01:33:44,153 --> 01:33:45,771
anyone investigated the people

2339
01:33:45,771 --> 01:33:47,390
appointed to our

2340
01:33:47,390 --> 01:33:50,588
search team. I sought out the people on

2341
01:33:50,588 --> 01:33:52,449
our search team because that's just the way I

2342
01:33:52,449 --> 01:33:57,575
am as a person. And I think it's worth

2343
01:33:57,575 --> 01:33:59,159
noting that none of the

2344
01:33:59,159 --> 01:34:01,031
senior associates who would be part

2345
01:34:01,031 --> 01:34:02,951
of our search had trouble-

2346
01:34:02,951 --> 01:34:04,199
free superintendent careers

2347
01:34:04,199 --> 01:34:06,711
. In fact, one was

2348
01:34:06,711 --> 01:34:07,834
sued by his state for not

2349
01:34:07,834 --> 01:34:08,993
implementing the curriculum

2350
01:34:08,993 --> 01:34:10,621
correctly. That was Dr. David

2351
01:34:10,621 --> 01:34:11,982
Myerschough, who is one of the

2352
01:34:11,982 --> 01:34:13,738
main associates of our

2353
01:34:13,738 --> 01:34:16,879
Zeal search team. And Dr. John

2354
01:34:16,879 --> 01:34:18,960
Barrile or Briel, whichever is his

2355
01:34:18,960 --> 01:34:22,219
correct name. He faced a

2356
01:34:22,219 --> 01:34:23,874
vote of no confidence from his district

2357
01:34:23,874 --> 01:34:25,675
during his term, two years after

2358
01:34:25,675 --> 01:34:27,621
deciding to resign and dedicate himself to

2359
01:34:27,621 --> 01:34:29,471
higher education and work at a

2360
01:34:29,471 --> 01:34:32,269
university. I think that's something

2361
01:34:32,269 --> 01:34:35,258
worth mentioning. I respect their choice to

2362
01:34:35,258 --> 01:34:36,520
use

2363
01:34:36,520 --> 01:34:38,354
superintendents. I recognize that it's a

2364
01:34:38,354 --> 01:34:40,055
job that can only be understood if it's

2365
01:34:40,055 --> 01:34:42,448
actually been done, right? But I

2366
01:34:42,448 --> 01:34:43,991
also think it's worth

2367
01:34:43,991 --> 01:34:45,434
asking who these

2368
01:34:45,434 --> 01:34:48,369
superintendents are. I don't believe that the fact

2369
01:34:48,369 --> 01:34:49,980
that they have superintendents on their

2370
01:34:49,980 --> 01:34:51,591
teams automatically implies that they

2371
01:34:51,591 --> 01:34:54,440
are more qualified than the TSBA. I

2372
01:34:54,440 --> 01:34:55,821
also wanted to state that I think it's

2373
01:34:55,821 --> 01:34:57,202
absurd to imply that the

2374
01:34:57,202 --> 01:34:58,509
TSBA has no experience in these

2375
01:34:58,509 --> 01:35:00,276
searches. They have literally performed

2376
01:35:00,276 --> 01:35:01,976
30 in the state in the last 5 years

2377
01:35:01,976 --> 01:35:03,864
. Well, and not just the

2378
01:35:03,864 --> 01:35:05,201
small districts, as they pointed out with the

2379
01:35:05,201 --> 01:35:06,723
information sent today. Therefore, I

2380
01:35:06,723 --> 01:35:07,945
just want to make sure we all

2381
01:35:07,945 --> 01:35:09,476
keep that in mind. I believe that

2382
01:35:09,476 --> 01:35:11,427
implying that the TSBA does not have this

2383
01:35:11,427 --> 01:35:14,260
experience is simply a fallacy.

2384
01:35:14,260 --> 01:35:15,355
But I would like to highlight the

2385
01:35:15,355 --> 01:35:16,576
superintendent's concerns

2386
01:35:16,576 --> 01:35:17,672
regarding the particular search team

2387
01:35:17,672 --> 01:35:20,200
that was assigned to us.

2388
01:35:20,200 --> 01:35:22,260
Dr. Driggers.

2389
01:35:22,260 --> 01:35:26,260
Yes, I wanted to go back and be clear.

2390
01:35:26,260 --> 01:35:28,451
The board has not yet decided which

2391
01:35:28,451 --> 01:35:31,020
search methodology we will

2392
01:35:31,020 --> 01:35:34,983
use. The thing is, the

2393
01:35:34,983 --> 01:35:36,946
newest thing in Tennessee is the

2394
01:35:36,946 --> 01:35:39,324
executive session, but there hasn't been a vote on it yet

2395
01:35:39,324 --> 01:35:42,557
. Well, I mean, we're still

2396
01:35:42,557 --> 01:35:44,862
trying to decide which way

2397
01:35:44,862 --> 01:35:46,864
we're going to go.

2398
01:35:46,864 --> 01:35:49,299
We discussed it in the working session, and

2399
01:35:49,299 --> 01:35:49,642
I would

2400
01:35:49,642 --> 01:35:51,760
say it's the board's opinion. We did

2401
01:35:51,760 --> 01:35:52,827
n't vote. I do

2402
01:35:52,827 --> 01:35:54,640
n't think it requires a vote.

2403
01:35:54,640 --> 01:35:55,539
OK.

2404
01:35:55,539 --> 01:35:57,676
So, we went and reached a

2405
01:35:57,676 --> 01:36:00,072
consensus on the use of the

2406
01:36:00,072 --> 01:36:02,663
closed session, and the next step is

2407
01:36:02,663 --> 01:36:05,124
that we have to approve a policy

2408
01:36:05,124 --> 01:36:08,384
related to that. And then, Seth

2409
01:36:08,384 --> 01:36:10,417
is going to draft a policy for us to

2410
01:36:10,417 --> 01:36:12,094
review at our

2411
01:36:12,094 --> 01:36:14,076
October policy meeting regarding

2412
01:36:14,076 --> 01:36:18,039
that.

2413
01:36:18,039 --> 01:36:20,350
Therefore, the way the board

2414
01:36:20,350 --> 01:36:22,728
chooses a new superintendent does not

2415
01:36:22,728 --> 01:36:28,117
require a board vote. There are no

2416
01:36:28,117 --> 01:36:30,699
yeses or nos.

2417
01:36:30,699 --> 01:36:31,889
I think they're going to have to vote on

2418
01:36:31,889 --> 01:36:32,609
that policy.

2419
01:36:32,609 --> 01:36:34,949
Yes, we will vote on policy.

2420
01:36:34,949 --> 01:36:36,575
When we return to politics, that's

2421
01:36:36,575 --> 01:36:38,279
fine.

2422
01:36:38,279 --> 01:36:40,220
Yes, yes, yes. I'm sorry

2423
01:36:40,220 --> 01:36:41,680
, I didn't mean to interrupt.

2424
01:36:41,680 --> 01:36:45,457
No, it's fine. That's how it is. Mrs. Anderson,

2425
01:36:45,457 --> 01:36:47,070
you have the honor of speaking. I

2426
01:36:47,070 --> 01:36:49,504
just wanted to thank everyone for the

2427
01:36:49,504 --> 01:36:52,067
excellent contribution and I appreciate

2428
01:36:52,067 --> 01:36:54,373
everyone reviewing it and also, if we are

2429
01:36:54,373 --> 01:36:56,936
concerned about some of the people in the

2430
01:36:56,936 --> 01:36:59,499
search, we could ask other

2431
01:36:59,499 --> 01:37:01,970
people, but I really appreciate it.

2432
01:37:01,970 --> 01:37:04,300
That's an excellent point.

2433
01:37:04,300 --> 01:37:06,120
Mrs. Calcote.

2434
01:37:06,120 --> 01:37:08,722
Well, I just wanted to put on record

2435
01:37:08,722 --> 01:37:11,391
that I wasn't implying that the TSBA

2436
01:37:11,391 --> 01:37:13,593
lacks experience, but I think

2437
01:37:13,593 --> 01:37:15,929
even Sam mentioned that no one has

2438
01:37:15,929 --> 01:37:18,331
conducted a search with the

2439
01:37:18,331 --> 01:37:22,216
executive group. Therefore, taking

2440
01:37:22,216 --> 01:37:24,172
this into account, they have no experience

2441
01:37:24,172 --> 01:37:26,179
in conducting this type of research that

2442
01:37:26,179 --> 01:37:28,187
we expect to be... I believe Dr. Dryger

2443
01:37:28,187 --> 01:37:30,092
used the word guinea pig

2444
01:37:30,092 --> 01:37:31,893
to refer to this in the

2445
01:37:31,893 --> 01:37:35,155
working session. Therefore,

2446
01:37:35,155 --> 01:37:36,758
we will be the first to embark on

2447
01:37:36,758 --> 01:37:38,361
this type of search, and I believe that, for this reason

2448
01:37:38,361 --> 01:37:39,800
, it is helpful to have someone, a

2449
01:37:39,800 --> 01:37:41,074
search firm that has

2450
01:37:41,074 --> 01:37:42,513
experience in this, to guide us

2451
01:37:42,513 --> 01:37:45,032
through that process. While this is

2452
01:37:45,032 --> 01:37:46,762
the first time Tennessee has had this

2453
01:37:46,762 --> 01:37:48,406
law, many other states have this

2454
01:37:48,406 --> 01:37:49,877
option as a choice for

2455
01:37:49,877 --> 01:37:54,159
superintendent searches.

2456
01:37:54,159 --> 01:37:56,240
Mr. Allen.

2457
01:37:56,240 --> 01:37:57,976
Yes, thank you for tonight's discussion

2458
01:37:57,976 --> 01:37:59,910
, my fellow board members

2459
01:37:59,910 --> 01:38:03,863
. Well, the reason I'm not

2460
01:38:03,863 --> 01:38:05,663
voting for TSBA is because we have some

2461
01:38:05,663 --> 01:38:07,083
history with

2462
01:38:07,083 --> 01:38:08,883
Williamson County and TSBA, and it didn't go well for us,

2463
01:38:08,883 --> 01:38:10,729
so I don't want to get involved in that again

2464
01:38:10,729 --> 01:38:12,623
while I can represent

2465
01:38:12,623 --> 01:38:15,569
my district. So, obviously, I've

2466
01:38:15,569 --> 01:38:17,536
made the motion, so I'll be voting

2467
01:38:17,536 --> 01:38:19,746
for Zeal.

2468
01:38:19,746 --> 01:38:23,594
And I don't see any more applications for...Okay,

2469
01:38:23,594 --> 01:38:25,861
Miss Wyatt.

2470
01:38:25,861 --> 01:38:27,100
Thank you, Madam President, for

2471
01:38:27,100 --> 01:38:29,359
keeping her alert. I just wanted to

2472
01:38:29,359 --> 01:38:31,053
address the teachers and

2473
01:38:31,053 --> 01:38:33,041
community members who contacted us.

2474
01:38:33,041 --> 01:38:35,385
Thank you so much. Thank you for being in

2475
01:38:35,385 --> 01:38:39,100
touch. We listen to you. I support them. We

2476
01:38:39,100 --> 01:38:40,513
have heard many of you

2477
01:38:40,513 --> 01:38:43,287
supporting Dr. Webb and I have been very

2478
01:38:43,287 --> 01:38:46,709
outspoken in my tremendous support and respect

2479
01:38:46,709 --> 01:38:50,707
for her. So thank you, thank you, for being in touch with

2480
01:38:50,707 --> 01:38:53,390
us about this. I join Miss

2481
01:38:53,390 --> 01:38:55,970
Canine in considering

2482
01:38:55,970 --> 01:38:58,514
offering the position to Dr. Webb and not

2483
01:38:58,514 --> 01:39:01,555
considering a search. But I understand

2484
01:39:01,555 --> 01:39:03,501
that if the majority of the board wants to

2485
01:39:03,501 --> 01:39:05,294
hire a firm, I return to my

2486
01:39:05,294 --> 01:39:07,239
comment from Thursday night

2487
01:39:07,239 --> 01:39:09,032
that a nationwide search

2488
01:39:09,032 --> 01:39:11,029
can confirm a strong internal candidate

2489
01:39:11,029 --> 01:39:14,128
. And I see that in Dr. Webb, so

2490
01:39:14,128 --> 01:39:16,288
I can move forward with faith using

2491
01:39:16,288 --> 01:39:19,420
that information. Thank you.

2492
01:39:19,420 --> 01:39:23,860
Mr. Bostick.

2493
01:39:23,860 --> 01:39:25,280
I request that the question be approved.

2494
01:39:25,280 --> 01:39:28,624
Very good. So, we will proceed to the

2495
01:39:28,624 --> 01:39:31,090
vote, and just to be clear,

2496
01:39:31,090 --> 01:39:33,371
what is on the floor that we

2497
01:39:33,371 --> 01:39:35,590
are voting on is a motion to

2498
01:39:35,590 --> 01:39:39,412
use Zeal Education Group as the

2499
01:39:39,473 --> 01:39:42,848
superintendent search service. Please proceed to

2500
01:39:42,848 --> 01:39:56,740
the vote.

2501
01:39:56,740 --> 01:40:00,320
is eight yes, four no.

2502
01:40:00,320 --> 01:40:02,221
And with that, we have approved the

2503
01:40:02,221 --> 01:40:04,646
use of Zeal Education Group

2504
01:40:04,646 --> 01:40:06,351
for our

2505
01:40:06,351 --> 01:40:09,270
superintendent search. Okay, let's move on to the

2506
01:40:09,270 --> 01:40:10,987
next point, the adoption and

2507
01:40:10,987 --> 01:40:12,865
approval of the board's objectives

2508
01:40:12,865 --> 01:40:14,581
and the affirmation of the

2509
01:40:14,581 --> 01:40:18,137
strategic plan. So, this is another

2510
01:40:18,137 --> 01:40:20,846
point we discussed in the

2511
01:40:20,846 --> 01:40:23,555
work session, and for our

2512
01:40:23,555 --> 01:40:26,061
board goals this year, we are simply going to

2513
01:40:26,061 --> 01:40:28,296
support our

2514
01:40:28,296 --> 01:40:30,869
interim superintendent in each of the goals we

2515
01:40:30,869 --> 01:40:33,511
set for her as a board in June

2516
01:40:33,511 --> 01:40:35,996
. Would you like to discuss the

2517
01:40:35,996 --> 01:40:38,041
strategic plan, Dr. Webb?

2518
01:40:38,041 --> 01:40:40,105
Of course. We are in the fourth year

2519
01:40:40,105 --> 01:40:42,799
of the five-year strategic plan. I

2520
01:40:42,799 --> 01:40:44,172
will update you each week in our

2521
01:40:44,172 --> 01:40:45,701
regular communications on where

2522
01:40:45,701 --> 01:40:47,113
we stand in those steps, just

2523
01:40:47,113 --> 01:40:48,642
to keep you, especially

2524
01:40:48,642 --> 01:40:50,171
the new board members, up to date on

2525
01:40:50,171 --> 01:40:52,188
where we've been. We have worked

2526
01:40:52,188 --> 01:40:54,094
hard in several departments and have

2527
01:40:54,094 --> 01:40:56,607
brought that strategic plan to life. Please pay

2528
01:40:56,607 --> 01:40:58,247
attention to that communication and I

2529
01:40:58,247 --> 01:40:59,976
recommend that we continue to ratify

2530
01:40:59,976 --> 01:41:01,572
the strategic plan as it is

2531
01:41:01,572 --> 01:41:03,719
written. OK.

2532
01:41:03,719 --> 01:41:06,508
Thank you. We have a motion from Ms.

2533
01:41:06,508 --> 01:41:08,789
Hidma and one seconded by Ms.

2534
01:41:08,789 --> 01:41:13,440
Cannain. Has anyone mentioned that?

2535
01:41:13,440 --> 01:41:15,139
Since we don't see any, we will proceed to the

2536
01:41:15,139 --> 01:41:27,979
vote.

2537
01:41:27,979 --> 01:41:30,979
12 in favor, zero against.

2538
01:41:30,979 --> 01:41:32,603
We have approved the board's objectives

2539
01:41:32,603 --> 01:41:34,413
and ratified the strategic plan

2540
01:41:34,413 --> 01:41:37,531
. We move on to the next item, the

2541
01:41:37,531 --> 01:41:39,837
review of policy 1.2021 on

2542
01:41:39,837 --> 01:41:41,906
the school board's code of conduct

2543
01:41:41,906 --> 01:41:45,375
. Everyone signed the code of

2544
01:41:45,375 --> 01:41:47,660
conduct at the work session.

2545
01:41:47,660 --> 01:41:49,656
We review this code of conduct every

2546
01:41:49,656 --> 01:41:51,552
2 years when new

2547
01:41:51,552 --> 01:41:53,839
school board members are sworn in.

2548
01:41:53,839 --> 01:41:56,447
So, thank you all for signing

2549
01:41:56,447 --> 01:41:58,703
that document, and let's work to

2550
01:41:58,703 --> 01:42:01,980
make sure we comply with it.

2551
01:42:01,980 --> 01:42:04,262
We have a motion in Mr.

2552
01:42:04,262 --> 01:42:06,910
Bostick's chamber, seconded by Ms. Kelcoat.

2553
01:42:06,910 --> 01:42:11,005
Any further discussion? Since we don't see

2554
01:42:11,005 --> 01:42:18,560
any, we will proceed to the vote.

2555
01:42:18,560 --> 01:42:19,935
is 12 in favor and

2556
01:42:19,935 --> 01:42:21,439
zero against.

2557
01:42:21,439 --> 01:42:22,936
And we have approved the code of conduct

2558
01:42:22,936 --> 01:42:25,119
for school board members.

2559
01:42:25,119 --> 01:42:27,311
The next item, the next series

2560
01:42:27,311 --> 01:42:29,334
of items, is related to the

2561
01:42:29,334 --> 01:42:31,526
school board budget 26 27.

2562
01:42:31,526 --> 01:42:33,325
So, the first item is the

2563
01:42:33,325 --> 01:42:35,405
approval of amendment 09.26 of the

2564
01:42:35,405 --> 01:42:37,653
general purpose school fund, the

2565
01:42:37,653 --> 01:42:39,845
United Way grant in the amount

2566
01:42:39,845 --> 01:42:42,773
of $52,080. Dr. Webb?

2567
01:42:42,773 --> 01:42:44,491
Yes, thank you, Madam President. For the

2568
01:42:44,491 --> 01:42:46,218
fifteenth year, United Way is

2569
01:42:46,218 --> 01:42:48,088
providing funding to the district for

2570
01:42:48,088 --> 01:42:49,766
tutoring for grades 1-5 in

2571
01:42:49,766 --> 01:42:51,253
our elementary schools, and

2572
01:42:51,253 --> 01:42:53,520
I recommend its approval.

2573
01:42:53,520 --> 01:42:55,901
Thank you. We have a motion from Mr.

2574
01:42:55,901 --> 01:42:57,910
Bostick, seconded by Mr. Allen.

2575
01:42:57,910 --> 01:43:01,680
Any other discussion? Questions? Since we do

2576
01:43:01,680 --> 01:43:03,271
n't see any, we will proceed to the

2577
01:43:03,271 --> 01:43:09,080
vote.

2578
01:43:09,080 --> 01:43:10,238
was 12 in favor and

2579
01:43:10,238 --> 01:43:12,080
zero against.

2580
01:43:12,080 --> 01:43:14,490
We have approved the

2581
01:43:14,490 --> 01:43:17,037
general purpose school fund in the amount of $

2582
01:43:17,037 --> 01:43:20,215
52,080. The next item on the

2583
01:43:20,215 --> 01:43:22,371
agenda is the approval of the

2584
01:43:22,371 --> 01:43:24,985
amendment to the general purpose school fund

2585
01:43:24,985 --> 01:43:27,011
09.26 regarding

2586
01:43:27,011 --> 01:43:29,819
sports donations in the amount of $45,223.50.

2587
01:43:29,819 --> 01:43:30,700
Dr. Webb.

2588
01:43:30,700 --> 01:43:32,381
Thank you, Madam President. Our

2589
01:43:32,381 --> 01:43:34,344
Wilco sports event, which we organize

2590
01:43:34,344 --> 01:43:36,106
every year to celebrate our

2591
01:43:36,106 --> 01:43:37,716
athletes from across the district, is

2592
01:43:37,716 --> 01:43:39,870
funded by donations like this one.

2593
01:43:39,870 --> 01:43:41,623
Therefore, tonight's approval

2594
01:43:41,623 --> 01:43:43,421
is made possible with donations from Play

2595
01:43:43,421 --> 01:43:45,700
On and Teal Property Groups. They have been

2596
01:43:45,700 --> 01:43:47,080
supporting this event and

2597
01:43:47,080 --> 01:43:48,783
I recommend approving the acceptance of

2598
01:43:48,783 --> 01:43:50,995
those donations. Thank you.

2599
01:43:50,995 --> 01:43:52,433
So, we have a motion from Ms.

2600
01:43:52,433 --> 01:43:54,122
Clements, seconded by Mr.

2601
01:43:54,122 --> 01:43:57,500
Bostick. Any further discussion? Since we do

2602
01:43:57,500 --> 01:43:58,778
n't see any, let's proceed to the

2603
01:43:58,778 --> 01:44:06,940
vote.

2604
01:44:06,940 --> 01:44:10,160
12 in favor, zero against.

2605
01:44:10,160 --> 01:44:11,567
Very well, we have approved those

2606
01:44:11,567 --> 01:44:14,690
sports donations. The next

2607
01:44:14,690 --> 01:44:16,433
item on the agenda is the

2608
01:44:16,433 --> 01:44:18,683
approval of resolution 10.26 of the

2609
01:44:18,683 --> 01:44:20,707
general purpose school

2610
01:44:20,707 --> 01:44:22,788
bus fund in the amount of

2611
01:44:22,788 --> 01:44:25,090
$3,367,130. Dr. Webb.

2612
01:44:25,090 --> 01:44:26,437
Thank you, Madam President. It is at this

2613
01:44:26,437 --> 01:44:28,029
time of year that we begin to

2614
01:44:28,029 --> 01:44:29,621
project how many school buses

2615
01:44:29,621 --> 01:44:31,131
we will need to replace for the

2616
01:44:31,131 --> 01:44:33,609
next school year. We need to

2617
01:44:33,609 --> 01:44:35,479
replace 15 general education buses

2618
01:44:35,479 --> 01:44:36,955
and four

2619
01:44:36,955 --> 01:44:39,213
special education buses. We will finance this

2620
01:44:39,213 --> 01:44:40,561
through the balance of funds, as this will be

2621
01:44:40,561 --> 01:44:41,945
funded, and I recommend

2622
01:44:41,945 --> 01:44:43,365
approval so that we can order

2623
01:44:43,365 --> 01:44:44,714
those buses and have them headed

2624
01:44:44,714 --> 01:44:46,127
here.

2625
01:44:46,127 --> 01:44:48,162
We have a motion from Mr. Bostick and it is

2626
01:44:48,162 --> 01:44:50,266
seconded by Ms. Wyatt. Any

2627
01:44:50,266 --> 01:44:51,855
questions for the discussion about

2628
01:44:51,855 --> 01:44:54,007
buses? Since none are seen, a

2629
01:44:54,007 --> 01:45:00,919
vote will be taken.

2630
01:45:00,919 --> 01:45:05,599
The vote is 12 yes, zero no.

2631
01:45:05,599 --> 01:45:07,183
With that, we have approved the

2632
01:45:07,183 --> 01:45:09,296
funding for the buses and the

2633
01:45:09,296 --> 01:45:11,409
last item is the approval of the

2634
01:45:11,409 --> 01:45:13,228
schedule for preparing the

2635
01:45:13,228 --> 01:45:15,567
2027-2028 budget. Dr. Bob.

2636
01:45:15,567 --> 01:45:16,693
Thank you, Madam President. It's

2637
01:45:16,693 --> 01:45:18,292
budget time. Are you excited,

2638
01:45:18,292 --> 01:45:19,991
good people? I think we're all

2639
01:45:19,991 --> 01:45:21,591
excited. It's time to talk about the

2640
01:45:21,591 --> 01:45:23,096
budget, and this is our

2641
01:45:23,096 --> 01:45:24,903
budget timeline prepared

2642
01:45:24,903 --> 01:45:26,509
for you in response to your

2643
01:45:26,509 --> 01:45:28,740
feedback in the working session.

2644
01:45:28,740 --> 01:45:30,768
On page two you will see some

2645
01:45:30,768 --> 01:45:32,492
highlighted areas where we will ask at

2646
01:45:32,492 --> 01:45:34,368
four strategic moments if you would

2647
01:45:34,368 --> 01:45:36,245
like to have additional sessions

2648
01:45:36,245 --> 01:45:38,680
outside of the scheduled meetings.

2649
01:45:38,680 --> 01:45:40,594
We will continue to offer them, but if

2650
01:45:40,594 --> 01:45:42,563
you have individual questions, those

2651
01:45:42,563 --> 01:45:44,751
one-on-one sessions with Rachel Farmer will

2652
01:45:44,751 --> 01:45:46,885
give you answers and the

2653
01:45:46,885 --> 01:45:49,018
knowledge you need to

2654
01:45:49,018 --> 01:45:50,823
succeed in how we move forward with the

2655
01:45:50,823 --> 01:45:53,005
budget. Therefore, I recommend

2656
01:45:53,005 --> 01:45:54,475
the approval of this timeline.

2657
01:45:54,475 --> 01:45:56,401
Very good. We have a motion from Ms.

2658
01:45:56,401 --> 01:45:58,128
Anderson, seconded by Mrs.

2659
01:45:58,128 --> 01:46:00,059
Clements. Any discussion

2660
01:46:00,059 --> 01:46:02,548
related to that? Just a

2661
01:46:02,548 --> 01:46:04,880
reminder that everyone can

2662
01:46:04,880 --> 01:46:07,495
schedule a meeting with Rachel anytime

2663
01:46:07,495 --> 01:46:10,322
until March, I guess,

2664
01:46:10,322 --> 01:46:13,128
right? She loves it. Yes. Very

2665
01:46:13,128 --> 01:46:15,496
good. Since there is no discussion, we will take

2666
01:46:15,496 --> 01:46:23,900
our final vote of the afternoon.

2667
01:46:23,900 --> 01:46:26,420
Vote: 12 in favor, zero against.

2668
01:46:26,420 --> 01:46:28,207
And we have approved the timetable for

2669
01:46:28,207 --> 01:46:30,309
preparing the 2027-28 budget, and

2670
01:46:30,309 --> 01:46:32,939
with this the session is adjourned.