SO IF YOU WOULD TURN TO THE SCREEN, WE HAVE PHASE ONE OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING
[1. Call to Order]
[00:00:05]
COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATIONS.IN PHASE ONE, NUMBER ONE, WE'RE GOING TO ELIMINATE OPPORTUNITY GAPS.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ELIMINATING OPPORTUNITY GAPS, WE TALK ABOUT HAVING ACCESS TO THE PSAT, HAVING ACCESS TO THE ACT, AND VARIOUS STANDARDIZED TESTS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY SO THAT
[3. Closed Session]
OUR STUDENTS WHO MAY NOT HAVE TRANSPORTATION, CAN GET THOSE THINGS ON CAMPUS AS WELL AS HAVING EXTRA PREP TIME.ALSO, WITH OUR EQUITY CALIBRATIONS, WE'LL BE DOING THOSE PER FEEDER PATTERN AS WELL AS AROUND AND THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO DOING PROGRAM EVALUATIONS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR EVALUATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE EQUITABLE FOR ALL.
NUMBER TWO, OUR GUIDING STATEMENTS.
OUR GUIDING STATEMENTS ARE JUST THAT THEY GUIDE THE WORK THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO HERE IN MISD. ALSO, AGAIN, THE WORK OF THE DEI ADVISORY COUNCIL HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN THE WORK THAT WE'RE BRINGING TONIGHT, AS WELL AS THAT STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE.
AND SO WE PLAN TO ENGAGE THESE INDIVIDUALS FURTHER ALONG IN THE SPRING, AND THEY ARE
[4. Reconvene]
GOING TO REVIEW AND ANALYZE THE DATA AND THEY'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION BACK TO US TO MOVE FORWARD.[5. Meeting Opening]
ALSO, IN THE WORDS OF MR. JOHNSON. OUR PDSA IS ONLY AN AUTOPSY OF THE WORK AND OUR KEY STRATEGIC MEASURES IS WHERE WE GET IT DONE. SO WE'RE GOING BACK TO THAT ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS WITH OUR COMMITTEES TO DO THE WORK. AND AGAIN, WE'LL IDENTIFY AND IMPLEMENT ACTIONS BASED ON FOCUS AREAS.THREE ARE OPT IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES.
AS YOU NOTICE ON OUR SCORECARD, WE DIDN'T SET A 100% GOAL.
WE WANT TO GROW TO THAT AND WE ARE REALLY, REALLY POSITIVE.
AND WE ARE ENCOURAGED THAT THE TRAINING THAT WE ROLL OUT IN THE FALL WILL HELP US TO GROW AND EXCEED OUR EXPECTATIONS.
FOUR IS OUR CURRICULUM MANAGEMENT PLAN.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF INSTRUCTION AND THEY'VE ALREADY UPDATED THEIR MANUAL TO REFLECT EQUITY CENTRIC PRACTICES, AND THEY HAVE TAKEN A DEEP DIVE INTO WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE SAY ALL, WE MEAN ALL WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PLANNING FOR OUR STUDENTS.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, BECAUSE OUR STUDENTS ARE THE REASON THAT WE'RE HERE.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A STUDENT VOICES OPPORTUNITY, A VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO SHARE OUT THEIR EXPERIENCES.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO CREATE BRAVE AND SAFE SPACES FOR OUR STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH US THEIR EXPERIENCES BOTH ON AND OFF CAMPUS, AS WELL AS TO HELP US ALONG WITH THE WORK. WE HAD STUDENTS WHO WERE A PART OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL AS WELL AS THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME VERY VALUABLE FEEDBACK TO US AS WE MOVE FORWARD. SO IN CONCLUSION TONIGHT, I WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERY INDIVIDUAL WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS WORK.
SO I BRING TO YOU OUR DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION ADVISORY COUNCIL.
AND IF THOSE MEMBERS ARE PRESENT TONIGHT, I ASK THAT THEY STAND UP.
AND I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE THEM.
[APPLAUE] THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK.
THANK YOU. AND THEN ALSO, IF I COULD JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO SHARE.
WE HAD OVER 150 PEOPLE TO DEDICATE THEIR TIME, THEIR TALENTS AND THEIR ENERGY TO OUR DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE.
AND WE ARE TALKING ABOUT INDIVIDUALS WHO SHOW UP WEEKLY AND ALSO DURING THE SUMMER TO DEDICATE TIME TO THIS WORK.
SO IF YOU ARE IN THE ROOM AND YOU ARE A PART OF THAT DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE, STAND UP AND WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE YOU, PLEASE.
[APPLAUSE] THANK YOU. YOU'RE HERE.
AND SO IN CONCLUSION, WE ARE ASKING FOR YOUR FEEDBACK ON PHASE ONE OF THE DEI STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATIONS, AS WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY OUTLINED, TO INCLUDE SUCH THINGS AS ELIMINATING OPPORTUNITY GAPS, A CONTINUOUS REVIEW OF OUR POLICIES, PLANS AND PROCEDURES, AND A VERY ROBUST EMPLOYEE DEI TRAINING MODEL.
SO BEFORE WE END, I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO YOU FOR JUST A MOMENT.
BUT IN CONCLUSION, I WANT US TO KNOW WE'RE HERE TONIGHT TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT WHEN WE TALK EDUCATIONAL EQUITY, WE MEAN US ALL, EVERYONE DOING THEIR PART TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR
[6. District Recognition]
STUDENTS SUCCEED.AND WE STAND BEHIND THE DEFINITION OF EDUCATIONAL EQUITY WHEN WE SAY THAT WE ARE HERE TO PROVIDE EACH AND EVERY STUDENT WITH WHAT THEY NEED TO SUCCEED.
THANK YOU. AND AS WE MOVE IN THE QUESTIONS, I JUST WANT TO PREFACE OUR QUESTIONS.
THEY'RE GOING TO GO A LITTLE DIFFERENT TONIGHT BECAUSE WE'VE GOT VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS THAT YOU MIGHT ASK QUESTION THAT IT'S REALLY THEIR AREA.
[00:05:02]
AND SO AS WE ALL OWN THIS WORK, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET THE ANSWER THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH.BOARD MEMBERS QUESTIONS TO MY LEFT.
THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
WE HAVE BEEN ANXIOUS TO GET THIS AND YOU KNOW, AND I, FOR ONE, AM ONE THAT FELT LIKE THINGS HAD BEEN MOVING PRETTY SLOWLY.
SO I REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOU KIND OF GETTING US UP TO SPEED ON WHERE WE ARE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I GUESS IS HARD FOR ME, I'M A VERY TANGIBLE KIND OF A PERSON AND I UNDERSTAND THE TOPICS THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING AREN'T MAYBE QUITE SO TANGIBLE, BUT I FEEL LIKE THERE'S GOT TO BE SOME LOW HANGING FRUIT THAT WE COULD EASILY WORK ON.
I GUESS THAT'S WHAT I'M KIND OF MISSING IN THIS IS VERY DETAILED STUFF LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, SAT, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT TOOK THE SAT, WHAT PERCENTAGE INCREASED ONCE WE STARTED OFFERING THAT DURING THE SCHOOL DAY RIGHT.
THAT NUMBER WENT UP TREMENDOUSLY.
AND SO THAT'S A VERY HARD DATA THAT'S BEING ABLE TO PRESENT.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS HOW WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR KIDS AND HAVE SOME VERY CONCRETE INFORMATION ON HOW WE DID THAT.
SO AS WE IDENTIFY THE CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE, I'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT STUDENTS THEY'RE IMPACTING AND HAVE SOME JUST REALLY CONCRETE INFORMATION TO SHOW THAT IT'S MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT ON STUDENTS.
THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, AND MR. JOHNSON ALLUDED TO THE FACT THAT NEXT MONTH HE'S GOING TO BRING YOU A CCMR UPDATE AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE SOME OF THE RESULTS OF US OFFERING THAT SAT IN THE SCHOOL DAY.
WE WERE CONCERNED IS AS WE GIVE EVERY KID ACCESS TO THE TEST, WE WOULD SEE A DECREASE IN PERFORMANCE AND THAT'S REALLY NOT THE CASE.
AND SO YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SEE SOME OF THAT INFORMATION REFLECTED IN THE CCMR PRESENTATION. ALSO, A LOT OF THIS WORK HAS BEEN ONGOING AND SO WE'RE JUST NOW LOOKING AT A WAY TO TIGHTEN UP THE WORK AND MEASURE THE WORK.
AND SO A GREAT EXAMPLE IS OUR INDUSTRY BASED CERTIFICATIONS AT BEN BARBER.
WE'VE BEEN VERY INTENTIONAL OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS OF LOOKING AT WAYS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO THOSE CERTIFICATION TESTS.
AND SO A PERFECT EXAMPLE IS THIS YEAR BIM IS A HIGH SCHOOL HOME CAMPUS COURSE.
IT'S A BUSINESS COURSE THAT ANY STUDENT CAN TAKE REGARDLESS OF GRADE LEVEL.
AND SO WE THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE A GREAT PLACE TO PUT AN INDUSTRY BASED CERTIFICATION.
SO THIS YEAR WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A HUGE INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF HOME CAMPUS STUDENTS WITH ACCESS TO AN INDUSTRY BASED CERTIFICATION BECAUSE OF THE WORK IN BIM.
AND SO I THINK NEXT MONTH WITH THE CCMR PRESENTATION, YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SEE SOME OF THAT DATA THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.
AND I JUST KIND OF GAVE THAT FEEDBACK JUST BECAUSE AS WE MOVE FORWARD, HOPEFULLY THERE WON'T BE QUITE AS MUCH TIME IN BETWEEN THE PRESENTATIONS SO THAT WE CAN REALLY LOOK AT THAT. AND IF YOU DON'T MIND, PRESIDENT NEWSOME, DO YOU MIND IF I GO ON WITH A FEW MORE THINGS? BECAUSE ALONG THE INDUSTRY CERTIFICATIONS, ALL THAT, I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS.
I KNOW WE TALK A LOT ABOUT SAT AND ALL OF THAT, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REALIZED IS THE TSI.
I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE TALK ABOUT THAT VERY MUCH, BUT IS THAT PART OF WHAT WE'RE INCLUDING IN THIS TOO? ABSOLUTELY. AND SO AS PART OF OUR NINE INDICATORS FOR CCMR, TSI IS A MAJOR, MAJOR COMPONENT BECAUSE WE, WE HAVE A LARGE GROUP OF STUDENTS THAT TAKE DUAL CREDIT COURSES AND I WOULD DARE SAY THAT WE ARE RIVALING DISTRICTS THAT ARE LARGER THAN US WHEN IT COMES TO THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT MEET THE TSI CRITERIA AND TAKE DUAL CREDIT.
CAN I CAN ADD ONE PIECE TO THAT.
YOU KNOW, TWO YEARS AGO WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS OF BECOMING A TSI [INAUDIBLE] SITE SO THAT WE COULD AND THAT'S NOT THE FUNNEST OF PROCESSES TO GO THROUGH.
BUT WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO TEST OUR KIDS ON ON DEMAND.
OTHERWISE WE WERE HAVING TO WAIT FOR APPOINTMENTS THROUGH TCC, WHICH IS A GREAT PARTNER, BUT TCC SERVES FORT WORTH ISD, ARLINGTON ISD MUCH, MUCH LARGER DISTRICTS.
AND SO EVEN THOUGH OUR SCHOOL AT 30,000, 35,000 HAS MORE KIDS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING DUAL CREDIT THAN EITHER OF THOSE TWO DISTRICTS.
STILL, THOUGH, THAT WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE OUR STUDENTS NOT HAVE TO WAIT ON THAT.
SO THAT'S PART OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE.
CAN I GO BACK TO YOUR LAST QUESTION JUST A LITTLE BIT? AND IT'S A FUNCTION OF THE OFFICE OF DEI.
SO YOU SAW THE SCORECARD AND WHAT HER ROLE IS, AND PART OF THAT IS PROGRAM EVALUATIONS.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT THEM AS WELL IS TO UNDERSTAND FROM THE BEGINNING IS IT IS THEIR NOT HER JOB TO FIX ANYTHING.
RIGHT. SHE SHE HAS SHE HAS AREAS OF EXPERTISE ABSOLUTELY.
BUT IT IS HER JOB TO HELP US ALL THE THINGS YOU'RE GOING TO BE YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR US MAKE LOTS OF EXAMPLES TO NOT OF THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR A LONG TIME.
[00:10:04]
THOSE ARE EXAMPLES AS THEY'VE RISEN.HER JOB IS TO HELP US TO BE MORE INTENTIONAL.
ABOUT SEEING THOSE THINGS AND THEN PULL UP ALONGSIDE WHICHEVER DEPARTMENT THAT THAT OPPORTUNITY EXISTS IN AND HELP HELP THEM KIND OF IN A CONSULTANT ROLE TO GUIDE TO GUIDE THAT WORK. SO SHE'S NOT GOING TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF EMPLOYEE RETENTION.
SHE'S NOT GOING TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF ALGEBRA ONE SCORES.
THOSE ARE SHE'S GOING TO PULL UP ALONGSIDE THOSE DEPARTMENTS AND HELP HER JOB IS GOING TO BE TO CONTINUALLY LOOK FOR THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND THEN HELP GUIDE US AS WE GO DOWN.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR, IS JUST IN THOSE PRESENTATIONS FOR HER TO BE ABLE TO CLEARLY COMMUNICATE TO US HOW YOU WERE ABLE TO INTENTIONALLY HELP US FIND THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND CLOSE THOSE GAPS, OR AT LEAST MAKE US AWARE OF IT, EVEN IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO CLOSE IT. SO, YES, THAT'S VERY WELL PUT, MUCH BETTER THAN I VETTED.
SO, THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION THERE TOO.
BUT THE TSI WAS THE ONE THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME AND WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TO BEING ABLE TO OFFER MANSFIELD ISD.
I MEAN, I'M A PARENT WITH CHILDREN THAT HAVE A LOT OF ACCESS.
TRANSPORTATION ISN'T AN ISSUE FOR US AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND GOLLY, GETTING THAT TSI WAS CHALLENGING FOR US.
SO I'M VERY, VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT BECAUSE THAT WILL INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES TREMENDOUSLY. AND JUST PIGGYBACKING ON WHAT YOU JUST SAID, TALKING ABOUT THE PROGRAMS TO AUDIT, I NOTICED THAT THE FIVE YEAR GOAL I THINK WAS FOR EIGHT PROGRAMS. HOW MANY PROGRAMS DO WE HAVE? I MEAN, LIKE IF WE EVALUATE EIGHT OF THEM, THAT'S EIGHT OUT OF SO WHEN WE THINK OF OUR PROGRAMS, WE THINK ABOUT ATHLETICS, WE THINK ABOUT FINE ARTS, WE THINK ABOUT WE THINK GT, WE THINK ABOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION.
AND WE GO THROUGH OUR WHOLE LIST OF PROGRAM OFFERINGS SO THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT WE'RE BEING WITH SPECIFICALLY THAT PROGRAM, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION AND WE'RE COMMUNICATING IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T CREATE AN UNINTENDED BARRIER FOR THOSE SPECIFIC PROGRAMS. AND WE COULD ALSO LOOK AT SOME OF OUR STEM PROGRAMS AND..
WELL, THAT'S KIND OF MY CONCERN.
ARE WE I MEAN IS THAT GOING TO BE A DROP IN THE BUCKET OR IS THAT GOING YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? IF WE'RE ONLY LOOKING AT EIGHT OF THESE IN FIVE YEARS, IS THAT GOING TO BE ENOUGH TO IMPACT HALF OUR STUDENTS? YOU KNOW, THREE QUARTER OF OUR STUDENTS JUST TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE IMPACT OF THAT MIGHT BE. WELL, WHAT I WOULD SAY TO THAT IS THAT'S THE NUMBER THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE RIGHT NOW. WE'RE LEARNING AS WE GO RIGHT.
AND SO IF WE GET THROUGH EIGHT AND WE WANT, WE'LL CONTINUE.
WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK AND RESET THAT, ADD MORE.
WE ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THEN ONCE WE FEEL LIKE WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH OUR SYSTEM, WE START THAT OVER AGAIN.
WHERE ARE WE NOW? SO HOW ARE WE GOING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE TO START TOO? THAT WASN'T REALLY CLEAR TO ME EITHER.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD A PIECE, GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
I OVERSEE THE ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND ANALYSIS DEPARTMENT AND I FREQUENTLY REQUESTS DIFFERENT ANALYSIS.
AND SO, FOR INSTANCE, IN ORDER TO EVALUATE THE CORRELATION BETWEEN MAP TESTING, END OF THE YEAR, MAP TESTING AND STAAR EOC TESTING, IT TAKES HIM THREE MONTHS TO DO THAT.
AND SO IT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION GATHERING AND IT'S A LOT OF CHECKING AND DOUBLE CHECKING AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS ARE ACCURATE.
AND SO WE TYPICALLY GO THROUGH THREE ROUNDS OF VALIDATION BEFORE WE EVER RELEASE ANYTHING INTERNALLY. SO THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE.
WELL, AND THAT'S PART OF MY CONCERN IS BECAUSE I REALLY I THINK THE WORK THAT HERE IS SUPER IMPORTANT.
AND AS THE WAY OUR COMMUNITY IS DEVELOPING AND CHANGING AND ALSO THE WAY EDUCATION IS CHANGING, BECAUSE I DIDN'T EVEN MENTION THIS, BUT I'LL BRING IT UP NOW TALKING ABOUT HOW RAPIDLY THINGS ARE CHANGING LIKE SAT, I MEAN, I THINK ABOUT THAT A LOT.
THAT USED TO BE SOMETHING THAT I REALLY WANTED MY KIDS TO DO A LOT OF PREP WORK ON.
BUT NOW MY FRESHMEN, I'M LIKE, I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT CHANGING IT AND IT'S TEST OPTIONAL A LOT OF PLACES.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THE SAT.
I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE THAT THAT'S GOING TO HAVE THE SAME CONNOTATION FOR HER THAT IT HAD FOR ME WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT NEXT STEPS, YOU KNOW, FOR COLLEGE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND SO THAT'S HAPPENING AT A REALLY RAPID PACE.
SO THAT'S PART OF MY CONCERN WITH THIS IS THAT IF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, LIKE YOU SAID, I MEAN, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CIRCLE BACK WITHOUT A DOUBT, BECAUSE OF THE RAPID PACE OF CHANGE.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO THAT.
OUR STUDENTS ARE CHANGING IN OUR COMMUNITIES, CHANGING.
SO THAT'S ALL. I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PRIORITY IS AND HOW WE CAN MAKE THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON THE MOST KIDS, BECAUSE THESE ARE CRITICAL THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING THAT I'M TRYING TO MAKE OF IT, HOW TO SAY IT.
AS WE BECOME MORE AND MORE DIVERSE, THE IMPACT OF THAT BECOMES MORE AND MORE AS WELL.
SO JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THE BIGGEST BANG FOR OUR BUCK, BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY ONE OF YOU, MISS WELLS, YOU KNOW, AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND IF SHE'S PROVIDING THE CRITICAL EYE THAT'S GOING TO HELP GUIDE US THROUGH THIS, IT'S A LOT.
YEAH. AND JUST TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS ONLY PHASE ONE.
[00:15:02]
AND SO WE ARE GOING BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THE IMPACT AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THE NEEDS.AND THEN HOPEFULLY VERY SOON WE'LL BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH YOU PHASE TWO AND SO ON.
BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO JUST GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE AUDITING IN THE TIMELINE THAT'S AROUND THAT.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT TIMELINE COULD CHANGE.
BUT JUST AS WE CAN HELP SUPPORT THAT AND REALLY LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF KIDS THAT MIGHT BE POTENTIALLY IMPACTED BY THAT WORK.
AND, YOU KNOW, AFTER WE HEAR THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THIS EVENING, WE'LL BE ABLE TO GO BACK AND KIND OF DIVE INTO THAT.
AND WE CAN BRING BACK TO YOU ALL WHEN YOU'RE READY THE DIRECTION.
AM I. A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO YOU IS THAT IT'S SUPER EASY TO GET PARALYZED BY DATA.
THOSE OF YOU IN CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION, I KNOW YOU PROBABLY WORKED ON YOUR PHDS AND SOME OTHER PROJECTS AND EVEN WORK THINGS AND REALIZED IT'S REALLY HARD.
SO PLEASE DON'T LET MY QUESTIONS CONCERN YOU OR FRIGHTEN YOU.
I MEAN, WE NEEDED TO LOOK AT THE DATA, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO TAKE ACTION.
BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT'S SURROUNDING ALL OF THAT.
SO ANYWAY, I'LL LET SOME OF THE OTHER PEOPLE ASK SOME QUESTIONS, BUT THOSE WERE JUST THE ONES ON THE TOP OF MY MIND THAT I JUST REALLY WANTED TO SEE IF YOU COULD HELP GUIDE ME THROUGH THAT AND GIVE YOU SOME FEEDBACK TO ON WHAT I'M HOPING THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE GOING FORWARD. ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS TO MY LEFT.
GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND THAT WAS KIND OF I JUST KIND OF PIGGYBACK ON KAREN.
MY MY MAIN QUESTION IS, WHERE IS THE STARTING POINT? SO HOW ARE WE GOING TO DETERMINE WHERE THE INEQUITIES ARE AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL CHILD? ARE WE LOOKING AT TEST SCORES? ARE WE LOOKING AT THE SCORECARD TO SEE WHERE THEY'RE AT THERE? I MEAN, WHAT'S GOING TO WHERE IS THE STARTING POINT GOING TO BE? AND THEN HOW ARE WE GOING TO MEASURE WHAT WE'RE BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING IF IT'S WORKING? BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT GO INTO THE DATA THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN INSIDE THE CLASSROOM EVERY DAY.
AND SO ONCE WE START PUTTING THESE PRACTICES IN PLACE, HOW WILL WE THEN GO BACK TO MEASURE THAT? WHAT WE'RE DOING IS ACTUALLY WORKING.
SO I GET THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THE ADVISORY COUNCIL THROUGH AND AS WELL AS THROUGH THE ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS PROCESS THAT WE USE TO TO DETERMINE OUR ONE THING.
AND SO I'LL TELL YOU THE QUESTIONS THAT I'M GOING TO ASK.
SO AS WE PRESENT THEM THE DATA THAT WE HAVE THIS YEAR, YOU GOT TO REMEMBER WE HAVE PRE-PANDEMIC DATA, BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE PANDEMIC DATA.
AND THEN THERE'S THE QUESTION OF WHAT'S THE END OF THE YEAR GOING TO LOOK LIKE FOR US, TOO? SO WE'VE GOT TO WE'VE GOT TO TAKE ALL THOSE FACTORS AND UNDERSTAND THAT WE SHOULDN'T MAKE HUGE DECISIONS AND MOVING ONE DRASTIC WAY OR THE OTHER.
AND SO WHAT I'M GOING TO ASK THEM IS, AS WE LOOK AT THIS DATA, NUMBER ONE, DO WE DO WE HAVE A SYSTEM FOR IT? NUMBER TWO, DO WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO TO DO THE WORK? AND THEN NUMBER THREE, DO WE NEED TO GET THE CAPACITY TO DO THE WORK BECAUSE IT'S THAT IMPORTANT? AND AS WE GO THROUGH THOSE PIECES OF THE ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS, THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WILL BEGIN TO BE PRIORITIZED.
AND THOSE THINGS WILL BE ON THE PDSA, WHICH WILL BE, WHICH WILL GO THROUGH OUR CADENCE OF ACCOUNTABILITY PROCESS THROUGH QUARTERLY UPDATES.
AND THOSE ARE THINGS THAT THAT WE COULD DEFINITELY SHARE BACK WITH YOU.
BUT THAT IS THE LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY ONCE WE GET TO THE ROOT CAUSE AND DETERMINE WHAT OUR FOCUS IS. OKAY.
ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS, IS A REPORT ON THE SPECIAL POPULATIONS IN THE GAPS.
I KNOW WITH COVID, THOSE GAPS HAVE GOT HUGE.
SO JUST KIND OF PUTTING THAT AS A PRIORITY TO KIND OF THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ON THAT. WE CAN DO THAT.
YEAH. AND THEN I HAVE A QUESTION BECAUSE IF YOU CAN REMIND ME, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE ARE SOME OTHER PARENTS OUT HERE THAT WOULD LIKE THE REMINDER TOO ON HOW YOU ALL CONVEY THE DISCREPANCIES IN DISCIPLINE AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN OUR VARIOUS STUDENT POPULATIONS.
CAN YOU CAN YOU REMIND US HOW YOU COMMISSION THAT? I'M GOING TO YIELD TO MR. WRIGHT.
AND I CAN ANSWER THAT IN TERMS OF ACADEMIC AND DISCIPLINE DATA.
AND THEN MR. WRIGHT, YOU CAN JUMP IN AS WELL.
WHEN WE DO OUR BOARD REPORTS, WE GIVE YOU USUALLY IN JULY, OUR EOC STAAR REPORT.
WE TALK ABOUT A THROUGH F, WE WHEN WE GIVE THOSE REPORTS, WE TALK IN TERMS OF ALL STUDENTS. HOWEVER, WHEN WE DO OUR ANNUAL YEAR END REPORT, THE TAPR REPORT THAT IS BROKEN DOWN BY STUDENT POPULATIONS, THAT REPORT IS LISTED ON OUR WEBSITE UNDER REQUIRED POSTINGS. AND SO YOU CAN PULL THAT UP ALSO IN THE EQUITY AUDIT.
IT BREAKS IT DOWN BY STUDENT POPULATION GROUPS AS WELL.
BUT REALLY, WHERE WE DO THE MAIN WORK WITH THOSE STUDENT POP, THAT STUDENT DATA IS BY
[00:20:05]
CONVERSATIONS AT THE CAMPUS LEVEL IN OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES.AND THAT'S WHERE WE REALLY DIVE DEEP INTO ANY TYPE OF GAPS THAT EXIST BETWEEN STUDENT GROUPS. AND SO IN THE FUTURE, IF YOU GUYS WANT US TO REPORT OUT WITH MORE STUDENT GROUP INFORMATION, WE CAN DEFINITELY DO THAT.
BUT IN THE PAST, WE'VE DONE IT ALL AS ALL STUDENT GROUPS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HOW IT COMES OUT FROM TI. BUT WE DO HAVE THOSE REPORTS ON OUR WEBSITE AND AS WELL AS THE EQUITY AUDIT IS ON THE WEBSITE AS WELL THAT HAS IT BROKEN DOWN BY STUDENT GROUPS.
AND THEN, MR. WRIGHT, I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE DISCIPLINE DATA.
YES, I CAN. AND REALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BELIEVE IS THAT THE DISPROPORTIONALITY OF DISCIPLINE AND THERE'S A LOT TO GO THAT GOES INTO THAT.
AND ONE IS YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE REALLY GOOD TRAINING FIRST AND THEN YOU'VE GOT TO MONITOR WHICH WE ARE DOING IN STUDENT SERVICES.
AND THEN AFTER MONITORING AND WHEN I SAY MONITORING, WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS THE CAMPUSES IS MONITORING THEIR OWN DATA, AND THEN WE ARE MONITORING THE CAMPUSES DATA TO MAKE SURE IT MATCHES. AND THEN WE'RE GARY GATES HAS THE ADMINISTRATOR TALKS TO LOOK AT THAT SAME DATA, TO BE ABLE TO SAY WHO'S DOING WELL, WHO'S MAYBE NEEDING SOME REFRESHERS ON WHAT STRATEGIES THAT WE ARE IMPLEMENTING? AND THEN THE OTHER TALK ABOUT THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT AS FAR AS PROGRAMS LIKE CAPTURING KIDS HEARTS AND CPR, VERBAL TRAINING, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT ALL THEY ALL DO BLEND THEMSELVES INTO THE SAME THING IN HELPING THE DISCIPLINE DATA.
SO WE'RE MONITORING IT AND IT'S NOT A ONE TIME MONITOR.
IT'S IT'S EVERY SIX WEEKS WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT WITH CAMPUSES.
THANK YOU. THAT ANSWER MY QUESTION.
I APPRECIATE IT. TO MY LEFT, MR. SNEED. THANK YOU, MR. JOHNSON AND MS. WELLS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND I WANT TO THANK THE COMMITTEES THAT UNDERTOOK A YEAR LONG OR SO PROCESS OF MEETING, EVEN THOUGH THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME INTERRUPTIONS.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE GREATLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE AND THE COMMITMENT THAT YOU'VE TAKEN OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST YEAR.
I'M A BIG PICTURE KIND OF GUY, AND SO I TOOK SOME TIME TO ACTUALLY READ THROUGH THE INITIAL AUDIT.
SCOTT'S COMMENTS THAT NO ONE PERSON IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENTIRETY OF WHAT MAY BE PART OF THE DISTRICT'S EFFORT TO IMPROVE EVERY STUDENT SUCCESS.
BUT I DO HAVE SOME SUGGESTIONS SIMPLY BECAUSE IF YOUR PHASE ONE IS A FIVE YEAR PERIOD.
I THINK THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED IN THE AUDIT THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY REQUIRE ANY PROLONGED WORK BY MISS WELLS, BUT A OVERALL DISTRICT EFFORT.
B CAME AND WE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH OF A CURRICULUM THAT WAS STANDARDIZED AND A LOT OF DISTRICTS USUALLY WERE BY A CURRICULUM.
DR. B DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE BEST SERVED FOR THE DISTRICT TO WRITE ITS OWN CURRICULUM AND TO USE A FIRM THE ONE THAT CONDUCTED THE AUDIT.
AND I'M ALSO GLAD TO SEE THAT THIS DISTRICT HAS CONTINUED TO PROVIDE TRAINING ON THE CURRICULUM, EITHER WITH HIS LEADERSHIP AND HOPEFULLY WITH HIS STAFF AS WELL.
CANTU READING THE STATEMENT TO REMIND US IT'S A LONG PROCESS TO BRING EQUITY IN A DISTRICT FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, YOU KNOW, FROM A KID ENTERING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OR PRE-K ALL THE WAY TO THE TIME THEY GRADUATE.
BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS AND I'M BASING THIS ON MY EXPERIENCE AS A PRINCIPAL AND AS A CENTRAL ADMINISTRATOR THAT HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN TRUE NOT JUST IN MANSFIELD, BUT IN OTHER DISTRICTS AS WELL.
AND I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO TAKE A BITE IN THAT AREA TO HOPEFULLY ADDRESS IT.
[00:25:03]
SO WHEN I WAS READING THE AUDIT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP THAT I STILL THINK IS A PROBLEM HAS TO DO WITH MORE DIVERSITY WITHIN OUR GT PROGRAM.I AM CONVINCED THAT THERE ARE GT STUDENTS WHO ARE UNIDENTIFIED WHO MAY BE OF A STUDENT GROUP OR MAY BE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED, AND YET THEY HAVE ALL OF THE BASIC ESSENTIALS TO BE IDENTIFIED AS GT, BUT WE'RE NOT IDENTIFYING THEM.
AND SO I DO THINK THAT'S A PROBLEM AND IT'S BEEN A HISTORICAL PROBLEM, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT WE NEED NOT WAIT FIVE YEARS TO ADDRESS IT.
IT CAN BE ADDRESSED RIGHT NOW.
I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT IN READING THE AUDIT, THERE WERE SOME GREAT COMMENTS BY TEACHERS AND STUDENTS.
AND SO I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF PROFESSIONAL TRAINING.
ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT CAME OUT OF THE AUDIT REPORT IS THAT.
WE'VE BEEN SOMEWHAT STAGNANT FOR FIVE YEARS IN TERMS OF ADDRESSING GTI.
BUT ALSO I THINK SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT CAME FROM THE PANDEMIC IS GOING TO MAKE OUR JOB MORE CHALLENGING.
THE AUDIT INDICATED THAT WE'RE A VERY DIVERSE DISTRICT, AND THAT'S ONE OF OUR STRENGTHS.
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT ALSO CAME OUT IN THE AUDIT REPORT WAS TO FIND THOSE DIVERSE TEACHERS THAT CAN REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF OUR DISTRICT IN TERMS OF TEACHER LEADERS.
AND SO THE CHALLENGE RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN RECOGNIZED BY THE GOVERNOR, IS THAT FEWER PEOPLE ARE ENTERING INTO THE EDUCATION ARENA.
AND I WOULD SAY TO MISD BECAUSE IT WAS NOTED IN IN IN THE VIDEO THAT THAT WE ARE A FLAGSHIP DISTRICT.
AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE PUT THE EFFORT AND THE MANPOWER IN SPITE OF THE SHORTAGES, IN SPITE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE GO FIND THOSE TEACHERS WHO WANT TO BE PART OF A GREAT DISTRICT AND WE FIND THEM EARLY AND WE DO A GREAT JOB OF RETAINING THEM.
AND MANSFIELD HAS HAD A GREAT, GREAT PROGRAM IN TERMS OF KEEPING TEACHERS.
BUT I DO THINK WE HAVE COME TO NOTE THAT THERE ARE SHORTAGES NOT JUST WITHIN THE TEACHERS RANKS, BUT PARAPROFESSIONALS, BUS DRIVERS.
AND SO I WOULD REALLY LIKE US AS A DISTRICT, MICHELLE TRONGAARD, TO ACTUALLY JUST DO AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF GETTING OUT THERE FIRST, GETTING OUT THERE EARLY, SO THAT WE CAN ATTRACT THE QUALITY OF PEOPLE AS WELL AS THE DIVERSITY THAT MAKES UP OUR DISTRICT.
AND SO. THE AVID PROGRAM HAS DONE A GREAT JOB OVER THE YEARS, AND I WANT TO THANK DR.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I NOTED AND I AND I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE DATA AND PERHAPS YOU GUYS MAY HAVE SOME INFORMATION.
BUT ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT I NOTED WHEN I CAME BACK TO MANSFIELD IN 2008, I WOULD WALK INTO AN AP CLASS IN A VERY DIVERSE SCHOOL, AND YET THAT AP CLASS WASN'T AS DIVERSE AND REFLECTIVE OF THE ENTIRETY OF THE SCHOOL.
AVID HAS HELPED TO TO BRING ABOUT MORE DIVERSITY IN THOSE AP CLASSES.
[7. Presentation]
BUT ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT I FOUND IN THE AUDIT IT WAS VERIFIED IS THAT WE HAVE A PRE AP PROGRAM THAT STARTS AT THE FIFTH GRADE AND AS YOU KNOW, COLLEGE BOARD DOES NOT HAVE A PRE AP PROGRAM.AND SO PART OF OUR PROBLEMS THAT I'VE NOTED OVER THE YEARS IS THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A HAVE A PRE AP PROGRAM THAT'S NOT REALLY BASED ON ANY EQUITY STANDARDS, IT CREATES PROBLEMS AS THEY BEGIN TO GET INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL.
AND SO I JUST THINK THAT'S A CHALLENGE THAT HISTORICALLY WE HAVE TO LOOK AT, BECAUSE AT THE INTERMEDIATE LEVEL, THERE WAS ALWAYS AN EFFORT TO GET A CHILD IN PRE AP SIMPLY BECAUSE THAT WAS IT WAS THOUGHT THAT THAT'S WHERE THE BRIGHTEST KIDS GO.
BUT IF YOU HAVE A VIABLE CURRICULUM AND YOUR REGULAR PROGRAMS ARE STRONG AS WELL AS YOUR PROGRAMS FOR GT STUDENTS, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THAT THAT ISSUE OF PEOPLE TRYING TO
[00:30:05]
GET IN PRE AP AND IS NOT NECESSARILY HELPING US AS A DISTRICT.SO AND FINALLY I'M GOING TO STOP ON THIS THOUGHT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO MONOPOLIZE TIME, BUT THERE ARE SOME THERE ARE SOME GATEKEEPER TYPE THINGS THAT GO ON IN EVERY SCHOOL SYSTEM WHICH SOMEHOW HINDERS KIDS.
TO GET INTO QUALITY PROGRAMS, WHETHER IT BE AN ARBITRARY RULE, WHETHER IT BE A LONG STANDING PRACTICE.
AND I REALLY DO THINK THE JOB OF MISS WELLS IS TO PUT A SPOTLIGHT, NOT NECESSARILY, AS DR. SCOTT SAID, FIX IT, BUT TO THE BUT TO PUT A SPOTLIGHT ON SOME AREAS IN WHICH WE CAN DO BETTER. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THIS AUDIT OR EVEN THE EFFORTS OF OTHER DEI IS GOING TO OVERNIGHT BRING ABOUT EQUITY ACROSS THE WHOLE SYSTEM.
BUT THE ONE THING THAT I THAT IS A CORE VALUE OF THIS DISTRICT IS CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.
AND YOU CAN ONLY HAVE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT IF YOU HAVE TOTAL TRANSPARENCY.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REALLY WANT TO STRESS AND I'M GETTING READY TO GET OFF THE BOARD, SO I DON'T MIND SAYING THIS, I WOULD HAVE SAID IT BEFOREHAND, BUT YOU GUYS ARE JUST MEETING NOW.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY COURAGEOUS IS TO FORGET ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE EXTERNAL TO THIS DISTRICT AND NOT MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON POLITICAL CORRECTNESS OR BASED ON AVOIDING TOUGH DECISIONS. BOARD MEMBERS, WE ARE VOLUNTEERS.
I HAVE SOME CONCERNS THAT AS WE GET A NEW BOARD IN MAY.
THAT WHAT HAS MADE MANSFIELD THE BEST DISTRICT IN THE ENTIRE METROPLEX AREA AND ONE OF THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY IS THAT WE HAVE ALWAYS PUT KIDS FIRST ABOVE POLITICS, ABOVE OTHER ISSUES AND THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
I SAY THIS SINCERELY IF MANSFIELD WANTS TO CONTINUE BEING THAT THAT SHINING STAR, WE HAVE TO HAVE A HAVE THE AUDACITY AND THE COURAGE TO SAY, ALL KIDS COME FIRST.
IT CAN'T JUST BE LIP SERVICE, BUT THE WHOLE IDEA OF FINDING WAYS TO GET BETTER, I DON'T EXPECT US IN FIVE YEARS TO TO HAVE CLOSED THE GAP ENTIRELY, BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE CHALLENGES, THERE'S GOING TO ALWAYS BE THERE.
BUT CAN WE GET BETTER AND SHOULD WE GET BETTER? AND CAN WE AVOID PUTTING OUR HEAD IN THE SAND AND IGNORING IT? AND SO I WANT TO GIVE KUDOS TO THE ENTIRE BOARD.
I KNOW ALL OF YOU LOVE KIDS AND CARE AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THE PAST AS BOARD PRESIDENT AND MICHELLE, YOU'RE DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB AS THE PRESIDENT.
I JUST DON'T WANT OUR DISTRICT TO TAKE A STEP BACK.
SIMPLY BECAUSE OF POLITICS OR BECAUSE OF HAVING A POSITION THAT WE THOUGHT WAS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE HAD AN AUDIT AND WE AND THE BOARD RECOMMENDED THIS POSITION.
AND I HONESTLY BELIEVE TO MY TO THE CORE OF MY BEING, THAT THE EFFORTS THAT THE COMMITTEE HAS MADE, YOU DON'T WANT THAT TO BE WASTED.
YOU REALLY WANT TO SEE SOME SOME ACTIONS TAKEN.
AND SO THE ONLY THING I CAN SAY IS DON'T LET THIS JUST BE A PRESENTATION AND PUT THIS TO THE SIDE. I'M EXPECTING WHEN I GET OFF THE BOARD AND WHEN I'VE WATCHED THE FUTURE BOARD MEETINGS, I'M EXPECTING US TO TAKE A LOOK AT ALL OF THE AUDIT AND AND TO DO WHAT IT TAKES. IT MAY TAKE A WHILE TO CHEW AN ELEPHANT AND TO BITE OFF A PIECE BY PIECE, BUT TO BUT TO REALLY TACKLE IT.
SO TO ALL OUR COLLEAGUES ON THE BOARD, THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE AUDIT AND THE POSITION. BUT LET'S NOT MAKE THIS JUST SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DONE AND CHECK IT OFF.
LET'S MAKE THIS A FUNDAMENTAL TRANSFORMATION PROCESS SO THAT EVERY KID WHO GOES THROUGH OUR SYSTEM WILL BE BETTER AT THE END THAN THEY WERE IN THE BEGINNING.
YEAH. I'M NOT SURE IF I REALLY WANT TO GO AFTER THAT.
[00:35:02]
YOU WANT TO FOLLOW THAT? [LAUGHING] SO JUST A FEW THINGS.CANTU I APPRECIATE YOUR FRAMING OF OUR CONVERSATION THIS EVENING.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY STOOD OUT WAS DR.
IT'S NOT FAST ENOUGH FOR MOST OF US.
BUT TO WATCH SOMEONE MATRICULATE FROM K THROUGH 12 IS 13 YEARS.
AND SO THAT'S HOW WE REALLY ULTIMATELY WILL KNOW HOW SUCCESSFUL WE ARE.
AND SO YOU CAN'T RUSH A POT TO BE DONE.
TO THE MR. JOHNSON AS WELL AS THANK YOU FOR YOUR EXEMPLARY LEADERSHIP AND STEPPING UP AND HOLDING THE REINS OF SOMETHING THAT AT TIMES MAY NOT FELT VERY COMFORTABLE.
AND AS A REMINDER, AS SO MANY FOLKS HAVE SAID TODAY AND THAT YOU'VE HEARD REPEATEDLY OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, IS THAT YOUR ROLE IS NOT TO BE THE SAVIOR AS MUCH AS TO SOUND THE SPOTLIGHT AND COMMUNICATE WHO WE REALLY ARE.
RIGHT. YOU DIDN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP.
TO THE TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE VOLUNTEERED YOUR TIME AND EFFORTS.
WE ARE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR THAT, PARTICULARLY FOR OUR STUDENTS, WHO, TOO, WHO WERE COURAGEOUS ENOUGH TO AND WILLING TO STEP UP AND SPEAK OUT ABOUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM, EVEN IF THEY DON'T GET A CHANCE TO BENEFIT FROM THEMSELVES, I THINK IS REMARKABLE.
I JUST HAVE A FEW AREAS OF FOCUS FOR ME THAT I THAT I LIKE US TO AT LEAST THINK ABOUT CONSIDER. ONE IS THE CALIBRATION AT THE CAMPUSES.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE APPRECIATED ABOUT MANSFIELD IS THAT INDIVIDUAL ADMINISTRATOR, CAMPUS ADMINISTRATORS GET A CHANCE TO KIND OF LEAD THEIR CAMPUS IN AND SPEAK TO THE NUANCES AND NEEDS OF THOSE INDIVIDUAL CAMPUSES.
AN INHERENT POTENTIAL DANGER, I THINK WE'VE LEARNED, IS THAT THERE MAY BE INCONSISTENCIES CAMPUS TO CAMPUS, AND THEREFORE EXPERIENCES ARE DIFFERENT, CAMPUS TO CAMPUS.
AND SO WHETHER IT BE SOMETHING LIKE A GT PROGRAM OR WHETHER IT BE SOMETHING LIKE DISCIPLINE THAT WAS SPOKEN ABOUT A FEW MOMENTS AGO, WE MIGHT FIND DISPARITIES THERE.
CRANE HERE EARLIER AND THE PATHWAY TO HER SCHOOL MAY SEEM DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON WHAT HIGH SCHOOL YOU'RE AT. THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS FROM A THREE DIMENSIONAL PERSPECTIVE, THEY MAY BE TELLING.
AND SO I HOPE THAT OUR DESIRE TO THAT CAMPUS ADMINISTRATORS AS THEY SHOULD SPEAK TO THE NEEDS OF THEIR CAMPUS. WE ARE HAVING SOME TYPE OF CALIBRATION TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE AREN'T SOME INHERENT INEQUITIES OR DISPARITIES IN TERMS OF THE TREATMENT AS A WHOLE ONE.
TWO, THIS IDEA OR THE FOCUS AROUND THE CAMPUS BASED LEARNING COMMUNITIES? I REALLY LIKE THAT.
AS AN HR GUY, I KIND OF LIKE THE IDEA OF THIS CAMPUS BASED DEAL.
I'M ALSO INTERESTED TO HEAR MORE ABOUT WHAT TO COME ABOUT, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
HOW DO WE REPLICATE THAT SUCCESSFULLY ACROSS THE DISTRICT? AND I'M PARTICULARLY INTERESTED.
AGAIN BEING A 30 YEAR AIR GUY ABOUT WHAT THIS OPT IN TRAINING LOOKS LIKE.
I APPRECIATE THE IDEA OF IT BEING OPT IN.
I THINK THERE ARE FOLKS WHO WHO ARE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE.
SOME MAY NOT THINK THEY WANT IT.
I'D RATHER BE A I RATHER SOMEBODY PULL ME.
AND TO LEARNING AND GROWING, THEN ME HAVING TO PUSH THEM.
BUT I LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT TRAINING LOOKS LIKE.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S THE [INAUDIBLE] YOU KNOW, AGAIN, [INAUDIBLE] WHY WOULD I WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN SOMETHING LIKE THAT? AND HOW COULD IT IMPACT MY CLASSROOM AS AN EDUCATOR, MY SCHOOL BUS AS A DRIVER, THE KIDS WHO EAT IN MY CAFETERIA AS TO NUTRITION AND THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, WHAT'S IN IT FOR THEM? NOW AGAIN, I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY A WHOLE LOT IN IT FOR THEM.
BUT BUT I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE FRAMED IT THAT WAY YET.
AND SO I'D BE INTERESTED IN SEEING WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE COMING FORWARD.
AND FORGIVE ME, MY EYES ARE WEAK AT THIS TIME OF NIGHT, BUT I'M GOING TO STOP THERE IN
[00:40:05]
FAIRNESS TO TIME. BUT THOSE TWO THINGS, THE CALIBRATION ACROSS THE CAMPUSES AND WHAT DOES FUTURE DEVELOPMENT LOOK LIKE FOR US AS A DISTRICT, AS A CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT IS GOING TO TAKES TIME AND YEAH, THERE'S FOCUSES FOR FIVE YEARS HERE AND FIVE YEARS THERE. WE DO 2020 AND 2030 AND WE'LL HAVE A 2040 SOME DAY.NO KIDS AND YEAH, I'LL BE MY KIDS BE GONE BY 20, 30, FRANKLY.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT, TOO.
THESE ARE JOURNEYS, RIGHT? NOT DESTINATIONS.
SO LET'S BE MINDFUL THAT WE HAVE HALLMARKS TO POINT OUT WHO WE ARE AND WHERE WE ARE.
BUT THIS IS THIS IS A JOURNEY, NOT A SINGLE DESTINATION.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY.
MR. DAVIS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
ONE OF THE THINGS, AS YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT DISCREPANCIES AND VARIABILITY BETWEEN CAMPUSES EFFICIENCY, THE BIGGEST KILLER FOR EFFICIENCY IS VARIABILITY.
AND SO WE HAVE BEEN REALLY INTENTIONAL THIS YEAR ON FOCUSING OUR WORK ON PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES BECAUSE WE TRULY BELIEVE THAT THE JOURNEY THAT WAS STARTED WITH THE CURRICULUM 13 YEARS AGO, WE'VE HAD THE SUCCESS WE WE CURRENTLY HAVE BECAUSE EVERY ONE OF OUR KIDS HAS ACCESS TO A VIABLE TIER ONE CURRICULUM.
AND SO WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB OF PROVIDING TEACHERS A CURRICULUM THAT WE CONSTANTLY MONITOR AND ADJUST AND REFINE.
AND SO WITH PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES, THIS IS A PROCESS THAT OUR TEACHERS GO THROUGH WITH THEIR PEERS.
SO IF YOU'RE AN ALGEBRA ONE TEACHER, YOU MEET REGULARLY WITH YOUR ALGEBRA ONE TEAM, IT MIGHT BE ONCE A WEEK, IT MIGHT BE TWICE A WEEK.
IF YOU'RE A THIRD GRADE TEACHER, YOU MEET WITH YOUR THIRD GRADE TEAM AND THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES OPERATE TO DECREASE VARIABILITY.
AND WE ADDRESS FOUR QUESTIONS IN OUR PLC MEETINGS.
THE FIRST IS WHAT DO WE WANT OUR KIDS TO KNOW? AND THAT'S DETERMINED BY THE TECHNIQUES BY THE STATE OF TEXAS.
BUT THEN WE ALIGN OUR CURRICULUM TO THAT.
SO EVERY TEACHER AT EVERY ONE OF THESE POLICY MEETINGS, AS THEY'RE LOOKING AT FOR THIS NEXT UNIT, WHAT DO WE WANT OUR KIDS TO KNOW? THE SECOND QUESTION IS HOW DO WE KNOW IF THEY KNOW IT? WE CAN TEACH IT, BUT HOW ARE WE GOING TO KNOW IF THEY ACTUALLY LEARNED THE CONTENT? SO WE'RE WORKING REALLY HARD AS A DISTRICT AND AS CAMPUS LEADERSHIP AND TEACHERS LOOKING AT ASSESSMENTS.
WE DON'T HAVE TO ASSESS KIDS BY GIVING THEM AN HOUR LONG TEST.
IT CAN BE QUICK CHECKS FOR UNDERSTANDING, BUT HOW DO WE KNOW ONCE WE'VE TAUGHT THE MATERIAL, HOW DO WE KNOW IF THE KIDS LEARNED IT? WE'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB ON QUESTION ONE AND TWO OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
OUR FOCUS THIS YEAR IS ON QUESTIONS THREE AND FOUR, AND QUESTIONS THREE AND FOUR ARE WHERE WE'RE GOING TO START SEEING THE BIGGEST BANG FOR OUR BUCK.
QUESTION NUMBER THREE IS WE SAID THIS IS WHAT THEY NEED TO KNOW.
SO NOW WHAT DO WHAT DO I DO FOR THAT KID? SO WHAT DO WE DO WHEN THE KIDS DON'T LEARN IT? AND WE'VE DONE A DECENT JOB OF BUILDING IN IN OUR CURRICULUM, RETEACHING STRATEGIES, SPIRALING STRATEGIES, HOW WE GO BACK AND AND PRESENT THE INFORMATION IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
BUT QUESTION NUMBER FOUR IS REALLY POWERFUL BECAUSE QUESTION NUMBER FOUR SAYS, OKAY, WE'VE ADDRESSED WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH KIDS THAT DON'T KNOW IT, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS THAT ALREADY KNOW IT? AND THAT IS WHERE WE HAVE A HUGE GAP RIGHT NOW.
AND YOU CAN TALK TO STUDENTS AT ANY GRADE LEVEL AND YOU SAY, WHY ARE YOU GETTING IN TROUBLE? I'M BORED.
ALREADY MADE 100, BUT THE OTHER KIDS DIDN'T GET IT.
SO NOW I GOT TO DO THE SAME WORKSHEET AGAIN.
SO THEY GET BORED, THEY GET DISENFRANCHISED, THEY GET IN TROUBLE.
AND SO WE HAVE IDENTIFIED ALREADY AND PART OF THAT IS THROUGH THE EQUITY WORK IS WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB IN OUR CURRICULUM OF BUILDING IN THOSE SUPPORTS FOR KIDS THAT DON'T GET IT, BUT ALSO BUILDING IN THOSE EXTENSION ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS THAT ALREADY GET IT BECAUSE THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO SIT THROUGH THE SAME LESSON AND REDO THE SAME THING AS THE KID THAT DIDN'T GET IT.
AND THAT'S WHERE YOU TALK ABOUT PROVIDING EACH STUDENT WITH WHAT THEY NEED TO THRIVE.
OUR PLC WORK IS TRUE EQUITY WORK BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT WHAT DOES EACH KID IN THAT CLASSROOM NEED. AND SO THIS IS OUR FIRST YEAR KIND OF FORMALIZING THAT PROCESS AND WE'RE DOING IT K-12.
AND WE'VE HAD A LOT OF LEARNING AND A LOT OF GROWTH THIS YEAR, AND I'M REALLY EXCITED.
OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB OF PROVIDING TRAINING AND LEADERSHIP AND GUIDANCE FOR OUR PRINCIPALS, OUR PRINCIPALS, OUR ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS AND TAKING IT DOWN TO THE TEACHER LEVEL.
BUT WHEN WE FORMALIZE THAT PROCESS, YOU WILL SEE VARIABILITY DECREASE BECAUSE IF YOU'RE
[00:45:02]
TAKING ALGEBRA ONE AT TIMBERVIEW, YOU SHOULD HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCE AT LEGACY HIGH SCHOOL. AND IF YOU'RE TAKING BIOLOGY AT LAKE RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL, IT SHOULD HAVE THE SAME YOU SHOULD HAVE THE SAME ACCESS IF YOU'RE AT SUMMIT HIGH SCHOOL.SO DECREASING THAT SYSTEM VARIABILITY IS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO START SEEING HUGE GAINS IN TERMS OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.
WELL, THE GOOD THING ABOUT GOING LAST IS A GREAT MEASURE OF WHAT I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID. I REITERATE EVERYTHING.
ONE THING I DO. ONE THING I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT I HOPE ALL OF OUR AUDIENCE UNDERSTANDS IS DIVERSITY.
EQUITY AND INCLUSION IS A FEDERALLY MANDATED PROGRAM THAT IS NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND EDUCATION.
LITERALLY EVERY COMPANY THAT I'M INVOLVED WITH, MY COMPANY IN PARTICULAR THAT HAS 5000 EMPLOYEES STATEWIDE, HAS A DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION DEPARTMENT THAT WE HAVE TO BE TRAINED SIGNIFICANTLY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO DEAL WITH DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
WE LIVE IN THE MOST DIVERSE COUNTRY IN THE WORLD AND THAT'S WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS TELLING US. AND SO I WANT TO, FIRST OF ALL, APPLAUD THE EFFORTS OF MS..
WELLS, MR. JOHNSON, AND THE LEADERSHIP AND ALL OF YOUR TEAM AND ALL OF THE VOLUNTEERS THAT GAVE UP A LOT OF VALUABLE HOURS PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, THIS PLAN TOGETHER.
NOW, THE PLAN ITSELF IS EXCELLENT.
AND WHAT I WANT TO SEE IN MR. SNEED, YOU ILLUSTRATED TWO AREAS WHERE WE FEEL LIKE THERE'S GAPS, WHERE THERE'S STUDENTS THAT ARE NOT BEING SERVED EQUITABLY.
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE STRATEGIES ARE, NOT THAT YOU NEED TO TELL US EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE SUCCESSES.
ILLUSTRATE THOSE TO US SO THAT OTHER AND I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT CONSISTENCY AMONG ALL THE SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, SO THAT THERE IS IS TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES AMONG ALL THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS. I GET CAUGHT UP.
WE TALK ABOUT IT A LOT AND EVERYTHING I'M INVOLVED WITH.
BUT THE STATEMENT OF CAMPUS CULTURE IS RESPONSIVE TO STUDENT NEEDS.
BUT THE OPERATIVE HAS TO BE HOW.
HOW DO WE DO THAT? AND EACH ONE OF OUR CAMPUS IS DIFFERENT AND HAS A DIFFERENT CULTURE.
AS MUCH AS WE TRY TO INCULCATE CULTURE THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT, THAT'S CONSISTENT.
BUT EACH SCHOOL IS DIFFERENT AND WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT IS MEASURED AND HOW THAT IS GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN THOSE SCHOOLS SO THAT EVERY STUDENT'S NEEDS IS MEASURED.
AGAIN, THANK YOU TO THE COMMITTEE FOR ALL THEIR GREAT WORK.
IT'S A JOURNEY, AS WARREN SAID, AND IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT.
I'M STEPPING OFF THE BOARD, TOO.
BUT JUST LIKE MR. SNEED, I'M GOING TO BE WATCHING WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND WE WANT TO SEE THOSE THINGS BEING DELIVERED.
AND WE KNOW THAT THERE'S GOING TO IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LONG TIME, BUT WE KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT WORK AND KEEP THE COMMITTEE ENGAGED AND LET THEM BE A PART OF THE PROCESS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE JOURNEY.
THANK YOU. WE WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM AND EXECUTIVE TEAM HERE.
WE APPRECIATE YOU GUYS BEING REALLY OPEN AND TRANSPARENT WITH US ALL THE TIME AND ALLOWING US TO SHARE OUR FEELINGS AND ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS.
WE KNOW THAT SOMETIMES IS ON THE WEEKENDS AND AT NIGHT, BUT I THINK I DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS HAVEN'T ANSWERED.
BUT I THOUGHT MAYBE WE SHOULD SIT AND LISTEN FOR JUST A SECOND ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE OBVIOUSLY ALL AGREE ON.
AND SOME OF THE WORDS THAT I'VE HEARD OVER AND OVER AGAIN WERE WORDS LIKE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND AND HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS TO US.
UNINTENDED BARRIERS AND UNDER UNDERSTANDING WHAT THEY ARE, FIGURING OUT WHAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE SO THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHERE TO START THIS JOURNEY.
A SCORECARD IN DATA BECAUSE WE DO CARE ABOUT DATA.
AS MS. MARCUCCI SAYS, WE DON'T WANT TO GET LOST IN IT, BUT WE REALLY CARE ABOUT THAT.
AND SO WE WOULD LOVE FOR THAT SCORECARD TO HAVE SOME DETAILS AND MEAN SOMETHING TO US, BECAUSE I'M GOING TO TELL YOU, THOSE SCORECARDS MEAN SOMETHING TO ALL OF US, AND THEY MEAN SOMETHING TO THOSE CAMPUSES AND THOSE TEACHERS AND THOSE KIDS.
WE REALLY WE HEARD THAT A LOT.
WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT CROSSES SO THAT DISCIPLINE IS THE SAME.
WE WANT TO FEEL LIKE THE SAME PRINCIPAL AT ONE FACILITY, AT ONE PLACES IS DISCIPLINING THE SAME WAY. THEY HAVE THE SAME EXPECTATIONS OUT OF THEIR ADMINISTRATORS.
IF YOU'RE A TEACHER WHO MOVES TO ANOTHER CAMPUS, YOU HAVE THE SAME EXPECTATION OF THOSE ADMINISTRATORS. AND IF YOU'RE A KID AND YOU'VE GOT KIDS AT MORE THAN ONE SCHOOL, AND MOST OF US AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER DID MORE THAN ONE CAMPUS, WE KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO GET
[00:50:01]
TREATED THE SAME WAY AND THEY HAVE THE SAME RULES AND THE SAME EXPECTATIONS.COMMUNITY, WE HEARD THAT A LOT AND BEING THAT WE ARE STARTING WITH SOME COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND WE'RE GETTING TO HAVE TWO WAY CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
WE REALLY WANT TO HEAR THAT AND A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE HEARD WAS RESPONSIBILITY AND WE KNOW WHAT OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS AND WE KNOW WHAT THE COMMUNITY'S RESPONSIBILITY IS AND PARENTS AND STUDENTS AND THAT WE KIND OF LAY THAT OUT AND WE'RE REALLY CLEAR WITH THOSE EXPECTATIONS AND OPEN THAT UP.
WE EVEN HEARD THAT AT COMMUNITY MEETINGS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T LAY ALL OF THAT ON US FOR EVERY SINGLE THING.
SO HOW CAN WE SHARE IN THIS PROCESS AND DO THOSE THINGS TOGETHER? REPLICATION ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
THIS IS A JOURNEY I THINK WE ALL WANT TO GO ON THIS JOURNEY.
YOU'VE HEARD THAT FROM THE BOARD TONIGHT.
I BELIEVE YOU'VE HEARD THAT FROM THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK YOU'VE HEARD THAT FROM STUDENTS.
AND WE WANT TO GO ON THAT JOURNEY.
CAN WE GET BETTER? WE KNOW WE CAN GET BETTER AND AS A CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, WE WANT TO GET BETTER. AND THAT'S THAT'S WHY WE'RE ALL HERE.
BUT I THINK THAT ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT I CAN LEAVE US WITH ON THIS TOPIC IS WHAT MR. SNEED SAID.
SO WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
THIS MOVES US ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 9.1, PUBLIC COMMENTS.
THE CORRECT PROCEDURE FOR ADDRESSING THE BOARD DURING PUBLIC COMMENTS IS AS FOLLOWS.
SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEIR CARDS WERE RECEIVED.
WE WILL CALL THREE SPEAKERS AT A TIME TO FORM A QUEUE.
WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED, PLEASE COME TO THE RESERVED SEATING AREA JUST ADJACENT TO THE PODIUM. ONE SPEAKER AT A TIME WILL THEN BE CALLED TO THE PODIUM TO ADDRESS THE BOARD FROM THE PODIUM MICROPHONE AND STATE HIS OR HER NAME BEFORE SPEAKING.
ALL SPEAKERS WILL BE LIMITED TO 3 MINUTES TO MAKE COMMENTS REGARDING AGENDA ITEMS. WHILE SPEAKING INDIVIDUALS WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE THREE MINUTE TIMER IN FRONT OF THEM.
WHEN THE TIMER REACHES 30 SECONDS, THE LIGHT WILL CHANGE TO YELLOW.
WHEN THE TIMER REACHES ZERO, THE LIGHT WILL BLINK RED AND THE TIMER WILL BEEP.
COPIES OF PRESENTATION SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE TO ALL TRUSTEES AND THE SUPERINTENDENT.
BOARD POLICY PROHIBITS THE DISCUSSION OF COMPLAINTS AGAINST DISTRICT EMPLOYEES DURING AN OPEN FORUM. OUR FIRST THREE SPEAKERS ARE KENDRA HILL, LAURA HICKS AND LAINEY CASTRO.
KENDALL HILL. YOU'RE OUR FIRST.
CANTU, PRESIDENT NEWSOM AND ALL BOARD MEMBERS.
I'M HERE TO VOICE MY SUPPORT FOR THE MISD DE&I EQUITY PLAN, EDUCATIONAL PLAN? A LITTLE ABOUT ME.
OF COURSE, I GREW UP IN BEAUMONT, TEXAS.
AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE SUPPORTING THE BASKETBALL TEAM, I'M NOT I DIDN'T GRADUATE FROM UNITED. I FINISHED FROM WESTBROOK HIGH SCHOOL.
SO DON'T BE MAD AT ME, PLEASE.
I WENT TO COLLEGE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
I MAJORED IN FINANCE AND MINOR IN LAW, POLICY AND VALUES.
I HAVE HUMBLY HELD ROLES AT THE U.S.
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, NASA'S JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, AND ALSO, MOST RECENTLY, THE BOEING COMPANY AS CHIEF OF STAFF HERE IN DALLAS, TEXAS.
AND I'M CURRENTLY THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THIS IS PROJECT TEXAS, WHICH IS A NONPROFIT CORPORATION FOCUSED ON CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND EQUITY.
HEADQUARTERED IN DALLAS, TEXAS.
AND I ALSO NEWLY SERVE AS THE ONE OF THE NEWEST, I WOULD SAY, DE&I ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS AS OF TWO WEEKS AGO.
MR. SNEED, I THINK THOSE WERE GREAT COMMENTS YOU ISSUED A FEW MOMENTS AGO.
AND MR. DAVIS, I THINK I CAN PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF HIGH LEVEL OF WHAT'S IN IT FOR THE COMMUNITY OF MANSFIELD ISD AND DFW AS WELL.
SO THE REASON I AM IN DALLAS, TEXAS, IS BECAUSE OF THE BOEING COMPANY.
BOEING SET UP A HEADQUARTERS IN 2016 IN LEGACY WEST, WHICH IS IN PLANO.
AND ONE OF THE MAIN FACTORS THAT BOEING CONSIDERED WHEN MOVING TO DALLAS WAS THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS. IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT THE EMPLOYEES AND TEAM MEMBERS HAD THEIR CHILDREN IN GREAT DISTRICTS LIKE PLANO OR FRISCO AND OTHERS IN DFW AREA AS WELL, TOO.
AND SO THAT CONTINUES TO BE A MAIN FACTOR IN CORPORATIONS PICKING DFW FOR THEIR NEW HOME,
[8. Instructional Focus]
[00:55:07]
FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES AS WELL.DFW, AS, OF COURSE, WE KNOW, AS WE KNOW, IS THE NUMBER ONE METRO FOR GROWTH THESE LAST FEW YEARS AND ALSO TWO THE NUMBER THE LARGEST METRO IN THE SOUTH AS WELL.
SO ACCORDING TO MARKETWATCH, FORBES AND ALSO THE TEXAS REAL ESTATE COMMISSION, NEARLY 75% OF HOMEBUYERS IN TEXAS CONSIDER A STRONG SCHOOL DISTRICT WHEN ENGAGING IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD . AMONG BUYERS WITH CHILDREN, THAT NUMBER JUMPS TO 91%.
SO THIS MEANS THAT THERE IS A DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN STRONG SCHOOL EQUITABLE DISTRICTS AND ALSO LOW EMPLOYMENT, MORE ACCESS TO GOODS AND SERVICES SUCH AS GROCERY STORES, RESTAURANTS, PARKS, HOSPITALS, ETC., AND ALSO BETTER WAGES AND LOWER CRIME.
ADOPTING STRATEGIC INITIATIVES LIKE THIS EDUCATIONAL EQUITY PLAN ALLOWS THE DISTRICT TO GROW AND ALLOWS US TO SIT IN BEAUTIFUL FACILITIES SUCH AS THIS ONE AND CONTINUE GROWING AND BUILDING MORE. IT ALLOWS THE DISTRICT TO NOT BECOME STAGNANT, BUT TO CONTINUE EXCELLING AND REMOVING BARRIERS OF LEARNING FOR ALL STUDENTS.
MISD HAS THE GOAL TO BECOME AND REMAIN A DESTINATION DISTRICT, WHICH MEANS THE DISTRICT SHOULD CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE FAIR AND EQUITABLE PRACTICES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LAURA HICKS.
HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? I'M SURE WE CAN.
HELLO. YOU CAN ALSO TIP THAT MICROPHONE DOWN IF YOU'D LIKE.
I AM A MOM TO TWO BOYS IN MISD, ONE IN EIGHTH GRADE ONE IS A SENIOR.
I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING DEI AND SEL IN THE DISTRICT SINCE MAY OF 2021.
I COULD SPEND ALL NIGHT TELLING YOU ABOUT MY COUNTLESS HOURS OF RESEARCH OR THE HUNDREDS OF EMAILS I HAVE, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE TIME.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE DEI ADVISORY COUNCIL AND THE SEAL COMMITTEE DO NOT HAVE YOUR CHILD'S BEST INTERESTS AT HEART.
ON DECEMBER SIX, 2021, I ATTENDED A PRESENTATION FROM MINDY GREGORY AND CARRIE AQUINO ABOUT THE NEW SEL CURRICULUM.
WE WERE ASSURED THAT THE SEL AND DEI WERE NOT CONNECTED IN ANY WAY AND THAT SEL IS ABSOLUTELY NOT CRT.
IN FACT, WHEN WE QUESTIONED IT, THEY LAUGHED ABOUT HOW PARENTS WATCH TOO MUCH NEWS.
IT WAS INSULTING, AND AT THE TIME WE ALREADY KNEW THAT FIVE MEMBERS OF THE SEL COMMITTEE ARE ALSO ON THE DEI COMMITTEE.
AND EVEN THOUGH THEY TOLD US THAT CASTLE.ORG WAS NOT USED TO PREPARE OR WRITE THEIR CURRICULUM, WE KNOW IT WAS USED IN THE DEI MEETINGS ALONG WITH THEIR DISCUSSION OF SEL, AND CASTLE TELLS US THAT SEL AND CRT ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN.
SO IN SHORT, I FEEL AS THOUGH THESE PEOPLE ARE LYING.
THEY HAVE LIED TO ME AND THEY WILL LIE TO YOU.
THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT OFFENDING ME OR MY KIDS.
THEY DO NOT CARE IF MY KIDS ARE UNCOMFORTABLE.
THEY DO NOT NEED OR WANT PARENT APPROVAL FOR THEIR CURRICULUM.
THEY DO NOT EVEN BELIEVE YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE IT.
THEY DO NOT FEEL THEY NEED BOARD APPROVAL FOR ANY OF IT.
THEY ARE INDOCTRINATING OUR KIDS AND NO ONE IS DOING ANYTHING TO STOP THEM.
SO IN CLOSING, AFTER A YEAR OF INTENSIVE RESEARCH AND EVERYTHING I HAVE LEARNED, I ENCOURAGE YOU AS PARENTS, IF YOU'RE WATCHING ONLINE OR IF YOU'RE HERE, IF YOUR CHILD IS IN K THROUGH SIXTH GRADE BECAUSE I FEEL THIS IS WHERE THEY ARE MOST VULNERABLE, PLEASE CONSIDER TAKING YOUR KIDS OUT OF THESE SCHOOLS.
BECAUSE MAKE NO MISTAKE, THESE POLICIES, THESE PROPOSALS, THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WILL PERMEATE YOUR CHILD'S ENTIRE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE.
AND REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY CALL IT, DEI OR SEL, IT'S ALL CRT WORD SALAD.
THESE PEOPLE DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR CHILDREN OR THEIR EDUCATION.
THEY CARE ABOUT THEIR ACTIVISM.
I WAS GOING TO SAY LANNIE, BUT IT'S LONNIE, YOU'RE GOOD.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT HAS BEEN GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES ON THIS.
BUT AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, ALL I GET IS WHAT'S PRESENTED HERE AND THE MINUTES THAT ARE POSTED. IF DEI IS IMPORTANT TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WE NEED TO GET SOME MORE INFORMATION TO HAVE NOTHING BROUGHT BEFORE THIS BOARD FOR THE PAST 15 MONTHS, I DON'T THINK IS ACCEPTABLE IF THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR MISD.
ALSO, CAN WE WORK ON THE ACTUAL MINUTES THAT ARE POSTED SO MANY TIMES IN THE WHEN I LOOKED OVER THESE IT SAID THAT A DEFINITION WAS PROVIDED TO THE COMMITTEE AND THEN IT WAS DISCUSSED OR DOCUMENTATION OR TRAINING, BUT THE DEFINITIONS WERE NEVER LISTED.
SO I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THOSE WERE OR WHAT THE DISCUSSIONS WERE.
THE WEBSITE SAYS THAT EDUCATIONAL EQUITY MEANS THAT EACH CHILD RECEIVES WHAT THEY NEED TO
[01:00:05]
DEVELOP TO THEIR FULL ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL POTENTIAL.I DO NOT SEE HOW IT'S POSSIBLE FOR ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT TO DO THAT WITHOUT COMMUNITY AND PARENT INVOLVEMENT.
BUT I DIDN'T SEE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE ON WHAT PARENTS AND THE COMMUNITY WERE GOING TO BE DOING TO HELP.
MY NEXT COMMENT IS, ARE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS STILL BASED ON THE AUDIT WHERE LESS THAN 5% OF PARENTS, STUDENTS AND FACULTY ACTUALLY PARTICIPATED? DID WE LOOK INTO WHY THE TEACHERS AND WHY THE PARENTS AND WHY THE STUDENTS DIDN'T PARTICIPATE IN THE SURVEY? I THINK THAT IS AS IMPORTANT AS WHAT THE MATERIAL YOU ACTUALLY GOT FROM THE SURVEY.
I KNOW WHY I TOLD MY STUDENTS NOT TO ANSWER THAT SURVEY.
I DIDN'T THINK A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS WERE APPROPRIATE, BUT SOME OF THOSE WE COULD HAVE DONE. BUT I THINK IT WAS HANDLED VERY BADLY.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE GONE BACK AND GONE OVER SOME OF THAT AGAIN.
AND I'M NOT SURE IF THAT WAS BROUGHT UP.
MY NEXT QUESTION IS, IS THE ACTUAL DEI COMMITTEE DIVERSE? IN THE MINUTES? THE ONLY BREAKDOWN WAS BETWEEN WHITE AND NON WHITE.
I WAS INTERESTED DO WE HAVE MANSFIELD VERSUS SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES OVER VERSUS UNDER ACHIEVING SCHOOLS? ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE, ECONOMIC STATUS, DEGREED VERSUS NON DEGREED, GT, SPECIAL ED, ARE WE TALKING TO THESE PARENTS AND STUDENTS? DO WE HAVE THIS DATA? I THINK AGAIN, THAT IS IMPORTANT.
IF WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS, WE NEED TO BE HEARING FROM ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS.
IT IS NOT JUST BLACK AND WHITE.
I SAW THE FIRST BOOKS THAT WERE POSTED, THERE WAS NOTHING ABOUT ANY OF THE OTHER ISSUES OTHER THAN BLACK AND WHITE.
AND WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT THAT SURVEY SHOWED, MOST OF THE ISSUES ARE HONESTLY FROM ECONOMIC PROBABLY STANDINGS MORE THAN RACE, OR AT LEAST A BEGINNING OF IT.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO KNOW HOW MUCH HAS BEEN SPENT ON THE LAST 15 MONTHS DOING THESE SURVEYS AND DOING THESE THINGS. I REALLY THINK SO MUCH MORE COULD HAVE BEEN DONE FOR ACTUAL OUTREACH, RETAINING TEACHERS, TEACHING KIDS, PROVIDING THE MATERIALS THAT THEY NEED.
OUR NEXT QUEUE OF SPEAKERS IS JOANNA CARDOZA, TIA KOHL.
JOANNA CARDOZA, IF YOU CAN, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
GOOD EVENING, SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND DR.
CANTU. BEFORE I BEGIN ON MY DEI COMMENTS, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT AS PART OF THE SUMMIT THEATER PATTERN SCHOOL OF CHOICE COMMITTEE, I AM SO HAPPY TO SEE THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT. HAD A HUGE SMILE THE WHOLE TIME.
THANK YOU. FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE DISTRICT FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ON THE DEI ADVISORY COUNCIL, ALONG WITH THE FELLOW AND MY PARENTS, STAFF, STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS. THE WORK OF THE DEI ADVISORY COUNCIL AND STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEES HAS BEEN A LONG, THOUGHTFUL PROCESS.
CANTU FOR ASKING FOR AN AUDIT OF THE DISTRICT.
THIS IS A BOLD AND NECESSARY STEP FOR MUCH NEEDED EQUITY IN OUR SCHOOLS.
I AM HERE TONIGHT TO ASK THE BOARD TO PLEASE SUPPORT DR.
CANTU AND HER ADMINISTRATORS AND STAFF THROUGH THE DEI RECOMMENDATIONS.
AS A BOARD, YOU ARE PART OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT GROWTH IN THE DISTRICT AND TO ENSURE THAT DR.
CANTU AND HER ADMINISTRATORS ARE SUPPORTED IN THE INPUTS.
SO THE OUTPUTS ARE WHAT THE COMMUNITY EXPECTS WHEN IT COMES TO ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT GROWTH. THE MANSFIELD ISD VISION STATES THAT WE ARE, QUOTE, A DESTINATION DISTRICT COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE.
MY HUSBAND AND I, ALONG WITH MANY FAMILIES IN THIS COMMUNITY, MADE AN INTENTIONAL DECISION TO MOVE TO THE DISTRICT BECAUSE WE WANTED A QUALITY EDUCATION FOR OUR CHILDREN.
BUT AFTER BEING IN THE DISTRICT FOR SIXTEEN YEARS WITH FOUR CHILDREN WITH DIFFERENT LEARNING NEEDS, OUR EXPERIENCE HAS EXPOSED OPPORTUNITIES.
I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT WE THRIVE AS A COMMUNITY WHEN WE ALL SUCCEED.
MANSFIELD ISD IS A MINORITY MAJORITY SCHOOL DISTRICT OVER 31% AFRICAN-AMERICAN, 29% WHITE. 26.3% HISPANIC.
41.7% ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED.
I COMMEND THE SCHOOL BOARD ON THE SCHOOL BOARD PERFORMANCE ON THE START TESTING COMPARED TO THE STATE, BUT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT PERFORMANCE WITHIN OUR OWN DISTRICT.
I'M RUNNING OUT OF TIME, SO I'M GOING TO TRY TO JUST GO OVER SOME INFORMATION.
OUR GUIDANCE STATEMENTS AND THE DATA TO SUPPORT THE GUIDANCE STATEMENTS.
[01:05:02]
IT'S NOT LOOKING TOO GOOD.I DO HAVE A COPY OF THE TAPR REPORT, WHICH I TOOK THE TIME TO READ.
AND I THINK IT WAS GIVEN TO MOST OF YOU ALL WITHIN THE LAST TWO MONTHS.
SO ALL THE STUDENT DATA IN REGARDS TO ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IS IN THAT REPORT.
AFRICAN AMERICANS AND LATINO CHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITY ARE REALLY NOT DOING GOOD.
AND COMPARED TO THEIR PEERS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOUBLE DIGIT PERCENTAGE POINTS.
SO LIKE I SAID EARLIER, ALSO, THE POPULATION SHOWED A HUGE LEARNING LOSS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, BUT OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN HISPANIC STUDENTS SHOWED THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF LEARNING LOSS. PLEASE SUPPORT THE DEI RECOMMENDATIONS.
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES, MA'AM. PERFECT.
I AM THE EDUCATION CHAIR FOR THE ARLINGTON NAACP.
WE SERVE MANSFIELD, WHICH IS WHY I'M HERE TONIGHT.
FIRST, I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MANSFIELD, TO DR.
CANTU AND THE TEAM HERE TODAY AS WELL.
YOUNG, BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS FOR MONTHS OR MAYBE OVER A YEAR NOW, MAYBE. AND WHEN WE CAME ABOARD TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH DR.
CANTU AND HER TEAM, WE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE COULD BE ON THE SAME PAGE AS A TEAM, TO GROW THE COMMUNITY, TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY, TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS BEING REPRESENTED. AND THAT MEANS EVERYONE.
AND FROM THE START WE HAVE BEEN WELCOMED GRACIOUSLY AND I CANNOT SAY THE SAME FOR YOUR NEIGHBOR NEIGHBORING DISTRICT.
SO IT WAS REFRESHING, TO SAY THE LEAST.
THAT SAID, I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SPOKEN HAVE SAID SOME REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS. AND THIS WORK IS NOT REDUCTIONIST.
AND I THINK WE LIKE TO REDUCE IT DOWN TO A BLACK AND WHITE ISSUE OR A THIS OR THAT.
BUT REALLY IT'S ABOUT INTENTIONALITY AND CONSISTENCY AND IT'S WORK THAT WILL NEVER BE COMPLETED.
IF YOU ARE EVER THINKING YOU'RE DONE.
WHATEVER YOU CALL IT, DOING DE&I WORK OR ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO CALL IT, WHENEVER YOU THINK YOU'RE DONE, YOU'RE MISSING THE BOAT BECAUSE YOU SHOULD ALWAYS, AS YOUR POPULATIONS CHANGE, AS YOUR NEEDS CHANGE BE REIMAGINING WHAT IT MEANS TO TEACH, LEARN AND WORK IN THIS DISTRICT. AND THAT'S FOR STUDENTS, THAT'S FOR FACULTY, THAT'S FOR PARENTS, THAT'S FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
AGAIN, I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE DISTRICT FOR PUTTING THE VALUE BEHIND THAT WORK BY PUTTING A POSITION IN PLACE.
WHEN WE CAME ABOARD, THEY WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT HIRING A POSITION.
DONALD WAS THERE TOO, AND THEY WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT HIRING THE POSITION AND WE WERE EXTREMELY EXCITED.
AND THE WORK IS MOVING FORWARD AT A PACE WHICH WE'VE BEEN EXCITED ABOUT BECAUSE AGAIN, NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS ARE NOT DOING THE SAME.
BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE WORK SHOULD NOT CONTINUE.
THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THERE AREN'T STILL THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN POINTED OUT THAT NEED TO BE FOCUSED ON.
AND SO NOW IT'S JUST A MATTER OF CONTINUING THE WORK.
AND SO I REALLY HOPE THAT THERE ISN'T A CONVERSATION HAPPENING ABOUT CHECKING A BOX HERE BECAUSE AGAIN, IF YOU'VE DECIDED THAT THIS IS A CHECK THE BOX SITUATION, YOU ARE ALSO FAILING YOUR DISTRICT AND YOUR STUDENTS THAT YOU SERVE.
SO I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING THIS CONVERSATION, TO CONTINUING TO BUILD THE RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUING TO SUPPORT THE DISTRICT.
AND I WILL ALSO SUPPORT WHAT LONNIE SAID ABOUT FOCUSING ON CONSISTENCY AND TRANSPARENCY.
AND WE HAVE SAID MANY TIMES CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE AND LEADING THE CHARGE ON THE NARRATIVE BECAUSE THAT BUILDS TRUST AND TO YOUR POINT BOARD THAT YOU WANT THE INFORMATION SO YOU KNOW HOW TO SPEAK TO IT, HOW TO ENGAGE YOUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK THE DISTRICT IS WORKING ON NOW.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SUSAN SMITH.
BEFORE YOU GET STARTED, I'M GOING TO LET DR.
BONITA REED, MARCELLA ARMENO AND CARMEN MCMILLAN COME AROUND FOR THE QUEUE.
THANK YOU. MY NAME IS SUSAN SMITH.
I HAVE A FIRST GRADER AT WILLIE BROWN.
AND, YOU KNOW, EQUITY IS NOT A NEW TERM TO ME.
IT SOMEHOW GOT THROWN ABOUT AND I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW THE TERM EQUITY BECAME SO CONTROVERSIAL. SO I'M A LAWYER AND I'M IN COURT ALL THE TIME AND EVERYTHING THAT I FILED WITH THE COURT, I ASK FOR ONE THING AT THE VERY END.
I ASK FOR ALL RELIEF THAT THE COURT MAY GRANT ME, IN LAW OR IN EQUITY TO WHICH I MAY BE ENTITLED, EQUITY JUST MEANS TAKING ALL THE FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES THAT I BRING INTO EFFECT WHEN THEY GIVE A JUDGMENT.
[01:10:01]
SO A LITTLE BIT OF LEGAL HISTORY TRIVIA THAT I KNOW Y'ALL WILL LOVE TO LEARN.OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM IS BASED ON ENGLAND'S JUDICIAL SYSTEM.
AND WAY BACK WHEN THERE WERE COURTS AT LAW AND THERE WERE COURTS AT CHANCERY.
COURTS AT LAW DEALT WITH LAW RULES AND THE COURTS AT CHANCERY DEALT WITH EQUITY, FAIRNESS, CIRCUMSTANCES. NOW, WHEN IT CAME OVER HERE TO AMERICA, WE KIND OF COMBINED THE TWO BECAUSE IT WAS RATHER INEFFICIENT.
AND THE RULE THAT WE ADOPTED IS THAT WHEN THERE IS A CONFLICT BETWEEN LAW AND EQUITY, EQUITY PREVAILS GENERALLY.
YOU ALWAYS TAKE THE FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF EACH INDIVIDUAL SITUATION INTO ACCOUNT BEFORE YOU ARRIVE AT A DECISION.
AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT OUR COURTS DO.
NOW MS. MARCUCCI, I HEARD YOUR QUESTION, AND IT SEEMED TO BOIL DOWN TO THE FACT HOW DO YOU WEIGH EQUITY? YOU AND JUST FYI, I HAD NO PART IN THE DEI PLANNING.
I'M JUST A PERSON AND I CARE ABOUT DEI ENOUGH TO GET UP HERE AND TALK.
SO HOW DO YOU WEIGH EQUITY? IT'S HARD TO WEIGH EQUITY.
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO WEIGH EQUITY WHEN I'M IN THE COURTROOM, THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS I FORGET TO BRING TO THE TABLE.
BUT HOW DO YOU WEIGH EQUITY? YOU HAVE TO FIND THE INEQUITY FIRST.
WHENEVER. IF YOU WANT TO FIND THE INEQUITY, YOU HAVE TO LOOK FOR IT.
YOU HAVE TO TALK ABOUT INEQUITY.
IN ORDER TO TALK ABOUT INEQUITY, YOU HAVE TO CULTIVATE A CULTURE WHERE PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEY DON'T LIKE.
NOW, THEN, PEOPLE COMING UP HERE AND TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEY DON'T LIKE AND BLAMING IT ON THE PEOPLE THAT THEY ELECTED OR THEY DIDN'T EVEN VOTE FOR.
AND IT'S HARD FOR PEOPLE LIKE US TO COME UP HERE AND SAY THAT BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY LIKES TO SPEAK. I DO.
BUT THAT'S OKAY. THAT'S WHY I DO WHAT I DO.
SO ALSO, I HEARD A QUESTION ON THERE OF METRICS SCORECARDS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
I GUESS I HAVE LESS OF A QUESTION AND MORE COMMENTS THIS EVENING.
I DO APPRECIATE THE CANDID AND TRANSPARENT CONVERSATION THE BOARD HAS HAD WITH US, AND I DEFINITELY WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE DILIGENT WORK THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS DONE ON DEI.
I DO WANT TO SAY THAT I THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR PROVIDING THE RESOURCES AND THE TRAINING THAT MS. DANIELLE WILLS, AS WELL AS MR. JOHNSON, WILL NEED TO PROCEED WITH DEI.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING MORE FROM THEM.
AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE.
MY NAME IS MARCELLA [INAUDIBLE].
FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW ME, I'M A MOM OF THREE PTA MOM, PTA WIFE.
MY HUSBAND'S A BOARD MEMBER, SO.
SPORTS, MOM, YADDA, YADDA, YADDA.
SO I WANTED TO START THE EVENING WITH SHARING ONE OF MY FAVORITE QUOTES.
IN DIVERSITY, THERE'S BEAUTY AND THERE'S STRENGTH BY MAYA ANGELOU.
LOOKING AT ALL THE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES THAT WE CELEBRATED HERE TONIGHT, I SEE THE BEAUTY AND STRENGTH OF MISD.
THANK YOU, DANIELLE WELLS AND MR. BRANDON JOHNSON FOR A WONDERFUL PRESENTATION.
I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU NOT ONLY ON MY FAMILY'S BEHALF, BUT ON THE BEHALF OF ALL THE MISD STUDENTS AND STAFF THAT YOU HAVE IMPACTED WITH YOUR WORK.
THANK YOU. FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, I'VE TOLD YOU BEFORE, DR.
CANTU, BUT I'M GOING TO SAY IT AGAIN FOREVER.
AND THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT WERE A PART OF THE BOARD WHEN THE POSITION CAME TO FRUITION, THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE ON THE BOARD ARE CURRENTLY IN FULL SUPPORT.
I AM UTTERLY GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF THAT SUPPORT.
YOU HAVE IMPACTED LIVES WITH THIS NOVICE IDEA THAT IS SO SIMPLE YET MONUMENTAL.
YOU CONTINUE TO IMPACT LIVES AND AS MISD MOVES FORWARD WITH DEI AS A MEMBER OF THE DEI COUNCIL, I HAVE COMPLETELY ENJOYED THIS HARD WORK.
LIKE MS. DANIELLE WELLS SAID AT THE VERY BEGINNING, THIS WAS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, GOOD NOT HARD WORK, BUT HARD WORK, WHICH IT TRULY, TRULY HAS BEEN.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THE FUTURE OF THIS DISTRICT.
ANOTHER FAVORITE QUOTE THAT I LOVE TO SHARE IS EVERY MINUTE THERE'S A CHANCE TO CHANGE THE WORLD. AND THAT IS BY ONE OF ONE OF THE MOST PROFOUND WOMEN, DOLORES HUERTA.
SORRY, ONE MORE. OOH, WHERE TO GO? DO EVERYTHING IN LOVE, AS A PARENT, AS A STAKEHOLDER.
I ASKED THE BOARD, I ASKED, YOU KNOW, DR.
CANTU AND ALL OF OUR LEADERSHIP THAT YOU DO EVERYTHING IN LOVE THAT IS, YOU KNOW, FROM FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:14.
[01:15:01]
THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CARMEN MCMILLAN.GOOD EVENING. I'M CARMEN MCMILLAN.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY, ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND AS LEADER OF THE MANSFIELD MISSION CENTER, WE WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS IN THIS AREA, FOR YOUR SUPPORT AROUND DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO HAVE BEEN PART OF THIS COMMITTEE.
AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SPECIFICALLY TO DANIELLE WELLS FOR HER EXPERTISE IN LEADERSHIP AND FACILITATION OF OUR WORK TOGETHER.
YOU TALKED ABOUT MATRICULATION.
AND SO AT THE MANSFIELD MISSION CENTER, WHENEVER WE SEE BARRIERS TO ACCESS AND EDUCATION, THOSE ARE THE PARENTS THAT WE'RE TYPICALLY WORKING WITH.
SO I CAN TELL YOU WHAT LACK OF ACCESS AND BARRIERS AROUND EDUCATION LOOKS LIKE AFTER 15, 16, 17 YEARS.
AND SO WE JUST WANT TO AFFIRM OUR SUPPORT OF YOUR WORK AND JUST TO REITERATE OUR PARTNERSHIP AROUND THAT AND IN THE WAYS THAT WE CAN SUPPORT THE PARENTS OF THE CHILDREN THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH TO PROVIDE THOSE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND SUPPORTS.
YOU HAVE OUR SUPPORT IN THAT AREA.
OUR NEXT SPEAKERS, MYRA MILLER CASSELLS AND VAN DELLA MENEFEE.
MOVING ON, MS. MENEFEE. WELL, I WON'T SAY THAT THEY SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST, BUT I'LL TAKE IT.
GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS VAN DELLA MENEFEE, AND I LIKE TO THANK DR.
CANTU AND THE BOARD FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I ASKED THE BOARD TO SUPPORT THE DEI PLAN.
I'M A PROUD GRAND PRAIRIE CITIZEN MANSFIELD ISD AND MY SON RICHARD MENEFEE IS A SENIOR AT MANSFIELD TIMBER VIEW HIGH SCHOOL, LOCATED IN ARLINGTON, TEXAS.
I RETIRED IN 2012, A BABY BOOMER, AND I'VE BEEN IN THIS AREA OVER 17 YEARS.
SINCE MOVING HERE, I'VE SEEN THE ECONOMY GROW AND IN THIS AREA THERE HAS BEEN A BOOM OF FIRST GENERATIONS MINORITIES.
AND WE'VE WELCOMED THE CULTURE AND THE DIVERSITY, SOMETHING THAT I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU, THAT I'VE SERVED ON THE LOWE FOUNDATION AND THE BOARD FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND ONE OF THEIR MISSION IS TO SPREAD LOVE, OPPORTUNITY AND HOPE FOR ALL.
AND BY DOING THIS, THEY HAVE SHARED THE CULTURES AND PROGRAMS WITH THE EVENTS THAT CAN CHANGE THE LIVES AND HARMONY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DEMOGRAPHICS IN OUR COMMUNITY, AS WE CAN SEE TONIGHT BY OUR PRESENTATION AND THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE IN DESC FOR THE PAST DECADE, WE'VE SEEN OUR CONSUMERS CHANGE AND WE MUST ACCEPT THIS CHANGE.
WE MUST BE PREPARED, PREPARE OUR STUDENTS TO PUSH TOWARDS THIS DIRECTION.
TO NOT IS NOT TO PREPARE OUR STUDENTS FOR OUR FUTURE AND THEIR SUCCESS.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT OUR FEELINGS.
IT'S ABOUT OUR WORLD ECONOMY AND PREPARING OUR CHILDREN FOR THIS WORLD CHANGE.
ACCORDING TO BOOKINGS.COM.EDU.DIVERSITYEXPLOSION, THE DIVERSITY HAS STARTED YEARS AGO.
I'M DETERMINED, I'M ENTHUSIASTICALLY AND IDEALIZED BY THE CULTURE THAT IS IN OUR COMMUNITIES. AND I WANT YOU TO COME AND SHARE WITH ME.
THANK YOU. THIS MOVES US ON TO AGENDA ITEM 10.1, THE HUMAN RESOURCES REPORT DR.
STOECKER. DO YOU HAVE SOME INTRODUCTIONS THIS EVENING? I DO. I BELIEVE THEY'RE MAKING THEIR WAY TO THE PODIUM.
IF YOU LADIES COULD HEAD ON UP.
WE'RE GOING TO START WITH THE CLOSEST ONE OF THE PODIUM IS MAYBURY SMITH.
WE'RE GOING TO MIX THIS UP AND START WITH YOU.
AND YOU ARE. I'M PLEASED TO INTRODUCE TO YOU OUR NEW ACADEMIC ASSOCIATE.
I'M SO SORRY, OUR NEW PRINCIPAL AT WORLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL, PREVIOUSLY SERVING AS THE ACADEMIC ASSOCIATE WOO WHO.
LET'S GIVE HER A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
AWESOME. SO, AS YOU KNOW, LAST MONTH YOU APPROVED MS. MABEL SMITH, TO SERVE AS PRINCIPAL AT ROGENE WORLEY, AND AS I ALMOST PUT HER BACK INTO HER FORMER ROLE PREVIOUSLY, SHE WAS OUR ACADEMIC ASSOCIATE LAKERIDGE.
TO BOARD PRESIDENT NEWSOM, DR.
CANTU, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, ALL WHO ARE ASSEMBLED HERE.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THE WORLEY COMMUNITY, ITS WONDERFUL FAMILIES, AMAZING STUDENTS, AND TERRIFIC STAFF.
I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING ITS LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE AND HAVING A POSITIVE IMPACT WITH THE HELP OF OTHERS ON EVERY CHILD'S EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN THEIR JOURNEY.
AND SPEAKING OF JOURNEY, I WANT TO THANK THOSE WHO'VE HAD A PART IN MY JOURNEY HERE.
I'VE GOT LOTS OF FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES AND FAMILY MEMBERS WHO MAY BE WATCHING ONLINE OR HERE IN PERSON. IF YOU ALL WOULD JUST WAVE FOR ME.
[01:20:05]
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT AND LOVE OVER THE YEARS.I'VE BOTHERED YOU ENOUGH ALL THIS TIME, BUT JUST GET READY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
NEXT, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE MARGARET CALDERON, OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF HEALTH SERVICES.
AND AS YOU KNOW, SHE PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS OUR INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT STARTING IN SEPTEMBER. BUT BEFORE THAT, SHE WAS OUR COORDINATOR OF NURSING.
THANK YOU, PRESIDENT NEWSOM, DR.
I AM EXCITED TO SERVE THE FAMILIES OF MANSFIELD ISD, THE STUDENTS AND THE STAFF AND OUR COMMUNITY. AND TONIGHT, MY FAMILY HAS VERY PATIENTLY SAT WITH ME.
I HAVE MY HUSBAND AND MY TWO SONS, BOTH MANSFIELD, BORN AND RAISED.
I APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY.
NOW ON TO BUSINESS ITEMS REQUIRING BOARD ACTION ITEM 11.1 CONSIDER ALL MATTERS INCIDENT AND RELATED TO THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF THE MANSFIELD INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT UNLIMITED TAX FREE BONDING BONDS SERIES 2022 AND UNLIMITED TAX REFUNDING BONDS TAXABLE SERIES 2022 A INCLUDING THE ADOPTION AND AN ORDER AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF SUCH BONDS.
ESTABLISHING PARAMETERS FOR THE SALE AND ISSUANCE OF SUCH BONDS.
AND DELEGATING CERTAIN MATTERS TO AUTHORIZE DISTRICT OFFICIALS.
MAY I PLEASE RECEIVE A MOTION? MS.. THOMAS. MR. KENNEDY. ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION.
HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE USE THE SOUND VOTE OF AYE.
THIS MOVES US ON TO ITEM NUMBER 12, THE CONSENT AGENDA.
LET ME REMIND YOU THAT WE VOTE THE CONSENT AGENDA UP OR DOWN UNLESS SOMEONE WANTS TO PULL AN ITEM. WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO PULL AN ITEM THIS EVENING? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE CONSENT AGENDA, PLEASE USE THE SOUND VOTE OF AYE. AYE.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED. PLEASE SAY NO.
SO ORDERED MOTION PASSES SEVEN-ZERO.
THIS MOVES US ON TO AGENDA ITEM 13 SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
THIS IS FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY.
IS THERE ANY THING ON ITEM NUMBER 13 THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT THIS EVENING? HEARING NONE. WE WILL MOVE QUICKLY ON TO ITEM NUMBER 14.
WITH NO OTHER BUSINESS TO DISCUSS, WE WILL ADJOURN AT EXACTLY 9:49 P.M..
THANK YOU ALL FOR ATTENDING THIS EVENING.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.