Link

Social

Embed

Disable autoplay on embedded content?

Download

Download
Download Transcript

[00:00:05]

GOOD EVENING.

[1. Call to Order]

AND LET'S PLEASE COME TO ORDER FOR THE CALLED MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

IT IS 6:30 P.M.

LET THE RECORD SHOW THAT ALL TRUSTEES ARE PRESENT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF KEZIA FARRAR AND MICHELLE NEWSOM.

I'LL ASK IF EVERYONE WILL PLEASE STAND FOR THE PRAYER.

THAT WILL BE LED BY CRAIG TIPPING AND THE PLEDGES THAT WILL BE LEFT BY LED BY TRUSTEE DESIREE THOMAS.

PLEASE PRAY WITH ME.

LORD GOD, WE COME TO YOU RIGHT NOW AND WE THANK YOU FOR ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DAY THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US.

LORD, WE THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ANOTHER GREAT DAY OF SCHOOL AND JUST THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU GIVE US EACH DAY JUST TO GROW AND LEARN.

AND, LORD, I PRAY FOR EACH STUDENT, EACH TEACHER, EACH STAFF MEMBER, EVERYONE IN THIS DISTRICT, LORD, THAT YOU WILL PROTECT AND GUARD EACH ONE OF THEM.

THAT YOU WILL HELP US TO JUST BE BETTER EACH DAY.

LORD, I PRAY FOR OUR MEETING TONIGHT.

I PRAY THAT YOU WILL GIVE US WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING SO THAT IN THE END WE CAN ALL SAY THAT THAT EVERYTHING WAS DONE TO GLORIFY YOU.

AND I ASK ALL OF THIS IN JESUS' NAME.

AMEN. PLEASE JOIN ME FOR THE PLEDGE.

.

THANK YOU. THAT NOW TAKES US TO ITEM FOUR.

[4. Public Comments]

OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS SECTION.

AS A REMINDER, THE REGISTRATION PROCESS FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS IS NOW AN ONLINE REGISTRATION PROCESS.

THOSE WHO WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE REQUIRED TO REGISTER ONLINE, BEGINNING WHEN THE AGENDA FOR THE MEETING IS POSTED, WHICH IS NO LATER THAN 72 HOURS PRIOR TO THE START OF THE MEETING.

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS AVAILABLE TO 1 P.M.

THE DAY OF A BOARD MEETING.

ALL PUBLIC COMMENT SUBMISSIONS MUST BE TIED TO A SPECIFIC AGENDA, ITEM AND TOPICS AS INDICATED IN THE BOARD AGENDA FOR THAT MEETING.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO SIGN UP, YOU CAN VISIT THE SCHOOL BOARD PAGE ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR COLLABORATION AND STREAMLINING OUR PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION.

AND WITH THAT, I SHOW THAT I HAVE ONE SPEAKER AND THAT IS JASMINE WARD.

HELLO, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS JASMINE WARD.

SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE RECOGNIZED MY FACE FROM HEARING NOT TOO LONG AGO.

I AM ACTUALLY A PARENT EDUCATOR, A VOLUNTEER AT BUSINESSWOMAN.

AN OWNER. A TAXPAYER IN THE MANSFIELD ISD SCHOOL DISTRICT.

I HAVE FOUR CHILDREN IN THE DISTRICT.

I LOVE THIS DISTRICT.

I LOVE THE SCHOOLS THAT MY CHILDREN NOW ATTEND.

I SUBMITTED A GRIEVANCE RELATED TO AN ISSUE WITH THE PROCESS OF FILING A GRIEVANCE.

WHILE THAT WAS NOT SOMETHING DIRECTLY ADDRESSED IN MY IN THE FINDINGS AND THE OUTCOMES OF THAT SESSION, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT I SHOW UP EVERY SINGLE TIME I CAN TO ENSURE THAT WE CREATE A BETTER PROCESS FOR INDIVIDUALS SEEKING SUPPORT AND REPRIEVE FROM THE DISTRICT EMPLOYEES OR ISSUES THAT MAY INCUR IN THE DISTRICT TO SAVE US MONEY TO KEEP US FROM ANY KIND OF LAWSUITS.

WE HAVE A FORM THAT IS ONLINE THAT YOU HAVE TO PULL DOWN AS A PDF.

ACTUALLY, PRINT IT OR CONVERT IT TO WORD, SUBMIT IT TO SOMEONE THAT SOMEONE BEING HOPEFULLY THE PERSON WHO WOULD HELP WOULD BE THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL.

IN A LOT OF CASES, THAT IS A VERY INTIMIDATING PROCESS BECAUSE YOU'VE GONE THROUGH THE HASSLE OF GOING THROUGH THE INFORMAL PROCESS, WHICH ALSO, BY THE WAY, DOES NOT GUARANTEE ANY NOTES OR TAKEN ANY ONE IS NOTIFIED AT ANY OTHER LEVEL WHILE YOU ARE MAKING THOSE INFORMAL REQUESTS TO SEEK SUPPORT.

THE DISTRICT EMPLOYEES AT THE ADMINISTRATIVE LEVEL DO NOT HAVE ANY OBLIGATION TO DOCUMENT OR TO SUBMIT THOSE THINGS IN YOUR ACTUAL FORMAL GRIEVANCE PROCESS.

THAT MEANS THAT THE BURDEN LIES ON THE ACTUAL PARENT WHO IS ALSO SEEKING SUPPORT AND VULNERABLE IN THAT MOMENT AND ARE EXPECTING THE DISTRICT TO SHOW UP IN THE WAY THAT THEY MAY SHOW UP FOR THE DISTRICT.

IF WE ARE TO MAKE THIS A PROCESS THAT IS FAIR AND EQUAL, WE ALSO NEED PROCESSES THAT WOULD NOT BE INTIMIDATING IN TERMS OF TIME.

THERE IS A REASON WHY FMG IS DIFFERENT FROM THE FFA.

I LEARNED MORE ACRONYMS THAN I EVER THOUGHT I WOULD WANT TO KNOW.

DO THIS PROCESS AND ALL OF WHICH ARE VERY CUMBERSOME AND CREATE MORE BOUNDARIES AND BURDENS AND BARRIERS TO SUCCESSFULLY HAVING RELATIONSHIPS WITH PARENTS

[00:05:07]

IN THE COMMUNITY. IF WE THINK ABOUT THE PROCESS IN AND OF ITSELF, MANY OF YOU ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH MY PROCESS.

THERE'S ALSO THE INVESTIGATION PROCESS, WHICH IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN AN ACTUAL GRIEVANCE PROCESS THAT IS NOT OUTLINED VERY CLEARLY.

AND IT'S UP TO THE DISTRICT AND THE DISTRICT HAS DISCRETION ON HOW THEY TREAT IT.

THAT MEANS THAT THE PARENTS ARE ROBBED OF OPPORTUNITIES TO CONTINUE THEIR PROCESS THE WAY THEY WOULD HAVE IT CONTINUED, GIVEN THAT THERE ARE TIME CONSTRAINTS THAT MAY EXIST AND HONESTLY, IT KEEPS THE DISTRICT FROM GETTING ANOTHER LAWSUIT.

SO THAT IS WHAT I CAME HERE TO TALK ABOUT BECAUSE I AM NOT A LAWYER, BUT I HAVE FELT LIKE ONE IN THIS PROCESS.

AGAIN, I AM A PARENT, AN EDUCATOR, A BUSINESS OWNER, A TAXPAYER, A VOLUNTEER AND A SUPPORTER OF MISD.

AND SO, I THINK THAT YOU ALL SHOULD REALLY CONSIDER THAT IN THIS PROCESS.

THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME.

OKAY. AT THIS TIME, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD WILL MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM FIVE, WHICH IS TO HEAR AND CONSIDER A LEVEL

[5. Closed Meeting]

THREE APPEAL FILED BY MS. ELLEN WIRTZ IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 551.071 AND 551.074 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, WHICH IS COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT.

THE BOARD IS CONDUCTING THIS MEETING IN CLOSED SESSION.

THEREFORE, WE WILL NOW ADJOURN INTO CLOSED SESSION.

AND THE TIME IS, SORRY, 6:36.

PRIOR TO THE BOARD HOLDING THE LEVEL THREE HEARING, THE BOARD WILL MEET WITH HIS ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS THE PROCEDURAL STEPS INVOLVED WITH THIS LEVEL THREE HEARING APPEAL PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.071.

WE'LL ADJOURN IN A CLOSED SESSION AT THAT TIME AT THIS TIME TO MEET PURSUANT TO MEET PURSUANT TO SECTION 551.071.

AND AGAIN, THE TIME IS NOW 6:37.

BUT THE TIME IS 7:54 AND THE BOARD HAS HEARD A LEVEL THREE APPEAL FILED BY MS.

[6. Reconvene in Open Session]

ELLEN WOODARDS, CONDUCTED IN CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO SECTION 551.074 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE.

THE BOARD THEN ADJOURNED INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 551.071 AND 551.074 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER 551 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, ANY ACTION REGARDING THIS MATTER MUST BE TAKEN IN OPEN SESSION.

DO I HAVE A MOTION ON THE LEVEL THREE APPEAL? YES. I MOVE THAT THE BOARD DENY THE LEVEL THREE APPEAL, THEREBY UPHOLDING THE ADMINISTRATION'S DECISION.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.

OKAY. THERE WAS A MOTION MADE BY TRUSTEE DESIREE, THOMAS AND A SECOND MADE BY MISS, SORRY, TRUSTEE BIANCA BENAVIDEZ ANDERSON. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS MOTION? OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, MAY I PLEASE SEE A SHOW OF HANDS? OKAY. THERE ARE NONE OPPOSED.

THE MOTION PASSES 5-0.

THE BOARD HAS VOTED TO DENY THE REQUEST FOR RELIEF AND AFFIRM THE DECISION OF THE ADMINISTRATION.

YOU WILL SEE WRITTEN CONFIRMATION OF THIS DECISION.

THIS TAKES US TO THE FINAL ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, ITEM SEVEN, AND WE WILL ADJOURN AT 7:56.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.