Updates on the Fight for Quality Public Education in Brevard County, FL
0:00 Transcription by CastingWords
18:40 to speak, I wanted to kind of give the crowd kind of the path
18:43 that we’re gonna be going on today
18:44 so that everybody understands.
18:46 We’re gonna be breaking the discipline policy
18:48 into five different areas.
18:50 First one’s gonna be why we are here.
18:52 We’ll speak to that, then we’ll take public comment.
18:54 And then we’re gonna talk about prior to an incident,
18:57 what we can be doing.
18:58 During the incident, what we can do.
19:00 After the incident, what we can do.
19:02 And then what the community groups, individuals, parents,
19:05 and everybody else’s roles can be going forward.
19:07 And then we’ll make the suggestions moving forward.
19:09 So I have to, what I’d like to do is the first piece is,
19:13 is that I would like to get a motion to allow speakers
19:15 to speak three minutes since we’re still under the previous
19:17 policy
19:18 and the ability to address the board by name.
19:20 Do I have a motion?
19:21 - I move to approve.
19:23 - We have a motion.
19:25 Do I have a second?
19:25 - Second.
19:26 - Okay, got that.
19:28 All in favor, please signify by saying aye.
19:30 - Aye.
19:31 - All opposed?
19:32 All right.
19:34 - I guess I’m aye, we didn’t have a discussion.
19:36 - Did you wanna discuss the fact that we have three minutes
19:39 of those, there’s a speaking policy.
19:43 - I’m not sure what we’re speaking.
19:45 - Discipline policy.
19:46 So we also have 43 speakers of which eight of them-
19:50 - Can I ask a clarifying question?
19:51 - 43 speakers, eight of which are actual on discipline.
19:56 I would make it to where the others that wish to speak on the
19:58 other items
19:59 that are gonna be this afternoon, possibly.
20:01 We’ll make a motion to have them come at that time.
20:04 So what I’d like to do now is amend the public speaking so that
20:08 we can take the discipline
20:09 people now and take the book review people when it is
20:12 appropriate to speak to them.
20:13 That’s what the county does.
20:14 That’s what a lot of places do.
20:16 So if I can get a motion for that motion.
20:17 - Yes.
20:18 - Hold on, I have a question.
20:19 - Okay, do I have a second?
20:21 - No.
20:22 - Do I have a second to the motion?
20:24 - Right.
20:25 - The discussion.
20:26 - Yeah, I’ll put the discussion.
20:27 - Okay, now we have discussion on the topic.
20:29 - Yes, now we have discussion on the topic.
20:31 My question is, yes, I understand that when people sign up for
20:34 public comment, they put
20:35 what they’re speaking to on that list.
20:37 But my gut says there’s probably people who are speaking to more
20:40 than one thing and there’s
20:41 no way for you to know which one they wanna speak about.
20:43 - Yes, correct, correct.
20:46 - There’s also a spot that they can speak to that are on there
20:50 and it says description
20:51 of comments and it says complete agenda item title.
20:54 So if we’re going to allow people to just start saying one thing
20:57 or another, they have the
20:58 opportunity to write it down, they have the opportunity to
21:01 present themselves.
21:02 And I would…
21:03 - Mr. Susan, I would argue that people might have just filled
21:07 out one thing because it
21:08 satisfied the requirement to speak to the agenda, and they knew
21:11 the rest of the things
21:12 they’re speaking about are on the agenda, and they may not have
21:14 written it.
21:15 - If that’s the will of the board, then that’s fine, but what I’d
21:18 like to do is move forward
21:19 with some expedience towards some of the, you know, if these
21:23 people all put down that they’re
21:24 going to speak to the book review, then that’s fine.
21:26 So we have a motion and a second.
21:29 - More discussion.
21:30 - More discussion?
21:31 Go ahead.
21:32 - Yeah, just to, I’d like us to move from a spirit of confusion
21:36 to a spirit of clarity.
21:37 So if we could just, because I, the idea that people might have
21:41 to wait.
21:41 And there’s, we have a pretty hefty agenda, so I know we didn’t
21:45 approve the agenda at the
21:48 meeting.
21:49 So I just, I think we might even get to some of these things.
21:51 Hopefully they’re in the order that you want to handle them,
21:53 because I think we might get
21:54 to this afternoon and say, you know what, we’re, we’ve gone
21:56 seven hours.
21:56 Can we table some of these for later?
21:58 So hopefully they’re in the order that you prioritize that you
22:00 wanted to discuss them?
22:01 - That’s what an agenda is.
22:02 - Okay.
22:03 But sometimes we change around and we didn’t have that
22:05 opportunity.
22:06 So the second thing is that if there are people came to speak to,
22:12 for example, I don’t know
22:13 if anybody signed up for public comment policy or the book
22:19 review or the, the salary payout,
22:20 because I haven’t seen the list, but it would be good for them
22:23 to be aware they’ve signed
22:24 up.
22:25 They may not get the chance to speak until, for example, after
22:27 lunch.
22:27 So I have no idea how this, how you have planned for this
22:31 morning to go or how long you have
22:33 designated for it.
22:34 But I think it’s fair to the people who come to speak to realize
22:37 it might be four or five
22:39 hours.
22:40 We’ll get some breakfast, lunch, whatever, and come back.
22:42 Or I don’t know.
22:44 I mean, it’d probably be good just for their sakes to know what
22:49 to expect.
22:50 - Absolutely.
22:51 So everybody has the agenda.
22:53 It’s been posted online.
22:54 We’ve actually done the dual notice through the Florida today.
22:57 We have all of those items are going to be there.
23:00 I foresee the discipline policy taking until about 11:00, 11:30,
23:04 and I would like to reduce
23:05 that amount of time for our guests by putting forward the
23:09 discipline speakers.
23:10 I, to be honest with you, there’s just a lot of people here that
23:14 are, would like to speak
23:15 and would like to get moving on the discipline policy.
23:17 And if people put down book review, I’d like to give them the
23:20 appropriate time.
23:21 Because if you come out now, speak at the book review, then all
23:25 of a sudden it’s a couple
23:27 hours later, there may have been something that you wanted to
23:30 speak to.
23:30 Plus it allows us to expedite the process, allows us to get
23:33 moving on what we came here
23:34 to do and listen to the people.
23:35 And if they put down book review, then they put down book review.
23:37 That’s it.
23:38 So thank you.
23:39 Thank you.
23:40 So you made a statement that you are worried about the time of
23:44 our guests.
23:44 And I hear you, but the audience is our guest as well.
23:47 And you invited them for public comment and they have a right to
23:49 say what they want to say.
23:50 Absolutely, Ms. Jenkins.
23:51 And there’s no issue that you’re saying.
23:53 You’re just saying that if you put down as a public, as book
23:56 review, that you’re speaking
23:56 on that, that you should be able to speak to that.
23:58 And if you’re speaking to the discipline, you should be able to
24:00 speak to that.
24:00 If the will of the board is to continue down that line, then
24:02 that’s fine.
24:03 I have no problem with it.
24:04 It was just a suggestion for the guests that are here.
24:06 So we have a vote.
24:07 Does anybody else have any other discussion on the item?
24:10 All right.
24:11 All these in favor, signify by saying aye.
24:13 Aye.
24:19 All opposed?
24:20 Got that?
24:21 All right.
24:22 4-1.
24:23 The motion passes.
24:24 So one of the first things that I wanted to do is we’re going to
24:28 separate the individuals
24:29 from the discipline to the book review.
24:31 We have those individuals are going to be Benny Jackson, Josephine
24:35 Hunter, Katie Delaney,
24:36 Kelly Curvin, Lisa Ray, Hialeah Mercer, Charno Berry.
24:40 The rest of everybody else will speak to the book review later.
24:43 Okay.
24:44 The first.
24:45 Oh, no.
24:46 Wait a minute.
24:47 Okay.
24:48 Just hang on.
24:50 I’m speaker number seven.
24:51 I’m speaker 38.
24:52 I’m 13 and 14.
24:53 Yeah.
24:54 Give me just a second to go through it because they had it
24:57 written differently on the form.
24:58 Thank you.
24:59 Anybody who put down discipline will be speaking.
25:13 We’ll go through that.
25:14 We’ll redo the list as we’re getting through the why we’re here.
25:16 All right.
25:17 So everybody that I want you to understand some individuals came
25:21 from around the group around
25:21 the county and around the state.
25:23 We have a couple of individuals that are here from different
25:26 school districts.
25:27 Online.
25:28 We have nearly about 19 school districts that we’re going to
25:31 call in from various places all
25:33 the way from the Panhandle down to Collier over to the East
25:36 Coast.
25:36 And we actually have some that are staying here.
25:38 Uh, Ms. Wright, did you want to introduce your school board
25:41 members that you have here?
25:42 Yeah.
25:43 Absolutely.
25:44 Uh, we have, we do have some esteemed individuals in the, in the
25:46 room today, and I would like
25:47 to recognize them because they did take time out of their day to
25:49 come and see what we’re
25:50 doing as far as our discipline.
25:51 It shows that they are dedicated to their district as well and
25:55 trying to resolve the issue of discipline
25:56 within the classroom.
25:57 So, uh, we have a couple individuals from Indian River County.
26:00 So Dr. Jean Pascoe is here and he is part of their board.
26:03 And then we also have this Jackie Rosario and she is part of the
26:07 Indian River County board.
26:08 As well.
26:09 Um, we also have another individual, but they are on the, on a
26:12 conference call in the car,
26:14 but, uh, Jesse Thompson from Flagler has come as well.
26:16 And again, it just, it demonstrates the dedication that we all
26:19 have to improving our school system.
26:21 So I’m grateful for them to take time out of their day and come
26:23 here and be part of this.
26:24 Thank you.
26:26 So now we’re going to go around the room with all the
26:29 individuals that are here.
26:30 And then the board members at the end as to the reason that we
26:34 feel we’re here.
26:35 Board members, if you don’t have anything that you would like to
26:38 say, that’s fine.
26:38 But I wanted to give our opportunity to our people that are
26:40 sitting at the table to tell our why.
26:43 And the first group that I wanted to bring up was Anthony Colucci.
26:46 Good morning, everyone.
26:47 Um, thank you all for being here and participating in, in this,
26:55 uh, important board, uh, meeting.
26:59 Uh, thank you, Mr. Susan for, uh, holding this meeting for a
27:03 long time.
27:04 The teachers of Brevard County have been asking that these board
27:08 meetings focus on their most pressing issues.
27:11 And our most pressing issue right now is, is school discipline.
27:15 I appreciate the first question.
27:18 Mr. Susan asked is why we’re here.
27:20 And I want to say why we’re here is because teaching can be the
27:26 best, most rewarding, joyful profession there is.
27:31 Nothing is more rewarding than watching students learn.
27:35 Uh, learning can be such a joyful experience for, for our
27:38 students.
27:39 And that’s what we’re trying to do is return the joy of teaching
27:42 and learning to our classrooms in Brevard County.
27:46 And make sure that once again, we are the best public school in
27:50 the state of Florida public school system.
27:53 Hmm.
27:54 One thing that we’re going to be asking is that honest feedback
28:00 becomes the norm in the school district, not the exception.
28:03 And it has been the exception in the school district.
28:06 And it’s, it’s hurt our school district because we’ve been
28:09 afraid to be honest.
28:10 And we’re going to present some, some honest, uh, feedback from,
28:14 from teachers.
28:15 And the question has been, what, what is BFT seeing?
28:19 What does BFT think about this?
28:20 What’s, what, what’s going on?
28:22 So what I’m going to present to you are some incidents that have
28:26 come into our, our call log this year.
28:29 Our call log is how our secretary records, um, uh, calls into
28:35 our office and, and we get back to them.
28:38 So this is going to be, uh, the, the raw information that’s
28:42 given to the BFT officers.
28:44 Keep in mind this does not include the hundreds of emails we
28:48 receive, the members who come into our office, our school visits.
28:53 These are just the calls that have come in.
28:57 Incident one, BPS needs to give more support, losing control of
29:03 school.
29:04 Incident two, getting beat up by students.
29:07 Incident three, a student threw a basketball in her face.
29:12 Sixth grade, she had to go to the ER.
29:15 Incident four, teacher has a student who won’t stop walking out
29:20 of his classroom.
29:21 Incident five, student attacked three teachers today.
29:26 Incident six, a kid bit her on Friday.
29:29 The bite mark on her arm is the size of an orange.
29:32 Incident seven, a student made an action threat, shooting with a
29:36 gun.
29:36 Incident eight, violent student in her room.
29:41 Incident nine, had a student masturbate in his class.
29:45 It was recorded by another student and then shared in a group
29:49 chat.
29:49 Incident 10, teaching an ESE class, nine students in her class,
29:54 five of them are violent.
29:55 She took all the desks and chairs out of the room because they’re
29:59 being thrown around the classroom.
30:00 Went to the doctor today and her blood pressure is through the
30:04 roof.
30:04 Had to take a drug test today because a student attacked her.
30:08 She wants another assistant in her room.
30:10 She started to cry because it’s so horrible in her room.
30:13 Incident 11, she has two students that should not be in the same
30:19 homeroom.
30:20 She asked administration to move one of them, but was told it
30:25 was not possible.
30:26 Incident 12, aggressive fourth grade student.
30:29 Incident 13, principal asked him to take some students that have
30:33 discipline problems in his room.
30:35 He wants to refuse.
30:37 Incident 14, walked out, horrible.
30:39 Incident 15, problems with discipline at her school.
30:43 Incident 16, violent student.
30:46 Last week he threatened to shoot up the school.
30:49 She is scared.
30:50 Sixth grade and there was a threat assessment made.
30:53 Incident 17, she told the student he could do his work, but his
30:57 attitude is getting in the way.
30:58 She wrote him up seven times.
31:00 Second grade, he throws his desk.
31:02 The SRO had to carry him out.
31:05 Incident 18, student was in ISS on Monday.
31:09 On Tuesday she moved the seat.
31:10 Still a problem.
31:11 Called the administration to come and get him.
31:14 Mother emailed accusing her of asking him if he were on drugs.
31:18 Admin seems to be blaming her.
31:20 Incident 19, student recorded her admonishing the class for
31:24 making fun of a student with autism.
31:27 Incident 20, he confiscated a cell phone from a student.
31:31 It was not the student’s phone.
31:33 So the other student upon realizing had the phone, ran to the
31:37 front of the room, body checked him into the whiteboard, cutting
31:40 his hand.
31:40 When he told her that she assaulted a teacher, she said she didn’t
31:44 give a bleep.
31:45 Incident 21, possible teacher authority law.
31:49 Incident 22, kids in her class are out of control.
31:52 Incident 23, a student threw a tape dispenser and hit her
31:56 between her eyes.
31:57 She did an accident report, taking drug tests tomorrow.
32:01 Incident 24, student has been toweled twice.
32:04 School is on lockdown for over an hour today.
32:07 Those are the phone calls that are coming into our office.
32:11 These are the experiences of our teachers and our students in
32:16 our classroom.
32:17 When this is going on, we cannot have a joyful profession.
32:24 We cannot have joyful learning conditions.
32:26 We need to work together to make sure that this changes.
32:30 When we have safe schools, safe learning environment, a
32:36 welcoming learning environment for everyone, our students will
32:41 achieve more.
32:42 Our schools will be better.
32:43 I want to ask, we have some classroom teachers here today.
32:49 I’m going to ask them to say a few words.
32:51 First teacher at Mass to say a few words is Matthew Yount.
32:54 He is a fifth grade teacher at Imperial Estates Elementary
33:00 School in Titusville.
33:01 He’s a former Brevard County Teacher of the Year.
33:04 Thank you guys for having me here today.
33:07 Good morning.
33:08 My name is Matt Yount and I’ve been teaching in Brevard County
33:10 for over 20 years.
33:11 I currently teach fifth grade to some of the most amazing
33:14 students in Brevard County at Imperial State Elementary School.
33:18 I get the honor of working with outstanding teachers, staff, and
33:22 administrators every day.
33:23 With that said, I’ve also watched dozens of my peers and friends
33:27 leave their classrooms, schools, or the profession entirely.
33:31 When asked what led them to that decision, there are common
33:35 themes of increasing demands, non-competitive pay, and general
33:39 lack of support.
33:40 Moreover, an almost universal reason is the deterioration of
33:44 student behavior over the past several years.
33:47 And before we put the blame squarely on the pandemic, I would
33:51 postulate that the pandemic was an accelerant to a fire that was
33:54 already raging.
33:55 While I would concede that there has always been student misbehavior,
33:58 the severity and frequency to which disruptive and dangerous
34:02 behavior is occurring in the classrooms across our county should
34:05 cause deep concern and immediate action.
34:08 In many schools, we have egregious behaviors, as Anthony
34:11 described, that are a very real threat to student and teacher
34:14 safety.
34:15 We have students committing assault and battery on teachers,
34:18 staff, and other students.
34:20 We have elopement from classrooms, throwing of objects, sexual
34:24 harassment and misconduct, spitting, biting, destruction of
34:27 property, drug use, and theft occurring on a daily basis
34:30 throughout our county.
34:31 Now, this does not even begin to describe the litany of other
34:34 behaviors that teachers and staff have to deal with, all the
34:38 while trying to protect students and teach them the necessary
34:41 skills for life.
34:42 While less severe, most teachers have to handle frequent and
34:46 repeated disrespect and defiance from a small subset of their
34:50 students.
34:51 This kind of constant disruption jeopardizes the learning
34:54 environment for the rest of the students.
34:56 Our students have a right to learn in an environment free from
34:59 danger and continual distraction.
35:01 We cannot let the actions of the few take our classrooms and
35:05 school campuses hostage.
35:07 I want to make sure to keep these problems in context.
35:10 I believe that the vast majority of our students are eager,
35:14 respectful learners who look forward to learning new things if
35:17 provided with the opportunity to do so.
35:21 However, I also believe that it is paramount that we fight to
35:24 preserve that spirit by focusing on the biggest, two biggest
35:28 issues when it comes to behavior.
35:29 Severe and or dangerous behavior and frequent escalating
35:35 disrespect and conduct from a small portion of our overall
35:38 student population.
35:39 To feel supported and valued is all most teachers want.
35:42 I feel that some ways the school board can support these
35:44 teachers and their students is one, empower our administrators
35:48 and school resource officers to address criminal behavior on
35:52 school campuses.
35:53 Two, establish a well defined discipline ladder that all
35:57 stakeholders can understand with clear repercussions for
36:00 repeated problematic behavior.
36:03 And three, form stronger community partnerships with a focus on
36:06 bringing more mental health resources.
36:08 To our campuses for students, families and our employees.
36:12 I will conclude with what I hope is an obvious statement.
36:15 When our schools are fully staffed with well qualified people
36:19 who love working with kids, school discipline and school culture
36:22 improves.
36:23 Please continue to keep teacher and staff retention and
36:26 recruitment efforts at the forefront of our district priorities
36:30 as these two issues are inextricably linked.
36:33 Thank you for your time and consideration on these critical
36:34 issues.
36:34 Thank you, Matt.
36:34 Now we’ll hear from Sandy Edwards.
36:47 Sandy Edwards is our building representative and a member of our
36:51 bargaining team from Bayside High School in Palm Bay.
36:54 She teaches AP psychology and sociology.
36:55 I’m Sandy Edwards and I concur with both of everything.
36:55 Thank you.
36:56 With everything that’s already been said.
36:57 I have been teaching psychology and sociology at Bayside for 17
36:59 years and I want to thank the board for finally letting us have
37:01 this conversation.
37:01 I’m very passionate about it.
37:02 Every day I drive to school and I tell myself, I drive from Vieira
37:02 to Bayside so I have a long time.
37:02 Welcome to the mic, please.
37:03 Sorry.
37:06 Don’t you think I could talk louder than that.
37:07 But every day I drive to work.
37:08 I’m sorry.
37:10 You think I could talk louder than that.
37:11 But every day I drive to work and I tell myself, this is going
37:12 to be a new day.
37:12 It’s going to be a better day.
37:13 I’m not going to let the kids stay.
37:14 It’s going to be a new day.
37:15 I’m not going to let the kids stay.
37:18 I’m going to let the kids stay.
37:29 Sorry.
37:31 You think I could talk louder than that.
37:34 But every day I drive to work and I tell myself, this is going
37:38 to be a new day.
37:38 It’s going to be a better day.
37:39 I’m not going to let the kids get me down.
37:42 And again, it is not all of them.
37:45 It definitely is a big handful.
37:48 And so when I get to school, I start my day with my first class.
37:53 I’m smiling.
37:54 I’m joking.
37:55 And then by midday, I’m hanging on by a thread.
37:59 And I know that I’m not the only one in my school who feels that
38:04 way.
38:04 As a building rep, I hear stories that would make you want to
38:08 cry.
38:08 And in fact, some of us do cry on a daily basis.
38:11 At times, we have to call someone to come to our room so that we
38:16 can go have a little mini breakdown in the bathroom.
38:18 Others will just drop off their keys and their badges at the
38:21 front office on their way out the door,
38:24 or never to be seen again, which then leaves teachers struggling
38:28 to cover classes and admin to cover classes.
38:32 At Bayside, I will say that the violent behaviors that we had at
38:36 the beginning of last school year have decreased.
38:39 But the unbelievable disrespect from the students and drug
38:45 issues, they’ve increased.
38:46 Our concerns at Bayside, I’m not sure if this is where I’m
38:50 supposed to say this, but we need support of families when
38:54 dealing with disciplinary issues.
38:56 We need more personnel to manage the discipline issues, hall
39:00 monitors, campus monitors, teachers on assignments.
39:03 We need more adults.
39:05 We need support of the district staff and the school board when
39:09 requesting an alternate placement for students who commit expellable
39:13 offenses.
39:13 We need effective professional development for teachers on how
39:18 to manage the behaviors of the children that are from generation
39:23 Z, because it is a different time.
39:25 So much of the disrespect and the discipline issues seem to me
39:31 to be direct result of cell phone issues.
39:35 That is really the biggest bang of my existence.
39:41 Until we as a district get a handle on the cell phones and the
39:44 earbuds, we’re just going to be spinning our wheels in the mud.
39:47 Our students cannot look away from their phones.
39:50 They cannot stop texting.
39:52 The dopamine rush that they’re getting from just picking up the
39:57 phone is greater high than any song and dance I can ever do.
40:01 And I wear myself out trying to do song and dances.
40:05 I will stand in front of a student and I will specifically say
40:09 you’ve been told to put your phone away and they will tell me
40:13 they need to finish their message.
40:14 And I stand there watching them finish their message and then
40:18 set their phone right down where it’s going to be available to
40:22 them.
40:22 I say put it away.
40:23 They put it between their legs waiting for the next thing that
40:28 they’re going to be able to look at.
40:31 They don’t hear us when we speak to them because they have
40:35 things in their ears.
40:36 I’m lucky if someone says good morning to me as they pass me
40:40 coming into the classroom because I will say hello and they’ll
40:44 go,
40:44 I’m sorry, what did you say?
40:46 And they do that to us in class all day long.
40:51 Just on a side note, I had mentioned this to a couple of people
40:56 here.
40:56 I do teach psychology and sociology.
40:59 These issues are really part of what we talk about.
41:02 But the other day I asked my students and everyone in my classes
41:06 to get a good daily average of how many times they pick up the
41:11 phone to do anything with it, just pick it up.
41:13 Ironically enough, they had to use their phone to find out that
41:19 number.
41:20 The majority of kids were shocked.
41:22 I think some pick up their phones 400 plus times a day during a
41:28 school day.
41:29 I asked them to imagine that instead of picking up their phones,
41:34 they were eating a candy bar or smoking a cigarette or taking a
41:38 hit of cocaine.
41:38 That to try to make an analogy between every time you pick up
41:42 your phone, that’s what you’re doing.
41:45 Some people would be in a diabetic coma from candy bars 400
41:49 times a day.
41:50 We need help and I am so grateful that you’re doing this and
41:56 that I’m here today.
41:57 Thank you.
41:59 Thank you, Anthony, for bringing people to the table so that we
42:06 can hear firsthand from our schools.
42:10 Next up is going to be Dolores, the president of the 1010 union
42:16 that includes IAs, bus drivers and all of our support staff.
42:20 Ms. Dolores.
42:22 Good morning, everyone.
42:23 I’m so happy everybody’s here.
42:25 This is something we’ve needed to work on for a long time.
42:29 And I believe we all want the same thing.
42:32 We want our students and our staff to be safe in a safe
42:35 environment and we want them to be in a good learning
42:39 environment.
42:40 And that can’t be done with all the disruptions and the chaos
42:46 that goes in the classrooms and on the buses.
42:49 I am here for the support staff today and I would like to say
42:55 that our bus drivers, that is an extension of the classrooms.
42:59 And when the kids get on that bus, they should behave, they
43:05 should get on there and find their seat, use inside voices.
43:09 They should never be throwing things or yelling or cursing at
43:13 the bus driver.
43:14 And if the way I look at it, if the behavior isn’t allowed in
43:19 the classroom, we don’t feel like that it should be allowed on
43:23 the buses.
43:24 And we know that there’s things going on in the classroom.
43:27 So we’re asking as we make the corrections and we come together
43:32 to come up with a great discipline plan for the students in the
43:37 classrooms that this also extends to the buses.
43:42 You know, the driver’s classroom is behind them instead of in
43:46 front of them like a teacher.
43:48 And they’re driving 50 miles an hour in traffic.
43:52 Distractions can be deadly.
43:55 We feel students need to be held accountable for their actions.
44:00 And a lot of times, and we don’t know, we’re not blaming anyone,
44:05 but it seems like that it’s, with the discipline, it’s a hit or
44:09 a miss.
44:10 And more, it’s a miss.
44:12 The bus drivers fill out their reports and give them to the
44:18 principals.
44:18 They never know if anything happened or not.
44:21 And usually the students back on the bus the next day to do the
44:26 very same things.
44:27 I don’t know if any of you seen on the news where the one bus
44:33 driver had pulled over because her students were so out of
44:36 control.
44:37 The news media portrayed that lady so badly and she is a
44:43 wonderful, wonderful person.
44:46 She cares about the students and she was put in a very bad
44:50 position that day.
44:52 So she had no other choice than to pull over to try to get some
44:58 control of the bus.
44:59 And it just got totally out of hand.
45:01 If people would see that video footage, they would be so appalled
45:06 for this lady.
45:07 How she was talked to, the F-bombs that was thrown at her.
45:11 She was threatened by the students.
45:13 She was threatened by other people outside the bus.
45:17 I could hardly watch it all the way through.
45:20 It was so stressful for me.
45:22 Though I can’t even imagine what it was like for her.
45:25 And I can’t imagine how she does that every day.
45:28 You know, we just, we really just need to do something to help
45:35 the bus drivers and the IAs that are in those classrooms with
45:40 the teachers.
45:41 Because the IAs in the classrooms are being terribly abused.
45:46 And I will, you know, Alicia will talk about that because she’s
45:52 an IA right in the classroom.
45:53 And she goes through abuse every day.
45:56 And it’s so sad.
45:58 I have pictures of some of the things that has happened to her
46:02 being choked and scratched.
46:04 And it’s, something has to happen to protect our employees as
46:11 well as we work so hard to protect our students.
46:16 We had a 70 year old bus driver that a student threw a water
46:21 bottle and hit him in the back of the head.
46:24 Now, can you imagine if he would have knocked him out?
46:28 What could have happened?
46:30 Well, when they talked to the student, he said he or she,
46:37 whatever the student was, did not mean to throw the, to hit him
46:42 with the bottle.
46:43 Why was the student throwing a bottle to start with?
46:47 Why aren’t these students being held accountable?
46:50 This is the rules.
46:51 You get on the bus, you sit, you are quiet.
46:54 When it’s your turn to get off the bus, you get up and exit the
46:58 bus.
46:58 No fighting, no throwing, no cursing, no being out loud.
47:02 If you’re, if you’re, if you break these rules, there has to be
47:08 consequences and they have to be followed.
47:09 And if, you know, to me, riding a bus is a privilege.
47:15 So if they can’t obey the rules of the bus, you can’t ride the
47:19 bus, you know, for a period of time, not just a day or two days
47:24 or three and back on the bus to do the same thing.
47:28 It should start at maybe a week, two.
47:31 I don’t know what the answer is.
47:33 I’m just throwing out suggestions to the point to where they’re
47:37 suspended from the bus for the remainder of that term.
47:40 You know, something has to be done to protect our bus drivers
47:45 and our IAs in the classroom.
47:47 Normally, you know, a student gets a one to three suspensions
47:55 with 10 being the most.
47:59 They get suspended.
48:00 It’s a day.
48:01 It’s two days.
48:02 You know, it’s, it doesn’t work because they know they’re going
48:05 to get back on the bus.
48:06 Now, when it comes to the ESE classrooms regarding those
48:12 students, we know there’s federal and state laws that are going
48:16 to need to be changed.
48:16 We want the students to be safe and in a safe environment and
48:22 the employees working with these students need to be safe from
48:26 abuse at the hands of the student.
48:29 So we need changes and we believe this will take lawmakers being
48:35 involved working with us to bring about these needed changes.
48:39 And I think we all believe that.
48:42 So with that said, I’m going to turn it over to Alisa.
48:47 She is an IA in a classroom.
48:50 And on the bus.
48:52 Yes.
48:53 Good morning, everyone.
48:58 My name is Alisha Kelderhouse and I’m an instructional assistant
49:02 at Merritt Island High School.
49:03 This is my 19th year of service.
49:05 And I work with the most wonderful population, I think, with our
49:11 students with special needs.
49:13 And I feel like it’s, it was a calling for me.
49:17 And I love my job.
49:20 I love working with, with those students.
49:23 The last few years, it’s been more and more difficult though
49:29 with some of the discipline, some of the behaviors that are
49:33 coming into the classroom.
49:34 And on the bus, which interrupts the learning environment for
49:40 other students.
49:41 There’s not enough staff to work with our kids who need small
49:47 group instruction because we are too busy dealing with
49:52 discipline problems.
49:53 Having to clear the classroom on an almost daily basis.
50:00 Some of the IAs that I work with and myself, we have to, like,
50:06 talk to each other in the morning and motivate each other just
50:10 to get to work because we know what we’re going to face when we
50:13 get there.
50:14 And on an everyday basis, I’m deflecting, being attacked,
50:21 scratched, head butted, pushed, kicked.
50:26 I’ve had my hair pulled and been pulled down to the ground.
50:33 I’ve had my throat gone for on multiple occasions.
50:37 And it’s on an everyday basis right now.
50:40 And this is not always the norm.
50:44 Because I certainly didn’t expect that.
50:46 And it wasn’t like this when I started a long time ago.
50:49 There was some discipline problems, but it was not this type of
50:53 severity.
50:54 I know that there’s laws that protect our kids.
50:57 And I agree that there has to be laws that protect our kids.
51:00 But I think it needs to protect all of our kids and our
51:04 employees.
51:05 We should be able to go to work and feel safe.
51:09 And our other children who are witnessing every day, they’re
51:15 witnessing myself and other people being attacked.
51:18 And also, children have been hurt because they get away from you
51:24 and they go to harm other students.
51:26 And it has happened, which is very hard for me to deal with
51:32 because I love all my kids so much.
51:34 And I want to protect them.
51:37 I want to do the best that I can for them.
51:39 And it’s not a matter of not having the support of
51:43 administration or anything.
51:45 They have their hands tied.
51:47 There are special circumstances and I understand that.
51:52 And I understand that it’s going to take some time to change the
51:56 laws or amend things or something that can help so that these
52:01 kids and employees have a safe environment.
52:04 And I don’t want to be afraid to go to work every day.
52:07 I know I have students who are afraid every day in the classroom.
52:13 And it’s just not fair to them.
52:16 And that’s actually what hurts my heart the most is having the
52:19 other kids witness things that they shouldn’t have to witness.
52:22 And another thing is when you work with students that are nonverbal,
52:28 we’re taught crisis prevention and intervention.
52:31 And the main thing with that is verbal de-escalation.
52:34 When you have a nonverbal student, how do you use verbal de-escalation?
52:40 Because you don’t get responses.
52:42 You don’t know how much they understand.
52:44 And it just, there needs to be some sort of help or training.
52:50 We need more help at a district level, a crisis prevention team
52:55 or something to help assist us because there’s not enough of us.
52:58 And people aren’t taking the positions.
53:02 They’re trying to hire people.
53:03 But there’s not enough of us to go around to help everyone.
53:06 And nobody wants to apply for the job because it doesn’t pay
53:10 enough and you’re, it’s dangerous.
53:13 So I just, I feel like there needs to be some short term help
53:20 while we fight a long term fight.
53:24 And any type of, even mental health counseling for us because we’re
53:31 so stressed out.
53:33 And we take this home to our families.
53:35 I work, I leave my house at 6:00 a.m.
53:38 I get home at 6:00 p.m.
53:39 I ride the bus four hours a day.
53:41 And I have these behaviors on the bus as well.
53:44 I have students that have padded seats because they hit.
53:49 And it’s, it’s pretty scary.
53:53 So I just want to see some changes for that.
53:57 There’s got to be some sort of alternate placement or, or help
54:02 just more support to help us in this situation.
54:05 I guess that’s all I have.
54:08 Thank you, Ms. Kelderhouse.
54:10 I did, I did to lighten the mood a little bit, Ms. Kelderhouse,
54:21 I taught her son.
54:21 And Ms. Kelderhouse was also involved in bringing a, what is it
54:25 about a 20 foot teepee to Space Coast.
54:27 It’s, it’s legit, an identical, it’s a replica and was one of
54:32 the greatest things for our students to be able to see.
54:34 So not only do you, you know, lead inside 1010, but you also
54:39 help out all this instruction and stuff like that.
54:40 Thank you very much.
54:41 Ms. Barney, do you have anybody else that wishes to speak?
54:43 Yes.
54:44 Tracy Arzola.
54:45 She is our co-chair for our local 1010.
54:49 Thank you.
54:50 And also a mother of a student.
54:53 Thank you.
54:54 - Hi, my name’s Tracy Arzola.
54:58 First up, I’d like to say thank you and good morning.
55:01 I know we’ve just discussed issues with bus drivers and
55:04 instructional assistants today as well as Teachers Union has
55:10 spoke about teachers issues.
55:11 But from a parent standpoint, first off, I’d like to start
55:18 reading off a couple things from Policy 5517-11.
55:24 which is the bullying and harassment policy.
55:29 Number one, it says the school board is committed to providing
55:32 an educational setting and workplace that is safe, secure, and
55:35 free from bullying and harassment from all students and
55:39 employees.
55:40 Number two says the board will not tolerate unlawful bullying
55:44 and harassment of any type.
55:46 Included in the general selection section, number five states
55:50 the superintendent shall develop a comprehensive plan intended
55:54 to prevent bullying and harassment and to cultivate the school
55:58 climate so as to appropriately identify, report, investigate,
56:01 and respond to situations of bullying and harassment.
56:05 As they may occur on school grounds at school sponsored events
56:09 and through school computer networks.
56:12 Most importantly, implementation of the plan by each principal
56:16 will be ongoing throughout the school year and will be
56:19 integrated with the school curriculum, the bullying and
56:22 prevention program, district disciplinary policies, and violence
56:26 prevention efforts.
56:28 Also under section C, expected behavior, number two states such
56:34 behavior is essential in maintaining an environment that
56:36 provides each student the opportunity to obtain a high quality
56:40 education in a uniform, safe, secure, efficient, and high
56:46 quality system of education.
56:47 I’m sorry, this has failed.
56:52 Not just in school, but on buses.
56:55 As an example, my son was an elementary student at a BPS school
56:59 for his last two years was bullied numerous times.
57:03 I would receive calls from the nurse’s office with him crying
57:06 saying he didn’t feel well or had a headache.
57:08 I had to leave work to pick him up and go home and sit with him.
57:14 Finally, I started to pay a little more attention and wonder
57:18 what was really wrong.
57:19 He was never sick like this any other time.
57:22 So I talked to him and asked him, “What’s going on?”
57:27 Finally, I got some answers.
57:29 He was being bullied on the daily.
57:31 He was being hit by students, name calling, pushed, shoved, just
57:38 bullied.
57:40 I even talked to the SRO on campus.
57:44 She had noticed something was going on.
57:46 Thought it was pretty odd that he was calling all the time to go
57:50 home.
57:50 So her being a mother and had students of her own that were
57:53 bullied, we had a good talk.
57:56 She told me she was gonna go talk to the principal.
57:58 To ask the principal if she could go to all the fifth grade
58:01 classes and speak to the children so it wasn’t making it look
58:06 obvious that she was talking about my son.
58:07 I don’t know if that ever happened.
58:10 I never saw the SRO again after that.
58:12 I know they do get moved around, but I’m not sure.
58:15 When I did speak with the principal of the school, I was told
58:19 that they would investigate it.
58:22 A couple days had gone by and I didn’t hear anything.
58:25 So I made a call to the school myself.
58:28 She stated that there would be a letter coming in the mail that
58:32 they investigated, but nothing was caught on camera.
58:35 Henceforth, nothing was done.
58:38 A student who witnessed the incident on more than one occasion
58:43 even went to the principal and notified the principal of what
58:47 the student was seeing.
58:48 To me, that’s better than a camera.
58:50 Cameras don’t catch everything.
58:52 We all know that.
58:53 A couple days later, I received the letter from the principal
58:59 and all it had in there was a school of choice form.
59:03 So basically, my son was being punished by saying, here, you can
59:09 switch schools.
59:10 That’ll solve the problem.
59:12 No, it won’t.
59:14 The bully will just move on to another child or my child will go
59:18 to another school and be bullied by someone else.
59:21 And that’s more of an inconvenience for my husband and I because
59:25 now we have to find a school for my child to go to.
59:28 We have to find out how he’s going to get back and forth to the
59:32 school and he’s going to have to meet new students and hope that
59:35 none of them bully him.
59:36 There’s a problem and it’s not being handled correctly.
59:42 The fact it had on my son was not fair to him or us.
59:47 His behavior changed.
59:49 His grades went down.
59:51 He wanted to play sick from school more so he wouldn’t have to
59:55 go and deal with it.
59:56 This is not the kind of environment my son should have to go
1:00:00 through or any other child.
1:00:02 I have another parent that I spoke with had two sons at the same
1:00:06 school, was being bullied, got nowhere with it.
1:00:09 She withdrew them and put them in Brevard Virtual while she was
1:00:13 on a high-risk pregnancy at home.
1:00:17 Then they moved out of state because they were tired.
1:00:20 It just wasn’t right for them.
1:00:23 Something needs to be done.
1:00:25 I’m sorry, but for all of us in every single situation, whether
1:00:30 you’re a teacher, a student, a bus driver, we spent millions on
1:00:34 security.
1:00:35 We got SROs on site.
1:00:37 We spent millions to keep danger out.
1:00:41 All we’re doing is caging it in.
1:00:46 Something needs to be done.
1:00:48 Thank you for your time and have a wonderful day.
1:00:50 - Thank you, Tracy.
1:00:54 Are you good?
1:00:55 Ms. Dolores, are you finished?
1:00:56 - I’ll just have one more.
1:00:57 - Go ahead.
1:00:58 - Something that both that they have pointed out is the students
1:01:07 that are there to learn.
1:01:11 They’re good students.
1:01:12 They’re behaving.
1:01:13 They’re following the rules.
1:01:15 But they can’t really learn in the environment they’re in
1:01:19 because of the disruptions and the chaos.
1:01:21 Just like the bus video footage that I watched with the lady
1:01:27 down there that had the problems.
1:01:29 There was four students on that bus that was wonderful.
1:01:33 They didn’t get involved in the chaos.
1:01:35 And at one point, one of the students I watched even try to
1:01:39 comfort the bus driver.
1:01:40 So, you know, it’s not fair to our students that want to learn
1:01:44 to have to deal with that.
1:01:46 And that’s all I have to say.
1:01:48 Thank you, Matt.
1:01:49 - Thank you, Ms. Barney.
1:01:50 I will say I’m going to refer to that.
1:01:52 I’ve also, so that everybody knows, some school board members, I
1:01:55 was able to obtain a copy of that yesterday.
1:01:56 And now we have a copy of it in security.
1:01:59 Just so if you would like to watch that.
1:02:01 I think it’s an eye-opening experience into exactly what you
1:02:05 guys are dealing with.
1:02:06 I will say this because we didn’t, there was zero suspensions on
1:02:12 that.
1:02:12 And the individual, the parent that entered the bus and told
1:02:16 kids to get off and even threatened the one kid who didn’t want
1:02:18 to get off.
1:02:18 Was not disciplined in any way.
1:02:22 So we will take a look at that.
1:02:24 And that’s some of the things, but it’s available to you in
1:02:27 security and many other people.
1:02:28 We cannot make that available to the public because of FERPA and
1:02:31 other statutory limitations.
1:02:33 So thank you very much.
1:02:34 Next speaker we have is Mr. Gary Schifrin, president of BASA.
1:02:38 - Good morning.
1:02:40 I want to thank Mr. Susan and the school board for allowing BASA
1:02:46 to be at the table, to be a part of this discussion.
1:02:48 It is with a great honor that I represent all of the
1:02:54 administrators in the schools.
1:02:55 And as we have awesome teachers, I can tell you, we have awesome
1:03:01 administrators.
1:03:02 What they have gone through over the past two years with COVID
1:03:06 and the pandemic is nothing less than courageous and creativeness.
1:03:06 Just to get us through these past two years.
1:03:20 Having said that though, we have monthly BASA board meetings and
1:03:24 it is heartbreaking in just about every meeting to listen to the
1:03:31 stories of our administrators in regards to what they deal with
1:03:35 and how they’re being overworked in regards to discipline.
1:03:40 And the fact that they’re so frustrated because their main job
1:03:46 is to ensure the safety of the school and to have instructional
1:03:51 learning take place.
1:03:53 And yet they’re spending more time on discipline issues and it’s
1:03:59 just overwhelming.
1:04:00 I’ve talked to a number of administrators that we may lose come
1:04:05 Christmas time because they just, they can’t do it.
1:04:08 Um, and they get better offers, uh, out in the business world
1:04:13 and with a whole lot less stress than what they’re, what they’re
1:04:18 doing here in our schools.
1:04:19 And, and that’s a shame.
1:04:20 I’ve been involved with Bavard schools for 50 years, over 50
1:04:24 years.
1:04:25 Yes, I cry too.
1:04:27 Uh, which again is longer than most of you are alive.
1:04:32 But in the seventies, I remember we had civil disobedience.
1:04:37 We had protests, we had riots on campuses and the discussion
1:04:43 about discipline was even back during the seventies.
1:04:48 The biggest difference though, back then and back now, is when a
1:04:52 student got out of hand, uh, and was disruptive.
1:04:56 They knew they were going to get consequences at school, but
1:05:00 more importantly, they knew when they got home, they were going
1:05:04 to get consequences there as well.
1:05:07 So, so since being asked to be at the table, um, I have reached
1:05:16 out to my fellow administrators and have asked them, give me
1:05:24 some ideas, even though we hear about it every month, but I
1:05:26 wanted to get some specifics in regards to what can we do to
1:05:30 maybe make discipline, um, less frustrating.
1:05:34 And the first thing again, I have to go back to it, it starts at
1:05:39 the home.
1:05:40 Somehow we have to get our parents on our side.
1:05:43 The principals, principals, principals tell me that parents yell
1:05:49 at them, curse at them, tell them when they disagree with a
1:05:55 consequence, I’m going to get my lawyer.
1:05:57 That happens all the time.
1:06:00 We need to get our parents on our side.
1:06:03 Unfortunately, I know many schools have done like workshops,
1:06:07 newsletters, meetings with disruptive students, some work, but
1:06:13 many, many don’t.
1:06:15 Another principals are looking for support from the district.
1:06:19 Yes, we have a district discipline plan, but principals believe
1:06:24 that the school understands the complexity of the situation that
1:06:29 warrants the consequences.
1:06:31 If two students are involved in a knock down, drag out fight,
1:06:35 and the principals feel that a 10 day suspension are warranted,
1:06:39 then the district should support this.
1:06:41 The school should know what is best for their school.
1:06:49 Principals should not be targeted because suspension rates are
1:06:53 high, especially amongst different demographics.
1:06:57 Breaking rules should not be separated by racial groups and
1:07:03 included on a monthly report showing the principals how many
1:07:07 suspensions there were by subgroups.
1:07:10 And then there is that discussion as to why your school has so
1:07:14 many more suspensions in one group over another.
1:07:18 Principals are made to feel like they shouldn’t suspend because
1:07:23 of the fear of their evaluation.
1:07:27 The vast majority of discipline issues do not make it to the
1:07:33 district.
1:07:33 Support the schools and applaud their efforts.
1:07:37 If a principal and others don’t have discipline, then help them
1:07:43 or replace them.
1:07:46 Another thing, something needs to be done about the ALC
1:07:50 experience.
1:07:51 If an incident is serious enough to have students sent to the
1:07:55 Alternative Learning Center, it should be more than two days in
1:08:01 ALC and then three days at home, maybe on the computer.
1:08:05 There should be a five-day program addressing behavior
1:08:09 modification.
1:08:10 It was even suggested that our chronic disruptors should be sent
1:08:18 to a scared straight program run by law enforcement.
1:08:25 I’m glad I got your notice there.
1:08:29 If a student is not on pace to graduate at the age of 19, then
1:08:36 they should be sent packing.
1:08:38 We have students who have attended school for three years and
1:08:42 only have three credits.
1:08:44 They are not going to get a high school diploma.
1:08:48 They hang around to cause trouble, deal drugs, or be with their
1:08:54 boyfriend or girlfriend, skipping class.
1:08:57 And I could go on and on and on.
1:09:01 But the sheriff is next, and I’m not going to be one to prevent
1:09:06 him from his time.
1:09:07 But the bottom line is, as the teachers and as Mr. Colucci has
1:09:13 presented, it is very frustrating and very difficult to do what
1:09:20 the administrators have been trained to do when they’re having
1:09:24 to deal with so many discipline issues.
1:09:26 So, again, we’re here to be a part of the solution, and we hope
1:09:31 that you will continue to make us a part of it.
1:09:34 Thank you.
1:09:35 Thank you, Gary.
1:09:36 Sheriff Ivey, you’re next, sir.
1:09:42 Well, first of all, thank you for all being here.
1:09:45 This is a community effort.
1:09:46 This is a community issue, and I appreciate everybody being here.
1:09:50 General George Patton once said that if everybody’s sitting at
1:09:53 the table thinking alike, somebody’s not thinking.
1:09:56 What I see today is a group of our community, a group of
1:10:01 individuals involved in our public schools that are all sitting
1:10:03 here at the table.
1:10:04 And we don’t always agree on stuff.
1:10:06 Anthony and I have been on different sides of the aisle many
1:10:09 times.
1:10:09 But what I’m seeing and what I’m hearing is everybody in this
1:10:13 room is agreeing that our teachers and our students deserve a
1:10:18 safe learning environment to go to school in.
1:10:22 Everybody at this table is agreeing to that.
1:10:24 We all have different thoughts on how it should happen.
1:10:28 But everybody in this room is concerned about the discipline
1:10:32 issue.
1:10:32 The sheriff’s office is not in the discipline business.
1:10:35 That’s to the school board.
1:10:36 Our job is to deal with the criminal elements that happen on our
1:10:42 school campuses, the security of our school campuses.
1:10:46 But what’s happening is those lines are becoming blurred because
1:10:50 many of these issues that you’ve heard about sitting at this
1:10:53 table that should have been handled as a criminal issue never
1:10:57 got to us.
1:10:58 It never got brought to our attention.
1:11:00 And if you want to see how that looks, look south to Parkland
1:11:04 because that’s what happened in Parkland.
1:11:06 They dealt with the issues as administrative issues or they didn’t
1:11:09 deal with them at all.
1:11:10 And the next thing you know, it’s an explosive thing that costs
1:11:14 lives.
1:11:14 I got brought into this because the very first hint that I got
1:11:20 that school discipline wasn’t even involved anymore in our
1:11:25 education system.
1:11:26 It was when we took over district school security and we started
1:11:29 hearing these horror stories.
1:11:31 Folks, I’ve sat here and I’ve listened to our teachers, our bus
1:11:35 drivers, our ESE IAs.
1:11:38 I’ve listened to our school administrators.
1:11:41 And I’ve watched the faces of each of you that’s in the audience.
1:11:44 And what I see is shock, disbelief, disappointment, fear for
1:11:51 your students, for your children that are going to school.
1:11:56 My life is a little bit different.
1:11:59 And Mr. Schifrin pointed out that he was a teacher for 50 years.
1:12:03 And then he decided to pick on me and say before many of you
1:12:06 were born, which he knows that’s not true about me.
1:12:09 But I can tell you right now, what he said is absolute.
1:12:14 I’ve never ridden a school bus that my mom didn’t drive.
1:12:19 My mom was a school bus driver.
1:12:21 I lived every day of my life in fear.
1:12:24 But let me tell you something.
1:12:28 My mom demanded that every child on that bus, including her own,
1:12:34 rode with respect and safety in mind.
1:12:37 And if I got in trouble on the bus, my mom wrote me up and sent
1:12:41 me to the dean just like any other kid.
1:12:43 And when I got home, my dad dealt with the issue.
1:12:48 My mom was the sheriff, the judge, and the executioner in our
1:12:54 household.
1:12:54 And I’m better for it.
1:12:56 Folks, we’ve got to get parents back involved.
1:13:00 We, many years ago, in fact, I think it was 2014, our agency
1:13:05 started a program called It’s Time to Be a Parent Again.
1:13:08 It was a program designed to re-empower parents, to make them
1:13:12 fear more from a knock on the door of one of us telling them
1:13:16 their child was in trouble or had been killed than they did from
1:13:18 a knock on the door of DCF telling them they were in trouble for
1:13:21 disciplining their child.
1:13:23 Folks, we’ve got to get parents back involved.
1:13:25 We’ve got to get parents standing on the same side of the desk
1:13:28 as the teacher.
1:13:30 Asking the kid can they explain them grades instead of standing
1:13:33 on the same side of the desk as the student telling the teacher
1:13:37 they need to explain it.
1:13:39 I’m glad to be a part of this.
1:13:40 We’re all here for the same thing.
1:13:42 We all want to find a solution to this.
1:13:44 And whatever that solution is, I think the people around this
1:13:48 table are the people that are right to come up with the solution.
1:13:51 But the solution is simply this.
1:13:54 We need to have a solid discipline policy that holds both
1:14:00 students that misbehave accountable and administrators and
1:14:04 teachers that don’t do their job accountable.
1:14:06 And we need to enforce that policy.
1:14:10 If you’re the parent of a kid that wants to go to school in a
1:14:13 safe learning environment and get great academics, be part of
1:14:17 the arts, be part of the sports programs, the band, whatever it
1:14:21 is, we owe that to you to give you that safe learning
1:14:24 environment.
1:14:25 If you’re a teacher or administrator that passionately goes to
1:14:29 work every day, man, my heart goes out to you guys, that passionately
1:14:33 goes to work every day and wants to do your job, your prayers
1:14:37 have been answered.
1:14:39 But if you’re the parent of a kid that’s that constant
1:14:42 disruption, you’re the parent of that kid that is disrupting
1:14:46 others’ opportunities to learn, in my opinion, and this is up to
1:14:50 the board, but in my opinion, you better get your kid straight.
1:14:53 Because if not, they’re going to need someplace else to go to
1:14:56 school.
1:14:56 That’s all I got to say.
1:14:58 Thank you, Sheriff.
1:15:03 We have a couple of the other groups that are here that I’d like
1:15:06 to give an opportunity to.
1:15:07 First off, I’d love to give the opportunity for the NAACP to
1:15:11 speak.
1:15:12 Mr. Bernard Bryan, you have the floor, sir.
1:15:18 Thank you.
1:15:19 Thank you, Mr. Susan.
1:15:21 Thank you, school board, for allowing me to be here.
1:15:26 I’m really excited about the opportunity to express.
1:15:29 I went to a Bible study the other day, and the instructor really
1:15:33 taught me a lot.
1:15:34 He said, when I look at issues, when I look at people, look at
1:15:38 them through the eyes of Christ, not through the eyes of an
1:15:42 officer, not through the eyes of a teacher, but look at them
1:15:47 through the eyes of Christ.
1:15:48 And I heard Mr. Anthony plea, and I thank Mrs. Sandy for her
1:15:54 information, and I think the bus drivers as well that you’re
1:15:58 representing.
1:15:59 But I’m going to stand for the students right now.
1:16:02 I just – there’s just a couple of things that I think is
1:16:08 important.
1:16:09 I’m crying out right now for over 5,000 students that are two to
1:16:15 one grade level behind in reading.
1:16:17 Thank you.
1:16:18 I’m crying.
1:16:20 I’m crying out for 6,000 students that are behind in math.
1:16:26 I would like to see this effort that we’re having today that is
1:16:32 on those topics that we’re discussing.
1:16:35 I just – I can’t tell you how hurt I am.
1:16:45 I’m a volunteer.
1:16:46 I’ve been retired now for 11 years.
1:16:49 I teach kids STEM.
1:16:51 I mentor kids at University Park and Stone.
1:16:55 I do a lot voluntarily, and I’m not paid a dime.
1:17:00 I do it because I look at kids through the eyes of Christ.
1:17:04 This is a complicated problem, and I’ve got to be honest with
1:17:08 you.
1:17:08 But what I’ve learned in my engineering background, you be data-driven.
1:17:14 You don’t really act.
1:17:17 You don’t really act on an 18 situation.
1:17:20 Okay?
1:17:21 I’m just using your numbers.
1:17:22 If you look at flight in the school, it’s rated number six on
1:17:28 the Pareto chart.
1:17:29 So would you tell the community, sir and ma’am, that I’m going
1:17:33 to put all this effort on
1:17:35 not the number one driver?
1:17:37 That is not the number one cause.
1:17:40 Okay?
1:17:41 And I have the data to support that.
1:17:43 So I just – when you deal with a complicated problem, you need
1:17:51 to get everybody involved,
1:17:52 not just a few people.
1:17:54 So I just want to ask this as a rhetorical question.
1:17:57 Did you communicate with Mrs. Moore?
1:18:02 Did you communicate to Ms. Gleason?
1:18:05 Did you communicate with Ms. Sullivan and Ms. Klein?
1:18:14 Did you communicate with the principals?
1:18:15 Did you communicate with the parents?
1:18:17 Did you communicate with the teachers?
1:18:19 Did you communicate with the community?
1:18:22 When you deal with difficult problems, you’ve got to use that.
1:18:27 There’s multiple solutions.
1:18:28 And I was so hurt the other day, and I almost cried.
1:18:33 When I saw the video where Mr. Ivy and some other people –
1:18:38 We are in front of a jail, sir.
1:18:50 I’ve got to share this story with you, okay?
1:18:57 I mentor children.
1:18:58 I want you to listen to me very carefully.
1:19:07 I mentor children at University Park.
1:19:10 I just got through teaching them science, how to put their
1:19:14 science project out.
1:19:15 When I was leaving the school, some of the kids that were eating
1:19:20 lunch was walking in a single file.
1:19:23 You know the first question they asked me?
1:19:26 And this student, sir, was only six years old.
1:19:31 The first thing she said, “Sir, are you a policeman?”
1:19:35 That’s a six-year-old girl looking at her.
1:19:39 I didn’t have any uniform on?
1:19:41 So the perception of damage was happening in our community by
1:19:47 that video.
1:19:47 It’s bad.
1:19:49 Okay?
1:19:50 I just want you to understand.
1:19:51 Now, I’ve got to go back to these schools.
1:19:54 I mentor 18 boys, and they all saw the video.
1:20:00 So I’m asking this team now.
1:20:04 Whatever you do, make sure you’re data-driven.
1:20:09 The number one, the number one cause of referral is not fighting.
1:20:16 That’s not the number one.
1:20:18 I have read your parents’ survey.
1:20:22 Okay?
1:20:23 I’ve looked at the data.
1:20:26 You know what your teachers are saying?
1:20:28 I don’t talk to the parents.
1:20:31 You know what the parents are saying?
1:20:33 I don’t talk to the teacher!
1:20:36 So if you want to attack these tough problems, team, let’s do it
1:20:41 in a data-driven approach.
1:20:44 I’ve got to be honest with you.
1:20:45 God prepared me for this day.
1:20:57 Watch this now.
1:20:58 In March of 2022, I looked at three years’ worth of data.
1:21:03 Three years!
1:21:05 What’s happening now?
1:21:06 Go back in 2020.
1:21:08 It was worse.
1:21:09 So I would love to have had this meeting in 2020.
1:21:14 So I just want to ask Mr. Susan and the board and those who are
1:21:19 here in the community, look at our children through the eyes of
1:21:23 Christ.
1:21:24 Don’t segregate them.
1:21:26 Don’t put them in a position where they feel that they’re going
1:21:30 to go to prison.
1:21:31 Don’t do that.
1:21:33 Our kids are important.
1:21:35 So, you know, I can just talk a lot, but, you know, Mr. Bryan is
1:21:41 in the community.
1:21:42 I work with students.
1:21:43 And I want to invite you to come see all STEM kids.
1:21:46 You want to see some smart children?
1:21:48 They’re very smart.
1:21:51 And when I mentor kids, I mentor across all ethnic groups.
1:21:56 So I just wanted to make sure I leave this in with you.
1:21:59 Look at this problem through the eyes of Christ.
1:22:02 And look at this problem not as a use everybody.
1:22:07 The private public school staff is very, very talented.
1:22:11 I’ve worked with a lot of them.
1:22:13 And I respect them all.
1:22:15 So that’s kind of where my position is.
1:22:17 And I hope you feel me today.
1:22:19 But, like I said, my background is my last job was a public
1:22:24 reliability engineer in the avionics business.
1:22:27 And they taught me not to make a decision without data.
1:22:31 So that’s what I want you to consider today.
1:22:34 So I’d like to ask Mr. President, the coming president of the
1:22:38 self-providing WACP, Mr. B.
1:22:40 Mr. B.
1:22:44 Thank you.
1:22:45 And good morning.
1:22:46 And thank you for allowing me to speak to this distinguished
1:22:51 board here.
1:22:52 Speaking about the video, the caption on the video, Sheriff Ivey
1:23:01 declares brand new day for discipline at Brevard Public Schools.
1:23:05 So, Sheriff Ivey at this meeting said he’s not in the discipline
1:23:13 business.
1:23:15 And you’re right.
1:23:17 It is a brand new day.
1:23:19 And our children are not clowns.
1:23:21 They’re not snot nosed.
1:23:23 And your threats, your bullying, your scare tactics.
1:23:29 Mr. Benny Jackson.
1:23:30 Mr. Jackson, I gotta ask you to.
1:23:32 Mr. Jackson.
1:23:33 He’s just threatened us here.
1:23:34 No, Mr. Jackson.
1:23:35 Let him ramble.
1:23:36 Okay.
1:23:37 Let him ramble.
1:23:38 Mr. Jackson.
1:23:40 Look, everyone else was allowed to say their piece.
1:23:45 That’s right.
1:23:46 Let him speak.
1:23:47 I have not said anything that was not in the media.
1:23:53 Yes.
1:23:54 So, my question to Sheriff Ivey is what was the message you were
1:24:04 sending?
1:24:05 The message I sent is what put everybody in this room today.
1:24:08 The message I sent is that our teachers and our students deserve
1:24:14 to have a safe environment
1:24:16 in school.
1:24:17 So, I think the message is very clear.
1:24:19 That’s why we’re all here today.
1:24:20 Okay.
1:24:21 Mr. Jackson.
1:24:22 I beg the difference.
1:24:23 On the same media where the sheriff is standing in front of the
1:24:29 police station.
1:24:29 I think it’s a new day for a disciplined press conference and
1:24:35 threatening, yet vague in exactly what it would entail.
1:24:39 Thank you, Mr. Jackson.
1:24:40 That’s a news report.
1:24:41 That’s not from me.
1:24:42 That’s it.
1:24:43 That’s from the news.
1:24:44 That’s not from me.
1:24:45 I haven’t heard any details.
1:24:49 And in 2018, when you trained your special, your special force,
1:24:55 and you bragged about the 176 hours of training.
1:24:58 Mr. Jackson, I would ask you to refer your comments to the
1:25:01 discipline policy that we’re speaking to today, not on an event
1:25:04 from 2018.
1:25:05 Related to the discipline policy, the 176 hours of special
1:25:12 training that the SRs received had a seven times greater
1:25:18 attention to weapons than to mental health.
1:25:22 Mr. Jackson, I would agree with you that one of the biggest
1:25:29 issues we have in front of us is the mental health of our
1:25:36 students and our staff.
1:25:39 That’s been addressed.
1:25:40 And I appreciate you bringing that up.
1:25:40 Mr. Bryan, do you have somebody else you’d like to speak?
1:25:54 Thank you.
1:25:55 Hello.
1:25:56 My name is Latandra Fuller.
1:25:57 I’m pastor of Arise International Ministries.
1:25:59 I also work with the community and I also work with students and
1:26:03 mentoring.
1:26:04 I want to approach it this way.
1:26:08 I believe we’ve all walked outside and noticed the wind, as we
1:26:12 were saying.
1:26:13 It’s a windy day today.
1:26:15 The reality of that is, is that we have never seen wind.
1:26:20 We’ve only seen the result of the wind.
1:26:25 And I believe when we approach situations from the result and
1:26:31 not from the root, we make situations worse.
1:26:35 We make problems worse.
1:26:36 We make issues worse.
1:26:38 And I also say this.
1:26:41 There’s a little passage in the Bible that talks about Isaac and
1:26:45 how he was trying to dig from his father’s will.
1:26:48 And each time he tried, he was interfered.
1:26:52 They basically blocked him, right?
1:26:57 But it wasn’t until Isaac made the decision to dig new wells
1:27:02 that they left him alone.
1:27:04 I want to challenge this board to deal new wells.
1:27:08 Let’s not go back to our father’s wells.
1:27:12 Let’s dig new wells.
1:27:14 And what do I mean?
1:27:15 It’s time to dig new wells in the sense of bring our parents
1:27:19 back into the meeting rooms.
1:27:21 Bring our community leaders back into the meeting rooms.
1:27:25 It cannot just be a specific panel, okay?
1:27:29 I talk with teachers.
1:27:30 I’ve seen what teachers have gone through.
1:27:32 I have siblings that have driven the buses.
1:27:35 I’ve seen what they’ve gone through.
1:27:37 But I believe the biggest issue, and I heard our principal say
1:27:40 this, is that we have to get parents back on the same page.
1:27:44 We have to get community leaders back on the same page.
1:27:48 When we eliminate our parents, when we eliminate our community
1:27:52 leaders, even when we eliminate our teachers and our principals
1:27:56 and the support staff, you cannot resolve or solve an issue.
1:28:02 When we look at the numbers, when we look at the numbers, we’ll
1:28:08 see if parents are back involved in just the learning experience,
1:28:14 we can now do something about the discipline.
1:28:17 But if you’re going to continue to make rules on discipline
1:28:20 outside of those that carried their children, outside of those
1:28:24 that seeded their children, outside of the community that helped
1:28:28 those parents.
1:28:29 When those parents need food, the community leaders are there.
1:28:32 When those parents need a place to stay, the community leaders
1:28:35 are there.
1:28:36 If you’re going to continue to hit a problem and target a
1:28:39 problem, and the parents aren’t in that room, I have no idea
1:28:43 what your solutions are.
1:28:46 And I’m a parent.
1:28:47 I wasn’t in the room.
1:28:48 I have no idea what your solutions are.
1:28:50 And I’m a pastor in the community.
1:28:53 I have no idea what your solutions are.
1:28:55 And I work with children.
1:28:57 I work with parents.
1:28:58 You cannot resolve it until you bring us back in your meetings.
1:29:04 Not these meetings, but the meetings behind the doors that
1:29:08 dictate and determine what they’re going on.
1:29:11 I’m saying it’s time to dig new wells, and we need to do this
1:29:18 together.
1:29:20 Ms. Fuller, I couldn’t think of a better statement than what you
1:29:24 just said right now.
1:29:24 I think everybody that’s inside this crowd right now agrees with
1:29:28 you that the parents need to be one of the biggest parts.
1:29:30 I think everybody in here would agree.
1:29:32 There’s not a single individual.
1:29:33 Thank you so much for saying that.
1:29:35 You hit it right on the head.
1:29:37 Parents need to be involved, and they need to be a part of it.
1:29:40 I really appreciate it.
1:29:41 Thank you.
1:29:42 I was going to give Mr. Rainey an opportunity.
1:29:45 Mr. Rainey.
1:29:46 This is an individual that’s been coming now for over a year
1:29:49 representing a lot of the IAs and bus drivers.
1:29:51 He works very closely with many of them.
1:29:55 He is not part of the 1010 union, but because of his efforts in
1:29:59 this area, I wanted to give him an opportunity to speak today.
1:30:02 Thank you, Mr. Rainey.
1:30:03 You have the floor.
1:30:04 Thank you.
1:30:05 I do appreciate your comment.
1:30:07 They’re wonderful.
1:30:08 I’m going to back up just a minute.
1:30:10 I’m a retired healthcare executive who looked to give back to
1:30:15 the community and found a need that the community had, which was
1:30:19 driving a bus.
1:30:19 Right?
1:30:20 And it’s something that I had a skill set for and said, okay, I
1:30:24 can get in and help.
1:30:25 After doing that for the first year, and I’m in my second year
1:30:29 of doing this.
1:30:30 After doing that in the first year and talking to a lot of the
1:30:34 drivers that are not in the union, but we are very tied to and
1:30:39 support Delores’ efforts and the union’s efforts.
1:30:42 I came to this board almost a year ago and said, there are two
1:30:48 reasons that you don’t have bus drivers.
1:30:51 One of them was hiring.
1:30:53 The other one was retention.
1:30:56 Okay?
1:30:57 Your hiring has got a limiting factor on the basis of your
1:31:00 salary, your input salary.
1:31:02 You tried to address it.
1:31:04 You’ve gotten some results on that, and that’s not what I’m here
1:31:08 for.
1:31:08 The other was the retention of drivers.
1:31:12 I’m one of those that decided to come back in a second year.
1:31:16 I’ll tell you about that in just a second.
1:31:18 But the retention of drivers, the number one reason that we don’t
1:31:22 want to come back is discipline.
1:31:24 We can find another job someplace else without the hassle
1:31:28 because we’re not trained in things that you’re talking about.
1:31:32 We’re trained in the safe delivery of your students driving a 33,000
1:31:38 to 40,000 pound box on the road with students in it.
1:31:43 And, yes, one of the training techniques that we’re trained in,
1:31:48 in the county training, is pull over if you can’t handle, if the
1:31:53 bus is unruly.
1:31:54 So that’s going to create problems for you.
1:31:59 The drivers, unfortunately, there’s two periods where they take
1:32:06 a look and say, “I’m not coming back.”
1:32:09 There’s one after the Christmas break, and I pray that we don’t
1:32:12 lose a slew of drivers at the Christmas break.
1:32:15 The other one is at the school break at the end of the year and
1:32:21 going between the two years.
1:32:24 We had meetings with you, Mr. Sousa, over a year ago.
1:32:29 And along the way, we have been sending you information, and you’ve
1:32:35 opened up an avenue for us to do that with, to share that
1:32:38 information with.
1:32:40 We had many drivers.
1:32:42 Dolores was there.
1:32:43 Other people were there.
1:32:44 Supervisors were there.
1:32:45 And we talked about this.
1:32:46 And the number one issue that came out of that was stop the
1:32:51 bleeding of our drivers leaving by addressing the discipline
1:32:55 problem.
1:32:55 And so I think this is a result of some of that.
1:32:58 I mean, it takes a while to get all the people involved, and I’m
1:33:02 glad to see the number of people that have come together to put
1:33:07 this together.
1:33:08 Today, fights are still an issue on our buses.
1:33:11 Okay?
1:33:12 Three to four fights a week for our supervisors.
1:33:15 You’ve got to address that for us.
1:33:17 Okay?
1:33:18 When they’re fighting, I can’t drive the bus.
1:33:20 Right?
1:33:21 It’s a distraction.
1:33:22 Anything that causes a distraction causes a safety issue on the
1:33:26 bus.
1:33:26 And that’s the number one thing.
1:33:28 If we crash that bus with 40, 50, 60 kids on it, we have a
1:33:34 bigger problem.
1:33:35 Okay?
1:33:36 Watching the kids, I don’t know if you know the detail that goes
1:33:42 into that.
1:33:42 You count those kids when they go off the bus.
1:33:44 You count them when they come on the bus.
1:33:46 You count them as they cross the street.
1:33:47 You look at the cars on the left and on the right.
1:33:50 The cars passing you when the flashing reds are out.
1:33:54 Common problem in this county.
1:33:56 Big common problem.
1:33:57 You know, I get a car past my reds every week, two to three
1:34:03 times a week.
1:34:04 Scares me to death because one of those kids is going to get
1:34:08 killed.
1:34:08 Okay?
1:34:09 And I don’t want that to happen.
1:34:11 So I’m always trying to make my deliveries, even if I have to do
1:34:15 a double loop, to get the passenger door on the side of the
1:34:20 route where the kids don’t have to cross the street.
1:34:22 And the school board and the school transportation department
1:34:25 under Mr. Miller and the rest do a tremendous job of trying to
1:34:29 make that happen.
1:34:30 But here’s the problem.
1:34:32 We had 88 routes.
1:34:34 We had 52 bus drivers.
1:34:37 What do you do?
1:34:38 Okay, so when I first came on, they said, hey, we got a job for
1:34:42 you.
1:34:42 You can have a job.
1:34:43 There are so many routes open.
1:34:45 You can pick your job.
1:34:47 Well, I came on.
1:34:49 And the only way to get all the kids to school was to
1:34:55 consolidate the unfilled routes into more of the buses that were
1:34:59 allowed.
1:35:00 So we went from 30 minutes with 20 to 30 kids on a route to
1:35:07 maybe 45 or 50 minutes.
1:35:11 Then we entered this school year and more retention issues and
1:35:15 no hiring, of course.
1:35:16 The ones that are hired, you have some automatic, I mean, you
1:35:20 have some that drop off.
1:35:22 And now you squeeze those routes down to where you, I’m
1:35:25 personally driving an hour and 15 minutes in the morning,
1:35:30 starting at, you know, my day starts at 4:00, you know, with all
1:35:34 my safety checks and everything to get there.
1:35:35 But my route starts at 6:15, depending on how many ESE kids I
1:35:40 have on the bus.
1:35:41 And I don’t get to the first school to 7:30.
1:35:44 I got little pre-Ks sitting in a car seat in the dark driving
1:35:51 with me all over the county so that I can pick up all the kids
1:35:57 that I’ve got.
1:35:59 We’ve got drivers now that have busloads of 60, 70 elementary
1:36:07 kids on a bus, three to a seat crammed as far as you can get.
1:36:11 We don’t have any other choice but to double back.
1:36:15 If we can’t fit them on the bus, you can’t fit that many high
1:36:19 school kids on a bus.
1:36:20 So I personally have driven the route that was mentioned here as
1:36:26 a sub for a week after the driver got, had some issues.
1:36:30 And I drove that bus and I refused to drive that route.
1:36:35 Okay?
1:36:36 It’s not safe for me.
1:36:38 Kid stands over top of you in the seat and you get two or three
1:36:41 kids standing on top of you saying, “You can’t do anything to me.
1:36:45 You can’t touch me.
1:36:46 You can’t take my cell phone and I don’t have to get off this
1:36:48 bus.”
1:36:48 What?
1:36:49 You know what?
1:36:50 He’s right.
1:36:51 They’re right.
1:36:52 I can’t touch them.
1:36:53 I don’t want to touch them.
1:36:55 I can’t touch them.
1:36:56 I don’t take their cell phones.
1:36:58 And you know what?
1:36:59 I can’t, it’s not my job to kick them off the bus.
1:37:01 I can refer them off the bus.
1:37:03 I can ask you to never, you know, don’t let them ride the bus
1:37:07 again.
1:37:08 But the safety issue, the threatening issue to the driver is
1:37:11 pretty bad.
1:37:12 So when you look at this, you have threats to the, you have
1:37:15 threats.
1:37:16 Okay?
1:37:17 He did get hit in the head with a bottle of water.
1:37:20 That’s uncalled for.
1:37:22 But that’s not the only one.
1:37:24 You have coins, money, markers, pencils all being thrown at the
1:37:28 bus driver.
1:37:29 Hitting the window, coming back and hitting them in the face.
1:37:32 Every one of those is a scary distraction that causes, you could
1:37:36 cause the bus to wreck.
1:37:37 Okay?
1:37:38 You have kids dancing on the bus this week.
1:37:43 High school students rip their shirts off, doing a nice jig in
1:37:48 the back with the ladies
1:37:49 and the guys taking cell phone videos and sending it out.
1:37:53 Okay?
1:37:54 What do you do with that kind of a driver?
1:37:57 That is totally unsafe.
1:37:59 Right?
1:38:00 You have kids that won’t stay in their seat.
1:38:03 They got their friends and they want to talk to their friends
1:38:06 and they jump from one side to the other.
1:38:08 So, you know, those are distractions.
1:38:13 And then you have disrespect.
1:38:15 You know, I’ve been called every name under the sun.
1:38:19 You know?
1:38:20 I’ve been spit on.
1:38:22 You know?
1:38:23 Spit in the face.
1:38:25 Not a fun, you know, and as a driver you go, why do I want to do
1:38:29 this?
1:38:30 I’m a retired executive.
1:38:31 Why do I want to do this?
1:38:32 I’m trying to help the community.
1:38:34 And this is what I have to live through.
1:38:37 So, let’s talk about another issue that’s on the bus.
1:38:41 The damage to the bus.
1:38:43 All right?
1:38:44 I can’t tell you how many food fights come on the bus.
1:38:48 And I’m not talking about little stuff.
1:38:51 I’m talking about yogurt and pudding spread all over the windows
1:38:56 and all over the seats.
1:38:58 Thrown in a food fight.
1:39:00 Not just once.
1:39:01 Happens a lot.
1:39:02 Right?
1:39:03 Trash on the bus that takes 30 to 40 minutes to clean up.
1:39:07 When are you going to do it?
1:39:09 You can’t run the next route and have the kids have the next set
1:39:12 of students sitting in pudding.
1:39:15 You got to clean it up.
1:39:18 Causes delays.
1:39:19 Then the kids are not getting to the school.
1:39:21 We’ve got kids that don’t get to school for 45 minutes to an
1:39:25 hour.
1:39:25 Because we’re either having to clean the bus or we’re doing
1:39:27 double backs.
1:39:28 Double backs mean I don’t have enough room in my bus to carry
1:39:33 you.
1:39:33 So, I leave you.
1:39:35 Go do that route.
1:39:36 Take them to school.
1:39:37 Come back.
1:39:38 And pick the rest of the route up.
1:39:40 Well, those kids don’t even get to school until, you know, 9:15
1:39:45 for high schools.
1:39:46 You know, they’re missing their first periods.
1:39:49 The bell rings at 8:30.
1:39:53 Those issues have caused a problem.
1:39:57 And I leave you with a couple of things.
1:40:03 Long routes and overcrowding create discipline.
1:40:10 Okay?
1:40:11 You add to that heat from non-air-conditioned buses or buses
1:40:17 where the air conditioners are broken.
1:40:18 And you’ve got yourself a stewed up mess that’s going to create
1:40:22 a problem.
1:40:23 So, there’s an issue that I don’t know how to fix.
1:40:27 Okay?
1:40:28 But I’m bringing it to your attention because that’s what the
1:40:31 drivers asked me to do.
1:40:32 That’s what Dolores and her team has done.
1:40:36 And you can fix these overcrowding issues.
1:40:41 The other one is you have an antiquated cell phone policy on the
1:40:46 bus.
1:40:46 Number 9 on the rules written right on the bus says no cell
1:40:49 phones on the bus.
1:40:49 But yet, we turn around and say you’ve got to have an ID to get
1:40:52 on the bus.
1:40:53 If you don’t have an ID, take a picture of it, download it to
1:40:56 your phone, and use your phone to get on the bus.
1:40:58 So, the phones are on the bus.
1:41:01 Now, I personally don’t let phones out, you know, on elementaries.
1:41:06 There’s no reason for the elementary kids to have the phones out.
1:41:09 Right?
1:41:10 The high schoolers, you’ve got to pick and choose your fights.
1:41:12 Middle schools and high schools, I just tell them, look, it’s a
1:41:16 distraction.
1:41:16 If I hear it or see it, it’s a distraction.
1:41:18 Please.
1:41:19 If you’re going to do it, put earpods in and get down low.
1:41:22 That doesn’t solve what’s going on in the classroom, though.
1:41:25 Okay?
1:41:26 But you do have an antiquated policy on the bus.
1:41:29 And picking and choosing to say I’m going to take somebody’s
1:41:32 cell phone on the bus and I become a cell phone monitor while I’m
1:41:36 trying to drive a 40,000 pound bus with kids on it?
1:41:38 That’s not a fight I’m willing to have.
1:41:41 Again, you have not just me that won’t drive certain routes in
1:41:48 certain schools.
1:41:50 You have a lot of our drivers will not drive certain routes in
1:41:54 certain schools.
1:41:55 I can name the schools for you, but I won’t.
1:41:57 Don’t do that.
1:41:58 I won’t name them.
1:41:59 Okay?
1:42:00 But until you resolve that issue, and it’s not that I won’t
1:42:06 drive that route.
1:42:07 I’ll drive that route if you put an administrator on it to
1:42:09 handle the kids while I’m driving or an RSO officer on it.
1:42:12 Somebody with authority, right?
1:42:15 The IS, my IAs are great.
1:42:17 The ones that I have for my ESC students, they’re fantastic.
1:42:21 Okay?
1:42:23 But they can’t handle the other 35 or 40 kids on the bus.
1:42:27 Right?
1:42:28 So, you know, I leave you with long routes and damage to the bus
1:42:34 that comes from overcrowding.
1:42:36 We have rip seats, poke seats, cut seat belts, damaged glass,
1:42:42 and then all the cleaning on the bus.
1:42:47 Roaches on the bus because of the food on the bus.
1:42:49 So then you’ve got to go and have it defogged.
1:42:52 Okay?
1:42:53 So these are real legit issues that you can resolve if you can
1:42:57 kind of thin it, I think, if you thin it down and shorten up the
1:43:01 routes.
1:43:01 The routes are just, they’re just really long.
1:43:06 And that goes back to, we can’t hire, but we’re trying to
1:43:10 address it.
1:43:11 We can’t keep them retained because we’ve got a discipline issue.
1:43:15 I leave you with that.
1:43:16 And I thank you for your time.
1:43:18 Thank you, Delores, for all your support and all the 1010
1:43:21 support and the IAs.
1:43:22 The IAs are critical for us.
1:43:24 Thank you, Mr. Rainey.
1:43:26 I really appreciate.
1:43:27 Next up is going to be Samantha Nazario from the Cultural
1:43:30 Community Connection.
1:43:31 Ms. Nazario.
1:43:33 Good morning.
1:43:34 I’d like to thank everyone that’s here today for coming to this
1:43:37 table and having this discussion.
1:43:38 Is it on?
1:43:39 I don’t know.
1:43:40 That doesn’t sound like it has to be on.
1:43:42 We need it to be live streamed.
1:43:51 Okay.
1:43:53 There we go.
1:43:54 Is that better?
1:43:55 Good morning, everyone.
1:43:56 I’m happy to be at this table and be a part of this discussion
1:43:58 and be able to have other community members that sit here with
1:44:02 me to bring the concerns of our community.
1:44:03 forward and to actually be a part of the process versus just
1:44:06 sitting back and watching it at home on TV.
1:44:09 This is a very different role for me.
1:44:11 My son is not in BPS anymore, but it is my responsibility as a
1:44:14 community leader and advocate to be here and represent my
1:44:18 community issues.
1:44:19 My main thing is, and I’ve said this to many people sitting here.
1:44:23 So a few of you are going to smile.
1:44:25 We’re failing our children.
1:44:28 We’re failing our educators.
1:44:29 We COVID lit the fire.
1:44:31 Like Matt said, that has been a part of BPS for a very long time.
1:44:34 Bullying has been an issue in Bavar County since my kid was in
1:44:37 elementary school.
1:44:38 Under the amazing leadership of Miss Moore at Harbor City, a lot
1:44:41 of that was changed.
1:44:42 And a new wave came when she came into Harbor City because she
1:44:45 actually addressed it.
1:44:46 She made the children and the parents sit down and address the
1:44:50 issue.
1:44:51 There has to be parental responsibility as well as student
1:44:54 responsibility.
1:44:55 What I find in my community is a lot of the time, I’m the only
1:44:58 Spanish person in the room.
1:44:59 I can’t speak for everybody.
1:45:01 I need parents to become engaged.
1:45:03 I implore Hispanic parents to become engaged.
1:45:07 Immigrant parents to become engaged without fear.
1:45:10 I implore our Caribbean African American parents to become
1:45:14 engaged.
1:45:15 So many times over the 10 years that I volunteered at BPS with
1:45:18 over 20,000 hours,
1:45:20 I was the only Spanish person in the room.
1:45:22 That has to change.
1:45:24 They have to feel as if they are welcome in the community and
1:45:27 they can engage
1:45:28 without fear of repercussion on their family or their finances
1:45:32 or their job.
1:45:33 So as I sit here and say we’re failing our children, we’re also
1:45:36 failing our educators.
1:45:38 Because you know what?
1:45:39 They have to work in a safe environment.
1:45:41 And without the administrators and the educators that I had the
1:45:44 pleasure of having
1:45:45 during my son’s experience at BPS, I’d be sitting here telling
1:45:48 you a very different story.
1:45:49 But you know what?
1:45:50 Those principals, Ms. Moore, Ms. Vega, Dr. Kirk, they never gave
1:45:54 up on my son.
1:45:55 They always made sure that if I was there, I counted.
1:45:57 So you know what?
1:45:58 If you want to count at your kid’s school, be present.
1:46:01 You can’t come in the door and want to complain when there’s an
1:46:05 issue.
1:46:05 Be present.
1:46:06 You have an IEP meeting.
1:46:07 Those seven teachers took their time from their day to be
1:46:09 present.
1:46:09 Be present.
1:46:10 We all know that in Bavaric County we are struggling with an
1:46:17 enormous mental health crisis.
1:46:20 In our adults, in our administrators, in our personal lives.
1:46:23 We need help with mental health issues in Bavaric County.
1:46:27 We need behavioral therapy.
1:46:28 We need behavioral intervention.
1:46:29 We need more hands-on with our nonverbal autistic children.
1:46:32 Our ESC kids have exceptions and particular outlined rules
1:46:38 because they need to work better that
1:46:43 way.
1:46:44 A lot of our children do not understand the consequences of
1:46:46 their actions, especially our children on
1:46:47 the spectrum.
1:46:48 Again, more parental involvement.
1:46:51 I’m going to say it because you know what?
1:46:53 I worked three jobs in Bavaric County raising my kid, and I was
1:46:56 still in that school every
1:46:57 week at least 20 hours a week.
1:47:02 Okay?
1:47:03 Excuses are not acceptable anymore.
1:47:05 These are your children.
1:47:07 It is your responsibility to teach them how to respect the
1:47:10 people that spend 90% of their
1:47:12 day with them.
1:47:13 They are at school more than they are at home.
1:47:15 Okay, we need to bridge the gap of our technology issue, our
1:47:18 internet issue with our impoverished
1:47:20 areas.
1:47:21 If a parent does not have access to the internet or a laptop, it
1:47:24 should not be an affordability
1:47:25 issue.
1:47:26 BPS should be able to provide, okay, you don’t have a laptop?
1:47:29 Here you go, Mom, so you can communicate with Launchpad.
1:47:31 Or here you go, Dad, let’s make a deal with Spectrum.
1:47:34 New York City Housing did it.
1:47:35 They made a deal with Verizon.
1:47:36 They brought the internet in, and it’s free.
1:47:39 Let’s make a deal with Spectrum.
1:47:41 They monopolize the internet around here, and they don’t service
1:47:44 our community properly.
1:47:45 Immigrants cannot get internet.
1:47:46 They don’t have a social security number.
1:47:48 So we have multiple issues in our community that need to be
1:47:51 addressed, and they’re all going
1:47:52 to streamline back to this discipline policy that we’re sitting
1:47:56 here for today.
1:47:57 There are many different levels and branches that come off of
1:48:01 this tree that are relating
1:48:02 to this issue.
1:48:03 Poverty, hunger, mental illness, lack of language.
1:48:06 We service 60 languages in the VAR public schools, but we don’t
1:48:10 have a representative
1:48:11 for all 60 of those languages in our school.
1:48:13 That’s a problem.
1:48:14 That’s a huge communication problem.
1:48:17 And I want our community to feel safe, especially my immigrant
1:48:20 community.
1:48:21 I understand that we’re a non-sanctuary county and that may put
1:48:24 fear into them, but you know
1:48:25 what?
1:48:26 Find someone.
1:48:27 Reach out to me.
1:48:28 My number is everywhere.
1:48:29 Ask Mr. Susan for it.
1:48:30 Ask anyone on the council, on the school board.
1:48:32 I will help.
1:48:33 I will speak for you.
1:48:34 That is what we are here for.
1:48:36 Organizations like myself and Bocasca and other organizations
1:48:39 that have fought this fight
1:48:40 long and hard in Brevard County.
1:48:42 What I want to see is a color blind policy that treats every
1:48:47 child the same.
1:48:48 I am sick and tired of filtering calls from my parents and
1:48:54 myself that have dealt with issues
1:48:57 in BPS where I felt like my issue was not addressed properly or
1:49:00 it was gone to an extreme.
1:49:02 We need cultural sensitivity in Brevard County.
1:49:05 Okay.
1:49:06 I think this is the silliest my hands have ever been for most of
1:49:08 the people in this room.
1:49:10 My hands are usually all over the place.
1:49:11 I’m Puerto Rican.
1:49:12 I’m Italian.
1:49:13 I talk with my hands.
1:49:14 I’m from New York.
1:49:15 It just, we’re very animated.
1:49:16 Okay.
1:49:17 I have a saying that says if my hands are not going, then you
1:49:19 really need to be worried.
1:49:20 So when I say that, I feel like teachers also need to understand
1:49:23 that cultures express
1:49:25 themselves differently.
1:49:26 And maybe we have to sit down and present that workshop to
1:49:29 teachers.
1:49:29 I’m totally down.
1:49:30 I’m sure that Kay would sit there with me.
1:49:31 I would like to address that.
1:49:33 If my kid is speaking with his hands, he’s, he’s frustrated.
1:49:35 He’s trying to express what’s going on.
1:49:37 What’s wrong.
1:49:38 He’s not going to attack you.
1:49:39 He’s not aggressive.
1:49:40 He’s not a danger to you.
1:49:42 You’re not understanding what he’s trying to say.
1:49:44 So in his frustration, his hands made, you know, we’ve had this
1:49:47 issue even on the college
1:49:48 level.
1:49:49 And it is a cultural thing.
1:49:50 Sadly enough.
1:49:51 We, you know, we speak with our hands.
1:49:53 I will not apologize for that.
1:49:55 I come from a place where I walked out my door every day in the
1:49:57 South Bronx.
1:49:58 And just to make it home at three o’clock was a check off my
1:50:00 list because I survived that day.
1:50:02 Okay.
1:50:03 The bar.
1:50:04 I came to Bavara County.
1:50:05 Why?
1:50:06 I wanted a quality education for my son.
1:50:07 I wanted a good place for him to grow up.
1:50:09 I did not expect my son to have to, to have to, um, defend his
1:50:13 Puerto Rican heritage, educate
1:50:15 other children and explain that we are not immigrants.
1:50:17 We are Americans born in the South Bronx.
1:50:19 Okay.
1:50:20 I’ve seen this happen many times over.
1:50:22 So what I want is for us to let’s educate.
1:50:25 Let’s educate our educators so that they can do their job
1:50:28 properly.
1:50:29 My last request before I’m done is I would like at some point,
1:50:35 once we rip apart this
1:50:37 policy and get to the nitty gritty here, I would like to see an
1:50:40 oversight committee as
1:50:41 far as a disciplinary policy for review every 30 to 60 days with
1:50:44 different community members
1:50:46 of our community members.
1:50:47 I would like to thank you.
1:50:48 Thank you.
1:50:51 Ms. Kay, were you going to say something?
1:50:55 Well, I just, uh, again, Kay Mirage, representing BACASCA, Brevard
1:51:00 Caribbean American Sports
1:51:00 and Cultural Association.
1:51:02 And Ms. Amanda echoed everything in detail as what we, we love
1:51:07 to say because it is a real
1:51:09 issue.
1:51:10 When we dissect this, um, policy here, I want to make sure, you
1:51:14 said it, colorblind.
1:51:15 It’s very important to understand that discipline doesn’t take
1:51:21 shape in race or any, or creed,
1:51:22 or anything.
1:51:23 It is about the child.
1:51:25 It is about creating a safe environment for all involved.
1:51:30 Our administrators, our bus drivers, our students.
1:51:33 And so, as someone from the Caribbean, cultural differences are
1:51:39 keen to understand.
1:51:40 And not everybody will understand why the Jamaican person would
1:51:43 behave that way.
1:51:44 So it’s critical to have that training.
1:51:46 We have to include that in our policies.
1:51:49 We ought to make sure, why are we here?
1:51:52 Are we here just to create a prison, a school to prison pipeline?
1:51:58 Or are we really here to make sure that our children understand
1:52:03 that they are consequences?
1:52:05 Consequences, consequences not just to fear to go to prison, but
1:52:08 the consequences to your action.
1:52:10 And we are training them to be better citizens of reward.
1:52:14 And so, that’s our message.
1:52:15 Equitable distribution of disciplinary policies.
1:52:24 Thank you so much.
1:52:25 Thanks for the opportunity to be at the table.
1:52:27 And we’re ready to get working to make sure that VPS is the best
1:52:32 in the country.
1:52:33 And, no, we can do it.
1:52:34 Thank you.
1:52:35 Thank you, Kay.
1:52:36 Now, I have an opportunity for our school board members to say a
1:52:39 couple of comments.
1:52:40 Just so everybody knows, we’re kind of running.
1:52:42 So what I’m going to do is wait for after the school board
1:52:44 members to make their comments.
1:52:45 Then what I would like to do is take a break, come back, and we’re
1:52:49 going to go to the discipline policies, public comment.
1:52:52 After reviewing all of the pieces, just so you guys know, when I
1:52:58 received the list, it has which one of the items they have on
1:53:01 there.
1:53:01 So we determined it based on that.
1:53:03 But based on some of the conversations that people in the group
1:53:06 have said that they had also put that other stuff.
1:53:08 We went through each one of those forms and we identified that
1:53:10 there are more people.
1:53:11 So all of those people will be an opportunity to speak.
1:53:14 And if you did not put down one, I’m going to call your name and
1:53:17 say, hey, did you mean to speak here or no?
1:53:19 And go through a couple of that.
1:53:20 But I wanted to give our school board members an opportunity to
1:53:23 speak.
1:53:23 I think I’ll just go to Ms. Jenkins first.
1:53:26 Thank you.
1:53:27 I’m going to be a little bit because I have some different
1:53:35 pieces that I’m going to cover here.
1:53:39 So first, Mr. Bryan, I appreciate you.
1:53:46 You know that.
1:53:48 I appreciate you for addressing the elephant in the room.
1:53:52 The video with our chairman and Mr. Ivy.
1:53:55 And before we get defensive and we say things like we don’t know
1:53:59 what was going to be said during that video, I argue the video
1:54:02 was wrong and inappropriate before any word came out of anybody’s
1:54:06 mouth.
1:54:06 Thank you.
1:54:13 This community deserves a response to it.
1:54:15 They’ve been asking for a response to it and they haven’t gotten
1:54:18 one.
1:54:18 And when someone asked you just yesterday about it, your
1:54:22 response was, you don’t control Mr. Ivy.
1:54:25 Well, perhaps we should review our contract with the Brevard
1:54:28 County Sheriff’s Office because so far, I remember, as far as I
1:54:33 remember, we don’t work for him.
1:54:37 And what you can control is what you do and what you say.
1:54:42 And I haven’t heard you publicly denounce the statements that
1:54:46 were made in that video.
1:54:47 And Mr. Ivy, you said here today that the lines are getting
1:54:51 blurred and they sure are.
1:54:52 They sure are.
1:54:54 And so I say to our community, I am sorry.
1:54:57 I’m sorry because nobody at BPS is aware of that video.
1:55:01 No cabinet member, not our chief operating officer, not our
1:55:05 communications team, not any other school board member.
1:55:08 And from what I gather, the only people who knew about it were
1:55:11 standing in the video and the leadership of BFT.
1:55:13 And why it needs to be addressed right here in this meeting is
1:55:24 because that video hurt our community.
1:55:26 And I cannot for the life of me find one single benefit of
1:55:29 participating in that video.
1:55:31 No new ideas, no new plan, just name-calling threats, intimidation,
1:55:35 and attention-seeking behaviors.
1:55:37 And I’m not talking about the behaviors you talked about.
1:55:39 I’m talking about behaviors of the adults standing in that video.
1:55:43 Our community is concerned, and rightfully so, because when they
1:55:46 heard their children labeled clowns,
1:55:48 they heard you talking about their black kids.
1:55:50 And when they heard their children labeled scots, they heard you
1:55:53 talking about children with disabilities.
1:55:55 And when they heard that you were going to be their biggest
1:55:58 nightmare, they heard a threat to their children.
1:56:01 No solutions, no new ideas, no new plans.
1:56:14 Just a bunch of statements repeated about teachers and
1:56:16 administrators being handcuffed, having their hands tied.
1:56:20 And no one can articulate to me what that means.
1:56:23 Well, I’m going to tell you what I think they mean by that.
1:56:26 It means that the laws meant to protect students based on race
1:56:29 and the laws meant to protect students with disabilities are the
1:56:34 reason we have negative behaviors in our schools.
1:56:37 We think we don’t discipline black students and students with
1:56:40 disabilities enough.
1:56:41 That’s what I think you mean.
1:56:42 And if you think I’m wrong, then listen to this.
1:56:46 I have a fellow board member here who just recently – yes, it’s
1:56:51 in video footage – made this statement about our discipline
1:56:53 policy.
1:56:53 When you take a look at our discipline policy when it was first
1:56:56 implemented, it sounded really good on paper.
1:56:59 That’s when we had control at the local level in our schools.
1:57:02 Where it got out of hand is when we started talking about
1:57:05 discipline and race together.
1:57:06 That’s when it handcuffed our schools and we lost control of our
1:57:10 schools with discipline.
1:57:11 That’s right.
1:57:12 No new plan.
1:57:15 No new idea.
1:57:16 And when asked by concerned members of the community if you
1:57:19 reviewed data before you had that video, your answer was no.
1:57:24 If when you were asked by concerned citizens of this community,
1:57:27 if you reviewed the discipline plan at all, the strategic plan,
1:57:31 the entire policy, the answer was no.
1:57:34 We are an educational institution.
1:57:36 We make decisions based on data.
1:57:38 So I brought some.
1:57:41 Hold on to your cheeks, Ms. Riley.
1:57:46 This data was compiled not only by the numbers given to these
1:57:50 community members here at Prevard Public Schools, but by the NAACP
1:57:56 and by Mr. Bryan.
1:58:00 Everyone at this table has a packet that I provided for you.
1:58:04 I had a couple extra that I passed out into the audience.
1:58:07 You want it?
1:58:08 I’ll give it to you.
1:58:09 Trust me.
1:58:10 It’s interesting that we invited people from other counties here
1:58:14 to have this conversation with us because the first question I
1:58:18 asked was, where do we rank among the state?
1:58:23 We are the 10th largest school district in the state of Florida,
1:58:26 and guess what?
1:58:27 We have the 10th largest number of incidences.
1:58:31 That makes sense.
1:58:33 We are no different than anybody else.
1:58:36 But here’s where we are.
1:58:39 10th largest in the state.
1:58:40 We are number one in expulsions.
1:58:42 Number one in ALC placements and number four in suspensions.
1:58:47 So the narrative that we are not disciplined our children doesn’t
1:58:52 make any sense because the data doesn’t say that.
1:58:54 Mr. Bryan had made a statement that he had gathered three years
1:59:04 of information and data, and that’s what I’m speaking to right
1:59:09 here.
1:59:09 This is what Mr. Bryan put together for us.
1:59:11 And it’s kind of hard to have this conversation when you’re not
1:59:15 looking at it, so I’m going to do my best to the people who are
1:59:18 listening at home and the people in this room who don’t have it
1:59:21 in front of them.
1:59:22 But when we look at our discipline totals and we look at the subgroups,
1:59:29 yes, we look at the subgroups because it’s important.
1:59:32 Because here’s why.
1:59:34 This pattern happened for the past three years, and I guarantee
1:59:38 if we look backwards it would have continued back then.
1:59:40 They are carbon copies of each other.
1:59:42 Our black students represent 15% of our population.
1:59:46 They represent 34% of our discipline referrals.
1:59:57 Mr. Bryan said, when you make smart decisions and you tackle
2:00:01 challenges, very complex challenges, you look at the top issues.
2:00:07 The top issues are willful disobedience, out of area, and
2:00:13 classroom disruptions.
2:00:16 That’s not what I heard in the video.
2:00:21 And when you break every single one of those down by subgroup,
2:00:27 you see a very obvious trend.
2:00:29 Our black students aren’t doing them more than anyone else.
2:00:33 And why this matters is we’re going to have a real and honest
2:00:39 conversation about discipline and behavior in our schools.
2:00:43 We’re going to have to talk about all of it, the good, the bad,
2:00:46 and the ugly.
2:00:46 So let’s fast forward.
2:00:48 15% of the population is black in our students.
2:00:52 They represent 34% of our referrals.
2:00:55 In every single one of those categories, they’re doing it less
2:00:58 than any other peer and race.
2:01:00 They represent 45% of our alternative learning center placements.
2:01:06 Does that make any sense to anybody?
2:01:09 No.
2:01:11 Let’s move on to our students with disabilities.
2:01:14 They make up 17% of the population of Reward Public Schools.
2:01:19 And yet, they make up 31% of our referrals.
2:01:24 And those black students I talked about in our ALC, 25% of them
2:01:30 are also students with disabilities.
2:01:33 So what does that tell us?
2:01:36 Why is that important?
2:01:38 Because we’re disproportionately disciplining students of color
2:01:42 and with disabilities.
2:01:43 So there is zero evidence to support the claims that the federal
2:01:48 laws meant to protect those students
2:01:49 are handcuffing our staff or their hands are tied.
2:01:54 And quite frankly, we’re not even respecting these laws.
2:02:03 Why that matters is because that already tells us the majority
2:02:10 of the conversation we had in that video
2:02:12 and some of the conversation we had today is not valid.
2:02:16 And if you’re not working off of real information and data and
2:02:20 facts, how are you going to solve the problem?
2:02:23 Now I’m going to sidestep a little bit.
2:02:33 Before I was elected to this position, I worked for Brevard
2:02:36 Public Schools for six years as a speech-language pathologist.
2:02:39 I worked with all of our ESE departments.
2:02:41 This is not the number one referral, but it’s important.
2:02:49 And we’ve heard about it here today.
2:02:51 So let’s talk honestly about our teachers who are being
2:02:54 physically attacked in classrooms.
2:02:56 Because it’s happening.
2:02:58 We know it’s happening.
2:02:59 No one’s saying it isn’t.
2:03:01 But the data tells us that the majority of these physical
2:03:07 behaviors towards our staff are within our ESE classrooms.
2:03:09 And it’s not because our ESE students are bad kids.
2:03:16 If you say you care about our students getting physical with our
2:03:19 staff, we need to be real and honest about what’s actually
2:03:22 happening.
2:03:22 The educational environment we provide some of our ESE students
2:03:26 directly contributes to their increased frustration levels,
2:03:29 difficulty with self-regulation, too much stimuli, and
2:03:33 ultimately increasing negative behaviors.
2:03:37 This is a reality.
2:03:38 And it’s not the fault of our teachers.
2:03:43 Our ESE teachers are patient, passionate, loving professionals.
2:03:47 They give everything to their students.
2:03:50 And quite frankly, it’s not the fault of BPS.
2:03:53 This is a huge issue.
2:03:55 It’s not a simple solution.
2:03:58 It’s the result of a statewide model and funding structure.
2:04:01 And I don’t have the answer to it.
2:04:03 I don’t know how we fix it.
2:04:04 But at a minimum, if we’re going to talk about discipline and
2:04:08 behaviors and we’re going to highlight one that’s incredibly
2:04:11 important to our staff, then we at least have to acknowledge the
2:04:15 why before we pretend to fix it.
2:04:20 So to people who are listening and don’t really understand why I’m
2:04:23 saying that, when a student is struggling, a team meets and does
2:04:27 an assessment for that student.
2:04:29 We document their abilities, where they are currently, the goals
2:04:32 that we want them to achieve within the year, sometimes
2:04:35 objectives and benchmarks along the way, the services that we as
2:04:38 an education institution can provide to them in order to reach
2:04:42 those goals.
2:04:42 Exceptional student education, sometimes there will be
2:04:46 therapists involved, both physical communication.
2:04:50 We take the time to identify the least restrictive environment
2:04:56 for that student.
2:04:58 And what that means is, we decide what setting that student can
2:05:02 function their best in, with the least amount of time removed
2:05:07 from their general education peers.
2:05:09 Then we draft an individualized education plan, an IEP.
2:05:15 And when our students are recommended a self-contained classroom
2:05:18 setting, they suddenly find themselves in an environment that is
2:05:22 contradictory to the term individualized.
2:05:24 They’re among 15 other individualized education plans.
2:05:30 If they’re in elementary schools, sometimes they are in multi-grade
2:05:33 levels, kindergarten through third grade in one class, fourth
2:05:36 through sixth grade in another, among varying exceptionalities
2:05:38 and needs.
2:05:39 We’ve got one teacher, 15 individualized needs, multi-grade
2:05:43 level curriculums, often new students coming in and out as they’re
2:05:46 identified throughout the year.
2:05:48 And if they’re lucky, they have an instructional assistant
2:05:51 position staffed to support them.
2:05:54 We expect our ESC students, or I’m sorry, we expect our ESC
2:05:57 teachers to manage these settings with limited resources and
2:06:01 limited staffing.
2:06:02 And we expect our most vulnerable students who may be struggling
2:06:06 not only academically, but socially, emotionally, physically,
2:06:10 with communication deficits, to thrive in these challenging
2:06:14 settings.
2:06:15 We need to acknowledge reality.
2:06:16 And we have to take action and address it not only for our staff’s
2:06:23 well-being, but for every student in those classrooms to have a
2:06:27 safe learning environment.
2:06:28 And it’s not going to be easy.
2:06:31 And it’s not going to be quick.
2:06:34 So I ask, again, where are these instances happening most often?
2:06:43 And when we look at it by grade level, there’s an incredible
2:06:46 spike when we hit seventh grade.
2:06:48 No shock to anyone who has a middle schooler, right?
2:06:51 It’s reflective of their childhood development.
2:06:57 It makes sense.
2:06:58 And that’s why, as an organization, we are focusing on reimagining
2:07:00 middle schools.
2:07:01 Because we know it’s a problem.
2:07:03 And we want to do something differently.
2:07:05 And so I say, if we can do that there, then we need to start
2:07:10 having a conversation about reimagining the way we focus on our
2:07:14 ESC classrooms and the way we service our ESC students.
2:07:23 So this next part is where I’m frustrated.
2:07:30 You know, there was a lot said today that gives us impression
2:07:36 that students are doing these terrible things and it’s not being
2:07:40 addressed.
2:07:46 So I’ve got data that says to me, and I believe that this is
2:07:49 year to date, I’m not positive of that.
2:07:52 Let’s see, data pulled.
2:07:54 Yes.
2:07:55 So I’m assuming this is from our school year, this data right
2:07:58 here.
2:07:58 Okay, just from the beginning of the school year to now.
2:08:00 Okay.
2:08:02 There have been 26,132 incidents reported.
2:08:06 And then we have data about the actions taken towards those.
2:08:11 32,270.
2:08:14 So we have.
2:08:15 So we have like 6,000 responses to referrals.
2:08:27 And I can’t literally break this down on paper, but it tells me,
2:08:32 I can assume, I think I can safely assume that when those kids
2:08:34 are referred, we had some kind of consequence put in place.
2:08:38 Because it doesn’t make any sense.
2:08:39 We have more consequences than we have referrals.
2:08:41 Because sometimes we have students who do something and they get
2:08:45 more, more than one referral and more than one consequence.
2:08:49 But I say this to our teachers listening.
2:08:51 I hear you.
2:08:53 I hear you when you come to me.
2:08:56 I argue the number one frustration is that teachers feel like
2:09:00 they aren’t supported.
2:09:01 They feel like when they write a referral, it isn’t followed
2:09:03 through with.
2:09:04 And I’m not saying that you’re wrong or you’re lying.
2:09:06 What I’m asking you, and I really think the purpose of this
2:09:09 meeting is, is to acknowledge that’s the number one frustration.
2:09:14 So let’s do something about it.
2:09:16 Let’s let our teachers know, because I’m an educator from BPS.
2:09:19 I know the culture of our educators.
2:09:21 They’re concerned and fearful to be honest about it, to put it
2:09:25 in writing and to tell someone to help them.
2:09:27 I want you to hear me.
2:09:29 And I think all of us should say it, because that’s really the
2:09:32 purpose of this meeting today.
2:09:33 Put it in writing.
2:09:35 Tell us.
2:09:36 I hear you.
2:09:37 I believe you.
2:09:38 But when you come to me and you say, I had this incident in my
2:09:42 classroom and my teacher or my administrator didn’t respond to
2:09:46 it.
2:09:46 We can’t do anything from the district level with that.
2:09:50 You’re not giving me a specific incident, a specific student, a
2:09:54 specific action to address with the staff here to then go
2:09:58 address with the staff at your school.
2:10:00 You have permission to do that.
2:10:03 Please do it.
2:10:04 Because it’s not going to get better if you don’t.
2:10:06 And the scariest part about this, because it is the number one
2:10:13 frustration for classroom teachers, is that they also say in the
2:10:17 same breath, because they don’t help me and I don’t feel
2:10:20 supported, whether or not in their specific scenario it’s true
2:10:25 or not, they feel that way, they no longer write referrals.
2:10:28 Well, that doesn’t help either.
2:10:30 That’s not going to fix the problem either.
2:10:33 And so if we’re going to make a change and we’re going to be
2:10:36 honest about what’s happening, you have to document it.
2:10:39 You have to tell us about it.
2:10:41 No one’s going to retaliate against you.
2:10:45 You can call me if you think they did, because if you don’t
2:10:49 think I’m going to not defend you, I don’t think you’ve been
2:10:51 paying attention.
2:10:53 Please.
2:10:54 Like, let’s have an honest conversation today.
2:10:57 Number one frustration for teachers, feeling like they’re not
2:11:00 supported.
2:11:01 Let’s fix it.
2:11:03 Number one physical altercation, unhealthy ESC environments for
2:11:08 our students and our staff.
2:11:11 It hurts to say it, but it’s true.
2:11:13 And stop blaming the laws and the handcuffing, because it’s not
2:11:19 true.
2:11:19 It hurts our community.
2:11:30 So I’m going to share just from some thoughts that were
2:11:40 highlighted to me as I was listening to everybody around this,
2:11:49 whatever we are, you.
2:11:52 But before I do that, I do want to, you know, you may have been
2:11:55 able to tell a little frustration in my voice at the beginning
2:11:59 of the meeting.
2:12:00 And I want to share why I was frustrated and I’m going to share
2:12:02 why I’m glad we’re doing this.
2:12:03 My frustration is because we had on the agenda, we’re going to
2:12:08 talk about the discipline plan, but there was, there were no
2:12:11 specifics.
2:12:12 There was nothing else posted on the agenda, there was nothing,
2:12:16 I, I, hang on, hang on, I, listen, just stop, if you would
2:12:19 please.
2:12:20 Um, I, I think when we have these, however many you said, 30
2:12:26 something people come up, I think we’re going to have people
2:12:29 come up and talk about, um, their concerns about purple
2:12:33 punishment, because the perception, warranted or unwarranted, it’s
2:12:38 gone out there.
2:12:38 I mean, I got the phone call from NBC news national news last
2:12:41 week, want to know, were we doing corporal punishment?
2:12:43 Was it legal?
2:12:44 I’m like, I watched a press conference.
2:12:45 That’s not what he said.
2:12:46 But the perception is that we’re about to read student corporal
2:12:49 punishment.
2:12:49 I didn’t hear that.
2:12:51 So if that’s why you came to speak, please keep your comments
2:12:54 short so we can get through this, because I don’t think that’s
2:12:57 what we’re doing.
2:12:57 Um, I think we’ve got people who are, who are here to address
2:13:02 other things that we’re not talking.
2:13:04 So, so I will, but my frustration was we, we didn’t know.
2:13:08 We didn’t know.
2:13:10 We, I think you knew, but we didn’t know.
2:13:13 And the public didn’t know on the agenda, what, what exactly
2:13:16 were we talking about?
2:13:17 And so people just had to make assumptions.
2:13:19 And when people make assumptions, they usually make the worst
2:13:21 assumptions.
2:13:23 And, and, and it’s, and based on their political background, and
2:13:26 I hate that.
2:13:27 If you know me well enough, you know, I hate getting into the
2:13:30 politics of everything.
2:13:31 But that’s where we are.
2:13:32 This is the world that we live in.
2:13:33 And everybody drew sides.
2:13:35 We heard the sides drawn today.
2:13:37 And thank you gentlemen for being respectful of one another.
2:13:40 Um, but we, we heard, uh, as well as you could, um, maybe, I don’t
2:13:46 know.
2:13:46 Whatever.
2:13:47 We can move on to the next thing.
2:13:48 But we can have this discussion without having to draw sides.
2:13:51 But we drew sides because we didn’t know.
2:13:52 So that’s my frustration.
2:13:53 The positive thing, and the reason why I’m glad we’re having
2:13:56 this conversation is because
2:13:57 some of the things that were brought out today, we actually
2:14:00 already have some things in place.
2:14:02 And we have those conversations as a board all the time.
2:14:05 We have had workshops on discipline.
2:14:07 We have had workshops on behavior plans.
2:14:09 We have, um, it has been presented to the board.
2:14:12 Um, the resources that we have for our teachers, for our
2:14:15 families.
2:14:16 But you know what?
2:14:17 A lot of times because those are, people aren’t paying attention.
2:14:20 Well, you bet the world is paying attention today.
2:14:23 So thank you for creating this opportunity because I want now in
2:14:27 this arena that everybody’s
2:14:29 paying attention for people to see, yes, what the issues are,
2:14:32 but also what we already
2:14:34 have in place that maybe they weren’t aware of that maybe now
2:14:37 they’ll get more involved
2:14:38 and they’ll more participate.
2:14:39 And I’m going to mention some things like thank you for bringing
2:14:42 many more mental health resources,
2:14:44 Mr. Young, I think you said that, for our teachers.
2:14:46 We have, and I’m going to say it publicly because I want, I know
2:14:49 the teacher’s going to
2:14:49 be watching this.
2:14:50 We have through our, what’s the EAP employee assistance program.
2:14:55 We have free as many as you need phone based and some, um, a
2:15:02 certain number of in-person
2:15:04 mental health counseling for all of our employees.
2:15:06 We have that.
2:15:07 I don’t know what the participation level is, but it’s not high
2:15:10 enough.
2:15:11 We have now through our marathon health clinics, which are
2:15:14 available to everyone on the health
2:15:16 plan, which is about 6,000 ish of our 9,000 employees.
2:15:20 Um, we have mental health resources at Dr. Fetty at every clinic,
2:15:23 correct?
2:15:24 At the central area clinic and it moves.
2:15:30 Right.
2:15:31 So we have, but we have the resources available for everybody
2:15:33 who’s on the health plan.
2:15:34 I want all of our employees to hear me clearly say, we have
2:15:36 mental health resources available
2:15:38 for you today.
2:15:39 And aside, if you’re an insurance program, you have your signal.
2:15:42 We take advantage of those because we do not want you to be
2:15:44 without resources when they’re
2:15:46 there at your fingertips.
2:15:47 We have, um, we have some training.
2:15:52 I mean, I’m a shift here to some of the things that I’ve heard,
2:15:55 uh, other things that I’ve
2:15:57 heard.
2:15:58 We talked about fully stacked.
2:15:59 You know what?
2:16:00 It would be great if we were fully stacked.
2:16:01 That would help.
2:16:02 I, and you know what?
2:16:05 When people said that, we need more bus drivers.
2:16:07 We need more IAs.
2:16:08 My heart breaks and I just want to cry because we’re trying so
2:16:12 hard and I can’t make people
2:16:14 come take these jobs.
2:16:15 And you know what?
2:16:16 My great frustration.
2:16:17 I’m sorry.
2:16:19 My frustration.
2:16:20 I’ve got frustrations about lots of things.
2:16:22 They’re not necessarily aimed at any person in particular right
2:16:26 now.
2:16:26 Is that we have people and bless you County for approving the
2:16:32 millage, but we had people
2:16:33 when we were trying to fight that battle, when we were trying to
2:16:36 say, look, we can’t get
2:16:36 people hired.
2:16:37 We need to be able to pay them more.
2:16:39 And they were fighting with every last breath for us to not get
2:16:42 the millage passed.
2:16:43 When that is the thing that’s going to enable us hopefully.
2:16:47 And I’m not a complete, that’s not going to solve all our
2:16:50 problems, but it will help.
2:16:51 It will help with the recruitment.
2:16:52 It will help with the retention.
2:16:54 Please see the head nods of our union representatives, our
2:16:56 employee representatives over there.
2:16:58 It will help.
2:16:59 And yet people were fighting against that.
2:17:01 And you know what?
2:17:02 A lot of what was mentioned today by, just to be honest,
2:17:05 conservative and liberal sides of the room where we need more
2:17:10 people, more staffing, more pay, more programs.
2:17:15 And every single one of those is dollar signs.
2:17:18 Now there were other things and I’m getting to that.
2:17:20 There were other things and I’m getting to that.
2:17:22 But all programs, people, all of that retention, that’s all
2:17:26 dollar signs.
2:17:27 And you know what?
2:17:28 There’s things that we can control and things that we can’t
2:17:31 control and things that we can influence.
2:17:33 Dollar signs, honestly, we can’t control.
2:17:36 The state holds that budget.
2:17:39 And they give us.
2:17:40 Thank you Brevard County again.
2:17:41 I’m trying to say it again.
2:17:42 For approving the millage.
2:17:43 Because then the Brevard County citizens decided, you know what?
2:17:45 We can control that as a community.
2:17:48 But this board can’t control that.
2:17:49 I heard drug issues.
2:17:54 I’m going to mention that later.
2:17:56 Because one of the reasons why we are the number one expelling
2:18:00 school district in the county is because we are one of only two
2:18:04 school districts in the county that expels for drug use.
2:18:05 And I think even though that’s not the behaviors I think that
2:18:09 everybody’s highlighting today, it is definitely involved.
2:18:12 And I think that we have the opportunity maybe in the future to
2:18:16 dream a little bit differently and maybe find that because that
2:18:20 is a huge problem.
2:18:21 Professional development.
2:18:26 I’m going to tell you what.
2:18:27 I believe that everybody at this table in this community needs
2:18:29 to give a little bit.
2:18:30 Everybody part of this organization needs to give a little bit.
2:18:32 We cannot decide that our side has all the answers.
2:18:35 And I’m going to tell you, union representatives, I am kind of
2:18:40 tired as a board member of constantly hearing the pushback on
2:18:43 professional development.
2:18:44 We have had a lot of fuss about how even hurricane makeup days
2:18:48 on February 20th is professional development day.
2:18:51 And we fussed and fussed and said, you know what, nope, we need
2:18:54 to use that as a hurricane makeup day because, you know, our
2:18:57 teachers need – and they need the time off.
2:18:58 They need the planning.
2:18:59 I totally get that.
2:19:00 We also had a fuss about taking, you know, early release days.
2:19:05 But listen, we only have so much time for professional
2:19:07 development.
2:19:08 We can’t make people do professional development outside of the
2:19:10 certain realms.
2:19:11 We need the professional development.
2:19:13 We have more new teachers than ever before, more new bus drivers,
2:19:16 more new IAs before, and yet we’re not giving the time.
2:19:18 We’re fighting against the time to give the professional
2:19:20 development.
2:19:21 And that’s very frustrating.
2:19:23 So we’re going to have to give a little bit because we want to
2:19:26 provide that professional development to them.
2:19:28 But they have to be willing to take it.
2:19:34 And then, yes, parental involvement in families.
2:19:38 I heard that from the sheriff.
2:19:40 I heard that from the unions.
2:19:41 I heard that from, you know, different employee groups.
2:19:44 I heard it from our community leaders.
2:19:46 Yes, we’ve been talking about that for so long.
2:19:49 Here is my frustration with that is a lot of times the people
2:19:52 who are in the room hearing that are the ones who are already
2:19:55 involved.
2:19:55 And we have to figure out how do we take that message of
2:19:58 parental involvement to the people who aren’t in the room.
2:20:01 And they don’t really give a care about this video.
2:20:04 They’re not going to watch this meeting.
2:20:06 How do we take the parental involvement to them?
2:20:09 Because we just started that parental academy.
2:20:12 I think we had better turnout last Thursday than we did the week
2:20:14 after the hurricane.
2:20:15 But it was still pretty low.
2:20:17 How do we take that message to parents who honestly are
2:20:23 overwhelmed and feel unprepared to deal with their own children?
2:20:27 Because, you know, we talk about bus drivers and teachers can’t
2:20:30 get their kids to put their phones down.
2:20:33 They can’t.
2:20:34 I see parents all the time who can’t get their own kids to put
2:20:37 their phone down.
2:20:38 And they’re unprepared.
2:20:39 So, and it’s easy to say, just take them.
2:20:42 But you know what?
2:20:43 I know a lot of parents who, they just, they don’t know how to
2:20:46 do it.
2:20:46 They don’t have the skills.
2:20:47 So I don’t know.
2:20:48 So all of that to say, it is a multi-pronged, I’m going to
2:20:56 borrow your phrase that you use, Sheriff
2:20:57 Ivy, when you talk about security.
2:21:00 A multi-layered approach.
2:21:02 We have to address professional development for our, especially
2:21:06 for our new teachers who
2:21:07 don’t have those classroom management skills under their belts
2:21:10 because a lot of them didn’t
2:21:11 come from education backgrounds.
2:21:13 And we’re throwing them in there.
2:21:15 God bless their souls.
2:21:17 We’ve got to address community and parental involvement.
2:21:21 We’ve got to address the drug issue.
2:21:23 We, you know, federal and state laws, we can’t address that.
2:21:27 But you know, that’s a, that may be a part of it.
2:21:32 We have to address all of it.
2:21:34 And I’m really glad, another thing I’m really glad about in this
2:21:37 conversation is because I
2:21:38 think there was a perception that some of this was going to be,
2:21:41 you big bag school district,
2:21:43 you’re doing everything wrong.
2:21:44 And that’s not actually what I heard.
2:21:47 I heard, families, it’s time to step up.
2:21:52 Number one, I heard that more than anything else.
2:21:56 So I heard that.
2:21:58 And it’s time for us to get as many resources as we can, knowing
2:22:06 that we’re limited and we
2:22:07 can’t produce staff out of thin air.
2:22:09 But we’ve got to do everything we can to get these things filled
2:22:13 because that is a huge issue.
2:22:15 And I don’t want to be, I’m an optimist, so I hate thinking
2:22:18 about that in a negative way.
2:22:19 But that’s not going away anytime soon.
2:22:21 And we’re not unique.
2:22:22 Brevard is not unique in any of the problems that we’ve talked
2:22:25 about today.
2:22:26 So it’s not big bad Brevard, big bad Brevard public schools, big
2:22:30 bad Brevard community.
2:22:32 This is national and international.
2:22:34 So yes, I’m glad we’re talking about this and I hope that we can
2:22:37 be a leader.
2:22:38 But I think everybody needs to be ready to give a little and not
2:22:43 assume that their way or
2:22:44 that whatever ideas they have, that’s the only way that it can
2:22:47 be done.
2:22:47 So I may have gone a little bit more.
2:22:49 Pardon me for sermonizing, but you opened the door, Mr. Seuss,
2:22:53 and I walked through.
2:22:53 And that’s why we’re here.
2:22:56 So thank you, Ms. Campbell.
2:22:58 Mr. Trent.
2:23:01 All right, so we hear you.
2:23:05 And I was praying for a time like this where we could, you know,
2:23:10 not look left, not look right,
2:23:11 but find a topic that, you know, we agree on.
2:23:14 So we don’t repeat ourselves, which I think we’re all going to
2:23:20 wind up saying some of the same things here,
2:23:22 but I think it’s important to get out, is we hear you.
2:23:26 And I think that was the message that was trying to get out, at
2:23:29 least that was my perception with Sheriff and the others,
2:23:35 is that teachers, administrators, parents, we hear you.
2:23:39 Today, before I even forget it, and I’m terrible at names, but
2:23:45 my AP teacher, and my Teacher of the Year,
2:23:48 and my IA, thank you.
2:23:51 Thank you as a parent, thank you as a teacher.
2:23:54 Here’s my big hug to you, and then believe me, people out there
2:23:57 are doing the same thing.
2:23:58 To my person at, well, I got names in front of me now, Ms.
2:24:04 Samantha,
2:24:04 thank you so much for mentioning parents, and parental
2:24:07 involvement, and my minister lady down there,
2:24:11 I mentioned parents.
2:24:13 We feel here, on the board, this is the ultimate parent
2:24:19 connection right here.
2:24:20 We are parents, Jennifer Jenkins, and Katie Campbell, and Matt
2:24:26 Susan, and Megan, and myself.
2:24:28 This is where we felt we could contribute, and put our names in,
2:24:34 and go through quite the effort to be here.
2:24:37 It isn’t the biggest thing.
2:24:41 I mean, the biggest thing sometimes is working two and three
2:24:44 jobs and getting your kids to school.
2:24:45 I was a, I was a, I’m a product of that.
2:24:49 So, but this is something we can do, but we need help.
2:24:54 Some of the toughest words for a human to speak is, I need help.
2:24:59 And this board needs your help, parents and community.
2:25:04 And this will not be the last, this should be the beginning of
2:25:07 the help.
2:25:08 From the extreme of, we need maybe parents walking some hallways.
2:25:16 We need parents invited and feel comfortable to eating lunch
2:25:20 with your child.
2:25:21 We need parents to possibly sit in your child’s classroom.
2:25:27 Okay.
2:25:28 Those were the things, those were the issues that I had to deal
2:25:33 with growing up.
2:25:34 My mom was not my bus driver, thank God.
2:25:37 But there were times where the teacher would call the parent and
2:25:41 say, “Can you come in this week
2:25:43 and sit with little Johnny or Sally or whomever in the class?”
2:25:48 And I believe, you know, and I pray that this is the new norm
2:25:53 here in Brevard that has been brought
2:25:55 up at many meetings and it was shot down immediately.
2:25:59 That’s the new day, that we’re going to allow parents back into
2:26:04 the discussion.
2:26:05 So when we hear, when we hear candidates running on a parental
2:26:11 issue, it isn’t that we’re trying
2:26:13 to tell teachers how to do their job, those teachers that were
2:26:16 afraid that was happening.
2:26:17 Or other parents are afraid that the teacher and the parent was
2:26:20 going to decide on the curriculum
2:26:22 that’s being taught or how it’s taught.
2:26:24 That’s left up to the professionals or the teachers in the
2:26:27 classroom.
2:26:27 That’s not what we meant.
2:26:29 We just need a seat at the table.
2:26:31 And we need that.
2:26:33 And I’m thankful for this.
2:26:36 I’m a note taker.
2:26:38 Pardon me to go through some of these things.
2:26:40 I wasn’t going to touch on some of them, but I really, I feel
2:26:44 that I have to do that.
2:26:46 I’ll start at the very beginning, or the end, when our board
2:26:50 members said, “Unless we use
2:26:51 actual data and facts, nothing else matters.”
2:26:55 We only use data, and I have a little bit of a math background,
2:26:58 that was compiled honestly.
2:27:03 We also heard that we need teachers to write referrals.
2:27:08 Well, the reason why, and unfortunately things get watered down,
2:27:13 is we get beat down after a while.
2:27:15 Okay?
2:27:16 And those teachers, many of them are not writing the referrals
2:27:19 or having the discussions.
2:27:20 And you have to ask why.
2:27:21 Right?
2:27:22 Because, you know, Mr. Schiffern, I’ve not been involved 50
2:27:28 years, but it’s been 20.
2:27:29 Okay?
2:27:30 30 being a parent.
2:27:32 So let’s go back, when I first started as a teacher, and I would
2:27:36 make a phone call home.
2:27:37 And we had to log these phone calls.
2:27:39 And they were nice phone calls, you know, even if it was on a
2:27:42 bad situation, or an uncomfortable
2:27:44 situation, and I would get, “Thank you, Mr. Schiffern, for
2:27:47 calling.
2:27:47 Thank you for doing what you’re doing.
2:27:49 I’ll take care of it when so-and-so gets home.”
2:27:52 Then it went to, “I don’t know what to do.
2:27:56 Do you have any suggestions?
2:27:59 I don’t know how to keep the phones out of my kids’ hands, or
2:28:02 playing video games.”
2:28:03 Many times it was split homes.
2:28:05 Well, he’s with his dad, or she’s with the dad three days a week,
2:28:09 and they get to do whatever
2:28:09 they want, play video games, and, you know.
2:28:11 So that’s when the earbuds and the phone, that was even before
2:28:15 phones.
2:28:15 So we knew the issue.
2:28:16 Then it went to, “Well, what’d you do to my kid to make him
2:28:20 behave that way?”
2:28:21 Then it went to, “I dropped him off at school, and that’s your
2:28:29 problem.”
2:28:31 Then it went to, “We don’t make those phone calls home anymore.”
2:28:36 That’s what’s happening.
2:28:38 Unfortunately, that’s what’s happening.
2:28:40 I can’t tell you how many times that my phone’s been ringing off
2:28:44 the hook during the campaign,
2:28:46 or even as a teacher, where they just said, “My principal now
2:28:49 has come to me and said,
2:28:49 I have to get used to the new norm.
2:28:52 Stop complaining that this behavior is acting, because we’re not
2:28:56 doing anything.”
2:28:57 I spent some time at the ALC, not as a student, but as a teacher,
2:29:00 and too many times the student
2:29:02 would come back with a piece of candy and say, “Gotcha.
2:29:07 We’ve got to stop doing those kinds of things.
2:29:10 We need help in that instance.”
2:29:12 Okay?
2:29:13 So we need to acknowledge reality.
2:29:17 Reality isn’t in the data currently.
2:29:21 The reality you heard around the table today, that’s reality.
2:29:25 Twenty years in the classroom, that’s reality.
2:29:28 Teacher retention is an issue.
2:29:30 Bus driver retention.
2:29:32 We know that’s an issue.
2:29:35 When they’re making two and three loops, and the kid is an hour
2:29:37 and a half late to school,
2:29:39 that’s reality.
2:29:41 And we’re here to come together and not just base things on
2:29:47 whatever we see on paper,
2:29:48 because we know how things can get moved around.
2:29:53 Okay?
2:29:55 So what I’m getting at there, here’s my fear with parental
2:30:01 involvement.
2:30:02 And not that I believe these, but this is a fear.
2:30:04 Parents don’t care.
2:30:06 Absolutely it’s a lot.
2:30:08 That’s our fear.
2:30:10 Okay?
2:30:11 And why do I fear this?
2:30:12 Well, because of the 20 years that I’ve dealt with calling and
2:30:15 contacting parents.
2:30:16 I pray that that’s not the case.
2:30:18 So it is up to us.
2:30:20 Get some parents to get involved.
2:30:24 That’s what we need to do.
2:30:26 And I think Ms. Campbell said, many times when we come here as a
2:30:30 parent,
2:30:30 and we say we need to get involved, it’s the parents that are
2:30:33 here that do the involvement.
2:30:36 Grab a neighbor.
2:30:37 Let’s have some town hall meetings maybe.
2:30:39 I like the idea of moving around.
2:30:41 Maybe we’ll come to them.
2:30:42 Okay?
2:30:43 But I’ll end it on this.
2:30:45 I worked closely with the dean my last few years.
2:30:48 I can’t start to explain why the parents would even call and
2:30:53 argue and threaten a lawsuit, even for a detention.
2:30:57 And why my little students, because they’re late three times in
2:31:03 a day or two days, that they even have to serve a detention.
2:31:06 And the argument on that.
2:31:07 And then it escalates from there.
2:31:09 So when these major things are going on, all the little things
2:31:13 as a classroom teacher gets overlooked.
2:31:15 Those used to be the big things.
2:31:17 Just like blatant disrespect to the teacher and to the other
2:31:21 students.
2:31:22 So, yes, we have to take everything into consideration, but we
2:31:26 have to have some non-negotiables.
2:31:28 Like being able to sit in a classroom, respect your teacher,
2:31:33 respect your fellow students.
2:31:35 We used to hang that on our wall.
2:31:36 Each class would come up with their own non-negotiables before
2:31:40 learning can start.
2:31:41 All I did when we talked about, well, you know, kids are behind
2:31:45 in reading and in math.
2:31:47 Trust me, I understand.
2:31:48 I’m a math teacher.
2:31:49 I have some special concerns in my home with reading right now.
2:31:55 Okay?
2:31:56 But why are they behind?
2:31:58 There’s lots of reasons.
2:32:00 But I believe some of the reasons is what we’re talking about
2:32:03 here today.
2:32:04 No learning can start unless the discipline in the classroom is
2:32:10 handled.
2:32:10 Very little can start.
2:32:12 We have so few minutes as an educator already.
2:32:15 I think we boiled it.
2:32:16 There was 17 minutes of class period that we actually had
2:32:20 learning going on after attendance
2:32:22 and after all the things that we have to take care of.
2:32:25 Those minutes are crucial.
2:32:26 And us as educators need those minutes.
2:32:30 All I want to say is I actually appreciate it hasn’t been a left
2:32:35 or right issue.
2:32:37 That it needs to be color blind.
2:32:39 We love all children.
2:32:40 That’s why we become educators.
2:32:42 And that’s why we get married and we have children.
2:32:45 We love students.
2:32:46 We want them to be the successful adults that we’re hoping they
2:32:49 all can be.
2:32:50 But it’s going to take this to start.
2:32:52 So I appreciate everyone coming together.
2:32:54 Many of you here didn’t endorse me, didn’t support me.
2:32:58 But I said there’s going to be grounds that we can come together
2:33:02 on this.
2:33:02 And this has got to be a bare minimum.
2:33:05 So I got to stop.
2:33:06 Thank you so much.
2:33:07 Just so everybody understands, Mr. Trent just recently.
2:33:17 Mr. Trent was most recently in the classroom among everybody.
2:33:21 So he was in the classroom as of about a month ago.
2:33:24 So many of many of what you see he’s heard with and met with
2:33:28 people locally.
2:33:29 Thank you.
2:33:30 Ms. Wright.
2:33:32 I want to thank you guys for each coming today.
2:33:35 This to me signifies the fact that we all recognize that this is
2:33:38 a problem.
2:33:39 Every one of us that’s sitting here is here because we care.
2:33:41 Because we want to make our classrooms a productive learning
2:33:44 environment.
2:33:45 We want to make our school buses a safe vehicle for our kids to
2:33:49 be transported in.
2:33:50 And so I’m grateful that we can come together.
2:33:53 This opportunity doesn’t exist very, very often.
2:33:56 I think really what I walk away from is this is our student code
2:34:01 of conduct.
2:34:02 Just so you guys know, when somebody says to a parent, hey, our
2:34:06 code of conduct is online.
2:34:07 Do you think a parent is going to go and read this realistically?
2:34:11 I mean, this is hundreds of pages of student conduct.
2:34:15 No parent has read that.
2:34:16 I can guarantee you that.
2:34:17 And I think really what we need is we need clear expectations.
2:34:22 And I think that that will produce a clear result.
2:34:25 But if we can’t clearly define to our students and to our
2:34:28 teachers, hey, this is what we’re expecting from you guys.
2:34:31 Students, this is what we’re expecting from you as far as
2:34:33 behavior goes.
2:34:34 If it’s this much, this many pages to define it, then how are we
2:34:38 ever going to have a clear policy where we understand?
2:34:42 It just doesn’t exist in this.
2:34:44 It doesn’t.
2:34:45 So I’m encouraged that we can pull together on this topic and we
2:34:49 can say, hey, give us some feedback.
2:34:51 We want to simplify this.
2:34:53 We want to put this policy in every parent’s hands and say, here,
2:34:57 here’s what we’re looking for from your student.
2:34:59 Partner with us.
2:35:00 Please come help us at the schools.
2:35:02 We need our parents involved.
2:35:04 I think that that is something I can hear from everybody here
2:35:07 today.
2:35:07 Our sheriff, thank you, Sheriff Ivey.
2:35:10 I am so appreciative to the fact that you have drawn so much
2:35:13 attention to this.
2:35:14 Because you know what else I’ve heard?
2:35:16 All over the state of Florida, everyone is going through this.
2:35:19 This is not just for our town.
2:35:21 Every one of us.
2:35:22 And you know why we’re hearing that?
2:35:23 Because that video came out.
2:35:25 So I’m grateful that that the awareness has been created over
2:35:28 this topic.
2:35:29 And I’m encouraged that I think we can come together and we can
2:35:33 find solutions to this as long as we’re willing to hear both
2:35:37 sides.
2:35:37 That’s all I’m saying about that.
2:35:39 But I appreciate you guys.
2:35:40 Thank you.
2:35:41 I’m going to turn this over to you.
2:35:43 Thank you, Ms. Wright.
2:35:45 First, I’d like to say thank you to each person who took time
2:35:48 today for their own busy schedules to make this meeting a
2:35:51 priority.
2:35:51 As you’ll see from the agenda today, our emphasis will be on
2:35:54 ensuring that we will be embracing a community, a collective
2:35:58 approach to this problem.
2:36:00 For too long, the school district has been working in isolation
2:36:03 on issues that far reached consequences beyond the walls of our
2:36:06 schools.
2:36:07 In fact, I say that our discipline policies and procedures
2:36:11 impacts all aspects of our community here in Brevard County.
2:36:14 And on that note, I would like to say this.
2:36:17 This issue is surely not isolated to Brevard County.
2:36:21 What we’re confronted with is a societal issue.
2:36:24 And I know that the efforts in bringing change to a substantial
2:36:29 issue will not happen overnight.
2:36:31 But what I do know about Brevard County is this.
2:36:34 When the mission calls, we answer.
2:36:37 When a problem is identified, we innovate.
2:36:40 We explore.
2:36:42 And we develop solutions.
2:36:45 Today is our first step in developing those solutions.
2:36:48 But first, it is important to hear the voices of those that are
2:36:52 experiencing the problems on a daily basis.
2:36:55 Because in this current state, that’s exactly what’s missing.
2:36:58 The voices of those experiencing this reality day in and day out.
2:37:02 So you can put data in front of me that says there are no issues.
2:37:05 But those are numbers absent from human voices.
2:37:09 And I refuse to continue to allow numbers to be the only voice
2:37:13 in this problem.
2:37:14 So again, thank you to those of you who have reached out.
2:37:17 Who have stepped up.
2:37:19 Your courage and your commitment is what will be bringing
2:37:21 positive change to the school district.
2:37:24 And I’m greatly grateful for each one of you here today.
2:37:28 I think we’re about to do something amazing.
2:37:30 Let’s take a break for 10 minutes.
2:37:32 Thank you.
2:51:50 And welcome back, everybody.
2:51:51 I wanted to address a couple of quick issues.
2:51:54 The first one is is that we had some individuals that were at
2:52:18 the table that signed up to speak.
2:52:19 I just wanted to make sure to read your name, if I can just renegade
2:52:24 that.
2:52:24 Sam, are you good for me to take your speaking?
2:52:26 And Brian, you good because you’re speaking through the whole
2:52:30 thing?
2:52:30 And then Benny Jackson, is that good?
2:52:34 Thank you.
2:52:35 And then after reviewing all of the secondary lists, there were
2:52:40 a couple of individuals that
2:52:42 did not put anything down.
2:52:44 I think it’s about discipline, but I was going to ask real quick.
2:52:47 Is Josephine Hunter here?
2:52:49 Yes.
2:52:50 Okay.
2:52:51 I’m assuming it’s discipline, so I can put you in with them.
2:52:53 Okay.
2:52:54 And then Skip Parish?
2:52:57 Yeah.
2:52:58 Discipline.
2:53:00 Yes, sir.
2:53:01 Okay.
2:53:02 So that makes that.
2:53:03 We now, just so everybody have roughly 37 speakers on discipline.
2:53:06 So with three minutes, here’s what I would say.
2:53:10 If you can speak quicker, we can get through that to get to what
2:53:15 we’re trying to do.
2:53:16 We are going to the individuals that are here.
2:53:19 I have lunch coming from Mr. Delicious.
2:53:22 He called up and he’s right around the corner.
2:53:24 It’s a pizza company.
2:53:25 He’s going to bring pizzas and stuff like that for us.
2:53:28 If you guys are interested while we’re moving and you guys
2:53:30 needed to head to the back.
2:53:32 Our lunch area only opens or stays open until one o’clock.
2:53:36 So if you guys are wanting to eat, you can head back there, get
2:53:39 food, come back.
2:53:40 But I think we need to work through this.
2:53:42 So if we can work through the lunch piece because there’s some
2:53:45 people that are concerned that if we start getting past 2:33 o’clock,
2:53:48 they have to go pick up their kids and stuff like that.
2:53:50 So with that said, I will begin the public speaking.
2:53:55 And if you were a speaker and you got a number or whatever it is,
2:53:59 I put them back in numerical order.
2:54:01 But there may be some people in between that might have been
2:54:04 with you that put down the other piece.
2:54:06 So with that stated, let’s go with Josephine Hunter, please.
2:54:10 Number three.
2:54:11 And then after that is Katie Delaney and Kelly Curvin, please.
2:54:17 Good morning, everyone.
2:54:23 Josephine Hunter.
2:54:24 I don’t know if I have to get my address, but I’m a Melville
2:54:27 resident.
2:54:28 A lot said today.
2:54:30 I have to move quickly through this.
2:54:32 First of all, thank all of you for your service.
2:54:36 I hope you know it is service, you know, and it’s a calling.
2:54:40 It does take a calling.
2:54:41 I’m a widow pastor’s wife.
2:54:43 It takes a calling to love God’s people or to help God’s people
2:54:46 and to teach his children as well.
2:54:48 That’s the first thing.
2:54:49 I’m also a mother of two and had a handicapped son that never
2:54:54 walked or talked that I physically cared for 12 years.
2:54:58 So I understand ESE.
2:54:59 I understand IEP.
2:55:00 All of that have been a bonus parent to seven children.
2:55:04 So I’ve had my experience.
2:55:05 Several of them are college educated with degrees and some didn’t
2:55:09 go, but I’ve had a little of all of it.
2:55:12 So that being said, just with the discipline policy, I do
2:55:15 believe it has to be data driven and looking at the data, which,
2:55:20 of course, I had a little issue with someone saying that was not
2:55:27 correct data or that there was no data given or data, whichever
2:55:32 word you prefer, considering that it came from a retired Harris
2:55:36 engineer and avionics engineer.
2:55:37 And more importantly, it was pulled from BPS information.
2:55:42 So that part.
2:55:43 So, you know, either we trust our system and our paperwork or we
2:55:49 don’t.
2:55:49 Our statistics from your system or we don’t.
2:55:53 But anyway, the data points out that the main problem is willful
2:55:58 disobedience.
2:55:59 That could be sit down.
2:56:00 That could be be quiet.
2:56:02 But the point is, when you look at the data, that’s the main
2:56:06 thing.
2:56:06 The first thing I heard this gentleman over here say that
2:56:08 teachers are leaving.
2:56:09 Number one, because increasing demands on them and less pay.
2:56:13 So we have to look at those things as well.
2:56:15 The millage was passed.
2:56:16 Hopefully pay is going to help with that.
2:56:18 The previous policy in 2018.
2:56:20 Again, the sheriff helped put that together with Mr. Mullins.
2:56:23 And again, it had all the technical training.
2:56:25 It had this.
2:56:26 It had that.
2:56:27 But only eight hours of mental health.
2:56:28 We have to reallocate those funding.
2:56:31 Mental health is what we need.
2:56:32 Not the sheriff there.
2:56:35 We now have RSOs, SROs in school with big guns across their
2:56:39 chest.
2:56:40 You’re scaring the kids.
2:56:43 And let’s be real.
2:56:44 If something happened, they couldn’t get the gun up quick enough
2:56:47 to do anything anyway.
2:56:48 It’s just a scare tactic.
2:56:50 It’s intimidation.
2:56:51 You don’t need kids afraid of the law.
2:56:53 You need kids to embrace law enforcement.
2:56:55 To be willing to work with them.
2:56:57 To be willing to come to them when they have a problem, not
2:57:00 afraid of them because of a gun and running from them.
2:57:02 So that’s the opposite of what we need.
2:57:05 Our bus drivers.
2:57:06 Open the door.
2:57:07 Tell them to get off.
2:57:08 Okay?
2:57:09 If your life is in danger, if they’re hitting you in the back of
2:57:13 the head.
2:57:13 My mother was a bus driver for St. Joseph’s where I graduated
2:57:17 from elementary at.
2:57:18 And she didn’t put up with it.
2:57:20 I mean, and she didn’t have those issues.
2:57:22 The way we rear our children, there’s no biting.
2:57:25 There’s no kicking allowed.
2:57:26 Those two things that you didn’t put your foot on anybody and
2:57:28 you didn’t spit on anybody.
2:57:30 Those things we didn’t tolerate.
2:57:31 Ma’am, you’re at three minutes.
2:57:32 That’s if you can conclude in the next five seconds and then we
2:57:35 can move on to the next speaker.
2:57:36 Okay.
2:57:37 Wow.
2:57:38 Okay.
2:57:39 Colorblind.
2:57:43 Yeah.
2:57:44 That part.
2:57:45 Colorblind.
2:57:46 Because if we’re saying that it’s because of discipline that we
2:57:55 can’t teach our children.
2:57:59 If that’s the case, the whites would not be graduating at one
2:58:03 thing, 99% and your Blacks graduating at 60 or 30%.
2:58:07 That’s not, we can’t blame that on discipline.
2:58:10 Thank you, Ms. Hunter.
2:58:11 Now, maybe we need to do a different way of teaching.
2:58:12 Thank you, Ms. Hunter.
2:58:13 I appreciate your time.
2:58:14 Ms. Katie Delaney.
2:58:15 Please come up next.
2:58:16 Just so everybody knows, your numbers are over there on the side.
2:58:28 She’s running the, Ms. Tammy McGuire, who is, who works for us,
2:58:34 is running the actual time.
2:58:35 So if you need to know your time, please look over there.
2:58:43 Go ahead, Ms. Katie.
2:58:44 This is a topic that I’ve been talking about for a few years now
2:58:48 at school board meetings.
2:58:49 And I am so thankful and happy that all of you are sitting here
2:58:53 and we’re hopefully going to come to a plan to really make our
2:58:57 schools a safe place.
2:58:59 One of the issues that I’ve seen is that it’s not equally,
2:59:09 discipline is not equally distributed across the board.
2:59:12 And it should not be based on the child.
2:59:16 It should be based on, if you’re throwing a chair in a classroom,
2:59:20 you don’t belong there.
2:59:22 I’m sorry.
2:59:24 But if you cannot behave, that’s not my child’s fault.
2:59:28 My child’s education should not be hindered because that child
2:59:33 does not know how to behave.
2:59:35 And by that child, I don’t mean black, white, Hispanic, any
2:59:39 other thing.
2:59:40 I mean the child who wasn’t taught how to behave.
2:59:43 And if a child with ESE cannot behave, I’m sorry, they do not
2:59:50 belong with children who can behave.
2:59:55 I’m sorry.
2:59:56 It is what it is.
2:59:57 We need to train these children in the way that they go.
3:00:01 Right, Pastor?
3:00:02 We need to train up these children in the way that they go and
3:00:06 they will not depart from it.
3:00:07 That is the truth.
3:00:10 And I’m sorry about that.
3:00:12 But that is the truth.
3:00:13 Ms. Delaney, if you can pause for just a second.
3:00:16 Everybody, we’re here and we all have different views.
3:00:19 But as stated, we all have a specific goal.
3:00:22 And whether you believe in that or not, we ask our children to
3:00:25 act inside of our classrooms.
3:00:27 We have to ask our people to start acting correctly in the boardroom.
3:00:30 So please, as we move forward, let’s move forward.
3:00:33 Conversations can be made afterwards.
3:00:36 And I would also ask the speakers to temper some of their
3:00:39 comments just so that we don’t get everybody riled up in the
3:00:42 room.
3:00:42 So thank you very much.
3:00:43 Ms. Katie.
3:00:44 And just because a child has ESE needs does not mean that they
3:00:49 cannot behave.
3:00:50 That is not true.
3:00:53 They may need services.
3:00:54 They may need help.
3:00:55 But that does not mean that they cannot learn to behave and be
3:00:59 respectful to adults.
3:01:01 That is the truth.
3:01:02 We managed to figure it out for the past couple hundred years.
3:01:06 And for whatever reason, now things are different.
3:01:10 And cell phones are a huge piece of that.
3:01:14 Not having a father in the household is a huge piece of that.
3:01:18 So I would love for our community to get involved and help these
3:01:22 kids that are a constant disruption to the classroom.
3:01:25 Maybe that’s a piece of this discipline plan that we can do.
3:01:28 If it’s a child from a fatherless home or, you know, maybe
3:01:32 whatever, a single parent home.
3:01:34 Maybe a person from the community could come in and that could
3:01:40 be their school and we could just put our arms around that kid
3:01:43 and help them.
3:01:44 You know, this is not a color issue.
3:01:49 This is a child issue.
3:01:51 We need all of our kids to be successful.
3:01:54 We need all of our kids to feel loved and safe.
3:01:57 And that is the point.
3:01:58 Thank you.
3:01:59 Thank you, Ms. Delaney.
3:02:00 Next up, Kelly Curvin, please.
3:02:02 After, after Ms. Kelly, after Ms. Kelly, you have Lisa Rae, Hylia
3:02:12 Mercer.
3:02:13 Well, that’s what I’m talking about.
3:02:18 And Charna Berry.
3:02:19 On Monday.
3:02:20 Ms. Kelly Curvin, please.
3:02:21 And if you guys can address when you speak as a, from the
3:02:25 speaking, if you can speak directly to me and make all of your
3:02:28 comments towards me.
3:02:29 Please don’t identify anybody that’s inside the crowd.
3:02:32 Please identify all remarks to me.
3:02:34 Thank you.
3:02:35 On Monday, I said that my relationship with BPS has not always
3:02:39 been a positive one.
3:02:40 As the mother of two students with IEPs, the road to equitable
3:02:43 access to their education has not been a straight line.
3:02:45 Today, you will hear from people who will ask you to remember
3:02:48 our students suffering from poverty, food insecurity, and
3:02:51 homelessness when thinking about updating our disciplinary
3:02:53 policy.
3:02:54 So instead, I’m going to tell you about my 14-year-old daughter,
3:02:57 Samantha.
3:02:57 In kindergarten, Samantha struggled to memorize enough sight
3:03:00 words to pass.
3:03:01 In the first grade, I was told that Samantha was a slow and
3:03:03 purposeful reader.
3:03:04 She didn’t enjoy reading out loud, but she passed all the
3:03:06 reading tests.
3:03:07 On the 18th day of second grade, her teacher approached me and
3:03:10 asked, “Kelly, did you know Samantha cannot read?”
3:03:13 I was floored.
3:03:14 First, because we read together every night, and Samantha had an
3:03:17 S in reading the entire year before.
3:03:18 But what they don’t tell you is that before taking those tests
3:03:21 in the first grade, the stories are read in a group setting, so
3:03:24 Samantha didn’t have to know how to read it.
3:03:26 She just had to hear it.
3:03:28 It would take an entire calendar year plus two more months to
3:03:32 get her staff with an IEP, at which point she started the third
3:03:35 grade reading at a late kindergarten level.
3:03:37 While waiting the 14 months it would take BPS to catch up, I
3:03:40 started doing my own legwork, and she was diagnosed with dyslexia.
3:03:43 I was then introduced to a tutor who had a one-hour spot
3:03:46 Samantha could have on Fridays.
3:03:48 But doing that meant checking Samantha out of her BPS classroom
3:03:51 every single week to attend her session.
3:03:53 After doing that, for an entire school year, one hour a week of
3:03:57 targeted research-based intervention, she ended the third grade
3:04:00 with a three on her FSA.
3:04:01 All she needed was to be taught phonics how to decode words and
3:04:04 the rules of reading.
3:04:05 You see, the thing about dyslexia is that it doesn’t care about
3:04:08 your race or gender or socioeconomic level.
3:04:10 Twenty percent of the population of the entire world has it.
3:04:14 It is about taking in information and processing it differently.
3:04:19 So how does that relate to discipline problems in the classroom?
3:04:22 When you’re a fourth grader, fifth grader, sixth grader, and
3:04:25 beyond, you must sit in a classroom trying to learn information
3:04:27 when you haven’t even been taught to read it.
3:04:28 What can you expect to happen?
3:04:30 Samantha’s dyslexia was a barrier for her.
3:04:36 It wasn’t a barrier for – sorry.
3:04:40 Students with dyslexia who do not receive intervention by the
3:04:43 third grade will struggle for the rest of their lives.
3:04:46 The risk factors for depression, drug addiction, suicide, and
3:04:49 incarceration skyrockets as they become part of the 19% who
3:04:52 graduate high school is punctually illiterate, assuming they
3:04:54 graduate at all.
3:04:55 What separated Samantha from her other peers was privilege.
3:04:58 Her father and I could check her out, we could pay for tutoring,
3:05:01 and I dedicated more hours advocating an IEP meeting than I
3:05:05 could even relay.
3:05:06 It’s not easy when our district does not invest in the right
3:05:09 curriculum or programs or teacher training.
3:05:11 I know my time is running out, so I’m going to ask you to think
3:05:13 about your responsibilities to teaching all of our students and
3:05:17 how your neglect in doing so impacts them not only academically
3:05:20 but behaviorally.
3:05:20 As our chairperson stood by Sheriff Ivey in front of our county
3:05:23 prison while threatening antagonizing our students with harsher,
3:05:27 even violent discipline, the irony was not lost to me that
3:05:30 nearly 80% of our prison population is functionally illiterate.
3:05:33 And we know that because our prison system screens for dyslexia
3:05:36 and for very public schools does not.
3:05:38 Thank you, Ms. Kerbin.
3:05:40 Next up, Ms. Lisa Ray, please.
3:05:43 Is Ms. Lisa Ray here in the audience?
3:05:48 Okay.
3:05:49 I couldn’t hear you overall.
3:05:50 No, I know.
3:05:51 I know.
3:05:52 Thank you.
3:05:53 Sure.
3:05:54 Good morning.
3:05:55 Hello.
3:05:56 Thank you to the school board members for the opportunity to
3:05:57 share.
3:05:57 Just a quick note.
3:05:58 When I walked in this morning, I was happy to see, because like
3:06:06 we’ve heard, we weren’t sure what was happening this morning.
3:06:11 I was happy to see so many voices represented at the round table,
3:06:15 invited to participate in the discussion.
3:06:17 Um, but there is at least one voice missing.
3:06:21 Um, I would like to see, uh, hopefully moving forward in these
3:06:24 conversations, someone here to represent our students with
3:06:28 disabilities.
3:06:28 Um, so I hope you would include that in your, uh, round table
3:06:31 moving forward.
3:06:32 Okay.
3:06:33 Thank you.
3:06:35 Um, so my name is Lisa Ray.
3:06:37 I’m the mom of an adorable and precocious second grader, as well
3:06:41 as an ESE support specialist for Brevard Public Schools for the
3:06:46 last seven years.
3:06:46 Prior to that, I was a special education teacher for 12 years
3:06:50 working with students who had significant behavioral struggles
3:06:53 that impacted their ability to attend their zoned neighborhood
3:06:57 schools.
3:06:59 Effective school discipline policies are critical to promoting
3:07:02 our students’ successful learning.
3:07:04 There are many barriers to effective school discipline,
3:07:08 including the widespread use of punitive approaches and
3:07:12 inconsistent implementation that often disproportionately impact
3:07:17 minorities and students with disabilities.
3:07:19 Research published by the National Association of School Psychologists
3:07:23 shows us that punitive get-tough approaches, they don’t work.
3:07:26 Empirical evidence has shown that zero tolerance policies are
3:07:31 not effective.
3:07:32 In fact, they can inhibit academic achievement and increase
3:07:36 problem behaviors and dropout rates.
3:07:39 In this study, we’ll see the numbers closely represent Brevard
3:07:43 County.
3:07:43 Um, but in this study, although black students accounted for
3:07:48 about 15% of all public school students, they represented about
3:07:53 39% of students suspended from school.
3:07:55 U.S. Department of Education data shows that among students with
3:07:59 disabilities, 26%, and it was 31% in Brevard County, 26%
3:08:05 received at least one out-of-school suspension, and 24% were
3:08:09 expelled during the school year.
3:08:11 Although in this study, they represented just 12% of students,
3:08:15 and we learned this morning it was 17% with Brevard Public.
3:08:20 On the other hand, positive approaches to discipline teach and
3:08:24 reinforce positive behaviors, are clear and equitably applied to
3:08:28 all students, employ culturally competent practices, and keep
3:08:33 students in school and out of jail.
3:08:36 They focus on fair and consistent discipline, positive
3:08:39 behavioral interventions and support, PBIS, which we have here
3:08:43 in some of our schools, social and emotional development, restorative
3:08:47 justice, and positive school climate.
3:08:49 Research shows that positive behavioral interventions
3:08:53 significantly reduce student suspension, referrals, and bullying,
3:08:57 and school-wide positive behavioral interventions are associated
3:09:01 with more equitable discipline practices among all students.
3:09:04 And I think that’s a great question.
3:09:05 I think that’s a great question.
3:09:30 Hi, I’m Hyla Mercer.
3:09:33 I want to thank you for this opportunity to speak.
3:09:37 I have almost 30 years with Brevard Public Schools.
3:09:41 The last 15 is an elementary school principal.
3:09:44 I’ve had experience with behavior and discipline.
3:09:47 I’ve been told what I can do to myself by kids from kindergarten
3:09:52 through 12th grade.
3:09:53 I’ve been bitten, pushed, spit on, cursed.
3:09:58 And before I retired, I even overheard my assistant principal
3:10:04 explain to a student
3:10:05 that if she hit me, she would not only be charged with battery,
3:10:09 but with abuse of the elderly.
3:10:12 This I know.
3:10:15 Teachers want to teach.
3:10:18 Most students want and all deserve to learn.
3:10:22 Teachers want disruptive students removed and not returned until
3:10:27 they are prepared
3:10:27 to behave and allow the learning cycle to continue.
3:10:31 We must provide that.
3:10:34 Children misbehave for many reasons.
3:10:37 Some are so damaged and so broken that it will take a myriad of
3:10:42 solutions to help them learn to behave
3:10:44 and be productive citizens.
3:10:46 It will take will and resources, talent, training, time, and
3:10:52 money.
3:10:53 Please, moving forward, if we’re going to talk about BPS issues,
3:10:59 including discipline, let’s do so here in this house, not in
3:11:04 front of the county jail.
3:11:05 Doing so, doing so reinforces the school to jail pipeline many
3:11:15 perceive in this community to our detriment.
3:11:18 Let’s view every student who goes to jail as a result of
3:11:24 failures in our society, including our school.
3:11:26 We can do better.
3:11:28 The will and talent to do so is in this room, in our community,
3:11:34 and beyond.
3:11:36 We can succeed.
3:11:37 Thank you.
3:11:39 Thank you, Ms. Mercer.
3:11:40 Sharma Berry.
3:11:41 Then Michelle Berneau and Skip Parrish are up next.
3:11:46 Ms. Berry.
3:11:47 Hello, everyone.
3:11:48 So listening to this meeting and listening to prior media, it’s
3:12:00 a lot.
3:12:01 And there’s a lot of changes that needs to be made.
3:12:06 One thing I will say is data does matter.
3:12:09 History does matter.
3:12:11 And if we’re going to be better, we have to look at those two
3:12:18 things to see what needs
3:12:19 to change and how we can come together collectively and make a
3:12:25 difference.
3:12:25 If we want to be the – if we want our kids to show respect, if
3:12:29 we want our kids to learn
3:12:31 self-control, better behavior, we have to be the face of that as
3:12:37 adults.
3:12:38 These kids are watching the media.
3:12:41 These kids are looking at our examples.
3:12:44 And if we are not portraying any of this, they’re not going to
3:12:50 learn.
3:12:50 Right?
3:12:51 Three points I heard today was mental health, parent
3:12:54 accountability, and training.
3:12:57 What I would like to see with whatever this code of conduct is
3:13:03 going to change it to
3:13:04 or what it’s going to look like.
3:13:06 I want to see support for continued positive behavior redirection.
3:13:12 And also mental health support.
3:13:15 Coming off these three years of COVID, it’s been really tough.
3:13:20 But we were expected to continue to work.
3:13:23 We were expected to continue to come into the schoolhouse and
3:13:27 function like nothing happened.
3:13:29 Teachers are suffering.
3:13:31 Parents are suffering.
3:13:32 Children are suffering.
3:13:33 And to be quite honest, because of my own personal experience,
3:13:40 there is currently a lack
3:13:42 of positive and safe resources available for students,
3:13:48 especially children, especially.
3:13:50 children, they don’t need to see intimidation or be afraid to go
3:13:58 to school and learn.
3:14:01 That’s not what needs to be taught to them.
3:14:05 They don’t need to be afraid that physical punishment is coming
3:14:11 their way.
3:14:11 What we do need is more cultural training and development.
3:14:15 We need a more multi-culturally competent support staff and
3:14:21 community to promote diversity,
3:14:24 equity, and inclusion.
3:14:26 We can make suggestions all day long, but what it boils down is
3:14:30 to leadership.
3:14:31 And what I will say is, as a leader, Mr. Matt, you have to
3:14:37 believe.
3:14:37 You have to believe that there needs to be a change and that
3:14:41 there needs to be a change with compassion.
3:14:43 And you have an open heart to really, really look at what is
3:14:49 happening culturally and as a collective group.
3:14:51 Thank you.
3:14:52 Absolutely.
3:14:53 Thank you so much, Ms. Parish.
3:14:54 I appreciate your comments.
3:14:55 Ms. Parish, you’re up now.
3:14:56 Next up, Skip Parish, then Julie Bywater.
3:14:57 Thank you.
3:14:58 I’m the parent of a BPS student and Vice President of Families
3:15:09 for Safe Schools.
3:15:12 Like so many, I was disgusted by the political theater put on by
3:15:17 a board member who announced
3:15:18 a major shift in school policy in a dramatically staged video
3:15:22 rather than in a board meeting.
3:15:24 Like so many, I found it reprehensible that a discussion
3:15:27 involving our school conduct
3:15:29 place in front of a prison.
3:15:31 I found the language the sheriff used to refer to students as
3:15:34 insulting and dismissive and touching on abuse.
3:15:37 Shame on you for trying to score political points by creating a
3:15:41 media spectacle over this issue.
3:15:43 Shame on you for using the cheap ploy of fear and anger to frame
3:15:48 this issue in a way that will be harmful to our schools and our
3:15:52 students.
3:15:52 Several people thanked the sheriff for bringing attention with
3:15:55 his video.
3:15:56 Ends do not always justify the means.
3:15:58 You can burn this building down and it will draw attention, but
3:16:00 then you’re left with a burnt building and we don’t need that.
3:16:03 We do have issues.
3:16:05 No teacher or school employee should feel, should be or feel
3:16:09 attacked or threatened while working in our schools and on our
3:16:14 buses.
3:16:14 The discipline issues in schools are not new and they’re
3:16:17 certainly not unique or more extreme in our county.
3:16:20 The appropriate personnel for dealing with them are school
3:16:23 employees, not law enforcement.
3:16:25 the appropriate.
3:16:26 In addition to the academic curriculum, students must learn how
3:16:32 to behave in class.
3:16:33 Misbehavior is one more opportunity to teach and should be
3:16:35 handled by the professionals who are trained for it.
3:16:38 And they should be trained for it.
3:16:40 A rational policy developed by experts in child and adolescent
3:16:44 behavior executed, executed consistently, is what we need.
3:16:49 A bonus would be treating our teachers with respect so that we
3:16:53 can retain experienced teachers who are better equipped to
3:16:56 manage classrooms.
3:16:57 The division, hatred, constant outrage, and disrespectful name
3:17:02 calling demonstrated regularly now in our society, occasionally
3:17:06 in this room, trickles down into our schools.
3:17:08 The fact that our sheriff behaved this way on TV while
3:17:11 addressing discipline proves he is not the best person for our
3:17:14 school policy.
3:17:15 The most recent tragic shooting incident involving his
3:17:21 department further proves that his work culture isn’t right for
3:17:26 our students.
3:17:27 If anyone should go to jail, it should be the cell phones that
3:17:33 are probably the single largest cause for disruption.
3:17:35 Let’s invest in lock boxes for cell phones in the classrooms
3:17:38 rather than funneling more money into law enforcement.
3:17:41 It’s a technical problem.
3:17:43 There are solutions to it.
3:17:44 Worst case, create some sort of signal block during class time
3:17:48 so that they cannot be used.
3:17:49 There is a solution to this.
3:17:54 Teachers need more support, more mental health support.
3:17:56 There were some excellent suggestions provided by Matt Yount and
3:18:01 Sandy Edwards and others in this room.
3:18:03 And this panel is the appropriate way to create productive
3:18:07 dialogue and solutions, not media spectacles.
3:18:09 Thank you all very much.
3:18:10 Thank you, Ms. Baranel.
3:18:13 Skip Parrish, please.
3:18:15 Hi, thank you.
3:18:25 My comments are going to kind of be all over the board because
3:18:28 people are addressing some of the main points that many of us
3:18:34 are talking about right now.
3:18:35 There was a comment from one of the board members regarding how
3:18:39 long the student code of conduct is.
3:18:41 I’m a divorced dad in a second marriage.
3:18:45 I have two students that are in a different county.
3:18:48 That county, Seminole County, has a 49-page student handbook
3:18:51 instead of a 96-page one.
3:18:53 My student had to read that code of conduct, take a test on it,
3:18:58 sign off on it.
3:18:59 They gave him a week for that when he moved up into junior high
3:19:03 school.
3:19:03 If we wanted to implement a policy like that in this county
3:19:06 without changing our student handbook at all,
3:19:08 you could give the students two weeks.
3:19:11 This is not difficult.
3:19:13 We make students read all the time.
3:19:15 We make them read at the kindergarten level all the way through
3:19:18 graduate school if they go that far.
3:19:20 We can force them to read, we can make them take a test.
3:19:23 If you’re worried that the policies you have aren’t being abided
3:19:28 by, implement something like that before we take drastic
3:19:31 measures.
3:19:32 In regards to some of the other points, sorry, my screen just
3:19:35 locked.
3:19:35 I wrote down notes the whole time.
3:19:37 And of course my screen locked because I really love being
3:19:41 embarrassed publicly.
3:19:43 Okay, so with the event that happened the other week, my seven-year-old,
3:19:50 who has never had a referral, is kind of scared after that
3:19:56 little publicity stunt.
3:19:57 And if your intentions were good, they were good.
3:20:00 If they were poor, they were poor.
3:20:01 I’m not here to judge that.
3:20:03 I don’t know you personally.
3:20:04 I don’t know the sheriff personally.
3:20:06 But that scared people.
3:20:09 And it shouldn’t.
3:20:13 That should not be the goal.
3:20:15 As to whatever discipline changes you wish to push forward later,
3:20:20 I mentioned accountability on the Student Code of Conduct vis-a-vis
3:20:24 having students read it and sign off on it.
3:20:27 Are we doing that with every single IEP for side teachers?
3:20:34 Because I’ve had some side teachers not recognize in this county
3:20:38 and in the other county that my older two children are in, not
3:20:42 know my child’s IEP.
3:20:43 I’ve had substitutes that had no clue my child had an IEP and
3:20:47 did things that were dramatically against it.
3:20:50 And I’ve taught at the college level.
3:20:52 I’ve taught at the trade school level.
3:20:53 I’ve taught at an adult high school where most of my students
3:20:56 were either criminals or in the process of getting convicted.
3:21:01 I have seen some things.
3:21:04 Accountability is a two-way street.
3:21:07 I’m not saying that most teachers are bad any more than most of
3:21:10 these teachers are saying that most students are bad.
3:21:13 But if these students need accountability to you, to your code
3:21:17 of conduct, to this county’s code of conduct, IEP should have a
3:21:21 similar policy as well.
3:21:23 Like this whole thing needs to go around and around in every
3:21:27 direction.
3:21:28 You can finish it up?
3:21:30 Just that’s basically it.
3:21:32 There’s other things I was going to address, but I got too far
3:21:34 into the weeds there.
3:21:35 If you’re here afterwards, I’ll listen to you after the meeting.
3:21:41 Thank you very much.
3:21:43 Thank you, Skip.
3:21:44 Julie Bywater, then we have Diana Haynes, and then we have Sarah
3:21:50 Mirsky, please.
3:21:51 Good morning.
3:21:52 I’m Julie Bywater.
3:21:53 I am a member of the local chapter of Moms for Liberty.
3:21:57 I have two current students in BPS there at Rockledge High.
3:22:02 One of my students has a 504, which is different than an IEP.
3:22:07 There are different rules, but he’s right.
3:22:10 Most of his teachers aren’t even aware of his 504.
3:22:13 He is assertive enough to ask for his accommodations when they’re
3:22:17 necessary,
3:22:18 but he has worked through his issues enough to not have to use
3:22:23 them much.
3:22:24 Speaking to him, for example, I was a parent sitting in the
3:22:28 classroom next to him
3:22:29 when he was dealing with his undiagnosed and untreated ADHD,
3:22:34 where he’s combined type, he’s all over the place,
3:22:37 his energy is off the charts.
3:22:40 If you look at a picture in the dictionary, it was probably him.
3:22:45 But I was the parent sitting in the classroom.
3:22:48 I was the one redirecting him, cleaning out his desk every day,
3:22:51 helping him turn in assignments because I was there to support
3:22:55 his teacher
3:22:56 and teach him how to use his executive functioning.
3:23:00 We aren’t doing that for students.
3:23:02 If you want to talk about cell phones in the classroom,
3:23:05 let’s talk about tech in the classroom.
3:23:09 A good portion of your classrooms really are focused way too
3:23:13 much on tech,
3:23:14 way too much on the use of it.
3:23:15 We can do a lot of education with books, paper, pencils, and
3:23:21 pens.
3:23:21 And you all know it.
3:23:22 The internet goes out routinely in schools.
3:23:25 And what do you think happens?
3:23:26 Those kids go get on their phones and play games
3:23:28 and listen to their music and et cetera,
3:23:30 because the internet’s down and they can’t even do their math
3:23:34 homework.
3:23:34 That’s ridiculous.
3:23:37 You guys want to talk about cell phones?
3:23:39 Stop telling teachers to have their students pull out their cell
3:23:44 phone
3:23:44 in the middle of class and look up X, Y, and Z.
3:23:47 Because let me tell you something.
3:23:49 You’re telling – you’re sending those big signals.
3:23:51 You’re saying, hey, look at your phone.
3:23:52 Don’t look at your phone.
3:23:53 Look at your phone.
3:23:54 Don’t look at your phone.
3:23:55 Are you kidding me?
3:23:57 You really, really, really need to look at your tech and cell
3:24:01 phone policy.
3:24:02 We aren’t setting our students up for success.
3:24:04 We’re setting them up to fail.
3:24:06 There are so many things that we could be doing with paper,
3:24:09 pencil,
3:24:09 and stop putting this focus on pick up your phone.
3:24:12 Pick up your phone.
3:24:13 Look this up.
3:24:14 Look at Wiki.
3:24:15 Look at Google.
3:24:16 We’ve got to stop doing that.
3:24:20 So I’d also like to acknowledge really quick,
3:24:23 because I have a kid in high school.
3:24:25 They’re afraid to use the bathroom, because of the fights in the
3:24:27 bathroom.
3:24:27 And let me tell you, there’s a lot more fights going on in those
3:24:30 bathrooms
3:24:30 and in those hallways that are being reported.
3:24:33 My daughter said, you know what?
3:24:35 I made it to seventh period yesterday on time, because there was
3:24:39 a fight,
3:24:39 and all the students were running to watch the fight,
3:24:41 and I actually made it to class in time.
3:24:43 Do you think that fight was reported?
3:24:45 Probably not.
3:24:46 Students are afraid to report it.
3:24:48 They’re sick of it.
3:24:50 You guys really want to talk about discipline?
3:24:52 Engage your students.
3:24:53 Start doing focus groups and engage your students.
3:24:56 Thanks.
3:24:57 Oh, and Mr. Susan?
3:24:59 It’s– listen.
3:25:00 Listen, Ms. Bywater.
3:25:02 They’re printing it.
3:25:03 I should have told you that before.
3:25:05 Hey, dot matrix.
3:25:06 I got it.
3:25:07 It’s in the print shop.
3:25:08 Thank you, Ms. Bywater.
3:25:10 Diana Haynes.
3:25:11 Sarah Mirsky.
3:25:11 Good day, all.
3:25:12 Thank you for being here.
3:25:25 Discipline requires two things.
3:25:26 It requires respect and consequences, and without either one of
3:25:29 them, little will be accomplished.
3:25:31 I was going to speak today on this subject extensively, and the
3:25:35 only thing I’m really going to say about it right now is I would
3:25:38 hope the school board and the system would consider reducing at-home
3:25:43 suspensions to in-school suspensions.
3:25:46 We’re basically rewarding and giving these kids with very little
3:25:50 to no parental supervision vacations, okay?
3:25:53 They need to be in school.
3:25:55 We pay tax dollars for them to be in school, and that’s where
3:25:58 they need to be.
3:25:59 So, let’s make detention and suspension an uncomfortable thing.
3:26:04 Let’s make it when I was a kid and I had friends that went to
3:26:07 detention or suspension, they sat in a room the entire time.
3:26:10 They never left except to go get their lunch, come back to the
3:26:13 room.
3:26:13 Bathroom breaks were scheduled, and then on top of that, there
3:26:16 was some sort of manual labor.
3:26:18 Our school had a huge garden that was solely responsible for by
3:26:22 the detention suspension group.
3:26:24 And in the end, it was a good thing because they were very proud
3:26:27 of what they produced and they did something manual that kept
3:26:30 them busy.
3:26:31 At the same time, we need to separate the groups.
3:26:34 Those charged with drug and alcohol offenses, minor ones, need
3:26:38 to have drug and alcohol counseling.
3:26:40 Also, the kids with the behavior issues need the same thing.
3:26:43 You’ve got these kids as now a contained audience.
3:26:46 You need to get your counselors and social workers in there.
3:26:49 Now I’m going to go on to something that’s completely a little
3:26:51 bit different, but Ms. Jenkins brought up this, so I’m going to
3:26:55 be compelled to talk to you about this.
3:26:58 She talked about teachers and people getting in trouble,
3:27:02 teachers getting in trouble for reporting things.
3:27:05 As a victim of rape, more than once in my life, and my perpetrators
3:27:11 free, I want to talk about the rumors about Johnson Junior
3:27:15 Middle School.
3:27:16 And you can all sit here and say that the police department
3:27:20 investigated it and nothing was found.
3:27:22 I’m telling you, prior to today, there has been a culture of
3:27:26 secrecy in this community.
3:27:28 And I walked upon, and I’m not going to divulge these women’s
3:27:32 names, but I walked up on a conversation with two women who unequivocally
3:27:37 have sworn that a teacher has direct knowledge that this
3:27:41 occurred in this school.
3:27:42 And how dare we, how dare we, 105 days, allow this to go on.
3:27:49 And for the two women that have this knowledge, like me, don’t
3:27:53 like me, but shame on you.
3:27:55 You’re abating and aiding in a crime, and I am not going to be a
3:28:00 party to that.
3:28:01 If I have to go to the police department and divulge everything
3:28:04 I heard, I will.
3:28:05 But this has to be dealt with.
3:28:07 And I am hoping that the appropriate people will step forward.
3:28:11 I hope that someone, if this teacher does exist, is out there
3:28:15 that she or he listens to me and says, for the love of God, come
3:28:21 forward.
3:28:22 It is my understanding this teacher is up for retirement.
3:28:25 Thank you, Ms. Haynes.
3:28:27 Next up, Sarah Mursky, Michelle Jolly, and Bari Hosey.
3:28:34 Sarah Mursky: Good afternoon, chairman and board and community
3:28:40 members at the table.
3:28:41 My name is Sarah Mursky.
3:28:42 I’m a wife, mother of two Brevard Public School students.
3:28:46 I’m a college student myself, studying behavioral science.
3:28:49 I’m a taxpayer, voter, stakeholder, and I live in District 2 for
3:28:52 school board.
3:28:53 I want to wish everyone a happy December.
3:28:55 I was, I like to address the discipline issue or the discipline
3:29:01 policy.
3:29:01 There’s no proposed policy changes posted under this agenda item.
3:29:06 So I’m confused as to what changes that this board was looking
3:29:10 to make.
3:29:11 However, as a student studying behavioral science and a mom, I
3:29:15 would like to share what has been happening and some things to
3:29:18 keep in mind as you consider looking to craft new policy or
3:29:22 amend your policy.
3:29:23 In BPS, there seems to be a culture of fighting across the
3:29:29 district.
3:29:30 At McNair, there was at least two fights this week.
3:29:33 And at Rockledge, students have been posting on social media the
3:29:36 fights there.
3:29:37 In fact, one of those fights did happen on the bus.
3:29:41 And what happened is that the bus had to turn around.
3:29:44 And my daughter, who was not a part of it, of the fight in any
3:29:47 way, shape, or form.
3:29:48 But she was, in a way, held hostage because they had to deal
3:29:52 with the discipline issue of the fight on the bus.
3:29:55 And then my daughter got home after six o’clock when it was dark
3:29:59 out.
3:29:59 And again, I do not, I do not, I’m not putting blame on the bus
3:30:06 drivers.
3:30:07 They did what they had to do.
3:30:09 But I also remember a school board meeting in February that I
3:30:13 was a part of that was hostile to the bus drivers needing to
3:30:17 speak more than one minute.
3:30:19 And were basically shut out of the meeting because the meeting
3:30:22 was full.
3:30:23 So I want to tell you, as a taxpayer and a voter and some other,
3:30:27 it’s quite refreshing to have a new school board that’s actually
3:30:32 welcoming to parents.
3:30:33 For a year, parents have been fighting to get back into the
3:30:36 school, into these schools.
3:30:38 And we were told no, we were told we were a security risk or
3:30:41 because of COVID.
3:30:42 And now it’s so refreshing to hear community members come
3:30:45 together, talk about the mental health issues,
3:30:48 talk about the discipline issues, and talk about parents getting
3:30:51 back into these schools to assist what is going on.
3:30:54 The other issue, the other point that I want to make is that I
3:30:59 do think data is important.
3:31:01 Absolutely.
3:31:02 We got to look at, I’m looking at a lot of data going, being a
3:31:06 full-time college student and behaviors and statistics across
3:31:11 all socioeconomic backgrounds.
3:31:13 But the other thing is that it’s clear that we are in crisis
3:31:17 mode as a community with discipline issues in the schools.
3:31:20 So we got to look at the data and we also got to hear what
3:31:23 teachers and bus drivers and these community members are saying.
3:31:26 We are at a crisis and we all need to come together and work
3:31:29 together.
3:31:29 So my point is that we need to have a balanced, that there needs
3:31:35 to be balanced.
3:31:36 Thank you.
3:31:38 Thank you, Ms. Marske.
3:31:39 Next up is Rochelle Jolly, then Jabari Hosey.
3:31:44 A couple of weeks ago I received an email from the principal of
3:31:50 my son’s school informing us of the SRO’s new uniform as she
3:31:55 described.
3:31:56 I’m hoping you can help me understand the logic behind this
3:32:02 uniform.
3:32:03 Which among other things involves the SRO wearing an additional
3:32:09 bigger gun across his or her chest.
3:32:11 I’m concerned about this and have many questions about the
3:32:14 necessity for it.
3:32:15 What research was performed that supports that more and bigger
3:32:18 guns deter school shootings?
3:32:20 Number two, what are the resources that support this research?
3:32:24 Number three, what additional training did the SRO’s complete to
3:32:27 carry a weapon of this magnitude around small children?
3:32:30 Number four, what training did the teachers and staff complete
3:32:33 to be aware of and know the precautions of such weapons around
3:32:36 children?
3:32:36 Number five, what training did teachers and staff receive to
3:32:40 answer questions from students about the SRO’s new uniform?
3:32:43 Number six, who paid for the new uniforms?
3:32:47 Number seven, who was responsible if any weapons are misused and
3:32:51 innocent children, teachers, and staff are injured or killed?
3:32:55 Number nine, are SRO’s involved in disciplinary actions at BPS?
3:33:00 Number 10, what is the plan for continual training for SRO’s?
3:33:04 Number 11, is there a plan for continued training for teachers
3:33:07 and staff concerning additional weapons on campus?
3:33:10 Where is the data?
3:33:12 As a parent that has had the privilege of being a safe haven for
3:33:17 misplaced children,
3:33:18 this is especially concerning for those children who have had
3:33:22 only negative experiences with LEO.
3:33:24 For instance, parents or siblings being arrested or children
3:33:28 themselves being forcibly removed from their parents and their
3:33:32 home.
3:33:33 I have done extensive amount of research and yet to find that
3:33:36 this action will prevent or deter school shootings in any way.
3:33:41 I look forward to any resources that the board can provide that
3:33:45 will contradict this information.
3:33:48 I want my children to be safe at school and I want everyone’s
3:33:51 children to be safe at school.
3:33:53 I appreciate any answers that can be provided.
3:33:56 I want my children to be safe at school.
3:33:57 I want them to be safe at school.
3:38:45 The American Academy of Pediatrics also opposes corporal
3:38:48 punishment, noting that corporal punishment can escalate poor
3:38:52 behavior and recommending that corporal punishment in schools be
3:38:56 abolished in all states by law.
3:38:58 To summarize, corporal punishment is poor at controlling
3:39:01 behavior.
3:39:02 It increases aggression, it actually teaches aggression, and can
3:39:07 have detrimental effects on our children’s brain size and IQ.
3:39:11 Thank you, Ms. Akonsky. I appreciate the time.
3:39:13 Just so everybody knows, it’s been stated and it will not, there
3:39:16 will not be any discussion of corporal punishment today, and we’re
3:39:20 not pushing that, so thank you.
3:39:22 That’s it.
3:39:23 I just have one last little sentence to write, to wrap up.
3:39:29 Adults are protected from violence by law.
3:39:31 We can’t assault them, so why should I be forced to let my
3:39:34 daughter have someone assault them?
3:39:36 Thank you, Ms. Akonsky, for your time.
3:39:38 Ms. Tessa Rufino, Vance, Monroe, Jillian.
3:39:43 We have talked extensively about getting parents and teachers
3:40:00 involved to solve our pressing problems.
3:40:12 If this is so vital, why are school board meetings held at 9 a.m.
3:40:18 on a school day?
3:40:22 Teachers and students are at school, and most parents are at
3:40:25 work.
3:40:26 I know many parents that desperately want to be here, but need
3:40:29 to be at work to provide for their families.
3:40:32 There also needs to be transparent information posted ahead of
3:40:37 time about the agenda items,
3:40:39 so that everyone can be prepared to speak if they wish to do so,
3:40:42 such as corporal punishment.
3:40:45 Make these meetings more accessible to our community.
3:40:48 Choose a time when the people these meetings impact the most can
3:40:52 be here.
3:40:53 Make your actions match your words, otherwise your words mean
3:40:57 nothing.
3:40:57 Thank you.
3:41:00 Thank you, Ms. McPino.
3:41:02 Next up, Vance Unruh, Jillian Sedevi, Mia Hosey.
3:41:09 Good morning.
3:41:14 My name is Vance Unruh.
3:41:16 I’m a software engineer of 30 years.
3:41:18 Taking vacation this morning so that I can be here to address
3:41:21 you.
3:41:23 I live in Palm Bay, do a lot of volunteering at Palm Bay High
3:41:26 School.
3:41:26 I’m here today to express my concerns regarding the direction
3:41:31 that the school discipline policy appears to be taking from what
3:41:35 we’ve seen before this meeting.
3:41:36 I’ve spoken with teachers at Palm Bay.
3:41:39 They definitely would like more help with discipline, but they
3:41:43 expressed concern over the demeanor, message, and motives of the
3:41:47 sheriff’s recent announcement.
3:41:49 I, for one, do not want more police presence on our campuses.
3:41:54 There are too many instances when police officers in Brevard
3:41:59 County have shown a tendency to escalate situations with
3:42:03 teenagers,
3:42:04 as evidenced by the shooting deaths of sincere Pierce and A.J. Krooms
3:42:09 in Coco two years ago.
3:42:13 It was simply not necessary for the officer to escalate the
3:42:17 situation and put himself in harm’s way so that, in the words of
3:42:21 the sheriff, he was forced to fire.
3:42:24 Similarly, on the Florida Tech campus last year, Al-Haji Sao was
3:42:28 shot and killed after Brevard police escalated the conflict and
3:42:32 once again put themselves in harm’s way so that the shooting of
3:42:36 a college student was legally justified.
3:42:39 If that is the way that police officers have been trained to
3:42:43 respond to teenagers in the past, how much more will they
3:42:46 respond with unnecessary violence in the future, given the
3:42:50 sheriff’s example when he takes the posture he did in front of
3:42:53 that jail and proudly declares,
3:42:56 “If you’re a little snot, you might want to find some place else
3:43:00 to go to school because we’re going to be your worst nightmare
3:43:04 starting right now.
3:43:06 I worry about how many more students’ lives will be lost if more
3:43:10 police officers with these attitudes are deployed on our
3:43:13 campuses.
3:43:14 I pray that you will consider the voices of teachers and find
3:43:18 real discipline solutions to dig new wells of funding our bus
3:43:27 drivers to shorten their routes, new wells of mental health
3:43:31 support to dig new wells of nutrition rather than simply resorting
3:43:38 to bullying tactics as was done when this policy was announced.”
3:43:41 “Thank you.”
3:43:42 “Thank you.
3:43:43 Thank you, Grant.
3:43:44 Ms. Jillian Sidibe.
3:43:45 Mia Hosey.
3:43:46 Is Ms. Jillian Sidibe here, please?
3:43:48 Ms. Jillian?
3:43:49 Okay.
3:43:50 Passing on Ms. Jillian.
3:43:51 Mia Hosey.
3:43:52 Is Mia Hosey here, please?
3:43:53 Ms. Jillian?
3:43:54 Okay.
3:43:55 Passing on Ms. Jillian.
3:43:56 Mia Hosey.
3:43:57 Is Mia Hosey here, please?
3:43:58 All right.
3:43:59 Mia Hosey.
3:44:00 Ms. Jillian Sidibe.
3:44:01 Next up is Christina Hosey.
3:44:01 Ms. Jillian Sidibe.
3:44:02 Is Mia Hosey here, please?
3:44:03 Ms. Jillian Sidibe.
3:44:04 All right.
3:44:05 Ms. Jillian Sidibe.
3:44:05 all right Mia Hosey next up is Christina
3:44:14 I’m sorry the word keep their go okay Christine Rowe and
3:44:22 Kimberly Gibbs thank you
3:44:25 that’s quite all right I’m just a BPS mom here most of what I
3:44:33 wanted to say has already been
3:44:34 addressed but I’m just here to ask that when we are looking at
3:44:37 our disciplinary
3:44:39 policy that we’re investing the new millage money that new
3:44:42 funding into our
3:44:43 teachers and our counselors and not law enforcement and we all
3:44:47 love our SROs the
3:44:51 SROs are here to protect our students they’re not here to
3:44:55 discipline them one
3:44:57 other thing that I maybe I didn’t hear it right but the school
3:45:02 board should look at
3:45:04 data across the board there shouldn’t be any members that are
3:45:06 dismissing data
3:45:07 because it doesn’t it isn’t congruent what they’re hearing anecdotally
3:45:10 if teachers
3:45:11 aren’t reporting behavioral issues then we need to get our
3:45:14 teachers to report
3:45:15 behavioral issues because we can’t address this a situation if
3:45:18 we don’t
3:45:18 understand the numbers behind it so data is important and as a
3:45:21 math teacher I would
3:45:23 hope that you can appreciate that as well thank you all for the
3:45:27 service that
3:45:27 you’re giving and I’m out
3:45:30 I’m going to apologize right now because I cut a full speech
3:45:43 written and practiced in my Ohio State University
3:45:45 style and I want to say new things now I want to start by saying
3:45:52 that I have six
3:45:53 children two of them are stepchildren two have already left
3:45:57 school so I have two
3:45:58 left in school and I have a granddaughter that’s two I’m a
3:46:02 registered volunteer I’m a
3:46:04 member of the sac committee committee student advisory committee
3:46:07 for two
3:46:07 different schools I am the only parent member at one of the
3:46:10 schools my
3:46:12 husband and I kind of took over the defunct pto and just won
3:46:16 first place in
3:46:17 schools at the Merritt Island parade so shout out to him I have
3:46:22 a son that has
3:46:23 been suspended for fighting a girl was being sexually assaulted
3:46:28 so he took the boy
3:46:29 down and he took his three days to suspension for it I also have
3:46:32 a son
3:46:33 that’s been in X ed that I took out of school at 16 because
3:46:37 literally no one
3:46:38 could handle him he would sit outside and curled up in the fetal
3:46:42 position being
3:46:42 watched by an SRO I also have a young daughter that will need
3:46:46 serious therapy if
3:46:47 she’s ever exposed to any of these violent activities that I see
3:46:50 on snapchat I’ve
3:46:53 been working very hard with dr. Mullins and the parent
3:46:56 leadership team to
3:46:58 bring other parents in which is exactly what we’ve been
3:47:02 discussing
3:47:03 some thank me some ignore me but many of them say they’re not
3:47:07 interested in
3:47:08 politics they just want to have a stress-free life
3:47:12 and politics are the problem let me tell you why the actions of
3:47:16 some of the board
3:47:17 members have been the equivalent of dropping a bomb in our
3:47:21 community and the
3:47:22 board member is right we did get attention embarrassing
3:47:25 unnecessary lowbrow
3:47:27 attention was brought straight into our community yet once again
3:47:32 which is why
3:47:32 most of my family members will not even visit me here
3:47:37 as a brand new day was announced in front of a cold concrete and
3:47:40 barbed wire our
3:47:42 families were left with no answers no plan it doesn’t take a
3:47:45 genius to know that
3:47:46 suspicion speculation arguing immoral vile and disturbing
3:47:49 comments about our
3:47:50 children will continue after that fiasco
3:47:53 as you pander to this sheriff University of Florida did a study
3:47:59 and found that no evidence of behavior changing was even found
3:48:02 when law enforcement was present how can you and your decisions
3:48:06 be trusted when you can’t even run a simple google search
3:48:09 furthermore you make this
3:48:12 alliance with a now absent individual who was notorious for rude
3:48:17 in your face cussing threatening antagonistic behavior who
3:48:21 remains unapologetic about the death of two brevard students
3:48:25 just recently
3:48:26 but the kids won’t notice that hypocrisy right that won’t make
3:48:31 them angry i agree this isn’t a bps issue this is a united
3:48:34 states issue we have all witnessed the chaos of grown adults in
3:48:38 this county adults screaming in car windows that the election
3:48:42 was stolen
3:48:43 miss roe if you can wrap it i’m wrapping it up right now thank
3:48:47 you nurse uh houses and cars adorned with the f-bomb and calling
3:48:52 the most powerful woman in the united states a ho
3:48:55 thank you miss miss roe miss roe miss roe miss roe miss roe can
3:49:11 you please get the time to speak please
3:49:13 please resign thank you
3:49:23 so hi good morning or afternoon my name is kimberly gibbs
3:49:41 i’m here today as a concerned citizen and as a parent of a merritt
3:49:46 island high school student
3:49:47 for three years now our student has received an exceptional
3:49:53 education at merritt island high
3:49:55 i’d like to say thanks to all his amazing teachers and staff we’re
3:50:01 really so impressed and we chose to send
3:50:04 our child to a brevard school because of the board that was in
3:50:08 place at that time that we felt provided
3:50:11 great leadership i believe it goes without saying that we all
3:50:15 want to support an effective disciplinary
3:50:18 policy our entire family watched the discipline crisis press
3:50:23 conference it was vague it was oddly
3:50:27 and inappropriately held at the jail and apparently was orchestrated
3:50:31 by the board chair and sheriff wayne ivy
3:50:34 we are concerned we are concerned we don’t trust you we believe
3:50:38 decisions should be made based on data and evidence
3:50:42 mr susan you are the chair be mindful that some of your conduct
3:50:52 at the press conference for example might be perceived as that
3:50:55 of an unctuous politician
3:50:56 sheriff ivy’s sensational comments were aimed at being cute i
3:51:02 was not amused by his quotes about the
3:51:04 ass cheeks being torn off it was inappropriate
3:51:08 piece it together now
3:51:12 i’m almost there
3:51:17 in the brief time that this new board has been in power less
3:51:23 than a month you have already shown some
3:51:26 extremely poor judgment on a number of issues
3:51:30 i fear that this board has been hijacked by an extremist cabal
3:51:35 i would simply remind you to please carefully consider all of
3:51:47 your constituents during your
3:51:48 deliberations thank you thank you miss gibbs next speaking is
3:51:52 miss potter wellis
3:51:56 kerry cactus and linda gaffney gaffney hi good afternoon um i
3:52:02 was here monday and i mentioned that
3:52:04 i don’t have any kids but i have the three dogs and uh but i but
3:52:08 i but i’m here and because you know
3:52:11 i paid my tax dollars and as i told you monday it was it was the
3:52:14 highest amount on my annual tax to
3:52:16 the county and so i did a little math and i looked at how much i
3:52:20 pay my tax dollars to the to the school
3:52:22 system and how much i paid to the sheriff’s office and so i don’t
3:52:26 think you have to be bullied by ivy
3:52:28 anymore because you get 49.5 of my ad valorem taxes and his
3:52:33 office gets about 17. he doesn’t need
3:52:36 any more money and he doesn’t need to bully you and you don’t
3:52:40 need to let him bully you so that being
3:52:42 said i i’m gonna talk it off to a poor decision on your part to
3:52:47 make that video where you made it so i do
3:52:50 have some random uh thoughts uh based on what i heard here today
3:52:55 and then also have a prepared
3:52:57 statement um i do want this board to be successful and it’s it’s
3:53:01 it’s very sad to me for me to look
3:53:03 up there and to hear you guys talk and to see that you’re you
3:53:06 know not everybody is working together
3:53:08 you know i see smug looks and i see dramatic things being said
3:53:12 or not said and it’s just it’s very
3:53:14 unfortunate because my tax dollars are going to this school
3:53:17 system and going to pay people like you
3:53:20 who we trust to take care of our kids and the people that are
3:53:22 going to grow up in this county
3:53:24 so please work together please be professional and social
3:53:27 together and don’t be bullied by anybody else
3:53:29 um i think the best thing i’ve heard today is the recommendation
3:53:35 for lock boxes in our school
3:53:37 i worked in a secure environment where all the adults in the
3:53:40 building and there were hundreds
3:53:41 put their phone in a lock box every day and it worked out
3:53:43 beautifully i think that’s a wonderful
3:53:45 suggestion i was encouraged by hearing the comment suggestion
3:53:49 about having a parent come to school
3:53:52 to have lunch with their kid maybe once a month that being said
3:53:55 i recognize there’s plenty of parents
3:53:56 who are not going to be able to do that unless they have some
3:53:59 assistance so maybe somehow you can help
3:54:02 them work that out i think that’s a great idea peer pressure can
3:54:06 be a a really strong pressure um
3:54:08 i like the idea about educating our educators i recognize that
3:54:13 our educators have have gone through
3:54:15 a lot of school and but there’s always something to be learned
3:54:18 and especially about the increasing impact
3:54:21 of diversity on how we interact with with uh the kids growing up
3:54:26 in this culture right now and everything
3:54:28 that they’re consuming online um and i hope real quickly mr susan
3:54:34 i hope at some point you can
3:54:36 kind of put together straighten out for me the the different
3:54:40 things that you said in the paper
3:54:42 interview where you said that um that the law enforcement’s role
3:54:46 is not going to change at all
3:54:48 in the school board and then you said that it’s going to be
3:54:51 enhanced uh and so i’m i’m not clear on that
3:54:55 so i hope that you clear it up um prepared statement um in a
3:55:00 nutshell um
3:55:02 today the room is full today in spite of uh the the limit on
3:55:08 participation and because our community
3:55:11 will not return to a time of corporal punishment and we will not
3:55:14 treat the school to prison pipeline our
3:55:16 schools our teachers our students and our staff deserve to no
3:55:19 longer be cannon fodder in any sort of
3:55:21 culture war thank you miss wells miss carrie tackis is up next linda
3:55:28 gaffey after that
3:55:29 carrie tackis
3:55:32 hi carrie tackis i’m a mom of two children um one goes to a bps
3:55:45 school she’s got a friend group of 16
3:55:48 that frequent my car in my house because i’m the mom that drives
3:55:51 everyone uh 14 girls two
3:55:54 transgender boys they’re white they’re black they’re asian they’re
3:55:58 hispanic some of them are
3:55:59 immigrants the friend that gets bullied the most is on the
3:56:03 spectrum the friend that they constantly
3:56:05 worry about is the one on the spectrum so my daughter’s in class
3:56:09 wondering is she being bullied
3:56:10 right now that has not been addressed because that is the reason
3:56:14 i took my son who is also on the
3:56:16 spectrum out of this school district two years ago and nothing
3:56:19 has changed
3:56:20 that plays into the the discipline because if the kid’s being
3:56:24 bullied they’re gonna act out
3:56:26 and if it goes unchecked they’re gonna continue acting out it’s
3:56:30 not okay
3:56:30 and i am at almost every school board meeting with some of these
3:56:34 other people and i have to see bi-weekly
3:56:37 grandstanding and pandering to news cameras instead of problems
3:56:40 being solved
3:56:41 i’d also like to say that i i actually agree with sros updating
3:56:49 some handguns to rifles rifles are
3:56:51 more accurate and our children need to be protected accurately
3:56:54 it’s a fact if you don’t like it that’s
3:56:57 fine miss tack is make sure that you address me one thank you
3:57:01 last thing there are zero mental health
3:57:05 counselors at my daughter’s school right now some of them have
3:57:09 four five or six mental health counselors
3:57:11 there are zero at her at her school presently that’s also not
3:57:15 okay all of our children are important
3:57:17 regardless of color regardless of their special needs they all
3:57:20 need help and we need to come together
3:57:21 as a community and do that thank you thank you miss tackis next
3:57:26 up miss linda gaffey matthew dolly
3:57:30 melanie lewis lewison i wanted to let you guys know we have 13
3:57:36 more people um coming and getting
3:57:38 down to the past the halfway mark um miss linda gaffey no okay
3:57:44 um matthew dolly melanie lawson
3:57:51 and alex goings thank you guys welcome back mr matthew your
3:58:02 village idiot returns sorry i’ve been
3:58:04 missing um thank you to everybody in the community that came
3:58:07 here and speak today i kind of want to
3:58:10 piggyback on a specific word that the gentleman from the naacp
3:58:14 said that i think is arguably the most
3:58:17 important word of the day and that is perception uh i appreciate
3:58:22 the message that if children don’t
3:58:24 behave that they could end up in jail because it’s kind of got
3:58:28 some truth to it you know you do bad
3:58:30 things you pay a bad price i don’t agree with the perception of
3:58:34 doing it in front of the jail
3:58:36 because as you see it warrants a response for the community i
3:58:41 really don’t think that that was thought
3:58:43 out very much uh continuing on as far as the millions of things
3:58:47 that were said today i really don’t want
3:58:50 to rehash too much of them out because it’s just beating a dead
3:58:54 horse if you want to get parents back
3:58:56 on the school please contact my wife at least the three school
3:59:00 board members that you know were here
3:59:02 last year i know you have her email because she’s contacted you
3:59:06 we had almost no volunteers at our school
3:59:08 this year and through what i would call very annoying
3:59:11 persistence with the principal she now has a
3:59:14 team of like 15 plus uh you know volunteers and through the
3:59:19 encouragement of the adults and stuff
3:59:22 like that we now have lunch with our kids and other things at
3:59:25 our school and you know just the other
3:59:29 problem i really have with this whole thing is that i feel like
3:59:34 we’re putting too much emphasis on the
3:59:37 school system if you will or the body of whatever this is to be
3:59:42 the problem solver and i really hate
3:59:44 to say it all the school can do is put boundaries at the school
3:59:48 hey you cross the line back whatever
3:59:51 that’s all the school can do you can you gotta enforce the
3:59:54 boundaries i understand numbers were said
3:59:56 i don’t disagree with the numbers but what what isn’t being told
4:00:00 is that you have you know 30 000
4:00:02 discipline well it’s because it’s soft fluff discipline i’ve
4:00:05 watched it firsthand being a
4:00:07 volunteer at school kids can literally get up leave the
4:00:10 classroom and what the teacher does hey principal
4:00:14 student x just left and then when the principal who’s also full-time
4:00:18 teaching because you’re understaffed
4:00:20 can finally get out of the classroom to you know play hide and
4:00:23 go seek with whatever kid disappeared
4:00:26 i’m just saying god forbid one of those kids get kidnapped or
4:00:29 walk off campus one day you’ve got a
4:00:31 bigger problem on your hands so it’s that it’s that the
4:00:35 discipline that you have in place isn’t enforced
4:00:39 correctly and it needs to be more stringent like telling a kid
4:00:42 they got to hang out with the principal all
4:00:44 day with in school suspicion that’s not discipline that’s a joy
4:00:48 to them because they get to go play and
4:00:50 have fun so getting way off track it’s on us as parents to fix
4:00:55 the problem it’s on us as parents
4:00:58 to fix the problem i love everybody sitting here i’m going to
4:01:00 take an extra 15 seconds because other people
4:01:02 did they are not going to solve your problem we are going to
4:01:07 solve our problem no offense to anybody
4:01:10 sitting up here you’re all smart and great and all that nine
4:01:13 yards if we don’t make our own bed
4:01:16 our own house the community can’t do it for us thank you matthew
4:01:27 my name is melanie lawson please that’s me um i’ve got to have
4:01:34 gone through a wide range of feelings in
4:01:36 this meeting from anger to fear to sadness hearing jennifer spew
4:01:40 the numbers put me in a bit of tears
4:01:43 that a lot of people had to calm me down for as a black mom i
4:01:46 want to make sure i get past any
4:01:48 unconscious bias before i speak i have a college degree my
4:01:51 husband who is here i’m not a single mom
4:01:54 also has a college degree he’s an engineer and i own an hr
4:01:57 consulting company with clients around the u.s
4:01:59 between the two of us our annual income is well over six figures
4:02:03 we own a very nice home we pay our taxes
4:02:06 i am one of five members of the sack committee at my son’s high
4:02:10 school i am active in my child’s
4:02:11 life i’m a voting member of matt susan’s district hopefully this
4:02:15 is sufficient enough for you to pay
4:02:16 attention to me i’m an educated upper class black mother wife
4:02:20 and i matter and so do my children
4:02:25 my son is an honor student
4:02:26 i work in diversity equity and inclusion it’s my life’s work
4:02:35 amazon is one of my clients
4:02:36 i train people to learn how to work with people who look think
4:02:40 act and live differently than others
4:02:42 i would feel more comfortable about this discipline policy if i
4:02:45 knew that diversity was appreciated in
4:02:47 this area and i don’t feel it my fear is that the practices are
4:02:52 inconsistent when i hear about the
4:02:53 disparities and i look at the department of education page i see
4:02:58 the data and i’m concerned that someone
4:03:00 on my board of education teaching my child does not seem to
4:03:02 think data is important as a de and i
4:03:06 expert with 20 years of experience there needs to be unconscious
4:03:10 bias training for those who don’t
4:03:11 know what unconscious bias is a great example is if a woman is
4:03:14 happily walking past a white child
4:03:15 but clinching her purse when a black child walks by that is your
4:03:19 unconscious bias
4:03:23 i’m concerned as to how the complaints are going to be
4:03:25 investigated i’ve conducted hundreds of
4:03:27 harassment and discrimination investigations in the workplace
4:03:30 you need details you need
4:03:32 witnesses but more over you need these complaints to be filed
4:03:35 you cannot sit there
4:03:36 and get upset that it’s continuing and you have said nothing hr
4:03:39 person here
4:03:41 i fear that we are now possibly creating criminal files in a
4:03:46 prison pipeline for our children
4:03:48 and that sets them up for failure and their ability to obtain
4:03:50 good jobs after after school it sounds
4:03:53 like some of you have had a change of heart you’re not wanting
4:03:55 to co-parent with the school district
4:03:57 i ask for four things one do a root cause analysis i’ve heard a
4:04:04 handful of people mention this
4:04:06 including you sir thank you for a root cause analysis to find
4:04:10 out why we are having this problem
4:04:11 that’s how you fix it before it gets to the teachers fyi please
4:04:15 consider making parental involvement
4:04:17 mandatory in situations where children are out of control before
4:04:21 they even get to a criminal route
4:04:24 a class where parents and students must attend before they can
4:04:27 return back to school is an idea
4:04:28 or a requirement that a documented call to parents as part of a
4:04:31 progressive discipline policy
4:04:33 miss lawson if you can wrap it up please yep i got two more
4:04:36 points coming at you mr susan
4:04:37 number three whatever updates you create like the gentleman said
4:04:41 make sure the students and parents
4:04:42 sign off on them we do this routinely with company handbooks do
4:04:45 it with the children the students
4:04:47 and the staff and four diversity training to include unconscious
4:04:51 bias i will give you a discount
4:04:52 if you use my firm or any firm i have the contact give these
4:04:57 teachers some unconscious bias training so
4:05:01 thank you mr susan mr whipple angelica zamora duran and then
4:05:22 stephen margain
4:05:27 greetings everyone i’m here today wasn’t invited but i’m here
4:05:33 because of being the president of the
4:05:35 central avoid branch of another acp i’ve received many phone
4:05:40 calls in regards to what took place by our
4:05:43 sheriff in the presence of the nation i’ve received phone calls
4:05:48 from concerned parents about the safety of
4:05:51 their children attending revoid uh public schools just as it is
4:05:56 to serve every student with excellence
4:05:58 as a standard the central avoid branch of the naacp
4:06:03 mission is to secure the political educational educational
4:06:08 social and economic rights of all people
4:06:12 and it concerns me about the antics of the sheriff and his
4:06:18 company on a national level that’s bringing
4:06:22 shame to our community and i would suggest to this board that
4:06:27 this never happen again
4:06:31 i appreciate your efforts i appreciate your efforts and bringing
4:06:36 this to the forefront and discussing it
4:06:39 with the community but going forward to develop a policy should
4:06:46 be all-inclusive we need to have
4:06:50 even students involved in the policy that you come up with
4:06:55 please involve those students not only community
4:06:59 members and community leaders involve the students and what’s
4:07:04 going to impact them the most i thank you for
4:07:09 your time thank you mr wickle mr angelica zamora duran mark is
4:07:14 that you mark duran
4:07:20 i’m here representing myself as a member of this community but
4:07:34 also my partner alex merling who’s an
4:07:36 educator at satellite high school who obviously could not be
4:07:39 here today um it is really sad that you do
4:07:44 schedule these meetings you know during the time that most
4:07:47 people who are actually in the classroom
4:07:49 a hundred percent of the time cannot attend so how do you expect
4:07:52 to come to a resolution on classroom
4:07:54 discipline when few of the approximately eight thousand staff
4:07:58 members serving over 73 000 students
4:08:00 in our 84 schools have almost no choice to weigh in shout out to
4:08:05 mr merling’s economics class who are
4:08:08 tuning in right now but unfortunately cannot have their concerns
4:08:11 met either hence the importance of relying on data
4:08:17 the fact that the sheriff held a press conference on education
4:08:20 policy which is completely outside of
4:08:22 his job description nonetheless in front of a jail for scare
4:08:26 tactics that hurt our most marginalized
4:08:28 communities um it’s terrifying it’s terrifying there is so much
4:08:33 unfounded backlash about pronouns in
4:08:37 in bathrooms when the real reaction should be targeted to those
4:08:40 who want to tear the cheeks off our children
4:08:42 that banner right there above your heads says that the mission
4:08:51 is to serve every which should be italicized
4:08:54 student with excellence as a standard
4:08:56 to me every student includes those who may not be encompassed by
4:09:01 certain political agendas
4:09:03 and or those exhibiting behavioral issues when drafting the
4:09:07 resolution i implore you all to reflect on the
4:09:10 mission of rivard county schools and the definition of every
4:09:13 student as a scientist i hope that you will
4:09:17 prioritize data-driven solutions based on sound science to
4:09:20 advocate for student support guidance counseling
4:09:24 access to resources and cultural sensitivity over strictly just
4:09:29 punishment free our books and may we hope for
4:09:32 a more inclusive safe student-centered future thank you all for
4:09:36 your students thank you mrs
4:09:38 hello everybody it’s so nice to be here and understand what’s
4:09:50 happening i am horrified and so sorry for the trauma
4:09:57 that i hear happening with with all of you all of you and all of
4:10:04 our children
4:10:06 i’m sure that the human magic and uh uh power that we have
4:10:12 upstairs can help us get through all of this
4:10:17 and it’s going to take discipline that’s the other word i’ve
4:10:21 heard up here a lot today
4:10:24 discipline okay well we can do that too but i’m not sure that i’m
4:10:29 hearing how we’re going to create
4:10:32 discipline in those kids
4:10:36 i would uh i would ask maybe that we try appealing to their
4:10:41 spirit
4:10:41 not with religion but appearing to their i am you all know who i’m
4:10:48 talking about
4:10:49 so i would also like to bring the words of our friend megan holleran
4:10:57 who is um
4:11:06 a licensed mental health counselor she says in my 15 years
4:11:15 working as a mental health drug and
4:11:17 alcohol counselor with teens in homeless youth shelters on
4:11:21 probation in a juvenile jail and in high
4:11:25 schools and middle schools physical discipline and ongoing legal
4:11:30 action rarely work to empower the kid
4:11:32 or change the behavioral concerns and in fact every time the
4:11:37 behavior will get worse
4:11:39 and so if you’re not addressing the root socioeconomic issues
4:11:43 all that i am i was mentioning
4:11:45 in all our communities or adding teachers and counselors in
4:11:51 schools who are trained
4:11:53 in de-escalation and emotional regulation tools then everyone is
4:11:58 going to get re-traumatized that word that was
4:12:03 passed around so much today i would be happy to offer my
4:12:07 knowledge in this area if you should desire
4:12:10 megan holleran lmhc thank you so much for letting me voice my
4:12:15 concerns and god love you all thanks for your work
4:12:18 thank you mrs waltz next up stephen kolosinski carl lewis linda
4:12:27 tisdale mr kolosinski no
4:12:29 carl lewis is up next
4:12:32 carl lewis here okay linda tisdale and max madel
4:12:47 and those are the last two speakers that we have
4:12:49 good afternoon my name is linda jones tisdale and one thing i
4:12:57 want first thing i want to say i think
4:12:59 the teachers are very underpaid and overworked you do an awesome
4:13:04 job and we do have to get back to
4:13:07 parenting um i’ve put three boys through the school system and i’ve
4:13:14 dealt with the school system for
4:13:15 about 30 something years and it starts at home first of all and
4:13:22 when you um i just want to say that code
4:13:25 of conduct i read every single word so don’t say parents don’t
4:13:29 read it because i do i i went to the
4:13:33 school every week checking on my boys and i got a relationship
4:13:37 with the teacher because i want that
4:13:40 teacher to know let me know if there’s a problem before it
4:13:43 becomes a problem because i can handle
4:13:46 my son i raised three boys so you gotta um
4:13:51 you’re taking the parents out and you do need the parents back
4:13:57 in the schools
4:13:58 and i went when they did have take a parent to school i sat in
4:14:02 every single class and you would
4:14:04 be amazed at the the discipline or the action of your child so i
4:14:11 will never say what my child won’t do
4:14:14 but when i’m around i know what he will and won’t do so you got
4:14:19 it takes it takes all of us and everybody
4:14:23 has their good points and bad points and i just feel that
4:14:26 sometimes our kids black and brown kids are
4:14:29 disciplined at a very higher level than the other kids and i’ve
4:14:33 dealt with some i’ve seen some all
4:14:35 this stuff i’ve seen the prescription pills coming into schools
4:14:39 being so you know kids and now there’s
4:14:41 vaping and all this kind of stuff but it gets back to basics and
4:14:45 we all have something to say we all
4:14:48 need to bring forward and we don’t need sheriff wayne ivy in our
4:14:52 in in the school system telling in front of
4:14:55 the jail no less telling us what we can do as administrators
4:15:02 parents these policies we can do
4:15:06 this ourselves because it takes a teamwork to make the dream
4:15:10 work and that’s all i have to say thank you
4:15:13 thank you ms tisdale would max now please come up max max okay
4:15:20 that concludes these we’re going to move
4:15:22 into and continue to work through over the next couple of
4:15:25 moments i think if you guys need to use
4:15:27 a restroom just start going that we need to we need to take a a
4:15:32 break it’s one o’clock and we’re it’s
4:15:35 not we could work through and all these people could work
4:15:38 through but our staff who are helping run
4:15:40 things they need a chance to eat lunch and uh the cafeteria’s
4:15:43 already closed but i think we need to
4:15:44 take a mental break as well i would also just suggest mr susan i
4:15:48 know you had a lot we wanted to get
4:15:49 through this is a pretty aggressive agenda and this issue is
4:15:52 important that we could have just had this
4:15:53 meeting issue meeting all about this by itself there’s a lot
4:15:57 that you put on the list here that
4:15:59 we’re going to go through so i would even suggest and i don’t
4:16:01 know what the will of the rest of the
4:16:03 board is that we’ve got some other things on the agenda that
4:16:05 though important aren’t as important as
4:16:07 this issue i think it would be appropriate maybe i’m going to
4:16:11 suggest that we toss these to a later
4:16:13 date i know the dates and times and the board representatives
4:16:16 are already on our meeting for
4:16:17 tuesday night we can have this discussion even at our workshop
4:16:20 next tuesday we could have some more
4:16:21 of it tuesday night if we needed to i know we’re doing a lot
4:16:23 with the superintendent interim superintendent
4:16:25 search on tuesday but as we have time if we could ask you know i
4:16:28 would suggest we ask miss
4:16:29 agarie to add some of these discussion items because really they’re
4:16:32 just discussion to a later
4:16:34 time and we can just focus today on discipline thank you um miss
4:16:38 campbell i would disagree and continue
4:16:41 to work we have lunch on its way i would like to just work
4:16:43 through this we have limited time and we
4:16:45 have these pieces to go in the event that we run into a
4:16:48 situation as we’re progressing that i would like
4:16:51 to um cancel off some of them we can but i think we need to get
4:16:54 moving on this some of you guys are
4:16:57 have some of your child cares and other things that we need to
4:16:59 make sure we get a hold of we have an agenda to move
4:17:02 through um but that’s not i am the chairperson i am not the
4:17:06 majority of the board but both staff
4:17:08 and our speakers and everybody else and individuals at the table
4:17:11 can use restroom breaks we can go in
4:17:13 and we can eat um and move through it i’ve had taken care of um
4:17:17 lunch for all of you through the pizzas
4:17:19 and stuff like that if you guys can if we’re willing to do that
4:17:23 um but miss campbell you have i think a
4:17:25 motion to sort of do something well i just you know i just we
4:17:28 don’t need to rush through this so we can
4:17:31 get to the other things and i mean we to be honor everyone’s
4:17:34 time including all of our guests and our
4:17:36 public uh and i hate the idea that somebody i don’t want to
4:17:39 waste anybody’s time i hate i guess somebody
4:17:41 may have come to speak to another issue that’s really important
4:17:44 to them but this is crucial and you’ve got a
4:17:47 lot listed here that you want us to get through so to honor
4:17:50 everyone’s time and not keep us here till
4:17:52 you know the dark hours of the evening i i think we need to um
4:17:58 to toss the rest so yes i mean if i
4:18:01 need to bring as a motion i believe i can because we’re you know
4:18:04 it’s a board meeting and not a workshop
4:18:06 so i would suggest that i’m going to move that we move all of
4:18:11 the other topics to a later date
4:18:13 um for discussion that we move the ones that aren’t already on
4:18:17 the agenda for next week to
4:18:19 at least um tuesday so we can have those conversations i believe
4:18:24 all the guests that have come in mainly
4:18:25 are on this issue so they wouldn’t have to attend but that would
4:18:29 be my motion yes sir motion is there a
4:18:32 second okay okay there’s discussion could we maybe just discuss
4:18:38 an end time for the meeting and just
4:18:40 think hey if we don’t get through these topics then at that
4:18:44 point we decide a later time um to finish
4:18:47 them i understand the concern right because we could be here
4:18:49 till midnight uh going through all these
4:18:51 different topics and i don’t think that that’s something that
4:18:54 anybody here wants to do so um but i
4:18:56 hear what you’re saying as far as offering that as a that would
4:18:58 be a friendly amendment
4:18:59 okay i i sure we can amend the suggestion that if we don’t
4:19:07 finish by if three o’clock is agreeable to
4:19:09 the board but i do think we need to at least take a break if you
4:19:12 ordered pizza for us to eat we need
4:19:14 to go out and get it and not be dribbling out a little bit of
4:19:17 time but three o’clock seems reasonable
4:19:19 for um our guests and um for those of us um and we take the
4:19:23 break whenever we need it and it can be
4:19:26 short we can bring the pizza back in here i don’t mind eating on
4:19:29 camera um done it before but uh but
4:19:32 that we do set a a time that’s you know for example close to
4:19:35 three and then whatever we don’t get done
4:19:37 by then and maybe i’m not being optimistic enough and how much
4:19:40 we can get them so there’s a motion that has
4:19:43 an amendment to the original motion do i have a second to that
4:19:46 motion okay board discussion
4:19:48 so i guess to just reiterate what it is miss campbell that you
4:19:53 would like to find an end time
4:19:56 so we can kind of discuss that end time and then you want to
4:19:58 stop what we’re doing now to go get food
4:20:01 and take a break of 10 minutes is that what you’re asking for
4:20:04 okay so that’s the amendment is three o’clock
4:20:08 okay i mean i personally can continue to go as long as we need
4:20:12 to to finish these but i know some other
4:20:14 people have some commitments so um that’s up to you guys i would
4:20:18 hate to have this entire thing go on
4:20:20 and then have to stop over the discipline issue and not finish
4:20:24 it before we get done so having a dead
4:20:27 time is kind of scary to me but the amendment’s on the floor um
4:20:30 i guess does anybody else wish to say
4:20:32 anything uh i support miss campbell in this and i’m just going
4:20:36 to say you know this is the importance
4:20:39 of having a plan in place having the agenda attachments and
4:20:42 conversations beforehand so we knew what we were
4:20:44 going to discuss so we can get through it in a timely manner um
4:20:49 i think three o’clock is more than adequate
4:20:55 i think to continue to go another hour another another two hours
4:21:00 is no benefit to the school
4:21:02 system to our students to our staff to discuss those things that
4:21:05 are on the agenda when people are
4:21:06 exhausted and just went through this entire process it’s better
4:21:10 to be fresh and have that conversation
4:21:11 another time and if we can just push it to tuesday it’s not like
4:21:14 it’s being pushed off incredibly and to be
4:21:18 fair one of the items on there i don’t have it in front of me
4:21:21 can i steal this sorry um
4:21:23 at least one of the items on there for instance our public
4:21:29 participation in board meetings i mean
4:21:32 we’ve all kind of made it pretty clear where we stand on that
4:21:34 already we were just trying to bring
4:21:36 you know formally through the process and it’s something we can
4:21:38 amend every meeting like we’ve been
4:21:39 doing um so it’s not an emergency by any means too so okay so we
4:21:44 have a motion on the floor thank you
4:21:46 ms jenkins um all in favor of the motion please signify by
4:21:49 saying aye aye nay nay nay motion fails um
4:21:56 moving to the original motion on the floor to um read uh can you
4:22:01 repeat your motion since the first one
4:22:03 second one failed my motion was amended so we just um voted no
4:22:07 against the whole entire now we voted no
4:22:09 on the amendment now it comes back to the original motion which
4:22:12 is if i amend if i amend my own motion then
4:22:15 that is the motion okay but i’ll bring a second second amendment
4:22:21 i move that we end at four if we’re
4:22:23 not done by then and toss everything else we haven’t gotten to
4:22:27 through the tuesday discussion
4:22:29 okay so the the motion on the floor is there a second
4:22:35 okay and the motion is for quitting at four o’clock um is there
4:22:40 any discussion okay do you want to speak
4:22:46 no i mean four o’clock sounds a lot better than three o’clock
4:22:48 because we have a lot to go through
4:22:50 here um and and there are some things even with the you know i
4:22:54 won’t specifically say but there are some
4:22:56 things we can move to tuesday with no harm whatsoever yeah i i
4:23:00 agree i mean i i’m i’m good to stick it out
4:23:02 for the entire thing i understand the concern though too at this
4:23:05 thing a super long meeting so
4:23:07 um i think putting an end time on it is okay four o’clock is
4:23:10 okay five o’clock i you know i’m like
4:23:13 am i pushing it too far on that i thinking that’s an eight hour
4:23:16 day that’s okay um but that would be my
4:23:20 personal preference just to to try to get through as many of
4:23:23 these as we can so that we don’t have to
4:23:24 bring them back up again i can’t i don’t think i can amend her
4:23:29 amendment so we have a motion on the
4:23:34 floor to amend it to five o’clock any discussion or do i have a
4:23:38 second second okay is there any
4:23:41 discussion on five o’clock so i just want to i don’t even know
4:23:45 where we are right now the motion
4:23:53 so i just want to remind um my fellow board members as well as
4:23:57 the district staff that there
4:24:00 is um going to be an event tonight that starts at five o’clock
4:24:03 here hosted by brevard schools
4:24:04 foundation to collect hygiene products for our students so not
4:24:08 only is that a conflict but hey
4:24:09 why not plug it anyone listening uh if you want to stop by today
4:24:13 from five to seven bring some hygiene
4:24:16 products for our students in need we would appreciate that very
4:24:18 much thank you thank you very much so the
4:24:21 amendment on the floor says that it’s five o’clock do we have
4:24:23 any other conversation
4:24:24 knowing that that there is an event that’s here thank you for
4:24:29 bringing that to our attention obviously
4:24:30 i’m not looking at a calendar right now as we’re discussing
4:24:32 these things um i do think that that
4:24:34 is fair for us to a lot of the staff that’s here is going to
4:24:37 need to be at that event and so i don’t
4:24:38 think it’s very fair to hold them up here if they need to be
4:24:41 there and they are going to need some
4:24:42 time so uh in light of that information i think it’s fair to say
4:24:46 four o’clock is probably i would
4:24:47 i i understand the four o’clock thing if that’s okay with you mr
4:24:51 campbell i am i am amending my
4:24:55 amendment the motion on the floor is four o’clock i think um she
4:24:59 was withdrawing the five o’clock um
4:25:04 so call the question on the on the four o’clock all those in
4:25:08 favor of ending at four o’clock please
4:25:11 signify by saying aye aye all opposed nay do you have that all
4:25:16 right so we’re going to go to four
4:25:19 o’clock now now back to the original motion that says that we’re
4:25:22 going to stop and finish it four o’clock
4:25:25 now do we have a well we voted on the amendment so she withdrew
4:25:31 the amendment from the five o’clock to
4:25:34 put it back to the four o’clock we voted on the four o’clock now
4:25:36 we’re back to the original motion
4:25:38 so with we with the amendment to the being four o’clock we are
4:25:44 now on
4:25:48 the amendment approval it’s over so no okay yeah i bet you did
4:25:53 but we’ll technically talk
4:25:54 about it if that’s all it takes thank you very much we’ll break
4:26:05 for 10 minutes
4:26:18 so
4:34:18 Thank you.
4:46:18 First component that we’re going to bring up is in the pre-incident
4:46:23 and what I was going
4:46:24 to ask, I guess it’s now Dr. Thetty that what are we doing, Dr.
4:46:29 Thetty to train a new and
4:46:31 veteran staff member on discipline and support.
4:46:34 And then I’m going to ask Anthony and you guys if that’s
4:46:37 sufficient and if that’s not, then
4:46:39 let’s talk about what we can do to fix that.
4:46:41 Thank you.
4:46:42 Thank you, thank you.
4:46:42 Thank you.
4:48:41 the Alt-CERT program as an extra layer of support
4:48:44 for our teachers.
4:48:45 - Mr. Susan, can I interrupt and add?
4:48:48 - Thank you, Dr. Thetty, Ms. Moore.
4:48:50 - Thank you, I appreciate that.
4:48:52 I think when we go into the realm of solutioning,
4:48:56 if that’s a word I can use, problem solving,
4:48:59 it is going to help to understand some of the limits
4:49:04 and the priorities that the board sets,
4:49:06 because you guys are gonna be setting some priorities
4:49:09 financially and time, and so I think it might help
4:49:14 a little bit in the discussion to bring up
4:49:15 a couple of other points.
4:49:17 So, our conscious discipline training,
4:49:22 which we brought in two years ago in full,
4:49:25 that’s entirely funded out of ESSER.
4:49:27 ESSER funding is going away.
4:49:30 We have enough to get through maybe seven new schools.
4:49:32 The goal is, of course, to get it through
4:49:35 all of our elementary schools.
4:49:37 So that’s going to be part and parcel of a priority
4:49:41 that you guys may want to look at.
4:49:44 We also offer a week of pre-service training
4:49:47 before pre-planning to all of our ESC teachers.
4:49:51 It’s called ESC Pathways.
4:49:52 We try to take them through all of the pieces
4:49:55 that an ESC teacher needs for both compliance and management.
4:49:59 We offer that at the beginning of the school,
4:50:00 and then we offer it on Saturdays throughout the school.
4:50:03 That’s entirely funded out of IDEA dollars.
4:50:06 As you guys may know, IDEA dollars,
4:50:08 most of them are tied up in personnel,
4:50:12 but we do fund that through them.
4:50:15 This year, we invited some of our gen ed teachers
4:50:18 to join into ESC Pathways in hopes to,
4:50:21 number one, give them more tools,
4:50:23 but number two, to also get them ESC certification,
4:50:26 and that was part of the ESC funds as well.
4:50:29 Every time we pull a teacher outside of their calendar,
4:50:32 calendar, their work calendar,
4:50:36 we also have to pay their salary.
4:50:37 So salary tends to be a huge ticket item throughout this.
4:50:41 Additionally, some of the people
4:50:43 who need the training the most
4:50:44 are instructional assistants and our bus drivers
4:50:46 and specific classroom management.
4:50:49 We do do one day out of IDEA funds.
4:50:52 It is outside their calendar,
4:50:53 and we do have one day of training,
4:50:56 I believe it’s one day of training,
4:50:57 I could be wrong, within their calendar.
4:50:59 So their work calendar is also needs to be reviewed
4:51:04 if we wanna get people who need the training more training.
4:51:09 Like I said, our IAs,
4:51:10 they normally get about one day of training at the beginning.
4:51:13 They do get some extra days,
4:51:14 but they’re in the classroom setting up with the teachers.
4:51:18 And our teachers get a full week plus one of pre-planning days.
4:51:23 A lot of those days have to be instructional.
4:51:27 We have, you know, student engagement is,
4:51:31 should be hand in hand with student discipline.
4:51:34 And so a lot of it has to do with teachers,
4:51:36 you know what you’re teaching, how you’re teaching it.
4:51:39 And then in addition to the pre-planning,
4:51:43 we also have our Fridays and our in-service days.
4:51:46 I know February in-service day has come up,
4:51:48 as a topic.
4:51:49 That day we had, I don’t think that’s been determined yet,
4:51:53 but we do have, I wanna say five sites, thank you,
4:51:57 that are adding to their conscious discipline training,
4:52:01 adding to that toolbox.
4:52:02 So when we begin to talk about training,
4:52:05 we’re on board for research-based practices,
4:52:07 we’re on board for a full training cycle,
4:52:09 training cycle, which includes not just the eight hours
4:52:12 we’re in front of our teachers and our IAs
4:52:14 and our bus drivers, but it involves coaching and follow-through.
4:52:18 And it’s the coaching and follow-through that tends to maybe
4:52:21 not get as much emphasis, but it’s also a pretty,
4:52:24 it’s a pretty high ticket item.
4:52:26 In addition to that, we spend a lot of time training on the
4:52:30 multi-tiered systems of support.
4:52:32 You know, when we start talking about students
4:52:34 that have one referral, and the vast majority of our students
4:52:36 only do have one referral, you know, a correction,
4:52:40 a discipline correction, pretty much is all it takes.
4:52:43 You know, they go home to parents and their parents go,
4:52:46 don’t embarrass me again, and they don’t.
4:52:49 But when we start talking about students with five and six
4:52:52 and 10 and 50 referrals, we have to look into
4:52:55 the multi-tiered system of support.
4:52:57 What supports are needed in the classroom?
4:53:00 What supports are needed by that individual child?
4:53:03 And so we do a lot of training on that.
4:53:06 Concerns there, I mean, you’ve heard personnel bring up,
4:53:10 brought up, the multi-tiered system of support needs coaching.
4:53:16 Our administrators are doing the lion’s share of that work,
4:53:23 and they have a big job.
4:53:24 So again, as we go through and we prioritize the discipline plan,
4:53:30 we’re really prioritizing our PAR, we’re prioritizing our budget,
4:53:34 we’re prioritizing our, you know, we’re prioritizing a lot.
4:53:37 So as we kind of go through and talk about these things,
4:53:40 I think it’s important to highlight where the funding sources
4:53:42 for some of them came from and the additional expenses
4:53:44 that go along with them.
4:53:45 I really appreciate that, Ms. Moore.
4:53:48 Thank you so much for giving a quick overview.
4:53:50 I think, to be honest with everybody here,
4:53:52 there’s no way that any, within the, within the short amount of
4:53:59 time
4:53:59 that we’re actually here, that we can go through every bit of it.
4:54:03 And I think that what we have is, is a concern from some
4:54:06 of our employment groups.
4:54:07 And I think just like you had said, and many of the parents had
4:54:11 said,
4:54:11 we own as much of the responsibility for that too.
4:54:14 So I think, um, I was going to ask if anybody else had any other
4:54:18 questions for you too,
4:54:19 but what I would like to do is ask those questions.
4:54:22 But then I would, what, what I would like to propose is
4:54:25 listening to what the union feels they could bring forward,
4:54:27 and then getting a cost of all of what we do now, and then
4:54:31 bringing it to a committee that’s made up of people,
4:54:33 and then make that decision on how we move forward.
4:54:35 So with that, um, any other board members want to ask some
4:54:38 questions real quick?
4:54:39 Ms. Campbell?
4:54:40 Yes, I.
4:54:41 Oh.
4:54:42 Yeah, sorry.
4:54:43 Um, yeah, just really quickly, because I, you talked about the
4:54:46 training that we do for IAs and bus drivers.
4:54:48 When someone comes in new after that point in the year, then are
4:54:53 they, they just don’t have it.
4:54:54 So, um, I, I don’t want to take away from the training that
4:54:58 operations does for them, how to be a safe bus driver,
4:55:00 how to, you know, how to, how to get their CDL.
4:55:02 Um, but you’re correct, that training, um, although we do do a
4:55:06 new employee orientation.
4:55:07 Yes, thank you.
4:55:08 Yeah.
4:55:09 And it does give them kind of their, uh, overview of everything
4:55:14 BPS and what they should expect from us as employers
4:55:16 and what we expect for them as employees.
4:55:18 Um, there is not dedicated dollars or days to train throughout
4:55:23 the year on some of the big topics that we hit.
4:55:27 So they’re missing that ESP.
4:55:28 They’re missing, they’re missing those pieces.
4:55:30 And what we try to do is as we come back around to the following
4:55:35 year, we say, we’ll take everybody who’s new
4:55:37 and everybody who didn’t get it last year.
4:55:39 And we try to budget that and do the best we can, um, with the
4:55:44 understanding that outside of their calendar, their work
4:55:48 calendar,
4:55:49 everything is, is, is voluntary.
4:55:51 If they choose to come, they come.
4:55:52 If they don’t choose to come, they don’t come.
4:55:54 What we can hold them to is their work calendar.
4:55:55 Right.
4:55:56 So outside of that, um, we would have, to have training for
4:56:03 people more than just those times
4:56:04 of the year.
4:56:05 And I know we added that one day, we, we paid for that one day
4:56:08 with the IAs at the end of
4:56:09 last year.
4:56:10 I think we used ESSER dollars to pay for that.
4:56:11 That’s correct.
4:56:12 Um, so to do that, it would take paying everybody for that day,
4:56:18 um, paying for the training, um, and then
4:56:22 finding, finding the place to do it in the calendar.
4:56:24 Cause we, those are people we can’t pull off, uh, away jackets.
4:56:27 Right.
4:56:28 That’s correct.
4:56:29 And I think, um, having that opportunity to list everything that’s
4:56:33 out there currently
4:56:34 so that in the event that those costs can be molded into what a
4:56:38 new plan would be, not
4:56:40 like you’re creating a whole new set.
4:56:42 It may be that we just need those extra additions on the end.
4:56:45 So it may not be a massive increase.
4:56:47 Um, any other board members going to ask any questions?
4:56:50 Yeah.
4:56:51 Ms. Wright.
4:56:52 Uh, just to be clear, I, I would love to hear obviously the, the
4:56:58 union’s input on this
4:56:58 because I, I really truly don’t feel that majority of these
4:57:02 problems are falling on our teachers
4:57:04 or their lack of understanding how to discipline a child.
4:57:07 I think a lot of what we’re seeing is, is classroom behaviors
4:57:10 and not necessarily the teacher’s fault.
4:57:11 Um, so I would love to hear what their feedback is on what the
4:57:15 teachers are saying to them.
4:57:16 Do they feel they need more training, pre-training, uh, to
4:57:20 handle discipline?
4:57:21 Good to go.
4:57:23 Thank you, Mr. Susan.
4:57:24 Um, directly to your question, Ms. Wright.
4:57:25 Not necessarily.
4:57:26 And I’ll, I’ll get that in a minute.
4:57:27 I think when we look at the pre-incident, we need to look at a
4:57:28 few things.
4:57:28 We brought three things that we really want you guys to look at
4:57:29 as a board.
4:57:29 First of all, there has to be a climate for honest feedback.
4:57:32 I appreciate what Ms. Jenkins said earlier.
4:57:33 If somebody wants to stand up and speak up, she has their back.
4:57:35 And I hope all this board will have their back.
4:57:37 But I have to be honest.
4:57:38 Our teachers do not feel that way.
4:57:39 The staff does not feel that way.
4:57:40 When we’re in buildings, when people are calling us, when people
4:57:42 are texting us and emailing
4:57:42 us, sometimes they’re afraid to give us their names because they’re
4:57:43 afraid to give us their
4:57:44 names because they’re afraid to give us their names because they’re
4:57:45 afraid to give us their
4:57:45 names because they’re afraid to give us their names because they’re
4:57:46 afraid to give us their
4:57:48 names because they’re afraid to give us their names.
4:57:49 They’re afraid to give us their names.
4:58:01 They’re afraid to give us their names because they’re afraid
4:58:02 that we’re going to give it
4:58:04 to VPS.
4:58:05 You know, and that’s a climate thing.
4:58:06 You know, I was in the military.
4:58:07 So I always think about stuff like that.
4:58:08 And there was always an open-door policy.
4:58:09 There was a climate that if you wanted to speak up, you could
4:58:10 speak up.
4:58:10 When we talk about being data-driven, that is so important.
4:58:11 I really like what you said, Ms. Fieler, about digging into it.
4:58:14 I think it’s important.
4:58:15 And I think it’s important.
4:58:16 I think it’s important.
4:58:19 It’s important.
4:58:20 I think it’s important.
4:58:45 It’s important.
4:58:46 I think it’s important.
4:58:47 We know for a fact we saw that.
4:58:49 We know as as late as yesterday,
4:58:51 a school was sending all the referrals back to a teacher before
4:58:55 they were being processed.
4:58:56 And that is something we got yesterday, but we hear that all the
4:58:59 time.
4:58:59 I turned in a referral.
4:59:00 I never got it back.
4:59:01 I turned in a referral.
4:59:02 It was given back to me.
4:59:03 It was never coded.
4:59:05 When we try to track down incidents because everybody is like,
4:59:08 well, have you talked to somebody?
4:59:10 When we try to track down the incidents, a lot of times we can’t
4:59:13 find it, even though we know our teacher wrote the referral.
4:59:16 We know a new teacher sent an email to a dean saying there’s an
4:59:20 issue.
4:59:20 I was sexually harassed.
4:59:22 Guess what?
4:59:23 We can’t track it down because somehow it never got inputted.
4:59:26 That’s the issue.
4:59:27 Right.
4:59:28 And we also look at everybody is afraid to speak out.
4:59:31 We’ve heard that from all employee groups.
4:59:34 So when we look at the data to us, the data is very important.
4:59:37 Everybody on our team, every teacher in BPS will probably tell
4:59:40 you, let’s look at the data and be driven by that decision.
4:59:43 But the age old saying garbage in garbage out.
4:59:46 That’s what we’re currently getting with our referral data.
4:59:49 To go further down on that.
4:59:51 You know, I’m really happy that we saw some data today because
4:59:55 we have been asking for data for a long time.
4:59:57 And this is the first time that we’ve seen it compiled this way.
5:00:01 So we need to look at that.
5:00:03 We also believe in a discipline committee.
5:00:06 There was a discipline committee set up where I know Anthony and
5:00:09 Vanessa were representatives on that.
5:00:11 It just stopped meeting.
5:00:13 Like, you know, it seemed as if from what I was related to me
5:00:18 was there wasn’t a need for teacher administrator feedback.
5:00:21 And that’s unfortunate.
5:00:22 So one of our asks today on top of the honest feedback is
5:00:25 restarting that discipline committee.
5:00:27 I believe it’s still on the books.
5:00:29 I mean, I believe the committee is still supposed to be meeting,
5:00:33 but we also act that that feedback is given directly to the
5:00:35 school board.
5:00:36 Because what’s unfortunate is a lot of time with the committees,
5:00:39 when we’re involved, we see suggestions never actually make it
5:00:43 to the top.
5:00:44 We’re not always going to have the right suggestion.
5:00:46 We’re not always going to have the only suggestion.
5:00:48 But it’s unfortunate when it gets filtered.
5:00:50 And then finally, we do want to talk about professional
5:00:53 development.
5:00:54 We came here ready today to offer you to offer BPS the same
5:00:58 thing we offered a year ago.
5:00:59 We asked at the bargaining table last year for the school
5:01:02 calendar to be expanded and add three additional professional
5:01:05 development days.
5:01:06 We were rejected by Brevard Public Schools at the bargaining
5:01:10 table.
5:01:10 So it’s very discouraging when I hear people talk and they want
5:01:13 to say, well, the union doesn’t want to do professional
5:01:15 development.
5:01:15 That’s not what we’ve ever said.
5:01:17 One of the key things we do, we are proud.
5:01:20 We have a professional development program.
5:01:22 But where we struggle is when we hear there needs to be new
5:01:25 professional development.
5:01:26 And the professional development is, hey, you teach at a school
5:01:30 in Titusville.
5:01:30 So let’s drive to a school in Marin Island so you can watch a
5:01:33 zoom that’s happening at a school in Palm Bay.
5:01:35 How is that a valuable use of our teachers time and our
5:01:39 resources, right?
5:01:40 And if we are going to do virtual training, that’s fine.
5:01:43 But our teachers are professionals.
5:01:45 The IAs are professionals.
5:01:46 The bus drivers are professionals.
5:01:48 Why can’t they do it in their classroom?
5:01:50 Do we really need them in a media center at some random school
5:01:53 so they can be supervised?
5:01:54 We don’t trust our teachers to do the professional development.
5:01:57 We don’t trust our IAs and our bus drivers and our staff to
5:02:01 complete that professional development.
5:02:03 So we are ready.
5:02:04 We want professional development, but we want quality
5:02:06 professional development.
5:02:07 We hope that we can be involved in that conversation.
5:02:10 And I know there’s people on my team that are great at it and
5:02:14 would be, you know, chomping at the bit to get involved.
5:02:16 So thank you.
5:02:18 Thank you, Kyle.
5:02:19 I think some of those suggestions, if I see Dr. Thetty writing
5:02:23 them down, I’m writing them down if we can meet afterwards and
5:02:26 make sure.
5:02:26 I think what we may want to look at is, is that I don’t think
5:02:30 that there’s any negative, anybody up here that would say no to
5:02:35 the climate for positive feedback and looking for a referral
5:02:37 process that does not include, you know what I mean, names and
5:02:42 stuff like that, some sort of way to do that.
5:02:43 I also think there’s no hard feelings about, you know what I
5:02:47 mean, professional development at three extra days.
5:02:50 I do know the cost on that was an issue, I think is what it was.
5:02:53 So if you’re going to expand three extra days, you’re basically
5:02:56 adding that cost, but that’s okay.
5:02:57 Like, let’s figure out if that is your recommendation, if we can
5:03:01 look at it and find out if we can find those funds, find out if
5:03:04 it fits into it and make it happen.
5:03:06 Does everybody kind of agree with that kind of a style where we
5:03:09 take it and say, okay, staff, go ahead and evaluate it and bring
5:03:12 it back to us?
5:03:12 - Yeah.
5:03:13 - For an evaluation.
5:03:14 Okay.
5:03:15 Dr. Thede, is that okay?
5:03:16 - I’m taking notes.
5:03:17 - And I loved what you said about the discipline committee
5:03:22 starting back up.
5:03:22 I think the direction of the board would be that we could start
5:03:25 that discipline policy, but I was going to ask inside that
5:03:28 committee, Ms. Vanessa, can you give me any kind of direction as
5:03:32 to who sits on that and everything else real quick?
5:03:34 - So I started on, I started on the discipline committee when I
5:03:39 was still a teacher in the classroom.
5:03:41 I was a BFT member, but I was not in any capacity, leadership or
5:03:47 to the level I am now.
5:03:49 And what I remember is every single school having educators
5:03:54 represented on that committee, every single school having
5:03:58 parents and administrators and coming together at the different
5:04:02 levels.
5:04:02 A lot of the, most of the time we met at Beara High School
5:04:05 because that is a large group and the teachers were able to
5:04:08 express what their needs, what they were seeing into the
5:04:11 classroom.
5:04:11 The discipline policy that we have now, a policy is only, it’s
5:04:17 on paper, right?
5:04:18 It’s, it’s only as good as the paper it’s written on if the
5:04:23 people aren’t applying it and modifying it as the years progress.
5:04:28 And what we’ve, what we’ve seen happen is it’s, it’s hit a wall.
5:04:32 At some point, the people who became in charge of the discipline
5:04:38 plans stopped taking feedback from our teachers, from our
5:04:44 administrators.
5:04:45 And I think that it was even, not I think, I know, that it was
5:04:50 even said by someone, we don’t need the administrator’s feedback.
5:04:53 I’m sorry, you know, I heard it, I think from a speaker talk
5:04:58 about kids eloping from the classroom.
5:05:01 That is a huge thing that came up, the committee said it over
5:05:06 and over and over again, that we needed to escalate elopement as
5:05:09 a behavior.
5:05:10 And it never happened.
5:05:13 And so, I am, I’m, and I want to say this because I’ll probably
5:05:19 take forever, but, and I’m going to mostly talk, I think, in the
5:05:22 post-incident.
5:05:22 I’m excited that we’re in this room together right now.
5:05:27 Whatever it is that brought us together, I hope we can all move
5:05:32 past that.
5:05:33 Because what we have in common right now is a love for students,
5:05:38 is a love for our children, and a need to make things better.
5:05:42 And I can’t, I’ve probably been coming before this board for a
5:05:47 decade, advocating for change.
5:05:49 And I have to say, sometimes I have just lost my will to think
5:05:55 things would change.
5:05:57 And so, I really hope that everybody around this table, in this
5:06:01 room, the people who have magically disappeared, that everybody
5:06:06 is actually dedicated to make the changes that are needed for
5:06:10 students.
5:06:12 Because that’s the reason we are all here, is for our students.
5:06:16 Can the community interject at this point?
5:06:18 Yeah, if she…
5:06:19 I’m sorry, Matt.
5:06:20 No, no, no, it’s okay.
5:06:21 If we can keep it to three minutes, and, but the other thing
5:06:24 that I wanted to say is, is that there is a lot going on.
5:06:27 So, if we can, yes, sir.
5:06:28 Yeah, I just wanted to…
5:06:29 That’s why you’re at this table, sir.
5:06:30 Absolutely, ma’am.
5:06:31 Yeah, and I appreciate that.
5:06:32 Go ahead.
5:06:33 Yes, sir.
5:06:34 Go ahead, Bernard.
5:06:35 Yes, sir.
5:06:36 One of the things I would like to see on the training agenda is
5:06:40 bias training.
5:06:41 If you can add that, that would be appreciated.
5:06:44 Absolutely.
5:06:45 As well as, would you consider doing your training is teachers’
5:06:52 classroom management.
5:06:54 That is one of the feedback I received from some of the teachers,
5:06:58 that they need help with classroom.
5:07:00 So, I just want to plug, because you know the union has an
5:07:04 amazing, it’s called managing behavior in school communities,
5:07:07 and we would love to be a part of that, and to be a part of
5:07:12 sending more people to become trainers.
5:07:14 Right now, there’s only two trainers in the county, myself and
5:07:18 another person, but they’re, yes, absolutely.
5:07:20 Okay, enough.
5:07:21 You know, three minutes, and I appreciate it.
5:07:22 No, no, just keep going, Bernard.
5:07:23 You know, I want to help in the training.
5:07:25 If we can do anything from the community that will help train in
5:07:29 those areas, you can train us and we can train whatever.
5:07:32 So, you know, expand that out to the community being part of
5:07:36 that resources.
5:07:37 I was going to actually interject there, because I had the
5:07:41 opportunity to listen in a couple years ago.
5:07:43 Actually, you were the reason why I came.
5:07:45 I heard you speak in Merritt Island, some years ago, concerning
5:07:49 the issues that teachers was having, and not getting any voices.
5:07:54 And I had the opportunity to sit in on a negotiation between the
5:07:59 union and the school board.
5:08:01 And it was eye opening for me as a parent.
5:08:04 Okay.
5:08:05 And I’m going to reiterate again, if parents are not invited to
5:08:11 these meetings, we’ll never ever understand the cry of the
5:08:17 teachers, the cry of the union, and the cries of the board.
5:08:21 Because when I sat in on that, it opened my eyes to something
5:08:25 that I did not understand and couldn’t imagine.
5:08:28 But the other thing it did for me, it started making me think
5:08:32 about donations, think about fundraising, to get more money into
5:08:37 the school board.
5:08:38 I’m going to tell you a couple of things that I did.
5:08:40 I have several people that worked for Grumblin and Harris, and I
5:08:44 went and talked to them concerning what they can do to put money
5:08:49 into the school board.
5:08:50 What was alarming to me is they began to tell me that they’re
5:08:54 already doing it.
5:08:55 I don’t know where those funds have been allocated to.
5:08:59 Absolutely.
5:09:00 So that alarmed me because it, I mean, it really opened my eyes.
5:09:05 So when I went to them, because I know people that sit on their
5:09:08 boards to say, hey, we, y’all are in our community.
5:09:12 We need to give to the school board so that we’re not having
5:09:16 some of these problems that we’re having.
5:09:18 And we can pay our teachers and keep our teachers.
5:09:20 And then for me to hear that they are giving, it’s difficult to
5:09:25 go and ask for them to give more when they’re already giving.
5:09:29 But I’m going to say it again, if parents can’t get into those
5:09:34 meetings and some of the other meetings, we’ll never be able to
5:09:39 help with the discipline problems and the issues that we say we’re
5:09:43 having.
5:09:43 But with that, we’ll never be able to educate our children in
5:09:48 our households as well because we’re not in those core meetings
5:09:52 to understand what’s really going on outside of our own
5:09:55 individual children.
5:09:56 Thank you so much for those comments.
5:09:58 So what I’m hearing you guys say is, is that your recommendation
5:10:02 is to bring back the discipline committee.
5:10:03 And it’s a very large committee that needs to have parents
5:10:07 involved.
5:10:07 I think that’s the direction that you guys have said, and I
5:10:09 haven’t asked my other board members for direction yet.
5:10:11 But what I would like to add to that is, is the student voices
5:10:15 also.
5:10:15 I would love to have the student voices be a part of that.
5:10:18 But then the other piece is, is that after that, everybody’s
5:10:22 going to come with all of those issues, right?
5:10:23 And how we consolidate that and then present that to the board
5:10:27 should be possibly a workshop.
5:10:29 And I think that if we could have a smaller committee that would
5:10:33 then define that and bring that to us made up of union members
5:10:36 for lab community members and stuff like that, a tighter group.
5:10:39 Does that sound like okay with you?
5:10:41 And then I’ll try to re-explain it to my staff.
5:10:44 I just have to ask one ask is that while we’re doing that, it
5:10:47 sounds wonderful.
5:10:48 We want that.
5:10:49 But also what we currently have, can we get that going as well?
5:10:52 So we can start getting some immediate push as well.
5:10:55 So you’re saying-
5:10:56 If we’re being honest, we can’t do this all in one day.
5:10:58 Right.
5:11:00 But we have a committee outline already and if they could just
5:11:03 start meeting and-
5:11:03 That’s it.
5:11:04 And then just add to it.
5:11:05 But keep adding.
5:11:06 Like we need you at the table.
5:11:07 We need this.
5:11:08 We need students at the table.
5:11:09 It’s-
5:11:10 We needed students here today, but I know, I know the feasibility
5:11:13 of the learning environment.
5:11:14 So-
5:11:15 I think, I think one of the things that you guys have said and
5:11:18 many others is, is that the immediate, it’s an immediate,
5:11:20 immediate need to show the difference that we’re going to do so
5:11:23 that we don’t lose teachers and we don’t lose
5:11:24 drivers over the Christmas break.
5:11:25 That is a hundred percent what I felt like this needed to and we
5:11:29 couldn’t push it off.
5:11:30 So what I’m at, I’m hearing you say is, is that you want to
5:11:33 create a committee, re-engage the old committee, add student
5:11:37 voices, parent voices, but in the event that they can’t be
5:11:40 brought on as fast, don’t let it slow down.
5:11:42 Let them view it and then bring it on as we go.
5:11:45 And then, and that that should start pretty soon.
5:11:49 And then what I’m asking, what I also, I hear you say is, is
5:11:52 some sort of a climate for positive feedback, but then also an
5:11:55 opportunity for them to send in kind of like an anonymous or
5:12:00 something like that list or no.
5:12:02 Does that make sense?
5:12:04 Some sort of a reporting feature to say, I have not, this is
5:12:08 what happened.
5:12:08 Well, we agree with that.
5:12:10 I think it would go a step further or just further.
5:12:13 There needs to be a culture that it is okay to speak up.
5:12:16 Okay.
5:12:17 That has, and all that works, all that’s helpful.
5:12:19 Right.
5:12:20 And there’s probably HR rules on what you have to have and don’t
5:12:23 have and all that good stuff.
5:12:24 Right.
5:12:25 But at the end of the day, there needs to be a culture that
5:12:27 somebody is comfortable, a teacher is comfortable enough to go
5:12:30 back to that AP and push back on that AP.
5:12:32 That AP is comfortable enough to go to the principal and push
5:12:35 back.
5:12:35 The principal is comfortable enough to go to their director and
5:12:39 push back all the way up because unfortunately, like our
5:12:42 teachers do not feel they can push back on an assistant
5:12:45 principal when they reject the referral.
5:12:47 And I’ll be honest, not all that is because of district staff.
5:12:50 Some of that is, if we’re being honest, some parents, we have
5:12:54 great parents that want to be involved, just like the majority
5:12:57 of our students are great.
5:12:57 But if the immediate time a teacher intervenes or there’s
5:13:01 discipline and the parent comes up to the school yelling, cussing
5:13:05 out the teacher, cussing out the front office, cussing out the
5:13:10 principal, that probably happens daily, then that discourages
5:13:13 that community of positive, open feedback as well.
5:13:17 You know, we all have bosses.
5:13:19 So a parent calls the ESF and starts cussing out up here, it
5:13:23 just starts, you know, and then it eventually gets presented to
5:13:26 the teacher as in what happened?
5:13:27 Why did this happen?
5:13:28 I don’t think that’s what the principal is actually asking,
5:13:31 because I think that every principal in this district right now
5:13:34 has their teachers back, or I hope that be true, but just the
5:13:37 way it rolls out.
5:13:38 So I think it’s a culture thing as well, Matt.
5:13:40 That is what I heard from many of our principals, assistant
5:13:45 principals, teachers, is the verbal assaults on the actual staff.
5:13:50 And I will say that I met with Officer Neil, and he said that he
5:13:53 clearly can define that, send that out, and we can trespass and
5:13:57 tell those people to leave.
5:13:58 So we can actually do a one-year trespass if they break certain
5:14:01 laws, and our staff needs to know that, and we need to implement
5:14:04 that and have their back.
5:14:05 Okay, so I’m going to stop here.
5:14:07 Dr. Theddy, you had something, kind of leaned in, like you
5:14:09 wanted to say something?
5:14:10 No, I was just, I’ve heard a lot today.
5:14:12 I’ve heard a lot of passion.
5:14:13 I’ve heard a lot of community support.
5:14:15 I’ve heard a lot of parent support.
5:14:17 I’ve heard a lot of support from our stakeholders within our
5:14:21 organization and outside of our organization.
5:14:23 I feel like I’m hearing, and I’ll wait for direction further on
5:14:28 how to work with staff, but I feel like I’m hearing that you’re
5:14:32 looking for a thoughtful and considerate review of our
5:14:34 discipline.
5:14:34 of our discipline plan and calling back in the stakeholders
5:14:39 perhaps in focus group kinds of meetings so that we can get the
5:14:43 input on things that maybe weren’t in place six years ago or
5:14:46 whenever it was developed that aren’t in place now.
5:14:49 I heard eloping.
5:14:50 I heard some other things.
5:14:51 Doing another thoughtful and considerate review with the
5:14:55 stakeholder groups to include the people sitting at this table
5:14:58 and teachers and law enforcement and everybody else that we are
5:15:02 speaking about.
5:15:03 We’re just awaiting further board direction, but I feel like
5:15:05 that’s what I’m hearing and I just need a confirmation, Mr.
5:15:08 Susan.
5:15:08 Yeah, here’s what I think was the piece, was move the committee
5:15:13 forward and start it now.
5:15:14 Whatever that is that needs to be reignited, get the
5:15:16 representatives and start that process now.
5:15:18 Add the parents, add the students.
5:15:20 Start working on explaining what a culture of explaining that
5:15:24 they want to be able to push back and say this is a referral to
5:15:27 their administrators and everybody else and to the directors and
5:15:31 to everybody else and then look at possibly three extra days
5:15:35 next year is what you’re saying for the calendar and everything
5:15:37 else.
5:15:37 That pretty much like touch it all.
5:15:40 All right.
5:15:41 Is there any pushback to giving direction?
5:15:42 Yes, ma’am.
5:15:43 Okay.
5:15:44 Hearing everything that was just said and agreeing with
5:15:49 everything that was just said, I didn’t hear the part just then
5:15:54 when he mentioned bringing everyone together in the law
5:15:56 enforcement piece.
5:15:56 I didn’t hear that prior until she mentioned it, but when you
5:16:00 asked if you could get started while bringing the others to the
5:16:05 table, is it a way of doing it like in a Zoom link or that you
5:16:09 could put a link out that the parents can still be able to view
5:16:12 or be involved or when you first start?
5:16:14 Absolutely.
5:16:15 Because if you have a problem, if I’m visiting schools and I
5:16:18 plan on becoming more active and being at school, parents at
5:16:21 schools, because if I’m at a school and a parent comes up, you
5:16:24 know, if it’s someone that I know or if it’s white, you know, we
5:16:28 sometimes we can help deescalate things, you know, before it
5:16:31 gets to that point that the teacher has to engage with them.
5:16:34 I will tell you that a parent has a lot better of a chance of deescalating
5:16:38 a child than the actual teacher does because you guys can say
5:16:41 things that you can’t.
5:16:43 Yes, ma’am.
5:16:44 And I want to add to that also.
5:16:46 I heard what you said.
5:16:47 I’ve been in situations at schools where I’ve had parents cursing
5:16:52 out administration and then jumped in.
5:16:55 And once we deescalated and found out what was going on, one of
5:17:00 their problems was is that they could not be in the room who was
5:17:04 saying their children was doing something.
5:17:06 They got frustrated and irritated because they have a referral
5:17:11 sitting here.
5:17:12 The child is getting ready to get suspended.
5:17:14 The child is saying they didn’t do it.
5:17:16 The administrator, the dean, is saying they did do it.
5:17:20 They’re saying, well, let me speak to the teacher.
5:17:23 And they’re saying, no, you can’t speak to the teacher.
5:17:25 So now that’s not the behavior we need.
5:17:29 Right.
5:17:30 But I believe what happens is if we don’t understand the
5:17:35 cultural makeup of our parents.
5:17:37 Okay.
5:17:38 Now, what happens is we don’t deescalate at some point in time.
5:17:42 Kind of like now we get to confront our accusers.
5:17:45 Right.
5:17:46 So if I’m if I bring my child to every meeting.
5:17:49 Okay.
5:17:50 So if you call me, my child is going to sit there because not
5:17:53 only do I want the teacher to tell me the truth.
5:17:55 I want my child to sit there and tell me what’s going on as well.
5:17:59 So if ever.
5:18:00 And this is something that I have happened a lot because I go in
5:18:04 as a pastor with a lot of my members when they have issues and I’m
5:18:09 sitting there and I have been kicked out of meetings for just
5:18:12 saying one thing.
5:18:13 I didn’t escalate.
5:18:14 I didn’t say anything rude or nasty because they didn’t feel I
5:18:18 should be there.
5:18:19 But they didn’t ask me what my support role was.
5:18:22 They didn’t ask me why I was there.
5:18:24 They nothing.
5:18:25 They didn’t give me a paper to sign, but I’m on the children’s
5:18:29 paperwork.
5:18:29 And the minute I say two, three things, you’re not even
5:18:32 irrelevant and they want me out.
5:18:34 And I have a principal that can vouch for.
5:18:36 So what I’m saying is I see what goes on with parent or teachers.
5:18:41 But at the same time, if we don’t understand how different
5:18:45 households are made up, let me dress the cursing for one minute.
5:18:48 If I’ve been brought up in a house where the way I articulate
5:18:52 myself is through curse word, every other word, you may see it
5:18:59 as me cursing you out.
5:19:02 But the reality is that’s my language.
5:19:06 Is that right?
5:19:07 Absolutely not.
5:19:08 It’s wrong.
5:19:09 But if we don’t have the proper support systems in place.
5:19:15 Or even if there’s volunteer staff that’s willing to, you don’t
5:19:18 have to pay them.
5:19:19 I’ll be one that’s willing to sit there.
5:19:22 When we have things like that, you got to get them off campus
5:19:25 and we have to bring them back, bring pastors, bring communities
5:19:29 back in with these parents to sit down with them to help them
5:19:32 understand, okay, this is not the way it’s going to be happening.
5:19:34 But be able to be there in between to communicate that may be
5:19:38 something else that we need to put out so that we’re just not
5:19:42 flat out saying you curse me out gone when they don’t have
5:19:45 another way of communicating.
5:19:47 I like what you’re saying is have somebody that would be able to
5:19:51 moderate and be in there.
5:19:52 On the other side, we have a situation where we have many of our
5:19:55 teachers, our staff and people in the front office and on our
5:19:58 buses that are getting torn into by these people and they feel
5:20:01 unsafe.
5:20:01 So what I would like to do, just because it’s been part of the
5:20:04 conversation, it was part of my other stuff, was ask Officer
5:20:08 Neil to send out all of the definitions of what assaults are and
5:20:15 what battery are and then allow our principals and our staff to
5:20:18 file those to our administrators and our teachers so that they
5:20:26 understand what assault is.
5:20:26 Because what we’re having is, is we have teachers who are going
5:20:29 places and there’s somebody just literally laying into them and
5:20:32 cussing them out.
5:20:33 Situation on a bus, parent gets on there, cusses them out, sits
5:20:36 there, I mean, we just can’t have that.
5:20:38 So we can trespass for that for one year, it’s not the end of
5:20:41 the world, but I think we need to start setting the example
5:20:44 today that we’re not going to let parents come into our areas
5:20:47 and basically assault our staff.
5:20:49 And I think that with cultural, with having representatives
5:20:52 there, but there is the other side that we need to start
5:20:55 protecting the institution because my son was inside there and
5:20:59 saw somebody cussing out somebody else.
5:21:00 He would think that it was a different situation, right? So let’s
5:21:03 get to that place.
5:21:04 Is that okay by everybody to send out to our staff? What is good?
5:21:09 I would like for us to slow down a little bit because I think
5:21:14 where it seems that we’re going is we’re, we’ve got a topic, we’re
5:21:20 throwing it out there.
5:21:20 What do you think? What do you think? What do you think? Okay,
5:21:23 now we’re going to do this.
5:21:23 But we are, we need to slow down. And I don’t, I, you know, hate
5:21:29 the idea of death by committee, but we don’t have all the
5:21:32 stakeholders here.
5:21:33 We don’t have our administrators who know what it’s, what it
5:21:38 takes, you know, what their process is.
5:21:40 We, we don’t have student voice. Um, we have representation for
5:21:45 teachers. We have representations for 1010. We have
5:21:48 representation from the community.
5:21:49 We have some staff. Um, but we are, if the idea is that on each
5:21:54 of these topics, we’re going to hear, okay, here’s the problem.
5:21:57 What do you think we should fix it? Let’s summarize everybody’s
5:22:01 solution to fix it. Okay, go do it.
5:22:02 I think we need to slow down just a little bit. And, and this is
5:22:06 a listening session. We’re, we’re listening.
5:22:09 Dr. Fetty, she’s taking notes. I know we’ve got, you know, notes
5:22:12 left and right. We’re, we may not come up with the solutions
5:22:16 here, but we’re hearing lots of ideas.
5:22:19 Um, we’re challenging people to think differently. Um, but I, I
5:22:23 would just, I would suggest that we need to, um, we need to just
5:22:29 slow
5:22:29 with what we might try to try to come to consensus that this is
5:22:31 what we’re going to do, except for, hey, can we look at it?
5:22:34 And, you know, Dr. Fetty mentioned a little while ago. So what I’m
5:22:36 hearing you say is, you know, we need to do a thorough and
5:22:40 thoughtful analysis.
5:22:41 And, and, and, and yes. Um, so, but let’s, let’s be careful in
5:22:47 what we are going to do here and say, we’re making this decision
5:22:51 right now, go.
5:22:51 Um, we need to slow down. I believe.
5:22:53 I, I really appreciate that. Oh, I’m sorry. Just hang on Ms.
5:22:56 Wright. Go ahead.
5:22:57 Yeah. Yeah, this one.
5:22:59 Can I, and I, again, this is not an attempt to push back, but
5:23:01 just to understand better. Um, what would the, what, for slowing
5:23:07 down on sending that definition out,
5:23:08 like to our administrators, like he’s suggesting, what would the
5:23:11 drawback on that be?
5:23:12 It’s not necessarily with that one. That one’s not working. Um,
5:23:18 I’m just saying, I, I’m hearing that with everything so far.
5:23:20 We’re only on the first, we’re only on pre-incident. So, um, I,
5:23:24 you know, we want to make sure we can summarize what people are
5:23:28 saying
5:23:28 and make sure staff are getting that, you know, hearing all that
5:23:32 input.
5:23:32 Right. But I, what, you know, is it a problem for Major Neal to
5:23:38 send out a security definition? No.
5:23:40 I mean, I imagine administrators already know what those terms
5:23:43 mean. Um, you know, and if we need to be more clear,
5:23:46 you know, Dr. Mullins sent out, um, before, I don’t know,
5:23:50 sometime in the last month, he sent out an email to staff.
5:23:53 And he sent it out to our parents talking about civility and
5:23:58 about how we treat people when we walk in front office.
5:23:59 If you’re a parent, you probably got that in an email. If you’re
5:24:03 a staff member, you should have gotten it as well.
5:24:04 And it was kind of, it was gentle and maybe not abrupt, like
5:24:08 some other people’s style would be.
5:24:10 But the idea was to communicate to the community and to our
5:24:14 staff, it’s not okay to walk into our schools and treat people
5:24:18 with disrespect.
5:24:18 Um, so, you know, I mean, that would be a continuation of that.
5:24:23 I mean, but we’re talking about the extremes.
5:24:25 We’re talking about, and we do trespass parents, right, on a
5:24:28 regular basis, on the, and I say on a regular basis.
5:24:31 When it’s that extreme, we do. We, we trespass parents for
5:24:34 making bomb threats, right?
5:24:35 At Cocoa High School, not very long ago, we, yeah.
5:24:40 It depends on, it just depends on, I think, um, the definition
5:24:45 happens.
5:24:46 But there are things like, and I’ll be honest with everybody
5:24:52 here, the reason that I’ve said, if we could send that out,
5:24:54 is because there’s a lot of, um, a lot of individuals out there
5:24:58 that feel like they are getting cussed out almost every day,
5:25:00 and that they don’t have the right to say, no, this is wrong.
5:25:04 I’ve watched four videos where parents are trying to enter the
5:25:08 buses, and those bus drivers don’t know that it’s okay to say,
5:25:10 you are not allowed on the bus, and if you step on here, you’re
5:25:12 going to get arrested.
5:25:13 Because we have to protect our children, right?
5:25:15 But we need to start with one, which is, we’ll send out the
5:25:19 assault and battery definition and have the, and send another
5:25:23 one out to the parents.
5:25:23 Saying, hey, we are enforcing this definition, and this is the
5:25:27 way it will protect our education.
5:25:29 Because if we can’t even get there, then, um, then, you know, it’s
5:25:33 already, uh, it’s already a law, it’s already in place.
5:25:36 But we have people that are not, that are not doing it because
5:25:39 they feel like they cannot.
5:25:40 And if it comes from district security to do that, then they
5:25:43 need it.
5:25:43 Mr. Raines?
5:25:44 The bus drivers are a thought not to let the parents off the bus.
5:25:47 Yeah.
5:25:48 And it’s, they, they can come on anyways, um, and can’t do
5:25:51 anything about that.
5:25:52 My concern for the bus drivers is, is the length of time that
5:25:56 the bus driver is either suspended or moved to another route, or
5:25:59 put the classroom and sat down while the investigation occurs.
5:26:02 And we have multiple incidences where we’ve had bus drivers for
5:26:06 six weeks waiting to get cleared.
5:26:08 Wow.
5:26:09 We need a microphone.
5:26:10 Sorry.
5:26:11 Could you hear it?
5:26:12 Do I have to repeat?
5:26:13 I see.
5:26:15 Um, the bus drivers are trained not to let students, uh, not to
5:26:23 let the parents on, on the bus.
5:26:26 They, they do open the door and talk to the parents, but they
5:26:30 stop them.
5:26:30 They try to stop them at the, at that door.
5:26:32 Um, these that are, these that are intruding into the bus, that’s
5:26:36 a different story.
5:26:37 You, you got to deal with that.
5:26:39 Like the, the concern of the bus drivers is that there’s a lot,
5:26:42 what they call the, they call it the lie to, you know, all of a
5:26:46 sudden they were getting accused for yelling, cussing back at
5:26:48 the parent, cussing this and that.
5:26:49 And so the bus driver gets suspended or moved to a different
5:26:53 route, or maybe put on desk duty until it gets investigated.
5:26:57 Well, if it takes, and we have multiple instances where these
5:27:01 bus drivers are taking long, long times to get cleared.
5:27:04 Um, and to the point, they just want to say, I’m done with this.
5:27:06 This is crazy.
5:27:07 And you know, we’ve had some that are being six, six weeks, you
5:27:11 know, and it turns out that the bus driver was perfectly fine.
5:27:14 And the video on day two showed all of that, but it’s still, it’s
5:27:19 still a long process.
5:27:20 Um, Ms. Campbell, you know, I agree that we need to be
5:27:28 thoughtful and careful, but I will remind everybody inaction is
5:27:35 the reason why we’re here today.
5:27:36 Um, this union has been trying to discuss this issue for, for
5:27:41 years, for years.
5:27:42 We did a board presentation over a year ago with little to no
5:27:46 action.
5:27:46 Five years ago, I was vice president of the union talking, uh,
5:27:50 in public comment about discipline issues.
5:27:53 And, you know, in a, in a climate that, um, didn’t invite
5:27:58 different opinions.
5:27:59 I, I was pulled into the previous superintendent’s office and
5:28:03 said, don’t talk about that.
5:28:04 You’re making the school district look bad.
5:28:07 No, I’m trying to improve the school district.
5:28:10 I’m trying to help make this a better learning environment for
5:28:14 all students.
5:28:14 I’m trying to ensure that our teachers stay and our staff stay.
5:28:17 That’s what’s going on.
5:28:18 The discipline committee, just for clarification, it started out
5:28:24 with community input, teacher input, and then it became a
5:28:29 standing committee, which I still believe is a standing
5:28:33 committee made up of administrators.
5:28:35 And, uh, I was sitting on the elementary side and Vanessa was
5:28:39 sitting on the secondary side and that committee somewhere
5:28:43 during COVID stopped meeting regularly.
5:28:45 Um, so I don’t see why we couldn’t reinstitute the, the, the
5:28:50 standing committee immediately and then bring in the community
5:28:54 into, into that committee.
5:28:56 I mean, these, these folks will have some kind of understanding
5:29:00 of where we’ve been and where we need to go.
5:29:02 But I mean, as a committee member, I wouldn’t have problem
5:29:06 putting that meeting on, on zoom for, for, for the community to
5:29:11 be there or watch maybe.
5:29:12 Thank you, Mr. Colucci.
5:29:13 I know, I know that was important to clarify.
5:29:15 We, we have, um, moved to take, not moved through as COVID went,
5:29:23 what we, that committee turned into was updating the discipline
5:29:29 code assessor changed and getting feedback from administrators.
5:29:31 And I know when we met earlier, we committed that we were going
5:29:35 to get that, um, revved up fully, fully loaded with everybody
5:29:38 that needed to participate again.
5:29:40 So I appreciate you bringing that up and clarifying it.
5:29:43 Um, just, uh, one concern, not a big concern, um, but as we have,
5:29:47 uh, district security put out the definitions of crimes, we have
5:29:52 to remember that assessor definitions with the same word are
5:29:58 slightly different.
5:29:58 And I don’t want to confuse anybody, our parents, our kids, our
5:30:02 community, our administrators, our teachers, that, um, we can
5:30:06 discipline students using law enforcement definition of crimes
5:30:09 versus the department of education definition of assessor.
5:30:13 So I, I want to make sure that message goes out really clear.
5:30:16 Thank you, Mr. Susan.
5:30:17 Thank you.
5:30:18 So just let’s go through it.
5:30:20 Cause I, I understand what you’re saying.
5:30:21 You don’t, the thing about our education system is that we don’t
5:30:24 want to move it too fast, but on the other side, we need to move
5:30:27 some things.
5:30:27 So as far as creating a culture of, um, the ability to be able
5:30:32 to talk and openly and freely, I think that’s something that
5:30:36 staff would work on and start implementing, right?
5:30:37 That’s not something that needs to happen tomorrow, but sometime
5:30:40 in January, you start to work on that, right?
5:30:42 Yeah.
5:30:43 I don’t think that’s a program that we can institute.
5:30:47 I think that is when he talks about culture, that is, that’s
5:30:51 something that we have to just start to build.
5:30:53 We can’t, we can’t do a workshop on fixing a culture.
5:30:58 Uh, that’s just going to take some time.
5:31:00 Right.
5:31:01 And so that can start now.
5:31:03 Yeah.
5:31:04 What the, what the community is concerned about is, you know, I’m
5:31:08 hearing different variations.
5:31:09 Uh, drivers is just driving a different variation, but what I
5:31:14 hope this team does is we take a problem solving approach.
5:31:18 Right.
5:31:19 Um, you know, I’m hearing all kinds of ideas, but.
5:31:23 You know, I, you know, Toyota has a great model with that.
5:31:26 They call it the eight step process of problem solving.
5:31:29 I just don’t want to come and meet and a year from now, we got
5:31:34 the same problem.
5:31:35 So I really want this team to think about, and I got some copies.
5:31:39 If you want to read it, I’m not going to pass it out.
5:31:41 But if you want to see the approach of problem solving, we want
5:31:45 to take an approach where we get the bang for our buck.
5:31:48 So, you know, I appreciate your comment.
5:31:50 You know, how do you solve a culture problem?
5:31:52 Right.
5:31:53 And it takes a lot of planning to do that.
5:31:55 But I just want this team, Mr. Susan, to don’t get too Russian
5:32:00 trying to patch a problem, but really look at the root causes.
5:32:03 Okay.
5:32:04 And I agree with you.
5:32:05 I think that one of the issues we have is, is that in some of
5:32:09 these cases, the root causes are wide open and they’re right
5:32:13 there.
5:32:13 And we should send direction to fix them before Christmas break
5:32:16 so that they can start working on it.
5:32:18 But here’s my argument to that.
5:32:20 According to the Toyota model of root cause, you got to ask five
5:32:26 whys.
5:32:26 You know, you just can’t say, oh, that’s happening.
5:32:29 You can’t, that’s not how it works.
5:32:31 So I really want you to consider that, you know, because when
5:32:35 you invest money, you know, you want to make sure you solve the
5:32:38 problem.
5:32:38 So you got to act, you are, according to root cause definition,
5:32:42 you really got to ask the five whys.
5:32:43 Sounds good.
5:32:44 Do we have a board direction to send out a letter on the
5:32:47 definitions?
5:32:48 I have some discussion on that.
5:32:50 And a little bit on what BFC was talking about.
5:32:53 So I hear you and I acknowledge everything you’re saying.
5:32:57 I, I talked about BPS culture from the day I got onto this board.
5:33:02 I said it over and over and over again.
5:33:04 And I hear you.
5:33:05 And I really, truly believe that’s the number one frustration
5:33:09 for our teachers when it comes to discipline.
5:33:11 I don’t know how we fix it.
5:33:12 We got to talk about it.
5:33:13 Step one, right?
5:33:14 Acknowledge it.
5:33:15 Acknowledge it’s real.
5:33:16 They don’t feel comfortable talking about it.
5:33:19 They don’t feel comfortable pushing back.
5:33:20 And quite frankly, that’s the culture of a teacher, right?
5:33:23 They’re in this profession.
5:33:24 They weren’t getting paid.
5:33:25 Well, they’re told to just, they’re always scared.
5:33:27 They’re going to lose their job or feel like they’re threatened
5:33:30 for some reason.
5:33:30 It’s a, it’s a huge problem.
5:33:32 So it absolutely needs to be addressed and continuously talked
5:33:35 about because otherwise there’ll never be a change.
5:33:37 I’m not going to speak for you, Ms. Campbell.
5:33:40 When you made your statement though, what I took from that was
5:33:44 you meant to slow down on those band-aids like Mr. Bryan was
5:33:48 saying.
5:33:48 Not necessarily, you know, the committee and stuff like that.
5:33:51 Those things can absolutely start up.
5:33:53 When it comes to sending out a letter, I caution us to think for
5:33:59 a minute.
5:34:00 It’s not what’s written on the letter because everybody
5:34:04 understands that those things are crimes and very likely our
5:34:07 administrators understand the definitions of those criminal acts.
5:34:10 It’s the perception of the letter and the unintended
5:34:15 consequences of sending out a letter like that.
5:34:20 And give an example.
5:34:22 We don’t want to talk about the video, but you guys don’t even
5:34:25 know this yet because it just happened yesterday.
5:34:27 We have a middle school where a teacher forced all their
5:34:32 students to watch the video and write an essay about it.
5:34:37 All language confirmed.
5:34:40 And then we had an elementary school media specialist who sees
5:34:44 kindergarten through sixth grade informed the staff that she was
5:34:48 going to make all her students watch it too.
5:34:49 Luckily that was stopped before it happened.
5:34:52 And it was an unintended consequence because they clearly felt
5:34:57 like this is the direction of the school system.
5:35:00 I see my school board member.
5:35:01 I’m going to use this as a discipline.
5:35:03 And they may not have had negative intentions by doing so, but
5:35:08 that happened.
5:35:08 It was this impression, this perception that that’s the way to
5:35:11 go.
5:35:11 And so if our schools start seeing a letter talking about
5:35:14 battery and assault, these extreme criminal acts and activities,
5:35:18 the unintended consequence could very likely be impacting
5:35:25 parental engagement, impacting the open door policy to our
5:35:31 parents.
5:35:32 Again, it may be unintentional.
5:35:34 It may not be out of the ill will of the administrator or the
5:35:37 staff in the front.
5:35:38 But we need to think about that.
5:35:40 We do need to think about that.
5:35:42 That may impact our community negatively in a way that wasn’t
5:35:47 intended.
5:35:48 And so I do think we need to be cautious about that.
5:35:52 I think going forward, leaning on that culture, that’s kind of
5:35:57 part of it.
5:35:58 Yeah, we need to have honest conversations about the things that
5:36:02 are not tolerable, shouldn’t be happening in that front office.
5:36:06 A hundred percent, but I think we need to be careful about how
5:36:10 it’s being presented to our staff without any other direction
5:36:15 around it.
5:36:16 Absolutely.
5:36:17 I wanted to say that I’m going to start implementing the three
5:36:20 minutes.
5:36:20 Ms. Jenkins definitely went on through the three minutes, but I
5:36:23 want to start moving on it because we’ve got about an hour and a
5:36:24 half.
5:36:24 I think that your suggestions are absolutely correct, but I
5:36:30 think our staff needs to know that it’s okay to ask to trespass
5:36:34 somebody.
5:36:34 And I think our law enforcement agencies know that when those
5:36:36 requests are made that they should follow through with them.
5:36:38 But you’re right, there’s a cultural sensitivity that needs to
5:36:41 be inside of there.
5:36:42 So if we can, as a group, allow us to direct staff to start that
5:36:47 process of sending out a letter with the cultural sensitivity to
5:36:52 allow our teachers and staff and everybody else make that
5:36:55 decision to ask.
5:36:57 Because I’ll tell you right now, my wife had multiple times at
5:37:02 her school that she was completely assaulted in many different
5:37:07 ways in the front office verbally from many different parents.
5:37:10 And some of those didn’t go through because they didn’t feel
5:37:13 like they could actually ask to do that.
5:37:15 And that is part of one of the big core issues that we’re
5:37:18 dealing with that I’ve heard from is that our parents don’t feel
5:37:22 like they have, or I’m sorry, our staff and our administrators
5:37:25 don’t feel like they have the support of the school district in
5:37:28 the event that that happens.
5:37:28 So if we can reconfirm that, I think that that’s okay.
5:37:31 But I think that we should try to do something in that regard.
5:37:33 If I may, I would just ask for the opportunity to work with
5:37:38 staff on the basis.
5:37:40 the best venue and the best method to get that out.
5:37:42 And if there’s a way that we can work on that, and then make
5:37:47 sure that our teachers know immediately that we’re going to be
5:37:50 doing that.
5:37:50 Thank you.
5:37:51 Could I add one more thing?
5:37:52 I think the opportunity for Brian Neal to work with the
5:37:57 different municipalities, while the sheriff is our largest
5:38:01 provider of SROs, we do have, I want to say 19 other
5:38:05 municipalities that make their own decisions on how they
5:38:08 interpret things like that.
5:38:08 And I would hate to put our principals in a position of thinking
5:38:11 they were going to trespass a parent and not have that actually
5:38:15 happen.
5:38:16 So I think we need to clarify with our municipality law
5:38:19 enforcement officers what they’ll support and won’t support.
5:38:21 And I think I would remind those law enforcement officers that
5:38:25 the definition of assault and battery are actually defined in
5:38:28 our Florida statutes.
5:38:29 So if they’re not going to follow them, then they’re in
5:38:32 violation of the Florida statutes.
5:38:33 So thank you so much for that.
5:38:36 May I ask what is actually the pressing problems that need to be
5:38:43 resolved today so that we can clarify these things with our
5:38:48 community?
5:38:49 Yeah.
5:38:50 Because I’m listening and I’m inputting basically why I’m here.
5:38:53 But when I watch you, Matt, I see press.
5:38:56 I see less.
5:38:57 We’ve got to move.
5:38:59 What are those things that are pressing so much for this board
5:39:04 and for our union that we believe need to be resolved absolutely
5:39:10 today where we don’t have all the parents.
5:39:12 We don’t have the students.
5:39:14 We don’t have the teachers.
5:39:16 What is so pressing that you need an answer today or resolution
5:39:20 today?
5:39:20 We’re getting to it.
5:39:21 Because I don’t think we understand.
5:39:22 Yeah, it’s getting to it.
5:39:23 We’re going through it.
5:39:24 The first thing that we did was we established that we’re going
5:39:26 to bring back the discipline committee.
5:39:27 We’ve established that we’re going to create a culture among our
5:39:30 staff.
5:39:30 We’ve established that we’re going to make sure bias training,
5:39:33 classroom management, and help for some of those other
5:39:37 situations are going to be implemented.
5:39:38 And we’re going to we’ve established that the assault and
5:39:41 battery are going to send out that we’re just moving in those
5:39:44 directions.
5:39:45 That’s all.
5:39:46 But what would the problem be to establish these things?
5:39:48 They’re not they’re not happening.
5:39:50 Excuse me.
5:39:52 So she’s asking me a question.
5:39:54 So let me answer it.
5:39:55 The bottom line is, is that we have to start moving on these.
5:39:57 These are not issues that are going to be happening right now.
5:40:00 The culture of push or the culture of explaining is something
5:40:04 that we can start working on now.
5:40:06 But that’s not something that’s going to be a deadline today.
5:40:09 Right?
5:40:10 We’ve established that.
5:40:11 Committee on getting moving.
5:40:12 They said, staff said, they’re going to start pushing it forward.
5:40:14 We’re going to get a report back sometime saying that this is
5:40:16 how we’re going to do it.
5:40:17 And they’re going to put that into place.
5:40:19 Right?
5:40:20 Also, the days, extra days for the three years and some of the
5:40:24 trainings, that’s going to take a little bit longer.
5:40:26 Because they’re going to have to be implemented inside of a
5:40:29 process and stuff like that.
5:40:30 So that’s not going to happen overnight.
5:40:32 We can negotiate that and we can’t negotiate that outside.
5:40:34 Well, then let those days come.
5:40:37 But let’s start moving in the right direction.
5:40:39 Right?
5:40:40 So we’re identifying some of the issues.
5:40:42 Some of them can be solved today.
5:40:43 Some of them can be solved long term.
5:40:45 I think the problem is you talking as if we already understand.
5:40:48 And we don’t understand what you’re saying.
5:40:52 I comprehend what you’re putting in place.
5:40:55 I don’t comprehend what the problem is that led us to what I’m
5:41:01 hearing.
5:41:02 You put these things in place.
5:41:03 And when I ask, I hear you telling me again what you’re doing.
5:41:07 But I don’t hear you telling us why.
5:41:10 Why?
5:41:11 We don’t know.
5:41:12 I understand it may be amongst you guys.
5:41:14 No, I’ll tell you.
5:41:15 We had 42 teachers resign.
5:41:16 We had eight bus drivers resign last last two weeks.
5:41:20 If we don’t get something moving, we will see resignations
5:41:23 across our county.
5:41:24 We know that for a fact.
5:41:26 Mark talked about it.
5:41:27 Everybody else.
5:41:28 What I’m trying to do with this committee is identify the fact
5:41:31 that we need to put some scores up on the board or else we’re
5:41:35 going to see them say this is the same thing.
5:41:36 And listen, I was a teacher in the district for nine years.
5:41:39 I was on every committee.
5:41:40 I sat through them, right?
5:41:42 I’m the longest serving school board member here.
5:41:44 And we have gone through these long enough.
5:41:47 And we’ve got to start putting them forward.
5:41:49 So all I’m saying is, is that we need to start moving these
5:41:53 things forward with board direction so that everybody knows and
5:41:56 then following up with them.
5:41:57 But Matt, here’s my issue, okay?
5:41:59 We’re not understanding the root cause, okay?
5:42:04 You know, I can’t tell you, you can’t tell me whether your
5:42:08 teacher understand the skill of our classroom management.
5:42:11 Do you understand my question?
5:42:14 You know, I can hear it from the teacher’s side.
5:42:16 Well, I’m going to resign.
5:42:17 Well, was that teacher ever trained properly?
5:42:20 Does that teacher has the skills to manage a class?
5:42:24 So I’m just saying, I’m really frustrated a little bit because
5:42:30 we’ve thrown in an answer without understanding the root cause.
5:42:33 But I understand Mr. Matt is saying that they just lost 42
5:42:37 teachers.
5:42:37 And if they don’t do something, something has to be done.
5:42:40 He’s afraid he’ll come back after Christmas and have no teachers.
5:42:43 But, at the same time, please, hear Ms. Jenkins and hear Ms.
5:42:48 Campbell, who are saying you don’t want to move quick because
5:42:51 right now the whole community is pissed because you did a press
5:42:53 conference with the sheriff.
5:42:54 So if you send out this letter, it could backfire.
5:42:57 It could be the exact opposite of what you want.
5:42:59 You could have a whole room full of teachers at every school
5:43:04 saying, okay, first it was the sheriff.
5:43:05 Now you’re threatening with this letter.
5:43:07 What’s going on?
5:43:08 So, you know, we might need to pump our brakes and actually take
5:43:12 a moment and make sure we’re saying what we need to be saying.
5:43:14 Right.
5:43:16 I mean, because we don’t understand what the disciplinary
5:43:18 committee is.
5:43:18 Okay.
5:43:19 Ms. Delores.
5:43:20 Yes.
5:43:21 Okay.
5:43:22 Mr. Susan, I appreciate you very much.
5:43:27 I appreciate what you’re trying to do to help the teachers and
5:43:33 the support staff.
5:43:34 The root cause is we have students that are out of control.
5:43:39 We have students that cause chaos in our schools, on our buses.
5:43:44 Our people that work, the teachers, the support staff, they
5:43:49 cannot take the abuse any longer.
5:43:51 And that’s what it is.
5:43:52 It is abuse.
5:43:54 And for some reason, people think that the students should be
5:43:59 allowed to abuse our employees and it be okay.
5:44:03 It is not okay.
5:44:05 I understand.
5:44:06 And so, we are reaching out to the community as well as
5:44:11 everybody to resolve this.
5:44:14 We want every student to succeed.
5:44:17 But they have to learn how to behave to learn how to read and
5:44:22 write and to succeed in society.
5:44:25 If we do not teach them that, we’re setting them up for failure.
5:44:30 Right.
5:44:31 We cannot tell a student you need to be quiet in the classroom
5:44:36 and listen and learn.
5:44:37 Right.
5:44:38 Why are we sending them there?
5:44:40 Right.
5:44:41 Are we just sending them there as a babysitter so we can do what
5:44:45 we want to through the day?
5:44:46 Right.
5:44:47 Or so that we don’t have to pay for a babysitter so we can work?
5:44:50 Right.
5:44:51 The school is not supposed to be there to babysit.
5:44:54 The teachers are there to teach and help people to become good
5:45:00 citizens in society.
5:45:02 So when they get older, they can provide for themselves and
5:45:06 their families.
5:45:07 That’s what the core problem is here.
5:45:10 And I do have one thing with the policies, Mr. Susan.
5:45:15 Go ahead.
5:45:16 Is the bus drivers, I wanted to get to this earlier and I never
5:45:21 didn’t have the time, but
5:45:22 the bus drivers, they do their referrals.
5:45:25 They give them to the schools.
5:45:27 And they never hear anything back as to whether anything was
5:45:33 done if that student was even talked
5:45:35 to and tomorrow that student that was threatening that person is
5:45:42 back on the bus.
5:45:44 Same thing with the IAs in the classroom.
5:45:47 This woman sitting right here has been choked.
5:45:51 She has been scratched every day practically.
5:45:55 She goes through so much abuse and she calls me and not only her,
5:46:00 there’s many others.
5:46:02 They are so discouraged because they feel like nothing is being
5:46:07 done for them to help them.
5:46:09 And I want to say this too.
5:46:11 It is not a race issue, people.
5:46:13 It’s across the board.
5:46:15 It doesn’t matter who the student is.
5:46:18 If they’re misbehaving, they need to learn how to behave while
5:46:23 they’re at school.
5:46:24 They are there to learn, not for the teacher to have to learn
5:46:29 how to deal with them with kid gloves and, oh, it’s okay,
5:46:34 sweetheart.
5:46:34 I know you’ve got it.
5:46:35 You’ve had a bad morning or something or something happened at
5:46:39 home.
5:46:39 So I have to take your abuse so you can have a good day here at
5:46:44 school.
5:46:44 No, that is not right.
5:46:46 Something does have to change.
5:46:48 Mr. Loris, thank you so much.
5:46:49 And Ms. Jenkins wants to say something real quick, but let me,
5:46:52 let me say this.
5:46:52 Three months ago, I brought this exact same problem to the
5:46:55 school district and said, hey, we’ve got a crisis, right?
5:46:57 Um, and I, they had promised that they had a system where that
5:47:01 would be worked out.
5:47:02 Um, I think that right now what Mr. Loris is saying is, is that
5:47:06 the referral process is not up to speed, right?
5:47:08 So I think what we can do is we can direct staff to say, please,
5:47:12 um, make sure it is, right?
5:47:14 And what that’s going to take and have that come back to us for,
5:47:17 and, um, we can get that taken care of.
5:47:19 They did have a process, but it seems like it hasn’t been
5:47:22 implemented correctly.
5:47:23 But if you feel confident, then I would like to do that.
5:47:25 Does that, um, give you enough direction, Dr. Thede, if I get
5:47:29 the support of my board members?
5:47:32 Yes.
5:47:33 Okay.
5:47:34 Is there any other board members that disagree with the referral
5:47:36 process should be up to speed?
5:47:36 So that if a person writes a referral, that it’s being taken
5:47:40 care of by the next morning?
5:47:41 Or depending on what, what’s going to inhibit it?
5:47:44 We’re talking bus referrals.
5:47:46 I believe that was addressed.
5:47:47 I believe it was addressed after your comments at a board
5:47:50 meeting, uh, several months ago.
5:47:51 However, I will follow up with staff.
5:47:53 Thank you.
5:47:54 And, um, I promise you, Dolores, that’ll get taken care of.
5:47:58 Go ahead and read your list.
5:48:00 You brought a list.
5:48:01 I got, I received it.
5:48:02 What’s number two?
5:48:03 Oh, I already did.
5:48:04 Keep going.
5:48:05 You need to make sure that if a referral is written inside of a
5:48:15 class, inside on a bus,
5:48:16 that it is the exact same as a classroom.
5:48:18 And not only that, that the bus driver, that the school follows
5:48:24 up with them and lets them know what is happening with that
5:48:28 referral.
5:48:28 That’s that discipline policy.
5:48:29 They never, they never seem to know because the school doesn’t
5:48:33 communicate with people.
5:48:34 So one, we want to make sure that the discipline policies are
5:48:38 being followed and reported back.
5:48:39 Two, we want to make sure, and this was confirmed by staff, that
5:48:43 every single thing that happens inside of a bus is exactly the
5:48:46 same as what happens inside of a classroom.
5:48:47 Is that correct?
5:48:48 So in other words, if I were to board a bus and drag students
5:48:54 off the bus or coach them off the bus, then I, I should receive
5:49:00 the same, uh, discipline or whatever, trespassing or whatever,
5:49:00 that, um, anyone would that would go into a, uh, classroom.
5:49:00 Yeah, absolutely.
5:49:13 So not only parents, but not only the students that are riding
5:49:17 the bus, the exact same as the classroom.
5:49:18 Those are the, those are the things.
5:49:20 That’s what you asked.
5:49:21 We did put that in and that should be implemented, but we will
5:49:24 make sure.
5:49:24 Is there any problems with that?
5:49:26 I just need clarity around what I’m hearing.
5:49:27 I’m hearing students.
5:49:28 I’m hearing parents and they are very different.
5:49:31 Well, parents, the parents coming onto the bus is an issue.
5:49:35 Yes, it is.
5:49:36 We need to be able to make sure that our bus drivers know that
5:49:38 that is, what Mr. Rainey was saying, is that it is known that
5:49:41 they’re not supposed to come on there.
5:49:42 Right?
5:49:43 That is a law enforcement.
5:49:44 Mm-hmm.
5:49:45 Okay.
5:49:46 Let me say that on the mic.
5:49:47 That right there, that is a law enforcement.
5:49:49 We’re talking about this one here.
5:49:50 That needs to be addressed, but that is a law enforcement.
5:49:53 So then we need to direct, if we can get staff to make sure that
5:49:56 the direction to law enforcement is that if a parent or somebody,
5:49:59 doesn’t even have to be a parent, decides because they’re going
5:50:01 to be a parent.
5:50:01 Because there wasn’t one that happened in the bus video I
5:50:03 watched last night.
5:50:04 It’s on our bus that they know that that’s trouble.
5:50:06 Right?
5:50:07 You can’t come on there.
5:50:08 So we’ll make sure of that.
5:50:09 Mm-hmm.
5:50:10 I’m wondering, Mr. Seusson, if, you know, because we are, we
5:50:12 have lots of ideas tossed around.
5:50:14 I’ve got a few actually of my, of my own.
5:50:15 Okay.
5:50:16 If rather than trying to find a solution for each of these
5:50:19 things, let’s get all the ideas out on the table.
5:50:21 Um, and see, you know, what, and, and staff are going to have,
5:50:25 regardless of what we say right here, staff are going to have to
5:50:27 go back and work on it and figure out, one, how we’re going to
5:50:30 pay for it, how we’re going to implement it.
5:50:30 Who’s responsible for it and all of that.
5:50:32 Okay.
5:50:33 I, but if you don’t mind, I’ve got a couple.
5:50:34 I’d like to.
5:50:35 I know she still has more on her list.
5:50:37 Um, I would like to go.
5:50:38 She said she would.
5:50:39 Did you have more?
5:50:40 She has more.
5:50:41 She has it on that list.
5:50:42 I have something I’d like to say as well, if I could.
5:50:44 Yeah, go ahead.
5:50:45 Okay.
5:50:46 As far as the urgency, um, I’m getting injured every single day
5:50:51 that I go to work and I’m not the only one.
5:50:53 And the children, the other children, um, because of the, the
5:50:58 very extreme behavior of one or two, the children are afraid.
5:51:03 I’m afraid and they’re afraid.
5:51:06 To me, that’s the urgency.
5:51:08 And I don’t know how to solve that, but there’s not enough of us.
5:51:12 There’s, there’s three IAs in my room.
5:51:15 Two of us are assigned to one student.
5:51:17 One has to take care of the other 20.
5:51:20 We need help.
5:51:22 We need some kind of a, a crisis team that can come in and help
5:51:26 us because there’s, and I don’t know where to find them.
5:51:29 I know that there’s a shortage of people.
5:51:31 People are not applying for the positions, but we shouldn’t have
5:51:35 to be in fear going to school.
5:51:37 Our students shouldn’t have to be in fear on the bus and in the
5:51:41 classroom.
5:51:42 And they are afraid.
5:51:43 I am.
5:51:44 Children have been injured.
5:51:46 And.
5:51:47 Hang on.
5:51:48 I just wanted to say, these are things that were before.
5:51:51 And that’s why I wanted to reiterate it.
5:51:53 Why?
5:51:54 Hang on.
5:51:56 And they don’t cost any money.
5:51:57 They’re same levels as the classroom was established and told to
5:52:00 me that that’s one of the things that we were going to do.
5:52:02 The referral process being the same as inside of the classroom
5:52:06 and also the referral process of writing the referral and
5:52:09 getting a follow up as to what the outcome of that was.
5:52:12 Parents on the bus, we all know, shouldn’t be happening because
5:52:15 it causes a problem.
5:52:16 Those should be no non-negotiable, no cost.
5:52:18 We should be able to go down that road.
5:52:20 I’m going to work with Dr. Thede if it’s okay with everybody,
5:52:22 make sure that those get taken care of.
5:52:23 That’s it.
5:52:24 And then you had something, but I had, they had a list that they
5:52:28 gave me that the team did so if we could keep going through it.
5:52:31 I wish we could have seen the list.
5:52:33 I wish, I wish you would have shared the list.
5:52:34 We’re speaking to Ms. Dolores.
5:52:36 She had the list in front of her.
5:52:37 If I could continue to go down that list.
5:52:39 I would share this list.
5:52:40 Yeah.
5:52:41 I wanted, there’s the.
5:52:42 You’re welcome to have it.
5:52:43 The points that were on that list, I just wanted to go through.
5:52:45 No, I understand.
5:52:46 I just, I thought we were, you know, we heard just to our, to
5:52:49 our eye at the end, by the way, just super appreciate you and
5:52:53 the boldness it took for you to be here.
5:52:53 I, I don’t want there to be heard at least from me or anybody
5:52:57 else on this board that the, we don’t, we, we heard, we spent
5:53:00 the whole first time and during public comment hearing about
5:53:03 what the problems are.
5:53:03 I think we need to start looking at what solution, at the
5:53:06 solutions.
5:53:06 And I, that my idea is let’s start throwing the solutions out on
5:53:09 the table.
5:53:09 Um, because you know, we, we all know there’s a problem.
5:53:14 We, there’s a deep, deep, broad, all the adjectives problem.
5:53:19 So let’s, um, and, and it’s, and it’s multi-layered and there
5:53:23 are many root causes.
5:53:24 Hunger, poverty, cell phones, you know, the generation, world
5:53:29 crisis, all those things.
5:53:30 But let’s let, what, what we can do.
5:53:32 So if you’re okay, I, Mr. Susan, I’d like to throw out a couple
5:53:36 of things.
5:53:36 I, I, what I was trying to do is give the unions the opportunity
5:53:40 to give what they wanted, which is the pre part of it, right?
5:53:43 That got taken care of.
5:53:44 And you had four more items that I just wanted to say that we
5:53:47 can’t make decisions on today.
5:53:48 Right.
5:53:49 That need to be part of the collective conversation.
5:53:51 And then we’ll go, um, the, the idea would be that we would be
5:53:55 going through these one at a time.
5:53:57 But if you had some ideas, we could go through them.
5:53:59 But I would like to try to stick to the same throat.
5:54:01 Okay.
5:54:02 Well, well, I guess what my, what I really want to suggest is
5:54:05 let’s get all the ideas out there and not try to decide as a
5:54:08 board.
5:54:08 Are we going to direct staff to do this or direct staff because
5:54:11 we may come up with 50 ideas, but we can’t direct staff to do
5:54:14 all of them at once.
5:54:15 So you’re trying to get consensus from us to, and I, I don’t
5:54:18 feel comfortable giving you my thoughts on some of these because
5:54:21 I don’t know what all is going to be laid on the table.
5:54:22 And I’d like to do some more thought and research and talking to
5:54:27 people before I can give you my, you know, movement to consensus
5:54:32 on, on some of this.
5:54:33 So I, that’s why I’m trying to get us to slow down on let’s
5:54:36 accelerate on getting the ideas out there, but let’s slow down
5:54:38 on trying to figure out which ideas we’re going to pick right
5:54:40 now.
5:54:40 Ms. Kim, I just wanted to make sure that the unions were given
5:54:42 the opportunity to give us those.
5:54:43 And we got them from the teachers union.
5:54:45 We got the majority of them from the bus.
5:54:47 And then I had some from the administration that we could go
5:54:50 through, but I wanted to finish the bus.
5:54:51 And then if you had some, you could go and we’d go from there.
5:54:54 Um, I think that cell phones is one of them that we have.
5:54:58 They wanted to be able to, the, the, the bus union had mentioned.
5:55:02 And these are things that I, we can discuss moving forward.
5:55:06 That there’s a driver authority act the same as a teacher.
5:55:09 If there’s a student who comes in and acts a specific way that
5:55:13 they have the opportunity to turn around and say,
5:55:15 I cannot ride this bus because of this person, or this person
5:55:19 cannot be on the bus because of mine.
5:55:21 Some sort of a teacher authority, but also a driver authority.
5:55:24 These are just suggestions.
5:55:25 Go ahead.
5:55:26 may I comment just for a moment?
5:55:27 Um, teacher authority law is outlined in statute.
5:55:30 There is no opportunity in statute for bus drivers or anybody
5:55:34 else to remove a student from a school or from a bus.
5:55:36 That authority isn’t, does not rest with those individuals.
5:55:39 It has to go through the process to the administration and it
5:55:44 does not rest with a bus driver to be able to remove a student
5:55:48 from a bus for 10 days or 5 days or anything like that.
5:55:49 I just need to make that clear.
5:55:50 But to suspend a student from the bus and to, to eventually take
5:55:55 the person off the bus.
5:55:56 We can do that.
5:55:57 It doesn’t, it doesn’t, the, the statutory authority is not with
5:56:01 the driver.
5:56:02 The driver refers the student.
5:56:03 Absolutely.
5:56:04 And then we go through the process to remove or, or however we
5:56:07 end up working it out.
5:56:09 But, um, the authority and statute, they refer and we handle.
5:56:15 The teacher authority law is outlined in statute.
5:56:18 And I would, I would just make the argument that it’s just one
5:56:21 of the topics they brought up.
5:56:22 We can workshop it and stuff like that.
5:56:23 But Mark, you had something to say.
5:56:24 I did.
5:56:25 Um, the bus drivers, I don’t think they’re asking for the
5:56:29 authority to direct somebody off the bus.
5:56:31 I think they want to continue to make the referrals to the
5:56:34 appropriate people.
5:56:34 Right.
5:56:35 And know that within a 24 hour period of time, something
5:56:39 happened.
5:56:39 The more immediacy issue is when you have to drive the bus back
5:56:43 to the school because of a disruption.
5:56:45 And you make a recommendation to the principal or to whoever’s
5:56:49 in charge.
5:56:49 And they get on the bus and give a little speech and say, okay,
5:56:53 now drive the bus with the kid home.
5:56:54 That’s not very acceptable to many of the drivers.
5:56:57 You still got the same problem on the bus.
5:56:59 Okay.
5:57:00 I think these are things that we can, we can definitely put
5:57:04 together.
5:57:04 The other thing that they wanted was training for DZ escalation,
5:57:07 just like we talked about.
5:57:08 Um, multiple offenses for suspended, um, to suspend for nine
5:57:13 weeks.
5:57:13 So if a student just keeps getting multiple offenses, if that
5:57:17 works out to be where you can suspend for a full nine weeks.
5:57:20 Now that is the same as classrooms.
5:57:22 There is some multiple offense type stuff.
5:57:24 So I would take it that we could go through and work with staff
5:57:28 on that and then bring that out if possible.
5:57:30 And then get board direct.
5:57:31 Does that make sense?
5:57:32 Mr. Gibbs.
5:57:33 I, I, I asked Mr. Gibbs.
5:57:34 I wasn’t sure off the top of it.
5:57:35 But actually maybe federal.
5:57:39 There’s IDEA law that it says what we can and cannot do as far
5:57:43 as not allowing students to use our school.
5:57:45 Yes.
5:57:46 Absolutely.
5:57:47 Yes.
5:57:48 Right.
5:57:49 ESE is one thing.
5:57:50 Yeah.
5:57:51 Can I, can I say something or make a suggestion at this point?
5:57:55 I think really what we would like to walk away from today with
5:57:58 is a couple of things that we can give to our teachers and, and
5:58:03 our assistants, anybody in the school system that they can use
5:58:05 right away.
5:58:05 Um, we need some things instead of waiting, even going through
5:58:09 all these committees, we need something to happen.
5:58:11 Um, so even if it’s just a small victory, like, hey, we’re not
5:58:14 going to allow cell phones any longer.
5:58:16 If it’s, if a student is caught with a cell phone, it’s going to
5:58:19 go to the front office and their parents going to have to pick
5:58:21 it up.
5:58:21 I think that that would be something good that we could tangibly
5:58:24 use right away.
5:58:25 And our teachers will see, they’ll see an improvement right away
5:58:29 from that.
5:58:30 So, um, so interesting.
5:58:32 I’ve got kids in two different secondary schools and I, I didn’t
5:58:36 know if this was district wide, but at the beginning of the year,
5:58:39 um, both my daughter and who’s in high school and my son who is
5:58:43 in middle school, they literally went home from the school said
5:58:45 students are not allowed to have their phones out except for
5:58:49 lunchtime in between classes.
5:58:50 I don’t know, was that a district wide secondary school or did I
5:58:54 just happen to have two students at the schools that were doing
5:58:57 that, um, that Dr. Sullivan question?
5:58:59 - If not, I can actually answer it.
5:59:01 - Okay.
5:59:02 - As an I.
5:59:04 - You guys have, just so you know, the wireless communications
5:59:07 device policy.
5:59:07 - Thank you.
5:59:08 That’s what, that’s where we were going.
5:59:09 - Thank you.
5:59:10 That’s what I was going to make reference to.
5:59:11 And the last time the board amended the policy, it provided for
5:59:15 flexibility by school site on utilizing it for instructional
5:59:20 approaches and things like that.
5:59:21 So the schools did have the authority to, uh, prohibit sick to
5:59:26 backpacks in a way and, um, others chose not to based on the way
5:59:31 it was written in the policy.
5:59:32 And Mr. Susan had it right in his hand, so perfect.
5:59:34 - Okay.
5:59:35 - So I think, I think, um, since it’s on the table, let’s go
5:59:40 after it.
5:59:40 The cell phones that we have, I’ve put a copy of your wireless
5:59:44 communications devices inside.
5:59:46 Um, I have, you have it inside of your folder.
5:59:50 What it basically does is exactly what you just said.
5:59:53 And we know being inside, even when I was there, here’s what
5:59:56 ends up happening.
5:59:57 An individual goes to speak on this, on the cell phone.
6:00:00 And what ends up happening is, is that I have one teacher that
6:00:03 engages the whole time.
6:00:04 And then I have the next teacher that may allow them to get on
6:00:07 their phone.
6:00:08 And then the third teacher goes and does not engage or engages
6:00:12 and is told, well, why is it?
6:00:13 And then what it is, is that the students say, well, my last
6:00:17 teacher let me, they push back.
6:00:18 The referral process isn’t strong enough.
6:00:20 So we have a cell phone issue.
6:00:22 Um, I think that one of the things I would like to do is, is
6:00:26 bring forward to get rid of the cell phones,
6:00:28 make them illegal to have inside of the open classroom.
6:00:32 Um, and if a teacher had to actually use it, that they would
6:00:37 submit something to the principal that would then allow it.
6:00:39 But then we say no cell phones at all.
6:00:41 And say, and, and actually give the kids the appropriate
6:00:44 discipline.
6:00:45 So that, that was kind of the thought process.
6:00:47 But do we have any other members?
6:00:48 Yeah.
6:00:49 Just the Florida statute does authorize students to have
6:00:52 wireless communication devices at school.
6:00:53 But we’re not saying that they can’t have them on the thing.
6:00:57 You just can’t use them in the middle of class.
6:00:59 Right.
6:00:59 You have no problem.
6:01:00 I’m just letting everybody know.
6:01:01 We can’t outlaw them from those children.
6:01:03 No.
6:01:04 And we know that.
6:01:05 Right.
6:01:06 Well, you said illegal.
6:01:07 That’s what I’m saying.
6:01:08 Oh, I’m sorry.
6:01:09 I apologize.
6:01:10 Illegally to use inside the classroom.
6:01:11 Meaning our teachers need to know that when that phone comes out
6:01:14 and they did not put a lesson together and submit it to the
6:01:17 teacher,
6:01:17 to the principal, that those cell phones should be removed like
6:01:20 we were talking about.
6:01:21 So that, that was my thought.
6:01:22 But let’s start talking because this is hot.
6:01:23 I think the, the wireless earbuds go into play there too.
6:01:26 Because a lot of our students are not even listening at all.
6:01:29 They are, they have earphones in.
6:01:31 You won’t even see them.
6:01:32 Their hair is covering it.
6:01:33 And they’re doing something completely different than paying
6:01:35 attention to the instruction.
6:01:36 So.
6:01:37 Yeah.
6:01:38 And that, and that, and that can be considered as part of the
6:01:42 wireless communications devices.
6:01:43 But I think you’re 100% right.
6:01:44 Can I ask the question please?
6:01:46 Yeah.
6:01:47 When did we get to this point?
6:01:48 Because when my kid was at Mel High in 2019, if that phone came
6:01:52 out, they got detention.
6:01:53 Yep.
6:01:54 They got written up.
6:01:55 They got a behavior referral.
6:01:56 So when did we get to the point where it’s okay to be on your
6:01:59 phone instead of paying attention to your lesson in school?
6:02:02 Where did we get to the point where it’s okay to disrespect your
6:02:05 teachers on the bus, to attack people that are there to educate
6:02:09 you and help you?
6:02:09 What is the problem and how can we fix that issue to then start
6:02:14 implementing in all these rules?
6:02:16 I don’t want to see Bavar go down in flames on a nationwide
6:02:22 stage.
6:02:23 Because I’ve had my family call me from all over the country in
6:02:26 shock as to what I am living through.
6:02:28 They’re like, is this seriously going on where you live?
6:02:30 Unfortunately, yeah, it is.
6:02:31 So we need to be very tactful about how we’re going to address
6:02:35 these issues.
6:02:36 And the problem in BPS is it needs to be uniform across the
6:02:40 board.
6:02:40 It cannot be this way in Coco and this way on Beachside.
6:02:43 It needs to be the same rules applied to everyone all the time.
6:02:47 That’s what’s getting lost in translation here.
6:02:50 And I don’t want to see any of us fail.
6:02:52 I’m here to make sure that we all succeed.
6:02:54 But we need to stop attacking each other and come together to
6:02:59 work on the issues at hand that affect our children.
6:03:01 I’m not talking about race, creed, any of that.
6:03:04 I’m talking about the issues at hand, the safety of your
6:03:07 employees, the safety of your students.
6:03:09 My kids spent 12 years in BPS and I’ve never heard of.
6:03:12 I sat here today in horror hearing the kind of stuff that’s
6:03:17 going on.
6:03:18 We need to stop blaming COVID.
6:03:20 There is a huge gap and a problem here.
6:03:23 Okay, we understand that COVID is a big issue.
6:03:25 It turned all our lives upside down.
6:03:27 But this is affecting the quality of education that BPS is able
6:03:31 to offer.
6:03:31 Absolutely.
6:03:32 And there needs to be a solid response.
6:03:34 I understand that you want to give results, Matt.
6:03:37 I know how you are.
6:03:38 You’re a get it done kind of guy.
6:03:39 No, no, no.
6:03:40 Where you’re going right now is I have down here and it was part
6:03:43 of what it was.
6:03:43 But I’m trying to allow everybody else to have it.
6:03:45 So I agree with you 100%.
6:03:46 There is something that was asked.
6:03:47 I’m sitting here and my blood is boiling as I’m hearing these
6:03:50 issues.
6:03:50 And I’m hearing this poor lady working her life.
6:03:53 Yep.
6:03:54 Here we go.
6:03:55 All right.
6:03:56 Mr. Trent.
6:03:57 Hang on.
6:03:58 All right.
6:03:59 So like many of us, I was really, I did not know what to expect
6:04:05 today.
6:04:06 Okay.
6:04:07 So after seeing the video, after talking to some community
6:04:11 members, I really thought what
6:04:12 today was about, and it’s getting there sort of, is we have a
6:04:17 policy.
6:04:18 We have a policy.
6:04:19 We have a policy in place.
6:04:20 I mean, we have the electronic policy.
6:04:21 We have the phone policy.
6:04:23 Earbuds.
6:04:24 Yeah.
6:04:25 Sidetracked on that.
6:04:26 I thought that was the end of education when we had the earbud
6:04:29 issue.
6:04:29 And this was probably 15 years ago.
6:04:31 And then the cell phones within the schools.
6:04:34 And I’ll do the cell phone in just a second.
6:04:36 There are some teachers that will look at you and say, I have no
6:04:39 idea what you’re talking
6:04:39 about with a cell phone issue because they’re not allowed in my
6:04:42 class.
6:04:42 They’re not out.
6:04:43 We’re engaged.
6:04:44 The kids know we don’t have them.
6:04:47 That’s the dinosaurs now.
6:04:49 That’s the minority of teachers.
6:04:51 Many teachers, when you hear them talk about issues in the
6:04:55 classroom, they’re like, they’re
6:04:56 always on their phones.
6:04:57 And I have no problem asking, even though I was a testing
6:04:59 coordinator for the last three
6:05:00 years, why do they have them out?
6:05:02 Well, you know, it’s just not worth the battle.
6:05:05 That’s a shame.
6:05:06 All right.
6:05:07 So that’s an evaluation issue.
6:05:10 And that’s a teaching.
6:05:11 That’s a culture of our schools that our administrators have to
6:05:14 understand that they’re a reflection
6:05:15 on that.
6:05:16 And it’s their issue that they got to take.
6:05:18 They owe that to the student and to you as parents and me.
6:05:21 So that’s the cell phone thing.
6:05:23 But when I started getting some questions, what we’re going to
6:05:26 do today?
6:05:26 I actually thought we were going to listen, you know, twice as
6:05:29 much as we talked.
6:05:30 And I tried to take as many notes as possible.
6:05:31 And then we were going to go back as a board and try to make
6:05:34 some things work.
6:05:35 I did not think we were going to redesign a policy because we
6:05:39 have one.
6:05:40 What I really was hoping we would do, and I put this out as my
6:05:43 word, this is what we’re
6:05:44 doing today.
6:05:45 We just want to hear from the public.
6:05:48 We want to let the teachers and the administration and the
6:05:52 parents know that we have your backs
6:05:54 and we want you to do the job that you’re paid to do as teachers
6:05:59 and staff.
6:05:59 And understand that, you know, we’ll do whatever we can do that
6:06:02 district won’t get in that way.
6:06:04 Not that they are, but we just don’t want that to be a barrier.
6:06:07 Principals, you are responsible for your schools and the
6:06:11 discipline that goes on and the message
6:06:12 that you send.
6:06:13 So we’re not sure we’re going to change any policies.
6:06:16 We have something.
6:06:17 So you’re saying you’re wanting something done.
6:06:19 How about just follow what you’re supposed to be doing?
6:06:22 I don’t get offended.
6:06:23 Otherwise, I’d say I was offended when I heard that our teachers
6:06:28 may not know how to have,
6:06:29 that they don’t have classroom management skills.
6:06:32 All right.
6:06:33 That’s troublesome that our citizens and parents think that
6:06:38 certified teachers don’t have classroom
6:06:40 management skills.
6:06:41 That’s what keeps us in teaching.
6:06:43 If you do not have classroom management skills, you’re out
6:06:46 within the first three years of
6:06:47 teaching.
6:06:48 You will not last.
6:06:49 So we have those skills as teachers.
6:06:52 Sometimes it’s the culture that we don’t want to write students
6:06:56 up sometimes.
6:06:57 I won’t tell you what school when, but there was a time at the
6:07:01 beginning in our
6:07:01 pre-planning that we brought out how many referrals each teacher
6:07:05 had written in the previous year.
6:07:06 There was a teacher that wrote three times the amount of
6:07:09 referrals as the rest of the staff.
6:07:11 She was looked upon like she had five heads, and she was the
6:07:15 problem.
6:07:15 But if you look deeper, she was our middle school gym teacher
6:07:18 that had 55 to 60 kids in there.
6:07:20 And we all know about middle school gym class.
6:07:23 So that was the reason why that happened.
6:07:26 Never once did that teacher get asked why did you write those
6:07:29 students up and what happened.
6:07:30 Okay, so it isn’t about, you know, the amount of referrals.
6:07:35 But honestly, we just wanted to be here going into the holiday.
6:07:39 We really want to push something.
6:07:40 How do we get to the parents to say here’s a great opportunity
6:07:43 for you to talk to your students over this break.
6:07:46 Be thankful for our teachers.
6:07:48 Be thankful for our school bus drivers.
6:07:50 And that you come back in the new year with a little bit more
6:07:54 respect and how to act in a public setting.
6:07:57 And then policy can get changed.
6:07:58 The root cause?
6:07:59 The root cause is I think I and our staff down there in 1010 has
6:08:03 said it.
6:08:03 We have some unruly characters that are interrupting the
6:08:06 educational process for the majority.
6:08:08 I don’t think that’s the root cause, sir.
6:08:11 If it’s not a root cause, B, it is one of them.
6:08:14 Well, that’s, you know, that’s not how you define root cause.
6:08:18 There’s a lot of factor that plays into that.
6:08:21 Like Mrs. Campbell said, there are multiple root causes.
6:08:24 Well, like you just said, there’s multiple root causes.
6:08:27 Slow down, slow down.
6:08:28 And nobody ever said that they were, they don’t have classroom
6:08:32 discipline training.
6:08:33 Everybody needs to be refreshed.
6:08:35 I’ll accept the refreshing, but as a certified teacher, we have
6:08:39 those skills.
6:08:40 Yeah, I’m not saying the skills is not there.
6:08:43 Just like you got skills in terms of inputting data.
6:08:46 And this young man just said that data’s not being input into
6:08:50 the system.
6:08:51 So there’s a lot of collaborative training working together.
6:08:55 Yep.
6:08:56 And that’s why we here, sir.
6:08:58 Absolutely.
6:08:59 Just let me finish.
6:09:00 We got to have an open mind.
6:09:02 You know, you got to listen and, you know, let the community
6:09:06 express what they’re saying.
6:09:08 But to the point is, you know, we talk about data that’s not
6:09:12 accurate.
6:09:13 And this young man just told us that some of the data is not
6:09:18 being processed.
6:09:19 Correct.
6:09:20 So that’s a training issue, right?
6:09:21 That doesn’t mean they don’t have the skill to input the data.
6:09:23 No, no.
6:09:24 That’s not a training issue.
6:09:25 It’s not a training issue.
6:09:26 And I’m going to, I was raising my hand like a beautiful teacher.
6:09:29 Okay.
6:09:30 Coming to you next.
6:09:31 I’ve been sitting here since 9:00 AM waiting.
6:09:33 And I appreciate the idea to share a solution because we’ll go
6:09:37 back and forth all day.
6:09:38 We have different definitions of what root causes are.
6:09:41 The fact of the matter is, is this profession is bleeding.
6:09:44 Yep.
6:09:45 There’s a gaping wound.
6:09:46 My colleague right here said there was an accelerant through
6:09:49 thrown on it from the pandemic.
6:09:51 And honestly, there’s not going to be any teachers left to teach
6:09:55 our students with excellence as a standard unless we figure this
6:09:59 out.
6:09:59 And I’m fired up now.
6:10:02 Go ahead.
6:10:03 because I presented, and what I’m going to say, maybe in three
6:10:09 minutes, I don’t know,
6:10:10 I presented four years ago when I left the classroom to come
6:10:16 into this job
6:10:17 because in my classroom, if somebody didn’t get a grammar
6:10:22 concept, what did I do?
6:10:24 I taught it again.
6:10:26 If somebody in my colleague’s math classroom didn’t get the math
6:10:31 concept, they taught it again.
6:10:33 Although, arguably, I don’t know how much reteaching is going on
6:10:37 because we’re teaching so much to a standardized test now, and
6:10:41 we talk about student, their numbers.
6:10:43 All of this is data. Is data important? Absolutely.
6:10:46 But our students have been reduced to numbers for decades.
6:10:49 We’re doing it with discipline. We’re doing it with standardized
6:10:52 testing.
6:10:53 And we’re not addressing, you keep saying root causes. You know
6:10:56 what? We don’t.
6:10:58 And we could have the argument as to whether or not schools are
6:11:01 supposed to teach behavior.
6:11:03 But you know what? A behavior happens, and whether or not that
6:11:07 behavior is normal, you mentioned cursing.
6:11:10 Absolutely. If that’s the only thing that the student has had
6:11:12 modeled for them at home,
6:11:13 of course they’re going to curse at you. Right?
6:11:16 And that does go back to a training. Do all of our teachers need
6:11:19 to be trained?
6:11:19 I think we have some darn good teachers. Could we use refresher?
6:11:22 Sure.
6:11:23 But what are we doing for our students to help them with
6:11:26 behavior?
6:11:27 And honestly, nothing.
6:11:28 And I think there are some good things that have started
6:11:31 happening, but four years ago I said,
6:11:34 hey, what if, here’s this radical idea, we teach students the
6:11:42 behavior that they exhibited and strategies that behavior not
6:11:47 happen again.
6:11:48 And I may or may have not been told by somebody with the ability
6:11:53 to make this decision right then that I wasn’t his boss.
6:11:57 But, and I wrote this whole module on vaping because at that
6:12:01 time we still have a huge problem with vaping.
6:12:03 So we suspend a kid, let’s catch a kid, and I’m just using this
6:12:08 as an example, I feel like it could be done.
6:12:10 We have all these definitions of our behaviors, physical
6:12:12 aggression, vaping, they talk back in class,
6:12:16 all of these things that happen that we’ve identified as things
6:12:19 we don’t want happening in our classrooms,
6:12:21 things we don’t want happening on the bus.
6:12:23 And some students come to the classroom with the skills that
6:12:26 they know they shouldn’t do that,
6:12:28 and some come to the classroom with they don’t know that they
6:12:31 shouldn’t do that.
6:12:32 So what if, radical idea, that we assign a consequence because
6:12:37 actions have natural and logical consequences,
6:12:41 but after we assign the consequence, the student has to complete
6:12:45 a module with the parent, without the parent.
6:12:49 I know that if a parent was suspended, and unless a parent came
6:12:52 in for a parent conference,
6:12:53 that parent was there the next day at 8 a.m. to meet with me
6:12:56 because they wanted their kid in school,
6:12:58 and that’s way more effective.
6:13:00 But what if the kid got suspended for vaping, they completed an
6:13:05 academic module on the harmful effects of vaping,
6:13:09 the idea is that, you know, somebody might put something in a vape
6:13:11 that you don’t think it’s in there,
6:13:13 and then before they’re reintroduced into the school community,
6:13:17 they have a reflection opportunity
6:13:21 where they think about what was the behavior, how did my
6:13:24 behavior affect the people around me,
6:13:27 how did my behavior affect me?
6:13:30 And they have, and this goes back to money, everything I’m
6:13:33 talking about, we’ve got to spend some money,
6:13:34 but I think we should spend some money.
6:13:36 What if they met with a trusted adult on campus?
6:13:41 An administrator.
6:13:42 Oh my goodness, a mental health counselor for all of our schools?
6:13:45 A social worker for all of our schools?
6:13:47 Again, money and staff.
6:13:51 But you know what, part of why there’s urgency today is there’s
6:13:54 not going to be these people to do this for our students unless
6:13:58 we make changes.
6:13:59 And so the student, before they even go back into the classroom,
6:14:03 they’re meeting with a trusted adult,
6:14:05 whether that’s a teacher, a counselor, an administrator,
6:14:08 somebody, to discuss their learning and reflection on what
6:14:12 happened.
6:14:13 This could be done with physical aggression.
6:14:15 This could be done with cursing.
6:14:18 This could be done with anything that we have as our behaviors.
6:14:21 And I don’t think that, I mean, maybe there’s a program out
6:14:24 there that does it, but there is, I mean,
6:14:27 I’ve spent summers before I came into this position writing
6:14:32 curriculum with some of the most talented educators across this
6:14:35 district.
6:14:36 So I believe that as a district and with community, with parent
6:14:40 buy-in, with everything,
6:14:41 could sit down and create a program like this where we model and
6:14:46 teach behavior.
6:14:48 Because we shouldn’t be surprised if we suspend a kid for
6:14:51 fighting and the kid comes back and fights again.
6:14:53 We never gave them an opportunity to change that behavior.
6:14:57 And so I just, I’m here and I frankly came in, I wasn’t sure
6:15:01 what I was going to expect.
6:15:03 I was happy to have this conversation.
6:15:05 I’m happy we’re all in this room, but I pitched this idea four
6:15:08 years ago and here we are.
6:15:09 A committee is where ideas go to die.
6:15:12 And so the urgency here is because we can’t keep pushing things
6:15:17 down the road.
6:15:18 Do I understand we don’t want to act with immediacy and not
6:15:22 think things through before we put things into place?
6:15:25 Yeah, I agree with that.
6:15:26 But we also don’t want to have a situation where we have, I mean,
6:15:31 we have classrooms that have like 60 kids in it.
6:15:34 We can’t afford to lose more teachers or bus drivers.
6:15:38 We can’t afford to have our students, our students are, maybe
6:15:41 they’re not passing their grades or they’re deficient because
6:15:45 they’re showing up to school, second period.
6:15:48 They missed their algebra class and their English class because
6:15:50 we’re so short on bus drivers.
6:15:52 And the bus drivers couldn’t get them back.
6:15:54 So I just want there to be an understanding that, yes, we have a
6:16:01 discipline policy in place.
6:16:04 Yes, it needs definite revision.
6:16:07 Yes, it needs to be used with fidelity.
6:16:10 But we can’t just do that.
6:16:12 Like, we have to put something else into place.
6:16:15 We have to dig new wells.
6:16:16 And I really hope that we can actually do this together.
6:16:21 I believe that’s what I was asking for, clarity.
6:16:24 Thank you.
6:16:25 And I believe both of them just gave us clarity.
6:16:28 Now, to your point, we can go into our community and talk to our
6:16:33 community and speak to our community and talk to them about
6:16:37 talking to our children, bringing our children in.
6:16:41 I know we have with our children all the time, we bring them in
6:16:44 and ask them and talk to them, and we bring our parents and our
6:16:48 children in to help them be able to communicate to each other.
6:16:52 But when we come here as a community and we don’t know the
6:16:55 variable, we don’t know what’s, you know what I’m saying, but we
6:17:00 hear urgency, urgency.
6:17:02 So now it’s not that we’re saying there’s no urgency.
6:17:05 We’re saying what is the urgency?
6:17:07 But the only thing we’re hearing is implementation.
6:17:10 Now, you both, as well as the young lady that was there, have
6:17:14 made it plain and clear now why there is such urgency.
6:17:17 Whereas before, it was we need to implement this, we need to
6:17:19 implement it.
6:17:20 Implement what for what?
6:17:22 Because we’re not.
6:17:23 We haven’t been apart.
6:17:25 Okay?
6:17:25 And now that we are apart, I have no problem with going into my
6:17:29 community and pulling in as many as I can during the break as
6:17:33 much as possible to speak on this matter, to talk on this matter.
6:17:37 But if it’s not articulated and we’re just talking about what
6:17:41 needs to be done, we can’t go back and articulate anything
6:17:45 because we’re sitting saying, well, they’re going to do this.
6:17:48 They’re going to do this.
6:17:49 But we really don’t know why.
6:17:51 Okay?
6:17:52 Because we’re not in the room.
6:17:53 Okay?
6:17:54 But at the same time, I’ll say this.
6:17:56 While there is an urgency, I’m going to say this too.
6:17:59 There is an urgency to bring these children in here.
6:18:02 Okay?
6:18:03 I have my daughter back here who came because she has a life
6:18:06 skill project, a leadership project, and this would help her
6:18:10 write it.
6:18:11 And one of the things she said to me was, it seemed like we’re
6:18:14 inconsiderate.
6:18:15 This is her word.
6:18:16 They’re inconsiderate of other people’s comments and statements.
6:18:22 And she said, how are we going to get somewhere if everybody’s
6:18:25 inconsiderate?
6:18:27 And for me, it’s more so hearing.
6:18:29 Sometimes it’s not what it says.
6:18:32 Sometimes it’s not how you say it.
6:18:33 Sometimes it’s how you hear it that makes the difference in the
6:18:36 communication.
6:18:38 And I believe you guys heard me well.
6:18:40 The both of you heard me well, as well as the young lady.
6:18:42 What is the problem that needs immediate attention?
6:18:46 And now we can help with that problem, as Mr. Trent said, to go
6:18:52 talk to us.
6:18:53 But at the same time, I’m going to say this again.
6:18:55 If the students are the problem, you need students in the room.
6:19:00 Amen.
6:19:01 If the discipline are the problem, you need – and I know you
6:19:05 heard me say it.
6:19:06 I’m going to say it again.
6:19:07 Parents are gone because they have to go to work.
6:19:09 Parents are gone because they have to go pick up their children.
6:19:12 So what you need is for teachers not to leave.
6:19:16 What you need is for bus – the bus drivers you leave have to
6:19:19 stay.
6:19:19 Well, what the parents need is to understand what the urgency is.
6:19:24 And I’m old school.
6:19:25 So I can go home and get into their stuff.
6:19:28 But I can’t go home and get into their stuff if you’re not going
6:19:32 to clarify their urgency
6:19:34 and we’re just going to move and put things in place
6:19:36 because you’ve got to be back here with things in place with the
6:19:39 same issue.
6:19:39 Thank you.
6:19:41 I think one of the things – okay.
6:19:43 We’re on the cell phone.
6:19:45 That’s what I was saying.
6:19:46 We’ve got to get back to it.
6:19:46 And it’s on the cell phone.
6:19:47 Okay.
6:19:48 And I’m on a gospel radio station.
6:19:51 So I can get the word out to some parents.
6:19:54 Sunday.
6:19:55 Okay.
6:19:56 Thank you.
6:19:57 But here’s my thing.
6:19:58 On the cell phone, because we rear our children different.
6:20:01 Okay.
6:20:01 Take the phone.
6:20:04 Okay.
6:20:05 Put a lockbox at the front.
6:20:07 Have them – when they come in, a teacher opens the drawer, all
6:20:10 phones in the drawer.
6:20:11 Put it in a policy.
6:20:13 Take the phone.
6:20:14 No phones.
6:20:15 See, I heard a parent earlier say, well, you’re confusing them.
6:20:18 For some class, they said pull them out and use it.
6:20:20 Google this.
6:20:20 Google it.
6:20:21 Other classes, they said put them up.
6:20:22 But if you have a policy, no phones in class, then if one comes
6:20:27 out, you know you’ve got a problem.
6:20:28 But you take the phone.
6:20:29 And if they say, well, I need an emergency, if my mom calls, if
6:20:32 your mom needs you, she’ll call the office.
6:20:34 And the office will send for you.
6:20:37 But let all parents – let everyone on no phones in the class
6:20:40 if they don’t give them up in the – because I had one parent
6:20:43 tell me the school had called them three times.
6:20:46 First time they called about the cell phone, she had to go pick
6:20:48 it up.
6:20:49 Second time they called about the cell phone, she had to go pick
6:20:51 it up.
6:20:52 Third time they called, she told them, keep it.
6:20:54 It’s going to save me $60 a month.
6:20:56 I’m not worried about a bill.
6:20:58 I’m not coming back out there.
6:20:59 I’m not getting off my job anymore.
6:21:01 Just keep it.
6:21:02 I was the one who – my college student was walking around on
6:21:06 campus, and I told them, cut it off.
6:21:08 In the middle of him walking around on a college campus.
6:21:11 But he got the message.
6:21:13 So take the phone.
6:21:16 Nip it in the bud.
6:21:18 Let them know because that’s how we were reared.
6:21:20 It’s not a necessity.
6:21:22 It’s a luxury.
6:21:24 They don’t have to have it during school hours.
6:21:27 Thank you.
6:21:27 I just wanted to clarify, is it legal, because this was one of
6:21:30 the issues that was brought forward on the cell phone piece.
6:21:33 Is it legal for our teachers to take that cell phone from the
6:21:37 student and send it up to the front office?
6:21:42 If it’s disciplinary and you’re giving it back to the student,
6:21:46 then you might be able to – I’d have to look at it and see if
6:21:49 there’s any direction on that.
6:21:51 But I know statute says students are allowed to have –
6:21:53 Right.
6:21:54 They’re allowed to have them, but if they’re used inappropriately.
6:21:57 Right.
6:21:57 If they got confiscated for inappropriate use is the question.
6:22:00 I don’t have it off the top of my head.
6:22:02 So there’s where our teachers are.
6:22:04 So what happened is, is many of our teachers felt like even if
6:22:07 they said we would like to confiscate that phone, just like you
6:22:10 said, because that’s what I used to do when I was a teacher,
6:22:12 that it would end up to where that would be illegal.
6:22:14 So we need to get clarification and get that out immediately.
6:22:17 It could also be a liability issue, because once that teacher
6:22:20 takes it, the kid’s going to say, you’ve got a cracked screen.
6:22:22 You know what?
6:22:23 Now you owe me $800 for a new Apple phone.
6:22:25 I mean, I’m getting to the point where we’re trying to – we
6:22:28 need to make sure that those kids are not using their cell
6:22:30 phones illegally.
6:22:31 Or, I’m sorry, inappropriately, that they’re going to break the
6:22:34 thing.
6:22:35 And we just need to get to the point where – and we say
6:22:37 something like, if you bring it and you act inappropriately,
6:22:40 then you lose the right that if it does have a cracked screen
6:22:43 when it gets back.
6:22:44 But we’ve got to get to the point.
6:22:45 Otherwise, we’re never going to solve the problem.
6:22:47 Mr. Susan?
6:22:48 Yes, ma’am?
6:22:50 Are you asking us to date a work session on this policy so we
6:22:54 can move forward?
6:22:56 What I would like to do, according to Trent, which he made it
6:22:59 perfectly explainable, is enforce what we have.
6:23:02 And then, if there’s an outcome related to that that may slow
6:23:05 that down, we need to know immediately.
6:23:08 But we need to send direction to our teachers that when they
6:23:11 start, maybe even when we send out communications to our parents
6:23:14 that we’re going to be strictly enforcing it.
6:23:16 But when they come back from Christmas break, those cell phones,
6:23:20 there is a new – you do not bring them out.
6:23:22 Does that make sense?
6:23:24 So, because we will not have time to workshop that policy by the
6:23:28 time – we already have a good policy.
6:23:31 All we need to do is make sure that the student – the teachers
6:23:33 can legally possess it and send it up to the front office.
6:23:36 That’s all.
6:23:37 We already have one.
6:23:38 We just need to enforce it according to Mr. Trent.
6:23:39 Mr. Susan, I heard a concern from one of your teachers.
6:23:41 I’m not going to shout them out.
6:23:42 I’m just going to air what they stated.
6:23:44 They’re afraid of being assaulted.
6:23:46 They’re afraid of what can happen to them physically.
6:23:51 We’ve got big problems and we need, like Katie said, this is a
6:23:55 table for solutions.
6:23:56 And if what we’re going to do is enforce the policy that’s
6:24:00 already in place, we have to get the word out to the community
6:24:05 efficiently, effectively, and quickly, like Katie said,
6:24:08 solutions.
6:24:09 I have a copy of it.
6:24:11 I’ll give it to you.
6:24:12 Can you send those homes for Christmas for the parents to sign?
6:24:17 Absolutely.
6:24:17 That you will be implementing the policy of home using class.
6:24:20 There’s already – yeah, there’s a form that they all signed
6:24:23 ahead of time.
6:24:24 Yeah.
6:24:24 Matt, we’ve already signed.
6:24:28 Just three-second point.
6:24:29 This is why our teachers can’t enforce the cell phone policy.
6:24:33 This conversation right here, well, if I take it, does it get
6:24:36 broken?
6:24:37 If I – I’m respecting your time, but –
6:24:40 Absolutely.
6:24:40 So it’s not always the classroom management.
6:24:43 It’s – what’s the option?
6:24:44 I think the –
6:24:45 Good point.
6:24:46 So let’s say this.
6:24:51 We have an enforcement.
6:24:52 We have signatures on paper.
6:24:54 That’s already done inside of our schools.
6:24:56 We just need to find out what the legality is and then get
6:24:59 communications out during Christmas.
6:25:01 That’s it.
6:25:03 So that, I think, if we’re all okay with that – Mr. Trent?
6:25:06 Yes.
6:25:06 Everybody else?
6:25:07 So that’s going to be perfectly communicated, right?
6:25:11 Because –
6:25:11 Perfectly, I don’t know.
6:25:12 It’ll be communicated.
6:25:13 Mr. Matt?
6:25:14 Communicated flawlessly.
6:25:16 Okay.
6:25:17 I have policies all over my classroom.
6:25:20 No cell phones.
6:25:21 I say it every day, all day long.
6:25:24 I have 195 students, and they don’t give a crap.
6:25:28 That’s my policy.
6:25:29 I have a sign everywhere.
6:25:30 It’s in the school manual.
6:25:33 And I have a cell hotel, shoe racks, where they put their phone
6:25:38 in, get check marks.
6:25:40 They get extra credit, and they don’t care.
6:25:44 Do you have a phone?
6:25:45 You need – yeah.
6:25:46 A little bit tired.
6:25:47 This is it.
6:25:48 I’m not on my phone, Ms. Edwards.
6:25:49 I’m not on it.
6:25:51 I’m not – I had kids watching the World Cup.
6:25:54 They don’t care that there’s a no-phone policy.
6:25:59 They want their phone.
6:26:01 They want it.
6:26:02 They want instant gratification.
6:26:04 They do not understand delayed gratification.
6:26:06 And I can’t compete with that, and I have given up some days,
6:26:10 and then some days I just cry, and then some days I scream, and
6:26:13 some days I don’t have time to write 50 referrals.
6:26:17 They will not give up their phones.
6:26:19 Their mothers and fathers tell me my child will have a phone
6:26:23 when they leave that room because if there’s a school shooter,
6:26:26 they need to call me.
6:26:27 So –
6:26:29 Can I jump in here?
6:26:30 So here – so we have a policy.
6:26:32 We’ll check with staff.
6:26:33 We’ll get the appropriate communications out, and then we will
6:26:36 go to a strict enforcement.
6:26:37 We can’t – we can’t sit and wait, right?
6:26:40 And whatever that enforcement is, per the communications from
6:26:42 the school district, we can get that taken care of.
6:26:45 Sir?
6:26:45 Yes, sir.
6:26:46 You said previously that the bus is an extension of the
6:26:49 classroom.
6:26:49 Yes, sir.
6:26:50 That’s a paraphrase, right?
6:26:51 Yes, sir.
6:26:51 All the – all the students and their parents sign the document
6:26:54 to ride the bus.
6:26:55 Yes, sir.
6:26:56 Number nine is there’s no cell phone use.
6:26:58 It’s also printed in big letters on every bus inside all the
6:27:03 rules.
6:27:03 Number nine.
6:27:04 The problem is we tell them to – if you lose your ID to get on
6:27:10 the bus – I get it.
6:27:12 I get it.
6:27:13 You download it.
6:27:14 They get the phone out.
6:27:15 I’m driving a bus looking forward.
6:27:17 Ten seconds.
6:27:19 Every ten seconds, I’m looking in the back, if not off, you know,
6:27:22 to make sure I’ve got no problems in the back.
6:27:25 I cannot be policing a cell phone issue on the bus unless you
6:27:29 put somebody on the bus with us to do it.
6:27:32 So, inside the policy, it says that the times that the
6:27:36 instructors are allowed to use and allow – the bus drivers are
6:27:40 allowed to give permission.
6:27:41 It also says that in events, they’re allowed to give permission.
6:27:44 So, that would be up to the bus driver to allow.
6:27:46 But we’ve got to get to a place where we enforce what we have.
6:27:50 Because if we’ve gotten to a place inside of our community,
6:27:52 inside of our schools, that we can’t even enforce the policy
6:27:55 that we have, then we’re going – we’re in a place that’s –
6:27:58 that is why we’re here today.
6:27:59 Just so you know, we collect – every week, we collect a ton of
6:28:03 lost cell phones on our buses.
6:28:04 There’s many of them still sitting up in the central office on
6:28:07 the front desk.
6:28:09 That’s $1,000 phones. Kids don’t claim them because they don’t
6:28:11 want to tell their parents they’ve lost them.
6:28:13 Got it. Well, I think district staff will work with getting
6:28:16 communications out to our staff and get us to enforce this.
6:28:19 And if anything does need to be changed, then we can work it.
6:28:21 Yeah, and I appreciate that.
6:28:22 Mr. Susan, can you consider maybe meeting with the principals?
6:28:26 You know, make sure they understand what’s coming so that the
6:28:30 line of –
6:28:30 That’ll be part of that communications, I’m sure.
6:28:32 And I’m dedicated to putting it out through the radio stations
6:28:36 once y’all confirm what it is.
6:28:38 If you get it to us, and I know you have communication as well.
6:28:42 Yeah.
6:28:43 Once you confirm, we can help push this.
6:28:45 Thank you so much.
6:28:46 I really appreciate it.
6:28:47 We can help push it.
6:28:48 So, we had – there’s a – there was something that Mr. Schifrin
6:28:53 gave me and asked me to present to get direction from.
6:28:57 I can wait for that, but if we go into other areas, I would like
6:29:00 to just reserve 20 minutes at the end that our administrators
6:29:03 were asking for.
6:29:03 And Ms. Campbell had respectfully asked to present a couple of
6:29:07 things.
6:29:07 And Ms. Jenkins might, everybody else, and the union might have
6:29:10 some more.
6:29:10 I think it’s time for the board to maybe weigh in on a few
6:29:20 things.
6:29:22 And Ms. Jenkins…
6:29:23 Yeah, I just want to try and get the train kind of back on the
6:29:29 tracks.
6:29:30 Ms. Skipper, I appreciate you, because I’ve been saying this
6:29:33 since we heard about this meeting.
6:29:35 If you call it a discipline meeting, that’s not how we deal with
6:29:40 our students.
6:29:41 It’s a behavior intervention meeting.
6:29:43 We hear that the solution is social workers, counselors,
6:29:46 behavior analysts, and that sounds wonderful.
6:29:49 And if we had those people in the room, what they would do is
6:29:51 exactly what you said: identify the behavior, why it’s happening,
6:29:55 modify it, and reteach it.
6:29:58 And, of course, a consequence if there’s a consequence that
6:30:00 needs to go alongside of it.
6:30:02 And I think we need to stay on the track and remember that.
6:30:05 We came here talking about student behavior.
6:30:07 We went off track to talk about parents in the front office.
6:30:11 We need to stay focused on that.
6:30:13 We also need to stay focused on the top issues for our teachers
6:30:18 because we can’t tackle them
6:30:19 all at one time.
6:30:21 And so we started off by saying, “Teachers Union, tell us what
6:30:25 are the things we can put
6:30:27 in place prior to these incidents happening.”
6:30:29 And they were reasonable suggestions, they’re things that should
6:30:33 happen and need to happen.
6:30:35 Great, good conversation.
6:30:39 But we’ve got to stay on the track because when we start going
6:30:42 down every little tiny issue
6:30:43 and finding all the problems with it, yeah, we need to do that.
6:30:45 We totally need to do that.
6:30:46 But we need to have a plan in place of what things we’re going
6:30:48 to tackle so we can tackle
6:30:49 them to the fullest extent and make sure we’re doing it
6:30:52 correctly.
6:30:53 So if cell phones are the biggest thing that teachers want to
6:30:55 talk about and they want us
6:30:56 to address and modify and change, great.
6:31:01 Let’s have a plan and say that’s what we’re going to do, number
6:31:04 one.
6:31:04 The union’s already identified.
6:31:06 I’ve said it already before.
6:31:07 Clearly there is a miscommunication, a lack of application of
6:31:12 whatever we want to say of
6:31:15 our referral process.
6:31:16 Right.
6:31:17 Let’s take a deep dive.
6:31:18 Let’s listen to our teachers.
6:31:19 Let’s listen to our administrators and find out why this is
6:31:22 falling by the wayside.
6:31:23 Let’s fix it.
6:31:25 That’s the number one issue of frustration for our teachers.
6:31:29 That’s what we need to get together and talk about and modify
6:31:32 and change.
6:31:33 And we can’t do that here before four o’clock.
6:31:36 That’s impossible.
6:31:37 But we need to come to a consensus as a board.
6:31:39 Let’s pick three things that we feel like are really, and of
6:31:42 course get the input from
6:31:44 our unions and our staff, but the three most important things
6:31:47 that are frustrating our teachers
6:31:49 the most right now when it comes to student behavior in the
6:31:52 classroom, on the bus, within
6:31:54 our school buildings, and then come together and have successful
6:31:58 conversations about those
6:31:59 things.
6:32:00 We need to do that right now.
6:32:01 It’s ineffective and we’re all over the place.
6:32:04 And then we’re going to get back to the place where nothing’s
6:32:06 actually done because we threw
6:32:07 all this spaghetti at the wall and it’s not going to be done
6:32:09 correctly or successfully.
6:32:11 So I think as board members, and again, yes, we need to hear
6:32:14 from you guys.
6:32:15 You’re sitting right here.
6:32:16 I think you’ve shared most of your opinions and if you think we’re
6:32:18 wrong with the things
6:32:19 that we’re saying are important, obviously jump in and tell us
6:32:21 that.
6:32:22 But I think that’s the most effective thing to do.
6:32:25 Mr. Jonathan.
6:32:30 No?
6:32:31 Okay.
6:32:32 You know, it’s a reasonable expectation of everybody in this
6:32:36 room here that when you send
6:32:37 your child to school, that they’re going to be safe.
6:32:41 When you send your grandchild to school, they’re going to be
6:32:44 safe.
6:32:44 When you send your nephew, your niece, your foster child, your
6:32:48 adopted child, or the child
6:32:50 that you blessed to be their guardian, that they’re going to be
6:32:53 safe.
6:32:54 And I just want to say, we need to get away from those kids.
6:32:58 They’re our kids.
6:33:00 They’re our community and our parents.
6:33:03 Okay?
6:33:04 These children are ours.
6:33:07 When I was in the classroom, every child in that classroom was
6:33:11 my child while I had them.
6:33:13 I was a part of the parenting team.
6:33:16 And the same is true for our teachers.
6:33:19 When our teachers go to work, there is a reasonable expectation
6:33:23 that they’re not going to be physically
6:33:27 assaulted.
6:33:28 They’re not going to be spit, kicked, hit, choked, had something
6:33:33 thrown at them, had a desk
6:33:35 or books or chairs thrown at them.
6:33:40 And so, yeah, yeah, I’m kind of like Vanessa, I’m a little fired
6:33:43 up.
6:33:43 Because what we need, you say, what’s number one?
6:33:47 Let me tell you what’s number one.
6:33:49 Zero tolerance for physical aggression towards teachers and
6:33:54 staff.
6:33:55 Period.
6:33:56 Nobody signed up for this.
6:33:58 Nobody went to college for four years, got a master’s degree to
6:34:03 go into anybody’s class.
6:34:05 I worked in juvenile detention.
6:34:08 That’s the only place I expect physical aggression.
6:34:12 I do not expect physical aggression in my public school.
6:34:18 Where are we, folks, where we are making excuses and minimizing
6:34:24 physical aggression in our public
6:34:26 schools?
6:34:27 It’s totally unacceptable.
6:34:30 And we’re hearing from our community, because I’m going to tell
6:34:33 you right now, folks, no parent
6:34:36 wants their child in a classroom where they don’t feel safe.
6:34:41 No parent wants their child in a classroom where that child
6:34:44 doesn’t feel loved and supported.
6:34:45 I don’t care what color or background you have.
6:34:51 You want to send your child to your neighborhood public school
6:34:54 and know that your child is going
6:34:56 to be okay.
6:34:57 That is a reasonable expectation of a public school in this
6:35:03 United States.
6:35:05 that’s what’s most important.
6:35:07 That is number one most important right there.
6:35:12 We can drop the mic.
6:35:14 We can be done right there.
6:35:16 We should not be sending our teachers into any kind of physical
6:35:20 environment where they
6:35:22 are not safe.
6:35:23 I love that.
6:35:24 Can I add to that?
6:35:25 Jonathan, thank you very much, because that’s exactly what Mr.
6:35:28 Schifrin asked.
6:35:29 He asked if we could have zero tolerance towards physical
6:35:34 aggression and physical violence.
6:35:38 That was one of the top three things that he asked.
6:35:41 And I think that that is what our district has inside policy.
6:35:45 And I think that we should just be able to enforce it.
6:35:47 Is that correct?
6:35:48 Yes.
6:35:49 Can I add to that?
6:35:50 Ms. Moore.
6:35:51 Hang on.
6:35:53 Just hang on, Mr. Bernard.
6:35:54 Just hang on just a second.
6:35:55 So, we just said that zero tolerance for violence in any way
6:36:00 towards our staff, towards our teachers.
6:36:02 Right?
6:36:04 Absolutely.
6:36:05 Is what he had asked.
6:36:06 And everybody here, Ms. Moore.
6:36:07 Ms. Moore said.
6:36:08 And our students.
6:36:09 Yes.
6:36:11 I’m sorry.
6:36:12 Sorry.
6:36:13 And Ms. Moore said that that is exactly what’s inside a policy
6:36:15 that we just need to enforce.
6:36:16 I just want to clarify.
6:36:17 So, in the code of student conduct, zero tolerance for school
6:36:20 related crime.
6:36:21 This is on page 90 and I’ll just read the bottom of it.
6:36:24 Thank you.
6:36:25 And I think it’s really important to understand that one of the
6:36:28 comments that was made was that
6:36:30 district has to approve X, Y, and Z.
6:36:34 So, when we look at each instance, we’re looking at the
6:36:39 specifics of whether we’re going to pull a student out of school
6:36:43 for a whole school year.
6:36:45 And whether it’s going to come to the board.
6:36:47 And whether the board can support that.
6:36:49 Whether the parents are going to look at the facts of the case
6:36:52 and agree with the definitions therein.
6:36:55 Let me just read this.
6:36:57 Not withstanding any other provision of board policy.
6:37:00 Any student found to have committed an act of assault or aggravated
6:37:03 assault.
6:37:03 Or battery or aggravated battery.
6:37:05 Or physical attack on any elected official of the school
6:37:08 district.
6:37:09 Teacher, administrator, or other school district personnel.
6:37:12 Shall be recommended for expulsion.
6:37:14 Or placement at the alternative school setting as appropriate.
6:37:18 The minimum period of this expulsion or placement in the
6:37:20 alternative school setting shall be one full calendar year.
6:37:23 And the student may be referred to the criminal justice or
6:37:26 juvenile justice system.
6:37:27 So, within that policy are students with disabilities.
6:37:33 They’re four year olds.
6:37:35 They are students who had incidental contact and students that
6:37:39 had deliberate contact.
6:37:41 And so, we need to be really clear on the expectations of the
6:37:46 board.
6:37:47 Because as we move toward expulsion, there’s due process that
6:37:51 students and families get.
6:37:52 And we want to make sure that we’re ensuring that students and
6:37:56 families get that due process.
6:37:58 As we support the zero tolerance for school related crime policy.
6:38:02 So, that direction’s going to need to come from the board.
6:38:05 Absolutely.
6:38:06 Because you guys are the hearing officers in those cases.
6:38:08 I just think that if we are going.
6:38:10 If this is the number one.
6:38:12 One of the number one issues that you have is zero tolerance.
6:38:15 It is also the same issue that Gary Schifrin had on the top.
6:38:18 Then zero tolerance is something that we need to enforce.
6:38:21 And I think that if we set the message that that’s the direction
6:38:24 that we’re going to go.
6:38:25 Then we can send it to the principals and everything else.
6:38:28 Otherwise, we’re going to have them continual to do violence
6:38:31 against staff and everything else.
6:38:32 So, that’s okay with me.
6:38:34 Ms. Campbell, do you need to weigh in?
6:38:37 I think if I heard Ms. Moore correctly.
6:38:40 One of the things we need to take into consideration when we
6:38:45 talk about this is.
6:38:47 What are we going to do with a four year old who kicked their
6:38:52 teacher?
6:38:53 We’re all thinking of the 14 year old eighth grader.
6:38:56 Right?
6:38:57 The big 150 pound boy who lost it.
6:39:00 But most of the time when we talk about IAs and bus drivers who
6:39:05 are pick, scratch, hit, whatever.
6:39:07 We’re talking about ESC kids or we’re talking about primary
6:39:10 grades and pre-K.
6:39:11 I think.
6:39:12 I mean who haven’t learned those skills.
6:39:15 And this generation of little ones even has fewer skills because
6:39:19 of the last few years they’ve been parked in front of TVs and
6:39:22 computer screens.
6:39:22 While their parents are trying to survive through the pandemic.
6:39:25 And that’s a generality I know.
6:39:27 But you know, that has exacerbated it.
6:39:29 So, I just think we need to be careful.
6:39:32 I don’t know how we apply that policy to our little ones, Ms.
6:39:35 Moore.
6:39:35 So, whenever there’s an incident, it would be a level four or
6:39:38 five incident.
6:39:39 The administrator has to call their, a director, either an
6:39:43 elementary director or a secondary director.
6:39:45 And they review the case with them.
6:39:48 They review the language.
6:39:49 They review the incident.
6:39:50 They review everything around it.
6:39:52 And determine whether or not that there’s enough there in order
6:39:57 to move forward on a, basically that their due process has been
6:40:03 appropriately handled.
6:40:04 And I don’t want to misspeak for you guys.
6:40:06 But please stop and jump in when I get it wrong.
6:40:09 And that all the characteristics of that child has been taken
6:40:14 into consideration.
6:40:16 A four-year-old who was throwing a tantrum that inadvertently smacked
6:40:20 a teacher.
6:40:21 A student with disability who was rocking and the teacher came
6:40:27 up behind him or her and got conked in the head because they got
6:40:32 too close.
6:40:32 A fight that the, that…
6:40:36 A teacher broke up a fight and went from the wrong place at the
6:40:39 wrong time.
6:40:40 So, all of those situations.
6:40:42 And then there’s, of course, the child that says, if you come
6:40:45 near me, I’m going to hit you.
6:40:46 I’m going to punch you.
6:40:47 And we’ve had those.
6:40:48 And we’ve had people hit and punched.
6:40:51 And all of those circumstances are related to, to leading and
6:40:55 learning.
6:40:56 They are consistent in the questions that they ask.
6:40:59 They’re consistent on what they move forward with and what they
6:41:04 ask for additional supports for those students.
6:41:08 And then, you know, if there’s some debate and they have to go
6:41:12 to hearing, then they go to hearing to you guys.
6:41:15 And that’s the only cautionary tale is, you know, if we have a
6:41:19 four-year-old and we say we’re going to consistently,
6:41:21 follow this policy, I feel like we need to have some other
6:41:25 conversation or direction.
6:41:28 Because you’re going to be sitting in a, in a hearing with a
6:41:31 four-year-old and a parent.
6:41:33 And you guys are going to be the hearing officers at that
6:41:36 meeting.
6:41:36 So we do want to follow the will of the board.
6:41:39 I just want to make sure that we have an opportunity.
6:41:41 You have an opportunity to talk to Ms. Klein and Dr. Sullivan.
6:41:45 Hear some of, of how they, that decision-making process happens.
6:41:49 So that you can feel confident that we’re going to support you
6:41:52 and your decisions.
6:41:53 And that when a student does move forward asking for a hearing,
6:41:57 you can feel comfortable in the decisions that you’re making for
6:42:02 that child.
6:42:02 I, I would want to jump in.
6:42:04 We, we have teachers in four-year-old classroom with bruises and
6:42:11 injuries.
6:42:12 I believe it.
6:42:13 With repeated behaviors.
6:42:16 Now, I, I get the whole, yeah, it’s, it’s, it’s a four-year-old
6:42:21 student, but I go back to my premise.
6:42:23 Nobody has a reasonable, you have a reasonable expectation that
6:42:28 you are going, you as the teacher are going to be safe in that
6:42:33 classroom.
6:42:33 So the, the whole spectrum of our student body, we have cases of,
6:42:40 of teachers being injured.
6:42:43 Not, not just kit and, and red.
6:42:46 I mean, actually injured.
6:42:47 Some having to go with EMS to the hospital.
6:42:51 I had one that was in pre-K last week.
6:42:53 From the whole spectrum between our earliest all the way up to
6:42:57 our, our latest.
6:42:58 But here’s, here’s a fact to this.
6:43:00 Okay.
6:43:02 You’re talking four-year-old and five-year-old.
6:43:04 A lot of those kids, sir, are not ready for kindergarten.
6:43:09 Wait, wait, wait, wait.
6:43:11 But here’s the thing though.
6:43:12 But they still are in front of us.
6:43:13 We can’t sit there and go.
6:43:14 I understand.
6:43:15 You can’t come.
6:43:16 I understand, sir.
6:43:17 But that’s why I talk about root causes.
6:43:19 Okay.
6:43:20 Because if a child, can you imagine being four-year-old, a four-year-old
6:43:24 and you leaving your house with your, your brothers and sisters.
6:43:28 And when that child goes into a classroom at four or five-year-old,
6:43:32 he’s not ready.
6:43:33 Absolutely.
6:43:34 In some cases.
6:43:35 But wait.
6:43:36 But here’s what I’m saying.
6:43:37 There’s a measurement that the school board used called flicker.
6:43:41 And it calls kindergarten readiness.
6:43:43 Yeah.
6:43:44 So we need to look at putting some funds behind that.
6:43:49 So that these kids, when they’re into school, sir, are ready for
6:43:54 us, are ready to go into the educational system.
6:43:56 I mean, honestly, realistically, I don’t think the four-year-old
6:44:00 is the one we’re focusing on.
6:44:01 I guarantee you they are.
6:44:03 In this particular case.
6:44:05 Go look at the depth.
6:44:06 But here’s the thing, though.
6:44:07 Yeah.
6:44:08 We don’t have a choice.
6:44:10 We don’t have it.
6:44:11 When they walk in our classroom, we don’t have a choice.
6:44:14 Guys, guys, stop for a second.
6:44:15 I just want to let you know, last week I got a call from
6:44:17 somebody that teaches four-year-olds and was urinated on and
6:44:20 then was hit and beat.
6:44:21 And then the student was brought to the front office and then
6:44:24 just sat there.
6:44:25 So we need to start enforcing.
6:44:26 Absolutely.
6:44:27 If we’re going to be serious about this and get the backs up
6:44:29 against our teachers, then we’re going to have to.
6:44:30 But I like that.
6:44:31 Mr. Bernard, hang on.
6:44:32 Go ahead.
6:44:33 If I can continue with the spirit of solutions, because we are
6:44:36 nearing our four o’clock time.
6:44:37 You know, we’ve heard again and again and again about getting
6:44:41 the parents involved.
6:44:42 And honestly, the parents need to get uncomfortable.
6:44:44 Yes, absolutely.
6:44:45 I was looking through and asked Ms. Mortensen, you know, she
6:44:49 sent us all the interventions.
6:44:50 One of the things that I noticed on there, because I was
6:44:52 thinking, you know, reverse suspension.
6:44:54 I hear about reverse suspension where you make the parents come
6:44:56 sit in the classroom.
6:44:57 You know, but then I looked at that.
6:44:58 That’s very rarely used.
6:45:00 That is a great tool.
6:45:02 I think here’s one solution.
6:45:04 We can encourage our administrators, please use this tool in
6:45:08 your toolbox more often.
6:45:09 Now, it requires a couple of things, I think, according to
6:45:12 contract.
6:45:12 The teacher has to agree with it.
6:45:14 And I hope that our teachers will make it happen.
6:45:17 And then, you know, obviously it has to be using, there was
6:45:20 something else you told me.
6:45:21 Mainly it’s the teacher has to agree.
6:45:23 Confidentiality.
6:45:24 Right.
6:45:25 And they have to sign a confidentiality.
6:45:26 Because they can’t be messing with and looking at what other
6:45:29 kids are doing because we’re breaking their purpose.
6:45:30 Right.
6:45:31 But that is, you know, we talk about suspensions.
6:45:34 The data is there.
6:45:36 Suspensions cause a problem.
6:45:37 The kids out of the school, they’re not learning.
6:45:39 They come back.
6:45:40 They’re farther behind.
6:45:41 They’re more of a behavior problem.
6:45:43 And for some families, keeping them at home, no big deal.
6:45:46 The kid doesn’t care because they get to watch TV all day.
6:45:48 Right.
6:45:49 You know, in-school suspension has some, there’s some things
6:45:53 better and some things not better.
6:45:55 But reverse suspension, if we can use that tool in the toolbox
6:45:58 more often, we get those parents in there sitting next to their
6:46:01 kid.
6:46:01 And as the mother shared earlier, either they’re going to behave
6:46:04 or the parents are going to see them misbehave.
6:46:06 But that’s something we already have in place that we can
6:46:09 encourage administrators to do more.
6:46:10 Reverse suspension.
6:46:11 We have also a couple of things that we’re already doing that we
6:46:15 haven’t had time to see the results of yet.
6:46:17 For example, the parent academies that just started.
6:46:20 But I would suggest that we need to make a more concerted effort
6:46:24 to get those parent academies into where, into our communities.
6:46:29 Maybe out of our school, you know, I was thinking about the
6:46:32 Evans Center over in Melbourne that already has active
6:46:35 communities.
6:46:36 You know, let’s, let’s, let’s take them on the road to where we
6:46:40 know people already are.
6:46:41 And we could use our community resources and say, where do you
6:46:44 already have parents coming?
6:46:44 Where, where can we come to you?
6:46:45 Where do you think they would come?
6:46:46 Because if we’re, and that one has already been better because
6:46:49 we’re not just doing a VR.
6:46:50 We were doing it several locations across the county, but I’d
6:46:53 like to see greater attendance there.
6:46:54 We’re already working on our re-imagining middle school project
6:46:57 because that is huge.
6:46:58 We look at all behaviors.
6:46:59 They almost all spike in the seventh and eighth grade years.
6:47:02 We’re working on that.
6:47:03 That’s going to take some time, but we’re already doing the good
6:47:06 work of that.
6:47:06 We won’t see the results of that for a little bit, but we’re
6:47:08 working on that.
6:47:09 The mentoring program, we’ve gone from 88, yesterday you told me
6:47:13 100.
6:47:13 About 120 something.
6:47:14 120 something.
6:47:15 We need more.
6:47:16 And that is, we’re going to continue to do the public pleas for
6:47:19 that, for mentors,
6:47:20 because those mentors can come in and invest in kids who are
6:47:23 having the struggles.
6:47:24 And those mentors need to be different from like what we have
6:47:27 Tech Stock and Children,
6:47:28 where it’s kids who are college bound and if they have behavior
6:47:30 issues, they don’t qualify.
6:47:31 But it needs to be, administrators are focusing the mentors on
6:47:35 the kids who are, who are having
6:47:36 the behavior problems the most and who are struggling the most.
6:47:39 I’m going to suggest another one.
6:47:43 I’ll save that one for last.
6:47:45 Mental health has been mentioned so much.
6:47:47 We only have so many dollars.
6:47:48 We only have so many people.
6:47:50 And Chris Moore has already been talking to community
6:47:53 partnerships.
6:47:53 We need our community partnerships to come in and help us to
6:47:56 provide that as much as possible.
6:47:58 And if you want to speak to that in a minute.
6:47:59 Sure.
6:48:00 But here’s another one.
6:48:01 This is very practical and it won’t apply to everybody.
6:48:03 But we are, and we’ve already talked about enforcing what we
6:48:06 already have.
6:48:06 For, we have, we’re a choice district.
6:48:08 You can pretty much send your kid.
6:48:10 If you live in Palm Bay, you can go to a school in Titusville.
6:48:12 You can go wherever you want.
6:48:13 As long as you get them there.
6:48:15 But we, we have those EPO and ELO contracts.
6:48:18 And for the most part, those are families who are engaged, but
6:48:20 sometimes it’s not.
6:48:21 When you, when you do an EPO or an ELO, which is an option to
6:48:25 send your kids somewhere
6:48:26 besides their own school or a special program, you sign a
6:48:29 contract that says, I, while my kid is here,
6:48:33 they will keep their grades up, they’ll keep their behavior in
6:48:36 line.
6:48:36 And if I don’t, then I can be asked to go back to my zone school.
6:48:41 It’s time to enforce that.
6:48:43 And I, I think sometimes it is, but I feel like sometimes our,
6:48:45 and Jane’s shaking her head,
6:48:47 sometimes our administrators feel like they can’t do it.
6:48:49 Absolutely they can.
6:48:50 If you’re a parent and you signed the contract, then you’re, and
6:48:53 your kid is not going to behave,
6:48:54 but that’s going to be the first thing is, bye.
6:48:57 Because it needs to be, the parent needs to feel it.
6:49:01 Your child cannot, and I’m not saying the first time you behave,
6:49:04 misbehave, then you’re out of here.
6:49:06 But I mean, for those offenses, it’s time to enforce the
6:49:09 contracts that parents have already signed.
6:49:11 And so I’m just going to throw those out as a few things that we
6:49:14 can already, we can do those quickly.
6:49:15 Um, not all of them quickly, the, uh, remediating middle school
6:49:19 thing is, you know, process,
6:49:20 but there’s some things that we can already do that we already
6:49:22 have in our toolbox that we can enforce.
6:49:24 And I, as far as the cell phone use, I think if we decide,
6:49:27 honestly, if we walk out of here,
6:49:29 and as the board, we say, we’re going to, we’re going to review
6:49:32 that policy.
6:49:32 We’re going to revise it.
6:49:33 Then the shockwaves are going to go out, um, into the community.
6:49:37 Brevard school board just said, no phones in classrooms.
6:49:40 And we, Mr. Bryan, to your point, that will be communicated.
6:49:45 And then it will end to our teacher, uh, from Bayside.
6:49:48 That will be communicated.
6:49:49 If the whole community understands this board is going to take a
6:49:52 stand,
6:49:52 which is not going to be a popular stand for some, especially
6:49:56 with our kids.
6:49:56 Um, but we say it, that people will know.
6:49:59 And it will be a little different, um, than what we have right
6:50:03 now.
6:50:03 So I just, you know, I’m trying to get to, I’m the practical
6:50:06 person.
6:50:06 I want to know, I don’t want to talk anymore about what the
6:50:08 problem is.
6:50:08 We’ve, we’ve, let’s stop introducing more to the problem and let’s
6:50:12 get to the solution.
6:50:12 So that, and that, those are, there’s some suggestions that I
6:50:16 think we could start with too.
6:50:17 I think, um, thank you, Ms. Campbell.
6:50:18 I think those are some great suggestions.
6:50:20 And thank you for talking so quickly like you did so that you
6:50:23 could give a little bit of time.
6:50:23 Um, let’s do this.
6:50:25 We’re at a point now, just hang on.
6:50:27 We’re at a point now where we have like 22 minutes left, right?
6:50:30 I think that what’s going to happen is, is that we’re going to
6:50:33 continue to tackle some of these things.
6:50:34 But there needs to be, there needs to be a couple of things Gary
6:50:37 brought in.
6:50:38 The core argument of what we were trying to get to today was the
6:50:43 enforcement of our actual policies in discipline, right?
6:50:46 We know that zero tolerance, everything else.
6:50:49 We got it across that we are going to follow the same rules
6:50:53 inside of the bus as inside of the classroom and all of those
6:50:56 pieces.
6:50:56 But there’s one thing, there’s two things that they were
6:50:59 mentioning.
6:50:59 There’s a big, and we may not be able to make the decision now.
6:51:02 But there’s a big push to allow the principals to take care of
6:51:06 one, two, and three levels on their own.
6:51:09 And to suspend more.
6:51:11 They currently do that.
6:51:12 Okay.
6:51:14 Um, if that’s the, if that’s the case, then we’re in good shape.
6:51:20 Okay.
6:51:21 The issue that I would like to do is we can move forward with a
6:51:24 large discipline committee, right?
6:51:26 But here’s the issue that we’re going to run across, is it’s
6:51:29 going to take some time to get those issues back.
6:51:31 There was a list literally of about 15, 20 things that each one
6:51:36 of you guys had that I had communicated with you guys about.
6:51:39 And there’s some of them that we’re not going to get across
6:51:42 today and maybe rightfully so because of all this stuff.
6:51:44 Um, what Gary had asked and what I’ve heard asked is that we
6:51:48 form, um, tight knit committees to make the quick
6:51:52 recommendations that are needed immediately.
6:51:53 So, in the event of the discipline portion of what to, what is
6:51:57 being enforced, I would like to put together a committee made up
6:52:02 of two union guys, um, two teacher union.
6:52:05 What’s that?
6:52:06 Or gals.
6:52:07 Sorry.
6:52:08 I know you meant that.
6:52:09 Two, two, uh, 1010 NAACP Cultural Alliance to make those
6:52:14 recommendations immediately.
6:52:16 Because I think we’re in a place where we’re, we’ve identified
6:52:19 that there’s a major issue.
6:52:20 And we’ve got to come and I want to make sure that we’re all
6:52:22 doing it together.
6:52:23 So, if it’s okay with you, I would like to form three tight
6:52:26 committees that would make immediate recommendations along with
6:52:30 the long distance ones.
6:52:31 I’d like to form one that deals with the immediate, um, before
6:52:35 the incident.
6:52:36 So that we know that we’re doing the, um, uh, pre-planning the,
6:52:41 you know, the, um, in services and the, in the training.
6:52:44 I would like to form another one that does specific to
6:52:47 discipline because there was multiple principals that said that
6:52:50 they have no control over suspending more than three days.
6:52:53 Like they used to, that they needed one, two, and three.
6:52:56 They didn’t have control over, which may not be true.
6:52:58 But if that’s the case, then we need to be able to make sure
6:53:01 that that’s communicated to them.
6:53:02 And then one that’s post because I think what Ms. Vanessa said
6:53:06 is one of the biggest keys.
6:53:06 When somebody is in trouble and they come back to a class school,
6:53:09 you feel like they’ve been identified as that kid that’s in
6:53:12 trouble.
6:53:12 And if you have somebody that’s willing to work with that
6:53:14 student coming back, we might be able to stop making that thing
6:53:17 happen ahead of time.
6:53:18 Yeah.
6:53:19 That will also go in line with what Ms. Campbell’s saying,
6:53:22 because Ms. Campbell says, we just can’t do everything right now.
6:53:24 And I agree with you.
6:53:25 There’s a large piece that I thought we could get to.
6:53:28 We got a lot of stuff done, but there’s a little much more.
6:53:30 So if we can form a tight group that would make those quick
6:53:33 decisions while the larger community is moving, I think that
6:53:37 that would be a good, good solution to do that.
6:53:39 And I would look for staff, hang on, Mr. Bernard.
6:53:42 I would look to staff to recommend the committee makeup and then
6:53:46 we can start doing something.
6:53:47 Does that make sense?
6:53:48 I’m looking for board direction.
6:53:53 I’m hearing some comments.
6:53:54 I’m hearing, I’m not hearing total board direction.
6:53:56 I just need to know what I’m going back to staff with.
6:53:59 I heard, I heard a lot today.
6:54:01 I heard cell phone policy.
6:54:02 I heard zero tolerance.
6:54:03 I heard enforcement of our policies that exist.
6:54:06 I heard reinstatement of the discipline committee.
6:54:09 I heard, and I said, and I think Mrs. Campbell reiterated,
6:54:14 looking at what we have now, what’s working, what’s not working.
6:54:18 And moving forward from there, I heard sending a letter related
6:54:23 to trespassing.
6:54:25 My request, if I may, is that you, we have clear direction.
6:54:34 So when we walk away from this meeting, because right now, you
6:54:38 know, I’m filling in as the deputy superintendent.
6:54:40 We’re heading toward winter break.
6:54:43 I want to make sure that we get what we need in place.
6:54:46 Yep.
6:54:47 And you will have an interim superintendent coming in at some
6:54:50 point after the first of the year, who will be the one
6:54:54 implementing these pieces.
6:54:55 And I want to make sure that communication isn’t lost somewhere.
6:54:58 Sure.
6:54:59 I can go through the ones that we already went through just to
6:55:01 make sure that we’re all on this homepage.
6:55:02 We want to start immediately on the culture of change to be able
6:55:06 to discuss and push back on the referrals.
6:55:08 That was the first one.
6:55:09 Is there anybody that objects to that?
6:55:12 I’ll just say that so that you know you got board direction,
6:55:15 right?
6:55:15 Culture of change is a very large topic.
6:55:19 Can I make a suggestion there?
6:55:21 I think we need to be specific and direct.
6:55:25 What do we want to change when it comes to our referrals?
6:55:29 So we need to have specific actions when it comes to that.
6:55:32 We need to hear from our teachers and administrators where those
6:55:35 things are falling through the hole.
6:55:37 You can’t just like say we’re going to change the culture.
6:55:39 That’s not going to do anything.
6:55:40 So let’s have a specific action to take so that something
6:55:43 actually gets done and doesn’t fall by the wayside.
6:55:46 So we have the discipline committee that was formed before to
6:55:50 start immediately and then to add parents.
6:55:53 And if they can’t be added immediately, there’s a virtual link
6:55:56 for it.
6:55:57 And students.
6:56:00 The next one is to work towards adding and get a verbiage back
6:56:05 or a cost back in a plan.
6:56:07 Not immediate, but pretty soon on adding three days next year
6:56:11 possibly or some sort of plan for all of our in-services and
6:56:16 stuff like that.
6:56:16 We have to take care of some of the stuff that some of the
6:56:19 teachers hadn’t done.
6:56:20 Collaborative with the union.
6:56:22 And I’m sorry.
6:56:23 The district.
6:56:24 The also the committee is also to report directly to the school
6:56:28 board.
6:56:28 Mr. Susan, if I may.
6:56:30 On December 13th, you are approving the 2023-24 calendar.
6:56:35 And it does not have any of this on there.
6:56:37 And between now and December 13th, there is not an opportunity
6:56:40 to make a change.
6:56:41 Not to say that we can’t look into it, cost it out, get you more
6:56:44 information, work with the union cooperatively on that.
6:56:47 But I just wanted you to be aware you’re going to approve a
6:56:50 calendar.
6:56:50 We must approve it because of the behind the scenes master
6:56:53 scheduling.
6:56:53 That has to happen.
6:56:54 Dr. Thede, I in no way think that we’re going to add three
6:56:56 professional days or anything like that this year.
6:56:58 I think this is more of a discussion for next year’s calendar
6:57:00 because there’s no way we can do it this year.
6:57:02 Well, the 23-24 calendar that you’re approving on December 13th
6:57:06 is next year.
6:57:06 That’s on the 13th.
6:57:07 It is on the 13th because there are behind the scenes things
6:57:09 that have to happen.
6:57:10 No, no, no, I know.
6:57:11 I know.
6:57:12 But that’s on the 13th we’ll be approving that, right?
6:57:13 Yes.
6:57:14 Okay.
6:57:15 But you will be approving it absent this recommendation.
6:57:17 This will take some time to cost out.
6:57:19 It will not be ready.
6:57:20 Oh, I understand.
6:57:21 And we won’t have an opportunity to collaborate with the union
6:57:24 between now and Tuesday.
6:57:25 Okay.
6:57:26 The assault, the assault and battery message is out to allow
6:57:30 definitions to go out to the local law enforcement and to the
6:57:35 parents, but in a socially acceptable way.
6:57:36 Um, and to make sure that they understand that if they are being
6:57:40 assaulted or there’s something going on that they know that they
6:57:43 have the backs of the school district to support them.
6:57:45 Mr. Susan, it may be the will of the majority of this board to
6:57:50 do that, but we haven’t said that out loud yet.
6:57:53 So all of these things have to be approved by the majority of
6:57:56 the board.
6:57:56 You can’t make these decisions by yourself.
6:57:58 I thought I did have that, but I apologize.
6:57:59 I said that.
6:58:00 And you may, I’m just saying we haven’t verbally said that out
6:58:03 loud.
6:58:03 Sorry, I didn’t hear me, but at the beginning of it, I said I’d
6:58:06 go through each one, pause for a second.
6:58:07 And if anybody was against that, then I would stop and listen to
6:58:10 them.
6:58:10 And then we would call a vote then if you need a direction.
6:58:12 So at this time, is there anybody that objects to sending out
6:58:16 messages to our staff on a zero tolerance, assault and battery
6:58:20 type situation?
6:58:20 Just to clarify that message is going to come from the district
6:58:23 or it’s going to come from?
6:58:24 The district.
6:58:25 From the district, not from Mr. Neal.
6:58:26 Working with families.
6:58:27 There was some confusion there because there was a letter that
6:58:30 was going to go out from Brevard County.
6:58:32 And that was, and I’m just not clear on who’s.
6:58:34 I think we should allow Dr. Thede to come together with the
6:58:37 message and then come together with the plan and then present it
6:58:41 to us to tell us what they’re going to do.
6:58:42 I think is the overall objective here is just to let our staff
6:58:46 know that this district has their backs and that this is, these
6:58:49 are things that we’re no longer going to tolerate.
6:58:51 I think that that’s great and I don’t object to that by any
6:58:55 means, but I can understand, especially in light of the media
6:58:58 that’s gone on recently, maybe not wanting it to come
6:59:01 necessarily from the sheriff’s office.
6:59:03 Or even the parents.
6:59:06 I mean, to clarify that with staff, a very loud microphone.
6:59:12 That’s where I thought we were headed.
6:59:13 And just to give, again, support to the staff and the front
6:59:16 office per se that they can’t be verbally abused.
6:59:19 They do have recourse and that the SRO and the sheriff’s office
6:59:24 or whatever agencies over that school to say, this is what we
6:59:28 will do.
6:59:29 I don’t appreciate that.
6:59:30 I don’t feel comfortable sending it at home, especially after
6:59:33 the optics of what we went through last week.
6:59:35 How about a message that goes out to our families, our staff,
6:59:39 and everybody saying, we have your back.
6:59:41 Here’s what we will not do.
6:59:42 That’s the overall statement of today.
6:59:43 I think that would be wonderful.
6:59:44 Zero tolerance, no assault and battery.
6:59:47 We are going to strictly enforce cell phones.
6:59:50 Does that make sense to you?
6:59:51 Because that sounds a lot better to me than Mr. Neal sending out
6:59:55 a kind of a synopsis of today.
6:59:58 All right.
6:59:59 So what I just gave direction for is for Dr. Thetty to create a
7:00:03 message with staff to send out that we are in support of staff
7:00:08 and explain to parents that we are going to support them in a
7:00:15 zero tolerance policy along with support them in any assault and
7:00:20 battery that we are to be taken on.
7:00:22 And that we are going to specifically strengthen and enforce the
7:00:27 cell phone policy.
7:00:28 Is that about right?
7:00:29 Mr. Susan, I just am going to recommend again that we at least
7:00:34 have a conversation about the zero tolerance policy.
7:00:38 We don’t allow pre-K through third grade at our ALC.
7:00:42 If, if one of those commits a zero tolerance offense, they are
7:00:46 going to be expelled for a full calendar year without another
7:00:51 placement.
7:00:51 We have students whose behavior is a manifestation of a
7:00:54 disability.
7:00:55 The zero tolerance doesn’t, doesn’t, I just feel like maybe we
7:00:59 need to have a deeper, broader conversation with more people at
7:01:02 the table before we, before we send that out to parents.
7:01:05 So what are we going to do for the person that’s getting beaten
7:01:08 and bruised and everything else that comes back and is making a
7:01:11 decision whether they’re going to stay here or leave in January?
7:01:14 What will we do to make them know that we have the back?
7:01:17 That’s what we’re going to do.
7:01:18 Well, I just think that, Mr. Susan, the community needs to be
7:01:21 educated on zero tolerance because I’m, I’m not, I don’t quite
7:01:24 understand what it is.
7:01:25 So if you violate the attack, well, I just, you know, I want to
7:01:29 look at the detail of the documents because you say zero
7:01:32 tolerance and if a four year old kid violate that, so we’re
7:01:36 going to be in trouble with kids aren’t going to have any
7:01:39 opportunities in the future.
7:01:41 So I’m, I just want to make sure that the community understands
7:01:45 that and I see some rush here to do that, but you’ve got to
7:01:49 educate the community.
7:01:50 Uh, you just can’t implement a zero tolerance rule and the
7:01:54 community don’t understand that.
7:01:56 It’s already, it’s already.
7:01:57 I know it’s written, sir, but it is, is, does the community
7:02:01 understand that?
7:02:02 Does the parent, does the parent understand that?
7:02:05 You have not been implementing it since now.
7:02:08 So I just want to make sure that before we do a drastic
7:02:13 discipline issue, I was taught in my school that you communicate
7:02:18 that correctly.
7:02:19 So I think it’s pretty common that if an individual does
7:02:22 something with physical aggression towards one of our people,
7:02:25 that they are going to be held accountable for that.
7:02:26 So what have you been doing?
7:02:27 I have a, I have a two year old, I have a three year old, I have
7:02:30 a six year old.
7:02:30 I understand.
7:02:31 And if any of them acted in an inappropriate way, I would want
7:02:34 them to be held accountable.
7:02:35 Right.
7:02:36 So I think that, I think that we need to send a message to our
7:02:39 teachers that we have their backs and how we do that.
7:02:42 I understand.
7:02:43 I just want you to be, I just want the school to be consistent
7:02:47 in their execution.
7:02:48 Absolutely.
7:02:49 Because what I’m seeing right now, when I look at the discipline
7:02:52 data, it’s not consistent.
7:02:53 Right.
7:02:54 Ms. Moore, you had said, would we as a board be comfortable in
7:02:58 hearing those?
7:02:59 Because we would still hear those incidents.
7:03:02 Zero tolerance isn’t the principle that they’re out of here and
7:03:05 they’re gone.
7:03:06 So zero tolerance means they have to do what they have to do,
7:03:09 then it would go further.
7:03:10 So I think you said, are we prepared to listen to the four year
7:03:14 old incident.
7:03:15 So it, so we, there’s still, there’s a catch.
7:03:19 There’s still parts to it.
7:03:20 But again, it’s, it is so close to the end, but I didn’t think
7:03:26 if I could have two minutes.
7:03:27 Yeah.
7:03:28 All right.
7:03:29 So can I just, can I just finish this before we do it?
7:03:31 All right.
7:03:32 We have the cell phone strictly enforced.
7:03:34 We saw it.
7:03:35 We talked about that.
7:03:36 We had the bus.
7:03:37 We had the bus the same as the class.
7:03:41 As far as incidences, we had the referral process on the bus to
7:03:44 be cleaned up.
7:03:45 We have parents on the bus are going to be trespassed.
7:03:48 And where they already agreed.
7:03:50 Is there anybody that has anything against enforcing those,
7:03:53 those things?
7:03:54 I would like Mr. Trent to finish this question about the zero
7:03:57 tolerance.
7:03:57 Okay.
7:03:58 All right.
7:03:59 So, and I’ll leave names out of this.
7:04:01 I have to read this almost, almost word for word, but to go to
7:04:04 the point of what do we do
7:04:06 with our teachers and our, and the students.
7:04:09 And then it also goes with Jonathan, it said about when we send
7:04:12 our kids to school, there’s
7:04:13 a minimum expectation of our kids being able to learn.
7:04:16 And so they wanted to reach out to me, some things that are
7:04:19 going at whatever school wanted
7:04:21 to know if you could point me in the right direction.
7:04:22 There’s a child in our kindergarten class that has become very
7:04:24 violent, throwing chairs,
7:04:26 flipping tables, removing his clothes and shoes, punching, slapping
7:04:29 and attacking students.
7:04:30 I spend time in the classroom.
7:04:32 This is an IA and witness it with my own eyes.
7:04:35 It’s horrifying.
7:04:36 They removed the boy for approximately five minutes.
7:04:37 And then he was brought back.
7:04:38 The terror then starts over again.
7:04:40 Nothing is being taught because the teacher spends the entire
7:04:43 day trying to keep the children
7:04:45 safe.
7:04:46 I had a meeting with principal and basically tells me they had
7:04:49 no idea this was happening.
7:04:51 Untrue.
7:04:52 They later said that the principal said that their hands were
7:04:55 tied and there’s nothing they
7:04:56 can do to do to protect the other children in the class.
7:05:00 Any advice would be amazing.
7:05:02 Thank you.
7:05:03 This is going on.
7:05:04 I reached out to just kindergarten teachers, you know, just
7:05:08 talking to them and saying,
7:05:09 is this normal?
7:05:11 My biggest response from teachers during this campaign was on
7:05:16 discipline was not junior high,
7:05:19 which we all thought that was the case, not high school.
7:05:21 It’s at the K-3 kids that the behavior is unbelievable.
7:05:26 There’s at least five to seven teachers I’ve spoken to before,
7:05:29 before the election that
7:05:30 said, um, I will not finish.
7:05:32 I mean, I’ll finish up this semester and I’m not coming back.
7:05:34 There is no ALC.
7:05:35 I taught at the ALC.
7:05:36 One of the concerns there was there’s nothing for the younger
7:05:40 group, but we can’t keep turning
7:05:42 a blind eye thinking that nothing is happening or we must keep
7:05:45 these kids in these classrooms
7:05:46 because we will have no teachers to teach these kids, but he
7:05:48 just will not do it.
7:05:49 So you’re recommending putting a three or five year old kid in
7:05:53 an ALC.
7:05:53 That’s not what I said.
7:05:54 What I said was that the people that were in the wonderful
7:05:57 people that run our ALC just
7:05:59 said that there is a major concern of theirs when they talk to
7:06:02 the teachers out in our district,
7:06:03 that there is no alternative for these kids and we need to talk
7:06:07 about it.
7:06:07 Otherwise we’ll have no one to teach these kids.
7:06:09 They’re being bit, slapped, peed on, whatever you want to say.
7:06:14 And that is not what we should be putting up in our, in our, in
7:06:18 our kids, in our, in our classrooms.
7:06:19 It’s not fair to the other kids.
7:06:20 But sir, but sir, I would hope that this board.
7:06:24 We’ll consider, like I said, the flicker rate.
7:06:27 You got 30 and I’m going, I don’t quote some numbers to you.
7:06:30 Mr. Bernard, if we can get it in 30 seconds, because we’re
7:06:33 coming under here.
7:06:33 And I totally agree with being, if they’re ready for
7:06:35 kindergarten or not.
7:06:36 That’s not the issue at this point.
7:06:37 But you, but they are getting ready for kindergarten.
7:06:40 If you look at the data, 39% of at least my African American
7:06:43 children, they are not, they are below the flicker level.
7:06:49 So we need to invest money in that.
7:06:51 Okay.
7:06:52 But I just, I’m, I’m really heartbroken by that because I’m
7:06:55 looking at a baby that you looking at judging pretty critically.
7:07:00 How about the other 25 babies that are in that classroom?
7:07:03 Hang on.
7:07:06 Let me finish one last thing.
7:07:07 I hope this board will consider, I hope this board will consider
7:07:11 putting a lot of effort in parental engagement.
7:07:13 Absolutely.
7:07:14 Parental engagement is the key.
7:07:16 If you look at the drivers that’s driving a school that is
7:07:19 successful.
7:07:20 Absolutely.
7:07:21 The number one and number two issues are leadership and parental
7:07:25 engagement.
7:07:26 Absolutely.
7:07:27 So I hope that you consider that because if the parents are not
7:07:32 engaged, you aren’t going to have that relationship that is.
7:07:34 Absolutely.
7:07:35 I think that’s one of the cornerstones of what these individuals
7:07:37 ran on and we all support.
7:07:38 Hang on.
7:07:39 Ms. Jenkins.
7:07:41 I just want to finish.
7:07:42 Ms. Jenkins.
7:07:43 Please just let me finish this.
7:07:44 Just for a second.
7:07:45 Ms. Susan.
7:07:46 We are here on a round table for everyone having to speak.
7:07:47 Ms. Jenkins.
7:07:48 You don’t have the right to speak right now.
7:07:49 I actually have the right.
7:07:50 We are equal parties on this board.
7:07:51 Ms. Jenkins.
7:07:53 I am the chair of the meeting.
7:07:54 I will give you a second to speak.
7:07:55 Ms. Susan.
7:07:56 We are well aware that you’re the chair.
7:07:57 Ms. Jenkins, out of order.
7:07:58 Ms. Jenkins, you’re out of order.
7:07:59 I don’t hear.
7:08:00 Please, I will give you the opportunity to speak.
7:08:01 Let me finish.
7:08:02 Mr. Trent.
7:08:03 Let me finish, Ms. Jenkins, please.
7:08:05 So, real quick, we were speaking to the zero tolerance.
7:08:14 Are we moving forward with saying that we will enforce zero
7:08:19 tolerance in our school?
7:08:20 As far as I’m concerned, yes.
7:08:21 I’m with it.
7:08:22 Ms. Jenkins, please.
7:08:23 And I will speak to you in a second.
7:08:26 I am okay with it.
7:08:27 Are you okay?
7:08:28 And I will let you speak, Ms. Jenkins.
7:08:29 Ms. Jenkins.
7:08:30 Yeah, I’m okay with it as well.
7:08:31 We have board direction on zero tolerance.
7:08:33 Do we have board direct, and Ms. Jenkins, I apologize.
7:08:35 I won’t get through to it.
7:08:36 Do we have board direction on enforcement of cell phone strictly?
7:08:39 You don’t have board direction on zero tolerance.
7:08:40 That’s what I’m trying to speak to.
7:08:41 We just did.
7:08:42 No, I didn’t speak to it.
7:08:43 So, Ms. Jenkins.
7:08:44 This is a discussion of zero tolerance.
7:08:46 I want to speak to what Mr. Trent said.
7:08:48 Ms. Jenkins.
7:08:51 No.
7:08:52 Ms. Jenkins.
7:08:53 I have to finish.
7:08:54 We have running out of time.
7:08:55 Ms. Jenkins.
7:08:56 No, sir.
7:08:57 That is why we’re here today.
7:08:58 Ms. Jenkins.
7:08:59 I am, yeah.
7:09:00 Okay.
7:09:01 Ms. Campbell.
7:09:02 Are you enforcement of cell phone?
7:09:05 Ms. Jenkins, I will give you the opportunity.
7:09:08 What I am in agreement of is for all of our secondary schools to
7:09:12 do what, for example, the schools where my kids are going right
7:09:17 now.
7:09:17 While they’re in the classroom.
7:09:18 They can have them in the hallways.
7:09:19 They can have them at lunchtime.
7:09:20 But while they’re in the classroom.
7:09:21 While they’re in the classroom.
7:09:23 They need to be off and away every electronic device.
7:09:26 Yes.
7:09:27 Thank you.
7:09:28 Now, Ms. Jenkins.
7:09:29 Thank you so much.
7:09:30 I just wanted to give you the opportunity to speak, but I needed
7:09:32 to get through those things.
7:09:32 Thank you.
7:09:33 Okay.
7:09:34 But you don’t get to go line by line by line and ask every other
7:09:37 member of the board their opinion on it and then come to me.
7:09:40 That’s not how that works.
7:09:41 We are equally elected officials.
7:09:43 Mr. Susan.
7:09:44 May I remind you again.
7:09:46 Mr. Trent.
7:09:47 Thank you for saying what you said.
7:09:49 I 100% believe those teachers who spoke to you.
7:09:52 100%.
7:09:53 Those things are happening.
7:09:54 But we do need to consider what our staff is telling us.
7:09:57 And what our legal department tells us.
7:10:00 That the zero tolerance policy.
7:10:02 We have to look a little deeper at the repercussions of our
7:10:05 little kids.
7:10:05 Okay.
7:10:06 Doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be consequences.
7:10:08 There already are consequences.
7:10:10 I’m assuming.
7:10:11 So where are we failing in those consequences?
7:10:15 Are they being followed through?
7:10:17 Are they happening?
7:10:18 That is the part of the conversation that we need to have.
7:10:21 We don’t just need to have a zero tolerance policy.
7:10:24 We need to also talk about the things that are not being
7:10:27 implemented currently right now that exist in policy.
7:10:30 That’s not pushing aside the concerns of our teachers and
7:10:33 pretending they don’t exist.
7:10:35 They are there.
7:10:36 They are real.
7:10:37 But we also need to address the reality of not really thinking
7:10:42 it’s a great idea to kick a four-year-old out of school for an
7:10:46 entire year.
7:10:46 Because what kind of kids do you think you’re going to get when
7:10:48 you get that five-year-old in kindergarten?
7:10:50 Yeah.
7:10:51 It doesn’t make sense.
7:10:52 We’re an educational institution.
7:10:53 We have to look deeper into that problem to find a more
7:10:57 realistic solution.
7:10:58 And I want to say one last thing.
7:11:02 This meeting came together saying we wanted the community.
7:11:05 We wanted teachers.
7:11:07 And there have been so many times where we have pushed back, got
7:11:11 rude with, and shut down community members who normally don’t
7:11:15 have the opportunity to speak to you.
7:11:17 You invited them here as a guest.
7:11:20 They’re telling you their concerns, what they’re hearing, what
7:11:23 they’re feeling, and what they need to know.
7:11:25 You need to respect that.
7:11:29 I have a hard time.
7:11:31 I just, I’m going to let you speak, but I just want to let you
7:11:34 know that the meeting is four o’clock.
7:11:36 So if you guys don’t mind, I’ll extend for five minutes and
7:11:39 allow everybody to kind of make their last minute speeches.
7:11:41 We’re going to have a hard time bringing parents in if it’s
7:11:48 viewed as a dictatorship.
7:11:51 If our board cannot come together and respect each other as they
7:11:58 talk, and you are leading our county, how in the world are you
7:12:05 going to be able to hear parents who may have a difference of
7:12:09 opinions?
7:12:09 It now makes sense why our teachers are struggling and having a
7:12:14 problem.
7:12:15 Because it sounds like it’s execution and parenting.
7:12:21 But if we can’t execute for our teachers, and then now we need
7:12:25 our parents really back involved.
7:12:27 If I’m a community leader slash parent and I can’t be heard.
7:12:30 And then I have teachers sitting here saying that they haven’t
7:12:33 been heard.
7:12:34 Leadership, you have to look at yourself.
7:12:38 It sounds like you need to have an internal conversation and
7:12:43 bring someone else in to help navigate.
7:12:46 Because this is embarrassing.
7:12:48 It’s embarrassing.
7:12:50 And you guys are the leaders of our community right now.
7:12:54 The leaders of our children.
7:12:56 And we cannot have this displayed.
7:13:00 And then bring parents in.
7:13:02 And then expect we’re really going to come to a solution for our
7:13:06 teachers.
7:13:06 And this is me on the outside looking in.
7:13:10 And anyone that’s looking in online, it’s an embarrassment for
7:13:15 Brevard County.
7:13:16 We have to respect each other and do better at leadership.
7:13:21 Thank you.
7:13:22 Mr. Young, you had one last thing.
7:13:24 Yeah, one last part.
7:13:25 I thought if I could end on a positive note.
7:13:27 Excuse me.
7:13:28 Pardon my voice.
7:13:29 I teach all day.
7:13:30 So just wanted to let you guys know that policy is wonderful and
7:13:34 we can do things with policy.
7:13:35 But if we could just see an attitudinal shift toward respecting
7:13:40 our teachers in the community.
7:13:42 Just say thank you.
7:13:44 Just appreciate the sacrifices that I don’t get off at 3:30 when
7:13:48 my kids leave.
7:13:49 That I take all that work home.
7:13:51 That I take their emotional baggage home with me.
7:13:54 Just like all my colleagues do.
7:13:56 If we could just bring some respect and collegial professionalism
7:14:01 back to how parents, communities, and teachers treat each other.
7:14:06 Like in other countries.
7:14:08 We’re falling behind other countries in education is because it’s
7:14:13 revered in other cultures.
7:14:15 It’s not an afterthought.
7:14:17 It’s not something you pay with what’s left over in the budget.
7:14:21 It’s prioritized on a national level.
7:14:24 That’s right.
7:14:25 And so I love what we’ve done.
7:14:27 And I think there’s good work.
7:14:29 But there’s weeds in every garden.
7:14:31 Yes.
7:14:32 And we need to pull some weeds both personally.
7:14:34 Right.
7:14:35 And how we interact with each other.
7:14:37 But please.
7:14:38 Continue to help us grow as teachers.
7:14:41 We want to get better.
7:14:42 We want to be better for your kids.
7:14:44 And we want to be there in January.
7:14:46 But some people are literally dying.
7:14:49 They’re literally, their health is failing because of the
7:14:53 scenarios we continue to put them in.
7:14:55 So I’m just telling you, the adults in the building, and this
7:15:00 could go for bus drivers, cafeteria workers, IAs, the whole nine.
7:15:04 Custodians, they’re there because they love what they do and
7:15:08 they want to make a difference in their community.
7:15:11 Just go tell them.
7:15:12 It doesn’t cost anything.
7:15:14 It doesn’t cost you a stamp if you want to mail something.
7:15:16 It costs you an email button.
7:15:18 Just tell them how much they mean to you.
7:15:21 Even if all they do is babysit your kid.
7:15:24 Even if all they did was keep them safe for six and a half hours.
7:15:27 Just tell them what they mean to you.
7:15:29 Because I still treasure.
7:15:31 I get the lucky blessing of being a teacher of the year.
7:15:35 And I got to be celebrated as the educator.
7:15:37 I always thought it could be.
7:15:39 But there are thousands of teachers that go every day wondering,
7:15:43 can I make a difference?
7:15:46 And you can be the one that helps them.
7:15:48 I’m telling you.
7:15:49 There’s so many teachers I talk off ledges on a given day
7:15:53 because they want to quit.
7:15:54 They want to be done.
7:15:55 And some I haven’t successfully been able to.
7:15:57 And they left.
7:15:58 But they might have been one word, one difference away from
7:16:02 saying I’m going to stay.
7:16:04 I’m going to do this again.
7:16:05 And this goes out to my students if they’re listening.
7:16:07 I love you so much.
7:16:09 I’m so thankful for you.
7:16:10 And my family’s 20 years of teaching.
7:16:14 And I still got all the energy I ever had.
7:16:16 Because of them.
7:16:18 Not because of this.
7:16:19 No offense.
7:16:20 It’s because of them.
7:16:21 So let’s keep our why our why.
7:16:23 Thank you, Mr. Young.
7:16:24 I think if everybody here that was here today, there’s a lot of
7:16:29 passion because there’s different angles on everything.
7:16:31 But I truly appreciate everybody that came today.
7:16:34 We do have a series of deliverables.
7:16:36 Miss Samantha, is it absolutely necessary?
7:16:38 Yes.
7:16:39 I hope this is not a one stop shop or a way to appease us.
7:16:42 No, it’s not.
7:16:43 I’d like to know when are we going to meet again.
7:16:45 Yeah.
7:16:46 I think what I’m going to do is meet with staff this week.
7:16:48 And then on the 13th, I’ll announce some more formidable plans
7:16:52 and things like that.
7:16:53 I really appreciate your time.
7:16:56 I really appreciate everything that everybody did here today.
7:16:58 We’re here because of the kids and that’s what we’re here for.
7:17:01 So thank you so much.
7:17:02 Thank you.
7:17:03 And with that, we’re done.
7:17:05 Good job.