Updates on the Fight for Quality Public Education in Brevard County, FL
0:30 (upbeat music)
1:00 (upbeat music continues)
17:55 - Good morning, the December 8th Special Board Meeting
17:57 is now in order.
17:58 Call, roll call, please.
18:00 - Mr. Susan.
18:01 - Here.
18:02 - Ms. Wright.
18:03 - Here.
18:04 - Ms. Jenkins.
18:04 - Here.
18:05 - Ms. Campbell.
18:06 - Present.
18:07 - Mr. Tran.
18:08 - Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.
18:14 I pledge allegiance to the flag
18:17 of the United States of America
18:19 and to the Republic for which it stands,
18:22 one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty
18:25 and justice for all.
18:35 - Thank you everybody for being here today.
18:37 What we have is 43 speakers
18:39 that are eventually gonna speak.
18:40 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 The first one’s gonna be why we are here.
18:52 We’ll speak to that.
18:53 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
19:14 to allow speakers to speak three minutes
19:16 since we’re still under the previous policy
19:18 and the ability to address the board by name.
19:20 Do I have a motion?
19:21 - 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?
19:33 All right.
19:34 - Sorry, I guess I didn’t have a discussion.
19:36 - Did you want to discuss the fact
19:38 that we have three minutes in those?
19:41 There was a speaking policy.
19:42 - I’m not sure what we’re speaking on.
19:45 - Discipline policy.
19:46 So we also have 43 speakers of which eight of them,
19:51 43 speakers, eight of which are actual on discipline.
19:56 I would make it to where the others
19:57 that wish to speak on the 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
20:07 so that we can take the discipline people now
20:10 and take the book review people
20:12 when it is 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.
20:18 - Hold on, I have a question.
20:20 - Okay, do I have a second?
20:22 Do I have a second to the motion?
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
20:34 for public comment,
20:35 they put what they’re speaking to on that list,
20:37 but my gut says there’s probably people
20:39 who are speaking to more than one thing
20:41 and there’s no way for you to know
20:42 which one they wanna speak about.
20:44 - Yes, correct, correct.
20:46 - There’s also a spot that they can speak to
20:48 that are on there.
20:50 And it says description of comments
20:52 and it says complete agenda item title.
20:54 So if we’re going to allow people
20:56 to just start saying one thing or another,
20:58 they have the opportunity to write it down.
20:59 They have the opportunity to present themselves.
21:02 And I would, you know–
21:03 - Mr. Susan, I would argue that people
21:06 might have just filled out one thing
21:08 ‘cause it satisfied the requirement to speak to the agenda.
21:11 And they knew the rest of the things
21:12 they’re speaking about are on the agenda
21:14 and they may not have written it.
21:16 - But if that’s the will of the board, then that’s fine.
21:18 But what I’d like to do is move forward
21:19 with some expedience towards some of the,
21:23 you know, if these people all put down
21:24 that they’re gonna speak to the book review,
21:26 then that’s fine.
21:27 So we have a motion and a second.
21:29 - More discussion.
21:30 - More discussion, go ahead.
21:31 - Yeah, 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,
21:39 ‘cause I, the idea that people might have to wait
21:42 and there’s, we have a pretty hefty agenda.
21:45 So I know we didn’t approve the agenda at the meeting.
21:48 So I just, I think we might even get
21:51 to some of these things.
21:51 Hopefully they’re in the order that you wanna handle them.
21:53 ‘Cause I think we might get to this afternoon
21:54 and say, you know what, we’re, we’ve gone seven hours.
21:56 Can we table some of these for later?
21:58 So hopefully they’re in the order that you prioritize
22:01 that you wanted to discuss them.
22:01 - That’s what an agenda is.
22:03 - Okay, but sometimes we changed around
22:05 and we didn’t have that opportunity.
22:08 So the second thing is that if there are people came
22:12 to speak to, for example,
22:13 I don’t know if anybody signed up for public comment policy
22:15 or the book poll review or the salary payout,
22:21 ‘cause I haven’t seen the list,
22:22 but it would be good for them to be aware
22:24 they’ve signed up.
22:25 They may not get the chance to speak until,
22:27 for example, after lunch.
22:28 So I have no idea how this,
22:30 how you have planned for this morning to go
22:32 or how long you have designated for it.
22:35 But I think it’s fair to the people who come to speak
22:37 to realize it might be four or five hours.
22:40 They’ll get some breakfast, lunch, whatever, and come back.
22:43 Or I don’t know, it may probably be good
22:46 just for their sakes to know what to expect.
22:51 - Absolutely, so everybody has the agenda.
22:53 It’s been posted online.
22:54 We’ve actually due them the dual notice
22:56 through the Florida today.
22:58 We have all of those items are gonna be there.
23:00 I foresee the discipline policy taking till about 11, 1130.
23:04 And I would like to reduce that amount of time
23:06 for our guests by putting forward the discipline speakers.
23:11 I, to be honest with you,
23:13 there’s just a lot of people here that would like to speak
23:16 and would like to get moving on the discipline policy.
23:18 And if people put down book review,
23:20 I’d like to give them the appropriate time.
23:22 Because if you come out now and speak at the book review,
23:25 then all of a sudden it’s a couple hours later,
23:29 there may have been something that you wanted to speak to.
23:31 Plus it allows us to expediate the process,
23:33 allows us to get moving on what we came here to do
23:35 and listen to the people.
23:36 And if they put down book review,
23:37 then they put down book review, that’s it.
23:39 So thank you.
23:40 - So you made a statement that you are worried about
23:44 the time of our guests and I hear you,
23:45 but the audience is our guests as well.
23:47 And you invited them for public comment
23:49 and have a right to say what you’re saying.
23:51 - Absolutely, Ms. Jenkins.
23:52 And there’s no issue that you’re saying.
23:53 You’re just saying that if you put down as a book review
23:56 that you’re speaking on that,
23:57 that you should be able to speak to that.
23:59 And if you’re speaking to the discipline,
24:00 you should be able to speak to that.
24:01 If the will of the board is to continue down that line,
24:03 then that’s fine, I have no problem with it.
24:04 It was just a suggestion for the guests that are here.
24:07 So we have a vote.
24:08 Does anybody else have any other discussion on the item?
24:11 All right, all these in favor signify by saying aye.
24:15 - Aye.
24:19 - All opposed.
24:21 Got that.
24:22 All right, four one, the motion passes.
24:25 So one of the first things that I wanted to do
24:28 is we’re gonna separate the individuals
24:30 from the discipline to the book review.
24:31 We have those individuals are gonna be Benny Jackson,
24:35 Josephine Hunter, Katie Delaney, Kelly Curvin, Lisa Ray,
24:38 Hialeah Mercer, Charna Berry.
24:41 The rest of everybody else will speak
24:42 to the book review later.
24:44 The first–
24:45 - Oh no, wait a minute.
24:46 (muffled speaking)
24:51 - Just hang on, just hang on.
24:53 (muffled speaking)
24:57 - 13 and 14.
25:02 (muffled speaking)
25:04 - Give me just a second to go through it
25:05 because they had it written differently on the form.
25:08 Thank you.
25:12 Anybody who put down discipline will be speaking.
25:14 We’ll go through that.
25:14 We’ll redo the list as we’re getting through
25:16 the why we’re here.
25:17 All right, so everybody that I want you to understand,
25:20 some individuals came from around the county
25:23 and around the state.
25:24 We have a couple of individuals that are here
25:26 from different school districts.
25:28 Online, we have nearly about 19 school districts
25:31 that we’re gonna call in from various places
25:33 all the way from the Panhandle down to Collier,
25:36 over to the East Coast.
25:37 And we actually have some that are staying here.
25:39 Ms. Wright, did you wanna introduce
25:41 your school board members that you have here?
25:42 - Yeah, absolutely.
25:44 We do have some esteemed individuals in the room today
25:47 and I would like to recognize them
25:48 because they did take time out of their day
25:50 to come and see what we’re doing as far as our discipline.
25:51 It shows that they are dedicated to their district as well
25:55 and trying to resolve the issue of discipline
25:57 within the classroom.
25:58 So we have a couple of individuals
26:00 from Indian River County.
26:01 So Dr. Jean Pascoe is here and he is part of their board.
26:03 And then we also have Ms. Jackie Rosario
26:07 and she is part of the Indian River County board as well.
26:11 We also have another individual
26:12 but they are on a conference call in the car,
26:14 but Jesse Thompson from Flagler has come as well.
26:17 And again, it just demonstrates the dedication
26:19 that we all have to improving our school system.
26:22 So I’m grateful for them to take time out of their day
26:23 and come here and be part of this.
26:26 - Thank you.
26:27 So now we’re gonna go around the room
26:29 with all the individuals that are here
26:31 and then the board members at the end
26:33 as to the reason that we feel we’re here.
26:36 Board members, if you don’t have anything
26:37 that you would like to say, that’s fine.
26:39 But I wanted to give our opportunity to our people
26:41 that are sitting at the table to tell our why.
26:43 And the first group that I wanted to bring up
26:45 was Anthony Colucci.
26:51 - Good morning, everyone.
26:53 Thank you all for being here and participating
26:56 in this important board meeting.
27:00 Thank you, Mr. Susan, for holding this meeting.
27:04 For a long time, the teachers of Brevard County
27:06 have been asking that these board meetings
27:09 focus on their most pressing issues.
27:11 And our most pressing issue right now is school discipline.
27:15 I appreciate the first question Mr. Susan asked
27:20 is why we’re here.
27:21 And I wanna say why we’re here
27:24 is because teaching can be the best,
27:27 most rewarding, joyful profession there is.
27:32 Nothing is more rewarding than watching students learn.
27:36 Learning can be such a joyful experience for students.
27:40 And that’s what we’re trying to do
27:42 is return the joy of teaching and learning
27:45 to our classrooms in Brevard County
27:47 and make sure that once again,
27:49 we are the best public school in the state of Florida,
27:53 public school system.
27:56 One thing that we’re gonna be asking
27:58 is that honest feedback becomes the norm
28:01 in the school district, not the exception.
28:04 And it has been the exception in the school district
28:07 and it’s hurt our school district
28:09 because we’ve been afraid to be honest.
28:11 And we’re gonna present some honest feedback from teachers.
28:16 And question has been, what is BFT seeing?
28:20 What does BFT think about this?
28:21 What’s going on?
28:23 So what I’m gonna present to you are some incidents
28:27 that have come into our call log this year.
28:30 Our call log is how our secretary records
28:35 calls into our office and we get back to them.
28:38 So this is gonna be the raw information
28:41 that’s given to the BFT officers.
28:45 Keep in mind, this does not include
28:47 the hundreds of emails we receive,
28:49 the members who come into our office, our school visits.
28:53 These are just the calls that have come in.
28:59 Incident one, BPS needs to give more support,
29:03 losing control of school.
29:05 Incident two, getting beat up by students.
29:09 Incident three, a student threw a basketball in her face.
29:13 Sixth grade, she had to go to the ER.
29:16 Incident four, teacher has a student
29:20 who won’t stop walking out of his classroom.
29:23 Incident five, student attacked three teachers today.
29:27 Incident six, a kid bit her on Friday.
29:30 The bite mark on her arm is the size of an orange.
29:33 Incident seven, a student made an action threat,
29:37 shooting with his finger.
29:38 Incident eight, violent student in her room.
29:42 Incident nine, had a student masturbate in his class.
29:46 It was recorded by another student
29:48 and then shared in a group chat.
29:50 Incident 10, teaching an ESE class,
29:53 nine students in her class, five of them are violent.
29:56 She took all the desks and chairs out of the room
29:59 because they’re being thrown around the classroom.
30:01 Went to the doctor today
30:03 and her blood pressure is through the roof.
30:05 Had to take a drug test today
30:07 because a student attacked her.
30:08 She wants another assistant in her room.
30:11 She started to cry because it’s so horrible in her room.
30:14 Incident 11, she has two students that should not,
30:18 she has two students that should not be in the same homeroom.
30:21 She asked administration to move one of them
30:25 but was told it was not possible.
30:27 Incident 12, aggressive fourth grade student.
30:30 Incident 13, principal asked him to take some students
30:34 that have discipline problems in his room.
30:36 He wants to refuse.
30:38 Incident 14, walked out, horrible.
30:41 Incident 15, problems with discipline at her school.
30:45 Incident 16, violent student.
30:47 Last week, he threatened to shoot up the school.
30:50 She is scared.
30:51 Sixth grade and there was a threat assessment made.
30:54 Incident 17, she told the student he could do his work
30:58 but his attitude is getting in the way.
31:00 She wrote him up seven times.
31:01 Second grade, he throws his desk.
31:04 The SRO had to carry him out.
31:06 Incident 18, student was in ISS on Monday.
31:09 On Tuesday, she moved to sea, still a problem,
31:12 called administration to come and get him.
31:15 Mother emailed accusing her of asking him
31:17 if he were on drugs.
31:18 Admin seems to be blaming her.
31:21 Incident 19, student recorded her admonishing the class
31:25 for making fun of a student with autism.
31:28 Incident 20, he confiscated a cell phone from a student.
31:32 It was not the student’s phone.
31:34 So the other student, upon realizing he had the phone,
31:37 ran to the front of the room, body checked him
31:39 into the whiteboard, cutting his hand.
31:41 When he told her that she assaulted a teacher,
31:44 she said she didn’t give a bleep.
31:46 Incident 21, possible teacher authority law.
31:50 Incident 22, kids in her class are out of control.
31:53 Incident 23, a student threw a tape dispenser
31:57 and hit her between her eyes.
31:58 She did an accident report, taking drug tests tomorrow.
32:02 Incident 24, student has been tiled twice.
32:05 School is on lockdown for over an hour today.
32:09 Those are the phone calls that are coming into our office.
32:13 These are the experiences of our teachers
32:16 and our students in our classroom.
32:20 When this is going on,
32:21 we cannot have a joyful profession.
32:24 We cannot have joyful learning conditions.
32:27 We need to work together to make sure that this changes.
32:32 When we have safe schools, safe learning environment,
32:37 a welcoming learning environment for everyone,
32:41 our students will achieve more.
32:43 Our schools will be better.
32:45 I want to ask, we have some classroom teachers here today,
32:50 and I’m gonna ask them to say a few words.
32:53 First teacher I’m gonna ask to say a few words
32:55 is Matthew Yau.
32:57 He is a fifth grade teacher
32:59 at Imperial Estates Elementary School in Titusville.
33:02 He’s a former Brevard County Teacher of the Year.
33:06 - Thank you guys for having me here today.
33:08 Good morning, my name is Matthew Yau,
33:10 and I’ve been teaching in Brevard County for over 20 years.
33:13 I currently teach fifth grade
33:14 to some of the most amazing students in Brevard County
33:16 at Imperial Estates Elementary in Titusville.
33:19 I get the honor of working with outstanding teachers,
33:21 staff, and administrators every day.
33:23 With that said, I’ve also watched dozens of my peers
33:27 and friends leave their classrooms, schools,
33:30 or the profession entirely.
33:32 When asked what led them to that decision,
33:34 there are common themes of increasing demands,
33:37 non-competitive pay, and general lack of support.
33:40 Moreover, an almost universal reason
33:43 is the deterioration of student behavior
33:46 over the past several years.
33:48 And before we put the blame squarely on the pandemic,
33:50 I would postulate that the pandemic was an accelerant
33:53 to a fire that was already raging.
33:56 While I would concede
33:57 that there has always been student misbehavior,
33:59 the severity and frequency
34:00 to which disruptive and dangerous behavior
34:02 is occurring in the classrooms across our county
34:05 should cause deep concern and immediate action.
34:09 In many schools, we have egregious behaviors,
34:11 as Anthony described,
34:14 that are a very real threat to student and teacher safety.
34:17 We have students committing assault
34:18 on battery-owned teachers, staff, and other students.
34:21 We have elopement from classrooms, throwing of objects,
34:24 sexual harassment and misconduct,
34:26 spitting, biting, destruction of property, drug use,
34:29 and theft occurring on a daily basis
34:31 throughout our county.
34:32 Now, this does not even begin to describe
34:34 the litany of other behaviors
34:35 that teachers and staff have to deal with,
34:38 all the while trying to protect students
34:40 and teach them the necessary skills for life.
34:43 While less severe, most teachers have to handle
34:46 frequent and repeated disrespect and defiance
34:49 from a small subset of their students.
34:52 This kind of a constant disruption
34:53 jeopardizes the learning environment
34:55 for the rest of the students.
34:57 Our students have a right to learn
34:58 in an environment free from danger
35:00 and continual distraction.
35:02 We cannot let the actions of the few
35:04 take our classrooms and our school campuses hostage.
35:07 I wanna make sure to keep these problems in context.
35:10 I believe that the vast majority of our students
35:13 are eager, respectful learners
35:15 who look forward to learning new things
35:17 if provided with the opportunity to do so.
35:21 However, I also believe that it is paramount
35:24 that we fight to preserve that spirit
35:26 by focusing on the two biggest issues
35:28 when it comes to behavior, severe and/or dangerous behavior
35:33 and frequent escalating disrespect and conduct
35:35 from a small portion of our overall student population.
35:39 To feel supported and valued is all most teachers want.
35:42 I feel that some ways the school board
35:44 can support these teachers and their students
35:46 is one, empower our administrators
35:48 and school resource officers
35:50 to address criminal behavior on school campuses.
35:53 Two, establish a well-defined discipline ladder
35:57 that all stakeholders can understand
35:59 with clear repercussions for repeated problematic behavior.
36:03 And three, form stronger community partnerships
36:06 with a focus on bringing more mental health resources
36:09 to our campuses for students, families, and our employees.
36:13 I will conclude with what I hope is an obvious statement.
36:16 When our schools are fully staffed
36:18 with well-qualified people who love working with kids,
36:21 school discipline and school culture improves.
36:24 Please continue to keep teacher and staff retention
36:27 and recruitment efforts
36:28 at the forefront of our district priorities
36:31 as these two issues are inextricably linked.
36:34 Thank you for your time and consideration
36:35 on these critical issues.
36:40 - Thank you, Matt.
36:41 (audience applauding)
36:45 Now we’ll hear from Sandy Edwards.
36:48 Sandy Edwards is our building representative
36:51 and a member of our bargaining team
36:53 from Bayside High School in Palm Bay.
36:55 She teaches AP Psychology and Sociology.
37:00 - I’m Sandy Edwards and I concur with both of everything.
37:05 Thank you.
37:07 With everything that’s already been said.
37:10 I have been teaching psychology and sociology
37:12 at Bayside for 17 years.
37:15 And I wanna thank the board for finally
37:18 letting us have this conversation.
37:21 I’m very passionate about it.
37:23 Every day I drive to school and I tell myself.
37:26 I drive from Viera to Bayside, so I have a long time.
37:29 - Can you open up the mic, please?
37:31 - Sorry, you think I could talk louder than that.
37:35 But every day I drive to work and I tell myself,
37:37 this is gonna be a new day, it’s gonna be a better day.
37:40 I’m not gonna let the kids get me down.
37:43 And again, it is not all of them.
37:46 It definitely is a big handful.
37:49 And so when I get to school,
37:50 I start my day with my first class.
37:54 I’m smiling, I’m joking.
37:56 And by midday I’m hanging on by a thread.
37:59 And I know that I’m not the only one
38:02 in my school who feels that way.
38:05 As a building rep, I hear stories
38:07 that would make you wanna cry.
38:08 And in fact, some of us do cry on a daily basis.
38:13 At times we have to call someone to come to our room
38:15 so that we can go have a little mini breakdown
38:18 in the bathroom.
38:19 Others will just drop off their keys and their badges
38:22 at the front office on their way out the door,
38:24 never to be seen again.
38:26 Which then leaves teachers struggling to cover classes
38:30 and admin to cover classes.
38:33 At Bayside, I will say that the violent behaviors
38:36 that we had at the beginning of last school year
38:39 have decreased, but the unbelievable disrespect
38:43 from the students and drug issues, they’ve increased.
38:47 Our concerns at Bayside, I’m not sure if this is where
38:51 I’m supposed to say this, but we need support of families
38:55 when dealing with disciplinary issues.
38:57 We need more personnel to manage the discipline issues.
39:01 Hall monitors, campus monitors, teachers on assignments.
39:05 We need more adults.
39:07 We need support of the district staff in the school board
39:10 when we’re requesting an alternate placement for students
39:13 who commit expelable offenses.
39:15 We need effective professional development for teachers
39:19 on how to manage the behaviors of the children
39:22 that are from generation Z because it is a different time.
39:28 So much of the disrespect and the discipline issues
39:31 seem to me to be direct result of cell phone issues.
39:36 That is really the biggest bane of my existence.
39:41 Until we as a district get a handle on the cell phones
39:44 and the earbuds, we’re just gonna be spinning our wheels
39:47 in the mud.
39:48 Our students cannot look away from their phones.
39:51 They cannot stop texting.
39:53 The dopamine rush that they’re getting from just picking up
39:57 the phone is greater high than any song and dance
40:00 I can ever do.
40:02 And I wear myself out trying to do song and dances.
40:06 I will stand in front of a student and I will specifically
40:09 say you’ve been told to put your phone away
40:12 and they will tell me they need to finish their message.
40:15 And I stand there watching them finish their message
40:18 and then set their phone right down where it’s gonna be
40:21 available to them.
40:23 I say put it away.
40:24 They put it between their legs waiting for the next thing
40:28 that they’re gonna be able to look at.
40:32 They don’t hear us when we speak to them
40:35 because they have things in their ears.
40:37 I’m lucky if someone says good morning to me
40:39 as they pass me coming into the classroom
40:42 because I will say hello and they’ll go,
40:45 I’m sorry, what did you say?
40:47 And they do that to us in class all day long.
40:52 Just on a side note, I had mentioned this
40:55 to a couple of people here.
40:57 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 in every one
41:05 of my classes to get a good daily average
41:09 of how many times they pick up the phone
41:12 to do anything with it, just pick it up.
41:14 Ironically enough, they had to use their phone
41:17 to find out that number.
41:21 The majority of kids were shocked.
41:23 I think some pick up their phones 400 plus times a day
41:28 during a school day.
41:30 I asked them to imagine that instead of picking up
41:33 their phones, they were eating a candy bar
41:36 or smoking a cigarette or taking a hit of cocaine,
41:40 that to try to make an analogy
41:42 between every time you pick up your phone,
41:44 that’s what you’re doing.
41:46 Some people would be in a diabetic coma
41:48 from candy bars 400 times a day.
41:53 We need help and I am so grateful that you’re doing this
41:57 and that I’m here today, thank you.
42:00 (audience applauding)
42:06 - Thank you, Anthony, for bringing people to the table
42:08 so that we can hear firsthand from our schools.
42:11 Next up is gonna be Delores, the president of the 1010 union
42:16 that includes IAs, bus drivers,
42:19 and all of our support staff, Ms. Delores.
42:23 - Good morning, everyone.
42:24 I’m so happy everybody’s here.
42:26 This is something we’ve needed to work on for a long time.
42:30 And I believe we all want the same thing.
42:33 We want our students and our staff to be safe
42:36 in a safe environment and we want them
42:38 to be in a good learning environment.
42:41 And that can’t be done with all the disruptions
42:44 and the chaos that goes in the classrooms and on the buses.
42:49 I am here for the support staff today
42:52 and I would like to say that our bus drivers,
42:57 that is an extension of the classrooms.
43:02 When the kids get on that bus, they should behave.
43:05 They should get on there and find their seat,
43:09 use inside voices.
43:10 They should never be throwing things
43:12 or yelling or cursing at the bus driver.
43:15 And if the way I look at it,
43:17 if the behavior isn’t allowed in the classroom,
43:22 we don’t feel like that it should be allowed on the buses.
43:24 And we know that there’s things going on in the classroom.
43:28 So we’re asking as we make the corrections
43:31 and we come together to come up
43:34 with a great discipline plan for the students
43:37 in the classrooms, that this also extends to the buses.
43:43 The driver’s classroom is behind them
43:46 instead of in front of them like a teacher.
43:48 And they’re driving 50 miles an hour in traffic.
43:52 Distractions can be deadly.
43:56 We feel students need to be held accountable
43:58 for their actions.
44:01 And a lot of times, and we don’t know,
44:03 we’re not blaming anyone,
44:06 but it seems like that it’s with a discipline,
44:09 it’s a hit or a miss, and more it’s a miss.
44:13 The bus drivers fill out their reports
44:16 and give them to the principals.
44:19 They never know if anything happened or not.
44:22 And usually the students back on the bus the next day
44:27 to do the very same things.
44:29 I don’t know if any of you seen on the news
44:33 where the one bus driver had pulled over
44:36 because her students were so out of control.
44:40 The news media portrayed that lady so badly.
44:43 And she is a wonderful, wonderful person.
44:47 She cares about the students.
44:50 And she was put in a very bad position that day.
44:55 So she had no other choice than to pull over
44:58 to try to get some control of the bus.
45:00 And it just got totally out of hand.
45:03 If people would see that video footage,
45:05 they would be so appalled for this lady,
45:08 how she was talked to, the F bombs that was thrown at her.
45:12 She was threatened by the students.
45:14 She was threatened by other people outside the bus.
45:18 I could hardly watch it all the way through.
45:21 It was so stressful for me.
45:23 So I can’t even imagine what it was like for her.
45:26 And I can’t imagine how she does that every day.
45:32 We really just need to do something
45:36 to help the bus drivers and the IAs
45:38 that are in those classrooms with the teachers
45:42 because the IAs in the classrooms
45:44 are being terribly abused.
45:49 Well, Alicia will talk about that
45:51 because she’s an IA right in the classroom.
45:54 And she goes through abuse every day.
45:57 And it’s so sad.
45:58 I have pictures of some of the things
46:01 that has happened to her being choked and scratched.
46:04 And something has to happen to protect our employees as well
46:12 as we work so hard to protect our students.
46:17 We had a 70-year-old bus driver that a student threw a water
46:22 bottle and hit him in the back of the head.
46:25 Now, can you imagine if he would have knocked him out?
46:29 What could have happened?
46:31 Well, when they talked to the student,
46:36 he said he or she, whatever the student was,
46:39 did not mean to hit him with the bottle.
46:44 Why was the student throwing a bottle to start with?
46:48 Why aren’t these students being held accountable?
46:50 This is the rules.
46:51 You get on the bus.
46:52 You sit.
46:53 You are quiet.
46:55 When it’s your turn to get off the bus,
46:56 you get up and exit the bus.
46:59 No fighting, no throwing, no cursing, no being out loud.
47:04 If you break these rules, there has to be consequences
47:08 and they have to be followed.
47:10 And to me, riding a bus is a privilege.
47:16 So if they can’t obey the rules of the bus,
47:20 you can’t ride the bus for a period of time, not just a day
47:25 or two days or three and back on the bus to do the same thing.
47:28 It should start at maybe a week or two.
47:32 I don’t know what the answer is.
47:33 I’m just throwing out suggestions to the point
47:36 to where they’re suspended from the bus
47:39 for the remainder of that term.
47:42 Something has to be done to protect our bus drivers
47:45 and our IAs in the classroom.
47:52 Normally, a student gets one to three suspensions
47:57 with 10 being the most.
47:59 They get suspended.
48:00 It’s a day.
48:01 It’s two days.
48:02 It doesn’t work because they know they’re
48:04 going to get back on the bus.
48:07 Now, when it comes to the ESE classrooms regarding
48:12 those students, we know there’s federal and state laws that are
48:16 going to need to be changed.
48:19 We want the students to be safe and in a safe environment.
48:23 And the employees working with these students
48:25 need to be safe from abuse at the hands of the students.
48:30 So we need changes.
48:33 And we believe this will take lawmakers
48:35 being involved working with us to bring
48:38 about these needed changes.
48:40 And I think we all believe that.
48:44 So with that said, I’m going to turn it over to Elisa.
48:47 She is an IA in a classroom.
48:50 And on the bus.
48:51 And on the bus, yes.
48:56 Good morning, everyone.
48:59 My name is Alicia Kelder House.
49:00 And I’m an instructional assistant
49:02 at Merritt Island High School.
49:04 This is my 19th year of service.
49:07 And I work with the most wonderful population, I think,
49:12 was our students with special needs.
49:14 And I feel like it was a calling for me.
49:19 And I love my job.
49:21 I love working with those students.
49:26 The last few years, it’s been more and more difficult,
49:30 though, with some of the discipline,
49:32 some of the behaviors that are coming into the classroom
49:35 and on the bus, which interrupt the learning environment
49:40 for other students.
49:43 There’s not enough staff to work with our kids who
49:46 need small group instruction because we are too busy dealing
49:52 with discipline problems, having to clear the classroom
49:56 on an almost daily basis.
50:01 Some of the IAs that I work with and myself,
50:04 we have to talk to each other in the morning
50:09 and motivate each other just to get to work
50:11 because we know what we’re going to face when we get there.
50:15 On an everyday basis, I’m deflecting,
50:18 being attacked, scratched, headbutted, 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.
50:38 And it’s on an everyday basis right now.
50:41 This is not always the norm because I certainly
50:45 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,
50:51 but it was not this type of severity.
50:55 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
51:03 and our employees.
51:05 We should be able to go to work and feel safe.
51:10 And our other children who are witnessing every day,
51:14 they’re witnessing myself and other people being attacked.
51:18 And also, children have been hurt
51:23 because they get away from you, and they
51:25 go to harm other students.
51:27 And it has happened, which is very hard for me to deal with
51:32 because I love all my kids so much.
51:35 And I want to protect them.
51:38 I want to do the best that I can for them.
51:40 And it’s not a matter of not having the support of
51:44 administration or anything.
51:46 They have their hands tied.
51:49 There are special circumstances, and I understand that.
51:52 And I understand that it’s going to take some time to change
51:56 the laws or amend things or something that can help
52:00 so that these kids and employees have a safe environment.
52:04 And I don’t want to be afraid to go to work every day.
52:08 I know I have students who are afraid every day
52:11 in the classroom.
52:14 And it’s just not fair to them.
52:17 And that’s actually what hurts my heart the most,
52:19 is having the other kids witness things that they
52:22 shouldn’t have to witness.
52:24 And another thing is when you work with students
52:28 that are nonverbal, we’re taught crisis prevention
52:31 and intervention.
52:32 And the main thing with that is verbal de-escalation.
52:35 When you have a nonverbal student,
52:38 how do you use verbal de-escalation?
52:41 Because you don’t get responses.
52:43 You don’t know how much they understand.
52:46 And there needs to be some sort of help or training.
52:52 We need more help at a district level,
52:54 a crisis prevention team, or something to help assist us.
52:57 ‘Cause there’s not enough of us.
52:59 And people aren’t taking the positions.
53:02 They’re trying to hire people.
53:04 But there’s not enough of us to go around to help everyone.
53:07 And nobody wants to apply for the job.
53:10 Because it doesn’t pay enough, and it’s dangerous.
53:16 So I just, I feel like there needs to be some short-term
53:21 help while we fight a long-term fight.
53:25 And any type of, even mental health counseling for us,
53:32 because we’re so stressed out.
53:34 And we take this home to our families.
53:36 I work, I leave my house at 6 a.m., I get home at 6 p.m.
53:40 I ride the bus four hours a day.
53:42 And I have these behaviors on the bus as well.
53:44 I have students that have padded seats because they hit.
53:51 And it’s pretty scary.
53:55 So I just want to see some changes to that.
53:58 There’s gotta be some sort of alternate placement or help,
54:03 just more support to help us in this situation.
54:09 I guess that’s all I have.
54:11 - Thank you, Ms. Kelderhouse.
54:12 (audience applauds)
54:17 I did, to lighten the mood a little bit,
54:20 Ms. Kelderhouse, I taught her son.
54:23 And Ms. Kelderhouse was also involved in bringing a,
54:26 what is it, about a 20-foot teepee to Space Coast?
54:28 - Diane Lodge.
54:30 - It’s legit, it’s a replica and was one of the greatest
54:33 things for our students to be able to see.
54:35 So not only do you lead inside 1010,
54:38 but you also help out with all this instruction
54:40 and stuff like that.
54:41 Thank you very much.
54:42 Ms. Varney, do you have anybody else that wishes to speak?
54:44 - Yes, Tracy Arzola.
54:47 She is our co-chair for our local 1010.
54:51 And also a mother of a student.
54:55 - Thank you.
54:57 - Hi, my name’s Tracy Arzola.
54:59 First up, I’d like to say thank you and good morning.
55:02 I know we’ve just discussed issues with bus drivers
55:05 and instructional assistants today,
55:07 as well as Teachers Union has spoke about teachers issues.
55:13 But from a parent standpoint,
55:16 first up, I’d like to start reading off a couple things
55:22 from Policy 5517-01, which is the bullying
55:27 and harassment policy.
55:30 Number one, it says the school board is committed
55:32 to providing an educational setting and workplace
55:34 that is safe, secure, and free from bullying
55:37 and harassment from all students and employees.
55:41 Number two says the board will not tolerate
55:43 unlawful bullying and harassment of any type.
55:47 Included in the general selection section,
55:50 number five states the superintendent shall develop
55:53 a comprehensive plan intended to prevent bullying
55:55 and harassment and to cultivate the school climate
55:58 so as to appropriately identify, report, investigate,
56:02 and respond to situations of bullying and harassment
56:06 as they may occur on school grounds
56:08 at school-sponsored events
56:09 and through school computer networks.
56:12 Most importantly, implementation of the plan
56:15 by each principal will be ongoing throughout the school year
56:19 and will be integrated with the school curriculum,
56:21 the bullying and prevention program,
56:24 district disciplinary policies,
56:26 and violence prevention efforts.
56:30 Also under section C, expected behavior,
56:33 number two states such behavior is essential
56:35 in maintaining an environment that provides each student
56:38 the opportunity to obtain a high-quality education
56:42 in a uniform, safe, secure, efficient,
56:45 and high-quality system of education.
56:48 I’m sorry, this has failed.
56:52 Not just in school, but on buses.
56:56 As an example, my son was an elementary student
56:59 at a BPS school for his last two years,
57:01 was bullied numerous times.
57:03 I would receive calls from the nurse’s office
57:05 with him crying, saying he didn’t feel well
57:08 or had a headache.
57:09 I had to leave work to pick him up
57:12 and go home and sit with him.
57:15 Finally, I started to pay a little more attention
57:17 and wonder what was really wrong.
57:20 He was never sick like this any other time.
57:24 So I talked to him and asked him, “What’s going on?”
57:28 Finally, I got some answers.
57:30 He was being bullied on the daily.
57:32 He was being hit by students, name calling,
57:35 pushed, shoved, just bullied.
57:42 I even talked to the SRO on campus.
57:45 She had noticed something was going on,
57:47 thought it was pretty odd that he was calling
57:49 all the time to go home.
57:51 So her being a mother and had students of her own
57:54 that were bullied, we had a good talk.
57:57 She told me she was gonna go talk to the principal,
57:59 to ask the principal if she could go
58:01 to all the fifth grade classes and speak to the children
58:04 so it wasn’t making it look obvious
58:06 that she was talking about my son.
58:09 I don’t know if that ever happened.
58:10 I never saw the SRO again after that.
58:14 I know they do get moved around, but I’m not sure.
58:17 When I did speak with the principal of the school,
58:21 I was told that they would investigate it.
58:24 A couple days had gone by and I didn’t hear anything,
58:26 so I made a call to the school myself.
58:30 She stated that there would be a letter coming in the mail
58:33 that they investigated, but nothing was caught on camera.
58:36 Henceforth, nothing was done.
58:40 A student who witnessed the incident
58:43 on more than one occasion even went to the principal
58:46 and notified the principal of what the student was seeing.
58:49 To me, that’s better than a camera.
58:52 Cameras don’t catch everything, we all know that.
58:58 A couple days later, I received a letter from the principal
59:01 and all it had in there was a school of choice form.
59:05 So basically, my son was being punished by saying,
59:08 “Here, you can switch schools, that’ll solve the problem.”
59:13 No, it won’t.
59:15 My bully will just move on to another child,
59:18 or my child will go to another school
59:20 and be bullied by someone else.
59:23 And that’s more of an inconvenience for my husband and I
59:25 because now we have to find a school for my child to go to,
59:29 we have to find out how he’s going to get back and forth
59:31 to the school, and he’s gonna have to meet new students
59:34 and hope that none of them bully him.
59:37 There’s a problem and it’s not being handled correctly.
59:43 The effect it had on my son was not fair to him or us.
59:48 His behavior changed, his grades went down,
59:52 he wanted to play sick from school more
59:54 so he wouldn’t have to go and deal with it.
59:57 This is not the kind of environment my son
1:00:00 should have to go through, or any other child.
1:00:03 I have another parent that I spoke with,
1:00:05 had two sons at the same school, was being bullied,
1:00:09 got nowhere with it, she withdrew them
1:00:11 with them in Brevard Virtual while she was
1:00:13 on a high-risk pregnancy at home.
1:00:18 Then they moved out of state because they were tired.
1:00:21 It just wasn’t right for them.
1:00:24 Something needs to be done.
1:00:26 I’m sorry, but for all of us in every single situation,
1:00:30 whether you’re a teacher, a student, a bus driver,
1:00:33 we spent millions on security, we got SROs on site,
1:00:38 we spent millions to keep danger out.
1:00:42 All we’re doing is caging it in.
1:00:47 Something needs to be done.
1:00:49 Thank you for your time and have a wonderful day.
1:00:51 (audience applauds)
1:00:58 - Thank you, Tracy, are you good?
1:01:01 Ms. Dolores, are you finished?
1:01:03 Go ahead.
1:01:06 - Something that both that they have pointed out
1:01:09 is the students that are there to learn.
1:01:12 They’re good students, they’re behaving,
1:01:14 they’re following the rules, but they can’t really learn
1:01:18 in the environment they’re in because of the disruptions
1:01:21 and the chaos, just like the bus video footage
1:01:24 that I watched with the lady down there
1:01:27 that had the problems.
1:01:30 There was four students on that bus that was wonderful.
1:01:34 They didn’t get involved in the chaos.
1:01:36 And at one point, one of the students I watched
1:01:39 even try to comfort the bus driver.
1:01:41 So it’s not fair to our students that want to learn
1:01:46 to have to deal with that.
1:01:48 And that’s all I have to say, thank you, Matt.
1:01:50 - Thank you, Ms. Barney.
1:01:51 I will say, I’m gonna refer to that.
1:01:52 I’ve also, so that everybody knows,
1:01:54 school board members, I was able to obtain a copy
1:01:56 of that yesterday, and now we have a copy of it in security.
1:02:00 Just so if you would like to watch that.
1:02:02 I think it’s an eye-opening experience
1:02:04 into exactly what you guys are dealing with.
1:02:08 I will say this, because we didn’t,
1:02:10 there was zero suspensions on that.
1:02:13 And the individual, the parent that entered the bus
1:02:16 and told kids to get off, and even threatened the one kid
1:02:19 who didn’t want to get off, was not disciplined in any way.
1:02:23 So we will take a look at that, and that’s some of the things
1:02:26 but it’s available to you in security.
1:02:28 And many other people, we cannot make that available
1:02:30 to the public because of FERPA
1:02:32 and other statutory limitations, so thank you very much.
1:02:35 The next speaker we have is Mr. Gary Shiffrin,
1:02:37 President of BASA.
1:02:41 - Good morning, I wanna thank Mr. Susan
1:02:44 and the school board for allowing BASA to be at the table,
1:02:48 to be a part of this discussion.
1:02:51 It is with a great honor that I represent
1:02:53 all of the administrators in the schools.
1:02:57 And as we have awesome teachers,
1:02:59 I can tell you we have awesome administrators.
1:03:02 (audience clapping)
1:03:06 What they have gone through over the past two years
1:03:10 with COVID and the pandemic is nothing less than courageous
1:03:14 and creativeness, just to get us through
1:03:18 these past two years.
1:03:21 Having said that though,
1:03:23 we have monthly BASA board meetings,
1:03:26 and it is heartbreaking in just about every meeting
1:03:30 to listen to the stories of our administrators
1:03:33 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
1:03:43 because their main job is to ensure the safety of the school
1:03:48 and to have instructional learning take place.
1:03:54 And yet they’re spending more time on discipline issues
1:03:58 and it’s just overwhelming.
1:04:01 I’ve talked to a number of administrators
1:04:03 that we may lose come Christmas time
1:04:07 because they just, they can’t do it.
1:04:09 And they get better offers out in the business world
1:04:13 and with a whole lot less stress
1:04:16 than what they’re doing here in our schools.
1:04:19 And that’s a shame.
1:04:21 I’ve been involved with Brevard schools for 50 years,
1:04:24 over 50 years.
1:04:26 Yes, I cry too.
1:04:30 Which again is longer than most of you are alive.
1:04:33 But in the ’70s, I remember we had civil disobedience,
1:04:38 we had protests, we had riots on campuses
1:04:43 and the discussion about discipline
1:04:45 was even back during the ’70s.
1:04:48 The biggest difference though back then and back now
1:04:52 is when a student got out of hand and was disruptive,
1:04:57 they knew they were gonna get consequences at school.
1:05:01 But more importantly, they knew when they got home,
1:05:04 they were gonna get consequences there as well.
1:05:07 (audience applauding)
1:05:15 So since being asked to be at the table,
1:05:18 I have reached out to my fellow administrators
1:05:22 and have asked them, “Give me some ideas,”
1:05:25 even though we hear about it every month,
1:05:27 but I wanted to get some specifics
1:05:28 in regards to what can we do
1:05:30 to maybe make discipline less frustrating.
1:05:36 And the first thing, again, I have to go back to it,
1:05:39 it starts at the home.
1:05:41 Somehow we have to get our parents on our side.
1:05:44 (audience applauding)
1:05:47 Some of those principles tell me that parents yell at them,
1:05:51 curse at them, tell them when they disagree
1:05:55 with a consequence, “I’m gonna get my lawyer.”
1:05:59 That happens all the time.
1:06:01 We need to get our parents on our side.
1:06:04 Unfortunately, I know many schools have done workshops,
1:06:08 newsletters, meetings with disruptive students.
1:06:13 Some work, but many, many don’t.
1:06:17 Another, principals are looking for support
1:06:19 from the district.
1:06:21 Yes, we have a district discipline plan,
1:06:24 but principals believe that the school understands
1:06:27 the complexity of the situation
1:06:29 that warrants the consequences.
1:06:32 If two students are involved in a knock-down,
1:06:34 drag-out fight and the principals feel
1:06:37 that a 10-day suspension are warranted,
1:06:40 then the district should support this.
1:06:42 The school should know what is best for their school.
1:06:45 (audience applauding)
1:06:50 Principals should not be targeted
1:06:52 because suspension rates are high,
1:06:55 especially amongst different demographics.
1:06:58 Breaking rules should not be separated by racial groups
1:07:03 and included on a monthly report showing the principals
1:07:06 how many suspensions there were by subgroups.
1:07:10 And then there is that discussion as to why your school
1:07:14 has so many more suspensions in one group over another.
1:07:19 Principals are made to feel like they shouldn’t suspend
1:07:23 because of the fear of their evaluation.
1:07:28 The vast majority of discipline issues
1:07:31 do not make it to the district.
1:07:34 Support the schools and applaud their efforts.
1:07:38 If a principal and others don’t have discipline,
1:07:42 then help them or replace them.
1:07:47 Another thing, something needs to be done
1:07:49 about the ALC experience.
1:07:52 If an incident is serious enough to have students sent
1:07:56 to the Alternative Learning Center,
1:07:58 it should be more than two days in ALC
1:08:01 and then three days at home, maybe on the computer.
1:08:06 There should be a five-day program
1:08:09 addressing behavior modification.
1:08:12 It was even suggested that our chronic disruptors
1:08:16 should be sent to a scared straight program
1:08:19 run by law enforcement.
1:08:21 (audience booing)
1:08:26 I’m glad I got your notice there.
1:08:30 If a student is not on pace to graduate at the age of 19,
1:08:36 then they should be sent packing.
1:08:38 We have students who have attended school
1:08:41 for three years and only have three credits.
1:08:45 They are not gonna get a high school diploma.
1:08:48 They hang around to cause trouble,
1:08:52 deal drugs, or be with their boyfriend
1:08:54 or girlfriend skipping class.
1:08:59 And I could go on and on and on.
1:09:02 But the sheriff is next, and I’m not gonna be one
1:09:05 to prevent him from his time.
1:09:08 But the bottom line is, as the teachers
1:09:12 and as Mr. Colucci has presented,
1:09:16 it is very frustrating and very difficult
1:09:19 to do what the administrators have been trained to do
1:09:23 when they’re having to deal with so many discipline issues.
1:09:27 So again, we’re here to be a part of the solution,
1:09:31 and we hope 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 (audience applauding)
1:09:41 Sheriff Ivey, you’re next.
1:09:43 - Well, first of all, thank you for all being here.
1:09:45 This is a community effort.
1:09:47 This is a community issue,
1:09:49 and I appreciate everybody being here.
1:09:51 General George Patton once said that if everybody’s
1:09:53 sitting at the table thinking alike, somebody’s not thinking.
1:09:57 What I see today is a group of our community,
1:10:01 group of individuals involved in our public schools
1:10:03 that are all sitting here at the table.
1:10:05 And we don’t always agree on stuff.
1:10:07 Anthony and I have been on different sides
1:10:08 of the aisle many times, but what I’m seeing
1:10:11 and what I’m hearing is everybody in this room
1:10:14 is agreeing that our teachers and our students
1:10:18 deserve a safe learning environment to go to school in.
1:10:23 Everybody at this table is agreeing to that.
1:10:25 We all have different thoughts on how it should happen,
1:10:29 but everybody in this room is concerned
1:10:31 about the discipline issue.
1:10:34 The sheriff’s office is not in the discipline business.
1:10:36 That’s for the school board.
1:10:37 (audience applauding)
1:10:40 Our job is to deal with the criminal elements
1:10:43 that happen on our school campuses,
1:10:45 the security of our school campuses.
1:10:47 But what’s happening is those lines are becoming blurred
1:10:50 because many of these issues that you’ve heard about
1:10:53 sitting at this table that should have been handled
1:10:55 as a criminal issue never got to us.
1:10:59 It never got brought to our attention.
1:11:00 And if you wanna see how that looks,
1:11:03 look south to Parkland
1:11:05 because that’s what happened in Parkland.
1:11:07 They dealt with the issues as administrative issues
1:11:09 or they didn’t deal with them at all.
1:11:12 And the next thing you know,
1:11:13 it’s an explosive thing that costs lives.
1:11:17 I got brought into this because the very first hint
1:11:21 that I got that school discipline
1:11:23 wasn’t even involved anymore in our education system
1:11:28 was when we took over district school security
1:11:30 and we started hearing these horror stories.
1:11:32 Folks, I’ve sat here and I’ve listened to our teachers,
1:11:34 our bus drivers, our ESC IAs.
1:11:39 I’ve listened to our school administrators
1:11:42 and I’ve watched the faces of each of you
1:11:44 that’s in the audience.
1:11:45 And what I see is shock, disbelief, disappointment,
1:11:51 fear for your students, for your children
1:11:54 that are going to school.
1:11:57 My life is a little bit different.
1:11:59 And Mr. Shiffrin pointed out that
1:12:01 he was a teacher for 50 years.
1:12:04 And then he decided to pick on me
1:12:05 and say before many of you were born,
1:12:07 which he knows that’s not true about me, so.
1:12:10 But I can tell you right now, what he said is absolute.
1:12:15 I’ve never ridden a school bus that my mom didn’t drive.
1:12:19 My mom was a school bus driver.
1:12:22 I lived every day of my life in fear.
1:12:27 But let me tell you something.
1:12:29 My mom demanded that every child on that bus,
1:12:33 including her own, rode with respect and safety in mind.
1:12:40 And if I got in trouble on the bus,
1:12:41 my mom wrote me up and sent me to the dean
1:12:43 just like any other kid.
1:12:45 And when I got home, my dad dealt with the issue.
1:12:49 My mom was the sheriff, the judge,
1:12:51 and the executioner in our household.
1:12:55 And I’m better for it.
1:12:58 Folks, we gotta get parents back involved.
1:13:02 We, many years ago, in fact, I think it was 2014,
1:13:05 our agency started a program
1:13:06 called It’s Time to Be a Parent Again.
1:13:09 It was a program designed to re-empower parents,
1:13:12 to make them fear more from a knock on the door
1:13:15 of one of us telling them their child was in trouble
1:13:17 or had been killed than they did
1:13:18 from a knock on the door of DCF telling them
1:13:20 they were in trouble for disciplining their child.
1:13:24 Folks, we gotta get parents back involved.
1:13:26 We gotta get parents standing on the same side of the desk
1:13:28 as the teacher asking the kid can they explain them grades
1:13:33 instead of standing on the same side of the desk
1:13:35 as the student telling the teacher they need to explain it.
1:13:39 I’m glad to be a part of this.
1:13:41 We’re all here for the same thing.
1:13:43 We all wanna find a solution to this.
1:13:45 And whatever that solution is,
1:13:46 I think the people around this table
1:13:48 are the people that are right to come up with the solution.
1:13:52 But the solution is simply this.
1:13:55 We need to have a solid discipline policy
1:13:58 that holds both students that misbehave accountable
1:14:03 and administrators and teachers
1:14:04 that don’t do their job accountable.
1:14:07 And we need to enforce that policy.
1:14:11 If you’re the parent of a kid that wants to go to school
1:14:13 in a safe learning environment and get great academics,
1:14:17 be part of the arts, be part of the sports programs,
1:14:20 the band, whatever it is, we owe that to you
1:14:24 to give you that safe learning environment.
1:14:25 If you’re a teacher or an administrator
1:14:28 that passionately goes to work every day,
1:14:30 man, my heart goes out to you guys,
1:14:33 that passionately goes to work every day
1:14:34 and wants to do your job, your prayers have been answered.
1:14:39 But if you’re the parent of a kid
1:14:41 that’s that constant disruption,
1:14:43 you’re the parent of that kid
1:14:44 that is disrupting others’ opportunities to learn,
1:14:48 in my opinion, this is up to the board, but in my opinion,
1:14:53 you better get your kid straight,
1:14:54 ‘cause if not, they’re gonna need someplace else
1:14:56 to go to school, that’s all I got to say.
1:14:59 (audience applauding)
1:15:03 - Thank you, Sheriff.
1:15:05 - We have a couple of the other groups that are here
1:15:06 that I’d like to give an opportunity to.
1:15:08 First off, I’d love to give the opportunity
1:15:10 for the NAACP to speak.
1:15:13 Mr. Bernard Bryan, you have the floor, sir.
1:15:18 - Thank you, thank you, Mrs. Susan,
1:15:20 and thank you, school board, for allowing me to be here.
1:15:26 I’m really excited about the opportunity to express.
1:15:30 I went to Bible study the other day,
1:15:32 and the instructor really taught me a lot.
1:15:35 He said, when I look at issues, when I look at people,
1:15:38 look at them through the eyes of Christ,
1:15:41 not through the eyes of an officer,
1:15:43 not through the eyes of a teacher,
1:15:46 but look at them through the eyes of Christ.
1:15:48 And I heard Mr. Anthony plea,
1:15:52 and I think Mrs. Sandy, for her information,
1:15:56 and I think the bus drivers as well that you’re representing.
1:16:00 But I’m gonna stand for the students right now.
1:16:04 I just, just a couple things that I think is important.
1:16:10 I’m crying out right now for over 5,000 students
1:16:14 that are two to one grade level behind in reading.
1:16:19 I’m crying.
1:16:22 I’m crying out for 6,000 students that are behind in math.
1:16:29 I would like to see this effort that we have in today,
1:16:33 that is on those topics that we discussed.
1:16:36 (audience applauds)
1:16:41 I just, I can’t tell you how hurt I am.
1:16:46 I’m a volunteer.
1:16:47 I’ve been retired now for 11 years.
1:16:50 I teach kids STEM.
1:16:52 I mentor kids at University Park in Stone.
1:16:56 I do a lot voluntarily, and I’m not paid to die.
1:17:00 I do it because I look at kids through the eyes of Christ.
1:17:04 This is a complicated problem,
1:17:06 and I gotta be honest with you.
1:17:08 But what I’ve learned in my engineering background,
1:17:12 you be data-driven.
1:17:15 You don’t, you don’t really act.
1:17:16 (audience applauds)
1:17:18 You don’t act on an 18 situation, okay?
1:17:21 I’m just using your numbers.
1:17:23 If you look at fight in the school,
1:17:25 it’s rated number six on the Pareto chart.
1:17:29 So what you tell the community, sir and ma’am,
1:17:33 that I’m gonna put all this effort
1:17:35 on not the number one driver.
1:17:38 Then it’s not the number one cause, okay?
1:17:42 And I have the data to support that.
1:17:44 (audience applauds)
1:17:46 I just, I, when you deal with a complicated problem,
1:17:51 you need to get everybody involved,
1:17:53 and not just a few people.
1:17:55 So I just wanna ask this as a rhetorical question.
1:17:58 Did you, did you communicate with Mrs. Moore?
1:18:03 Did you communicate to Ms. Gleason?
1:18:07 Did you communicate with Mrs. Sullivan and Ms. Klein?
1:18:11 Did you communicate with the principals?
1:18:14 Did you communicate with the parents?
1:18:17 Did you communicate with the teachers?
1:18:20 Did you communicate with the community?
1:18:23 When you deal with difficult problems,
1:18:25 you gotta use that, and then multiple solutions.
1:18:28 And I was so hurt the other day, and I almost cried.
1:18:34 When I saw the video where Mr. Ivy and some other people–
1:18:39 (audience applauds)
1:18:44 We’re getting in front of a deal, sir.
1:18:48 (audience applauds)
1:18:59 I gotta share this story with you, okay?
1:19:03 I mentor children.
1:19:05 I want you to listen to me very carefully.
1:19:07 The impact.
1:19:09 I mentor children at University Park.
1:19:12 I just got through teaching them science,
1:19:13 how to put the science project out.
1:19:17 When I was leaving the school,
1:19:19 some of the kids that were eating lunch
1:19:21 was walking in a single file.
1:19:24 You know what the first question they asked me?
1:19:26 And this, this student, sir, was only six years old.
1:19:32 The first thing she said, “Sir, are you a policeman?”
1:19:37 And I said, “Six year, you’re a girl?”
1:19:39 Looking at her, I didn’t have any uniform on?
1:19:42 So the perception of damage was happening
1:19:46 in our community by that video.
1:19:48 It’s that long, okay?
1:19:51 I just want you to understand now,
1:19:52 I gotta go back to these schools.
1:19:55 I mentor 18 boys, and they all saw the video.
1:20:02 So I’m asking this team now, whatever you do,
1:20:07 make sure you dabble for that.
1:20:09 The number one, the number one causal referral is not fight.
1:20:16 That’s not the number one.
1:20:19 I have read your parents’ survey, okay?
1:20:23 I’ve looked at the dab.
1:20:26 You know what your teachers are saying?
1:20:29 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!
1:20:37 Well, if you wanna attack these tough problems, team,
1:20:41 let’s do it in a data-driven approach.
1:20:46 Not just a human approach, so please.
1:20:51 And I gotta be honest with her.
1:20:54 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, sir.
1:21:04 Three years!
1:21:06 What’s happening now?
1:21:08 Go back in 2020.
1:21:10 It was worse.
1:21:11 So I would love to have had this meeting in 2020.
1:21:15 So I just want to ask Mr. Susan and the board
1:21:19 and those who are here in the community,
1:21:22 look at our children through the eyes of Christ.
1:21:26 Don’t segregate them.
1:21:28 Don’t put them in a position where they feel
1:21:30 that they’re gonna go to prison.
1:21:32 Don’t do that.
1:21:34 Our kids are important, so you know,
1:21:38 I can just talk a lot, but you know,
1:21:40 Mr. Bryant is in the community.
1:21:42 I work with students.
1:21:44 And I wanna invite you to come see all STEM kids.
1:21:47 You wanna see some smart children?
1:21:50 They’re very smart.
1:21:52 And when I mentor kids, I mentor across all ethnic groups.
1:21:57 So I just wanted to make sure I leave this in with here.
1:22:00 Look at this problem through the eyes of Christ
1:22:03 and look at this problem not as a use everybody.
1:22:07 The provide public school staff is very, very talented.
1:22:12 I’ve worked with a lot of them and I respect them all.
1:22:16 So that’s kind of where my position is.
1:22:18 And I hope you feel me today.
1:22:20 But like I said, my background is my last job
1:22:23 was a poly reliability engineer in the avionics business.
1:22:28 And they taught me not to make a decision without data.
1:22:33 So that’s what I want you to consider today.
1:22:35 So I’d like to ask Mr. President,
1:22:37 the coming president of the South providing NAACP,
1:22:40 Mr. Beatty.
1:22:44 - Thank you and good morning.
1:22:46 And thank you for allowing me to speak
1:22:50 to this distinguished board here.
1:22:55 Speaking about the video, the caption on the video,
1:23:00 Sheriff Ivey declares brand new day
1:23:03 for discipline at Brevard Public Schools.
1:23:09 Sheriff Ivey at this meeting said
1:23:12 he’s not in the discipline business.
1:23:16 And you’re right, it is a brand new day.
1:23:19 And our children are not clowns.
1:23:22 They’re not snot news and your threats, your bullying.
1:23:29 - Mr. Benny Jackson, Mr. Jackson, I gotta ask you too.
1:23:33 Mr. Jackson.
1:23:33 - He just threatened us here.
1:23:35 - No, Mr. Jackson, let him ramble.
1:23:37 Okay, Mr. Jackson, Mr. Jackson.
1:23:43 - Everyone else was allowed to say their piece.
1:23:46 - Let him speak.
1:23:49 - I have not said anything that was not in the media.
1:23:55 (audience applauding)
1:23:59 - First, the Sheriff Ivey is,
1:24:03 what was the message you were sending?
1:24:05 - The message I sent is what put everybody
1:24:07 in this room today.
1:24:09 The message I sent is that our teachers
1:24:12 and our students deserve to have
1:24:15 a safe environment in school.
1:24:17 So I think the message is very clear.
1:24:19 That’s why we’re all here today.
1:24:23 Mr. Jackson.
1:24:24 - I beg your pardon, on the same media
1:24:27 where Sheriff is standing in front of the police station.
1:24:31 I see today for discipline press conference
1:24:34 and threatening yet vague in exactly what it would do.
1:24:40 - Thank you, Mr. Jackson.
1:24:40 - That’s a news report, that’s not from me.
1:24:43 - That’s it.
1:24:44 - That’s from the news, 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 force
1:24:56 and you bragged about the 176 hours–
1:24:58 - Mr. Jackson, I would ask you to refer your comments
1:25:01 to the discipline policy that we’re speaking to today,
1:25:04 not an event from 2018.
1:25:06 - Related to the discipline policy,
1:25:08 the 176 hours of special training
1:25:13 that the SRs received had a seven times greater attention
1:25:20 to weapons than to mental health.
1:25:23 (audience applauding)
1:25:31 - Yes, ma’am.
1:25:31 - I heard we’re not mental health counsel.
1:25:35 So we spent 48 hours training law enforcements
1:25:39 to be in schools and we teach them eight hours
1:25:43 of mental health.
1:25:44 - Mr. Jackson, I would agree with you
1:25:46 that one of the biggest issues we have in front of us
1:25:48 is the mental health of our students and our staff
1:25:50 that’s been addressed and I appreciate you bringing that up.
1:25:53 Mr. Bryan, do you have somebody else you’d like to speak?
1:25:55 Thank you.
1:25:56 - Hello, my name is Latara Fuller.
1:25:58 I’m pastor of Arise International Ministries.
1:26:01 I also work with the community
1:26:03 and I also work with students and mentoring.
1:26:06 I wanna approach it this way.
1:26:09 I believe we’ve all walked outside and noticed the wind,
1:26:13 as we will say, it’s a windy day today.
1:26:16 The reality of that is is that we have never seen wind.
1:26:21 We’ve only seen the result of the wind.
1:26:26 And I believe when we approach situations
1:26:30 from the result and not from the root,
1:26:33 we make situations worse.
1:26:36 We make problems worse, we make issues worse.
1:26:38 (audience applauding)
1:26:41 And I also think there’s a little passage in the Bible
1:26:44 that talks about Isaac and how he was trying to dig
1:26:47 from his father’s well.
1:26:49 And each time he tried, he was interfered.
1:26:53 They basically blocked him, right?
1:26:58 But it wasn’t until Isaac made the decision
1:27:01 to dig new wells that they left him alone.
1:27:05 I wanna challenge this board to deal new wells.
1:27:09 Let’s not go back to our father’s wells.
1:27:13 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
1:27:19 bring our parents back into the meeting rooms.
1:27:22 Bring our community leaders back into the meeting rooms.
1:27:26 It cannot just be a specific panel, okay?
1:27:30 I talk with teachers, I’ve seen what teachers gone through.
1:27:33 I have siblings that have driven the buses.
1:27:36 I’ve seen what they’re going through.
1:27:38 But I believe the biggest issue,
1:27:39 and I heard our principal say this,
1:27:41 is that we have to get parents back on the same page.
1:27:45 We have to get community leaders back on the same page.
1:27:48 When we eliminate our parents,
1:27:51 when we eliminate our community leaders,
1:27:53 even when we eliminate our teachers and our principals
1:27:57 and the support staff,
1:27:58 you cannot resolve or solve an issue.
1:28:02 When we look at the numbers, which is dreaded,
1:28:06 we just talked about it.
1:28:08 We look at the numbers, we’ll see.
1:28:10 If parents are back involved
1:28:12 in just the learning experience,
1:28:15 we can now do something about the discipline.
1:28:18 But if you’re gonna continue to make rules on discipline
1:28:22 outside of those that carried their children,
1:28:24 outside of those that seeded their children,
1:28:26 outside of the community that helped those parents,
1:28:30 when those parents need food,
1:28:31 the community leaders are there.
1:28:33 When those parents need a place to stay,
1:28:35 the community leaders are there.
1:28:37 If you’re going to continue to hit a problem
1:28:40 and target a problem, and the parents aren’t in that room,
1:28:43 I have no idea what your solutions are.
1:28:46 And I’m a parent, I wasn’t in the room.
1:28:48 I have no idea what your solutions are.
1:28:51 And I’m a pastor in the community.
1:28:53 I have no idea what your solutions are.
1:28:56 And I work with children, I work with parents.
1:28:59 You cannot resolve it
1:29:01 until you bring us back in your meetings.
1:29:05 Not these meetings, but the meetings behind the doors
1:29:09 that dictate and determine what they’re on.
1:29:11 (audience applauding)
1:29:14 I’m saying it’s time to dig New Wales,
1:29:18 and we need to do this together.
1:29:21 - Ms. Fuller, I couldn’t think of a better statement
1:29:24 than what you just said right now.
1:29:25 I think everybody that’s inside this crowd right now
1:29:28 agrees with you that the parents need to be
1:29:30 one of the biggest parts.
1:29:31 I think everybody in here would agree.
1:29:33 There’s not a single individual.
1:29:34 Thank you so much for saying that.
1:29:36 You hit it right on the head.
1:29:37 Parents need to be involved and they need to be taken,
1:29:40 you know, to be a part of it.
1:29:41 I really appreciate it, thank you.
1:29:43 - I was gonna give Mr. Rainey an opportunity.
1:29:46 This is an individual that’s been coming now
1:29:47 for over a year,
1:29:48 representing a lot of the IA’s 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,
1:29:58 but because of his efforts in this area,
1:30:00 I wanted to give him an opportunity to speak today.
1:30:02 Thank you, Mr. Rainey, you have the floor.
1:30:05 - Thank you, I do appreciate your comment.
1:30:08 They’re wonderful.
1:30:09 I’m gonna back up just a minute.
1:30:10 I came, I’m a retired healthcare executive
1:30:14 who looked to give back to the community
1:30:16 and found a need that the community had,
1:30:18 which was driving a bus, right?
1:30:20 And it’s something that I had a skillset for
1:30:22 and said, “Okay, I can get in and help.”
1:30:26 After doing that for the first year,
1:30:28 and I’m in my second year of doing this,
1:30:31 after doing that in the first year
1:30:33 and talking to a lot of the drivers
1:30:35 that are not in the union,
1:30:36 but we are very tied to and support the horses efforts
1:30:41 and the union’s efforts.
1:30:44 I came to this board almost a year ago
1:30:46 and said the number, there are two reasons
1:30:49 that you don’t have bus drivers.
1:30:52 One of them was hiring, all right?
1:30:54 The other one was retention, okay?
1:30:57 Your hiring has got a limiting factor
1:31:00 on the basis of your salary, your input salary.
1:31:03 You tried to address it, you’ve gotten some results on that
1:31:07 and that’s not what I’m here for.
1:31:09 The other was the retention of drivers.
1:31:13 I’m one of those that decided to come back
1:31:16 in a second year, I’ll tell you about that in just a second.
1:31:19 But the retention of drivers, the number one reason
1:31:22 that we don’t wanna come back is discipline.
1:31:25 We can find another job someplace else without the hassle
1:31:29 because we’re not trained in things
1:31:31 that you’re talking about.
1:31:33 We’re trained in the safe delivery of your students
1:31:36 driving a 33,000 to 40,000 pound box on the road
1:31:42 with students in it.
1:31:44 And yes, one of the training techniques
1:31:48 that we’re trained in and in the county training
1:31:50 is pull over if you can’t handle, if the bus is unruly.
1:31:55 So that’s gonna create a problem,
1:31:57 that’s gonna create problems for you.
1:32:00 The drivers, unfortunately there’s two periods
1:32:05 where they take a look and say I’m not coming back.
1:32:09 There’s one after the Christmas break
1:32:11 and I pray that we don’t lose a slew of drivers
1:32:14 at the Christmas break.
1:32:15 The other one is at the school break at the end of the year
1:32:19 and going between the two years.
1:32:25 We had meetings with you, Mr. Sousa, over a year ago
1:32:30 and along the way we have been sending you information
1:32:34 and you’ve opened up an avenue for us to do that with,
1:32:38 to share that information with.
1:32:40 We had many drivers, Dolores was there,
1:32:43 other people were there, supervisors were there
1:32:46 and we talked about this and the number one issue
1:32:48 that came out of that was stop the bleeding
1:32:52 of our drivers leaving by addressing the discipline problem.
1:32:56 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
1:33:01 and I’m glad to see the number of people
1:33:03 that have come together to put this together.
1:33:08 Today, fights are still an issue on our buses, okay?
1:33:12 Three to four fights a week for our supervisors.
1:33:16 You gotta address that for us, okay?
1:33:18 When they’re fighting, I can’t drive the bus, right?
1:33:21 It’s a distraction.
1:33:22 Anything that causes a distraction
1:33:24 causes a safety issue on the bus
1:33:27 and that’s the number one thing.
1:33:28 If we crash that bus with 40, 50, 60 kids on it,
1:33:34 we have bigger problem, okay?
1:33:38 Watching the kids, I don’t know if you know the detail
1:33:42 that goes into that.
1:33:43 You count those kids when they go off the bus,
1:33:45 you count ‘em when they come on the bus,
1:33:46 you count ‘em as they cross the street,
1:33:48 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 It’s a common problem in this county, big common problem.
1:33:58 You know, I get a car pass my reds every week,
1:34:03 two to three times a week, scares me to death
1:34:07 because one of those kids is gonna get killed, okay?
1:34:10 And I don’t want that to happen.
1:34:12 So I’m always trying to make my deliveries,
1:34:15 even if I have to do a double loop
1:34:17 to get the passenger door on the side of the route
1:34:21 where the kids don’t have to cross the street
1:34:23 and the school board and the school transportation
1:34:26 department under Mr. Miller and the rest
1:34:28 do a tremendous job of trying to make that happen.
1:34:31 But here’s the problem.
1:34:33 We had 88 routes, we had 52 bus drivers.
1:34:38 What do you do?
1:34:39 Okay, so when I first came on, they said,
1:34:41 hey, we got a job for you, you can have a job.
1:34:44 There are so many routes open, you can pick your job.
1:34:48 Well, I came on and the only way to get all the kids
1:34:53 to school was to consolidate the unfilled routes
1:34:56 into more of the buses that were left.
1:35:01 So we went from 30 minutes with 20 to 30 kids on a route
1:35:07 to maybe 45 or 50 minutes.
1:35:11 Then we entered this school year and more retention issues
1:35:15 and no hiring, of course, the ones that hired,
1:35:18 you have some automatic, I mean, you have some that drop off.
1:35:23 And now you squeeze those routes down to where you,
1:35:26 I’m personally driving an hour and 15 minutes
1:35:29 in the morning starting at, my day starts at four o’clock
1:35:33 with all my safety checks and everything to get there.
1:35:36 But my route starts at 615, depending on how many
1:35:40 ESE kids I have on the bus, and I don’t get
1:35:43 to the first school till 730.
1:35:45 I got little pre-Ks sitting in a car seat in the dark
1:35:52 driving with me all over the county
1:35:55 so that I can pick up all the kids that I’ve got.
1:36:00 We’ve got drivers now that have bus loads
1:36:04 of 60, 70 elementary kids on a bus.
1:36:09 Three to a seat crammed as far as you can get.
1:36:12 We don’t have any other choice but to double back.
1:36:16 If we can’t fit them on the bus,
1:36:18 you can’t fit that many high school kids on a bus.
1:36:21 So I personally have driven the route that was mentioned
1:36:25 here as a sub for a week after the driver had some issues.
1:36:31 And I drove that bus and I refused to drive that route.
1:36:36 Okay, it’s not safe for me.
1:36:39 Kid stands over top of you in the seat and you get
1:36:41 two or three kids standing on top of you saying,
1:36:44 “You can’t do anything to me, you can’t touch me,
1:36:46 “you can’t take my cell phone,
1:36:47 “and I don’t have to get off this bus.”
1:36:49 You know what, he’s right, they’re right.
1:36:53 I can’t touch them, I don’t want to touch them.
1:36:56 I can’t touch them, I don’t take their cell phones
1:36:59 and you know what, I can’t, it’s not my job
1:37:00 to kick them off the bus.
1:37:02 I can refer them off the bus, I can ask you to never,
1:37:06 you know, don’t let them ride the bus again.
1:37:09 But the safety issue, the threatening issue
1:37:11 to the driver is pretty bad.
1:37:13 So when you look at this, you have threats, okay?
1:37:17 He did get hit in the head with a bottle of water.
1:37:21 That’s uncalled for.
1:37:22 But that’s not the only one.
1:37:24 You have coins, money, markers, pencils
1:37:28 all being thrown at the bus driver.
1:37:30 Hitting the window, coming back and hitting them in the face.
1:37:32 Every one of those is a scary distraction
1:37:35 that causes, you could cause the bus to wreck, okay?
1:37:39 You have kids dancing on the bus this week.
1:37:43 High school students rip their shirts off,
1:37:46 doing a nice jig in the back with the ladies
1:37:50 and the guys taking cell phone videos and sending it out.
1:37:53 Okay?
1:37:55 What do you do with that kind of a driver?
1:37:57 That is totally unsafe, right?
1:38:01 You have kids that won’t stay in their seat.
1:38:03 They got their friends and they wanna 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.
1:38:21 I’ve been spit on.
1:38:23 You know, spit in the face.
1:38:25 Not a fun, you know, and as a driver you go,
1:38:29 “Why do I wanna do this?
1:38:31 “I’m a retired executive.
1:38:32 “Why do I wanna do this?
1:38:33 “I’m trying to help the community.
1:38:35 “And this is what I have to live through.”
1:38:38 So, let’s talk about another issue that’s on the bus.
1:38:42 The damage to the bus.
1:38:44 All right?
1:38:45 I can’t tell you how many food fights come on the bus.
1:38:49 And I’m not talking about little stuff.
1:38:52 I’m talking about yogurt and pudding spread all over
1:38:56 the windows and all over the seats, thrown in a food fight.
1:39:00 Not just once, happens a lot, right?
1:39:03 Trash on the bus that takes 30 to 40 minutes to clean up.
1:39:08 When are you gonna do it?
1:39:09 You can’t run the next route and have the kids
1:39:11 and have the next set of students sitting in pudding.
1:39:15 You gotta clean it up.
1:39:18 Causes delays.
1:39:20 Then the kids are not getting to the school.
1:39:22 We’ve got kids that don’t get to school
1:39:23 for 45 minutes to an hour.
1:39:25 ‘Cause we’re either having to clean the bus
1:39:27 or we’re doing double backs.
1:39:29 Double backs mean I don’t have enough room
1:39:31 in my bus to carry you.
1:39:33 So I leave you, go do that route, take ‘em to school,
1:39:38 come back, and pick the rest of the route up.
1:39:40 Well, those kids don’t even get to school
1:39:42 until 9.15 for the high schools.
1:39:47 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.
1:39:58 And I leave you with a couple of things.
1:40:03 Long routes and overcrowding create discipline.
1:40:11 You add to that heat from non-air-conditioned buses
1:40:16 or buses where the air conditioners are broken,
1:40:19 and you’ve got yourself a stewed-up mess
1:40:22 that’s gonna create a problem.
1:40:24 So there’s an issue that I don’t know how to fix,
1:40:28 but I’m bringing it to your attention
1:40:30 because that’s what the driver’s asked me to do.
1:40:33 That’s what Dolores and her team has done.
1:40:38 And you can fix these overcrowding issues.
1:40:42 The other one is you have an antiquated cell phone policy
1:40:46 on the bus.
1:40:46 Number nine on the rules written right on the bus
1:40:48 says no cell phones on the bus.
1:40:50 But yet we turn around and say you gotta have an ID
1:40:52 to get on the bus.
1:40:54 If you don’t have an ID, take a picture of it,
1:40:56 download it to your phone,
1:40:57 and use your phone to get on the bus.
1:40:59 So the phones are on the bus.
1:41:02 Now, I personally don’t let phones out on elementary.
1:41:06 There’s no reason for the elementary kids
1:41:08 to have the phones out, right?
1:41:11 The high schoolers, you gotta pick and choose your fights.
1:41:13 Middle schools and high schools, I just tell ‘em,
1:41:16 “Look, it’s a distraction.
1:41:17 “If I hear it or see it, it’s a distraction.
1:41:19 “Please, if you’re gonna do it,
1:41:20 “put earpods in and get down low.”
1:41:23 That doesn’t solve what’s going on in the classroom, though.
1:41:26 But you do have an antiquated policy on the bus.
1:41:30 And picking and choosing to say
1:41:31 I’m gonna take somebody’s cell phone on the bus
1:41:33 and I become a cell phone monitor
1:41:35 while I’m trying to drive a 40,000 pound bus
1:41:37 with kids on it, that’s not a fight I’m willing to have.
1:41:45 Again, you have not just me
1:41:47 that won’t drive certain routes in certain schools.
1:41:51 You have a lot of our drivers
1:41:53 will not drive certain routes in 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 ‘em.
1:41:59 - And I won’t.
1:41:59 - Okay?
1:42:00 But until you resolve that issue,
1:42:06 and it’s not that I won’t drive that route,
1:42:07 I’ll drive that route if you put an administrator on it
1:42:09 to handle the kids while I’m driving,
1:42:11 or an RSO officer on it, somebody with authority, right?
1:42:17 My IAs are great.
1:42:18 The ones that I have for my ESC students,
1:42:21 they’re fantastic, okay?
1:42:23 But they can’t handle the other 35 or 40 kids on the bus.
1:42:29 So I leave you with long routes and damage to the bus
1:42:34 that comes from overcrowding.
1:42:37 We have ripped seats, poked seats, cut seat belts,
1:42:42 damaged glass, and then all the cleaning on the bus,
1:42:47 roaches on the bus because of the food on the bus,
1:42:50 so then you gotta go and have it defogged, okay?
1:42:53 So these are real legitimate issues that you can resolve
1:42:57 if you can kinda thin it, I think, if you thin it down
1:43:00 and shorten up the routes.
1:43:02 The routes are just, they’re just really long.
1:43:07 And that goes back to, we can’t hire,
1:43:10 but we’re trying to address it.
1:43:12 We can’t keep ‘em retained because we got a discipline issue.
1:43:16 I leave you with that, and I thank you for your time.
1:43:18 Thank you, Dolores, for all your support
1:43:20 and all the 10/10 support and the IAs.
1:43:23 The IAs are critical for us.
1:43:24 (audience applauding)
1:43:26 - Thank you, Mr. Rainey, I really appreciate.
1:43:28 Next up is gonna be Samantha Nazario
1:43:30 from the Cultural Community Connection, Ms. Nazario.
1:43:34 - Good morning.
1:43:35 Good morning, I’d like to thank everyone that’s here today
1:43:37 for coming to this table and having this discussion.
1:43:39 Is it on?
1:43:40 - I don’t know.
1:43:41 It doesn’t sound like it has it on.
1:43:47 (audience laughing)
1:43:50 We need it to be live streamed.
1:43:53 - Okay, there we go, is that better?
1:43:55 Good morning, everyone, I’m happy to be at this table
1:43:57 and be a part of this discussion
1:43:58 and to be able to have other community members
1:44:01 that sit here with me to bring the concerns
1:44:04 of our community forward and to actually be a part
1:44:07 of the process versus just sitting back
1:44:09 and watching it at home on TV.
1:44:10 This is a very different role for me.
1:44:12 My son is not in BPS anymore,
1:44:15 but it is my responsibility as a community leader
1:44:17 and advocate to be here and represent my community issues.
1:44:21 My main thing is, and I’ve said this
1:44:23 to many people sitting here,
1:44:24 so a few of you are gonna smile,
1:44:26 we’re failing our children.
1:44:27 We’re failing our children, we’re failing our educators.
1:44:30 We, COVID lit the fire, like Matt said,
1:44:32 that has been a part of BPS for a very long time.
1:44:35 Bullying has been an issue in Brevard County
1:44:37 since my kid was in elementary school.
1:44:39 Under the amazing leadership of Ms. Moore at Harbor City,
1:44:42 a lot of that was changed and a new wave came
1:44:44 when she came into Harbor City
1:44:45 because she actually addressed it.
1:44:48 She made the children and the parents sit down
1:44:50 and address the issue.
1:44:52 There has to be parental responsibility
1:44:54 as well as student responsibility.
1:44:56 What I find in my community is a lot of the time,
1:44:58 I’m the only Spanish person in the room.
1:45:00 I can’t speak for everybody.
1:45:02 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
1:45:14 to become engaged.
1:45:16 So many times over the 10 years that I volunteered at BPS
1:45:19 with over 20,000 hours,
1:45:21 I was the only Spanish person in the room.
1:45:23 That has to change.
1:45:25 They have to feel as if they are welcome in the community
1:45:28 and they can engage without fear of repercussion
1:45:31 on their family or their finances or their job.
1:45:34 So as I sit here and say, we’re failing our children,
1:45:37 we’re also failing our educators
1:45:39 because you know what?
1:45:40 They have to work in a safe environment.
1:45:42 And without the administrators and the educators
1:45:44 that I had the pleasure of having
1:45:46 during my son’s experience at BPS,
1:45:48 I’d be sitting here telling you a very different story.
1:45:50 But you know what?
1:45:51 Those principals, Ms. Moore, Ms. Vega, Dr. Kirk,
1:45:54 they never gave up on my son.
1:45:56 They always made sure that if I was there, I counted.
1:45:58 So you know what?
1:45:59 If you want to count at your kid’s school, be present.
1:46:02 You can’t come in the door and want to complain
1:46:04 when there’s an issue, be present.
1:46:06 You have an IEP meeting, those seven teachers
1:46:08 took their time from their day to be present, be present.
1:46:11 (audience applauding)
1:46:16 We all know that in Bovaro County,
1:46:18 we are struggling with an enormous mental health crisis
1:46:21 in our adults, in our administrators, in our personal lives.
1:46:24 We need help with mental health issues in Bovaro County.
1:46:29 We need behavioral therapy.
1:46:31 We need behavioral intervention.
1:46:33 We need more hands-on with our nonverbal autistic children.
1:46:37 Our ESC kids have exceptions and particular outline rules
1:46:41 because they need to work better that way.
1:46:44 A lot of our children do not understand
1:46:46 the consequences of their actions,
1:46:47 especially our children on the spectrum.
1:46:49 Again, more parental involvement.
1:46:52 I’m gonna say it ‘cause you know what?
1:46:54 I worked three jobs in Bovaro County raising my kid
1:46:56 and I was still in that school every week,
1:46:58 at least 20 hours a week.
1:46:59 (audience applauding)
1:47:02 Okay, excuses are not acceptable anymore.
1:47:06 These are your children, it is your responsibility
1:47:09 to teach them how to respect the people
1:47:11 that spend 90% of their day with them.
1:47:13 They’re at school more than they are at home.
1:47:16 Okay, we need to bridge the gap of our technology issue,
1:47:19 our internet issue with our impoverished areas.
1:47:21 If a parent does not have access to the internet or laptop,
1:47:24 it should not be an affordability issue.
1:47:27 BPS should be able to provide,
1:47:28 okay, you don’t have a laptop?
1:47:29 Here you go, mom, so you can communicate with Launchpad.
1:47:32 Or here you go, dad, let’s make a deal with Spectrum.
1:47:34 New York City Housing did it.
1:47:36 They made a deal with Verizon.
1:47:37 They brought the internet in and it’s free.
1:47:40 Let’s make a deal with Spectrum.
1:47:41 They monopolized the internet around here
1:47:43 and they don’t service our community properly.
1:47:46 Immigrants cannot get internet.
1:47:47 They don’t have a social security number.
1:47:49 So we have multiple issues in our community
1:47:52 that need to be addressed and they’re all gonna
1:47:54 streamline back to this discipline policy
1:47:56 that we’re sitting here for today.
1:47:57 There are many different levels and branches
1:48:00 that come off of this tree that are relating to this issue.
1:48:03 Poverty, hunger, mental illness, lack of language.
1:48:07 We service 60 languages in the bar public schools
1:48:10 ‘cause we don’t have a representative
1:48:12 for all 60 of those languages in our school.
1:48:14 That’s a problem.
1:48:15 That’s a huge communication problem.
1:48:17 And I want our community to feel safe,
1:48:20 especially my immigrant community.
1:48:21 I understand that we’re a non-sanctuary county
1:48:23 and that may put fear into them.
1:48:25 But you know what, 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.
1:48:33 I will help.
1:48:34 I will speak for you.
1:48:35 That is what we are here for.
1:48:36 Organizations like myself and Macoska
1:48:38 and other organizations that have fought this fight
1:48:41 long and hard in Brevard County.
1:48:42 What I wanna see is a colorblind policy
1:48:45 that treats every child the same.
1:48:51 I am sick and tired of filtering calls from my parents
1:48:55 and myself that have dealt with issues in BPS
1:48:58 where I felt like my issue was not addressed properly
1:49:01 or it was gone to an extreme.
1:49:02 We need cultural sensitivity in Brevard County, okay?
1:49:07 I think this is the stillest my hands have ever been
1:49:09 for most of the people in this room.
1:49:10 My hands are usually all over the place.
1:49:12 I’m Puerto Rican, I’m Italian.
1:49:13 I talk with my hands.
1:49:14 I’m from New York.
1:49:16 We’re very animated, okay?
1:49:17 I have a saying that says if my hands are not going,
1:49:19 then you really need to be worried.
1:49:20 So when I say that, I feel like teachers also need
1:49:24 to understand that cultures express themselves differently.
1:49:26 And maybe if we have to sit down
1:49:28 and present that workshop to teachers, I’m totally down.
1:49:30 I’m sure that Kay would sit there with me.
1:49:32 I would like to address that.
1:49:33 If my kid is speaking with his hands, he’s frustrated.
1:49:36 He’s trying to express what’s going on, what’s wrong.
1:49:38 He’s not gonna attack you.
1:49:40 He’s not aggressive.
1:49:41 He’s not a danger to you.
1:49:43 You’re not understanding what he’s trying to say.
1:49:44 So in his frustration, his hands made, you know,
1:49:47 we’ve had this issue even on the college level.
1:49:49 And it is a cultural thing, sadly enough.
1:49:52 We, you know, we speak with our hands.
1:49:54 I will not apologize for that.
1:49:55 I come from a place where I walked out my door every day
1:49:58 in the South Bronx and just to make it home at three o’clock
1:50:00 was a check off my list because I survived that day.
1:50:03 Okay, I came to Bovar County, why?
1:50:06 I wanted a quality education for my son.
1:50:08 I wanted a good place for him to grow up.
1:50:10 I did not expect my son to have to defend
1:50:13 his Puerto Rican heritage, educate other children
1:50:16 and explain that we are not immigrants.
1:50:17 We are Americans, born in the South Bronx.
1:50:20 Okay, 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
1:50:27 so that they can do their job properly.
1:50:30 (audience applauding)
1:50:33 My last request before I’m done is I would like
1:50:35 at some point once we rip apart this policy
1:50:37 and get to the nitty gritty here,
1:50:39 I would like to see an oversight committee
1:50:41 as far as a disciplinary policy for review
1:50:43 every 30 to 60 days with different community members on that.
1:50:47 Thank you.
1:50:47 (audience applauding)
1:50:54 - Miss Kay, were you gonna say something?
1:50:56 - Well, I just, again, Kay Meraj,
1:50:58 representing BACASKA, Bovar Caribbean American
1:51:01 Sports and Cultural Association.
1:51:03 And Miss Samantha echoed everything in detail
1:51:06 as what we would love to say
1:51:08 because it is a real issue.
1:51:10 When we dissect this policy here,
1:51:13 I want to make sure you said it, colorblind.
1:51:16 It’s very important to understand
1:51:19 that discipline doesn’t take shape in race
1:51:22 or creed or anything.
1:51:24 It is about the child.
1:51:26 It is about creating a safe environment for all involved,
1:51:31 our administrators, our bus drivers, the students.
1:51:34 And so as someone from the Caribbean,
1:51:37 cultural differences are keen to understand
1:51:40 and not everybody will understand
1:51:42 why the Jamaican person would behave that way.
1:51:45 So it’s critical to have that training.
1:51:47 We have to include that in our policies.
1:51:50 We ought to make sure, why are we here?
1:51:52 Are we here just to create a school to prison pipeline?
1:51:58 Or are we really here to make sure
1:52:01 that our children understand that they are consequences,
1:52:06 consequences, not just to fear to go to prison,
1:52:09 but your consequences, your action,
1:52:10 and we are training them to be better citizens of reward.
1:52:15 And so that’s our message.
1:52:17 (audience applauding)
1:52:19 Equitable distribution of disciplinary policies.
1:52:25 Thank you so much.
1:52:26 Thanks for the opportunity to be at the table
1:52:28 and we’re ready to get working
1:52:29 to make sure that BPS is the best in the country.
1:52:33 And I know we can do it.
1:52:35 Thank you.
1:52:36 - Thank you, Kay.
1:52:38 - Now have an opportunity for our school board members
1:52:40 to say a couple of comments,
1:52:41 just so everybody knows we’re kind of running.
1:52:43 So what I’m gonna do is wait
1:52:44 for after the school board members to make their comments.
1:52:46 Then what I would like to do is take a break, come back,
1:52:49 and we’re gonna go to the discipline policies,
1:52:52 public comment.
1:52:53 After reviewing all of the pieces,
1:52:57 just so you guys know, when I received the list,
1:52:59 it has which one of the items they have on there.
1:53:01 So we determined it based on that,
1:53:04 but based on some of the conversations
1:53:05 that people in the group have said
1:53:07 that they had also put that other stuff,
1:53:09 we went through each one of those forms
1:53:10 and we identified that there are more people.
1:53:12 So all of those people will be an opportunity to speak.
1:53:15 And if you did not put down one,
1:53:16 I’m gonna call your name and say,
1:53:17 “Hey, did you mean to speak here or no?”
1:53:20 And go through a couple of that.
1:53:21 But I wanted to give our school board members
1:53:22 an opportunity to speak.
1:53:25 I think I’ll just go to Ms. Jenkins first.
1:53:32 - Thank you.
1:53:35 I’m gonna be a little bit
1:53:36 ‘cause I have some different pieces
1:53:39 that I’m gonna cover here.
1:53:41 So first, Mr. Bryan, I appreciate you, you know that.
1:53:49 I appreciate you for addressing the elephant in the room,
1:53:53 the video with our chairman and Mr. Ivey.
1:53:56 And before we get defensive and we say things
1:53:59 like we don’t know what was gonna be said during that video,
1:54:02 I argue the video was wrong and inappropriate
1:54:05 before any words came out of anybody’s mouth.
1:54:07 (audience applauds)
1:54:14 This community deserves a response to it.
1:54:16 They’ve been asking for a response to it
1:54:17 and they haven’t gotten one.
1:54:18 And when someone asked you just yesterday about it,
1:54:22 your response was, “You don’t control Mr. Ivey.”
1:54:26 Well, perhaps we should review our contract
1:54:29 with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office
1:54:31 because so far I remember,
1:54:32 (audience applauds)
1:54:34 as far as I remember, we don’t support him.
1:54:38 And what you can control is what you do and what you say.
1:54:43 And I haven’t heard you publicly denounce the statements
1:54:46 that were made in that video.
1:54:48 And Mr. Ivey, you said here today
1:54:50 that the lines are getting blurred and they sure are.
1:54:53 They sure are.
1:54:54 And so I say to our community, I am sorry.
1:54:58 I’m sorry because nobody at BPS is aware of that video.
1:55:02 No cabinet member, not our chief operating officer,
1:55:05 not our communications team,
1:55:06 not any other school board member.
1:55:08 And from what I gather, the only people who knew about it
1:55:11 were standing in the video and the leadership of BFT.
1:55:14 (audience applauds)
1:55:20 And why it needs to be addressed right here in this meeting
1:55:25 is because that video hurt our community.
1:55:27 And I cannot for the life of me find one single benefit
1:55:30 of participating in that video.
1:55:32 No new ideas, no new plan, just name-calling threats,
1:55:35 intimidation, and attention-seeking behaviors.
1:55:37 And I’m not talking about the behaviors you talked about.
1:55:40 I’m talking about behaviors of the adults
1:55:41 standing in that video.
1:55:43 Our community is concerned, and rightfully so,
1:55:46 because when they heard their children labeled clowns,
1:55:48 they heard you talking about their black kids.
1:55:51 And when they heard their children labeled snots,
1:55:53 they heard you talking about children with disabilities.
1:55:56 And when they heard that you were gonna be
1:55:58 their biggest nightmare,
1:55:59 they heard a threat to their children.
1:56:02 (audience applauds)
1:56:12 No solutions, no new ideas, no new plans,
1:56:15 just a bunch of statements repeated about teachers
1:56:17 and administrators being handcuffed,
1:56:19 having their hands tied.
1:56:21 And no one can articulate to me what that means.
1:56:24 Well, I’m gonna tell you what I think they mean by that.
1:56:27 It means that the law is meant to protect students
1:56:29 based on race, and the law is meant to protect students
1:56:31 with disabilities are the reason we have negative behaviors
1:56:37 in our schools.
1:56:38 We think we don’t discipline black students
1:56:40 and students with disabilities enough.
1:56:42 That’s what I think you mean.
1:56:43 And if you think I’m wrong, then listen to this.
1:56:47 I have a fellow board member here who just recently,
1:56:50 yes, it’s in video footage,
1:56:51 made this statement about our discipline policy.
1:56:54 When you take a look at our discipline policy,
1:56:56 when it was first implemented,
1:56:57 it sounded really good on paper.
1:57:00 That’s when we had control at the local level in our schools.
1:57:03 Where it got out of hand is when we started talking
1:57:05 about discipline and race together.
1:57:07 That’s when it handcuffed our schools
1:57:09 and lost control of our schools with discipline.
1:57:11 (audience applauds)
1:57:15 No new plan, no new idea.
1:57:17 And when asked by concerned members of the community
1:57:20 if you reviewed data before you had that video,
1:57:23 your answer was no.
1:57:24 If when you were asked by concerned citizens
1:57:26 of this community, if you reviewed the discipline plan
1:57:30 at all, the strategic plan, the entire policy,
1:57:33 the answer was no.
1:57:34 We are an educational institution.
1:57:37 We make decisions based on data.
1:57:39 So I brought some.
1:57:41 (audience applauds)
1:57:45 Hold on to your cheeks, Ms. Rivey.
1:57:49 This data was compiled not only by the numbers given
1:57:52 to these community members here at Brevard Public Schools,
1:57:55 but by the NAACP and by Mr. Bryan.
1:58:01 Everyone at this table has a packet
1:58:03 that I provided for you.
1:58:04 I had a couple extra that I passed out into the audience.
1:58:08 You want it, I’ll give it to you, trust me.
1:58:12 It’s interesting that we invited people
1:58:15 from other counties here to have this conversation with us
1:58:17 because the first question I asked was,
1:58:19 where do we rank among the state?
1:58:23 We are the 10th largest school district in the state
1:58:25 of Florida, and guess what?
1:58:28 We have the 10th largest number of incidences.
1:58:32 That makes sense.
1:58:34 We are no different than anybody else.
1:58:36 But here’s where we are.
1:58:40 10th largest in the state, we are number one in expulsions,
1:58:44 number one in ALC placements,
1:58:46 and number four in suspensions.
1:58:48 So the narrative that we are not discipline our children
1:58:52 doesn’t make any sense ‘cause the data doesn’t say that.
1:58:55 (audience applauds)
1:59:02 Mr. Bryan had made a statement that he had gathered
1:59:05 three years of information and data,
1:59:08 and that’s what I’m speaking to right here.
1:59:09 This is what Mr. Bryan put together for us.
1:59:14 And it’s kinda hard to have this conversation
1:59:15 when you’re not looking at it,
1:59:16 so I’m gonna do my best to the people
1:59:18 who are listening at home and the people in this room
1:59:19 who don’t have it in front of them.
1:59:22 But when we look at our discipline totals
1:59:27 and we look at the subgroups,
1:59:29 yes, we look at the subgroups because it’s important,
1:59:33 because here’s why.
1:59:35 This pattern happened for the past three years,
1:59:37 and I guarantee if we looked backwards,
1:59:39 it would have continued back then.
1:59:41 They are carbon copies of each other.
1:59:43 Our black students represent 15% of our population.
1:59:47 They represent 34% of our discipline referrals.
1:59:52 Mr. Bryan said when you make smart decisions
2:00:01 and you tackle challenges, very complex challenges,
2:00:04 you look at the top issues.
2:00:07 The top issues are willful disobedience,
2:00:10 out of area, and classroom disruptions.
2:00:17 That’s not what I heard in the video.
2:00:21 And when you break every single one of those down
2:00:25 by subgroup, you see a very obvious trend.
2:00:30 Our black students aren’t doing them more than anyone else.
2:00:38 And why this matters is we’re gonna have
2:00:40 a real and honest conversation
2:00:42 about discipline and behavior in our schools.
2:00:43 We’re gonna have to talk about all of it,
2:00:45 the good, the bad, and the ugly.
2:00:47 So let’s fast forward.
2:00:49 15% of the population is black in our students.
2:00:53 They represent 34% of our referrals.
2:00:55 In every single one of those categories,
2:00:57 they’re doing it less than any other peer in race.
2:01:02 They represent 45% of our alternative
2:01:05 learning center placements.
2:01:08 Does that make any sense to anybody?
2:01:10 No.
2:01:12 Let’s move on to our students with disabilities.
2:01:16 They make up 17% of the population
2:01:18 of the Brevard Public Schools,
2:01:20 and yet they make up 31% of our referrals.
2:01:26 And those black students I talked about in our ALC,
2:01:30 25% of them are also students with disabilities.
2:01:34 So what does that tell us?
2:01:37 Why is that important?
2:01:39 Because we’re disproportionately disciplining
2:01:42 students of color and with disabilities.
2:01:44 So there is zero evidence to support the claims
2:01:47 that the federal laws meant to protect those students
2:01:50 are handcuffing our staff or their hands are tied.
2:01:54 (audience applauding)
2:01:55 And quite frankly, we’re not even respecting these laws.
2:02:04 Why that matters is because that already tells us
2:02:09 the majority of the conversation we had in that video
2:02:13 and some of the conversation we had today is not valid.
2:02:18 And if you’re not working off of real information
2:02:20 and data and facts, how are you going to solve the problem?
2:02:24 (audience applauding)
2:02:30 Now I’m gonna sidestep a little bit.
2:02:33 Before I was elected to this position,
2:02:35 I worked for Brevard Public Schools for six years
2:02:38 as a speech language pathologist.
2:02:39 I worked with all of our ESC department.
2:02:46 This is not the number one referral, but it’s important
2:02:50 and we’ve heard about it here today.
2:02:52 So let’s talk honestly about our teachers
2:02:54 who are being physically attacked in classrooms
2:02:58 because it’s happening.
2:02:59 We know it’s happening.
2:03:00 No one’s saying it isn’t.
2:03:03 But the data tells us that the majority
2:03:06 of these physical behaviors towards our staff
2:03:08 are within our ESC classrooms.
2:03:10 And it’s not ‘cause our ESC students are bad kids.
2:03:16 If you say you care about our students getting physical
2:03:19 with our staff, we need to be real and honest
2:03:22 about what’s actually happening.
2:03:23 The educational environment we provide some
2:03:25 of our ESC students directly contributes
2:03:28 to their increased frustration levels,
2:03:31 difficulty with self-regulation, too much stimuli,
2:03:34 and ultimately increasing negative behaviors.
2:03:38 This is a reality.
2:03:39 (audience applauding)
2:03:42 And it’s not the fault of our teachers.
2:03:44 Our ESC teachers are patient, passionate,
2:03:47 loving professionals.
2:03:48 They give everything to their students.
2:03:51 And quite frankly, it’s not the fault of BPS.
2:03:55 This is a huge issue.
2:03:56 It’s not a simple solution.
2:03:58 It’s the result of a statewide model and funding structure.
2:04:02 And I don’t have the answer to it.
2:04:04 I don’t know how we fix it.
2:04:05 But at a minimum, if we’re going to talk about
2:04:07 discipline and behaviors and we’re going to highlight one
2:04:10 that’s incredibly important to our staff,
2:04:13 then we at least have to acknowledge the why
2:04:16 before we pretend to fix it.
2:04:20 So to people who are listening and don’t really understand
2:04:23 why I’m saying that, when a student is struggling,
2:04:27 a team meets and does an assessment for that student.
2:04:30 We document their abilities, where they are currently,
2:04:32 the goals that we want them to achieve within the year,
2:04:35 sometimes objectives and benchmarks along the way,
2:04:37 the services that we as an education institution
2:04:40 can provide to them in order to reach those goals.
2:04:43 Exceptional student education,
2:04:45 sometimes there’ll be therapists involved,
2:04:47 both physical communication.
2:04:54 We take the time to identify the least restrictive
2:04:57 environment for that student.
2:04:59 And what that means is we decide what setting
2:05:02 that student can function their best in
2:05:05 with the least amount of time removed
2:05:07 from their general education peers.
2:05:11 Then we draft an individualized education plan, an IEP.
2:05:16 And when our students are recommended
2:05:18 a self-contained classroom setting,
2:05:19 they suddenly find themselves in an environment
2:05:22 that is contradictory to the term individualized.
2:05:26 There are among 15 other individualized education plans
2:05:30 in an elementary school.
2:05:31 Sometimes they are in multigrade levels,
2:05:34 kindergarten through third grade in one class,
2:05:36 fourth through sixth grade in another,
2:05:37 among varying exceptionalities and needs.
2:05:40 We’ve got one teacher, 15 individualized needs,
2:05:43 multigrade level curriculums,
2:05:45 often new students coming in and out
2:05:47 as they’re identified throughout the year.
2:05:49 And if they’re lucky,
2:05:50 they have an instructional assistant position
2:05:52 staffed to support them.
2:05:55 We expect our ESC students, or I’m sorry,
2:05:57 we expect our ESC teachers to manage these settings
2:06:00 with limited resources and limited staffing.
2:06:03 And we expect our most vulnerable students
2:06:05 who may be struggling not only academically,
2:06:08 but socially, emotionally, physically,
2:06:11 with communication deficits,
2:06:13 to thrive in these challenging settings.
2:06:17 We need to acknowledge reality.
2:06:21 And we have to take action and address it
2:06:23 not only for our staff’s well-being,
2:06:25 for every student in those classrooms
2:06:27 to have a safe learning environment.
2:06:31 And it’s not gonna be easy, and it’s not gonna be quick.
2:06:37 So I ask, again, where are these instances
2:06:42 happening most often?
2:06:44 And when we look at it by grade level,
2:06:46 there’s an incredible spike when we hit seventh grade.
2:06:49 No shock to anyone who has a middle schooler, right?
2:06:54 It’s reflective of their childhood development.
2:06:57 It makes sense.
2:06:58 And that’s why as an organization,
2:07:00 we are focusing on reimagining middle schools,
2:07:02 because we know it’s a problem,
2:07:04 and we want to do something differently.
2:07:06 (audience applauds)
2:07:07 And so I say, if we can do that there,
2:07:10 then we need to start having a conversation
2:07:12 about reimagining the way we focus on our ESC classrooms
2:07:15 and the way we service our ESC students.
2:07:18 (audience applauds)
2:07:23 So this next part is where
2:07:29 I’m just, I’m frustrated.
2:07:34 You know, there was a lot said today
2:07:36 that gives this impression that students
2:07:38 are doing these terrible things,
2:07:39 and it’s not being addressed.
2:07:46 I got data that says to me,
2:07:48 and I believe that this is year-to-date.
2:07:52 I’m not positive of that.
2:07:53 Let’s see, data fold.
2:07:55 Yes, so I’m assuming this is from our school year,
2:07:58 this data right here.
2:07:59 Okay, just from the beginning of this school year to now.
2:08:01 Okay, there have been 26,132 incidents
2:08:06 reported, and then we have data
2:08:09 about the actions taken towards those.
2:08:12 32,270, so we have,
2:08:24 so we have like 6,000 responses to referrals.
2:08:29 And I can’t literally break this down on paper,
2:08:32 but it tells me, I can assume,
2:08:33 I think I can safely assume that when those kids
2:08:35 are referred, we had some kind of consequence put in place,
2:08:39 because it doesn’t make any sense.
2:08:40 We have more consequences than we have referrals,
2:08:42 because sometimes we have students
2:08:45 who do something, and they get more than one referral
2:08:48 and more than one consequence.
2:08:50 But I say this to our teachers listening.
2:08:52 I hear you, I hear you when you come to me.
2:08:56 I argue the number one frustration
2:08:59 is that teachers feel like they aren’t supported.
2:09:02 They feel like when they write a referral,
2:09:03 it isn’t followed through with.
2:09:05 And I’m not saying that you’re wrong or you’re lying.
2:09:07 What I’m asking you, and I really think the purpose
2:09:10 of this meeting is, is to acknowledge
2:09:13 that’s the number one frustration.
2:09:15 So let’s do something about it.
2:09:17 Let’s let our teachers know,
2:09:18 because I’m an educator from BPS,
2:09:20 I know the culture of our educators.
2:09:22 They’re concerned and fearful to be honest about it,
2:09:25 to put it in writing and to tell someone to help them.
2:09:29 I want you to hear me, and I think all of us should say it,
2:09:32 ‘cause that’s really the purpose of this meeting today.
2:09:34 Put it in writing.
2:09:36 Tell us.
2:09:37 I hear you, I believe you, but when you come to me
2:09:40 and you say, “I had this incident in my classroom,
2:09:43 “and my teacher or my administrator didn’t respond to it,”
2:09:47 we can’t do anything from the district level with that.
2:09:51 You’re not giving me a specific incident,
2:09:53 a specific student, a specific action
2:09:55 to address with the staff here,
2:09:58 to then go address with the staff at your school.
2:10:01 You have permission to do that.
2:10:04 Please do it, because it’s not gonna get better if you don’t.
2:10:07 (audience applauds)
2:10:10 And the scariest part about this,
2:10:12 because it is the number one frustration
2:10:15 for classroom teachers,
2:10:16 is that they also say in the same breath,
2:10:19 “Because they don’t help me and I don’t feel supported,”
2:10:22 whether or not in their specific scenario it’s true or not,
2:10:26 they feel that way, they no longer write referrals.
2:10:29 Well, that doesn’t help either.
2:10:32 That’s not gonna fix the problem either.
2:10:34 And so if we’re going to make a change
2:10:36 and we’re gonna be honest about what’s happening,
2:10:39 you have to document it.
2:10:40 You have to tell us about it.
2:10:43 No one’s gonna retaliate against you.
2:10:46 You can call me if you think they did,
2:10:49 ‘cause if you don’t think I’m gonna not defend you,
2:10:50 I don’t think you’ve been paying attention.
2:10:53 (audience laughs)
2:10:54 Please, let’s have an honest conversation today.
2:10:58 Number one frustration for teachers,
2:11:00 feeling like they’re not supported.
2:11:02 Let’s fix it.
2:11:05 Number one physical altercation,
2:11:07 unhealthy ESE environments for our students and our staff.
2:11:11 It hurts to say it, but it’s true.
2:11:14 And stop blaming the laws and the handcuffing,
2:11:18 ‘cause it’s not true.
2:11:20 It hurts our community, it hurts our community.
2:11:24 (audience applauds)
2:11:31 - Ms. Campbell?
2:11:36 - All right.
2:11:42 So I’m gonna share just from some thoughts
2:11:46 that were highlighted to me as I was listening
2:11:48 to everybody around this, whatever we are, you.
2:11:55 But before I do that, you may have been able
2:11:58 to tell a little frustration in my voice
2:12:00 at the beginning of the meeting,
2:12:01 and I wanna share why I was frustrated,
2:12:02 and I’m gonna share why I’m glad we’re doing this.
2:12:05 My frustration is because we had on the agenda,
2:12:10 we’re gonna talk about the discipline plan,
2:12:11 but there were no specifics,
2:12:13 there was nothing else posted on the agenda.
2:12:15 There was nothing, hang on, hang on.
2:12:17 Listen, just stop if you would, please.
2:12:23 I think when we have these, however many of you said,
2:12:26 30-something people come up,
2:12:28 I think we’re gonna have people come up
2:12:29 and talk about their concerns about corporal punishment
2:12:35 because the perception, warranted or unwarranted,
2:12:38 it’s gone out there.
2:12:39 I mean, I got the phone call from NBC News,
2:12:41 National News last week wanting to know,
2:12:43 were we doing corporal punishment, was it legal?
2:12:44 I’m like, I watched a press conference,
2:12:46 that’s not what he said, but the perception is
2:12:48 that we’re about to resume corporal punishment.
2:12:51 I didn’t hear that, so if that’s why you came to speak,
2:12:54 please keep your comments short so we can get through this
2:12:56 because I don’t think that’s what we’re doing.
2:13:00 I think we’ve got people who are here
2:13:03 to address other things that we’re not talking.
2:13:05 So I will, but my frustration was, we didn’t know.
2:13:09 We didn’t know.
2:13:10 We, I think you knew, but we didn’t know
2:13:14 and the public didn’t know on the agenda,
2:13:16 what exactly were we talking about?
2:13:18 And so people just had to make assumptions
2:13:20 and when people make assumptions,
2:13:21 they usually make the worst assumptions
2:13:24 and it’s based on their political background
2:13:27 and I hate that.
2:13:28 You know me well enough, you know I hate getting
2:13:30 to the politics of everything, but that’s where we are.
2:13:33 This is the world that we live in and everybody drew sides.
2:13:36 We heard the sides drawn today and thank you gentlemen
2:13:39 for being respectful of one another,
2:13:42 but we heard, as well as you could, maybe, I don’t know,
2:13:47 whatever, we can move on to the next thing.
2:13:49 But we can have this discussion
2:13:50 without having to draw sides, but we drew sides
2:13:53 because we didn’t know, so that’s my frustration.
2:13:54 The positive thing and the reason why I’m glad
2:13:57 we’re having this conversation is because some
2:13:58 of the things that were brought out today,
2:14:00 we actually already have some things in place
2:14:03 and we have those conversations as a board all the time.
2:14:06 We have had workshops on discipline.
2:14:07 We have had workshops on behavior plans.
2:14:10 We have, it has been presented to the board,
2:14:13 the resources that we have for our teachers,
2:14:16 for our families, but you know what, a lot of times,
2:14:19 because those are, people aren’t paying attention.
2:14:21 Well, you bet, the world is paying attention today.
2:14:23 So thank you for creating this opportunity
2:14:26 because I want now in this arena
2:14:29 that everybody’s paying attention for people to see,
2:14:31 yes, what the issues are, but also what we already have
2:14:35 in place that maybe they weren’t aware of
2:14:36 that maybe now they’ll get more involved
2:14:39 and they’ll more participate.
2:14:40 And I’m gonna mention some things like,
2:14:42 thank you for bringing me more mental health resources,
2:14:45 Mr. Young, I think you said that, for our teachers.
2:14:46 We have, and I’m gonna say it publicly
2:14:48 ‘cause I know the teacher’s gonna be watching this.
2:14:50 We have through our, what’s the,
2:14:54 EAP, employee assistance program, we have free,
2:14:58 as many as you need, phone-based,
2:15:01 and some, a certain number of in-person
2:15:04 mental health counseling for all of our employees.
2:15:07 We have that.
2:15:08 I don’t know what the participation level is,
2:15:10 but it’s not high enough.
2:15:12 We have now, through our marathon health clinics,
2:15:14 which are available to everyone on the health plan,
2:15:17 which is about 6,000-ish of our 9,000 employees.
2:15:20 We have mental health resources at,
2:15:23 Dr. Fede at every clinic, correct?
2:15:28 - At the Central Area Clinic, and it moves.
2:15:31 - Right, so we have, but we have resources available
2:15:33 for everybody who’s on the health plan.
2:15:35 I want all of our employees to hear me clearly say,
2:15:37 we have mental health resources available for you today,
2:15:39 and if you’re an insurance program, you have through Cigna.
2:15:42 We take advantage of those
2:15:43 because we do not want you to be without resources
2:15:45 when they are there at your fingertips.
2:15:48 We have, we have some training.
2:15:53 I’m gonna shift here to some of the things that I’ve heard,
2:15:56 other things that I’ve heard.
2:15:57 We talk about fully stacked.
2:15:59 You know what, it would be great if we were fully stacked.
2:16:01 That would help.
2:16:03 (audience applauding)
2:16:04 And you know what, when people said that,
2:16:06 we need more bus drivers, we need more IA’s.
2:16:08 My heart breaks, and I just wanna cry,
2:16:11 because we’re trying so hard,
2:16:13 and I can’t make people come take these jobs.
2:16:16 And you know what, my great frustration,
2:16:18 and I’m sorry, I’m sorry, my frustration.
2:16:22 I’ve got frustrations about lots of things.
2:16:23 They’re not necessarily aimed at anyone,
2:16:24 the person in particular right now,
2:16:28 is that we had people, and bless you county,
2:16:31 for approving the millage,
2:16:33 but we had people when we were trying to fight that battle,
2:16:35 when we were trying to say, look, we can’t get people hired.
2:16:38 We need to be able to pay them more,
2:16:40 and they were fighting with every last breath
2:16:42 for us to not get the millage passed,
2:16:44 when that is the thing that’s going to enable us,
2:16:47 hopefully, and I’m not a complete,
2:16:49 that’s not gonna solve all our problems,
2:16:50 but it will help.
2:16:52 It will help with the recruitment,
2:16:53 it will help with the retention.
2:16:54 Please see the head nods of our union representatives,
2:16:57 our employee representatives over there.
2:16:59 It will help, and yet people were fighting against that.
2:17:02 And you know what, a lot of what was mentioned today,
2:17:05 by, just to be honest, conservative and liberal sides
2:17:08 of the room, where we need more people,
2:17:11 more staffing, more pay, more programs,
2:17:15 and every single one of those is dollar signs.
2:17:19 Now there were other things, and I’m getting to that.
2:17:21 There were other things, and I’m getting to that.
2:17:23 But all programs, people, all of that retention,
2:17:26 that’s all dollar signs.
2:17:29 And you know what, there’s things that we can control,
2:17:31 and things that we can’t control,
2:17:32 and things that we can influence.
2:17:34 Dollar signs, honestly, we can’t control.
2:17:37 The state holds that budget, and they give us.
2:17:40 Thank you Brevard County, again, I just have to say it again,
2:17:42 for approving the millage, because then the Brevard County
2:17:45 Citizens Society, you know what, we can control that,
2:17:48 as a community, but this board can’t control that.
2:17:53 I heard drug issues, I’m gonna mention that later,
2:17:57 because one of the reasons why that we are the number one
2:18:01 expelling school districts in the county is because
2:18:03 we are one of only two school districts in the county
2:18:05 that expels for drug use, and it’s, I think,
2:18:08 even though that’s not the behaviors,
2:18:10 I think that everybody’s highlighting today,
2:18:12 it is definitely involved, and I think that we have
2:18:15 the opportunity, maybe in the future,
2:18:17 to dream a little bit differently,
2:18:19 and maybe find that because that is a huge problem.
2:18:25 Professional development, I’m gonna tell you what,
2:18:27 I believe that everybody at this table, in this community,
2:18:29 needs to give a little bit.
2:18:31 Everybody part of this organization
2:18:32 needs to give a little bit.
2:18:33 We cannot decide that our side has all the answers.
2:18:36 And I’m gonna tell you, union representatives,
2:18:40 I am kind of tired, as a board member,
2:18:42 of constantly hearing the pushback
2:18:44 on professional development.
2:18:45 We have had a lot of fuss about how,
2:18:48 even hurricane makeup days, on February 20th,
2:18:50 it’s professional development day,
2:18:51 and we fussed and fussed, and said, you know what, nope,
2:18:54 we need to use that as a hurricane makeup day,
2:18:55 because our teachers need, and they need the time off,
2:18:58 they need the planning, I totally get that.
2:19:00 We also had a fuss about taking, you know,
2:19:05 early release days, but listen,
2:19:07 we only have so much time for professional development.
2:19:09 We can’t make people do professional development
2:19:11 outside of the certain realms.
2:19:12 We need the professional development.
2:19:13 We have more new teachers than ever before,
2:19:15 more new bus drivers, more new IAs before,
2:19:17 and yet we’re not giving the time,
2:19:19 we’re fighting against the time
2:19:21 to give the professional development.
2:19:23 And that’s very frustrating.
2:19:24 So we’re gonna have to give a little bit,
2:19:25 because we want to provide
2:19:26 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.
2:19:42 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,
2:19:51 is a lot of times the people who are in the room hearing that
2:19:54 are the ones who are already involved,
2:19:56 and we have to figure out how do we take that message
2:19:59 of parental involvement to the people
2:20:01 who aren’t in the room,
2:20:02 and they don’t really care about this video.
2:20:05 They’re not gonna watch this meeting.
2:20:06 How do we take the parental involvement to them?
2:20:10 Because we just started that Parental Academy.
2:20:12 I think we had better turnout last Thursday
2:20:14 than we did the week after the hurricane,
2:20:16 but it was still pretty low.
2:20:19 How do we take that message to parents
2:20:21 who honestly are overwhelmed and feel unprepared
2:20:25 to deal with their own children?
2:20:27 Because, you know, we talk about bus drivers and teachers
2:20:30 can’t get their kids to put their phone down.
2:20:32 Phones down.
2:20:33 They can’t, I see parents all the time
2:20:36 who can’t get their own kids to put their phone down,
2:20:38 and they’re unprepared.
2:20:41 So, and it’s easy to say, just take ‘em,
2:20:42 but you know what?
2:20:43 I know a lot of parents who, they just,
2:20:46 they don’t know how to do it.
2:20:47 They don’t have the skills.
2:20:50 So I don’t know, so all of that to say,
2:20:52 it is a multi-pronged, I’m gonna borrow your phrase
2:20:57 that you use, Sheriff Ivey, when you talk about security.
2:21:01 A multi-layered approach.
2:21:04 We have to address professional development,
2:21:07 especially for our new teachers who don’t have
2:21:09 those classroom management skills under their belt,
2:21:11 because a lot of ‘em didn’t come from education backgrounds,
2:21:14 and we’re throwing ‘em in there.
2:21:16 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,
2:21:27 we can’t address that, but you know,
2:21:28 that may be a part of it.
2:21:33 We have to address all of it, and I’m really glad,
2:21:36 another thing I’m really glad about this conversation is,
2:21:38 because I think there was a perception
2:21:40 that some of this was going to be,
2:21:42 you big, bad school district, you’re doing everything wrong,
2:21:45 and that’s not actually what I heard.
2:21:48 I heard, families, it’s time to step up.
2:21:52 (audience applauding)
2:21:54 Number one, I heard that more than anything else,
2:21:57 so I heard that, and it’s time for us
2:22:02 to get as many resources as we can,
2:22:06 knowing that we’re limited, and we can’t produce staff
2:22:09 out of thin air, but we’ve got to do everything we can
2:22:12 to get these things filled, because that is a huge issue,
2:22:16 and I don’t want to be, I’m an optimist,
2:22:18 so I hate thinking about that in a negative way,
2:22:20 but that’s not going away anytime soon,
2:22:22 and we’re not unique, Brevard is not unique
2:22:24 in any of the problems that we’ve talked about today.
2:22:27 So it’s not big, bad Brevard,
2:22:29 big, bad Brevard public schools, big, bad Brevard community,
2:22:32 this is national and international.
2:22:35 So yes, I’m glad we’re talking about this,
2:22:37 and I hope that we can be a leader,
2:22:39 but I think everybody needs to be ready to give a little,
2:22:43 and not assume that their way,
2:22:45 or that whatever ideas they have,
2:22:46 that’s the only way that it can be done.
2:22:48 So I may have gone a little bit more,
2:22:50 pardon me for sermonizing, but,
2:22:52 you open the door, Mr. Seuss, and I walk through.
2:22:56 - And that’s why we’re here, so thank you, Ms. Campbell.
2:22:58 Mr. Trent.
2:23:01 - All right, so, we hear you,
2:23:06 and I was praying for a time like this
2:23:09 where we could not look left, not look right,
2:23:12 but find a topic that we agree on.
2:23:16 So we don’t repeat ourselves,
2:23:20 in which I think we’re all gonna wind up
2:23:21 saying some of the same things here,
2:23:22 but I think it’s important to get out,
2:23:25 is we hear you, and I think that was the message
2:23:29 that was trying to get out,
2:23:30 at least that was my perception with Sheriff and the others,
2:23:36 is that teachers, administrators, parents, we hear you.
2:23:40 Today, before I even forget it,
2:23:43 and I’m terrible at names, but my AP teacher,
2:23:47 and my Teacher of the Year, and my IA,
2:23:51 thank you, thank you as a parent, thank you as a teacher.
2:23:54 Here’s my big hug to you, and then believe me,
2:23:56 people out there are doing the same thing.
2:24:00 To my person at, well, I got names in front of me now,
2:24:04 Ms. Samantha, thank you so much for mentioning parents
2:24:07 and parental involvement, and my minister lady down there,
2:24:11 it mentioned parents.
2:24:14 We feel here on the board,
2:24:16 this is the ultimate parent connection right here.
2:24:20 We are parents, Jennifer Jenkins, and Katie Campbell,
2:24:25 Matt Susan, and Megan and myself,
2:24:29 this is where we felt we could contribute,
2:24:32 and put our names in, and go through
2:24:36 quite the effort to be here.
2:24:38 It isn’t the biggest thing, I mean the biggest thing
2:24:42 sometimes is working two and three jobs,
2:24:44 and getting your kids to school.
2:24:48 I’m a product of that.
2:24:50 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
2:24:58 is I need help, and this board needs your help,
2:25:03 parents and community, and this will not be the last,
2:25:06 this should be the beginning of the help.
2:25:10 From the extreme of we need maybe parents
2:25:12 walking some hallways.
2:25:14 (audience applauding)
2:25:17 We need parents invited and feel comfortable
2:25:20 to eating lunch with your child.
2:25:24 We need parents to possibly sit in your child’s classroom.
2:25:30 Those were the things, those were the issues
2:25:33 that I had to deal with growing up.
2:25:35 My mom was not my bus driver, thank God.
2:25:38 But there were times where the teacher would
2:25:41 call the parent and say, can you come in this week
2:25:43 and sit with little Johnny or Sally or whomever,
2:25:46 in the class.
2:25:49 And I believe, and I pray that this is the new norm
2:25:53 here in Brevard that has been brought up at many meetings
2:25:56 and it was shot down immediately.
2:26:00 That’s the new day, that we’re gonna allow parents
2:26:03 back into the discussion.
2:26:06 So when we hear, (audience applauding)
2:26:08 when we hear candidates running on a parental issue,
2:26:12 it isn’t that we’re trying to tell teachers
2:26:14 how to do their job, those teachers that were afraid
2:26:16 that was happening, or other parents are afraid
2:26:20 that the teacher and the parent was going to decide
2:26:22 on the curriculum that’s being taught or how it’s taught.
2:26:25 That’s left up to the professionals or the teachers
2:26:27 in the classroom, that’s not what we meant.
2:26:29 We just need a seat at the table and we need that.
2:26:34 And I’m thankful for this.
2:26:37 I’m a note taker, pardon me to go through
2:26:40 some of these things, I wasn’t going to touch
2:26:42 on some of them, but I feel that I have to do that.
2:26:46 I’ll start at the very beginning, or the end,
2:26:49 when our board members said unless we use actual data
2:26:53 and facts, nothing else matters.
2:26:55 We only use data, and I have a little bit
2:26:57 of a math background, that was compiled honestly.
2:27:04 We also heard that we need teachers to write referrals.
2:27:09 Well the reason why, and unfortunately, things get watered
2:27:13 down is we get beat down after a while, okay?
2:27:16 And those teachers, many of them are not writing
2:27:18 the referrals or having the discussions,
2:27:21 and you have to ask why, right?
2:27:23 Because, you know, Mr. Shiffrin, I’ve not been involved
2:27:28 50 years, but it’s been 20, okay?
2:27:31 30 being a parent, so let’s go back when I first started
2:27:35 as a teacher, and I would make a phone call home.
2:27:38 We had to log these phone calls.
2:27:40 And they were nice phone calls, you know,
2:27:42 even if it was on a bad situation,
2:27:44 or an uncomfortable situation, and I would get,
2:27:46 thank you Mr. Trent for calling.
2:27:49 Thank you for doing what you’re doing,
2:27:50 I’ll take care of it when so and so gets home.
2:27:54 Then it went to, I don’t know what to do.
2:27:58 Do you have any suggestions?
2:27:59 I don’t know how to keep the phones out of my kids’ hands
2:28:02 or playing video games.
2:28:04 Many times it was split homes.
2:28:05 Well, he’s with his dad, or she’s with the dad
2:28:08 three days a week, and they get to do whatever they want,
2:28:10 play video games, you know, so that’s when the earbuds
2:28:13 and the phone, that was even before phones,
2:28:16 so we knew the issue.
2:28:17 Then it went to, well, what’d you do to my kid
2:28:21 to make him behave that way?
2:28:25 Then it went to, I dropped him off at school,
2:28:28 and that’s your problem.
2:28:32 Then it went to, we don’t make those phone calls
2:28:34 at home anymore, 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
2:28:43 been ringing off the hook during the campaign,
2:28:46 or even as a teacher where they just said,
2:28:48 my principal now has come to me and said,
2:28:49 I have to get used to the new norm.
2:28:53 Stop complaining that this behavior is acting,
2:28:55 because we’re not doing anything.
2:28:58 I spent some time at the ALC, not as a student,
2:29:00 but as a teacher, and too many times the student
2:29:03 would come back with a piece of candy and say,
2:29:07 gotcha, we’ve got to stop doing those kinds of things.
2:29:10 We need help in that instance.
2:29:15 We need to acknowledge reality.
2:29:19 Reality isn’t in the data currently.
2:29:22 The reality you heard around the table today,
2:29:25 that’s reality.
2:29:26 20 years in the classroom, that’s reality.
2:29:29 Teacher retention is an issue, bus driver retention.
2:29:33 We know that’s an issue.
2:29:35 When they’re making two and three loops,
2:29:37 and a kid is an hour and a half late to school,
2:29:40 that’s reality.
2:29:42 And we’re here to come together,
2:29:45 and not just base things on whatever we see on paper,
2:29:48 because we know how things can get moved around.
2:29:53 Okay?
2:29:56 So what I’m getting at there,
2:29:58 here’s my fear with parental involvement.
2:30:02 And not that I believe these, but this is a fear.
2:30:04 Parents don’t care.
2:30:07 Absolutely it’s a lie.
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
2:30:14 calling and contacting parents.
2:30:16 I pray that that’s not the case.
2:30:18 So it is up to us to 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,
2:30:28 many times when we come here as a parent,
2:30:31 and we say we need to get involved,
2:30:32 it’s the parents that are here that do the involvement.
2:30:37 Grab a neighbor.
2:30:38 Let’s have some town hall meetings, maybe.
2:30:40 I like the idea of moving around.
2:30:41 Maybe we’ll come to them.
2:30:43 Okay, 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
2:30:52 would even call and argue and threaten a lawsuit,
2:30:55 even for a detention.
2:30:58 And why my little students,
2:31:02 because they’re late three times in a day or two days,
2:31:05 that they even have to serve a detention.
2:31:07 The argument on that.
2:31:09 And then it escalates from there.
2:31:11 So when these major things are going on,
2:31:13 all the little things as a classroom teacher
2:31:14 gets overlooked.
2:31:16 Those used to be the big things,
2:31:18 just like blatant disrespect to the teacher
2:31:21 and to the other students.
2:31:23 So yes, we have to take everything into consideration,
2:31:26 but we have to have some non-negotiables.
2:31:29 Like being able to sit in a classroom,
2:31:32 respect your teacher, respect your fellow students.
2:31:36 Used to hang that on our wall.
2:31:37 Each class would come up with their own non-negotiables
2:31:40 before learning can start.
2:31:42 I’ll end it when we talked about,
2:31:43 well, kids are behind in reading and in math.
2:31:48 Trust me, I understand, I’m a math teacher.
2:31:50 I have some special concerns in my home
2:31:54 with reading right now, okay?
2:31:57 But why are they behind?
2:32:00 There’s lots of reasons.
2:32:01 But I believe some of the reasons
2:32:03 is what we’re talking about here today.
2:32:05 No learning can start unless the discipline
2:32:09 in the classroom is handled.
2:32:11 Very little can start.
2:32:12 We have so few minutes as an educator already.
2:32:15 I think we boil it.
2:32:16 There was one study, 17 minutes of class period
2:32:18 that we actually had learning going on after attendance
2:32:23 and after all the things that we have to take care of.
2:32:25 Those minutes are crucial,
2:32:27 and us as educators need those minutes.
2:32:31 All I wanna say is I actually appreciate
2:32:35 it hasn’t been a left or right issue,
2:32:37 that it needs to be colorblind.
2:32:39 We love all children.
2:32:41 That’s why we’ve become educators, right?
2:32:43 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
2:32:49 that we’re hoping they all can be,
2:32:51 but it’s going to take this to start.
2:32:52 So I appreciate everyone coming together.
2:32:55 Many of you here didn’t endorse me, didn’t support me,
2:32:59 but I said there’s gonna be grounds
2:33:01 that we can come together on this,
2:33:03 and this has got to be a bare minimum.
2:33:05 So I gotta stop.
2:33:07 Thank you so much.
2:33:08 (audience applauding)
2:33:11 - Just so everybody understands, Mr. Trent just recently,
2:33:17 Mr. Trent was most recently in the classroom
2:33:20 among everybody.
2:33:21 So he was in the classroom as of about a month ago.
2:33:24 So many of what you see,
2:33:27 he’s heard with and met with people locally.
2:33:29 Thank you.
2:33:30 Ms. Wright.
2:33:33 - I want to thank you guys for each coming today.
2:33:35 This to me signifies the fact that we all recognize
2:33:38 that this is a problem.
2:33:39 Every one of us that’s sitting here is here because we care,
2:33:42 because we want to make our classrooms
2:33:44 a productive learning environment.
2:33:45 We want to make our school buses a safe vehicle
2:33:49 for our kids to be transported in.
2:33:51 And so I’m grateful that we can come together.
2:33:53 This is, this opportunity doesn’t exist very, very often.
2:33:57 I think really what I walk away from is
2:34:00 this is our student code of conduct.
2:34:03 Just so you guys know, when somebody says to a parent,
2:34:05 hey, our code of conduct’s online.
2:34:07 Are you, do you think a parent is gonna go
2:34:09 and read this realistically?
2:34:11 I mean, this is hundreds of pages of student conduct.
2:34:16 No parent has read that.
2:34:17 I can guarantee you that.
2:34:18 And I think really what we need
2:34:20 is we need clear expectations.
2:34:23 And I think that that will produce a clear result.
2:34:25 But if we can’t clearly define to our students
2:34:28 and to our teachers,
2:34:29 hey, this is what we’re expecting from you guys.
2:34:31 Students, this is what we’re expecting from you
2:34:33 as far as behavior goes.
2:34:35 If it’s this much, this many pages to define it,
2:34:38 then how are we ever gonna have a clear policy
2:34:41 where we understand?
2:34:42 It just doesn’t exist in this, it doesn’t.
2:34:45 So I’m encouraged that we can pull together on this topic
2:34:50 and we can say, hey, give us some feedback.
2:34:52 We wanna simplify this.
2:34:54 We wanna put this policy in every parent’s hands
2:34:57 and say, here, here’s what we’re looking for
2:34:59 from your student.
2:35:00 Partner with us, please come help us at the schools.
2:35:03 We need our parents involved.
2:35:05 I think that that is something
2:35:06 I can hear from everybody here today.
2:35:08 Our sheriff, thank you, Sheriff Ivey.
2:35:10 I am so appreciative to the fact
2:35:13 that you have drawn so much attention to this
2:35:15 because you know what else I’ve heard?
2:35:16 All over the state of Florida,
2:35:18 everyone is going through this.
2:35:20 This is not just Brevard County.
2:35:22 Every one of us.
2:35:23 And you know why we’re hearing that?
2:35:24 Because that video came out.
2:35:26 So I’m grateful that the awareness has been created
2:35:29 over this topic.
2:35:30 And I’m encouraged that I think we can come together
2:35:33 and we can find solutions to this
2:35:35 as long as we’re willing to hear both sides.
2:35:38 That’s all I’m saying about that.
2:35:40 But I appreciate you guys, thank you.
2:35:41 I’m gonna turn this over to you.
2:35:44 - Thank you, Ms. Wright.
2:35:45 First, I’d like to say thank you to each person
2:35:47 who took time today for their own busy schedules
2:35:50 to make this meeting a priority.
2:35:52 As you’ll see from the agenda today,
2:35:54 our emphasis will be on ensuring
2:35:55 that we will be embracing a community,
2:35:58 a collective approach to this problem.
2:36:00 For too long, the school district has been working
2:36:03 in isolation on issues that’s far reached consequences
2:36:06 beyond the walls of our schools.
2:36:08 In fact, I say that our discipline policies and procedures
2:36:11 impacts all aspects of our community
2:36:13 here in Brevard County.
2:36:15 And on that note, I would like to say this.
2:36:18 This issue is surely not isolated to Brevard County.
2:36:22 What we’re confronted with is a societal issue.
2:36:25 And I know that the efforts in bringing change
2:36:27 to a substantial issue will not happen overnight.
2:36:31 But what I do know about Brevard County is this.
2:36:35 When the mission calls, we answer.
2:36:37 When a problem’s identified, we innovate, we explore.
2:36:43 And we develop solutions.
2:36:45 Today is our first step in developing those solutions.
2:36:49 But first, it is important to hear the voices
2:36:52 of those that are experiencing the problems
2:36:54 on a daily basis.
2:36:55 Because in this current state, that’s exactly what’s missing.
2:36:59 The voices of those experiencing this reality
2:37:01 day in and day out.
2:37:03 So you can put data in front of me
2:37:04 that says there are no issues.
2:37:06 But those are numbers absent from human voices.
2:37:10 And I refuse to continue to allow numbers
2:37:12 to be the only voice in this problem.
2:37:15 So again, thank you to those of you who have reached out,
2:37:18 who have stepped up.
2:37:19 Your courage and your commitment is what will be bringing
2:37:22 positive change to the school district.
2:37:24 And I’m greatly, 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.
2:37:45 (upbeat music)
2:38:15 (upbeat music continues)
2:52:09 - Thank you and welcome back everybody.
2:52:11 I wanted to address a couple of quick issues.
2:52:14 The first one is, is that we had some individuals
2:52:17 that were at the table that signed up to speak.
2:52:20 I just wanted to make sure I’m gonna read your name
2:52:22 if I can just re-negate that.
2:52:24 Sam, are you good for me to take your speaking?
2:52:27 And Brian, you good?
2:52:29 ‘Cause you’re speaking through the whole thing.
2:52:31 And then Benny Jackson, is that good?
2:52:34 Thank you.
2:52:35 And then after reviewing all of the secondary lists,
2:52:40 there were a couple of individuals
2:52:43 that did not put anything down.
2:52:45 I think it’s about discipline,
2:52:46 but I was gonna ask real quick, is Josephine Hunter here?
2:52:51 Okay, I’m assuming it’s discipline
2:52:52 so I can put you in with them.
2:52:54 Okay.
2:52:55 And then Skip Parrish is discipline.
2:52:59 Yes, sir.
2:53:00 Okay, so that makes that.
2:53:02 We now, just so everybody have,
2:53:04 roughly 37 speakers on discipline.
2:53:06 So with three minutes, here’s what I would say.
2:53:11 If you can speak quicker, we can get through that
2:53:14 to get to what we’re trying to do.
2:53:16 We are going to, the individuals that are here,
2:53:19 have been, I have a 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.
2:53:26 He’s gonna bring pizzas and stuff like that for us.
2:53:28 If you guys are interested while we’re moving
2:53:31 and you guys needed to head to the back,
2:53:33 our lunch area only opens or stays open till one o’clock.
2:53:37 So if you guys are wanting to eat,
2:53:39 you can head back there, get food, come back.
2:53:41 But I think we need to work through this.
2:53:42 So if we can work through the lunch piece,
2:53:44 ‘cause there’s some people that are concerned
2:53:46 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’ve got a number
2:53:58 or whatever it is, it kind of,
2:53:59 I put them back in numerical order,
2:54:01 but there may be some people in between
2:54:03 that might’ve been with you
2:54:04 that put down this or the other piece.
2:54:05 So with that stated,
2:54:08 let’s go with Josephine Hunter, please.
2:54:10 Number three.
2:54:12 And then after that is Katie Delaney
2:54:16 and Kelly Curvin, please.
2:54:22 - Good morning, everyone.
2:54:24 Josephine Hunter, I don’t know if I have to get my address,
2:54:27 but I’m a Melbourne resident.
2:54:30 A lot said today, have to move quickly through this.
2:54:33 First of all, thank all of you for your service.
2:54:37 I hope you know it is service, you know?
2:54:39 And it’s a calling, it does take a calling.
2:54:42 I’m a widow pastor’s wife.
2:54:43 It takes a calling to love God’s people
2:54:45 or to help God’s people and to teach his children as well.
2:54:49 That’s the first thing.
2:54:50 I’m also a mother of two and had a handicapped son
2:54:55 that never walked or talked
2:54:56 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.
2:55:07 Several of them are college educated with degrees
2:55:10 and some didn’t go, but I’ve had a little of all of it.
2:55:12 So that being said, just with the discipline policy,
2:55:16 I do believe it has to be data driven
2:55:18 and looking at the data, which of course,
2:55:21 I had a little issue with someone saying
2:55:26 that was not correct data,
2:55:29 or that there was no data given or data,
2:55:32 whichever word you prefer,
2:55:33 considering that it came from a retired Harris engineer
2:55:36 and avionics engineer, and more importantly,
2:55:39 it was pulled from BPS information.
2:55:42 So that part, so, you know,
2:55:44 (audience applauding)
2:55:46 either we trust our system and our paperwork, or we don’t.
2:55:49 Our statistics on your system, or we don’t.
2:55:54 But anyway, the data points out that the main problem
2:55:58 is willful disobedience.
2:55:59 That could be sit down.
2:56:01 That could be be quiet.
2:56:03 But the point is, when you look at the data,
2:56:05 that’s the main thing, the first thing.
2:56:07 I heard this gentleman over here say
2:56:08 that teachers are leaving, number one,
2:56:10 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 gonna help with that.
2:56:19 The previous policy in 2018, again,
2:56:21 the sheriff helped put that together with Mr. Mullins.
2:56:24 And again, it had all the tactical training.
2:56:26 It had this, it had that,
2:56:27 but only eight hours of mental health.
2:56:29 We have to reallocate those funding.
2:56:31 Mental health is what we need, not the sheriff there.
2:56:36 We now have RSOs, SROs in school
2:56:39 with big guns across their chest.
2:56:41 You’re scaring the kids.
2:56:44 And let’s be real, if something happened,
2:56:46 they couldn’t get the gun up quick enough
2:56:47 to do anything anyway.
2:56:49 It’s just a scare tactic, 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,
2:56:56 to be willing to work with them,
2:56:58 to be willing to come to them when they have a problem,
2:57:00 not afraid of them because of a gun and running from them.
2:57:03 So that’s the opposite of what we need.
2:57:06 Our bus drivers, open the door, tell them to get off, okay?
2:57:10 If your life is in danger,
2:57:11 if they’re hitting you in the back of your head,
2:57:13 my mother was a bus driver for St. Joseph’s
2:57:16 where I graduated 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.
2:57:23 The way we rear our children, there’s no biting.
2:57:25 There’s no kicking allowed.
2:57:27 Those two things that you didn’t,
2:57:28 you didn’t put your foot on anybody
2:57:29 and you didn’t spit on anybody.
2:57:31 Those things we didn’t tolerate.
2:57:32 - Ma’am, you’re at three minutes.
2:57:33 That’s if you can conclude in the next five seconds
2:57:36 and then we can move on to the next speaker.
2:57:38 - Okay.
2:57:41 Wow, okay.
2:57:42 Colorblind, colorblind, colorblind.
2:57:50 Yeah, that part, colorblind.
2:57:56 Because if we’re saying that it’s because of discipline
2:57:59 that we can’t teach our children, if that’s the case,
2:58:01 the whites would not be graduating at one thing,
2:58:03 99% and your blacks graduating at 60 or 30%.
2:58:08 That’s not, we can’t blame that on discipline.
2:58:12 Now maybe we need to do a different way of teaching.
2:58:14 - Thank you, Ms. Hunter.
2:58:14 I appreciate your time.
2:58:15 Ms. Katie DeWaney, please come up next.
2:58:20 (audience applauding)
2:58:26 Just so everybody knows,
2:58:27 your numbers are over there on the side.
2:58:28 She’s running the, Ms. Tammy McGuire who is,
2:58:34 who works for us is running the actual time.
2:58:36 So if you need to know your time, please look over there.
2:58:44 Go ahead, Ms. Katie.
2:58:45 - This is a topic that I’ve been talking about
2:58:47 for a few years now at school board meetings.
2:58:49 And I am so thankful and happy
2:58:52 that all of you are sitting here
2:58:53 and we’re hopefully gonna come to a plan
2:58:56 to really make our schools a safe place.
2:59:01 One of the issues that I’ve seen is that
2:59:06 it’s not equally, discipline is not equally distributed
2:59:11 across the board.
2:59:13 And it should not be based on the child.
2:59:17 It should be based on,
2:59:18 if you’re throwing a chair in a classroom,
2:59:21 you don’t belong there.
2:59:23 I’m sorry, I’m sorry.
2:59:24 But if you cannot behave, that’s not my child’s fault.
2:59:29 My child’s education should not be hindered
2:59:32 because that child does not know how to behave.
2:59:35 And by that child, I don’t mean black, white, Hispanic,
2:59:39 any other thing.
2:59:40 I mean the child who wasn’t taught how to behave.
2:59:48 And if a child with ESE cannot behave, I’m sorry.
2:59:51 They do not belong with children who can behave.
2:59:55 I’m sorry, it is what it is.
2:59:58 We need to train these children in the way that they go.
3:00:02 Right, Caster?
3:00:03 We need to train up these children in the way that they go
3:00:06 and they will not depart from it.
3:00:07 That is the truth.
3:00:12 And I’m sorry about that, but that is the truth.
3:00:14 - Ms. Delaney, if you can pause for just a second.
3:00:17 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,
3:00:25 we ask our children to act inside of our classrooms.
3:00:27 We have to ask our people to start acting correctly
3:00:29 in the boardroom.
3:00:30 So please, as we move forward, let’s move forward.
3:00:34 Conversations can be made afterwards.
3:00:36 And I would also ask the speakers to temper
3:00:39 some of their comments just so that we don’t get everybody
3:00:41 riled up in the 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
3:00:48 does not mean that they cannot behave.
3:00:50 That is not true.
3:00:53 They may need services, they may need help,
3:00:56 but that does not mean that they cannot learn
3:00:59 to behave and be respectful to adults.
3:01:01 That is the truth.
3:01:03 We managed to figure it out for the past couple hundred years
3:01:06 and for whatever reason, now things are different.
3:01:11 And cell phones are a huge piece of that.
3:01:14 Not having a father in the household
3:01:17 is a huge piece of that.
3:01:18 So I would love for our community
3:01:20 to get involved and help these kids that
3:01:23 are a constant disruption to the classroom.
3:01:26 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 maybe
3:01:33 whatever, a single parent home, maybe a person
3:01:38 from the community could come in and that could be their school
3:01:42 and we could just put our arms around that kid and help them.
3:01:47 This is not a color issue.
3:01:50 This is a child issue.
3:01:52 We need all of our kids to be successful.
3:01:55 We need all of our kids to feel loved and safe.
3:01:58 And that is the point.
3:01:59 Thank you.
3:02:00 Thank you, Ms. Delaney.
3:02:01 Next up, Kelly Curvin, please.
3:02:04 After Ms. Kelly, after Ms. Kelly, you have Lisa Rae,
3:02:13 Hylia Mercer, and Charna Berry.
3:02:20 Ms. Kelly Curvin, please.
3:02:22 And if you guys can address when you speak from the speaking,
3:02:26 if you can speak directly to me and make all of your comments
3:02:29 towards me.
3:02:30 Please don’t identify anybody that’s inside the crowd.
3:02:32 Please identify all remarks to me.
3:02:34 Thank you.
3:02:36 On Monday, I said that my relationship with BPS
3:02:39 has not always been a positive one.
3:02:40 As the mother of two students with IEP,
3:02:42 the road to equitable access to their education
3:02:44 has not been a straight line.
3:02:46 Today, you will hear from people who
3:02:47 will ask you to remember our students suffering
3:02:49 from poverty, food insecurity, and homelessness
3:02:51 when thinking about updating our disciplinary policy.
3:02:54 So instead, I’m going to tell you about my 14-year-old
3:02:57 daughter, Samantha.
3:02:58 In kindergarten, Samantha struggled
3:03:00 to memorize and have sight words to pass.
3:03:02 In the first grade, I was told that Samantha
3:03:03 was a slow and purposeful reader.
3:03:05 She didn’t enjoy reading out loud,
3:03:06 but she passed all the reading tests.
3:03:08 On the 18th day of second grade, her teacher approached me
3:03:10 and asked, Kelly, did you know Samantha cannot read?
3:03:14 I was floored.
3:03:15 First, because we read together every night,
3:03:17 Samantha had an S in reading the entire year before.
3:03:19 What they don’t tell you is that before taking
3:03:22 those tests in the first grade, the stories
3:03:23 are read in a group setting, so Samantha didn’t
3:03:25 have to know how to read it.
3:03:27 She just had to hear it.
3:03:30 It would take an entire calendar year plus two more months
3:03:33 to get her staff with an IEP, at which point
3:03:35 she started the third grade reading
3:03:36 at a late kindergarten level.
3:03:38 While waiting 14 months, it would take BPS to catch up.
3:03:40 I started doing my own legwork, and she
3:03:42 was diagnosed with dyslexia.
3:03:44 I was then introduced to a tutor who
3:03:46 had a one-hour spot Samantha could have on Fridays,
3:03:48 but doing that meant checking Samantha out
3:03:50 of her BBS classroom every single week
3:03:52 to attend her session.
3:03:54 After doing that for an entire school year,
3:03:56 one hour a week of targeted research-based intervention,
3:03:59 she ended the third grade with a three on her FSA.
3:04:02 All she needed was to be taught phonics, how to decode words
3:04:04 and the rules of reading.
3:04:06 You see, the thing about dyslexia
3:04:07 is that it doesn’t care about your race or gender
3:04:09 or socioeconomic level.
3:04:11 20% of the population of the entire world have it.
3:04:15 It is about taking in information and processing it
3:04:18 differently.
3:04:20 So how does that relate to discipline problems
3:04:22 in the classroom?
3:04:23 When you’re a fourth grader, fifth grader, sixth grader,
3:04:25 and beyond, you must sit in a classroom trying
3:04:27 to learn information when you haven’t even
3:04:28 been taught to read it.
3:04:29 What can you expect to happen?
3:04:32 Samantha’s dyslexia was a barrier for her.
3:04:37 It wasn’t a barrier for–
3:04:40 sorry.
3:04:41 Students with dyslexia who do not
3:04:43 receive intervention by the third grade
3:04:44 will struggle for the rest of their lives.
3:04:46 The risk factors for depression, drug addiction, suicide,
3:04:48 and incarceration skyrockets as they
3:04:50 become part of the 19% who graduate high school
3:04:53 as functionally illiterate, assuming they graduate at all.
3:04:56 What separated Samantha from her other peers was privilege.
3:04:58 Her father and I could check her out.
3:05:00 We could pay for tutoring.
3:05:01 And I dedicated more hours advocating in IEP meetings
3:05:05 than I can even relay.
3:05:08 It’s not easy when our district does not
3:05:09 invest in the right curriculum or programs or teacher
3:05:11 training.
3:05:12 I know my time is running out, so I’m
3:05:13 going to ask you to think about your responsibilities teaching
3:05:16 all of our students and how your neglect in doing so
3:05:19 impacts them not only academically but behaviorally.
3:05:22 As our chairperson stood by Sheriff Ivy in front of our
3:05:24 county prison while threatening and antagonizing our students
3:05:27 with harsher, even violent discipline,
3:05:29 the irony was not lost to me that nearly 80% of our prison
3:05:32 population is functionally illiterate.
3:05:34 And we know that because our prison system
3:05:36 screens for dyslexia in private public schools does not.
3:05:39 Thank you, Ms. Curvin.
3:05:41 Next up, Ms. Lisa Ray, please.
3:05:46 Is Ms. Lisa Ray here in the audience?
3:05:50 OK.
3:05:51 Ms. Lisa Ray, is she in the audience?
3:05:53 OK.
3:05:56 Couldn’t hear you overall.
3:05:57 No, I know.
3:05:58 I know.
3:05:58 Thank you.
3:05:59 Sure.
3:06:01 Good morning, hello.
3:06:02 Thank you to the school board members for the opportunity
3:06:04 to share.
3:06:06 Just a quick note, when I walked in this morning,
3:06:08 I was happy to see, because like we’ve heard,
3:06:10 we weren’t sure what was happening this morning,
3:06:13 I was happy to see so many voices represented
3:06:15 at the roundtable, invited to participate in the discussion.
3:06:19 But there is at least one voice missing.
3:06:22 I would like to see, hopefully moving forward
3:06:24 in these conversations, someone here to represent our students
3:06:28 with disabilities.
3:06:29 So I hope you would include that in your roundtable
3:06:32 moving forward.
3:06:35 Thank you.
3:06:37 So my name is Lisa Ray.
3:06:38 I’m the mom of an adorable and precocious second grader,
3:06:42 as well as an ESC support specialist for Brevard
3:06:44 Public Schools for the last seven years.
3:06:47 Prior to that, I was a special education teacher
3:06:50 for 12 years, working with students
3:06:52 who had significant behavioral struggles that
3:06:55 impacted their ability to attend their zoned neighborhood
3:06:57 schools.
3:07:00 Effective school discipline policies are critical
3:07:02 to promoting our students’ successful learning.
3:07:05 There are many barriers to effective school discipline,
3:07:08 including the widespread use of punitive approaches
3:07:13 and inconsistent implementation that often disproportionately
3:07:17 impact minorities and students with disabilities.
3:07:21 Research published by the National Association
3:07:23 of School Psychologists shows us that punitive get-tough
3:07:26 approaches, they don’t work.
3:07:29 Empirical evidence has shown that zero tolerance policies
3:07:32 are not effective.
3:07:33 In fact, they can inhibit academic achievement
3:07:37 and increase problem behaviors and dropout rates.
3:07:40 In this study, we’ll see the numbers closely represent
3:07:43 Brevard County.
3:07:44 But in this study, although black students
3:07:47 accounted for about 15% of all public school students,
3:07:52 they represented about 39% of students suspended from school.
3:07:57 US Department of Education data shows
3:07:59 that among students with disabilities, 26%–
3:08:03 and it was 31% in Brevard County–
3:08:05 26% received at least one out-of-school suspension,
3:08:09 and 24% were expelled during the school year,
3:08:12 although in this study, they represented just 12%
3:08:15 of students.
3:08:16 And we learned this morning it was 17% with Brevard Public.
3:08:21 On the other hand, positive approaches to discipline
3:08:23 teach and reinforce positive behaviors,
3:08:26 are clear and equitably apply to all students,
3:08:30 employ culturally competent practices,
3:08:32 and keep students in school and out of jail.
3:08:36 They focus on fair and consistent discipline,
3:08:39 positive behavioral interventions and support–
3:08:42 PBIS, which we have here in some of our schools–
3:08:45 social and emotional development,
3:08:47 restorative justice, and positive school climate.
3:08:51 Research shows that positive behavioral interventions
3:08:53 significantly reduce student suspension, referrals,
3:08:56 and bullying.
3:08:57 And school-wide positive behavioral interventions
3:09:00 are associated with more equitable discipline practices
3:09:03 among all students.
3:09:05 Ms. Ray, your three minutes is up, if you can conclude it.
3:09:08 Sure, final thought.
3:09:09 Students who participate in school-based social and emotional
3:09:11 learning show significant improvement
3:09:14 in their social and emotional skills,
3:09:16 positive social behaviors, and a decline
3:09:18 in disruptive behavior.
3:09:19 Thank you for your time.
3:09:20 Thank you very much, Ms. Ray.
3:09:21 [APPLAUSE]
3:09:25 Ms. Mercer.
3:09:32 Hi, I’m Hilah Mercer.
3:09:34 I want to thank you for this opportunity to speak.
3:09:38 I have almost 30 years with Brevard Public Schools.
3:09:41 The last 15 as an elementary school principal.
3:09:45 I’ve had experience with behavior and discipline.
3:09:48 I’ve been told what I can do to myself
3:09:51 by kids from kindergarten through 12th grade.
3:09:55 I’ve been bitten, pushed, spit on, cursed.
3:09:59 And before I retired, I even overheard my assistant principal
3:10:04 explain to a student that if she hit me,
3:10:07 she would not only be charged with battery,
3:10:10 but with abuse of the elderly.
3:10:13 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
3:10:25 returned until they are prepared to behave and allow
3:10:30 the learning cycle to continue.
3:10:32 We must provide that.
3:10:35 Children misbehave for many reasons.
3:10:38 Some are so damaged and so broken
3:10:41 that it will take a myriad of solutions
3:10:43 to help them learn to behave and be productive citizens.
3:10:48 It will take will and resources, talent, training, time,
3:10:53 and money.
3:10:55 Please, moving forward, if we’re going
3:10:57 to talk about BPS issues, including discipline,
3:11:01 let’s do so here in this house, not in front of the county
3:11:06 jail.
3:11:07 Doing so reinforces the school to jail pipeline
3:11:15 many perceive in this community to our detriment.
3:11:19 Let’s view every student who goes
3:11:21 to jail as a result of failures in our society,
3:11:26 including our school.
3:11:27 We can do better.
3:11:29 The will and talent to do so is in this room,
3:11:33 in our community, and beyond.
3:11:36 We can succeed.
3:11:38 Thank you.
3:11:39 Thank you, Ms. Mercer.
3:11:41 Sharna Berry, then Michelle Berno, and Skip Parrish
3:11:47 are up next.
3:11:49 Ms. Berry.
3:11:52 Hello, everyone.
3:11:54 So listening to this meeting and listening to prior media,
3:12:01 it’s a lot.
3:12:02 And there’s a lot of changes that needs to be made.
3:12:07 One thing I will say is data does matter.
3:12:10 History does matter.
3:12:11 [APPLAUSE]
3:12:13 And if we’re going to be better, we
3:12:16 have to look at those two things to see what needs to change
3:12:21 and how we can come together collectively
3:12:23 and make a difference.
3:12:27 If we want our kids to show respect,
3:12:29 if we want our kids to learn self-control, better behavior,
3:12:35 we have to be the face of that as 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,
3:12:49 they’re not going to learn.
3:12:52 Three points I heard today was mental health, parent
3:12:55 accountability, and training.
3:12:59 What I would like to see with whatever this code of conduct
3:13:03 is going to change into or what it’s going to look like,
3:13:07 I want to see support for continued positive behavior
3:13:11 redirection and also mental health support.
3:13:16 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
3:13:27 and function like nothing happened.
3:13:30 Teachers are suffering.
3:13:32 Parents are suffering.
3:13:33 Children are suffering.
3:13:36 And to be quite honest, because of my own personal experience,
3:13:41 there is currently a lack of positive and safe resources
3:13:46 available for students, especially children,
3:13:49 especially.
3:13:52 These kids are children.
3:13:54 They don’t need to see intimidation or be
3:13:58 afraid to go to school and learn.
3:14:01 That’s not what needs to be taught to them.
3:14:06 They don’t need to be afraid that physical punishment is
3:14:09 coming their way.
3:14:11 What we do need is more cultural training and development.
3:14:16 We need a more multi-culturally competent support staff
3:14:22 and community to promote diversity, equity,
3:14:25 and inclusion.
3:14:27 We can make suggestions all day long,
3:14:29 but what it boils down is to leadership.
3:14:32 And what I will say is, as a leader, Mr. Matt,
3:14:37 you have to believe.
3:14:38 You have to believe that there needs to be a change
3:14:41 and that there needs to be a change with compassion.
3:14:44 And you have an open heart to really, really
3:14:47 look at what is happening culturally
3:14:50 and as a collective group.
3:14:53 Thank you.
3:14:54 Absolutely.
3:14:54 Thank you so much, Ms. Berry.
3:14:56 I appreciate your comments.
3:14:59 Ms. Berenow, you’re up now.
3:15:02 Next up, Skip Parrish, then Julie Bywater.
3:15:07 Thank you.
3:15:08 I’m the parent of a BPS student and vice president of Families
3:15:12 for Safe Schools.
3:15:13 Like so many, I was disgusted by the political theater put on
3:15:17 by a board member who announced a major shift in school
3:15:20 policy in a dramatically staged video
3:15:23 rather than in a board meeting.
3:15:25 Like so many, I found it reprehensible
3:15:27 that a discussion involving our school conduct
3:15:30 took place in front of a prison.
3:15:32 I found the language the Sheriff used
3:15:33 to refer to students as insulting and dismissive
3:15:36 and touching on abuse.
3:15:38 Shame on you for trying to score political points
3:15:41 by creating a media spectacle over this issue.
3:15:45 Shame on you for using the cheap ploy of fear and anger
3:15:49 to frame this issue in a way that
3:15:50 will be harmful to our schools and our students.
3:15:52 Several people thank the Sheriff for bringing attention
3:15:55 with 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,
3:16:00 but then you’re left with a burnt building,
3:16:02 and we don’t need that.
3:16:04 We do have issues.
3:16:06 No teacher or school employee should be or feel attacked
3:16:11 or threatened while working in our schools and on our buses.
3:16:15 The discipline issues in schools are not new,
3:16:17 and they’re certainly not unique or more extreme in our county.
3:16:20 The appropriate personnel for dealing with them
3:16:22 are school employees, not law enforcement.
3:16:25 [APPLAUSE]
3:16:29 In addition to the academic curriculum,
3:16:31 students must learn how to behave in class.
3:16:33 Misbehavior is one more opportunity to teach
3:16:35 and should be handled by the professionals who
3:16:37 are trained for it, and they should be trained for it.
3:16:40 A rational policy developed by experts
3:16:43 in child and adolescent behavior executed consistently
3:16:48 is what we need.
3:16:50 A bonus would be treating our teachers with respect
3:16:53 so that we can retain experienced teachers who are
3:16:55 better equipped to manage classrooms.
3:16:57 The division, hatred, constant outrage,
3:17:01 and disrespectful name calling demonstrated regularly now
3:17:04 in our society, occasionally in this room,
3:17:07 trickles down into our schools.
3:17:09 The fact that our sheriff behaved this way on TV
3:17:11 while addressing discipline proves he is not the best
3:17:14 person for our school policy.
3:17:15 [APPLAUSE]
3:17:19 The most recent tragic shooting incident
3:17:21 involving his department further proves
3:17:23 that his work culture isn’t right for our students.
3:17:26 [APPLAUSE]
3:17:29 If anyone should go to jail, it should
3:17:31 be the cell phones that are probably the single largest
3:17:34 cause for disruption.
3:17:36 Let’s invest in lock boxes for cell phones in the classrooms
3:17:39 rather than funneling more money into law enforcement.
3:17:42 It’s a technical problem.
3:17:43 There are solutions to it.
3:17:45 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.
3:17:57 There were some excellent suggestions
3:17:58 provided by Matt Yount and Sandy Edwards and others
3:18:03 in this room.
3:18:04 And this panel is the appropriate way
3:18:06 to create productive dialogue and solutions, not
3:18:09 media spectacles.
3:18:10 Thank you all very much.
3:18:11 [APPLAUSE]
3:18:13 Thank you, Ms. Baranow.
3:18:15 Skip Parrish, please.
3:18:19 All right, thank you.
3:18:26 My comments are going to kind of be all over the board
3:18:28 because people are addressing some of the main points
3:18:32 that many of us are talking about right now.
3:18:36 There was a comment from one of the board members
3:18:38 regarding how long the student code of conduct is.
3:18:42 I’m a divorced dad in a second marriage.
3:18:46 I have two students that are in a different county.
3:18:49 That county, Seminole County, has a 49-page student handbook
3:18:52 instead of a 96-page one.
3:18:54 My student had to read that code of conduct, take a test on it,
3:18:58 sign off on it.
3:19:01 They gave him a week for that when he moved up
3:19:03 into junior high school.
3:19:04 If we wanted to implement a policy like that in this county
3:19:07 without changing our student handbook at all,
3:19:09 you could give the students two weeks.
3:19:12 This is not difficult. We make students read all the time.
3:19:16 We make them read at the kindergarten level,
3:19:18 all the way through graduate school if they go that far.
3:19:21 We can force them to read.
3:19:22 We can make them take a test.
3:19:24 You’re worried that the policies you have aren’t being abided by.
3:19:29 Implement something like that before we
3:19:30 take drastic measures.
3:19:32 In regards to some of the other points– sorry,
3:19:35 my screen just locked.
3:19:36 I wrote down notes the whole time.
3:19:38 And of course, my screen locked because I really
3:19:41 love being embarrassed publicly.
3:19:44 OK, so with the event that happened the other week,
3:19:50 my seven-year-old, who has never had a referral,
3:19:54 is kind of scared after that 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.
3:20:05 I don’t know the sheriff personally.
3:20:07 But that scared people.
3:20:10 And it shouldn’t.
3:20:13 That should not be the goal.
3:20:16 As to whatever discipline changes
3:20:19 you wish to push forward later, I
3:20:21 mentioned accountability on the student code of conduct
3:20:24 vis-a-vis having students read it and sign off on it.
3:20:28 Are we doing that with every single IEP for side teachers?
3:20:35 Because I’ve had some side teachers not recognize
3:20:38 in this county and in the other county
3:20:40 that my older two children are in not know my child’s IEP.
3:20:44 I’ve had substitutes that had no clue my child had an IEP
3:20:48 and did things that were dramatically against it.
3:20:51 And I’ve taught at the college level.
3:20:52 I’ve taught at the trade school level.
3:20:54 I’ve taught at an adult high school
3:20:55 where most of my students were either criminals
3:20:58 or in the process of getting convicted.
3:21:02 I have seen some things.
3:21:05 Accountability is a two-way street.
3:21:08 I’m not saying that most teachers are bad any more
3:21:10 than most of these teachers are saying that most students are
3:21:12 bad.
3:21:13 But if these students need accountability to you,
3:21:16 to your code of conduct, to this county’s code of conduct,
3:21:20 IEP should have a similar policy as well.
3:21:24 Like this whole thing needs to go around and around
3:21:26 in every direction.
3:21:29 You can finish it up?
3:21:31 Just that’s basically it.
3:21:32 There’s other things I was going to address,
3:21:34 but I got too far into the weeds there.
3:21:37 If you’re here afterwards, I’ll listen to you.
3:21:39 So after the meeting, thank you very much.
3:21:43 Thank you, Skip.
3:21:44 Julie Bywater, then we have Diana Haines,
3:21:48 and then we have Sarah Murski, please.
3:21:52 Good morning.
3:21:53 I’m Julie Bywater.
3:21:54 I am a member of the local chapter of Moms for Liberty.
3:21:58 I have two current students in BPS there at Rockledge High.
3:22:03 One of my students has a 504, which
3:22:06 is different than an IEP.
3:22:08 There are different rules, but he’s right.
3:22:10 Most of his teachers aren’t even aware of his 504.
3:22:14 He is assertive enough to ask for his accommodations
3:22:17 when they’re necessary, but he has
3:22:19 worked through his issues enough to not have to use them much.
3:22:24 But speaking to him, for example,
3:22:26 I was a parent sitting in the 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
3:22:50 his desk every day, helping him turn in assignments,
3:22:54 because I was there to support his teacher
3:22:57 and teach him how to use his executive functioning.
3:23:01 We are doing that for students.
3:23:03 You want to talk about cell phones in the classroom?
3:23:06 Let’s talk about tech in the classroom.
3:23:10 A good portion of your classrooms
3:23:12 really are focused way too much on tech,
3:23:14 way too much on the use of it.
3:23:16 We can do a lot of education with books, paper, pencils,
3:23:21 and pens, and you all know it.
3:23:23 The internet goes out routinely in schools,
3:23:25 and what do you think happens?
3:23:27 Those kids go get on their phones
3:23:28 and play games and listen to their music and et cetera,
3:23:31 because the internet’s down, and they can’t even
3:23:34 do their math homework.
3:23:35 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
3:23:43 their cell phone 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.
3:23:53 Don’t look at your phone.
3:23:54 Look at your phone.
3:23:54 Don’t look at your phone.
3:23:56 Are you kidding me?
3:23:58 You really, really, really need to look at your tech
3:24:01 and cell phone policy.
3:24:02 We aren’t setting our students up for success.
3:24:05 We’re setting them up to fail.
3:24:06 There are so many things that we could be doing
3:24:08 with paper, pencil, and stop putting this focus on pick up
3:24:12 your phone.
3:24:13 Pick up your phone.
3:24:14 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.
3:24:21 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
3:24:27 of the fights in the bathroom.
3:24:28 And let me tell you, there’s a lot more fights going on
3:24:30 in those bathrooms and in those hallways that
3:24:32 are being reported.
3:24:34 My daughter said, you know what?
3:24:35 I made it to seventh period yesterday on time
3:24:38 because there was 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 on time.
3:24:44 Do you think that fight was reported?
3:24:46 Probably not.
3:24:47 Students are afraid to report it.
3:24:49 They’re sick of it.
3:24:51 You guys really want to talk about discipline?
3:24:53 Engage your students.
3:24:54 Start doing focus groups and engage your students.
3:24:57 Thanks.
3:24:57 Oh, Mr. Susan, it’s– listen, listen, Ms. Bywater.
3:25:02 It’s either printing it.
3:25:04 I should have told you that before.
3:25:05 Hey, doc, make tricks.
3:25:07 I got it.
3:25:08 It’s in the print shop.
3:25:09 Thank you, Ms. Bywater.
3:25:11 Diana Hayes, Sarah Murksy.
3:25:21 Good day, all.
3:25:22 Thank you for being here.
3:25:24 Discipline requires two things.
3:25:26 It requires respect and consequences.
3:25:28 And without either one of them, little will be accomplished.
3:25:32 I was going to speak today on this subject extensively.
3:25:35 And the only thing I’m really going to say about it right now
3:25:38 is I would hope the school board and the system
3:25:40 would consider reducing at-home suspensions
3:25:44 to in-school suspensions.
3:25:46 You are basically rewarding and giving these kids,
3:25:49 with very little to no parental supervision, vacations, OK?
3:25:54 They need to be in school.
3:25:55 We pay tax dollars for them to be in school.
3:25:58 And that’s where they need to be.
3:26:00 So let’s make detention and suspension
3:26:03 an uncomfortable thing.
3:26:04 Let’s make it– when I was a kid and I
3:26:06 had friends that went to detention or suspension,
3:26:08 they sat in a room the entire time.
3:26:10 They never left except to go get their lunch,
3:26:12 come back to the room.
3:26:13 Bathroom breaks were scheduled.
3:26:15 And then on top of that, there was some sort of manual labor.
3:26:18 Our school had a huge garden that
3:26:20 was solely responsible for by the detention suspension group.
3:26:25 And in the end, it was a good thing
3:26:26 because they were very proud of what they produced
3:26:28 and they did something manual that kept them busy.
3:26:32 At the same time, we need to separate the groups.
3:26:34 Those charged with drug and alcohol offenses, minor ones,
3:26:38 need 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
3:26:51 a little bit different.
3:26:52 Ms. Jenkins bought up this, so I’m
3:26:55 going to be compelled to talk to you about this.
3:26:58 She talked about teachers and teachers getting in trouble
3:27:04 for reporting things.
3:27:06 As a victim of rape more than once in my life
3:27:10 and my perpetrator is free, I want
3:27:13 to talk about the rumors about Johnson Junior Middle School.
3:27:17 And you can all sit here and say that the police department
3:27:20 investigated it and nothing was found.
3:27:23 I’m telling you, prior to today, there
3:27:24 has been a culture of secrecy in this community.
3:27:29 And I walked upon– and I’m not going
3:27:30 to divulge these women’s names, but I walked up
3:27:33 on a conversation with two women who unequivocally have sworn
3:27:39 that a teacher has direct knowledge that this
3:27:41 occurred in this school.
3:27:43 And how dare we?
3:27:45 How dare we, 105 days, allow this to go on.
3:27:50 And for the two women that have this knowledge, like me,
3:27:53 don’t like me, but shame on you.
3:27:56 You’re abating and aiding in a crime.
3:27:59 And I am not going to be a party to that.
3:28:01 If I have to go to the police department
3:28:03 and divulge everything I heard, I will.
3:28:06 But this has to be dealt with.
3:28:08 And I am hoping that the appropriate people
3:28:11 will step forward.
3:28:12 I hope that someone, if this teacher does exist,
3:28:15 is out there, that she or he listens to me and says,
3:28:19 for the love of God, come forward.
3:28:22 It is my understanding this teacher is up for retirement.
3:28:26 - Thank you, Ms. Haynes.
3:28:28 Next up, Sarah Mirsky, Michelle Jolly, and Bari Hosie.
3:28:38 - Good afternoon, Chairman and Board and community members
3:28:41 at the table.
3:28:42 My name is Sarah Mirsky.
3:28:43 I’m a wife, mother of two Brevard Public School students.
3:28:47 I’m a college student myself, studying behavioral science.
3:28:49 I’m a taxpayer, voter, stakeholder,
3:28:52 and I live in District 2 for school board.
3:28:54 I want to wish everyone a happy December.
3:28:57 I was– I like to address the discipline issue or the
3:29:01 discipline policy.
3:29:02 There is no proposed policy changes
3:29:04 posted under this agenda item.
3:29:06 So I’m confused as to what changes that this board was
3:29:10 looking to make.
3:29:12 However, as a student studying behavioral science and a mom,
3:29:15 I would like to share what has been happening
3:29:17 and some things to keep in mind as you
3:29:20 consider looking to craft a new policy or a major policy.
3:29:26 In BPS, there seems to be a culture of fighting
3:29:29 across the district.
3:29:31 At McNair, there was at least two fights this week.
3:29:34 And at Rockledge, students have been posting on social media
3:29:37 the fights there.
3:29:38 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.
3:29:45 And my daughter, who was not a part of it, of the fight
3:29:48 in any way, shape, or form, but she was, in a way,
3:29:50 held hostage because they had to deal with the discipline
3:29:54 issue of the fight on the bus.
3:29:56 And then my daughter got home after 6 o’clock
3:29:58 when it was dark out.
3:30:00 And again, I’m not putting blame on the bus drivers.
3:30:08 They did what they had to do.
3:30:09 But I also remember a school board meeting in February
3:30:13 that I was a part of that was hostile to the bus drivers
3:30:17 needing to speak more than one minute
3:30:19 and were basically shut out of the meeting
3:30:22 because the meeting was full.
3:30:23 So I want to tell you, as a taxpayer and a voter
3:30:27 and some other, it’s quite refreshing
3:30:30 to have a new school board that’s
3:30:31 actually welcoming to parents.
3:30:34 For a year, parents have been fighting
3:30:36 to get back into these schools.
3:30:39 And we were told no.
3:30:40 We were told we were a security risk or because of COVID.
3:30:43 And now it’s so refreshing to hear community members come
3:30:46 together, talk about the mental health issues,
3:30:49 talk about the discipline issues,
3:30:50 and talk about parents getting back into these schools
3:30:53 to assist what is going on.
3:30:57 The other point that I want to make
3:30:59 is that I do think data is important, absolutely.
3:31:04 I’m looking at a lot of data being a full-time college
3:31:07 student and behaviors and statistics
3:31:10 across all socioeconomic backgrounds.
3:31:14 But the other thing is that it’s clear
3:31:16 that we are in crisis mode as a community with discipline
3:31:19 issues in the schools.
3:31:21 So we got to look at the data.
3:31:22 And we also got to hear what teachers and bus
3:31:25 drivers and these community members are saying.
3:31:27 We are at a crisis.
3:31:28 And we all need to come together and work together.
3:31:30 So my point is that we need to have a balanced–
3:31:36 that there needs to be balance.
3:31:37 Thank you.
3:31:38 Thank you, Ms. Marski.
3:31:39 Next up is Rachelle Jolly, then Jabari Hosey.
3:31:49 A couple of weeks ago, I received an email
3:31:51 from the principal of my son’s school informing us
3:31:53 of the SRO’s new uniform, as she described.
3:31:57 I’m hoping you can help me understand
3:31:59 the logic behind this uniform.
3:32:03 This is my reply to her.
3:32:04 I’m hoping you can help me understand
3:32:05 the logic behind this uniform, which, among other things,
3:32:08 involves the SRO wearing an additional bigger gun
3:32:10 across his or her chest.
3:32:12 I am concerned about this and have many questions
3:32:14 about the necessity for it.
3:32:16 What research was performed that supports that more and bigger
3:32:19 guns deter school shootings?
3:32:21 Number two, what are the resources
3:32:23 that support this research?
3:32:25 Number three, what additional training
3:32:26 did the SRO’s complete to carry a weapon of this magnitude
3:32:29 around small children?
3:32:31 Number four, what training did the teachers and staff complete
3:32:33 to be aware of and know the precautions of such weapons
3:32:36 around children?
3:32:37 Number five, what training did teachers and staff
3:32:40 receive to answer questions from students
3:32:42 about the SRO’s new uniform?
3:32:44 Number six, who paid for the new uniforms?
3:32:48 Number seven, who was responsible if any weapons are
3:32:51 misused and innocent children, teachers, and staff
3:32:54 are injured or killed?
3:32:56 Number nine, are SRO’s involved in disciplinary actions at BPS?
3:33:01 Number 10, what is the plan for continual training for SRO’s?
3:33:05 Number 11, is there a plan for continued training
3:33:08 for teachers and staff concerning
3:33:09 additional weapons on campus?
3:33:11 Where is the data?
3:33:14 As a parent that has had the privilege of being
3:33:17 a safe haven for misplaced children,
3:33:19 this is especially concerning for those children
3:33:21 who have had only negative experiences with LEO.
3:33:25 For instance, parents or siblings being arrested
3:33:28 or children themselves being forcibly removed
3:33:31 from their parents and their homes.
3:33:33 I have done extensive amount of research
3:33:36 and yet to find that this action will prevent or deter
3:33:39 school shootings in any way.
3:33:42 I look forward to any resources that the board
3:33:45 can provide that will contradict this information.
3:33:49 I want my children to be safe at school
3:33:51 and I want everyone’s children to be safe at school.
3:33:53 I appreciate any answers that can be provided.
3:33:56 I sent this email to you, my representative, Matt Susan,
3:34:00 to the head of the board for safe school safety
3:34:06 to be to the Sheriff’s office and to my principal.
3:34:10 The only response I received was from my principal.
3:34:13 There is no situation where law enforcement
3:34:16 should be involved in disciplining of children.
3:34:18 Jail is not the answer to helping our children
3:34:20 with their behavior and anyone who has done any research
3:34:23 or knows anything about child development knows this.
3:34:26 Having an officer aggressively approach a child
3:34:29 while wearing a large weapon across his or her chest
3:34:33 will be traumatizing.
3:34:35 SROs, disciplining children, will only
3:34:37 create or enforce a distrust with law enforcement.
3:34:40 Discipline should be handled by the teacher, administration
3:34:44 with parental involvement.
3:34:46 Sheriff Ivey stood with Matt Susan and Phil Archer
3:34:49 in front of the jail while Sheriff
3:34:51 suggested children have their ass cheeks torn off.
3:34:54 Name called our children.
3:34:56 He can say it, I can say it.
3:34:57 Name called our children.
3:34:58 No, I was asking you to wrap up your speech.
3:35:00 I have 10 seconds and you’re going to wrap me up.
3:35:02 No, it’s past the 10 seconds.
3:35:04 It’s going– that’s the number going on.
3:35:05 And use intimidating language against children.
3:35:07 This is bullying.
3:35:09 I am here to say that I will not stand for Ivey or you
3:35:12 or Phil Archer to threaten violence against my child.
3:35:14 Thank you, Ms. Jolly.
3:35:16 Next up, Bugari Hosie, Lacey Akonsky, and Tessa Rufino.
3:35:23 Thank you.
3:35:25 Next up, next speaker, please.
3:35:27 I’m speaking for Tari Hosie.
3:35:29 That’s part of our policy, says you
3:35:31 can’t speak for the other person.
3:35:32 That’s just how it works.
3:35:33 I apologize.
3:35:35 Next up, thank you.
3:35:37 Lacey Akonsky, please.
3:35:40 And Tessa Rufino.
3:35:43 And then Vance Unruth.
3:35:46 Thank you.
3:35:56 We need to protect our children.
3:35:59 Hello, I’m Dr. Lacey Akonsky.
3:36:02 I have a PhD in psychology, have a daughter in the public school
3:36:06 system here in Brevard, and was a former Cape View Rocket
3:36:09 myself.
3:36:11 I was lucky enough to keep in touch with a few of my teachers.
3:36:14 I remember when I was pregnant over a decade later,
3:36:18 my sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Katie Metcalfe,
3:36:21 gifted me a wonderful book called Easy to Love,
3:36:24 Difficult to Discipline, which, in Mrs. Metcalfe’s words,
3:36:28 addresses that we need to change our schema as to what
3:36:31 discipline
3:36:31 really means.
3:36:33 We need to teach positive behaviors,
3:36:35 and we need to recognize that behind every negative behavior
3:36:38 is a child trying to get a need met,
3:36:40 but who doesn’t have the social or emotional tools yet.
3:36:44 Mrs. Metcalfe was one remarkable teacher.
3:36:47 She’s a strong conservative, but she has bipartisan consensus
3:36:51 on that.
3:36:52 And on this topic, the science stands firmly
3:36:54 behind her recommendations.
3:36:57 The American Academy of Pediatrics
3:36:59 basically defines corporal punishment
3:37:01 as open-handed hitting without injury.
3:37:04 So using a paddle or tearing off skin
3:37:06 would fall under child abuse in most
3:37:08 credible nationwide contexts.
3:37:12 One study found that up to 20,000 US children
3:37:14 sought medical attention for resulting injuries
3:37:17 from corporal punishment in schools,
3:37:19 such as bruising, muscle damage, and broken bones.
3:37:23 When it is legal, it’s used on good kids often.
3:37:27 A review of thousands of files from right here
3:37:29 in central Florida found that corporal punishment use
3:37:33 was not related to severity of misbehavior
3:37:35 or how often the kid misbehaved.
3:37:39 Studies absolutely do not support corporal punishment
3:37:43 actually reduces aggression.
3:37:44 One very large study found that those punished more often
3:37:48 were also more aggressive.
3:37:52 Corporal punishment is bad, very bad, for children’s brains.
3:37:57 Neuroscience shows reduced prefrontal cortical gray matter
3:38:01 volume and reduced performance IQ
3:38:04 associated with corporal punishment,
3:38:06 even in the absence of other identifiable trauma.
3:38:10 I’m going to say that again.
3:38:11 Neuroscience shows reduced brain matter and reduced IQ
3:38:15 with corporal punishment.
3:38:17 The American Psychological Association
3:38:19 strongly opposes corporal punishment
3:38:21 anywhere children are cared for or educated.
3:38:24 And they’ve summarized the following research
3:38:26 on corporal punishment.
3:38:27 It’s likely to train children to use physical violence
3:38:30 and to instill hostility and rage without reducing
3:38:34 the undesirable behavior.
3:38:36 And this is very important.
3:38:37 This is because children learn through imitation.
3:38:42 We’re teaching them this if we use corporal punishment.
3:38:46 The American Academy of Pediatrics also opposes corporal
3:38:48 punishment,
3:38:49 noting that corporal punishment can escalate poor behavior and
3:38:53 recommending that corporal punishment in schools be abolished in
3:38:56 all states by law.
3:38:59 To summarize, corporal punishment is poor at controlling
3:39:02 behavior.
3:39:03 It increases aggression, it actually teaches aggression, and
3:39:07 can 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
3:39:16 there will not be any discussion of corporal punishment today.
3:39:20 And we’re not pushing that, so thank you, that’s it, Ms. Akonsky.
3:39:25 » I just have one last little sentence to wrap up.
3:39:29 Adults are protected from violence by law, we can’t assault them.
3:39:33 So why should I be forced to let my daughter have someone
3:39:36 assault them?
3:39:37 » Thank you, Ms. Akonsky for your time.
3:39:38 It’s Tessa Rescino, Dance Monroe, Jillian Sedivy.
3:39:44 [BLANK_AUDIO]
3:39:47 » Here we go, we are not enacting corporal punishment today,
3:39:51 just so you know.
3:39:52 » Ever, ever.
3:39:54 » I can’t speak for future coordinates.
3:39:56 » Ever, ever.
3:39:59 » Go ahead.
3:40:01 » Good afternoon, thank you to everyone who took time out of
3:40:03 their days to be
3:40:04 here, I greatly appreciate it.
3:40:07 We have talked extensively about getting parents and
3:40:10 teachers involved to solve our pressing problems.
3:40:13 If this is so vital, why are school board meetings held at 9 AM
3:40:17 on a school day?
3:40:18 » [APPLAUSE]
3:40:22 » Teachers and students are at school and
3:40:25 most parents are at work.
3:40:27 I know many parents that desperately want to be here, but
3:40:30 need to be at work to provide for their families.
3:40:33 There also needs to be transparent information posted ahead of
3:40:37 time about
3:40:38 the agenda items so that everyone can be prepared to speak if
3:40:41 they wish to do so,
3:40:42 such as corporal punishment.
3:40:45 Make these meetings more accessible to our community.
3:40:49 Choose a time when the people these meetings impact the most can
3:40:53 be here.
3:40:54 Make your actions match your words, otherwise your words mean
3:40:57 nothing.
3:40:58 Thank you.
3:40:58 » [APPLAUSE]
3:41:04 » Next up, Vance Unruh, Jillian Sedivy, Mia Hosey.
3:41:13 » Good morning, my name is Vance Unruh.
3:41:16 I’m a software engineer of 30 years, taking vacation this
3:41:19 morning so
3:41:20 that I can be here to address you.
3:41:22 I live in Palm Bay, do a lot of volunteering at Palm Bay High
3:41:27 School.
3:41:27 I’m here today to express my concerns regarding the direction
3:41:32 that the school
3:41:32 discipline policy appears to be taking from what we’ve seen
3:41:36 before this meeting.
3:41:38 I’ve spoken with teachers at Palm Bay.
3:41:40 They definitely would like more help with discipline, but
3:41:43 they expressed concern over the demeanor, message, and
3:41:46 motives of the sheriff’s recent announcement.
3:41:50 I, for one, do not want more police presence on our campuses.
3:41:55 There are too many instances when police officers in Brevard
3:41:59 County have shown
3:42:00 a tendency to escalate situations with teenagers,
3:42:05 as evidenced by the shooting deaths of Sincere Pierce and AJ Crooms
3:42:09 in CoCo two
3:42:10 years ago.
3:42:11 » [APPLAUSE]
3:42:14 » It was simply not necessary for
3:42:15 the officer to escalate the situation and put himself in harm’s
3:42:19 way.
3:42:20 So that in the words of the sheriff, he was forced to fire.
3:42:25 Similarly, on the Florida Tech campus last year, Al Haji Sal was
3:42:29 shot and
3:42:30 killed after Brevard police escalated the conflict.
3:42:33 And once again put themselves in harm’s way, so
3:42:36 that the shooting of a college student was legally justified.
3:42:40 If that is the way that police officers have been trained to
3:42:43 respond to teenagers
3:42:44 in the past, how much more will they respond with unnecessary
3:42:48 violence in
3:42:49 the future, given the sheriff’s example when he takes the
3:42:52 posture he did in front
3:42:53 of that jail and proudly declares, if you’re a little snot that’s
3:42:57 coming to our
3:42:58 classes to be disruptive, you might want to find someplace else
3:43:02 to go to school.
3:43:03 Because we’re going to be your worst nightmare starting right
3:43:07 now.
3:43:07 I worry about how many more students lives will be lost if more
3:43:10 police officers with
3:43:11 these attitudes are deployed on our campuses.
3:43:15 I pray that you will consider the voices of teachers and
3:43:18 find real discipline solutions to dig new wells
3:43:25 of funding our bus drivers to shorten their routes.
3:43:29 New wells of mental health support, to dig new wells of
3:43:34 nutrition,
3:43:35 rather than simply resorting to bullying tactics,
3:43:40 as was done when this policy was announced, thank you.
3:43:43 » Thank you, ma’am, Ms. Jillian Sedivy, Mia Hosey.
3:43:51 Is Ms. Jillian Sedivy here, please?
3:43:55 Ms. Jillian?
3:43:57 Okay, passing on Ms. Jillian.
3:44:03 Mia Hosey, is Mia Hosey here, please?
3:44:08 All right, Mia Hosey.
3:44:12 Next up is Christina Helchian.
3:44:19 I’m sorry, the word, there we go, okay.
3:44:21 Christine Rowe and Kimberly Gibbs, thank you, sorry.
3:44:26 » Thank you.
3:44:26 » You kinda rolled in there and I couldn’t see it when you
3:44:28 wrote it, so thank you.
3:44:29 » That’s quite all right.
3:44:30 I’m just a BPS mom here, most of what I wanted to say has
3:44:33 already been addressed.
3:44:35 But I’m just here to ask that when we’re looking at our
3:44:38 disciplinary policy,
3:44:40 that we’re investing the new millage money, the new funding into
3:44:44 our teachers and
3:44:45 our counselors, and not law enforcement, and we all love our SROs.
3:44:48 » [APPLAUSE]
3:44:51 » The SROs are here to protect our students.
3:44:54 They’re not here to discipline them.
3:44:55 » [APPLAUSE]
3:44:57 » One other thing that, maybe I didn’t hear it right,
3:45:01 but the school board should look at data across the board.
3:45:05 There shouldn’t be any members that are dismissing data because
3:45:08 it isn’t
3:45:08 congruent to what they’re hearing anecdotally.
3:45:10 If teachers aren’t reporting behavioral issues, then we need to
3:45:14 get our teachers
3:45:14 to report behavioral issues because we can’t address a situation
3:45:18 if we don’t
3:45:18 understand the numbers behind it.
3:45:20 So data is important, and as a math teacher,
3:45:22 I would hope that you can appreciate that as well.
3:45:26 Thank you all for the service that you’re giving, and I’m out.
3:45:29 » Thank you, Ms. Christina, with Christine Rowe,
3:45:34 Kimberly Gibbs, and Claudette Wells, please come up.
3:45:39 » I’m gonna apologize right now because I had a full speech
3:45:43 written and
3:45:44 practiced in my Ohio State University style, and I wanna say new
3:45:49 things.
3:45:50 Now, I wanna start by saying that I have six children,
3:45:54 two of them are stepchildren, two have already left school.
3:45:57 So I have two left at school, and I have a granddaughter that’s
3:46:00 two.
3:46:02 I’m a registered volunteer.
3:46:04 I’m a member of the SAC Committee, Student Advisory Committee,
3:46:07 for
3:46:07 two different schools.
3:46:08 I am the only parent member at one of the schools.
3:46:12 My husband and I kind of took over the defunct PTO in just one
3:46:16 first place in
3:46:17 schools at the Merritt Island Parade, so shout out to him.
3:46:22 I have a son that has been suspended for fighting.
3:46:25 A girl was being sexually assaulted, so he took the boy down,
3:46:29 and
3:46:30 he took his three days suspension for it.
3:46:32 I also have a son that’s been in ex-ed that I took out of school
3:46:36 at 16 because
3:46:37 literally no one could handle him.
3:46:40 He would sit outside and
3:46:41 curled up in the fetal position being watched by an SRO.
3:46:44 I also have a young daughter that will need serious therapy if
3:46:47 she’s ever exposed
3:46:48 to any of these violent activities that I see on Snapchat.
3:46:53 I’ve been working very hard with Dr. Mullins and the parent
3:46:56 leadership team
3:46:58 to bring other parents in, which is exactly what we’ve been
3:47:01 discussing.
3:47:03 Some thank me, some ignore me, but
3:47:05 many of them say they’re not interested in politics.
3:47:09 They just wanna have a stress-free life, and politics are the
3:47:13 problem.
3:47:14 Let me tell you why.
3:47:16 The actions of some of the board members have been the
3:47:18 equivalent of dropping
3:47:19 a bomb in our community, and the board member is right.
3:47:23 We did get attention, embarrassing, unnecessary, lowbrow
3:47:28 attention
3:47:29 was brought straight into our community yet once again,
3:47:32 which is why most of my family members will not even visit me
3:47:35 here.
3:47:37 As a brand new day was announced in front of a cold concrete and
3:47:40 barbed wire,
3:47:42 our families were left with no answers, no plan.
3:47:44 It doesn’t take a genius to know that suspicion, speculation,
3:47:47 arguing, and
3:47:48 more vile and disturbing comments about our children
3:47:52 will continue after that fiasco.
3:47:55 As you pander to the sheriff, University of Florida did a study
3:47:59 and
3:48:00 found that no evidence of behavior changing was even found when
3:48:02 law
3:48:02 enforcement was present.
3:48:05 How can you and your decisions be trusted when you can’t even
3:48:07 run a simple
3:48:08 Google search?
3:48:10 Furthermore, you make this alliance with a now absent individual
3:48:15 who is notorious for rude, in your face, cussing, threatening,
3:48:19 antagonistic behavior, who remains unapologetic about the death
3:48:23 of two Brevard students just recently.
3:48:28 But the kids won’t notice that hypocrisy, right?
3:48:30 That won’t make them angry.
3:48:32 I agree this isn’t a BPS issue.
3:48:34 This is a United States issue.
3:48:36 We have all witnessed the chaos of grown adults in this county.
3:48:40 Adults screaming in car windows that the election was stolen.
3:48:43 » Ms. Roe, if you can wrap it up.
3:48:45 » I’m wrapping it up right now.
3:48:46 » Thank you.
3:48:47 » Nurses in cars adorned with the F bomb and
3:48:52 calling the most powerful woman in the United States a hoe.
3:48:55 » Thank you, Ms. Roe, I appreciate your time.
3:49:01 Next up is Kimberly Gibbs, then McCaldell.
3:49:04 » Miss Roe, Miss Gibbs, can you please get the time to speak,
3:49:11 please?
3:49:13 » Please resign.
3:49:13 » Thank you.
3:49:14 » [APPLAUSE]
3:49:35 » I’m gonna repeat some of this together.
3:49:37 So, hi, good morning or afternoon.
3:49:39 My name is Kimberly Gibbs.
3:49:41 I’m here today as a concerned citizen and
3:49:44 as a parent of a Merritt Island High School student.
3:49:49 For three years now,
3:49:50 our student has received an exceptional education at Merritt
3:49:54 Island High.
3:49:56 I’d like to say thanks to all of his amazing teachers and staff.
3:50:01 We’re really so impressed.
3:50:03 And we chose to send our child to Brevard School because of the
3:50:08 board
3:50:08 that was in place at that time that we felt provided great
3:50:11 leadership.
3:50:13 I believe it goes without saying that we all want to support an
3:50:17 effective
3:50:17 disciplinary policy.
3:50:20 Our entire family watched the discipline crisis press conference.
3:50:24 It was vague.
3:50:26 It was oddly and inappropriately held at the jail.
3:50:29 And apparently was orchestrated by the board chair and chair of
3:50:33 Wayne Ivy.
3:50:34 We are concerned.
3:50:36 We don’t trust you.
3:50:38 We believe decisions should be made based on data and evidence.
3:50:42 [BLANK_AUDIO]
3:50:47 Mr. Susan, you are the chair.
3:50:49 Be mindful that some of your conduct at the press conference,
3:50:53 for example,
3:50:54 might be perceived as that of an unctuous politician.
3:50:58 Sheriff Ivy’s sensational comments were aimed at being cute.
3:51:02 I was not amused by his quotes about the ass cheeks being torn
3:51:06 off.
3:51:07 It was inappropriate.
3:51:08 [BLANK_AUDIO]
3:51:11 Piece it together now.
3:51:12 [BLANK_AUDIO]
3:51:16 I’m almost there.
3:51:19 In the brief time that this new board has been in power less
3:51:23 than a month,
3:51:24 you have already shown some extremely poor judgment on a number
3:51:28 of issues.
3:51:30 I fear that this board has been hijacked by an extremist cabal.
3:51:35 » Yes.
3:51:35 » [APPLAUSE]
3:51:42 » I would simply remind you to please carefully consider
3:51:46 all of your constituents during your deliberations.
3:51:50 Thank you.
3:51:50 » Thank you, Ms. Gibbs.
3:51:51 Next speaking is Ms.
3:51:53 » [APPLAUSE]
3:51:56 » Carrie Tackus and Linda Gaffney.
3:51:59 » Hi, good afternoon.
3:52:02 I was here Monday and I mentioned that I don’t have any kids,
3:52:06 but
3:52:06 I have the three dogs.
3:52:08 But I’m here because I paid my tax dollars and as I told you
3:52:13 Monday,
3:52:14 it was the highest amount on my annual tax to the county.
3:52:17 And so I did a little math and I looked at how much I pay my tax
3:52:21 dollars
3:52:21 to the school system and how much I paid to the sheriff’s office.
3:52:26 And so I don’t think you have to be bullied by Ivy anymore
3:52:29 because you get a 49.5% of my ad valorem taxes and his office
3:52:34 gets about 17.
3:52:36 He doesn’t need any more money and he doesn’t need to bully you
3:52:39 and
3:52:39 you don’t need to let him bully you.
3:52:41 So that being said, I’m gonna talk it off to a poor decision on
3:52:47 your part,
3:52:47 to make that video where you made it.
3:52:50 So I do have some random thoughts based on what I heard here
3:52:56 today.
3:52:56 And then also I have a prepared statement.
3:52:59 I do want this board to be successful and it’s very sad for me
3:53:03 to look up there and
3:53:04 to hear you guys talk and to see that not everybody is working
3:53:08 together.
3:53:09 I see smug looks and I see dramatic things being said or not
3:53:12 said.
3:53:13 And it’s very unfortunate because my tax dollars are going to
3:53:17 the school system and
3:53:18 going to pay people like you who we trust to take care of our
3:53:22 kids and
3:53:22 the people that are gonna grow up in this county.
3:53:24 So please work together, please be professional and social
3:53:27 together and
3:53:28 don’t be bullied by anybody else.
3:53:30 I think the best thing I’ve heard today is the recommendation
3:53:35 for
3:53:36 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
3:53:40 there were hundreds, put their phone in a lock box every day and
3:53:43 it worked out beautifully.
3:53:44 I think that’s a wonderful suggestion.
3:53:46 I was encouraged by hearing the comment suggestion about having
3:53:50 a parent
3:53:51 come to school to have lunch with their kid maybe once a month.
3:53:54 That being said, I recognize there’s plenty of parents who are
3:53:57 not gonna be
3:53:58 able to do that unless they have some assistance.
3:54:00 So maybe somehow you can help them work that out.
3:54:03 I think that’s a great idea, peer pressure can be a really
3:54:07 strong pressure.
3:54:08 I like the idea about educating our educators.
3:54:12 I recognize that our educators have gone through a lot of school,
3:54:16 but
3:54:17 there’s always something to be learned and especially about the
3:54:20 increasing impact
3:54:21 of diversity on how we interact with the kids growing up in this
3:54:27 culture right now.
3:54:28 And everything that they’re consuming online and I hope real
3:54:34 quickly Mr.
3:54:35 Susan, I hope at some point you can kind of put together
3:54:39 straighten out for
3:54:40 me the different things that you said in the paper interview.
3:54:43 Where you said that the law enforcement’s role is not gonna
3:54:47 change at all
3:54:49 in the school board and then you said that it’s gonna be
3:54:52 enhanced.
3:54:53 And so I’m not clear on that, so I hope that you clear it up.
3:54:57 Prepared statement, in a nutshell.
3:55:01 [BLANK_AUDIO]
3:55:04 Today, the room is full today in spite of the limit on
3:55:08 participation.
3:55:10 And because our community will not return to a time of corporal
3:55:13 punishment and
3:55:14 we will not treat the school to prison pipeline, our schools,
3:55:17 our teachers,
3:55:17 our students, and our staff deserve to no longer be cannon
3:55:20 fodder
3:55:21 in any sort of culture war.
3:55:22 » Thank you, Ms. Wells.
3:55:23 » [APPLAUSE]
3:55:24 » Ms. Kerritakis is up next.
3:55:27 Linda Gaffney after that.
3:55:29 [BLANK_AUDIO]
3:55:31 Kerritakis.
3:55:32 [BLANK_AUDIO]
3:55:39 » Hi Kerritakis, I’m a mom of two children, one goes to a BPS
3:55:45 school.
3:55:46 She’s got a friend group of 16 that frequent my car in my house
3:55:50 cuz I’m
3:55:51 the mom that drives everyone, 14 girls, two transgender boys.
3:55:55 They’re white, they’re black, they’re Asian, they’re Hispanic.
3:55:58 Some of them are immigrants.
3:56:00 The friend that gets bullied the most is on the spectrum.
3:56:04 The friend that they constantly worry about is the one on the
3:56:07 spectrum.
3:56:08 So my daughter’s in class wondering, is she being bullied right
3:56:11 now?
3:56:12 That has not been addressed because that is the reason I took my
3:56:15 son who is also on
3:56:16 the spectrum out of this school district two years ago, and
3:56:19 nothing has changed.
3:56:21 That plays into the discipline because if a kid’s being bullied,
3:56:25 they’re gonna act out.
3:56:27 And if it goes unchecked, they’re gonna continue acting out.
3:56:30 It’s not okay.
3:56:32 And I am at almost every school board meeting with some of these
3:56:34 other people.
3:56:35 And I have to see biweekly, grandstanding, and
3:56:38 pandering to news cameras instead of problems being solved.
3:56:42 I’d also like to say that I actually agree with SROs
3:56:46 updating some handguns to rifles.
3:56:51 Rifles are more accurate and our children need to be protected
3:56:54 accurately.
3:56:55 It’s a fact, if you don’t like it, that’s fine.
3:56:58 » Miss Tackett, make sure that you address me.
3:57:01 » One last thing.
3:57:03 There are zero mental health counselors at my daughter’s school
3:57:06 right now.
3:57:07 Some of them have four, five, or six mental health counselors.
3:57:12 There are zero at her school presently.
3:57:14 That’s also not okay.
3:57:16 All of our children are important, regardless of color,
3:57:18 regardless of their special needs.
3:57:20 They all need help and we need to come together as a community
3:57:22 and do that.
3:57:23 Thank you.
3:57:25 » Thank you, Miss Tackett.
3:57:27 Next up, Miss Linda Gaffey, Matthew Dolly, Melanie Lewis, Lewis,
3:57:34 son.
3:57:35 I wanted to let you guys know we have 13 more people coming and
3:57:38 getting down to the past the halfway mark.
3:57:41 Miss Linda Gaffey, no, okay?
3:57:47 Matthew Dolly, Melanie Lawson, and Alex Goines.
3:57:57 » Welcome back, Mr. Matthew.
3:58:02 » Your village, it returns.
3:58:03 Sorry, I’ve been missing.
3:58:05 Thank you to everybody in the community that came here and speak
3:58:08 today.
3:58:09 I kinda wanna piggyback on a specific word that the gentleman
3:58:13 from
3:58:14 the NAACP said that I think is arguably the most important word
3:58:18 of the day.
3:58:19 That is perception.
3:58:21 I appreciate the message that if children don’t behave,
3:58:26 that they could end up in jail.
3:58:28 Because it’s kinda got some truth to it, you do bad things, you
3:58:31 pay a bad price.
3:58:33 I don’t agree with the perception of doing it in front of the
3:58:36 jail.
3:58:37 Because, as you see, it warrants a response for the community.
3:58:41 I really don’t think that that was thought out very much.
3:58:44 Continuing on, as far as the millions of things that were said
3:58:49 today,
3:58:49 I really don’t wanna rehash too much of them out cuz it’s just
3:58:52 beating a dead horse.
3:58:54 If you wanna get parents back on the school, please contact my
3:58:59 wife,
3:58:59 at least the three school board members that were here last year.
3:59:03 I know you have her email cuz she’s contacted you.
3:59:06 We had almost no volunteers at our school this year.
3:59:09 And through what I would call very annoying persistence with the
3:59:13 principal,
3:59:13 she now has a team of like 15 plus volunteers.
3:59:19 And through the encouragement of the adults and stuff like that,
3:59:23 we now have lunch with our kids and other things at our school.
3:59:27 And just the other problem I really have with this whole thing
3:59:32 is that I feel like we’re putting too much emphasis on the
3:59:37 school system,
3:59:38 if you will, or the body of whatever this is, to be the problem
3:59:43 solver.
3:59:44 And I really hate to say it, all the school can do is put
3:59:47 boundaries at the school.
3:59:49 Hey, you cross the line, back, whatever.
3:59:51 That’s all the school can do, you gotta enforce the boundaries.
3:59:55 I understand numbers were said, I don’t disagree with the
3:59:57 numbers.
3:59:58 But what isn’t being told is that you have 30,000 discipline.
4:00:03 Well, it’s because it’s soft fluff discipline.
4:00:05 I’ve watched it firsthand being a volunteer at school.
4:00:08 Kids can literally get up, leave the classroom.
4:00:11 And what the teacher does, hey, principal, student x just left.
4:00:16 And then when the principal, who’s also full time teaching
4:00:19 because you’re under
4:00:19 staff, can finally get out of the classroom to play hide and
4:00:24 go seek with whatever kid disappeared.
4:00:26 I’m just saying, God forbid when those kids get kidnapped or
4:00:30 walk off campus one day, you’ve got a bigger problem on your
4:00:33 hands.
4:00:33 So it’s that the discipline that you have in place
4:00:38 isn’t enforced correctly, and it needs to be more stringent.
4:00:42 Like telling a kid they gotta hang out with the principal all
4:00:45 day with in school
4:00:45 suspicion, that’s not discipline.
4:00:48 That’s a joy to them because they get to go play and have fun.
4:00:51 So getting way off track, it’s on us as parents to fix the
4:00:55 problem.
4:00:56 It’s on us as parents to fix the problem.
4:00:59 I love everybody sitting here.
4:01:01 I’m gonna take an extra 15 seconds cuz other people did.
4:01:04 They are not going to solve your problem.
4:01:07 We are going to solve our problem.
4:01:09 No offense to anybody sitting up here.
4:01:11 You’re all smart and great and all that nine yards.
4:01:13 If we don’t make our own bed, our own house,
4:01:17 the community can’t do it for us.
4:01:19 » Thank you, Matthew.
4:01:20 » [APPLAUSE]
4:01:24 [BLANK_AUDIO]
4:01:30 » My name is Melanie.
4:01:30 » All right, Melanie Lawson, please.
4:01:32 » That’s me.
4:01:34 I’ve gone through a wide range of feelings in this meeting,
4:01:37 from anger to fear to sadness.
4:01:40 Hearing Jennifer spew the numbers put me in a bit of tears that
4:01:43 a lot of people had
4:01:44 to calm me down for as a black mom.
4:01:47 I wanna make sure I get past any unconscious bias before I speak.
4:01:50 I have a college degree.
4:01:51 My husband, who is here, I’m not a single mom, also has a
4:01:54 college degree.
4:01:55 He’s an engineer.
4:01:56 And I own an HR consulting company with clients around the US.
4:02:00 Between the two of us, our annual income is well over six
4:02:03 figures.
4:02:04 We own a very nice home.
4:02:05 We pay our taxes.
4:02:06 I am one of five members of the SAC committee at my son’s high
4:02:10 school.
4:02:10 I am active in my child’s life.
4:02:12 I’m a voting member of Matt Susan’s district.
4:02:15 Hopefully this is sufficient enough for you to pay attention to
4:02:17 me.
4:02:17 I’m an educated upper class black mother, wife, and I matter,
4:02:21 and so do my children.
4:02:22 » [APPLAUSE]
4:02:25 » My son is an honor student.
4:02:26 [BLANK_AUDIO]
4:02:31 I work in diversity, equity, and inclusion.
4:02:34 It’s my life’s work.
4:02:35 Amazon is one of my clients.
4:02:38 I train people to learn how to work with people who look, think,
4:02:41 act, and
4:02:41 live differently than others.
4:02:43 I would feel more comfortable about this discipline policy if I
4:02:45 knew that diversity
4:02:46 was appreciated in this area and I don’t feel it.
4:02:50 My fear is that the practices are inconsistent.
4:02:53 When I hear about the disparities and
4:02:54 I look at the Department of Education page, I see the data.
4:02:58 And I’m concerned that someone on my board of education teaching
4:03:01 my child does not
4:03:02 seem to think data is important.
4:03:05 As a DE&I expert with 20 years of experience,
4:03:08 there needs to be unconscious bias training.
4:03:11 For those who don’t know what unconscious bias is, a great
4:03:13 example is if a woman is
4:03:14 happily walking past a white child, but
4:03:16 clenching her purse when a black child walks by, that is your
4:03:19 unconscious bias.
4:03:20 » [APPLAUSE]
4:03:23 » I’m concerned as to how the complaints
4:03:25 are going to be investigated.
4:03:26 I’ve conducted hundreds of harassment and
4:03:28 discrimination investigations in the workplace.
4:03:31 You need details, you need witnesses, but more over.
4:03:34 You need these complaints to be filed.
4:03:36 You cannot sit there and get upset that it’s continuing and you
4:03:38 have said nothing.
4:03:40 I’m an HR person here.
4:03:44 I fear that we are now possibly creating criminal files in a
4:03:46 prison pipeline for
4:03:47 our children, and that sets them up for failure and
4:03:49 their ability to obtain good jobs after school.
4:03:53 It sounds like some of you have had a change of heart.
4:03:55 You’re not wanting to co-parent with the school district.
4:03:57 » [APPLAUSE]
4:04:00 » I asked for four things.
4:04:02 One, do a root cause analysis.
4:04:04 I’ve heard a handful of people mention this, including you, sir.
4:04:07 Thank you for a root cause analysis to find out why we are
4:04:10 having this problem.
4:04:12 That’s how you fix it before it gets to the teachers, FYI.
4:04:16 Please consider making parental involvement mandatory in
4:04:18 situations where
4:04:19 children are out of control before they even get to a criminal
4:04:24 route.
4:04:24 A class where parents and students must attend before they can
4:04:27 return back to
4:04:27 school is an idea, or a requirement that a documented call to
4:04:30 parents as part of
4:04:31 a progressive discipline policy.
4:04:34 » Ms. Lawson, if you can wrap it up, please.
4:04:35 » Yep, I got two more points coming at you, Mr. Susan.
4:04:38 Number three, whatever update you create, like the gentleman
4:04:41 said,
4:04:41 make sure the students and parents sign off on them.
4:04:43 We do this routinely with company handbooks.
4:04:45 Do it with the children, the students, and the staff.
4:04:48 And four, diversity training to include unconscious bias.
4:04:51 I will give you a discount if you use my firm or any firm.
4:04:55 I have the contact.
4:04:57 Give these teachers some unconscious bias training so that we
4:04:59 don’t have to-
4:05:00 » Thank you, Ms. Lawson.
4:05:01 » Thank you, Mr. Susan.
4:05:03 Mr. Whipple, Angelica Zamora, Steven Rainey.
4:05:10 » [APPLAUSE]
4:05:16 » Mr. Whipple, Angelica Zamora, Duran.
4:05:22 And then Steven, Mark Rainey.
4:05:25 [BLANK_AUDIO]
4:05:27 » Greetings, everyone, I’m here today, wasn’t invited, but I’m
4:05:33 here
4:05:34 because of being the president of Central Levoit branch of the
4:05:37 NAACP.
4:05:38 I’ve received many phone calls in regards to what took place
4:05:43 by our sheriff in the presence of the nation.
4:05:47 I’ve received phone calls from concerned parents about the
4:05:50 safety of their children
4:05:52 attending Levoit public schools.
4:05:55 Just as it is to serve every student with excellence as a
4:06:00 standard,
4:06:01 the Central Levoit branch of the NAACP mission is to secure
4:06:05 the political educational, social and economic rights of all
4:06:11 people.
4:06:12 And it concerns me about the antics of the sheriff and
4:06:18 his company on a national level that’s bringing shame to our
4:06:23 community.
4:06:25 And I would suggest to this board that this never happened again.
4:06:29 » [APPLAUSE]
4:06:31 » I appreciate your efforts.
4:06:34 I appreciate your efforts in bringing this to the forefront and
4:06:38 discussing it with the community.
4:06:41 But going forward to develop a policy should be all inclusive.
4:06:49 We need to have even students involved in the policy that you
4:06:54 come up with.
4:06:56 Please involve those students, not only community members and
4:07:01 community leaders.
4:07:03 Involve the students in what’s going to impact them the most.
4:07:08 I thank you for your time.
4:07:09 » Thank you, Mr. Wickel.
4:07:11 Ms. Angelica Zamora, the man.
4:07:13 » [APPLAUSE]
4:07:16 » Mark, is that you, Mark Green?
4:07:21 Honey Walls, Steve Kolosinski, you guys are next up.
4:07:26 » Hello everyone, my name is Dr. Angelica Zamora Duran.
4:07:30 I’m here representing myself as a member of this community.
4:07:34 But also my partner, Alex Merling, who’s an educator at
4:07:37 Satellite High School,
4:07:38 who obviously could not be here today.
4:07:42 It is really sad that you do schedule these meetings during the
4:07:46 time that most
4:07:47 people who are actually in the classroom 100% of the time cannot
4:07:51 attend.
4:07:52 So how do you expect to come to a resolution on classroom
4:07:55 discipline
4:07:55 when few of the approximately 8,000 staff members serving over
4:07:59 73,000
4:08:00 students in our 84 schools have almost no choice to weigh in?
4:08:05 Shout out to Mr. Merling’s economics class, who are tuning in
4:08:08 right now, but
4:08:09 unfortunately cannot have their concerns met either.
4:08:13 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,
4:08:21 which is completely outside of his job description.
4:08:24 Nonetheless, in front of a jail for
4:08:25 scare tactics that hurt our most marginalized communities is
4:08:30 terrifying.
4:08:32 It’s terrifying.
4:08:33 There’s so much unfounded backlash about pronouns in bathrooms,
4:08:38 when the real reaction should be targeted to those who want to
4:08:41 tear the cheeks off
4:08:42 our children.
4:08:42 » [APPLAUSE] » That banner right there,
4:08:48 above your heads, says that the mission is to serve every,
4:08:53 which should be italicized, student with excellence as a
4:08:56 standard.
4:08:57 To me, every student includes those who may not be encompassed
4:09:01 by certain political
4:09:02 agendas and/or those exhibiting behavioral issues.
4:09:07 When drafting the resolution, I implore you all to reflect on
4:09:10 the mission of
4:09:11 Brevard County Schools and the definition of every student.
4:09:15 As a scientist, I hope that you will prioritize data-driven
4:09:19 solutions
4:09:19 based on sound science to advocate for student support, guidance
4:09:24 counseling,
4:09:24 access to resources, and cultural sensitivity over strictly just
4:09:29 punishment.
4:09:31 Free our books, and may we hope for a more inclusive, safe,
4:09:34 student-centered future.
4:09:35 Thank you all for your service.
4:09:36 » [APPLAUSE] » Thank you Mrs. Knut,
4:09:43 Tamora Honeywall, Steve, Carl Lewis.
4:09:47 » Hello everybody, it’s so nice to be here and understand what’s
4:09:50 happening.
4:09:52 I am horrified and so sorry for the trauma that I hear happening
4:10:00 with all of you, all of you, and all of our children.
4:10:06 I’m sure that the human magic and
4:10:12 power that we have upstairs can help us get through all of this.
4:10:18 And it’s gonna take discipline.
4:10:20 That’s the other word I’ve heard up here a lot today, discipline.
4:10:25 Okay, well we can do that too.
4:10:28 But I’m not sure that I’m hearing how we’re going to create
4:10:32 discipline
4:10:33 in those kids.
4:10:36 I would ask maybe that we try appealing to their spirit.
4:10:43 Not with religion, but appearing to their I am.
4:10:48 You all know who I’m talking about.
4:10:51 So I would also like to bring the words of our friend, Megan
4:10:57 Holloran, who is
4:11:03 [BLANK_AUDIO]
4:11:07 Excuse me, a licensed mental health counselor.
4:11:13 She says in my 15 years working as a mental health drug and
4:11:17 alcohol counselor,
4:11:18 with teens in homeless youth shelters, on probation, in a
4:11:23 juvenile jail.
4:11:25 And in high schools and middle schools, physical discipline and
4:11:29 ongoing legal action rarely work to empower the kid.
4:11:33 Or change the behavioral concerns.
4:11:36 And in fact, every time, the behavior will get worse.
4:11:39 And so if you’re not addressing the root socioeconomic issues,
4:11:44 all that I am, I was mentioning, in all our communities.
4:11:49 Or adding teachers and counselors in schools who are trained in
4:11:54 de-escalation
4:11:55 and emotional regulation tools, then everyone is going to get re-traumatized.
4:12:03 That word that was passed around so much today.
4:12:05 I would be happy to offer my knowledge in this area,
4:12:08 if you should desire, Megan Holloran, LMHC.
4:12:13 Thank you so much for letting me voice my concerns, and God love
4:12:16 you all.
4:12:17 Thanks for your work.
4:12:19 » Thank you, Ms. Wall.
4:12:20 Next up, Steven Kolosinski, Carl Lewis, Linda Hizdale.
4:12:25 Mr. Kolosinski, no?
4:12:30 Carl Lewis is up next.
4:12:35 Carl Lewis here, okay?
4:12:38 Linda Hizdale and Max Mattel.
4:12:47 And those are the last two speakers that we have.
4:12:52 » Good afternoon, my name is Linda Jones Hizdale.
4:12:56 And one thing I want, first thing I want to say, I think the
4:13:01 teachers are very underpaid
4:13:02 and overworked, you do an awesome job, and we do have to get
4:13:06 back to parenting.
4:13:09 I’ve put three boys through the school system, and I’ve dealt
4:13:14 with the school system
4:13:15 for about 30 something years, and it starts at home, first of
4:13:21 all.
4:13:21 And when you, I just want to say that code of conduct, I read
4:13:26 every single word.
4:13:28 So don’t say parents don’t read it, because I do.
4:13:32 I went to the school every week checking on my boys.
4:13:36 And I got a relationship with the teacher because I want that
4:13:39 teacher to know,
4:13:41 let me know if there’s a problem before it becomes a problem,
4:13:44 because I can handle my son.
4:13:48 I raised three boys, so you got to, you’re taking the parents
4:13:54 out,
4:13:55 and you do need the parents back 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,
4:14:04 and you would be amazed at the discipline or the action of your
4:14:11 child.
4:14:12 So I will never say what my child won’t do, but when I’m around,
4:14:16 I know what he will and won’t do.
4:14:18 So you got, it takes all of us, and everybody has their good
4:14:23 points and bad points,
4:14:25 and I just feel that sometimes our kids, black and brown kids,
4:14:29 are disciplined at a very higher level than the other kids.
4:14:33 And I’ve dealt with some, I’ve seen some of all the stuff.
4:14:35 I’ve seen the prescription pills coming into schools being so,
4:14:39 you know, kids,
4:14:40 and now there’s vaping and all this kind of stuff.
4:14:43 But it gets back to basics, and we all have something to say.
4:14:48 We all need to bring forward, and we don’t need Sheriff Wayne Ivey
4:14:52 in our,
4:14:52 in the school system telling, in front of the jail, no less,
4:14:59 telling us what we can do.
4:15:01 As administrators, parents, these policies, we can do this
4:15:07 ourselves,
4:15:07 because it takes a teamwork to make the dream work, and that’s
4:15:12 all I have to say.
4:15:12 Thank you.
4:15:13 » Thank you, Ms. Tisdale.
4:15:19 Would Max, Max, please come up, Max, Max, okay.
4:15:20 That concludes these.
4:15:21 We’re going to move into and continue to work through over the
4:15:24 next couple of moments.
4:15:26 I think if you guys need to use the restroom, just start going.
4:15:30 » That we need to, we need to take a break.
4:15:34 It’s 1 o’clock, and we’re, it’s not, we could work through, and
4:15:37 all these people could work through,
4:15:38 but our staff who are helping run things, they need a chance to
4:15:41 eat lunch,
4:15:42 and the cafeteria’s already closed, but I think we need to take
4:15:45 a mental break, as well.
4:15:47 I would also just suggest, Mr. Susan, I know you had a lot we
4:15:49 wanted to get through.
4:15:49 This is a pretty aggressive agenda, and this issue is important,
4:15:52 that we could have just had this meeting issue, meeting all
4:15:55 about this by itself.
4:15:57 There’s a lot that you put on the list here that we’re going to
4:15:59 go through, so I would even suggest,
4:16:01 and I don’t know what the will of the rest of the board is, that
4:16:03 we’ve got some other things
4:16:04 on the agenda that, though important, aren’t as important as
4:16:07 this issue.
4:16:08 I think it would be appropriate, maybe, I’m going to suggest
4:16:12 that we toss these to a later date.
4:16:14 I know the dates and times, and the board representatives are
4:16:16 already
4:16:16 on our meeting for Tuesday night.
4:16:18 We can have this discussion even at our workshop next Tuesday.
4:16:21 We could have some more for Tuesday night, if we needed to.
4:16:22 I know we’re doing a lot with the superintendent, interim
4:16:24 superintendent search on Tuesday,
4:16:26 but as we have time, if we could ask, you know, I would suggest
4:16:29 we ask Ms. Aguirre
4:16:30 to add some of these discussion items, because, really, they’re
4:16:33 just discussion to a later time,
4:16:34 and we can just focus today on discipline.
4:16:37 » Thank you, Ms. Campbell.
4:16:39 I would disagree and continue to work.
4:16:41 We have lunch on its way.
4:16:43 I would like to just work through this.
4:16:44 We have limited time, and we have these pieces to go in the
4:16:47 event that we run into a situation
4:16:49 as we’re progressing that I would like to cancel off some of
4:16:53 them when we can,
4:16:54 but I think we need to get moving on this.
4:16:56 Some of you guys have some of your child cares and other things
4:16:59 that we need
4:16:59 to make sure we get a hold of.
4:17:01 We have an agenda to move through, but that’s not – I am the
4:17:04 chairperson.
4:17:05 I am not the majority of the board, but both staff and our
4:17:08 speakers and everybody else
4:17:10 and individuals at the table can use restroom breaks.
4:17:13 We can go in, we can eat, and move through it.
4:17:16 I’ve had taken care of lunch for all of you, through the pizzas
4:17:19 and stuff like that,
4:17:20 if you guys can, if we’re willing to do that, but, Ms. Campbell,
4:17:24 do you have, I think, a motion to sort of do something?
4:17:27 » Well, I just – you know, I just – we don’t need to rush
4:17:30 through this
4:17:30 so we can get to the other things, and I –
4:17:33 to be – honor everyone’s time, including all of our guests and
4:17:36 our public –
4:17:37 and I hate the idea that somebody – I don’t want to waste
4:17:39 anybody’s time.
4:17:40 I hate the idea that somebody may have come to speak to an other
4:17:42 issue
4:17:43 that is really important to them, but this is crucial, and you’ve
4:17:47 got a lot listed here
4:17:48 that you want us to get through, so to honor everyone’s time and
4:17:51 not keep us here until,
4:17:53 you know, the dark hours of the evening, I think we need to toss
4:17:59 the rest.
4:18:00 So, yes, I mean, if I need to bring us a motion, I believe I can
4:18:03 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
4:18:10 the other topics
4:18:12 to a later date for discussion, that we move the ones that aren’t
4:18:17 already on the agenda
4:18:18 for next week to at least Tuesday so we can have those
4:18:22 conversations.
4:18:23 I believe all the guests that have come in mainly are on this
4:18:26 issue
4:18:26 so they wouldn’t have to attend, but that would be my motion.
4:18:30 Yes, sir.
4:18:31 » Motion is there a second?
4:18:33 » Second.
4:18:34 » Okay. There’s discussion.
4:18:35 » Could we maybe just discuss an end time for the meeting and
4:18:40 just say, hey,
4:18:41 if we don’t get through these topics, then at that point we
4:18:45 decide a later time to finish them.
4:18:47 I understand the concern, right, because we could be here till
4:18:50 midnight going
4:18:51 through all these different topics, and I don’t think
4:18:52 that that’s something that anybody here wants to do.
4:18:55 So, but I hear what you’re saying as far as–
4:18:57 » Are you offering that as a, that would be a friendly
4:19:01 amendment?
4:19:02 Okay. I, sure, we can amend the suggestion that if we don’t
4:19:07 finish by three o’clock is
4:19:09 agreeable to the board, but I do think we need to at least take
4:19:12 a break.
4:19:12 If you ordered pizza for us to eat, we need to go out and get it
4:19:15 and not be dribbling out a little bit at a time.
4:19:17 But three o’clock seems reasonable for our guests and for those
4:19:23 of us.
4:19:24 And we take the break whenever we need it, and it can be short.
4:19:26 We can bring the pizza back in here.
4:19:27 I don’t mind eating it on camera.
4:19:29 Done it before, but that we do set a time that’s, you know, for
4:19:35 example, close to three
4:19:36 and then whatever we don’t get done by then.
4:19:38 And maybe I’m not being optimistic enough in how much we can get
4:19:40 done.
4:19:41 » So there’s a motion that has an amendment to the original
4:19:44 motion.
4:19:45 Do I have a second to that motion?
4:19:47 Okay. Board discussion.
4:19:49 » So I guess to just reiterate what it is, Ms. Campbell, that
4:19:54 you would like to find an end time
4:19:56 so we can kind of discuss that end time.
4:19:58 And then you want to stop what we’re doing now to go get food
4:20:02 and take a break of 10 minutes.
4:20:03 Is that what you’re asking for?
4:20:04 Okay. So that’s the amendment.
4:20:06 » The motion is three o’clock.
4:20:07 » Yeah.
4:20:07 » Three o’clock.
4:20:08 » Okay. I mean, I personally can continue to go as long as we
4:20:12 need to to finish these,
4:20:14 but I know some other people have some commitments.
4:20:16 So that’s up to you guys.
4:20:18 I would hate to have this entire thing go on and then have to
4:20:22 stop
4:20:22 over the discipline issue and not finish it before we get done.
4:20:26 So having a dead time is kind of scary to me, but the amendment
4:20:29 is on the floor.
4:20:30 I guess does anybody else wish to say anything?
4:20:33 » I support Ms. Campbell in this and I’m just going to say, you
4:20:37 know, this is the importance
4:20:39 of having a plan in place, having the agenda, detachments and
4:20:42 conversations beforehand
4:20:43 so we knew what we were going to discuss so we can get through
4:20:47 it in a timely manner.
4:20:48 I think three o’clock is more than adequate.
4:20:53 I think to continue to go another hour, another two hours is no
4:21:00 benefit to the school system,
4:21:03 to our students, to our staff to discuss those things that are
4:21:05 on the agenda
4:21:06 when people are exhausted and just went through this entire
4:21:09 process.
4:21:09 It’s better to be fresh and have that conversation another time.
4:21:12 And if we can just push it to Tuesday, it’s not like it’s
4:21:15 getting pushed off incredibly.
4:21:18 And to be fair, one of the items on there– I don’t have the
4:21:21 part of me, can I steal this?
4:21:24 Sorry. At least one of the items on there, for instance, our
4:21:30 public participation
4:21:31 and board meetings, I mean, we’ve all kind of made it pretty
4:21:33 clear
4:21:33 where we stand on that already.
4:21:35 We were just trying to break, you know, formally through the
4:21:37 process
4:21:38 and it’s something we can amend every meeting like we’ve been
4:21:40 doing.
4:21:40 So it’s not an emergency by any means to, so.
4:21:44 » Okay. So we have a motion on the floor.
4:21:46 Thank you, Ms. Jenkins.
4:21:47 All in favor of the motion, please signify by saying aye.
4:21:50 » Aye.
4:21:51 » Nay.
4:21:55 » Motion fails.
4:21:56 Moving to the original motion on the floor to– can you repeat
4:22:01 your motion
4:22:02 since the first one, second one failed?
4:22:05 » My motion was amended, so we just voted no against the whole
4:22:08 entire motion.
4:22:09 » No, we voted no on the amendment.
4:22:10 Now it comes back to the original motion which is to–
4:22:12 » If I amend my own motion, then that is the motion.
4:22:17 » Okay.
4:22:18 » But I’ll bring a second amendment.
4:22:21 I move that we end at four if we’re not done by then
4:22:26 and toss everything else we haven’t gotten to through the
4:22:30 Tuesday discussion.
4:22:31 » Okay. So the motion on the floor, is there a second?
4:22:36 Okay. And the motion is for quitting at four o’clock.
4:22:39 Is there any discussion?
4:22:43 Okay. Do you want to speak?
4:22:46 » No. I mean, four o’clock sounds a lot better than three o’clock
4:22:49 because we have a lot to go through here.
4:22:50 And there are some things even with the, you know, normal–
4:22:55 specifically say it,
4:22:56 but there are some things we can move to Tuesday with no harm
4:22:58 whatsoever.
4:22:59 » Yeah. I agree.
4:23:01 I mean, I’m going to stick it out for the entire thing.
4:23:03 I understand the concern though too of this being a super long
4:23:06 meeting.
4:23:06 So, I think putting an end time on it is okay.
4:23:10 Four o’clock is okay.
4:23:11 Five o’clock, you know, I’m like, am I pushing it too far on
4:23:14 that?
4:23:15 I’m thinking that’s an eight-hour day.
4:23:17 That’s okay.
4:23:18 But that would be my personal preference just to try to get
4:23:22 through as many of these as we can
4:23:24 so that we don’t have to bring them back up again.
4:23:27 I can’t– I don’t think I can amend our amendment.
4:23:30 So, we have a motion on the floor to amend it to five o’clock.
4:23:37 Any discussion or do I have a second?
4:23:39 Second? Okay.
4:23:40 Is there any discussion on the five o’clock?
4:23:42 » So, I just want to– I don’t even know where we are right now.
4:23:48 I want to remind– yeah, I’m aware, Mr. Susan.
4:23:51 That’s not what I’m referring to.
4:23:53 So, I just want to remind my fellow board members as well as the
4:23:58 district staff
4:23:59 that there is going to be an event tonight that starts at five o’clock
4:24:03 here,
4:24:03 hosted by Brevard Schools Foundation to collect hygiene products
4:24:06 for our students.
4:24:08 So, not only is that a conflict, but hey, why not plug it,
4:24:10 anyone listening?
4:24:11 If you want to stop by today from five to seven, bring some
4:24:15 hygiene products
4:24:16 for our students in need, we would appreciate that very much.
4:24:19 Thank you.
4:24:19 » Thank you very much.
4:24:21 So, the amendment on the floor says that it’s five o’clock.
4:24:23 Do we have any other conversation?
4:24:25 » Knowing that, that there is an event that’s here, thank you
4:24:28 for bringing that to our attention.
4:24:30 Obviously, I’m not looking at a calendar right now as we’re
4:24:32 discussing these things.
4:24:33 I do think that that is fair for us to–
4:24:35 a lot of the staff that’s here is going to need to be at that
4:24:37 event.
4:24:38 And so, I don’t think it’s very fair to hug them up here if they
4:24:40 need to be there
4:24:41 and they are going to need some time.
4:24:43 So, in light of that information, I think it’s fair to say four
4:24:46 o’clock is probably–
4:24:47 I would– I understand the four o’clock thing if that’s okay
4:24:51 with you, Ms. Campbell.
4:24:53 » I’m– I’m amending my amendment.
4:24:55 » The motion on the floor is four o’clock.
4:24:59 I think she was withdrawing the five o’clock.
4:25:02 So, call the question on the four o’clock.
4:25:08 All those in favor of ending at four o’clock, please signify by
4:25:11 saying aye.
4:25:12 » Aye.
4:25:13 » All opposed, nay.
4:25:15 You have that?
4:25:17 All right.
4:25:18 So, we’re going to go to four o’clock.
4:25:19 Now, back to the original motion that says that we’re going to
4:25:23 stop
4:25:23 and finish at four o’clock now.
4:25:26 Do we have a– well, we voted on the amendment.
4:25:30 So, she withdrew the amendment from the five o’clock to put it
4:25:34 back to the four o’clock.
4:25:35 We voted on the four o’clock.
4:25:36 Now, we’re back to the original motion.
4:25:38 So, with– we– with the amendment to the– being four o’clock,
4:25:44 we are now on–
4:25:46 » The amendment approval, it’s over, so.
4:25:50 » No. OK.
4:25:52 » I beg to differ but we’ll check to talk about it.
4:25:54 If that’s all it takes, thank you very much.
4:25:55 We’ll break for 10 minutes.
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4:45:32 » Thank you and welcome back everybody.
4:45:34 In the event that you need any more extra food or anything like
4:45:36 that, you’re more than welcome to head out.
4:45:38 I think what we’re going to end up doing is each one of you
4:45:41 should have already received kind of a breakdown on it.
4:45:44 We’re going to come in and we’re going to do pre-incident,
4:45:46 incident, post-incident and then parents.
4:45:49 And what we’re going to talk about in the pre-incident is what
4:45:52 kind of training are we doing?
4:45:55 And then is that enough?
4:45:56 And if that’s not enough, then we give direction to create
4:45:59 something or give direction to staff to then change that.
4:46:03 I think if we can reduce our comments to three minutes or
4:46:06 another, I think that that would help us progressively get this
4:46:10 thing along.
4:46:11 With that, does anybody have any questions?
4:46:14 Okay, all right, so the first person that was going to – first
4:46:18 component that we’re going to bring up is in the pre-incident
4:46:22 and what I was going to ask, I guess it’s now Dr. Thete, that
4:46:27 what are we doing, Dr. Thete, to train a new and veteran staff
4:46:31 member on discipline and support?
4:46:34 And then I’m going to ask Anthony and you guys if that’s
4:46:36 sufficient and if that’s not, then let’s talk about what we can
4:46:40 do to fix that.
4:46:41 Thank you, Dr. Thete.
4:46:42 Thank you, Mr. Sussan.
4:46:44 You know, at a high level, we do an awful lot of training with
4:46:46 all of our teachers.
4:46:48 And, you know, we have an umbrella training, CHAMPS, that is run
4:46:51 through student services.
4:46:53 We have conscious discipline.
4:46:55 We work through behavior management strategies with our staff in
4:46:59 student services who provide for ESE support for our ESE
4:47:03 teachers and for any teacher who needs support in assisting
4:47:06 students with disabilities in behavior management in the
4:47:09 classroom.
4:47:10 For our new teachers, we have our new teacher academy and we
4:47:12 have sessions within that new teacher academy that deal with
4:47:15 relationship building, with handling students, with appropriate
4:47:19 measures for handling students.
4:47:22 The tier one checklist through MTSS is also a process and
4:47:26 training that we give through our professional development, our
4:47:30 PDCP, our CERT teachers.
4:47:33 Those are the teachers that come in without the benefit of an
4:47:36 education background in college.
4:47:39 We do require CHAMPS as part of it and CHAMPS is the umbrella
4:47:42 that everything else falls under.
4:47:45 They work with classroom structures that get to root causes of
4:47:47 behavior.
4:47:48 Again, they work with relationship building through that program.
4:47:51 Our lead mentors in every school have the availability.
4:47:55 They work with the new teachers.
4:47:57 They mentor teachers, not just new teachers, but teachers who
4:48:00 need mentoring.
4:48:01 They have behaviors on classroom management or videos, I’m sorry,
4:48:05 on classroom management.
4:48:07 They have strategies and engagement that they work with with
4:48:10 students.
4:48:11 We have in-services that if a teacher identifies that they’re
4:48:14 having a problem with classroom management, they can speak with
4:48:18 their principal or their department chair and get an opportunity
4:48:22 to come to some of these trainings that we have.
4:48:24 I have a list of the trainings I can send to the board later.
4:48:28 We also, through IDEA ESSER, hired an additional peer mentor
4:48:32 teacher to assist with our teachers of students with exceptional
4:48:36 needs.
4:48:37 And we also hired a teacher who helps with PDCP, the Alt-CERT
4:48:41 program, as an extra layer of support for our teachers.
4:48:46 » Mr. Susan, can I interrupt and add?
4:48:48 » Thank you.
4:48:49 Dr. Fetty, Ms. Moore.
4:48:50 » Thank you.
4:48:51 I appreciate that.
4:48:52 I think when we go into the realm of solutioning, if that’s a
4:48:57 word I can use, problem solving, it is going to help to
4:49:01 understand some of the limits and the priorities that the board
4:49:05 sets because you guys are going to be setting some priorities
4:49:09 financially and time.
4:49:11 And so I think it might help a little bit in the discussion to
4:49:14 bring up a couple of other points.
4:49:17 So our conscious discipline training, which we brought in two
4:49:22 years ago in full, that’s entirely funded out of ESSER.
4:49:27 ESSER funding is going away.
4:49:29 We have enough to get through maybe seven new schools.
4:49:32 The goal is, of course, to get it through all of our elementary
4:49:36 schools.
4:49:37 So that’s going to be part and parcel of a priority that you
4:49:41 guys may want to look at.
4:49:44 We also offer a week of preservice training before preplanning
4:49:48 to all of our ESC teachers.
4:49:50 It’s called ESC pathways.
4:49:52 We try to take them through all of the pieces that an ESC
4:49:54 teacher needs for both compliance and management.
4:49:58 We offer that at the beginning of the school and then we offer
4:50:00 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, most of them are tied up in
4:50:11 personnel, but we do fund that through them.
4:50:15 This year, we invited some of our gen ed teachers to join into
4:50:19 ESC pathways in hopes to,
4:50:21 number one, give them more tools, but number two, to also get
4:50:24 them ESC certification.
4:50:26 And that was part of the ESSER funds as well.
4:50:29 Every time we pull a teacher outside of their calendar, their
4:50:34 work calendar, 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 who need the training the most
4:50:43 are instructional assistants and our bus drivers and specific
4:50:46 classroom management.
4:50:48 We do do one day out of IDEA funds.
4:50:51 It is outside their calendar and we do have one day of training.
4:50:56 I believe it’s one day of training. I could be wrong within
4:50:58 their calendar.
4:50:59 So their work calendar also needs to be reviewed if we want to
4:51:03 get people who need the training more training.
4:51:08 Like I said, our IAs, they normally get about one day of
4:51:11 training at the beginning.
4:51:13 They do get some extra days, but they’re in the classroom
4:51:16 setting up with the teachers.
4:51:18 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 should be hand in hand
4:51:31 with student discipline.
4:51:34 And so a lot of it has to do with teachers. You know what you’re
4:51:37 teaching, how you’re teaching it.
4:51:39 And then in addition to the pre-planning, we also have our
4:51:43 Fridays and our in-service days.
4:51:46 I know February in-service day has come up as a topic that day
4:51:51 we had.
4:51:52 I don’t think that’s been determined yet, but we do have, I want
4:51:54 to say five sites, thank you,
4:51:58 that are adding to their conscious discipline training, adding
4:52:01 to that toolbox.
4:52:03 So when we begin to talk about training, we’re on board for
4:52:06 research-based practices.
4:52:08 We’re on board for a full training cycle, which includes not
4:52:11 just the eight hours we’re in front of our teachers
4:52:14 and our IAs and our bus drivers, but it involves coaching and
4:52:17 follow through.
4:52:19 And it’s the coaching and follow through that tends to maybe not
4:52:22 get as much emphasis.
4:52:24 But it’s also a pretty it’s a pretty high ticket item.
4:52:28 In addition to that, we spend a lot of time training on the
4:52:30 multi-tiered systems of support.
4:52:33 You know, we start talking about students that have one referral
4:52:35 and the vast majority of our students only do have one referral.
4:52:40 You know, a correction, a discipline correction pretty much is
4:52:43 all it takes.
4:52:45 You know, they go home to parents and their parents go, don’t
4:52:47 embarrass me again.
4:52:49 And they don’t. But when we start talking about students with
4:52:52 five and six and 10 and 50 referrals,
4:52:55 we have to look into the multi-tiered system of support.
4:52:58 What supports are needed in the classroom? What supports are
4:53:01 needed by that individual child?
4:53:04 And so we do a lot of training on that concerns there.
4:53:09 I mean, you’ve heard personnel bring up brought up the multi-tiered
4:53:14 system of support needs coaching.
4:53:18 Our administrators are are doing the lion’s share of that work
4:53:22 and they have a big job.
4:53:25 So, again, as as we go through when we prioritize the discipline
4:53:30 plan, we’re really prioritizing our par.
4:53:33 We’re prioritizing our budget. We’re prioritizing our you know,
4:53:36 we’re prioritizing a lot.
4:53:38 So as we kind of go through and talk about these things,
4:53:41 I think it’s important to highlight where the funding sources
4:53:43 for some of them came from and the additional expenses that go
4:53:45 along with them.
4:53:47 I really appreciate that. Miss Moore, thank you so much for
4:53:49 giving a quick overview.
4:53:51 I think to be honest with everybody here, there’s no way within
4:53:56 the within the short amount of time that we’re actually here
4:54:01 that we can go through every bit of it.
4:54:04 And I think that what we have is is a concern from some of our
4:54:06 employment groups.
4:54:08 And I think just like you had said and many of the parents had
4:54:11 said, we own as much of the responsibility for that, too.
4:54:15 So I think I was going to ask if anybody else had any other
4:54:17 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 I would like to propose is listening to
4:54:25 what the union feels they could bring forward and then getting a
4:54:28 cost of all of what we do now and then bringing it to a
4:54:31 committee that’s made up of people.
4:54:33 And then make that decision on how we move forward. So with that,
4:54:35 any other board members want to ask some questions real quick?
4:54:39 Ms. Campbell.
4:54:44 Just really quickly, because I do talk about the training that
4:54:46 we do for IS and bus drivers.
4:54:48 When someone comes in new after that point in the year, then are
4:54:52 they they just don’t have it.
4:54:55 So I don’t want to take away from the training that operations
4:54:58 does for them how to be a safe bus driver, how to you know, how
4:55:02 to how to get their CDL.
4:55:04 But you’re correct. That training, although we do do a new
4:55:07 employee orientation.
4:55:09 Thank you. Yeah. And it does give them kind of their overview of
4:55:13 everything BPS and what they should expect from us as employers
4:55:17 and what we expect for them as employees. There is not dedicated
4:55:21 dollars or days to train throughout the year on some of the big
4:55:25 topics that we hit.
4:55:27 So they’re missing that. Yes, they are missing. They’re missing
4:55:30 those pieces. And and what we try to do is as we come back
4:55:33 around to the following year, we say we’ll take everybody who’s
4:55:37 new and everybody who didn’t get it last year.
4:55:40 And we try to budget that and do the best we can with the
4:55:44 understanding that outside of their calendar, their work
4:55:48 calendar.
4:55:50 Everything is is is voluntary. If they choose to come, they come.
4:55:53 If they don’t choose to come, they don’t come. What we can hold
4:55:57 them to is their work calendar.
4:55:59 So outside of that, we would have to have training for people
4:56:03 more than just those times of the year.
4:56:06 And I know we added that one day we paid for that one day with
4:56:09 the eyes at the end of last year.
4:56:11 I think we used extra dollars to pay for that. That’s got solvents
4:56:15 on your head. So to do that, it would take paying everybody for
4:56:19 that day.
4:56:20 Paying for the training and then finding finding the place to do
4:56:23 it in the counter, because those are people we can’t pull off
4:56:26 away from kids.
4:56:28 That’s correct. And I think having that opportunity to list
4:56:32 everything that’s out there currently so that in the event that
4:56:36 those costs can be molded into what a new plan would be.
4:56:40 Not like you’re creating a whole new set. It may be that we just
4:56:43 need those extra additions on the end.
4:56:46 So it may not be a massive increase. Any other board members can
4:56:50 ask any questions?
4:56:51 Yeah, that’s right. Just to be clear, I would love to hear,
4:56:57 obviously, the unions and put on this because I, I really truly
4:57:01 don’t feel that majority of these problems are falling on our
4:57:04 teachers or their lack of understanding how to discipline a
4:57:07 child.
4:57:08 I think a lot of what we’re seeing is classroom behaviors and
4:57:10 not necessarily the teachers fall.
4:57:13 So I would love to hear what their feedback is on what the
4:57:15 teachers are saying to them. Do they feel they need more
4:57:20 training, pre training to handle discipline?
4:57:26 Good to go.
4:57:28 Thank you, Mr. Susan.
4:57:30 I’m directly to your question is right. Not necessarily. And I’ll
4:57:33 get that in a minute. I think when we look at the pre incident,
4:57:37 we need to look at a few things.
4:57:39 We brought three things that we really want you guys to look at
4:57:42 as a board.
4:57:43 First of all, there has to be a climate for honest feedback. I
4:57:47 appreciate what Michigan said earlier.
4:57:49 Somebody wants to stand up and speak up. She has their back and
4:57:51 I hope all this board will have their back.
4:57:54 But I have to be honest, our teachers do not feel that way. The
4:57:57 staff does not feel that way when we’re in buildings, when
4:58:00 people are calling us, when people are texting us, emailing us.
4:58:04 Sometimes they’re afraid to give us their names because they’re
4:58:07 afraid that we’re going to give it to BPS.
4:58:10 You know, and that’s a climate thing. You know, I was in the
4:58:12 military, so I always think about stuff like that.
4:58:15 And there was always an open door policy. There was a climate
4:58:18 that if you wanted to speak up, you could speak up.
4:58:21 When we talk about being data driven, that is so important.
4:58:25 I really like what you said, Miss Wheeler, about digging new
4:58:28 wells. Right.
4:58:29 We need to do some stuff differently if we’re all being honest
4:58:31 with each other.
4:58:33 The data we know is not valid. And I will tell you how we know
4:58:35 this. Last year we came to the board.
4:58:38 We talked about it. Anthony gave a presentation about free
4:58:41 referrals or preventing certain accessor codes that should be
4:58:44 reported to the state from being reported.
4:58:47 We know for a fact we saw that we know as late as yesterday, a
4:58:51 school was sending all the referrals back to a teacher before
4:58:55 they were being processed.
4:58:57 And that is something we got yesterday. But we hear that all the
4:58:59 time. I turned in a referral.
4:59:01 I never got it back. I turned in a referral was given back to me.
4:59:03 It was never coded.
4:59:06 When we try to track down incidents because everybody is like,
4:59:08 well, have you talked to somebody when we try to track down the
4:59:11 incidents?
4:59:12 A lot of times we can’t find it, even though we know our teacher
4:59:15 wrote the referral.
4:59:17 We know a new teacher sent an email to a dean saying there’s an
4:59:20 issue. I was sexually harassed.
4:59:22 Guess what? We can’t track it down because somehow it never got
4:59:26 inputted.
4:59:27 That’s the issue. Right. And we also look at everybody is afraid
4:59:31 to speak out.
4:59:32 We’ve heard that from all employee groups. So when we look at
4:59:35 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.
4:59:44 But the angels say garbage in garbage out. That’s what we’re
4:59:48 currently getting with our referral data.
4:59:51 To go further down on that, you know, I’m really happy that we
4:59:54 saw some data today because we have been asking for data for a
4:59:58 long time.
4:59:59 And this is the first time that we’ve seen it compiled this way.
5:00:01 So we need to look at that.
5:00:05 We also believe in the discipline committee. There was a
5:00:07 discipline committee set up where I know Anthony and Vanessa
5:00:10 were representatives on that.
5:00:12 It just stopped meeting. Like, you know, it seemed as it from
5:00:17 what I was relayed to me was there wasn’t a need for teacher
5:00:20 administrator feedback.
5:00:22 And that’s unfortunate. So one of our asked today on top of the
5:00:24 honest feedback is restarting that discipline committee.
5:00:28 I believe it’s still on the books. I mean, I believe that
5:00:30 committee is still supposed to be meeting.
5:00:32 But we also act that that feedback is given directly to the
5:00:35 school board.
5:00:37 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
5:00:44 to the top.
5:00:45 We’re not always going to have the right suggestion. We’re not
5:00:47 always going to have the only suggestion.
5:00:49 But it’s unfortunate when it gets filtered. And then finally, we
5:00:52 do want to talk about professional development.
5:00:55 We came here ready today to offer you the offer BPS the same
5:00:58 thing we offered a year ago. We asked at the bargaining table
5:01:01 last year for the school calendar to be expanded and add three
5:01:04 additional professional development days.
5:01:07 We were rejected by Brevard Public Schools at the bargaining
5:01:10 table.
5:01:11 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.
5:01:16 That’s not what we’ve ever said. One of the key things we do, we
5:01:19 are proud we have a professional development program.
5:01:23 But where we struggle is when we hear there needs to be new
5:01:25 professional development.
5:01:27 And the professional development is, hey, you teach at a school
5:01:30 in Titusville.
5:01:31 So let’s drive to the school of Marin Island so you can watch a
5:01:33 zoom that’s happening at a school in Palm Bay.
5:01:36 How is that a valuable use of our teacher’s time and our
5:01:39 resources?
5:01:41 Right. And if we are going to do virtual training, that’s fine.
5:01:43 But our teachers are professionals.
5:01:46 The eyes of professionals, the bus drivers are professionals.
5:01:50 Why can’t they do it in their classroom? Do we really need them
5:01:53 in a media center at some random school so they can be
5:01:54 supervised?
5:01:56 We don’t trust our teachers to do the professional development.
5:01:58 We don’t trust our eyes and our bus drivers and our staff to
5:02:01 complete that professional development.
5:02:04 So we are ready. We want professional development, but we want
5:02:06 quality professional development.
5:02:08 We hope that we can be involved in that conversation. And I know
5:02:11 there’s people on my team that are great at it and would be, you
5:02:15 know, confident at the bit to get involved.
5:02:17 So thank you. Thank you, Kyle. I think some of those suggestions,
5:02:22 if I see Dr. Fettie writing down on writing down if we can meet
5:02:25 afterwards and make sure I think what we may want to look at is,
5:02:29 is that I don’t think that there’s any negative.
5:02:33 Anybody up here that would say no to the climate positive
5:02:36 feedback and looking for a referral process that does not
5:02:40 include, you know, I mean names and stuff like that, some sort
5:02:44 of way to do that.
5:02:45 I also think there’s no hard feelings about, you know, I mean,
5:02:48 professional development at three extra days.
5:02:51 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.
5:02:58 But that’s okay. Like, let’s figure out if that is your
5:03:00 recommendation if we can look at it and find out if we can find
5:03:04 those funds to fit into it and make it happen.
5:03:07 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 it
5:03:12 back to us for an evaluation. Okay, Dr. Fettie is that okay?
5:03:17 I’m taking notes.
5:03:20 And I loved what you said about the discipline committee
5:03:22 starting back up.
5:03:24 I think the direction of the board would be that we could start
5:03:26 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.
5:03:36 So I started on, I started on the discipline committee when I
5:03:40 was still a teacher in the classroom. I was a BFT member but I
5:03:44 was not in any capacity leadership or to the level I am now and
5:03:51 what I remember is every single school having educators
5:03:54 represented on that committee every single school having parents
5:03:59 and administrators and coming together at the different levels.
5:04:04 A lot of it most of the time we met at the high school because
5:04:06 that is a large group, and the teachers were able to express
5:04:09 what their needs what they were seeing into the classroom, the
5:04:13 discipline policy that we have now.
5:04:16 A policy is only it’s on paper, right? It’s, it’s only as good
5:04:20 as a paper it’s written on if the people aren’t applying it and
5:04:26 modifying it as the years progress, and what we’ve had what we’ve
5:04:31 seen happen is it’s it’s hit a wall.
5:04:34 At some point, the people who became in charge of the discipline
5:04:39 plan stopped taking feedback from our teachers from our
5:04:43 administrators, and I think that it was even I’ve not I think I
5:04:48 know that it was even said by someone, we don’t need the
5:04:53 administrator’s feedback.
5:04:54 I’m sorry, you know, I heard it. I think from a speaker talk
5:04:58 about kids eloping from the classroom. That is a huge thing that
5:05:03 came up. The committee said it over and over and over again that
5:05:07 we needed to escalate elopement as a behavior, and it never
5:05:13 happened.
5:05:14 And so, I am. I’m in, and I want to say this that probably would
5:05:18 take forever but and I’m going to mostly talk I think in the
5:05:22 post incident.
5:05:24 I’m excited that we’re in this room together right now.
5:05:29 Whatever it is that brought us together. I hope we can all move
5:05:33 past that, because what we have in common right now is a love
5:05:38 for students is a love for our children, and a need to make
5:05:42 things better.
5:05:44 And I, I’ve probably been coming before this board for a decade,
5:05:49 advocating for change and I have to say sometimes I have just
5:05:55 lost my will to think things would change.
5:05:59 And so I really hope that everybody around this table in this
5:06:03 room, the people who have magically disappeared, that everybody
5:06:07 is actually dedicated to make the changes that are needed for
5:06:11 students because that’s the reason we are all here is for our
5:06:17 students.
5:06:18 In the community and jacket. Yeah, she she’s sorry. No, no, no,
5:06:22 it’s okay if we can keep it to three minutes and, but the other
5:06:25 thing that I want to say is is that there is a lot going on.
5:06:29 So if we can. Yes, sir. That’s why you’re at this table, sir.
5:06:33 Absolutely. Go ahead. Yes, sir. Go ahead. The training
5:06:36 discussion. Yes, sir. One of the things I would like to see on
5:06:40 the training agenda is is bias training.
5:06:44 In fact, that will be appreciated as well as would you consider
5:06:49 doing your training is to teachers classroom management.
5:06:55 That is one of the one feedback I received from some of the
5:06:58 teachers, and I need help with class. So I just want to plug
5:07:02 because you know the union has an amazing.
5:07:05 It’s called managing behavior and school communities, and we
5:07:08 would love to be a part of of that and to be a part of sending
5:07:12 more people to become trainers right now there’s only two
5:07:16 trainers in the county myself and another person, but they’re
5:07:19 Yes, absolutely.
5:07:22 I want to help in the training if we can do anything from the
5:07:27 community that will help train in those areas you can train us
5:07:32 and we can train whatever. So, you know, expand that out to the
5:07:36 community being part of that resources.
5:07:38 I was going to actually interject there because I had
5:07:41 opportunity to listen in a couple years ago actually you were
5:07:44 the reason why I came I heard you speak in Merritt Island, some
5:07:48 years ago, concerning the issues that teachers was having, and
5:07:52 not getting any voices.
5:07:55 And I had the opportunity to sit in on a negotiation between the
5:08:01 union and the school board. And it was eye opening for me as a
5:08:06 parent. Okay. And I’m going to reiterate again.
5:08:09 If parents are not invited to these meetings will never ever
5:08:13 understand the cry of the teachers, the crowd the union, and the
5:08:18 cries of the board, because when I sat in on that, it opened my
5:08:23 eye to something that I did not understand it couldn’t imagine.
5:08:29 But the other thing it did for me. It started making me think
5:08:33 about donations, think about fundraising to get more money into
5:08:37 the school board.
5:08:39 I will tell you a couple things that I did, I have several
5:08:42 people that works for grumbling and Harris, and I went and
5:08:45 talked to them, concerning what they can do to put money into
5:08:49 the school board.
5:08:51 What was alarming to me is they begin to tell me that they’re
5:08:57 already doing it. I don’t know where those funds have been
5:09:00 allocated to.
5:09:00 So, so that alarmed me because it, I mean it really opened my
5:09:04 eyes so when I went to them because I know people that sit on
5:09:08 their boards to say hey we, y’all are in our community.
5:09:13 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, and we can pay our
5:09:19 teachers to keep our teachers in it for me to hear that they are
5:09:23 giving.
5:09:24 It’s difficult to go and ask for them to give more when they’re
5:09:28 already giving, but I’m gonna say it again, if parents can’t get
5:09:34 into those meetings, and some of the other meetings will never
5:09:39 be able to help with the discipline problems and the issues that
5:09:43 we say we’re having but with that, we’ll never be able to
5:09:46 educate our children in our households as well because we’re not
5:09:51 in those core meetings
5:09:53 to understand what’s really going on outside of our own
5:09:55 individual children.
5:09:57 Thank you so much for those comments.
5:09:59 So what I’m hearing you guys say is, is that your recommendation
5:10:01 is to bring back the discipline committee, and it’s a very large
5:10:04 committee that needs to have parents involved I think that’s the
5:10:07 direction that you guys have said and I haven’t asked my other
5:10:11 board members for direction yet.
5:10:12 But what I would like to add to that is is the student voices
5:10:15 also. I would love to have the student voices be a part of that.
5:10:18 But then the other pieces is that after that, everybody’s going
5:10:22 to come with all of those issues right, and how we consolidate
5:10:25 that, and then present that to the board should be possibly a
5:10:29 workshop.
5:10:30 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 live community members and stuff like that a tighter group
5:10:39 that sound like okay with you and then I’ll try to re explain it
5:10:43 to my
5:10:44 my staff, I just have to ask one ask, is that what we’re doing
5:10:49 that it sounds wonderful we want that, but also what we
5:10:55 currently have, can we get that going as well. So we can start
5:11:00 getting some immediate push as well.
5:11:00 But we have a committee outline already and if they could just
5:11:03 start meeting and that’s it. And you just keep adding like we
5:11:06 need you at the table we need this, we need students at the
5:11:09 table.
5:11:10 We needed students here today but I know, I know the feasibility
5:11:13 of the learning environment so I think, I think one of the
5:11:16 things that you guys have said and many others is is that the
5:11:19 immediate it’s an immediate immediate need to show the
5:11:22 difference
5:11:22 that we’re going to do so that we don’t lose teachers and we don’t
5:11:24 lose bus drivers over the Christmas break that is 100% what what
5:11:28 I felt like this needed to and we couldn’t push it off.
5:11:31 So what I’m at I’m hearing you say is is that you want to create
5:11:33 a committee move re engage the old committee, add student voices
5:11:37 parent voices, but in the event that they can’t be brought on as
5:11:40 fast.
5:11:41 Don’t let it slow down, let them view it and then bring it on as
5:11:44 we go. And then, and that that should start pretty soon.
5:11:49 And then what I’m asking what also I hear you say is is some
5:11:53 sort of a climate for positive feedback but then also an
5:11:57 opportunity for them to send in kind of like an anonymous or
5:12:01 something like that list or no.
5:12:04 That makes sense.
5:12:05 Some sort of a reporting feature to say, I have not, this is
5:12:08 what happened.
5:12:10 Well, we agree with that I think it would go a step forward or
5:12:14 just further needs to be a culture that it is okay to speak up.
5:12:20 Okay, that has. And all that works, all that’s helpful right and
5:12:21 there’s probably HR roles and what you have to have and don’t
5:12:24 have and all that good stuff right.
5:12:26 But at the end of the day, there needs to be a culture that
5:12:31 somebody is comfortable, a teacher is comfortable enough to go
5:12:37 back to that AP and push back on that AP. That AP is comfortable
5:12:41 enough to go to the principal and push back. The principal is
5:12:41 comfortable enough to go to their director and push back all the
5:12:41 way up.
5:12:41 Because unfortunately, like our teachers do not feel they can
5:12:44 push back on an assistant principal when they reject the
5:12:47 referral. And I’ll be honest, not all that is because of
5:12:50 district staff.
5:12:52 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.
5:12:59 But if the immediate time a teacher intervenes or there’s
5:13:02 discipline and the parent comes up to the school yelling, cussing
5:13:06 out the teacher, cussing out the front office, cussing out the
5:13:10 principal, that probably happens daily.
5:13:13 Then that discourages that that that that community of positive
5:13:16 open feedback as well. You know, we all have bosses. So a parent
5:13:20 calls the ESF and starts cussing out up here.
5:13:23 It just starts, you know, and then it eventually gets presented
5:13:26 to the teacher as in what happened? Why did this happen?
5:13:29 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
5:13:33 has their teachers back.
5:13:35 I hope that be true, but just the way it rolls out. So I think
5:13:38 it’s a culture thing as well. That is what I heard from many of
5:13:42 our principals, assistant principals, teachers is the verbal
5:13:47 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 so we can actually do a one year
5:14:00 trespass if they break certain laws.
5:14:02 And our staff needs to know that and we need to implement that
5:14:04 and have their back. OK, so I’m going to stop here.
5:14:08 Dr. Fedde, you had something kind of leaned in like you wanted
5:14:10 to say something. No, I was just I’ve heard a lot today.
5:14:13 I’ve heard a lot of passion. I’ve heard a lot of community
5:14:15 support. I’ve heard a lot of parents support.
5:14:19 I heard a lot of support from our stakeholders within our
5:14:22 organization and outside of our organization.
5:14:25 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
5:14:31 looking for a thoughtful and considerate review of our
5:14:35 discipline plan and calling back in the stakeholders, perhaps in
5:14:40 focus group kinds of meetings so that we can get the input on
5:14:44 things that maybe weren’t in place six years ago or whenever it
5:14:47 was developed that are in place.
5:14:49 Now, I heard a loping. I heard some other things doing another
5:14:52 thoughtful and consider review with the stakeholder groups to
5:14:55 include the people sitting at this table and teachers and law
5:15:00 enforcement and everybody else that we are speaking about.
5:15:03 I’ll just to wait further for direction. But I feel like that’s
5:15:05 what I’m hearing. And I just need a confirmation.
5:15:07 Mr. Susan. Yeah. Here’s what I think was the piece was move the
5:15:19 committee forward and start it now, whatever that is that needs
5:15:19 to be reignited, get the representatives and start that process.
5:15:19 Now, add the parents, add the students, start working on
5:15:21 explaining what a culture of explaining that they want to be
5:15:24 able to push back and say this is a referral to their
5:15:27 administrators and everybody else and to the directors and to
5:15:30 everybody else.
5:15:32 And then look at possibly three extra days next year is what you’re
5:15:36 saying for the calendar and everything else that pretty much
5:15:40 touch it all.
5:15:41 All right. Is there any pushback to giving direction? Yes, ma’am.
5:15:49 Hearing everything that was just said and agreeing with
5:15:50 everything that was just said, I didn’t hear the part just then
5:15:53 when they mentioned bringing everyone together in the law
5:15:56 enforcement piece.
5:15:58 I didn’t hear that prior to she mentioned it. But when you asked
5:16:01 if you could get started while bringing the others to the table,
5:16:06 is that a way of doing it?
5:16:07 Like in a zoom link or that you could put a link out that the
5:16:10 parents would still be able to view or be involved or when you
5:16:13 first start.
5:16:15 Absolutely. Because if you have a problem, if I’m visiting
5:16:18 schools and I plan on becoming more active and being in school,
5:16:22 parents at schools, because I’m at a school and a parent comes
5:16:24 up.
5:16:25 You know, if it’s someone that I know or this way, you know, we
5:16:27 sometimes we can help de-escalate things, you know, before it
5:16:31 gets to that point that a teacher has to engage with them.
5:16:35 I will tell you that a parent has a lot better of a chance of de-escalating
5:16:38 a child than the actual teacher does, because you guys can say
5:16:42 things that we can’t.
5:16:44 And I want to add to that also, I heard what you said. I’ve been
5:16:48 in situations at schools where I’ve had parents cursing out
5:16:53 administration and jumped in.
5:16:56 And once we de-escalated and found out what was going on, one of
5:16:59 their problems was is that they could not be in the room who was
5:17:03 saying their children was doing something.
5:17:07 They got frustrated and irritated because they have a referral
5:17:11 sitting here, the child is getting ready to get suspended, the
5:17:15 child is saying they didn’t do it, the administrator, the dean,
5:17:19 is saying they did do it.
5:17:21 They’re saying, well, let me speak to the teacher. And they’re
5:17:23 saying, no, you can’t speak to the teacher.
5:17:27 So now, that’s not the behavior we need, right? But I believe
5:17:32 what happens is if we don’t understand the cultural makeup of
5:17:36 our parents, okay, now what happens is we don’t de-escalate.
5:17:41 At some point in time, kind of like now, we get to confront our
5:17:44 accusers, right? So if I bring my child to every meeting, 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,
5:17:56 I want my child to sit there and tell me what’s going on as well.
5:18:00 And this is something that I have happened a lot, because I go
5:18:04 in as a pastor with a lot of my members when they have issues.
5:18:08 And I’m sitting there, and I have been kicked out of meetings
5:18:11 for just saying one thing, I didn’t escalate, I didn’t say
5:18:15 anything rude or nasty because they didn’t feel I shouldn’t be
5:18:19 there.
5:18:20 But they didn’t ask me what my support role was, they didn’t ask
5:18:23 me why I was there, they didn’t give me a paper to sign, but I’m
5:18:27 on the children’s paperwork.
5:18:30 And the minute I say two, three things, you’re not even
5:18:32 irrelevant, and they want me out. And I have a principal that
5:18:36 can vouch for it.
5:18:37 So what I’m saying is, I see what goes on with teachers, but at
5:18:40 the same time, if we don’t understand how different households
5:18:45 are made up, let me address 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 cursing for every other word, you may see it
5:18:58 as me cursing you out, but the reality is, that’s my language.
5:19:06 Is that right? Absolutely not. It’s wrong. But if we don’t have
5:19:11 the proper support systems in place, even if there’s volunteer
5:19:17 staff that’s willing to, you don’t have to pay them, I’ll be one
5:19:21 that’s willing to sit there when we have things like that.
5:19:25 You got to get them off campus and we have to bring them back,
5:19:27 bring pastors, bring communities back in with these parents to
5:19:30 sit down with them to help them understand, okay, this is not
5:19:33 the way it’s going to be happening, but be able to be there in
5:19:36 between to communicate.
5:19:38 That may be something else that we need to put out so that we’re
5:19:41 just not flat out saying, you curse me out, gone, when they don’t
5:19:45 have another way of communicating.
5:19:48 I like what you’re saying is have somebody that would be able to
5:19:50 moderate and be in there. On the other side, we have a situation
5:19:54 where we have many of our teachers, our staff, and people in the
5:19:57 front office and on our buses that are getting torn into by
5:20:00 these people and they feel unsafe.
5:20:02 So what I would like to do, just because it’s been part of the
5:20:05 conversation, it was part of my other stuff, was ask Officer
5:20:09 Neal to send out all of the definitions of what assaults are and
5:20:13 what battery are and then allow our principals and our staff to
5:20:19 file those to our administrators and our teachers so that they
5:20:26 understand what assault is.
5:20:27 Because what we’re having 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.
5:20:34 Situation on a bus, parent gets on there, cusses them out, sits
5:20:37 there, I mean, we just can’t have that.
5:20:40 So we can trespass for that for one year, it’s not the end of
5:20:42 the world, but I think we need to start setting the example
5:20:45 today that we’re not going to let parents come into our areas
5:20:48 and basically assault our staff.
5:20:51 And I think that with cultural, with having representatives
5:20:53 there, that there is the other side that we need to start
5:20:56 protecting the institution because my son was inside there and
5:20:58 saw somebody cussing out somebody else, he would think that it
5:21:02 was a different situation, right?
5:21:04 So let’s get to that place. Is that okay by everybody to send
5:21:08 out to our staff what is good?
5:21:11 I would like for us to slow down a little bit because I think
5:21:15 where it seems that we’re going is we’ve got a topic, we’re
5:21:19 throwing it out there, what do you think, what do you think,
5:21:22 what do you think, okay, now we’re going to do this.
5:21:24 But we are, we need to slow down and I hate the idea of death by
5:21:29 committee, but we don’t have all the stakeholders here, we don’t
5:21:35 have our administrators who know what it takes, what their
5:21:40 process is, we don’t have student voice, we have representation
5:21:46 for teachers, we have representations for 1010, we have
5:21:49 representation from the community, we have some staff.
5:21:53 But we are, if the idea is that on each of these topics we’re
5:21:55 going to hear, here’s the problem, what do you think we should
5:21:59 fix it, let’s summarize everybody’s decision to fix it, okay, go
5:22:02 do it.
5:22:03 I think we need to slow down just a little bit and this is a
5:22:06 listening session, we’re listening, Dr. Fettie, she’s taking
5:22:10 notes, I know we’ve got notes left and right, we may not come up
5:22:15 with the solutions here, but we’re hearing lots of ideas.
5:22:21 We’re challenging people to think differently, but I would just,
5:22:25 I would suggest that we need to slow with what we might try to
5:22:30 come to consensus that this is what we’re going to do, except
5:22:34 for, hey, can we look at, and you know, Dr. Fettie mentioned a
5:22:36 little while ago, so what I’m hearing you say is, you know, we
5:22:39 need to do a thorough and thoughtful analysis and yes.
5:22:45 So, but let’s be careful in what we are going to do here and say,
5:22:49 we’re making this decision right now, go, we need to slow down,
5:22:53 I believe.
5:22:55 I really appreciate that, oh, I’m sorry, just hang on, Ms.
5:22:58 Wright, go ahead.
5:23:00 And again, this is not an attempt to push back, but just to
5:23:04 understand better, what would the, for slowing down on sending
5:23:08 that definition out, like to our administrators, like he’s
5:23:11 suggesting, what would the drawback on that be?
5:23:14 That’s not necessarily with that one here.
5:23:17 That one’s.
5:23:18 I’m just saying, I’m hearing that with everything so far, we’re
5:23:21 only on the first, we’re only on pre-incident.
5:23:24 So I, you know, we want to make sure we can summarize what
5:23:27 people are saying and make sure staff are getting that, you know,
5:23:32 hearing all that input.
5:23:34 Right.
5:23:35 But I, what, you know, is it a problem for Major Neal to send
5:23:38 out a security definition?
5:23:41 No, I mean, I imagine our administrators already know what those
5:23:44 terms mean.
5:23:45 You know, and if we need to be more clear, you know, Dr. Mullen
5:23:48 sent out before, I don’t know, sometime in the last month, he
5:23:52 sent out an email to staff and he sent it out to our parents
5:23:56 talking about civility and about how we treat people when we
5:23:59 walk into front office.
5:24:01 If you’re a parent, you probably got that in an email.
5:24:03 If you’re a staff member, you should have gotten it as well.
5:24:05 And it was kind of, it was gentle and maybe not abrupt like some
5:24:08 other people’s style would be, but the idea was to communicate
5:24:12 to the community and to our staff, it’s not okay to walk into
5:24:17 our schools and treat people with disrespect.
5:24:21 So, you know, I mean, that would be a continuation of that.
5:24:24 I mean, but we’re talking about the extremes, we’re talking
5:24:27 about, and we do trespass parents, right, on a regular basis,
5:24:31 and I say on a regular basis, when it’s that extreme, we do. We
5:24:35 trespass parents for making bomb threats, right, at Cocoa High
5:24:37 School not very long ago.
5:24:38 [ Inaudible Remark ]
5:24:54 And the reason, as I said, we did send that out is because there’s
5:24:58 a lot of individuals out there that feel like they are getting cussed
5:25:03 out almost every day and that they don’t have the right to say,
5:25:07 no, this is wrong.
5:25:09 I’ve watched four videos where parents are trying to enter the
5:25:11 buses and those bus drivers don’t know that it’s okay to say,
5:25:14 you are not allowed on the bus and if you step out here, you’re
5:25:17 going to get arrested because we have to protect our children,
5:25:20 right.
5:25:21 And we have to have a battery definition and have – and send
5:25:24 another one out to the parents saying, hey, we are enforcing
5:25:27 this definition and this is the way it will protect our
5:25:30 education because if we can’t even get there, then, you know, it’s
5:25:34 already – it’s already a law, it’s already in place, but we
5:25:37 have people that are not doing it because they feel like they
5:25:40 cannot.
5:25:41 And if it comes from district security to do that, then we do.
5:25:44 Mr. Raines.
5:25:45 » Most drivers are taught not to let the parents off the bus
5:25:49 and they can come on anyways and can’t do anything about that.
5:25:54 My concern for the bus drivers is the length of time that the
5:25:57 bus driver is either suspended or moved to another route or put
5:26:00 in the classroom and sat down while the investigation occurs.
5:26:04 We have multiple incidences where we’ve had bus drivers for six
5:26:08 weeks waiting to get cleared.
5:26:11 » We need a microphone.
5:26:13 » Sorry.
5:26:16 » Did you hear it?
5:26:18 » It’s for the recording.
5:26:20 » I see, I see.
5:26:22 The bus drivers are trained not to let students – not to let
5:26:25 the parents on the bus.
5:26:27 They do open the door and talk to the parents, but they stop
5:26:30 them.
5:26:31 They try to stop them at that door.
5:26:34 These that are intruding into the bus, it’s a different story.
5:26:38 You’ve got to deal with that.
5:26:40 The concern of the bus drivers is that there’s what they call it
5:26:44 the lie-to.
5:26:45 All of a sudden they were getting accused for yelling, cussing
5:26:47 back at the parent, cussing this and that.
5:26:50 So the bus driver gets suspended or moved to a different route
5:26:54 or maybe put on desk duty until it gets investigated.
5:26:58 Well, if it takes – and we have multiple incidences where these
5:27:01 bus drivers are taking long, long times to get cleared to the
5:27:04 point that they just want to say I’m done with this.
5:27:07 This is crazy.
5:27:10 We’ve had some that are being six weeks.
5:27:13 And it turns out that the bus driver was perfectly fine.
5:27:16 And the video on day two showed all of that.
5:27:20 But it’s still a long process.
5:27:28 Ms. Campbell, you know, I agree that we need to be thoughtful
5:27:32 and careful, but I will remind everybody inaction is the reason
5:27:36 why we’re here today.
5:27:38 This union has been trying to discuss this issue for years, for
5:27:42 years.
5:27:43 We did a board presentation over a year ago with little to no
5:27:46 action.
5:27:47 Five years ago I was vice president of the union talking in
5:27:51 public comment about discipline issues and, you know, in a
5:27:56 climate that didn’t invite different opinions.
5:28:01 I was pulled into the previous superintendent’s office and said
5:28:04 don’t talk about that.
5:28:06 You’re making this school district look bad.
5:28:09 No, I’m trying to improve this school district.
5:28:12 I’m trying to help make this a better learning environment for
5:28:15 all students.
5:28:16 I’m trying to ensure that our teachers stay in our staff stay.
5:28:20 That’s what’s going on. The discipline committee just for
5:28:22 clarification, it started out with community input, teacher
5:28:28 input, and then it became a standing committee, which I still
5:28:32 believe is a standing committee made up of administrators, and I
5:28:36 was sitting on the elementary side and Vanessa was sitting on
5:28:40 the secondary side.
5:28:42 That committee somewhere during COVID stopped meeting regularly,
5:28:46 so I don’t see why we couldn’t reinstitute the standing
5:28:50 committee immediately, and then bring in the community into into
5:28:55 that committee I mean, these, these folks will have some kind of
5:28:59 understanding of where we’ve been and where we need to go.
5:29:03 But, I mean, as a committee member, I wouldn’t have a problem
5:29:07 putting that meeting on zoom for the community to be there or
5:29:11 watch maybe.
5:29:13 Thank you, Mr. Colucci I know I know that was important to
5:29:20 clarify we we have moved to take not moved through as coded went
5:29:24 what we that committee turned into was updating the discipline
5:29:28 code assessor changed and getting feedback from administrators
5:29:32 and I know when we met earlier, we committed that we were going
5:29:35 to get that revved up fully fully loaded with everybody that
5:29:38 needed to participate again so I appreciate you bringing that up
5:29:42 and clarifying it.
5:29:44 I’m just one concern, not a big concern, but as we have district
5:29:48 security put out the definitions of crimes. We have to remember
5:29:54 that assessor definitions with the same word are slightly
5:29:58 different.
5:30:00 And I don’t want to confuse anybody our parents or kids or
5:30:03 community or administrators or teachers that we can discipline
5:30:07 students using law enforcement definition of crimes versus the
5:30:11 Department of Education definition of assessor.
5:30:14 So I want to make sure that message goes out really clear Thank
5:30:17 you, Mr. Susan.
5:30:19 Thank you so just let’s go through it because I understand what
5:30:22 you’re saying. You don’t the thing about our education system is
5:30:25 that we don’t want to move it too fast but on the other side we
5:30:28 need to move some things.
5:30:30 So, as far as creating a culture of the ability to be able to
5:30:32 talk and openly and freely. I think that’s something that staff
5:30:36 would work on and start implementing right that’s not something
5:30:39 that needs to happen tomorrow but sometime in January start to
5:30:43 work on that right.
5:30:46 Yeah, I don’t think that’s a program that we can institute I
5:30:49 think that is when he talks about culture that is that’s
5:30:52 something that we’d have to just start to build, we can’t we can’t
5:30:56 do a workshop on fixing a culture, that’s just going to take
5:30:59 some time.
5:31:01 Right. And so, yeah, I can start now. Yeah, what the, what the
5:31:06 community is concerned about is, you know, hearing different
5:31:10 variations.
5:31:11 Drivers is just driving a different variation but what I hope
5:31:15 this team does is we take a problem solving approach.
5:31:20 You know I’m hearing all kinds of ideas but, you know, you know
5:31:24 Toyota has a great model with that they call it the H step
5:31:27 process of problem solving.
5:31:30 I just don’t want to come and meet.
5:31:33 And a year from now we got the same problem. So, I really want
5:31:36 this team to think about, and I got some copies if you want to
5:31:40 read it, I’m not gonna pass it out.
5:31:43 But if you want to see the approach of problem solving. We want
5:31:46 to take an approach where we get the bang for our buck.
5:31:49 So, I appreciate your comment, you know, how do you solve a
5:31:52 culture problem right I mean, it takes a lot of planning to do
5:31:56 that but I just want this team, Mrs. Susan to don’t get too
5:31:59 Russian, trying to patch a problem, but really look at the root
5:32:03 causes.
5:32:04 And I agree with you, I think that one of the issues we have is
5:32:07 that in some of these cases the root causes are wide open and
5:32:11 they’re right there, and we should send direction to fix them
5:32:15 before Christmas break so that they can start here.
5:32:19 Here’s my argument to that. According to the tool, the Toyota
5:32:23 model of root cause, you got to ask five whites.
5:32:28 You know you just can’t say, oh, that’s that’s happening you can’t
5:32:31 that’s not how it works. So I really want you to consider that,
5:32:34 you know, because when you invest money, you know you want to
5:32:37 make sure you solve the problem so you got to act, you are
5:32:40 cutting the root cause definition.
5:32:43 You really got to ask the five white.
5:32:45 Sounds good. Do we have a board direction to send out a letter.
5:32:49 I have some discussion on that, and a little bit on what he was
5:33:01 talking about. So, I hear you and I acknowledge everything you’re
5:33:05 saying, I, I talked about BPS culture from the day I got onto
5:33:05 this board I said it over and over and over again.
5:33:05 And I hear you, and I really truly believe that’s the number one
5:33:08 frustration for our teachers when it comes to discipline. I don’t
5:33:12 know how we fix it. We got to talk about it.
5:33:14 Step one, right, acknowledge it acknowledge it’s real. They don’t
5:33:19 feel comfortable talking about it they don’t feel comfortable
5:33:21 pushing back, and quite frankly that’s the culture of a teacher,
5:33:23 right, they’re in this profession they weren’t getting paid well
5:33:26 they’re
5:33:27 told to just, they’re always scared they’re going to lose their
5:33:29 job or feel like they’re threatened for some reason.
5:33:31 It’s a, it’s a huge problem. So it absolutely needs to be
5:33:34 addressed and continuously talked about, because otherwise they’ll
5:33:37 never be a change.
5:33:39 I’m not going to speak for you Miss Campbell, when you made your
5:33:42 statement though I what I took from that was you meant to slow
5:33:45 down on those bandaids like Mr. Mr. Brian was saying not
5:33:48 necessarily, you know, the committee and stuff like that those
5:33:52 things can
5:33:53 absolutely start up when it comes to sending out a letter. I
5:33:56 caution us to think for a minute.
5:34:01 It’s not what’s written on the letter because everybody
5:34:04 understands that those things are crimes and very likely our
5:34:08 administrators understand the definitions of those criminal acts.
5:34:13 It’s the perception of the letter and, and the unintended
5:34:17 consequences of sending out a letter like that.
5:34:21 And give an example, we don’t want to talk about the video, but
5:34:25 you guys don’t even know this yet because it just happened
5:34:28 yesterday.
5:34:30 We have a middle school where a teacher forced all their
5:34:34 students to watch the video and write an essay about it.
5:34:39 All language confirmed.
5:34:41 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.
5:34:51 Luckily, that was stopped before it happened. And it was an
5:34:54 unintended consequence because they clearly felt like this is
5:34:58 the direction of the school system I see my school remember, I’m
5:35:02 going to use this as a discipline.
5:35:05 And they may not have had negative intentions by doing so but
5:35:08 that that happened it was this impression this perception that
5:35:11 that’s that’s the way to go.
5:35:13 And so, if our school starts seeing a letter talking about
5:35:16 battery and assault, these extreme criminal acts and activities,
5:35:21 the unintended consequence could very likely be impacting
5:35:26 parental engagement, impacting the open door policy to our
5:35:32 parent.
5:35:33 Again, it may be unintentional, it may not be out of the ill
5:35:36 will of the administrator or the staff in the front.
5:35:40 But we need to think about that we do need to think about that
5:35:43 that may impact our community negatively in a way that wasn’t
5:35:48 intended. And so I do think we need to be cautious about that.
5:35:53 I think, going forward, leaning on that culture. That’s kind of
5:35:58 part of it. Yeah, we need to have honest conversations about the
5:36:02 things that are not tolerable shouldn’t be happening in that
5:36:05 front office.
5:36:07 100% but I think we need to be careful about how it’s being
5:36:11 presented to our staff without any other direction around it.
5:36:17 Absolutely. I wanted to say that I’m going to start implementing
5:36:19 the three minutes, Miss Jenkins definitely went under the three
5:36:22 minutes but I want to start moving on it because we got about an
5:36:24 hour and a half.
5:36:25 I think that your content your, your suggestions are absolutely
5:36:28 correct. But I think our staff needs to know that it’s okay to
5:36:31 ask to trespass somebody and I think our law enforcement
5:36:34 agencies know that when those requests are made that they should
5:36:38 follow through with them.
5:36:39 But you’re right there’s a cultural sensitivity that needs to be
5:36:42 inside of there. So if we can as a group, allow us to direct
5:36:46 staff to start that process of sending out a letter with the
5:36:50 cultural sensitivity to allow our teachers and staff and
5:36:53 everybody else.
5:36:55 Make that decision to ask because I’ll tell you right now. My
5:37:10 wife had multiple times at her school that she was completely
5:37:10 assaulted in many different ways in the front office verbally
5:37:11 from many different parents, and some of those didn’t go through
5:37:13 because
5:37:13 they didn’t feel like they could actually ask to do that and
5:37:16 that is part of one of the big core issues that we’re dealing
5:37:19 with that I’ve heard from is that our parents don’t feel like
5:37:22 they have, or I’m sorry our staff and our administrators don’t
5:37:27 feel like they have the support of the school district in the
5:37:29 event that that happens.
5:37:29 So if we can reconfirm that I think that that’s okay. But I
5:37:32 think that we should try to do something in that regard.
5:37:37 If I may, I would just ask for the opportunity to work with
5:37:39 staff on the best venue and the best method to get that out. And
5:37:43 if there’s a way that we can work on that, and then make sure
5:37:46 that our, our teachers know immediately that we’re going to be
5:37:50 doing that.
5:37:51 Thank you. Can I add one more thing, I think the opportunity for
5:38:07 Brian Neil to work with the different municipalities, while the
5:38:07 sheriff is our largest provider of SRS we do have, I want to say
5:38:07 19 other municipalities that make their own decisions on how
5:38:08 they interpret things like that.
5:38:10 And I would hate to put our principles in a position of thinking
5:38:13 they were going to trespass apparent and not have that actually
5:38:16 happened so I think we need to clarify with our municipality law
5:38:19 enforcement officers, what they’ll support and won’t support.
5:38:23 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 so if they’re not going to follow them then,
5:38:32 then they’re in violation of Florida statutes so thank you so
5:38:35 much for that.
5:38:38 May I ask what is actually the pressing problems that need to be
5:38:43 resolved today so so that we can clarify these things with our
5:38:49 community. Yeah, because we’re, I’m listening and I’m inputting
5:38:54 this one here.
5:38:55 I’m watching that as I see press. I see let’s get that move that
5:38:59 move. What are those things that are pressing so much for this
5:39:04 board and, and for our union that that we believe need to be
5:39:09 resolved.
5:39:10 Absolutely today, where we don’t have all the parents we don’t
5:39:13 have the students, we don’t have the teachers, what is so
5:39:17 pressing that you need an answer today a resolution today,
5:39:20 because I don’t think we understand.
5:39:23 Yeah, it’s getting to it. We’re going through the first thing
5:39:25 that we did was we established that we’re going to bring back
5:39:27 the discipline committee, we’ve established that we’re going to
5:39:30 create a culture among our staff.
5:39:32 We’ve established that we’re going to make sure bias training
5:39:35 classroom management and help for some of those other situations
5:39:39 are going to be implemented, and we’re going to, we’ve
5:39:42 established that the assault and battery are going to send out
5:39:45 that we’re just moving
5:39:46 directions. That’s all, but what would the problem be to
5:39:49 establish these things. They’re not they’re not happening. Excuse
5:39:53 me. So she’s asking me a question so let me answer it.
5:39:56 The bottom line is, is that we have to start moving on these.
5:39:58 These are not issues that are going to be happening right now.
5:40:02 The culture of push or the culture of explaining is something
5:40:04 that we can start working on now, but that’s not something that’s
5:40:08 going to be a deadline today.
5:40:10 We’ve established that committee on getting moving they said
5:40:12 staff said they’re going to start pushing it forward we’re going
5:40:15 to get a report back sometimes saying that this is how we’re
5:40:17 going to do it, and they’re going to put that into place right.
5:40:20 Also, the days extra days for the three years and some of the
5:40:23 trainings that’s going to take a little bit longer, because they’re
5:40:28 going to have to be implemented inside of a process and stuff
5:40:31 like that so that’s not going to happen overnight.
5:40:35 Then, let those days come, but let’s start moving in the right
5:40:38 direction. Right. So we’re identifying some of the issues, some
5:40:42 of them can be solved today, some of them can be solved long
5:40:45 term.
5:40:46 I think the problem is you talking as if we already understand
5:40:50 this, and we don’t understand what you’re saying, I comprehend
5:40:55 what you what you’re putting in place, I don’t comprehend what
5:40:59 the problem is that led us to what I’m hearing you put these
5:41:03 things
5:41:04 in place and when I asked, I hear you telling me again, what you’re
5:41:08 doing but I don’t hear you telling us why we don’t understand it
5:41:12 may be amongst you guys know, I’ll tell you, we had 42 teachers
5:41:17 resign we had eight bus drivers resigned last, last two weeks.
5:41:22 If we don’t get something moving, we will see resignations
5:41:25 across our county. We know that for a fact, Mark talked about it
5:41:28 everybody else. What I’m trying to do with this committee is
5:41:31 identify the fact that we need to put some scores up on the
5:41:34 board, or else we’re going to see them say,
5:41:37 this is the same thing and listen I was a teacher in the
5:41:40 district for nine years, I was on every committee, I sat through
5:41:43 them. Right. As I’ve been, I’m the longest serving school board
5:41:48 member here, and I we had gone through these long enough, we’ve
5:41:51 got to start putting it forward.
5:41:52 So all I’m saying is, is that we need to start moving these
5:41:54 things forward with four directions so that everybody knows and
5:41:57 then following up with them, but here’s my issue. Okay.
5:42:02 We not understanding the root cause.
5:42:05 Okay, we, you know, I can’t tell you, you can’t tell me whether
5:42:09 your teacher understand the skill of classroom management.
5:42:14 You understand my question, you know, I can hear it from the
5:42:17 teacher side, well I’m going to resign. Well, was that teacher
5:42:20 ever trained properly.
5:42:22 Does that teacher has the skills to manage a class.
5:42:26 So I’m just saying, I’m really frustrated, a little bit because
5:42:31 we thought in an answer without understanding. But I understand
5:42:35 Mr Matt is saying that they just lost 42 teachers and if they
5:42:38 don’t do something something has to be done.
5:42:41 He’s afraid to come back after Christmas and have no teachers
5:42:44 but at the same time please hear Miss Jenkins and hear Miss
5:42:47 Campbell, who are saying you don’t want to move quick because
5:42:50 right now the whole community is pissed because you did a press
5:42:54 conference with
5:42:55 this letter. So if you send out this letter, it could backfire
5:42:58 can be the exact opposite of what you want. You could have a
5:43:01 whole room full of teachers at every school, saying okay, first
5:43:05 of all the sheriff now you’re threatening with this letter what’s
5:43:09 going on.
5:43:10 So, you know, we might need to pump our brakes and actually take
5:43:13 a moment and make sure we’re seeing what we need to be saying.
5:43:18 I understand what the disconnect is to us.
5:43:28 Mr Susan I appreciate you very much. I appreciate what you’re
5:43:32 trying to do to help the teachers and the support staff. The
5:43:36 root cause is we have students that are out of control.
5:43:41 We have students that cause chaos in our schools on our buses.
5:43:46 The people that work the teachers the support staff. They cannot
5:43:50 take the abuse any longer and that’s what it is. It is abuse.
5:43:56 And for some reason people think that the students should be
5:44:00 allowed to abuse our employees, and it be okay.
5:44:05 It is not okay. And so we are reaching out to the community as
5:44:18 well as everybody to resolve this we want every student to
5:44:21 succeed, but they have to learn how to behave to learn how to
5:44:23 read and write and to succeed in society.
5:44:26 If we do not teach them that we’re setting them up for failure.
5:44:31 If we cannot tell a student you need to be quiet in the
5:44:35 classroom and listen and learn.
5:44:38 Why are we sending them there.
5:44:41 Are we just sending them there as a babysitter, so we can do
5:44:44 what we want to through the day, or so that we don’t have to pay
5:44:48 for a babysitter so we can work.
5:44:51 The school is not supposed to be there to babysit. The teachers
5:44:57 are there to teach and help people to become good citizens in
5:45:02 society so when they get older, they can provide for themselves
5:45:06 and their families.
5:45:08 That’s what the core problem is here. And I do have one thing
5:45:22 with the policies, Mr. Susan is the bus drivers I wanted to get
5:45:22 to this earlier and I never didn’t have the time, but the bus
5:45:23 drivers, they do their referrals, they give them to the schools,
5:45:29 and they never hear anything back as to whether anything was
5:45:33 done.
5:45:34 If that student was even talked to and tomorrow, that student
5:45:39 that was threatening that person is back on the bus.
5:45:45 Same thing with the IAs in the classroom.
5:45:48 This woman sitting right here has been choked.
5:45:52 She has been scratched every day practically.
5:45:56 She goes through so much abuse and she calls me and not only her.
5:46:01 There’s many others.
5:46:03 They are so discouraged, because they feel like nothing is being
5:46:07 done for them to help them.
5:46:10 And I want to say this too. It is not a race issue people it’s
5:46:14 across the board it doesn’t matter who the student is. If they’re
5:46:19 misbehaving they need to learn how to behave while they’re at
5:46:24 school.
5:46:25 They are there to learn, not for the teacher to have to learn
5:46:30 how to deal with him with kid gloves and always Okay, sweetheart,
5:46:35 I know you’ve got it, you’ve had a bad morning or something, or
5:46:38 something happened at home.
5:46:40 So I have to take your abuse. So you can have a good day here at
5:46:44 school. No, that is not right.
5:46:48 It does have to change. Mr. Loris Thank you so much and Miss
5:46:59 Jenkins wants to say something real quick but let me let me say
5:46:59 this. Three months ago I brought this exact same problem to the
5:46:59 school district and said hey we’ve got a crisis right.
5:46:59 And I, they had promised that they had a system where that would
5:47:02 be worked out.
5:47:04 I think that right now, what Mr. Loris is saying is is that the
5:47:07 referral process is not up to speed. Right. So I think what we
5:47:11 can do is we can direct staff to say please make sure it is
5:47:15 right and what that’s going to take and have that come back to
5:47:19 us for, and we can get that taken care of.
5:47:20 They did have a process but it seems like it hasn’t been
5:47:22 implemented correctly. But if you feel confident, then I would
5:47:25 like to do that. Does that give you enough direction, Dr. Teddy,
5:47:29 if I get the support of my board members.
5:47:33 Yes. Okay. Is there any other board members that disagree with
5:47:37 the referral process should be up to speed so that if a person
5:47:40 writes a referral that it’s being taken care of by the next
5:47:42 morning, or depending on what what’s going to inhibit it.
5:47:46 We’re talking bus referrals I believe that was addressed I
5:47:48 believe it was addressed after your comments at a board meeting.
5:47:51 Several months ago. However, I will follow up with staff. Thank
5:47:55 you.
5:47:55 And I promise you Dolores that will get taken care of. Go ahead
5:48:00 and read your list. You brought a list, I received it what’s
5:48:03 number two.
5:48:09 Keep going.
5:48:13 You need to make sure that if a referral is written inside of a
5:48:16 clock inside on a bus that it is the exact same as a classroom.
5:48:20 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
5:48:29 referral, that’s that discipline policy, they never, they never
5:48:33 seem to know because the school doesn’t communicate with.
5:48:36 So one we want to make sure that the discipline policies are
5:48:38 being followed and reported back to we want to make sure, and
5:48:41 this was confirmed by staff that every single thing that happens
5:48:44 inside of a bus is exactly the same as what it happens inside of
5:48:47 a classroom.
5:48:49 Is that correct? So in other words, if I were to board a bus and
5:48:55 drag students off the bus or coach them off the bus, then I
5:49:00 should receive the same discipline or whatever trespassing or
5:49:07 whatever that anyone would that would go into a classroom.
5:49:14 Absolutely. So not only parents, but not only the students that
5:49:17 are riding the bus, the exact same as the classroom. Those are
5:49:20 the those are the things that’s what you asked. We did put that
5:49:23 in and that should be implemented, but we will make sure. Is
5:49:26 there any problems with that?
5:49:27 I just need clarity around what I’m hearing. I’m hearing
5:49:29 students. I’m hearing parents. They are very different. Well,
5:49:32 parents, the parents coming onto the bus is an issue.
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 they’re
5:49:42 not supposed to come on there. Right.
5:49:47 OK. That right there. That is a law enforcement. We’re talking
5:49:50 about this one here. That needs to be addressed. But that is a
5:49:53 law enforcement.
5:49:54 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 there wasn’t
5:50:01 one that happened in the bus video I watched last night, it’s on
5:50:04 our bus that they know that that’s trouble.
5:50:07 Right. You can’t come on. So we’ll make sure of that. I’m
5:50:10 wondering, Mr. Seuss and if you know, because we are lots of
5:50:14 ideas tossed around. I’ve got a few actually of my own. If
5:50:17 rather than trying to find a solution for each of these things,
5:50:20 let’s get all the ideas out on the table and see, you know, what.
5:50:24 And if staff are going to have to, regardless of what we say, we’re
5:50:27 going to have to go back and work on it, figure out one, how we’re
5:50:31 going to pay for it, how we’re going to implement it, who’s
5:50:35 responsible for it and all that. OK. But if you don’t mind, I’ve
5:50:37 got a couple. I know she still has more on her list.
5:50:38 I’d like to go. Did you have more? She has more. She has it on
5:50:41 that list. I have something I’d like to say as well, if I could.
5:50:45 Yeah, go ahead.
5:50:46 As far as the urgency, I’m getting injured every single day that
5:50:51 I go to work and I’m not the only one. And the children, the
5:50:56 other children, because of the very extreme behavior of one or
5:51:02 two, the children are afraid.
5:51:05 I’m afraid and they’re afraid. To me, that’s the urgency. And I
5:51:09 don’t know how to solve that, but there’s not enough of us.
5:51:13 There’s there’s three eyes in my room.
5:51:17 Two of us are assigned to one student. One has to take care of
5:51:20 the other 20. We need help. We need some kind of a crisis team
5:51:25 that can come in and help us because there’s and I don’t know
5:51:28 where to find them.
5:51:30 I know that there’s a shortage of people. People are not
5:51:33 applying for the positions, but we shouldn’t have to be in fear
5:51:36 going to school.
5:51:38 Our students shouldn’t have to be in fear on the bus and in the
5:51:41 classroom. And they are afraid. I am. Children have been injured.
5:51:47 And I just wanted to say these are things that were before and
5:51:52 that’s why I wanted to reiterate it. Hang on. Hang on. And they
5:51:58 don’t cost any money. They’re same levels as the classroom was
5:52:00 established and told to me that that’s one of the things that we
5:52:01 were going to do.
5:52:02 Referral process being the same as inside of the classroom and
5:52:05 also the referral process of writing the referral and getting a
5:52:09 follow up as to what the outcome of that was. Parents on the bus.
5:52:13 We all know shouldn’t be happening because it causes a problem.
5:52:17 Those should be no non-negotiable, no cost. We should be able to
5:52:19 go down that road. I’m going to work with Dr. 30 if it’s OK with
5:52:22 everybody. Make sure that those get taken care of.
5:52:24 That’s it. And then you had something. But I had they had a list
5:52:27 that they gave me. The team did. So it’s great to keep going
5:52:31 through it. I wish we could have seen the list. I wish I would
5:52:33 have. We’re speaking to Miss Dolores.
5:52:36 She had the list in front of her. If I could continue to go down
5:52:40 that list. Yeah, I wanted. There’s the points that were on that
5:52:43 list. I just wanted to go through.
5:52:45 I understand. I just I thought we were. No, we heard it just to
5:52:48 our eye. And by the way, I just super appreciate you and the
5:52:51 boldness it took for you to be here.
5:52:54 I don’t want there to be heard, at least from me or anybody else
5:52:57 for that. We don’t. We heard we spent the whole first time and
5:53:01 during public hearing about what the problems are.
5:53:04 I think we need to start looking at what solution at the
5:53:06 solutions that might is. Let’s start throwing the solutions out
5:53:11 on the table.
5:53:12 Because, you know, we all know there’s a problem. We there’s a
5:53:15 deep, deep, broad, all the adjectives from.
5:53:20 So let’s and it’s and it’s multilayered. And there are many root
5:53:25 causes. Hunger, poverty, cell phones, you know, the generation,
5:53:29 world crisis, all those things.
5:53:31 But let’s let what we can do. So if you’re OK, Mr. She’s not
5:53:35 like to throw out a couple of things.
5:53:37 I what I was trying to do is give the unions the opportunity to
5:53:40 give what they wanted, which is the pre part of it.
5:53:44 Right. I got taken care of. And you had four more items that I
5:53:46 just wanted to say that we can’t make decisions on today that
5:53:50 need to be part of the collective conversation.
5:53:53 And then we’ll go. The idea would be that we would be going
5:53:56 through these one at a time.
5:53:58 But if you had some ideas, we could go through them. But I would
5:54:00 like to try to stick to the same throat. OK, well, I guess what
5:54:03 my what I really want to suggest is let’s get all the ideas out
5:54:06 there and not try to decide as a board.
5:54:09 Are we going to direct staff to do this? Because we may come up
5:54:12 with 50 ideas, but we can’t direct staff to do all of them at
5:54:14 once.
5:54:15 So you’re trying to get consensus from us. And I don’t feel
5:54:18 comfortable giving you my thoughts on some of these because I
5:54:21 don’t know what else can be laid on the table.
5:54:23 And I’d like to do some more thought and research and talking to
5:54:27 people before I can give you my.
5:54:30 You know, movement to consensus on some of this. That’s why I’m
5:54:34 trying to get us to slow down on.
5:54:36 Let’s accelerate on getting the ideas out there. But let’s slow
5:54:38 down on trying to figure out which ideas we’re going to pick
5:54:40 right now.
5:54:41 Miss Kim, I just wanted to make sure that the unions were given
5:54:42 the opportunity to give us those. And we got them from the
5:54:45 teachers union.
5:54:46 We got the majority of them from the bus. And I had some from
5:54:48 the administration that we could go through.
5:54:51 But I wanted to finish the bus. And then if you had some, you
5:54:54 could go and go from there.
5:54:56 I think that cell phones is one of them that we have. They
5:54:59 wanted to be able to teach the bus union had mentioned.
5:55:03 And these are things that we can discuss moving forward, that
5:55:07 there’s a driver authority.
5:55:11 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,
5:55:16 I cannot ride this bus because of this person or this person
5:55:19 cannot be on the bus because of my.
5:55:22 Some sort of a teacher authority, but also a driver authority.
5:55:24 These are just suggestions.
5:55:26 Go ahead. May I comment just for a moment? Teacher authority law
5:55:29 is outlined in statute.
5:55:31 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.
5:55:37 That authority isn’t does not rest with those individuals.
5:55:41 It has to go through the process to the administration. And it
5:55:45 does not rest with the bus driver to be able to remove a student
5:55:48 from a bus for 10 days or five days or anything like that.
5:55:51 I just need to make that clear. But to suspend a student from
5:55:53 the bus and to eventually take the person off the bus.
5:55:57 We can do that. It doesn’t it doesn’t. The statutory authority
5:56:01 is not with the driver.
5:56:03 The driver refers the student. And then we go through the
5:56:06 process to remove it or however we end up working it out.
5:56:10 But the authority in statute they refer and we handle the
5:56:14 teacher authority law is outlined in statute.
5:56:18 And I would I would just make the argument that it’s just one of
5:56:20 the topics they brought up.
5:56:22 We can workshop and stuff like that. But Mark had something to
5:56:24 say. I did the bus drivers.
5:56:26 I don’t think they’re asking for the authority to direct
5:56:30 somebody off the bus.
5:56:32 I think they want to continue to make the referrals to the
5:56:34 appropriate people and know that within a 24 hour period of time
5:56:38 something 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.
5:56:46 And you make a recommendation to the principal or to whoever is
5:56:49 in charge and they get on the bus and give a little speech and
5:56:52 say, OK, now drive the bus with the kid home.
5:56:55 That’s not very acceptable to many of the drivers. You still got
5:56:58 the same problem on the bus.
5:57:01 OK. I think these are things that we can we can definitely put
5:57:04 together. The other thing that they wanted was training for deezy
5:57:07 escalation, just like we talked about multiple offenses for
5:57:11 suspended to suspend for nine weeks.
5:57:14 But for student just keeps getting multiple offenses if that
5:57:17 works out to be where you can suspend for a full nine weeks.
5:57:21 Now, that is the same as classrooms. There is a multiple offense
5:57:24 type stuff.
5:57:25 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 and then get board.
5:57:32 That makes sense. I wasn’t sure.
5:57:38 But actually, maybe federal there’s idea that it says what we
5:57:42 can and cannot do as far as not allowing students to use our
5:57:46 school.
5:57:47 Yes, absolutely. Yes, right. Yes. Yes. One day tonight. Can I
5:57:56 say something or make a suggestion at this point?
5:57:56 I think really what we would like to walk away from today with
5:57:59 is a couple of things that we can give to our teachers and in
5:58:02 our system, anybody in the school system that they can use right
5:58:05 away.
5:58:06 We need some things instead of waiting. You can go through all
5:58:09 these committees. We need something to happen.
5:58:12 So even if it’s just a small victory, like, hey, we’re not going
5:58:15 to allow cell phones any longer.
5:58:17 If a student is caught with a cell phone, it’s going to go to
5:58:18 the front office and their parents are going to have to pick it
5:58:20 up.
5:58:21 I think that that would be something good that we could tangibly
5:58:24 use right away. And our teachers will see they’ll see an
5:58:28 improvement right away from that.
5:58:31 So interesting. I’ve got kids in two different secondary schools
5:58:35 and I didn’t know if this was district wide.
5:58:38 But at the beginning of the year, both my daughter who’s in high
5:58:41 school and my son who is in middle school, they went home from
5:58:44 the school, said students are not allowed to have their phones
5:58:49 out except for lunchtime in between classes.
5:58:51 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?
5:58:58 Is that Dr. Sullivan question? Okay. You guys have just so you
5:59:08 know, the wireless communications device policy.
5:59:09 Thank you. That’s what I was going to make reference to in the
5:59:13 last time the board amended the policy it provided for
5:59:16 flexibility by school site on utilizing it for instructional
5:59:20 approaches and things like that.
5:59:22 So the schools did have the authority to prohibit sick to backpacks
5:59:26 in a way and others chose not to based on the way it was written
5:59:30 in the policy.
5:59:32 And Mr. Susan had it right in his hand. So perfect. So I think I
5:59:37 think since it’s on the table, let’s go after it.
5:59:41 The cell phones that we have, I put a copy of your wireless
5:59:45 communications devices inside.
5:59:48 I have you have it inside of your folder. What it basically does
5:59:51 is exactly what you just said.
5:59:53 And we know being inside even when I was there. Here’s what ends
5:59:56 up happening.
5:59:58 An individual goes to speak on the cell phone. And what ends up
6:00:01 happening is, is that I have one teacher that engages the whole
6:00:04 time.
6:00:05 And then I have the next teacher that may allow them to get on
6:00:08 their phone.
6:00:09 And then the third teacher goes and does not engage or engages
6:00:11 and is told, well, why is it?
6:00:14 And then what it is, is that the students say, well, my last
6:00:17 teacher let me they push back.
6:00:19 The referral process isn’t strong enough. So we have a cell
6:00:22 phone issue.
6:00:24 I think that one of the things I would like to do is, is bring
6:00:26 forward to get rid of the cell phones, make them illegal to have
6:00:31 inside of the open classroom.
6:00:34 And if a teacher had to actually use it, that they would submit
6:00:37 something to the principal that would then allow it.
6:00:40 But then we say no cell phones at all. And so in and actually
6:00:43 give the kids the appropriate.
6:00:46 So that that was kind of the thought process. But just that
6:00:48 Florida statute does authorize students to have wireless
6:00:51 communication devices at school.
6:00:54 But we’re not saying that they can’t have them on the thing. You
6:00:58 just can’t use them in the middle of class.
6:01:00 Right. You have no problem. I’m just letting everybody know we
6:01:03 can’t outlaw them from children.
6:01:05 And we know that you said illegal. That’s how I apologize.
6:01:10 Illegally used inside the classroom, meaning our teachers need
6:01:12 to know that when that phone comes out and they did not put a
6:01:15 lesson together and submit it to the teacher, to the principal,
6:01:19 that those cell phones should be removed.
6:01:21 Like we were talking about. So that was my thought. But let’s
6:01:23 start talking because this is how I think the wireless earbuds
6:01:26 go into play there, too, because a lot of our students are not
6:01:28 even listening at all.
6:01:30 They are. They have earphones in. You won’t even see them. Their
6:01:33 hair’s covering it. And they’re doing something completely
6:01:36 different than paying attention to the instructions.
6:01:40 Yeah. And that and that and that can be considered as part of
6:01:42 the wireless communications devices. But I think you’re 100
6:01:45 percent right.
6:01:46 Can I ask a question, please? When did we get to this point?
6:01:48 Because when my kid was at Malhi in twenty nineteen, if that
6:01:52 phone came out, they got detention.
6:01:55 They got written up. They got a behavioral. So when did we get
6:01:58 to the point where it’s OK to be on your phone instead of paying
6:02:00 attention to your lesson in school?
6:02:03 Where did we get to the point where it’s OK 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?
6:02:10 What is the problem and how can we fix that issue to then start
6:02:14 implementing in all these rules?
6:02:17 Because I don’t want to see Babar go down in flames on a
6:02:21 nationwide stage because I’ve had my family call me from all
6:02:25 over the country in shock as to what I am living through.
6:02:29 They’re like, is this seriously going on when you live?
6:02:31 Unfortunately, yeah, it is.
6:02:32 So we need to be very tactful about how we’re going to address
6:02:35 these issues. And the problem in BPS is it needs to be uniform
6:02:39 across the board.
6:02:40 It cannot be this way in Coco in this way on each side. It needs
6:02:44 to be the same rules apply to everyone all the time.
6:02:48 That’s what we’re getting. That’s what’s getting lost in
6:02:50 translation here. And I don’t want to see any of us fail.
6:02:53 I’m here to make sure that we all succeed. But we need to stop
6:02:56 attacking each other and come together to work on the issues at
6:03:00 hand that affect our children.
6:03:02 I’m not talking about race, creed, any of that. I’m talking
6:03:05 about the issues at hand, the safety of your employees, the
6:03:08 safety of your students.
6:03:10 My kids spent 12 years in BPS and I’ve never heard of I sat here
6:03:14 today in horror hearing the kind of stuff that’s going on.
6:03:18 We need to stop blaming Kobe. There is a huge gap and a problem
6:03:23 here.
6:03:24 OK, we understand that Kobe is a big issue. It turned all our
6:03:28 lives upside down. But this is affecting the quality of
6:03:30 education that BPS is able to offer.
6:03:32 And there needs to be a solid response. Not I understand that
6:03:36 you want to give results.
6:03:38 Matt, I know how you are. No, no, no. What kind of guy? Why are
6:03:41 you going right now is I have down here.
6:03:43 And it was part of what it was. But I’m trying to allow
6:03:44 everybody else to have it. So I agree with you 100 percent.
6:03:47 I’m sitting here and my blood is boiling as I’m hearing these
6:03:50 issues and I’m hearing this poor lady working her life.
6:03:54 Yeah. Here we go. All right. Mr. Trent. Hang on. Hang on, Mr.
6:03:57 Trent.
6:03:58 All right. So like many of us, I was really I did not what did
6:04:03 not know what to expect today.
6:04:06 OK, so after seeing the video, after talking to some community
6:04:10 members, I really thought what today was about.
6:04:15 And it’s getting there sort of is we have a policy. We have a
6:04:19 policy in place.
6:04:21 I mean, we have the electronic policy. We have the phone policy
6:04:24 earbuds.
6:04:25 Yeah, sidetracked on that. I thought that was the end of
6:04:27 education when we had the earbud issue.
6:04:29 And this was probably 15 years ago. And then the cell phones
6:04:33 within the schools and the cell phone.
6:04:36 Just a second. There are some teachers that will look at you and
6:04:38 say, I have no idea what you’re talking about with a cell phone
6:04:41 issue because they’re not allowed in my class.
6:04:42 They’re not out there. We’re engaged. The kids know we don’t
6:04:46 have them. That’s the dinosaurs now.
6:04:49 That’s the that’s that’s the minority of teachers.
6:04:52 Many teachers, when when you hear them talk about issues in the
6:04:55 classroom, like they’re always on their phones.
6:04:58 And I have no problem asking, even though I was a testing
6:05:00 coordinator for the last three years, why do they have them out?
6:05:03 Well, you know, it’s just not worth the battle. That’s a shame.
6:05:07 All right. So that that’s a that’s a that’s an evaluation issue.
6:05:10 And that’s a teaching as a culture of our schools that our
6:05:12 administrators have to understand that that they’re a reflection
6:05:16 on that.
6:05:17 And it’s their issue that they got to take. They owe that to the
6:05:19 student and to you as parents and me.
6:05:22 So that’s the cell phone thing. But when I started getting some
6:05:24 questions, what we’re going to do today, I actually thought we
6:05:27 were going to listen twice as much as we talked.
6:05:30 And I try to take as many notes as possible. And then we were
6:05:32 going to go back as a board and try to make some things work.
6:05:36 I did not think we’re going to redesign a policy because we have
6:05:40 one. What I really was hoping we would do.
6:05:43 And I put this out as my word. This is what we’re doing today.
6:05:45 We just want to hear from the public.
6:05:49 We want to let the teachers in the administration and the
6:05:52 parents know that we have your backs and we want you to do the
6:05:56 job that you’re paid to do as teachers and and staff and
6:06:00 understand that we’ll do whatever we can do.
6:06:03 Our district won’t get in that way. Not that they are, but we
6:06:05 just don’t want that to be a barrier.
6:06:08 Principals, you are responsible for your schools and the
6:06:10 discipline that goes on and the message that you send.
6:06:14 So we’re not sure we’re going to change any policies. We have
6:06:17 something. So you’re saying you’re wanting something done.
6:06:20 How about just follow what you’re supposed to be doing? I don’t
6:06:23 get offended.
6:06:24 Otherwise I’d say I was offended when I was when I heard that
6:06:27 our teachers may not know how to have that they don’t have
6:06:30 classroom management skills.
6:06:33 All right. That’s troublesome that our citizens and parents
6:06:37 think that certified teachers don’t have classroom management
6:06:41 skills.
6:06:42 That’s what keeps us in teaching. If you do not have classroom
6:06:45 management skills, you’re out within the first three years of
6:06:47 teaching.
6:06:48 You will not last. So we have those skills as teachers.
6:06:52 Sometimes it’s the culture that we we don’t want to write
6:06:56 students up sometimes.
6:06:58 I wasn’t. I won’t tell you what school win. But there was a time
6:07:00 this beginning in our pre-planning that we brought out how many
6:07:03 referrals each student, each teacher had written in the previous
6:07:06 year.
6:07:07 There was a teacher that wrote three times the amount of
6:07:09 referrals as the rest of the staff.
6:07:12 She was looked upon like she had five heads and she was the
6:07:15 problem. But if you look deeper, she was our middle school gym
6:07:18 teacher.
6:07:19 They had fifty five to sixty kids in there. And we all know
6:07:21 about middle school gym class.
6:07:24 So that was the reason why that happened. Never once did that
6:07:27 teacher get asked, why?
6:07:29 Why did you write those students up and what happened? OK, so it
6:07:31 isn’t it isn’t about, you know, the amount of referrals.
6:07:36 But honestly, we just wanted to be you’re going into the holiday.
6:07:40 We really want to push something.
6:07:41 How do we get to the parents to say, here’s a great opportunity
6:07:44 for you to talk to your students over this break?
6:07:47 Be thankful for our teachers, be thankful, thankful for our
6:07:49 school bus drivers and that you come back in the new year with a
6:07:53 little bit more respect and how to act in a public setting.
6:07:57 And then policy can get changed. The root cause, root cause is I
6:08:00 think I and our staff down there in 1010 said we have some unruly
6:08:05 characters that are that are interrupting the educational
6:08:07 process for the majority.
6:08:09 I don’t think that’s the root cause, sir. If it’s not a root
6:08:13 cause, B, it is one of them.
6:08:15 Well, that’s you know, that’s not how you define the cause.
6:08:19 There’s a lot of factor that plays into that.
6:08:22 Like my like Mrs. Campbell said, there are multiple root causes.
6:08:24 Well, like you just said, there’s multiple root causes.
6:08:28 And nobody ever said that there were they don’t have classroom
6:08:32 discipline training.
6:08:34 Everybody needs to be refreshed. I’ll accept the refreshing
6:08:40 certified teacher. We have we have those skills.
6:08:41 Yeah, I I’m not saying the skills is not there. Just like you
6:08:44 got skills in terms of inputting data.
6:08:48 And this young man just said that data is not being input into
6:08:51 the system. So there’s a lot of collaborative training, working
6:08:55 together.
6:08:56 And that’s why we’re here, sir. Absolutely. Just let me finish.
6:09:01 We’ve got to have an open mind.
6:09:04 You know, you’ve got to listen and, you know, let the community
6:09:07 express what they’re saying.
6:09:09 But to the point is, you know, we talk about data that’s not
6:09:13 accurate.
6:09:14 And this young man just told us that some of the data is not
6:09:18 being processed.
6:09:20 So that’s a training issue, right? That doesn’t mean they don’t
6:09:23 have the skill to input the data.
6:09:25 No, no, that’s not a training issue. It’s not a training issue.
6:09:27 And I’m going to I was raising my hand.
6:09:31 How many times I’ve been sitting here since nine a.m. 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.
6:09:39 We have different definitions of what root causes are. The fact
6:09:42 of the matter is, is this profession is bleeding.
6:09:45 There’s a gaping wound. My colleague right here said there was
6:09:48 an accelerant through thrown on it from the pandemic.
6:09:52 And honestly, there’s not going to be any teachers left to teach
6:09:56 our students with excellence as a standard unless we figure this
6:09:59 out.
6:10:00 And I’m fired up now because I presented and what I’m going to
6:10:08 say, maybe in three minutes, I don’t know.
6:10:12 I was in it four years ago when I left the classroom to come
6:10:16 into this job because in my classroom, if somebody didn’t get a
6:10:21 grammar concept, what did I do?
6:10:25 I taught it again. If somebody in my colleague’s math classroom
6:10:29 didn’t get the math concept, they taught it again.
6:10:34 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.
6:10:40 And we talk about student their numbers. All of this is data is
6:10:45 data important.
6:10:46 Absolutely. But our students have been reduced to numbers for
6:10:49 decades.
6:10:50 We’re doing it with discipline. We’re doing it with standardized
6:10:53 testing and we’re not addressing.
6:10:55 You keep saying root causes. You know 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.
6:11:09 You mentioned cursing. Absolutely. If that’s the only thing that
6:11:11 the student has had modeled for them at home, of course, they’re
6:11:14 going to curse at you.
6:11:16 Right. And that does go back to a training. Do all of our
6:11:18 teachers need to be trained? I think we have some darn good
6:11:20 teachers.
6:11:21 Could we use refresher? Sure. But what are we doing for our
6:11:24 students to help them with behavior?
6:11:27 And honestly, nothing. And I think there are some good things
6:11:31 that have started happening.
6:11:33 But four years ago, I said, hey, what if here’s this radical
6:11:39 idea.
6:11:40 We teach students. Well, the behavior that they exhibited and
6:11:45 strategies that behavior not happen again.
6:11:49 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.
6:11:58 But. I and I wrote this whole module on vaping because at that
6:12:01 time we still have a huge problem with vaping.
6:12:04 So we suspend a kid. Let’s catch a kid. And I’m just using this
6:12:08 as an example.
6:12:09 I feel like it could be done. We have all these definitions of
6:12:12 our behaviors, physical aggression, vaping.
6:12:15 They talk back in class. All of these things that happen that we’ve
6:12:18 identified as things we don’t want to happening in our
6:12:20 classrooms, things we don’t want happening on the bus.
6:12:24 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
6:12:30 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.
6:12:42 But after we assign the consequence, the student has to complete
6:12:46 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, that parent was there the next day
6:12:55 at 8 a.m. to meet with me because they wanted their kid in
6:12:57 school.
6:12:58 And that’s way more effective. But what if the kid got suspended
6:13:02 for vaping?
6:13:04 They completed an academic module on the harmful effects of
6:13:09 vaping.
6:13:10 The idea is that, you know, somebody might put something in a
6:13:12 vape that you don’t think it’s in there.
6:13:14 And then before they’re reintroduced into the school community,
6:13:18 they have a reflection opportunity where they think about what
6:13:22 was the behavior?
6:13:24 How did my behavior affect the people around me? How did my
6:13:28 behavior affect me?
6:13:30 And they have it. And this goes back to money. Everything I’m
6:13:33 talking about, we got to spend some money, but I think we should
6:13:36 spend some money.
6:13:38 What if they met with a trusted adult on campus, an
6:13:42 administrator? Oh, my goodness, a mental health counselor for
6:13:44 all of our schools, a social worker for all of our schools.
6:13:48 Again, money and staff. But you know what? Part of why there’s
6:13:54 urgency today is there’s not going to be these people to do this
6:13:57 for our students unless we make changes.
6:14:00 And so the student, before they even go back into the classroom,
6:14:03 they’re meeting with a trusted adult, whether that’s a teacher,
6:14:06 a counselor, an administrator, somebody to discuss their
6:14:11 learning and reflection on what happened.
6:14:13 This could be done with physical aggression. This could be done
6:14:17 with cursing. This could be done with anything that we have as
6:14:20 our behaviors.
6:14:22 And I don’t think that, I mean, maybe there’s a program out
6:14:25 there that does it, but there is, I mean, I’ve spent summers
6:14:29 before I came into this position writing curriculum with some of
6:14:33 the most talented educators across this district.
6:14:36 So I believe that as a district and with community, with parent
6:14:39 buy-in, with everything, could sit down and create a program
6:14:43 like this where we model and teach behavior because we shouldn’t
6:14:47 be surprised if we suspend a kid for fighting and the kid comes
6:14:51 back and fights again.
6:14:54 We never gave them an opportunity to change that behavior. And
6:14:58 so I just, I’m here and I frankly came in, I wasn’t sure what I
6:15:01 was going to expect. I was happy to have this conversation.
6:15:06 I’m happy we’re all in this room, but I pitched this idea four
6:15:08 years ago and here we are. A committee is where ideas go to die.
6:15:13 And so the urgency here is because we can’t keep pushing things
6:15:17 down the road.
6:15:19 Do I understand we don’t want to act with immediacy and not
6:15:21 think things through before we put things into place? Yeah, I
6:15:25 agree with that.
6:15:27 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, right? We can’t
6:15:35 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
6:15:44 they’re showing up to school, second period, they miss their
6:15:48 algebra class and their English class because we’re so short on
6:15:51 bus drivers and the bus drivers couldn’t get them there.
6:15:55 So I just want there to be an understanding that yes, we have a
6:16:01 discipline policy in place. Yes, it needs definite revision. Yes,
6:16:08 it needs to be used with fidelity, but we can’t just do that.
6:16:12 Like we have to put something else into place. We have to dig
6:16:15 new wells. And I really hope that we can actually do this
6:16:20 together.
6:16:22 I believe that’s what I was asking for clarity. Thank you. And I
6:16:26 believe both of them just gave us clarity. Now to your point, we
6:16:30 can go into our community and talk to our community and speak to
6:16:35 our community and talk to them about talking to our children,
6:16:40 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, we’re
6:17:05 saying what is the urgency? But only thing we’re hearing is
6:17:09 implementation. Now you both, as well as the young lady that was
6:17:11 there, have made it plain and clear now why there is such
6:17:16 urgency.
6:17:17 Whereas before it was, we need to implement this, we need to
6:17:20 implement this, implement what for what? Because we’re not, we
6:17:24 haven’t been apart, okay? And now that we are apart, I have no
6:17:28 problem with going into my community and pulling in as many as I
6:17:32 can during the break as much as possible to speak on this matter,
6:17:36 to talk on this matter.
6:17:38 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,
6:17:49 they’re going to do this, but we really don’t know why, okay?
6:17:52 Because we’re not in the room, okay?
6:17:54 But at the same time, I’ll say this, while there is an urgency,
6:17:57 I’m going to say this, too, there is an urgency to bring these
6:18:01 children in here, okay? I have my daughter back here who came
6:18:05 because she had a life skill project, a leadership project, and
6:18:09 this would help her write it.
6:18:11 And one of the things she said to me was, it seemed like we’re
6:18:14 inconsiderate, this is her words, they’re inconsiderate of other
6:18:19 people’s comments and statements, and she said, how are we going
6:18:23 to get somewhere if everybody’s inconsiderate?
6:18:27 And for me, it’s more so hearing, sometimes it’s not what it
6:18:30 says, sometimes it’s not how you say it, sometimes it’s how you
6:18:34 hear it that makes the difference in the communication, and I
6:18:38 believe you guys heard me well, the both of you heard me well as
6:18:42 well as the young lady, what is the problem that needs immediate
6:18:45 attention?
6:18:47 And now we can help with that problem, as Mr. Trent said, to go
6:18:51 talk to us, but at the same time, I’ll say this again, if the
6:18:56 students are the problem, you need students in the room.
6:19:01 If the discipline are the problem, you need, and I know you
6:19:04 heard me say it, I’m going to say it again, parents are going
6:19:08 because they have to go to work, parents are going because they
6:19:12 have to go pick up their children, so what you need is for
6:19:15 teachers not to leave, what you need is for the bus drivers you
6:19:18 at least have to stay.
6:19:20 Well, what the parents need is to understand what the urgency is,
6:19:24 and I’m old school, 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 the urgency and we’re just going to move and put
6:19:36 things in place because you’re going to be back here with things
6:19:38 in place with the same issue.
6:19:40 Thank you. I think one of the things, okay, we’re on a cell
6:19:45 phone, that’s why I was saying we got to get back to it.
6:19:50 I’m on a gospel radio station, so I can get the word out to some
6:20:08 parents. But here’s my thing, on the cell phone, because we rear
6:20:12 our children different, okay, take the phone, okay, put a lock
6:20:12 box at the front, have them, when they come in and teacher open
6:20:12 the drawer, all phones in the drawer, put it in a policy, take
6:20:13 the phone, no phones.
6:20:15 I heard a parent earlier say, well, you’re confusing them, but
6:20:17 some class they said pull them out and use it, Google this,
6:20:20 Google, other classes they said put them up, but if you have a
6:20:23 policy, no phones in class, then if one comes out, you know you
6:20:28 got a problem, but you take the phone and then they say, well, I
6:20:30 need an emergency, if my mom calls, if your mom needs you, she’ll
6:20:34 call the office and the office will send for you.
6:20:37 But let everyone on no phones in the class, if they don’t give
6:20:40 them up, because I had one parent tell me the school had called
6:20:44 them three times, first time they called about the cell phone,
6:20:48 she had to go pick it up, second time they called about the cell
6:20:50 phone, she had to go pick it up, third time they called, she
6:20:53 told them keep it, it’s going to save me $60 a month, I’m not
6:20:57 worried about a bill, I’m not coming back out there, I’m not
6:21:00 getting off my job anymore, just keep it.
6:21:03 I was the one who, my college student was walking around on
6:21:06 campus and I told him cut it off, in the middle of him walking
6:21:11 around on a college campus, but he got the message, so take the
6:21:15 phone, nip it in the bud, let him know, because that’s how we
6:21:19 were reared, it’s not a necessity, it’s a luxury, they don’t
6:21:23 have to have it during school hours.
6:21:27 Thank you, I just wanted to clarify, is it legal, because this
6:21:30 was one of the issues that was brought forward on the cell phone
6:21:33 piece, is it legal for our teachers to take that cell phone from
6:21:38 the student and send it up to the front office?
6:21:43 If it’s disciplinary and you’re giving it back to the student,
6:21:47 then you might be able to, I’d have to look at it and see if
6:21:51 there’s any direction on that, but I know statute says students
6:21:56 are allowed to have, right, they’re allowed to have them, but if
6:21:59 they’re used inappropriately, right, if they got confiscated for
6:22:01 inappropriate use is the question, I don’t have it off the top
6:22:02 of my head.
6:22:03 So there’s where our teachers are, so what happened is as many
6:22:05 of our teachers felt like even if they said we would like to
6:22:08 confiscate that phone, just like you said, because that’s what I
6:22:11 used to do when I was a teacher, that it would end up to where
6:22:14 that would be illegal, so we need to get clarification and get
6:22:16 that out immediately.
6:22:18 That would be a liability issue, because once that teacher takes
6:22:25 it, the kid’s going to say, got a cracked screen, now you owe me
6:22:31 $800 for a new Apple phone.
6:22:36 That’s the point where, and we say something like if you bring
6:22:38 it and you act inappropriately, then you lose the right that if
6:22:41 it does have a cracked screen when it gets back, but we’ve got
6:22:44 to get to the point, otherwise we’re never going to solve the
6:22:47 problem.
6:22:48 Mr. Susan, are you asking us to date a work session on this
6:22:53 policy so we 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, and then if
6:23:03 there’s an outcome related to that that may slow that down, we
6:23:07 need to know immediately, but we need to send direction to our
6:23:09 teachers that when they start,
6:23:12 maybe even when we send out communications to our parents that
6:23:14 we’re going to be strictly enforcing it, but when they come back
6:23:18 from Christmas break, those cell phones, you do not bring them
6:23:22 out. 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, all we need to do is make
6:23:32 sure that the student, the teachers can legally possess it and
6:23:35 send it up to the front office, that’s all. We already have one,
6:23:38 we just need to enforce it according to Mr. Trent.
6:23:40 Mr. Susan, I heard a concern from one of your teachers, I’m not
6:23:47 going to shout them out, I’m just going to air what they stated.
6:23:54 They’re afraid of being assaulted. They’re afraid of what can
6:23:55 happen to them physically. We’ve got big problems and we need,
6:23:56 like Katie said, this is a table for solutions, and if what we’re
6:23:58 going to do is enforce the policy that’s already in place, we
6:24:02 have to get the word out to the community efficiently,
6:24:06 effectively, and quickly, like Katie said, solutions.
6:24:09 I have a copy of it, I’ll give it to you.
6:24:12 Can you send those home for Christmas for the parents to sign?
6:24:17 Absolutely.
6:24:18 That you will be able to get the policy no longer in place.
6:24:21 We have that.
6:24:22 Yeah, there’s a form that they all signed ahead of time.
6:24:24 Can you send it out again?
6:24:26 Matt, just three second point. This is why our teachers can’t
6:24:31 enforce the cell phone policy. This conversation right here,
6:24:35 well if I take it, does it get broken?
6:24:37 I’m respecting your time.
6:24:40 Absolutely.
6:24:41 So it’s not always the classroom management, it’s the option.
6:24:44 I think that the, so let’s say this, we have an enforcement, we
6:24:52 have signatures on paper. That’s already done inside of our
6:24:55 schools.
6:24:56 We just need to find out what the legality is and then get
6:24:59 communications out during Christmas. That’s it.
6:25:02 So that I think if we’re all okay with that, Mr. Trent?
6:25:06 Yes.
6:25:07 So that’s going to be perfectly communicated, right?
6:25:11 Perfectly?
6:25:12 It’ll be communicated.
6:25:14 Mr. Matt?
6:25:15 Communicated flawlessly.
6:25:17 I have policies all over my classroom. No cell phones. I say it
6:25:21 every day, all day long. I have 195 students and they don’t give
6:25:26 a crap that that’s my policy.
6:25:29 I have a sign everywhere, it’s in the school manual and I have a
6:25:34 cell hotel, shoe racks where they put their phone in, get check
6:25:39 marks, they get extra credit and they don’t care.
6:25:43 Do you have a phone?
6:25:45 You need, yeah.
6:25:46 This is it.
6:25:47 Wow, I checked that.
6:25:48 Not on my phone, Ms. Edwards. I’m not on it. I’m not on it. I
6:25:52 had kids watching the World Cup. They don’t care that there’s a
6:25:57 no phone policy.
6:25:59 They want their phone. They want it. They want instant
6:26:02 gratification. They do not understand delayed gratification and
6:26:06 I can’t compete with that and I have given up some days and then
6:26:10 some days I just cry and then some days I scream and some days I
6:26:14 don’t have time to write 50 referrals.
6:26:17 They will not give up their phones. Their mothers and fathers
6:26:20 tell me my child will have a phone when they leave that room
6:26:23 because if there’s a school shooter, they need to call me.
6:26:29 So can I jump in?
6:26:30 So here, so we have a policy. We’ll check with staff. We’ll get
6:26:33 the appropriate communications out and then we will go to a
6:26:36 strict enforcement.
6:26:38 We can’t we can’t sit and wait. Right. And whatever that
6:26:41 enforcement is, per the communications from the school district,
6:26:43 we can get that taken care of.
6:26:45 Sir. Yes, sir. You said previously that the bus is an extension
6:26:49 of the classroom. Yes, sir. That’s a paraphrase, right? Yes, sir.
6:26:52 All the students and their parents sign the document to ride the
6:26:54 bus. Yes, sir. 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
6:27:02 rules. Number nine. The problem is we tell them to if you lose
6:27:07 your I.D. to get on the bus.
6:27:12 I get it. I get it. You download it. They get the phone now. I’m
6:27:16 driving a bus looking forward. Ten seconds. Every ten seconds. I’m
6:27:20 looking in the back, if not off, you know, to make sure I’ve got
6:27:23 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 that the times that the
6:27:35 instructors are allowed to use and allow the bus drivers are
6:27:39 allowed to give permission.
6:27:42 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.
6:27:47 But we’ve got to get to a place where we enforce what we have,
6:27:49 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.
6:27:56 Then we’re going we’re in a place that that that is why we’re
6:27:59 here. Just so you know, we collect every week.
6:28:02 We collect a ton of lost cell phones on our buses. There’s many
6:28:05 of them still sitting up in the central office on the front desk.
6:28:09 Thousand dollar phones. Kids don’t claim because they don’t want
6:28:11 to tell their parents they lost them.
6:28:13 Well, I think district staff will work with getting
6:28:15 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. Yeah.
6:28:21 And I appreciate that. Mr. Susan, can you consider maybe meeting
6:28:26 with the principals?
6:28:28 You know, make sure they understand what’s coming so that the
6:28:30 line of that to be part of that communication is I’m sure.
6:28:33 And I’m dedicated to putting it out through the radio stations
6:28:36 once you confirm what it is, if you get it to us.
6:28:40 I know you have communication as well. Once you confirm, we can
6:28:44 help. We can help. Thank you so much.
6:28:47 I really appreciate it. So we had. There’s a there was something
6:28:52 that Mr. Shiffrin gave me and asked me to present to get
6:28:55 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.
6:29:04 Ms. Campbell had respectfully asked to to present a couple of
6:29:10 things. And Ms. Jenkins might everybody else and the union might
6:29:16 have some.
6:29:18 Microphone last few minutes. I think it’s time for the board to
6:29:22 maybe weigh in on a few things.
6:29:26 Yeah, I just want to try and get the train kind of back on the
6:29:30 tracks.
6:29:31 Ms. Skipper, I appreciate you because I’ve been saying this
6:29:34 since we heard about this meeting, you call it a discipline
6:29:38 meeting.
6:29:39 That’s that’s not how we deal with our students. It’s a behavior
6:29:42 intervention meeting.
6:29:44 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 needs
6:30:00 to go alongside of it. And I think we need to stay on the track.
6:30:04 And remember that we came here talking about student behavior.
6:30:06 We went off track to talk about parents in the front office.
6:30:11 We need to stay focused on that. We also need to stay focused on
6:30:15 the top issues for our teachers.
6:30:18 Because we can’t tackle them all at one time. And so we started
6:30:22 off by saying.
6:30:25 Teachers union, tell us what are the things we can put in place
6:30:27 prior to these incidents happening. And they were reasonable
6:30:30 suggestions.
6:30:32 There are things that should happen and need to happen. Great.
6:30:37 Good conversation. But we got to stay on the track because when
6:30:40 we start going down every little tiny issue and finding all the
6:30:44 problems with it.
6:30:44 Yeah, we need to do that. We totally need to do that. But we
6:30:46 need to have a plan in place of what things we’re going to
6:30:48 tackle so we can tackle them to the fullest extent and make sure
6:30:51 we’re doing it 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 to address and modify and change.
6:31:00 Right. Let’s have a plan and say that’s what we’re going to do.
6:31:02 Number one, the unions are already identified.
6:31:06 I’ve said it already before. Clearly there is a miscommunication,
6:31:10 a lack of application of whatever we want to say of our referral
6:31:15 process.
6:31:17 Let’s take a deep dive. Let’s listen to our teachers. Let’s
6:31:20 listen to our administrators and find out why this is falling by
6:31:23 the wayside.
6:31:24 Let’s fix it. That’s the number one issue of frustration for our
6:31:29 teachers.
6:31:30 That’s what we need to get together and talk about and modify
6:31:32 and change. And we can’t do that here before four o’clock.
6:31:36 That’s impossible. But we need to come to a consensus as a board.
6:31:38 Let’s pick three things that we feel like are really and of
6:31:43 course, get the input from from our unions and our staff.
6:31:46 But the three most important things that are frustrating our
6:31:48 teachers the most right now when it comes to student behavior in
6:31:52 the classroom,
6:31:53 on the bus, within our school buildings and then come together
6:31:56 and have successful conversations about those things.
6:31:59 We can’t do that right now. It’s ineffective and we’re all over
6:32:03 the place.
6:32:04 And then we’re going to get back to the place where nothing’s
6:32:05 actually done because we threw all this spaghetti at the wall
6:32:08 and it’s not going to be done correctly or successfully.
6:32:11 So I think as board members and again, yes, we need to hear from
6:32:14 you guys 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 we’re saying are important, obviously jump
6:32:20 in and tell us that.
6:32:22 But I think that’s the most effective thing to do. Mr. Jonathan.
6:32:30 No. OK. You know, it’s a reasonable expectation of everybody in
6:32:34 this in this room here that when you send your child to school,
6:32:38 that they’re going to be safe.
6:32:41 When you send your grandchild to school, they’re going to be
6:32:43 safe.
6:32:44 When you send your nephew, your niece, your foster child, your
6:32:48 adopted child or the child that you blessed to be their guardian,
6:32:52 that they’re going to be safe.
6:32:53 And I just want to say we need to get away from those kids. They’re
6:32:58 our kids.
6:33:00 There are our community and our parents. OK.
6:33:04 These are these children are ours. When I was in the classroom,
6:33:08 every child in that classroom was my child while I had them.
6:33:13 I was a part of the parenting team. And the same is true for our
6:33:17 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 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 or books or chairs thrown at them.
6:33:40 And so, yeah, I’m kind of like Vanessa. I’m a little fired up
6:33:43 because what we need for you.
6:33:45 You say what? What’s number one? Let me tell you what’s number
6:33:48 one. Zero tolerance for physical aggression towards teachers and
6:33:54 staff, period.
6:33:56 Nobody signed up for this. Nobody went to college for four years,
6:34:01 got a master’s degree to go into anybody’s class.
6:34:05 I worked in juvenile detention. That’s the only place I expect
6:34:10 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
6:34:23 physical aggression in our public schools.
6:34:27 It’s totally unacceptable. And we’re hearing from our community
6:34:31 because I’m going to tell you right now, folks.
6:34:34 No parent wants their child in a classroom where they don’t feel
6:34:39 safe.
6:34:40 No parent wants their child in a classroom where that child
6:34:44 doesn’t feel loved and supported.
6:34:47 I don’t care what color or background you have. You want to send
6:34:51 your child to your neighborhood public school and know that your
6:34:56 child’s going to be OK.
6:34:58 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. That is number one most important
6:35:10 right there.
6:35:12 We can drop the mic. 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 are not safe.
6:35:23 I love that. Can I add to that?
6:35:25 Jonathan, thank you very much, because that’s exactly what Mr.
6:35:29 Schifrin asked.
6:35:30 Yeah, 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. And I think
6:35:41 that that is what our district has inside policy.
6:35:45 And I think that we should just be able to enforce it. Is that
6:35:48 correct? Yes. Can I add to that?
6:35:51 Ms. Moore. Hang on. Hang on. Just hang on, Mr. Bernard. Just
6:35:59 hang on just a second. So we just said that zero tolerance for
6:36:02 violence in any way towards our staff, towards our teachers.
6:36:03 Right. Is what he had asked. And everybody here, Ms. Moore said
6:36:07 and our students. Yes. Yes. I’m so sorry. Sorry.
6:36:11 And Ms. Moore said that that is exactly what’s inside a policy
6:36:14 that we just need to enforce.
6:36:16 I just want to clarify. So in the code of student conduct, zero
6:36:19 tolerance for school related crime is on page 90.
6:36:23 And I’ll just read the bottom of it. And I think it’s really
6:36:26 important to understand that one of the comments that was made
6:36:30 was that district has to approve X, Y and Z.
6:36:34 So when we look at each instance, we’re looking at the specifics
6:36:39 of whether we’re going to pull a student out of school for a
6:36:44 whole school year, 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. Let me just read this.
6:36:57 Notwithstanding any other provision of board policy, any student
6:37:00 found to have committed an act of assault or aggravated assault,
6:37:04 or battery or aggravated battery,
6:37:06 or physical attack on any elected official of the school
6:37:08 district, teacher, administrator, or other school district
6:37:12 personnel, shall be recommended for expulsion or placement at
6:37:15 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. And
6:37:23 the student may be referred to the criminal justice or juvenile
6:37:26 justice system.
6:37:28 So within that policy are students with disabilities, they’re
6:37:37 four year olds, they are students who had incidental contact and
6:37:46 students who had deliberate contact. And so we need to be really
6:37:52 clear on the expectations of the board, because as we move
6:37:52 toward expulsion, there’s due process that students and families
6:37:52 get.
6:37:53 And we want to make sure that we’re ensuring that students and
6:37:57 families get that due process as we support the zero tolerance
6:38:01 for school related crime policy.
6:38:04 So that direction is going to need to come from the board,
6:38:06 because you guys are the hearing officers in those cases.
6:38:09 I just think that if we are going, if this is the number one,
6:38:12 one of the number one issues that you have is zero tolerance, it
6:38:16 is also the same issue that Gary Shiffrin had on the top, then
6:38:19 zero tolerance is something that we need to enforce.
6:38:22 And I think that if we if we set the message that that’s the
6:38:24 direction that we’re going to go, then we can send it to the
6:38:27 principals and everything else.
6:38:29 Otherwise, we’re going to have them continual to do violence
6:38:31 against staff and everything else. That’s okay with me. Miss
6:38:35 Campbell, do you need to weigh in?
6:38:38 I think if I heard Miss Moore correctly, one of the things we
6:38:43 need to take into consideration when we talk about this is what
6:38:48 are we going to do with a four year old who kicked their teacher?
6:38:54 We’re all thinking of the 14 year old eighth grader, right? The
6:38:58 big 150 pound boy who lost it. But most of the time when we talk
6:39:03 about IAs and bus drivers who are picked, scratched, hit,
6:39:06 whatever, we’re talking about ESE kids or we’re talking about
6:39:10 primary grades and pre-K.
6:39:12 I think, I mean, who haven’t learned those skills and this
6:39:15 generation of little ones has even has fewer skills because of
6:39:18 the last few years they’ve been parked in front of TVs and
6:39:21 computer screens while their parents are trying to survive
6:39:24 through the pandemic.
6:39:26 And that’s a generality, I know. But, you know, that that has
6:39:29 exacerbated it. So I just think we need to be careful. I don’t
6:39:33 know how we apply that policy to our little ones, Miss Moore.
6:39:36 So whenever there’s an incident, it would be a level four or
6:39:39 five incident, the administrator has to call their director,
6:39:42 either an elementary director or a secondary director, and they
6:39:47 review the case with them.
6:39:49 They review the language, they review the incident, they
6:39:52 reviewed everything around it and determine whether or not that
6:39:56 there’s enough there in order to move forward on basically that
6:40:01 their due process has been appropriately handled.
6:40:05 And I don’t want to misspeak for you guys, but please stop and
6:40:09 jump in when I get it wrong and that all the characteristics of
6:40:13 that child has been taken into consideration.
6:40:17 A four year old who was throwing a tantrum that inadvertently smacked
6:40:21 a teacher, a student with disability who was rocking and the
6:40:26 teacher came up behind him or her and got conked in the head
6:40:31 because they got too close.
6:40:33 A fight that the that teacher broke up a fight and got in the
6:40:40 right place.
6:40:41 So all of those situations. And then there’s, of course, the
6:40:44 child that says, if you come near me, I’m going to hit you, I’m
6:40:46 going to punch you.
6:40:47 And we’ve had those and they’ve been we’ve had people hit and
6:40:50 punched. And all of those circumstances are related to to
6:40:55 leading and learning.
6:40:57 They are consistent in the questions that they ask.
6:41:00 They’re consistent on what they move forward with and what they
6:41:04 ask for additional support for those students.
6:41:09 And then, you know, if there’s some debate and they have to go
6:41:13 to hearing, they go to hearing to you guys.
6:41:16 And that’s the only cautionary tale is that, you know, if we
6:41:19 have a four year old and we say we’re going to consistently
6:41:22 follow this policy,
6:41:24 I feel like we need to have some other conversation or direction
6:41:28 because you’re going to be sitting in a in a hearing with a four
6:41:32 year old and a parent.
6:41:34 And you guys are going to be the hearing officers at that
6:41:36 meeting. 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. You have
6:41:42 an opportunity to talk to Miss Klein and Dr. Sullivan.
6:41:46 Here’s 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.
6:41:54 And that when a student does move forward asking for hearing,
6:41:58 you can feel comfortable in the decisions that you’re making for
6:42:02 that child.
6:42:03 I would want to jump in. We have teachers in four year old
6:42:09 classroom. With bruises and injuries. I believe that with
6:42:15 repeated behaviors.
6:42:17 Now, 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.
6:42:24 Nobody has a reasonable you have a reasonable expectation that
6:42:29 you are going to you as the teacher are going to be safe in that
6:42:33 classroom.
6:42:35 So the whole spectrum of our student body.
6:42:39 So we have cases of teachers being injured, not not just kit and
6:42:46 red.
6:42:47 I mean, actually injured, some having to go with EMS to the
6:42:51 hospital.
6:42:52 I had one that was in from the whole spectrum between our
6:42:56 earliest all the way up to our our latest.
6:43:00 But here’s a fact to this. OK, you’re talking for your own five
6:43:04 year old.
6:43:05 A lot of those kids are not ready for kindergarten.
6:43:11 But they still are in front of us. We can’t understand you.
6:43:15 I understand, sir. Well, that’s why I talk about root causes.
6:43:19 OK, because if a child can you imagine being four year old, a
6:43:23 four year old and you leave in your house with your your
6:43:27 brothers and sisters.
6:43:29 When that child goes into a classroom at four or five year old,
6:43:32 he’s not ready in some cases.
6:43:35 But wait. But here’s what I’m saying. There’s a measurement that
6:43:39 the school board use called flicker in a calls kindergarten
6:43:43 readiness.
6:43:45 Yeah. So we need to look at putting some funds behind that so
6:43:49 that these kids, when they enter school,
6:43:52 sir, are ready for are ready to go into the educational system.
6:43:57 I mean, honestly, realistically, I don’t think the four year old
6:44:01 is the one we’re focused on.
6:44:03 I guarantee you they are. In this particular case, go look at
6:44:06 the data.
6:44:07 But here’s the thing. We don’t have a choice because we don’t
6:44:11 have it.
6:44:12 But we don’t have it when they walk in our classroom. We don’t
6:44:14 have a choice.
6:44:15 Guys, guys, stop for a second. I just want to let you know. Last
6:44:17 week, I got a call from somebody that teaches four to five year
6:44:19 olds and was urinated on and then was hit and beat.
6:44:22 And then the student was brought to the front office and then
6:44:25 just sat there.
6:44:26 So we need to start enforcing if we’re going to be serious about
6:44:28 this and get the backs up against our teachers.
6:44:30 And we’re going to. But I like Mr. Bernard. Go ahead. If I can
6:44:33 continue this fear of solutions, because we are nearing our four
6:44:36 o’clock time.
6:44:38 You know, we’ve heard again and again and again about getting
6:44:40 the parents involved. And honestly, the parents need to get
6:44:43 uncomfortable.
6:44:45 Yes, absolutely. I was looking through and asked Ms. Mortison,
6:44:49 you know, she sent us all the interventions.
6:44:51 One of the things that I noticed on there, because I think, you
6:44:53 know, reverse suspension, I hear about reverse suspension where
6:44:56 you make the parents come sit in the classroom.
6:44:58 But then I looked at that. That’s very rarely used. That is a
6:45:01 great tool.
6:45:03 I think here’s one solution we can we can encourage our
6:45:06 administrators. Please use this tool in your toolbox more often.
6:45:10 Now, it requires a couple of things. I think according to
6:45:11 contract, the teacher has to agree with it.
6:45:14 I hope that our teachers will make it happen. And then, you know,
6:45:19 it has obviously has to be using.
6:45:20 There was something else you told me. Mainly it’s the teacher
6:45:23 has to agree. Confidentiality.
6:45:25 And they have to sign a competition because they can’t be
6:45:27 messing with and looking at what other kids are doing because we’re
6:45:30 breaking their.
6:45:31 But that is, you know, we talk about suspensions. The data is
6:45:35 there.
6:45:36 Suspensions cause a problem with kids out of the school. They’re
6:45:39 not learning. They come back. They’re farther behind.
6:45:41 They’re more of a behavior problem. And for some families,
6:45:45 keeping them at home, no big deal.
6:45:47 The kid doesn’t care because they get to watch TV all day. You
6:45:50 know, in school suspension has some.
6:45:53 There are some things better and some things not better. But
6:45:55 reverse suspension, if we can use that tool in the toolbox more
6:45:58 often,
6:45:58 we get those parents in there sitting next to their kid. And as
6:46:01 the mother shared earlier, either they’re going to behave or the
6:46:04 parents are going to see them misbehave.
6:46:06 But that’s something we already have in place that we can
6:46:08 encourage administrators to do more reverse suspension.
6:46:12 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.
6:46:18 For example, the parent academies that just started. But I would
6:46:20 suggest that we need to make a more concerted effort to get
6:46:25 those parent academies into
6:46:27 where into our communities, maybe out of our, you know, I was
6:46:31 thinking about the Evans Center over in Melbourne that already
6:46:35 has the active community.
6:46:37 Let’s let’s let’s take them on the road to where we know people
6:46:41 already are and we could use our community resources.
6:46:43 And where do you already have parents coming? Where can we come
6:46:45 to you?
6:46:46 Where do you think they would come? Because if we’re and that
6:46:48 one has already been better because we’re not just doing a VR.
6:46:51 We were doing it several occasions across the county. But I’d
6:46:53 like to see greater attendance there.
6:46:55 And we’re already working on our reimagining middle school
6:46:57 project because that is huge.
6:46:59 We look at all behaviors. They almost all spike in the seventh
6:47:01 and eighth grade years.
6:47:03 We’re working on that. That’s going to take some time, but we’re
6:47:05 already doing the good work of that.
6:47:06 We won’t see the results of that for a little bit. We’re working
6:47:09 on that. The mentoring program.
6:47:11 We’ve gone from 88 yesterday. You told me one hundred and twenty,
6:47:14 one hundred and twenty something.
6:47:16 We need more. And that is we’re going to continue to do the
6:47:19 public pleas for that for mentors,
6:47:21 because those mentors can come in and invest in kids who are
6:47:23 having the struggles.
6:47:25 And those mentors need to be different from like what we have
6:47:27 tech stock and children where it’s kids who are college bound.
6:47:30 And if they have behavior issues, they don’t qualify.
6:47:32 But it needs to be administrators focusing the mentors on the
6:47:34 kids who are who are having the behavior problems the most and
6:47:38 who are struggling the most.
6:47:41 I’m going to suggest another one. I’ll save that one for last.
6:47:46 Mental health has been mentioned so much.
6:47:48 We only have so many dollars. We only have so many people. And
6:47:51 Chris Moore has already been talking to community 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. But here’s another
6:48:00 one. 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 for.
6:48:07 We have we’re a choice district. You can pretty much send your
6:48:09 kid if you live in Palm Bay.
6:48:11 You can go to school in Titusville. 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. And for the most
6:48:19 part, those are families who are engaged.
6:48:21 But sometimes it’s not when you when you do an EPO or an ELO,
6:48:24 which is an option to send your kids somewhere besides their
6:48:27 zone school or a special program, you sign a contract that says.
6:48:32 I while my kid is here, they will keep their grades up, will
6:48:35 keep their behavior in line.
6:48:37 And if I don’t, then I can be asked to go back to my own school.
6:48:42 It’s time to enforce that.
6:48:43 And I think sometimes it is. But I feel like sometimes our and
6:48:45 James, shake your head.
6:48:47 Sometimes our administrators feel like they can’t do it.
6:48:49 Absolutely. They can’t.
6:48:50 If you are a parent and you sign the contract, then you’re and
6:48:52 your kid is not going to behave.
6:48:54 That’s going to be the first thing is by. Because it needs to be
6:48:59 the parent needs to feel it.
6:49:02 Your child cannot continue. I’m not saying the first time you
6:49:04 behave misbehaved, 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.
6:49:12 And so I’m just going to throw those out as a few things that we
6:49:13 can. We can do those quickly.
6:49:17 Not all of them quickly. The middle school thing is the 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.
6:49:25 And as far as the cell phone use, I think if we decide honestly,
6:49:29 if we walk out of here and as the board,
6:49:31 we say we’re going to we’re going to review that policy, we’re
6:49:33 going to revise it, then the shockwaves are going to go out into
6:49:36 the community.
6:49:38 Brevard School Board just said no phones in classrooms. And we,
6:49:42 Mr. Brian, to your point, that will be communicated.
6:49:46 And then it will end to our teacher from Bayside. That will be
6:49:49 communicated.
6:49:50 The whole community understands this board is going to take a
6:49:52 stand, which is not going to be a popular stand for some,
6:49:56 especially with our kids.
6:49:58 But we say it that people will know and it will be a little
6:50:01 different than what we have right now.
6:50:04 So I just you know, I’m trying to get to I’m the practical
6:50:06 person. I want to know I don’t want to talk any more about what
6:50:08 the problem is.
6:50:09 We’ve let’s stop introducing more to the problem and let’s get
6:50:11 to the solution.
6:50:13 And that those are there’s some suggestions that I think we
6:50:16 could start with to think.
6:50:18 Thank you, Miss Campbell. I think those are some great
6:50:20 suggestions. Thank you for talking so quickly.
6:50:22 Like you did to give a little bit of time. Let’s do this. We’re
6:50:26 at a point now.
6:50:27 Just hang on. We’re at a point now where we have like 22 minutes
6:50:29 left. Right.
6:50:31 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.
6:50:35 But there needs to be there needs to be a couple of things.
6:50:38 Gary brought in the core argument of what we were trying to get
6:50:42 to today was the enforcement of our actual policies in
6:50:46 discipline.
6:50:47 Right. We know that zero tolerance, everything else.
6:50:50 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.
6:50:57 But there’s one thing there’s two things that they were
6:51:00 mentioning. There’s a big and we may not be able to make the
6:51:03 decision now.
6:51:04 But there’s a big push to allow the principals to take care of
6:51:07 one, two and three levels on the run and to suspend.
6:51:12 They currently do that. OK. OK. If that’s the if that’s the case,
6:51:20 then we’re in good shape.
6:51:21 OK. The issue that I would like to do is we can move forward
6:51:24 with a large discipline committee. Right.
6:51:27 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.
6:51:32 There was a list literally of about 15, 20 things that each one
6:51:37 of you guys had that I had communicated with you guys.
6:51:40 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 the stuff.
6:51:46 What Gary had asked and what I’ve heard asked is that we form
6:51:49 tight knit committees to make the quick recommendations that are
6:51:52 needed immediately.
6:51:54 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, two teacher union.
6:52:06 What’s that? Sorry. To two to 10 10 NAACP Cultural Alliance to
6:52:13 make those recommendations immediately,
6:52:17 because I think we’re in a place where we’re we’ve identified
6:52:19 that there’s a major issue and we’ve got to come.
6:52:22 And I want to make sure that we’re all doing it together. So if
6:52:24 it’s OK with you, I would like to form three type committees
6:52:27 that would make immediate recommendations along with the long
6:52:30 distance ones.
6:52:31 I’d like to form one that deals with the immediate before the
6:52:35 incident so that we know that we’re doing the pre planning the
6:52:41 you know, the in services in the training.
6:52:45 I would like to form another one that does specific to
6:52:47 discipline because there was multiple principles that said that
6:52:50 they have no control over suspending more than three days like
6:52:54 they used to that they needed one, two and three.
6:52:57 They didn’t have control over, which may not be true. But if
6:52:59 that’s the case, then we need to be able to make sure that that’s
6:53:01 communicated to them.
6:53:03 And then one that’s post, because I think what Miss Vanessa said
6:53:05 is one of the biggest keys.
6:53:07 And somebody is in trouble and they come back to a class school
6:53:09 feeling they’ve been identified as that kid that’s in trouble.
6:53:13 And if you have somebody that’s willing to work with that
6:53:15 student coming back, we might be able to stop making that thing
6:53:17 happen ahead of time.
6:53:19 Yeah, that will also go in line with what Miss Campbell saying,
6:53:23 because Miss Campbell says we just can’t do everything right now.
6:53:28 I agree with you. There’s a large piece that I thought we could
6:53:28 get to.
6:53:29 We got a lot of stuff done, but there’s much more. So if we can
6:53:31 form a tight group that would make those quick decisions, while
6:53:35 the larger community is moving, I think that that would be a
6:53:38 good good solution to do that.
6:53:40 Can the community make one point? I would look to staff to
6:53:52 recommend the committee make up and then we can start doing
6:53:52 something. That make sense?
6:53:52 I’m looking for board direction. I’m hearing some comments. I’m
6:53:55 hearing I’m not hearing total board direction. I just need to
6:53:57 know what I’m going back to staff with.
6:54:00 I heard I heard a lot today. I heard cell phone policy. I heard
6:54:03 zero tolerance. I heard enforcement of our policies that exist.
6:54:06 I heard reinstatement of the discipline committee.
6:54:10 I heard and I said, and I think Mrs. Campbell reiterated,
6:54:13 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.
6:54:27 My request, if I may, is that we have clear direction. So when
6:54:35 we walk away from this meeting, because right now I’m filling in
6:54:39 as the deputy superintendent, we’re heading toward winter break.
6:54:43 I want to make sure that we get what we need in place and you
6:54:46 will have an interim superintendent coming in at some point
6:54:51 after the first of the year who will be the one implementing
6:54:55 these pieces.
6:54:56 And I want to make sure that communication isn’t lost somewhere.
6:54:59 Sure. I can go through the ones that we already went through
6:55:01 just to make sure that we’re all on the same page. We want to
6:55:03 start immediately on the culture of change to be able to discuss
6:55:06 and push back on the referrals.
6:55:08 That was the first one. Is there anybody that objects to that? I’ll
6:55:12 just say that so that you know you got board direction, right?
6:55:17 Culture of change is a very large topic. Can I make a suggestion
6:55:27 there? I think we need to be specific and direct. What do we
6:55:28 want to change when it comes to our referrals?
6:55:29 So we need to have specific actions when it comes to that. We
6:55:32 need to hear from our teachers and administrators where those
6:55:35 things are falling through the hole.
6:55:38 You can’t just say we’re going to change the culture. That’s not
6:55:40 going to do anything. So let’s have a specific action to take so
6:55:42 that something actually gets done and doesn’t fall by the wayside.
6:55:46 So we have the discipline committee that was formed before to
6:55:49 start immediately and then to add parents. And if they can’t be
6:55:54 added immediately, there’s a virtual link for it and students.
6:56:00 The next one is to work towards adding and get a verbiage back
6:56:04 or a cost back and a plan, not immediate but pretty soon, on
6:56:09 adding three days next year possibly or some sort of plan for
6:56:13 all of our end services and stuff like that to take care of some
6:56:17 of the stuff that some of the teachers hadn’t done.
6:56:20 Collaborative with the union and I’m sorry, the committee is
6:56:25 also to report directly to the school board.
6:56:30 Mr. Susan, if I may, on December 13th you are approving the 2023-24
6:56:34 calendar and it does not have any of this on there and between
6:56:38 now and December 13th there is not an opportunity to make a
6:56:41 change.
6:56:42 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, but I
6:56:47 just wanted you to be aware you’re going to approve a calendar
6:56:51 and we must approve it because of the behind the scenes master
6:56:53 scheduling that needs to happen.
6:56:54 Dr. Fedde, I in no way think that we’re going to add three
6:56:56 professional days or anything like that this year. I think this
6:56:58 is more of a discussion for next year’s calendar because there’s
6:57:01 no way we can do it this year.
6:57:03 Well the 2023-24 calendar that you’re approving on December 13th
6:57:06 is next year.
6:57:07 That’s on the 13th. It is on the 13th because there are behind
6:57:10 the scenes things that have to happen.
6:57:12 But that’s on the 13th we’ll be approving that, right? Okay.
6:57:15 But you’ll be approving it absent this recommendation. This will
6:57:18 take some time to cost out. It will not be ready and we won’t
6:57:21 have an opportunity to collaborate with the union between now
6:57:25 and Tuesday.
6:57:26 Okay. The assault, the assault and battery messages out to allow
6:57:30 definitions to go out to the local law enforcement and to the
6:57:34 parents, but in a socially acceptable way.
6:57:38 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.
6:57:46 Mr. Susan, it may be the will of the majority of this board to
6:57:51 do that, but we haven’t said that out loud yet. So all of these
6:57:56 things have to be approved by the majority of the board.
6:57:57 You can’t make these decisions by yourself.
6:57:59 I thought I did have that, but I apologize. I said that.
6:58:01 And you may. I’m just saying we haven’t verbally said that out
6:58:03 loud.
6:58:04 Sorry you 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, and if anybody was
6:58:08 against that then I would stop and listen to them.
6:58:11 And then we would call a vote then if you needed direction. So
6:58:13 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
6:58:19 type situation?
6:58:21 Just to clarify, that message is going to come from the district
6:58:24 or it’s going to come from the district, not from Mr. Neal?
6:58:28 There was some confusion there because there was a letter that
6:58:30 was going to go out from Brevard County.
6:58:33 I think we should allow Dr. Fedde to come together with the
6:58:36 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.
6:58:44 I think the overall objective here is just to let our staff know
6:58:47 that this district has their backs and that these are things
6:58:50 that we’re no longer going to tolerate.
6:58:52 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
6:58:59 that’s gone on recently,
6:59:01 maybe not wanting it to come necessarily from the Sheriff’s
6:59:03 Office.
6:59:04 Or even the parents. I mean, to clarify that with staff, that’s
6:59:10 a very loud microphone.
6:59:13 That’s where I thought we were headed just to give again support
6:59:15 to the staff and the front office per se, that they can’t be
6:59:18 verbally abused.
6:59:20 They do have recourse and at the SRO and the Sheriff’s Office or
6:59:24 whatever agencies over that school to say this is what we will
6:59:29 do.
6:59:30 I don’t feel comfortable sending it home, especially after the
6:59:33 optics of what we went through last.
6:59:36 How about a message that goes out to our families, our staff and
6:59:39 everybody saying we have your back, here’s what we will not do.
6:59:43 That’s the overall statement of today. I think that would be
6:59:45 wonderful.
6:59:46 Assault and battery. We are going to strictly enforce cell
6:59:50 phones. Does that make sense to you?
6:59:52 Because that sounds a lot better to me than Mr. Neal sending out
6:59:55 a kind of a synopsis today.
6:59:59 All right. So what I what I just gave direction for is for Dr.
7:00:04 Fedde to create a message with staff to send out that we are in
7:00:07 support of staff and explain to parents that we are going to
7:00:13 support them in a zero zero tolerance policy along with support
7:00:19 them in any assault and battery that we are to be taken on and
7:00:23 that we’re going to specifically strengthen and enforce the cell
7:00:27 phone.
7:00:28 Mr. Susan, I just I just am going to recommend again that we at
7:00:34 least have a conversation about the zero tolerance policy.
7:00:39 We don’t allow pre-K through third grade at our ALC.
7:00:43 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
7:00:50 placement.
7:00:51 We have students whose behavior is a manifestation of a
7:00:54 disability.
7:00:56 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
7:01:03 the table before we before we send that to parents.
7:01:06 What are we going to do for the person that’s getting bruised
7:01:08 and everything else that comes back and is making a decision
7:01:12 whether they’re going to stay here or leave in January?
7:01:15 What will we do to make them know that we have the back?
7:01:17 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
7:01:26 understand what it is.
7:01:28 Well, I just you know, I want to look at the detail of the
7:01:31 documents because you say zero tolerance and if a four year old
7:01:35 kid violate that.
7:01:37 So we’re going to be in trouble with kids aren’t going to have
7:01:39 any opportunities in the future.
7:01:41 So I just want to make sure that the community understands that.
7:01:46 And I see some rush here to do that. But you’ve got to educate
7:01:49 the community.
7:01:51 You just can’t implement a zero tolerance rule in the community.
7:01:56 Don’t understand that it’s already it’s already I know it’s
7:01:59 written, sir, but it is is does the community understand that?
7:02:03 Does the parent does the parent understand that you have not
7:02:06 been implementing it since now?
7:02:09 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
7:02:21 something with physical aggression towards one of our people,
7:02:25 that they are going to be held accountable for that.
7:02:27 So what have you been doing? I have a two year old. I have a
7:02:29 three year old. I have a six year old.
7:02:32 And if any of them acted in an inappropriate way, I would want
7:02:34 them to be held accountable.
7:02:36 Right. So I think that I think that we need to send a message to
7:02:39 our teachers that we have their backs and how we do that.
7:02:43 I understand. I just want you to be I just want the school to be
7:02:46 consistent in their execution.
7:02:48 Absolutely. Because what I’m seeing right now when I look at the
7:02:51 discipline data, it’s not consistent.
7:02:54 It’s more you had said, would we as a board be comfortable in
7:02:58 hearing those?
7:03:00 Because we would still hear those incidents. Zero tolerance isn’t
7:03:03 the principal says they’re out of here and they’re gone.
7:03:06 So zero tolerance mean they have to do what they have to do.
7:03:08 Then it would go further.
7:03:10 So I think you said, are we prepared to listen to the four year
7:03:13 old incident?
7:03:15 So we there’s still there’s a catch.
7:03:19 There’s some parts to it. But again, it is so close to the end,
7:03:25 but I didn’t think if I could have two minutes. Yeah. All right.
7:03:30 So can I just can I just finish this before we do it?
7:03:32 All right. We have the cell phone strictly enforced. We saw it.
7:03:35 We talked about that.
7:03:36 We had the bus. We had the bus the same as the class.
7:03:42 As far as incidences, we had the referral process on the bus to
7:03:45 be cleaned up.
7:03:46 We have parents on the bus are going to be trespassed.
7:03:50 And were they already greeted? Is there anybody that has
7:03:52 anything against enforcing those those things?
7:03:55 I would like Mr. Trent to finish his question about the zero
7:03:57 tolerance please. All right.
7:03:59 So and I’ll leave names out of this. I have to read this almost
7:04:02 almost word for word.
7:04:04 But to go to the point of what do we do with our teachers and
7:04:07 the students?
7:04:09 And then it also goes with Jonathan and said, but when we send
7:04:11 our kids to school, there’s a minimum expectation of our kids
7:04:14 being able to learn.
7:04:16 And so they wanted to reach out to me.
7:04:19 Some things were going at whatever school wanted to know if you
7:04:20 could point 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, flipping tables, removing his clothes
7:04:27 and shoes, punching, slapping and attacking students.
7:04:31 I spend time in the classroom. This is an I.A. and witness it
7:04:34 with my own eyes.
7:04:35 It’s horrifying. They remove the boy for approximately five
7:04:37 minutes and then he is brought back.
7:04:39 The terror then starts over again. Nothing is being taught
7:04:42 because the teacher spends the entire day trying to keep the
7:04:45 children safe.
7:04:46 I had a meeting with principal and basically tells me they had
7:04:49 no idea this was happening.
7:04:52 Untrue. They later said that the principal said that their hands
7:04:55 were tied and there’s nothing they can do to do to protect the
7:04:59 other children in the class.
7:05:01 Any advice would be amazing. Thank you. This is going on.
7:05:05 I reached out to just kindergarten teachers, you know, just
7:05:08 talking to them and saying, is this normal?
7:05:12 My biggest response from teachers during this campaign was on
7:05:17 discipline was not junior high, which we all thought that was
7:05:20 the case.
7:05:21 Not high school. It’s at the K three kids that the behavior is
7:05:24 unbelievable. There’s at least five to seven teachers I’ve
7:05:28 spoken to before before the election that said I will not finish.
7:05:32 I mean, I’ll finish out this semester and I’m not coming back.
7:05:34 There is no way I taught at the ALC.
7:05:37 One of the concerns there is there’s nothing for the younger
7:05:40 group, but we can’t keep turning a blind eye thinking that
7:05:43 nothing is happening or we must keep these kids in these
7:05:46 classrooms because we will have no teachers to teach these kids.
7:05:49 But he just will not do it. So you’re recommending putting a
7:05:52 three or five year old kid in an ALC.
7:05:54 That’s not what I said. What I said was that the people that
7:05:56 were in there, wonderful people that run our ALC just said that
7:06:00 is a major concern of theirs when they talk to the teachers out
7:06:03 in our district.
7:06:04 But there is no alternative for these kids and we need to talk
7:06:06 about it. Otherwise, we’ll have no one to teach these kids.
7:06:10 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
7:06:17 our kids, in our in our classrooms.
7:06:20 It’s not clear to the other kids. But, sir, I would hope that
7:06:23 this board will consider, like I said, the flicker rate.
7:06:28 You got 30 and I’m going to hold some numbers to you. Mr.
7:06:32 Bernard, if we can get it in 30 seconds because we’re coming
7:06:33 under here.
7:06:34 And I totally agree with being if they’re ready for kindergarten,
7:06:37 right. I think the issue at this point, but they are getting
7:06:40 ready for kindergarten.
7:06:41 If you look at the data, 39 percent of at least my African-American
7:06:45 children, they are not they are below the flicker level.
7:06:49 So we need to invest money in that. OK, but I just I’m I’m
7:06:53 really heartbroken by that because I’m looking at a baby.
7:06:57 That you looking at judging pretty critically. So I let me
7:07:02 finish.
7:07:04 Let me finish. Hang on. Let me finish one last thing. I hope
7:07:07 this board will consider.
7:07:10 I hope this board consider putting a lot of effort in parental
7:07:13 engagement. Absolutely.
7:07:15 Parental engagement is the key. If you look at the drivers that’s
7:07:18 driving a school that is successful.
7:07:21 The number one and number two issues are leadership and parental
7:07:25 engagement and engagement.
7:07:28 Absolutely. I hope that you consider that, because if the
7:07:31 parents are not engaged, you are going to have that relationship.
7:07:35 That is absolutely I think that’s one of the cornerstones of
7:07:37 what these individuals. Hang on.
7:07:40 Ms. Jenkins, I just want to thank you. Please just let me finish
7:07:47 this. We are here on this jacket. You don’t have the right to
7:07:51 speak right now.
7:07:52 Ms. Jenkins. I am the chair of this. Ms. Jenkins, you’re out of
7:08:00 order.
7:08:00 I will give you the opportunity to speak. Let me finish. Let me
7:08:03 finish, Ms. Jenkins, please.
7:08:05 So real quick. We were speaking to the the zero tolerance.
7:08:14 Are we moving forward with saying that we will enforce zero
7:08:18 tolerance?
7:08:20 As far as I’m concerned, hang on, Ms. Jenkins, please. And I
7:08:24 will speak to you in a second.
7:08:26 I am OK with it. Are you OK? And I will let you speak. Yeah, I’m
7:08:30 OK.
7:08:31 OK. All right. So we have board direction on zero tolerance. Do
7:08:33 we have board direct?
7:08:35 And Ms. Jenkins, I apologize. I will get through to it. Do we
7:08:37 have board direction on enforcement?
7:08:39 You don’t have board direction on zero tolerance. That’s what I’m
7:08:41 trying to speak to. No, I didn’t speak to it.
7:08:44 So, Ms. Jenkins, Ms. Jenkins, Ms. Jenkins, I have to finish. We
7:08:50 are running out of time, Ms. Jenkins.
7:08:52 No, sir. Cell phone strictly enforced. Are we in favor and send
7:08:57 board direction for that?
7:09:00 I am. Yeah. OK. You just miss Campbell. Are you enforcement of
7:09:06 cell phone?
7:09:08 Ms. Jenkins, I will give you the agreement is for all of our
7:09:12 secondary schools to do what?
7:09:14 For example, the schools where my kids are going right now,
7:09:16 while they’re in the classroom, they can have them in the hallways.
7:09:20 They can have them at lunchtime. But while they’re in the
7:09:23 classroom, they need to be off and away every electronic device.
7:09:28 Thank you. Now, Ms. Jenkins, thank you so much. I just wanted to
7:09:30 give you the opportunity to speak, but I needed to get through
7:09:32 those things.
7:09:33 Thank you. OK. But you don’t get to go line by line by line and
7:09:36 ask every other member of the board their opinion on it and then
7:09:39 come to me.
7:09:40 That’s not how that works. We are equally elected officials. Mr.
7:09:44 Susan, may I remind you again, Mr. Trent.
7:09:48 Thank you for saying what you say. I 100 percent believe those
7:09:50 teachers who spoke to you.
7:09:52 100 percent. Those things are happening. But we do need to
7:09:55 consider what our staff is telling us and what our legal
7:09:59 department tells us.
7:10:01 That the zero tolerance policy. We have to look a little deeper
7:10:03 at the repercussions of our little kids.
7:10:06 OK. Doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be consequences. There already
7:10:09 are consequences. I’m assuming.
7:10:12 So where are we? Where are we failing in those consequences? Are
7:10:16 they being followed through? Are they happening?
7:10:19 That is the part of the conversation that we need to have. We
7:10:23 don’t just need to have a zero tolerance policy.
7:10:25 We need to also talk about the things that are not being
7:10:27 implemented currently right now that exist in policy.
7:10:31 That’s not pushing aside the concerns of our teachers and
7:10:34 pretending they don’t exist. They are there.
7:10:37 They are real. But we also need to address the reality of not
7:10:41 really thinking it’s a great idea to kick a four year old out of
7:10:45 school for an entire year.
7:10:47 Because what kind of kids do you think you’re going to get when
7:10:49 you get that five year old in kindergarten?
7:10:51 It doesn’t make sense. We’re an educational institution. We have
7:10:54 to look deeper into that problem to find a more realistic
7:10:58 solution.
7:10:59 And I want to say one last thing. This meeting came together
7:11:04 saying we wanted the community, we wanted teachers.
7:11:08 And there have been so many times where we have pushed back, got
7:11:11 through with and shut down community members who normally don’t
7:11:15 have the opportunity to speak to you.
7:11:18 You invited them here as a guest. They’re telling you their
7:11:22 concerns, what they’re hearing, what they’re feeling and what
7:11:25 they need to know.
7:11:26 You need to respect that.
7:11:30 I have a hard time. I just want to speak, but I just want to let
7:11:42 you know that the meeting is four o’clock. So if you guys don’t
7:11:42 mind, I’ll extend for five minutes and allow everybody to kind
7:11:42 of make their last minute speeches.
7:11:42 We’re going to have a hard time bringing parents in if it’s
7:11:54 viewed as a dictatorship. If our board cannot come together and
7:12:01 respect each other as they talk and you are leading our county,
7:12:04 how in the world are you going to be able to hear parents who
7:12:08 may have a difference of opinions? It now makes sense why our
7:12:13 teachers are struggling and having a problem, because it sounds
7:12:17 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. If I’m a community leader
7:12:29 slash parent and I can’t be heard. And then I have teachers
7:12:32 sitting here saying that they haven’t been heard.
7:12:35 Leadership, you have to look at yourself. It sounds like you
7:12:40 need to have an internal conversation and bring someone else in
7:12:46 to help navigate, because this is embarrassing. It’s
7:12:51 embarrassing.
7:12:51 And you guys are the leaders of our community right now, the
7:12:55 leaders of our children. And we cannot have this display and
7:13:00 then bring parents and then expect really going to come to a
7:13:04 solution for our teachers.
7:13:07 And this is me on the outside, looking in. And anyone that’s
7:13:12 looking in online is an embarrassment for Brevard County. We
7:13:18 have to respect each other and do better at leadership.
7:13:23 Thank you, Mr. Yaup, you had one last thing. Yeah, one last part.
7:13:25 I thought if I could end on a positive note. Excuse me, pardon
7:13:28 my voice. 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. But if we could just see an attitudinal
7:13:38 shift toward respecting our teachers in the community, just say
7:13:43 thank you.
7:13:44 Just appreciate the sacrifices that I don’t get off at three
7:13:48 thirty when my kids leave, that I take all that work home, that
7:13:53 I take their emotional baggage home with me, just like all my
7:13:58 colleagues do. If we could just bring some respect and collegial
7:14:00 professionalism
7:14:01 back to how parents, communities and teachers treat each other,
7:14:05 like in other countries, why we’re falling behind other
7:14:09 countries in education is because it’s revered in other cultures.
7:14:15 It’s not an afterthought. It’s not something you pay with with
7:14:19 what’s left over in the budget. It’s prioritized on a national
7:14:24 level.
7:14:25 And so I love what we’ve done. And I think there’s good work.
7:14:28 But there’s weeds in every garden. And we need to pull some
7:14:32 weeds, both personally, right, and how we interact with each
7:14:36 other.
7:14:37 But please continue to help us grow as teachers. We want to get
7:14:41 better. We want to be better for your kids. And we want to be
7:14:45 there in January. 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. So I’m just telling you,
7:14:57 the adults in the building, and this could go for bus drivers,
7:15:01 cafeteria workers, IAs, the whole nine.
7:15:05 Custodians, they’re there because they love what they do, and
7:15:08 they want to make a difference in their community. Just go tell
7:15:12 them. It doesn’t cost anything. It doesn’t cost you a stamp if
7:15:15 you want to mail something, cost you an email button.
7:15:19 Just tell them how much they mean to you, even if all they do is
7:15:23 babysit your kid. Even if all they did was keep them safe for
7:15:26 six and a half hours.
7:15:28 Just tell them what they mean to you, because I still treasure.
7:15:31 I get the lucky blessing of being a Teacher of the Year, and I
7:15:35 got to be celebrated as the educator I always thought I could be.
7:15:39 But there are thousands of teachers that go every day wondering,
7:15:43 “Can I make a difference?” And you can be the one that helps
7:15:47 them.
7:15:48 I’m telling you, there’s so many teachers I talk off ledges on a
7:15:51 given day because they want to quit, they want to be done, and
7:15:54 some I haven’t successfully been able to, and they left.
7:15:58 But they might have been one word, one difference away from
7:16:01 saying, “I’m going to stay. I’m going to do this again.”
7:16:06 And this goes out to my students if they’re listening. I love
7:16:08 you so much. I’m so thankful for you and my families.
7:16:12 Twenty years of teaching, and I’ve still got all the energy I
7:16:16 ever had because of them. Not because of this, no offense. It’s
7:16:21 because of them.
7:16:22 So let’s keep our Y our Y.
7:16:25 Thank you, Mr. Young. I think if everybody here that was here
7:16:28 today, there’s a lot of passion because there’s different angles
7:16:31 on everything.
7:16:32 But I truly appreciate everybody that came today. We do have a
7:16:35 series of deliverables. Miss Samantha, is it absolutely
7:16:38 necessary?
7:16:39 Yes. I hope this is not a one-stop shop or a way to appease us.
7:16:43 I’d like to know when are we going to meet again.
7:16:46 Yeah, 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.
7:16:54 I really appreciate your time. I really appreciate everything
7:16:57 that everybody did here today. We’re here because of the kids,
7:17:00 and that’s what we’re here for.
7:17:01 So thank you so much. I really appreciate it. With that, we’re
7:17:05 done.
7:17:09 Thank you, Mr. Young.