Updates on the Fight for Quality Public Education in Brevard County, FL
2:57 Sa. Sa. That was not bad. Good evening.
12:37 The January 24, 2023 board meeting is now in order. I am happy to welcome my fellow board members and the public. I would like to take this opportunity to remind the public that the appropriate place for your public participation in the meeting is during your individual public comment opportunity as identified in the agenda outside your individual public comment opportunity.
12:58 Your role in the meeting is as an observer. Paul, roll call, please. Mister Susan.
13:04 Here. Miss Wright. Here.
13:06 Mister Trent. Here. Miss Jenkins.
13:08 Here. Miss Campbell. Here.
13:11 The board will now hold a moment of silent reflection and invite the audience to join. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
14:04 At this time, I would like to offer my fellow board members and doctor Schiller an opportunity to recognize student staff or members of the community. We can start with Miss Jenkins. We’ve been doing that all day.
14:17 So, Miss Jenkins, you’re up. Yeah, I got quite a few tonight. So very quickly, first and foremost, want to thank the city of Cocoa, the mayor, the city council members, for celebrating our cocoa tigers one more time publicly.
14:32 It was a great event. It was a beautiful day, and the majority of board members were there to celebrate. So it was.
14:38 It was really awesome. So, thank you to the city of Cocoa. I also want to thank the city of Malabar.
14:44 I just got an email. I believe it was yesterday that they have committed to donating a fire engine to Pompeii magnet firefighting program. So it’s getting inspected and getting checked.
14:54 So hats off to the town of Malabar. Thank you so much for being committed to brevard public schools. We appreciate you so much.
15:00 I also want to do another shout out for Palm Bay mag and hi. We’ve got a student there, Emma. I might be saying this wrong, but Emma Rish, she is a basketball player.
15:09 She was previously recognized by the Melbourne Regional Chamber of Commerce. She’s got multiple academic accolades, and she was just named McDonald’s All American one of one, and is committed to Notre Dame. So congratulations, Emma.
15:28 I want to give a special thank you to Brevard Achievement center. They invited me up there for a tour and a meeting, and they wanted to have a conversation with me about our thrive by five program. It’s something that really excites them, and they feel like there is.
15:44 There is a hole there for us to fill. So Brevard Achievement center works with our adults in the community who have disabilities, and they feel like we can become partners. There’s a lot that when the adults come to them at the Brevard Achievement center, there’s a lot of challenges that they had to face that they feel like they should have not had to have faced, and their families along the way before they got to Brevard Achievement center.
16:09 And so they’re hoping that if they can somehow partner with thrive by five, they can give a heads up to brevard public schools on how to educate families about services and options in the community. Both federal and state grants that those families can apply for to help support those students before they become adults and before they reach a brevard achievement center. So it was a really awesome conversation, and I look forward to having that conversation here at the district.
16:35 So thank you again for that. And I made a post about this and it went kind of crazy. So I feel like a lot of people know about it, but I still got to bring it back up.
16:43 I want to say another public thank you to a PTO president at Indian Atlantic elementary. Her name is Miss Colleen Tabaya, and she started with a teeny, tiny little idea at her school. They had some blank walls, and so she asked parents on the PTO if any of them were talented enough to help come together and paint a mural on one or two of the walls.
17:04 And super, super quickly, it spiraled into this grand reveal with a pairing of artist Christopher Maslow. He did an all call to all of the artists that he knows, not only locally. We had artists that drove across the state to come over to any Atlantic elementary for a very minimal cost for what it does to paint some of these murals they painted, I believe it was 14 murals across the campus.
17:30 They’re absolutely beautiful. Some of them were actually painted by parents as well, too. The most impressive one to me was they had painted some stepping stones on the way into the library.
17:40 It looked like they were photocopied on those stones. And that was actually apparent at Indian Atlantic elementary. It was really, really impressive.
17:47 Great event. Thank you, Colleen, for caring so much about your school. And her and I are going to have some talks about how maybe we can kind of spread the love, because the artists have been so generous.
17:57 They have already communicated with me like, we want to do this again. We want to do this for other schools. How can we make this happen? So we’re going to make that happen.
18:03 So I just want to give a shout out to the other artists. Jen Gallo. Michael Ballard.
18:08 Marianne Godier. Ian Soden. Gianna Gallo.
18:12 Jesse Travis. Nikki Nicole Studio. Sarah Peck.
18:16 Noah Cook. Bulk, Stiles, Cole, Trent. And of course, again, a special thank you to Christopher Maslow.
18:26 Miss Campbell. All right, I have several, too, but I can talk fast. I had the pleasure of hosting Palm Bay City Councilman Randy Foster on a tour of Heritage High school on Friday.
18:37 Heritage just had so much to show off, all their wonderful CTE programs. And that was something that we admitted to as a board a couple years ago for our new board members. I hope once you finish your initial visits going by yourself, which you need to absolutely do, that you will also grab an elected official and bring them along with you.
18:55 And because we want all our officials to be familiar with what’s going on, you know, we want to know about CTE programs and fine arts programs, all the great things going on in our schools. So that was, that was a fun day to bring him, and he loved every bit of it. Super excited.
19:11 So a couple years ago, I sat down with our CFO and said, how do we get all this complicated financial data out where the public can understand it? And they introduced me to the idea of a paffer, which is stands for public annual financial report. Pretty sure I got that one right. Cindy nodded and said, I did.
19:28 So we do a cafr every year. Complete annual. It’s pages and pages and pages of data with not a lot of pictures.
19:38 But last year, they came out with the very first annual paffer, popular annual financial report. And it won an award for being so great, the design. But the second annual paffer is in your spot tonight.
19:52 And last year it was a space in the. This year we’ve got this pool fund light bulb. It should have also been delivered to your home through the courier.
19:58 So for the people in the public, if you want a more easily accessible way to look through our budget, grab a copy of these. Mister Brun. We’re going to have copy these around right available.
20:08 And I’m pretty sure it’s available online. So look for that annual financial report. Lots of great information.
20:16 Tries to break it down a little bit more so the layperson can understand it. So super excited about that. That’s kind of a geeky thing to be excited about, but I like it.
20:26 Gotta get to all things music. Oh, my goodness. So this weekend’s one of my favorite weekends.
20:32 The calendar year, this weekend is all county weekend. So our high school and middle school students, who are the best of the best when it comes to choir, orchestra and band, will be performing this weekend at three different concerts at the King center. Board members, I hope that you’ll take advantage.
20:48 Let Miss Orno, if you didn’t RSVP already, let her know that you would like some tickets, because they’re wonderful concerts and excited about that. In addition to our all county students, for the best of the best in the county. A couple weeks ago, I was able to go with my daughter to see some of the best of the best in the state.
21:08 And I brought my program from that. And if you could see up close, you would see all these orange highlights. Cause that’s what I did in my off time, was sit went through, and it highlighted all the schools that were from Brevard.
21:19 And if I know where all these other schools were from, I would have counted to see if we were better and had more than anybody else. But I have to say we had 101 students from Brevard who were in all state ensembles. Yes.
21:34 Yes. Absolutely. We need to applaud that.
21:37 So proud of them. In addition to the student, those individual student performances, the orchestra from Ogalle High School performed at one of the concerts. And that is such a privilege.
21:48 Very few ensembles get to perform. And so that was an excellent. They did an outstanding job, as always.
21:54 In addition to that, we had schools. We had one, two, three. We had five schools who won enrollment awards.
22:00 We have more schools that have this. It’s kind of a rolling three year award for having the highest enrollments in the state of the number of students at each school who are enrolled in music programs, whether it’s band, orchestra, choir, guitar. And those schools this year that were wore, that were Dolores Middle School, Edgewood, the high school part, Jefferson Middle School, Johnson Middle School, and satellite high school.
22:23 So congratulations to those schools. And then also, one of our band directors, Crystal Galanello from Southwest, won the Tom Bishop award, which the Florida Band Masters association gives to a band director who has turned around a program in a short amount of time. And she has certainly done great work at Southwest.
22:39 We’re super proud of her. Two more really quick things. Sorry.
22:44 It’s been, like, more than a month since we had a meeting. I’m just looking at your whole list. I mean, this is a whole notebook going on over here.
22:50 Well, some of this is actually. Just remember, if I ever get harassed by her. Last week.
22:54 Last week, I able to go with Central middle School to the 8th grade field trip to the Harry and Harriet Moore center in Mims. And such a fantastic trip. The kids did a fantastic job.
23:07 They were engaged. The weather was beautiful. I hope it’s beautiful for everybody, because I know it’s been cold sometimes, but the center volunteers and staff did such a great job.
23:16 And Doctor McKinnon and the other staff who coordinated it did a wonderful job. If you haven’t already signed up for your field trip to go, I promise you it won’t be as long of a bus ride as it was for me. But hop on a bus and head on the field trip because it’s a wonderful experience.
23:32 And then finally, just for our awareness and to encourage our staff who may be watching, we are in the middle of several, or at the beginning of several health initiatives for our employees over the next few months, we’re in the middle of the new me challenge. I joined that because I wanted to see what all we’re doing for employees. And that could to lose a couple pounds myself.
23:52 But we’re about to start a challenge and board putting you on notice right now. You need to sign up for the walk to the moon 300 miles challenge. We’re trying to get enough employees to walk 300 miles.
24:06 You get, like a couple of months to do it. Walk 300 miles. And if enough employees walk 300 miles, we will walk enough miles to get to the moon.
24:15 Right. Mister Gibbs has the golden shoe trophy in his office and somebody needs to take it away from from him. But I will tell you, it’s very difficult.
24:23 So I’ve got so sign up for that. In addition to that, on February 4, Saturday is the BPS hustle five k at satellite high school. So sign up for that.
24:31 We want to set a good example for all of our employees by getting healthy. And that’s all. Miss Campbell, can you just describe what this 300? Because it, like, it just kind of rolls through.
24:40 You use your pedometer and you record your miles and you have ten or twelve weeks. I don’t know. Antonio’s not in here to try to get enough steps in to equal that many miles.
24:52 If you work out other ways, it gets converted into other stuff. And by the end of the time, if you get 300 miles in, then you get a little prize and have a little celebration. But like I said, it’s mainly setting example for all of our employees to get healthy and to.
25:07 Because it benefits all of us. Hey, Paul, do you have dogs? I do. I would just like to say that there is a video out there that shows Paul has the pedometer on his dogs and is letting them roll around because there’s no way that man actually walked as many miles as he did.
25:22 He’s an animal. Okay. And it’s basically like Campbell will start saying, you have 0 mile recorded, so just get ready.
25:30 She gets a little crazy with this thing. So I may have to be a part of it this year. Just so you know.
25:35 So anyways. All right, Mister Trent. Wait, are you done? I’m done.
25:39 I’m gonna record that finally. Go ahead, mister. All right, so I’m gonna start with.
25:47 I was at Roosevelt elementary with Jonathan Hillard and Miss Varney of the unions, both BFT and 1010. With their coffee for staff and teachers. They bring up a.
26:01 If you don’t know what this is, it’s a great little thing that they do and it’s a good way to meet the staff. They bring up a coffee truck trailer and they were there for 2 hours before school. And during the first hour it’s like seven to nine in the morning.
26:15 And it’s just a great way to meet the staff. From the custodians staff to all the IAS and just anybody who works in the building. And they’re encouraged to come out and we have conversation with them.
26:27 So Miss Lott there at Roosevelt greeted us and it was a great time. We spent time there also at Golfview last week with their entire staff. It’s a wonderful staff and they have a lot of good things going on.
26:42 You’re going to hear more about that school, I think, later today, but had a good conversation with at that time, assistant principal Mister Coverdale. He’s got a great program going on over at Gulfview. So that was a great experience.
26:57 I would encourage all of us to partake in that whenever we can. Also at Anderson elementary, they had a science fair. I was able to do some pre judging.
27:10 I didn’t know it was going to be so involved. The entire cafeteria was just full of science fair projects. If you’ve been around at all on Brevard, you know how important and how much time is taken on these science fair projects by the entire staff of a school.
27:27 But on top of that, they had fast testing at the same time, the same day that they had these judging, the judging going on. So they had to juggle a lot. But Miss Harris there at, at Anderson elementary did a wonderful job.
27:42 So I was able to spend 90 minutes just going through and looking at all these different categories, which was great. They were going to pick, I believe, a top 15 to move on to district. During that time, I got to meet a handful of Edgewood seniors that they had brought in to judge.
28:02 They did a lot of the legwork. They were there from nine in the morning. Our judges, the adults showed up at like eleven, but they went through all, I believe it was 115 science fair projects, and they took notes on all of them.
28:17 So they did a wonderful job and took it seriously. The key there is they fed them pizza, so they were very excited. Also, congratulations to Merritt Island High School for having the highest grade point average in Brevard of any non choice high school at 97.
28:50 2%. What did I say? That’s a heck of a grade point average, right? Graduation rate. And then that was a great.
29:07 That was a big increase from 2021. So it was, again, that you can’t just say one person that takes a village for graduation rate. There’s a lot of hands in that pot stirring that to get that graduation rate up there.
29:19 I’m very pleased to put that out there, that good things are happening in Brevard, but that’s all I got, Miss Rice. All right, I have a list like you, Katie. All right.
29:30 I am going to brag on a few different. Different arenas here, so I want to thank space Florida. I had the opportunity to go to one of our schools and tour some of our career and technical education programs with space Florida.
29:47 That was very exciting. They’re very excited about the amazing things that we’re doing in Brevard county, hoping that we’re going to further that relationship with them and figure out how to connect some of our kids into an actual career once they graduate with some of these skills that we’re teaching them here at BPS. I also want to give a shout out to Leann Yehnert.
30:02 She is a teacher at Space coast. And I will tell you, I will full disclose she is my niece, but I want to tell you the full story of her because she’s a success story of sports. She got a full scholarship to fam you from bowling, which I didn’t even know, I will be honest.
30:16 When she got the scholarship that you got a scholarship for bowling, but she got a scholarship for bowling, went to FAMU, graduated from FAMU, and is now back in Brevard county. And she is teaching at one of our schools here. She actually took her team to nationals.
30:35 They won state and they’re going to nationals now. And she was just awarded the Florida Dairy Farmers 2022 Girls bowling coach of the year. So I think that’s a huge success of a story of, hey, doing a sport in our school, going to college because she got a scholarship, coming back now and serving her community and then taking those kids forward, it’s a great success story.
30:39 And the dairy farmers. Yeah, it’s kind of weird. Yeah, that’s.
30:42 I. Yeah. I don’t know. Well, I don’t know.
30:54 Something I don’t know. So also want to give a shout out to the principal and the staff at Coquina. So, Miss Loveless, I got the opportunity to go up there and they are doing something very unique in an elementary school that I would love to see implemented.
31:04 In all of our elementary schools, they have a book vending machine, and they’re using this as a positive reward for students. It’s right in their cafeteria. So we got to go to the ribbon cutting.
31:20 It was so awesome to see these kids get these gold coins. And these are kids that are setting good examples and behaving well and get to go to this vending machine. And instead of getting a candy bar, they get a book, which I thought was really, really neat and just, it was very apparent that staff there at that school loves those kids.
31:36 They have some families that have gone through some really hard things. And I know we have a lot of students that are in that same situation, but I got to witness it firsthand and they’re doing exceptional things there. I also, I have been spending a significant amount of time with our transportation, at our transportation depots.
31:48 And doctor Miller has taken us around and show us and Rashad as well. I want to shout out to those people. Our bus drivers are doing an amazing, phenomenal job right now for our students.
31:57 They are the very first face that our kids see in the morning. They’re transporting 24,000 of our children daily. This is a lot of kids that are riding buses in our school system.
32:14 And so getting to be there and hear what their struggles are, what their wins are. We got to focus on our transportation. So I’ll bring back some of the stuff I learned, but I want to shout out to Michelle Roy, because she is creating an atmosphere.
32:22 They have, like barbecues on Fridays with their bus drivers, like they have. It’s the coolest thing ever. And everyone in the office and the bus drivers there, they love that depot.
32:34 They were bragging about how amazing she is and just the team effort. So I want to give a shout out to her, because honestly, that unit, I’ve never seen a group that is so tightly knit and connected. So shout out to our bus drivers.
32:45 Thank you for protecting our kids and getting them to and from school daily. Very safe. So we appreciate you, we love you, and we will continue to keep improving however we possibly can.
32:52 And that’s it. Those are mine. Doctor Schiller, do you have something you want to talk about? You don’t have a list like they do.
32:56 I do. Oh, gosh. Good evening, chairman, Susan.
33:10 Members of the board. At this time, I really would like to make a couple of comments. First of all, let me share with the community what an honor it is for me to serve in the interim capacity until May 31.
33:29 It’s truly an honor to be here in such a fine school district. I live about 100 miles away south at Stewart, and here’s a hidden gem. I will tell you that I want to share with you a couple of things that I think are outstanding, and I want to acknowledge some people, like all of you, have.
34:14 Number one task. One is to have made a seamless transition to second semester. And because of the fact of all the cooperation, loyalty and dedication of the folks who are in our schools, who support our schools, the leadership of the central office, the many hours that former superintendent Mullins and now retired deputy superintendent thed and now retired former assistant superintendent for support services Moore gave to me that I like to say that I’m really proud of the effort that everyone put forward together, and I think we should be very pleased with the type of opening we’ve had for the second semester.
35:03 It was all of their work. Number two, I want you to tell you the truth, that of all the assignments I’ve had over five decades of coming into school districts or states for short periods of time, I’ve never found in any situation much more devoted, highly experienced staff, whether it be someone who is providing food services, and they’re wonderful people in the schools that I’ve met in, right here in the cafeteria, the bus drivers, the bus aides, the folks who are in charge of routing the bus mechanics, everyone over at the depot that I had visited. And Miss Wright has outdistanced me by getting to at least three at this point.
35:49 But I’m going to catch up the very folks who are out there greeting us and providing the entertainment as we try to make our way through to get in here, to the many principals who have reached out to me, the teachers who I’ve met, those who have reached out to stakeholders to me by phone or email, recognizing what issues they might have and what things that they would like to see happen, but most importantly, how proud they are. We, I say we because I’m part of brevard public schools, proud of that. We have some remarkable, remarkable things going on here.
36:17 Many, many gems, many, many stones to be polished up and many, many ways to move forward in a very dynamic, changing environment for the future. And what we have to do is to do what we continue doing best. And you’re going to have a presentation a little while by staff members, which I’ve previewed, and through Doctor Sullivan to give you a glimpse of just one program and the follow up in, I think next month’s of the next phase of what we are trying to do.
36:54 Not only is the board been devoting countless hours in helping me make the transition, but planning not only for today, but more so for future. Not only is it the tactical kind of planning needed to go from year to year, but to be thinking much more large scale. It was arranged for me to meet with the interim president who I knew 25 years ago, the president who’s serving here at Florida Tech, deans and professors looking to see how we can strengthen the linkage to pre k 20.
37:29 I’ve had occasion now to meet most if not all state elected and local elected officials and mayors have an opportunity to have worked closely with so many folks. Particularly what I’ve enjoyed is our visit to first day of opening for second semester Sable elementary school, the seat of moms and dads and aunts and uncles and grandmas. Bringing the children to school or coming off the school bus, going to the classroom, meeting the teachers, seeing the kind of dedication and the love in their eyes for their students and what they’re doing over that school.
37:42 Very proud of that kind of an experience. I’m particularly looking forward to a couple of things. One, tomorrow night is having work now at the board meetings with the Brevard foundation.
38:17 We’re all going to be invited and going to be at the Radisson Hotel were basically the big event. The teachers of the year recognition that started about 06:00 wow, what a treat that’s going to be. And then I’m really looking forward to as my wife of this evening on Saturday to come to the King center in order to be able to enjoy aspects of the performing arts that are going to take place that I’m really looking forward to, as is my wife, should she be able to make it with me.
39:21 Everything is falling into place, but I just want to reiterate once again, our next task as a staff to support the schools and the schools and the students is to have an outstanding second semester and prepare our district so we can do a nice seamless, smooth handoff to the permanent superintendent whenever that she or he is appointed in early, late spring, early summer. To me that would be mission accomplished in that we were able to move the district ahead, address some of the issues, bring the board to a point where they’re ready to move on to the permanent superintendent and the permanent superintendent now be able to walk in this community ready to continue the strong work that the board and to join a very talented staff to support the young people who we have here and the staff in order to make and continue to make in the future for Bard county schools. Great.
39:38 I appreciate that very, very much. I have something else, too, Mister Susan. Tonight on this agenda, we have administrative staff recommendations, one presentation, which I’m sure the board will enjoy in the community.
39:48 We have 28 consent items, one public hearing, six items, and one information item. Hang on, though, because I didn’t get to say my thing yet. It’s all right.
39:51 It’s all right. You’re rolling. I like it.
39:57 Listen, introduction. Yeah. I usually want to give you an opportunity, and then I’ll give it right back to you.
40:00 Yeah. Thank you. Yeah.
40:10 So ABC Awards is what he’s talking about. And that is going to be amazing because that is our, you know, teacher of the year and everything else. It’s going to be a lot of fun.
40:19 So I’m looking forward to that. Miss Jenkins, thank you so much for recognizing the murals. One of my former students was a part of that, Jesse Travis.
40:41 And he sent the pictures to me and everything like that. So I kind of forwarded them to Sue Han, and I said, hey, how cool would it be with the opening of the new middle school that we have some of those murals there with space and stuff like that? And she said, we’ll talk about it. Right? But then I think that after talking to Jesse for a good half an hour, 45 minutes, there’s a lot of our schools that need help.
40:46 Our title. I don’t have the beauty that some of those other schools have. They’re not brand new.
41:11 They’re kind of old. You know what I mean? So I talked to Jesse, and I said, you know what, Jesse? I might just fundraise myself to give some opportunity to my title one schools to try to pay for some of these murals to come in. So that’s an amazing opportunity if you guys didn’t see it, an amazing opportunity to move forward with getting murals inside your schools, because he’s just part of, as she said, all of those other artists that are a part of it, and it just brings a different aspect and beauty to our school.
41:28 And I had also, Miss Campbell brought it to me. February 3 is crossing guard appreciation day. So I will tell you right now, if on February 3, you remember this, I would grab your phones and put it in there, stop and tell them thank you.
41:44 Because many of you guys see the crossing guards that are down in, you know, some of your more suburban areas and stuff like that. But there are dangerous places that our crossing guards keep our kids safe. Ogalle boulevard right there on Croton, they’ve got.
41:53 They’re just basically dodging traffic to try to stop. And it gets bad in some areas. And if it’s not for them, we wouldn’t have some of the safety that we have.
41:58 So on February 3. Thank you, Miss Campbell. Again, I don’t want to take credit for that.
42:12 Go out there and say thank you to your crossing guard, because that’s definitely something that you should do. All right, last but not least, because I wanted to try to get moving, and you guys took all my time. So there’s some people here that I wanted to say.
42:19 I truly appreciate you guys being here, and I’m going to try. This is. I never see me get all choked up, but this is some special people.
42:29 It’s the adulthood people, and I was a part of them. So as a teacher, I taught all day. I gave up my planning, so I taught all my straight through.
43:11 I would go coach, and then because I didn’t afford enough money, I actually drove a motorcycle to save money on gas so that I could make it to the adulthood, teach at night and then go back at home. And the experiences I had with many of you that are sitting in those chairs right now were absolutely phenomenal. Like some of the kids lives that you change by getting them in GED, getting them to get to that next level is such a larger achievement level than somebody in most, most of the time getting diplomas, because the difference in allowing having somebody get that GED walk across that line and get what they, you know, the jobs they usually have, families.
43:17 I mean, it’s a big deal. And so thank you, you guys, for everything that you guys do. I appreciate you here.
43:24 I appreciate what you do. And I’m glad to see that some of you guys are still in there and keeping it up. So thank you with that.
43:31 Yeah, yeah. Thanks. I even got that motorcycle stolen one night.
43:37 We had to go find it. So thank you so much for being here. That’s all I have.
43:42 And that brings us to doctor Schiller now. Right back at you, buddy. I just said jumped the gun on that one.
43:44 It’s okay, man. We like that. We like it.
43:56 As I went through what the recommendations are coming forward to the board, there are several changes have been made to the agenda since it was released to the public. Under F eleven. Student expulsion.
44:24 F 17 is the field trip of Palm Bay Bankton High School’s McJRoTC air rifle team. H 40. The interim reorganization plan, which I would note is just for the time limited until May 31, when at the end of my tenure, as well as interim reorganization of a job description for the interim deputy superintendent, whose job also expires at the end of May.
44:44 Actually, we’re engaging these people for four months. Job description of the interim reorganization of staff recommendations. There are some individuals in the staff who have volunteered to move on to accept additional responsibilities for the next four months.
45:02 They’re already here with us performing the roles, and we’re filling in for departed staff members as well as we also have school board working guidelines. And there were some revisions that were made to certain items. F 13, instructional recommendations.
45:14 F 14 support staff recommendations and several board policies. I 29, board policy 5780. Board policy I 36,520.
45:34 And on I 31, board policy 24 ten. Do I hear a motion? Is there any discussion? Please vote. All in favor, signify by saying aye.
46:02 Opposed? Motion passes. Doctor Schiller, would you please let us know about the administrative staff recommendations? Yes. I’m very proud to announce that an individual has stepped up and totally endorsed by the members of the school to serve as the principal at Gulfview Elementary School to acting principal.
46:24 He’s moving up from assistant principal. Acting principal, and effective January 25, with the board’s concurrence. Mister Jeffrey Coverdale, would you please rise? Is your wife with us? I think and misses Coverdale.
46:33 Get him one of these microphones. Let him speak. Mister Coverdale, would you like to come forward, please, with your lovely wife? If you like.
46:36 Yeah. Oh, but you know, he jumped the gun. I wasn’t going to say anything.
46:43 Listen, we’re just going to roll here. There’s nobody that’s going to not appoint him, and he can give his darn speech. So, miss.
46:49 Listen, listen. You are about to become the first person to ever give a speech before you’re approved. But let’s go ahead and do it anyway.
46:52 Give your speech. This is good. I’m all about it.
46:54 Let’s go give it to him. We’re fine. I got this.
46:56 Doctor. Doctor Schiller. We’re good.
47:12 Let’s go. Well, I’d like to thank you, Doctor Schiller. Board members, Misses Klein, Tara Harris, and Doctor Ivory, who have been great mentors to me and the faculty and staff at Gulf.
47:27 You’re one of the hardest working faculties and staff we have here in this district. I thank you for allowing me the opportunity to continue to lead them and help move the school forward. And I look forward to this opportunity.
47:45 I’d like to thank my wife too, who is, who retired from this district two years ago for her support. And I thank you all. Thank you, Mister Coverdell.
48:02 You know, if she retired two years ago, that means that she’s allowed to come back. So it might be part of your conversation to kind of talk her into that. That mean all right? Yeah.
48:09 And then what about our friends? Like I know she hangs out with some other people. We need them back. We better not move to a conditional vote that would be balanced.
48:20 All right. Do I hear a motion move to approve? Second. Is there any discussion? I’ll tell you, I can’t tell you how many people told me to make sure that you’re the principal.
48:26 It was insane. All right. I’ve never had like that many calls that were like, you got it, and I was like, it’s already done.
48:33 Like, don’t worry about it because you were the shoo in. So thank you so much. Yeah, I know.
48:36 I know. I know. All right.
48:41 Any other discussion? No. All right, please vote. All in favor, signify by saying aye.
48:43 Aye. Aye. Opposed? All right.
48:51 You are officially the principal. Thank you. All right, we are now on at the presentations.
49:18 Doctor Schiller, tonight we have one outstanding presentation. Adult and community education could be presented by Doctor Stephanie Sullivan, assistant superintendent for secondary learning and leading, and her team. Doctor Sullivan, has we gone through this presentation? I’m really pleased to be a part of and learn as much as you are going to learn tonight of what one outstanding program we have in this district.
49:24 Doctor Sullivan, thank you for being here tonight. Thank your staff for all the work that they do every day for us. Thank you.
49:39 Thank you. Thank you, Mister Susan. Members of the board, Doctor Schiller, so excited to share with you tonight the strides that we have made in lifelong learning.
50:01 Mister Susan prefaced with some of the great accomplishments of our younger students in adult education. But tonight you’re going to hear about programs that serve students to sixties and 70 years old. It is not uncommon to see a wide range of members of our community taking advantage of these incredible programs.
50:27 Became a part these programs became a part of secondary leading and learning two and a half years ago. And it was a gift that I didn’t know I was going to love as much as I have. Laurie Benjamin, the director for adult and community education, has done an incredible job of connecting with our community, accelerating programs, and advancing opportunities for all members of Brevard county through sites in the south, central and north.
50:57 You’re going to hear about just a little bit about some of the unique programs that maybe members of our community are not aware of. So we definitely want everyone that’s listening today to share this information wildly and broadly because we want as many members of our community taking advantage as possible of. So at this time, I’m going to turn the mic and the presentation over to the director of adult and community education, Laurie Benjamin.
51:02 Thank you, Doctor Sullivan. Thank you. Thank you to the superintendent and the board for giving us this time.
51:16 We’re super excited. The Bates team is here with me and I’d like to start our presentation about what we have at adult education. I thought I’d start with locations because believe it or not, people not sure where we are.
51:25 So it’s important that everyone knows where we are. We have our Coco campus, which most people are familiar with, which was previously the Clear Lake Middle School. That is our.
51:38 One of our central locations. We’re down in Melbourne, across from Merritt island, excuse me, across from Melbourne High School in the Percepta plaza in the back. And we’re also also on the eastern Florida State College campus in Titusville.
51:43 We rent a space there. So those are our three locations. I’d like you to meet my team.
51:49 I have some of them here with me today. I have three site administrators. Karen Darkow runs my Melbourne admin.
51:54 She’s the administrator there. Jamie Cross, he’s here tonight. Please stand, Jamie.
52:08 And I also have Julie Sanders, who is my Titus field administrator. I have an amazing team, but my learning specialist and my workforce coordinator could not do it without them. And many of them are here tonight.
52:22 We have learning specialists that work in the resource range and so they do specialties. Casey Townsend, she’s not here with us tonight. She is my data recording coordinator that keeps us knowing exactly what’s going on in adult education and keeping us in compliance.
52:29 At fdoe, Brad Bell is here tonight. He is my ded chief examiner. Tanya Holder is standing next to me.
52:36 She is runs my workforce program and she is my grants coordinator. Travis Lowe, back here. He is my workforce development coordinator.
52:51 That is a new possession that board approved last year, and it is an amazing position that helps us work with the community. I also have Kristin Nelson. She is not here tonight, but she is my testing and accountability coordinator.
52:59 When I came onto adult education, that was something we didn’t have. So we now have a testing coordinator. Shannon Franklin is here tonight.
53:08 She is my learning specialist. She’s the academic coach for all three sites, and she runs my community outreach programs. So that is my team and I’m very proud of them.
53:23 So what else do we have at adult education? Well, the thing that everyone thinks of and knows is GED. And yes, we do have our GED programs, and we also have adult high school, which is the programs that many of you may not be familiar with. Some of you are.
53:41 That is our programs where our students come to us and they receive their high school diploma through adult education. They are called adult high school students. All of our students that come to our program are pay a $31.
53:59 50, $0.50 semester. That is a tuition fee through FDOE that they pay.
54:11 We have day and night options and you have to be 16 years old to be able to come. We have a totally online application and registration, and it’s rolling enrollment. Another big program that we have at adult education is our ESOL program, and that is for language acquisition.
54:28 Very strong program. That’s our adult ESOL programs. I have it at all three campuses, two evening programs, and we just started our third evening program this week at our Titusville campus because the need is there.
54:42 Many people come to us and they’re looking for language acquisition to improve their workforce attainment and maybe to work on their skills in that. And so that is a program that we’re really proud of as well. This is our programs that a lot of people don’t know that we have, and I’m super proud of these, and so is our team.
55:00 We have major workforce programs. And everyone always says to me, are you really serious that these are free? I hear this all the time, and the answer is yes for many of them. And one is fee based, but it’s still a really good deal.
55:07 So one of the programs I’m really excited about that we started, and we’re in our fourth cohort, and that’s at Brevard, at the Clear Lake campus and the manufacturing site. We have a solid works pre apprenticeship, and that’s in conjunction with Eastern Florida State College. We work unanimously work together in our lab.
55:21 The professor is from eastern Florida State College. They bring their time. It’s on the eastern Florida State College is on.
55:45 Their students come and our students come and they’re in class together. They also receive some CPT certification and their solidwork certification when they complete the nine month pre apprenticeship program. We’ve been highly successful and we continue to have students.
56:00 Our new cohort started January 9. We also have our first pre apprenticeship, which was in the areas of construction that is still running, that is also completely free, gives people opportunities to go into any form of plumbing, electrical sheet metal worker, pipe fitting, line erector, anything in the trades. They receive their NCCr certification as well as their MSSC certification certification.
56:06 And then they can get into the community and do any jobs. We usually run one at our cocoa campus and then we use the Evans center at times or my Melbourne campus to run one in the south area as well. That will be coming soon in the spring to start our next cohort.
56:20 Another program that many people don’t know that we have. This one is fee based but very affordable. And this one is near and dear to my heart.
56:29 And we’re working very hard to keep this one going. This is our automotive program and it is held at satellite high school in the evenings. It’s a post secondary automotive program and it’s for automotive service technician one and two.
56:37 The students walk away. They pay per credit hour a fee. And then in two years, about two years of the program, they are able to walk.
56:51 They walk away with a job. Most students that are in the program are given a job within days of doing the work. At this time, the program is on hold.
56:59 We do have students on the waitlist ready to register and we continue to work, but we are trying to find an automotive teacher. So at this time that program is on hold. But as soon as we get our teacher, that will be up and running.
57:11 You can see at the bottom of the screen. It also says that we’re waiting on a logistics and cybersecurity pre apprenticeship program. Those also will be completely free.
57:23 Those will be starting in the spring. The logistics will give them a certified logistics associate certification and cybersecurity would be it fundamentals. And both those programs were awarded this past year.
57:35 And so they will be starting in this spring. The other side of the house, as you know, it’s community. We look for lifelong learning and fun and just workforce attainment or enjoyment.
57:44 So our community classes are set out to look at interest in the community and teachers that reach out, that have a skill that they want to share with us. So we start those every January. Right now we have Spanish one through four.
58:03 That’s a Zoom class. It’s been running ever since COVID and it has been excellent. They love it online because the teacher works at.
58:13 Another example of what they learn in Spanish and what’s great about it is Brevard public schools has really pushed to be in this program. Many principals and directors have brought sent some of their staff to there so they can learn the spanish language, be able to communicate more with students or with the community. So that’s been really successful.
58:34 And you can see multiple programs that we have. We change them up every semester based on interest. Another thing that we’re really excited and proud about.
59:06 Doctor Sullivan came to me when we first started this program and she talked about the need for instructional assistance in our brevard here and we really need those in the classroom. So we decided, how can we help in adult education? So we became a site where we can give the paraprofessional exam. Someone does not have their 60 credits to become.
59:27 When they have their 60, they can become a paraprofessional. The exam used to be so far to drive for the teachers it was a hindrance so they can take the exam with us and it’s allowed people to get their certifications and get back into the program. I will explain a little later what else we’ve done with paraprofessional when we saw the test is difficult and what else can we do to help those in the community? One word you’re going to see here, and many of you may have heard it if you have been in the adult education arena, but it’s a very, very big push.
59:41 And that is integrated education and training. If you come in the adult ed world, you hear a lot about IED. What that means is we want our adult education students and anyone that comes into the program as they come in as adult learner, if they’re trying to obtain their education, what else do they need? We’re looking to upskill them or they may want to do something else.
1:00:05 So we don’t want them to have to do it. They can do it. At the same time, what happens is they push into the courses and they get their educational literacy skills at the same time that they’re gaining their workforce skills.
1:00:25 And so when they leave with their GED or their adult high school or their Esaw graduation, they still have some kind of certification that they can get right out into the workforce. We currently have the construction pre apprenticeship as an IET. We have the solidworks program with an IET option, and the paraprofessional instructional assistant also has an IET option.
1:00:37 Upcoming IET programs that we’re going to have would be the tech bootcamp program, which we’re working on getting started. That’s going to allow for certifications in j soldering. And we have a salesforce IeT that we just sent the certifications up to the state for our single set of learning objectives.
1:00:59 It’s been a community class with partnership with Careersource brevard, and it gives them salesforce and marketing skills. We provide a wraparound at the Melbourne campus. Parapro.
1:01:33 We are a one teacher model for Parapro because as an IET you can have different models because the teacher is the occupational person in that regard. Because a teacher, the occupation is to become an teacher, we only need one teacher. So we hire a teacher and they help out in the skills of reading, writing, mathematics, small group instruction and classroom culture.
1:01:56 So the students come in and they learn about being a helpful instructional aide in the classroom, but they’re also given the skills so when they finish the class that they will pass that paraprofessional exam and be ready to push right back into the classroom to support the teacher. We did finish our first cohort of that this last semester with a partnership with Bloomberg and it was very successful. The other model we have is called fully integrated and that is the occupational teacher along with the literacy teacher, working together so that there are no barriers for any students in the occupational courses.
1:02:16 They have the literacy component and a teacher that can wrap around them to help with the reading levels, to help with the mathematics. So that those aren’t the barriers to get a workforce certification. We also wanted to talk about testing because often we don’t know that in Brevard, in adult education, that the kind of testing that we do, and we do a lot of testing.
1:02:28 If a student is in adult high school, we follow all the same tests as the district so that the students are ready for graduation. We use tape testing, which is the test that we take to come in for any of our IET classes and to make sure the leveling for our students, to make sure that they are put where they need to go forward. We use classes testing so that our students are leveled for ESOL.
1:02:38 And we are a GED testing center. Mister Bell is the GED test examiner. And so we test our students as well as we are the test site for all of Brevard county, of anyone over 18 that wants to come in tests.
1:02:56 We’re an in person test site and they do have online testing. We also are a test site for industry certifications. We do the automotive testing for ASE certifications.
1:03:15 And we’re working with Mister Johnson in k twelve to help the schools do some more GS one testing. So we’re in the process of working on that right now. We also are the approved testers for MSSC certifications, for the CPT certifications, and as I spoke before, we’re the test type for parapro.
1:03:24 We’re also working with the district who’s a partnership with BPS to help with it being the testing site for the 911 dispatcher that is now a new CTE program. So we’re hoping to help out in that arena, be the test for that as well. So of course I gave you data because everybody wants to know what are we doing.
1:03:38 So this is last year our GED passing rate and, you know, 71% is acceptable. But I’m the first to say that we want to beat that. We’re going to do much better than that.
1:03:49 But I am very transparent with our data and I wanted you to see where we were last year for our GED pass rate. This year, obviously, July 1 is the beginning of our next calendar year. So we wanted to show you where we were.
1:04:04 Right now we’re at a 56% pass rate for all of adult education, so we’re better than 50%. But obviously we are going to push the button until graduation. So we hope to show you numbers that are higher.
1:04:23 But I’m proud of my team that they keep pushing forward and evaluating those numbers. This is where we feel we’re very successful and we’re going to continue to work. And this was the charge I was given when I came into this position two and a half years ago.
1:04:46 Obviously, high school on time graduation rate is very important for the district and it’s very important for us. When we receive these students, we want to know what their cohort is and we want to help. Currently we are in the strategic pan to show how do we help the district and help the schools keep the graduation rates up and continue to go up.
1:05:09 In 2021, our high school graduation rate, we had 56 adult high school students graduate. Of those 56 students, 36 were on time cohort graduation at 64%. People may look at 64% and say, okay, but if I can tell you where I started, it was a huge, huge increase and I’m super proud of my team.
1:05:31 Currently in 2023 right now, which is August till now, when our students came back, we have twelve adult high school graduates and of those twelve, two are on cohort. Two have graduated already of the cohort for this year. Of those twelve, I feel very proud because those were students that have a missed cohort, but in six months they’ve done the work and they’ve graduated.
1:05:55 We have a co enrollee program which many are aware of and that’s how we support our k twelve secondary high schools. For students that have deficiencies or need on time graduation, they can take up to two courses with us and that can help the schools and allow for on time graduation. So we’re very confident that we’ll continue that program.
1:06:09 Esser funds we were really lucky that the last round of Esser in adult education, we were allowed to get those funds, and so we decided to use those funds to take away barriers. At this time, we’re working on contracts to have childcare and surrounding childcare centers so that our students can have somewhere to bring their children so they can continue to go to school. And we’re working with area transit to try to get provide access to transportation on the buses.
1:06:27 So we have funding to do that, and we’re still working on contracts. The contract that has worked and we’re super proud of is the mental health services. We receive money for mental health services and we provided over an hour per student.
1:06:43 They come in either person online or virtual, and we have done mental health services for the past six months for our students, and we’ll continue that on for this year. So postal psychiatric urgent care has been our partner and we’re doing that. There’s major partnerships here, and I just wanted to put them up there for everybody to see.
1:06:52 Obviously, Brevard Public Schools is our number one partner because we partner together what’s best for our students, pre stores. Brevard is one that I can speak of, and obviously I’ve spoke of eastern Florida State College, but there’s many sponsors that we have there. Our future plans.
1:07:09 Some of you may already know or have heard of our future plans. They’re exciting. We’re looking to become an apprenticeship here in Brevard Public schools.
1:07:25 We’re working on the paperwork because we want to have CDL here, and obviously we have a bus depot and we’ve heard everything about transportation, so we want to be the ones that will train these people. And we think adult education is the great place to do that. We’re going to increase our partnership with eastern Florida State College.
1:08:03 We met with people from eastern Florida State College last week, and we’re working on talking about boot camps and other partnerships like we have with solidworks. We want to expand our automotive program. We have it done in satellite, and we’d like to eventually move it to a central location.
1:08:11 We’re looking to apply for our COE certification, which is a council occupation education certificate. And what that will do is as our programs go, it’ll provide financial aid for our students. And the last thing that we have on here that Mister Susan is aware of because he helped speak of that for us at our legislation meeting last week, we’re advocating for appropriation and we’re working on getting that paperwork done as we speak so that we at Clear Lake Education center can now build a CDL training facility that will include driving courses, vehicles and a place to do diesel mechanic and be a one stop shop for brevard public schools.
1:08:26 So those are our big major future plans. We have our funding sources here. We just wanted to be transparent with you.
1:08:38 I don’t need to go over all of them, but I wanted to show you how all our funding comes in. Obviously, Wiova is our major funding and then we have multiple grants at the bottom here. Our PCOG grants are many of the grants that fund our pre apprenticeship programs.
1:09:04 And at the end, obviously, I have all our contact information myself and my three administrators. And I just want to thank you again for your time. And hopefully you learned a lot about base and brevard adult community education.
1:09:18 Don’t go anywhere. I know there’s a lot of people that want to say something to you, but Miss Sullivan, I think you could now understand the pride I had and the heartfelt regards I had for this team and the work that I can speak to that they’ve done in the past two and a half years. And when I think of serving every student with excellence as the standards, that includes our grandmas and grandpas, that includes our folks that just need a second start.
1:09:27 And they’ve done everything I’ve asked of them and more. And I know that hopefully the information today helps you understand some of those other things. I do want to mention one thing that Miss Benjamin briefly went over.
1:09:39 This program is completely self sustaining. There are no standard brevard public school funds that go into adult education. None whatsoever.
1:09:48 They run off workforce education funds from the state of Florida and grants that they work hard to maintain. So I thought it was worth mentioning that this is a completely cost neutral program. Thank you.
1:10:27 That’s awesome. I think I’m going to give my fellow board members opportunity to engage with you. Is there anybody? I love what you guys do.
1:10:33 One of my favorite graduations to attend is revard adult ed. And it’s because even though it’s small classes compared to our high schools, they give several students each time the opportunity to share their testimony of how far they’ve come and to hear, you know, to see like moms and daughters graduating in the same ceremony, to hear young, you know, parents who, you know, got off to a rocky start and they’re turning lives around, or they tell their story about how when they’re in high school, they totally weren’t serious, they were goofing off. Or maybe they were into drugs or whatever, and somewhere in their twenties they said, you know what? I need to get this done.
1:10:51 And so they go back and get it done. It’s so exciting to hear these. So it’s transformational in our community and the opportunity.
1:10:59 It’s economically transformational because of the opportunities you’re creating for people to get that education. I just wanted to say, and I said this to you before the meeting, like, I’m kind of excited about the CDL thing. And if it happens, I’d like to know, because we had, you know, Misty Belford and Tina Descovich went through the training for the security specialist.
1:11:05 I am totally not interested in that, but I want to learn how to drive a truck. That’s what I want to learn. So, you know, when that opens up, I’m your gal.
1:11:11 I’ll pay my $31.50. And there we go.
1:11:17 As long as I don’t have to sign up to do that for a job. For real? Yeah. No, it’s exciting work.
1:11:21 And thank you, guys, for all you do. Anybody else? Yeah. I want a specific thing.
1:11:34 Go, go. I just want to commend you on this graduation rate. This is tremendous.
1:11:46 These are kids that probably would not have graduated, and you are getting them across the finish line, and that is a life changer. So please don’t ever. When you see the numbers and you’re going, oh, the percentage isn’t maybe where we want it, it’s still tremendous what you’re doing.
1:11:48 So thank you for coming alongside them and walking them through and getting them to the end, because that’s the difference in success for them, for their future. So I’m proud of you guys. I am stoked on this program, and it’s awesome to learn what you guys are offering.
1:11:58 This is. Right. Miss Benjamin was subtle.
1:12:07 I’m going to be less subtle. When this team took over the program, the graduation rate for adult high school was 12%. Okay.
1:12:12 And took it to 64% in two and a half years. Huge. Huge.
1:12:32 Miss Jenkins. Yeah. So I just want to.
1:13:09 I want to thank you guys as well, and I just want to acknowledge, you know, you are self sustaining, but you guys also have had some changes that you needed to be adaptable to closing the Palm Bay High school campus, and you’re still continuing to be motivated and successful. And so thank you for that. And thank you for everyone who.
1:13:21 Who’s a part of your staff that continues to serve the way you work in tandem with BPS, with, like you said, the spanish classes that are helping some of our teachers communicate with families, and the IA programs to help staff in BPS as well is remarkable. Miss Benjamin, I got to see you present to the space closed league of cities. And it was slightly alarming how unaware most of most of the attendees in the room were of these programs, but also refreshing, right? It was great that they were excited and engaged.
1:13:27 We had a ton of questions for you. And so one of my challenges for you would be to maybe go back and kind of talk a little more specific about one or two programs because they were so engaged. It’s such a captive audience.
1:13:36 I would love to see you. You get them again and wrote them in. And just finally, thank you, you guys.
1:13:40 You provide a second chance, an alternate route for people, and a new beginning. And you guys have such a tremendous impact on the lives of people. So thank you for everything that you do.
1:13:54 Mister Trent. Yes, just thank you. Thank you and thank you.
1:14:01 And it’s amazing. This is just another example of what you can accomplish when you have the right people in the right positions that care about what they do. So again, every single one of you that are here and bring that back to your staff, because that’s glue that’s going to keep you together.
1:14:07 And if you need anything from us, don’t hesitate. And I look forward to working with you in the future. Thank you.
1:14:17 Mister Schiller. Yes. We want to thank you so very much.
1:14:34 What a job well done to your staff and thank them, please. As the board has expressed, this is a very vital program. Yes.
1:14:37 It should be something that you’re all proud of. And the more people we can reach out to in our community who can take advantage of this, it makes for a more dynamic lifestyle for them and the opportunities available. Thank you for your work, staff.
1:14:40 Thank you. We appreciate your time. And I couldn’t do it without my staff at Bates.
1:14:42 They’re amazing. And so we just. Thank you.
1:14:47 Thank you. Hang on, hang on, hang on, hang on. I get to go.
1:15:20 I get to go. Maybe I need to make Shiller the last one because that. All right.
1:15:27 Anyways, when you talked about moving your program, your automotive program, to a central location, one of the things that we have discussed, that we will be discussing to see if we’re going to discuss it is the CT, the CTE alignment in the fact that satellites a great place, but the amount of automotive shops that are within a ten mile period is kind of, you know, it’s less right. So because you’ve got to align not only the place, but then you also have to have the jobs that are near it. So that, you know, like the ogalleys and the cocoa perfect.
1:15:44 Because both of them have massive amounts of. You know what I mean? So I applaud you for doing that. And I wanted to say that.
1:15:55 Okay, I know I’m going outside, but Doctor Mullins and I were very close twice for me to take that CDl license over the summer. It’s a seven day class at the time. I don’t know what you guys have doing, but I would think that it would be kind of cool and it would give Gibbs heart palpitations that if we would all take the class maybe together to get our cdls right.
1:16:00 Because we. To be honest with you, the reason I was doing it is I work with some of the boys and girls club in. In Melbourne, right? And I wanted to be able to take those kids to different.
1:16:09 Get different experiences. And I couldn’t get them outside the box. There was more of them than I could put in a van.
1:16:20 I was just going to basically borrow one of the school district’s buses and drive them all over the place over the summer. And that’s. It probably didn’t happen because Mullins was trying to tell me he was doing it, but it didn’t.
1:16:27 But I think that if ue could go take these tests, Gibbs will tell us all we can’t go because of sunshine. But as long as we’re not sitting next to each other, we can do this. So I think if it goes, I will be the first one to sign up to take the class.
1:16:37 As long as it’s a week or whatever, that I can do it. Tanya, I saw you up there. Thanks for taking my kids and moving.
1:16:46 Many people don’t understand. When I finished, she took over as a class. And when they teach GeD or they teach these classes, you’re teaching like 14 different kids at 14 different topics at 14 different levels.
1:16:54 So, like, you have a kid that needs science, a kid that needs math, a kid that needs. You know what I mean, social studies. And then one will be at 7th grade, one will be at 9th grade, one will be at fifth grade.
1:17:01 And you have to sort of try to figure that out. That is an ADHD dream as a teacher because you can hit all of it and it’s like, wah. You know what I mean? So.
1:17:04 And Brad used to sit there all the time and the kids would have to go take their test. They’re like, oh, my gosh, I gotta go see Mister Bell. I gotta go see Mister Bell.
1:17:09 They were like, so nervous. But he’s the greatest guy in the world. Big teddy bear.
1:17:18 Thank you very much. And many of the other guys, I just wanted to say thank you all the way through. You guys are amazing.
1:17:39 So thank you very much. We appreciate it. You have no idea how much I love those people.
1:17:47 All right, we are now on the public comments portion of the meeting on agenda items. First, can I get a motion to move the public comments non agenda items to the public comments agenda items portion of the agenda giving all speakers three minutes and the ability to address the board by name. Move to approve.
1:17:56 Okay, is there any discussion? Please vote. All signify by. In favor by signify by saying aye.
1:18:03 Aye. Opposed? Okay, we have, I think it’s 17 speakers. Yes, 14 and three.
1:18:08 I will start out first with the agenda speakers. Anthony Colucci. Bernard Bryan.
1:18:25 Olivia Aguilera. Aguilera. Sorry, I screwed that one up.
1:18:46 You think that I know wire. So my name is Anthony Kluge. I’m the president of the Brevard Federation of Teachers.
1:19:02 This morning I tuned into the board workshop to hear that Miss Jenkins, Miss Campbell and the superintendent believe that the discipline issues in our schools are the fault of teachers. And if they had more professional development, the problem would go away. Well, on behalf of our 5000 teachers, I’ll tell you that you’re incorrect.
1:19:23 And instead of holding the staff who are actually the cause of this accountable, you unbelievably are doing what too many others do. Blame our teachers for everything that’s wrong in education while attempting to silence their voice. And let me be very, very clear.
1:19:41 It’s a fact that this staff allowed CeSar codes to go on pre referrals last year. Instead of offenses like bullying being reported to the state, teachers were told they couldn’t even write a real referral until students had three of the same offenses. Not only do I have that documentation, I’ve provided it to the Office of Safe Schools.
1:19:57 The very same staff that decided to end the discipline steering committee because they didn’t want any more feedback from administrators and teachers about discipline. The very same staff that principals tell us prevent them from doling out adequate consequences. That’s who’s convinced you? This is unbelievable.
1:20:15 So let’s talk about professional development. Is this union opposed to PD? No. This union for a decade now has said it is opposed to bad PD, which is the new the norm for this district.
1:20:34 We believe that quality differentiated PD could help. But make no mistake about it, the issues our teachers are facing now are beyond classroom management. Even those with the best skills still struggle because the level of student needs and let’s talk about the deflection of.
1:20:52 It’s the union’s fault there isn’t more PD. Well, first of all, only bps can blame two hurricanes on the teachers union and think people are going to fall for it. Secondly, let’s talk about the fact that for the 2021 to 22 contract, the union asked for an MOA.
1:21:29 Here it is in my hand, in my hand to extend the school year for one additional day for professional development. Mister Susan, Miss Jenkins and Miss Campbell, you rejected that proposal. Or did you leave it up to staff? Didn’t pay attention to negotiations and they rejected it.
1:21:40 The same staff who’s blaming the teachers? And what about our board presentation from October 26, 2021? Where’s the PD we asked for then? I’ve said it many times before, I don’t think these discipline problems are unique to Brevard. But our union thinks the way that the district, the way to improve this district is to talk about the issues and be leaders for change, not deny they exist. And if you still don’t think they exist, here are 56 responses we received from teachers last week when we asked if discipline is improving in our schools.
1:21:50 The answer is very clear. I’ll leave these up here. Thank you, Mister Colucci.
1:22:04 Next up is Bernard Bryan and Olivia Aguilar. Mister Bernard, thank you. I’d like to welcome Doctor Schiller.
1:22:38 Thank you for being part of. Being part of the staff. My name is Bernard Bryant and I’m representing the South Brevard branch of the NAACP, as well as well as the concerned citizens of South Brevard.
1:22:50 I just want you to know I’m a SAC member for three schools, University Park Stone Middle School, school in Pompeii High, and I’m so proud of our principals, I’m so proud of our schools, and I’m just proud of our children. I helped 25 kids with this science project and I judge over 40 science projects. So I understand what you went through, but I just want you to be aware, I did read your minutes from the January 9 meeting and I just want to say thank you.
1:23:17 Thank you on one thing. Thank you for putting k to third grade education in terms of reading as a priority. And I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that.
1:23:32 But I would like for you to consider, though, after third grade to 10th grade, we have kids that are two to three grade levels behind in reading. So I’m asking the staff if you will expand your paradigm and your strategy toward addressing these issues, just to give you some numbers. You talking almost 5000 african american students.
1:23:58 That are reading one or two grade level behind. And I hope that this board and this staff put together a strategic plan that will address those kids that really need help the most. And these kids can do it.
1:24:23 Just to give you an example, at University park, we had two african american students that won the spelling b. And I want you to understand at Stone middle school that we see the african american students that are increasing in their science fair participation. And also at Palm Bay High, we see the Ab honor roll really improve.
1:24:45 But I’m also concerned from your meeting notes, I’m concerned when I saw notes, that there’s some concern about the staff. And I hope that this board will make sure that there’s no havoc, there’s no chaos in our staff level. And we understand that our students were shocked with some of the moves recently and some of the talent people that we have lost.
1:24:57 And I got to tell you, public school have some of the most talented people that I’ve ever worked with. So if you can work that, make sure that there’s no instability, because what’s really going to happen is our children will suffer. And then lastly, in my last 10 seconds, really consider the construction of all schools.
1:25:18 Some of our schools are old and I can tell you Misses Hans does a great job, but we need a strategic plan in that area. Thank you Mister Bryan. Miss Olivia, I google our next up.
1:25:44 Is Miss Olivia here? No, Miss Olivia is not here. Okay, we’re going to move on to Carla Smith, Garen cone and Aubrey Treetralt. Miss Carla, I’m with Phoenix foundation of Central Florida.
1:26:09 In 2018, Phoenix foundation of Central Florida created our morning Glow program and with the support cooperation of former superintendent doctor Mullins, we partnered with Brevard Public Schools over this five year partnership. Phoenix foundation through Morning Glow has given over $1.4 million to bps by enhancing and supplementing music and theater programs across the county.
1:26:30 Phoenix foundation has supported dedicated music and theater teachers by awarding annual teacher grants which have directly impacted 70 of BPS’s schools. These grants have provided everything from upgrading the sound and lighting systems in the high school auditoriums to granting safe and functioning risers for elementary school chorus programs. We’ve been able to provide new uniforms for growing band and choral programs.
1:26:51 When the schools were struggling through COVID, we were able to step in through this partnership and provide funds for instruments so that students didn’t have to double up and they could continue to learn safely. This $1.4 million partnership also revived and sustained the Summer Fine Arts Theatre workshop program over the past five years.
1:27:11 With the exception of 2020, Summer Fine Arts has impacted over a thousand students throughout the county, providing an enriched environment to grow and learn. By putting up two musical shows, one in the north end of the county and one in the south. The students are proud to work from auditions through rehearsals and end with a weekend of performances benefiting the whole community.
1:27:31 The onstage, performers, orchestra, and technical crew represent all of our 16 high schools. Our support covers teacher salaries, transportations, licensing fees, and all other expenses involved in producing two musicals. We’re very proud to have been a part of supporting and expanding the music and theater programs here.
1:27:46 After so many years of budget cuts that eliminated many of our fine arts opportunities. The function of our partnership was to respect and uplift the interest of all students. Unfortunately, due to the recent actions of the current school board, specifically the antics of Mister Susan, our current chairperson.
1:28:01 We must cut our ties with brevard public schools. These antics include, but are not limited to, holding. To continually giving the perception of impropriety by holding meetings and taking counsel from select individuals in the community.
1:28:23 To targeting the former superintendent without cause. As an organization that promotes inclusivity. We cannot in good conscience continue to work with a board that seeks to institute policies that are based on fear and bigotry.
1:28:30 And policies that target the most vulnerable of our student population. Thank you, Miss Smith. Next up is Garrett Cohn.
1:28:37 Good evening, board board members. Superintendent, nice to see you here tonight. First board meeting I’ve been to in many years.
1:28:41 Since I came here with the representative squad from Rolling Thunder. I represent AVET project. My name is Garen Cohen.
1:28:50 Avec. It’s an acronym. American veterans empowerment team.
1:28:53 We’re here to help all kinds of military past and present and their family members. I want to just ask real quick. Other my favorite colors.
1:29:14 Red, white, and blue. They stand up over there. I’m an Air Force vet myself.
1:29:28 What might be another favorite color? How about purple? How about on April 1? It’s the beginning of the month of the military child. The reason that I’m here and I’m speaking with you right now. There’s a whole host of ideas from this particular organization that my lovely wife, executive director of AbEt Project Kim right there.
1:29:38 Who’s filming this? Why are you filming this? Anyway? It’s a great list of ways that this school, this entire school board can get involved in promoting. Because our military kids. And there’s some good information.
1:29:47 Just go to avetproject.org, comma. Read through some of the information there about the sacrifices that you, these military kids make every two years, mom or dad, if they’re in the service, they’re probably moving.
1:30:03 They could be moving to across state, but they could be moving across the world. They’re going to lose relationships. It’s always going to be difficult.
1:30:16 It’s going to be a challenge for them to build new friendships, assimilate into different cultures. All these different things that we as regular average Americans that maybe aren’t affiliated with the military, wouldn’t even have to contend with, with. And these kids are really putting it out there.
1:30:24 They’re supporting their own families, they’re supporting their mom and dad, whoever’s in the military. So this is a way for all of us to not give back, get involved. Purple up, as they’re saying right now, and I really do.
1:30:34 I’m not going to take much time. You know, it’s, it’s the school board. What is the school board about? It’s about steering this ship to educate kids.
1:30:39 Why don’t we take some time and really push the ship forward? Regarding military kids Avet project, instead of a brochure, we do bookmarks. Hmm. I’m a reader.
1:30:47 I like to read. Why not bookmarks? There’s. Look, I’m going to leave these with the board.
1:30:56 It’s an entire list. There’s like 40 some items of different little ways that this board can get involved. And I want to make mention of Brevard county.
1:31:03 There’s 122 inaugural purple star award schools and just had some dental work. If I’m lisping, just forgive me. Listen.
1:31:07 Cocoa beach junior and senior high school. Thumbs up, Holland elementary. Thumbs up, quest elementary.
1:31:13 Awesome. Hats off. APPLAUSe they’re doing great.
1:31:32 We need to do more. And I know we can do more. Thank you.
1:31:55 Thank you, Mister cone. If I can have Aubrey Tetrault, Deborah Crisafoli, Kay Shavers. I’m here because I’ve actually talked to Katie Campbell and I’ve talked to Jean Trent on the phone.
1:32:12 I’ve talked to Jean Trent and I’ve talked to Katie Campbell on the phone about this issue. I applied to be a volunteer at my daughter’s school. I looked up the eligibility requirements for becoming one and unfortunately, after I submitted my application, I called the school board to ask a few questions.
1:32:28 I was told I was not nor will I ever be eligible to become a volunteer, nor will I ever be able to have lunch with any of my children. I was wrongfully arrested when I was 19 years old. Those charges were disposed of by the prosecutor because I was innocent.
1:32:41 They found the person they were actually looking for after wrongfully arresting me. I’m very confused as to why anyone goes to court to prove their innocence if no matter the outcome, you’re always labeled as guilty. I was never convicted of those crimes, nor any other crimes before or after that.
1:32:48 I’ve never even had a ticket. I’m starting at the top of my list of people to talk to. I’d like to come to an agreement for something to be done about this policy, not only for myself, but other parents who have been wrongfully arrested and proved to be innocent.
1:33:07 Your policy states that even if you are innocent, it doesn’t matter. You’re guilty anyway. Of that’s not okay, nor will I stand for that.
1:33:20 I’m coming to you guys for help. All I want is to be able to be a part of my children’s educational success and memories. I understand why there’s a screening process, but I don’t understand why people who didn’t commit any crimes per their innocent verdict or charges, case being dismissed, are being labeled as guilty and punished for something they didn’t do.
1:33:43 I also found out that dipolesy states that if it’s been in x amount of years, after some convictions, you could become a volunteer. But because of my charge, even though I was not guilty, I can never be. I just want to say that I was never.
1:33:53 What I was arrested for had nothing to do with children in any way. I truly hope we can come to an agreement to change this policy a little bit for the parents who haven’t done anything wrong. I also want to say that if I wanted to become an employee with any school in the state of Florida, per Florida department of Education, I can do so because they go off convictions, not just a restaurant records, so I can’t eat lunch with my own children, but I can work for the school.
1:34:01 I’m sorry, but that just doesn’t make any sense to me. Thank you, Miss Chi chult. Miss Deborah Cristo fully.
1:34:04 Kay Shavers. Mike Mueller. Is Miss Crisafoli here? Oh, there she is.
1:34:07 Okay. No, you. No, you.
1:34:14 You’re up. Miss Cristo fully. Then Kay Shavers.
1:34:36 Then Mike Mueller. Good evening. I almost want to say good morning because I was here this morning.
1:35:01 I was actually going to sign up and speak on agenda item. But my heart changed being here earlier, sitting and trying to learn and trying to get more aware of what’s going on with our district. And forgive me if I sound crude or I sound ungrateful, because I’m very grateful for the school board raised all my children here.
1:35:04 They all graduated here got kids moving on to college and air force and Navy, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, because their foundation started within their school system. My sadness is that I want to learn and I want to be more aware, but there’s always arguing going on, and the frustration is, we talked about earlier today, Miss Campbell, you mentioned time. You know, time is valuable, folks.
1:35:19 Duh. You know, we all know that. We all work hard.
1:35:25 I was grateful to not have to be at work today so I could be there, you know, to try to learn and be more involved as a parent, as a grandparent. The sadness is it gets so tainted that I actually get confused on the issues. I can’t follow them.
1:35:51 I’m writing notes. I want to learn and be more involved, but there’s bickering. You have the right to do what you want to do.
1:35:58 You can be in disagreement with each other, but us that are on the outside really trying to just learn and be inspired by you, it really is a wall, and I’m saddened by that because I’ve been in the school system for so many years, a lot of years. You know, my young, my oldest child went to Creel elementary and had eye disabilities, and we were blessed with what the school provided back then for her. She’s 43 years old now, and she’s doing well.
1:36:09 So we’ve been here a long time. The sadness for me is that there’s got to be a way for you all to save your time. And I’m watching.
1:36:22 My time is to take the personal attacks on each other somewhere else. Be in disagreement. Be in disagreement.
1:36:26 That’s fine. That’s what you’re here to work problems out and to solve, you know, to pass bills and what bills? You know, you’re trying to pass past rules and regulations, and we just can’t function like that anymore, folks. We just can’t do it.
1:36:36 I want to learn. We want to be involved. We really, really do.
1:36:39 Everybody’s hearts are probably in it the same way. Okay? But it’s really difficult right now. It’s all peaceful and calm and warm and fuzzy, but it will probably change before the night’s over.
1:36:43 I hope it doesn’t. Just think about that. Okay.
1:36:54 Thanks. Thank you, Miss Cristo. Fully.
1:37:02 Next up, Kay Shavers. Mike Mueller. Gregory Ross.
1:37:14 Good evening, everyone and board. Thank you for letting us have the opportunity to speak. I’m here because I’m a retired teacher from Detroit, Michigan.
1:37:32 I didn’t know what I was going to talk about. Like a young lady, I changed a little bit. What? I came here originally before however, since I’ve been here this evening, I’ve listened to a lot of people who have some of the same concerns as I do.
1:37:59 Even as a retired teacher, I’m still interested, of course, and kids in education. I’m particularly concerned that the young man who came up and spoke is a teacher with his concern that teachers are being blamed for discipline issues. And that’s been going on for most of my career.
1:38:08 And I’m sure that most of the teachers are feeling the way he does not pun, appreciate it, and don’t understand what goes on in classrooms every single day. Even as a retired teacher, I can say schools have changed over the years a lot. And a lot of it is due because we haven’t had an opportunity to figure it out, why students are behaving the way they are, why we can’t get parents involved.
1:38:29 This room should be full. We all know that. There’s no reason for us not to have people here interested enough to make changes and make those schools work.
1:38:44 As a educator, I worked in a lot of different areas. I worked with the union, I worked with developing programs for student improvement and a lot of things that went on through the years. I just want to say to all of you, first of all, listen to the teachers and don’t forget the kids because they have a lot to contribute.
1:38:50 Do you know, I’ve told my administrator, and she agreed with me, several of them, about the fact that if you, you listen to your children, you can find out who the good teachers are. Am I right? Listen to the children too. They have a lot of input.
1:39:08 I worked in a program called the Comer School Improvement program. You can look it up. One of the best programs they ever had.
1:39:17 And I’ll be quick, that some of the programs that came through the Detroit Board of Education, and I was a comer facilitator working with schools to prove district. And that was one of the best programs we ever had to improve the school system. It worked.
1:39:24 18 of us worked in the city, 18 schools. They all achieved and did much better after the programs were implemented. Two years later, the program was gone.
1:39:37 I guess I could give you two or three reasons why. We all know most of it had to do with money, but it was one of the best programs. So that’s another thing.
1:39:40 We need to start holding onto those things that work and find new ways to make them work. How you going? But thank you so much. Thank you.
1:39:57 Thank you. Miss Shavers, it’s Mike Mueller. Gregory Ross.
1:40:14 Virginia Height, please. Good evening. Let me start off by saying that one of my children is a student at the Laura Middle school.
1:40:36 On September 20 of last year, a 13 year old female student enrolled at the Loire was sexually assaulted by a 15 year old male. She took the school bus from her home and was supposed to go to school, but decided otherwise. That’s when the assault took place.
1:41:01 Two days after the sexual battery occurred, the victim confided into the school guidance counselor, the school resource officer was alerted, and finally the satellite beach police department was involved and started an investigation. I am in possession of the police report that includes all the graphic details of the assault. After becoming aware.
1:41:27 Oops, sorry. After becoming aware of this incident, I sent an email to the Laura Middle school, which is located, by the way, in Miss Jenkins district. I asked the questions that any concerned parents parent would ask.
1:41:55 Number one, where were the. What were the consequences to the assailant? Number two, is this individual still part of satellite beach school community? And number three, if not, is there any possibility of him returning to the school? Dolores principal, Mister Corso forwarded my. My request for information to the BPS records management specialist, Holly Christmas.
1:42:16 The wording of my PRR was as follows. Please kindly provide any information pertaining to any incident that involved any type of police force at the lower middle school from 919 22 to 924 22. Last night I received the response from Miss Christmas stating that no records were found and that I should get in touch with the principal to obtain the information I requested.
1:42:41 Which ironically was my first attempt to get the info to begin with. Why am I being given the runaround? And why does this feel like this incident is being swept under the rug? A 13 year old girl was drugged and raped and the police was called by the school. Yet no school records were found.
1:42:54 This morning. Miss Jenkins insisted that we do not have a reporting problem. If that is the case, then why does my kids school have no record of the police involvement following the sexual assault? Maybe Miss Jenkins should focus more on what’s going on in her own school district instead of high fiving herself about accomplishments at Cocohai, a school that is not even located in her district.
1:43:08 I demand answers to my questions as this is the school that my child goes to. Our children may be in danger and us parents have the right to get the answers to these very basic questions. Thank you Mister Mueller.
1:43:25 Appreciate your time. Miss Gregory Ross, Virginia Height and Marie Hawkins, please come forward. Good evening board.
1:43:32 Rosie, I wanted to get up here and talk about board performance and how this new board is done. But right now I’m just going to focus on the chairman. I want to start by giving my apologies to you misses Campbell, for once again, Mister Susan.
1:43:45 Being on his phone when important stuff’s being discussed happened this morning. Everybody saw it. Not the first time that’s happened.
1:43:53 Right. I want to thank Misses Campbell, misses Jenkins, for being honest and true to what you guys believe. Right.
1:44:09 That’s all I ask. Do the right thing and be honest about it. Mister Susan, as you were called out this morning by Miss Campbell, you have lied.
1:44:35 You lied in public forum about what this board has accomplished and you’ve lied about taking credit for what the last board accomplished. It’s a consistent thing that goes on and it concerns me. I worry.
1:44:47 My concerns are that this board is pushing an illogical and unethical and an unsustainable agenda. You’re going to do things that are going to have a serious impact and you’re not representing all the students. I find it ironic that the agenda mentions the Florida constitution.
1:45:03 Right? Article nine from the Florida Constitution. Let’s just read that real quick. The education of children is a fundamental value of the people of the state of Florida.
1:45:30 It is therefore a paramount duty of the state to make adequate provision for the education of all children residing within its border. All children. Your discipline policies are going to exclude children.
1:45:38 You sat right here tonight and thank the adult education group, right? Your policies are just going to send more people their way instead of including those kids and figuring out ways to deal with them. Instead you’re going to push them out of the system and send them right over to the adult education system. You understand? That’s what funnels that, right? That’s where they’re getting those kids.
1:45:59 The very kids you want to now expel is what feeds that system. Okay, let’s catch them sooner. Let’s don’t expel them.
1:46:10 Let’s work within the system. Doctor Schiller, I want to thank you after watching the meeting this morning. I appreciate what you’re doing educating this board, or portion of this board on the industry standards of how you make changes in an organization.
1:46:14 It’s apparent to me that there’s many on this board who don’t understand the ways things are done in large organizations. And you can’t just push changes right away. So thank you.
1:46:21 Thank you Mister Ross. Miss Virginia Height. Marie Hawkins.
1:46:58 Jennifer Morgan, please. Good evening. I have something for you.
1:47:22 May I bring it to you? So what I have given you all to look at is sponsored by Florida Highway Patrol. And it is a bicycle and driveway safety coloring activity book. So I was notified this year again, my name is Virginia Hite, and my daughter goes to Myla elementary.
1:47:52 There was some bicycle safety concerns the first week of school, and I suggested that we have some bicycle safety classes. I am vintage and went to clear Lake middle school myself, where I know we learned bicycle safety back in the eighties. So I contacted the school, the principal, our resource officer.
1:47:57 No one knew what to do to get started, so I contacted the Brevard County Sheriff’s department, and we have, through our community resources, a program that’s already in base that’s already available. It was scheduled for my daughter’s school in December to come out. I have the phone number and the contact information for them to come out and bring the trailer and do bicycle safety testing.
1:48:18 It got canceled. The one person that does that was sick. It hasn’t been rescheduled.
1:48:24 So I’m here tonight because I’m hoping there can be a motion made that bicycle and driveway pedestrian safety can be taught to all of our kids. I don’t know why that isn’t just a standard procedure in our schools. It’s a program that’s already in place.
1:48:41 Community resources. Again, Brevard County Sheriff’s department. I have a phone number.
1:48:47 She’s waiting to hear from anyone. So I think that that is very valuable tool. Even our vice principal, when I took it to him, he said his pastor last year drove over his baby in the driveway and the child did not make it.
1:48:55 So that’s also what’s in that book. It’s driveway safety. It’s seatbelt safety.
1:49:11 It’s what to do if a child is in a car that’s in an accident. So they know how to read. The Florida highway patrol.
1:49:27 So that’s why I’ve taken this time to be able to come, and I’m hoping that that can be put on the agenda that that is adopted since the program already exists. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Hyte.
1:49:40 Next up is going to be Marie Hawkins, Jennifer Morgan, then Kelly Kervin. Good evening. My name is Maria Hawkins.
1:50:08 I just have a few things I want to speak on tonight. First, rather than participating in mental health Monday, I take out a book and read. The teacher does not have a problem with any book that I take out unless it is the Bible.
1:50:28 When I have the Bible out, the teacher will tap it and say, put it away. Have we forgotten our first amendment right? Also, why is it when I have the Bible out, they want me to put it away, but not when I have other books out? Second, my circle of friends compose of friends of the inclusive community as well as those that are not part of the inclusive community. We are all able to have lunch, hang out together before and after school and we get along great.
1:50:48 We do not push our beliefs on each other, rather just appreciate and accept each other for who we are. It is the adult, such as you, Miss Jenkins, that seem to be pushing an agenda and causing problems that aren’t, that are not there. It is people like you, Miss Jenkins, that are causing unnecessary tension and division amongst our student body and our community.
1:51:05 And by the way, all my friends know to use a bathroom and locker room that aligns with them biologically, not what they identify as. Finally, I just want to say I am getting uncomfortable being asked what my pronouns are, yet I doubt anything will be done about it because. Because it would not meet your agenda, Miss Jenkins.
1:51:19 I am obviously girl, so why would anyone need to think otherwise or ask what my pronouns are? Even my friends from the inclusive community do not ask. They assume I identify as a girl because that is what I am. I call them by the pronoun that they are biologically unless they let me know otherwise.
1:51:32 I do not ask what pronouns they go by. As you said in a meeting last year, Miss Jenkins, the inclusive community is here to stay. Well, I am here to tell you that the traditional and conservative community is here to stay as well.
1:51:40 And these communities can become friends and get along quite well without help from you or your associates. Thank you. Next up is Miss Jennifer Morgan.
1:52:45 Kelly Kervin, Kerry Takis, please. Good evening. I had another speech all prepared and typed up and practiced it.
1:52:57 And in light of what’s happened at my daughter’s school, satellite high school, and hearing from Mister Mueller just a little while ago, I decided just to speak off the cuff. I’m wondering if we could, Miss Jenkins, spend less time awarding ourselves medals that we have not not contributed the blood, sweat or tears for, and spend more time on paying attention on the staff and teachers that we’re putting in our schools, if we could spend less time attacking one another on the board and spend more time and realizing what we are providing our students in the schools in a manner of our media centers and our libraries, both in paper and electronically, as it gives very instructions on normalizing minors having sexual relations with adults. And a teacher was arrested trying to meet a minor from my daughter’s school to have sexual relations, and now finding out that things are trying to be swept under the rug and not dealt with, or not being honest with to us parents.
1:53:11 My daughter went to Dolora. She goes to satellite is that child still there at satellite that assaulted this junior hire? I demand those answers as well. There are children.
1:53:14 They may be students during the day, but they are our children. And it is our God given right to protect them and keep them safe. Thank you.
1:53:27 Thank you, Miss Morgan. Kelly Carvin. Kerry Takis.
1:53:37 Richard Projecco for Jackie. Good evening, everyone. Today I had the pleasure of watching the school board work session with my twelve year old daughter.
1:54:00 Being a girl mom is hard. So when she grabbed her snuggie and chips and settled in near me, I was excited. And honestly, her commentary could have been its own TikTok channel.
1:54:07 But through the laughs and chuckles, she asked me a sobering question. Why does he always interrupt the ladies but not the guys? You see, my daughter had started counting every single time our chairperson interrupted each board member and noticed a disproportional difference between the treatment of Doctor Shiller and Mister Trent versus Miss Campbell and Miss Jenkins. I heard the board talk about a lot of things today at the workshop.
1:54:17 From discipline to cellphones and leggings in the dress code. The sheer amount of time wasted talking in circles is staggering. I’m in my mid thirties.
1:54:30 I was an honors graduate from this very school district. I graduated summa cum laude from college. And I can’t tell if y’all know what you’re doing or how you’re supposed to be rowing this boat.
1:54:44 What is crystal clear is that the majority don’t understand the costs associated with policy making and audits, and our chairperson doesn’t know how to effectively lead a meeting. I don’t need advice from this board about cell phone use. And I’m not even willing to entertain thoughts about crocs and leggings.
1:55:02 But I am asking for board direction, not from you, Matt, on how to answer the question, because I don’t have a great answer. I’ll leave you with our students are watching, even if they’re not in this room. This goes to all of them.
1:55:10 And they are very capable students of watching YouTube. So while I don’t need board directive on cell phones and leggings and crocs and all of that is the behavior of our school board chairperson. The example I want my daughters to see in leadership.
1:55:16 But my answer is no. Do better, Matt. Thank you, Miss Carvin.
1:55:33 Kelly Takis. Richard Perjechi, Diane Haynes, please. Hi.
1:55:47 I wanted to start off tonight by saying, just clearing up for people who are unaware that no books have been banned from brevard public schools aside from genderqueer. And that book never had a formal challenge I handed out or I gave to Matt. This for each of you to have.
1:56:05 It is a page from the bluest eye. You can read over it while I talk if you want. It is currently at Satellite Beach High as of today.
1:56:31 One of the current books available at Satellite High is the bluest eye by Toni Morrison. I provided you with each with a page from the book that details an adult male who gives little girls many money and ice cream so that they will, quote, open their legs for him to abuse them. The author describes this as playing.
1:56:51 This book at Satellite High is nothing more than a collection of pedophilia stories, including incest, that have offers sympathy towards the child predators and downplays child sex abuse. This week at Satellite High, we had a teacher arrested for doing exactly what’s described in this book. He began inappropriate conversations with a minor student and lured them into meeting him for sexual intercourse.
1:57:05 Luckily for Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey and his team took over to the situation and were waiting for the pedophile teacher at the meeting location. We have multiple books in your schools that feature this type of behavior and paint it in a sympathetic light towards the child predator. If you’re unwilling to read the page I handed you out tonight in a public setting, it doesn’t belong in our schools.
1:57:07 Thank you. Thank you, Miss Takis. If I can get Richarda Jackie and Diana Haynes, please.
1:57:20 Okay. Miss Projekecki. Okay.
1:57:27 Diana Haynes, please. Yeah, this is the last one. You guys.
1:57:30 You do words, accountability. Truth. Facts.
1:57:35 Cover up. Collusion. Liar.
1:58:08 Clown. Blackballed bully. Delusional.
1:58:26 Since August, I have been battling an issue in the community to the point where now it’s out of control and it needs to move forward, and everyone on this board needs to assist in that, including the sheriff’s department. I’m talking about the alleged rape at Johnson Junior middle school that I posted when I first heard about it on next door and got a barrage of emails and neighbors coming to me calling me a liar. Okay, I can live with that because I didn’t have a lot of facts.
1:59:00 As that whole nightmare with Space coast junior senior and Johnson Junior got muddled and discussed in social media, it got shelved to the back burner. Everyone was told nothing happened at Johnson Junior Middle School. There was no rape.
1:59:10 Unequivocally, I walk up in November on a conversation where I am told by individuals it did happen. So what do I do with this information? I come forward a little bit with a story at a meeting about my own personal experiences with this subject that I was in such anguish over this information and that nothing was being done. Not so much just for the victim, but a perpetrator is walking around in our community that has sexually assaulted another member of our community.
1:59:29 I’ve gone back and forth with the individuals involved in this situation. I’ve been blackballed for certain things. I’ve been called these names and I’m done.
1:59:35 I was told that Karen Parrish, Jen Parrish had direct knowledge of this. They were told by this teacher, principal, whoever it was that had knowledge of this, and that nothing could be done. I have written information here what we were told the rape at Johnson did happen.
1:59:41 The teacher won’t come forward. The victim won’t come forward. There’s nothing we can do about that one.
2:00:05 And I’m calling B’s. Somebody needs to do something. This happened in our system.
2:00:14 This man just talked about another one. And I hear through the grapevines in our community that there are way more sexual assaults going on. So when you pick up those cute little books like the blue eyes and genderqueer and you clap and you laugh and you think it’s so great to be in our schools, why don’t you do the same thing for these victims? Because they’re out there and it’s not being investigated.
2:00:32 We need a special investigative team. We need the police to be involved, and something has to be done. These women will not come forward.
2:00:51 I don’t know what it’s going to take, what it’s going to take for this teacher or this administrator, whoever has this knowledge, to bring it forward and make it known so the person who has done this is brought to justice. Thank you, Miss Haynes, everybody. That’ll conclude public comments.
2:00:55 That concludes public comments. We can thank you for your willingness to address us in this public manner. Just so everybody knows, you can always follow up with the individuals if they put their emails and stuff like that on here, we can go into the community or in there after we meet, but I’m also trying to.
2:10:43 Everybody need a restroom break. Take about five minutes to come back. All right.
2:10:59 Thank you. It we are now on the consent agenda. Doctor Schiller, members of the board, we have 28 agenda items under this category.
2:11:12 Thank you, Doctor Schiller. Does any board member wish to pull any of the items? We have zero items that are being pulled for discussion. I will entertain a motion to accept the consented items with no exceptions, polled for discussion.
2:11:31 Move to approve. Anybody can. 2nd? 2nd, is there any discussion? All those in favor, please signify by saying aye.
2:11:40 Opposed? Okay, moving on. We are now at the public hearing portion of the agenda item on g 39, attendance boundary changes proposals for school year 2023 through 2024. Is there anyone present who wishes to address this item? Listen.
2:11:56 Do I hear a motion? Motion to approve. Second. Ah, we’ll say it again.
2:12:11 Is there anyone here present who wishes to address this item? Do I hear a motion? Motion to approve again. There we go. Is there any discussion? All in favor, signify by saying aye.
2:12:32 Opposed. That concludes the public hearing portion of the agenda. Doctor Schiller, will you please let us know about the items under the action portion of today’s agenda? Yes, I’d like to address item h 40 and further explanation from this morning.
2:12:56 First of all, we have. We have several people who have retired. We’re replacing the assistant superintendent for support services with someone who’s come forward as highly experienced in other counties.
2:13:43 The cost for right now until the end of June, and if indeed this appointment expires in May, would be prorated. Will cost differential of salary $4,125 for the five months. Okay, number two, we’re asking.
2:14:19 I am asking the current chief of strategic communications, among other things, to continue his assignment and add to it about maybe ten to 20% more workload. Continuing what he’s currently doing, but to serve under a different title as chief of staff for five months is going to cost a differential for the additional work of $4,125 more than what he would continue to make had he stayed in that position. Thirdly, Doctor Thede has retired, who held two roles, the deputy superintendent and the chief of HR.
2:14:49 I’m recommending Doctor Green, an internal candidate to take on, in addition to her current work, the interim chief of HR. The difference that she’s going to be getting for the additional five months is $4,125 on her salary for Doctor Thede’s portion of being a deputy. We’re replacing in kind as deputy, but not in charge of HR, but to be working with the current assistant superintendents for support services.
2:15:09 I’m sorry, the new assistant superintendent for support services, replacing Doctor Moore, as well as working with Doctor Klein, who leads elementary leading and learning, and Doctor Sullivan, who leads secondary leading and learning. The difference of the salary that Doctor Thede was making in the highly experienced former deputy for educational excellence and equity. Doctor Cody, who was coming in after being.
2:15:20 After retiring from Seminole county. And that role as deputy is $2,505. So, in effect, what we’re doing, which may call it a reorganization on an interim basis, is replacing these people.
2:15:41 And for the next four months, if it expires May 31 or until June. And I probably, and I apologize. I make that clear earlier today.
2:16:08 But I think you get the understanding that you want to break that down by week or by month. It’s a de minimis amount we do that when people take on additional duties. So there’s two people who we are asking to take on more duties who are currently in positions.
2:16:16 And there are two folks who have been highly experienced in Florida schools that were found by the search consultant and recommended very highly, who have heavy experience in our. In schools in respective counties that surround us. I think that is all I wish like to identify as H 4000.
2:16:27 H 40. That’s the clarification, ladies and gentlemen of the board. Thank you, Doctor Schiller.
2:16:40 Do I hear a motion? Second. Is there any discussion? Which one are we on? Interim reorganization plan. Who’s been speaking on it for a bit.
2:16:46 I just want to make sure we weren’t doing them all. Yep. So I’m not going to go into detail about this because we talked about it earlier today, but I just want to explain because it’s not going to make sense when I go to after this.
2:16:53 And so I already expressed my personal feelings. Sources. I just don’t.
2:17:00 It’s not that I don’t believe these people are qualified. It’s not that I don’t believe in our staff members who are taking additional duties should get more money. Absolutely agree with that.
2:17:16 I just. I don’t. I personally don’t believe we need that interim deputy as a separate position for that cost.
2:17:27 And I don’t like that the three major cabinet members are being moved technically further out from direct ear to the superintendent. That’s what I don’t like. And so I will be voting nay for the reorganization plan.
2:17:36 I clearly know where everyone else is going. Going on this because we discussed it earlier today. So going forward for the rest of it, because that’s going to be implemented, you will see my support for the rest of it.
2:17:44 Because if that’s the plan we’re going forward with, I agree with the job descriptions and the cost that’s associated with those people who are filling those positions. Just so I can explain that. Thank you.
2:17:55 Anybody else? All right. Please vote. All in favor, signify by saying aye.
2:18:14 All opposed? Nay. Doctor Shiller, you have your reorganizational plan. Doctor Schiller, thank you.
2:18:21 We put together an interim chief of staff job description to represent the additional work that Mister Broom is taking on. That’s H 41. Do I hear a motion? Second.
2:18:26 Is there any discussion? Please vote. All in favor, signify by saying aye. Aye.
2:18:45 Aye. All opposed? Item H 41 passes. Doctor Schiller, next item.
2:18:57 Yes, the next item. Members of the board is age 42. I’m recommending a modification of the former deputies job role, which focus on HR, so that it’d be focusing on educational programs and diversity.
2:19:06 And so I’m asking for your concurrence with the revised temporary interim job description. Thank you. Doctor Schiller, do I hear a motion? Second.
2:19:24 Is there any discussion? Please vote. All in favor, signify by saying aye. Opposed.
2:19:46 H 42 passes. Doctor Schiller, next up. Yes, the next item is h 43, the next component, and that is having a different interim temporary reporting relationship of several staff members.
2:20:10 And we went through that this morning. That is the director of athletics, the assistant director of diversity and equity from their current reporting relationships. And we explained why, as well as the having the deputy instead of deputy over HR.
2:20:21 In addition, that the deputy will be working with closely. And yes, all people who are currently on the cabinet will continue being on the cabinet and be able to, of course, at any time, report come to me, which I will always encourage. And so I so recommend h 43 as stated.
2:20:31 Thank you. Doctor Schiller, do I hear a motion? Just to make sure that what we’re voting on 43 is the staff recommendations of Doctor Green? Yes. Age 43, and yes, the staff? Yes.
2:20:35 All right, move to approve. Do I have a second? Okay. Is there any discussion? Hearing? None.
2:20:44 Please vote. All in favor, signify by saying aye. Aye.
2:20:55 Opposed? H 43 passes. Doctor Shiller, next item. Yes, the next item is H 44, which I have reviewed with each of these items that are coming before you.
2:21:09 And I so recommend the procurement solicitations. Thank you. Doctor Schiller, do I hear a motion? Second.
2:21:24 Is there any discussion? Please vote. All in favor, signify by saying aye. All those opposed? Item number h 44 passes.
2:21:38 Doctor Shiller, next item. Yes, H 45. Once again, I have reviewed each of the department school initiated agreements, and along with the chief in that area, and I so recommend.
2:21:45 Okay, do I hear a motion? Second. Is there any discussion? Yes. I just want to take the moment to say that I am very pleased with our choice of SBA as our search function.
2:21:53 They have served us well already, and they’re just so very positive and encouraging along the way. And I think that’s been. I think we did a good job in the choice that we made.
2:22:00 I think we all concur. Thank you. Anybody else? Discussion? Okay, please vote.
2:22:11 All in favor, signify by saying aye. All opposed? Okay. Age 45 passes.
2:22:21 Doctor Shiller. We will move on to the information agenda, which includes items for board review and may be brought back for action at a subsequent meeting. No action will be taken on these items today.
2:22:32 There is one item under this category. Does any member wish to discuss this item? Okay. Thank you very much.
2:22:40 We are now at board member reports discussion points. What I wanted to do was these other ones that we had here were already discussed. The staff substitutes.
2:23:19 And I’m not sure how it got on there. So I’m just going to pull it because I don’t feel like we’re in a good place to discuss it. We talked about these guidelines in the previous workshop.
2:23:19 And then does any other board member have any other information to report or discuss? I just want to say I feel an obligation to something really tragic happened this week in our school community. And I hope that we would all be really, really sensitive to the victim. And I’m so proud of that student, and I’m proud of their friend, and I’m proud of the teacher who stood up and said something.
2:23:49 And I am so grateful for the satellite beach police department, who took that complaint seriously, who acted swiftly, who made a very quick connection with Brevard County Sheriff’s office, who did the right thing. This is a child. A victim.
2:24:13 I am so proud of her. Don’t use that. Don’t you dare. I am grateful for the staff here, and I’m grateful for satellite, this community, and the school for wrapping their arms around that student and all of the students and the staff who are affected by this. So please don’t use. Doctor Schiller, do you have anything further to report? No, Mister Chairman. Thank you. There will be no further business. This meeting is now adjourned.