2025-08-12 - School Board Meeting

0:00 Second. Any discussion? Paul, roll call please. Mr. Thomas. Aye.

0:03 Ms. Campbell. Aye. Mr. Trent. Aye. Mr. Susan. Aye. Ms. Wright.

0:06 Aye. Dr. Rendell. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So by your action

0:10 tonight and your action two weeks ago, we have some people to

0:13 celebrate. So the first one we’re going to call up is Dr. Jeanette

0:17 Connor, who is now the principal of Space Coast Junior Senior

0:20 High School for two weeks now. Congratulations. Come on up.

0:30 Thank you so much. I would like to begin by thanking Dr. Rendell

0:36 and the board for the incredible opportunity to lead Space Coast

0:39 Junior Senior High School. I would also like to extend a

0:42 heartfelt thank you to Mr. Raymer, Mrs. Harris, Mrs. Weibel, and

0:47 Ms. Vega. Your belief and confidence in me means the world.

0:51 Thank you to Mr. Pruitt, Director of Leadership Development, Mr.

0:57 Pruitt’s guidance throughout the level two preparing

0:59 new principal program has been invaluable. Thank you to my

1:03 mentor principal from Western Junior Senior High, Mr. Bert Clark,

1:07 for all of the calls and texts and data-driven support

1:10 throughout completing my level two program. To my APC friends, I

1:16 would not have survived the AP curriculum role without your

1:19 group text. Your support, no matter the time of day throughout

1:22 the past three years, is something that I’ll forever be thankful

1:26 for. This evening, I am blessed to have some special people

1:29 that are here in the crowd, and I would like to thank Mr.

1:59 Solomon, former principal of O’Galley High School, and his

1:59 family for their unwavering support. Mr. Solomon provided me

1:59 with my first BPS position as a community chair coach, and then

1:59 later hired me as a teacher and eventually a school counselor.

1:59 Mr. Solomon encouraged me from a young age to pursue educational

1:59 leadership, and his belief in me is the reason I’m in this

1:59 position today. Also, thank you to Ms. Price

1:59 Brevard Virtual School principal. It’s hard to believe that I

2:29 was your cheerleader and economics and U.S. history student

2:29 turned principal. Your support over the years has meant more

2:29 than you know. Thank you to my family for always supporting my

2:29 dreams and aspirations. And finally, thank you to Mrs. Gonzales,

2:29 principal of Titusville High School. I am so proud of the

2:29 milestones that we accomplished.

2:29 Thank you for your curriculum. Thank you for granting me the

2:32 opportunity to lead alongside of you. I have loved every minute

2:35 of my time as a Terrier. And I look forward to seeing all that

2:39 my Terrier family will accomplish this year and beyond.

2:42 And to my new Viper family, which some of them are in the crowd

2:45 somewhere tonight, I cannot wait to see what we accomplish in

2:50 this next chapter. I could not be prouder to lead Viper Nation

2:54 as your new principal. Thank you.

3:01 So next I’d like to recognize Danielle Polly for her promotion

3:08 to officially principal at Gardendale Separate Day School.

3:11 Congratulations.

3:13 So I wanted to start by saying thank you to my family who have

3:18 been always giving their support, dropping everything when I

3:23 need the kids picked up because I’m still at school and always

3:27 being there for me.

3:30 Thank you to all the educators I’ve worked with over the years,

3:34 teachers, administrators, support staff. If it wasn’t for you

3:38 guys, I wouldn’t be where I am now.

3:40 Thank you to the board and Dr. Randell for giving me this

3:46 opportunity to be at such an amazing school.

3:49 And to my Gardendale family that I know we are continuing to

3:52 grow and I am so proud of where we’ve come in the past three

3:56 years and looking forward to continuing to rise with you. Thank

4:00 you.

4:00 So next we’d like to call up Martha McFarland. She’s being

4:09 promoted from one position at Beira High School to another for

4:12 10 month assistant principal to 12 month assistant principal.

4:15 Congratulations.

4:19 Thank you. Thank you. Good afternoon school board members, Dr.

4:23 Randell and distinguished guests.

4:25 I would like to start by saying how grateful I am for this

4:27 opportunity and for the trust that has been placed in me.

4:30 This promotion just isn’t about my work. It’s about a reflection

4:34 of the support, the mentorship and the teamwork that I have been

4:37 fortunate to be surrounded with.

4:39 To my colleagues, my Vieira colleagues, my Hawks and principal

4:43 at Gate, I wanted to say thank you for challenging me.

4:46 Thank you for inspiring me and making every day a chance to grow

4:49 to the district leadership.

4:51 Thank you for seeing my potential and for giving me this

4:54 opportunity to grow at the next level and to my boys and my

4:57 family.

4:58 Just thank you for everything. Without you guys, I wouldn’t be

5:01 here.

5:01 So I’m excited to take on this responsibility and I’m excited to

5:05 see where we can take our school to the next level.

5:07 And of course, go Hawks.

5:09 So and finally, we want to congratulate Christy Shorts on her

5:19 promotion to assistant principal at Endeavor Elementary School.

5:22 Congratulations.

5:31 Good evening, everyone.

5:33 I’m truly honored to accept the role of assistant principal at

5:36 Endeavor Elementary.

5:37 I want to begin by expressing my deepest gratitude to our

5:40 superintendent, Dr. Rendell, our board, our director, Mr. Reid,

5:44 and my very proud Panther principal, Ms. Murphy, for entrusting

5:49 me with this position.

5:52 Being part of the Endeavor team is a privilege.

5:56 Our school is filled with passionate educators and absolutely

5:59 incredible students.

6:00 I’m excited to continue working alongside all of you to support

6:03 our mission and help every child thrive.

6:06 Thank you again for this opportunity.

6:08 I’m very proud to serve Endeavor Elementary.

6:10 Thank you, Mr. Chair.

6:17 If we could now take a break for some pictures.

6:19 Sure.

6:19 Let’s break.

6:38 Thank you.

1:11:05 Ryan Matrigali.

1:10:58 Good evening, board.

1:11:03 I cut out a lot of what I was going to say tonight.

1:11:06 A, because I spoke at two meetings ago on this exact very topic,

1:11:10 which is going to be G1 on wireless communication devices.

1:11:14 And a lot of what I still have to say has already been said

1:11:17 tonight,

1:11:18 but I want to make sure it is reiterated because it’s important.

1:11:20 When I was in high school, yes, I graduated in 2024, as all of

1:11:24 you know,

1:11:26 I had classes with 40 kids in them and one teacher.

1:11:30 If you were a teacher in that classroom and kids were on their

1:11:35 phones,

1:11:36 you would be going around that classroom the entire time trying

1:11:40 to get kids off their phones

1:11:42 rather than teaching the curriculum you had planned for that day.

1:11:44 I have seen it happen with your old policy,

1:11:47 and I am sure enough that it’s going to happen with this one.

1:11:52 Second, I want to talk about how I used my own laptop,

1:11:56 this exact one, for education purposes

1:12:00 and how the language of this current policy does not allow for

1:12:03 it.

1:12:03 I was a dual enrollment student.

1:12:05 My sophomore year of high school, I hopped on a bus midway

1:12:08 through second period

1:12:10 and was bussed over to Eastern Florida to take my dual

1:12:13 enrollment courses

1:12:14 and bussed back during my lunch period.

1:12:17 On Fridays, there are no Eastern Florida classes.

1:12:20 Where would they put us?

1:12:21 In the cafeteria.

1:12:22 Had I not had my laptop, I would be sitting there doing

1:12:27 absolutely nothing

1:12:27 for that entire hour and a half during the school day.

1:12:33 So because of these things, I urge you to revise this policy

1:12:36 and come back to it when you’ve done so.

1:12:39 Thank you.

1:12:39 Quinn Dykus, Ryan Matrigali, Xander Colangelo.

1:12:50 Good evening, board members, superintendent and community

1:12:56 members.

1:12:57 My name is Quinn, and tonight I wanted to offer the perspective

1:13:00 of a newer Brevard County resident in reference to item G2,

1:13:04 the final public hearing on revisions to policy 0165,

1:13:08 which governs how this board conducts its meetings.

1:13:10 I’ve lived here for about a year and a half now,

1:13:13 the last board meeting being my first BPS meeting.

1:13:15 I chose to do my own due diligence before speaking at that

1:13:19 meeting,

1:13:20 which included watching every single board meeting, board

1:13:24 workshop,

1:13:24 and any live stream recording this board has published

1:13:27 for the last six months.

1:13:29 Throughout those recordings and last meeting,

1:13:31 I have received conflicting information from board comments,

1:13:34 one of which you’ve already heard from so many community members

1:13:37 about your position surrounding Ms. Calhoun.

1:13:39 Policy 0165.

1:13:40 You know what, ma’am, I’m going to stop you

1:13:41 for just a brief second.

1:13:42 That was pulled from the agenda.

1:13:44 0165.

1:13:45 Okay, but the G2, the policy hearing,

1:13:49 is still the public meeting?

1:13:50 Yeah.

1:13:52 The agenda, when it got approved,

1:13:55 the motion to approve it was to approve it without G2,

1:13:59 so it is no longer being considered by the board.

1:14:02 Okay.

1:14:03 Well, thank you for censoring me.

1:14:04 All right.

1:14:05 Can we try G1?

1:14:08 You have your time to speak about anything that’s on the agenda.

1:14:12 Okay, so G1.

1:14:17 Okay, well, I’m going to try this again,

1:14:19 and we’ll see while I get my second warning.

1:14:21 These conflicting comments made from meeting to meeting

1:14:25 and lack of elaboration and transparency of reasoning

1:14:28 in the decision-making is something the community is begging for.

1:14:30 This is not about politics.

1:14:32 This is about governing officials following through on decisions

1:14:34 and comments they make to the public.

1:14:36 I challenge you all to go back

1:14:38 and even just watch the last three months of recordings.

1:14:41 Upon reflecting, can you say these decisions and comments you

1:14:44 made

1:14:45 were in good faith?

1:14:45 Were they digestible for your community members

1:14:48 to understand the follow of logic?

1:14:50 I urge you all to act on your own responsibilities

1:14:53 from the Student Code of Conduct,

1:14:54 which says to promote a positive, safe,

1:14:57 and supportive school climate

1:14:58 and communicate and respond to parents, guardians,

1:15:00 in a way that is accessible and easily understood.

1:15:03 Following your own responsibilities,

1:15:05 I urge you to host a moderate, neutral town hall

1:15:09 outside of this chamber into a place where everyone,

1:15:11 no matter if they’re a student, parent, guardian,

1:15:14 school staff or administrator can have an open conversation

1:15:17 without fear or intimidation.

1:15:18 No one is asking you to step outside your wheelhouse.

1:15:21 I understand the relations that have priored me moving

1:15:24 to this county have transpired,

1:15:25 but as a new resident, I would really appreciate

1:15:28 and love to see an outside moderated discussion

1:15:31 so there can be moderated back and forth in a neutral way.

1:15:34 Policy, actually, I’m not going to say the policy,

1:15:37 to ensure transparency, accountability,

1:15:39 and meaningful public participation in decision-making.

1:15:42 This board has the opportunity to listen

1:15:44 to their community members

1:15:45 and pass the actions that the community members

1:15:47 who voted you all in would like to see.

1:15:49 I’m sure you guys have a hard job

1:15:51 and we appreciate you doing this job,

1:15:53 but I would really like to see this board

1:15:55 really focus on their community members.

1:15:56 Thank you.

1:16:03 Ryan Matrigali, Zander Colangelo, Sebastian Martinez.

1:16:09 Good evenings, members of the board and Dr. Rendell.

1:16:18 Thanks for having me and allowing me to speak tonight.

1:16:20 I’ll be speaking on agenda item G1.

1:16:22 To start off, this new law that has been passed

1:16:24 is only supposed to enforce electronic device bans

1:16:27 on grades K through 8, not 9 through 12.

1:16:29 The ruling of this new policy you plan to implement

1:16:31 is not as beneficial as you may believe it to be.

1:16:33 Why make it so students can’t use their phones

1:16:35 or personal devices during lunchtime or breaks

1:16:37 as long as they are paying attention in class?

1:16:39 What about the students who need special devices

1:16:41 to be able to properly learn in a school setting?

1:16:43 On to my next point.

1:16:45 Many high schools have a college advisor on campus

1:16:47 that you can speak to about classes or career paths.

1:16:49 Wouldn’t it make sense to use your laptop or tablet

1:16:52 to look at said classes or campuses

1:16:53 to ensure that what you’re talking about is correct?

1:16:56 College advisors and counselors are good,

1:16:57 but no one is that good unless they have photographic

1:17:00 or perfect auditory memory.

1:17:01 Why make their jobs more difficult?

1:17:03 On another note, Satellite High School spent $4,000

1:17:07 over the budget to purchase paper for this upcoming school year

1:17:10 to make up for the lack of phones and laptops

1:17:12 that students supply using their own personal devices.

1:17:14 On the topic of making people’s jobs more difficult,

1:17:17 what about teachers?

1:17:18 Just as an example, in physics classes,

1:17:21 you might use your phone in place of stopwatches

1:17:22 because of their convenience.

1:17:24 Perhaps in research classes or, dare I say, AP literature,

1:17:27 some sites or books may be blocked or banned

1:17:29 because and can’t be accessed through school devices

1:17:31 or school libraries.

1:17:32 This can be a problem as it may restrict students

1:17:34 from finding the crucial information they may need

1:17:36 for their project or study.

1:17:37 On another note that may be off topic but still on agenda,

1:17:40 why are students who follow the rules

1:17:42 while using their personal devices forced to suffer

1:17:44 while students who watch Euphoria

1:17:46 and Game of Thrones on campus just find another way

1:17:48 to sneak their devices during class?

1:17:49 On top of that, applications like College Board,

1:17:52 Common App, and Big Future School require multi-device

1:17:55 authentication

1:17:55 to access, which affects the students’ seniors

1:17:57 and AP students, why make your successful students

1:18:00 and hardworking staff suffer by wasting precious class time

1:18:03 by waiting for the next day and the day after that

1:18:05 to get their school devices set up when it can all be solved

1:18:08 with a device like the one I hold in my hand?

1:18:09 Why make it more difficult for those students

1:18:12 who work tirelessly day after day to keep their grades up?

1:18:15 Why make it more difficult for the students

1:18:17 who slave away on college boards studying for AP exams in May?

1:18:20 Why make it more difficult for the students like me

1:18:22 to prepare ourselves for college in the upcoming year

1:18:24 where those college students have to use their personal devices?

1:18:27 It just doesn’t make sense.

1:18:29 I know that you want what’s best for your schools and your

1:18:31 district,

1:18:32 but why not just follow the state with this one?

1:18:34 I think the policy you are adding is just making an unnecessary

1:18:37 hurdle

1:18:37 for your teachers, students, and even parents.

1:18:39 Personal devices aren’t a weapon of destruction,

1:18:41 but rather a tool for the path of success.

1:18:44 Thank you.

1:18:44 Xander Colangelo, Sebastian Martinez, Zaire Samdi.

1:18:58 Good evening.

1:19:03 I’m going to get straight to the point with the anecdote from my

1:19:07 class.

1:19:08 My school was unable to provide me with a Spanish class

1:19:11 and because I wanted to graduate with my biliteracy seal,

1:19:14 I had to take it online in a lab period.

1:19:17 However, the computer I was given was inadequate

1:19:21 to actually take the class.

1:19:22 About 50% of the time, it would take half the class period

1:19:26 to log on to the computer.

1:19:27 In many cases, I just never even got to my course.

1:19:32 And even today, I measured the amount of time it took me

1:19:37 to log in for my first period to get on to my computer.

1:19:40 It took me 16 minutes out of our 49-minute class period,

1:19:44 which is pretty much one-third of my entire class period,

1:19:49 which is wasted trying to log in.

1:19:52 And when I got home today, it took me 16 seconds,

1:19:55 not 16 minutes, to get on to my computer,

1:19:57 which that’s a huge change that can really affect our learning

1:20:02 in class.

1:20:03 And also, for science research, in order to complete my project

1:20:13 last year,

1:20:14 I had to use proprietary software that wasn’t available on the

1:20:17 school computers.

1:20:18 So science research is a way that I can actually show my

1:20:22 academic strength,

1:20:24 and that’s being limited by not being able to bring in a

1:20:26 personal computer.

1:20:28 And one final point is that I understand you don’t want to

1:20:33 actually stop the bullying,

1:20:34 the hazing, and the drugs that go on in our schools,

1:20:37 but rather sweep it under the rug,

1:20:39 making sure nobody can actually record it with their phones.

1:20:42 That way nobody actually sees what’s actually happening in our

1:20:45 schools.

1:20:45 And I see you shaking your head.

1:20:48 I think it’s an absurd statement.

1:20:49 But the application that the state asks every single high school

1:20:56 student to download

1:20:57 is a Fortify FL, and it requires your phone to report bullying,

1:21:04 hazing, drugs,

1:21:05 things to keep the students in the community safe,

1:21:08 but that’s now not being allowed.

1:21:10 So I’d like you guys to consider principal discretion.

1:21:16 Allow the principal to approve certain times we can actually use

1:21:20 these devices.

1:21:23 Actually, one more point while I still have some time about

1:21:28 teachers.

1:21:28 I’ve seen from the start of the school year this year to the

1:21:34 start of school year last year

1:21:36 that my teachers are much more scared and frightened to make

1:21:41 personal connections with their students

1:21:44 because they feel like if they get too personal,

1:21:46 if they actually build a connection with their students,

1:21:49 that they can be fired up and their contract not renewed.

1:21:53 So I think it’s something we should really consider.

1:21:55 Thank you.

1:21:56 Sebastian Martinez, Zaire Somni, Devin Van.

1:22:08 Good evening, ladies and gentlemen on the board.

1:22:12 My name is Sebastian Martinez,

1:22:14 and as always, thank you for the opportunity to address you

1:22:16 today.

1:22:17 I’m speaking on agenda item F9, instructional staff

1:22:20 recommendations,

1:22:21 and I’d like to start with asking the board,

1:22:24 Ms. Campbell, Mr. Susan, Mr. Trent, Ms. Wright,

1:22:28 to follow through with your commitments you made to the public

1:22:30 during the April 22nd board meeting.

1:22:32 We’re on record.

1:22:33 You all, in one way or another,

1:22:35 came to the consensus that if the state votes to reinstate Ms.

1:22:39 Calhoun’s contract,

1:22:40 then you would all be interested in having her back as a teacher

1:22:42 in your district.

1:22:44 At past board meetings, I pointed out what seemed to be you all

1:22:48 as community leaders deflecting blame

1:22:50 and refusing to take accountability for how this district

1:22:53 treated Ms. Calhoun.

1:22:54 But even then, I said to myself,

1:22:56 maybe there is just another reason they haven’t reinstated Ms.

1:23:00 Calhoun.

1:23:02 Now we’re back at the same crossroad.

1:23:04 And just to refresh, you said Ms. Calhoun could be reinstated

1:23:07 if the state of Florida decided to reinstate her teaching

1:23:09 certificate.

1:23:10 And again, to refresh, they voted unanimously, meaning without

1:23:15 opposition,

1:23:15 to not terminate her teaching contract.

1:23:18 This was a true testament to sticking true to advancing better

1:23:22 education in the state of Florida.

1:23:23 But then a couple days later, I read an article where the

1:23:25 superintendent essentially rejects the idea

1:23:27 of hiring Ms. Calhoun in a statement full of political rhetoric.

1:23:31 I talked to so many community members about education and

1:23:34 education policy.

1:23:36 The one thing people can agree to, regardless of political

1:23:38 background,

1:23:39 is that political agendas have no place on the school board.

1:23:42 Period.

1:23:44 So as a board, your main, if not one of the only staff you

1:23:47 oversee, is the superintendent.

1:23:49 You should be holding him to a higher standard if you want

1:23:51 excellence.

1:23:52 If you want excellence, you demand excellence of those in

1:23:55 leadership.

1:23:56 So now, it’s back to you on whether or not you’re going to stand

1:23:59 by your word.

1:24:00 Whether or not you’re going to restore Ms. Calhoun.

1:24:03 Whether or not you’re going to put the interest of the school

1:24:06 district

1:24:07 before any existing political agenda,

1:24:09 or what might score you extra points in a primary for higher

1:24:12 office, Ms. Campbell.

1:24:14 I mean, I know you’ve all seen how many open teaching positions

1:24:18 you have.

1:24:19 Fill the classrooms with teachers, not year-round substitutes

1:24:23 or partial-time substitute teachers.

1:24:24 I’m asking that you help take the right steps to restore a

1:24:30 culture of collaboration,

1:24:31 of respect, integrity, leadership, and professionalism.

1:24:36 I’m asking you to put students before politics

1:24:39 and to restore Ms. Calhoun today.

1:24:41 Hold your superintendent accountable.

1:24:44 Thank you so much for your time.

1:24:45 Zaire Samdee, Devin Van, Sarah Mursky.

1:24:54 Good evening, board members.

1:25:01 I’m Zaire Kekahuna Samdee.

1:25:03 I’m here tonight because trust has been broken,

1:25:05 and that matters deeply in the school system.

1:25:07 This board looked the public in the eye and said that if the

1:25:10 state cleared Ms. Calhoun to teach,

1:25:11 her reinstatement would be reconsidered.

1:25:14 The state has cleared her.

1:25:15 That condition has been met.

1:25:17 And instead of acting with integrity, you all are sitting on

1:25:20 your hands.

1:25:21 That is a broken promise, plain and simple.

1:25:24 And it’s visible to every student, every parent, and every

1:25:27 educator here in Brevard.

1:25:29 We’ve now heard the excuse that she must complete her probation

1:25:32 first,

1:25:33 but that’s not how that typically works, and it can be served

1:25:36 while teaching.

1:25:36 That means that this delay is not about rules.

1:25:39 It’s about politics.

1:25:40 Every day she’s kept out of the classroom is a day students miss

1:25:43 out on access to a high-quality experience,

1:25:46 teacher, and learning from someone who has already proven

1:25:49 herself.

1:25:51 Worse, this board’s actions are creating damage.

1:25:54 When good educators are punished instead of supported, and I

1:25:57 want to emphasize good educators,

1:25:58 when good educators are punished instead of supported,

1:26:02 when commitments are made and then ignored, it sends a message.

1:26:05 That speaking up or even just doing your job with integrity

1:26:08 could cost you everything.

1:26:09 That fear is spreading, and it doesn’t stop at the teacher’s

1:26:13 desk.

1:26:13 Students are watching.

1:26:14 Families are watching.

1:26:16 And the silence, the retaliation, and the games speaks volumes.

1:26:20 If this board is serious about healing, about transparency,

1:26:24 about representing the people of Brevard,

1:26:26 then stop hiding.

1:26:28 So tonight, I ask these things of you.

1:26:31 Be honest with Brevard.

1:26:32 Bring Ms. Calhoun back.

1:26:34 Acknowledge that families are concerned and confused as to why

1:26:37 this is happening.

1:26:38 And put students before politics.

1:26:40 Also, hearing the concept of a town hall sounds amazing,

1:26:44 and I think I’m going to add that to my list of requests as well.

1:26:46 Devin Van, Sarah Mursky, Michelle Barino.

1:26:58 Good evening, board members and superintendent Rindell.

1:27:02 My comment relates to policy 5136, the wireless communication

1:27:06 device policy.

1:27:07 My children are in 12th and 9th grade at Satellite High School.

1:27:10 They are taking advanced placement in honors courses,

1:27:12 and the policy prohibiting the use of laptops is hindering their

1:27:15 ability to be productive and prepared in school.

1:27:18 Textbooks are online.

1:27:20 Sheet music is online.

1:27:21 College applications are online.

1:27:23 FAFSA is online.

1:27:25 The computers and laptops available for use through BPS are not

1:27:28 sufficient.

1:27:29 They crash often, and substitute teachers are not able to pull

1:27:33 them back online.

1:27:35 I was actually hopeful when I initially heard that this board

1:27:37 was going to work toward reducing phone use during instructional

1:27:40 time,

1:27:40 because I do believe that cell phones can be harmful and

1:27:43 distracting for all of us.

1:27:44 But the policy is not a solution to cell phone usage.

1:27:48 It is a vast overreach, and it puts high school students at a

1:27:51 distinct disadvantage for no good reason.

1:27:55 When politics are not well thought out and are not based in

1:27:58 reality,

1:27:59 you end up with situations that invite uneven enforcement and

1:28:02 community confusion.

1:28:04 As a parent, it’s frustrating to watch our schools get jerked

1:28:07 around with these confusing and nonsensical board decisions.

1:28:10 Let high school students take notes on their laptops.

1:28:13 Let highly effective high school teachers who have the respect

1:28:16 of their students and students’ parents teach.

1:28:19 Stop making school more difficult for some of your best students

1:28:22 in your hunt for political relevance.

1:28:24 Thank you.

1:28:25 Sarah Mursky, Michelle Barano, Xander Moritz.

1:28:37 Good evening.

1:28:39 My name is Sarah Mursky.

1:28:41 I’m a wife of a husband who is part owner of an aerospace

1:28:44 company and job creator here in Brevard County.

1:28:47 I’m a mom of two children who attend BPS.

1:28:51 I’m a clinical social worker who has had the honor of serving

1:28:54 the most marginalized of Brevard County.

1:28:56 I’m a taxpayer, stakeholder, and voter.

1:28:59 I live in District 2 for school board.

1:29:01 I have a holistic interest in assisting this district in serving

1:29:05 every student with excellence as a standard.

1:29:07 Tonight, I will be addressing Agenda Item G1, the wireless

1:29:11 communication device policy.

1:29:13 In my late 30s and early 40s, I went back to college.

1:29:17 My grades in GPA and undergrad were high enough that I qualified

1:29:20 for the advanced standing program for grad school,

1:29:23 which means I was able to do my master’s degree in one year

1:29:26 instead of the traditional two years,

1:29:29 while also earning a scholarship, running a household, being a

1:29:33 wife and a mother, as well as graduating with honors.

1:29:36 I could not have done any of this without my cell phone and my

1:29:40 laptop.

1:29:41 I needed my laptop and cell phone in class to exchange contact

1:29:44 information for group projects and trips.

1:29:47 I needed my laptop for various reasons during class, but mainly

1:29:51 to write papers and attend Zoom calls.

1:29:53 I also needed my laptop for my internship work.

1:29:56 How are we supposed to equip the next generation of students

1:30:00 without working from a laptop in class?

1:30:02 How are they supposed to learn any computer science skills, how

1:30:06 to learn CAD coding, engineering, architecture programs,

1:30:11 any aerospace technology work, and so on without using a laptop

1:30:15 in the classroom?

1:30:16 Are learning computer skills imperative to their future?

1:30:20 We live on the Space Coast, and we should be offering a full STEAM

1:30:24 education to equip students for college and job skills for the

1:30:28 space industry and beyond.

1:30:29 On a somber subject, on October 4, 2024, Rockledge High School

1:30:35 went on lockdown due to a student or students bringing a gun or

1:30:40 guns to school.

1:30:41 Another student saw the threat on their Snapchat, and they were

1:30:46 able to access their Snapchat at school

1:30:49 and notify the front desk and then school security.

1:30:52 I shudder to think what would have happened if that student didn’t

1:30:56 see the threat on Snapchat and notified the authorities.

1:30:58 Would we have had students coming out of that situation in body

1:31:02 bags instead of handcuffs?

1:31:03 Would my innocent child have been one of those who would have

1:31:06 died that day?

1:31:07 My husband and I were able to provide comfort, calm, and quiet

1:31:10 prayers to our child that day.

1:31:12 I don’t know if that would have been the last time I would have

1:31:15 talked to my child.

1:31:18 Please do not take that away from me and other parents.

1:31:20 I would like to make the suggested changes to the policy that

1:31:25 students are allowed to use WCD as the direction and discretion

1:31:30 of instructional staff for educational purposes only,

1:31:34 and that student is able to use in an emergency.

1:31:36 My hope is that this board accepts this as a solution and not a

1:31:40 criticism.

1:31:41 Thank you.

1:31:42 Michelle Barrino, Xander Moritz, Anya Denison.

1:31:54 Hello.

1:31:57 My name is Michelle Barrino.

1:31:58 I’m a parent of a student in 10th grade, and I didn’t prepare

1:32:03 remarks before I got in this room, but I felt it was important

1:32:07 since I was able to actually physically be here that I represent

1:32:10 the dozens and dozens and dozens of people on my Facebook groups

1:32:14 that are expressing incredible frustration over the cell phone

1:32:17 policy.

1:32:19 There’s been a pretty consistent theme here tonight on two

1:32:22 issues, and I’m in line with everyone pretty much on those.

1:32:25 I do want to point out that the state law is clear for under the

1:32:29 undergrades, but for high school, you have discrepancy here.

1:32:34 I read through the policy trying to understand what it was that

1:32:38 you were trying to do.

1:32:39 I’m very fortunate.

1:32:40 I consider myself incredibly fortunate that I attended school

1:32:44 pre-cell phone, and I can’t imagine the grief the teachers have

1:32:48 to deal with because they are a horrible distraction.

1:32:52 They are.

1:32:53 I don’t know anyone who doesn’t think they are a distraction.

1:32:56 However, you’ll notice I’m relying on mine right now.

1:32:59 Just about everybody that came up here was reading remarks off a

1:33:03 cell phone because it is a superior way of communicating in

1:33:07 terms of writing notes to yourself, taking pictures.

1:33:10 My student would always take pictures of the blackboard so that

1:33:13 she could focus on what the teacher was saying, read the

1:33:16 information when she got home.

1:33:18 She can’t do that anymore.

1:33:19 She was kind of having a panic attack today, worried that she

1:33:22 was going to miss something.

1:33:24 They are horrible distractions.

1:33:25 They are the world we live in today.

1:33:28 I notice you guys all have laptops on your desk.

1:33:30 Try and imagine getting through your workday without being able

1:33:33 to use your laptop.

1:33:34 For the high school, at least where you have discretion, I urge

1:33:37 you to reconsider this policy.

1:33:39 Ideally, it would make sense for the students to be able to use

1:33:43 their cell phones during the breaks.

1:33:45 Think about this.

1:33:47 They have five minutes to get to their class.

1:33:48 How do they tell time?

1:33:51 How are they going to get to class on time if they can’t

1:33:54 regulate where they are in terms of the schedule?

1:33:56 I mean, this is everything now.

1:33:58 It’s not just a phone.

1:33:59 It’s your external hard drive.

1:34:02 It’s your brain.

1:34:03 It’s your schedule.

1:34:03 It’s your clock.

1:34:04 It’s everything.

1:34:06 It’s your memory.

1:34:07 So being told that they can’t use it is going to be a real

1:34:10 hardship in a lot of areas.

1:34:12 I understand that they are a distraction.

1:34:14 Punish the misbehavior.

1:34:16 Don’t punish the entire student body all day long.

1:34:19 If you use your cell phone in class, it gets taken away.

1:34:22 You do it again, you get detention or some other kind of

1:34:26 punishment.

1:34:27 We’ve been doing this in the past.

1:34:29 We’ve made it this far without this rule.

1:34:32 And the laptop rule is incredibly frustrating.

1:34:36 I spent a day at my kids’ school registering parents for PTA on

1:34:41 student equipment.

1:34:42 It was horrible.

1:34:44 When it wasn’t crashed, it was stalled.

1:34:46 Unless you can provide excellent, adequate equipment to

1:34:52 substitute for what people are doing with

1:34:53 their laptops, their e-readers, and their cell phones, you

1:34:56 should allow them back in the class.

1:34:58 Thank you.

1:34:58 Xander Moritz, Anya Denison.

1:35:06 Good evening, members of this board, Superintendent Rendell.

1:35:09 My name is Xander Moritz, and I am here tonight to speak to item

1:35:12 8 on instructional staff recommendations.

1:35:14 This is the item that determines who will and will not be

1:35:16 teaching in the Brevard School

1:35:18 District this year.

1:35:18 It is exactly where the decision to rehire Ms. Melissa Calhoun

1:35:22 belongs, and it is why

1:35:23 I am here tonight.

1:35:24 I do not live in Brevard County.

1:35:26 I am here because this decision and the way that it has been

1:35:28 handled has drawn a large deal

1:35:30 of concern that extends far beyond this boardroom.

1:35:32 Across Florida, people are watching because the precedent you

1:35:35 set here will not start at the

1:35:37 Brevard County line.

1:35:38 If that were simply a local personnel matter driven by local

1:35:41 education priorities, this whole

1:35:43 situation would not have sparked this level of attention.

1:35:45 But it is clear to everyone in this room and beyond it that what

1:35:48 is happening here is being

1:35:50 shaped not by local educational priorities, but by national

1:35:53 political agendas.

1:35:54 This is not in the best interest of Brevard students.

1:35:58 This is also why a refusal to fully engage in real conversation,

1:36:02 it sends its own message.

1:36:04 When a decision is played out as political theater, that will

1:36:08 always draw an audience,

1:36:09 and that audience will always take away a message from your

1:36:12 actions, whether you intend

1:36:13 it or not.

1:36:14 Earlier this year, the board said it would consider her reinstatement

1:36:17 if the state allowed her to

1:36:18 continue teaching under probation.

1:36:19 That was the clear condition that this board set.

1:36:22 Now, the state has done exactly that.

1:36:24 They have upheld her license, placed it under probation, and

1:36:27 cleared her to be in the classroom,

1:36:29 yet she still is not at your explicit instruction.

1:36:32 This should not be about politics.

1:36:34 It needs to be about integrity, fairness, and maintaining our

1:36:36 commitments.

1:36:37 When a governing body says one thing, follows due process, and

1:36:40 then fails to honor its own

1:36:42 word, it damages trust not only with one person, but with every

1:36:45 student, every parent, and every

1:36:47 educator in this district who expects you to model the same

1:36:50 accountability we expect of the

1:36:52 students in Brevard.

1:36:53 We must hold ourselves to the same standards we expect from our

1:36:56 students.

1:36:58 This decision is also happening amongst the backdrop of deepening

1:37:00 concerns about the relationship

1:37:02 between the board and its community.

1:37:03 In recent weeks, residents have expressed frustration at the

1:37:06 lack of open dialogue on major decisions,

1:37:07 and I don’t need to tell you that the boardroom does not feel

1:37:09 like a healthy, sustainable culture.

1:37:11 There is toxic relationships developing, and we need to heal

1:37:14 them through the creation of an

1:37:15 open, moderated, sustainable community town hall.

1:37:18 That is why I’m calling for two clear, clean actions tonight.

1:37:21 The first, amend the instructional staff recommendations to

1:37:23 include Ms. Melissa Calhoun’s reinstatement.

1:37:26 Second, commit to holding a moderated, neutral, community town

1:37:28 hall, not here in this chamber

1:37:30 and not under the rules of a board meeting, but where board

1:37:32 members, parents, students,

1:37:33 teachers, everyone can come together for an open, respectful,

1:37:36 and resource-driven dialogue.

1:37:38 Reinstating Ms. Calhoun would be a concrete act of fairness and

1:37:41 a follow-through on your word.

1:37:42 Hosting a town hall would be a clear step towards repairing

1:37:45 relationships and restoring trust.

1:37:47 Together, these actions would demonstrate that the board is

1:37:49 serious about listening to the people

1:37:50 of Brevard and moving forward together.

1:37:53 Thank you for your time, thank you for your consideration, and

1:37:55 thank you for your commitment to your word

1:37:57 and to the services of Brevard Public Schools.

1:37:59 Anya Denison.

1:38:07 Good evening, board.

1:38:10 My name is Anya, and I’m here to speak on the instructional

1:38:12 staff recommendations.

1:38:14 I do also want to offer a quick note on the tech policy before I

1:38:16 get into the comment I prepared.

1:38:18 High school classrooms are integrated with cell phones and tech

1:38:21 of all sorts, like QR codes,

1:38:23 Kahoot literally works off phones, capturing notes, and so on.

1:38:26 If you’ve visited a high school in, like, the last five years,

1:38:28 it’s standard practice for students

1:38:30 to bring laptops to school and use them because school laptops

1:38:33 are usually slow.

1:38:34 New systems that are outdated are not preferred.

1:38:37 Gen Z doesn’t like Microsoft.

1:38:38 It takes time out of a student’s day to switch between platforms

1:38:41 from school and home,

1:38:42 so just offering that for consideration.

1:38:45 iPads, widely used for notes, super necessary, especially going

1:38:49 into college.

1:38:50 People bring them from high school to college, and it’s just a

1:38:53 thing important to know,

1:38:54 especially if you haven’t visited recently.

1:38:56 But I’m talking about instructional staff recommendations, and I

1:38:59 specifically want to talk about the fact

1:39:02 that Ms. Melissa Calhoun’s contract isn’t being renewed despite

1:39:05 everything that’s happened

1:39:06 at the state level.

1:39:07 I think that it’s really important to talk about the fact that

1:39:12 there’s not a reason that beyond

1:39:15 her not being returned from probation, you’re not reinstating

1:39:20 her.

1:39:20 I’m so confused about that.

1:39:23 I think this, at its core, is about following through on our

1:39:25 word, and you set a public condition,

1:39:28 right, and the condition was set, and it was met, and the

1:39:31 community expects it to be honored.

1:39:34 So when it’s not, of course, people are going to be confused and

1:39:38 upset about it and just want

1:39:40 clarity, right, especially when we’ve seen cases where teachers

1:39:43 on probation have continued

1:39:44 teaching and it hasn’t been an issue.

1:39:46 And I think that as a solution, first of all, I would love to

1:39:52 see a town hall be brought forward

1:39:54 with a neutral moderator, open format, students, educators,

1:39:57 board members, everyone in the same

1:39:59 room to be able to ask questions in an environment that’s

1:40:02 comfortable and isn’t just me talking at

1:40:04 you for three minutes and you not being able to respond, right,

1:40:06 because that’s not actually

1:40:07 productive.

1:40:08 And sure, you receive my information, but I don’t get to receive

1:40:11 yours outside of the superintendent’s

1:40:13 statement, so not super productive and doesn’t build a

1:40:15 relationship.

1:40:16 I think that reinstating Ms. Calhoun and bringing that forward

1:40:20 tonight would also be a phenomenal

1:40:22 step.

1:40:23 If not, I would also love to see dialogue about why you’re

1:40:26 choosing not to and to address it in

1:40:29 this meeting as opposed to just not bring it forward.

1:40:31 Those two steps, I think, would put us in a better place.

1:40:35 Would love to hear your thoughts and appreciate the time tonight.

1:40:37 All right.

1:40:48 That concludes our agenda item, only public comments.

1:40:52 Thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to address

1:40:54 the board.

1:40:54 With your concerns and suggestions, I would like to remind the

1:40:57 public that the board is accessible

1:40:58 for further conversations outside our board meetings through

1:41:02 scheduling a meeting.

1:41:03 We are now at the consent agenda portion of our meeting.

1:41:14 Dr. Rendell.

1:41:14 Thank you, Mr. Chair.

1:41:16 There are 23 items on the list under this category.

1:41:18 Thank you, Dr. Rendell.

1:41:20 Does any board member wish to pull any items?

1:41:22 I’ll entertain a motion to accept the consent items on today’s

1:41:27 agenda.

1:41:28 Any discussion?

1:41:29 Paul, roll call, please.

1:41:30 Mr. Thomas?

1:41:31 Aye.

1:41:32 Ms. Campbell?

1:41:32 Aye.

1:41:33 Mr. Trent?

1:41:33 Aye.

1:41:34 Mr. Susan?

1:41:35 Aye.

1:41:35 Ms. Wright?

1:41:36 Aye.

1:41:36 The public hearing is now open to public comments.

1:41:40 We will, in accordance with the Florida law, accept the speakers

1:41:43 on G1 policy 2260-02.

1:41:48 Is there anyone present that wishes to address this item?

1:41:50 Yes, please.

1:41:58 Good evening again.

1:42:03 You have already heard me speak about this topic mostly from the

1:42:05 viewpoint of one of my daughters.

1:42:07 But now I’m going to speak generally from both perspectives.

1:42:09 One of my daughters came on from the first day of school to tell

1:42:12 me that most of her teachers

1:42:14 do not support this policy, but they are fearful of being fired.

1:42:18 In fact, one teacher today, Mr. Chair, can you pause the time?

1:42:22 Wrong policy.

1:42:22 Sorry, this is the policy, the anti-harassment policy that’s

1:42:25 being…

1:42:26 Yes.

1:42:26 Yep.

1:42:26 Sir, hi.

1:42:28 All right.

1:42:32 Is there anyone else wishes to address this item?

1:42:34 Do I hear a motion?

1:42:37 Move to approve.

1:42:38 Second.

1:42:38 Any discussion?

1:42:39 Paul, roll call, please.

1:42:40 Mr. Thomas?

1:42:42 Aye.

1:42:43 Ms. Campbell?

1:42:45 Aye.

1:42:45 Mr. Trent?

1:42:46 Aye.

1:42:46 Mr. Susan?

1:42:47 Ms. Wright?

1:42:49 Aye.

1:42:49 Mr. Susan?

1:42:52 All right.

1:42:53 Here we go.

1:42:54 Policy 5136.

1:42:56 Is there anyone present who wishes to address this item?

1:42:59 This is the wireless communication device policy.

1:43:02 I’m just going to continue where I was.

1:43:13 I’m going to scroll back to that.

1:43:16 One of my daughters came home from school the first day to tell

1:43:20 me that most of her teachers

1:43:22 don’t support the policy, but they are fearful of being fired.

1:43:25 In fact, one teacher today mistook a wallet for a phone and audibly

1:43:29 said, please put that

1:43:31 away.

1:43:31 I don’t want to be fired.

1:43:33 The amount of stress felt by both the professionals and our

1:43:36 students is unnecessary.

1:43:39 It is now day two and one of my daughters has already clocked

1:43:42 that the tensions against adults during

1:43:44 lunch are already rising.

1:43:46 Lunch is a time where our students can decompress.

1:43:49 While socials may get the most talking time, what is often

1:43:53 ignored is the use of music, reading,

1:43:55 and studying.

1:43:56 Without having access to any technology devices, what are bored

1:44:00 kids most likely to do?

1:44:03 As stated by one of my daughter’s teachers on the first day,

1:44:05 quote,

1:44:06 bored kids get in trouble.

1:44:08 They’ll fight just to fight.

1:44:10 I expect fighting to get a lot worse, and I hope you all can

1:44:13 avoid that.

1:44:14 Unfortunately, Brevard Public Schools has not fostered a healthy

1:44:17 and safe environment for

1:44:18 our teachers to speak out.

1:44:20 So instead, many teachers instead turn to their students and ask

1:44:23 them to come speak out or

1:44:25 email instead.

1:44:26 As a BPS-educated student myself, whose daughters are now

1:44:29 sitting in front of many of the same

1:44:31 teachers I had, my heart breaks for what they’re experiencing.

1:44:34 The need that, the idea that they need our students to speak out

1:44:38 instead of feeling safe to do it

1:44:40 themselves speaks volumes.

1:44:42 Ms. Campbell, I am sure you can relate to the plight of one of

1:44:45 my son’s friends.

1:44:47 He’s in multiple music electives, and each requires a thick

1:44:50 binder with sheet music.

1:44:51 Those same binders can be replaced with an iPad for digital

1:44:55 sheet music, but now he can’t use that.

1:44:57 And just a reminder, many of our students don’t have access to

1:45:02 lockers because their buildings

1:45:04 don’t have them.

1:45:05 This policy is not well thought out.

1:45:08 It’s a knee-jerk reaction with tons of unintended consequences

1:45:12 that work against student achievement.

1:45:14 By lumping our high schools into this policy, we are putting undue

1:45:18 stress on our students

1:45:19 and ripping the autonomy from our teachers and administrators.

1:45:22 I think Samantha said it best to me.

1:45:25 Why are they targeting the smart kids?

1:45:27 Can’t they just hold the troublemakers accountable?

1:45:29 Isn’t that their actual job?

1:45:32 Thank you.

1:45:33 I want to reiterate everything Ms. Skirvin just said, just off

1:45:44 the top, right?

1:45:46 I really think you guys need to rethink this policy.

1:45:49 I think you made a couple of, I don’t want to say mistakes, but

1:45:52 you did it over the summer.

1:45:53 A lot of parents didn’t know about the 9th through 12th ban that

1:45:59 goes above and beyond the state law.

1:46:03 I think this policy has been made without serious consideration

1:46:09 of the impacts across all of Brevard Public Schools.

1:46:15 You’ve heard tonight about IEPs could be impacted.

1:46:18 You could very easily end up in a place where students with an IEP

1:46:25 have access to technology items in class.

1:46:31 And the other students don’t, inequity.

1:46:34 It’s going to impact some students more than others.

1:46:40 And I stand up here as somebody, as somebody else said, I think

1:46:44 everybody in this audience agrees,

1:46:46 no phones during instructional time, without severe exceptions,

1:46:51 is a reasonable ask.

1:46:53 But that’s not what this policy is, right?

1:46:57 That’s not what this policy is.

1:47:00 This policy is as far as you can get with cell phone bans.

1:47:03 I get it.

1:47:04 I get why you think that’s an important thing.

1:47:07 But it’s a bad policy.

1:47:08 You guys are the board.

1:47:10 You can recall this policy.

1:47:11 Go back to the drawing board.

1:47:13 Get more community input.

1:47:15 I talked about governance, and that’s what we don’t see from

1:47:18 this board.

1:47:18 We don’t see community input.

1:47:20 You guys, make your decisions in a vacuum.

1:47:23 A literal vacuum.

1:47:27 You’re getting probably good input from your staff and your

1:47:30 teachers.

1:47:32 But there’s no community input.

1:47:34 There’s no surveys.

1:47:35 You know, you guys do your yearly survey.

1:47:41 And if you’re making policy decisions off a one-time snapshot

1:47:44 survey where you’re not even getting 40% to answer, you’re

1:47:48 making mistakes.

1:47:50 You guys need more data, more input, and I know it takes longer.

1:47:55 But that’s what you’ve got to do to make good decisions.

1:47:57 Please rethink about this policy before you vote on it tonight.

1:48:02 Thank you.

1:48:03 Hi.

1:48:11 I hope you all had a great summer.

1:48:13 My name is Ava Newman.

1:48:14 I’m a senior at Satellite High.

1:48:16 I wanted to share a bit of my story as the last few years have

1:48:19 been a little chaotic.

1:48:22 I play violin.

1:48:23 I am huge into orchestra and have been since fifth grade.

1:48:26 When I got to high school, I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t the

1:48:29 best player.

1:48:29 With inexperienced players, they tend to not be able to tune or

1:48:34 really play in time.

1:48:35 I promise I’ll get to a point.

1:48:37 During class, my teacher would allow us individual practice time

1:48:41 for solo and ensemble, concerts, or even concerto competitions.

1:48:48 I came from a not-so-very-rich family, so the materials that I

1:48:51 had were my phone.

1:48:52 Tuning goes on the phone.

1:48:55 I have an app on my phone that allows me to tune my instrument,

1:48:59 since I cannot do it by ear at the time.

1:49:02 It also allows me to have a metronome, so I can stay in time

1:49:06 while working on my pieces.

1:49:08 Most people use their phones for situations like these, so that

1:49:12 teachers don’t have to spend their own money on tools like this

1:49:15 to just hand out to all their instruments.

1:49:17 I also teach instruments, and my first recommendation to all my

1:49:20 students is to download tuning apps on their phone

1:49:22 in case they cannot tune their own instrument for them.

1:49:25 This allows them to learn how to tune their instrument, as well

1:49:28 as watch and see how their playing fluctuates.

1:49:31 If you can’t see where I’m going with this, I’ll say it straight.

1:49:33 Banning phones in high school levels can be detrimental to a lot

1:49:36 of teachers and students

1:49:37 when it comes to the tools needed for that development.

1:49:40 Before you say, oh, well, we survived back in the day without

1:49:43 phones, times have changed.

1:49:44 In fact, the orchestra program at Satellite has only gotten

1:49:47 better since then, due to our amazing teacher,

1:49:50 as well as the support we get from everyone around us and the

1:49:53 tools that are available to us.

1:49:54 But now that fools have basically been banned, teachers now are

1:49:58 expected to get the tools that are unnecessary

1:50:00 when phones could just be permitted.

1:50:01 You are denying phones to juniors and seniors who are on their

1:50:05 way to adulthood.

1:50:06 Actually, most seniors are turning 18 here real soon.

1:50:10 You’re telling me my peers could get sent to war but not use a

1:50:13 cell phone in class?

1:50:15 Instead of taking things away permanently, why not try and teach

1:50:18 these students how to regulate their screen time correctly?

1:50:20 Why can’t we pull out our phones at lunch, the hallways?

1:50:23 More importantly, why enforce these teachers to buy supplies

1:50:26 when it could easily be done by phones?

1:50:28 Are you going to supply these teachers with the tools that are

1:50:30 being taken away from these phones?

1:50:32 Music teachers have to buy manual metronomes, tuners, which can

1:50:35 average around $50 if you want a decent one.

1:50:37 Physics teachers are not having to buy stopwatches.

1:50:40 When I was in physics, I used my phone to more timely, like, see

1:50:45 my projectiles.

1:50:47 Not to mention, with kids not being able to look at their phones

1:50:50 for simple things like Google Classroom, Focus,

1:50:53 teachers and counselors are having to print more paper and more

1:50:56 class times being wasted during school.

1:50:58 Yesterday, I had spent 10 minutes figuring out how to use the

1:51:01 bathroom passes,

1:51:02 another five trying to sign in to the computers since the

1:51:06 internet at our school is so slow,

1:51:08 and another five having to put computers away.

1:51:11 Instead of spending 20 minutes on figuring out how to work.

1:51:15 Thank you so much for that time.

1:51:17 Hello again.

1:51:25 So, I want you guys to think.

1:51:28 So, the state made the rule for kindergarten through eighth

1:51:32 grade, right?

1:51:33 There’s a reason they didn’t make it kindergarten through twelfth

1:51:37 grade.

1:51:37 They had a thought process behind that.

1:51:40 And I want you guys to consider, yes, adapting some sort of rule

1:51:46 that prevents students from being distracted by cell phones.

1:51:48 It’s very important.

1:51:49 Everyone agrees with that.

1:51:51 But the way your new rule is right now, it’s not going to

1:51:54 actually solve the problem.

1:51:57 Kids are still going to do what they’re not supposed to do.

1:52:02 It’s even as much discipline as you can give them.

1:52:04 So, I want us to think about who the rule is meant to help and

1:52:10 who it’s hurting.

1:52:12 It’s meant to help the people who are going to get in trouble no

1:52:17 matter what.

1:52:19 But it’s hurting the people who are trying to get ahead, the

1:52:22 people who are trying to use these tools to advance their

1:52:25 education the farthest.

1:52:27 They’re the ones who are working the hardest.

1:52:28 And it’s hurting the people who are less able and the people who

1:52:32 are already behind.

1:52:34 It prevents them from catching back up.

1:52:35 You’re just leaving them in the past without these extra

1:52:38 technologies.

1:52:39 And that’s my main point.

1:52:42 I want to make sure you guys know that I think a proper solution

1:52:46 would be to rework this rule

1:52:48 and also to allow the principals to have the discretion to know

1:52:52 where it’s appropriate and where it’s not appropriate to use

1:52:54 these devices.

1:52:55 Thank you.

1:52:56 Good evening, board.

1:53:03 Again, my name is Chris Higginbotham.

1:53:05 I’m a parent of three.

1:53:06 And on this item, I just want to say, I spoke earlier and my

1:53:11 phone was going off.

1:53:13 Multiple teachers, multiple school board employees are just

1:53:18 saying, I can’t believe you spoke about that.

1:53:20 That’s so great.

1:53:20 We need this.

1:53:21 We love this policy.

1:53:22 That might not be exactly the most popular voice in this room

1:53:27 right now, but I’m telling you, teachers want this.

1:53:30 Administrators want it.

1:53:32 Parents want it.

1:53:35 Most of the kids, some of the kids I talked to want it.

1:53:38 I get not a lot of kids want it.

1:53:41 It is what is best for these kids.

1:53:44 These are, I have, my kid is now here with me.

1:53:48 He was at wrestling practice over at Vieira.

1:53:50 He’s not going to want to lose his cell phone when he’s in high

1:53:53 school.

1:53:53 However, my kid won’t be using a cell phone during school

1:53:58 because he’s there to educate.

1:54:00 Dr. Rendell, under your leadership, you spent a lot of money.

1:54:05 We’re going to have a lot of money on technology.

1:54:06 Buying computers, refurbishing computers, internet, high-speed

1:54:11 internet.

1:54:11 A lot of money went into technology.

1:54:14 Students will adapt.

1:54:16 They’ll overcome.

1:54:17 Our student population is smart, and they are well-versed in

1:54:22 technology.

1:54:24 This is not the only county where this is happening.

1:54:27 I come from Orange County.

1:54:29 I was an administrator over there.

1:54:31 Multiple counties in this state are doing this.

1:54:35 Kids are doing just fine.

1:54:37 They still have access to the internet.

1:54:39 Those computers work.

1:54:42 I just want you to understand that I hope we have this policy.

1:54:48 I think as a parent, we need it.

1:54:50 And I think more than the people in this room have a voice, and

1:54:56 they want it to happen.

1:54:57 And it is what is best for our students.

1:55:00 I thank Dr. Rendell for you spending the money for that

1:55:04 technology.

1:55:05 The kids do not need their cell phones at school.

1:55:08 The facility is ready for this technology.

1:55:12 Ms. Su Han back there, she is doing great at our facilities.

1:55:17 So much so that we saw her here this afternoon.

1:55:20 And that’s about it.

1:55:23 I appreciate it.

1:55:24 Thank you guys for your time.

1:55:25 Thank you.

1:55:28 Hello.

1:55:33 Hello again.

1:55:34 I wanted to speak as a student who this policy is directly

1:55:38 affecting.

1:55:40 And amongst my classmates that I’ve talked to for the past two

1:55:45 days, as today was the second

1:55:46 day of school, this policy has greatly impacted our learning day

1:55:52 to day.

1:55:53 Because not being able to use our personal laptops or iPads to

1:55:58 take notes in class has affected

1:56:01 our ability to learn content and preparing us for the future.

1:56:06 In college, I have three older sisters, and they are all in

1:56:10 college.

1:56:11 And in college, nobody uses paper and pencil because it is impractical.

1:56:17 People use iPads because teachers prepare their lectures and put

1:56:23 them on slideshows, and they

1:56:25 can directly take notes on their iPad on the lectures that the

1:56:30 teacher is talking about.

1:56:32 So, if our goal is to prepare us for college, which is why I’m

1:56:37 going to school, and many of

1:56:39 my peers are going to school, we want to go to college.

1:56:43 So, practicing using an iPad to take notes will prepare us for

1:56:48 college.

1:56:49 And forcing us to not use all of the tools that we are so lucky

1:56:58 to have, is negatively affecting

1:57:02 our future.

1:57:03 What – I ask you what the point of this policy is.

1:57:10 Students are going to be distracted, whether it’s by their phone,

1:57:15 talking to their friends

1:57:17 during class.

1:57:18 Those students will get in trouble.

1:57:20 But the students who are using these as tools to further their

1:57:25 education are being impacted more

1:57:28 than those who would get in trouble regardless.

1:57:31 Thank you.

1:57:32 Hi, it’s me again.

1:57:41 Jennifer Nagy, Edgewood.

1:57:44 So, Edgewood’s one of those schools where we have kids that are

1:57:48 on the super exceeder spectrum.

1:57:51 They’re the APs, the dual enrollments, the high achievers.

1:57:55 The principal just explained to me this week about the

1:57:59 discipline policy associated with this.

1:58:03 Where the first time, the phone gets taken away.

1:58:05 The second time, the parents have to come up and get the phone.

1:58:08 The third time, they get a three-day suspension.

1:58:10 And then she laughed and she said, “Do you know that you only

1:58:13 get a one-day suspension for vaping?”

1:58:15 She goes, “As long as it doesn’t have THC.”

1:58:18 Which I was like, “Okay.”

1:58:19 And I was like, that actually made me laugh out loud because I

1:58:23 was like,

1:58:24 “You mean that our kids, the ones who are going to get in

1:58:26 trouble are the kids who are like,

1:58:27 taking notes and trying to work on stuff during lunch hour on

1:58:32 their computers,

1:58:32 are going to get a three-day suspension for using their personal

1:58:37 computers?”

1:58:39 And she goes, “I certainly hope not.”

1:58:42 And I certainly hope not, guys.

1:58:46 So I’m hoping that we can have a little discussion about this

1:58:51 before you approve it.

1:58:52 Pretty pleased.

1:58:53 Thank you.

1:58:54 All right.

1:59:02 Do you hear a motion?

1:59:02 Mr. Chair?

1:59:04 Approved.

1:59:10 I’m sorry.

1:59:10 We need a second for discussion.

1:59:12 Yeah, I’ll second it.

1:59:21 Yeah.

1:59:21 Okay.

1:59:21 Discussion.

1:59:22 Mr. Chair?

1:59:24 When we first started discussing this, I was all for being zero

1:59:30 tolerance.

1:59:33 And the only thing I did not really consider was some of the

1:59:37 points being made about the use of laptops

1:59:39 and iPads.

1:59:40 And I’m not saying I wouldn’t be supported as it is, but I think

1:59:45 it would be, from my perspective,

1:59:47 prudent if we were to table this and to give it a month or so

1:59:53 that we can fully investigate

1:59:56 the unintended consequences.

1:59:58 I would hate for us to approve this and that we’re dealing with

2:00:01 unintended consequences.

2:00:02 I know Orange County does it and there’s other counties that do

2:00:06 it and have no problem.

2:00:08 I just want to make sure that how we address it is concerning

2:00:10 laptops and iPads is, you know,

2:00:12 that we have everything the way it needs to be, that we’re all

2:00:16 comfortable with it.

2:00:17 I’m just not so sure that being a strict ban on iPads and

2:00:21 laptops is definitely the right way to go.

2:00:26 Any other discussion?

2:00:27 Yeah, yeah.

2:00:30 I’ll jump in here on this one big time.

2:00:32 All right.

2:00:33 Here, I’m going to go on a soapbox for a few minutes because

2:00:35 some of the things that changed

2:00:36 in this policy, guess what?

2:00:38 They were already there.

2:00:39 The whole iPad, the whole laptop, that conversation, this is not

2:00:43 new to the policy.

2:00:44 If you look at the policy change, it’s what’s in green.

2:00:47 It really is no cell phones.

2:00:49 Prior to, we had a rule in place that said, with the principal’s

2:00:49 discretion.

2:00:54 And guess what we found?

2:00:55 When we walk the classrooms or you’re going to lunch and you see

2:00:58 kids doing TikTok videos

2:01:00 or things like that, I’m going, what is happening here?

2:01:02 Why are we – we’re at school.

2:01:03 We’re here to learn today.

2:01:04 So, for me, I’m going, okay, there’s a lot of conversation

2:01:08 happening

2:01:08 that just doesn’t really make the most sense.

2:01:10 Some of this policy was already there.

2:01:12 It already existed.

2:01:13 The principals already had the discretion to allow the phones to

2:01:17 be used,

2:01:17 and it still was being abused.

2:01:20 But the rhetoric out there that you’re punishing kids, our

2:01:22 intent is not to punish kids.

2:01:25 It’s the exact opposite, 100%.

2:01:27 It’s to make the classroom a productive learning environment

2:01:30 where cell phones aren’t a distraction,

2:01:33 where a kid’s not looking at a cell phone and all of a sudden a

2:01:35 text message pops up

2:01:36 or an alert from a Snapchat or whatever, and now you’re going to

2:01:40 tell me a kid is going to go,

2:01:41 okay, no.

2:01:42 I mean, I have a teenager.

2:01:43 I have a high school student.

2:01:44 I know how this works, so I’m not that far removed from this

2:01:47 situation to understand truly

2:01:49 that this is a distraction to our children, 100% a distraction

2:01:53 to our children.

2:01:54 And I think in order to have the most productive learning

2:01:56 environment, we need to take this step.

2:01:59 I support this, and I told you, John, I jokingly said I’ll

2:02:01 probably be the most hated school board member

2:02:03 after this from students because they’re not going to be in

2:02:06 favor of it at first, but guess what else?

2:02:08 I’ll tell you this.

2:02:09 My children get the opportunity – they’ve got the opportunity

2:02:11 to go on vacation every year,

2:02:12 and we go to a place where they don’t get any cell phone service,

2:02:14 and it’s one of the most memorable

2:02:16 vacations they have, and one of the things that they tell me

2:02:19 every single time is that they love

2:02:20 the fact that they don’t have their cell phone.

2:02:23 And I’m like, really?

2:02:24 Wow.

2:02:25 And you don’t even know that until you get removed from it for a

2:02:28 little while to understand that this

2:02:29 maybe isn’t the best thing for us.

2:02:30 I know it’s convenient.

2:02:31 I know that it’s replaced the ability to write notes.

2:02:35 I don’t think that’s a good thing.

2:02:36 I personally don’t think that’s a good thing, but for me, I

2:02:39 support the policy.

2:02:41 I know it was going to come with some criticism.

2:02:43 I was fully prepared for that.

2:02:44 I just think that this is what is truly in the best interest of

2:02:49 our students,

2:02:49 and will make our classrooms more productive.

2:02:51 And that’s all I have to say.

2:02:52 Just to clarify, I was not suggesting – I’m not for using, you

2:02:56 know, cell phones during school.

2:02:57 I just wanted to make sure that there’s not unintended

2:03:00 consequences with regard to iPads and laptops.

2:03:04 Which was already there.

2:03:05 But that was before that was at a principal’s discretion.

2:03:10 Now it would be totally – that discretion would be removed.

2:03:13 Oh, one more quick thing.

2:03:14 I would like to note this, too.

2:03:15 Sorry, I showed this before.

2:03:16 There’s all this talk about this happening right now.

2:03:19 This policy hasn’t been approved yet.

2:03:21 So it’s not actually in place.

2:03:22 So I’m not really sure.

2:03:23 I’m getting emails from people about this policy and kids coming

2:03:27 back into the school saying,

2:03:29 oh, no cell phones are allowed.

2:03:31 Right now our old policy is what currently is in existence.

2:03:34 And we did that strategically so that we could do this whenever

2:03:37 the school system was –

2:03:38 when we were back in session.

2:03:40 So that we could campaign this and let everyone know this is

2:03:42 what the changes are.

2:03:43 Have a grace period.

2:03:44 So it wasn’t like, shocker, welcome back to school.

2:03:46 No cell phones.

2:03:47 That’s not the way that it’s being done.

2:03:49 We’re doing it the exact opposite.

2:03:51 So thank you.

2:03:53 All right.

2:03:54 Ms. Campbell?

2:03:54 Yeah.

2:03:55 So just give us a minute.

2:03:59 We’ve heard you.

2:04:00 So just a couple of items of correction before I share my

2:04:06 thoughts on this.

2:04:07 And schools are communicating this out.

2:04:10 And because there is something we’ve already voted on,

2:04:14 we’ve already approved, and that is the student code of conduct.

2:04:16 All of this language is in the code of conduct.

2:04:18 So in schools, yes, we talked with Ms. Dampier and we said, hey,

2:04:21 can we officially,

2:04:22 with the consequences of everything, the September 2nd date is

2:04:25 the date.

2:04:26 The schools are already putting it in place and letting people

2:04:30 know.

2:04:30 There’s no point in – and I understand it.

2:04:33 Why would they not?

2:04:34 One, it’s in the code of conduct.

2:04:35 But also, if you’re going to do this for the first couple of

2:04:38 weeks,

2:04:38 and then we’re going to have a bait and switch and do it later.

2:04:40 They’re getting that communication out there.

2:04:42 I don’t think anybody’s gotten a three-day suspension yet,

2:04:45 because it’s only the second day of school.

2:04:48 But just to be clear, the student code of conduct was already

2:04:51 approved by us.

2:04:53 It’s already out there, okay?

2:04:54 And the other thing is, yes, in the policy,

2:04:58 that part is not new about laptops and computers.

2:05:01 But we have not said – we have not said, board,

2:05:05 that we’re going to continue to allow principal discretion for

2:05:10 iPads and laptops.

2:05:11 We have said – we’re adding – it specifically says all

2:05:15 students may not use the new part,

2:05:17 a wireless communications device, which is defined in the first

2:05:20 paragraph,

2:05:21 as all those things, during the school day.

2:05:23 They all have to be powered off or all – and stored out of

2:05:29 sight during school hours,

2:05:30 from first bell to last bell.

2:05:32 There is no exception.

2:05:33 No exception for laptops.

2:05:35 No exception for iPads.

2:05:37 I – now, with that being said, and I appreciate what you say

2:05:42 about taking a media break.

2:05:43 Absolutely.

2:05:44 But school’s not vacation either.

2:05:45 And it is wonderful when we have time to get away and to decompress.

2:05:49 But we’re not trying to be productive in those times.

2:05:53 And when we’re at school, we’re productive.

2:05:54 And I have to tell you, board, I hope that you have noticed in

2:05:57 – not necessarily tonight,

2:05:58 but in the communication we’re getting via phone calls and

2:06:01 emails – this isn’t really a political

2:06:03 issue, a right, left, conservative, liberal, republican,

2:06:05 democrat issue.

2:06:06 Because the proof of that is that once parents started having

2:06:11 their eyes open and realizing

2:06:12 this is going to happen – I’ll address that in just a second –

2:06:14 the very first email I got was

2:06:16 from someone who I know has been an active part of Moms for

2:06:18 Liberty.

2:06:19 And the very next email right behind it, which made me laugh,

2:06:22 was someone who is,

2:06:23 you know, someone who’s emailed me before and clearly is more on

2:06:26 the left.

2:06:27 So this is a bipartisan issue of people who like it and a

2:06:31 bipartisan issue of people who don’t like it.

2:06:34 And I think when it comes to the students, they’re pretty –

2:06:36 most in the don’t like it camp.

2:06:38 And I realize we don’t make decisions.

2:06:40 We appreciate student input, but we have to – we do what we

2:06:42 feel like is best for students.

2:06:43 I continue to share with you guys what I shared back in May.

2:06:47 We first started having these conversations.

2:06:51 There’s too many things that our students use and for us to

2:06:56 prepare them for the real world.

2:06:59 And we brought some – some people have mentioned some things

2:07:01 tonight

2:07:01 that I had honestly forgotten about, which is music.

2:07:04 And I’ve got, you know, I’ve got musician students who

2:07:07 absolutely use their metronomes,

2:07:10 use their tuners.

2:07:10 They do that all the time.

2:07:12 I told you about my son who records – who has had permission to

2:07:14 record his jazz solo.

2:07:16 And he would go home and play it over and over and over again

2:07:18 and repeat it.

2:07:18 And then the next day he would go back and record it again to

2:07:20 see if he got better.

2:07:21 There are – and then we’ve got all the science – I don’t have

2:07:24 science research kids,

2:07:24 but we’ve got tons of science research kids that we recognize

2:07:28 every year.

2:07:29 And I would – I know Mr. Cheatham would love to say that we

2:07:31 have all the things

2:07:32 that they need to help them be successful.

2:07:34 But we know we are trying to reduce our refreshment rate.

2:07:38 So we are getting faster, better technology all the time.

2:07:42 And the ET department is doing their best job they can.

2:07:44 But we don’t – we do not have all the things that the students

2:07:48 need

2:07:48 to be successful in all the ways.

2:07:50 And, you know, the dual enrollment thing came up today.

2:07:52 So my stance has not changed on this.

2:07:54 I would urge, at the risk of sending Ms. Dampere into a frenzy,

2:08:03 because she didn’t want us going back and forth.

2:08:05 She wanted us to nail it down, so we’re not going back and forth.

2:08:08 But at the risk of doing that, I would urge that if this passes

2:08:12 tonight,

2:08:13 and we don’t table it, that we go immediately back into work

2:08:17 session,

2:08:18 so we can fix the language and try to find some kind of

2:08:22 compromise,

2:08:23 so that students have access to at least some devices with

2:08:28 approval,

2:08:29 with approval, to use them for academic reasons.

2:08:35 And if we want to put all the parameters on there that we can,

2:08:38 we probably won’t think of all of them, but to have more

2:08:40 flexibility.

2:08:40 So I just urge us, if this passes, that we go into our very next

2:08:46 work session

2:08:46 to workshop this and see if we can’t get some better language

2:08:51 around this.

2:08:51 Like I said, if it passes tonight.

2:08:55 I’ve been to know from the beginning, haven’t changed my stance

2:08:57 for the same reasons.

2:08:58 And to be quite honest, it frustrates – a couple things frustrate

2:09:02 me.

2:09:03 One, it frustrates me that, you know, when we talk about the

2:09:06 language of,

2:09:06 well, the other policy wasn’t good enough because people weren’t

2:09:09 enforcing it,

2:09:09 then we need to make sure people are enforcing it.

2:09:12 If the dress code, as it is – and by the way, it’s not being

2:09:18 enforced in every school evenly –

2:09:20 but if the dress code is not being enforced, we don’t then

2:09:22 automatically go,

2:09:23 well, the dress code’s not being enforced,

2:09:25 and now we’re going to make everybody in the district wear

2:09:27 uniforms.

2:09:28 Or something else, you know, to that extreme.

2:09:30 I think we need to – we need – we had a good thing in place.

2:09:33 It was not being enforced.

2:09:34 I hear you.

2:09:35 People should not be recording videos in the hallways.

2:09:38 I get it.

2:09:39 Enforce that.

2:09:41 Double down on it if we need to.

2:09:43 But when it comes to academic reasons, and if we want to say no

2:09:47 lunches,

2:09:48 no passing periods, but when it comes to academic reasons,

2:09:50 I urge the board to rethink that.

2:09:52 And let’s put that back in because that’s really important to

2:09:55 train our students.

2:09:56 I think one of the reasons why we’re getting the pushback –

2:09:58 I actually was surprised by it, to be honest.

2:10:01 One of my good friends is a dean’s clerk.

2:10:04 And when she started pushing me on this about a month ago – and

2:10:09 she is also, you know, a parent –

2:10:10 and I thought, well, we’ve been talking about this.

2:10:14 Wasn’t this in the news in May?

2:10:15 But the parents weren’t paying attention.

2:10:17 The community wasn’t – maybe it wasn’t publicized like I

2:10:20 thought it was.

2:10:21 And now it is.

2:10:22 And so I don’t think it’s – it’s really hard for us to say,

2:10:26 I’ve talked to all these people and they – I just don’t think

2:10:30 we’re going to –

2:10:31 I’ll be honest.

2:10:31 My son came home yesterday, who I have told, if it passes, you

2:10:35 will – I will not back you up.

2:10:36 If you get caught with your cell phone, if you get suspended for

2:10:38 three days,

2:10:39 you’re going to be suspended for three days.

2:10:40 I don’t care if you’re a school board member’s son.

2:10:41 You’re going to follow the rule.

2:10:42 But just so you know, he came home and his impression from the

2:10:46 – from his teachers,

2:10:47 who I guarantee you not a single one of them stood there and

2:10:49 said,

2:10:49 I think this is a stupid rule.

2:10:51 But his impression of the teachers was they’re not supportive of

2:10:54 it.

2:10:54 This was a board initiative, the staff and the discipline

2:10:58 committee that we put in place.

2:10:59 We don’t have to do what they say because we are the ones who

2:11:01 set the policy.

2:11:02 But that recommendation was not from them.

2:11:04 This is one of the places where we’ve overridden them.

2:11:07 And we have the – we have the prerogative to do that.

2:11:09 But I think we’re making a mistake.

2:11:11 So I’ll leave it at that.

2:11:13 Mr. Chair.

2:11:15 I’m going to let everybody speak for – Matt.

2:11:19 Thank you.

2:11:20 So the one thing that I did want to say is I appreciate

2:11:22 everybody coming out.

2:11:23 I appreciate our students coming out and giving that voice.

2:11:26 I truly do.

2:11:27 I think it’s good for us.

2:11:28 But I do want to say we all have been in our schools for the

2:11:32 last two days.

2:11:33 I’ve been to every single one of my high schools over the last

2:11:36 two days,

2:11:37 talking to kids about this and everything else.

2:11:39 So the thought that this board is not actively engaged with

2:11:42 their students and their parents

2:11:44 and the teachers and everything else is a farce.

2:11:46 But I will tell you this.

2:11:48 I have no – absolutely no – desire to not remove the cell

2:11:56 phones from the hallways,

2:11:58 from the cafeterias, and everything else.

2:12:00 And none.

2:12:01 None at all.

2:12:01 In fact, I got reports back from my administrations in two of my

2:12:06 schools.

2:12:07 One said that it was the loudest that they’ve ever had a lunch

2:12:11 period because the kids were actually talking.

2:12:13 And if that is some of the news that comes back from the

2:12:17 engagements that the kids are doing,

2:12:20 I just got chills to my bones because I know what these things

2:12:23 are doing.

2:12:24 The same administrator said, I watched last year while kids were

2:12:28 just scrolling while they were inside the cafeteria,

2:12:31 not engaging with their people.

2:12:32 I had another administrator tell me, you know what happened?

2:12:36 The kids sat there and they said, what are we going to do now?

2:12:38 And then she said, go ahead and start communicating to each

2:12:42 other.

2:12:42 And they said, well, can we – we love that, but can we get some

2:12:45 board games?

2:12:46 So I allocated some resources to go ahead and get some board

2:12:49 games for them.

2:12:50 So the kids are actively starting to actually already do what we

2:12:54 thought they would do,

2:12:55 which is drop the phone, which has some of the most negative

2:12:58 consequences for educational environments,

2:13:02 negative consequences on social emotional healing, brains,

2:13:05 everything else,

2:13:06 all the way to attributations towards ADHD and everything else.

2:13:10 Like these cell phones are really, really bad inside of the

2:13:13 educational work and work in space.

2:13:15 But at the same time, one of the things I did was I was at O’Galley

2:13:21 High School

2:13:21 and I was speaking to one of the political science classes.

2:13:25 And they said to me, you know, my laptop from the school is not

2:13:28 working.

2:13:28 And the other issue is, is that I’m not allowed to use my

2:13:31 personal laptop.

2:13:33 So how do we do it?

2:13:33 And that’s a problem, right?

2:13:36 So I looked at this tonight and I did call Ms. Nagy and talk to

2:13:40 her and stuff like that.

2:13:41 And Ms. Nagy, you weren’t the only one.

2:13:43 Sherry Lynn and other people were giving me a call on this item.

2:13:45 But the thing is, is that I feel very strongly with exactly what

2:13:51 you just said, Ms. Campbell,

2:13:53 is we have to pass this policy now and then go immediately back

2:13:56 in and open it up

2:13:57 and have conversations about how we can allow access to it.

2:14:00 We also, part of the conversation needs to be,

2:14:03 why is it that our laptops are not actually fully functioning

2:14:07 for our students where they are?

2:14:08 Is there something that we can do to allocate resources to get

2:14:10 those to the table faster?

2:14:11 But no, I am 100% in favor of passing this policy tonight and

2:14:16 going back to the table

2:14:17 prior to it coming back to give direction to the staff

2:14:21 on utilization of some of those areas that we heard tonight.

2:14:23 That’s it.

2:14:24 Mr. Chair?

2:14:25 No, go ahead.

2:14:27 Would the maker of the motion consider this, because I’m all for

2:14:32 banning the cell phones.

2:14:33 That’s not even a question.

2:14:35 My concern is about the laptops and the iPads.

2:14:37 Would you be, would the maker of the motion be amenable to amending

2:14:42 the motion to approve it

2:14:44 with the caveat that iPads and laptops are at the discretion,

2:14:49 the use during instructional time are at the discretion of the

2:14:52 principal?

2:14:53 I thought about that. Okay. If I may just, you can’t change it

2:14:57 because it changes the whole thing.

2:14:59 We have to put it off for, or if you make changes tonight, it

2:15:02 doesn’t go into effect for 28 days.

2:15:04 So that’s, and that’s the reason why we would want to pass and

2:15:06 then make changes.

2:15:08 I hear where you’re saying, and if that wasn’t the rule,

2:15:11 that’s where I would have gone to try to get discussion on it.

2:15:14 But I think that’s it.

2:15:15 Is there, and my only question is, is there a rush to pass it

2:15:20 tonight and then make the changes,

2:15:22 or go ahead and table it and then make the changes and?

2:15:24 Well, because we would have to start over.

2:15:25 Right. We have to start back over.

2:15:26 Under, under rulemaking, we have to do the entire process within

2:15:35 a 90-day window.

2:15:36 If you don’t do it, then you are outside of that and you have to

2:15:39 start over anyways.

2:15:40 So to get it in within that 90-day window where we are, we have

2:15:45 to get this passed.

2:15:46 Otherwise, we might as well start over. And then you’re going to

2:15:49 have a student code of conduct

2:15:51 that is not in line with your policies and you’re going to run

2:15:53 into other issues.

2:15:54 Right. It, it.

2:15:55 Right. Which wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened.

2:15:57 It’s, it’s not something you can’t overcome. It’s just something

2:16:00 the board needs to be aware

2:16:01 of in making a decision.

2:16:02 So, in my view, we, we could table it. And then, in which case,

2:16:07 we would stand with the policy as it,

2:16:10 you know, as it stood. We could vote it down. Um, and in which

2:16:14 case, the old policy would also stand.

2:16:16 Or we could, we could approve it. And just so I’m, I’m, I’m a

2:16:20 nay either way.

2:16:21 But if we could approve it and ask the superintendent to not

2:16:27 enforce the part about other devices,

2:16:31 specifically iPads and lap personal laptops, um, that part until

2:16:36 we get it worked out.

2:16:38 I mean, I think those are options.

2:16:41 It’s, it’s not going to go into effect for 30 days.

2:16:43 We can give that direction to the superintendent during that

2:16:45 time at the next workshop.

2:16:46 So, right. Call a question. All right.

2:16:48 You ready for the roll call? All right. Mr. Thomas?

2:16:56 Um, aye. Ms. Campbell? Nay. Mr. Trent? Aye. Mr. Susan? Aye. Ms.

2:17:04 Wright? Aye.

2:17:05 And if I may, you guys, the policy is not going into effect for

2:17:11 30 days.

2:17:13 We have an opportunity to come back. The expressed issues that

2:17:16 they had at the,

2:17:17 uh, that we’re speaking to about the iPads and stuff, we’re

2:17:20 committing ourselves to go ahead

2:17:21 and workshop and talk about it. So it’s not, there it is. I, I

2:17:24 understand where you’re going to go.

2:17:25 Yeah. Okay. We have enough time. We’d have, we’ll have enough

2:17:28 time.

2:17:29 Give that. We have enough time. Super intent. Yep. Right.

2:17:39 all right take the win yeah i think so i mean we heard it was

2:17:44 good so policy uh five five one seven

2:17:47 is there anyone present who wishes to address this item is there

2:17:51 anyone present who addressed

2:17:52 wants to wishes to address this item do i hear a motion second

2:17:57 any discussion paul roll call please

2:18:01 mr thomas aye miss campbell aye mr trent aye mr susan aye miss

2:18:05 wright aye okay policy

2:18:08 five five one seven dash zero one is there anyone present to it

2:18:12 wishes to address that item is there

2:18:14 one present who wishes to address this item do i hear a motion

2:18:18 second any discussion paul roll call

2:18:21 please mr thomas aye miss campbell aye mr trent aye mr susan aye

2:18:26 miss wright aye

2:18:27 all right we will move on to the information agenda which

2:18:34 includes one item for the board review and may

2:18:36 be brought back for addition at a subsequent meeting no action

2:18:40 will be taking place on these

2:18:42 items today does any board member wish to discuss this item

2:18:45 okay as chair i recognize the board’s attorney paul gibbs all

2:18:52 right board members on behalf of attorney

2:18:54 howard marks i’m notifying you that advice is needed regarding

2:18:57 the pending litigation styled moms for

2:18:59 liberty et al versus the school board of brevard county florida

2:19:03 et al case number six colon twenty

2:19:05 one dash cv dash zero one eight four nine eleventh circuit case

2:19:09 number twenty three dash one zero six

2:19:11 five six pursuant to two eighty six point oh one one florida

2:19:15 statute known as the government in the

2:19:17 sunshine act i am requesting an attorney client session with the

2:19:20 board for the purpose of discussing

2:19:22 strategy and settlement regarding the litigation i will ask the

2:19:25 board’s clerk to cause reasonable public notice of

2:19:27 the time and date of this attorney client session and the names

2:19:30 of the persons attending to be published

2:19:32 if the board approves i will work with the board clerk to

2:19:34 coordinate dates for the attorney client session

2:19:37 working with our council’s availability and provide notice of

2:19:40 the meeting inclusive of scheduling a court

2:19:42 reporter as required by this statute only the following

2:19:45 individuals may be present school board members katie

2:19:48 campbell matt susan john thomas jean trent megan wright

2:19:52 superintendent dr mark rendell paul gibbs general

2:19:56 council howard marks burr foreman jennifer bridges burr foreman

2:20:00 as required by the statute i will ask a

2:20:03 court reporter to record this session their notes will be fully

2:20:06 transcribed and filed with

2:20:08 the clerk of the school board upon the conclusion of any

2:20:10 litigation and or settlement of all claims arising out of

2:20:13 this case the transcript will be made public record i recommend

2:20:17 the board hold an attorney client session

2:20:19 pursuant to section 286-011 florida statutes to discuss strategy

2:20:24 of pending litigation

2:20:26 if there are no objections i’ll instruct our attorney to work

2:20:30 with the board clerk and schedule the attorney client session as

2:20:33 requested

2:20:34 okay we will take a short recess in order to prepare for the non-agenda

2:20:40 item public comments portion of the meeting

2:20:42 okay we’ll be back shortly

2:20:55 so

2:21:05 you

2:21:07 so

2:21:18 you

2:21:20 so

2:21:33 you

2:21:33 Thank you.