Nov 09, 2023 Regular Board Meetings

[I. CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:13]

MEETING OF THE RICHARDSON ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

I AM REGINA HARRIS, THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD.

WE DO HAVE A QUORUM TONIGHT.

OUR COLLEAGUE MEGAN TIMME WILL NOT BE JOINING US TONIGHT, BUT WE DO HAVE A QUORUM.

I WILL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER AT 6:05 P.M..

I WOULD LIKE TO START THIS EVENING BY TAKING THE TIME TO HONOR OUR VETERANS ON THIS VETERANS DAY WEEKEND.

THANK YOU, MR. POTEET. MR. HALL, WHERE ARE YOU? THERE YOU ARE OVER THERE.

MR. HALL, FOR YOUR SERVICE.

WE APPRECIATE YOU AND ALL OF OUR VETERANS THAT ARE JOINING US TONIGHT.

AND, MR. POTEET, IF YOU DON'T MIND, WOULD YOU PLEASE GIVE US A WORD OF WISDOM? I'M NOT SURE ABOUT WISDOM, MS. HARRIS, BUT I WILL AS A VETERAN AND MR. HALL AS WELL, DOWN HERE, I DO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR RECOGNITION OF THE SERVICE THAT ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORS OUR RELATIVES.

A LOT OF OUR STAFF, A LOT OF PARENTS HAVE SERVED THEIR COUNTRY.

AND RECOGNIZING IT IS SPECIAL.

AND AND I'M SURE MR. HALL'S LIKE ME. IT'S A IT'S AN HONOR.

BUT ALSO IT'S IT'S HUMBLING.

AND SOMETIMES THE THANK YOU'S AND HAVING A DAY WHERE PEOPLE SEND EMAILS AND GIVE YOU DISCOUNTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, IT'S NOT IT'S AWKWARD AND AS I THINK IT SHOULD BE PERSONALLY. SO I HEARD SOME QUOTES TODAY ON THE RADIO THIS AFTERNOON AND I WAS REMINDED OF ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU, BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY.

AND THAT'S, THAT'S VERY APROPOS FOR THIS VETERAN'S DAY.

AND SO I KNOW WE'VE GOT A LOT OF STUDENTS ALSO THAT ARE HEADING THAT DIRECTION EVENTUALLY TO SERVE THEIR COUNTRY.

AND KUDOS TO THEM AS THEY START THAT PATH.

SO YES, THANK YOU.

AND FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE JOINED US TONIGHT IN THE AUDIENCE WHO ARE VETERANS, IF YOU DON'T MIND, WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND AND ALLOW US TO HONOR AND CELEBRATE YOU TONIGHT? JUST PLEASE STAND FOR A MOMENT [APPLAUSE].

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.

DR. HELLER, WOULD YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE OUR GUEST TO LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? YES, I WILL PRESIDENT HARRIS, SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM BOARD OF TRUSTEES, WE HAVE FIVE STUDENTS REPRESENTING CUB SCOUT PACK 890 FROM WALLACE ELEMENTARY.

I'M GOING TO ASK THEM TO COME FORWARD.

WE HAVE WEBB ANDERSON, BROOKS DICKENS, HENRY LOWE, JOE STOVALL AND SAM STOVALL.

IF YOU WILL, PLEASE STAND TO JOIN US IN OUR PLEDGES.

TEXAS PLEDGE][APPLAUSE] THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND I KNOW I SEE PRINCIPAL ANDERSON IN THE AUDIENCE.

I KNOW SHE'S VERY PROUD OF HER STUDENTS REPRESENTING WALLACE ELEMENTARY THIS EVENING.

THANK YOU, DR. HELLER.

PLEASE JOIN US IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE.

THANK YOU. COLLEAGUES, IT IS NOW TIME FOR RECOGNITION.

PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE FRONT.

YES, AS OUR BOARD IS COMING FORWARD FOR THE RECOGNITION PORTION OF OUR AGENDA THIS EVENING, WE WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US TONIGHT.

THE RISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF RECOGNIZING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF STUDENTS, STAFF, SCHOOLS AND DEPARTMENTS.

OUR TRUSTEES ALSO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS MAKE TO THE DISTRICT.

AT EACH REGULAR MONTHLY BOARD MEETING, WE TAKE TIME TO CELEBRATE THESE ACHIEVEMENTS.

WE ASK ALL OF OUR GUESTS AND VISITORS TO HELP US CELEBRATE THESE RECOGNITIONS BY STAYING TO ENJOY THE ENTIRE RECOGNITION PROCESS.

[00:05:02]

THERE WILL BE A SHORT BREAK AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE RECOGNITIONS, PORTIONS OF THE AGENDA, AND ANY GUESTS WISHING TO LEAVE THE AUDITORIUM CAN DO SO AT THAT TIME.

OUR FIRST RECOGNITION THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO BRING FORWARD AND CELEBRATE WITH OUR COMMUNITY IS NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH.

EVERY NOVEMBER, THE DISTRICT TAKES TIME TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND CELEBRATE THE RICH AND DIVERSE CULTURES, TRADITIONS, AND HISTORIES OF NATIVE AMERICANS. WHAT STARTED AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY AS AN EFFORT TO GAIN A DAY OF RECOGNITION FOR THE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS THE FIRST AMERICANS MADE TO THE ESTABLISHMENT AND GROWTH OF THE US HAS RESULTED IN AN ENTIRE MONTH BEING DESIGNATED FOR THAT PURPOSE.

IN 1990, PRESIDENT BUSH APPROVED A JOINT RESOLUTION DESIGNATING NOVEMBER AS NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH.

THERE ARE SEVERAL ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS SCHEDULED ACROSS THE DISTRICT TO RECOGNIZE NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH.

PLEASE KEEP AN EYE ON OUR RISD SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL AS THE DISTRICT WEBSITE TO LEARN MORE.

SO WE HAVE A VERY EXTRA SPECIAL STAFF RECOGNITION THIS EVENING FOR OUR VERY OWN SUPERINTENDENT, TABITHA BRANUM [APPLAUSE].

YES. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE HER ENJOY THIS ENTIRE PROCESS.

SHE WAS RECENTLY RECOGNIZED AS AN OUTSTANDING WOMAN OF TODAY HEARTS OF SERVICE BY ALTRUSA, AN INTERNATIONAL NONPROFIT MAKING LOCAL COMMUNITIES BETTER THROUGH LEADERSHIP, PARTNERSHIP AND SERVICE.

THIS YEAR'S OUTSTANDING WOMEN OF TODAY LUNCHEON WAS TO RECOGNIZE WOMEN WHO HAVE REACHED OUT TO OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE THEIR LIVES BETTER.

WOMEN WHO EXEMPLIFY DETERMINATION AND LEADERSHIP ARE TO BE COMMENDED FOR TIRELESS, FOR THEIR TIRELESS EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF OTHERS AND TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE WELL-BEING OF OUR COMMUNITY.

AN OUTSTANDING WOMEN OF TODAY NOMINATION IS A DISTINGUISHED HONOR FOR PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

WOMEN ARE RECOGNIZED FOR EXEMPLIFYING DETERMINATION AND INNOVATION AND FOR MAKING OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS IN THEIR CHOSEN CAREERS.

THEY ARE RECOGNIZED AND APPLAUDED FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR THE FUTURE OF WOMEN AND PROVIDING LEADERSHIP IN THEIR FIELDS.

I CAN'T THINK OF A BETTER PERSON TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION IN THE CITY OF RICHARDSON.

ALL OF THE NOMINEES WERE HONORED AT THE ANNUAL OUTSTANDING WOMEN OF TODAY LUNCHEON AND AWARDS PRESENTATION THIS PAST MONTH, AND I KNOW A FEW OF OUR TRUSTEES WERE ABLE TO BE THERE. WE'RE JUST SO EXCITED TO CELEBRATE OUR VERY OWN SUPERINTENDENT TABITHA BRANUM [APPLAUSE].

LET'S GET A PICTURE. OH YEAH.

AND YES, WE WILL BE GETTING A PICTURE.

CONGRATULATIONS, SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM.

AS WE DO EVERY MONTH, WE ALSO TAKE TIME TO RECOGNIZE SPECIAL STUDENTS AND STAFF THAT HAVE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND AND BEEN NOMINATED BY THEIR PEERS OR COWORKERS OR TEACHERS.

AND WE HAVE SEVERAL STUDENTS THIS EVENING, AS WELL AS SEVERAL STAFF.

AND I'D LIKE TO START WITH OUR FIRST RISD BELIEVES AWARD RECOGNITION IS FOR MR. THEO HANSHI, FIRST GRADE AT WHITE ROCK [APPLAUSE].

THEO, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU RIGHT OVER HERE.

AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED, AS WE DO OUR BELIEVES AWARDS EVERY MONTH THAT WE HAVE A BUSINESS PARTNER HELPING US.

SO A SHOUT OUT TO OUR FRIENDS AT RAISING CANE'S THAT HAVE SOME EXTRA SPECIAL GOODIES FOR OUR STUDENTS THAT WE WILL BE SHARING WITH THEM.

BUT LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY WE ARE RECOGNIZING THEO THIS EVENING.

SO THIS IS WHAT WAS SUBMITTED AT WHITE ROCK ELEMENTARY.

THEY HAVE A STUDENT THAT JOINS THEM FOR INCLUSION FROM THE DEVELOPMENTAL LEARNING CENTER, ALSO KNOWN AS THE DLC CLASSROOM FOR MORNING MEETING, RECESS, LUNCH SPECIALS AND MATH STATIONS. ONE DAY, THEO NOTICED WHEN HE WAS AT LUNCH THAT SHE NEEDED SOME HELP.

AND SO AS HE WAS HELPING HER, HE THOUGHT TO HIMSELF THAT WE SHOULD CREATE A CLASSROOM JOB DEDICATED TO ASSISTING THE STUDENT WHEN SHE'S IN OUR CLASS.

HE SAID THAT WHOEVER IS HER ASSISTANT THAT WEEK COULD HELP HER IN ALL OF THE DIFFERENT TIMES SHE'S WITH THEM IN CLASS, HELP GET HER NEW LIBRARY BOOKS, SIT WITH HER AT LUNCH AND MORNING MEETING, AND ALWAYS MAKE SURE SHE IS INCLUDED ON THE PLAYGROUND WITH OTHERS.

[00:10:02]

EACH MONDAY WHEN STUDENTS GET NEW JOBS.

NOW THE KIND ASSISTANT IS A PART OF THE ROTATION AND THE CLASS COULDN'T BE MORE EXCITED ABOUT IT.

THEO SAW A NEED FOR HELPING A FRIEND AND TOOK ACTION, SAID SOMETHING, AND MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF ALL THE STUDENTS, AS WELL AS THE SWEET GIRL WHO LOOKS FORWARD TO SEEING WHO HER NEW ASSISTANT IS EACH WEEK.

OH MY GOODNESS. THEO TRULY HAS A HEART FOR OTHERS, IS KIND AND CARING, AND IS AWARE OF HIS SURROUNDINGS AND NEEDS.

HE IS A DIFFERENCE MAKER AND KINDNESS SPREADER AND HE'S ONLY IN FIRST GRADE.

WATCH OUT! CONGRATULATIONS, THEO [APPLAUSE].

OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO GET A PICTURE OF THEO.

CONGRATULATIONS, THEO.

AND OUR NEXT RISD BELIEVES STUDENT RECOGNITION IS FOR MS. MACKENZIE RADCLIFFE, WHO IS IN NINTH GRADE AT RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL.

YOU CAN INVITE MACKENZIE TO COME UP.

AND I'D LIKE TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT WAS SUBMITTED ON HER BEHALF.

IT SAYS MACKENZIE.

EXCUSE ME. MACKENZIE IS A LIGHT.

SHE HAS AN EXTREMELY POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND DEMEANOR AND HAS A RAPPORT WITH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF HER TEAMMATES.

SHE IS CONSTANTLY ENCOURAGING, ENCOURAGING OTHERS, LIFTING THEM UP WHEN THEY MAKE A MISTAKE OR WHEN THEY ARE NOT PERFORMING, MAYBE AT THEIR BEST.

SHE DOES THIS VERBALLY AS WELL AS PHYSICALLY, WITH A PAT ON THE BACK, OR BY PUTTING HER ARM AROUND THEM.

IN THEIR YEARS AND COACHES YEARS, I HAVE NEVER HAD AN ATHLETE WHO DOES THESE THINGS WITH THE CONSISTENCY, CONSISTENCY THAT I'VE SEEN FROM MACKENZIE.

MACKENZIE IS THE FIRST ONE IN THE GYM TO HELP AND THE LAST ONE TO LEAVE TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS DONE CORRECTLY.

SHE IS A SPECIAL STUDENT AND TEAMMATE.

SHE BRINGS POSITIVITY AND HAPPINESS INTO THE GYM EVERY DAY, NOT ONLY TO HER TEAMMATES, BUT TO HER TEACHERS AND COACHES AS WELL.

CONGRATULATIONS, MACKENZIE [APPLAUSE].

CONGRATULATIONS. AND WE HAVE ONE MORE RISD BELIEVES STUDENT RECOGNITION THIS EVENING ALSO FROM RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL.

I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE UP MS. ALI MOORE, WHO'S A SENIOR CLASS OF 2024.

AND I'D LIKE TO READ A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ALI AND HER SPECIAL STORY.

SHE IS A SENIOR, AND ALI'S DAD PASSED AWAY BY SUICIDE WHEN SHE WAS TEN.

THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, SHE AND HER MOM HAVE WORKED TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH BY WALKING IN LOCAL SUICIDE PREVENTION WALKS.

IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ALI DESIGNED KEYS WITH A SEMICOLON, THE SYMBOL FOR SUICIDE AWARENESS, WHICH RAISES AWARENESS OF SUICIDE PREVENTION, DEPRESSION, ADDICTION AND TO HELP STOP MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA AND SOLD THEM AT SCHOOL AT A SCHOOL CARNIVAL TO RAISE MONEY FOR A SUICIDE PREVENTION FOUNDATION.

THIS YEAR, DURING RISD HOMECOMING WEEK, ALI CHOSE TO WEAR A MUM, AND SHE'S WEARING IT THIS EVENING THAT PROMOTED SUICIDE PREVENTION AWARENESS.

ALI'S MOM MUM CREATED THE MUM DESIGNED IN TEAL AND PURPLE RIBBONS AND FEATHERS, COLORS THAT REPRESENT THE SUICIDE AWARENESS PREVENTION MONTH OF SEPTEMBER IN A SASH STYLE.

IT WAS ADORNED WITH SEVERAL PHOTOS OF BOTH HER AND HER DAD, ALONG WITH NUMEROUS REPRESENTATIONS OF THE SEMICOLON SYMBOL.

ACROSS THE BACK OF THE SASH WERE THE WORDS YOU MATTER.

ALI ALSO CARRIED WITH HER MANY TEAL AND PURPLE SUICIDE PREVENTION RIBBONS FOR ANYONE WANTING TO JOIN HER IN HER CRUSADE TO SPREAD THIS IMPORTANT MESSAGE.

AND SHE HAS BROUGHT RIBBONS FOR YOU BOARD AND LEADERSHIP, AND WE WILL PASS THOSE OUT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE ONE.

ALI'S PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF THE TRAGIC IMPACT OF SUICIDE HAS MOTIVATED HER TO CONTINUALLY LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO PROMOTE, TO PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH CAUSES AND SUICIDE PREVENTION AWARENESS.

WE'RE VERY PROUD OF YOU, ALI.

THANK YOU SO MUCH [APPLAUSE].

[00:15:37]

NOW WE'RE GOING TO CELEBRATE SEVERAL STAFF WITH THE RISD BELIEVES AWARD PRESENTATION.

THIS EVENING I'D LIKE TO FIRST INVITE WENDY BOOKER FROM RICHARDSON WEST JUNIOR HIGH, WHO IS ONE OF OUR SPECIAL ED AIDES [INAUDIBLE].

WENDY, CAN YOU COME FORWARD, PLEASE? WE'RE SO EXCITED TO CELEBRATE YOU THIS EVENING.

LET ME SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY WE ARE RECOGNIZING WENDY.

SHE IS. WENDY IS LIKE SUNSHINE WITH OUR SPECIAL ED STUDENTS BECAUSE SHE GIVES THEM A WORLD CLASS ATTENTION DURING THE ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR.

SHE IS LOVELY, CARING, KIND, PROACTIVE, SMILEY AND MAYBE I DON'T EVEN HAVE ENOUGH WORDS WORDS TO DESCRIBE HER IN THE BEST WAY. BUT SUMMARIZING SHE IS JUST A GREAT HUMAN BEING.

SHE ALSO REFLECTS THIS GOLD HEART WITH ALL THE STAFF.

AND WHEN YOU SEE HER IN THE HALLWAY, YOUR DAY CHANGES BECAUSE OF HER POSITIVITY AND OPTIMISTIC ATTITUDE, WHICH MAKES EVERYBODY EVERYBODY HAPPY.

WOW. I WANT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO HAVE A MISS BOOKER ON THEIR STAFF I THINK SO.

WELL, CONGRATULATIONS.

WE'RE EXCITED TO CELEBRATE YOU THIS EVENING [APPLAUSE].

AND WE'RE GOING TO GRAB A PHOTO.

THANK YOU AGAIN, MISS BOOKER.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE MR. DUNN FROM LAKE HIGHLANDS ELEMENTARY HAS NOT COME IN AFTER WE GOT STARTED.

OKAY? WE WILL BE SURE AND INVITE HIM BACK.

WE WOULD NOW LIKE TO INVITE UP MISS ANITA GIBBONS, THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT WITH TEACHING AND LEARNING.

AND WE WOULD LIKE TO CELEBRATE AND RECOGNIZE MISS ANITA.

AND HERE'S A FEW WORDS THAT WERE SUBMITTED ON HER BEHALF.

ANITA WAS FORMERLY THE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT AT NORTHWOOD HILLS, WHO ALWAYS WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR THE STUDENTS AND STAFF ON THAT CAMPUS.

WHEN SHE MOVED OVER TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT FOR THE SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES TEAM, HER LOVE FOR THE NORTHWOOD HILLS CAMPUS DID NOT END.

SHE STOPS BY WHEN SHE IS ABLE TO SEE HOW SHE CAN JUMP IN AND HELP AT THE CAMPUS.

SHE HAS CONTINUED MANY STRONG CONNECTIONS WITH STUDENTS AND STAFF, AND ALWAYS FINDS WAYS TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS WHEN SHE IS BACK ON THE CAMPUS, SHE HAS BUILT POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH MANY OF THE STUDENTS AND CHECKS IN ON THEM WHEN SHE'S THERE TO VISIT.

SHE ALSO CONTINUES TO SHARE HER CREATIVE TALENTS WITH THE CAMPUS BY UPDATING THEIR VISUAL CALENDAR THAT IS IN THEIR MAIN HALLWAY AT SCHOOL.

THEIR MONTHLY CALENDAR IS A WORK OF ART THANKS TO MISS ANITA, STUDENTS AND STAFF LOVE SEEING WHAT NEW ILLUSTRATIONS WILL BE ADDED WHEN A NEW MONTH ROLLS AROUND.

THE NORTHWOOD HILLS ELEMENTARY FAMILY IS THANKFUL FOR MISS ANITA AND THE LOVE SHE CONTINUES TO SHOW ALL OF US.

SHE IS AMAZING AT EVERYTHING SHE DOES.

CONGRATULATIONS! [APPLAUSE] I THINK WE'LL ALL BE HEADING OVER FOR A TOUR.

THANK YOU AGAIN, MISS ANITA.

ALL RIGHT. AND OUR NEXT STAFF BELIEVES RECOGNITION IS FOR MS. MELODY PERRY, THE TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANT AT WALLACE ELEMENTARY.

MS. PERRY, IF YOU COULD COME FORWARD, I'D LOVE TO SHARE WHAT WAS SUBMITTED ON YOUR BEHALF.

THEY HAVE STARTED A NEW WING OF PRE-KINDERGARTEN AND EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSES THIS YEAR AT WALLACE ELEMENTARY.

MS. PERRY HAS DEDICATED VALUABLE TIME GIVING FACE TO FACE, IN-PERSON PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO THE SUPPORT STAFF FOR THESE CLASSES BY HELPING THEM WALK THROUGH LOGISTICAL, INSTRUCTIONAL, AND TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES SO THEY CAN INTERACT AND ENGAGE WITH CONFIDENCE.

[00:20:05]

SHE INSTILLS VALUE, EMPOWERMENT AND CONFIDENCE TO OTHER VIP TEAM MEMBERS ON CAMPUS.

MS. PERRY HAS TAKEN THE TIME TO IDENTIFY THE NEED AND MAKE A HUGE IMPACT.

SHE IS BUILDING CAPACITY IN ALL OF THE STAFF AT WALLACE.

SHE BELIEVES IN RISD AND SHE EXEMPLIFIES EXCELLENCE WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGMENT EVERY DAY BECAUSE THAT'S JUST WHO SHE IS.

CONGRATULATIONS, MS. PERRY. WE'RE EXCITED TO RECOGNIZE YOU THIS EVENING [APPLAUSE].

CONGRATULATIONS.

CONGRATULATIONS. AND BEFORE WE CONCLUDE OUR RECOGNITIONS AND APPRECIATIONS THIS EVENING, I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT MR. JUAN RAMIREZ DID NOT SNEAK IN AFTER WE GOT STARTED.

OKAY. WE WILL BE SURE THAT WE CARRY HIM FORWARD TO THE DECEMBER MEETING.

AND FINALLY, I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE SOME CURRENT LEADERSHIP RICHARDSON CLASS MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE AS PART OF THEIR CURRICULUM.

IF YOU WOULD STAND AND WE CAN RECOGNIZE YOU [APPLAUSE].

WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE SUPPORTING RICHARDSON ISD.

AND THEN FINALLY, WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK ANY OF THE PARENTS AND FAMILY AND FRIENDS THAT ARE HERE TO SUPPORT THOSE THAT WERE BEING RECOGNIZED AND APPRECIATED THIS EVENING.

IF YOU COULD PLEASE STAND SO WE CAN SHOW OUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND APPRECIATION TO YOU [APPLAUSE].

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR RECOGNITIONS, PORTIONS OF THE AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING.

[00:26:39]

MR. POTEET. THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.

[II. PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION]

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, I WELCOME OUR VISITORS.

FOR TODAY'S MEETING SPEAKERS MAY COMMENT ON BOTH AGENDA AND NON AGENDA RELATED ITEMS. AS A REMINDER, PLEASE FOLLOW THE PUBLIC COMMENTS PROTOCOL AS NOTED ON THE RISD WEBSITE.

PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM AT THE FRONT OF THE AUDITORIUM WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME.

MR. RANDY BLANKENSHIP.

GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS RANDY BLANKENSHIP, AND I WISH TO THANK THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.

TOPIC. DEPARTMENT OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION.

ONCE AGAIN, I AM DECLARING THE SAID DEPARTMENT IS NOT COMPLIANT WITH BOARD POLICY OR SCHOOL LAWS.

THAT'S THE RECENT ONES.

FURTHERMORE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DEPARTMENT ONLINE AND PONDER OVER THE OVERVIEW, POLICY, OR CONNECTING CULTURE SECTIONS, YOU SHOULD FIND IT AS A REDUNDANCY TO BASIC NEEDS AND ACTIVITIES OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

WHAT THEY CLAIM TO BE THEIR FUNCTION IS OR SHOULD BE THE FUNCTIONS OF OTHER APPLICABLE DEPARTMENTS.

IN SHORT, YOU HAVE A TEAM THAT IS UNNECESSARY AND A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY, PROVIDING NO BENEFIT TO THE ACADEMICS OR POSITIVE CULTURE OF THE STUDENT BODY.

THE ORIGINAL PURPOSE OF THE DEPARTMENT WAS TO CREATE A CURRICULUM AND LESSONS THAT UNINTENTIONALLY RESULT IN THE SPILLING OUT, SEGREGATIONIST AND RACIST IDEOLOGY WITH DISCRIMINATING PRACTICES.

THE RESULT, BY NATURE, AGITATED HATE AND DIVISIVE STUDENT BODY.

I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE VOTE, THE PAST VOTING BOARD, WANTED THIS OUTCOME, BUT THEY GOT IT.

WITH MY ACTIVE PURSUIT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.

THE DEPARTMENT IS NOTHING BUT AN UNNECESSARY BODY THAT HAS NO ACTUAL INDIVIDUAL PURPOSE.

NOW THE DEPARTMENT IS USELESS AND HAS NO SCHOLASTIC PURPOSE.

A PAST DREAM THAT GOT OUT OF CONTROL.

THE QUESTION I HAVE PROPOSED TO YOU BEFORE AND DO SO AGAIN IS WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? JUST LET IT SIT THERE WASTING TIME AND MONEY.

WELL, YOU HAVE THE FORTITUDE AND COURAGE TO BE HONEST AND DISSOLVE THE DEPARTMENT.

THE QUESTION LIES BEFORE YOU.

OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, YOU HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO MUSTER THE STRENGTH AND INCORRECTNESS TO THE PROBLEM.

LOOK AT EACH OTHER.

[00:30:01]

THE DEPARTMENT IS UNNECESSARY AND A WASTE OF VALUABLE MONEY AND RESOURCES.

I'VE LOOKED OVER THE ONLINE AND I'VE LOOKED OVER THAT.

THIS IS MY FOURTH YEAR TO DO THIS.

YOU STARTED OUT WITH THE ANTI RACE PROGRAM, WHICH NEVER GOT OFF THE GROUND BECAUSE OF ME, THE RACIAL LITERACY PROGRAM THAT WENT OUT THE FIRST YEAR.

CONNECTING CULTURES THAT DIED OUT BECAUSE IT WAS JUST A RELABELING OF THE RACIAL LITERACY PROGRAM.

AND NOW THE ONLY THING I CAN SEE THE DEPARTMENT DOES IS FOR HERITAGE WEEK MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR.

NOW, WHAT OTHER DEPARTMENT AROUND HERE IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT CAN'T DO THAT.

AND DISSOLVE THE DEPARTMENT.

LOOK AMONG YOURSELF.

WHO'S GOING TO TAKE CHARGE? DISSOLVE THE DEPARTMENT.

THANK YOU, MR. BLANKENSHIP.

MISS HARRIS, THAT CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS THIS EVENING.

THANK YOU, MR. POTEET.

THANK YOU, MR. BLANKENSHIP, FOR SPENDING THIS TIME WITH US THIS EVENING.

OUR NEXT ACTION ITEM IS THE CONSENT AGENDA.

[III. CONSENT / CONFIRMATION AGENDA ITEMS]

IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? SO MOVED. THANK YOU, MR. POTEET. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. THANK YOU, MRS. RENTERIA. THERE IS A MOTION BY MR. POTEET, A SECOND BY MRS. RENTERIA. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? OKAY. HEARING NONE.

ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS REAL HIGH.

OKAY. MOTION PASSES SIX ZERO.

OUR NEXT ACTION ITEM IS TO CONSIDER GIFTS, MS.

[IV.A. Consider Gifts]

AND TONIGHT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BOTH ACCEPT AND ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE AND CELEBRATE THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN SO GRACIOUSLY TO THE DISTRICT TO SUPPORT STUDENT OUTCOMES.

AND WE DO HAVE SOME GIFTS THAT ARE ABOVE $5,000.

AND I'VE ASKED MR. PATE TO PLEASE PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW FOR THE BOARD.

THANK YOU, MRS. BRANUM.

I'M HAPPY TO PRESENT GIFTS RECEIVED THIS MONTH.

WE HAVE FOUR GIFTS OVER $5,000 SUBMITTED FOR BOARD APPROVAL.

ARAPAHO CLASSICAL MAGNET PTA GAVE $10,282.39 TO ARAPAHO CLASSICAL MAGNET.

THE LAKE HIGHLANDS ELEMENTARY PTA DONATED $6,100 TO LAKE HIGHLANDS ELEMENTARY.

THE MERRIMAN PARK ELEMENTARY PTA DONATED $17,125 TO MERRIMAN PARK ELEMENTARY, AND THE WHITE ROCK ELEMENTARY PTA DONATED $7,215.24 TO WHITE ROCK ELEMENTARY, FOR A TOTAL OF $40,722.63. AND WE HAVE 13 GIFTS, LESS THAN $5,000 FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES TO CAMPUSES ACROSS THE DISTRICT, TOTALING $14,715.57, WHICH ARE SUBMITTED FOR THE BOARD'S INFORMATION.

TOTAL GIFTS THIS MONTH ARE $55,438.20.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. PATE. AND WITH THAT, I DO RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD ACCEPT THE GIFTS OF $5,000 OR MORE AS LISTED.

THANK YOU, MR. PATE.

THANK YOU, MISS BRANUM. IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED. THANK YOU, MR. POTEET. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. THANK YOU, MISS PACHECO.

THERE IS A MOTION BY MR. POTEET A SECOND BY MISS PACHECO.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS.

MOTION PASSES SIX ZERO.

OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN ACTION ITEM TO CONSIDER THE ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT, A CFR FOR THE FISCAL YEAR

[IV.B. Consider Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2023]

MS. BRANUM.

THANK YOU, PRESIDENT HARRIS.

AND THIS IS AN ANNUAL REPORT THAT WE PROVIDE TO THE BOARD AS REQUIRED.

AND I'VE ASKED MR. PATE, AND I THINK HE'S ALSO GOING TO INTRODUCE SOMEONE WHO ASSISTS US IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS AUDIT AND THIS FINAL REPORT.

SO, MR. PATE. YES.

THANK YOU, MRS. BRANUM. TRUSTEES, I'M HAPPY TO INTRODUCE YOU TO SARAH DEMPSEY, OUR AUDIT PARTNER WITH WEAVER AND TIDWELL.

THIS IS THEIR FIRST AUDIT FOR RICHARDSON ISD.

AND BRIAN MADE THE OTHER PRESENTATION THAT COMES BEFORE THAT THAT STARTS WEAVER VIEWS.

[00:35:03]

YES. THAT'S IT.

THANK YOU, BRIAN. AND I'LL NOW TURN IT OVER TO MS. DEMPSEY. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME THIS EVENING.

I'M HAPPY TO PRESENT TO YOU THE 2023 FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT.

MY NAME IS SARAH DEMPSEY.

I'M THE AUDIT PARTNER FOR THE EXTERNAL AUDIT SERVICES THAT YOU RECEIVED.

I'M GOING TO WALK THROUGH THE AUDIT PROCESS, THE AUDIT RESULTS, THE REQUIRED COMMUNICATIONS THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE WITH YOU AS THOSE CHARGED WITH GOVERNANCE.

AND THEN I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.

SO FOR OUR AUDIT PROCESS, WHAT WE DO IS WE COME OUT HERE IN THE SUMMER AND WALK THROUGH YOUR INTERNAL CONTROLS.

SO WE'RE EVENTUALLY GOING TO BE OPINING ON YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF JUNE 30TH, 2023.

AND SO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS WALK THROUGH THOSE CONTROL PROCESSES.

WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS CASH DISBURSEMENT PROCESSES, PAYROLL PROCESSES, YOUR GRANTS PROCESS, JUST THOSE CASH GOING IN THE DOOR, CASH GOING OUT, ANYTHING THAT COULD AFFECT YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT YEAR END.

SO WE DO THAT DURING THE SUMMER AND THEN WE COME BACK AFTER YOUR YEAR IS CLOSED AND THE BUSINESS OFFICE HAS RECONCILED THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND DONE THE JOURNAL ENTRIES THAT ARE NEEDED TO BE DONE TO GET YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS TO BE MATERIALLY CORRECT.

WE COME IN AND WE AUDIT THOSE.

SO AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE YOUR CASH BALANCE.

WE RECEIVE THE BALANCE FROM THE DISTRICT.

AND THEN WE GO IN AND WE LOOK AT THE BANK STATEMENT BALANCES, OUTSTANDING CHECKS, DEPOSITS.

SO THAT'S REALLY THE PROCESS THAT WE GO THROUGH.

AS YOU KNOW THE FEDERAL FUNDING HAS BEEN IT'S BEEN SOMETHING OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS THAT'S JUST BEEN A HIGHLIGHT OF THE AUDIT.

AND SO THAT'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE COME OUT AND DO IN THE SUMMER.

AND THEN WE COME BACK AFTER YEAR END AND LOOK AT IT AS WELL.

SO WE DO THE AUDIT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AUDITING STANDARDS, GENERALLY ACCEPTED AUDITING STANDARDS, GENERALLY ACCEPTED GOVERNMENT AUDITING STANDARDS.

AND THEN THAT SINGLE AUDIT ACT OVER THOSE FEDERAL FUNDS.

WE'RE REQUIRED TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT THE SIGNIFICANT RISKS ARE.

THAT'S GOING TO BE OVER STATEMENT OF REVENUE.

AND THEN YOUR STATE AID CALCULATION FALLS IN THERE AS WELL.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S CORRECT.

IT'S A LARGE ESTIMATE.

AND THERE'S A LOT OF CALCULATIONS THAT GO INTO THAT NUMBER.

WE LOOK AT JOURNAL ENTRIES OBVIOUSLY AS PART OF THE BUSINESS PROCESS RECONCILING THOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

THERE'S A LOT OF JOURNAL ENTRIES GOING IN AND OUT, AND WE USE TECHNOLOGY TO HELP US WITH THAT TO DATA MINE THROUGH A DISTRICT THIS SIZE AND ALL THE TRANSACTIONS THAT ARE GOING IN AND OUT. I'VE TALKED THROUGH THE SUMMER PROCEDURES, CASH DISBURSEMENTS, CASH RECEIPTS, PAYROLL.

YOUR MONTH AND YEAR END CLOSE TITLE ONE AND ESSER WERE THE MAJOR PROGRAMS THAT WE TESTED THIS YEAR.

SO WE GIVE AN OPINION ON YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE TO OPINE THAT ESSER WAS USED MATERIALLY, CORRECTLY, THAT IT'S MATERIALLY IN WITHIN THE COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HAS LAID OUT.

SAME WITH TITLE ONE.

SO WE TESTED THOSE THAT MADE UP 61% OF YOUR FEDERAL EXPENDITURES.

AND THEN WE ALSO DO COMPLIANCE TESTING, STATE COMPLIANCE TESTING, FEDERAL COMPLIANCE TESTING.

AND THEN WE'RE TESTING THOSE CONTROLS THAT WE WALK THROUGH.

SO WE DO ACTUALLY SAMPLE DISBURSEMENTS GOING OUT PAYROLL TRANSACTIONS BID PROCESSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO ONCE WE COME BACK IN SEPTEMBER, THAT'S WHEN WE'RE TESTING THOSE BALANCES WE'RE USING.

WE'RE VOUCHING INQUIRY ALONE IS NOT SUFFICIENT.

SO WE'RE HAVING TO PULL A LOT OF DOCUMENTATION.

SO THIS PRESENTATION IS SHORT BUT REALLY WANT TO JUST MENTION THAT EVERYTHING THAT YOUR BUSINESS DEPARTMENT AND ALL THE DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE'RE COMING IN AND LOOKING AT IT, AND IT'S A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO IT.

SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

THE TEAM WAS FANTASTIC TO WORK WITH.

EVERYONE REALLY WAS DILIGENT AND TOOK EXTRA CARE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS WERE CORRECT AT YEAR END, AND WE KNOW THAT'S A YEAR LONG JOB, AND EVEN THOUGH WE'RE COMING IN IN THE SUMMER AND IN THE FALL, THERE'S JUST A LOT OF HARD WORK GOING INTO IT.

SO GREAT RESULTS TO PRESENT TO YOU AN UNMODIFIED OPINION ON YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

NO MATERIAL WEAKNESSES WERE NOTED DURING THE COURSE OF THE AUDIT.

THAT'S ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT WHEN YOU'RE USING SO MUCH FEDERAL FUNDING AND IT'S HARD TO DO.

NOT ALL DISTRICTS ARE GETTING GOOD PRESENTATIONS LIKE THIS.

UNMODIFIED, OPINION ON THOSE TWO PROGRAMS AS WELL, ESSER AND TITLE ONE.

[00:40:06]

I'VE TOUCHED ON A FEW OF THEM, SO I'M JUST GOING TO HIGHLIGHT THE ONES THAT I HAVEN'T MENTIONED YET THIS YEAR GASB 96 WAS IMPLEMENTED.

SAME WITH LISA'S LAST YEAR.

THIS IS SIMILAR TO THAT STANDARD, BUT IT'S ALL THE SOFTWARE THAT THE DISTRICT IS PROVIDING.

SO IN THE PAST IT WOULD BE EXPENSED.

IF IT WAS A LONG TERM CONTRACT WITH SOFTWARE, IT HAD TO GO ON THE BALANCE SHEET.

THAT TOOK A LOT OF WORK TO GET THAT INVENTORY LIST AND TO GO THROUGH ALL THOSE CONTRACTS.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE DISTRICT TAKING THE AUDITING STANDARDS SERIOUSLY, GOING THROUGH THAT INVENTORY, LOTS OF WORK TO ACQUIRE THOSE CONTRACTS AND GET THEM TOGETHER.

NO FRAUD OR ILLEGAL ACTS WERE NOTED DURING THE COURSE OF THE AUDIT.

NO MATERIAL WEAKNESSES.

WE DID EVALUATE THE ESTIMATES.

I MENTIONED THE FOUNDATION AID.

LOTS OF FACTORS GO INTO THAT ATTENDANCE PROPERTY TAX COLLECTION.

SO WE DO TEST THAT AND THEN NO AUDIT ADJUSTMENTS.

THAT'S A HUGE FACTOR TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF.

WHEN WE GET THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FROM THE DISTRICT WE'RE NOT MAKING A LOT OF CHANGES.

SO AGAIN, JUST GREAT NEWS ALL AROUND.

AND THEN WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT HELPED US GET TO SUCH A GREAT AUDIT AND TO COMPLETE IT ON TIME.

AND THEN I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.

AND AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU AND THANK THE WEAVER TEAM FOR COMING IN AND JUST ENSURING THAT OUR TEAM IS DOING WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO TO BE GOOD, JUST NAVIGATE OUR TAXPAYERS FUNDS IN THE WAY THAT THEY'RE INTENDED.

AND I WANT TO THANK MR. PATE AND HIS TEAM FOR JUST ENSURING THAT THIS PROCESS, FIRST OF ALL, THAT WE ARE GOOD STEWARDS AND WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS, BUT ALSO THAT JUST AGAIN, AN EXCEPTIONAL REPORT. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR HARD WORK.

AND WITH THAT, I DO RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ACCEPT THE AUDIT OF THE DISTRICT'S FISCAL ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30TH, 2023.

THANK YOU, MR. PATE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TONIGHT.

THANK YOU. MISS BRANUM, IS THERE A MOTION? SOMOVED. THANK YOU, MISS PACHECO.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.

THANK YOU. MR. EAGER. THERE IS A MOTION BY MISS PACHECO A SECOND BY MR. EAGER. ALL IN FAVOR? I'M SORRY. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? MISS PACHECO, I JUST WANT TO SAY HOW PROUD I AM OF MR. PATES AND HIS TEAM AND OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AT BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF OUR MONEY, AND HOW IT'S FOLLOWED THROUGH AND TAKEN CARE OF AND JUST KEEPING GREAT STANDARDS.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.

IN ADDITION TO COMMENTS QUESTIONS.

ALL RIGHT. IF NO.

PATE WOULD LIKE TO.

THERE'S A FEW RESULTS THAT HE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SHARE IN ADDITION TO THE AUDIT FINDINGS.

SO, MR. PATE. THANK YOU, MRS. BRANUM. YES, I DID WANT TO GO OVER JUST A FEW RESULTS OF OPERATIONS FOR THE YEAR AND JUST ALSO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE.

JUST TO START WITH, FOR REALLY EVERYONE IN THE DISTRICT, ALL OF OUR STAFF THESE AUDIT RESULTS WOULD NOT HAPPEN WITHOUT EVERYONE IN THE DISTRICT DOING THEIR PART IN WHETHER IT'S HIRING STAFF, PAYING THEM, ORDERING SUPPLIES, RECEIVING ON THOSE SUPPLIES, MANAGING OUR WAREHOUSE, MANAGING OUR ASSETS.

IT TAKES ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES TO GET THESE KINDS OF RESULTS, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYONE MAKING MY JOB EASIER WITH THAT RESPECT.

SO JUST THANKS TO EVERYONE AND I REALLY APPRECIATE MY TEAM AND THEIR HARD WORK.

WE LOST OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE TO ANOTHER DISTRICT DURING THE AUDIT PROCESS, AND MY TEAM STEPPED IN AND KEPT EVERYTHING GOING AND GOT THE AUDIT COMPLETED ON TIME.

AND AS MS. DEMPSEY SAID, WITH NO FINDINGS, NO ISSUES.

SO I JUST APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK OF THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.

THIS YEAR WAS JUST A LITTLE MORE FOR THEM AND I APPRECIATE THEM.

I DON'T THINK ANY OF THEM ARE HERE THIS EVENING.

I DON'T SEE THEM.

IF I MISSED ONE OF YOU, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

WAVE. STAND UP, NO, THEY HAD SOME FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES THAT THEY WERE A LITTLE BEHIND ON SO.

AND WITH THAT, I WILL JUST GIVE YOU SOME FEW HIGHLIGHTS OF SOME OPERATIONS FOR THIS YEAR, JUST AS WE DO THIS.

AND BEFORE I GET INTO THESE, THE FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS JUST KIND OF A REMINDER OF THE TIMELINE OF THIS AND HOW THIS IS A LITTLE TIMELINE HERE CALENDAR REALLY IS WHY I'M WHENEVER SOMEBODY SAYS THIS YEAR, I'M ALWAYS ASKING WHICH THIS YEAR ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?

[00:45:02]

JUNE OF 22, YOU ADOPTED OUR 22-23 BUDGET THAT DROVE THE FINANCIAL DECISIONS WE MADE THIS PAST YEAR, THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED OR EXCUSE ME, JUNE OF 22.

YOU ADOPTED THAT BUDGET IN NOVEMBER OF 22, YOU APPROVED THE AUDIT REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 22 WHILE WE WERE IN 23.

THEN AS WE'RE ENDING 22-23, WE'RE BUILDING THE 23-24 BUDGET.

JUNE 23RD ROLLS AROUND.

WE ADOPT THE 23-24 BUDGET, JUNE 30TH 23, THE LAST DAY OF THE FISCAL YEAR.

AND NOW HERE IN NOVEMBER OF 23, Y'ALL ARE APPROVING THE AUDIT REPORT FOR 22-23.

SO YOU'VE ALREADY ADOPTED ONE BUDGET SINCE THEN, AND WE'RE ALREADY STARTING TO TALK ABOUT THE 24-25 BUDGET.

AND SO IT'S ALWAYS JUST ANY CONVERSATION I HAVE SOMEBODY GOES, WELL WHAT DID WE DO THIS YEAR ON THIS ONE.

TELL ME WHICH YEAR WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE I'M ALWAYS IN THREE.

YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT THE ONE THAT THE AUDIT REPORT, THE ONE WE'RE OPERATING IN.

AND I'M ALREADY THINKING ABOUT 24-25.

SO SOME RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

OUR GENERAL FUND BALANCE INCREASED $8.5 MILLION.

THIS FOR FISCAL YEAR 23, BRINGING OUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE TO $104 MILLION OR 98 DAYS, ROUGHLY 27% OF EXPENDITURES. OUR GOAL WE DON'T HAVE A FORMAL BOARD POLICY ON FUND BALANCE, BUT THE GOAL THAT THE BOARD HAS ALWAYS STATED IS THAT WE WILL HAVE 90 DAYS OF OPERATIONS IN UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE IN THE GENERAL FUND, OR 25%.

AND WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT GOAL.

SOME OF OUR SIGNIFICANT VARIANCES, SINCE WE ARE STARTING TO TALK ABOUT THE 24-25 BUDGET, GO BACK AND JUST REVISIT SOME OF THE BUDGET VARIANCES DURING FISCAL YEAR 23 FROM THAT BUDGET YOU ADOPTED IN JUNE OF 22 TO OUR ACTUAL RESULTS, OUR REVENUE.

WAS THE ORIGINAL BUDGET OF $3 MILLION.

OUR ACTUAL REVENUE FROM SHARS WAS $11.5 MILLION, SO AN $8.5 MILLION INCREASE ABOVE BUDGET SHARS REVENUE.

YOU MAY, MAY OR MAY NOT REMEMBER, BUT SHARS STANDS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH AND RELATED SERVICES, AND THAT'S REVENUE THAT WE RECEIVE AS A REIMBURSEMENT FOR CERTAIN ELIGIBLE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE TO MEDICAID ELIGIBLE STUDENTS, PRIMARILY SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS, BUT IT'S ONLY SERVICES PROVIDED BY CERTAIN ELIGIBLE STAFF. AND THOSE STAFF COMPLETE A LOG OF THE SERVICES THEY'RE PROVIDING TO OUR KIDS AND THE RECOVERY RATE THAT WE GET FROM THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES VARIES DEPENDING ON THE TYPES OF SERVICES PROVIDED, AND THAT RATE CAN VARY FROM YEAR TO YEAR.

THE CLAIMS REVIEW PROCESS.

SO ONCE WE SUBMIT THOSE CLAIMS TO TEXAS DEPARTMENT, EXCUSE ME, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, THAT CLAIMS REVIEW PROCESS IS VERY SLOW.

SO WE DON'T RECEIVE THOSE THAT REIMBURSEMENT FOR AT LEAST A YEAR AFTER WE SUBMIT THOSE CLAIMS. AND SOMETIMES IT CAN BE PUSHED AND SOME YEARS WE MAY RECEIVE TWO YEARS WORTH OF REIMBURSEMENT, SOME YEARS IT'S ONLY ONE.

BUT IT REALLY IS AN INTERESTING AND CHALLENGING PROCESS.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, SOMETIMES THE RULES GET REINTERPRETED AFTER WE'VE SUBMITTED A CLAIM.

SO IT'S VERY MUCH A CHALLENGING PROCESS TO ESTIMATE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO RECEIVE FROM SHARS REVENUE.

OUR EXPLORER TUITION REVENUE THAT INCREASED BY A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS FROM WHAT WE ORIGINALLY BUDGETED.

AND THAT INCREASE WAS DUE TO JUST FORTUNATELY FOR US, MORE STUDENTS PARTICIPATING THAN BUDGETING THAN WAS THE BUDGET WAS BASED ON SO GREAT AND REALLY HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES TO THOSE FAMILIES.

OUR INDIRECT COST REVENUE, THIS IS ANOTHER GRANT RELATED REVENUE THAT CAME IN AT $4 MILLION MORE THAN WE ORIGINALLY BUDGETED.

AND INDIRECT COSTS ARE A PERCENTAGE OF GRANT EXPENDITURES THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO CHARGE TO THE GRANTS, AND IT'S MEANT TO COVER THE ADMINISTRATION OR OVERHEAD FOR THOSE GRANTS. SO IT'S PAYROLL PERSONNEL, THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT, FINANCE, THE USE OF THE FACILITIES, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.

WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT INDIRECT COST RATES THAT WE CAN CHARGE DEPENDING ON THE GRANT RULES.

THERE'S AN UNRESTRICTED RATE THAT WE CHARGE TO ESSER, WHICH OUR AUDITORS WERE TALKING ABOUT A WHILE AGO.

SO AND THAT'S A HIGHER RATE.

THAT'S CURRENTLY 18 POINT, ALMOST 18.9%.

WE HAD A 5% INCREASE IN THAT RATE FOR THE 22-23.

AND THEN WE HAVE THE RESTRICTED INDIRECT COST RATE, WHICH IS AROUND 3.5%.

AND THE MAJORITY OF OUR GRANTS PAY THE RESTRICTED RATE.

[00:50:03]

OUR PAYROLL EXPENDITURES CAME IN $11 MILLION LESS THAN WHAT WE ORIGINALLY BUDGETED.

JUST AS A REMINDER, THE PAYROLL BUDGET WAS BASED ON $7.6 MILLION OF ESSER SUPPLANTING AND THEN ANOTHER MILLION TWO OF POSITION ELIMINATIONS AND THEN BUDGETING AT LESS THAN 100% OCCUPANCY DUE TO VACANCY RATES.

AND IN OUR ESSER FUNDS, WE WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO INCREASE OUR ESSER PLANNING IN FISCAL YEAR 23 BY ANOTHER $7 MILLION.

SO IF WE HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT ADDITIONAL $7 MILLION OF SUPPLANTING, WE WOULD HAVE ONLY UNDER WE WOULD HAVE COME IN UNDER BUDGET, ONLY $4 MILLION FOR PAYROLL EXPENSES.

AND OUR NON PAYROLL EXPENDITURES CAME IN OVER THE ORIGINAL BUDGET.

BUDGET AMENDMENTS WERE SUBMITTED.

THE BOARD DID APPROVE THOSE DURING THE YEAR.

SO OUR REVISED BUDGET, WE CAME IN UNDER REVISED BUDGET.

BUT JUST GOING BACK AGAIN TO THE ORIGINAL BUDGET, WE WERE ABOUT $4.8 MILLION MORE ON THE NON PAYROLL EXPENDITURES YOU'LL REMEMBER ABOUT THIS TIME LAST YEAR, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT OUR PROPERTY LIABILITY INSURANCE BEING $1 MILLION MORE THAN WHAT WE'D ORIGINALLY BUDGETED FOR.

FUEL COSTS CAME IN A LITTLE OVER HALF $1 MILLION MORE THAN BUDGETED.

AND THEN OUR SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS WERE $2 MILLION MORE THAN ORIGINALLY BUDGETED, AS WELL AS $1,000,002 WAS NEEDED IN ADDITIONAL CONTRACTED SERVICES RELATED TO STAFFING SHORTAGES IN KEY AREAS.

THE NEXT THREE AREAS PROPERTY TAX REVENUE, STATE REVENUE AND RECAPTURE.

WE CAME IN BETTER ON PROPERTY TAX REVENUE, BETTER ON STATE REVENUE, AND THEN WE PAID A LITTLE BIT MORE IN RECAPTURE BECAUSE THOSE ARE ALL RELATED, JUST KIND OF COVER THOSE TOGETHER.

SO YOU KNOW, IF OUR TAXABLE VALUE, EVEN THOUGH WE GET A CERTIFIED VALUE EVERY JULY 25TH, THE VALUE CONTINUES TO CHANGE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

THEY CERTIFY WHEN IT REACHES ABOUT 90-95%.

AND THEN IT CONTINUES TO CHANGE THEREAFTER, WITH PROPERTY PROTEST SETTLING DURING THE YEAR.

SO THE OTHER CHALLENGE WE HAD GOING INTO THE 22-23 SCHOOL YEAR WAS THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION INCREASE FROM $25,000 TO $40,000.

SO THAT IMPACT ON, YOU KNOW, NO REAL HISTORY AT THAT LEVEL AS TO WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AND THEN STATE FUNDING THE WAY THAT'S IMPACTED.

SO NORMALLY YOU REMEMBER THAT I TELL YOU, WHEN PROPERTY VALUES GO UP, STATE FUNDING GOES DOWN WELL WITH EVERYTHING.

AND I ALWAYS SAY WITH EVERYTHING ELSE BEING EQUAL, WELL, OUR STUDENT ENROLLMENT CAME IN A LITTLE HIGHER THAN WHAT THE DEMOGRAPHER PROJECTED.

SO IT CAME IN A LITTLE HIGHER THAN WHAT WE BASED OUR BUDGET ON.

AND SO WHEN ENROLLMENT, ALL THOSE FTE IS THE ATTENDANCE RATE, IF THAT COMES IN HIGHER THAN WHAT THE BUDGET IS BASED ON, THAT ALLOWS US TO KEEP MORE OF OUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUE.

IT INCREASES OUR STATE FUNDING, AND IT MAKES THE SIZE OF THAT GLASS BIGGER.

SO WE CAN KEEP A LITTLE MORE OF OUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUE.

AND SO EVEN THOUGH PROPERTY TAX REVENUE INCREASED, STATE REVENUE INCREASED OUR RECAPTURE, WE ENDED UP ONLY HAVING TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL HALF $1 MILLION IN RECAPTURE. SO THE DISTRICT BENEFITED IN THAT SITUATION.

OUR DEBT SERVICE FUND PROPERTY AGAIN, PROPERTY TAX REVENUE CAME IN A LITTLE HIGHER.

ALL THE SAME REASONS ON THE GENERAL FUND SIDE.

AND THEN ON THE DEBT SERVICE FUND SIDE, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE BUDGET WAS BEING BUILT, WE WERE ANTICIPATING A CERTAIN ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT, CERTAIN DEBT STRUCTURE FOR THE BONDS THAT WE WERE GOING TO SELL THE 22 A SERIES BONDS.

AND, YOU KNOW, THEN THE REALITY OF ACTUALLY GOING TO MARKET, SELLING THOSE.

WHAT WAS THE DEBT STRUCTURE, WHAT DID WHAT VOLUME OF BONDS WE COULD SELL AT EACH MATURITY WE HAD.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S A MARKET DEMAND PIECE AND THERE'S WHAT WE THINK WE CAN AFFORD BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ROOM TO REPAY OUR BONDS ON THE 21 BOND ELECTION AND STAY AT THE $0.35 WE TOLD THE VOTERS.

SO TRYING TO BALANCE THOSE THINGS, WE ENDED UP JUST NOT HAVING AS HIGH A BOND EXPENDITURES AS ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED.

AND THEN FINALLY, THE CHILD NUTRITION FUND REVENUES WERE REALLY CLOSE TO THE ORIGINAL BUDGET.

PAYROLL EXPENDITURES WERE LESS THAN ORIGINALLY BUDGETED DUE TO VACANCIES PRIMARILY, AND THEN CAPITAL EQUIPMENT WAS THE BIG ONE, AND OUR CAPITAL EQUIPMENT PURCHASES WERE $3.2 MILLION LESS THAN THE ORIGINAL BUDGET.

SO WE PLANNED ON $3.8, WE SPENT ABOUT $600,000.

AND THE ISSUE THERE IS ALL CAPITAL OUTLAY IN THE CHILD NUTRITION FUND HAS TO BE APPROVED IN ADVANCE BY THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

[00:55:09]

AND THEY ACTUALLY REJECTED OUR PLANS FOR A WALK IN, COOLER, WALK IN FREEZER REPLACEMENT PROCESS.

SO WE FINALLY GOT THAT APPROVED.

AND WE ARE PROCEEDING WITH IT INTO THIS FISCAL YEAR.

SO SOME OF THOSE EXPENDITURES WE PLAN WILL HAPPEN THIS YEAR.

THE CHILD NUTRITION FUND IS A SEPARATE FUND, IT HAS ITS OWN FUND BALANCE.

AND SO THE CHILD NUTRITION FUND WILL SPEND THAT MONEY IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.

NOW THAT WE'VE GOTTEN THAT THROUGH, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND THEIR REGULATIONS ARE OFTEN MORE PROBLEMATIC THAN FOR US THAN THE OTHER GRANT FUNDS THAT WE DEAL WITH.

SO AND IT'S ADMINISTERED BY A COMPLETELY SEPARATE AGENCY.

IT'S NOT UNDER TEA.

IT'S UNDER THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

AND OOPS, I GUESS THAT'S THE LAST SLIDE.

AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I WILL DO MY BEST TO ADDRESS THEM.

ALL RIGHT. ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? COMMENTS, MR. POTEET? AND THANK YOU, MR. PATE, FOR THAT RUNDOWN ON SOME OF THE SUMMARY, OR AT LEAST THE BRIEF REASONS WHY THERE WERE VARIANCES IN EACH OF THOSE MAJOR BUCKETS.

UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE LOOK AT THIS, WE'VE GOT BASICALLY WE WENT FROM AN ANTICIPATED WE HAVE $26 MILLION DEFICIT TO AN $8 MILLION, $8.5 MILLION SURPLUS.

SO ABOUT A $34 MILLION, $35 MILLION SWING, WHICH IS ABOUT 10% OF OUR BUDGET, WHICH IS MAYBE THAT'S IN MAYBE THAT'S AS ACCURATE AS WE CAN GET.

BUT THAT'S A BIG CHANGE.

AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO AND I KNOW THIS IS GOING TO GO FORWARD, BUT WE HAVE OUR BUDGET COMMITTEE I KNOW AND AND THIS WILL BE A BIG PIECE I THINK WHEN THEY GET THIS INFORMATION, I'M ASSUMING THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT TIMING AND WHEN DIFFERENT ACTIONS ARE GOING TO BE RECOMMENDED TO TAKE PLACE AND STUFF.

AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A PRETTY CRITICAL PIECE, GOING FROM A MAJOR DEFICIT TO A PRETTY MAJOR SURPLUS IN A WEEK OR WHATEVER.

YOU KNOW, NOT A WEEK, OBVIOUSLY, ONE OF THE THREE YEARS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, BUT GETTING THE INFORMATION.

HAVE THAT CHANGED SINCE THE LAST MEETING.

SO SO I WILL BE INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT THE IMPACT IS WITH THAT BUDGET COMMITTEE.

AND THEN HAS THIS HAPPENED BEFORE OR IS THIS KIND OF IS THIS A CONSISTENT DIFFERENCE? THE EXACT DOLLAR AMOUNT IS NOT NECESSARILY CONSISTENT.

IT FLUCTUATES YEAR OVER YEAR.

THERE IS A PRESENTATION I MADE TO THE BOARD, AND I DON'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS LAST YEAR'S BUDGET BUILDING PROCESS AND SPRING OF 23 OR SPRING OF 22, BUT I DID GO THROUGH A HISTORY OF THOSE VARIANCES OF ORIGINAL BUDGET TO ACTUAL COMPARING ORIGINAL BUDGET, EITHER INCREASE OR DECREASE IN FUND BALANCE TO ACTUAL RESULTS FOR THOSE YEARS, I THINK I DID ABOUT THE LAST 5 OR 6 YEARS.

AND YOU KNOW, THIS JUST HAPPENED.

SO I MY GOAL IS TO BE AS ACCURATE AS POSSIBLE.

I CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS I TAKE VERY I TAKE IT MORE PERSONALLY AND THAN I PROBABLY SHOULD, BECAUSE WHEN I SEE THESE KINDS OF RESULTS, THE FIRST THING THAT HITS ME IN THAT IS WE DID NOT INVEST APPROPRIATELY.

WE UNDERINVESTED IN OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF, AND THAT BOTHERS ME A LOT.

UM, AND SO I WORK EVERY YEAR TO TRY TO TIGHTEN THAT UP AND MAKE SURE THAT I CAN BRING, YOU KNOW, OUR FINAL RESULTS ARE AS CLOSE TO THE ORIGINAL BUDGET AS POSSIBLE, SO WE CAN INVEST EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE IN OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF.

BUT I DON'T WANT TO SIT HERE AND HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO YOU WHY THE VARIANCE WENT THE OTHER WAY, AND YOU ADOPTED A BUDGET THAT WAS BALANCED, LET'S SAY. AND I HAVE TO COME AND TELL YOU THAT WE WOUND UP $20 MILLION IN THE HOLE.

SURE.

IT WILL PROBABLY BE THE LAST CONVERSATION I EVER HAVE WITH, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND.

SO YOU SAID THAT, NOT ME.

YES. NOT MY CHOICE.

BUT YES, I WORKED TO TWEAK THIS EVERY YEAR AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.

AND IF I CAN JUST ADD I THINK IT IT'S.

AND I WOULD LOVE TO SAY THAT PROJECTING OUR BUDGETS MOVING FORWARD ARE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE MORE PREDICTABLE.

BUT I THINK THAT EVEN WHAT WE ARE SEEING RIGHT NOW AND THERE IS LEGISLATION THAT COULD POTENTIALLY CHANGE OUR FUNDING EVEN FOR THIS FUNDING

[01:00:02]

OMAR'S TEMPLATE, WHICH EVERYONE KNOWS IS PROBABLY THE CLOSEST THAT WE HAVE IN TRYING TO PREDICT WHEN WE PLUG IN ALL THE NUMBERS AND IT SPITS OUT, THIS IS WHAT WE THINK YOU'RE GOING TO RECEIVE.

OMAR CAN'T KEEP UP WITH THE VOLUME OF CHANGES.

THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT JUST ON TUESDAY THAT ONCE AGAIN IS CHANGING THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.

AND SO WE AGAIN, WE DON'T HAVE LONGITUDINAL DATA OR NUMBERS TO LOOK AT TO SAY WHEN THIS HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION IS ADJUSTED FROM $40 MILLION I MEAN $40,000 TO $100,000, WHAT IS THAT GOING? HOW IS THAT GOING TO CHANGE BOTH WHAT WE ARE COLLECTING IN TERMS OF OUR PROPERTY TAX AND THEN HOW DOES THAT CHANGE WHAT AUSTIN IS FUNDING US? SO ALL WE CAN DO IS CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH LINE BY LINE REFINE EVEN AS WE'RE SITTING HERE.

I TEXTED A MEMBER OF CABINET TO SAY, HEY, WE NEED TO DIG INTO THIS AND MAKE SURE MOVING FORWARD, WE FEEL A LITTLE BIT MORE CONFIDENT THAT WE'RE MORE ACCURATE IN SAYING HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO COST TO FUND SUBS OR WHATEVER IT IS.

SO AGAIN, EVERY MEMBER OF THIS TEAM TAKES THAT THAT VERY SERIOUSLY BECAUSE IN THE END, YOU ALL ARE MAKING DECISIONS BASED UPON THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD. WE'RE ASKING OUR COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT SOME DIFFICULT DECISIONS WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE, BECAUSE THIS SURPLUS THAT WE HAVE IS NOT AN INDEFINITE AMOUNT OF TIME.

IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE.

SO WE WANT THERE TO BE CONFIDENCE THAT IF WE'RE SAYING THAT THERE'S A NEED, THAT THAT NEED IS IS VALID AND REAL AND THAT URGENCY IS REAL.

AND IF YOU DON'T MIND, IF I COULD JUST ADD AN EXAMPLE THERE OF COMPLEXITY AND UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES WITH LEGISLATION.

SO AS MISS BRANUM MENTIONED, THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT THAT WAS VOTED ON ON TUESDAY, INCREASING THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION TO $100,000.

IF YOU'LL REMEMBER, WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, WE ACTUALLY SENT OUT TAX BILLS BASED ON THAT CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PASSING.

WELL, WHEN WE WHEN MISS MEJIA, OUR DIRECTOR OF TAX SERVICES, WENT THROUGH ALL THE CALCULATIONS AND WORKING WITH THE COMPANY THAT PROVIDES OUR TAX SOFTWARE, WE ENDED UP, WE DISCOVERED AND NOBODY I HAD NOT HEARD ONE SINGLE CONVERSATION ABOUT IT, BUT THE WE NOW HAVE OVER 8,000 TAXPAYERS THAT HAD AN OVER 65 LEVY FREEZE OF SOME DOLLAR AMOUNT.

WE HAVE 8,000 OF THOSE CITIZENS WHO NOW HAVE A FROZEN LEVY AMOUNT OF ZERO.

THEY PAY NO PROPERTY TAXES IN RICHARDSON, HAS NO PROPERTY TAXES TO RICHARDSON [INAUDIBLE].

THEY WILL STILL HAVE A TAX BILL TO OTHER TAXING JURISDICTIONS, BUT THEY DON'T PAY ANY TO RICHARDSON ISD.

SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS HAVE OVER 10,000 OVER 65 TAXPAYERS WITH A FROZEN LEVY THAT ARE NOW FROZEN AT ZERO.

SO I ENDED UP CALLING OUR PROPERTY TAX ATTORNEYS.

I WAS LIKE, DORCAS TOLD ME, THIS IS DOES THIS MAKE SENSE? THEY GO, OH YEAH, DAVID, WE'VE BEEN HAVING THIS CONVERSATION WITH CLIENTS ALL OVER THE STATE.

WE NEVER HEARD ONE SINGLE WORD ABOUT THIS WHEN THE LEGISLATION WAS BEING DISCUSSED.

SO JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE COMPLEXITIES THAT NOT TRYING TO MAKE EXCUSES, JUST UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF LEGISLATION THAT NOBODY THINKS OF WHEN IT'S PASSED.

RIGHT. AND THAT'S KIND OF A GOOD SEGUE INTO.

AND I APPRECIATE YOU LOOKING AT ALL THESE VARIABLES THAT KEEP CHANGING ALMOST DAILY IN THIS POINT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THE WE STILL ARE IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION TECHNICALLY IN A SPECIAL SESSION.

AND I LISTENED TO HOURS OF IT TODAY IN THE HEARINGS.

AND IT WILL BE INTERESTING.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN VERY CONSISTENT IN OUR MESSAGING AND IT HAS BEEN RECEIVED BY OUR REPS AND SENATORS DOWN THERE THAT WE ARE IN A DEFICIT SPENDING SITUATION.

AND SO NOW THAT WE HAVE A SURPLUS, WE'VE GOT TO KIND OF THINK THROUGH WHAT IS THAT DO WHILE WE'RE STILL IN THOSE THEY'RE STILL IN SESSION TRYING TO MAKE THE DECISIONS.

SO HOW DO WE EXPLAIN THAT AND NOT TO BE ANSWERED TONIGHT AND FIGURE IT OUT.

BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE NEED TO DIG INTO.

WELL, I THINK AGAIN, GOING BACK TO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF FUNDING YEARS, THIS IS CLOSING OUT LAST BUDGET YEAR WHERE.

AGAIN, UNLESS THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT SHIFT IN THE NUMBERS THAT WE PROJECTED.

BUT NOT ONLY DID WE HAVE ADOPTED A $14 MILLION DEFICIT BUDGET, BUT ON TOP OF THAT, WE USED SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF ESSER DOLLARS TO SUPPLANT OUR

[01:05:01]

AND SO I DO THINK THAT OUR COMMUNICATION IS ACCURATELY REPRESENTING OUR BUDGET TRAJECTORY, NOT JUST THIS YEAR, BUT ALSO MOVING FORWARD. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. POTEET. ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? MR. EAGER. YOU KNOW, THE THING WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND IS THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BUDGET DEFICITS, YOU KNOW, A, MR. PATE, I WOULDN'T BEAT YOURSELF UP TOO MUCH BECAUSE I'VE SEEN THE COMPLEXITY AND JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IT.

AND THERE IS SO MANY MOVING PIECES.

SO I APPRECIATE THE TRYING TO GET TO A LEVEL OF ACCURACY.

AND I THINK EVERYBODY BUT WHEN IT IS CHANGING DAILY, IT IS YOU HAVE SO MANY VARIABLES THAT ARE ADJUSTING AROUND.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE APPRECIATE THE LEVEL OF EFFORT, BUT I WONT BEAT MYSELF UP TOO MUCH ABOUT THAT.

THE OTHER THING TOO, IS THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BUDGET DEFICIT SPENDING, THE CHALLENGE WE RUN INTO, IF YOU JUST DO SIMPLE MATH AND THE FACT THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN INCREASE IN, YOU KNOW, BASED ON ALLOTMENT.

SO BASICALLY THE THE AMOUNT THAT WE GET TO USE AND TAXPAYER REVENUE AND FUNDS, IT'S NOT REALLY REVENUE BUT CONTRIBUTIONS.

WELL, OUR TEACHERS DESERVE RAISES.

WE'RE DEALING WITH INFLATION.

SO NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN IF YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE SAME LEVEL OF FUNDS TO WORK WITH, BUT YOU KEEP, YOU KNOW, GIVE PEOPLE JUST COST OF LIVING EXPENSES, IT IS, IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE AT ALL.

AND I THINK MOST OF OUR, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WILL REALIZE THAT.

BUT EVERY TIME WE GIVE A RAISE AND IT'S NOT A ONE TIME BONUS [INAUDIBLE] BUT THAT IS A WAY TO DO THOSE KIND OF THINGS, IS THAT THEY'LL DO ONE TIME BONUSES AND SAY, HEY, THAT'S A THAT'S A RAISE.

WELL, GUESS WHAT, I CAN TAKE THAT BONUS AND MAYBE I CAN DO SOME THINGS, BUT IT'S A LITTLE HARDER TO GET A MORTGAGE WHEN I HAVE TO SHOW MY INCOME LEVEL.

SO THESE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT WE'RE HAVING TO FACE WHEN WE GO INTO DEFICIT SPENDING IS BECAUSE WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GIVE PEOPLE DECENT WAGES TO STAY IN THE PROFESSION, AND IN THAT IS JUST IT IS NECESSARY TO SIMPLY JUST HAVE COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS AND INFLATION ADJUSTMENTS.

WE CANNOT WE WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE IN A DEFICIT SPENDING SIMPLY TO TRY AND GET PEOPLE BUDGET.

I MEAN, TO GIVE PEOPLE RAISES, AND THAT'S A CHALLENGE WE'RE UP AGAINST.

I THINK OUR COMMUNITY REALIZES THAT.

THANK YOU MR. EAGER.

ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, MR. PATE. ALL RIGHT.

WE DO HAVE A MOTION BY MS. PACHECO A SECOND BY MR. EAGER. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS HIGH, PLEASE.

[INAUDIBLE] THERE YOU GO.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE.

ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT.

MOTION PASSES, SIX ZERO.

OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN ACTION ITEM TO CONSIDER THE FROST BANK CONTRACT EXTENSION, MS.

[IV.C. Consider Frost Bank Contract Extension]

MR. PATE IS THERE ANY INFORMATION YOU'D LIKE TO PROVIDE FOR THE BOARD? YEAH, JUST REAL QUICKLY, JUST THE COMPLEXITY OF CHANGING BANKS, ESPECIALLY BEING THE FIRST TIME WE'VE CHANGED BANKS AND CHANGED SETUP IN MUNIS. NOW THAT WE'RE ON MUNIS, IT'S JUST TAKING A LITTLE LONGER THAN WE HAD ANTICIPATED.

AND SO WE JUST NEED TO EXTEND OUR CONTRACT WITH FROST BANK WHILE WE WRAP UP THESE CHANGES.

WE DON'T WANT ANYTHING BAD TO HAPPEN WHILE PAYING OUR VENDORS OR OUR EMPLOYEES.

SO IF YOU COULD APPROVE THIS EXTENSION, IT WOULD BE MOST APPRECIATED.

I WILL ECHO THOSE SENTIMENTS.

WE HOPE YOU WILL APPROVE.

AND SO I DO RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD APPROVE THE EXTENSION OF THE CONTRACT WITH FROST AND RATIFY THE EXTENSION STARTING JULY 1ST, 2023 THROUGH JULY 31ST, 2024.

THANK YOU, MR. PATE.

THANK YOU, MISS BRANUM.

IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED. THANK YOU.

MS. PACHECO. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. THANK YOU, MISS MCGOWAN.

THERE IS A MOTION BY MISS PACHECO A SECOND BY MISS MCGOWAN.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU, MR.

[01:10:01]

THESE TWO PRESENTATIONS DONE.

SAME TO MR. EAGER AS WELL.

YOU SOUND LIKE YOU ARE A LITTLE UNDER THE WEATHER, SO THANK YOU.

MOUNTAIN CEDAR IS GETTING ME.

YES. THERE IS A MOTION BY MS. PACHECO, A SECOND BY MS. MCGOWAN. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS.

ALL RIGHT. MOTION PASSES SIX ZERO.

OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN INFORMATION ITEM.

[IV.D. AVID Program Update]

I AM SO INCREDIBLY EXCITED TO END OUR EVENING ON WHAT I BELIEVE IS JUST A HALLMARK PROGRAM IN RICHARDSON ISD, AND I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAKES US TRULY A SPECIAL DISTRICT.

AND AS I'M WATCHING THE STAFF COME UP, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW INCREDIBLY SPECIAL THIS STAFF IS AND WHAT THEY DO FOR KIDS AND HOW THEY LOVE AND SUPPORT OUR KIDS.

THEY ARE FIERCE ADVOCATES FOR OUR KIDS IN RICHARDSON ISD, AND AVID IS JUST ONE OF THE WAYS THAT THEY CHANNEL THAT ADVOCACY.

AND TONIGHT, ACTUALLY, I WAS LOOKING BACK AND SINCE MY TIME IN RICHARDSON, I SEE AND WE HAVE NOT DONE A FORMAL KIND OF AVID UPDATE AND PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD IN A REALLY, REALLY LONG TIME.

AND THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT WE ARE SO INCREDIBLY PROUD OF, AND IT CONTINUES TO GROW AND STRENGTHEN EVERY YEAR.

AND WE THOUGHT, IT'S ABOUT DARN TIME THAT THE BOARD HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM THE STAFF, HEAR FROM THIS TEAM AND TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS, THE LIFE CHANGERS THAT OUR AVID EDUCATORS ARE EVERY SINGLE DAY.

AND SO MR. EASON, FORMERLY A PHENOMENAL PRINCIPAL AT RICHARDSON NORTH JUNIOR HIGH AND IS NOW SERVING TO LEAD OUR AVID PROGRAMING IS GOING TO FACILITATE THIS, BUT I SEE YOU HAVE A PHENOMENAL GROUP OUT THERE THAT ARE PROBABLY GOING TO HELP ALONG THE WAY.

SO MR. EASON, TAKE IT AWAY.

THANK YOU, MRS. BRANUM.

THANK YOU, BOARD OF TRUSTEES, FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.

I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO SHARE WITH YOU TONIGHT.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE LIKE MS. BRANUM SAID. AND SO, UM, I LIKE TO START OUT WITH JUST MAKING SURE YOU KNOW WHAT AVID MEANS.

IT MEANS ADVANCEMENT VIA INDIVIDUAL DETERMINATION.

AND SO EVERYTHING TONIGHT IS ABOUT FOCUSING ON OUR KIDS AND THEIR DETERMINATION TO SUCCEED.

AND I WANT TO INTRODUCE OUR TEAM.

DR. KRISTEN LEEPER, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF TEACHING AND LEARNING.

ELIZABETH SWANNER, ADVANCED LEARNING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MYSELF, MR. EASON, JOSH EASON, DIRECTOR OF AVID.

AND THEN MY PARTNER IN ALL THE WORK IS STEPHANIE SPOON, OUR DISTRICT AVID SPECIALIST.

I ALSO HAVE WITH ME SOME GUESTS THAT I WOULD LOVE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO.

UM, WITHOUT THIS GROUP OF EDUCATORS, MY JOB WOULD BE REALLY CHALLENGING AND SO THEY ARE EXTRAORDINARY TEACHERS.

THEY ARE EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE AND THEY ARE HELP LEADING AVID AT THEIR CAMPUSES.

AND THEY REPRESENT OUR LEARNING COMMUNITIES.

AND SO LET ME INTRODUCE ELIZABETH BROWN RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL, AVID COORDINATOR AN AVID ELECTIVE TEACHER.

I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE ALEX GANDY, JJ PEARCE HIGH SCHOOL, AVID COORDINATOR, AVID ELECTIVE TEACHER CARRIE MACY, LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL, AVID COORDINATOR AND AVID ELECTIVE TEACHER.

AND ALSO WITH US TONIGHT YOU'LL GET TO HEAR FROM ALLISON CONGDON, PRINCIPAL AT AIKIN ELEMENTARY.

AND WE ALSO HAVE WANT TO RECOGNIZE A SPECIAL GUEST, BEN SOLOMON, WHO IS A PARENT AND A PARTNER IN THE WORK AND WORKS FOR AVID CENTER.

AND AS A VERY ENCOURAGING SUPPORTING FOR ALL OF OUR WORK WITH AVID.

DID I GET EVERYBODY? OKAY.

AWESOME. SO I FIRST WANT TO JUST DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO HOW IS AVID AND RISD ALIGNED. THIS IS THE MISSION OF AVID TO CLOSE THE OPPORTUNITY GAP BY PREPARING ALL STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS AND SUCCESS IN A GLOBAL SOCIETY.

AND AS YOU GUYS ALREADY HAVE MEMORIZED, I'M SURE IS THE NORTH STAR GOAL.

EVERY STUDENT TEACHER LEADER WILL MEET OR EXCEED THEIR ACADEMIC GROWTH GOALS.

IF WE LOOK AT BOTH OF THOSE, YOU CAN SEE IT'S ALL STUDENTS, EVERY STUDENT.

AND I WANT TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS DIAGRAM, BECAUSE I'M GOING TO TALK IN DETAIL ABOUT THIS, WHAT WE CALL THE AVID FRAMEWORK.

AND YOU'LL NOTICE RIGHT NEXT TO IT IS OUR GRADUATE PROFILE, WHICH I KNOW THAT ALL OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH AS WELL.

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TEACHERS, LEADERS, AND STUDENTS, THIS DIAGRAM HELPS YOU UNDERSTAND THAT AT THE TOP OF THE TRIANGLE.

YOU HAVE THE THREE COMPONENTS OF WHAT WE PROMISED TO STUDENTS.

[01:15:02]

AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT TRIANGLE, YOU CAN SEE THIS IS WHAT EDUCATORS DO.

THIS IS WHAT WE ASK OF OUR ADULTS IN THIS SCHOOL AND IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

WE NEED TO INSIST ON RIGOR.

WE BREAK DOWN BARRIERS, WE ALIGN THE WORK, AND WE ADVOCATE FOR STUDENTS.

WE DO ALL THIS IN THIS, WHAT WE CALL THE BIG YELLOW HUG, RIGHT? THE RELATIONAL CAPACITY THAT WE KNOW THAT BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR STUDENTS IS THE CORE AT HOW WE GET THEM TO WHERE THEY WANT TO GO.

ON THE RIGHT. YOU GUYS KNOW THESE ARE THE THINGS WE'RE HOPING FOR, THAT WE ARE WORKING FOR, THAT WE ARE TRYING TO MEASURE TO MAKE SURE OUR STUDENTS GET WHAT THEY NEED IN RICHARDSON ISD. THERE'S A LOT OF ALIGNMENT BETWEEN THESE TWO THINGS.

REALLY STRONG ALIGNMENT.

STUDENT AGENCY.

THEIR ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE.

THEIR ABILITY TO HAVE EMPATHY.

THEIR ABILITY TO THINK CRITICALLY WITH THEIR RIGOROUS ACADEMIC PREPAREDNESS.

THE FINANCIAL LITERACY.

THAT'S THE AGENCY AS WELL.

OPPORTUNITY KNOWLEDGE.

HOW ARE THEY LEARNING ABOUT COLLEGE AND CAREER? ARE ADULTS AT THE SCHOOL INSISTING ON RIGOR IS ONE OF THE CORE THINGS WE WANT FOR OUR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.

WE WANT THEM TO GROW EVERY SINGLE YEAR IN THEIR ACADEMICS, BUT WE ALSO WANT THEM TO GROW IN THESE THINGS AS WELL.

ON THE RIGHT. AND SO WHAT OUR AVID SYSTEM IN RISD DOES IS IT HELPS MARRY THOSE TWO THINGS TOGETHER.

IT HELPS OUR STUDENTS WITH ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, BUT IT ALSO HELPS THEM REACH THESE BENCHMARKS OVER HERE ON THE GRADUATE PROFILE.

SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE A LITTLE BIT HARDER TO MEASURE.

I MET A YOUNG MAN TWO WEEKS AGO AT THE BERKNER HIGH SCHOOL AVID FAMILY NIGHT.

HIS NAME IS JONAS AND HE'S AN AVID SCHOLAR.

HE'S A SENIOR AT BERKNER, AND HE ALSO IS WORKING FOR THE NEW BANK AT BERKNER HIGH SCHOOL.

AND HE HAD ON HIS CREDIT UNION TEXAS SHIRT, YOU KNOW, AND HE LOOKED REALLY SHARP.

AND SO I GOT TO VISIT WITH HIM AND I SAID, HEY, I HAVEN'T GOT TO SEE THE BANK YET.

WILL YOU COME? WILL YOU COME SHOW ME? AND HE TOOK ME BACK THERE, INTRODUCED ME TO HIS BANK MANAGER.

HE STARTED TALKING ABOUT, YEAH, WE GET TO DO THIS AND WE GET TO TALK TO THE STUDENTS ABOUT THIS.

AND HE WAS JUST SO EXCITED ABOUT LIKE HIS OPPORTUNITY.

RIGHT. AND AS I'M LISTENING TO HIM, I'M THINKING ABOUT THIS.

AND IT WASN'T TILL AFTERWARDS I STARTED REFLECTING ON WOW HE DEMONSTRATED SO MANY OF THESE COMPONENTS JUST INTUITIVELY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHO WE'VE PREPARED HIM TO BE.

AND HE'S TAKEN THAT INITIATIVE FOR HIMSELF, THAT AGENCY FOR HIMSELF.

I WAS JUST SO IMPRESSED WITH THAT, AND IT REALLY MADE ME THINK ABOUT THE CONNECTIONS THAT WE HAVE WITH HIM BEING AN AVID SCHOLAR AT BERKNER AND ALSO TAKING THIS OPPORTUNITY TO WORK AT THE BANK. SO IN THE BACKGROUND OF THIS DIAGRAM.

YOU SEE INSTRUCTION, SYSTEMS, LEADERSHIP AND CULTURE.

AND I WANT TO KIND OF MOVE OUR WAY OVER TO INSTRUCTION.

YOU'RE ALSO FAMILIAR WITH THIS.

SO THE LEARNER SORRY THE LEARNER FRAMEWORK AND THE COLLEGE READINESS FRAMEWORK ARE ALSO STRONGLY ALIGNED.

YOU'LL NOTICE THAT AT THE TOP OF THE TRIANGLE AND THE BOTTOM, YOU SEE RIGOR IN BOTH AREAS.

IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT YOU SEE THAT MATCHES ON BOTH SIDES OF THAT TRIANGLE.

SO YOU HAVE INSISTING ON RIGOR BY THE ADULTS AND YOU HAVE RIGOROUS PREPAREDNESS FOR STUDENTS.

IN RISD THIS IS HOW WE GO ABOUT THAT BUSINESS.

THE STRATEGIES THAT AVID PROVIDES TO OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF, TO OUR BUILDING LEADERS, TO OUR COUNSELORS, ALL THE WAY THROUGH.

IT'S REALLY ABOUT HELPING THEM IGNITE THE LEARNING ABOUT INQUIRY, COLLABORATION, ORGANIZING YOUR LEARNING AND THINKING.

YOU'RE GOING TO GET TO SEE THESE STRATEGIES HERE IN A FEW MINUTES WHEN I TALK ABOUT ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY AVID, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF POWERFUL ALIGNMENTS BETWEEN THESE TWO THINGS. SO LET ME TAKE YOU DOWN THE JOURNEY OF AVID IN RISD.

SO I STARTED TEACHING IN RICHARDSON ISD IN 1997.

AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT IN 2003, WE STARTED IMPLEMENTING AVID, THANKS TO THE SUPPORT OF OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND THE LEADERSHIP OF DR.

[INAUDIBLE]. WE STARTED WITH THESE FOUR CAMPUSES.

AND I WAS WHAT WAS I DOING?

[01:20:02]

AND I REMEMBER MY PRINCIPAL SAYING, HEY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO LEARN MORE, STRENGTHENING YOUR PRACTICE AROUND TEACHING KIDS SCIENCE? AND I WAS LIKE, YEAH, DEFINITELY.

SO I GOT TO GO TO MY FIRST AVID SUMMER INSTITUTE.

AND SO I STARTED TO BUILD MY CRAFT AS A TEACHER TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE AT WHAT I WAS DOING WITH KIDS, AND IT REALLY CHANGED MY PERSPECTIVE ON HOW I APPROACHED THE CLASSROOM.

SO YOU CAN SEE THAT WE STARTED EXPANDING IN 2005.

ALL OF OUR SECONDARY SCHOOLS WERE ADDED AS AVID CAMPUSES.

THEN WE STARTED BRINGING ON ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

WE STARTED WITH OUR TITLE ONE CAMPUSES IN 2007, SEVERAL OF THEM.

2008 EXPANSION AGAIN WITH AVID ELEMENTARY.

CAN YOU GET MY WATER IN MY BACKPACK? THANK YOU SO MUCH.

IT'S ON. IT'S IN THE POCKET.

SORRY, GUYS. AND THEN SOMETHING REALLY EXCITING HAPPENED IN 2009.

THANKS. UM, I MIGHT NEED ALL THIS, SO WE'LL JUST SEE.

BERKNER HIGH SCHOOL BECAME A AVID NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL THROUGH THE LEADERSHIP OF JOAN SWIM, FORMER AVID DIRECTOR IN RICHARDSON ISD AND FORMER AVID TEACHER AT BERKNER HIGH SCHOOL.

THEY REALLY TOOK ON THE TASK OF REALLY LINING UP ALL THEIR PRACTICES AND SYSTEMS OF THEIR SCHOOL TO SUPPORT ALL KIDS, AND THAT'S HOW YOU BECOME A NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL.

YOU PRODUCE THAT TRIANGLE AT A REALLY, REALLY HIGH LEVEL AND YOU DO IT SCHOOL WIDE.

AND THEN IN 2011, WHEN I WAS AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL.

WAS WITH BROWN, MYSELF, AND A BUNCH OF TEACHERS THAT WERE REALLY COMMITTED RHS BECAME A NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL FOR AVID.

AND I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE BEN OUT.

BECAUSE BEN WAS AN AVID ELECTED TEACHER AT RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THAT PROCESS, AND WAS AN AVID ELECTIVE TEACHER AT WEST JUNIOR HIGH AT THE VERY, VERY BEGINNING OF AVID.

AND THEN IN 2015, WE WANTED TO BETTER REACH OUR MULTILINGUAL STUDENTS.

AND SO WE BEGIN AVID EXCEL AS AN ELECTIVE COURSE IN OUR JUNIOR HIGHS.

AND WHAT THAT ALLOWED US TO DO WAS TO REALLY FOCUS ON THE NEEDS OF OUR EXPERIENCED, MULTILINGUAL STUDENTS.

AND IT STARTED AT THOSE THREE CAMPUSES AT PARK HILL NORTH AND LIBERTY.

AT THAT TIME, THEY HAD THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF EXPERIENCED MULTILINGUAL STUDENTS IN RISD.

AND SO I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT AVID EXCEL IN MORE DETAIL HERE IN A LITTLE BIT.

BUT THEN WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND AVID EXCEL TO APOLLO AS WELL.

AND THEN THIS PAST YEAR, WE'RE ABLE TO ADD WEST JUNIOR HIGH TO THAT AS WELL.

SO WE HAVE FIVE OF OUR JUNIOR HIGHS FUNCTIONING AS AVID EXCEL ELECTIVE PLACES.

AND THEN WE'RE REALLY EXCITED THAT LAST YEAR, NORTHLAKE ELEMENTARY WAS RECOGNIZED AS A SHOWCASE CAMPUS.

SO IF YOU CAN KIND OF THINK OF LIKE A DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY DON'T BECAUSE AVID DOESN'T RECOGNIZE ELEMENTARY YET, THEY DON'T HAVE DESIGNATION FOR DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL, BUT THEY DO HAVE WHAT'S CALLED SHOWCASE.

AND SO BASICALLY, NORTHLAKE BECAME A SHOWCASE OR DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL FOR AVID AT THAT TIME AS WELL SO THIS PAST YEAR.

SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF THE JOURNEY THAT WE'VE BEEN ON FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS OR SO WITH AVID.

DURING THAT TIME, WE HAVE IMPACTED THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS.

AND SO LET'S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT WHAT AVID LOOKS LIKE IN ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY.

SO IN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, AVID IS A SCHOOL WIDE APPROACH.

THERE'S NO ELECTIVE COURSE THAT STUDENTS TAKE OR SPECIALIZED CLASSES THAT THEY TAKE.

AND WE FOCUS ON THEIR INSTRUCTIONAL NEEDS WHEN IT COMES TO WRITING, INQUIRY, COLLABORATION, ORGANIZATION AND READING TO LEARN.

THIS IS WHERE THAT RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM COMES IN.

RIGOR IS REALLY NOT SO MUCH ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE LEARNING, IT'S HOW THEY'RE LEARNING IT.

AND SO OUR TEACHERS ARE FOCUSED ON THESE CORE PRACTICES, ON HELPING OUR KIDS LEARN THE CONTENT AT THE MOST RIGOROUS LEVEL.

YOU CAN SEE.

WELL, I'LL GET TO THESE PICTURES IN JUST A SECOND.

I WANT TO MENTION THAT AVID, JUST IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, HAS PROVIDED ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR ELEMENTARY.

SO I WANT TO TAKE YOU BACK TO THINK ABOUT THE GRADUATE PROFILE, HOW SOMETIMES THOSE THINGS ARE DIFFICULT TO MEASURE.

WELL, WHAT AVID DID WAS THEY SAID, WELL, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE IN ELEMENTARY IF WE STARTED MEASURING SOME OF THESE SOFT SKILLS OR THESE SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT WE REALLY WANT FROM THEM DOWN THE LINE? AND SO IT'S HELPED OUR ELEMENTARY CAMPUSES MAKE BETTER CONNECTIONS AROUND STANDARDS THAT THEY CAN HELP STUDENTS WITH AND HOLD THEM TO THOSE TO THOSE

[01:25:09]

AND I'LL JUST GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE FOR A PRE-K STUDENT.

TO COMMUNICATE VERBALLY AND NON-VERBALLY TO RESOLVE SOCIAL CONFLICT.

THAT'S ONE OF THE STANDARD'S ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR ELEMENTARY.

I THINK I SEE THAT IN THE GRADUATE PROFILE.

AND HERE'S ONE FOR THIRD GRADE.

APPLY CLASSROOM NORMS TO ALLOW THEM TO ENGAGE EFFECTIVELY IN A RANGE OF COLLABORATIVE DISCUSSIONS WITH DIVERSE PARTNERS.

HONORING AND BUILDING ON WHAT OTHER'S IDEAS ARE AND EXPRESSING THEIR PERSONAL IDEAS AND OPINIONS CLEARLY.

I SEE ALL THAT IN THE GRADUATE PROFILE AS WELL.

YOU SEE HERE ON THE RIGHT.

WE'VE GOT SOME STUDENTS IN THIS PHOTO.

THESE GIRLS ARE SO PROUD OF THEIR FOCUS NOTES.

FOCUS NOTES IS ONE OF THE CORE PRACTICES FOR INQUIRY AND FOR WRITING.

AND SO WE'RE ORGANIZING THEIR THINKING WE'RE HELPING THEM ORGANIZE THEIR WORK.

ON THE BOTTOM LEFT, YOU CAN SEE THESE TWO GENTLEMEN HERE COLLABORATING AND WORKING TOGETHER.

AND THEN ON THE RIGHT, AT THE BOTTOM, BEHIND THOSE EMOJIS, WE HAVE SOME PRECIOUS KINDERGARTNERS FROM AIKIN ELEMENTARY THAT ARE LINED UP WITH PRIDE OF THEIR BINDERS THAT THEY'RE USING TO KEEP EVERYTHING ORGANIZED, NOT ONLY THEIR NOT ONLY THEIR MATERIALS, BUT ALSO THEIR LEARNING ORGANIZED.

TO CELEBRATE THAT, I WANTED TO INTRODUCE YOU TO MS. CONGDON. SHE IS RIGHT HERE, AND SHE'S GOING TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW AVID IS IMPACTING HER CAMPUS.

I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL NOTICED, BUT THE BINDERS ARE ALMOST AS BIG AS THE KINDERGARTNERS AND THEY ARE MANAGING THEM WELL.

GOOD EVENING BOARD.

THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME JUST A FEW MINUTES OF YOUR TIME TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR AVID JOURNEY AT AIKIN.

ALMOST A YEAR AND A HALF AGO NOW YOU ALL, ALONG WITH MRS. BATES AND SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM, ENTRUSTED ME TO BE THE PRINCIPAL OF AIKIN ELEMENTARY.

IMMEDIATELY UPON TAKING THE POSITION, I BEGAN TO FEEL THE IMMENSE WEIGHT OF THE VAST RESPONSIBILITY THAT A PRINCIPALSHIP CARRIES.

I KNEW WHAT I BELIEVED ABOUT STUDENTS AND ABOUT LEARNING.

BUT HOW DO I SET THAT IN MOTION? HOW DO I ENERGIZE AN ENTIRE CAMPUS IN THAT DIRECTION? WELL, AVID HAS BEEN THAT CATALYST FOR AIKIN TO ENSURE GROWTH FOR EVERY TEACHER, LEADER AND CHILD AT AIKIN.

I KNEW WHAT AVID WAS FROM MY TIME IN THE CLASSROOM.

THESE PRACTICES HAD AN IMMENSE IMPACT IN MY CLASSROOM, ON MY TEACHING PRACTICES AND WITH MY STUDENTS.

I BEGAN TO ENVISION WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR AN ENTIRE CAMPUS AND MORE SPECIFICALLY, AIKIN ELEMENTARY.

WHAT WOULD IT MEAN FOR STUDENTS TO LAY A FOUNDATION AS EARLY AS PRE-K AND KINDERGARTEN? SO IN THE SUMMER OF 2023, THANKS TO THE SUPPORT OF RISD, JOSH AND HIS TEAM AND SOME TITLE ONE FUNDING, WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO SEND AN INITIAL AVID SITE TEAM OF 25 WILLING STAFF MEMBERS TO THE AVID SUMMER INSTITUTE TO BEGIN THE WORK.

AVID HAS BEGUN AND I SAY BEGUN BECAUSE WE ARE ONLY IN OUR FIRST YEAR OF IMPLEMENTATION, AND WE KNOW THAT WE NEED A GOOD THREE YEARS AND MOVING FORWARD FOR THIS REALLY TO GET OFF THE GROUND. BUT IT HAS BEGUN TO TRANSFORM AIKIN ELEMENTARY IN SO MANY WAYS.

I WANT TO TELL YOU ABOUT JUST THREE OF THEM.

THE FIRST BEING BUILDING LEADERSHIP CAPACITY.

THROUGH THE AVID SYSTEM AT AIKIN, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A SITE TEAM OF STAFF MEMBER LEADERS THAT I HAVE SEEN STEP UP AND USE THEIR TALENTS AND SKILLS IN WAYS THAT I WOULD HAVE NEVER IMAGINED TO MOVE OUR STUDENTS.

WE ARE BUILDING LEADERSHIP CAPACITY IN EVERY FACET OF OUR CAMPUS, AND THEY ARE ACTING AS CHANGE AGENTS TO SUPPORT CONTINUED GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT FOR STUDENTS AT EVERY LEVEL.

IT'S AMAZING.

THE NEXT EQUITY AND THIS IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL.

WHAT EVERY PRINCIPAL WANTS FOR THEIR CAMPUS.

HIGH QUALITY TIER ONE INSTRUCTION IN EVERY CLASSROOM AND FOR EVERY STUDENT AT AIKIN.

THE AVID SYSTEM HAS CONTINUED TO STRENGTHEN MINE AND MY LEADERSHIP TEAM'S ABILITY TO COACH AND ASSESS INSTRUCTION AT AIKIN.

THROUGH INTENTIONAL AVID PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WE HAVE PROVIDED CLARITY FOR TEACHERS REGARDING THE TEACHING PRACTICES THAT WILL BEST SERVE OUR STUDENTS.

THROUGH THESE PRACTICES, WE ARE WORKING TO BUILD CRITICAL THINKERS AT AIKIN IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE GRADUATE PROFILE.

AND LASTLY STUDENT AGENCY.

ALONG WITH THOSE TEACHING PRACTICES, WE HAVE ALSO DEVELOPED CAMPUS WIDE PRACTICES THAT PROMOTE VOICE LEADERSHIP AND COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS FOR OUR

[01:30:09]

AS YOU CAN SEE IN OUR PICTURE FOR OUR STUDENTS THROUGH A CAMPUS WIDE BINDER AND PLANNER SYSTEM.

STUDENTS ARE LEARNING TO ORGANIZE THEIR TIME, MATERIALS AND LEARNING AS YOUNG AS KINDERGARTEN.

THIS QUARTER, WE HAVE ALSO BEGUN A COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS UNIT IN EVERY GRADE LEVEL TO INSTILL IN OUR STUDENTS THE BELIEF THAT THEIR DREAMS, NO MATTER WHAT THEY ARE, CAN BE A REALITY.

I AM SO PROUD OF THE AVID STAFF AND STUDENTS AND WHERE WE ARE IN THIS IMPORTANT WORK.

I AM THANKFUL FOR THE VISION OF YOUR LEADERSHIP, BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM, AND THE SUPPORT OF THIS COMMUNITY THAT WILL ALLOW US TO CONTINUE ON OUR AVID JOURNEY. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU ALLISON. I GET TO SEE THE WORK THAT SHE'S DOING AND HER TEAM AND JUST REALLY PROUD OF THAT AND THE IMPACT THAT'S HAPPENING AT AIKIN ELEMENTARY AND AT SO MANY ELEMENTARIES IN RISD.

AS WE MOVE INTO LOOKING AT SECONDARY WITH AVID.

ALL THOSE SAME GREAT INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES ARE GOING ON SCHOOL WIDE.

WE'VE TRAINED OVER 100 TEACHERS JUST IN THIS PAST YEAR THAT WENT TO SUMMER INSTITUTE HERE IN DALLAS FOR THREE DAYS OF EXPERT TRAINING WITH AVID NATIONAL STAFF DEVELOPERS TO REALLY CONTINUE TO HELP BUILD THE PRACTICE IN THE CLASSROOM, TO MAKE SURE STUDENTS ARE GETTING THE RIGOR THAT THEY NEED AND THEY DESERVE.

BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE AVID ELECTIVE CLASS AT OUR JUNIOR HIGHS AND HIGH SCHOOLS.

IN THE AVID ELECTIVE CLASS SOME OF OUR STUDENTS NEED THAT RIGOR WITH SUPPORT.

SO WE OFFER COLLEGE READINESS SKILLS, SELF-REGULATORY SKILLS.

WE DO CAMPUS VISITS WITH THEM AT DIFFERENT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.

WE HAVE GUEST SPEAKERS THAT COME IN TO INSPIRE AND PROMOTE PERSONAL SUCCESS.

WE OFFER TUTORIALS ONCE A WEEK WHERE WE HAVE OUR UTD TUTORS THAT WE PARTNER WITH.

WE HAVE ABOUT 35 UTD TUTORS, AS WELL AS COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT COME IN AND WORK WITH OUR STUDENTS.

AND THIS IS NOT LIKE WHAT YOU MIGHT THINK TUTORIALS IS.

THIS IS A VERY IN-DEPTH, PROTOCOL DRIVEN PROCESS WHERE STUDENTS ARE REALLY, REALLY CHALLENGED.

AND IF I WAS TO ASK THESE FOUR PEOPLE HOW IF THEIR KIDS THINK THAT TUTORIALS IS EASY, THEY WOULD ALL SAY NO, BECAUSE IT IS VERY CHALLENGING TO BE ABLE TO ARTICULATE AND TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW AND UNDERSTAND.

IT'S CHALLENGING TO GET UP IN FRONT OF YOUR PEERS AND PROVIDE A 60 SECOND SPEECH ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW AND UNDERSTAND, AND WHERE YOU NEED HELP, AND TO HAVE THEM ASK YOU QUESTIONS ABOUT HELPING YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO WITH YOUR UNDERSTANDING.

SO IT'S A VERY CHALLENGING PROCESS, BUT IT DOES INSIST ON RIGOR, WHICH IS REALLY WHAT WE'RE CHASING.

WE ALSO PROVIDE FAMILY WORKSHOPS, PARENT NIGHTS.

WE'RE DEEPENING THE UNDERSTANDING OF COLLEGE AND CAREER SUCCESS FOR STUDENTS AND HELPING PARTNER WITH OUR FAMILIES AND OUR PARENTS.

WE DO HAVE AN APPLICATION PROCESS, STARTING WITH OUR SIXTH GRADERS TO HELP IDENTIFY, TO FIND OUT WHO'S IN THE ACADEMIC MIDDLE AND WHO NEEDS SUPPORT WITH THAT RIGOR.

AND SO I'LL SHOW YOU SOME STATISTICS LATER.

BUT WE'VE KIND OF REFINED OUR PROCESS A LITTLE BIT WITH RECRUITMENT, BECAUSE WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE REALLY MEETING THAT MISSION OF ALL STUDENTS, AND EVERY STUDENT DESERVES TO GROW. WE HELP STUDENTS WITH FAFSA.

WITH TASFA, COLLEGE APPLICATIONS, ESSAYS, SCHOLARSHIPS, RECOMMENDATION LETTERS.

LIKE I SAID, CAMPUS VISITS.

WE PARTNER WITH OUR CCR COUNSELORS TO ENSURE THAT FAMILIES REALLY KNOW AND UNDERSTAND WHAT TO DO WHEN IT COMES TO SUPPORTING THEIR KIDS.

JUST THIS PAST YEAR I WAS ABLE TO BE AT THE MULTILINGUAL SYMPOSIUM IN JULY AND ABLE TO OFFER A COURSE FOR PARENTS TO COME TO TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW AVID CAN SUPPORT THEIR KIDS.

AND WHEN I WAS AT THAT SYMPOSIUM, I WAS WE HAD A PANEL AND THERE WERE FOUR KIDS OR EXCUSE ME, THERE ARE FOUR PEOPLE ON STAGE, TWO STUDENTS THAT HAD GRADUATED FROM RISD AND THEN BUSHRA.

Y'ALL MET BUSHRA LAST MONTH YEAH.

AND I WENT RIGHT UP TO THE STAGE AFTERWARDS, AND I MET THIS YOUNG MAN, CARLOS AND I WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH HIS ABILITY TO SPEAK AND JUST, YOU KNOW, HE WAS SO COMFORTABLE UP THERE.

I SAID, CARLOS, YOU GOT TO BE AN AVID TUTOR.

SO I GAVE HIM MY CARD.

[01:35:01]

I SAID, OH MY GOSH, YES, I COME MET WITH HIM.

SO WE GOT HIM HIRED AS AN AVID TUTOR HERE IN RICHARDSON ISD AT WEST JUNIOR HIGH.

SO EXCITING.

WE ASK OUR STUDENTS TO OUR AVID STUDENTS TO TAKE RIGOROUS COURSES.

THEY TAKE DUAL ENROLLMENT CLASSES.

THEY TAKE ADVANCED PLACEMENT CLASSES BECAUSE THE REASON THEY'RE IN THAT AVID ELECTIVE CLASS IS TO HAVE RIGOR WITH SUPPORT.

WE HAVE THAT TUTORIAL SUPPORT FOR THEM.

WE HAVE THEIR AVID ELECTED TEACHER WORKING WITH THEM WEEKLY.

THEY'RE DOING GRADE CHECKS.

THEY'RE DOING PLANNER CHECKS, THEY'RE HAVING CHECKING OUT ORGANIZATION, ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THOSE CLASSES.

IN AVID EXCEL, WHEN I WAS A PRINCIPAL AT NORTH JUNIOR HIGH, WE WERE ABLE TO ADD THIS PART OF OUR PROGRAM.

IT CHANGED THE TRAJECTORY OF OUR MULTILINGUAL STUDENTS, EXPERIENCED MULTILINGUAL STUDENTS BECAUSE IT ALLOWED THEM TO BUILD CONFIDENCE IN THEIR ACADEMIC LANGUAGE AND LITERACY, AND IT HELPED ELEVATE THEM TO TAKE THE AVID ELECTIVE CLASS IN NINTH GRADE AND THEN TO GO ON AND GRADUATE.

AND THIS WAS 2015 WHEN THAT HAPPENED.

AND I WANT TO JUST KIND OF HIGHLIGHT A FEW PARTS OF AVID EXCEL THAT I THINK ARE UNIQUE.

IF I WANT TO, SO JUST DEFINING WHO AN EXPERIENCED MULTILINGUAL STUDENT IS, IS A STUDENT THAT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS NEEDING LANGUAGE SUPPORTS AND RSD FOR THE LAST 5 OR 6 YEARS, AND THEY PROBABLY SPEAK A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE AT HOME THAN THEY DO AT SCHOOL.

AND SO WE'RE HELPING FILL IN SOME GAPS AND ACCELERATE THEIR LEARNING WITH ACADEMIC LANGUAGE AND LITERACY.

THESE ARE STUDENTS THAT SPEAK FLUENTLY WITH THEIR FRIENDS IN ENGLISH.

THEY SPEAK FLUENTLY WITH THEIR TEACHERS IN ENGLISH.

BUT WHEN IT COMES TO REALLY UNDERSTANDING A LOT OF THE ACADEMIC LANGUAGE THAT COMES WITH RIGOROUS COURSEWORK, THEY NEED MORE SUPPORT.

AND SO AVID EXCEL IS A PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO SUPPORT THOSE NEEDS OF THOSE STUDENTS.

FOCUS ON READING, WRITING, LANGUAGE, SPEAKING.

JUST GIVE YOU A QUICK EXAMPLE OF LIKE WHAT THE BEGINNING OF AN AVID EXCEL CLASS WOULD LOOK LIKE.

WE WOULD START WITH A QUOTE ANALYSIS WHERE THE TEACHER WOULD HAVE MAYBE A QUOTE UP THERE.

THEY WOULD USE WHAT WE CALL SENTENCE FRAMES, WHERE WE WOULD GIVE SOME LANGUAGE TO THE STUDENT AND THE STUDENT WOULD THEN FILL IN.

THEY WOULD HAVE A WORD, A WORD BANK OR A WORD WALL THAT THEY PULL LANGUAGE FROM.

THEN THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WRITE ABOUT WHAT THEY KNOW.

THEN THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY KNOW FROM THOSE SUPPORTS THAT THEY GIVE.

SO THINKING STRATEGICALLY ABOUT THE SPECIFICALLY THE STUDENT POPULATION.

WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY.

I'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF OUR PARTNERS HERE IN A MINUTE, BUT WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE 120 OF OUR HISPANIC SIXTH GRADERS TO BE A PART OF THE COMPELLING SUCCESS SEMINARS HERE IN DECEMBER.

AND WHAT'S REALLY UNIQUE ABOUT THAT IS IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE STUDENTS TO GET TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE IN THEIR INDUSTRY OR PEOPLE IN INDUSTRY THAT LOOK AND SOUND JUST LIKE THEM.

THEY'RE HISPANIC MEN AND HISPANIC WOMEN THAT ARE VERY SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR BUSINESS.

AND TO HAVE THEM GET TO GO SEE AND LEARN FROM, AND BE SUPPORTED BY THOSE PROFESSIONALS IS REALLY EYE OPENING.

AND IT'S ONE OF THE PIECES THAT WE LOOK AT THE TRIANGLE ABOUT OPPORTUNITY KNOWLEDGE, RIGHT.

SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT OPPORTUNITY.

I WANT TO JUST POINT OUT A FEW PIECES OF DATA.

SO OUR TOTAL ENROLLMENT FOR AVID.

YOU'LL NOTICE THAT FOR ELEMENTARY MEMBER, WE HAVE 20 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

AND BECAUSE AVID IS SCHOOL WIDE, THAT'S ALL OF THOSE KIDS BEING IMPACTED BY THE AVID SYSTEM AT THAT SCHOOL AND JUNIOR HIGH, 848 STUDENTS ARE IN THE AVID ELECTIVE CLASS. 220.

ONE OF THOSE ARE IN THE AVID ELECTIVE CLASS.

IN OUR HIGH SCHOOLS, OVER 2000 STUDENTS ARE IN THE AVID ELECTIVE.

KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE'S FOUR GRADES IN HIGH SCHOOL, SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, MORE GOING ON THERE THAN TWO GRADES JUST IN THE JUNIOR HIGH.

SO THERE'S MORE ROOM FOR MORE STUDENTS.

BUT I WOULD POINT OUT THAT THAT'S ALMOST A THIRD OF OUR ENTIRE RICHARDSON ISD POPULATION THAT IS SOMEHOW BEING IMPACTED BECAUSE OF THE AVID PROGRAM.

THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY.

AND THEN LOOKING AT THIS DATA, JUST DEMOGRAPHICS.

THIS IS A FIVE YEAR KIND OF LOOK HISTORY.

OF WHO WERE SERVING IN RSD THROUGH THE AVID SYSTEM AND THEN COMPARED TO THE NATIONAL AVID.

[01:40:03]

WE WANT TO REALLY TARGET THE ACADEMIC MIDDLE STUDENT, AND WE WANT TO TARGET THE STUDENT THAT NEEDS RIGOR WITH SUPPORT.

AND THOSE ARE THE STUDENTS THAT WE'RE KIND OF.

WE'RE ALL STUDENTS.

IT'S OPEN TO APPLY FOR AVID.

THERE ARE NO PREREQUISITES ANY STUDENT CAN APPLY.

WE HAVE THOSE APPLICATIONS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.

THE STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES GET THOSE APPLICATIONS.

AND SO WE'RE REALLY PROUD TO SAY THAT WE'VE GROWN IN OUR ABILITY TO BRING MORE STUDENTS IN TO AVID OVER THE LAST YEAR.

AND THEN COLLEGE READINESS.

AS YOU GUYS ALL KNOW, OUR HIGH SCHOOLS ARE BEING MEASURED ON THEIR ABILITY TO ENSURE THAT STUDENTS ARE COLLEGE, CAREER AND MILITARY READY.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT I'M GOING TO POINT TO THE 2023 DATA, WHICH IS OUR LAST YEAR'S SENIORS.

100% GRADUATE ON TIME.

98% COMPLETED FOUR YEAR COLLEGE ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS.

99% HAVE TAKEN THE ACT OR SAT.

96% SUBMITTED FAFSA OR TAFSA.

APPLIED TO A FOUR YEAR COLLEGE 95%, AND ACCEPTED TO COLLEGES 91%.

SO WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THE SUCCESS THAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE HAD.

AND THOSE NUMBERS ARE THAT HIGH BECAUSE OF THE WORK OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU SEE SITTING RIGHT HERE THAT ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY WITH STUDENTS EVERY SINGLE DAY.

AND SOMETIMES IT'S LIKE PULLING THEM UPHILL, RIGHT? LIKE, HEY, DID YOU GET THAT APPLICATION DONE? DID YOU GET YOUR FAFSA DONE? THE DEADLINE, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S THE SUPPORT THAT SOME OF OUR SCHOLARS NEED.

SO A FEW STORIES ABOUT HOW THE WHAT THE IMPACT LOOKS LIKE WITH AVID, YOU'VE GOTTEN TO HEAR FROM ALLISON ABOUT SPECIFICALLY ABOUT ONE CAMPUS IN RSD.

AND BUT I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU THREE MORE STORIES.

AND THESE ARE SHORT, BUT THEY KIND OF GET TO THE HEART OF HOW AVID IS IMPACTING THE PEOPLE IN.

AND SO THE FIRST ONE I WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO IS DINA DAVILA.

DINA IS A PARENT IN RSD.

SHE BOTH HER KIDS CAME THROUGH AND SHE'S ALSO AN EMPLOYEE OF RSD.

SO, BRIAN, IF WE CAN GO AND PLAY THAT FIRST VIDEO OF MS. DAVILLA. OKAY SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT AVID.

THE ONLY THING I CAN THINK OF IS THANK YOU.

THANK YOU TO ALL THE AVID TEACHERS.

THANK YOU TO THE PEOPLE WHO'S IN CHARGE OF THAT DEPARTMENT.

AND LET ME TELL YOU WHY.

AND I KNOW SOME OF YOU KNOW ME.

MY NAME IS DINA DAVILA AND I DO WORK FOR RICHARDSON ISD.

BUT THIS IS DINA, THE MAMA TALKING.

MY KIDS WERE IN AVID, AND AVID SHOWED THEM THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE, THEY COULD GO TO COLLEGE, AND IT WAS NOT, IF THEY CAN, IT WAS WHERE YOU CAN.

YOU'RE GOING. AND THEY SHOWED THEM HOW TO APPLY.

THEY SHOWED THEM HOW TO GET IT DONE.

AND I'M A PARAPROFESSIONAL, AND THERE WAS A TIME THAT I HAVE TWO KIDS IN COLLEGE AT THE SAME TIME WITH MY SALARY, AND THEY MADE IT AND THEY GRADUATE AND THEY DON'T OWE ANY MONEY TO ANYBODY.

AND THAT WAS BECAUSE OF AVID.

THAT WAS BECAUSE THEY SHOWED THEM HOW TO FILL OUT THE PAPERWORK.

THEY SHOWED THEM HOW TO APPLY.

THEY SHOWED THEM HOW TO DO THE RESUME.

THEY SHOWED THEM SO MUCH, THEY GAVE THEM THE TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO GO TO COLLEGE.

SO AVID TEACHERS, AVID PEOPLE, THANK YOU FROM MY HEART TO ALL OF YOU GUYS.

YES, IT IS POSSIBLE YOU MADE IT POSSIBLE.

MAKE THIS PROGRAM BIGGER, WE NEED IT.

THE KIDS NEED IT.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

TAKE CARE. THANK YOU TO MS. DAVILLA FOR DOING THAT.

SHE GOES, DO I NEED TO PUT ON MAKEUP? IT'S LIKE, HEY, DO YOU WHATEVER YOU WANT.

THIS NEXT VIDEO IS ONE OF OUR AVID SENIORS, IMAN, AND SO, BRIAN, IF WE CAN PLAY THIS VIDEO, JUST A SHORT LITTLE MESSAGE ABOUT HOW AVID HAS IMPACTED HER.

HI, MY NAME IS IMAN.

I'M A CURRENT AVID STUDENT AT RHS, AVID HAS IMPACTED MY LIFE BY ALLOWING ME TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF GOALS AND ALSO TIME KEEPING.

THAT HAS LED ME TO HAVE INTERNSHIPS AS WELL AS TAKE RIGOROUS COURSES.

[01:45:02]

SHE IS A PARENT AND EMPLOYEE AND AVID CHAMPION.

IS THIS A STOOL DOWN HERE? IT. SOMETIMES WE KNOW OUR FAULTS OR NOT OUR FAULTS, BUT WE KNOW OUR STRENGTHS AND OUR WEAKNESSES. WE LEARN ABOUT THAT IN AVID.

AND I KNOW ONE OF MY STRENGTHS IS TO ADVOCATE FOR MYSELF BY STANDING TALLER WHEN I NEED TO.

SO I JUST WANT TO BE REALLY HONEST WITH YOU.

I'M GOING TO BE SPEAKING FROM MY HEART TODAY.

I DID NOT COME PREPARED BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO SEE THE AUTHENTICITY AND TRANSPARENCY OF THIS.

I ALSO WILL SHARE THAT I'M MORE NERVOUS TALKING IN FRONT OF YOU GUYS THAN I AM DRESSED AS BARBIE IN FRONT OF 2000 STUDENTS HOSTING A PEP RALLY.

SO NOW THAT WE'VE GOT THAT OUT OF THE WAY, UM, YOU MIGHT HAVE A PICTURE.

YES. I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS COMING OUT AND PARTICIPATING IN OUR AWESOME PEP RALLIES.

I WANT TO START OFF BY SAYING I AM A FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENT MYSELF.

MY FATHER WAS MILITARY.

MY FATHER WAS MILITARY.

MY MOTHER WAS A REGISTERED NURSE, BEFORE THEY HAD TO GO TO COLLEGE, WE WERE DEFINITELY WORKING CLASS.

MY SISTER GRADUATED VALEDICTORIAN OF THE THIRD LARGEST HIGH SCHOOL IN TEXAS.

I DID NOT.

I WAS THE JOCK.

I WAS THE STATE CHAMPION.

BUT I ALSO THOUGHT I WASN'T SMART, AND I ALSO DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO STUDY.

AND I DIDN'T ASK, BECAUSE I THOUGHT I SHOULD ALREADY KNOW BECAUSE OF THE PERSON THAT I WAS LOOKING UP TO, WHICH WAS MY SISTER.

SO I WAS TOO AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP.

I WAS TOO AFRAID TO SEEK OUT ADVICE BECAUSE I THOUGHT I SHOULD KNOW IT.

BECAUSE IF IT WAS EASY FOR HER, IT SHOULD BE EASY FOR ME.

AND IT WASN'T UNTIL I GOT TO COLLEGE BECAUSE BASICALLY MY FATHER AND MOTHER SAID COLLEGE OR MILITARY, AND I SAID COLLEGE, AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO DIRECT ME AND GUIDE ME. MY SISTER HAD A FULL RIDE.

I DIDN'T EVEN APPLY FOR, I APPLIED FOR ONE SCHOLARSHIP, AND THAT WAS THE BOOSTER CLUB SCHOLARSHIP, BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE ONLY ONE I COULD POSSIBLY GET.

SO I WENT INTO COLLEGE BLIND.

THAT WAS LIKE A PUPPY JUST FOLLOWING MY SISTER WITHOUT ALL THE ACCOLADES TO PAY FOR IT.

UM. AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS GOING TO DO.

YOU KNOW, I WENT TO SCHOOL AND I GOT A DEGREE IN SPORTS MARKETING AND ADVERTISING BECAUSE THAT SOUNDED LIKE FUN.

AND Y'ALL, IT WAS, IT WAS GREAT.

BUT SOMETHING WAS MISSING IN MY LIFE.

AND, UM, MAKING OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES FUN WASN'T FULFILLING FOR ME.

AND SO I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHADOW A TEACHER, YOU MAY KNOW MONICA SYMONS, UM, AND I FELL IN LOVE WITH I STARTED COACHING CLUB VOLLEYBALL, AND I ENJOYED WORKING WITH STUDENTS.

SO I DECIDED TO GIVE IT A SHOT.

AND I SWITCHED CAREERS COMPLETELY FROM SPORTS MARKETING AND ADVERTISING.

HANGING WITH THE SUPER BOWL PEOPLE TO WORKING WITH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.

AND MY STUDENTS ARE USUALLY ASKING ME, WHY DO YOU DO THAT? UM, BUT MY HEART NEEDED A PAYCHECK TOO.

AND I FOUND THAT MY PAYCHECK FOR MY HEART COMES FROM SERVING OTHERS AND MAKING OTHERS LIVES EASIER THAN MAYBE WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE HAD.

RIGHT? SO.

I BEGAN WORKING AT RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL AS A SPEECH AND COMMUNICATIONS TEACHER, AND MY SECOND MONTH INTO MY CAREER, I HAD A TEACHER STOP ME IN THE HALLWAY. IN FACT, I DID NOT KNOW HE WAS GOING TO BE HERE, BUT THAT IS MR. BEN SOLOMON. AND HE SAID, WHAT WOULD YOU FEEL ABOUT BEING AN AVID TEACHER? AND I'M LIKE, WHAT'S AVID? SO THAT WAS 17 YEARS AGO.

I'VE NOW BEEN THE AVID COORDINATOR FOR 16 YEARS, AND I ALSO AM AN AVID STAFF DEVELOPER FOR THE LAST 11 YEARS.

AND TO SAY THAT AVID HAS CHANGED MY LIFE COULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT, BECAUSE AS AN EDUCATOR, WHEN YOU TEACH AVID, YOU'RE NOT JUST TEACHING THE STUDENTS, YOU'RE GROWING YOURSELF AND YOU'RE TEACHING THE FACULTY AROUND YOU AS WELL.

UM, I HAVE GROWN AS A PERSON BECAUSE LET ME TELL YOU, I NEVER THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BE A TEACHER, EVER.

AND NOW I BELIEVE IN MY FULL HEART AND SOUL THAT THIS IS WHAT I WAS BORN TO DO.

THIS IS WHERE I WAS MEANT TO BE.

I WAS MEANT TO SERVE THE STUDENTS AND BE THE ADULT THAT I DIDN'T HAVE.

OKAY, SO I GET THE DISTINCT PRIVILEGE TO WAKE UP EVERY DAY TO COME WORK WITH THESE INCREDIBLE SCHOLARS, SCHOLARS WHOSE HOMES ARE BROKEN.

PARENTS DIDN'T GO TO COLLEGE.

PARENTS MIGHT BE IN ANOTHER COUNTRY.

WE SERVE THE UNDERSERVED POPULATION, AND I.

[01:50:05]

LIKE THEIR LIFE IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE OF THE CLASS THAT YOU'RE IN, BECAUSE WE DON'T JUST TEACH MATH AND ENGLISH AND AND ALL THOSE THINGS.

WHILE THAT IS EXCEPTIONALLY IMPORTANT AND IS VERY INVOLVED IN OUR CLASS ON TUTORIAL DAY.

WE TEACH.

WHAT MAKES YOU BECOME A GOOD PERSON? GRIT. OVERCOMING OBSTACLES.

NOT LETTING SOMEBODY STAND IN YOUR WAY.

MAKING SURE THAT YOU HAVE A PLACE AT THE TABLE.

NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE.

AND I TRAVEL AROUND THE COUNTRY NOW, AND I TEACH TEACHERS, AND I TEACH PRINCIPALS AND SUPERINTENDENTS.

AND I SEE WHAT IS OUT THERE.

AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW AS OUR BOARD THAT YOU ARE PHENOMENAL IN THE WAY THAT YOU SUPPORT THE AVID SYSTEM HERE AT RICHARDSON ISD. EXCUSE ME.

THE SUPPORT THAT YOU GIVE.

IS IS INCREDIBLE BECAUSE IT'S SO EASY WHEN WE HAVE BUDGET CUTS AND DEFICITS BY BY THE WAY, YOU GUYS WERE LIKE TALKING 13 STORIES OVER MY HEAD.

BUT I KNOW ONE THING IS TRUE.

WHEN IT'S TIME TO CUT BUDGETS, IT'S TIME TO CUT ELECTIVES AND AND OR OTHER THINGS THAT MAYBE PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND.

AND I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THAT FOR I DON'T KNOW ALL THE DETAILS.

FIRST, I WANT TO TELL YOU, I DON'T KNOW.

BUT YOU GUYS HAVE HAVE HELD STRONG AND TRUE TO AVID.

AND THAT CHANGES MY LIFE BECAUSE I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU.

WHAT YOU DO KEEPS ME HERE.

IT KEEPS ME IN THE DISTRICT.

I'VE HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO LEAVE.

BUT YOUR SUPPORT AND THE WAY THAT YOU LEAD US IS WHAT KEEPS ME HERE.

AND WITH THAT, I GET TO WATCH STUDENTS BECOME PRESIDENTS OF THE STUDENT BODY AT WICHITA STATE CURRENTLY . I HAD A PRESIDENT OF THE STUDENT BODY AT UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS.

HE'S NOW GRADUATED.

HEY, I DON'T KNOW THE MEAN GREEN, BUT, YOU KNOW.

BOTH FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS.

I GET TO WATCH STUDENTS WHO ARE BROUGHT OVER BY THEIR PARENTS WITHOUT ANY CHOICE IN THE MATTER AT THE YOUNG AGE, AND THEY'RE GOING TO COLLEGE TO FULFILL THE DREAMS THAT THEY LITERALLY THOUGHT WERE IMPOSSIBLE.

I GET TO CELEBRATE THINGS THAT STUDENTS USED TO FEEL WERE OUT OF REACH.

I HAVE THIS LITTLE THING IN MY CLASSROOM.

IT'S CALLED THE GOOD NEWS GANG, AND WE HIT IT WHENEVER SOMETHING EXCITING HAPPENS AND IT'S INCREDIBLE TO SEE LIVES CHANGE LITERALLY ON A DAILY BASIS IN MY BUILDING. I ALSO WANT TO SAY IT AFFECTS OTHER EDUCATORS IN OUR BUILDING TOO.

I'M VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE PEOPLE.

MY SCHOOL ALLOWS ME TO TEACH TEACHERS ON MY CAMPUS, AND WE JUST DID A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITY IN OCTOBER, AND I HAD A TEACHER EMAIL ME YESTERDAY, WROTE ME A HUGE PARAGRAPH.

JUST SO EXCITED BECAUSE WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED NOTE TAKING AND HOW STUDENTS LEARN AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO HELP TEACH THEM HOW TO USE THEIR NOTES, NOT JUST HAVE THEM TAKE THEM.

THAT'S KIND OF WHAT IT WAS ABOUT.

IT COMPLETELY CHANGED HER THINKING SO MUCH THAT SHE REARRANGED THE WAY THAT SHE WAS TEACHING AN ENTIRE UNIT, TOOK THE TIME OUT TO EMAIL ME, AND INVITED ME TO COME OBSERVE HER CLASS TODAY. SO THE IMPACT OF AN AVID TEACHER ISN'T JUST IN OUR CLASSROOM, IT'S IN OUR BUILDING.

AND I KNOW THAT MY MY WONDERFUL COLLEAGUES HERE, MY FAMILY, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES WE LEAN ON, THIS IS AN AVID FAMILY.

THEY MAKE THE SAME IMPACT ON THEIR CAMPUSES AND THAT IS A HARD PAYCHECK TENFOLD.

IT JUST KEEPS COMING BACK.

AND SO I WANT TO FINISH BY JUST SHARING THAT THE NUMBERS SPEAK AS WELL.

OUR SENIORS LAST YEAR WE GRADUATED WITH 88 SENIORS IN RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL.

AND OUT OF THOSE 88 STUDENTS, THEY EARNED COLLECTIVELY $8.7 MILLION IN ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS ALONE. NO GRANTS, NONE OF THAT PURE HARD WORK IN THE CLASSROOM AND THAT THOSE 88 STUDENTS.

THAT 8.7 MILLION WAS MORE THAN THE REMAINING 500 SOMETHING STUDENTS THAT GRADUATED IN OUR GRADUATING CLASS.

NOW, IF THAT DOESN'T SHOW THE AMAZING THINGS THAT WE GET TO DO, AND I SAY GET TO DO, BECAUSE I HONESTLY FEEL LIKE IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO TEACH AVID AND I JUST I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO SUPPORT US, EVEN THOUGH THE WORLD IS WHAT IT IS.

[01:55:08]

WE'RE ABLE TO WORK ON THAT GRIT AND WE'RE ABLE TO WORK ON OUR PERSONALITIES.

SO FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, I JUST WANT TO SHARE HOW IMPORTANT AVID IS, NOT ONLY FOR ME, BUT I KNOW IT'S A GAME CHANGER FOR THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS THAT I'VE SPOKEN TO. ONE JUST RAN UP AND MET ME AT WALMART YESTERDAY BECAUSE THEY KNEW WE WERE GOING TO BE IN TOWN.

UM, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.

AND IF THERE'S EVER ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT YOU IN RETURN, YOU KNOW WE'RE ALWAYS HERE FOR YOU.

THANK YOU. PUT THE STOOL UP.

YOU DON'T NEED IT. THANKS, ELIZABETH.

JUST ONE MORE PIECE OF IMPACT.

I REACHED OUT TO BUSHRA TO SEE IF SHE COULD COME SPEAK TONIGHT, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW HER NOW, BUSHRA WAS AN AVID SCHOLAR AT BERKNER HIGH SCHOOL, AND SHE DID PROVIDE THIS STATEMENT THAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU BECAUSE IT'S REALLY POWERFUL.

SHE SAID, GOOD EVENING RSU LEADERS, STAFFS, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS BUSHRA.

I'M CURRENTLY IN REFUGEE SERVICES PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR.

MY JOURNEY IN EDUCATION STARTED BECAUSE OF AVID.

WHEN I WAS A SENIOR AT BERKNER HIGH SCHOOL, I NEEDED TO FILL MY SCHEDULE WITH ANOTHER ELECTIVE.

MY COUNSELOR SUGGESTED A CLASS THAT WOULD ASSIST IN COLLEGE PREPARATORY STUFF, SO LITTLE DID I KNOW, I WAS ABOUT TO ENROLL IN A CLASS THAT WOULD CHANGE MY LIFE FOREVER.

I HAD AN INCREDIBLE TEACHER AND ROLE MODEL WHO MANY OF YOU KNOW, JOAN SWIM.

AFTER GRADUATING, I BEGAN WORKING WITH MRS. SWIM AND SUPPORTING HER AVID CLASSES.

AT THAT TIME, I WAS A PRE-MED MAJOR AT UTD, AN ASPIRING PEDIATRICIAN.

HOWEVER, WITHIN A FEW MONTHS, MRS. SWIM AND HER INCREDIBLE AVID STUDENTS INSPIRED ME TO PURSUE A CAREER IN EDUCATION AS THEY SHOWED ME THE IMPACT THAT EDUCATION COULD HAVE IN ALTERING THE TRAJECTORY OF ONE'S LIFE.

BECAUSE OF THE AVID SYSTEM, I DECIDED TO PURSUE MY GRADUATE STUDIES IN EDUCATION AT SMU AND FOCUSED MY RESEARCH AND THESIS ON EDUCATIONAL EQUITY, SUPPORTING FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS. THE AVID SYSTEM AND THE OVERALL BENEFITS OF COLLEGE ACCESS PROGRAMS ACROSS THE NATION.

IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT AVID HAS CONTINUED TO PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN MY LIFE.

BUSH IS A DYNAMIC PERSON AND DYNAMIC EDUCATOR, AND IT'S SO FULFILLING TO GET TO SEE THAT AVID HAD THAT KIND OF IMPACT ON HER.

A FEW CELEBRATIONS AND BETH WAS ABOUT TO STEAL MY THUNDER THERE.

SO. SO JUST COMING UP IN THE SPRING, WE HAVE BOTH BERKNER HIGH SCHOOL AND RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL GOING THROUGH THEIR NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION REVALIDATION VISITS.

SO THOSE WILL BE EXCITING TIMES, AND WE HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE THE GREATNESS THAT THOSE TWO CAMPUSES HAVE IN THEIR AVID SYSTEM.

SINCE 2009, WE'VE HAD 88 DELL SCHOLAR WINNERS.

AND JUST THIS LAST YEAR WE HAD 12 DELL SCHOLAR WINNER SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS.

AND BETH MENTIONED THE STUDENTS AT RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL, BUT DISTRICT WIDE.

OUR LAST GRADUATING CLASS IN 2023 EARNED OVER $20 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS.

MORE CELEBRATIONS.

WE MENTIONED NORTH LAKE AS A SHOWCASE CAMPUS, WHICH WAS A REALLY BIG ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR THEM.

THEY'VE BEEN WORKING FOR YEARS TO IMPLEMENT STRONG SYSTEMS FOR ALL OF THEIR STUDENTS.

WE HAVE A SIXTH GRADE SIGNING DAY THAT WE CELEBRATE EVERY JANUARY AT WITH ALL OF OUR SIXTH GRADERS, AND NOW A FEW FIFTH GRADERS AS WELL.

WE ENCOURAGE THOSE STUDENTS TO THINK ABOUT THEIR CONNECTION TO THE GRADUATE PROFILE AND BEING GRADUATE READY AND AVID HELPS PROMOTE THAT DAY OF CELEBRATION, NOT ONLY FOR THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE AT THEIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, BUT CELEBRATING WHAT'S COMING FOR THEM AT THE JUNIOR HIGH AND MIDDLE SCHOOL.

AND IN 2000, I SHOULD SAY, 2023, I APOLOGIZE.

DOUBLED WE DOUBLED THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENTERING OUR AVID ELECTIVE IN SEVENTH GRADE.

I ALSO JUST WANT TO JUST RECOGNIZE.

ACTUALLY, IT'S ON THE NEXT SLIDE I APOLOGIZE.

SO WE DO HAVE NINE AVID NATIONAL STAT DEVELOPERS IN RICHARDSON ISD.

STEPHANIE AND MYSELF AND BETH ARE JUST THREE OF THE NINE, BUT WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK TO BUILD THE CAPACITY OF OUR TEACHERS AND LEADERS HERE IN RICHARDSON THROUGH PROFESSIONAL LEARNING.

WE JUST FOUND.

I JUST FOUND OUT THIS THREE WEEKS AGO THAT I'M GOING TO BE A MEMBER OF THE AVID NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL, SO I'LL BE PROVIDING FEEDBACK AND LEADERSHIP AROUND BEING A SOUNDING BOARD FOR AVID AS TO WHAT STUDENTS NEED, WHAT SCHOOLS NEED, THINKING ABOUT THE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND HOW THOSE FIT.

[02:00:05]

WE ARE RECIPIENT OF THE STATE FARM GRANT, WHICH WAS REALLY EXCITING.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FOUNDATION AND KAMEKA CRAWFORD.

WITH HER PARTNERSHIP AND LEADERSHIP, WE WERE ABLE TO GET ACCESS TO SOME MORE FUNDS TO SUPPORT OUR SCHOLARS, AND A LOT OF THOSE FUNDS WILL BE DIRECTED TOWARD PATHWAYS OF SUCCESS STARTING IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

AND I DID MENTION TO YOU THE COMPELLING SEMINARS, AND THAT'S HELPING FUND THAT ENDEAVOR AS WELL.

SO NEXT STEPS.

WHAT'S AHEAD FOR AVID? WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND.

AVID STRATEGY SCHOOL WIDE AT ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS.

WE WANT TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ELEMENTARY CAMPUSES THAT ARE THAT HAVE THE AVID SYSTEM, AND WE WANT TO INCREASE THE EXPANSION OF AVID EXCEL TO SUPPORT MORE OF OUR EXPERIENCED, MULTILINGUAL STUDENTS IN RICHARDSON ISD.

AND WE DEFINITELY WANT TO PURSUE HAVING AT LEAST ONE MORE JUNIOR A JUNIOR HIGH IN OUR AVID NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION STATUS.

AND SO LOFTY GOALS.

VERY ATTAINABLE FOR PEOPLE AS GREAT AS YOU SEE RIGHT HERE.

VERY ATTAINABLE.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING US TO SHARE TONIGHT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

ONGOING SUPPORT OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, OUR AND OBVIOUSLY OUR AVID TEAM.

BUT I WANT TO ALSO SAY THANK YOU TO OUR ADMINISTRATORS, OUR PRINCIPALS, UM, AND OUR TEACHERS, BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY THE ONES LEADING THE WORK.

AND WE'RE PARTNERING WITH THEM TO ENSURE THAT EVERY STUDENT GETS WHAT THEY NEED.

THANK YOU SO MUCH JOSH.

THANK YOU TO THE TEAM.

AND YOU KNOW, I DON'T REALLY THINK THERE'S ANYTHING MORE TO SAY THAN WHAT THEY SAID IN TERMS OF HOW I COULD CLOSE IT OTHER THAN IT'S IT IS LIFE CHANGING. AND I THINK YOU CAN HEAR THE PASSION THAT IT JUST EMANATES FROM EVERYONE WHO HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN FROM AVID.

I'VE HAD A CHANCE TO GO TO AN AVID CONFERENCE WHERE WE HAVE A STUDENT OR A FORMER STUDENT WHO IS THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER.

AND TO HEAR THIS STUDENT WHO IS STANDING IN FRONT OF THOUSANDS OF EDUCATORS AND TELLING THEIR STORY AND TELLING THEIR STORY. WITH SUCH A VOICE THAT IS INSPIRATIONAL TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THAT ROOM, AND IT STICKS WITH YOU FOREVER.

IT STICKS WITH YOU FOREVER.

AND I WANT TO THANK OUR COMMUNITY.

I WANT TO THANK OUR BOARD.

I WANT TO THANK OUR ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM BECAUSE THIS THE WORK THAT THEY DO, IT IS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TIME.

THESE THESE CELEBRATIONS DON'T HAPPEN BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT THEY JUST DO INSIDE THE CLASSROOM FOR 90 MINUTES.

IT HAPPENS WITH THE EVENING MENTORING CALL.

IT HAPPENS WHEN THAT STUDENT IS IN CRISIS.

IT HAPPENS WHEN THAT PARENT CALLS AND SAYS, WHAT DO I DO NEXT? IT HAPPENS IN IN EMAILS AND IT HAPPENS IN CONFERENCES.

AND IT IT HAPPENS WITH ONE ON ONE CONVERSATIONS.

AND THESE EDUCATORS KNOW THE STORY OF EVERY SINGLE STUDENT.

THEY KNOW THE STORY OF EVERY SINGLE STUDENT.

AND THAT STUDENT KNOWS IF AT THE END OF THE YEAR WHEN WE DO OUR CLIMATE SURVEY, I KNOW THAT STUDENT IS GOING TO SAY THEY HAVE AT LEAST ONE TRUSTED ADULT THAT THEY KNOW THEY CAN GO TO TO BE THEIR PERSON.

AND IT IS 99% OF THE TIME THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE SITTING IN THIS FRONT ROW.

SO I JUST WANT TO I APOLOGIZE.

I, I DID LEAVE OUT INTRODUCING DIANA LARSON.

DIANA LARSON IS OUR AVID COORDINATOR AND AVID ELECTIVE TEACHER AT BERKNER HIGH SCHOOL, AND SHE'S A PART OF THIS TEAM.

SHE WAS UNABLE TO BE HERE TONIGHT, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I LET YOU KNOW HOW IMPORTANT SHE IS TO OUR TEAM AS WELL.

YES. SHE'S AMAZING.

THANK YOU. OKAY. SO AGAIN, WE'RE OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS.

I'LL STOP NOW. ABSOLUTELY.

MISS MCGOWAN. PASSION BEGETS PASSION.

AND SO I HAD TO RAISE MY HAND FIRST.

THAT WAS AMAZING. THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL YOU DO.

I REMEMBER MY DAUGHTER GRADUATED IN 2019 FROM LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL, AND I REMEMBER ONE OF HER CLASSMATES WAS AN AVID STUDENT AT LAKE HIGHLANDS AND TALKING TO HER MOM ABOUT THE PROGRAM THEN, AND IT WAS SOMETHING I WANTED FOR MY DAUGHTER.

BUT SHE FIRST, I THINK BECAUSE OF VOLLEYBALL AND ALL OTHER THINGS, SHE JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE TIME TO TAKE THAT ELECTIVE.

BUT I THOUGHT, EVERYONE NEEDS THIS ELECTIVE, LIKE EVERY KID NEEDS THIS.

SO JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

ONE QUESTION I HAVE, I NOTICED THAT THE WHITE STUDENT POPULATION DOES NOT IS NOT ANYWHERE NEAR THE NATIONAL PERCENTAGE, WHEREAS THE OTHER DEMOGRAPHICS ARE CLOSER TO THAT PERCENTAGE MARK.

WHY IS THAT SO? I THINK IF YOU THINK OF THE HISTORY OF AVID AND HAVE KIND OF HOW WE LAUNCHED IT, WE REALLY WERE TARGETING OUR STUDENTS THAT WERE AT TITLE ONE

[02:05:09]

ANYTHING ELSE REALLY.

IF YOU HAVE THE INDIVIDUAL DETERMINATION AND YOU'RE IN THE ACADEMIC MIDDLE AND YOU NEED AND YOU NEED RIGOR WITH SUPPORT, YEAH, IT'S OPEN TO YOU.

OKAY. PERFECT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UM, THE OTHER QUESTION.

I TOOK NOTES HERE.

UM, HOW DO WE CHOOSE SCHOOLS TO DESIGNATE AS AN AVID CAMPUS? SO OUR CURRENT PRACTICE IS THAT WE REACH OUT TO THOSE CAMPUS ADMINISTRATORS, WE BRING THEM TO OUR SHOWCASE CAMPUSES, AND WE SAY, DOES THIS LOOK LIKE SOMETHING THAT YOU NEED, THAT YOU WANT FOR YOUR SCHOLARS? THERE'S AN INVESTMENT THERE, RIGHT? AS FAR AS TIME AND ENERGY AND PLANNING AND ALL THOSE THINGS.

AND WE LET THOSE CAMPUS LEADERS TELL US WE WANT TO DO THIS, AND THEN WE PARTNER WITH THEM TO GET WHAT THEY NEED TO MAKE THOSE THINGS HAPPEN.

OKAY. PERFECT.

I JUST THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THERE AND I HAVE BEEN IN SYSTEMS WHERE THE DISTRICT LEVEL SAYS YOU WILL BE AND I THINK YOU CAN HEAR YOU CAN HEAR FROM ALLISON'S HER REFLECTION THAT THERE HAS TO BE AS MUCH BELIEF FROM THAT ADMINISTRATOR THAT IS LEADING THAT WORK, AND ESPECIALLY AT THE ELEMENTARY, WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE AN ELECTED, YOU DON'T HAVE AN AVID COORDINATOR THAT IS THAT CHAMPION.

THAT'S THAT'S WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL.

IT IS OFTEN THAT PRINCIPAL THAT HAS TO TO TO BE THE ONE THAT IS IS CHARGING FORWARD.

AND SO WE NEED THE PRINCIPAL TO BELIEVE WE NEED THE PRINCIPAL TO SAY, I'M GOING TO COMMIT THE TIME AND THE RESOURCES.

I'M GOING TO LEVERAGE EVERY FUND RESOURCE I HAVE AVAILABLE TO SEND MY STAFF EVERY YEAR TO, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE WE ARE COMMITTED AND THAT WE'RE ALL IN. AND SO IT NEVER THAT IS NOT, NOT EVER ANYTHING WE'RE GOING TO DO OR WE'RE GOING TO SAY YOU MUST.

RIGHT. IT NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING WHERE THAT PRINCIPAL SAYS, I HAVE MY STAFF IS READY, RIGHT.

AND WE HAVE THE READINESS TO MOVE THIS FORWARD IN A GREAT WAY.

RIGHT. OKAY.

I THINK IT'S I THINK I HAVE LIKE JUST TWO MORE THINGS TO SAY.

WITH THE DEMOGRAPHIC THAT WE HAVE IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, RIGHT.

ECONOMICALLY AND.

ETHNICALLY, I THINK THAT RISD IS A PERFECT PLACE TO BE WHERE ALL SCHOOLS ARE DESIGNATED AS AVID SCHOOLS.

RIGHT? I THINK THE RETURN OF INVESTMENT, YOU GUYS HAVE PROVEN THAT THE NUMBERS ARE THERE, RIGHT? LIKE IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INVESTING MONEY WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO, YOU HAVE PROVEN THAT THERE IS A RETURN ON THAT.

AND I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD WE SHOULD SEE THAT THROUGH AND FOLLOW THAT THROUGH, BECAUSE THE POSSIBILITIES ARE SHOWN THAT THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES ARE ENDLESS TO THESE KIDS. YOU'RE GIVING ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES TO PARENTS, BLUEPRINTS TO FAMILIES ON HOW TO GET TO AND THROUGH SCHOOL.

I MEAN, I COME FROM A MIDDLE CLASS, WORKING CLASS FAMILY AS WELL, AND I WENT TO COLLEGE AND THAT WAS NOT AN EASY TASK, FILLING OUT THE FAFSA AND ALL THIS.

RIGHT? THAT WAS JUST NOT AN EASY TASK.

AND I UNDERSTAND AS WELL THAT THERE IS A POPULATION OF KIDS HERE AND FAMILIES THAT CAN AFFORD TO PAY FOR THESE SERVICES, RIGHT, TO HELP THEM WITH APPLICATIONS AND ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING FOR THESE CHILDREN AT NO CHARGE IN SCHOOL AND OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL.

SO I JUST THINK IT'S AMAZING.

I THINK WHAT YOU'VE DONE IS AMAZING.

I THINK WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN ACROSS THE DISTRICT FOR ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU MS. MCGOWAN. MR. EAGER. UM, OKAY.

WELL, IF I SOUND LIKE I'M CHOKED UP, UM, I'M NOT FEELING THE BEST, BUT I AM CHOKED UP AND AND, YOU KNOW, A THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO.

AND LIKE MS. MCGOWAN, I HAVE I THINK WE'VE ALL STRONGLY BELIEVED THAT THIS HAS SUCH A POSITIVE IMPACT ON EVERY KID.

AND I DIDN'T REALIZE THIS UNTIL MY TWIN BOYS WENT OFF TO TEXAS TECH AND I STARTED TALKING TO FRIENDS WITH THEIR THEIR PARENTS WERE SENDING THEY WERE STARTING THEIR FIRST YEAR OF SCHOOL.

AND WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT EVERY ONE OF THOSE CAMPUSES, WHAT WE FOUND WAS CONSISTENT IS EVERY ONE OF THEM HAD A FRESHMAN CLASS THAT TAUGHT THE THINGS THAT AB WAS TEACHING, AND THEY MADE SURE THAT EVERY INBOUND STUDENT, THEY STRONGLY ADVOCATED THAT.

SO THAT TELLS ME THAT EVERY STUDENT SHOULD HAVE THAT FROM RSD AND THEN AND I WANT TO THANK MISS BROWN FOR HER

[02:10:05]

AND I SPEAK PROBABLY FOR EVERY I KNOW, I SPEAK FOR EVERY MEMBER OF THE BOARD HERE.

IT'S OUR PLEASURE TO DO WHAT WE DO BECAUSE IT'S ENABLING YOU, THE ADMINISTRATION AND EVERYBODY TO EXECUTE ON THESE THINGS BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A GREAT OUTCOME FOR OUR KIDS.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER WE GOT TO DO, YOU KNOW, LIKE ANYTHING ELSE, WE'LL, YOU KNOW, WE'LL DO CAR WASH, WE'LL DO WHATEVER TO HELP YOU AND JUST.

KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BECAUSE I CAN'T IMAGINE JUST THE PURE JOY OF SEEING THOSE KIDS COME BACK AND SAY THANK YOU. YOU CHANGE LIVES.

SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO KEEP SUPPORTING YOU, WE'RE GOING TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN.

WE'RE GOING TO TALK TO OUR FRIENDS IN AUSTIN AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.

AND THAT'S A TALL ORDER, BUT WE'LL GET THERE.

SO KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AND THEN SHOUT OUT TO [INAUDIBLE] MR. SOLOMON BACK THERE BECAUSE IT TAKES COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO TO TURN, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES A VILLAGE AND IT TAKES EVERYBODY INVOLVED AND IT TAKES A TEAM.

SO WE'RE PART OF TEAM AVID AND YOU KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

AND THANK YOU, IT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION.

I JUST WANT TO AGAIN HIGHLIGHT THAT THAT WE DO HAVE AVID AT ALL FOUR OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS, ALL EIGHT OF OUR JUNIOR HIGHS, AND WE CURRENTLY HAVE IT AT 20 OF OUR ELEMENTARY CAMPUSES.

SO AGAIN, WE ARE MAKING STRIDES.

AND, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR IT IS AN AN EFFORT TO IDENTIFY WHO IS THAT NEXT ONE CAMPUS, THAT NEXT TWO CAMPUSES.

AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT IN TERMS OF THAT READINESS OF THAT NEXT CAMPUS, WHILE EVERY DOLLAR MATTERS RIGHT NOW, AND YES, WE ARE HAVING TO CONSIDER BUDGET, ULTIMATELY, IF THERE IS A CAMPUS WHO SAYS WE'RE READY AND WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD, WE ARE GOING TO FIND THE RESOURCES SOMEWHERE.

SO I JUST I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE THERE IS, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THERE HAS NOT BEEN A CAMPUS WHERE WE SAID, YOU CAN'T MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE BUDGET DOLLARS TO SUPPORT THAT. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BOARD IS AWARE OF THAT.

ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? MISS PACHECO.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU TEAM.

THAT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO.

I'VE SEEN YOU OR YOUR WORK FIRSTHAND AT THE SCHOOLS, AND IT'S JUST ALWAYS SO IMPRESSIVE.

AND ONE COMMENT THAT I WANT TO JUST REITERATE AND LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE SAID, EXCEPT THE CAR WASH, I WON'T DO THAT, BUT I'LL MAYBE HELP WITH THE SPACE.

BUT, YOU KNOW, WE ALL SUPPORT AVID.

I'D LOVE TO SEE THE NUMBERS GROW OF THE STUDENTS THAT PARTICIPATE, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE KNOW WHEN THE STUDENTS BELIEVE THAT WE BELIEVE THEY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO GROW AND CHANGE AND AND PURSUE THE DREAMS THAT THEY HAVE, REGARDLESS OF THEIR SITUATIONS, THEIR WORLDS CHANGE.

AND I'M SO HAPPY THAT YOU GUYS EXIST AND THAT YOU'RE THE TEACHERS THAT I PROBABLY NEEDED WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL.

SO I'M SORRY, BUT IT'S JUST REALLY GREAT.

I'M A FIRST GENERATION GRADUATE AND IT TOOK A LONG TIME AND IT WAS A HARD ROAD.

SO TEACHING THEM KNOW, TAKING THEIR BELIEF, THEIR POTENTIAL, GIVING THEM THAT WHOLE PROCESS OF BEING THOSE CRITICAL THINKERS, THE PROBLEM SOLVERS, THE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATORS THAT EVERYONE NEEDS AT WORK IN THEIR LIFE AND AT SCHOOL FOR THEIR ADVOCATE, YOU KNOW, JUST TO ADVOCATE, WE'RE JUST CREATING WONDERFUL LEADERS.

AND I'M SO PROUD OF YOU.

AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THIS WORK.

THANK YOU. I'M JUST GOING TO I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF WHAT ARE THE, WHAT ARE THOSE ELEMENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THOSE AVID ELECTIVES AND THOSE AVID CLASSROOMS THAT WE KNOW ARE GOOD FOR ALL KIDS? AND I THINK THAT IS WHAT IS SO POWERFUL ABOUT OUR AVID COORDINATORS, BECAUSE THAT IS THEIR WORK.

THAT IS WHEN, WHEN, WHEN MISS BROWN WAS TALKING ABOUT STANDING IN FRONT OF THE FACULTY AT THE LAST STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND SHARING HIS IDEAS, AND THIS IS HOW IT CAN BE USED IN YOUR CLASSROOM, REGARDLESS OF YOUR CORE CLASS OR AN ELECTIVE.

AND THIS IS WHAT IT CAN LOOK LIKE.

I KNOW MISS GANDHI AND THE WORK THAT SHE DOES LEADING THE SOS PROGRAM AND EVEN HAVING A YOU KNOW, MY DAUGHTER IS ONE OF THE SOS LIFEGUARDS AND WATCHING HER THINK ABOUT HOW IS SHE GOING TO HELP TEACH THOSE SKILLS TO FRESHMEN AND HAVE FRESHMEN HAVING THOSE, EVEN IF THEY MAY NOT BE IN THAT AVID ELECTIVE AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE EQUIPPED AND THAT THEY ARE IDENTIFYING THAT SELF-BELIEF AND AN ADVISORY.

[02:15:01]

SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT YOU HEAR WHY WE ARE NOT IN A PLACE WHERE EVERY STUDENT IS CAN TAKE THAT AVID ELECTIVE FOR A LOT OF REASONS THAT I PROMISE YOU, THEIR MISSION IS TO CONSTANTLY FIND WAYS THAT THOSE ELEMENTS ARE SCHOOLWIDE.

AND JUST TO BUILD ON THOSE COMMENTS MRS. BRANUM IS THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR OUR AVID PROVIDES A TOOL FOR US TO EVALUATE AND TO MEASURE OUR GOALS.

AND IT'S CALLED THE CERTIFICATION AND COACHING INSTRUMENT.

AND THAT IS BROKEN UP INTO THOSE FOUR PILLARS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT LEADERSHIP, CULTURE, SYSTEMS AND INSTRUCTION.

AND THE GOAL IS FOR FOR THOSE AVID SITE TEAMS, THOSE LEADERSHIP TEAMS TO REALLY EVALUATE THE WORK OF THE WHOLE SCHOOL.

AND HOW ARE WE IMPACTING MORE STUDENTS WITH THOSE SYSTEMS THAT ARE NEEDED TO HAVE THE RESULTS THAT YOU GOT TO SEE HERE? AND IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT BEING THE AVID ELECTIVE CLASS.

IT'S REALLY ABOUT BEING A PART OF A CAMPUS THAT HAS LEADERS THAT ARE MEASURING THOSE TYPES OF THINGS OVER LONG PERIODS OF TIME AND LIKE, SO, YOU KNOW, I'LL JUST USE OUR DEMONSTRATION SCHOOLS AS EXAMPLES.

BUT, I MEAN, THAT'S BEEN A LONG COMMITMENT OF ENSURING THAT SYSTEMS ARE IN PLACE, THAT MORE STUDENTS ARE IMPACTED BY THE IMPACTS OF AVID THAN JUST JUST GOING TO THE ELECTIVE CLASS. ACTUALLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT MEASUREMENT TOOL, IT'S JUST VERY ONE.

IT'S JUST ONE PART THAT TALKS ABOUT THE AVID ELECTIVE.

THE REST OF THAT DOCUMENT IS ABOUT HOW YOU'RE IMPACTING ALL STUDENTS.

AND SO THE TOOL THAT WE USE FROM AVID TO HELP MEASURE OUR SUCCESS IS MORE ABOUT JUST THE AVID ELECTIVE CLASS.

IT'S ABOUT HAVING A SCHOOL WIDE IMPACT.

THAT WAS TO MISS BRANDON'S POINT.

THANK YOU, MISS BRANUM.

I THINK MISS, MISS MS. RENTERÍA HAD A QUESTION.

YES. THANK YOU.

YES. ALSO, AS MY COLLEAGUES BEFORE ME, THAT I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN, I'M SO GRATEFUL.

I'M SO GRATEFUL TO ALL OF YOU.

I'M GRATEFUL I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TO MEET AND TO KIND OF BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH MS..

SWIM, AND SHE WAS AMAZING.

AND I THINK I MAY BE THE ONLY ONE HERE AS FAR AS THE TRUSTEE.

AND I THINK MS.. PACHECO THAT HAS A STUDENT THAT WENT THROUGH AVID AND SO, YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT MY SON FELT VERY COMFORTABLE, YOU KNOW, IN MEETING HIS LIKE I THINK HE GOT INTO WELL, HE GOT INTO AVID IN JUNIOR HIGH AND HIS JUNIOR HIGH YEAR.

AND SO MS..

SMITH WAS WONDERFUL. SHE WAS AMAZING.

AND I THINK THAT HE RIGHT AWAY HAD THAT CONFIDENCE.

HE BUILT A RELATIONSHIP IS WHAT HE DID.

AND THEY WERE A FAMILY WHEN HE WENT ON TO HIGH SCHOOL.

YOU KNOW, I THINK ALSO HE BUILT HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH, YOU KNOW, HIS, HIS, HIS PEERS AND HE HAD A LOT OF SUPPORT.

AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, JUST IT'S IT'S AWESOME THE WORK THAT EVERYBODY DOES ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS.

SO I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.

UM, BUT I DID HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON.

I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE THINGS OR COMMENTS DEFINITELY ON THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, I THINK YOU MENTIONED HOW HOW MANY SCHOOLS WE HAVE ALREADY AND AND I'M DEFINITELY ONE TO SUPPORT THAT.

YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WHETHER IT'S AVID EVERYTHING ACROSS THE BOARD WITH ACADEMICS, BUT THE EARLIER THE BETTER, RIGHT? OUR EXTRACURRICULAR, WE'RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT ESTABLISHING THOSE HABITS BUT ESTABLISHING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES EARLY.

I THINK THAT'S THE KEY.

I THINK THAT'S SUPER, SUPER IMPORTANT WHERE WHEN THEY START EARLY, IT'S ALREADY A HABIT.

IT'S ALREADY A WAY OF DOING THINGS.

IT'S IT'S JUST IT JUST BECOMES, YOU KNOW, JUST VERY NORMAL.

RIGHT. TO HAVE THAT, WHETHER IT'S TO BE AGAIN, IN AN EXTRACURRICULAR OPPORTUNITY OR TO BE IN SOMETHING WITH AVID THAT, THAT BY THE TIME THEY GET TO HIGH SCHOOL AND, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY ALREADY KNOW THIS. SO I THINK THAT'S WONDERFUL.

I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, I THINK THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN I THINK MY COMPUTER IS GETTING READY TO SHUT DOWN SO I CAN GO BACK THE EXCEL AND EXCEL EXPANSION.

CAN YOU ELABORATE ON WHAT IS IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN THOSE TWO? NO, WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT ADDING MORE AVID EXCEL PROGRAMS. SO CURRENTLY WE HAVE IT AT FIVE JUNIOR HIGHS.

AND SO WE COULD EXPAND THAT HOPEFULLY TO ALL EIGHT OF OUR JUNIOR HIGHS.

AND WE HAVE A NEED FOR SUPPORTING MORE OF OUR EXPERIENCED MULTILINGUAL STUDENTS.

AND SO WE WOULD WE WOULD LOVE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

RIGHT. OKAY. BECAUSE I WASN'T SURE IF THAT MEANT LIKE IF IT WAS A TITLE OF A CERTAIN CURRICULUM, BUT IT'S JUST EXPANDING MORE OPPORTUNITIES OF WHAT AVID IS PERFECT.

UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE AVID TUTOR.

I THINK THAT'S AMAZING, TOO.

I THINK IT'S GREAT. I KNOW THAT MY SON RELIED ON THOSE TUTORS, AND HE WAS VERY, AGAIN, THAT RELATIONSHIP THAT HE BUILT, AND IT MEANT EVERYTHING TO HAVE THAT ONE ON ONE RIGHT, TO HAVE SOMEBODY IN THERE WHO COULD REALLY HELP YOU AND THAT YOU COULD GO TO.

UM, BUT I DO WISH WE COULD PAY OUR TUTORS MORE.

DEFINITELY, BECAUSE THEY, THEY, THEY DO AN OUTSTANDING JOB WITH THAT.

UM, AS AN ELECTIVE, I KNOW THAT IT IS AN ELECTIVE.

[02:20:04]

LIKE HOW MANY ELECTIVES WE HAVE IN JUNIOR HIGH AND THEN HOW MANY ELECTIVES DO WE HAVE IN HIGH SCHOOL? SO CURRENTLY WE STUDENTS CAN CHOOSE THREE ELECTIVES IN JUNIOR HIGH AND IN HIGH SCHOOL.

IT REALLY? I THINK THERE'S SOME FACTORS THAT GO INTO THAT.

BUT AS LIKE LIKE PER YEAR, LIKE, SAY LIKE EVERY YEAR.

HOW MANY ELECTIVES DO WE HAVE ALONG WITH OUR.

WELL IT DEPENDS AND WHETHER OR NOT LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, IF THEY GET THEIR FOREIGN LANGUAGE CREDIT IN JUNIOR HIGH OR IF THEY'RE TAKING IT IN HIGH SCHOOL, IF THEY GET HEALTH, LIKE A LOT OF OUR KIDS WILL TAKE HEALTH OVER THE SUMMER AND THEY SO ON AVERAGE, THOUGH, IT'S I MEAN, IF YOU TAKE THEIR FOUR CORE AND IF THEY TAKE AN ATHLETIC OR A FINE ART, THEN YOU'RE GENUINELY TALKING, THEY GET THREE ELECTIVES, RIGHT? OKAY. SO THAT'S WHAT I FIGURED. IT'S LIKE 2 OR 3 ELECTIVES.

YES, MA'AM. AND I THINK THAT I KNOW THAT FOR OUR FAMILY, WHAT WE FOUND THE HARDEST WAS TO MAINTAIN THAT ELECTIVE AS WE GO THROUGH BECAUSE IT WAS REALLY HARD RIGHT. I MEAN, BUT THAT'S JUST KIND OF WHAT IT WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO.

RIGHT? AND THE FACT THAT YOU START OFF WITH HAVING THAT AS AN ELECTIVE, BUT THEN IT GETS HARDER AS YOU GO ON AND YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE.

AND THAT'S WHAT EVERYTHING. RIGHT, ATHLETICS OR FINE ARTS OR ANYTHING.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK I'M WONDERING WHAT WE'RE DOING TO KEEP OUR STUDENTS SAFE FROM ELEMENTARY NOW OR JUNIOR HIGH.

HOW DO WE KEEP THEM IN AVID LIKE WHAT DO WE IS THERE SOMETHING IS THERE ANY INCENTIVE OR OR HOW DO WE HELP THOSE KIDS DECIDE? LIKE, I WANT TO STAY IN AVID, BUT I ONLY HAVE TWO OTHER ELECTIVES AND I GOT A FINE ART CREDIT, YOU KNOW, LIKE, HOW DO YOU GUYS WORK AROUND THAT? I'LL LET THEM TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE WAYS THAT THEY THEY MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT FULL MATRICULATION AND THAT WE KEEP THE KIDS IN.

BUT I WILL SAY THAT THAT WAS A REALLY STRONG REASON WHY WE SWITCHED TO AN EIGHT PERIOD DAY AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AS WELL, FROM THAT SEVEN PERIOD DAY WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE GIVING THAT ONE MORE ELECTIVE OPTION.

AND EVEN AGAIN, EVEN WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT BUDGET IMPLICATIONS AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A SEVEN PERIOD VERSUS EIGHT PERIOD, A SEVEN PERIOD, EIGHT PERIOD BLOCK VERSUS A NON SEVEN PERIOD BLOCK, LIKE ALL OF THOSE ARE IMPLICATIONS.

BUT GIVING THAT ONE MORE SLOT DOES HELP PROVIDE MORE BREATHING ROOM IN THE SCHEDULE SO THAT THEY CAN TRY TO STICK WITH IT ALL FOUR YEARS. BUT I'M SURE YOU ALL COULD SPEAK MORE TO WHAT YOU DO.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR TEAM TALKS A LOT ABOUT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, IS ENSURING THAT WE GIVE OPPORTUNITY WHEN WHERE WE SEE IT'S NEEDED FOR STUDENTS.

A COUPLE OF SOLUTIONS THAT WE'VE USED IS WE'VE OFFERED A ZERO HOUR CLASS FOR AVID AS AN ELECTIVE.

AND SO THOSE PRINCIPALS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ALLOCATE A TEACHER, AN AVID TEACHER THERE BEFORE THE SCHOOL DAY STARTS.

AND THEN I THINK THE ONE AT BERKNER HIGH SCHOOL HAS LIKE ALMOST 30 STUDENTS IN THEIR ZERO HOURS.

SO, UM, BUT THEN I THINK THE OTHER THING TOO IS, YOU KNOW, EVEN AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, WE'RE CONSTANTLY KIND OF RECRUITING, UM, SCHOLARS THAT ARE IN THE ACADEMIC MIDDLE THAT NEED SUPPORT, RIGOROUS SUPPORT, AND TWO, THAT MAYBE NEED THE ELECTIVE.

AND SO WE'RE KIND OF ALWAYS ON THE SCOUT, IF YOU WILL, LOOKING FOR THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR KIDS.

BUT I THINK THE OTHER THING, TOO, IS THAT WE'RE REALLY FLEXIBLE WITH THEM BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SCHEDULING DEMANDS THAT COME WITH DUAL ENROLLMENT AND GOING TO RICHLAND AND ALL THE THINGS, AND SO WE'VE HAD TO GET CREATIVE A FEW TIMES AND REALLY WORK WITH OUR COUNSELING STAFF, WORK WITH OUR FAMILIES, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES CHOICES HAVE TO BE MADE ABOUT WHAT DIRECTION.

AND THE OTHER THING IS THAT WE WE ALLOW KIDS TO TO KIND OF MOVE IN AND OUT AS NEEDED.

SO IT MAY BE THAT MY NINTH GRADE YEAR, I CAN'T GET IT IN MY SCHEDULE.

IF I NEED TO TAKE A YEAR OFF FROM AVID ELECTIVE AND I CAN JUMP BACK IN MY SOPHOMORE YEAR, WE ALLOW THAT FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.

NOW, WE KIND OF NARROW THAT DOWN THE OLDER THEY GET, BECAUSE ONE OF THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR DELL SCHOLAR IS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN IN A COLLEGE PREPARATORY PROGRAM LIKE AVID FOR YOUR JUNIOR AND SENIOR YEAR, AND SO NOT THAT WE WOULDN'T ALLOW IT, BUT THEY BECOME AN ELIGIBLE FOR THAT SCHOLARSHIP.

IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD, RIGHT? BUT I MEAN, WE WE TRY TO BE FLEXIBLE BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT STUDENTS AND FAMILIES HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS, WHETHER IT BE NEED FOR EMPLOYMENT, NEED FOR TAKE A DIFFERENT CLASS, ALL THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. AND SO WE TRY TO BE FLEXIBLE AND WE TRY TO PUT THE STUDENT FIRST AND NOT PUT THEM IN THE MIDDLE OF TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, FIGURE SOMETHING OUT.

THAT'S, THAT'S THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU FOR THAT.

BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WITH IT BEING AN ELECTIVE AND I KNOW HOW HARD IT GETS AND IT GETS MORE AND MORE COMPLICATED IN HIGH SCHOOL.

BUT SOMETHING THAT KIDS WANT TO PURSUE OR WANT TO STAY IN.

WHEN YOU WERE SAYING THAT THEY CAN MAYBE TAKE A YEAR OFF, DO THEY HAVE TO REAPPLY AGAIN TO AS WELL? OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE ALREADY IN THE SYSTEM OR I DON'T.

YEAH, YOU GOT IT. OKAY.

BASICALLY, YOU HAVE TO SAY IT IN THE MICROPHONE.

IT'S VERY HOLISTIC.

WE WORK WITH THEM.

IF THEY WANT TO COME BACK, WE DO TALK WITH THEM.

[02:25:03]

IT'S WHY DO YOU WANT TO COME BACK? EXPLAIN YOURSELF. TALK TO US.

WE DON'T MAKE THEM GO THROUGH A FULL APPLICATION PROCESS, BUT WE DO HAVE THEM SHARE WITH US WHY THAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO THEM.

BECAUSE AVID IS A PLACE WHERE WE WANT THEM TO WANT TO BE.

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE AN AVID, IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK AS WELL.

SO. OKAY.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UM, THIS KIND OF TRANSITIONS INTO YOU WERE SAYING ABOUT JUST THEM WANTING TO BE IN THERE.

I'M WONDERING, LIKE, HOW MUCH PARENT SUPPORT DO YOU HAVE? I MEAN, IS THERE A WAY THAT YOU KIND OF GET ALL OF THE AVID? I KNOW THAT WHEN WE FIRST WENT IN, IN OUR FRESHMAN YEAR, IT WAS LIKE, HEY, LET'S JUST, YOU KNOW, GO TO MEET THE TEACHER.

AND I THINK MR. BROWN REMEMBERS, WE WOULD GO IN THERE AND MEET EVERYBODY.

BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DID SEE BACK THEN, AND THIS MAY HAVE CHANGED, IS KIND OF THE LACK OF HAVING LIKE PARENTAL SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, LIKE I THINK A LOT OF US WANTED TO MEET OR WE WANTED TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS IN THAT, BUT I DON'T THINK WE KNEW HOW.

SO I'M WONDERING, IS, IS THERE A PURPOSEFUL LIKE GROUP OR PARENT ENGAGEMENT WITH AVID THAT PARENTS KNOW EVERYTHING THAT'S COMING UP? OR HOW, WHAT CAN I ATTEND OR HOW WAS MY STUDENT DOING? YEAH, I THINK SCHOOLS INDIVIDUALLY HAVE STRATEGIES FOR THAT.

BUT I THINK HOLISTICALLY, WHEN WE LOOK AT LIKE FROM MY POSITION, WE HAVE A SITE TEAM MONTHS AT A GLANCE.

AND SO I'M CONSTANTLY CONNECTING WITH OUR AVID COORDINATORS AROUND.

HERE ARE SOME KEY THINGS COMING UP.

YOU NEED TO HAVE A PARENT EVENT IN THE FALL.

YOU NEED TO HAVE A PARENT EVENT IN THE SPRING.

JUST THIS FALL AT WEST AND WESTWOOD, WE HAD SOME REALLY AWESOME INDUCTION CEREMONIES FOR OUR AVID SCHOLARS WHERE WE HAD LIKE HUNDREDS OF KIDS AND FAMILIES THERE, AND THEY'VE KIND OF DESIGNED THAT BECAUSE ONE OF THE MAJOR PARENT COMPONENTS TO AVID IS THAT I SIGN AN AVID CONTRACT WHEN I START THE SCHOOL YEAR, AND THAT MY MY PARENTS SIGNS THAT AND I SIGN THAT.

AND SO WE, WE'VE KIND OF OUR CAMPUSES HAVE HAVE HELPED MAKE THAT MORE OF A CEREMONIAL THING OF MAKING A COMMITMENT.

AND SO THAT'S BEEN AN IMPORTANT PART OF ESPECIALLY IN OUR JUNIOR HIGHS, GETS A LITTLE TRICKIER IN HIGH SCHOOL.

PARENTS ARE A LITTLE BIT DISENGAGED.

AND SO BUT OUR CAMPUS IS STILL HOST A FAMILY NIGHT.

YEAH. BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT'S A REAL KEY.

I MEAN WE TALK ABOUT AGAIN GROWTH, RIGHT.

YOU KNOW, GROWING OUR STUDENTS, GROWING OUR TEACHERS AND ALL.

AND AGAIN, I THINK FOR ME, WHAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT IS GROWING OUR PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT, GROWING OUR THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE DO OUR PARENTS WHERE ARE THEY IN THIS PROCESS.

YOU KNOW, THEY ARE A MAIN COMPONENT.

SO, YOU KNOW, IF I'M IN BAND OR IF I'M IN FINE ARTS, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THOSE PARENTS THAT ARE ENGAGED TOGETHER THAT, YOU KNOW, I WONDER IF IF AVID HAD THAT AS WELL, TOO, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT PARENTS SHOULD KNOW THE PROCESS AND WANT TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP.

RIGHT? AND THEY KIND OF LIKE, SAY, THE SENIOR PARENTS KIND OF BRING IN LIKE THE FRESHMEN AND BEING LIKE, THIS IS THIS IS HOW IT GOES OR SOMETHING.

SO I DO LIKE THAT.

I THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UM, I SAW I THINK MISS MCGOWAN MADE A POINT OF, OF THE, THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF OUR STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, SO I WONDER WHAT THE DEMOGRAPHICS, HOW THEY REFLECT ON THE DIRECTORS AND THE TEACHERS IN REGARDS TO OUR LIKE, OUR MULTILINGUAL STUDENTS, LIKE, DO YOU KNOW THE RATIOS OR THE NUMBERS AS FAR AS, LIKE DEMOGRAPHICS FOR DIRECTORS AND TEACHERS TO THE STUDENTS THAT WE SERVE IN AVID.

UM. AS FAR AS BEING THEIR ETHNICITY.

THE TEACHER'S ETHNICITY.

ETHNICITY OR, YOU KNOW, JUST A CONNECTION WITH LANGUAGE MAYBE.

OR. YEAH, WE DO HAVE CURRENTLY HAVE TWO BILINGUAL AVID ELECTED TEACHERS.

UM, WE HAVE.

I DON'T KNOW THE NUMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT WE HAVE QUITE A FEW AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND HISPANIC AVID TEACHERS AVID ELECTED TEACHERS.

WE CAN, WE'LL GET YOU THE STAFF COMPOSITION.

I'M JUST WONDERING, BECAUSE I DID SEE THE DEMOGRAPHICS AND I DO SEE THE STUDENTS THAT WE SERVE THROUGHOUT THAT I'M JUST WONDERING IS THE, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH DOES THAT REFLECT ALSO BECAUSE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. AGAIN, WE TALK ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS.

WE TALK ABOUT BEING ABLE TO CONNECT, WHETHER IT BE THE FAMILIES AND THE STUDENTS THAT WE HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW WELL ARE WE CONNECTING WITH OUR STUDENTS IN THAT WAY, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, LIKE, FILLING OUT THE FAFSA? I MEAN, THAT IS LIKE EVERY YEAR.

IT WAS A HEADACHE FOR ME BECAUSE IT'S SO COMPLICATED.

RIGHT. AND AND SO I'M JUST WONDERING, LIKE I WOULD HEAR FROM OTHER PARENTS THAT MAYBE FOR THEM IT WAS MORE THE LANGUAGE WAS DIFFERENT OR SOMETHING.

AND SO I'M WONDERING LIKE HOW MUCH, YOU KNOW, DO WE HAVE NOT JUST ONE NIGHT TO SAY, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO FILL OUT THE FAFSA, BUT HOW ON AN ONGOING EVERY DAY, ARE WE ABLE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF NOT JUST THE STUDENTS, BUT THE PARENTS THAT ARE ALSO INVOLVED IN THIS? I DON'T KNOW IF ONE OF OUR COORDINATORS WANT TO DISCUSS.

[02:30:02]

SO DO YOU ALL WANT TO DO ONE OF YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO SOME OF THE STRATEGIES YOU USE? I'LL JUST WANT TO SHARE.

ALEX IS KIND OF.

THIS IS ALEX'S CHILD LIKE CHILD THIS YEAR IS THIS FACET THING.

SHE HAS TAKEN ON A LOT OF WORK, AND I WAS ABLE TO SEND ALL FOUR OF THESE COORDINATORS TO THE CONFERENCE THIS YEAR TO REALLY HELP EDUCATE AND BOOST, BECAUSE THINGS ARE CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE OF FAFSA AND TASFA.

AND SO ALEX AND THIS TEAM HAVE WORKED REALLY HARD ABOUT HOW TO REACH EVERY SINGLE STUDENT.

SO IF YOU WANT TO SHARE SOMETHING ABOUT.

THANK YOU. YEAH.

SO WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHEN IT'S OPENING YET.

SO UP UNTIL THIS YEAR IT'S OPEN ON OCTOBER 1ST.

YEAH. AND WE WOULD BE DONE BY THE END OF THE FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER.

AND WHEN WE WENT TO THE TRAINING TWO WEEKS AGO, THEY SAID IT WILL OPEN IN DECEMBER.

WOW. WHICH COULD BE THE FIRST.

IT COULD BE THE 31ST. WE HAVE NO IDEA.

WE WERE JOKING BECAUSE EVERY TWO SECONDS THEY SAID CAVEAT ALL OF THIS COULD CHANGE.

AND SO THE DIANA, THE BIRKNER TEACHER AND I MET THIS WEEKEND.

I TEACH YOGA AS WELL.

SHE CAME TO ONE OF MY CLASSES, AND THEN WE WENT TO GO GET COFFEE AND WE COULD NOT STOP TALKING ABOUT IT.

SO WE JUST STARTED WORKING.

SO OVER THE WEEKEND, JUST JUST THIS PAST WEEKEND WORKED TEN HOURS TO CREATE FOUR DIFFERENT FORMS AT ALL FOUR HIGH SCHOOLS WILL USE.

WE'VE ALL BUILT ON THEM THIS WEEK FROM CREATING IDS FOR PARENTS.

SO UP UNTIL THIS POINT, YOU KNOW, PARENTS HAVE NEEDED LIKE MOST OF OUR STUDENTS, PARENTS HAVE NEEDED TO SIGN A PAPER AND WE SEND THAT IN AND WE CAN REALLY HELP THE KIDS DO THAT.

THAT WILL CHANGE ENTIRELY THIS YEAR.

SOME OF WHAT'S COMING COULD HAVE SOME REAL RAMIFICATIONS ON THIS GRADUATING CLASS.

AND SO THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE IS TO BE ABLE TO CREATE EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO GO HOME SO THAT THE PARENTS REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THEY'RE APPLYING FOR, WHAT WE NEED FROM THEIR STUDENTS, WHAT WE NEED FROM THEM IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH.

WE'VE CREATED AN AUTHORIZATION FORM TO SEE EXACTLY HOW THEY WANT IT DONE, HOW MUCH SUPPORT THEY WANT FROM US, WHAT THEY WANT TO DO AT HOME, WHAT THEY WANT TO DO FROM SCHOOL.

BECAUSE THERE'S JUST SO, SO MUCH THAT'S GOING TO BE NEEDED THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN IN THE PAST.

SO WE HAVE PAINSTAKINGLY LOOKED THROUGH THE PROTOTYPE AND EVERY WHICH WAY.

I'VE GOT 13 TUTORS AT PIERCE, 11 OF WHOM ARE FORMER PIERCE SAVAGE STUDENTS.

AND SO THEY SAT WITH ME LAST WEEK AND I PUT THEM ALL AT A DIFFERENT CHROMEBOOK, ON A DIFFERENT WEBINAR THAT THEY TOOK FOCUS NOTES ON, BECAUSE THEY KNOW HOW TO DO THAT SO THAT WE COULD JUST BENEFIT FROM HAVING MULTIPLE OF US BECAUSE THERE'S JUST SO MUCH.

AND SO THE PLAN WILL ACTUALLY BE TO SIT WITH THOSE 11 AND FILL IT OUT WITH THEM, TO REALLY SEE HOW IT'S DONE FIRST, AND THEN TO TRAIN OUR TUTORS, AND KNOWING HOW TO HELP ALL OF THE KIDS AND JUST HAVE LIKE, SO MUCH OUTREACH.

THE THING THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT YESTERDAY AFTERNOON OR TUESDAY AFTERNOON WAS MAKING SURE THAT IN THE CHANGES, WE FEEL REALLY SOLID AND STABLE SO THAT OUR SENIORS DON'T FEEL DISCOMBOBULATED AT ANY POINT.

AND HOPEFULLY THEY'LL BE ABLE TO HELP THEIR OLDER SIBLINGS AND THOSE IN COLLEGE.

I SAID TO MINE TODAY, DON'T ASK ANYONE OLDER THAN YOU BECAUSE THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE LOST.

THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT I'M MOST AFRAID OF, IS OUR KIDS ARE ALREADY IN COLLEGE BEING ABLE TO REACH OUT TO THEM.

SO WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO MAKE SOME PLANS OF HOW TO GET TO ALL OF OUR GRADUATES AS WELL, AND KNOW SO THEY KNOW HOW TO CONTINUE THEIR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THIS TO SHAKE THEM THAT THEY CAN'T WITH ALL OF THESE CHANGES THAT ARE HAPPENING LITERALLY.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

YEAH. NO, I THINK THAT THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT.

AND THANK YOU FOR DOING ALL THAT.

ALL OF YOU LIKE FOR DOING THAT WORK, BECAUSE I THINK FOR ANY PARENT WHO HAS HAD TO FILL THAT OUT YEAR AFTER YEAR, IT IS IT'S A LOT.

IT'S A LOT. AND IT'S IT'S VERY INTIMIDATING.

AND SO THAT'S GREAT THAT OUR STUDENTS CAN FEEL CONFIDENT ABOUT KIND OF NAVIGATING ALL THAT.

I PROMISE I'M ALMOST DONE.

UM, I KNOW THAT.

OH, WE TALKED ABOUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THOUGHT WAS GREAT TOO.

AND AGAIN, I THINK THIS IS ESTABLISHING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, NOT NOT ONLY MY SON WAS AN AVID AT AND SO WITH MISS BROWN, BUT IT WAS GREAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, EVEN WITHIN THE DISTRICT, WHAT WAS WONDERFUL IS THAT HIS JUNIOR HIGH TEACHER ENDED UP GOING TO BERKNER, RIGHT? SO SHE DID. BERKNER MISS SMITH WAS UP THERE WITH AVID AT BERKNER, BUT IT WAS GREAT BECAUSE EVEN WITHIN THAT RELATIONSHIP HE WAS ABLE TO DO VISITS, WHETHER IT BE WITH, YOU KNOW, RICHARDSON OR AT BERKNER.

AND SO IT WAS WONDERFUL THAT THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO COORDINATE THAT AND GIVE OPPORTUNITIES.

RIGHT, AND SAY, HEY, WE'RE BROKERS GOING TO THIS.

AND SO EVEN THOUGH HE KNEW NO ONE FROM BERKNER, HE WAS STILL AN AVID AND WAS ABLE TO GO ON THAT.

SO I'M JUST WONDERING HOW MANY COLLEGE VISITS DO YOU GUYS DO IN A YEAR? I MEAN, HOW MANY HAVE YOU DONE SO FAR? DO YOU DO SOME IN THE FALL AND IN WINTER OR SPRING RATHER? OR HOW DOES THAT WORK?

[02:35:02]

SO IF THEY GO IN SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE, THEY MAY GO TO TWU AND TO DALLAS COLLEGE.

RIGHT. AND THEN EIGHTH GRADE THEY GO TO ANOTHER TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL.

THEY GIVE THEM A. AND THEN THEIR NINTH GRADE YEAR, THEY GET TO GO TO SMU.

YOU KNOW, SO NOT EVERY SCHOOL IS THE SAME.

BUT WHAT WE ASK OF OUR AVID ELECTED TEACHERS AND COORDINATORS TO ENSURE THAT THE STUDENTS ARE GETTING A BROAD SCOPE EXPERIENCE.

GRADES SEVEN THROUGH 12, LIKE OUR BERKNER TEAM IS TAKING SOME.

ON TUESDAY, I'M GOING TO SMU WITH WEST JUNIOR HIGH.

WE'RE TAKING KIDS. WE JUST WENT TO TWU WITH BURNER.

YOU KNOW. SO IT'S JUST IT'S HAPPENING CONSISTENTLY AND WE'RE ENSURING THAT THOSE KIDS ARE GETTING A DIVERSE EXPERIENCE.

OUR BERKNER HIGH SCHOOL TEAM JUST TOOK AN OVERNIGHT TRIP, ACTUALLY, WHERE THEY VISITED SIX SCHOOLS ALL THE WAY DOWN FROM AUSTIN TO HOUSTON, ENSURING THAT THEY GET TO GO TO HBCUS.

THEY GET TO GO TO UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.

THEY GET TO SEE, YOU KNOW, A VERY DIVERSE GROUP OF UNIVERSITIES, WHICH IS REALLY A TRIBUTE TO THE SCHOOLS.

RIGHT? THEY'RE NOTICING THAT THERE'S A NEED FOR THAT.

AND SO WE'RE HELPING MAKE SURE THOSE THINGS HAPPEN.

YEAH, I THINK THAT THAT WAS SUPER WONDERFUL, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT MY SON WAS ABLE TO GO TO THE BIRKNER.

AND EVEN THOUGH HE WENT TO AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS IT WAS GREAT.

I MEAN, HE REALLY LOVED IT. AND I THINK I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT'S SUPER, SUPER IMPORTANT FOR US TO ESTABLISH WHETHER OUR KIDS ARE VERY YOUNG, BECAUSE GOING TO THOSE CAMPUSES IS JUST IT'S JUST VERY IMPACTFUL.

AS MANY OF US KNOW, AND THEY THEY ARE OUR STUDENTS NEED TO SEE THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, AND THEY WANT TO I THINK THAT THEY IT'S ONE THING TO HEAR ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, IN A COMMERCIAL OR READ ABOUT IT, SEE IT ON THE INTERNET.

BUT IT'S NOT THE SAME WHEN YOU CAN HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE.

SO I THINK ALSO FOR THAT TO MAKE THAT SO REAL AND SO COMMON, RIGHT, TO SAY, HEY, BECAUSE I REMEMBER STUDENTS COMING UP TO ME THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS OUR PTA RALLY.

AND SO WE WERE AT THE CAPITOL.

AND SO I KNEW SOME OF THESE STUDENTS THROUGH A GROUP OF PADRES UNIDOS, BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS, I KNEW THEM THROUGH CHESS AND THEY WENT FOR THE RALLY, RIGHT.

THAT I FORGOT WHAT LEGISLATIVE YEAR THAT WAS.

BUT WE TOOK A BUS AND WE WERE AT THE CAPITOL.

AND I THINK IT WAS THERE THAT I REALIZED THAT I HAD A COUPLE OF, YOU KNOW, SENIORS THAT THAT WERE THEY MAY HAVE BEEN IN AVID.

I DON'T, I DON'T REMEMBER, BUT THEY WERE STUDENTS.

AND I REMEMBER WE HAD OUR LUNCH PERIOD DURING THE RALLY AND THEY BEGGED ME, THEY'RE LIKE, MS. RENTERÍA, LOOK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE, YOU KNOW, AND LIKE, UT IS JUST LIKE, RIGHT HERE, LIKE, CAN CAN WE GO? WE GO SEE IT. AND OF COURSE, IT WAS HARD.

I SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS, WE GOT TO STICK TOGETHER.

WE CAN'T LET YOU GUYS GO OFF.

AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LOT FARTHER TO WALK.

BUT I THINK THAT IT WAS THERE THAT I SEE THAT THESE STUDENTS WANT TO BE IN THESE CAMPUSES.

THEY WANT TO GO VISIT. THEY WANT TO SEE AND THEY WANT TO EXPERIENCE THAT.

SO I THINK IT'S GREAT EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT WE CAN GIVE OUR STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT THERE AND SEE IT, AND ESPECIALLY FOR OUR JUNIORS AND SENIORS.

RIGHT? I MEAN, ABSOLUTELY STARTING THEM YOUNG.

BUT I THINK IT'S CRUCIAL WHEN YOU'RE APPLYING AND YOU'RE JUST APPLYING OUT OF, YOU KNOW, JUST BLINDLY AND YOU THINK YOU WANT TO GO THERE.

AND IT'S NOT TILL YOU GO TO THAT CAMPUS AND YOU THINK, OH, I DON'T KNOW IF I REALLY WANT TO LIVE OUT ALL THE WAY OUT HERE OR WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE.

SO I THINK THAT'S SUPER, SUPER IMPORTANT AND COMPELLING.

WHY? DEFINITELY.

VERY, VERY I KNOW MISS HARRIS, AND I THINK MISS PACHECO AS WELL ARE FAMILIAR WITH THAT EVERY YEAR I'VE GONE FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND I THINK IT'S AWESOME.

I THINK THAT ESTABLISHING THAT AND HAVING OUR STUDENTS GO OUT THERE AND JUST AS YOU SAID EARLIER, UM, HAVING OUR STUDENTS HEAR FROM COMMUNITY LEADERS IN EVERY DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, LINE OF WORK THAT, THAT LOOK LIKE THEM, THAT THEY CAN RELATE TO IS AWESOME.

I THINK IT REALLY GIVES THEM THAT.

SO TO SEE MORE OF THAT IS, IS ALSO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE OF THAT.

AND SO PLEASE CONTINUE THE WORK WITH THAT.

UM, I WAS GOING TO ASK ALSO WHAT WHAT IS THE CRITERIA TO MAKE A DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL LIKE AN AVID DEMONSTRATION.

LIKE WHAT? WHAT DO WHAT DO THEY LOOK FOR IN ORDER TO GET THAT TITLE? SO IT KIND OF STARTS WITH LIKE I REFERENCED THE TOOL CALLED THE CCI, THE EXCUSE ME, THE.

CERTIFICATION AND COACHING INSTRUMENT FOR AVID AND I.

AND WHAT THAT REALLY DOES IS IT PROVIDES A RUBRIC FOR SCHOOLS TO REALLY TO SEE HOW THEY'RE PROGRESSING IN THE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT THAT AVID SHOULD BE IMPACTING THE SCHOOL.

AND AS SCHOOLS ARE ABLE TO SELF EVALUATE MOVING DOWN THAT RUBRIC TO WHAT WE WOULD SAY CONSIDER TO BE SCHOOL WIDE OR SCHOOL WIDE SITE OF DISTINCTION, THAT IS, AT THE POINT WHERE THEY'RE READY IF THEIR SCHOOL WIDE SITE OF DISTINCTION IS, EXCUSE ME, THE HIGHEST

[02:40:02]

WHAT IS WEIRD? HOW AVID DOES IT BECAUSE AVID DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL IS NOT A RATING, IT IS JUST A RECOGNITION AND IT ALLOWS YOU TO KIND OF SIGNIFIES OPENING YOUR DOORS FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO COME SEE.

SO. UM, YOU WOULD NEED TO BE PRETTY HIGH UP ON THAT SCALE OF SCHOOL WIDE OR SCHOOL WIDE, SITE OF DISTINCTION OR EMERGING.

AND THEN AT THAT POINT YOU WOULD MAKE AN APPLICATION TO AVID.

THEY WOULD COME OUT AND DO AN INITIAL VISIT AND COACHING VISIT, AND THEY MEET WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP TEAM AND YOU HEAR FROM A PANEL OF SCHOLARS, AND THERE'S A WHOLE THING THAT THEY DO. RIGHT. BUT JUST TO KIND OF DIFFERENTIATE DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL IS KIND OF AN HONOR THAT IS LIKE.

YOU'RE AWESOME. LET US BRING PEOPLE TO COME SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING.

SCHOOL WIDE CITED DISTINCTION IS THE HIGHEST RATING YOU CAN GET.

WOW. OKAY. WELL AWESOME.

AND THAT'S THAT'S WONDERFUL THAT WE HAVE THOSE RECOGNITIONS.

SO THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYBODY WHO MAKES THAT HAPPEN.

UM, I THINK THE ONLY MAYBE ONE OF MY LAST QUESTIONS IS, IS, IS AVID MANDATORY IN ANY OF THE SCHOOLS? LIKE IS THAT SOMETHING I KNOW THAT IN SPOKEN WITH MS..

PACHECO ONE TIME WE I DIDN'T REALIZE I THINK HER SON.

RIGHT, I THINK RIGHT, I WASN'T SURE I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR MISS PACHECO, BUT, UM, I KNOW THAT I'M JUST WONDERING, IS THAT EVER, LIKE A MANDATORY THING AT ANY CAMPUS? I MEAN, IT'S NEVER THAT. IT'S ALWAYS AN ELECTIVE.

CORRECT. SO IT'S PROVIDED AS AN ELECTIVE COURSE.

OUR BURDEN OF HIGH SCHOOL LEARNING COMMUNITY HAD SEVERAL YEARS WHERE THEY HAD SOME STEM GRANT MONEY.

THOSE PRINCIPLES CONNECTED ALL TOGETHER TO SAY, CAN WE, YOU KNOW, CAN WE BRING ALL OF OUR STUDENTS INTO THE AVID ELECTIVE BECAUSE WE SEE A NEED FOR THAT WITH OUR STUDENT BODY AND OUR STUDENT POPULATION? UM, AND THEN BERKNER HIGH SCHOOL HAS WHAT WE CALL AVID FOR MOST NINTH AND 10TH GRADERS.

SO, YOU KNOW, THEY THEY HAVE AVID ELECTIVE OPEN TO ANY STUDENT THAT WANTS TO TAKE IT AT BERTNER HIGH SCHOOL.

AND I THINK THAT PARENT WOULD NEED TO OPT OUT OR WOULD NEED TO OPT OUT IF THEY CHOOSE NOT TO BE IN THE AVID ELECTIVE.

BUT IT'S OPEN TO ALL NINTH AND 10TH GRADERS.

AND OF COURSE, WE WANT TO HELP THEM CONTINUE TO 11TH AND 12TH GRADE.

BUT THE THE GRANT FUNDING THAT WAS BEHIND THAT FIRST INITIATIVE IS IS GONE.

AND SO WE'VE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS AND REFINEMENTS BASED ON THAT.

OKAY. SO BUT AVID IS OPEN TO AGAIN TO THE SCHOOLS THAT WE MENTIONED.

BUT NONE OF IT IS GOING TO BE OTHER NOW THAT THE CHANGE HAS BEEN MADE.

OKAY. BECAUSE I DID FIND THAT INTERESTING, THAT I ONLY KNEW THE SCHOOL THAT MY CHILD WAS AT.

RIGHT. AND SO WHEN I HEARD OF THE SCHOOLS AND THEY WERE DESCRIBING IT DIFFERENTLY, I WASN'T SURE HOW HOW THAT WORKED OR WHAT OTHER PROCESS THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, SO BUT THAT'S GREAT TO KNOW.

AND I THINK I'LL JUST END WITH THE FACT THAT MY SON LOVED AVID, YOU KNOW, HE LOVED AVID.

HE WAS VERY GRATEFUL TO EVERYBODY WHO HELPED HIM.

AND I WILL SAY, LIKE, TO MR. YEAGER'S POINT, WHEN MY SON WENT ON, HE IS A SENIOR AT UNM, HE WILL BE GRADUATING IN MAY.

AND EVERYTHING THAT HE HAS DONE THROUGH SCHOOL, EVERYTHING HE LEARNED AT AVID HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT BENEFICIAL FOR HIM.

YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN IT'S BEEN GREAT.

AND, YOU KNOW, HE STILL REMEMBERS.

I REMEMBER ALL THE, UH, THE WHAT ARE THE SHEETS, MISS BROWN? THE TUTORIAL REQUEST FORMS. YES. THANK YOU. CORNELL NOTES.

YES, I REMEMBER HEARING THAT, YOU KNOW, BUT THE ORGANIZATION THAT HE LEARNED, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, WITH THE PEERS THAT HE HAD THAT SUPPORTED EACH OTHER, HE LEARNED A LOT.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'M VERY GRATEFUL.

I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO EVERYBODY WHO JUST WORKED SO HARD TO CONTINUE THIS PROGRAM.

AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, MAKING AN IMPACT ON THE STUDENTS WE SERVE.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU GUYS.

THANK YOU, MR. ANDREA.

MR. POTEAT.

ALL RIGHT. YOU READY? NO, I JUST WANTED.

I'LL KEEP IT SHORT. I'VE GOT SOME SOME COMMENTS THAT I'LL SEND YOUR WAY, BUT I'M THE BIGGEST FAN.

IF WE. I DON'T KNOW HOW WE MEASURE FANDOM HERE OR WHATEVER, BUT HUGE FAN.

AND I GOT TO GO TO THE END OF LAST YEAR TO THE RECOGNITION OF ALL THE SENIORS.

BLEW MY MIND.

I LOVE, I WOULD SAY IN YOUR NEXT PRESENTATION, DON'T BURY THE LEAD.

START OUT WITH SHOWING THE SUCCESS METRICS, BECAUSE THAT'S KIND OF THE WHY.

YOU KNOW, IT SHOWS, HEY, THIS IS THE CELL AND THIS IS WHY WE'RE DOING IT AND WHY WE NEED TO DO MORE OF IT.

SO I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND HITTING THAT HARD AT THE BEGINNING BECAUSE THAT'S A THAT'S A CRITICAL PIECE.

AND I MEAN, IT MEANS EVERYTHING SEEING THE THE THE SUCCESS AND HOW IT'S MEASURABLE.

AND IT GETS MORE AND MORE IMPORTANT TO MEASURE THOSE KIND OF SUCCESSES AS WE GO FORWARD.

SO HUGE FAN APPRECIATE ALL THE EFFORT EVERYBODY'S PUT IN.

TAKE CARE OF ALL YOUR COORDINATORS.

WE ALL KEEP MENTIONING RELATIONSHIPS AND YOU CAN'T DO THAT IF YOU GOT TURNOVER OF COORDINATORS AND TEACHERS.

SO WE GOT TO PUT OUR ARMS AROUND THEM, MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP CONSISTENCY THERE.

[02:45:04]

THANK YOU, MR. POTEET.

MISS MCGOWAN, ONE LAST QUESTION.

BECAUSE THEY TOOK SO LONG AND I'M THINKING ABOUT IT NOW.

WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT ALL NIGHT. WE CAN SIT HERE TILL MIDNIGHT IF Y'ALL WANT TO.

OKAY. SO JUST ONE LAST THING, RIGHT? WITH COVID AND, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, WITH THE, WITH THE GAPS THAT THE PANDEMIC LEFT US, HOW DID Y'ALL I KNOW YOU SAW A LOT OF THAT WITH THE STUDENTS COMING BACK AND ENTERING THE AVID PROGRAM.

DO YOU THINK THAT YOUR PROGRAM HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON I MEAN, LIKE THAT GAP, ACHIEVEMENT GAP? HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN ABLE TO CLOSE A LOT OF THAT WITH THESE KIDDOS? YOU THINK MAYBE THAT OTHER CHILDREN ARE NOT GETTING THAT? YEAH, I WOULD JUST SAY OUR COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT WE'RE HAVING RIGOROUS INSTRUCTION WITH AND THEN ALSO OF COURSE, COACHING OUR OUR WHOLE STAFFS THROUGH THE SCHOOL LEADERSHIP TEAMS AROUND THAT.

WE'RE DEFINITELY WE'RE CHASING THAT JUST LIKE WE ARE EVERYWHERE IN OUR ISD.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE DATA FOR, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A PERIOD OF TIME DURING COVID WHERE YOU HAD ALL THESE KIDS THAT HAD APPLIED TO COLLEGE AND BUT THEN THEY DIDN'T GO, RIGHT.

I MEAN, THEY DIDN'T GO. SO YOU HAVE THAT LITTLE HOLE IN THERE WITH WHO ACTUALLY WHO ACTUALLY WENT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE LIKE, YOU KNOW.

KIDS WERE LIKE, I'M NOT GOING TO GO PAY $40,000 TO BE ONLINE IN MY DORM ROOM, YOU KNOW? SO IT WAS JUST KIND OF LIKE THAT.

SO I DEFINITELY YOU CAN SEE IN THAT DATA THAT THAT'S REBOUNDED CONSIDERABLY.

AND I WILL JUST SAY, I THINK THE THE EMBEDDED INHERENT EXPECTATION AROUND TUTORIALS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE ACCOUNTABILITY THAT OUR AVID COORDINATORS, THOSE AVID ELECTED TEACHERS HAVE WITH THOSE STUDENTS.

SO THEY GET GRADE REPORTS.

SO IF A STUDENT IS NOT PERFORMING AT A HIGH LEVEL IN ONE OF THEIR CLASSES, THESE INDIVIDUALS KNOW ABOUT IT AND THAT ELECTED TEACHERS IMMEDIATELY HAVING A CONFERENCE WITH THAT STUDENT TO FIND OUT. ARE YOU GOING TO TUTORIALS? WHAT OTHER SUPPORTS DO YOU NEED.

SO THEY'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE NECESSARILY FOR FILLING IN EVERY ACADEMIC GAP, BUT THEY'RE ENSURING THAT THERE IS A FRAMEWORK AND THAT THERE IS THAT ACCOUNTABILITY PIECE SO THAT THAT STUDENT IS NOT ALLOWED TO JUST CONTINUE TO MOVE ON BEFORE WE SAY WE'RE GOING TO STOP AND WE'RE GOING TO SAY, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE AND HOW CAN WE SUPPORT YOU, WHETHER IT IS A CONTENT GAP OR WHETHER THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON AT HOME OR THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON SOCIALLY AND EMOTIONALLY THAT'S KEEPING THEM FROM FROM HAVING THAT SUCCESS.

SO I THINK THAT THAT INHERENT PIECE IS ALLOWING OUR STUDENTS TO REBOUND IN A VERY STRONG WAY, AS OPPOSED TO IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE THIS.

OKAY, ONE MORE THING. I'M SORRY, REGINA.

UM, OUR ATHLETES WITH THE EIGHT YOU SAID BECAUSE WE ARE NOW IN THE EIGHT PERIOD SCHEDULE, ARE YOU SAYING DO OUR ATHLETES GET TO DO THIS NOW SINCE THEY ARE SINCE.

OH, ABSOLUTELY. OKAY.

YEAH. WE YEAH, WE HAVE ACTUALLY WE JUST WHO IS OUR YOUNG MAN THAT GOT THE AWARD AT THE PEP RALLY.

THE. OH, DONOVAN. DONOVAN.

YEAH DONOVAN IS ONE OF OUR.

AND. YEAH.

AND THEY'RE BOTH AVID SCHOLARS.

YEAH. AND SO YEAH.

OKAY. AND I'M JUST GOING TO CLOSE WITH SAYING WHAT MS. RENTERÍA SAID AS WELL.

STARTING STARTING IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS SO PIVOTAL, RIGHT? LIKE IF WE GET THEM WHEN THEY'RE LITTLE, WE CLOSE UP A LOT OF THIS BEFORE THEY.

RIGHT. THIRD GRADE READING AND MOVING ON.

SO AVID FOR ALL.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? GOOD STUFF.

GOOD STUFF. I JUST HAD JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.

SO WHEN MY SON GOT TO RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL, I REALLY WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH AVID.

I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT.

HE TRIED TO KIND OF TELL ME ABOUT IT.

I STILL WASN'T SUPER CLEAR.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M MOST PROUD OF IS THAT SINCE THAT TIME AND THAT HASN'T BEEN A LONG TIME AGO, THAT WAS JUST 2 OR 3 YEARS AGO.

THE VISIBILITY THAT THIS PROGRAM HAS BROUGHT ABOUT IS JUST ENORMOUS.

SO I APPRECIATE YOU ALL FOR THAT BECAUSE, AGAIN, I TOTALLY DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IT WAS, WHAT IT MEANT, WHO IT WAS REALLY FOR.

AND I THINK EVEN COMING HERE TO PRESENT TO US TONIGHT BRINGS A LOT OF VISIBILITY AND EDUCATION, BECAUSE THIS DATA, THESE NUMBERS, AND HELPING US UNDERSTAND WHO IT IMPACTS AND HOW IT IMPACTS IS HUGE.

SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

I THANK YOU, AND I LOVE THE PART ABOUT THE RIGOR, BECAUSE SO MANY OF OUR KIDS, I KNOW THE KIDS THAT LOOK LIKE ME DON'T TYPICALLY WANT TO TAKE THOSE COURSES THAT ARE RIGOROUS, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE THE CAPABILITY AND THE ABILITY TO DO THOSE COURSES, THEY STILL DON'T WANT TO DO THEM BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE TYPICALLY THE FAMILY STRUCTURE, PEOPLE IN THE HOUSEHOLD WHO ARE

[02:50:05]

BUT TO HEAR THAT YOU GUYS ARE HELPING THEM GET TO THAT NEXT LEVEL IS GREAT.

IT'S HUGE. I THANK YOU SO MUCH, I APPRECIATE IT.

AND MS. RENTERÍA.

ONLY BECAUSE YOU SAID THAT.

AND I JUST WANT TO FOLLOW UP THAT THIS IS WHY I THINK I'M ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT THE IMPACT OF HAVING FAMILIES INVOLVED IN THIS AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS, BECAUSE, LIKE MS..

HARRIS JUST SAID, WHEN YOU HAVE A PARENT THAT DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT AVID IS, YOU KNOW, YOU HEAR ABOUT IT.

AND EVEN NOW WITH THE VISIBILITY, SHE'S RIGHT.

IT'S WONDERFUL. BUT I THINK THAT UNTIL YOU PARTNER AND REALLY PARTNER WITH THOSE FAMILIES THAT YOU CAN SAY, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE TALK SO MUCH ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AND THE FAMILY ENGAGEMENT TO REALLY PARTNER WITH THOSE, THOSE, THOSE PARENTS SO THAT THEY, ALONG WITH THEIR STUDENT IS I JUST THINK IT'S JUST A IT'S IT'S A PUZZLE THAT FITS TOGETHER.

AND WE NEED THE TEACHERS, YOU KNOW, LIKE, LIKE THE SCHOOLS, THE PROGRAM AND THE PARENTS IN ORDER TO MAKE IT REALLY, REALLY STRONG.

SO AGAIN, KUDOS TO YOU.

BUT THANK YOU, MS.. HARRIS.

ALL RIGHT. SO WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE THAT ONE.

ON THAT NOTE THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU GUYS. OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN INFORMATION ITEM.

[IV.E. Discussion of Legislative Issues]

MS.. MORSE.

THIS HAS BEEN A VERY CALM TIME IN YOUR LEGISLATIVE WORLD, RIGHT? MS.. MORRIS.

ALL I CAN SAY IS I LOVED HEARING THE STUFF ABOUT AVID BECAUSE I WORKED FOR AVID FOR FIVE YEARS, AND IT'S THE BEST.

SO IT'S AN EXCITING TIME.

AND. GOOD EVENING, BOARD.

I'M. I WAS ABOUT READY TO SAY I'M GLAD TO BE HERE.

I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE.

THERE IS A LOT GOING ON.

IT'S BEEN NOT BORING AT ALL.

SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM AND I THINK MY PHONE HAS PROBABLY DINGED MORE TIMES IN THE LAST TWO DAYS THAN IT HAS IN THE LAST TWO YEARS BECAUSE OF ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE CHANGING.

SO I WILL GO BRIEFLY OVER WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON AND HOPE THAT YOU'LL PAUSE ME IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING.

SO YOU KNOW THAT WE FINISHED THE THIRD LEGISLATIVE SPECIAL SESSION AND THEN IMMEDIATELY WENT TO A FOURTH LEGISLATIVE SPECIAL SESSION WHERE GOVERNOR ABBOTT ASKED FOR US, NOT ONLY ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT VOUCHERS.

THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME HE'S TRIED NOW TWO TIMES IN THE REGULAR SESSION, ONE TIME LAST SESSION AND NOW THIS TIME.

ANYWAY. OKAY, GOOD.

WELL, THEY. THEY SHOULD.

IT WAS GOOD. ENJOY THE MOMENT.

RIGHT. I'LL BE SO HAPPY IF I CAN EVER COME UP HERE AND SAY THAT.

ANYWAY, THEY, SO IT HAS NOT, SO THEY'RE TRYING THE FOURTH TIME TO DO THIS.

AND THE GOVERNOR KEEPS SWEETENING THE POT TO TRY TO MAKE IT SOMETHING THAT THE HOUSE MEMBERS WILL PASS.

THE LAST REPORT I HAD FROM PEOPLE THAT I WORK WITH IN AUSTIN SAY THEY STILL DON'T HAVE THE VOTES TO PASS A VOUCHER BILL TODAY.

RIGHT NOW, THEY ARE STILL HEARING WITNESSES ON THAT BILL.

I DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY'LL CALL IT QUITS.

IT MIGHT BE MIDNIGHT OR THEY MAY JUST LET EVERYBODY TALK.

BUT IT'S BEEN A TREMENDOUS DAY.

I THINK, MR. POTEET, YOU HEARD PART OF IT, AND IT GETS FRUSTRATING AT TIMES WHEN YOU HEAR PEOPLE SAY THINGS ABOUT PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

ANYWAY, WHAT'S REALLY WAS INTERESTING TO ME TONIGHT, I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, WELL, I WONDER WHAT THE SENATE IS DOING.

WELL, TODAY THEY HEARD THEIR VOUCHER BILL AND THEIR SENATE FINANCE BILL, AND THEY BOTH PASSED OUT OF THE COMMITTEE AND OUT OF THE SENATE.

SO THEY WILL HEAD OVER TO THE HOUSE.

SO THE SENATE'S MARCHING RIGHT ALONG WITH WHAT THEY WERE DOING.

THEY PASSED THE SAME BILLS THEY HAD THE LAST TIME.

TOMORROW IN THE HOUSE, THEY WILL HEAR HOUSE BILL TWO, WHICH IS THE SAFETY BILL, AND I'M HAPPY TO REPORT IT'S A DECENT BILL.

I THINK THERE ARE PROBABLY SOME TWEAKS THAT WILL BE MADE, BUT OVERALL IT'S GOT SOME GOOD SOLID FUNDING FOR SCHOOL SAFETY AND SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE COULD GET BEHIND AND SUPPORT. THEY ARE GOING TO SET UP A NEW FUND VIA A CONSTITUTIONAL ELECTION MAY 4TH TO FUND, AND THEY'LL USE SOME OF THE RAINY DAY FUND AND SOME OTHER FUNDS THAT THEY'VE GOT FOCUSED ON TO FUND THIS.

AND IT'S INTERESTING HOW THEY'RE GOING TO DO.

I THINK IT'S YOU'LL GET $200,000 IF YOU HAVE SCHOOLS WITH POPULATIONS GREATER THAN 2000 AND IT GOES 150, IT GOES BY FIVE HUNDREDTHS.

SO IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR US.

AND I THINK MAYBE THERE'S A CHANCE THAT IT MIGHT PASS IN THE HOUSE.

[02:55:02]

SOMETHING WILL PASS IN THE SENATE, MAYBE IT'LL GO TO CONFERENCE AND IT MAY GET TO THE GOVERNOR'S DESK.

THE UT DID.

UT DID A POLL OF VOTERS IN OCTOBER, AND THE SAFETY ISSUE WAS THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE FOR VOTERS REGARDING EDUCATION VOUCHERS FELL ABOUT FIFTH.

SO VOTERS ARE FAR MORE INTERESTED IN PAYING TEACHERS, AS YOU COULD SEE BY THE RESULTS OF THE ELECTION JUST HAD, AND ALSO SAFETY, SCHOOL SAFETY.

SO WE MIGHT ACTUALLY HAVE SOME SCHOOL SAFETY MONEY.

MY FINGERS ARE CROSSED.

I HOPE YOURS ARE CROSSED TOO.

THEN THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO TELL YOU IS, YOU KNOW, WE DID OUR COMMUNICATION THINGS.

YOU AND I WANTED TO JUST TELL YOU WHERE WHAT OUR RESULTS HAVE BEEN ON THAT COMMUNICATION.

I APPRECIATE EVERYONE WHO WROTE AND DID THE THINGS THAT.

THE CLICKED ON THE LINK IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY.

SO AS OF THIS MORNING AT 10 A.M.

AND PROBABLY WE HAVE MORE RESULTS, BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET THEM YET.

WE HAVE HAD A TOTAL OF 1296 EMAILS SENT FROM THAT MESSAGE, WHICH, ACCORDING TO THE PEOPLE AT RAISE YOUR HAND, TEXAS, WHO HELPED US WITH THIS.

AND ACTUALLY IT'S THEIR LINK THAT THEY LET US USE.

THEY SAID THAT'S OUTSTANDING.

SO WE'RE REALLY PLEASED WITH THAT.

AND IN THE HOUSE, DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE RAMOS HAS RECEIVED 207 EMAILS.

REPRESENTATIVE MYERS HAS RECEIVED 193.

REPRESENTATIVE BUTTON 556.

AND REPRESENTATIVE JOHN BRYANT HAS RECEIVED 36.

SO THAT'S REALLY OUTSTANDING.

AND I WANT TO THANK MELISSA HELLER AND TIM CLARK FOR ALL THE HELP THAT THEY GAVE ME WITH THAT AND PUSHING IT OUT AND ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS AND ANYTHING THAT WE COULD DO, BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE SENDING A MESSAGE AND THEY NEEDED TO HEAR IT, AND HOPEFULLY WE'RE GOING TO DO IT AGAIN IF THE BILL DOES EVER GET TO A FLOOR. OUR INTENT IS TO SEND SOMETHING ELSE OUT AND SAY, OKAY, HERE, LET'S DO THIS ONE MORE TIME.

THEY NEED TO HEAR FROM US.

MAYBE THAT WON'T EVER HAPPEN, I DON'T KNOW.

BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S KIND OF IT IN A NUTSHELL.

IT IS HOT AND HEAVY RIGHT NOW.

LIKE I SAID, THE HOUSE COMMITTEE IS STILL HEARING WITNESSES.

UM, SO WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

AND WHAT HAPPENS TOMORROW WITH THE SAFETY BILL WILL BE INTERESTING AS WELL.

AND THANK YOU, MISS MORSE, FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.

I KNOW THAT I POSTED IT ON MY FACEBOOK PAGES.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, AND ENCOURAGED ALL OF MY COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO GET OUT THERE AND CLICK THAT LINK.

SO I HOPE MY COLLEAGUES DID THE SAME.

BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.

BOUGHT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR CORRESPONDENCE.

OH GOSH, I HOPE YOU ALL DON'T MIND ALL THE STUFF I SEND, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

THANK YOU, VANESSA, FOR WHAT YOU DID TODAY.

I HOPE YOU ALL GOT THE LINK.

AND YOU CAN STILL DO IT BECAUSE THEY'RE STILL HEARING.

IF YOU WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT.

WHEN I HEARD YESTERDAY, RIGHT BEFORE I SENT THAT EMAIL TO YOU ALL, THEY HAD 399 PAGES OF COMMENTS.

AND THEY'LL HAVE STAFF THAT WILL GO JUST TICK OPPOSE, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT, OPPOSE, SUPPORT.

SO. THE MESSAGE JUST NEEDS TO BE CLEAR ON WHETHER YOU SUPPORT OR OPPOSE, AND EVERYTHING ELSE IS KIND OF GOING TO.

BE READ BY SOMEBODY WHO DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO DO.

SO. DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? NO, JUST. THANK YOU.

YOU'RE WELCOME. ANYTHING ELSE? THAT'S IT. I THINK THAT'S IT.

ALL RIGHT, THAT'S GREAT.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

THANKS VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT, ONE MORE THING.

BEFORE WE GET OUT OF HERE.

BOARD. WE'RE JUST GOING TO DO A LITTLE ROUND ROBIN AND KIND OF TALK ABOUT OUR ACTIVITIES IN THE DISTRICT.

[IV.F. Discussion of Student / District Activities]

THAT WAS MYSELF, MS. RENTERÍA AND MR. POTEET. RIGHT, WHO JOINED US.

MR. EAGER MR. EAGER WHO WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THE PARADE.

AND IT WAS A COUPLE OTHER PEOPLE.

PARENTS. OH.

IS MEGAN. MEGAN.

THAT'S RIGHT. WAS LIKE IT WAS MORE OF US.

MS. RENTERÍA YOU WANT TO.

KNOW IT WAS JUST FUN.

I MEAN, THAT THE THE HOMECOMING PARADE IS IS ALWAYS A BIG HIGHLIGHT FOR THE RICHARDSON FEEDER PATTERN.

I THINK IT'S IT'S AWESOME.

IT'S GREAT TO BE THERE AMONG OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR COLLEAGUES AND THE EXECUTIVE BOARD THERE.

IT'S ALWAYS A LOT OF FUN.

AND IT WAS GREAT.

IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE ALL THE SPIRIT OUT THERE AND ALL THE FAMILIES, AND IT'S JUST A GREAT TIME TO COME TOGETHER AND, YOU KNOW, JUST YOU CAN JUST SEE THE STRENGTH OF THE COMMUNITY THERE. AND IT WAS JUST AWESOME.

IT WAS A LOT OF FUN.

AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE RICHARDSON DIVERSITY CIVIC ENGAGEMENT CELEBRATING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH.

[03:00:08]

YES, IT WAS A GREAT EVENT.

IT WAS. IT'S THE SECOND ANNUAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION.

I WAS PROUD TO, I GUESS, EMCEE THE EVENT, AND IT WAS JUST GREAT TO DISCUSS THE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF HISPANICS, WHAT WE DO AND PROVIDE ECONOMICALLY TO THE COUNTRY.

UM, JUST OUR CULTURE AND JUST SHARING AND HOW OUR COMMUNITY CAN ENGAGE, UM, OUR SCHOOLS, EDUCATION.

WHAT ELSE DID WE TALK ABOUT? WORK, SCHOOLS, EDUCATION? IT WAS JUST A LOT.

IT WAS A LOT OF CELEBRATION.

AND WE HAD A LOT OF LEADERS FROM DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THERE, AND I WAS REALLY GLAD EVERYBODY JOINED IN AND LEARNED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LATINOS IN OUR COUNTRY AND GOOD FOOD.

YES. IT WAS DELICIOUS FOOD THERE.

THANK YOU FOR EMCEEING THAT.

YOU DID A GREAT JOB.

THANK YOU. SO, MR. POTEET, TELL US ABOUT THE PEGASUS.

OH, WE TEAMED WITH THE PID.

THE LAKE ISLANDS PID.

AND I BELIEVE PART OF THE TIFF OVER THERE ANYWAY.

AND THERE'S A BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT THAT WAS ACROSS FROM WILDCAT RAM STADIUM AND HISTORICALLY.

RACHEL, REMEMBER, I WAS BEFORE MY TIME.

THEY USED TO PAINT THE TRESTLE THAT WERE THE DARK RAIL IS.

YEAH. I'M JUST SPEAKING TO YOU.

SINCE THAT WENT AWAY, WE WORKED WITH THESE PARTNERS IN PUTTING SOME ART UP ON ON SOME OF OUR PROPERTY OVER THERE, AND IT WAS ACTUALLY AN ART PIECE THAT TOOK US BACK TO THE MOBIL OIL PEGASUS.

YOU'RE STARING AT ME. UM, AND IT WAS ACTUALLY A LAKE HIGHLANDS GRADUATE THAT DID THE ARTWORK AND, AND DONATED IT TO THE DISTRICT AND THE PID.

SO PRETTY NEAT.

SO THEY DID A RIBBON CUTTING, AND IT WAS A GREAT TO SEE THAT AND SEE EVERYBODY ENJOY IT.

AND THAT'S IT.

IT WAS THE LAKE HIGHLANDS WOMEN'S LEAGUE AS WELL.

MR. POTEET? YEAH.

THAT'S RIGHT. THANK YOU. IT'S LATE.

YES. LAKE HIGHLANDS WOMEN'S LEAGUE AS WELL.

JUNIOR WOMEN'S LEAGUE.

THAT'S RIGHT. 40.

WE THINK THE. WHAT IS THAT? OKAY. THANK YOU. I JUST WASN'T SURE.

SHEEP HERE. AND SO MS. RENTERÍA AND MYSELF HAD A BLAST AT THE NETWORK OF COMMUNITY MINISTRIES FOR GOLF FUNDRAISER.

WE HAD A REALLY GOOD TIME.

LOTS OF REALLY GOOD FOOD, MUSIC, DANCING AUCTION WAS ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS.

IT WAS SO MUCH STUFF.

THE ONE THING THAT I WANTED, IT WENT LIKE THAT.

WHY I WANTED IT, I DON'T KNOW, IT WAS A PIZZA OVEN.

IT WAS A PIZZA OVEN.

YEAH. I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS PRETTY COOL.

SO I DIDN'T WIN THAT ONE.

BUT WE HAD A GREAT TIME SO CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT TIME.

WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME.

RICHARDSON READ.

SEVERAL OF US PARTICIPATED IN THAT.

MISS MCGOWAN.

THANK YOU FOR THIS ONE.

AND THAT WAS NICE. YEAH, IT WAS GREAT.

IT WAS FUN GOING TO READ TO MY ALMA MATER, STILL ELEMENTARY.

AND MY LITTLE GIRL'S NAME CLASSROOM.

THAT'S DUAL LANGUAGE. AND THEY ONLY SPEAK LANGUAGE SPANISH IN THE CLASSROOM.

AND I WAS LIKE, I'M SORRY, I CAN'T READ IN SPANISH.

GIVE ME AN ENGLISH BOOK.

AND THEN I LEFT THERE AND WENT TO A COUPLE OTHER SCHOOLS AND RENT THERE.

AND THAT WAS FUN. AND IT'S JUST YOU GUYS ARE BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING IN THIS DISTRICT, HANDS DOWN.

AND JUST LIKE THAT LADY SAID, IT'S A PAYCHECK, HEART, PAYCHECK OR WHATEVER SHE USED TO DESCRIBE IT.

AND AND THAT'S WHAT I GET EVERY TIME I WALK INTO THESE SCHOOLS IS THAT BLESSING.

AND I'M LIKE, I SEE WHY THEY DO WHAT THEY DO.

AND DARN IT, THEY SHOULD BE PAID HANDS DOWN MORE THAN WE ARE ABLE TO DO.

SO IT'S JUST A BLESSING TO BE A BLESSING.

SO GOOD NIGHT. YES, IT'S DEFINITELY ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS TO DO IS TO TO READ TO THE KIDS.

I LOVE TO JUST OVEREXAGGERATE WHEN I READ THE BOOKS AND JUST TO SEE THE KIDS.

JUST HAVE A GREAT TIME.

I JUST I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT.

SO I THINK SEVERAL OF US HERE WERE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT THAT EVENT.

ALTRUSA VANESSA AND I ACTUALLY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE OUR SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM ON HER AWARD, WHICH WE RECOGNIZED HER EARLIER TODAY. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING SO AWESOME.

UM, IT WAS A GREAT EVENT.

AND AGAIN, ANOTHER AUCTION.

I DIDN'T WIN ANYTHING.

[03:05:02]

THE FAMILY ENGAGEMENT SYMPOSIUM, MYSELF AND MS. RENTERÍA. YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT? MS. RENTERÍA. THAT'S THE ONE WE WENT AT LAKE HIGHLANDS.

THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH, THAT WAS ALSO GREAT.

IT WAS. IT WAS GOOD TO GO UP THERE AND SEE, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT SHOWED UP AND THE SUPPORT THAT WE HAD EVEN IT WAS A RAINY DAY, I THINK.

RIGHT. YEAH. IT WAS, IT WAS A REALLY RAINY DAY.

BUT ALL THE FAMILIES THAT THEY SERVED, WE ALSO GOT TO SEE THE, THE, THE, THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER GAVE A SESSION TO THE TEACHERS.

SO THAT WAS REALLY AWESOME.

AND SHE WENT OVER DIFFERENT STRATEGIES AND IT WAS REALLY GREAT TO SIT IN AND WATCH THAT.

SO IT WAS IT WAS A GREAT WEEKEND.

IT WAS JUST AWESOME AGAIN, TO SEE ALL THESE VOLUNTEERS AND JUST EVERYBODY WHO ALSO GOES OR THE PARENTS WHO SHOWED UP IN SPITE OF THE RAINY WEATHER, WHO GO UP THERE AND YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THAT MAKE ALL OF THIS HAPPEN AND JUST VERY GRATEFUL TO EVERYBODY WHO BRINGS IT TO FRUITION AND PROVIDES THESE OPPORTUNITIES AGAIN, FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

IT WAS GREAT. AND MISS PACHECO MS. RENTERÍA WERE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE REFUGEE SERVICES.

YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT? I HEARD IT WAS AWESOME.

THE PICTURES WERE GREAT.

WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF I PARTICIPATED, BUT I WAS THERE.

I SAID HELLO TO EVERY TABLE VENDOR THAT WAS THERE AND ALSO OUR RAISED COMMUNITY.

UM, I GUESS OUR EMPLOYEES AND AND DIFFERENT TEAM MEMBERS REALLY, AND ALSO OUR COMMUNITY.

I THINK WE HAD SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS WELL THERE.

UM, JUST SHARING THE SERVICES THAT WE OFFER AS A DISTRICT, THE SERVICES THAT THE CITY OFFERS.

BUT WHAT REALLY JUST BUILT MY HEART UP WAS SEEING ALL THESE FAMILIES ACTUALLY ENGAGING AND RECEIVING AND PARTICIPATING. UM, I KNOW THAT MISS RENTERIA WENT TO THE FIRST PART OF IT WHERE THEY THEY HAD A SESSION.

UM, I REALLY LOVED THAT WE HAD VOLUNTEER STUDENTS TO DO THE BABYSITTING FOR THE KIDS SO THAT PARENTS COULD FOCUS AND LEARN AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, ENGAGE IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS AND, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE BAGS THAT WERE BUILT UP ALREADY, THE ORGANIZATION BEHIND IT WAS AMAZING.

UM, THEY HAD LITTLE NAME TAGS WHERE WE COULD TELL PEOPLE WHAT LANGUAGES WE SPOKE.

SO THAT WAS ALSO REALLY GREAT BECAUSE IT ALSO SHOWED THE FAMILIES, OKAY, I'M HERE TO HELP YOU OR, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT JUST SOME RANDOM PERSON HANGING AROUND, YOU KNOW. SO I THINK IT WAS GREAT.

AND I JUST LOVED THAT WE HAD SO MANY OF OUR FAMILY THERE TO SUPPORT THESE FAMILIES AND PROVIDE THEM, YOU KNOW, STUFF THAT THEY NEEDED. THANK YOU.

AND THEN I THINK THE LAST EVENT WAS LAST NIGHT, THE LAKE HIGHLANDS FINE ARTS, MR. POTEET AND MISS MCGOWAN WERE SUPERSTARS.

OH, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT, BUT IT WAS GREAT.

IT WAS IT WAS BETTER FOCUSED ON THOSE STUDENTS THAT WERE.

IT WAS VISUAL ARTS, DANCE, MUSIC.

IT WAS IT WAS A GREAT SHOWCASE.

HAD EVERYTHING FROM ELEMENTARY THROUGH THE HIGH SCHOOLS.

AND IT WAS JUST WHAT IT WAS CALLED, A SHOWCASE.

IT WAS GREAT, BUT IT REALLY TIED TOGETHER WHAT THEY WERE DOING ON THE FINE ARTS SIDE AND WHY THEY WERE DOING IT, AND I JUST THOUGHT IT REALLY IT REALLY FED INTO WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH ENGAGEMENT AND STUDENTS AND HOW THAT WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO THEIR SUCCESS IN HIGH SCHOOL.

SO IT WAS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT.

AM I MISSING ANYTHING ELSE? I WOULD JUST LIKE TO UPDATE THAT, UM, THE RAMILY, OUR BERKNER RAMS ARE IN PLAYOFFS AND WE ARE LOSING 42 TO 14, BUT THERE IS STILL THE FOURTH QUARTER AHEAD.

SO. AND THEN DON'T FORGET THAT LIKE HIGHLANDS WILL BE IN THE PLAYOFFS TOMORROW AS WELL.

SO. AND THEN OUR LAKE HIGHLANDS VOLLEYBALL MADE IT TO THE THIRD ROUND.

THEY PLAYED SO WELL AGAINST A REALLY FORMIDABLE FLOWER MOUND TEAM.

SO SUPER PROUD OF VOLLEYBALL AS WELL.

MR. RENTERIA. I JUST WANTED TO MENTION ALSO WHAT WAS ALSO SO AWESOME.

WE TALKED ABOUT WHEN MISS BRANUM MENTIONED THE RAMILY.

I WAS ABLE TO GO AGAIN ON A VERY RAINY DAY, BUT TO THE SEND OFF, MR. HASSALL WAS THERE.

UM, MISS GLOSS WAS THERE.

I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER EVERYBODY, BUT I THINK.

WERE YOU THERE, MATTHEW? I CAN'T REMEMBER WHO WAS THERE, BUT IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THE AGAIN THE COMMUNITY.

RIGHT. EVERYBODY WHO WAS THERE FOR THE SEND OFF OF THE BERKNER BAND, THEY DID AN AMAZING JOB IN SAN ANTONIO.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS REALLY, REALLY COOL TO JUST I MEAN, THEY WERE LIKE THE SUPERSTARS, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY DO THE RUNNING AND THEY DO THE BIG ENTRANCE WITH THE FOOTBALL TEAM.

IT WAS ALL ABOUT THE BAND AND IT WAS IT WAS REALLY AWESOME TO SEE EVERYBODY THERE SUPPORTING THEM AND SENDING THEM OFF.

SO IT WAS FUN. ALL RIGHT.

PERFECT. ANOTHER GREAT COUPLE OF WEEKS.

[03:10:03]

DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE, MS. MCCOWAN? PERCUSSION GOES TO COMPETITION THIS WEEKEND.

[IV.G. Discussion of Upcoming Events]

ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT.

SO IT IS 9:15.

AND I'M GOING TO THANK THE STAFF, OUR VISITORS AND OF COURSE MY COLLEAGUES.

THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT, MISS BRANUM MY COLLEAGUES FOR HANGING IN THERE TONIGHT.

THIS EVENING WE WILL NOT HAVE A CLOSED SESSION TONIGHT.

SO THEREFORE THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 9:15.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.